I want briefly to frame our discussions for today. You'll remember that we've been talking about paying attention—this is the chief method for dealing with our mental games.
It is important to remember that mental games are not optional, and the best we can ever hope for is a bit of peace of mind, through focused attention and meditation.
Indeed, this is the point of passive meditation.
Often connected to a 'mind focus,' passive meditation is also called, in Zen, Zazen, or simply sitting. One Zen Sensei I know was discussing counting breaths as a way of meditating. She said, "It seems simple… count your breaths on the out breath. When you reach 10, start again. If, while counting, you distract yourself with a thought, start counting again." She paused. "In 20 years of doing this, I have often reached 6…"
]]>