Acharya Prashant explains that meditation is not a special or objective state to be achieved; rather, it is a state of naturalness and ease. The absence of meditation is felt through restlessness, a sense of incompleteness, or the constant urge to seek something. When there is no desire to attain anything and no existential anxiety, one is in a state of meditation. It is an ever-present reality that the mind enters when it lets go of its agitations. He distinguishes between concentration and true meditation, noting that concentration involves focusing the mind on a specific object, sound, or image, which often requires discipline or force. In contrast, true meditation is a background state where the mind is completely free. One can perform daily activities like walking, eating, or working while remaining rooted in this meditative state. It is like a subtle humming that continues while one is busy with chores; the activities are visible, but the underlying state is silent and profound. Acharya Prashant emphasizes that meditation is the union of duality and non-duality. While the mind continues to function in the world of duality—perceiving, thinking, and acting—it remains immersed in the non-dual essence of meditation. This transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary and the mundane into the divine. The person remains connected to their center, much like being tied to a post while moving around, losing the desire to run away or seek elsewhere. He warns against the ego's attempt to claim meditation as an achievement. True meditation involves the dissolution of the 'I' who claims to be meditating. It is not something that can be invited or attained through effort, as effort itself is a product of the ego. Instead, it is like a guest who is already inside the house while one looks for them outside. He concludes that meditation is not a goal to be reached but a state of being that is realized when the constant urge to 'do' and 'claim' is dropped.
