The Drista’s Dilemma - When Observing Becomes Confusing

Taking this ahead from where we left off...

I've been practicing witness consciousness—being the drista, the observer. Watching thoughts arise and pass. Not identifying with them. Beautiful in theory.

But here's where it gets tricky:

If I'm supposed to observe a thought and let it pass, what about thoughts that involve my next action?

I may not be defining this well enough, so let me try again.

Some thoughts are feelings and emotions about past or future—anxiety, regret, "what ifs." These are better left to pure observation. No action needed. Just watch them float by.

But some thoughts are linked to karma—we have to earn, work, plan what to do. We have to align with other humans. These thoughts seem to demand action.

So which is which? And how do I know?

In my early days as a drista, this was—is—confusing. Though I'm trying not to own the confusion. Maybe even this is just a thought.

Move

Three weeks into this practice, our new branded refrigerator's compressor failed. The very first day.

Dad was angry and upset. His experience told him: "This is not going to work. Ask for replacement, not repair."

I was okay even with a compressor replacement. But he was firm—demand a full replacement.

And here I was, so detached, so witness-like, least stressed. I simply said, "Sure, I'll demand the same from the customer service."

No emotion. No urgency. Pure observation of the situation.

I felt spiritual. Elevated. The drista in action.

But Dad looked at me and said, "You need to push them. Be firm. Follow up."

That night, during Reiki, a thought came: "Tomorrow, I need to call them again, escalate if needed, document everything, and ensure we get the replacement."

But then another thought: "Wait. Isn't this also just a thought? Should I observe this too and let it pass?"

I lay there, hands on my chest, completely confused.

If I'm supposed to observe thoughts without acting on them, how do I do anything? How do I handle a defective refrigerator? Deal with customer service? Navigate life?

Ashtavakra says be the observer. Krishna says perform your karma. Who do I listen to when a compressor fails on day one?

See

The confusion came from treating all thoughts as the same. But as I paid closer attention over the next few weeks, I started seeing two distinct flavors:

Thoughts that are reactions:

• "They don't trust me" (defensiveness)
• "This is going to go wrong" (catastrophizing)
• "I should have done this differently" (regret)
• "What if they judge me?" (anxiety)

These thoughts loop. They're emotional echoes—not about the present moment, but about my ego's interpretation of it. They want me to feel something, prove something, protect something.

Thoughts that are invitations to action:

• "I need to have that conversation"
• "Let me call my mother this weekend"
• "I should prepare for tomorrow"
• "Time to follow up on the refrigerator replacement"

These thoughts don't loop. They point forward. They're practical, relational, functional. They're part of karma—the world asking me to engage, not react.

The drista isn't meant to observe everything into inaction.

The drista discerns: Which thought comes from fear? Which comes from responsibility?

The witness doesn't mean paralysis. It means doing what needs to be done, without being owned by it.

Reflect

Here's what I'm practicing now when a thought arises:

Ask: Is this pulling me backward or forward?

• Backward = Regret, resentment, defensiveness, fear → Observe. Don't engage.
• Forward = Planning, problem-solving, connecting, creating → Engage. Act skillfully.

Ask: Is this about protecting "me" or serving the situation?

• If the thought is defensive ("I need to prove I'm right") → It's ego noise. Observe.
• If the thought is constructive ("I need to clarify things") → It's karma calling. Act.

Act without attachment to the fruit

• Make the call. Have the difficult conversation. Do what needs doing.
• But don't cling to the outcome. Success doesn't inflate you. Failure doesn't crush you.
• You're not the doer. You're the one noticing the doing.

Practice the pause

• Before any action, take one breath. Feel the body. Notice the thought.
• Is this reactive or responsive?
• Then move—not from emotion, but from clarity.

At night, review

• Which thoughts did I observe and release today?
• Which thoughts did I act on?
• Did I act with attachment or freedom?

For a deeper look at how observation and healing intertwine, read The Third Hand – When Reiki Met the Witness .

The drista isn't passive.

The drista is the father who sets boundaries without anger. The friend who speaks truth without needing to be right. The person who acts without hatred.

As Krishna told Arjuna: "You have a right to perform your duty, but not to the fruits of your action."

Observe the noise. Act on the signal.

That's how the witness meets the world.