2023-09-06 Practice Notes-Contemplative Mindfulness

2:56PM Sep 7, 2023

Speakers:

Gil Fronsdal

Keywords:

thoughts

profundity

profound

mind

connected

harnessing

appreciating

meditation

pouncing

thinking

contemplation

takes

breathing

difficult

heartfelt

helpful

present moment

practice

cheerleader

keto

about the practice. So I think a few of you might have occasion to notice that your thinking mind distracts you from meditation occasionally happens to people kind of accidentally, in their mind wanders off in thought. And you can be thinking about something that's nothing to do with meditation. And then we bring it back. And when when it goes off, again, we bring it back, goes off again. And sometimes maybe even goes, it goes off for a long time, it takes five minutes, more than meditation to realize why, where have I been? I'm supposed to be here, come back, come back. So one, one approach around this thinking mind that takes us away, is actually to use it to be present. So rather than avoiding thinking, just harness your thinking, to think profound thoughts, about the present moment about the value of mindfulness in the present moment, think the most profound thoughts you could have, it could be as profound as I think it's a good idea to be present right now. To be connected here to be to be awake to what's happening. Now. That's profound. You might have a little bit more sophisticated profundity. But think, the deepest, most heartfelt, the most kind of what's most valuable, what's about most valuable approach way and purpose and reason and met method of really showing up for yourself being connected, appreciating that there's depths of who you are appreciating that there's healing to be done. There's things about discover in oneself, there's, there's, there's something here important that this practice can do for you. Maybe you've read books, or you've heard teachings that talk about it. And some of it resonated with you, in a way, so thinking I have thoughts about how that's the case, and see if you can have those that way of thinking be not from the usual kind of agitated place of thinking maybe if there is such a place for you. But I see if those thoughts can come from a kind of, is there a, when you're at your best or something or when you're really connected or something? Where did those thoughts come from? Is there some subtle place where you can have those thoughts? And have those thoughts that in with a way that they're pointers? They're kind of like a cheerleader or a supporter or a best friend, or someone who really cares for you? Who's telling you do this? This is what to do here, be here? Yes, this is difficult. Yes, there's challenges that you have to encounter, yes, but you can do it, it's okay. It's actually helpful to tap into this. And, and it's helpful to do maybe in small dosages, if that's if you'd really difficult or it's helpful to just kind of trust this process. So you're harnessing the thinking mind, from a place that it'll be profound, profound within you a profound way, something that feels connecting to you, the way you think is connecting, and it's pointing you to be more connected. And eventually, if maybe it points you to your breathing, you know, it's given all this profundity. It's really good to be settled on the breathing, you can do it, let's do it. And then the mind wanders off eventually. But then you have this, this wonderful kind of supportive way of talking yourself back into it. So it's not just jerking your mind back and pouncing back on your breath, you know, and, but really kind of harnessing or kind of, kind of doing a little kind of movement of a Keto or movement of kind of that takes the very thing you're doing and turns the ocean liner in a different direction, in a way that really is, when you really begin it you appreciate Oh, being here and now is actually really good. It's really useful. So this is a you know, so I call this profound contemplation. So, switching from distracted thoughts, to thoughts, they're profound contemplation that point you to being here and now in some nice way. So you can try that. And if you try a too much, then you're probably doing it back up into agitated mind. But just do it just just enough in a nice way. And you could do it and walking as you start your walk and you can do when you come to sit here, or you can do it almost any time in life, if to having those kinds of profound thoughts is better than the alternative, which occasionally they might be. Thank you