Meditation is to be aware of what is going on—in our bodies, in our feelings, in our minds, and in the world.
Calming my mind includes relaxation. However, calming my mind refers to a more long-term tendency to remain calm in various situations. It refers to a personal quality of being calm.
Calming my mind begins with observing my mind.
When I observe my mind, many thoughts and feelings spontaneously arise. This is natural. Human brains continually generate thoughts and feelings. These thoughts and feelings help people conduct their everyday lives.
What am I supposed to do with the thoughts and feelings that arise when I observe my mind? Thich Nhat Hanh offers some advice in his book The Miracle of Mindfulness.
So what exactly should you be doing concerning such thoughts and feelings? Simply acknowledge their presence. For example, when a feeling of sadness arises, immediately recognize it: “A feeling of sadness has just arisen in me.” If there is a thought like, “It’s late but the neighbors are surely making a lot of noise,” recognize that the thought has arisen. If the thought continues to exist, continue to recognize it. If a different feeling or thought arises, recognize it in the same manner. The essential thing is not to let any feeling or thought arise without recognizing it in mindfulness, like a palace guard who is aware of every face that passes through the front corridor.
Whenever a wholesome thought arises, acknowledge it: “A wholesome thought has just arisen.” And if an unwholesome thought arises, acknowledge it as well: “An unwholesome thought has just arisen.” Don’t dwell on it or try to get rid of it, however much you don’t like it. To acknowledge is enough.
This advice greatly simplifies the practice of observing my mind. It eliminates the effort of trying to suppress thoughts and feelings. It eliminates the need for deep analysis of thoughts and feelings. It eliminates the self-condemnation of criticizing or negatively evaluating thoughts and feelings.
- Thich Nhat Hanh (1987). Being Peace. Berkeley, CA: Parallax Press. Quote taken from page 14.
- Thich Nhat Hanh (1976). The Miracle of Mindfulness. Boston, MA: Beacon Press. Quote taken from page 38.
- Thich Nhat Hanh (1976). The Miracle of Mindfulness. Boston, MA: Beacon Press. Quote taken from page 39.