Enjoying the Breath

It’s impossible for our ordinary mind to be clear, but we can direct our attention through the very nature of having a mind. We can formulate an intention and then direct thought and attention to that which is skillful and wholesome, that which brightens and allows the mind to feel a sense of ease. A lifting up of mind and attention, directing thought and evaluating result.

Ask yourselves: “Is this helpful? Is it working? Is it not working? Am I getting entangled? Am I feeling at ease?” There’s an evaluation, but not a proliferation; a recognition of the effect of directing thought. What’s the effect of that thought stream, that impression within the mind? Because it has an effect, both in a positive, wholesome, skillful way, and its opposite. We need to be alert to what the result is. Using the thought process is using attention to be able to direct the mind. Otherwise, meditation ends up being passive, like Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot: nothing ever happens. But the Buddha is encouraging us to recognize that we have the ability and responsibility to take care of our minds and hearts, to cultivate that which is peaceful and leads to wisdom. It’s helpful to have that foundation of peacefulness, a certain stillness.

This reflection by Ajahn Pasanno is from the book, Beneath the Bodhi Tree, pp. 38-39.