The Best Defense is a Good Offense
Meditation is the mechanism by which we can discover our true nature as soul and journey into inner spiritual regions to experience our merger in God. While the technique of sitting in silence and withdrawing our senses may be simple, there are hindrances that we must overcome if we want to succeed. The biggest obstacle comes from the mind. Through its many wiles, the mind keeps us waylaid in the outer world so that our attention cannot be focused within. As long as our attention remains in the outer world, we cannot succeed in reaching our goal of becoming one with God.
Just as kingdoms of the past built strong walls to keep their opponents away, we, too, need a wall of protection as we sit to meditate. This wall of protection does not fight the mind, which is a powerful opponent. Instead, the saints and mystics offer a protective mechanism that befriends the mind and leverages characteristics of the mind. The mind is very habitual, and we can leverage this trait to aid us in establishing a regular meditation practice. We can also harness the energy of the mind to focus on God through mental repetition of God’s name. As we do so, the mind cannot send us thoughts that would distract us. This repetition serves as a protective wall that keeps all thoughts and distractions at bay so we can focus on God.
