Catching the Pranic Waves

Someone mentioned on the bus the other day how tanned I was looking. I explained that I hadn’t been away to ‘Foreign Parts’ like many folks do round here in the summer, but I had just been pottering about in the yard, tending to the Tomato’s, Courgettes, and Cucumbers and sitting reading and playing guitar and generally ‘catching some Pranic waves’ whenever I could. For many days over the summer it has felt as if I was away on holiday, but without the hassle, travel chaos, and expense. (Prana, by the way, is Sanskrit for life-force or cosmic energy)

Carl G. Jung the great Esoteric Psychologist wrote about how important it is to have the use of one’s own plot of land, 'so that our instincts can come alive once more'. I’ve kind of taken over the back yard from my sister, who I share the house with. We’ve got a sort of uneasy territorial agreement that she manages the front garden while I take care of the back. One of my oldest pals, the Reverend Bob came and built me a polytunnel in spring that I call ‘the Gween Womb’. I didn’t have much time to get some plants in so I simply bought and cadged what I could, not really knowing what I’d got. So it’s been quite a journey of discovery finding out what I’m actually growing. I’ve also created a fire pit area and put a bit of wicker fence up to make it seem a bit more private, nevertheless I don’t think I’ll be entering my design for the next Chelsea Flower Show just yet. (see pic).

I’ve not long finished David Icke’s latest book – ‘The Phantom Self’ which was an interesting read if you don’t mind wading through the seemingly endless accounts of the dastardly dark deeds of the Elite Architects of Control. He seems to be making more these days of the Gnostic teachings concerning the ‘Archons’, an ancient Greek term that simply means ‘Rulers’ but was used by the early Gnostic Christians to represent the ‘Dark Forces’ controlling the ‘World Empire’. Sadly it’s only in the last few pages of the book that we are offered some hope of a solution to the ‘Juggernaut of Tyranny’ waged by the Archontic forces. The title of the book implies that we are not the imaginary ego or Phantom Self that we think we are and that we are in fact Infinite Eternal Awareness rather than our prescribed roles, religions, and characters that we strut about acting out on this grand podium of Life. While I’m not sure how far I go with David on his analysis of the problems facing the world as he sees it, what matters to me is that he’s also busy promoting the ancient esoteric solution that the Anointed Jesus taught along with all the great sages from every tradition - the message that: ‘If we want a world of kindness we need to be kind. If we want a world of peace we need to be peaceful. If we want a world of love we need to be loving’.

Talking of which, I forgot to mention that while in Glastonbury at the time of the winter solstice, I found what turned out to be a second-hand paperback copy of the ‘Holy Grail’- a.k.a. 'A Course in Miracles' - at the local flea market in the town hall. I was told by my university mentor back in the day, Prof. Balbinder Singh Sohal, in 2000 that it was an interesting read, and that as a Christian I ought to have a look. It took me 15 years to get round to it but what a fortuitous read it has turned out to be. The book purports to be the channelled message from an anonymous non-physical intelligence who claims to be ‘one’ with Infinite Christ Consciousness. It is not an easy book to read, that varies in power and intensity. It uses non- inclusive old fashioned Christian language - the female pronoun is never used - I’m sure this has and will put off many modern readers of the text. But for some reason I have stuck with it and it is slowly revealing its treasures to me mightily. The way I have got into the course is by only focusing on what has meaning to me at the time and by copying those bits down in my journal. By writing down only those parts that make sense to me and shelfing the rest, I have the chance to meditate more deeply only on those bits that are making sense. Here’s a random example of one of the more easily understood parts:

‘To be alone is to be separated from infinity, but how can this be if infinity has no end? No one can be beyond the limitless, because what has no limits must be everywhere. There are no beginnings and no endings in God, whose universe is Himself. Can you exclude yourself from the Universe or from God who is the Universe? I and my Father are one with you, for you are part of us. Do you really believe that part of God can be missing or lost to Him?’ (A.C.I.M. p180 - paperback version).

Passages like this stand out from other parts that are very hard to penetrate. However the longer you stick to the course the more it reveals to you. The guy who sold it to me for £5 said he had been studying the Course every day for 18 years, (he probably had a posh copy back at home). I’m just beginning to understand why he has studied it for so long, and it looks like I may be studying it for the rest of my lifetime the way things are going.

Finally, the other book that I keep by my meditation table at the moment, is the 14th century book on apophatic prayer known as ‘The Cloud of Unknowing’. Written by another anonymous intelligence - that from the language he uses, was probably a Carthusian monk that came from the East Midlands of England, my own neck of the woods. I feel as if he is probably as close as I'm going to be able to get to an indigenous ancestral meditation teacher. To find out more on what this book is about you can go to the facebook page I’ve set up at- https://www.facebook.com/agnosticcloud/ Please ‘like’ the page if you decide to take a look, it helps to get the page about on the net. Cheers.

The Rubric of the Shamanesque

Rubric = Custom, Role/Function or practice- 'Spiritual Praxis').

Shamanesque = A word describing that which is ‘Shaman like’ or describing a person who is acting in the manner of an indigenous Shaman.

The roles of Prophet, Priest, and Shaman are specialised vocations and while many may desire to be ‘called’ to such roles, only a few are actually recognised by their community as being ‘chosen’ by Sacred Spirit to perform this work:

‘For many are called but few are chosen.’ – Lord Jesus.

The parable that this saying comes from,speaks of a wedding guest that isn’t wearing suitable clothing for the occasion and it teaches us, among other things, not to claim to be something or someone that we are not.

Though we may have to give up the notion of Priesthood or Shamanism as a career choice, this does not mean that we have to give up incorporating aspects of the ‘Shamanesque’ into our everyday personal spiritual practice.

Over the course of the next few post I'm going to be looking at some of the Shamanesque practices that can enrich your life. They are not for everyone and may only be suitable for people at certain times in their lives when the circumstances call for it, for example during periods of physical sickness or a mental breakdown, on retirement and during times of unemployment or under-employment whatever the cause.

Praxis

However, having said that, I have to begin this series of posts by saying that developing some kind of a personal spiritual practice, is something that we should all make time for, however hectic the pace of our lives might be, (saying you have no time is not a valid excuse - you can make time if you choose to). Spiritual praxis is the main antidote to the toxicity of being lost in the consensus trace- the media fuelled corporate hamster wheel that most of us spin on day after day. It is a main part of the process of moving from states of fear and hatred towards the consciousness of compassion and loving kindness.

The mainspring of any spiritual praxis has to be meditation, mindfulness, and prayer. Meditation prepares the soil from which the deep roots of a genuine spirituality grows.

How To Meditate

There are many methods of meditating, that have emerged from all the great religious traditions of the world. The method described here has its roots in the Coptic 'Abbas' and 'Ammas', (fathers and mothers) that took to dwelling in the deserts of the Middle East in the first few centuries of the common era. It is quite likely that they were influenced by Buddhist and Hindu monks that travelled the silk roads. The similarity to 'Transcendental Meditation' of the method described here would suggest so, and there is clear evidence of Buddhist monks being in in Alexandria at this time.

Sit down. Sit still with your back straight. Close your eyes lightly. Then interiorly, silently begin to recite a single word – a prayer word or mantra. The World Community for Christian Meditation (WCCM) recommend the ancient Christian Aramaic prayer-word "Maranatha" that means 'Come Lord Jesus/ the Lord is here'. This saying was commonly spoken among early Christians, and it is thought that Aramaic was the language that Jesus spoke.

Say it as four equal syllables. Breathe normally and give your full attention to the word as you say it, silently, gently, faithfully and - above all - simply. Many people like to say the prayer word along with their normal breathing rhythm – so breath in with ‘Ma’/ out with- ‘Ra’/ In with ‘Na’/out with ‘Tha’ or ‘Ta’.

The essence of meditation is simplicity. Stay with the same word during the whole meditation and in each meditation day to day. Don't visualise but listen to the word, as you say it. Let go of all thoughts (even good thoughts), images and other words. Don’t fight your distractions: let them go by saying your word faithfully, gently and attentively and returning to it as soon as you realise you have stopped saying or it or when your attention wanders.

It is important to realise that meditation is not about emptying your mind or stopping thinking. You can no more do this that stop clouds blowing by holding up your hand. The art of meditation is the rocking back and forth from being lost in thought to focusing on your word faithfully throughout your time in meditation.

Meditate twice a day, morning and evening, for between 20 and 30 minutes. This is the ideal you should be aiming for but any time spend in meditation, however short is never wasted. It may take a time to develop this discipline and the support of a tradition and community is always helpful.