Q – If one has faith and believes that God exists, how important is it to pray, meditate, etc.?

Prayer is asking God what you want for yourself or thanking him for what you have received. Meditation is listening to God’s will. If you believe in God, then you will definitely want to connect and communicate with him. The way to communicate with him is through prayer and meditation.

Q – What is special about your meditation practices as compared to those of others?

It makes you ordinary and it can happen only to ordinary people. If you think you are special, then meditation cannot happen. That is what is so special about it.

Q – How should effective meditation be done?

Meditation happens to us. We do not have to do it with an effort. The solution to be free from any obstacle to meditate is to sit in that space of the beautiful “I do not know”.

Q – Is meditation concentrating on some point?

Absolutely not!

Q – During meditation, the mind wanders to so many places. Once Sri Sri said, “Let the mind go wherever it wants to.” Does that mean my mind and I are different entities? If yes, then what is the mind and who am I?

When you try to hold on to your mind, it runs here and there. When you become aware of the wandering mind, then you realize that you are bigger than the mind. Then you find that you are not the mind, not this body, not anything else, whatever remains is the Self. And on knowing yourself, you can recognize the Supreme Self. Then, you find that you are everything. You are the mind, the thoughts. You are the whole world but what happens at the second level? When you know yourself, you know the divine. Everything is one divinity. Knowing this, become established in this knowledge.

First published in the book, 'Question Basket'.

Graphics by Niladri Dutta