Meditation and jnana act as the twin engines driving the Smartist journey toward non-dual realization. Meditation, or dhyāna, starts by focusing on a chosen deity’s form—be it Śiva, Viṣṇu, Durgā or another—as a stepping-stone to still the mind. In today’s world, when the International Day of Yoga rallies millions around the globe to sit in quiet contemplation, the Smartist approach marries ancient deity-centered devotion with breath awareness and mindfulness. Modern neuroscience even points to meditation’s power to rewire neural pathways, sharpening attention and nurturing empathy—qualities at the heart of seeing every godhead as a facet of one ultimate reality.

Jnana, the pursuit of knowledge, unfolds through śravaṇa (listening to the Upaniṣads and Vedānta commentaries), manana (reflective pondering) and nididhyāsana (deep absorption). As headlines buzz with debates over “truth” and filter bubbles on social media, the Smartist emphasis on critical wisdom feels like manna from heaven. A surge in online searches for “Advaita Vedanta” suggests more hearts are craving clarity amidst today’s misinformation storm.

Meditation without jnana risks becoming mere relaxation; jnana without meditation can slip into sterile intellectualism. Together, they create viveka—discriminative insight that peels back layers of ego and illusion. Picture alternating between silent contemplation and rigorous scriptural study: devotion meets discernment, and the tapestry of multiple deities coheres into a single, luminous truth.

This harmonious blend dovetails neatly with contemporary wellness trends, offering both inner calm and intellectual depth. It’s like killing two birds with one stone: a tranquil mind and a clear understanding of the self’s oneness with Brahman. In Smartist practice, meditation and jnana aren’t just add-ons; they’re the living, breathing heart of a tradition that finds unity within divine diversity.