stop me if you’ve heard this one before

I chose that to headline for this list of mediation wisdoms that resonated with me while reading A Practical Guide to Buddhist Meditation.

I use it because the list will only make sense if you’ve practiced meditation before, or at least you will recognize the wisdom in them. It is like having someone explain the punch line of a joke to you in a way. If you don’t get it the first time you ain’t gonna laugh the second time.

I am not a serious resource on mediation by any means, but I view my writing as part of a larger “meditative practice,’ so that is my context for the list below. I hope they find the punch line in your meditative practice; however you chose to apply it.

All the elements of a positive sense are already there within us
The wisdom is not to be found somewhere out there; it cannot be learned. It is a direct experience of ourselves and our true nature (Example: I replace wisdom with writing here)
Over time we may become quite different, and this will have repercussions
The less busy our mind is, the closer we are to the truth
A person may conquer a million men in battle, but one who conquers himself is, indeed, the greatest of conquerors
All of us seek happiness, but most look outside ourselves to find it
There is no absolute division between thoughts, emotions and physical sensations
In order to take responsibility for ourselves, we have to realize that we can and do actively create our own states of mind
We should pay at least as much attention to the difficult times of our practice as the enjoyable ones
The glory of life is in its movement and change, its growth and decay, and the new life that comes out of decay