On breath 1-6
On breath 1-6
ON BREATH 1
From Breath to Mindfulness
We do this breathing together. I do with you to show my solidarity with whatever is done. Through that we are in tune in our consciousness in all things that we do.
It is through doing, right doing, that you will go beyond doing—and yet all your doings will be in freedom.
Feel the breath as you hear the breath as you breathe in and out. That will center you totally and completely with what you are doing. It will bring you to yourself. And yet remember: through your heart—then it all becomes a prayer and a worship. To begin meditation with a prayer and a worship is superior to just beginning meditation anyhow, through only techniques. Prayer and worship create the right attitude.
Feel the breath moving in, feel the breath moving out as you at the same time listen to it. Watchfulness—this is called watchfulness, you are developing your watchfulness. From watchfulness comes mindfulness, which will follow in all that which you do, in your daily activities. Every moment this will bring you to being present, being present in your every act, in your every movement, in your every moment.
The whole world is yours, the whole of life is yours. You have all the freedom right from this moment. Nay, you have had it all along…
Let your life expand through expanding your consciousness, through expanding and opening out your heart, your mind. And let your vitality be ruled by God.
So remember to pray in-between your interactions, remember. Remember your priorities, remember. Let prayer and meditation be integrated with your daily activities, with the whole of your life, with all of your activities, in either conditions: the condition of joy or of sorrow.
So feel the breath as it moves in, feel the breath as it moves out. Long breath, deep breath, strong enough to be heard. It will keep you there with it. When you are filling up, you are reaching to a fullness. And when you empty out, you empty out completely. You are letting go, you are settling in yourself, in that which is the all. You are surrendering yourself to the Reality, to God… Be inspired in all that which you do. Be authentic in all that which you do.
So when you sit by yourself you are sitting with yourself quietly, looking into yourself, looking at everything. Looking deep into yourself, looking at all the layers of your being: emotional, mental, vital—and yet reaching to seek the spiritual.
Breathe in, breathe out. Breathing in you are bringing in the new, breathing out you are breathing out the old, the old that needs to go, the old that is of no use to you any more. Bringing in the new means bringing in all that which will lift you.
Breathe in, breathe out… And you will know when you are ready to let go: you will be centered, you will be in-drawn, you will be totally relaxed. You will be totally committed to being in yourself, to being in meditation.
Arya Vihar
24 December 1999
ON BREATH 2
Breath will make room in yourself
Breathe long, deep breaths, strong breaths. It will make room in yourself.
If you do it long enough it will be effective. It will also bring you to an alertness in yourself, energize and harmonize. It will make space between yourself and your thoughts, your feelings, your emotions, your passions. Standing behind you watch and observe as things come up and they pass, while you remain with the breath, breathing in, breathing out.
You are being with yourself and the breath will help you to be with yourself—your past, your present and your future.
I am doing with you too, and that will help you.
If things come up in you, let them be released. They pass through you; let them leave you free. You experience them, you feel them—and yet you observe them. Some things are easy to observe, some things are not. There are levels at which you can observe, there are levels at which you cannot, there are moments when you can observe, and there are moments when you cannot. There are things that hold you in their grip. This breathing will help you: breathe in – breathe out. So help yourself through the breath.
Breathe in – breathe out—long breath, deep breath, strong breath. The longer the breath, the deeper the breath, the better it is. And strong enough to be heard.
Breathe in, breathe out—stay with the breathing. It will energize, harmonize you.
Long breath, deep breath, strong breath. Empty out completely, fill in completely. Watch everything that comes up, standing behind as it were. See if you can allow them to pass, whatever that comes up while you breathe in, breathe out. It is an emptying out so that you may be filled with freedom. Breathe in the new, breathe out the old…
Arya Vihar
13 March 2000
ON BREATH 3
An opportunity to be with yourself
Breathe in, breathe out.
Stay with the breath. If things come up it is an opportunity for you to watch and let them go—in terms of thoughts, feelings, emotions, passions.
Watching means freedom—being able to watch it as the other-than-yourself.
Through the breathing to stabilize and come to a rest in yourself—it is an opportunity—and to find the freedom that is complete and total and comprehensive, not just at one level but throughout. So therefore it is progressive, a process. Each time a greater freedom, each time a greater opening.
It will bring you to yourself: this is an opportunity for you to be with yourself. Give yourself to yourself completely and totally.
The rest of the day you always give yourself to the outside – to the other; now here is an opportunity for yourself to give to yourself totally. Be with it: it will reach you to your freedom, it will bring you to a comprehensive understanding of the Reality, it will awaken you to the Reality—that which you are, that which is all.
Things may come up—they are no concern of yours: they arise in your being and pass away. Keep that attitude so that you arrive at an emptiness in yourself, and the silence of your being.
I am giving you tools to help yourself to help yourself. This kind of breathing is a very simple, and yet a very effective tool for you to arrive at yourself, to arrive at the Reality. Through yourself you will know all things; through yourself you will know the Reality—comprehensively, completely, totally. But remember, it is a process; it is not restricted to one state or two: the Reality is immense…
And while you are in the middle of work during the day, take the opportunity to be with yourself, say for five minutes or so. Have a break while you are at your workplace; have a momentary stop. There too you can use the breathing as a tool to remember to come to yourself—then back to work. Try not to have long spells without remembering: even if you have a moment to yourself, that moment will carry you far and long.
Allow yourself to be drawn in through the working of the breath .
Arya Vihar
15 March 2000
ON BREATH 4
From Breath to Silence
Begin the meditation with vigorous breathing to lighten up. Strong, vigorous breathing. When you feel the lightness follow up with the rhythmic breathing. Long and deep breathing, strong breath- strong enough to be able to hear it.
The breath, the breathing, this breathing will draw you in, center you, energize and harmonize. You have to keep with it for it to be effective. You will find space in yourself between the breath and yourself. And in that self-silence you will arrive at meditation.
So take long deep breaths, strong breaths. This breathing is also extremely good for your physical and mental health. It will relax, center you, draw you in, energize, harmonize. It is healthy altogether.
And that moment of harmony will come which will make space within yourself between the breath and yourself. And in that silence, in that self-silence you will have arrived at meditation. If you do with me then you will be able to do with yourself when you are on your own.
There will be a moment when you will feel a tightening as you breathe in a long, deep and strong breath, and then you will also feel a release and an opening out. The more this happens, the more you arrive at your inner freedom, the more you arrive at an opening within, the more you find space in yourself from thoughts, feelings, emotions, the breath, the body.
When you find this space you find even the inner is outer to the innermost. Now ordinarily, thoughts, feelings, emotions, breath, they are not outside you. But when you find the space within yourself you find they are outside, around you, while you are behind and distant from them.
Then you can think your thoughts in freedom, then you can feel your feelings in freedom! And so also your passions and so also your body. Then you have embodied freedom, then you have found that freedom that has taken to embodiment—a life of freedom. The moment of harmony will come, so also the space, the distance between you and the breath. Everything that comes up, they are no concern of yours. See if you can remain with the breath allowing these things to pass through you and out.
You are being with yourself; it is an opportunity through the breathing to be with yourself. It will bring you to yourself. Really, breath is very close to your self-awareness.
When you feel the tightening of the breath in your chest, this is a good sign. From there will follow this inner release.
When the breath is loud enough you can hear it, and through this hearing-aid you come to yourself and you can stay with the breath throughout. It is a help, it is an aid—the hearing-aid. And also because it is loud enough it is strong enough, and therefore it will energize you at the same time as you relax and harmonize.
I have been continuing with this breathing because it is an extremely useful tool for you to arrive at the Reality, yourself—meditation. It is a means to arrive at yourself more and more; it is a means to arrive at the Reality more and more. It is a means to bring you to the Awakening in a most radical way.
It will rejuvenate your being completely, from the physical level to the most subtle, from the outer to the innermost, from the lower to the highest.
Arya Vihar
17 March 2000
ON BREATH 5
Breath creates space to be objective
To begin with, the objective of our sitting is to come to a stop in ourselves, to come to a quiet stop. And needless to say, when we sit we begin with the breathing for it helps to bring one to being centered, to bring one to being present. It is a continuous practice, a process.
And therefore I repeat again and again, to remind you, so that you remember even when you are out there in movement, more so, even more so–for you lose yourself so easily to your behaviour patterns; you lose yourself so easily to your reactions, moods; you lose yourself so easily to the play of prakirti…
It is difficult to be objective when one is ‘in the moods’ so to speak. One is then sure, certain that one’s perception is right, that it is how it is. But when you find yourself in another space, mood, you will see that there is another view, that it was altogether different.
These are the compulsions of prakriti, embodied existence. Therefore it requires continuous watchfulness, remembrance. Especially in the moments of arrogance one has to watch very carefully for one can very rarely be objective in those moments. The vitality is such.
And of course compassion and kindness are out of the picture altogether in those moments. In those moments one is so ‘sure’, so ‘certain’, and in arrogance one ends up losing one’s sense of sacredness, reverence, respect, dignity. Therefore I continue to remind you of this quiet stop in yourself.
Watchfulness is not just watching; watchfulness is altogether different. It means to watch in such a way as to question your own behaviour, your own moods. It is to place yourself in different positions so that you could understand and perceive more at that moment than you normally do. In that is your sincerity, in that is sadhana. And in that you would offer dignity to the other as you would to yourself.
Usually it is not easy at that very moment: the force of the movement is such, the force of vitality is such, the ‘certainty’ is such. But one can watch over it afterwards. It is all part of the sadhana; is all part of the learning process which is sadhana, which is a growing up.
There are many levels to our consciousness; there are many moods to our being, many seasons, many weathers. When you pass through all of them consciously you can start to understand all of yourself.
And a seeker is always seeking to understand the shift of these moods, the shifts of consciousness, how the expressions repeat, and the behaviours continue. Can we see them objectively, can we understand them? For that one requires this breathing, for it creates space for one to be objective with one’s self, in spite of the compulsions of one’s nature, with its changing moods and seasons. Help yourself so you may help others. Let harmony, compassion, love prevail, and kindness.
Of course kindness is not pampering. Kindness is a genuine feeling of empathy that abides deep in you heart. So through our quiet moment let us see if we can come in contact with it – the compassionate Being, the Buddha in us; the sacred Being, the Shiva in us; the delightful Being, the Krishna in us.
There are many moments when one is so ‘sure’ at a certain level of consciousness, and yet when one shifts out into another, one is no more that certain. Watch the whole play of consciousness; watch the play of your personality in different situations; watch the patterns of behaviour. Stand behind, stand objective.
I would go further as to say: before you question the other, question yourself! The seeker begins in this way. The seeker therefore goes beyond impulses, blind impulses, blind reactions, blind arrogance – blinding energies.
Allow for playfulness so that no resentment abides.
Prayer and meditation—this will bring you to compassion; this will bring you to a sense of sacredness, a sense of oneness.
It is good to spend the last moments of the day when you are by yourself, to go through the whole of the day, as to what you have done, as to what you have not done; as to how you have done, as to how you have not done; as to how you may have offended, as to how you may feel offended. Go beyond, stand in the Being of compassion, so that you begin the new day in a new way; so that the environment grows in compassion grows in harmony, grows in sacredness, grows in reverence.
When you respect the other, when you dignify the other, you dignify yourself. It is only because one experiences the separation which seems so final that one does not see this. Truly when you enter into the enlightened state of Being you will see – when you offend the other, you offend yourself.
In the ego one does not see it – but in the enlightened condition you will see it.
If one is indignified it is because of oneself and if one is dignified it is also because of oneself. And you will see all this as you awaken to your own Self.
It needs to be sought; you have to awaken to What Is. So seek to reach into yourself.
Use the breath to enter into yourself – whenever, wherever, for it will remind you to come to yourself and to those quiet, objective spaces of your Being.
There is reacting to a situation and there is responding to a situation. When one can manage to be objective with a situation one can respond to the situation.
Feel for the quietness in yourself; feel with the whole of your being. Remember, meditation is a process. And to feel for this quietness use the breathing: it brings you to yourself; it brings you in yourself. From there then you can observe all of your expressions and all of your actions.
To enter into the quiet space you have to stand behind all movements, all compulsions. It is then that you come to a complete stop in yourself – and the breathing helps.
When you are at peace with yourself, that is the beginning of meditation. Until such time you are arriving, and to arrive you have to continue to work with yourself. Be at peace.
Spend quiet moments with yourself to observe your own self, to observe all else, the outside, the interactions, the habits, the behaviours, the moods, the seasons… It is all part of the growing up; it requires repeated working; it is never done at the first instance.
There is much that you need to understand about yourself. So therefore patience with yourself, patience with the other.
Feel for the quiet space in yourself. Take the help of the breathing. It will help you, bring you close to yourself, bring you close to self-awareness. From there enter into the quiet space. Be centered, be stopped in yourself – and pray unto God.
Arya Vihar
30 March 2001
ON BREATH 6
Be with the breathing and you are in
To get close to yourself this breathing helps. So breathe long, breathe deep, breathe strong. You should be able to hear it: it will help you to keep your attention with the breath. Also in this way you are working with yourself in a dynamic way.
As long as you can make it, as deep as you can make it—strong enough to be heard. It will bring you close to yourself. A continuous rhythm–breathe in, breathe out. It will draw you in, it will center you. It will relax, energize and harmonize, and make space in yourself between yourself and thought, between yourself and the breath, between yourself and memories, emotions, feelings, even so passions. And also between you and the body.
As you breathe in, breathe out, stay with it throughout. Watch it all the way in, all the way out. Always a full breath and when you empty out, empty out completely. It will straighten you out in your mind and in yourself. So breathe in, breathe out—long, deep and strong breath.
Keep your body straight, upright as you breathe in, breathe out. You are like a mountain—stable and unmoving yet relaxed. Allow yourself to be relaxed through the breathing.
Breathe in a full breath, breathe out and empty out completely. Be with the breathing with the whole of your attention, the whole of yourself. It will alert yourself to yourself. It will help you to relax if you continue. Allow it to help you to relax and to arrive at yourself.
I do with you; in that way we connect.
Through the breath you get close to yourself. Breathe in, breathe out, allow yourself to be drawn into yourself. Keep the rhythm going. If things come up allow them to pass—they are no concern of yours. Keep to the breathing.
Be with the breathing and you are in!
Allow the breath to make room in yourself, make space in yourself between yourself and the breath, between yourself and the thoughts, and whatever that comes up, that you may be able to observe everything that rises in you and passes away.
Arya Vihar
26 March 2000
———————————-
OLD VERSION :
ON BREATH
From Breath to Mindfulness
Arya Vihar
24 December 1999
We do this breathing together. I do with you to show my solidarity with whatever is done. Through that we are in tune in our consciousness in all things that we do.
It is through doing, right doing, that you will go beyond doing—and yet all your doings will be in freedom.
Feel the breath as you hear the breath as you breathe in and out. That will center you totally and completely with what you are doing. It will bring you to yourself. And yet remember: through your heart—then it all becomes a prayer and a worship. To begin meditation with a prayer and a worship is superior to just beginning meditation anyhow, through only techniques. Prayer and worship create the right attitude.
Feel the breath moving in, feel the breath moving out as you at the same time listen to it. Watchfulness—this is called watchfulness, you are developing your watchfulness. From watchfulness comes mindfulness, which will follow in all that which you do, in your daily activities. Every moment this will bring you to being present, being present in your every act, in your every movement, in your every moment.
The whole world is yours, the whole of life is yours. You have all the freedom right from this moment. Nay, you have had it all along…
Let your life expand through expanding your consciousness, through expanding and opening out your heart, your mind. And let your vitality be ruled by God.
So remember to pray in-between your interactions, remember. Remember your priorities, remember. Let prayer and meditation be integrated with your daily activities, with the whole of your life, with all of your activities, in either conditions: the condition of joy or of sorrow.
So feel the breath as it moves in, feel the breath as it moves out. Long breath, deep breath, strong enough to be heard. It will keep you there with it. When you are filling up, you are reaching to a fullness. And when you empty out, you empty out completely. You are letting go, you are settling in yourself, in that which is the all. You are surrendering yourself to the Reality, to God… Be inspired in all that which you do. Be authentic in all that which you do.
So when you sit by yourself you are sitting with yourself quietly, looking into yourself, looking at everything. Looking deep into yourself, looking at all the layers of your being: emotional, mental, vital—and yet reaching to seek the spiritual.
Breathe in, breathe out. Breathing in you are bringing in the new, breathing out you are breathing out the old, the old that needs to go, the old that is of no use to you any more. Bringing in the new means bringing in all that which will lift you.
Breathe in, breathe out… And you will know when you are ready to let go: you will be centered, you will be in-drawn, you will be totally relaxed. You will be totally committed to being in yourself, to being in meditation.
Breath will make room in yourself
Arya Vihar
13 March 2000
Breathe long, deep breaths, strong breaths. It will make room in yourself.
If you do it long enough it will be effective. It will also bring you to an alertness in yourself, energize and harmonize. It will make space between yourself and your thoughts, your feelings, your emotions, your passions. Standing behind you watch and observe as things come up and they pass, while you remain with the breath, breathing in, breathing out.
You are being with yourself and the breath will help you to be with yourself—your past, your present and your future.
I am doing with you too, and that will help you.
If things come up in you, let them be released. They pass through you, let them leave you free. You experience them, you feel them—and yet you observe them. Some things are easy to observe, some things are not. There are levels at which you can observe, there are moments when you can observe, and there are moments when you cannot. There are things that hold you in their grip. This breathing will help you: breathe in, breathe out. So help yourself through the breath.
Breathe in breathe out—long breath, deep breath, strong breath. The longer, the deeper the breath, the better it is. And strong enough to be heard.
Breathe in, breathe out—stay with the breathing. It will energize, harmonize you..
Long breath, deep breath, strong breath. Empty out completely, fill in completely. Watch everything that comes up, standing behind as it were. See if you can allow them to pass, whatever that comes up while you breathe in, breathe out. It is an emptying out so that you may be filled with freedom. Breathe in the new, breathe out the old…
An opportunity to be with yourself
Arya Vihar
15 March 2000
Breathe in, breathe out.
Stay with the breath. If things come up it is an opportunity for you to watch and let them go—in terms of thoughts, feelings, emotions, passions.
Watching means freedom—being able to watch it as the other-than-yourself.
Through the breathing to stabilize and come to a rest in yourself—it is an opportunity—and to find the freedom that is complete and total and comprehensive, not just at one level but throughout. So therefore it is progressive, a process. Each time a greater freedom, each time a greater opening.
It will bring you to yourself: this is an opportunity for you to be with yourself. Give yourself to yourself completely and totally.
The rest of the day you always give yourself to the outside; now here is an opportunity for yourself to give to yourself totally. Be with it: it will reach you to your freedom, it will bring you to a comprehensive understanding of the Reality, it will awaken you to the Reality—that which you are, that which is all.
Things may come up—they are no concern of yours: they arise in your being and pass away. Keep that attitude so that you arrive at an emptiness in yourself, and the silence of your being.
I am giving you tools to help yourself to help yourself. This kind of breathing is a very simple, and yet a very effective tool for you to arrive at yourself, to arrive at the Reality. Through yourself you will know all things; through yourself you will know the Reality—comprehensively, completely, totally. But remember, it is a process; it is not restricted to one state or two: the Reality is immense…
And while you are in the middle of work during the day, take the opportunity to be with yourself, say for five minutes or so. Have a break while you are at your workplace; have a momentary stop. There too you can use the breathing as a tool to remember to come to yourself—then back to work. Try not to have long spells without remembering: even if you have a moment to yourself, that moment will carry you far and long.
Allow yourself to be drawn in through the working of the breath .
From Breath to Silence
Arya Vihar
17 March 2000
Begin the meditation with vigorous breathing to lighten up. Strong, vigorous breathing. When you feel the lightness follow up with the rhythmic breathing. Long and deep breathing, strong breath- strong enough to be able to hear it.
The breath, the breathing, this breathing will draw you in, center you, energize and harmonize. You have to keep with it for it to be effective. You will find space in yourself between the breath and yourself. And in that self-silence you will arrive at meditation.
So take long deep breaths, strong breaths. This breathing is also extremely good for your physical and mental health. It will relax, center you, draw you in, energize, harmonize. It is healthy altogether.
And that moment of harmony will come which will make space within yourself between the breath and yourself. And in that silence, in that self-silence you will have arrived at meditation. If you do with me then you will be able to do with yourself when you are on your own.
There will be a moment when you will feel a tightening as you breathe in a long, deep and strong breath, and then you will also feel a release and an opening out. The more this happens, the more you arrive at your inner freedom, the more you arrive at an opening within, the more you find space in yourself from thoughts, feelings, emotions, the breath, the body.
When you find this space you find even the inner is outer to the innermost. Now ordinarily, thoughts, feelings, emotions, breath, they are not outside you. But when you find the space within yourself you find they are outside, around you, while you are behind and distant from them.
Then you can think your thoughts in freedom, then you can feel your feelings in freedom! And so also your passions and so also your body. Then you have embodied freedom, then you have found that freedom that has taken to embodiment—a life of freedom. The moment of harmony will come, so also the space, the distance between you and the breath. Everything that comes up, they are no concern of yours. See if you can remain with the breath allowing these things to pass through you and out.
You are being with yourself; it is an opportunity through the breathing to be with yourself. It will bring you to yourself. Really, breath is very close to your self-awareness.
When you feel the tightening of the breath in your chest, this is a good sign. From there will follow this inner release.
When the breath is loud enough you can hear it, and through this hearing-aid you come to yourself and you can stay with the breath throughout. It is a help, it is an aid—the hearing-aid. And also because it is loud enough it is strong enough, and therefore it will energize you at the same time as you relax and harmonize.
I have been continuing with this breathing because it is an extremely useful tool for you to arrive at the Reality, yourself—meditation. It is a means to arrive at yourself more and more; it is a means to arrive at the Reality more and more. It is a means to bring you to the Awakening in a most radical way.
It will rejuvenate your being completely, from the physical level to the most subtle, from the outer to the innermost, from the lower to the highest.
Breath creates space to be objective
Arya Vihar
30 March 2001
To begin with, the objective of our sitting is to come to a stop in ourselves, to come to a quiet stop. And needless to say, when we sit we begin with the breathing for it helps to bring one to being centered, to bring one to being present. It is a continuous practice, a process.
And therefore I repeat again and again, to remind you, so that you remember even when you are out there in movement, more so, even more so–for you lose yourself so easily to your behaviour patterns; you lose yourself so easily to your reactions, moods; you lose yourself so easily to the play of prakrti…
It is difficult to be objective when one is ‘in the moods’ so to speak. One is then sure, certain that one’s perception is right, that it is how it is. But when you find yourself in another space, mood, you will see that there is another view, that it was altogether different.
These are the compulsions of prakrti, embodied existence. Therefore it requires continuous watchfulness, remembrance. Especially in the moments of arrogance one has to watch very carefully for one can very rarely be objective in those moments. The vitality is such.
And of course compassion and kindness are out of the picture altogether in those moments. In those moments one is so ‘sure’, so ‘certain’, and in arrogance one ends up losing one’s sense of sacredness, reverence, respect, dignity. Therefore I continue to remind you of this quiet stop in yourself.
Watchfulness is not just watching; watchfulness is altogether different. It means to watch in such a way as to question your own behaviour, your own moods. It is to place yourself in different positions so that you could understand and perceive more at that moment than you normally do. In that is your sincerity, in that is sadhana. And in that you would offer dignity to the other as you would to yourself.
Usually it is not easy at that very moment: the force of the movement is such, the force of vitality is such, the ‘certainty’ is such. But one can watch over it afterwards. It is all part of the sadhana; is all part of the learning process which is sadhana, which is a growing up.
There are many levels to our consciousness; there are many moods to our being, many seasons, many weathers. When you pass through all of them consciously you can start to understand all of yourself.
And a seeker is always seeking to understand the shift of these moods, the shifts of consciousness, how the expressions repeat, and the behaviours continue. Can we see them objectively, can we understand them? For that one requires this breathing, for it creates space for one to be objective with one’s self, in spite of the compulsions of one’s nature, with its changing moods and seasons. Help yourself so you may help others. Let harmony, compassion, love prevail, and kindness.
Of course kindness is not pampering. Kindness is a genuine feeling of empathy that abides deep in you heart. So through our quiet moment let us see if we can come in contact with it–the compassionate Being, the Buddha in us; the sacred Being, the Siva in us; the delightful Being, the Krsna in us.
There are many moments when one is so ‘sure’ at a certain level of consciousness, and yet when one shifts out into another, one is no more that certain. Watch the whole play of consciousness; watch the play of your personality in different situations; watch the patterns of behaviour. Stand behind, stand objective.
I would go further as to say: before you question the other, question yourself! The seeker begins in this way. The seeker therefore goes beyond impulses, blind impulses, blind reactions, blind arrogance—blinding energies.
Allow for playfulness so that no resentment abides.
Prayer and meditation—this will bring you to compassion; this will bring you to a sense of sacredness, a sense of oneness.
It is good to spend the last moments of the day when you are by yourself, to go through the whole of the day, as to what you have done, as to what you have not done; as to how you have done, as to how you have not done; as to how you may have offended, as to how you may feel offended. Go beyond, stand in the Being of compassion, so that you begin the new day in a new way; so that the environment grows in compassion grows in harmony, grows in sacredness, grows in reverence.
When you respect the other, when you dignify the other, you dignify yourself. It is only because one experiences the separation which seems so final that one does not see this. Truly when you enter into the enlightened state of Being you will see–when you offend the other, you offend yourself.
In the ego one does not see it—but in the enlightened condition you will see it.
If one is indignified it is because of oneself and if one is dignified it is also because of oneself. And you will see all this as you awaken to your own Self.
It needs to be sought; you have to awaken to What Is. So seek to reach into yourself.
Use the breath to enter into yourself–whenever, wherever, for it will remind you to come to yourself and to those quiet, objective spaces of your Being.
There is reacting to a situation and there is responding to a situation. When one can manage to be objective with a situation one can respond to the situation.
Feel for the quietness in yourself; feel with the whole of your being. Remember, meditation is a process. And to feel for this quietness use the breathing: it brings you to yourself; it brings you in yourself. From there then you can observe all of your expressions and all of your actions.
To enter into the quiet space you have to stand behind all movements, all compulsions. It is then that you come to a complete stop in yourself–and the breathing helps.
When you are at peace with yourself, that is the beginning of meditation. Until such time you are arriving, and to arrive you have to continue to work with yourself. Be at peace.
Spend quiet moments with yourself to observe your own self, to observe all else, the outside, the interactions, the habits, the behaviours, the moods, the seasons… It is all part of the growing up; it requires repeated working; it is never done at the first instance.
There is much that you need to understand about yourself. So therefore patience with yourself, patience with the other.
Feel for the quiet space in yourself. Take the help of the breathing. It will help you, bring you close to yourself, bring you close to self-awareness. From there enter into the quiet space. Be centered, be stopped in yourself—and pray unto God.
Be with the breathing and you are in
(Excerpt)
Arya Vihar
26 March 2000
To get close to yourself this breathing helps. So breathe long, breathe deep, breathe strong. You should be able to hear it: it will help you to keep your attention with the breath. Also in this way you are working with yourself in a dynamic way.
As long as you can make it, as deep as you can make it—strong enough to be heard. It will bring you close to yourself. A continuous rhythm–breathe in, breathe out. It will draw you in, it will center you. It will relax, energize and harmonize, and make space in yourself between yourself and thought, between yourself and the breath, between yourself and memories, emotions, feelings, even so passions. And also between you and the body.
As you breathe in, breathe out, stay with it throughout. Watch it all the way in, all the way out. Always a full breath and when you empty out, empty out completely. It will straighten you out in your mind and in yourself. So breathe in, breathe out—long, deep and strong breath.
Keep your body straight, upright as you breathe in, breathe out. You are like a mountain—stable and unmoving yet relaxed. Allow yourself to be relaxed through the breathing.
Breathe in a full breath, breathe out and empty out completely. Be with the breathing with the whole of your attention, the whole of yourself. It will alert yourself to yourself. It will help you to relax if you continue. Allow it to help you to relax and to arrive at yourself.
I do with you; in that way we connect.
Through the breath you get close to yourself. Breathe in, breathe out, allow yourself to be drawn into yourself. Keep the rhythm going. If things come up allow them to pass—they are no concern of yours. Keep to the breathing.
Be with the breathing and you are in!
Allow the breath to make room in yourself, make space in yourself between yourself and the breath, between yourself and the thoughts, and whatever that comes up, that you may be able to observe everything that rises in you and passes away.
To be continued..