A young person I know very articulately told me she had a hamster running around in her brain. She was caught in great upset caused by an attachment to a material object that had broken, her iPhone. Her level of suffering was great. She kept telling me “I have a hamster in my head. Everytime I put him to sleep someone wakes him up. I decide to buy a cheaper phone I can afford then someone tells me I surely can get the iPhone 6 at a reasonable price.” Then she would get upset again when it turned out not to be true. The amazing thing to me was how she was able to witness her own inner turmoil and identify it as crazy thought patterns. To recognize this at such a young age is inspiring to me. I use to call my crazy thought patterns monkey mind yet I was surely in my 30’s before I could observe myself enough to see that inner insanity. I had to study Vipassana meditation in two intensive 10 day silent retreats before developing enough of a witness to see the spinning mind. She was able to see the hamster of her mind, running around and around on its wheel.:One of the most vital steps in realizing inner freedom is to see the lies your mind is telling you. It is only when the witness is developed enough that such clarity dawns. That young people are often so wise and self aware brings me confidence for our future.
remembering the joy of being
