To discuss dispassion is one thing, to experience it is another. Many Yoga aspirants freak out when they begin to peer into their closet of consciousness and see the skeletons that hang there. To directly confront one's selfish tendencies can, at times, be overwhelming. But the only way out is through. Repeatedly, the yogi must adopt the position of the witness, silently observing mental phenomenon without becoming involved with them.
Thoughts are like rides at a carnival, each one promising some great adventure, a thrill or a chill.
But the rides are for children, not for mature spiritual aspirants who seek to know the true nature of the carnival and who is its creator. When the aspirant first begins to practice dispassion, he may be astonished at how persistent thoughts are. Though his intention to quiet his mind may be earnest, still the train of thoughts keeps blowing its whistle. The great Tibetan yogi Milarepa faced a similar dilemma. Milarepa retired to a secluded spot in the Himalayas to complete his search for enlightenment.