Making meditation more efficient for perfectionists

[nancylebov]

"Do nothing" meditation by Shinzen Young.

What follows are a few points which I think are valuable. This isn't a transcript.

I was struck by how accurately Shinzen Young hit on some mistakes I'd be likely to make.

Instructions for "Do nothing" meditation. The purpose of this meditation is for your mind to learn how to temporarily turn off the intention to change itself. This type of meditation builds on momentum established from other types of meditation.

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Let whatever happens, happen. As soon as you're aware of an intention to control your attention, drop that intention.

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You don't have to monitor yourself for intentions to control your mind-- just notice them when you notice them. You aren't being told to try to do this all the time. You might only notice those intentions occasionally.

If you can't drop the intention, you aren't being instructed to do something you can't do. Only drop the intentions you can drop.

You aren't obligated to have a restful experience.

If you're having an awful time with it, you don't need to continue.

Meditation leads to concentration, clarity, and equanimity. You don't need to try to force these results to happen.

Comments

[kore]

I always think I 'fail' at meditation despite people telling me that's somehow not possible. :-/

[madfilkentist]

"The purpose of this meditation is for your mind to learn how to temporarily turn off the intention to change itself."

But that's itself an intention. This sounds like an exercise in the impossible, like focusing on not thinking about the word "rhinoceros."

[nancylebov.livejournal.com]

Did you listen to the video?

It's got a discussion of the difference between shutting off the intention yourself-- which would require an intention and be self-contradictory-- and setting up conditions in which a change occurs without you deliberately making it happen.

[pickledginger.livejournal.com]

Excellent! I am reminded of my.archery teacher, who used to say: when it is going. badly, stop; you don't want to practice doing something wrong. (Only pithier.)