“Books don't offer real escape but they can stop a mind scratching itself raw.”

"Letters from Zedelghem"
Cloud Atlas (2004)

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Do you have more details about the quote "Books don't offer real escape but they can stop a mind scratching itself raw." by David Mitchell?
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David Mitchell 68
English novelist 1969

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“The mind is the main instrument to gain enlightenment, but enlightenment is only reached when the mind stops. Q: How can we stop the mind? A: Not hitting it with a hammer. Stop the mind by the mind”

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Silence Speaks, from the chalkboard of Baba Hari Dass, 1977
Context: Q: Can intellect aid understanding? A: It helps in the beginning but cannot give full enlightenment. The mind is the main instrument to gain enlightenment, but enlightenment is only reached when the mind stops. Q: How can we stop the mind? A: Not hitting it with a hammer. Stop the mind by the mind. (p.31)

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