Meditation doesn't want to be formulaic, consistent and predictable. It's not like cooking a preplanned meal in accordance with specific instructions. It's more like cooking from a pantry that's stocked with varying ingredients, while trying to satisfy dietary requirements that differ daily. The playing field is always shifting. Our needs change, as do the means to meet them – sometimes a little, sometimes a lot.
Developing skill in meditation isn't about learning the correct technique and perfecting its execution. It's developing the sensitivity to clearly observe one's inner world, and honing the instincts to adjust goals and tactics on the fly.
It's an art not a science, and should feel more like exploring, investigating or listening than working. It does require serious dedication, but shouldn't be taken all too seriously, on the cushion. Effort should be applied to clarifying intentions, not to practicing quietude. Meditation should be thought of as an act of surrendering, rather than accomplishing. Although it's commonly a pleasant side effect, we don't meditate to improve ourselves. We meditate to lose our selves.
Kinda hard to do when following directions.
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Thatcher, you say so much in just a few words here, and I thank you. I've never thought of myself as skilled in meditation, although I want to be. Yet, I spend time every day, several times a day, in quiet reflection. It is good to hear I may be on the right path even though I don't have the right technique. I plan to share your thoughts with my Prayer Group.
ReplyDeletePaula