Lieh-tzu and Meditation

The Taoist meditation acquires specific characteristics unknown by those people who consider meditation as a kind of mental gymnastics, or a technique of concentration, of eliminating their undesired thought from their mind.

We shall find out the real meaning of "meditation" in philosophical Taoism from an old text belonging to Lieh-tzu - a most famous Taoist master -  in which the teacher explains to one of his eager disciples how he has undergone his own spiritual transformation:

Taoist meditation - Visualising the Three Ones

When I asked Old Shang to be my master and Pai-kao-tzu to be my friend, I decided to work hard to discipline my body and mind. After three years, I was afraid to have notions of right and wrong, and I did not dare to speak words that might offend or please. It was only then that my master glanced at me and acknowledged my presence. Five years later, I thought freely of right and wrong and spoke freely of approval or disapproval. My master gave me a smile. Seven years later, my thoughts came naturally without any conceptions of right and wrong, and words came naturally without any intention of pleasing or offending. For the first time, my master invited me to sit by his side. Nine years later, no matter what came to my mind or what came out of my mouth, there was nothing that was right or wrong, pleasing or offending. I did not even entertain the idea that Old Shang was my master and Pai-kao-tzu was my friend. (Quoted from "Lieh-tzu: a Taoist Guide to Practical Living", Eva Wong, Shambhala, 2001.)

The attitude suggested by these lines, somehow symbolic is very clear: during his meditation, the Taoist doesn't concentrate upon something, does not impose a strange peace on his own mind, but, on the contrary, he lets everything, body-mind-spirit, at will, without interfering somehow in the psycho-mental stream. In this respect, he uses the technique called nondoing (wu-wei).