The Paradox of Meditation

Meditation is a discipline, and,

like all disciplines, it's most

difficult in the beginning. Many

people who try to meditate get

discouraged quickly. They have 

heard of the benefits of meditation,

peace of mind, calmness, whatever

positive beneficial potential it might

have. But the fact of meditation, 

which is basically doing nothing with

bare attention, at first, causes a freak

out of the mind that is constantly active

and trying to sort out experience through

thinking. The boredom of simply

acknowledging the thinking process

and coming back to awareness of the 

breath can't hold a candle to the 

entertainment that the mind can provide,

as it is programmed to be busy and 

constantly distracted. This is why you 

hear many people say: "Oh, I can't 

meditate...I have too many thoughts."

These folks don't realize that seeing that

the mind is constantly churning is the

first great revelation of meditation! If one

continues with the practice of mediation,

as the discipline begins to sink in, one

begins to discover that there is relief and

a feeling of wholesomeness when one

comes back from the reactionary mind

and finds oneself simply there.