Skip this article (and this section of the menu), if it suits you, and go straight to practicing your prayer/meditation while inviting the Baba(s) to guide and support you in that practice. This article (and this part of the Menu) is just a few comments about the practice and process of prayer or meditation. It is not absolute, and ultimately, you will have to find your own way, in any case.
Why do people pray/meditate?
Some people feel compelled to by some force inside them. It is as crucial as air. Others want to feel less stressed and calm their minds. There are so many reasons why we would want to meditate. For some people they are opening their hearts in a type of prayer; whether asking for something of the Divine or simply making a connection to what you might call the Unity of Being. Some of us won’t even know why. In the end, reasons are far less important than just going forward and doing it. But most people are pulled to this experience because there is a timing in their development that says: ‘Now; it is time to get going’.
We often put this off for months and years; some even a lifetime. But the pull to become Present; within and beyond the grasp of the ego and the personality predicaments – is an imperative of our spiritual development. We seek connection to that which is deeper and more real; truer and straighter than how we normally are. We seek connection to what we belong to at the deepest level. We seek to connect to Love and the Truth of our Being-ness.
But so much can be in the way, and we have a capacity to see it worse than it is or deny there is a problem at all.
Who are we praying or meditating to?
The names to which one is trying to make a connection to is not important: God, Allah, the Divine, the Atma, the Unity of Being, the True Nature etc… Neither is it crucial what religion you belong to or don’t. What matters, is the relationship you are attempting to build with your-(S)elf, your life and Life itself.
Why can pray/med seem so hard at times?
What hinders many people in pray/med is the strength of habit of wanting to stay in the flow of familiar thought-experience-pictures. Most of us immediately go into set patterns when we sense we are touching into:
- what we judge or fear or feel ashamed of
- where we are hurt
- space and energy opening up that is bigger than our normal sense of self and our normal outlook.
Breaking this pattern requires a quality other than the familiar, patterned mind. Our problem seems to be that we need another way of relating to what we call ‘negativity’ and what we call ‘different’. To change these self-references and perceptions would require more faith and trust.
What can help me, in my pray/med process?
From my point of view, the most essential elements to praying or meditating are sincerity, simplicity and trusting; you belong to something bigger than you – as you know yourself.
Trusting that you are ‘part of’ – Not All; and ‘not nothing’ – but a unique part of a Unity of Beingness that simply Is. I would suggest that this is the connection that we seek, whether we know it or not. We cannot force it; we cannot get it through negotiation; and we cannot steal it or get it through tricks. It must come to us, of its own accord.
What we can do is open the heart. This is the Invitation. This is the beginning of sincerity and humbleness. This makes it easier for guidance and support and Love to touch us and affect us; whether we realise it at the time or not. With time and persistence, 3 things can happen:
- higher energies can begin to affect us and re-align us
- negative energies, attitudes, issues can start to emerge and release.
- gradually a ‘connection’ is built – step by step – to a greater sense of being, within ourselves, and with Life.
It starts with the Heart; where Love can be touched and recognised; where grief and loss can be released; where Higher Beings can help the three steps take place more gently and with greater compassion.
A little more about the Heart and other Chakras
One job of the heart centre (at the deeper/ higher level) is that it orchestrates the opening of all the other energy centres in a manner that is consistent with
- where you are really at
and
- what you really need.
The heart negotiates between heaven (spirit) and earth (personality); between reality and self-centred perceptions; between connecting and projecting, between love & want.
Most people will experience energy going to different centres at different times. This will happen organically. The heart is the co-ordinator of it all. Open the heart, and you can allow the rest to unravel itself. The difficulty is staying truly open and allowing.
This, the Baba(s) help with; as well as helping with poison and opening channels and giving ‘medicines’ as we are ready to take the steps and move. But most of all, they have the capacity to inspire and open the seeker’s heart. This approach; works from the top down, from the hidden – into the light. That is why faith & trust is necessary.
Remember, we already Are. The only change we are looking for, is to wake up to our being-ness and belonging-ness.
How we behave towards self & others: the other side of the coin!*
Pray/med is one side of the coin, dealing with bills, raising children, working in jobs (or not having a job) growing old (being young), having friends (enough or too many): this is another side of the coin. All of life is waiting to become a prayer/meditation. So how we treat other people (including ourselves) matters. There is a well-known Sufi saying: ‘to hurt another’s heart is the greatest sin’.
Aside from the obvious repercussions of poor behaviour; hurting other people hurts our heart. And we can become so numb and self-justifying that we don’t see it. Each side of the coin helps the other – how we meet and conduct ourselves in life affects how we pray/med and the pray/med brings greater sensitivity and awareness to the beauty and necessity of all that is around us.
There have been so many prophets and teachers who have indicated this over and over. Buddha, Moses, Jesus, Mohamad etc. – how we are with others (and self) deeply affects us.
Poisons inside of us
Most spiritual approaches recognise certain ‘poisons’ that afflict us; they are
- Ignorance (ignoring)
- Pride
- Anger (acted out or in to hurt)
- Greed
- Jealousy
There are basic steps that we must take to prepare the ground to let go of poisons:
- The most important thing of all is being willing and interested to know if and when these difficulties are operating in us. It is hard to want to see what is not healthy (in ourselves).
- The next important thing is not to get trapped in self-judgement. And if we do, then know this is our situation/ predicament and work not to judge the judge.
- The next thing is to create the time and space to be the observer/ witness of this poison in us while at the same time make every effort not to act it out. Once it is acted out (we have put our will into it and spread it through action) it gathers strength and has more consequences.
Many people, once they have seen the poison, and their investment in it, must face down that part who is addicted to it. Then, step by step chose not to feed it and also chose – in the face of these attachments – what it is we really want.
This is part of the story of what is meant by karma. But if this is what we do (act out our negativity); then, it is most important to admit it; to really take it in. Without the first step – being willing to face what is taking place – all other steps are impaired.
The process of neutralising poison and transmitting negativity has many steps and many different roads. As does the process of awakening our longing and realisation; that we are loved and included in the Unity of Being – regardless of our behaviours.
Eventually, when and as we can/will, we will realise that we can bring the heart into these moments. Or as Irena Tweedie** would say in her Heart Meditation approach: immerse the thought-experience-picture into the heart; into love.
As we take these 3 steps of sensing and recognising poisons, the Babas can help immensely.
It takes time and yet – as many Saints & Servants have said – ‘how fast can change happen? That depends. If the person wants to connect to the Heart of the Divine like a drowning person wants air; it can happen very fast.”
For most of us, it takes time and understanding to build that kind of Longing and Intention.
*in his book ‘Discourses on the Sufi Path’ Dr. David Nurbakhsh gives an interesting view on what is Ethics of right/good behaviour from the Sufi point of view. David Nurbakhsh was the Master (Pir) of the Ni’matullahi Sufi Order until his passing in 2008. His books are on sale on the internet.
**Irena Tweedie authored ‘Daughter of Fire’ and interviews of her can be found on youtube.
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