Becoming aware of your body.
The points where the body is in touch with the surface.
You're sitting on a mat,
Cushion,
Sofa.
And from this base,
Gently stretch up,
Allowing the shoulders to roll back a little bit.
Even if you're doing this meditation in a reclined position,
Make sure there's also awakeness.
If you wish,
You could slightly open the eyes with a soft gaze,
Not really looking,
Relaxing the face,
And becoming aware of that gentle movement of breathing.
Be aware how the body is leading its own life,
Creating its own sensations,
Breathing,
Heart pulsing.
This should make you realize that you're not the body,
You're simply aware of the body,
And the experience of the body's ever-changing,
Taking its own course,
Its own rhythm.
Now,
What also happens simultaneously is mind creating images,
Images of the body.
Simply just notice that as well,
No need to control that,
But also not attaching to these images,
Image of body,
Body parts,
Breathing,
They're just there.
Now,
Take an attitude of simply watching with detachment,
Quietly observing whatever occurs in you.
Now,
Of course,
There's also the activity of the mind,
And the mind also following its own natural course,
Bringing up ideas,
Memories,
Plans,
Opinions.
Now,
Automatic reaction is to go into those thoughts,
Believe them,
Take them on,
Perpetuate.
Now,
Also become the silent observer of thought.
This asks for some alertness.
Really watch,
Watch out for thoughts,
And often when you're in this position of really watching for thoughts,
Then thoughts will be quiet.
It will be quiet,
But then before you know,
Something comes up,
An idea,
An analysis of what is happening or not happening,
And notice that.
It's like the mind is so eager to bring up something.
Just watch it.
No need to judge it or push the thoughts away forcefully,
Just watching is enough.
What might help is this image of a bottomless vessel.
It's like pouring water into a bottomless vessel,
So the thoughts,
They come up,
But they find no bottom to rest on.
They just fall through,
So they start a beginning,
The beginning,
An idea,
A sentence,
Then they're watched,
And they lose the juice to continue.
Notice the silence that remains,
However short,
Maybe,
But notice it.
Thoughts in themselves are not bad or wrong,
They're quite natural,
But the problem is that we attach to them,
Immediately believe them,
And make them my story,
My opinion,
With a sense of belief,
Narrowing our perspective.
So,
Now,
We're just watching,
Watching the experience of the body and of the mind.
So,
Now,
Just let everything pass,
Whatever comes,
Even sounds,
Or the most subtle feelings.
Don't make anything your own.
Even the sense of being someone who's meditating can be seen,
So it's not you,
It's just a sensation.
Even such subtle ideas are created by the mind,
And can be seen,
When you're really silently watching,
Also these ideas will fade.
Do not attach to silence,
Even.
There's a silence beyond the relative silence of a moment of not thinking,
Or not feeling.
The unconditional silence of being,
In which all experience appears.
So,
If there's any moment of thinking,
Or any emotion,
Just observe that,
And notice the being is undisturbed.
That which is,
Is here.
Whatever is coming and going,
Superficially,
This just is.
All you need to do is just withdraw from the thinking,
Time and again.
Establishing yourself here,
As a quiet observer,
But this observer has no shape,
Has no aim.
You just are,
Very naturally.
See the mind's tendency to create shape,
And create meaning,
But it's just the mind,
Just the thoughts.
It's not bad,
But it's not the real truth.
Just what mind makes.
What cannot be denied is that you are here.
But there's no specific shape to that.
It's formless,
Being.
Do not be discouraged.
If for a while you're caught up in any thoughts again,
Any feelings,
Just notice it.
Nothing's lost.
You're still here.
Whatever bothers us,
Whatever bothers you,
It can be seen.
Aha,
It's a thought.
It creates feelings in the body.
It can be seen.
Do not be identified with it.
So whatever happens in body and mind is ultimately just of body and mind,
But not your essence.
Because these experiences,
They come and go.
While you are still here,
Just the being,
Limitless.
And this image of the bottomless vessel is just instrumental,
Just an image.
Things falling through without landing,
But in fact there's no shape.
There's no vessel.
There's only a boundless space.
No entrance,
No exit,
No beginning,
No end.
Your being itself,
As you are here,
This pure being is beyond problems or desires,
Has no goal.
It just is.
Free by nature.
Loving by nature.
Isn't it beautiful that the essence of all is so sweet and pure?
This you are.
