Two Ways to Think about Meditation:The Instrumental and the Non-Instrumental

There are two sides to every story. If we neglect one in favor of the other, than we may integral parts of the story. That does not mean we need to agree with both sides but we must be aware so that we may fully understand the stand we take. Like in everything else there are two sides to the story of Mindfulness Meditation. One camp claims that meditation is an “instrumental” method as it ‘allows us to cultivate, refine and deepen our capacity to pay more attention and to dwell in the present moment awareness.’( Kabat-Zinn1) While the other side explains that meditation is a method of nothing, the purpose is to ‘awake what already is so’(Kabat-Zinn2). Meaning that meditation is a method for something that already exists, it is a method to obtain something you already have. I am a fence sitter on this debate, I feel as though I am unable to fully join one of these arguments.  It is like the idea of “taking a year off of everything, to go find yourself”. You cannot take a year off your life, your life keeps going and you cannot find yourself when you are yourself, the latter argument.  However, you can take a year to try new things, cultivate new ideas, transform and see new things all in the purpose of creating, noticing and recognizing yourself, the former.  If meditation is a time for you to reflect, rethink, refocus and connect with yourself amid the busy world I think it is a useful skill.  Again I feel the sweeping idea, who knows? Who is right? And who owns mindfulness? If it works for your well-being then it is good. But keep in mind that every story has two sides and maybe you are missing out on something bigger if you do not educate yourself on the other ideas