Watch this, Before You Watch Your Breath
Acharya Prashant: See how you are living, that’s all. Seeing is important, obviously, seeing is important. But, what to see, ‘breath’? There is nothing wrong with the breath, why are you watching the breath? Or maybe watching the breath is a convenient way to avoid watching that which really needs to be watched. You need to watch your behavior towards your wife, instead of that, you are watching your breath. Nice trick, Smart chap.
You need to watch how greedy you are towards your customers and how exploitative you are towards your employees. And, instead of that, you are watching -your breath. (Sarcastically) Nice, pretty nice!
You need to watch your restlessness when you are waiting at the traffic signal. And, it’s so evident, it’s observable.
Look at the tension, in your calves. See, how you are constantly pushing at the clutch pedal or the accelerator. Even though, you fully well know that the car is in neutral. There are forty more seconds to go before it goes green. And, you see how your legs are twitching and you’re fiddling with the controls. The moment it goes green, you honk. Now, is that not observable?**
Is that not observable? Then what is all this drama about watching the breath, observing the breath?
Can’t you observe the thousand things you are continuously doing? But probably you want to, as I said, avoid watching your real life, your day-to-day life. So, you go for a ten-day Vipassana retreat. Ten-day of watching the breath and then you can come out with a certificate, that helps the inner lie, "I am spiritual, now I can go back to my shop and, continue adulterating and looting!"
You won’t observe the face of the Goat or the Chicken being slaughtered for your food in front of your eyes.
Do you observe that? No, that’s something you stubbornly want to avoid observing. But you want to observe your breath? How exotic! Seriously spiritual, right? If you want to observe – look into the eyes of the bird being slaughtered for your taste buds. No, but all these teachers won’t tell you that. They say, "observation means- breath".**
If you want to observe, observe the eyes of the cow being milked for your cheese. Go observe. That’s far more real.
You want to observe, observe your face after freshly receiving a bashing from your boss. Retire to the washroom, as you anyway do, having been spanked by your boss. And, there honestly look into the mirror and observe your face- that’s Vipassana.
Read full article here: https://acharyaprashant.org/hi/articles/what-is-vipassana-meditation-what-is-it-to-watch-the-breath-1_2fb22dd
