---
ai_generation_date: '2026-09-25'
ai_model: gemini-3-pro-preview
audiodharma:
  talks:
    - date: '2020-10-28'
      mp3_url: https://audiodharma.us-east-1.linodeobjects.com/talks/12331/20201028-Gil_Fronsdal-IMC-guided_meditation_mindfulness_as_observation.mp3
      speakers:
        - speaker_name: Gil Fronsdal
          speaker_url: https://www.audiodharma.org/speakers/1
      talk_start_time_seconds: 0
      title: 'Guided Meditation: Mindfulness as Observation'
      url: https://www.audiodharma.org/talks/12331
      video_unavailable: false
location_city: Redwood City, CA
video_unavailable: false
youtube:
  id: UyJ5UYO2IDs
  imprecise_upload_date: '2021-05-04'
  title: 'Guided Meditation: Mindfulness as Observation'
  upload_date: null
  uploader_str: Insight Meditation Center
  uploader_url: https://www.youtube.com/@InsightMeditationCenter
youtube_url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyJ5UYO2IDs
---

# Guided Meditation: Mindfulness as Observation - [Gil Fronsdal](https://www.audiodharma.org/speakers/1)

_This is an AI-generated transcript from auto-generated subtitles for the video above. It likely contains inaccuracies, especially with speaker attribution if there are multiple speakers._

## Introduction

Warm greetings, and hello back to all those of you introducing yourselves here saying good morning. I appreciate seeing it.

In the teachings of the Buddha, the Buddha uses a lot of metaphors and a lot of images for his teachings, and it points to the role of imagination in his teachings. Certainly, he recognized very much so that imagination gets people into trouble, leads to delusion and extreme forms. But in a modest way, imagination can also support our lives and help us understand better and get a different reference point. If we imagine something, have an image for something, we have a different reference point for understanding something than if it is just described without any imagery.

And so, mindfulness has a number of images associated with it. The one I'd like to suggest or offer today is the simple image of standing on a high hill, looking down on the town. With enough distance, high up, having an overview, it's easier to have equanimity about what we see. To not be caught up in the middle of the arguments, the banter, and the bargaining in the town market, and all the different things that are going on in the town.

One of the meanings of equanimity—and in Pali, the word is _upekkhā_[^1]—is in fact to have an overview of something. To be able to stand back and get the big picture of it, and in so doing, not getting too caught up in the drama of it all. So, mindfulness is able to have the overview, step back, and be on the hillside, and not be so caught in the events or so identified with things. It is able to kind of just appreciate it from a distance—appreciate it maybe as the natural unfolding of events, as opposed to immediately relating it to "me, myself, and mine", relating it to my desires, my aversions, and my preferences. To see everything as nature, as natural unfolding from a distance[^2], to be equanimous and have an overview, and not be entangled.

## [Guided Meditation: Mindfulness as Observation](https://www.audiodharma.org/talks/12331)

To meditate with mindfulness with this kind of healthy sense of overview of it all, or a healthy sense of distance where we don't get entangled but with which we see clearly what's there:

Take a meditation posture and take a few moments to settle into that posture. Perhaps support it by taking some long, slow, deep breaths, especially with the long exhales to begin relaxing and settling the body. One of the very interesting things about meditation are the layers upon layers of more subtle relaxation that can happen, right down to relaxing how we're conscious, how we're aware.

Let the breathing return to normal. And as a way of getting settled, arriving here in the present moment, and setting up the conditions to be mindful of the present moment, take a few moments to relax your body. We'll start at the head and work our way down, as a way of each time we relax to let it settle and settle, until we settle into our seat.

So, on the exhale, relax the face. Softening the eyes and the eye sockets, relaxing the forehead and the temples, and perhaps softening and relaxing the jaws—maybe by dropping the mouth open and then slowly, gently floating the teeth back together, almost together.

Relaxing the muscles of the neck. Noticing if in the neck there's any tightening on one side more than the other, and softening and relaxing the neck. And the same with the shoulders. Is one shoulder tighter than the other? If so, maybe just as you exhale, relax that shoulder. Or relax both shoulders, softening, releasing the shoulders to the pull of gravity.

And perhaps as you exhale, relaxing the chest. Maybe a sense of release. Maybe everything that's behind your front rib cage can settle away from the ribcage. The heart can rest, softening around the solar plexus.

Maybe also as you exhale, softening your belly. Relaxing, letting the belly hang forward. And then your whole lower innards, as you exhale, relax and settle down into the pelvic cavity. Relax the pelvis into your seat, your cushion.

And then relaxing the legs. Releasing the knees, the thighs. Releasing your legs to be supported by what's underneath them.

And then relaxing the whole body. Sometimes the whole body is braced. Releasing the whole physical body, letting go, softening.

And then taking a moment to feel whatever stability there is in being present in your body. And also, as you feel the body, almost as if you can relax into the body more, relax the mind. Relax any tension or pressure or contraction associated with thinking or being concerned about things. Whatever physical feelings of tightening that come with how the mind works, relax that as well.

And from a relaxed and stable place, allow yourself to observe the body breathing. Allowing the body to breathe itself. Breathing breathes as itself.

And from your hilltop, you simply observe and watch. Clearly, with an overview, but not involved. Not needing to judge, or have preferences, or want it to be any different way than it is. Simply observe your breathing.

It's kind of a gift to allow breathing to breathe itself. Regardless of whether it's comfortable or uncomfortable, kind of step back and just observe. And observing is more relaxed than wanting, and not wanting, and fixing, and changing. Just to simply settle back and observe, as if you're leaning against the tree on the hilltop, relaxed, at ease, observing your breathing.

Observing whatever arises in the present moment. Observing whatever disappears. Breathing, body sensations, feelings, emotions, and thoughts, sounds are observed leaning against your tree on a hilltop. With an overview, just observe.

To observe our experience without interfering with it. Allowing each thing to be itself. Simply observing.

## Reflections

And then, as we come to the end of this sitting, perhaps to appreciate that to be able to observe and have an overview allows us to see without our bias, or our preferences, or through the lens of our desires and our aversions. The direction of mindfulness practice is to be able to see things clearly.

In one area where our preferences, and our likes and dislikes, biases, prejudices arise, is when we are with other people. To be able to have a feel for—to understand how to see clearly, to observe or see or take in other people without the interference of our bias and prejudices and fears and desires—is a gift. To be able to settle back and really take in another person in their humanity and their fullness. To drop our guard, drop our hesitation, and to observe not in an aloof way, but in a way that allows us to see people in deeper ways and fuller ways, in respectful ways.

And may it be that this practice that we do, the meditation we've done today, supports us to give a clearer presence, clear attention, to other people we meet, people we know. And how we have the overview of the whole world and all its people. May our clear seeing see the depths and fullness of people's humanity, and in doing so, to care for their welfare and happiness.

And may it be that this meditation practice we do supports us to make this world a better place. May all beings be happy. May all beings be safe. May all beings be free.

---

[^1]: **Upekkhā:** A Pali word typically translated as "equanimity," "even-mindedness," or "non-attachment." It refers to a balanced, calm, and unshakeable state of mind grounded in insight.

[^2]: Original transcript said "from a hit distance," corrected to "from a distance" based on context.