The Non-Doing of Meditation
by Dr. Frederick Lenz, RamaInsight
“I don’t think anyone knows why they meditate. As a matter of fact, I’m not even sure that we do meditate. All we know is that we don’t know. That’s all that we can be absolutely certain of. Meditation is not a doing. It just is.
Meditation is timeless awareness. You don’t have to do anything to make it happen. You don’t have to rub two sticks together vigorously to create fire. The fire is already burning inside. To become aware of that which is, you simply have to stop.”
Considerations
“When you meditate, it’s important to remember not to think. I would venture that most of you spend the majority of your meditation in thought. I will tell you that no one has the power to stop thought. It’s like the Colorado River, it just flows. And you’re out there on your raft, and sometimes the flow’s smooth, and sometimes it’s white water, but it just flows on and on and on. Don’t try and stop thought. Ride the river, and then at some point watch yourself bring the boat ashore and get off and go for a walk and disappear.”
These are direct quotes from the talk Non-Doing of Meditation by Rama Dr. Frederick Lenz.
All quotes are reprinted or included here with permission from The Frederick P. Lenz Foundation for American Buddhism