Introduction: Beyond Techniques and Expectations
Every meditation session begins not with a complex technique, but with a simple, yet profound concept: comfort. Too often, especially those who have been practicing for a while, we get caught up in experiences, expectations, or the pursuit of ‘deep’ stages. This talk serves as a powerful reminder from a great master: the true foundation of meditation is something we often overlook.
The Power of a Simple Word: Comfort
The master emphasizes the importance of the word “comfort,” mentioning it constantly, for both beginners and advanced students. Why? Because we tend to overlook it. When our practice becomes solely focused on chasing a certain feeling or experience and we lack a basic sense of comfort, the entire effort becomes meaningless, and the results are unsustainable.
Key Takeaway: You must bear in mind at all times that comfort is truly vital if you wish to succeed in meditation.
Happiness, the true goal of this path, is not found by traveling to the other side of the world. It is concealed inside your body. The way to access it is through the simplest thing: present comfort.
Understanding Present Comfort
The comfort we seek is not a comparison to past experiences or future imagination. It is the immediate, non-judgmental state of being okay right now.
- Are you okay with your current state?
- Is it acceptable?
- Are you content?
When you try to compare your current comfort to a previous ‘peak’ experience, you invite disaster. You will never feel truly comfortable because you’ll always be striving for an illusion of “more.” But if you focus your attention on this present moment, a genuine comfort is attainable. This simple attainment is the vital first step of the entire spiritual journey.
The Balancing Act: Comfort and Consciousness
Meditation is not a fixed state; it is a dynamic process of balancing comfort and consciousness, like a see-saw.
It’s about finding the equilibrium between:
- Comfort and Conscious
- Easy and Hard
- Tension and Chill
If you grasp this concept of balance, you can practice meditation anytime, anywhere, without reliance on a guide. If you stick to only one side (only hard effort, or only lazy comfort), you will become dependent on external factors. Understand this balance, and you master your practice.
Focus on the Foundation
When we are younger in our practice, we often seek complex, gorgeous, or complicated knowledge, believing it will lead to profound stages. The master learned a simple truth after struggling for a decade:
“You have got to strengthen your foundation and familiarize yourself with something which is really simple. If your foundation is strong enough, other things will happen on their own.“
Do the simple work: bring back your mind and place it comfortably. Your mind will then clarify, recharge, strengthen, and go into deeper states on its own. You cannot force your mind to go deeper; you can only familiarize it with the mental path.
Practical Guidance: Find Your Seat
As we move into the main practice, the first step remains simple: Find Your Comfortable Position.
- There is no perfect posture or perfect cushion.
- Start with what you believe is most comfortable.
- If it doesn’t work, shift. Keep trying until you find your own.
Just come to your practice and be able to attain comfort every time. That is the goal. Comfort will guide and lead you. If you force yourself with thousands of techniques and ambition, you will have nothing in return. Keep it simple, reach comfort, and you will see progress.
