Doorways to Meditation Edited by Goswami Kriyananda Copyright 1971, 1984 by The Temple of Kriya Yoga Copyright 2005, 2013

13 by Goswami.Kriyananda FORWARD It is a source of joy to release this small booklet: Doorways to Meditation. It is a series of select thoughts from Eastern literature, which will be of ultimate worth for all sincere aspirants because these

Doorways give ultimate life-guidance that surely and rapidly will bring you to the Shore of Infinite Wisdom and Bliss. May these Doorways to Meditation open, revealing the Seven Rays of Anandic peace and supreme Knowledge, cradled in the Arms of Wisdom. OM Shanti, shanti, shantih! THINGS TO BE DONE Attune yourself to a spiritual preceptor endowed with holiness, Wisdom and esoteric knowledge.

Study those benefic sciences of astrology, omenology, yoga and mental health. Constantly sustain alertness of consciousness while walking, sitting, eating, sleeping, playing, fighting, laughing, crying and when dying. THINGS TO BE AVOIDED Avoid a Guru whose heart is set on acquiring worldly fame or worldly possessions. Avoid friends or followers who are detrimental to your, or others peace and/or Spiritual Unfoldment.

Avoid such actions that will harm your or others mind, or impede Spiritual Development.

CAUSES FOR REGRET Having obtained your difficult-toobtain humanoid form, it would be a cause for regret to fritter away this incarnation. Your human life, being so brief and uncertain, it would be a cause for regret to expend all your energy only on worldly aims and worldly pursuits. The Holy Guru, being your guide upon

the Path, it would be a cause for regret to be emotionally separated from him/her before obtaining our Enlightenment. It would be a cause for regret to be spiritually separated from him/her at any time.

THINGS NOT TO BE AVOIDED 10. Ideas, being the radiance of your mind, are not to be avoided. 11. Thoroughgoing reason, being your best friend, is not to be avoided. 12. The thought of helping others, howsoever limited your ability, is not

to be avoided. THINGS YOU MUST KNOW 13. You must know that all perceptible phenomena, being projected or created, by its very nature must be transitory. 14. You must know that the effects of negative past actions of body, tongue or thought must produce pain in you and in others, and are symbolically inevitable. 15. You must know that no existing thing has independent existence -

everything is linked in a morphogenetic field. THINGS YOU MUST ACQUIRE 16. You must acquire practical knowledge of the PATH by treading it. 17. Spiritual wisdom having dawned within your Self, neglect it not through slothfulness. Acquire the attitude of cultivating wisdom with ceaseless vigilance. 18. Having resolved to obtain the Highest Goal, abandon selfishness and balance ego. Acquire the habit of

devoting yourself to the service of others. THINGS TO BE PERSEVERED 19. You should persevere in listening to and meditating upon the gurus Teachings. 20. Persevere in Meditation until you obtain tranquility, until you obtain the mental tranquility of Samadhi. 21. Should there be a great attachment, a great mental weakness -- persevere in your effort to eradicate it as soon as it manifests.

THE REFLECTIONS 22. By reflecting upon the foolishness of the earthling's life in the rounds of successive re-incarnations, you will be insighted to seek Illumination and Emancipation. 23. By reflecting upon the difficulty of eradicating erroneous concepts, you will be insighted to meditate constantly. 24. By reflecting upon the uselessness of aimlessly frittering away this incarnation, you will be insighted to

have diligence on the Path. THE DANGERS 25. Weakness of faith, with strength of intellect is a great danger because it leads to the error of talkativeness. Strength of faith with weakness of intellect is a greater danger because it leads to the error of narrow-minded dogmatism. 26. Great zeal without adequate spiritual instruction is a great danger as it leads to the error of going to extremes.

27. Unless the mind is trained in selflessness and infinite compassion, there is the greatest danger as you will fall into the error of seeking Liberation for yourself alone! MISTAKEN THINGS 28. Attachment may be mistaken for compassion and benevolence! 29. Cessation of the thoughtprocesses may be mistaken for quiescence of mind. 30. A mere glimpse of Reality may be mistaken for complete God-

Revelation. THE GRIEVOUS FAILURES 31. Having been born a human being, but giving no heed to the Sacred Dharma, you will be as a person who returns empty-handed from land rich in precious gems. This would be a grievous failure. 32. To dwell with a sage and remain in ignorance is like a person dying of thirst on the shore of a lake. This would be a grievous failure. 33. To teach spirituality and not

practice its teachings is like a parrot saying a mantra -- and this is, indeed, a grievous failure. THE INDISPENSIBLES 34. A Philosophy comprehensive enough to embrace the whole of Knowledge is indispensable. 35. A System of meditation, which will produce the power to reflect upon anything and everything, is indispensable. 36. A Method of practicing the select Teachings, which make the more than

mere words is vital and indispensable. THE GRIEVOUS MISTAKES 37. For a disciple or devotee to apply himself to vain worldly sciences rather than seeking the Secret Teachings of the Guru is a grievous mistake. 38. For a disciple or devotee to make far-reaching plans, as though he were going to establish permanent residence on this earth is a grievous mistake. 39. For a disciple or devotee to spend his Life between worldly-hopes and

worldly-fears instead of gaining an Understanding of Reality is a grievous mistake. THE SIGNS OF A SAGE 40. To have no pride or envy is the sign of a Sage. 41. To have a few small desires and to be satisfied with simple things is the sign of a Sage. 42. To be able to keep alive friendships while you regard all beings with impartiality is the sign of a Sage.

THE PRECIOUS JEWELS 43. One esoteric Truth is more precious than a thousand exoteric doctrines. 44. One momentary glimpse of Divine Wisdom is more precious than any amount of knowledge derived from seeing, hearing or thinking. 45. A single moment of Samadhic Bliss is more precious than all the sensual pleasures on earth. 46. One lifetime spent in the Quest for Enlightenment is more precious than

a million incarnations spent in worldly pursuits. 47. The smallest, smallest good deed done Unselfishly is more precious than innumerable Good deeds done Selfishly! 2414 N. Kedzie Blvd. Chicago, Illinois 60647 (773) 342-4600 www.yogakriya.org