I loved this article. I received it just as I was recovering from cancer surgery and preparing for chemo. It helped me so much with having very little anxiety!
I am so very glad to hear it was of practical benefit, Sharron. Pema Chodron often talks about "the suffering of suffering" and how it can be avoided, essentially by using methods like the ones outlined here. May you have a swift and full recovery!
Glad to hear that you retain a healthy scepticism about your thoughts, Sarah! And you're right - the moment you turn your back on your mind, things can get crazy there!!
This truly was one of the clearest explanations of these concepts and this meditation practice I’ve encountered! You really have a talent for taking what sometimes can seem to be completely incomprehensible teachings (particularly as expounded in texts by the Chan and Zen masters of old) and illuminating them and making them accessible! Thank you and please keep it up.
I am so very glad to receive your message. Thank you Cathy! In receiving these same teachings from my own lamas, I know what you mean about feeling greater confidence in de-coding some of the more arcane - if poetic - writings of the old masters.
Thank you, David, It is always reading your clear constructive teaching. I have been using the mind watching mind method for years and it certainly helps with your daily thoughts and not getting involved with them. However, depending on how I am feeling that day, depression can still take hold. One wonders what induces the mind to send some of these thoughts especially when you have not even been involved in that particular reason for the thought to have arisen.
An amazing thing has been happening with my wife and her dementia. She can't remember my name or the pets' names most days, However, she has suddenly started remembering and talking about her younger life experiences while growing up. The mind is certainly an amazing place. I would love to send a mini John Web Satellite into my mind to see what it can find. Thank you once again.
Peter, I found your comment about your wife’s dementia very poignant. This is a journey I am just beginning with my husband. That you can, at least at times, look at your own experience with your wife with the curiosity and wonder portrayed in your post is inspiring to me. Thank you and my heart goes out to you. I have much to learn on and from this particular path. Knowing others have and are traversing it as you are is helpful.
Unfortunately it’s not something we are trained for and is Avery emotional thing to happen to someone you are in love with and next minute they don’t know who you are. The real person is still within that body and what you are receiving is a really mixed up feeed back.
I didn’t mean to use my wife’s illness as an example but it is just amazing how the mind works within our bodies.
When my wife woke me up the other day and asked me what my name was, really spooked me. But a couple of days ago she started to recall her days as a teacher in Bulawayo and Sirine Mission. She could also remember alll she wanted to be was an artist but her folks insisted that she have some sort of vocation. Totally amazing. With intense thoughts too. She struggled to gind the words but she did it. My sister has the same with her husband in the UK.
I Truely hope that you are sble to cope as it gets intense. Just remember he is the guy you fell in love with and he he is still there. His mind might be gone but I am sure he still
Loves you a lot. All we can do is care for them.
If you ever want to just ask me something, my details are below.
I am so sorry to hear about your wife's dementia, Peter. My father also had it and, like you, I was interested how vividly he would recall early childhood experiences, while forgetting the names of people he lived among. As you say, the mind is an amazing space! Warmest wishes.
Excellent explanation and clear instructions on how to view and transform our thoughts/mind/life thank you David. I’ll be sharing your very readable post with friends who may be interested and benefit too.
So glad you feel this, Susan! And thanks so much for sharing! If everyone understood these basic ideas, the world would be a very different and wonderful place!
I learn so much from this post, and also find it deeply informative. I've long felt that what separates me from direct experience of the world and myself is language. There are constantly words cluttering my mind. I feel like the words separate me from the actual world and keep me living in a limited brain space. Every once in a while I will have a vivid, direct experience or emotion with no word to mediate it - but that happy state sustains itself for only a brief moment. Do you think that with the meditation you describe, the words will fade away, will stop acting as a curtain or barrier between me and life?
What a wonderfully expressed message, Janice. Meditation definitely helps us let go of cognitive chatter and experience everything more directly (as in my recent post about why meditation helps us enjoy music more deeply). These brief, vivid moments you describe are like the "carrots" on the journey we need to keep going. Enlightened beings, or Buddhas, are said to be completely free from all thought, acting spontaneously to benefit others. Imagine!
I loved this article. I received it just as I was recovering from cancer surgery and preparing for chemo. It helped me so much with having very little anxiety!
Thank you!!!
I am so very glad to hear it was of practical benefit, Sharron. Pema Chodron often talks about "the suffering of suffering" and how it can be avoided, essentially by using methods like the ones outlined here. May you have a swift and full recovery!
Another informative article. I prefer you, David reading your work. You have a lovely voice and read correctly.
Many thanks indeed, Kathleen. Point noted!
Thank you David, you have no idea how helpful this post is to me 🙏
So glad to hear this Catherine.
This was very useful, David. Thank you.
My pleasure, Nancy.
Very helpful David, Thank you as always.
Quite a revelation observing what random and completely irrelevant things pop in - Goodness only knows what goes on when I don't observe!!!!!
I find myself using the "Meh - only thoughts" sooooooo many times.
Glad to hear that you retain a healthy scepticism about your thoughts, Sarah! And you're right - the moment you turn your back on your mind, things can get crazy there!!
This was very, very helpful! I look forward to your book very much. When will it be available?
So glad you found it useful Sydney! I'm planning to make the book available to all subscribers in PDF/e-format next April.
This truly was one of the clearest explanations of these concepts and this meditation practice I’ve encountered! You really have a talent for taking what sometimes can seem to be completely incomprehensible teachings (particularly as expounded in texts by the Chan and Zen masters of old) and illuminating them and making them accessible! Thank you and please keep it up.
I am so very glad to receive your message. Thank you Cathy! In receiving these same teachings from my own lamas, I know what you mean about feeling greater confidence in de-coding some of the more arcane - if poetic - writings of the old masters.
Thank you, David, It is always reading your clear constructive teaching. I have been using the mind watching mind method for years and it certainly helps with your daily thoughts and not getting involved with them. However, depending on how I am feeling that day, depression can still take hold. One wonders what induces the mind to send some of these thoughts especially when you have not even been involved in that particular reason for the thought to have arisen.
An amazing thing has been happening with my wife and her dementia. She can't remember my name or the pets' names most days, However, she has suddenly started remembering and talking about her younger life experiences while growing up. The mind is certainly an amazing place. I would love to send a mini John Web Satellite into my mind to see what it can find. Thank you once again.
Peter, I found your comment about your wife’s dementia very poignant. This is a journey I am just beginning with my husband. That you can, at least at times, look at your own experience with your wife with the curiosity and wonder portrayed in your post is inspiring to me. Thank you and my heart goes out to you. I have much to learn on and from this particular path. Knowing others have and are traversing it as you are is helpful.
Hi Cathy,
Unfortunately it’s not something we are trained for and is Avery emotional thing to happen to someone you are in love with and next minute they don’t know who you are. The real person is still within that body and what you are receiving is a really mixed up feeed back.
I didn’t mean to use my wife’s illness as an example but it is just amazing how the mind works within our bodies.
When my wife woke me up the other day and asked me what my name was, really spooked me. But a couple of days ago she started to recall her days as a teacher in Bulawayo and Sirine Mission. She could also remember alll she wanted to be was an artist but her folks insisted that she have some sort of vocation. Totally amazing. With intense thoughts too. She struggled to gind the words but she did it. My sister has the same with her husband in the UK.
I Truely hope that you are sble to cope as it gets intense. Just remember he is the guy you fell in love with and he he is still there. His mind might be gone but I am sure he still
Loves you a lot. All we can do is care for them.
If you ever want to just ask me something, my details are below.
Stay well and strong.
Peter
PJ Sands
e-mail: pjsands@mweb.co.za
Mobile: +27 72 865 5026
I am so sorry to hear about your wife's dementia, Peter. My father also had it and, like you, I was interested how vividly he would recall early childhood experiences, while forgetting the names of people he lived among. As you say, the mind is an amazing space! Warmest wishes.
Excellent explanation and clear instructions on how to view and transform our thoughts/mind/life thank you David. I’ll be sharing your very readable post with friends who may be interested and benefit too.
So glad you feel this, Susan! And thanks so much for sharing! If everyone understood these basic ideas, the world would be a very different and wonderful place!
I learn so much from this post, and also find it deeply informative. I've long felt that what separates me from direct experience of the world and myself is language. There are constantly words cluttering my mind. I feel like the words separate me from the actual world and keep me living in a limited brain space. Every once in a while I will have a vivid, direct experience or emotion with no word to mediate it - but that happy state sustains itself for only a brief moment. Do you think that with the meditation you describe, the words will fade away, will stop acting as a curtain or barrier between me and life?
What a wonderfully expressed message, Janice. Meditation definitely helps us let go of cognitive chatter and experience everything more directly (as in my recent post about why meditation helps us enjoy music more deeply). These brief, vivid moments you describe are like the "carrots" on the journey we need to keep going. Enlightened beings, or Buddhas, are said to be completely free from all thought, acting spontaneously to benefit others. Imagine!
Always good to be reminded to not just keep serving my thoughts a cup of tea when they enter the front door but to keep the back door open also! 🙂
Indeed, Jan! Most of us have a tendency to wheel our the drinks trolley, especially when visited by the most destructive thoughts!
Perfectly timed, as always 🙏🏼 Have a glorious weekend 💖
So good to know, thank you Lynn!
Thank you for sharing this David. Your explanation was wonderfully easy to understand and very helpful 🙏
So glad to hear it, Annette! Thank you.
Wow. I’m speechless. Just Amazing. Thank you 🙏
Many thanks, Ali.
Wonderful, David - thank you
My pleasure, thank you Judi.