It is the space between thoughts that miracles happen
I was just reading an interview by The New York Times with Singapore’s Minister Mentor Lee Kwan Yew . In it he was reflecting on his years as Singapore’s Prime Minister and his current practice of doing meditation each day. He was quoted as saying, ““The problem is to keep the monkey mind from running off into all kinds of thoughts”.
Even someone with as formidable a mind as Singapore’s elder statesman understands the need for quite contemplation and for calming the mind. Our mind (or ego) is a very useful tool but if left to run our lives, it would lead us to destruction.
I was having a chat with some friends the other day and they spoke about suppressing the ego. My take on the matter is that we cannot and should not seek to suppress the ego. We have to understand, recognise and acknowledge that it is there. It will always be there. The important thing is that we allow it to express what it wants to express and then make a decision whether to follow that train of thought.
That is the irony of it all. The mind is part of us – a very important part at that. We cannot make it go away or suppress it. Attempts to do so will only result in failure and more pain and suffering. All communication that is not fully expressed or received will be held in the body as some form of ‘stuck’ energy that festers and sap our energy and life-force.
Throughout the centuries, countless people have taken up meditation or some form of practice to tame their minds. Many fail, even after years of practice, because the mind knows every trick and weakness that we have and without proper support (or accountability) the mind will make us give up.
There are many processes and practices that help to tame the mind. One of the more successful ones are Intensives such as The Opening, where many participants get real clarity and calmness in a matter of days. The process allows the ego to be heard and make it possible for a calmness to take over. It is in this space of calmness that many insights and learnings take place.
This is the space between thoughts that many leaders and thinkers over the years alluded to when asked where they get their inspiration. So to achieve the life and success that you desire, watch your thought and tame that monkey mind.
With heart and love
Lionel Koh
