The Journey Ahead The start of the year is often a time of reflection. Also it is a time when people resolve to better themselves in some way. This is a time when dieting manuals and health club memberships sell well I would think. It seems that far less people think about improving their mental well-being which is just as important as physical health.

If you are looking around for something to help cultivate your mental energies, then you could give meditation a go. It is cheaper than the health club and it can take less time as well. If you have never done it before, I would recommend starting gently, doing about 10-20 minutes a day. I normally do some anapanasati first, followed directly by some vipassana.

You should see some immediate benefits from sitting daily. I believe it has helped me tremendously in calming my mind down generally as well as subduing my OCD symptoms. However it would be wrong to expect an immediate cure from our mental ills overnight. This takes a lot of time, energy and patience. It is better to do a small amount consistently every day than to "burn out" doing 4 fours every day but stopping after 2 weeks.

Our OCD is so strong because it has been a part of us for so long that we almost accept it as a part of us. It is good at lulling us into a false sense of comfort while at the same time it is fortifying its defences in its shelter. Now in my case, my OCD has been doing this for well over 20 years. If I was to try to dismantle its defences brick by brick, I presume that it would take me over 20 years by using undirected thought. I would probably give up in frustration long before that.

Do not be disheartened though, fortunately if done correctly, we should be able to do the job much quicker. The key is in the way that anapanasati and vipassana works. Anapanasati leads to the mastery of concentrating the mind to a laser-like focus, whilst vipassana develops our power of mindfulness and the ability to see things as they really are. Rather than using our hands to dismantle OCD's wall, it is like using a diesel-powered bulldozer to knock it down.

Even though results are sure to come with diligent practice, we must ensure that we put in the effort with our 20 minutes every day. I know that in this day and age, every minute seems to be accounted for. But the thing about meditation is that it grows on you. After a while, you will be looking to grab an extra 5 minutes here and there to increase the time. The people with the busiest schedules make the time for their meditation practice because they know how important it is to every aspect of their lives.

"Time and again the Buddha has stressed the need for effort, for diligence, exertion, and unflagging perseverance. The reason why effort is so crucial is that each person has to work out his or her own deliverance. The Buddha does what he can by pointing out the path to liberation; the rest involves putting the path into practice, a task that demands energy. This energy is to be applied to the cultivation of the mind, which forms the focus of the entire path."

Bhikkhu Bodhi, The Way to the End of Suffering

The journey ahead is one of adventure and discovery. Whatever lies on the path ahead, I know that we can cope with it. The path won't always be through a sunny rose-filled pasture, it will sometimes feel like a neverending wet and muddy dirt track. When the dark times come, let us accept their inherent nature, that they form no part of us and that they too won't last. Dukkha! Anatta! Anicca! Will you take this journey with me?

Metta,
John

  ¶ 8:44 PM