A Question
I get anxious whenever I hear the word ‘meditation’. Meditation is one of the deep roots of Dharma. And, it refers to many different practices. And, everyone seems to have their own personal definition of 'meditation'. When I say 'meditation', I have no confidence that the person I'm talking to gets what I mean. Half the time I don’t even get what I mean.
Here’s the question:
Is there a way to understand meditation, that’s simple, that makes complete and perfect sense, and that is an obvious pathway to Emptiness and Bliss?
An Answer
After MUCH reflection, I found one! I discovered an understanding of meditation which is simple, like common sense, and clearly leads to Bliss. My anxiety is cured.
Here’s my answer to that question:
For starters, I’m going to use the phrase ‘concentration on an object’, in place of the word ‘meditation’. ‘Concentration on an object’ is less confusing and more specific. It says what it means.
Sentient beings aren't born ‘concentrating on objects’. But they do dearly love to examine stuff. They might examine something external like a chair, or internal like a feeling. They examine a thing in order to discover it's nature. “That’s food, that’s a foot, that’s my mother…”. It happens ALL the time.
Now, can we transform the very ordinary act of examining things, into that super-powered ‘concentration on objects’ which leads to Bliss and Emptiness? Is that possible? How?
These are the skillful methods Which transform a garden-variety sentient being Who examines everything under the sun Into a faster-then-a-speeding-bullet SUPER-HERO, Racing along the path of 'concentration on objects' Toward Bliss and Emptiness
Keep your attention steady and undistracted, for as long as it takes to carefully and thoroughly examine the thing.
Examine the thing with a sense of curiosity. Try to discover the thing’s nature, but don’t stop with it’s familiar nature (it’s food, it’s a foot, it’s my mother). Maybe there is something deeper to be discovered.
Let go of any previous expectations you have about the thing. Otherwise you’re just going to see what you expect to see.
Let go of any desires, aversions or judgements you have around the thing. If you hate or love it, or you want to possess it or kill it, you’re not going to be able to see it clearly.
Avoid looking for what you are supposed to see, or what you’ve been taught to see. The important question is, ‘What do YOU actually see?’ (This can be tragically difficult for folks who’ve spent decades studying Dharma.)
Examine the thing as if you’re seeing it for the first time, even if you’ve already examined it a million times. (Maybe it’s changed since the last time you looked, or maybe you’ve changed!)
The heart of meditation is not obscure. It’s common sense! It's simple! Concentrate on whatever is in front of your eyeballs Using skillful methods And go tripping off to Pureland.
Simple. All we’re trying to do is glimpse the truth. That’s all.
As concentration skills grow, weird sh*t may happen. That simple recipe of ‘YOU concentrating on an OBJECT’ may get fuzzy. ‘YOU’ may start to shift and fade, and not seem so clearly and definitely YOU. ‘OBJECT’ may also shift and fade. The whole thing may slow down like under water. This means you are subduing your damn delusional mind. Buddha Nature is rising up and introducing itself. BOOM!
Some Notes:
'Shamata' describes the experience of someone very highly skilled at concentration on objects, especially method #1 of maintaining calm steady undistracted attention.
What about analytical meditation? First, I'm trying to keep it simple here. Second, in my experience, the goals of analytical meditation can also be achieved by concentrating on objects. You’re focusing on an object and Wham! Analytical realization.
Practice:
Sit, walk, do housework, stand on your head… Whatever works for you.
Which object? Breath, Buddha painting, paper cup, depression, hum of window fan, foot cramp… Whatever works for you.
Concentrate on: one object, two objects (in-breath out-breath, left foot right foot), successive objects as they come to your attention, all objects at once… Whatever works for you.