A disciple once approached his guru, asking for a mantra to aid his meditation. The guru agreed but gave a peculiar instruction:
“This mantra is powerful, but remember—while chanting it, you must not think about monkeys.”
The disciple confidently replied, “I never think of monkeys, so this will not be a problem.”
But as soon as he began chanting, his mind was flooded with thoughts of monkeys—swinging from trees, playing, and chattering. The more he tried to suppress the thought, the more it persisted. He returned to his guru, frustrated, saying, “Master, I can’t stop thinking of monkeys now!”
The Lesson:
This story highlights the power of a seed thought. Even a single suggestion, once planted in the mind, can grow and dominate our attention. The guru’s words acted as a seed, and the disciple’s resistance nurtured it, causing the thought to flourish.
The nature of the mind is such that whatever we focus on—whether through desire or avoidance—tends to grow stronger. To overcome this, one must cultivate awareness and neutrality. Instead of resisting thoughts, simply observe them as they arise and allow them to fade naturally. True mastery lies in understanding that the mind thrives on what it is fed, so the seeds we plant must be chosen with care.
Seed of Thought— 👇
A disciple once approached his guru, asking for a mantra to aid his meditation. The guru agreed but gave a peculiar instruction:
“This mantra is powerful, but remember—while chanting it, you must not think about monkeys.”
The disciple confidently replied, “I never think of monkeys, so this will not be a problem.”
But as soon as he began chanting, his mind was flooded with thoughts of monkeys—swinging from trees, playing, and chattering. The more he tried to suppress the thought, the more it persisted. He returned to his guru, frustrated, saying, “Master, I can’t stop thinking of monkeys now!”
The Lesson:
This story highlights the power of a seed thought. Even a single suggestion, once planted in the mind, can grow and dominate our attention. The guru’s words acted as a seed, and the disciple’s resistance nurtured it, causing the thought to flourish.
The nature of the mind is such that whatever we focus on—whether through desire or avoidance—tends to grow stronger. To overcome this, one must cultivate awareness and neutrality. Instead of resisting thoughts, simply observe them as they arise and allow them to fade naturally. True mastery lies in understanding that the mind thrives on what it is fed, so the seeds we plant must be chosen with care.
Seed of Thought—
A disciple once approached his guru, asking for a mantra to aid his meditation. The guru agreed but gave a peculiar instruction:
“This mantra is powerful, but remember—while chanting it, you must not think about monkeys.”
The disciple confidently replied, “I never think of monkeys, so this will not be a problem.”
But as soon as he began chanting, his mind was flooded with thoughts of monkeys—swinging from trees, playing, and chattering. The more he tried to suppress the thought, the more it persisted. He returned to his guru, frustrated, saying, “Master, I can’t stop thinking of monkeys now!”
The Lesson:
This story highlights the power of a seed thought. Even a single suggestion, once planted in the mind, can grow and dominate our attention. The guru’s words acted as a seed, and the disciple’s resistance nurtured it, causing the thought to flourish.
The nature of the mind is such that whatever we focus on—whether through desire or avoidance—tends to grow stronger. To overcome this, one must cultivate awareness and neutrality. Instead of resisting thoughts, simply observe them as they arise and allow them to fade naturally. True mastery lies in understanding that the mind thrives on what it is fed, so the seeds we plant must be chosen with care.
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
Update
