Brother Richard

Where in my body did I feel a reaction to this thought?

Or we can ask, what emotions, feelings rose in me in response to this thought?

what emotions or feelings arose in me in response to this thought.

And holding the thought in gentle awareness, ask yourself, can you find the moment that the thought first appeared?

What was the precipitating movement, moment, or action that allowed this thought to appear?

Do not become frustrated if you can't find it immediately.

This is a subtle practice, and it takes time.

we can begin to build this attention, this awareness, by stopping and pausing occasionally, even in the middle of the day, and asking ourselves, where have these thoughts arisen from?

Why are they here?

What do they bring?

Are they useful or not?

Gently now, still holding that original thought that you decided to give your attention to.

Begin to go a little further back in its history.

Is this a thought you have had before?

Is this a thought you think often?

And if it is either of those things, ask yourself, what are the usual conditions that allow this thought to arise?

And then ask yourself, what would happen if you changed those conditions?

For example, if my thoughts are angry or irritated, what would it take for me to change the originating moment, the conditions for the arising of this thought, such that it would become less likely for me to respond in anger or in irritation?

Discerning and practicing with the thoughts in this way allows us to begin to create a clear field of discernment.

It allows us to begin to choose the way we think rather than simply reacting to thought.