14 Empathetic Joy

Alan Wallace guides a 24-minute meditation on mudita, or
empathetic joy, focusing first on oneself, then spreading
outwards to others.


During the following question and answer period, Alan answers
these questions:


1. During shamatha, do we target the kind of focused attention
that doesn't notice outside sensations such as sound, tactile
sensations, etc.?


2. How do I know the difference between foreground and background
when I am primarily attending to the breath, my attention is with
the breath, and at the same time some other thought or feeling
arises?


3. Is it okay to generate mental images while practicing in order
to become familiar and mindful of these arisings?


4. Where is the place for labeling such as "thinking",
"planning", "hearing" etc.?


5. Lama Yeshe says that reincarnation happens between a few
moments and seven weeks after one's death. What say you?


6. If one is single pointedly focusing on tactile sensations
while eating, can taste fade away?


7. How does one best practice awareness of awareness while in the
supine position?