Meditation as a whole states that 'Remain untouched to what goes in the mind. Let front door and back door be opened. Don't serve tea to the thoughts.' But at some point it is pretty confusing that do i really need to remain untouched to the thoughts. Like sometimes, the thoughts of the spirits, gods comes into the mind. Do they need to be discarded? But, as we know the mind in itself never stops thinking.
4 Answers
It means you should not attach to things while information is flowing into your mind. So you should basically act as a dormant observer, but at the same time be open to any feelings and experiences flowing through you. When you interpret information during meditation using your physical brain (ego mind), you are basically altering your brainwave patterns (lowering your alpha waves) which may destroy your entire meditative state.
Image source: brainwave-meditation.net
Not "discarded" no. Just not touched. That's why they said leave front and back doors open. So they can enter and exit. You don't have to chase them away.
But yeah, some thoughts can be very cool and interesting. And the more you meditate, more interesting they get :) It is very tempting to think about some of them...
It doesn't mean you should stop them or not stop them, or be guilty, or proud. Just remain open and don't serve tea to the thoughts, I love that expression.
answered Jan 19, 2018 at 19:47
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OMG Buddha would have certainly used this to ridicule a dumb approach to meditation.– Andriy Volkov ♦Jan 19, 2018 at 20:43
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What does it mean to not remain touch? Enlighten please. My mind goes into imagination during meditation thinking of something. Though i've symptoms of Kundalini awakening but seems hard to manage sometimes. Jan 20, 2018 at 4:52
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It means you just sit and watch it. Don't go with thoughts, don't go against thoughts.– Andriy Volkov ♦Jan 20, 2018 at 8:37
It may not ever truly stop, but the frequency and allure of thought does become so subdued as to be utterly negligible. It just takes time and a lot of practice to get there. It's a mistake to believe that only thoughtless meditation is valuable. All meditation is. After all, you have to start somewhere.
And yes, let go of all thought. That includes thoughts of gods and spirits. They are only thoughts as vivid and striking as they sometimes can be.
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Idon't mean to stop the thought but how do i know if i'm aware of those thoughts. Jan 20, 2018 at 4:53
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Not sure I'm following. Could you put that a different way?– user698Jan 20, 2018 at 13:46
Meditation as a whole states that 'Remain untouched to what goes in the mind. Let front door and back door be opened. Don't serve tea to the thoughts.'
Meditation as a whole states that 'Remain untouched to the other objects goes in the mind, except just one meditation-object such as breath of ānāpānassati. Let front door and back door be opened for those other objects until they still not disturb your meditation. Don't serve the other teas to the thoughts. Let the thoughts go on meditation-object only.'
Samatha-meditation-object is unwholesome-mind's direct enemy, such as breath of ānāpānassati-meditation (distraction's and doubt's enermy), inner foods of āhārepaṭikūlasaññā-meditation (food attachment's enemy), etc.
Vipassanā-meditation-object is 3 characteristics of whole arising and vanishing effects which are caused by causes.
But at some point it is pretty confusing that do i really need to remain untouched to the thoughts. Like sometimes, the thoughts of the spirits, gods comes into the mind. Do they need to be discarded?
Samatha-meditation: yes, at all, except just meditation's object.
Vipassanā-meditation: while vipassanā meditation going on, the practitioner analyses spirits, gods as 5 aggregates then he focus on 5 aggregates' 3 characteristics. So, if the practitioner's thoughts are not processing like that, now he is a wanderer, not practitioner.
But, as we know the mind in itself never stops thinking.
So, the practitioner must (1) avoids the unwholesome-thought's physical actions by the virtual, then (2) avoids the unwholesome-thought's objects by samatha-meditation, jhāna, and then (3) destroys attachments with whole possible-arising-chance of unwholesome-thought by vipassanā-meditation.
