How To Empty The Mind (Part Two)

Part Two 

No one said it's easy but it is simple. The ancients have listed innumerable ways to "Empty the Mind". Here are just some below. In Christianity, it is said that "The idle mind is a devil's workshop." For the mind to be idle, it has to exist, sway and then sit still. The nature of the mind is never idle. 

Emptying the mind is not making the mind idle, it is mastery of it. In the beginning, it is filling it with thoughts of God until the mind thinks of nothing but God. On another level, to empty the mind, is to witness it and eventually rise above it, to the point that its illusory nature is recognised. An illusion is not real, thus a point comes when there is only awareness, and no mind. Nothing that is idle and nothing that is restless. 

 Here are some of the steps from different traditions that may be useful to us: 1. Catch yourself thinking. Be aware of what you are thinking. The movement of your eyes usually follows a thought. You may follow the thought with your eyes initially. Follow, watch and observe the thought but do not drown and disappear in it. Be the witness. Be the observer. Usually, when you watch or give your Presence or attention to the thought, it disappears right there and then. 2. Put your focus on your in-breath and out-breath. As a beginner, time yourself for 15 to 20 minutes. Set a soft alarm. Gently concentrate on the the air entering and exiting the tip of your noise. You can take another set of 15 mins. to feel it all the way to your lungs and stomach and out again. Some seasoned meditators can do this for hours, daily. 3. Prayers or chanting. 

Praying the holy rosary or chanting the mala with mantras, ceases the restless mind that drains and agitates us and shifting its focus on Divinity which opens us to unlimited Divine Energy that recharges our mind, body and spirit. Some play, sing, paint, write or dance in worship. You may choose one or combine. 4. Feeling the body. Feeling the sensations of the body and its inner space, focuses the mind on the present experience. Feel each part of your body and as a whole. Just observe, do not label anything. Is it tight or relaxed, tired or energised. If you catch yourself labeling, analysing or resisting any sensation in your body, catch yourself thinking. Step in and observe the thought. Then return to feeling your body. Of course, the spine is a part of the body too, yes? 5. Emotions are energy in-motion. Try to locate where emotions sit on your body and what sensations they take. You can even be aware of its size, shape, temperature, movement and frequency. 6. Protect and purify the mind. 

Watch what you eat, listen to, see, touch and whom you associate with on a regular basis. Keep them pure and clean. The food we eat and the water we drink affects our thoughts, even the chair we sit on and the clothes we wear! Offer the food and water to God and bless them. Share a portion to animals too.

The exercises above are not meant to be experienced once or twice and the brain re-arranges itself into Focus. It is a way of life. Yes, everyday for the rest of our lives. And we can watch or lives change powerfully and worries go away. Thinking is a habit. We were trained to dwell in the past and look into the future, as if the present moment is not real and useless. So we are dealing with a sticky, tough strong habit here. Our brain is already arranged to restless thinking, but even the neural brain networks can be re-wired and rearranged by another habit. The habit of engaging the mind in thinking of the Lord constantly or being aware of how each part of the body feels and watching the breath. 

We must understand the worrying about the future drains our energy and acting now in small steps can change the future. Regretting the past that cannot be changed also depresses us and drains us. For really, it is in the now that we can act and are always safe. An overthinking mind thinks beyond necessity. It has a lot of "What ifs". If we understand and have Faith that God is in-charge then we must be patient and surrender all burdens upon God. 

 We need the mind to survive in basic ways, eat, shower, change clothes, cook, plan a meal, plan short-term and long-term and not be attached if it does not go as planned. When we work so hard, we surrender the fruits of our labor and not burden ourselves of expectations to avoid disappointment. We do our best and God will do the rest. The Universal Mind or the God-Mind, that is All-Knowing, All-Powerful and Ever-Present sees the bigger picture at all times. 

God never fails and God is never late. Surrender is key. August 2O, 2O21