Must you make a lot of effort in your meditation follow?
Or is that counterproductive in a follow that’s actually all about letting go?
It’s an ideal query.
And the reply isn’t so apparent. However if you happen to’re critical about making progress on the trail of meditation, it’s a query you may’t ignore.
Why?
Since you want each. Generally we have to make ALOT of effort. At different occasions, we have to ease on again…method 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 a lot of lecturers. He was on a one-pointed mission to get enlightened.
He spent hours and hours training 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 a bit of worn out. All of the vitality and energy he was making didn’t appear to be transferring him nearer to his objective.
Then in the future, an outdated buddy referred to as him and mentioned, “Hey, come meet me at this place in India, there’s a very wonderful trainer. I believe she’s the actual factor.”
So the younger man met his buddy and shortly discovered himself on the toes of the trainer. And he requested the venerable Ma, “What sort of effort do I have to make to be free?”
The wizened lady mentioned quietly, “You don’t need to make any effort to be free.”
At that second, one thing gave method, and the younger man discovered what he’d been trying to find.
In fact, all his in search of and energy had develop 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 accrued and ripened.
But it surely was clear that making extra effort was not the reply.
The Coarse Thoughts & The Delicate Thoughts
Now, I’m not saying that you simply and I don’t have to 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 every thing.
I as soon as studied with a trainer of Tibetan Buddhism and Mahamudra. In the course of the preliminary steps within the meditation follow, we needed to make nice effort.
“Enhance the depth” he would say, referring to the deal with our meditation object, the breath. “Maintain making effort till you may keep on the breath with out getting distracted.”
This was referred to as Shut Staying.
And the objective 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 means of the wanting glass, the directions turned 180 levels, and he gave the alternative injunction.
At this second within the follow, ahead progress was achieved by means of much less effort.
Our trainer described it this fashion. To start with, our consideration is coarse or gross. So we have to apply extra effort.
However then, by means of cautious and sustained deal with our meditation object, our consideration turns into very refined. And when that occurs, extra effort is counterproductive.
In truth, at this stage within the follow, extra effort is detrimental. Much less effort, a feather mild contact, easing up, and stress-free. That’s what propels you ahead.
Wonderful…
Meditation Is Not One thing You Can Do
I like this quote from one other Tibetan Buddhist trainer. I believe 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 implies actually: “Meditation just isn’t; getting used to is.”
It signifies that meditation is nothing aside from getting used to the follow of meditation. As it’s mentioned: “Meditation just isn’t striving, however naturally turning into assimilated into it.” As you proceed to follow the strategy, then meditation slowly arises. Meditation just isn’t one thing that you may “do”; it’s one thing that has to occur spontaneously, solely when you have got perfected the follow.”
There’s a level in meditation, and chances are you’ll know this from your personal expertise, when the meditation simply begins taking place by itself.
At that time, it’s computerized and self-arising.
In truth, no effort in any respect is strictly 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 have to get out of the way in which and let it stream.