Why Meditate?

The sailor in a small craft that is being tossed on a gale-swept sea and who fears drowning is a relieved and thankful person when a snug, safe harbor appears on the horizon. He steers into the calm waters with gratitude and thanksgiving.

Many of us today feel like flotsam and jetsam buffeted about by actions and events that are seemingly beyond our control. Some are emotionally paralyzed, unable to function in the face of the overwhelming demands of modern life. Others just plug along at great cost to their emotional and physical well-being. Still others manage very well outwardly, but inwardly they search for answers to deeper questions. Life should not be this way, and they are looking for ways --or a way-- to find a niche for themselves where they may function successfully in society while at the same time maintaining their integrity, their emotional and psychological well-being, and find inner strength and serenity.

A snug harbor with calm waters exists in the core of each of us, untouched by outer distractions and disturbances. The outer shell --the body, the emotions, the mind, and the intellect, along with the personality we have assumed-- can all be quietened and transcended during precious intervals of time, during which we may rest in the serenity of our "calm harbor." This is accomplished by proper meditation.

Of what use is that? The problems still exist; we can't escape them. What we want to know is how we can change the things around us.

To answer the last question first: we can't. We cannot change other people --nor should we try!-- and not often can we change events around us. But we can change ourselves. That means changing the way we look at things, adopting a different perspective, and, most importantly, transforming our inner life. Success in this undertaking requires a willingness to give up our present attitudes.

The immediate need of many people is relief from stress and, perhaps, trauma. Those, as mentioned above, who find it difficult to function because of the buffeting effects of modern life, must begin at the beginning. Ironically, the very condition of their emotional state is the same condition that will hamper their efforts to meditate! Until one is able to overcome the disturbances of the mind and emotions, successful meditation will not be possible, and yet paradoxically, learning to do this is accomplished through meditation.

The most basic reason for meditating is its healing and unifying effects and that is why meditation is being taught in many different arenas having nothing to do with deep spiritual aspirations. It is recognized universally now as a technique for overcoming anxiety, depression and stress. Therefore, the person whose first goal is to find emotional and mental relief has reason enough to try meditation. With a strong desire to master the technique and consistent effort, it can be done and the transforming process is set in motion.

To the answer the former question, of what use is it to discover the calm harbor within us --that depends on the individual requirement of each person. But certain basic benefits are incurred that are worth noting. Upon mastering the ability to enter that calm harbor, we are able to maintain its effects during the course of our daily activities. The calmness carries over. And it clears the head so that we see situations more objectively and are more adept at keeping life's vicissitudes in proper perspective. Certainly we are more effective when we can solve problems calmly and objectively than when we are emotionally overwhelmed by them. As Rudyard Kipling said in the close of his famous poem "If," "If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you...," he voiced a profound truth about the only way to be effective in dealing with any situation. Those who become psychologically and emotionally distressed rarely contribute to solutions.

Whatever the reason might be why any of us choose to embark on a regular meditation routine, another benefit accrues to us spontaneously. The transforming powers continue on subtle levels and we find that, not only are we more centered and stable in our daily lives, but we are becoming more alert and aware of our inner life. If some of us started out, perhaps lamenting "Why was I born," we find ourselves asking instead, and with a sense of awe, "Who am I? Why am I here?" We sense that there is a something more and we develop a longing to know and to understand. Sri Ramakrishna, in interpreting the Beatitudes, compared, "Blessed are those that mourn, for they shall be comforted," with being like the mother cat who has lost her kitten and goes mewing and calling for it. Thus does the Self long to find Itself, and we are impelled into a search to find meaning. And this quest becomes central in our lives.

What is the calm harbor like? It is calm because thoughts are stilled and do not intrude. Body awareness disappears. It is unlike reverie, not like drifting on a rosy cloud oblivious of the world. The mind is alert and aware, but without thought.

Those who achieve this state find it difficult to describe it to others for several reasons. The first reason is that language is inadequate. We find ourselves struggling to find words to describe the indescribable, as the state is not like anything in our mundane experience. Another reason is that the state is intensely personal. As every psychologist knows, people find it very difficult to verbalize about their deepest feelings, and this experience takes place in an unfamiliar space, beyond this world. The deeper the meditation, the more inexpressible the experience.

Without an easy exchange of ideas about these experiences, it is glib to state positively what the experience is, or should be. It is generally believed that meditation differs from person to person, as we each bring to it our unique sets of archetypes, personal experiences and attitudes.

Meditation for serious seekers is an indispensable tool. The meditative state is the only opportunity for us to Be. anchored in the Absolute Now, free of bodily, mental and emotional demands, to penetrate the veil of illusion, and to experience the Self. Meditation is a transforming mechanism that works on subtle levels, changing our lives. It often works without our conscious awareness and we must stay alert in order to recognize that changes are taking place within our thinking, our attitudes and our responses to life. At other times we are jolted into a sudden apprehension that an insight of enormous significance is occurring.

Meditation practices were once the exclusive property of Eastern cultures, although the practices have been known to, and used by, a few Westerners for centuries. Only in relatively recent times have the practices been adopted in the West by such a wide range of groups and institutions. For many, meditation has become acceptable (and even a fad) because of the approval of the medical profession and Christian churches as a therapeutic device. And, indeed, it does fulfill that purpose. It is not an arcane practice restricted only to single-minded Truth seekers, and those who ask nothing more of it than stress relief should never be belittled for a lack of serious purpose.

Nevertheless, meditation is an ancient practice that, once begun, will continue through the lifetime of those who long to Know, who seek union with their Guru or Deity, or who venture into the state of bliss.

Skilled and qualified teachers are necessary to guide the beginner into these uncharted waters. The human failing of falling into self-delusion is an ever present trap that sometimes causes the practitioner to be misled. Sorting out the Real from the unreal requires a knowing hand. The teacher is also wisely able to assist in overcoming the personality quirks that block access to inner space. The meditation experience is enhanced by the opportunity for the parallel study of ancient wisdom under the tutelage of the qualified teacher. This gives us a solid base of knowledge that we can incorporate into our thinking. When we digest this knowledge on a mundane level, we acquire a more ready acceptance of what is occurring inwardly --the soil is made ready for the seed.