Non-Doing – How to Meditate

Meditation, Non-Doing, and Waiting for Godot

In the early 1950’s Samuel Beckett wrote a beautiful play titled “Waiting for Godot”. It is probably his most famous work. The play is powerful as it centers on the issues of nothingness and yearning. The critics at the time called this work and others like it “Theatre of the Absurd” as life in these plays appear to have no meaning.

An absurdist’s story generally ends up where it started; nothing has been accomplished and nothing gained. The characters may be uncertain of time and place, and they are virtually the same at the end of the play as they were at the beginning.

Nothing to Be Done
Over and over again in the play, the two main characters stand perplexed and say “Nothing to be done”. The play is packed full of non-doing. I have seen a number of performances of this play including one on Broadway in the late 80’s. Every one of these productions failed to capture the profound humanity and humor that Beckett expresses in his writing.

Just as in life, it is not just what we say—but how we say it. Mood, feeling and disposition are everything to a piece like this. These characters never lose hope. They are absolute innocents. Without the presence of innocence and hope, this play is intolerably long and boring. It is a metaphor for life. It is all about how we manage in spirit, regardless of circumstances. What is it that keeps us going?

Boredom, Non-Doing and Meditation
The French version of the play debuted in 1953 in Paris. The English version debuted in 1955 in London. The play has been produced and performed many times since, including those produced and performed by inmates in prisons all over the world. The theme is understandably fascinating to prisoners.

Doing nothing, or going nowhere is something those who meditate—particularly sitting meditation encounter head-on. I believe it is Osho who spoke of boredom as an important landmark on one’s inner journey. If you have reached absolute utter boredom then you are doing something right.

How do we bide our time? What do we do with our lives once we realize we are not actually going anywhere? Do we imagine there is someone with all the answers who we may eventually encounter? How do we make peace with this overwhelming limbo? Are the details of our simple lives enough? This play dramatizes these questions.

Waiting On Stage in Detroit, 1982
I was just beginning to meditate while in college around 1982. I majored in theatre and acting in Detroit, Michigan. While in college I was involved in a production of this amazing play. It was not an official production put on by the University. Instead it was a group of friends who put it together.

The experience of performing “Waiting for Godot” was profound. There was a magic that followed us around throughout the rehearsal period and the production. I felt guided by the beauty of what must have been Samuel Beckett’s chronicle of his own deep encounter and inquiry. It was a delight to perform. The experience was extremely meditative and the few of us involved formed a strange silent and intimate bond.

More information on Waiting for Godot.

For those interested in a copy of the play—

Art as Meditation- Emotional States, Drawing and Thought

—Interview with Van Huebner, Part Five—
Go to Part One of Van’s Interview on—
Drawing as Meditation- Art as Meditation.

Meditation How: Okay, so now I have a few more. One is regarding the word “error”— just wondering if you meant “area”… The second question is if you could describe (rather than your intent) your emotional state… joyous, manic, and ideally not just adjectives but the emotional process as you draw and meditation deepens as you draw. In addition, is there a sense of culmination or completion, or does it just diffuse?

Van: Ooo, great questions. Let’s see. No, to the first; I did mean “error.” On the subject of “emotional states” I guess I’d have to say it is a “calm”. In real-time our emotions are in flux, right, and kind of connected to the outside stimuli. When I’m drawing, or at least in the middle of this process, I feel detached—yet, I’m on a high plateau of calm. I’m not sure that answers well enough that part of your question… but, it also occurs to me that I do feel a slow sense of closure, or maybe a better phrase for it, would be landing.

The product, however, does not always give me satisfaction; but the process does; always – even when “I” intrude upon the event feeling frustrated by a particular difficulty, I can get back to the plateau pretty easily. And oddly, when the matter of a “likeness” in a portrait is at hand and becoming successful, this plateau is that much more unstable – I can feel the ego trying to jump onto the stage for moment and I have to ward him off. Regardless, I don’t always feel a sense of culmination, either. Especially with portraits, and maybe for the above reason – that the ego tries to “take credit” for the product.

For the stuff that just comes out of my head there’s never any question about culmination because at the outset, there’s little intention to represent and therefore it’s all no more meaningful than as you mentioned using the restroom. Sorry for the lack of brevity. Thought I’d send an image to illustrate the combination of portrait and manicgram. I’ve created virtually nothing of my own in Washington. I did work as a designer for Christine Alexander for a very brief period; but beyond that, all my visual thought has remained just that. I did continue to fill a common book journal and began to theorize passionately about visual thinking. Here are some examples of drawings and artwork.

Meditation How: These are all great. I think I have what I need. Thank you for interviewing.

Van: Thank you.

About Van: Van studied at Wayne State University, the College for Creative Studies, and the University of Washington, Seattle. He’s participated in only one showing of his work which was about 10 years ago at a fund-raiser for a small theater group in Hollywood, CA. called the “Non-Prophet Hatching Co.” Currently he lives in Tacoma, Washington where he continues to refuse to take part in the subversion of the art market: i.e., he does not sell his work. He provides it freely online for anyone to see at sites like www.myspace.com/arbiforum. He has several blogspot.com blogs through Google:
The Neuroboros, Lingual Pond, Involuted Frontier, and Reelin’ in the Real.

Read Van’s Extended Biography.

Standing Meditation- Mind, Practice, Spirituality, Paradox

—Interview with Rodney Owen, Part Four—
Go to Part One of Rodney’s Interview—
Standing Meditation, Quaker Meditation, Breathing, etc.

Rodney: It is indeed a paradox. But I see it from an odd and perhaps practical point of view. Yes, the Kingdom is among us and all we have to do is recognize it, but how? I mean, we have teeth and hair and skin and appetites. But if we don’t grow a garden or hunt animals or work and go to the market, we can’t satisfy our appetites and we die. If we don’t bath, brush our teeth, wash our hair, we may either lose them or abhor the condition they are in.

Likewise, we are all that we need— we just need to recognize that. But that requires some effort too, even if that effort is simply sitting. The Buddha said that life is suffering mainly because we get attached. Non-attachment is no more a natural state in this world than clean teeth are. We have to brush our Karma as well as our teeth. I agree that our efforts stand in our way. But it is our efforts to grow our gardens and raise our children and love our neighbors that get in our way.

These actions are necessary, but worldly, and people will steal from us, and tax us, and send our children to war, and pollute our environment, and fill our ears with propaganda. These are the things that stain our psyches and our bodies just as tea stains our teeth. Our practices help to wash us clean, to maintain us in body mind and spirit. Our practices are spiritual toothpaste if you will. So instead of our practices getting in the way, they get “us” out of the way of our natural blooming.

That blooming is always there, just waiting to happen much like the lilies out in my garden. They are waiting for the right conditions. I should till and fertilize the soil so that I get the best bloom possible. Likewise we do our spiritual practices to clean away the world so that we can be who we really are. But even with that, if we get attached to our efforts, we do indeed stand on our own way. So, it is still a paradox. But what else can you do?

Meditation How: I like your response. I get what you are saying. There is something that sticks with me on this subject and it has to do with squirrels and how they are compelled to hide nuts for later. What is it in their nature that recognizes this need and does something about it in the moment. Is it written into instinct and natural impulse to care for what needs to be cared for? If this is the case do we need to plan, or will arrive in our awareness without our day-planner? Independent of societal structures do you think human nature needs to be tended to or simply witnessed? In short, is it enough that you can’t help but do what you do?

Rodney: I don’t know. I think the human gift of abstract thought is both a blessing and a curse. I think Yogananda would say that we have the ability to arrive in our awareness without our day-planner. But our conditioning stands in the way. So, again, our practices work to clear the way for that possibility. Now, I am thinking as I write this (built-in dual processor) and I think that yes we have that ability. Again, drawing on Yogananda, we have the potential ability with our minds to do most anything. We can make our needs appear simply through the power of mind, and live a life of unbelievable synchronicity if we are properly attuned with the Universe.

Note, I said the potential. Making this an actuality is a matter of a lot of spiritual work, but I understand there have been plenty of people to demonstrate such mental/spiritual power. Of course this is taking this discussion to another level altogether— which is also extremely interesting to me, by the way. I guess at a base level we have the built-in nature that squirrels do, and have forgotten how to use it. At the same time we have the apparent supernatural potential that Yogananda and countless other Yogis talk about. Most of us are stuck somewhere in between.

Meditation How: I am so glad you acknowledged this. I can’t tell you how important that is to me. For myself, in deep meditation I don’t even feel particularly human. What I mean is I just feel more like life in general or refined, independent of biological specifics. If we follow this along, it makes sense that our identities have us viewing nature in a kind of clump state, where biology ends with my skin, takes a break and then starts up again with another person’s skin… it just doesn’t really cut the inner mustard.

So circumstances in our life may just be an extension of nature and biology, all abundantly cared for by and through relationship just like the cells in our bodies. Yes, it may well be another discussion. I really appreciate the time you have taken to do this interview, and I want to make sure readers are clear on what additional information they may find on your meditative practice on your site, as well as any other significant links of support. I would also like to know if you recommend any books on this form of meditation you practice.

Rodney: Thanks again Benjamin. This has been a very enlightening experience. I look forward to reading the post, and the rest of your new blog. Good luck with the rest of the project— Namaste.

About Rodney: Rodney J Owen is a small-businessman, writer, musician, and martial artist living in North Carolina. He writes about martial arts, Qigong, and mindfulness practices at nagualtime.blogspot.com. His personal website, with samples of writing, music, and assorted oddball subjects is at rodneyjowen.com.

Meditation as Spiritual Practice- Standing, Breathing, Taiji

—Interview with Rodney Owen, Part Three—
Go to Part One of Rodney’s Interview—
Standing Meditation, Quaker Meditation, Breathing, etc.

Rodney: The thing about breathing is typical for all forms of meditation for me. The deeper I go into the meditative state, the shallower my breathing becomes. I am sure that there is some breathing going on, else it would be difficult to function. But the sensation is that it becomes so shallow that it is imperceptible. To get to this stage of meditation one must not focus on or think about any one thing too much. Attachment is attachment, whatever the discipline.

So sitting here in my analytical world of too much thinking, it would be hard to say what really is happening in that world. But my awareness is that little or no breathing is happening. It has always been my experience that some of that “bliss” from the meditative state creeps into my analytical, everyday world. For standing meditation that is even more so because it is a healing exercise as well. It works to integrate mind-body awareness. One of the things we try to be aware of while standing is physical stress and/or Qi blockages.

These are addressed through relaxation and attention to structural alignment. It is perceptible when these stresses are relieved, when the blockages are opened. This results in a new relationship with our bodies, much like we feel after a really good night’s sleep or a chiropractic alignment. This new physical feeling stays with me. But there is also an atypical sense of mind/body awareness or maybe mind/body agreement that occurs because of this experience. That sense of agreement will also break into my normal day-to-day world at unexpected moments. It is a jolt of Qi; kind of like an unexpected runner’s high, without the running.

Meditation How: I really only have one last question, and that is due to my posing the questions have you felt that the questions have directed you “away from” or “toward” what is your own personal reason or value achieved through meditation. To whatever degree this is the case, I’d like you to relate those areas that we were not able to cover due to this. In connection with this, do you have any personal goals connected with your meditative practices that are something clear enough to share?

Rodney: OK, I’ll give this one a shot: When I first started meditating, some twenty two or so years ago I basically wanted to clear up the confusion— the confusion that sets in as soon as we leave the womb and start breathing air, and that is further stirred up as the people around us explain to us what life is and what it isn’t. I am a son of the South, born and raised in the Bible belt and subjected to all the philosophy that entails. But I’m curious and an individualist. I question everything. So meditation was a tool to help understand the spiritual side of life and to break through conditioning and see the world differently. After a while I met with unexpected success.

Two decades later and I’m still seeking, but I feel I’m better grounded, not so influenced by the mass mythology. What I look for now is reassurance of that same success I experienced years ago. To use religious language I want to minimize the effect of Samsara; I want to realize the Tao; to be in the presence of the Holy Spirit; to step over into the Nagual; become one with the Universe; continue to heal my physical body and my spirit (which includes memories, conditioning, the effects of Karma, mental health, past hurts and mistakes). So, yes answering your questions has helped me to focus on my goals.

I am a writer. Writing is one of my best tools for learning. Explaining my practices helps me to put together in my head all the disparate pieces so that there is at least some method to the madness. And being a curious individualist I’m typically not satisfied with anyone else’s explanations, philosophies, theologies. It seems I’m doomed to do everything my own way. And right now I consider spiritual growth to include the physical body. So Qigong is as equally important as meditation. In fact I consider it the same thing. I often just sit. But I would consider a 1-1/2 hour Taiji session to be a religious practice. My Taiji form is moving meditation. And some Qigong forms are spiritually moving in a way that I have never experienced with sitting meditation.

Spiritual Practice- Standing, Breathing, Taiji Tai Chi Qigong

So, explicating standing meditation has helped me to better understand my practice. But the unexpected aspect of this interview was our discussion of Quaker practice. Perhaps because of the religious underpinning and the social taboo of discussing religion, I am generally very hesitant to discuss these things. And that is kind of odd for me, because I don’t compartmentalize any of my spiritual practices. I believe the Divine is everywhere, everything is Divine. So taking out the trash is as sacramental as anything else for me. It has been reassuring for me to remind myself how important all my practices are, and the philosophies behind them.

I would say my present personal goals are non-attachment, simplicity, exceptional health, inner peace, transcendence, and the ability to share these as I attain them. I will approach these through the practices we discussed, plus listening— to others, to the Universe, to that small voice within, to wise words. I hope this last answer isn’t too long and rambling. Sometimes it just keeps on coming.
I want to thank you for the opportunity to do this. This has been very rewarding for me. I hope I have been helpful to you. Feel free to reply with any follow-up, questions or concerns.

Meditation How: Your answer is not at all too long. Your passion is beautiful. You have got me excited about giving some of these body-oriented meditation practices a try. I wanted to point out a few things I noticed. One is the phrase you just used in reference to your writing and that is “sometimes it just keeps on coming”. This is paradoxically beautiful and made me laugh. The second thing I would like to mention— and it is related to the first— is that although we are both quite passionate about the spiritual goodies on our “to do list” there are countless parables and wise sayings that insist we have all of these things now.

So my last question concerns this paradoxical problem of motive versus non-doing, passion versus acceptance, and believing we have work to do on ourselves when that work may be in truth as simple as letting go of the will and recognizing we are already where we think we want to be— that our efforts are the only thing that stand in our way. After all “sometimes is just keeps on coming”.

Continue with Interview with Rodney Owen, Part Four.