There is no bad meditation.

 When cognisant emptiness is recognised, there is no bad meditation: everything that arises is within emptiness.

 “I can’t meditate!”

“Why is that?”

“Too many thoughts.”

“But you are aware of the thoughts, right?”

“Of course!”

“So there is awareness.”

“Yes.”

“Are you aware of awareness now?”

“Er…yes, but so what?”

“In that very moment of being aware of awareness, there is a knowing quality. Not that anything is known. Just a recognition of knowing. It is the opposite of not knowing – being vacant.”

“I can see that, but what about all those thoughts?”

“In that very moment of being aware of awareness, there is nothing happening. It is un-fabricated awareness. It is empty of any elaborations or contrivances. That pure awareness is essence.”

“Hmm..I’ll have to think about that.”

“That is precisely what not to do! Leave it be.”

“Hmm…?…!”

“In that empty essence, everything is allowed to arise, and if we do not hold on to whatever arises…it comes to pass.”

“I just watch it?”

“The watching is still doing something. It is still creating a duality – me and the thought. Merely recognise, and let go.”

“So I don’t stop the thoughts?”

“They go by themselves. They also arise by themselves, as products from the past. I get snippets of tunes in my head, but merely recognise awareness, and let be. Thoughts return. Re-recognise. Let be. Gradually, empty space expands, allowing anything to arise. To come and go, without interference.”

“Sounds simple enough. So why am I having so much trouble?”

“We get into a habit of believing that the thoughts are us.”

“But I’ve worked hard at acquiring all my knowledge. It makes me what I am.”

“Knowledge is okay! It’s the clinging to them that cause the problem as it creates a mistaken self-identity.”

“Can I trust what you are saying?”

“You are trusting your own awareness. That is your teacher.”

“Is that all?”

“There are refinements, but that will do for now.”

“So meditation is just becoming familiar with awareness. Whatever happens, happens and goes. It’s sounds like meditation for a lazy person, who doesn’t want to do anything!”

“Absolutely!”