Choiceless observation for freedom from the fixations

Probably each one of us has some of the other fixations. While most of us are fixated on our bodies, some are also fixated on our wealth, some with our family, some with friends, some with the power and positions, and some with their beliefs. Whatever we are fixated on becomes are center of our life. We want to protect, preserve and promote the same. We also feel the pain when we are not able to safeguard this "I" with deep roots in these fixations.

We feel sad when we get some disease and the body is no longer able to function normally. We also feel sad about the loss of money or wealth, loss of family members or friends, loss of power or positions, or when somebody contradicts our ideas or beliefs. Similarly, we feel happy when we are healthy, when we accumulate wealth, when our relations with family members and friends are smooth, when we gain more power, and when our ideas and beliefs are confirmed by others.

These feelings of being happy or sad are quite deep. The moment we start feeling happy or sad, the emotional mind takes over. If it feels happy, it wants more of the same. If it feels sad, it just wants to get out of the same. The likes and dislikes are quite deeply rooted. They have their abode much deeper in our body in the form of sensations. Likes create pleasant sensations and the dislikes result in unpleasant sensations. We feel these pleasant sensations like feeling the cool air in summer. We feel unpleasant sensations like feeling the hot air in summer.

A question arises, what is the way to know our real nature while we are caught in the loop of likes and dislikes? This is not at all easy. It requires choiceless observation. Observation where we do not make a choice of the object to be observed. We observe everything as a witness. That's not at all easy. Every time we close our eyes, we keep switching the mental TV to the channel of our choice. 

Choiceless observation is just like watching the channel on the screen choicelessly. One does not differentiate between the channels. One just watches the screen, seeing it as it is. Choiceless awareness frees us from the fixations. It's not easy to be aware of choicelessly since we become a slave of our choices. They have taken the form of strong habits. The stronger the habits and more difficult it is to observe choicelessly. In fact our fixations  will increase significantly with age and that's the reason why old people become more restless and anxious. 

I feel that the way to develop choiceless awareness is to realize the true nature is the following two-pronged strategy:

1. An honest observation of what's going on inside us. The moment we observe, we get to know our likes and dislikes. Initially, it's not possible to observe on a real-time basis. While we feel angry or sad or jealous or excited, these emotions drive us. They take over the sense of "I". But as these emotions and sensations die down and there is a vacuum, that is actually a good time to revisit this "I". Observation in these moments allows us to regain little control over this "I" and next time our reactions to the situations are a little milder. It's a matter of practice with patience.
2. Planting habits to challenge the fixations. We need to plant habits that allow us the opportunities to realize the futility and shallowness of emotions and sensations. For example, we make it a habit to meet people of different kinds and observe them dispassionately. We see the people having all the comforts and power under the sun and still being so restless and empty. We also see people not having any of these things and still full of joy and life. This deepens our perspective. We may also plant a habit of reading books written by different authors that give us quite a wide perspective of life. We also watch ted talks and youtube interviews of the people who went through difficulties in life and how those difficulties changed their perspective of life. These habits help us come out of our comfort zones.

The investment of time and energy in such observation and habits is like sowing the seeds of realization. Soon these seeds grow into little plants and start growing. If we take good care of them, they soon grow into trees full of fruits not only for "self" but also for everyone around.