Sky: June 18 - 24

Body like the mountain,

Heart like the ocean,

Mind like the sky.

Master Dogen

zenmasterdogen.com

Let your mind be like the sky. The same way you can use awareness to watch the breath come and go, you can use awareness to watch thoughts come and go. Watch your thoughts as you would watch clouds float across the sky.

Our thoughts seem so substantial, the way they hijack our attention. But usually within a matter of seconds, one thought is replaced by another, dissolving into nothingness. Learn to watch the thoughts come and go. Especially notice the quiet space between the thoughts. This is the secret of mindfulness. As we become less and less attached to our thoughts, the space of awareness expands like the clear, blue sky.

Practice

Sit, using the breath as an anchor. Return to the breath whenever you realize you’ve been distracted. After a few minutes, let go of the breath and use the thought as an anchor. Turn your awareness to the thought.

Can you observe when a new thought begins? Try not to get caught up in its story but simply notice it. Where is the middle of the thought? When does it end? When does the next begin? Be curious and watch as one thought after another come and go like clouds drifting across the sky. After a few minutes of thought watching, return to the breath as usual.