Three Sights Meditation
The Three Sights: Deepening Presence Through Awareness
In meditation, we often seek a state beyond fleeting thoughts and restless sensations—a space where presence is fully embodied. One way to deepen this practice is through the recognition of three kinds of awareness, or "sights," that shape our experience: looking inside, looking outside, and looking away. These are not mere acts of seeing but ways of perceiving, ways of being with what is, and ways of dissolving into presence. When combined with a contemplative focus, such as the realization that the past does not exist, these three sights weave together to anchor us in the eternal now.
Looking Inside: Witnessing Thought
To look inside is to turn attention inward, observing thoughts as they arise, move, and dissolve. This is the act of watching the mind, not as a participant but as a witness. It is here that we see how the past clings to us—not as a reality but as a memory, a habit of the mind.
When you sit in stillness and notice your thoughts, you might see the mind replaying past events, constructing narratives, attaching meanings. But if you remain aware, something profound happens: you recognize that these thoughts are just passing forms, appearing in the present but never truly containing the past itself. This insight can loosen the hold of old stories, revealing that only this moment is real.
Looking Outside: Sensing the Present
Looking outside means turning awareness outward—feeling the body, noticing the air on your skin, hearing the sounds around you, seeing the play of light and shadow. This is the realm of direct experience, unfiltered by memory or concept.
Here, the mind ceases its habitual projections and instead merges with what is. You realize that perception itself is happening only now. The breeze you feel, the breath moving in and out, the distant hum of the world—these are not echoes of the past or glimpses of the future. They are the living presence of reality, appearing in each moment anew.
When you hold the idea that the past does not exist while sensing your surroundings, the world becomes clearer. It is no longer colored by expectation or nostalgia. There is just this—vibrant, fresh, ever-unfolding.
Looking Away: Welcoming Attention
Looking away does not mean avoidance; rather, it is the openness that allows awareness to rest in its natural state. It is the act of releasing control over focus, allowing attention to be guided rather than grasped.
This is where meditation deepens, where the grip of identity softens. When you look away, you stop trying to construct meaning and instead allow presence to simply be. Here, the mind does not need to fabricate a past or anticipate a future—it abides in the spaciousness of now.
As you meditate, let the thought that the past does not exist gently settle into this space. Let it dissolve into your awareness like ripples fading on a still pond. You may begin to sense something beyond words: the pure, timeless essence of being.
The Eternal Now
By recognizing these three sights—watching the mind, sensing the world, and opening awareness—you create a powerful meditation practice. The past, when examined closely, is found nowhere but in thought. The future is only an idea, unformed and distant. But the now—the direct experience of presence—is undeniable, always here, always whole.
Through practice, this realization moves beyond meditation and into daily life. You begin to see that every moment is fresh, unbound by what came before. You release old stories, loosen attachments, and awaken to the deep reality of presence.
There is no need to reach for eternity—it is already here. All that is required is to see.
