start with what you've got

So, if you've figured out WHY you want a practice, and how it would benefit you and (maybe even) others, it's time to get started!

Actually, if you did the meditation described in the last blog, you've already started. Because just sitting down to think about why you should meditate regularly is, itself, a meditation. The great thing is this: you don't even have to sit down to think about it! If you have given the question a little bit of thought while taking a walk, or driving, or making dinner, you've still taken a very beautiful step toward establishing the beautiful and regular practice that you might desire.

The reason for this can be explained by the traditional Buddhist concept of the accumulation of Merit. Now, there is an enormous corpus of philosophy extant about this idea, but we're just going to look at the way this idea relates to us accomplishing our chosen goals.

To dreadfully over-simplify what exactly "merit" is, we first have to know what Karma is. Put simply, there is an idea present in Buddhist thought that you will establish tendencies based upon the actions you undertake. So, if I get in a habit of thinking of myself as a wonderful person who meditates, I will go on seeing myself in that way, unless I accumulate a different kind of tendency. There are many deeper aspects of karma, but this one is no more complicated to understand than understanding how you can automatically engage in the complex combination of actions it takes to drive a car, or read the words on this page - you have accumulated tendencies over time that allow you to do so.

When we begin to talk about "merit", we are talking about accumulating the type of tendencies that would make you see yourself and your world in a way that is pleasurable. If you're reading this, then I'm assuming that you find the idea of being able to establish a daily practice of cultivation to be a pleasurable idea. In order to see this results, you are going to have to accumulate the tendencies to see it.

What this is all leading toward is the idea that we will not just be able to one day sit down and just have a consistent practice of meditation. We have to plant seeds for it, and we have to water those seeds and wait for them to sprout and grow. The way we can begin to do this is to start right where you are and find out what kind of actions you can do that are consistent with the result you wish to see.

One of these actions would be to just spend some time thinking about the benefits and the reasons. When you do this, you are lending energy to the thing you wish to grow, and you are feeding its potential to manifest in your life.

Another way to start planting these seeds is to just do what it is you want to see - but the miniature version.

Think about it this way: If you wanted to become a professsional body-builder, would you just go into the gym and try to lift the same amount of weight that a trained athlete would? If you did, you would likely achieve one of two results - you'd either injure yourself, or you would become completely discouraged.

Learning to become an acomplished practitioner in any realm is the same - though for some reason, many of us don't seem to realize that this applies to meditation. We think "meditators practice for 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes at night". Then we either go about trying it and realize its harder than we thought and give up.... or we recognize how hard that is from the very beginning and give up before we even start.

A more rational approach might be to consider how much time we have to devote to our practice, and how much we will be able to do cheerfully.

One Teacher I've heard has said that we should always meditate a little less than we feel capable of, and end when we feel especially relaxed and peaceful. This is counter to the way many of us, who are results-seeking, think - because if there's no pain, how can there be any gain? But, if we understand the gathering of Merit, it makes perfect sense. We sit for a month or so for only 5 minutes per day, and we start to plant some tendencies in our mind to learn to sit. After a while we gain some glimpses of a peaceful state of mind that arises from meditation practice and we wish we had more time. Inevtiably, we will become hungry for a deeper practice - and this is none other than the little tiny seeds we planted beginning to sprout. Eventually we may decide it is important to carve out 10 minutes of meditation time and when we do this we begin to plant new seeds to see ourselves as deeper meditators later. Ultimately, we are practicing in the very way we envisioned at the beginning - and maybe even realizing that we are capable of much more than we ever thought.

The fact is, whatever our goal, we can get there from here. But we can't just BE there, no matter how hard we wish it. Instead, we have to walk the path. As the Dao De Ching says "the path of 1000 miles starts with the first step."

Action steps:
1. Decide first on what result it is that you'd like to see. Would you like to be meditating for 20 minutes per day? Would you like to do a one hour yoga session three times per week? What is the highest and most inspiring vision for your practice. (you already know WHY you want this practice - now let's move on to how)

2. Consider how much space you have in your life currently for this practice. What resources to you have in terms of time, attention span, conducive environment, instruction, etc.? It's ok if your life doesn't currently have the resources for your ultimate vision - just find out what you DO have the resources for right now.

3. Contemplate what kind of actions you could undertake that would reinforce the tendencies in your mind conducive to the daily practice you are envisioning. Perhaps cleaning out a space in your home in which to meditate or practice your taiji. Maybe researching the local yoga studios in your area to see which ones have classes that fit your needs or schedule. And of course, getting to the practice. All of these can add positive energy to the goal that your are actively creating.

4. Start small. If you think you have the capacity to do 20 minutes of practice everyday, start out doing 7 minutes. But do them CONSISTENTLY. Decide how many days per week you wish to practice and then do so without fail. You know that the time expectation is well within your means, so there is no excuse not to do it. Keep yourself to this low level time-frame for at least a few weeks - soon you will not be able to stand practicing for such a short period and you'll know it's time to move on to a greater commitment.

5. Be compassionate with yourself. In learning to establish a new habit, we all eventually fall out of practice and have to bring ourselves back. Some might say that learning to bring ourselves back is just as, or more important than the habit we are trying to cultivate. Because coming back IS meditation - and it is one that we can do every day of our lives. If you miss a day, just come back. If you find your original expectations are much more difficult than you thought - just let go of a little bit of ambition.
When we're planting seeds, the flowers will match what we put in the soil. Generally, we practice daily cultivation to become more peaceful, compassionate, and happy. If all you are sowing is ambition and discontent with yourself - these are the only kind of flowers that will come up. If you want compassion to flower - you have to plant it, starting in a small way, and starting with yourself.

6. DO IT! Once you've thought it all out. Just do it! Start as small as you need to. Can you stop and breathe for just 1 minute? Can you stretch on a break from work? Can you be compassionate with yourself for just the space of the next breath? Anyone can find at least this much time - but you can never find it in the past, because that's already gone, and you can never find it in the future, because it will never arrive. You have to start now.