Why we should meditate until the end?
Imagine that a person is like a tree. Just as trees vary in species and shape depending on their environment and conditions, people too, are shaped by their surroundings.
A tree rooted in the ground faces rain, wind, lightning, and snow. It may be struck by lightning and burned. Have its branches broken by heavy snow, or become weighed down by ice until its branches bend or break.
Sometimes, its roots freeze entirely, causing the tree to die.
If we think of the tree as the human body, then the experiences the tree endures in its environment are like the struggles of the human mind.
People turn to meditation because they want to escape their burdens, thoughts, and emotions.
Here's the key point: imagine a tree standing alone, frozen solid in the cold. The process of meditation begins by gently warming the tree, and slowly melting the ice that is built up on it.
As the ice melts, the tree feels lighter. Simply, when people start meditating, they gradually feel a sense of relief as their heavy thoughts and emotions begin to ease.
In the beginning, even clearing a small amount of ice from a branch makes the tree lighter. Likewise, letting go of even one small burden from the mind brings comfort to a person.
Over time, with patience, people slowly shed the layers of accumulated emotions and thoughts.
However, even if the ice covering the tree completely melted, the tree is still vulnerable to future snow, rain, wind, or lightning.
So, is there a way for the tree to avoid these challenges altogether? Yes, there is. This is the way meditation must be pursued to the end.
If a person stops meditating as soon as they feel a bit lighter and more comfortable, their burdens will quickly return.
The ultimate goal of meditation is to transcend even the belief that one's body exists. When a person reaches this stage, they become free from the burdens of the body and mind.
In this state, no matter what environment or conditions arise, nothing can weigh down their mind.
The conditions of the material world become like passing clouds - temporary and fleeting.
This is true freedom, true liberation. This is the final stage of meditation, where one moves from being an incomplete person to a complete one.
Feeling relief in the mind is only the beginning of meditation. The true end of meditation is to completely discard all human thoughts that caused you to lose your true self.
Only then can you achieve unchanging peace and the ultimate freedom.
Reference: Naperville Meditation Hub
