A: Definitely.
Q: Will I ever reach the stage when I don't have to meditate any more?
A: No. But after you've been meditating for some time, you won't want to stop. You will look forward to and enjoy it for its own sake. The time will come though, when you'll be able to reach the Calm State with very little effort. You will almost be able to reach that state at will. But that's something you have to look forward to.
How to Stay Calm
'When a man can still his senses
I call him illuminated.'
Sri Krsna
Now you should be ready to apply the Calm Technique. In the early stages, your greatest obstacle is simply expecting too much. I know you've read a whole book on the subject, but the Calm Technique is subtle and far from 'exciting' as far as experiences go. Don't expect to be riveted by your Calm Expression from the beginning. It will probably be several years before you will be able to spend a full twenty minutes with nothing but the Calm Expression in your consciousness. The reason why the Calm Technique is such a successful builder of character and appreciation is a direct result of your not being able to maintain your Calm Expression for extended periods in your consciousness. The struggle is what's important, not the result. The Calm Technique will be a success if you work hard and conscientiously at it, not just because you become proficient at it.
I urge you to persist with it for at least a couple of months. After that time, I feel absolutely confident you will be as excited about its potential as I am. The biggest hurdle students usually face is after nine to twelve months. This is the time when you begin to grow blase about what it's doing for you; the improvements aren't as obvious as they were in the beginning. If you let the Calm Technique lapse around this time, it will probably be a few weeks, or even months, before you fully appreciate what you have given up. Then you'll have to start all over again.
That is why it is so important that you learn to appreciate the Calm Technique as something to enjoy in its own right. Learn to appreciate it for what it is rather than what it can do for you. Treasure each time you do it purely for the joy of 'being'. See it as a rare moment of peace and harmony in your day.
In time, the Calm Technique will teach you to recognize your own Calm Centre - that place within you where you will always find a few moments of true peace, regardless of what's going on around you. When you are familiar with your Calm Centre, you will always have a base, you will cease to have regrets abour the past and concerns for the future, you will know the joy of living each moment to the fullest.
When you have been meditating for some time, new directions will reveal themselves to you. I have no idea what they might turn out to be, but you can investigate them in the knowledge that your intuition, your real self, will be more at the fore than it has ever been before.
I have cautioned you about intellectual and spiritual promiscuity. Changing from technique to technique, or guru to guru, is just another way of distracting yourself and diverting your attention from its real path. Certainly feel free to broaden your knowledge and appreciation as far as it is possible. But endeavour to build on each experience rather than to seek new ones each time you grow bored. The Calm Technique is an ideal base on which to build.
Use the Calm Technique faithfully and it will be a positive influence in your life. Embrace it and you will have increased health, happiness and harmony in everything you do. Depend on it and you will enjoy a true sense of calm in this troubled old world.
-- This excerpt was taken from The Calm Technique by Paul Wilson
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