On Observation Over Perception

‍

When one experiences anything of this world, it can be either perceived or observed. There is a distinct difference between the two states, for that which is perceived sees more than what simply is, whilst that which is observed sees that and that alone, as it is. 

An example of this in every day life could be the sound of a barking dog or the loudness of traffic, cars beeping horns near to the home, whilst one is attempting to sit quietly in meditation and stillness. 

To the perceiving one, the sounds are judged and classified as either pleasant or unpleasant, disturbing or a nuisance, one may think that it is the sounds themselves that are disturbing one from concentration or remaining un-moved in the moment, yet this is not the case. It is the judgement itself, the labelling of this or that as unpleasant or disturbing that disturbs thee. 

The observing one hears the sounds for what they are, sounds alone, even to go as far as to detach the sound from the source from which it came. The sound of barking or papping horns becomes simply, a sound that is if some detail need be applied to it, loud, sharp or piercing in nature. 

When one withdraws from labelling and judging that which is experienced as pleasant or unpleasant or any other label, distraction ceases to be. There is no distraction if one is simply observing, yet there is a world of distraction and disturbance if one is heavily viewing or sensing through perception. 

Hone your ability to observe life and it’s happening as they are. Withdraw the compulsion to judge and move things through thy perception, and thou will find more peace indeed, regardless of the nature or happenings within one’s internal or external environment. 

In meditation, this is the first step that allows one to draw attention within as opposed to compulsively reaching outwardly with attention. When that which is happening external to oneself ceases to be judged, it is no longer bothersome and loses all power and ownership over attention. 

Such a shift means that one need one need seek a silent, protected environment in order to look within, but can rather draw attention inwards regardless of what is happening or sensed within the environment. 

Remember that perception is observation with the addition of one’s personal opinions and labels assigned to what is senses, whereas observation is to witness that which is, as it is, with no label or judgements applied. 

Once attention is able to be drawn inward with consistency, one is then ready to apply the same principle to the inner scape. Thoughts themselves are often judged by our minds, we do this compulsively again, labelling thoughts, mental images, mental sounds and ideas as good, bad, pleasant, unpleasant, disturbing or interesting. 

When practicing stillness or meditation, which are not different to one another, practice simply observing one’s thoughts as opposed to labelling them and channelling them through the perception. Thoughts are as they are, neither good nor bad, no matter how gruesome, horrifying, worrisome, troublesome or frustrated as they might be. 

Again, it is the labelling of one’s thought as troublesome or inappropriate that leads to repeated thinking and abandonment of peace. Peace with the mind can be attained simply through the practice of observing one’s thoughts, as they are, without label or judgement. One is no longer perceiving thoughts but is rather observing or witnessing them silently, unmoved, for there is no longer any disturbance. 

Such requires a person to detach identity from that which is thought. Thou art not thy thoughts, rather, thou art the observer, existing silently within, sitting on the throne of consciousness, witnessing thoughts, ideas and mental activities come and go as they naturally do. 

This practice allows one to detach from the mind on an experiential level, not just as an intellectual idea that one is not one’s thoughts, but to truly experience this and therefore adopt a stance that is of such truth. 

A practice as such can be applied situationally also. When presented with a particular situation or context, the mind compulsively by nature and trained pattern feels the need to label and judge what is happening. This is good, that is bad, this was annoying, or that was difficult. 

The only difficulty is that one chose either consciously or unconsciously to label the situation as somewhat unpleasant, this judgement morphs the situation through perception into one that is by opinion perceived to be difficult, yet in nature, there is no difficulty, there only is what is, and things happen as they do, not as the perception believes it ought to have happened. 

Perception is arrogant in the sense that it believes to no how things ought to unfold, denying reality and indulging in thoughts that resist things as they are. Observation witnesses happenings and experiences as they are, for what they are, this is useful as it allows one to detach oneself from the situation, seeing it in much clearer a vision than that of the perceived. 

I was fired can be perceived as tragic, once labelled by the perception and resisted by the mind, yet in observation, one simply is no longer in employment, this is neither pleasant or unpleasant, it is a happening that when observed, one can begin to take immediate action towards if that is what is necessary. 

For all you know, the so called ‘bad things’ that happen to you could and often do contain blessings. One relationship ends, this is perceived as tragic, yet some time elapses and a new relationship is born, one much more fitting, one which would not have been possible to embrace if the previous relationship was still active. 

One may feel relieved and overjoyed to experience this new opportunity, yet the journey there was one of much misery, if one chose to operate and give power to perception, which does not see things as they truly are, for by it’s nature it is indeed limited to one’s scope of imagination. What lies in store for us in the gift-box of life is far beyond our potential to perceive, one door closes and many new, unseen doors open, waiting to be reached in only a matter of time and persistence. 

Wouldst thou rather journey from one end to a beginning shrouded in clouds of misery and despair? Or would one benefit from raising one’s head, choosing to observe life’s happenings as they come, as they are, without judgement or label, maintaining clear vision able to see the new opportunities presenting themselves sooner rather than later? 

‍