UH Meditation Class 3‏ - Living the present moment

When practicing meditation, we train our mind to focus on the present moment, not on what happened yesterday or on what is about to happen tomorrow. Today someone asked a very good question: When I drove to school today, I had to think– oh I need to go to meditation at noon. If I don't think about it, how will I come?

So I shared with you a well-known Zen story about two monks and a beautiful woman.

An older monk and a younger monk were traveling together and they reached a river with a strong current. As the monks were preparing to cross the river, they saw a very young and beautiful woman also attempting to cross. The young woman was afraid to cross the river because she might slip and be carried downstream. She asked if one of the monks might help her across.

The older monk carried this woman on his shoulder, crossed the river and let her down on the other bank. The younger monk was shocked and disturbed. In the Chinese Buddhist tradition, monks should refrain himself/herself from any physical contact with the opposite sex.

After several days, the younger monk finally cannot stand the thought any longer. He came to the older monk and asked, "How could you break your vows and carry that woman on your shoulders?"

The older monk replied, "I left the woman a long time ago at the bank, however, you seem to be carrying her still."

What does this story mean to you? How does this story relate to your meditation practice? We practice the moment to moment mindfulness in daily life. When a thought arises, we take notice and let it go. Do not attach to it nor follow it. Mindfulness is the acute awareness of the reality as is, not as was or as will be.

Continue the practice, patiently and persistently. Practice makes