Meditation – Centre of Life

 

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Meditation – Centre of Life

All of us who have been led on to the spiritual path and are learning how to meditate have arrived at just the right time. Now, meditation should become the centre of our lives; everything else should be secondary.

We don’t need to give up anything, renounce anything. As meditation becomes more and more important, we just need to be regular and practice it daily, everything else should follow it. Out of twenty-four hours at least devote one hour for meditation, whatever the cost – half an hour in the morning all alone and half an hour in the evening in a group meditation session. Sometimes it is difficult – one is too busy, too occupied – but if it is the first preference then other things can be dropped.

It is alright to have a little less money, as we always find ways to live within our means, but a little less meditation is a strict no-no, because ultimately, we realise that richness comes only through meditation. When one is dying one comes to know that only the time that has been devoted to meditation has been saved; everything else and all the time devoted to it, has gone down the drain.

Meditation is the only way to save time and life energy. And one who has been meditating has something to take with himself beyond death, a treasure. He is not going empty-handed, he is going full, overflowing.

Death proves how a man has lived. If a man can go into death joyously, blissfully, that means that he has lived rightly. People die crying, weeping, clinging. They don’t want to die: a little more life. Everything is unfinished, no desire has been fulfilled, all longings are waiting there and time is finished. Their whole life must have been wrong.

Firstly, meditation has to become the center of our existence. And once it becomes the center it starts influencing everything else. Our work slowly and steadily becomes meditation, our relationships slowly become meditation.

A moment comes to the meditator when he need not meditate separately; it spreads over life – a subtle flavour, an aroma. Then whatsoever is being done – walking, talking, sleeping – is done in a meditative state.

The second thing to be remembered – meditation needs to be given a special time only in the beginning. But that is only for the beginning, only for the learner. Once we have learned the art, then we need to bring the quality to everyday life. One can drive meditatively, one can write meditatively, and the quality is so definitely different that when we know it we see the difference - each act becomes a deep relaxation; it is no more tense, it is no more worry.

If one can work without tension one’s work becomes play, work becomes worship. Renunciation and giving up things is not the solution. The whole approach should be to make life more joyous, how to transform this life into a constant rejoicing. The third thing – one’s approach should not be life-negative, it should be life-affirmative. Life is God to us, and to live intensely and passionately is the way to God.

Remember that sooner or later we have to come and be part of the Samarpan Gurutattva’s global family. Now this is our family – wherever one is, whether here in India or in a foreign country. So, whenever it is possible – and soon it will be possible, once the seed planted by Swamiji is there in the heart.

So, keep the seed in the heart, let it sink in there, make life a meditation, and everything will start happening. We will soon realise we are on the way to our inner abode and we will reach it soon.