By: Sensei Mike Savard

Usually we think we have control of all our actions and thoughts, until we close our eyes starting a Zen meditation, then we face something comes from the dark side which is uncontrollable and ruled by the thoughts parasites. This flow of distracting ideas creates confusion and brings feelings of discomfort and unrest that disrupt the meditative process. Within minutes, you begin to doubt the usefulness of meditation as a means to get somewhere. We are used to obtain some benefit whether physical, emotional or intellectual when we use part of “our time” and that conditioning-very exercised in the past, creates anxiety that is responsible for disturbing during meditation.
The mind is like an entity which is disturbing and dominates.

Later, the practitioner begins to feel the discomfort of the new situation and may “think” that all this has no purpose. Because both the past and the future cannot be in the present, in the here and now, the mind of the person feels lost and therefore the emotion that accompanies it is always anxious disorientation. This feeling and questions are faced by almost all martial artists during their practice, let’s see what Zen meditation can offer us as response.

The goal of meditation is simply to put the practitioner’s mind in the here and now, in the present. The state of consciousness is one with the present moment, which is the only one there and it’s where life unfolds – there is nowhere else this time than “now”. The name in Zen Buddhism has given the present state of consciousness is: the so-called satori, which is only a moment of full consciousness to the present, and the state of enlightenment, consciousness is full, permanent and natural way to each present moment. Zen masters always say: “Living in the here and now of each moment of life.”

The origin of the flow of thoughts that hinder parasite presence status, not the result of meditation, what happens is we begin to become aware of the mind, precisely from this new state of observation and quiet, we become aware of uncontrolled aspect of the mind of the emerging ideas constantly bubbling. Paradoxically, it is the quiet breathing induced by making us aware of the thoughts that have always existed in the mind, but we were not aware of them. This process has to be taken as a sign of progress. Before circulating the flow of thoughts without being noticed, perhaps for the first time, we contemplate our thoughts from a quiet space . It is a good sign, it is better to be aware of the occurrence of parasitic thoughts to have them and not be aware of them. Be aware, however unhelpful thought is, spiritually speaking, higher than the state of unconsciousness.

Do not pretend to control the thoughts, especially if you’ve meditated for a short time, they will always be imposed and the feeling of frustration that follows, can limit your progress and lead you on, think! Stick to contemplate the thoughts that arise, like clouds that change shape and volume between lightning and thunder.

Mike Savard, Windsor
5th  Dan Aikido