Breaking the Cycle: Perceiving Proverbs 26:11

"As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly." — Proverbs 26:11

The Echo of Old Mistakes

There is a moment in every seeker’s life when they stand at the crossroads of repetition and transformation. A familiar path appears, inviting them back into an old pattern—an old thought, an old reaction, an old identity. And like a well-worn groove on a record, the mind hums a familiar tune: Just this once. Just a little. Just for now.

But wisdom whispers differently.

This verse is not merely about the fool who makes mistakes—it is about the deeper unconsciousness that returns to them. A dog does not return to its vomit because it enjoys it; it returns because it does not know better. Likewise, humans return to their suffering, not because they want pain, but because the mind convinces them that the cycle is still the only way.

What Is This “Vomit” We Return To?

It is not just addiction. It is not just toxic relationships. It is not just anger or fear. It is any thought pattern that keeps us tethered to what no longer serves our awakening.

It is the belief that we are unworthy, so we stay in places where love does not dwell.
It is the fear that we are not enough, so we strive endlessly, trying to prove something that was never in question.
It is the illusion that we are separate from God, so we chase temporary comforts, mistaking them for peace.

We return, and return, and return. Until one day, we stop.

The Gift of Awareness

Mooji often speaks of the power of simply watching the mind—observing, rather than engaging with the illusion. He would say: The thought comes, but who is it speaking to?

In this moment of awareness, the cycle begins to break. The fool who repeats his folly is not foolish because he fails, but because he never questions the return. He follows the pull of the mind without realizing he has the power to step aside.

When Jesus says, “Go and sin no more” (John 8:11), He is not commanding perfection—He is revealing freedom. He is saying: You have seen now. You are no longer blind. You no longer have to return.

The Stillness Beyond the Cycle

Imagine watching a river. The current moves swiftly, carrying thoughts, urges, temptations. Most people jump in, struggling against the flow or getting swept away. But the wise one? The wise one sits on the riverbank. They observe. They let it pass.

To not return to one’s own suffering is not an act of force, but of stillness. It is not willpower, but witnessing.

And in this, we finally taste what we were looking for all along—not the temporary relief of returning, but the eternal peace of being free to never return at all.

A Simple Question to Break the Cycle

Next time you feel the old pull, the familiar return, ask yourself:

"Who is this thought speaking to?"

If you can hear it, see it, observe it—then it is not you. And if it is not you, you do not have to follow.

You do not have to return.

You are already free.