Finding your higher self isn’t so much a matter of seeking it as it is a matter of removing obstacles obscuring it. These obstacles are put in place by our egos. As the ego settles down, the true self is revealed.
One obstacle to meditation is the belief that our meditation is more important than the activities around us creating sounds that distract us from our meditation. Another obstacle is the belief that those sounds have to be a distraction and that we can’t use them to deepen our practice.
One thing is me meditating on my breath. Another thing is the noise someone is making. Those are just two things that are happening. My meditation is not more important than the activities producing the noise. If I become annoyed with the noise then my annoyance is just another thing happening.
Suggested practice:
Noisy Meditation
Find a noisy place. Sit and meditate focusing on your breath. Notice a competing sound from outside, maybe a person talking or the sound of machinery. Think, “One thing is me meditating on my breath. Another thing that is happening is that sound.” Allow both to exist — your focus on breath is not more important than the activity producing that sound. If you feel annoyed by the sound, think, “Another thing that is happening is this feeling of annoyance.” Continue to meditate.
As we practice observing ourselves and our environments, instead of just reacting, we become more mindful, more aware, and more at ease.
