Meditation can help you come to the realisation that your existence is more than the outer world in which your body and mind undergo suffering, writes Sant Rajinder Singh

The reports we receive through media — television, newspapers, magazines, blogs, the internet, smartphones or other devices, always contain breaking news about a catastrophe in some part of the world. There are always difficulties and problems receiving attention in the local, national or international news.

It’s hard to go through a single day without hearing of the suffering that other people are undergoing. Even in our own lives, we are always hearing of someone close to us — family or friends — who is facing challenges.

As the world turns, each moment carries some sorrow for someone somewhere in the world. Some often feel that every moment of life is filled with sorrow, except for a brief break, where we are happy

Going by the news, it seems that life brings nothing but sorrow. People facing these challenges accuse life of bringing only suffering.

Is that all life is but a series of disasters strung together? Is there any cure for the sorrows of life?

Here’s some breaking news that’s good — there does exist a place that is safe and secure, where you can find refuge from the sorrows of life.

There’s a life boat to make it safely through the stormy seas of life. You can sail away from the sorrows of life to attain the happiness that’s your birth right. There’s a place you can go to and relax far away from the sadness and suffering of life. You can renew your spirits and come in contact with a place free from sorrows.

But, where can you find that place free of sorrows, you may ask? That place free of sorrows is within you. It’s a place where you can connect with the peace of your soul.You can find relief from the sufferings of life and all the peace by spending time sitting in meditation.

In meditation, you lock a period of time during which you are not bombarded with news of the sorrows of the world. It is a concentrated time when you can focus on your soul, on the spiritual treasures within. Immersed within, you are filled with peace and joy.

In meditation, you can experience calm and bliss. You can realise that within you is a place where there is no pain and suffering. Meditation can help you awaken to the realisation that your existence is more than the outer world in which your body and mind undergo suffering. You have a spiritual side which is connected to the peace and happiness within you.

When you emerge from meditation, you see the world in a different light. You know that the outer sorrows of life are temporary. They will pass. When you see for yourself that there’s a place of peace and joy within, you are strengthened with fortitude to pass through the difficult times knowing that happiness is accessible to you within.

Through meditation you can find relief from the sorrows of life. While the wheel of life keeps spinning, you can take some moments to jump off the wheel to enjoy relief during the time you meditate. You can enjoy a few minutes, a half hour, or an hour or two, free from ‘breaking news’ of the world’s sufferings. You will be inspired to soar above the realm of suffering, in order to experience realms free of pain and sorrow.

The upliftment we receive in meditation stays with us throughout the day. This may not change the outer suffering of the world, but we are able to spend some time daily in a place of joy that we can spread to others. Our own spirits are lifted and we can then make others feel good.

When we meditate on the inner Light and Sound of God, we come in contact with God’s love within us, which fills us with inner peace, joy, bliss and happiness. This experience takes our attention away from the stresses and pains of the outer world. As we spend time in meditation, we create a calm haven in which we restore equilibrium and peace to our mental functioning.

Researchers have recorded that the brain activity in people who meditate reflects a state of deep relaxation. Their mind becomes calmer. The tranquil effect of meditation lasts beyond the time spent in meditation. The carry-over effect helps us maintain peace of mind as we continue our activities throughout the day.

We become more in control of our reactions and maintain an even keel in the face of conflict, or in the midst of turmoil and strife. It also gives us a private retreat of bliss and peace within us that we can retreat to anytime we wish. This refuge helps take our attention away from the pains of the world and gives us another mechanism by which we can reduce stress in our lives.

Thus, spending regular time in accurate meditation is an effective means to help reduce stress and increase a sense of calm, equilibrium and peace in our lives, which heals our mind and emotional state and in turn can help us heal our physical body.

When we realise there is a place free of sorrows within, we can help others to access that place. We see life from a different angle, and are motivated to help and serve others. Our life becomes a song of service to help relieve others of suffering. We are filled with strength to do what we can to help make the world a better place, freeing it of sorrows.

I hope that each of you finds a cure from life’s sorrows by experiencing the place of peace and happiness within you through meditation.

The writer is a spiritual leader