9 June 2014 - QA 3

Gurudev, in one of the meditations you say, 'The nose is hollow and empty, the throat is hollow and empty'. When everything already is hollow and empty, then what is the use of taking our attention there during meditation? Should we not meditate upon God instead?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

To get there, at least make yourself hollow and empty first. First you must become hollow and empty like a flute. Then you will see that the harmony of the Divine will flow through you.
This is why in the great tradition of our Masters, it is said, 'Neti Neti' (not this, not this). It means, 'It (Divinity) is not this, and it is not that also'. So in this way, they went on negating and rejecting every limited understanding of God, until they finally realized that everything is One Consciousness, and there is nothing beyond it.

God is not a person or some limited form, He is the Supreme power behind everything in this creation. God is the melodious harmony playing through this entire Creation. But to be able to recognize and listen to His music, you first need to become hollow and empty (meaning to drop one’s limited concepts, small desires and understanding).
This is why it is necessary to experience and become aware of that emptiness first. Only then will you be able to experience the totality of the Divine.