The diversity of what can arise in the mind
by Charles Hastings
The diversity of what can arise in the mind
In general, when we meditate we come back to the bare experience of what is happening from moment to moment. This has a marvelous freshness. It’s an opportunity to take a rest from our obsessive habits and rigid assumptions. At the same time, any change in the way we experience things can be quite challenging.
Experienced meditators have got used to the extraordinary diversity of what can arise in the mind. Thoughts and emotions can arise and dissolve without disturbing the underlying stability. However, when we start meditation the ride can sometimes seem bumpy.
Beginners, and also in fact many non-beginners, often feel frustrated by the persistence of distraction, rumination, and unwelcome emotions. It is important to realise that these are not produced by the meditation. Meditation creates the clarity to see what is happening in the mind. One becomes aware of phenomena that until then had remained unnoticed.
We can use the techniques of shamatha, ‘calm abiding’, to stabilise the movements, calming the mind by focusing on the breath. Gradually even when there is movement we don’t get lost. This takes time and continued regular practice. We need to be persistent and patient, and not pay too much attention to the ups and downs of our moods.
In fact, the expectation and discouragement that we may feel are not only unnecessary but are a hindrance to progress. It’s normal to feel them but we should not give them more importance than any other of the thoughts and emotions that constantly arise. We can be aware of them and let them go.
After a while we may have periods of calm and even deep relaxation. We may have extremely pleasant feelings maybe of bliss, elation or clarity. Extraordinarily brilliant ideas may arise. There may be moments when we are so calm that there are no thoughts at all. It is very important not to take any of these experiences too seriously or complicate them with interpretations. Sometimes inexperienced meditators take this kind of experience as a sign of extraordinary progress or as a sort of trophy to possess, or try to repeat. This is to be avoided.
Experienced meditators have got used to the extraordinary diversity of what can arise in the mind. Thoughts and emotions can arise and dissolve without disturbing the underlying stability. However, when we start meditation the ride can sometimes seem bumpy.
Beginners, and also in fact many non-beginners, often feel frustrated by the persistence of distraction, rumination, and unwelcome emotions. It is important to realise that these are not produced by the meditation. Meditation creates the clarity to see what is happening in the mind. One becomes aware of phenomena that until then had remained unnoticed.
We can use the techniques of shamatha, ‘calm abiding’, to stabilise the movements, calming the mind by focusing on the breath. Gradually even when there is movement we don’t get lost. This takes time and continued regular practice. We need to be persistent and patient, and not pay too much attention to the ups and downs of our moods.
In fact, the expectation and discouragement that we may feel are not only unnecessary but are a hindrance to progress. It’s normal to feel them but we should not give them more importance than any other of the thoughts and emotions that constantly arise. We can be aware of them and let them go.
After a while we may have periods of calm and even deep relaxation. We may have extremely pleasant feelings maybe of bliss, elation or clarity. Extraordinarily brilliant ideas may arise. There may be moments when we are so calm that there are no thoughts at all. It is very important not to take any of these experiences too seriously or complicate them with interpretations. Sometimes inexperienced meditators take this kind of experience as a sign of extraordinary progress or as a sort of trophy to possess, or try to repeat. This is to be avoided.
A common sense approach
When we do any kind of activity that is different from what we usually do, we experience unfamiliar feelings. For instance people who do intense sports have experiences of exhaustion and elation which may come one after the other. It’s just the body adjusting to new circumstances.
One should consider the different experiences in meditation in the same way that one would regard the weather. Sometimes it’s sunny. Sometimes it rains. Sometimes it rains for days and days and then we suddenly have a lovely sunny day. When it gets too hot after a long sunny dry period we are so glad to have some rain! But whether it’s sunny or raining we just get on with our lives without giving too much importance to the weather.
When we practice meditation we should have more common sense, not less. The practice should be ‘grounded’ and be in contact with the rest of our life, in the context of a global training of our mind. What we do when we are not meditating is important.
That is to say, watching our mind in everyday situations, being aware of how we relate to others seeing how our thoughts and emotions come and go. Specially we should constantly try to develop love, tolerance, and compassion. As meditators, we should not be retreating into a bubble, but feel a heartfelt contact with the world.
One should consider the different experiences in meditation in the same way that one would regard the weather. Sometimes it’s sunny. Sometimes it rains. Sometimes it rains for days and days and then we suddenly have a lovely sunny day. When it gets too hot after a long sunny dry period we are so glad to have some rain! But whether it’s sunny or raining we just get on with our lives without giving too much importance to the weather.
When we practice meditation we should have more common sense, not less. The practice should be ‘grounded’ and be in contact with the rest of our life, in the context of a global training of our mind. What we do when we are not meditating is important.
That is to say, watching our mind in everyday situations, being aware of how we relate to others seeing how our thoughts and emotions come and go. Specially we should constantly try to develop love, tolerance, and compassion. As meditators, we should not be retreating into a bubble, but feel a heartfelt contact with the world.
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