I get a lot of questions about how to work with meditation techniques.
Should I do a mantra, count breaths, or just sit shikantaza? It’s a good question—and one I think many people struggle with. But before diving into techniques, let’s zoom out a little.
Like a Baseball Player at Bat
Imagine a baseball player stepping up to the plate. There are many things that matter in that moment: good shoes for grip, a helmet for safety, maybe gloves for a better hold on the bat. All of that helps. But when the pitcher throws the ball, what’s the most important thing?
Keep your eye on the ball.
It’s the same in meditation. There are many useful techniques—mantras, breath awareness, posture, mudras, visualizations, and so on—but if we lose track of the moment itself, we miss the whole point.
All meditation techniques are simply tools pointing to the same truth: this moment, just as it is. They help us remember that we are not separate from what’s happening right now.
A Story from Retreat
During my first three-month retreat in Korea, I was doing a long mantra practice. I wasn’t sure when or how often to do it—just during sitting? While walking? During breaks? So I asked the teacher during interview.
He said, “Do it 24 hours a day.”
I said, “Okay. I’ll try.”
So I did. And one day, while shaving my head (which everyone had to do on that retreat, not just the monks), I noticed something: I wasn’t doing the mantra. I was just shaving—completely absorbed in the act. No thinking, no technique, just this.
When I brought this up in my next interview, the teacher said, “Yes, that’s correct.”
That was a big insight. Sometimes we think meditation means always doing something—repeating a mantra, following the breath—but true meditation is being completely with what’s happening right now. Not forcing, not grasping—just being, just doing.
Techniques Are Anchors, Not Goals
Whether it’s breath awareness, mantra, prayer, or just sitting (like in shikantaza, "just sitting"), the technique is there to help you stay anchored in this moment. Many of us have strong mind habits—what in Zen we sometimes call "strong karma." Thoughts and feelings constantly pull us away. So we use technique as a support.
But if we become attached to the technique, we’re like the baseball player obsessing over their shoes and forgetting to watch the ball.
Many people—both beginners and experienced practitioners—get caught in this trap. They ask, “Am I doing it right? Should I switch techniques? Should I feel a certain way?”
All that questioning can actually become a barrier. The real question is: What is my job in this moment?
If you're sitting, just sit. If you’re walking, just walk. If you're shaving your head, just shave your head. The technique helps bring us back—but it’s not the point.
Are We Meditating to Escape?
Another thing I’ve noticed in people’s questions is expectation—wanting something from meditation. That’s very human. We want peace, clarity, insight. But wanting also brings dissatisfaction. As I’ve mentioned in other videos, whenever we want something, three things tend to happen:
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We don’t get it,
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We get it but can’t keep it, or
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We get it, but it’s not enough—or we just want more.
In Buddhism, grasping always leads to suffering. Sometimes we’re not meditating to meet the moment—we’re trying to escape it. “I don’t like these thoughts; I’ll switch techniques.” Or, “These feelings are uncomfortable—maybe a different method will help.”
That might bring temporary relief, especially early on. But eventually, if we want to truly relieve suffering and digest our experience, we have to turn toward the source of our suffering—not away from it.
I go into more detail in a video called The 5 Essential Meditation Tips. It’s about not using meditation to bypass life, but to meet it fully—with openness and curiosity.
Final Thought
Whatever technique you choose, don’t attach to it. Use the meditation technique to wake up in this moment—don’t let it use you.
Remember the bigger picture of meditation:
Realize your true self and help this world.
Keep your eye on the ball.
What are you using meditation for?
