How do we prepare for a session of Calm Abiding Meditation (called “shamatha” in Sanskrit, or “shinay” in Tibetan)? To help us stay on our meditation seats, we first must contemplate the defects of worldly attachments and delusions and understand the need for freedom. The Four Thoughts that Turn the Mind Toward Liberation and the Four Conditions for Meditation are discussed as a way of preparing ourselves for a session of formal meditation.