Our mind is like monkey

Hello my friend. In Zen meditation, where we are only focusing on the in-breath and out-breath to still the mind, there are often times when the mind is over-powering and keeps distracting us into trivial thoughts of the past or of the future, when there is only now. This is because our world values "education" in the collection of possessions, positions, facts and figures and we identify strongly with these. The more intellectual we become, the more difficult it can be to develop no-mind. So, we need to see this paradox and connect with it. We practice the art of "mind watching". Just witnessing the antics of the "monkey-mind". We all have this, even sages have had to learn to transcend this. The key-word here is "transcend" which means to "rise above" and not "conquer" this mind. It cannot be conquered. We cannot demand that enlightenment or transcendence comes to us. It will visit us, when we have done our work by stilling the mind with no-thought. Until then, we are fighting monkey-mind with monkey-mind that has split itself into many parts, and it needs to be 100% OK to do this. Paradox! In the here-now we observe our mind and slowly, very slowly, we begin to drop our thinking. The practice is not only in our meditation, but in daily life also. To keep reminding ourselves that there is only now and give our 100% attention to each experience we are having. Washing the dishes, focus on just each dish, knife, fork, spoon, the movements of our hands and body, as we wash them. There is the story of an student of Zen who goes to his master and asks, "Master, how can I become enlightened?" The Master answers, "Carry water, chop sticks... Enlightenment". The message here is that we are all enlightened, it is just that our worldly conditioning is clouding our Being-ness with past or future, alternating from one to the other. Even wanting enlightenment is casting the mind to the future for we are already enlightened! We need to be present with every little experience. Dropping judgment of what is better, what is worse. Nothing is better! Nothing is worse! It is just so. Everything is just the way it is! The thousand-year-old tree is equal to the new blade of grass. The beach pebble is equal to Mt. Everest. It is not easy my friend, and there are no guarantees except that by the law of evolution, our mind, body and spirit will grow no matter where we are on the "ladder" towards truth. Thank you for the opportunity o write this post. I have learned something from writing it. _Derek

Hello friend, i try to concetrate my mind, but honestly speaking, i can't, i may be reciting a 'mantra' but mind keeps wondering, can you tell, how to avoid this? Thanks for sharing your view and the response. Cheers. Professor. .

That's good dear jenny.. Thanks . Cheers. Professor. .

I agree with your thoughts, thanks for sharing. Cheers. Regards Professor. .

Thanks for sharing your views Veejay, nut it is very difficult to achieve liberation. Cheers. Professor. .

Our mind is never dull, it keeps wondering always.. Thanks for sharing. Cheers. Professor. .

Welcome to mylot and my discussions.. Thanks for sharing your views. Cheers. Professor. .

I agree with what you say, the basic mind inside us is an upgraded version of that of an ape.. Thanks for sharing. Cheers. Professor. .

Anny dear Thanks for the research you did and shared here. Cheers. Professor. .

When babies behave like monkey, parents scold them, right, but they are honest and clean in mind.. Thanks for sharing. Cheers. Professor. .