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35On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, "Let us go across to the other side." 36And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. 37And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. 38But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" 39And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40He said to them, "Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?" 41And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey him? (Mark 4, ESV)
Continuing the writing from yesterday on Meditative Calm, today we look at the main internal obstacles that happen in meditation to meditative calm. Other obstacles are outside meditation, are external obstacles. In a later Path of Spirit on Meditative Calm, we will look at external obstacles. Such external obstacles, among them lack of experienced guidance and lack of peer support, can provide as much challenge to meditation as internal obstacles.
A first internal obstacle in meditation is agitation. This occurs when mind is active, so much so that mind seems to resist calming down and allowing the one meditating to center. In the Mark 4 passage it would be like the Sea of Galilee replying to Jesus with “No! I won’t!” Mind in this state is like a monkey jumping around or a little gnat that keeps landing on your head or dancing on and off your face. Mind, here, is restless.
A second internal obstacle to meditation is sluggishness. This is not laziness. Rather, here mind tends to experience torpor, or dullness, or apathy. Fatigue can make this more likely. However, this can occur even when one is wakeful.
Regarding these states, meditation seeks to keep one fully alert, yet calm, at the same time. A wakeful calm is the state of meditative equipoise. However, in mediation, mind tends to move from agitation to dullness, with some calm, as well.
What are we to do with agitation, or restlessness, of mind? Here are some antidotes to restlessness of mind:
1. Remember, the nature of the mind is to move and restlessness is a natural aspect of mind. Knowing this can keep you from getting in a condition of discouragement.
2. Allow the mind-body to calm itself when meditating and recall that this will take some time. With experience in meditation, this calming will happen sooner.
3. Keep returning to the calming mechanism. When the mind wanders, return to your prayer word or prayer phrase or breath, whatever calming mechanism is in use (for calming mechanism, see Path of Spirit, 05-12-05).
4. Do not try to overcome restless mind, for forcing calm will not work. The worst thing you can do with agitation of mind is to seek to overcome it; thereby, the agitation increases, for you are adding more restlessness to the present restless mind.
5. Do exercise or yoga, or some other form of energy work, prior to meditation.
6. Eat a healthy diet.
7. Partake of caffeine only in moderate amounts.
8. Practice calming the body; one means of this is a body scan.
9. If you are too agitated, try doing some walking meditation, instead of the sitting.
What are we to do with sluggishness? First, sluggishness needs to be differentiated from meditative calm, including from contemplative prayer. Meditation, again, is a wakeful calm. One can easily think she is in deep meditation or contemplation when, rather, she is simply in a dull sluggishness.
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Being deeply at rest is not necessarily meditative calm. Certainly, in deep meditation time can change and one can lose all sense of linear time. However, alertness will be intact. If you are not in alertness, or wakefulness, you are in dullness. Alertness or lack of alertness defines whether you are in meditative calm or simply dullness.
In working with sluggishness, a number of antidotes are for application:
1. Meditate when you are more alert, rather than when you are more prone to sleepiness or are in fatigue.
2. Mediate in a position more likely to encourage alertness. Some persons can meditate lying down or reclining in a chair, but these positions might lead some persons toward dullness.
3. Do not meditate soon after eating.
4. Cool the room if it is too hot or take off some clothing.
5. One basic technique, I have found only one writer to suggest, yet, I think it appropriate. Traleg Kyabgon recommends having some water in a container and splashing the face (Mind at Ease). I recommend a calmer approach, if splashing seems a little too much, of having some cold or cool water with a washcloth. Wipe the face, gently.
6. Kyabgon offers another suggestion: expand your chest, straighten the spine, open your eyes, and gaze into the distance.
7. With eyes still closed, imagine a sudden flash of bright light appearing at the forehead, between the eyes. This would be at what many call the “single eye,” the energy center associated with nondual vision, or mystical insight.
8. Open the eyes quickly and just as quickly shut them.
9. Break up longer sits into shorter ones, doing some meditative walking and, then, returning to the sit.
10. Kyabgon observes that should dullness become a habitual problem, then, a person may need to reduce food and liquid intake. (Here, please note, one cannot be rightly engaged in a daily practice of meditation and enjoy the “eat and drink all you can” diet.)
11. Exercise on a regular basis.
12. Kyabgon suggests doing breathing exercises on a regular basis.
You can utilize any of the above antidotes to find what works best for you. However, one that is not mentioned is simply to be aware of the agitation or sluggishness. Being alert to the state of mind, at present, is to be present, to be mindful. Likewise, generally, regardless of how agitated or dull is mind, I recommend staying in your meditation sit. I, at times, fall asleep in meditation, and I, often, let myself meditate before going on into sleep at night, knowing I may well go to sleep.
The best antidote to internal obstacles in meditation is attitude. Remember, neither restlessness nor dullness is a problem, per se. They are only a problem if we do not approach them meditatively and with compassion. Some sits mind will remain in dullness, some sits mind will remain restless, some sits mind will seem calm throughout, … Being aware, being alert, in whatever state of mind, whether inside or outside formal meditation, is meditation. Therefore, do not try to force meditative calm. Be with whatever state is present and, then, meditative calm will, usually, arise. Even if it does not, you have meditated, still, for meditation is not meditative calm but alertness and a being present. Meditative calm is a consequence of loving, gentle, and patient Presence.
Spiritual Exercise
1. Go to www.centeringprayer.com and “The Method of Centering Prayer.” Read the material and try Centering Prayer for twenty-thirty minutes, one or two sessions, daily for a week.
2. Share with one person your felt experience of Centering Prayer during the week of practice.
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