Must you make plenty of effort in your meditation observe?
Or is that counterproductive in a observe that’s actually all about letting go?
It’s a fantastic query.
And the reply isn’t so apparent. However in case you’re critical about making progress on the trail of meditation, it’s a query you possibly can’t ignore.
Why?
Since you want each. Typically we have to make ALOT of effort. At different instances, we have to ease on again…approach again.
So how have you learnt when to make effort or to ease up? And what sort of effort are we speaking about anyhow?
Let me begin by telling you a narrative based mostly on the expertise of a seeker I as soon as knew.
The Seeker’s Story
As soon as there was a younger man. He did tons of meditation retreats. He studied with plenty of academics. He was on a one-pointed mission to get enlightened.
He spent hours and hours working towards within the hallowed halls of Vipassana facilities doing 10-day silent retreat after 10-day silent retreat. He visited with many so-called enlightened masters.
After a number of years of one-pointed dedication, he was feeling just a little worn out. All of the power and energy he was making didn’t appear to be transferring him nearer to his purpose.
Then in the future, an previous pal known as him and mentioned, “Hey, come meet me at this place in India, there’s a very wonderful trainer. I feel she’s the actual factor.”
So the younger man met his pal and shortly discovered himself on the toes of the trainer. And he requested the venerable Ma, “What sort of effort do I must make to be free?”
The wizened lady mentioned quietly, “You don’t should make any effort to be free.”
At that second, one thing gave approach, and the younger man discovered what he’d been trying to find.
In fact, all his looking for and energy had turn into an impediment to his personal realization.
Sure, it had introduced him to the toes of the trainer. And sure, all that sustained work had little doubt collected and ripened.
Nevertheless it was clear that making extra effort was not the reply.
The Coarse Thoughts & The Refined Thoughts
Now, I’m not saying that you just and I don’t must make an effort to observe our meditation directions. However I’m saying that the way you body these directions and the way you maintain them in your physique and thoughts is the whole lot.
I as soon as studied with a trainer of Tibetan Buddhism and Mahamudra. In the course of the preliminary steps within the meditation observe, we needed to make nice effort.
“Improve the depth” he would say, referring to the concentrate on our meditation object, the breath. “Maintain making effort till you possibly can keep on the breath with out getting distracted.”
This was known as Shut Staying.
And the purpose was to make use of that elevated depth to focus our consideration on the breath with out dropping focus.
However then, at a sure level, when your consideration was reliably near the breath and staying for like 80-100% of the time, he would say, “Ease up!”
That’s proper.
Like going by the wanting glass, the directions turned 180 levels, and he gave the alternative injunction.
At this second within the observe, ahead progress was achieved by much less effort.
Our trainer described it this fashion. At first, our consideration is coarse or gross. So we have to apply extra effort.
However then, by cautious and sustained concentrate on our meditation object, our consideration turns into very refined. And when that occurs, extra effort is counterproductive.
The truth is, at this stage within the observe, extra effort is detrimental. Much less effort, a feather mild contact, easing up, and enjoyable. That’s what propels you ahead.
Superb…
Meditation Is Not One thing You Can Do
I really like this quote from one other Tibetan Buddhist trainer. I feel it speaks to this line we’re exploring between effort and no effort. He says:
There’s a revealing Tibetan saying: “Gompa ma yin, kompa yin,” which suggests actually: “Meditation will not be; getting used to is.”
It signifies that meditation is nothing apart from getting used to the observe of meditation. As it’s mentioned: “Meditation will not be striving, however naturally changing into assimilated into it.” As you proceed to observe the strategy, then meditation slowly arises. Meditation will not be one thing that you would be able to “do”; it’s one thing that has to occur spontaneously, solely when you may have perfected the observe.”
There’s a level in meditation, and you might know this from your individual expertise, when the meditation simply begins occurring by itself.
At that time, it’s automated and self-arising.
The truth is, no effort in any respect is precisely what’s required. Our job in these moments is to easily relaxation in that good center place. Not too tight, not too free. We simply must get out of the best way and let it circulate.
