Further,thereisadiscoverythatthereisaboundlesssourcefromwhichonehasoriginatedandto
whichoneisinexorablylinked.Thisdiscoverybringsimmensepeaceandjoywhereintheworldly
desiresvanishinthemindandthereisabsolutecontentmentintheheart.Thislevelofexperienceis
whattheBuddhistscallMindfulness.However,thehistoryofmindfulnessmeditationgoesbackto
thetimeofancientIndiaandAncientEgypt.InIndia,thehigherlevelofconsciousnesswhereinauto-
maticconsciousnessiseradicatedandthereiscontinuousawarenessiscalledSakshinBuddhi.From
VedantaandYogaPhilosophy,theteachingofthe“witnessingconsciousness”foundevengreaterex-
pressionandpracticeinBuddhistphilosophyandBuddhistmeditation.Buddhiorhigherintellectis
thesourceofthewordBuddha,meaningonewhohasattainedwakefulnessattheleveloftheirhigher
intellect.Thecorrespondingtermsrelatingto“witnessingconsciousness”inKemeticphilosophyis
Amun-“witnessingconsciousness”or“witnessingSelforDivinity”andShetautNeter–“Hiddenin-
nermost Divinity.”
Informal Meditation: The Meditative Lifestyle
Meditationisnotjustanexercisethatistobepracticedonlyatacertaintimeoratacertainplace.In
orderforyourmeditativeeffortstobesuccessful,thephilosophyofmeditationmustbecomeanin-
tegralpartofyourlife.Thismeansthatthemeditativewayoflife,theSmaiTawilifestyle,mustbe-
comethefocusofyourlifenomatterwhatelseisgoingoninyourlife.Mostpeoplewhodonotprac-
ticemysticalspiritualitycannotcontroltheclamoringthoughtsofthemindandbecauseofthis,do
notexperienceinnerpeaceorclarityofpurposeinlife;theteachingscannothelpthem.Others,beset
byintenselynegativethoughts,succumbtotheseandcommitactsagainsttheirconscience,andsuffer
theconsequencesofaself-defeatingwayoflifewhereinpainfulsituationsanddisappointmentsinlife
areincreased,whilehappinessandcontentmentaredecreased.Themindisweakenedduetothemen-
talenergybeingwastedinuselessendeavors,whichonlyservetofurtherentangleoneincomplexre-
lationshipsandcommitments.Anothersourceofweakeningone’swilltoactcorrectlytopromote
situationsofadvancementandhappinessiscausedbythesusceptibilitytonegativeemotions.Negat-
iveemotionssuchasanger,hatred,greed,gloom,sorrow,anddepressionaswellasexcessiveposit-
iveemotionssuchaselation,servetocreatementalagitationanddesirewhichinturncloudtheintel-
lectual capacity to make correct decisions in life.
Whenlifeseemsunbearableduetotheintensificationofnegativeemotionsandtheobscuringofthe
intellectualcapacity,somepeoplecommitsuicideinanattempttoescapeorendthepainfulonslaught
ofuncontrollablethoughts.StillothersprefertoignorethemessagesfromthedeeperSelfwhichare
beckoningthemtomovetowardintrospection.Situationsofstressinlifearemotivators,thepurpose
ofwhichistoturnyouawayfromtheouterworld,becauseyouhavelostyourbalance.Thereisa
placeformaterialwealthandsensualexperience(outerexperiencesofthesenses),however,whenthe
innerrealityisignoredorwheninnerneedsandinnerdevelopmentisimpairedduetoexcessconcen-
trationonworldlygoalsanddesires,thenexperiencesoffrustrationanddisappointmentoccur.If
thesesituationsareunderstoodasmessagesfromnaturetopullbackandfindtheinnerbalance,then
personalityintegrationandharmonycanbediscovered.However,ifthesetimesarefacedwithlack
ofinnerstrength,thentheyleadtosuffering.Sometimestherearemomentsofclaritywhereinthe