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MEDITATION (1)
by Aart Jurriaanse
Because man is incomplete within
himself, only forming a small
fragment of a greater whole, there is
always a conscious or unconscious
urge within him to seek closer
co-ordination and union with that
which is greater, but which as yet
only assumes a vague and undefined
form. This attraction is the driving
force inciting him to seek the centre
of his being, and which leads him on
to the Path of Return to the
All-Self. It is merely the Prodigal
Son being inspired with that
irresistible urge to return to the
Father’s home; but this Path is long
and arduous, and the many obstacles
will only be surmounted with the
expending of great effort and after
brave and persistent struggling for
every step that is advanced.
The surest way of overcoming these
subjective obstacles is by means of
meditation. This practice is also
known as the Science of Bridging —
the bridging between various states
of consciousness. It aims at
producing sensitivity to impression
from higher Sources, and for this
purpose it must primarily ensure the
construction of the Bridge of Light
(‘antahkarana’) between the
personality and the Soul, followed
subsequently by that which also links
up with the Higher Mind and Intuition
of the Triad.
Actually, meditation forms the
foundation for all spiritual growth.
By dint of certain techniques and
strenuous and persistent invocative
efforts of concentration, the
aspirant learns to become aware of
his real inner Self; he learns
consciously to interpret the wishes
evoked by the Soul, and to carry out
its plans as far as these are
comprehended at various stages of
realization. Technically this means
bringing the lower instrument into a
state of receptivity and vibratory
response that will correspond with
that of the Soul. A vibration must
therefore go out from the mind and
brain of man to meet a reciprocal
vibration emanating from the Soul.
When these vibrations have been
successfully aligned and
synchronized, a rhythmic interplay
and flow of energy will be effected,
and a clear impression of ideas from
egoic levels can then take place.
This contact of mind and brain with
the soul may be achieved by suitable
techniques of meditation, but may
also be brought about by living a
life of inner mental reflection, by
disciplining the lower nature, by
expressing goodwill and
self-forgetfulness, and by rendering
dedicated service to fellow human
beings. Where permanent alignment
between the soul and its instrument
has been established, meditation may
be shifted to a higher level and then
serve to construct the ‘bridge of
light’ connecting the personality
with the Spiritual Triad, and thus
allowing the intuition to come into
play.
So often the one aim of the aspirant
is only to effect contact with his
Master, little realizing that his
first and most important guide is his
own soul, and that the Master can
only be contacted through the
mediation of the soul.
The steps to be followed by the
aspiring meditator are firstly to
practise certain physical disciplines
and to purify his system. The second
step will be to obtain reasonable
control over the emotions, and
thirdly he should aim at some measure
of control over the wild horses of
the mind.
For present purposes only the general
principles affecting meditation will
be considered, giving no attention to
various systems and techniques which
might be followed. Meditation is
something personal, and the method
and detail will vary from individual
to individual, depending on the
student’s soul and personality rays,
his stage of spiritual evolution, his
karmic condition and demands, as well
as the needs of his environment, of
the group with which he is
associated, and the contribution he
can make towards improving human
relationships and world conditions in
general. In other words it will
depend on the service that the soul
has planned for that particular
incarnation.
How fortunate the man who has a
knowledgeable and experienced teacher
to guide him, and who will be able to
prescribe and adapt differentiated
techniques for the aspirant’s
particular requirements. As a rule,
however, aspirants have to make a
beginning without any reliable
guidance, and for them it is
advisable to adhere to standard
practices which carry in them the
elements of safety and universality.
Students who have incorporated
meditation as a regular part of their
daily routine should learn to avail
themselves fully of the increased
opportunities for contact which
become available during the time of
the full Moon. During these monthly
recurring periods it is as if a door
is being opened which normally stands
closed. This door may then be
entered, providing access to energies
otherwise not available, and thereby
improving the possibility of
approaches to the Masters. This
period of stimulated activity
stretches over about five days — two
days prior to the full Moon, the peak
of the forces on the day of the full
Moon, and the two subsequent days of
shrinking activity.
When after due consideration of all
the facts at his disposal, man
decides to tread the Path of Light,
trying to release the indwelling soul
life from its fetters, and to
disperse the mists and veils which
have kept it hidden, he should apply
his efforts mainly in three
directions:
(a) By means of study he should
acquire as much knowledge and
understanding about man’s
constitution, and of the Ageless
Wisdom in general, as his
circumstances will allow.
(b) His subjective life should be
expanded as far as possible by
esoteric meditation, applied to the
best of his ability. This should,
however, always be undertaken with
the full realization that he is
‘playing with fire’ — the fire of
mind and spirit, which may literally
burn and badly damage the mental body
if unduly stimulated, and allowed to
develop beyond control. The secret is
to see to it that balance is retained
by undertaking all steps with
discrimination.
(c) Should any subjective development
occur, this must be allowed to find
objective expression in some field of
service to the fellow man. Without
such an outlet the unfoldment
achieved will be obscured by the
generated energies. Providing he is
serving to the best of his ability,
and is inspired by altruistic
motives, then the nature of
expression of such service is
immaterial, and will vary with the
individual, the rays under which he
is functioning and which determine
his character, as well as the
environmental circumstances.
Aart Jurriaanse, wrote a number of
compilations from the books of Alice
A. Bailey. Among these are: Of
Life and other worlds; Prophecies;
Ponder on this; Serving Humanity; The
Soul; The Quality of Life; and he
is also the author of Bridges
which is a Commentary on these
teachings.
Return to Directory of articles by Aart
Jurriaanse
From the work of AAB
Updated: Sex &
the Disciple + New:
Homosexuality
"The future will see right
relationships, true communion, a
sharing of all things (wine,
the blood, the life and bread,
economic satisfaction) and goodwill;
we have also a picture of the
future of humanity when all nations
are united in complete
understanding and the diversity of
languages - symbolic of differing
traditions, cultures,
civilizations and points of view -
will provide no barrier to right
human relations..."
The Tibetan and Alice A. Bailey
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