Opening up the gaze, settling into the natural state.
Simple
- Open the gaze and mind, taking in the entire visual field. While experiencing vision in this way, let thoughts and mind play out while noticing it all lightly.
Detailed
- Set the body in a stable, alert and relaxed position, aligned with gravity, then relax the body from the top down. Leave the eyes open, natural and relaxed.
- Relax the eyes, allowing the visual field to open and expand on its own. While experiencing vision in this way, let thoughts and mind play out while noticing it all lightly.
- Instead of focusing the vision on a focal point, let the eyes relax and take in the whole visual field equally. Notice all of the periphery and space all at once, and then let everything in-between relax. Over time the experience of seeing will naturally relax, open and settle. Gently maintain awareness of the entire visual field.
- While gently resting in seeing this way, relax thinking, labels, concepts, language, and any mental movement in relation to any aspect of experience. Simply pay them no mind and let them come and go naturally while resting in seeing. The whole experience will settle into the natural state.
- Over time the “anchor” of resting in seeing this way will become like a boat far out at sea, and the behavior of mind like a crow sitting on the boat. From time to time the crow (mind) will try taking off to wander, but as it finds there is no resting place, it will return to rest at the boat on its own.
- Regardless of whatever thoughts, mental states, impulses, etc. arise, simply continue gently noticing open, relaxed seeing. Let mind do whatever it likes, without moving or reacting in any way to any of it.
- Notice how when the experience moves toward being lost in thought, the behavior of the visual field and the eyes changes slightly. Notice how it changes back as the natural state becomes present experience.