...There are five experiences that meditators have. The first experience is called “like a waterfall”. Alot of people get frustrated with meditation because they sit down and meditate and they can’t stop thinking.. and they get frustrated by this and they say “Oh I can’t meditate, all I do is think. I can’t concentrate.” This is actually good. What we do is we never pay attention to our mind.. so when you sit down of course your mind is going to be rushing like a waterfall from a mountain because you never pay attention to your mind before, ever. So of course there is going to be many thoughts. So that’s the first experience – that is a good sign...(Someone asks a question, inaudible) No no... it’s just like your thoughts.. you have so many thoughts that it feels like a waterfall of thoughts. Alot of people kind of freak out at that because they think they’re not meditating because they think that somehow meditation means you’re not thinking. It doesn’t mean that. Meditation means that you’re focusing and concentrating on your mind.. so the first experience you’re going to have is that you’re going to notice all of the thoughts in your mind.
The second experience is called like a rushing mountain stream. What happens is sort of a torrent of thoughts kind of perpetuates and then still very rapid, but it is like a mountain stream because it flows very rapidly but it becomes very narrow.
The third experience is called like a pond. What that means is that itÂ’s like a small pond with small streams coming into it. So your mind starts to become a little calm. But still your thoughts still comes kind of consistently but generally it is more calm.
Then the third (should be fourth) experience is called like a river... what that means is that on the surface your mind is very calm but there is a fairly strong current of thoughts under the surface.
Then the final experience is called like a ocean with waves. That means now your mind is very expansive, and conceptuality kinds of brushes the top of the mind, just like the waves brushes the top of an ocean.
Then there is a sixth experience which is when you are an absolutely perfect meditator which is called an ocean without waves... and then at that point they give the example.. thatÂ’s like when your mind, just like an ocean, is completely flat and calm, reflects the stars from the night sky.. so too your mind is just absolutely placid like a flat ocean and it just reflects phenomena without getting engaged in them in any single way. So that is like the Sixth (Experience) and that is way down the road... right now what weÂ’re dealing with is the first experience and that is like the waterfall.. and I point this out to you so that you wonÂ’t think that youÂ’re not doing the practise correctly. Actually, you are doing the practise correctly if you notice a lot of thoughts. If you donÂ’t notice a lot of thoughts that means you have gone to sleep.. (laughter) And that means probably youÂ’re not doing the practise at all...
~ Dharma Talk
"Healing, Liberation and Awakening" by Loppön Malcolm Smith.