(Bell)
Dear Thay, dear Sangha,
dear friends,
I have two questions.
I am a practitioner
and I go to meditation to find some peace.
But I have not found it yet.
In my life I try to live in mindfulness.
I try to have hope in the practice.
I have a difficult life and I try to stay calm.
But I am very affected by things from inside and outside.
I feel I am too weak to take care of myself.
It is the same with meditation.
I try to meditate...
I have experienced some times
that there is always something inside of me or outside that...
I cannot concentrate on my breathing.
I feel I am not succeeding at it.
Some people say that I am not ready to meditate.
And I would like have some advice.
My question is:
What happens during meditation
and what can I do to progress in the practice?
(Sr. Pine) Dear Thay, our friend tries her best
to practice mindfulness in daily life.
But she feels she is strongly affected and pushed
by difficult situations.
She is not able to maintain her peace.
While practising sitting meditation
she tries her best but she is not capable to concentrate on her breathing
because of everything that is happening inside and outside her.
One person suggested that she may not be ready
to practice meditation.
She would like Thay to guide her on her practice.
For beginners there is always that kind of feeling,
that you cannot practice well.
It is like playing tennis.
You have to spend a few weeks in order to get used to the game.
The practice of meditation is like that too.
But if you enjoy it,
you will learn very quickly.
You think that meditation is something hard to do.
That is why you cannot enjoy.
You 'have to' meditate, you 'have to' breathe in and out.
You have to sit still.
You think that it is something not pleasant.
You have to force yourself to do it.
And in that way, you cannot advance easily.
So the first thing is to make it pleasant.
Whether it is walking, or breathing or sitting
you have to learn to make it pleasant.
When it is pleasant you can be with it much more easily.
It can be nourishing and healing.
And you will miss it if you don't have the chance to do it.
There are those of us who need sitting,
need breathing and need walking.
We cannot be without these,
because they bring us relaxation, peace and joy.
So the first thing is to try to learn to meditate in such a way
that the practice can be pleasant, nourishing and healing.
Not something you have to do.
The second thing is that
you have to be with a group of practitioners, as you are a beginner.
The collective energy of a sangha will help you to practice better.
You see that everyone is sitting and enjoying breathing in and out.
Everyone is making steps happily, joyfully.
Then you rely on the collective energy of joy and mindfulness
in order to breathe and walk.
You need a sangha.
You should learn to practice with a sangha
to profit from the collective energy.
(Bell)
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