Monkey Mind

The Buddhists have a great term, "monkey mind" which means, "unsettled, restless, capricious, whimsical, fanciful, inconstant, confused, indecisive, uncontrollable." Wow! how is that for nailing the way our minds can ramble about?

Most mornings I take time to read something inspiring in hopes to set my heart in the direction of the Divine Heart. Afterward, I'll spend about 20 minutes in centering prayer.

Some days this routine is soothing, grounding-yeah, the desired outcome is achieved. Others, "monkey mind" takes over and I feel like I would've been better off reading some trashy magazine and slugging down a double barreled mochachino-latte thingy.

Yet, the great teachers I have heard, Lama Norlha, Rev. Cynthia Bourgeault, and Fr. Keating insist the point isn't the "experience" we have in our meditation time, but that we show up...simply being present day in and day out is the "key." In centering prayer this showing up is one of the ways we tend to our relationship with the Divine. It isn't a matter of noticing when we are thinking and letting that thought "be." It is about creating a sense of "inner openness" when we feel ourselves gripping in our daily lives; a Christ-like kenosis, or self-emptying.

The great masters teach that really there should be no "desired outcome" or qualification of one centering prayer session as more fruitful than another. Imagine that, showing up, not judging, inner opennes...oh what we can aspire toward! Maybe we can even take our experience on the meditation cushion out into our everyday experiences...with ourselves, with others...