Momentary Concentration

"This unity of the mind with the present moment is called momentary concentration.  As moments are incessantly passing away one after another, the mind keeps pace with them, changing with them, appearing and disappearing with them without clinging to any of them.  If we try to stop the mind at one moment, we end up in frustration because the mind cannot be held fast.  Momentary concentration is all you need for the insight meditation practice because everything in your experience lives only for one moment." Venerable Henepola Gunaratana

It has always helped me in my meditation practice and particularly when I'm frustrated with my meditation practice to remember that my mind is made to think, that it's there for a reason.  It protects me and helps me plan and encourages me to love.  It's not just sitting there idling and waiting for my conscious self to give it instructions, especially since my conscious mind doesn't know what the fuck it's doing most of the time.   It's also telling my heart to beat and my lungs to fill with air and my stomach to digest food.  It's doing a lot of shit, man, without my input.  If I try to control it when I'm meditating . . . well . . . good luck with all that.

"There is one God looking down on us all.  We are all children of one God.  God is listening to me.  The sun, the darkness, the winds, are all listening to what we now say."  Geronimo

My memories are simply patterns stamped on my mind.  I can't let them make me believe that I've done everything wrong.  I can make new choices, find new thoughts to feed my spirit.  Intentionally cut sorrow and regret from my thought, get rid of tears and resentments and anxieties, and make myself smile even when I don't want to smile.  I don't listen to other people when their thoughts are negative.  I forget what they say and make decisions about my own life - this is my right just as it's their right to make decisions about their own lives.