Proper Meditation

By Sri. D.Gnanasundaram
Meditation goes a long way in helping us realise God. But we spend a great part of every day gossiping and indulging in meaningless conversations. Constant talking keeps us from resorting to dhyana.

A bee buzzes around a flower searching for honey. As long as it is circling the flower, it doesn't resort to drawing of honey from it. But the moment it stops buzzing and alights on the flower, it sucks honey.

Likewise, as long as we indulge in prattling about something or the other, we will never be able to approach God. But the moment we stop talking, we are able to introspect and ultimately, this kind of silent meditation is what will take us nearer God.
God cannot be sought in books. Scholarship cannot make a person God-realised. God has to be experienced. Once speech ceases, the process of understanding begins.

When we fry something in oil, a sizzling sound is heard, until whatever is being fried is done. After that, the oil stops spluttering. Similarly, a talkative person is shallow and is a half-baked seeker of God. Those who meditate on Him silently are the ones who will realise Him.

God is simple and, therefore, does not require us to resort to severe penance to reach Him. If He were so demanding, most of us would never be released from the cycle of births and deaths. He shows us the easy way of reaching Him, through prayer and meditation. Proper meditation comes only with practice.

There are many who make a mockery of vows of silence. Those who resort to mouna vrata are sometimes more distracted when they are silent than they are at other times. While they observe mouna vrata, they ask for paper and pen and write down their questions and observations.

This kind of writing sometimes is so extensive that it is obvious that the person observes the vrata only as a formality. It is almost as if he could not wait for the period of silence to be over.

He is so involved in observing what is going on around him and can hardly wait to participate in the conversations others have. Such a person's silence will yield him no benefits.