Dependant origination; bramavihara; strengthening citta; how to deal with a quiet mind; how to deal with obsessive thinking; right speech.

Rather than immediately thinking, or trying to think of a solution, it’s more skillful to refer to embodiment and establish dispassion.

Three sources of wisdom: wisdom acquired through direct experience and mental development, wisdom acquired by thinking and reasoning, and wisdom acquired through study of the Buddhas teachings.

Though the 2nd Noble Truth points to craving as the cause of suffering, clinging – upadana – is inextricably woven into the experience of suffering. With craving we are reaching towards the object or experience, in clinging we are trying to hold onto it, and make it I, me or mine. Clinging is central to how we create a sense of self through the five aggregates, as pointed to in the first noble truth. We can bring awareness to the process of craving leading to clinging leading to the creation of a sense of self as depicted in the teaching on Dependent Origination, as it is often accompanied by physical energy we can recognize and certain types of thinking. Being mindful of this process allows us to respond wisely, decreasing or abandoning the clinging, and therefore not getting caught in the delusion of self.

Mindfulness is the data collection system for intuitive awareness and letting go of thinking

We live in an imperfect unfixable world, which we constantly try to fix or correct– This leads to suffering! One of the ways we obsess is through a type of thinking called papañca.

In and out breathing has the potential to smooth out and calm the body's energy field. Use the thinking mind to point to and stay with the energy of the breath. The affective sense (citta) will respond by becoming more settled and bright. Unifying the mind, body and citta in this way is the samadhi process.