Accepting one's mind

I'm amazed at how many people believe that meditation is about controlling the mind. Much suffering results from this mistaken belief. Today I offer you a passage from Rob Nairn's Tranquil Mind* that speaks to this misconception:

What counts most in meditation is attitude.

If you have an attitude of wanting to achieve something, or change something within the mind, this will prevent meditation and result instead in mental conflict and tension. For example, many people think that the purpose of meditation is to make the mind go blank, or to stop thought, or in some way control or manipulate inner mental or emotional processes. They thus sit down expecting to be able to do this rather like King Canute sitting enthroned on the seashore ordering the tides back. The result is the same - instead of leading to inner peace, this attitude will cause a build-up of tension and suppressed emotional energy which will eventually burst upon consciousness and cause confusion.

An attitude of self-acceptance is essential to meditation. This begins with the mind; learning to accept everything that is happening within the mind - all the thoughts, all the feelings, whatever - and coming to terms with it. Any attitude of wanting to change or manipulate the mind, or enforce a different mind state constitutes non-acceptance and will lead to trouble....

Stated simply, when we talk of acceptance, we are talking of unconditional love - starting with ourselves...

*Copies of Tranquil Mind are available at the Center.