Meditation is now sold as the ultimate remedy. It’s not true. Psychological issues are largely untouched by meditation. You may be able to slow down the proliferation of thoughts and disidentify from them. But the problems of life will not stop coming.
By Angel Roberto Puente
We are born into confusion.
We emerge from the dark comfort of the womb to the turmoil of invaded senses, and we react the best we can. Crying for food, affection and a clean diaper. We never outgrow the initial welcome into this difficult world. All through our lives, as we age, we go from confusion to confusion. The psychologist Erik Erikson, talks of eight stages of psycho-social adaptation ranging from hope to wisdom. Abraham Maslow speaks of needs that have to be satisfied, from the basic physiological to self actualization.
Is there any way to avoid this? I don’t think so. How about finding a way to make it better? With some work, it’s possible.
I remember feeling out of place when very young. I didn’t learn until much, much later that I was naturally quiet—an introvert. My search started when I was only 14 years old. Three years later I had the beginnings of a practice that would accompany me the rest of my life.
Did this save me from confusion? Of course not. You can’t grow without it. I say this to the younger generations. The older ones probably already know this. You shed one life and jump into an unknown one. For so much of my life, I felt like a dog that has been tied for the first time; jumping up and down and pulling on the cable, and trying to bite through to no avail.
Having tools to manage the situation is imperative. I truly pity those who haven’t been able to find them. It’s impossible to survive, with any degree of health, without the tools.
The statistics on depression and suicide tell the story.
I, in the spirit of Avalokiteshvara, have also cried tears of sorrow when I have witnessed this much closer than I would have wanted. Meditation is now sold as the ultimate remedy. It’s not true. Psychological issues are largely untouched by meditation. You may be able to slow down the proliferation of thoughts and disidentify from them. But the problems of life will not stop coming.
With every new problem will come associations to past events. Sometimes bad memories are dredged up from forgetfulness.
Psychological savvy is necessary to deal with this. Using the concentration skills learned in meditation practice to bully the way through is a monumental mistake. Disregarding professional help is dangerous.
I’m inclined to psychology; it was my major at the university. And I found that there are some self help methods that are useful. I discovered Gene Gendlin’s, Focusing, early on. I found it to be very compatible with the zazen I was practicing. I still use it. The other matter I dove deep into were relaxation techniques—from progressive relaxation to auto hypnosis. Now, the body scan technique is widely used in meditation practice. Progress in practice is impossible without relaxation.
Many contemporary teachers have degrees in psychology.
More and more we see meditation groups that acknowledge this dimension of behavior and admit that meditation may have counterproductive effects on some people, especially those with traumatic experiences. We have to end teacher worship and the search for perfection in them. Teachers are in the same boat that we are, dealing with the same problems. We shouldn’t expect more than instruction in the tradition of meditation they represent.
It was because of the belief that meditation is the end to all afflictions, that so many people have gotten and still get hurt.
The gift of the West to meditation practice will be sound scientific research and the inclusion of the complete range of psychological life. Until then, we have to be cautious about trying to make meditation an end all. Having mental health will always be the best start.
For the last 10 years, my confusion has been about finding a community where I can feel comfortable. I’ve outgrown the rituals of Japanese Zen or Chinese Chan. I don’t believe in the koan education model. They are good conversation pieces but as Bankei (my man!) would say, “All I do is comment directly on people themselves. That takes care of everything. I don’t have to quote other people. So you won’t find me saying anything about either the Buddha Dharma or the Zen Dharma.”
Balancing my deep respect for Buddha, the early Chinese Zen masters of the Tang dynasty, on whom the koans are based, Bankei and my love for Christ has been very confusing. Were it not for the countless testimonies of people with the same confusion I couldn’t have resolved my own.
We shouldn’t be afraid of confusion. Most of the time it’s only temporary and hopefully short lived. Until the next one comes along. They just add some spice to life.
They are worth it.
Did you like this post? You may also like:
Comments
El amor de Ángel Roberto Puente por la investigación comenzó desde su infancia cuando desarmaba los juguetes que recibía en Navidad. Lo único que consiguió después fueron juegos de montaje. Una experiencia temprana de lo no conceptual lo llevó a un viaje para reconciliar una educación cristiana con la práctica de Zazen y los estudios de Psicología. Habiendo logrado una solución cómoda, ahora se sienta con Morning Star Zendo. Un grupo zen dirigido por un sacerdote jesuita/Roshi. Como introvertido maduro, todavía separa las cosas, y ahora los conceptos y las creencias. Check out his site here.
- The Starry-eyed Syndrome - August 30, 2024
- Where is God? - August 21, 2024
- Sitting in Practice with American Zen and the Importance of Adaptation - August 14, 2024
