Have you tried meditating, but found that you can't stop your mind from racing? You sit there, and try to turn your thoughts off and just "focus", but you always seem to get distracted?
Well, here's another way of looking at it. This is from "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind" by Shunryu Suzuki (and quoted by Ram Dass in "Journey to Awakening", which Rainey mentioned in the "Books like medicine" thread) - I've found this very helpful:
"When you are practicing zazen, do not try to stop your thinking. Let it stop by itself. If something comes into your mind, let it come in, and and let it go out. It will not stay long. When you try to stop your thinking, it means you are bothered by it. Do not be bothered by anything. It appears as if something comes from outside your mind, but actually it is only the waves of your mind, and if you are not bothered by the waves, gradually they will become calmer and calmer."
Well, here's another way of looking at it. This is from "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind" by Shunryu Suzuki (and quoted by Ram Dass in "Journey to Awakening", which Rainey mentioned in the "Books like medicine" thread) - I've found this very helpful:
"When you are practicing zazen, do not try to stop your thinking. Let it stop by itself. If something comes into your mind, let it come in, and and let it go out. It will not stay long. When you try to stop your thinking, it means you are bothered by it. Do not be bothered by anything. It appears as if something comes from outside your mind, but actually it is only the waves of your mind, and if you are not bothered by the waves, gradually they will become calmer and calmer."
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Unsu...
Re: meditation and "monkey mind"
Thu, July 20, 2006 - 8:36 PMThe master tells the student "and no matter what, *don't* think about a monkey"...
poor student.
>%^/
Mind is a friend I couldn't function without, I let it know it can take a break sometimes and do nothing - it seems to enjoy that.
%^) -
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Unsu...
velvet
Fri, July 21, 2006 - 12:14 PMohhh, the feeling of a soft black curtain falling over the mind....effortlessly....and then to reopen the mind and actually SEE.
love the thought, thank you for sharing...zen principles resonate with all my science background and i feel the kudhalini (sp?) rise, and ~those who feel it know it lord~
yarrrr~maste.
~k~ -
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Re: velvet
Mon, July 24, 2006 - 12:05 PM> ohhh, the feeling of a soft black curtain falling over the mind....effortlessly....
Wow - that's exactly the image I get when I feel myself settle completely into the present moment. I can actually feel the curtain go across my eyelids. Very interesting...
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Re: meditation and "monkey mind"
Mon, July 24, 2006 - 12:02 PMI definitely enjoy my mind as well, but it's taking some effort to teach it *how* to take a break.
Me: "Hey mind, you can take a break now"
Mind: "OK. [slight pause] Is the break over yet? Not yet? OK. What time is it? I'm hungry. Maybe I'll have a sandwich - no I can't I'm out of bread. I need to go to the store. It's been ages. I should do laundry too. "
Me: "No really: you can take a break now"
Mind: "Right right. Sorry. [slight pause] And you know I still can't find my blue shirt that I wore to that party two years ago and met that guy and we had a weird conversation and maybe I could soup instead of a sandwich. [singing] Band on the run.....Band on the run...How did that pop into my head?"
etc etc... ;) -
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Re: meditation and "monkey mind"
Mon, July 24, 2006 - 6:12 PMHeh... my mind does that too... before I know I've even drifted out of the moment, I'm somehow realizing I need to get back into it.
I love the idea of the spirtual *practice* because that's literally what it is... I *practice* staying in the moment, I *practice* compassion, I *practice* forgiveness. So we just *practice* bringing our minds back, and at some point we won't wander off as often for as long...
Something else has been starting to happen too... it's like there's a chatty person in the room and I'm watching it more than being it. The chatter doesn't stop altogether for too long yet, but at least I can observe it instead of being completely consumed by it. This has a lot to do with the stuff I learned from Eckhart Tolle's writings... -
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Re: meditation and "monkey mind"
Tue, July 25, 2006 - 12:00 AMI can't stop my mind.
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Unsu...
The Committee
Tue, July 25, 2006 - 5:00 AM(in one's mind)
*They* like to discuss all sorts of rediculous stuff for no apparant reason - dismiss them as well, give them a break, let them take a vacation.
For me all of that mental chatter was useful in a certain way while growing up learning the ropes of human existance, but I think there comes a point where it is good to let *them* have a rest.
%^)
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