It mainly means gaining deeper conviction and trust in the practice and that arises from deepening understanding and insight and trust in the practice. Other practices might or might not help. Continue reading Student’s Question: How Can I Take My Practice Deeper?
The Buddha’s path means giving up attachment to all we are holding on to. It means giving up our cherished views about ourselves and the world. This can be as scary as death itself. It is easy to have doubts, thinking that maybe the whole idea of Enlightenment or Awakening is a pipe dream or a fantasy. Deep reflection on death, however, can help us cut through this kind of doubt. Continue reading Article: Why Reflection on Death Is Our Dearest Friend
It often seems that we are back at square one but that is because reality is right here in every experience. It is like a gate. We keep stepping in and out. When we are in a good space it seems like that is all there is and always will be and when we step out it seems like to get back into the space is a huge effort. Continue reading Student’s Question: Why does my meditation practice feel like I’m starting from the beginning again?
In a sense, we are aware all the time. We are never without awareness. Awareness is all that we are and all that we have. Experience always involves awareness. But we do not always remember to turn our attention to what we are experiencing. In order to do so, we need to keep waking up Continue reading How to Practice Daily Life Awareness
Just be very simple about it. There is a thought that thinks ‘let it go’ and there is the intuitive sense that this means something and an intuitive response that lets you do it. That is simply responsiveness and well-being, a sense of what would feel ‘right’. Somehow when you get the right touch it is not really thinking…In itself thinking is not a problem, but it bends back on itself and gets into knots. Continue reading When can thoughts be helpful in meditation? How can we learn to trust them?
In some ways the attitude is the whole thing in terms of meditation. There isn’t anything to do or to fail at in the end. It’s just a matter of linking into your experience in a particular way and you actually have to find that way yourself. Nobody can tell you how to do it really… There is nothing to fail at really. You either enjoy yourself or you don’t, but simply giving the time to it has an effect. So you can feel pleased about that and think of it as your contribution to the peace of the world. Continue reading Student’s Question: How can we establish the right attitude towards our Meditation practice and not feel like we’re forcing ourselves?
Just wake up and look. Where are they? What are they? Who told them to come? Who told them to go? Just look straight at them – how long do they last? How many of them are there? What is the sound of their voices? This kind of direct looking is what meditation at its best is. Continue reading A Student’s Question: How can we work with judgemental voices during meditation?
