The Sri Chinmoy Centre regularly offers free meditation classes all over the world. These classes are open to anyone seeking guidance to help them develop or begin their meditation practice. In my home city of Auckland, New Zealand these classes are ongoing pretty much all year round. In order to let the public know exactly when and where the classes occur, we use a combination of techniques – posters, articles, word of mouth and the occasional advertisement – but our favourite method remains the humble flyer (also known as a leaflet or brochure).
Flyers are small, easily portable and contain all the information one needs to know in order to attend a meditation class. They can be put into letterboxes, left at shops and cafes, or posted on notice boards. My preferred method is the direct approach – out on the street, in the crowd, handing them out to any person who I feel may have an interest in learning meditation. Personally, I find that going flyering is itself an experience of meditation in action.
First thing every morning I sit in my meditation space and try to dive deep within to calm the mind and open the heart. When we go out into the hustle and bustle of life, we can continue our efforts to meditate by always trying to see the divinity in each person, which is identical to the divinity within ourselves.
Hindu theology teaches that there are as many gods as there are human beings. In Buddhism we are taught that the Buddha-nature abides within all. Similarly, the religions of the Bible prompt us to see the soul, the inner light in each person.
Meditation is a way of looking within to find our divine spark connecting us to the Beyond – to travel far beyond the limitations of our surface existence and uncover the deep joyful plenitude of the vast spiritual heart.
As I try to see God in each human being around me, this is itself a meditation - for we are all connected by a common source. In the words of Sri Chinmoy, “our differences disappear the moment we come to realise that all hearts are one”.
Many people are genuinely grateful to receive a flyer – a few “thank you’s" are heard. Perhaps it was just what they were looking for. Other people simply have no need for what we are offering – they are satisfied with their current life path.
Of those who come to the classes, perhaps some will be inspired to continue meditating and establish their own practice. They may find a spiritual path, and possibly a teacher. Perhaps they will follow an inner urge to practice the ways of Zen , or forge a close link with the Christ-Consciousness. And a few of them may feel that Sri Chinmoy is able to assist in their journey of self-discovery.
Sri Chinmoy tells us that “everybody meditates, either consciously or unconsciously. There is not a single human being on earth who does not meditate. But most of us are not aware of our meditation. We all want peace of mind. Whatever method we adopt to bring about peace of mind is our way of meditation. We all want happiness. Whatever we do in order to achieve happiness is our way of meditation. We all need love, love in the inner world and love in the outer world, and for that we do various things. Whatever we do in order to achieve love is our way of meditation. [1]”
Sources: [1] Sri Chinmoy, 'United Nations: The World's Oneness-Home', Agni Press 2005, p.33