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The mind was quite busy during my morning meditation. One thought after another, thinking about what time it might be at each moment. I don’t get frustrated with this “lousy” meditation anymore. We are hardwired to get distracted; that’s why we practice.
It reminded me of the teaching by Frank Ostaseski, a meditation teacher and the leader in end-of-life care. He was the founding director of the Zen Hospice Project. In his recent talk at San Francisco Insight, he shared two simple instructions for meditation.
First, always begin again. Whenever you are distracted by something, just begin again.
Second, then see what else is there.
This was exactly what I did this morning; I began paying attention to my breath when a thought popped up and I asked the question — “What else is here?”. It was usually a long list of things to do (but not necessary after all). Or a flush of feeling about the difficult conversation that I need to have with my mom. ‘Ok they are here.’ Then I began paying attention to my breath.
Exactly 20 years ago in 2002, I started my first job as an assistant at a law firm in Korea. I just graduated from university and I didn’t know what I wanted to do in my life. I thought I had a “plan” but things weren’t working out as I planned, as it should be for anyone in their early…
