Controller is part of chattering

Good morning everyone,

So many things to do this morning that it's actually after the sun is up as I get to the blog. :-)

Here is today's quote:

You don’t ask: Why is my mind chattering, so restless? Have you ever asked that question of yourself, why you are so restless, moving from one thing to another, seeking constant entertainment? Why is your mind chattering? And what will you do about it? Your immediate response is to control it, to say, “I must not chatter.” Which means what? The very controller is chattering. There is a controller who says, “I mustn’t chatter”; he is himself part of chattering. See the beauty of it! So what will you do?

On Mind and Thought, p 75

Here is my reflection.

This is the whole question of yoga, especially as meditation. It is the controller that says "I must meditate," "I must control my mind," and it is the controler too who decides when that has been done. But how is this possible? It isn't of course. We are still within our mind. We can't say, "I want to control my thoughts so that I am free of suffering, anxiety, and everything," and then not know whether we have got there or not. That would be ridiculous. So we invent lots of techniques to work on and we say that the techniques will take us there: the asanas, the paranayama, the regular meditation practice. And we defer the question of when will we get there; so it is really just a way of keeping the anxious mind occupied, just as one keeps an upset child occupied with a toy. We distract ourselves from the real problem of the mind by working on techniques. We become great at these techniques but we have no understanding of our mind and so no understanding of ourselves. We really need to put yoga in perspective a little. All we really get from it is a healthy body; which is wonderful. But the mind needs more than techniques I think.

Best wishes

Robert