Contemplation: What are thoughts?

How Do I Stop My Thoughts ? 1A of 4 🐋

An afternoon of sky-gazing.

When I first began to meditate, I wasn’t really sure what thoughts were. I only knew that when I got still and quiet, the activity of my mind didn’t stop and often didn’t even slow down. I didn’t know what to do about it or how to understand it and wished it would all disappear, and I tried and tried to follow the instructions to let go and come back to my breath, but I couldn’t do it and felt stupid and frustrated. I felt as if I were wrestling an alligator — my mind was slippery, fast, strong and mean, and I was afraid of it.

Thoughts include:

• snatches of visualizations from a movie

• an unwanted feeling of hopelessness

• deliberately planning what you might have for dinner

• images of an impending disaster that isn’t going to happen

• beliefs about yourself

• conversations with friends and strangers and celebrities

• arguments with friends and strangers and celebrities

• anticipation of something new and wonderful

• the past

• the future

• snatches of old songs

• certainty about the outcome of your sister’s decision

• pleasant and detailed fantasies

• unpleasant and detailed fantasies

• painful grief and sorrow

That’s because I believed and was taught that my thoughts were accurate representations of the world, volitional actions that I made happen, and tangible, concrete phenomena. And after observing my mind for a few months, I began to see that this was demonstrably untrue. My thoughts and ideas about the circumstances around me, other people, and even myself were not perfect reflections of reality but rather my interpretation of events and sensations. They were arising constantly and very few were consciously created by me. And none of my thoughts were solid or permanent — most of them came and went in seconds and I certainly couldn’t remember them even an hour later. I realized that I didn’t need to be so afraid of them because they were about as real and fleeting as a dream.

Please keep this in mind while you’re practicing this week. When you find yourself grasping an idea that seems so important, or feeling anxious about the terrible thing you’re sure is going to happen, I hope you’ll back off a bit, bring your attention the sounds around you, to your belly, and to your heart. Give yourself permission to release whatever you’re holding on to, just for a minute or two, bring some kindness to your body and mind, and see what happens.

Friends, have you read my books? I hope you will, in them I share many meditations and exercises to support you through the joys and sorrows of life. You can order them at any of the booksellers below, and remember they make good gifts!

• Bookshop.org

• Amazon.com

• Barnes and Noble

If you like my books and want to support them, the single best way to do it is to leave a review — it really matters! Reviews encourage readers and booksellers to order books, and they boost their appearance in relevant searches!

I wish we all deeply understand that everything happening in the world — good, bad, or neutral — is the result of causes and conditions in the past. And remember that we can contribute now with our actions to create causes and conditions that will bring about a peaceful and equitable world in the future. May it be so.

Metta+++,

Kim✨

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