“Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.”
– Marcus Aurelius
 
Kabir – The couplet
सुमिरन थोर ही भला, जो करी जाने कोई ।
सूत न लागि बनवानी, सहज सेवा सुख होइ||

Transliterated:
Sumiran Thor Hi Bhala, Jo Kari Jane Koi |
Soot Na Lagi Banwani, Sahaj Sava Sukh Hoi ||

Translation:
Meditation, done right, for even a short while, is good when done with focus |
As thread woven right results in good cloth, even if slowly, so this breath focused in meditation weave a satisfied life||

My understanding:

When we first begin meditation, the one immediate block we come up against is distraction. The object of meditation keeps drifting out of focus, and it progressively seems to drift farther away after each attempt to refocus.

What is very important here is that once we notice we have lost focus, we need to **very gently** bring our attention back into focus again. It is important to be gentle – a harsh pull inevitably results in a complete loss of attention, or worse, scattered attention on a multitude of objects.

Think of a weaving machine. Worked gently, it slowly but surely produces soft fiber and weaves that into fabric. Frantic spinning generally results in frayed threads and destroyed raw material.

Gentle moves always result in an amiable easing into the desired direction. This is always good advice – slow it down, take it one step at a time, and rest when tired or overwhelmed. But return back to the object each time with refreshed body and renewed energy. Worked at properly, even a tiny ant will eventually dislodge the largest of boulders.

One step at a time, and we will slowly emerge into the glow of the true inner self.