“Sometimes the mind may wonder about practice itself. For example, the mind may wander off into analyzing whether an object was noted effectly, or sequentially, or vividly. The mind may wander off into thinking about how one is going to note an object. Under these circumstances, insight concentration cannot arise.”

“When anything is present to the mind, what is the very first and simplest character to be noted in it, in every case, no matter how little elevated the object may be? Certainly, it is its presentness.”

Charles Sanders Peirce (1839–1914) American philosopher, logician, mathematician, and scientist

“Momentary concentration that focuses on mental or physical objects from moment to moment is called nondistraction (avikkhepa), a mental state that is the opposite of restlessness. When momentary concentration becomes strong, the mind seems to penetrate its object every time an object is noted.”

Mahasi Sayadaw (1904–1982) Burmese Buddhist philosopher

“Attention or mindfulness is kept to a bare registering of the facts observed, without reacting to them by deed, speech or by mental comment which may be one of self-reference (like, dislike, etc.), judgment or reflection. If during the time, short or long, given to the practice of Bare Attention, any such comments arise in one’s mind, they themselves are made objects of Bare Attention, and are neither repudiated nor pursued, but are dismissed, after a brief mental note has been made of them.”

Nyanaponika Thera (1901–1994) German Buddhist monk

“When one cultivates strong concentration by means of tranquility or insight meditation, the mind is no longer distracted by thoughts and other hindrances. Such pure concentration, continuously focused on an object for either tranquility or insight, is considered mental purification. A mind associated with such concentration is also purified of hindrances due to the power of the concentration.”

Mahasi Sayadaw (1904–1982) Burmese Buddhist philosopher

“The master mind is the mind that thinks what it wants to think, regardless of what circumstances, environment or associations may suggest.”

Christian D. Larson (1874–1962) Prolific author of metaphysical and New Thought books

“Absinthe makes the mind go wander.”

Ron English (1959) American artist

“Don't follow after the object of hatred, look at the angry mind. Anger liberated by itself as it arises is mirrorlike wisdom.

Don't chase after the object of pride, look at the grasping mind. Self-importance liberated as it arises is the wisdom of equanimity.

Don't hanker after the object of desire, look at the craving mind.”

Dilgo Khyentse (1910–1991) Bhutanese Buddhist Lama

“There are people whose mind would recoil from actual negation, but who have no objection to complete indifference; and it is this that is the most to be feared, for, to deny something, one must think about it to some extent, however little that may be, whereas an attitude of indifference makes it possible not to think about it at all.”

René Guénon (1886–1951) French metaphysician

“A beautiful object has no intrinsic quality that is good for the mind, nor an ugly object any intrinsic power to harm it. Beautiful and ugly are just projections of the mind. The ability to cause happiness or suffering is not a property of the outer object itself. For example, the sight of a particular individual can cause happiness to one person and suffering to another. It is the mind that attributes such qualities to the perceived object.”

Dilgo Khyentse (1910–1991) Bhutanese Buddhist Lama