Dear Ones,
Most of us are completely oblivious to the fact that we are non stop addicted to the outpour of our thoughts, thoughts about virtually everything that concerns “us” from far to near and all in between.
The message of all renown non dual teachers regarding the thought process may come in different ways but they all share that ultimately self referential thoughts are merely “useless pointless idle talk” that keep us trapped in the dream state.
Here is below a non exhaustive but rather wide selection of talks on compulsive thinking. Take your pick and boldly and joyfully go to rehab!
1. Eckart Tolle
“Thinking is a greater addiction than any other: it is a pseudo sense of self. And there is a great reluctance to let go of thinking for most of us because it is equated to a sense of sleep.”
2.Adyashanti
“The dream state is a state of consciousness dominated by the mind, created by the mind. Actually believing the mental noise in one's head is the common state of consciousness of humanity. It is a compulsive relationship with thoughts, it is like an addiction as if you would cease to be, if you would not think. “
3.Ramesh Balsekar
“You cannot destroy the mind, or you become an idiot! Yet it is the mind that creates problems. I divide the mind into 2 concepts: the “working mind” and the “thinking mind”. The thinking mind is always in the past and the future whereas the working mind is in the present moment.”
4. - Jeffery Martin
“Where there is a detachment from the narrative self made of self referential thoughts about you, mind becomes more efficient, there is more space.”
5 - Eric Baret – (This is a must!)
“The most common misunderstanding regarding what we are is looking for oneself in thinking. When you realise that thoughts arise from this Stillness and dissolve in this Stillness, you may come to the non conceptual evidence that what comes from Stillness and withdraws in Stillness is nothing more than Stillness; and that senses and perceptions are made of Stillness in space and time and cause and effect relationship. At that very moment, our thoughts are no more away from Stillness. But as long as this fore feeling is not there, dualistically speaking, our thoughts are a hindrance.”
6 - Gary Weber
“One day I stopped thinking, it came as a surprise, I got smarter and more sustainable, better than what I could have done myself!”
7 – Mooji
The ultra simple nothing practice that brings a perfume of ultimate simplicity and lightness to Life AS IT IS, not as we think it is.
And if you still hesitate between thinking and not thinking, here is a last one to ponder upon in silence:
“It is your mind only that makes you insecure and unhappy. Anticipation makes you insecure; memory, unhappy. Stop misusing your mind and all will be well with you. You need not set it right, it will set itself right, as soon as you give up all concern with the past and the future and live entirely in the now.” Nisargadatta Maharaj