The meditation is an edit of the same meditation provided in the lecture video, to facilitate use ‘on the cushion.’

The meditation is an edit of the first meditation provided in the lecture video, to facilitate use ‘on the cushion.’

The meditation is an edit of the same meditation provided in the lecture video, to facilitate use ‘on the cushion.’

Mingyur Rinpoche outlines the basis of a formal practice, illustrating how the entire path can be practiced upon one cushion. Like gravity, the true nature of awareness is ever-present in our experience and can be sensed at any time, Rinpoche explains. Recognizing awareness, the clear and knowing, self-luminous aspect of the mind provides the fundamental basis for Mahāmudrā practice. Abiding in that state constitutes a basis for śamatha, while investigation of the subjects that arise to awareness constitutes a basis for vipaśyanā. Rinpoche leads meditation on the identification of the sense of “I” and analyzing its emptiness.

Venerable Anālayo begins with a lecture and meditation exploring The Shorter Discourse on Emptiness, looking at the universality of the practice of abiding in emptiness throughout Buddhist traditions. Working through the important preliminaries, Venerable Anālayo unpacks briefly three different methods of preparing for meditation: the four establishments of mindfulness, the sixteen steps of mindfulness of breathing, and the four brahmavihārās. Focusing on the four establishments, Venerable Anālayo guides a meditation through the dissolving of the elements and letting go of the solidity of experience.