A Million Thoughts: Learn All About Meditation from a Himalayan Mystic

This meditation is also called witness meditation for you are simply playing the role of a witness while you meditate. The soul of this meditation is to simply watch your thoughts as if you are watching a movie on a screen, as if whatever comes to your mind is not something that happened to you but to a third person. You realize that when an actor dies on screen, he or she isn’t truly dead. In the same manner, you realize that all thoughts are empty, they are devoid of any true essence, and that you don’t have to react to those thoughts.

Due to our ego, we strongly identify ourselves with our bodies and individual existence. It makes us take things personally. If someone calls you an idiot, it’s hard to be mindful in that time or simply act as a witness thinking,” I’m the soul, I’m divine, and this person is not saying it to me.” On the contrary, you may feel like giving it back right then thinking, “How dare he say that to me!” You may end up calling him names.

Observant meditation allows you to downplay the role of individual ego. It helps you in putting your ego on the backburner and see yourself as a third person. You’ll be amazed how quickly your reactions will change. I’m not suggesting that you shouldn’t defend yourself. But for your own peace of mind, you may choose to respond differently, gently, even gracefully to being called an idiot.

A disciple said to his master, “You say ego is bad, but it’s not possible to live without ego, otherwise the world will crush us.”

“Perhaps.”

“So, how much ego am I allowed to have?” he asked.

“Just enough so you don’t step in front of a moving bus,” the master replied mindfully sipping his tea.

This is the underlying principle of being a witness while operating in this world that can be very difficult at times: watch yourself and that is it.

All thoughts – good or bad, right or wrong, moral or immoral, loving or hateful – are just thoughts. Your emotions and desires stem from these thoughts. You start observing your thoughts and they begin to disappear like one sound of a clap disperses all birds on the tree. Once you start watching your thoughts, they all evaporate, leaving you calm and blissful.

How to Do It Right

Sit in any comfortable posture. The standard posture of meditation is even more useful as channelizing the energies while your mind is empty is extremely helpful in swiftly moving towards a state of complete tranquility of the mind.

Take a few deep breaths.

Remind yourself that you are simply playing the role of an observer, a passive spectator who doesn’t cheer or jeer.

You can close your eyes and wait for your thoughts to emerge, or you can open your eyes and fix your gaze at any object, close or distant.

Simply watch your thoughts as they come.

Now wait for the thoughts to come and knock on the door of your consciousness. The first thing you’ll notice is that that the flow of thoughts is immediately checked when you sit there anticipating their arrival. If you maintain the lucidity of your passivity (which means, be a good witness), you will be able to observe your thoughts lot more clearly.

Let any thought come, of any nature, just don’t entertain it. Just let it come and let it go, repeatedly. Don’t analyze them, don’t pursue them, don’t reject them – just don’t react. They are like billboards and banners you see on the road while you are driving, just don’t pay attention as they are not important to your journey.

Intrinsically, these thoughts are immaterial and barren. One by one they will come incessantly, let them. When you no longer react to your thoughts with this meditation, a strange thing starts to happen. The gap between one thought and the next increases.

That gap is a type of quietude, a variety of mental stillness that’s priceless. Immerse in it by being aware of such quietude.

But if you have been practicing concentrative meditation with great sincerity, you will master this one in no time.

Witness meditation helps you become more mindful and is particularly good to overcome restlessness fueled by passions and emotions. I have intentionally separated it from the mindfulness meditation. Mindfulness is a sharper form of awareness; it is an active state.

If you have ever been on a Ferris wheel then you know the feeling when your basket goes up. You see a different view of the city. A tickling feeling courses through your body when you go down. Everyone is helpless – some scream, some laugh, some are more quiet, some are scared, some are trying not to throw up, some hold onto the handle tightly and so on.