...at one point I erroneously thought that mind was a problem and experimented with how to shift from a constantly-thinking mind to one that is relatively silent. During the time that I was doing this there was an imagined "me" at the center of the activity. Eventually I imagined that "I" had attained a relatively silent mind. When the body/mind became free from the illusion of selfhood, it then became obvious that there had never been a "me" doing anything.
Upon that realization all effort directed at either thinking or not thinking ceased, and there was an internal relaxation. By that time, however, the mind had become relatively silent compared to what it was like in the past, and the habit of looking and listening was strongly established. Today, it no longer matters whether there is thinking or no thinking. The body/mind just goes about its business doing what it needs to do, which intermittently includes periods of sustained silence. Sometimes it sits and does breath awareness meditation, and sometimes it thinks intensely about various issues. It does whatever it wants to do, and this is simply watched. There is no one at the center of the activity, and there is no knowing what will happen next. It is like watching an infinite unfolding of being.
Upon that realization all effort directed at either thinking or not thinking ceased, and there was an internal relaxation. By that time, however, the mind had become relatively silent compared to what it was like in the past, and the habit of looking and listening was strongly established. Today, it no longer matters whether there is thinking or no thinking. The body/mind just goes about its business doing what it needs to do, which intermittently includes periods of sustained silence. Sometimes it sits and does breath awareness meditation, and sometimes it thinks intensely about various issues. It does whatever it wants to do, and this is simply watched. There is no one at the center of the activity, and there is no knowing what will happen next. It is like watching an infinite unfolding of being.
