Milarepa, a renowned Tibetan meditation practitioner and Buddhist teacher who lived from 1052 to 1135, used to compare the mind to a dog chasing a stick. He advised being more like a lion facing the stick thrower instead of running after every thrown stick.
This metaphor beautifully illustrates how our minds often work. Most of the time, we don’t reflect much, much like a dog chasing a stick. When a thought enters our mind, we automatically pursue it, chewing it over just like a dog with a stick.
When you meditate, thoughts frequently arise even though you’re trying to quiet your mind. This happens because different parts of your brain are scanning your experience for potential threats to your well-being. Often, there isn’t any real threat, but your brain still digs through past memories or future plans to find something to worry about. For example, you might remember a past event where you felt hurt and replay it numerous times in your mind, or you might worry about an upcoming event and imagine everything that could go wrong. This turns a simple thought into a full-blown drama.
In Buddhism, this tendency is known as prapañca, or “proliferation.”
On the other hand, the lion symbolizes a mind that, instead of chasing after thoughts, turns to face the source of the distraction. It lets the thought pass, recognizing that the attempt to distract has no real substance. The lion-like mind stays curious about what is trying to manipulate it and focuses on that instead.
In Buddhist terms, the stick thrower is Māra, a mythological personification of distraction. Māra represents the part of us that aims to keep us off-balance by making us chase after thoughts.
If you’ve never tried turning to face the stick thrower, you might start by tapping into the qualities of a lion: its steady gaze, low growl, strength, and fearlessness. Imagine these qualities filling your mind and body. This exercise can make you feel more powerful as you observe your thoughts.
When meditating, if you notice your mind chasing thoughts, try turning toward the source of these thoughts and observe it, just like a lion would. Sometimes, I even challenge Māra by inviting him to tempt me, saying something like, “Come on, Māra. Show me what you’ve got.” This act of watching with lion-like energy — strength, confidence, and courage — helps me see that these thoughts are illusions, not real events I need to deal with.
After a few instances, my inner dog might return, but I keep summoning my inner lion to face the stick thrower again. I might say, “Good one, Māra! That illusion fooled me for a moment. What else do you have?”
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By recognizing these thoughts are just mental fabrications, not real events, you can break free from the cycle of chasing them. The key is to keep practicing this awareness, tapping into the strength of the inner lion and detaching from the endless stream of distractions.