Today, you are content to practice meditation for five minutes. Tomorrow, do so again, and again the next day. Even if today’s session was not as good as yesterday’s, don’t dwell too much on it. If today’s session was better than yesterday’s, don’t dwell on that either. Make it a constant practice.
You will encounter roadblocks, but this is the path to perfection. The mind improves with more practice even though you don’t perceive it right away. You may think, “Nothing seems to be happening for me.” But slowly, your mind is becoming more refined and you are accumulating merit without even realizing it. Little by little, you are becoming more pure and clean.
Luang Por Dhammajayo 11th August 200
We must acknowledge that every time we meditate, we are different from before. Our moods and thoughts change. It’s important not to expect the same results each time you meditate. The more you expect, the more serious you become, which can lead to tension and discomfort in both mind and body.
Instead, embrace every experience in each session. Your mind will become calmer and closer to stillness, similar to how a tree grows. Although it might seem like nothing changes in a day or even a week, after months or years, the tree bears fruit.
This happens without us noticing, simply because we waited patiently with a calm mind. If we try to rush the process, it’s like pulling at a sprout to make it grow faster—it won’t grow and might even die. However, if you nurture it with water and sunlight, and wait day by day, that’s the right method to grow a tree.
The same principle applies to meditation: be content with every experience and wait patiently with a calm mind. If you practice this way, you will eventually reach inner peace.
