Stay with the quietness.

Meditation begins with the inner quietness.

We use the breathing to arrive at inner quietness.

Then through the quietness to reach to meditation.

When breathing is made strong enough –

When you are able to hear yourself breathing,

You can easily become aware of the quietness,

That is behind the breathing.

So the breathing helps you to arrive at quietness.

At the same time it keeps you energised.

It will keep you awake,

It will keep you sharp.

Behind the breathing there is the quietness,

There is the quiet watcher,

The quiet witness,

The quiet presence.

So the breathing is to arrive at an inner quietness.

It is to bring you to the awareness of the inner quietness.

Then through that quietness,

You enter the realms of meditation.

Breathing helps you to stay centred –

Centred with that quietness,

Centred in that quietness.

Feel the quietness,

Be the quietness,

And yet you can continue with the breathing.

It will keep you up,

And it will keep you bright –

It will keep you energised,

Overcoming the tendency,

To fall away into inertia, lethargy – even sleep.

When you become totally quiet,

You will feel the awakening of the force,

You will feel the energy of the force rising upward,

You will feel it in your spine.

The breathing helps to keep you up and bright.

Your back is straight,

Your head is straight and upright,

Your neck is straight,

And yet you are relaxed.

As you breathe,

There is the quietness behind it,

There is the quietness of your Self.

It is in that quietness,

That you will be centred for meditation.

Feel the quietness,

Feel for the quietness.

Thoughts come up,

Stand behind,

Watch over them,

Allow them to pass,

Keep letting them go.

Behind your thoughts there is quietness –

The quiet Self.

It is in that quiet Self,

That you reach to meditation.

The breathing will help you.

It will keep you energised,

It will enhance the sense of Self,

It will enhance your awareness of the quiet Self.

It requires practice of course.

So do not hesitate to use the breathing.

To apply yourself is to participate in your own liberation,

It is to make your meditation dynamic –

Actively participate in your meditation.

The breathing has many uses:

It keeps you up and bright,

It makes you centred in yourself,

It keeps you energised,

It brings you to a quietness.

It brings you to the awareness of the Self-quietness,

It helps you in watching your thoughts,

And letting them go,

Making for space, room in yourself.

Stay with the quietness –

Feel for it.

Through the quietness stay in meditation.

Thoughts come up –

Stand behind,

Watch over them,

Allow them to pass,

Keep letting them go,

Remain a silent witness.

When there is quietness,

A quiet stillness,

There is the awakening of the force.

You will feel the energy in your spine moving upwards.

When you become totally quiet,

You will feel the pressure of the force,

You will feel the energy rise up,

To the top of the head through your spine.

Allow yourself to be totally relaxed in body and in mind.

Meditation requires you to be relaxed.

Things come up,

Allow them to pass,

Keep letting them go.

There is no concern,

There is only the quietness,

The quiet centeredness,

The quiet stillness.

And if thoughts come up,

Whenever they come up,

They appear in that quietness,

And pass out of that quietness –

That quiet awareness.

This is the practice,

While you stay rooted in that quietness,

That is behind the thoughts,

That quiet Self-presence.

We will chant for ten minutes.

Take a deep breath each time before you chant –

It keeps you with the chant,

It keeps you centred.

At the end of each round of chanting,

Empty out of breath completely:

Asato Ma Sad Gamaya

Tamaso Ma Jyotir Gamaya

Mrityor Ma Amritam Gamaya

Feel inspired as you chant.

It is an ancient prayer.

You are reaching out to the Light –

To illumination.

Asato Ma Sad Gamaya

Tamaso Ma Jyotir Gamaya

Mrityor Ma Amritam Gamaya

Put feelings in the chant,

It energises the chant.

Asato Ma Sad Gamaya

Tamaso Ma Jyotir Gamaya

Mrityor Ma Amritam Gamaya

From incompleteness reach me to completeness, o Lord.

This is the prayer

Asato Ma Sad Gamaya

Tamaso Ma Jyotir Gamaya

Mrityor Ma Amritam Gamaya

From darkness reach me to illumination, to Light, o Lord.

From ignorance reach me to wisdom.

This is the prayer.

Asato Ma Sad Gamaya

Tamaso Ma Jyotyir Gamaya

Mrityor Ma Amritam Gamaya

From death reach me to immortality, o Lord.

This is the prayer.

Asato Ma Sad Gamaya

Tamaso Ma Jyotir Gamaya

Mrityor Ma Amritam Gamaya

Asato Ma Sad Gamaya…

We will stop here for this morning.

9 February 2005