Someone asked me this the other day. It was a great question, actually. I’ve been doing this for so long that sometimes I forget that it’s become kinda natural part of my life.
Meditation should be the simple practice of being aware, present and alive in this precise moment. Without judgement, evaluation, criticism, striving to become anything.
It is doing nothing, except for watching and resting.
I say “should be” because meditation has become many different things to many different people. In that it has become something complicated, something requiring lots of knowledge, which is a shame.
The truth of the matter is that you were born in a state of meditation. Since you were born this way, it is simple to return to. All that is required is practice.
But I digress … in this state of awareness, of watching, and of allowing, you have choice.
If you are aware, you have control. What you are not aware of controls you. In awareness thoughts and judgements are optional, not the truth but simply an opinion of your mind.
If something is optional, it doesn’t need to affect you. It can be like watching the weather howl as you are inside, warm and toasty with a cup of tea in hand.
This way even the strongest addictions can be overcome because you start to see the urges sooner and you can choose to do something else. It does require practice and persistence, and the willingness to go beyond limitation, but it really is a simple matter.
In this you can come to realise that if you can see your thoughts, you aren’t them. You are something else.
What would this be?
You are awareness itself. You who are looking through the eyes, aware perhaps of the edges of your eye sockets, the blurred shape of the nose, looking into the screen.
You are that part of you that never changes.
You are presence and awareness. Nothing can touch that. It’s a source of great contentment, great joy, great peace.
How do you return to that?
Simply close your eyes, and bring yourself back to watching when you get distracted.
If you know Ascension meditation you are set. The tools will show you exactly what to do.
If you don’t it’s a little trickier, but not much.
A simple way of starting would just be to close your eyes and breathe. Imagine you breathe in and out through your heart. Put your hand on your chest if you need to locate it physically.
When you feel like you have a nice sense of the breath, the sound, the feel, just noticing it, then imagine pure, clear air coming in as you inhale, and as you exhale think of a loved one. Don't strain. Just a brief thought is fine. If you can feel a sense of gratitude or appreciation for that person that's good too but don't worry if you can't. Just have a thought about them.
Do it everyday for ten minutes or more and see what happens in your day.
If you like that, then you’ll love Ascension meditation. It’s about a zillion times simpler. 15-17 April is the next course. Email me if you would like to make sure you have a seat.
Keep the Peace!
- Arjuna
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