To look inward

[SiriusTraveler]

Most often I come across the words/term "to look inward".

My interpretation of this is:
To be focused only on yourself, the I, in the present moment. That is the I as in that which you percieve to be you. And also to not be focused on everything but you. That is everything external, outside the sphere of where you percieve you to be.

I would love to read others interpretation of this as I often find myself trying to look inward and instead filling my mind with what it is I am supposed to do, or loosing focus and ponder the question of what it means, even though i think I know the answer.

[CFTraveler]

To me, it's not so much being focused on myself (because, what am I?) but on what's at the center of all the sensory phenomena- what's at the center of the physical stimuli, and the thought processes. Not to focus on the observer, but to observe what comes up from an 'inner' standpoint.
The first time read that statement 'to look inward', or to 'go inward', I wasn't sure what the author meant. I still don't know, but it's how I've come to interpret it.

[SoulSail]

I'd say it's awareness aware of itself. You can't explain it much, but once you meditate over to being just an aware entity, you ARE the awareness watching awareness. So yeah, the watcher watching itself, but it's not the physical self we're talking about, just awareness of phenomena. Many traditions call this Open Awareness, where we don't pick much of anything to focus on during meditation. We simply note that we're aware and hold that focus.


Soul

[eyeoneblack]

All good thoughts :).

In meditation we learn to shut out all external influences, including a restless and chattering mind. The best example I can give; when we had 'quickenings' where the community of Kriya practitioners would gather (approx. 100 of us) and meditate together. It was quite an event including lectures, food and music. The problem for me was (being a musician) I thought the music and songs were really cheesy and trying to meditate with that crap in the background was very distracting. But that's the was it was. It's not so hard to ignore the air-conditioner or even a cough here and there, but the music just irritated me.

The challenge was obvious. Could I 'look inward' with enough concentration that I couldn't hear the music anymore? Well, yes I could and realizing that I felt I had made some real progress. I was able to find the silence within.

This, too, is somewhat related: Always present in our classes was a graphic of a person in lotus position with a hierarchy of states of consciousness (Buddha, Godhead etc) rising from above the crown chakra. I told the teacher one evening that that seemed counter-intuitive to me. That for me, anyway, the journey in consciousness was a matter of going in and down, deeper and deeper. He was not surprised and said I could have it my way too.

Maybe this is helpful, I hope so. :)

[Sinera]

I always thought it was the English euphemism for picking one's nose.

[SoulSail]

I always thought it was the English euphemism for picking one's nose.

Perhaps. Or staring lovingly at one's naval in search of profundity.


Soul