Meditation cannot be anywhere you are not - it always occurs HERE and NOW.
You might have a nice pillow, a formal robe, scented candles or incense, photos of Gurus on the wall... you might sit in a formal posture, count your breaths, concentrate on a mantra or focus the mind on something, like a koan. There appears to be an effort to stop thoughts.
But this is not meditation.
Meditation is the knowing of what arises, as it arises. Meditation is paying attention to mind. This can be done while holding a perfect posture in a serene setting, but it also can be done while riding the subway, while sweeping the floor, during a business meeting.
Thoughts arise and are noticed, watched. The mind is active and all sorts of things will arise - she is being mean to me, that guy was rude, this bagel smells good, I look fat in this shirt.
There is no need to do anything with the thoughts, just watch. Watch how they flavor the world, how they create this life story. There is no need to try to stop thoughts.
Watch how thoughts try to pull us into the past or future - I should have done this or that, this could really come back to haunt me.... I hope this turns out ok. I really want to change my life....
This is the whirlwind of mind that we're all used to. Right in the middle of the storm, we are eternally at rest, observing all this commotion. But we let thought carry us away - we get caught by it and wrapped up in it. We take it to be real, when it's really only thought.
There is no need to stop the thoughts - you can't anyway. What can happen is a simple resting in the eye of the storm - meditation is just the constant watching of this mechanism at work. You don't have to wait for a formal meditation class to do this - this is going on all the time, right HERE and NOW. Just notice it.
Being aware of thoughts, it becomes obvious that I am that presence prior to and beyond thoughts. I am the witness of thoughts. Thoughts are not what I am. The story being created in thought is not the reality. The identification with thought can be seen through, once you know what they really are.
And the root thought is "I".
Writings on Nonduality and Vedanta from Randall Friend
2 comments:
There is no realization, except in the mind. What you truly are is the seeing and that empty space of knowing is the intent that cuts through all mind stuff. It is only a bias in the mind content that deviates that pure seeing, into a partial view - and a subtle belief that 'I' am realizing something. The fact is that pure seeing - pure knowing - pure presence is unlimited - no mind anywhere can place any limitation on its vastness. To sit and try to squeeze the mind into a peaceful state is nothing but a subtle kind of madness - so common is it - we don't question the egoic notions of these 'teachers' who 'make a living' from perpetuating ignorance in the disguise of being 'sacred knowledge'.
- Gilbert - of shining through the mind dot net.
Who is there to meditate?who i am i?
who can get any of this.
"There is no realization except in the mind"
I love this pointer and the clarity brought to mind in this post.
there is deep resonance to what is being pointed out to here.
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