Start Out Small
September 22, 2003
Focus on your breath. And as for what’s going to happen when you focus on the breath, put that thought aside. And where the meditation is going to take you and how it’s going to take you there: Put those thoughts aside as well. Be careful not to anticipate too much, because when you know too much in advance, it’s not really knowing. A lot of it is guesswork. A lot of our preconceived notions come from ignorance. That’s precisely what we’re trying to get rid of, and yet our ignorance shapes the way we practice. So when you meditate, it’s important to clear away as many of those expectations as possible. Just be with the breath: When the breath comes in, know it’s going in; when it’s going out, know it’s going out. That’s all you really have to know right now. As for what’s going to happen with the next breath or the one after that, wait until those breaths come.