Have you ever sat back and considered who you are? We are taught to become experts of medicine, technology, construction and a million other professions, accumulating knowledge in a range of discipline, yet, despite all the knowledge we may have gained, do you really know who you are? What is your essential being? or have you, like most of us simply accepted what labels you have given yourself or what labels have been given to you and dismissed or perhaps haven’t even thought about the essential question, who am I?
Perhaps more importantly, especially in the current climate of raging world wars, famines and freak weather sweeping the globe, companies disregarding human life for the sake of chasing profit, like the contaminated baby milk produced by China, the frantic panic in the financial markets and with the possibility of a total economic collapse and with it, our instant gratification life style, we should be asking our self, what have we become? Where our measure of success is wealth, fame and status, irrespective of how we get there.
Why is it important to ask our self these questions? The answer is simple, we all have an finite life span, around 70 years. We may work hard accumulating vast amounts of wealth, accumulate possessions clothes, technology, cars, shoes, handbags and all the “essential” accessories we are taught to believe are necessary to live in this modern society. Yet, within a few seconds, all that you have accumulated will belong to another, the moment your breath runs out. Its simply a matter of time. Knowing this truth, it appears an act of insanity to run away from discovering who you are and simply go through life collecting garbage for another.
Meditation is an essential tool to start discovering your self. Slowly, but surely you will discover that you are so much more than all you thought, and all society tried to mould you into being. Meditation is the only route to true and lasting freedom.
EXERCISE
Mindfulness (by Dav Panesar)
Symran (by Dav Panesar)
