60 Even-Heartedness for All Sentient Beings

In this session, we approach the immeasurable of equanimity from
a Mahayana perspective, using the practice of tonglen (sending
and receiving) to attend to individual sentient beings.


The guided meditation begins at 7:10 in the recording.


Alan then answers these questions from the group:


1. What is the relationship between the four immeasurable and
bodhicitta?


2. What about dedicating the merit? Do you have any special
recommendations in the context of retreat? After each session? At
the end of the day?


3. Sometimes I fall asleep lucidly without dreams. Is there a
difference between being in a lucid dream, and being asleep
lucidly without dreams? Also, last night I became aware of being
asleep -- I had my senses, could feel myself breathing, see
myself sleeping in my mind's eye. What was happening?


4. You mentioned earlier about how the four immeasurable can
balance and complement each other. I love that weaving together.
For example, during a meditation on equanimity, I saw
indifference coming up, so I arose the immeasurable of compassion
for some time before returning to equanimity. Can you say more
about this balance, and how you work with segways between the
four immeasurable, as well as the sources of these segways?


5. Can you talk about the relativity of space and time? I know,
for me, these last five weeks have gone by very quickly, while
for others, they have not.