And Again
Rannoch - April 30, 2009
“Through the disciplined precision of our efforts, we’ll come again and again to our edge—the difficult places beyond which we’ve previously been unable to move. Through the willingness to soften and surrender to what is, we learn that we can gradually move beyond that edge. It is only through this interplay of hard and soft, of effort and letting be, of will and willingness, that we learn to our amazement that we can emerge from the lifelong tunnel of fear that constitutes our substitute life into the nitty-gritty reality of our genuine one.”
–Ezra Bayda, from Being Zen: Bringing Meditation to LifeThere is a deeply misinformed impression amongst some people that an interest in introspection is some breezy pursuit and that meditating is some sort of self aggrandising activity designed to make the doer smile beatifically in a state of bliss. Well, I have news for you, it’s not. It is a very effective way to shine a light on all your pathetic, self serving faults, your petty minded, selfish thoughts – dragging you to the edge, making you sit uncomfortably with your fetid fears and exposing just how far you have to go before you can sleep soundly and deeply. Like so many things worth doing, it comes with a price. So if you think it’s all Om and incense, think again.
src="http://www.linksalpha.com/social?link=http%3A%2F%2Fsimplestrength.com%2F2009%2F04%2Fand-again%2F&fc=333333&fs=arial&fblname=like">
Cheers Mark. And you are right it is not neccesarily an either / or proposition. But the idea that is somehow provides instant equanimity, that it's a feelgood function simply misses the point.
The clarity it can provide is a product of honest application, warts, rainbows & all.
Great little piece of wisdom. There is so much mythology out there regarding what meditation is and isnt, mostly promulgated by people who dont meditate, or have hit some kind of obstacle and want to use that to justify why they dont practice regularly.
Its not necessarily a fun activity, its not necessarily a painful one- it all depends on each person, and their personalattitude, right here and now.
May more people take the time to sit down and get to know themselves!