Date: 03/15/2025 03/16/2025
Location: Star River Meditation Center
Teacher: Yunquan Huang
Sitting Meditation
How to Avoid Attachment to Meditative States
Meditative states—calmness, lightness, joy, clarity—can feel wonderful, yet they easily become traps. The states themselves are not the problem; attachment to them is. To progress toward true insight, one must learn to experience meditative states without clinging to them.
1.Why Do We Get Attached to Meditative States?
1.They feel exceptionally pleasant
Stillness and ease are deeply attractive.
2.They are better than normal mental states
Fewer thoughts and less stress create a sense of achievement.
3.The ego likes to claim them
“I’m progressing,” “I’m attaining something.”
4.Some states feel mysterious or profound
Light, spaciousness, vibrations—easily mistaken for enlightenment.
Attachment forms subtly and quietly.
2.What Problems Arise from Attachment?
1.Stagnation
The mind chases comfort and avoids deeper insight practice.
2.Disappointment and frustration
When the state fades, the mind suffers.
3.Spiritual pride
Comparing oneself to others.
4.Obstruction of wisdom
Clinging blinds the mind.
3.The Right Way to Relate to Meditative States
1.Treat them as natural phenomena
They arise; they pass. Just like weather.
2.Do not treat them as accomplishments
They are conditions, not achievements.
3.Return to the breath or bare awareness
Anchor the mind in simplicity.
4.Stay relaxed and observant
Neither excitement nor fear.
5.Use the calmness as a base for insight
The goal is understanding, not enjoying.
4.The Correct Attitude When States Arise
1.Everything is impermanent
Even the most refined states fade.
2.No “self” possesses these states
They happen; they are not “mine.”
3.No grasping or rejecting
Simply know:“A meditative state has arisen and is changing.”
4.Soft, open awareness
Remaining clear prevents getting lost.
5.Practical Methods to Avoid Attachment
1.Observe the arising and dissolving of the state
Seeing impermanence weakens clinging.
2.Continue noticing subtle movements
Breath, body, thoughts—still changing.
3.Observe liking and disliking
Knowing liking prevents attachment.
4.Remember the purpose: wisdom
The objective is insight, not pleasant states.
Conclusion
Meditative states are helpful companions,but never the destination.By not grasping them and continuing to observe change,the mind remains free,and wisdom grows naturally out of calm clarity.
