Do meditation hacks really work? Well, if you’ve ever tried to meditate and struggled to make any progress, then I know how you feel.
Osho’s way of teaching is different to any other Guru that I have come across.
“Be — don’t try to become” .
Osho
Meditation Breakthrough
I had been meditating for years and never believed there was such a thing as a shortcut. I practiced religiously for twenty minutes a day and never made any progress.
I focused on the breath, only to find myself turning on the television. My ‘monkey mind’ was the problem. It’s so easy to get distracted!
But one day after University, I was encouraged by a friend to watch Osho videos on YouTube. I had never heard of him.
But I felt the need to try a different technique. Even a few simple pointers may help me achieve better results. It was worth a try!
A shift in perception
Osho was not the run of the mill Spiritual teacher. His controversial sense of humour and passion for the present moment is truly amazing!
He really practiced what he preached! Of course he passed away in the 1990’s. But his teachings’ live on.
Osho never identified with any creed or religion and despite his controversial stories, he taught meditation with good humour. He took nothing seriously!
But more importantly, Osho is a master of stillness. This is one of his best meditation hacks!
I realised that my own lack of discipline was not the problem. Many people think meditation takes a lot of hard work. Osho teaches you that meditation should be effortless.
1. Meditation is NOT concentration
Meditation is not the same as concentration. Concentration is focus and requires discipline and effort.
When you study, you focus on what you are learning. As a result, you need to pay close attention.
For example, when you read a textbook, you need to concentrate and focus. But meditation is very different.
You can watch the breath, the mind or an object. But you shouldn’t concentrate.
You have to remain still as the awareness behind the meditation. The secret is not to be drawn in.
Being and doing
The key is NOT to achieve a certain goal or outcome. In other words, it’s the opposite of doing things; being is just awareness of the present moment.
Being does require a certain level of alertness. ‘Watching your thoughts’ as awareness requires a different type of perception to thinking. 💭
You have to observe your thoughts and emotions as they come and go. Space will open up between your thoughts, and over time, these gaps will become longer.
Most people think too much and this is unnecessary. As you observe your thoughts, they begin to slow down.
2. You don’t have to be in the mood to meditate
Meditation doesn’t require you to be in a certain mood. You can meditate in any state. You are not trying to achieve any goal or outcome.
In fact, you’re NOT trying to achieve anything at all! Just watch your mind as your thoughts unfold.
As a result, you do not have to feel a certain way. You do not have to achieve a higher level of consciousness or gain enlightenment.
Watch everything, but do not identify with any thoughts or feelings. Being the witness, means keeping everything at a distance.
Furthermore, don’t look for any specific thoughts or what they mean to you. Meditation is just watching, observing and perceiving.
3. Meditation is good fun!
Osho never took anything seriously. Even in interviews, Osho approaches serious subjects with a degree of humour.
This is even the case when asked about serious topics such as death, fear, religion, drugs, and alcohol. He was never fazed by the reactions of the media at that time.
Osho was no stranger to controversy. He believed most people were looking for solutions to all their problems in the material world.
But problems often have spiritual solutions, and thinking doesn’t always solve them. In-fact it often makes them worse.
It is simply sitting silently, witnessing the thoughts, passing before you. Just witnessing, not interfering not even judging, because the moment you judge you have lost the pure witness. The moment you say “this is good, this is bad,” you have already jumped onto the thought process.
Osho
4. Create space
Wayne Dyer once said that “music comes from within the stillness”. Well like Dr Dyer, Osho also taught directly from the Ether.
You could even say, Osho was rooted in conscious awareness. When he spoke, he was always aware of the spaces between his words. His wisdom comes from within the space.
And this process of watching is the very alchemy of real religion. Because as you become more and more deeply rooted in witnessing, thoughts start disappearing. You are, but the mind is utterly empty.
Osho
5. Check out Osho’s International on YouTube
Check out the Osho International youtube channel. Osho is not for the faint hearted. His spiritual teachings help you to awaken beyond the mind.
Pay close attention to his videos on how to free yourself from anxiety and fear.
https://www.youtube.com/user/OSHOInternational
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