The Wisdom We Were Born With

The Wisdom We Were Born With

With Sarah Mandel

When we meditate, it can sometimes seem that we are wasting time doing nothing; just sitting there. This meditation technique of quietly following the breath goes against our culture's need for constant activity and stimulation. Indeed, we often judge ourselves only in terms of how much we have done, or intend to do. We also tend to look outside ourselves for confirmation of accomplishment or success, and are vulnerable to valuing ourselves not on our own, but on others' terms.However in order to be balanced human beings, we have a deep need to access our own innate wisdom and understanding, which are readily available to us through the practice of sitting meditation. If we are willing to set aside a few minutes a day to practice shamatha meditation, we will allow ourselves the opportunity to make friends with our own minds, and to get more deeply in touch with our own natural and innate wisdom and intelligence, which are always available to us if we are patient enough to give them the space and quiet to emerge.

Sarah Mandel has been a meditator for 43 years. She is trained in the Soto Zen and Shambhala Buddhist traditions of sitting meditation.