You have given your mind an impossible task… Part 1

If you’ve been reading Soul on Deck from the very start, you may have noticed that it’s evolved in such a way as to allow you, the reader, to either commence or continue on a journey of discovery. One that can prepare the ground for deeper personal reflection, for insight to arise and ultimately, if you’re prepared to do the work, possible transformation.  

And on that point, it feels like we’re reaching the end of a chapter, as there are only so many ways we can talk about creating the conditions for stepping off into the unknown to recover that which will bring us long term and sustainable peace of mind and happiness. 

So I wanted to end this particular chapter with one final purposeful practice that you might like to explore. It’s a practice that can provide a direct entry point into our inner landscapes, rather than simply stirring up undeniable truths that tempt us into deeper exploration. Due to its directness it requires a full explanation on my behalf which I’m realising could become a little dense and so I’m offering it in two parts in order to make it digestible for all. I hope it translates and works in this two part approach. 

In short this practice is simply to stop expecting our minds to fix what’s wrong inside of us. 

The mind is amazing. It can be used to solve scientific problems and reflect on great things that can serve humanity. However, we’ve spent years, (most likely subconsciously) telling it to spend its time conjuring up outer solutions for our very personal inner problems. Asking our minds to do this has created anxiety, neurosis, and fear. 

Let me elaborate. Our minds have very little control over the world. They cannot control the weather or natural forces, nor can they control all people, places, and things around us, and yet we are trying to use our analytical minds to protect ourselves from the natural unfolding of life. Our minds are not qualified to make sure everything and everyone will be the way we need them to be so that we can feel better inside. We’ve discussed this self-imposed and insidious burden and blockage in previous Soul on Deck blogs. 

All we have to do is stop telling our minds that its job is to fix our personal problems. The art is to let go of this.  

Your mind is innocent in all of this. It gets better at what you ask it to do, most of which you have been asking it subconsciously to do. So, whenever your mind starts telling you what you should or shouldn’t do in order to get the world to match your concept of reality don’t listen. And here’s the rub, the real curve ball, when your mind starts telling you what you have to do to make everything inside okay, don’t buy into what it’s telling you either. 

But if we do that I hear you cry then what’s left to do?  

Well, it is quite possible with purposeful practice to become what is best described as “observers”. You will notice if you watch carefully that the mind is engaged deeply in the process of trying to make everything okay. To become observers, we must consciously remind ourselves that this not what we want to do, and gently disengage instead. We should never fight the mind, remember it is innocent, you will never win that fight. It will either beat you now, or you will suppress it and it will come back and beat you later. When you see the mind telling you how to fix the world and everyone in it in order to suit yourself, just don’t participate. 

Easier said than done, this is your mind which after all has been practicing many unhelpful things for many years and getting good at them. So how do we do it?  

The key is to be quiet. It’s not that your mind has to be quiet. You be quiet. You, the one inside watching the neurotic mind, that presence behind the thoughts, just relax. If you can do this then it is entirely possible to naturally fall behind the mind because you have always been there, you’ve just forgotten or not recognised this. You are not the thinking mind; but you can be aware of the thinking mind.

The minute you stop putting all your energy into the mind as if it were your saviour and protector, to believing that you are your mind, you can find yourself behind the mind watching it. That’s how you know about your thoughts, you are in there watching them. Eventually you will be able to just sit in there quietly and consciously observing the mind. 

When you pull back behind the mind, you, the awareness, are not involved in the process of thinking. Thinking is something you watch the mind do. It is not something that you have to think about, you are it. You can watch the mind being neurotic and not get involved. The mind runs because you are giving it the power of your attention. Withdraw your attention, and the thinking mind becomes less powerful, it will become less of a hinderance. You will start to love your mind, while recognising and truly understanding it’s true nature. 

I’m going to pause here, and let that sink in. You might want to reread and absorb those last few paragraphs a few times. You may even “observe” how your mind reacts to what those few paragraphs are suggesting is possible.  

In the next instalment of Soul on Deck, we’ll get into the intricacies of the practice, provide a few useful examples, and suggest some things that will help create some momentum. Until then… 

—
Andrew.