I would like to do meditation, tried to do it consistently many times but failed. What should I do?
I always feel inferior to others, feels inadequate, insecure and tend to avoid social situations. I find it difficult to see the day to day struggles of my family members and easily gets upset. I think they are all "suffering" and not enjoying life. I want to open up my mind to God's love, hope meditation will help me in doing it, hope I will find a teacher soon. Thanks.
—R, India
Dear Friend,
You have brought up several topics in one note! Let me share a few thoughts on each:
1) Meditation. Have you taken a meditation class? Better yet a series of classes?
A time-tested technique and routine of practices can help you stablize the experience and ground it so it can “stick” to the “wall” of your daily activities.
Attending a group meditation weekly, if possible, will also be a big help. Go on an annual meditation retreat, e.g., The Expanding Light Retreat in California.
Create a special area, corner, or divided off section of a room for your meditation.
Have there an altar or other inspiring visual focus.
2) Inadequacy. Given our soul’s esential Oneness with God, anything less means that we will all feel some sense of lack or inferiority until we become One with God.
Therefore, to an important degree this is a problem common to all: whether a person acts out of a superiority complex or inferiority complex, because both are simply affirmations of ego-separateness.
Affirm: “I am a child of God. I am ageless. I am eternal. I am strong in my Self. I am complete in my Self.”
Certainly in terms of skills, talents, success or acclaim there’s always someone better than we are.
With meditation you can learn to be centered within your own Self and, doing your best day-to-day, let go of the human tendency to compare yourself to others.
If inwardly you respect and appreciate others, then in time you will be inwardly content and less inclined to compare yourself.
3) Family. Mahatma Gandhi has said, famously: “Be the change you seek.”
Be the best you can and your example may inspire other family members.
We cannot spare others the challenges they face for it’s through those challenges that they can grow in wisdom and strength.
Be sympathetic and of practical help if you can, but there’s little gained from losing your inner peace over the struggles of others if you’ve done what you can to help.
Pray for them every day.
4) By your efforts you will attract a teacher but look around, there are “teachers” everywhere: in books, in classes, and in life all around.
When the time is right God will send to us whomever we need in order to take the next step, spiritually.
Blessings,
Nayaswami Hriman
