The Practice of Mindfulness Meditation
‘Before we start practicing mindfulness meditation, we must know how to practice. We need to have the right information and a clear understanding of the practice to work with awareness intelligently. This information will work at the back of your mind when you meditate.
1. Meditating is watching and waiting patiently with awareness and understanding. Meditation is not trying to experience something you have read about or heard about.
2. When meditating, both the body and mind should be comfortable.
3. You are not trying to make things turn out the way you want them to happen. You are trying to know what is happening as it is.
4. You have to accept and watch both good and bad experiences. You only want good experiences? You don’t want even the tiniest unpleasant experience? Is this reasonable? Is this the way of the dhamma?
5. Don’t feel disturbed by the thinking mind. You are not practicing to prevent thinking, but rather to recognize and acknowledge thinking whenever it arises.
6. The object of attention is not really important: the observing mind that is working to be aware is of real importance. If the observing is done with the right attitude, any object is the right object.
7. Just pay attention to the present moment. Don’t get lost in thoughts about the past. Don’t get carried away by thoughts about the future.’
- Sayadaw U Tejaniya, Observing Minds Want to Know, Summer 2008 edition of Tricycle The Buddhist Review.
