Concentration, Contemplation, Meditation

Many think that concentration is the same as meditation and take to the wrong path. Concentration is below your senses, whereas meditation is above your senses. We use concentration involuntarily in our daily, normal routine life. When concentration is part and parcel of our daily life, why then do we need to practice it? What we have to practice is that which is beyond these normal senses. We must rise from being below the senses (that is the state of concentration) to the senses (the middle position called contemplation); and from there we must rise above the senses, which is called meditation. Between concentration and meditation there is an area which covers both and that is contemplation. To be in that area of contemplation is to free yourself of routine attachments of the world. When you have completely broken away all your attachments, you break through this area of contemplation and you get into the area of meditation.

The first word in that thought for the day is many. If many think that concentration is the same as meditation, they are wrong and due to that misunderstanding they take the wrong path. And what if we don't know the difference?
He explains that we use concentration in our daily normal life, it is part of life and if it is already there, why do we need to practice? We have to get from concentration to meditation, from below the senses to above the senses, or from a state in the senses, going beyond the senses, transcending the mind.

Desire overpowering the personality

The company one keeps determines one's character; a person tries to join the group where one can freely express one's innate nature. Man, by nature, is prone to cater to the desires that arise within or the urges that are prompted from without. Very often these are deleterious. So people ruin themselves by giving them the chance to overpower their personality. Consider the influence that good association can exert. A length of string is a worthless piece - none adores it or consider it useful. But when it associates itself with a few fragrant flowers, then women decorate their hair with those flowers and devotees place the garland on idols they adore. A block of stone in a public square is neglected and abused. But when the stone receives the company of a sculptor, it is transformed into a charming statue of God and installed in a temple to receive the homage of thousands. So satsang (holy company) is very important to grow morally and spiritually.


Baba talks about the company one keeps, so we went regularly to the center, we join a group where we can freely express one's innate nature. They were singing, and so did we. If we realize that we are all the same self, it is every time when we are singing an adventure.

Man, by nature, is prone to cater to the desires that arise within or the urges that are prompted from without. Very often these are deleterious. So people ruin themselves by giving them the chance to overpower their personality.

Thou Art That and thinking it over

Ponder on a river merging in the ocean. The waters of the ocean rise up as vapour when warmed by the Sun and form clouds, which come down as drops of rain. Each drop has inside it the yearning to return to the ocean from which it has been exiled. But, the feeling of individuality overcomes the yearning. The raindrops accumulate and flow as brooks and streams which swell into tributaries of rivers, flooding the plains. At last, the river merges into the ocean and loses its name, form and attributes. In spite of all modifications undergone in the journey from ocean to ocean, water remains as water in vapour, cloud, rain and river. Names, forms and qualities do change but the core remains unchanged. Man too emerges from the ocean of Divinity and his destiny is to merge in it. This is the Truth. This is the Reality. That Thou Art. Be firm in that faith.

Even if we use quotes of Swami and we talk about his words, as soon as we speak that are our words as well. We are the same or we are not, but we cannot speak Swami's words without using our own words.

But we use his words, we know we use his words and not our words, because I had no words for it, he made me see it, therefore, that are his words and not mine, it just sounds like my words, because we are his instruments.

But we know it is the right thing to do using his words and why, because he is the Atma, in using his words, we get the insights and he is as well the following step and the answer to the insights.

He is the Atma, he is the ocean, we are the waves. He is the doer, we are the instruments, he is the knower, we are the instruments. When we use his words, we begin to understand oneness, because he is repeating it on and on, and that are his words, do you think we would talk about oneness without Swami's words?

Ponder on a river merging in the ocean.