AM-116 MEDITATION (10)

We are coming towards the end of our in-depth look at meditations, what it is and what it is not. We have come to understand that meditation follows a sequence of events, starting with concentration, advancing to meditations, then passing on to contemplation and finally ending up with the practitioner becoming illuminated. There are many types of meditation. For most, it never really progresses past the stage of concentration and meditation. But where are you ultimately heading? To answer this, let us start to look at meditation through an esoteric lens.

Laurency never tires to point out that many meditation techniques taught by occult sects can be positively harmful to the practitioner. Why? Because none of the existing occult sects possesses the requisite knowledge to train a student in the correct art of meditation. However, I can not see many keen students heeding the suggestion of Laurency to postpone their attempts at meditation, until they are adopted by some stray master from the Hierarchy, who will tailor-make a meditation programme for them, yielding the quickest results possible. We did, however, discuss in the Risks to Meditations that “energy follows thought” and one should be aware of the energies you are concentrating on when you focus your attention.

From an esoteric perspective, concentration belongs to the stage of the Aspirant. The act of meditation is achieved by the disciples, using their mental molecules. Contemplation becomes possible when the disciple reaches the Causal stage of consciousness and now it is causal molecules (47:2 &3) that are activated. Contemplation is the jumping-off point to achieving Illumination. Access is now gained to causal ideas, also known as Reality Ideas or Platonic ideas.

There is no getting away from the fact that there are special meditation exercise that allow the practitioner to acquire causal energies in the 2nd Triad of the mental atom (47:1). It is also possible to gain subjective consciousness in the lowest subplane of Unity Consciousness (46:7). These exercises, whether we like it or not, are only communicated to an aspirant when they become an accepted disciple. The exercises that need to be performed are always individual to the aspirant, being adapted to the character of the aspirant, their level of development and the ray configuration of their envelopes.

So, what precisely is esoteric meditation trying to achieve? The aspirant is trying to build a connection, often called a bridge between the 1st Triad mental molecule (47:4) and the 2nd Triad mental atom (47:1). This is done through the Knowledge Centre of the causal lotus. This centre consists of three petals. This bridge between the two triads does not spontaneously materialise. Neither is it a gift from the Gods. The connection must be, painstakingly, built by the disciple themselves through the processes of meditation. The trick is, obviously, knowing what to do. This is where the Master comes in, teaching the disciple the methodical procedures required. The objective, as already stated, is to activate certain petals in the causal lotus. This is only possible when the disciple is ready and only the master knows this. Remember, esoteric knowledge confers power and is reserved for those monads who live for unity and are prepared to dedicate their activities toward the conscious evolution of Humanity. This is not what theologians call “to serve God”. Those that acquire esoteric knowledge do not stand around wondering what to do. There is more than enough work to be done and the disciple just has to match the task to their abilities to complete the assignment.

Forget about breathing exercises. When the pupil can repeat the “lost words of the master”, they are heading in the right direction. Breathing exercises may yield results but Laurency warns that they, ultimately, lead nowhere, both physically, as well as emotionally. Meditations are often portrayed as developing the ‘Third Eye’. Activation of this centre will remain esoteric for a long time and is under the close supervision of a master. Always bear in mind that you should proceed from the general to the particular, not the other way round. As you gain knowledge, it should always be put at the service of Humanity. Meditation and service are twinned activities.

So, what are the processes involved in esoteric meditation? There are three stages. These are called Penetration, Polarisation and Precipitation. These occur alongside specialise training in developing telepathy. Penetration means the ‘illumination’ of a problem. Polarisation means the insertion of facts, acquired, into the right order and context. Precipitation is the practical realisation of the insights gained by the practitioner. This leads to setting the stage for further ‘revelations’. Note the term ‘practical realisation’. Knowledge should always have a goal. It is acquired for the purpose of achieving something, not just sitting in an ivory tower and gazing at the stars. It is worth considering how consciousness expansion is possible at all. The reason is that we all participate in a group consciousness that is universal and encompasses the whole cosmos. When our personal consciousness envelope expands, what we are really doing is tapping into the consciousness envelopes of more and more monads.

Laurency gives an example of a meditation given by Master D.K. to one of his disciples. This pupil had three envelopes that were all resonating to the 1st Ray! Who was this person? Alexander the Great! Three 1st Ray envelopes! Anyway, needless to say, a suitable theme was to study the various manifestations of the Motion aspect, otherwise known as the ‘will’. The pupil was asked to reflect on ‘the problem of the will in all its relationships’. Examples would be how it manifests at a planetary level; how it works out in an individual’s life; the relationship between the personal will and that of the guardian angels, who are their ‘acting’ higher-self; the relationship between the plans for their own lives in relation to the Divine Plan; their causal will to the will of the group to which they belong; and finally, the relationship of this group’s will to that of the Hierarchy and on to the will of the Plenary Government, ruled over by Sanat Kumara. No small task then.

Laurency gives us a symbolic saying to ponder. “to will, to know, to dare, to be silent”. These can be linked to our various chakra centres. “To will” is related to the Basal chakra. “To know” is linked to the Eyebrow Centre. “To dare” is linked to the Navel centre and to be silent equates to the Sacral Centre. Laurency tells us that pondering these four sayings would be a suitable subject for meditation and states that “anyone who has solved this problem and can realise the insight gained, is at the border of the causal stage. Now there is a challenge. Answers please in the Comment section below.

Consciousness development is a slow process as we all know. We have been at it for trillions of years, all the way from when we were primary atoms, circulating through the Cosmos. This process is symbolically called ‘wandering from darkness to light’. Why? Because the light of every higher plane of matter is of such intensity that the plane that you have just come from seems dark by comparison. As you progress through each world of matter, your consciousness expands to accommodate the new reality of that plane. This for us is done through meditation and I suspect is the mode for all higher levels of consciousness as well.

Ok, we now know what esoteric meditation is and when and how you go about it. The next question is, what is the purpose of esoteric meditation? Laurency tells us that it is to acquire ‘soul control’. This is when the disciple’s life is dominated by causal energies. These results are achieved by serving others, not themselves and presupposes a Will to Unity, experience of Life and also Wisdom of Life. Engaging in esoteric meditation puts the disciple in touch with their guardian angel, the Planetary Hierarchy, which is where their master comes from, with the rest of Humanity. All three connections happen simultaneously.

The primary effect of meditation is to, on a daily basis, remind us about the importance of striving for Unity. The ‘Will to Unity’ must be the determining motivation for all activities. This should occur, irrespective of how others react. The net result of meditating is that we send out the idea of unity from our mental envelopes. This makes it easier for us and others to apply the most fundamental of all laws of life: the Law of Unity.

When knowledge orders were up and running, they taught the disciple that contact between the self and the guardian angel was achieved, partially by a reflective attitude, partly by unselfish service and partly by mastering consciousness in their envelopes of incarnation. This resulted in them becoming free channels for causal energies to ground themselves and be passed on to Humanity at large. By meditating, the esoterician tries to help the Planetary Government in their work for evolution, humanity and the unity of all life. Meditation exercises are designed to make the esoterician a better tool, his envelopes better tools for the self and the self a better tool for the energies from the Planetary Hierarchy. This Laurency describes as the ‘one right motive’.

To summarise, Meditation does the mental planning, Understanding brings it down into the emotional body and Love manifests it in the physical world around us.

This brings us to the end of the extended topic on meditation. In the next presentation, I wish to look at the Great Invocation. Why it was given to us, what we are supposed to do with it and what it really means.