The attitudes essential to succeed in practice 1. Don’t expect anything. During meditation, first—don’t expect anything. Just like a scientist observing nature, he is not expecting anything, but simply observing it.
Treat the whole practice as an experiment. 2. Don’t strain. Don’t force anything or make exaggerated efforts. Effort is still needed. For example, when you are drowsy, you must wake yourself up—breathe in, use a little strength, or even open your eyes. These are just methods, not attitudes. The attitude is: don’t expect anything. 3. Don’t rush. Settle yourself on the cushion as though you have the whole day. Don’t rush. Just observe. Keep awareness and equanimity. 4. Don’t cling to anything and don’t reject anything. Let come what comes, and accommodate yourself to whatever arises. Don’t fight with your experience—just observe it mindfully. To be mindful means maintaining both equanimity and awareness. 5. Let go. Learn to flow with all changes that appear. Stay natural and relaxed. Let your mind flow with those changes without intentionally trying to alter anything. 6. Accept everything that arises. During meditation, don’t sit there blaming yourself. Don’t be afraid of any thought. For example, if an unwholesome thought appears—just see it. A frightening thought may suddenly arise; don’t be afraid. You have seen it. Recognize it as a delusion, and stay mindful. 7. Be gentle with yourself. Be kind to yourself. Don’t be harsh, but don’t indulge either. Know that you are not perfect. See where you go wrong, and work with yourself to correct it. Cooperate with your body and mind as you improve yourself. 8. Investigate yourself. Question everything. Take nothing for granted. Don’t believe something just because it sounds wise or because a holy person said it. See for yourself. 9. View all problems as challenges. 10. Don’t ponder. Just be mindful and keep awareness. Don’t daydream. Don’t think—just be aware. We say: “Practice with the heart, not with the brain.” This is what it means. 11. Don’t dwell upon contrasts. In meditation, you may compare yourself to others—thinking they sit better than you. But that’s not necessarily true; the methods may differ. Someone may be in deep concentration of a non-Buddhist type, while you may be practicing Vipassana. You may feel you are struggling, but that struggle is your challenge—your purification. He may enter a thoughtless concentration, which is not beneficial. So there is no good or bad. Don’t compare. Stay humble and keep learning. If someone does well, rejoice in them—and learn from them. Rejoicing means following with action; without action, you don’t receive the same merit. Therefore: learn to rejoice, and don’t compare with others.