Easwaran on Meditation & Right Occupation

Our tech team needs time to prepare Easwaran’s audio talks to be shared on the blog, so we have to choose the talk well in advance of when it’s posted. We asked for this talk three months ago, but as we re-listened to it this past week we were struck by how Easwaran seemed to be speaking about what’s happening right now.

One of the amazing aspects of Easwaran’s teachings is their relevance. Sometimes, as in this talk from the 1980s, there will be a lucky coincidence of references. For instance, we really enjoyed Easwaran’s mentions of the World Cup (the YA Blog Team definitely spent our share of time enthralled by the World Cup last month) and we were sobered by his references to the international conflicts that reflect many current struggles. Above all, we were impressed by the timelessness, and timeliness, of the message.

We often hear stories from our YA friends where they are dealing with a particular concern in their life and they open a book, or listen to a talk, and Easwaran manages to say the exact thing they needed to hear. As we listened this week we were particularly moved by the way he emphasized that when we meditate it’s not just for ourselves.

We are all trustees for this earth, Easwaran says, and for all its inhabitants. When our life becomes rich through giving, not consuming, we become an asset to society wherever we go. Our meditation practice is meant for us to discover the energy, the love, and all the wealth of resources we can give to this world.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on this talk, please share them in the comments below! What part of the talk was particularly meaningful to you?