" You are a traveller and you have been a traveller for a long time, many lives. This is not the first time that you have become interested in it; you are an old one. You have been searching and seeking for many lives but you have never been persistent; many times you started and stopped. But every time you have tried, you have tried only half-heartedly, hence you have travelled long but you have not arrived yet. Many times the goal was very close by and you missed it. Many times it was within your reach but you go tired, or just when the tide was going to turn you left the effort; you turned back or you went astray into some other thing....
That's how you have been missing. Please, don't miss this time!
You have tried to dig the well many times but you never went all the way so you have dug many holes but the water has never come. This time make it a very deliberate effort. Meditation can bring great pleasures, great blessings, but one has to go into it. The beginning is difficult and to persevere is the most difficult thing because the mind wavers -- one day it will say, 'Nothing is happening, why bother?' or 'We will do it tomorrow' or 'Today there are so many other things to do.'
The mind always goes on postponing, and meditation needs a very continuous effort because it is a very soft phenomenon. It is not like a rock, it is like water falling: if it falls continuously then even rocks will break, but continuity is needed.
It is a very soft, feminine energy, so if the continuity remains, by and by everything that comes in its way disappears. In the beginning things that are blocking the path are very hard and it seems almost impossible that meditation can win. Thoughts seem to be stronger, the mind seems to be very stubborn, obstinate. You try to be silent and nothing happens: in fact the moment you try to be silent, more thoughts come. When they see that you are challenging them they give a good fight and they prove to you that it is not possible, that you should drop the whole effort, the whole project is nonsense. So in the beginning the enemy is very strong and the friend is very soft and very delicate, almost invisible, intangible, very illusive.
The mind tends to surrender to the enemy, but if one can persist, within six months to twelve months something simply starts happening. It is only a question of constant effort time and time again and not listening to the mind. Even if nothing is happening don't be worried. You have been sleeping your whole life, nothing has happened, and you have been taking your bath every day and nothing has happened but still you go on taking a bath: it cleanses, it is good.
In just the same way let meditation become part of your ordinary life: one hour has to be given to it... Each day. And if one hour can be given to it, within six to twelve months you will see something has started happening which is tremendously valuable.... Just do all the meditations here and you can choose any one -- whichever feels to be going deeper and to be in tune with you. But when you have chosen, continue it for at least one year and much is the possibility."
