Obstacles Arise | Shambhala Times Community News Magazine
On the obstacles, or döns... fame, arrogance, laziness, ambition, delusional meditation, and ency.
In meditation, we are on a journey from here to there - to whatever we are trying to accomplish, be it mindfulness, peace, or compassion. We are developing the ability to have fuller experience of our lives. But as we gain understanding and insight, there is a build-up of residue. We call these dons, or obstacles. An obstacle is something that cuts the line of our intention. Sitting in meditation with the motivation of benefitting others, if we realize we are thinking about work, then obviously our intention has been cut. We are no longer on that particular journey.
The tricky thing is that we don’t always know obstacles are happening. To detect them, we have to know our mind and our intention. The point is to be vigilant as we practice. It is true that as we settle our mind through meditation, any kind of imperfection in our character becomes stronger. With awareness, we can manifest our own genuineness about any obstacle we face. Intention is important.
The first obstacle is fame. If you have a little ambition for fame, it will become stronger, and you will find yourself not actually practicing for your own peace or for the welfare of others, but to be known as a wise and spiritual person who meditates a lot.
The next don is pride or arrogance...
Obstacles Arise | Shambhala Times Community News Magazine
In meditation, we are on a journey from here to there - to whatever we are trying to accomplish, be it mindfulness, peace, or compassion. We are developing the ability to have fuller experience of our lives. But as we gain understanding and insight, there is a build-up of residue. We call these dons, or obstacles. An obstacle is something that cuts the line of our intention. Sitting in meditation with the motivation of benefitting others, if we realize we are thinking about work, then obviously our intention has been cut. We are no longer on that particular journey.
The tricky thing is that we don’t always know obstacles are happening. To detect them, we have to know our mind and our intention. The point is to be vigilant as we practice. It is true that as we settle our mind through meditation, any kind of imperfection in our character becomes stronger. With awareness, we can manifest our own genuineness about any obstacle we face. Intention is important.
The first obstacle is fame. If you have a little ambition for fame, it will become stronger, and you will find yourself not actually practicing for your own peace or for the welfare of others, but to be known as a wise and spiritual person who meditates a lot.
The next don is pride or arrogance...
Obstacles Arise | Shambhala Times Community News Magazine