Why Isn't The World Meditating?
Meditation is such a powerful practice that once you begin, it becomes difficult to understand why the world is not already doing it. It is, in a true sense, one of the most important things to have happened to humanity. Aside from mathematics, meditation is among the greatest gifts India has given to the world. Yet today, with countless apps and techniques available online, people are left confusedāunsure which form of meditation to follow or which one is truly effective.
There will be more essays on meditation and its effects, including my personal experiences. But in this essay, I want to talk about the one form of meditation that everyone must begin with. It has no levels. It has no specialised technique. You need nothing with you. The entire point of meditation is to be free from everything you are holding on to. And by the end of it, that is exactly how you should feelāweightless. This weightlessness reveals the calm state that lies beneath.
Sit down in a comfortable spot. It could be a chair. It could be your sofa. Or it could be your bed. Ensure that it is comfortable and that there is no noise to disturb you. Set a timer for at least 15ā20 minutes. Put your phone asideāno calls, no notifications. Close your eyes and focus on your breathing. Notice how you inhale and how you exhale. Experience your body breathing in and out.
The moment you close your eyes, a flood of thoughts will emerge. Observe them. See them clearly without indulging in any one of them. Your focus should remain on your breathing. When thoughts ariseāpainful or joyfulāobserve them as they are. Remind yourself that you are not your thoughts. They arise because your mind is conjuring them based on what you have experienced or what you desire to experience. Thoughts are the product of thinking. You are not those thoughts; you are merely experiencing them.
It is natural to feel drawn toward a particular thought. When that happens, gently redirect your attention back to your breathing. I prefer focusing on the breath rather than guided meditation because breathing is something that will always be with you. It is an active process that requires no effort to maintain attention. It is easy to remain focused on your breath and it requires absolutely no accessories or external help.
Why do we observe thoughts? Because our reality is shaped by them. Imagine walking down a busy street. An excited person would perceive the world very differently from someone who has just attended a loved oneās funeral. Their realities would feel entirely different. Yet the actual reality remains independent of how either of them thinks.
We experience reality through our senses, matter, and the interpretations of the mind. All the knowledge we take pride in possessing exists only within this perceived reality. That is why experiencing the true nature of reality is nearly impossibleāit is extraordinarily difficult to transcend the senses, the mind, and the material universe. The only way to experience your true self, what is often referred to as the soul, is by transcending these very parameters through which reality is filtered.
Meditation helps you do exactly that. When you examine your thoughts, you acknowledge that they are something you experienceānot something you are. The emotions attached to these thoughts are not who you are either; they are simply what the thoughts bring to the surface. When you become aware of them, when you observe them as separate from yourself, a subtle shift occurs. A weight begins to lift. You realise that this cannot be your true reality.
The calmness you experienceāthose moments when no thoughts dominate the mind, when desires no longer create anxiety, even if only for a few minutesāis when you are closest to your soul, your true self. This detachment is why everyone must engage in meditation. And it is also why this detachment becomes addictive for some. Who wouldnāt want to feel calmāso calm that they begin to see the world differently?
As you continue meditating over days, months, and years, you may feel a gradual disconnect from people. You begin to notice their intense attachment to their thoughts and the realities they have constructed for themselves. And eventually, you may find yourself asking: why isnāt the world meditating more often?