In today's society, there is an overload of information, and more and more people are becoming addicted to thinking. As a result, stress and anxiety are increasing, and the practice of mindfulness is gaining attention. Mindfulness involves directing your awareness to the present moment and noticing your thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations. The word "awareness" is often used, and it is understood that being aware of one's actions, thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations is crucial. Indeed, humans have a meta-cognitive function that allows us to be aware of our thoughts and actions, and this awareness naturally arises. However, when we try to induce awareness intentionally, we create another illusional self that constantly observes our thoughts and actions, leading to further thoughts. This illusional self can become a habit, creating unnecessary burdens. This is not true mindfulness.
Trying to monitor your thoughts constantly, like a thought police, can take you away from the way it is now. Monitoring your thoughts can lead to suffering, as it involves believing in illusions. Humans cannot control their thoughts. You cannot decide what to think next. No one knows what they will think next.
For example, it is impossible to make your heart beat eight times per second. Even if you try to control your breathing, you cannot always breathe at your preferred pace. Unlike heartbeats and breathing, it might seem possible to control thoughts, but this is a trap. If you could control your thoughts, you would only think pleasant thoughts. However, in reality, everyone, to some extent, suffers from troubling thoughts. Just as you cannot control your heartbeat or breathing, you cannot intentionally control your thoughts. Furthermore, most thoughts are random and meaningless, and we are not even aware of them.
When it comes to negative thoughts, we try to deal with them because of their discomfort. We grab hold of these thoughts and try to handle them with other thoughts. However, this is counterproductive. Let the thoughts be. For truly important thoughts, decisions will naturally be made, and the body will act accordingly. Thoughts always come afterward.
By letting the flow of thoughts remain natural, you can be freed from excessive monitoring and control. This is true mindfulness and also the teaching of Zen. Allowing the natural flow of things is the healthiest approach for our mind and body.
Zen teaches the principle of "mu-i shizen," (無為自然）which means leaving things as they are and allowing nature to take its course. By embracing this concept, the human mind returns to its natural state, harmonizing with nature and freeing itself from stress and worries. By not judging our thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations and being present with the current state, we can maintain mental balance. The practice of SONOMAMA cultivates the capacity to be natural, free from excessive effort and self-criticism. In today's busy life, incorporating these teachings can help us find peace and ease of mind.
Words and the bonsai by K E I K O
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