Do Nothing Technique

[Huz]

Quick question, can you do the do nothing technique with your eyes closed or for maximum effectiveness does your eyes have to be open? like because i really need to blink. Can you blink or does that defeat the purpose of do nothing. Or is it considered to be a subconscious action like breathing

Edited February 11, 2016 by Huz88

[Ackraviell]

Well, I prefer to do it with eyes open as that makes it easier to attain 'this state'. It may sound illogical but being surrounded by all these things around your meditation environment that you can be focused upon while doing this, makes it easier to disconnect than with the eyes closed and seeing nothing.

As for the eyes, blinking is natural thing, Leo said that's one of the only things you can do while doing that just like breathing for exemple. Just don't put attention into it.

[Khin]

@Huz88 It is perfectly OK to put your eyes closed. The purpose of Do nothing Technique is to put the "I" away and notice all senses right away as it comes up. Remember there is no 'I' is hearing or feeling. 'I' here is doing nothing right now.

[Bombardini]

When doing this technique, is it allowed to get lost in the content of the thought? 

After a session of using this technique I really don't get the usual sense of calmness as I might get from other styles. I just feel like I didn't do shit for 30 minutes.

I guess it might come around with time. I really want to give this a fair chance.

 

 

[Naviy]

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Edited February 11, 2016 by Naviy

[Lord God]

The way "I" benefited from this technique is as Leo eloquently put it in one of his videos (paraphrasing)

"Treat yourself like a scientist observing chimps, if a chimp gets up and hits another chimp over the head. The scientist doesn't interfere, just notes it down and observes it".

Doing nothing isn't about what your body or mind are doing, "you" are not the body, "you" are not the mind. It's about "your" relationship with occurrences in existence. If the eyes are open or closed "who" is deciding whether they are open or closed? "What" is the reason of the preference for one over the other? If one's mind is playing games thinking about complexities of life, "who" is thinking about these things? "Why" are these things arising? "Where" are these thoughts arising from? Going to?

In one's humble opinion there are three stages in this technique.

The first stage is recognizing yourself as an ego, and why the ego is acting certain ways. Ie if you are frustrated at something doing nothing will bring that to the surface and you will be forced to confront the why, the where, the what, and ultimately the ridiculousness of being frustrated at that moment over something "you" have no control over. This will assist one in removing negative thoughts from interfering with activities and eventually negative emotions will be removed entirely.

The second stage is when one firmly recognizes the ego, and then begins searching for the source of the ego. This can only occur when one no longer holds negative feelings in such high regard, if they are still in control you will never be able to see the ego as separate. Once the ego is sitting in it's proper place under essence then the harder questions begin:  Where does the personality arise from? Am I really the personality? Do I have control over these preferences which are happening? Who coded these preferences into me? A recognition begins to occur that the personality is entirely out of one's control and that one was conditioned and nothing more than action/reaction are happening. This counter-intuitively gives an illusory control over the personality as it is recognized as morphic and temporary, and one may begin living peacefully.

The third stage is simply being. The Ego is no longer even questionably real, there is no "I" in reality, and one may begin simply enjoying life completely peacefully having recognized ones own relationship with source. Existence is simply happening, one has nothing to do with the happening. All things are interesting and may seemingly be changed with little or no effort.

Sahguru hints at a stage beyond peace, beyond the opening of the Third Eye and recognizing ones nature. Thus there are likely many such stages beyond, but these guidelines will hopefully provide one with more insight.

Truly

No one.

[Spider Jerusalem]

Do nothing doesn't mean nothing is happening, since there is always the "functioning". Do nothing means hold your attention (relaxed attention) and keep it that way. Do nothing also means non-interference, i.e., when thoughts arise (and they will), just don't grasp. Once you grasp, you're definitely doing something unhelpful, and don't get lost in thoughts because that means you've lost attention and are getting engrossed in the mental chimpery. Blinking and breathing are part of the functioning, and they are automatic anyway -- the main thing is hold continuous relaxed attention (until it becomes effortless, i.e. you're doing nothing at that point).

Edited February 11, 2016 by Spider Jerusalem