There is much more to this life than we realize. We are given this human birth to know ourselves as soul and to know God, and then realize the merger of our soul in God. God is within us, and we can experience God for ourselves when we embark on the inner spiritual journey. For this, we need to learn the right technique to transcend the outer world and go within. This process, also called meditation, whereby we take our attention away from the physical world and focus it within, allows the inner spiritual worlds to unfold for us and connect us with God’s love and Light.
As we take steps on the long and winding road that leads to God, we will come across many obstacles and barriers along the way. Thoughts and desires arising from the mind will distract and deter us from the goal. As a desire is fulfilled and brings about a fleeting sense of happiness, it may lead us to erroneously believe we have achieved our goal when we are simply approaching a bend in the road. We need to learn to discern the bend from the destination. We should not pause, but keep going in pursuit of our goal. We must always keep our attention focused on the goal, undeterred by the distractions on the way. We are all here to grow spiritually, to grow spiritually, we need to sit in silence.
The process of sitting in silence may seem easy, but when we sit down to meditate, we find that many distractions come our way. We are bombarded by thoughts about responsibilities, obligations, chores, and so much more; before long we question our ability to meditate.
Many of us are unable to still the body or the mind. We may give in after a day or two of trying because we cannot remain still for long. Yet, when we observe ourselves in the physical world, we notice that we can stay still and engrossed in a painting, a piece of art, a song, a musical rendition, or even a poem for hours on end. Why is this so? The arts entice the senses, namely, the sense of sight and the sense of sound. The arts bring us joy at the physical level. When we sit down to meditate, we are readying ourselves to enjoy the sights and sounds of the inner spiritual worlds. These inner sights and sounds are much more enchanting than anything we could experience in the outer world. The beauty that we enjoy through our physical senses is a mere reflection of what awaits us in the inner worlds.
What is needed is patience, perseverance, and diligence on our part. We need to continue to focus our attention within ourselves in meditation and not be distracted. With time and effort, we will be able to still our body and mind, and the inner worlds will open for us. We will experience the ineffable joy of connecting with God’s love and Light. We need to cultivate the habit of daily meditation and perfect each step of the meditation technique. We can then focus our attention within and sit for long periods in the sweet remembrance of God. As we calm the body and still the mind, we embark on the inner journey to experience the love and Light of God. Step by step, as we perfect our technique and keep our attention on the goal, we are certain to fulfil the purpose for which we are all here.
Each of us can have a spiritual journey; we are each capable of going within. It is simply a question of how focused we are and how much effort and attention we put toward our goal.
