PAYING ATTENTION

A friend of mine summarized meditation practice as : “the practice of paying attention and not making up stuff.”

Ahhh … the things we make up about spiritual practice could fill a sizable library when in fact, while meditating, we are just sitting there doing nothing.

With enough practice you too will be able to shed all your fantasies  and come to see the shocking reality that:

1. Nothing is yours

2. God is in control of all matters, and

3. Everything is temporary.  

To sit in this knowledge is enlightenment.

peace on you,

bob

meditation is the practice of release.

We are very good at accumulating physical objects - many of which we never use.  Some of us even rent storage vaults to keep the stuff we “will need someday”. 

We are also quite skilled at accumulating useless beliefs and beliefs that make us miserable. Unfortunately it is not possible (yet) to rent space in someone else’s brain to offload our useless beliefs. 

Decluttering ‘things’ is pretty straightforward  (if you don’t value them) - you just make a trip to Goodwill or the trash.  Letting go of beliefs is a little more challenging.  Meditation to the rescue!

Meditation is the practice of release - the practice of letting go - letting go of that which arises in the mind. It has been said, and I believe it to be true, that all human suffering is caused by the making real of that which arises in the mind.  

Meditation is the conscious act of noticing that everything that arises in the mind during the practice session is unreal.  After all we are just sitting there!!!

A powerful form of practice is:  when thoughts arise in the mind, just note that they are not relevant (real) in the present moment as you are just sitting still - then become aware of your body sitting (feel your posture, feel the chair, feel your hands and so forth). Just sit.

Until we discover a way to rent a “storage locker” for thoughts this will have to do.

Peace on you,

bob