Fall 2013 Shamatha and the Bodhisattva Way of Life

By B. Alan Wallace

Society & Culture Natural Sciences Science & Medicine Philosophy Religion & Spirituality Buddhism

What's Fall 2013 Shamatha and the Bodhisattva Way of Life about?

Alan Wallace Fall 2013 8-Week retreat on Shamatha and the Bodhisattva Way of Life, including teachings on the Seven-Point Mind-Training and A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life, by B. Alan Wallace at the Thanyapura Mind Centre in Phuket, Thailand, from September 2nd- October 28th, 2013

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Fall 2013 Shamatha and the Bodhisattva Way of Life episodes:

10.25.2013
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
10.25.2013
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......
10.24.2013
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; is it worthwhile to chase after...
10.24.2013
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...
10.24.2013
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 boundaries,...
10.23.2013
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...
10.23.2013
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 through the person...
10.22.2013
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...
10.22.2013
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 engaging Bodhicitta, shepherd like Bodhicitta, Navigating Bodhicitta,...
10.22.2013
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)
10.21.2013
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...
10.20.2013
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...
10.20.2013
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 work or...
10.20.2013
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...
10.18.2013
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 Path and how to...
10.18.2013
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, 2) dreaming...
10.17.2013
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 trying to...
10.17.2013
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 Path and how to...
10.17.2013
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...
10.16.2013
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, front loaded...
10.16.2013
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 into the path then when...
10.16.2013
73 Awareness of awareness
We lock onto an object, reify it and then attachment or aversion arises. The discovery model allows the mind to heal itself by doing nothing but maintaining cognizance. Discussion of blessings arising from Buddha nature. Meditation – Rest for a...
10.16.2013
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 trying to...
10.16.2013
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 practice. After the...
10.15.2013
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, front loaded...
10.15.2013
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 into the path then when...
10.15.2013
73 Awareness of awareness
We lock onto an object, reify it and then attachment or aversion arises. The discovery model allows the mind to heal itself by doing nothing but maintaining cognizance. Discussion of blessings arising from Buddha nature. Meditation – Rest for a...
10.14.2013
71 Return to Awarness of Awareness or Shamatha Without a Sign
Alan front loads this session by looking at the difference between this practice and Dzogchen - grasping - and looks at how practice is ideally couched in a supportive way of life. After the meditation session Alan shares with us...
10.14.2013
72 The Mahayana teaching on transferring consciousness is precisely these five powers...
Alan again front loads the meditation by comparing Atisha's Lam Rim texts and Seven Point Mind Training text and the role of discursive meditation in both. We can be encouraged that although Ultimate and Relative Bodichitta might seem high and...
10.13.2013
70 Practice of the stage of generation of Avalokiteshvara
Today's evening session begins with the continuation of the discussion on the power of prayer and blessings. Alan gives a few examples of how blessings work and their possible bandwidth and draws analogies with the so-called placebo effect. After that,...
10.13.2013
69 Settling the mind in its natural state
This morning we start with the last session in the second cycle of settling the mind in its natural state. Alan gives a short preamble before we go into a silent meditation emphasizing the utter simplicity of the practice and...
10.13.2013
71 Return to Awarness of Awareness or Shamatha Without a Sign
Alan front loads this session by looking at the difference between this practice and Dzogchen - grasping - and looks at how practice is ideally couched in a supportive way of life. After the meditation session Alan shares with us...
10.12.2013
70 Practice of the stage of generation of Avalokiteshvara
Today's evening session begins with the continuation of the discussion on the power of prayer and blessings. Alan gives a few examples of how blessings work and their possible bandwidth and draws analogies with the so-called placebo effect. After that,...
10.12.2013
69 Settling the mind in its natural state
This morning we start with the last session in the second cycle of settling the mind in its natural state. Alan gives a short preamble before we go into a silent meditation emphasizing the utter simplicity of the practice and...
10.11.2013
67 Settling the Mind in Its Natural State
Before the meditation, Dr. Wallace starts with a prelude to the meditation of settling the mind in its natural state. The focus should now be on the ongoing flow of mindfulness, whether thoughts and images arise or not. Special attention...
10.11.2013
68 The Positive and Negative Aspects of Modern Science and the Future of Contemplative Inquiry in All Religions
Before the guided meditation, Dr. Wallace comments on Malala, a 16 year old girl from Pakistan, who currently fights for the right of education for women amidst Taliban death threats against her. After the meditation, we pick up where we left...
10.10.2013
65 Settling the mind in its natural state and achieving Shamatha
We revisit an important facet of settling the mind in its natural state: to observe not so much the objective appearances to the mind, but the subjective impulses to the mind. This is not as easy as we only become...
10.10.2013
67 Settling the Mind in Its Natural State
Before the meditation, Dr. Wallace starts with a prelude to the meditation of settling the mind in its natural state. The focus should now be on the ongoing flow of mindfulness, whether thoughts and images arise or not. Special attention...
10.10.2013
66 Ultimate and Relative Bodhicitta meditation and scientific evidence
Silent meditation session and then a continuation of yesterday's theme related to the 'power of prayer'. "We don't believe in anything without sufficient evidence". That's the creed of scientists and so called skeptics alike, but in practice they don't follow...
10.09.2013
63 Settling the mind in its natural state and the 9 stage of shamatha
Focus simply on the observation of the so call objective appearances that appear in the space of the mind. When we have difficulty doing this practice, the way to counter is to learn to relax more. OUr prana...
10.09.2013
62 Meditation uniting ultimate and relative Bodhicitta
Meditate for half the session on shamatha without a sign – probing right into where you think the observer is – this can lead to ultimate Bodhicitta. Spend the second half of the session on Tonglen, relative Bodhicitta. Alan provides...
10.09.2013
61 Settling the mind in its natural state
What makes us so vulnerable to suffering? We identify so closely with the body and mind. This meditation starts to put some distance as you roll back from the environment, roll back from your body and attend to the mind...
10.09.2013
65 Settling the mind in its natural state and achieving Shamatha
We revisit an important facet of settling the mind in its natural state: to observe not so much the objective appearances to the mind, but the subjective impulses to the mind. This is not as easy as we only become...
10.09.2013
64 Ultimate and Relative Bodhicitta meditation and the 'power of prayer' from the text
Silent meditation on relative and ultimate Bodhicitta (not recorded) at 6:08. Fourth point of the text 'To synthesise the essence of this practical guidance, apply yourself to the five powers', the last of which is the power of prayer. Alan discusses the...
10.08.2013
63 Settling the mind in its natural state and the 9 stage of shamatha
Focus simply on the observation of the so call objective appearances that appear in the space of the mind. When we have difficulty doing this practice, the way to counter is to learn to relax more. OUr prana...
10.08.2013
62 Meditation uniting ultimate and relative Bodhicitta
Meditate for half the session on shamatha without a sign – probing right into where you think the observer is – this can lead to ultimate Bodhicitta. Spend the second half of the session on Tonglen, relative Bodhicitta. Alan provides...
10.08.2013
61 Settling the mind in its natural state
What makes us so vulnerable to suffering? We identify so closely with the body and mind. This meditation starts to put some distance as you roll back from the environment, roll back from your body and attend to the mind...
10.07.2013
59 Return to Settling the Mind
We return to this practice also known as Appearances and Awareness as the Path. Alan reminds us to examine the essential nature of the thought arising rather than the content or referent and discusses stillness and motion as the type...
10.07.2013
60 Whatever you encounter immediately apply it to meditation
Here Alan continues the Lojong text and addresses how we can eliminate the tug of war between dharma and our everyday life by transforming everything into dharma. We look at different ways of viewing adversity - external and internal -...
10.06.2013
58 Tong Len meditation and The Seven Point Mind Training
We begin the evening session with a silent Tong Len meditation by focusing on a person, group of people, or other sentient beings - those who come to mind. The session is briefly introduced by Alan right before. After the...

What's Fall 2013 Shamatha and the Bodhisattva Way of Life about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Fall 2013 Shamatha and the Bodhisattva Way of Life episodes:

93 Merging the Mind the Space and a Discussion of Kalachakra

92 Merging Mind With Space and the Final Aphorisms of the Seven Point Mind Training

91 Merging Mind With Space and How to Apply the Teachings in Daily Life

90 Ultimate and relative bodhicitta and point seven of seven point mind training

89 Merging Mind with Space

87 Merging Mind with Space

88 Ultimate and Relative Bodhicitta Meditation and the Seventh Point from Seven Point Mind Training

87 Merging Mind with Space

86 Aspirational Meditation

85 Merging the mind with space

84 The Practices of Seven Point Mind Training

83 Return to Merging the Mind with Space

82 Meditation on two bodhicittas and Pledges of the Seven Point Mind Training

81 Shamatha without a sign

79 Shamatha Without a Sign

80 Shamatha Without a Sign, Lucid Dreaming and The Pledges of the Seven Point Mind Training

77 Shamatha without a sign

79 Shamatha Without a Sign

78 Ultimate and Relative Bodichitta and the sixth point from Seven Point Mind Training

75 Shamatha without a sign

74 Ultimate and relative Bodhicitta

73 Awareness of awareness

77 Shamatha without a sign

76 Ultimate and Relative Bodhicitta and the fifth point from Atisha's text, 7 Point Mind Training

75 Shamatha without a sign

74 Ultimate and relative Bodhicitta

73 Awareness of awareness

71 Return to Awarness of Awareness or Shamatha Without a Sign

72 The Mahayana teaching on transferring consciousness is precisely these five powers...

70 Practice of the stage of generation of Avalokiteshvara

69 Settling the mind in its natural state

71 Return to Awarness of Awareness or Shamatha Without a Sign

70 Practice of the stage of generation of Avalokiteshvara

69 Settling the mind in its natural state

67 Settling the Mind in Its Natural State

68 The Positive and Negative Aspects of Modern Science and the Future of Contemplative Inquiry in All Religions

65 Settling the mind in its natural state and achieving Shamatha

67 Settling the Mind in Its Natural State

66 Ultimate and Relative Bodhicitta meditation and scientific evidence

63 Settling the mind in its natural state and the 9 stage of shamatha

62 Meditation uniting ultimate and relative Bodhicitta

61 Settling the mind in its natural state

65 Settling the mind in its natural state and achieving Shamatha

64 Ultimate and Relative Bodhicitta meditation and the 'power of prayer' from the text

63 Settling the mind in its natural state and the 9 stage of shamatha

62 Meditation uniting ultimate and relative Bodhicitta

61 Settling the mind in its natural state

59 Return to Settling the Mind

60 Whatever you encounter immediately apply it to meditation

58 Tong Len meditation and The Seven Point Mind Training