Gradual cultivation

When we walk through the mist for long enough, it's impossible to know exactly when we go from dry to drenched.

It's like this with mindfulness practice.

We work on breaking mundane experiences down into their sensory parts sometimes. We practice refraining from trying to change them as they play out when we can. We practice letting the impulse to make sense operate in the background and gently steering our attention back to sensing the details directly.

We cultivate a persistent intention to investigate and savor the rich composition of a lived moment and loosen our grip on its significance. We practice day after day, breath after breath, touch after touch, sound after sound, image after image, and emotion after emotion.

Over time, we notice that we have changed and continue to change. Life's more challenging moments usually allow us to observe the difference.

It's not possible or necessary to pin down exactly when the capacity for inhabiting life becomes more robust.

Sudden awakening,
Gradual cultivation.

~ Chinul

Habitual mindfulness practice gradually erodes our tendency to constantly interfere with the natural flow of being alive.

Refrain from evaluating your progress and just keep going. You’ll be soaking wet before you know it.