Hi,
I'm trying to observe closely the 3C's, specially Suffering, which I haven't paid enough attention yet, in favor of Impermanence. I do observe excess of tension both in unpleasant and pleasant sensations, and sometimes manage to drop it, which is quite nice. But many times it happens on its own once it's observed, that is, I'm not exerting consciously any effort in dropping the tension, other than observing it.
Tonight, while trying to get to my car, parked in a busy street, I couldn't find it. An old and clumsy car was passing by. If I would have seen it in another situation, I would have probably blindly cataloged it as ugly. But as I was searching for my car, I found myself observing different parts of the car, it's lines and odd asymmetry. For a brief second, I suspended judgement over pleasantness of the object, in a short wonder state, observing the parts and not the whole of it.
To some extent, I kept doing that with other parked cars. Then I broaden the scope to anything on site. It strike me that I could watch a phrase written in a window shop, and not seeing the meaning of the words but the strokes that compose each letter.
Question: Is noting/labeling a method intended (among other things) to suspend the primary act of aversion/attraction? Because, the more things you see at the moment, the more time should need the mind to fire "pleasant" or "unpleasant, isn't it?
Link to my
practice log.