Every Sitting Is a Chance to Learn

Whenever we come to sit here, every time, every round, it is an opportunity to learn and understand the things that arise within our thoughts. We need to keep reinforcing this awareness: whatever appears here, whatever we hear — whether wholesome, unwholesome, or neutral — does it really arise, or not? If it truly does arise, then we must find a way to discern it clearly, as clearly as possible.

Discerning What Pulls the Mind Away From Practice

While sitting in meditation, sounds or feelings will arise that pull us away from the practice, or cause restlessness — things that shouldn't be there while we're trying to settle into stillness. We need to discern these clearly, then learn to understand whatever appears while we sit.

Training Mindfulness to Stay With One Thing

While sitting, we resolve to keep mindful awareness going at all times — this is training ourselves to have awareness, to have mindfulness with one single object.

The First Rule of Meditation: Body and Mind Unite Into One Point

The first rule of our sitting meditation is to bring body and mind together. Body and mind must unite into a single point for there to be the power to connect with the stream of merit from the Triple Gem within. We simply sit and receive the pure energy that arises from closing our eyes.

Returning to the Inner World, Only Awareness Remains

When we return to the inner world, nothing is left except one thing: the awareness of emotion and feeling. Once this awareness of emotion and feeling arises, it brings the mind to focus on just one matter — inner awareness. Once that inner awareness is established, we simply sustain the mind right there, continuously.