Milarepa Journal |
|
|
The
way to accomplish a great endeavor
Vol. I, Issue 1 • Spring 2000 The Ven Dzogchen Pönlop Rinpoche Addresses Volunteers • Prisoners Speak • Dear Abhi _______________________________________________________ Dear Abhi (dharma):Dear Abhi: I find this prison a negative environment, with many distractions. It is always noisy, and I have trouble meditating. Sometimes I wear ear plugs, and sometimes I try to meditate at night when it is a little more quiet. Do you have any suggestions on how, with nothing at my disposal, I can meditate more easily. — Distracted in Detroit Dear Distracted: It is important to remember that the practice of meditation is not an attempt to achieve an ideal state of mind, but rather to be awake to whatever is going on in our mind and our world at any given moment. If we constantly attempt to hide from the negativity that surrounds us, we are never truly present. If we are not present, we cannot live our lives fully. In formal meditation we are instructed to regard whatever occurs, negative or positive, as ‘thinking’. Acknowledge it and return to the breath. It is not necessary to struggle with negativity or noise, but rather one can adopt an attitude of willingness to allow that to be in our world. We don’t have to say, “I want it to be this way; I don’t want it to be that way.’ It is what it is. If
we are able to experience peace of mind only when everything
is going well, then our peace of mind is very fragile indeed.
Existence is fraught with anxiety. If through the practice
of meditation we can train our minds to be relaxed and open
to whatever occurs, then our well-being doesn’t have to
depend so much on external circumstances. This is true strength
of mind. The noise and negativity become your steppingstones
and your path. (Incidentally, noise should also be labeled
as ‘thinking’ in formal meditation, because it comes
through the medium of perception.)
|