How often is your mind quiet? If you're a typical human being, the answer is probably very rarely. For most of our days, our attention is focused on external things—the tasks of our jobs, TV programs, or social media interactions. In the moments when our attention isn't focused externally, it's usually focused on what is called "thought-chatter"—a stream of mental associations consisting of expectations of the future, memories, daydreams, and so on.
But from time to time, we all experience moments when our thought-chatter quiets down, or even disappears altogether. In these moments, we experience a sense of great well-being. We feel a sense of inner harmony. We feel as if we're free of problems, and feel satisfied with our lives as they are.
There are many activities that have the effect of quieting our minds, and so produce a state of well-being. For example, think about what happens when you-go walking in the countryside. You might feel stressed when you start out, but slowly, after-a couple of miles, your mind begins to settle down. The beauty and stillness of nature attracts your attention and you're no longer in your thought-chatter. By the end of the walk you feel almost like a different person. You feel more alive, and much happier—largely because your mind is now quiet.
This is why people love to look at beautiful works of art. When people see the paintings of Monet or van Gogh, they experience a mind-stop ping moment, in which they're taken out of their thinking minds and experience a sense of great well-being.
The strange thing is, though, that most of the time this happens unconsciously(不知不觉地). We usually don't associate this well-being with a quiet mind. And we usually don't think of a quiet mind as the aim or result of these activities.
Our estimate of how enjoyable an activity is may depend on its mind-stop ping capacity. In other words, the very best performances—and the most rewarding activities—are those which are so attractive and intense that they can completely stop our minds.
I'm not saying that inner quietness is the only reason why we enjoy these activities. Nevertheless, we should certainly become more aware of the association of a quiet mind with well-being. And at the same time we should be aware that it's possible for us to consciously and directly create a quiet mind; rather than as a byproduct of certain activities. And in the end we might develop a permanent quiet mind and attain a state of ongoing content and harmony.
