Gary Snyder ’51 begins his essay, Just One Breath: The Practice of Poetry and Meditation (Tricycle, Fall 1991) with a straightforward teaching:
In this world of onrushing events the act of meditation — even just a “one-breath” meditation — straightening the back, clearing the mind for a moment — is a refreshing island in the stream.
What is this “meditation” that even one moment is good? Snyder says,
… it is a simple and plain activity. Attention: deliberate stillness and silence.