Logic Of Meditation

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Even though behind the injunction, 'Meditate', is the age-old experience of the rishi's, the 'why' of it must be explained in a scientific manner, and logic must be harnessed to it in order to carry conviction to the modern hearts.

The well-known phenomenon of split personality of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde appears freakish only to a certain degree. As a matter of fact, all of us are suffering from the same malady. The average man, however, through a process of checks and restraints, does not allow anyone aspect of his personality to run loose in so pronounced a manner as in the case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Nevertheless, the various propensities in man are straining at the leash, and he is, more often than not, an unhappy house divided against itself. Think of a cart whose two bullocks do not move in unison, or of a man who takes one step forward and the next one backward; the third step may be towards his right, and fourth one in immediate reversal; next, he tries a step towards his left; but backs up hurriedly. In which direction do you think he would progress? He reaches nowhere even if such mutually cancelling efforts are repeated ad infinitum! He is rent by conflicting desires and, ultimately, he is bound to fall as an epitome of despair and failure.

The only advice that can be given to such a man is that he should resolve the conflict that tears him into bits, make up his mind as to the direction he would follow, and make a concerted drive. Then, with nothing to pull him back, he is sure to reach the chosen destination. Unless he does that, he would simply be frittering away his energy, achieving nothing.

From the above, the need for integrating various aspects of our personality is obvious. The physical, mental, intellectual and spiritual personalities must all be blended into one harmonious whole. Meditation is the technique of achieving this harmony. It is the highest spiritual discipline. Through meditation man comes to experience peace within and without. Internecine wars between desires are ended. Conflicts between duties no longer wreck his nerves. His mind is enabled to view life as a whole. There is nothing in which he shall not meet with success, for, his meaningless fluttering and the consequent dissipations have stopped. He would direct his potentialities with a concentration that cannot be bualked.

None of you may have failed to observe the result of concentration all round you in the world. The sun's rays, converged on a point through a focussing lens, would burn the thing on which they are concentrated. All successful men in business or learned professions owe their successes to single-pointed efforts. Thoughts of problems yield to undivided attention; application of a divided mind brings about indifferent results. The scriptures have rightly emphasised that every man is a potential genius. Most of us are able to use only an insignificant part of our infinite potentialities.

Therefore, disappointments are our inevitable lot. We have unlimited powers which, unfortunately, we have not learnt to tap and make use of. It is a question of rediscovering ourselves.

Beneath all our superficialities there lurks in us a constant unconscious search for the common denominator. Along its single rail, at one and the same time, move all the different aspects of our personalities: smoothly, swiftly, and in perfect balance to reach the experience of this reality.

About the author

Swami Chinmayananda

Swami Chinmayananda the great master's lectures were an outpour of wisdom. He introduced the Geetha Gnana Yagna. He wrote a lot of books on spirituality, commentaries to Vedantic texts, children books etc. He then started spreading His teachings globally.....