Living the Zen Life

Compounded thoughts

Compounded thoughts

“I’ve been putting out the fire with gasoline.”
—David Bowie
 

I

magine you set up an email auto-reply to forward incoming emails to another email address. Then imagine you set that second email address up with an auto-reply forwarding emails back to the first address. What happens? You create an endless loop of emails bouncing back and forth to each other.

That’s what’s going on inside the mind when it’s lost in discursive thought.

Judgment arises. Then judgment arises to judge the judgment. Then feeling bad arises for the judgment of the judgment.

Every thought compounds the previous one needlessly with no benefit whatsoever.

“You weren’t paying attention. That’s why this happened.”
“Not paying attention is bad.”
“You should pay attention more.”
“What’s wrong with you for not paying attention?”

Smack!…

Right into a pole. You were listening to the voices banter on about not paying attention when you should have been

…PAYING ATTENTION.
 

In lovingkindness,


If you enjoyed this article, you can find a version of it in my book, Living the Zen Life: Practicing Conscious, Compassionate Awareness (Volume One).

If you enjoyed this article, you can find a version of it in my book, Living the Zen Life: Practicing Conscious, Compassionate Awareness (Volume Two).

If you enjoyed this article, you can find a version of it in my book, Living the Zen Life: Practicing Conscious, Compassionate Awareness (Volume Three).

If you enjoyed this article, you can find a version of it in my book, A Shift to Love: Zen Stories and Lessons by Alex Mill.

If you enjoyed this article, you can find a version of it in my book, Meditation and Reinventing Yourself.

If you enjoyed this article, you can find a version of it in my book, The Zen Life: Spiritual Training for Modern Times.

 


  Alex Mill trained in a Zen Buddhist monastery for nearly 14 years. He now offers his extensive experience to transform people’s lives and businesses through timeless Zen principles.

He is the creator of three powerful 30-day programs, Heart-to-Heart: Compassionate Self-Mentoring, Help Yourself to Change, and Your Practice, as well as the online Zen meditation workshop, Taming Your Inner Noise (now offered as The FREE Zen Workshop).

Alex has also written seven books on Zen awareness practice. The latest are entitled A Shift to Love: Zen Stories and Lessons (Get it for FREE here) and the 3-book series Living the Zen Life: Practicing Conscious, Compassionate Awareness.

He is a full-time Zen Life Coach who offers guidance and life-changing support to his private clients worldwide. Book a call.