Meditation is the Key to Fulfilment

 

Wherever I go, I try to help beginners to learn the right way to start meditating, and to show those who think they are really advanced and know all about meditation that there is still a lot of room for improvement. According to the practice lineage, if one is able to practise Buddhism wholeheartedly, properly, meditation is one's food, meditation is one's partner, meditation is one's wealth, meditation fulfils every aspect of one's needs and wants!

Milarepa was a very famous Tibetan Yogi who lived in the 11th century - I hope many of you have read his life story and songs. When he was meditating in the mountains, his body turned green because he had nothing to eat except nettles. The king of Nepal once invited Milarepa, offering him great wealth, but he refused. Milarepa told the king that he was actually richer than him because he didn't need anything.

We are mentally very rich when we desire nothing. According to my experience, it is very good to really take to heart the notion that meditation can completely fulfil our every need, however difficult this idea may be to adopt in the beginning. Compared to a person who is very successful, who has a job, a wife, money, children, then I, a monk, have none of these, but if you compare our respective states of mind, I am much wealthier than this person because I have nothing to lose. As I have nothing to lose, I have no fear. When you have things, you are afraid of losing them. When you desire a wonderful thing, you are jealous of those who have it and once you have it, you must protect it. I have none of these, so I'm a most satisfied human being. What do I need? Just some simple food to sustain me and a roof above my head. I'm happy wherever I am. I can go to any part of the world, it makes no difference to me. I'm at peace with myself all the time.This is all due to this wish-fulfilling mind: it fulfils everything. I've found all the things I need. I don't have to chase what I want out there. I have found it right here, in my own mind. That's why I'm free.

For me, meditation is the best teaching any teacher can give. People in Buddhist centres may tell me, 'Don't teach meditation, because people don't like it and will run away!' But if we only talk, talk, talk, and none of us meditates, then what change is ever going to take place?

In my view - as I have understood from my own guru - simplicity, dedication, faith, and never giving up meditation practise even for one day, that is what really matters. Meditation is like food: one has to take it every day. So many people are practising as if they were having peaks of fever! When they feel very good, they can meditate for one, two or three hours but when they feel low, they totally give up practising, just when they need it most. We need to develop steadiness through regular daily practice.