mindfulness

Mind that is capable of transcending thoughts is an intelligent mind.

Transcending means experiencing the cessation of a phenomenon (as it fades away) by virtue of realizing its gross nature, and going beyond it. Transcending thoughts means going beyond thinking (such as reasoning or logic) by realizing its coarseness (lack of depth), which is all it takes for thinking to fade away and for thoughtfulness and contemplation to arise.

Thinking generally involves a quick and perfunctory application of thought, as we customarily do it during our daily activities. Because of this habit, most of us live a superficial mental life. Thoughtfulness, on the other hand, generally involves a sustained application of thought. It is a focused state of mind, which makes mental activity more enjoyable, as you will soon find out.

If you were to go further and realize the coarse nature of thoughtfulness, you will develop the habit of contemplation, a subtler mental activity than thoughtfulness. As you will soon find out, contemplating is subtler because it is rooted in equanimity, a state of mind that is free of personal views, prejudices, and past conditioning.

While reading this newsletter, if you realize that, simply reading it while in bed did not reveal its depth, you might attempt to study it thoughtfully sitting in a chair, which then might lead you to contemplate its contents. In other words, due to transcending, you might be able to apply higher states of mind to experiencing this newsletter and benefit much more from it than you would by abandoning it the moment you were unable to understand a sentence or two.

Similarly, due to transcending sensual pleasures, meaning, realizing their coarse (mundane) nature, you might be able to experience happiness, delight, and joy—experiences that are subtler than sensual pleasures. By transcending further, you might be able to experience rapture, ecstasy, and bliss.

Transcending is the way to attain extraordinary and empowered states of mind such as contentment, equanimity, non-attachment, blissfulness, and peacefulness. It is so because the inherent nature of transcendence is to surmount, overcome, and effectively still the consciousness and to facilitate the penetration of subtler and subtler realities.

bliss

INTELLIGENT MIND

(TRANSCENDENCE)

In daily life, transcending can be practiced as:

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Graduating from sensual pleasures: To try to graduate from sensual pleasures does not mean to forget sensuality and become a vegetable. Simply make a consistent effort to realize the mundane nature of sensual experiences, such as feasting, entertainment, too much sex, so you can transcend them and experience higher mental states such as rapture, bliss, and peace.

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Neutralizing the mind: To try to neutralize mind does not mean to become inactive and ineffective. Simply make a consistent effort to transcend excess and deficit in order to attain balance and moderation in your daily activities.

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Non-reacting to life conditions: To try to non-react to life conditions (life situations and circumstances) does not mean to become insensitive to what occurs in your life. Simply make a consistent effort to transcend liking, disliking, craving, and aversion so you can develop calmness, composure, and equanimity—the sublime qualities that facilitate deeper contemplation and spiritual growth.

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Letting go of end results and passions: To try to let go of your plans, goals, and passions does not mean to give up your dreams. Simply make a consistent effort to transcend your attachment to the outcome so you can better focus on the process and accomplish whatever you dream of without stress and striving.

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Non-differentiating people or circumstances: To try to non-differentiate people or circumstances does not mean to become indiscriminate. Simply make a consistent effort to transcend preferences, differences, prejudices, and partiality so you can develop the qualities of discernment and wise judgment.

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Renouncing attachments (the world): To try to renounce the world does not mean to leave, reject, or abandon it. Simply make a consistent and diligent effort to transcend all worldly attachments so you can abide here and now with a sense of relinquishment and surrender.

If you try genuinely, you will mature in transcendence. As you mature in transcendence you are certain to experience a sense of contentment, a sense of renunciation, a sense of blissfulness, a sense of equanimity, a sense of non-attachment, and ultimately peacefulness, in that order of increasing subtlety.