Meditation Is Not What You Think

1. Meditation is a Way of Being, Not Just a Technique

Meditation is a way of being, not a technique.

Beyond mere technique. While meditation involves methods and practices, its essence lies in cultivating a particular way of being in relationship to the present moment and one's own experience. Focusing solely on techniques risks getting lost in trying to achieve a special state or result, missing the profound richness of simply dropping into being.

Not just relaxation. Meditation is often accompanied by relaxation and well-being, but it is not the same thing. Mindfulness embraces any mind state—pain, boredom, joy, anxiety—as a valid object of attention, offering opportunities for insight and learning, rather than seeing unpleasant states as signs of failure. It's about being appropriately in tune with circumstances, free from the agenda of the preoccupied mind.

An inward gesture. Meditation is an inclination of the heart and mind towards full-spectrum awareness of the present moment, accepting whatever is happening simply because it is already happening. This radical acceptance, even of discomfort or resistance, is the core work, allowing us to rest in awareness itself, which is inherently spacious and free.

2. Mindfulness is Moment-to-Moment Awareness

My operational definition of mindfulness is that it is “the awareness that arises from paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally.”

Simple yet profound. Mindfulness is the innate human capacity to know what is actually happening as it is happening. It's moment-to-moment, non-judgmental awareness, cultivated by paying attention in a specific way: intentionally, in the present, and without getting caught in liking, disliking, or evaluating.

A mirror reflecting. Mindfulness is like a mirror that clearly reflects what comes before it without interference. It discerns the nature of experience—the breath, a thought, a feeling—as it arises, lingers, and passes away. This quality of knowing is the core property of mind itself, strengthened by sustained attention.

Wakefulness itself. Ultimately, mindfulness is synonymous with wakefulness, pure and simple. It is open-hearted presence, the direct, non-conceptual knowing of experience. While it can be refined through systematic practice, its essence is universal, inherent in the human capacity for sentience and knowing, transcending any particular tradition or belief system.

3. Attention is Fundamental to Health and Well-being

Attention and intention. Two hundred people present in mindful silence, unmoving, with no agenda other than to be present is a staggering manifestation of human goodness in its own right.

The power of attending. Paying attention is not a passive act; it is a vital force that shapes our experience and well-being. When we fail to attend to the subtle signals from our bodies and minds, we risk disconnection, disregulation, disorder, and ultimately, dis-ease.

From dis-attention to dis-ease. The path from ignoring signals to suffering can be seen as a cascade:

• Dis-attention -> Dis-connection (atrophying pathways)
• Dis-connection -> Dis-regulation (loss of balance)
• Dis-regulation -> Dis-order (breakdown of processes)
• Dis-order -> Dis-ease (manifestation of suffering)

Attention restores ease. Conversely, wise attention, nourished by intention, reestablishes connection, leading to greater regulation, dynamic order, and a state of ease or health. This applies not only to physical ailments but also to psychological and social well-being, fostering clarity, insight, and compassion.

4. Our Culture Suffers from Pervasive Attention Deficit

The relentless acceleration of our way of life over the past few generations has made focusing in on anything at all something of a lost art.

Driven to distraction. In the modern era, particularly with the advent of the digital revolution and 24/7 connectivity, our ability to sustain attention is constantly challenged. We are bombarded by information, demands, and endless options, fostering a state of "continual partial attention."

Loss of presence. This constant external pull risks disconnecting us from our own interiority and the present moment. We can be physically present but mentally absent, losing touch with our bodies, feelings, and the analog world of nature.

• Cell phones everywhere: Are we ever truly there?
• Multitasking myth: Performance degrades across all tasks.
• Work expands: Boundaries between work/life dissolve.

A societal dis-ease. The rise of diagnosed A.D.D./A.D.H.D. in children may reflect not just individual pathology, but a broader societal dis-ease rooted in adult distraction, overwhelm, and a deficit of authentic, undistracted presence in families and communities. Cultivating attention may be a lifeline back to meaningful living.

5. Presence is a Radical Act of Love and a Path to Freedom

It is indeed a radical act of love just to sit down and be quiet for a time by yourself.

Taking a stand by sitting. In a world driven by doing, speed, and distraction, intentionally stopping and simply being present is a profound act. It is an inward gesture of benevolence and kindness towards ourselves, affirming our inherent worthiness and the possibility of waking up to our lives as they are.

Beyond the story of me. Resting in presence allows us to drop beneath the incessant chatter of the thinking mind and the "story of me." In moments of pure wakefulness, we transcend our self-absorption and reside in the direct knowing of what is, accessing a sense of peace and wholeness that is always available.

Freedom from reactivity. By cultivating presence, we become more aware of our habitual reactions—anger, fear, desire—as they arise. This awareness, without judgment or suppression, loosens their grip, offering freedom from being swept away by them. The cage of automatic reaction is seen to be already open.

6. Awareness Itself is Boundless and Non-Judgmental

Have you ever noticed that your awareness of pain is not in pain even when you are?

Beyond subject and object. A remarkable property of awareness is that, when we rest in it, it has no center or periphery, much like space. While our conventional perception is centered on the self ("my" awareness, "I" am watching), deeper experience reveals knowing without a knower, seeing without a seer.

Empathy and perspective. This boundaryless quality is hinted at in experiences like empathy, where we momentarily suspend our own perspective to feel with another. Self-preoccupation, however, blinds us to this expansive potential, trapping us in a limited, self-centered view.

Knowing without concept. Awareness is non-conceptual before thought divides experience. It is empty, yet can contain everything, including thought. This "mind essence" or sentience is the fundamental knowing quality, which, when stabilized through practice, reveals new dimensions of possibility beyond our conceptual grasp.

7. Suffering (Dukkha) is Universal but Workable

The first Noble Truth of the Buddha’s teachings is the centrality, universality, and unavoidability of dukkha, the innate suffering of dis-ease that invariably, in subtle or not-subtle-at-all ways, colors and conditions the deep structure of our very lives.

The human condition. Dukkha, often translated as suffering, stress, or unsatisfactoriness, is a fundamental aspect of human existence. It stems from our unfulfilled desires, the inevitability of change and loss ("fastened to a dying animal"), and our ignorance of our true nature.

Rooted in clinging. The Buddha identified the cause of dukkha as attachment, clinging, and unexamined desire. We suffer because we grasp at what is impermanent and resist what is unavoidable, creating anguish through our relationship to experience rather than the experience itself.

Liberation is possible. The good news is that cessation of dukkha is possible. Mindfulness is presented as the "direct path" to surmounting sorrow and grief by recognizing dukkha when it appears and knowing its nature intimately. This involves turning towards suffering with awareness and acceptance, making it workable and a potential teacher.

8. Ethics and Non-Harming are the Foundation of Practice

The foundation for mindfulness practice, for all meditative inquiry and exploration, lies in ethics and morality, and above all, in the motivation of non-harming.

Grounding the practice. You cannot cultivate inner stillness, clarity, or compassion if your actions are constantly creating agitation and causing harm, both to yourself and others. Ethical conduct is not just a moral imperative but a practical necessity for stabilizing the mind.

Karma and consequence. The principle of karma highlights how our actions, driven by motivation and intention, have inevitable consequences. Unwholesome actions (greed, hatred, delusion) cloud the mind and perpetuate suffering, while wholesome actions (generosity, kindness, compassion) foster well-being and clarity.

Living the ethics. Ethics are embodied through moment-to-moment choices, not just abstract principles. Mindfulness helps us become aware of our motivations and the downstream effects of our thoughts, words, and deeds, allowing us to shift from destructive habits to more nurturing ones. This commitment to an ethical life prepares the ground for deep transformation.

9. Emptiness is Not Nothingness, But Freedom from Clinging

Form does not differ from emptiness, emptiness does not differ from form.

Empty of inherent self. The concept of emptiness (sunyata) in Buddhism is not nihilistic; it means that nothing—no person, object, or phenomenon—exists as a fixed, independent, enduring entity. Everything is interconnected and constantly changing, like a whirlpool in a river or a business process.

The illusion of self. Our habit of reifying the personal pronoun ("I," "me," "mine") into a solid, separate self is a fundamental mis-taking of reality. This clinging to a limited "story of me" is seen as the root of suffering and delusion, preventing us from realizing the boundless nature of our being.

Beyond thinking. Emptiness is not a concept to be grasped intellectually but a reality to be experienced. When we look deeply with awareness, we see that our experience—seeing, hearing, thinking, feeling—is impersonal process, emergent phenomena arising from complex interactions, empty of a fixed, enduring self, yet full of dynamic potential.

10. The Journey is the Destination: Practice is Realization

What is found now is found then.

Already here. From a fundamental perspective, everything we seek—peace, clarity, freedom—is already here, inherent in our nature. Meditation is not about getting somewhere else or attaining something we lack, but about realizing and embodying what we already are.

Effort and non-effort. This creates a paradox: practice requires effort to counter our strong habits of mindlessness and distraction, yet ultimately, it is a process of non-doing, of letting go and resting in awareness. The scaffolding of instructions and methods is necessary to guide us, but must eventually be transcended to directly experience the wordless essence.

Moment by moment. The "destination" is always the present moment. By returning to awareness over and over again, we make each moment notable and alive, slowing down the felt sense of time and revealing the timeless quality of the now. This lifelong adventure of waking up is its own reward, transforming our relationship to life as it unfolds.

Last updated: May 15, 2025