On meditation and mindfulness…
Breath is what connects our body to our mind.
Breathing in, I calm body and mind. Breathing out, I smile. Dwelling in the present moment I know this is the only moment.
~ Thích Nhất Hạnh
I forget my joy and senses and leave all appearance and information behind. In the middle of Nothing, I join the Source of All Things, transcending the limits of time and knowledge.
Meditation requires practice and the results are cumulative.
Meditation is plugging into the universal energy, life itself.
Buddha was asked, what have you gained from meditation?”
He replied nothing! However, let me tell you what I have lost: anger, anxiety, depression, insecurity, fear of old age and death.”
Meditation can be as simple as watching your breath, witnessing your breath from a point of pure awareness.
Breathing is such a effortless and natural phenomenon that is there twenty-four hours a day.
The practice is simple.
Pay attention to the natural movement of your breath.
When the mind wanders, as it will, notice it and gently return attention to the breath.
The object of the practice is not to "block" thoughts; rather, it is simply to notice the thought nonjudgmentally and then return to the object of attention (in this case, the breath.)
Concentrating on the warm and cool sensations in the nostrils as the air flows through while breathing in coolness and breathing out warmth.
Within a split second, no matter the environmental conditions, the human nose modifies the moisture of inhaled air to a constant relative humidity of 75%, and the temperature to a constant of 98.6F. Always.
The key is to keep the "monkey mind" occupied as when it has nothing to do, it returns to its default state of scanning for danger.
It is quite natural to catch a thought, only to find yourself lost in a new thought that claims to be observing thoughts.
Don’t look to dissect thought, or explain where it came from. Simply notice that a thought appeared and allow it to pass without following it to its destination.
You notice the thought... if you then find yourself thinking about noticing the thought, smile and allow it to pass freely. When yet another thought arrives, notice it as well.
See how the mind tries to pull you back into thought. Very tricky! A game of illusions that makes life quite interesting, but is ultimately illusory and leads to suffering. That which sees the game holds no opinions or judgements. Connect to this deeper "I".
You don't fail a meditation session if your mind was noisy. You only fail it if you never sat down.
Meditation eventually allows access to that still place beneath your thoughts.
The gateway to experiencing the absolute infinite awareness.
It’s like training a puppy. Puppy runs off, you call it back. Runs off again, you call it back again. You’re not mad at the puppy for being a puppy and you’re not failing when it runs off. Calling it back IS the exercise.
Imagine calling a puppy back. "Hey, come back to the breath." Then it wanders again 30 seconds later. Call it back again. That’s the whole practice.
Trying to stop thoughts is like trying to stop waves in the ocean, it’s just not how it works. Meditation is just noticing when you get lost in thought and gently redirecting back to breath or body or whatever.
Sit still long enough and observe the contents of your mind without identifying with them, and the constructed nature of experience starts to become viscerally apparent.
Thoughts arise.
The sense of "I" that seems to be watching them also arises.
The boundary between self and world — which feels so absolute in ordinary waking life — starts to look like another rendering decision, not a metaphysical fact.
"Mindfulness is simply being aware of what is happening right now without wishing it were different; enjoying the pleasant without holding on when it changes (which it will); being with the unpleasant without fearing it will always be this way (which it won’t)."
~ James Baraz
“If you are depressed you are living in the past. If you are anxious you are living in the future. If you are at peace you are living in the present.”
~ Lao Tzu
Don’t take yourself to a mental destination that is different from where you are currently at.
To dwell in the here and now does not mean you never think about the past or responsibly plan for the future.
The idea is simply not to allow yourself to get lost in regrets about the past or worries about the future.
You know things will be OK.
If you are firmly grounded in the present moment, the past can be an object of inquiry, but you are still grounded in the present moment.
“We’re sitting under the tree of our thinking minds, wondering why we’re not getting any sunshine.”
~ Ram Dass
Observe the thinker thinking the thoughts.
Your enlightenment rests on your own shoulders.
“The individual who has achieved a deep connection with their inner self becomes an enigma to others; such a person's profound depth is incomprehensible to most. This person embodies honesty, radiates love, inspires confidence, promotes kindness, and reflects the divine truth. For them, every action becomes a form of deep contemplation or meditation-whether walking down the street, engaging in a craft, or conducting business, they are in a constant state of reflection. Their gaze upon the world, whether directed at the skies above or the earth below, is filled with reverence for the sacred, seeing the divine in every direction and in everything, unconfined by form or doctrine. This person may hold immense knowledge but often remains silent, recognizing that sharing their profound inner experiences could cause confusion for others not on the same spiritual path. They understand that the inner life is deeply personal and not always translatable to the external world.”
~ Hazrat Inayat Khan
“All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.”
~Blaise Pascal, 1662