Several close friends, all meditators, have told me that they still struggle with random uncomfortable and/or disturbing thoughts that they feel ashamed of. Meditation is often sold as a spell that eradicates negative thoughts. This is a sham. (thread) 1/11
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There is this notion among many Buddhists (and meditators in general) that while all phenomena that arise in the mind are to be met with equanimity, there is one class of phenomena that must be avoided at all costs (and/or ultimately eradicated): thoughts. 2/11
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Not all traditions emphasize this, though. As I understand it based on readings and conversations with long-term Dzogchen practitioners, in Dzogchen thought is a phenomenon just like any other: it arises in mind and is to be seen clearly for what it is, not to be reviled. 3/11
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Humans are evolved creatures with a brain that thinks. Our capacity for personal and collective imagination is what sets us apart from other animals, and allows us to do things that they can't. Fully accepting the human experience *as it is* is the basis of practice. 4/11
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If one is under the impression that thoughts are the devil, and that the goal of practice is to get to a place where thoughts -- or at least those perceived as "bad" -- stop arising, then it becomes impossible to accept this human experience for what it actually is. 5/11
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You may actually begin experiencing less unpleasant thoughts with deeper practice. Or you may not. Maybe they will even get worse. In any case, the practice remains exactly the same: having a clear understanding of, and equanimity toward, all experiences as they arise. 6/11
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If you take a step back and see yourself as a mere witness to the utterly mysterious and infinitely complex workings of an evolved brain interacting with its environment, then even unpleasant or shameful thoughts are not your problem anymore. 7/11
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A disturbing thought arises. It bothers you that you would ever have such a thought. "Ugh, why would I think that? What's wrong with me?" When this happens, pause. Check whether you're a thinking agent or a witness. 8/11
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Was the thinking of this particular thought an action that you took? Or did you actually just witness the arising of a thought that, for whatever reason, the neuronal arrangement in your brain and its interaction with the environment produced? 9/11
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When you train yourself to witness thoughts instead of thinking them, thoughts become no more offensive than a vulgar strip of graffiti on a wall as you pass it by on the street, or an insult heard yelled aloud from a distance. 10/11
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Would seeing vulgar graffiti or hearing an aimless insult ever cause discomfort? Maybe. Would it ruin your day? Probably not. Would it make you ashamed that they arose in consciousness? Of course not. They are just appearances being seen. Why must thoughts be different? 11/11
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