Ignoring thoughts is the best way to become silent

[Davino]

If you fight with your thoughts you've already lost

If you resist them you're entangled 

In the same way you ignore a distant street sound 

Ignore thoughts

Let them be

You just don't care

If you find yourself lost again in thoughts 

Ignore again

If you find thoughts about how the meditation is going or how to improve it. Ignore again

Finally ignore ignoring as well

And rest Awake and Free

[Nick_98]

Ignoring thoughts might lead you to ignore people, which won't work if you are building a career by being a person with high interpersonal skills. 

This works only if you have an isolated lifestyle. 

[James123]

10 hours ago, Davino said:

If you fight with your thoughts you've already lost

If you resist them you're entangled 

In the same way you ignore a distant street sound 

Ignore thoughts

Let them be

You just don't care

If you find yourself lost again in thoughts 

Ignore again

If you find thoughts about how the meditation is going or how to improve it. Ignore again

Finally ignore ignoring as well

And rest Awake and Free

Exactly. Even if you fail 1000000 times, do not despair.

[theleelajoker]

Don't think (ahahaha) that all thoughts are bad. It's about detaching from them and deciding which is worth to follow with action. A "negative" thought "I am XYZ" is one thing, the other is to tell oneself "ok what am I gonna do about it?"

Answer might be in some cases "doing nothing" or "just feel your feelings". But in others cases answer might be "go for sports" or "call a friend".

It's about separation of assumption from assessment and action.

Edited 3 hours ago by theleelajoker

[Joseph Maynor]

Wisdom is neither accepting nor rejecting thoughts but properly considering them IMO.  Sometimes this means finding the meta structure that the thoughts are revealing that take you beyond suffering toward planning and creative action.

[Inliytened1]

@Joseph Maynor agreed.

[Natasha Tori Maru]

45 minutes ago, Joseph Maynor said:

Wisdom is neither accepting nor rejecting thoughts but properly considering them IMO. 

Precisely. 

Discernment, not judgement.

[Nick_98]

1 hour ago, Joseph Maynor said:

Wisdom is neither accepting nor rejecting thoughts but properly considering them IMO.  Sometimes this means finding the meta structure that the thoughts are revealing that take you beyond suffering toward planning and creative action.

I really like your take on this one. Can you please elaborate on this point and give some concrete examples ?

[Joseph Maynor]

49 minutes ago, Nick_98 said:

I really like your take on this one. Can you please elaborate on this point and give some concrete examples ?

I'm not discounting emotional spiraling and blaming, because those are here too and I still do it.  But often the wise friend of mine will get me out of the emotional quagmire by guiding me to considering a larger system at work which is causing the problem or impasse.  Then, this releases suffering immediately because I realize nobody is at fault, it's a system issue.  Then I can plan accordingly.  It takes it to a level where optimism and calm returns.