Vinaire's Blog

Effortlessness

To let meditation be effortless

Complete Exercise: Contemplation.

In this exercise you practice effortlessness. You may do this exercise while sipping coffee in a café or strolling along a river. You may even find a place where you can sit comfortably for a while without being disturbed. Then patiently observe the world go by.

Prepare yourself as in earlier exercises. Observe the environment and the people in a casual, easygoing manner. Observe what is there in the environment using all your senses. Let various forms, sounds, smells, taste, touch, thoughts, emotions, impulses etc. come to you. Do not strain to perceive them.

Become aware of the body and stay aware of it without interfering with its natural movements, such as, that of breathing, or responding to natural impulses. Let physical reactions, such as, twitches in muscles, minor pains and aches, sleepiness, etc., come and go. Experience the body as a whole without resisting it.

Become aware of the mind and stay aware of it without interfering with its natural thought processes. Let your attention be non-judgmental. Let mental reactions, such as, memories, feelings, emotions, thoughts, etc., come and go. Experience the mind as a whole without resisting it.

Simply observe the physical and mental objects necessary to follow the trail of interest. Let the mind contemplate on anomalies (inconsistencies, disharmonies and discontinuities) as they present themselves.

Let your eyes be open, half-closed, or closed naturally and not be controlled. Keep this exercise as effortless as possible.

Continue this exercise for at least 20 minutes. You may repeat this exercise as many times as you wish.

When you can meditate effortlessly, then this exercise is passed.

Name and Form

To practice not getting hung up on name and form.

Complete Exercise: Associate Data Freely.

In this exercise you observe things beyond their name and form. You may do this exercise while sipping coffee in a café or strolling along a river. You may even find a place where you can sit comfortably for a while without being disturbed. Then patiently observe the world go by.

Prepare yourself as in the earlier exercises. Observe the environment and the people in a casual, easygoing manner. Notice the name and the outer form of the object that you are observing. For example, you may be observing an apple (as Newton did).

Contemplate on the ideas associated with the name and form of this object. Contemplate on its properties. Contemplate on the purpose, possible uses, and history of this object. Explore all such associations. Contemplate over this object looking at it in the context of the whole universe. Do this with as many different objects as the time allows.

There should not be any strain in such contemplation. Do it in a leisurely manner. You may consult references on internet, in books, etc.

Continue this exercise for at least 20 minutes. You may repeat this exercise as many times as you wish.

When you can look at something without getting hung up on its name and form, then this exercise is passed.

Do Not Suppress

To practice not suppressing anything from oneself.

Complete Exercise: Experience Fully.

In this exercise you practice not suppressing anything from yourself. You may do this exercise while sipping coffee in a café or strolling along a river. You may even find a place where you can sit comfortably for a while without being disturbed. Then patiently observe the world go by.

Address any medical condition appropriately before starting this exercise. Make sure the body is well-rested, well-fed and free of stimulants. Make sure the environment is safe and free of disturbance.

Observe without suppressing anything. Be totally candid with yourself. If something shameful appears then observe and experience the shame. If something threatening appears then observe and experience the threat. Do not pre-judge and avoid something just because it seems painful. Experience it without suppressing anything. The pain won’t be as bad as you thought.

Allow all thoughts, memories, visualizations, etc., to come up regardless of their nature. If you feel sleepy or blank, then do not suppress it. Simply go through whatever reaction is there.

Expand your span of attention to as wide a context as possible, and let the physical and mental perceptions pour in. Review earlier exercises as needed to ensure that you didn’t suppress anything.

Continue this exercise for at least 20 minutes. You may repeat this exercise as many times as you wish.

When you can comfortably look at even your darkest secrets without suppressing anything, then this exercise is passed.