RELEVANCE OF MEDITATION IN THE 21ST CENTURY
If we study the history of man we see that early cave man first worshipped the forces of nature, as he was totally dependent on the natural world and his existence was completely integrated with nature. It is difficult to know whether or not he possessed a deeper understanding of his earthly existence, as there are no recorded writings of spiritual knowledge of the time.
After the discovery of the wheel and the development of agriculture, people began to live a more sedentary life. They were still dependent upon the natural world for their livelihood, and so continued to create images of various god and goddesses and worshipped these. A deity or god was created for each need e.g. a rain god when rain was needed. People today have evolved from these early beginnings to a highly urbanized, sophisticated, materialistic lifestyle, but we find that often we still resort to forms of worship that lead us to externalize God. To seek Him only outside of us is to deceive ourselves. It separates us from our own divinity as well as from the rest of nature. It allows us to see ourselves as separate. Therefore, it is no wonder that we humans become capable of heartless and heinous deeds. Even in primitive times, people performed animal and human sacrifices before idols, in order to appease the Gods. In today’s world, people go to war in the name of God, with one religion fighting against another. We need to change our approach towards the divine principle, that we call God, Truth, Reality or the inner Self.
In order to truly uncover divinity, we have to adopt a centripetal approach rather than a centrifugal one - inwards rather than outwards. We have to graduate from an external, religious approach to worship to an internal, spiritual approach through meditation, inner reflection and prayer. Great saints, masters and teachers have spread the same message throughout human history, in order to teach people that inner transformation can occur only if the self turns inwards.
A Muslim saint has expressed this so beautifully: ‘Tu khud hi to khuda hai.’ Translated, this means, ‘The Self is only God’.
So, the lower self becomes the basis upon which the higher Self is established. For a spiritual person, the lower self is used for this purpose.
“God is not to be found within the fold of a particular religion or sect. He is not confined within certain forms nor is He to be traced out from within the scriptures. We have to seek for him in the innermost core of our Heart.” [Shri Ram Chandra of Shahjahanpur]
In addition, unless we are able to turn our focus within, towards our inner Self, eventually we will not be able to deal with our external lives in a balanced way. Human beings are made up of body, mind and soul or spirit. If these are not in balance, eventually the imbalance will express in dis-ease of some sort.
“As a bird needs two wings to fly, so a human being needs the two wings of existence, the spiritual and the material, to lead a natural and harmonious life.” [Shri Ram Chandra of Shahjahanpur]
Therefore, I would urge you all to adopt a spiritual approach. Religions divide, we know that for a fact. Over the ages, religions have caused wars, bringing death, devastation and so much human suffering. The current century has seen the ugly head of terrorism rising over nations. In contrast, spirituality unites. Spirituality is universal and is open to people from all religions, cultures, walks of life, levels of education etc. It creates oneness. The basis of spirituality is a daily practice of meditation, also called “sadhana”, and when such a means is available to us then why should we not use it?
So it is the need of the hour that we pick up our courage and boldly face the harsh reality, which is staring at us so closely. Let us decide together to put an end to the power-games that are played out in our homes, and also at the level of communities, nations and regions. We have to take the first step in a new direction and work towards the construction of a ‘New Earth,’ as Eckhart Tolle has called it, where people will relate to each other as human beings, not in terms of caste, creed, color or religion. Let us make that our aim, and to achieve that we can turn our minds inwards daily in meditation, so as to connect with the inner Self, where we are all the same. Then, perhaps, we will ignite the divine spark existing in our hearts.
“The whole idea of spirituality is to revive in us that which is sleeping in us, the true inner being - the Self.” [Shri Parthasarathi Rajagopalachari]
At this time in human history, we are fortunate to have a spiritual system of practice called Sahaj Marg, which translates as the Natural Path. Sahaj Marg is a practical, spiritual path based on inner experience through meditation. The goal of the practice is union with God or Self.
This modern-day form of raja yoga is practised daily by people from all backgrounds and all cultures around the world. The simple practice is easily integrated into a busy lifestyle, bringing balance, joy and spiritual growth.
If we consider a small example: we are going to undertake a journey and there are before us various means of transport to choose from. We will obviously choose a transport that will be fast and most comfortable. If possible, it should not be expensive and use unnecessary resources. It could be a cab, bus, train or an airplane. No city-bred, urban person would settle for a bullock-cart for his journey. So, in the same way, we can choose the means through which we want to reach the Divine. In my opinion, while religion can surely help one to get there, is it the most effective way, and after how many births and incarnations would we reach the destination? Perhaps hundreds or perhaps thousands.
Alternatively, we can try a faster way, by following a spiritual practice. All spiritual paths prescribe meditation and contemplation. These paths help us to seek God within. Buddha, Mahavir Jain, Kabir, Jesus, Nanak and the Sufi saints practised meditation as the method to uncover the divine principle within. It is the quickest and surest way to ‘Self-realization’ and has the least pitfalls. It also helps us to come to terms with day-to-day worldly life. The pressures and stress that people face today, in the corporate world, in school life, and in the hustle and bustle of our urban lifestyle, are immense. By devoting just an hour and a half out of twenty-four hours to spiritual practice each day, turning our attention inwards, we can achieve calmness and inner happiness and joy , so that the mind is tranquil and we thus feel rejuvenated and have a better focus on daily issues. My great Master, Shri Parthasarathi Rajagopalachari of the Shri Ram Chandra Mission has said, “Sit, Meditate,………Achieve.”
For further details log on to www.srcm.org
( Edited and quotations by Elizabeth Denley)
