Practice strictly under the close guidance of qualified teachers

Today, the practice of meditation has generated tremendous interest, not just in Asia, but also in the West. There is no doubt about the importance of meditation, but we have to make sure that we practice in the correct way. This is possible if we practice strictly under the close guidance of qualified teachers, rather than simply reading books and listening to lectures. It is true that initially, it may be difficult to find a qualified teacher, so we may learn from books and lectures in the beginning, however, if we wish to practice seriously we must learn from qualified masters. One important point that I would like to share with you all is that we should always begin with short meditation sessions. Many good meditators advise us to practice beginning with five minute sessions rather than one hour. The reason is simple and logical—when we learn to meditate, we are not in competition with others, but are practicing to achieve calmness and tranquility, and a series of short sessions is more effective for helping us work toward this goal than long sessions. It may not be beneficial to begin with long sessions since initially we may not have total focus and sharpness, which will affect the progress of our meditation practice. Moreover, there is also a danger of falling into the traps of dullness or agitation, which are the main obstacles in meditation. Therefore, it is not about how long we sit and practice, but surely it is about the quality of our meditation practice so that our goal of peace and tranquility are accomplished in the near future.