It's easy to unwittingly use meditation as an escape from the real world.
Especially in these busy and chaotic times. We seek peace. We seek respite. Meditation can become a safe, cozy cocoon, where you attempt to withdraw to drown out the tornado of life.
You might even long for an "experience" of meditation. Like bliss, clarity, or absence of thought. Now, there's the real stuff of meditation!
Or is it?
Now it's true, these experiences can be good signs of progress in meditation. They can indicate the momentary death of attachment, aggression, and ignorance, respectively.
But if you become attached to experiences like this, they only become obstacles in meditation. These are only transitory experiences, not realization itself. And the good experiences can sometimes lead you even further astray than the negative ones.
As Kyabjé Dudjom Rinpoche said, "Spiritual experiences are like mist. They will evaporate."
There's nothing wrong with settling the mind and experiencing periods of calm abiding. In fact, this is an essential step on the path of learning to meditate. It's just important to remember that this is not the ultimate goal of meditation, nor is it a permanent state.
The truth is that meditation is not an escape route from the reality of life. Even if you practice meditation, you will still have pain and suffering. "Negative" circumstances will still occur due to karma from this or previous lives.
The secret lies in how we perceive or relate to what is happening around us. It is in each moment that the cessation of suffering can take place.
Meditation is simply remaining undistracted. It is allowing yourself to be present in the face of whatever thoughts, emotions, or sensations occur in your mind and whatever circumstances appear in the world around you. It is not hanging out in bliss, clarity, or absence of thought.
There is no escape. It's time to make friends with the world.
I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic. Do you see meditation as a safe cocoon? Or has it helped you make friends with the world in all its aspects?
Quotation from The Ocean of Dharma Series // Image: Public Domain (dot) net
Our Bloggers
-
Susan Stiffelman Recent items
-
Marieke van Vugt Recent items
-
Erika Rosenberg Recent items
-
Erric Solomon Recent items
-
Kimberly Poppe Recent items
-
Jerome Stone Recent items
-
Tahlia Newland Recent items
-
Elizabeth Namgyel Recent items
-
Christian Meier Recent items
-
Linda Lantieri & Madhavi Nambiar Recent items
-
Christian Kohl Recent items
-
Ian Gawler Recent items
-
Sandra Pawula Recent items
-
Ian Ives Recent items
-
Charles T.Tart Recent items
-
John Baker Recent items
-
Steve Cope Recent items
-
Miles Neale Recent items
-
Kirsten DeLeo Recent items
-
Josh Korda Recent items
-
Med in school Recent items
-
Zanna Yardas Recent items
- S in the City
Recent items
-
Jeremy Tattersall Recent items
-
Marcia Binder-Schmidt Recent items
-
Bernie Schreck Recent items
-
Sharon Salzberg Recent items
-
Eva Hopf Recent items
-
Bert van Baar Recent items
-
Andy Fraser Recent items
-
Volker Dencks Recent items
"In the practice of meditation, having developed a sense of trust in oneself, slowly that expands its expression outward, and the world becomes a friendly world rather than a hostile world. You could say that you have changed the world: you have become the king or queen of the universe.
On the other hand, you can’t exactly say that, because the world has come toward you, to return your friendship. It tried all kinds of harsh ways to deal with you at the beginning, but finally the world and you begin to speak with each other, and the world becomes a real world, a completely real world, not at all an illusory world or a confused world. It is a real world. You begin to realize the reality of elements, the reality of time and space, the reality of emotions—the reality of everything."
On the other hand, you can’t exactly say that, because the world has come toward you, to return your friendship. It tried all kinds of harsh ways to deal with you at the beginning, but finally the world and you begin to speak with each other, and the world becomes a real world, a completely real world, not at all an illusory world or a confused world. It is a real world. You begin to realize the reality of elements, the reality of time and space, the reality of emotions—the reality of everything."
-Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche
Add comment
By posting a comment you agree to follow our code of conduct.
It is necessary to supply an answer in all the fields.
It is necessary to supply an answer in all the fields.
Comments
I like the way you framed this as expecting an achievement or phenomenon during meditation. You have a good insight into how this is a pitfall. It can be subtle though. So as you say, the work goes on!
You are really spot on. Meditation brings us to our own true nature within, which has always been there and always will. Thanks for highlighting this point.
― Dalai Lama XIV
i didnt mean to imply 'clinging' just healthy attachments and aversions in order to show love and compassion to all beings
RSS feed for comments to this post