♦ Step Eleven:
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Resolved that through meditation (and the practice of presence) I would come to know my true self and illumine the qualities of my life.
With sincerity and earnestness I will learn the art of meditation (and the practice of present) making it integral to my daily life and awareness.
Meditation
This step involves gaining a clear understanding of the fundamental elements of meditation, learning the art of meditation, and setting up a practice of meditation to deepen one’s meditative state. Meditation is not meant to be an isolated practice, which we do in the morning and the evenings; it is meant to set up an energetic charge, or resonance, which enlivens our daily life with a greater sense of our own consciousness presence and aliveness.
We don’t meditate to obtain anything but to realize (or recognize) that which is already present—our own nature. The foundation of meditation is to experience the presence and fullness of our own “I,” and to recognize that our own sense of “I”—which is the sense we have of our own self—is one in nature with the Supreme “I” of Spirit.
Presence
Human beings exist in two simultaneous dimensions: a dimension that is timeless, ever-present, self-aware, and conscious (that which might be called the dimension of the soul or one’s true nature) and a dimension that is temporal, ever-changing, physical, and conditioned (which might be called the body-mind-ego dimension). In normal consciousness we are aware of, and fully exist in, but one dimension of ourselves—our body-mind-ego. As such, our life is flat, one-dimensional, and “dead”—and this is because we, our true self, our own aliveness, is missing from the version of life we are presently living.
In the practice of presence, we want to become more and more aware of our conscious self, that aspect of our being which is truly alive and present. This presence or state of presence—which is who we really are—may seem ordinary at first, but truly, it is the gateway to the wonder of life and our unity with Infinite Spirit.
Quotes
The goal of meditation is not to make the mind blank. The aim is to dwell clearly beyond the mind. Therefore, you simply accept the mind as it is. Through this very acceptance, you find yourself already beyond the mind. Even though you accept the mind, you are not giving it energy. To accept the mind is not getting lost in thinking. To accept it is to be beyond the mind. This point is very important. You are neither fighting with the mind nor indulging in it. It is the middle path. When you keep this middle point, the mind will soon become silent without any conflict.
(Aziz, The Human Buddha, 28)
The State of Presence can be understood or translated within you as the experience of “I” or pure Me. But this Me is not an ego, it is not the self-image or an outcome of thoughts—it is an energy presence which is felt. There is no other way to disarm the unconscious mind but through giving rise to the State of Presence. It is the only opposing force within the mind which can transform the function of the mind. It is not enough to observe the mind. You can observe the mind for one hundred years and nothing will fundamentally change. It is only the opposing force, which is the presence of pure Me, that can fully transform the mind.
(Aziz, Transmission, p. 155)
Your endeavor, then, is not so much to find God as it is to realize His Presence and to understand that this Presence is always with you. Nothing can be nearer to you than that which is the very essence of your being. Your outward search for God culminates in the greatest of all possible discoveries—the finding of Him at the center of your own being. (Holmes, This Thing Called You, p. 140)
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___________________________________________
Resolved that through meditation (and the practice of presence) I would come to know my true self and illumine the qualities of my life.
With sincerity and earnestness I will learn the art of meditation (and the practice of present) making it integral to my daily life and awareness.
Meditation
This step involves gaining a clear understanding of the fundamental elements of meditation, learning the art of meditation, and setting up a practice of meditation to deepen one’s meditative state. Meditation is not meant to be an isolated practice, which we do in the morning and the evenings; it is meant to set up an energetic charge, or resonance, which enlivens our daily life with a greater sense of our own consciousness presence and aliveness.
We don’t meditate to obtain anything but to realize (or recognize) that which is already present—our own nature. The foundation of meditation is to experience the presence and fullness of our own “I,” and to recognize that our own sense of “I”—which is the sense we have of our own self—is one in nature with the Supreme “I” of Spirit.
Presence
Human beings exist in two simultaneous dimensions: a dimension that is timeless, ever-present, self-aware, and conscious (that which might be called the dimension of the soul or one’s true nature) and a dimension that is temporal, ever-changing, physical, and conditioned (which might be called the body-mind-ego dimension). In normal consciousness we are aware of, and fully exist in, but one dimension of ourselves—our body-mind-ego. As such, our life is flat, one-dimensional, and “dead”—and this is because we, our true self, our own aliveness, is missing from the version of life we are presently living.
In the practice of presence, we want to become more and more aware of our conscious self, that aspect of our being which is truly alive and present. This presence or state of presence—which is who we really are—may seem ordinary at first, but truly, it is the gateway to the wonder of life and our unity with Infinite Spirit.
Quotes
The goal of meditation is not to make the mind blank. The aim is to dwell clearly beyond the mind. Therefore, you simply accept the mind as it is. Through this very acceptance, you find yourself already beyond the mind. Even though you accept the mind, you are not giving it energy. To accept the mind is not getting lost in thinking. To accept it is to be beyond the mind. This point is very important. You are neither fighting with the mind nor indulging in it. It is the middle path. When you keep this middle point, the mind will soon become silent without any conflict.
(Aziz, The Human Buddha, 28)
The State of Presence can be understood or translated within you as the experience of “I” or pure Me. But this Me is not an ego, it is not the self-image or an outcome of thoughts—it is an energy presence which is felt. There is no other way to disarm the unconscious mind but through giving rise to the State of Presence. It is the only opposing force within the mind which can transform the function of the mind. It is not enough to observe the mind. You can observe the mind for one hundred years and nothing will fundamentally change. It is only the opposing force, which is the presence of pure Me, that can fully transform the mind.
(Aziz, Transmission, p. 155)
Your endeavor, then, is not so much to find God as it is to realize His Presence and to understand that this Presence is always with you. Nothing can be nearer to you than that which is the very essence of your being. Your outward search for God culminates in the greatest of all possible discoveries—the finding of Him at the center of your own being. (Holmes, This Thing Called You, p. 140)
Meditation Instructions >>
Prayer >>
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