Why Meditate?
When meditation is the most important of the four principles of Sant Mat, it may seem odd to ask the question, “Why meditate?”
There are many forms of meditation, and Sant Mat differs from many of these because it requires a complete substitution of every worldly thought with a single-minded focus of attention on our simran. It is simran that leads us to the Shabd Master within us, the manifestation of the Supreme Lord. This entails losing our self-importance along with everything in this world that is presently dear to us. In return, we gain eternal salvation and bliss when our soul merges with the Lord, and we find ourselves released from the wheel of reincarnation.
A valid reason to meditate is, therefore, to escape the transmigration of our soul, and transcend this creation to become one with the Creator. Maharaj Charan Singh explains how one merges with the Lord:
When with the help of the spirit the mind goes back to its own source – the second stage, Trikuti – the soul gets released from the mind and then the mind can no longer pull the soul down. Then the soul can rise above all these types of karmas; only then the soul shines, becomes whole and clean; and then alone the soul can merge back into the Father.
Spiritual Perspectives, Vol. I
Another reason could be to honour our promise to the Master who initiated us. At the time of initiation we vowed to meditate for two and a half hours daily. To honour that vow we try to repeat the five holy words and listen for the Sound for the required time daily. We should therefore try to follow the advice of Maharaj Ji, who says in Spiritual Perspectives, Vol. II: “The main thing is that we should attend to our meditation and not compromise with the principles of Sant Mat.”
Each seeker’s experience of meditation is different. Some may experience meditation as a mechanical process of mental repetition of the words, and what may seem like a wasted attempt to listen to the Sound. Some of these initiates may complain that meditation is dry and difficult, and they may elect to either cease meditation or only devote a little time irregularly to it. One unfortunate result of this decision is that these initiates may delay their spiritual progress and drift away from their vows.
At the other end of the scale, some fortunate initiates focus their attention almost immediately and hear the celestial Sound directly after initiation. These disciples perceive the true meaning of love and appreciate the need for discipline, sacrifice, dedication and devotion. It is not because they understand these concepts; rather it is because they experience them, practise them and live by them.
The joy of their experience leads to more and more meditation, which is the source of their happiness. These initiates live in the Lord’s will and progress spiritually as they have very little or no interest in the world and what it offers. They experience an unimaginable wealth that is beyond anything in creation. Referring to such fortunate souls, Maharaj Ji says:
Some people are spiritually inclined, and they do not care much for worldly things. They are only happy to be one with the Lord.
Spiritual Perspectives, Vol. I
Then, there are initiates across the spectrum with innumerable varying experiences, making gradual progress at what may appear to be a snail’s pace. Provided that they continue honouring their vow to their Master and keep putting in their best effort, their progress will continue – with or without their awareness.
A further reason to meditate could be an expression of gratitude to the Master, for as Maharaj Ji says:
Our approach to meditation should be of that of gratitude. The Lord has given us the opportunity of this human form and then the environment in which to attend to meditation. So we should always approach meditation with gratitude.
Spiritual Perspectives, Vol. III
Initiates who appreciate the great good fortune of the gift of Nam may wish to express their gratitude to the Master for the gifts of awareness and ultimate salvation. If their meditation is regular, punctual and done with the sense of gratitude, they will definitely progress spiritually.
Spiritual progress is often questioned and doubted because we have a high expectation of the outcome of our efforts in meditation. We have the impression that progress is only measurable by experiencing inner light and sound. We assume we have the insight to comprehend our progress, and we assume that we are entitled to be rewarded for our meagre efforts in meditation.
Whatever the reasons for our assessment of our spiritual progress, we forget that we have, over millions of lives, built a colossal barrier of karma and ego that envelops our soul. Removing this barrier takes time, effort and attention.
Fortunately, there are no failures in Sant Mat. Maharaj Ji affirms this. He says:
As Maharaj Ji [Maharaj Sawan Singh] used to say, in Sant Mat there are no failures, because you are trying to follow it.
Spiritual Perspectives, Vol. III
There may be several other reasons to meditate, but the best reason has to be love. It may be impossible to define love, but those who experience love know what it is. Love may be manifested in various forms but is truly expressed only in our actions. At a physical level, love may be expressed as kindness, compassion, forgiveness, selfless service and caring. At a spiritual level love for the Master is expressed through meditation.
There can be no better expression of our love for him than when we sit in meditation with one-pointed focus, dedication and devotion. Maharaj Ji explains:
When master initiates us, puts us on the path, he tells us to devote time to meditation. If we really love him, we will obey him. We cannot say we love him and, at the same time, not obey his instructions, not live the life he tells us to live. That is not love for the master.
Spiritual Perspectives, Vol. II
When viewed as an act of love, meditation takes on a whole new perspective, and can be compared to sitting in the physical presence of the Master. Sitting in his presence is, of course, physical, but the similarity is the focusing of our attention on our Beloved, losing our identity in his presence and becoming oblivious to everything else – except our Master. If we find it so easy to sit in the physical presence of the Master, why should it be any different to sitting in meditation, where we believe we are in the presence of the Shabd Master?
We may feel that because we don’t see anything during meditation that it is not as important as seeing the Master in the physical. But, if we could go beyond the physical – to the Radiant Form – then we would realise who the master really is, and the enormous role he plays in our spiritual life.
Ultimately, it is our love and our simran that counts. In meditation, it is not the fact that we don’t see anything that matters. What matters is that we choose to do our simran. Repetition of those five words focuses our attention at the eye centre, where the Shabd Master resides. It is this focused attention that develops and deepens our love for the Master.
Meditation is the ultimate act of love for the Master, which is also manifested in our discipline, obedience and submission to him. If we love the Master, we will reflect it in all our actions, our thoughts, and in our total submission to him.
Why meditate? Our love for the Master makes meditation irresistible.