Observing thoughts without judgment is key from "summary" of The Experience of Insight by Joseph Goldstein
When we sit down to meditate, our minds can be a whirlwind of thoughts, emotions, and sensations. It can feel like we are constantly being pulled in different directions by the various mental phenomena that arise. In this chaos, it is easy to get caught up in judging our thoughts - labeling them as good or bad, right or wrong. However, this constant evaluation only serves to perpetuate our mental turmoil, pulling us further away from the peace and clarity we seek. Instead, the key to cultivating insight lies in observing our thoughts without judgment. This means simply acknowledging the presence of a thought without getting caught up in its content or assigning any value to it. By observing our thoughts in this way, we create a spacious awareness that allows us to see them for what they truly are - transient mental events that come and go of their own accord. When we observe our th...
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