Excellence Reporter: Padma, what is the meaning of life?

Padma Shyam: Everyone experiences happiness in life, and also sadness and suffering. At some point, if the suffering becomes too great, then some people might ask “What is really the root cause of this suffering and how might we be free from this?”

There are of course millions of answers to this and folks from ever culture around the world have explored for endless ages what it takes to be free from intolerable misery. 

Meditation was discovered as one way to go that can result in a deep understanding of the nature of the mind, the functions of the ego, and the skills and information it takes to liberate oneself. It was discovered that it IS possible to be free from the torment of the mind and to live in a way of delight, with an expanded awareness of freedom and love.

This expanded mind allows a person, no matter from what culture or country, no matter from what age or race or gender or religion, to know the natural bliss of living and have the wisdom of how to live well, in health and peace.

Rather than expect to change the whole world at once, it has been found that it is possible to change one individual at a time, and this starts with you! When you work to find freedom for yourself, you are not only freeing yourself from suffering, but you’re improving your whole world. At least you’re not adding to all the suffering and misery!

So if you care that your life be a good one, and if you care that the lives of all humans should be better, then a powerful way to go is twofold: to study the mind, and to meditate on yourself.  You’ll evolve your understanding of your true nature and if you can find freedom in yourself, then you can possibly share that knowledge and experience with your friends. 

We see in the world that suffering continues and seems to have no end in sight. Everywhere we see wars and violence, against humans and against nature.

It seems these days once again that we are on a path to self-destruction. People have immense potential power to create and build and change our lifestyles. This great power can be our best friend or our worst enemy. We can use our imagination to manifest a beautiful loving, healthy and wise world, or we can destroy everything. 

Since you asked, I’d say that the meaning of life is to evolve our intelligence, to expand our awareness, and to support all living beings on this glorious and precious globe we call Earth. We have the capacity to be terrible and cruel, and we also have the possibility to be glorious, genius, brilliant and loving. We CAN know the pure Oneness of all life, and realize we are all one love.

Please meditate and be free!

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~Padma Shyam is an enlightened educator and one of Canada’s most respected and popular teachers of meditation, yoga and self-realization. For over 20 years she has been guiding people towards finding their own freedom, inner power, peace and enlightenment. Padma’s teaching style is free, joyful and insightful in the tradition of a Himalayan meditation master.

Padma completed 30 years of advanced meditation trainings in the Himalayas of India. She is certified to teach Advanced Meditation and Yogic Studies by the International Meditation Institute of India.

Padma produced and hosted 143 episodes of the Padma Yoga television series, aired daily across Canada since 2003, and has produced 12 DVDs of her work. Since 2000 she has also taught meditation and yoga to A-list Hollywood stars. She has developed original Online Meditation Courses and created a powerful Meditation Teacher Training Program.

www.PadmaMeditation.com

Excellence Reporter 2015 ©Padma Shyam