“In the morning let me let know of your steadfast love, O Lord for I put my trust in you.Teach me the way I should go for to you I lift up my soul.” (Psalm 143:8)
These words of the Psalm show why meditation is so very important in our lives. The Psalm writer gets to know of the steadfast and unconditional love of God only through the means of deep meditation. As a fruit of his meditation, he is able to place his complete trust in God. He learns the way he should walk, make decisions and do things by lifting up his soul to God and meditating on his goodness and love. Saints and sages have found the depth of God's love being in deep meditation or contemplation.
Simple meditation (dhyana) need not be confused with contemplation and samadhi which are its higher forms practised by experts and masters. The former can be and must be practised by everyone, even if one is not an expert in contemplation. It is simply an inward journey of a soul where it searches for, finds and becomes one with its maker. Finding God is finding the source of our being, of all goodness, of pure joy and of total peace.
This meditative experience is not only helpful, but perhaps it is the panacea for all the problems that afflict our society today. Every conflict starts in the mind of someone. Meditation helps us touch and abide in the goodness of God and being filled with it; thus, our relationships, our dealings, our choices, our behaviours etc. Begin to be defined by that goodness and love. Through this we are able to make a positive difference to the people and world around us. Thus problems turn into opportunities and conflicts turn into concord. It helps us also concentrate better, study better, understand people and world better, and improve in our career prospects.
Meditation also helps us know and appreciate ourselves better. As we enter into the core of our being where God abides, we realise that we are precious beings, created by God in His own image and likeness, with an immortal soul and a perishable body. It is not our appearances, ethnicity or social status that define our worth, but our being children of God who are infinitely loved by Him. We realise that God has created us and placed us in this world for a special purpose. It is in discovering and fulfilling that purpose that we experience fulfilment and joy. And this joy becomes complete when we reach our final destiny where we will be totally united with God, our maker.
