Stop and observe – The Economic Times

The currents of aspirations and indulgences in our world are oppressive and irrational. There are countless pursuits and indulgences in our lives. Either we’re living in self-pity or we’re aiming for greater accomplishments. Either we become neurotic and discontented or madly pursue power and positions. Either we’re sinking deeper into unfavourable thoughts, or we’re chasing the next big goal that will bring us happiness. Either we’re rationally fighting our way through to consume more, or we’re connecting with dread and wrath. We are rarely aware that we are missing anything significant from our lives as we are so engrossed in our activities, pursuits, and indulgences.

We seldom allow ourselves just to stop and observe. One of the core concepts of lifelong learning is observation. Scientists and artists observe closely to come up with and create something novel. By observing, we can resist the impulse to draw biases and judgements from what we observe. Conversely, observation is a kind of silent, language-free and impersonal learning. Observation without intention and language is meditation.

Our level of contentment with everything increases as we continue to observe. The more we observe, the more our ego collapses, the more liberated we feel, and, thus, the closer we begin to feel our deepest selves and the outside world. Just keep observing. This is meditation.