In meditation, as in all arts, there has to be a delicate balance between relaxation and alertness. Once a monk called Shrona was studying meditation with one of the Buddha’s closest disciples. He had difficulty finding the right frame of mind. He tried very hard to concentrate, and gave himself a headache.
Then he relaxed his mind, but so much that he fell asleep. Finally he appealed to Buddha for help. Knowing that Shrona had been a famous musician before he became a monk, Buddha asked him: “Weren’t you a vina player when you were a layperson?” Shrona nodded. “How did you get the best sound out of your vina? Was it when the strings were very tight or when they were very loose?” “Neither. When they had just the right tension, neither too taut nor too slack.” “Well, it’s exactly the same with your mind, neither too taut nor too slack.” “Alert, alert; yet relax, relax. This is a crucial point for the View in meditation.” Being alert is important, starting with the posture of our body, which is an external expression of our mind. Sitting upright makes it easier to be alert. However, while maintaining an upright posture, we also need to be relaxed. If we are not relaxed, our body becomes stiff, which is not the right state for meditation. The body should be in a natural state of relaxation, not slack or crooked. There is not only physical slackness, but also mental slackness. If we are mentally slacking off, we lose our alertness which is an important skill in meditation. Maintain our alertness, but stay relaxed at the same time, in fact, relax to the extent that we don’t even cling to the thought of relaxing. Relax, without even thinking of relaxation. This is the delicate balance. Just as what we usually do when listening to the Dharma. When listening to the Dharma, be sure to sit upright, with your eyes preferably focused on the video, remaining alert, yet staying relaxed. If we are not alert, we won’t be able to hear the teachings clearly. And even if we do hear them, our understanding would be fragmented and taken out of context. If we are not relaxed enough, we may have difficulty understanding, or even if we do understand, our understanding would be superficial and shallow. Because without a completely relaxed mind, there won’t be a thorough understanding. We can first practice this delicate balance in meditation, and then gradually apply it to our daily activities. No matter what we do, if we can master the middle way and cultivate this state of balance, we will gradually do everything in a better way. Maintain focused alertness, but be relaxed and free from attachment. Because your mind is free from attachment, and there is no worry about gains and losses. If there is worry, tension will arise, and you won’t be able to relax. Therefore, if there is attachment in our mind, it’s difficult to relax. Alertness is not attachment. It is concentration, which means doing everything without distracting thoughts. Okay, that’s all for the delicate balance. Amitabha!