Читать книгу 20 MINUTES TO MASTER … MEDITATION - Christina Feldman, Christina Feldman - Страница 18

The central themes of dedication and perseverance run through all great spiritual stories and are essential principles of meditation found in all traditions. As we explore meditation it will not always be a path of exciting revelations and profound breakthroughs. It would be unrealistic to anticipate that every period of meditation will be filled with dazzling insights or states of bliss. Those moments may come to us, but there will also be many moments when it seems that nothing is happening, no progress is being made or when our meditation is felt to be simply boring. There may well also be moments when we are faced with experiences of inner turmoil, states of mind that are challenging or painful inner experiences. This is natural. It is rare for anyone’s meditation to unfold in a predictable, linear manner. There will be valleys and peaks, highs and lows, times of delight and times of challenge.

The qualities of dedication and perseverance are essential principles that sustain us on our journey and keep us balanced in the midst of experiences that change in a way that is not always predictable or desired. In moments when we find ourselves despairing over a lack of progress or being assailed by inner storms of thought or feeling it is not time to resign or surrender to despair, it is helpful to reflect upon our initial intentions and the vision that began us on our exploration. This should renew our intention to open to and be present with whatever difficulty is before us. Meditation is concerned with awakening, and awakening is an inclusive process – it embraces every aspect of our being and experience, the pleasing and the challenging. Don’t judge, don’t reject, don’t conclude – simply bring a calm, balanced attentiveness to everything that presents itself. The moments when our meditation introduces us to experiences of delight are not times to begin to consider retirement. The capacity to keep coming back and to sustain attention in the midst of highs and lows, the exhilarating and disappointing moments strengthens our inner steadiness and potential for dedication.