John,

I really like the way you’re noticing the discursive or automatic quality of mind, and how monkey like it can be. It doesn’t seem like a spanking is necessary though, kids don’t like to be hit… neither does John’s mind. After all, how are your thoughts not you? Said differently, there is spaciousness of mind, and then there are streamers bursting into the space. There is the basic stability, and the ripples. They’re both part of what is.

Perhaps you could do something different with the chatter. “Oh, chatter” and don’t become harsh with yourself. Be gentle. The chatter comes from karma, or previous impressions (spankings, judgments, assumptions, selfishness etc) that untangle when we let them. Criticizing the mind is like trying to cover something that is really there.

For instance, if you poop in the bathroom and notice the smell, it might seem to make sense to spray a can of air freshener. Usually, however, the bathroom just smells like poopy flowers (I remember this joke from a stand up routine from somewhere). Instead, if we turn the fan on (just breathe, don’t give significance to our thoughts as “positive” or “negative”) then the smell dissipates rather easily.

Otherwise, each time we go into the bathroom and notice the smell, we spray another layer on top of the old, until we are so confused about what a bathroom smells like that we don’t even know what to look for. Said differently, spanking the mind for its monkey chatter is just another layer of chatter.

In practical terms, say we see a beautiful person and want to ask them out for coffee. The mind says “they will never agree, you are no good, you don’t have the courage” and we notice “chatter” and go up and ask them to coffee. We don’t act from the fantasy the mind paints, but we don’t need to do anything with it. Its just chatter, like ringing in the ears.

With warmth,
Matt

John,

I read through the instructions Ajahn Brahmavamso is describing, and don’t see the portion where pushing against the mental chattering is advised. At the directness of mental awareness you’re describing, there is really no need to do such a thing.

Imagine the mind as a mare in a tiny barn, and the mare is unsettled… kicking and bucking. As it bashes up against the walls of the barn, it becomes scratched. The more scratches, the more kicking. The more kicking, the more scratches. Why would we stand at the door of the barn and chide the poor animal for being an animal? Why would we say it is mean? That it doesn’t love itself enough, or respect the barn enough? That isn’t compassion. The horse doesn’t need to be tamed, it needs to be free. We don’t try to whip it into shape, we remove the barn. Then the mare will perhaps go nibble some grass or smell a flower… the scratches and kicking naturally go away.

Removing the barn is done through the gentle moving of our mind back to our intention. In Brahmavamso’s instructions, this is done in stages. Present moment, breath, full breath and so forth. The intention never arises as “chiding the chatterer”… rather “what the mental energy is intended to do”.

What do you think? The mind is not the thoughts… it is the container the thoughts bounce around in.

With warmth,
Matt

John,

I can understand why you might want to approach the mare to calm her. My teacher said it was not the way, because when we get close, the mare kicks us and then we and the mare are unsettled. It may seem like touching the mare would calm her, and that if the barn walls were gone the mare would just run wild. This based on a false assumption that the mind is wild. The mare does not kick and buck for no reason, such that if we remove the walls it would remain unsettled.

Look close at the words you quoted and perhaps what you’ll see is that we do not just pay attention and let the thoughts run. Rather we give them space and they settle on their own. Said differently, the wise gatekeeper does notice the thoughts and moves the mental energy from the thought back to the meditation intention. Your strategy still seems like it is throwing rocks at a pond to silence its ripples. Judging the thoughts in your mind to try stop your mind from judging. Don’t you see the silliness there? Its second arrow stuff… “what if… notice… now here this monkey mind” still no peace, no space. Mipham’s training the mare does not equate to thought pop-a-mole.

Your mileage may vary of course. Namaste.

With warmth,
Matt

Do you do metta as well as breath meditation? Perhaps there is extra agitation that would be settled from some additional metta practice. Better than chicken soup!

With warmth,
Matt