Meditation – The Art of Just Being

Meditation

 

“Sitting silently doing nothing, spring comes and grass grows by itself.”-Basho, Zen Monk.

The power to just sit still without doing anything is meditation. The concept of Dhyana is to feel the present, be in the present.

People often say they cannot be idle; they always want to be engaged with something. I wonder why it is so difficult to be idle. Maybe it is because the mind cannot stay without thoughts. Just a reminder from someone about being idle can put your mind into frenzy. Immediately after which, the mind starts to look around, tries to find something which is acceptable to the society. Simply because sitting idle leads to nothing but criticism.

The ultimate aim of Yoga and Dhyana is to sit idle. When you are in the present moment, leaving behind worries of future and past, is when you can feel the presence; the presence of cosmic intelligence. With an open mind and heart, you will feel the entire energy of the universe running through you. Removing identity from your thoughts is the key to turn your wishes into manifestations. For example, in the morning you are filled with happy thoughts and positivity, but by the afternoon your mood completely changes and different sets of thoughts and emotions arise.

The word emotion itself has the suffix – motion; that which is in constant movement. How can you call these emotions and thoughts yours if they aren’t stagnant and constant? Contrary to what is believed, an empty mind is not a state of unconsciousness, it is a heightened state of awareness. Your power of creativity, memory, intelligence and intuition reaches high levels.

Hence, whenever you get the opportunity to sit idle, sit silently and observe your breath. Focusing on your breath brings you closer to the centre of your being. Your mind won’t wander between the past and future; it will always be in the present. As a result of which you will be successful, because success does not lie in the future, it always lies in the present! Be a yogi in the market place, my friend. Sit with yourself and see what is going on inside you, before worrying about the world. Sit with nature. Absorb the energy released by the slowly growing grass and budding flowers of spring.