To become thoughtless is to become free of thinking. According to the dictionary, to be thoughtless is to be inconsiderate or uncaring. It is to be unthinking, which most consider to be impolite. They do not understand that the thinking mind is driven by the ego. In psychoanalytic terms, the ego is that part of the mind that mediates between the conscious and the unconscious. The problem is that the unconscious has taken over control of the mind, in a never ending stream of thinking. The ego gives away its power to the unconscious mind and is swept along on the current of toxic thoughts. These thoughts in turn give rise to emotions that continually feed the ego. The ego, like a hungry wolf, allows its hunger to take over, feeding on the emotions which produce more toxic thoughts in a continuous stream.
Throughout the ages, men and women have sought to slow the wild meanderings of the mind. They have entered into monasteries, subjecting themselves to strict codes of conduct and spent their days in quiet contemplation and prayer. They have spent entire lifetimes seeking God and peace and denying physical comforts in the effort to escape the blaring, raucous noise of the voice inside the head. They have meditated and engaged in yoga practise and attended retreats in an attempt to be free of the self.
Disempowering our ego is kind of like trying to teach an old dog new tricks. It has been running our lives for our entire lives. It can be obstinate and exasperating to deal with. It is especially contrary during the middle of the night when sleep refuses to come. I think that Eckhart Tolle provided one of the best examples for learning to quiet the mind, which is to observe a cat watching a mouse hole. The cat is attentive to the moment. He is watching. He is listening. He is not distracted by judgement, anxiety, or fear; but fully intent on his task. He is thoughtless. We, too, have moments that completely engage us and crowd out the noisy chatter that is always seeking our attention. It is in those moments that inspiration alights, sometimes because we have invited it, and sometimes it arrives and surprises us. These are the moments worth living for. These are the moments, when we are thoughtless, in which we are immersed in grace.
