How to Find Stillness Between Your Thoughts

TL;DR

Spiritual realization is discovered in present awareness, not achieved as a future goal. Notice the naturally occurring gaps between thoughts, words, or sentences, and rest in the alert stillness already present there. Becoming familiar with this unconditioned dimension of consciousness can provide a foundation for daily life without requiring thought to be forcefully suppressed.

Transcript

(bell chimes) - What's the most important thing in your life? It's to discover the unconditioned dimension of consciousness, the unconditioned dimension to who you are, you, the unconditioned you, the unconditioned I, which has nothing to do with your past or your physical body, or your person or personality. Now the unconditioned dimension is not ... Read More

Key Insights

• The unconditioned dimension of consciousness is already present and does not need to be achieved. It is described as the deepest reality of identity, independent of personal history, the physical body, the person, and the personality.
• The idea of spiritual achievement is a hindrance because it places realization in the future. Whether imagined as one step away or much farther, the goal remains absent from the present, preventing discovery of what is already here.
• Achievement is useful in ordinary areas of life, including learning something new, creating something, bringing something into manifestation, and pursuing goals. The problem arises only when the achievement model is applied to discovering the deepest foundation of life and existence.
• The unconditioned dimension is concealed behind, between, and even within thoughts and sense perceptions. Recognizing it requires attention to moments when mental activity is absent, rather than searching for a new object or experience outside present consciousness.
• The space of not thinking already exists between thoughts. When one thought subsides and another has not yet appeared, pure awareness remains, so the practice involves noticing a natural condition instead of producing one through effort.
• Stopping thought by force is not the intended practice. The phrase can wrongly imply active doing or pushing thoughts out of consciousness, while the meditation instead directs attention toward gaps that occur naturally without suppression.
• Silence between words and sentences can reveal awareness without thought. Becoming conscious of a pause in speech provides a direct opportunity to notice the subtle and simple space of consciousness that remains when verbal activity temporarily stops.
• Alert stillness is spacious and conscious rather than sleepy. The practice is to become familiar with this inner dimension and notice it as often as possible in daily life, maintaining awareness without confusing stillness with movement toward sleep.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is the unconditioned dimension of consciousness?

The unconditioned dimension of consciousness is described as the deepest reality of who you are. It has nothing to do with your past, physical body, person, or personality. It is not a future state that must be produced or earned. It is already present here and now, although thoughts and sense perceptions can conceal it from ordinary awareness.

Q: Why can spiritual achievement prevent present awareness?

Spiritual achievement can prevent present awareness because the concept of achievement implies something that must happen in the future. Once realization is treated as a goal, it appears to be somewhere other than here. Whether it seems one step away or vastly distant, that assumption keeps attention from discovering the unconditioned consciousness already available in the present.

Q: How can I notice the space between thoughts?

Notice the moment when one thought subsides before the next thought appears. That interval contains pure awareness without mind activity. You do not need to create the space because it already occurs naturally. Listening for pauses between spoken words or sentences can make the gap easier to recognize and help you become familiar with consciousness without thought.

Q: Should I force myself to stop thinking during meditation?

You should not force thoughts out of consciousness. Trying to stop thinking can imply an active struggle, which is not how this meditation approaches stillness. Instead, recognize that moments without thought already occur between individual thoughts. The practice is to notice those existing gaps and the awareness within them, without treating mental silence as something that must be achieved.

Q: How can silence in speech support meditation?

Silence in speech provides an immediate way to recognize the gap in mental and verbal activity. When a speaker pauses between sentences or words, become aware that no speech is occurring. In that moment of noticing the gap, thinking can also be absent. The pause reveals a subtle space of pure awareness that is still, spacious, and alert.

Q: What is the difference between alert stillness and sleepiness?

Alert stillness is consciousness without thought that remains awake, spacious, and attentive. It is not the kind of stillness experienced while moving toward sleep. The distinction is the presence of clear awareness. In meditation and daily life, the aim is to recognize inner quiet while remaining conscious and alert, rather than becoming dull, passive, or sleepy.

Q: Are goals and achievement harmful in everyday life?

Goals and achievement are not presented as harmful in ordinary life. They can be useful for learning something new, creating, bringing something into manifestation, and accomplishing practical aims. Achievement becomes a hindrance specifically when it is applied to spiritual realization, because it projects the deepest reality of consciousness into the future instead of allowing its discovery now.

Q: How can I practice present awareness in daily life?

Become aware of the inner space of alert stillness as often as possible throughout the day. Notice natural pauses between thoughts, words, and sentences instead of attempting to manufacture silence. Each recognized gap offers an opportunity to experience consciousness without thought. Repeatedly attending to this subtle space helps make the unconditioned dimension more familiar within ordinary daily experience.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The deepest reality of who you are is described as an unconditioned dimension of consciousness that is unrelated to your past, physical body, person, or personality. Because it already exists here and now, it must be discovered through present awareness rather than pursued as something to attain at a later time.

• Treating spiritual awakening as an achievement places it mentally in the future. This assumption prevents recognition of the consciousness available in the present. Goals and achievement remain useful for learning, creating, and bringing things into manifestation, but the achievement mindset becomes a hindrance when applied to discovering the foundation of existence.

• Pure awareness appears naturally when one thought has subsided and the next has not yet arrived. The practice is to notice these gaps without trying to force thoughts away. Silence between spoken words or sentences can reveal a spacious, still, and alert consciousness that can also be recognized throughout daily life.