Statue!

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ABOUT THE TECHNIQUE There are three aspects to our life: doing, having and being. In life, we are forever focusing on ‘doing’. We move restlessly from one activity to the next. Our whole life, we are just doing and doing and doing. We are working, we are talking, we are moving, we are planning. Physically and mentally, we are constantly doing something. Why are we doing? Because we are caught up with having. We are always trying to possess more and more. Having makes us feel very powerful. So we try to acquire more money, more prestige, more friends, more certificates, more health, more beauty, more knowledge. In the middle of doing and having, we don’t even realize that we have forgotten how to be. The truth is, being precedes both doing and having. But it is a long time since we have touched that core. We don’t even realize anymore, that it is the quality of our Being which determines the quality of our doing and having. This technique has been drawn from Vijnana Bhairava Tantra. A version of this technique was extensively employed on his disciples by the enlightened master Gurdjieff. This technique is simple: all it involves is stopping suddenly - in the middle of whatever you are doing! It is something like playing Statue! You must not be aware that you are going to stop. So it is better to let someone else watch you through the day and simply scream Statue! as he or she pleases. When you suddenly stop an action which you are totally involved in, you are shocked into silence. In that instant, you are thrown back upon your Being. Duration: Not applicable INSTRUCTIONS This meditation can be done individually, or in a group. One person can be chosen to give the Statue! command. But the command should not be given too often, or you will constantly be prepared for it. Whether you are walking, talking, working, dancing – when you hear the command Statue!, just freeze. Whether you are running, taking a shower, drinking your tea – just stop. Don’t try to stop, just stop. Simply drop the action and become a statue. Even if you have one arm up or your mouth open – it doesn’t matter. Do it with utter sincerity. Don’t try to get into a more comfortable position. Even a moment late is already too late. When you are completely absorbed in an activity, and suddenly you stop, the very stopping can throw you off-balance. You are thrown into your center, you experience a moment of silence, a moment of meditation.