Lightly edited transcript Filler words and caption errors removed by machine; the meaning is unchanged.
Delson guides a sitting that points to objectless awareness, a luminous knowing that is not an object and is not a thinking mind. He asks the listener to notice the movement of attention between sounds such as the air conditioner and his voice, without naming or analysing it. He then describes thoughts as waves on an ocean that is not separate from them, and suggests stabilizing in this awareness during the day after formal sitting.
Key points
- Objectless awareness is a space that is available at all times, whether sitting, eating, driving or writing, so posture and setting do not matter.
- To find it, notice the movement of attention between sounds (such as the hum of the air conditioner and the teacher's voice) without thinking about it, naming it or looking for its source.
- As soon as the mind labels the awareness, that is the thinking mind; when no answer arises, that silence is the luminous, empty, self-less knowing.
- Thoughts, sounds and questions are compared to waves on an ocean that is not separate from the water, so a thought needs no fixing and can self-liberate.
- The practice is to stabilize in this luminosity through the day, shifting from what is perceived through the senses back to the mind, with formal sitting as a support rather than the whole practice.
Themes
Where this talk sits on the path
This talk belongs to a thread that runs along the whole path. It follows the thread of Guided meditations.
Transcript
Introducing objectless awareness
Before anything else, I want to introduce you to objectless awareness. Because if you can stay in that space through your day, there's not much else you need to do. So I'm going to point you to that. You can sit however you want. You can sit in a chair. You can sit on a cushion. You can sit with eyes open. You can sit with eyes closed. It doesn't matter, because this space is available to you always. Eating or driving or writing or emailing, whatever it is.
First, settle into your body. Try to relax as much as you can in the body. Take a deep breath and exhale. Another deep breath. And exhale. Pay attention to what you're noticing right now. Is it the hum of the AC? Is it my voice? Is it movement? Is it movement in the mind? Just be with whatever is moving, wherever the attention is going.
Maybe an image arises in your mind. Maybe a voice. Maybe thoughts, verbal thoughts, ideas, concepts. And that's okay. Let them be there. We're not here to hold on to anything. We're here to just watch. Now, I want you to do something very specific. Notice the hum of the air conditioner. And now notice my voice. Now go back to the air conditioner, and then notice my voice again as I'm speaking. Notice that movement of attention. When, in the silence, there is the sound of the air conditioner
and then my voice. Notice the movement of awareness between the sound and my voice. Don't think it. Don't make any idea. Just look back at what is being aware of this moment. Don't think it. Don't look for the source of it or the origin of it. Be aware right now of the movement of attention. As soon as your mind comes up with a name for it, that is the thinking mind.
But if silence arises and no answer arises, that is the luminosity, that is the luminous point. It is empty of any idea of self, and yet it is luminous. It is aware. This place, this area, this space is like the vast ocean. And any thoughts, sounds, vibrations are waves on that ocean. So anytime a thought arises, there's nothing to do.
The wave is not separate from the ocean. The thought self-liberates. Every desire to name it is a wave, and yet it's not separate from the ocean. Every question that arises is a wave that is not separate from the ocean. This is that space which we call: in the seeing there's only the seen; in the hearing there's only the heard. In the sensing, there's only the sensed.
In the cognizing, there's only the cognized. It is not an object, therefore it is signless. It is objectless. There is no intention here. It remains directionless, undirected. And no ego is present. It is empty of self. Empty cognizant. Empty luminosity. Choice is present only in the thinking mind. Intention is present only in the thinking mind, which is just a wave of the ocean.
Not separate. Not different from the ocean. It arises and passes away. But what remains is this ocean. Luminosity. Non-reflective awareness. It is effortless, a simple movement of relaxing. Don't go into the thoughts. The thoughts are the waves. What is aware of the thoughts is the natural mind, the mind without condition. This is the sky-like mind, cloudless, untraceable, above the clouds, and yet the clouds remain in it. Above thoughts, and yet thoughts are seen by it. Go. All objects are illuminated by it, and it remains objectless. Thank you. We will come out now, and yet this awareness remains.
When you come back to listening to my voice, notice that space remains. When you open your eyes, notice that luminosity remains. The idea that it goes is just another thought, another wave in the ocean, not separate from the ocean. Movement doesn't dissipate it. Breathing, seeing, hearing, tasting, all are illuminated by it. This is non-reflective luminosity. The pabhassara citta. Available here and now. Anywhere. Anytime.
Daily practice after retreat
So for your practice, when you get off retreat, your formal sitting will be whatever your formal sitting is. Whether it's 30 minutes, 45 minutes, one hour, an hour and a half, bringing loving kindness or equanimity or whatever it is to yourself for the first 10-15 minutes, and then spreading that out in the different directions, six or eight directions, and throughout the day, learning to stabilize in this space, in this luminosity. This is sati. This is mindfulness, and it can be available anytime, whatever you're doing. A simple shift from what is out there through the senses, tracing back to the mind. Not the thinking mind, the luminous mind. And stabilizing in this can be your practice through the day, outside of your formal sitting.