In this meditation we'll explore the objects of awareness.
That is,
We'll explore some of the things that the mind knows when we're meditating and when we're living.
If you like,
It's the what of experience.
What is known,
What is experienced,
Whatever that is.
We'll start off in the usual way without any rush to settle,
To get down to meditation,
Letting the process be quite natural,
Giving yourself time.
If it feels helpful,
You might want to take a few deeper breaths.
And on the exhalation,
Just giving more of your weight to whatever you're sitting on.
Gradually we can become more present,
More able to be with our experience in a way that's relaxed and interested.
And remember that it's not necessary for your eyes to be closed.
They can be open or closed.
But however they are,
Let there be some sort of choice made.
And feel free to close your eyes at some point in the practice if you start with them open and vice versa.
And if it's helpful,
You can use the breath or the sitting bones as an anchor,
Helping you be more present,
Helping the mind and body settle.
So we can think of meditation as simply being.
Being with whatever's happening.
Being with just sitting here right now.
Just sitting,
Lying.
Just breathing.
Just knowing what's happening.
Being aware of it.
There are different ways of categorizing the experiences that we know when we're meditating.
One of the simplest ways is to just use the senses.
What are we experiencing through the different physical senses and the mind sense?
So you might notice touch sensations.
Sensations through the body.
Through our tactile being.
And just let your attention go with those sensations.
There may be very few sensations that you can recognize.
Or it may be quite overwhelming.
Sensation after sensation after sensation.
And either way,
That's okay.
Keep in mind the qualities of awareness itself.
Keep in mind how you're aware.
And see how that influences what you're aware of.
And you might notice sensations.
For example,
Sensations of softness.
Perhaps where your skin is touched by your clothing.
Or hardness.
Depending on perhaps what you're sitting on or lying on.
You might notice sensations of different temperature,
Areas of warmth or coolness.
Areas of the skin that feel dry.
And perhaps others that are slightly moist.
Other areas in the body where there's some tension or tightness.
And others where there's a sense of relaxation and ease.
There are so many sensations within our physical body that we can be aware of.
And we want to recognize them with a quality of awareness that is open and spacious.
Not snatching at experience,
But present to it.
As well as physical touch sensations,
You may notice sounds.
Sound of my voice.
Sounds around.
Sounds within your body.
You may well prefer some sounds over others.
Notice those preferences in the mind.
And you might notice a sense of liking or not liking.
Can you be aware of what those objects feel like in the mind and in the body?
If your eyes are open,
You'll also notice visual objects.
As well as what you can see.
Also notice that seeing and looking are happening.
Keep the gaze relaxed.
Let the eyes be soft.
Not staring at anything or reaching out.
Notice too if taste sensations are accessible.
Or smelling.
If there's a smell,
Perhaps incense or perfume,
You can identify.
Be curious.
Do you notice the smell all the time?
Do you notice the smell in relation to the breath?
Can you still smell on the out breath?
Opening up to the whole realm of the five physical senses.
And along with the physical senses,
There's the mind sense.
There are so many different objects of experience happening within the mind.
You can notice thoughts,
Images,
Memories.
You might notice the mind planning.
And all these things can be known in awareness.
Whatever's happening within the body and within the mind can be known by awareness.
So we're not trying to hold to just one object.
But looking to have a continuity of awareness through many different objects.
The objects change from one sense to another.
Or perhaps to different objects within the same sense.
Such as different sensations within the body.
Or different thoughts and images within the mind.
And while those objects change and perhaps change very rapidly,
Over time,
The awareness,
The mindfulness can be quite stable,
Quite continuous.
And simply know what's happening.
Whatever the experience is,
There's no need to reach out for it.
Just letting the experience come to you.
There's no need to try and hear something more clearly.
Or feel a sensation more distinctly.
We are just looking to know it as it is.
As it happens.
There's no need to diminish or look to intensify any experience.
You can also notice how you are,
How you feel.
And how there may be different feeling tones connected to different experiences.
Depending on whether you find them pleasant or unpleasant.
Or whether you're not so bothered.
If an experience is quite pleasant,
You might even notice yourself leaning into it.
Having in some way to make it last a little bit longer.
Or with unpleasant experiences,
You might notice how the body tenses in relation to this unpleasant experience.
Or how the mind resists it,
Doesn't want it.
And all these things are simply to be noticed.
Not to be judged.
And see if it's possible to be curious about how the mind is.
About how the mind and body interrelate in many complex ways.
Our job is very simple.
To stay aware in the moment and notice what's happening.
And to let that noticing have the qualities of awareness present within it.
Remembering to be aware.
Being awake and curious about our experience.
And how it's happening.
Being curious about the mind.
As well as the different experiences.
The different objects.
So letting the mind be relaxed and remembering to appreciate your mind for the work that it's doing.
Appreciate having a mind and body that are able to meditate.
To cultivate awareness.
So be aware.
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