Meditation for Thursday 3rd March 2022
Although some of us have been meditating for many years the chances are we haven’t got everything all figured out because none of us actually do! The ideal approach to our meditation is to adopt a ‘beginner’s mind’, that open, attentive attitude knowing that we are on the journey towards understanding but we are still travelling and perhaps have some distance to go.
Meditation is a practice we can use to make the most of our life by appreciating even those things that might seem insignificant. With appreciation comes a capacity for us to learn how to cause happiness both for one’s self and others. We have human life so it makes sense to use our mind and body just as we might learn any other skill, so we can enjoy life even when life seems fragile or even threatening.
As humans we have the capacity for messing things up or at least I do! This is not necessarily a bad thing if we use those experiences to learn and by doing helping us to come around to a fuller appreciation of reality. Meditation is the tool to guide us through this morass.
Deciding to master the art of living isn’t about comparing ourselves with others. This is especially true with meditation practice. Never compare. Don’t see your life or your practice as inadequate but rather look at your vast potential. Respect your efforts after all we are all ‘beginners’ on this journey of life and therefore on this meditation journey.
We know that in meditation we return to being in the ‘now’; being in the present moment. We can do this only by being in control right now, right here. In meditation we are practicing the ability to return our awareness to the present and as such we become able to centre ourselves in a much more controllable arena of operation.
Practice is a wonderful English word that can be used in different contexts. There is the practice of one’s faith tradition, of sport, etc. There are professional practices; law, medical, architecture and so on. When we refer to meditation as a practice we are referring to something that we do regularly. We choose to meditate or practice as part of our wider practice which is living a mindful, meditative, contemplative, reflective, thoughtful life. Having a designated meditation practice is essential if we are serious about living a more reflective life in the here and now. Most meditation traditions say that 20 minutes of meditation morning and evening are ideal but there are those who walk away from meditation without realizing that 10 minutes is better than nothing, even 5 and 30 seconds spread at intervals throughout the day is better than nothing.
I would encourage you to start modestly and build your time spent meditating gradually.
Now let’s meditate or practice always conscious that we meditate not just for ourselves but also for the benefit of others.
MEDITATION
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