Active meditation is the in-the-moment use of anything in our current reality or experience for inquiry, exploration, discovery, wondering and contemplation. It can also use a line from a text, poetry, from a song or other sources. Known as vipashyana in Sanskrit and vipassana in Pali, active meditation is a vital half of all meditation training and, therefore, of all types of mindfulness as originally taught by Buddha Shakyamuni and now taught around the world in various forms. Active meditation, vipashyana, is also the core training in the majority of the Sutras of Patanjali.

When I codified a system of meditation that would assist a rank beginner to stabilize into meditation, that encapsulation was done knowing that the initial practices are the same ones used throughout the entirety of meditation training over the course of lifetimes. One day, maybe today, someone will sit and contemplate a common emotion, perception, or the sky and –poof– awaken fully. That can happen because the components of meditation training are the elements of enlightenment. It’s simply a matter of scale, refinement, acuity, and familiarity which distinguishes the level of meditation and meditator.

Noticing the usually not noticed is active inquiry. Musing, wondering, and opening to possibilities that are additional to or other than our usual can also be active inquiry. The invitation is freshness.