Question 72: WHAT THOUGHTS OR MEDITATION OBJECTS CAN HELP GRADUALLY STOP WANDERING THOUGHTS?

Question 72: WHAT THOUGHTS OR MEDITATION OBJECTS CAN HELP GRADUALLY STOP WANDERING THOUGHTS?Answer: As we've discussed before, when we plant a new plant in a garden full of weeds, the weeds don't disappear immediately. They gradually diminish as the new plant grows and casts its shade. Using suitable thoughts for meditation can bring about mindfulness alike, but it won't eliminate wandering thoughts right away. It takes sustained mindfulness to gradually calm the mind.For a thought to induce mindfulness, it should have the following characteristics:- It should state a fact about oneself or the external world.- This fact should inspire humility, generosity, and morality.- This fact should help one let go of attachments and delusions.For example, the Buddha taught us to contemplate the impermanence of the body of the four elements – that it will age, become ill, and eventually die, decaying into dust. This thought highlights the inevitable nature of death, promoting humility, reducing greed, and fostering detachment.Another example is the Buddha's teaching on the impermanence of all phenomena. He taught us that everything in the world is conditioned, impermanent, and without a permanent, unchanging essence. This understanding helps us to let go of attachments to worldly things and cultivate an inner peace. The Buddha also taught us to contemplate the suffering inherent in existence. Life is full of pain, and pleasures are temporary. This realization can motivate us to wholeheartedly seek liberation from suffering.We can also meditate on the non-existence of a fixed self. The sense of a separate self is merely an illusion created by the mind in turmoil.Practicing non-self and letting go of ego-centeredness can also enhance mindfulness.Contemplating the body and mind as a collection of impurities can foster humility and repentance.All of these contemplations cultivate mindfulness, and sustained mindfulness leads to concentration. However, arrogance can be a stumbling block on the path to mindfulness, even during moments of insight.#Buddha, #Buddhism, #Buddhist, #Truedharma, #Meditation, #Enlightenment, #Buddhatemple, #TheLawofKarma, #Blessing, #Goodblessing, #Janna, #JannaMonastery, #JannaOrderMonastery, #LawOfKarma, #CauseAndEffect, #UniversalTruth, #KarmicRetribution, #AxiomaticTruth, #PhilosophyOfMind,