“If, let’s say, the goal of meditation is to sit with ones own thoughts and make peace with them and to deprive their control over you then why do we focus on something like a mantra or breath?
How is that any different from distracting yourself with something else like using your phone or doing a hobby?
Isn’t it more logical to expose yourself directly to your thoughts rather than letting them invade the space of which you’re focusing on?”
Great question!
Focussing on a mantra or your breath helps you to relax to enable you to clearly focus on your thoughts whilst meditating.
The problem is that meditation is often taught as if these practices are the complete picture of meditation when in truth they are only one of the first steps.
You are right, it is more logical to focus directly on your thoughts, address them and resolve them whilst meditating.
Edwin Leo 