Spiritual Refocusing...

Just a short thought tonight...b/c I needed a bit of a reminder to stay focused...I practice New Kadampa Buddhism and lately I haven't been able to get to my meditations as often as I should. I've been trying to read a book for the past 6 months or so but I tend to re-read sections and never get finished w/ it! So tonight I spent some time reading notes from the past few years' classes, just to get a quick refresher.
I go to classes and read books to learn more. But, in all honesty, I never seem to learn anything new! The spiritual practice of meditating and finding inner peace is so basic and should be simplistic. But of course, if it truly was simplistic then we'd all find inner peace, all live in harmony caring about one another, and all be patient and kind to everyone we meet. World peace would be a reality we could all enjoy!
Alas, this is not the case. Instead, we are filled with delusions that cause us to stray from our inner peace and compassion and cause us to see things through our emotional filters. Every note I turned to in my trusty notebook reminded me to take time to meditate and refocus on compassion for others. The notes reminded me to cherish others, removing self-cherishing from my life. I was reminded of the difference between love and attachment (this one is a big struggle for me!). I re-discovered practicing patience. It is amazing how I can read books, I can sit in classes, yet I forget the basics of Buddhism in an instant!

Meditation is amazing. It truly does refocus my mind on cherishing others, learning to let things and people go that I've become attached to, and helps me find that much-needed and enjoyed inner peace.