The Mind Can’t Bear Silence

man who is struggling with meditation says he finds it difficult to follow the suggestion of simply being, especially when there is nothing for his mind to do.

Rupert says: ‘What you’re experiencing is the primal impulse of the mind to do something. It cannot bear the thought of not doing anything or the thought that it might not be relevant in what we’re speaking of here, so it’s very uncomfortable during those periods of silence. That habit or impulse to do something is not being fed here, and your mind’s in a state of rebellion about it.

‘What can you do? Trace the impulse to do something back to its source rather than following it to the object. Remind yourself that the impulse arises in you. The question is always: where does the mind come from? Not: where is it going?’

*This video is from one of Rupert’s in-person retreats at The Vedanta, 11–18 November 2023. For more information on upcoming retreats (many of which can be attended online via livestream) go to:

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