by Christopher Van Buren
You’ve heard of the monkey mind? That’s the name that many Buddhists and spiritual practitioners give the reactionary thoughts and patterns and the background chatter that goes on in our minds. But what about the monk mind…ever heard of that? That’s the mind that behaves like the monk: calm, thoughtful, introspective, and humble. It’s what’s left when we silence the monkey mind. How do we silence the monkey? There’s one “key” involved…the monk-key! The monk key is all about bringing the monk mind to the forefront and the monkey mind to the back. It’s the key to mental balance and it opens the door called silence, stillness, and emptiness.

Now before you can open this door, you must first find it. Odd as it may seem, this doorway of the mind is not always right in front of you. You have to approach it. Find it. Identify it. One way to do that is by removing the clutter that may be blocking your inner vision. Removing the clutter is the path to the monk mind.

You probably know that fasting is an excellent way to cleanse and detox your body, as well as break certain habits associated with eating (like eating too much at each meal or eating certain foods). Fasting is a way of breaking the constant craving for certain foods, like sugars and fats…and even for food itself. The principals that apply to fasting for your body also apply to fasting for you mind.

Did you ever think about removing certain thoughts from your mind for a period of time? How about removing TV for a month? Or even better…remove all input from the media — TV, radio, newspapers, films…everything! You might be surprised how your mind begins to cleanse itself without the constant input of these “junk foods for the mind.” How about not speaking? Many of us use speech as a way to clutter the mind. A short period of silence or minimal speaking can create a new world of possibilities for some people.

Want to go a step further? Try replacing TV and speaking with meditation and introspection. Actively set your mind on…nothing. Consciously choose to enter a time of stillness. That’s meditation. This is like giving your mind a brief experience of monk-hood, so it begins to understand where and what it is.

May your monk mind prevail.