When Sharon Salzberg, a renowned meditation teacher, came to India in 1970 looking for a solution to her life’s suffering, she was very disappointed.
After weeks of grueling travel, she reached Bodh Gaya to attend a vipassana retreat run by Mr. SN Goenka.
She was hoping that Mr. Goenka would help her overcome her suffering through a step-by-step algorithm – “Do this, then do that”, and so on…
Instead, he asked them to focus on their breath. And she thought, “What? Focus on the breath? Is that why I came to India? Could I not do that back home?”
That ‘disappointment’ is what started Sharon’s meditation journey – over the next few years, she learned meditation from many renowned teachers in India.
And I share this because Sharon is not alone – when we are looking to overcome our problems or change our life, we also often crave exotic, mystical solutions.
Unfortunately, the things that really change our life are very simple like ‘watching your breath.’
Meditation is not a circus – it does not entertain, and initially, it feels hard. And yet, few things are as life-changing.
The same applies to practically everything meaningful – they are often very simple.
But simple does not mean easy — they take perseverance and determination. Somehow, that is how the world is constructed. It is much easier to watch TV and have popcorn but it doesn’t do much good.
The best things are simple but hard. Life offers no shortcuts.
– Rajan