World Peace - Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Australia

Meditation
The nuclear family system has given us our space,
freedom to fulfill our aspirations, more money to
spend on ourselves and our children, and the freedom
to lead our lives as we perceive it, without interference
from anyone.
However, it is not all rapturous. There is a flip side
too. A nuclear family also means long hours of work,
fulfilling obligations, shouldering numerous responsibilities,
and almost no time for relaxation.
It also means empty houses devoid of doting grandparents
with whom you can happily leave your children,
your spouse with whom you can share the
housework, if maids are absent, or meet the numerous
unattended social obligations.
The crux of the matter is, there is no rest or respite. It
is like running a never ending marathon race. The consequence
is stress.
Stress can be the cause of a great number of health
problems. A person may suffer from chronic fatigue,
loss of appetite, increased blood pressure, nagging
chronic headache, increased sensitivity to cold, insomnia
and even depression. The list is endless. Cure
for stress is relaxation and not prescriptive drugs.
It is now universally acknowledged that the best way
to relax is by practising meditation. The purpose of
meditation is to make our minds calm and free of worries
and fretfulness. Only when the mind is serene can
it be happy.
Having said all this we can realise that it is bound to
be a difficult quest. The human mind is heavily dependent
on the external stimulus to trigger it off and
often in contrary directions. Consequently there are
8 | Bhavan Australia | August 2012
As Sri Sri Ravishankar of
Art of Living said,
“Meditation is the journey
from sound to silence, from
movement to stillness, from
a limited identity to
unlimited space”.
fluctuations of moods. The first step to achieving a
calm and peaceful mind is to learn how to control it
from fluctuating into various unsettling moods, giving
rise to stress. This can be effected only through
meditation. By training in meditation we can create
an inner space and clarity of thought which enables
us to regulate our minds, regardless of the external
circumstances and stimulus. Through a process of
continued meditation, the mind develops equilibrium
and balance and gradually it is conditioned to
experience happiness and tranquillity, no matter
what it experiences externally. As Sri Sri Ravishankar
of Art of Living said, “Meditation
is the journey from sound to silence,
from movement to stillness,
from a limited identity to unlimited
space”.
Surendralal G Mehta
President,
Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan