When I was young I practiced meditation,
and when I began to meditate,
of course, my father and my grandpa
always suggested that I should develop a motivation
so I always did that,
but sometimes I forgot.
I remember the first time
when I learned how to read Tibetan letters,
Ka, Kha, Ga from my grandpa.
We read a little bit, he would ask me to read,
and I had to repeat what he said,
and he said, "Wait a minute.
"First, develop the motivation."
I did not know what motivation was,
so I was thinking, "I am going to learn Ka, Kha, Ga,
"for my mom, grandma, and the people in the village."
and it really helped me, in my mind.
It gave me a sense of meaning.
When you put some meaning or goal - a positive goal -
to why you are going to practice meditation, it really helps.
This is important.
The second important thing when you are going to meditate
is to not expect some very special experience in your meditation.
Think, "I am going to meditate.
"But whether I have a good experience or not,
I do not care."
Normally, when I do meditation, I tell myself,
"The wish to meditate
"is more important than some actual experience of meditation."
Because the actual experiences of meditation come and go,
they go up and down and up and down, especially in the beginning.
You cannot trust these experiences.
Nevertheless,
even if you are having an awful meditation experience, right now,
still, in your mind you try, and you wish to meditate.
If you wish to meditate and then try,
awareness is right there.
As soon as you want to meditate, awareness is right there.
That wish will bring you
authentic meditation experiences in the future.
Sometimes we call this, "zero meditation."
When you meditate,
there is no sense of being calm, joyful, clear,
or having a non-conceptual experience, there is nothing,
but still, you have the wish to meditate,
and you are trying and making this wish continuously.
Awareness is still there,
although there is no particular taste.
There is no meditation, but you are trying.
That is zero meditation.
That is perfectly OK.
Do not expect that, "I am going to meditate, let's see,
"today I am going to make my mind calm, peaceful, and blissful.
"Peace!"
Do not do like that.
"I am going to try.
Whether I will have a good experience or not, I do not care.
I just want to try my best.
These two things are very important in the beginning.
So, put meaning into why you are going to meditate,
which is for others.
That is compassion.
And do not expect too much. Zero meditation.