The discipline of labeling thoughts

Most people find that these instructions sound clear and easy to do, but that in practice, the awareness easily slips away as we begin to daydream and compulsively entertain various thoughts. This is merely habitual and is not considered to be a bad thing at all: in fact this habitual mind is the very handle with which we can get a hold on the entire process of seeing the unconditional, clear and open mind.

That very moment that you become aware that you were lost in thought is the moment that is of key importance. That is the moment that we make the choice drop the story line or fantasy of the thought, and simply to return to our awareness and to our breath. This is the moment that we apply the discipline of letting go. At the moment that you recognize that you have lost your awareness and you have been in a daydream, fantasy etc, you have aleady returned to the present. At that moment, apply the key instruction: simply let go of the topic of your daydream or thought, and again return to what is occurring to your mind. What occurs to the mind is simply sound, smell, and so on, as well as the trickle of thoughts as they flash by.

We apply this essential discipline by applying a mental label: we say (silently) to ourselves the word ‘thinking’, and simply drop what we were thinking and return to whatever is occurring at that moment. Whether the daydream or fantasy brought you joy or sorrow or neither, just let that story-line go and return to your breathing: in, out, in, out.

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