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Meditation Is Not What You Think It Is
Then what is it?
The Tao Te Ching states: “The tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao.“
The same applies to meditation. The mediation that can be explained is not meditation. It sounds confusing, but it isn’t. Take another example. Kissing. Try to explain what kissing is like to someone who never did it. The other person is madly in love, but has never kissed anyone in that way. How would you explain the experience?
All you can do is drawing comparisons to other similar experiences. But is it similar to kissing?
What you’re left with is a vague description: It may be wet, and warm on your lips, with a slight pressure, but not too strong.
You may be quite imaginative in your attempts — but is that kissing?
Too many factors play into this experience; it is virtually impossible to pin down the essence of what it’s like.
This is the main reason why every attempt to explain what meditation is like will fail; it has to be experienced.
So every book you read, every video you watch, every class you attend is not it. It’s like reading a description of a product you wish to buy without ever buying it. Even hundreds of reviews will not bring you closer to understanding what it is about.
