The Weather Of The Mind

Imagine your mind is a sky. Sometimes sunny, sometimes stormy. We spend most of our lives trying to chase away the clouds. In Buddhism, there is a practice called Cittanupassana - the observation of the mind. It teaches us to stop being the weather, and start being the sky. This guided meditation called 'The Weather of the Mind' walks you through how to sit, notice what you're feeling, watch it change, and finally, rest in the clear space between thoughts. If you're tired of being tossed around by your emotions, this meditation is for you.

Transcript

This is a guided Sita Nupasana meditation practice called The Weather of the Mind. So find a comfortable seat. Sit in a way that allows you to be both alert and at ease. If it feels right for you, Gently close your eyes. Let's begin by arriving fully in the physical body. This is our home base. So take a deep breath in through the nose and a long breath out through the mouth. Again, A deep breath in and a long breath out. One more time, Inhale deeply and exhale, Letting go of any tension or any plans for the day Now let the breath return to its natural rhythm. Don't control it, Just feel it. Feel the weight of your body pressing down against the earth. Feel the space in the room around you. Feel the sensation of air touching the skin on your face and hands. For the next few minutes, Anchor your awareness on the physical sensation of the breath, The rising and falling of your stomach, The feeling of the air passing through your nostrils. This is not about thinking about the breath, It's about feeling the sensation of the breath. If thoughts come, And they will, Simply acknowledge them and gently, Without judgement, Return to the physical anchor of the breath. Now that we're a little more settled, We can shift our attention from the sensations of the body to the nature of the mind itself. In this next phase, We'll begin the practice of Sita Nopasana, The observation of the mind. We're going to shift from feeling the breath to observing the observer. I invite you to imagine that your mind is like the sky, Vast, Open and clear. And within this sky, Weather patterns arise. Sometimes it's sunny, Sometimes it's cloudy, Sometimes there is a storm. In this practice, We're not the weather, We're the sky. So, Let's take a reading of the current weather pattern in your mind. Right now, In this moment, What is the quality of your mind? Take a mental snapshot. Is there a sense of wanting? Is the mind reaching out for something? If so, Just recognise it. Silently, Gently note, Mind with craving, Or there is wanting. Is there a sense of resisting? Is there boredom, Irritation, Or impatience with the sounds around you or the sensations in your body? If so, Just note it, Mind with aversion, Or there is anger. Is there a sense of fogginess? Is the mind sleepy, Scattered, Confused, Or spaced out? If so, Just note it, Mind with delusion, Or there is confusion. Or perhaps right now, The mind is relatively calm, Peaceful, Clear. If so, Note that too, Mind at ease, Or mind free from greed. The key here is not to change the state, Not to try to get rid of the irritation. Don't try to hold on to the peace, Just recognise what is already there. Say to yourself silently, This is how it is right now. Think of yourself as a scientist observing a specimen. The scientist doesn't yell at the specimen for being angry, They just record the data. So, For the next few minutes, Continue this simple noting. As you sit, Just notice the dominant flavour of the mind. Is it a wanting mind, An angry mind, A sleepy mind, Or a clear mind? Just label it softly and let it be. Now, We move to the second stage, Noticing the change. In the first stage, We identified the weather. Now, We watch it move. Bring your attention back to the state you noticed earlier. Perhaps it was irritation, Or sleepiness, Or calm. Now, Watch it closely. Is it solid? Is it permanent? Notice how, Even as you watch it, It begins to shift. The irritation might get stronger for a moment, And then suddenly a memory pops in. The sleepiness might suddenly be replaced by a burst of energy. The calm might be interrupted by a sound that triggers a flicker of annoyance. The mind is not a static thing. It's a river. It's a flux. A series of different states arising and passing away, One after the other. So, Let's watch this flux together. As you sit here now, Don't just notice one state. Note the next state, And the next state. Maybe a sound enters your awareness. Is there a reaction? Note, Hearing, Mind with irritation. Then the irritation passes. So then note, Irritation passing, Mind at rest. Then a plan for dinner arises. So note, Planning, Mind with thinking. Then the thinking fades. Note, Thinking fading, Mind open. You're tracking the inner weather report moment by moment. Don't try to stop the thoughts or emotions. Don't try to create a good mind. Just keep up with the flow. See if you can notice that no single state lasts. Everything is in a state of constant motion. So, For the next several minutes, Let go of the idea of a single state. Just watch the parade. Watch how the mind changes, All by itself, Moment after moment. Now, We come to the third stage. Noticing the absence. In the flux of all these changing states, The thoughts, The emotions, The moods, There are tiny gaps. Moments where the mind is not caught in greed, Not caught in anger, Not caught in confusion. Moments of pure awareness. In this final phase of the practice, See if you can notice the space between the thoughts, The silence between the sounds, The clarity before the next mood arises. It might only last a split second, But look for it. When a thought fades away and before the next one appears, What is that? When the irritation dissolves and before the next emotion comes, What is the quality of that moment? It's often a state of simple, Open, Clear awareness. The sky itself, Unobscured by clouds. When you notice this, You can note it simply as mind free, Or clear mind, Or just knowing. You don't need to force this. You can't make a gap appear. You can only become sensitive enough to notice when one naturally occurs. So, Relax your effort just a little. Let go of the labeling if it feels heavy. Just resting the awareness that is watching all of this. See if you can sense the awareness itself, The vast sky, Rather than the clouds passing through it. As we come to the end of this practice, Gently release the focused observation. Allow your awareness to expand. Feel your whole body sitting here again. Feel the breath moving naturally. Feel the space around you. Notice that the fundamental nature of awareness, The citta that you have been contemplating, Is not harmed by the storms, And not improved by the sunshine. It simply knows. It's simply awake. Bring this quality of open, Non-judgmental knowing with you as you prepare to transition back into your day. As you go about your day, See if you can remember this practice for just a moment here and there. In a moment of stress or joy, Just pause and ask yourself, What is the weather in my mind right now? Is there wanting, Resisting or confusion? So, Whenever you feel ready now, You can very gently open your eyes and ask yourself, Is there wanting, Resisting or confusion?

Reviews

Thank you for such clear instructions how to observe the mind, being aware and which calm my nerves.

Thank you, dear Yeshe, for this truly mindful meditation. It helps us to observe and accept what is, with the - reassuring- knowledge of impermanence. With the very best wishes. 🤓🙏🏻

Lama Yeshe, Thank you for this simple, solid practice! So refreshing!
Donna