For Its Own Sake

[T]here was from the very beginning of MBSR an emphasis on non-duality and the non-instrumental dimension of practice, and thus, on non-doing, non-striving, not-knowing, non-attachment to outcomes, even to positive health outcomes, and on investigating beneath name and form and the world of appearances, as per the teachings of the Heart Sutra.   – Jon Kabat-Zinn

I love this brief description of the foundational intentions of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)—especially the phrase: the non-instrumental dimension of practice.

Most of what we do is instrumental. We do or say something in order to make something else happen. I say ‘Please pass the salt.’ in order to get you to give me the salt shaker. I exercise every day in order to feel better and to stay healthy. I might go to work in order to earn money to support myself and my family. Or I might wear a mask in order to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and to keep myself safe. Everything is done for some purpose outside itself.

Being instrumental in our actions is called being mature. It means we have learned that some consequences to our actions are often knowable and useful. If I’m hungry, I open the refrigerator door to see what we might have available to eat. Knowing our way around this everyday world of cause and effect is an important part of mental health and our capacity to live in harmony with our surroundings and with each other.

Instrumental action is, however, only one dimension of life.

Non-instrumental action points to another way of being in the world. This is sometimes called expressive action—when we do something for its own sake. MBSR and Zen invite us to explore this world that the ancient Taoist described as doing-not-doing or wei-wu-wei. In this world we are not setting our sights on something beyond the present moment. We intentionally give up our attachment to the outcome of our actions and give ourselves fully to the moment.

Of course, whatever we do or do not do has some consequences. Everything is both caused by innumerable other factors and leads to unimaginable outcomes, most of which we will never know. But the possibility of being so fully engaged in the activity of the moment that we no longer hold onto imagined, desired or feared outcomes is a kind of liberation.

As long as we are doing things in order to make something else happen, we are dependent on the results of our actions for satisfaction. When our actions are without expectation, we are free to appreciate what is already here and to find fulfillment in the activity of life itself. It’s not that we become blind to outcomes and consequences, but rather we focus on what is in our control right in this moment and let the future take care of itself for a few moments.

The non-instrumental dimension of practice refers to a both-and stance. It’s like practicing scales on the piano not as a way to become a concert pianist, but as an expression of your love for music. Or like weeding in the garden without focusing on how many weeds are there, but weeding as expression of your love for being outside and playing in the dirt.

So we meditate, not in order to become calmer or more balanced (though this may happen), we meditate as an expression of our human capacity to be present and as a way of exploring what it really is to be a human being.

Personal Practice – Take some time today to be non-instrumental—to do something for no reason at all. Do something that has no purpose. Maybe sit in a chair and stare off into space. Rearrange the objects on top of your dresser. Find a place outside to sit and make a small sculpture out of the sticks and stones and grass you find right where you are. Daydream or make up a song that doesn’t make sense. See what happens.

For extra credit —  do something with a purpose (e.g. washing the dishes or mowing the lawn) and forget the purpose while you are doing it.