Yoga, meditation come with over a thousand benefits. Want to have better concentration? Want to
feel relaxed? Want to have a better health? Or want to slow ageing? Yoga and Meditation can give it all.
We live in a world where stress, anxiety, depression
are very common problems. Every other day we hear someone committing suicide
due to depression or somebody killing others. Peace is something much needed in
the planet today. Dalai Lama once said, “if every eight year old in the world
is taught meditation we will eliminate violence from the world with in one
generation”. That is how powerful meditation could be to cultivate a stress
free, happy and peace full society.
So what are these spiritual practices (yoga and
meditation) actually for? To get into better shape, to reduce stress, to have
better mental and physical health? Yes meditation and yoga can be used to get
into better shape or to have better physical and mental health. Not only that,
it can also be used to get other zillion things which include increased muscle strength,
better concentration, better posture etc. However, what is the primary purpose of these spiritual
practice?
While yoga and meditation can give numerous benefits
the primary purpose of these spiritual practice is only one and that is to realize
your real self.
Once a monk asked a boy: who are you?
I am “Mohit” the guy replied.
“Well that is the name given to your body, I am not
asking for name. I am asking who are you? “The monk said.
“An engineer” the guy replied.
“ I am not asking your profession, I am asking who are
you? “ the monk smiled
The young man thought for a while and then said, ‘I am
the son of so-and-so.’
‘That is your relation with your parents,’ smiled the
monk.
‘I am a Hindu and a Nepali.’
‘That is your religion and your nationality.’
‘I am a human being,’ the young man reached his wit’s
end.
‘Now, you are referring to the species— the Homo
sapiens. Who are you?’
That is the real essence of spiritual practice, to
realize who we really are.
I really adore the way one saint explained about: how spiritual practice
helps on in realizing our real self. He compares us with a lantern with a very
bright flame inside but the glass of the lantern is covered with very dark and
dense layer of smoke and dirt i.e
ignorance, lust, fear, anger, greed and past Karma. To realize that we are that
bright burning flame we need to take away that dark and dense layer of smoke and
dirt and that is what spiritual practice does.
What is real self then? Real self is not something
that can be explained by words but something that is to be experienced. However,
to give us idea about the nature of real self vedas describe it as “sat-chit-anand”. Sat meaning eternal and ever
existing. Which is to say, the real self is not affected by birth and death. Chit meaning consciousness. Thus, matter and
chemical reactions do not produce consciousness and consciousness is ever
existing. Anand refers to pure eternal bliss.
With constant spiritual practice the layer of smoke
and dirt becomes less dense and we become closer to realizing our real self.
So yes, yoga and meditation can help you in thousand
different ways. However, yoga and meditation are not only simple tools which work
for better health or anxiety control, like most people take it to be. Spiritual
practice made prince Siddhartha, Budhha and it could make you too.
