As I continue to meet people who are brand new to meditation practice, the question of which meditation practice to start with comes up often. I spent time practicing a few different methods before finding one that really works for me (which ended up being ‘vipassana’ or ‘insight meditation’). There are so many different methods of awakening to choose from today, especially in the West, where all of the major religious and contemplative traditions are more or less easily accessible.
When Ajahn Chah was asked, “What about other methods of practice? These days there seem to be so many teachers and so many different systems of meditation that it is confusing.” He answered, “It is like going into town. One can approach from the north, from the southeast, from many roads. These systems just differ outwardly. Whether you walk one way or another, fast or slow, if you are mindful it is all the same.”*
Thus, according to Ajahn Chah, there is no one right meditation method. What’s important is that you pick one and practice it. This is what Chah and his contemporary Jack Kornfield call, “Taking the One Seat.”
It’s true that different methods suit different temperaments. It may, as in my case, take a few years practicing various techniques before one really comes alive. The important thing is to really try, and to not waste your time by practicing any method with anything less than your whole heart. Dive in, get some insight, discover your strengths and weaknesses, and make adjustments when necessary. It’s impossible to go in to town if you never choose a path and begin to travel.
*From the book Bodhinaya, a collection of Ajahn Chah’s dhammatalks. This quote is found in the chapter called Questions and Answers.
