30. Meditation is a Quality of Life
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Today's subject is, 'Unclutch from the mind maze and de-stress instantly!' Today, we will enter into the eighth sutra of the Samadhi Pada. Patanjali has given us 196 beautiful sutras, describing the whole science of Yoga, the whole science of uniting the individual consciousness with the universal consciousness, and making yourself falling in tune with the Ultimate.
The entire science of unclutching is explained in this one sutra. Patanjali is such a great Master; I know for sure he would have worked with millions of disciples, otherwise he cannot write such a highly mystical, unimaginable work! He is so sure, he is putting everything into just a few words.
Viparyayo mithyājñānamatad rūpapratiṣṭham || 1.8 ||
Interpreting based on past conditioning leads to misconception or wrong understanding.
The Upanishads, the Zen koans, the poems of the Sufi mystics - everything expressed by enlightened Masters is nothing but again and again repeating: whatever IS, is Reality! The Isha Vasya Upanishad begins with the words, 'Isa vasyam idagm sarvam'
- 'Whatever Is, is God.' The Zen Masters say, 'Before enlightenment, mountain is a mountain, tree is a tree, river is a river. After enlightenment, mountain is a mountain, tree is a tree, river is a river.' Then what in heaven are we doing, working for enlightenment? Buddha says beautifully, tathaata. The word needs to be understood. It means, IS-ness. If whatever IS is God, then what is the problem? Where does the problem start? The problem starts with our wrong understanding. As Patanjali puts it here, viparyaya. Please understand, it is an important word; I can say it is the key.
Just today morning, during a the press meet, one of the journalists asked me, ‘Swamiji, you speak about meditation. What are we supposed to do? Should we close our eyes and sit and meditate?’ I replied to him, ‘Only in the initial level you need a technique, you may need to close your eyes and sit for half an hour or forty five minutes, you may need to do something. But actually, the real essence of spiritual life is not even meditation!’ This one sutra gives the complete understanding: putting an end to the misunderstanding is real meditation. You can say that it is the essence of spiritual life!
Putting an end
to the misunderstanding
is real meditation.
Understand, meditation is not just an activity you do for half an hour or forty-five minutes a day and then forget about for the rest of the day. No! It is a quality of life. In the initial level it may be necessary for you to create a concentration and center yourself, so half an hour of sitting with closed eyes is okay. But that is not the end. Techniques are like a boat. But this teaching that Patanjali is giving is like a river. Life is not the boat; Life is the river!
CONTEMPLATION
Today, make every moment into meditation. Let meditation be the quality of your life.