How to Think - written November 2023

Today I heard these two complementary definitions of suffering:

• The gap between the way things are and the way we want them to be; and

• Believing our thoughts.

Students of the dharma know Buddhism is based on the recognition, understanding, and path out, of suffering as stated in the Four Noble Truths:

1. Suffering: Sentient beings suffer from physical, mental, and emotional afflictions. Even when things seem good, there is an undercurrent of anxiety.

2. The Cause of Suffering: We believe we are separate, independent, and solid, a state of being ruled by ego.

3. The End of Suffering: Ignorance and misperception are not permanent states. The awakened mind is always available to us.

4. The Path: By living ethically, practicing meditation, and developing wisdom, we can wake up,

It's all about training the mind. As Zen master Suzuki Roshi told his Western students,

You know how to rest physically. You do not know how to rest mentally.

I was reading about an older Buddhist monk who could teach tirelessly for hours and hours by maintaining his single pointed focus. He was not exhausted by the fluctuations of his mind.

It is the work of my life to learn to rest my mind, undisturbed by opinions (mine & others), the stories I tell myself, habitual thought pattens, and those ephemeral emotions. This calm abiding is achievable - I've felt it for moments here and there. For me the only way is through meditation, the more the better.

Some meditation instructions...

Begin by taking a comfortable seat, ideally with hips higher than the knees (on cushion or chair), spine straight, vertebrae stacked one above the other creating a naturally regal posture. Then place your mind on your body breathing, relaxing into the breath going in and out. It is beneficial to scan your body to connect more fully with your physical being. Eventually it is recommended that you focus more on the out breath, letting the in breath occur on it's own while noticing the energy of the breath going back out into the universe.

The mind will be wild when you first begin to meditate, and in fact, can continue to be hyperactive for quite some time. However, there are many techniques for working with this wildness. To habituate your mind to letting go of its wild wanderings and brilliant insights that arise just as you are settling in, it is helpful to label each thing that arises as "thinking," and let it go. If a feeling is attached to a thought, you are encouraged to find the bodily sensation that was activated by the thought (or vice versa) and focus your attention there. It will pass, just as the the thought has now ceased.

When we hold onto a passing thought, we make it real in our minds, often embellishing it with stories and reasons, shame or desire. These mental machinations can make us crazy, yet they are a normal and unquestioned part of Western life.

I share all this because I know it to be true. I am gradually untangling my illusions, finding ways to cure myself from chronic depression. My personal suffering has led me to search for relief, and I finally figured out I have to build my mental capacity for compassion and equanimity. I must connect with others, but connecting with myself is essential, and that is my work.

We don't always take care of our bodies, but the knowledge and tools to do so are ubiquitous. Finally, the information and instructions for taking care of our minds is more available, but it is still not mainstream. I think the two go hand in hand, and that it is hard to be fully healthy without taking care of both parts, which are not separate.

Image by Arek Socha from Pixabay