How? By replacing all those pesky bad habits that we tend to indulge in! Like being easily distracted and desirous of new experiences. Being gregarious and seeking others’ company. Or being lazy and following wherever our wandering thoughts happen to lead us.
By changing these, we can reduce our mental clutter. When in a car or on a train, don’t look at billboards. They’re designed to elicit our cravings and emotions.
At work, spend less time chatting and gossiping.
At home, turn the TV off. Programs and movies are made to keep our adrenaline pumping and interspersed with frequent commercials to have us discover something we can’t live without.
On the Internet, check what is needed but don’t get carried away, aimlessly clicking the headlines or surfing.
So many of the distractions in our lives are what we invite in. Instead, we can quiet the mental clutter and begin to create that calm, peaceful world right where we are—even in a city.
Published 07/04/23, A buddhist perspective by Venerable Wuling