69 Settling the mind in its natural state, part 1

Fall 2011 Shamatha Retreat

Settling the mind in its natural state. When mental afflictions come up, if you recognize them as such, you have a choice regarding whether you act on them. If you don’t recognize them you will simply act on the basis of the mental afflictions. Be present and observe with interest all that comes up even if they are not pleasant.
Description of how to do the gentle vase breathing. Discussion of prana and the dangers of practicing pranayama without a qualified teacher; it is much easier to damage prana than to repair it.
Meditation starts at 49:58
Questions (75:01)
Question on the differences in Alan’s books particularly between Genuine Happiness and the Four Immeasurables.
Question regarding the emptiness of the mind – that practice as the soft spot on the death star, leading to realization of other emptiness. Question regarding emptiness as a negative, what is the positive aspect? Discussion of different strategies between Tsongkhapa where it is just the sheer absence of inherent nature, and Mahamudra and Dzogchen which attends to emptiness with awareness in the nature of luminosity.