Beyond Distraction

Summary

“An invaluable guide for all those journeying on the path to greater freedom.”—Joseph Goldstein

The mind can be a potent tool, used to guide extraordinary achievements, inspire good works, and incline your spiritual path toward peace and awakening. But the mind can also produce thoughts that lead to suffering.

Most of us have experienced thoughts running rampant and seeming to oppress or control our lives. Even the Buddha tells us that before his enlightenment, he sometimes found his mind preoccupied by thoughts connected with sensual desire, ill will, and harm. But he figured out how to respond to thoughts skillfully and developed a step-by-step approach to calm the restless mind.

Following the Buddha’s pragmatic approach, a beloved Insight Meditation teacher guides you through five steps for overcoming distraction and focusing the mind:

1. Replace unwholesome thoughts with wholesome thoughts.


2. Examine the dangers of distracting thoughts.


3. Avoid it, ignore it, forget it.


4. Investigate the causes of distraction.


5. Apply determination and resolve.

Each chapter includes exercises and reflections to help you cultivate these five steps to deeper concentration. You’ll learn about your mind and develop your ability to direct your attention more skillfully in meditation and daily activities. And ultimately, you’ll discover for yourself how these five steps boil down to one key realization: In the moment you recognize that a thought is just a thought, you will find yourself on the path to a life of remarkable freedom.