Meditation Is a Way of Life
In Die to Live Maharaj Charan Singh describes meditation as a way of life, explaining:
You do not merely close yourself in a room for a few hours, then forget about meditation for the rest of the day. It must take on a practical form, reflecting in every daily action and in your whole routine. Everything you do must consciously prepare you for the next meditation.
What does consciously preparing for our next meditation entail? At a minimum, this means adhering to the first three principles of Sant Mat. First, we must eat a vegetarian diet that respects the well-being of all living beings and does not cause harm. Second, we must abstain from alcohol and mind-altering drugs because they cloud our judgment, scatter our attention, and undermine our ability to maintain focus during meditation. Third, we must lead an honest life based on high standards of morality and ethics. If we don’t follow these principles, our meditation will be hampered.
Other ways of creating a conducive environment for meditation include practising positive thinking, maintaining harmonious relationships with others, and being kind and compassionate. However, focus and concentration are the core components of meditation. So, how can we improve these faculties?
To say that it’s challenging to be mindful of where we keep our attention during the day would be an understatement. Our mind is ensnared in a web of constantly flowing thoughts, which strengthen our ego and validate our perception of an illusory world.
In fact, most of us live our lives in our minds, in a storm of scattered thoughts. Sometimes we obsess about what somebody has said, what we imagine they meant, and what we think they think of us. But these thoughts are mere suppositions because we don’t know what’s going on in someone else’s head. Thoughts also take us away from the present moment; either we’re dwelling on the past or planning for the future. But we can’t change what happened yesterday, and what will happen tomorrow is imaginary since we can’t even be sure we will be alive.
Mystics explain that our uncontrolled thinking is preventing us from making the spiritual breakthrough we desire. In Quest for Light, Hazur Maharaj Ji repeatedly emphasizes the importance of guarding our minds against its chatter. He advises us not to become “beguiled by futile thoughts,” as they will only serve to “retard your [spiritual] progress.” Hazur Maharaj Ji is telling us that the reason we find ourselves struggling to concentrate during meditation is because the mind is addicted to uncontrolled thinking – this is its normal state. Because thinking is such a deeply ingrained habit, it’s unrealistic to expect one’s mind to cooperate willingly during meditation. Concentration is not something we can do automatically by simply saying, “I will now focus solely on my simran and block out all other thoughts.”
By allowing our thoughts to wander freely during the day, the same out of control thinking spills into our meditation practice. Naturally, we become frustrated and begin questioning whether controlling our mind is even possible. Mystics assure us that when we make the effort, with their grace, it is possible to tame the mind. Our effort includes repeating simran during the day whenever possible, as this will help settle the mind when we sit for meditation. Instead of struggling to control and eliminate those thoughts, we sit in gratitude and watch those thoughts from afar – we let them drift away rather than hook onto them. When we listen attentively for the Word of God, the silence has much to reveal.
Our meditation practice is deeply intertwined with our daily lives, and how much simran we do throughout the day. Achieving a calm and focused mind in meditation requires a holistic approach in which our daily actions and thoughts align with the principles of Sant Mat. When we prioritize meditation, our entire day is shaped by this commitment, and it becomes the foundation of our daily routine. In essence, our meditation practice influences the quality of our days, just as our daily experiences impact our meditation sessions. This symbiotic relationship emphasizes the idea that meditation is not a single, stand-alone solitary practice but a way of life.
Returning to Hazur Maharaj Ji’s guidance at the start of this article, that meditation is not something we do for a few hours a day in a closed room by ourselves; it must be reflected in every aspect of our daily life. Of particular importance is being mindful about where we keep our attention as this improves our ability to concentrate during meditation, which in turn helps us become more detached from the world and enhances our human experience. In this way, meditation becomes a way of life.