THE ESSENCE OF
MEDITATION
Meditation, in its purest and most fundamental form, goes far beyond any technique or effort: it is the art of doing nothing and surrendering to what is.
Doing nothing means that we will certainly not try to control, calm, or stop our thoughts; nor will we try to achieve anything or create an experience different from the one that is present in the moment. It is a pure and simple cessation of any attempt to manipulate or control our experience, and a simple openness to what is.
Our true nature as pure Consciousness, along with its qualities of stillness and peace , is already present .
Yes, silence is always present! It is one of the qualities of the Consciousness that we are, one of the qualities of the space in which thoughts arise. So we won’t find this silence in a mental experience, since it exists outside the realm of thoughts. And above all, this silence doesn’t need to be created or manufactured, since it’s already present at the heart of our experience.
If we imagine that it is through some activity or control over our thoughts that we will be able to generate silence or peace, we are trapped in an illusion: the illusion of the person who is seeking to achieve something. Furthermore, if we start from the premise that this silence and peace are not already present, we are turning our backs on reality and on our deepest nature.
This illusion will become an obstacle because it will monopolize our attention, keeping it focused on what is happening at the level of thoughts and images, thereby leaving us unconsciously focused on the content of our mental activity and the efforts we are making to change certain aspects of our experience or to reach a different state.
Furthermore, trying to control our thoughts generates even more mental activity.
When our attention is thus focused on thoughts and on the activity and control they generate, we are fixated on the noise. This makes it harder to perceive that silence is already there, right alongside the noise and activity.
Similarly, if I ask you, “What do you perceive about the room you’re in?” In your answer, you’ll likely mention plenty of details about objects or elements in the room, but it’s unlikely you’ll mention space. And yet space is right there! It is, in fact, the most significant element in the experience of the room and in the existence of all the objects within it.
It's the same with silence. Silence is the quality of the space in which thoughts come and go.
That is why we choose to do nothing.
Doing nothing allows our attention to shift away from our thoughts and from the incessant activity of conflict and control that accompanies them. Because this “doing nothing”—this non-effort—is already at work at the very core of our deepest nature.
Thus, by aligning one’s attitude with the qualities of absolute passivity and transparency of consciousness, an openness to what is can arise.
In this openness, our attention relaxes and expands, detaching itself from objects (in this case, primarily thoughts) to begin perceiving the context, the container: the space in which objects appear.
And the more our attention relaxes, the more effortlessly we remain, and the more our deepest nature reveals itself to us, also unfolding its qualities of peace, silence, and space—which are then perceived as fundamental elements inherent in every experience.
When we stop doing anything, all that remains is the true nature of reality, and that which is not the result of any activity or effort is revealed.
So what is necessary in meditation is to let go of control, to stop seeking any particular experience.
We also let go of all forms of concentration, all forms of technique, and all forms of manipulation of our experience.
We let effort and the “self” step aside, even going so far as to let go of the role of meditator or witness. It is a total surrender, a return to the absolute simplicity of being!
The rest—your authentic Self, your true nature—reveals itself in a completely natural way.
And you may then discover that meditation is not something you do, but rather who you are.
You can discover a dimension of being that is unconditionally in a deep meditative state—a state of pure presence and infinite stillness.
Trust the process.
It cannot fail to reveal itself because it is already there—it is already who you are.
It’s not as if you have to become something, or create silence. If that were the case, you might not be able to do it. But here, this Consciousness, this Self—it’s already who you are! This silence, this peace, this stillness—they’re already an integral part of who you are!
And when all effort ceases, it becomes obvious.
Patrick Boulan
Teaching from a meditation class.
To attend Non-Dual Meditation classes in Bordeaux or online, visit the Meditation page on the website