And another thought...

One of the most fascinating discoveries about thoughts is that when really being aware of them, their origin starts to reveal itself.

I remember the first time I heard someone say that thoughts had forms, my eyes grew bigger and my ears became more attentive.

It is true. Often when I am with someone, and I am quiet enough inside, I can feel their thoughts and I can feel other thoughts enter my consciousness.

This is not new and it is a common experience for people that meditate. Thoughts become tangible things with forms and substance (a different type, not the material one, but a substance in itself). For some it has had such an impact that it has become their ticket to enlightenment.

One such person is Sri Aurobindo, which I often quote in this blog. I guess he was just prepared, because when he sought help on the topic (a long story made very short here) he just got it. Lele, (short for Vishnu Bhaskar Lele), suggested to Sri Aurobindo that he sit three days in solitude and watch his thoughts and that he would notice they came from the outside. On Sri Aurobindo's words:

I did not think either of questioning the truth or the possibility, I simply sat down and did it. In a moment my mind became silent as a windless air on a high mountain summit and then I saw one thought and then another coming in a concrete way from outside; I flung them away before they could enter and take hold of the brain and in three days I was free.

I am a long way from attaining this, but the possibility exists. Ahhh, silence, endless silence...

Have you tried watching your thoughts?

I would love to hear your experiences!

Another thought on thoughts...

If I was given the choice, I would definitely choose silence versus thoughts.

I remember when I first started meditating, really meditating, it did not take long for something to let go. Before this, there were times when I would be talking to someone and my mind would race at a hundred per hour, thinking incredibly judgmental thoughts, that where totally embarrassing. I would then judge the thoughts, adding extra weight to the internal chaos and hoped that the person in front of me would never guess what I was thinking. Thankfully this is completely gone and I can say there is fresher air to breathe inside my mind.



Another result of meditating was a complete silence. Not just less thoughts, but no thoughts... the lightness that results from that is invaluable and to me it was such a gift. Worries dissolving, a sense of space inside, calm and peaceful, without it being anything in particular really, a sense of fullness. Wow. I admit, however, this is not constant and there are times, still, when raging thoughts take over (in or out of meditation).

So, why ramble on meditation? The more I meditate, the more thoughts become something different... and so does the world around me.

The five senses - part four

There is a paradox with the senses.

The senses are the ones that take people out of themselves and into the world. In meditation, for example, if one wants to go deeply and feel oneSelf, the less external stimuli from the outside, the better. I guess that's why in the past some hard core meditators would go into caves and why in the present real meditation means sitting in a silent place as to be able to go deep inside. This means no smells, no sounds, no movement. Stillness and silence.

Then, think of people incapable of feeling. Their minds are usually overactive, very, very noisy. You can almost feel the movements of their thoughts... it is painful. People like this are usually stressed, find it difficult to deeply relax and stay still. More often than not, people like this don't notice the birds sing, the smell of a rose, the sound of a faraway bell, the feeling of the wind caressing their face or how uncomfortable wearing certain synthetic clothes can be. I suppose this is a good thing, if, for example, we were locked in some torture chamber. In this case the mind would be a safe place to escape.

But back to the paradox, to counteract an overly active mind, the remedy would be to feel. Feel, feel, feel... don't run away, feel. Feel the wind, feel the floor you are walking on, feel your shoes... feel the flavor of that tasty (or disgusting) meal you are eating. Feel the sight of the waves crashing in the shore.
Feel what the world does to you, what all these stimuli is perceived by your body and how it makes you feel good or bad, or neutral. Feeling the world can be such a tool, particularly when we can disconnect the judgment and just feel. A tool for what? A tool to be more present.

Think about people that are depressed and unhappy. Most of the times their senses are numb. They have forgotten to feel. Just feel.


Photo by Tiago Fioreze

So, where's the paradox here? Well, when it comes to getting in touch with deeper aspects of oneself, the mind, not the senses, is the one that blocks the process. The senses are those things that take you out of yourself, but only through being aware of them, it is possible to go deeper inside, into the big Silence, far away from the stimuli of the world and into our real Selves.

Try it! Make an intention to feel your environment and see what happens. Do it for a few days, from morning to night... And if you do, let me know how you go. Would love to read your comments.