some of the important qualities of meditation which we need to keep in mind during the time

we do the walking or the sitting meditation.

So it’s not enough for us to say that we are doing the walking and that

we are doing the sitting on a regular basis, and expect that

we should all receive the same benefits from the practice

no matter what is going on in our minds or how we are carrying out the practice.

Our practice has to have certain important qualities to it

in order for us to consider that our practice is a success

and in order for us to really get something out of it.

The first important quality of meditation practice

is that we have to make the acknowledgement in the present moment.

Our mind should always be in the here and now.

We cannot let our minds fall into the past or go ahead into the future.

We should not think about how many more minutes are left in the practice

or how many minutes we have practiced and so on.

Our mind should always be in the present moment. We should also be continuously in the present

moment. So not only practicing this moment

or this moment but that we are practicing continuously

from one moment to the next. At the moment when we finish the walking meditation

we should continue our awareness and our acknowledgement of the present moment

into the sitting meditation. Once we finish the sitting meditation

when we are going to get up and go on with our lives

we should try to continue into our lives carry on continuously.

During the time we are doing the walking meditation it is the same

and we should try to keep our mind in the present moment

through the whole of the practice. When we do the sitting

we try to keep it on the rising and the falling again and again continuously.

Just like the rain falling. It is said that meditation practice is like

rain falling. Every moment that we are aware

is like one drop of rain. Though it may not seem like that much

once we are mindful again and again and aware again and again

just like rain falling it can flood

and create a huge flood or fill up a lake. In the same way our awareness again and again

in one moment after one moment can create very strong states of concentration

based on the present moment. So that we are very clearly aware

and we create a great understanding and clarity of mind

in regards to reality.

Another important point is

the actual acknowledgment or the quality of the acknowledgment.

We have to first of all have a certain amount of effort.

It takes effort for us to do this again and again

and we have to acknowledge this. We cannot just let ourselves say rising and

falling raising falling

and let the mind drift. We have to push the mind and keep the mind

with the present moment with the object as it arises

whatever object that is. So if it is the raising and the falling in

the beginning we stay with it again and again

sending the mind out. Instead of keeping the mind up here or at

the mouth we send the mind out to the object again and

again and keep sort of a strong state of mind.

Keeping our mind strong and focused on the present moment.

Once we do this then we will begin to become aware of the object

and this is another important thing that we are actually aware of the object

as it is occurring. So that we are not just saying rising and

falling but once we push our minds to the object

then we actually know from the beginning to the end of the motion.

If it is pain then we actually are aware of the pain

and if it is a thought then we are actually aware of the thought.

Once we become aware of the thought then we can make the acknowledgement.

And this is of course the most important part that actually we grasp

and we fix the mind on that awareness.

Not letting it continue on into liking or disliking

or creating all sorts of mental activity

or judgments about the object.

The final important fundamental quality of

practice is called balancing the faculties.

It is recognized that all people have certain faculties in their mind

and these are qualities of mind which are very beneficial.

All together there are five and these are confidence

effort mindfulness

concentration and wisdom

and these have to be balanced with each other. For instance some people might have strong

confidence but they may have low wisdom

and this means that they have blind faith. They believe things simply because

this is what they have been told or of some desire to believe

and not because of any rational understanding. Some people have strong wisdom but low faith

so they doubt everything and they refuse to believe anything

even from a respected authority or so on. Or they refuse to believe anything because

they themselves have never experienced it because they have never undertaken the meditation

practice. Some people have strong effort

but weak concentration, in this case the mind becomes distracted

the mind is not focused and can’t focus on anything.

Some people have strong concentration but weak effort

and this makes people lazy or drowsy. This keeps us from sending the mind on and

on and keeping up with the present moment

and we find ourselves getting drowsy and falling asleep.

The way we balance these is that we balance confidence with wisdom

and effort with concentration and we use mindfulness

we use this clear thought. The effort is sending the mind to the object

the awareness of the object the focusing on the object

and the clear knowing of the object. These are all of the mental faculties put

into one. Confidence

effort mindfulness

concentration and wisdom.

Once we have balanced the four outside faculties with the faculty of mindfulness

or the clear awareness they will work together.

They will then create a very strong state of mind.

Then we will have strong confidence, strong effort

we are clearly mindful and we have strong concentration

and we have very sure wisdom, because we see for ourselves

and we understand for ourselves without the need to rely on someone else.

At that time this is when the mind is able to overcome

states of suffering, overcome states of depression.

Like a strong man is able to bend an iron bar

we also can bend and shape and mould our minds. And we can bring our minds back to

a state of peace and happiness overcoming all sorts of unpleasant states.

This is a basic understanding of some of the fundamental qualities of meditation

which we need to keep in mind. We need to be in the present moment

and we need to practice continuously. We need to make the clear thought

and we cannot just say to ourselves rising and falling

we have to actually know what is going on in the present moment.

And we have to balance the faculties. This is another in the series on how to meditate

and this is sort of an addition to the actual technique of meditation

which is meant to give a stronger quality

and a greater benefit to the meditation practice.

So I hope that through this you are able to find peace and happiness

and freedom from suffering. Thank you again for tuning in

and all the best.