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We are, by this time, quite definitely thinking the thought rather than just viewing it with bare attention.

The whole sequence takes place in a flash.

This presents us with a problem.

By the time we become consciously aware of a distraction, we are already, in a sense, stuck in it.

In order to answer these questions, we must ascertain the quality of the distraction.

To do that, we must divorce ourselves from it, take a mental step back from it, disengage from it, and view it objectively.

We must stop thinking the thought or feeling the feeling in order to view it as an object of inspection.

The hold of the distraction is thus broken, and mindfulness is back in control.

At this point, mindfulness makes a smooth transition back to its primary focus, and we return to the breath.

When you first begin to practice this technique, you will probably have to do it with words.

You will ask your questions in words, and get answers in words.

It wont be long, however, before you can dispense with the formality of words altogether.

Once the mental habits are in place, you simply note the distraction, note the qualities of the distraction, and return to the breath.

Whatever it is, dont try to repress it.

Examine the distraction wordlessly, and it will pass away by itself.

You will find your attention drifting effortlessly back to the breath.

Despite this piece of sage counsel, youre going to find yourself condemning anyway.

You condemn yourself for being distracted.

Its really a very natural, smooth-flowing cycle, if you do it correctly.

If you can learn to observe these distractions without getting involved, its all very easy.

You just glide through the distraction, and your attention returns to the breath quite easily.

Of course, the very same distraction may pop up a moment later.

If it does, just observe that mindfully.

If you are dealing with an old, established thought pattern, this can go on happening for quite a while, sometimes years.

Every bit of energy that you apply to that resistance goes into the thought complex and makes it all the stronger.

Its a battle you can never win.

Just observe the distraction mindfully and it will eventually go away.

Its very strange, but the more bare attention you pay to such disturbances, the weaker they get.

Observe them long enough and often enough with bare attention, and they fade away forever.

Fight with them and they gain strength.

Watch them with detachment and they wither.

Mindfulness is a function that disarms distractions, in the same way that a munitions expert might defuse a bomb.

Weak distractions are disarmed by a single glance.

Shine the light of awareness on them and they evaporate instantly, never to return.

Deep-seated, habitual thought patterns require constant mindfulness repeatedly applied over whatever time period it takes to break their hold.

They have no power of their own.

They need to be fed constantly, or else they die.

If you refuse to feed them by your own fear, anger, and greed, they fade.

It is the primary thing that you are trying to cultivate.

The crucial thing is to be mindful of what is occurring, not to control what is occurring.

Whatever arises in the mind is viewed as just one more opportunity to cultivate mindfulness.

Breath, remember, is an arbitrary focus, and it is used as our primary object of attention.

Distractions are used as secondary objects of attention.

It actually makes rather little difference what the object of mindfulness is.

Just maintain that mindfulness, and concentration eventually will follow.

The purpose of meditation is not to concentrate on the breath, without interruption, forever.

The purpose of meditation is not to achieve a perfectly still and serene mind.

Although a lovely state, it doesnt lead to liberation by itself.

The purpose of meditation is to achieve uninterrupted mindfulness.

Mindfulness, and only mindfulness, produces enlightenment.

Distractions come in all sizes, shapes, and flavors.

Buddhist philosophy has organized them into categories.

They are called hindrances because they block your development of both components of meditation, mindfulness and concentration.

bit of caution on this term The word hindrances carries a negative connotation, and indeed these are states of mind we want to eradicate.

That does not mean, however, that they are to be repressed, avoided, or condemned.

Lets use greed as an example.

We wish to avoid prolonging any state of greed that arises, because a continuation of that state leads to bondage and sorrow.

That does not mean we try to toss the thought out of the mind when it appears.

We simply refuse to encourage it to stay.

We let it come, and we let it go.

When greed is first observed with bare attention, no value judgments are made.

We simply stand back and watch it arise.

The whole dynamic of greed from start to finish is simply observed in this way.

We dont help it, or hinder it, or interfere with it in the slightest.

It stays as long as it stays.

And we learn as much about it as we can while it is there.

We watch how it troubles us and how it burdens others.

We notice how it keeps us perpetually unsatisfied, forever in a state of unfulfilled longing.

From this firsthand experience, we ascertain at a gut level that greed is an unskillful way to run your life.

All of the hindrances are dealt with in the same way, and we will look at them here one by one.

Desire Let us suppose you have been distracted by some nice experience in meditation.

It might be a thought of love or even the physical sensation of bliss that comes with the meditation experience itself.

Whatever it is, what follows is the state of desiredesire to obtain whatever you have been thinking about, or desire to prolong the experience you are having.

No matter what its nature, you should handle desire in the following manner.

Notice the thought or sensation as it arises.

Notice the mental state of desire that accompanies it as a separate thing.

Then notice how long it lasts and when it finally disappears.

When you have done that, return your attention to breathing.

Aversion Suppose that you have been distracted by some negative experience.

It could be something you fear or some nagging worry.

Whatever the actual substance of the thought or sensation, you find yourself rejecting or repressingtrying to avoid it, resist it, or deny it.

Notice the state of rejection that comes with it.

See how long it lasts and when it fades away.

Lethargy Lethargy comes in various grades and intensities, ranging from slight drowsiness to utter torpor.

We are talking about a mental state here, not a physical one.

Sleepiness or physical fatigue is something quite different and, in the Buddhist system of classification, it would be categorized as a physical feeling.

Mental lethargy is closely related to aversion in that it is one of the minds clever little ways of avoiding those issues it finds unpleasant.

It is an enforced stupidity pretending to be sleep.

This can be a tough one to deal with, because its presence is directly contrary to the employment of mindfulness.

Note the state of drowsiness when it arises, and note its extent or degree.

Note when it arises, how long it lasts, and when it passes away.

The only thing special here is the importance of catching the phenomenon early.

You have got to get it right at its conception and apply liberal doses of pure awareness right away.

If you let it get a start, its growth will probably outpace your mindfulness power.

When lethargy wins, the result is the sinking mind, or even sleep.

Agitation States of restlessness and worry are expressions of mental agitation.

Your mind keeps darting around, refusing to settle on any one thing.

You may keep running over and over the same issues.

The mind refuses to settle anywhere.

Restlessness imparts a certain feeling to consciousness.