The Enlightenment Technique | Self Inquiry | Who Am I?

Guided meditation starts: 05:17. In this guided meditation I will explain what the enlightenment contemplation technique is. I will explain where it comes from (Charles Berner) and the context from which I've taken it (the Enlightenment Intensive retreat).

Please note, although the name sounds like clickbait I promise it's not. It's a technique adapted from Zen Buddhism and has a track record for bringing awakening (known as kensho or satori) to practitioners.

This is a self inquiry method that works as a guided meditation and is based on the millennia long tradition of asking the question: "who am I."

Transcript

In today's guided meditation,

I'm going to share something very special with you.

I'm going to teach you a meditation technique that is literally called the Enlightenment Technique.

I know,

I know,

It's a little on the nose and you're probably skeptical,

But just stay with me for a minute because what I'm about to share with you changed my life.

Before we get to the technique,

I need to give you a bit of background on where this comes from and how I know it works.

There is a kind of meditation retreat called a Self-Inquiry Dyad Retreat,

Also commonly known as an Enlightenment Intensive and sometimes even known as a Breakthrough to Zen Retreat.

It was originally started in 1968 by Charles Berner,

An American spiritual teacher and psychologist.

He was interested in Zen,

Which is a branch of Buddhism that uses various methods to get a person to have a sudden awakening,

Known as a Kensho or Satori.

And when this awakening occurs,

It creates a shift in consciousness that goes right to the core of a person's identity.

It really is a life-changing shift.

And although the bliss and peace that comes with an experience like that tends to fade over time,

The knowledge of who and what you are at the deepest level never leaves you.

So this shift is big.

It turns you from a spiritual seeker into a finder.

It wouldn't turn you into a perfect Buddha or anything like that,

But it's a genuine experience of classical enlightenment.

And those were the words my teacher,

Shinzen Young,

Used when I told him about my own Satori experience that spontaneously occurred during one of these retreats.

Anyway,

Good old Charles Berner,

Being a psychologist,

He had been experimenting with a kind of therapy that involves dyads.

A dyad is where you sit opposite another person and you each have five minutes where one person communicates and the other listens without reacting or responding.

So Charles had this crazy idea.

He thought,

What if I take the framework of a rigorous and intense Zen-style retreat that's known for shifting people into awakened consciousness and combine that with dyads?

So people can not only meditate on their question,

Which is typical in Zen,

But they can also express whatever comes up to their listening partner.

And he thought this might accelerate the process of self-inquiry,

Looking into your deepest self-nature.

So he gathered together a bunch of volunteers and they went out into the desert for four days and they did a retreat,

Each person working on the question,

Who am I,

In a very intense way,

From 6am till 11pm.

Charles Berner described the first breakthrough on the initial enlightenment intensive retreat in 1968 as a powerful and transformative moment that affirmed the value of the retreat structure he had developed.

During that first intensive,

One participant experienced a direct realization of their true nature,

A genuine enlightenment experience.

The participant's experience was accompanied by an undeniable shift in consciousness,

A state of clarity,

Peace,

And self-awareness that was beyond intellectual understanding.

And Berner noted that the participant reported a profound sense of connection,

Unity,

And a feeling of having transcended the usual limitations of self.

I've attended many of these retreats myself,

And I've experienced this shift in consciousness first-hand,

And I've also witnessed others having it too.

So I feel confident that what I'm sharing with you today is powerful,

Although I can't promise you that you'll have a big satori moment during a 20-minute guided meditation.

But you never know,

You might do,

So go into it with a wide-open beginner's mind.

In today's guided meditation,

I will give you a modified version of the simple but extremely powerful technique that is still used on enlightenment intensive retreats today.

It's not exactly the same,

Because you'll be meditating on your own rather than with a partner,

So you won't have the eye connection and the ability to express and be seen and heard,

But that's okay,

We can experiment with this technique,

And we can get a feeling for the ingredients that are known to trigger awakening.

Please note that if you are intellectually minded,

You might find this challenging.

It's not something you can grasp conceptually or intellectually,

So you might have to bring in some equanimity to help you there if your mind starts to reject the process.

See if you can just relax into it,

And like I said before,

Keep a beginner's mind.

You'll see why.

Okay,

Let's dive in.

Get yourself into a comfortable sitting position.

Hands can be in the lap in any way that suits you,

And the back can be supported or unsupported,

It's completely up to you.

And we will start by taking a few nice big deep breaths together.

So let's start by taking a nice big deep breath in through the nostrils,

Slowly breathing out,

And as you breathe out,

Let the body go relaxed and limp and loose.

Very good.

And again,

Nice big deep breath in through the nostrils,

Slowly breathing out,

Allowing the body to go relaxed and limp and loose.

See if you can relax the jaw,

The shoulders,

And one more time,

Nice big deep breath in through the nostrils,

Slowly breathing out,

Allowing the body to go relaxed and limp and loose.

Very good.

And now you can allow the breath to find its own natural rhythm.

You don't breathe,

The body breathes,

And you can simply rest.

And now what I want you to do is ask yourself a question.

And as you do this,

You need to really mean it,

As if it's the most important thing in the world.

And the question is,

Who am I?

It's not to do with your personality,

Or where you come from,

Or gender,

Or going way way further back beyond all of that.

It's what is my core essence?

What is this alive presence that seems to be me?

Who am I?

So ask yourself the question now.

And then what I want you to do is when you ask this question,

You let it land,

As if it's almost being taken into you.

Who am I?

And then what I want you to do is get a sense of what seems to be you right now.

What is this alive presence that seems to be you in this moment?

Maybe it feels like an energy field,

Or maybe some kind of aliveness.

Maybe it's the body,

Or maybe it's just something you can't quite put your finger on.

So do that now.

See if you can get a sense of what seems to be you right now.

And don't worry about being specific.

This will be a little bit vague,

And that's fine.

Put your attention on what seems to be you,

And then intend to experience that directly.

It's almost as if you have the intention to move into,

Or be with,

That sense of presence that seems to be you.

So you intend to experience what seems to be you directly.

And then when you've done that,

You just surrender.

Open yourself and surrender.

Allow whatever is going to happen to happen next.

Let go.

Do nothing.

And then just see what happens next.

Watch closely.

Are there any particular thoughts that come up?

Any particular feelings?

Maybe something really strange is happening?

Or maybe nothing seems to be happening much at all.

Either way,

It's all fine.

So that's one cycle of the technique.

You ask the question.

Let it land.

Get a sense of what seems to be you right now.

Intend to experience that directly,

And then open,

Surrender.

As if you're letting the universe have its way with you.

And then you just watch.

See what happens next.

So let's try it again.

I'll talk you through it.

Let's start by asking the question,

Who am I?

Let it land.

Take the question inside you.

Really mean it.

And get a sense of what seems to be you right now.

What is this alive presence that seems to be me right now?

Put your attention on that,

Even if it's vague.

And then intend to experience that directly.

See if you can be with that presence or move into it.

It's more of an intention or an attitude that you're taking towards this.

You can't really do anything.

You just feel into it.

And then surrender.

Open yourself up.

Give yourself to whatever is happening next.

And then see what happens.

So the ingredients that we're working with here is a question asked in a very serious,

Very meaningful way.

Then the intention to experience what seems to be you.

And then surrender.

So question,

Intention,

And surrender.

They're the main ingredients that go into this.

And you don't have to be really mechanical and sequential with how you work with this.

You just need to be asking the question,

Intending,

And surrendering.

Almost a bit more like a dance,

Eventually.

So let's try again.

I'll talk you through it.

And after that,

I'll give you some time to work with it in your own way.

So let's try another cycle.

Asking the question,

Who am I?

Really mean it.

Let the question land.

Get a sense of what seems to be you in this moment,

Right now.

Intend to experience that directly.

And surrender.

And let's just stay here for a moment.

Stay in this place.

You can let go of all effort,

All striving.

You can't navigate your way into an awakening.

You can really just ask the question,

Intend to know,

And then surrender and open yourself up.

And I know it's vague,

But you just somehow find a way.

So let's try again.

Asking the question,

Who am I?

Letting the question land.

Like you really mean it.

The most important thing in the world.

To find out the answer to this question.

Get a sense of what seems to be you right now.

What is this alive presence that's here right now?

Closer than the breath.

Closer than the eyeballs.

Who am I?

What is this?

What's going on?

Rest in this mystery.

Feel this mystery.

And then when you've got a sense of what seems to be you,

Surrender.

Just let go.

Let go of all trying.

Let go of all striving.

Let go of everything.

And just be here right now with the mystery.

Thoughts may pop up and say,

This isn't working,

Or I'm confused,

Or any number of other things.

Maybe something profound.

And that's fine.

You just allow that to happen.

And stay open.

Now when you're doing this technique,

Sometimes it may feel like something is opening up inside you.

Something is calling to you,

Or pulling you in a certain direction.

And just allow that to happen.

Give yourself fully to that.

But sometimes when you do this,

It might feel confusing,

Or weird,

Or pointless,

Or you just don't get it.

And that's also fine.

How you feel about how this is going bears no relation to how it's actually going.

Your conscious mind can say all sorts of things,

But what's happening in the deep subconscious,

What's being reached out to here,

Is happening under the surface whether you like it or not.

So let's go again.

Asking the question,

Who am I?

Really mean it.

Let the question land.

And get a sense of what seems to be you.

What is this alive presence that seems to be you right now?

It's okay if it's vague.

And when you've got that,

Intend to experience it directly.

Be with it.

Move into it.

Fully experience yourself,

Whatever that is.

The something-ness that is here.

And then surrender.

Open.

Give it all up.

Let go.

And we'll just stay here for a minute.

Just do nothing.

Let go.

Surrender.

Open.

Thoughts,

Feelings,

Emotions,

All sorts of things might come up,

And that's fine.

You completely allow it.

You make room for it all.

You don't turn anything away.

You don't pretend anything isn't happening.

It's all allowed to be here,

To be fully felt and fully expressed.

And none of that really is going to touch the real you,

This alive presence.

What is that?

And now one more time,

We're going to go through the cycle.

So let's start by asking the question,

Who am I?

Let it land.

Feel that question.

Get a sense of what seems to be you.

See if you can intend to experience that directly.

Move into that.

Feel that.

Be with that.

It's okay that it's vague.

It's more of an attitude that you bring to this.

And then when you're ready,

You surrender.

Open.

Give yourself.

Just let the universe have its way with you.

Give up control.

You can't navigate your way into knowing the truth.

The truth will come and find you when you're ready.

So just let go.

And stay here.

Stay here for a moment.

All the ingredients are included.

You've got it all there.

Intention,

Surrender,

Question.

Let go.

If something wants to move,

Let it move.

If something wants to be expressed,

Feel it fully.

Let go.

Stop controlling everything.

Just this.

Just this.

Very good.

And now I will give you a couple of minutes where I'll be completely quiet.

And you can work the technique on your own.

Remember,

Asking the question,

Letting it land.

Getting that sense of what seems to be you,

Then intending to experience it directly and surrendering.

But you don't need to be too mechanical or sequential.

They're all ingredients that go into the pot,

But they don't have to be in order necessarily.

It's more like a dance than a science experiment.

So I'm going to be quiet for a second.

And just in your own way that's uniquely yours,

See if you can work with those ingredients.

Don't try too hard.

You can't actually make this happen ultimately.

But what you can do is you can play with this.

In Zen they say that spiritual awakening is an accident.

But spiritual practice makes you accident prone.

Well nothing makes you accident prone like this technique,

Let me tell you.

So I'll go quiet for a couple of minutes.

And you stay in this place and bring all of the ingredients yourself.

Question,

Letting it land,

Sense of who you are,

Intend to experience it directly,

Surrender.

Okay,

So I'll go quiet now for a few minutes.

You experiment with this.

Very good.

So now we will bring this meditation to a close.

But you can continue on doing this technique if you wish.