--- ai_generation_date: '2026-08-15' ai_model: gemini-3-pro-preview audiodharma: talks: - date: '2020-05-07' mp3_url: https://audiodharma.us-east-1.linodeobjects.com/talks/11329/20200507-Gil_Fronsdal-IMC-guided_meditation_lucid_allowing_awareness.mp3 speakers: - speaker_name: Gil Fronsdal speaker_url: https://www.audiodharma.org/speakers/1 talk_start_time_seconds: 0 title: 'Guided Meditation: Lucid Allowing Awareness' url: https://www.audiodharma.org/talks/11329 video_unavailable: false location_city: Redwood City, CA video_unavailable: false youtube: id: tnO3heWBs-E imprecise_upload_date: '2021-05-04' title: 'Guided Meditation: Lucid Awareness' upload_date: null uploader_str: Insight Meditation Center uploader_url: https://www.youtube.com/@InsightMeditationCenter youtube_url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnO3heWBs-E --- # Guided Meditation: Lucid Allowing Awareness - [Gil Fronsdal](https://www.audiodharma.org/speakers/1) _This is an AI-generated transcript from auto-generated subtitles for the video above. It likely contains inaccuracies, especially with speaker attribution if there are multiple speakers._ ## [Guided Meditation: Lucid Allowing Awareness](https://www.audiodharma.org/talks/11329) Greetings. Today for our meditation, we are meditating on the full moon day of May[^1], which in Theravada[^2] Buddhist countries is a day that commemorates the enlightenment of the Buddha, as well as—on either side of his enlightenment—his birth and his death. So all three of these major events are celebrated together. I find this to have some profound connotations: that somehow life and death come together with the idea of waking up. That somehow in the middle of this passage from birth to death, there is awakening; there is a possibility of freedom. And the idea of the full moon—some of you maybe have been outside when there's been a full moon in the middle of the dark night, and seen how amazingly light it can be. I've been out in the full moon in the middle of the night, and it's bright enough that I actually could read a book. Not well, but I could read it. And that full moon is sometimes used as a symbol to represent the awakened mind, the mind that's clear. One of the aspects of moonlight is that it shines on everything equally. As moonlight shines on everything equally on this earth, it doesn't really disturb anything. It just allows each thing—like sunlight does—to be seen, I suppose, and allows it to be, and be there. In the same way, as we sit today, may it be that our capacity for awareness, for mindfulness, be like the full moon. As whatever we gaze upon, whatever is included, whatever we're aware of, let awareness simply shine on it. So that whatever is happening for you, whoever you are today, whatever your circumstances, whatever your feelings, whatever your challenges, whatever your joys—there's something about the full moon of awareness that allows each thing to be itself, allows each thing to be seen in clarity. This is a very respectful thing to do—at least for a period of time, to allow each thing that occurs to you to be seen in its fullness, without you being for or against it, without having preferences in relationship to it, or at least acting on them. Rather, keep opening to this in the field of awareness, only to let it be seen. Only let the moonlight of your heart, the moonlight of your mind, be aware and see, and let it just be. And in that moonlight, in that ability to see and be aware, perhaps you can find your full moon: the capacity to be free and independent. Perhaps, in a certain kind of way, floating in the great vast sky, in space—just aware, free, unencumbered. ## Guided Meditation So, to begin, we will take a meditative posture that is most suited for you. Most suited for you in order to be able to be aware in this encompassing way that has no conflict with anything, at least for these minutes of sitting. These minutes to be seated[^3] in a way that might allow you to leave all things alone to unfold, to be as they are, and you are aware of what that is as it unfolds in the present moment. And to settle into this present moment, to connect more fully to it, you might take a few long, slow, deep breaths. As you exhale, imagine that you're sending down deep roots into this present moment's experience. That you're sending down deep roots into this place, this location where present moment awareness lives, flowers, grows. And let your breathing return to normal. Continue this process of becoming rooted here to relax your body. Perhaps relaxing your legs, your thighs, your calves, softening and settling in to the pull of gravity. Relaxing the area of your pelvis and your waist, softening the belly and settling into the pelvic cavity, so your sitting bones perhaps receive your weight, hold your weight in. Relaxing any upward or outward tension in the chest, in the heart, softening and letting the whole chest area, for a few moments, feel safe and at ease. No longer bracing itself, but here, in the kind gaze of the full moon, it's okay to sit quietly, peacefully in your chest. And to then soften the muscles of your face: the cheeks, the jaws, the eyes, letting the eyes rest in the eye sockets. No need to use your eyes to see; we're only using the inner gaze, the inner awareness. Softening around the forehead, and perhaps behind the forehead, the thinking muscle of the brain. Allow the thinking muscle to relax and soften. And perhaps it softens more if you accept the brain, the mind, the way it is, not fighting it or fighting against something. And then, as if it might be the foundation stone for the present moment, become aware of your body breathing. Breathing in and breathing out. Maybe as if the breathing is a gentle golden wind, or golden moonlight, that can help you be aware of all things without being for and against. That all things can simply be as they are. And you making room in your awareness for things to be in. The more room, the more breathing room you can make, the more awareness can be like the full moon in the vast and endless sky. Here, always here now. Always this endless now. Whatever is happening now, what's it like to allow it to be there, but to do so with clear awareness? With an awareness which is maybe bright, broad, spacious, and clear like moonlight, that helps everything to be seen in a certain kind of reverential clarity, spaciousness. ## Reflections As we come to the end of this sitting, I'd like to evoke the idea—maybe it's a bit of a stretch to take it too literally—but the idea that the full moon shining[^4] light on the earth is gazing upon everything kindly. And whether that's true for the moon or not, let it represent your capacity to be still, be quiet, and to gaze upon everything kindly. May it be that today you look for opportunities where it's appropriate to be still, to be quiet, and to look upon things kindly. Be still and look upon your friends and family, and neighbors, community, kindly. Be still and look upon the whole world kindly. And may it be that your kind heart does kind things. May it be that on this holiday, this Buddhist celebration, holy day of the Buddha's awakening, birth, and death, that it's a day that you live kindly, in mind, in speech, and in deeds. And what you do, may all beings know that we live in a kind world because we are kind. --- [^1]: **Vesak:** A holiday traditionally observed by Buddhists that commemorates the birth, enlightenment, and death of Gautama Buddha. [^2]: Original transcript said "Arab and", corrected to "Theravada" based on context. [^3]: Original transcript said "piece it", corrected to "be seated" based on context. [^4]: Original transcript said "in Chinese", corrected to "shining" based on context.