"The world's spiritual geniuses seem to discover universally that the mind's muddy river, this ceaseless flow of trivia and trash, cannot be dammed, and that trying to dam it is a waste of effort that might lead to madness."
-- Annie Dillard
Let it be. That stream of consciousness that flows through your cranium, just let it be. Observe it, watch it, witness it, but don't dare try and stop it. Because if you do try and put the kabosh on your own mind, you'll only drive the stream underground. Powerful currents that are out of sight are much more dangerous than the flotsam and jetsam of consciousness that you can see.
Novice spiritual seekers sometimes think that the goal of their practice is to have a dazzling, clean mind that is spotless and thought free. The hallmark of spiritual progress is not a zombie-like voidness, but rather detachment to all that arises.
And arise it will. Over and over again -- repetitive thoughts, memories you thought you'd long forgotten, judgments, unprocessed emotions, and hair-brained schemes. From a trickle to a torrent they will flow. And you, like Siddhartha sitting on the banks of the river, are only there to observe them.
Don't attempt to dam them. Don't even damn them. As you watch them, be as judgement-free as you can. Do not curse them, entertain them or invest in them. Let them flow by unobstructed as you witness their inevitable march to the sea of consciousness.
The muddy river may clear someday. Until it does, merely let it be.
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