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No-Mind, Consciousness, and the Limits of Knowledge
Today’s lesson turns to a wonderful quote from Ramesh S. Balsekar, pointing us toward the essence of Zen training. This ties directly into our earlier discussions on presence. When we are identified with the separate self, we assume consciousness emanates from the individual “I.” But Zen tells us awareness itself is a field, not a…
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Neutral Observation Meditation in Review: Taking Back the Reins
Read time 3 minutes. Neutral Observation Meditation is a stand alone article in our series regarding mindfulness and meditation. In recent lessons we’ve explored what I’ve loosely called active meditations. One of the most accessible of these is neutral observation meditation—learning to step back and watch our thoughts and emotions even as we’re caught up in stories, games,…
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Active Meditation Practice: The Stories We Tell Ourselves
Read time 3 minutes. This active meditation practice is a stand alone article in our series regarding mindfulness and meditation. In earlier lessons I spoke at length about the practice of letting go. Today we merge that theme with our discussion of active meditation. The practice I’ll outline is simple: it can be done in leisure time,…
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Presence and Active Meditation: The Practice Field of This Moment
Read time 4 minutes. Presence and Active Meditation is a stand alone article in our series regarding mindfulness and meditation. In our last lesson we considered active meditations and their potential to lead us into deeper states of awareness. I suggested they can even open the door to Absolute Presence and Absolute Freedom. That is a bold claim, and perhaps a…
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Active Meditation: What Is It? What Are the Benefits?
Read time 2 minutes. Active Meditation is a stand alone article in our series regarding mindfulness and meditation. Today we take up the value of active meditation. Since all forms of meditation invite presence into our lives, we will also return to this theme in the next few lessons. Presence, after all, is at the heart of…
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Traditional Meditation: A Realistic, Come to Buddha, Conversation
Read time 2 minutes. Managing our expectations of meditation. Traditional meditation is a stand alone article in our series regarding mindfulness and meditation. We won’t be talking about technique today, but about the real value of traditional meditation—and the challenges that inevitably come with it. When I first began meditating, my expectations were sky-high. I thought traditional…
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Beyond Mindfulness and the Limitation of Expectations
Read time 5 minutes. Beyond Mindfulness is a stand alone article in our series regarding mindfulness and meditation. I recently read an article on McGill regarding mindfulness meditation which addressed some of the possible shortcomings of that practice. The article states that many studies seem to indicate that, at least in the short term, mindfulness…
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Letting Go of Illusion: An Invitation to the Present Moment
Read time 3 minutes. Letting Go of Illusion is a stand alone article within our letting go series. Sometimes I dream something bleak. A tragedy. A loss. A situation I don’t want to deal with. Then I realize—oh, I’m dreaming. And in that moment, everything lifts. Relief rushes in. The burden vanishes. Letting go of illusion feels a…
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A Universal Act of Letting Go: Easing Inner Struggle
Read time 3 minutes. A Universal Act of Letting Go is a stand alone article within our letting go series. In our last lesson, we began exploring a universal act of letting go—a practice that sidesteps individual emotional battles in favor of something far more encompassing. Let’s slow down and take a closer look. Why does this method…