You can make of the place where you meditate a simple paradise, with one flower, one stick of incense, one candle, … You can make of the place where you meditate a simple paradise, with your favorite flower, one stick of incense, one lamp, one photograph of an enlightened master, or one statue of a deity or a Buddha.
You can transform the most ordinary of rooms into an intimate sacred space, into an environment where every day you come to the meeting with your true self with all the joy and happy ceremony of one old friend greeting another. “True self” is not false self, not self-consciousness, not self-attachment. Instead, it’s about releasing your self-attachment and touching your true mind joyfully and happily. Don’t wear masks, remove all your masks completely, eradicate your self-attachment — there are many methods to achieve this. And if you find that meditation does not come easily in your city room, be inventive and go out into nature. Nature is always an unfailing fountain of inspiration. To calm your mind, go for a walk at dawn in the park or watch the dew on a rose in a garden. The dewdrops are crystal clear, which might inspire your wisdom instantly. Lie on the ground and gaze up into the sky, and let your mind expand into its spaciousness. For those narrow-minded, you can go to the rooftop and look at the sky. When you are in a low mood, looking at the sky and pondering which star might have aliens may help dispel your vexations. You can imagine: If a UFO were to appear now and take me somewhere for a trip, wouldn’t that be wonderful? Let the sky outside awake a sky inside your mind. Stand by a stream and mingle your mind with its rushing; become one with its ceaseless sound. Sit by a waterfall and let its healing laughter purify your spirit. However, when some people come to the waterfall, they can’t hear laughter, but rather crying. So, it’s determined by your mind. When you are in a good mood, you may perceive it as laughter. Whereas, for some people, it becomes sobbing; when they see the waterfall like tears, they start crying. Walk on a beach and take the sea wind full and sweet against your face. This circumstance can also ignite your inspiration of meditation. As long as you maintain mindfulness and introspection, these states can all inspire your mindfulness. Celebrate and use the beauty of moonlight to poise your mind. Seeing the serene moonlight, your mind will also become serene. Sit by a lake or in a garden and, breathing quietly. All of these can help inspire our spiritual practice.