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At the time that I originally wrote this article, there was only a very small

number of truly devoted aspirants seeking spiritual progress. The rest were
in it for intellectual theory, and not a great deal else. Likewise, the
community was more interest in traditional western exercises, and so I
provided some unique variations of traditional Golden Dawn and Rosicrucian
techniques for people to safely practice, and be able to see some real
progress. In this past year, however, I have been pleasantly surprised by an
overwhelming number of requests for a deeper level of practice that can
guarantee fuller development for someone who is more seriously inclined
towards his spiritual path. I have been guiding these people on a mostly
person-to-person basis, but since the demand has grown beyond my
capacity to supply with the amount of time I have available to me, I have
resolved to publish a truly sound and progressive daily spiritual practice for
those who desire to take their dedication to the next level.

Those of you who have a legitimate teacher and guide along the path
already should only alter your daily practice with his or her permission. I
provide this as a positive suggestion to jump start your spiritual progress,
but it is all very general. Your instructor, if he is a good and properly trained
one, will know what you should and should not be practicing much better
than you could know. For some people it may be allowed to practice japa
but not yet pranayama, or perhaps to practice thought control and body
control but not yet implement daily devotion. These will all depend on your
inner character, which will be discerned by any good teacher, and so you
must always consider his advice. In general, however, what I will give here
shall suffice for most people, should they be able to dedicate themselves to
it.

I have said often to my students and to those who come to me that


inaction and inconsistency are two lethal poisons to the pursuit of magical
attainment. Someone who desires to be a magician can not be content with
mere philosophical inquiry and speculation. He must put his mind to work
and cultivate his soul, which can only be done in the fires of rigorous
practice. The world has no use for people who simply put forth ideas quietly
but never make anything of them; it is as if they were dead. All the good
intentions of the world can not make you a magician. A good person,
perhaps, but not a good magician. The undisciplined mind must be forced
into a habit of regular practice until the practice itself becomes enjoyable,
and then real progress is seen.

Do not allow your mind, as weak as it often is, to convince you of some
excuse to not practice. There is no one who can not practice, and there is
no legitimate reason not to. Even ten minutes a day, if done with
consistency, will allow for good progress. You are not too busy! Do not
listen to the excuses of your lower self, but fight them vehemently. I am a
very busy person. Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday my work day
starts at about 6:45 AM and ends at about 10:00 PM. Tuesday and Thursday
I work at least eight hours. In addition to this I have a daily physical
exercise routine to maintain in order to be continually effective in the martial
arts, I have a group of personal students who often need my attention and
direction, I am writing three books and several hundreds of pages of
material for organized lectures later on, I try to keep up to date with the five
or six Emails I receive from people every day here at Veritas, and in spite of
all of this I maintain at least two hours of daily magic practice. If I with my
schedule can accomplish two hours, then I am forced to believe that
everyone can accomplish at least twenty or thirty minutes. The problem is
not your schedule, but instead, it is your ability to properly prioritize. If you
are going to seriously pursue a spiritual path, then you must be able to
prioritize activities in your life accordingly. This article is for people who are
seriously pursuing magic, as opposed to those who simply dabble in it. The
former will find a good practice system herein, but the latter will never be
able to summon the willpower and consistency in practice to achieve notable
results.

Patience is a great test, and one of the favorite tools which the universe
uses to try your devotion in the flames of spiritual practice. Remember to
always persevere if you do not see progress at first. It is not given to all of
us to advance quickly, but with patience and consistent practice, everyone
can advance.

Starting the day spiritually


To the devoted magician, arising at the latest time possible, or "sleeping
in," should be offered up in the flames of sacrifice. In order to regularly
secure the proper frame of mind, to check constantly his devotion to his
path, and to reap the maximum benefits, he must establish a habit of rising
early. Habit-breaking and habit-making are two key components in
mastering one's mind.

The Zohar tells us thusly in the Noach Zohar, verse 277,

"When a person gets up to study Torah in the middle of the night, when
the northern wind awakes, The Holy One, Blessed be He, enters the Garden
of Eden and enjoys Himself with the righteous. And He, together with the
righteous, listens to the words which come from such a man’s mouth."

Again we find in the Torah, in Yeshaya 26:9,


"With my spirit (Heb. Nephesh) I have desired you in the night; with my
soul (Heb. Ruach) within me will I seek you early."

From these two verses alone we can derive that the ideal situation is for
the astral body (the Nephesh) to be projected during the night under
conscious control, so that the individual may continue his studies and
practices even while sleeping, and for the individual himself to arise early in
the morning. He who does so is seen as greatly revered and becomes highly
rewarded.

In Yoga, there is also a highly favored practice where one awakes during
the Brahmamuhurta (hours of brahman). During this time the energy of the
atmosphere is very calm, allowing the aura of one who is in meditation to
more easily calm itself also, and therefore the mind. Meditation is therefore
very favorable during this time. Sri Swami Sivananda Saraswati writes thus
about it:

"At this particular hour, the mind is very calm and serene. It is free from
worldly thoughts, worries and anxieties. The mind is like a blank sheet of
paper and comparatively free from worldly Samskaras. It can be very easily
molded at this time before worldly distractions enter the mind. Further, the
atmosphere also is charged with more Sattva at this particular time."

The aspiring magician who can rouse himself at 4:00 every morning and
practice for at least an hour will see phenomenal results, and shall advance
very quickly. His peers on the spiritual path will not be able to understand
how he can progress so easily through the many steps of spiritual evolution.
Admittedly, however, this is not possible for all people. If for example your
job requires that you are awake late at night, being essentially any time
after 10:00 PM, then this will be very hard for you to do. It is better in that
instance to wait until later during the day or the evening to practice so that
you do not fall asleep during meditation. For those who are able to get up
that early, then if they can conjure the willpower to, they will almost
immediately notice the benefits of doing so. After seeing the results, they
will probably never want to wake up later than the Brahmamuhurta again.

To begin your day with spiritual practice is a perfect beginning. Your mind
is clear for your work day, or in some cases for those who are younger, the
school day also. Your energies are controlled, and your consciousness is
centered. The activities of the day do not disturb you as much, and it is
easier to keep a spiritual mindset no matter what situations you may find
yourself in. Because your will be starting your day with an elevated level of
consciousness, you will be able to more clearly observe the animal impulses
in other people, and how the illusions of the senses bind the actions of most
individuals. From this scientific observation you will grow greatly in your
understanding of the animal self and the real self, and obtain the knowledge
of their difference. This will encourage a more constant spiritual point of
view in your entire life. When you return home after your daily obligations
and have some free time again, it will be easier to sit down and get back to
your spiritual practices, should you choose to.

Proper Hygiene
As a hopeful magician, you should engage in what a magician would call
the proper practices of hygiene and cleanliness in all aspects of your life. To
be clean is to be organized, but physical cleanliness is not always the
subject. Spiritual cleanliness can be thrown into regular daily practices of
hygiene in order to achieve maximum effects and help enhance the rate of
your progress.

The aspirant should ensure that he showers every day. If he is diligent


then he will bathe in the morning hours before his early spiritual exercises
during the brahmamuhurta. When he bathes, he will not place his mind on
his physical body. Instead he will detach his mind and focus on his spiritual
self and his astral body, letting the physical hands do what they are
accustomed to doing. When the water flows over him, he will imagine that
the dirt on his spiritual bodies flows off with it. He should visualize that his
skin is the crystallization of this dirt, with its diseases of death and sorrow,
and that the skin is being washed off with the water as he scrubs. Beneath
that skin is a fluid-like glass, which he should know is the astral body. As
the water runs over him and he washes himself, he should see that he is
polishing this glass. As he polishes it and cleans it, a bright white light
begins to shine through it. The aspirant will advance in this way over his
entire body every morning, until by the end of the bath he visualizes himself
as a being of pure white light. This in an excellent way to start the
morning. When he dries off, he should sit immediately and begin japa to
further purify his mind also, which we shall discuss momentarily.

During the bathing, the aspirant should in a trancelike state. His mind is
not at all focused on his physical body, and the bathing actions of his hands
and arms are acting totally automatically. His focus is absorbed entirely into
his mind, where all of his concentrative power is being directed at these
visualizations. He should be almost entirely unaware of what his physical
body is doing, or of what the water feels like, how hot or cold it is, how hard
or soft. His mind is entirely focused on his visualizations. As the aspirant's
power of focus grows, the healing and cleansing effects of this practice shall
grow also.

The aspirant should take to the routine of washing his hands often.
Whenever he handles something that is considered unclean, and most
especially if he uses his hands to commit a sin (such as masturbation), he
should spend about a minute cleaning his hands. He should visualize that
the magnetic power of the water is not only pulling off the impurity from his
hands, but is actually magnetically pulling out the impurities of his body
also. He should see the impurities and negative energies as running off his
hands with the running water, down into the drain where they are forever
gone to his mind. It helps towards the end to cup your hands and gather
water in them, and then focus especially on the water pulling out the
impurities of your hands and your body, and then letting the water pour out.
When finished, dry your hands with a clean towel or paper towel.

For spiritual practices, the aspirant should wear either fresh and clean
clothes that are soft and easy to practice in, or he should wear a clean set of
clothes used especially for practices, and which he keeps apart from the rest
of his clothes and wears only when he practices. If he can do the latter, then
he will appreciate the benefits.

Practicing Japa
Japa is the repetition of a mantra. There are many mantras available for
this practice, and the student should always chose one that lends itself most
easily to his own beliefs and convictions. For example if you are of a Jewish
or Christian persuasion, then it would not be wise to chant a Hindu mantra.
Instead you could chant one of the Qaballistic names of God, a special verse
in Hebrew or Aramaic, or YHShVH.

The practice of Japa is the single most effective exercise, I am convinced,


for the cleansing of the mind. When the daily activities of life spoil the
consciousness, and various sins infect the mind and fester within it, then
Japa is the most beautiful panacea available. It is a true gift, a real gem. It
is said traditionally that the man who spends his entire life without doing
japa has wasted a life, and upon its practice I believe that anyone would
come to this conclusion. It leaves the mind totally exalted when done
correctly, and conjures up all available mental power for later activities.
Because total focus on a single statement and its meaning is had for a long
period of time, the mind becomes very quiet, and the mental energy is
gathered together instead of being dispersed one hundred directions by one
hundred different thoughts. The magician shall find that if he performs japa
before his magical exercises, then they shall go much smoother. For that
matter if one performs Japa before any undertaking, then the undertaking
seems to become easier. When done upon God, divine energy infuses the
mind while the attention is drawn magnetically to Deity. When done often
and with great devotion, the magician will begin to transmute his mind into
his depiction of God Himself. He will begin to take on the qualities of God.
By itself Japa can lead to Samadhi; when done with other exercises, Japa
helps the attainment of Godhead immensely.

Before the magician establishes a Japa routine, he should have a japa


mala. A mala is a string of beads which he can use to count, and which
traditionally has 108 beads tied onto it (reminiscent of the 108 names of
Shiva, Durga, Krsna, etc). Having a japa mala allows the mind of the
individual to be focused entirely on the mantra instead of having to worry
about keeping count. Such malas can be purchased at various stores or
online shops, or one can make a mala himself. The choice is entirely the
individual's.

In the morning, Japa should be the first practice undergone. In the


evening, it should be the last. When you have performed your morning
bathing ritual and have dried off, then dress very comfortably (or remain
naked) and sit down to do Japa. During Japa you must be entirely focused
on either the meaning or the target of the mantra. For example if doing the
Gayatri mantra, you can be focused on the meaning of divinity and its
splendor. When doing Japa with a name of God, then the image and
qualities of God should be held firmly in your mind during the procedure. It
is concentration upon the meanings and feelings of the mantras which purify
the mind; simply speaking them will not accomplish much, though they
often have at least some power of their own. "Perfect Japa" is done in a
state of complete devotion and surrender to God, wherein the boundaries of
the mind melts, and you feel as if it is the entire universe speaking the
mantra within you, instead of just you speaking it.

Japa should be done at least 108 times. For a busy person, 108 times
twice a day, meaning 108 in the morning and then another 108 before bed,
is a good target. This is especially good for the average individual, who
tends to be lazy and neglectful of daily practice. Even just these two
sessions will test the beginner's patience and check his anxiety. In the
beginning Japa should not be done while simultaneously doing something
else. For example, do not do Japa while doing the dishes. At first it is best
to sit down and do Japa only, when all of your attention, so that you can
begin to destroy anxiety and impatience in practice. Japa is an excellent tool
for the beginner who can not yet bring himself to meditate for hours on
end. A gradually extending practice of Japa will push his meditative abilities
further and further. If you can not even bring yourself to sit in one place and
focus for five minutes in the beginning and end of the day, what hope is
there for you as a magician? How can you ever expect to stand in the
presence of powerful spirits, of mighty angels and archangels? How can you
expect to accomplish even the most menial of tasks in the world of magical
practice? People who have fantasies of clairvoyance, telekinesis,
clairaudience, and elemental mastery hanging in their minds can forget all
possibilities of attainment if they can not just do a little bit of Japa.

People who are going to be successful, and who desire to become


magicians in this life instead of taking many lifetimes, will push at the
boundaries of their practice. They will seek to perform 1080 (ten malas)
repetitions of the mantra in the morning, and then another 1080 in the
evening. A person who can do this while continuously maintaining
concentration on the purpose and meaning of the mantra loosen the grips of
sin and karma. Their minds become filled with God after much practice, and
they can not help but act saintly. Instead of having music, emotions,
desires, discussions, world situations, social problems, etc, buzzing around
in their subconscious minds, they shall have the sweet hum of the mantra
always in the back of their minds. After practicing this for a deal of time,
there will be no magical operation which he can not be guaranteed eventual
success in. Progress will come to him very quickly, and he will even obtain
some magical abilities without trying. Because he purifies his mental body
every morning and every night, it will be very hard for sin to sink into his
being, and so he will free himself from a great deal of karma and will always
be clean. There is of course no limit on how much Japa you can perform, so
practice it often.

Japa can roughly be split into two groups: mantra japa and namah japa.
In mantra japa a particular whole mantra, whether it be from scripture or a
simple statement thought of by one's self, is repeated again and again. A
very commonly used mantra is the Gayatri mantra, which goes as such:

"OM bhur bhuva svah


tat savitur varenyam
bargo devasya dhimahi
dhiyo yo nah prachodayat."

The rough English translation of the Gayatri mantra is,

"O God, Thou art the giver of life, the remover of pain and sorrow, the
bestower of happiness; O Creator of the Universe, may we receive Thy
supreme sin-destroying light; may Thou guide our intellect in the right
direction."

Though the English translations can work in so far as the intent being the
same, the most advantageous use of a mantra is always in its original
language. Each language has a certain tone to it, a marked and unique
vibration, which stamps each statement in a particular way. A mantra
recited in a foreign tongue is never as effective as when it is spoken in its
native tongue, so long as the speaker knows its meaning.

Namah Japa is, in my eyes, the highest japa. It is the repetition of the
Name of God, done many times, so that one's mind becomes entirely filled
with the qualities and images of God. Great progress is made spiritually as
the aspirant becomes absorbed by God. Constant namah japa makes his
mind a sponge which absorbs holy power and divine authority, so that little
by little his mental body actually becomes connected to divinity. It is said
that whoever performs namah japa regularly on the same God will begin to
become that God, and this is certainly true. His character will be sublimated
and perfected by the character of his Deity, and he shall become a divine
personage. This practice, coupled with intense magical practice bent on
achieving Godhood and spiritual perfection, will allow the magician to make
great strides in a single lifetime.

There are many different mantras available for namah Japa, but the one
which perhaps has the most scriptural weight belongs to Shiva. In the Shiva
Purana it is glorified more than any other mantra in any other scripture.
Because Shiva in His form as Rudra is seen as the perfect yogi and highest
magician, it is very common for spiritual seekers of God to adopt this mantra
so that they may fit those descriptions also. Shiva is depicted as being in
Samadhi, and so by becoming Shiva, one also enters into Samadhi quickly.
The mantra is simple: "Om Namah Shivaya." It means roughly "I surrender
to Shiva."

It is called the five-syllable mantra, and is the pentagrammaton of


Hinduism. The initial "Om" is not counted as one of the five syllables, but
instead represents God before He became active in the universe. To the
Qaballists, it is God as Ain, Ain Soph, and Ain Soph Aur while still on the
other side of the negative veils of existence; God before He created Kether.
From the "Om" emerges the "Namah Shivaya," the five syllables which
symbolize the five heads of Shiva and total mastery over the five elements.
It also represents the analogy of the entire outer world being sustained by
the five elements (fire, air, water, earth, and Akasha) as Namah Shivaya,
and the entire inner world being sustained by pure consciousness as Om.
The mantra is pronounced phonetically as either "nah-mah shee-vai-yah" or
"nah-mah-hah shee-vai" depending on which dialect it is being spoken in.
Either one works perfectly and represents the same principal meaning, and
so the aspirant should choose whichever one rolls off the tongue easier for
him if he decides to do Namah Japa on Shiva using the pentagrammaton.
During the repetition of the mantra, Shiva should be visualized strongly with
His traditionally associated symbolism, and the aspirant should focus intently
on the ideas of Samadhi, bliss, detachment, omnipotence, omnipresence,
omniscience, and infinity.

Another powerful mantra for namah japa is the pentagrammaton of the


Western world: YHShVH. Here also the five elements are represented. The
Y represents fire, the first H represents water, the Sh represents the Akasha,
the V represents air, and the final H represents Earth. This is a Hebrew
formula and has very powerful Qaballistic significance. It is perhaps most
powerful when spoken as "Yod Heh Shin Vau Heh" due to the analogy
present in the five syllables, but can also be spoken as "Yehoshuah." This
magical formula is depicted by Jesus Christ, as it is the formula for His first
name. If the student decides upon this pentagrammaton for his namah japa
then he should strongly visualize Christ as He is described in the book of
Revelations, or he should focus upon major events in His Gospel. Meditation
upon the intense passion which He exhibited during His crucifixion can have
great effects. During the visualization and meditation, he should focus
intently on the ideas of love, compassion, mercy, omnipotence,
omnipresence, omniscience, and infinity.

No matter which aspect of God is being concentrated upon for the purpose
of namah japa, no matter if you are concentrating on God as Shiva, Odin,
Ra, Kephera, Jesus Christ, Yehovah, Vishnu, Brahma, etc, the four qualities
which must always accompany the rest of that personality's qualities are
omnipotence, omnipresence, omniscience, and infinity. The other qualities
will change in accordance to God's qualities as that form. This keeps the
visualization correct from the magical perspective of elemental equilibrium,
and will establish a habit that will help greatly in higher stages of initiation.

Other powerful mantras can be YHVH, Sah-tah-nah-ma (the Satnam


mantra), the Mahamantra (Hare Ksna, Hare Krsna, etc...), and any other
meditation upon God's name that you can find.

Body Control
The practice of body control is very important to the magician, as its
exerts his mental dominance over into his immediate physical domain. If
you can not sit still, it is hard to still your mind. If you can not still your
mind, then all magic becomes very difficult. Thus one of the first places to
start your practices alongside japa is the practice of Asana, or in essence, of
sitting.

Assume a posture which you would like to use as your meditation posture.
This can be Siddhasana, Padmasana, sitting cross-legged, or sitting with
your back straight in a chair, these being the most common choices. In all
cases your back should be as straight as is possible, your chin should be
lifted, your breathing should be entirely controlled, and your body should be
still. Hold that posture first for five minutes, and concentrate entirely upon
the body. Try to feel every inch of your flesh. Feel every possible
disturbance, including even the very hair on your arms and head. Focus on
every itch, every twitch, and overcome it. Remain totally still, with only your
breath being the source of some chest movement. When you can do this for
five minutes without feeling the desire to get up and do something else, or
without your thoughts wandering, then extend the practice to ten minutes a
day. Some will need to practice longer, and you should be your own judge if
you do not have the guidance of a teacher. Never hesitate to practice as
much as you need to, or as often as your teacher tells you that you must.
For most people, ten minutes twice a day shall suffice for steady progress
with a busy daily schedule.

Overcoming the obstacles of the body is a great stride towards being able
to accomplish meditation. When you can completely still the body it
becomes calm and cool, and the internal energy called the prana flows
smoothly through the energy channels of the body. Because tension is
released and the mind becomes calm, all blocks in your internal energy
circuits are removed. Though at first the practice may be hard and cause
you to feel uncomfortable, it must be persisted in until you can feel
completely comfortable, even somewhat blissful, in your asana. After ten
minutes of practice you should not even want to move any longer. It should
feel like you are inside a warm shell, but are not the shell itself. When this
can be achieved, you are making good progress and should advance at the
discretion of a teacher or with your best unbias judgment.

When you can control the physical body in the above manner, then you
may be instructed in the performance of certain physical asanas. These are
best learned by a teacher who can perform them, because proper form and
technique are very important. Many asanas, by virtue of a profound
knowledge of the internal energy system, force certain movements of the
prana that are advantageous to spiritual evolution and health. They can
bestow mental clarity, astral purity, and physical health in great abundance.
Some of them even work towards awakening the Kundalini, and can greatly
aid in the achievement of Samadhi. As in the simple form of body control
practice, the asana should be performed with total control over every inch of
one's body. Nothing can be unaccounted for or allowed to slack. During
physical asana practice, which belongs to the practice of hatha yoga, the
mind flows out into the muscles and controls the flow of internal energy.
The entirety of one's concentration will rest either upon the exact physical
posture, the flow of internal prana, or a certain mantra.

Though each posture offers a different benefit, the ultimate goal of an


entire asana routine is to balance the electric with the magnetic, or the solar
with the lunar. This causes the mind to become still and the aura to become
balanced and healthy. Someone who actively practices physical asanas is a
beam of health. His has a sort of glow to it, and he will maintain his youth
long into late years. Often times even if he is sixty years old, he would look
to be in his late thirties or early forties.

Immediately after japa, the aspirant should spend about twenty minutes
stretching his legs, arms, and most especially his spine (front bends) and
lungs (back bends). When he has loosened up and blood is again flowing
equally through his body, then he can begin the practice of asanas. This will
wake him up, and ready him for the day in the morning. When the student
performs his night practices, he will perform body control first, and then do
japa.

Thought Control
Thought control is a great practice, and should be performed either
immediately before or immediately following Japa. Much like Japa, thought
control allows the student to quiet his mind so that his mental energy is
available for what he desires instead of being thrown in many different
directions. When the student can control his mind, and only then, can
practical magic start to seem realistic.

The first stage of thought control requires that the student becomes a
passive observer in his own mind. He practices detachment, and watches
his thoughts pass by in his mind without any sort of involvement in them.
They will disappear without any interest as quickly as they arose in his
mind. This skill takes some practice, but after trying a few times the student
will get the grip of how to do this. After some practice he will notice that the
thoughts will begin to slow down, and that their numbers will gradually
decrease. By not being attached to the thoughts, he has managed to reduce
their number. If he practices at least ten minutes a session, once at morning
and once at night, then after a few weeks he will gain success in clearing his
mind. One day during practice he will simply observe that there are no more
thoughts coming into his mind. This can be seen as the first level of
success, wherein he has learned mental relaxation.

The second stage requires that the student can hold on to a single
intended thought for a length of time. He will strongly fight back and
dissolve any thoughts other than the one which he is trying to focus on.
This will be very hard at first, and the mind will want to wander and think
about other things. The student must persevere, and he will discover that
with regular practice he becomes capable blocking out all thoughts besides
the one which he desires to focus fully on. When this is achieved, then
magic begins to become possible in the future. This is called learning mental
concentration.

In the third stage of thought control, the student empties his mind
entirely. He then passively focuses on a subject and its meaning, allowing
his consciousness to form a rapport with the subject of his intention. At first
this connection will be weak, but with much practice over a long period of
time it shall becomes strong, and the magician will develop a flow of
consciousness with it. When that happens, he shall feel like he is a part of
the thing, and that the thing is a part of him. Union occurs with patient
practice. The same mechanism found here eventually allows for Samadhi,
which occurs when the subject of the meditation is God, and then an
unbroken flow of consciousness is established between God and the
magician. It takes much practice to obtain, and must be complimented by
many other practices along the way in order to not take many lifetimes.
When the connection of consciousness occurs, it is called meditation. When
that connection finally occurs fully with God, it is called Samadhi or Union.

Thus, there are three essential stages of thought control:

1.) Relaxation
2.) Concentration
3.) Meditation

Only after mastering relaxation and concentration can one actually


meditate. By regular practice of relaxation, the student gradually enhances
the amount of mental power available to him. By the practice of
concentration, he increases the amount of mental power that he can
effectively use. Once after practicing relaxation he has increased the
amount of mental available greatly, and through concentration has learned
how to use it all, then he can direct that mental power to accomplish a state
of meditation. This is the order of progress.

Pranayama
Pranayama is the control (yama) of the breath (prana), for controlling the
breath means the control of the internal energy that is called prana, and in
the West is often called the life force. In all cases it is good for the
beginning aspirant to start japa and thought control, and also body control,
but it is not always proper to begin pranayama. Some people can start
practicing it almost from the very beginning, whereas some people must
wait until they have advanced in other practices before they can begin it. If
you do not have a teacher, then your own personal discretion should be
used. If you have problems controlling your attention and the flow of your
thoughts, then you should not yet perform pranayama.

Pranayama, depending on which exercise is being performed,


accomplishes many things. It is the most effective tool for awakening the
Kundalini and purifying the internal energy passages (nadis) as well as the
internal energy centers (chakras). It enlivens the astral body with powerful
energy and strengthens the aura greatly. When the energy flows serenely
through the nadis the it can be withdrawn into the spine during deep
meditation. This causes the prana to become still, which silences the mind
simultaneously. Regular practice of pranayama destroys wordly desires and
attachments by attaching the mind to divine things. The student becomes a
true dynamo of internal power, and so his power over the world around him
greatly increases. Some magical powers are developed automatically as the
result of regular pranayama. Pranayama allows the solar and lunar energies
to balance one another in the pit of the stomach, so that their flow becomes
canceled. When the flow of the upwards (respiratory) and downwards
(excretory) energies go into one another and become canceled, then the
prana is drawn into the spine and breathing ceases. This is called the
Kevalia Kumbhaka, and can lead into Samadhi. When the breathing totally
stops, sometimes for hours at a time, then the mind is absolutely still. This
allows the soul to flow through into the mind, and the ego-personality
achieves union with the soul-personality. Someone who is in this state of
being looks on the outside as if they are dead. He is not breathing, his pulse
is so feint as to be undetectable by most tools, he becomes cold to the
touch, and his skin becomes pale. This happens because the life force is
withdrawn into the spine and then the brain. If the top of the head is
touched, it is usually discovered to be almost burning hot. When the kevalia
kumbhaka ceases and the individual breathes again, then color and other
signs of life return as usual.

One very effective pranayama which most can practice safely is called
sukha purvaka. It is performed as such:

Sit in your meditative asana. Place the thumb of the right hand against
the right nostril, closing it, so that you can only breath through your left
nostril. Inhale for three seconds through the left nostril. Release the right
nostril and push in the left nostril using the ring finger of the right hand
while holding the breath, so that the right nostril is open. Visualize that your
breath, filled with energy, flows in through the left nostril and fills your entire
body with pure white light. Hold your breath for twelve seconds, thinking to
yourself, "I am God." Focus on containing within yourself all the qualities of
God as pure divinity. Now exhale out of the right nostril, letting the light
flow out through the exhalation, taking everything that is not God with it.
Still holding the left nostril shut, do the same thing with the right nostril.
Inhale for three seconds, hold and contemplate for twelve, then release the
left nostril and close the right nostril with the thumb, exhaling for six
seconds out of the left nostril. This constitutes one repetition. Perform this
ten times in the morning and ten times in the evening.

This is one of four major variations of sukha purvaka, and is the most
suitable for someone who is new to pranayama in my opinion. Other
variations focus on balancing out the internal tattvas, alternating a current
between the solar and lunar disks within the body, and striking the Kundalini
within the muladhara, which are all more advanced. When this first level of
pranayama can be performed well enough to generate a feeling of pure and
relaxed bliss and concentration, then the student can advance to higher
techniques at the discretion of a teacher.

Living the Path


None of these practices amount to anything if you throw out all of your
progress every time you have the opportunity. You can spend great lengths
of time in meditation every day, but if you engage in sinful activities and
indulge your lower lusts and desires every day, if you keep bad company,
use drugs, masturbate, get drunk, etc, then your progress shall be incredibly
slow. Sometimes you may not even advance at all, in spite of your best
efforts. The simple fact of the matter is that you can not advance far in this
path without the proper lifestyle changes.

People often say to me, "but this is my way," or "I walk my own path."
This is foolishness, and it often leads directly to failure. No matter what you
may identify to be your "way," the simple fact of the matter is that you will
never finish a project which you completely destroy every day that you work
on it. This is not even a matter of occult metaphysics or spiritual principles:
it is a matter of common sense. If you intend to pursue a spiritual path
seriously, then I have provided the tools in this article to have an incredible
kick-start to your journey. However, they can only be used properly in
conjunction with the proper lifestyle and living habits in general. The path of
a beginner is a very frail one. His mind is not yet trained to resist powerful
temptations, nor is his aura strong enough to naturally throw off negative
energies. He is very impressionable, even if he does not think so. The
intelligent student who wants to see success in his practices will know these
things about himself, and will take precautions to make sure he does not
fail. These are some invaluable pieces of advice for the lifestyle that the
beginner should try to maintain in order to see maximum progress:
- Have a balanced diet consisting of no red meat and many fruits, fruit
juices, and milk.
- One should avoid foods that over-excite you and your senses.
- Avoid the company of sinful, wordly-minded people whenever possible.
- Do not drink alcohol recreationally or socially, through a few drinks a week
are fine.
- Totally avoid all narcotics and the people who use them. Drug use is not
conducive to spiritual advancement.
- Do not spend a great deal of time listening to music. It will play in the
background of your mind and distract your practices.
- Do not be overly sexual. Sexual activity twice a month is considered a safe
maximum that allows spiritual progress to go mostly unhampered,
presuming it is performed as an expression of love. Masturbation is strictly
forbidden for someone who wants real success. Celibacy is always the most
effective choice when it is realistic.
- If you are a particularly sexual-minded person, then avoid the company of
the opposite sex.
- Do not watch, read, or listen to things of a negative nature.
- Decorate your house, or at least your room, with things that remind you of
spirituality and of God.
- Burn incense regularly to keep your path on your mind.
- Read scriptures some every day.
- Develop a strict routine for your spiritual practices and stick to it without
wavering.

Many of the "rules" for one's lifestyle change somewhat as you advance
and are no longer as receptive to negative influences. Even still, though,
one should choose to avoid things of a negative and destructive nature, and
to engage himself in holier activities if he desires to see real progress in the
divine science.

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