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“Where there is charity and wisdom, there is neither fear nor ignorance. Where there is patience and humility, there is neither anger nor vexation. Where there is poverty and joy, there is neither greed nor avarice. Where there is peace and meditation, there is neither anxiety nor doubt.”
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When we sit in meditation it is not to fix or change anything, to be a better person, to brag about our ability (or, inability) to sit with a straight spine or a quiet mind; but rather to let go of the struggle to make anything happen. As we surrender into the practice of simply sitting and slowly let go of the judgments that so quickly arise in our minds, we stop long enough (if even for only a few moments) to LISTEN – to our hearts, to the rhythm of our breath, to the emptiness and the fullness of just being. Perhaps, and only perhaps, when we commit to listening over and over again we begin to hear our authentic selves.
The practice of Mindfulness Meditation leads us to a place of being mindful of each moment as it presents itself. Jon Kabat-Zinn teaches mindfulness meditation to his medical patients. He writes: "Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way, on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally. It is the direct opposite of taking life for granted. I like to think of mindfulness simply as the art of conscious living. You don't have to be a Buddhist or a yogi to practice it. In fact, the most important point is just to be yourself and not try to become anything that you are not already."
Pema Chodron adds: "The mindfulness meditation technique cultivates precision, gentleness and the ability to let go - qualities that are already within us. Coming back to your breath brings out precision. As the object of meditation, the breath brings a sense of softness and gentleness, like a warm, gentle breeze.”
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