The River of Experience
El Río de la Experiencia
A gentle invitation to watch the mind like a river, noticing how everything — thoughts, sensations, even the sense of self — is always flowing.
The River of Experience
Sitting with the flowing mind
As we sit and do nothing,
there is movement, there's activity in the mind.
This mind activity, which is often experienced as difficult or problematic,
it's just like a river flowing.
Just watch the river flowing,
notice the little whirlpools and fish jumping out,
saying hello.
A part of that grand river of experience:
sensation,
perception,
sounds,
and thoughts.
Notice the nature of this fluid nature,
river nature,
constant movement nature.
Letting go of effort
Let's see if we can notice this, or try to notice this:
that which notices it has to do nothing.
There's no effort.
In fact, letting go of the effort,
the effort that attempts to make this river something still,
something solid,
something that it is not.
Everything moves
River-like, everything that comes, goes.
All of it.
Some things are moving, changing in a very slow and subtle manner.
Some things come and go quickly,
but everything is moving.
Everything is shifting,
like a kaleidoscope,
all of it.
Body, mind, sensations, sounds, everything you experience.
And it may seem as if there are things that are solid,
that don't change, don't move.
That's practical, it's useful.
But not if we forget that our true nature is this flowing.
Let go of the interpretation, useful or not.
So for now, notice the flowing,
play with the flowing.
Looking more closely
Find something that seems solid, static,
and look more closely.
Anything can be a sensation or experience of the body,
thoughts,
anything that seems recurrent or problematic.
In the attention, the flowing of movement,
like a bee flying around a bed of flowers.
That which we call "I" is flowing.
No need to keep it still.
It will shift and change and move.
You can't grab the river with your hands and squeeze it tight.
Noticing the tendency to solidify
Just keep noticing how there's a tendency
to focus on something and make it solid.
Even its solid nature is not real.
It's not a stark tendency.
It just happens.
Look more closely and notice the underlying flowing nature.
It's what the Buddha saw.
No thing is independently real.
It's all the river flowing.
Its essence is empty,
empty of thingness, empty of substance.
Working with what's difficult
So, experience that comes and goes.
A sensation is problematic, is bothering you.
Notice its flowing nature.
There's no need for you to try to change it, as it will change on its own.
Feelings, emotions that seem problematic,
notice their flowing nature.
This, with everything that appears independently real in the world,
which appears solid:
notice its flowing nature.
The hands as metaphor
And notice this metaphor,
like the sensations of your hands right now.
All of your experience of your hands is a movement, flowing,
coming and going,
tingling,
apparently there and simultaneously empty.
This is the nature of everything.
The flowing self
Just troubling thoughts.
Recall "I,"
and find that solidity of "I" which we cling to.
It's a flow of thoughts, images, sensations.
There one moment, gone the next, still we call it all "I."
Awe and surrender
Isn't it beautiful,
mesmerizing,
spectacular.
Sounds, sights, sensations.
This miracle of appearance.
Can we notice this mysterious,
unknowable, flowing nature
that awakens this awe?
It's everywhere.
You can only fight it or deny it.
That beauty, that love is here.
Fight it, deny it, or surrender to it.
Even the fighting and denying,
it's just a flow.
It's part of the river.
Nothing here is real, independent.
It's just coming and going.