An Episode for Overthinkers | Tuere Sala
Dharma teacher Tuere Sala, a former prosecutor, discusses how to change our relationship with thoughts in meditation. She outlines three progressive practices to understand thinking as a sense door, move beyond habitual thought patterns, and cultivate deeper awareness of mind states for true liberation and reduced suffering.
Deep Dive Analysis
9 Topic Outline
Introduction to Thoughts in Meditation
Understanding Thinking as a Sense Door
The Illusion of a Permanent Self and Habitual Thinking
Three Levels of Practice for Working with Thoughts
Level 1: Noting Thoughts with an Anchor
Level 2: Using Thoughts Themselves as an Anchor
Addressing Difficult or Negative Thoughts in Practice
Level 3: Noticing Mind States and Felt Sensations
The Path to True Liberation from Thought Patterns
6 Key Concepts
Thoughts as Dictators
This analogy describes how, when we are not mindful, our thoughts can act like tiny dictators, marching into our minds, telling us what to do, and causing us to act them out reflexively, habitually, and automatically, like puppets on a string.
Thinking as a Sense Door
Thinking is presented as another 'sense door' akin to seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, and touching. The goal is to relate to thoughts in a balanced way, similar to how we process other sensory data without obsessing over them, allowing us to shift our attention.
Concretized Self
This refers to the tendency for our thoughts about who we are to become fixed and permanent, forming a rigid way of seeing ourselves. This prevents us from changing and adapting with life's experiences, leading to a disconnect from our evolving present reality.
Relative Reality vs. Ultimate Reality
Relative reality is our day-to-day, shared experience where we perceive ourselves and objects as solid and distinct. Ultimate reality, however, suggests that at a fundamental level, there is no fixed 'essence' to things or a core 'self,' but rather a constant flux, similar to how a chair is revealed as spinning subatomic particles under a microscope.
Selfing
This term describes the habitual way our mind operates, often without present moment attention, where we identify with ingrained patterns of thought and behavior. While useful for routine tasks like driving, 'selfing' can create difficulties when applied to emotional decisions or when it prevents us from adapting to present circumstances.
Eight States of Mind
A framework for understanding different qualities of mind, categorized into 'ordinary mind' states (wanting, aversion, distraction, delusion) and 'ultimate reality' states (spacious, surpassing, concentrated, liberated). The practice involves recognizing these states not just as thoughts, but as felt bodily experiences, and noting their presence or absence.
5 Questions Answered
The goal isn't to stop thinking, but to become aware that you are thinking. By recognizing thinking as a distinct process, you can learn to shift your attention away from it, similar to how you shift attention from other sense experiences.
While there is a 'you' on the relative level who can direct attention, the Buddhist concept of 'selfing' refers to habitual ways of thinking that can trap us in outdated patterns. The goal is to direct thinking based on what's happening in the present moment, rather than being tied to old habits.
Noting involves using an anchor (like breath or body sensations) to stay present, and when thoughts arise, you apply a general label to them (e.g., 'planning,' 'judging') without getting caught in their content. This helps you recognize thinking as a distinct process and differentiate it from direct present-moment experience.
After building concentration with an external anchor, you can let go of that anchor and use the thinking itself as your object. This involves observing the thoughts' complexity, noting if they are pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral, and investigating the mind states (like aversion or desire) associated with them, without getting lost in the content.
The eight states of mind include wanting, anger/aversion, distraction, delusion (ordinary mind), and spaciousness, surpassing, concentrated, and liberated (ultimate reality). The practice involves not only knowing these mind states but also feeling their corresponding physical sensations in the body, allowing you to recognize their presence or absence and ultimately experience a sense of release from their influence.
35 Actionable Insights
1. Thoughts Are Not The Enemy
Understand that thoughts are natural and will always come during meditation; the goal is not to eradicate thinking but to change your relationship with it.
2. Change Relationship to Thoughts
Shift your goal in meditation from trying to stop thinking to cultivating a new relationship with your thoughts, recognizing them as transient phenomena rather than dictators.
3. Know When You Are Thinking
Cultivate awareness to recognize when you are thinking, as often we are trapped in thought processes without realizing it, which is the first step to not being trapped by them.
4. Don’t Act Out Thoughts Reflexively
Become aware of your thoughts to avoid acting them out reflexively and habitually, thereby cutting the strings of what can be a ‘malevolent puppeteer’.
5. Treat Thinking as a Sense Door
View thinking as another ‘sense door,’ similar to seeing or hearing, to reduce obsession over thoughts and learn to shift attention away from them.
6. Shift Attention from Thoughts
Practice shifting your attention from thoughts to other sense doors (seeing, tasting, hearing, etc.) to avoid constant obsession with thinking.
7. See Thought as Just Thought
Practice recognizing thoughts as mere thoughts, rather than identifying with them, to liberate yourself from being trapped by their content.
8. Direct Attention Away from Harmful Thoughts
Once you recognize thinking as a sense door, you can consciously direct your attention away from unwholesome or harmful thoughts towards more skillful thinking that leads to capacity and opportunity.
9. Align Thinking with Present Moment
Aim for your thinking to be responsive to the present moment, rather than being driven by old, habitual thought patterns that may no longer be relevant or helpful.
10. Embrace Change, Release Permanent Self
Release the notion of a permanent, unchanging self and embrace the fluidity of life and personal identity, allowing yourself to adapt and grow with constant change to avoid suffering.
11. Cultivate Open, Present Moment Awareness
Cultivate an open, present-moment awareness to unlock hidden capacities and qualities of mind, moving beyond the limitations of habitual living.
12. Practice Being with Present Reality
Consciously practice being present with reality as it is, as this discomfort is a barrier to accessing the mind’s full capacity.
13. Build Concentration Before Deep Thought Observation
Before attempting to use thoughts as an anchor, first build a strong foundation of concentration by consistently returning to a chosen anchor until you clearly distinguish thinking as an object.
14. Practice Thought Noting (Level 1)
Use an anchor (breath, sound, body sensations, smell) to stay present. When thoughts arise, give them a general label (e.g., ‘rehearsing,’ ‘planning,’ ‘complaining,’ ‘judging,’ ’thinking’) without getting caught in the content, then gently return to your anchor.
15. Apply Noting in Daily Life
Apply the noting practice in everyday situations, like standing in a grocery store, to discern the difference between direct experience (e.g., standing) and the activity of thinking.
16. Distinguish Thought from Direct Experience
Through noting, learn to distinguish between being lost in a thought (like judging) and being present in direct experience (like standing in a grocery store), eventually being able to hold both without one dominating the other.
17. Prevent Thoughts from Pulling Attention
The aim of noting is not to eliminate thoughts but to prevent them from completely pulling your attention away from your direct, present-moment experience.
18. Tune Into The Pleasure of Presence
Recognize and appreciate the improved feeling of being present and awake, even in mundane moments, as this positive reinforcement can incentivize your mind to engage more with mindfulness.
19. Use Driving as a Mindfulness Anchor
Use everyday activities like driving as an anchor to practice noticing when your mind wanders and gently bringing it back to the direct experience of the activity.
20. Overcome Fear of Thinking
To skillfully direct your thoughts, overcome the fear of thinking and become comfortable being with thoughts, understanding what is skillful and what is obsolete.
21. Practice Using Thoughts as Anchor (Level 2)
After cultivating concentration with a traditional anchor, let go of that anchor and use the thinking itself as the object of meditation. Observe the complexity of thoughts, noting if they are pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral, and identifying hindrances (desire, aversion, restlessness, sleepiness, doubt) within the thought process.
22. Investigate the Nature of Thoughts
When using thoughts as an anchor, move beyond simple labeling; actively investigate the nature of the thinking, its qualities, tones, and moods, rather than just returning to a different anchor.
23. Cultivate Awareness of Thought, Not Identification
By using thoughts as an anchor, you cultivate a quality of mind that is aware of thought processes without being caught up in them, allowing you to see the harm of judgment without judging yourself.
24. Don’t Reify Negative Thoughts
When observing negative or self-defeating thoughts, mentally separate them from your core identity, viewing them as old, habitual programs running in the background rather than definitive truths about yourself.
25. Release Obsolete Mental Programs
Approach the observation of thoughts not as a means to ‘fix’ yourself, but to identify and release outdated, obsolete mental programs that no longer serve you.
26. Gain Freedom from Inner Cacophony
By observing the chaotic nature of your inner thoughts, you gain freedom from being controlled by them.
27. Cultivate Compassion Through Self-Observation
Recognizing the challenging nature of your own mind can foster compassion and reduce judgment towards others, understanding that their minds also contain complex and sometimes difficult processes.
28. Reduce Mental Clutter by Releasing Old Patterns
By releasing obsolete thinking patterns, you reduce mental clutter and experience less random, constant verbiage, leading to thoughts that are more relevant to present reality.
29. Make Room for New, Better Thoughts
Clearing out old, habitual thinking patterns creates space for new, more skillful, and beneficial thoughts to emerge.
30. Practice Noticing Mind States (Level 3)
Learn to recognize eight specific mind states (wanting, aversion/anger, distraction, delusion, spaciousness, surpassing, concentrated, liberated) by their felt sense in the body, combining the knowing of the mind state with its physical sensation.
31. Recognize Mind States by Felt Sense
Develop the ability to recognize mind states (like wanting or spaciousness) primarily through their felt bodily sensations, moving beyond conceptual understanding or narrative.
32. Cultivate a ‘Surpassing’ Mind (Openness)
Cultivate a ‘surpassing’ mind state by being open to new information, alternative possibilities, and perspectives beyond your current fixed ideas.
33. Experience a ‘Liberated’ Mind (Release from Constriction)
Experience a ’liberated’ mind as a release from mental constrictions, such as the absence of wanting, aversion, distraction, or confusion, rather than a state of full enlightenment.
34. Let Go of Wanting by Felt Sense
In the third level of practice, when you feel the bodily pressure of a mind state like ‘wanting,’ consciously let go of that wanting without getting caught in its narrative content.
35. Adapt Practice to Your Needs
Approach these practices as an offering, adapting them to suit your individual needs and comfort, rather than adhering rigidly to specific instructions, to foster a supportive relationship with your thoughts.
8 Key Quotes
Thoughts are not your enemy in meditation. If you get distracted when you meditate, that is not necessarily a problem. Thoughts are natural. They're always going to come.
Dan Harris
When you are unaware of that, the thinking, much of which is stupid, owns you completely. You just act it out.
Dan Harris
If you live in this idea that I am who I am, only this, then you never get to change. You never get to change. No one you know gets the change. No situation can ever change. And that kind of permanent kind of solidity is what causes us so much trouble because things are always changing all the time.
Tuere Sala
The more I practice, the more I understand what that means. Because the more I just live out of habit, the more I am trapped in a box that I can only exist one way. Nothing ever can change. I don't want anything to change. I want everything to stay the same. But the more I live in this more kind of open, present moment... The more access I have to qualities and capacities I didn't even know I had.
Tuere Sala
You are going to see things and hear yourself saying things that you will not like, that you will not want to accept that you even talk like this. And that cannot possibly be me.
Tuere Sala
What's said in the mind stays in the mind. It's basically like I'm not carrying what I see into this meditation out into my life as this is me.
Tuere Sala
You think you're thinking your thoughts, but you're not. You're thinking the culture's thoughts.
J. Krishnamurti (quoted by Seben A. Selassie)
This is all practice and it's practice around thoughts because thoughts are a big part of our lives. So we want to practice with thoughts and not be afraid of them or not be somehow try to get rid of them or run away from them.
Tuere Sala
3 Protocols
Noting Thoughts (Level 1)
Tuere Sala- Take your meditation position (sitting, lying down, standing, walking).
- Pick an anchor or object of meditation (e.g., breath, sounds, smells, body sensations).
- Commit to gently focusing on your chosen anchor.
- When thoughts inevitably arise and you get distracted, wake up to the fact that you're thinking.
- Place a general label on the thinking (e.g., 'thinking,' 'judging,' 'planning,' 'complaining') without getting lost in the content.
- Use the anchor to gently return your attention to the present moment.
- Repeat this process to learn the difference between direct experience and being lost in thought.
Using Thoughts as Anchor (Level 2)
Tuere Sala- First, cultivate a strong level of concentration by consistently practicing with an external anchor (as in Level 1) until you have a clear felt sense of the difference between direct experience and thinking.
- In formal meditation, let go of the external anchor, allowing the thinking itself to become your object of meditation.
- Observe the complexity of the thoughts, noting whether the experience is pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral.
- Investigate the mind states present (e.g., aversion, desire, restlessness, sleepiness, doubt), paying attention to the words, dynamics, and feelings associated with the thinking.
- Maintain an awareness that is not caught up in the thought's content, but rather observes the thought as an experience, similar to how one observes a sound.
Noticing Mind States (Level 3)
Tuere Sala- Build upon the concentration and awareness cultivated in Levels 1 and 2.
- Focus on simultaneously knowing the mind state and feeling its corresponding sensation in the body.
- Observe the presence or absence of the 'ordinary mind' states: wanting (feeling the pull), anger/aversion (feeling the pushing against), distraction (feeling scatteredness), and delusion (feeling confusion or doubt).
- Also observe the presence or absence of the 'ultimate reality' states: spaciousness, surpassing (openness to other possibilities), concentrated (unified and present), and liberated (release from constriction).
- Recognize that the felt sense in the body helps you know where you are in the mind, allowing you to feel the pressure of thinking and learn to let it go, leading to a sense of liberation.