Meditation is so very different now when, while maintaining focus on the breath in the body, I also hold in mind the teachings of the Buddha: 4 Noble Truths, 3 Marks of Existence, 5 Hindrances, 7 Factors of Awakening.
No, not mentally repeating them, just knowing them by heart.
When I sit, I simply remember that:
- No pleasant thought will ever bring me fulfilment.
- No unpleasant thought will ever last.
Meditation is so different now from what it was in the past: just maintaining focus and almost mechanically bringing my attention back to the breathing whenever my mind went astray.
The joy of meditation is like falling and missing the earth.