Meditation means different things to different people. In its basic form, meditation means sitting quietly, doing nothing, and being empty of all thought. It is a practice that relaxes and stills the mind of the endless chatter and clutter of our multitudinous thoughts. Meditation is a vehicle that allows us to contact our deepest spiritual core or center, which is the essence of our being.
There are different variations of how meditation is done, but the essence is the same. Traditional methods of meditation have rules and methods. Whereas the modern schools promote an open-ended style of meditation. The form may vary, but the ultimate goal remains the same.
The objective is to attempt to tap into the Divine Reality and draw strength from it. Yoga, Transcendental meditation, Hindu jaap, Buddhist mantra or the Sufi word are some of the different schools of meditation.
The key to inner peace and happiness lies within us. Meditation takes us on a journey inside ourselves to seek a connection with the Divine essence. This practice, if sufficiently strong and dedicated, has the potential to bring about spiritual enlightenment, which arises when we understand the deeper mystery and meaning of life.
The road to enlightenment has many levels and stages, and involves stripping away layers of illusion and delusion to get to the underlying spiritual truth- the heart of Divine realization. The key to happiness and inner peace is inside us and not outside.
Meditation helps us find that key. Nasiruddin, a mystic, spoke of a man who had lost his keys and was looking for them in the street. A friend joined him in looking for the keys, but they were unsuccessful. The friend then asked the man exactly where he had lost his keys, to which the man replied that he had lost them at home. When asked why he was looking for the keys out in the street, his simple reply was that there was more light in the street. The symbolic meaning here is that we are looking for the key to the spirit in bright places, but not the right place, which is within us.
Meditation connects us to this place of illumination inside ourselves, even if it means going into some dark places along the way. When we meditate in absolute humility, we progress on the spiritual journey.
When a saint, through her devout meditation, reached the highest state of enlightenment, a voice asked, ‘Who are you’? The saint replied, ‘It is me’. The voice responded, ‘Out you go’.
The saint continued her meditation and again came very close to the Reality. Again the voice said, ‘Who are you?’ This time she replied, It is your servant’. The voice again said, ‘Out you go’. Once more the saint continued with her meditation until she attained the highest state of consciousness. The voice once more said. ‘Who are you?’ Now she replied, ‘It is you,’ and was finally let in to experience the Reality. The moral of this Sufi story is that we become something when we become nothing. When we eliminate our ego, we experience enlightenment. You and I become one. I and you become one.
Just think! At this place there is present such an oil, which produces the light of great intensity. For instance, the electric bulb here, which illuminates before you, that you can see. But that light is of the world. In the lamp of your soul (ruh), there is an abundant amount of oil, but if you do not enlighten it with a matchstick, how can there be an illumination? For how long will you keep wasting in vain and in ignorance the remaining life of yours?
Acquaint yourselves with esoteric knowledge (batini ‘ilm).
You are not practicing ‘ibadat. This Ismaili faith (deen) is a faith par excellence, but you do not understand it, and hence you get guided on to the faiths of others. Get informed of your faith. You are being deceived by Satan. You just realize that you have gems in your hands.
You are going in other’s faiths, but they are exoteric faiths (Zaheri deen). In all those faiths, one performs exoteric ‘ibadat, that which is done by the body, by the flesh. ‘Ibadat by the tongue can be performed even by the animals. What is the use of that? Cows, bullocks etc. all have ears, tongue and body; so what is the difference between you and the bullocks? Like human beings, dogs and other animals too possess a body. They also eat, go to jungle, move, walk and run, and go where there is meat or other food and keep running for females. So, what difference is there between you and the animals like dogs etc..?
Your nobleness and your whole life are for you to recognize the soul. The lamp of Allah’s Noor is in you. It is in your hands. That lamp is in all of you. You should look towards it. Enquire of it. If you do not enquire of it, how would you know? God has allotted time for carrying out business activity. The day is for man to work and earn.
Why has God created the Night? The Night is not totally for sleeping, but is for ‘ibadat also, and in ‘ibadat is contained the happiness.
- Aga Khan III.
