Why is meditation so difficult when sitting still seems simple?

Sitting still is not simple... that is your first illusion. You think the body is sitting still? Maybe. But inside, a circus is happening! A thousand monkeys jumping from branch to branch... thoughts racing, memories bubbling up, plans forming, desires pulling, fears pushing. You are sitting like a volcano... very still on the outside, ready to explode within. The difficulty is not in sitting... the difficulty is in watching this madness without joining it. You have been identified with this inner chaos your whole life. You ARE this chaos. You think you ARE your thoughts, your desires, your memories. Meditation is difficult because it asks you to do something you have never done before... to simply watch, without judgment, without interference, without running away. To watch your thoughts like clouds passing in the sky. Not to fight them... fighting makes them stronger. Not to follow them... following makes them multiply. The body sitting still is easy. Any corpse can do that. But to be alert, awake, aware while sitting still... this is the revolution. This is what makes meditation arduous. And yet... once you get the knack, once you have even one small glimpse... you will laugh! It was always simple. You were just making it complicated.