In meditation we find a place of peaceful retreat within us

The tradition of meditation is valuable for people of the modern times. People today face a great deal of turmoil in their lives, and the world is always facing problems. When people face difficulties, many of them feel hopeless and turn to alcohol and drugs to drown their sorrows , creating even more problems for themselves, their families and society.

There is no end to the problems in life. Although meditation does not take away our problems, it lifts us to a place in which we do not experience their effects. As we meditate, we enter realms of love, bliss and joy and we do not feel stressed.

There is a story from the life of Akbar. One day, Akbar posed a problem to his counselors to see who could solve it. He drew a line in the sand with a stick and asked who could shorten the line without touching any part of it. The counselors scratched their heads not knowing what to do. But Birbal, the wisest of counselors, picked up a stick and drew a longer line parallel to the first, thus making it the first line look shorter. Meditation provides a similar solution to the problems of life: It does not eliminate them, but gives us a fresh perspective. In meditation we find a place of peaceful retreat within us. We come in contact with the divine power. This power manifests itself as a loving light. When we come in contact with this light within us, we experience profound peace and happiness. As we come out of meditation, we can carry that joy with us.