Meditation Alone is Not Enough
“Across the vast spectrum of spiritual traditions, different methods and tools are offered as a means to reach inner awakening. But in all mature schools of enlightenment, the essence of an adept’s effort remains the practice of meditation. Meditation, in the broadest sense of the term, denotes the effort of consciousness to maintain a focus on the self. For our meditation to be real, this internal concentration of energy and consciousness must be based on self-knowledge and a certain degree of awakening, because in their absence, we cannot relate to the self and remain confined to the plane of forgetfulness. We need to sensitively practice self-enquiry in order to turn consciousness back to its source, just as we need to practice meditation to support our self-enquiry, so that our awakened experience deepens and becomes permanent.”
“The nature of the inner work changes as we focus on different areas of awakening: the work with awareness demands a great deal of concentration and mindfulness; the work with the heart is based on an opening to sensitivity, prayer and the divine; the work with being is founded upon the art of letting go and the consequent vertical expansion of energy; the work with the ego and the mind requires self-observation, non-identification and the cultivation of purity.
“Spiritual practice has to be intelligently applied, with sensitivity to both our potential and our limitations. Practice is not an end in itself, but rather a means to achieve a natural state, free from effort. The responsibility of a teacher is to prescribe a practice according to the specific needs of the student. The responsibility of the student is to understand the nature of that practice, and to recognize the point of its completion.”
~ Anadi (Aziz Kristof)
