Presenting Mind-Based
Spirituality

Later that day, I had a conversation with Princess Elizabeth of the former Yugoslavia. She had witnessed numerous tragedies in her life—the monarchy had ended, her marriage had ended in divorce, and a decline in her economic fortunes. After going through these experiences, she had gone out in search of Peace. She had met with a teacher and sought Peace in meditation. For years now, she had been meditating every day.

I asked her what meditation is. Was it, according to her, some intellectual process?

Her understanding of meditation was that it is the quieting of the mind. I said to her that I was also interested in spirituality and engaged in meditation. However, my meditation happened through an intellectual process, not stopping or suppressing it. Therefore, my meditation or spirituality was intellectual or mind-based in nature.

Mental tension is a significant challenge today all over the world. This has led to an enormous increase in the popularity of meditation or spirituality. However, to me, a process of trying to stop or suppress the intellectual process is simply a sort of intellectual anaesthesia. In line with man’s nature, the proper method for man to gain spirituality in this regard is intellectual awakening, not suspending the intellectual process. Such spirituality is gained by awakening one’s mind.