TheJoyofEffort

ThanissaroBhikkhu Whenexplainingmeditation,theBuddhaoftendrewanalogieswiththeskillsof artists,carpenters,musicians,archers,andcooks.Findingtherightlevelofeffort, hesaid,islikeamusicianstuningofalute.Readingthemindsneedsinthe momenttobegladdened,steadied,orinspiredislikeapalacecooksability toreadandpleasethetastesofaprince. Collectively,theseanalogiesmakeanimportantpoint:Meditationisaskill, andmasteringitshouldbeenjoyableinthesamewaythatmasteringanyother rewardingskillcanbe.TheBuddhasaidasmuchtohisson,Rahula:Whenyou seethatyouveacted,spoken,orthoughtinaskillfulwayconduciveto happinesswhilecausingnoharmtoyourselforotherstakejoyinthatfact,and keepontraining. Ofcourse,sayingthatmeditationshouldbeenjoyabledoesntmeanthatit willalwaysbeeasyorpleasant.Everymeditatorknowsitrequiresserious disciplinetositwithlongunpleasantstretchesanduntanglealltheminds difficultissues.Butifyoucanapproachdifficultieswiththeenthusiasmthatan artistapproacheschallengesinherwork,thedisciplinebecomesenjoyable: Problemsaresolvedthroughyourowningenuity,andthemindisenergizedfor evengreaterchallenges. Thisjoyfulattitudeisausefulantidotetothemorepessimisticattitudesthat peopleoftenbringtomeditation,whichtendtofallintotwoextremes.Onthe onehand,theresthebeliefthatmeditationisaseriesofdullanddrearyexercises allowingnoroomforimaginationandinquiry:Simplygrityourteeth,and,atthe endofthelonghaul,yourmindwillbeprocessedintoanawakenedstate.Onthe otherhandtheresthebeliefthateffortiscounterproductivetohappiness,so meditationshouldinvolvenoexertionatall:Simplyacceptthingsastheyare itsfoolishtodemandthattheygetanybetterandrelaxintothemoment. Whileitstruethatbothrepetitionandrelaxationcanbringresultsin meditation,wheneitherispursuedtotheexclusionoftheother,itleadstoa deadend.If,however,youcanintegratethembothintothelargerskillof learninghowtoapplywhateverlevelofeffortthepracticerequiresatanygiven moment,theycantakeyoufar.Thislargerskillrequiresstrongpowersof mindfulness,concentration,anddiscernment,butifyoustickwithit,itcanlead youallthewaytotheBuddhasultimateaiminteachingmeditation:nirvana,a happinesstotallyunconditioned,freefromtheconstraintsofspaceandtime.

2 Thatsaninspiringaim,butitrequireswork.Andthekeytomaintaining yourinspirationinthedaytodayworkofmeditationpracticeistoapproachit asplay:ahappyopportunitytomasterpracticalskills,toraisequestions, experiment,andexplore.ThisispreciselyhowtheBuddhahimselftaught meditation.Insteadofformulatingacutanddriedmethod,hefirsttrainedhis studentsinthepersonalqualitiessuchashonestyandpatienceneededto maketrustworthyobservations.Onlythendidheteachmeditationtechniques, andeventhenhedidntspelleverythingout.Heraisedquestionsandsuggested areasforexploration,inhopesthathisquestionswouldcapturehisstudents imagination,inspiringthemtodevelopdiscernmentandgaininsightsontheir own. WecanseethisinthewaytheBuddhataughtRahulahowtomeditate.He startedwiththeissueofpatience.Meditate,hesaid,sothatyourmindislikethe earth.Disgustingthingsgetthrownontheearth,buttheearthisnthorrifiedby them.Whenyoumakeyourmindliketheearth,neitheragreeablenor disagreeablesensoryimpressionswilltakechargeofit. Now,theBuddhawasnttellingRahulatobecomeapassiveclodofdirt.He wasteachingRahulatobegrounded,todevelophispowersofendurance,sothat hedbeabletoobservebothpleasantandpainfuleventsinhisbodyandmind withoutbecomingengrossedinthepleasureorblownawaybythepain.Thisis whatpatienceisfor.Ithelpsyousitwiththingsuntilyouunderstandthemwell enoughtorespondtothemskillfully. Todevelophonestyinmeditation,theBuddhataughtRahulaafurther exercise.Lookattheinconstancyofeventsinbodyandmind,hesaid,sothatyou dontdevelopasenseofIamaroundthem.HeretheBuddhawasbuildingon alessonthathehadtaughtRahulawhenthelatterwassevenyearsold.Learnto lookatyouractions,hehadsaid,beforeyoudothem,whileyouredoingthem, andaftertheyredone.Ifyouseethatyouveactedunskillfullyandcausedharm, resolvenottorepeatthemistake.Thentalkitoverwithsomeoneyourespect. Intheselessons,theBuddhawastrainingRahulatobehonestwithhimself andwithothers.Andthekeytothishonestyistotreatyouractionsas experiments.Then,ifyouseetheresultsarentgood,youarefreetochangeyour ways. Thisattitudeisessentialfordevelopinghonestyinyourmeditationaswell.If youregardeverythinggoodorbadthatarisesinthemeditationasasignof thesortofpersonyouare,itwillbehardtoobserveanythinghonestlyatall.Ifan unskillfulintentionarises,yourelikelyeithertocomedownonyourselfasa miserablemeditatorortosmothertheintentionunderacloakofdenial.Ifa skillfulintentionarises,yourelikelytobecomeproudandcomplacent,reading

3 itasasignofyourinnategoodnature.Asaresult,younevergettoseeifthese intentionsareactuallyasskillfulastheyseemedatfirstglance. Toavoidthesepitfalls,youcanlearntoseeeventssimplyasevents,andnot assignsoftheinnateBuddhanessorbadnessofwhoyouare.Thenyoucan observetheseeventshonestly,toseewheretheycomefromandwheretheylead. Honesty,togetherwithpatience,putsyouinabetterpositiontousethe techniquesofmeditationtoexploreyourownmind. TheprimarytechniquetheBuddhataughtRahulawasbreathmeditation.The Buddharecommendedsixteenstepsindealingwiththebreath.Thefirsttwo involvestraightforwardinstructions.Therestraisequestionstobeexplored.In thisway,thebreathbecomesavehicleforexercisingyouringenuityinsolving theproblemsofthemind,andexercisingyoursensitivityingaugingtheresults. Tobegin,simplynoticewhenthebreathislongandwhenitsshort.Inthe remainingsteps,though,youtrainyourself.Inotherwords,youhavetofigure outforyourselfhowtodowhattheBuddharecommends.Thefirsttwotrainings aretobreatheinandoutsensitivetotheentirebody,thentocalmtheeffectthat thebreathhasonthebody.Howdoyoudothat?Youexperiment.Whatrhythm ofbreathing,whatwayofconceivingthebreathcalmsitseffectonthebody?Try thinkingofthebreathnotastheaircominginandoutofthelungsbutasthe energyflowthroughoutthebodythatdrawstheairinandout.Wheredoyou feelthatenergyflow?Thinkofitasflowinginandoutthebackofyourneck,in yourfeetandhands,alongthenervesandbloodvessels,inyourbones.Thinkof itcominginandouteveryporeofyourskin.Whereisitblocked?Howdoyou dissolvetheblockages?Bybreathingthroughthem?Aroundthem?Straightinto them?Seewhatworks. Asyouplayaroundwiththebreathinthisway,youllmakesomemistakes Ivesometimesgivenmyselfheadachesbyforcingthebreathtoomuchbut withtherightattitudethemistakesbecomelessonsinlearninghowtheimpactof yourperceptionsshapesthewayyoubreathe.Youllalsocatchyourselfgetting impatientorfrustrated,butthenyoullseethatwhenyoubreathethroughthese emotions,theygoaway.Yourebeginningtoseetheimpactofthebreathonthe mind. Thenextstepistobreatheinandoutwithasenseofrefreshingfullnessanda senseofease.Here,too,youllneedtoexperimentbothwiththewayyoubreathe andwiththewayyouconceiveofthebreath.Noticehowthesefeelingsand conceptionshaveanimpactonthemind,andhowyoucancalmthatimpactso thatthemindfeelsmostatease. Then,whenthebreathiscalmandyouvebeenrefreshedbyfeelingsofease andstillness,yourereadytolookattheminditself.Youdontleavethebreath, though.Youadjustyourattentionslightlysothatyourewatchingthemindasit

4 stayswiththebreath.HeretheBuddharecommendsthreeareasfor experimentation:Noticehowtogladdenthemindwhenitneedsgladdening, howtosteadyitwhenitneedssteadying,andhowtoreleaseitfromits attachmentsandburdenswhenitsreadyforrelease. Sometimesthegladdeningandsteadyingwillrequirebringinginothertopics forcontemplation.Forinstance,togladdenthemindyoucandevelopanattitude ofinfinitegoodwill,orrecollectthetimesinthepastwhenyouvebeenvirtuous orgenerous.Tosteadythemindwhenitsbeenknockedoverbylust,youcan contemplatetheunattractivesideofthehumanbody.Toreestablishyourfocus whenyouredrowsyorcomplacent,youcancontemplatedeathrealizingthat deathcouldcomeatanytime,andyouneedtoprepareyourmindifyoure goingtofaceitwithanyfinessecantransfixyour.Atothertimes,youcan gladdenorsteadythemindsimplybythewayyoufocusonthebreathitself.For instance,breathingdownintoyourhandsandfeetcanreallyanchorthemind whenitsconcentrationhasbecomeshaky.Whenonespotinthebodyisnt enoughtoholdyourinterest,tryfocusingonthebreathintwospotsatonce. Theimportantpointisthatyouvenowputyourselfinapositionwhereyou canexperimentwiththemindandreadtheresultsofyourexperimentswith greaterandgreateraccuracy.Youcantryexploringtheseskillsoffthecushionas well:Howdoyougladdenthemindwhenyouresick?Howdoyousteadythe mindwhendealingwithadifficultperson? Asforreleasingthemindfromitsburdens,youpreparefortheultimate freedomofnirvanafirstbyreleasingthemindfromanyawkwardnessinits concentration.Oncethemindhassettleddown,checktoseeifthereareany waysyoucanrefinethestillness.Forinstance,inthebeginningstagesof concentrationyouneedtokeepdirectingyourthoughtstothebreath,evaluating andadjustingittomakeitmoreagreeable.Buteventuallythemindgrowssostill thatevaluatingthebreathisnolongernecessary.Soyoufigureouthowtomake themindonewiththebreath,andinthatwayyoureleasethemindintoamore intenseandrefreshingstateofease. Asyouexpandyourskillsinthisway,theintentionsthatyouvebeenusing toshapeyourexperienceofbodyandmindbecomemoreandmoretransparent. AtthispointtheBuddhasuggestsrevisitingthethemeofinconstancy,learning tolookforitintheeffectsofeveryintention.Youseethateventhebeststates producedbyskillfulintentionsthemostsolidandrefinedstatesof concentrationwaverandchange.Realizingthisinducesasenseof disenchantmentwithanddispassionforallintentions.Youseethattheonlyway togetbeyondthischangeabilityistoallowallintentionstocease.Youwatchas everythingisrelinquished,includingthepath.Whatsleftisunconditioned:the

5 deathless.Yourdesiretoexplorethebreathhastakenyoubeyonddesiring, beyondthebreath,allthewaytonirvana. Butthepathdoesntsaveallitspleasuresfortheend.Ittakesthedaunting prospectofreachingfullAwakeningandbreaksitdownintomanageable interimgoalsaseriesofintriguingchallengesthat,asyoumeetthem,allow youtoseeprogressinyourpractice.Thisinandofitselfmakesthepractice interestingandasourceofjoy. Atthesametime,yourenotengagedinbusywork.Youredevelopinga sensitivitytocauseandeffectthathelpsmakebodyandmindtransparent.Only whentheyrefullytransparentcanyouletthemgo.Inexperiencingthefullbody ofthebreathinmeditation,youresensitizingyourselftotheareaofyour awarenesswherethedeathlesswhenyoureacuteenoughtoseeitwill appear. Soeventhoughthepathrequireseffort,itsaneffortthatkeepsopeningup newpossibilitiesforhappinessandwellbeinginthepresentmoment.Andeven thoughthestepsofbreathmeditationeventuallyleadtoasenseof disenchantmentanddispassion,theydontdosoinajoylessway.TheBuddha neverasksanyonetoadoptaworldnegatingorworldaffirming,forthat matterframeofmind.Instead,heasksforaworldexploringattitude,in whichyouusetheinnerworldoffullbodybreathingasalaboratoryfor exploringtheharmlessandclearmindedpleasurestheworldasawholecan provide.Youlearnskillstocalmthebody,todevelopfeelingsofrefreshment, fullness,andease.Youlearnhowtocalmthemind,tosteadyit,gladdenit,and releaseitfromitsburdens. Onlywhenyourunupagainstthelimitsoftheseskillsareyoureadytodrop them,toexplorewhatgreaterpotentialforhappinesstheremaybe.Inthisway, disenchantmentdevelopsnotfromanarroworpessimisticattitudebutfroman attitudeofhopethattheremustbesomethingbetter.Thisislikethe disenchantmentachildsenseswhenhehasmasteredasimplegameandfeels readyforsomethingmorechallenging.Itstheattitudeofapersonwhohas matured.Andasweallknow,youdontmaturebyshrinkingfromtheworld, watchingitpassively,ordemandingthatitentertainyou.Youmatureby exploringit,byexpandingyourrangeofusableskillsthroughplay.