Meditation for Thursday 3rd August 2023
There are a number of obstacles that prevent us from meditating as well as we should, in fact when any of these apply it’s impossible to meditate.
I thank the Jesuit magazine ‘America’ for the inspiration for the following….
• Anger
We often become angry when we feel stymied, unable to control what is happening in the world as we perceive it. But if anger is our constant companion it’s impossible to meditate.
• Enemies
We all disappoint each other; we fail each other. But an enemy is something else, something more. It’s a fixation. If we have enemies we are on hardened ground when it comes to practicing meditation. It’s impossible to meditate when we have enemies.
• Fear of Silence
Smartphones are only the latest manifestation of a phenomenon that began with the transistor radio. Why do we avoid being alone with our thoughts? What are we afraid of?
It’s impossible to meditate when we fear silence.
• Exhaustion
Subterfuge saps our strength. If we are exhausted, maybe too much energy is expended in avoiding life. Exhaustion is perhaps the most common cause of meditation fatigue.
It’s impossible to meditate when we are exhausted.
• Yesterday and Tomorrow, but never Today
Yesterday is gone forever. Tomorrow never comes. There is only today, only this moment, only the present. It’s impossible to meditate when we constantly live in the past or the future.
Meditation
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