TEXTS ON YOGA

Why meditate

from Mantra and Meditation, Swami Vishnudevananda


Who am I? What is my purpose in life? Why do some people seem to have an easier time in life than others? Where did I come from and where am I going?

These are the classic questions that almost everyone muses over at some time in life. Some struggle their entire lives to find the answers. Some give up looking, or put the questions aside as they get caught up in the routines and details of daily life. Others discover the answers, and their lives are full and contented.

The meaning of life is found by diving deep, deep within. But ever distracted by the business of living, people seldom stop, even for a moment in their busy days, to observe what is going on inside. It is hardly noticed that the mind is being constantly stimulated by the bombardment of perceptions from the senses. Very often, it is not until a person reaches a point of great distress that he realizes it is time to stop and take a stock of what is happening in his life.

Meditation is the practice by which there is constant observation of the mind. It involves setting aside a regular time and place for the specific purpose of discovering that infinite well of wisdom which lies within.