We have seen that it is essential to learn to pay attention to breathing and maintain correct posture. We have also highlighted the importance of immobility in practice. Once we settle into the proper posture, we must learn to cultivate the right attitude, which can be divided into three essential aspects: open what is closed and learn to let go, balance our reactivity through equanimity and explore what remains hidden.
These three elements are crucial in meditative practice.
Open and Release
What is it that remains closed in us? Our senses and our body are usually closed. Often, we live trapped in our thoughts, judgments and fantasies, so immersed in our own mental worlds that we do not pay attention to the direct experience that our senses offer us: the view, the ear, the smell, taste and touch. Besides, our attention is usually so dispersed that sensory impressions arrive very faintly. However, as the practice of meditation strengthens our attention and awareness, we stop getting lost in our thoughts and become more sensitive and receptive to sensory impressions. Over time, our body also begins to open. The energy, that often does not flow freely through the body, It is unlocked as our consciousness internalizes, and we begin to perceive the tensions, muscle knots and blockages.
There are different types of painful sensations, and learning to distinguish them is one of the first steps in the process of opening that accompanies the practice of meditation.. Some pains are warning signs, like when a hand gets too close to the fire and we feel pain, indicating that we must remove it. But there is also another type of suffering, composed of the tensions and blockages that we usually ignore because our mind is distracted. In zazen, it is not the meditation that causes the pain, but it clearly reveals it, like a mirror.
As we meditate in silence, our attention is awakened and we become aware of these painful sensations. This is a sign of progress, as we begin to realize what was always present, but that was hidden beneath the threshold of our sensitivity. We have to learn to open ourselves to this pain and experience what is really present.
When we pay attention to these sensations, we must learn to discern between the danger signs and the pain derived from the practice. If the pain disappears when we stop meditating, we get up and take a walk, we can be sure that it is not a danger sign, but a consequence of unusual posture or a buildup of tension. There is no problem if the pain disappears by slightly changing our posture.. But if the pain persists or increases after stopping meditation, It is a sign that we are forcing our posture beyond what is advisable and it is best to change or relax it..
Pain is an important aspect of the opening process. Although it may disappear when we get up and walk, también puede intensificarse durante zazen. Sometimes, presents as severe pain in the back, the knees or any other part of the body. But, what does our mind do with this pain? At first, tends to resist, which only contributes to closing us off and distancing us from the immediate experience, the opposite of the openness we seek. Resistance can manifest itself in different ways, like self-pity. We can endure a painful sensation for a while, but eventually we started to think: “Poor me, yes no it pains me a lot, I would be in a state of joy.". It's easy to get lost in self-pitying thoughts..
Fear is also a form of resistance. We are conditioned to fear pain, and that fear prevents us from opening up and fully immersing ourselves in the experience.. When we notice the presence of this resistance, we must become aware of fear, observe it and calm ourselves until we can open ourselves to it. The fear of unpleasant sensations can lead us to act before the pain manifests itself., what we could call the “just in case syndrome”. This syndrome occurs frequently: “I'll move now in case I feel too much pain later and I can't stand it.”. This anticipatory fear constitutes a barrier that prevents us from seeing reality, making us unable to experience discomfort and pain.
Another form of resistance is apathy, which manifests itself as indifference towards what is happening. The mind becomes extremely inattentive and we mentally label what happens mechanically., without vitality, often unrelated to reality. An apathetic mind cannot fully experience the present moment. Therefore, this aspect of practice, open what remains closed, It forces us to recognize the possible forms of resistance that may appear and to understand that eventually we will have to face them.. We don't need to judge them or resist them, but simply strive to perceive and recognize self-compassion, fear and apathy, and then remind ourselves that we have the ability to be more attentive and open.
Instead of fight or flight, we must calm down and relax our mind so that it becomes more receptive and flexible, friendlier and more relaxed. This means that we should not fight against what is painful, because by allowing ourselves to be more open and relaxed, we can see more clearly what is happening. And, For example, we experience pain in the back and try to resist it, ignore or fear it, we will not be able to understand its nature. But if we calm down and open ourselves to the pain, We will discover that “my back hurts” is just a thought that refers to an experience of tension, prick, burning or pressure. There is a wide range of sensations possible. When our mind is open, we can go from the concept “my back hurts” to what is really happening, a temporary sensation that appears and then fades. The sensations can be intense and painful, but we must experience them directly to understand their true nature.
Generally, when we resist pain, We tend to think that there is a solid mass of pain somewhere in the body. However, by allowing us to experience sensations as they are, we realize that pain is not a compact mass, but rather a vibration that manifests as tension, pressure or burning. We must continue to perceive clearly and realize that, In fact, there is nothing solid in pain. When we start experiencing this, The illusion of solidity dissolves and a process of liberation of the knots and energetic blockages that bind our body begins.. Allowing the free flow of energy is very therapeutic.
It is essential to learn to work with the painful sensations that arise in our practice.. This is a path that takes us to deeper levels of understanding., and the fact of being aware of painful sensations is already a sign of progress, indicating the strengthening of our attention. As we get used to this understanding, we delve into deeper levels, becoming more flexible, receptive and aware of what is happening. This is how we begin to fulfill the first requirement of the practice: open what is closed. This openness to experience is also the basis for the second aspect of the practice: balance our reactions.
Equanimity and Balance
What do we mean by reaction? our mind, driven by attachments, rejections, trials, comparisons and prejudices, is reactive. The mind is like a scale that, when identifying with a judgment or preference, loses its balance and is carried away by reactivity. We can only maintain balance when we use the power of pure attention, that quality of consciousness that perceives without choosing and without preferences. This choiceless consciousness is like the sun that shines equally on all things.
What can we do so that our consciousness pays attention to the totality of experience? This is like taking a trip to a strange land, crossing mountains, jungles, deserts and forests. If we have the spirit of a true explorer, each place we visit will be interesting in itself. Meditation is a journey through ourselves, where each experience is part of the journey. Pleasant and painful moments, valleys and mountains, It's all part of the practice. Meditation is about exploring who we are, and this exploration requires determination.
We must ensure that everything is part of our practice. The physical sensations of pleasure and pain, the emotions of happiness or sadness, of depression or euphoria, They are different seasons on our journey. Is it possible for us to open ourselves to each of these states, be aware of them in a balanced way and realize their true nature? Meditation has nothing to do with attachment or rejection, but with a constant return to the present, a continuous openness to what the moment presents to us. This balance of mind, in which there is no choice or censorship, allows us to establish contact with the rhythm that underlies our activities.
There are rhythms in nature, in the day and night, in the seasons, in music, the sport, poetry and dance. Each activity has its own rhythm, and when we connect with him, we discover a new sense of harmony and grace. Our practice also has its internal rhythm: that of breathing, the sensations, the thoughts, emotions and sounds. We will only discover this rhythm when we stop reacting and open ourselves to each moment without identifying or fighting.. When we experience this rhythm we will be able to enjoy a calm and effortless practice..
To establish contact with the rhythm, significant effort required: pay attention and return again and again to the present. At first, the mind is distracted, and we must make the effort to control and concentrate it, but as we do it moment after moment, we will experience more moments of balance. Meditating is like learning to ride a bicycle. At first, we stagger forward, but once we establish the balance, becomes something simple. When we start meditating, It takes time to be attentive and discover the right rhythm. The only thing we have to do is realize what exists in each moment without reaction. There will be no identification or censorship, only full acceptance of the present. Each moment of mindfulness will establish our balance and allow us to discover our own internal rhythm..
Explore the Hidden
The third aspect of meditation is to investigate what is hidden to reveal the true nature of our experience. What is hidden is the truth, and covering up the truth consists of getting lost in concepts and identifying with them. We tend to confuse experience with the ideas we form about it. We must learn to differentiate between the level of conceptualization and the level of direct experience..
What happens when we hear the ringing of a bell? Most people will answer that they hear a bell, and if we hear a noise, we can conclude that it is the engine of a car. But, In fact, what we hear are just sounds, vibrations that the mind labels as “bell” or “car”. This is how we confuse mental concepts with the reality of direct experience.. Consider the thought “my knee hurts.”. By meditating for an hour, painful sensations arise in the knees. But “knee” is just a concept; there is no sensation called “knee”, “back” or “muscle”. The only thing we experience are feelings of tension, pain, pressure or tingling.
Why is it important to distinguish between concepts and reality? Because concepts hide the truth. This understanding is essential to discover the true goal of our practice.. The concepts we have are unalterable; the names we give them are always the same. My knee hurt yesterday, It hurts today and it probably will hurt the next time I meditate.. The concepts not only consolidate our notion of “knee”, but they also make us identify that feeling as “ours.”. So, there is not only pain in the knee, but that knee is “mine”.
But when we open ourselves to what is really happening in the present, we see that the experience changes moment by moment. Things are not the same, not even in the briefest moment. What we conceptualize as “my knee” is nothing more than a flow of sensations that constantly changes and lacks solidity and permanence.. As long as we remain confined within the concepts, we will be unable to see or understand the transitory nature of phenomena.
Meditation requires us to investigate what is hidden. For this, it is necessary to move from the level of concepts to the level of direct experience of sensations, visions, sounds, smells and flavors. Only then can we directly experience the nature of thoughts and emotions instead of identifying with their content.. When we connect with the experience that arises in each moment, we can discover what was previously hidden.
First of all, we discover that everything changes. Everything that we had considered solid and immutable is subject to a process of constant change. There are those who say “I know that everything is impermanent.”, but although intellectually we know it, most have only a superficial knowledge of impermanence, not a deep, visceral understanding. Meditation is a vehicle to reveal the truth of impermanence at ever deeper levels.. All, absolutely everything—sensations, thoughts, feelings, sounds and flavors—is in a process of continuous dissolution. The direct and profound vision of this fact dismantles all the identifications and conditioning that our mind houses.. It is unlikely that anyone will try to catch the foam of a wave, because we know it is ephemeral. Similarly, everything is transitory, and it is possible to see and experience it in a deep and integrated way.
When we develop this vision, our mind is less prone to attachment, because he understands that, ultimately, there's nothing to hold on to. As we shed our identifications, attachments and conditioning, we see the suffering fade away in our lives. The truth of impermanence also allows us to understand the insecurity inherent in all phenomena. Things are insecure or unsatisfying because something that is constantly changing can never provide us with lasting satisfaction.. When we understand it, we begin to let go, allowing the flow of change to take its course.
By understanding impermanence and insecurity, we glimpse the true jewel of illumination: the absence of a self in the mind-body process. This means that there is no “someone” to whom things are happening., that this process does not belong to anyone and that there is no owner of the experience. This subtle understanding, but radically transforms our usual vision, because our wisdom grows when we move from the conceptual level to that of direct experience. By understanding the insubstantiality, the emptiness and lack of identity of all phenomena, decreases our identification with concepts like “I”, “identity” and “mine”, that are the fundamental axis of our lives. When we understand that the “I” is an illusion, a concept created by us, We begin a journey that leads us to integrate increasing levels of freedom into our lives..
Only when we pay attention to what is real—and not our ideas about reality—, to what is present at every moment, we can know impermanence in a transformative way, insecurity and lack of ego, What are the significant qualities of our experience?.
The Right Effort
But, how do we carry out this work? How do we open what is closed, we balance the reactive and explore the hidden? What are our tools? For meditation to bear fruit, It is essential to develop two qualities: the right effort and intention. To direct the mind towards a specific object, we need to awaken the right intention and effort. From there, everything else will come naturally. When we exert adequate effort to focus the mind, attention, the concentration, serenity, equanimity, wisdom and compassion will appear naturally.
The right effort consists of cultivating a flexibility and disposition that keeps alive our interest in knowing the truth.. If our motivation is duty or obligation, the mind will rebel. Mindfulness does not involve tension, although at the beginning of the practice it may be confused with it. A useful image to understand the spirit with which we must approach correct effort and intention is the Japanese tea ceremony., where every movement is performed with exquisite attention and precision. Holding a napkin or pouring involves different movements, but they are all done with the same care, showing a delicacy, unique lightness and grace.
Can we transform our day—or at least part of it—into a kind of tea ceremony?, where every movement becomes an authentic ceremony? If we practice this way, We will be amazed at how quickly our concentration and understanding deepen and mature..