Important guidance for practitioners

Battaramulla
Siri Sudassanarama
sadaham senasuna
Ven. Dr. Mirisse Dhammika thero

I have compiled the following pieces of advice concerning meditation using the guidelines provided by Gnaratana, Rahula, Nyanponika, Levete and Harvey.

Just sit and observe what is going on with one’s thoughts. Take the whole thing as an experiment. Don’t get distracted by your expectations about the results and do not be anxious for any result.

One should not hurry though their meditation practice. When one gets used to meditation, his/her deep awareness seeks to see reality exactly as it is. For example, When sensual desire comes, deep awareness sees its nature: that it is not permanent and that it may disappear in a few moments. One should not store his/her images, opinions, and interpretations in the mind for the duration of the practice.

One should not make any judgments, but let thoughts come and go, let things be, accepting things as they are. We should just let our experience be what it is and practice observing it from moment to moment.

Patience is very important in mediation; there is no hurry, no shortcuts to help us gain instant results. So take your time. Settle yourself on a cushion or chair, and let your mind come to concentrate on your subject.

One should learn how not to get upset over his/her flaws and failings, but to see all the phenomena in the mind as being natural and understandable. For example, past mistakes and failures are in the past. The only thing one can do is to be as fully aware as possible of one’s present thoughts, and let mindfulness guide you on the right way. Learn how to exercise equanimity, a disinterested acceptance with respect to everything.

Everything should be subject to mindful, investigative mediation. One should not accept anything without investigating, it, just because it sounds wise and nice.

See all problems as life challenges: use mindfulness towards the negative side of life. See them as opportunities to learn and to grow.

(8) One should not make contrasts: when one contrasts things, one becomes attached to things, and this creates egoistic feelings. For example, when a girl contrasts herself to another girl who is prettier than she, she feels envy or jealousy. This type of comparison is a mental habit, and it leads to unwholesome feelings such as envy, pride, jealousy, and hatred.