These words come from a Beginner’s Workshop at CIMC
In the Theravada tradition, we use very simple forms such as the sitting and walking meditation to train the mind to be awake and present wherever we are. A common misconception of meditation practice is that it represents a withdrawal from life, a disengaging or distancing of oneself from the suffering we all experience. Hopefully, we can clear up that misconception today.
Insight meditation practice allows us, instead, to become more intimate with the actuality of our experience. Just as intimacy with others requires our receptive presence and a willingness to let go of preconceptions and personal agendas, so too does intimacy with ourselves. One of the first insights that many of us experience when we begin to practice is that no matter how good our intentions or how enthusiastic we feel, when we take on the simple practice of being in the present through mindful attention to the breathing we quickly discover that the mind does not go along so easily. In fact, what we discover in the silence of sitting is that we become tenaciously caught up in the world of thinking about future and past. Sometimes this insight is discouraging, but it’s important to realize that by seeing this inner tendency to go elsewhere we are beginning the process of awakening to things as they are, and at the same time beginning a journey of discovery which offers the potential for freedom from this highly conditioned state of preoccupation and separation from the present.
The Buddha compared the untrained mind to a wild monkey in the forest swinging aimlessly from one branch to another. An untrained mind is subject to endless distractions, desires, and fears, and so often functions from habit and the legacy of the past. The consequences of this way of living is suffering and feelings of disconnection and resignation in our daily lives. Of course, we try to escape from these feelings of discontent through a myriad of strategies, most which are focused on changing conditions. This focus on looking outside of ourselves for happiness inevitably does not provide the relief we are looking for, because conditions are subject to ceaseless change and are highly unpredictable. Unfortunately, by looking outside of ourselves for lasting happiness or peace we only create more anxiety.
Most of us who come to meditation are beginning to realize that we can take responsibility for our own happiness and suffering. And that means beginning to take a fresh look at who we are and where we are spending our energies. Yes, meditation practice requires effort and patience. Yet the quality of our effort is with learning to be both gentle as well as persevering. If we strive to make things happen we create tension, and if we get discouraged by things not unfolding the way we would like them to, then we tend to give up much too easily. We need to learn to cultivate the skills of relaxation and wakeful attention simultaneously. And the key to these qualities of heart and mind is strengthening mindfulness.
Mindfulness is a form of innate intelligence which allows us to wake up to the present moment. One way of describing mindfulness is loving attention. Fortunately mindfulness is an inner quality, available to all, which can be cultivated and practiced. What is needed is the willingness to be here and to pay attention to your experience as it is. This direct investigation of the here and now is at the heart of the practice. This wakeful attention gives birth to wisdom, and to the ability to see for oneself what leads to suffering and what leads to inner freedom and unconditional peace. The effort it takes is worth it.