Levels of Meditation

I was listening to a podcast about meditation recently, and there was an ad (because of course there was) for a meditation app. The ad proclaimed proudly that this app would help you meditate “better” than ever before, that there were different sets of meditations, some for beginners and some for “advanced” meditators that would help them move forward with their meditation “skills.” For a low, low fee, you, too, can benefit from the wonderful advantages that science has proved come with a regular meditation practice. With MRI’s, you can see the changes in your brain that will help you live longer.

Sigh.

Meditation is something that does not mix well with capitalist claims. It actually made me laugh. I’ve been doing meditation pretty regularly for a year and not as regularly for several years before that. The more I do meditation, the less I think it is about getting better at anything. Sometimes I choose silent meditation. Sometimes I choose to listen to a guided meditation. It has nothing to do with me moving forward with meditation because that very idea is antithetical to the Buddhist practice. Meditation is about NOT DOING ANYTHING. It’s about letting go of the capitalist rat race of having to be productive all the time and having to prove how well you’ve used every second of your life. Getting better at meditation means nothing. If you think you need to get better at meditation, might I gently suggest you’re doing it wrong. Because there is nothing to get better at. Meditation is nothing.

I kind of hate that there are scientific studies proving the benefits of meditation. I really, really hated the trial meditation app that I got for a few days that led me through a certain set of practices to “learn how to meditate.” F*ck that. Any good meditation is good for anyone to meditate to. It just depends on what you want/need that day to disconnect from the pressures of life in a capitalist world. I suspect next we’ll get companies paying you to meditate because it makes you more productive. Gee, thanks.

I don’t care if you “meditate” or not. I do care if you find ways to NOT be productive and to do nothing for as long as you can stand it. Yes, meditation has been helpful for me in being able to extend the length of time that I can stand doing nothing. Not everyone needs that. But I’m going to continue to be annoyed at the idea that meditation is some MLM level system where people on higher levels charge you money to get to where they are. No, just, no.