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By Root 1015 0

conversation. It could have been with a colleague, an employer, a child, a romantic partner. Whatever was said in that conversation left us feeling rattled and filled with a sense that we didn’t say what we wanted to say. We didn’t get our point across; we weren’t understood. These thoughts swirl around in our head, filling us with anger, resentment, and a sense that we have been mistreated. We tell ourselves, “Let it go. It’s over. Forget it.” But the words alone don’t do the trick. We need something more. This is one of the times that meditation can be most effective. Instead of trying to lash back at the person who upset us; instead of trying to have the last word or allowing our troubling thoughts to take hold and ruin our perspective as well as our day, we sit; we settle; we breathe. Spiritual space and perspective begin to return.

Metaphysical fitness is as important as physical fitness. I occasionally think of daily meditation as mental hygiene, a form of mental floss that retards truth decay. I meditate because it keeps me sane and sound of both body and mind, calm and clear, light-hearted and open-minded, and at peace with myself and the world. I never leave home without it.

Concentration training seems to increase our specific gravity, as it were, which in Buddhist language we might call authentic presence. Through heightened attention, increased presence of mind and alert, and moment-to-moment awareness, we can begin to more fully experience and appreciate every moment in our lives, just as it is, without changing anything.

This is the miracle of meditation, the magic of mindfulness, the joy of concentration. It is a secret known to skill trainers, competitive coaches in various disciplines, and sages throughout the ages.

ABOUT DZOGCHEN MEDITATION

In the beginning, meditative awareness is like a small flame, which can easily be extinguished and needs to be protected and nurtured. Later, it is more like a huge bonfire, which consumes whatever falls into it…. Then the more thoughts that arise, the more awareness blazes up, like adding logs to a bonfire! Emaho! Everything is food for naked enlightened awareness!

—DZOGCHEN MASTER JIGME LINGPA

Emaho is the shortest Dzogchen teaching. It means wondrous. Amazing! Dzogchen masters always say it. The word expresses a tremendous sense of joy and wonder. Love of life in all its forms is a by-product of spiritual development. Let’s not forget that joy is an important ingredient in a meditation practice. The aspiration for enlightenment can be happily balanced with appreciation of just where we are.

People often ask how Dzogchen differs from concentration or insight meditation. As we learn to meditate, we typically go through three distinct stages. The first stage of concentration meditation initially implies real effort as we learn to hold our attention on an object of meditation.

In the second stage, we have trained the mind; we are able to hold a concentrated state for longer periods of time. Our directed attention stays wherever we place it.

In the third and final stage, we have really mastered the art of focused attention. In this stage we are able to relax, yet we remain almost effortlessly concentrated and undistracted. The weighty gravity of our heightened awareness keeps us centered. Our attention remains naturally in place, like a calm and reflective clear lake when no winds or undercurrents move it.

Concentration practice is extremely helpful as a foundation for the more advanced, deeper, broader, and more inclusive awareness and discriminating insight practices such as the advanced forms of Vipasssana, Zen, and Dzogchen. Concentration techniques help us to get where we are going.

However, concentrated states of mind are put together, fabricated, built-up through intensive, continuous, one-pointed focusing practices. Whatever is put together inevitably falls apart. Like muscle tone, concentration disappears when it isn’t used. However, the insight, wisdom, and understanding we can realize through meditation training does stay with us. This greater perspective