Meditation to Find Serenity - Clear Mind

I learned a mistake I was making prior to coming to the Providence Zen Center.  I have been meditating for over 11 years...maybe 12.  I believe meditation is for receiving answers from God.  Prior to the last few weeks, I would meditate and look for the answers.  If you're looking, you're mind is not clear.  So now, I understand the purpose of meditation is to keep the mind clear.  No thoughts.  Looking for answers = thinking.  Zen = no thinking. 

So, I have learned that meditating is to clear the mind of everything: no thoughts.  When the mind is completely clear, the answers will come (the receiver is on).  This happened to me this past Wednesday night. I meditated for a total of 2 hours.  I am sure I wasn't clear much of that time, but I was clear for some of it (and I will be more clear as I get better).

During that clarity, brought on by a clear mind, I was able to get an answer.  The answer was "get rid of the noise in your head...both literal and figurative."  Carrying around hate, fear, guilt, self-doubt, etc....this is all noise keeping us from being happy and serene, not allowing us to be compassonate and patient.

Now, you could easily ask "Well, what was the question?"  Essentially, the question was "How can I find true serenity?"  I didn't receive a text book on the subject from God. I got one piece of a puzzle that is unlikely to be finished when I die but, the more we get rid of noise and the closer we get to true serenity, the more happy we will be.  Nirvana shouldn't be the goal just like seeking answers isn't the goal.  Nirvana will come some day when it is time.  Answers will come when you are clear and when it is time.  We have to live in the now.  Now I have to go to the store so, go to the store.  Now, I am going to read so go read.  Now I am going to the gym, so go to the gym and workout.  Now I'm going to work, so go to work and work when you get there.  Now I'm going to meditate, okay, empty your mind. No thoughts or opinions.  Just do it.  If you're going to do anything, do it right and to the best of your ability.  That is Zen. 

Zen is also similar to the show Seinfeld.  It's about nothing!  When I say "nothing," I mean nothing in your mind = clear mind = when you will get your answers.  The more clear your mind, the more serenity you will find.

The more hours the mind is clear, the more serene you will be.  The more you will be able to help others will compassion and patience (and love).  Clear mind really forces one to live in the "now."  That was over-used at one point I think but it is true.  The time we spend having guilt, hate, anger etc. from the past fogs up our heads and is killing us. The time we spend dreading the future, fearing the future etc. makes us anxious and is killing us.  Keeping the mind clear keeps us in the now.  No baggage from the past and no concerns about what the future will bring = serenity.

Clear mind = serenity!