When you do something as radical, for a musician, as stopping listening to music because you perceive the music in your head as a burden, you can expect (though it might not happen that way) for a lot of varying internal responses to arise before any real equanimity becomes evident. A quiet environment, fewer distractions, are all important and good things.manas wrote:
Tilt,
I appreciate that you are trying to help me, by pointing out my aversion to music going on in my head. Thank you for reminding me not to become aversive if such things happen, and to remain watchful. But actually the whole point of this topic, was that I had a realization: that there is an easy way to be rid of the noise: Stop putting it in there, in the first place. Yes, I know it won't fully solve the problem of a noisy mind. But it will help. As I understand it, this practice is part of the Eight Precepts, and is to be encouraged. I am a bit confused as to why you seem to be kind of 'pouring cold water' over this idea (correct me if this is not your intention, but that is the feeling I am getting).
Kind regards
There is a story about a fellow, who at a retreat center in the Rockies, got a lovely little cabin in the woods as a place to do his month long practice. It was next to a stream far away from any human distractions. Very lovely, very quiet, a great place to practice, and as he was practicing he heard the stream softly babbling on to the tune of the Star Spangled banner, a tune that he particularly hated. Very annoying, very distracting, so much so that he went out an rearranged the rocks in the stream, thinking that might help. It did not. Some things are burdens only because we let them become burdens. That is worth seeing. Stop the music and then pay attention. It is always an ongoing, empirical experiment, and the sole tool is paying attention. That is all I am trying to say here.