Meditation

 

                                          Meditation


           The famous philosopher Shankaracharya in his ' Vivekachudamani ' says:

      ' Without taking the medicine, by just repeating the name of the medicine, no malady can be cured. Likewise, without practical perception and experience, by merely repeating wordd, no one can attain salvation.'

Spiritual journey is an inward journey:
As one advances in spiritual practices, the little ' I ' confined to the body, mind and intellect expands to objects and beings in one's surrounding. Shutting all wordly thoughts, closing the eyes, a person becomes introvert and looks for identification of Supreme reality as a source of peace and bliss in one's own self by seeking isolation and calming down the mind. Yoga, repeating the name of God in the heart, practice of Pranayama, simple healthy diet all aid meditation. In meditation, when one merges in one's being completely, there is unique joy and peace.

Work, Meditation and Knowledge:

All these have significance in the evolutionary process leading to self-realization.

SuryaGita, an ancient philosophical treatise declares, ' Without knowledge one will not succeed in perfecting meditation, without glorifying one's inner life through meditation, one cannot achieve right knowledge. These three - knowledge, meditation and work, help one another and together lead man to peace, perfection and freedom. If one neglets one of these disciplines obeying the advice of wrong teachers he cannot achieve liberation.'

The act of meditation can take one to a brief pilgrimage to tranquil places within. It is said,

' Here in this body are sacred rivers; here are the sun and moon as well as all the pilgrimage places. I have not encountered another temple as blissful as my own body. '

Actually it is not necessary to go to any holy place or even sit at one place for meditation.
The first stepin meditation is being mindful of what we are doing. We should do our actions with a sense of service and an awareness of being an instrument in the hands of a hogher power. Any action giving a feeling of joy and a sense of performing duty is meditation. The next step in meditation is to experience and express love and respect for the Supreme Power and for His creatures and that makes our thought, word and action as acts of meditation.

Meditation is feeling compassion, friendship, humility and love for the One Principle pervading all beings and objects of this world.
The highest state of meditation is at the level of just being. In this state we identify ourselves with the core or divinity in us - the Principle of Consciousness and Bliss. When our mind is full of love and peace, we get absorbed in every action of ours and we find every action whether cooking, washing, stitching or driving in a taffic jam enjoyable. Then our life itself becomes a joy and celebration.

Essence of worship and meditation :
A sincere worker need not believe in God or  Liberation ; yet he finds the ultimate truth by unselfish work. A mother loves and does her duties to her children selflessly and cheerfully. When one can give to the world like a mother, only then one can realize divinity through work. Any action or duty done with love and devotion in the spirit of service itself is worship amd meditation. When such supreme goal which is the highest goal of a human life is achieved, the external props also get channelized and sublimated. In the words of Shankara, in his hymn 'Para Puja ' ( the highest worship ), it is beautifully expressed thus,


1. What place is there in which to invoke the infinite, or what can serve as a seat for him who contains within himself all existence ? Howcan we offer Padya ( water for washing the feet ), or Arghya ( oblation of Durva grass,rice etc. ), to one who is pure spirit, or Achamana ( water to wash the mouth ) to one who is eternally pure ?

2  If what use is the offering of ablution to one who is ever clean, or clothing to one in whose womb the universe is ? What is necessity of putting the holy thread on one who is beyond all support, or the offering of flowers to one whom perfume cannot affect ?

3.  How can the offering of perfume be made to one who is ever untouched ? Of what use are ornaments to one who is beauty itself ? What is the purpose of presenting eatables and betel to the All-pervader, who is eternally satisfied in himself ?

4 . How is making of Pradakshina ( circumambulating ) possible to the limitless and obeisance to the one whole, indeed without a second ? What hymn can be sung in praise of one whom even the Vedas cannot describe ?

5 . Of what use is waving of lights before the all- pervading and self- effulgent one ? And how can the valedictory ceremony be performed to one who fills the whole universe, in and out ?

6.  Thus, verily, through the idea of oneness alone, is the highest worship to be performed, without distinction of time and circumstances, by the highest knowers of Brahman .