Raj Kumar Dogra
Meditation is the process of a person becoming aware of his or her spiritual identity – remembering that he or she is a soul, a spiritual being rather than a physical being – and then connecting mentally with the Supreme Soul.
This exercise enables the soul to experience God’s love, which strengthens the soul’s will to free itself from the sorrow and pain caused by vices such as selfish desire, anger, fear, ego and attachment. God’s power helps the soul recognize its highest potential and to aim for perfection by practicing the art of simple living and high thinking.
Regular practice of Meditation helps one disconnect from damaging habits of thought, feeling and reaction, access and use one’s latent positive qualities, develop strength of character and create new attitudes and responses to life.
All of this results in a conscious, positive release of energy which improves the quality of one’s attitude, actions and interactions.
How does this happen?
When a person realizes that he is a soul, and that peace, love, truth and purity are his innate qualities; he also gains an understanding of the damage done by vices, which rob us of the experience of these virtues. He begins to resist the temptation to indulge in them and avoids situations that trigger harmful impulses.
Regular experience of the soul’s intrinsic virtues calms the mind, making one more stable and content. The vices gradually lose their influence over the soul.
The mind becomes clearer, enabling one to gain a deeper insight and understanding of the spiritual laws and principles that sustain harmony in life.
Just as one can see the bottom of a lake if the water is clean and still, a clear, calm mind can see farther. And just as even a leaf that drops on still water creates ripples; the quiet mind can discern subtle impulses that, if not checked, can lead to undesirable thoughts, emotions, words and actions.
With such a mind, one is able to recognize subtle truths and make the right choices, be they about the words one uses or the way one behaves and lives.
This includes choosing what to eat, what to wear, what to buy, and how to treat other people and creatures. One becomes sensitive to the impact one’s actions have on the self, others and the planet.
This sensitivity, coupled with the wisdom that comes from a clear intellect, allows one to achieve harmony between the soul and body, and in our relations with other people and nature.
If one eats the right kind of food, avoids harmful habits like smoking, drinking and using drugs, and leads an active, healthy life, one is unlikely to invite many diseases.
Similarly, a clear intellect that is free from the clutter of vices enables one to know when to say what to whom, and when to keep quiet. Through the practice of Meditation, one also develops the power to discern what kind of a person one is dealing with and how best one can respond to him or her.
Even those who do not practice meditation may have such discernment, but because they are under the influence of some vice, such as ego, anger or attachment, they act against their better judgment. Meditation frees one from bondage to such weaknesses, enabling the soul to act wisely in every situation. This fosters harmony in human relationships.
The kind of relationship one has with nature also depends on the quality of the soul. A soul which understands the fact that all creatures, living matter and the five elements work together to maintain the ecological balance will treat every component of the environment with respect.
This means using resources economically, avoiding waste, conscientious consumption and doing one’s bit to heal the damage done to the planet by human actions. Even our thoughts impact the environment. We can see this in many places. The atmosphere inside a temple or mosque during prayers is different from that outside because the state of mind of people in the two places is not the same. Many would also have experienced walking into the room of an ill-tempered person and sensing his bad mood even before a word has been said.
Meditation helps one maintain a calm disposition at all times, and the peace in the mind of such a person spreads all around him. It is a subtle way of serving nature, and such a person receives cooperation from nature in return.
This how Meditation subtly elevates our consciousness and helps foster harmony at all levels in life.
(The author is Meditation Guru)
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