Hello and welcome.
Within the Dzogchen teachings,
It is said that the nature of mind is like the sky,
Open,
Empty,
And unstained by any thoughts that may appear to obscure the sky.
So in this meditation,
We're going to explore that sky-like nature of the mind to see and know for ourselves the pure primordial awareness that is your essential ground of being.
So let's begin by closing our eyes together and taking a few long slow breaths into the belly,
Releasing anything that you may have brought into this meditation,
Anything that may come next,
And truly just allowing yourself to fully be here for this practice together.
Inviting you to sit gently upright.
It may feel like a little string is pulling your head gently up into the sky so that your body feels awake and alert,
Feet resting gently on the floor or tucked underneath you,
And rest your hands gently in your lap with one hand resting cupped lightly in the other and the tips of your thumbs touching lightly.
And then we will set the retinue,
Which is to imagine all of your teachers and masters surrounding you in this meditation on either side,
In front and behind,
Cheering you on and supporting you in this practice,
That you are not meditating alone.
You have a whole team of teachers and guides wishing you well,
Just letting your whole body relax.
And as we begin to open to this sky-like quality of the mind,
We'll use a technique from neuroscientist Dr.
Les Fermi,
Who discovered that when we focus on the space between elements in our body,
We bring the body into a state of alpha or awake,
Alert,
But also beautifully relaxed.
So I invite you now to just focus on the space between your ears.
And because we tend to focus so much energy behind the eyes,
Let's focus on the space between our temples.
And then dropping down now to bring awareness to the space between our shoulders.
And then dropping down further to focus on the space between your elbows.
And now let's focus on the space between our hips.
Now bring awareness to the space between your knees.
And lastly,
Let's bring awareness to the space between our feet.
And now let's bring awareness to the space within the whole body.
And now let's become aware of the space surrounding the body.
And then widen that space out to become aware of the space in your room.
And now become aware of the space in your room and the space in your body at the same time.
So no inside or outside,
Just space.
And then see if you can extend this space out in all directions.
Noticing that there's no boundary or edge to the space.
And then what's it like to shift awareness from being aware of the space to being aware from space?
And then ask,
Is this space separate from you?
Or is it in fact your own primordial awareness,
The ground of your being that's not separate from you?
But is in fact your own true and pure nature right here and right now?
And just like clouds may come and go in the sky,
But they can't obscure the clear,
True nature of your being.
In the clear of sky,
Thoughts may arise,
Feelings and sensations may arise,
But they can't obscure or diminish the open,
Clear nature of your own primordial being.
As thoughts arise,
No problem.
This is the practice.
So just keep returning your gaze to the open,
Spacious quality of your true nature.
And feel free to return to the space between your ears or your temples as a support in this practice.
Sometimes our thoughts are so insistent that it feels like we are our thoughts.
But notice this,
No thought has ever stayed.
So how could you be your thoughts?
You are not that which leaves,
Which comes and goes.
You are that which is always here.
Like the sky,
Vast,
Open,
And free.
And just like the darkest clouds and biggest storms can't change this open,
Clear nature of sky that is fundamental.
No dark thought,
No dark feeling can diminish or change the open,
Clear,
And pure primordial nature of your being.
You are stainless and pure,
Just like the sky.
Just like a baby,
You are born with this purity.
And it never leaves you.
No experience that you've ever had can diminish this quality of your own true nature.
As Rumi said,
Why do you stay in jail when the prison doors are wide open?
The open doors are this knowing of your own true nature as primordially awake and free.
And with that,
We will release the meditation,
Taking a few long,
Slow breaths back into the body,
Maybe wiggling your fingers and toes.
And when you're ready,
Gently,
Gently opening your eyes.
Welcome home.
Namaste.
