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

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... and then go back to the very first aphorism of the Lo-Jong: the preliminaries. Meditation starts at: 03:21 (silent, not recorded)

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 lamas, teachings and empowerments? How to live in the modern world after a long term retreat? Meditation starts at: 22:48 (silent, not recorded)

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 from a deeper aspect of your own mind? All that matters is that the advice is taking you further along the path. So in practice of tong len, using the power of the mind, it is possible that we are providing genuine relief from suffering. Post meditation: Covering the following...

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, it is porous so it is possible for a visitation to occur. There are accounts of people having visions of tara, padmasambhava etc. It is hard to say if these are actually tara or some figment of your imagination. But if a teaching leads to...

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 and not reify them (or ourselves). Seeing all teachers equally whether it be as a emissary of the Budhha, like a Buddha or as a Buddha. - If there is one with an inner heart connection, a root guru, see that guru in the centre and other...

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 the analogies with dream yoga. Meditation starts at: 13:18 (silent, not recorded)

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, and King like Bodhicitta. Alan continues with the 7th point of the Seven Point mind training. Meditation starts at: 9:23

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)

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 element of self centeredness, or secondly with ultimate bodhichitta, the view from the bardo, from emptiness or from rigpa. After the meditation we move on to the practices of Seven Point Mind Training which look at the constructive things we can do to support our ongoing...

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 too can be melted away to the substrate consciousness. Meditation starts at: 10:15 (silent, not recorded)

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 any other type of work for others, one accumulates merit. But how this merit will manifest will depend on the motivation that lead to the practice. If the motivation is mundane, one can possibly enjoy a prosperous next lifetime, but this merit would...

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 one does it correctly and taking satisfaction in it. Also, having deep faith that one can, in fact, achieve Shamatha is indispensable for progressing along the path as hoping, doubting, fearing, aspiring, and giving up can diminish one's progress. It is...