It was day three of a seven-day meditation retreat and I was busy sabotaging my practice by wallowing in guilt. At the mid-week interview with the meditation leader I complained about these negative thoughts: “I don’t know why I do this to myself.”
“But are you doing it?” she said. “Are you doing it?”
Well, no. My thoughts were basically thinking themselves, assailing me when whether I wanted them or not. The more closely I observed myself, the more I came to the conclusion that I had ridiculously little control over the thoughts and reactions that drove me into various states and actions.
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Wow, thank you Ted! I will definitely have to look that one up.
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A lovely essay, Archer, and well expressed as usual. I am reading Ram Dass’ Be Love Now for the second time, and appreciating it