My experience of monkey mind corresponds with Kris: it is just the thinking mind. It is part of our life and experience; we cannot make it cease. I am learning to observe my monkey mind to see what wisdom it has for me. The more my mind races, the more I know I must look into what is there (i.e., dukkah). There are also times when my monkey mind tires me out because it is obsessing about the past or worrying about the future, so I return to my breath to stay with the here-and-now. I think Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche called this "touch-and-go": we touch our dukkah, then return to the present moment for peace (well-being). Rinpoche also tells the story of the monkey in the jungle (the non-minduful individual) who builds a hut (begins mindfulness training). This is also called "the narrow path," an inward path we all must take to get to know ourselves from the inside out. The monkey jumps around the hut from wall to wall and corner to corner. Over time, he notices that his jumping around is forcing the walls of the hut further and further out until the walls fall down and the monkey enters the wide path of the Boddhisatvah, in which s/he sees the dukkah in all the world and recognizes that suffering is part of life and the goal is to reduce all suffering: both personal and universal. This story helps me see the interbeing of suffering and well-being: one cannot be without the other. So I don't try to stop the monkey mind, I try to use it to find well-being. Does this make sense?
--- In [email protected], Kristopher Grey <kris@...> wrote: > > Then it is I who owe you thanks. > > Without question, all questions appear as invitations to share. Giving > voice to silence, allowing self-reflection. No answers. No lack. > > KG > > > On 8/21/2012 4:40 PM, William Rintala wrote: > > I cried while I read that. Thank you. > > Bill > > > > > > > > Find what makes your heart singâ¦and do it! > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > *From:* Kristopher Grey <kris@...> > > *To:* [email protected] > > *Sent:* Tue, August 21, 2012 2:25:13 PM > > *Subject:* Re: [Zen] Monkey Mind > > > > On 8/20/2012 6:18 PM, William Rintala wrote: > > > So what can you do about Monkey Mind? > > > > Cessation. > > > > Realize the 'monkey' is asking this, and nothing needs to be done but > > laugh! (and cry, and eat, and sleep, and attend to whatever arises as > > it arises - without suffering over some 'monkey mind' that appears/is > > imagined to be separate from 'Buddha Mind'!) > > > > "I" am this idea of 'monkey mind', "I" am also what is monkeying with > > ideas of 'no-monkey mind'. "I" can do nothing to start or stop it that > > is not just some form of monkeying around (grasping and rejecting) to > > reinforce this false sense of (a separate self/ignorance of original > > nature) an "I" (See - The Three Poisons). > > > > Monkey (ordinary) mind is not the problem it appears to be. The "monkey" > > is not the deluded one. It already realizes you're the monkey! *L* If > > monkey mind won't quiet down, simply see what it's going on about. No > > need to develop Siddhi powers and turn the monkey to stone. > > > > Monkeys are easily distracted, always hungry, and naturally fight with > > other monkeys over all sorts of things. When there is seen to be no > > monkey here - it can be neither fed nor fought with. > > > > Mindfulness, doesn't mind the monkey. > > > > KG > > > > PS -The first and last line already say too much, the rest is just > > monkey chatter. > > > > > ------------------------------------ Current Book Discussion: any Zen book that you recently have read or are reading! Talk about it today!Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Zen_Forum/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Zen_Forum/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
