At the heart of the ancient culture of mysticism is the search for the unknown; one’s inner self, the Greater Self; the infinite and eternal Cosmic Consciousness beyond words, thought and mind. That Supreme Self is inexpressible and inconceivable. We can only know it subjectively. It is the essence of our being, beyond sensory perception or intellectual analysis. Words can’t describe it and the mind can’t think of it, just like a light bulb can’t shed light on the electricity that powers it. It is the one all-encompassing, absolute and immutable reality of this universe. Everything and everyone exists within it. The entire universe exists in and of consciousness. You are not only part of it, but one with it, like a wave is one with the sea. It is all-pervading. It exists within everyone and everything, like seawater exists within the wave. It is the essence of existence, the source of all things, our innermost self, the core of our being, the life of your life, the mind of your mind, the soul of your soul; the ever-present, ever-radiant, ever-blissful awareness inherent in everybody and everything. It is not outside you, or separate to you, but your inner state of being. It is your inner you.

Just like a frog in a well is naturally oblivious to the rest of the world, it’s natural to be sceptical about something we can’t perceive. But that doesn’t mean we should reject outright the possibility of a greater reality. Indeed, it would be foolish to do so. According to my experience, higher consciousness does exist and it is attainable. You can know it within you and all around you, within yourself and all beings, through the regular and sincere practice of meditation. Through meditation you can find the essence of yourself within yourself and realise that essence as the inner self of all beings and the entire universe. In the process we get to know the universe and all its secrets, as well as the peace of true contentment. Self-realisation means self-fulfilment in the deepest possible sense; the fulfilment of our deepest desire: infinite happiness, bliss. And it is inevitable that we find that bliss within ourselves because it’s already there as the essence of ourselves. Knowingly or unknowingly, whether we believe it or not, the blissful realisation of ourselves as pure loving consciousness is the primary purpose of our lives. We have many secondary purposes but only one primary purpose which we all share. So we all have a great purpose in life, a great mission to fulfil. Life is a mission. Our lives are imbued with deep meaning and significance and there is every reason to be optimistic about the future. It is inevitable that you will attain that state of blissful loving oneness that you are ultimately longing for. It’s just a matter of time. Self-realisation is a self-fulfilling prophesy for each and every one of us. Just as a river flows into the sea, we are all returning home. We are all on a journey to attaining that one ultimate state of eternal love. And like many rivers flowing into the one sea, there is no possibility of ending up in the wrong place forever — only the right place. The total and absolute experience of that one and abiding love of all loves is your glorious destiny.

There’s been an ongoing study amongst the terminally ill, with an overwhelmingly recurring result: the number one regret of the dying is “I wasn’t true to myself.” That’s a very strong indicator that at the end of one’s life, when all is said and done, the most important thing is one’s relationship to oneself; to know oneself. This, according to yogic philosophy, is the essence of the human condition. We are all on a journey to finding ourselves; our true nature; our inner self. This whole universe is an expression of consciousness. Your own consciousness — your own sense of being — is part of the infinite consciousness of the universe, just as a wave is part of the sea. In fact, just like the wave, we are not only part of but one with the infinite. We just don’t realise it. We think our existence is limited and so we experience a limited sense of reality. But we have an internal longing for limitlessness. We want unlimited happiness. What we ultimately want is the bliss — the infinite happiness — within ourselves; the essence of ourselves. That’s why we’re searching for ourselves. That’s why we’ll only be content when we find ourselves.

If we can expand our sense of existence from our own consciousness to the infinite consciousness; from our small sense of self to the greater Self; if we can merge our own sense of self with the Cosmic Self, like a river merges in the sea; then we will experience the bliss — the infinite happiness — we all long for. When one realises one’s small self as the Greater Self — the Greater Self as one’s own self — that’s self-realisation. And the essence of that realisation is the experience of exquisite happiness; infinite happiness; bliss… a sublime feeling beyond all worldly enjoyment. That realisation is inevitable for each and every one of us. We are all on a journey to realising that ultimate state of eternal bliss. There is no possibility of ending up in the wrong place forever; only the right place. There is every reason to be optimistic. And meditation is the way to do that. Meditation is the process of centring yourself on your inner self; of connecting to your true self. It is the core practice of the wider lifestyle called yoga. Yoga means to unify one’s individual consciousness with the infinite consciousness; your small self with the Greater Self. It’s an entirely internal process. And so, more than anything else, you can only experience it internally.

Meditation is an exploration of the soul; a journey of self-discovery which takes us far beyond our everyday awareness… into the realm of the mystical. It is the quest for self-knowledge; the transcendence of yourself into the Self of all things; the realisation of the oneness of all beings. This is what is known as Self-Realisation. It is that realisation which will give us the one thing we crave more than anything else: infinite happiness, or bliss. We may call it unconditional love; perfect peace; or whatever else we may wish to. But whatever we call it the feeling is the same. The practice of meditation is inherently linked to the essence of our existence and our greatest life purpose. Meditation facilitates the blossoming of the flower of humanity to its greatest potential: the realisation that one’s innermost self is none other than the Cosmic Self that pervades all things. It means to look within your mind to feel the bliss that is the essence of your existence. That bliss is within you, just as it is within everybody and everything. Consciously or unconsciously, we all want it and we are all striving to achieve it. We all long to find calm within the chaos of our lives, not realising that it is nowhere but within us. We try to quench our inner longing for limitlessness with the limited objects of this world, forgetting the limitless source of peace and inspiration within ourselves. We search for love from the people in our lives; happiness from the objects of the world. But their presence is also transitory and so the love and happiness they give us does not last forever. It is entirely possible though – through constant practice – to discover the endless fountain of peace and inspiration within ourselves; to access that infinite source of love and happiness; to infuse our mind and pervade our whole existence with it. This is what will give us real fulfilment; lasting satisfaction. It may sound elusive but it is not so difficult. It is a simple process. It only requires sincere effort. The reward is far greater than anything you will ever have to put into it.

Meditation is the sustained effort to realise the essence of our existence; the core of our being. It means to look within yourself for the infinite source of peace and happiness which lies within; to feel the bliss within you, within everybody and everything. Meditation expands the mind beyond our everyday awareness into the realm of the mystical. It means to look for the essence of oneself within oneself. It is completely introspective in nature. It is the process of centring yourself on your inner self; of connecting to your true self. It’s not the imposition of any belief from outside yourself. It’s not about believing what someone tells you to believe or experiencing what someone tells you to experience. It’s about experiencing and believing what you find within yourself. It’s about you. It’s about finding the essence of yourself within yourself and realising that essence as the inner self of all beings and the entire universe.

Meditation means concentrated thinking. But it’s not just like any other thought. The ‘thought’ of meditation is to go beyond thought itself: to transcend the mind into the consciousness within which it exists; indeed within which everything exists, gradually giving us a greater understanding of ourselves, our place in the universe and the connectedness of all things and events.
 Practically speaking that means concentrating on the idea – the feeling – of bliss (infinite happiness). But how are we to do that? Concentration means only one thought. But there are usually many different thoughts in the mind. How do we control them? What we must do is direct all our thoughts towards a greater one; a stronger and more positive one. And the strongest and most positive thought of all is that of the Infinite. By regularly ideating on that greatest thought, one’s mind gradually expands. “As one thinks, so one becomes.” We all want to expand; to become something greater than what we already are; to achieve something more than what we already have. This is the fundamental spirit of humanity. “There is in the living being a thirst for limitlessness.” Since the beginning of civilisation people have been aspiring to greatness, and it is this yearning for supreme expansion that eventually led people to discover the techniques of meditation. Meditation gradually expands one’s sense of awareness to infinity; one’s sense of existence into the infinite cosmic existence – the essence of all existence. It merges one’s individual experience of pleasure and pain with the pure and constant experience of cosmic bliss, just as a restless river merges in the calm, tranquil depths of the sea. It graces us with the endless and eternal cosmic awareness we all inherently long for: infinite happiness; perfect peace and contentment – bliss.

Our existence is like a cup of water in the ocean. The water within the cup is contiguous with the rest of the water in the ocean. It is the same water, but it believes it is separate. In the same way your mind has instilled the feeling of individuality in you. But just as the water of the ocean fills the cup, the essence of the universe fills you too – is your essence also. In the deepest sense there is no independent existence. Our individual consciousness – our individual sense of awareness – is but a small part of the Universal Consciousness; the cosmic sense of awareness. To gain the deepest contentment you must search for that deepest truth – the essence of your existence. Free your mind. Expand your sense of awareness… ultimately to infinity; into the infinite cosmic awareness. Real and permanent contentment cannot be attained any other way. When a river merges with the sea it doesn’t feel like a river any more. It feels like the sea. It is ever-satisfied within itself because it no longer has any limitation. There is no pain there; only the contentment of being... the essence of all being. What will satisfy us is only the limitlessness of that infinite and eternally blissful Supreme Consciousness.

Beyond the mind there is only the eternal delight of timeless bliss. Forget yourself in the exquisiteness of that bliss. Become one with the flow of the world; with the outturn of all events. Remember the limitlessness of your being; the eternity of your existence. Know that one undying love that sustains all others; forever unchanged, within which all things exist. Transcend your mind into the endless bliss of that infinite oneness.

This universe is the thought-projection of Consciousness. In the flow of cosmic imagination the One has become many in a vast cosmic dance of existence. Everything is part of the One; connected with all the other parts in an intricate web of countless vibrations. When a blade of grass moves, the whole universe quivers; always in a state of flux; constantly changing; expanding and contracting; continually in the process of becoming, of being and of becoming something else again; a fluid continuum of merging among all things; floating in the infinite ocean of Consciousness like an iceberg floats within the sea. And as the water of the sea pervades an iceberg, Consciousness pervades all things too; within everyone; what everything is; the essence of all; condensed into the forms of the world; some perceived and others not; but never more than a reflection of absolute reality; the diversities of this world expressions of the one unity; opposites the apparent extremes of the one movement, just as the movement of the earth around itself manifests as day and night; around the sun as the seasons; just as the moon causes the ebb and flow of tides; appears as full and new but remains the same throughout. Good and bad, black and white, are but transitory states within the one continuous flow of all things. Sooner or later loss turns to gain, pleasure to pain. Tears flow from the eyes in joy as well as in sorrow. But beyond earthly opposites lies only the one endless and eternal truth. To realise it means freedom from loss. How can you lose that which you perceive in all things?

True knowledge is to go beyond the dualities; to know the constant reality within which all things flow. Pleasure and pain are the relative expressions of absolute bliss. Only through bliss may they be transcended. Try to feel that all-pervading bliss in every experience, pleasant and unpleasant. It’s mysterious: beyond words; beyond even thought; inexpressible; unthinkable; nothing and everything at the same time; something and all things. It’s our centre, our deepest identity, the essence of our being. When you experience it — when you can tap into it — it’s like you go beyond yourself. Your connection with your senses; your thoughts; all your fears and concerns; everything dissolves away. Space and time too. They all lose their meaning because beyond the mind there is only the eternal delight of timeless bliss. Forget yourself in the exquisiteness of that bliss. Then you will feel complete within yourself; see everything crystal-clear; be focused and poised, living entirely for the moment, with no thought for past mistakes or future problems. You will feel your life is totally purposeful. The whole world seems just right – there is order within the chaos, like the eye of a storm within the storm. You will be content and completely at ease because you will feel the joy of unity in everything you see and do. You will perceive all things and all beings as part of the one – the Cosmic Oneness. Your natural feeling will be, “The whole universe is my home; everything in it my family.” If you can see the oneness in everything it makes it easy to deal with the conflicts of life; the apparent differences; choices along the way. You become one with the flow of the world; with the outturn of all events; and nothing gets you down. Even seemingly small and insignificant things become precious. Everything turns into a miracle.

According to my guru, Shrii Shrii Anandamurti, the purpose of our lives is to realise ourselves. In the yogic tradition this is called self-realisation. We all have a sense of self; of self associated with our body, our mind, and our relationship between our body, mind and the people and things of the world: our family, friends, possessions, surroundings, our community, society and the wider world. But we also have a deeper sense of self — our spirit — the essence of which is the love and peace, the infinite happiness or bliss, that we all yearn for. No matter who we are, no matter where we come from, no matter what our race, culture or religion may be, we all want the same thing. We may call it love, we may call it peace, we may call it happiness. But whatever we call it we all know what it is. It’s that deepest feeling of being and connectedness within us all. It’s our most precious feeling of self at the core of our existence. It’s our beloved essence. Now, according to yogic philosophy, our own sense of self is part of a greater self. In fact, our own self is not only part of, but one with, the greater self. Our own consciousness is one with the infinite consciousness of the universe, just as the waves on the surface of the sea are one with the sea. The more we realise our own consciousness as the one infinite universal consciousness, the more we satiate our innermost longing for bliss, because bliss — infinite happiness — is the essence of infinite consciousness. So in order to attain what we ultimately want deep within ourselves, we must look within ourselves. This process is called meditation. Meditation is not about anybody telling you what you should believe or experience. Meditation is the process of looking within yourself, of strengthening the connection to your deepest sense of self, of finding the essence of yourself within yourself and realising that essence as the essence of the greater self that pervades all people and all things, the universal self.

Self-realisation is inevitable for each and every one of us. It’s our destiny to realise ourselves as the one infinite and universal self. That’s why we have a thirst for limitlessness, for perfect peace and contentment, infinite happiness or bliss, because the bliss we are all searching for is the essence of ourselves. There’s a beautiful paradox here. Our inner self and our final destiny are one and the same. We don’t actually have to become anything other than what we already are. We only have to realise ourselves. We are all on a journey towards realising ourselves in the deepest possible sense; as the essence of our own existence and of all existence. We are all on a journey that will ultimately culminate in the total and permanent realisation of infinite bliss for each and every one of us. That realisation will not only be the consummation of our deepest life’s desire, but the more we realise our own existence as the essence of the universal existence — the universal consciousness — the more we will also feel the essence of everyone else as our own essence too; that everyone is part of us just as all waves are part of the same sea. Our own existence is one with the existence of all others. In fact, at the deepest level there are no others. We are all one. Another beautiful paradox. And it is that realisation which will facilitate the greatest peace, contentment and bliss within us all and amongst us all, because the more we realise our oneness with others — all people, animals, plants, our planet, the entire universe — the more love we will feel for others too, because we will feel others as one with ourselves. The more we feel our own self as one with the cosmic self, the more we feel all others as one with our own self. And the more we love others as one with our own self, and feel the destiny of others as one with our own destiny, the more empathetic we will be, the more loving we will be, the more compassionate, the better our relationships, and the more willing and able we will be to help others and to make this world a better place. So the purpose of our lives is self-realisation. And translating that realisation — that expanded feeling of self — into loving others; including all within the embrace of our love; helping all to attain their inner destiny; our one collective destiny. There’s another beautiful paradox here. At the heart of our own emancipation lies the emancipation of us all.

All the wealth in the world cannot satisfy limitless longing. To be free from longing is to be one with the eternal and unchanging existence reflected in all things... beyond all worldly desire. We become cynical about the outcome of our lives when we lose sight of the eternity of our existence. In our identification with the limited we forget the limitlessness of our being. It’s like forgetting something that’s on the tip of your tongue; so close, so nearly attainable, yet so far away. The more you think the more elusive it becomes, because the mind cannot possibly comprehend it. It is a state one cannot even begin to think about, let alone express in words. It’s unimaginable. We cannot prove a mother’s love for her child, but that doesn’t mean it’s not there. Cosmic love embraces the whole universe. To know it is to know true love; devotion; the one undying love that sustains all others. We long for it, not realising that it is all around us; within us; that which remains forever unchanged; within which all things exist. To transcend one’s mind into the endless bliss of that infinite oneness – that’s immortality. Death holds no special significance for one who has realised that supreme truth. A bird leaves its eggshell to spread its wings and fly joyfully away. All that remains to be known lies at the core of your existence. Go deep within; discover your greater self; the pure formless ever-blissful Supreme Consciousness.