Lama Surya Das shares the benefits of practicing spontaneous meditation throughout the day.
The intrinsic nature of mind is naturally lucid, aware, bright, open, empty and cling free. On this episode of Awakening Now, we learn to tap into this nature with spontaneous moments of mindfulness.
Show Notes
The Now (Opening) – Lama Surya Das addresses our culture’s rediscovering of the moment, or the now as Lama Surya calls it. This is nothing new though. Lama Surya Das reaches back to the Buddha’s teaching of nowness-awareness, the timeless awareness of the moment.
“The awareness is there, even in unawareness. Just as consciousness is there, even in the unconscious. Maybe not self-consciousness or auditory consciousness but a consciousness of some kind, this basic luminosity. This is the basis of newness awareness and meditation.”
Spontaneous Meditation (10:00) – Surya Das explores the spontaneous moments of meditation that we can bring into our lives in between sessions on the meditation cushion.
“Moments of mindfulness and piercing insight, any time of the day not just during your daily meditation session. Many ‘quickies’ rather than a few ‘prolongies’ on the weekend when you have time. Throughout the day; breath, relax focus, center, smile and then start again with whatever you are doing.”
Take a Vacation from Yourself (14:30) – We look at how naturally aware and open our mind is when we allow it to be. Surya Das talks about taking a vacation from our preconceptions and routines of thought.
“Take a vacation from yourself, what can be better than that. The self is the true culprit anyway, not your healthy ego, but your neurotic self-centered self.”
The First Moment is the Only Moment (21:35) – In the Dzogchen tradition, the tradition of natural perfection, stresses the practice nowness-awareness and spontaneous meditation. Surya Das tells a Dzogchen story that gives a clever example of how simple spontaneous meditation really is.
For more on the Dzogchen form of meditation, check out this episode of Awakening Now.
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Photo via Ben White on Unsplash