Meditation
I’ve decided to write a little explanation of meditation based on my meager knowledge that I have gleaned from Buddhist literature and Shambhala meditation training weekend I attended some time ago. Although questions on the specifics of meditation are many, I find that the two most common first questions about meditation are the following: First, what is the purpose of meditation? And second, how does one meditate?

Upon consulting literature with the intention of discovering the purpose of meditation, one is likely to find a number of different explanations. Some sources say that meditation is for relaxation; others say that it’s primarily useful in gaining control of one’s own mind. There are even those who, due to a smattering of eclectic eastern beliefs distorted through a web of misinterpretation and obfuscation, insist that meditation can give one fantastic powers if practiced correctly. However, the most interesting and perplexing position on the purpose of meditation is the simplest as well. It is the stance held by those who declare that meditation has no purpose at all.

Now, upon hearing the last suggesting, no doubt some readers will suspiciously note that the answer appears, on the face of it, to be nihilistic, obscurant in nature, or just plain silly. I belief, however, that this answer comes closest to the truth as well as being more practical. The reason is this--meditation is most effective if one does not have any specific goal to reach or purpose to fulfill by doing so. Now, the observant reader may argue that the term “effective” presupposes some sort of unmentioned goal, one that is only attained when the lesser goals of relaxation or self-control are abandoned. This criticism is not unwarranted, but only half true. Relaxation and self-control must be admitted to be benefits of meditation, but they are not goals of meditation per se. If meditation had a relaxation as a goal, then one would have failed at meditation if one did not feel sufficiently relaxed while practicing it—and I assure you that this is not the case. One does not fail or succeed at meditation. Perhaps an analogy will help illustrate what I’m getting at—one does not really succeed or fail at walking as long as one does it, although one might not reach the place he or she intended. To fail at meditation would be to not sit down and meditate.

A denial of goal oriented meditation is also an answer undertaken from a much more pragmatic standpoint than I belief is often realized. Although meditation is not goal oriented, it is still a practice, and one that is primarily mental in nature, since physical posture is a relatively simple matter, which I will later address. To meditate is to simply be where you are, without anything particular in mind. If you have a specific purpose in mind, this mental aspect of meditation will be non-existent. Instead of passively being, you will be constantly monitoring yourself, checking your progress toward your goal. This is, of course, self-defeating with respect to those purposes—excessive worry or introspection does nothing to further the goals of relaxation or self-control. The quickest way to commence meditation is, then, is to abandon the superfluous processes of mind-policing by firmly reminding yourself that one cannot fail at meditation, and thus needn’t worry about it.

How does one meditate? If one consults literature on meditation, one is likely to find a different method in every book. Many books are very insistent that their particular meditation posture is the correct. Often the reason for this insistence is tradition. If you are consulting a religious source, they may be part of a sect that has been meditating in a specific way in their temple for who knows how many hundreds of years. I assure you, however, that it is best to simply pick a method that sounds right to you, and stick with it.

There are a few common elements that are almost universal in the various meditation postures. First of all, one should be sitting for sitting meditation, although you may walk for walking meditation, eat for eating meditation, and so forth. Although any posture is bound to make you feel a bit stiff the first few times, an acceptable posture should include sitting in a natural and reasonably comfortable way with your back strait. All though one usually crosses one’s legs, I must assure you that your meditation will not be the worse off for your having not assumed the full lotus position. Keep your eyes open, or you’ll likely fall asleep. Lastly, keep your face forward, chin tucked slightly in.

Don’t get caught up on sifting through hundreds of methods and worrying over whether your posture is “correct”. People often practice as if they assume that a minute element of their posture, such as the angle at which their head is tilted, is of supreme importance, which it isn’t. Things are done for relatively mundane reasons. You sit because standing is harder and laying down is not hard enough. You cross your legs because it’s uncomfortable and hard to balance while you have your legs stretched straight out in front of you. If religious practitioners are concerned about the specifics of their posture, it is often because they believe that one posture represents the awakened supreme Buddha. However, the most important thing seems to just do it rather than read about it.

I have already mentioned that meditation has no purpose or goal. This does not mean, however, that it has no value. The marvelous thing about meditation is that its value seems to be intrinsic, rather than utilitarian in nature. One can learn a great deal about oneself and one’s world through meditation. As to what those lessons are, that is left for the mediator to discover on one’s own. Just remember that the lessons are benefits, rather than goals to be sought. Really, that’s a lesson in itself.