The Law of Attention: Nada Yoga and the Way of Inner Vigilance
Autor Edward Salim Michaelen Limba Engleză Paperback – 27 ian 2010
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Specificații
ISBN-13: 9781594773044
ISBN-10: 1594773041
Pagini: 384
Ilustrații: 7 b&w illustrations
Dimensiuni: 152 x 229 x 23 mm
Greutate: 0.6 kg
Ediția:2nd Edition, New Edition of The Way of Inner Vigilance
Editura: Inner Traditions/Bear & Company
Colecția Inner Traditions
Locul publicării:United States
ISBN-10: 1594773041
Pagini: 384
Ilustrații: 7 b&w illustrations
Dimensiuni: 152 x 229 x 23 mm
Greutate: 0.6 kg
Ediția:2nd Edition, New Edition of The Way of Inner Vigilance
Editura: Inner Traditions/Bear & Company
Colecția Inner Traditions
Locul publicării:United States
Notă biografică
Edward Salim Michael (1921-2006) began transmitting the fruits of his inner experiences and mystical understandings to his pupils in 1974. In addition to The Law of Attention, first published in 1983, he has written 7 other books in French.
Extras
Chapter 8
Efforts and Sincerity
By its very unusual nature, the way of yoga (or anyreal spiritual work) cannot be easy, and is, in general, beyond the capacity of the ordinary person whose interests and main source of pleasure in life are principally centered in the outside physical world. The profound sincerity, unrelenting efforts, and tenacious perseverance that are demanded of an aspirant can be measured only by the spectacular results conferred on such spiritual struggles.
In this domain more than in any other, whether it be artistic or not, a person can rise to the sublime heights of his being only insofar as he is prepared to give himself up--renouncing his inner dreams, ambitions, and the countless enticing pleasures the outer world offers him--to the pursuit of his spiritual quest, the fruit of which he cannot tangibly see nor even conceive at first.
It sometimes happens in life that very great creative artists have in them this exceptional inner force, unusual sincerity, and the capacity to sacrifice themselves to such an astounding degree as to accept the direst hardships and suffering to achieve their artistic creations. This may partly explain why the masterpieces of certain composers can impart such profound and sublime feelings that no words ever could.
When an aspirant has started this all-important spiritual work, it is vital for him to learn to distinguish clearly between the short moments when he is truly aware of himself during his spiritual endeavors, and the long periods when he only thinks he is aware. In the beginning, it is easy for someone to delude himself into the belief that he is making genuine efforts of presence while working at his Hatha-Yoga asanas (yoga postures), pranayama (special breathing), or any other spiritual exercise when, in fact, he is either lost in his usual state of absence and reveries, or--which is much worse--absorbed in fantasies about himself and enlightenment, projecting on the latter ideas that have no relation to reality, thus closing the door on any understanding of the real nature of his True Being.
The difficulty of breaking with their customary state of being and allowing something else in them to become apparent to their inner vision is truly immense for most people. It can in general be said that one never possesses sufficient strength nor the will to go beyond one’s ordinary self and become fully engaged in one’s spiritual work with the whole of oneself as one should. One has become so accustomed throughout one’s life to doing everything in a half-hearted or uninterested manner, most of the time lost in one’s habitual state of oblivion, that one now accepts this condition in oneself as normal, without feeling the need to question it any further.
The kind of presence needed for this work demands such profound inner sincerity from an aspirant as does not generally exist in the normal course of life. It is difficult for him to understand this because, when he first embarks on such a journey, he takes himself with him as he is, with all his baggage of complexes, desires, ignorance, and weaknesses. To be present to oneself with the utmost of one’s capacity when doing a Hatha-Yoga asana or during meditation has a very special taste about it that is unmistakable. One must really realize, from the depths of oneself, that this kind of effort, in its most intense and unalloyed state, can be maintained only for very short moments at first, but it will have an unforgettable savor about it, and will leave a deep trace in one’s being afterward.
Sincerity begins for the aspirant at the very instant when he sees his insincerity. The problem is that, generally, he will either refuse to face this unpleasant aspect of himself altogether, and even angrily deny it if it is brought to his attention, or he may see it for only a short instant and quickly brush it aside, hiding it behind all kinds of conscious or unconscious justifications. The very fact that a seeker succeeds in seeing himself as he is, feels remorse, and begins to suffer from it will of itself start creating in him the necessary conditions to permit the birth of a new way of being and pave the way to a true spiritual awakening.
It needs a particular kind of strength and courage to look unflinchingly at one’s own insincerity, a strength and courage that can only arise and become actual when inspired by the acute yearning for one’s emancipation. To look courageously at his insincerity will arouse in the aspirant a profound pain and sorrow--indispensable to make him wish to alter his way of being. And, paradoxically, the strength to become more sincere will come as much from the grief that arises from seeing this want of sincerity in him as from his longing for sincerity itself.
The sincere inner attitude and attentiveness with which a seeker performs his spiritual exercises can be the start of learning what “dying to oneself ” really means. This will in time give rise to a greater purity of being, which will inevitably have an effect on all his future spiritual strivings and meditations as well as in his relationship with other people.
By shielding others from his own insincerity, the aspirant will also safeguard the inner light he may--through Grace and his efforts--have found in himself against getting again through wrong desires, harmful actions, or a false way of being. The more sincere a seeker is, the more sincere he will be able to be. As sincerity is put into practice it grows and multiplies, like a grain of wheat sown in the soil, which, when nourished and protected, gives birth to innumerable other seeds.
Cuprins
Foreword by Ajahn Sumedho
Preface
Introduction
1 Birth and Self-Forgetfulness
2 The Attention and Its Importance
3 The Body and Self-Recollectedness
4 The Aspirant’s Attitude When Alone
5 The Slavery of Wrong Personal Consideration
6 Inner Work in Outer Life Conditions
7 Sva-Vani-Sravana Yoga, Yoga of Listening to the Sound of One’s Voice
8 Efforts and Sincerity
9 The Mysterious Role of Suffering
10 Nada Yoga, Yoga of the Inner Sound (Part One)
11 Nada Yoga, Yoga of the Inner Sound (Part Two)
12 Nada Yoga, Yoga of the Inner Sound (Part Three)
13 Nada Yoga, Yoga of the Inner Sound (Part Four)
14 Nada Yoga, Yoga of the Inner Sound (Part Five)
15 The Practice of Concentration While Walking Outside
16 Hidden Tendencies and the Meaning of Renunciation
17 Tapas (Self-Denials) and Their True Significance
18 Earthly Existence as Indispensable Means for Transformation
19 Yoga of the Void
20 Problems in Meditation and Their Equivalent When Dying
21 Hatha Yoga (Part One)
22 Hatha Yoga (Part Two)
23 Hatha Yoga (Part Three)
24 Time and Eternity
25 Meditation and the After-Death State
26 The Importance of Cyclic Recurrence in the Universe
27 Meditation with Slow Walking and Breathing (Part One)
28 Meditation with Slow Walking and Breathing (Part Two)
29 Meditation with Slow Walking and Breathing (Part Three)
30 Meditation with Slow Walking and Breathing (Part Four)
31 The Interaction of Forces in the Universe and Life
32 The Power of Hidden Influences Emanating from Beings and Things
33 Actions and Their Consequences in the World
34 The Trace That Thoughts, Words, and Deeds Leave
35 The Human Being Thinks Himself into What He Is
36 Accidental Forces and Their Effect on a Person’s Being
37 Seeing and Hearing
38 Exercise with the Sacred Syllable OM
39 Sadhana and Enlightenment (Part One)
40 Sadhana and Enlightenment (Part Two)
41 Sadhana and Enlightenment (Part Three)
42 The Further Understanding of Right Effort
43 The Price of Enlightenment
44 Mother and Child
45 Man and Woman
46 Food and the Human Being
47 The Spectator and the Spectacle
48 Conclusion and Summary (with Some Final Advice and Reminders)
Afterword
Index
About the Author
Recenzii
“The Law of Attention is a remarkable book filled with clear guidance that presents a strong call for the total dedication of one’s life in the quest of supreme enlightenment. With Edward Salim Michael’s uncompromising emphasis on integrity and effort this is not a book for the fainthearted or dilettante, but I would recommend all serious aspirants to read this book again and again both for its inspiration and its precise instructions. Although not a specifically Buddhist text, the path mapped out and advice so meticulously given render it a suitable companion and guide for any spiritual traveler.”
“This fine book offers, without doubt, the clearest and most comprehensive description of ‘Nada Yoga’ (meditation on the inner sound) that is available in the English language. This is a practice that is known in Vedic, Buddhist, and other traditions to be a powerful and liberating spiritual discipline and is also one that I have used for more than 25 years, to great benefit.”
“Edward Salim Michael’s teaching goes straight to the heart, making us realize the commitment, energy, and love it takes to realize the truth at the deepest level. This book is a spiritual friend and guide for all seekers of Truth.”
“The Law of Attention is a remarkable guide for all those who wish to find the treasure that lies within each of us. Edward Salim Michael has given us a guide to the path that leads within and words of encouraging instruction when the way is difficult. His words reflect a life dedicated to spiritual practice.”
“This fine book offers, without doubt, the clearest and most comprehensive description of ‘Nada Yoga’ (meditation on the inner sound) that is available in the English language. This is a practice that is known in Vedic, Buddhist, and other traditions to be a powerful and liberating spiritual discipline and is also one that I have used for more than 25 years, to great benefit.”
“Edward Salim Michael’s teaching goes straight to the heart, making us realize the commitment, energy, and love it takes to realize the truth at the deepest level. This book is a spiritual friend and guide for all seekers of Truth.”
“The Law of Attention is a remarkable guide for all those who wish to find the treasure that lies within each of us. Edward Salim Michael has given us a guide to the path that leads within and words of encouraging instruction when the way is difficult. His words reflect a life dedicated to spiritual practice.”
Descriere
How to achieve a direct inner experience of your higher nature and the after-death state from which you originate and will return.