Mar 31 2016 43 mins 9
Alan starts highlighting the deep similarities between the approach to Mindfulness of Breathing taught by Asanga and a practice many of us are familiar with, Settling the Mind in its Natural State. We will do this practice later in a few days, but briefly, in this practice, we single-pointedly focus our attention on the space of the mind and sustain the flow of mindfulness "without distraction and without grasping". Yangthang Rinpoche, great master and great adept, explained this phrase: "without distraction" refers to not getting distracted by any external appearances, away from the meditative object; "without grasping" refers to not identifying with any subjective processes like thinking, imagining, desiring and so on. For that, we first have to be relaxed down to the core – existentially relaxed. Then, enhancing stability and clarity, imbued with loving kindness, we watch our minds heal.
Alan realized vividly that, in this Asanga practice of Mindfulness of Breathing, the same is happening in the body. We bring the same quality of awareness – without distraction, without grasping – cultivating the simultaneity of stillness of awareness and motion - fluctuations of prana in the body. The body balances itself, from breath to breath, from coarse breath to subtle breath, coarse tuning to fine tuning. And if we sustain this practice enough, when we achieve shamatha, then we finally upgrade the whole system.
The meditation is on Mindfulness of Breathing combined with the theme of stillness and motion.
In this practice we cultivate the simultaneity of stillness and motion: the awareness of stillness of your awareness and the motion of the fluctuations of prana within your body, from breath to breath. Same quality of awareness, different field.
Meditation starts at 13:45
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Please contribute to make these, and future podcasts freely available.
Alan realized vividly that, in this Asanga practice of Mindfulness of Breathing, the same is happening in the body. We bring the same quality of awareness – without distraction, without grasping – cultivating the simultaneity of stillness of awareness and motion - fluctuations of prana in the body. The body balances itself, from breath to breath, from coarse breath to subtle breath, coarse tuning to fine tuning. And if we sustain this practice enough, when we achieve shamatha, then we finally upgrade the whole system.
The meditation is on Mindfulness of Breathing combined with the theme of stillness and motion.
In this practice we cultivate the simultaneity of stillness and motion: the awareness of stillness of your awareness and the motion of the fluctuations of prana within your body, from breath to breath. Same quality of awareness, different field.
Meditation starts at 13:45
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Please contribute to make these, and future podcasts freely available.
