Applying yourself to paying attention to a few things – one, two or three things – over and over and over again, to build the stability of mind. This is very important.
Some of us naturally have this stability; so, when I talk about being aware and all, they can do it instantly. But some of us don’t have that.
When we don’t have that, we find that our awareness comes and goes, here, there, here, there, and then our defilements come in.
We don’t feel confident and we think our practice is neither here nor there, and we don’t want to practice anymore because we don’t have the stability, the roundedness of mind to give it that strength of being in charge of everything. You have to build that.
We can’t do vipassana practice – being aware of anything – without that roundedness.