Teaching #20: Starting Where You Are
In order to integrate the insights of the Four Noble Truths into your
life … it is necessary to start your journey with humility. You must acknowledge the fact that you do not know how much you'll be able to achieve, or even how well you understand the task at hand. You are at your beginning. You are starting with what you do not know.
Chapter 6, page 60
For your reflection: You can practice “starting where you are” during meditation. When you are sitting on the cushion, notice how your ego mind has expectations about what is supposed to happen when you’re meditating. This hidden demand is a moment of not starting where you are. Just accept your meditation however it is unfolding and stay mindful of it.