Not Thinking vs Not Not-Thinking

Jessica Macbeth's book Moon Over Water explores alternative, complementary techniques of meditation, and suggests some interesting categories (in Chapters 8-12):

• Inner or Outer? — yoga-style tight concentration versus zen-style response-and-letting-go
• Passive or Active? — relaxed observation of whatever happens to arise in the mind versus deliberate disciplined focus
• Sensation or Mentation? — following the breath or other physical processes versus an exclusive mental choice of attention
• Will or Surrender? — discipline and self-control versus simply being fully present in the moment and accepting that
• Doing or Non-Doing?

"Nearly all meditation techniques are 'doing'," Macbeth says. As for Non-Doing:

The non-doing techniques are those that have no focal point other than stillness — and even stillness is not the focus. Simply being focused is the focus. These techniques are usually very difficult for most people and generally are more suitable for someone who has been practising for a while. Not thinking of anything, not even of 'not thinking' is quite a mental balancing act. In describing non-doing there is a Zen saying: I am not thinking! I am not not-thinking!

(cf. VarietiesOfNotCaring (2004-06-19), HinduVsBuddhist (2008-01-01), ...) - ^z - 2012-03-23