Seeing but not Looking

In meditation, especially in awareness meditation, the body, speech and mind are immobile. Then there is the gaze. The eyes are open, as are all the senses. Not staring: just open.

Be aware of your peripheral vision. It is like taking the scene in all at once, but not focusing on anything. As if we are seeing from deep within the eyes, and just allowing in the quality of light.

It is the same with all the senses: sounds are heard, but we are not listening etc. What then seems to happen is that thoughts try to bubble up, but because of this panoramic awareness, thoughts do not totally manifest and so dissolve. There is just awareness of mental stirrings.

When the body and mind truly relax, blinking ceases. Tulku Urgyen explains that they used to put a coloured powder on to the upper lashes, which transferred to the lower lid if a practitioner blinked. If the eyes are tired or dry, this could mean that the loong is up: this is the inner wind. Chanting and inner wind practice to take the loong back down can both help.

Try it like that, and see if it helps. Whatever works for you, do it like that.

Tsoknyi Rinpoche.

Tsoknyi Rinpoche on Western “Lung”