The Quiet Gentle Surrender To Faith

Meditation Mindfulness and Mules

When it comes to meditation it is easy to get confused as to just what is going on and how to figure it out. Because feelings of frustration are the first emotions usually encountered by beginners, which is natural by the way, I thought a little clarification along with a bit of an introduction to basic meditation and what the beginner usually comes up against would be helpful and save a few from the ravages of frustration which sadly has resulted in many failed attempts at mastering this extremely powerful tool.

In many ways, meditation is counter intuitive in a world based on the materialistic view of reality. This is also where a lot of folks get on my case about my focus on the practical applications of this versitile tool. And I have to admit to a certain amount of disparity here because at a certain point, meditation does after all belong to the spiritual domain. Many of the things that I'm always trying to promote are actually very useful byproducts such as self discipline, attention, concentration and contemplation, but these are actually consequences of the main purpose and objectives of meditation.

This is important because while meditation has many useful capabilities in the material world, it's true nature is in the spiritual world, and because of this, when we are trying to master this great tool we need to let go rather than try to take some kind of purposeful action. Meditation isn't something we do or make happen, meditation is something that will happen when we allow it or let it become. So it is much like a mule, the harder we try to push it, the less likely it is to move.

Meditation, The One Exception To Trying

In the physical or material world we are conditioned to believe that to succeed we must try, or make an effort, but it doesn't work that way in the spiritual world. The purpose of meditation is self awareness or self realization and is a process of discovery rather than creation, and the way to explore is not to mount an expedition, but rather to let the truth come to us by achieveing a state of consciousness that makes intuition and insight much more possible.

This state of consciousness is one of great peace, tranquility and well being, but to get there we must face some challenges. And it is here that we first encounter frustration, not so much that we are faced with challenges, it is the kind of challenges that present the problem. For example; who ever heard of quieting the thoughts that are constantly being generated by our minds? This is such an alien idea that many people who hear this just stare because they never realized that this activity is happening in the first place, like, 'Huh? Isn't that normal?' It is only normal when we fail to develop mastery over our minds by achieving a state of consciousness known as mindfulness.

The Nuts And Bolts Of Mindfulness

So, in the beginning we need to focus our minds on some object or activity like our own breathing and hold that focus for awhile. Easy you say? Well just find a quiet place and sit or stand with your back straight and try it. You will find yourself in frustration city before you know it. But here is where you need some critical information. It is all natural, even the frustration, but our usual impulse at this point is to fight or resist what is happening, but remember, this is an unfolding event, we must let it happen, and we do this by simply allowing it all to happen and just accept it without giving it any power, that is, importance. Even the frustration, just let it happen and gently bring your attention back to your breathing or the object upon which you are focusing.

In the beginning the distractions will be endless and seemingly infinite and you wll notice little progress for some time. But now is when you must bring your personal power to the task, here is where you need to get bulldog ugly about your determination to sit or stand for at least ten minutes a day and put yourself through this strange form of self abuse. You may come to this fountain and drink many times and walk away with your thirst unsatisfied before finally realizing results and you must bring one of your greatest powers now, the power to believe. Because now it is all about the quiet gentle surrender to faith in your spiritual self to bring you home at last.