59 Shamatha without a sign, part 3

Fall 2011 Shamatha Retreat

Alan expands upon some of the ideas from physics he dealt with in the previous day’s talk and explains how the Dzogchen view and the Prasangika-Madhyamika view are complementary. He weaves this within a broader explanation of the path of taking the breath, mind and awareness as one’s object. The practice for today (41:14) deals with probing more deeply into the agent. Questions (65:53) raise issues such as the benefits of solitude and the cultivation of the 4 immeasurable in this context, how karmic imprints travel from life to life, the concept of the ‘mere I’, the ineffability of rigpa, how one can view the idea of beginninglessness and the benefits of mantra.