Meditation and the Simple Life (article)

Passing along a monthly newsletter I get
Newsletter has a slight Hindu-flavor, but
many messages are universal . . . S

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Meditation and the Simple Life
SATSANG of SWAMI AMAR JYOTI

Emptying the mind is the greatest activity. It seems as if you are doing nothing. It seems like escapism and selfishness to those who are egocentric. But try it. Simply let go and allow Consciousness or Light to shine. It is self-conquest that makes you victorious — over nobody else but you — and makes you a conscious being. Then the Light shines, which is Imperishable.

All thought-vibrations, whether good or bad, are bondage. Jesus said, “Come ye who are heavy laden and find comfort.” Heavy laden with what? He was talking about the burden of thoughts and desires, the burden of worries, anxieties, fears, doubts, wishful thinking, willfulness, pride — such things make us heavy. The solution is not in knowing much or creating so many techniques and systems. The wisdom of the sages is meant to fulfill and flourish life as a whole, including health, economics, aesthetics, talents and any faculty of the brain. The highest education is to meditate upon the Imperishable.

First you have to do everything for Him, not for yourself. He does not pamper egos. Do His will first and then He will fulfill you, even more than you expect. I feel that as long as we are avoiding the main issue of meditating upon the Lord, the Light, the Imperishable One, Krishna, Christ, Buddha, we will not attain salvation. We will remain caught up and trapped in the cobwebs of our minds. There are certainly moments of pleasure but those are fleeting. Life is meant to be a joy but that will not happen by wishful thinking. It has to be by meditating upon the Ultimate with sweet will. Meditation is the key, the only key, to Realization.

It is not meditation techniques that help you meditate; it is emptying the mind. Please remember this. By emptying the mind, or at least making it lighter, you will meditate better, whatever the technique. All techniques are good in their good faith. Achieve the Goal first. Keep your mind on one thing. This will show you how to live in the world. Do things as a matter of fact, not unmindfully, and then forget about them. What will you take with you when you go? When you die you take only your mind with you. In your sleep, your dreams, your work, your travels, wherever you may be, your mind is always with you to work upon. It has to be simplified in order to have peace. The simpler we are, the more joyful we are.

We can have peace and joy in one day if we simplify our minds. Whether you get rid of your accumulated things or not is immaterial. The mind has to be simplified so that it does not trouble you. I think entertainment is escapism, avoiding the main issue. Or put it differently: entertainment is a pale reflection of the inner joy you are seeking. If your mind is on your Ideal, I don’t think you need entertainment. This is a new perspective but contemplate it and you will see the truth of it. Focus on your Goal and see if you don’t get joy.