In the Tao Te Ching it reads…
“Be content with what you have;
Rejoice in the way things are,
When you realise there is nothing lacking
The whole world belongs to you.”
Agitation is the enemy of meditation as it prevents us from freeing our mind and concentrating on the breath. Sometimes it’s unavoidable and on those occasions its best not to force yourself to meditate but rather go to your place of meditation and read uplifting material or just relax. As writer Joan Chittister says,…..
“When we’re driven by agitation, consumed by fretting we become immersed in our own agenda and it is always exaggerated. We get caught up in things that, in the final analysis, simply don’t count, in things that pass away, in things that are concerned with living comfortably rather than living well. We go to pieces over crying children and broken machines and the length of stop lights at intersections. We lose touch with the centre of things.” (Insights for the Ages, Joan Chittister, Pub: St.Paul’s, 1992)
It’s not passive tranquillity we are looking for when we meditate but rather active awareness, that attentiveness that brings us into the present moment.
oOo
And now let us meditate in the fashion that we are accustomed to.
You might like to dedicate your meditation to those that are affected by Covid-19 virus either through illness, bereavement or unemployment or some special intention of your own.
(Meditate for up to 20 minutes.)
As we go about our daily activities I hope that by being in the present, by remaining mindful we will find joy in the midst of this trial. Peter