Sunday, September 18, 2016

Paramahansa Yogananda on the Benefits of meditation

What is meditation? Becoming one with the soul.... When man communes with his soul within, the forgotten times and powers of the deathless Self will come back into his consciousness. Meditation means to remember that one is not a mortal body but an immortal soul, one with God.

The proximity of happiness is as close as one's own Self; it isn't even a matter of attaining, but only of lifting the soul-shrouding veil of ignorance. The very word "attaining" implies something one wants but does not have − a metaphysical error. Bliss is the irrevocable divine birthright of every soul.

Meditate. As soon as you take away the ripples of sensations from the lake of the mind, God's heavenly bliss bursts forth from the soul. His bliss is already there, but it is hidden within you. The more you meditate the more you will feel the endless joy of God.

Form the habit of meditation. It is the only way to find everlasting happiness of the soul; and when you have that, nothing else matters.

Even though you may be able to do everything else but meditate, you will never find joy to equal that which comes when the thoughts are silent and your mind is tuned to the peace of God.




If you ask, "How do I know there is such joy as you describe?" this is my testimony: if you practice meditation every day, deeply and consistently, you will find that ever-existing, ever-conscious, ever-new joy, ever increasingly manifest within you. And with practice it will stay with you in activity and in silence alike − even in sleep. It is a joy that will constantly guide you to right action in everything and will respond to your prayers.


You have to demonstrate that for yourself. And this is my further testimony: that, once God's joy has been found, all desires for other gain will dwindle in comparison. Your consciousness will expand. You will be able to stand unshaken amidst jarring trials. The whole world will not be able to lure you to forsake the bliss that you will find in meditation. You will enjoy all other things in that divine joy.

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