Should You Be Putting a Lot of Effort into Your Meditation Practice?

Or is it counterproductive in a practice that is really about letting go?

This is a good question.

And the answer is not so clear. But if you are serious about making progress on the path of meditation, this is a question you cannot ignore.

Why?

Because you need both. Sometimes we need to make a lot of effort. Other times, we need to ease backwards… too far back.

So how do you know when to push or take it easy? And what kind of effort are we talking about, anyway?

Let me begin by telling you a story based on the experience of a seeker I once knew.

the story of the seeker

Once upon a time there was a young man. He did tons of meditation retreats. He studied with many teachers. He was on a one-point mission to become enlightened.

He practiced for hours on end in a 10-day silent retreat followed by a 10-day silent retreat in the sacred halls of Vipassana centers. He visited with many so-called enlightened gurus.

After several years of single-minded devotion, he was feeling a little tired. All the energy and effort he was putting in was getting him no closer to his goal.

Then one day, an old friend called him and said, “Hey, meet me at this place in India, a really wonderful teacher. I think he’s the real thing.”

So the young man met his friend and soon found himself at the feet of the teacher. And he asked the revered mother, “What kind of effort do I need to make to be free?”

The mad woman said softly, “You don’t need to make any effort to be free.”

At that moment, something clicked, and the young man found what he was looking for.

In fact, all his searches and efforts had become a hindrance to his own realization.

Yes, it brought him to the feet of the Guru. And yes, all that continuous work certainly accumulated and matured.

But it was clear that trying harder was not the answer.

gross mind and subtle mind

Now, I’m not saying that you and I don’t need to make an effort to follow our meditation instructions. But all I am saying is how you formulate those instructions and how you hold them in your body and mind.

I once studied with a teacher of Tibetan Buddhism and Mahamudra. In the initial stages of meditation, we had to work very hard.

“Increase the intensity” he would say, referring to focusing on the object of our meditation, the breath. “Keep trying until you can hold on to the breath without being distracted.”

This was called close staying.

And the goal was to use that increased intensity to focus my attention on the breath without losing concentration.

But then, at a certain point, when your focus was reliably close to the breath and maintained about 80-100% of the time, he would say, “Relax!”

This is correct.

Like passing through a mirror, the instructions turned 180 degrees, and he ordered the opposite.

In practice this time, further progress was made with less effort.

Our teacher described it like this. In the beginning, our attention is gross or gross. So we need to try more.

But then, by carefully and continuously focusing on the object of our attention, our attention becomes very subtle. And when this happens, further effort is counterproductive.

In fact, at this level of practice, over-effort is harmful. Less effort, a lighter touch, ease and comfort. That’s what drives you forward.

Wonderful…

meditation is not something you can do

I love this quote from another Tibetan Buddhist teacher. I think it speaks to the line we’re finding between trying and not trying. He says:

There is a revealing Tibetan proverb: “Gompa ma yin, kompa yin,” which literally means: “Not meditating; getting used to.”

It means that meditation is nothing but getting used to the practice of meditation. As the saying goes: “Meditation is not making an effort, but being absorbed in it naturally.” As you go on practicing the method, attention gradually arises. Meditation isn’t something you can “do”; It is something that has to happen spontaneously, only when you perfect the practice.”

There is a point in meditation, and this you can know from your own experience, when meditation starts happening automatically.

At that time, it arises automatically and spontaneously.

In fact, no effort is needed at all. In those moments our job is simply to rest in that perfect middle place. Not too tight, not too loose. We just need to get out of the way and let it flow.