Those who meditate often find that arising thoughts tend to disrupt their every effort to quickly reach a tranquil and quiet state of mind for meditation. The more they try to stop them, the more, thoughts will arise.
To quieten the mind, so to speak, is a basic and fundamental requisite for a fruitful meditation no matter what level we are at, or try to achieve.
Therefore let us turn to a real master of neidan, Lu Dongbin, a renowned Quanzhen celestial immortal, no less for the relevant advice on how to quieten the mind:
“Only one must not stay sitting rigidly if worldly thoughts come up, but one must examine where the thought is, where it began, and where it fades out.
Nothing is gained by pushing reflection further. One must be content to see where the thought arose, and not seek beyond the point of origin; for to find the heart (consciousness, to get behind consciousness with consciousness), that cannot be done.
Together we want to bring the states of the heart to rest, that is true contemplation. What contradicts it is false contemplation. That leads to no goal.
When the flight of thoughts keeps extending further, one should stop and begin contemplating."
[The Secret of the Golden Flower translated by Wilhelm / Baynes]
1 comment:
The section you quoted is actually the RESULT of being in the "zone" rather than how to get into the "zone". Being in the zone, one can experience one's thinking process while not being carried away by one's endless thinking.
"one must [can, if one is successful going into the zone] examine where the thought is, where it began, and where it fades out" the keywords are "fades out". Our thoughts won't fade out automatically by the command of our consciousness. Special techniques are needed. The Secret of the Golden Flowers does offer some good advice.
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