Why Meditate?

A simple, yet profound question. If you are new to meditation you might be wondering why you would set aside precious time in your day to sit and do what seems to be nothing. What new meditators quickly realize is that there is actually quite a bit of ‘doing’ in ‘non-doing.’

I think at the simplest level, all human beings are searching for happiness. Unfortunately for the vast majority, this happiness is sought after ‘out there’ in the material world. We look for a job that will make us happy. We look to travel to an exotic or new location to make us happy. We look for another person to make us happy. We look to material possessions to make us happy. Many struggle with this perpetual grasping for an entire lifetime without finding any sort of true peace and happiness.

The constant search ‘out there’ for happiness inevitably leads to suffering, stress, anxiety and possibly depression. Then how do we overcome this? It’s through the practice of mindfulness and meditation that we can find true peace, happiness and equanimity. It’s by looking within and exploring the recesses of our mind that we might find truly enlightening answers to questions such as ‘who am I’ or ‘what does it mean to be me?’

A Cluttered Mind

In my mediation practice, I’m continuously reminded of a story that Eckhart Tolle recounts about sitting on a train during his commute to work. He notices a woman having a conversation with herself and notes that she appears quite insane; however, he soon realizes that he is no different. In his own mind he is constantly having ‘conversations,’ as many of us do, with the only difference being that they aren’t outwardly vocalized for all to see.

New meditators will quickly see this. In sitting, it seems that there is no escape from the constant barrage of thoughts that come into our consciousness. Some may even try to shut off the faucet, so to speak, and will inevitably realize that it’s of no use. The thoughts arise and the thoughts pass whether we like it or not.

In meditating, we can begin to tend to our cluttered mind. We do this by simply observing our thoughts in a non-judgmental and objective way. Through continued practice we can very literally quiet the mind by doing this observation and not getting caught up in or ‘feeding’ the thoughts.

This does take commitment and dedication to a regular practice.  While there is no right or wrong way to meditate, per se, we will not find this stillness within unless we practice on a regular basis.  Just as a musician needs to practice day in and day out to hone and perfect their skills, we must also meditate on a regular basis to cultivate stillness, equanimity and peace within.

Opening to the Present Moment

Through meditation, we also come to the realization that most of our suffering is attached to the past, the future, or wanting to change the present moment. Some examples: ‘I wish I wasn’t sitting in this traffic jam,’ ‘I can’t believe my boss said that to me yesterday – how dare he,’ ‘I can’t wait to go on that vacation next month,’ ‘I wish my back didn’t hurt,’ ‘Why am I sick,’ etc, etc.

It’s this kind of discursive thinking that leads to continued suffering. It’s not a one way street either. We can easily become attached to positive events as well. This can lead to cycles of addiction such as someone who purchases new clothes, has the initial high and the inevitable passing of that high and then repeats the cycle again and again.

By meditating, we begin to cultivate attention and awareness of what’s going on in the present moment because the present moment is all we have. We can integrate this attention and awareness into our everyday lives, which opens us up to new ways of being. In this sense, every situation can be a meditation and opportunity to practice mindfulness. For example, instead of taking a shower we can really take a shower, being with every part of that experience in the moment.

Finding Your Own Answers

Finally, I believe that meditation is a way for us to find the answers ourselves. We constantly look to others for help, support, answers and solutions to life’s problems. While leaning on others for support, or reading about others’ experience is helpful, I think that in order to really find peace, we need to go on our own exploration and find our own answers through direct experience.

This is why I started my meditation practice. I realized that looking out there wasn’t going to help. I read books about others’ experience that intrigued me and sparked a sense of curiosity within. It was because of this that I decided to embark on the journey myself.

This is not to say that meditation should be a 100% solo journey.  Having a group to meditate with and teachers to provide guidance and direction on difficult circumstances or questions that arise during our journey is very important; however, we need to have the courage and determination to sit on a regular basis and truly experience what it means to be present for our life.

Do I have all the answers? Certainly not. Am I completely at peace? Nope. Are there days where some forms of stress, anxiety and fear creep in? Yup. Am I glad that I started a meditation practice and embarked on this lifetime journey of inner discovery? Absolutely, 100%, without a doubt.

“Meditation is rooted in fearlessness, in greedlessness. Meditation is not begging anything from anybody, it is not addressed to anybody. Meditation is a state of inner silence.” – Osho

Photo Credit: alicepopkorn