A Buddhist tale has it that the Buddha sent a disciple to fetch water in a muddy lake over and over again, although the latter was evidently irritated by the request, as the water was undrinkable.
But the last time he reached the lake, he found it crystal clear and clean. The Buddha explained to him that the mud settles by itself, it is enough to simply wait, exactly as it happens to our mind, that in order to find calm and balance, when it is disturbed or undecided about what to do, it needs patience.
On the other hand, Buddhism has always said that calming the mind is the best way to find the answers you need, getting out of the state of perennial mental irritation and confusion that keeps us under siege, making us nervous and stressed.
In this regard, in the book ” The peaceful tranquillity of mental silence ” by Lama Yeshe, a Tibetan Buddhist monk, we read:
“If you are troubled by the problems created by thoughts, instead of trying to stop these problems by holding on to some other idea, which is impossible, silently examine how thoughts cause you difficulties. Sometimes a silent mind is very important, but “silent” does not mean closed. The silent mind is alert and awake; a mind that seeks the nature of reality. In the stillness, you will find all the answers. Doing nothing, when you don’t know what to do, is the solution. “
One of the causes of our constant dissatisfaction would be precisely the thoughts that alternate in the head, and that does not leave us a single moment in peace. Thanks to practices such as meditation we can slowly calm this uncontrolled flow and bring the mind back to a state of tranquillity.
Only by silencing thoughts do the answers come, the ones we really need. But there is no logic that matters because it is not the reason that finds them, but another part of us.
To do this we should learn, as Lama Yeshe suggests in the interview book cited, to observe our thoughts while remaining silent, both internally and externally:
“You are not the whirlwind of thoughts pounding your head, you are just the observer who is in the middle of the problem. You are the conscience, which is waiting to be heard. How to achieve this state of calm that allows us to solve problems? Certainly through silence. To be able to live in joy and lucidity, silence, both internal and external, is fundamental. A physical closure with a head full of noise is useless. Silence inside and out. “
Worth a try!
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