Exploring Possibilities
July 25, 2004
When you meditate, you’re exploring. You’re not trying to program the mind in line with somebody else’s notions of what it has to do. You’re exploring possibilities. Can you stay with the breath? How long can you stay with the breath? Can you make yourself stay with the breath longer than you might have thought possible? Where are the little gaps where mindfulness lapses? Can you bridge those gaps? Can you relate to the breath in a friendly way? These are the questions you set up, and then you explore. This is important to remember: that even though the Buddha has explored this territory himself and all the noble disciples have explored it — they’ve sent back reports on what can be found here — still for each of us it’s a process of exploration. We’re testing the Buddha’s teachings. Is it possible, as he said, to find true happiness, a happiness that doesn’t change?