Within Navayāna Buddhism as articulated by B. R. Ambedkar, meditation is retained but decisively reoriented. It does not stand as an isolated, mystical pursuit aimed at otherworldly attainment; rather, it is subordinated to an ethical and social vision that gives primacy to equality, dignity, and justice. Meditation is understood as a rational, this‑worldly discipline that supports the cultivation of clarity, non‑hatred, and moral resolve. Its value lies less in the promise of transcendental states and more in its capacity to transform character in ways that undermine oppression and discrimination. In this sense, meditation is one strand in a broader fabric of ethical conduct, social awareness, and collective responsibility.

Ambedkar’s reinterpretation treats meditative practice as a means of mental training that helps individuals recognize and loosen the grip of internalized inferiority and fear. By fostering critical awareness of thoughts, speech, and action, meditation becomes a way to confront the psychological residues of caste hierarchy and systemic injustice. Right mindfulness and right concentration are thus interpreted as tools for overcoming anger, anxiety, and resignation, enabling practitioners to affirm their own dignity and that of others. Rather than encouraging withdrawal from social life, such contemplation is directed toward a more lucid engagement with it.

This orientation naturally lends meditation a communal and socially engaged character. Group recitation, shared reflection, and collective contemplative practice help build solidarity and a sense of shared identity among those seeking liberation from entrenched structures of inequality. Meditation, in this context, supports healing from social trauma and strengthens the inner resources needed for ethical action and social struggle. It is not upheld as the sole or supreme path, but as one important support among education, moral commitment, and organized efforts toward a just and egalitarian society.

Thus, the role of meditation in Navayāna Buddhism is best understood as instrumental rather than ultimate. It serves as a disciplined way of shaping consciousness so that individuals and communities can more effectively challenge injustice and embody the values of liberty, equality, and fraternity. Liberation is closely tied to the creation of a just social order, and meditation functions as a practical aid in that larger emancipatory project, rather than as an escape from the world or a purely private quest for personal salvation.