Improve Your Thinking by Realizing That Your Mind Is Like a Mirror
How to Maintain an Effortless Quality of Mind
The mind has a tendency to act up at times that we most need it. An important exam is right around the corner, a big presentation is due, so you put in the work for weeks before the event.
You feel ready, maybe even confident as you apply the finishing touches, but when you’re standing in the heat of the moment… everything seems to slip. Why is it like that? Why can’t the mind be on our side when it counts?
A Quality of Mind
A mirror doesn’t attach itself or take on the form of any object. It only reflects and shines back whatever is present to it. This is also the quality of your mind. Whatever is noticed, is noticed. Whatever goes through your mind, will neither be imprinted nor taken the form of by the mind. Things will simply appear and go away.
A mirror doesn’t take on the form of the present object — it is simply reflected.
Everything Is a Reflection
The implication of this is that we can utilize this quality of our mind by being aware of what is reflected by it. A mind wouldn’t take on the ugly qualities of an ugly object — it will simply be reflecting it. Likewise, anything beautiful won’t be taken on by the mirror but also simply reflected. The mind does the same; it doesn’t take on any form, it’s just a reflection of the experience.
A mirror doesn’t identify with objects. Thoughts are reflected — because thoughts are not the mind. Sensations are reflected — because they are not the mind. This is true of all experiences. So there is no way that the mind can take on any form of whatever is apparent to it; it simply reflects everything present.
Effortless Awareness
A mirror reflects— effortlessly. When the mind tries to take on the form of whatever is apparent, it will quickly realize that this is not possible. This creates resistance; trying to force something that is not possible is a sure way to cause suffering.
The idea behind the mind being like a mirror is to realize that the mind only reflects, and does not hold on to or force things to be a certain way. It simply let things be the way they are, without making an effort to try to make things different. It does not try to make ugly things pretty or to hold on to beautiful things; it simply lets those things be the way they inherently are.
Takeaway
Applying force consequently won’t make a mirror hold on to or change the things present to it — the efforts would be wasteful. All energy used for this cause will prove to only cause more resistance and to end in a spiral of bad faith. The solution is to let things be the way they are, by being aware of the mirror-like quality of the mind.
If are interested in more on exploring your quality of mind, one of my most popular articles is on an insight meditation called The Headless Way. Read it here:
