Be aware of using language as a substitute for your actual experience. Language is never a substitute for real experience. If you are thirsty, you need to go get a drink of water. If you keep saying, “Water, water, more water” your thirst will not be quenched, you will just become more thirsty.
It is the same with the mind. If you close your eyes and keep saying, “I want to relax, I want to be quiet,” it is not going to relax you, it will only increase your thirst to be quiet. Instead of adding more words, just observe the thoughts running through your mind. Once you begin observing your thoughts, instead of participating with them, you’ll understand how the mind functions, and gain access to deeper realms of your Self.
You can use your intellect and awareness like knives to slice out everything that is not you. Be extremely honest and critical. See a thought and recognize it. When your mind talks to you, don’t just assume that it is you who is doing the talking – it is just the mind. Identifying the part of you that is not involved in any of this, the part of you that is quietly observing everything is the whole objective of finding inner silence.
A day will come during your quest for happiness, when on one hand, you will continue to listen to the constant chatter of your mind, and on the other hand, you will be totally unaffected by it. The purpose of finding inner peace is not to remove your thoughts; it is to learn how to fully accept and live with them. It is to be with thoughts and still be above them.
“This article is a part of the creative endeavor of Nirvana Foundation and IASBABA.”
