Don’t Meditate

Don't Meditate is a guided practice instruction based on the principle of negation. One does not need to cultivate, analyze, do, be, meditate. It is cutting through all ideas of doing and achieving anything, thus getting to the heart of meditation, which is non-meditation.

Transcript

Please sit with good posture.

If you are on a chair,

Place your feet flat on the ground,

Sit upright,

And do not lean back.

If you are sitting on the floor,

Please sit like a Buddha,

Legs crossed,

Back straight,

Eyes open,

And gazing downwards.

Now,

To put this instruction in context,

There are essentially two ways of communicating the teachings on meditation.

What to do or cultivate,

And what not to do.

The first is explained in positive terms.

Follow your breath,

Cultivate love and compassion,

Visualize something.

The second is explained in negative terms.

Don't do this,

Don't do that.

It is negation.

Both of these approaches are important,

And now I would like to speak in terms of not or don't.

We are constantly being told to do this and that so that something will be better.

So many promises,

So much hope for the future,

New Year's resolutions,

Meditation,

Striving and straining to become better.

Meditate more,

Study more,

Love more,

Live more,

Be more.

Then,

When we are not able to achieve what we set out to do,

We might become discouraged,

We might give up.

So let's try together now the other approach,

Which is just pure not negation.

It is not being negative or nihilistic.

This is a,

In fact,

A very clean approach,

A constant clearing away of what is unnecessary.

It is like Ikibana,

Japanese flower arranging.

We cut away the unnecessary branches to reveal the natural beauty of nature.

Nature does not need to be improved upon.

It is perfect just as it is.

It is the same with us.

We are already naturally perfect,

And so we just need to cut the unnecessary to reveal our beautiful and pure nature.

So let's begin.

Each section now begins with an instruction and then a pause.

First of all,

Since I've made such a big splash in my life about meditation,

I'm not going to meditate.

There are so many promises about meditation.

In other words,

Don't meditate.

I talk to myself like this and you're welcome to join me.

Of course,

I'm keeping good meditation posture all along,

Definitely not lying in bed.

But other than that,

I don't do anything.

So don't meditate.

While sitting upright,

Don't follow your breath.

Don't gaze at an object.

Don't meditate on impermanence or change.

Don't meditate.

Don't try to meditate.

If you find yourself following the breath or focusing on an object,

Don't try to stop it.

If you are thinking a lot,

Don't try to stop it.

Don't do anything.

If you find yourself doing something,

Like with your mind or your body,

Don't try to stop it.

Don't do anything or stop anything.

Don't think about the past.

Don't think about thoughts about the past.

If you find yourself thinking about the past,

Don't try to stop it.

Don't try to keep it going either.

Don't think about the future.

Don't think about thoughts about the future.

If you find yourself thinking about the future,

Don't try to stop thoughts about the future.

Don't try to keep them going either.

Don't make New Year's resolutions for the future.

Don't think about how it will be better in the future.

If you find yourself thinking about doing it better in the future,

Don't try to stop those thoughts.

Don't try to keep them going either.

Don't analyze your experience right now.

Don't analyze your experience thinking,

This is good,

This is not so good.

If you think your experience right now is good,

Don't try to stop the thoughts that it is good.

Don't try to keep them going either.

If you think your experience right now needs improvement,

Don't try to stop those thoughts and don't try to keep them going either.

Don't look outside of yourself for something to make you feel good.

If you find yourself thinking about something good on the outside,

Don't try to stop those thoughts.

Don't try to keep them going either.

Don't look for something inside yourself to make yourself feel good.

If you do find yourself looking for something good inside,

Don't try to stop it and don't try to keep it going either.

Don't make an effort to do anything at all.

If you find yourself making some kind of effort,

Then don't make any effort.

If you find yourself just trying to be,

Then don't try to be.

Don't try to do something.

Don't try to not do something.

Don't try to find some kind of middle ground.

If you find yourself thinking a lot,

Don't try to stop it.

If you find yourself relaxed and present in the moment,

Don't try to keep that going.

Don't move.

If you find yourself moving all over the place,

Don't move.

Don't look outside yourself.

Don't look inside yourself.

If you feel angry,

Don't try to stop it.

If you feel passionate,

Don't do anything about it.

If you feel stupid,

Don't try to change or correct it.

Don't freeze the present moment into ice.

Don't hold on to something.

Don't dwell in your memories.

If you find yourself thinking about your life,

Don't try to stop it.

Don't relax.

Don't stop your thoughts.

Don't try to stop your thoughts,

But keep your posture.

Keep your posture.

Keep your posture.

Keep your posture.

What are your experiences with this?

Your comments will be appreciated.

Thank you.

Reviews

This was a very freeing “not meditation” meditation. Thank you.

A good approach. I first encountered the negation approach reading Ouspenski (Gurdijeff). One thing I have quite never allowed to be - is sleepiness whenever I close my eyes or gently gaze a few meters in front of me. I “fight” through it and then I’m ok (most of the time). If I don’t, I doze off. Any suggestions?

Oh man. That was just what I needed. Thank you Brian.

The negotiations helped me to see meditation from another perspective than usual. 🙏

This is the kind off meditation I like. It's a reminder to be, that such we are without doing, that we just are.
Thank you

Thank you for this 'strange' meditation
It leaves me a little confused behind about what just happened but I was in a state of calm and peace.
So for me it works...I think
Namasté ☯️🍀🥑💠

Very strange but actually offered a lot of insights for me

That was very interesting and refreshing, I will definitely listen to this meditation again!

Very refreshing approach and worth deep consideration.

This was wonderful. Thank you

Today I don’t want to do anything. And have been trying to “fix” that. This not-meditation is sheer joy. I struggle mightily with self acceptance. I have long lists for my self improvement. This gave me to let go of all that today. I am tired. It’s ok to be tired (or not) today.

As a beginner, this spoke to me more than any other exercise. Although I cannot sit up and keep posture just yet, I still found great value when lying down in a comfortable position. Thank you

Absolutely the relief I was looking for! Thank you!!!!!

Wow. Powerful. Shifting out of the habitual experiences of craving and attachent to a cooler place.

Very interesting and relaxing

I enjoyed this, it was interesting. lol I found myself smiling, I found myself as nothing, and everything. I found myself somewhere in there as well, for a moment, in the moment. I’ll definitely try (or not try) this again.

I really enjoyed this because I do find myself ‘trying’ to meditate sometimes and not trying to meditate inadvertently enters you into the meditative state. Very clever, thank you.

Great practice! I found this method to be more natural than actively trying to follow the breath and happened to spend more time following the breath as a result. Thank you!

This helped me to release tension surrounding my practise. Occasionally feelings of disappointed will arise when finding difficulty centering myself during meditation. Moving forward doing my best to "not" to meditate; there can be satifaction in simply being in the moment.

ThankQ Brian

Very interesting meditation about non-attachment. An experience of pure awareness beyond thought.Thank you