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Daily
Living...
'Practices for The Quest'
Volume
Three of Dr Paul Brunton's Notebooks
contains a section entitled 'Practices
for the Quest'.
Some of the hints and comments he gives concerning
the spiritual life follow here and bear pondering upon
as we approach
our day to day living:
Aspirants
should emulate the philosopher's patience and not sit down every day
to feel their spiritual pulse, as it were, constantly worrying as to
whether they are making progress, remaining stagnant, or going backwards.
We need to remember that enlightenment cannot be attained by a single
act but only by slow degrees and constant toil. Yet unexpected cycles
of quickened progress may come upon us unaware. There may be times when
our inner being will seem to burst open in sudden bloom. But generally
there will be no smooth onward progress all the way. Our spiritual situation
will vary strikingly from time to time. The final accomplishment can
be brought about only in stages.At a certain stage
of development, it is more important to work hard at self-improvement
and to detect hidden weaknesses and remedy them than to attempt anything
else.
It
is true that many may find the quest more difficult without personal
freedom to meditate undisturbed and without privacy to study the inspired
texts. This will be more pronounced in the beginning perhaps. But a
time will come when the circumstances may change outwardly or inwardly
by the benignant work of grace. At a certain stage,
following a period of concentrated study or activity, it may become
necessary to slow down for a while in order to achieve some measure
of clarity and harmony - both in one's inward and in one's outward
life. Further progress is not possible until this has been satisfactorily
accomplished.
It
is not enough to renounce something by excluding it from your physical
life. You ought also to exclude it from memory and imagination.
An occasional and limited austerity, intended to help and strengthen
the growing will, is valuable to everyone. It is even more valuable
to the spiritual aspirant because it teaches one to dissociate the self
from the body.
The simple life is rightly advocated as an accompaniment to the spiritual
life. But the purpose of this advocacy should not be forgotten - to
save time and thought from becoming too preoccupied with physical things.
Yet those who draw help from beauty in art or nature, who are affected
by colour and form, should not throw aside this cultural heritage in
favour of bare, dull, dreary, and sometimes squalid surroundings in
the name of simplicity.
Hindu
religion and philosophy postulate four stages in a personal life on
earth: that of the student; the householder; the forest dweller; and
the final stage, the recluse or ascetic, in that order. At the completion
of the householder stage, when all the family duties, work in the
community, et cetera, have been fulfilled, the aspirant is then relatively
free to pursue spiritual matters and peaceful contemplation if so
desired, or the stage of the 'forest dweller'. I like to think that
I am entering that stage now and so these 'thoughts on daily life'
are offered from that perspective.
Daily life can be on the one hand, participating in and endeavouring
to contribute to the community in which one resides, while at the
same time aspiring to be a participant in the consciousness of higher
realms. The Theosophia has been and is a continuing inspiration whilst
attempting to balance these two aspects of daily life.
My day begins with an early morning period of sitting in the silence;
watching the sun rise; breathing exercises to control the thoughts;
turning the thoughts then to the Master. One favourite meditation
begins: 'O Gracious Lord, I enter Thy Radiance, and approach Thy Presence
... ' (to be found in Meditation by Clara Codd).
HPB wrote in Practical Occultism: 'The "Master" in the Sanctuary
of our souls is "the Higher Self" - the divine spirit whose
con- ciousness is based upon and derived solely ... from the Mind,
which we have agreed to call the Human Soul (the "Spiritual Soul"
being the vehicle of the Spirit.) One then waits patiently, humbly
for the response from the "Overself".'
The
early morning practice creates a current of spiritual strength which
will flow beneath the whole of the day's activities and thoughts.
In the words of Geoffrey Hodson's 'Yoga of Light' meditation: 'inwardly
vitalised, Self-recollected throughout the day'. Or, 'The light found
during our practice of mental quiet will then shine through our actions
when we go out to mingle freely with the crowd.' (The Secret Path
by Paul Brunton) When one spends the day working in the garden, maintaining
that essential contact with the earth, one becomes intensely aware
of working in harmony with the elemental lives or nature spirits,
and of the vibrant life flowing and present in all forms. There is
such quiet joy felt when watching tiny honeyeaters splashing happily
in the birdbath suspended from my backyard tree even on icy Winter
mornings; the love and care of family and friends and animal companions.
One is never alone in this world, all around us is evidence of the
One Life. ... 'Life itself has speech and is never silent. And its
utterance is not, as you that are deaf may suppose a cry, it is a
song.' (Light on The Path, Mabel Collins)
In
my heart I celebrate the gift of Life which has led to so many learning
experiences, both pleasurable and painful. And then there are books!
These also are my companions and I am grateful for the theosophical
and allied works which have enriched my life.
Some days may include a stroll to the sea, where one can bask in the
aura of the Great Deva who presides over the bay. A great stream of
energy surges through the body, lending it incredible lightness and
a feeling as if one is about to levitate. Before sleep at night thoughts
turn to a review of the day and the Golden Verses of Pythagoras (transl.
Fabre D'Olivet). The Master is reported to have said (verse 22): 'Let
not sleep e'er close thy tired eyes without thou ask thyself; what
have I omitted and what done.' D'Olivet explains:
The first precept
that Pythagoras gave to his disciples on entering the course of perfection
tended to turn their thoughts upon themselves, to bring them to interrogate
their actions, their thoughts, their discourses, to question the motives,
to reflect in short upon their exterior movements and seek thus to
know themselves.
Are the last five
words the key?
Noel Duzevich,
Safety Bay, Western Australia
Your
Viewpoint ...
What
is Your View?
A Society such as
ours which promotes freedom of thought will naturally attract people with
a wide diversity of opinions. [See also the National President's 'Reflections'
in this issue.] However, when personal differences turn into conflict
situations serious disharmony and damage may occur.
The following item
appeared in the minutes of this year's June National Council meeting:
'5.2 Proposed
Administrator/Arbitrator - Discussion
Council expressed concern about serious conflict situations at Executive
Committee level which have occurred recently in several Lodges/Branches.
That such disputation should arise at this level, in an organisation based
on brotherhood, is considered so serious that there was discussion concerning
the possibility of National Council offering on request a mediator, or
even if necessary appointing an arbitrator in any unresolved dispute.
As Lodges are autonomous the National Council can presently offer but
not impose mediation.
It was agreed to
keep the situation under review and to make no firm proposal at this stage,
but rather to promote further discussion at Lodge/Branch and National
level.'
It is recognised
that:
- many Australian
lodges/branches work in harmony, and
- the Australian
lodges/branches are autonomous.
However, the Society
is also charged to form a 'nucleus of the universal Brotherhood of humanity'.
With the above National Council minute in mind what, in your opinion,
can help to overcome such serious conflict situations? Further, how can
the National Society assist lodges/branches with such problems in the
most compassionate way possible? Comment on this important issue is encouraged.
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The Theosophical Society in Australia