and the nature of thought. By taking the position of just an observer of the thoughts and images that come and go, we recognize that all thoughts are the same: they are temporary appearances that come and go like clouds in the sky.
Do not give importance to one thought over another. If we do not pay attention to any thoughts, but remain in the role of ‘observer’, it seems that the space of consciousness becomes more open and thoughts require less attention. We discover that all thoughts are without substance and importance. We could say that our thoughts are ’empty’, like clouds: appearances without any core or entity.
The second principle is recognizing our stories
and emotional dramas are structured only from the mind, our ’empty’ thoughts. As we continue to observe our thoughts, we should notice how they tend to connect with each other in chains of significance and special meaning. It is this bringing together of thoughts that cogently and powerfully creates our stories, beliefs and emotional dramas. As a result, we spend most of our time going from one mini-daydream to another.
It is this trance-like state of mind that we need to break over and over again as often as possible. We do this by shifting our attention from thinking to the presence of the five senses in the immediate nowness. Just pay attention to your physical environment and the direct sensory experience, free from analysis. Practice shifting from mental involvement with thoughts to noticing your physical surroundings as often as possible.
Even science makes it clear that there is only one unified energy field as the universe, without separate parts. The entire field is interdependent, with no breaks or divisions in unity. The sense of being an independent entity, such as a ‘personal self’, is only an illusion and has in fact never existed.
By observing the “I” thoughts that arise from moment to moment, we can notice that the “personal I” is nothing more than a chain of interconnected thoughts about identity that are supported by memories and imagination. When you see this directly and clearly, and not just intellectually, the emptiness of personal identity becomes clear to the mind, at which point the illusion ceases…
The fourth principle is to recognize what exactly is the nature of what perceives and experiences the empty nature of thoughts.
stories and personal selfhood. What is ‘recognizing’? What is this impersonal conscious consciousness that perceives and knows? In these recognitions there seems to be an ever-increasing evolution or revelation of wisdom. As a result, one’s cognitive space appears vast, open, and vividly transparent without a center…
The fifth principle is to recognize the inseparable relationship between one’s empty, conscious ‘seeing’ and the five senses.
You cannot separate consciousness from your sensory perceptions. There is not first a sense perception and then an awareness of it. The five senses are this ‘knowing consciousness’ that seems to be broken down into five separate sensory components. These sensory capacities are not limited to the physical five senses. “Knowing consciousness” can perceive independently of the five physical senses without limitations of time and space.
By fully merging our attention with the five senses rather than with the mental phenomena of thoughts, stories and beliefs in personal identity, a state of total ‘now’ is revealed beyond the mind and spirit. A limitless view of knowing transparency and Clear Light reveals itself as our true nature, beyond any description or assumption of the mind. By fully merging our attention with the five senses, the luminous nature of phenomena reveals the empty vibrancy of our conscious and knowing space.
In my opinion, if you incorporate and integrate these five principles into your daily practice, no other methods or practices should be considered necessary.