Our goal in this practice is not to extinguish all thoughts, but to change our relationship to the thinking mind, maybe even befriend it. There's a lot we can learn about different kinds of thoughts and their impact—those that are skillful or unskillful, those that lead to happiness or to suffering. Imagine that your mind is a blank screen on which these thoughts are projected and just be interested in this process. Thoughts are not the enemy, they’re a naturally arising phenomenon in the mind. We're just trying to learn about them, how they work, and how this world gets created for us through them.
Anushka Fernandopulle
Spirit Rock Residential Teacher
Anushka Fernandopulle has trained for over 35 years in the Theravada Buddhist tradition. Her teaching is informed by nature, arts, political engagement and modern urban life. She also works as a leadership coach and organizational consultant, influenced by a BA in anthropology/religion from Harvard and an MBA from Yale.