When I was in high school I had Mrs. Brewer as my chemistry and physics teacher. She was, without a doubt, the greatest teacher I have ever had. The most memorable experience I had actually had little to do with physics, or chemistry for that matter. Mrs. Brewer was explaining some complicated physics stuff using the overhead projector. Near the end of this very technical explanation she looked at us all, and in the most matter of fact way she said, "and THAT...is because cars roll down hill."

For a few brief seconds the class stared at her in utter confusion. And then we all burst out in laughter. It was one of those moments where you just had to be there to understand. A long technical explanation, and then a concluding statement that cars roll down hill. Nobody, and I mean nobody, saw that coming.

After the laughter died down, she reworded it by saying that it's because that's just the way things are. It's true because this is the way things work in reality. Cars naturally want to roll down hill. And, in a similar manner, this physics equation is naturally correct. Because it is simply an observation of reality.

Observation.

We expend a lot of our daily mental energy on thinking. Wherever we go, whatever we're doing, our thoughts remain our constant companion. If you've meditated in the past, think back to the first time you sat down to meditate. Were you able to slowly let go of your thoughts, and turn your mind into a tranquil lake the first time? I certainly couldn't. In fact, I still can only do this with varying degrees of success today. Not thinking is, ironically, a somewhat difficult task to do. And, at the same time, it is the easiest thing in the world. In the beginning it is difficult. After it is accomplished it becomes effortless.

The mind can roughly be divided into two parts. There is thinking mind, and there is aware mind. The thinking mind is responsible for creating all the mental stimuli that you perceive. Did I remember to get the clothes out of the dryer? Will my kids be ok spending the night at their friends house tonight? Why did the other guy get a promotion, and not me?

Throughout the day we are bombarded with various thoughts. The mind constantly switches between displaying images of the future and images of the past. The thinking mind can't stay in the present. It is always imagining the future, or remembering the past.

Usually these thoughts have undesirable effects. The past is always haunting us, and the future is always tempting us. They are rarely making us happy right now. Instead, they are introducing various amounts of emotions for us to process. Maybe someone did something to you in the past that angers you, and you continue to remember this event over, and over, and over again. Every time you remember it, you relive the experience. And you become angry. The anger never lets you be at peace right now.

Likewise for thoughts about the future. You are constantly imagining a future. Maybe you're thinking about the person you will be seeing later on tonight. Or you're not looking forward to taking an exam later on today. Maybe you're thinking about the food that you'll be eating later on today. Mmmm...Cheeseburger...French fries...Tacos. You begin to salivate, and you lose your peace of mind. All you can think about is the food that you'll be eating later on, the girl you'll be seeing, the new car you'll be buying, etc, etc.

Regardless of what you imagine about the future, or remember about the past, it always has an effect on you in the present, right now. Your body and emotions react to your thoughts and imagination as though they are real. You become angry over things that happen years ago. Your blood pressure rises. Your heart beat becomes elevated. You start thinking about the food you'll be eating. Your mouth starts salivating. You lick your lips in anticipation. You start thinking about the sexy girl you'll be seeing later on today, and...Ok, I'll leave that one alone. :-P

You can discover inner peace by adopting an impersonal stance toward your thoughts. Instead of driving them onward, step back and observe them casually. Make no judgment upon them. Simply observe, and let them be. Eventually, they fade away. And you sink into the present moment. Joy. Peace. God. The deeper your surrender, the more satisfying is the experience.

There is a two way link between aware mind and thinking mind. Aware mind feeds the thinking mind with creative energy. Thinking mind takes this energy and creates thoughts, images, and imagination. Your perception of time, and space. Your perception of a personal self. You then experience these things.

Focus, energy, and intent are the things that drive the thinking mind. When these are withdraw, your thoughts begin to slow down. When you disown your thoughts as your own personal thoughts, they tend to disappear. What is no longer valued goes away. The train of thought begins to slow down when the energy of intention is no longer driving it. Which brings me back to the beginning.

All cars roll down hill. They naturally come to a state of rest. Your mind is at rest when the train of thoughts come to a stop. When all goals are accomplished, all desires fulfilled, all frustration gone, you are left in a state of joyful peace. Life becomes easy. A happy dream.

Surrender your thoughts.

Embrace the Now.