Breath and Buddhist Thoughts During Meditation

[Collective]

I focus on the breath, and most of the time my mind wanders crazily - but I keep taking it back to the breath.

On some occassiosn though, I find myself thinking about certain Buddhist teachings like being present, or more specifically, realising there really is no future or past. Now and then things dawn on me to coin a phrase.

Then I take it back to the breath when I realise my mind has wandered.

My point? Not sure. That if your mind wanders it can do a lot worse than wander into Buddhist teachings?

Thanks all

[Ben]

Nice Collective
It indicates progress as your mind is inclining towards the Dhamma and wholesome thought, but it is also artefact of a mind wandering none-the-less!
Keep going!
kind regards

Ben

[Fede]

I practice a meditation very much based on the instructions of TNH... performing a specific task with no commentary, simply 'doing' and watching' and being completely present during the activity.
I do this, sometimes, even watching television, which is a delightful exercise in perceiving "Reality" - or the complete lack of it!

But in the mornings and evenings, when I Take refuge and recite the five precepts, I sit quietly, and visualise the Buddha, sitting serenely, in a beautiful, early morning sunny grove, surrounded by Simpsapa trees.....
I become so calm, it's blissful.

[Kenshou]

Every time you catch yourself in mental proliferation and find the object again, it's another victory in the development of your mindfulness. And wandering off into dhammic thoughts is about as wholesome as the wandering mind can get!



Heh.

[catmoon]

Yup, it happens to me too sometimes. When my "wandering thoughts" alarm goes off and I notice what is happening, I'm quite likely to stay with a Dharmic thought a while, watch as it works itself out, and then return to focus. But if it starts to proliferate into a whole sermon or something, I get out the axe and chop it off, and return to focus. I think my time limit for such ponderings is about a minute.

[Collective]

Good stuff