Method of perceiving through meditation

We spend our lives on an emotional pendulum. We swing from the brilliant, sunlit peaks of joy, success, and love, clinging to them with all our might, praying the moment will last forever. Then, inevitably, the pendulum swings back, plunging us into the shadowed valleys of grief, failure, and despair, where we feel trapped, convinced the darkness will never end. This is the rhythm of the human experience, and our greatest source of suffering is our resistance to it. We fight the downward swing and grasp at the peak, exhausting ourselves in a battle against the natural flow of life itself.

But what if there was a different way? What if there was a single piece of wisdom, a quiet truth, that could provide both solace in the darkness and humility in the light?

This is not a traditional meditation focused on breath or posture. Instead, it is a profound reflective practice, a lens through which to view the entire tapestry of your life. It is an exercise best suited for those who have lived long enough to have a collection of memories—of triumphs and heartbreaks, of hellos and goodbyes. It is a journey inward to discover the one part of you that remains unshaken by the pendulum’s swing. The journey begins with a timeless story.

The Parable of the King's Ring

Once, in a flourishing kingdom, a wise and powerful monarch summoned his most trusted sages. He was a good king, but his heart was restless. He felt the precariousness of his own happiness and the fragility of his kingdom.

“Gather your great minds,” he commanded them. “I seek a piece of wisdom for the ages. I want a single sentence, a mantra so pure and true that it will apply in every situation, in every corner of my kingdom, at any moment in time. It must be something I can turn to when I am victorious and when I am defeated, when you are by my side and when I am utterly alone. Find me this phrase.”

The wise men were stumped. A single answer for an infinity of questions? A magic formula for life's chaos? They deliberated for weeks, debating philosophy and poring over ancient texts. Finally, an old, quiet sage, who had seen many kings come and go, proposed a message that resonated with them all. They inscribed the words onto a small scroll, placed it inside a hollow compartment beneath the large diamond of the king’s ring, and presented it to him.

“Your Majesty,” the eldest sage said, “do not read this message out of mere curiosity. Keep it hidden. Swear to only look upon it when you are in your moment of greatest peril, when all seems lost and there is no other counsel to be found.” The king, intrigued, gave his solemn vow.

Not long after, the kingdom was invaded by a formidable enemy. The attack was swift and brutal. Despite their bravery, the king's army was overwhelmed. The palace fell, and the king was forced to flee for his life on his fastest steed. The enemy’s elite guard was in hot pursuit, their horses’ hooves thundering behind him like a death drum.

He rode deep into a dense, unfamiliar jungle. The sounds of his pursuers grew closer, echoing through the trees. He pushed his horse onward until, abruptly, the path ended. He was at the edge of a colossal cliff, a chasm with a rocky, unforgiving valley a thousand feet below. There was no way forward and no way back. Trapped, with the enemy closing in, his heart pounded with terror. This was the end.

In his moment of sheer panic, a ray of sunlight caught the diamond on his ring, sending a blinding flash into his eyes. He remembered the secret message. With trembling fingers, he pried open the hidden compartment and unrolled the tiny scroll. On it were four simple words:

“This, too, shall pass.”

He read them once. Then again. A wave of profound stillness washed over him. The terror receded. Yes, he thought. Just days ago, I was basking in the opulence of my court, the most powerful man in the land. That passed. I am now a hunted man at the edge of death. So this, this moment of terror, it must also pass.

His breathing slowed. His frantic mind grew quiet. And in that quiet, he began to notice the world around him for the first time. He saw the breathtaking beauty of the valley, the majestic eagles soaring on the thermal winds, the vibrant wildflowers growing defiantly from the cliff’s edge. He had been so consumed by fear that he hadn't realized this stunning landscape was part of his own kingdom. The message hadn’t magically saved him, but it had saved him from his own fear. He became still, and simply observed.

He eventually realized that the thundering of the hooves had faded. The enemy, assuming he was lost in the vast jungle, had taken another path. His pursuers were gone.

The king, with newfound courage, found his way back to the remnants of his army. He regrouped, strategized, and led a fierce counter-attack, ultimately vanquishing the enemy and reclaiming his empire. When he rode back into his capital city, the celebration was ecstatic. Citizens flooded the streets, throwing flowers, singing, and dancing. His ego swelled. I am truly one of the greatest kings to have ever lived, he thought. I am invincible.

In the midst of the roaring crowd, the sun again caught the diamond on his ring. He remembered the message. He lifted his hand, opened the compartment, and read the four words again.

“This, too, shall pass.”

A hush fell over his inner world. The pride, the arrogance, the feeling of invincibility—it all dissolved into a quiet, profound humility. He understood then. The victory was not his to own, just as the defeat had not been his to be owned by. He was not the storm, nor the sunshine that followed. He was simply the one who was there to witness it all.

The Practice: Becoming the Witness of Your Own Life

This story holds the key to a transformative reflective practice. It is a way to cultivate equanimity—a balanced mind that is not thrown into chaos by the ever-changing circumstances of life.

Find ten to fifteen minutes each day to sit quietly. This is not about emptying your mind, but about allowing its contents to arise and pass without attachment.

1. Recall the Peaks: Begin by journeying back in your memory to a moment of great happiness or success. It could be a graduation, a moment of falling in love, a professional achievement, or a simple, perfect afternoon with friends. Immerse yourself in that memory. Feel the joy, the pride, the warmth in your chest. Let the feelings fill you completely. After a minute, gently and lovingly, whisper to that memory, “This, too, has passed.” Notice what happens. The memory doesn’t become sad; rather, it becomes more precious, tinged with a beautiful gratitude for having experienced it.

2. Visit the Valleys: Now, gently shift your focus to a time of difficulty. It could be a period of grief, a painful failure, or a moment of deep loneliness. Do not force yourself to relive the trauma, but allow yourself to acknowledge the reality of that time. Feel the echo of the pain. Recognize the strength it took to endure it. Then, with a sense of resilience and compassion for your past self, affirm the truth: “This, too, has passed.” Feel the quiet power in that statement. You survived. You are here. The storm ended.

3. Arrive in the Present: Finally, bring your awareness to this very moment. What is present for you right now? Is it peace? Anxiety? Boredom? Contentment? Whatever it is, simply observe it without judgment and apply the same wisdom: “This, too, shall pass.” This practice detaches you from being a prisoner of the present moment, reminding you that it, like all others, is temporary.

Friends come and go. Enemies appear and fade away. Careers begin and end. Your body is young, then it ages. Everything you see, everything you feel, everything you think—it is all in a state of constant flux. The only thing that does not change is the law of change itself.

And through all of it, who is the one watching? Who was there during the youthful triumph? Who was there during the painful loss? Who is here, now, reading these words?

That is the real you. Your authentic self. The silent, unchanging witness.

This practice of reflection is the ultimate meditation. It is the path to self-knowledge. It teaches you that you are not the fleeting moments of your life, but the timeless space in which they occur. You are the sky, not the passing clouds. And by embracing this truth, you can learn to live with grace, courage, and a deep, unshakable peace, no matter which way the pendulum swings.