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The dheera (one who is bold) is not
merely one who stoutly confronts his enemies and others outside. He has to
primarily face himself with a boldness that also calls for an openness and a
willingness to own the deficiencies and aberrations within. This is the first
step to self-knowledge (atmajnanam), leading naturally to discovering one's true
worth and potential. Only after resolving the negative aspects within oneself,
can he attempt to improve others as conveyed powerfully in a song of Vani
Jayaram in the Hindi film, Guddi, "Doosron ki jai se pahle kudh ko jai karen",
meaning, "before uplifting others, may we first uplift ourselves".
The negative aspects and toxins
within, which exist side by side with the positive and sublime virtues, jointly
constitute the samskara, the sum total of one's personality. All that one issues
forth, as also the circumstances, situations, relationships and the world
around him, are thus mirrors of his personality, his samskara.
Effective meditation is that
process which retains the healthful aspects within and which neutralises and
cleanses the toxins, aberrations, stresses and scars accumulated over the years.
The deep levels of relaxation obtained through tried techniques of meditation,
superimpose themselves on and thus resolve these stressful, negative and
retarding forces within. In this process of meditation, these forces, including
one's own infirmities, wrong concepts and prejudices also surface to the
conscious. The dheera doesn't evade or turn away from facing these but
sportingly laughs these off in the conviction that self honesty and a positive
repentant approach are necessary for purification of the soul (atmashuddhi).
As pointed out by the founder of
the Bihar School of Yoga, Swami Satyananda, meditation is not concentration, but
awareness. This penetrative insight and awareness, by bringing into focus one's
weakness as well as one's strength and one's defects as also virtues, release
the undesirables, enabling the aspirant to divine the truth within. This truth
also is verily beauty. In deed, as observed by John Keats (Ode on a Grecian
Urn), 'Beauty is truth and truth beauty!
All sublime accomplishments
doubtless, are thus generated through true meditation, which presupposes facing
oneself to discover the precious jewel of beauty and truth within! |
