2017 8-Week Retreat, 14 Apr 2017, Lama Tzong Khapa Institute, Tuscany, Italy
This morning Alan energetically presents the three turnings of the wheel of Dharma as revolutions to set the stage for Dzogchen practice. He explains why we can’t see any evidence of our already being a Buddha and how reification freezes the fluidity of Rigpa into dualistic ‘ice.’ Alan discusses the sorry state of the world in relation to Je Tsongkhapa’s assertion that the extent to which our mind is dominated by mental afflictions, that much we will experience suffering. He offers hope by saying the opposite is also equally as true. All this leads to the importance of realizing Rigpa to reverse the cause of suffering - identifying what is not “I and mine” as being “I and mine.” The guided meditation leads us through observing tactile sensations without identifying them as I and mine and then shifts to observing mental appearances from that same perspective. Guided meditation starts at xx:xx
The Wisdom of Atisha and Knowing Our Own Minds, 13 Sep 2021, Online from Miyo Samten Ling in Crestone, CO
As a minimalist, Lama-la starts the last session by directly going into the teaching. He clarifies the passage of the text "recollecting his mind’s way of apprehending“ that was left vague before and then give a detailed explanation of Asanga’s method of mindfulness of breathing and the importance of relaxation and settling the respiration into its natural rhythm. Starting at minute 29.33 he gives a guided meditation on Asanga’s approach to mindfulness of breathing. After the meditation he reminds us of the etymology of the Sanskrit term "meditation" which means cultivation and the importance you engaging in meditation. Then he continues with the dialogue which lead to self-grasping, the root of bondage and all mental afflictions and what the referent of the term self-grasping is. Searching for its location and parts one is lead towards the understanding that it is just an empty appearance like dream appearances.
Fall 2010 Shamatha Retreat, 18 Nov 2010, Thanyapura Mind Centre, Phuket, Thailand
We are starting for the 3rd time the cycle of meditations starting with the Infirmary, this wonderful practice to get grounded and enhance relaxation. In his opening 20-minute lecture, Alan talked this time about the parallelism between Shamatha and the 4 Immeasurables on how the former leads to realizing emptiness and the latter bodhichita. Both are the 2 “supernovas” on our way to enlightenment. He also shared in detail his point of view, according to the Geluk tradition, on Ngöndro Practices and the practice of Shamatha. He gives clear advice on how not to make those powerful preliminary practices a quantitative practice just to cover a number of prerequisites in order to have access to other type of teachings and practices, by just becoming religious. So, for a western mind, it could be useful to practice Sutrayana first, because they are too a way of purifying obscurations and creating merit. He suggests letting our faith increase so these preliminary too become meaningful and really transforming.
2018 8-week retreat- The Essence of Clear Meaning, 11 May 2018, Lama Tzong Khapa Institute in Pomaia (Pisa), Italy
Lama Alan begins by warning us that he brought a sharp knife with him this afternoon. This knife is for cutting through to a clear distinction between non-meditation & being a sentient being who is just sitting there like a marmot. While the difference couldn't be bigger, the two can look exactly the same. And unfortunately, in many instances they are confused. There is a huge tendency in the modern era to conflate the two - especially when there is a product being marketed such as in the "mindfulness industry". Sera Khandro's text provides a gold standard highlighting the differences, and if we aren't aware of the distinction, then we ourselves may never go beyond shamatha - or even beyond "proto-shamatha" - and believe we're practicing Dzogchen. Lama Alan reviews the practices of taking the mind as the path and shamatha without a sign, pointing out that these can be done in a secular context: no particular view is needed. He reminded us that the 5 obscurations become dormant thanks to the practice of shamatha, and how the obscurations of sensual craving and ill-will may play out in Dharma centres and teachers who've not achieved shamatha. The crucial difference between taking the mind as the path or shamatha without a sign, and non-meditation is Dzogchen view and the non-dual experience of the practice. Then Alan reads again from Sera Khandro's "Garland for the Delight of the Fortunate", where she describes the 4 aspects of true "Open Presence" practice. Meditation is on Awareness of Awareness & Non-Meditation. After the meditation, we take up the text on page 81: 2''' The Context of Wisdom. We begin with an explanation of anu yoga as comparable to the completion stage which are both designed to achieve enlightenment in a single lifetime. After a glance survey of completion stage practices, Lama Alan poses the question, "why all these elaborations?" Because they are skilful means that make the path accessible to the minds of sentient beings who continue to be caught in reification. He gives the list of the 6 cravings to be overcome and then a beautiful reminder of when and how enlightenment can be achieved in the different bardos after death. Starting the section 1''' The Elaborate Explanation, Lama Alan goes through the 9 yanas. He talks about tirthikas (extremists) who would be akin to materialists in our modern world, pointing out that the shravakayana would be incomprehensible to them, yet could be the antidote they need. He elucidates how each yana is incapable of comprehending the higher yana, and this section concludes with the statement that "all the qualities of those paths and fruitions are encompassed within the path of the Great Perfection, with the higher incorporating the lower." Meditation starts at 25:00 Text p.81-84
Fall 2013 Shamatha and the Seven-Point Mind Training, 28 Sep 2013, Thanyapura Mind Centre, Phuket, Thailand
We start today's morning session with the last (silent) meditation in the cycle of merging mind with space. After the meditation, Alan gives a big-picture context of the path (marga) in Mahayana Buddhism, namely in Mahamudra and Dzogchen. By elaborating on the steps and stages of each path, Alan makes it clear - once again - how Shamatha is an indispensable step if one aspires to cultivate genuine realizations on his/her path. He also points out how often unskilled teachings/teachers can confuse the qualities of Shamatha practice with much higher realizations and when this happens, the practitioner not only does not progress on his/her path but is also deluded regrading the realizations, which is the danger of inauthentic teachings. Hence, one should not abandon the ground practices of Shamatha and other preliminaries (Tong Len, Lam Rim, etc.) before venturing out into more esoteric practices.
Meditation (left in so you can practice along with us) starts at: 02:00
Fall 2013 Shamatha and the Seven-Point Mind Training, 27 Sep 2013, Thanyapura Mind Centre, Phuket, Thailand
The session starts with the Tong Len meditation. After the guided meditation, we go back to the aphorism "Blame everything on the culprit", using a verse of Shantideva (chapter 4, verse 34 of the Bodhicaryavatara) and the story of Ben Gungyal, the leader of a gang in Kham.
Mental afflictions always point to other people than yourself. Alan tells about three remedies for when mental afflictions come up, as taught by Geshe Rabten: 1) apply antidotes, 2) settle the mind in its natural state, or 3) direct your attention to something else.
Next, Alan Talks about how Shamatha and Vipassana "deal" with the five obscurations. He also points out that when self grasping and self centeredness are diminishing, that is a sign that the practice is working.
Followed by a question on the four methods of Shamatha meditation: should we pick one out? or practice all of them?
Finally, don't miss the story of Lobsang Tenzing!
Meditation starts at: immediately
2019 8-Week Retreat, 14 May 2019, Lama Tzong Khapa Institute, Tuscany, Italy
Lama begins by finalizing a thought that he started yesterday, relating to the way we identify ourselves based on a comment by His Holiness. In the context of Vajrayana, there are two ways in which we can dissolve our current identity and environment into emptiness and then choose how to arise. The first option is to do so as a sentient being who wants to achieve liberation, which is a valid basis. A second option is to identify ourselves with our own Buddha nature as our basis of designation. Thus you identify yourself as a Buddha. While you are, like everything else, not inherently existent, this identification has causal efficacy and His Holiness indicates that among the two options this one, identifying as a Buddha, is far more powerful. Lama also adds that this comes with both dissolving and identifying the environment and other sentient beings as pure. You see your actions as the actions of the Buddha, your speech as the speech of the Buddha and thoughts as emerging from dharmakaya. Lama then goes into the three uncommon preliminaries and how we should see others as our beloved kin, to see them with compassion and ourselves as well. Then we see our Vajra siblings as in the nature of Viras and Dakinis. He emphasized that we should see what must be lying there, which is the truly enormous store of merit that we all have from past lives in order to encounter these teachings, and to have the leisure and opportunity to practice them. Finally there is the way we view our Vajra Acharya, our Lama, and even though there is nothing objectively from their own side, they are nothing else but the Buddha. This is not only to get blessings, but with the whole purpose of being able to see ourselves as a buddha. Then Lama went into the topic of transforming felicity and adversity into the path. As a preface to the meditation session, he commented that there are two ways of practicing taking the mind as the path. One is following Yangthang Rinpoche's advice, where the focus is overwhelmingly on awareness, and we just attend to mental events enough to recognize them. The other one more fully attends mental events, and Lama explains it through a classic analogy that is mentioned by the Pänchen Rinpoche in his Mahamudra teachings. The texts mentions the analogy of a raven and a navigator stranded in the middle of the sea. Before starting the meditation Lama also discussed the way in which the past, present and future exist and whether they are permanent or impermanent and whether they have causal efficacy, arriving to the conclusion that the future influences the present, and the present influences the future, as well as the past influences our present and the present influences our past, and this means that we have choices we didn't even imagine we had. Let's practice! Meditation is on taking the mind as the path while Lama seeds the clouds of our minds with passages from Transforming Felicity and Adversity Into the Spiritual path. After the meditation Lama indicates that he is very content with this practice since it is a smooth segue which will help us now but will also help us months from now. The meditation starts at 41:10
Fall 2010 Shamatha Retreat, 18 Nov 2010, Thanyapura Mind Centre, Phuket, Thailand
Good Morning to All Human Beings, This is the third morning for Awareness of Awareness Shamatha Meditation. Alan was speaking like a wrathful deity this morning. He is wrathful about the way some scientists (as well as the journalists who report on scientific studies) use words to describe the functions of computers and the brain. They use language that would suggest that neurons and computers are “smart” and can “communicate” and “detect” things, but at the same time disempower human beings by telling them their minds are merely computers. He is calling for all of us who meditate to use introspection and examine our own experience when we are meditating. Alan says that we are each the scientist of our own mind. The lecture had so much value, pointing out what some of the implications are of this type of word usage in the scientific community. I suggest you listen to his lecture five times in order to get the full meaning. Thank you for being conscious. Darlene
Spring 2011 Shamatha Retreat, 20 Apr 2011, Thanyapura Mind Centre, Phuket, Thailand
Alan Wallace teaches on the immeasurable of equanimity, or uppekha, focusing on a Theravaden perspective. This can be described as even-mindedness or emotional equilibrium.
During the following question and answer period, Alan answers these questions:
1. When and how should I begin to lengthen my meditation sessions?
2. Sometimes I seem to make progress in my practice, but almost inevitably what follows this is a fresh wave of distractions. Is this something in the early stages of shamatha practice? Why does this happen?
3. I am having trouble sleeping through the night while on retreat - how to deal with this challenge?
4. During awareness of awareness practice, I find that while inverting awareness I create a subtle tension in my mind. How can I release this tension?
5. Must I first achieve shamatha before moving on to vipassana or other practices?
6. When I'm practicing awareness of awareness, my awareness is going out to some space in front of me...
7. Can you speak about the differences and similarities between practice during a meditation session and practice between meditation sessions?
2017 8-Week Retreat, 28 May 2017, Lama Tzong Khapa Institute, Tuscany, Italy
Questions include: 1. I often find myself in a silent space with little movement and mostly a kind of light thoughts. After the time of formal meditation, not immediately, but through the course of the day, then there are more rough thoughts coming up. Is this okay, or is it maybe a sign that I'm not doing the practice correctly? 2. How not to reify physical pain. my way to deal with it , is to see how I label the physical sensation as pain and give it the attribute painful / don't like - and then I just want it to go away. I can observe the movement of pain becoming stronger and weaker, but the main thing is that I always want it to go away. 3. the question is about strong mental impulses, emotions: they usually arise in my mind as pictures, and in the moment I see the picture, often a body sensation arises at the same time, I just can't find any space between the arising of the picture and the bodily sensation. is this correct practice, if I can observe this? is the goal to be so relaxed and mindful, that no bodily sensation comes up at all?
Fall 2015 Stage of Generation, 25 Aug 2015, Araluen Retreat Center, Queensland, Australia
Alan begins with a guided meditation which is a variation of Awareness of Awareness beginning with a visualization of Amitabha. Alan started reading from page 82 of the text elaborating on 'ideation', pointing out that through rumination, you lose your energy. Shamata by contrast is an 'energy conservation project'. He briefly talked about the various traditions of Samadhi speculating that the lineage in Greece from Pythagoras, had possibly come via Egypt from an Indian sadhu. In the context of the discussion of shamatha as a 'structured state' Alan introduced the idea of how conceptuality does not need to be verbal, as a child in utero in the last trimester can distinguish one voice from another. He then finessed the distinction of non-conceptuality and of bliss in various states pointing out the necessity for us to get the big picture so when you get to this stage you don't stop. Using the image of Amitabha as a meditation object, Alan talked us through the process of how Amitabha would appear as you reached the 9th stage, and then crossed over from the Desire Realm to the Form Realm. Quoting Asanga, he said you release the image into space. Then you turn the awareness on itself as you do in settling the mind in its natural state. And quoting Buddhaghosa, when you achieve the first Jnana, you retrieve the counterpart sign. Emphasising "you don't just sit there." The inversion is what distinguishes both the practice of Mahamudra and Dzogchen. As science has been generous in making its findings public, this information on shamatha should be common knowledge, not packed away as if it is a religious belief. After reading through to the end of the chapter, Alan then gave a description of what it is like to actually achieve Shamata. He talked through the sequence of physical and mental signs and changes in the body and mind, culminating in physical and mental pliancy. He also emphasised that although you get great benefits at stage 9, it's important to go all the way and not cut corners. Alan rounded off the discussion with some choice quotes from Padmasambhava and Lama Tsongkhapa. He ended by reminding us that Dudjom Lingpa predicted that 100 of his followers would achieve the Great Transference Rainbow Body. Why would we aspire for less? Meditation starts at 0:18. ___ Course notes, other episodes and resources for this retreat are available here The text for this retreat can be purchased via the SBI Store. Finally, Please contribute to help us afford the audio equipment we rent to make these, and future podcasts freely available.
Shamatha Teachings Presented by Glen Svensson, 10 Apr 2020, Originally part of 2020 8-week retreat
Session 3: Breath (shavasana) 1. Review 2. Tools (mindfulness, introspection) 3. Shavasana posture 4. Meditation - breath (shavasana) 5. Tips for the practice 6. Q&A While doing a review of the past sessions, Glen stresses the importance of relaxing when distraction occurs, not “clamping down,” and reads a quote from The Attention Revolution. He states how for modern people with a lot of rumination, mindfulness of breathing is probably the best option. Glen describes the differences between mindfulness and introspection. Mindfulness is continuously remembering and not forgetting the object of attention. Introspection is what monitors the quality of your mindfulness, the “repeated examination f the state of one’s body and mind.” Out of these two, mindfulness is principal. Meditation starts at 29:20 After doing the meditation in the shavasana posture, Glen does the Q & A. He recommends doing the posture when one is highly agitated, and how it can be a useful transition to sleep.
Fall 2011 Shamatha Retreat, 20 Oct 2011, Thanyapura Mind Centre, Phuket, Thailand
We are beginning our final descent. The deva realm of Tushita and the pure land of Tushita sit side by side. In the deva realm when it is time for a deva to leave their flowers fade and they suffer great mental anguish over leaving. However in Tushita, the pure land, beings have been training their minds in dharma and leave there because of their great compassion to help suffering sentient beings. So when they leave it is a time of celebration. Likewise, if we were at the sports and leisure center down the street we might feel sadness to be leaving the sun and the pool and the fit people. But since we are leaving the mind center with the intention to offer our best to those we meet it is not a cause of sadness but a cause of celebration.
Silent meditation starts at 22:34
The Wisdom of Atisha and Knowing Our Own Minds, 18 Sep 2021, Online from Miyo Samten Ling in Crestone, CO
Content: - The meditation during this session will be about the close application of mindfulness to feelings (vedanta) - Discussion of the connection between yesterday’s conversation between Atisha and Drom about "the four immeasurables canceling each others out" and feelings. - Discussion of the close applications of mindfulness to feelings which arise within the stream of all six kinds of consciousness (visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, gustatory, mental). - Feelings are not in the objects we apprehend but in the way we are experiencing these objects. Usually we take our subjective experiences, objectify and reifying them. - Thought experiment of choosing between mental wellbeing and physical wellbeing. - Discussion of the mind and the mental processes in general and particular the five omnipresent mental processes - Homework: Observe feelings in between meditation sessions. The meditation is on the close application of mindfulness to feelings. It begins at minute 18:50
Spring 2011 Shamatha Retreat, 22 Apr 2011, Thanyapura Mind Centre, Phuket, Thailand
The immeasurable of loving-kindness is guided through a 24-minute meditation which focuses on envisioning the causes and conditions for one's own happiness, achieving this happiness, and then sharing this happiness with others.
Alan then answers the following questions:
1. How do we decide what length breaks to take between sessions? Also, I am getting sleepy after a few sessions - am I doing it wrong?
2. How do you say awareness in Tibetan?
3. When settling the mind in its natural state, where is awareness when I am thinking?
4. Is it possible to think without awareness?
5. A comment on diet and vegetarianism.
6. I noticed that when practicing the stretching exercise during awareness of awareness, I sensed my whole energetic body was stretching out. What was that?
7. What are your reasons for not using a Buddha image [a visualization practice] as a focus for meditation?
8. Please point out if and how agitation [excitation] and dullness [laxity] differ for the three shamatha practices.
9. In so far as overcoming excitation and laxity indicates achieving different stages of shamatha, must one do so in every type of shamatha to achieve that level?
Fall 2010 Shamatha Retreat, 18 Nov 2010, Thanyapura Mind Centre, Phuket, Thailand
Awareness of awareness is “the most profound practice” according to the Buddha, and he gave us this morning very meaningful advice on how to know we’re doing it correctly.
You may wonder that if you’re doing such a profound practice, you should be getting profound results… But, nothing! This doubt comes from an expectation for deep results.
How do you know if you are doing this practice of awareness of awareness correctly? You could ask the following questions:
1. Are you aware that you are aware? And the answer could be:
“Well, yes… I’m aware of what is arising”. But in this practice you don’t have to be aware of anything arising, but instead you have to draw your attention to you, who is aware.
2. How do I know?
Alan explained this by giving an analogy that if you were taken into a vacuous container (or a deprivation tank), and all your senses were withdrawn, even your mind wouldn’t have any thoughts, nothing… do you think there would still be something? He explained there would still be a feeling or a presence there, and that would be your awareness, getting ready to illuminate anything that could arise.
So, that is what you look at. A good expectation by the end of this 8-week retreat would be having the certainty of doing this practice correctly or incorrectly, and knowing it. This practice is about letting be, it is very yin, while modern world is very yang: trying always to accomplish something. So, just practice it in this simple way.
The Seven Preliminaries according Düdjom Lingpa, 04 May 2020, Online - Originally part of 2020 8-week retreat
Eva (Yangchen) begins today’s session by answering some questions related to the Vajrasattva practice. The first question is regarding visualization, if we can ‘move our awareness around’ Vajrasattva during the practice. The second question is on how is it possible for deeds from previous lives that we don’t even remember to be purified. Afterwards she recites the Vajrasattva mantra in different speeds, for us to have it. We then go into the Guru Yoga instructions. We will visualize ourselves as Yeshe Tsogyal in the form of Vajrayogini. Yangchen encourages us not to look up images of Vajrayogini, rather to trust the images that come to mind from the description. Eva reads the description from Düdjom Lingpa and elaborates on the details based on the commentary by Thinley Norbu. After emphasizing the important details of Vajrayogini, Yangchen starts with the emergence of Guru Rinpoche in front of us, at the level of our crown. She gives a sketch of this appearance and comments that she will give the full visualization tomorrow, in meditation.
2017 8-Week Retreat, 19 May 2017, Lama Tzong Khapa Institute, Tuscany, Italy
Alan begins this session with talking about the importance of understanding the context of the practices. Bringing these practices to their culmination over the longer term can only be done through a rich understanding of their significance for the entire path and taking satisfaction in the process. Alan has been surprised to see very gifted people have quick success in their practice but still abandon it because they lack this understanding. We continue to look ahead at the nine stages and get a quick review of the first and second stages and their relation to the four types of mindfulness before moving on to the third stage. Alan focuses on the differences between Settling the Mind In its Natural State and the other practices. The practice opens Pandora’s box and all afflictions can arise. However, they have no refuge and it’s up to us to stare our afflictions down with the three objects of refuge at our back. If you do that, Alan asks, “Who would you bet on?” Alan encourages practicing Mindfulness of Breathing during the silent session at the end of class, which was not recorded.
2020 8-Week Retreat: The Vajra Essence – Part 1, 10 Apr 2020, Online-only
Session 3: Breath (shavasana) 1. Review 2. Tools (mindfulness, introspection) 3. Shavasana posture 4. Meditation - breath (shavasana) 5. Tips for the practice 6. Q&A
While doing a review of the past sessions, Glen stresses the importance of relaxing when distraction occurs, not “clamping down,” and reads a quote from The Attention Revolution. He states how for modern people with a lot of rumination, mindfulness of breathing is probably the best option.
Glen describes the differences between mindfulness and introspection. Mindfulness is continuously remembering and not forgetting the object of attention. Introspection is what monitors the quality of your mindfulness, the “repeated examination f the state of one’s body and mind.” Out of these two, mindfulness is principal.
Meditation starts at 29:20
After doing the meditation in the shavasana posture, Glen does the Q & A. He recommends doing the posture when one is highly agitated, and how one it can be a useful transition to sleep.
[Keywords: shamatha, shavasana, relaxation]
Shamatha, Vipashyana, Mahamudra, and Dzogchen, 23 May 2016, Lama Tzong Khapa Institute, Italy
Alan started the session with a guided meditation summarising all the practices we have done during this retreat, culminating in Dzogchen non-meditation. It is never too soon to begin the Dzogchen practice and on occasion try to rest in non-doing, non-meditation - says Alan. It is good to sow the seeds for future practice. The rest of the session is devoted to questions from participants, especially those who have not had their interviews with Alan. The questions asked concern: 1) Vipashyana meditation and whether one needs to always go through the entire sequence of not finding the mind, its colour, shape etc. 2) Further and more detailed instructions on lucid dreaming. 3) The possibility of collaboration with other yogic traditions and with scientists in the field of contemplative science. The meditation is a combination of shamatha and vipashyana methods, culminating in resting in the best approximation of rigpa. The meditation starts immediately. ___ Please contribute to make these, and future podcasts freely available.
Fall 2013 Shamatha and the Seven-Point Mind Training, 02 Oct 2013, Thanyapura Mind Centre, Phuket, Thailand
Line from Seven Point Mind Training - 'By meditating on delusive appearances as the four kayas, emptiness is the unsurpassed protection'.
Alan gives an analogy of lucid dreaming and the 'waking state' to refer to the way inner and outer space is perceived and how they can be non-dual.
Alan explains how to transmute equally all that comes up, whether we are in a spa or if people treat us badly. It is easy to practice Dharama in the 'spa' but you know how you are doing (with your practice) when you come up against difficulties.
Alan quotes from a Guide to the Bodhisattvas Way of Life - 'There is nothing that does not become easier with familiarisation'. Start by giving special attention to the small things that irritate you and release all resistance and let it be. Then you can work up to bigger irritations.
You can view enemies, illness and mental afflictions as opportunities for growth.
Qu: Metaphor of an arhart and a Buddha in the context of a lucid dream.
Qu: Regarding awareness of awareness practice and the role of discrimination and free will.
Qu: Regarding where mental afflictions come from.
Meditation starts at: 21:02
Spring 2010 Shamatha Retreat, 08 Jun 2010, Thanyapura Mind Centre, Phuket, Thailand
As we approach the end of the retreat, the lectures are getting more and more information packed and so are these summaries. I will say as I always do; if you are new to the podcast go back to the first episodes!
This morning we started by covering the importance and the difficulty, even for Tibetans now and in the past, of calming the mind through Shamatha practice. Alan speaks about the sad state of the modern view that reduces human beings into biological machines, where the brain does everything and we do nothing. From here, he mentions the popular but very incorrect belief that Buddhism arrived to the west "dead on arrival," and that achieving realizations or even Shamatha in modernity is impossible. It all boils down to your belief in yourself, motivation, and diligence. As HH. Dalai Lama said, practice like Milarepa and you will achieve like Milarepa. Too often we look for the "quick fix," and Alan emphazises that there is simply no substitute for cultivating real stability. Keeping our minds concentrated by keeping them in motion will not achieve lasting transformation. Alan also explains why throughout this retreat he has always given an entire worldview with elaborate answers rather than just "keeping it to practice," and I will vouch that his technique has really worked for me and other fellow retreatants, giving us a deep understanding of the context and gently but firmly turning our minds towards the pursuit of genuine happiness.
Towards the end of this introduction, Alan gives several practical tips on what to do if our mind just won't cooperate when we try to meditate, emphasising and giving instructions on breathing out correctly. He then starts this Awareness of Awareness practice, which he later mentions can be excellent medicine to heal ourselves from the sad belief that we are only matter, organic computers with no control over ourselves.
No materialist investigation into "ourselves" and reality can compete against these practices unless a radical shift takes place in the modern way of viewing reality.
Fall 2015 Stage of Generation, 10 Aug 2015, Araluen Retreat Center, Queensland, Australia
For this silent meditation session, Alan asks us to initially practice mindfulness of breathing that cultivates ease and stillness, and then shift to settling the mind in its natural state and observe the "wind of thoughts" that come into the field of consciousness. He suggests we occasionally check the temporal and qualitative vividness of the mental events with a view to sharpening and enhancing vividness by detecting even more subtler events. Before the practice he asks us to experiment with resting our attention with eyes fixed on an object in front of us and then move the mental engagement to the left, then right, down and up, all without moving our visual attention. For the meditation practice, Alan requests we distinguish between stillness and movement of our mental attention and to attend to the space of the mind and what arises in it. A newer, subtler challenge in our practice is to detect a mode, presence or quality of cognitive awareness that is always still. After meditation Alan returns to the Spacious Path text at bottom of page 45 to comment further on the healing power of the practice of Avalokiteshvara and recitation of Om Mani Padme Hum. He notes it is not only Buddhist practice that exhibits such healing power, with similar reports in Christianity and other faiths throughout history and with examples occurring today. He expounds on the so-called placebo effect and the fact the scientific community remains uninterested in the issue of active forces that are not physical. Alan takes us on quite a ride through quotations of philosophers Daniel Dennett and John Searle that science is confused and in disagreement about consciousness and comments why this is so after some 140 years of modern investigation ñ the strangle-hold of scientific materialism! He further quotes Freud, the Buddha, HHDL and William James who each in their way encourage inquiry that throws away the shackles of such dogmatism! After settling down, we continue to review the text from pages 47 to 49. Alan notes Karma Chagme's permission at bottom of page 49 that this be a public Dharma. Silent Meditation begins at 24:25 and is not recorded. ___ Course notes, other episodes and resources for this retreat are available here The text for this retreat can be purchased via the SBI Store. Finally, Please contribute to help us afford the audio equipment we rent to make these, and future podcasts freely available.
2018 8-week retreat- The Essence of Clear Meaning, 12 Apr 2018, Lama Tzong Khapa Institute in Pomaia (Pisa), Italy
This morning Alan turns to the cultivation of compassion but today in the classic way by addressing it to others. He makes references to Shantideva and the emptiness of the nature of suffering. Pain, misery, fear and all other sufferings have no inherent identity. Since the mind together with all other phenomena is empty of an inherent nature, then also all our suffering must be empty too. Alan then looks at the relativity of suffering. This is particularly helpful when we focus on our own suffering only and take it for real, and thereby forget the suffering of our fellow sentient beings. However, suffering has no owner as stated by Shantideva in his Bodhicharyavatara. Moreover, joy and sorrow are also related and dependent on what came before and what comes after. Were they inherent real, they should always be the same. Whether joy or sorrow gets to us depends also on whether we identify with it. To put all our mundane joy and suffering into the right perspective, it is worthwhile considering that from the perspective of an Arya all mundane joy is suffering, and even the immutable bliss of nirvana or resting in pristine awareness are not inherently real. Meditation is on Compassion directed towards others. The meditation starts at 11:56
Fall 2013 Shamatha and the Seven-Point Mind Training, 26 Sep 2013, Thanyapura Mind Centre, Phuket, Thailand
Two points about this practice. Like riding a bicycle, once we are in the flow we don't need to remember to push with our left left leg, then our right leg and so on. Similarly once we are in a steady state with this practice, release all recollection, in other words, release mindfulness (as it is understood in Buddhism). The second point is to see if we can be free of mental engagement as in 'now I am observing awareness, I got it, I got it" - just keep it simple.
Ordinarily mindfulness and mental engagement is how we know anything but for Shamatha practices, particularly Shamatha without a sign and merging mind with space, we are seeking to slip into a mode of knowing that is still alert but free of mindfulness and mental engagement.
After the meditation Alan quotes from several sources including the third Karmapa Rangjung Dorje and Dudjom Lingpa which relate Shamatha with the Four Yogas of Mahamudra and the five Mahayana paths. From these authentic sources Shamatha is also clearly defined so that we can "build and drive a VW bug and not call it anything that it is not, it's a very good vehicle".
Meditation starts at: 6:52
Fall 2014 Shamatha, Vipashyana, Dream Yoga, 15 Oct 2014, Thanyapura Mind Centre, Phuket, Thailand
What better way to end a retreat than with Shantideva’s beautiful verses about embracing bodhicitta! The verses cited today are often used for the liturgy when taking the bodhisattva precepts. Shantideva’s verses are not meant as a teaching to an audience, they are more like an invitation for us in the sense of the “Ehipassiko”, the “Come and see” of the Pali canon, and Shantideva invites us into his own mind with them. When you take the Pratimoksha or the Tantric precepts, you need to receive them through a certain lineage. The guru is the channel through which you receive the blessings and the guidance of the Dharmakaya when taking these vows. The Bodhisattva precepts are an exception, you can take them even without a guru being present. The Dharmakaya and therefore the Buddha is present everywhere, and he himself will be your witness. You can then also imagine all sentient beings being present as your witnesses, too, because they are the ones you are going to serve. When we deeply resonate with this extraordinary resolve, we can just take the vows in such a way. Regarding the meditation, as we did for the teachings of Padmasambhava before, we can look through the transparent veil of Alan as the person reading it and it will be Shantideva himself speaking the verses. Guided meditation starts at 17:34 min
Fall 2013 Shamatha and the Seven-Point Mind Training, 18 Sep 2013, Thanyapura Mind Centre, Phuket, Thailand
Alan goes straight into the meditation practice.
Alan states that 'settling the mind in its natural state' and 'Shamatha without a sign' are notorious for catalysing karma. Alan defines 'nyam' and obstacles. Alan states Dudjom Lingpa's two approaches to nyam arising - to reify or to not grasp, and to use whatever understanding you have of emptiness.
Alan then gives commentary to the line in Atisha's text 'Between sessions act as illusory being'.
Alan talks on the impure and the pure illusory bodies. He then goes on to discuss Vajrayana practices of stage of generation and completion - the developmental approach, and the Dzogchen approach. One says you have Buddha nature, the other you are Buddha nature.
Alan describes what to rely on in your practice (what to take refuge in).
In between sessions act as if you are in a lucid dream. Dzogchen approach 'all things appear, but are non-existent'. This is a dream. A radical shift in perspective.
Meditation starts at: 00:31
Fall 2011 Shamatha Retreat, 19 Sep 2011, Thanyapura Mind Centre, Phuket, Thailand
As riding a dolphin… Today, as the last session of a 10 day cycle on Shamatha and the 4
Immeasurables, the session was about equanimity conjoined with tonglen. Before jumping
into it, Alan touched the topic of how mindfulness of breathing, once the breath is settled in
its natural rhythm, can never be boring because the cause itself of boredom is removed with
this practice, and it becomes like riding a dolphin.
Next, he explained how these three methods to achieve shamatha help or can provide
depth for the cultivation of equanimity, going to the substrate and from that perspective
carry on with this discursive meditation (36:14).
Finally, we had three detailed questions (61:05): one about the measure of releasing during each
out-breath when settling the respiration in its natural state; second one was about until
which point does the practice of settling the mind in its natural state purify unwholesome
deeds, and if it might be needed additional purification practices; the third one was about
the Buddhist approach with respect to free will and determinism. We were delighted with
extremely interesting answers that went beyond the questions themselves.
Please don’t miss this podcast. Enjoy
Fall 2013 Shamatha and the Seven-Point Mind Training, 03 Oct 2013, Thanyapura Mind Centre, Phuket, Thailand
Again returning to the three space meditation, this time front loaded with a readings from the Bāhiya Sutta and instruction from Sera Khandro Dewé Dorje, an accomplished yogini. Also references to the heart sutra - giving a range of ways to connect with this practice.
Post meditation: Returning to the seven point mind training text and the next aphorism, "The best strategy is to have four practices." This refers to 1) accumulate merit 2) purify vices 3) make offerings to spirits. Looking back at Thomas Sprat's "History of Royal Society" in 1667 and what was occurring in Europe at the time, Alan talks at length about how it came about that science does not study spirits, even though scientific enquiry is meant to be open minded. Alan also shows Newton's influence on the view that we are internally filled with demons, the basis of modern psychiatry.
Meditation starts at: A silent meditation session not recorded. Begins at 35.48
Fall 2011 Shamatha Retreat, 18 Oct 2011, Thanyapura Mind Centre, Phuket, Thailand
Silent meditation (no introduction) starts at 0:18
Questions (25:28):
1. Comment on the concepts of time and space.
2. What role do the “Hidden Lands” play in the context of Buddhist practice?
3. In the Vajrayana, there is the practice of the illusory body. Is there anything like this in the Mahayana? What is the concept of “wilderness” in practice?
4. What is the role of devotion and reverence in practice?
5. Pondering the metaphor of the carriage and the Four Immeasurables being like four horses,
I have explored what the other parts of the metaphor are in my own practice. For example, the reins (which must be held not too tight or not too loose) are the discipline of my practice in the hands of the driver—who might be inattentive or alert, a good driver or not so good on any given day. The wheels and undercarriage are the Four Thoughts that Turn the Mind (Precious human existence, Death and Impermanence, the Law of Karma, and the Defects of Samsara). Who is inside the carriage (a passive passenger or a master who knows the destination and the route to it and can keep the driver going in the right direction). Are there other interpretations? A similar metaphor appears in the Upanishads. Is there an expanded metaphor in Buddhist text?
2017 8-Week Retreat, 21 Apr 2017, Lama Tzong Khapa Institute, Tuscany, Italy
“In this lifetime we have everything in place to learn what’s going on.” So starts the last teaching of the week. We are encouraged to investigate the interdependence of awareness and appearances and practice Vipashyana to realize it for ourselves. This is the analytical side of Settling the Mind in its Natural State, examining where appearances come from. We continue with the text, reviewing the first of three pith instructions from Dudjom Lingpa, “Seek Out the Source of Names” and continue on with the second, “Destroy Grasping at the Permanence of Things.” Alan has come prepared with some quotations of leading quantum physicists who he believes have had their views “quarantined” by science because the implications are too unsettling. This is an inspiring talk illuminating some of the intersections of quantum mechanics and the Middle Way view. There is much compatibility in terms of how things do not exist, but Buddhism still has the only real explanation of how they do. Alan thinks that this communication across cultures could be one of the greatest revolution of modern times, ending the week with an inspiring glimpse into “what could be.” Guided meditation starts at 10:56
Fall 2015 Stage of Generation, 12 Aug 2015, Araluen Retreat Center, Queensland, Australia
The session begins with the meditation on the Avalokitesvara sadhana, taken from pp.52-53 of the text. Alan starts on the theme that visualisation meditation is mostly a right brain practice but to engage in stage of generation practice we also need wisdom. We begin with the emptiness of self and extend to an understanding that the universe itself lacks inherent existence. The practice is counter to the scientific worldview which ignores the role of consciousness. Alan explains the Buddhist worldview of myriad worlds that arise from karma. The three main ways that karma manifests is outlined which leads to a more complete understanding of the universe with the role of the mind included. Using this as a working hypothesis, those following the bodhisattva path experience the world becoming progressively purer. With the sadhana we are encouraged to imagine the practice from the perspective of an enlightened being and not from the perspective of a sentient being. As we are in the dark degenerate times, we need to take this pure vision perspective if we are to be transformed. The meditation starts at 1:53
Spring 2011 Shamatha Retreat, 14 May 2011, Thanyapura Mind Centre, Phuket, Thailand
In this session, we approach the immeasurable of equanimity from a Mahayana perspective, using the practice of tonglen (sending and receiving) to attend to individual sentient beings.
The guided meditation begins at 7:10 in the recording.
Alan then answers these questions from the group:
1. What is the relationship between the four immeasurable and bodhicitta?
2. What about dedicating the merit? Do you have any special recommendations in the context of retreat? After each session? At the end of the day?
3. Sometimes I fall asleep lucidly without dreams. Is there a difference between being in a lucid dream, and being asleep lucidly without dreams? Also, last night I became aware of being asleep -- I had my senses, could feel myself breathing, see myself sleeping in my mind's eye. What was happening?
4. You mentioned earlier about how the four immeasurable can balance and complement each other. I love that weaving together. For example, during a meditation on equanimity, I saw indifference coming up, so I arose the immeasurable of compassion for some time before returning to equanimity. Can you say more about this balance, and how you work with segways between the four immeasurable, as well as the sources of these segways?
5. Can you talk about the relativity of space and time? I know, for me, these last five weeks have gone by very quickly, while for others, they have not.
2018 8-week retreat- The Essence of Clear Meaning, 23 May 2018, Lama Tzong Khapa Institute in Pomaia (Pisa), Italy
Before the meditation, Lama Alan refers to the 8th Chapter of Shantideva's Bodhicharyavatara, and in particular, to the reference to the body being protected as a whole. He draws attention to the number of names that modern Anatomy as a science gives to body parts and to the number of ways that physiologists show how those parts relate to each other. Alan goes on to say that the body's parts in reality lack boundaries and that they work together without insisting on separateness say, when one part of the body scratches another without negotiation (via the mind that permeates the tactile domains). Even though we do not feel another's discomfort or pain as the person in pain feels it, from the perspective of primordial consciousness, we do not see that other person as separate. Instead we feel empathy and may offer help. We are suffused equally with cognisance and caring. Lama-la concludes that Great Loving Kindness only makes sense from the perspective of primordial consciousness and it is from that perspective that we are compelled to practice bodhicitta. The meditation is on the Sadhana of Avalokiteshvara and starts at 28:40
2020 8-Week Retreat: The Vajra Essence – Part 1, 04 May 2020, Online-only
Eva (Yangchen) begins today’s session by answering some questions related to the Vajrasattva practice. The first question is regarding visualization, if we can ‘move our awareness around’ Vajrasattva during the practice. The second question is on how is it possible for deeds from previous lives that we don’t even remember to be purified. Afterwards she recites the Vajrasattva mantra in different speeds, for us to have it. We then go into the Guru Yoga instructions. We will visualize ourselves as Yeshe Tsogyal in the form of Vajrayogini. Yangchen encourages us not to look up images of Vajrayogini, rather to trust the images that come to mind from the description. Eva reads the description from Düdjom Lingpa and elaborates on the details based on the commentary by Thinley Norbu. After emphasizing the important details of Vajrayogini, Yangchen starts with the emergence of Guru Rinpoche in front of us, at the level of our crown. She gives a sketch of this appearance and comments that she will give the full visualization tomorrow, in meditation. [Keywords: Vajrasattva questions, Vajrayogini visualization, Guru Yoga]
Spring 2011 Shamatha Retreat, 29 Apr 2011, Thanyapura Mind Centre, Phuket, Thailand
This afternoon's teaching is presented by Michelle Seaver, guest teacher and student of Alan Wallace, while Alan is out of town for 24 hours. Alan will return to his regular teaching during the next podcast. Michelle Seaver attended one of the first 100-day shamatha retreats with Alan, continued on in a private 18-month retreat, and is now responsible for bringing mindfulness-based education to the Phuket International Academy School (currently K-8, with plans to be PreK-12).
The guided meditation is on the practice of empathetic joy, the first phase, focusing on the effusion of empathetic joy and gratitude, first for oneself, and then out to others.
The guided meditation begins at 0:38 in the recording.
Michelle then answers this question:
During the mindfulness of breathing practice, I find it easy to maintain a balance of relaxation, stability, and vividness. However, during the practices of settling the mind and awareness of awareness, I find it easy to be distracted and lose by balance. How should I work with this challenge?
Fathom the Mind. Heal the World., 06 Oct 2022, Online and in person from Blazing Mountain Retreat Center, Crestone, Colorado
We begin the session with meditation. (Starts at minute 0:23 and ends at minute 32.50) The discussion is essentially centered on the meaning of suffering and its transcendence. Eva-la goes on to explain that at the core, the meditation that we just did reflects the view in Christianity that suffering and death become meaningful and sanctified insofar as they become a Path to resurrection and divinisation. Strong parallels are highlighted with 'transforming adversity into the Path' and vajrayana practices. The meaning of baptism is not just purification of sin, but the death of the self itself into union with the Divine. The body of sin has to be anihilated so that one may be granted resurrection and therefore obtain the Body of Creation. She quotes two passages in support of this discussion, the first one from Roman 6:3 and the second form St Symeon's letters. St Symeon points out that without a daily spiritual practice of purification of sin, great awareness and obedience to one's Spiritual Father and to God, one cannot hope for the final resurrection at death to just happen. Pure mind, angelic-like, has to be cultivated, so that communion with God may be granted through kenosis.
The 4 Yogas of Mahamudra 2019 Retreat, 19 Jun 2019, Shambhala Mountain Center
Lama Alan begins by again clarifying that we need all 3 practices of Shamatha, Vipashyana and Mahamudra to reach even the first stage of the first yoga, and he also comments on the differences between the 5 paths within the context of the Mahayana and Mahamudra. Lama then explains the practice of investigating the emptiness of the origin, location and destination of the mind. He also comes back to the importance of first achieving Shamatha. Once we do that then Vipashyana and even Mahamudra are not that far away. At the same time it's very easy to get caught up in all kinds of other practices just for the sake of avoiding our own minds. After the meditation we continue with the second yoga: The Four Yogas of Mahamudra * Yoga of Freedom from Conceptual Elaborations * Rangjung Dorje (Great Instructions) * Dagpo Rinpoche * Saraha * Gyalwa Yang Gönpa * Small stage Twelve Stages of the Four Yogas of Mahamudra * Yoga free of elaboration * Small stage **Meditation** Vipashyana: Origin, location and destination of mental events Meditation starts at 30:52
Spring 2011 Shamatha Retreat, 09 May 2011, Thanyapura Mind Centre, Phuket, Thailand
Today's session begins with an inspiring and lucid twenty-minute dharma talk about the four noble truths, particularly the first three noble truths. This is followed by a guided meditation on the immeasurable of compassion, focusing on the suffering of change because of attachment to the way things are or are not.
The guided meditation begins at 21:45 in the recording.
Alan then answers these questions from the group:
1. In "The Attention Revolution" in chapter 7, you talk about, when settling the mind, looking at craving, hostility and delusion, and being able to see the bliss, luminosity, and non-conceptuality underlying those things. I don't know how to do that.
2. How should I use a dream journal when I'm waking up throughout the night and remembering dreams - as well as in the morning when I am supposed to keep still and relax back into the dream?
3. In your teachings, you often cite your source for a particular idea or practice. In the book "Destructive Emotions" by Daniel Goleman, Goleman says in the introduction that you attended a retreat with S. N. Goenka, which inspired your devotion to practice. Can you tell us about the sources of Goenka's teachings? Is it based on the four applications of mindfulness? Is it a shamatha practice?
2019 8-Week Retreat, 07 Apr 2019, Lama Tzong Khapa Institute, Tuscany, Italy
Lama-la starts the afternoon session by reviewing a short passage of the text we already covered. However, since the text is incredibly dense - it covers the entire path in just 80 pages - it is worth reviewing this important part. It starts in the middle of page 166. “Listen without distraction...” and leads us to the questions of who we really are, what binds us, and what are our limitations and potential. Lama Alan then refers to the 4 types of intelligence and brings examples of cognitive blockages like that of men in the 18th century with regards to the potentials and abilities of women or that of Freud who didn’t believe in our potential for boundless compassion. To overcome such blockages inquiry is necessary. Ehipassi - come and see - as the Buddha said, we must see for ourselves and this is what we are doing in the following mediation. The mediation is twofold for it comprises taking the mind as the path followed by an inquiry of the referent of the word “l” Meditation addresses the question: Who are we? After the meditation Lama-la continues with this topic, by addressing the cognitive blockages in the fields of scientific materialism, philosophy and various religions including Buddhism. The meditation starts at 10:39
Sadhana Class with Yangchen (Eva Natanya), 12 May 2022, Online, Recorded at Miyo Samten Ling, Crestone, CO
Before taking refuge and reciting the 7 line prayer, Yangchen indicates that the whole class will be about refuge and bodhicitta. She reminds us that she gave a brief overview of the Lake Born Sadhana practice in 2019 but now we have time to give each word and verse as much time, reflection and meditation as it needs. Yangchen is offering it as if each of us were about to go into an approach and accomplishment retreat, planting the seed with the intention to complete the practice one day. Most importantly she reminds us that anyone listening to this class must have received the Lake Born Empowerment in this lineage, from Lama Alan Rinpoche in order to follow this particular set of teachings. We will receive a revised and updated version of the sadhana soon. Yangchen is using a commentary by Lama Tharchin Rinpoche and also sections taken from sadhanas from the Vajrayana foundation (founded by Lama Tharchin) and from Vimala Treasures - the direct lineage of Gyatrul Rinpoche. The aim is to include all the essential ingredients to receive the full benefit of the practice, which can be used as a support for a long term shamatha retreat. Yangchen then commences a word commentary of the title of this practice: Heart Essence of the Lake-Born Vajra: A Secret Sadhana of the Mahaguru. This includes a brief explanation of the 4 lama sadhanas in the Dudjom Tersar lineage, an explanation of the term ‘sadhana’, and a reminder that this was a mind terma revealed to Dudjom Rinpoche directly, the blessings being very powerful in such a short lineage. We then move on to the introductory verse and an explanation of ‘The immortal Vidyadhara Totreng Tsel’ and the association of this being a longevity practice, and the reference to the ‘all pervasive lord’ being Vajrdhara who synthesises all buddha families. Yangchen then reminds us of the importance of guru yoga in Vajrayana practice, looking at the incarnation lineage going all the back to Shariputra, reflecting on the inconceivable merit of each lifetime and then comparing that to where we are. Our awe develops our reverence but is also very humbling. We realise we won’t achieve the result on our own merit but through the unification of our mind-stream with the guru as the body speech and mind of all buddhas. The devotional aspect is imperative. We then move on to the opening prayers, beginning with the 7 line invocation to Guru Rinpoche. Yangchen gives an explanation of the second prayer - an invocation to the dharmakaya, sambhogakaya and nirmanakaya - Amitayus, Lord of Potalaka and Totreng Tsel. Here Yangchen refers us to the images available on the media site. She also explains the symbol of skulls and what they represent. The third prayer is calling for blessings from Lady Kharchen (Yeshe Tsogyal), Drokben Je (Kyeuchen Lotsawa, a direct disciple of Guru Rinpoche) and Dudjom Drodul Ling (Dudjom Rinpoche). The blessings we can receive from saying these prayers if we have some understanding of the meaning, we connect to our guru in all these extraordinary forms, allows us to collect the merit quickly. If we do the deeds of an ordinary being and then a little bit of practice we won’t get the full benefit compared to fully immersing ourselves in the practice in retreat and opening ourselves to the stream of blessings. The fourth prayer is in general to the root and lineage gurus but will be specific to each practitioner. This prayer refers to the three roots - the guru, yidam and khandro, with three different activities. The gurus amass and grant blessings, the yidam grants siddhis and then Yangchen explained the importance of the dakinis and dharma protectors who protect us in our practice of dharma. The fifth prayer is the final one Yangchen comments on today, with an explanation of how we have received the seeds of empowerment and now we need to ripen those seeds and keep our samayas purely, watching our actions of body, speech and minds in regard to our guru, vajra siblings and all sentient beings. Demons and maras can infiltrate so strongly so if our prayers are so ingrained in us, we’ll know to turn to them and pray to our lama to overcome these problems. The meditation „Directly asking the Vidyadharas for blessings - in a very gentle, experiential way.“ begins at 1:14:12
2019 8-Week Retreat, 27 May 2019, Lama Tzong Khapa Institute, Tuscany, Italy
Today we completed the oral transmission and commentary on the Six Bardos (from page 10 until the end). The last of the 6 bardos is the karmic transitional phase of becoming. Lama Alan comes back to two familiar themes: stillness in the midst of motion, and lucid dreaming. He commented on their relevance and how they can help us prepare for this transitional phase. He jokingly says that horror movies might help us better prepare for the appearances in the bardo. The meditation is silent, focusing on taking the mind as the path. We then proceed to cover the rest of the text, where Lama describes all the steps in this transitional phase, the appearances that emerge, and how we can use them to achieve liberation. We also cover the importance of having a qualified guide (such as our guru or a spiritual friend) to remind us of the instructions. The text also talks about how we might end up taking rebirth on each one of the different realms, as well as taking rebirth in a pure land. He comments on how the most important teachings he's received from Gyatrul Rinpoche are on Dzogchen and Sukhavati, so he emphasizes how much he treasures them and how valuable they can be. Silent meditation starts at 18:13
Spring 2010 Shamatha Retreat, 10 Jun 2010, Thanyapura Mind Centre, Phuket, Thailand
This afternoon Alan started by sharing a story about his first meditation counsel with Geshe Rabten, and the two topics that he suggested for meditation: Precious Human Rebirth and Equanimity. He emphasizes the importance of Equanimity and seeing through the "I-It" relationship with others (for more on this topic refer to previous episodes), and also highlights the importance of balancing the urgency that can arise from meditating on the precious human rebirth. He suggests not being shortsighted, and taking the time to develop the Four Immeasurables correctly, however long that may take, knowing it is the path. Alan then very poetically goes into the instructions for the practice, talking about ending one phase (retreat) but starting a new one afterwards, and to symbolize this the retreat will end on a new moon, a new start. For the practice, Alan instructs "seeing through" appearances and like a metallurgist separating the positive feelings from the negative feelings, looking towards the people we may encounter in the near future as we finish the retreat.
After the practice, Alan shares a very encouraging story from his wife about attending a lecture at Oxford in which Prince Charles spoke magnificently, stressing the importance of spiritual vision and saying that science alone will not save us. Following that, there are a few great questions from Adeline, starting from the phrase "nothing can harm the mind" and relating this to practices like Voodoo. Alan shares a relevant story about Voodoo from Dharamsala, a part of the life of Milarepa, and another story about Virupa and some protector deities, all to illustrate his points. Then he explains how to protect the mind, emphasising the benefits of metta.
For example: http://www.sota.dhamma.org/metta.htm
Then we have a question about the difference between Awareness and Attention, to which Alan gives the scientific answer, the regular Buddhist answer, and the Dzogchen answer. Finally, we have a question from Kathleen about "disclosure" in our practice, to which Alan responds with great information about how we can share our experiences with wisdom and with tact, if we choose to do so at all.
This very artistic photo is from Malcolm.
Spring 2011 Shamatha Retreat, 21 Apr 2011, Thanyapura Mind Centre, Phuket, Thailand
In this afternoon session, Alan Wallace guides a 24-minute meditation on equanimity, focusing on the expression of equanimity for oneself and other sentient beings, including a dear friend, neutral person, and enemy.
During the following question and answer period, Alan answers these questions:
1. What is the thing shooting out of the head of the Buddhas here?
2. When doing shamatha without a sign I tend to tense up and close my eyes. How can I release this tension?
3. Regarding the four applications of mindfulness, how do they vary among the different schools of Buddhism?
4. On what basis should I choose my main practice for the retreat?
5. Should loving-kindness practice lead us to be vegetarians?
6. What is happening with the energies in the body during shamatha, and what types of natural healing take place?
7. During the meditation of settling the mind, we are supposed to meditate without distraction and attachment -- but why not without aversion?
8. In awareness of awareness practice, is the point of the practice to hold the inquiry of who is being aware, without releasing awareness back into itself?
9. While practicing bodhicitta, I understand that it is important to think that all sentient beings have been my mother. This is difficult for me.
2023 8-Week Retreat: The Vajra Essence – Part 4, 03 Apr 2023, Crestone, Colorado and Online
Lama la begins this guided meditation by reminding us that our first step at the beginning of every meditation should be relaxation. With our eyes open, we bring our awareness in the space in front of us. Then we settle our body into its natural state with the three qualities of relaxation, stillness and vigilance. We then focus our attention on awareness of awareness while peripherally we are are aware of the rhythm of the breath. Lama la then shift over the settling the speech and the respiration into its natural states. He highlights that in this phase of the practice we prefer to be silent. When thoughts come up we stop them and if necessary subdue them. He then introduces the oscillation where we relax and release body and mind with every out-breath and accentuate or heighten our awareness with every in-breath. He emphasizes the importance to place our awareness in the space in front of us without focussing on the sensation of the body, because this would alter our nervous system. Another reason not to focus on the body or any other appearance is the likelihood that we would reify it.. He concludes with a lovely phrase from the Dzogchen tradition “Sustain the flow of your awareness with distraction“ so as not to be carried away be mental events emphasizing that this is enough.
Spring 2011 Shamatha Retreat, 03 Jun 2011, Thanyapura Mind Centre, Phuket, Thailand
Editor's Note: Due to multiple recording errors, this afternoon's podcast is an optimized recording from an iPhone. Because of this, it is difficult to hear clearly. My very sincere apologies. If anyone can improve the quality further, I would love to publish a better version. Please email Lizzy at podcasts@sbinstitute.com if you are interested.
Also, Alan requests that transcriptions of the afternoon sessions from the past two weeks be created. If you are interested in transcribing one or more afternoon sessions, please email ksnow@sbinstitute.com with the name of the podcast you want to transcribe. This will be of great benefit to many people.
This afternoon, Alan first guides a beautiful meditation that integrates shamatha, equanimity, compassion, and loving-kindness. He then summarizes the pith points of the last two days of discussion on the development of science and its relationship to the science of the mind of Buddhism.
After that, [55:00] Alan gives us tips for integrating back into the "outside world," and we finish the afternoon with a comment from a participant.
Fathom the Mind. Heal the World., 05 Oct 2022, Online and in person from Blazing Mountain Retreat Center, Crestone, Colorado
Eva begins this session with reading the first chapter of the Gospel of John, to set the context for the guided meditation. John gives an account of John the Baptiste witnessing the Holy Spirit descend on Jesus like a dove and testifying that he is indeed the Son of God. John relates how when Jesus’ first disciples posed questions to him, he simply invited them to “Come and see.” Therefore, for this meditation, titled ‘Encountering Yeshua on the Road’, Eva invites us to ‘Come and see’, as she guides us through our own experience of encountering Jesus. The meditation starts at 00:05:00. Returning to the text, The Letter to the Hebrews, Eva leads us through extracts from Chapters 5,7,8, and 9 and provides extensive commentary. She explores the back story of Jesus as “… priest forever” through divine empowerment. Considering the dual nature, Son of God and Son of Nature, human being, but without sin, she suggests that this is where inter-contemplative dialogue needs to be deep and serious. In Buddhism, someone who has been completely purified of any trace of negative karma and has no trace of mental afflictions or their seeds, is not a human being. But here, the divine and human in Christ are mutually exclusive. From a theoretical point of view those two can’t fit in the same person. Eva points out that this is why it took the church roughly six centuries to come to a conclusion as to how are we even going to express it so that we don’t keep falling to one extreme or another, because that’s what had been happening and what had been deemed heresies. So, she underscores this open question, ‘How can all these things be true at once?’ – higher than the heavens and crying out to God with prayers and supplications. Chapter 8 goes into Jesus as the high priest of a new covenant, and Eva comments there is no reference in the old covenant to complete unification with God – Divine Being. Therefore, the new covenant brings hope. Then Eva comments at length on Chapter 9, verse 24 “For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made by human hands, a mere copy of the true one, but he entered into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.” To plant a seed for our further contemplation, she asks us to consider what if this ‘sanctuary not made by human hands’, the inner-most holy of holies for the mystical practitioner, for the yogi, is the heart, the very centre of the heart, where Christ must become present? Reminding us that from a Vajrayana perspective it’s always Primordial Consciousness which is inseparable from the wisdom realising emptiness that shatters the grasping that makes karma keep ripening, Eva proposes another hypothetical. What if the wisdom of God as that Primordial Consciousness that knows the totality of the divine ground, is that which has become incarnate, fully taken on what it is to be human, then the power by which sins are forgiven, made unable to bring about their result, is the power of divine wisdom? Eva concludes with inviting us to envision in own meditation – ‘What is this Holy of Holies in our own hearts - The indestructible bindhu?’. She reminds us that if our energy mind is distorted and gyrating and vibrating outside of the central channel, and specifically outside of the indestructible bindhu, reality will appear inherently existent to us. But when energy mind dissolves completely inside that indestructible bindhu, reality is seen as it is – it is called the clear light.
2017 8-Week Retreat, 29 May 2017, Lama Tzong Khapa Institute, Tuscany, Italy
Our last session is a time not only to wrap things up but also to dedicate our efforts and all the merit we have acquired. Whether we are aware of it or not, Alan says, dedication is an everyday part of our lives, as we keep goals in mind for the mundane things that we do to make ourselves happy. In our dharma lives, dedication is important for adding continuity to our practices and aspirations. In this session Alan uses the four-fold vision quest for exploring the multiple facets of our heart’s desires and then we dedicate the merit of this retreat to achieving that. In the text Buddhahood Without Meditation, we are on page 41, Teachings of Zurchung Sherab Drakpa. These final teachings of the text are the heart essence of this early vidyāhahra expressed to Düdjom Lingpa with few words, but they are comprehensive in scope. Alan emphasizes one more time the importance of the six preliminary practices and discusses the role of pure vision in your relationship to the guru and your dharma friends as a key to spiritual flourishing in degenerate times. Guided meditation starts at 2:50
Spring 2012 Shamatha Retreat, 22 May 2012, Thanyapura Mind Centre, Phuket, Thailand
In settling the mind in its natural state we seek to emulate viewing the substrate from the perspective of the substrate consciousness as a cognizant, luminous and unmediated experience of mental phenomenon. On this path we'll notice thoughts and images carry our attention away less often when they do not have an emotional counterpart; feelings and emotions have a strong draw to cognitive fusion. If we keep a spaciousness in our awareness larger than the emotions and feelings that arise, entanglement can be avoided. Whether the emotion is hostility, anger, anxiety, craving or bliss and pleasure, they can be allowed to arise and experienced without grasping or reification. This practice trains us to recognize emotions in our daily interactions, and allows us the space to respond wisely.
After the meditation Alan recontextualizes his comments about dzogchen's open presence meditation from a previous podcast, lest it be mistaken that it is only for the advanced practitioner; we learn how to begin planting the seeds of dzogchen practice even as beginners.
Silent meditation starts at 32:49 - 57:50
Q&A
* Comparing the substrate with Jung's subconscious.
* Rumination cockroaches come out after the lights go out.
Fathom the Mind. Heal the World., 05 Oct 2022, Online and in person from Blazing Mountain Retreat Center, Crestone, Colorado
We start by relaxing, releasing all thoughts and follow Asanga's method on mindfulness of breathing. We become aware of the awareness which is always present, and then draw it to the heart, feeling energetically the core of our being. We invoke our closest approximation of Maha Karuna, with the intent to alleviate the longing of all beings to be free of suffering. But how could we possibly do this? We call upon blessings. We knock on the door of Heaven where Father, Son and Spirit dwell. We imagine ourselves to be Jesus of Nazareth in the wilderness before he started to teach, asking the question: "Father, who am I? Why am I here?" Dwelling in the Father, see that you are Infinite Potential. See the mind arising the articulation of Word out of emptiness, designation appears. Return to suffering from the perspective of the Source and feel the enormity of the Love that holds all beings and ask; 'How am I to care for all of this?' Feel the Holy Spirit of Love and Wisdom exploding from your heart again and again and again and you become fearless. Let Thy Will be done. There is only Light and suffering has no target there. You promise never to stray from the Father's call for Great Compassion, for as long as it takes and bring all beings into this state of Immutable Bliss.
