#249 Busy, Scattered, Distracted, Monkey Mind & Clarity

     When we sit in meditation, particularly when there's a lot going on in our lives, the mind is flooded with, sometimes overwhelmed by, thoughts.

      “… in the mind of the ordinary person, no less than sixty-four thoughts come and go every … fraction of a second. These thoughts arise because … of desire, aversion, and ignorance. Because of them, our minds cannot help but constantly move. Only by transcending (these) can the mind stop moving.”
       Sheng Yen “Song of Mind. Wisdom from the Zen Classic Xin Ming.” Shambhala, Boston, 2004.

     Fortunately, as we continue sitting, thoughts settle with time. If we take a glass jar of water with a clump of mud and shake it, the water becomes opaque and brown. But as the jar sits still, and the mud settles to the bottom, the water gradually clarifies. Like water, the mind is inherently crystal clear.
     Time alone isn't enough. We must "choose to confront those fears and desires that hitherto we had either repressed or acted out.” Specifically, we must work directly & wisely with desire, aversion and ignorance.
       Batchelor S. “Living with the devil. A meditation on good and evil.” Riverhead Books, NY, 2004.

Photo: wchee   www.dpreview.com