Meditation is an activity in which you give yourself the time and environment in which to observe what will happen, what products of your mind will be forthcoming. The great masters assure us that whatever happens is to be accepted, not grasped, and hung onto, observed, and then let go. Sometimes the results are a quiet mind and deep peace and rest. But it can be otherwise.
The masters warn us of the “Monkey Mind” in which the internal dialog is continuous. This mental activity can be full of confusion, worrying and wondering, desires to make this or that happen, judgments of having done things wrong or right, and on and on. Mr. Monkey Mind can be non-stop to which the masters advise us to do nothing to stop the flow but rather do nothing to pursue these thoughts. Further, we are advised to put part, but only a part, of our concentration onto our out-breath and observe the brief moment of quiet between the completion of the out-breath and the beginning of the in-breath. Initially, this approach seems artificial and strange – which it is.
With practice, this approach becomes familiar and not so strange. It becomes familiar enough for us to relax in its commonness and sometimes observe some thoughts that are more than just visitors. Occasionally one will pop-up and strike us as an “ah ha”, as a useful insight, as worth pondering more deeply, as having more value than the visitors. The masters call these products of the “wisdom mind.” I call them that too but I also call them “Popcorn” for they seem just to appear out of nowhere. They are not the result of any logical thinking, mental meandering, worrying, or wondering. They just appear full blown, quick and simple like a popcorn kernel exploding right there in front of us. If they do not startle us too much, if they are welcomed even if we do not know what to do with them, and if we can remember them without working at it, then our meditation has worked a miracle right there in front of us.
Miracles happen constantly, every day, but our Monkey Mind has us so occupied that we miss many. However, in the solitude of meditation, miracles not only occur but we have the potential of being witness to them without doing anything special. We are just present in that moment or mindful as the Master might say.
So sit down, put on your mental popcorn, and enjoy the show of insights, spurs to action and anything else that presents itself. It is better than TV but has some of the channel surfing you might be familiar with. It is better than a DVD movie but has some of the continuity, plot, and mystery. It is better than a book but has the same characteristic of being interruptible and saving your place. But be patient with yourself. Meditation is an acquired skill that initially you may only want to engage in for a few minutes at a time. As you become more familiar with the process, masters tell us you may run the risk of spending too much time this way. But for now, that is not an issue. Or if you wish, you could meditate on that thought.