The state of mind that you are in causes you to act in a certain way. Your actions will bear results. The ultimate result of all karmas and actions is state of mind. You are your state of mind.

Thought control is the ability to direct mind and attention anywhere.

At this point you are so far away from what you really are, it's ridiculous.

When you sit, you've put a place on the island of the tonal for the possibility of your thoughts stopping for a short period of time.

What matters is that you meditate, you're seeking enlightenment, you're on the pathway to enlightenment, and you're having fun. Don't look for reassurance in the eyes of others. Look for reassurance in your own eyes. Only you know if Buddhist practice is improving the quality of your life.

Unhappiness is really an incorrect way of seeing. When we are unhappy we don't see life as it really is. We are in a condition of veiled light, of shadows.

Reincarnation is not necessarily linear. Sometimes people actually become more immersed in darkness or illusion than they were in previous lifetimes.