The whole point of meditation is not to follow the path laid down by thought
to what it considers to be truth, enlightenment or reality. There is no path
to truth.
The following of any path leads to what thought has already formulated and,
however pleasant or satisfying, it is not truth.
It is a fallacy to think that a system in daily life for a few given
moments,
or the repetition of it during the day, will bring about clarity or
understanding.
(Krishnamurti)
Meditation
The word 'meditation' is widely used to mean a variety of things.
Many people imagine that meditation means sitting in a
crossed-legged position and listening to your breath.
Such practices or methods are not meditation.
They serve to encourage meditation.
Meditation is not a method or exercise; rather, it is the condition of
presence.
It is important not to mistake the
menu for the food.
Immediacy
Tai chi
encourages a condition of meditation because tai chi exercise involves total immersion
in what is happening.
This means no
dreaming of the future or worrying about
the past.
No conscious
thought at all.
We do not chant or count or use any real
method to
accomplish a state of meditation.
Being body-centred and aware of what is going on around you is enough to begin with.
The difficulty involved with learning tai chi should be sufficient to keep
your
mind where it needs to be.
You must be completely
present.
Presence
Presence can never be
forced.
You learn to become more aware of your own body.
Solo work makes you more conscious of what is
actually happening rather than
what you
think is happening.
The two are often quite different.
People usually have a very poor sense of their own body.
This is remedied by becoming more familiar with it. How it moves. What feels
comfortable.
Partner work offers a whole new
arena for awareness.
One-to-one work and group work challenges you to be here in the
moment.
At first people struggle.
They
seek to notice all the individual
details, like a juggler trying to keep
several balls in the air.
Then later they
let go and relax. They stop
trying.
Their awareness expands and they
see rather than look.
Zen mind
Tao
and zen are concerned with attaining a state of inner stillness
and
harmony with all things.
To accomplish this, your sense of self must
fade.
You must be so immersed in living that self-consciousness
vanishes.
Everything is happening
It is important to note that we are not talking about
concentration.
Concentration can involve exclusion.
What we want is the opposite of this.
Instead of being in our minds, or focussing upon one solitary thing, we want
to be present and aware of the entire moment.
We live in the immediate moment and this is where
our mind must be.
If you are
washing dishes then you are not simply washing dishes.
The noises outside, our thoughts, the sensory feedback we
feel - these are all part of the moment - all occurring spontaneously, at
the same time.
This is where we are, and it is here that we need to be. Not
breathing in a
special way. Or chanting.
In
self defence, this state of mind is
absolutely critical if you hope to evade a hostile situation.
Fixity is blindness
Some people tell you to fix your attention on one thing and keep it there.
This is not good.
The human organism is all about rhythm and cycles. Attention comes in waves.
Sustained concentration is not natural or healthy. It is forced and causes
strain. This is not the way.
Instead, we aim for the condition of meditation - an undivided
awareness of the
moment, the here and now. This.
Everything around you and within you is part of the moment.
If you fix your attention on one thing at the exclusion of all else, this is not
mindfulness, it is blindness.
Concentration seeks to block out the wholeness of what is.
No mind
Meditation is the condition of awareness, not a method or a conclusion.
It is the act of removing any barrier between the thought and the act.
When we lose our
conscious thoughts, our stress and worries will go with
them.
Stillness and
quietude will take their place.
Stop doing
You do not need to look, listen or reach out of yourself to experience the
moment.
The information comes to your body unbidden. You see, hear and feel
automatically. Involuntarily.
It is not necessary to do anything. Instead you need to stop doing.
Doing is led by the mind, whereas awareness is passive.
This condition of absolute presence will emerge without effort if you allow your
mind to stop seeking,
forcing and straining.
Just be.
Let your awareness grow. Notice things. Be curious. Be
alive. Be alert.
Let-go.
Page created 4 September 2001