Control the mind with the mind
Many teachers advise that the way to conquer bad thought in the mind is to use good thought: such as think of 'love' against hatred, possitve against negative, courage against fear, etc.
Such method is utterly false and self-deluding.
First of all, mind itself does not exist as a solid entity. We are aware of it only due to the arising of the mind-stuff - emotions, thought, desires, etc.
When the mind gets on a merry-go-around, we become restless and compelled to actions; we cannot stay still and quiet due to the tyrant mind. The mind has lost its purity and lucidness.
When a bad or negative thought arises in the mind, what's the good of it to think of its opposites? This is like a mirror which was originally clear and bright, just reflecting things as they are without any distortion. Over the years, the mirror gets covered with muck. Now instead of giving the mirror a good cleaning to get rid of the muckiness, you try to cover it up with some nice rosy paint. Will it still be good as a mirror? Obviously not. In the same way, when the mind has lost its original cleaness and purity through years of conditioning, what one needs is un-conditioning to allow it to shine again with its own light; any effort in trying to distort it with more thoughts or systems, no-matter how cleverly worked-out, how high-sounding they are, is only going to dim the sublime luminosity of the true mind.
Thinking of loving thought doesn't make one a loving person; thinking of 'peace' doesn't make one a peaceful person; thinking of 'God' and its variations (Krishna, Siva, Jesus, etc.) doesn't make one know God. What you think of are mere words, concepts, ideas which are inventions and projections of the mind. Mind cannot conquer mind; thought cannot check thought. If one wants to see the gemstone lying at the bottom of a pond, one has to wait till the water becomes still and clear. It won't help if one tries to stir up the water even more for the gem to reveal itself; neither will it help if one stirs up the water in one direction with one hand and in the opposite direction with the other hand. If one is doing a painting and mucks up the job, it won't do to cover up the mistake with a diferent color of paint. One has to start afresh. If the inside of a mug is unclean, it doesn't matter what content you pour into it, it is not going to taste nice. One has to clean out the mug to make it good as a vehicle. In the same way, if the mind is turbulent or violent, it won't matter what sublime system of thinking you try to impose on it, it will only add to the confusion, chaos and violence. If one's mind is bogged down by mundane, material desires, and all of a sudden one hears about 'meditation', 'spiritual healing' or 'self-realization', and one starts to replace the old desires with fresh set of desires for 'permannt happiness and joy', 'spiritual transformation', one is not free from desires; he's merely replaced one set of desires with another. It's the same tyrant mind playing tricks with you.
All serious Tai Chi learners and practitioners know that if they what to do Tai Chi well, they have to learn 'tree stance' exercise to allow the mind and body to unwind. This is creating space for chi within to do its work. This is a form of meditation in standing position; but it's not about control the mind and body. Rather it's about becoming aware and allowing. It's not about using some mental technique to push away the wandering thoughts. But instead, one becomes aware of all the thoughts and all the tension in the body. Instead of being dragged along by these wonderous thoughts, one stay centred focusing on dan-tian, the qi centre behind the naval. Then all the useless thoughts will drift away of their own accord. The mind will realize the futility of these thoughts and become calm and serene over time, just like the pond, if you stop stiring up the water, it will become still and the water clear revealing the gem at the bottom.
Such method is utterly false and self-deluding.
First of all, mind itself does not exist as a solid entity. We are aware of it only due to the arising of the mind-stuff - emotions, thought, desires, etc.
When the mind gets on a merry-go-around, we become restless and compelled to actions; we cannot stay still and quiet due to the tyrant mind. The mind has lost its purity and lucidness.
When a bad or negative thought arises in the mind, what's the good of it to think of its opposites? This is like a mirror which was originally clear and bright, just reflecting things as they are without any distortion. Over the years, the mirror gets covered with muck. Now instead of giving the mirror a good cleaning to get rid of the muckiness, you try to cover it up with some nice rosy paint. Will it still be good as a mirror? Obviously not. In the same way, when the mind has lost its original cleaness and purity through years of conditioning, what one needs is un-conditioning to allow it to shine again with its own light; any effort in trying to distort it with more thoughts or systems, no-matter how cleverly worked-out, how high-sounding they are, is only going to dim the sublime luminosity of the true mind.
Thinking of loving thought doesn't make one a loving person; thinking of 'peace' doesn't make one a peaceful person; thinking of 'God' and its variations (Krishna, Siva, Jesus, etc.) doesn't make one know God. What you think of are mere words, concepts, ideas which are inventions and projections of the mind. Mind cannot conquer mind; thought cannot check thought. If one wants to see the gemstone lying at the bottom of a pond, one has to wait till the water becomes still and clear. It won't help if one tries to stir up the water even more for the gem to reveal itself; neither will it help if one stirs up the water in one direction with one hand and in the opposite direction with the other hand. If one is doing a painting and mucks up the job, it won't do to cover up the mistake with a diferent color of paint. One has to start afresh. If the inside of a mug is unclean, it doesn't matter what content you pour into it, it is not going to taste nice. One has to clean out the mug to make it good as a vehicle. In the same way, if the mind is turbulent or violent, it won't matter what sublime system of thinking you try to impose on it, it will only add to the confusion, chaos and violence. If one's mind is bogged down by mundane, material desires, and all of a sudden one hears about 'meditation', 'spiritual healing' or 'self-realization', and one starts to replace the old desires with fresh set of desires for 'permannt happiness and joy', 'spiritual transformation', one is not free from desires; he's merely replaced one set of desires with another. It's the same tyrant mind playing tricks with you.
All serious Tai Chi learners and practitioners know that if they what to do Tai Chi well, they have to learn 'tree stance' exercise to allow the mind and body to unwind. This is creating space for chi within to do its work. This is a form of meditation in standing position; but it's not about control the mind and body. Rather it's about becoming aware and allowing. It's not about using some mental technique to push away the wandering thoughts. But instead, one becomes aware of all the thoughts and all the tension in the body. Instead of being dragged along by these wonderous thoughts, one stay centred focusing on dan-tian, the qi centre behind the naval. Then all the useless thoughts will drift away of their own accord. The mind will realize the futility of these thoughts and become calm and serene over time, just like the pond, if you stop stiring up the water, it will become still and the water clear revealing the gem at the bottom.
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