Action x Meditation

September 1, 2023 Meditation No Comments

The ‘x’ denotes: each integrated into the other ― thus forming a synthesis that one can view from both standpoints: active meditation and meditative action.

An excellent future direction.

Meditation may seem passive.

Sitting on a cushion, secluded, no visible ‘action.’ Of course, this can be passive indeed, depending on how and why. One can be asleep on the cushion or – worse – daydreaming.

Excellent meditation is far from passive. It can even be pretty challenging sometimes. You encounter yourself. You ‘fall into yourself’ ― an adventure with much at stake, although very differently from a non-meditative mindset.

Still, the world doesn’t change through your sitting quietly in a Zen pose.

How can meditation help subsequent action?

In meditation, one more easily sees broader patterns within the field where some action is called for. This can help to make the right choices toward more relevant and efficient actions.

Making the right choices can be a side effect or the purpose itself. In the latter case, you can better see it as simply the setting, not necessarily the content of your meditation. This is: you go toward meditation with this goal ― then let it go. If you consciously take it with you, you’re probably not meditating.

In any case, ‘action within meditation’ will take care of itself in subsequent actions. You carry it with you.

Thus, it becomes a meditative action.

This ‘meditation inside’ will enable you to focus better on your goal.

You can support this by explicitly opening yourself during the action, now and then. Invite the actively meditative mindset you encountered on the cushion. This does not lead to a diminishing of your focused attention.

An example: samurai mindset

A samurai (medieval Japanese sword fighter) frequently integrated meditation in his training ― in the ideal case, active meditation leading to meditative action.

This brings a good tip for meditation: being consistently at the brink of jumping up and ready for action, not losing a second. You can feel your sword ready to cut through any deluded thinking. [For insiders, this is the Manjushri way.]

Of course, not all meditation goes like this.

From many ways in which people can meditate, I just described one. You might practice this inside a setting of warm and friendly meditation.

Please see this as part of the path toward global Compassion.