All these teachings remind us that meditation is an art. On this step of the Path, Right Effort, it’s not a question of simply following any one technique or thinking there is only one correct approach. Rather, we understand the mind as a vital, vibrant, ever-changing interplay of different mental qualities. If we have a strong commitment to awakening, then we investigate, experiment, and test different ways of abandoning that which is unskillful. The Buddha was the ultimate pragmatist. The teachings are not about dogma, but about skillful means, about understanding what works.
