Not everyone has the same abilities in music or, for example, in painting. However, this cannot be said about meditation—here we are all in the same position. In meditation, there is no need to make an effort in order to achieve a result; on the contrary, for something to happen, all activity must cease. Meditation happens only when we expect nothing. In meditation, all our bodies—the physical, emotional, mental, and intellectual—cease their activity.
The activities of our bodies (like the wind that creates waves on the surface of water) generate waves on the surface of chitta, the substance of our consciousness. Only when the waves are completely stilled can we see not only the disturbed surface of the water, but also the bottom of the lake. This bottom is like our true nature, for we are not the body, not emotions, not the intellect, and not the mind. For true meditation, it is necessary to relax deeply. We must let go of everything we imagine ourselves to be—everything that is not truly us. Meditation begins where activity and effort end, yet this should not be confused with laziness.
The value of meditation lies not only in the deep rest that arises from the cessation of activity and the cooling of vital intensity, but also in the treasures we retrieve from the depths of our true essence. When the waves disappear and the bottom becomes visible, this becomes possible.
When meditation happens, understanding arises; silent knowledge appears, and we begin to know—seemingly from nowhere—what we feel we have always known. But for this to happen, we must allow meditation to enter our lives; we must allow something to occur.
Meditation also has practical application in everyday life, for we all need guidance and wise counsel. For this reason, people often turn to astrologers, psychics, join religious communities, or chase those who promise to solve their problems. In meditation, there is no duality; therefore, the best guidance comes only from within. It belongs solely to us, and only we ourselves can resolve our present situations. In meditation, we discover ourselves—and this is our Guru. The Guru arises from within. And for this, meditation must be allowed to happen.