Value: Meditation - November 2025
Fourth Week: Meditation & Life
An elderly, devout, wise person said the following inspiring words: 'One who knows the Self does not desire, he who knows you doesn't get angry, and one who knows both doesn't suffer.' As long as we ignore the Self, we do not think of these three as choices: desire, anger and suffering.
Maintaining serenity
Is pursuing a desire a choice? Is there an alternative to desire? Are you prepared to let go of that desire if you achieve what you seek from it before you begin? If you reflect on this correctly, you will. The practice of meditation aims to attain a peace that is far greater than any happiness derived from achievement.
That man attains peace who, abandoning all desires, moves about without longing, without the sense of ‘l-ness’ and ‘my-ness.' (BG 2.71)
Bhagavan Krishna promises infinite peace through regular practice of meditation with assertion and negation, which we discussed earlier. How? Because this culminates in abidance in the Self, in which the individual's dominant ego, that which seeks happiness through desire, reduces itself to a single thought of 'I am the Self'
Deal with the unpredictable
While you pursue peace, it’s important to acknowledge the challenges that life brings. The journey is filled with unpredictable twists and turns, resulting in both positive and negative experiences. Should you shut your eyes and remain passive, or should you engage and risk losing your peace?
Wise individuals advise us to engage peacefully in every situation. This means avoiding the creation of new crises and not allowing our egos to drive selfish decisions. Consider how you can effectively participate in resolving crises by setting aside your ego, rather than perpetuating problems by clinging to it.
Regular meditation is key to reducing the ego. While constant reflection, known as atma vichara, can help convince your intellect, true freedom comes only when you reside in the Self, merging all thoughts into the vast ocean of the all-pervading Self.
