Fatumo Mohamed

You are in control

In Buddhism there is a method achieved through meditation where you allow yourself to step outside of yourself. To grasp this concept you need to understand that there is essentially no such thing as a soul which allows you to access this method easier because there is, in a sense no you or one thing that is you to be more precise. You are a coming together of multiple things in a given space and time. The greatest example, and my personal favorite that is used to help outsiders understand this concept is the chair example. You are asked to find what makes a chair, and is it still that same chair if all the pieces are replaced? It is an idea or concept that shakes one's previously held beliefs or assumptions, and it is thrilling. The purpose however is that there is no one thing that makes that chair, a chair. It is simply the coming together of various things in a certain place and time. This also applies to humans, and once you understand that, you are able to access the ability to step outside of yourself. To be more specific , you are stepping outside of your thoughts. When you are having a bad day, and your mind is all over the place with wild thoughts, simply acknowledge that you are not your thoughts and then step outside of them. Allow yourself to watch your thoughts rather than running alongside them. By watching them and not getting caught up in the thoughts, you are able to calm down and bring yourself back to a peaceful equilibrium. It’s not as easy as it sounds or I make it sound, but it can be achieved through meditation. In a way it is simply an extension of meditation because when you meditate you bring yourself back to your breath, and concentrate on that. When you meditate you allow yourself to be in the moment and present essentially picking a focus item. You still allow thoughts to come into your mind because that’s natural, and you still hear the sounds that are present in the space you are in because that is also normal. The goal is to relax, and let go. Just like how in meditation you allow the thought to come in and float away like clouds passing by; you simply do a similar thing in this concept. You watch your thoughts running wild, and you either naturally let them stop or you lead the direction in which they flow, either way is fine because the purpose is to not be consumed by these thoughts. You have to understand that you are not your thoughts, and they do not control you. You can control them. That is the point. This can be achieved by meditating regularly. There is a common misconception with mediation that I want to clear up so that you can use this method as effectively as possible. Meditation isn’t just yoga, it isn’t sitting in an odd and uncomfortable position until you can’t feel your legs anymore. You shouldn’t be uncomfortable meditating. You can meditate by simply focusing your vision on a spot or by bringing your attention to your breath. It is also about mindfulness, in fact you can even focus on the sensations going on in your mouth while eating a piece of chocolate or any food for that matter. You can focus on the feelings of that chocolate in terms of texture, taste, and so on. It doesn’t have to be something uncomfortable or weird. It can be whatever you want it to be as long as you are training your mind to focus and to follow your instructions.