The path of meditation and the path of our lives altogether has to do with curiosity, inquisitiveness. The ground is ourselves; we’re here to study ourselves and to get to know ourselves now, not later. One of the main discoveries of meditation is seeing how we continually run away from the present moment, how we avoid being here just as we are. That’s not considered to be a problem; the point is to see it.
Pema Chodron.
photo Vitold Muratov
The emptiness of the desert makes it possible to learn the almost impossible:
the joyful acceptance of our uselessness.
Ivan Illich
Be gentle with yourself. Be kind to yourself. You may not be perfect, but you are all that you have to work with. The process of becoming who you will be, begins first with the total acceptance of who you are.
Bhante Henepola Gunaratana
What we are seeking is right here. But we persist in looking south to find the north star. Any kind of speculating is just the discursive mind doing its habitual thing – creating scenarios in the mind that block us from discovering what is right in front of us. This moment is not some narrow, tiny point but is actually everything. Right now includes memories of the past, fantasies about the future, judgements about the present, emotions and sensations of all kinds. As soon as we say, “I’m living in the present,” we’ve made a significant cognitive error, and created another barrier for ourselves. Meditation practice ….. brings us into the direct intimate experience of this moment. There’s no room for speculating. We feel fully alive. There’s no place to go, and yet, we are continually moving through space and time. The path is never blocked if we can realize that we are always on it, going in the only direction we can go. We’re always heading for here, here, here, here.
Melissa Blacker, Trail Temporarily Closed
It is our tendency in daily life to become goal oriented. We know where we want to go, and we are very focused on getting there. At times, this may be useful, but often we forget to enjoy ourselves along the way. Apranihita is a Sanskrit word meaning “wishlessness” or “aimlessness.” We don’t need to keep running after something, because everything is already here, within. Often we tell ourselves, “Don’t just sit there, do something!” But when we practice awareness, we discover that the opposite may be more helpful: “Don’t just do something, sit there!” We can train ourselves to stop from time to time throughout the day, to come back to the present and let go of our worries and preoccupations. When our minds and bodies are calm, we can see our situations more clearly and we know better what to do and what not to do.
Thich Nhat Hanh
One of the functions of mindfulness is to give us options. We can see our reactions building early, and not just after we have already pressed “send” on that nasty, hostile email or closed a door we actually hope could remain open. We see what is happening within, without panic or getting lost in the reaction. We know we can follow it out or let it go. And because mindfulness helps us be in touch with a big range of feelings, thoughts, and reactions, we know from experience that we can take a strong, principled stand on something while not demonizing someone else for their views or even their actions. We learn that we can be fierce without hating.
Sharon Salzberg
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