12 Compassion and the Suffering of Conditioned Existence

After a brief introduction, Alan Wallace guides us in a 24-minute
meditation on compassion, focusing on the suffering of
conditioned existence and our fundamental vulnerability to
suffering.


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


1. While watching the breath, where should the attention be --
with the feeling and sensation of the breath, or with the
observer who is watching the breath?


2. What is the power of thought in terms of the aspiration for
all beings to be free from suffering during the meditation on
compassion?


3. What is one-taste?


4. How do I know I am progressing with the practice of shamatha?
Are there signs?


5. Why must the eyes be open during the practice of settling the
mind in its natural state?


6. How do the five jhana factors arise -- linearly, or more
organically? When do they reach culmination?


7. How are 'coarse examination' and 'precise investigation'
related to shamatha?