lexstar

I really have a lot of it (see title) for the people who are undertaking this quest. Until recently, I lived at a zen temple for almost 4 years, where daily zazen meditation was part of the flow of the day. People used to ask me all the time how I managed to keep up that schedule. I would reply that it was easy, since I lived there. And it was me that had the same question about them. How did people not living at the temple manage to come by so often and join the meditation periods. Well, as I suspected, it IS very difficult, now that I don’t live there. Even though I did this twice daily for 3+ years, there are days now where I don’t do it at all. So, it seems that no matter how long you’ve practiced regular meditation, doing it daily requires some effort. Good luck to everyone in continuing on this path. And I’m struggling right along with you to try to make this valuable practice a part of my daily life. Sincerely, AJ

In Buddhism, one on the spiritual path practices with the aid of the Three Treasures: Buddha, Dharma, Sangha.

Buddha: awareness cultivated through practice.
Dharma: the path of practice.
Sangha: the community of practitioners.

Without any of these ingredients, practice can be very difficult, if not impossible.

My genuine admiration to all the people who are attempting to undergo the “meditate daily” goal.

Perhaps it would be helpful to investigate sitting groups in your community. Sitting with others can be very helpful for support and inspiration. And also, when a group says that they will meditate at a particular time, it can free us from feeling like we have to “make time” to meditate. We can just show up, and join the community, and then go about our day without wondering when we will “fit in” our meditation practice.

I’ve practiced both with and without a community, and found practicing with a community to lift the great burden of “fitting in” meditation practice.

Blessings to all!
-‘Lex

Although, I find that whom I care about caring about me changes over time.