We all walk the Buddhist path to free ourselves from suffering. Since all suffering flows from our emotions and perceptions which are a product of the ego-mind, all the posts I have written over the years in one way or another address the issue of freeing ourselves from the control of our ego-mind, our life-experiences, our past. For only then can you see things directly, with dispassion, knowing that things are the way they are because it’s just the way it is, that it’s all ok, and knowing that we will be ok regardless what life throws our way because we have returned home and will always return home to our unborn Buddha mind.
To be in that place, to be free of the control of your ego-mind, is to be an observer of yourself, your life, and the world around you. Sometimes people describe this state as being on a plain above it all, looking down. You are very aware of everything but you do not respond to anything with emotion. Instead, you respond with the equanimity of your Third Eye, which is the eye of the observer, the eye of your heart.
Even when you are deeply involved with a project, even when you are interacting with others, including loved ones, your ego does not engage. Instead you approach everything with equanimity.
This does not mean that you do not respond to matters that need to be responded to … injustice, cruelty, lies, etc. … but that you do not respond with emotion. It doesn’t mean that you let people walk over you.
It does mean that you can give your full energy to whatever you are working on (be it business, personal, or artistic) without it becoming a craving or attachment, which is what happens when the ego-mind attaches to an otherwise skillful desire or need, thus causing frustration, anxiety, or other forms of suffering. Without, as a result, it causing you to say things and do things when in the grip of your emotions that you later regret, that you would not do if you observed everything with equanimity, if you responded from your true Buddha mind.
It is also only when you are an observer, abiding in your Third Eye, that you are able to offer yourself joy. Because it is only when you are free of the control of your ego-mind that you can take pleasure in each passing moment regardless what is going on, be in touch with the positive energy in your heart, release all desire that your life be different in any way from the way it is right now at this moment, be aware of all you are grateful for, have compassion for yourself, and love yourself unconditionally.
To be an observer, to be free of the control or even the intervention of your ego-mind is a challenge, as the posts on this blog attest. So it’s good to have modest goals. Even having moments when you are free of your ego-mind allow you to experience the impact of being an observer. When you are going about your day, try at first purposefully viewing things from above, or from outside yourself. Experiencing such moments will empower you to be more disciplined in your practice and freeing yourself from your ego-mind.
To be in that place, to be free of the control of your ego-mind, is to be an observer of yourself, your life, and the world around you. Sometimes people describe this state as being on a plain above it all, looking down. You are very aware of everything but you do not respond to anything with emotion. Instead, you respond with the equanimity of your Third Eye, which is the eye of the observer, the eye of your heart.
Even when you are deeply involved with a project, even when you are interacting with others, including loved ones, your ego does not engage. Instead you approach everything with equanimity.
This does not mean that you do not respond to matters that need to be responded to … injustice, cruelty, lies, etc. … but that you do not respond with emotion. It doesn’t mean that you let people walk over you.
It does mean that you can give your full energy to whatever you are working on (be it business, personal, or artistic) without it becoming a craving or attachment, which is what happens when the ego-mind attaches to an otherwise skillful desire or need, thus causing frustration, anxiety, or other forms of suffering. Without, as a result, it causing you to say things and do things when in the grip of your emotions that you later regret, that you would not do if you observed everything with equanimity, if you responded from your true Buddha mind.
It is also only when you are an observer, abiding in your Third Eye, that you are able to offer yourself joy. Because it is only when you are free of the control of your ego-mind that you can take pleasure in each passing moment regardless what is going on, be in touch with the positive energy in your heart, release all desire that your life be different in any way from the way it is right now at this moment, be aware of all you are grateful for, have compassion for yourself, and love yourself unconditionally.
To be an observer, to be free of the control or even the intervention of your ego-mind is a challenge, as the posts on this blog attest. So it’s good to have modest goals. Even having moments when you are free of your ego-mind allow you to experience the impact of being an observer. When you are going about your day, try at first purposefully viewing things from above, or from outside yourself. Experiencing such moments will empower you to be more disciplined in your practice and freeing yourself from your ego-mind.
RSS Feed
