1
00:00:07,920 --> 00:00:10,317
For centuries, ancient masters have

2
00:00:10,400 --> 00:00:13,517
known a secret. The mind finds its

3
00:00:13,600 --> 00:00:15,997
deepest rest, not through force or

4
00:00:16,080 --> 00:00:18,157
technique, but through the gentle

5
00:00:18,240 --> 00:00:20,877
guidance of timeless wisdom that speaks

6
00:00:20,960 --> 00:00:23,517
directly to the soul.

7
00:00:23,600 --> 00:00:26,317
Tonight, we will journey deep into the

8
00:00:26,400 --> 00:00:29,037
heart of this ancient wisdom.

9
00:00:29,120 --> 00:00:31,677
Before we begin, feel free to share what

10
00:00:31,760 --> 00:00:33,677
time it is and where you're listening

11
00:00:33,760 --> 00:00:36,877
from. What you're about to hear isn't

12
00:00:36,960 --> 00:00:40,237
meditation in any traditional sense.

13
00:00:40,320 --> 00:00:43,197
These are wisdom stories flowing one

14
00:00:43,280 --> 00:00:46,397
into another like a peaceful river, each

15
00:00:46,480 --> 00:00:51,357
carrying you further from the noise
of daily life and deeper into natural

16
00:00:51,440 --> 00:00:55,757
healing sleep.
No effort is required, no special

17
00:00:55,840 --> 00:01:00,077
breathing techniques,
no trying to empty your mind.

18
00:01:00,160 --> 00:01:02,637
Just the quiet relaxation of listening

19
00:01:02,720 --> 00:01:05,437
as these beautiful tales unfold. Each

20
00:01:05,520 --> 00:01:09,837
one a soft step on the
path to profound rest.

21
00:01:09,920 --> 00:01:11,597
So close your eyes if you haven't

22
00:01:11,680 --> 00:01:14,877
already. Let your breathing slow to its

23
00:01:14,960 --> 00:01:19,997
own natural rhythm. There's nowhere you
need to go, nothing you need to figure

24
00:01:20,080 --> 00:01:21,517
out.

25
00:01:21,600 --> 00:01:24,877
simply rest here.

26
00:01:24,960 --> 00:01:27,437
There lived once in a mountain monastery

27
00:01:27,520 --> 00:01:29,997
far from the noise of cities a young

28
00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:32,317
monk named Kogan.

29
00:01:32,400 --> 00:01:34,477
Like you, he knew the challenge of

30
00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:37,917
quieting an active mind. He had come to

31
00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:40,477
the monastery seeking peace, but found

32
00:01:40,560 --> 00:01:42,477
instead that his thoughts seemed even

33
00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:45,037
louder in the supposed silence of the

34
00:01:45,120 --> 00:01:48,717
temple. Each evening, as the other monks

35
00:01:48,800 --> 00:01:51,597
settled easily into meditation, Kogan

36
00:01:51,680 --> 00:01:53,917
would sit on his cushion, fighting an

37
00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:57,517
inner war. His mind raced with worries

38
00:01:57,600 --> 00:02:00,237
about tomorrow's duties, replaying

39
00:02:00,320 --> 00:02:02,717
conversations from the day, spinning

40
00:02:02,800 --> 00:02:04,717
stories about what others might think of

41
00:02:04,800 --> 00:02:07,437
him. The harder he tried to find

42
00:02:07,520 --> 00:02:11,197
silence, the louder his thoughts became.

43
00:02:11,280 --> 00:02:15,917
Night after night, Kogan would leave
the meditation hall frustrated and

44
00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:17,517
exhausted.

45
00:02:17,600 --> 00:02:20,877
His sleep was fitful, disturbed by the

46
00:02:20,960 --> 00:02:25,357
same restless energy that
plagued his sitting practice.

47
00:02:25,440 --> 00:02:29,677
He began to despair that peace was not
meant for someone like him, someone

48
00:02:29,760 --> 00:02:33,517
whose mind simply wouldn't
cooperate with stillness.

49
00:02:33,600 --> 00:02:35,837
One evening, feeling particularly

50
00:02:35,920 --> 00:02:40,957
defeated after another session of mental
chaos, Kogan wandered into the monastery

51
00:02:41,040 --> 00:02:45,517
garden. The moon was full,
casting silver light

52
00:02:45,600 --> 00:02:49,357
across the carefully
tended stones and plants.

53
00:02:49,440 --> 00:02:51,837
He sat on a wooden bench beneath an old

54
00:02:51,920 --> 00:02:55,277
pine tree, not to meditate, but simply

55
00:02:55,360 --> 00:02:57,197
because he was too tired to walk

56
00:02:57,280 --> 00:03:00,717
further. As he sat there, not trying to

57
00:03:00,800 --> 00:03:05,437
be peaceful, not attempting any
spiritual practice, Kogan began to

58
00:03:05,520 --> 00:03:07,357
notice something he had never observed

59
00:03:07,440 --> 00:03:12,157
before. The night was not silent at all.

60
00:03:12,240 --> 00:03:16,077
Water trickled softly
from a small fountain.

61
00:03:16,160 --> 00:03:18,157
Wind whispered through the pine needles

62
00:03:18,240 --> 00:03:21,837
above his head. In the distance, a night

63
00:03:21,920 --> 00:03:25,757
bird offered its gentle
call to the darkness.

64
00:03:25,840 --> 00:03:28,077
But beneath and around all these sounds

65
00:03:28,160 --> 00:03:31,517
was something else. A vast welcoming

66
00:03:31,600 --> 00:03:33,517
silence that wasn't the absence of

67
00:03:33,600 --> 00:03:36,077
sound, but rather the spacious awareness

68
00:03:36,160 --> 00:03:40,157
in which all sounds arose and faded. The

69
00:03:40,240 --> 00:03:43,597
trickling water didn't
disturb this silence.

70
00:03:43,680 --> 00:03:46,797
The wind didn't break it. Even his own

71
00:03:46,880 --> 00:03:49,197
breathing seemed to rest within it

72
00:03:49,280 --> 00:03:51,757
rather than interrupt it.

73
00:03:51,840 --> 00:03:54,877
For the first time in months, Kogan felt

74
00:03:54,960 --> 00:03:57,917
his shoulders drop. His breathing

75
00:03:58,000 --> 00:04:00,637
deepened without effort.

76
00:04:00,720 --> 00:04:03,197
The tight knot of anxiety in his chest

77
00:04:03,280 --> 00:04:06,717
began to soften and release. He sat in

78
00:04:06,800 --> 00:04:09,357
the garden for hours that night, not

79
00:04:09,440 --> 00:04:12,157
meditating in any formal sense, but

80
00:04:12,240 --> 00:04:16,397
simply resting in the discovery that
silence was not something he needed to

81
00:04:16,480 --> 00:04:17,917
create.

82
00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:20,637
It was already there, always there,

83
00:04:20,720 --> 00:04:23,837
waiting patiently for him to notice.

84
00:04:23,920 --> 00:04:26,317
From that night forward, Kogan's

85
00:04:26,400 --> 00:04:28,717
practice transformed.

86
00:04:28,800 --> 00:04:31,437
When thoughts arose during meditation,

87
00:04:31,520 --> 00:04:35,037
he no longer fought them. Instead, he

88
00:04:35,120 --> 00:04:36,877
listened for the silence in which they

89
00:04:36,960 --> 00:04:40,557
appeared. When anxiety visited his mind,

90
00:04:40,640 --> 00:04:42,397
he welcomed it into the vast

91
00:04:42,480 --> 00:04:44,317
spaciousness he had discovered beneath

92
00:04:44,400 --> 00:04:47,997
the pine tree. His sleep became deep and

93
00:04:48,080 --> 00:04:52,557
natural, arising from the same trust
in stillness that had found him in the

94
00:04:52,640 --> 00:04:54,637
moonlit garden.

95
00:04:54,720 --> 00:04:59,597
Years later, when students came to him
with their own struggles to find peace,

96
00:04:59,680 --> 00:05:01,517
Kogan would take them to that same

97
00:05:01,600 --> 00:05:03,677
garden bench.

98
00:05:03,760 --> 00:05:07,197
Listen, he would say simply,

99
00:05:07,280 --> 00:05:09,837
not to the sounds, but to what holds the

100
00:05:09,920 --> 00:05:13,117
sounds. Not to your thoughts, but to

101
00:05:13,200 --> 00:05:17,517
what observes the thinking. Rest there.

102
00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:20,157
Like Kogan, you can discover that the

103
00:05:20,240 --> 00:05:22,397
peace you seek is not something you must

104
00:05:22,480 --> 00:05:25,917
earn through perfect effort. It's not a

105
00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:28,477
reward for having the right thoughts or

106
00:05:28,560 --> 00:05:31,437
the most disciplined practice.

107
00:05:31,520 --> 00:05:34,397
Peace is your natural state, the ground

108
00:05:34,480 --> 00:05:36,557
of being that remains constant beneath

109
00:05:36,640 --> 00:05:39,757
all the activity of daily life.

110
00:05:39,840 --> 00:05:42,477
Right now, as you listen to these words,

111
00:05:42,560 --> 00:05:45,997
that same silence is available to you.

112
00:05:46,080 --> 00:05:47,917
You don't need to go to a mountain

113
00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:51,677
monastery or sit in a special garden.

114
00:05:51,760 --> 00:05:54,077
The spacious awareness that holds all

115
00:05:54,160 --> 00:05:57,677
experience is here with you now, closer

116
00:05:57,760 --> 00:06:02,397
than your next breath.
Notice how your body naturally knows how

117
00:06:02,480 --> 00:06:06,397
to rest when you stop
insisting that it stay alert.

118
00:06:06,480 --> 00:06:09,357
Notice how your breath deepens and slows

119
00:06:09,440 --> 00:06:12,397
when you're not trying to control it.

120
00:06:12,480 --> 00:06:15,597
This innate wisdom of relaxation is

121
00:06:15,680 --> 00:06:17,757
always available.

122
00:06:17,840 --> 00:06:21,117
You need only stop working against it.

123
00:06:21,200 --> 00:06:24,797
There was once a tea master renowned
throughout his province for the perfect

124
00:06:24,880 --> 00:06:27,997
ceremonies he conducted. Students

125
00:06:28,080 --> 00:06:30,397
traveled from distant cities to learn

126
00:06:30,480 --> 00:06:33,277
from him, impressed by his graceful

127
00:06:33,360 --> 00:06:36,477
movements, his precise timing, his

128
00:06:36,560 --> 00:06:39,117
seemingly effortless mastery of every

129
00:06:39,200 --> 00:06:41,197
detail.

130
00:06:41,280 --> 00:06:43,997
One day, a visitor noticed that before

131
00:06:44,080 --> 00:06:48,557
each ceremony, the master would sit
quietly with an empty teacup in his

132
00:06:48,640 --> 00:06:52,157
hands. He would hold
it for several minutes,

133
00:06:52,240 --> 00:06:54,877
sometimes closing his eyes, sometimes

134
00:06:54,960 --> 00:06:57,757
gazing into its hollow interior.

135
00:06:57,840 --> 00:07:00,637
Curious, the visitor finally asked about

136
00:07:00,720 --> 00:07:03,597
this unusual practice.

137
00:07:03,680 --> 00:07:06,157
The master smiled and handed the visitor

138
00:07:06,240 --> 00:07:10,317
the empty cup. "What do you see?" he

139
00:07:10,400 --> 00:07:14,957
asked. "Nothing," the visitor replied.

140
00:07:15,040 --> 00:07:17,197
"It's empty."

141
00:07:17,280 --> 00:07:19,997
Exactly, said the master.

142
00:07:20,080 --> 00:07:22,157
And because it's empty, it can receive

143
00:07:22,240 --> 00:07:25,917
the tea. If it were already full, even

144
00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:28,157
with the most precious liquid, it could

145
00:07:28,240 --> 00:07:31,837
hold nothing new. Each day I sit with

146
00:07:31,920 --> 00:07:34,317
this empty cup to remember the great

147
00:07:34,400 --> 00:07:39,197
teaching it offers. What teaching is that?

148
00:07:39,280 --> 00:07:41,277
Asked the visitor.

149
00:07:41,360 --> 00:07:45,677
That emptiness is not lack but capacity.

150
00:07:45,760 --> 00:07:49,997
That stillness is not
absence but potential.

151
00:07:50,080 --> 00:07:52,237
Before I can serve tea with presence and

152
00:07:52,320 --> 00:07:55,037
grace, I must first empty myself of the

153
00:07:55,120 --> 00:07:57,277
day's accumulations.

154
00:07:57,360 --> 00:07:59,677
The worries I've collected, the plans

155
00:07:59,760 --> 00:08:02,157
I've been carrying, the tensions I've

156
00:08:02,240 --> 00:08:06,957
gathered without noticing.
The master paused, cradling the cup

157
00:08:07,040 --> 00:08:11,197
gently. This empty vessel
teaches me that rest

158
00:08:11,280 --> 00:08:13,917
is not earned through exhaustion, but

159
00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:16,957
discovered through letting go. When I

160
00:08:17,040 --> 00:08:21,197
empty myself like this cup, I can be
filled with the peace that was always

161
00:08:21,280 --> 00:08:23,357
there, waiting.

162
00:08:23,440 --> 00:08:25,837
That night, the master's sleep was

163
00:08:25,920 --> 00:08:28,717
particularly deep. He had learned to

164
00:08:28,800 --> 00:08:30,957
approach rest the same way he approached

165
00:08:31,040 --> 00:08:33,197
the tea ceremony.

166
00:08:33,280 --> 00:08:36,557
First the gentle emptying,

167
00:08:36,640 --> 00:08:39,837
then the receptive waiting.

168
00:08:39,920 --> 00:08:44,317
Finally, the natural
filling with what was needed.

169
00:08:44,400 --> 00:08:46,317
You can practice this wisdom of the

170
00:08:46,400 --> 00:08:49,437
empty cup as you prepare for sleep.

171
00:08:49,520 --> 00:08:51,357
Notice what you've been carrying from

172
00:08:51,440 --> 00:08:54,637
the day. Not to judge these accumulated

173
00:08:54,720 --> 00:08:58,957
tensions, but simply to observe them
with the gentle attention of the tea

174
00:08:59,040 --> 00:09:02,317
master. Perhaps you're holding worry about

175
00:09:02,400 --> 00:09:05,117
tomorrow's responsibilities.

176
00:09:05,200 --> 00:09:09,917
See if you can set this concern down
for now, like placing a heavy bag beside

177
00:09:10,000 --> 00:09:13,437
your bed. It will be
there in the morning if you

178
00:09:13,520 --> 00:09:15,597
need it, but it doesn't need to sleep

179
00:09:15,680 --> 00:09:19,197
with you. Maybe you're carrying replayed

180
00:09:19,280 --> 00:09:21,997
conversations, moments you wish had gone

181
00:09:22,080 --> 00:09:24,797
differently, words you wished you'd said

182
00:09:24,880 --> 00:09:27,197
or hadn't said.

183
00:09:27,280 --> 00:09:30,157
These too can be set aside

184
00:09:30,240 --> 00:09:32,557
like autumn leaves that naturally fall

185
00:09:32,640 --> 00:09:35,517
from the tree. Yesterday's interactions

186
00:09:35,600 --> 00:09:37,677
can be released into the past where they

187
00:09:37,760 --> 00:09:40,717
belong. Your body may be holding the

188
00:09:40,800 --> 00:09:43,837
day's tensions as well. Your neck

189
00:09:43,920 --> 00:09:46,957
carrying the weight of concentration.

190
00:09:47,040 --> 00:09:51,197
Your shoulders bearing
the load of responsibility.

191
00:09:51,280 --> 00:09:53,517
Your jaw clenched from careful attention

192
00:09:53,600 --> 00:09:56,637
to tasks and conversations.

193
00:09:56,720 --> 00:09:58,957
Each part can be invited to release its

194
00:09:59,040 --> 00:10:02,077
careful holding to remember that this is

195
00:10:02,160 --> 00:10:04,397
the time for softening.

196
00:10:04,480 --> 00:10:06,317
Take a moment now to notice your

197
00:10:06,400 --> 00:10:09,757
breathing. Not to change it, but simply

198
00:10:09,840 --> 00:10:12,077
to observe how it's doing its patient

199
00:10:12,160 --> 00:10:15,597
work without any effort from you. Your

200
00:10:15,680 --> 00:10:19,757
next inhale arrives without
your planning or forcing.

201
00:10:19,840 --> 00:10:23,677
Your exhale releases without your control.

202
00:10:23,760 --> 00:10:25,917
This natural rhythm has been sustaining

203
00:10:26,000 --> 00:10:28,717
you all day and it will carry you gently

204
00:10:28,800 --> 00:10:32,397
into sleep. With each breath, you can

205
00:10:32,480 --> 00:10:35,757
practice the wisdom of the empty cup.

206
00:10:35,840 --> 00:10:39,997
Breathing in, you receive
whatever this moment offers.

207
00:10:40,080 --> 00:10:42,637
Breathing out, you release whatever is

208
00:10:42,720 --> 00:10:46,797
ready to go. Inhaling rest. Exhaling

209
00:10:46,880 --> 00:10:51,117
effort. Inhaling peace. Exhaling the day's

210
00:10:51,200 --> 00:10:53,117
accumulations.

211
00:10:53,200 --> 00:10:55,677
The breath knows how to slow itself as

212
00:10:55,760 --> 00:10:58,797
your body prepares for sleep. It knows

213
00:10:58,880 --> 00:11:01,357
how to deepen and soften without any

214
00:11:01,440 --> 00:11:04,637
guidance from your thinking mind. Trust

215
00:11:04,720 --> 00:11:07,357
this ancient wisdom that has carried

216
00:11:07,440 --> 00:11:11,037
every generation into rest. Your breath

217
00:11:11,120 --> 00:11:14,477
is an old friend that knows the way home.

218
00:11:14,560 --> 00:11:16,317
There's a beautiful practice in the Zen

219
00:11:16,400 --> 00:11:19,517
tradition called just sitting.

220
00:11:19,600 --> 00:11:23,997
It's remarkably simple, almost
disappointingly so to those who expect

221
00:11:24,080 --> 00:11:27,677
spiritual practice to be
complex and effortful.

222
00:11:27,760 --> 00:11:30,077
Just sitting means exactly what it

223
00:11:30,160 --> 00:11:33,357
sounds like. Sitting with what is

224
00:11:33,440 --> 00:11:35,837
without trying to improve or change or

225
00:11:35,920 --> 00:11:39,677
fix anything. As you rest now, you can

226
00:11:39,760 --> 00:11:42,557
practice just lying.

227
00:11:42,640 --> 00:11:45,437
Lying with what is present.

228
00:11:45,520 --> 00:11:47,517
Lying with whatever sounds reach your

229
00:11:47,600 --> 00:11:50,557
ears from the world around you. Lying

230
00:11:50,640 --> 00:11:52,637
with whatever thoughts move through your

231
00:11:52,720 --> 00:11:56,397
mind like clouds across the sky.

232
00:11:56,480 --> 00:11:59,197
Lying with whatever sensations arise in

233
00:11:59,280 --> 00:12:03,037
your body as it settles into rest.

234
00:12:03,120 --> 00:12:05,517
This isn't passive resignation but

235
00:12:05,600 --> 00:12:07,997
active receptivity.

236
00:12:08,080 --> 00:12:12,717
like rich soil that doesn't force
plants to grow, but provides the perfect

237
00:12:12,800 --> 00:12:16,157
conditions for growth to happen naturally.

238
00:12:16,240 --> 00:12:18,317
You're creating the conditions for sleep

239
00:12:18,400 --> 00:12:23,357
to arise organically from your
willingness to be present with this

240
00:12:23,440 --> 00:12:24,957
moment.

241
00:12:25,040 --> 00:12:26,957
Notice how your thinking mind may want

242
00:12:27,040 --> 00:12:30,637
to solve problems or plan for tomorrow.

243
00:12:30,720 --> 00:12:33,277
This is its job during the day and it

244
00:12:33,360 --> 00:12:37,677
performs this function
beautifully when action is needed.

245
00:12:37,760 --> 00:12:41,677
But now is the time for a
different kind of intelligence.

246
00:12:41,760 --> 00:12:43,757
The wisdom of the body that knows how to

247
00:12:43,840 --> 00:12:46,957
heal during sleep. The wisdom of the

248
00:12:47,040 --> 00:12:51,037
heart that processes
the day's emotions in dreams.

249
00:12:51,120 --> 00:12:53,117
The wisdom of the spirit that connects

250
00:12:53,200 --> 00:12:56,957
to something larger than daily concerns.

251
00:12:57,040 --> 00:12:59,197
You can thank your thinking mind for its

252
00:12:59,280 --> 00:13:02,157
service today like a faithful employee

253
00:13:02,240 --> 00:13:06,717
who has worked diligently
and now deserves rest.

254
00:13:06,800 --> 00:13:08,637
Thank you for helping me navigate the

255
00:13:08,720 --> 00:13:10,797
day's challenges.

256
00:13:10,880 --> 00:13:14,237
You can rest now. Other kinds of wisdom

257
00:13:14,320 --> 00:13:16,237
will take care of what needs attention

258
00:13:16,320 --> 00:13:19,837
while you sleep. In ancient monasteries,

259
00:13:19,920 --> 00:13:22,637
the evening meditation was often called

260
00:13:22,720 --> 00:13:26,957
the great letting go.
Monks would sit in the gathering

261
00:13:27,040 --> 00:13:29,437
darkness, releasing not only the day's

262
00:13:29,520 --> 00:13:32,157
activities, but also the sense of being

263
00:13:32,240 --> 00:13:34,797
a separate someone who needed to manage

264
00:13:34,880 --> 00:13:37,837
and control life's unfolding.

265
00:13:37,920 --> 00:13:39,917
You can participate in this ancient

266
00:13:40,000 --> 00:13:42,957
practice from wherever you are. Letting

267
00:13:43,040 --> 00:13:45,037
go not just of today's specific

268
00:13:45,120 --> 00:13:47,917
concerns, but of the more fundamental

269
00:13:48,000 --> 00:13:50,317
effort to be someone other than who you

270
00:13:50,400 --> 00:13:52,957
are. releasing the project of

271
00:13:53,040 --> 00:13:55,837
improvement, the burden of becoming, the

272
00:13:55,920 --> 00:14:00,317
weight of trying to earn your worth
through achievement or goodness.

273
00:14:00,400 --> 00:14:02,557
For these hours of sleep, you can rest

274
00:14:02,640 --> 00:14:05,357
from being anyone in particular.

275
00:14:05,440 --> 00:14:08,077
Rest from having problems to solve or

276
00:14:08,160 --> 00:14:11,757
goals to reach. Rest from the sometimes

277
00:14:11,840 --> 00:14:16,317
exhausting work of being a person
moving through the world with purpose and

278
00:14:16,400 --> 00:14:19,997
direction. This doesn't
mean becoming unconscious

279
00:14:20,080 --> 00:14:23,997
or absent. It means relaxing into the vast

280
00:14:24,080 --> 00:14:26,157
awareness that doesn't need to prove

281
00:14:26,240 --> 00:14:28,797
itself or accomplish anything to be

282
00:14:28,880 --> 00:14:31,677
complete. The awareness that was here

283
00:14:31,760 --> 00:14:34,317
before you had a name or a story and

284
00:14:34,400 --> 00:14:36,717
will remain when all the details of your

285
00:14:36,800 --> 00:14:39,517
personal life have been forgotten.

286
00:14:39,600 --> 00:14:43,677
Like a drop of water returning
to the ocean, you can let your individual

287
00:14:43,760 --> 00:14:46,077
concerns dissolve into the boundless

288
00:14:46,160 --> 00:14:50,237
peace that holds all of life. Not losing

289
00:14:50,320 --> 00:14:52,957
yourself, but discovering the larger

290
00:14:53,040 --> 00:14:55,357
self that was never troubled by the

291
00:14:55,440 --> 00:14:57,917
day's ups and downs.

292
00:14:58,000 --> 00:14:59,997
The moon doesn't worry about tomorrow's

293
00:15:00,080 --> 00:15:03,117
schedule. The stars don't lose sleep

294
00:15:03,200 --> 00:15:05,597
over unfinished tasks.

295
00:15:05,680 --> 00:15:10,557
The mountain rests in profound stillness
while weather patterns move across its

296
00:15:10,640 --> 00:15:14,477
face. You can join
this ancient community of

297
00:15:14,560 --> 00:15:19,357
beings that know how to be present
without effort, how to exist without

298
00:15:19,440 --> 00:15:21,037
struggling.

299
00:15:21,120 --> 00:15:23,117
Feel how your body naturally grows

300
00:15:23,200 --> 00:15:26,477
heavier as it prepares for sleep. This

301
00:15:26,560 --> 00:15:29,117
is not the heaviness of burden, but the

302
00:15:29,200 --> 00:15:31,917
weight of deep relaxation.

303
00:15:32,000 --> 00:15:33,997
Like a cat that settles completely into

304
00:15:34,080 --> 00:15:37,117
its chosen spot, holding nothing back,

305
00:15:37,200 --> 00:15:40,237
resisting nothing, your body knows this

306
00:15:40,320 --> 00:15:42,877
wisdom of complete settling.

307
00:15:42,960 --> 00:15:47,357
Your breath continues its patient rhythm,
requiring no attention from your

308
00:15:47,440 --> 00:15:52,237
conscious mind. Your heart
beats steadily, pumping life

309
00:15:52,320 --> 00:15:55,357
through your body without your management.

310
00:15:55,440 --> 00:15:57,517
Countless processes of healing and

311
00:15:57,600 --> 00:15:59,917
restoration will begin the moment you

312
00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:03,037
fall asleep, guided by intelligence far

313
00:16:03,120 --> 00:16:07,757
older and wiser than any worry or plan.

314
00:16:07,840 --> 00:16:09,757
This is the great teaching that Kogan

315
00:16:09,840 --> 00:16:12,797
discovered in the moonlit garden. That

316
00:16:12,880 --> 00:16:15,037
peace is not the result of getting your

317
00:16:15,120 --> 00:16:17,917
life perfectly arranged or your mind

318
00:16:18,000 --> 00:16:22,157
completely quiet.
Peace is the background against which

319
00:16:22,240 --> 00:16:26,237
all of life's activities
arise and pass away.

320
00:16:26,320 --> 00:16:30,957
It's always here, always available,
always waiting patiently for your

321
00:16:31,040 --> 00:16:35,277
return. Tonight, as you settle into sleep,

322
00:16:35,360 --> 00:16:37,197
you're not just resting your body and

323
00:16:37,280 --> 00:16:40,317
mind. You're participating in the

324
00:16:40,400 --> 00:16:43,437
fundamental rhythm of existence.

325
00:16:43,520 --> 00:16:46,077
The dance between activity and rest,

326
00:16:46,160 --> 00:16:50,797
engagement and release, doing and being
that keeps the whole universe in

327
00:16:50,880 --> 00:16:54,557
balance. Rest well,
knowing that this time of

328
00:16:54,640 --> 00:16:56,717
letting go serves not only your own

329
00:16:56,800 --> 00:17:01,677
restoration, but the healing of the world.
When you wait tomorrow, you'll

330
00:17:01,760 --> 00:17:05,917
carry something of this peace
back into your daily activities.

331
00:17:06,000 --> 00:17:10,717
Like a spring that's been allowed to
refill, you'll have something genuine to

332
00:17:10,800 --> 00:17:14,557
offer from the overflow
of your own well-being.

333
00:17:14,640 --> 00:17:16,717
For now, there's nothing to do but

334
00:17:16,800 --> 00:17:19,677
receive the gift of this moment.

335
00:17:19,760 --> 00:17:21,997
Nothing to accomplish but the sweet

336
00:17:22,080 --> 00:17:25,597
surrender to sleep's ancient call.

337
00:17:25,680 --> 00:17:27,597
Nothing to become but more fully

338
00:17:27,680 --> 00:17:30,877
yourself, rested and restored and ready

339
00:17:30,960 --> 00:17:33,997
for whatever tomorrow may bring.

340
00:17:34,080 --> 00:17:36,397
Let the silence that Kogan discovered in

341
00:17:36,480 --> 00:17:39,197
the garden hold you now. Let the

342
00:17:39,280 --> 00:17:44,077
emptiness of the tea master's cup
create space for deep rest to fill you

343
00:17:44,160 --> 00:17:48,077
completely. Let your breath
carry you gently toward

344
00:17:48,160 --> 00:17:52,397
the shore of sleep where all the day's
travelers eventually find their way

345
00:17:52,480 --> 00:17:53,917
home.

346
00:17:54,000 --> 00:17:56,797
Every mind is like a garden tended by

347
00:17:56,880 --> 00:17:59,997
the constant activity of attention.

348
00:18:00,080 --> 00:18:04,797
Throughout the day, we plant seeds
of thought, water them with our focus, and

349
00:18:04,880 --> 00:18:08,477
harvest the fruits
of our mental cultivation.

350
00:18:08,560 --> 00:18:12,797
Some days, the garden
feels wild and overgrown.

351
00:18:12,880 --> 00:18:16,637
Other days, it appears
sparse and neglected.

352
00:18:16,720 --> 00:18:19,037
Tonight, we learn the art of tending

353
00:18:19,120 --> 00:18:21,757
this inner space with the wisdom of

354
00:18:21,840 --> 00:18:24,717
someone who knows that all gardens have

355
00:18:24,800 --> 00:18:26,877
their seasons.

356
00:18:26,960 --> 00:18:29,677
There lived in ancient China a man named

357
00:18:29,760 --> 00:18:32,557
Wei who inherited a small plot of land

358
00:18:32,640 --> 00:18:35,997
on the outskirts of a busy trading town.

359
00:18:36,080 --> 00:18:39,197
The soil was poor, rocky, and seemed

360
00:18:39,280 --> 00:18:41,437
unsuitable for growing anything of

361
00:18:41,520 --> 00:18:44,637
value. Weii's neighbors used their

362
00:18:44,720 --> 00:18:49,197
better land for practical crops that
would feed their families and provide

363
00:18:49,280 --> 00:18:52,477
income. They thought Wei foolish when he

364
00:18:52,560 --> 00:18:54,237
announced his intention to create a

365
00:18:54,320 --> 00:18:57,517
garden for beauty rather than profit.

366
00:18:57,600 --> 00:18:59,757
But Wei had a secret that his neighbors

367
00:18:59,840 --> 00:19:03,197
didn't know. For years, he had been

368
00:19:03,280 --> 00:19:05,517
troubled by an anxious mind that worried

369
00:19:05,600 --> 00:19:07,597
constantly about things beyond his

370
00:19:07,680 --> 00:19:10,877
control. His sleep was restless,

371
00:19:10,960 --> 00:19:13,117
disturbed by endless mental rehearsals

372
00:19:13,200 --> 00:19:16,237
of potential problems. His days were

373
00:19:16,320 --> 00:19:18,797
shadowed by a persistent unease that

374
00:19:18,880 --> 00:19:21,677
seemed to have no clear source.

375
00:19:21,760 --> 00:19:24,717
Traditional remedies and wise counselors

376
00:19:24,800 --> 00:19:27,437
had provided little relief.

377
00:19:27,520 --> 00:19:31,997
One morning, feeling particularly
overwhelmed by his churning thoughts,

378
00:19:32,080 --> 00:19:34,157
Weii walked out to his rocky plot of

379
00:19:34,240 --> 00:19:37,677
land. As he stood there surrounded by

380
00:19:37,760 --> 00:19:40,557
weeds and stones, a strange idea

381
00:19:40,640 --> 00:19:43,357
occurred to him. What if he treated his

382
00:19:43,440 --> 00:19:47,117
worries like seeds in a garden? What if

383
00:19:47,200 --> 00:19:51,757
instead of fighting them or trying
to eliminate them, he learned to tend them

384
00:19:51,840 --> 00:19:56,237
with the same patience a gardener
brings to difficult soil?

385
00:19:56,320 --> 00:20:00,557
Weii began to visit his plot each
morning, not to plant conventional

386
00:20:00,640 --> 00:20:03,117
crops, but to observe which worries had

387
00:20:03,200 --> 00:20:05,917
sprouted overnight in his mind.

388
00:20:06,000 --> 00:20:08,957
He would identify each concern, name it

389
00:20:09,040 --> 00:20:11,517
quietly to himself, and then imagine

390
00:20:11,600 --> 00:20:15,997
placing it in a specific
section of his future garden.

391
00:20:16,080 --> 00:20:18,237
The worry about his aging parents went

392
00:20:18,320 --> 00:20:20,477
near the eastern edge where the morning

393
00:20:20,560 --> 00:20:23,197
sun would touch it first.

394
00:20:23,280 --> 00:20:26,237
His anxiety about financial security

395
00:20:26,320 --> 00:20:28,557
found a place in the center where he

396
00:20:28,640 --> 00:20:32,397
could keep a careful eye on it. His fear

397
00:20:32,480 --> 00:20:36,557
of being alone was planted near
the western border where it could receive

398
00:20:36,640 --> 00:20:39,357
the gentle light of evening.

399
00:20:39,440 --> 00:20:41,837
At first, this practice seemed to make

400
00:20:41,920 --> 00:20:47,037
little difference. The worries were
still there, perhaps even more visible

401
00:20:47,120 --> 00:20:50,877
now that he was paying them
such deliberate attention.

402
00:20:50,960 --> 00:20:53,437
But as weeks passed, Wei noticed

403
00:20:53,520 --> 00:20:58,077
something unexpected.
By giving each worry a place in his

404
00:20:58,160 --> 00:21:00,157
mental garden, he was no longer

405
00:21:00,240 --> 00:21:02,157
surprised or overwhelmed when they

406
00:21:02,240 --> 00:21:05,117
appeared. They were simply part of the

407
00:21:05,200 --> 00:21:08,237
landscape he tended each morning.

408
00:21:08,320 --> 00:21:10,717
Gradually, Weii began to notice which

409
00:21:10,800 --> 00:21:13,277
worries were like perennial plants,

410
00:21:13,360 --> 00:21:17,917
returning each season
with predictable reliability.

411
00:21:18,000 --> 00:21:20,077
His concern for his parents' health was

412
00:21:20,160 --> 00:21:22,637
one of these, rooted in love and

413
00:21:22,720 --> 00:21:25,677
naturally arising as they aged.

414
00:21:25,760 --> 00:21:30,557
Other worries were more like weeds
spreading quickly but having shallow

415
00:21:30,640 --> 00:21:34,237
roots. His anxiety about
what neighbors thought

416
00:21:34,320 --> 00:21:36,557
of his garden, for instance, seemed to

417
00:21:36,640 --> 00:21:38,237
grow mainly when he wasn't paying

418
00:21:38,320 --> 00:21:41,357
attention to more important concerns.

419
00:21:41,440 --> 00:21:44,637
As months turned to years, Wayi's inner

420
00:21:44,720 --> 00:21:47,437
garden began to transform.

421
00:21:47,520 --> 00:21:50,157
He learned that some worries when given

422
00:21:50,240 --> 00:21:52,717
appropriate attention actually bore

423
00:21:52,800 --> 00:21:56,717
useful fruit. His concern about finances

424
00:21:56,800 --> 00:21:59,437
motivated him to learn new skills and

425
00:21:59,520 --> 00:22:03,837
make wise decisions. His care
for his parents deepened their

426
00:22:03,920 --> 00:22:05,917
relationship and helped him cherish

427
00:22:06,000 --> 00:22:08,397
their remaining time together.

428
00:22:08,480 --> 00:22:11,437
Even his fear of loneliness, when tended

429
00:22:11,520 --> 00:22:14,637
with compassion rather than resistance,

430
00:22:14,720 --> 00:22:19,037
opened his heart to friendships
he might otherwise have missed.

431
00:22:19,120 --> 00:22:23,357
But perhaps most remarkably,
we discovered that the simple act of

432
00:22:23,440 --> 00:22:27,997
tending his mental garden each morning
brought a quality of peace he had never

433
00:22:28,080 --> 00:22:32,557
known before. Not because
all the worries disappeared,

434
00:22:32,640 --> 00:22:37,677
but because he was no longer fighting
against the nature of his mind. He had

435
00:22:37,760 --> 00:22:39,357
learned to work with its natural

436
00:22:39,440 --> 00:22:42,957
tendency to generate concerns, creating

437
00:22:43,040 --> 00:22:45,277
space for them while not allowing them

438
00:22:45,360 --> 00:22:48,957
to overtake the entire landscape.

439
00:22:49,040 --> 00:22:51,117
The physical garden that we created on

440
00:22:51,200 --> 00:22:53,357
his rocky plot became famous throughout

441
00:22:53,440 --> 00:22:56,477
the region. Visitors came from distant

442
00:22:56,560 --> 00:22:58,717
cities to see how he had transformed

443
00:22:58,800 --> 00:23:01,117
poor soil into a place of extraordinary

444
00:23:01,200 --> 00:23:04,077
beauty. But Weey knew that the outer

445
00:23:04,160 --> 00:23:06,077
garden was simply a reflection of the

446
00:23:06,160 --> 00:23:09,197
inner cultivation he had learned.

447
00:23:09,280 --> 00:23:11,197
The true teaching was in the patient

448
00:23:11,280 --> 00:23:13,517
tending of whatever arose in the soil of

449
00:23:13,600 --> 00:23:16,397
awareness, whether flowers or weeds,

450
00:23:16,480 --> 00:23:19,517
with equal care and attention.

451
00:23:19,600 --> 00:23:23,517
Years later, when troubled visitors
sought his advice about their own

452
00:23:23,600 --> 00:23:25,997
anxious minds, Weii would take them to

453
00:23:26,080 --> 00:23:30,957
his garden at sunset.
See how this plot contains both flowers

454
00:23:31,040 --> 00:23:32,797
and weeds.

455
00:23:32,880 --> 00:23:36,077
He would say the secret is not to

456
00:23:36,160 --> 00:23:40,877
eliminate what you consider undesirable
but to create harmony in the whole

457
00:23:40,960 --> 00:23:45,597
space. Some thoughts
like some plants serve

458
00:23:45,680 --> 00:23:49,437
purposes we don't immediately understand.

459
00:23:49,520 --> 00:23:52,157
Our job is not to judge but to tend with

460
00:23:52,240 --> 00:23:56,477
wisdom. like way you
can bring this gardener's

461
00:23:56,560 --> 00:23:58,957
patience to the landscape of your mind

462
00:23:59,040 --> 00:24:04,237
as you prepare for sleep. Notice what
has sprouted in your mental garden

463
00:24:04,320 --> 00:24:07,357
today. Perhaps there are worries about

464
00:24:07,440 --> 00:24:11,997
tomorrow's responsibilities growing
like eager seedlings reaching toward an

465
00:24:12,080 --> 00:24:14,237
uncertain future.

466
00:24:14,320 --> 00:24:16,237
Maybe there are regrets about today's

467
00:24:16,320 --> 00:24:19,037
interactions lying like fallen leaves

468
00:24:19,120 --> 00:24:22,637
that need gentle composting into wisdom.

469
00:24:22,720 --> 00:24:24,877
You don't need to eliminate these mental

470
00:24:24,960 --> 00:24:27,437
plants to find peace.

471
00:24:27,520 --> 00:24:29,757
Instead, you can tend them with the same

472
00:24:29,840 --> 00:24:31,997
patient attention that we brought to his

473
00:24:32,080 --> 00:24:37,197
rocky soil. Give each
concern its proper place.

474
00:24:37,280 --> 00:24:38,957
Notice which thoughts are perennial

475
00:24:39,040 --> 00:24:41,117
visitors that arise naturally from

476
00:24:41,200 --> 00:24:44,237
caring about your life. Observe which

477
00:24:44,320 --> 00:24:47,037
are more like weeds, spreading quickly

478
00:24:47,120 --> 00:24:50,717
but lacking deep roots in reality.

479
00:24:50,800 --> 00:24:55,037
This tending doesn't
require effort or struggle.

480
00:24:55,120 --> 00:24:57,117
Like a gardener working in the cool of

481
00:24:57,200 --> 00:24:59,117
evening, you can move through your

482
00:24:59,200 --> 00:25:02,557
mental landscape with gentle attention,

483
00:25:02,640 --> 00:25:06,477
acknowledging what's there,
offering whatever care is needed, and then

484
00:25:06,560 --> 00:25:08,637
allowing the natural rhythms of rest to

485
00:25:08,720 --> 00:25:12,317
do their healing work. Your body too is

486
00:25:12,400 --> 00:25:16,557
part of this garden that
benefits from gentle tending.

487
00:25:16,640 --> 00:25:20,717
Notice where physical tension has
accumulated like tight buds that need to

488
00:25:20,800 --> 00:25:25,997
open. Your shoulders may be holding
stress like a plant holding water during

489
00:25:26,080 --> 00:25:29,917
drought. Your jaw might
be clenched like a flower

490
00:25:30,000 --> 00:25:32,637
closed against harsh sunlight.

491
00:25:32,720 --> 00:25:35,197
Each area of tension can be met with the

492
00:25:35,280 --> 00:25:37,357
same patient attention that we brought

493
00:25:37,440 --> 00:25:39,837
to his difficult soil.

494
00:25:39,920 --> 00:25:42,477
Breathe into these places of holding,

495
00:25:42,560 --> 00:25:45,197
not to force them to release, but to

496
00:25:45,280 --> 00:25:48,157
offer the nourishment of attention.

497
00:25:48,240 --> 00:25:52,557
Like sunlight and water reaching a plant,
your gentle awareness can provide

498
00:25:52,640 --> 00:25:56,477
what these tense areas
need to soften naturally.

499
00:25:56,560 --> 00:25:58,637
Your body knows how to let go when it

500
00:25:58,720 --> 00:26:01,277
feels safe and supported.

501
00:26:01,360 --> 00:26:03,917
There was a village calledu

502
00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:07,117
situated beside a lake so still that it

503
00:26:07,200 --> 00:26:11,677
perfectly reflected
the surrounding mountains and sky.

504
00:26:11,760 --> 00:26:13,917
The villagers took great pride in their

505
00:26:14,000 --> 00:26:16,397
lake, considering it one of the natural

506
00:26:16,480 --> 00:26:19,837
wonders of their region. Visitors would

507
00:26:19,920 --> 00:26:24,317
come from far away just to witness the
extraordinary clarity of its mirror-like

508
00:26:24,400 --> 00:26:25,837
surface.

509
00:26:25,920 --> 00:26:28,637
Butu had not always been a peaceful

510
00:26:28,720 --> 00:26:32,317
place. In earlier times, the village had

511
00:26:32,400 --> 00:26:35,437
been troubled by constant conflicts.

512
00:26:35,520 --> 00:26:37,277
Neighbors quarreled over property

513
00:26:37,360 --> 00:26:39,037
boundaries.

514
00:26:39,120 --> 00:26:42,637
Merchants argued about fair prices.

515
00:26:42,720 --> 00:26:45,117
Families feuded over old grievances that

516
00:26:45,200 --> 00:26:48,237
no one could quite remember starting.

517
00:26:48,320 --> 00:26:50,797
The lake, they said, was choppy and

518
00:26:50,880 --> 00:26:53,517
unclear in those days. Its surfaced too

519
00:26:53,600 --> 00:26:56,877
disturbed to reflect anything clearly.

520
00:26:56,960 --> 00:26:59,037
The transformation began with an old

521
00:26:59,120 --> 00:27:01,917
woman named Lynn, who had grown tired of

522
00:27:02,000 --> 00:27:05,037
the village's endless discord.

523
00:27:05,120 --> 00:27:07,197
She was not a leader or person of

524
00:27:07,280 --> 00:27:09,757
obvious influence, just someone who had

525
00:27:09,840 --> 00:27:12,397
lived long enough to see the futility of

526
00:27:12,480 --> 00:27:14,637
trying to force peace through argument

527
00:27:14,720 --> 00:27:16,957
and persuasion.

528
00:27:17,040 --> 00:27:19,837
Instead, Lynn began a simple practice

529
00:27:19,920 --> 00:27:22,557
that others noticed and gradually began

530
00:27:22,640 --> 00:27:27,037
to emulate. Each morning
before dawn, Lynn would

531
00:27:27,120 --> 00:27:31,277
walk to the edge of the lake and sit
quietly on a large stone that jutted

532
00:27:31,360 --> 00:27:33,357
into the water.

533
00:27:33,440 --> 00:27:35,917
She would remain there as the sun rose,

534
00:27:36,000 --> 00:27:38,317
not praying or meditating in any formal

535
00:27:38,400 --> 00:27:43,197
sense, but simply resting her
attention on the lake's surface.

536
00:27:43,280 --> 00:27:47,517
She watched how the slightest breeze
would create ripples, how the movement

537
00:27:47,600 --> 00:27:49,837
of a fish would send circles spreading

538
00:27:49,920 --> 00:27:52,717
across the water, how gradually, as the

539
00:27:52,800 --> 00:27:55,277
air grew still, the surface would return

540
00:27:55,360 --> 00:27:57,837
to perfect clarity.

541
00:27:57,920 --> 00:28:00,077
At first, other villagers thought Lynn

542
00:28:00,160 --> 00:28:02,717
was perhaps becoming scenile, sitting by

543
00:28:02,800 --> 00:28:05,517
the lake, talking to herself.

544
00:28:05,600 --> 00:28:10,157
But as they passed by on their way
to morning tasks, some began to notice

545
00:28:10,240 --> 00:28:12,317
something unusual.

546
00:28:12,400 --> 00:28:15,677
The old woman wasn't talking at all. She

547
00:28:15,760 --> 00:28:17,437
was simply sitting in complete

548
00:28:17,520 --> 00:28:20,557
stillness, her attention so peaceful and

549
00:28:20,640 --> 00:28:23,037
steady that it seemed to influence the

550
00:28:23,120 --> 00:28:26,477
very air around her. Curious children

551
00:28:26,560 --> 00:28:31,517
began to join Lynn some mornings drawn
by the unusual quality of silence she

552
00:28:31,600 --> 00:28:34,957
maintained. They would
sit beside her on smaller

553
00:28:35,040 --> 00:28:39,117
stones trying to imitate
her peaceful posture.

554
00:28:39,200 --> 00:28:41,357
Without any instruction, they found

555
00:28:41,440 --> 00:28:43,837
themselves naturally drawn into the same

556
00:28:43,920 --> 00:28:48,397
restful observation.
They watched how their own excited

557
00:28:48,480 --> 00:28:50,797
chatter would create ripples in the lake

558
00:28:50,880 --> 00:28:55,757
surface, while their quiet attention
allowed it to return to mirror-like

559
00:28:55,840 --> 00:29:00,317
clarity. As weeks passed,
more villagers began to

560
00:29:00,400 --> 00:29:02,397
visit the lake during Lynn's morning

561
00:29:02,480 --> 00:29:05,117
sitting. They came not for any

562
00:29:05,200 --> 00:29:07,437
particular teaching, but simply because

563
00:29:07,520 --> 00:29:09,517
the space around the old woman felt

564
00:29:09,600 --> 00:29:12,157
different from the rest of the village.

565
00:29:12,240 --> 00:29:15,037
Less hurried, less conflicted, more

566
00:29:15,120 --> 00:29:19,197
spacious. Sitting there,
watching the lake surface

567
00:29:19,280 --> 00:29:21,997
respond to the subtlest influences. They

568
00:29:22,080 --> 00:29:26,717
began to notice something similar
happening in their own minds.

569
00:29:26,800 --> 00:29:30,797
Just as the lake would ripple when
disturbed and clear when left alone,

570
00:29:30,880 --> 00:29:33,117
their thoughts would agitate when pushed

571
00:29:33,200 --> 00:29:36,157
and settle when given space,

572
00:29:36,240 --> 00:29:40,477
the same arguments that had seemed
so important and urgent in the village

573
00:29:40,560 --> 00:29:42,397
began to feel less compelling in the

574
00:29:42,480 --> 00:29:45,437
presence of the lake's natural peace.

575
00:29:45,520 --> 00:29:50,317
Old grievances started to seem
as insignificant as yesterday's weather

576
00:29:50,400 --> 00:29:54,077
patterns. Gradually, the village began to

577
00:29:54,160 --> 00:29:57,597
transform. Not through
any dramatic interventions

578
00:29:57,680 --> 00:30:02,077
or imposed solutions, but through
the quiet influence of people who had

579
00:30:02,160 --> 00:30:04,477
learned to tend their inner stillness

580
00:30:04,560 --> 00:30:06,637
the way Lynn tended her morning practice

581
00:30:06,720 --> 00:30:10,397
by the lake. Disputes still arose, but

582
00:30:10,480 --> 00:30:14,717
they were handled with less
heat and more patience.

583
00:30:14,800 --> 00:30:18,717
Neighbors began to listen to each
other more carefully, curious about

584
00:30:18,800 --> 00:30:21,597
perspectives different from their own.

585
00:30:21,680 --> 00:30:23,757
The lake itself seemed to respond to

586
00:30:23,840 --> 00:30:26,637
this shift in the village's atmosphere.

587
00:30:26,720 --> 00:30:29,037
Visitors remarked that its surface had

588
00:30:29,120 --> 00:30:31,597
become even more clear and reflective

589
00:30:31,680 --> 00:30:34,157
than in previous years.

590
00:30:34,240 --> 00:30:36,957
Some said this was merely coincidence,

591
00:30:37,040 --> 00:30:40,077
but the villagers knew better. They had

592
00:30:40,160 --> 00:30:42,557
learned that outer peace and inner peace

593
00:30:42,640 --> 00:30:45,277
were not separate phenomena, but aspects

594
00:30:45,360 --> 00:30:48,317
of the same fundamental harmony.

595
00:30:48,400 --> 00:30:50,877
Lynn lived to be very old, continuing

596
00:30:50,960 --> 00:30:53,837
her morning practice by the lake until

597
00:30:53,920 --> 00:30:57,277
her final days. When she died, the

598
00:30:57,360 --> 00:30:59,917
villagers placed a small memorial stone

599
00:31:00,000 --> 00:31:03,357
beside her usual sitting spot. But they

600
00:31:03,440 --> 00:31:05,677
knew that her real legacy was not in any

601
00:31:05,760 --> 00:31:07,517
monument, but in the quality of

602
00:31:07,600 --> 00:31:11,197
attention she had cultivated and shared.

603
00:31:11,280 --> 00:31:13,597
The practice of beginning each day with

604
00:31:13,680 --> 00:31:16,717
stillness had become so woven into the

605
00:31:16,800 --> 00:31:19,517
life of Schweimu that visitors often

606
00:31:19,600 --> 00:31:24,637
remarked on the unusual peacefulness
that seemed to permeate the entire

607
00:31:24,720 --> 00:31:28,877
village. Like the villages
of Shuimu, you can

608
00:31:28,960 --> 00:31:30,877
cultivate this quality of inner

609
00:31:30,960 --> 00:31:33,437
stillness that naturally influences

610
00:31:33,520 --> 00:31:36,797
everything around it. Your mind, like

611
00:31:36,880 --> 00:31:39,197
the lake, has its own capacity for

612
00:31:39,280 --> 00:31:41,917
clarity when not continuously disturbed

613
00:31:42,000 --> 00:31:44,637
by the winds of worry and the storms of

614
00:31:44,720 --> 00:31:49,277
agitation. Right now,
as you rest in the gathering

615
00:31:49,360 --> 00:31:51,597
quiet of evening, you can practice

616
00:31:51,680 --> 00:31:54,157
Lynn's simple wisdom.

617
00:31:54,240 --> 00:31:56,397
Allow your attention to settle like the

618
00:31:56,480 --> 00:31:59,917
lake surface returning to stillness.

619
00:32:00,000 --> 00:32:02,877
Notice how thoughts arise like ripples,

620
00:32:02,960 --> 00:32:07,517
spread for a moment across the surface
of awareness, and then fade back into

621
00:32:07,600 --> 00:32:11,277
clarity. You don't need
to stop thinking any more

622
00:32:11,360 --> 00:32:13,437
than Lynn needed to stop the wind from

623
00:32:13,520 --> 00:32:16,557
occasionally stirring the lake. But you

624
00:32:16,640 --> 00:32:18,797
can learn to rest in the awareness that

625
00:32:18,880 --> 00:32:21,197
observes thinking, the spacious

626
00:32:21,280 --> 00:32:24,077
stillness that remains constant, whether

627
00:32:24,160 --> 00:32:28,317
thoughts are present or absent. Feel how

628
00:32:28,400 --> 00:32:30,957
your breathing naturally slows as you

629
00:32:31,040 --> 00:32:34,717
settle into this like quality of mind.

630
00:32:34,800 --> 00:32:37,357
Each exhale is like a gentle breeze

631
00:32:37,440 --> 00:32:40,237
passing over water, stirring the surface

632
00:32:40,320 --> 00:32:42,557
briefly before allowing it to return to

633
00:32:42,640 --> 00:32:44,957
its natural clarity.

634
00:32:45,040 --> 00:32:47,997
Each inhale brings fresh stillness like

635
00:32:48,080 --> 00:32:50,317
the early morning air that Lynn breathed

636
00:32:50,400 --> 00:32:53,757
beside her beloved lake. Your body can

637
00:32:53,840 --> 00:32:56,797
participate in this settling as well.

638
00:32:56,880 --> 00:32:58,797
like sediment that clouds water

639
00:32:58,880 --> 00:33:01,277
gradually sinking to the bottom allowing

640
00:33:01,360 --> 00:33:04,237
the liquid above to become transparent.

641
00:33:04,320 --> 00:33:08,237
Physical tension can be
allowed to settle downward.

642
00:33:08,320 --> 00:33:10,717
The effort of the day, the holding

643
00:33:10,800 --> 00:33:13,757
patterns of concentration and care can

644
00:33:13,840 --> 00:33:16,317
sink into the earth beneath you, leaving

645
00:33:16,400 --> 00:33:19,677
your awareness clear and spacious.

646
00:33:19,760 --> 00:33:23,837
This is not a practice you
need to master or perfect

647
00:33:23,920 --> 00:33:26,157
like tending a garden or sitting beside

648
00:33:26,240 --> 00:33:28,477
a lake. It's simply a way of being

649
00:33:28,560 --> 00:33:31,357
present with what is allowing natural

650
00:33:31,440 --> 00:33:34,317
processes of settling and clearing to

651
00:33:34,400 --> 00:33:37,117
occur without interference.

652
00:33:37,200 --> 00:33:39,517
The wisdom is already there in your

653
00:33:39,600 --> 00:33:41,837
body's knowledge of how to rest, in your

654
00:33:41,920 --> 00:33:44,317
mind's capacity for stillness, in your

655
00:33:44,400 --> 00:33:48,877
heart's longing for peace. way.
The gardener discovered that

656
00:33:48,960 --> 00:33:52,797
fighting against his worries only
strengthened them, while gentle

657
00:33:52,880 --> 00:33:56,717
attention allowed them to find their
proper place in the landscape of his

658
00:33:56,800 --> 00:34:01,677
mind. Lynn, the lakes sitter, learned
that forcing stillness was impossible,

659
00:34:01,760 --> 00:34:03,677
but creating conditions for natural

660
00:34:03,760 --> 00:34:06,477
settling was always available.

661
00:34:06,560 --> 00:34:08,797
Tonight, you can apply both of these

662
00:34:08,880 --> 00:34:12,477
teachings as you prepare for sleep.

663
00:34:12,560 --> 00:34:14,717
Tend whatever arises in your mental

664
00:34:14,800 --> 00:34:17,757
garden with patient attention.

665
00:34:17,840 --> 00:34:19,997
Allow your inner lake to settle into the

666
00:34:20,080 --> 00:34:23,837
clarity that is its natural state.

667
00:34:23,920 --> 00:34:26,717
Neither fighting nor forcing but simply

668
00:34:26,800 --> 00:34:29,357
creating space for the peace that is

669
00:34:29,440 --> 00:34:31,277
always waiting beneath the surface

670
00:34:31,360 --> 00:34:34,477
activity of daily life.

671
00:34:34,560 --> 00:34:36,957
The garden of your inner world doesn't

672
00:34:37,040 --> 00:34:39,757
need to be perfect to be peaceful.

673
00:34:39,840 --> 00:34:43,117
It simply needs to be tended with care.

674
00:34:43,200 --> 00:34:45,197
The lake of your awareness doesn't need

675
00:34:45,280 --> 00:34:48,717
to be permanently still to be clear. It

676
00:34:48,800 --> 00:34:51,197
simply needs to be allowed its natural

677
00:34:51,280 --> 00:34:54,317
settling. These ancient wisdoms work

678
00:34:54,400 --> 00:34:56,797
together, supporting your body and mind

679
00:34:56,880 --> 00:34:59,117
in their deep need for restoration and

680
00:34:59,200 --> 00:35:02,397
rest. As you continue to settle into

681
00:35:02,480 --> 00:35:04,877
sleep, carry with you the patience of

682
00:35:04,960 --> 00:35:07,197
the gardener and the stillness of the

683
00:35:07,280 --> 00:35:10,317
lake. Trust that the night will do its

684
00:35:10,400 --> 00:35:12,477
own perfect work of tending and

685
00:35:12,560 --> 00:35:14,717
clearing, composting the day's

686
00:35:14,800 --> 00:35:17,917
experiences into tomorrow's wisdom,

687
00:35:18,000 --> 00:35:20,477
washing clean the mirror of awareness

688
00:35:20,560 --> 00:35:23,517
for whatever tomorrow may bring. From

689
00:35:23,600 --> 00:35:25,997
the stillness of the lake, we now turn

690
00:35:26,080 --> 00:35:29,277
toward the wisdom of flowing water. Like

691
00:35:29,360 --> 00:35:31,197
a river that knows exactly how to

692
00:35:31,280 --> 00:35:33,677
navigate around obstacles without effort

693
00:35:33,760 --> 00:35:38,397
or planning, you too can learn the art
of moving gracefully through life's

694
00:35:38,480 --> 00:35:40,317
changes.

695
00:35:40,400 --> 00:35:42,877
Tonight, as you prepare to surrender to

696
00:35:42,960 --> 00:35:45,597
sleep's gentle current, we explore the

697
00:35:45,680 --> 00:35:50,637
profound teachings that flowing
water offers about letting go.

698
00:35:50,720 --> 00:35:52,477
Rivers never struggle against their

699
00:35:52,560 --> 00:35:55,597
banks. They don't fight the stones in

700
00:35:55,680 --> 00:35:58,557
their path or resist the pull of gravity

701
00:35:58,640 --> 00:36:01,917
that draws them toward the sea. Water

702
00:36:02,000 --> 00:36:04,317
teaches us that the most powerful force

703
00:36:04,400 --> 00:36:09,117
often appears the most gentle, yielding
to every obstacle while eventually

704
00:36:09,200 --> 00:36:11,197
wearing down the hardest stone through

705
00:36:11,280 --> 00:36:13,917
patience and persistence.

706
00:36:14,000 --> 00:36:16,237
Your journey towards sleep can follow

707
00:36:16,320 --> 00:36:19,197
this same natural wisdom.

708
00:36:19,280 --> 00:36:21,597
Rather than forcing relaxation or

709
00:36:21,680 --> 00:36:23,997
struggling against wakefulness, you can

710
00:36:24,080 --> 00:36:26,637
allow rest to arrive as naturally as a

711
00:36:26,720 --> 00:36:29,837
river reaches the ocean. The current is

712
00:36:29,920 --> 00:36:32,237
already there flowing beneath your

713
00:36:32,320 --> 00:36:35,197
conscious effort. You need only stop

714
00:36:35,280 --> 00:36:38,317
swimming against it. In the mountains of

715
00:36:38,400 --> 00:36:40,557
ancient Tibet, there lived a ferry man

716
00:36:40,640 --> 00:36:43,037
named Tenzin who operated the only

717
00:36:43,120 --> 00:36:46,237
crossing over a deep river valley. For

718
00:36:46,320 --> 00:36:48,717
40 years, he carried travelers across

719
00:36:48,800 --> 00:36:53,277
the rushing waters that separated
the valley's two sides.

720
00:36:53,360 --> 00:36:57,357
His small wooden boat and steady
hands were the lifeline for villagers,

721
00:36:57,440 --> 00:36:59,837
traders, pilgrims, and wanderers who

722
00:36:59,920 --> 00:37:02,157
needed safe passage.

723
00:37:02,240 --> 00:37:04,397
Tenzin worked mostly during daylight

724
00:37:04,480 --> 00:37:07,277
hours when the crossing was safest and

725
00:37:07,360 --> 00:37:09,597
the demand highest.

726
00:37:09,680 --> 00:37:12,237
But occasionally urgent travelers would

727
00:37:12,320 --> 00:37:14,957
arrive after sunset, desperate to reach

728
00:37:15,040 --> 00:37:17,997
the other side. Against the advice of

729
00:37:18,080 --> 00:37:20,237
other villagers who considered night

730
00:37:20,320 --> 00:37:23,197
crossings far too dangerous, Tenzin

731
00:37:23,280 --> 00:37:26,237
would agree to these twilight journeys.

732
00:37:26,320 --> 00:37:28,797
What the villagers didn't understand was

733
00:37:28,880 --> 00:37:30,717
that Tenzin had discovered something

734
00:37:30,800 --> 00:37:33,837
remarkable about night crossings.

735
00:37:33,920 --> 00:37:36,237
In the darkness, when he couldn't see

736
00:37:36,320 --> 00:37:38,797
the river's surface clearly, he had

737
00:37:38,880 --> 00:37:41,437
learned to feel the water's movement in

738
00:37:41,520 --> 00:37:44,557
an entirely different way. Without the

739
00:37:44,640 --> 00:37:47,197
distraction of visual landmarks and the

740
00:37:47,280 --> 00:37:49,837
illusion of control they provided, he

741
00:37:49,920 --> 00:37:52,397
could sense the current's true direction

742
00:37:52,480 --> 00:37:55,837
through the gentle rocking of his boat.

743
00:37:55,920 --> 00:37:58,557
During daylight crossings, Tenzin would

744
00:37:58,640 --> 00:38:03,117
carefully navigate around visible
obstacles, choosing what appeared to be

745
00:38:03,200 --> 00:38:05,437
the safest route.

746
00:38:05,520 --> 00:38:08,317
But these routes often proved difficult,

747
00:38:08,400 --> 00:38:10,477
requiring constant correction and

748
00:38:10,560 --> 00:38:12,717
adjustment as the river revealed

749
00:38:12,800 --> 00:38:16,077
surprises hidden beneath its surface.

750
00:38:16,160 --> 00:38:20,157
The harder he tried to control
the crossing, the more challenging it

751
00:38:20,240 --> 00:38:24,557
became. In the darkness,
however, Tenzin learned

752
00:38:24,640 --> 00:38:28,317
to trust the river itself
to guide their passage.

753
00:38:28,400 --> 00:38:30,557
He would push off from shore and then

754
00:38:30,640 --> 00:38:33,597
allow the current to show him the way.

755
00:38:33,680 --> 00:38:37,837
His boat would drift slightly
downstream, following channels he

756
00:38:37,920 --> 00:38:39,917
couldn't see, but could feel through the

757
00:38:40,000 --> 00:38:42,877
subtle movements of the water. These

758
00:38:42,960 --> 00:38:44,957
night journeys, which had initially

759
00:38:45,040 --> 00:38:47,757
terrified him, became the most peaceful

760
00:38:47,840 --> 00:38:50,797
and efficient crossings of all.

761
00:38:50,880 --> 00:38:55,997
One evening, a young merchant arrived
just as the sun was setting, frantic

762
00:38:56,080 --> 00:38:59,437
with worry about reaching his destination.

763
00:38:59,520 --> 00:39:02,237
His goods were perishable, his customers

764
00:39:02,320 --> 00:39:04,797
waiting, his livelihood dependent on

765
00:39:04,880 --> 00:39:08,237
crossing that night. Tenzin agreed to

766
00:39:08,320 --> 00:39:10,877
take him despite the man's obvious

767
00:39:10,960 --> 00:39:14,397
anxiety about traveling in darkness.

768
00:39:14,480 --> 00:39:16,557
As they pushed off from shore, the

769
00:39:16,640 --> 00:39:18,477
merchant gripped the sides of the boat

770
00:39:18,560 --> 00:39:22,317
tightly, his body rigid with fear. "How

771
00:39:22,400 --> 00:39:27,277
can you possibly navigate safely when
you can't see where we're going?" he

772
00:39:27,360 --> 00:39:28,877
demanded.

773
00:39:28,960 --> 00:39:32,157
Tenzin smiled and gestured toward the

774
00:39:32,240 --> 00:39:35,757
water around them. "Watch," he said

775
00:39:35,840 --> 00:39:39,357
simply. Instead of rowing
frantically against

776
00:39:39,440 --> 00:39:43,917
the current or trying to maintain
a straight line across the river, he

777
00:39:44,000 --> 00:39:45,757
allowed the boat to drift with the

778
00:39:45,840 --> 00:39:49,197
water's natural flow. He used his oes

779
00:39:49,280 --> 00:39:53,357
not to fight the current, but to make
small adjustments that worked with the

780
00:39:53,440 --> 00:39:55,757
river's own movement.

781
00:39:55,840 --> 00:39:58,717
During the day, Tenzin explained as they

782
00:39:58,800 --> 00:40:01,517
glided smoothly across the dark water,

783
00:40:01,600 --> 00:40:04,877
"I think I can see where I should go. I

784
00:40:04,960 --> 00:40:07,037
plan my route based on what appears to

785
00:40:07,120 --> 00:40:10,397
be the best path. But the river has its

786
00:40:10,480 --> 00:40:12,957
own wisdom about the safest crossing,

787
00:40:13,040 --> 00:40:14,877
and this wisdom is clearer when I

788
00:40:14,960 --> 00:40:18,077
stopped trying to impose my own plan.

789
00:40:18,160 --> 00:40:20,797
The merchant gradually relaxed his grip

790
00:40:20,880 --> 00:40:22,957
as he felt how smoothly they were

791
00:40:23,040 --> 00:40:25,597
moving. "But how do you know we're going

792
00:40:25,680 --> 00:40:27,837
in the right direction?"

793
00:40:27,920 --> 00:40:31,757
"The river knows," Tenzin replied.

794
00:40:31,840 --> 00:40:33,757
It has been flowing from this mountain

795
00:40:33,840 --> 00:40:37,117
to the sea for thousands of years. It

796
00:40:37,200 --> 00:40:42,077
knows every stone on the bottom,
every shift in the current, every safe

797
00:40:42,160 --> 00:40:45,597
passage. When I stop fighting against its

798
00:40:45,680 --> 00:40:49,437
knowledge, and instead listen to what
it's telling me through the movement of

799
00:40:49,520 --> 00:40:52,317
the boat, we arrive exactly where we

800
00:40:52,400 --> 00:40:55,197
need to be. As they reached the far

801
00:40:55,280 --> 00:40:57,837
shore, the merchant was amazed at how

802
00:40:57,920 --> 00:41:00,877
effortless the crossing had felt.

803
00:41:00,960 --> 00:41:02,877
I've never experienced anything like

804
00:41:02,960 --> 00:41:06,317
that. He said it was almost like the

805
00:41:06,400 --> 00:41:10,397
river was carrying us. It was Tenzen

806
00:41:10,480 --> 00:41:13,837
confirmed. The river
carries everything that

807
00:41:13,920 --> 00:41:16,957
doesn't resist its flow. Fish don't

808
00:41:17,040 --> 00:41:21,997
struggle to swim downstream.
Leaves don't fight to float on the

809
00:41:22,080 --> 00:41:23,517
surface.

810
00:41:23,600 --> 00:41:26,237
Only humans exhaust ourselves trying to

811
00:41:26,320 --> 00:41:29,357
go against the natural current.

812
00:41:29,440 --> 00:41:32,317
Years later, when Tenzin became too old

813
00:41:32,400 --> 00:41:35,037
to ferry passengers, he would sit by the

814
00:41:35,120 --> 00:41:37,357
river in the evenings and share his

815
00:41:37,440 --> 00:41:40,797
wisdom with anyone who would listen.

816
00:41:40,880 --> 00:41:43,197
Life is like crossing this river, he

817
00:41:43,280 --> 00:41:46,237
would say. "We think we need to see

818
00:41:46,320 --> 00:41:50,877
clearly and plan carefully
to move safely through it.

819
00:41:50,960 --> 00:41:55,917
But often the most graceful progress
happens when we learn to feel our way,

820
00:41:56,000 --> 00:41:57,757
trusting the natural flow of

821
00:41:57,840 --> 00:42:00,717
circumstances to guide us.

822
00:42:00,800 --> 00:42:04,157
What about during difficult times?

823
00:42:04,240 --> 00:42:07,117
Visitors would ask, "What about when

824
00:42:07,200 --> 00:42:10,397
life feels dangerous or uncertain?"

825
00:42:10,480 --> 00:42:12,557
Tenzin would point to the dark water

826
00:42:12,640 --> 00:42:15,597
flowing past them. The river is most

827
00:42:15,680 --> 00:42:19,117
honest at night. During the day, the

828
00:42:19,200 --> 00:42:21,277
sunlight on the surface can create

829
00:42:21,360 --> 00:42:23,677
illusions, making shallow water look

830
00:42:23,760 --> 00:42:27,197
deep or deep water look shallow.

831
00:42:27,280 --> 00:42:30,077
In darkness, you must rely on true

832
00:42:30,160 --> 00:42:34,637
feeling rather than
misleading appearances.

833
00:42:34,720 --> 00:42:38,477
Life's difficult times
are like night crossings.

834
00:42:38,560 --> 00:42:41,197
They strip away our illusions of control

835
00:42:41,280 --> 00:42:45,037
and teach us to trust deeper wisdom.

836
00:42:45,120 --> 00:42:47,677
Like tenzin, you can learn to navigate

837
00:42:47,760 --> 00:42:50,237
towards sleep by trusting the natural

838
00:42:50,320 --> 00:42:53,757
current rather than fighting against it.

839
00:42:53,840 --> 00:42:56,877
Right now, your body's wisdom is already

840
00:42:56,960 --> 00:42:59,997
creating the conditions for rest.

841
00:43:00,080 --> 00:43:03,357
Your breath is gradually slowing. Your

842
00:43:03,440 --> 00:43:07,117
muscles are beginning
to release their daily tension.

843
00:43:07,200 --> 00:43:11,917
Your mind is starting to drift away from
the sharp focus that served you during

844
00:43:12,000 --> 00:43:13,997
waking hours.

845
00:43:14,080 --> 00:43:16,317
This is the river of sleep beginning to

846
00:43:16,400 --> 00:43:19,357
carry you. You don't need to see exactly

847
00:43:19,440 --> 00:43:21,517
where it's taking you or understand

848
00:43:21,600 --> 00:43:24,717
every aspect of the journey. You simply

849
00:43:24,800 --> 00:43:27,117
need to stop resisting the natural flow

850
00:43:27,200 --> 00:43:29,837
that's already in motion.

851
00:43:29,920 --> 00:43:31,997
Notice how your thinking becomes softer

852
00:43:32,080 --> 00:43:35,117
at this time of day. Thoughts move more

853
00:43:35,200 --> 00:43:37,997
slowly like objects floating on a gentle

854
00:43:38,080 --> 00:43:40,557
current rather than being pushed rapidly

855
00:43:40,640 --> 00:43:42,317
downstream.

856
00:43:42,400 --> 00:43:45,277
This is not a failure of mental clarity,

857
00:43:45,360 --> 00:43:47,677
but a natural shift toward the kind of

858
00:43:47,760 --> 00:43:52,477
consciousness that supports
rest and restoration.

859
00:43:52,560 --> 00:43:54,637
Your worries about tomorrow don't need

860
00:43:54,720 --> 00:43:57,517
to be resolved before you can sleep.

861
00:43:57,600 --> 00:44:02,077
Like logs that will float downstream
to where they're needed, your concerns can

862
00:44:02,160 --> 00:44:06,797
be entrusted to the night's own
process of sorting and organizing.

863
00:44:06,880 --> 00:44:09,037
Sleep has its own intelligence for

864
00:44:09,120 --> 00:44:12,477
placing things in proper perspective.

865
00:44:12,560 --> 00:44:14,557
Feel how your body naturally grows

866
00:44:14,640 --> 00:44:18,077
heavier as you surrender to rest.

867
00:44:18,160 --> 00:44:20,717
This heaviness is not burden, but the

868
00:44:20,800 --> 00:44:22,717
pleasant weight of a body that's finally

869
00:44:22,800 --> 00:44:25,757
allowing itself to be supported.

870
00:44:25,840 --> 00:44:28,157
Like a traveler settling into Tenzin's

871
00:44:28,240 --> 00:44:30,397
boat, trusting the ferryman's knowledge

872
00:44:30,480 --> 00:44:32,957
of safe passage, you can trust your

873
00:44:33,040 --> 00:44:35,357
body's ancient knowledge of how to cross

874
00:44:35,440 --> 00:44:37,837
from waking into sleep.

875
00:44:37,920 --> 00:44:39,997
There was once a stream that flowed from

876
00:44:40,080 --> 00:44:42,397
high mountain peaks down through forests

877
00:44:42,480 --> 00:44:45,437
and meadows toward the distant sea.

878
00:44:45,520 --> 00:44:47,597
For most of its journey, the stream

879
00:44:47,680 --> 00:44:50,237
moved easily, following the natural

880
00:44:50,320 --> 00:44:52,557
contours of the landscape, bubbling

881
00:44:52,640 --> 00:44:55,277
cheerfully over stones, pooling briefly

882
00:44:55,360 --> 00:44:57,677
in quiet eddies before continuing its

883
00:44:57,760 --> 00:44:59,757
downward flow.

884
00:44:59,840 --> 00:45:02,477
But one day, the stream encountered a

885
00:45:02,560 --> 00:45:04,797
massive boulder that had fallen across

886
00:45:04,880 --> 00:45:07,757
its path during a rock slide.

887
00:45:07,840 --> 00:45:12,637
The stone was far too large to flow
around, too solid to wear away quickly,

888
00:45:12,720 --> 00:45:16,557
and seemed to block completely the route
the stream had followed for countless

889
00:45:16,640 --> 00:45:20,637
years. At first,
the stream tried to force its

890
00:45:20,720 --> 00:45:22,637
way through the tiny gaps on either side

891
00:45:22,720 --> 00:45:25,757
of the boulder. It gathered its force

892
00:45:25,840 --> 00:45:28,477
and rushed against the stone with all

893
00:45:28,560 --> 00:45:31,597
the pressure it could muster, but the

894
00:45:31,680 --> 00:45:34,717
boulder remained unmoved, and the stream

895
00:45:34,800 --> 00:45:38,237
only exhausted itself in the effort. The

896
00:45:38,320 --> 00:45:40,637
water began to back up behind the

897
00:45:40,720 --> 00:45:43,437
obstacle, creating a small lake where

898
00:45:43,520 --> 00:45:45,917
there had been free flow.

899
00:45:46,000 --> 00:45:50,797
For days, the stream struggled against
this unexpected blockage, growing

900
00:45:50,880 --> 00:45:52,637
increasingly frustrated with its

901
00:45:52,720 --> 00:45:55,117
inability to continue along its familiar

902
00:45:55,200 --> 00:45:58,477
path. It had always moved so easily

903
00:45:58,560 --> 00:46:01,037
before, flowing naturally from high

904
00:46:01,120 --> 00:46:03,757
places to low, following the path of

905
00:46:03,840 --> 00:46:05,997
least resistance.

906
00:46:06,080 --> 00:46:08,797
Now it seemed stuck, trapped by

907
00:46:08,880 --> 00:46:12,157
circumstances beyond its control.

908
00:46:12,240 --> 00:46:14,477
But gradually something interesting

909
00:46:14,560 --> 00:46:17,757
began to happen. As the water backed up

910
00:46:17,840 --> 00:46:19,917
behind the boulder, it started to

911
00:46:20,000 --> 00:46:22,797
explore other possibilities.

912
00:46:22,880 --> 00:46:25,597
Small rivullets began to form, finding

913
00:46:25,680 --> 00:46:27,757
tiny channels around the edges of the

914
00:46:27,840 --> 00:46:30,717
stone. These new paths were different

915
00:46:30,800 --> 00:46:35,037
from the stream's original route,
sometimes moving in unexpected

916
00:46:35,120 --> 00:46:37,677
directions, creating small waterfalls

917
00:46:37,760 --> 00:46:40,957
and pools that hadn't existed before.

918
00:46:41,040 --> 00:46:43,197
The stream discovered that by spreading

919
00:46:43,280 --> 00:46:46,237
out and exploring multiple new channels,

920
00:46:46,320 --> 00:46:47,997
it could eventually flow around the

921
00:46:48,080 --> 00:46:50,717
boulder without needing to move it or

922
00:46:50,800 --> 00:46:53,677
break through it. The obstacle that had

923
00:46:53,760 --> 00:46:55,837
seemed like a complete blockage became

924
00:46:55,920 --> 00:46:58,237
the catalyst for creating an even more

925
00:46:58,320 --> 00:47:01,757
beautiful and diverse water garden. In

926
00:47:01,840 --> 00:47:04,557
time, the area around the boulder became

927
00:47:04,640 --> 00:47:07,117
famous as one of the most lovely spots

928
00:47:07,200 --> 00:47:09,997
in the entire mountain region.

929
00:47:10,080 --> 00:47:14,477
The stream had learned to work with
the obstruction rather than against it,

930
00:47:14,560 --> 00:47:16,557
creating something more interesting than

931
00:47:16,640 --> 00:47:18,637
its original straight path would have

932
00:47:18,720 --> 00:47:22,077
been. Other streams hearing about this

933
00:47:22,160 --> 00:47:27,037
creative solution began to understand
a fundamental truth about the nature of

934
00:47:27,120 --> 00:47:30,477
water. Resistance and struggle weren't

935
00:47:30,560 --> 00:47:33,757
necessary when encountering obstacles.

936
00:47:33,840 --> 00:47:35,997
Patient exploration and willingness to

937
00:47:36,080 --> 00:47:38,317
find new roots could transform apparent

938
00:47:38,400 --> 00:47:41,917
problems into unexpected opportunities.

939
00:47:42,000 --> 00:47:46,557
The original stream continued its
journey to the sea, but it carried with

940
00:47:46,640 --> 00:47:48,397
it the wisdom learned from that

941
00:47:48,480 --> 00:47:50,957
encounter with the boulder.

942
00:47:51,040 --> 00:47:53,597
When later obstacles appeared, smaller

943
00:47:53,680 --> 00:47:58,397
stones and fallen logs, the stream
met them with curiosity rather than

944
00:47:58,480 --> 00:48:00,077
resistance.

945
00:48:00,160 --> 00:48:05,437
It had learned that adaptation was not
defeat, but a more sophisticated form of

946
00:48:05,520 --> 00:48:09,517
flow. Years later,
when young streams would

947
00:48:09,600 --> 00:48:12,077
complain about obstacles in their paths,

948
00:48:12,160 --> 00:48:15,837
this wise stream would share its story.

949
00:48:15,920 --> 00:48:20,877
The boulder taught me that there's
always a way forward, it would say.

950
00:48:20,960 --> 00:48:22,797
Sometimes it's not the way you planned

951
00:48:22,880 --> 00:48:25,917
or expected, but water always finds its

952
00:48:26,000 --> 00:48:30,477
path to the sea. The secret
is not to fight what can't be

953
00:48:30,560 --> 00:48:34,637
moved, but to explore
what can be discovered.

954
00:48:34,720 --> 00:48:36,957
Like the stream, you may encounter

955
00:48:37,040 --> 00:48:40,317
obstacles as you move towards sleep.

956
00:48:40,400 --> 00:48:44,717
Perhaps your mind presents boulderlike
worries that seem to block the path to

957
00:48:44,800 --> 00:48:46,237
rest.

958
00:48:46,320 --> 00:48:48,557
Maybe physical discomfort creates

959
00:48:48,640 --> 00:48:51,837
apparent barriers to relaxation.

960
00:48:51,920 --> 00:48:56,477
These obstructions don't need to be
removed before you can find your way to

961
00:48:56,560 --> 00:48:58,477
peaceful sleep.

962
00:48:58,560 --> 00:49:01,197
Instead, you can practice the stream's

963
00:49:01,280 --> 00:49:04,557
wisdom of patient exploration.

964
00:49:04,640 --> 00:49:06,877
Allow your attention to flow around the

965
00:49:06,960 --> 00:49:09,917
edges of worry, finding small channels

966
00:49:10,000 --> 00:49:13,997
of peace that exist
alongside your concerns.

967
00:49:14,080 --> 00:49:15,997
Discover pools of comfort within your

968
00:49:16,080 --> 00:49:18,877
body, even when some areas remain tense

969
00:49:18,960 --> 00:49:23,277
or uncomfortable. The path
to sleep doesn't require the

970
00:49:23,360 --> 00:49:25,597
complete absence of thoughts or the

971
00:49:25,680 --> 00:49:28,877
perfect relaxation of every muscle.

972
00:49:28,960 --> 00:49:31,197
Like water finding multiple channels

973
00:49:31,280 --> 00:49:33,837
around an obstacle, your awareness can

974
00:49:33,920 --> 00:49:37,837
discover rest in unexpected places.

975
00:49:37,920 --> 00:49:42,637
A few deep breaths can create
their own current toward peace.

976
00:49:42,720 --> 00:49:46,397
The weight of your head on the pillow
can anchor you in present moment

977
00:49:46,480 --> 00:49:49,997
comfort. The sound
of your heartbeat can become a

978
00:49:50,080 --> 00:49:51,997
rhythm that carries you downstream

979
00:49:52,080 --> 00:49:55,197
towards sleep. This practice of flowing

980
00:49:55,280 --> 00:49:59,517
around obstacles is especially valuable
when dealing with the persistent

981
00:49:59,600 --> 00:50:03,037
thoughts that sometimes arise at bedtime.

982
00:50:03,120 --> 00:50:07,677
Instead of struggling to stop thinking
completely, you can allow thoughts to be

983
00:50:07,760 --> 00:50:09,837
present while your attention explores

984
00:50:09,920 --> 00:50:12,637
other aspects of the moment. The

985
00:50:12,720 --> 00:50:15,677
softness of your breathing, the warmth

986
00:50:15,760 --> 00:50:19,277
beneath your covers, the gentle darkness

987
00:50:19,360 --> 00:50:22,557
that surrounds you. Like the stream that

988
00:50:22,640 --> 00:50:24,717
learned to work with the boulder instead

989
00:50:24,800 --> 00:50:27,197
of against it, you can work with your

990
00:50:27,280 --> 00:50:31,837
mind's natural activity
instead of fighting it.

991
00:50:31,920 --> 00:50:33,757
Thoughts can flow through your awareness

992
00:50:33,840 --> 00:50:38,957
like water moving around stones, present
but not blocking your progress toward

993
00:50:39,040 --> 00:50:40,717
rest.

994
00:50:40,800 --> 00:50:43,357
Your body too knows this wisdom of

995
00:50:43,440 --> 00:50:46,637
adaptive flow. When you release the

996
00:50:46,720 --> 00:50:49,037
effort to make every part of yourself

997
00:50:49,120 --> 00:50:51,357
perfectly comfortable, you often

998
00:50:51,440 --> 00:50:54,077
discover that comfort arises naturally

999
00:50:54,160 --> 00:50:57,917
in unexpected ways. The gentle settling

1000
00:50:58,000 --> 00:51:00,957
of your spine into the mattress,

1001
00:51:01,040 --> 00:51:03,917
the easy rhythm of your breathing, the

1002
00:51:04,000 --> 00:51:08,317
pleasant heaviness of your limbs
as they remember how to rest.

1003
00:51:08,400 --> 00:51:12,157
There's a beautiful teaching
in the Zen tradition about the nature of

1004
00:51:12,240 --> 00:51:17,277
impermanence. This too shall pass.
The masters would

1005
00:51:17,360 --> 00:51:21,837
remind their students when
facing difficult circumstances.

1006
00:51:21,920 --> 00:51:23,917
But they would also say the same thing

1007
00:51:24,000 --> 00:51:26,717
during pleasant experiences.

1008
00:51:26,800 --> 00:51:30,477
This too shall pass not as a warning or

1009
00:51:30,560 --> 00:51:32,717
disappointment but as a fundamental

1010
00:51:32,800 --> 00:51:35,757
truth that can bring great comfort.

1011
00:51:35,840 --> 00:51:37,917
Everything that causes you worry tonight

1012
00:51:38,000 --> 00:51:41,597
will pass. The urgent tasks waiting for

1013
00:51:41,680 --> 00:51:46,477
tomorrow will be completed
or resolved in their proper time.

1014
00:51:46,560 --> 00:51:50,157
The difficult emotions you may be
carrying will transform and eventually

1015
00:51:50,240 --> 00:51:51,837
release.

1016
00:51:51,920 --> 00:51:54,477
The physical sensations of tension or

1017
00:51:54,560 --> 00:51:57,277
discomfort will shift and change as your

1018
00:51:57,360 --> 00:52:00,637
body moves through its natural cycles.

1019
00:52:00,720 --> 00:52:03,357
But this teaching of impermanence offers

1020
00:52:03,440 --> 00:52:08,077
another gift as well.
Just as everything difficult passes

1021
00:52:08,160 --> 00:52:10,237
away, everything that supports your

1022
00:52:10,320 --> 00:52:13,037
peace and well-being is also constantly

1023
00:52:13,120 --> 00:52:18,397
flowing into your experience.
New moments of rest arrive with each

1024
00:52:18,480 --> 00:52:22,237
breath. Fresh opportunities for relaxation

1025
00:52:22,320 --> 00:52:25,117
emerge as your body settles.

1026
00:52:25,200 --> 00:52:29,437
Different currents of peace become
available as your mind's activity

1027
00:52:29,520 --> 00:52:33,437
naturally slows.
You don't need to hold on to any

1028
00:52:33,520 --> 00:52:35,997
particular feeling of peace or comfort

1029
00:52:36,080 --> 00:52:39,437
for it to serve you. Like the flowing

1030
00:52:39,520 --> 00:52:42,237
stream, your experience of rest can move

1031
00:52:42,320 --> 00:52:44,797
and change while still carrying you

1032
00:52:44,880 --> 00:52:48,477
steadily toward the sea of deep sleep.

1033
00:52:48,560 --> 00:52:51,597
Each moment of peace, however brief,

1034
00:52:51,680 --> 00:52:55,677
contributes to the overall current
that's drawing you away from the busy

1035
00:52:55,760 --> 00:52:58,237
shores of daily life.

1036
00:52:58,320 --> 00:53:00,637
This understanding of flow can transform

1037
00:53:00,720 --> 00:53:02,877
how you relate to the entire process of

1038
00:53:02,960 --> 00:53:06,877
falling asleep. Zero five. Instead of

1039
00:53:06,960 --> 00:53:09,517
treating sleep as a destination you must

1040
00:53:09,600 --> 00:53:11,917
reach through effort, you can experience

1041
00:53:12,000 --> 00:53:15,437
it as a current you're already riding.

1042
00:53:15,520 --> 00:53:19,277
Instead of working to achieve
unconsciousness, you can rest in the

1043
00:53:19,360 --> 00:53:21,117
awareness that's naturally becoming

1044
00:53:21,200 --> 00:53:24,397
softer and more spacious.

1045
00:53:24,480 --> 00:53:28,717
The ferryman Tenzin discovered that
night crossings required a different

1046
00:53:28,800 --> 00:53:30,797
kind of navigation than daylight

1047
00:53:30,880 --> 00:53:34,237
journeys. The transition from waking to

1048
00:53:34,320 --> 00:53:38,557
sleeping also requires
its own special wisdom.

1049
00:53:38,640 --> 00:53:43,437
During the day, your mind works
by focusing, analyzing, planning, and

1050
00:53:43,520 --> 00:53:45,197
controlling.

1051
00:53:45,280 --> 00:53:47,277
But the approach to sleep calls for the

1052
00:53:47,360 --> 00:53:50,637
opposite skills: softening, accepting,

1053
00:53:50,720 --> 00:53:53,357
allowing, and trusting.

1054
00:53:53,440 --> 00:53:55,677
This shift from doing to being doesn't

1055
00:53:55,760 --> 00:53:57,997
happen all at once like flipping a

1056
00:53:58,080 --> 00:54:01,837
switch. It occurs gradually like a river

1057
00:54:01,920 --> 00:54:04,237
slowly changing direction as it follows

1058
00:54:04,320 --> 00:54:07,277
the natural contours of the land. You

1059
00:54:07,360 --> 00:54:10,077
can participate in this shift by gently

1060
00:54:10,160 --> 00:54:12,317
releasing your grip on the day's way of

1061
00:54:12,400 --> 00:54:14,797
being and allowing the night's different

1062
00:54:14,880 --> 00:54:18,077
rhythm to guide you. Feel how your

1063
00:54:18,160 --> 00:54:22,477
breath naturally wants
to slow and deepen as you rest.

1064
00:54:22,560 --> 00:54:24,477
This is the current of sleep beginning

1065
00:54:24,560 --> 00:54:27,837
to influence your entire system.

1066
00:54:27,920 --> 00:54:32,477
Your nervous system is shifting from its
daytime state of alert readiness to its

1067
00:54:32,560 --> 00:54:36,317
nighttime mode of restoration and repair.

1068
00:54:36,400 --> 00:54:40,957
Countless processes of healing
and integration will begin the moment you

1069
00:54:41,040 --> 00:54:44,237
allow this transition to complete itself.

1070
00:54:44,320 --> 00:54:47,757
You don't need to understand these
processes or manage them any more than

1071
00:54:47,840 --> 00:54:49,517
the stream needs to understand the

1072
00:54:49,600 --> 00:54:51,837
mountain or manage the flow of gravity.

1073
00:54:51,920 --> 00:54:55,917
Zero five. The wisdom is built into the

1074
00:54:56,000 --> 00:54:59,997
system itself. Your job
is simply to stop working

1075
00:55:00,080 --> 00:55:01,837
against the natural current that's

1076
00:55:01,920 --> 00:55:05,037
already carrying you toward rest.

1077
00:55:05,120 --> 00:55:07,597
Tonight, as you continue to settle into

1078
00:55:07,680 --> 00:55:12,397
sleep, carry with you
the teachings of flowing water.

1079
00:55:12,480 --> 00:55:14,557
Trust the river of your own natural

1080
00:55:14,640 --> 00:55:17,277
rhythms to guide you safely across from

1081
00:55:17,360 --> 00:55:21,757
the shores of waking into
the peaceful depths of sleep.

1082
00:55:21,840 --> 00:55:24,237
Allow obstacles to become opportunities

1083
00:55:24,320 --> 00:55:27,677
for discovering new currents of peace.

1084
00:55:27,760 --> 00:55:32,157
Remember that everything passes,
including the effort and holding that

1085
00:55:32,240 --> 00:55:34,237
are ready now to be released into the

1086
00:55:34,320 --> 00:55:36,797
flowing stream of rest.

1087
00:55:36,880 --> 00:55:39,277
From the flowing wisdom of rivers, we

1088
00:55:39,360 --> 00:55:43,997
now ascend to the profound
stillness of high places.

1089
00:55:44,080 --> 00:55:46,157
Like a mountain that remains unshaken

1090
00:55:46,240 --> 00:55:48,797
while storms pass over its peaks and

1091
00:55:48,880 --> 00:55:51,757
seasons change across its slopes, you

1092
00:55:51,840 --> 00:55:54,557
too can discover the unmoving peace that

1093
00:55:54,640 --> 00:55:57,917
lies at the heart of all experience.

1094
00:55:58,000 --> 00:56:00,637
Tonight we explore the deep rest that

1095
00:56:00,720 --> 00:56:03,117
comes not from the absence of activity,

1096
00:56:03,200 --> 00:56:07,917
but from connection to something so
stable and enduring that all of life's

1097
00:56:08,000 --> 00:56:12,077
changes become like weather patterns
moving across a vast and patient

1098
00:56:12,160 --> 00:56:17,357
landscape. Mountains teach us about a
different kind of strength than we usually

1099
00:56:17,440 --> 00:56:20,877
imagine. Not the strength
that pushes against

1100
00:56:20,960 --> 00:56:23,597
obstacles or forces outcomes, but the

1101
00:56:23,680 --> 00:56:28,077
strength that's simply island.
A mountain doesn't struggle to remain

1102
00:56:28,160 --> 00:56:31,437
upright. It doesn't work to maintain its

1103
00:56:31,520 --> 00:56:34,477
position. Its power comes from its

1104
00:56:34,560 --> 00:56:37,677
complete settledness, its absolute rest

1105
00:56:37,760 --> 00:56:42,237
in its own nature.
As you prepare for sleep, you can

1106
00:56:42,320 --> 00:56:46,397
discover this same quality
of being within yourself.

1107
00:56:46,480 --> 00:56:50,717
Beneath all the day's activities and
concerns, beneath even your thoughts and

1108
00:56:50,800 --> 00:56:54,877
emotions, there exists
something unshakable.

1109
00:56:54,960 --> 00:56:57,597
Not because it's hard or rigid, but

1110
00:56:57,680 --> 00:56:59,837
because it's so fundamentally at rest

1111
00:56:59,920 --> 00:57:02,717
that nothing can disturb it.

1112
00:57:02,800 --> 00:57:05,037
High in the Himalayas, where the air

1113
00:57:05,120 --> 00:57:07,517
grows thin and the world below fades

1114
00:57:07,600 --> 00:57:10,237
into blue distance, there lived a hermit

1115
00:57:10,320 --> 00:57:14,637
named Norbu, who had chosen the most
remote peak he could find for his

1116
00:57:14,720 --> 00:57:18,957
meditation retreat.
He had come to the mountain seeking the

1117
00:57:19,040 --> 00:57:21,277
perfect silence that he believed was

1118
00:57:21,360 --> 00:57:24,717
necessary for deep spiritual practice.

1119
00:57:24,800 --> 00:57:27,837
In the valley below, life was too busy,

1120
00:57:27,920 --> 00:57:29,837
too full of distractions that pulled his

1121
00:57:29,920 --> 00:57:32,557
attention away from meditation.

1122
00:57:32,640 --> 00:57:34,957
For the first months of his retreat,

1123
00:57:35,040 --> 00:57:37,517
Noru felt he had found exactly what he

1124
00:57:37,600 --> 00:57:40,477
was looking for. The mountain peak was

1125
00:57:40,560 --> 00:57:45,437
so isolated that he could sometimes
go weeks without seeing another human

1126
00:57:45,520 --> 00:57:46,957
being.

1127
00:57:47,040 --> 00:57:50,317
The silence was profound, broken only by

1128
00:57:50,400 --> 00:57:52,557
the occasional call of a high alitude

1129
00:57:52,640 --> 00:57:55,517
bird or the distant sound of wind moving

1130
00:57:55,600 --> 00:57:58,077
through stone passages.

1131
00:57:58,160 --> 00:58:00,957
But as seasons passed, Noru began to

1132
00:58:01,040 --> 00:58:03,677
notice something unexpected.

1133
00:58:03,760 --> 00:58:05,997
The mountain was not actually silent at

1134
00:58:06,080 --> 00:58:09,437
all. During the day, thermal currents

1135
00:58:09,520 --> 00:58:13,037
created almost constant air movement.

1136
00:58:13,120 --> 00:58:15,677
At night, the rock itself would make

1137
00:58:15,760 --> 00:58:19,197
subtle settling sounds as it cooled.

1138
00:58:19,280 --> 00:58:21,517
Snow and ice would shift and crack with

1139
00:58:21,600 --> 00:58:23,917
changes in temperature.

1140
00:58:24,000 --> 00:58:28,957
Weather patterns moving across the peaks
created their own complex symphony of

1141
00:58:29,040 --> 00:58:30,557
sounds.

1142
00:58:30,640 --> 00:58:33,357
At first, these discoveries frustrated

1143
00:58:33,440 --> 00:58:36,317
Noru. He had climbed to this remote

1144
00:58:36,400 --> 00:58:40,797
place specifically to escape
noise and distraction.

1145
00:58:40,880 --> 00:58:43,117
Now he was finding that even at the roof

1146
00:58:43,200 --> 00:58:46,237
of the world complete external silence

1147
00:58:46,320 --> 00:58:50,797
was impossible.
His meditation practice which he had

1148
00:58:50,880 --> 00:58:52,957
hoped would become effortless in perfect

1149
00:58:53,040 --> 00:58:56,877
quiet remained as challenging as ever.

1150
00:58:56,960 --> 00:58:59,677
One winter evening during a particularly

1151
00:58:59,760 --> 00:59:04,717
fierce storm that had trapped Noru
in his small stone shelter for 3 days he

1152
00:59:04,800 --> 00:59:08,237
reached a moment
of complete discouragement.

1153
00:59:08,320 --> 00:59:12,717
The wind was howling around
the peaks with extraordinary force.

1154
00:59:12,800 --> 00:59:14,877
Ice pellets struck his shelter walls

1155
00:59:14,960 --> 00:59:17,757
with sounds like thrown pebbles.

1156
00:59:17,840 --> 00:59:20,157
The storm was so loud that he couldn't

1157
00:59:20,240 --> 00:59:23,117
even hear his own breathing. But in that

1158
00:59:23,200 --> 00:59:24,877
moment of giving up his search for

1159
00:59:24,960 --> 00:59:27,517
external silence, something remarkable

1160
00:59:27,600 --> 00:59:30,637
happened. Noru suddenly noticed that

1161
00:59:30,720 --> 00:59:35,117
there was a quality of stillness present
that had nothing to do with the absence

1162
00:59:35,200 --> 00:59:39,837
of sound. Even while
the storm raged around him,

1163
00:59:39,920 --> 00:59:44,157
even while his shelter shook with the
force of the wind, there was something

1164
00:59:44,240 --> 00:59:46,797
absolutely unmoved at the center of his

1165
00:59:46,880 --> 00:59:48,557
experience.

1166
00:59:48,640 --> 00:59:51,837
It wasn't that the storm became quieter.

1167
00:59:51,920 --> 00:59:56,557
If anything, it grew more
intense as the night progressed.

1168
00:59:56,640 --> 01:00:01,277
But Noru realized that he had been
looking for silence in the wrong place.

1169
01:00:01,360 --> 01:00:05,517
The peace he sought wasn't in his
environment, but in the awareness that

1170
01:00:05,600 --> 01:00:08,077
was observing the environment.

1171
01:00:08,160 --> 01:00:10,637
The storm could rage as powerfully as it

1172
01:00:10,720 --> 01:00:15,597
wanted without disturbing the spacious
stillness in which all sounds arose and

1173
01:00:15,680 --> 01:00:17,197
faded.

1174
01:00:17,280 --> 01:00:20,157
From that night forward, Noru's practice

1175
01:00:20,240 --> 01:00:22,717
transformed completely.

1176
01:00:22,800 --> 01:00:27,437
Instead of trying to create perfect
external conditions for meditation, he

1177
01:00:27,520 --> 01:00:29,517
learned to rest in the unchanging

1178
01:00:29,600 --> 01:00:31,997
awareness that remained constant whether

1179
01:00:32,080 --> 01:00:34,557
his surroundings were quiet or noisy,

1180
01:00:34,640 --> 01:00:36,957
calm or chaotic.

1181
01:00:37,040 --> 01:00:39,277
He discovered that this inner stability

1182
01:00:39,360 --> 01:00:41,837
was actually more reliable than any

1183
01:00:41,920 --> 01:00:46,557
external situation which
could change without warning.

1184
01:00:46,640 --> 01:00:48,717
When spring arrived and other pilgrims

1185
01:00:48,800 --> 01:00:51,437
began to visit Noru's mountain retreat,

1186
01:00:51,520 --> 01:00:53,597
they were amazed by the quality of peace

1187
01:00:53,680 --> 01:00:56,397
that surrounded him. They expected

1188
01:00:56,480 --> 01:00:58,957
someone who had spent years in isolation

1189
01:00:59,040 --> 01:01:03,757
to be either completely serene
or perhaps a bit strange from too much

1190
01:01:03,840 --> 01:01:08,077
solitude. Instead,
they found a man who seemed

1191
01:01:08,160 --> 01:01:10,557
completely at ease regardless of what

1192
01:01:10,640 --> 01:01:13,117
was happening around him.

1193
01:01:13,200 --> 01:01:15,997
Master, one visitor asked, "How did you

1194
01:01:16,080 --> 01:01:19,357
achieve such perfect tranquility?

1195
01:01:19,440 --> 01:01:21,357
Is it because you've been living in this

1196
01:01:21,440 --> 01:01:24,157
place of ultimate silence?"

1197
01:01:24,240 --> 01:01:26,397
Norvu laughed and gestured toward the

1198
01:01:26,480 --> 01:01:28,717
peaks around them where wind was

1199
01:01:28,800 --> 01:01:31,277
creating its usual complex music among

1200
01:01:31,360 --> 01:01:36,237
the rocks. "Listen," he said. "Do you

1201
01:01:36,320 --> 01:01:38,477
hear silence?"

1202
01:01:38,560 --> 01:01:40,797
The visitor listened carefully and had

1203
01:01:40,880 --> 01:01:43,277
to admit that he heard many sounds.

1204
01:01:43,360 --> 01:01:46,077
Wind, distant rockfall, the calls of

1205
01:01:46,160 --> 01:01:50,957
birds, even the sound of his
own breathing and heartbeat.

1206
01:01:51,040 --> 01:01:55,117
"Then where is the peace
you're experiencing right now?"

1207
01:01:55,200 --> 01:01:57,357
Noru asked.

1208
01:01:57,440 --> 01:02:00,237
The visitor paused, suddenly noticing

1209
01:02:00,320 --> 01:02:02,877
that despite all the sounds around them,

1210
01:02:02,960 --> 01:02:05,277
there was indeed a quality of profound

1211
01:02:05,360 --> 01:02:07,677
stillness present.

1212
01:02:07,760 --> 01:02:11,037
I'm not sure, he admitted.

1213
01:02:11,120 --> 01:02:13,677
I can hear all these sounds, but somehow

1214
01:02:13,760 --> 01:02:16,477
there's also silence.

1215
01:02:16,560 --> 01:02:18,797
That's the mountain's real teaching,

1216
01:02:18,880 --> 01:02:21,277
Noru explained.

1217
01:02:21,360 --> 01:02:24,957
True silence isn't the absence of sound.

1218
01:02:25,040 --> 01:02:27,037
It's the space in which all sounds

1219
01:02:27,120 --> 01:02:30,317
appear. True stillness isn't the absence

1220
01:02:30,400 --> 01:02:34,397
of movement.
It's the awareness in which all activity

1221
01:02:34,480 --> 01:02:38,077
takes place. The mountain
doesn't need to stop the

1222
01:02:38,160 --> 01:02:42,717
wind to remain unshaken.
You don't need to stop your thoughts to

1223
01:02:42,800 --> 01:02:44,877
find peace.

1224
01:02:44,960 --> 01:02:47,357
Years later, when Noroo eventually

1225
01:02:47,440 --> 01:02:49,917
descended from his mountain retreat,

1226
01:02:50,000 --> 01:02:52,317
people were surprised by how easily he

1227
01:02:52,400 --> 01:02:55,117
adapted to life in busy valleys and

1228
01:02:55,200 --> 01:02:57,117
crowded towns.

1229
01:02:57,200 --> 01:02:59,357
They expected someone who had lived in

1230
01:02:59,440 --> 01:03:04,557
such isolation to be overwhelmed
by the noise and activity of normal human

1231
01:03:04,640 --> 01:03:06,237
society.

1232
01:03:06,320 --> 01:03:09,197
Instead, Norbu moved through the busiest

1233
01:03:09,280 --> 01:03:14,077
marketplaces with the same unshakable
calm he had cultivated on his remote

1234
01:03:14,160 --> 01:03:17,437
peak. The mountain taught me that peace

1235
01:03:17,520 --> 01:03:21,997
doesn't depend on location he would
explain to those who asked about his

1236
01:03:22,080 --> 01:03:26,077
transition. It depends
on recognizing the unchanging

1237
01:03:26,160 --> 01:03:30,557
awareness that's always present.
Whether you're on a mountain peak or in a

1238
01:03:30,640 --> 01:03:35,117
crowded street, once you
find that inner stability, you

1239
01:03:35,200 --> 01:03:37,197
can rest anywhere.

1240
01:03:37,280 --> 01:03:39,517
Like Noru, you can discover this

1241
01:03:39,600 --> 01:03:42,637
mountainlike quality within yourself.

1242
01:03:42,720 --> 01:03:47,197
Not through changing your external
circumstances, but by recognizing the

1243
01:03:47,280 --> 01:03:51,757
awareness that remains constant
through all circumstances.

1244
01:03:51,840 --> 01:03:54,157
Right now, as you rest in preparation

1245
01:03:54,240 --> 01:03:57,277
for sleep, this unshakable stillness is

1246
01:03:57,360 --> 01:04:00,557
available to you. Notice that even as

1247
01:04:00,640 --> 01:04:02,877
thoughts move through your mind, there's

1248
01:04:02,960 --> 01:04:05,037
something that observes the thinking

1249
01:04:05,120 --> 01:04:08,397
without being disturbed by it. Even as

1250
01:04:08,480 --> 01:04:13,037
your body goes through its natural
processes of settling and adjusting,

1251
01:04:13,120 --> 01:04:14,797
there's an awareness that witnesses

1252
01:04:14,880 --> 01:04:17,597
these changes without being changed by

1253
01:04:17,680 --> 01:04:20,717
them. This observing presence is like

1254
01:04:20,800 --> 01:04:24,637
the mountain itself, stable and unmoved

1255
01:04:24,720 --> 01:04:29,117
regardless of what weather
patterns pass across its surface.

1256
01:04:29,200 --> 01:04:31,037
Your breathing can become a bridge to

1257
01:04:31,120 --> 01:04:33,997
this mountainlike stability.

1258
01:04:34,080 --> 01:04:37,197
Each inhale and exhale happens within a

1259
01:04:37,280 --> 01:04:39,277
spacious stillness that's neither

1260
01:04:39,360 --> 01:04:43,277
breathing in nor breathing out. Feel how

1261
01:04:43,360 --> 01:04:45,757
your breath rises and falls within this

1262
01:04:45,840 --> 01:04:48,797
larger awareness like wind moving across

1263
01:04:48,880 --> 01:04:53,117
mountain peaks without disturbing
the fundamental solidity of the stone

1264
01:04:53,200 --> 01:04:54,717
beneath.

1265
01:04:54,800 --> 01:04:57,517
Physical sensations too can be met with

1266
01:04:57,600 --> 01:05:00,477
this quality of mountainlike presence.

1267
01:05:00,560 --> 01:05:03,197
Areas of tension or discomfort in your

1268
01:05:03,280 --> 01:05:07,837
body are like temporary weather systems
moving across the landscape of your

1269
01:05:07,920 --> 01:05:09,997
physical experience.

1270
01:05:10,080 --> 01:05:13,437
They arise, change, and eventually pass

1271
01:05:13,520 --> 01:05:16,317
away, but they don't disturb the basic

1272
01:05:16,400 --> 01:05:19,437
awareness that's observing them. This

1273
01:05:19,520 --> 01:05:21,757
doesn't mean ignoring discomfort or

1274
01:05:21,840 --> 01:05:24,477
pretending it doesn't exist.

1275
01:05:24,560 --> 01:05:26,477
Mountains don't pretend that storms

1276
01:05:26,560 --> 01:05:29,277
aren't happening. They simply remain

1277
01:05:29,360 --> 01:05:33,837
stable and present while weather
moves through their environment.

1278
01:05:33,920 --> 01:05:38,157
You can bring this same quality
of steady presence to whatever physical

1279
01:05:38,240 --> 01:05:40,637
sensations are present as you settle

1280
01:05:40,720 --> 01:05:43,997
into rest. There was once a great statue

1281
01:05:44,080 --> 01:05:49,117
of the Buddha carved from a single
enormous piece of stone and placed in a

1282
01:05:49,200 --> 01:05:52,877
garden where it could
overlook a peaceful valley.

1283
01:05:52,960 --> 01:05:55,517
The statue had been crafted by a master

1284
01:05:55,600 --> 01:05:58,157
sculptor who spent years perfecting

1285
01:05:58,240 --> 01:06:01,117
every detail from the serene expression

1286
01:06:01,200 --> 01:06:03,517
on the Buddha's face to the graceful

1287
01:06:03,600 --> 01:06:06,077
folds of his robes.

1288
01:06:06,160 --> 01:06:08,877
Pilgrims would travel from distant lands

1289
01:06:08,960 --> 01:06:13,677
just to sit in the presence of this
beautiful representation of perfect

1290
01:06:13,760 --> 01:06:17,437
peace. The statue stood
in its garden for many

1291
01:06:17,520 --> 01:06:19,917
decades through all kinds of weather and

1292
01:06:20,000 --> 01:06:22,157
changing seasons.

1293
01:06:22,240 --> 01:06:24,877
Rain would wash over its surface, snow

1294
01:06:24,960 --> 01:06:27,357
would accumulate on its shoulders, and

1295
01:06:27,440 --> 01:06:30,317
summer sun would warm the stone.

1296
01:06:30,400 --> 01:06:32,797
Children would play around its base.

1297
01:06:32,880 --> 01:06:35,197
Birds would nest in the carved folds of

1298
01:06:35,280 --> 01:06:37,837
its robes, and countless visitors would

1299
01:06:37,920 --> 01:06:40,237
come and go, each finding their own

1300
01:06:40,320 --> 01:06:43,517
meaning in its peaceful presence.

1301
01:06:43,600 --> 01:06:45,757
But over the years, something

1302
01:06:45,840 --> 01:06:48,317
interesting began to happen.

1303
01:06:48,400 --> 01:06:51,117
A young monk who tended the garden

1304
01:06:51,200 --> 01:06:53,597
started to notice that different people

1305
01:06:53,680 --> 01:06:58,157
seemed to see different things
in the statue's expression.

1306
01:06:58,240 --> 01:07:02,157
Some visitors spoke of the profound
sadness they perceived in the Buddha's

1307
01:07:02,240 --> 01:07:04,717
face, saying it reflected their own

1308
01:07:04,800 --> 01:07:08,317
grief and loss. Others saw infinite

1309
01:07:08,400 --> 01:07:12,797
compassion, feeling that the statue
understood their struggles with patience

1310
01:07:12,880 --> 01:07:14,557
and love.

1311
01:07:14,640 --> 01:07:18,077
Still others described a joy so complete

1312
01:07:18,160 --> 01:07:22,797
that it seemed to transform
their own capacity for happiness.

1313
01:07:22,880 --> 01:07:24,957
The monk was puzzled by these varied

1314
01:07:25,040 --> 01:07:26,957
interpretations.

1315
01:07:27,040 --> 01:07:30,237
The statue itself never changed, carved

1316
01:07:30,320 --> 01:07:33,837
as it was from unchanging stone. Its

1317
01:07:33,920 --> 01:07:36,157
expression remained exactly the same day

1318
01:07:36,240 --> 01:07:40,477
after day, year after year. Yet each

1319
01:07:40,560 --> 01:07:42,877
person who spent time with it seemed to

1320
01:07:42,960 --> 01:07:45,517
discover something different. Often

1321
01:07:45,600 --> 01:07:47,517
something that perfectly matched what

1322
01:07:47,600 --> 01:07:50,477
they needed to see in that moment.

1323
01:07:50,560 --> 01:07:53,677
One day a very old teacher visited the

1324
01:07:53,760 --> 01:07:56,157
garden and sat for a long time in

1325
01:07:56,240 --> 01:07:59,197
contemplation before the statue. The

1326
01:07:59,280 --> 01:08:03,837
young monk approached him
and asked about this mystery.

1327
01:08:03,920 --> 01:08:07,677
Master, how can this statue show
different expressions to different

1328
01:08:07,760 --> 01:08:11,917
people when it's made of solid
stone that never changes?

1329
01:08:12,000 --> 01:08:14,237
The old teacher smiled and looked

1330
01:08:14,320 --> 01:08:18,957
carefully at the statue for several
moments before responding.

1331
01:08:19,040 --> 01:08:23,837
Watch the statue's face
throughout the day, he suggested.

1332
01:08:23,920 --> 01:08:28,237
Notice how it appears different as the
light changes, as shadows move across

1333
01:08:28,320 --> 01:08:30,397
it, as weather creates different

1334
01:08:30,480 --> 01:08:32,957
atmospheres around it.

1335
01:08:33,040 --> 01:08:35,757
The stone itself doesn't change, but our

1336
01:08:35,840 --> 01:08:38,957
perception of it shifts with conditions.

1337
01:08:39,040 --> 01:08:41,517
The monk followed this advice and was

1338
01:08:41,600 --> 01:08:44,237
amazed by what he discovered.

1339
01:08:44,320 --> 01:08:48,877
In the soft light of dawn, the Buddha's
face seemed to glow with gentle

1340
01:08:48,960 --> 01:08:50,557
awakening.

1341
01:08:50,640 --> 01:08:52,957
During the bright hours of midday, it

1342
01:08:53,040 --> 01:08:56,637
appeared alert and fully present.

1343
01:08:56,720 --> 01:09:00,877
As afternoon light slanted across
the garden, the expression looked

1344
01:09:00,960 --> 01:09:03,357
contemplative and wise.

1345
01:09:03,440 --> 01:09:05,757
At sunset, there was warmth and

1346
01:09:05,840 --> 01:09:08,237
compassion in the features.

1347
01:09:08,320 --> 01:09:10,957
Under moonlight, the face seemed to hold

1348
01:09:11,040 --> 01:09:14,157
infinite mystery and peace.

1349
01:09:14,240 --> 01:09:16,797
Now you're beginning to understand. The

1350
01:09:16,880 --> 01:09:21,357
old teacher said when the monk
shared these observations,

1351
01:09:21,440 --> 01:09:25,917
the statue teaches us about
the nature of true stability.

1352
01:09:26,000 --> 01:09:30,717
It doesn't maintain the same appearance
by forcing itself to look identical in

1353
01:09:30,800 --> 01:09:35,197
all conditions. It remains
essentially unchanged while

1354
01:09:35,280 --> 01:09:37,517
allowing itself to be seen differently

1355
01:09:37,600 --> 01:09:40,797
as circumstances shift around it. The

1356
01:09:40,880 --> 01:09:43,437
teacher paused allowing this teaching to

1357
01:09:43,520 --> 01:09:45,117
settle.

1358
01:09:45,200 --> 01:09:48,557
This is the Buddha's gift to us. Not a

1359
01:09:48,640 --> 01:09:53,517
rigid sameness that fights against
the natural changes of life, but a deep

1360
01:09:53,600 --> 01:09:55,517
stability that can accommodate all

1361
01:09:55,600 --> 01:09:57,597
conditions without being disturbed by

1362
01:09:57,680 --> 01:10:00,877
them. The stone Buddha shows us what

1363
01:10:00,960 --> 01:10:03,437
enlightened consciousness looks like,

1364
01:10:03,520 --> 01:10:08,237
completely at rest in its own nature
while remaining open to the full range

1365
01:10:08,320 --> 01:10:12,717
of experience.
From that day forward, the young monk

1366
01:10:12,800 --> 01:10:16,717
approached his own meditation
practice differently.

1367
01:10:16,800 --> 01:10:21,597
Instead of trying to maintain the same
mental state all the time, he learned to

1368
01:10:21,680 --> 01:10:23,437
rest in the awareness that could be

1369
01:10:23,520 --> 01:10:26,317
present with whatever arose.

1370
01:10:26,400 --> 01:10:30,877
Like the stone Buddha, he discovered
a stability that didn't depend on keeping

1371
01:10:30,960 --> 01:10:35,597
everything the same, but on finding
the unchanging ground of being that was

1372
01:10:35,680 --> 01:10:37,757
always available beneath changing

1373
01:10:37,840 --> 01:10:39,997
circumstances.

1374
01:10:40,080 --> 01:10:44,957
You can practice this same
wisdom as you prepare for sleep.

1375
01:10:45,040 --> 01:10:46,797
Instead of trying to force your mind

1376
01:10:46,880 --> 01:10:49,837
into a particular state of calm, you can

1377
01:10:49,920 --> 01:10:52,157
rest in the awareness that's naturally

1378
01:10:52,240 --> 01:10:54,237
present, whether your thoughts are

1379
01:10:54,320 --> 01:10:57,037
active or quiet.

1380
01:10:57,120 --> 01:11:01,517
Like the Buddha statue that remained
essentially unchanged while appearing

1381
01:11:01,600 --> 01:11:06,157
different in various lights, you can
find the aspect of yourself that remains

1382
01:11:06,240 --> 01:11:08,477
stable while your experience of the

1383
01:11:08,560 --> 01:11:11,597
moment shifts and changes.

1384
01:11:11,680 --> 01:11:16,077
This is especially helpful when dealing
with the mental activity that sometimes

1385
01:11:16,160 --> 01:11:19,597
arises at bedtime.
Thoughts about tomorrow's

1386
01:11:19,680 --> 01:11:22,077
responsibilities, memories from today's

1387
01:11:22,160 --> 01:11:26,957
interactions, or random mental chatter
can all be met with the same steady

1388
01:11:27,040 --> 01:11:29,037
presence that the stone Buddha brought

1389
01:11:29,120 --> 01:11:31,757
to changing weather. These mental

1390
01:11:31,840 --> 01:11:33,997
phenomena are like different lighting

1391
01:11:34,080 --> 01:11:36,637
conditions moving across the unchanging

1392
01:11:36,720 --> 01:11:39,197
awareness that observes them.

1393
01:11:39,280 --> 01:11:41,997
Your body too can embody this

1394
01:11:42,080 --> 01:11:44,797
Buddha-like stability.

1395
01:11:44,880 --> 01:11:47,117
Feel how your physical form can rest

1396
01:11:47,200 --> 01:11:49,917
like a mountain or a statue, heavy and

1397
01:11:50,000 --> 01:11:52,477
settled while sensations move through it

1398
01:11:52,560 --> 01:11:57,037
like weather patterns.
The beating of your heart, the flow of

1399
01:11:57,120 --> 01:12:01,837
your breath, the subtle adjustments your
body makes as it settles, all of these

1400
01:12:01,920 --> 01:12:03,997
can happen within a larger stillness

1401
01:12:04,080 --> 01:12:07,037
that remains undisturbed.

1402
01:12:07,120 --> 01:12:10,397
This quality of unshakable rest doesn't

1403
01:12:10,480 --> 01:12:13,437
require effort to maintain

1404
01:12:13,520 --> 01:12:15,997
like gravity or the stone's natural

1405
01:12:16,080 --> 01:12:20,637
hardness. It's simply the nature
of awareness itself when it's not working

1406
01:12:20,720 --> 01:12:22,637
to be anything other than what it

1407
01:12:22,720 --> 01:12:25,597
island. The stability you're looking for

1408
01:12:25,680 --> 01:12:29,997
is not something you need to create,
but something you can recognize and rest

1409
01:12:30,080 --> 01:12:33,597
into. There's a beautiful
teaching in Buddhism

1410
01:12:33,680 --> 01:12:36,397
about what are called the unshakable

1411
01:12:36,480 --> 01:12:39,037
deliverances of mind.

1412
01:12:39,120 --> 01:12:43,917
These are qualities of consciousness
that once recognized provide a stability

1413
01:12:44,000 --> 01:12:47,677
that doesn't depend
on external conditions.

1414
01:12:47,760 --> 01:12:51,917
Like a mountain that remains solid
whether storms are raging or clear skies

1415
01:12:52,000 --> 01:12:54,397
prevail. These inner qualities offer

1416
01:12:54,480 --> 01:12:56,477
refuge regardless of what's happening in

1417
01:12:56,560 --> 01:12:59,517
the changing circumstances of life.

1418
01:12:59,600 --> 01:13:02,397
One of these unshakable qualities is the

1419
01:13:02,480 --> 01:13:05,117
simple recognition that awareness itself

1420
01:13:05,200 --> 01:13:07,677
is always present.

1421
01:13:07,760 --> 01:13:09,997
Whatever else may be happening, thoughts

1422
01:13:10,080 --> 01:13:14,877
coming and going, emotions rising and
falling, sensations changing throughout

1423
01:13:14,960 --> 01:13:19,757
the body. The knowing of these
experiences remains constant.

1424
01:13:19,840 --> 01:13:24,237
This knowing doesn't get happy when
pleasant things arise or sad when

1425
01:13:24,320 --> 01:13:26,637
difficult things appear.

1426
01:13:26,720 --> 01:13:29,677
It simply remains present, spacious, and

1427
01:13:29,760 --> 01:13:31,437
available.

1428
01:13:31,520 --> 01:13:34,077
Another unshakable quality is the

1429
01:13:34,160 --> 01:13:38,477
understanding that all
experiences are temporary.

1430
01:13:38,560 --> 01:13:42,237
Just as weather patterns move across
mountain peaks without permanently

1431
01:13:42,320 --> 01:13:44,797
altering the stone, all of your thoughts

1432
01:13:44,880 --> 01:13:47,357
and feelings and bodily sensations move

1433
01:13:47,440 --> 01:13:52,157
through awareness without
fundamentally changing its nature.

1434
01:13:52,240 --> 01:13:56,157
This understanding brings a deep
relaxation because you know that

1435
01:13:56,240 --> 01:14:00,477
whatever discomfort you might be
experiencing now will eventually shift

1436
01:14:00,560 --> 01:14:02,397
and change.

1437
01:14:02,480 --> 01:14:05,437
A third unshakable deliverance is the

1438
01:14:05,520 --> 01:14:09,597
recognition of your fundamental okayess.

1439
01:14:09,680 --> 01:14:12,077
Beneath all your personal stories about

1440
01:14:12,160 --> 01:14:14,877
success and failure, all your concerns

1441
01:14:14,960 --> 01:14:19,117
about whether you're good enough
or doing enough, there's a basic wellness

1442
01:14:19,200 --> 01:14:23,357
that doesn't depend on having
your life perfectly arranged.

1443
01:14:23,440 --> 01:14:27,437
Like a mountain that doesn't need
to justify its existence or prove its

1444
01:14:27,520 --> 01:14:29,757
worth. You can rest in the simple fact

1445
01:14:29,840 --> 01:14:33,037
of your being here now exactly as you

1446
01:14:33,120 --> 01:14:35,517
are. These teachings aren't

1447
01:14:35,600 --> 01:14:37,837
philosophical concepts to think about,

1448
01:14:37,920 --> 01:14:40,397
but direct recognitions that become

1449
01:14:40,480 --> 01:14:43,997
available as you settle into the moment.

1450
01:14:44,080 --> 01:14:48,797
Right now, you can notice the awareness
that's reading these words, the knowing

1451
01:14:48,880 --> 01:14:50,637
presence that's been with you throughout

1452
01:14:50,720 --> 01:14:53,837
your entire life. This awareness has

1453
01:14:53,920 --> 01:14:55,837
never been damaged by any experience

1454
01:14:55,920 --> 01:14:58,797
you've had. It has never been improved

1455
01:14:58,880 --> 01:15:01,437
by any achievement or diminished by any

1456
01:15:01,520 --> 01:15:04,477
failure. Feel how this recognition

1457
01:15:04,560 --> 01:15:09,597
brings a natural settling, like finding
solid ground after walking on uncertain

1458
01:15:09,680 --> 01:15:13,757
terrain. Your body can
relax more completely when

1459
01:15:13,840 --> 01:15:17,597
it knows it's supported
by something unshakable.

1460
01:15:17,680 --> 01:15:19,677
Your breath can deepen when it's resting

1461
01:15:19,760 --> 01:15:21,597
in awareness that doesn't need to be

1462
01:15:21,680 --> 01:15:24,957
protected or maintained through effort.

1463
01:15:25,040 --> 01:15:28,637
This mountainlike stability
makes falling asleep not a loss of

1464
01:15:28,720 --> 01:15:32,637
consciousness, but a deepening into rest.

1465
01:15:32,720 --> 01:15:34,797
Sleep becomes not an escape from

1466
01:15:34,880 --> 01:15:37,517
awareness, but awareness settling into

1467
01:15:37,600 --> 01:15:41,357
its most natural and restorative state.

1468
01:15:41,440 --> 01:15:45,997
Like a mountain that remains present
through day and night, the essential you

1469
01:15:46,080 --> 01:15:47,837
continues through all states of

1470
01:15:47,920 --> 01:15:50,237
consciousness, providing a thread of

1471
01:15:50,320 --> 01:15:53,437
continuity that makes rest feel safe and

1472
01:15:53,520 --> 01:15:56,557
natural. As you continue settling into

1473
01:15:56,640 --> 01:16:00,637
sleep tonight, carry with you the
teachings of the Mountain Hermit and the

1474
01:16:00,720 --> 01:16:03,517
Stone Buddha. Remember that the peace

1475
01:16:03,600 --> 01:16:05,517
you seek doesn't depend on having

1476
01:16:05,600 --> 01:16:08,157
perfect conditions, but on recognizing

1477
01:16:08,240 --> 01:16:12,557
the unshakable awareness
that's always available.

1478
01:16:12,640 --> 01:16:15,117
Let your body rest like a mountain,

1479
01:16:15,200 --> 01:16:18,077
solid and unmovable.

1480
01:16:18,160 --> 01:16:20,557
Let your mind rest like the sky around

1481
01:16:20,640 --> 01:16:23,357
mountain peaks, spacious enough to hold

1482
01:16:23,440 --> 01:16:26,877
all weather without being disturbed.

1483
01:16:26,960 --> 01:16:29,357
The deep rest that awaits you is not

1484
01:16:29,440 --> 01:16:34,397
empty unconsciousness, but the profound
sleep of awareness returning to its

1485
01:16:34,480 --> 01:16:38,237
source. Like a mountain
that knows no separation

1486
01:16:38,320 --> 01:16:40,477
between day and night, sleeping and

1487
01:16:40,560 --> 01:16:43,197
waking, you can rest in the continuity

1488
01:16:43,280 --> 01:16:45,357
of being that flows seamlessly through

1489
01:16:45,440 --> 01:16:48,237
all states of experience.

1490
01:16:48,320 --> 01:16:50,477
Sleep now in the confidence of this

1491
01:16:50,560 --> 01:16:53,117
mountainlike stability, surrounded by

1492
01:16:53,200 --> 01:16:55,597
the unshakable peace that has always

1493
01:16:55,680 --> 01:16:58,557
been your deepest nature.

1494
01:16:58,640 --> 01:17:03,437
Many people fear the darkness,
both the literal darkness of night and the

1495
01:17:03,520 --> 01:17:07,997
metaphorical darkness of not
knowing what tomorrow will bring.

1496
01:17:08,080 --> 01:17:12,397
But ancient wisdom traditions have
long recognized that darkness is not the

1497
01:17:12,480 --> 01:17:16,717
opposite of light, but rather
the spacious void from which all light

1498
01:17:16,800 --> 01:17:18,637
emerges.

1499
01:17:18,720 --> 01:17:21,357
The darkness that infolds you now as you

1500
01:17:21,440 --> 01:17:24,557
settle towards sleep is not empty but

1501
01:17:24,640 --> 01:17:27,437
pregnant with possibility, rich with the

1502
01:17:27,520 --> 01:17:29,517
potential for healing and renewal that

1503
01:17:29,600 --> 01:17:32,157
can only happen when conscious effort

1504
01:17:32,240 --> 01:17:35,677
finally releases its careful hold. In

1505
01:17:35,760 --> 01:17:38,157
the mountains of old Japan, there lived

1506
01:17:38,240 --> 01:17:41,117
a monk named Gatsu who had developed an

1507
01:17:41,200 --> 01:17:43,677
unusual practice that puzzled his fellow

1508
01:17:43,760 --> 01:17:46,077
monastery residents.

1509
01:17:46,160 --> 01:17:48,477
While others would retire to their cells

1510
01:17:48,560 --> 01:17:50,877
after evening meditation and remain

1511
01:17:50,960 --> 01:17:53,837
there until the morning bell, Getsu

1512
01:17:53,920 --> 01:17:56,157
would slip quietly out of the monastery

1513
01:17:56,240 --> 01:17:58,877
late at night and spend hours walking

1514
01:17:58,960 --> 01:18:01,117
the mountain paths under whatever moon

1515
01:18:01,200 --> 01:18:04,717
or stars were visible. At first, the

1516
01:18:04,800 --> 01:18:08,717
other monks worried about
Getsu's nighttime wanderings.

1517
01:18:08,800 --> 01:18:10,877
The mountain trails were treacherous

1518
01:18:10,960 --> 01:18:13,677
enough in daylight with steep drops and

1519
01:18:13,760 --> 01:18:16,237
loose rocks that could easily cause a

1520
01:18:16,320 --> 01:18:19,757
fall. At night, these dangers were

1521
01:18:19,840 --> 01:18:22,237
multiplied and several senior monks

1522
01:18:22,320 --> 01:18:27,117
warned that his practice
was unnecessarily risky.

1523
01:18:27,200 --> 01:18:29,117
But Gettsu had discovered something

1524
01:18:29,200 --> 01:18:31,277
during his night walks that he couldn't

1525
01:18:31,360 --> 01:18:34,317
find during daylight meditation.

1526
01:18:34,400 --> 01:18:37,037
In the darkness, his other senses became

1527
01:18:37,120 --> 01:18:41,517
remarkably acute. He could
hear the subtle sounds of the

1528
01:18:41,600 --> 01:18:43,677
mountains nighttime life with

1529
01:18:43,760 --> 01:18:48,637
extraordinary clarity.
The distant call of an owl, the soft

1530
01:18:48,720 --> 01:18:53,117
footsteps of deer moving through
undergrowth, the gentle trickling of

1531
01:18:53,200 --> 01:18:55,197
streams that were barely audible during

1532
01:18:55,280 --> 01:18:57,917
the day's louder activity.

1533
01:18:58,000 --> 01:19:00,477
More importantly, Getsu found that

1534
01:19:00,560 --> 01:19:05,277
walking in darkness required a different
kind of attention than any practice he

1535
01:19:05,360 --> 01:19:09,997
had tried before.
During daylight meditation, his mind

1536
01:19:10,080 --> 01:19:11,917
would often wander into planning or

1537
01:19:12,000 --> 01:19:14,237
remembering, distracted by visual

1538
01:19:14,320 --> 01:19:19,277
details in his environment.
But night walking demanded constant

1539
01:19:19,360 --> 01:19:23,757
presence. Each step
required careful attention to

1540
01:19:23,840 --> 01:19:25,997
the ground beneath his feet, to the

1541
01:19:26,080 --> 01:19:28,317
subtle signs that indicated whether the

1542
01:19:28,400 --> 01:19:31,597
path was safe or dangerous.

1543
01:19:31,680 --> 01:19:33,757
This quality of attention gradually

1544
01:19:33,840 --> 01:19:36,317
began to transform Getsu's entire

1545
01:19:36,400 --> 01:19:38,717
approach to practice.

1546
01:19:38,800 --> 01:19:41,197
During his night walks, he wasn't trying

1547
01:19:41,280 --> 01:19:46,397
to achieve any particular state of mind
or work through specific spiritual

1548
01:19:46,480 --> 01:19:50,077
problems. He was simply
present with the immediate

1549
01:19:50,160 --> 01:19:52,717
reality of each moment, feeling his way

1550
01:19:52,800 --> 01:19:54,877
forward with a kind of intimate trust

1551
01:19:54,960 --> 01:19:58,157
that daylight had never required.

1552
01:19:58,240 --> 01:20:01,037
One particularly dark night when clouds

1553
01:20:01,120 --> 01:20:04,317
covered both moon and stars, Getsu found

1554
01:20:04,400 --> 01:20:06,237
himself on a section of the mountain

1555
01:20:06,320 --> 01:20:09,517
trail that he didn't recognize.

1556
01:20:09,600 --> 01:20:13,837
The path seemed to have split in two
directions, and in the complete

1557
01:20:13,920 --> 01:20:16,317
darkness, he couldn't tell which route

1558
01:20:16,400 --> 01:20:19,597
was safe. He stood still for several

1559
01:20:19,680 --> 01:20:22,077
minutes, listening carefully for any

1560
01:20:22,160 --> 01:20:25,597
clues about which direction to take. As

1561
01:20:25,680 --> 01:20:27,837
he waited in the darkness, something

1562
01:20:27,920 --> 01:20:30,877
remarkable happened. Instead of feeling

1563
01:20:30,960 --> 01:20:33,197
lost or anxious about not knowing which

1564
01:20:33,280 --> 01:20:36,077
way to go, Getsu began to experience a

1565
01:20:36,160 --> 01:20:41,437
profound sense of being exactly where
he needed to be. The not knowing, which

1566
01:20:41,520 --> 01:20:45,277
would have felt frightening during
the day, became a doorway into a different

1567
01:20:45,360 --> 01:20:49,997
kind of awareness. Standing
there in complete darkness,

1568
01:20:50,080 --> 01:20:52,237
unable to see his own hand in front of

1569
01:20:52,320 --> 01:20:54,877
his face, Getsu realized that he had

1570
01:20:54,960 --> 01:20:57,277
been living most of his life, as if he

1571
01:20:57,360 --> 01:21:00,237
could see clearly where he was going.

1572
01:21:00,320 --> 01:21:03,357
He made plans, set goals, tried to

1573
01:21:03,440 --> 01:21:05,757
control outcomes based on what appeared

1574
01:21:05,840 --> 01:21:08,397
to be obvious choices.

1575
01:21:08,480 --> 01:21:10,717
But in this moment of complete visual

1576
01:21:10,800 --> 01:21:13,037
darkness, he understood that most of

1577
01:21:13,120 --> 01:21:17,757
life actually required the same kind
of intimate attention that he was

1578
01:21:17,840 --> 01:21:19,997
practicing on this invisible mountain

1579
01:21:20,080 --> 01:21:23,037
path. As he stood quietly in the

1580
01:21:23,120 --> 01:21:25,917
darkness, Getsu's other senses began to

1581
01:21:26,000 --> 01:21:28,797
provide the guidance he needed.

1582
01:21:28,880 --> 01:21:31,037
A slight breeze carried the scent of

1583
01:21:31,120 --> 01:21:33,757
pine trees, indicating which direction

1584
01:21:33,840 --> 01:21:36,477
led deeper into the forest.

1585
01:21:36,560 --> 01:21:39,277
The sound of a distant stream suggested

1586
01:21:39,360 --> 01:21:41,437
which path would eventually lead back

1587
01:21:41,520 --> 01:21:43,677
toward the monastery.

1588
01:21:43,760 --> 01:21:46,317
Most importantly, he could feel through

1589
01:21:46,400 --> 01:21:51,117
his feet which direction
offered more stable ground.

1590
01:21:51,200 --> 01:21:55,517
By the time the first light of dawn
began to illuminate the mountain peaks,

1591
01:21:55,600 --> 01:21:59,757
Getsu had found his way
safely back to the monastery.

1592
01:21:59,840 --> 01:22:02,477
But more than that, he had discovered a

1593
01:22:02,560 --> 01:22:05,037
new relationship with uncertainty that

1594
01:22:05,120 --> 01:22:07,517
would transform his spiritual practice

1595
01:22:07,600 --> 01:22:10,397
for the rest of his life. From that

1596
01:22:10,480 --> 01:22:13,277
night forward, Getsu approached all

1597
01:22:13,360 --> 01:22:15,597
aspects of his life with the same

1598
01:22:15,680 --> 01:22:17,837
quality of intimate attention that

1599
01:22:17,920 --> 01:22:20,877
darkness had taught him. When facing

1600
01:22:20,960 --> 01:22:23,357
decisions, instead of relying only on

1601
01:22:23,440 --> 01:22:25,837
mental analysis, he would listen for the

1602
01:22:25,920 --> 01:22:28,317
subtle signs that his whole being was

1603
01:22:28,400 --> 01:22:31,197
offering. When meditation became

1604
01:22:31,280 --> 01:22:33,597
difficult, instead of forcing his mind

1605
01:22:33,680 --> 01:22:36,237
to behave in particular ways, he would

1606
01:22:36,320 --> 01:22:41,357
feel his way forward moment by moment,
trusting the process to reveal what was

1607
01:22:41,440 --> 01:22:45,277
needed. Years later,
when students would ask

1608
01:22:45,360 --> 01:22:47,597
Getsu about his unusual practice of

1609
01:22:47,680 --> 01:22:49,517
night walking, he would take them

1610
01:22:49,600 --> 01:22:52,957
outside under the evening sky. "Look at

1611
01:22:53,040 --> 01:22:56,477
the stars," he would say. "You can only

1612
01:22:56,560 --> 01:22:59,677
see them clearly when it's dark enough.

1613
01:22:59,760 --> 01:23:01,757
Some truths can only be discovered when

1614
01:23:01,840 --> 01:23:04,077
we stop trying to illuminate everything

1615
01:23:04,160 --> 01:23:07,677
with the harsh light of mental effort."

1616
01:23:07,760 --> 01:23:10,397
But isn't darkness dangerous?

1617
01:23:10,480 --> 01:23:14,797
Students would ask, "Shouldn't
we try to see clearly where

1618
01:23:14,880 --> 01:23:19,757
we're going?" Getsu would
smile and point to the moon,

1619
01:23:19,840 --> 01:23:24,077
which might be visible as a thin
crescent or completely hidden behind

1620
01:23:24,160 --> 01:23:28,157
clouds. "The moon doesn't
create its own light,"

1621
01:23:28,240 --> 01:23:32,157
he would explain.
"It simply reflects the sun's

1622
01:23:32,240 --> 01:23:34,477
illumination in a form that's gentle

1623
01:23:34,560 --> 01:23:37,757
enough for night vision. When we try too

1624
01:23:37,840 --> 01:23:42,477
hard to see everything clearly,
we create a glare that actually blinds us

1625
01:23:42,560 --> 01:23:46,317
to subtler guidance
that's always available.

1626
01:23:46,400 --> 01:23:48,797
Darkness teaches us to trust senses

1627
01:23:48,880 --> 01:23:52,317
other than sight. He would continue.

1628
01:23:52,400 --> 01:23:54,717
It teaches us to feel our way forward

1629
01:23:54,800 --> 01:23:57,357
with patience and care.

1630
01:23:57,440 --> 01:23:59,837
Most importantly, it teaches us that we

1631
01:23:59,920 --> 01:24:02,157
don't need to see the entire path to

1632
01:24:02,240 --> 01:24:04,717
take the next step safely.

1633
01:24:04,800 --> 01:24:07,277
Like getsu, you can learn to trust the

1634
01:24:07,360 --> 01:24:09,517
darkness that surrounds you as you

1635
01:24:09,600 --> 01:24:12,557
settle into sleep. The not knowing where

1636
01:24:12,640 --> 01:24:15,037
sleep will take you, the letting go of

1637
01:24:15,120 --> 01:24:17,597
control that unconsciousness requires,

1638
01:24:17,680 --> 01:24:19,597
the releasing of the day's efforts to

1639
01:24:19,680 --> 01:24:22,397
manage and direct your experience. All

1640
01:24:22,480 --> 01:24:27,277
of these can become doorways into
a deeper trust rather than sources of

1641
01:24:27,360 --> 01:24:31,517
anxiety. Notice how your
vision naturally softens

1642
01:24:31,600 --> 01:24:34,157
as you prepare for rest.

1643
01:24:34,240 --> 01:24:38,557
This isn't a loss of capacity,
but a shift toward a different kind of

1644
01:24:38,640 --> 01:24:42,237
perception. Just as Getu
discovered that night

1645
01:24:42,320 --> 01:24:46,717
vision revealed things that daylight
obscured, the gentle dimming of

1646
01:24:46,800 --> 01:24:48,557
conscious awareness as you approach

1647
01:24:48,640 --> 01:24:51,277
sleep opens doorways to other forms of

1648
01:24:51,360 --> 01:24:54,717
wisdom. Your body knows how to navigate

1649
01:24:54,800 --> 01:24:59,037
toward rest without visual guidance.

1650
01:24:59,120 --> 01:25:01,197
Feel how it naturally finds the most

1651
01:25:01,280 --> 01:25:03,597
comfortable position. how it knows

1652
01:25:03,680 --> 01:25:06,397
exactly where to release tension. How it

1653
01:25:06,480 --> 01:25:09,677
can sense what it needs for restoration.

1654
01:25:09,760 --> 01:25:13,277
This embodied intelligence doesn't
require the bright light of mental

1655
01:25:13,360 --> 01:25:16,957
analysis. It works more like Getsu's night

1656
01:25:17,040 --> 01:25:19,597
walking, feeling its way forward through

1657
01:25:19,680 --> 01:25:23,197
subtle signs and intimate attention.

1658
01:25:23,280 --> 01:25:25,997
The darkness that infolds you now is not

1659
01:25:26,080 --> 01:25:29,197
empty space, but a rich environment full

1660
01:25:29,280 --> 01:25:31,517
of healing potential.

1661
01:25:31,600 --> 01:25:34,237
Just as the night sky reveals stars that

1662
01:25:34,320 --> 01:25:37,037
are invisible during daylight hours, the

1663
01:25:37,120 --> 01:25:41,917
darkness of approaching sleep makes
visible inner resources for restoration

1664
01:25:42,000 --> 01:25:48,360
that remain hidden during the busy
activity of waking consciousness.

1665
01:25:50,880 --> 01:25:53,837
In the old Chinese capital of Chan,

1666
01:25:53,920 --> 01:25:55,917
there stood a famous Buddhist temple

1667
01:25:56,000 --> 01:25:57,997
known throughout the empire for its

1668
01:25:58,080 --> 01:26:00,877
beautiful evening ceremonies.

1669
01:26:00,960 --> 01:26:05,117
Pilgrims would travel for months just
to participate in the temple's sunset

1670
01:26:05,200 --> 01:26:07,677
meditation when hundreds of monks would

1671
01:26:07,760 --> 01:26:09,357
gather in the main hall to practice

1672
01:26:09,440 --> 01:26:13,037
together as daylight faded into night.

1673
01:26:13,120 --> 01:26:17,197
But the temple was most renowned
for a particular practice that happened at

1674
01:26:17,280 --> 01:26:19,677
midnight when a single bell would ring

1675
01:26:19,760 --> 01:26:22,797
once across the sleeping city. This

1676
01:26:22,880 --> 01:26:24,637
midnight bell was different from the

1677
01:26:24,720 --> 01:26:27,117
regular bells that marked the hours or

1678
01:26:27,200 --> 01:26:30,637
called monks to prayer. It was larger,

1679
01:26:30,720 --> 01:26:33,517
deeper, and cast from a special bronze

1680
01:26:33,600 --> 01:26:35,917
alloy that allowed its sound to carry

1681
01:26:36,000 --> 01:26:38,717
for miles across the valley.

1682
01:26:38,800 --> 01:26:40,877
The story of the midnight bell began

1683
01:26:40,960 --> 01:26:45,837
with the temple's founding master,
a monk named Mingjao, who had noticed

1684
01:26:45,920 --> 01:26:49,677
something beautiful about
the deepest hours of night.

1685
01:26:49,760 --> 01:26:51,757
During his own late night meditation

1686
01:26:51,840 --> 01:26:54,397
practice, he observed that there was a

1687
01:26:54,480 --> 01:26:56,957
quality of silence present at midnight

1688
01:26:57,040 --> 01:26:58,957
that was different from any other time

1689
01:26:59,040 --> 01:27:02,317
of day. Not just the absence of human

1690
01:27:02,400 --> 01:27:05,357
activity, but a profound stillness that

1691
01:27:05,440 --> 01:27:08,557
seemed to emerge from the earth itself.

1692
01:27:08,640 --> 01:27:11,117
Mingjao began to experiment with ringing

1693
01:27:11,200 --> 01:27:13,757
a bell during these midnight hours.

1694
01:27:13,840 --> 01:27:16,237
Curious about how sound would behave in

1695
01:27:16,320 --> 01:27:18,637
such deep silence,

1696
01:27:18,720 --> 01:27:20,877
he discovered that the bell's tone

1697
01:27:20,960 --> 01:27:23,997
seemed to carry further and last longer

1698
01:27:24,080 --> 01:27:25,997
when rung in the middle of the night

1699
01:27:26,080 --> 01:27:28,877
than at any other time. More

1700
01:27:28,960 --> 01:27:33,517
importantly, the sound seemed to reach
something deeper in listeners, touching

1701
01:27:33,600 --> 01:27:37,357
a place that was rarely accessible
during the noise and activity of

1702
01:27:37,440 --> 01:27:41,517
daylight hours.
Word of the midnight bell began to

1703
01:27:41,600 --> 01:27:45,757
spread throughout the city.
People reported that they would wake at

1704
01:27:45,840 --> 01:27:48,477
the sound, not startled or disturbed,

1705
01:27:48,560 --> 01:27:50,557
but gently called into a moment of

1706
01:27:50,640 --> 01:27:53,597
extraordinary peace. Many said that

1707
01:27:53,680 --> 01:27:58,237
hearing the bell in the depth of night
brought them a sense of connection to

1708
01:27:58,320 --> 01:28:00,477
something larger than their individual

1709
01:28:00,560 --> 01:28:03,677
concerns, a reminder that they were part

1710
01:28:03,760 --> 01:28:06,557
of a vast community of beings sharing

1711
01:28:06,640 --> 01:28:09,357
the same moment of time.

1712
01:28:09,440 --> 01:28:11,597
But the most remarkable stories came

1713
01:28:11,680 --> 01:28:13,917
from those who were already awake during

1714
01:28:14,000 --> 01:28:16,557
the midnight hour. People caring for

1715
01:28:16,640 --> 01:28:19,357
sick family members, guards keeping

1716
01:28:19,440 --> 01:28:22,157
watch, travelers unable to sleep in

1717
01:28:22,240 --> 01:28:26,557
unfamiliar places.
These night dwellers reported that the

1718
01:28:26,640 --> 01:28:28,957
bell's sound seemed to transform their

1719
01:28:29,040 --> 01:28:31,517
experience of being awake in darkness

1720
01:28:31,600 --> 01:28:33,677
from something lonely or frightening

1721
01:28:33,760 --> 01:28:36,877
into something sacred and connected.

1722
01:28:36,960 --> 01:28:39,517
One such person was a merchant named Lee

1723
01:28:39,600 --> 01:28:44,077
Wei who suffered from persistent
insomnia that had troubled him for

1724
01:28:44,160 --> 01:28:48,237
years. Night after night,
he would lie awake

1725
01:28:48,320 --> 01:28:50,877
worried about his business, his family's

1726
01:28:50,960 --> 01:28:53,437
welfare, the endless responsibilities

1727
01:28:53,520 --> 01:28:56,877
that seemed to multiply in the darkness.

1728
01:28:56,960 --> 01:28:58,557
The sleepless hours felt like

1729
01:28:58,640 --> 01:29:01,597
punishment. Empty time that served no

1730
01:29:01,680 --> 01:29:04,077
purpose except to exhaust him for the

1731
01:29:04,160 --> 01:29:07,197
following day. But on his first night

1732
01:29:07,280 --> 01:29:12,077
staying at an inn near the temple,
Leewayi's experience of sleeplessness

1733
01:29:12,160 --> 01:29:14,077
was completely transformed by the

1734
01:29:14,160 --> 01:29:17,437
midnight bell. When its deep tone rang

1735
01:29:17,520 --> 01:29:22,237
across the city, something in his chest
relaxed that he hadn't even realized was

1736
01:29:22,320 --> 01:29:25,597
tense. The worries
that had been circling in

1737
01:29:25,680 --> 01:29:28,877
his mind suddenly seemed less urgent,

1738
01:29:28,960 --> 01:29:31,277
held within a larger perspective that

1739
01:29:31,360 --> 01:29:35,197
the bell's sound somehow conveyed.

1740
01:29:35,280 --> 01:29:40,237
Leewi began to time his travels so that he
could stay near the temple whenever

1741
01:29:40,320 --> 01:29:44,397
possible. On nights when
sleep eluded him, instead

1742
01:29:44,480 --> 01:29:48,637
of fighting against wakefulness
or feeling frustrated by his inability to

1743
01:29:48,720 --> 01:29:51,197
rest, he would lie quietly and listen

1744
01:29:51,280 --> 01:29:54,877
for the midnight bell. When it rang, he

1745
01:29:54,960 --> 01:29:59,277
would allow its sound to fill him
completely, feeling how it connected him

1746
01:29:59,360 --> 01:30:01,277
to all the other sleepless people

1747
01:30:01,360 --> 01:30:04,317
throughout the city and beyond.

1748
01:30:04,400 --> 01:30:06,877
Over time, Leewayi's relationship with

1749
01:30:06,960 --> 01:30:10,157
insomnia transformed completely.

1750
01:30:10,240 --> 01:30:12,317
Sleepless nights were no longer sources

1751
01:30:12,400 --> 01:30:15,117
of distress, but opportunities for a

1752
01:30:15,200 --> 01:30:18,077
different kind of rest. Even when he

1753
01:30:18,160 --> 01:30:20,397
couldn't fall asleep, he could rest in

1754
01:30:20,480 --> 01:30:22,957
the deep silence that the midnight bell

1755
01:30:23,040 --> 01:30:25,677
revealed, finding restoration not

1756
01:30:25,760 --> 01:30:27,837
through unconsciousness, but through

1757
01:30:27,920 --> 01:30:30,237
connection to the vast stillness that

1758
01:30:30,320 --> 01:30:33,437
held all of life's activity.

1759
01:30:33,520 --> 01:30:36,077
Years later, when Leeway established his

1760
01:30:36,160 --> 01:30:40,797
own home in a distant city, he would
lie awake on difficult nights and listen

1761
01:30:40,880 --> 01:30:44,557
inwardly for the memory
of that midnight bell.

1762
01:30:44,640 --> 01:30:48,317
Even when he couldn't hear it physically,
he could recall the quality

1763
01:30:48,400 --> 01:30:50,957
of peace it had revealed, the reminder

1764
01:30:51,040 --> 01:30:54,077
that darkness was not empty, but full of

1765
01:30:54,160 --> 01:30:56,397
supportive presence.

1766
01:30:56,480 --> 01:31:01,437
The midnight bell continued to ring
for decades, marking the deepest point of

1767
01:31:01,520 --> 01:31:06,317
night for countless people throughout
the region. But the bell's real gift was

1768
01:31:06,400 --> 01:31:10,317
not the sound itself, but what it
revealed about the nature of darkness

1769
01:31:10,400 --> 01:31:14,237
and silence. It showed
that the night hours were not

1770
01:31:14,320 --> 01:31:17,197
empty time to be endured, but sacred

1771
01:31:17,280 --> 01:31:21,517
space where different kinds
of awareness could emerge.

1772
01:31:21,600 --> 01:31:23,437
Like the people who were touched by the

1773
01:31:23,520 --> 01:31:25,997
midnight bell, you can discover that the

1774
01:31:26,080 --> 01:31:28,957
darkness surrounding sleep is not vacant

1775
01:31:29,040 --> 01:31:31,597
emptiness, but a rich environment of

1776
01:31:31,680 --> 01:31:34,557
restoration and renewal.

1777
01:31:34,640 --> 01:31:37,277
The quiet hours are not dead time, but

1778
01:31:37,360 --> 01:31:39,997
alive with subtle processes of healing

1779
01:31:40,080 --> 01:31:44,637
that can only happen when the busy
activity of conscious control finally

1780
01:31:44,720 --> 01:31:46,717
steps aside.

1781
01:31:46,800 --> 01:31:49,197
Right now, as you rest in the growing

1782
01:31:49,280 --> 01:31:51,837
darkness, you can listen for your own

1783
01:31:51,920 --> 01:31:55,357
inner midnight bell. Not an external

1784
01:31:55,440 --> 01:31:57,997
sound, but the deep resonance of peace

1785
01:31:58,080 --> 01:32:00,317
that emerges when you stop working so

1786
01:32:00,400 --> 01:32:03,197
hard to manage your experience.

1787
01:32:03,280 --> 01:32:05,917
This inner bell rings not to wake you

1788
01:32:06,000 --> 01:32:09,037
up, but to call you home to the profound

1789
01:32:09,120 --> 01:32:11,677
rest that's available in each moment of

1790
01:32:11,760 --> 01:32:14,957
surrender. Feel how the darkness around

1791
01:32:15,040 --> 01:32:17,997
you is not threatening but embracing,

1792
01:32:18,080 --> 01:32:22,637
not empty, but full
of supportive presence.

1793
01:32:22,720 --> 01:32:26,797
Like the silence that allowed the midnight
bell to carry so clearly across

1794
01:32:26,880 --> 01:32:29,277
the valley, the quieting of your mental

1795
01:32:29,360 --> 01:32:32,077
activity creates space for deeper kinds

1796
01:32:32,160 --> 01:32:34,477
of knowing to emerge.

1797
01:32:34,560 --> 01:32:39,517
Your breath can become like that temple
bell marking the rhythm of your descent

1798
01:32:39,600 --> 01:32:43,757
into rest. Each exhale
releases a little more of

1799
01:32:43,840 --> 01:32:46,477
the day's effort and holding.

1800
01:32:46,560 --> 01:32:49,037
Each inhale draws you deeper into the

1801
01:32:49,120 --> 01:32:51,517
healing darkness that knows exactly how

1802
01:32:51,600 --> 01:32:53,917
to restore what has been depleted and

1803
01:32:54,000 --> 01:32:57,277
renew what has been worn. The transition

1804
01:32:57,360 --> 01:32:59,997
from waking to sleeping is like moving

1805
01:33:00,080 --> 01:33:02,557
from the busy daylight world into the

1806
01:33:02,640 --> 01:33:05,757
sacred space of the midnight temple.

1807
01:33:05,840 --> 01:33:10,237
Different rules apply here.
different kinds of wisdom become

1808
01:33:10,320 --> 01:33:14,397
available. The harsh light
of analytical thinking

1809
01:33:14,480 --> 01:33:19,517
gives way to the gentle
illumination of intuitive knowing.

1810
01:33:19,600 --> 01:33:24,077
There's a beautiful practice
in contemplative traditions called resting

1811
01:33:24,160 --> 01:33:27,997
in unknowing.
Instead of trying to figure everything

1812
01:33:28,080 --> 01:33:32,397
out or plan every detail of tomorrow,
you can practice the art of being

1813
01:33:32,480 --> 01:33:36,237
comfortable with not
knowing what comes next.

1814
01:33:36,320 --> 01:33:40,797
This doesn't mean being careless
or unprepared, but rather trusting that

1815
01:33:40,880 --> 01:33:45,597
life has its own intelligence
for unfolding appropriately.

1816
01:33:45,680 --> 01:33:47,517
Sleep is perhaps the most natural

1817
01:33:47,600 --> 01:33:49,757
practice of resting in unknowing that we

1818
01:33:49,840 --> 01:33:53,597
have. Each night you surrender conscious

1819
01:33:53,680 --> 01:33:56,797
control and trust your body and mind to

1820
01:33:56,880 --> 01:33:59,597
do whatever restoration is needed while

1821
01:33:59,680 --> 01:34:03,997
you're unconscious.
You don't stay awake to supervise the

1822
01:34:04,080 --> 01:34:06,477
process of cellular repair, memory

1823
01:34:06,560 --> 01:34:10,077
consolidation, or dream processing.

1824
01:34:10,160 --> 01:34:14,077
You simply trust these ancient wisdom
systems to function without your

1825
01:34:14,160 --> 01:34:15,757
management.

1826
01:34:15,840 --> 01:34:18,237
This same quality of trust can transform

1827
01:34:18,320 --> 01:34:21,117
your approach to falling asleep.

1828
01:34:21,200 --> 01:34:23,517
Instead of working to make sleep happen,

1829
01:34:23,600 --> 01:34:25,517
you can practice the art of allowing

1830
01:34:25,600 --> 01:34:28,637
sleep to receive you. Like stepping into

1831
01:34:28,720 --> 01:34:32,717
a warm bath or settling into
a comfortable chair, you can let the

1832
01:34:32,800 --> 01:34:36,717
natural process of rest
support you completely.

1833
01:34:36,800 --> 01:34:38,877
The darkness that Getsu learned to

1834
01:34:38,960 --> 01:34:41,677
navigate on his mountain paths is the

1835
01:34:41,760 --> 01:34:44,077
same darkness that now surrounds your

1836
01:34:44,160 --> 01:34:49,197
approach to sleep. It's not the absence
of guidance, but the presence of a

1837
01:34:49,280 --> 01:34:53,277
different kind of wisdom that doesn't
rely on seeing everything clearly in

1838
01:34:53,360 --> 01:34:56,877
advance. It's the wisdom
of feeling your way

1839
01:34:56,960 --> 01:34:59,837
forward moment by moment, trusting your

1840
01:34:59,920 --> 01:35:02,237
deepest intelligence to know what's

1841
01:35:02,320 --> 01:35:05,597
needed. Your body knows how to sleep the

1842
01:35:05,680 --> 01:35:09,917
same way it knows how
to digest food or heal cuts.

1843
01:35:10,000 --> 01:35:14,317
You don't need to understand these
processes intellectually or control them

1844
01:35:14,400 --> 01:35:17,997
consciously. You simply
need to create the conditions

1845
01:35:18,080 --> 01:35:21,117
that allow them to function naturally.

1846
01:35:21,200 --> 01:35:23,357
Relaxing into darkness is creating one

1847
01:35:23,440 --> 01:35:26,317
of those essential conditions.

1848
01:35:26,400 --> 01:35:28,237
Notice how your thinking naturally

1849
01:35:28,320 --> 01:35:31,037
becomes softer and more dreamlike as you

1850
01:35:31,120 --> 01:35:36,077
settle towards sleep.
This isn't a failure of mental clarity,

1851
01:35:36,160 --> 01:35:39,917
but a shift toward the kind
of consciousness that's most supportive of

1852
01:35:40,000 --> 01:35:43,917
rest and renewal.
Like moonlight that's gentler than

1853
01:35:44,000 --> 01:35:45,917
sunlight, but still provides enough

1854
01:35:46,000 --> 01:35:48,637
illumination to navigate safely. This

1855
01:35:48,720 --> 01:35:51,197
softer awareness is perfectly suited for

1856
01:35:51,280 --> 01:35:54,077
the journey into sleep. The sounds

1857
01:35:54,160 --> 01:35:58,317
around you, whether they're quiet
or more noticeable, can become like the

1858
01:35:58,400 --> 01:36:00,477
midnight bell that blessed the ancient

1859
01:36:00,560 --> 01:36:03,837
Chinese city. Instead of disturbing your

1860
01:36:03,920 --> 01:36:06,797
rest, they can serve as reminders of the

1861
01:36:06,880 --> 01:36:09,437
vast community of life that surrounds

1862
01:36:09,520 --> 01:36:12,637
and supports you. Every sound is

1863
01:36:12,720 --> 01:36:14,557
evidence that you're not alone in the

1864
01:36:14,640 --> 01:36:17,277
darkness, but part of an intricate web

1865
01:36:17,360 --> 01:36:19,997
of existence that continues its patient

1866
01:36:20,080 --> 01:36:22,797
work of living and breathing and being

1867
01:36:22,880 --> 01:36:25,437
throughout the night hours.

1868
01:36:25,520 --> 01:36:27,437
Even the beating of your own heart can

1869
01:36:27,520 --> 01:36:30,157
become a kind of midnight bell, marking

1870
01:36:30,240 --> 01:36:32,877
time not in minutes and hours, but in

1871
01:36:32,960 --> 01:36:36,397
the sacred rhythm of life itself.

1872
01:36:36,480 --> 01:36:38,637
Feel how this steady pulse has been with

1873
01:36:38,720 --> 01:36:41,117
you since before your birth and will

1874
01:36:41,200 --> 01:36:44,477
continue until your final breath. It's a

1875
01:36:44,560 --> 01:36:46,877
sound more reliable than any external

1876
01:36:46,960 --> 01:36:49,437
bell. A reminder that you're supported

1877
01:36:49,520 --> 01:36:52,237
by life forces much older and wiser than

1878
01:36:52,320 --> 01:36:54,557
your conscious worries.

1879
01:36:54,640 --> 01:36:57,357
Tonight, as you continue settling into

1880
01:36:57,440 --> 01:37:00,237
the darkness of approaching sleep, carry

1881
01:37:00,320 --> 01:37:02,637
with you the wisdom of the night walking

1882
01:37:02,720 --> 01:37:06,797
monk and the peace of the midnight bell.

1883
01:37:06,880 --> 01:37:11,437
Trust that the darkness is not empty,
but full, not threatening, but

1884
01:37:11,520 --> 01:37:13,197
embracing.

1885
01:37:13,280 --> 01:37:15,757
Allow your eyes to close like flowers

1886
01:37:15,840 --> 01:37:18,797
closing at sunset. Not from exhaustion,

1887
01:37:18,880 --> 01:37:21,037
but from the natural rhythm that honors

1888
01:37:21,120 --> 01:37:24,077
both activity and rest.

1889
01:37:24,160 --> 01:37:26,797
The moonlight of deep peace is already

1890
01:37:26,880 --> 01:37:29,037
illuminating your inner landscape,

1891
01:37:29,120 --> 01:37:31,597
revealing pathways to restoration that

1892
01:37:31,680 --> 01:37:33,917
remain hidden during the bright activity

1893
01:37:34,000 --> 01:37:36,637
of daytime consciousness.

1894
01:37:36,720 --> 01:37:38,957
Follow these gentle paths with the same

1895
01:37:39,040 --> 01:37:41,277
trust that Getsu brought to his mountain

1896
01:37:41,360 --> 01:37:43,917
trails, knowing that each step takes you

1897
01:37:44,000 --> 01:37:46,157
closer to the profound rest that awaits

1898
01:37:46,240 --> 01:37:48,717
in the heart of darkness.

1899
01:37:48,800 --> 01:37:51,597
Sleep is perhaps the most mysterious

1900
01:37:51,680 --> 01:37:54,157
teacher we encounter.

1901
01:37:54,240 --> 01:37:58,717
Every night, without any conscious
effort or understanding on our part, our

1902
01:37:58,800 --> 01:38:00,957
minds and bodies engage in complex

1903
01:38:01,040 --> 01:38:03,677
processes of repair, renewal, and

1904
01:38:03,760 --> 01:38:05,917
reorganization.

1905
01:38:06,000 --> 01:38:09,117
Memories are sorted and integrated.

1906
01:38:09,200 --> 01:38:12,957
Emotions are processed and balanced.

1907
01:38:13,040 --> 01:38:17,037
Physical systems are
restored to optimal function.

1908
01:38:17,120 --> 01:38:18,877
All of this happens while our waking

1909
01:38:18,960 --> 01:38:21,437
consciousness steps aside, trusting

1910
01:38:21,520 --> 01:38:24,717
processes far older and wiser than any

1911
01:38:24,800 --> 01:38:27,437
plan or intention we might consciously

1912
01:38:27,520 --> 01:38:31,917
create. In ancient Tibet,
high in a monastery

1913
01:38:32,000 --> 01:38:33,517
that seemed to touch the clouds

1914
01:38:33,600 --> 01:38:36,077
themselves, there lived a master named

1915
01:38:36,160 --> 01:38:39,117
Tenzin Noru who had developed an unusual

1916
01:38:39,200 --> 01:38:42,157
method of teaching his students.

1917
01:38:42,240 --> 01:38:44,237
Unlike other teachers who relied

1918
01:38:44,320 --> 01:38:46,717
primarily on daytime lectures,

1919
01:38:46,800 --> 01:38:49,197
meditation instructions, and formal

1920
01:38:49,280 --> 01:38:52,317
discussions of Buddhist philosophy,

1921
01:38:52,400 --> 01:38:56,957
Master Noru conducted much of his most
profound teaching through what he called

1922
01:38:57,040 --> 01:39:01,197
dream dharma, wisdom that was transmitted
during the students sleeping

1923
01:39:01,280 --> 01:39:02,877
hours.

1924
01:39:02,960 --> 01:39:05,437
At first, newcomers to the monastery

1925
01:39:05,520 --> 01:39:08,397
were puzzled by this approach.

1926
01:39:08,480 --> 01:39:13,037
They had come expecting intensive
meditation schedules, rigorous study of

1927
01:39:13,120 --> 01:39:16,797
sacred texts, and challenging
intellectual discussions about the

1928
01:39:16,880 --> 01:39:21,517
nature of reality. Instead,
Master Noru would often spend

1929
01:39:21,600 --> 01:39:25,677
only a few minutes each evening offering
simple instructions before sending

1930
01:39:25,760 --> 01:39:29,357
everyone to sleep with the suggestion
that their real learning would happen in

1931
01:39:29,440 --> 01:39:33,197
dreams. Your waking mind, the master would

1932
01:39:33,280 --> 01:39:36,237
explain, is like a gatekeeper who thinks

1933
01:39:36,320 --> 01:39:39,197
he knows what's safe to allow inside and

1934
01:39:39,280 --> 01:39:42,637
what should be kept out. He means well,

1935
01:39:42,720 --> 01:39:47,197
but he's often too cautious, rejecting
wisdom that doesn't fit his familiar

1936
01:39:47,280 --> 01:39:48,877
categories.

1937
01:39:48,960 --> 01:39:51,357
When you sleep, this gatekeeper steps

1938
01:39:51,440 --> 01:39:54,317
aside, and deeper truths can enter

1939
01:39:54,400 --> 01:39:56,717
without resistance.

1940
01:39:56,800 --> 01:40:00,077
One student, a young man named Lobsang,

1941
01:40:00,160 --> 01:40:04,797
who had spent years studying Buddhist
philosophy at other monasteries, was

1942
01:40:04,880 --> 01:40:08,957
particularly skeptical
of this dream teaching approach.

1943
01:40:09,040 --> 01:40:10,957
He had worked hard to develop his

1944
01:40:11,040 --> 01:40:13,277
intellectual understanding of spiritual

1945
01:40:13,360 --> 01:40:16,077
concepts and was eager to continue that

1946
01:40:16,160 --> 01:40:18,957
kind of rigorous mental training.

1947
01:40:19,040 --> 01:40:23,757
The suggestion that important learning
could happen while he was unconscious

1948
01:40:23,840 --> 01:40:27,997
seemed like superstition
to his scholarly mind.

1949
01:40:28,080 --> 01:40:32,717
For weeks, Lobang would lie in his
cell at night feeling frustrated and

1950
01:40:32,800 --> 01:40:37,357
confused. He remembered
very few of his dreams,

1951
01:40:37,440 --> 01:40:39,437
and those he did recall seemed like

1952
01:40:39,520 --> 01:40:42,157
random nonsense rather than profound

1953
01:40:42,240 --> 01:40:44,637
spiritual instruction.

1954
01:40:44,720 --> 01:40:49,277
Meanwhile, other students would wake
in the morning speaking excitedly about

1955
01:40:49,360 --> 01:40:53,437
insights they had received,
problems that had been solved, and deep

1956
01:40:53,520 --> 01:40:55,277
understanding that had emerged during

1957
01:40:55,360 --> 01:40:57,597
their sleeping hours.

1958
01:40:57,680 --> 01:41:00,637
One evening, Master Noru called Lobang

1959
01:41:00,720 --> 01:41:04,077
aside after the day's final meditation.

1960
01:41:04,160 --> 01:41:06,477
"You're working too hard," the master

1961
01:41:06,560 --> 01:41:08,797
observed gently.

1962
01:41:08,880 --> 01:41:13,757
You approach sleep the same way you
approach study, trying to achieve

1963
01:41:13,840 --> 01:41:17,197
something, trying to control the outcome.

1964
01:41:17,280 --> 01:41:19,837
But dreams are not examinations you can

1965
01:41:19,920 --> 01:41:22,077
pass through effort.

1966
01:41:22,160 --> 01:41:24,557
They're gifts that come only when the

1967
01:41:24,640 --> 01:41:27,677
mind is truly at rest.

1968
01:41:27,760 --> 01:41:31,837
But how can I learn
anything if I'm unconscious?

1969
01:41:31,920 --> 01:41:34,157
Lobsang asked,

1970
01:41:34,240 --> 01:41:36,397
"How can wisdom be transmitted when I'm

1971
01:41:36,480 --> 01:41:39,597
not even aware of receiving it?" Master

1972
01:41:39,680 --> 01:41:42,157
Norbu smiled and pointed to a flowering

1973
01:41:42,240 --> 01:41:44,157
tree visible through the window of his

1974
01:41:44,240 --> 01:41:47,597
teaching room. "Look at that tree," he

1975
01:41:47,680 --> 01:41:50,397
said. "Do you think it works hard to

1976
01:41:50,480 --> 01:41:54,077
grow? Does it study treates on how to

1977
01:41:54,160 --> 01:41:58,077
produce blossoms?
Does it analyze the process of

1978
01:41:58,160 --> 01:42:00,157
photosynthesis?"

1979
01:42:00,240 --> 01:42:02,637
Lobang had to admit that the tree seemed

1980
01:42:02,720 --> 01:42:05,117
to grow effortlessly, following some

1981
01:42:05,200 --> 01:42:07,517
natural intelligence that required no

1982
01:42:07,600 --> 01:42:09,677
conscious effort.

1983
01:42:09,760 --> 01:42:12,157
"Your sleeping mind is like that tree,"

1984
01:42:12,240 --> 01:42:14,557
the master explained.

1985
01:42:14,640 --> 01:42:19,437
"It knows how to grow in wisdom without
your waking mind needing to supervise

1986
01:42:19,520 --> 01:42:21,437
the process."

1987
01:42:21,520 --> 01:42:23,277
But just as the tree needs the right

1988
01:42:23,360 --> 01:42:26,797
conditions, good soil, adequate water,

1989
01:42:26,880 --> 01:42:30,797
proper sunlight, your dreaming
consciousness needs the right conditions

1990
01:42:30,880 --> 01:42:32,957
to receive teaching.

1991
01:42:33,040 --> 01:42:36,077
The primary condition is genuine rest,

1992
01:42:36,160 --> 01:42:40,157
not the restless half-sleep of a mind
that's still trying to control and

1993
01:42:40,240 --> 01:42:44,477
achieve. That night,
Lobang approached sleep

1994
01:42:44,560 --> 01:42:48,397
differently.
Instead of trying to program himself to

1995
01:42:48,480 --> 01:42:51,437
receive teachings or remember dreams, he

1996
01:42:51,520 --> 01:42:53,837
simply focused on creating the deepest

1997
01:42:53,920 --> 01:42:55,917
rest possible.

1998
01:42:56,000 --> 01:42:58,797
He released his expectations, his desire

1999
01:42:58,880 --> 01:43:01,837
to understand, even his wish to be a

2000
01:43:01,920 --> 01:43:04,797
good student. He allowed his mind to

2001
01:43:04,880 --> 01:43:07,597
settle like sediment in water, becoming

2002
01:43:07,680 --> 01:43:09,997
clear and still.

2003
01:43:10,080 --> 01:43:12,557
In the dream that came, Lobang found

2004
01:43:12,640 --> 01:43:15,037
himself walking through a vast library

2005
01:43:15,120 --> 01:43:17,997
where all the books were blank. At

2006
01:43:18,080 --> 01:43:22,077
first, this seemed like a nightmare
for someone who loved learning through

2007
01:43:22,160 --> 01:43:24,797
reading. But as he moved through the

2008
01:43:24,880 --> 01:43:27,357
empty shelves, he began to feel a

2009
01:43:27,440 --> 01:43:30,877
profound peace. The absence of external

2010
01:43:30,960 --> 01:43:35,117
information allowed him to notice
a different kind of knowing that was

2011
01:43:35,200 --> 01:43:39,037
arising from within.
understanding that didn't come from

2012
01:43:39,120 --> 01:43:41,517
books or teachers, but from a source

2013
01:43:41,600 --> 01:43:44,557
deeper than intellectual learning. When

2014
01:43:44,640 --> 01:43:47,037
Lobsang woke, he couldn't remember the

2015
01:43:47,120 --> 01:43:51,677
specific details of the dream, but
something fundamental had shifted in his

2016
01:43:51,760 --> 01:43:53,197
understanding.

2017
01:43:53,280 --> 01:43:55,517
He felt a confidence in his own inner

2018
01:43:55,600 --> 01:43:59,037
wisdom that had never been there before.

2019
01:43:59,120 --> 01:44:03,517
The questions that had been troubling
him about spiritual practice seemed less

2020
01:44:03,600 --> 01:44:08,077
urgent, not because they had been
answered intellectually, but because he

2021
01:44:08,160 --> 01:44:11,997
had accessed a way of knowing
that transcended the need for mental

2022
01:44:12,080 --> 01:44:13,757
solutions.

2023
01:44:13,840 --> 01:44:16,797
From that night forward, Lobang's entire

2024
01:44:16,880 --> 01:44:19,997
approach to learning transformed.

2025
01:44:20,080 --> 01:44:24,717
He continued his daytime studies
and meditation practice, but he no longer

2026
01:44:24,800 --> 01:44:29,117
tried to force understanding
through mental effort alone.

2027
01:44:29,200 --> 01:44:33,197
He learned to work with his conscious
mind during the day and then trust his

2028
01:44:33,280 --> 01:44:35,117
unconscious wisdom to continue the

2029
01:44:35,200 --> 01:44:38,237
integration process during sleep.

2030
01:44:38,320 --> 01:44:40,397
Years later, when Lobang became a

2031
01:44:40,480 --> 01:44:42,717
teacher himself, students would ask him

2032
01:44:42,800 --> 01:44:45,357
to explain the doctrine of emptiness or

2033
01:44:45,440 --> 01:44:48,717
the nature of Buddha consciousness.

2034
01:44:48,800 --> 01:44:50,797
Instead of launching into intellectual

2035
01:44:50,880 --> 01:44:53,597
explanations, he would often say,

2036
01:44:53,680 --> 01:44:56,557
"Practice sincerely during the day, then

2037
01:44:56,640 --> 01:44:58,877
sleep deeply and let the teaching

2038
01:44:58,960 --> 01:45:01,197
continue in dreams."

2039
01:45:01,280 --> 01:45:03,917
Some truths can only be understood when

2040
01:45:04,000 --> 01:45:07,997
the thinking mind stops working so hard.

2041
01:45:08,080 --> 01:45:10,957
Master Noru lived to be very old and his

2042
01:45:11,040 --> 01:45:15,037
monastery became famous throughout Tibet
for producing students who seemed to

2043
01:45:15,120 --> 01:45:17,437
possess an unusually deep and stable

2044
01:45:17,520 --> 01:45:20,717
understanding of spiritual principles.

2045
01:45:20,800 --> 01:45:25,277
When other teachers asked about his
methods, he would simply say, "I teach

2046
01:45:25,360 --> 01:45:27,357
half the time.

2047
01:45:27,440 --> 01:45:30,717
Sleep teaches the other half. My job is

2048
01:45:30,800 --> 01:45:35,437
to plant seeds. Sleep's job
is to help them grow into

2049
01:45:35,520 --> 01:45:39,837
wisdom. Like Lobang,
you can learn to trust the

2050
01:45:39,920 --> 01:45:44,237
profound intelligence that becomes
available when conscious effort steps

2051
01:45:44,320 --> 01:45:48,637
aside. Right now,
as you settle into sleep,

2052
01:45:48,720 --> 01:45:50,877
countless processes of healing and

2053
01:45:50,960 --> 01:45:53,597
integration are preparing to begin their

2054
01:45:53,680 --> 01:45:56,557
work. You don't need to understand these

2055
01:45:56,640 --> 01:46:01,117
processes or supervise them any more
than you need to consciously direct the

2056
01:46:01,200 --> 01:46:03,277
beating of your heart or the flow of

2057
01:46:03,360 --> 01:46:06,637
your breath. Your mind knows how to sort

2058
01:46:06,720 --> 01:46:09,037
through the day's experiences, keeping

2059
01:46:09,120 --> 01:46:11,517
what's useful and releasing what's no

2060
01:46:11,600 --> 01:46:14,797
longer needed. Your emotions know how to

2061
01:46:14,880 --> 01:46:16,957
process and balance themselves during

2062
01:46:17,040 --> 01:46:21,997
sleep, often resolving conflicts and
tensions that seemed overwhelming during

2063
01:46:22,080 --> 01:46:23,917
waking hours.

2064
01:46:24,000 --> 01:46:26,877
Your body knows how to repair, restore,

2065
01:46:26,960 --> 01:46:29,437
and renew itself while you rest,

2066
01:46:29,520 --> 01:46:31,997
engaging in complex work of cellular

2067
01:46:32,080 --> 01:46:36,637
maintenance that would be
impossible to manage consciously.

2068
01:46:36,720 --> 01:46:38,877
This automatic wisdom that operates

2069
01:46:38,960 --> 01:46:41,357
during sleep is not separate from your

2070
01:46:41,440 --> 01:46:44,237
deepest spiritual nature.

2071
01:46:44,320 --> 01:46:48,637
It's one of the most accessible
examples of how life organizes itself

2072
01:46:48,720 --> 01:46:50,877
intelligently without requiring

2073
01:46:50,960 --> 01:46:54,237
conscious control or understanding.

2074
01:46:54,320 --> 01:46:56,877
Trusting sleep is practicing trust in

2075
01:46:56,960 --> 01:46:59,037
the fundamental intelligence that

2076
01:46:59,120 --> 01:47:02,077
animates all of existence.

2077
01:47:02,160 --> 01:47:04,157
Feel how your body is already beginning

2078
01:47:04,240 --> 01:47:06,317
to prepare for this transition into

2079
01:47:06,400 --> 01:47:09,517
unconscious wisdom. Your breathing is

2080
01:47:09,600 --> 01:47:12,397
naturally slowing and deepening.

2081
01:47:12,480 --> 01:47:16,237
Your muscles are releasing
their careful holding.

2082
01:47:16,320 --> 01:47:20,797
Your thoughts are becoming
softer and more dreamlike.

2083
01:47:20,880 --> 01:47:25,437
All of these changes are happening
without your effort, guided by systems

2084
01:47:25,520 --> 01:47:29,597
that know exactly what
you need for restoration.

2085
01:47:29,680 --> 01:47:31,597
There was once a Chinese philosopher

2086
01:47:31,680 --> 01:47:35,277
named Jangzi who lived over 2,000 years

2087
01:47:35,360 --> 01:47:38,157
ago and became famous for his profound

2088
01:47:38,240 --> 01:47:41,517
insights into the nature of reality.

2089
01:47:41,600 --> 01:47:45,757
Many of his deepest teachings came
through stories and parables that

2090
01:47:45,840 --> 01:47:50,237
pointed to truths too subtle
for direct explanation.

2091
01:47:50,320 --> 01:47:54,877
Perhaps his most famous teaching came
through a dream that revealed something

2092
01:47:54,960 --> 01:47:58,557
extraordinary about the relationship
between dreaming and waking

2093
01:47:58,640 --> 01:48:00,557
consciousness.

2094
01:48:00,640 --> 01:48:03,357
One afternoon, Dwangzi fell asleep in

2095
01:48:03,440 --> 01:48:05,757
his garden and had a vivid dream in

2096
01:48:05,840 --> 01:48:08,157
which he was a butterfly.

2097
01:48:08,240 --> 01:48:10,877
In the dream, he flew from flower to

2098
01:48:10,960 --> 01:48:15,677
flower, completely absorbed in the
simple joy of being a beautiful winged

2099
01:48:15,760 --> 01:48:17,197
creature.

2100
01:48:17,280 --> 01:48:19,997
He felt the sun on his delicate wings,

2101
01:48:20,080 --> 01:48:23,037
tasted nectar from various blossoms, and

2102
01:48:23,120 --> 01:48:25,837
experienced the pure freedom of movement

2103
01:48:25,920 --> 01:48:29,117
through the warm air. The dream was so

2104
01:48:29,200 --> 01:48:31,757
real and complete that while he was

2105
01:48:31,840 --> 01:48:34,637
dreaming, Dangzi had no memory of being

2106
01:48:34,720 --> 01:48:36,877
a human philosopher.

2107
01:48:36,960 --> 01:48:39,597
He was simply and completely a butterfly

2108
01:48:39,680 --> 01:48:42,557
living fully in the butterflyy's world.

2109
01:48:42,640 --> 01:48:45,197
When Jangzi woke from this dream, he was

2110
01:48:45,280 --> 01:48:47,437
initially delighted by how vivid and

2111
01:48:47,520 --> 01:48:50,557
joyful the experience had been. But as

2112
01:48:50,640 --> 01:48:52,637
he sat in his garden reflecting on what

2113
01:48:52,720 --> 01:48:55,757
he had experienced, a puzzling question

2114
01:48:55,840 --> 01:48:59,757
began to emerge.
How could he be certain that he was

2115
01:48:59,840 --> 01:49:04,317
really Dwangzi who had
dreamed of being a butterfly?

2116
01:49:04,400 --> 01:49:09,197
What if the truth was actually the
reverse? That he was really a butterfly

2117
01:49:09,280 --> 01:49:14,637
who was now dreaming of being
a human philosopher named Jangzi.

2118
01:49:14,720 --> 01:49:16,157
This question wasn't merely

2119
01:49:16,240 --> 01:49:20,157
philosophical speculation for Jangzi.

2120
01:49:20,240 --> 01:49:22,877
It opened up a profound inquiry into the

2121
01:49:22,960 --> 01:49:25,997
nature of identity and reality.

2122
01:49:26,080 --> 01:49:30,557
During the dream, his experience
of being a butterfly had felt completely

2123
01:49:30,640 --> 01:49:32,877
real and authentic.

2124
01:49:32,960 --> 01:49:35,357
his current experience of being human

2125
01:49:35,440 --> 01:49:39,197
felt equally real and authentic.

2126
01:49:39,280 --> 01:49:41,597
So what made one experience more true

2127
01:49:41,680 --> 01:49:45,357
than the other? Asangi contemplated this

2128
01:49:45,440 --> 01:49:49,997
puzzle over the following days, he
began to realize that the question itself

2129
01:49:50,080 --> 01:49:54,477
revealed something important
about the nature of consciousness.

2130
01:49:54,560 --> 01:49:56,717
Perhaps the distinction between real

2131
01:49:56,800 --> 01:50:01,517
waking experience and unreal dream
experience was not as clear as most

2132
01:50:01,600 --> 01:50:05,597
people assumed.
Perhaps both states were different

2133
01:50:05,680 --> 01:50:07,917
manifestations of the same fundamental

2134
01:50:08,000 --> 01:50:10,717
awareness like waves on the ocean that

2135
01:50:10,800 --> 01:50:13,197
appear different but are all made of the

2136
01:50:13,280 --> 01:50:15,117
same water.

2137
01:50:15,200 --> 01:50:17,757
This insight led Jangzi to a deeper

2138
01:50:17,840 --> 01:50:20,397
understanding of what he called the

2139
01:50:20,480 --> 01:50:23,277
transformation of things.

2140
01:50:23,360 --> 01:50:25,837
Instead of seeing waking and sleeping,

2141
01:50:25,920 --> 01:50:28,317
dreaming and being awake as opposite

2142
01:50:28,400 --> 01:50:31,437
states, he began to experience them as

2143
01:50:31,520 --> 01:50:33,277
part of a continuous flow of

2144
01:50:33,360 --> 01:50:36,077
consciousness that took different forms

2145
01:50:36,160 --> 01:50:39,997
but never actually stopped being itself.

2146
01:50:40,080 --> 01:50:44,237
From this perspective, sleep was not
a temporary death or absence of

2147
01:50:44,320 --> 01:50:46,637
consciousness, but consciousness taking

2148
01:50:46,720 --> 01:50:51,677
on a different form like water becoming
ice or steam while remaining essentially

2149
01:50:51,760 --> 01:50:55,597
water. Dreams were not inferior copies of

2150
01:50:55,680 --> 01:50:58,557
waking experience, but alternative ways

2151
01:50:58,640 --> 01:51:03,197
that awareness could know itself
and explore different possibilities of

2152
01:51:03,280 --> 01:51:07,277
being. This understanding
transformed Dwangzi's

2153
01:51:07,360 --> 01:51:10,157
relationship to sleep and dreams.

2154
01:51:10,240 --> 01:51:14,877
Instead of seeing sleep as dead time
that interrupted his waking life, he

2155
01:51:14,960 --> 01:51:19,757
experienced it as another room
in the vast house of consciousness.

2156
01:51:19,840 --> 01:51:24,397
Instead of dismissing dreams as
meaningless fantasies, he paid attention

2157
01:51:24,480 --> 01:51:28,477
to them as legitimate forms
of experience that could offer their own

2158
01:51:28,560 --> 01:51:30,637
kinds of wisdom.

2159
01:51:30,720 --> 01:51:33,197
Years later, when students would ask

2160
01:51:33,280 --> 01:51:35,917
Schwangzi about the butterfly dream, he

2161
01:51:36,000 --> 01:51:38,397
would smile and say, "I am never sure

2162
01:51:38,480 --> 01:51:40,557
whether I am Schwangzi dreaming of being

2163
01:51:40,640 --> 01:51:43,517
a butterfly or a butterfly dreaming of

2164
01:51:43,600 --> 01:51:47,837
being. But I am certain
that both experiences

2165
01:51:47,920 --> 01:51:49,757
are real expressions of the one

2166
01:51:49,840 --> 01:51:52,317
consciousness that transforms itself

2167
01:51:52,400 --> 01:51:55,357
endlessly into new forms.

2168
01:51:55,440 --> 01:51:58,157
This teaching became known as Dwangzi's

2169
01:51:58,240 --> 01:52:03,037
butterfly and it has inspired
contemplatives for over two millennia to

2170
01:52:03,120 --> 01:52:07,437
question their assumptions about the
relationship between waking and sleeping

2171
01:52:07,520 --> 01:52:11,997
consciousness. The butterfly
story suggests that dreams

2172
01:52:12,080 --> 01:52:14,397
are not inferior versions of waking

2173
01:52:14,480 --> 01:52:16,957
experience but equal expressions of

2174
01:52:17,040 --> 01:52:19,277
consciousness exploring different

2175
01:52:19,360 --> 01:52:21,917
dimensions of reality.

2176
01:52:22,000 --> 01:52:26,557
Like Zangzi, you can approach
the transition into sleep not as leaving

2177
01:52:26,640 --> 01:52:30,637
consciousness behind but as
consciousness preparing to explore a

2178
01:52:30,720 --> 01:52:34,797
different landscape.
The awareness that observes your waking

2179
01:52:34,880 --> 01:52:38,397
experience doesn't disappear
when you fall asleep.

2180
01:52:38,480 --> 01:52:41,197
It shifts into a different mode like an

2181
01:52:41,280 --> 01:52:43,597
explorer moving from one continent to

2182
01:52:43,680 --> 01:52:48,237
another, encountering new
territories and possibilities.

2183
01:52:48,320 --> 01:52:50,557
This perspective can transform how you

2184
01:52:50,640 --> 01:52:53,197
experience falling asleep.

2185
01:52:53,280 --> 01:52:55,597
Instead of losing consciousness, you're

2186
01:52:55,680 --> 01:52:57,757
allowing consciousness to take on a new

2187
01:52:57,840 --> 01:53:01,277
form. Instead of becoming absent, you're

2188
01:53:01,360 --> 01:53:05,597
becoming present to different
dimensions of experience.

2189
01:53:05,680 --> 01:53:07,837
The you that dreams is the same you

2190
01:53:07,920 --> 01:53:12,637
that's reading these words now.
Simply exploring reality from a different

2191
01:53:12,720 --> 01:53:14,557
vantage point.

2192
01:53:14,640 --> 01:53:17,037
Your dreams tonight will be legitimate

2193
01:53:17,120 --> 01:53:19,757
experiences worthy of the same respect

2194
01:53:19,840 --> 01:53:22,797
you give to waking activities.

2195
01:53:22,880 --> 01:53:25,437
The insights that emerge during sleep,

2196
01:53:25,520 --> 01:53:27,517
the problems that get solved, the

2197
01:53:27,600 --> 01:53:30,477
emotional processing that occurs, all of

2198
01:53:30,560 --> 01:53:32,957
this is real work being done by real

2199
01:53:33,040 --> 01:53:35,517
intelligence. just in a different mode

2200
01:53:35,600 --> 01:53:38,317
than daytime consciousness.

2201
01:53:38,400 --> 01:53:40,797
Modern sleep research has confirmed much

2202
01:53:40,880 --> 01:53:43,197
of what contemplatives like Master Noru

2203
01:53:43,280 --> 01:53:46,957
and Jangzi understood intuitively.

2204
01:53:47,040 --> 01:53:49,517
During sleep, the brain engages in

2205
01:53:49,600 --> 01:53:51,437
complex processes of memory

2206
01:53:51,520 --> 01:53:54,797
consolidation, emotional regulation, and

2207
01:53:54,880 --> 01:53:58,877
problem solving that are
impossible during waking hours.

2208
01:53:58,960 --> 01:54:02,957
The unconscious mind can make
connections and find solutions that

2209
01:54:03,040 --> 01:54:05,597
elude conscious analysis, often

2210
01:54:05,680 --> 01:54:07,997
presenting them in dreams or making them

2211
01:54:08,080 --> 01:54:10,797
available upon waking. But this

2212
01:54:10,880 --> 01:54:13,517
scientific understanding, valuable as it

2213
01:54:13,600 --> 01:54:15,837
is, points to something even more

2214
01:54:15,920 --> 01:54:20,557
profound that ancient
wisdom traditions recognized.

2215
01:54:20,640 --> 01:54:22,397
Sleep is not just a biological

2216
01:54:22,480 --> 01:54:27,597
necessity, but a doorway into aspects
of intelligence that transcend individual

2217
01:54:27,680 --> 01:54:31,437
thinking. It's a nightly
return to the source of

2218
01:54:31,520 --> 01:54:34,157
consciousness itself, where individual

2219
01:54:34,240 --> 01:54:36,397
awareness reconnects with the larger

2220
01:54:36,480 --> 01:54:41,197
intelligence that orchestrates
all of life's processes.

2221
01:54:41,280 --> 01:54:43,357
When you trust sleep to do its healing

2222
01:54:43,440 --> 01:54:48,317
work, you're not just trusting
your personal unconscious mind.

2223
01:54:48,400 --> 01:54:52,717
You're trusting the same intelligence
that guides the growth of plants, the

2224
01:54:52,800 --> 01:54:54,957
migration of birds, the healing of

2225
01:54:55,040 --> 01:54:57,037
wounds, and the countless other

2226
01:54:57,120 --> 01:55:00,477
processes that sustain life on Earth.

2227
01:55:00,560 --> 01:55:02,797
Sleep connects you to this vast network

2228
01:55:02,880 --> 01:55:05,517
of natural intelligence, allowing it to

2229
01:55:05,600 --> 01:55:07,597
work through your individual system for

2230
01:55:07,680 --> 01:55:10,317
restoration and renewal.

2231
01:55:10,400 --> 01:55:13,037
Feel how your body is already responding

2232
01:55:13,120 --> 01:55:15,517
to this deeper intelligence as you

2233
01:55:15,600 --> 01:55:17,997
settle towards sleep.

2234
01:55:18,080 --> 01:55:20,477
Your temperature is beginning to lower,

2235
01:55:20,560 --> 01:55:23,997
creating optimal conditions for rest.

2236
01:55:24,080 --> 01:55:25,837
Your heart rate is slowing to its

2237
01:55:25,920 --> 01:55:29,197
nighttime rhythm. Hormones that support

2238
01:55:29,280 --> 01:55:33,437
healing and growth are being
released into your system.

2239
01:55:33,520 --> 01:55:35,757
All of this is happening automatically,

2240
01:55:35,840 --> 01:55:38,077
guided by wisdom that predates human

2241
01:55:38,160 --> 01:55:41,277
consciousness by millions of years.

2242
01:55:41,360 --> 01:55:43,757
Your mind, too, is preparing for its

2243
01:55:43,840 --> 01:55:47,037
nightly journey into unconscious wisdom.

2244
01:55:47,120 --> 01:55:49,437
The sharp focus that served you during

2245
01:55:49,520 --> 01:55:52,317
the day is naturally softening into a

2246
01:55:52,400 --> 01:55:56,637
more receptive state.
Thoughts are becoming more fluid and

2247
01:55:56,720 --> 01:56:00,477
dreamlike. The rigid
boundaries between different

2248
01:56:00,560 --> 01:56:03,197
aspects of experience are beginning to

2249
01:56:03,280 --> 01:56:05,837
dissolve, creating space for new

2250
01:56:05,920 --> 01:56:09,757
connections and insights to emerge.

2251
01:56:09,840 --> 01:56:13,997
This is not a breakdown of mental
function, but a shift into a different

2252
01:56:14,080 --> 01:56:17,837
kind of mental activity.
that's perfectly suited for the work of

2253
01:56:17,920 --> 01:56:20,397
integration and renewal.

2254
01:56:20,480 --> 01:56:22,877
Just as soil needs to be loose and dark

2255
01:56:22,960 --> 01:56:25,597
for seeds to sprout, consciousness needs

2256
01:56:25,680 --> 01:56:30,157
to become soft and receptive
for deep healing to occur.

2257
01:56:30,240 --> 01:56:33,997
The stories and teachings you've
encountered tonight, the monk's

2258
01:56:34,080 --> 01:56:36,557
discovery of silence, the gardener's

2259
01:56:36,640 --> 01:56:39,357
wisdom, the fairy man's trust, the

2260
01:56:39,440 --> 01:56:42,237
mountains stability, the darkness's

2261
01:56:42,320 --> 01:56:44,477
embrace. All of these seeds of

2262
01:56:44,560 --> 01:56:46,477
understanding will continue to grow

2263
01:56:46,560 --> 01:56:49,517
during your sleep. You don't need to

2264
01:56:49,600 --> 01:56:51,917
think about them or work to understand

2265
01:56:52,000 --> 01:56:56,557
them more fully. Like plants
growing in rich soil, they

2266
01:56:56,640 --> 01:56:58,397
will develop according to their own

2267
01:56:58,480 --> 01:57:01,517
natural timing and wisdom.

2268
01:57:01,600 --> 01:57:05,997
Trust that your dreaming mind knows
how to nurture these teachings, how to

2269
01:57:06,080 --> 01:57:10,637
integrate them with your own experience,
how to help them blossom into practical

2270
01:57:10,720 --> 01:57:14,397
wisdom that will serve you in daily life.

2271
01:57:14,480 --> 01:57:19,117
The insights that matter most often
arise not through intellectual effort,

2272
01:57:19,200 --> 01:57:22,477
but through the kind of gentle
integration that happens when

2273
01:57:22,560 --> 01:57:26,557
consciousness is allowed
to rest and renew itself.

2274
01:57:26,640 --> 01:57:30,477
As you continue settling into sleep,
remember that you're not leaving

2275
01:57:30,560 --> 01:57:32,797
awareness behind, but allowing it to

2276
01:57:32,880 --> 01:57:35,277
explore new territories.

2277
01:57:35,360 --> 01:57:40,077
You're not becoming absent, but becoming
present to different dimensions of

2278
01:57:40,160 --> 01:57:44,477
experience. The butterfly
of your consciousness is

2279
01:57:44,560 --> 01:57:46,877
preparing to take flight into the vast

2280
01:57:46,960 --> 01:57:49,917
garden of dreams where every flower

2281
01:57:50,000 --> 01:57:52,717
offers its own nectar of wisdom and

2282
01:57:52,800 --> 01:57:55,037
every breeze carries messages from the

2283
01:57:55,120 --> 01:57:57,757
deeper intelligence that guides all of

2284
01:57:57,840 --> 01:57:59,917
life's unfolding.

2285
01:58:00,000 --> 01:58:02,477
Sleep now in the confidence that this

2286
01:58:02,560 --> 01:58:05,437
nightly journey into unconscious wisdom

2287
01:58:05,520 --> 01:58:07,757
will bring exactly what you need for

2288
01:58:07,840 --> 01:58:10,717
restoration and renewal.

2289
01:58:10,800 --> 01:58:13,037
Trust the ancient intelligence that has

2290
01:58:13,120 --> 01:58:16,077
guided countless generations into rest,

2291
01:58:16,160 --> 01:58:20,477
knowing that the same caring awareness
that brought you safely through today

2292
01:58:20,560 --> 01:58:22,397
will carry you gently through the

2293
01:58:22,480 --> 01:58:24,877
healing darkness and return you to

2294
01:58:24,960 --> 01:58:28,237
tomorrow renewed and restored.

2295
01:58:28,320 --> 01:58:32,957
The butterfly awaits, ready to carry
your consciousness into new gardens of

2296
01:58:33,040 --> 01:58:35,197
experience where the deepest teachings

2297
01:58:35,280 --> 01:58:38,717
bloom in the gentle darkness of sleep.

2298
01:58:38,800 --> 01:58:42,877
Many people imagine that spiritual
awakening must be dramatic, like

2299
01:58:42,960 --> 01:58:47,597
lightning illuminating a dark
sky in one brilliant flash.

2300
01:58:47,680 --> 01:58:51,997
But the ancient masters knew that the
most lasting transformations usually

2301
01:58:52,080 --> 01:58:54,557
happen like dawn breaking, so gradually

2302
01:58:54,640 --> 01:58:57,117
that you don't notice the exact moment

2303
01:58:57,200 --> 01:59:00,237
when darkness becomes light.

2304
01:59:00,320 --> 01:59:02,637
The gentlest touch often penetrates

2305
01:59:02,720 --> 01:59:05,357
deepest, and the softest voice can be

2306
01:59:05,440 --> 01:59:09,997
heard most clearly when
the mind has learned to listen.

2307
01:59:10,080 --> 01:59:12,157
As you prepare for sleep, you're

2308
01:59:12,240 --> 01:59:14,317
practicing this same art of gentle

2309
01:59:14,400 --> 01:59:17,837
awakening, awakening to rest, awakening

2310
01:59:17,920 --> 01:59:20,957
to trust, awakening to the profound

2311
01:59:21,040 --> 01:59:25,117
intelligence that knows how to restore
and renew without any effort from your

2312
01:59:25,200 --> 01:59:29,437
conscious mind.
This nightly practice of surrender is

2313
01:59:29,520 --> 01:59:31,597
teaching you the very skills that lead

2314
01:59:31,680 --> 01:59:33,677
to the deepest kinds of spiritual

2315
01:59:33,760 --> 01:59:36,557
opening, patience, trust, and the

2316
01:59:36,640 --> 01:59:38,877
willingness to let transformation happen

2317
01:59:38,960 --> 01:59:41,837
in its own perfect timing.

2318
01:59:41,920 --> 01:59:44,637
In the bamboo forests of ancient Korea,

2319
01:59:44,720 --> 01:59:48,957
there lived a young monk named Sunnim
who had become frustrated with what he

2320
01:59:49,040 --> 01:59:53,517
perceived as his slow progress
in meditation practice.

2321
01:59:53,600 --> 01:59:57,677
He had been sitting regularly
for several years, following all the

2322
01:59:57,760 --> 02:00:01,357
traditional instructions
with diligent effort.

2323
02:00:01,440 --> 02:00:03,757
Yet he felt no closer to the profound

2324
02:00:03,840 --> 02:00:05,837
awakening that the ancient texts

2325
02:00:05,920 --> 02:00:09,677
described than when he had first begun.

2326
02:00:09,760 --> 02:00:13,437
Sunnim would sit on his meditation
cushion each morning and evening,

2327
02:00:13,520 --> 02:00:15,597
watching his breath, observing his

2328
02:00:15,680 --> 02:00:18,077
thoughts, trying to cultivate the states

2329
02:00:18,160 --> 02:00:20,557
of concentration and insight that his

2330
02:00:20,640 --> 02:00:22,717
teachers discussed.

2331
02:00:22,800 --> 02:00:25,357
But instead of growing peace, he often

2332
02:00:25,440 --> 02:00:28,157
experienced more agitation.

2333
02:00:28,240 --> 02:00:31,277
Instead of clarity, his mind seemed more

2334
02:00:31,360 --> 02:00:34,157
confused than ever. Instead of the

2335
02:00:34,240 --> 02:00:36,557
blissful absorption he had read about,

2336
02:00:36,640 --> 02:00:40,157
he felt restless and dissatisfied.

2337
02:00:40,240 --> 02:00:44,717
One particularly difficult morning,
after a meditation session filled with

2338
02:00:44,800 --> 02:00:49,357
wandering thoughts and physical
discomfort, Sunnim decided to walk

2339
02:00:49,440 --> 02:00:53,837
through the bamboo forest
that surrounded his small temple.

2340
02:00:53,920 --> 02:00:56,077
He hoped that movement and fresh air

2341
02:00:56,160 --> 02:00:58,397
might clear his mind and restore some

2342
02:00:58,480 --> 02:01:01,437
sense of progress in his practice.

2343
02:01:01,520 --> 02:01:03,677
As he walked slowly along the forest

2344
02:01:03,760 --> 02:01:06,077
path, Sunnim noticed something

2345
02:01:06,160 --> 02:01:08,877
remarkable about the bamboo trees that

2346
02:01:08,960 --> 02:01:11,837
he had never observed before.

2347
02:01:11,920 --> 02:01:14,237
These graceful plants, which could grow

2348
02:01:14,320 --> 02:01:16,397
to enormous heights and develop

2349
02:01:16,480 --> 02:01:19,597
incredible strength, grew so slowly that

2350
02:01:19,680 --> 02:01:23,517
their daily progress
was completely invisible.

2351
02:01:23,600 --> 02:01:26,317
Day by day, there seemed to be no change

2352
02:01:26,400 --> 02:01:30,637
at all. Yet over months and years they

2353
02:01:30,720 --> 02:01:33,437
transformed from tiny shoots into

2354
02:01:33,520 --> 02:01:35,997
towering groves that could bend in the

2355
02:01:36,080 --> 02:01:39,597
strongest winds without breaking.

2356
02:01:39,680 --> 02:01:42,477
Intrigued by this observation, Sunnim

2357
02:01:42,560 --> 02:01:45,037
began to visit the forest regularly,

2358
02:01:45,120 --> 02:01:47,917
choosing one particular bamboo chute to

2359
02:01:48,000 --> 02:01:51,357
watch over time. Each day the plant

2360
02:01:51,440 --> 02:01:54,957
looked exactly the same as the day before.

2361
02:01:55,040 --> 02:01:59,757
Each week he could detect
no obvious difference.

2362
02:01:59,840 --> 02:02:01,517
But when he compared the plant's height

2363
02:02:01,600 --> 02:02:03,997
to markers he had placed months earlier,

2364
02:02:04,080 --> 02:02:06,797
the growth was undeniable.

2365
02:02:06,880 --> 02:02:08,637
The bamboo was transforming

2366
02:02:08,720 --> 02:02:11,677
continuously, but in increments so small

2367
02:02:11,760 --> 02:02:15,677
that they required patience
and faith to perceive.

2368
02:02:15,760 --> 02:02:18,077
As he observed the bamboo's growth over

2369
02:02:18,160 --> 02:02:20,557
seasons, Sunnim began to understand

2370
02:02:20,640 --> 02:02:22,877
something profound about the nature of

2371
02:02:22,960 --> 02:02:25,757
all real transformation.

2372
02:02:25,840 --> 02:02:27,917
The most fundamental changes happened

2373
02:02:28,000 --> 02:02:30,317
not through dramatic breakthroughs, but

2374
02:02:30,400 --> 02:02:33,037
through countless tiny shifts that were

2375
02:02:33,120 --> 02:02:35,517
individually imperceptible, but

2376
02:02:35,600 --> 02:02:40,717
cumulatively extraordinary.
The bamboo didn't strain or struggle to

2377
02:02:40,800 --> 02:02:44,557
grow. It simply maintained
the conditions that

2378
02:02:44,640 --> 02:02:47,197
supported growth and trusted the process

2379
02:02:47,280 --> 02:02:50,957
to unfold in its own perfect timing.

2380
02:02:51,040 --> 02:02:53,597
One morning while sitting quietly beside

2381
02:02:53,680 --> 02:02:56,557
his chosen bamboo plant, Sunnim realized

2382
02:02:56,640 --> 02:02:58,797
that his own practice had been following

2383
02:02:58,880 --> 02:03:01,597
a similar pattern. When he looked back

2384
02:03:01,680 --> 02:03:04,077
over his years of meditation, he could

2385
02:03:04,160 --> 02:03:06,077
see changes that had been invisible from

2386
02:03:06,160 --> 02:03:09,437
day to day. His reactions to difficult

2387
02:03:09,520 --> 02:03:12,637
emotions had become less intense.

2388
02:03:12,720 --> 02:03:17,437
His ability to remain present during
challenging circumstances had quietly

2389
02:03:17,520 --> 02:03:21,677
strengthened. His overall
sense of peace, while still

2390
02:03:21,760 --> 02:03:25,997
imperfect, was deeper than
it had been when he started.

2391
02:03:26,080 --> 02:03:30,397
The problem was not that
transformation wasn't happening.

2392
02:03:30,480 --> 02:03:34,397
The problem was that he had been looking
for it in the wrong way, expecting

2393
02:03:34,480 --> 02:03:37,277
dramatic shifts rather than noticing the

2394
02:03:37,360 --> 02:03:41,597
gentle continuous evolution
that was actually occurring.

2395
02:03:41,680 --> 02:03:46,317
Like trying to watch the bamboo grow
by staring at it hour by hour, his

2396
02:03:46,400 --> 02:03:48,557
impatience had blinded him to the real

2397
02:03:48,640 --> 02:03:51,277
progress that was unfolding.

2398
02:03:51,360 --> 02:03:53,677
From that day forward, Sunnim approached

2399
02:03:53,760 --> 02:03:58,397
his practice with what he
came to call bamboo patience.

2400
02:03:58,480 --> 02:04:01,917
Instead of measuring his meditation
sessions by whether he achieved

2401
02:04:02,000 --> 02:04:04,477
particular states or insights, he simply

2402
02:04:04,560 --> 02:04:06,477
maintained the conditions that supported

2403
02:04:06,560 --> 02:04:09,117
growth, regular sitting, gentle

2404
02:04:09,200 --> 02:04:13,197
attention, and trust in the process.

2405
02:04:13,280 --> 02:04:17,757
Instead of forcing breakthroughs,
he learned to appreciate the tiny shifts

2406
02:04:17,840 --> 02:04:21,517
that happened naturally when
consciousness was given space to evolve

2407
02:04:21,600 --> 02:04:26,237
in its own timing.
Years later, when other young monks

2408
02:04:26,320 --> 02:04:30,077
would come to Sunnim expressing
frustration with their seemingly slow

2409
02:04:30,160 --> 02:04:32,237
progress, he would take them to the

2410
02:04:32,320 --> 02:04:34,557
bamboo forest.

2411
02:04:34,640 --> 02:04:37,117
Choose a plant, he would suggest, and

2412
02:04:37,200 --> 02:04:40,317
visit it regularly for a year. Let it

2413
02:04:40,400 --> 02:04:42,477
teach you about the way all real

2414
02:04:42,560 --> 02:04:45,117
transformation happens.

2415
02:04:45,200 --> 02:04:47,677
But we want to understand enlightenment,

2416
02:04:47,760 --> 02:04:51,277
not plant growth, they would protest.

2417
02:04:51,360 --> 02:04:53,437
Sunnim would smile and point to the

2418
02:04:53,520 --> 02:04:56,957
towering bamboo around them. These trees

2419
02:04:57,040 --> 02:05:01,437
understand something about
awakening that most humans miss.

2420
02:05:01,520 --> 02:05:06,077
They know that the gentlest approach
sustained over time leads to the

2421
02:05:06,160 --> 02:05:08,077
greatest strength.

2422
02:05:08,160 --> 02:05:10,237
They know that forcing growth actually

2423
02:05:10,320 --> 02:05:13,277
prevents it. They know that trust in

2424
02:05:13,360 --> 02:05:17,437
natural timing is more
powerful than impatience.

2425
02:05:17,520 --> 02:05:19,917
The same intelligence that guides bamboo

2426
02:05:20,000 --> 02:05:24,877
growth, he would continue,
is guiding your awakening.

2427
02:05:24,960 --> 02:05:26,797
Your job is not to make it happen

2428
02:05:26,880 --> 02:05:30,397
faster, but to create optimal conditions

2429
02:05:30,480 --> 02:05:33,517
and then get out of the way. Practice

2430
02:05:33,600 --> 02:05:36,397
regularly, but gently.

2431
02:05:36,480 --> 02:05:39,757
Pay attention, but without strain.

2432
02:05:39,840 --> 02:05:42,157
Trust the process even when you can't

2433
02:05:42,240 --> 02:05:45,037
see daily progress.

2434
02:05:45,120 --> 02:05:49,757
Like Sunnim, you can learn to appreciate
the bamboo like growth that's happening

2435
02:05:49,840 --> 02:05:51,837
in your own consciousness as you

2436
02:05:51,920 --> 02:05:54,877
practice the art of falling asleep.

2437
02:05:54,960 --> 02:05:57,117
Each night of rest is contributing to

2438
02:05:57,200 --> 02:05:59,197
changes that are too subtle to measure

2439
02:05:59,280 --> 02:06:03,437
from day to day, but profound over time.

2440
02:06:03,520 --> 02:06:07,357
Your nervous system is learning
to settle more easily.

2441
02:06:07,440 --> 02:06:11,917
Your mind is developing greater
comfort with uncertainty.

2442
02:06:12,000 --> 02:06:13,997
Your body is becoming more skilled at

2443
02:06:14,080 --> 02:06:16,797
releasing the day's tensions.

2444
02:06:16,880 --> 02:06:19,437
This gradual development of sleep skills

2445
02:06:19,520 --> 02:06:21,517
is similar to any other form of

2446
02:06:21,600 --> 02:06:24,477
learning. Just as a musician doesn't

2447
02:06:24,560 --> 02:06:27,277
expect to master a complex piece in a

2448
02:06:27,360 --> 02:06:29,597
single practice session, you don't need

2449
02:06:29,680 --> 02:06:32,957
to achieve perfect sleep immediately.

2450
02:06:33,040 --> 02:06:35,357
Each night of gentle effort contributes

2451
02:06:35,440 --> 02:06:38,157
to your growing capacity for rest, even

2452
02:06:38,240 --> 02:06:42,797
when individual nights feel
difficult or unsatisfying.

2453
02:06:42,880 --> 02:06:47,517
Right now, as you continue settling
towards sleep, you can practice Sunnim's

2454
02:06:47,600 --> 02:06:51,917
bamboo patience.
Instead of measuring this moment by

2455
02:06:52,000 --> 02:06:55,997
whether you're falling asleep
quickly enough, you can appreciate the

2456
02:06:56,080 --> 02:06:58,797
conditions you're creating that support

2457
02:06:58,880 --> 02:07:01,997
natural rest. the softening of your

2458
02:07:02,080 --> 02:07:05,037
breathing, the releasing of physical

2459
02:07:05,120 --> 02:07:06,557
tension,

2460
02:07:06,640 --> 02:07:10,317
the gradual quieting of mental activity.

2461
02:07:10,400 --> 02:07:12,157
These changes are happening whether you

2462
02:07:12,240 --> 02:07:15,197
notice them or not, guided by the same

2463
02:07:15,280 --> 02:07:17,517
natural intelligence that grows bamboo

2464
02:07:17,600 --> 02:07:22,637
and heals wounds and regulates countless
body functions without your conscious

2465
02:07:22,720 --> 02:07:26,877
involvement. Your job
is simply to maintain

2466
02:07:26,960 --> 02:07:32,157
supportive conditions and trust
the process to unfold in its own perfect

2467
02:07:32,240 --> 02:07:33,677
timing.

2468
02:07:33,760 --> 02:07:35,917
Feel how your body naturally knows the

2469
02:07:36,000 --> 02:07:39,197
rhythm of this gradual settling.

2470
02:07:39,280 --> 02:07:41,757
Like bamboo that doesn't strain to grow,

2471
02:07:41,840 --> 02:07:46,797
but simply opens to the conditions that
support growth, your physical form knows

2472
02:07:46,880 --> 02:07:48,637
how to open to the conditions that

2473
02:07:48,720 --> 02:07:50,717
support rest.

2474
02:07:50,800 --> 02:07:54,077
Darkness, quiet, horizontal position,

2475
02:07:54,160 --> 02:07:59,197
released effort. All of these create
the environment where sleep can emerge

2476
02:07:59,280 --> 02:08:00,957
naturally.

2477
02:08:01,040 --> 02:08:04,077
Your mind too can follow this bamboo

2478
02:08:04,160 --> 02:08:06,477
like approach to rest.

2479
02:08:06,560 --> 02:08:09,277
Instead of forcing thoughts to stop, you

2480
02:08:09,360 --> 02:08:11,357
can create mental conditions that

2481
02:08:11,440 --> 02:08:14,317
naturally support quieting.

2482
02:08:14,400 --> 02:08:17,277
Gentle attention to breathing.

2483
02:08:17,360 --> 02:08:21,277
Soft focus on physical sensations.

2484
02:08:21,360 --> 02:08:23,357
Patient acceptance of whatever mental

2485
02:08:23,440 --> 02:08:25,997
activity arises without getting caught

2486
02:08:26,080 --> 02:08:30,637
in struggling against it.
There was once a master gardener in

2487
02:08:30,720 --> 02:08:34,317
ancient Japan who became famous
throughout the country for her

2488
02:08:34,400 --> 02:08:38,317
extraordinary ability
to cultivate morning glories.

2489
02:08:38,400 --> 02:08:40,397
These delicate flowering vines were

2490
02:08:40,480 --> 02:08:43,357
notoriously difficult to grow, requiring

2491
02:08:43,440 --> 02:08:46,237
precise conditions and careful timing to

2492
02:08:46,320 --> 02:08:48,237
bloom properly.

2493
02:08:48,320 --> 02:08:50,637
Many gardeners would struggle for years

2494
02:08:50,720 --> 02:08:53,357
without ever seeing a single flower,

2495
02:08:53,440 --> 02:08:55,277
giving up in frustration when their

2496
02:08:55,360 --> 02:08:58,477
efforts failed to produce results.

2497
02:08:58,560 --> 02:09:01,437
But Ko, the master gardener, had

2498
02:09:01,520 --> 02:09:03,757
developed an approach that seemed almost

2499
02:09:03,840 --> 02:09:06,797
magical in its effectiveness.

2500
02:09:06,880 --> 02:09:11,037
Visitors would come from distant
provinces to learn her secrets,

2501
02:09:11,120 --> 02:09:13,197
expecting to discover some special

2502
02:09:13,280 --> 02:09:18,077
technique or hidden knowledge that would
guarantee success with these challenging

2503
02:09:18,160 --> 02:09:22,637
plants. To their surprise,
Ko's methods appeared

2504
02:09:22,720 --> 02:09:24,637
remarkably simple, almost

2505
02:09:24,720 --> 02:09:27,917
disappointingly so. She would plant the

2506
02:09:28,000 --> 02:09:30,717
seeds in ordinary soil, water them

2507
02:09:30,800 --> 02:09:35,597
regularly but not excessively and then

2508
02:09:35,680 --> 02:09:39,357
wait. She didn't use special fertilizers

2509
02:09:39,440 --> 02:09:42,717
or complicated growing techniques.

2510
02:09:42,800 --> 02:09:45,197
She didn't monitor the plants constantly

2511
02:09:45,280 --> 02:09:48,557
or adjust conditions obsessively.

2512
02:09:48,640 --> 02:09:51,277
She simply provided basic care and then

2513
02:09:51,360 --> 02:09:53,677
trusted the seeds to do what seeds

2514
02:09:53,760 --> 02:09:57,037
naturally know how to do. But how do you

2515
02:09:57,120 --> 02:09:59,597
know they're going to bloom?

2516
02:09:59,680 --> 02:10:01,517
Visitors would ask, looking at the

2517
02:10:01,600 --> 02:10:04,157
unremarkable green vines that showed no

2518
02:10:04,240 --> 02:10:07,757
obvious signs of impending flowers.

2519
02:10:07,840 --> 02:10:11,837
I don't know, Ko would reply honestly.

2520
02:10:11,920 --> 02:10:15,757
But I trust. I've learned
that morning glories have

2521
02:10:15,840 --> 02:10:18,317
their own timing for blooming, and it's

2522
02:10:18,400 --> 02:10:20,397
not my timing.

2523
02:10:20,480 --> 02:10:23,277
My job is to provide good conditions and

2524
02:10:23,360 --> 02:10:26,317
then get out of the way. When I try to

2525
02:10:26,400 --> 02:10:28,957
force flowers to appear by overwatering

2526
02:10:29,040 --> 02:10:33,917
or overfertilizing or constantly
checking for buds, I actually prevent

2527
02:10:34,000 --> 02:10:37,597
blooming. But some
of your vines never bloom at

2528
02:10:37,680 --> 02:10:42,157
all, they would point out.
Doesn't that mean your method fails

2529
02:10:42,240 --> 02:10:43,917
sometimes?

2530
02:10:44,000 --> 02:10:46,877
Ko would nod calmly.

2531
02:10:46,960 --> 02:10:50,397
Yes, some vines never flower,

2532
02:10:50,480 --> 02:10:55,117
but I've noticed that the ones I
worry about least tend to bloom most

2533
02:10:55,200 --> 02:10:56,637
beautifully.

2534
02:10:56,720 --> 02:10:59,517
The ones I fuss over and try to control

2535
02:10:59,600 --> 02:11:02,557
usually struggle the most. There's

2536
02:11:02,640 --> 02:11:04,797
something about anxious attention that

2537
02:11:04,880 --> 02:11:08,317
interferes with natural processes.

2538
02:11:08,400 --> 02:11:11,117
As summer progressed and Ko's morning

2539
02:11:11,200 --> 02:11:13,757
glories began to bloom in spectacular

2540
02:11:13,840 --> 02:11:16,397
profusion, visitors would finally

2541
02:11:16,480 --> 02:11:19,437
understand what she meant. The flowers

2542
02:11:19,520 --> 02:11:24,637
that opened were more vibrant and lasted
longer than any they had seen in gardens

2543
02:11:24,720 --> 02:11:28,317
where the plants had been
more intensively managed.

2544
02:11:28,400 --> 02:11:32,317
The gentle, trusting approach had
produced results that forced efforts

2545
02:11:32,400 --> 02:11:36,877
could never achieve.
But Ko's deepest teaching became

2546
02:11:36,960 --> 02:11:39,277
apparent early in the morning when she

2547
02:11:39,360 --> 02:11:43,997
would walk through her garden just
as the first light was appearing.

2548
02:11:44,080 --> 02:11:46,077
Morning glories open their petals in

2549
02:11:46,160 --> 02:11:49,997
response to dawn, but not all at once.

2550
02:11:50,080 --> 02:11:55,117
Some flowers would be just beginning
to unfold, their tight spirals slowly

2551
02:11:55,200 --> 02:11:59,277
loosening. Others would
be halfway open, revealing

2552
02:11:59,360 --> 02:12:01,997
glimpses of the colors within.

2553
02:12:02,080 --> 02:12:06,477
Still others would be fully opened,
displaying their complete beauty to the

2554
02:12:06,560 --> 02:12:08,557
morning sky.

2555
02:12:08,640 --> 02:12:13,037
This is how all real opening happens. Ko

2556
02:12:13,120 --> 02:12:15,117
would explain to the few visitors who

2557
02:12:15,200 --> 02:12:17,437
were willing to wake early enough to

2558
02:12:17,520 --> 02:12:20,397
witness this daily miracle.

2559
02:12:20,480 --> 02:12:23,837
Not all at once, but in waves in perfect

2560
02:12:23,920 --> 02:12:27,837
timing that can't be rushed or forced.

2561
02:12:27,920 --> 02:12:30,477
Each flower opens when it's ready

2562
02:12:30,560 --> 02:12:34,877
according to its own nature
and the conditions around it.

2563
02:12:34,960 --> 02:12:36,557
The same is true for human

2564
02:12:36,640 --> 02:12:39,997
consciousness. She would continue.

2565
02:12:40,080 --> 02:12:42,957
We want everything to open all at once.

2566
02:12:43,040 --> 02:12:46,157
All our wisdom, all our peace, all our

2567
02:12:46,240 --> 02:12:48,637
capacity for love.

2568
02:12:48,720 --> 02:12:50,877
But consciousness unfolds like these

2569
02:12:50,960 --> 02:12:53,837
flowers in layers in response to the

2570
02:12:53,920 --> 02:12:56,797
right conditions in timing that we can't

2571
02:12:56,880 --> 02:13:00,557
control but can learn to trust.

2572
02:13:00,640 --> 02:13:03,597
Years later, when Ko became too old to

2573
02:13:03,680 --> 02:13:06,077
maintain her extensive gardens, she

2574
02:13:06,160 --> 02:13:08,077
continued to grow a small patch of

2575
02:13:08,160 --> 02:13:11,277
morning glories outside her window.

2576
02:13:11,360 --> 02:13:13,437
Students would visit her there, hoping

2577
02:13:13,520 --> 02:13:16,477
to learn the secret of her success.

2578
02:13:16,560 --> 02:13:18,717
Her final teaching was the simplest of

2579
02:13:18,800 --> 02:13:22,157
all. Create good conditions, then rest

2580
02:13:22,240 --> 02:13:24,477
in not knowing.

2581
02:13:24,560 --> 02:13:27,117
Awakening happens the same way flowers

2582
02:13:27,200 --> 02:13:30,317
bloom and babies are born and bamboo

2583
02:13:30,400 --> 02:13:33,117
grows through a mysterious process that

2584
02:13:33,200 --> 02:13:36,397
works best when we don't interfere.

2585
02:13:36,480 --> 02:13:39,037
Our job is to show up consistently with

2586
02:13:39,120 --> 02:13:41,597
love and attention. Then get out of the

2587
02:13:41,680 --> 02:13:46,077
way and let life do what
life knows how to do.

2588
02:13:46,160 --> 02:13:48,557
Like Ko's morning glories, your

2589
02:13:48,640 --> 02:13:50,717
consciousness is opening in its own

2590
02:13:50,800 --> 02:13:53,917
perfect timing, layer by layer, season

2591
02:13:54,000 --> 02:13:57,277
by season. The settling into sleep that

2592
02:13:57,360 --> 02:14:00,077
you're experiencing right now is one

2593
02:14:00,160 --> 02:14:03,677
expression of this natural unfolding.

2594
02:14:03,760 --> 02:14:06,317
Just as flowers open in response to dawn

2595
02:14:06,400 --> 02:14:09,437
light, your awareness knows how to open

2596
02:14:09,520 --> 02:14:11,677
to rest in response to the gathering

2597
02:14:11,760 --> 02:14:14,477
darkness and the invitation to release

2598
02:14:14,560 --> 02:14:18,797
conscious control. You don't
need to force this opening any

2599
02:14:18,880 --> 02:14:23,357
more than Ko needed to pull her morning
glory buds apart to make them bloom

2600
02:14:23,440 --> 02:14:24,957
faster.

2601
02:14:25,040 --> 02:14:27,197
You simply need to create supportive

2602
02:14:27,280 --> 02:14:30,957
conditions, relaxed body, quiet mind,

2603
02:14:31,040 --> 02:14:33,517
trusting heart and then allow the

2604
02:14:33,600 --> 02:14:36,637
natural process of rest to unfold in its

2605
02:14:36,720 --> 02:14:41,517
own way and timing.
Notice how this understanding brings a

2606
02:14:41,600 --> 02:14:45,277
quality of gentleness
to your approach to sleep.

2607
02:14:45,360 --> 02:14:49,597
There's no need to achieve
anything or perform correctly.

2608
02:14:49,680 --> 02:14:52,237
There's no timeline you must meet or

2609
02:14:52,320 --> 02:14:54,717
standard you must reach.

2610
02:14:54,800 --> 02:14:56,877
There's simply the invitation to create

2611
02:14:56,960 --> 02:14:59,597
good conditions and then rest in the not

2612
02:14:59,680 --> 02:15:04,077
knowing of what will unfold.
Feel how your breathing naturally

2613
02:15:04,160 --> 02:15:06,157
deepens when you stop trying to control

2614
02:15:06,240 --> 02:15:10,877
it and instead trust its ancient wisdom.

2615
02:15:10,960 --> 02:15:15,117
Notice how your muscles release more
completely when you stop checking to see

2616
02:15:15,200 --> 02:15:17,517
if they're relaxed enough and instead

2617
02:15:17,600 --> 02:15:19,357
allow them to follow their own natural

2618
02:15:19,440 --> 02:15:22,637
rhythm of settling. Observe how your

2619
02:15:22,720 --> 02:15:25,117
thoughts become softer when you stop

2620
02:15:25,200 --> 02:15:27,917
working to quiet them and instead create

2621
02:15:28,000 --> 02:15:30,637
space for whatever mental activity wants

2622
02:15:30,720 --> 02:15:32,557
to arise.

2623
02:15:32,640 --> 02:15:35,757
This gentle trusting approach to rest is

2624
02:15:35,840 --> 02:15:39,997
also a practice in the art
of gentle awakening.

2625
02:15:40,080 --> 02:15:45,037
Every time you release effort and trust
natural processes, you're developing the

2626
02:15:45,120 --> 02:15:49,517
same skills that support spiritual
opening. Every time you create

2627
02:15:49,600 --> 02:15:51,917
supportive conditions and then step back

2628
02:15:52,000 --> 02:15:54,157
to allow transformation to happen in its

2629
02:15:54,240 --> 02:15:56,557
own timing, you're cultivating the

2630
02:15:56,640 --> 02:15:59,437
patience and faith that characterize all

2631
02:15:59,520 --> 02:16:03,917
genuine growth. The bamboo
patience that Sunnim learned

2632
02:16:04,000 --> 02:16:06,157
in the forest, the trusting cultivation

2633
02:16:06,240 --> 02:16:11,037
that Ko practiced in her garden. These
same qualities can guide your journey

2634
02:16:11,120 --> 02:16:12,957
into sleep.

2635
02:16:13,040 --> 02:16:15,997
Not forcing but allowing.

2636
02:16:16,080 --> 02:16:19,357
Not grasping, but receiving.

2637
02:16:19,440 --> 02:16:21,837
Not controlling, but trusting the

2638
02:16:21,920 --> 02:16:24,477
ancient intelligence that knows exactly

2639
02:16:24,560 --> 02:16:27,437
how to restore and renew your body,

2640
02:16:27,520 --> 02:16:30,317
mind, and spirit during the hours of

2641
02:16:30,400 --> 02:16:34,477
rest. As you continue settling into sleep,

2642
02:16:34,560 --> 02:16:38,637
carry with you this understanding
of gentle awakening.

2643
02:16:38,720 --> 02:16:43,277
Know that every moment of rest
is contributing to your ongoing

2644
02:16:43,360 --> 02:16:47,357
transformation. Even when
you can't perceive the changes

2645
02:16:47,440 --> 02:16:51,197
directly, trust that the
same wisdom that grows

2646
02:16:51,280 --> 02:16:54,077
bamboo and opens flowers is guiding your

2647
02:16:54,160 --> 02:16:56,717
own unfolding toward greater peace,

2648
02:16:56,800 --> 02:16:59,277
deeper wisdom, and more natural ease

2649
02:16:59,360 --> 02:17:04,077
with life's constant changes.
The morning glories of your

2650
02:17:04,160 --> 02:17:07,997
consciousness will open when they're
ready in perfect response to the

2651
02:17:08,080 --> 02:17:13,117
conditions you're creating right now
through this practice of gentle surrender.

2652
02:17:13,200 --> 02:17:14,957
Rest in the confidence that all

2653
02:17:15,040 --> 02:17:17,357
awakening, whether it's awakening to

2654
02:17:17,440 --> 02:17:20,317
deeper truth or awakening refreshed from

2655
02:17:20,400 --> 02:17:23,597
sleep, happens through the same patient

2656
02:17:23,680 --> 02:17:25,917
trusting process that gardeners and

2657
02:17:26,000 --> 02:17:28,237
contemplatives have relied upon for

2658
02:17:28,320 --> 02:17:30,957
countless generations.

2659
02:17:31,040 --> 02:17:33,357
Sleep now in this spirit of gentle

2660
02:17:33,440 --> 02:17:36,077
unfolding, knowing that the night's rest

2661
02:17:36,160 --> 02:17:37,997
will bring exactly what's needed for

2662
02:17:38,080 --> 02:17:40,957
your continued growth and awakening in

2663
02:17:41,040 --> 02:17:43,677
timing that's wiser than any plan you

2664
02:17:43,760 --> 02:17:46,717
could devise and more caring than any

2665
02:17:46,800 --> 02:17:49,597
effort you could make. As you settle

2666
02:17:49,680 --> 02:17:54,557
into the deepest layers of rest, you
can feel yourself approaching this same

2667
02:17:54,640 --> 02:17:58,317
threshold. The gentle
efforts you've been making to

2668
02:17:58,400 --> 02:18:01,437
relax, to breathe mindfully, to release

2669
02:18:01,520 --> 02:18:03,837
the day's holdings. All of these are

2670
02:18:03,920 --> 02:18:05,917
beginning to happen by themselves

2671
02:18:06,000 --> 02:18:09,197
without your supervision or management.

2672
02:18:09,280 --> 02:18:11,517
You are discovering the space where

2673
02:18:11,600 --> 02:18:14,237
doing transforms into being, where

2674
02:18:14,320 --> 02:18:17,517
trying dissolves into trusting, where

2675
02:18:17,600 --> 02:18:19,997
your individual will align so completely

2676
02:18:20,080 --> 02:18:22,477
with the flow of life that there is no

2677
02:18:22,560 --> 02:18:25,117
longer any sense of separation between

2678
02:18:25,200 --> 02:18:29,677
your intention and what
naturally wants to unfold.

2679
02:18:29,760 --> 02:18:34,157
In a monastery hidden deep in the forests
of ancient Burma, there lived a

2680
02:18:34,240 --> 02:18:36,637
meditation master named Thant who had

2681
02:18:36,720 --> 02:18:41,437
spent 40 years developing the most
refined and sophisticated spiritual

2682
02:18:41,520 --> 02:18:45,357
practices. He was renowned
throughout the region

2683
02:18:45,440 --> 02:18:48,077
for his ability to enter extremely deep

2684
02:18:48,160 --> 02:18:50,957
states of concentration, his mastery of

2685
02:18:51,040 --> 02:18:53,997
complex visualization techniques and his

2686
02:18:54,080 --> 02:18:55,997
encyclopedic knowledge of meditation

2687
02:18:56,080 --> 02:18:59,117
methods from various traditions.

2688
02:18:59,200 --> 02:19:01,117
Students would travel from distant

2689
02:19:01,200 --> 02:19:04,157
countries to learn from th hoping to

2690
02:19:04,240 --> 02:19:06,157
acquire even a fraction of his

2691
02:19:06,240 --> 02:19:09,277
impressive spiritual skills.

2692
02:19:09,360 --> 02:19:13,517
The master would teach them intricate
breathing techniques, elaborate

2693
02:19:13,600 --> 02:19:16,237
mindfulness exercises, and detailed

2694
02:19:16,320 --> 02:19:20,637
instructions for cultivating
specific mental states.

2695
02:19:20,720 --> 02:19:25,437
His students made remarkable progress
under his guidance, developing abilities

2696
02:19:25,520 --> 02:19:29,037
that other teachers
considered quite advanced.

2697
02:19:29,120 --> 02:19:31,357
But despite his outward success and the

2698
02:19:31,440 --> 02:19:33,997
respect he commanded, Fant harbored a

2699
02:19:34,080 --> 02:19:36,157
secret doubt that grew stronger with

2700
02:19:36,240 --> 02:19:41,117
each passing year. While he could
demonstrate all the classical signs of

2701
02:19:41,200 --> 02:19:42,957
spiritual attainment, while he could

2702
02:19:43,040 --> 02:19:45,277
guide students to experiences they found

2703
02:19:45,360 --> 02:19:48,157
profoundly meaningful, he himself felt

2704
02:19:48,240 --> 02:19:51,277
somehow removed from the simple natural

2705
02:19:51,360 --> 02:19:55,677
peace that he had glimpsed in his
very earliest days of practice.

2706
02:19:55,760 --> 02:20:00,237
The harder Thand worked to perfect
his meditation, the more complex his

2707
02:20:00,320 --> 02:20:05,117
techniques became, and the further he
seemed to drift from the effortless joy

2708
02:20:05,200 --> 02:20:06,797
that had originally drawn him to

2709
02:20:06,880 --> 02:20:10,397
spiritual life. He had become so skilled

2710
02:20:10,480 --> 02:20:12,637
at doing meditation that he had

2711
02:20:12,720 --> 02:20:16,157
forgotten how to simply be. His practice

2712
02:20:16,240 --> 02:20:18,797
had become so refined that it required

2713
02:20:18,880 --> 02:20:21,117
constant maintenance and adjustment,

2714
02:20:21,200 --> 02:20:23,277
leaving little space for the spontaneous

2715
02:20:23,360 --> 02:20:26,157
arising of natural wisdom.

2716
02:20:26,240 --> 02:20:28,637
One evening, feeling particularly

2717
02:20:28,720 --> 02:20:33,357
burdened by the weight of his
accumulated spiritual achievements,

2718
02:20:33,440 --> 02:20:35,517
Thant decided to take a walk in the

2719
02:20:35,600 --> 02:20:38,557
forest surrounding his monastery.

2720
02:20:38,640 --> 02:20:40,877
He had no particular destination in

2721
02:20:40,960 --> 02:20:46,077
mind, no meditation technique
to practice, no spiritual goal to

2722
02:20:46,160 --> 02:20:49,917
accomplish. He simply
walked because walking felt

2723
02:20:50,000 --> 02:20:51,757
better than sitting in his meditation

2724
02:20:51,840 --> 02:20:54,157
hall, surrounded by the evidence of his

2725
02:20:54,240 --> 02:20:57,277
sophisticated but somehow unsatisfying

2726
02:20:57,360 --> 02:21:01,517
practice. As he wandered
deeper into the forest,

2727
02:21:01,600 --> 02:21:04,157
Thant came upon a small clearing where

2728
02:21:04,240 --> 02:21:08,077
an old man sat beside a tiny campfire.

2729
02:21:08,160 --> 02:21:12,317
The stranger appeared to be a simple
wood cutter, his clothes worn and

2730
02:21:12,400 --> 02:21:16,957
practical, his face weathered
by years of outdoor work.

2731
02:21:17,040 --> 02:21:21,757
There was nothing obviously spiritual
about him. No signs of special knowledge

2732
02:21:21,840 --> 02:21:23,837
or attainment.

2733
02:21:23,920 --> 02:21:26,477
Yet something in his presence made Thant

2734
02:21:26,560 --> 02:21:29,197
pause and ask if he might sit beside the

2735
02:21:29,280 --> 02:21:31,677
fire for a few minutes.

2736
02:21:31,760 --> 02:21:34,157
The old man gestured warmly toward a

2737
02:21:34,240 --> 02:21:38,957
fallen log, and Thant settled himself
across the fire from this unexpected

2738
02:21:39,040 --> 02:21:43,037
encounter. They sat
in comfortable silence for some

2739
02:21:43,120 --> 02:21:45,677
time, the old man occasionally tending

2740
02:21:45,760 --> 02:21:48,237
his fire with movements so natural and

2741
02:21:48,320 --> 02:21:50,717
unself-conscious that they seemed like

2742
02:21:50,800 --> 02:21:54,557
extensions of the forest's own rhythms.

2743
02:21:54,640 --> 02:21:56,797
You look like a man who carries a heavy

2744
02:21:56,880 --> 02:21:58,957
load. The wood cutter eventually

2745
02:21:59,040 --> 02:22:02,957
observed, his voice gentle but direct.

2746
02:22:03,040 --> 02:22:06,317
Vant was surprised by this comment. What

2747
02:22:06,400 --> 02:22:09,757
do you mean? I'm not carrying anything

2748
02:22:09,840 --> 02:22:13,757
physical. The old man
smiled and pointed to

2749
02:22:13,840 --> 02:22:16,237
Thance's shoulders, which the meditation

2750
02:22:16,320 --> 02:22:19,277
master suddenly realized were tense and

2751
02:22:19,360 --> 02:22:22,157
elevated despite his years of practicing

2752
02:22:22,240 --> 02:22:24,717
relaxation techniques.

2753
02:22:24,800 --> 02:22:27,277
"Perhaps not physical," the woodcutter

2754
02:22:27,360 --> 02:22:29,277
said. "But you're carrying something

2755
02:22:29,360 --> 02:22:32,557
that's wearing you down. I've seen that

2756
02:22:32,640 --> 02:22:35,757
particular kind of tiredness before."

2757
02:22:35,840 --> 02:22:38,317
Despite himself, Thant found himself

2758
02:22:38,400 --> 02:22:40,877
opening up to this simple stranger.

2759
02:22:40,960 --> 02:22:43,117
describing his decades of spiritual

2760
02:22:43,200 --> 02:22:45,517
practice, his mastery of complex

2761
02:22:45,600 --> 02:22:48,477
techniques and his growing sense that

2762
02:22:48,560 --> 02:22:50,317
all his accomplishments were somehow

2763
02:22:50,400 --> 02:22:53,517
missing the essential point. As he

2764
02:22:53,600 --> 02:22:56,237
spoke, he realized how much effort he

2765
02:22:56,320 --> 02:22:58,157
was putting into maintaining his

2766
02:22:58,240 --> 02:23:01,597
identity as an advanced practitioner,

2767
02:23:01,680 --> 02:23:06,077
how exhausting it had become to live
up to his own standards of spiritual

2768
02:23:06,160 --> 02:23:10,077
achievement. The woodcutter
listened with the kind of

2769
02:23:10,160 --> 02:23:12,557
complete attention that Thant usually

2770
02:23:12,640 --> 02:23:14,877
associated with the deepest meditation

2771
02:23:14,960 --> 02:23:17,757
states. Yet the old man seemed to be

2772
02:23:17,840 --> 02:23:21,117
making no effort at all to be present.

2773
02:23:21,200 --> 02:23:25,597
His attention was as natural as a
treere's attention to sunlight, as

2774
02:23:25,680 --> 02:23:29,597
effortless as water's
attention to flowing downhill.

2775
02:23:29,680 --> 02:23:32,557
Tell me, the woodcutter said when had

2776
02:23:32,640 --> 02:23:36,717
finished describing his spiritual dilemma.
When you first began practicing

2777
02:23:36,800 --> 02:23:39,037
meditation before you learned all these

2778
02:23:39,120 --> 02:23:41,277
sophisticated techniques, what was it

2779
02:23:41,360 --> 02:23:44,877
like? Vand thought back to his earliest

2780
02:23:44,960 --> 02:23:48,157
days as a young monk when meditation had

2781
02:23:48,240 --> 02:23:53,437
been simple and fresh. It was

2782
02:23:53,520 --> 02:23:55,997
easy, he admitted.

2783
02:23:56,080 --> 02:24:00,877
I would just sit and breathe
and peace would come naturally.

2784
02:24:00,960 --> 02:24:04,317
I didn't know enough
to make it complicated.

2785
02:24:04,400 --> 02:24:06,237
And you think you know more now than you

2786
02:24:06,320 --> 02:24:09,837
did then? The old man asked, stirring

2787
02:24:09,920 --> 02:24:12,237
the fire with a stick.

2788
02:24:12,320 --> 02:24:15,837
Well, yes, replied.

2789
02:24:15,920 --> 02:24:18,237
I've studied with masters, learned

2790
02:24:18,320 --> 02:24:20,957
advanced techniques, developed abilities

2791
02:24:21,040 --> 02:24:23,997
I never had as a beginner. The wood

2792
02:24:24,080 --> 02:24:26,797
cutter nodded thoughtfully.

2793
02:24:26,880 --> 02:24:31,197
I've been cutting wood
for 50 years, he said.

2794
02:24:31,280 --> 02:24:33,517
When I started, I would struggle with

2795
02:24:33,600 --> 02:24:36,237
each tree, using all my force and

2796
02:24:36,320 --> 02:24:40,957
determination. I thought
skill meant working harder and

2797
02:24:41,040 --> 02:24:43,037
developing more sophisticated cutting

2798
02:24:43,120 --> 02:24:46,557
techniques. Zero five. But you know what

2799
02:24:46,640 --> 02:24:48,317
I discovered?

2800
02:24:48,400 --> 02:24:51,917
That shook his head. The trees wanted to

2801
02:24:52,000 --> 02:24:55,277
fall. My job was not to make them fall

2802
02:24:55,360 --> 02:24:59,357
through superior technique, but to find
the natural point where they were ready

2803
02:24:59,440 --> 02:25:01,117
to let go.

2804
02:25:01,200 --> 02:25:03,997
Now, when I cut wood, I barely feel like

2805
02:25:04,080 --> 02:25:06,957
I'm doing anything. The axe knows where

2806
02:25:07,040 --> 02:25:09,517
to go. The tree knows when to release,

2807
02:25:09,600 --> 02:25:12,637
and I just

2808
02:25:12,720 --> 02:25:14,477
participate.

2809
02:25:14,560 --> 02:25:17,197
As the old man spoke, something began to

2810
02:25:17,280 --> 02:25:19,917
shift in Thance understanding.

2811
02:25:20,000 --> 02:25:23,997
He realized that he had been treating
spiritual practice like a project to

2812
02:25:24,080 --> 02:25:28,957
complete rather than a natural
unfolding to participate in.

2813
02:25:29,040 --> 02:25:32,637
He had been trying to force
enlightenment through perfect technique

2814
02:25:32,720 --> 02:25:34,557
rather than recognizing the awareness

2815
02:25:34,640 --> 02:25:36,957
that was already present and needed only

2816
02:25:37,040 --> 02:25:39,677
to be noticed and trusted.

2817
02:25:39,760 --> 02:25:42,157
That night, Thant returned to his

2818
02:25:42,240 --> 02:25:46,877
monastery and did something
he hadn't done in decades.

2819
02:25:46,960 --> 02:25:49,037
Instead of engaging in any formal

2820
02:25:49,120 --> 02:25:51,917
meditation practice, he simply sat in

2821
02:25:52,000 --> 02:25:54,397
his usual spot and remembered what it

2822
02:25:54,480 --> 02:25:57,357
was like to be a complete beginner.

2823
02:25:57,440 --> 02:25:59,437
He dropped all his sophisticated

2824
02:25:59,520 --> 02:26:02,237
techniques, released all his spiritual

2825
02:26:02,320 --> 02:26:04,557
achievements, and allowed himself to

2826
02:26:04,640 --> 02:26:06,957
rest in the same simple presence he had

2827
02:26:07,040 --> 02:26:10,797
known as a young monk. To his amazement,

2828
02:26:10,880 --> 02:26:13,037
the natural peace that had been obscured

2829
02:26:13,120 --> 02:26:15,437
by years of effortful practice

2830
02:26:15,520 --> 02:26:18,237
immediately began to emerge,

2831
02:26:18,320 --> 02:26:22,957
not because he was doing anything right,
but because he had finally stopped doing

2832
02:26:23,040 --> 02:26:26,637
so much. The awareness
he had been trying to

2833
02:26:26,720 --> 02:26:29,037
cultivate through complex methods

2834
02:26:29,120 --> 02:26:31,277
revealed itself to be the very awareness

2835
02:26:31,360 --> 02:26:34,397
that was observing all his methods.

2836
02:26:34,480 --> 02:26:37,037
From that night forward, Thance teaching

2837
02:26:37,120 --> 02:26:40,077
style completely transformed.

2838
02:26:40,160 --> 02:26:42,317
Instead of offering students elaborate

2839
02:26:42,400 --> 02:26:44,637
techniques, he would simply sit with

2840
02:26:44,720 --> 02:26:47,757
them in the same effortless presence he

2841
02:26:47,840 --> 02:26:51,997
had rediscovered.
Instead of teaching them how to achieve

2842
02:26:52,080 --> 02:26:56,317
special states, he would help them
recognize the ordinary awareness that

2843
02:26:56,400 --> 02:27:00,557
was already available.
His monastery became known not for

2844
02:27:00,640 --> 02:27:04,797
producing students with impressive
meditation abilities, but for the

2845
02:27:04,880 --> 02:27:07,517
quality of natural peace that seemed to

2846
02:27:07,600 --> 02:27:09,677
permeate everything.

2847
02:27:09,760 --> 02:27:12,477
Years later, when advanced practitioners

2848
02:27:12,560 --> 02:27:14,797
would visit Thant, hoping to learn his

2849
02:27:14,880 --> 02:27:17,277
most sophisticated teachings, he would

2850
02:27:17,360 --> 02:27:19,677
smile and point to the forest where he

2851
02:27:19,760 --> 02:27:22,397
had met the old woodcutter.

2852
02:27:22,480 --> 02:27:25,357
The deepest teaching, he would say, is

2853
02:27:25,440 --> 02:27:29,437
that there's nothing to learn that you
don't already know, nothing to achieve

2854
02:27:29,520 --> 02:27:31,837
that you don't already have, nothing to

2855
02:27:31,920 --> 02:27:34,477
become that you're not already.

2856
02:27:34,560 --> 02:27:36,797
The practice is not to add something to

2857
02:27:36,880 --> 02:27:39,677
your experience, but to stop covering up

2858
02:27:39,760 --> 02:27:42,397
what's naturally present.

2859
02:27:42,480 --> 02:27:45,117
Like th you may discover that the

2860
02:27:45,200 --> 02:27:47,837
deepest rest comes not from perfecting

2861
02:27:47,920 --> 02:27:52,477
techniques of relaxation, but from
recognizing the relaxation that is

2862
02:27:52,560 --> 02:27:54,637
always available when you stop working

2863
02:27:54,720 --> 02:27:57,357
so hard to achieve it.

2864
02:27:57,440 --> 02:28:00,397
Right now as you settle towards sleep,

2865
02:28:00,480 --> 02:28:02,477
you can practice this same art of

2866
02:28:02,560 --> 02:28:05,837
releasing even the effort to practice.

2867
02:28:05,920 --> 02:28:07,757
Notice how your breathing settles into

2868
02:28:07,840 --> 02:28:10,077
its natural rhythm when you stop trying

2869
02:28:10,160 --> 02:28:13,437
to breathe in any particular way. Feel

2870
02:28:13,520 --> 02:28:15,917
how your body finds its optimal position

2871
02:28:16,000 --> 02:28:18,397
for rest when you stop adjusting and

2872
02:28:18,480 --> 02:28:22,637
arranging. Zero five. Observe how your

2873
02:28:22,720 --> 02:28:25,037
mind naturally quiets when you stop

2874
02:28:25,120 --> 02:28:29,677
managing your thoughts and simply allow
whatever mental activity is present to

2875
02:28:29,760 --> 02:28:33,917
be there without
resistance or encouragement.

2876
02:28:34,000 --> 02:28:35,997
This is the space between effort and

2877
02:28:36,080 --> 02:28:38,077
grace that discovered by the wood

2878
02:28:38,160 --> 02:28:41,117
cutters fire. It's not that effort is

2879
02:28:41,200 --> 02:28:46,077
wrong or unnecessary. Your sincere
engagement with rest has created the

2880
02:28:46,160 --> 02:28:49,837
conditions for this effortless
settling to emerge.

2881
02:28:49,920 --> 02:28:52,957
But now, having done your part, you can

2882
02:28:53,040 --> 02:28:55,117
step back and allow sleep to do its

2883
02:28:55,200 --> 02:28:57,757
part, trusting the natural intelligence

2884
02:28:57,840 --> 02:29:02,317
that knows exactly how to carry
you from waking into rest.

2885
02:29:02,400 --> 02:29:04,477
Feel how this understanding brings an

2886
02:29:04,560 --> 02:29:08,077
even deeper quality of letting go. You

2887
02:29:08,160 --> 02:29:12,797
don't need to maintain any particular
state of mind or continue any specific

2888
02:29:12,880 --> 02:29:16,397
practice. You can simply
rest in the awareness

2889
02:29:16,480 --> 02:29:20,797
that has been present throughout all
your efforts. The same awareness that

2890
02:29:20,880 --> 02:29:24,157
will remain present throughout your sleep.

2891
02:29:24,240 --> 02:29:26,637
In the high mountains of Kashmir, there

2892
02:29:26,720 --> 02:29:29,277
was once a small ashram where a very

2893
02:29:29,360 --> 02:29:32,717
unusual teaching method was employed.

2894
02:29:32,800 --> 02:29:37,197
Instead of offering students complex
spiritual practices or detailed

2895
02:29:37,280 --> 02:29:39,597
philosophical instructions, the master

2896
02:29:39,680 --> 02:29:41,837
who lived there had developed what he

2897
02:29:41,920 --> 02:29:45,517
called the practice of nonpractice.

2898
02:29:45,600 --> 02:29:48,157
Students who arrived expecting intensive

2899
02:29:48,240 --> 02:29:50,317
meditation schedules or rigorous

2900
02:29:50,400 --> 02:29:52,957
disciplines would find themselves gently

2901
02:29:53,040 --> 02:29:56,157
invited to do

2902
02:29:56,240 --> 02:29:58,397
nothing in particular.

2903
02:29:58,480 --> 02:30:01,277
The master known simply as Baba would

2904
02:30:01,360 --> 02:30:03,677
welcome new students warmly and then

2905
02:30:03,760 --> 02:30:08,477
suggest they spend their first few days
simply resting and observing life in the

2906
02:30:08,560 --> 02:30:12,637
ashram. No special
techniques were taught. No

2907
02:30:12,720 --> 02:30:15,117
particular behaviors were required. No

2908
02:30:15,200 --> 02:30:17,997
spiritual goals were set.

2909
02:30:18,080 --> 02:30:20,477
Students were free to sleep when tired,

2910
02:30:20,560 --> 02:30:23,037
eat when hungry, walk when moved to

2911
02:30:23,120 --> 02:30:26,797
walk, and sit when inclined to sit.

2912
02:30:26,880 --> 02:30:31,357
Many students initially found
this approach frustrating.

2913
02:30:31,440 --> 02:30:35,837
They had come seeking spiritual
advancement and instead found themselves

2914
02:30:35,920 --> 02:30:39,917
encouraged to follow
their most natural impulses.

2915
02:30:40,000 --> 02:30:42,557
Some left after a few days, convinced

2916
02:30:42,640 --> 02:30:44,717
that nothing important was happening in

2917
02:30:44,800 --> 02:30:47,837
such an unstructured environment.

2918
02:30:47,920 --> 02:30:52,237
But those who stayed began
to notice something remarkable.

2919
02:30:52,320 --> 02:30:53,837
Without the pressure to achieve

2920
02:30:53,920 --> 02:30:56,717
spiritual states or master particular

2921
02:30:56,800 --> 02:30:59,517
practices, their minds naturally began

2922
02:30:59,600 --> 02:31:02,797
to settle. Without goals to reach or

2923
02:31:02,880 --> 02:31:06,877
progress to measure, they found
themselves becoming present in a way

2924
02:31:06,960 --> 02:31:11,197
that forced meditation
had never accomplished.

2925
02:31:11,280 --> 02:31:15,517
Without techniques to maintain, they
discovered a quality of awareness that

2926
02:31:15,600 --> 02:31:18,077
required no maintenance.

2927
02:31:18,160 --> 02:31:21,037
One student, a woman named Priya, who

2928
02:31:21,120 --> 02:31:23,197
had spent years learning elaborate

2929
02:31:23,280 --> 02:31:26,397
visualization practices at other ash,

2930
02:31:26,480 --> 02:31:30,637
was particularly puzzled
by Barbara's non-method.

2931
02:31:30,720 --> 02:31:34,717
Master, she asked one morning,
"How can we develop spiritually without

2932
02:31:34,800 --> 02:31:38,717
practices? How can we
purify the mind without

2933
02:31:38,800 --> 02:31:43,037
techniques? How can we
achieve realization without

2934
02:31:43,120 --> 02:31:47,677
effort?" Barbara gestured
toward a nearby stream

2935
02:31:47,760 --> 02:31:51,437
that flowed naturally
down the mountainside.

2936
02:31:51,520 --> 02:31:54,557
"Does the water practice flowing?"

2937
02:31:54,640 --> 02:31:59,357
he asked. "Does it work hard to be wet?

2938
02:31:59,440 --> 02:32:02,957
Does it strive to reach the ocean? Priya

2939
02:32:03,040 --> 02:32:05,437
had to admit that the stream seemed to

2940
02:32:05,520 --> 02:32:08,397
flow effortlessly, following its natural

2941
02:32:08,480 --> 02:32:12,717
course without apparent
struggle or intention.

2942
02:32:12,800 --> 02:32:15,117
Your natural state is already pure

2943
02:32:15,200 --> 02:32:18,397
awareness. Baba explained,

2944
02:32:18,480 --> 02:32:23,117
"Trying to purify it
is like trying to wash water.

2945
02:32:23,200 --> 02:32:26,557
Your essential nature is already peaceful.

2946
02:32:26,640 --> 02:32:28,717
Trying to make it peaceful is like

2947
02:32:28,800 --> 02:32:31,357
trying to quiet silence.

2948
02:32:31,440 --> 02:32:34,717
Your deepest being is already free.

2949
02:32:34,800 --> 02:32:36,877
Trying to liberate it is like trying to

2950
02:32:36,960 --> 02:32:40,157
release space from its boundaries.

2951
02:32:40,240 --> 02:32:44,157
But then what is the purpose
of spiritual practice?

2952
02:32:44,240 --> 02:32:46,317
Priya asked.

2953
02:32:46,400 --> 02:32:48,317
Practice serves the same purpose as

2954
02:32:48,400 --> 02:32:51,757
cleaning a mirror. Baba replied.

2955
02:32:51,840 --> 02:32:53,757
Not to make the mirror's capacity to

2956
02:32:53,840 --> 02:32:56,237
reflect something new, but to remove

2957
02:32:56,320 --> 02:33:00,077
what obscures its natural reflectivity.

2958
02:33:00,160 --> 02:33:04,477
Once the mirror is clean, you don't
need to continue cleaning it while you're

2959
02:33:04,560 --> 02:33:06,637
looking into it.

2960
02:33:06,720 --> 02:33:08,717
Over the following weeks, Priya

2961
02:33:08,800 --> 02:33:11,997
gradually understood what Baba meant.

2962
02:33:12,080 --> 02:33:16,077
The intensive practices she had learned
were like cleaning methods that had

2963
02:33:16,160 --> 02:33:18,317
their place. But once the natural

2964
02:33:18,400 --> 02:33:20,797
clarity of awareness was recognized,

2965
02:33:20,880 --> 02:33:25,837
continued effort became unnecessary
and even counterproductive.

2966
02:33:25,920 --> 02:33:30,237
She learned to rest in the awareness
that was already present rather than

2967
02:33:30,320 --> 02:33:34,237
trying to create some new
state of consciousness.

2968
02:33:34,320 --> 02:33:36,637
The most profound teaching at Baba's

2969
02:33:36,720 --> 02:33:39,757
asham came through what students called

2970
02:33:39,840 --> 02:33:42,637
the invitation to stop.

2971
02:33:42,720 --> 02:33:44,717
At a certain point in each student's

2972
02:33:44,800 --> 02:33:47,357
stay, usually when they had settled into

2973
02:33:47,440 --> 02:33:50,237
the rhythm of nonpractice, Baba would

2974
02:33:50,320 --> 02:33:52,957
offer a simple suggestion.

2975
02:33:53,040 --> 02:33:56,397
Stop trying to be spiritual.

2976
02:33:56,480 --> 02:33:59,677
Stop working toward enlightenment.

2977
02:33:59,760 --> 02:34:02,877
Stop practicing altogether.

2978
02:34:02,960 --> 02:34:06,157
Just be what you already are. This

2979
02:34:06,240 --> 02:34:08,637
invitation often triggered a crisis for

2980
02:34:08,720 --> 02:34:11,597
serious spiritual seekers.

2981
02:34:11,680 --> 02:34:14,237
Without practices to maintain or goals

2982
02:34:14,320 --> 02:34:17,277
to pursue, many students initially felt

2983
02:34:17,360 --> 02:34:21,837
lost and purposeless.
But those who could accept Baba's

2984
02:34:21,920 --> 02:34:25,517
invitation discovered
something extraordinary.

2985
02:34:25,600 --> 02:34:30,317
The peace they had been seeking through
practice was immediately available when

2986
02:34:30,400 --> 02:34:32,477
seeking stopped.

2987
02:34:32,560 --> 02:34:35,997
Priya later described this transition as

2988
02:34:36,080 --> 02:34:38,477
falling through the bottom of seeking

2989
02:34:38,560 --> 02:34:41,517
into what was always there.

2990
02:34:41,600 --> 02:34:43,677
She realized that all her years of

2991
02:34:43,760 --> 02:34:46,317
practice had been valuable preparation

2992
02:34:46,400 --> 02:34:49,197
for this moment of recognition. But the

2993
02:34:49,280 --> 02:34:53,677
recognition itself happened not through
more practice but through the complete

2994
02:34:53,760 --> 02:34:57,757
relaxation of any effort
to achieve anything.

2995
02:34:57,840 --> 02:35:02,317
When Baba eventually died,
students expected the ashram to close or

2996
02:35:02,400 --> 02:35:06,237
transform into a more
conventional teaching center.

2997
02:35:06,320 --> 02:35:11,037
Instead, they found that the quality
of effortless presence he had embodied

2998
02:35:11,120 --> 02:35:14,637
seemed to have permeated the place itself.

2999
02:35:14,720 --> 02:35:19,437
Visitors would arrive with complex
spiritual agendas and find themselves

3000
02:35:19,520 --> 02:35:21,277
naturally settling into the same

3001
02:35:21,360 --> 02:35:24,877
non-practice that Barbara had embodied.

3002
02:35:24,960 --> 02:35:27,197
The teaching continued not through

3003
02:35:27,280 --> 02:35:29,677
methods or techniques, but through the

3004
02:35:29,760 --> 02:35:34,717
direct transmission of a way of being
that required nothing and offered

3005
02:35:34,800 --> 02:35:39,197
everything.
Like the students at Baba's asham, you

3006
02:35:39,280 --> 02:35:41,437
can discover right now what happens when

3007
02:35:41,520 --> 02:35:43,677
you stop trying to achieve the perfect

3008
02:35:43,760 --> 02:35:46,797
state for sleep and instead rest in the

3009
02:35:46,880 --> 02:35:49,757
awareness that's already present.

3010
02:35:49,840 --> 02:35:53,757
The consciousness that has been
observing your efforts to relax doesn't

3011
02:35:53,840 --> 02:35:56,557
need to be improved or altered.

3012
02:35:56,640 --> 02:35:58,877
It's already the perfect space for rest

3013
02:35:58,960 --> 02:36:02,157
to arise naturally. Feel how this

3014
02:36:02,240 --> 02:36:04,317
recognition allows you to stop managing

3015
02:36:04,400 --> 02:36:09,357
your experience and simply be present
with whatever is happening. Your

3016
02:36:09,440 --> 02:36:14,237
thoughts can continue their natural
movement without your supervision.

3017
02:36:14,320 --> 02:36:19,037
Your body can continue its natural
settling without your guidance.

3018
02:36:19,120 --> 02:36:23,917
Your breath can continue its natural
rhythm without your attention.

3019
02:36:24,000 --> 02:36:28,237
All of these processes know how
to support your movement towards sleep

3020
02:36:28,320 --> 02:36:31,997
without requiring conscious intervention.

3021
02:36:32,080 --> 02:36:34,317
This is the space between effort and

3022
02:36:34,400 --> 02:36:37,197
grace where sleep becomes not something

3023
02:36:37,280 --> 02:36:41,277
you achieve but something you receive.

3024
02:36:41,360 --> 02:36:43,997
Like a gift that can only be accepted

3025
02:36:44,080 --> 02:36:48,477
when your hands are finally empty
of trying to earn it. Rest becomes

3026
02:36:48,560 --> 02:36:50,397
available when you stop working to

3027
02:36:50,480 --> 02:36:53,837
deserve it and simply allow yourself to

3028
02:36:53,920 --> 02:36:56,237
be held by the natural intelligence that

3029
02:36:56,320 --> 02:36:59,517
has been supporting you all along. The

3030
02:36:59,600 --> 02:37:02,237
woodcutters ease with his work. Th

3031
02:37:02,320 --> 02:37:04,557
rediscovery of beginner's mind,

3032
02:37:04,640 --> 02:37:07,517
Barbber's invitation to stop trying. All

3033
02:37:07,600 --> 02:37:09,757
of these teachings point to the same

3034
02:37:09,840 --> 02:37:12,157
profound recognition.

3035
02:37:12,240 --> 02:37:14,557
The peace you seek is what you are

3036
02:37:14,640 --> 02:37:18,157
seeking from. The rest you desire is

3037
02:37:18,240 --> 02:37:22,237
what is already resting
as your deepest nature.

3038
02:37:22,320 --> 02:37:24,637
The sleep you're approaching is simply

3039
02:37:24,720 --> 02:37:27,117
consciousness allowing itself to settle

3040
02:37:27,200 --> 02:37:29,757
into its own source.

3041
02:37:29,840 --> 02:37:32,317
Tonight, as you continue this gentle

3042
02:37:32,400 --> 02:37:35,277
descent into rest, you can practice this

3043
02:37:35,360 --> 02:37:37,997
ultimate nonpractice.

3044
02:37:38,080 --> 02:37:41,037
Allow everything to be exactly as it is

3045
02:37:41,120 --> 02:37:45,037
without trying to improve
or change anything.

3046
02:37:45,120 --> 02:37:47,197
Rest in the awareness that requires no

3047
02:37:47,280 --> 02:37:50,237
maintenance, needs no development, and

3048
02:37:50,320 --> 02:37:54,397
lacks nothing.
Let this moment of settling into sleep

3049
02:37:54,480 --> 02:37:56,957
become your most natural expression of

3050
02:37:57,040 --> 02:37:58,717
the effortless being that you have

3051
02:37:58,800 --> 02:38:01,917
always been. In this space between

3052
02:38:02,000 --> 02:38:04,637
effort and grace, between doing and

3053
02:38:04,720 --> 02:38:07,837
being, between seeking and finding,

3054
02:38:07,920 --> 02:38:10,557
sleep arrives not as an achievement, but

3055
02:38:10,640 --> 02:38:14,877
as a homecoming.
The threshold you're crossing now leads

3056
02:38:14,960 --> 02:38:19,597
not to unconsciousness, but to the
recognition that consciousness itself is

3057
02:38:19,680 --> 02:38:23,917
what has been seeking rest.
And consciousness itself is the rest that

3058
02:38:24,000 --> 02:38:28,157
was being sought.
Allow yourself now to dissolve

3059
02:38:28,240 --> 02:38:30,477
completely into this recognition,

3060
02:38:30,560 --> 02:38:32,797
trusting that what you essentially are

3061
02:38:32,880 --> 02:38:35,837
never sleeps and never wakes, but simply

3062
02:38:35,920 --> 02:38:39,197
is. The eternal awareness in which all

3063
02:38:39,280 --> 02:38:42,077
sleeping and waking arise and pass away

3064
02:38:42,160 --> 02:38:46,637
like gentle waves on an
infinite ocean of peace.

3065
02:38:46,720 --> 02:38:48,557
From the gentle wisdom of patient

3066
02:38:48,640 --> 02:38:51,357
awakening, we now arrive at the deepest

3067
02:38:51,440 --> 02:38:53,997
teaching of all. The discovery of rest

3068
02:38:54,080 --> 02:38:56,877
that has no beginning and no end. Peace

3069
02:38:56,960 --> 02:38:59,517
that doesn't depend on conditions and

3070
02:38:59,600 --> 02:39:01,757
love that supports all beings throughout

3071
02:39:01,840 --> 02:39:05,037
their journey from one day to the next.

3072
02:39:05,120 --> 02:39:08,957
Like arriving at the ocean after
following many different rivers, we now

3073
02:39:09,040 --> 02:39:13,437
settle into the vast stillness that has
been the source and destination of all

3074
02:39:13,520 --> 02:39:16,717
the paths we've traveled together tonight.

3075
02:39:16,800 --> 02:39:19,357
This is the place where all seeking

3076
02:39:19,440 --> 02:39:22,157
finally comes to rest.

3077
02:39:22,240 --> 02:39:26,477
Not because you have found what you were
looking for elsewhere, but because you

3078
02:39:26,560 --> 02:39:30,397
have remembered what
was never actually lost.

3079
02:39:30,480 --> 02:39:34,397
The peace you've been seeking through
practice and effort, through trying to

3080
02:39:34,480 --> 02:39:37,117
arrange your life just right or achieve

3081
02:39:37,200 --> 02:39:39,917
the perfect state of mind has been here

3082
02:39:40,000 --> 02:39:43,437
all along. Closer than your breath, more

3083
02:39:43,520 --> 02:39:48,157
intimate than your thoughts, as natural
as the awareness that knows these very

3084
02:39:48,240 --> 02:39:51,917
words. In this final
stretch of our journey

3085
02:39:52,000 --> 02:39:54,157
together, we rest in the understanding

3086
02:39:54,240 --> 02:39:56,397
that there is nowhere to go and nothing

3087
02:39:56,480 --> 02:39:59,757
to become. There is only this eternal

3088
02:39:59,840 --> 02:40:02,557
moment of being, this infinite rest that

3089
02:40:02,640 --> 02:40:05,357
welcomes you exactly as you are, tired

3090
02:40:05,440 --> 02:40:07,677
from the day's journey, and ready now to

3091
02:40:07,760 --> 02:40:12,797
dissolve into the loving darkness
that cradles all of life in its tender

3092
02:40:12,880 --> 02:40:14,637
embrace.

3093
02:40:14,720 --> 02:40:17,117
High in the mountains of ancient Tibet,

3094
02:40:17,200 --> 02:40:19,997
in a cave so remote that even the sound

3095
02:40:20,080 --> 02:40:23,757
of wind seemed distant and soft, lived a

3096
02:40:23,840 --> 02:40:26,077
hermit known throughout the region

3097
02:40:26,160 --> 02:40:29,677
simply as the eternal sleeper.

3098
02:40:29,760 --> 02:40:31,677
This was not because he spent all his

3099
02:40:31,760 --> 02:40:34,797
time unconscious, but because those who

3100
02:40:34,880 --> 02:40:37,197
encountered him said he seemed to rest

3101
02:40:37,280 --> 02:40:40,477
in a quality of peace so profound that

3102
02:40:40,560 --> 02:40:42,477
it was like meeting someone who had

3103
02:40:42,560 --> 02:40:45,437
discovered the secret of perfect sleep

3104
02:40:45,520 --> 02:40:48,477
while remaining fully awake.

3105
02:40:48,560 --> 02:40:50,717
Pilgrims would make arduous journeys to

3106
02:40:50,800 --> 02:40:53,277
seek his teachings, climbing for days

3107
02:40:53,360 --> 02:40:55,677
through treacherous mountain passes to

3108
02:40:55,760 --> 02:40:58,877
reach his simple cave dwelling. But when

3109
02:40:58,960 --> 02:41:03,197
they arrived, expecting profound
discourses or complex meditation

3110
02:41:03,280 --> 02:41:05,517
instructions, they would find the hermit

3111
02:41:05,600 --> 02:41:08,637
simply sitting quietly, radiating such

3112
02:41:08,720 --> 02:41:12,877
complete contentment that many visitors
would feel their own restless seeking

3113
02:41:12,960 --> 02:41:16,477
begin to settle just
from being in his presence.

3114
02:41:16,560 --> 02:41:19,517
The hermit rarely spoke, and when he

3115
02:41:19,600 --> 02:41:22,717
did, his words were so simple that many

3116
02:41:22,800 --> 02:41:26,317
visitors initially felt disappointed.

3117
02:41:26,400 --> 02:41:29,197
They had traveled so far and endured

3118
02:41:29,280 --> 02:41:32,157
such hardships to reach him, hoping for

3119
02:41:32,240 --> 02:41:35,437
esoteric knowledge or advanced spiritual

3120
02:41:35,520 --> 02:41:39,837
techniques. Instead,
he would offer tea and perhaps

3121
02:41:39,920 --> 02:41:44,477
comment on the weather or ask about
their journey with genuine but ordinary

3122
02:41:44,560 --> 02:41:48,077
kindness.
But as pilgrims spent time in the

3123
02:41:48,160 --> 02:41:51,037
hermit's presence, something remarkable

3124
02:41:51,120 --> 02:41:55,597
would begin to happen. The urgent
questions that had driven them to seek

3125
02:41:55,680 --> 02:41:57,757
him out would start to feel less

3126
02:41:57,840 --> 02:42:00,877
pressing. The spiritual goals they had

3127
02:42:00,960 --> 02:42:03,517
been pursuing with such intensity would

3128
02:42:03,600 --> 02:42:06,397
begin to seem unnecessary.

3129
02:42:06,480 --> 02:42:09,117
Most surprisingly, the seeking itself,

3130
02:42:09,200 --> 02:42:13,677
the sense that happiness and peace
were somewhere else requiring effort and

3131
02:42:13,760 --> 02:42:17,917
achievement to attain,
would gradually fade away.

3132
02:42:18,000 --> 02:42:20,397
One visitor, a scholar who had spent

3133
02:42:20,480 --> 02:42:23,117
decades studying spiritual texts and

3134
02:42:23,200 --> 02:42:27,517
practicing complex meditation
techniques, spent three days with the

3135
02:42:27,600 --> 02:42:31,277
hermit, waiting for some
profound teaching.

3136
02:42:31,360 --> 02:42:34,077
On his final morning, frustrated by the

3137
02:42:34,160 --> 02:42:36,397
apparent lack of instruction, he asked

3138
02:42:36,480 --> 02:42:40,077
directly, "Master, I have come so far to

3139
02:42:40,160 --> 02:42:43,277
learn from you. What is the secret of

3140
02:42:43,360 --> 02:42:45,677
the peace you embody?

3141
02:42:45,760 --> 02:42:50,797
What practices should I undertake
to achieve your level of realization?

3142
02:42:50,880 --> 02:42:55,197
The hermit looked at him
with gentle eyes and smiled.

3143
02:42:55,280 --> 02:42:58,717
Secret? What secret?

3144
02:42:58,800 --> 02:43:01,277
I am simply resting.

3145
02:43:01,360 --> 02:43:03,677
Not resting from something, but resting

3146
02:43:03,760 --> 02:43:07,437
as the very nature of what I am. You are

3147
02:43:07,520 --> 02:43:11,517
also the same rest. But you have
convinced yourself that you're something

3148
02:43:11,600 --> 02:43:14,237
that needs to achieve rest rather than

3149
02:43:14,320 --> 02:43:16,877
recognizing that you are rest itself.

3150
02:43:16,960 --> 02:43:21,197
Temporarily dreaming that
you're someone seeking rest.

3151
02:43:21,280 --> 02:43:23,277
The scholar was initially confused by

3152
02:43:23,360 --> 02:43:28,237
this response. But I feel
so restless, so far from

3153
02:43:28,320 --> 02:43:29,917
peace.

3154
02:43:30,000 --> 02:43:32,157
How can you say that I am rest itself

3155
02:43:32,240 --> 02:43:35,277
when my experience is the opposite?

3156
02:43:35,360 --> 02:43:39,037
Look more carefully, the hermit suggested.

3157
02:43:39,120 --> 02:43:41,917
What is aware of the restlessness?

3158
02:43:42,000 --> 02:43:45,837
What notices that you feel far from peace?

3159
02:43:45,920 --> 02:43:47,917
That which observes even your most

3160
02:43:48,000 --> 02:43:51,117
agitated states remains perfectly still,

3161
02:43:51,200 --> 02:43:53,997
doesn't it? Like the sky that remains

3162
02:43:54,080 --> 02:43:56,477
untroubled whether storms or clear

3163
02:43:56,560 --> 02:43:59,917
weather move through it. As the scholar

3164
02:44:00,000 --> 02:44:03,197
sat quietly considering this pointing,

3165
02:44:03,280 --> 02:44:07,117
something began to shift
in his understanding.

3166
02:44:07,200 --> 02:44:11,997
He realized that while his thoughts
and emotions had been in constant motion,

3167
02:44:12,080 --> 02:44:16,477
there was indeed something that remained
unchangingly present throughout all his

3168
02:44:16,560 --> 02:44:18,317
experiences.

3169
02:44:18,400 --> 02:44:20,477
The awareness that knew his thoughts was

3170
02:44:20,560 --> 02:44:23,517
never actually disturbed by them. The

3171
02:44:23,600 --> 02:44:27,677
consciousness that observed his emotions
was never actually affected by their

3172
02:44:27,760 --> 02:44:31,997
intensity. This observing
awareness, the hermit

3173
02:44:32,080 --> 02:44:34,317
continued, is not something you possess

3174
02:44:34,400 --> 02:44:37,037
or develop through practice.

3175
02:44:37,120 --> 02:44:40,397
It's what you are most fundamentally.

3176
02:44:40,480 --> 02:44:43,357
All spiritual practice at its deepest

3177
02:44:43,440 --> 02:44:45,837
level is simply the removal of the

3178
02:44:45,920 --> 02:44:50,557
mistaken identification with the
contents of awareness rather than

3179
02:44:50,640 --> 02:44:52,797
awareness itself.

3180
02:44:52,880 --> 02:44:55,117
You are not the restless seeker having

3181
02:44:55,200 --> 02:44:57,757
spiritual experiences.

3182
02:44:57,840 --> 02:44:59,917
You are the infinite rest in which all

3183
02:45:00,000 --> 02:45:02,557
experiences, including the experience of

3184
02:45:02,640 --> 02:45:06,237
seeking, arise and pass away.

3185
02:45:06,320 --> 02:45:08,877
That morning, as the scholar prepared to

3186
02:45:08,960 --> 02:45:11,437
leave the hermit's cave, he found that

3187
02:45:11,520 --> 02:45:13,597
the desperate urgency that had driven

3188
02:45:13,680 --> 02:45:16,717
his spiritual seeking for decades had

3189
02:45:16,800 --> 02:45:21,117
simply evaporated.
Not because he had achieved some great

3190
02:45:21,200 --> 02:45:23,197
attainment, but because he had

3191
02:45:23,280 --> 02:45:26,637
recognized what had been true all along.

3192
02:45:26,720 --> 02:45:31,037
The peace he had been seeking through
countless practices and teachings was

3193
02:45:31,120 --> 02:45:35,197
the very ground from which
his seeking had arisen.

3194
02:45:35,280 --> 02:45:37,677
Years later, when other seekers would

3195
02:45:37,760 --> 02:45:42,637
ask him about his time with the eternal
sleeper, the former scholar would

3196
02:45:42,720 --> 02:45:45,997
struggle to explain what
had been transmitted.

3197
02:45:46,080 --> 02:45:48,237
He didn't teach me anything new, he

3198
02:45:48,320 --> 02:45:52,077
would say. He simply helped me recognize

3199
02:45:52,160 --> 02:45:55,437
what I had never actually forgotten.

3200
02:45:55,520 --> 02:45:57,597
The rest I was seeking was what I was

3201
02:45:57,680 --> 02:46:00,957
seeking from. The peace I was trying to

3202
02:46:01,040 --> 02:46:03,917
achieve was what was already achieving

3203
02:46:04,000 --> 02:46:06,957
everything through me. The hermit lived

3204
02:46:07,040 --> 02:46:11,117
in his mountain cave for many
more decades, continuing to welcome

3205
02:46:11,200 --> 02:46:13,597
occasional visitors with the same simple

3206
02:46:13,680 --> 02:46:16,877
presence. When he finally died, they

3207
02:46:16,960 --> 02:46:18,877
found his body sitting in perfect

3208
02:46:18,960 --> 02:46:21,597
meditation posture as if he had simply

3209
02:46:21,680 --> 02:46:23,917
allowed his individual life to dissolve

3210
02:46:24,000 --> 02:46:26,477
back into the infinite rest that had

3211
02:46:26,560 --> 02:46:29,437
always been his true nature.

3212
02:46:29,520 --> 02:46:31,757
Local people said that the cave itself

3213
02:46:31,840 --> 02:46:34,077
seemed to retain a quality of profound

3214
02:46:34,160 --> 02:46:36,717
peace for years afterward, as if the

3215
02:46:36,800 --> 02:46:38,957
space had been permanently blessed by

3216
02:46:39,040 --> 02:46:41,597
his complete surrender to what he called

3217
02:46:41,680 --> 02:46:44,717
the sleep that never sleeps.

3218
02:46:44,800 --> 02:46:49,117
Like the eternal sleeper, you can
discover right now that the rest you

3219
02:46:49,200 --> 02:46:51,517
seek is not something to be achieved in

3220
02:46:51,600 --> 02:46:53,517
the future, but something to be

3221
02:46:53,600 --> 02:46:56,637
recognized in this very moment.

3222
02:46:56,720 --> 02:47:00,877
The awareness that is reading these
words, the consciousness that has been

3223
02:47:00,960 --> 02:47:04,957
present throughout your entire day
and will remain present throughout your

3224
02:47:05,040 --> 02:47:07,837
sleep is itself the infinite rest that

3225
02:47:07,920 --> 02:47:11,597
needs nothing and lacks nothing. Feel

3226
02:47:11,680 --> 02:47:15,837
how this recognition brings an immediate
settling. Like a bird that has been

3227
02:47:15,920 --> 02:47:18,477
flying for hours, finally landing on a

3228
02:47:18,560 --> 02:47:21,357
branch it didn't know was there. The

3229
02:47:21,440 --> 02:47:24,157
effort to find peace can relax because

3230
02:47:24,240 --> 02:47:26,797
peace reveals itself to be the very

3231
02:47:26,880 --> 02:47:29,837
space in which effort arises.

3232
02:47:29,920 --> 02:47:35,197
The seeking for rest can end because
rest is discovered to be what is

3233
02:47:35,280 --> 02:47:38,637
seeking. This doesn't
mean that your individual

3234
02:47:38,720 --> 02:47:41,037
experience of tiredness or the need for

3235
02:47:41,120 --> 02:47:43,277
sleep disappears.

3236
02:47:43,360 --> 02:47:45,837
Your body still benefits from horizontal

3237
02:47:45,920 --> 02:47:48,557
rest. Your mind still requires the

3238
02:47:48,640 --> 02:47:51,117
restoration that comes through dreams.

3239
02:47:51,200 --> 02:47:53,197
Your nervous system still needs the

3240
02:47:53,280 --> 02:47:56,397
renewal that sleep provides.

3241
02:47:56,480 --> 02:48:00,397
But these individual needs are now held
within a larger understanding that you

3242
02:48:00,480 --> 02:48:04,717
are simultaneously the temporary person
who sleeps and the eternal awareness

3243
02:48:04,800 --> 02:48:06,877
that never sleeps.

3244
02:48:06,960 --> 02:48:09,757
Right now, as your body settles toward

3245
02:48:09,840 --> 02:48:12,797
physical rest, you can also settle into

3246
02:48:12,880 --> 02:48:14,637
the recognition of this boundless

3247
02:48:14,720 --> 02:48:17,597
awareness that requires no rest because

3248
02:48:17,680 --> 02:48:20,557
it has never been disturbed.

3249
02:48:20,640 --> 02:48:22,637
Like the ocean that remains essentially

3250
02:48:22,720 --> 02:48:25,037
still even when waves move across its

3251
02:48:25,120 --> 02:48:27,597
surface, this fundamental consciousness

3252
02:48:27,680 --> 02:48:29,997
remains at perfect peace even while

3253
02:48:30,080 --> 02:48:33,357
thoughts, sensations, and experiences

3254
02:48:33,440 --> 02:48:36,477
continue their natural movement.

3255
02:48:36,560 --> 02:48:39,997
Your breathing can become a bridge
between these two levels of

3256
02:48:40,080 --> 02:48:43,517
understanding.
Each breath is happening to the

3257
02:48:43,600 --> 02:48:46,237
individual body that needs rest and

3258
02:48:46,320 --> 02:48:47,997
restoration.

3259
02:48:48,080 --> 02:48:50,557
But each breath is also arising within

3260
02:48:50,640 --> 02:48:53,277
the infinite space of awareness that is

3261
02:48:53,360 --> 02:48:57,517
always already complete and at peace.

3262
02:48:57,600 --> 02:49:00,477
You can rest simultaneously as both the

3263
02:49:00,560 --> 02:49:02,957
temporary person settling into sleep and

3264
02:49:03,040 --> 02:49:07,677
the eternal presence that encompasses
all sleeping and waking.

3265
02:49:07,760 --> 02:49:09,917
There was once a village beside a great

3266
02:49:10,000 --> 02:49:12,797
lake where the water was so still and

3267
02:49:12,880 --> 02:49:17,277
clear that it perfectly
reflected the sky above.

3268
02:49:17,360 --> 02:49:19,597
The villagers had lived beside this lake

3269
02:49:19,680 --> 02:49:22,397
for countless generations, but they had

3270
02:49:22,480 --> 02:49:25,517
developed a curious habit.

3271
02:49:25,600 --> 02:49:29,437
Instead of drawing their water directly
from the lake, they would collect only

3272
02:49:29,520 --> 02:49:33,357
the reflection of water that appeared
in various pools and puddles around the

3273
02:49:33,440 --> 02:49:37,917
village. This strange
practice had begun long ago

3274
02:49:38,000 --> 02:49:39,837
during a time when the villagers had

3275
02:49:39,920 --> 02:49:42,557
forgotten that the vast lake existed.

3276
02:49:42,640 --> 02:49:45,357
Their ancestors had become so focused on

3277
02:49:45,440 --> 02:49:47,837
the small bodies of water they could see

3278
02:49:47,920 --> 02:49:50,237
close to their homes that they gradually

3279
02:49:50,320 --> 02:49:52,477
lost awareness of the great source from

3280
02:49:52,560 --> 02:49:55,917
which all the smaller pools were fed. As

3281
02:49:56,000 --> 02:49:58,317
generations passed, the memory of the

3282
02:49:58,400 --> 02:50:01,117
lake faded completely and the villagers

3283
02:50:01,200 --> 02:50:05,837
came to believe that the scattered
puddles were the only water available to

3284
02:50:05,920 --> 02:50:07,357
them.

3285
02:50:07,440 --> 02:50:09,677
As you might imagine, this approach to

3286
02:50:09,760 --> 02:50:13,037
water gathering was quite difficult.

3287
02:50:13,120 --> 02:50:16,557
The puddles were small and often muddy.

3288
02:50:16,640 --> 02:50:20,797
They would sometimes dry up completely
during hot weather, leaving the

3289
02:50:20,880 --> 02:50:24,397
villagers anxious about
their water supply.

3290
02:50:24,480 --> 02:50:26,877
During storms, the puddles would become

3291
02:50:26,960 --> 02:50:29,597
choppy and unclear, making the water

3292
02:50:29,680 --> 02:50:34,077
unpleasant to drink.
The villagers spent enormous amounts of

3293
02:50:34,160 --> 02:50:38,397
time and energy trying to manage
their collection system, building complex

3294
02:50:38,480 --> 02:50:42,397
networks of channels and containers
to gather water from the various small

3295
02:50:42,480 --> 02:50:46,237
sources. Some villagers became experts at

3296
02:50:46,320 --> 02:50:48,237
predicting which puddles would have the

3297
02:50:48,320 --> 02:50:53,437
clearest water on any given day.
Others developed elaborate techniques for

3298
02:50:53,520 --> 02:50:56,637
purifying the muddy water they collected.

3299
02:50:56,720 --> 02:50:58,797
A few claimed to have found secret

3300
02:50:58,880 --> 02:51:01,277
puddles that contained especially pure

3301
02:51:01,360 --> 02:51:03,997
water, but these turned out to be no

3302
02:51:04,080 --> 02:51:06,957
more reliable than any others.

3303
02:51:07,040 --> 02:51:09,597
Despite all their efforts and expertise,

3304
02:51:09,680 --> 02:51:12,077
the villagers never felt entirely secure

3305
02:51:12,160 --> 02:51:16,637
about their water supply.
One day, a child who had been playing

3306
02:51:16,720 --> 02:51:20,717
near the village edge made
a remarkable discovery.

3307
02:51:20,800 --> 02:51:25,117
Chasing a ball that had rolled away from
the usual play area, she found herself

3308
02:51:25,200 --> 02:51:27,277
at the shore of the great lake that her

3309
02:51:27,360 --> 02:51:30,397
village had forgotten. The water was so

3310
02:51:30,480 --> 02:51:33,757
clear and still that she could see fish

3311
02:51:33,840 --> 02:51:36,877
swimming far below the surface.

3312
02:51:36,960 --> 02:51:39,437
It was so abundant that she couldn't see

3313
02:51:39,520 --> 02:51:42,717
the far shore, and it was so peaceful

3314
02:51:42,800 --> 02:51:45,037
that just looking at it filled her with

3315
02:51:45,120 --> 02:51:48,397
a calm she had never experienced before.

3316
02:51:48,480 --> 02:51:52,477
When the child ran back to tell
the adults about her discovery, they

3317
02:51:52,560 --> 02:51:55,117
initially didn't believe her.

3318
02:51:55,200 --> 02:51:57,757
Impossible, they said.

3319
02:51:57,840 --> 02:52:00,797
We know where all the water sources are.

3320
02:52:00,880 --> 02:52:04,717
We've been collecting
water here for generations.

3321
02:52:04,800 --> 02:52:09,517
But curiosity eventually overcame
skepticism, and a few villagers agreed

3322
02:52:09,600 --> 02:52:11,517
to follow the child to see what she had

3323
02:52:11,600 --> 02:52:14,877
found. The adults were amazed by what

3324
02:52:14,960 --> 02:52:19,117
they discovered.
Here was water so plentiful that their

3325
02:52:19,200 --> 02:52:21,277
small collection containers seemed

3326
02:52:21,360 --> 02:52:24,397
almost comical in comparison.

3327
02:52:24,480 --> 02:52:26,717
Here was water so pure that all their

3328
02:52:26,800 --> 02:52:28,877
elaborate purification systems were

3329
02:52:28,960 --> 02:52:31,437
completely unnecessary.

3330
02:52:31,520 --> 02:52:36,157
Here was water so reliable that they
would never need to worry about scarcity

3331
02:52:36,240 --> 02:52:39,997
again. But perhaps most
remarkable of all was

3332
02:52:40,080 --> 02:52:45,037
the realization that this great lake
was the actual source of all the small

3333
02:52:45,120 --> 02:52:46,717
puddles they had been struggling to

3334
02:52:46,800 --> 02:52:49,837
collect from. The scattered pools around

3335
02:52:49,920 --> 02:52:52,077
the village were not separate water

3336
02:52:52,160 --> 02:52:54,397
sources, but temporary gatherings of

3337
02:52:54,480 --> 02:52:57,197
water that had evaporated from the lake

3338
02:52:57,280 --> 02:53:02,397
and returned as rain or seeped through
underground channels from the same vast

3339
02:53:02,480 --> 02:53:06,477
source. From that day
forward, the villagers

3340
02:53:06,560 --> 02:53:10,397
entire relationship
with water was transformed.

3341
02:53:10,480 --> 02:53:12,557
They still used smaller containers for

3342
02:53:12,640 --> 02:53:15,117
daily convenience, but they knew these

3343
02:53:15,200 --> 02:53:18,557
were fed by an inexhaustible source.

3344
02:53:18,640 --> 02:53:23,357
They still experienced occasional dry
spells when puddles would disappear, but

3345
02:53:23,440 --> 02:53:27,997
they no longer panicked because they
knew the great lake was always there.

3346
02:53:28,080 --> 02:53:30,237
Most importantly, they could finally

3347
02:53:30,320 --> 02:53:35,117
relax their anxious efforts to secure
water, knowing they were surrounded by

3348
02:53:35,200 --> 02:53:37,037
abundance beyond anything they could

3349
02:53:37,120 --> 02:53:40,157
ever need. Like the villagers who had

3350
02:53:40,240 --> 02:53:45,117
forgotten about the great lake, most
of us have become so focused on trying to

3351
02:53:45,200 --> 02:53:49,277
collect peace and happiness from
individual experiences that we've

3352
02:53:49,360 --> 02:53:51,677
forgotten the infinite source from which

3353
02:53:51,760 --> 02:53:55,117
all satisfying moments arise.

3354
02:53:55,200 --> 02:53:57,917
We try to gather rest from sleep, joy

3355
02:53:58,000 --> 02:54:00,477
from pleasant events, security from

3356
02:54:00,560 --> 02:54:03,357
favorable circumstances, love from other

3357
02:54:03,440 --> 02:54:06,717
people, not realizing that all of these

3358
02:54:06,800 --> 02:54:09,117
temporary satisfactions are simply

3359
02:54:09,200 --> 02:54:11,757
reflections of the boundless contentment

3360
02:54:11,840 --> 02:54:14,717
that is our deepest nature.

3361
02:54:14,800 --> 02:54:16,797
The awareness that is present right now

3362
02:54:16,880 --> 02:54:18,957
as you listen to these words is like

3363
02:54:19,040 --> 02:54:22,397
that great lake. Vast, clear,

3364
02:54:22,480 --> 02:54:27,197
inexhaustibly abundant, and the true
source of all the temporary pools of

3365
02:54:27,280 --> 02:54:29,037
peace you've been trying to collect

3366
02:54:29,120 --> 02:54:32,077
throughout your life. You don't need to

3367
02:54:32,160 --> 02:54:34,477
gather rest from sleep any more than the

3368
02:54:34,560 --> 02:54:36,557
villagers needed to collect water from

3369
02:54:36,640 --> 02:54:40,397
puddles once they rediscovered the lake.

3370
02:54:40,480 --> 02:54:45,357
You can enjoy sleep as a beautiful
expression of rest, but you don't need

3371
02:54:45,440 --> 02:54:50,317
to depend on it for the fundamental
peace that you are. This recognition

3372
02:54:50,400 --> 02:54:55,117
transforms your approach to falling
asleep from seeking to receiving.

3373
02:54:55,200 --> 02:54:57,197
You're no longer trying to achieve rest

3374
02:54:57,280 --> 02:54:59,917
through sleep, but allowing sleep to be

3375
02:55:00,000 --> 02:55:02,157
one more beautiful expression of the

3376
02:55:02,240 --> 02:55:05,517
rest that you fundamentally are. Like a

3377
02:55:05,600 --> 02:55:07,277
wave that doesn't need to search for the

3378
02:55:07,360 --> 02:55:10,477
ocean because it is the ocean in motion.

3379
02:55:10,560 --> 02:55:14,477
You don't need to search for peace
because you are peace temporarily

3380
02:55:14,560 --> 02:55:16,957
expressing itself as someone preparing

3381
02:55:17,040 --> 02:55:18,797
for sleep.

3382
02:55:18,880 --> 02:55:21,597
Feel how this understanding allows an

3383
02:55:21,680 --> 02:55:24,157
even deeper letting go than anything

3384
02:55:24,240 --> 02:55:27,197
you've experienced so far tonight.

3385
02:55:27,280 --> 02:55:30,957
There's nothing you need to accomplish
through sleep because the restoration

3386
02:55:31,040 --> 02:55:33,597
you seek is already fully present as

3387
02:55:33,680 --> 02:55:36,717
your own deepest nature. There's nothing

3388
02:55:36,800 --> 02:55:40,797
you need to escape from through
unconsciousness because even your most

3389
02:55:40,880 --> 02:55:43,517
difficult experiences are arising within

3390
02:55:43,600 --> 02:55:46,557
the infinite peace that you are. Your

3391
02:55:46,640 --> 02:55:50,957
body can settle completely now knowing
that it's resting not just on the bed

3392
02:55:51,040 --> 02:55:53,197
beneath you, but in the boundless love

3393
02:55:53,280 --> 02:55:56,157
that supports all existence.

3394
02:55:56,240 --> 02:55:59,037
Your mind can release its final holdings

3395
02:55:59,120 --> 02:56:03,357
knowing that any thoughts or dreams that
arise during sleep will be held within

3396
02:56:03,440 --> 02:56:05,917
the same vast awareness that is holding

3397
02:56:06,000 --> 02:56:09,197
them right now. Your heart can open

3398
02:56:09,280 --> 02:56:11,597
completely to this moment knowing that

3399
02:56:11,680 --> 02:56:14,797
you are finally and forever home. The

3400
02:56:14,880 --> 02:56:17,277
great secret that the eternal sleeper

3401
02:56:17,360 --> 02:56:19,997
embodied that the villagers rediscovered

3402
02:56:20,080 --> 02:56:24,797
by the forgotten lake
is available to you right now.

3403
02:56:24,880 --> 02:56:26,877
not as something to be achieved through

3404
02:56:26,960 --> 02:56:29,437
practice or effort, but as something to

3405
02:56:29,520 --> 02:56:31,917
be recognized as the most obvious and

3406
02:56:32,000 --> 02:56:35,197
intimate truth of your existence.

3407
02:56:35,280 --> 02:56:38,957
You are the infinite
rest you've been seeking.

3408
02:56:39,040 --> 02:56:43,517
You are the boundless peace you've
been trying to achieve. You are the

3409
02:56:43,600 --> 02:56:47,277
inexhaustible love you've
been hoping to find.

3410
02:56:47,360 --> 02:56:49,197
As your individual consciousness

3411
02:56:49,280 --> 02:56:51,917
prepares to dissolve into sleep, it's

3412
02:56:52,000 --> 02:56:54,637
dissolving into its own source like a

3413
02:56:54,720 --> 02:56:56,957
wave settling back into the ocean from

3414
02:56:57,040 --> 02:57:00,077
which it never was actually separate.

3415
02:57:00,160 --> 02:57:04,717
The awareness that will remain present
even during the deepest sleep is not

3416
02:57:04,800 --> 02:57:08,237
different from the awareness
that is present now.

3417
02:57:08,320 --> 02:57:11,117
Sleep and waking are simply different

3418
02:57:11,200 --> 02:57:13,197
movements within the same vast

3419
02:57:13,280 --> 02:57:16,477
consciousness that you are. In the old

3420
02:57:16,560 --> 02:57:18,957
Buddhist texts, there is a beautiful

3421
02:57:19,040 --> 02:57:21,357
description of what they call the

3422
02:57:21,440 --> 02:57:24,477
natural liberation of sleep.

3423
02:57:24,560 --> 02:57:29,117
Instead of seeing sleep as a temporary
loss of consciousness, it's understood

3424
02:57:29,200 --> 02:57:31,277
as consciousness returning to its

3425
02:57:31,360 --> 02:57:34,717
natural state of boundless rest.

3426
02:57:34,800 --> 02:57:37,357
Instead of waking up from sleep, we wake

3427
02:57:37,440 --> 02:57:40,237
up as sleep, recognizing that even our

3428
02:57:40,320 --> 02:57:43,037
deepest unconsciousness is held within

3429
02:57:43,120 --> 02:57:47,357
infinite awareness. Tonight,
as you surrender to this

3430
02:57:47,440 --> 02:57:51,437
natural liberation, you can rest
in the confidence that you are not losing

3431
02:57:51,520 --> 02:57:55,757
consciousness,
but discovering its true nature.

3432
02:57:55,840 --> 02:57:58,157
You are not becoming absent, but

3433
02:57:58,240 --> 02:58:00,237
becoming present to dimensions of your

3434
02:58:00,320 --> 02:58:02,877
being that are usually obscured by the

3435
02:58:02,960 --> 02:58:07,837
activity of waking life.
You are not falling into darkness, but

3436
02:58:07,920 --> 02:58:09,837
settling into the luminous void from

3437
02:58:09,920 --> 02:58:12,477
which all light emerges.

3438
02:58:12,560 --> 02:58:14,957
The stars that shine in the night sky

3439
02:58:15,040 --> 02:58:17,837
are resting in the same vast space that

3440
02:58:17,920 --> 02:58:20,797
holds your sleeping consciousness.

3441
02:58:20,880 --> 02:58:22,957
The mountains that remain stable through

3442
02:58:23,040 --> 02:58:28,477
all weather are expressions of the same
unshakable peace that you fundamentally

3443
02:58:28,560 --> 02:58:32,077
are. The ocean that continues its patient

3444
02:58:32,160 --> 02:58:34,957
breathing of waves is moved by the same

3445
02:58:35,040 --> 02:58:37,357
life force that will sustain you through

3446
02:58:37,440 --> 02:58:40,317
this night's rest and carry you safely

3447
02:58:40,400 --> 02:58:44,637
into tomorrow's awakening.
There is nothing to fear in this

3448
02:58:44,720 --> 02:58:46,957
surrender because you are surrendering

3449
02:58:47,040 --> 02:58:50,077
into your own deepest nature.

3450
02:58:50,160 --> 02:58:54,717
There is nothing to lose in this letting
go because you are letting go into what

3451
02:58:54,800 --> 02:58:58,957
you have always been.
There is nothing to achieve through this

3452
02:58:59,040 --> 02:59:01,597
rest because rest is what is achieving

3453
02:59:01,680 --> 02:59:04,317
everything including this perfect moment

3454
02:59:04,400 --> 02:59:07,117
of settling into sleep.

3455
02:59:07,200 --> 02:59:09,677
The eternal sleeper's final teaching

3456
02:59:09,760 --> 02:59:11,837
whispered to a student just before his

3457
02:59:11,920 --> 02:59:15,517
death was simply this. There is only one

3458
02:59:15,600 --> 02:59:18,317
consciousness appearing as many beings

3459
02:59:18,400 --> 02:59:22,957
dreaming they are separate.
Sleep well in the knowledge that you

3460
02:59:23,040 --> 02:59:25,037
have never been apart from the source of

3461
02:59:25,120 --> 02:59:30,397
all rest. And you will wake tomorrow
remembering more of who you have always

3462
02:59:30,480 --> 02:59:31,917
been.

3463
02:59:32,000 --> 02:59:35,197
Sleep now in this infinite rest. Beloved

3464
02:59:35,280 --> 02:59:38,477
friend, sleep in the certainty that you

3465
02:59:38,560 --> 02:59:41,517
are held by love that has no beginning

3466
02:59:41,600 --> 02:59:45,757
and no end.
Sleep in the peace that surpasses

3467
02:59:45,840 --> 02:59:50,637
understanding because it is understanding
itself recognizing its own

3468
02:59:50,720 --> 02:59:52,397
nature.

3469
02:59:52,480 --> 02:59:54,637
Sleep in the knowledge that this rest is

3470
02:59:54,720 --> 02:59:57,757
not temporary refuge from life, but life

3471
02:59:57,840 --> 03:00:02,397
itself expressing its
most essential nature.

3472
03:00:02,480 --> 03:00:07,197
And as consciousness fades into
the beautiful darkness of sleep, know that

3473
03:00:07,280 --> 03:00:09,357
what you are in your deepest essence

3474
03:00:09,440 --> 03:00:12,237
never sleeps and never wakes, but simply

3475
03:00:12,320 --> 03:00:15,677
is eternal, infinite, and forever at

3476
03:00:15,760 --> 03:00:19,677
peace. Rest well
in this boundless love that

3477
03:00:19,760 --> 03:00:22,557
you are that supports all beings and

3478
03:00:22,640 --> 03:00:24,797
that will greet you with fresh wonder

3479
03:00:24,880 --> 03:00:27,757
when the morning light returns.

3480
03:00:27,840 --> 03:00:34,160
Sleep well and thank you
for joining us here at Sleepy Monk.