The Ancient Taoist Sage said as we were discussing our thinking minds, that "primary reality lies within" ; and thus a good question to ask throughout the day is:

What type or kinds of thoughts is my mind producing? How about yours ?

Like that great Texan, Charlie Tremendous Jones was fond of saying:

"We need a check-up from the neck-up to get rid of our stinking thinking."

In Seminary, during my Psychology / Counseling rotations, the Professor would say: "You will become what you think about all day long".  Well, this was unsettling for me, for I entered Seminary the week after I finished with seven years in the United States Military , and I was afraid I would turn into a woman...

One of the many benefits of studying with my Chi Gung / Meditation Master Dr. B.K. Frantzis, (herein referred to as Bruce) is that I am constantly encouraged learn deeper practices.  Master Frantzis is the author of two rather outstanding books on Taoist Meditation, with another one in the works.

Once, Bruce shared with me is that "there is nothing deeper in meditation that mastering the process of quieting our thoughts and entering into a state of inner quiescence".

What meditation and contemplations offers to me is a healthy balance between the busy-ness of non-stop thinking (and the topic quality of that thinking) and the inner peace and clarity of a quiet mind. A specialty meditation practice shared with me by Master Frantzis

 Is "Melting the Mind", a practice shared with me in-depth and at length by Dr Alan Peatfield of Dublin. A true gift indeed!

The raw truth psychologically is that most of us spend far too much time each day lost in negative thoughts that directly stimulate inner emotions such as anger, anxiety, depression, confusion, failure and all the rest.  The combination of these negative thoughts and subsequent emotions tends to wreak havoc within our lives, generating stress-related health problems, difficulties at work, in our marriage and relationship (s) conflicts and inner confusion that torment our souls.

I have found that whenever I decide to pause and ‘allow me to catch up with myself' and perhaps meditate for 20 minutes or so, that I bring to my meditation a loud, pushy assortment of thoughts that want to continue to dominate my mind.

Thoughts of the joyful, positive, loving kind are usually very happy to quiet down so I may enter Contemplation and Meditation.

However... worried and tormented thoughts tend to refuse to let-up or give peace of mind.  That internal Ego-voice insists that there's no time to stop worrying and scheming (as if worry ever actually helped anything, anyway); that it's vital for me to keep thinking in order to solve the problem, to make important plans, to stay immersed in my inner conceptual world - rather than stop thinking and focus on the experiential world of the present moment.  (You may wish to read / re-read The Power of NOW, as it helps here.)  (I have also shared in previous Daily Taos the differences between Contemplation and Meditation, and more than likely will do so again.) You may also wish to read the new Echart Tolle book, "A New Earth", the one Oprah likes so much !

I  like the words of Albert Einstein who wrote : " The problem that exist in the world today cannot be solved by the level of thinking that created them !"

Thousands of years ago in Asia, the judging, analytical, thinking mind was already correctly identified as the perpetrator, not only of our particular human blessings in life, but also of our particular human curses as well.  They understood clearly that by dwelling in thoughts grounded in the past, in memory, imagination, beliefs and assumptions, we humans have gained vast power to think logically and reflect and manipulate our world; especially by grasping onto what we think we want and rationalization.

However - because thinking is a past - future function of the mind, we have tended to lose touch with the vital experience of participating spontaneously in the present moment.  One of the cardinal rules of life as I see it is to "Be Present" !  It has been said to half of life is showing up! (even-though 85% of life is , well...mundane !)

True Contemplation and Meditation aims to resolve this "lost in thought dilemma", as when in Meditation and / or deep Contemplation, we, for a time, distance ourselves from the constant barrage of thoughts from our inner virtual reality, and shift into a deeper Consciousness.

By learning to calmly watch / observe the thoughts flowing through our minds, without attachment or judgment, we liberate ourselves from chronic identification with our Egos limited notion of who we are and what life is actually all about, and thus open ourselves to deeper spiritual wisdom, insight and nurturing.

As Ta Kuan wrote lo those many years ago : " When the mind is nowhere, it is everywhere. When it is occupied one-tenth, it is absent in the other nine..."

By quieting and stilling the dominant thinking mind (which is most usually negative in bent until we allow / foster change), we awaken our own latent spiritual consciousness, and by gaining release from our worries and mental torments, we can thus begin to enjoy life fully !

STOP!  Let go, and cease trying to manipulate your world based on your inner fantasies of how things ‘should be'! Dissolve and trust Tao...Shoulda / Woulda / Coulda...

Watch what you think about all day long, asking often, what hopes of thoughts is my minds producing, because these thoughts tend to be self-fulfilling prophecies:

Remember: We attract to ourselves that which we are, and not that which we want ...!

(That is the real "Secret")

We are what we eat, true enough; and we are and continue to become that which we think about all day long!

Allow me to end with these words from the Bible, Philippians chapter four, verse eight:

"Finally, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praise worthy -think on these things."

Change your mental diet and you'll change your life, for truly we become what we think about all the day long. Relax into who you truly are...

Deepest Peace,

 Fred