Letter to a friend (The Renaissance Letter).

Dear friend, 

It has been quite some time since our last conversation. Summer has revealed her bounty and now fall is just starting to take form. The lavender is dried out and has lost its fragrance, the witch hazel tree has turned a fiery red, and the maple has already begun shedding her leaves. The world that we find ourselves in today is undergoing seismic shifts. We all find ourselves troubled by the challenges of climate change, political theater, and a society utterly destitute of belonging and community. Don't get caught up in speculation and longing. Take the time you need to cultivate inner abundance and joy, and take pleasure in the simple things around you. Find ways to support and inspire other practitioners in your life, as we are all in this boat together!

Just as the outer world changes, there is dramatic change unfolding in you. You may not notice it, you may not see its form, but if you are still you can feel its presence. Take time to sit and listen to that which is inexpressible. Within that space of deep stillness, you will find something that moves in you. Don't fixate on it, don't become too elated. Just relax. Clarity reveals itself naturally without effort. Effort in this moment simply creates more confusion and a cycle of disappointment.

This inner work of revealing your own heart is not easy. Don't take it lightly. You need to do the work, which means putting in the time and effort into your practice. I suppose that is why they call it the path of meditation, because we need to traverse the inner landscape of our own heart and mind in order to find what it is we have to share with the world. Don't be afraid of getting lost on that journey. Just as when one is in a new city, getting lost can reveal more and create more of an impression than rushing straight to your chosen destination. You are always blazing the path of meditation in your own life, meaning the trail is always behind you.

This commitment and dedication that you have is quite uncommon in this world. I know at times you must be frustrated and feel at a loss. Be patient with yourself. Your work inspires us all, even though we often do not have the words to say it. Bit by bit, our intentions and actions shape the world. The work of compassion and generosity is rarely done with a hammer and chisel, often it very subtle and we do not get to appreciate the final form in our lifetime. Be confident that form does reveal itself even if you do not see it. Your work, your art, leaves an impression in the world and that impression is in the lives of the people you impact.

The renaissance was a time of reawakening to human values and the measure of man. This question of what is sacred and what it means to be human is ever more urgent in our world. Artists moved the renaissance. Artists were the creators of change and the drivers of what people came to value and appreciate. Their art created an impact, it changed the culture. Now is a time in which we need more artists.

Take a moment to look at your own work, this inner work that you are doing. Does it lend itself to refining your values and who we are in the world? Does it examine the nature of what it means to be fully human and the nature of the world in which we move? Does your work reveal insight into the human condition and our place in the world?

This work that you are doing is the work of an artist. You are the blank canvas and the block of marble. In order for art to make an impact, it must be shared. It must go out into the world where it can interact with others, influence their perception and shape their values. Art that isn't shared isn't art at all, it is just a painting or a piece of sculpture. Art creates change. The way that you create change is by being present and contributing. Compassion, kindness and generosity are the expressions of your art, and each of those has the power to shape a human life and to make an impact in the world.

We too find ourselves in a renaissance, only this time the art won't stand in galleries. Art is the gift of our humanity that changes and benefits the lives of others. A life dedicated to this work and practice has both purpose and meaning. It has the power to shift the culture, to create a culture of awakening. This is the work of the bodhisattva, the work of revealing our own heart for the benefit of others.

With fervent admiration and support for you and the work that you do.

Gregory Scott Patenaude

Setting the angel free.

I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.

Michelangelo

Michelangelo, perhaps the greatest sculptor of all time, saw the result at the very beginning. The final form may not have been readily apparent and certainly was not fully evident, but there was no doubt that the angel was present in the marble. Michelangelo's practice was simple to remove layer after layer of obscuration, to remove the rough edges and distortion until the angel was set free. 

We might think that this quote is simply referring to a hard chunk of marble, but it is quite profound as it applies to our own practice and awakening. The angel represents our own inner genius, our inherent buddha heart. Maitreya uses a similar analogy from the Uttaratantra:

Suppose an image filled with molten gold inside

but consisting of clay on the outside,

were seen by someone who knows about this gold,

who would then remove the outer covering to purify the inner gold?

After we are introduced to our own buddha heart, introduced to its presence and nature, what choice do we have to remain idle? Who would waste such a precious opportunity and resource?

Having recognized our naturally abiding buddha heart (Skt. tathagatagarbha), the practice is simply to remove layer after layer of negative emotions, perceptual bias and confusion. We refine the rough edges of our intentions and actions. We chisel and carve out habitual tendencies and neurosis. 

The result of our work is that our naturally present buddha heart is made fully evident. Just as when the clouds dissipate in the sky to reveal the qualities of the sun, so too, once we eliminate the obscuring factors of our own inner genius then we can enjoy the qualities and activity of the naturally present result. 

The artist's practice is the set the angel free, to reveal our naturally abiding buddha heart to the world.

But then what? 

That is not the end of the road. The story doesn't simply end there. 

The artist must share her art. 

Art interacts with the world. It is experienced, impacts others, shapes the time and place. Art shifts postures, influences what people value and affects what they choose to engage in. 

Art shapes culture. 

The artist who does their work and brings it out into the world shapes the community of values. It is possible to step out into the world and share generosity, kindness and compassion. Equanimity, insight and selflessness can gain a foothold in our communities. There can be recognized value in chipping away the rough edges. Our communities can recognize the potential of everyone, identifying their inner genius and capacity to refine and reveal their own inner angel. Most of all we can start respecting and appreciating the work and the process. 

We can value the practice of the artist. 

The artist is committed to the practice of revealing the naturally abiding inner genius within. Art not shared is not art at all, so the artist moves into the world where their art interacts with people and the environment. As that art interacts with the world, it shapes values and what we believe to be possible and true. 

Art shapes culture, and it is possible to shape a culture of awakening. A culture that is eager to do the work, eager to show up, ready to be present, and that knows this is what we do here.

The artist always knows, this is what we are here to do.

The Scientist, Philosopher and Artist.

The Scientist.
Scientists like to experiment. They like to figure out what is really going on, and then to look to discover solutions to problems. The scientist pursues knowledge, but she does so through experience, trial and error.

The Philosopher.
The philosopher likes to examine and question. They want to know what is true, what is deceptive, and how these views influence and shape our world. The philosopher examines the very nature of our being and what can be known about our world by relying on reason, logic and critical thinking.

The Artist.
The artist is concerned with connection, relationships and impact. The artist conveys the value aspect of her work, her work creates meaning. Meaning is created through connection, change and impact. If no connection is made, or if no one is impacted, then the artist's work is undone. The artist's medium is reality, people and the web in which we are all connected.

Each of these three archetypes play a role in our practice.

When we sit down to meditate, we should sit down as a scientist. Your mind is your lab, what are you trying to solve?

Once we gain stability in our meditation, we should become a philosopher. Look deeper into your experience. Examine the nature of your own mind and the nature of reality. What is the true nature of the mind? What can be known through your experience?

When we stand from meditation, we stand as an artist. Use your daily life and interactions as the medium to create art. Share kindness, generosity and compassion. Use your trade to impact your community, create change and shape the world.

Don't be attached to any one role. Don't get caught up in the result or effect of your work. Simply attend to the different roles as they arise. There is a time to be a experiment, a time to analyze, and yes, even a time to dance.

Buddha heart.

Noble child, all beings, though they find themselves with all sorts of afflictions,
Have a tathagata-garbha that is eternally unsullied, 

and that is replete with virtues no different from my own.

Tathagatagarbha Sutra

All beings are natural Buddhas, concealed in a shell of afflictions.  When that shell is broken, their buddhahood is revealed. 

What is the shell?  It is our negative emotions, our bias and distorted lens. It is our habitual tendencies and conditioned actions. It is our innate self-grasping and fixation on identity, self and other, better and worse, pure and impure.

It's a thick shell.

The shell is adventitious, without a single iota of permanence. Yet we continuously reinforce it, wrapping ourselves up layer after layer. We don't choose the shell, because the shell is based on confusion. Confusion perpetuates itself in an endless cycle of becoming.

The escape is to recognize the tathagata-garbha directly.  Tathagata means one who has gone to suchness, the direct realization of the nature of the mind.  Garbha means heart, womb, essence or nature.  We often see tathagata-garbha translated as buddhanature or essence of enlightenment, but we could also translate it as buddha heart, or the womb of those thus gone. This buddha heart is the nature of our own mind, eternally unsullied and replete with all the virtues of a Buddha.  

We can recognize our own buddha heart, and when we do the shell loosens and the qualities of buddhahood become naturally present.

Once beings’ minds have thoroughly matured,
However, whenever, and for whomever,
There can be action that ensures benefit,
It manifests at just that time and in just that way.

Ornament of Clear Realization

There are emanations through artistry, through conscious rebirth, 

and as expressions of sublime enlightenment.
The nirmanakaya of buddhahood

is the supreme skillful means of total freedom.  

Ornament of the Sutras

Technicians, Artists and Alchemists

Chances are your work falls into one of three categories:

The Technician.
The technician is precise, focused and determined.  They are masters of their trade, know the details and the connections.  Their depth of understanding is profound and inspiring.  Ask a technician a question and he will give you an answer backed with experience and reasoning.  Technicians are very straight forward and matter of fact.

The Artist.
Artists are masters of their craft who are generous by nature.  They use their trade to make an impact in people's lives.  They are visionaries, leaders, ruckus makers.  The artist isn't in it for the status or power, they are in it because they see an opportunity to impact change and they are willing to step into the void.  

The Alchemist.
Alchemists are enigmatic artists.  You find them in strange circles, unfit places, unseemly professions.  Alchemists are masters of change and transformation.  Their art doesn't make sense to us, often times we don't see it or even believe it to be true.  Their art is lived, worked over.  They do the same thing day in and day out, perfectly content to keep plodding along, yet timelessly free and relaxed.  The enigma of the alchemist doesn't lie within them, it lies within us.

Technicians are too focused on the mechanics of their own practice.
Artists are too focused on the result and ensuing benefit.
Alchemists are free of attachment and the eight worldly concerns.  For them, the result is the path. 

The warrior's life.

It is one thing to study war

and another to live the warrior's life.

-Telamon of Arcadia

Truer words have never been spoken.  Try out your own:

It is one thing to study art, and another to live the artist's life.  

It is one thing to study mindfulness, and another to live a mindful life.

It is one thing to study compassion, and another to live a compassionate life.

Today, everyone has all the information they need.  We are all comfortable in our concepts and the data at hand.  Everyday I see a new study professing the benefits of mindfulness or meditation.  We feel safe in what we know and act as an expert in that sphere.

But we are living in a bubble.  

The lived experience is raw, naked and exposed.  The lived experience is one of working intimately with failure, fear, doubt and uncertainty.  Those who actually go out to battle know that those concepts have tastes and textures.  

The warrior has scars that give them conviction.  Conviction that this battle is worth fighting.  

The warrior knows that giving into the resistance means certain loss.  

The artist knows that giving into the resistance means art not done.

The mindful practitioner knows that giving into the resistance means a wandering mind.

The compassionate soul knows that giving into resistance means turning away.   

If you haven't bridged the gap between study and the lived experience all you have to do is identify the resistance.  When you encounter it in your life, stay with it, work with it.  That is the practice- this is the path forward.

Welcome to the real world. 

 

  

The struggling artist.

An artist is someone who is generous, open and vulnerable.  Their medium is connection.  The result of their work is that they have impacted another life, brought about a benefit or change.

We all have to work with what is coming up.  Something is always coming up.

The artist is able to cut through the resistance and willing to care enough to make an impact.

The rest of us get caught up in the resistance, entangled in struggle and strife, dissatisfied in our search for meaning. 

We're struggling artists.

The difference?  How you relate to what is coming up in your life. 

Changing the story.

I am continually inspired by my brothers and sisters on the path who are dedicated to their practice and generous with their time and energy.

One of the people who has inspired me is Seth Godin who introduced me to a new definition of an artist.  An artist is someone who makes an impact, benefits someone and effects change.  In this sense we all have the opportunity to be artists, regardless of our profession.  We all have the opportunity to take a moment, lend a hand, to truly listen and share generously.

We all have an opportunity to care. 

The thing about being an artist is that you don't create art all the time.  Not everything you do in your day is about making an impact.  Most of your day will be spent doing your job, working on the tactics, getting things done.

The artist can be busy and still make great art.

For me, this relieved a great burden, something I actually struggled with for a long time.  I was carrying a lot of frustration and aversion to being busy and working hard because I wasn't able to devote myself fully to making an impact.  I felt that too much of my days, weeks and months were wasted because I could be doing something better.  I could be doing better work but my work itself was preventing me from actually doing that.  That resistance to the nuts and bolts, ground level experience of my job (and life) prevented me from seeing and seizing those moments when I could act, when I could be generous.    

The function of our work is to make an impact, but not all the time.  We struggle to find meaning in our work and in our life, but we need to create meaning.  If we could even spend 10% of our time seizing those opportunities to make an impact and to care, we would find great meaning in our life.  It would even allow us to be really good at the busy, mundane, daily responsibilities that we need to fulfill because they would further create opportunities to create art. 

I can tell you that even 10% is hard.  It is too easy to hide in the busy tactical aspect of your life, too easy to keep your head down and keep plugging away at what you are doing.  We hide in the busy and then complain when our work has no meaning.  We fight internally against the resistance, but the resistance often wins and prevents us from stepping away and actually caring.

That is the fight, the struggle.

If we can recognize and identify that resistance, then we can actually find ways to reduce it.  Once we know what it looks like and what it is trying to do, we can push through the resistance and strive to make an impact, strive to care.  Start to create art.  

The Pottery.

A potter-in-training enters a pottery seeking to develop skill and dexterity when working with the clay.  He wants to learn the techniques used to shape it, how to alter the texture and strives to produce a similar replica to the original.  He perseveres in his craft until mastery is gained and he can consistently make great works of art.

He is attached to the form.

The master potter, the one you want to learn from, enters the pottery and pays homage to the space itself.

She sees the myriad display of forms, colors, attributes and functions that arise from the endless play of thoughts, emotions, perceptions and creativity.
She witnesses the natural radiance of that space- the illusory dance of projects and hurdles, learning and testing, succeeding and failing, coming and going.
She appreciates its abundant fullness yet quiet, spacious emptiness simultaneously.
Standing amidst masterpieces, balls of clay and broken shards- she recognizes them all as ornaments of that space.
That space- not needing to arise as anything at all, can manifest as anything whatsoever; which is why she pays it homage.  

To recognize and abide in that space, is the meditation. 

Discipline

Let's be honest, none of us like being told what to do.  We have a mind of our own and we can differentiate right from wrong.  I'm pretty sure that we can figure this out on our own. 

We have this perception that discipline restrains us, that it imposes boundaries on our life and our choices.  It can be those things, especially if it is coming from a higher authority, but it doesn't need to be.

Discipline can simplify our life.  It can enrich our life and our activity.

Three simple disciplines:
1. Refrain from harm.  Harming your neighbor, the stranger on the street or the spider on the wall.
2. Cultivate a wealth of good qualities.   Cultivate empathy and compassion.  Be generous, patient and kind.  Go for it, be an Artist.
3. Train your mind.  Develop focus, clarity and insight.  Recognize the natural stability of your mind and use it in your pursuit of happiness.

Work as dance.

Work as dance,
opportunity to do art,
endless play of partners and songs,
some lead, others follow.
Meet them where they are at,
not enough to show them what to do,
need to recognize where they are,
and where they can go.

Practice Essentials

Do no harm. 
Refrain from actions, words or opinions that rub others the wrong way.  All beings everywhere experience fear and states of suffering and loss, don't put salt on an open wound.

Cultivate a wealth of virtue.
Actively practice generosity, love and kindness.  Rejoice in others happiness.  Earnestly strive to develop discipline, patience and relentless perseverance.

Tame this mind of ours.
Abandon grasping and fixation, these lie at the root of all our problems.  Do not lend yourself to compulsive activity and distraction.  Pour your efforts into gaining insight into the nature of your own mind and the nature of reality- that is the path to liberation.  

Who's the Muse?

What is the source?  Where does it come from?  How do you do it?

The answer to those questions depends on the artist and their art.  If your art is the practice of bodhicitta- the wish to bring about the benefit of others through generosity, love and kindness, then your muse is reality.  It is the interactions that take place, the conversations that unfold, the stories that are shaped like the convergence of the wind and leaves.

It is random and unpredictable, but if your mind is open and receptive you will be surprised at what you can hear.

You'll discover an unending stream that continuously unfolds, presenting you with opportunities to give gifts that matter, to practice your art. 

That's All.

This is what I have been trying to say:

If you do the practice, you will be an artist. 

Perfecting Patience

It is not always clear why we should train our minds or how we should actually train in something like patience. 

What does an impatient mind look like? 

It is easily angered.  It is irritated, annoyed. 

It is averse- to the situation at hand and the people that we are dealing with. 

It is in a hurry, uncomfortable and anxious. 

If you enjoy the company of an impatient mind then there is no reason to train your mind.  If you want to remove these fetters that bind your mind, then meditation is the simplest and most effective means to perfect the practice of patience. 

In meditation, you learn to be patient with your body. 
Our bodies are uncomfortable.  We have a lot of aches and pains, a lot of tightness.  So we learn to be patient with our bodies, to not react to what our body is presenting to us, and the discomfort falls away. 

In meditation, you learn to be patient with your feelings.
We experience wave after wave of powerful and subtle feelings and emotions.  We feel good, we feel bad, we feel happy and sad, anxious and calm, tired and on edge.  So we learn to be patient with our feelings, to not react to what we are experiencing, and the discontent falls away.

In meditation, you learn to be patient with your mind.
We all have a monkey mind that can't sit still.  There is a never-ending stream of drama and internal dialogue, a parade of memories and fears, our hopes and dreams, doubt and insecurity.  So we learn to be patient with our mind, to not react to what our mind is presenting to us, and the discursiveness falls away.

In meditation, you learn to be patient with all that appears and exists. 
We encounter all kinds of sights, sounds, smells, tastes and touch, all kinds of experiences beyond measure.  So we learn to be patient with whatever appears and exists, to not react to what is presenting itself to us, and the dissatisfaction falls away.

As we work with these levels of developing patience, our practice culminates in fearless patience.  A state of authentic presence where we are fully open and willing to participate with whatever is occurring- whether it be external to us or in our own heads.

Our mind becomes like a crystal clear mirror that perfectly reflects whatever is placed before it, whether it is good or bad, beautiful or ugly.  There is no judgement, no aversion.  No indifference nor avoidance. 

It is a mind that is beyond fear and doubt.  Time and time again you are able to show up, allowing us the opportunity to act with generosity, love and kindness even in the most unfortunate of circumstances.

That is the perfection of patience.  

A Fruitful Life

You could be a guard for those who are protectorless, 

A guide for those who journey on the road.

For those who wish to cross the water, 

You could be a boat, a raft, a bridge.

You could be an isle for those who yearn for land, 

A lamp for those who long for light;

For all who need a resting place, a bed;

For those who need a servant, you could be their slave.

You could be a wishing jewel, the vase of wealth,

A word of power and supreme healing,

A tree of miracles,

For every being the abundant cow.

Just like the earth and space itself,

And all the mighty elements,

For boundless multitudes of beings

You could always be the ground of life, the source of varied sustenance.

Thus for everything that lives,

As far as the limits of the sky,

You could be constantly their source of livelihood

Until they pass beyond all sorrow.

But if you are going to do those things, then you need to train.  You need to train hard, following in the footsteps of those who have gone before you.  

You need to show up, do the work.  It is not going to be easy, but no one is going to do this for you. 

Adapted from Shantideva's Way of the Bodhisattva

Join the Movement

Our communities have changed.

We are no longer surrounded by like-minded individuals who share our worldview.

We are no longer surrounded day and night by people who can help us get up when we fall, guiding us in the right direction. 

Our communities don't revolve around anything sacred.  They revolve around 'me', which is often caught up in a lot of mundane activity, meaningless work and a lifetime of distraction.

You are out in the battlefield all by yourself. 

You have your practice.  Keep it.  I am not asking you to buy in.  

I am asking you to own it.  And it ain't a show man.

I am asking you to take your stand, to cut away the frills and the fraud.

Once you can stand, take a step forward with your heart.  Be an artist who uses reality, people and interactions as their canvas.  If your a bodhisattva, your art is generosity, love and kindness. 

As you learn to walk with confidence, you will find that the world no longer fights you.  Every interaction is a support for your practice, an opportunity to dig deeper and to practice your art. 

You'll find you are not alone anymore. 

You are surrounded by community.  Join the movement. 

Stepping Forward

You have your practice.

And I respect that.  I honor that. 

That is a living transmission between you and your teacher.  Go deeper.

But what happens when you bring your practice off the cushion, out of the studio and into the world.  What happens to your practice when no one around you cares about your meditation experience or how long you can hold half moon while controlling your heart rate. 

Real-time is messy.  It is unpredictable and you are out there all by yourself. 

Do you long to get back on the cushion, hit the next yoga class or seek to enjoy a week-long, peaceful retreat?    

Then you aren't actually doing the practice.  You are escaping and hiding from fear and emotion when it matters most.  You are letting the resistance win. 

Your practice will teach you how to stand.  If you leave it at that then it is all about you.  Be brave enough to walk.  To step forward into the opening with discipline, patience and generosity. 

You might just learn how to dance. 

The Mahasiddhas

Throughout Buddhist history people have revered the Buddha and the community of monks and nuns who uphold his teachings.  The Buddhist sangha has served as a living lineage, preserving the teachings of the Buddha in both scriptural transmission and realization.  A lesser known but equally important role in the transmission and realization of the Buddha's teachings fell on the mahasiddhas.  

A mahasiddha is a tantric practitioner who embodies the state of perfection. Mahasiddha means 'great accomplishment', a yogin who has brought his sadhana or practice to its completion and achieved realization. The mahasiddhas played a key role in the preservation and development of the Buddha's teachings in India and Tibet, as displayed in the songs of realization of the Lives of the 84 Mahasiddhas. 

Adapted from Dowman and wikipedia:

The mahasiddhas represent remarkable diversity in their family backgrounds and social roles.  Indeed they could be found in every social setting: kings and priests, poets and musicians, craftsman and farmers, housewives and whores.  They were artists and businessman, respected doctors and neglected beggars, politicians and hermits. 

The Mahasiddhas were a diverse group of practitioners who were practical, committed, creative and engaged with their world. As a collective, their spirituality may be viewed as key and essential to their lives- simple, in concert and accord with all aspects of their lived experience. The basic elements of the lives of the Mahasiddas included their diet, physical posture, career, relationships; indeed "ordinary" life and lived experience were held as the principal foundation and fodder for realization. As siddhas, their main emphasis in spirituality and spiritual discipline was a direct experience of the sacred and spiritual pragmatism.

The mahasiddha tradition may be conceived and considered as a cohesive body due to their spiritual style, sahaja or naturally born- which was distinctively non-sectarian, non-elitist, non-dual, non-elaborate, non-sexist, non-institutional, unconventional, unorthodox and non-renunciate. The mahasiddha tradition arose in dialogue with the dominant religious practices and institutions of the time which often foregrounded practices and disciplines that were over-ritualized, politicized, exoticized, excluded women and whose lived meaning and application were largely inaccessible and opaque to non-monastic peoples.

The practice of the mahasiddha was often depicted as taking place in a charnel ground.  This charnel ground is not merely the physical cremation ground; it can also be discovered or revealed in completely terrifying mundane environments where practitioners find themselves desperate and depressed, where conventional worldly aspirations have become devastated by grim reality. This is demonstrated in the sacred biographies of the great siddhas of the Vajrayāna tradition. Tilopa attained realization as a grinder of sesame seeds and a procurer for a prominent prostitute. Sarvabhakṣa was an extremely obese glutton, Gorakṣa was a cowherd in remote climes, Taṅtepa was addicted to gambling, and Kumbharipa was a destitute potter. These circumstances were charnel grounds because they were despised in Indian society and the siddhas were viewed as failures, marginal and defiled.

* * * * * * * * *

We can find a lot of inspiration and blessings in the lives of these mahasiddhas.  They rejected the notion that liberation was only for a chosen few, that your circumstances restricted your practice.  They lived just the opposite, your life was your practice.  The entirety of your lived experience was the basis for your realization.

But mostly they showed that it was possible.  Whatever your situation, lifestyle or profession; liberation was in the palm of your hand.  

For Rent: Artist's Studio

Do you need more space in your life to perform your art?

Every artist needs a space to work.  A space for bringing intentions to life, working out problems and exploring new possibilities. 

For the bodhisattva, that space is their meditation seat.  Their meditation practice is their laboratory, their seat to explore the mind and train in removing habitual tendencies, negative emotions and obscurations to omniscience.  

This royal seat creates openness and flexibility in the mind.  It engenders an unbiased and uncontrived platform upon which their creative display can manifest itself as loving kindness, compassion and generosity.  

Here are the keys to developing your own space:

1. Set aside a time of day that you want to meditate.  For most people this is going to be either first thing in the morning or before bed.  I have tried both times and for me usually the evenings work better because I often succumb to snoozing my alarm. 

2. Start small.  Meditate for 5 minutes a day.  Start with opening prayers or a motivational quote.  When you have been meditating for five minutes a day you will notice a natural momentum building that keeps you on the seat longer and longer.  No rush, just take the time to sit mindfully each day.  

3. Watch your breath.  Breathe naturally.  Just watch the inhale and exhale of the breath.  Be mindful as you inhale and exhale.  Don't expect anything, don't judge.  The meditation is simply to be aware of the breath and always come back to the breath when you realize you are distracted.  

4. Dedicate your practice.  Don't be the sole benefactor.   Dedicating your practice removes the boundaries to your meditation seat and allows the practice to ripen throughout your daily life.  This is where we plant the seeds of generosity, compassion and kindness, and with dedication those seeds ripen in unimaginable ways.