“The truth is seen as one truth without relativity…” ~CTR

Meditation is about the observation of confusion. In seeing our confusion for what it is, it is immediately transformed into insight! The fundamental misunderstanding to be challenged is the belief in a solid-separate self. The entire institution of selfishness and self-centeredness has to be challenged. It is the belief in an intrinsic self-image that puts us at odds with life. We call this friction between us and life stress or anxiety, but they are nothing more than symptoms of the fact that we believe the environment is something that we must control or conquer… Something that we must manipulate to our advantage. Meditation kills itself the moment it is revealed that there is no one meditating. Meditation becomes non-meditation when the truth of selflessness is discovered.

Meditation is simple observation. It is about observation… The point of meditation is meditation. When we simply watch the movement of mind a great many of our preconceived ideas are challenged. Ultimately our ideas about ourself are brought into question. When we observe the movement of thought, and notice that we cannot keep track of thought without thinking, we realize that who and what we thought we were was little more than a thought… One thought thinking about another thought. This is the truth of selflessness. It is emptiness. However, selflessness is not nothingness. The direct experience of emptiness is luminous. It is experience without an experiencer. Naked awareness. Resting in this is meditation.

In the words of Chogyam Trungpa:

“The essence of samsara, or confused existence, is found in the misunderstandings of bewilderment, passion, and aggression. Unless you relate to these as the path— understanding them, working with them, treading on them— you do not discover the goal. So therefore, as Buddha says, ‘Suffering should be realized, the origin should be overcome and, by that, cessation should be realized because the path should be seen as the truth.

Seeing the truth as it is, is the goal as well as the path. For that matter, discovering the truth of samsara is the discovery of nirvana…”

~ from Ocean of Dharma by Chogyam Trungpa edited by Carolyn Rose Gimian

Elephant 365 is an example of Elephant Journal’s commitment to the Mindful Life. Everyday we will offer a new reading regarding meditation practice and the spiritual path, all infused with a fresh perspective on traditional spirituality. If you would like to follow Elephant 365 on FaceBook click here and become a fan of Elephant Meditationby clicking the “Like” tab at the top of the page.