Some days, it feels like we move from one atrocity to the next. Today, my heart is still breaking over the recent massacres in Ethiopia—all the while knowing that the war continues in Ukraine, and more chronic conditions fester—like the structural violence of racism and poverty.

With all we are living through, I've been teaching a lot about the value of rest. To an exhausted heart and a stressed mind, rest is sometimes the first and most appropriate medicine.

At the same time, rest is only one phase of a cycle. It's meant to be coupled with movement, with a wise and appropriate response to the arenas of life we can influence—be that our family, local community, or national politics.

Why, then, do so many fall into the trap of believing that rest is the primary goal of contemplative practice?

You’ve probably heard the instructions. I’ve spoken them myself hundreds of times: “Relax. There’s nowhere to go, nothing to do.”

In an effort to heal our broken hearts and fragmented minds, in a gesture to counter the strain of striving and over-achieving, many contemporary approaches to meditation emphasize relaxation, ease, and non-doing. When we are bombarded by tragedy and uncertainty, when we are trained to override our natural limits and push towards productivity or perfection, being given permission to do nothing is a welcome relief!

But if we stop at relaxation, we risk missing the immense benefits of spiritual cultivation or abdicating our responsibilities to one another as fellow humans.

Emphasizing relaxation to the exclusion of effort, strong determination, and action is a grave mistake.

Relaxation and ease are essential ingredients on the meditative path, but they must be integrated with whole-hearted resolve. Rest and rejuvenation are instrumental ingredients in social transformation only when balanced with clear and focused engagement.

Just as we can train for a race or grow skill in an instrument, we can develop an inner strength of mind that allows us to commit fully to what we value—internally and externally—without straining.

We balance resolve with the wisdom to know what we can commit to, and the love to engage in a sustainable way, marshalling our energy and resources for the task at hand. This kind of complete, balanced commitment is essential for growth in contemplative practice, for staying the course in difficult life circumstances, and for meeting the challenges of our times.

I'm speaking this coming Sunday, June 26, at Sangha.live's weekly session on this topic. This will be my last public teaching of the summer, while I take some time off for personal practice and to work on my new book.

Sign up here to join me on Sunday (or to access the recording after).

Warm wishes,

Oren

Join me this Sunday

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