A simple recipe for making your spiritual practice easier than meditation Before I started life as a monk I spent many years struggling with meditation. In the monastery I discovered how to quickly slip into a natural state of spiritual consciousness without the mental effort needed with meditation. Here I will share with you the basic elements of this process which anyone can adapt to their own life.
The first day I entered the multi-faith monastery was one of the most memorable moments of my life. I was going to visit for the weekend with some friends. I had no idea that this is where I would end up taking my monastic vows and spending the next 11 years of my life.
I’ll never forget the rather amusing altercation between two of the monks at the monastery one day involving buckets of water! Giving and receiving praise and criticism can play havoc with our emotions if it goes unchecked. Both Brother Matthew and Brother Simon (names changed for anonymity) had been engaged in an ego-game of criticising each other over an extended period of time. Looking back I can’t even remember what the issue was – it was that insignificant and petty. However, as sometimes happens to most of us in these situations, the constant niggling and snide remarks can build up…