The Upanishads show the way to absolute peace of mind. The only clause is, “If only you wish to have peace!” The Amrita Bindu Upanishad says if you wish to experience the peace of self, then the wise person must meditate on that indestructible one.
That invincible truth is discovered at the end of all words and sounds, endless and supreme. When all the sounds merge into the sound of Om and even when that sound rises and vanishes, what remains is that supreme consciousness alone.
Understanding happens with the help of thought. Here the thought of Om is taken up for contemplation.
Om rises from silence. There is an appearance of sound for a while and it merges back into the silence.
While the silence has always been there within, owing to sheer case of familiarity breeding contempt, we fail to realise its presence. Just in order to realise that silence, we create a sound within.
As the sound rises from within, the mind too rises, follows it and drops back with it into silence.
Then the mind is able to experience the self, the silence, the consciousness that it always had. Ultimate peace always lies in this experience of oneness.
Among many meditation
techniques given by the Upanishads, this is very simple and easy to practice.
All it requires is to sit in a quiet corner, take a few deep breaths, inhale and exhale with the sound of Om—keeping the eyes closed and hands gently placed on the lap. When the sound of Om is created, it reverberates through the whole body, creating waves of energy.
When the chanting stops, all the vibrations settle down and there is experience of silence which is the bliss of the self.
Why should I meditate? Why is it so important to sit quietly and listen to the song of my own self? The Upanishad tells us—if it is my wish to experience peace, then I should do it. What if I do not do it? If there is no practice or sadhana to quieten the mind, its natural state is fluctuation and disturbance.
When the mind is disturbed, it means there is a flux of disorganised, conflicting and contradictory thoughts swimming around and draining energy. In its uncontrolled state, the mind is like a turbulent river running in spate and causing enormous destruction.
On the contrary, an organised mind is a haven of peace that creates a conducive atmosphere for the realisation of one’s true self.
The clarion call of the Upanishad is to meditate on the sound of Om, be with the rising and falling of the sound and experience the bliss of silence, just in case we are searching for a personal experience of uninterrupted joy.
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