Date: 01/25/2025 01/26/2025
Location: Star Lake Meditation Center
Teacher: Shilin Long
Sitting Meditation
Common Mistakes of Beginners
Many beginners in Zen meditation fall into common misunderstandings before understanding how the mind works. These mistakes not only slow progress but can also distort the true meaning of Zen practice.
1. Mistake One: Treating Meditation as “Emptying the Mind” or Escaping Reality
1.Mistaking meditation for “thinking about nothing”
Beginners often try to force the mind into blankness, which only creates more tension. Zen is observing thoughts, not suppressing them.
2.Using meditation as an escape from problems
Some people meditate to avoid stress or reality, but true Zen enhances one’s ability to face life—not run away from it.
3.Confusing “quietness” with “successful meditation”
A quiet mind is just a temporary state, not the goal. The purpose of Zen is awakening and insight.
2. Mistake Two: Clinging to Sensations and Extraordinary Experiences
1.Mistaking bodily sensations for spiritual progress
Tingling, heat, or lightness are natural physiological reactions, not signs of deep realization.
2.Expecting to see light or hear sounds
Such phenomena are mental projections and not part of genuine Zen insight.
3.Judging progress based on “how much you experience”
Zen is not about accumulating experiences but cultivating stability and clarity in the present.
3. Mistake Three: Being Too Tense or Too Relaxed
1.Excess tension: trying to force attention
Over-effort makes the mind even more unstable.
2.Excess relaxation: letting the mind wander freely
Being too relaxed leads to dullness and daydreaming, hindering awareness.
3.Zen requires balanced effort
The ideal state is “relaxed but alert”—neither rigid nor lazy.
4. Mistake Four: Limiting Zen Practice to Sitting Meditation Only
1.Believing only sitting counts as practice
Zen is not confined to the meditation cushion; it includes walking, eating, speaking, and working.
2.Ignoring mindfulness in daily activities
Without integrating awareness into daily life, meditative clarity quickly fades.
3.Zen should be a way of living, not a brief exercise
True practice is bringing awareness into every moment of ordinary life.
5. Mistake Five: Relying Only on Personal Interpretation Without Guidance
1.Using personal assumptions to judge meditation progress
Beginners often rely on subjective impressions, which can easily lead them astray.
2.Lack of proper guidance increases deviation
Zen practice benefits from experienced teachers who can correct misunderstandings.
3.Meditation requires patience and gradual adjustment
Zen takes time, consistency, and careful observation—not quick results.
Conclusion
Most beginner mistakes stem from misunderstandings about the mind and the purpose of Zen practice.
Correcting these misconceptions brings the practitioner back to the essence of Zen—awareness, stability, and insight.
