Good story Kazbadan! [:)]
My wife told me something about this a while back from her psychology studies at University. Apparently our mind has a real problem dealing with negatives or "dont's". Your story is a good example. The one that was used in her psych class was something like "don't think about the Eiffel Tower." As soon as you read that, what's the first picture that pops into your mind?
This is why it's easier when instructing people to focus on "do's" rather than "dont's"
Enjoy,
James.
This is a Zen story that i found in my original language. I will try to make a translation of it (but very bad):
One day, a student of Zen, that was very interested in learning meditation, went in a zendo where he found a zen master.
_ Hello young man! Come in!- says the master - What brings you here?
_ Hello great master! I heard that you teach meditation, and i want to learn it. I´m tired of reading books with very theory and very complicated techniques... i want to learn it in a pratical way, with a master as you!
_ Do you really want to learn meditation?
_Of course master!
_ Have you studied books, and learned all the theory?
_ Yes master. I readed all the books that i could. I know all the theory.
_ Now i will teach you meditation: go home and do exactly this: "Do not think in monkeys!"
_ Not think in monkeys?! What is that idea?
_ Just do it! And come by tomorrow
_ Yes my master. If all that i must do it´s that...
After 2 hours or so, the student returned to the master with a very aflicted face.
_ Hello! How was your training?
_ Please master, you must help me! Since you sayed to me to do not think in monkeys, i´m always worry in "not thinking in monkeys"! I see monkeys everywhere!!
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this story is very funny, but it is very deep too, since it shows something important for a sucessfull zen meditation.