The Dilemma of Effort versus Effortlessness

Satsang with Swami Nishchalananda Saraswati
(given at Mandala Yoga Ashram, Wales, July 1997)

Question: It is said that to reach the state of Meditation, no effort is required; in fact, it is said that effort is in itself a barrier. Conversely, I have also read that effort is required. This seems to be a contradiction. I have also read that Meditation, in its real sense, only happens and that we cannot do anything. What, therefore, is the point of practice?

Answer: As you correctly pointed out, we cannot create or do Meditation, for any attempt at doing will be nothing but an extension of the ego, of the known, of conditioning; as such it is not of any real use in expanding the horizons of perception. So what to do? To slightly misquote Shakespeare, the question is: ‘To do or not to do?

Sri Aurobindo, a well known Yogi of the last century, spent thousands of words in his philosophy of Ascent and Descent, trying to explain this dilemma of whether ‘to do’ or ‘not to do’.

As individuals, we can put ourselves in a state of receptivity, openness and sensitivity. This is where ‘doing’ comes in and this is the function of Yoga and all mystical systems. This is the ‘doing’ part of the spiritual path and corresponds to Aurobindo’s ‘Ascent’ aspect of spiritual realisation (i.e. Ascent means aspiration, looking up). Hatha Yoga, Mantra Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Kriya Yoga and so on all put us in a more receptive and sensitive state: we aspire. We ‘do’ practices so that we can realise That which is beyond ‘doing’ and beyond effort - that which Descends into us.

Part of this process of ‘doing’ is also trying to be open, moment to moment, in our daily life, thereby ‘creating’ or ‘encouraging’ the necessary inner space for there to be new insight, experience and change.

Spiritual experience arises as a process of ‘Descent’ which comes from beyond the confines and limitations of the personality and the ego - from the currently unknown spheres of Being. Here ‘doing’ has no place.

Meditation comes unexpectedly when we are ripe for the experience, when our ‘normal’ ego structures are temporarily relaxed or put to one side. It may happen when we are sitting, chanting our mantra, washing the dishes, or even sitting on the toilet!

In a sense, effort is an obstacle, because if we are always trying, sweating and puffing, then we are reinforcing our ego. As such, we are not open to that which is beyond the ego, the unexpected. But, paradoxically, effort is also necessary. If we do nothing and just flop then we tend to become dull and insensitive. Nothing happens and probably nothing meaningful will happen. It is effort, the practice of Yoga, that prepares us, makes us more alert, so that Meditation and Realisation can ‘flash forth.’

Therefore, tread the razor’s edge. Find the middle path between doing and not doing. Try, but without expecting. Do for the sake of doing; practise for the sake of practice. If you are ripe, you will realise That which is beyond all effort, all doing and all practice.