For this session,
We'll begin with eyes open.
And today we're going to be exploring the sense of perspective.
So right now with our eyes open,
Naturally we have a sense of location,
Of perspective.
Light and shadows are coming into the eyes.
And it can give a sense as though it's coming right towards us.
And quite naturally,
Seeing involves more than just what is seen.
It also involves a sense of perspective.
If you had to point to where you are,
Perhaps you would point towards your head,
Behind your eyes.
And let's now close our eyes and see how that sense of perspective might either change or stay the same.
Naturally with eyes closed,
Attention might go to other senses.
For example,
We could place attention on the sense of hearing.
In the things that are heard,
There are going to be ambient noises,
Different sounds of the body,
The sound of my voice,
And whatever else arises.
But is there also a sense of perspective?
Where is the knowing happening?
Where is the hearing happening?
Where is it known?
Is that happening inside the body,
Outside the body,
On the edge of the body,
Neither in or out?
Just explore how that feels for you.
Where are you hearing from?
It might feel like sounds are happening over there,
Whereas you are over here.
Or maybe they're happening in the same place.
What about physical sensations?
Observe the breath coming in and out of the nostrils.
Where are you feeling that from?
Are you feeling it from behind?
From inside?
From the front?
From above?
From below?
There is no right or wrong answer.
We're just exploring that sense of perspective.
Now what about sensations in the right leg?
Do they feel further away or closer than the breath at the nose?
Where are you watching the sensations in the right leg from?
Are the sensations just knowing themselves?
Are you watching them from over here,
Whereas they are over there?
One last exercise.
Let's look at the sensations on the back of the head.
Where are you feeling them from?
How close do they feel to you?
Watch the sensations at the back of the head.
Feeling the sense of perspective.
Feeling where the sense of self is located.
As I ring the bell to end the meditation,
Keep noticing that sense of perspective as the sound arises and passes away.
