Day 3

Why meditate?

We all come to the practice of meditation in the first place for one reason or another, and we keep it up for a whole array of reasons. Maybe we are inspired by the peace or the joy that we see in other practitioners, or maybe we have heard of the many health benefits of meditation. Maybe it makes us feel more serene in our daily lives or gives us access to a clarity that is otherwise lacking. Maybe we do it for all the good it does our bodies and minds and those of the people around us. Or maybe we have the very lofty motivation to attain enlightenment through the path of meditation.

In any case, if we don't remind ourselves often of why we meditate, our purpose is lost and our practice is thrown off. I feel it is very important to begin a period of meditation with the recollection or generation of our own personal motivation. Take a few moments to ask, deeply, why you are on the cushion. The answers can be multifarious, and can change with every passing day. But when we pinpoint the reasons we do it, the energy to do it is increased, and we do it better. "I am going to meditate because I want to learn to concentrate. Toward this end, I will watch the breath go in and out of my body, letting distractions go." Or, "I want to put an end to all suffering, but I can't do it with this mind that thinks only of itself. I will meditate on equanimity until the equal worth of all beings becomes crystal clear." 

This kind of concrete formulation of our motivation can really make a difference in the level of focus we have through our meditation. The mind is more willing to give up the stories it tells itself when it has good reason to do so.

If you still need a good reason, here is a quote from Matthieu Ricard, cellular biologist-turned-Buddhist monk: "Meditation is about cultivating constructive emotions, like altruism, compassion, … [You] can dramatically change [your emotions] to be more altruistic, more loving, more compassionate, more attentive, and especially to have an inner sort of confidence and strength that you know that you have the resources to deal with whatever comes your way. You’re not insensitive or indifferent, but you’re also not vulnerable to the upheavals that cause emotional stress because you can buffer that… So that’s the result of meditation; you could call that emotional balance."