SITTING TO MEDITATE: Some Impediments to Clarity When I sit down to meditate all of my devils join me as well. "Are you sure you want to do this? Isn’t it a waste of time?” a voice of skepticism chides. If I smile and say, “Why not?” that voice quiets momentarily. However, soon after that different rascals appear. One announces,"Hey – I have some fascinating ideas! If you give me your attention, you can hear!” This spirit is slippery & skilled at manipulating hope. The only way to dispel it is to say, “No thanks, I’m already a dope!” If I make it this far, a cool silence sometimes appears, yet many other buggers beg for attention: have we forgotten lust, sloth, or fear? Such phantoms feed off energy. making Trump-style promises without delivering a single thing. Yet sometimes through a grace undeserved, I slip past such negative energies. Then – for a few moments at least – this spirit is immersed in an ancient well-spring. Nadia: (Grabbing a beer) Worrying 'bout devils turns people into boring farts. Wan-Sze: Agreed! Too much concern with "spirituality" makes 'em tasteless tarts. Kasim: (Yawning) Only one question concerns me: how can we discover the world's best ice cream? Will: Why not be honest? Aren’t we inflating fear, sloth, and envy? ===================================================================================== from How Weird: Out of the Box of Expectations by T Newfields Summary: Some thoughts about a few obstacles to meditation and conversation scoffing at such impediments. Keywords: barriers to meditation, hindrances to prayer, spiritual impediments, stumbling blocks to tranquility, spiritual obstacles Author: T Newfields [Nitta Hirou / Huáng Yuèwǔ] (b. 1955 - ?) Begun: 2009 in Tokyo, Japan ☆ Finished: 2018 in Yokohama, Japan Creative Commons License: Attribution. {{CC-BY-4.0}} Granted < LAST https://www.tnewfields.info/HowWeird/bitter.htm TOC https://www.tnewfields.info/HowWeird/index.html NEXT > https://www.tnewfields.info/HowWeird/mira.htm TRANSLATIONS ESPAÑOL https://www.tnewfields.info/es/sentarse.htm NIHONGO https://www.tnewfields.info/jp/meisou.htm