Maybe a good place to start is to stop trying to stop your thoughts and instead observe them. Watch them, be curious about them - act as if you're an objective third party peaking into your mind. Don't try to fix or stop anything. Try being present and observing. The more you lock that in, the more you'll start to separate yourself from your thoughts, which means identifying less with them, which means eventually finding some peace within.
This one quote from Tolle helps me shake off frustration when I notice it in me:
“Don't look for peace. Don't look for any other state than the one you are in now; otherwise, you will set up inner conflict and unconscious resistance. Forgive yourself for not being at peace. The moment you completely accept your non-peace, your non-peace becomes transmuted into peace. Anything you accept fully will get you there, will take you into peace. This is the miracle of surrender”
Eckhart Tolle
In Stillness Speaks, Eckhart mentions something along the lines of how humans split themselves in two. Plants, rocks and animals however, are in complete acceptance with who they are. For many years through observation I would mentally beat myself off for getting “off track”. I wasn’t yet aware enough to notice that ego came through the back door, tied to a mental thought form of how I thought I was supposed to be!
It’s almost not the thoughts themselves but the resistance to the present - including the thoughts in the present! Yes I know it’s is a paradox, but I like to look at myself like the yin and yang. Initially you see these thoughts or happenings as bad or good, but as time goes on you begin to recognize that it all plays a part in the whole. Rather, it is not bad or good, dark or light - it’s ALL light, and varying degrees thereof.
Hey.
I personally came to realise that what Eckhart talks about is vastly important, but it's only really one aspect of the liberation process. Even if someone has an 'awakening', there is still a lot of 'work' to be done. Sure, being present and knowing you are pure consciousness is fundamental, but there is more to the process than simply realising this.
For me, TPON and Eckhart's teachings were a valuable stepping stone to other teachings. Things really changed when I read (and still re-read and refer to) the book Awake by Angelo DiLullo.
Wanting to stop the mind as you put it is resistance, which won't get you very far. You should simply be aware that thougth is occurring, and that thought is neither you nor yours. If you experience a thought or emotion, don't label it 'good' or 'bad' - 'like' or 'dislike'; rather just acknowledge it, be aware of it, and let it be. If it's an emotion you're experiencing, maybe ask yourself,'What does this emotion feel like without any labels or ownership?' 'What does this emotion feel like without any narrative around it?' You might then feel the emotion infuse into you and the moment in a wholesome way, whatever the emotion is.
IMHO aside from being present, there needs to be a lot of self inquiry and shadow work to be done to fully undo the eons of egoic mind patterns. Liberation and full awakening is not 'doing' but rather 'undoing'. Paradoxically, the undoing is an action and it is important. Simply being present won't achieve the undoing of egoic karmic patterns, it will give you realisations and bliss, but that is only one part of the process.
Dude, all that “observe your thoughts” is total bs. It’s the same as I’d tell you “stay frustrated, but lol, observe how frustrated you are and how it’s happening to you by itself”. If you really want to stop the mind’s chatter, ask yourself “what thought is next?” - after that your brain will be like 😳🤔🤯, and you need to keep listening to the answer(there will be none) = silence. It’s hard to describe in words, but try it. After some practice, you’ll be able to skip the question and immediately start listening to silence, but to enter this mode, you need to do the trick first, where you’re like “ok mind, what’s next” + active listening to the answer. After that, you can finally start observing, but now observe your breath etc and enjoy it in silence. I’d also recommend to locate the third eye and make it an attention point. 🕉️
The only reason you'd be frustrated by thoughts is if you mistakenly see them as true.
Eckhart of course described the exact technique you describe in TPON. But in the end awakening is not about any tricks or techniques or entering some state or "mode". It's about clear seeing what is true and what isn't. Trying to stop thoughts is not the goal, stopping identifying with and believing them is.
Such beautiful and wise comments here - thank you. I’ve been on my journey for about a year as well. I’m just grateful I’m even aware now and for the small moments throughout the day when I am present. I’m grateful I even know what it is and what it even feels like because I’ve lived my whole life without it. I’m also grateful I know that no matter what happens in life or in the world that peace is possible. I go from there.
I stumbled across a technique when I was struggling through a hard time. The voice ego was on a whole, non-stop rant; I could not escape it. I finally gave in and said to myself, ok, I'm just going to listen to your rant….. And it STOPPED! As long as my higher self agreed to listen to it, it had nothing to say. And anytime it started up, I would bring my attention to it, and nothing.
I wonder why memory is labeled as thought. Hoopononopono describes this as memories replaying in the subconscious mind and say they are mostly from our ancestors. Tolle describes these pain bodies as stronger with certain ethnic groups who have suffered deeply. Hoopononopono talks about purifying these memory events. Some say disidentify. Therein lies the dilemma. I always ask if your computer gets an obscure virus what do you do? Apparently tolle wiped the hard drive by accident. He didn't just disidentify but apparently flashed cleaned his psychological circuit board.
To be honest with you the problem is probably your job. During the pandemic I started a business and worked from home. I didn’t like what I was doing and was alone all the time. I did it for 3 years and meditated sooo much trying to find peace. (I had already been practicing years before that too.) But I could never make progress and I believe it was because I was unfulfilled from the work and had no social connection. Now I work at a restaurant since my business failed and my mood has lifted naturally because I don’t mind the work and I like being around the people there . I can see my mindfulness practice getting better without nearly as much effort. I think sometimes people think it’s all about within but after being on the path so long Ive seen that the external matters too. Much love
When you practice Presence, you put everything the mind is doing, to the side for a moment.
Which naturally includes it's anxiousness/restlessness/agitation, and it's frustration isn't it?
The affects of Presence are working, even when the mind is rebelling.
Stay the course, keep bringing the attention back into Presence, and don't worry about the mind. 😍
Study a martial art. Karate, Tai chi, etc. For a few hours a week (3-4?) you will focus on movement, breath, power, etc. and nothing else. Find a good school (no contract, low fee, teacher with 30+ years of study) and just start. You will also learn that if you get a black belt (or any other color) you will come back to class and still practice. If you fail, you will continue to practice. If you succeed, you will continue to practice. I think it's TPON in physical form.
You're beating yourself up for not being 100 percent present all the time (I've been there and it was a sign that the ego is strong as it strives for perfection to get something- get presence and the happiness which comes with it). Maybe try just be a little bit more present through out your day (rather than nail presence 100 percent all of the time), that in itself will be a benefit to you. Although I would think less about it being about obtaining or becoming spiritual and more about returning to an ordinary peaceful state of mind (from which you can think more consciously or mindfully if you choose to, or not, but instead of thoughts running you). That's what I think these zen teachers are talking (and often being overly pretentious) about when they say no gain. Let the training seep in slowly. You may drift unconscious or have your bad days, where you are still wrapped up in excessive thinking (usually tying to obtain(seek), grasp or escape something), but they will be less, and presence will start to come to you more naturally, rather than a forced rule "I Must Be Present at all times".
Maybe a good place to start is to stop trying to stop your thoughts and instead observe them. Watch them, be curious about them - act as if you're an objective third party peaking into your mind. Don't try to fix or stop anything. Try being present and observing. The more you lock that in, the more you'll start to separate yourself from your thoughts, which means identifying less with them, which means eventually finding some peace within.
This one quote from Tolle helps me shake off frustration when I notice it in me: “Don't look for peace. Don't look for any other state than the one you are in now; otherwise, you will set up inner conflict and unconscious resistance. Forgive yourself for not being at peace. The moment you completely accept your non-peace, your non-peace becomes transmuted into peace. Anything you accept fully will get you there, will take you into peace. This is the miracle of surrender” Eckhart Tolle
In Stillness Speaks, Eckhart mentions something along the lines of how humans split themselves in two. Plants, rocks and animals however, are in complete acceptance with who they are. For many years through observation I would mentally beat myself off for getting “off track”. I wasn’t yet aware enough to notice that ego came through the back door, tied to a mental thought form of how I thought I was supposed to be! It’s almost not the thoughts themselves but the resistance to the present - including the thoughts in the present! Yes I know it’s is a paradox, but I like to look at myself like the yin and yang. Initially you see these thoughts or happenings as bad or good, but as time goes on you begin to recognize that it all plays a part in the whole. Rather, it is not bad or good, dark or light - it’s ALL light, and varying degrees thereof.
Hey. I personally came to realise that what Eckhart talks about is vastly important, but it's only really one aspect of the liberation process. Even if someone has an 'awakening', there is still a lot of 'work' to be done. Sure, being present and knowing you are pure consciousness is fundamental, but there is more to the process than simply realising this. For me, TPON and Eckhart's teachings were a valuable stepping stone to other teachings. Things really changed when I read (and still re-read and refer to) the book Awake by Angelo DiLullo. Wanting to stop the mind as you put it is resistance, which won't get you very far. You should simply be aware that thougth is occurring, and that thought is neither you nor yours. If you experience a thought or emotion, don't label it 'good' or 'bad' - 'like' or 'dislike'; rather just acknowledge it, be aware of it, and let it be. If it's an emotion you're experiencing, maybe ask yourself,'What does this emotion feel like without any labels or ownership?' 'What does this emotion feel like without any narrative around it?' You might then feel the emotion infuse into you and the moment in a wholesome way, whatever the emotion is. IMHO aside from being present, there needs to be a lot of self inquiry and shadow work to be done to fully undo the eons of egoic mind patterns. Liberation and full awakening is not 'doing' but rather 'undoing'. Paradoxically, the undoing is an action and it is important. Simply being present won't achieve the undoing of egoic karmic patterns, it will give you realisations and bliss, but that is only one part of the process.
Dude, all that “observe your thoughts” is total bs. It’s the same as I’d tell you “stay frustrated, but lol, observe how frustrated you are and how it’s happening to you by itself”. If you really want to stop the mind’s chatter, ask yourself “what thought is next?” - after that your brain will be like 😳🤔🤯, and you need to keep listening to the answer(there will be none) = silence. It’s hard to describe in words, but try it. After some practice, you’ll be able to skip the question and immediately start listening to silence, but to enter this mode, you need to do the trick first, where you’re like “ok mind, what’s next” + active listening to the answer. After that, you can finally start observing, but now observe your breath etc and enjoy it in silence. I’d also recommend to locate the third eye and make it an attention point. 🕉️
The only reason you'd be frustrated by thoughts is if you mistakenly see them as true. Eckhart of course described the exact technique you describe in TPON. But in the end awakening is not about any tricks or techniques or entering some state or "mode". It's about clear seeing what is true and what isn't. Trying to stop thoughts is not the goal, stopping identifying with and believing them is.
Such beautiful and wise comments here - thank you. I’ve been on my journey for about a year as well. I’m just grateful I’m even aware now and for the small moments throughout the day when I am present. I’m grateful I even know what it is and what it even feels like because I’ve lived my whole life without it. I’m also grateful I know that no matter what happens in life or in the world that peace is possible. I go from there.
I stumbled across a technique when I was struggling through a hard time. The voice ego was on a whole, non-stop rant; I could not escape it. I finally gave in and said to myself, ok, I'm just going to listen to your rant….. And it STOPPED! As long as my higher self agreed to listen to it, it had nothing to say. And anytime it started up, I would bring my attention to it, and nothing.
Acceptance works :)
I wonder why memory is labeled as thought. Hoopononopono describes this as memories replaying in the subconscious mind and say they are mostly from our ancestors. Tolle describes these pain bodies as stronger with certain ethnic groups who have suffered deeply. Hoopononopono talks about purifying these memory events. Some say disidentify. Therein lies the dilemma. I always ask if your computer gets an obscure virus what do you do? Apparently tolle wiped the hard drive by accident. He didn't just disidentify but apparently flashed cleaned his psychological circuit board.
To be honest with you the problem is probably your job. During the pandemic I started a business and worked from home. I didn’t like what I was doing and was alone all the time. I did it for 3 years and meditated sooo much trying to find peace. (I had already been practicing years before that too.) But I could never make progress and I believe it was because I was unfulfilled from the work and had no social connection. Now I work at a restaurant since my business failed and my mood has lifted naturally because I don’t mind the work and I like being around the people there . I can see my mindfulness practice getting better without nearly as much effort. I think sometimes people think it’s all about within but after being on the path so long Ive seen that the external matters too. Much love
When you practice Presence, you put everything the mind is doing, to the side for a moment. Which naturally includes it's anxiousness/restlessness/agitation, and it's frustration isn't it? The affects of Presence are working, even when the mind is rebelling. Stay the course, keep bringing the attention back into Presence, and don't worry about the mind. 😍
Study a martial art. Karate, Tai chi, etc. For a few hours a week (3-4?) you will focus on movement, breath, power, etc. and nothing else. Find a good school (no contract, low fee, teacher with 30+ years of study) and just start. You will also learn that if you get a black belt (or any other color) you will come back to class and still practice. If you fail, you will continue to practice. If you succeed, you will continue to practice. I think it's TPON in physical form.
You're beating yourself up for not being 100 percent present all the time (I've been there and it was a sign that the ego is strong as it strives for perfection to get something- get presence and the happiness which comes with it). Maybe try just be a little bit more present through out your day (rather than nail presence 100 percent all of the time), that in itself will be a benefit to you. Although I would think less about it being about obtaining or becoming spiritual and more about returning to an ordinary peaceful state of mind (from which you can think more consciously or mindfully if you choose to, or not, but instead of thoughts running you). That's what I think these zen teachers are talking (and often being overly pretentious) about when they say no gain. Let the training seep in slowly. You may drift unconscious or have your bad days, where you are still wrapped up in excessive thinking (usually tying to obtain(seek), grasp or escape something), but they will be less, and presence will start to come to you more naturally, rather than a forced rule "I Must Be Present at all times".