One way to empty your mind is to let go of all preconceived ideas and concepts.
For most people on the planet this is a lot easier said than done.
But let us begin by examine our idea of existence. How we perceive things is deeply rooted in our general idea of existence. Most people feel that what they see and hear exists.
But the point is we normally don’t see the difference from what exists on the outside from what exists on the inside. We can say that something exists out there, we can even feel this, but it is not true. When we say ”there is the river” the river already exists in our mind. And if we are too quick we say the the river is over there but if we slow down and think about it we might discover that the river is already in our mind, as a thought.
Our mind is like a copying machine which takes everything it finds on the outside and then makes a copy out of it. Then it takes the copy and present it to us on the inside, through our thoughts.
Understanding that we are dealing with copies and not the true stuff is alone awfully helpful. But if we take a closer look at the ’copies’ we might notice something else. For instance we might discover that our ’copies’ of the same thing rarely are the same. One day we can fill up with joy over a bird or some lovely flowers on our way to work and even though the bird and the flowers are the same we feel completely differently when we pass them the next day. We might not even notice them at all.
Every thought may in the absolute sense be considered as something of a burden. Think about it. When something feels heavy, where does the weight come from?
Existence rises from emptiness and returns to emptiness. This way to look at existence is hard to dress in words.
True existence doesn’t come and go. True existence is in the now, ready to be experienced in this very moment. In every moment.
The perfect path
As long as we have an idea of the future, how we think it should be, we cannot be really serious with this moment.
Whatever we think the future will hold if we follow a certain path doesn’t exist in the true sense. In fact, there is no path. Our path is created in every moment and if we can let go of our ideas of a perfect path, we will see it. It is formless by nature but we can sense it.
But be cautious. An idea of not having a perfect path can also become an idea of a perfect path.
A path that has been created in our mind is of no use. The perfect path is already there, before your mind has given it any form.
If you remain still, you will know what I am talking about.
Thank you for reading this article. It is inspired by my own life and what I have observed.
Feel free to leave a comment or share it with others.
About the author: Patrik Rowinski believes in cooperation and he enjoys to support anyone who has a sincere will to change. He works as a Mental Health Consultant and Three Principles Facilitator and supports personal and organisational growth through conversations, lectures and in his writing.
Get in touch or learn more through patrikrowinski.se.