Meditation

This lock down gave everyone an opportunity to introspect. Those who still have some semblance of normalcy (i.e. having some regular income) in their lives took the opportunity to get their health in shape, acquire new certifications or look for new avenues to keep busy. Work from home is not 'one size fits all' kind of a solution. Being chained to your laptops is taking a heavy toll on the mental health of many professionals.

I was very queasy in April and May when work had come to a standstill. Our future suddenly appeared very bleak. Along with us we had a staff of 7 who depended on their livelihood on us. There was a lot to think about. Sometime in June I chanced upon Naval Ravikant's tweetstorm about Meditation. This is what saved me from a lot of anguish.

I had a completely wrong conception of Meditation. I used to think that to meditate would mean emptying your mind of all thought. This is perhaps impossible for most people. If one were to peek inside our mind, one would label as being mad. Our mind cannot hold on to one thought for a long time. Try sitting still for 5 minutes and you would notice 50 thoughts flitting through the sieve that is your mind.

Naval Ravikant calls Meditation the art of doing nothing. One has to sit alone in a quiet place. You have to sit upright and try to be as comfortable as possible. Then close your eyes. After the eyes are closed, peace will descend on your mind slowly. Ravikant says that one should allow thoughts free access to your mind and thinking. No force should be applied. There would be thoughts which are unsavoury. Embrace them.

I found myself thinking about long forgotten episodes in my life. I found several instances or memories which were confined to the dark recesses. I found myself examine them. I scrutinised the role of every player in these memories trying to understand the motivations involved. I acknowledged certain events where I was wrong. I understood the positions taken by our Aai and Baba at various times when we were growing up. I shuddered when I realised how disconnected I had become with my own blood. Such thoughts had always made me uncomfortable. But here I was discussing in my mind many topics and events which I had never considered at depth.

I had written earlier in one post about the importance of acceptance. Meditation has perhaps made me a lot calmer internally. I have been able to more or less accustom myself with the new reality. I no longer get flustered by tricky situations. Misfortunes at the stock market are no longer a cause to lose sleep!

I realised yesterday that I have been able to diligently meditate for more than 100 days in a row with two unavoidable breaks in between. Meditation has now become a part of routine and my day does not start without this daily dose of calm, peace and quiet.

Naval Ravikant had said something very important in one of his podcasts. We should be comfortable in being alone without being lonely. I am now trying to adjust my temperament in that direction. He further says that all we have is this one life. No one would remember or even be aware of your existence say a hundred years from now. So don't make much fuss about yourself.

Meditation is the way to find peace. 

22nd October 2020 Update

I have been preoccupied with work for the past few weeks and haven't been able to meditate for the past 16-18 days. Curiously this coincided with the arrival of our maid Sayali. She was missing from action since the lock down. The point to ponder upon is how does Sayali's arrival force me change a habit cultivated over a 100 days? Is it the disturbance which one faces while she works or did I just tire out of it? Was I forcing myself when I meditated? Naval says meditation is the art of doing nothing. It is that time when you contemplate and accept all thoughts coming in your mind. It should help if one is able to reach a stage where one is in a perpetual state of meditation. Can one really gain independence from राग, लोभ, माया ?