Fall 2013 Shamatha and the Seven-Point Mind Training

B. Alan Wallace

Alan Wallace Fall 2013 8-Week retreat on Shamatha and the Seven-Point Mind Training.
This retreat was held at the Thanyapura Mind Centre in Phuket, Thailand, from September 2nd - October 28th, 2013

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20 episodes
Updated Oct 25, 2013

Episodes20

Newest first

Oct 25, 2013
93 Merging the Mind the Space and a Discussion of Kalachakra
Follwing the silent meditation, Alan gets to a few remaining questions, including one about his experience with Shambala and Kalachakra. A fascinating discussion and series of stories follows. Meditation starts at: 0:05
Oct 25, 2013
92 Merging Mind With Space and the Final Aphorisms of the Seven Point Mind Training
Before the silent meditation, Alan mentions a few points about Bodichitta. After the silent meditation, we go back to the last few aphorisms of the Lo-Jong. We finish the Seven Point Mind Training with a quote from Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche...…
Oct 24, 2013
91 Merging Mind With Space and How to Apply the Teachings in Daily Life
Before the session's meditation, Alan raises the issue of retreat and expedition for after the retreat is over. After the meditation, there are a few questions about the relevance of doing short-term retreats in Dzogchen/Mahamudra/Vajrayana;…
Oct 24, 2013
90 Ultimate and relative bodhicitta and point seven of seven point mind training
Meditation front loading: The porousness of the mind. It is possible that influences can go both into and out from the mind. Like when praying to your guru and getting a response. Does the response come from the guru or from a deeper aspect o…
Oct 24, 2013
89 Merging Mind with Space
Silent session, followed by one question regarding the origin of people within a lucid dream. They all stem from the substrate consciousness. Even when lucid, they are not puppets on your string. As the relative dharmadhatu has no clear bound…
Oct 23, 2013
88 Ultimate and Relative Bodhicitta Meditation and the Seventh Point from Seven Point Mind Training
From the seventh point of Atisha's mind training: 'Adopt the three principle causes' These causes are: 1. Following a qualified mentor - Alan told the story of the first person to encounter the Buddha. - Alan taught that we should see throug…
Oct 22, 2013
87 Merging Mind with Space
This practice is a variation for shamatha without a sign. The method this morning being balancing earth with sky: shamatha with support, with quasi support and without support. Alan taught more on what rigpa is (and what it is not) and on t…
Oct 22, 2013
86 Aspirational Meditation
Alan begins with two quotes from William James regarding aspiration. The guided meditation is on developing your personal aspirations and the causes to fulfill them. Discussion of Aspiring Bodhicitta and engaging Bodhicitta. Within engagin…
Oct 22, 2013
85 Merging the mind with space
As you merge the mind with space, maintain a flow of knowing of the sheer absence of thought. It is a knowing of emptiness that can lead to an open expanse. Meditation starts at: 6:40 (silent, not recorded)
Oct 21, 2013
84 The Practices of Seven Point Mind Training
Tonight the meditation is front loaded by looking at two ways we can view the adversity that will no doubt effect us and those we see as belonging to us. Firstly, non lucidly with relative bodhichitta which still has an element of self center…
Oct 20, 2013
83 Return to Merging the Mind with Space
In this short session Alan front loads our week of meditation practice speaking of how we can rollback the layers of conceptual overlay to conceptual and then primal mentation - the first raw sense of presence different from space. This too c…
Oct 20, 2013
82 Meditation on two bodhicittas and Pledges of the Seven Point Mind Training
Tonight we return to the meditation on the two bodhicittas. Before the silent meditation, Alan give a short preamble on the importance of motivation for one's practice. Once one engages in any virtuous practice such as meditation, charity wor…
Oct 20, 2013
81 Shamatha without a sign
This morning we have our last silent meditation in the second cycle of Shamatha without a sign. Alan gives a short preamble, stressing the importance of having contentment in once's practice: knowing right in the moment of the practice that o…
Oct 18, 2013
80 Shamatha Without a Sign, Lucid Dreaming and The Pledges of the Seven Point Mind Training
The session starts with a silent meditation on the two Bodhichittas. After the meditation, Alan talks about ultimate and relative bodhichitta and their connection. Next, we go to the subject of lucid dreaming: 1) waking induced lucid dream,…
Oct 17, 2013
79 Shamatha Without a Sign
The session starts with a short explanation of today's meditation (silent meditation, not recorded), a variation of Shamatha without a sign as taught by Padmasambhava. After the meditation, Alan talks about the significance of Shamatha on the…
Oct 17, 2013
78 Ultimate and Relative Bodichitta and the sixth point from Seven Point Mind Training
The two bodhicittas may seem incompatible, if there is not someone really there, then how to feel compassion? From the other side, when seeing someone in anguish, it seems so real. This is falling to the extremes of nihilism and substantialis…
Oct 16, 2013
77 Shamatha without a sign
From the substrate, which is in the nature of delusion, a stirring of karmic energies eventually leads to the full elaboration of conceptual designation, everything crystallising in its place with its defined borders. In this practice we are…
Oct 16, 2013
76 Ultimate and Relative Bodhicitta and the fifth point from Atisha's text, 7 Point Mind Training
Before the meditation Alan discusses from which perspective you can do the tong-len practice - from your ordinary self or from the platform of Avolokishrvara. Alan explains how shamatha can be developed in the context of stage of generation…
Oct 15, 2013
75 Shamatha without a sign
For the practices of awareness of awareness, Alan begins by saying to release your awareness into space with no object, then let awareness of beginning ware be most explicit. Then begin the oscillation. Meditation starts at: 8:30 (silent, f…
Oct 15, 2013
74 Ultimate and relative Bodhicitta
Meditation – continue as described yesterday with one meditation on ultimate Bodhicitta and one on relative Bodhicitta. Continuation of the discussion on transmuting the death process. If have habitual practice of converting adversity int…