Is Meditation Working For You?

We often think- I am meditating, but I don't find any difference, or I am not able to focus. There is an interesting theory, I am reminded of which was profound for me, and I heard in this session.

There is a teenager, whose parents die and he has to go and live with his grandfather. His grandfather lives alone in a hut, deep in the forest. His grandfather is a very pious man who wakes up early in the morning, prays, meditates, reads some Bhagavad Gita, reads some other spiritual books, and then goes about his day.

Gradually, he himself starts becoming like his grandfather. He starts morning prayer, and morning meditation. And after a month, he comes to his grandfather, and he’s got a basket of coal. He’s putting the coal into the fireplace. And he comes to his grandfather and says, “Grandfather, I’ve been trying to follow your prayer and meditation but honestly, nothing is happening. There’s no change. My mind is still wandering. I don’t really feel any change happening”.

So Grandfather says, “This is a good question. But first, I want you to help me. Take this basket, go to the stream, fill it with water and get it”. He says, “Alright.” So he goes, takes the basket, puts it in the stream, and the basket is full of holes, right? So by the time he comes back, all the water is gone. He says “Grandfather, this is not the right thing, let me get a bucket.” He says “No, no, go again.”

You came very slowly, go faster, you’ll get water. Okay, he goes, fills it up. And he was very fast. But again, the water is gone. He says, “Grandpa, this is the wrong thing, I need to get a bucket.” Grandfather says, “No, try one last time. This time I want you to really run, water will come.” Just to please this guy, knowing it’s not gonna happen… Just to placate his grandfather, he goes, he fills it up, and he runs as fast as he can. But sure enough, there’s no water. Grandfather this is a waste of time, nothing’s happened.

He says something has happened. Look at the basket. When I first gave it to you, it was a completely black cover with coal dust. And after three rounds of going to the water, it’s completely shiny bright.

So you think nothing is happening? But something is happening. I’m practicing meditation day after day, has any change really happened? But a change is happening, slowly and steadily. Meditation is not about gaining, but about losing the conditioning.