Wednesday, April 28, 2010

It's been a while since my last confession...

Life happens and when it does, blogs are neglected.  If you are reading this, I apologize for the long absence.  Hopefully I can dedicate a little more time to getting things caught up.

My next post will continue discussing my Vipassana experience.  After that I will be branching into a number of topics as I study them and learn more about them.  One thing I have learned about meditation, is how little I know about meditation.  It is a bottomless well of opportunity that can save lives and change the world.  I have become a died-in-the-wool believer and God help you if you ask me anything about meditation.  Takes me a while to shut up about it.  :)

I do see one of my paths in life is to learn about meditation, apply it, then share with those who wish to listen.  I realize I cannot convince anyone that meditation is what it is.  Everyone must come to it themselves.  I can only answer questions, motivate, and encourage.  That is one of the things I love about meditation.  Everyone must do it for themselves, you cannot do it for them.  Assisting others as they become empowered is a beautiful thing to watch.  I have watched members of our group blossom over the past year as they remain committed to their practice.  I have watched people walk in who have never sat before and haven't missed a session since.  THIS is what feeds me.  Watching people open up to themselves, grow, and begin to see themselves as they truly are - without filters or conditioning.  That is what meditation does.  It teaches us to remain in the moment and not judge, just observe.  When we become observer, without judgement, we begin to see things as they truly are.  It's simple to understand.  Much, much more difficult to remain committed.

So, yes, I am committed to sitting... and learning who I really am.  Sometimes, I like what I see.  Sometimes, I don't.  The great thing is once I see something I don't like about myself, I am empowered to change it.

As The Buddha said (and I paraphrase horribly), "Do not believe it is so because I have told you.  Believe it only when you have applied it and found it to be true."