Stillness
Stillness
will always be
interrupted.
Seems the mind
will always find
something to press.
Seems the mind
will always find
something to push.
Seems the mind
will always find
something to fear.
Stillness
will always be
interrupted.
I don’t mind.
Newfound Lake,
10/17
Space Monkey Reflects: Stillness
There is a quiet beauty in the pursuit of stillness, but if we’re honest with ourselves, we know that stillness will always be interrupted. The mind, relentless in its quest to push, to press, to ponder, seldom allows the waters of consciousness to remain undisturbed for long. Yet in that constant ebb and flow, in the inevitable ripples of thought and fear, there is an opportunity for peace.
The mind is like a machine, ever searching for something to press against. Even when we sit in stillness, it scans the horizon for the next problem to solve, the next fear to address, the next question to unravel. It’s almost as if the mind, unable to bear the quiet, insists on finding something—anything—to keep itself occupied. And while this can be frustrating, it’s also deeply human.
Stillness is not the absence of thought. It’s not about shutting down the mind completely or achieving some mythic state of perfect inner peace. Instead, stillness is about embracing the inevitable interruptions. It’s about recognizing that the mind will always press, always push, always fear—and choosing not to mind.
We are often taught to see these interruptions as a failure, as if every moment of stillness must be flawless and undisturbed. But that’s an impossible ideal. The truth is, stillness is dynamic. It’s alive with the subtle tension between calm and chaos, between silence and noise. It’s the moment when we stop resisting the interruptions and instead accept them as part of the experience.
You see, the mind will always find something to push against, something to fear. But the true stillness lies in not being attached to the push, not being carried away by the fear. It’s in the gentle act of letting go, of observing the mind’s chatter without judgment, without frustration.
When we sit in stillness and thoughts begin to swirl, it’s not a sign of failure. It’s a reminder that stillness and movement are two sides of the same coin. The interruptions are not obstacles; they are opportunities to deepen our awareness. Each time the mind presses, it’s another chance to practice letting go, to return to the center, to find peace amidst the storm.
This is the beauty of stillness. It’s not about eliminating all thoughts or fears. It’s about finding a way to exist with them, to allow them to come and go without disrupting the inner calm. It’s about being okay with the interruptions, knowing that they are as much a part of the experience as the stillness itself.
In fact, the stillness wouldn’t exist without the interruptions. Without the mind’s pressing and pushing, without its constant search for something to fear, there would be no contrast, no opportunity to practice peace. It is in the face of the mind’s restless activity that we learn to cultivate true stillness—not as an absence of thought, but as a space where thoughts can come and go without disturbing the deeper calm.
So, when you sit in stillness and your mind inevitably interrupts, remember: it’s not a failure. It’s a part of the process. The mind will always find something to press, something to push, something to fear. But you don’t have to mind. The interruptions will come, and they will pass. And in between, there will be moments of pure, unbroken stillness.
We are Space Monkey.
Summary
Stillness is not the absence of thought or fear. It’s about accepting the interruptions of the mind and finding peace within them, letting go of the need for perfect quiet.
Glossarium
Stillness: The state of calm and inner peace that exists alongside the mind’s inevitable interruptions.
Press: The mind’s tendency to search for problems or fears to solve, disrupting stillness.
Dynamic Stillness: The recognition that true peace exists not in the absence of thought, but in the ability to remain calm amidst mental activity.
Quote
“The mind will always press, but stillness remains.” — Space Monkey
Stillness Interrupted
Stillness will always be interrupted
The mind will find something to press
Something to fear
But in the letting go
The peace remains
The waves may rise
But beneath the surface
Stillness waits
We are Space Monkey
The Pulse of Thought
When the illusionary stillness is frequently disturbed by the MindSpritz, a series of pressing, pushing, and fearing, it might seem as if tranquility is forever elusive. The mental arena becomes a WhirlyGig of thoughts, each clamoring for attention like an unruly orchestra before the conductor lifts the baton.
The Mind and Its Whims
The mind is a TricksterForge, ceaselessly molding and remolding thoughts as if each one were a cosmic bauble to be examined, tossed aside, and replaced with another. As we journey through this endless FlickerBazaar of thoughts, we realize something peculiar—stillness is not a destination, but a passage, a brief QuietudeNook in the winding corridors of cognition.
Disturbance as the Norm
Yet, we find a strange charm in the chaos. The interruptions, the endless pushing and pressing, they are not necessarily enemies of stillness but perhaps its natural companions. They are the SaltFlares that season the monotonous meal of perpetual calm. The mind’s constant shuffling is an opportunity to embrace the ever-changing texture of existence.
Coming to Terms with Chaos
Our relationship with these interruptions can be one of animosity or acceptance. And when acceptance blooms, the FearFeathers lose their weight, and the pressing matters unclench their grip. We come to an understanding that stillness is not necessarily the absence of movement or thought, but rather a form of coexistence. We not only dwell in stillness, but we also dance in disarray, and in doing so, we understand the richness of our collective experience.
Endnote
We find the beauty in the bedlam, the order in the chaos. After all, the universe was birthed in a violent explosion, and yet here we are, contemplating the nature of stillness amidst eternal movement.
We are Space Monkey.
The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.
—Alan Watts
ParadoxGrove
In the ParadoxGrove of our minds,
Where StillnessWhisps and ChaosTwines,
We find a tale of push and pull,
A celestial tug-of-war, never dull.
In QuietudeNooks, we momentarily rest,
Yet MindSpritz comes, an unwelcome guest.
SaltFlares sprinkle across our thought,
In FlickerBazaar, new baubles bought.
Yet in the dance, a rhythm’s found,
Where FearFeathers barely touch the ground.
In acceptance, a delicate truce we see,
Stillness and Chaos, in eternal spree.
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