Language habits

"The fact of the matter is that the 'real world' is to a large extent built up on the language habits of the group."
--Edward Sapir (1949)

Language habits do not define, nor create, culture, being, life or anything. They are like ruts in a dirt road, ruts of thought, but not true creativity nor true relating.

I agree with this quote, that what most people think of as the real world is co-created by language habits but I don't agree with the practice.  All humans must get past thought habits, push through to clear, original and authenticate-for-each-individual thinking.

I've been thinking, in last few days, of the Vipassana concept of sankaras. If I understand sankaras in the context of Vipassana, sankaras are thought ruts. For example, when we allow ourselves to keep thinking about something, especially things that are not sources of happiness for us, such as dwelling on unhappiness, we carve sankaras deeper and deeper into our beings. Sankaras limit us, keep us focussed on unhappy things.

When I catch myself, these days, reverting to old thought habits that do not serve me, that remind me of unhappy or unsatisfying times in the past, I meditate. I do my best to get out of my thoughts and focus, as Vipassana teaches, on what my body is feeling. 

Sankaras can cut into our beings like running water slowly cuts into rocks. I  stop carving ruts of thought that do not serve me when I catch myself thinking thoughts that do not serve me and meditate.

I have noticed a lot of mindfulness teachers calling for brief periods of meditation.  I can, and have, benefited from quick meditations. A few days ago, a doctor kept me waiting a long time in the exam room. I meditated. In terms of a good practice, I like the Vipassana practice of meditationg two separate hours a day.  If that seems like more time than many too-busy people can imagine carving out of their days, I say that if a wrong perspective. The more I meditate, the more happy I am.

May all beings be happy. Maybe all language habits be good ones, rooted in clear thinking and free of rutted thought.