The purpose of mediation is to make our mind calm and peaceful. If our mind is peace, we shall free from worries and mental discomfort, and so we shall experience true happiness; but if our mind not peaceful, we shall find difficult to be happy, even if we are living in the very best conditions. If we train in meditation, our mind will gradually become more and more peaceful, and we shall experience a purer and purer form of happiness. Eventually we shall be able to stay happy all the times, even in the most difficult circumstances.
Usually we find it difficult to control our mind. It seems that our mind is like a balloon in the wind – blown here and there by external circumstances. If things go well, our mind is happy, but if they go badly, it immediately becomes unhappy. For example, if we get what we want, such as a new possession, a new position, or a new partner, we become excited and cling to it tightly.
However, since we cannot have everything we want and since we shall inevitably be separately from the friends, position, and possessions we presently enjoy, this mental stickiness, or attachment, serves only to cause pain. On the other hand, if we do not get what we want, or if we lose something that we like, we become despondent or irritated. For example, if we are forced to work with a colleague whom we dislike, we shall probably become irritated and feel aggrieved, with the result that shall be unable to work with him or her efficiently and our time at work will become stressful and unrewarding.
By training in mediation, we create an inner space and clarity that enable us to control our mind regardless of the external circumstances. We develop mental equilibrium, a balances mind that is happy all the time, rather than an unbalanced mind that oscillates between the extremes of excitement and despondency.
If we train in meditation systematically, eventually we shall be able to eradicate from our mind the delusions that are the causes of all our problem and suffering. In this way, we shall come to experience permanent inner peace.
Meditation and Healthy Mind
