How does a thought arise? The mechanism of thought has never been explained before by anybody, anywhere. In order to understand how a thought arises, you need to have an amount of established consciousness and silence in you.
When silent, the mind is calm and memory is subdued – then, no thoughts arise. When the mind is excited and memory is stimulated, the chitta, your recording apparatus, is stimulated. Then, they jointly produce an impulse of energy, which is a thought.
Thoughts come and you recognise them as they come. You cannot recognise a thought before it comes; it is impossible to know a thought before it comes! You only know thoughts as they come. If they are silly, you simply laugh at them and they will move away. Sometimes you are amazed at your thoughts, “Such a stupid thought is coming into my mind!” and you wonder where did it come from; and if it is an ingenious thought, you are also in wonder, “What a great thought; this is such an excellent idea!”.
Thoughts arise anyway, but you choose to act, or not act. This is what awareness brings in you. If you are not aware, you simply act on the strongest impulse, or the strongest thought. But when you’re alert, then you choose whether to act or not.
It’s like a person, who is walking in his sleep. He has no control over where he’s walking, or what he’s doing. He simply walks! Do you see what I’m saying? A sleepwalker just walks – he doesn’t know where he’s walking, or It’s like a person who is walking in his sleep; he has no control. A sleepwalker just walks – he doesn’t know where he’s walking, or what he’s doing. But the moment the person is awake, and walking, then he chooses to walk either left, or right, this way or that way. That is the difference.
Today almost everyone is a sleepwalker! There are very few who are aware and then act. Are you getting what I’m saying? Today, most actions are like sleepwalking; people are not aware. They are simply acting on the strongest impulse. When you meditate, there is keenness of observation. You become totally relaxed, yet at the same time, you possess the strength of intelligence, the sharpness of awareness. When you are aware, and then you act, then that is the right action.