stop!

Stop!

How often do we really stop? We lead such active lives. There’s always something to do, something needing to be done. And even when we are not engaged with chores or work, we busy ourselves. We play with our smartphone. We do some social networking, send some texts, some e-mails. Or we entertain ourself surfing the web, watching TV, in all sorts of ways. We are always busy.

And even in those times when we manage to really relax – perhaps lying on a beach in the sun – we finally have put down that smartphone, we’ve put down our book for a few minutes and we’re just lying there, soaking up the warmth, even then, does the mind stop thinking? Or do we carry on thinking, thinking, thinking; with worries, anxieties popping into our head; or perhaps daydreams, fantasies, ideas for the future? Our mind almost never stops thinking. And that’s a pity because the simplest, easiest way to experience enlightenment is for the mind to stop thinking.

And of course, sooner or later, some thoughts will pop into the mind again. But if you look at your thoughts, honestly, we have to admit that ninety-nine percent of them, at least, are of no use whatsoever. They are either repetitions of thoughts that have already come and gone, or they are totally idle thoughts of no consequence, or they have no reality to them. They probably don’t change your behaviour, your actions, your choices, in any way. They are useless. And they are distracting us from everything else – the beauty that is around us, the sights and sounds, the smells, the tastes, the beautiful sensations of touch and energy within the body. And above all, they take us away from silence, from stillness, from this magical part of us that is at the core of who we are – our essence. And when we are living life from this place within, from this essential part of who we are, when we are meeting life from here, this is the life of a buddha. This is enlightenment. And it’s not that difficult to come by.

All we need do is stop!