Theme

Meditation & the mind

• PranayamaKiental seminars · May 1990

  Most people breathe like fish — shallow, hurried gulps. Guru on why proper breathing comes first: pranayama as the preparation for contemplation and meditation, and what happens when the breath finally slows.

• Becoming mindful of everything we doBern seminars · April 1992

  Ten quiet minutes a day reviewing your actions, words and the vibrations you set in motion can steady the mind and make you master of any situation.

• How to deal with experiences in meditationBern seminars · February 1991

  Dizziness, shaking and shifting patterns are nothing to fear in meditation. Chant to protect yourself, hold steady, and let the grace of the Divine flow through you.

• Transcending mental boundariesBern seminars · February 1991

  Stop waiting and speculating, give the busy brain a rest, and let meditation happen. When the mind grows still, the walls fall away and you merge with a boundless power.

• Master your life through contemplationBern seminars · February 1991

  Spend ten minutes each day reviewing your actions before you meditate. Facing your thoughts honestly makes you the captain of your ship, rather than drifting without direction.

• How to approach meditationBern seminars · February 1991

  The mind resists discipline, so contemplate first to settle undigested thoughts. Be patient, never compete with others, and grow your own powers of perception.

• The sadhanas of japa mantra, meditation & pranayamaBern seminars · February 1991

  Chanting on the japa mala softens the aura and quiets aggression, while breathing properly and a room kept for prayer alone prepare the mind to meet God.

• Discover your DivinityBern seminars · February 1991

  No amount of food, drink or comfort ever truly satisfies; that restlessness is the divinity within urging you towards God. Mastering the restless mind is the work of a lifetime.

• The best time to meditateBern seminars · February 1991

  Meditate undisturbed in the quiet early hours rather than at midday. Sleeping first, then rising around three to sit for half an hour, brings the deepest results.

• The purpose of meditationBern seminars · February 1991

  Real meditation shows in a calm, self-controlled, loving life. The test of years on the cushion is whether a buzzing bee can still make you lose your temper.

• Becoming spiritually matureBern seminars · September 1991

  Divine love begins with learning to love one another. Detachment is not giving things up to order, but reasoning for yourself that they no longer hold you.

• Developing sensitivity and awareness of everything you doBern seminars · September 1991

  When you sleep, sleep; when you work, work; when you laugh, laugh. Living each impermanent moment fully and with love awakens the power already within you.

• How can contemplation change emotional patterns?Bern seminars · September 1991

  Ten quiet minutes a day spent looking at your own behaviour lets you master your emotions instead of being mastered by them, and steer your ship to calmer waters.

• Immerse yourself in the DivineBern seminars · September 1991

  Be wholly where you are in everything you do, and meditation grows from real concentration rather than long hours of daydreaming that fool no one, least of all God.

• Is evil an illusion?Bern seminars · September 1991

  Rather than labelling things good or evil, look honestly at the causes and effects you set in motion. So-called evil is the lower nature we can master through awareness.

• Managing emotionsBern seminars · September 1991

  When thoughts and feelings flood in, ask them to wait their turn. Regular contemplation clears the mind and lets your intellect govern, rather than be ruled by, your emotions.

• Powers of perceptionBern seminars · September 1991

  The images seen in meditation are an inner television, the beginning of true perception. Modern life has dulled the alertness that once kept us safe, but it can be sharpened again.

• ContemplationKiental seminars · May 1990

  Contemplation is mindfulness carried through the whole day, not just before meditation. Becoming master of the vibrations you set in motion is the cornerstone of spiritual growth.

• Demonic forcesKiental seminars · May 1990

  Lower forces are real, and a soul who turns towards God becomes a challenge to them. Sincere devotion and protection before meditation keep you safe.

• Doshas & lunar phasesKiental seminars · May 1990

  The body has its rhythms, and meditation after midnight draws on a clearer, stronger energy. From new moon to full moon the universe lends its power to spiritual work.

• Learning how to say ’No’Kiental seminars · May 1990

  Learning to say no to your own senses, with a smile, is where real spiritual life begins. Guru recalls practising the word as a boy of six in front of a mirror.

• The guru / disciple relationshipKiental seminars · May 1990

  No guru can hand you liberation, and no drug is a shortcut to it. A true teacher pushes you to stand on your own feet through your own honest effort.

• The visionary eyeKiental seminars · May 1990

  The mind is a receiving station that replays whatever it has absorbed, from adverts to politicians. Quieten it first and lift your awareness to the heart chakra and above.