339-Trapped in thoughts?- Buddhism in daily life

Trapped in thoughts?


Are you caught in the "thought carousel"?


Constantly brooding, "what if"? Have I done something "wrong"? Is
it "up to me"?


NO


Self-criticism is important, but too much of it will lead to
depression.


It is always important to question why this thought arises in us
right now, what brought us to brooding in the first place, was
there a reason for it (and if so, what was it), does brooding
have a benefit, how do we feel while we are brooding, what
feelings do we experience?


Brooding is always a sign that we are too busy "with ourselves".
And in a wrong way "dealing with ourselves", because instead of
worrying about "what if", we should center our mental capacities
on questions like "who am I", and "what results from this".


Of course, it also helps to distract ourselves first, to clear
our minds for "new things". Here it can help to listen to music,
to read a book, or to go for a walk. However, we should become
really free in the head, otherwise even distractions do not
really bring an improvement.


What helps us permanently, however, is to replace the negative
thoughts with positive ones.


First of all, we should realize that we can do NOTHING about the
past, brooding over it will bring NOTHING. We should make peace
with ourselves and our past, everything is good as it is,
according to Buddha everything was predetermined anyway, came as
it had to come, therefore we are WITHOUT GUILT.


Because if our destiny was already written, then we had to act as
we have acted, we had no choice in the consequence. From this
insight of Buddha we can draw deep comfort, come clean with our
past, rest in ourselves for the future, we can therefore stop
brooding now.


If we make wiser decisions from NOW on, then after our destiny is
already determined (whatever wiser may be).


Many advisors want to explain to us that we should "think
positive", but from my point of view this is completely
meaningless. What is "positive", what is "negative"?


It will only help us if we put something "positive" in the place
of brooding.


Buddha has exemplified to us the "enlightenment" that MUST take
the place of brooding.


Readers of this blog know that, in my view, Buddhist teachings
revolve around only one subject, "enlightenment", the attainment
of insight, "awakening".


EVERY DAY IS A LITTLE LIFE - EVERY WAKING AND RISING IS A LITTLE
BIRTH, EVERY FRESH MORNING IS A LITTLE YOUTH, AND EVERY GOING TO
BED AND FALLING ASLEEP IS A LITTLE DEATH.


- ARTHUR SCHOPENHAUER - GERMAN PHILOSOPHER - 1788 TO 1860


As described in this quotation of Arthur Schopenhauer we can
start completely NEW every day of our life, everything has come
as it had to come, what will be tomorrow is also already written,
then our karma will bring us tomorrow the possibility to at least
think about the "enlightenment"!


Anyway, we are without GUILT, we don't have to brood any more, we
can get out of the "thought carousel" with the help of the
teacher of all teachers.


If we only want it!


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