1. On Meditating the Law of the Lord

A Meditation of Psalm 1

Originally written in Hebrew, Psalm 1 is a beautiful, short poem that has come down to us from very ancient times. It is an observation of life based on the poet’s own experience. It states that those who follow an ungodly path in life will find that their lives end up in destruction, and that those who follow a godly path will lead fruitful lives.

Using certain metaphors, the poet draws a few pictures. The poet does this to communicate directly with the subconscious mind of the reader/listener. Life is pictured as a journey in the psalm. One has the option to walk following the counsel of the wicked, or he/she can be on the path known by the Lord.  The poet further illustrates this by comparing someone who follows a godly life to a tree planted by a stream of water. However, someone who follows an ungodly life is like chaff, which is blown away by the wind.

Making an attempt to read in between lines, we can derive a few implied ideas. Some people find delight in the law of the Lord, and meditate upon it day and night; whereas the others find delight in the counsel of the wicked. The law of the Lord is essential for the survival of the human beings just as water is essential to trees. Therefore, one who meditates on the law of the Lord day and night should be like a tree which receives a constant supply of water.

I believe that by the expression “the law of the Lord,” the poet is probably referring to a collection of writings accepted as the Holy Scriptures of his/her own community. A holy book is a collection of literary works from the past that reflect life truthfully. It is not the kind of literary works written solely for the purpose of enjoyment. Just like a plant dies after leaving its seeds, each generation disappears after hiding the essence of its life within such true and great literature. Later when a new civilization sprouts from these literary works, they might get elevated to be the “Holy Scriptures” of that new civilization. People find meaning, inspiration, instruction and guidance in their Holy Scriptures. Containing the accumulated experiences of a civilization, these Holy Texts serve as storehouses of immense wisdom. No wonder the poet thinks that one who meditates on the law of the Lord will have a fruitful life.

Human beings learn primarily from experiences. However, if we are determined to learn only from our own personal experiences, we will be very slow and unsuccessful learners. On the other hand, if we are willing to learn from the experiences of others as well, we will learn much faster. The “Holy Scriptures” relate how our forefathers experienced life. In reading through them I see how their accumulated wisdom surpasses anything that I could personally acquire during my lifetime. Reading and meditating upon the Holy Scriptures makes me an accelerated learner.

There is no doubt that one feels more comfortable with the Holy Scriptures of one’s own community or culture than the Holy Scriptures of another community or culture. Holy texts are a part of one’s culture just like one’s native language. For example, if you are a Christian, you will feel more comfortable with the Bible, and you will greatly benefit from meditating the Bible day and night. Given your orientation you would not look to the Koran for your spiritual nourishment. However, in the spirit of Godliness you would treat it with respect. It would be true that you might not necessarily understand it, and that it would be like a foreign language to you. But you should remember that it serves as a light to millions of people around the globe.

In fact you do not have to limit yourself to what is accepted as Holy Scriptures in your community. Anything that uplifts you, inspires you, encourages you, and motivates you becomes Holy Scriptures for you. Reading something as a daily ritual will not help at all. You need to find delight in reading it.

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