So Easy - So Hard

I have spoken extensively about how simple and easy the meditation process is, and of the benefits to be had with regular meditation. However, a comment elsewhere made me realize there is an element of difficulty as well. As with so many other things, one needs motivation in the beginning. If we are seated comfortably in front of the TV with a snack, it is hard to get motivated to walk for half an hour a day. . Perhaps we need to want the results that the exercise brings more than we want to lounge in comfort.. Another typical human characteristic. We all do it.We often choose to meditate to achieve a particular goal, and in today’s fast paced world “we want what we want when we want it, ant we want it NOW”. With this mind set, we give meditation a short trial and if our lives are not forever altered by it, we begin having trouble finding the time.

If our need is great, we will allow for a longer trial and practice faithfully for the recommended twenty minutes twice a day. Those I have known to meditate regularly, were all looking for something more than they already had, as was I. . Even then, we find distractions and excuses to skip the meditation period.

I wanted to reduce stress and heal a very painful ulcer. It kept me meditating long enough to achieve some definite results. The results were so far beyond what I hoped for, that I willingly continued on my spiritual Journey.

True commitment is necessary in order to achieve results … and here is the catch… We need to avoid becoming attached to the goal, the desired result. This goes against everything we learn in our goal driven society. For successful meditation, we need to relax and let it flow, bringing our mind gently back to the meditation when it wanders, and it will wander. We need to find the time to practice even when we think nothing is happening. Here is where it is necessary to not become attached to the goal, but rather to meditate for its own sake, not seeking results.
When I first thought this through, it reminded me very much of hurry up and wait! We must be committed to the goal and at the same time, not be attached to it! Like any long journey, we must take pleasure in the journey itself, and not just the arrival at the destination. If we do not approach it this way, we are not likely to meditate long enough to achieve the desired results. We need to reconcile the opposites in both the process and the purpose.

In my own case, I was a young, mother and career woman in a high pressure situation., very motivated to succeed in both arenas, while nursing the mother of all ulcers. I knew I needed to make changes and meditation came into my life at exactly the right moment. The fact that my partner went through the training with me definitely made it easier for both of us.

We rediscover our truths at a pace we can assimilate them, and so it is with meditation. We progress at a rate that our subconscious determines is the optimum for us. Patience is required. Commitment is required. A certain level of faith is required, particularly in the beginning. Once we start experiencing results, finding the time and avoiding distractions becomes much easier.