The sound of rain on the roof is one of my favorite things to meditate to.
As Alan Watts points out, ‘the easiest way to get into the meditative state is to simply, just listen.’
I’ve also heard Shinzen Young talk about this.
But why? Other than the obvious reason that rain is soothing, why do various ‘masters’ of spirituality recommend listening to it? Why, or how, does it work?
My take on it is:
Rain simply is.
There is no ‘effort’ put into it.
Of course I don’t have direct proof of this, but I’m fairly certain that no one is up in the clouds actively trying to make it rain.
It’s a natural happening of our environment.
It’s completely unpredictable and varied … yet at the same time, also completely predictable and constant.
The same is true for your own thoughts.
Your thoughts will always come and go.
I can’t tell you how strongly or how often, but I can promise you that they will come, and go.
We cannot attach to the rain; we cannot hold it; we cannot make it stay longer or go away faster.
If we can remember to take the same approach with our own thoughts, then, we get into the flow that nature intended … the state of meditation, calm, and serenity.
The Healthy Path 