OSHO: A Course in Meditation

A 21 – Day Workout for your Consciousness Mentors Channel

Meditation for Today

“Creating a Gap from the Mind”

So, “mind doing something means that mind continues itself.” Doing something mental
isn’t going to help. But in today’s meditations we give you two other options which

are

of help in loosening that involuntary stronghold of our overburdened thinking. We think
“it” has “us” in its grip, while it’s actually “we” who are holding on to “it” so tightly. Let’s
play with loosening that grip….
The first technique is a

“STOP Exercise”

– it is effective because you do it with the

body, not with the mind. And it hardly takes any time.

Do this at least 6 times a day, more is fine but not less. The most important thing is: it

has to be done suddenly.
While walking on a quiet street, or doing anything in your home, in your garden, or out
in nature, or in whatever activity this can work for you, suddenly remember yourself,
and STOP – stop completely, no movement – and just be present to whatever is

happening. Then start moving again.
“If you just become present suddenly, the whole energy changes. The continuity that
was going on in the mind stops, and it is so sudden that the mind cannot create a new

thought so immediately. It takes time; and the mind cannot work without time, so
when you do it suddenly – in that stopping suddenly the mind stops, and for a single
moment there is a clearing. All thoughts disappear; there is emptiness, and in that
emptiness there is an opening.”

You may have had that experience when there is a sudden, unexpected, loud
thunderclap in the sky. Start watching those gaps, those clearings, openings.

And when you stop, don’t prolong it – because after half a minute the mind will come
back and destroy it.
So when you do your STOPs, do them for less than 30 seconds. This is one way to

create a distance, a gap, from the mind.

The second technique, one you can practice whenever you remember during the day, is
a method called “Enjoy the Mind.” This is another way of strengthening that “watcher”

that is separate from and beyond the mind, the thoughts and feelings.

Enjoy the Mind. Don't try to stop your thinking. It is a very natural part of you; you will

go crazy if you try to stop it. It will be like a tree trying to stop its leaves; the tree will
go mad.

OSHO: A Course in Meditation

A 21 – Day Workout for your Consciousness Mentors Channel

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And just not stopping it will not be enough; the second step is to enjoy it, to play with
it! Playing with it, enjoying it, welcoming it, you will start becoming more alert about it,
more aware of it, without any effort, very indirectly. When you are

trying to become

aware, then the mind distracts you and you become angry with it – and again the

conflict and friction start that strengthen the mind.
So this second method is to start enjoying the thought process. Just see the nuances of
thoughts, the turns they take, how one thing leads to another, how they get hooked

into each other. It is really a miracle to watch! Just a small thought can take you to the
farthest end.
Enjoy it, let it be a game; play it deliberately and you will be surprised: sometimes just

enjoying it, you will find beautiful pauses. Suddenly you will find that, for instance, a
dog is barking and nothing is arising in your mind, no chain of thinking starts. The dog
goes on barking and you go on listening and no thought arises. Small gaps will arise…
they come on their own, and when they come, they are beautiful. In those small gaps

you will start watching the watcher – and it will be natural. Again thoughts will start and
you will enjoy that. Go on easily, take it easy.

And now, for a moment: if you are not already standing, stand up… and STOP! Stop
completely, no movement – and just be present to whatever is happening.
Very good – that gave you a taste of Osho’s STOP exercise. And your homework for

today’s segment: we suggest you do this at least five more times before we resume our
course tomorrow. Plus: whenever you remember – enjoy watching the mind.