The gentle art of meditation

In today’s Daily Meditation the master gives some advice on how to succeed at meditation by being gentle and diplomatic with our thoughts. It relates to the passage I posted a few days ago on why he recommends meditation as a spiritual practice:

Meditation is a difficult exercise, as it requires great control over our thoughts. But thought is rebellious; it tends to go free and wander, and if you try to stop it abruptly your brain will seize up. As the brain is such a sensitive instrument, you have to start it up very gently, just as you warm up the engine in a car for a few moments before moving off.
So, when you want to meditate, do not try to control your thoughts straight away. They will rebel and rear up, and you will gain nothing from them. Begin by getting yourself into a peaceful, harmonious state of mind; then slowly and gently lead your thoughts in the direction you want them to go. After a while they will be at your disposal and will obey you. You have to be very clever and very diplomatic with your thoughts. When you have learned to control them, you will even be astonished how tame they are: without any further intervention from you, they will carry on all day in the direction you sent them.

Omraam Mikhael Aivanhov