Think of Them as Distractions

I just did a search for the phrase “wandering thoughts” and found that I have written about them twenty-five times on this blog. Actually, that is a small percentage compared to how often my teacher, Venerable Master Chin Kung, mentions wandering thoughts in his talks. Perhaps one of the reasons I mention them less is that “wandering thoughts” is difficult to understand. (Or maybe it works better in Chinese.)

What is a wandering thought?

If it's getting close to meal time and I intentionally think of a veggie burger for lunch, is that a wandering thought? What if I think I’d like to do something nice for someone, is that one? Or how about when I'm working on one project and think of something I need to do for another? Is that a wandering thought? Or simply multi-tasking?

In a recent discussion about thoughts and feelings and wandering thoughts, the question arose as to whether feelings fit into this category. Then the suggestion was made that perhaps “distractions” would be easier to understand.

It was a very good suggestion because we all understand what distractions are.

When we’re at work and concentrating on a project that is due at the end of the day and notice that it's getting close to lunchtime and that we’re hungry and we start thinking of a veggie burger and onion rings, the feeling of hunger and the resultant thoughts are distractions because they broke our concentration. (And yes, we ate a good breakfast so we're in no danger of starvation. ;-))

If we're doing our practice of chanting "Amituofo" and remember we wanted to stop by the store on the way home and get a birthday present for a friend, yes that's a distraction because we were supposed to practicing. And in this situation, the feeling that we wanted to something nice was also a distraction.

And one we all do. If we're working on one project and think of something for another, then our train of thought was broken and we were distracted. It will take effort to get back into what we were previously doing. So no matter how brilliant the distracting idea was, it was still a distraction.

So try thinking of wandering thoughts as distractions, whether they are feelings or the thought that immediately follows the feeling.

Comments

[anybody]

Well i tend to agree that a veggie burger and onion rings can be distracting on a thinking stomach. So what are my choices? Stop all together. Begin again. Say to myself "later not now" then begin again. Fully entertain the thought and then label it. Future, past, fantasy. Then begin again. Put the thought on hold..."not now I'm chanting." Then begin again.

Well this sounds too hard. Aren't we suppose to always have Amitabha on our mind? Okay I get strong concentration on a project that was due yesterday. But if we always have stong concentration on work when do we chant? Before falling asleep? driving home in the car?

What prevents any of us to hide in our jobs and not chant?

I am sure there are other compulsive obsesives that love their never ending jobs! And if there is no work we make up things to do and re-do. I have seen this done. Maybe some people operate out of "idle hands are the devils work." Or just guilt they aren't doing anything.

Just wondering,

[Venerable Wuling]

Anybody,

Initially, we do have to gently keep bringing our mind back to "Amituofo" or whatever we were trying to focus on. Gradually, our mind will remain more and more settled and focused. And yes it is hard. Too hard? No. Others have done it, so we know it can be done.

And yes, we are supposed to always have "Amituofo" in our mind. But when working, it's at the back of our mind. When finished working (or whatever) we bring it to the forefront.

What prevents us from hiding in our job is the understanding that our job is important for this lifetime for those we support like our spouse and children. Attaining rebirth in the Pure Land is important for the rest of our lifetimes and for the uncountable number of beings we vowed to help.

If there's nothing that we see to do, maybe we're supposed to be chanting. For Pure Land Buddhists, there is nothing more important because it is the only way we can truly help others.

[Sue K]

I have a very undisciplined mind at this time--"Monkey Mind" as they say. I do find it helpful to put in a chanting CD while I work. It does help me focus. I have a special chanting CD I play every night before I go to sleep. I am not personally chanting it, but I do feel I am absorbing the vibration from it.

Perhaps this is "cheating"? I view it as an aid to helping me align with a higher vibration.

I also notice my dogs love to lie in front of the CD player, which is on the floor, when I put these CD's in to play. It seems to help "woman and beast"! :-)

[Venerable Wuling]

Sue,

Not cheating! Just planting lots of good seeds. (Both woman and beast) ;-)

[Kuei-sen Chen]

I think mindfulness is the most difficult skill to be achieved. In my morning spiritual practice, I try to concentrate in the half hour of prostration and half hour of sutra reading, but find the progress is very little, the mind is constantly wandering about
But what motivates me is Venerable's comment: "Too hard? No. Others have done it, so we know it can be done."

[Linda]

I think I remember reading somewhere that it's good to play the chanting all night while we sleep. Is that right? I have been doing this - I have a chant going all night, every night, into my ears via the i-Pod. I find it very pleasant to wake up to the chanting and then I just lie there absorbed in it for about an hour. Occasionally I have been aware of it in my dreams, where it becomes part of the dream. But most of the time I am not, and I still have mostly quite uninspiring, unhappy, grotesque and rather dark dreams, despite the chanting. Do you feel that the chanting is still penetrating the consciousness in some way at these times, and in deep sleep?

[Venerable Wuling]

First, yes, it is good to play the chanting at night. It is easier on your ears to have a chanting machine going but if that doesn't work, an iPod is good. And yes, again, it's wonderful when the chanting become part of the dream.

Third yes, the chanting does penetrate deep into your mind and plants more seeds for the future.