Orbiting-Awareness wrote:I have had a really hard time establishing a daily practice of sitting twice a day. I find myself being mindful in daily situations, but a routine being cemented just seems to be something I've always had trouble with. I seem to procrastinate quite a bit, especially with the trip I've been trying to plan. (See my pilgrimage topic)
It's not that I don't have time to meditate, quite the opposite. I have plenty of time on my hands, more then enough to meditate up to 2 hours a day, even more. I understand it's not about how long you sit, but the mindfulness and maintaining of a schedule if you will. I also have books on the subject of meditation, but find myself having a hard time really picking them up and reading them! I really need to buckle down, because if I can't get a handle on it now, it will just escalate seemingly out of control. Anyone know of some methods to help establish a daily practice, and maybe get things done (maybe a little off topic, but the root of the problem)
The "direct way" of forcing myself into some kind of practice never worked for me, at least not for very long. It was to artificial. I think the practice (including meditation) has to become a need. There must be an urge to do the practice, otherwise one won't persevere. And the only way I see for me to awaken that urge is to contemplate the consequences of
not practicing. Liberation is not going to come by itself, i. e. suffering is not going to end by itself, death it possible at any time. If you see suffering clear enough, your goal will automatically become the end of that suffering. And in that case the urge to practice will come naturally. You don't have to force yourself to practice then,
you are forced to instead. For me this is a gradual process. The suffering has to become unbearable, one has to be tired of that suffering, otherwise one will delay the practice again and again as soon as it becomes time-consuming and arduous.
