The Big Eye is not what you get when you’ve stuffed yourself full of food and still have half a plate left over. The Big Eye is the part of the mind that is a great witness or observer. Tuning into the Big Eye is the essence of meditation, but it often is not explained that way. Too often people think they need to clear their minds to actually meditate. This actually occurs in the process of meditation, but the primary objective is to develop awareness, whether the mind is clear or not. Some disciplines focus on an object, like a flame, or some have no specific focus. You can “meditate” just going through your daily life of work. Getting to the Big Eye is really still the key no matter what the discipline is. The Big Eye is the part of you that just watches what is going on. It does not judge; it is like a movie camera and just takes pictures without making commentary. When a thought arises, the Big Eye takes notice of it, but does not react to it. For example, if you are thinking of the party you are going to, it does not get excited because you will be the guest of honor and it does not get nervous if you know someone you don’t like will make things uncomfortable. The Big Eye just observes and acknowledges. Ram Dass had a wonderful way of being in touch with the Big Eye by using the technique of saying “Ah so” as the Japanese might say. You say your cat died? Ah so. Your girlfriend wants to marry you? Ah so. You won a million dollars in the sweepstakes? Ah so. Someone just smashed into your brand new car? Ah so. The Big Eye is in the neutral zone. It accepts all and thus loves all. Whatever you are at the moment, in terms of thoughts, emotions, or physical sensations, is okay with the Big Eye. The Big Eye is actually the part of you that is truly in touch with the Divine. It is at peace always. It is full of unconditional love; it is aware consciously of all the various happenings in your being.
When you have a negative thought, you could then get down on yourself for having the negative thought. Next you get down on yourself or getting down on yourself. Then you get down on yourself for getting down on yourself for getting down on yourself for having the negative thought and on and on and on. Somewhere along the way, you must break this chain of negative thinking. The Big Eye looms largely and just watches it all with a giant “Ah so”.
Some people are so hurt by their emotions that they will do anything not to feel. When you see things from the Big Eye, you begin to realize that a thought is just a thought, and an emotion is just an emotion. What is an emotion? It’s a feeling, usually with a physical basis somewhat — like butterflies in the stomach or a rapid heartbeat or just a plain headache. Somehow we run from these feelings so much. The running is only perpetuating the feeling because the feeling will not leave you until you feel it. When an emotion arises, the Big Eye embraces and lets it be. It does not try to suppress it or support it. In the deep recesses of the mind, the Big Eye knows that whatever comes up in the mind is “perfect’ at the time. Whether it is a negative thought or a negative emotion or a painful physical sensation, you have positioned yourself for having it through the progression of whatever has been going on in your life. The Big Eye watches as the melodrama of your life unfolds. It has faith in you, it is patient with you, it honors all that is your essence.
You become more in touch with your Big Eye by just paying attention to it. The Big Eye gets bigger and bigger and then all the distracting parts of your being get smaller and smaller in comparison. When the Big Eye is very large, your thoughts and emotions become softer and very much in the distance. A skilled meditator may be able to quiet his mind a lot, but a lesser-skilled meditator is doing well if he can be with his thoughts and emotions and be okay with them just as they are, whether loud or soft. When you spend time in your Big Eye, you only feel great, at peace, with love and joy. Keep your eye on it.