What is meditation like?

Meditation is like observation in order to begin seeing the truth of nature.

What it is that we observe is our mind and body. Our day-to- day lives are comprised of things involving the body and mind (thoughts and emotions). For example, we wake up in the morning (that's our body); then perhaps we reflect on if it was a good sleep or not (mind); we then hear a bird chirping (hearing, our body); then we might either dislike the chirping, be indifferent, or like it (mind). Or maybe we identify what kind of bird it is (mind). The whole day goes like this, and that is the human experience. We eat something (body), how we feel about this or that (mind), working (mind giving our body instructions such as open the computer and find this or that file), and so on.

Next, what is the nature of the mind and body? What do we observe for?

The nature of the mind and body is that it's always in constant flux. It's out of your control, and it's not satisfying. This is what we observe for: to see those truths.

Why do we do this? The aim is to achieve happiness. Not a happiness that depends on a mood or what's taking place in our lives, but rather a happiness that is just happy.

How does observation lead to happiness? It's because it's freeing - freedom from holding on to our mind and body as something personal. I don't mean that we should change our thinking process to fit that. For example, "I now think that my mind and body is not something personal." Not at all. What you end up seeing from observing our minds and bodies is that they are just a part of nature and therefore follow the three characteristics that I mentioned above. When you open up to that truth -- that is happy. The Buddha would say that it's the "end of suffering."

Brian Eric Cohen
www.cohenbrian.wix.com/awaremeditatelisten

Edited by: Jeff Kirschner, and check out his site:
www.reallyawfulmovies.com