The essence of meditation is awareness.
What is awareness?
Awareness is that you know what you are doing,
what you are thinking, what you are feeling,
seeing, hearing, etc.
Knowing these things is awareness.
For example,
now you are watching this video,
if you know that you are watching this video,
then that is awareness.
I will ask you something.
Can you raise your hand, right now?
Ok.
Do you know that you are raising your hand?
If you know that you are raising your hand, that is awareness.
Actually, it is very simple, very easy,
but sometimes,
many people have misunderstandings about meditation.
Many people think meditation means thinking of nothing,
blocking thoughts and emotions,
thinking of nothing, or concentration.
Or some people think that they have to think of peace,
relax,
openness.
It is not like that.
Meditation is completely natural.
Whatever thought, emotion, sound,
and whatever you see;
do not care. Let them come, let them go.
But what you have to do is to be aware.
If you try to block the thinking,
like thoughts or emotions,
then they become more.
For example,
If you try to not think about a green salad,
"no green salad, no green salad, no green salad."
Then, what you think of is green salad, right?
You can try this at home, no problem.
Therefore,
do not block thoughts and emotions,
but do not get lost, what we call, “getting lost.”
Getting lost means “not watching,”
or “not connecting with awareness.”
You become like this...
Like a zombie.
Sometimes I go to big cities,
and everybody is walking very fast.
They are holding in one hand a bag,
and in one hand something to eat, and they are talking on the phone,
the earphone is there.
They do not know what is going on, like zombies.
That is the meaning of getting lost.
Do not get lost,
but do not block thoughts and emotions.
So what do you have to do?
Just be aware.
For the first meditation object,
if you want to learn meditation for the first time,
then the breath is really important.
It is what we call, “the object of meditation.”
What you have to do is that your mind
is noticing that you are breathing.
Breathing in,
breathing out,
breathing in,
breathing out.
You can try this now.
Close your eyes and be aware of your breathing.
While you are aware of your breath,
thoughts come and go.
Let them come, let them go.
If you do not forget your breath,
then whatever thought or emotion comes is Ok.
Do not care.
Just be with your breath.
Breathing in,
breathing out.
Ok.
That is the meditation.
Thank you.