“Meditation speaks. It speaks in silence. It reveals. It reveals to the aspirant that matter and spirit are one, quantity and quality are one, the immanent and the transcendent are one. It reveals that life can never be the mere existence of seventy or eighty years between birth and death, but is, rather, Eternity itself.”
– Sri Chinmoy
1. Satisfaction
We are all consciously or unconsciously aspiring for happiness and satisfaction, but, is difficult to achieve. Meditation offers the ability to be at peace with ourselves and discover an inner source of joy.
“Why do we meditate? We meditate precisely because this world of ours has disappointed us and because failure looms large in our day-to-day life. We want fulfilment. We want joy, peace, bliss and perfection within and without. Meditation is the answer, the only answer.”
2. Relaxation
Modern life is stressful. Many demands are placed on our time. Meditation helps relax both mind and body. Meditation teaches us to detach from our multifarious thoughts; it is this inner peace which gives real lasting relaxation.
3. Health
Many medical conditions can be caused and exacerbated by stress. Through meditation we can reduce our conscious and subconscious stress; this helps improve both our inner and outer health. Studies have shown a link between meditation and good health. (e.g. link)
4. Inner peace
No matter how successful we are in the material world, inner peace can remain elusive. It is meditation that can give us real lasting inner peace. A peace that doesn’t depend on external events.
5. Life’s purpose
Meditation can offer more than just relaxation; it is a life long process of inner self discovery. Meditation enables us to access a deeper part of ourselves and gain a greater sense of self-awareness and purpose to life.
“Only in my deep meditation
Do I come to know
Who I truly am.”
Sri Chinmoy
6. Inner joy
The real secret of happiness is not in accumulating material things, but in being tune with our inner harmony. Meditation can take us away from the critical, unhappy mind, and unlock the natural happiness of the heart.
7. Detachment
Meditation enables us to learn how to detach from our own thoughts. If we get caught in a cycle of negative thought patterns, we can use meditation to realise we don’t have to give these thoughts power – but that we can discard this. Through meditation, we can learn to detach from small irritations and see the good in different situations.
8. Concentration
In meditation we learn how to concentrate – to be aware of only one thing at a time. This power of concentration is useful for many different aspects of life, be it sport, work or music. Concentration also makes us more effective and less confused.
9. Good will to others
We don’t just meditate for ourselves. When we meditate very deeply we became aware of a shared source. We can feel a greater sense of oneness with other people. If we gain peace and joy from meditation, we will naturally want to other this good will to other people. We benefit from meditation, but also those who live nearby will as well.
10. Newness
Meditation can be a new experience every day. It is not just the same process of sitting still for 15 minutes. Meditation can re-energise our life, and teach us how to enjoy the simple things in life. Meditation also helps us to be at peace with ourselves and give a time of the day, where we can escape all the external distractions and pressures. This feels a very worthwhile process.
– Tejvan
Further reading
- Benefits of meditation at Write Spirit
- Benefits of meditation at Sri Chinmoy Centre
