How to Observe your Mind to Live in the Present Moment?
Is it possible to observe the Mind when this is absolutely invisible? This question might be running in your Mind while reading this Article.
This question has also been asked by many readers. In fact, the same question, I was asked two decades ago, like you and many others. After continuous study, discussions with many experts, many Meditation Teachers, and also to keep continue in observation of the Mind, finally, understood that this is absolutely possible. This is my real life experience.
Yes, this is possible to observe the mind even It’s absolutely not visible. The only key point is, whether you are willingly to observe or not?
Let’s look at below, is it really possible to observe the invisible Mind?
Is It Really Possible to Observe the Invisible Mind?
How is it possible to observe when the Mind is absolutely invisible? The Mind is not able to seen by eyes, not able to hear by the ears, not able to touch as well? Isn’t it?
Let’s figure out with some in logical ways first.
While reading this Article, why not you as well do yourself to find out your own answers.
When you want to do something like reading an article or book or going to do some office works or feel that you should go for walk, etc., how do you understand all these?
If not wrong, the answer is that everything is coming from the Mind. Everyone will agree to this answer, as it is absolutely happening for all human beings. Isn’t it?
How do you understand that all these activities you need to do? If not wrong, the answer is thoughts are appearing in that mind that pushes me to do so. Right?
From where all thoughts are coming from? The answer is simple also. All thoughts are coming from the Mind. Anyone can say the same. No doubt at all.
If you do all activities by noticing from thoughts of the Mind, that means you are also accepting the instructions or guidance of the Mind, which is absolutely invisible. Agree?
In this case, the Mind is not visible by eyes, not able to touch or not able to hear or taste, etc., yet, everything is coming from the Mind and you are doing as instructed by the Mind also. Right?
How are you, me and everyone is following all instructions or guidance of thoughts of the Mind which is absolutely invisible?
Yes, everything is appearing in the Mind as Thoughts. All thoughts are the expressions of images of Mental Phenomena.
That means both our physical or bodily activities are being processed in the Mind, and we are being instructed to do or to act or to follow, whatever can say is as directed by the Mind. Even the Mind is absolutely invisible, still, we can understand thoughts, mental activities, etc., of the Mind and performing all activities as directed by the Mind too.
If you can understand your thoughts, your Mental activities, etc., of the invisible Mind, that means, are also capable to observe your Mind the same way how you understand all these. The way you understand your all directions of the Mind, the same way you can observe your Mind too.
Thoughts, Thinking, etc., are coming from the mind that means Inner things are coming out, you need to go to opposite direction that is going into Inner from Outer.
That Path is to Observe the Mind, by the Mind.
Yes, the same way, you can just keep your Mental Focus to observe your Mind. This is the way, I am also doing observation of the Mind and living in the present moment. You can apply the same, which might help you too.
Be the Observer of your Mind without Attachment & Judgement:
As the Mind has unlimited powers and functions in different dimensions, obviously, the Mind has such capabilities to observe itself too. In fact, the Mind is always shy. It is never like to face new things, specially to learn new things.
When you started to go for morning walk, pretty sure, in initial stage, your mind never liked to get up early too. Once you have started to follow the routine, very shortly you found that no more trouble to go. The Mind became use to follow the new behavior.
As for the observation of the Mind by the Mind itself, obviously, the Mind will try utmost to avoid it as a natural habit of rejecting tendency. In fact, the average or untrained or uncultivated Mind is like a Monkey Mind. It never settled in any place. As the Monkey always jumps from one branch to another branch of the tree, the Mind also does the same way as moves or jumps from one thought to other thought.
If you run behind the Monkey, you will never be able to catch the Monkey. But, if you watch the Monkey silently and without doing anything, the Monkey starts to feel that there is no more or very little chance to get scared. Slowly, the Monkey comes close to you. The same thing also applies to the Mind. Once you start to observe the Mind, the Mind slowly starts to noticed that he is under observation, it starts to slow down creation of thoughts and starts to keep itself in the state of calmness.
Observe your Mind and try to understand or notice how thoughts are arising in the Mind and how thoughts are disappearing at the present moment. What kinds of feelings or mental phenomena are arising in the Mind. You might find that sometimes, anger arise, sometimes positive thoughts are arising, sometime negative thoughts are arising, sometime, the Mind is wandering here & there, so on. Whatever thoughts arise at the present moment. Let them arise and let them go without your any involvement or attachment or reaction to them.
Do not get attached to any thoughts. If you get attached to thoughts, the Mind starts to inspire and then, starts to create more & more thoughts. Just be the Observer without any Mental movement or involvement.
Do not judge any thought. Refrain from Analyzing, Judging, Acting, Reacting, Replacing, Resisting, Confronting, etc. Being the Observer, your job is to only observe the mind that what is happening at the moment without judging them. The job is a silent observation, like the CCTV Camera.
Be Aware of your Mind in the Present Moment:
Be aware of your Mind at the present moment, Be in full awareness & with full attention and observe what is happening in your Mind at this very present moment.
The Mind never to remains in the present moment. It frequently wanders in the past & future, as well sometimes in the present moment. Only be aware of the present moment, what is happening in the Mind.
Once you are aware that the Mind is not in the present moment, just bring back gently in the present moment.
Be aware of moment to moment activities and movement of your Mind. Being an observer, only observe without doing anything over it with utmost attention & full awareness. Once you noticed that the Mind is not in the present moment, only bring back to the present moment gently.
Don’t force or resist over the Mind. If you force or resist over the Mind, the Mind will get like wild Monkey and starts to jumps one thought to another thought.
Slowly, the Mind will start to understand the new pattern and will starts to act as learned that is to live in the present moment without any judgement. The Mind has tremendous learning power of new things.
Acknowledge, Accept & Let It Go:
This is not surprise at all that the Mind frequently starts to wander from here and there. This is a natural tendency of the Mind. Sometimes in the present moment, sometimes in the past and sometimes in the future.
Sometimes inside the Mind itself like mental phenomena or sometimes in & out of the physical body or sometimes the Mind can other places like office, shopping mall, park, any other places etc., All these are very common movement of the Mind moment to moment.
Just let it be. Let the Mind wherever it goes. Let it wanders like its own way. Don’t try to resist anything. Only to follow and be aware. Once you notice that the Mind is not in the present moment, gently, bring back your focus of attention to the observation point that is in the Mind itself at the moment. What is happening at the moment in the Mind is to be aware. Only be aware of the present moment.
Observe whatever is happening in the Mind at the moment, let it be like the way the Mind functions. Acknowledge the same. Accept the same no matter what types of feelings or phenomena or thoughts like positive or negative, good or bad, etc., let them be as usual. Accept them and let them go. You can find that nothing last long. All these are momentary.
All kinds of feelings like good or bad, positive or negative, happiness or sadness, all kinds of mental phenomena, actions, reactions, etc., everything are nothing but the creations of the Mind based on experience of life. In fact, the Mind stores all the experience from the moment of birth as memories in the Subconscious level of the Mind. Based on experience, the Mind reacts to remain in safe & comfort zone.
Hence, no matter what is happening at the Moment in the Mind is nothing but the reelection of the previous experience of the Mind. Let them be as they are. Let them appear as their own way & let them go in their natural way as usual.
Once you acknowledge and accept them and also let them go away without any conscious involvement, the Mind starts to expand its horizon of acceptance without any resistant or confront, actions or reactions.
You can find that the Mind starts to have open up in new horizon of acceptance in all the ways once it has been naturally learned the new pattern of behaviors. Slowly but gradually, the Mind starts to act whatever new way to behave by replacing old pattern.
Conclusion:
In Nutshell:
- Be the Observer of your Mind.
- Living in the Present Moment with Moment to Moment Awareness.
- Acknowledge, Accept & Let the Go without any Judgement whatever thoughts or feelings are occurring at the moment in your Mind.
Of course, it is very natural that your Mind might continue to wander here & there all times, as being its natural tendency, but, keep continue to practice getting the Mind use to in new pattern. The Mind slowly & gradually will be able to learn the new pattern of observance. In time bound with continuous efforts on observation, you will be able to find that the Mind is observing by itself.
Live in the Present Moment with Full Awareness can help you to have Luminous Life!