1.What are the categories of thoughts we have in life ?
Thoughts fall into 3 buckets
Bucket 1 : Thoughts of Past – Guilt, regret, Memories,
Bucket 2 : Thoughts of present
Bucket 3 : Thoughts of future – Hope, anxiety, fear..
Stress is due to thoughts of past or future. Thoughts required for functioning in the present do not cause stress.
2. Are sensations thoughts ?
Sensations are not thoughts. Sensations become thoughts when a name or doer is associated with it. For example nearing noise of a vehicle passing by is not a thought. When noise is identified as that of a car or vehicle, it becomes a thought. If it is irritating, it becomes a thought.
3). What is living in the present ?
Thought free state is bliss. When we are totally in the present, there are no thoughts. However, we are bombarded with thoughts which are related to past or future. While present is only reality, past or future is not real. When we live in past or future we live in unreality.
4). How to become thought free ?
Shri Ramana Maharshi taught Direct path for non-dual awakening. Direct path involves enquiring into nature of Self called Self Enquiry (Atmavichara). In the words of Shri Ramana Maharshi – “When the mind unceasingly investigates its own nature, it transpires that there is no such thing as mind. This is the direct path for all”.