Beyond Thought: Meditations 2

by Michael Stonecipher in Spirituality, February 11, 2009

Using the sword of the mind.

There are many obstacles along my path. Stepping over them, the pebbles, as well as the mountain sized requires proper tools: focus, self-discipline, and a sincere heart intent on forward motion. Intrusive thoughts are one type of obstacle that can “trip up” my practice of meditation. Intrusive thoughts are negative automatic thoughts that “pop” into my mind. For example, I could be attempting to concentrate on a very important task that requires my complete attention. Suddenly, I have the thought, “I’d like a cup of tea” or “I wonder if she really enjoyed our dinner last night” or “When will I become a Buddha?” These “disruptors”, however normal or healthy in some ways, can distract me while in the normal course of everyday life, and they can seriously disturb the still and silent tranquility cultivated in my practice of meditation. For me, negative intrusive thoughts can cause great distress, but they are not entirely beyond the control of the conscious mind. “Affect”, i.e. emotional feelings, are often the result of my perspective or relationship with circumstances or with my own thoughts. Oftentimes in my life, the circumstances themselves are not the real problem, it is how I feel about the circumstances, my attitudes, and opinions about past, present, and future, that causes me extreme discomfort. I can, however, exercise the innate mechanisms of my mind to “take up arms against a sea of troubles”.

Meditative imagery is a weapon that I use against those untamed parts of my own mind that disrupt my practice. The sword of the mind cuts through obstacles. In my meditations, when disruptors begin to arise, I often imagine myself as an archer, holding a golden bow and arrow. This figure represents the part of my mind that is originating the thought. Then, simultaneously, at the same time, I imagine myself as the target of the archer as well. I imagine myself twice in the same dreamscape, once as the archer, the originator of the thought, and once as the target, the receiver of the thought. The golden arrow represents an intrusive thought “shot” into the stream of consciousness. I imagine the arrow as gold because, even though it is intrusive or unwanted at the time of the intrusion, it is very valuable. It tells me something about my world, about my sensitivities, and about potential problems of which I may not be completely conscious. When the thought arises, the arrow is loosed, and I imagine myself as the target, the receiver, actually catching the arrow, examining it, reading the note that is tied to it, and then gently placing it down. This represents active as opposed to passive receipt of the intrusive thought, disarming the disruptor of my practice or of my work. Herein I cultivate mastery of the sword of the mind. Herein I venture past cognition(thought) into meta-cognition(beyond thought), thinking about thinking in order to reach a state of “without thinking”. I sweep the obstacles from my path, and I deepen my own practice….