Why wander away? Let’s return to the majesty of the forest,
and stay with. Be Present.
and stay with. Be Present.
Lesson 2.
Return and Stay With
the Meditation.
Last session I talked about directing the mind towards the meditation object, and filling the mind with it.
One of the important features of meditation is the way the mind will tend to wander away from the meditation object, and wander back into the realm of thought. So there is something we need to do before we can direct the mind to the meditation object, and fill the mind with it. And that is to return to the meditation. To return from wherever the mind might have wandered to.
Returning to the Meditation.
We need to gently come back to the meditation, knowing that here, in meditation, is the inner Peace that we need. This refreshing and rejuvenating stillness and silence, this rest from busy-ness. It is like coming back home after the trials and tribulations of the outside world. This returning to the meditation object is the Path to peace, or one of the important features of the Path.
It is important to return to peace in a peaceful way. Sometimes, there can be a tendency to abruptly force the mind back to the meditation object, as if we are guilty of wandering, and need some kind of sharp reprimand.
No no, not like that. Let us be gentle on ourselves. Gently and compassionately come back. Come back consciously and knowingly.
Staying With the Meditation.
Having returned, the next step is to stay with the meditation object, to stay with the meditation, and not be drawn back into the world of busy-ness and mental noise. Not be lured back onto those paths that inevitably lead to bouts of quite painful thinking, pain that is the very opposite of the peace, contentment and enjoyment of meditation.
In this, we can consciously stay with the meditation from moment to moment. We can sustain our attention, and maintain contact with the meditation object. Extending the contact, and valuing it.
Last session, I talked of filling the mind with the meditation object, and this can help us to stay with it. Another tactic is to move from one touch to another, from seat to feet to hands and back to seat. Moving in a cyclical way.
One advantage of the breath is that it is cyclical meditation object. We can stay with the inbreath, from its beginning, thru its middle until it ends at full inbreath. Then stay with the outbreath, throughout its phase. Then a brief pause between outbreath and inbreath. The scriptures call this full cycle “the full body of the breath.”
If our environment is not disturbed by machine noise, and other jarring disruptive noise, then the sound of the wind in the leaves is an excellent meditation object. It is sufficiently continuous to be a meditation object, yet sufficiently diverse to hold our attention. This sound is constantly changing, yet constantly continuing, so to speak.
To stay with the meditation, we can take interest in the meditation. Take interest in the slowing down of thinking, and the movement towards rest
Staying with the meditation, and staying with it long enough to return to Peace, is a skill that is well worth cultivating. It cannot be learned in a minute or thirty minutes. Or just a week of practice. This skill of staying with the meditation object is something to practice over the years. Each day investing some time in letting go of busy-ness, returning to and staying with inner quiet. Using some kind of meditation technique. Or perhaps some similar activity that is usually given another name. Such as exercise. Or tidying up, and cleaning. Eating real food, and alcohol free drinking. We will look at other types of meditation later on.
One of the important features of meditation is the way the mind will tend to wander away from the meditation object, and wander back into the realm of thought. So there is something we need to do before we can direct the mind to the meditation object, and fill the mind with it. And that is to return to the meditation. To return from wherever the mind might have wandered to.
Returning to the Meditation.
We need to gently come back to the meditation, knowing that here, in meditation, is the inner Peace that we need. This refreshing and rejuvenating stillness and silence, this rest from busy-ness. It is like coming back home after the trials and tribulations of the outside world. This returning to the meditation object is the Path to peace, or one of the important features of the Path.
It is important to return to peace in a peaceful way. Sometimes, there can be a tendency to abruptly force the mind back to the meditation object, as if we are guilty of wandering, and need some kind of sharp reprimand.
No no, not like that. Let us be gentle on ourselves. Gently and compassionately come back. Come back consciously and knowingly.
Staying With the Meditation.
Having returned, the next step is to stay with the meditation object, to stay with the meditation, and not be drawn back into the world of busy-ness and mental noise. Not be lured back onto those paths that inevitably lead to bouts of quite painful thinking, pain that is the very opposite of the peace, contentment and enjoyment of meditation.
In this, we can consciously stay with the meditation from moment to moment. We can sustain our attention, and maintain contact with the meditation object. Extending the contact, and valuing it.
Last session, I talked of filling the mind with the meditation object, and this can help us to stay with it. Another tactic is to move from one touch to another, from seat to feet to hands and back to seat. Moving in a cyclical way.
One advantage of the breath is that it is cyclical meditation object. We can stay with the inbreath, from its beginning, thru its middle until it ends at full inbreath. Then stay with the outbreath, throughout its phase. Then a brief pause between outbreath and inbreath. The scriptures call this full cycle “the full body of the breath.”
If our environment is not disturbed by machine noise, and other jarring disruptive noise, then the sound of the wind in the leaves is an excellent meditation object. It is sufficiently continuous to be a meditation object, yet sufficiently diverse to hold our attention. This sound is constantly changing, yet constantly continuing, so to speak.
To stay with the meditation, we can take interest in the meditation. Take interest in the slowing down of thinking, and the movement towards rest
Staying with the meditation, and staying with it long enough to return to Peace, is a skill that is well worth cultivating. It cannot be learned in a minute or thirty minutes. Or just a week of practice. This skill of staying with the meditation object is something to practice over the years. Each day investing some time in letting go of busy-ness, returning to and staying with inner quiet. Using some kind of meditation technique. Or perhaps some similar activity that is usually given another name. Such as exercise. Or tidying up, and cleaning. Eating real food, and alcohol free drinking. We will look at other types of meditation later on.
My webpage “Course in Meditation” describes how to
gain the full benefit of these Meditation Lessons
gain the full benefit of these Meditation Lessons
