Bob Schwartz

Washington Post:

Like many Americans across the country Monday, August 17, 2017, President Trump gazed at the first solar eclipse in a century to cross the continental United States, coast to coast.

Emerging with first lady Melania and son Barron on the Blue Room Balcony of the White House shortly before the eclipse reached its apex, Trump waved at the crowd and responded to a reporter’s question — “How’s the view?” — with a thumbs up, according to the White House pool.

Then he tilted his head upward and pointed up, prompting a White House aide standing beneath the balcony to shout “don’t look,” according to the White House press pool.

There are three approaches to thinking.

One is to add better thoughts in addition to the ones already in mind.

One is to reduce the thoughts in mind first, then add better ones.

One is to practice no thoughts, first removing all that is already there, then carefully adding some essential ones that ultimately can lead to no thoughts at all.

Imagine the places we live.

Some get a bigger place to fit the things they already have and the things they add.

Some keep the place they have and reduce the number of things in it.

Some remove everything so they can see the place for itself, as it originally was when they first saw it, as it originally was when built, just walls, floors, ceilings, windows, and doors. Then maybe the walls, floors, ceilings, windows, and doors disappear too.

Beyond thinking is ultimately not a thought. It is an experience.