Quotes
“When Sages say, ‘You’re living in an illusion.’ They’re referring to the world of the mind. When we see the world through our thoughts, we stop experiencing life as it really is and others as they really are.” — Adyashanti.
“Few are willing to belong completely to silence; to let it soak into their bones, to breathe nothing but silence, to feed on silence, and to turn the very substance of their life into a vigilant silence.” — Thomas Merton.
Insight
Meditation is not about thinking happier thoughts, nor is it about reducing the number of unhappy thoughts that we think.
Rather, meditation is about seeing through our thoughts. It is about seeing that every thought is just that: a thought; and we do not need to identify with it. It comes and it goes. It temporarily colours our experience, without leaving a permanent stain. It is part of a process that is as natural as our stomach secreting enzymes.
Seeing through thought is like seeing that an oasis is an illusion. Occasionally, we might still fall for the illusion; but close inspection will always reveal its illusory nature. In the same way, despite seeing the illusoriness of thought, we might still become lost in thought, or distracted by thought, in the next moment. But meditation allows us to consistently reveal the true nature of thought.
And when we see through our thoughts, what remains is a silence which is present regardless of whether our minds are temporarily coloured by happy or unhappy thoughts. And the more we abide in this silence, the better able we are to weather the storm of our daily life.
Further
I am now going to focus on updating and sharing older monthly posts from the archives (instead of writing new posts) because (I hope) they can still be useful. In this particular post, I discussed what I learnt about silence on my meditation retreat.
“If we frequently embrace and abide in silence, its calming and peaceful nature can and will pervade our experience.”
Reflect, Without Thinking — Ezra Bayda
“The mind does not want to give up its ideas of how things should be. It is more interested in analysing, controlling, and making things ‘better.’ But it’s possible to learn that we don’t have to be some particular way, nor do we have to feel any special way. And this is like letting go of a very heavy burden.”
Disclaimer
If you experience any of these symptoms, please consider reducing the amount you meditate or potentially quitting altogether.
As always, thank you for reading 🧘🏾♂️