Meditation is not the path to liberation. It IS liberation. Join ATW for daily meditation (free)
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The Zen master Dogen's statement that "meditation is not the path to liberation; it is liberation" reflects a core insight of Samadhi, where the duality between practice and realization is dissolved. True liberation is a pathless path; not merely a goal to be achieved in the future but an inherent quality of existence that is realized through direct, present-moment awareness. The act of sitting in meditation is not about striving for some future state of enlightenment or wanting something other than what IS; it is about arriving in the present moment. This reflects the principle of shikantaza ("just sitting"), where one lets go of striving and simply abides in the completeness of what is. Join the ATW community every morning for meditation.
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Meditation in this sense is about dropping the ego's constant striving, analyzing, and seeking. Liberation is found in the simple, direct experience of being, without trying to manipulate or change anything. The very act of sitting with full awareness, without resistance or grasping, is liberation actualized.
Always Being Buddha, always Becoming Buddha:
When one sits in meditation with no goal or expectation, fully embodying the moment, they realize that there is nothing to achieve— your true nature is already here and it is only the delusion of the mind that seeks it in the future. However, by intending to experience your true nature we first observe everything that is the false self, making all of the unconscious mind patterns conscious.
The clearing of the unconscious mind is crucial in all sadhana practice because unresolved samskaras (latent impressions or karmic imprints) can obscure true freedom and perpetuate suffering, even when one has glimpses of awakening or higher states of consciousness. Without addressing these deeply ingrained patterns, there is a risk of spiritual bypassing—using spiritual practices or insights to avoid confronting and integrating unresolved psychological and emotional issues. The clearing process is the part of meditation that involves rewiring and takes time- often many years of dedicated work to shift the patterns within the self structure and to grow the inner lotus.
To understand meditation in this way invites practitioners to stop chasing after enlightenment or peak experiences and to recognize that the act of sitting, fully present, is the awakened state. While at the same time we continue to purify and evolve the self structure become an optimal vessel for awareness to shine through, creating the conditions for deeper Samadhi, and infinite possibilities for direct experiences with life.