“The Path of Fire” - The double approach
Self-realization in practice
If we want to experience real happiness, freedom, peace and love we have
to eliminate totally the ego
which like a virus has occupy our psych with all its desires, passions,
negative emotions, likes, dislikes etc. and realize our self as pure
consciousness and identical with the universal consciousness (That we call as
God, spirit, Brahman etc.).
Fiery aspiration, sincerity, steady determination, faith,
self-confidence, will-power, adaptability, perseverance, patience, self-control, purity of
heart and mind, one-pointed mind, dispassion and discernment are important
qualifications to realize our true self.
In order to develop
these qualities we have to follow a spiritual oriented life based on Spiritual sadhana
and Sattvic living
I classify the main practices of spiritual life in three parts.
These three directions of spiritual practices aim to specific aspects of
spiritual development.
In our daily program there are certain practices that enable us to
become conscious of all egoic patterns in us and eliminate them from our psych. Other practices enable us to
discriminate between the real and the unreal in order to cognize what is our
true nature or our true identity.
There are also special purificatory practices and other that give us a
lot of energy.
All practices are related between each other and the development of the
one facilitates the development of all.
FIRST
|
SECOND
|
THIRD
|
|
Self-observation Japa-mantra Devotion Prayer Affirmation and positive suggestions Control of senses (Pratyahara) Control of mind DIVINE-SHAKTI-Shadana* Self-surrender |
|
Self-enquiry
One pointed discriminative enquiry
Reflection
Concentration
Meditation |
COMMENT. THE DIVINE-SHAKTI-Shadana*: The main aspects of
our work with the Divine Mother are: prayers,
recitation of mantras, recitation of stotras, recitation of Her divine names,
singing Shakti-kirtans, the fire ceremony (Yagna), the Suria yoga or Sun gazing, transformation
of sexual energy through special practices that include mantra and pranayama.
These three directions of practice have as a goal the elimination of the ego and the realization of our true Self (Consciousness):
More specifically through the practices we want to achieve:
These three directions of practice have as a goal the elimination of the ego and the realization of our true Self (Consciousness):
More specifically through the practices we want to achieve:
First: The purification and transformation of
our (vital-emotional)
energy field and the
subconscious mind. We need to increase the quality of sattva in
our system and remove rajas and tamas qualities. If we manage increase the sattva
guna (in the mind
and in our energy field) in a great degree then we have created the foundation upon which all other practices can easily flourish. To
increase the sattva
guna we have to maintain sattvic associations
at all levels of the existence and
participate in satsangs. Our
food and drink must be sattvic as well as all sensory impressions (sounds, colors, sights, smells), we must read sattvic books, listen to sattvic music and songs,
make relations with sattvic people and
spiritual teachers, keep contact with
nature that is sattvic etc.
In addition in order to eliminate the
egoic energies are
needed specific practices such as
breathing, prayer mantras, sacred chants, pratyahara, detachment, dispassion,
meditation, and also natural treatments
like taking Bach flowers, fasting, reiki etc.
Second: The cultivation of certain virtues as discernment, dispassion, self-confidence, will-power, perseverance, patience, etc., which are
necessary to remove the ego and overcome successfully
all obstacles on the spiritual path towards liberation.
Third: To discover
all egoic propensities
that are within us (desires, negative emotions, greed, attraction-aversion, etc.) and remove them completely.
Fourth: The Re-discovery of our true
nature. By hearing, reflecting, meditating and do self-enquiry. First by
hearing and reading about the nature of
our true Being and then reflecting
on what we have read and heard. And then through discernment,
meditation and self-inquiry realize our divine Self.
Fifth: To establish ourselves in our true nature through nirvikalpa samadhi, which we can achieve by incesant meditation and self-enquiry.
Apart of the fundamental practices mentioned above there are other methods and practices that support and facilitate the
development of the basic practices.
Here's an example. I mentioned
earlier the importance of eating sattvic foods. But from the spiritual point of view, it is not important
only the quality and quantity of the food we eat. Equally important is the way we eat because
it affects a lot mind. It's
totally different to eat fast, without
attention and emotionally disturbed
than to eat in silence and do some mantra or
prayer (this is a sattvic attitude).
When we eat with
a sattvic attitude, eating becomes a yoga
practice. (This way of eating the teacher Omraam Aïvanhov
calls Hrani yoga).
Thus not only we assimilate better
the nutrients but absorb more vital
energy and nourish our mind and heart with subtle energies.
Therapies such as reiki,
natural essences as Bach flowers or doing consciously
simple things like shower, purify
our energy field and increase the
sattva guna. And thus, all these things
help us in concentration,
meditation and self-inquiry.
By doing the spiritual practices
regularly and constantly will result in
the gradual increase of the
sattva guna at
all levels (physical, vital and mental
level). This will enable us have better physical, emotional and mental health,
harmony and balance between the physical body, the vital body, the emotional mind and intellect. In order
to eliminate the ego is very
important to have good health and
balance, since the ego will
resist and react with all possible means to continue
live in our psychology.
By doing regularly the practices mentioned above and all other practices which
are related to them, we will manage to make the mind our
friend and a very strong instrument
that will play the main role in
the elimination of the ego and the realization of our true nature.
The mind becomes our friend and a great tool in the spiritual path when it is pure, steady, tranquil, introverted, focused, detached, dispassionate, attentive, and discriminative.
When we are regular in our daily practice (sadhana) our
level of practice gradually
increases in quality and quantity and so we become able to develop
all the qualities of our heart and mind to such a degree that allows us to move decisively
towards self-realization and liberation.
~ Nityananda Atman
