Levels of success in meditation

ackkkright,

Thinking on a more abstract and subtler level is indeed a good thing. If you feel that concentrating on the syllable does this, it may be because you have a different definition of concentration (we define it here as forcing the attention on one thing, which is always a strain, and can cause headache), or because of your current pattern of stress release.

More than anything else, it is important to know that experiences during meditation may change at any time. The only "technique" that works in the long run is innocence, which means taking it as it comes without adding anything else of our own to NSR.

From our side, the only thing we do is remember the syllable, then take it as it comes. If it can't come due to stress release (as indicated by the impossibility of thinking the mantra effortlessly), that's fine. That can only happen due to stress release, and stress release is exactly what we want!

The purpose of meditation is to have the experience of pure consciousness. But in order to have that experience, it is useful not to be overburdened by stored stresses, which tend to obscure our true nature. By keeping our practice effortless, we ensure that our body gets deep rest, deep enough to rid ourselves of those pesky stresses.

"I feel that my practice has varying degrees of success."

We all feel this way, but it is actually an illusion. In those meditation sessions in which the inward stroke (the experience of pure consciousness) dominates, we experience silence, expansion, and some degree of joy. These experiences make us judge those sessions as successful.

Other meditation sessions may be dominated by the outward stroke (the experience of the side effects of stress release, such as thoughts, emotions, memories, etc.). These experiences may make us judge those sessions as unsuccessful.

But eliminating stresses is an absolutely essential prerequisite for lasting inner silence and joy. Therefore both the inward and outward strokes are necessary for personal progress, and preferring one over the other doesn't actually make sense. When we have a "rough" session, it is because we have made good progress in dissolving stresses. We ought to judge such a session as successful and beneficial, even if it is not subjectively as much fun.

In the long run, releasing stresses in every meditation session really does result in dramatically less stored stress. That translates into more enjoyable sessions (and daily life) the longer we practice regularly.

Fortunate are those who make NSR a permanent part of their lives. Eliminating stress eventually develops a state of fulfillment in life; fulfillment based on being able to do less yet accomplish more. This skill in action depends on having access to the full functioning of our mind, which in turn depends on freedom from the dysfunctions caused by stress.

It all comes from effortless attention to the mantra in the midst of silence. It is a simple, natural, easy, and innocent process.

David Spector
NSR Meditation/USA