Meditation: A Process Of Retraining The Mind

Our untrained mind is a"shrieking, gibbering madhouse". It happens in our waking state as well as in our sleep sate. Our mind hardly rests.Our mind is like a monkey mind, jumping from one thought branch to another thought branch.It is either restless or void or blank.We need to be aware of these two states of the untrained mind. Noticing these two states of our mind without judging is the first and foremost step for retraining our mind.

I like the way Bhante Gunaratna describes the process of Retraining the mind." Gently, but firmly---, simply return to the simple physical sensation of the breath. Then do it again the next time, and again, and again, and again." It sounds simple but it is very profound. I practice this breath meditation everyday. It has been very helpful to me.

Daily practice of the Breath Meditation helps me to go beyond thinking and sinking mind into total awareness of what's happening in the present moment.It helps my mind to be quiet, centered and clear. This is an ongoing process and not a one time deal. When my mind goes astray or takes a hike, I notice it without judging and return to in-breath and out-breath awareness.

May we cultivate the skill of remaining fully in the present moment!
Namaste!