Right meditation⁴

There was once a young boy named Bhrigu, who was consumed with a desire to know about Brahman. Bhrigu’s father, whose name was Varuna, was a great sage. Bhrigu came to his father and said, “Father, please teach me about Brahman.”

The father did not want to give immediately the knowledge of Brahman to his son, because he wanted to stimulate his son’s real interest in the spiritual life. He only said, “Meditate, my son, meditate. If you meditate, then you will be able to know Brahman.”

Bhrigu tried to meditate, but the poor boy did not know anything about meditation. He said, “Give me some hints, Father, so that I can meditate.”

Varuna said, “He from whom all beings came into existence, in whom all beings live and finally, to whom they return after death is Brahman. Now you meditate and discover Brahman for yourself.”

Bhrigu practiced meditation. Then he came to realise: “Food is Brahman. From food we came into existence. It is food that sustains us and when we die, we become food for others. After death we enter into food. Food is the beginning, food is the middle and food is the end.” He started meditating on food, for he thought that that was real meditation on Brahman.

After some time he went to his father and told him about his discovery. Varuna said, “My son, you are a fool. Meditate, meditate. In meditation you will know all about Brahman.”

Bhrigu thought, “If food is not Brahman, then it must be primal energy. We have energy. Therefore we can create. It is primal energy that creates and sustains us. And at the end of our earthly journey we return to primal energy. So Bhrigu meditated on primal energy for some time and then went to his father.

His father said, “My son, you are wrong. Meditate, meditate. Meditation will tell you all about Brahman.”

Then Bhrigu started meditating on the mind. He thought, “It is the mind that creates and sustains all beings. It is into the mind that they enter after death. So the mind is Brahman.” He thought that he had discovered the truth and he said to Varuna, “The mind is Brahman.”

Varuna said, “My son, you are a fool. How can the mind be Brahman? Meditate, meditate.”

Again Bhrigu started meditating. After some time he thought, “It is not the mind, it is the intellect. Everybody has the mind, but how many people have the intellectual capacity? Very few.” He felt that intellect was the right thing, so he meditated on it.

With his new discovery Bhrigu went to his father, but Varuna still was not satisfied. He said, “My son, you are wrong. Again you are wrong. Go and meditate.”

This time, Bhrigu felt from within that it is delight that is Brahman. “If there is inner delight, then only we can create something. It is delight that sustains us. At the end of our journey’s close, we enter into delight.” Bhrigu meditated on delight.

At last Varuna was highly satisfied with his son Bhrigu’s discovery.

What do we learn from this story? Right meditation. If we meditate on the wrong thing, the meditation will not be fruitful. We have to meditate on the right thing. We have to meditate properly. That is why I always say that each individual should have a meditation of his own. He has to discover it either from within, or from his Master. In the case of my disciples, I have told them that if they do not get any specific meditation from me, no harm. If they can enter into my transcendental consciousness, then my consciousness will do the respective meditation for each individual. This is the opportunity I have given to my disciples. To some I have given specific meditations while to many I have not and cannot. But if a disciple enters into my transcendental consciousness with his love, devotion and surrender, then my highest consciousness is bound to direct him, inspire him and give him a specific way of meditation. Right meditation is of utmost importance. Only this right meditation can fulfil the life of aspiration. If you meditate in a wrong way you are digging a well at a place where there is no water at all. But if you meditate correctly, if you are taught properly by your Master, or if you get your meditation from within, from the inmost recesses of your heart, then only can you get a bumper crop of realisation in your spiritual life. Only then.