FAN MAIL - Send us a comment or a topic suggestion

The statement "everything is created by the mind" might seem deceptively simple, but as explored in this thought-provoking bonus track, it contains profound implications about how we perceive and interact with reality. Drawing from a personal experience teaching a meditation workshop, we witness the stark contrast between someone who immediately grasps this concept and another who actively resists it—highlighting how differently the same wisdom lands depending on who receives it.

Through vivid examples and unexpected humor, we challenge our romantic notions about nature, like how we anthropomorphize birdsong as beautiful melodies when birds are actually communicating about survival, territory, and mating. This pattern of mental projection extends to everything we encounter, revealing how our minds constantly construct the reality we experience, often without our awareness.

Yet this teaching carries a powerful duality. While it empowers us with the knowledge that we create our experience, it also humbles us by revealing our susceptibility to external influences. From the documented effects of full moons on hospital admissions and crime rates to the impact of physical conditions on mental clarity, we're continually shaped by forces beyond our conscious control. This paradox sits at the heart of Zen practice—recognizing both our creative power and our vulnerability.

The path forward isn't about immediate enlightenment but patient cultivation. Like traditional practices of swordsmanship and calligraphy that begin with simply holding position, meditation success comes not from achieving special states but from the consistent practice itself. Our realizations, like shy woodland creatures, don't appear when frantically pursued but arrive naturally when we create the proper conditions. Ready to explore how your mind creates your reality? Listen now and discover the profound freedom in this ancient wisdom.

Support the show

Dr. Ruben Lambert can be found at wisdomspring.com

Ven. MyongAhn Sunim can be found at soshimsa.org