The Emergence of New Eyes
Many spiritual seekers have been inspired by this quote from Marcel Proust (from La Prisonnière): “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes […], but in having new eyes.” Sometimes we imagine these new eyes will arrive magically, instantly transforming what we see.
Probably, however, it will be a more gradual process of, bit by bit, learning to see differently in both ordinary and meditative experience. This means changing which aspects of experience we tune into and also how we interpret or relate to experience. Perhaps it is humbling to realize that awakening could occur at this very instant, with nothing more special than this experience – except that the mind is not attuned to it.
As an example, many times per day we have the experience of getting what we want. We successfully eat our favorite cereal for breakfast, or arrive at our destination, or find the key piece of information we needed. There is a hit of pleasure when we get what we want, and it is well-understood that humans are motivated to seek this pleasure. However, mindfulness practice can help us be more precise about what is happening. When we fulfill a desire, two things happen: We acquire what we wanted, and the desire ends. We tend to see only the former, assuming that the pleasure is exclusively associated with successful acquisition.
But have you checked this? How important is the feeling of “the end of a desire”? Buddhist teachings frequently point out that wanting is a form of dukkha: It is stressful and generally agitating for the mind. We know that the ending of agitation feels peaceful.
It is interesting to experiment with not fulfilling a desire, a practice that is called “riding out a desire.” Many desires are not urgent and not related to our survival. If we simply do not fulfill such a desire, and do not keep feeding it, it will eventually end. Perhaps the wish for a cup of tea while you are sitting at the computer, or the wish to look something up on the Internet just for fun. If you try forgoing the fulfillment of such a desire, it is important to stay with present-moment mindfulness and not allow the mind to distract itself. Perhaps substitute the desire to remain mindful for the desire to have tea.
Eventually, the interest in tea or Internet searching will fade. Notice what it feels like for the mind to let go and move on. There is a visceral feeling of relief. And at a deeper, heart level, we are learning that it is OK not to fulfill every desire. Wanting is impermanent even if we don’t get what we want.
This is one aspect of our “new eyes.” To see how desires actually work is uncommon knowledge! It is also potentially liberating knowledge because it reduces the power desire can have over us. Such understanding has been available all this time, but we might not have known to look for it.
There are several variations on the themes that come from this example of riding out a desire. One theme is realizing that more than one thing might be going on in ordinary experiences. As a variation, we might look more carefully at the results of releasing some kind of unhelpful grasping in the mind, because again there is more than one thing going on. Suppose we notice ill effects from caffeine and eventually manage to stop our 3-cup-per-day coffee habit. We immediately feel the benefit of stopping the direct harm of the coffee on our body and mind. But in addition, new possibilities have opened: Our work is more effective, we relate to others more calmly and mindfully, and we have saved some time and money each day.
It happens in meditation too. Noticing the stress of a long rumination based in ill will, we may gently be able to stop perpetuating it. Then we gain relief from the gut-clenched feeling of ill will, and we also enable to mind to settle into greater steadiness and ease. For at least a moment, there is the taste of tranquility because of letting go or renouncing that rumination.
I like to say that renunciation is a “spiritual pivot.” It ends direct harm, and also offers the potential for creating new benefits. As Gil Fronsdal has said, it’s not just what we let go of, it’s what we let go into. It is up to us to tap into the peace, ease, and happiness that come from letting go, allowing them to deepen our spiritual path. Appreciating the link between letting go and beautiful mind states is another aspect of our “new eyes.”
Or, picking up another theme from the practice of riding out a desire, we might get interested in endings. Not just the deliberately practiced ending of a desire, but the natural endings that occur all day. Last night’s supper is over. Reading the first paragraph of this essay is over. Sometime soon, the breath you are taking now will be over. Do we notice any of these endings? Usually, the mind is focused on what is arising next, and then next, and then next. We go from beginning to beginning, flipping our attention away from an experience that is ending.
Much liberation can come about simply from attuning the mind to endings, in a neutral way. The end of a sound, the dried-up leaves falling from the trees, the last moment before we shut off the light at night. Really feel that this is the end of something – and be OK with that. It happens all the time. In meditation, we can hold the attention steady through the very end of a breath. We can watch a thought disappear without a trace. Attunement to endings is another liberating viewpoint that has been available all this time, but we may not have known to value it.
Awakening is the ending of suffering. If you never see endings, and indeed try to avoid them, it may be hard to attune to freedom. It is subtle.
The suttas say that getting a glimpse of Nibbāna (freedom) requires two key factors: The voice of another and wise attention (AN 2.126). “The voice of another” refers to hearing the Dharma, and wise attention is up to us. Other suttas (e.g., SN 55.5) indicate that it includes practicing in a wise way, such as the above methods.
I have found that a good way to increase my attunement in both meditation and daily life is to listen with my whole body, sometimes my whole being. This helps to discover and eventually move through what is blocking the ability to see clearly. The new eyes emerge from the very eyes we have.
Many spiritual seekers have been inspired by this quote from Marcel Proust (from La Prisonnière): “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes […], but in having new eyes.” Sometimes we imagine these new eyes will arrive magically, instantly transforming what we see.
Probably, however, it will be a more gradual process of, bit by bit, learning to see differently in both ordinary and meditative experience. This means changing which aspects of experience we tune into and also how we interpret or relate to experience. Perhaps it is humbling to realize that awakening could occur at this very instant, with nothing more special than this experience – except that the mind is not attuned to it.
As an example, many times per day we have the experience of getting what we want. We successfully eat our favorite cereal for breakfast, or arrive at our destination, or find the key piece of information we needed. There is a hit of pleasure when we get what we want, and it is well-understood that humans are motivated to seek this pleasure. However, mindfulness practice can help us be more precise about what is happening. When we fulfill a desire, two things happen: We acquire what we wanted, and the desire ends. We tend to see only the former, assuming that the pleasure is exclusively associated with successful acquisition.
But have you checked this? How important is the feeling of “the end of a desire”? Buddhist teachings frequently point out that wanting is a form of dukkha: It is stressful and generally agitating for the mind. We know that the ending of agitation feels peaceful.
It is interesting to experiment with not fulfilling a desire, a practice that is called “riding out a desire.” Many desires are not urgent and not related to our survival. If we simply do not fulfill such a desire, and do not keep feeding it, it will eventually end. Perhaps the wish for a cup of tea while you are sitting at the computer, or the wish to look something up on the Internet just for fun. If you try forgoing the fulfillment of such a desire, it is important to stay with present-moment mindfulness and not allow the mind to distract itself. Perhaps substitute the desire to remain mindful for the desire to have tea.
Eventually, the interest in tea or Internet searching will fade. Notice what it feels like for the mind to let go and move on. There is a visceral feeling of relief. And at a deeper, heart level, we are learning that it is OK not to fulfill every desire. Wanting is impermanent even if we don’t get what we want.
This is one aspect of our “new eyes.” To see how desires actually work is uncommon knowledge! It is also potentially liberating knowledge because it reduces the power desire can have over us. Such understanding has been available all this time, but we might not have known to look for it.
There are several variations on the themes that come from this example of riding out a desire. One theme is realizing that more than one thing might be going on in ordinary experiences. As a variation, we might look more carefully at the results of releasing some kind of unhelpful grasping in the mind, because again there is more than one thing going on. Suppose we notice ill effects from caffeine and eventually manage to stop our 3-cup-per-day coffee habit. We immediately feel the benefit of stopping the direct harm of the coffee on our body and mind. But in addition, new possibilities have opened: Our work is more effective, we relate to others more calmly and mindfully, and we have saved some time and money each day.
It happens in meditation too. Noticing the stress of a long rumination based in ill will, we may gently be able to stop perpetuating it. Then we gain relief from the gut-clenched feeling of ill will, and we also enable to mind to settle into greater steadiness and ease. For at least a moment, there is the taste of tranquility because of letting go or renouncing that rumination.
I like to say that renunciation is a “spiritual pivot.” It ends direct harm, and also offers the potential for creating new benefits. As Gil Fronsdal has said, it’s not just what we let go of, it’s what we let go into. It is up to us to tap into the peace, ease, and happiness that come from letting go, allowing them to deepen our spiritual path. Appreciating the link between letting go and beautiful mind states is another aspect of our “new eyes.”
Or, picking up another theme from the practice of riding out a desire, we might get interested in endings. Not just the deliberately practiced ending of a desire, but the natural endings that occur all day. Last night’s supper is over. Reading the first paragraph of this essay is over. Sometime soon, the breath you are taking now will be over. Do we notice any of these endings? Usually, the mind is focused on what is arising next, and then next, and then next. We go from beginning to beginning, flipping our attention away from an experience that is ending.
Much liberation can come about simply from attuning the mind to endings, in a neutral way. The end of a sound, the dried-up leaves falling from the trees, the last moment before we shut off the light at night. Really feel that this is the end of something – and be OK with that. It happens all the time. In meditation, we can hold the attention steady through the very end of a breath. We can watch a thought disappear without a trace. Attunement to endings is another liberating viewpoint that has been available all this time, but we may not have known to value it.
Awakening is the ending of suffering. If you never see endings, and indeed try to avoid them, it may be hard to attune to freedom. It is subtle.
The suttas say that getting a glimpse of Nibbāna (freedom) requires two key factors: The voice of another and wise attention (AN 2.126). “The voice of another” refers to hearing the Dharma, and wise attention is up to us. Other suttas (e.g., SN 55.5) indicate that it includes practicing in a wise way, such as the above methods.
I have found that a good way to increase my attunement in both meditation and daily life is to listen with my whole body, sometimes my whole being. This helps to discover and eventually move through what is blocking the ability to see clearly. The new eyes emerge from the very eyes we have.
