Inspiration for Meditation -
Throughout the ages India has been the home of numerous Spiritual Masters and Saints. They have each offered a unique message and inspirational example of how we might aspire to a more illumining life. These saints have shared their wisdom and light in a way to suit the needs of the age and circumstances. However at heart they share a common message which is to �Know Thyself�. This is the supreme goal of yoga and spirituality; to know and realize our sense of divine consciousness. A selection of India's Great Saints Sri Krishna. Sri Krishna has been described as the perfect Avatar. Even from his birth he embodied the Supreme Consciousness. To his mother and devoted disciple, Arjuna he showed that in his human body resided the entire universe. During his time with the Gopis of Brindaban, Sri Krishna showed the path of love, devotion and surrender. Sri Krishna also left the immortal legacy of the Bhagavad Gita, which is a transcript of the conversation between Arjuna and Sri Krishna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. In the Gita Sri Krishna, explained in simple language, how any sincere seeker could realise God; through devoted action and meditation on God. Lord Buddha. Lord Buddha took incarnation in a time of religious decline. The essential purity of Hinduism and been lost as priests concentrated on outer forms, rituals and sacrifices. Lord Buddha revitalised spirituality in India by teaching how a seeker through right action, right thought and meditation could discover his own spiritual essence within. Lord Buddha was born in palace with all the worldly comforts. However he sacrificed all the pleasures of the world to seek liberation from bondage. After attaining a state of Nirvana Buddha stayed in the world for many years selflessly teaching others how they may seek liberation. Lord Buddha did not explicitly talk about God but he did talk about the infinite peace, light and love that could be experience through meditation and spiritual practise. Sri Chaitanya. Sri Chaitanya was a Bhakti saint of the Vaishnava tradition. Intoxicated with divine love Sri Chaitanya revitalized the devotional Vaishanvism tradition of Hinduism. As a young man he was a brilliant scholar who was an excellent debater. However in his early 20s he became tired of his worldly pursuits as he gained an ever-increasing realization of God. Through meditation and devotion to Sri Krishna, Sri Chaitanya became absorbed in the ecstasy of God communion. Sri Chaitanya urged his followers and disciples to ignore the distractions of the world and devote themselves to spiritual practice. Sri Ramakrishna. Sri Ramakrishna was an uneducated simple village boy who attracted the most learned scholars of Bengal to imbibe his spiritual wisdom and spiritual magnetism. At times people felt his devotion was so intense they mistook it for madness. Sri Ramakrishna was only mad in the sense that he was so absorbed in the divine consciousness that he struggled to act in the world. Sri Ramakrishna was unique because he practiced the religious disciplines of different sects and religions. Through his own personal experience he was able to testify that all religions did lead to God. It was his firm belief that all religious paths could lead to the same goal. At the same time he taught that outer rituals were not important. The essences of true religion and spirituality were to love God without reservation. Sri Ramakrishna also taught many notable disciples who spread his message of spirituality and religious tolerance. In particular Swami Vivekananda most powerfully encapsulated his message of religious tolerance at the world parliament of religions in 1893. Richard Pettinger is a member of Sri Chinmoy Centre and follows the guidance of spiritual teacher Sri Chinmoy.By R Pettinger