Thoughts

Q: What is the origin of thought?

A: Thoughts are a gift from Consciousness. Thoughts are the boat that can take you across the river to Consciousness. But also, thoughts are the way the mind stays in control. When you are thinking, they come one thought after another, and they can keep coming, and then you are really lost, you are lost in thoughts. Thoughts are both a gift and a trap. Because once thinking has become a habit, familiar, and appears as a security, then they become the very environment of your world, and the source of your suffering.. But the thoughts keep coming only because they have become a habit, a habit of taking each and every experience and creating a concept about and round about the experience. And all the while, you are being invited instead, of being totally with each experience, with no thoughts.

Know that thoughts are a gift, that they can bring you to Consciousness, but also know that they can lead you into endless suffering. Even though many try, you cannot think your way to Consciousness. You cannot use thinking to figure out life, to try and understand what is really happening, but you can think your way into seeing the futilities created by the world of thinking. And then seeing this, you can leave thinking behind. Thought is the boat that takes you across the river. But if you stay in the boat, then you will never cross the river. Or if you cross the river but do not want to leave the boat, that is to live a very narrow ‘boat' life. Or you may cross the river, get out of the boat and then carry the boat with you where ever you go. That is to live with a very heavy burden. Instead, once you have crossed the river, leave the boat, leave the mind, and then being light and free— then you can dance and sing across this no-mind land. ~Umi