As you take a comfortable seated posture,
Allow your mind to relax and bring yourself into the place of the observer.
The thoughts continue to arise while you as the observer see the thoughts without engaging them,
Allowing them to dissolve.
This happens effortlessly.
You the observer watching as thoughts arise and dissolve,
Feelings may arise,
Emotions and all you need to do is observe.
As thought arises rather than engage it,
Rather than thinking the thought,
We simply observe and release the thought.
The thought arises,
We see it,
We acknowledge it and it dissipates.
As this continues,
It becomes easier and easier.
With practice it seems to happen automatically.
We even get to the point where it seems that thoughts are rising and liberating without even making themselves known.
This self-laborating thought arises and disperses of its own accord.
In the same way all emotions,
All sensations that arise also dissolve.
Having observed your thoughts for this long,
You may also notice that some thoughts are stickier than others.
In these cases it's important to observe not only the thought,
Because when we observe those sticky thoughts,
They dissolve and then they want to come right back.
So if you find thoughts like this arising,
It's important to observe the shampa,
The stickiness,
That which draws that thought back again.
When observed the shampa acts just like thoughts and dissolves.
You will notice that by now your mind is growing quieter.
There may be a wave of thoughts that arise and then a period of quiet,
And then some more thoughts,
And then quiet.
And as we reach another one of these quiet spaces,
Begin to observe not only the thoughts,
But where the thought is arising from.
Follow the root of the thought itself,
All the way into its source.
In this way we search for the substance of mind.
What we discover in this search is emptiness.
There is no substance here,
And yet this emptiness is filled with awareness.
And this awareness is in union with the emptiness.
Feeling this,
Observing this,
Realizing this union,
You may notice a naturally arising sense of well-being,
Of bliss.
There are other qualities that I will call to your attention as well.
As you observe this luminous field of awareness,
Notice the silence.
My voice does not penetrate here.
Notice also the stillness.
There is no movement,
No disturbance,
Just a peaceful,
Serene stillness.
Notice also the spaciousness.
Within this field of awareness,
This luminous,
Vast emptiness.
There are no walls.
There's nothing containing this state of awareness.
As you continue to observe this luminous field of awareness,
Notice that there is no self within this field,
Nor is there an other.
There is no subject nor object,
Nothing which this awareness is conscious of.
It is simply aware.
The characteristics of this soul awareness arise naturally from the state itself.
As you continue to observe the luminous field,
You can also have this awareness.
It may be an experience of being in three places at once.
Part of you remains in your ego,
In your physical body,
In the thinking mind.
Part of you has taken on the role of this observer,
And part of you has moved beyond observation into experiencing soul awareness.
Within this luminous field there are no thoughts.
The thoughts occur within the thinking mind,
And yet it is from this source that thoughts arise.
As you allow yourself to rest into this soul awareness,
Simply reflect on the qualities that you find here.
When the observer reflects on thoughts arising,
They dissolve,
Which shows their impermanence.
When the observer reflects on the characteristics of soul awareness,
On the silence,
The stillness,
The spaciousness,
The non-duality,
The bliss,
All these things only become brighter and more evident upon observing them,
Which shows their grounded beingness.
So for now,
For this moment,
For this space,
We focus on what is,
On this vast luminous emptiness and awareness,
On the silence.
On the stillness.
On the spaciousness.
On the stillness.
Arising from these qualities is that sensation of bliss like a cosmic inner smile blossoming from within observe the non-dual state of this awareness that there is no self there is no other if thoughts begin to arise allow that smile to reflect on these thoughts allow the observer to observe them allow them to dissolve Allow the observer to deepen its focus into the one center which is everywhere.
Knowing the center from which this sole awareness arises.
Allow the observer to realize the depth,
The root of this awareness.
There is nothing to struggle with.
There is nothing to resist.
If thoughts arise,
They're simply to be acknowledged and observed without engaging.
If a thought does engage you,
Simply acknowledge this,
Smile,
Observe,
And release it.
This state of awareness is the true and natural ground for all of us.
It is right here.
It will be here when you come back.
You can return to it at any time and with practice you can bring it into your everyday life in every moment.
When you hear the bell,
Allow yourself to focus back into your thinking mind with a sense of gratitude and appreciation for the sole awareness that resides here within you in every moment.
