DISCOURSES Volume II - Avatar Meher Baba Trust

THE TYPES OF MEDITATION: II 123Through the application of this second principle we have threedistinct types of meditation.In the first type of meditation the intellect is predominantlybrought into play; it might be called "discriminative meditation."In the second type the heart is predominantly brought into play; itDiscriminative meditation,meditation ofthe heart and meditationof actionmight be called the "meditation of theheart." In the third type the active natureof man is predominantly brought into play;it might be called "the meditation ofaction." Discriminative meditation isrepresented by intellectual assertion of a formula like "I am not mybody, but the Infinite." The meditation of the heart is representedby a steady and unhampered flow of love from the aspirant to theDivine Beloved. The meditation of action is represented by anunreserved dedication of one's life to the selfless service of theMaster or humanity. Of these three types, meditation of the heart isthe highest and most important, but the other two types also havetheir own value and cannot be neglected without serious detrimentto the spiritual progress of the aspirant.The different types of meditation must not be looked uponas being entirely exclusive of each other. They can proceed in allsorts of combinations. Sometimes one type of meditation inevi-Different types ofmeditation usuallysupplement each othertably leads to another type, and progressin one type of meditation is often held upuntil there is corresponding progress inthe other types. All the different types ofmeditation are valuable for securing the spiritual advancement ofthe aspirant. They almost always make up for mutual deficienciesand supplement each other.One type of meditation may also interfere seriously