If you don’t rely on God, then you’ll rely on thought

Question: What I notice with myself is that having thoughts prevents me from listening with attention and then I say to them, ‘leave; go away!’ What’s your opinion on this?

Acharya Prashant: Don’t say even that much to your thoughts.

Listener 1: Then? Is it not about being conscious of thoughts?

AP: No. Don’t even be conscious of the thought; because whatever you are with respect to the thought is just the furtherance of the thought.

Don’t even look at the thought! And when I say don’t even look at the thought, I would amplify it by saying that ‘don’t even don’t look at the thought,’ and then I would amplify that by saying, ‘don’t even don’t even don’t look at the thought’.

L1: But when the thought is there there is no listening with attention.

AP: Please see that the thought is not there unless you know that the thought is there.

Is the wall there (pointing towards the wall)?

L1: Yes, but only when I see it.

AP: The wall is there only when. . .

L1: . . . I am aware of the wall.

AP: (Pointing towards a car parked outside the house) Similarly, is that car there!