IÂ have been meaning to suggest an exercise for the week, and now I have received a request to do so that stimulates me to act. But I want to start in a very ‘casual’ way.
At the start of the DTS reading, Rinpoche writes, “If we take the time to focus on the stream of mental events, we soon observe that we are almost always thinking.”
Let that be the practice. First, “take the time.” So this should mean at least 5-10 minutes where you don’t do anything but focus on the stream of thinking. Of course, it could be time waiting for a bus, or even driving (if you are on an old, familiar route), etc.
Second, “observe.: This means not getting caught up in the content of the thought; instead, you maintain a certain distance or detachment. Thinking has the special quality of being ‘about’ the content of the thought, but here we are just noticing that we are thinking, not what we are thinking about. Of course, the ‘what’ comes along, but that is not the focus.
Third, the claim is made that we are “almost always thinking.” Some people experience it differently. How about you?
Let’s plan to discuss this in next week’s phone call.
Jack