Alan Wallace Fall 2012 Retreat Podcast: Vipashyana, Four Applications of Mindfulness

Alan Wallace Fall 2012 Retreat Podcast: Vipashyana, Four Applications of Mindfulness

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Alan Wallace Fall 2012 Retreat Podcast: Vipashyana, Four Applications of Mindfulness episodes

  • 13 Loving Kindness (1)

    Alan gives a brief introduction to the 4 immeasurables. Whereas shamatha and vipassana attend to reality that is already manifest, the 4 immeasurables concern the realm of possibility and aspiration.


    Meditation: loving-kindness. Begin with the aspiration for yourself by asking, “What would make you truly happy?” Visualize your own awareness as a white orb at your heart chakra, and with every out breath, light fills your entire with the aspiration “May I find happiness and the causes of happiness.” Light flows outwards and repeat visualization, attending to 1) a loved one, 2) another person, and 3) all sentient beings.

    Meditation starts at 4:02

    31 min
  • 14 Mindfulness of the body (6)

    Teaching pt1: Alan reviews the view of reality according to the 3 turnings of the wheel of the dharma. In the 1st turning, in response to the question as posed by the Sautantrika of “What is real?”, we see things as simply or mere phenomena. Seeing means knowing what we’re seeing is mere or simply phenomena which means in accordance with the 3 marks of existence, free from our conceptual projections con-fused with reality. In the 2nd turning, we use our intelligence to uncover the ultimate nature of phenomena which still appear deceptively. In the 3rd turning, rigpa recognizes rigpa. For each of the 4 applications of mindfulness, the Buddha mentions in the Sattipathana sutta to attend 1) internally, 2) externally, and 3) both internally and externally. This allows us to shine the light of awareness and mindfulness on domains of our own experience.


    Meditation: mindfulness of the body. Letting awareness be still, attend to 1) perceptions of all 5 senses and 2) your body. Ask: 1) is any appearance „you“ or „yours“?, 2) do appearances have a core or do they manifest simply from the alaya?, and 3) is form emptiness, and emptiness form?

    Teaching pt2: Alan explains that it is possible for people of sharp faculties to realize rigpa by receiving dzogchen teachings without any prior realizations. However, for others, realization of emptiness is a necessary prerequisite to practice dzogchen and stage of generation. Otherwise, we’re not doing the practice properly and not getting the benefit. Likewise, it’s possible for people of sharp faculties to realize emptiness without achieving shamatha. For most of us, a step-wise approach is most beneficial and allows us to assess whether the practice is striking the target and yielding benefit.

    Q1. We are practicing shamatha, but is it possible to directly go into the practice of the 4 applications of mindfulness? 

    Q2. In the practice of mindfulness of the body, I notice that visual forms do not appear to be in flux. Is this correct?

    Meditation starts at 34:30

    1 hr 31 min
  • 12 Mindfulness of the body (5)

    Teaching: Alan begins the session by presenting the 2nd and 3rd marks of existence. In the 2nd mark of existence, dukkha can be understood to mean the unsatisfactory nature of looking at any experience and thinking, „This will make me happy.“ The 3rd mark of existence: all phenomena are empty and non-self. This means that „me“ and „mine“ are conceptual designations empty of intrinsic entity (=self).


    Meditation: mindfulness of the body focusing on the 3rd mark of existence emptiness and non-self. Use discerning mindfulness on each of the following sense domains in turn: 1) visual, 2) auditory, 3) tactile, and 4) all 5 senses. Ask: 1) is any appearance „yours“ or „you“?, and 2) do you have any control over appearances arising?

    Q1. When I focus on the breath, it gets tight and uneasy. Why and what can I do about it? 

    Q2. Within the course of a single session, is it possible to shift from mindfulness of breathing at the abdomen to the nostrils, or vice versa?

    Q3. It’s difficult for me to feel sensations of the breath at the upper lip, so I force a stronger breath to make it perceptible. Once I lay off, it becomes imperceptible again. What should I do?

    Q4. Is there a gradient of conceptualization? (cont. from 120830)

    Q5. How many people have attained shamatha in this century? 

    Q6. How long does it take for people of varying faculties to attain shamatha?

    Q7. What makes thoughts and images in the mind appear seemingly out of nowhere?

    Q8. During meditation, random and sometimes disturbing thoughts arise. Where do they come from?

    Meditation starts at 21:00

    1 hr 35 min
  • 11 Mindfulness of breathing (6)

    Teaching: Alan gives a brief teaching on Dromtönpa’s quote „Give up all attachment to this life, and let your mind become dharma.“ In shamatha practice, releasing excitation corresponds to giving up attachment, and resting in awareness, 5 antidotes naturally arise to counter the 5 obscurations to the substrate and rigpa: 1) sukkha vs. malice/ill-will, 2) single-pointed attention vs. desire/attachment/fixation, 3) coarse investigation vs. laxity/dullness, 4) bliss vs. excitation/anxiety, and 5) precise analysis vs. afflictive uncertainty.


    Meditation: mindfulness of breathing method of your choice. If there is tension, you may want to practice full-body awareness. If there is rumination, you may want to practice mindfulness of breathing at the abdomen. If the mind is loose and calm, you may want to practice mindfulness of breathing at the nostrils. For any of the practices, use staccato counting if helpful. As always, monitor the flow of mindfulness with introspection and apply antidotes to laxity and excitation.

    Meditation starts at 12:53

    38 min
  • 10 Mindfulness of the body (4)

    Teaching pt1: Alan begins the session by introducing the buddhist theory of causality. Here, one distinguishes between substantial causes and cooperative conditions in how effects are created. We can contemplate the factors of origination and dissolution in reference to the 18 dhatus—i.e., 6 sensory fields, 6 modes of consciousnesses, and 6 faculties.


    Meditation: mindfulness of the body focusing on the 2nd mark of existence dukkha. Closely apply mindfulness to see if sensations of pleasure/pain or comfort/discomfort are coming from the object. Have awareness illuminate all 5 sense domains and ask: 1) is there anything unchanging/static?, 2) is anything a true source of pleasure/displeasure?, and 3) is there any overlap between the sense domains?

    Teaching pt2: Alan returns to the 1st and 2nd marks of existence with the idea that when they saturate our mind, there’s a profound shift in our world view. The 1st mark of existence: unconditioned phenomena are impermanent. The 2nd mark of existence: any experience contaminated by disturbing emotions is unsatisfying.

    Q1. What is the difference between conceptual and non-conceptual (experience)?

    Meditation starts at 35:07

    1 hr 35 min
  • 09 Mindfulness of breathing (5)

    Meditation: mindfulness of breathing at the nostril. Same instructions as before. Use introspection to attend to the flow of mindfulness. If there’s excitation, relax, release, and return. If there’s laxity or dullness, refresh, refocus, and retain.


    In between sessions, let your default mode be perception of real phenomena as defined in the Sautantrika and release rumination. Also, check to see that your respiration is flowing naturally.

    Meditation starts at 9:30

    37 min
  • 08 Mindfulness of the body (3)

    Meditation: body scan. Single-pointedly focus on sensations (both outer and inner) at one target area, scanning the body from top to bottom as instructed in the guided meditation.


    Teaching: Alan introduces some Sautrāntika philosophy—view of reality—to help us observe closely. There are 1) things that exist and 2) things that don’t exist. Among things that exist, there are 1a) real and 1b) unreal. Real phenomena constitute anything that can be perceived directly or with the help of instruments. Unreal phenomena exist only because we say so—i.e., conceptual designations. 

    This framework helps us in the practice of the 4 applications of mindfulness to distinguish through careful observation between 1) what’s being presented and 2) what’s being superimposed.

    Q1. In the practice of the 5 elements, each element appears to be in flux, so does each element contain air element?

    Q2. Is the experience of prana (lelung) upon achieving shamatha the same as kundalini?

    Q3. Can walking meditation be integrated into shamatha practice? 

    Q4. How to refresh and renew interest in the breath without tension? 

    Q5. Do the 3 shamatha practices present a gradual progression from gross to subtle? And if so, does this mean that we have to master all 3 practices to achieve shamatha?

    Meditation starts at 10:50

    1 hr 34 min
  • 07 Mindfulness of breathing (4)

    Meditation: mindfulness of breathing at the nostril. Focus mental awareness on breath coming in and out at the nostril or upper lip, wherever you feel the sensation most clearly. Engage with the full course of in and out breath, arousing attention at in breath and releasing thoughts and relaxing at out breath. Experiment with staccato counting to counter rumination.

    This practice enhances vividness, but does so without sacrificing stability and relaxation. 

    Be relentless about breaking up rumination by resting engaged!


    Meditation starts at 1:40

    27 min

About Alan Wallace Fall 2012 Retreat Podcast: Vipashyana, Four Applications of Mindfulness

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Teachings from the eight-week retreat at Thanyapura Mind Centre, Phuket, Thailand