Ten Points of Meditation
"At 1 [on the computer keyboard], you may see ! and think of it as a riding crop, spurring on your spirit: Awaken! Do it! Now! This moment!
"At 2, you may see the @ symbol and contemplate where you're "at" in this moment: physically in relation to your machine, your environment, and the constellation of the universe; mentally in the clarity or confusion of your mind; spiritually on your path of growth. Or you may see yourself inside a circle — at the center of the cosmos, with all the heavens surrounding you as though you were a babe in the womb.
"At 3, you may see the # sign and think of your place among the infinite multitudes in the universe, from every grain of sand to every star in the sky. Or you may view the # sign as a crossroads, knowing you choose your own path and live with your decisions every day. Or you may picture a tic-tac-toe board and think of all the moves that have brought you to this point in life, realizing that the only opponent you'll ever face lies within.
"At 4, you may contemplate the $ sign and think hard about your feelings toward money. How important is it to you? What role does it play in your life? How much do you need? How much do you give? Are you thankful for what you have?
"Imagine that penny in your pocket, with its date, 1959. How many hands has it passed through? What has it bought, provided? Where was it lost, and found, along the way? How far has it traveled to reach you? That one coin connects you to all that has gone before, and all that is to come. Whom will it go to next? What will it buy?
"At 5, you may meditate on the % sign and ask yourself, am I giving 100 percent? You may also think of the indivisibility of the universe — that from beginning to end, there are no percentages. All is zero over zero.
"At 6, you may gaze upon the ^ symbol and think of the roof over your head that shelters you from storm. Or maybe you see an arrow pointing upward, showing the way for your spirit. Or you may see a mountain: Imagine yourself as large as Mt. Fuji, sitting in your chair, serene and immovable. Consider how you endeavor to climb the spiritual mountain, choosing your own path step by step, upward toward the sky.
"At 7, you may regard the "&" symbol and dwell on all the things that link us — you and I and she and he and water and soil and heaven and earth, going back through time and generations. There is never an end to "and"; it leads infinitely to the Great Void. Or you may look upon "&" as a pictogram of someone sitting, back to a mountain, contemplating star and moon, inhaling the whole of the night, exhaling the sky.
"At 8, you may view the * sign and think of that star shining down from far away, sharing a relationship with you in this gigantic universe. What do you wish upon when you see it? You may also regard the * as a footnote, reminding you to empty your cup and return to the beginner's mind.
"At 9, you may contemplate the ( symbol and think of opening something new in life, starting now with your beginner's mind. Or you may envision a crescent moon ending its cycle, reflecting on the passage of time, the cycle of the seasons, and the cycle of life and death.
"At 0, you may see the ) symbol and think of closure, making peace with yourself or letting go of something that was never yours to hold. Or you may think of the moon beginning its cycle again, reflecting on the signs of rebirth inherent in all of nature.
"Every time you turn on the computer, take ten deep breaths and consider these Ten Points of Meditation. When you sit down at your machine in the morning, breathe. When your computer crashes and you have to restart, breathe. At every moment, breathe and give thanks for the air. For what is your life but this very breath?"
