01-24-2011, 10:21 PM
Your distraction is good in a way, since you have something to work with to help guide your progress. There are many books on Zen which provide effective meditation practices and which are simple to follow. Don't be bothered if you get distracted. Just keep at it. Even if you sit for half and hour and your mind keeps coming back to what you will be having for dinner, the sitting will be training your body and mind. At the beginning either focus on the breath or on some visualization. Don't do both. Choose whichever seems more natural to you. Don't worry if you have extraneous thoughts or sensations, but realize that they are not yours. Observe them as you would birds flying by in the sky. Note them and let them go. Eventually, just like your cats, your mind will get bored of generating objects if you don't get attached to them, and your mind will clear.
So, just sit. Don't worry if distractions occur. Getting yourself to sit is 90% of the battle.
So, just sit. Don't worry if distractions occur. Getting yourself to sit is 90% of the battle.