We seem to spend so much of our days surrounded by visual imagery, that it can seem hard to really see the world around us at all. We are used to having the world conceived, mediated and filtered for us by friends and family the media and corporate world. In Buddhism there is this phrase "in the seen only the seen" which is a great teaching about looking at the world. Just looking without adding to what we see.
What would it mean to be able to see clearly for ourselves, to just look?.This is a question or series of questions that I have been contemplating and working with for many years. In my art work, especially photography, it has meant trying to become attuned to the environment around me before I take an image. Waiting for a response from the world around, waiting to be in dialogue before I proceed.
If we can come back to ourselves, through mindful means and then re look at the world around us, we will see a richer and more detailed world and our experience will be much more satisfying.
If you are practising a 3 minute breathing space during the day, just try to notice the quality of your gaze immediately afterwards. Taking a few moments to be present with our awareness can change our ability to see the world.
