I was in Kolhapur (Maharashtra) recently, where I was teaching Nadi Pariksha. This was a small ashram in the making, with disciples of this self-styled Guruji. He had a small fan following of people who had benefited from his guidance. The people included both Hindus and Muslims. The Guruji was answering a question from one of his devotees on why we must meditate.
On one such occasion, while I was teaching this Guruji, a man of Muslim faith approached the Guruji. His mind was in turmoil, and he was seeking solace. So, the Guruji directed him to consult me for a Nadi Pariksha. After doing the evaluation, it was clear that he was struggling to make ends meet for which he was trying to accomplish too many tasks, and he was unsuccessful in completing many of them, resulting in overuse of time and little remuneration.
Since this was a rather spiritual gathering, I asked him whether he listened to God. He said I meditate for 5 minutes five times daily, and God will care for me. I said, yes, you did pray to God. That is you talking to God. When are you listening to His guidance? He took time to reflect upon what I had just then spoken. He understood that he had to listen to God to get guidance. He got his answer to why we must meditate and began to meditate from that day onwards.
Many people I speak with during my consultations think it is enough if they meditate for 10-15 minutes. They believe that meditation is for peace of mind, to relax. That is not what meditation is for!
Why we must meditate?
You sit in meditation to listen to the voice of the Conscience, the Antaratma. Every day, at all times, our conscience guides us towards the eternal truth. Listening to the voice of the Antaratma is not a choice. It is the only way to live life. If we listen to the mind, disaster is waiting for us.
I was to give a two days corporate training. I sat in meditation and received 77 slides for the presentation, which I wrote down. The next day, a CEO of another company came in for a consultation. I was preparing the slide presentation when he casually asked what I was doing. When I mentioned the training and the number of slides to him, he calculated and told me it was just the right number. Our conscience always knows what is right. We only have to listen. And the best way to listen is to sit in meditation every day.