Why You Won't Get Anything From Meditation

When I first started practicing meditation, a teacher told me, “If you practice meditation, you won’t get anything.” I thought it was crazy when I heard that! Why do all of this sitting and hard work with all the struggles and difficulties and not get anything out of it? It was not until years later that I realized the reason we get nothing from meditation is that we already have it. So what is it we already have?

Many of us are searching outside ourselves for happiness, strength, contentment, or for some understanding of ourselves. The problem is, if we get any of these things, when outside conditions and situations change, as they always do, these things disappear and we end up deeply dissatisfied. Sometimes people look at meditation as something separate from their everyday lives and think it will help them get something. The fact is, meditation is simply a tool to help us investigate inside so we can realize true happiness, strength, and our “true self” that is already here in this moment. 

Buddhism talks about the three poisons: anger, greed, and ignorance. If we practice meditation correctly, these three poisons will dissipate, leaving us with love, compassion, and wisdom that we can share with this whole world.