1
00:00:00,233 --> 00:00:03,661
But it could have come from me as well, but it didn't.

2
00:00:04,182 --> 00:00:05,324
Okay, go ahead.

3
00:00:05,765 --> 00:00:07,048
Bhante, I have questions.

4
00:00:07,569 --> 00:00:12,721
What is the recommended method of ridding oneself of an annoying song playing in one's head during meditation?

5
00:00:13,583 --> 00:00:16,149
I suffered from an old Bowie song for almost two weeks.

6
00:00:16,730 --> 00:00:19,035
Should I refrain from music and film in the future?

7
00:00:21,361 --> 00:00:23,928
It is actually two different questions.

8
00:00:25,432 --> 00:00:28,019
How to get rid of the song and whether you should refrain.

9
00:00:29,643 --> 00:00:31,648
Because there's actually nothing wrong with the song.

10
00:00:31,668 --> 00:00:33,413
You're not plagued by

11
00:00:34,709 --> 00:00:36,091
When you say plagued, I suffer.

12
00:00:36,131 --> 00:00:41,540
You're not suffering from the song, not any more than you suffer not having the song in your head.

13
00:00:42,902 --> 00:00:46,708
The song itself is no more suffering than any other experience.

14
00:00:46,768 --> 00:00:56,683
The suffering comes from your desire to be free from it, your desire to not have the song playing in your head constantly, repeatedly.

15
00:00:56,663 --> 00:00:57,544
And so on.

16
00:00:57,564 --> 00:01:05,697
And that comes from a misunderstanding or a delusion of self, the idea that you can somehow control that.

17
00:01:06,939 --> 00:01:17,575
The idea that somehow it is you that is experiencing that song comes from the frustration of thinking you can stop it and so on.

18
00:01:18,897 --> 00:01:25,287
Once you see impermanent suffering and non-self, it won't bother you that there are songs playing in your head if there are songs playing in your head.

19
00:01:27,089 --> 00:01:49,738
No, the reason why you should probably refrain from music and film is because of the dulling quality it has to cultivate delusion, the addictive quality that it has to create greed, and therefore to create anger when you don't get what you want, or as in this case when it

20
00:01:49,718 --> 00:01:51,724
arises in your head.

21
00:01:52,025 --> 00:02:00,252
So it's not the fact that it's arising in your head that is a sign that you should stop watching movies or listening to music.

22
00:02:01,430 --> 00:02:06,437
It's the fact that you become irritable when it isn't according to your desire.

23
00:02:07,058 --> 00:02:20,198
And that irritation and that delusion as well, thinking that you can somehow control it, is related to your addiction to film and music and entertainment and anything that's addictive in general.