3.5 How do you set about inhibiting the thought process itself?

The goal of this meditative exercise is to develop the skills enabling you to cut off a thought at the root, the very instant it rises up. This is a simple, but vital, skill. It is the first in a series of exercises leading to the development of a still mind.

The meditation is carried out as follows: you are sitting comfortably in your chosen position, alone, with your chosen stimulus. At every moment, thoughts arise as a result of stimuli. Your task is to cut off each thought in the very moment it arises.

Your mind is constantly exposed, through your five senses, to stimuli. As a result of these constant stimuli, thoughts occur continuously and endlessly. The purpose of this exercise is to give you the capacity to end, albeit temporarily, this apparently unceasing process.

Mind, in its conditioned state, is constantly distracted from its inherent stillness by the endless stimuli of this. This process of distraction is the root of the unenlightened mind’s mistaken understanding that this is an objective reality. By learning to cut off a thought in its moment of formation, you begin the process of cleansing your mind of its accumulated ignorance of the true nature of this.

Before you realised the first stage of enlightenment, noise, sights and all forms of sensual experience were a severe form of distraction during your meditation. Now, as you move towards the second stage of enlightenment, the attainment of a still mind, what was once a source of difficulty, will become an aid, as you travel along the path. This is an experience you will find repeated many times.

The purpose of your chosen stimulus is to provide you with a simple and repetitive framework, against which you can test your progress. Whether you choose the ticking of a mechanical clock, or the passage of seconds on a digital clock, or any other simple and repetitive stimulus, your goal is to witness your chosen stimulus with a state of mind both transcending and embracing thought. The awareness of this transcending the limitations of thought is mind in its natural state.

To witness this from the qualityless and unconditioned perspective of that, or to witness this with the all-embracing compassion and love of God, requires the ability to transcend the thought process. To realise the final stage of enlightenment, the birth of even a single thought must be prevented. To achieve the necessary inhibiting of the thought process itself requires considerable exercise of mental alertness.

Through the practice of these meditation exercises you will become trained in yogic disciplines to such a degree of alertness that you will be aware of the rise and fall of each thought. In time, you will be able to witness the flow of thoughts, rather than simply experience each thought as you do now. From that position of undistracted alertness you will learn to transcend the thought process.

First exercise

Begin your meditation practice: as soon as each thought crops up, try to cut it off at the root. Always try to bring your mind back to simply witnessing your chosen stimulus. When the next thought arises, repeat the process.

At first, this exercise will be very difficult to do, but with committed daily practice, it gradually becomes easier. All you are learning from this first exercise is that it is possible to cut off a thought at the root, at the very moment it arises.

This simple, but difficult, exercise should be continued outside of your formal practice of meditation. While engaged in any of your normal, everyday activities – at work, while travelling or eating, walking or watching television – continue your practice of cutting off thoughts as they arise. In this way, you will bring the fruits of meditation into every aspect of your life.

Through committed daily practice, you will become able to prolong the period of time during which you are able to make the effort to prevent thoughts arising. As a result of your efforts, you will become sensitised to one of the primary characteristics of the thought process. You will become aware that thoughts arise spontaneously, in a continuous and apparently endless stream.

Continue with this exercise until you feel adept at the instantaneous cutting off of a thought. A reasonable minimum length of time for this practice would be 2-4 weeks. You will gain nothing by attempting to hurry the process; become sensitive to your psycho-physiological system’s capacity to learn, develop and unfold.

The purpose of this meditative exercise is achieved when you become aware of the stream of thoughts as both spontaneous and interminable. You will not have achieved this awareness until you are able to observe the flow of thoughts with a tranquil detachment. This is an awareness in which you both experience and witness the flow of thoughts.

Once you have attained this tranquil detachment, even for the briefest of moments, you are ready to move on to the next exercise. As a result of this exercise, you will feel more aware than ever of the pressure of thoughts in your head – this is a good sign, indicating your growing sensitivity to the workings of the thought process. Now you are ready for the next exercise, learning not to react to thoughts.