Tuning in to the Buddha
April 01, 2013

When you close your eyes and try to be quiet, you often find that it’s as if there’s a radio going on in your mind. All you have to do is turn the dial a little bit and you can get all kinds of different frequencies, all kinds of different messages.

So, try to tune into the Buddha’s channel, the one that’s telling you that right here is where you really want to be. As for any commentary going on, let it be just the commentary about what’s happening right here, what you’re doing right here right now. Because that’s the main message the Buddha’s teaching: that what you’re doing right here right now is very important. You have to be very careful about it. You want to do it skillfully. Even if you’re just sitting here focusing on your breath, that’s really important. You’re training the mind in all kinds of good qualities.

You want to keep that message in mind because there are so many other messages we’ve picked up that are sloshing around in our minds. Most of the time, we tend to tune into the wrong frequencies: the ones that encourage greed or aversion or delusion; the ones that pull us off to the past, drag us into the future. Those are not the frequencies you want. You want to stay with the channel that says, “Right here, right here.”

So be very careful about where your mind is tuned as you go through the day, not just when you’re sitting with your eyes closed but also as you do your various chores, as you walk around the monastery, come and go. Make sure your mind is tuned into the right frequency.

It’s like the different frequencies in the air right now. All the different radio stations in San Diego and Los Angeles and who-knows-where-else are coming through the air right here. It’s simply a matter of tuning in to the right frequency.

And the same with your mind. Make sure you’re tuning in to the Buddha’s frequency, the Buddha’s channel. And keep his messages always in the back of the mind.