Have you ever thought about “thoughts”?

[air]

Have you ever thought about “thoughts” and what thoughts do to our life?

In general, we think over 50 thoughts a minute. What happens because of these thoughts? The mind is constantly working like a machine, and hence there is no silence, stillness or peace to actually go within and to introspect and see what lies within. Is it not true?

Try this: Stay still for exactly 60 seconds, just 1 minute, and observe your mind. Check whether your mind can stay still without thinking for just 1 minute. You will be amazed at the result! You will come to know the speed at which your mind produces thoughts.

Because of this frequent production of thoughts, we are unable to meditate, to contemplate, and to introspect on important questions of life: Who we are? What are we? Where did we come from? Where we will go? What is the goal and purpose of life? All these often-ridiculed questions remain unanswered only because the mind is in constant motion and constant action like a monkey. The mind doesn’t stay still; it keeps jumping from one thought to another. Therefore I believe that, the first goal of spiritual life – yes, you are thinking right – is to still the mind or to silence the mind and then you won’t need somebody else to tell you what the reality is. You will realize the truth yourself!

AiR

[sparklekaz]

Hi Air,

Very true. Monkey mind is something I know well.

Meditation, trying to quieten the mind is one of, if not the, most important of spiritual practices. As you have said, if we cannot slow done this constant mental chatter, it makes it nearly impossible to hear, sense or feel inner guidance and connection to the divine within. It is something I have become very poor at doing. I like many others will say, I don't have the time to do it. Which always makes me think of that old Zen saying "You should sit in meditation for 20 minutes a day, unless your too busy, then you should sit for an hour". Ha ha. This always makes me smile.

Love and light
Kaz

[gruntal]

Silence - in my experience - is not possible. Indeed like a drowning person gasping for air we flail out for anything and everything to keep us afloat. At times I can not even drive a car or watch a movie due to lack of concentration. Like everything else in the wonderful world of spirituality there is the enigma of trying so hard to give up and surrender. You would think a state of nothing would be the default but it doesn't work that way. At any one point in time and space all factors must be considered for it to make any sense. Only the objective mind can pick and chose which is relevant or important.

Also if try to meditate I am alone with myself and movement irritates me. Even my own. How is that for the ultimate enigma?