Weeding and gardening.

[Guest guest]

In order to grow a beautiful garden, it

is not sufficient to remove weeds; we

also need to carefully plant the plants

that we really do want to grow.

 

In same way, mind too is fertile land

and it grows any stimuli that falls into

it, into a thought. When the thought

that grows is painful, it becomes easily

noticeable and we seek its removal.

There are many spiritual teachings and

that teach us ways to remove unwanted

painful thought.

 

[One such method is *work* taught by

Byron Katie: www.thework.com ]

 

However to really cultivate and sustain

a beautiful mind; it is also necessary to

plant the seeds for the loving, compassionate,

peaceful thoughts that we do want to grow,

nurture, encourage and support.

 

 

A normal healthy Mind is like a highly

fertile land that can't remain barren

for long. Failing to plant right seeds and grow

right plants, we end up being constantly

busy with removing weed (stressful

thoughts); because the fertile land of our

mind simply grows whatever a passing

birds (external stimuli) 'poop' into it!

[Guest guest]

>>hhmmm. am i really the one planting

the garden?

 

 

You may not be, but, you " can " be.

 

This can be easily understood by

contemplating the difference between

the concept of 'victimhood' and 'taking

responsibility'. Both these concepts

are partially true, but constantly

remaining in the 'victimhood' mode, and

to keep on blaming something else for

your thoughts, words, acts would keep

you indefinitely in the 'victim' mode.

Whereas, starting to 'take

responsibility' for your own thoughts,

words and actions will show you the way

towards creating your own inner and

outer reality and move you away from

being a perpetual 'victim' of

circumstances.

 

 

 

>>when i question my stressful

thoughts, i am interested in seeing

what there is underneath, existing or

arising on it's own. i don't want to

grow anything...

 

 

For a normal, healthy mind, growing

thoughts is not a matter of choice!

 

The mind survives, grows and works by

thinking thoughts. Just like a fertile,

well watered land doesn't remain barren

for long; a healthy mind doesn't remain

empty for long. Like a fertile land,

mind uses any stimuli that falls into

its realm into a thought unless like an

alert gardener we take care to grow

right plants and guard against the

entry of the harmful ones.

 

 

> i want to see what is already being

grown underneath my stressful stories.

it is not something that I do....

 

 

Examining what has already grown and

uprooting the harmful ones, is

certainly a good practice. But, a good

gardener is one who alertly guards his

land and makes sure that right seed is

planted. Liming oneself only to

uprooting weed prevents one from being

a complete gardener.

 

As the intelligence guarding the

fertile land of mind, I consider it our

duty to not only examine and uproot

false painful thoughts but to also

plant the good, healthy, noble thoughts

and to guard against the seeds of false

stressful thoughts.