Meditation: The Art of Witnessing

Written by Naren on January 09, 2009

Meditation is neither a technique nor a method. It is neither a concentration nor a prayer. As I have mentioned in my article Meditation: The Ultimate Transformation, to me, meditation is simply a process – a process of growth that will bring total transformation in our lives. Focusing on some object, chanting a mantra or reciting God’s name repetitiously is not a meditation. These are self-deceiving and acts of auto-hypnosis. I don’t deem these methods as meditation, because they don’t bring any transformation in your being. They are simply an exercise that can give you some mental or physical relaxation. They can be soothing, refreshing, and peaceful for a little time. That’s it, nothing more or spectacular. There is nothing transcendental about them. Only meditation can bring real growth, total freedom, and ultimate transformation on you.

Surely, I can fill you with information, or you can read hundreds of articles and books written on meditation, or you can knock on the door of so called spiritual gurus; still meditation cannot dawn on you. Why? Because - to be in meditation, most importantly, a deep understanding is needed. And understanding will be apparent only through your own life experiences. To gather experiences, you have to live life first. So ask yourself this question before we move deeper into this topic, “Have you been living life so far? Or, are you simply wasting it by chasing dreams that will never fulfill your inner thirst?” Mundane desires can never bring inner contentment to your soul, only meditation can. This is why meditation should be an integral part of our lives and everybody should be in meditation. Because meditation can shower your life with intelligence, creativity, bliss and compassion. Like I said earlier, it can totally transform your whole being, and fill it with silence and ultimate ecstasy.

There is so much joy being in meditation. Look at the trees, the birds, the sky, and the ocean. They all seem joyous in meditation. No worries, no anxieties, no stress, no miseries. Look at them. They are so blissful. And look at humans. We have been bestowed with a tremendous possibility to enjoy life in its totality and achieve super consciousness, yet we cannot be in meditation. Why is it so difficult? What are the obstacles that are hindering our path? Why cannot we be in meditation even after having the utmost potential to be enlightened? There is only one reason. It is due to the lack of an understanding.

Instead of raising questions to ourselves about why we aren’t yet in meditation, we tend to find an easy and quick way. We get stuck with questions like how to meditate, what are the easy techniques to meditate, and then we get ourselves entangled in the myriad definitions of meditation. Once we fall more into this enmeshment, we tend to seek help from spiritual, yoga or self-help gurus…. Let meditation alone, people have lost so much trust upon themselves that they go out and ask help on "how to fall in love?" or "how to love?" This shows how crippled and vulnerable we have become that we are ready to follow some self-proclaimed gurus lead us straight to a ditch. Yes, that's right; we are letting ourselves taken advantage of by some greedy people whose intention is nothing but to strengethen their own ego and power. Because, love happens by itself and can be experienced in your inner depths at any moment. Nobody can teach you how to love. In fact, those people who says so have never experienced love, and thus to fill their own inner void, they are claiming how they have master the art of love. It's simply bogus.

Likewise, meditation is such a divine phenomenom that we all have the tremendous capacity to experience it in our life time at any moment.

So do not fool yourself and let some phony person who has no idea about meditation teach you meditation. Going to these people and asking them to teach you meditation is like asking them to crush your spiritual longing and desire, for free. Before your spiritual journey begins, it will die in the hands of some exploitive people who are trying to exercise their influence on you for their own selfish purpose. Just, understand one thing: Meditation cannot be taught. No one can teach you how to do meditation or bring an experience of meditation in you. Not even Buddha. Buddha himself says “Appo dippo bhava”, which means “Be a light unto yourself.” His message is short and simple: You should find your own way and not follow anyone. You should learn from your own experiences.

And, please do not be mistaken that I am trying to teach you meditation. I am myself in the process. Thus, to me, meditation is just a process – a process of growth. It is not a method, technique, mantra or whatsoever you name it. My emphasis is simply sharing my experiences of my quest. I am not trying to force upon you my understanding or ideas about meditation. Meditation comes from the depth of your own inner being. Nobody can enforce meditation on you from outside. It’s not possible. Only through your own experience and understanding will you arrive to meditation.

And, it’s your own responsibility to be open and search for an understanding. My understanding is my own and so are my experiences. They cannot be transferred to you to help you meditate. Hence, you have to seek your own understanding, but do not seek an easy way. There aren’t any shortcuts or readymade formulas. It’s the game of the mind. The mind is always looking for an easy path or shortcuts. So be aware of this and not to fall in the trickery of the mind. Go out, seek, search, err and find out why you are not in meditation? What are the setbacks that are keeping you from the source of an eternal bliss?

Instead of thinking too much about the techniques of meditation, wondering and wandering and trying to gather information on it, why don’t you just jump into meditation? Meditation will come to you in its own accord when you are ready. It came to the Buddhas. It will come to you too. But remember again, it cannot be forced.You just need to remember a few things.

First, you need to release yourself from all the conditionings that you have accumulated so far or that have been given to you by society, education and upbringing.

Second, you should possess the courage to seek and fail. Yes, while searching in darkness, you are bound to err. But each time you err, you learn something. This is why meditation is a growing process.

Third, don’t squander your energies running here and there and asking, “What is a meditation?” or “How to meditate?” My explanation, your amassing knowledge from hundred books and blogs, thinking too much, or hesitating to make a jump, won’t do you any good on your spiritual journey. Simply make a move.

The most essential thing in meditation is witnessing and waiting. If you read my article, Meditation: The Ultimate Transformation, I suggested some steps that would be helpful while proceeding into meditation process. The steps that I mentioned are simply a discipline to find you a suitable and stable state. They are not absolutely essential, but certainly helpful. The key sutra of meditation is witnessing all the activities that go in your mind, and then simply waiting. Once you are ready, meditation will settle on you. But you may say how it is possible? A mind is so full of thoughts, worries, stress... How can I simply watch thoughts?

Well, that’s the challenge. That’s the most difficult task. But, it’s totally achievable. People have done it and have attained Buddhahood. It takes time, patience and devotion. Just the way you watch images on the movie screen; the same way you watch thoughts on your mental screen. It seems an uphill journey in the beginning; but gradually you will excel the art of witnessing. Again, the key is to become an absolute observer or “non doer”. You do nothing, simply sit, watch and wait. If you try to fight or muddle with the mind, then meditation will be impossible.

Here I am reminded of a beautiful story [Source: Buddha: His Life and Teachings by Osho Rajneesh. ] on how witnessing and waiting are the fundamental cores of meditation. Let me share you the story in my words and understanding:

A Story

One hot summer day, Bhagwan Buddha along with his disciple Ananda is walking through a forest. He says to Ananda, “We passed a stream of water a few miles behind. Can you go back and get me some water? I am getting exhausted and feeling quite thirsty. I would also like to rest a little.” Ananda immediately nods his head and goes back to the stream. When he reaches the stream, he finds that a few bullock carts and a group of people have crossed through the stream. The whole stream is muddy and covered with leaves and dust. The water is too dirty to drink anymore. Ananda returns without water. Buddha asks, “What happened?” Ananda explains the reason and asks if Buddha can wait a little longer so he could bring water from a big river a few miles ahead while Buddha is resting.

But Buddha insists Ananda to go back and bring him water from that same stream. Ananda is puzzled. He does not conceive of why Buddha wants him to go back to the same stream when there is a big river ahead. He is a little frustrated as he has to walk back again 3-4 miles where he clearly knows the water is undrinkable. But he knows he cannot disagree with his master.

As he is leaving, Buddha says, “Ananda, do not come back empty-handed this time. If the water is dirty, you do nothing. Simply sit on the bank of the stream, and watch the water. The time will come when the dirt will wash away and the water will be clear again. Do not come back without the water. You take your time and I will wait for you over here.”

When Anada reaches the stream, he sees the water seems almost clear. It’s not as dirty as before, the dust and leaves have cleared. Since the water is not entirely clear, he sits on the bank and simply watches the stream. Gradually, the dust settles down, the leaves move, and the water becomes clear. Buddha is right. Ananda clearly understands the reason behind Buddha’s insistence. He fills up the water in the begging-bowl given by Buddha, runs back dancing overjoyed. He touches Buddha’s feet, gives the water to him and thanks him.

Buddha says, “I should thank you for the water, why are you thanking me?” Then Ananda replies, “Bhagwan, now I understood why you wanted me to go back and get the water from the same stream. At first I was mad because of the absurdity of walking back 3- 4 miles on this hot day when I knew the water was dirty. I was angry, but I didn’t have the courage to bring it out. Then I didn’t understand the hidden message behind your persistence. Waiting and witnessing the water, dust, and leaves made many things clear to me. Now, I can relate this to my mind as well.

While I was sitting on the bank, watching and waiting for the water to clear in that stream, I become aware that what I had been doing wrong so far. If I had jumped into the stream and tried to clear it then I would have made it dirtier. Similarly, if I fight with my mind, if I jump into my mind, I will create more problems. I will cause more disturbances and my mind will be more unstable then before. Sitting on the streams’ shore, I understood the fundamental key to be in meditation. Simply watching the thoughts, the noise inside there, and just waiting for it to be clear.”

The story is beautiful, tremendously beautiful and one of my favorites. It makes so many things clear regarding meditation.

Final Words

There is no need to be apprehensive about meditation. It is simple, just stay on the bank of the mind, and watch all the dirt, problems, stress, memories, pains, desires floating in there. Sooner or later they will settle down bringing clarity and inner silence. All you need is to have patience to wait and witness with full awareness. This is the only secret and the only art.

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