“Meditation is not an activity which you have to do; it is letting go of all activity. Meditation is not a practice that you can do; it is letting go of all practices. Meditation is just remaining yourself, as you are, what you are, and doing nothing.

    “We are going to do two or three small experiments, so that you can understand this state of meditation and feel from the inside what meditation is. Then afterwards we will sit in meditation.

    “It is difficult to explain meditation in words. Had it been an activity, a practice, then it could have been explained through words. But it is easy to experience the feel of meditation, so we will do these three small experiments to give you the feel of it, and afterwards we will sit in meditation.

    “So, first you have to understand about the first experiment, and then we will then do it for five minutes. Then the second experiment will follow, then the third, and then we will do the fourth experiment – that of meditation.

    “The first experiment will be done so that you can understand meditation from within, by doing it. First, listen while I give the instructions, and then you will do it. One thing: you should sit at a distance from one another; no one should touch anyone else. No one should touch anyone else: you should move forward a little bit on the grass, or move back a bit, but no one should be touching anyone else. Then gently close your eyes. They are not to be held shut with any strain; it is as if the eyes are shut by the eyelids just falling closed. There should be no strain on the eyes. And allow yourself to be completely relaxed. Close your eyes and allow yourself to relax; there should be no strain on the body.

    “Now, I will ask you to imagine something inside, so that you can have a feel for what is meant by meditation. Picture inside that a huge river is flowing, flowing between two mountains. The river flows quickly, the current is strong; it is a mountainous river. Visualize inside that a big river is flowing fast between two mountains. The current is rapid, thundering; there are waves and the river is flowing… See it – see it clearly. The river is flowing very fast… You will see it clearly. Now get into the river, but you are not sto swim: just float and flow with it. Climb down into the river and start to flow with it. Don’t move your legs and hands, just float, just float, just float… Don’t move your hands and legs; no swimming, just floating.

    “You have let go of yourself in the river. The river is flowing quickly and you are flowing with it; you are flowing with it. Just go on flowing. You have nowhere to reach; you don’t have to reach the shore. There is no destination, so there is no question of swimming – you have only to flow. Let go and flow.

    “This experience of flowing with the river will be helpful for you in understanding meditation. For five minutes, let go of yourself and go on flowing. There is no end to the river and it goes on flowing. You have started flowing with it. You do not have to do anything; you do not even have to move your hands and legs, you have only to go on flowing, go on flowing. Just picture that the river is flowing and you have started flowing with it. You are not swimming at all, but simply flowing…

    “For five minutes I will not speak, just experience the floating and flowing…”