Alan Wallace Shamatha Teachings Fall 2010 - podcast cover

Alan Wallace Shamatha Teachings Fall 2010

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Welcome! On this site you’ll find downloadable podcasts from the Fall 2010 Shamatha Retreat led by B. Alan Wallace in Phuket, Thailand.  Follow along with the retreat as Wallace gives daily meditation instructions to help one cultivate attention and awareness as well as the qualities of love, compassion, joy and equanimity.  Read more about Alan Wallace’s extensive background in Tibetan Buddhism at http://www.alanwallace.org/index.htm. Check out the Phuket International Academy Mind Centre at http://www.phuketinternationalacademy.com/piamc/phuket-international-academy-mind-centre. Also, feel free to check out the following forum to connect with other Shamatha practitioners: http://contemplativeobservatory.weebly.com/forum.html#/

We hope you will enjoy and benefit from these beautiful teachings!
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Episodes

Session 90: (Discussion Only) Letting Our Minds Become Dharma

Alan discusses bringing wholesome intentions into our daily lives as a way of letting our minds become dharma. Though we will continue to be mentally afflicted, if we can see our mental afflictions for what they are, we will be able to act on them less and less.

Dec 30, 2010•39 min

Session 88: (Discussion Only) Genuine Happiness in Everyday Life

As we anticipate the end of retreat, Alan mentions that the effects of retreat will not be lost as we go out and engage with the world. Genuine happiness can certainly arise outside of a retreat, as we go out into the world and lead an ethical way of life.

Dec 08, 2010•36 min

Session 85: (Discussion only) The Four Immeasurables Keeping Tabs on Each Other

This time Alan gave us advice on how to maintain protection from imbalances once we engage in daily life activities and that is becoming more and more familiar with the practices of the Four Immeasurables regarding them as our 4 best friends. We should know that whatever situation comes up there is a chance to practice. He shared a marvelous metaphor of 4 mighty horses (Four Immeasurables) pulling the chariot leading to awakening and when one of the horses falls stray there is always another one...

Nov 19, 2010•1 hr 31 min

Session 83: Equanimity and a Great Encompassment of our Practices

On this, the last night of led practice for this retreat, Alan first teaches on how the cultivation of shamatha and the four immeasurables are profoundly inter-related. With shamatha, we withdraw inwards, away from our ordinary identification with the limitations of our physical embodiment and our coarse psyche. Then with the four immeasurables, we expand outwards to identify with all beings. While leading the meditation on equanimity, we are guided briefly through all modes of shamatha and then...

Nov 19, 2010•1 hr 39 min

Session 82: Awareness of Awareness, Shamatha That Can Assist at the Moment of Death

This morning we had the last guided Shamatha meditation. Alan explained how in this transient world in which all things that are born have to die, we can tap into the substrate consciousness and even though it is also impermanent in the sense that it changes moment by moment, it is a continuum that carries from one life to the next. It is present even during deep dreamless sleep, comatose and general anesthesia and that’s the reason that we can wake up again. When dying, if you have achieved Sha...

Nov 19, 2010•1 hr

Session 81: Going Outward with Equanimity

Equanimity is understood as a sense of composure in engaging with life situations and persons as well as even heartedness. Is an attitude transformation that gives you freedom. Since you conceptually designate, you can change the designation and there lies the power to be totally present, engaged, without grasping. Fully alive, revolutionary! It’s possible since we never leap outside the space of our minds. We then meditated on Equanimity. Suggested that we read the Patience or Fortitude chapter...

Nov 19, 2010•1 hr 27 min

Session 80: Awareness of Awareness and Potentially the Last Soap Box Speech on Materialism

This morning Alan took another stab at modern scientific reductionism – the tendency to reduce everything to an objective, solid reality, independent of an observer. He cited William James’ experience at Harvard Medical School in the 1860s to show that the idea of the brain being the agent – the source of consciousness- actually pre-dated any significant discoveries about the brain and its functions. All along, however, there have been people like William James himself and the entire Buddhist tr...

Nov 19, 2010•51 min

Session 79: Happy Gratitude and Empathetic Joy

Alan begins this session with an inspirational story about one of his foremost teachers, Geshe Rabten. This humble lama, who had completed years of scholarly work and consultation studies with the Dalai Lama, found true contentment in life as he meditated under a simple rock shelf. His dedication to this single pointed purpose demonstrates a shining example of loving-kindness as a practice. “Dharma”, Alan says, ”is Bodhicitta. We must meditate on it, cultivate it, and then allow it to flow throu...

Nov 19, 2010•1 hr 29 min

Session 78: Deactivating the Coarse Mind with Awareness of Awareness

Today we take an excursion into our experienced sense of being the observer and probe inward to investigate. The practice - awareness of awareness – deactivates the coarse mind, the mind with which we identify. We do our best to do the practice from the vantage point of the substrate. Practiced correctly, shamatha will rise up to meet us. “Our practice here is softening [us] up for vipashyana.” Likewise with all the practices along the path, each prepares us for the next. “Let Buddha-hood rise u...

Nov 19, 2010•37 min

Session 77: Empathetic Joy and Sacred Tension

In the Theravada context, cultivating Empathetic Joy (Mudita) is cultivating an emotion. There is so much to take delight in! This will add yeast to life regardless of one’s world view. When we get away from the retreat center we can really practice! In the Mahayana context, the practice is cultivating an aspiration, not an emotion. “Why couldn’t we all be free from suffering, why not?” If we don’t terminate after death, the Mahayana prayer takes on greater relevance. Only from the perspective o...

Nov 19, 2010•1 hr 35 min

Session 76: A Clarification of Buddhist Mindfulness and Awareness of Awareness Practice

There are some terms we shouldn’t misunderstand, because if we do, we can waste a lot of time of practice. Alan gave an explanation of such terms: mindfulness, open presence, Rigpa, according to the Buddhist and non-Buddhist perspective in order for us to see the difference. After his brief lecture, this morning we came back into the first method of Awareness of Awareness (4th cycle), where we simply rest in the experience of being aware; a second part of the session followed by oscillating the ...

Nov 19, 2010•58 min

Session 75: Compassion Practice and the Urge to Become

The deepest level of suffering is caused by the three poisons, particularly the grasping to “I am.” While the “message of modernity” is that suffering is inescapable during life, Buddha’s message is that suffering will in fact cease if we attend to its source. To do this we must face our self-grasping. Lucid dreaming is the closest analogy to abandoning the ignorance of self-grasping. You may feel a recurrent pressure during this retreat, as if something is holding you back. This is a good sign!...

Nov 19, 2010•1 hr 29 min

Session 74: Attending to the Space of the Mind, and a Discussion of Dharmadatu and Dharmata

In the intro, Alan explained the difference between the space of the mind with its 6 fields of experience (dharmadatu) and ultimate reality, nirvana, emptiness, absolute space of phenomena (dharmata). Like Dudjom Rimpoche said: dharmakaya it’s the nature of your own mind. He goes from that and when he talks about open presence, “if excitation arises, then loosen up, if laxity arises, then focus more clearly”. So, within Dzogchen is it possible to take emptiness (sunyata, dharmata), as the object...

Nov 19, 2010•59 min

Session 73: The Five Obscurations Applied in Education and a Practice in Compassion

Once more Alan gave us magnificent reflections about the 5 obscurations, which are responsible for the suffering of change. On this occasion he referred to these obscurations from a universal perspective imagining how it would be like to have an educational system where students could receive specific teachings supporting them in overcoming those obstacles. He pointed out that when we throw away the 5 obscurations then our inner resources can manifest. Alan continued with a meditation session an...

Nov 19, 2010•1 hr 33 min

Session 72: Settling the Mind and Applying No Antidotes

Good Morning to All Shamatha Minded Sentient Beings, This morning Alan went into more detail on settling the mind in its natural state. He opened with a quote from Dujom Rinpoche. “Whatever comes up in the mind don’t apply any antidote.” ( while doing Settling the Mind in its Natural State). He also talked about having confidence in oneself and having a balanced mind. We reviewed the 5 Obscurations and the antidotes for them. And then, how being present, relaxation, and looseness are essential f...

Nov 19, 2010•46 min

Session 71: Compassion and the Possibility of Ending Suffering in this Life

This evening we return to compassion, with a focus on how Buddhism runs against the grain of modernity in terms of its approach to suffering. We can achieve lasting and total freedom from suffering while still alive; we don’t have to wait for death to bring salvation (as in modern mainstream Christianity), or total annihilation (as in the materialistic, neurocentric view of mind). Then, following the meditation session, Alan answers questions concerning ‘settling the mind in its natural state,’ ...

Nov 19, 2010•1 hr 34 min

Session 70: Settling the Mind and Being a Student of Buddhism

This morning we began the cycle of Settling the Mind in its Natural state following the instructions that the Buddha gave to Bahia “In the seen let just the seen be…” “In the heard let just the heard be”,” In the mentally perceived let just be the mentally perceived…” So we don’t elaborate or label. We suspend judgment as if you are listening to a fascinating person or are seeing other people’s mind. Reality is speaking to you. Bare, naked. Alan mentioned that the quintessential instruction is t...

Nov 18, 2010•56 min

Session 69: Loving-Kindness Practice Drawing From the Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana Traditions.

Alan starts by mentioning that within all physical and mental impermanence, what remains always constant is a person that wants to be happy, loved and smiled back to. The Bodhisattva is a friend of the world! You can practice without having to believe anything; from the Theravada tradition softly sending Loving-Kindness to all; from the Mahayana view expanding the Loving-Kindness until you feel responsible for alleviating the suffering of all beings or, from the Vajrayana tradition, generating y...

Nov 18, 2010•1 hr 30 min

Session 68: The Build-up to Mindfulness of Breathing (Apertures of the Nostrils)

This morning Alan used the Russian-dolls imagery (the dolls that stuck within each other) as his mold. First, he applied it to our mindfulness of breathing practice. Settling the body, speech, and mind are all contained within one another. The mind is at rest when the inner voice is quiet. The inner voice is quiet when the respiration is flowing unobstructed, not forced and unconstricted within a properly aligned body, which is relaxed, still, and yet in a posture of vigilance. We then use our i...

Nov 18, 2010•36 min

Session 67: Loving Kindness and Achieving a State of “Not Going” (Nirvana)

Once again cultivating loving kindness through the practice of Tonglen, Alan advises to start with ourselves as we concentrate on our own merit and then move outwards to others. As we continue through the practice focusing on loved ones, then neutral persons and finally those with whom we have difficulty, we are really starting the practice where we will end. The ultimate goal is to breakdown all barriers. This meditation is a flow of benevolence for others and ourselves. Listen further for an e...

Nov 18, 2010•1 hr 32 min

Session 66: Refining Mindfulness of Breathing with Stability

“So with the man who has daily inured himself to habits of concentrated attention, energetic volition, and self-denial in unnecessary things. He will stand like a tower when everything rocks around him, and his softer fellow-mortals are winnowed like chaff in the blast.”1 In this short talk Alan gives these succinct instructions; “Have your concentration tight enough that there is not space for thoughts to take hold… Don’t give involuntary thoughts an inch.” He also discusses how to count the br...

Nov 18, 2010•33 min

Session 65: Freshening Up Our Loving Kindness Practice

Discursive meditation, because it is repetitive, can become stale. Between sessions, look for sentient beings with whom to interact, each time is a fresh interaction. Add fresh yeast to the practice. Invite more and more beings into the practice. The object is sentient beings. We are generating an aspiration which gives rise to a feeling, not simply a feeling. Alan suggests we envision the aspiration to achieve Shamatha with all the inner and outer requests fulfilled. Question topics include: Wh...

Nov 18, 2010•1 hr 27 min

Session 64: Back to the Infirmary and the Pure Land of Tushita

Pressure in the head and headaches are not habits we should build while meditating. Therefore, this morning, Alan gave a detailed reminder of how this should be approached: back to Infirmary. This is by giving special attention to release all thoughts and tension during the out-breath and by focusing on the earth element (sensations of firmness and solidity). The tension might come from the feeling of anxiety that there are only 2 ½ weeks left for the retreat to be over. So, Alan used an analogy...

Nov 18, 2010•44 min

Session 63: (Discussion Only) Spiritual Friends, Setting a Sleep Schedule, the Suffering of Bodhisattvas, etc.

Following a silent meditation session, Alan addressed a wide range of questions from students: Post-retreat advice regarding refuge, ethics, and the importance of spiritual friends • Can I drink one or two beers without affecting my meditation? • How to adapt yourself to wake naturally at 3AM • How to use meditation on a physical, visual object as a calming technique • Can bodhisattvas or arhats suffer? • Discussion of alternate pronunciations of Padmasambhava’s mantra and the Vajrasattva mantra...

Nov 18, 2010•1 hr 4 min
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