82 Envision the novel of the rest of your life

10/13/11 • 32 min

Fall 2011 Shamatha Retreat

“Shape your mind, shape your life.” Having completed the cycle of guided meditation, Alan speaks briefly about envisioning the transition from retreat into daily life, and in particular the difference between “aspiration” and “hope and fear”.
Silent meditation starts at 8:11

Previous Episode

81 Shamatha without a sign, part 4

Reading from Vajra Essence regarding the difference between consciousness, substrate consciousness and Rigpa.
Meditation on awareness of awareness expanding out to all directions (26:30)
Questions (51:23)
How does the "naked" healing process of the mind by way of settling the mind happen with other shamatha methods?
How lasting or fleeting are the changes to the coarse and subtle bodies caused by altering the flow of prana through shamatha practice?
Person getting headaches from meditation – what suggestions to prevent it?
Question related to rigpa being necessary to explain extrasensory perception such as precognition and remote viewing
What is meant by the compassionate display of rigpa? Difficulty seeing rigpa as compassionate.
Question regarding how to move away from not liking oneself and feeling guilty over past unwholesome activities.

Next Episode

83 Lucid dreaming and dream yoga

After a silent meditation (1:40) Alan gives an overview and brief ‘how to guide’ of lucid dreaming and dream yoga.
Then questions (67:20) include eyes closing as we progress along the path of mindfulness of breathing, the use of tonglen for shamatha and discussion of the life of Dudjom Lingpa and other great Dzogchen masters.