Steadying the Mind
Staying on the Road
The open road can be a useful metaphor for the journeys we take in life. If we remain on the road, we will, in time, arrive at our destination. Yet most of us know how easily we can be drawn away from it.
Like drivers, we may slowly drift towards the edge of the road and find ourselves on rougher terrain. We may be enticed by a left or right turn, distracted by something more immediately interesting, or simply lose sight of where we intended to go. Sometimes we may even stay in these places for a while before deciding to return to the open road, remembering that we had set out in a particular direction.
Of course, the open road can become boring. Sustaining our efforts over a long period of time can lose its appeal. We may seek novelty, excitement or distraction. At times, we may even undermine our own efforts simply because we want relief from the monotony of continuing.
So how do we maintain our focus?
In meditation, we are practising staying on the road. We work with the mind’s tendency to drift, and learn to return without making a great issue of having wandered. We sit with boredom, restlessness and the desire for something different, perhaps even bringing a sense of curiosity to these experiences.
The mind will naturally move to the left and right. It will become caught up in plans, memories, worries and distractions. The aim is not to prevent this from happening, nor to force the mind to stay perfectly still. Rather, it is to notice when we have left the road and gently guide the attention back to the centre.
At first, this may take some effort. We may only realise after several minutes that the mind has travelled a long way from the breath, the body or whatever we are attending to. With sustained practice, however, we may begin to notice the moment of drifting much earlier. We become more familiar with the first signs of distraction and are able to return with a little more ease.
Over time, the mind may become steadier, more rested and more alert. This does not mean that it will never wander. It means that we develop a greater capacity to recognise wandering and to begin again.
Shunryu Suzuki wrote: “If you become too busy and too excited, your mind becomes rough and ragged … Just continue in your calm, ordinary practice and your character will be built up” (Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind, 1970, p. 58).
There is something reassuring in this idea of calm, ordinary practice. We do not need to make meditation dramatic or strive for exceptional experiences. Simply returning, again and again, can be enough.
In steadying the mind through practice, we may find that we are better able to remain with our intentions, persist in our efforts and maintain our focus. And perhaps this is an achievement in itself - not merely a means of reaching a destination, but part of the destination too.