"The one who in love awakens beauty, so this love converts him into beauty." “ Meditation is the settling of the mind into silence. when the mind is settled , we are established in our essential nature ... this essential nature is usually overshadowed by the activity of the mind. Mental activity is settled by the practice of meditation and this will be firmly established when it is maintained consistently and with dedication over a long period of time “ "The purpose of meditation is to awaken in us the sky-like nature of mind, and to introduce us to that which we really are, our unchanging pure awareness, which underlies the whole of life and death. In the stillness and silence of meditation, we glimpse and return to that deep inner nature that we have so long ago lost sight of amid the busyness and distraction of our minds. We are fragmented into so many different aspects. We don’t know who we really are, or what aspects of ourselves we should identify with or believe in. So many contradictory voices, dictates, and feelings fight for control over our inner lives that we find ourselves scattered everywhere, in all directions, leaving nobody at home. Meditation, then, is bringing the mind home." |
MeditationMeditation is a mystical science. It allows a person to relax, to quiet the mind, and to perceive the peace and serenity of their true internal nature. Meditation is a major part of the Gnostic studies because it is through the practice of meditation that we can activate the consciousness within.
In our everyday life, our mind becomes stressed, anxious and agitated. The mind reacts against the circumstances of life, regrets the past, fears the future and keeps us out of the present moment in which we are actually living. It is beyond these tensions of the mind that we need to truly feel our self as a Being, as a soul. The purpose of meditation is to obtain information, experience, to learn the skills we need to walk the path within. The meditation courses include a variety of practices for the student. However, an introductory outline of meditation practice is described in the following 6 stages: Asana – posture. Finding our natural posture for meditation. Becoming aware of the subtle forces of the body and learning how to consciously relax. Pranayama- breathing exercise. Learning how to breathe correctly, using the breath to relax and control the mind, cultivating and balancing prana Pratyahara- serene observation. How to observe, separate and comprehend our thoughts. Dharana- concentration. Developing a natural, spontaneous concentration through deep relaxation of the mind. Dhyana- meditation. To place full attention on the object of investigation. This can be meditation on a facet of ourself we want to understand, meditation in silence, mantras, remembering our dreams, prayer, etc. Samadhi- absorption. The consciousness itself attains the Gnostic experience: where there is nothing between us and the thing we know. Direct knowledge. Meditation allows us to activate the superior emotions and, combined with heartfelt prayer, mantras and other exercises, we are able to walk the path of awakening to ever increasing exaltations within our own Divinity. |
Meditation Practice
Remembering that the human being manifests in life via the sequence of thinking, feeling, and finally action, it becomes apparent that the origin of all problems and solutions is in the mind. Meditation allows our psychological house to be put into order, it allows light into the subconscious darkness and creates the opportunity for real change: profound change that unfolds naturally, according to our own capacity and by virtue of our own work. Within the mind are found the secret triggers and reasons for the events and conditions of our lives.
“ If we wisely analyse ourselves , we discover that a constant state of affirmation and negation exists within us . what we want to be and what we actually are ; we are poor and we want to be millionaires , we are soldiers and we want to be generals , we are single and we want to be married , etc. the state of contradiction engenders conflict , pain, moral misery , absurd actions , violence , lies ,gossip , etc. The state of contradiction can never bring us peace in life. A man without peace can never solve his problems. You need to intelligently solve your problems and therefore, it is urgent that you have peace constantly. The state of contradiction impedes the solution of problems. Each problem implies thousands of contradictions. Shall I do this? the other? how? when? etc. Mental contradiction creates conflicts and frustrates the solution of problems “
- V .M Samael Aun Weor - The Rhetoric Of The Ego
The true objective of meditation is entering the silence of the mind, that is, when the thoughts as we know them come to a stop and we are able to be free of the mental chattering that accompanies us daily. It is during this tranquil state that self-knowledge is born, that the waves of the emotional centre come to peace, and the body rejuvenates itself. We transcend our subjective states of mind and conditioning, and experience self-revelation, knowledge of the self, and something of the greater mysteries. In the process the superlative consciousness of our inner being is temporarily liberated; there is an expansion of awareness, revelation of the new, and the experience of reality beyond our conditioned mind. In the silence of the mind, all things are possible and nothing is impossible.
There are levels and levels in the process of meditation. It is a fundamental tool in overcoming the difficulties and limitations of our lives, and in our work to liberate the essence. The principles of meditation are universal and the Masters of the great traditions have outlined in precise terms the steps of the process. Like everything else we need to start with the basics, such as the various techniques of relaxation, and then go deeper into the disciplines of concentration and pratyahara (serene observation of the mind).
Common Difficulties in Meditation Practice:
1) Finding time: we will always dedicate time and energy towards that which is most self-serving- ie: that which gives tangible results and is shown to be beneficial for our self and our life. We need to change our way of thinking about meditation practice- to see that it is necessary for our health and our inner life. If we have not dedicated substantial time to the practice we will not see tangible results and thus the motivation to continue practice will not be there- why would we pursue something that doesn’t provide anything? In the beginning, we need to make an agreement with ourself to put in a genuine effort to developing the practice each day, at least for the coming weeks. Generally people experience a change in their way of relating with life in the first two or three weeks, so make a commitment to practicing long enough to experience a change in our being. This change itself will provide the motivation to continue.
2) Distracting thoughts: our ordinary way of thinking in life is to be continually reacting to impressions, associating ideas, remembering the past and fantasising about the future. When we sit to meditate, this will want to persist and in many cases will actually increase. This is because the mind has become accustomed to craving impressions and when we do not receive them from outside, the mind begins to generate them from within. We need to recognise that it will take time to change this pattern, to have a mind that is suited to meditation. Each time we recognise and withdraw from a thinking process we are changing internal habits. If our thoughts are overwhelming bring awareness back to the body and the breath as often as needed to break the thinking process, not necessarily to stop it, but to break it momentarily. This conscious action will have significant effect when done regularly in meditation and in daily life.
3) Too many distractions: If we try to find time to meditate but are interrupted in our practice (phone, kids, friends etc.) it may mean that we need to plan our practice time more carefully. Find times that you will not be disturbed (early morning, before family gets home at night etc.) and take steps to ensure that time is left for your practice. This can be turning the phone off, asking people in the house to not disturb you during that time, or something else. If we need to go somewhere after the practice then use an alarm to indicate the end of the practice rather than checking the clock continually.
4) Painful to sit in meditation: If we try to meditate and we have pain, then make sure the posture is correct (ie: the spine can balance itself) If it is pain from an ongoing physical issue, try to observe the pain as a sensation, not pain. It has been shown that when we place conscious attention objectively on a pain in the body the pain levels temporarily increase before decreasing to below their normal level. If the pain is only during the meditation practice it can be a sign of subconscious resistance- we can sit and watch a movie for hours but suddenly to sit in the same position to meditate, it is painful. In this case, try to recognise the pain is there but continue with the practice anyway. In time the subconscious will accept the practice and the pain will subside.
5) Too tired: If we are too tired to practice then it is a sign we are exhausting ourself during the day. Even if we are tired in the mornings, if we have difficulty in the practice then it shows we are using a lot of energy being distracted by thoughts, problems and circumstances in our day. Don’t wait until you are exhausted to sit and relax, look to preserve your energy levels during the day and you will have more for the meditation. If tiredness persists, there are some other things you can try:
- Sit in an upright position: make sure you aren’t “lounging” when you sit to do a practice, otherwise it is easy to want to fall asleep. Sit in a chair and make sure your back is supporting itself.
- Change breathing: make sure the room is well ventilated and breathe slightly deeper than normal to get some more oxygen into the blood.
- Meditation time: are we choosing a time when energy levels are optimal, or when we are exhausted? Try practicing at a different time during the day- mid morning, afternoon or any other time where we have more energy.
“ If we wisely analyse ourselves , we discover that a constant state of affirmation and negation exists within us . what we want to be and what we actually are ; we are poor and we want to be millionaires , we are soldiers and we want to be generals , we are single and we want to be married , etc. the state of contradiction engenders conflict , pain, moral misery , absurd actions , violence , lies ,gossip , etc. The state of contradiction can never bring us peace in life. A man without peace can never solve his problems. You need to intelligently solve your problems and therefore, it is urgent that you have peace constantly. The state of contradiction impedes the solution of problems. Each problem implies thousands of contradictions. Shall I do this? the other? how? when? etc. Mental contradiction creates conflicts and frustrates the solution of problems “
- V .M Samael Aun Weor - The Rhetoric Of The Ego
The true objective of meditation is entering the silence of the mind, that is, when the thoughts as we know them come to a stop and we are able to be free of the mental chattering that accompanies us daily. It is during this tranquil state that self-knowledge is born, that the waves of the emotional centre come to peace, and the body rejuvenates itself. We transcend our subjective states of mind and conditioning, and experience self-revelation, knowledge of the self, and something of the greater mysteries. In the process the superlative consciousness of our inner being is temporarily liberated; there is an expansion of awareness, revelation of the new, and the experience of reality beyond our conditioned mind. In the silence of the mind, all things are possible and nothing is impossible.
There are levels and levels in the process of meditation. It is a fundamental tool in overcoming the difficulties and limitations of our lives, and in our work to liberate the essence. The principles of meditation are universal and the Masters of the great traditions have outlined in precise terms the steps of the process. Like everything else we need to start with the basics, such as the various techniques of relaxation, and then go deeper into the disciplines of concentration and pratyahara (serene observation of the mind).
Common Difficulties in Meditation Practice:
1) Finding time: we will always dedicate time and energy towards that which is most self-serving- ie: that which gives tangible results and is shown to be beneficial for our self and our life. We need to change our way of thinking about meditation practice- to see that it is necessary for our health and our inner life. If we have not dedicated substantial time to the practice we will not see tangible results and thus the motivation to continue practice will not be there- why would we pursue something that doesn’t provide anything? In the beginning, we need to make an agreement with ourself to put in a genuine effort to developing the practice each day, at least for the coming weeks. Generally people experience a change in their way of relating with life in the first two or three weeks, so make a commitment to practicing long enough to experience a change in our being. This change itself will provide the motivation to continue.
2) Distracting thoughts: our ordinary way of thinking in life is to be continually reacting to impressions, associating ideas, remembering the past and fantasising about the future. When we sit to meditate, this will want to persist and in many cases will actually increase. This is because the mind has become accustomed to craving impressions and when we do not receive them from outside, the mind begins to generate them from within. We need to recognise that it will take time to change this pattern, to have a mind that is suited to meditation. Each time we recognise and withdraw from a thinking process we are changing internal habits. If our thoughts are overwhelming bring awareness back to the body and the breath as often as needed to break the thinking process, not necessarily to stop it, but to break it momentarily. This conscious action will have significant effect when done regularly in meditation and in daily life.
3) Too many distractions: If we try to find time to meditate but are interrupted in our practice (phone, kids, friends etc.) it may mean that we need to plan our practice time more carefully. Find times that you will not be disturbed (early morning, before family gets home at night etc.) and take steps to ensure that time is left for your practice. This can be turning the phone off, asking people in the house to not disturb you during that time, or something else. If we need to go somewhere after the practice then use an alarm to indicate the end of the practice rather than checking the clock continually.
4) Painful to sit in meditation: If we try to meditate and we have pain, then make sure the posture is correct (ie: the spine can balance itself) If it is pain from an ongoing physical issue, try to observe the pain as a sensation, not pain. It has been shown that when we place conscious attention objectively on a pain in the body the pain levels temporarily increase before decreasing to below their normal level. If the pain is only during the meditation practice it can be a sign of subconscious resistance- we can sit and watch a movie for hours but suddenly to sit in the same position to meditate, it is painful. In this case, try to recognise the pain is there but continue with the practice anyway. In time the subconscious will accept the practice and the pain will subside.
5) Too tired: If we are too tired to practice then it is a sign we are exhausting ourself during the day. Even if we are tired in the mornings, if we have difficulty in the practice then it shows we are using a lot of energy being distracted by thoughts, problems and circumstances in our day. Don’t wait until you are exhausted to sit and relax, look to preserve your energy levels during the day and you will have more for the meditation. If tiredness persists, there are some other things you can try:
- Sit in an upright position: make sure you aren’t “lounging” when you sit to do a practice, otherwise it is easy to want to fall asleep. Sit in a chair and make sure your back is supporting itself.
- Change breathing: make sure the room is well ventilated and breathe slightly deeper than normal to get some more oxygen into the blood.
- Meditation time: are we choosing a time when energy levels are optimal, or when we are exhausted? Try practicing at a different time during the day- mid morning, afternoon or any other time where we have more energy.