Begin with the breathing.

Vigorous breathing followed by Rhythmic breathing.

Allow yourself to relax consciously.

This is the first step: to consciously relax when you sit for meditation, to remember to be involved in yourself, rather than in things outside.  You leave them outside.  They are no concern to you anymore.  No one is of any concern to you anymore.

When you sit for meditation, all relationships end in yourself. Your intimacy is to be involved within. There is no other concern. There is no other requirement.

So whenever you sit for meditation, remember this.  And yet if you were to come into the outside, take to a movement outside, it would be from this understanding, from this space – an outflow.

So when you sit, you relinquish all else, your connections with all else outside.  It is of no concern to you. There is only you. And the intimacy is to be with yourself, beyond thought, beyond emotions, beyond relationships.

If ever there is a relationship, it is with God, within yourself.  And then of course, when you have found the kingdom of God, all things can be added, all other concerns can be added.  It is from there that all other concerns can begin.

So when you have no other concern, you have only one concern: to be involved in yourself, to be concentrated in yourself; to be centered in yourself – centered in God in your heart, in the centre of your being.  There is no other concern.  There is no one else to be concerned about.

That is where we have to reach.  So we begin with allowing ourselves to relax.

Be aware of the body; come to the awareness of the body.  Be aware of being in the body.

From there, from the awareness of the body, move to the breath – the movement of the breath.  Be aware of it.

And if you have the feel, the urge to go within from here, you are welcome to it. Even so from the awareness of the body.

From either position you can approach the within of yourself. You can reach to God in yourself.  You may not even need to be aware of the body: you can have it at any instant.  If you have the feel, the urge, go for it.  Don’t loose that moment.

It is a moment of Grace, a moment of insight – looking within.  A profound moment, a moment of intimacy that will reach you to ecstasy in God.  When that moment is there, be with it.

Initially you have to leave everything else out to be with it. Ultimately, you can advance yourself to such a position that in spite of whatever you would be doing, you can be with it.  Even amongst the crowd, even amongst your relationships, you can be with it – you can be it.

And yet, you can guide yourself in this way: move your attention from all else outside, move your concern from all else outside. Bring it to the awareness of the body. Then from there draw yourself in.

Allow yourself to relax. Make it your prime objective, your priority when you sit for meditation.

It is therefore you are sitting for meditation – there is no other concern.  There is no other that you have to reach for, but within yourself.

And so you can guide yourself, systematically you can approach it.

And to consciously relax is to take away all other concerns. To consciously relax is to take away all other concerns and to settle within oneself.

As you guide yourself from the awareness of the body to the breath, you can even move to the thoughts, if there are – feelings, states, emotions – but come to the breath, it is easier. You can work with yourself in so many ways.

And if you still need relaxing, you can do rhythmic breathing.

So we can spend some time now to take a few deep breaths, and at the same time consciously relaxing.

The breath will help you.

Take a few deep breaths. Let it help to deepen your feeling to reach within, to arrive at yourself, to be centered and poised in yourself – keeping your back upright, head upright, and yet you are relaxed in body.

That is the whole idea: to begin with being aware of the body, you consciously relax in your body, while you make sure that the body is postured for meditation, to allow for the flow of energy.

Be like the mountain – you can visualize: straight, upright, steady and stable.

You can visualize: sometimes the mind allows for it by itself, depending on where you would like to be doing meditation.

Some would like to be in a cave – visualize, find yourself in the cave.

Sometimes on the beach – someone may prefer the beach. Visualize, allow it: find yourself sitting on a beach.  It relaxes the mind, because it fulfills the desire that is there.

Go with the desire.  Join it to meditation.

Sometimes you may even have the urge to sing in your heart to yourself. Go ahead: it helps you to deepen your meditation.

Turn it all towards meditation. Turn it all towards love of God, seeking after God, seeking after the Truth that abides in yourself.

Turn your emotions within to seek after the Truth, to seek after God.  Allow God to touch you. And be forever touched by God.

So you can relax when you are guiding yourself from the outside by doing rhythmic breathing, being with the breath – just being with it.

While you deepen the breath, fill up completely. Then releasing it, empty out completely.  Just be with this process of breathing.

At the same time it is helping you to relax, and your being with it is consciously helping yourself to relax. This is a practice. So you have to practice it.

Then when you are ready – when you feel ready – you can let go of the deepening of the breath, allow it to happen by itself, while you continue watching the breath.

Then you can turn within from here or approach different techniques of meditation.

So in different states you may find yourself and it may require different methods and techniques of meditation.  So we can have a variety.

And yet, when you have the urge, the feeling God-ward – love of God – you can go directly there. No method is required, no technique is required.

No methods and techniques are required when you have the love of God.  All you have to do is to follow it. Allow yourself to be carried by it, surrender yourself to it – be nurtured by it, while it nourishes you and nurtures you, and leads you to the Truth that is God.

It is a profound moment of prayer.

So the natural feeling and the urge that comes to me at this moment is one of chanting God’s name. You are welcome to follow me. You are welcome to remain in silence.

Hari Bol, Hari Bol, Hari Hari bol

While you sing you are reaching out to God within you.

Follow your natural inclination to sing or to remain in silence.

Hari Bol, Hari Bol, Hari Hari bol

Govinda Madhava, Hari Hari bol

Where art Thou, my Lord?

I have sought Thee everywhere, in all things, in the mountains and the valleys.

I have sought Thee in the temples and in the churches.

I have sought Thee in the mosques.

I have sought Thee in the others.

Where art Thou, my Lord?

I seek for Thee with all my heart, with all my soul.

I seek none but Thee.

Hari bol, Hari bol, Hari Hari bol

Where art Thou my Lord?

Govinda Madhava, Hari Hari bol

Give me the feel to feel Thee, my Lord.

Give me the sight to see Thee, my Lord.

Give me the light to know Thee, my Lord.

Give me the heart to love Thee, my Lord.

Hari bol, Hari bol, Hari Hari bol

My whole life is for Thee, my Lord.

Dost Thou exist?

My whole life is surrendered unto Thee.

Hari bol, Hari bol, Hari Hari bol

Every moment is passing away without knowing Thee.

I am restless, my Lord.

I cannot live without knowing Thee, without being one with Thee.

My nourishment comes from Thee.

Thou art my Origin, Thou art my End.

I offer myself to Thee and to none else.

If I offer myself to another, it is because I see God in the other.

It is because I see Thee in the other.

Hari bol, Hari bol, Hari Hari bol

Govinda Madhava, Hari Hari bol

Hari bol, Hari bol, Hari Hari bol

I am calling after Thee, my Lord.

Why dost Thou not reach out to me, my Lord?

I feel so dry in my heart. I feel so lost in my life.

I seek Thee and none else – for there is no other – for there is not ought else.

It is all thee. It is all thee.

Govinda Madhava, Hari Hari bol

Hari bol, Hari bol, Hari Hari bol.                             

 

Arya Vihar

3 November 1997