The brain constantly produces thoughts, judgments, excuses, questions, answers, ideas and explanations. I want this. I want that. How can I get it? Why did she say so to me? He's stupid. What the fuck is wrong with me?
The brain also produces images, reveries and fantasies, and at night, it is creating the most fantastic dream worlds.
The emotions are also created in the brain, sorrow, fear, love, happiness, anger, satisfaction, dissatisfaction... I believe that all this mind chatter and turmoil is part of being human. I believe that the idea that spiritual awakening is about being able to drop all the stupid and unnecessary thoughts is delusional. Stupid thoughts and ideas are there. You cannot get rid of them and keep only the clever and useful ones. Adyashanti is not quite right about this, I believe. I don’t think that Eckhart has it quite right either.
You don’t have less numerous thoughts in your head when you have awakened, I believe, but you are not so bothered by them because you don‘t buy in to them. You are able to see them for what they are, just thoughts. When you are able to see thoughts for what they are, just thoughts, they loose their power, like poisonous snakes without fangs.
Sometimes the weather is pleasant and clear but you cannot expect favorable winds and clear blue skies forever. Sometimes there are storms coming, sometimes you get stuck in the doldrums. Also, not all people have the same conditions and starting points. Some are sailing in calm lakes and some are rounding Cap Horn.
Jack Kornfield says that to learn how to meditate is like to learn how to surf. I believe that this isn‘t quite right either. We are not surfers. Meditation is not about training yourself as if you are training a dog or a horse or taking a class in surfing, as I see it. To wake up is not about getting rid of stupid thoughts or unpleasant emotions or surfing on them. To wake up is about not buying into all the stupid stuff, to be able to see that crazy ideas are just crazy ideas, not deep truths.
Do not worry about all the stupid thoughts in your head. However, do not trust them. Do not trust yourself. Be very careful when you are convinced that you are right about something. If you are convinced of something, you have probably got it all wrong.
To wake up is to realize that belief systems, ideologies, creeds and doctrines are nothing but thoughts. To think that having sex with the receptionist would be nice is not the same as actually trying to rip off her dress.
“Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.” I found this quote by Scot Adams on the web.
It is possible that my exposition here is a complete misunderstanding. I have misinterpreted and misunderstood many things before in my life. Maybe Eckhart, Jack Kornfield and Adyashanti are right. Maybe it is possible to drop all stupid thoughts and unnecessary emotions. Maybe it is a matter of practice or a matter of spontaneous awakening. I don’t know. I have never experienced a spontaneous spiritual awakening were most of the thoughts suddenly disappear and I have not practiced meditation systematically long enough to say that Jack Kornfield is wrong.
1 comment:
It is not the thoughts that are the problem, it is the identification with the thoughts. It isn't anyone 'who drops thoughts'... the thought arise as needed, and are creative, effective, etc... it is no longer a voice in the head that speaks to me... the insanity is gone.
There are no problems to be solved. There is no violence in my mind. It is a shift in to awareness of only, what is 'right here, right now'...and this, actually, brings through a 'greater' intelligence...an intelligence that has nothing to do with the content of a thought!!
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