Spirituality

Many people I come into contact with tell me that their mind is a continuous stream of thoughts, largely repetitive and often negative. They also claim that it causes them much suffering and leaves them feeling stressed and exhausted.  Around five years ago I was one of these people and this constant thinking had become unbearable. I’d heard that spiritual teachings and especially meditation could be really helpful for quietening the mind and so I started reading spiritual books and attending talks and workshops on this theme.

Which Spiritual Teacher?

With so many spiritual teachers out there I was expecting it to be a daunting task to find one offering the right teachings for me but I was amazed to discover they were nearly all conveying the same message. This was certainly reassuring and I guessed for so many people to have arrived at a similar conclusion it must hold some validity.

So what was the essence of all these teachings?

‘You are not your mind’

I’d spent many years trying to find answers to my problems and nobody had ever suggested this to me. I also wondered why it wasn’t common knowledge if it was such a fundamental part of  finding peace in one’s life. Surely something as major as this couldn’t be a secret. The answer to this question and many others I had would be answered in time but the willingness to investigate within myself,  to see if it was true for me, was my first step on a path to end my suffering.

It’s really that simple

The more we can train ourselves not to identify with the thoughts in the head, the more we can connect with the deep sense of peace and joy within us and feel our connection to the source (whatever we deem that to be). And the really good news is, no matter how we’ve lived our life up until now, that special place inside of us remains perfect and unchanged and is ready to be connected with.

A Different World

When enough people have found this place of peace inside themselves we will see an incredible transformation on our planet. Wars, genocide, racism, to name but a few, will become history. The vast amounts of money governments currently spend on such things as defence budgets may be ploughed into supporting those in need and helping to build a better world for all of us. Our species will live in alignment with the planet in a very different existence to the one we know today.