References:
… PM Chapter 16: Introduction to Looking
… Comments on Looking
KHTK stands for “Knowing How To Know.” This is the first essay in the KHTK series. It is based on Vipassana meditation, a practice taught by the Buddha about 2,600 years ago.
What Is Looking?
“Looking” means observing things as they are — without judging, labeling, or trying to figure them out.
The core idea is simple:
Just look. Don’t expect anything. Don’t try to find an answer.
When you expect something, or search for a specific answer, you add mental noise to what you’re actually seeing. That mental noise gets in the way of clear observation.
What about thoughts that come up?
Many meditation practices try to stop or quiet the mind. KHTK does not.
When thoughts, labels, opinions, or conclusions arise while you’re looking — don’t push them away. Just notice them for what they are. Suppressing thoughts distorts your perception.
Look at your thoughts the same way you look at anything else.
When you observe without judging — including your own thoughts — you are being fully honest with yourself. That is the foundation of personal integrity.
How to Practice
It helps to work with a partner. One person is the “student,” the other is the “guide.” You can switch roles. If no partner is available, you can do this alone.
The guide’s job:
- Go through the theory above with the student. Answer questions and discuss until the student is comfortable.
- Walk the student through the exercises below, one at a time.
Exercises
These exercises are not meant to fix any problems. Their only purpose is to let you experience what “looking” actually feels like.
Exercise 1
Look around the room at different objects. Notice if your mind is naming them — for example, thinking “that’s a lamp.” Don’t stop it. Just notice that the mind is labeling.
Exercise 2
Look around the room again. Notice if your mind is making judgments — for example, “that’s an expensive lamp.” Don’t stop it. Just notice that the mind is evaluating.
Exercise 3
Look around the room again. Notice if your mind is drawing conclusions — for example, “I would never buy that lamp.” Don’t stop it. Just notice that the mind is concluding.
Exercise 4
Look around the room and notice whatever thoughts arise. Don’t suppress them. Simply observe them while continuing to look at the objects around you.
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Comments
Here is my response:
What I write are my opinions too. My criterion is not the truth or untruth of statements because truth and untruth are relative. I use the criterion of CONSISTENCY. From Data Series viewpoint, this would mean an absence of outpoints.
KHTK #1 introduces the idea of LOOKING as follows:
LOOK AND SIMPLY OBSERVE WHAT IS THERE WITHOUT EXPECTING ANYTHING, OR ATTEMPTING TO GET AN ANSWER.
The parallel idea in Scientology is that of OBNOSIS. Furthermore:
LOOKING DOES NOT REQUIRE SUPPRESSION OF ANY THOUGHTS ARISING IN THE MIND. YOU LOOK AT THOSE THOUGHTS THE WAY YOU LOOK AT YOUR ENVIRONMENT.
Any resistance to looking will go against the above two principles. The whole purpose of KHTK #1 is to get those two points across. That is the gradient at this level. At this gradient, the only thing required is a recognition of what is there. The idea of complete as-ising is not there. I am sure the whole document can be improved further, and I am still looking at how to use your input to improve the document.
As far as pushing thoughts aside is concerned, I have taken up that point later when talking about ATTENTION (see KHTK #7). In my opinion, the attention automatically goes to the area that needs to be looked at, and it moves away from that area when one recognizes what was needed to be looked at. I have covered it also in KHTK #8, UN-STACKING. But based on your input, maybe I need to organize this data better.
To me the cycle of looking at any stage is completed when attention automatically moves away from that area. As you yourself said that this happened to you suddenly one day, and it is hard for you to describe how you did it. In my opinion, you did it by letting it happen. The key idea here is LETTING THE MIND UN-STACK ITSELF. Any deliberate effort will only slow it down.
I shall document this exchange on my blog. It may help the revision of KHTK essays.
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I added the following sentence to the introduction of KHTK #1:
“The source of this data is the technique of Vipassana, which was taught by Buddha 2600 years ago.”
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hi sir
i am a 12th student from India.
can you write a thesis or a documentary on celibacy and karma.
I don’t think it is going to help you if I write a thesis or a documentary on celibacy and karma. You can easily use AI to put together such a thesis.
You need to look closely at that which is bothering you.
Celibacy is the state of voluntarily refraining from marriage, sexual activity, or both. It is often a long-term lifestyle or spiritual choice driven by religious convictions, personal development goals, or boundary setting.
A person who is thinking about celibacy has issues on the subject of sex. Sex is natural and it should be properly balanced with rest of one’s life.
If a person’s attention is fixated on sex, then there is something about this subject that he does not understand. That vacuum of understanding has been filled by others with their fixed ideas. That is not useful at all.
The useful thing to do is to apply Subject Clearing to Sex.
The Book of Subject Clearing