DISCOURSES Volume II - Avatar Meher Baba Trust

True value of meditationperceived onlyin its practiceTHE TYPES OF MEDITATION : II 125He can come to appreciate the real valueand purpose of a particular type ofmeditation only when he has tried it. It isnot possible to discover the value andpossibilities of any type of meditation by purely theoreticalspeculation about that mode of meditation. Such purely theoreticalguesswork may have some superficial results but it fails to fathomthe real utility of meditation. Like many other things of spiritualimportance, meditation yields its full significance after the personhas gotten into it and not when he is trying to understand it byenvisaging it from outside.In order to have real success in any mode of meditation, theaspirant must launch upon it with the determination to explore allits possiblities. He must not start with any limiting reservations,Determination necessaryfor success inmeditationbut should be prepared to encounterunexpected states of consciousness; and heshould be willing to go where that line ofmeditation leads him without making anyrigid demands based on preformed expectations. The very essenceof meditation is one-pointedness and the exclusion of all otherconsiderations, even when these considerations happen to beenticing.However, if the aspirant takes to any type of meditation onhis own initiative and without having the benefit of the guidanceand supervision of the Master, he may get into it so far that heSupervision of Masteris indispensableloses his perspective and is unable torecover himself. It may be impossible forhim to change over to some othercomplementary mode of meditation, even when it is absolutelynecessary. This risk is avoided if the aspirant has taken to a line ofmeditation on the orders of his Master. When he is under theguidance and supervision