SM Meditation Program: Passion: Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Silent Mind Meditation Program: Passion 

The rewards of SM meditation are compassion, joy and wisdom; and just like any other priceless treasures that life has to offer they too cannot be attained overnight.  For this reason you will have to have tremendous tenacity and it is only abiding passion for the Truth that is going to give birth to the necessary resolve to travel this road.  If you feel a calling for the spiritual, for the Truth, for the sublime, then you can consider yourself very lucky.  It is important to be true to this calling and cultivate this interest.

Although the SM meditation program is designed for twelve weeks, the art of observation is a life-long practice.  This art will open the doors to what lies beyond the ordinary mind and although the practice is not complicated, it is hard work that needs patience and intensity.  Due to this requirement of persistence and no guarantee of quick results, it is often the case that one begins the work with great zeal and energy, but soon abandons the practice and returns to the endless distractions of mediocre living when no early rewards are received.  During phase 2, focus on deepening and understanding your passion.  The following suggestions help keep the fire of passion going.

1.  As mentioned earlier, inspiration can come from outside, so it is helpful to surround yourself with sources of inspiration.  These can be anything from books, music, pictures of saints, etc.  The inspiration does not have to be specifically related to meditation, it can be anything that motivates you to do your best and urges you to achieve your highest potential.

2.  A life-style activity that can prove to be very effective in helping you maintain a strong practice is to find a group of like-minded people to meditate with.  Such a group will help combat the bane of moods, which are often the culprit in disrupting the consistency of a practice.  Having a group or partner means you will have to do the session even if you are not feeling up to it.  Furthermore, being in the company of those also interested in the Truth, will help test and deepen your understanding via discussions and dialogue.

3.  A proven source of inspiration from time in memorial is the beauty of nature.  So try to integrate into your life time spent with nature.  You will find that the more connected you are to the earth the more connected you are to the source of all things.

4.  The one benefit of enlightenment experiences are that they are incredibly inspiring.  So if you are lucky enough to have them come your way, use them to boost your level of commitment.

5.  Try to be careful about the commitments you make in life.  The earlier you realize this the better chance you will have of preventing life from overwhelming you.  So before you get yourself into severe financial debt or over commit to other aspects of life think about the impact it will have on your practice.  Time and leisure are needed to participate in this journey, so try not to over fill your life with the mundane.

6.  Finally, you just have to keep going.  Like the Buddha said, “There are only 2 mistakes you can make in life.  The first is not to take the first step and the second is having taken the first step to not go all the way”.  Keep doing your best, nothing else matters.  Don’t concern yourself with achievements, gains, progress, etc – just keep plugging away.  Ultimately, you need to move fluidly with the present that’s all.  The moment is already there for you, it’s just that you are not there for it.  So, there is nowhere to go, nothing to achieve, it’s just about seeing and being with the Reality that you are already an integral part of.  Give your life to it and see what happens.