Meditation techniques are mental disciplines that allow us to calm, focus, and examine the mind. This de-conditioning process is a slowing down and observation of the usual mad-monkey stream of thoughts, perceptions, reactions, feelings. Usually we are dragged along by our desires, prejudices, conditioning, and instincts. Meditation is practicing being clear and alert, freeing ourselves from conditioned reactions to the constant flow of events and mental process.
Buddhist meditation leads to the clear perception of three things: impermanence, suffering, and the lack of an abiding self. As the mind becomes concentrated and observant, the constant change of all physical and mental phenomena is realized. Absolutely all we know, see, hear, feel, think, smell, and taste—even the ‘watcher’, the knowing of these—is changing from moment to moment. As this constant flow is seen more fully, any involvement or attachment becomes clearly undesirable, a cause of suffering.
The meditator sees all events of the mind and body as an empty process that happens by itself, seeing that there is no one, no ‘self’ behind it. Although this process possesses order, following the Law of Karma or cause and effect, there is nothing in us that can be seen as permanent, an abiding self or soul. Simply the orderly unfolding of mind and matter, arising and perishing moment to moment.
To see this clearly, to experience deeply the true emptiness of self, is enormously freeing. The mind becomes detached, clear, and radiant. It is the illusions of permanence, of happiness, and especially of self-hood that bind us to the world of duality and keep us separate from one another and from the true flow of nature. A deep perception of the void, the emptiness of all conditioned phenomena, undercuts our desire to grasp and hold on to any object or mind-state as a source of lasting happiness. Final happiness comes from this non-attachment, this balance. It is freedom from all suffering. Peace.
