Stopping Thoughts? (not)

Many people (perhaps including me) initially come to a meditation practice thinking that they will be able to still, or at least quiet, the many repetitive thoughts that continually arise in the mind. The hope is that they will experience some ‘peace and quiet’ during the meditation. As we learn through our practice to become mindful of our current experience, we may actually find the opposite effect. These distractions seem to draw the mind away from our object of meditation (a sound, the breath, an image, the felt sense of our field of care, etc.). We become so acutely aware of the constant flow of thoughts that we feel that the activity of the mind is getting worse, rather then settling down. A mis-understanding of the purpose and practice of meditation may lead some to quit the practice after repeated experiences like this.

Meditation is not about shutting off our thoughts. We all have thoughts while meditating, and we will continue to have thoughts during practice. Meditation is actually the ‘practice’ of working with distracting thoughts in a more skillful way. Rather than clinging to thoughts that arise, or trying to push them away or suppress them, we learn to be present to the experience of mind, whatever arises, with non-judgmental awareness. The ability to be mindfully aware without engaging with thoughts is based in our innate experience of open, aware, and compassionate presence.

In his latest book, How Compassion Works, John Makransky offers this explanation:

“….. many people report difficulty with meditation because the mind tends to wander constantly, but this is normal and a great opportunity for deepening in practice.”

In Tibetan, one of the words for meditation is ‘gom’ – meaning ‘getting used to it. What we are getting ‘used to’ is returning to the peaceful presence of the field of care, each time we notice we are distracted. With our Field of Care practice, we learn to recognize and rest in, and as, the felt sense of loving kindness, care, and compassion that is an expression of our true nature; always with us, ever-present, and accessible at any time. This experience provides a stable base from which we can engage with whatever arises in the mind without being ‘hooked’ or ‘caught’ by each movement of the mind.

John continues [my words in brackets]:

“Whenever we notice the mind wandering in meditation, we can allow the field of care to draw us back into its energy of deep acceptance and love. The qualities of the field of care can remain accessible in the background even when we begin to get distracted. The power of love [which we come to recognize as our true nature] is always calling us back to it, and we can let it draw us back. The meditation brings out this enduring power of love.”

So, the more we access the field of care in practice, the more ‘familiar’ it becomes. We ‘get used to it.”

We can even recall our field of care many times during the day in short moments of meditative pause. We begin to see that the field of care is not some experience that is put into the mind by a special practice, rather it is the experience of the fundamental nature of mind, expressed as loving care. Recalling the field of care becomes a healing refuge for the overactive mind, calling our attention back to the peaceful joy of our true nature.