Good afternoon. The first item of business is time for reflection, for which our leader is Mr K Jagannathan from the Hindu Temple of Scotland, Rutherglen.
Presiding Officer and members of the Scottish Parliament, good afternoon. On behalf of the Hindu Temple of Scotland in Rutherglen, Glasgow, I thank you all for inviting me to talk at time for reflection.
I would like to talk about a famous Hindu monk named Swami Vivekananda, who lived in India in the 19th century and was a key figure in introducing Indian philosophies of meditation to the western world. Swami Vivekananda likened the human mind to a monkey, which is always restless and constantly active by nature. He noticed that the human mind has a curiosity to explore the external world but lacks the ability to focus inwardly.
Swami Vivekananda stressed the importance of the practice of concentration, for he felt that the mind is limitless and that, through improved concentration, the mind can truly be a powerful force. The way to achieve that is to avoid distractions, as they can disturb the mind and make it unsettled. We can train the mind to focus by fixating on one object, and that is where meditation plays a big role.
What is meditation? People tend to associate meditation with worship or prayer, but that is not the case. Meditation means “towards a stress-free life”. It is a discipline in which an individual trains the mind or induces a mode of consciousness. Meditation is being aware. Thus, when you are aware or conscious of your actions and are truly present in that given point in time, that is meditation. It could be being aware of your breathing, listening to the birds and engaging in activities free from distractions to the mind. That is known as effective meditation.
In our Hindu temple, the priest advises the devotees to keep their eyes closed for a few minutes to meditate, focusing with a calm and clear mind. Some devotees may silently repeat one word continuously to prevent distracting thoughts, for example, “Om”.
There are many advantages to meditation. Meditation can give you a sense of calm, peace and balance. It decreases anxiety and builds self-confidence, which benefits your emotional wellbeing and overall health. Meditation is relevant in our modern world and, if we all take that minute to stop and meditate and to consider our actions, our words and their consequences, people can become more conscious of the outcomes. That can enable more peace, harmony and understanding between communities and with ourselves.