Meditation in the midst of activity is a thousand times superior to meditation in stillness.
Hakuin EkakuRead
What is this true meditation? It is to make everything: coughing, swallowing, waving the arms, motion, stillness, words, action, the evil and the good, prosperity and shame, gain and loss, right and wrong, into one single koan.
Interpretation
What this quote means
True meditation encompasses all aspects of life, turning every action and thought into a unified experience.
Hakuin Ekaku's quote on true meditation emphasizes the importance of integrating every facet of existence into a single, harmonious experience. Instead of viewing meditation as a detached practice, he suggests that it involves embracing all actions and dualities—like good and evil, gain and loss—as part of a unified whole. This perspective encourages a deeper understanding of life, where mundane activities and profound insights coexist and contribute to one's meditative state.
Themes
MeditationMindfulnessUnityLifeAction
In practice
Example use cases
During a yoga class, the instructor can use this quote to inspire participants to find mindfulness in all their movements.
More from Hakuin Ekaku
All quotes →What is the sound of one hand?
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At this moment, is there anything lacking? Nirvana is right here now before our eyes. This place is the lotus land. This body now is the Buddha.
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All beings are by nature are Buddhas, as ice by nature is water. Apart from water there is no ice; apart from beings, no Buddhas.
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