“Happiness is achieved by taming the mind; without it, it is impossible to be happy.”
Today, anxiety shows me its gleaming toothpaste model teeth.
Anxiety smiles at me because it wants to sell me something. A new toothbrush from Oral-B?
No.
What it wants is not to sell; it wants to buy.
Anxiety wants to buy me cheap. Own me. Use me. To touch all the buttons on my remote control and make me tremble. Turn me into a vibrating mall-massaging couch that vibrates everywhere.
But I won’t let it because since I apply an old trick I learned from the Dalai Lama, I don’t let it seduce me with its smile.
Human nature.
“External circumstances are not what lead us to suffering. Suffering is generated by an untamed mind. The appearance of counterproductive emotions is our mind leads us to commit harmful acts that inevitably lead us to suffering.” — Dalai Lama.
And why do these counterproductive emotions arise?
Because human beings have been afraid of the unknown for as long as the world has existed.
The future is a misty place that does not materialize, so we worry.
To worry is to anticipate events by filling the mind with negative thoughts.
In short, we who are faced with an uncertain future fill our heads with negative thoughts that, through their accumulation, become suffering.
The nature of the human mind.
“The nature of water is not contaminated with dirt however dirty it may be. Likewise the nature of a troubled mind is not polluted with corruptions.” — Dalai Lama.
In the same way, our humanity makes us worry about a future often full of uncertainty. It is also like our mind to end up dissolving those worries.
According to the Dalai Lama, our mind is like the sky without clouds. And our thoughts are clouds that wander in that sky.
In the Dalai Lama’s words, “The sky was there before the clouds gathered, and it will be there after the clouds have disappeared. It is also present when the clouds seem to cover every last inch of the sky in sight.” — Dalai Lama.
Conclusion: your mind may be full of black clouds, but a beautiful blue sky always remains behind those negative thoughts and emotions.
Remember: your mind is permanent (the blue sky). The clouds are temporary (thoughts).
How to apply the wisdom of the Dalai Lama to your everyday life to stop worrying.
“Happiness is achieved by taming the mind; without it, it is impossible to be happy.” — Dalai lama.
You have to learn to visualize your thoughts as clouds. Stop to observe those clouds through an observer who takes distance from them.
In other words, what you have to do and visualize your thoughts as an uninvolved party in a subtle third person and imagine that they are black clouds passing through the middle of the sky that is your mind.
As the Dalai Lama tells us, the trick is that “You don’t have to stop the thoughts and feelings coming into your mind. What you must do is not get caught up in them.”
By training this uncomplicated system, you will develop the capacity to observe your thoughts with your awareness as an impartial observer, and you will stop getting attached to the negative emotions that your negative thoughts pour into your system.
Even in moments of hatred and anger, you can dissociate yourself from those black clouds (thoughts) until your sky eventually becomes blue again (your mind becomes calm again).
To do this, I propose you meditate for 15 minutes daily using the following meditation tips from the Dalai Lama.
Dalai Lama’s meditation tips
Practice meditation early in the morning when your mind has just awakened and is clear, but your senses are sleepy.
It is best if you have not overeaten at night so your mind will wake up sharp.
When you begin your meditative practice, follow these four simple steps,
- Refrain from thinking about what happened in the past or what might happen in the future.
- Let the mind flow without any thoughts.
- Observe the luminous clarity of the mind.
- Hold that experience for a while.
- If thoughts appear (black clouds), don’t get attached to them and watch them disappear and see your mind calm again (your blue sky).
As the Dalai Lama says, you realize that “The mind is essentially luminous and knowing. Therefore, emotional problems are not part of the essence of the mind, such counterproductive attitudes are temporary and superficial, and it is possible to eliminate them.”
Practice, and you will succeed.
A virtual hug
AG
Leave a Reply