Meditate for a better life!

"The type or particular method of meditation isn't important, rather it's developing patience and persistence... The results will come, just keep practicing, and above all stay calm."
​- Master Feeman Ong

My personal view is that Meditation is the process by which we shape our mind to rest in the Way and internally create the life we desire to be reflected in the world. Coupling this foundation with action leads the way to our better life.

• What is our better life? This we have to figure out for ourselves
• How can our mind lead the way? By resting
• How can we help the mind rest? By 'fasting the mind' and following the Way.

Therefore training (the mind, and in turn the body) to follow 'The Way' is how we go on the path to our better life, a path of success regardless of the endeavour. We'll start exploring these questions by quoting Chuang Tzu and then elaborating with my personal interpretation...

Before seeking our outlook on meditation I recommend looking into the post I wrote prior to this one on why meditation is important. In short the practice forms a great tool to better health by smoothing out our emotional changes. Read more on that here: Smooth Emotions BETTER HEALTH! ... then come back =)

• "The torch of chaos and doubt - this is what the sage steers by. So he does not use things, but relegates all to the constant. This is what it means to use clarity."
• "If the Way is made clear, it is not the Way. If discriminations are put into words, they do not suffice. If benevolence has a constant object, it cannot be universal. If modesty is fastidious, it cannot be trusted. If daring attacks, it cannot be complete. These five are all round, but they tend toward the square."
• "Therefore understanding that rests in what it does not understand is the finest. Who can understand discriminations that are not spoken, the Way that is not a way? If he can understand this, he may be called the Reservoir of Heaven. Pour into it and it is never full, dip from it and it never runs dry, and yet it does not know where the supply, comes from. This is called the Shaded Light."
  -Chuang Tzu

How does all these things relate to meditation? These are phrases to describe a concept, a state of mind, which we should be striving for constantly... It's an attribute in Taoism we call Wu Wei, meaning Non-action. Today lets seek its attributes first and then we'll describe some avenues we can take in meditation to get there.

"The torch of chaos and doubt - this is what the sage steers by. So he does not use things, but relegates all to the constant. This is what it means to use clarity."

' To steer by the torch of chaos and doubt? Relate all things to the constant? This is clarity?

​What it means to steer by the torch of chaos and doubt is to live pushing yourself past your comfort zone. Living in this way feels chaotic and brings many doubts to the forefront. If we focus on the small successes or failures we loose sight of what we are doing. At this point our nerves take control and destroy our ambitions. This is loosing the constant, being taken up by our internal chaos and doubts. To use the metaphor constructively we must burn our chaos and doubts to light our way.

We burn them by calming our nerves, not focusing on 'things' (individual circumstances), but rather focusing on the principles behind our actions. The observance of our principles, reasons, and overarching vision allows us to keep to "the constant". This constant "stillness" will give direction in any endeavor. This is clarity, because it allows us to see through that which is, into the future of what it will be by staying detached from assumptions.

In short our better life must first be defined by ourselves internally then kept in focus and moved towards. This clarifying, planning, and acting is also using clarity, because it keeps us in objective observance. Living meditation must be done in this way.

​Master Ong used to call it... ​"Seeing through the red dust."

In meditation this is similar to placing a marker of intention at a place in the body, allowing that place to relax and continuing your focus to build a sensation there.

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"If the Way is made clear, it is not the Way. If discriminations are put into words, they do not suffice. If benevolence has a constant object, it cannot be universal. If modesty is fastidious, it cannot be trusted. If daring attacks, it cannot be complete. These five are all round, but they tend toward the square."

There is much wisdom in this passage. In short it means don't be so trusting of others or your own "way". An air of caution, so to speak.

The way can never be made entirely clear, because the variables are too great to pinpoint exactly what will or will not work. In short, If you or someone else tells you otherwise they're trying to sell you their way.

Theories and concepts form the Way, but these discriminations put into words and descriptions make their definition incomplete. The same can be said for the other things listed in the quote above. Therefore detached observance is key to the Way.

"These five are round but tend to be square" means it is easy to find those with rigid beliefs and views on the virtues but the truth is that the principles meld with circumstances and happenings. This attribute must be sought out in the mind to have a totality of application. One way to do this is: "Know the way, learn the way, dissolve or refine the way."

In Meditation this is adhering to principles of calmness, relaxation and persistence without striving to rationalize the why, how, etc. Let things move, keeping to the center and virtues of detachment...

Follow the way, not knowing it. Discriminate without words. Be benevolent, without an objective. Be modest, without adhering to detail. Be daring, yet keep your center and calmness of mind!

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"Therefore understanding that rests in what it does not understand is the finest. Who can understand discriminations that are not spoken, the Way that is not a way? If he can understand this, he may be called the Reservoir of Heaven. Pour into it and it is never full, dip from it and it never runs dry, and yet it does not know where the supply, comes from. This is called the Shaded Light."

In short this description is that of silent, humble courageous action, wu wei. This is the peak of meditation to calm the mind and body resting in uncertainty. We all have our ups and downs, some days are better than others. We can be sure of this more than all other things. The definition of life can be, as Jim Rohn said, "Life is opportunity mixed with difficulty... it's been that way for the last 600,000 years of recorded history, it's not likely to change!"

Meditation is how we train ourselves to be resilient to this flux by training the most important thing of all, our attitude and our thoughts. Resting in wu ji is the root, daily return to it to accomplish wei wu wei, which I talk about in more detail here: Tai Ji and Spirituality

In your practice of meditation, regardless of system or style remember:
Master Ong's 3 Keys to meditation

1. Be patient
2. Practice all the time
3. Don't worry about it