When practising meditation our first experiences of a mind free of all agitation or dullness are usually all too brief. A fleeting glimpse, like catching sight of a rare fish beneath the surface of a river – unmistakable but elusive. For a few precious moments we may enjoy the peaceful spaciousness of mind, perhaps begin to settle into the profound well-being that comes from being unburdened of conceptuality. Then the next thought arises and – yadda, yadda, yadda – the pristine nature of mind is once again obscured.