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      440-12

      Some individuals were told in their readings that the use of a particular technique or preparatory aid would be very important to their ability to meditate well. For example, one woman was told that she had learned deep meditation in an Egyptian incarnation where incense was used (2823-3). In her meditation life now, the use of incense apparently would recall the training the soul had experienced thousands of years earlier.

      As we work with these tools, we must be careful not to become so attached to them that we forget our real purpose for meditation: to be one with God. We have lost the proper spirit if we refuse to meditate because we have lost our favorite record or have run out of our favorite incense.

       Q-2. How can I use the astronomical, the numerical, the environs of the creations in the vibrations from metal, from stones, which influence me, to advantage in my present life?

       A-2. As these are but lights, but signs in thine experience, they are as but a candle that one stumbles not in the dark. But worship not the light of the candle; rather that to which it may guide thee in thy service. So, whether from the vibrations of numbers, of metals, of stones, these are merely to become the necessary influences to make thee in attune, one with the Creative Forces; just as the pitch of a song of praise is not the song nor the message therein, but is a helpmeet for those that would find strength in the service of the Lord. So, use them to attune self. How, ye ask? As ye apply, ye are given the next step.

      707-2

      Another potentially dangerous attitude is the belief that we can manipulate God—that if we do a certain regime of preparatory activities we somehow cause God to come to us in meditation. A more fruitful attitude is that the preparation or aid for attunement is an expression of the limited attunement we are already experiencing and of our desire for greater attunement.

       You are in a material world. You are subject to the laws of same. When you are moved by full accord, use the intonations, the breathing, the posture; but let this be rather as an outgrowth of attunement than the purpose for attunement.

      281-35

      Experiment: For your daily meditation period choose a specific aid for attunement or approach to preparation. Let it be something that you have not used in a regular fashion before (e.g., a specific chant, incense, exercise, music, method of cleansing, or abstinence from a particular activity). Complete this activity each day as a part of your meditation period and keep a record of your experiences in using it.

       “Through the will we ask the mind of our physical bodies to cease its wanderings and center itself upon the ideal, which will be presented to the higher mind.”

      Historically, man’s notion of the location within his body of consciousness and life has changed dramatically. At certain periods the heart was thought of as the focal point of human awareness; in other times, the liver. Medical research in the past one hundred years has shown the tremendous influence that the brain has upon the entire body, and so the tendency now is to localize consciousness within each cell of the body.

       Meditate on the fruits of the Spirit in the inner secrets of the consciousness, and the cells in the body become aware of the awakening of the life in their activity through the body. In the mind, the cells of the mind become aware of the life in the spirit.

      5752-3

      Since a portion of the definition of meditation is the attuning of he physical body to its spiritual source, we need to be aware of the way in which the consciousness of every cell of the body can play a part. Every atom of the body can become a seeker and cooperate in the attunement process.

       Hence there are those elements which if applied in a material way, if there is the activity with same of the spirit and mind, may bring into the experience of each atom of the body force or cell itself the awareness of the Creative Force or God.

      3492-1

      Experiment: At the beginning of each meditation period take a few moments to become aware that there is consciousness within each cell of your body. Suggest to or ask your body to join the mind and spirit in this period of seeking.

       “As we, in meditation, open ourselves to the unseen forces that surround the throne of grace, beauty, and might within ourselves, let us throw around us the protection found in the thought of the Christ.”

      In recent years the practice of meditation has become more and more widespread in the West. Many studies have shown the potential benefits of meditation for mental and physical well-being. Yet, one of the major criticisms still directed at meditation is the fear that a person can get in over his head, that demonic or injurious forces within the mind can quickly spring upon the unsuspecting beginner.

      It is certainly true that we want to have our physical bodies in the best possible balance if we intend to work with meditation, in order to avoid the possibility of imbalanced experiences. We also would not want to encourage a person with severe mental disturbances to meditate. But assuming that we are relatively normal individuals, are there things we should fear about meditation?

      As we begin to move in consciousness in meditation, we are likely to experience an expanded state of awareness. Often that expanded state offers us the chance to focus attention on long-forgotten events or very unusual images (sometimes fascinating, sometimes frightening). Our aim in meditation is to focus not on these things but upon the highest ideal that we have set.

      The readings suggest a prayer of protection that we can use at the beginning of meditation. The protection that we seek is from (1) influences outside ourselves that would keep us from our highest ideal (e.g., telepathic influences from others, confusing communications from disincarnates), and (2) contents of our own subconscious minds that might lead us astray. Effective use of this prayer depends upon feeling and experiencing that protective, guiding influence offered by the Christ as we say these words:

       Father, as I open myself to the unseen forces that surround the throne of Grace, Beauty and Might, I throw about myself the protection found in the thought of the Christ. (paraphrase of 262-3)

      Experiment: Use the prayer of protection given in the readings at the beginning of each meditation period. Make a special point of experiencing the inner meaning of the prayer as you use it and not just saying it by rote.

      “Two attitudes are essential: 1. A strong desire to seek truth. 2. A constant, consistent effort to move forward.”

      One of the fundamental principles in the readings and in the Bible concerning our spiritual search is “Seek and you shall find.” We cannot expect the pattern of wholeness written within our unconscious selves to emerge in full expression spontaneously. What is required is a strong desire coupled with the use of the will to bring about necessary changes. The definition from the readings of the Christ Consciousness emphasizes the necessity to apply the will if we would have this pattern awaken.

       Q-18. Should the Christ Consciousness be described as the awareness within each soul, imprinted in pattern on the mind and waiting to be awakened by the will, of the soul’s oneness with God?

       A-18. Correct. That’s the idea exactly!

      5749-14

      The use of the will to bring about such an awakening cannot be a sporadic thing. Our desire to know the truth must include consistent, daily effort. The transformation of consciousness that comes from meditation is usually not a dramatic change but instead involves subtle shifts in awareness of ourselves and others. Like a newborn child, a new awareness is very delicate and requires frequent attention and nurturing if it is to survive and grow. In the words of The Secret of the Golden Flower:

      “Children, take heed! If for a day you do not practice meditation, this light streams out, who knows whither? If you only meditate for a quarter of an hour, by it you can do away with the ten thousand aeons and a thousand births. All methods end in quietness. This marvelous

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