David Hurst

~~~~~~~ CREATIVE MIND ~~~~~~~
The Teachings of David Hurst

Meditation is the original Genie's lamp. What greater gift could you have than the ability to project your thoughts outward into the physical world and have them manifest? This is exactly what we do when we use meditation.

You do not have to die of chronic illness, you do not have to suffer from poverty, loneliness, lack of love and fulfilment in your life or any other condition which you would like to change. Nor do you have to acquire any power to do this. You are doing it all the time; it is your birthright and your heritage. The problem is that you misdirect this ability and create a lot of suffering for yourself. How? By meditating all the time without realising it.

There is so much misunderstanding about meditation that it is not surprising that some people feel they cannot do it. Others, mentally living in the dark ages, believe it's the work of the devil. If you can worry, you can meditate. Meditation is a matter of where you put the focus of your mind. Nothing more. You can focus on things physical or on things spiritual. It's up to you. Have you not realised that the nature of worry, stress or anxiety is to focus your mind on the last thing on earth you want to have happen to you or to someone you love? That's meditation. Not a very skilful one, but meditation just the same.

EVERY MAJOR SUCCESS IS BUILT ON A HUNDRED FAILURES.
EACH FAILURE WAS A STEPPING STONE ON THE PATH OF PROGRESS.
IN MEDITATION WE REALISE THIS.
IN PRACTICE, WE TAKE ANOTHER STEP.

If you can focus on the worst possible outcome, you can do the opposite. Focus on the best possible outcome. Either way, they both become self-fulfilling prophecies if you sustain the focus long enough. You do not have to worry about every negative thought or feeling that arises. It is clinging to it that causes suffering. Likewise, perseverance and persistence are the keys to skilful creative meditation.

There is no condition in your life that you cannot change except one that has been indisputably taken on at birth, such as a missing limb.

THE MIND IS NO OTHER THAN THE BUDDHA.
BUDDHA IS NO OTHER THAN SENTIENT BEING.
WHEN MIND ASSUMES THE FORM OF SENTIENT BEING
IT HAS SUFFERED NO DECREASE;
WHEN IT BECOMES A BUDDHA IT ADDS NOTHING TO ITSELF.

- HUANG PO

The primary purpose of meditation is to get to know and understand your own mind. Be aware of where your focus lies. If you find yourself concentrating on your fears, learn to release the fear and change your concentration to the ideal.

Understand that all fear is caused by clinging to the past which is state of mind known as 'memory', or by clinging to the future which is also a state of mind known as 'anticipation'. The 'what if' syndrome. What if the doctor points the bone at me? What if I die? What if I become a burden to my family? Name your own disaster.

In memory we cling to anger, hurt, frustrations, irritations, failures, guilt, shame, embarrassment, and other negative emotions.

Keeping the mind still is like keeping a beautiful chariot in the stable, but a chariot has no grace without movement. After all, it was created for movement. If we harness a horse to the chariot, what happens? The horse takes off dragging the chariot against the trees, over rocks and into ditches. Soon the chariot is in pieces. The horse represents our emotions. If we are not careful we can easily go to pieces ourselves.

So the horse needs a master. We need to take control of our emotions. Not by suppressing them, pretending they don't exist, but by controlling their release in an appropriate manner.