January 31, 2012
The Paradox of Meditation
The meditation experience is interesting because on one hand it is about completely letting go of everything, and on the other hand, it is about paying more attention. It’s a paradox. Let go of everything and have the courage and faith and conviction to keep letting go, fearlessly, no matter what arises. But don’t let go of consciousness, don’t let go of attention, don’t let go of awareness. Meditation is the paradox between those two positions.
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Andrew Cohen is a spiritual teacher, cultural visionary, founder of EnlightenNext, and the author of 
To me it’s a continuous process including both meditation-keeping the slate clean and empowered-and being as present and aware as the moment allows. While I type this a lady bug is swirling around the desk lamp and explores all possible surfaces including the mouse, the key pad as well as the spaces between. A plow just went by and Raine the cabin cat is eating dry food from the small metal bowl. The lady bug just landed on the shift key.. ?
Which is why I must watch the key board now alert to the fact that nothing is as important as finishing this excercise without killing this hibernating visitor and being aware of anything else that may be as important as typing this. But isn’t that it? Flowing through this milieu alert allowing all to enter and instruct! My Lady Bug friend has landed on enter and so I listen.
namaste, steve
cool! exactly! your friend demonstrated the paradox
The repeated choice point that is invoked by continuously releasing and letting go provides Awareness and the necessary balance between the two. I think of sleep as this nomad land of no-choice.
I’ve heard of a number of tecehars doing this and, in fact, had a skype conversation with my Zen teacher fairly recently. I’ve thought that this kind of conversation combined with streaming video (or the Youtube videos like you are doing) provide an opportunity for people scattered physically to still work with tecehars and advance their practice.
The paradox as you rightly coined can be resolved
only by disolving into your nonexistence.
Only then will the issue reveal itself.
Trying to understand befor this alignment is still at the level of mind.
One may not resolve even after nonexistence. As once one is in that stage, the desire to resolve the paradox may no longer be there.
I don’t get it…I learned two types of meditation: concentrative and expansive; no paradox!
My own version of meditation is unrestrained phantasizing, letting my mind roam through long-forgotten or surprisingly new paths. In any case a rewarding experience.
The meditative state is the direct “experiential” disclosure of Pure Subjectivity, which is not “non-existence”, but Pure Existence; “Pure” because there are no objects present, yet all is Absolutely Present, that is Nonduality. Nonduality is the state “in between” the paradox, as Andrew points out, surrounding and interpenetrating the paradoxical positions of being nothing and something at the same time. Presence and Attention are not-two, but One.
And insofar as meditation becomes an “experiential” state, is because “coming out of” or “returning” to a dual state, one feels they had a “meditative experience”, meaning, they accept that the gross-reflecting awareness of the ego-rational mind is their “normal” awareness, and become dual to the meditative state. Meditation is a state they must “return to” in order to experience Nonduality.
But as the Saints, Sages and Mystics of all times know, Meditation is, in fact, our “normal” or True Nature. Those who actually develop meditative awareness have entered into a permanent condition that was already always their PRIOR CONDITION, or True Nature.
Meditation IS always so; it is the dual identity taken on by gross-reflecting awareness that veils this Timeless Truth.
We can “never let go of consciousness” or awareness because we are that which lives us, so there’s really no “paradox”.
Hi Hoyt, The Paradox is the essential “nature” of manifestation, that is why it is sometimes said that the enlightened state is the “resolution of all opposites”, because the enlightened state is One, Not-two. To “experience” the Unborn, Uncreate, Unmanifest Perfection of Oneness, as in meditation, is to temporarily experience release or relief from paradoxical tension, but as soon as you become dual with identification as your rational-ego mind, the paradox IS all that you are, it is everything that you are positioning yourself with in the manifest world.
Enlightenment doesn’t “abolish” the paradoxical potentials”; enlightenment is the “perfectly” paradoxical condition, because it is unconditioned awareness; unconditioned by time or history, transcending but including ALL, and simultaneously Ultimately Free of all.
Understand? (;}
Excuse me, apologies…I shouldn’t have said “understand”…
What I described can’t be “cognized” with the rational mind; only direct temporary experience or stable permanent trans-rational development will reveal it.
Yes this is exactly my experience, the fine line between letting go absolutely, but paying attention, ie not being ‘too relaxed’, as to lose awareness…, so good that this has been pointed out, thankyou!!
Hari Om !
To this small mind there is no paradox whatsoever.Only when one is conscious , attentive and focussed , letting go can go on without any volition .If letting go happens consciously then the mind will be disturbed as there will be ownership !
Om tat Sat
Thank you so much from sharing these positive thoughts and a daily sweet nectar which bring to so many soul to focus properly in their lives.
The one who brings benefit to each and everyone is a true benefactor.
Expression: Each one has immense treasures that can be contributed to those around, but the one who is a benefactor surely finds reasons and excuses to use these treasures constantly for the benefit of all. True benefit lies in giving some or the other positive input to each and everyone who happens to come one’s way.
Experience: When I have the constant desire to bring benefit to everyone around me, I am naturally free from all kind of expectations. I don’t expect others to change according to my needs and desires, but am able to bring about a change in myself according to the requirements of time. So I experience constant improvement.
Letting go of everything and being the observer 24 hrs a day, and not just during your moments of meditation, is the ultimate state of consciousness, attention and awareness.