We don’t practice meditation for the purpose of attempting to fix ourselves, and the practice does not have to do with self-improvement or becoming perfect. Inner freedom is far different and much more relaxing than perfection. Our purpose in practice is not to become a better meditator but rather to know a happiness that lies within. We train the mind to access intrinsic peacefulness and a sustained current of joy. This joy is not the opposite of grief, but a current that runs underneath all of life. The question is how to access and swim in this current.
As we know, there are many scientific studies that point to the beneficial effects of a dedicated meditation practice. The one I like best has to do with what has been termed the “feel-good” gene. Scientists have found that because of a genetic variation in the brain, some people are naturally less anxious, and thus happier, than other people are. Those who have this genetic variation find it easier to let go of past painful experiences. This genetic mutation produces higher levels of anandamide in the brain, which is a neurotransmitter that produces a sense of well-being. The name given by scientists for this gene, anandamide, originates from the Sanskrit word ‘ananda’, which translates as internal bliss, joy, happiness, or delight. It is sometimes known as “the bliss molecule”. Ananda was also the name of the Buddha’s attendant. Other than having to say to visitors, “no, you can’t see the Buddha right now, he is resting,” it was likely to have been quite the blissful job.
About 20 percent of the population is born with this genetic makeup. We either have it or we don’t. I was not born into this life with this gene. Yet, the anxiety I began with has dissolved over a lifetime of meditating. It is clear to me that the practice of meditation has made up for the absence of this genetic predisposition. I have observed this same shift in many practitioners, the easing of anxiety and an increase in well-being. For most of us, if we meditate over time, it does not matter whether we were born with the feel-good gene or not. Knowing this inner sense of well-being is one of the benefits of training our minds.