Take a seat - and come face to face with yourself...
The Guest House
This being human is a guest house. Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness, some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all! Even if they are a crowd of sorrows, who violently sweep your house empty of its furniture, still, treat each guest honorably. He may be clearing you out for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice. meet them at the door laughing and invite them in.
Be grateful for whatever comes. because each has been sent as a guide from beyond.
— Jellaludin Rumi,
The original writings on meditation talk about “finding the right level” of meditation so we receive what we need from it. Finding the right level, finding the mind’s needs at the moment, is like a musician tuning his flute. It takes a bit of concentration. What are your mind's needs today? What do you need meditation to be today?
Do you need it to make you happy? Steadied? Balanced? Inspired?
When we sit in meditation, we always try to come face to face with our mind, our Self, so we can see what comes up. This practice of seeing, or being aware of what is happening in our mind at any given time is called mindfulness. But it’s not something that happens only on a sitting cushion. Mindfulness must be - should be - something we can take out into the world around us. Awareness and acting upon that awareness goes hand in hand, otherwise what’s the point of being aware? Sometimes our action can be doing nothing. Sometimes being very still, calm, steady, and finding that place of peace, loving-kindness and compassion inside yourself is the best action you can take.
And this awareness? It doesn’t always have to be serious. You can also play with mindfulness if your mood takes you there.
A playfull description of mindfulness is given in these instructions:
Imagine meditation as taking a chair and putting it in the middle of the room. Open all the doors and windows and sit. See who comes to visit. Your only job is to watch and see who visits. Which actors, stories and scenes play out in your mind.
There will be images, plans, memories, dreams, thoughts, emotions, and many other visitors. The temptation is to either leave the chair, or to allow the visitors to take up all the space and conversation in your mind.
But do not do either. Do not give up your seat — it is the only chair around, and do not allow whatever visitor arrives to occupy all the space and do not entertain them.
“If you continue to occupy it unceasingly, greeting each guest as it comes, firmly establishing yourself in awareness, transforming your mind into the one who knows, the one who is awake, the visitors will eventually stop coming back. If you give them real attention, how many times can these visitors return? Speak with them here, and you will know every one of them well. Then your mind will at last be at peace."
Ajahn Chah
