I'm reminded of this section of a teaching from a Dzogchen master. (Dzogchen is the highest practice in Tibetan Buddhism, and perhaps considered a bit heterodox

I'm reminded of this section of a teaching from a Dzogchen master. (Dzogchen is the highest practice in Tibetan Buddhism, and perhaps considered a bit heterodox by other schools): According to the general vehicles [other schools of Buddhism], to dwell undistractedly in nowness is to be undistracted. But from the Dzogchen perspective, that is called being distracted. Dwelling on nowness means you are already distracted. Why? Because you are dwelling on something, repeatedly. The awareness is directed towards something which is not rigpa [roughly: nondual awareness itself]. When there is a split between the rigpa and something other, you are already distracted. There is some risk of misunderstanding this matter, if you only get half of this message, the nonmeditation part, and you miss the first part, which is to remain undistracted. It would be easy then to simply not meditate! But that wouldn’t make any sense. People who are already not meditating are constantly being carried away by the three poisons of attachment, aversion or dullness. That is not meditating at all, so if one is told “don’t meditate” in that situation, that makes no sense at all. On the other hand, if we pay attention only to the first part, ‘be undistracted,’ it might seem like we have to remain mindful of whatever takes place: “Now I’m walking. Now I’m putting my foot down. Oh, there’s a pink flower. The air is touching my skin. I’m breathing in. Here is a thought coming. There is the thought going. Now I am angry. Now I have some desire. Now it is leaving again.” In the normal sense of the word one is certainly undistracted, but there is no sense of freedom. You are not liberated at all. It’s like you’re a shepherd totally involved in watching your sheep or goats: “Now they are going up the hill over there... now they are coming back down... oh, they shouldn’t wander too far... now they are going up another hill... now it’s five o’clock, I should gather them all together and go home.” That type of practice is called “maintaining the meditation.” You are herding the meditation, keeping constant watch. Dzogchen practice is not like that. Instead, meditate without being distracted at all, and without “keeping” a meditation. If we aren’t able to maintain a free and easy attitude, we will never have good meditations. During these few days up here at Nagi Gompa, give up any anxieties, hopes, fears or worries. Just leave them all behind. There is nothing you need to do. There is no office you need to go to, no long-distance phone calls to make, no faxes to reply to. Let go of the whole thing. Let go, let go and let go, until there is nothing more to let go of. Let go until that point.