Too much knowledge
Leads to overactivity;
Better to calm the mind.
The more you consider,
The greater the loss;
Better to unify the mind.
- Shih Wang Ming (6th c.) courtesy of dailyzen.com
People come to therapy looking for answers. They are interested in learning new skills to cope with the conflicts and stressors in their lives. While we are engaged in that work something very important is happening; there is an acquisition of wisdom. What we go over in the session and what is experienced in the days between sessions generates a wisdom beyond wisdom about the self and the world. It’s a very subtle experience that gets lost behind the new ideas and experiences of everyday life. There are no words, concepts, or formulations that can capture it because it is the background of our active and busy mind. Taking time each day to be still and listen to our breath in and our breath out gives us the opportunity to have that subtle experience. We are able to calm and unify the mind when we shift our attention away from what we learn and focus on the experience of this time to just be.
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