Silence: The Power of Quiet in a World Full of Noise

When you sit quietly, you can observe how your thoughts rush in, and you can practice not ruminating on them and instead let them just come and go as you focus on your breath and on the silence inside.

Thoughts are often the product of our feelings and our perceptions. So

If your volition is only to make enormous amounts of money or to have the biggest number of Twitter followers, that may not lead you to a satisfying life.

If we have a lot of worry, fear, or anguish, that is very fertile ground for thinking that is completely useless, nonproductive, and harmful.

Whenever you see an unpleasant mental formation manifesting, call on the seed of mindfulness to manifest as a second energy in your mind consciousness in order to recognize, embrace, and calm the negative mental formation, so you can look deeply into the negativity to see its source.

Just like everything else in the world, your thoughts are impermanent. If you don’t grasp a thought, it arises, stays for a while, and then fades away.

It’s important to become aware of what we feel, not just what we think.

Even while sitting beside a clear, flowing stream, listening to beautiful music, or watching an excellent movie, don’t entrust yourself entirely to the stream, the music, or the film. Continue to be aware of yourself and your breathing.

Our body is a wonder! Its functioning is the result of millions of processes.