When our heart flies
Towards Heaven,
Time stands still.
It does not interfere.

– Sri Chinmoy

Just a short note to wish all readers a happy new Year!

Thanks for all the comments and questions. I’m sorry if I am sometimes a bit slow responding. I have actually been working on 2 readers questions and have nearly finished the articles, they will be coming out soon.

Picture by Unmesh Swanson, Sri Chinmoy Centre galleries.

Unmesh titled this picture ‘An Eye in the Sky’

Sri Chinmoy, my spiritual teacher, and the inspiration of this blog passed away yesterday, October 11th 2007. He was aged 76, and was fully active until the moment of death.

Sri Chinmoy dedicated his life to the service of others and striving for a world based on harmony, peace and understanding.

Press Release on the Passing of Sri Chinmoy

At the moment, it is hard to put in words the gratitude I feel for his remarkable example and inspiration.

His death was quite unexpected, and naturally he will be missed by his many friends, and disciples.

This is an article I wrote recently, – Should we be afraid of death?

Note:

There will be a temporary break in posting to this blog.

1. Music for Meditation.

If music is soulful and peaceful it brings our soul to the fore. When we hear soulful meditative music our inner being begins to aspire for a deeper and more meaningful reality. This aspiration to reach a more fulfilling, expansive consciousness is the real secret of meditation. When we have a burning inner flame then our meditation technique becomes of little importance. When we are inwardly aspiring for peace, light and joy our soul meditates spontaneously on our behalf. Music can definitely awaken our slumbering inner spirit.

“Each time we hear soulful music, we get inspiration and delight. In the twinkling of an eye, music can elevate our consciousness.” (1)

– Sri Chinmoy

Music for meditation can give us real inspiration but we should make sure the music is composed and played in a meditative consciousness. If the music creates restlessness and excitement then this will not help in any way our meditation.

2. Meditate on Nature.

Nature embodies a dynamic peace. The beauty, expanse and scale of nature are very conducive to meditation. The Spiritual Master Sri Ramakrishna told his disciples to always meditate when they came across an expanse of water. Water signifies consciousness and purity; this consciousness and purity are the essence of meditation. If we can meditate at the ocean’s edge we will also feel a sense of infinity and expanse. It is hard for the human mind to conceive of concepts like infinity and immortality, but when we see the ocean stretching into the distance we can definitely be inspired by this concept of infinity.

3. Meditate with an adept of Meditation.

If we can have the opportunity to meditate with a real expert in meditation we will definitely feel something in their meditation. When we meditate in the presence of a real Spiritual Master we can benefit from the peace and light that they bring down. If we do not have the opportunity to meditate in the presence of a living spiritual master we can meditate on the photo of some Teacher, whom we have the utmost faith. If the photo was taken during meditation the picture will embody a meditative consciousness. If we can enter into this meditative consciousness it will bring our own inner meditative power to the fore. This consciousness is the secret of meditation.

4. Meditate with others.

If we meditate in a group with other like minded people who enjoy meditation we will gain increased inspiration and confidence in the power of meditation. If we only meditate on our own it can feel like we are battling against the world. However when we meditate in a group our own meditation will be heightened because we benefit from the meditative consciousness that occurs in a group meditation.

5. Regularity.

If we meditate on a regular basis then we will gain an increased meditative capacity. We should not be in a hurry to judge our own meditation. If we feel we have meditated badly and start feeling we are hopeless then we will definitely lose inspiration. Instead we should feel that each time we meditate there is a golden opportunity to feed our inner being. Even if we don’t feel as if we are making much progress, we should remember that each time we meditate, we are taking an important and necessary step to improving our own meditation.

References

(1) From: Music: God’s Universal Language by Sri Chinmoy

Photo Credit: Sharani Sri Chinmoy Centre Galleries