“There are different forms of meditations in every religious tradition and practically in every denomination of each religious tradition. What is most important is our sincerity and the willingness to really absorb ourselves in that particular process.” – Radhanath Swami
Some meditate on a silent mantra, some on a particular form, some on a particular prayer, some on a virtue, some on the breath, some on the different sensations of the body and some on the name of God, which is considered very divine and holy.
All these meditations are meant to purify our heart and bring our mind to its natural condition. Our consciousness is inherently pure, eternal, full of knowledge and bliss. But somehow or other it has been covered by and adulterated by so many misconceptions, so many desires, so many longings, so many anxieties about what we want and what we don’t want “I am a man, I am a woman; I am American, I am South American, I am Indian, I am Pakistani, I am Russian, I am African”— all of these are bodily conceptions. We are so much consumed by these things and it is all mixed into our consciousness. If we filter our mind through meditation or any genuine spiritual practice, it brings our consciousness back to its original state, which is pure.
Another example is a mirror. When you look into a mirror, you see yourself. But what if that mirror has been neglected for hundreds of years? There are layers and layers of debris, dust, dirt and filth. And when you look into that mirror, all you see is the dust and the dirt that is accumulated, and all that you think is “This is me!” But when you clean the mirror, little by little you start seeing the image of yourself. And when the mirror is actually clean, you see who you are. Meditation is for that purpose; prayers are for that purpose; spirituality is for that purpose: to cleanse our heart, to cleanse our life-style so that we can actually directly experience our own essence, which is eternal, full of knowledge and full of love.
Thank you sharing the prime reason for meditating – to cleanse our hearts and experience our own essence!
In my experience prayer aims not experiencing my own essence but opening up my heart, mind and soul for the presence of God. Some may say that this is the same, but i doubt. The essence of my soul has been burdened and overshadowed with so much fear, anxiety, worries, anger, …that is needs to be healed, it needs a healer – God. It will not heal by itself.
Thank you for this beautiful article
Wonderful article ..Thank you so much HH Radhanath Swami Maharaj Ji for the nectar..
Very true! Meditation is meant to clean our hearts so that we can understand our original nature of loving God.
Thank for sharing such wisdom
Thanks for this bliss giving article. Deep meditation on God reveals our true eternal nature, these are some of the golden words i could meditate upon after reading this.
Meditation is for that purpose; prayers are for that purpose; spirituality is for that purpose: to cleanse our heart, to cleanse our life-style so that we can actually directly experience our own essence, which is eternal, full of knowledge and full of love. Thanks Radhanath swami for such a nice explaination on meditation
Thank you for enlivening us, sometimes i get so caught up in this mind game that really pulls me here and there–so true – medidation is to pure our mind – so that we can pure lifestyle and know our essence
Very nice teaching..’If we filter our mind through meditation or any genuine spiritual practice, it brings our consciousness back to its original state, which is pure’.
Generally the articles on Meditation touch upon one method or another, trying to prove that ones method is the best. This article by Radhanath Swami is rare-it respects all the different processes of meditation but also gives the real purpose, which is to purify our heart and bring our mind and consciousness to its natural condition of purity, knowledge and bliss. Thank you Radhanath Swami for sharing.
Thanks to Radhanath Swami for explaining the real purpose of meditation – to cleanse the heart.
Radhanath Swami is really a sincere and honest practitioner of bhakti tradition of India.
Many thanks to Radhanath swami for explaining what REAL meditation is all about!
This article shows the harmony between various methods of purification of our consciousness.. but the most imported requirement is sincerity.
Thank you Maharaj…
Seeing our original form through meditation by chanting the holy names—–Really very much glorious. All glories to HH Radhanatha Swami Maharaja.
True Mediation is, ‘When one is sincere about his/her meditation and purpose behind it to purify the heart and serve the lord & his devotee. Mahraj explained it very nicely.Thank you very much maharaj.
Radhanath Swami has clearly revealed the universal applicability of meditation and it’s common goal of purifying our hearts and lifestyle so that we can return to our original position of loving and serving god.
Thanks for sharing it.
Swamiji has so beautifully explained the purpose of meditation in lucid words……