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    “We spend our lives lost in thought. The question is, what should we make of this fact? In the West, the answer has been ‘Not much.’ In the East, especially in contemplative traditions like those of Buddhism, being distracted by thought is understood to be the very wellspring of human suffering. From the contemplative point of view, being lost in thoughts of any kind, pleasant or unpleasant, is analogous to being asleep and dreaming. It’s a mode of not knowing what is actually happening in the present moment. It is essentially a form of psychosis. Thoughts themselves are not a problem, but being identified with thought is. Taking oneself to be the thinker of one’s thoughts—that is, not recognizing the present thought to be a transitory appearance in consciousness—is a delusion that produces nearly every species of human conflict and unhappiness. It doesn’t matter if your mind is wandering over current problems in set theory or cancer research; if you are thinking without knowing you are thinking, you are confused about who and what you are.”

    Sam Harris, Waking Up (Page 101)

      “One of the functions of thought is to be occupied all the time with something. Most of us want to have our minds continually occupied so that we are prevented from seeing ourselves as we actually are. We are afraid to be empty. We are afraid to look at our fears.”

      J. Krishnamurti, Freedom From The Known (Page 44)

        “We cannot prevent birds from flying over our heads, but we can keep them from making nests on top of our heads. Similarly, bad thoughts sometimes appear in our mind, but we can choose whether we allow them to live there, to create a nest for themselves, and to breed evil deeds.”

        Martin Luther, A Calendar of Wisdom (Page 277)

        The tool of Thought

          Mind is the master power that molds and makes

          And man is Mind and evermore he takes

          The tool of Thought and, shaping what he wills

          Brings forth a thousand joys, a thousand ills.

          He thinks in secret, and it comes to pass:

          Environment is but his looking glass.

          ~ James Allen

            “Thought is the original source of all wealth, all success, all material gain, all great discoveries and inventions, and all achievement.” ~ Claude M. Bristol

              “Thought allied fearlessly to purpose becomes creative force: he who knows this is ready to become something higher and stronger than a mere bundle of wavering thoughts and fluctuating sensations; he who does this has become the conscious and intelligent wielder of his mental powers.” ~ James Allen, As a Man Thinketh

                “Man is manacled only by himself: thought and action are the jailers of Fate – they imprison, being base; they are also the angels of Freedom – they liberate, being noble. Not what he wishes and prays for does a man get, but what he justly earns. His wishes and prayers are only gratified and answered when they harmonize with his thoughts and actions.” ~ James Allen, As a Man Thinketh

                  “Both poverty and riches are the offspring of thought.” ~ Napoleon Hill

                    “First comes thought; then organization of that thought, into ideas and plans; then transformation of those plans into reality. The beginning, as you will observe, is in your imagination.” ~ Napoleon Hill

                      “Whatever we think about and thank about we bring about.” ~ John Demartini

                        “Be a Columbus to whole new continents and worlds within you, opening new channels, not of trade, but of thought.” ~ Henry David Thoreau

                          “It is the nature of thought to find its way into action.” ~ Christian Bovee

                            “All that we are is the result of what we have thought.” ~ Buddha

                              “We become what we think about all day long.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson