a Beggar had been sitting by the side of the road for over 30 years. One day, a stranger walked by. Spare some change, mumbled the beggar mechanically, holding out his old baseball cap. I have nothing to give you, said the stranger. Then he asked, What's that you're sitting on? Nothing, replied the beggar, just an old box. I have been sitting on it for as long as I can remember. Ever looked inside? asked the stranger. No, said the beggar. What's the point? There's nothing in there. Have a look inside, insisted the stranger. The beggar managed to pry open the lid. With astonishment, disbelief, and elation, he saw that the box was filled with gold. This parable lays out the very essence of human suffering. We are always looking externally for answers to our problems, for validation, for security, or love, but everything you will ever need can be found within. The solution to all suffering can be found inside our mind because our thoughts are the cause of all suffering in life. Discomfort is inevitable, but suffering is a choice.

There are two types of suffering. One is fear, which derives from our thoughts of the future. What awful scenario might play out? The other is psychological pain, which is derived from negative thoughts of the past. Fear and pain do not live in the present moment. They need our thoughts of the past or future to keep us locked in a prison of the mind. The key to end suffering is to stop thinking. This may sound simple, but have you ever tried to stop thinking for most humans, this is surprisingly difficult. Don't believe it then go ahead. Give it a try, right now. If you're like most people, you likely can't stop thoughts from seeping into your consciousness even when you're actively trying to push them out. So, how do you stop thinking? How do you stop the endless chatter in your head? How do we end the addiction to our thoughts? The way to turn off your thoughts is to understand that you are not your mind. You are not your thoughts. The real you is something far more infinite.

Most of us have been conditioned to think that our mind is who we are, that our past defines what we will be forever. But our thoughts about ourselves are merely the ego. The ego is a very peculiar thing. It's a survival mechanism that will do whatever it takes to protect itself. This is why so many people get upset when they are wrong. They believe that their thoughts are their identity. If their thoughts are proven wrong, then their identity gets broken. However, if you understand that you are not your thoughts, you detach yourself from the limiting beliefs of the ego. The mind is a ceaselessly working survival tool, like your heart or your guts. All these organs are part of us, and we're aware of their effects. We can even sometimes feel them move within us, but the mind is the only one we put on a pedestal, claiming, This is me. If it were true though, what exactly is putting your mind on a pedestal? If we can point a finger at our minds, then who's pointing the finger? You are something that encompasses your mind, and your true self has far greater reach.

You can become free of your obsessive thoughts, fears, and pain through two practices. Number one, listen to your constantly thinking mind. Become a witness to your mind. This establishes you as an entity beyond it, separate yourself from your thoughts. Simply observe your thoughts as if they are clouds floating by in a blue sky. Be careful not to judge the thoughts your mind churns out. Judging is a thinking act, a mind act. If you find yourself calling your thoughts stupid or smart, good or bad, right or wrong. You're not being you but splitting your mind into two. Setting it against itself. Just listen to your thoughts. Be with them, pay full attention to them, then let them pass without claiming or rejecting them. They are not you as you consciously experience them. You will find yourself no longer identifying yourself as your mind. You are that consciousness. Eckhart Tolle writes, The beginning of freedom is the realization that you are not the thinker. The moment you start watching the thinker, a higher level of consciousness becomes activated. You then begin to realize that there is a vast realm of intelligence beyond thought.

That thought is only a tiny aspect of that intelligence. You also realize that all the things that truly matter: Beauty, love, creativity, joy, inner peace, arise from beyond the mind. You begin to awaken. Number two, being conscious of the now. That is everything around you in this moment: Your surroundings, your body, the input your senses sent to your brain, your own activities. These are the now. As in the first exercise, don't judge these experiences, just experience them. If you are sitting in a chair, feel the chair beneath your thighs. Notice the length or curve of your spine. Is your leg bouncing or still? Are your feet apart or together? Realize deeply that the present moment is all you ever have. Make the now the primary focus of your life. Now is all there ever is. There is no past or future, except as memory or anticipation in your mind. So the next time you see a tree, look at it as if you're seeing a tree for the first time. Really observe the shape of the branches, the feel of the bark, the sound of the breeze flowing through the leaves.

Observe the tree with every sense. Don't take a picture, don't analyze or compare, don't wish for anything to be different. Each of these thoughts takes your attention away from the beauty itself. Just observe. This is the art of being present. This is the power of now. Anytime you feel negativity creep into your mind, ask yourself, Am I being present? This question alone will cause you to become present and in the present moment. Suffering does not exist. This video is brought to you by Scribd, the only reading subscription service to offer the best ebooks, audiobooks, and more. These ideas are themes from Eckhart Tolle's book The Power of Now, which is available to read on Scribd. If you're interested in diving deeper, check out the Scribd Snapshot. Snapshots help you gain key insights from nonfiction books in a matter of minutes, and they're available exclusively on Scribd alongside full-length books and audiobooks. Click the link in the description and use the promo code AFTERSCHOOL to get two months free when you sign up.

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How to be Completely Carefree - Teachings from Eckhart Tolle

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How to be Completely Carefree - Teachings from Eckhart Tolle

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