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RAJA YOGAMEDITATIONSTEP-BY.STEP

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TEACH ERS.G U IDEDECEMBER 1994

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LESSON 1

RAJA YOGA MEDITATIONSTEP BY STEP

The'Raja Yoga Meditation Step by Step' course will help you in learning how to meditate,it presents a structure. Within this framework each one is given guidelines on how tomeditate creativelv and succesfullv.

Of course every structure has it 's limits and it is never absolute. The wonderful thingabout Raja Yoga is that it is a creative process which is individual and unique for everyone.Raja Yoga enables everyone to have their own experiences on the self and God.Nonetheless, it 's good to have a certain structure to guide and assist you. We will build upthe structure in 4lessons. step by step.

* One of the first questions you can ask yourself, even before you start meditating, is:

WHY DO I WANT TO MEDITATE?

What is your personal reason in wanting to learn meditation? What is it you want toachieve through meditation?

In the course we will take time to experiment with the material. In this way it will not bejust theory, but an experience as well. So let's take a minute to think about this question:Whv do lwant to meditate?

(Teacher: Take a minute of silence, then ask a few of the students what thet reasons are,After asking the students you can give some suggestions, such as:)

Reasons to meditate can be: to become peaceful, to improve your power of concentration,to reduce stress and anxiety, to build up inner strength. Or maybe you feel depressed fromtime to time and want to know what is the reason for that and what the solution mightbe. Maybe you would like to get to know your own feelings a little better, to find out whoyou really are. Or maybe it 's a relationship with God that you want

Your reasons for wanting to meditate will probably change from time to time. When youhave deeper insight into yourself, there will be different things you will want to know. Andfrom time to time when you ask yourself this question 'Why do I want to meditate?', youwill notice other answers, other reasons, other perspectives. The more you understandwhy it is that you are doing something, the clearer your goal is, the more powerful yourmotivation will be and the more directed will your efforts be in reaching that goal.

BALANCE:OUTSIDE / INSIDE

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One of the most important reasonsinside and outside world. Most of us

balance between therespect.

for meditationare rather out

to restore thebalance in this

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WHAT IS MEDITATION?* lnnef dialogueI lnner healing

* Recharging the battery of the soulthrough connection with

the Highest Source of spitituat energy

INNER DIALOGUEMeditation is an inner dialogue, a conversation with yourself. In our lives we spend quite alot of time talking to others. When we are looking for answers to a question, we tend toask others: "What would you do if vou were me?"

But, of course, the other person is not you and in the end you will have to decide foryourself. The more you get to know yourself, the more you find out about what it is youreally want. That's why an inner dialogue is so important. lt 's a conversation, a rela-tionship, with the one whom you really are.

During these inner conversations you get to know yourself: your deep desires, youlstrengths, talents and qualities. But also your weaknesses become visible, lt,s imoortant tolearn to look at all these aspects of your personality. A lot has happened to the soul duringthe course of time. There are lots of inner patterns, ideas and misunderstandings that,consciously or unconsciously, play a role in our lives. ldeas about our role, status, religion,colour, creed and culture have dictated our lives to a great extent. These concepts havemade us'body-conscious', developing in us inferiority or superiority complexes, intoleran-ce, fear, insensitivity, disappointment and loneliness, All these types of experiences haveled us away from who we really are: the original, complete individual, that is. the eternalsout .

You can read books, argue with others or follow one course after the other, but in the endyou will only find your real self in the silence of meditation. For no-one can tell you exactlywho you are. You can only experience this for yourself. That,s why it,s so imDortant totake time for this.

INNER HEALINGHaving a silent conversation with yourself is very healing, In fact the word ,meditation,comes from the Latin 'mederi' which means'to heal'. Meditation literally makes vou'whole' again. When we don't know ourselves, we feel lost: Who am l? Where am Igo ing? What should lbe do ing? Who can I t rust? What is t rue and what is fa lse? your'hear t 'may te l l you one th ing but your 'head ' te l ls you someth ing e lse. Whatever I thoughtwas right yesterday, no longer feels right today.

No-one can solve these questions for you except you yourself. your own experience ismore powerful than anything else. That's why Raja Yoga pays so much attention to theexperience of meditation. That's where the answers lie. When you begin to experienceyourself as a spiritual personality, others may try to undermine you, but no-one candestroy this inner reality.

RECHARGING THE BATTERYBut meditation is especially about recharging yourself with inner strength. This can beachieved by connecting with the Highest Source of spiritual energy. Spiritual power is veryessential, Lack of spiritual energy is the reason for just about every problem we have in

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The very first step jn meditation is to become soul conscious. This has been introducedalready in the introduction course. The question is however, have you really experiencedyourself to be a soul and have you been able to sustain this experience? Visualisationhelps to create and sustain this consciousness. Visualisation means creating an image ofsomething in your mind.

+ Let's experiment with visualising ourselves as the point of spiritual l ight in the centre ofthe forehead. (silence and commentaryl

I turn my attention within.., I disconnect from the things around me.., from sounds. thethings I see, people around me... I focus all my attention on myself... I see myself as apoint of spiritual light in the centre of the forehead... I visualise this point as a star.,, asparkling star,.. clear and pure... very powerful.-. l, the soul, am etenal and imperisha-ble,.. I am the spark of living energy giving life to the body,.. I sparkle like a star in thecentre of the forehead,.. all my attention is focused on this one point... on the one whom Ireally am... I am light... a point of living light...

Visualising ourselves to be a point of l ight is very important because for so long we havethought of ourselves in terms of bodies. Through visualisation you create a new and pureimage of your true identity. The more you remind yourself that you are a soul, the morethe original memories, experiences and feelings will emerge. lt is like an inward journey, ajourney of recognition through which you return to your own essence.

What exactlv is a soul?

The soul is a point of spiritual l ight and consists of three subtle organs. In the same waythat the body has organs (eyes, nose, ears, mouth, etc) so too the soul has subtle organs.These organs are non-physical and have different functions.

First of all there is the mind. In the mind all our thoughts, feelings, emotions and experien-ces become manifest.

* So look inside for a minute. What do you see? lminute of silence)

MINDThings you are becoming aware of are inside the mind. The mind is like a screen on whichall sorts of thoughts, images, feelings, experiences, etc. are constantly being projected.The mind's function is to think. lt even goes on at night {dreams). When the mind worksautomatically, without a particular direction or aim, you could say that it is on'auto-pilot'.The mind is then working according to the pattern of accumulated habits. In which casewe are not using the intellect.

INTELLECTThe intellect is the organ within the soul that can distinguish between the differentthoughts in the mind. The intellect judges the thoughts and decides along which line themind should think. So, the intellect allows us to determine the types of thoughts and

WHAT IS A SOUL?* Mind

* lntellect* Sarska/s

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* Now, let's practice the four questions,

I sit relaxed... in silence... and disconnect myself from the things around me... the nextten minutes or so are for me alone... to know myself,., to be with myself,,. I don't have tothink about otherc... I don't need to worry about the things I still have to do... I askmyself:Who am l?,., who am lreally?..- automatically my mind focusses towards the one lreallyam... the soul,., the incorporeal light in the centre of my forehead.-. the soul who is eter-nal... the spiritual self... the soul who is imperishable.,. the eternal point of light.lnside I, the soul, lie all my experiences.,, my whole identity... what I am is inside this tinypoint of living light... this is who I really am,.. immortal... eternal... I let these thoughtspenetrate my mind.., lam immortal.., living light,.. incorporcal... lam not matter... I amnot this body-.- and I ask myself:What is my form?... I am a point,.. very small, but so powerful... a point of spiritual ught...I shine like a staL.- like a pure, clear star of light... I visualise myselt as this stat.., and Ircalise that l, the soul, control my body frcm within this point in the centre of myforehead,,. I am a point, radiating light... and I ask myself:What are the original qualities of l, the soul?.,. my original guality is of pure divine peace...peace is my original nature-.- the closer I get to myself, the deeper I go into my originalpeace... peace, my o ginal strength..- I am no longer distracted by a the things aroundme..- peace and silence,.. peace is such a great power.., the power of my true self... thepower to be stable under all conditions... I allow this feeling of pure peace... the peace ofmy original nature to flow through me... peace belongs to me... peace is me... and when Iam close to my real self, I notice how strong I am... I have strength,.. the power to bemyself whenever I want.., beyond influences... I am completely inside... very quiet.,. vetypeaceful... at one with myself,.. peace and silence.ln sitence I experience a leeling of love.-. love for who I really am... understanding ofmyself..- acceptance of myself... respect for my original eternal being... when I see myselfin this way, love emerges,., and confidence.., and I ask myself:Where do I come from?... I realise that my original home is far, very tar away lrom thisworld of sound and matter... it is the world of eternal peace... the world of light.,. ofsilence.-. the wo d beyond of stillness and peace... this is my silent, eternal home... this iswhere I come from... the world of silent peace and light... peace and light.Om Shanti.

OM SHANTI

Om Shant i : Two words you a l l know by now, We say 'om Shant i ' to one another toremind ourselves and others of our original nature of peace. lt is important to realise thatOm means ' l am'and Shant i means 'peace ' . Each t ime you say 'Om Shant i ' i t ' s impor tantto understand and feel it, otherwise it becomes a hollow phrase,

It is also important to learn to meditate with eyes open. You will find in the long run that itwill be much easier to keep up a meditative consciousness during your daily activities.Whilst meditating you can focus your eyes on the poster of the Supreme Soul who, likeus, is also a star of light.Om Shanti.

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The second thing to realize is that we are influenced bV whatever we focus on. Themental l ink with a person, an object or a situation brings up certain feelings. We all knowhow this works: when we think about something negative, negative thoughts will emergein the mind. These thoughts lead to feelings. And feelings give us an experience. ln thesame way we can also connect with something positive through which the mind willcreate positive feelings. The choice is ours.

CONCENTRATIONThe longer you manage to stay in a certain consciousness, the deeper the experience ofthose thoughts will be. Focussing on a certain subject is done by the intellect. When themind and the intellect are stable in one consciousness, this is called concentration. lt isonly when we are concentrated that we can have an experience.

So meditation is: mind and intellect are stable in a spiritual consciousness. We learn tofocus our attention on the pure essence of our being, the peaceful soul, and we experjen-ce this. The reason why we find it difficult at times to concentrate is because the intellecthas become weak. There are many things that influence our intellect in a negative way.The obvlous things are: liquor, drugs and cigarettes. But also watching television for longperiods of time; overwhelming emotions, such as: anger. fear, worries, sorrow or desires.They also cloud the intellect.

If you are not attentive during the day and do not fi lter the impressions that come to you.your intellect becomes polluted. When you want to meditate at the end of such a day, youwill have to struggle for a while to get rid of all the unwanted impressions.

* Yoga = Connection* Connection = lnftuence* lnfluence = Expeience

The word yoga literally means connection or union. As we saw, you are influenced bywhatever you connect yourseli with, So, whenever you feel a certajn emotion coming up,you can ask yourself: "Hey, what's happening? What did I connect my thoughts with thatmakes me feel the way I feel? | did that myself. I chose to connect myself with somethingor someone."

A Raja Yogi consciously choses with whom or with what to connect the mind. A RaiaYogi controls the mind. 'Raja'means king, the master of the self.

We are constantly connecting our mind to someone or something. ln a sense we are allconstant 'yogis'. So, being a yogi isn't difficult at all. The question is however: what kindof yogi are you? Or, in other words: what do you connect yourself with? A Raja Yogilearns to connect his intellect with his original personalty of peace. love, purity and powerand with the Supreme Being.

* Let's experiment with yoga.

Sit relaxed and imagine you are in your own home.-. now you go to the kitchen... Iookaround you.-- it's all familiar.,, you see the cupboards, the sink, the stove. the fidge...now walk to the tap-.- open the tap... put your right hand under the tap... feel the waterflowing over your hand... now turn off the tap and dry your hand-

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Silence is an inner power, lt means being able to connect with the essence of our being,with that original point of peace, of harmony, of wholeness. Silence is a quiet place behindall thoughts, feelings and emotions. From this place of quiet I can, l ike an observer. look atthe world from a distance.

Silence is something you can build up inside of yourself, you can create space for silence,ln th is space you can bu i ld up a s tock o f s i lence, a reservo i r wh ich can a lways be used a tthe time of need. Raj Yogis have a 'meditation room' inside their mind, a place of silencethey can always go to.

* Let's see if we can be completely silent for just one minute. (minute of silence)

Was it possible? No thoughts at all? Making the mind completely silent is not the mainpractice of Raja Yoga, Raja Yoga is the art of stabilising the mind in one consciousness,for instance peace. When you think deeply about peace. you'll find your mind willgradually become more and more quiet, until only a few essential thoughts remain. lt thenfeels as though you can 'float' on those thoughts, Silence comes automatically when youlearn to focus your attention on one idea. So, learning to give your thoughts the rightdirection takes you into silence.

THE EXPERIENCE OF ESSENCEGoing back to the essence gives power. Think about the essential oils of flowers, Theseoils are very concentrated. Just a drop is enough to spread a lot of fragrance. In the sameway, our concentrated thoughts are also very powerful, lf, on the contrary, we 90 intowasteful expansion, we lose power.

* Fuel* Chuning

* Visualisation

FUELFor the iourney upward we need fuel, first of all to get off the ground and secondly to beable to remain in our place of destination, at least. for a while.

* What do you think this 'fuel' is? Let's think about this. (Short silence. Students givetheir answers)

Powerful, positive thoughts are our'fuel'. Positive thoughts 'l ift us up'. negative thoughtsmake us heavy. So, our thoughts are our fuel. As long as you have uplifting, powerfulthoughts, you will be able to stay in a spiritual consciousness. When your positive stockruns out, then you fall back into ordinary thinking. The art of the spiritual upward journeyis to have a large stock of powerful, positive thoughts and to keep on increasing thisstock.

CHURNINGFor this you need spiritual knowledge. Spiritual knowledge is the basic material that theintellect works on to produce pure, refined thoughts. These thoughts are the fuel for theupward journey. This is what meditation is all about. That's why Raja Yoga meditation isnot to make the mind empty, bringing it to a point of blankness. In fact. it is focussing themind on an spiritual quality, churning that quality or idea, refining it until you come to itsessence. And that essence gives you the power to lift up.

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LESSON 3* Let's start with meditation on the basis of the 4 questions.

I turn my thoughts inward... I pay no attention to the things around me,,. I direct all mythoughts towards the one whom I really am... I ask mvself:Who am l?... I am a soul.-. an etemal, immortal soul.., l, the soul, will always live.,. I amthe living being... the spark of living energy in the centre of the forehead... I realize thatthis is the one whom I really am,,. tor so long I have thought that I was the body, myform, my role.,. but now I know that I am an eternal soul and that my form is a point oflight.l, the soul, shine like a star... like a bright star in the centre of the forehead... t visualizemyself... I see myself as this shining star of living light.., a my attention is focused onthis point ot light... I ask myself:What are my original gualities?.,. what is my most original naturc?... I used to be comple-tely peaceful... free lrom expectations and desires.,, free from tension and disappoint-ments... completely myself... completely relaxed... in harmony with myself and mysurroundings,.. and when I look inside I try to locate these feelings.,. lallow these teelingsto grow and to flow thtough me... my original sanskarc... my original personatity of deeppeace.,. I enjoy these feelings,.. I am experiencing peace... within myself... the quiet andthe peace of my own being.This inner peace is my grcatest power, my greatest treasurc... it is like a shietd of spirituatlight around me.-. this pure peace makes it easy to be myself.., independent and free...and whilst hearing and seeing the things around me, I am not influenced by any of them..,I am at one with myseff, my original nature ot soul-consciousness.. . and I ask myself:Wherc do I come from?... I let my thoughts ttavel upward, like a concentrated beam oflight... I travel to my original home of peace... a world above the stars... a dimension ofsphitual light-.. a world in which I can be who I reatty am,., I connect to my own origin-.,the essence ol peace and purity..- herc I am completely stable... nothing can influenceme... I am peace.,. peace... peaceSlowly lreturn to the consciousness ol my physical body... the material world... but Ircmain intrcspective.,. I remember my original nature of peace.Om Shanti.

ln this third lesson we will experience the relationship with the Supreme. Through thepractice of Raja Yoga meditation we are able to establish a mental l ink with the Source ofLife. Through this mental l ink we are reminded of our own orjginal powers and qualities.Oualities that are already in everyone of us, but need to be reinforced.

So, let's quickly revise the steps that we've covered so far:

SteP 1:THE JOURNEY INWARD

* CREATING A SPIRITUAL SELF IMAGEx souL co sctousvEss- Positive thoughts

- Cleat mind- Ffee from inner conflicts

- lntrospection

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Step 2:THE JOURNEY UPWARD' The spiritual dimension

* Expe ence of youf own essence

In lesson 2 we discussed the journey upward in detail and have understoodof traveling to the spiritual dimension. lt is in the silence of the soul worldable to experience it 's own essence of peace, love and purity.

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Step 3:CONNECTION WTH THE SUPREME SOUL

* Point - Point connection

Step 3 is the connection with the Supreme Soul, a connection from point to point. Thisconnection is so important and unique because the Supreme Soul is the only personalitywho is ever pure and eternally positive. God is an eternal Point of l ight. Human souls arealso eternal points of light. But the difference is that human souls have a bodv of matter.whereas the Supreme Soul never has one. He is always a point of pure energy living in theeternal home, the soul world.The connection between the human soul and the Supreme Soul is a connection betweentwo pure essenceful beings. This is why it is the most powerful connection a human soulcan exDeflence.

* Why do you think it is important to connect with the Supreme? (minute of silence)

WHY A CONNECTION WTH THE SUPREME SOUL?* Power: Recharging the baftety of the soul

* Expeience of being etenal and impeishable* Purification

First of all it 's important to understand that the Supreme is the most pure source ofspiritual energy. When we connect ourselves mentally with someone, by thinking of thatperson, we are influenced by their energy. Connecting with the Supreme means beinginfluenced by pure, powerful, loving energy. lt is said that a person is coloured by thecompany he keeps. As there is no better company possible. isn,t it a good choice toconnect our mind and intellect with the Suoreme?

RECHARGING THE BATTERYEverything we do in our everyday life takes energy. Usually we lose more than we gain.This is why the soul gets tired, it is not recharged regularty or property. The soul is like thebattery of a car. lf you wait too long to recharge the battery. you may not move at all, So,to fecharge your battery daily, you need to learn to connect yourself with the Supreme,the constantly powerful One. When this connection is established, the energy will auto-matically start flowing from the Supreme Soul to the human soul.

EXPERIENCE OF BEING ETERNAL AND I IVIPERISHABLEAnother important reason to connect with the Supreme, is to experience your own originalnature of beinq eternal and imperishable. Eternity is the feeling of being beyond theconsciousness of time and matter, that is, being beyond limitations. Especially the limitedthought of having just one life, of being a mortal being, is a source of great fear for many.

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slH ouleualJadxa ig 'uaql saualJadxe uec a^^ letll sallllenb slH puelsJapun a/\^ uaqM

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sarlllenb slH puelsiapun ot s! 'pog puelsrapun o|utlol aql ulq]lM sallllenb 3q] ol

lnq 'ultoj aql ot alelal Atdulls lou op aM 'le^aMoH 'lq6ll +o ]ulod e sl pog leLll /r^oul eM'llssal]las',\ltuelsuoc

'ilsnoJauab ss^rb aH qctqM saltlleno sanlaslno ulqUM daap s€l]llenb asoql oulqJosqe'urlH rlllM laauuoe uaql pue s! Alnll aH se urlH puPlslapun ol peau eM lslll aMoH

'aurll ue ]e Paau Jno llddns uec

oqM auo lluo aql'aelnos luElsuoc aql s! aH 'oS 'lnos leuJala alnd e 'sl eH oLlM slaojol

ra^au aH osnecoq 'sallllenb asaql sasol Ja^au aH 6ulaq AJaA srH ale ssoulddPq pue a^ol,acead lrllnrl sarlrlenb asaql lo ocJnos leuJala aql s! oqM auo aql spJeMol oO ol poau

aM 'q6noua lou s! dals lsjll slql lnE pleMu! bullool sl dels lsllj aq] leql puelsJepun aM

Zqereas aM op aJeqM ZoO aM op aJaqM'uJaqlpull ol Japro ur lng alll ueulnq lo sleluaulepunJ aql qllM sa^laslno lllr€l pue laqulauial

ot paau aM ssaulddeq Jo alll e salPalc pue siolua oqM auo s! 6ulaq ueurnq onll V sbulaq

ueutnq pallee aq llnll oM ueo uaql Aluo asnecaq 'u!e6e uJoll] purl ol paau aM 'pellsllesslp

'asodrnd tnoqlrM 'ltd|'ua laal o] ul6aq aM'siaMod ssaq]'sallllenb aseql looloj a^^ uoLlM

Zall]tl fuaA qlJoM sl ll leLll io oulqllue qlJoM lou sl ssaulddeq io qlnll io anol

lelll Aes plnoM oqM auolue alalll sl altqMq]loM a]!l oleuJ Aeql 'sl leql altl 'all aleur

leq] sbulql aq] ale 'uiaql aueu 01 alll noi lo^aMoLl 'sanlen lo 'sJaMod lo 'satlllgnb asaql'ulopearl pue ssaurddeq 'anol 'acead 'qlnl] apnlcu! elll lo soulql lueclllu6rs pue alqenle^

tsour aqf acualslxe Jol acueslllu6!s pue enlen seq leql lle lo aclnos auardnS aql sr pog

ss"ulddeH pue Atlnd 'ta^ od'aLol 'aJead 'qrul lo aunos aql

Tnos ;|w:tadns lHt

'paAotuar osle

aJe lnos aql aleululop 'Alsnolcsuocqns lo llsno!gsuoc 'leLll suolldaouocs!Lu uolleclllind slql

ul pa^losslp 'AeMe luJnq oulaq ale Inos aql 10 sal]llndLul aql leql ]cel eql ol slalel s!Ll1',"""u.,n1, 6ulueeul ',lueqq, e pallec saulllaulos sl uollellpau daop V oOlaula slelsues

arno leurbuo aql pue allosslp lllenpel6 suolloula pue sbullaal a^lle6ou paulelbul tnosaql sasueal3 auaidns aql qllM oullcauuoC paMaual Alalolduoo ale noA ]r se laa] ua^a

nol sauJllauos 'sraplnoqs lno^ llo uallel seq tqolaM l^eaq e ]l se 'ssaulqDrl Jo acuauadxa

aq] s! ereql uolle]rpaur de?p e iaUV Inos aql sellund aLualdnS eql qllM uollcauuoc aq1NOIIVS-I.]TIM.I

laJualls !o alnuluJ)'slq] lnoqe )iultll ol alnuluJ e 3)iel s,lal e^ll sieMle llrM noA pue pe^ll sleMle

a^eq nol alp Janau llrM 'lnos aql 'no^ ildaap u! )iuls lulod srtll lal ol lueuodtul s,ll *

'eloi e 'ipoq e 'euJeu e lsnl ueql aiou 6urLllaLuos eq 01 Jlasrno^ 6ulcualladxe

Iq sabueqc alll spreMol apn]lue JnoA'lnos aql o] luaurlueluoc pue eceod sanl6 agualJ-adxa slql 'patlsllqPlsa 6u!aq ule6e acuo s! aJIl Jo acinos aql LlllM dlqsuollelal leulelarno^ 'ralleur pue aurlt anoqe eq ol llesjnoi laaj no^'suaJdns eql ol lcauuoc no^ uoq^

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TRUTHSo, let's think deeply about God's qualities. He is the Source of Truth. But, what is truth?Truth is that state of being which never gives or takes sorrow in any way. Another wordfor truth is purity. The Pure cannot be violent, nor give pain. or suffering. The pure isalways benevolent. AII suffering is the consequence of personal choices over time. Truth isknowledge and knowledge creates a new consciousness, a new life. A life of wholenessand happiness. Truth is the mother of freedom and happiness, because it brings honestyand trust to relationshios.

LOVEGod is the Source of Love. What is love? Love is the power to give and forgive. Love isthe power that makes us free. independant. Love doesn't measure, possess or say ,mine..Love has many faces: respect, tolerance, patience, mercy. Above all, love accepts,nurtures and heals. In a word: love is friendship. Love is not just a good feeling for oneperson. Pure, divine love, by its very nature, is universal and democratic. God, the Being ofLove, accepts all, but all do not accept Him. God's love heals, because it accepts me as Iam. Pure love enables me to believe in myself, Faith in myself brings courage; the courageto face, change and to be myself. God loves us in this way.

PEAC EGod is also the Source of Peace. What is peace? Peace is freedom; free from the desiresthat create conflict in the self and with others. Selfishness, expressed through a variety ofdesires, creates separation and disharmony. God's being is harmony, because He iscomplete; beyond needs, and therefore naturally beyond any desirePeace is contentment. To be at one with your own self, that is. to know your eternal selfand to experience its value and uniqueness. A peaceful being is stable, because nonegative influence has the power to disturb him. A positive self-awareness naturally bringspeace and stability to the soul.

{lf there is not enough time to go into the depth of all of these qualities. iust pick one. Aslong as students understand how this process of churning deeply on a certain qualityworks),

To think about the qualities of the Supreme Soul in this way, makes you become aware ofHis personality. This understanding and this experience will bring you closer to Him. Andthe more you experience God and His qualities, the more you will come to realize yourown divine nature. This is what self-realisation is all about. We recognize ourselves, byrecognizing the Supreme Soul.

We now know that the Supreme Soul is the Source of all powers and qualities. But apartfrom that, He also has, like human souls, a personality, though He is not a person,

RAJA YOGA:Relationship of the human soul

with the Suprcme Sout

Raja Yoga is the yoga of relationships. Relationship is the most fulfi l l ing experience ofhuman existance, which is why everyone looks for the ideal relationship. Of course, oftenit is not found, whether it is with other people or with God. The reason, usually is, that wedon't know enough about the other or have wrong information. Both of these aspectsdetermine or colour the relationshio.

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'Jaqlel pue laqlon 'puelu enl] lno s! po9 lPnpl^lpur aleldulos e olu!ernleur ol pl!q3 aql Jol a^|6 Aaq]'a^eq ^aql Ja^aleqM lnq'�alol .llaql esnsrul lo aleuluroplou op Aalll uaJpl .lc llaql 01 spualll ele lsqlour pue laqlel leal v 'puelJl anil ino sl po9

'saoueJPodde leuralxa Jo allds ul alnd pue poo6 ilaleuul sr q3lLlM teq] saasuolsln s,puaul an4 e asnesaq'uMoul ro uaas 6ulaq sassauleaM Jo plelte lou pue uodo aquec auo lsnJl qllM 'aie no^ se paldasce rnq 'po6pnl aq lou llrnoi Mou) no^ asnecaq 'lsnjl

sueaur dlqspualrj Jaqlo q3e3 puelsrapun spualll sloddtqsJoM tou /spuallJ slueM po9'rltJoM-llas Jo asues e asualiadxa or ll 6ullqeuo'plrqc aql suaql6uoJls'plltlc

aLlr ̂q llal sl l! uaqM '�tuaied euJaldns aql lo 0^ol luelsuoo ?qI pllt.ls e lo spaau aql slllilnJraLlloue Jo leM euo u! pue suoddns osle luoJed aql spuodsal lualed eql 'aq ieuJ Inos otl]ianaraqM'e^ol lo 6urlae, au!nua6 e seq Inos e uaLlM'slnos lle ]o lualed leurala aql s! po9

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pue ssaulddeq Jo leo6 aq] spieMot lnos aql aptn6 pue lslsse ol eiaql sAeMlP sl pog lll-!ds Jno lo qlMoJO aql surelsns 'oJec pue ecualled qllM'oqM laqtolA 6ulldaccs'asl^^ otll slpog alll Mau e saleaJc'a^ol jo slsPq oql uo 'oqM laqlel 6ulpuelsJopun 'allua6 aql sl po9

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llels aM '6ulpaau lo pealsul ouueqs lrels aM '6ulluPM lo pealsul 6ul^l6 llels aM '6ullel

lo pealsul sraqlo qlrM sdtqsuollelaJ a^ordull lleslleulolne IllM ,tlasll ul slql pa^ouJo.lare suollel9adxa pue suollcalord 'sersuapuadap Jno ieM slql ul Mou la6 uec aM ']46

l,uplp pue sdrqsuollelal Jno ur jol paouol ra^a aneq aM 6urtlllla^f po9 qlrM alqlssod Mouaje sbureq ueurnq qlrM sdtqsuoltelal ul passtLt| a^eq lqoluJ aM socualladxa pue s6ullaal

'drqsuoDelar slrll ul uleurer ol agtoqc uMo s,l! Jo saqslM Inos eql leLll'leel os'alnd os slsa^!6 poO leql anol anll oqt Jo acuauadxa aqt peqslulLrllp lo plelJe looJ lou saop spuodsalor.lM ?uo aql os 'llleuotupuosun sa^!6 6ulaq alaldLr.roc v Jlaslaq lo rlesturtl o] ppeol rapro ur ourqtiue ale] ol spaau ranau 6utaq aleldtuos e pue 6ulag alalduJo3 e sl poo

'ssauantssassod lo uollelloldxa'Mollos ^q palnllod aq la^au uecsdrqsuoltelar eqt 'po9 l]ttM 'leql 6ureq s3uarajllp aqI souroq ueLrJnLl LltlM a^eq aM sdlqs

-uollelal €q] ur palcsllsr are laql se Jel os u! 'leulou pue lelnleu iJeA ele po9 qllM a^equeo aM sdtqsuollelal aqf uaql anol ol sl ll lalsea aql 'ouoaulos Moul ol 146 aM iloLLleqt sburaq ueurnq Lllr^^ sdlqsuorlPlar rno ul salldde oslP slLlt dltlsuollelal e ul]oJ louuecaM aopalMoul lo qtdap au.ros lnoqllM ullH Mou) ol peau eM 'po9 ol alelar ol elqe aq ot

']lasurlH po9 qlrM uorun lenlutds stql asuauooxo ol ueql Inos ueu.lnq aql JoJalqlssod sl drqsuorlelaj lalearO ou asneJeq 'uolun lsaq6lLl aql sueaui e60A PJeU auJaldnSaql qllM pallun lles eql Jo acuauadxe llnj aql sl uorlelrpaLU e60/\ eleu ur la^al lsaq6rq aq1

'cla'qlnoLu'sala 'spueq se qcns sueoro lecls^qd Aue qOnoJql lou 'lcailp st sacualjadxo pue s6u!laa,

Jo buueqs aLl-L soullaeJ pue slqonoql qbnolLll 'auo ellqns ilarnd e sr InoS aulaldnsaql pue lnos ugtlnLl aLl) uaaMlaq drqsuollelal aqf aleqs sa!l!leuoslao oMl leql sasuallaoxapue s6urlasJ lnoqe s! dlLlsuoIelar v uollcauu09 e ueq] leuosled aJoLu sl dltlsuollelaj

v lnos aua]dns aql pue Inos ueulnq 3ql uaaMlaq dlqsuollelal oql sr eoo^ eleu 'os

'sn ol salelar 6ura8 6u!^ol pue arnd llelol slqr qclqM ur eM aq] lou ilulelrac sltroroar pue lllnO 'reej 6ulleaJc 'luauqslund Moq puelsiapun lllM oM asJnoc sltll ul uo lalel'l! olualJadxa auole lal 'urlH qllM dlqsuollelal e lJels ot alqlssodLul lnoqe lsnl s,ll eslM-raqlo '6ulag slrll lnoqe a^eq aM seapl 6uolM aql puelsJapun ol paau aM'dlqsuollelal slqlacuauadxo ol Japro ul eurll slql le ^llgt9adsa 'oouallodxa uec 0ulaq ueulnq e dlqsuollelala^lllsod lsour aq] sr lr tllear ul asnecaq 6ula8 aualdns oql q]!M lcauuoc ol luellodurl sl ll

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In Raja Yoga a yogi feers so crose to God that he/she does not onry use the word Father,but especially uses the word ,Baba,. Usually ,Baba, is what a small child lovingly andtrustingly calls his/her father, so, for a yogi reaching for self- rea lisation, Goo is Baba. thegentle and knowledgeful One who sustains, who guides, who teaches and who ljberates,Once names were given to reflect a special power or quality that a person had. God isg iven the name 'Shiva, . ,Shiva, means the po int , the Seed, the Benefactor . ,Shiva,describes God's form (the eternal point), power {the eternal Seed wno has total knowledoeand the power to transform and renew life) and main virtue {the One who is eternaiybenevolent to alll.

* Let's end this lesson with a meditation in which we meet Baba as our eternar Mother,Father and Friend.

I step into silence..- gently concentrating the mind... t focus my thoughts on the centre ofmy torehead... I focus on my true self... om shanti,.. om.., I am a soil,.. a point of light...a poin.t of living energy,.. I am peace... pure, deep peace... l, the sout, focus my tholghtsand like a beam of light my thoughts journey upward to my home... the worrd of rib;rati-on... the world of comprete purity and sirence... and in this worrd I meet the eternarResident of my home.., my beloved parcnt.The suprcme is my eternar parent..- the one who cares.,. who gives me true tife... and inthis sweet silence... in this meetjng wjth my eternal parent, l-begin to experjence whatpure love rcally is..- God, my beloved Mother, who, with great wisdom, patientty guidesme... sustains me,,. my eternal Mother who accepts me as lam, cleans me and maies meworthy..- my eternal Mother shows me my worth and my value in me creation.God, my gentle Father, who, with love, gives me life.-. a new life.... a new conscious_ness... and directs me to my goal of self-realisation.., my goal of remembe ng myself as Itruly am-God, my beloved Father and Mother give me their friendship... Iove, true love, is expressedin triendship... and in this friendship l am not afraid to show my weakness, because Iunderstand that this weakness will be removed with patience, tolerance and sweetness..,God, my Friend, the One I can rely on.., the One whom I trust so deeply that I can openmyself completely... and in this divine friendship I am abre to find myself... believe inmyself and especially change myself... divine triendship does not judge or criticize, butteveals to me how to change and the benefit there is in becoming better... to become abetter person gives benefit, not only to myself, but also to those arounct me... the love ofthe Mother, the Father, the Friend, purities me.And in this deep link of the heaft to One I feet the rays of purity.., of truth... cleansjng andfrceing the self from the past, from shame... from guih and fiom all fears... spiritual lovegives me faith and hope... the faith to believe in myself... to betieve in myself and toaccept myself is the gift of any true retationship.NoW understanding and experiencing the reality of my Father's relationship with me... Ido not feel alone.., I do not feel unwanted... I have a Companion... a Support.,. I have aMother and a Friend... who are helping me to know and to express my eternal individualitywithin this play of tife... my Mother teaches me with deep wisdom... and my Father keepsguiding me with loving patience... ret me understand the purity of God,s reritionships ;ithme'.. and as r understand this r can never feer fear or 1oneriness... r remain in this sirentabsorbtion of love with One.-. I remain in the experience of my eternal Father. Mother,Friend, Teacher and Guide,Om Shanti.

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'luajalllp aa^ aq llrM llnsal aql lnq ,paqsrldurocce aq itqeqord II/v\lsel Jnol sasPo qloq ul '1! op ol plol aJe nol asnecoq ro slurelduoc rlIM uotlce auJes lJsAaql op ueo no^ Jo lr op o] tueM no^ asnecoq iol q]!M 6utqleutos op uec nol ,os .epnltl]eJeuur anrlrsod e qllM suollce ourrujoljad suest! suoDce lnol ot Alllenb butppv.aseaJculol ul6aq lltM llrlenb aql 'rnorneqaq lnol oul^otdrur Jo sleMe aioul autocaq noi uaqM

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'oJeqMAJoAopue araqMiue sseusnorcsuoc Inos lo alels e dae)i ot luleal sell t6o^ eullpl V .Jee'cpue a^llrsod aq s^eMle llrM 'acuelsutncltc lonaleqM ut op.to IU|LI] no^ la^aleqM ,leqlasuas aql ul qslultulp llrM a|l lepiJa^a ul ,lasrnoi ssardxe no^ leM aql pue uoopltpaulu! aq ol Jlosrno^ aeualJadxa no^ /l^oq uaeMlaq aouaJslJtp aql illenpelg .(uo[ce q6noJq])alqrsr^ {ssausnorcsuoc aql) alqtst^Ul oq} 6u!}eru s,ll .suotlce leplla^e jnol ut uotle}lpouj ulacuarJadxa no^ ssausnolJsuoc lenllllds aq] u!eluteul ol alqe 6utaq lnoqe st e6oi eLUJe) ,oS

'pacurnuoc aq lou IIM aldoad 'sploM olu! l! lnd ol o6euer! no^ llaM Moq lalleuJoN ssorce €u,roc l,uoM aoPssalu aql 'lno luinq pue leeM laaj ]leslnol noi lsltrlM ,ouoltspue Ala^rl eq ol aldoad llat no^ ll slunoc llleal leqM s! sploM aq] pulqaq ssousnorosuoc?qf 'araqdsourte eLll u! t! asuss AaqI 'srq] laal lllM aldoad ,a^!1e6au sl opnl[le ]auulrno ]r 'en|]rsod lre^ ale spJoM Jno l! ua^f 'laal sJaqlo leql bulqlaulos st ]r ,uotleJqtn slqleprq louuPc aM '6u!qlauros s?teiqrA auollo^f suoltcp pue sapnltlle lno uo looJla lea]be a^eq /ilsnorcsuooun pue llsnolgsuoc 'slq6noLll Jno leql aztlpal ol luelloduJl s,

.sbutlaelpue stqbnoql 6ur^Uapun Jno 'sr leql'ul ole eM ssausnorcsuoc aLlt leanai suotssaldxa Jnopue apn]rue jno 'sploM ueql lapnol leads ualjo suotlce lno ,san[oLu pue s6utlaoJ an.]l Jnoourprrl ur sJelseur aJe aM qOnoql ua^l 'suotlce srq lq uostad e abpnl uec noi leql pres st ll

',uorlce, suealu illelatll erlle) pJoM eql (auieldns aql qtlM pue ), pu )no(tlllM) uollcauuo9 sueau e6o^ UollSe ul tsllqM ssausnorcsuoc lenlutds e 6utneq sueeuJeool eture) lr op noi Motl lueuoduJ! arouJ pue 'op noi leqM luellodult ssal saulocaquaql ll op noi 6ulqllJa^a ot llllenb ppe uec noi ssausnotJsuoo pale^ala ue qllM'op noi 6urr.llira^s ul tuaJedde aulocaq lltM r! 'alll Jnol Jo lled e aLuocaq IIM ll .alrqM erol alelrpat! ol uaql pue /v\ou l/one uMop 6uDlrs ueql olouJ qsnuJ st uotleltpaLu e6o^ eleg

uo!|ce AepLtata aulrnp ssausnopsuoc pnlltlds *(e6oL euuefl

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'suollje leplJa^a rno 6uunp uolletlpaur lo lcalqns oLll ssn3stp lltM a^^ uossal tsel slql ul

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Cooking is a good example, You can literally taste how a meal is prepared, whether it iswi th love or wi th compuls ion or in haste. l f the thought or mot ive behind the act ion isgood, the process of the action will also be good and consequently the result can only begood. So, it 's important to pay attention to the quality of your thoughts and motives.

SIGNIFICANCEMany of our daily actions are routine and almost mechanical. But, with the right consci-ousness you can add someth ing to everyth ing you do, Through th is fee l ings of boredom.uselessness and frustration begin to disappear. Thus giving more significance to the thingsyou do, making life more fulfi l l ing, You don't have to do very important or great things forthis, Anything from vacu um-c leaning, washing up, driving the car, to running an office,directing a company, etc. is a matter of your state of mind.

There is a simple law that states: You either influence the circumstances, or the circum-stances influence you. There is no in between, Either you determine the quality of aconversation, the atmosphere or a situation, or it is being determined for you. In the lattercase you may feel a victim of circumstances. lf you feel controlled by a certain situation,you only react negatively, instead of being able to contribute to it. you,ll feel there isnoth ing you can do. You then fee l angry or apathet ic , a f ra id or use less.

ESSENCEBeing essencefu l is someth ing which is impor tant in behaviour and in speech. l t has to dowith the art of leaving unnecessarry things out. For instance, check the way you speak.How many words do you use that are not really necessary, which do not make your oointany clearer? How many thoughts, phrases and gestures do you need to make somethingclear? How long does it take you to get to the point?

Another aspect of being essenceful is of seeing others in their essential form of beingsouls. A Raj Yogi learns to distinguish between the form and the contents. The form mightbe of anger or rude behaviour, but inside there is a soul, a being who might be frightenedor distressed. lt 's really an art to always see the essence. lt 's the art of l ivino!

Time-consciousAction-conscious

There are two main factors that prevent us from having that feeling of consciously addingsomething beautiful to everything we do in life. The first is the consciousness of time andthe second is getting too caught up in the action itself.

T IME.CONSCIOUSTime-consciousness means 'pressure'. These type of thoughts create haste. tension,stress and impatience through which the action loses quality. Often, white we are doingsomething, we are thinking of what we have to do next. Or maybe we are stil l thinking ofwhat we have just done. So, we are not living in the present. We are not ,here.. Thus welose the power and opportunities offered by the present.

'Check how many times your thoughts took you away from what you were doing, evenwhilst l istening to these very words. Adding quality to your actions in the form ofaccuracy, contentment and patience is only possible when you live In rne now.

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'au|lauros le ocuanbasuog e selldLut aolol]c lja^J .oulelq ol asla auo ou st ajaqf .ouetaluooqe alll lsnl 'nol ol )i3eq oujoc llrM ourr]llla^a ]eqt azlleal no^ .suoltoe rnol tol sanr]ourJealg'aJnd ol a^!0 lllM nol acueuodLlt aloul aql ,eujJe)

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laxualls lo atnu!u) inoA 6ullenlloru se^leqM aes noA ueJ 'lepol prp aM sOulql aql uo )iceq lool pue alnurur e rol )icalle s,lal {

'uoltce atno lo stseq aql st slqf.sJaqlo pue ]laslnol ol anll auooaq nol ,alnleu puocase sauJosoq oullcaqc altqns slql uaqM issauqsrllos lo ]no io a^ol lo lno lt sl zlueM noi opleqM zuoseal aqt s,leqM a6ulqlauos oulop noi ele lqM sanrtoL! Jnol lcallc ot luellodul ra

sr ll op a^^ soutql aql op aM qctqM qltM ssausnotcsuog aql ,apnllUe lauut lno olsialai ,apnlrue, pJoM aqf .aJolaq ptes aA,aM lle lo slueluoc oql dn Llns spJoM oMl asaql

uolleautolsue4 xunsaa *

(eutel lo ^ et aql)Nottcv:ta aNV Noucv

uolte^ltou xaPn|lltv x

sueauJ lsnl I ,op noi leqM ut panlo^ut ssal ale noi]o lqors oursool lnoqlrM sltelep uo IjoM ol alqrssod

.ecueleq etoul st eleqlueau_r l,useop s!Llt.aJntctd aloLt^

aql]! se)euJ raNasqo poqcelop aqt 6utog

lcalJo aqr ]eLr,* burapuoM raneu lnq suorruanur ,*"u ,o "ror'13 3ffi"",""1i:lH:ff:X}:Jlallt ur luellllrq aie oqM slsrluarcs asoqt lle lnoqe )iulqr lsnf.acuelequlr leer6 asnec ueesltll- ,illlear, uMo rno eos ol pual iluo aM .on[cadslad ja6]el aql aas louuupc aM ,MarA-Jano ou a^eq aM .rllalejncce suotlenlls a6pnl louuec eM ocuelstp q6noua l,usr ataql Jl

'ssauaADIadu]ocJo Isnoleel 'pa:leq altl sbutlaal antteOou lnoqlrM sJorlto te )ool ot uJpal nol .uloql

ur dn lqoneJ ool oulllao lnoqtlM soulloal pue stqonoql uMo Jnoi le )ool ot uJeal no 'aeuelslp e uJoJl sburql le )iool ol ule?l nol .,JaNasqo paqcelap, e 6utaq llec plnoc no,{q9rqM sseusnotcsuoc e dolo^ap uec noi uorleltpau q6nojqf .Jlaslt uolloe aql ut dn pelOuelssol la6 eM 'santloul pue slqonoql lno ol uorluelte a'lotu led ol uleal eM uaqAA ,suotlcelno Jo sairsap aql ur dn lq6nec aJe a^^ aculs pelualuoc pue lsea aq ot la6lo, aA .lnlaeeadpup trl6ll aq ol pasoddns aje aM tablol sn sa)ieu] llasl! uorlce eqt u! dn 1q6ne3 ool Ouluag

snoiSSNoTNol-r3v-

r \ lTrIr:l+r:rnrIr-li-l:r- l- 1. I_ t:r:t- r- t

A l imi ted consc iousness is an ' l - ' and 'mine-consc iousness ' : " l want th is , I want that , mycar, my wife, my idea." Through this way of thinking the benefit you bring to yourself isalways temporary. A day will come when your selfishness will come back at you.We tend to have short-term thinking, not seeing long-term consequences. We are nolonger the objective spectators of our own actions. The result of this short-term thinking isthat we deceive ourselves and others and endanger the planet.

TRANSFORMATIONTransformation is something that happens in the practical reality of every day life. Ourfield of practice is the outside world, This is the place where we are'tested'. lt is throughthese 'tests' that we are able to grow.

Real transformation means transformation of character. of sanskars. This transformationtakes place through desireless, pure actions. Every pure action adds quality to your perso-nality and forms a new habit which will make it easier for you to cut the old (negative)habits. After a while this new, positive habit becomes as automatic as the old one was.It's a matter of attention and practice.

To conclude this lesson, here are a few essential ingredients of karma yoga:

INGREDIENTS OF KARMA YOGA:* Soul consciousness

* Relationship with the Suprcme Soul* Prccticing specific stages

lacto r- co n s cio us ne s s )* Traffrc-control

* Eeginning and end of the dayI Chaft

SOUL CONSCIOUSNESSSoul consciousness is the foundation of meditation and meditation in action.

RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SUPREME SOULWhen you experience a relationship with the Supreme Soul whilst in action, it is as if youwork with a 'double motor'. You'll find you have more power. more energy, morepatience, more tolerance, more love, etc.

There is so much we have to do and think of anyway, apart from the transformationproces we hav€ will ingly put ourselves through. So, in order to get this extra power toconstantly 'check and change', we need a mental l ink with the Supreme Source of power.Baba is like a friend who is always around when you need Him. One thought is enough toestablish the mental l ink.

PRACTICING SPECIFIC STAGES / ACTOR.CONSCIOUSNESSAn actor-consciousness is the consciousness that you, the soul, are playing a role throughyour body (the costume you wear). Every soul plays his own part. Life is a game. Weoften tend to question or even interfere with the role of others: "Why is he doing this?""Why don't they do it this way?" But we cannot change others, only ourselves. When youleave behind the desire to change others and, instead, change yourself, you become light.You begin to appreciate and understand the role that every actor is playing in this worlddrama.

tft:l_l:l_l-I-t_nt-nnnnnrrI-rr-r

nz'alll lo aslnos sql 'sallllenb

6u!]3ouuoc pue suollsanb t aq] uo pesPq uollellpat! e LlllMlle Jo acjnos aql'eqeg qlrM

uossal slr.ll pua s,l3l 'MoN *

'uollualle 3lrrcads paau slulod lEtlM osle pue

oulleul uaaq "neq no^ ssaloold eql aas ol le/v\ Asea ue sl ]JeqJ V Aep aq] 6uunp InoS

"tuJrOnS "q, paJaqLuatlai noA (slnoq) salnulul ̂ueu Moq Jo snolcsuoc Inos aram noA a6el-

-"""rJo "qi rr""qa ol lueM lq6lu nol'cla'saoels uleuac'sallllPnb'slaarod;uo 6u!>llom

are noi teql slulod qUM alleuollsanb P 3l!l s! ljeq3 V dlaq leal6 lo eq uec ueq3 V

'Molloluol JoJ sleo6 Mau

tas pup llaM ool 06 l,uplp teql s6u!q1 aq] lo'�llaM lua^^ leql soulql aql ]noqe lulq] no^l,r"p rt"u aq] qs€JJe lrets Alleel or a1q" aq 01 se os 'puttir lnol lealc ol nol dlaq uec {llelp

e lo) ueqc e ouldaa) puP uollellpal^ lueliodul se ]snI s! eM poo6 e ur Aep aql oulpufnivFS

^llensn 6ulua^a aql u! pue 'tu e Og'9 llll OO 9 uaaMleq suollellpaLu ale olaql olluae-)g

ren" lv pa"u uMo rno^ uo "puJolp ;ar"r!pa* ol ]ueM nol 6uol r.,roH Aep eql qonolql

la6 ol Japro u! ,lsel)ealq, e spaau osle Inos aq] 'ipoq aql alll lsnl lsel)earq lenllllos

e se ll eas Aep rno^ lo lsar oql aurullalap 'qllM iep rnol lrels noi stq9io11 :YI .'lel

'ul.d Oe Z pue 00 2 uaaMleq

@Jualls lo anuu!) ',tr.ou ll ll s,lal r

ssausnorcsuoc-lolJe uv sssusnolcsuoc lo sSdll luaialllp e9llceld ol lueM osle lq6lLu no^

otll lo uoltepuno, aql s,ll uollellpeur 6ululoul ̂llea qllrun ̂ep aql uels ol lueuodul! s'll

@

'urojl ele noi aJoqM pue ale no^ pllLlc esoqM'aJe

sa[rlenb rno^ leqM 's! ullo] lno^ leqM 'ale no^ oqM laqtuaulel no^ lolluoc aljlell 6ullnc'purr! Jleq] u' srqonoqr ,o ,cllleil, aql lolluoc Jo leaqc ol 6ulop ale iaql la^aleqM 6ulop

sdots auolra^a sleld 6uos aql uaqM ul d O€ 1 pue Oe g le pue |u e 0e z l pue 0e O l,OO:Z re bulleld slrets illeclletuolne Ouos e plloM eql punore sorluae-)g lle rV ep oqr

l6'r"''rinu"" "qi 6urrnp slerualul ielnbal te aouassa aql ol ulnlal ol AeM e sl lorluoc cllleJf

loErNot5illvEl

'cla',a^ol ]o iep aq], sl iepsaupaM ,laMod Jo lep aql, s! lepsan-|acualls lo

lep eqr, sl Aepuot^ iep llano auo alel lnos eql Jo sollllenb asrtcerd osle uec noA lnos

"i" noi plnorn albtuana 6u;aas Arl ro o6 noi ialaiallM rolcelau?q " "! t--1:"- P.^1:?^"^:l

',uotst^ lllaqloJq, e lo ellsoddo oql s! ll slcllluoo u! sllnsal qelqM ' lunoasul lo leal

a^etl aM '6ulpuelstopun 10 peelsul 'sn ol lPaJql e auocaq salol ,slaqlo asnP9oq 'suialqolo

lueu sbuuq ssousnolcsuoc pa]!ul!l slql 314 'ugtuoM e uJ€ | 'ueul e uJe | 'uellslltl3

"tu"; '"1i^a"noq ntue 1 'untuac11od e ule | :alo'l allr qllM iilluapl-Jo^o eM ield alotlM

aqt lo lxetuoc aql u! ll aas louuec en^ ]eql'Ield aM aloJ aql qllM qcnul os l|luopl ol

pu"i"nn "to, e Dul^Pld ,iluo, ele aM leql laolol aM leq] sl slerlluoo ueL! lol uoseal eqr

'1q6!J e s! suaddetl JaAaleIlM "sJo]3e

Jar.lto lp tt]lM Jaqp];,r/ot ePJ JnoA Aeld no( "'sJe$ aql pue uoou aq]'uns aql Aq u s! aaels

",ii ':'nrtq ueutnr! no| lo aunlsor aqt "-aunlsor e uo nd not 'qrtea aqj Jo abe$ aq]

otuoaluoJnoAuaqM"'alaqluorlJelpUoaeluo4aJeno["'JopeuebuaqnotaulAeul

l-, I

's!q] lnoqe )urr.ll o] alnulul e alel s,]al *

r \ lr:Tr-[r-[r-nr-tnnnnr I, t_ t_ t:t_t- t_tI

-1-t

Sit relaxed... let the mind be still... concentrated.,. and let me step into silence... and as Ijourney into silence,.. I focus the energy of my mind, my thoughts, on the centre of myforehead.., I understand that I am a point of light... a point of immortal energy... Iunderctand lam a soul... a being of peace... pure, deep peace.And in this state of soul consciousness I concentrate my thoughts like a beam of light.,.my thoughts journey beyond this world of time and matter... in silence and in gentleconcentration, with this beam of concentrated thought, I journey upward and I come tomy home.,, the home of myself and originally the home of all souls.Here, in this wo d of silent peace, I see, I teel, I understand that this is the supreme placeof the Supreme Soul... the One who is eternally a Point of pure being... the One who isthe Source of a life... the One who is the Soutce of all qualities and values... the Onewho is called the Truth... the Light... the Benevolent.And as lcome closer and closer, I begin to understand and experience how this Being, thisPure and gentle Being, remains constantly positive... constantly the standard of true valuefor this universe and for my life... the Supreme is the Source of Truth.Truth, that state of being which knows no sorrow..- nor gives sorrow or pain of any kindto any other being... to have truth, to be truth, is to constantly experience a state offreedom.., and as I begin to understand this Source ot Truth... I begin to realize that I toomust become true... free... totallv frce of all desire.., and in this state of freedom Iunderstand that truth is purity.To be purc is to be rca|... the pure is never violent... never gives pain or suffering... thepure maintains the law of lite,,. the law of life is love,.. the Supreme Being is the Sourceof Love... unconditional love... in essence my original quality is also of love... but lhaveforgotten what it is... and now, as I come close to the eternal Source of Love. I begin toexperience what it really means.Love accepts me as I am... the Supreme Being loves me, because He accepts me andthrough this acceptance I am nurtured... I am healed... and with the experience ot thislove I can trust... with trust there can be gentle change for the better... love forgives...love gives... love respects..- the Supreme Being, the Source ol Love, allows me to bewhat I truly am.., His love does not interfere, but facilitates my growth.., and as I sit inthis silence... in this concentntion on this Being of Love, I absorb these rays of love deepinto myself.,, and as I absorb the love, I begin to believe in myself... I am given thecourage to cnange.Like the rcys of light coming trom the physical sun falling on the seeds in the eatth, therays of sunlight facilitate the growth ol the seed into a beautiful tlower... the light doesnot make the tlower, but tacilitates it's blooming... in the same way the Supreme Beingallows me to grow... in the same way the Suprcme Source of love sends me the rays ofthat love and facilitates the bloom of my individual and original self.And as I feel the rays of love and truth penetrate my being deeply and gently, I leelconfident that my aim of realisation and growth will be achieved... love gives me peace...the peace of being at one with myself-The Suprcme Being is the Source of Peace..- peace is total harmony... no division, noconflict within the self or with others... the Supreme Source is constantly peaceful by Hisvery nature.., peace comes from the contentment of knowing my eternal seff... theSupreme Being never forgets that He is a soul, a Point of eternal light... etenaly He is trueto Himselt..- I forget.But now, in this link of yoga... in this link of life, I remember who I am..- I remember myoriginal qualities and where I come from... and especially I remember the One who iseternally the Source of love, of truth, ol purity, of peace.,, the One who can gently guideme back to myselt,., in this silence.,, in this link I begin to remember... I begin to awaken.Om Shanti.