Lost in Thought?
It’s You That Gets Lost When You Focus on Your Thoughts.
I often go for early morning walks with my Jack, my pugnacious terrier/chihuahua mix. Jack also happens to be a wise Bodhisattva. Although he’s not the sharpest knife in the drawer in terms of “dog” intelligence (he will gladly pick a fight with a dog 3 times his size), he has much to teach me about mindfulness and unconditional love, as well as commitment to living in the moment.
In addition to Jack, I used to take my phone with me in case someone sent a text, or if I wanted to listen to music. I don’t anymore. I don’t want the distraction. As Jack and I stroll through our neighborhood, I’ve realized that he doesn’t have a care in the world and has no problem he’s trying to fix in his head. He’s not thinking about where his next meal is coming from. He’s not worried whether I love him or not. He trusts that the universe (ok — me) will provide for what he needs. He’s happy just being there with me, and I need that reminder.
My own attempt to follow Jack’s lead is often thwarted by my thinking. I get lost in thoughts, often times completely unaware of what I’m doing. You know what this is like. A great example is when you’re in the shower. Have you ever thought to yourself, “Did I already wash my hair?” I do. Sometimes I’m pretty sure I wash my hair twice, because I’m not sure if I already did it. Better to be safe. I’m completely on automatic in the shower — it’s as if my body is disconnected from my brain. My mind is thinking about what I will do today, what we’ll have for dinner, or that I should really replace the caulk on the bathtub.
Can you entertain the idea that there is an observer that is neither your physical body nor your thinking?
The mind needs to fixate on something. Anything. It will create a story around the most mundane of things. It will string together thoughts pulling you backward and forward, turning you around. Before you know it, an hour has passed and you can’t remember what you’ve seen or what you’ve done. This adaption mechanism did come in handy when humans needed to cook food over on open fire AND watch out for enemies approaching. There’s a good reason that we learned to multi-task. Sometimes it’s needed. But can you turn it off? Can you understand that your thoughts are not you..nor is your body? Can you entertain the idea that there is an observer that is neither your physical body nor your thinking? That observer is the one who is present in the moment, noticing but not attaching…not labeling…not holding on.
You know I often talk about sitting meditation, and I feel like my sitting practice is gradually deepening. But here’s the thing — and any Buddhist teacher will tell you this — meditation is a TOOL for how to live your life. It’s not meant to BE your life. None of us can sustain a 24/7 sitting practice in the hopes of being enlightened one day. If that’s your idea of what’s supposed to happen during meditation, you’re in for a big surprise — not to mention you’ll feel defeated and disappointed in yourself. One can be in a state of meditation while walking, cleaning, showering, even working — and that should be our goal. Living in a state of ongoing “present-momentness” (is that a word? It is now!). That state isn’t some half-conscious, spaced-out version of enlightenment. It’s living a life full of family, friends, work — even mundane tasks — but doing so fully aware of THAT moment. Not the one prior. Not the one to come.
You probably have your own version of Jack in your life. If you have young children you most certainly witness their innate ability to live fully in the moment. As smart as we human adults think we are…it’s the lessons from those we sometimes look down to that can help us most along our journey.
