Meditation

Simple Steps to Wellness and Peace

The real benefit of meditation is that it enables us to uncover and embrace our true self, our soul, says Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj

Meditation has become mainstream and is now practised by people in the East as well as the West. In fact, people all around the world are embracing meditation as a way of life. The reason for this is simple: in the hustle and bustle of daily existence, we find stresses and strains. We need a mechanism to deal with life’s ups and downs.

In the last quarter of a century, research has been done on the benefits of meditation. Today, people meditate to relieve stress. Many illnesses, including diseases that affect the heart, lungs, and stomach, are related to stress. Medical research is proving that meditation can reduce stress-related illnesses. There have been studies which show that those who meditate can recover faster after an illness or surgery. People with chronic pain find relief through meditation. Many people meditate to improve the health and wellbeing of their physical body.

Besides the physical benefits of meditation, there are also emotional and mental benefits. Many meditate to find calm and peace to deal with their work situations. They find it helpful to improve concentration at school. Some experience the benefits of improved relationships with family, friends, and co-workers.

Physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing are some of the by-products of meditation, but the real benefit of meditation is that it enables us to uncover and embrace our true self, our soul.

Spiritual health

When we think of ourselves, most people look at just the outer part of our being. When we look in the mirror, we see a body and face and feel that is who we are. Based on that, we lead our lives just by focusing on keeping our body fit and fine. Little do we realise that our true self is not the body. The body, which is made of matter, goes back into matter. When a realisation sets in that there is something beyond the body, then we start to wonder how we can discover our true self.

Although we can see our face in the mirror, we can feel our body, and we can keep it clean and healthy through good nutrition and exercise, is that who we really are? Wellness is not only the wellness of the outer body. If the spirit is healed, then all other aspects of our being will be healed. Our spiritual health depends on the health of the body and the mind. True meditation is a practice in which we heal the spirit, embrace the spirit, and experience the spirit.

When we put meditation into our own lives, it brings healing to the spirit or soul. Our soul is parched. It has been separated from the Creator for aeons and aeons. During that time, the soul has not been nourished. While we have this human existence, we have an opportunity to recognise our true selves. In this regard, we believe in the East that each one of us has been given the characteristic called vivek or the ability to discriminate between truth and falsehood.

The truth is that we are a soul, a conscious being, and we are caged in this human frame. Our soul is in the human body, and God is in the human body. The question is that if the soul is in the body and God is in the body, why don’t the two connect? Herein comes the benefit of meditative practice.

The role of meditation

Meditation is taking our attention away from the world outside and focusing within ourselves. It is a practice through which we can experience the Light and Sound within us. This current of Light and Sound emanates from the Source, and when we connect with it through meditation, we can journey on this current through all regions of creation to return to our Source.

Most of us are only aware of this physical realm, but the saints and enlightened beings through the ages have described spiritual regions within us. Through meditation we can experience each of these higher regions.

The process of meditation on the inner Light and Sound is simple. We still our body and still our mind. By sitting in silence, we can experience the Divine within us.

As we experience the spiritual treasures within, we are transformed. We realise that just as we can experience the divinity within ourselves, so can all others do the same. Not only does the meditation experience last for the time we are sitting, but it has long-term effects on our day-to-day existence.

Finding the closeness of God brings us peace and calm. We realise that we are anchored in stability because God is the Power that brought all creation into being. As we find that peace within, we radiate it to our families, societies, communities, cities, countries, and to the entire globe.

Meditation is a means by which we heal by providing nourishment to the soul. It is a means by which we are connected to the Light and Sound that is in each of us. As we connect with the Light and Sound, our soul is nourished and returns to its original state, being immersed in the love and Light of God.

The process of meditation is one that anchors us in the Divine. The more we experience that anchor, the better off we are in dealing with all other aspects of our life. As we sit in silence even for a few minutes each day, we find that all other aspects of our life are sweeter, calmer, and more peaceful.

Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj, author and world-renowned Spiritual Master, offers a unique approach to health and wellness. The simple method of meditation that he teaches, on the inner Light and Sound, not only reduces stress and stress-related illnesses but also helps us live in a state of peace and calm. The above is an excerpt from a talk given by Sant Rajinder Singh at the United Nations on May 2nd, 2016, Building Bridges through Meditation: Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj’s Address at the United Nations.