A Conversation with a Friend – 1
(inspired by the Life, Lectures, Conversations and Talks of Sri Swamiji)
– by Sri Ramanujamji
As ordained by our beloved master, I once met up with a friend after a long time, and we were catching up.
When the topic of spiritual practices popped up, he said, ‘I am doing meditation regularly.’ and went on explain his ‘meditation’.
I responded casually, ‘Hmm… hmm.’
‘I am telling you a significant thing about my divine meditation and you do not seem to be much impressed!’ said he.
‘From what I understand about your regular practice, you should not call it ‘meditation’, but rather as sitting quietly with your eyes closed.’
‘What!! Hey! Why do you say that?’
‘What do you think dhyana (meditation) truly is? Let me explain…
A child goes to the school for education. He has a true intense aspiration to complete his Doctorate in the future. He gets educated in a school. Another child has no interest in studies. He too attends the classes and drags himself to school daily. Just because all the others are holding on to their books and reading, he too holds a book and does the chore of reading it. Would this be true education?
First, the goal of meditation should be very clearly understood and the aspiration to attain the goal should be total and genuine. Meditation is but a mode of arriving at the goal. So without intense thirst for attaining the goal – the end – holding on to the path or the mode will not be of any use.
To explain this further with another example, if a person who just had a full meal is presented with a more delicious food, he would not have any inclination to relish the food. But a person who is very hungry can totally relish even an ordinary dish.
So what is Meditation? First, one gets the true thirst to attain Bhagavan. He deeply desires the divine experience. He is in constant thought of God. Rather than doing meditation as a chore, meditation happens as a result of this thirst for God.
Then you may ask, ’Why am I not getting this desire for God?’
It is because the mind is drowned in worldly thoughts, affected by past sins and the like.’
‘Then what is the way now to clear this mess?’ my friend asked.
‘Chant a lot of Nama! First, the mind needs to be cleared of all the above, so that the thirst for God may appear in the mind slowly, and thereby lead to the state of constant meditation of the Lord.’
Chanting the Mahamantra, in due course of time, leads to the state of true Meditation.
