An errant thought enters my mind and I start dwelling on it. My mind gets filled with thoughts about the thought.
Then I remember my version of a simple practice taught at a course some years ago. “Not that, not that,” I tell my mind.
This is a helpful practice. Just these few words tell both my mind and the universe that this thought is not important to me.
In what seems like a strange twist, we are not our thoughts and yet we are what we think about. A thought comes to mind and we make a choice. We either let the thought go thus displaying detachment, or we think about the thought and become attached to the implications of it.
The more we attach to thoughts that arrive, the more turbulent our mind becomes. Releasing thoughts leaves us with a calmer mind.
No matter which way we choose, further thoughts will come along giving us ample opportunity to practice detachment or experience the reverse. It’s part of the human experience.
No comments:
Post a Comment