Inspired by Ajahn Achalo 3000 hours of meditation. I started to count the hours of meditation:). Well, it’s not the quantity that matters, it’s the quality.
In this 100 hours of meditation, effort had been made to bring the mind to the present moment. There were days when meditation were unpleasant and other days, pleasant and unexpected.
At first, I was always expecting something and eventually, I do not even bother about the result but to enjoy the present moment. I spent an average of 45mins meditating. Now I started to do walking chanting meditation as well. One day I may replace breathing meditation with chanting meditation.
My mind settled quite quickly with Amitabha chanting. It often gets brighter as well. However easy it may sound, the right concentration is still important. Nobody would believe my experiences in some of the meditation. Therefore I shall not share.
I have heard a lay teacher saying that if we chant the word “chair”, we would go to heaven as well because our mind is pure while chanting. Perhaps one should practise Amitabha chanting and compare with chair chanting and see how the outcome is before giving comments in the public. To me, it simply proves her foolish.
I was skeptical when I learn about the Pureland teachings as well but as I open my heart and give it a try and chanted earnestly and sincerely, things happened! Best if you can realise it yourself. And of course, like Ajahn Brahm says, there is no short cut. We have to keep our precepts, know what the ten unwholesome actions is all about, practise the six paramita, eightfold path… yes, we still must get the basics right.
It is going to take many many years for me to reach 3000 hours of meditation and that is not going to be my target for now. Let’s say I start at 500 hours. Till then…
Cats who teach me to fly... 
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