Meditation On Self

"Wisdom tells me I’m nothing, love tells me I’m everything. And between the two my life flows" - Sri Nisargadatta | Both Western and Buddhis psychology agree, that we need a “healthy sense of self” in order to function in this world. However, this sense of self is a construction of our thoughts and we can meditate on the self, on who is aware, where is the "I"?

Transcript

Taking a comfortable seated pose that allows you to be both alert and relaxed. Taking a few deep inhalations and long exhalations, Relaxing any obvious areas of tension in your body. You can close your eyes or leave them open depending on what feels appropriate right now. If you leave them open, Gaze at a fixed point in front of you, Softening the gaze with the next couple of exhalations, Allowing your forehead to relax, The space around the eyes, Your jaw, The tongue resting gently on your palate just behind the teeth. Imagining the infinite open sky above you, Allowing your awareness to expand, Allowing your mind to become wide open, Relaxing into that spaciousness. Take some moments to listen, Allowing any sound to just be sound, Aware of sounds, Some pleasant, Some unpleasant, Some neutral, Sounds arising in awareness, Staying for a moment and disappearing. In the same way as sounds are arising, Notice any sensations, Emotions, Thoughts arising in the sphere of your awareness, Staying for a moment, Disappearing, Allowing your breath to flow softly, Fully aware of any manifestation of phenomena, Resting in an open, Non-judgmental awareness, Attentive, Relaxed, Open, Aware of sounds, Sensations, Emotions, Thoughts. Notice how you're becoming the observer, The observer of phenomena arising, Staying for a moment, Morphing into each other, Changing, Disappearing. And from this point of the observer, You may inquire, Who is aware right now? Who is aware right now? In exploring, What are you finding? Who's aware? Is there a thing, A sense of self, An I, A location in your body or your mind that is aware, Something stable, Never changing, Everlasting? Who's aware right now? Do you find one thing that lasts beyond time and space, That stays the same in that constant stream of thoughts, Emotions and sensations? And if you get carried away, Take the observer seat again, Take a step back, Rest in awareness, Observing the thoughts, The sensations, The emotions coming and going. Like a witness, Fully awake, Everything can arise the way it does. No judgment, Openness, Softness. And again exploring, Who is aware? Is there an I? Is there a sense of stable, Lasting, Everlasting self of essence? Maybe a soul? And if this exploration makes you nervous or anxious, Asking who is nervous, Who is anxious? See if you can relax, Relax into awareness. If you get distracted, Taking a step back and observing who gets distracted. My mind, My body, My heart, My soul. Shifting into awareness. And always coming back into the observer seat, The witness, The kind witness that holds everything in loving awareness. And just feeling again, Exploring, Sensing. Who is aware? Who is this loving awareness? Is there an I, A self, A soul? Or maybe there is just loving awareness, Empty, Knowing, Manifesting as compassion and kindness. And as a closure I'd like to read you this little poem by Hafiz. One day the sun admitted, I'm just a shadow. I wish I could show you the infinite incandescence that has cast my brilliant image. I wish I could show you when you're lonely or in darkness the astonishing light of your own being.