If you haven't wept deeply, you haven't begun to meditate.
Interpretation
Deep emotional experiences are essential for true meditation.
This quote emphasizes that genuine meditation is not merely a practice of calming the mind, but a profound engagement with one's emotions. To truly meditate is to confront and understand our deepest feelings, including sorrow, allowing for a richer and more transformative experience in both meditation and life.
In practice
In a retreat, when discussing the role of emotions in mindfulness, this quote can be shared to illustrate the depth of experience in meditation.
Once you understand non-self, then the burden of life is gone. You'll be at peace with the world. When we see beyond self, we no longer cling to happiness and we can truly be happy. Learn to let go without struggle, simply let go, to be just as you are - no holding on, no attachment, free.
When sitting in meditation, say, "That's not my business!" with every thought that comes by.
To observe and watch one's own mind is something really interesting. The untrained mind will run and follow its old habit patterns. Because it has not been trained and taught, it will get lost in all kinds of stories and issues. Therefore we have to train our mind. The meditation practice in Buddhism is all about training one's own mind.
Meditation is like a single log of wood. Insight and investigation are one end of the log; calm and concentration are the other end. If you lift up the whole log, both sides come up at once. Which is concentration and which is insight? Just this mind.
The heart is just the heart; thoughts and feelings are just thoughts and feelings. Let things be just as they are.
Happiness and suffering do not depend on being poor or rich, they depend on having the right or wrong understanding in our mind.
I got to thinking about the Book of Revelation that was written by a Jewish prophet who was also a follower of Jesus who hated the Roman Empire. I realized that the Book of Revelation could be a way to reflect on the issue of religion's relationship to politics.
"Let there be no inscription upon my tomb. Let no man write my epitaph. No man can write my epitaph. I am here ready to die. I am not allowed to vindicate my character; and when I am prevented from vindicating myself, let no man dare calumniate me. Let my character and motives repose in obscurity and peace, till other times and other men can do them justice.
Absolute truth is not dependent upon public opinion or popularity. Now what is this truth? It is His gospel. It is the gospel of Jesus Christ.
What is truth? A difficult question; but I have solved it for myself by saying that it is what the 'voice within' tells you.
There is no law governing all things.
He, however, who begins with Metaphysics, will not only become confused in matters of religion, but will fall into complete infidelity.
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