How to Overcome Our Thoughts in Meditation
When we close our eyes and sit in meditation, we find that we are instantly bombarded by thoughts that distract us from our practice. Today, addressing the audience gathered at the SOS International Meditation Center, Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj revealed the nature of thoughts and how we can overcome them.
Thoughts, said the spiritual Master, are generated by the mind all day long. As we go about our daily activities, we focus on the task at hand, and our attention is not distracted by our thoughts. In contrast, when we sit in silence to meditate and close our eyes, suddenly, thoughts that were continually playing in the background seem louder to us. They make their presence known, and we recognize them. This happens because we have not fine-tuned our practice of stilling the mind, Sant Rajinder Singh Ji said. The thoughts will only go away when the mind is not focused on them.
The key, therefore, is to fine-tune our ability to be in a state of no thoughts. To do this, we still the mind during meditation through the mental repetition of a calming word. This way, the mind does not have the energy to send thoughts our way. We also need to practice the skill of focusing our inner gaze. Using an example of how young children can stay focused on a TV screen for hours, the spiritual Master described how we should focus on the inner screen to experience the realities of our existence. As we fine-tune our focus, the distractions will gradually disappear. It is all a question of practice and being so engrossed in the screen before us that nothing can distract us from the experience.
