The Cave Analogy

The cave analogy 

When I first heard the cave analogy, it was as a Buddhist monk… it came to me just at the right moment in my life and… it literally blew my mind wide open, giving me an enlightenment moment which helped me so much and still does. 

I hope it helps you as much as it does me.

But first we need a little background.

Our minds produce thoughts… one thought after another. It’s what our minds are very good at, just one thought after another. Good, bad or indifferent it doesn’t matter… our minds don’t differentiate between them, they just produce thoughts. 

Now…

All our problems in life come from those thoughts… our anxieties, our desires, our fears. Everything comes from thought!

But what if I tell you there’s a way to overcome those difficulties… And it’s not about stopping those good, bad or indifferent thoughts… 

…you’d want to know right???

The Cave Analogy

Imagine…

…on the side of a mountain there’s a cave with a stream of crystal clear water running out from that cave. The cave is so dark you can’t see where the water is coming from. And there’s no way of seeing or even getting inside. Those crystal clear waters gently flow through a beautiful meadow covered with many grasses and wild flowers 

It is here you sit under a weeping old tree.

As you watch the gently flowing stream you notice… a beautiful lotus flower pass on the current. Followed by another and another. You reach for lotus flower and examine its beauty. You notice the whole stream is filled with lotus flowers.

But suddenly….

…floating past comes a stinky emoji poo… followed by an another emoji poo and yet another. You’re slightly distracted at the sight but you still reach into the river and try grabbing hold of one of the emoji poo’s.

Everywhere you look the stream is now filled with emoji poo’s

So what’s this analogy of the cave got to do with anything? As you have probably already realised the cave represents your mind… and the stream is your thoughts flowing from mind…

…WE are the ones that pick up, attach too, or hold onto those emoji poo’s of thought, that are flowing down the stream. 

But things can be different…

…we don’t have to pick up the emoji poo.

Instead we just notice, we don’t interfere, we just watch and observe… we watch the ebb and flow of thoughts as they come and go, come and go. By just observing and not interfering, we’re not producing more emoji poo thoughts.  

We will begin to see with an absolute truth the more we attach to the emoji poo the more the stream of mind produces more emoji poo’s. The more we observe the more we stay in a place of peace and natural happiness often described as blissful, ecstatic and is our natural state of mind. 

So today, just watch this ebb and flow of thought and think of this cave analogy…

…try not to pick up the emoji poo’s… Just let it be, and remember it’s just a thought. This too shall pass.

Kind and Warmest Regards

Dhamma Tāpasā* (Andrew Hallas)

Positive Mind Training

My life has been shaped by trauma, deep inquiry, and years spent living simply in nature. Through deep insight gained into how the mind truly creates our experience, I developed the PACT-RICA Framework. Because when understanding deepens, the mind naturally settles and clarity will return.

Why Not Add Your email & receive our free positive Well-Being newsletter

(Sent out every Tuesday & Friday, our Positive Well-Being newsletter is Filled with Loads of Actionable Advice, Short Stories, Updates and Sometimes Free Goodies. Make sure you check your email immediately after signing up for a surprise free gift)