Q: Robert, when you say, “Sit in the silence” to find the Self, naturally a river of thoughts flow, but it’s okay to sit in those thoughts and just watch?
R: When you observe your thoughts, you are sitting in the silence.
S: Even if you sit day after day and the thoughts may not even slow or anything. But that’s okay because you’re still sitting by yourself?
R: As long as you’re not identified with the thoughts, let the thoughts come and let them go. As long as you can be the observer of the thoughts, then you’re in the silence.
S: What if you don’t?
R: Then you’re who you are. Then you’re human, you’re the body, you’re the mind.
S: So if you can’t do that practice what do you do?
R: You ask, “To whom do these thoughts come?” And you punch them down one by one. You keep asking yourself when every thought comes, “To whom do these come? Where did it come from? Who gave it birth?”
S: And even when you get tired of doing that?
R: You observe again, go back to observation.
S: But you don’t have to feel?
R: Feel nothing.
You know, like you’re not getting any progress?
R: On the contrary.
Because the thoughts haven’t stopped flowing, that’s not the idea?
R: No it’s not. Progress is made when you’re able to absorb your thoughts into the Self. And you absorb your thoughts into your Self by observing your thoughts. The more you’re able to observe the less your mind thinks and your mind begins to slow down. So keep catching yourself over and over again.
S: So it’s not a matter of stopping your thoughts?
R: You can’t stop your thoughts at once. But as you observe them, they become less and less.
– Robert Adams – “Satguru v’s Pseudo- Guru” – Oct 25th ’90