Maintaining inner peace when the world is in front of you is a fundamentally different task than closing your eyes and relaxing. And it's a measurable skill.
In previous sessions there was silence protected - closed eyes removed most of the external stimuli. The brain could go deeper without resistance.
Now conditions are changing.
Eyes open. The world is present. And the task is don't lose what was inside when he appeared in front of you again.
The structure of this session is inverted: first a short return to silence with eyes closed - and then the main block with open ones.
Close your eyes right away.
It's a return to what's already familiar. Find the space between thoughts and stay there.. Or go into your body. Or just let the depth - like last time.
Use what already works for you. Ten minutes. Quiet.
10 minutes have passed.
Open your eyes slowly.
The silence that was inside - try not to lose it. This doesn't mean closing your eyes to the world.. Vice versa: let the world in - but without internal commentary.
Usually when you look at something, a voice immediately appears in your head. "This is a table". "There's a car passing by". "We need to call". Perception and commentary go together - so habitually that they seem to be one and the same.
But it's not the same thing.
There is a gap between what you see and the word about what you see. Active Presence - this is life in this gap. You see - you don't call. You hear - don't comment. The world is perceived directly, without an intermediary.
Before the research of Tibetan monks, neuroscientists considered this physiologically impossible: the alpha rhythm should disappear with open eyes. It disappears - for most people. But not everyone. And this is a skill, not a gift.
Look ahead of you. Don't focus on one point - let your gaze be soft, distracted.
When a thought or comment appears, simply notice that it has appeared and return to direct perception.. No rating. No irritation.
Silence inside - peace outside. No border between them.
20 minutes have passed.
Close your eyes.
Let's see what's left after open eyes. The same silence - or did it collapse under the pressure of the world?
Just stay inside. Ten minutes.
10 minutes have passed.
Sit a minute. Then answer a few questions.
This session is often perceived as the most difficult. Your observations are important.
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