Concentration, meditation, and prayer are all efforts of the Spirit in man
to rise above mere material consideration, to realize the timelessness of all
Good, and to find that vital spark of God within, which is enfolded in every
human being.
The ability to concentrate the mind is essential to spiritual progress. It
enables one to gain mastery of the desire body and eventually to get in
conscious contact with the invisible worlds.
To learn the art of concentration, we must bring our attention to a focus
and our thoughts to a point upon a single object or condition. We must realize
that thought-force is our principal power, and we must learn to have control
of it. This is not easily accomplished, but even an attempt in that direction
will have its value. It is imperative that we gain control of our thoughts,
for without this control the power flows aimlessly, accomplishing nothing.
When we have learned to concentrate on any one thing to the exclusion of all
other things' we will be able to increase our thought power and ability to use
it effectively. We attain quality by diminishing the often excessive quantity.
During concentration, man's senses are stilled as they would be in deepest
sleep, but at the same time the Spirit remains within the body in full control
of all its faculties. The aspirant learns to become absorbed at will in any
subject. In the book,
Rosicrucian Mysteries,
we are told that it is
easier to learn the art of concentration while we are still living in the
Physical World. The dense body is an anchor and a shield against the
disturbing influences of the volatile, fluidic conditions of the higher
Worlds. Therefore, we must develop the faculty of concentration in the
Physical World where matter serves as a balancing check. When we have realized
the value of the art of concentration, we will be eager to practice it daily.
Max Heindel advises us to take the time we spend on public transportation or
in similar places, where the mind has a chance to wander, and use it in
concentrating on an object or an ideal.
Noisy public transportation, perhaps filled with crowding passengers,
would not seem to be the best place to practice concentration, but we are
advised that one learns better under such adverse conditions; then, having
succeeded under difficulties, one will always find it easier to gather one's
thoughts into single-pointedness when the chance for quiet concentration
presents itself. As a rule, our minds do not hold any one thought long enough
to penetrate its nature and complete meaning. To gain control of one's
thoughts is a great achievement; anyone who has mastered this difficult
accomplishment has the key to success in any field at his command.
We all, at times, have the urgent need to send helpful thoughts to others,
but no matter how great our wish to comply may be, only the concentrated
thoughts have the strength to arrive at their destination. They have to be
massed in one direction to attain their object, just as the Sun's rays,
concentrated in a magnifying glass, ignite and create a fire. The aspirant to
the higher life must learn to control and direct his thoughts, and by
persistent effort he will attain the goal — which is perfect concentration of
thought at will — at any time desired.
In The Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception, it is stated that,
"The aspirant to the higher life accomplishes the union of the higher and the
lower nature by means of meditation." The sincere aspirant chooses lofty
subjects in his meditation which reveal the nature of the higher Worlds to
him, showing him the reality of the Good, the True, and the Beautiful. His aim
is ever to do the bidding of his own Higher Self.
Intense concentration builds a living thought form, a clear and true
image. In meditation we learn much about this thought form; the exercise
enables us to enter into its relationship to the world. In concentration we
put all of our attention on one subject or idea; in meditation we gather all
knowledge possible upon this one subject. The mind ponders and gropes, always
bringing added bits of information and thereby gaining a new significance and
a new understanding. This process, when adhered to for some time, will enrich
our own world of thought in such a way that we will be able to reach out into
new fields of knowledge and gain new understanding there also. All spiritual
truths become clearer when we have fully understood one, and the words of our
mouths become wiser as time goes on.
When we meditate on such inspiring concepts as "wisdom" and
"understanding" and ponder the meaning and reality of these words, we contact
forces that have their home in higher and purer spheres than our daily
surroundings. We know that we cannot neglect our duties, and often we must
live in the din of a busy world for the sake of needed experience. But no
matter what the circumstance, we can and should take time for daily silent
meditations. Meditation in silence is a real help in gaining soul growth. By
this practice we are enabled to build within our own inner selves a sanctuary.
We can construct this Living Temple not made with hands and enter it whenever
we need to restore the harmony we crave.
Much has been written about prayer, for it is universal. All human cultures address a Great Spirit, a Supreme Being, with fear and trembling or with adoration and confidence. The divine origin of everyone makes itself felt, and the divine Spark in man yearns to recognize the high Source of all being.
Man approaches God in confession, supplication, and adoration, but also
often feels the need to ask Him for his material sustenance. We sometimes
wonder what our prayer should be. The answer is that "we must get away from
the idea that every time we approach our Father in Heaven we must ask for
something. " The earnest aspirant will not ask for material things; he may ask
for spiritual illumination, but when that high goal is reached the
illumination should be used to benefit others.
Actually, invocations for temporal things are black magic. We have been
given the promise: "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and
all these things shall be added unto you." Christ Jesus indicated the limit in
The Lord's Prayer when He taught His disciples to say: "Give us this day our
daily bread."
When we approach the Throne with praise and adoration, we are in the
receptive state which brings us nearer to our ideal, where we may experience
an outpouring of the Spirit, radiant and glorious. Then we will have learned
by first-hand experience that prayer is a powerful method used in perfecting
our ability to recognize Divine Light.
When we unite our prayers with those of others who are of like mind, much
can be accomplished. Collective prayer in places of worship is helpful when
done in an atmosphere of reverence and quietude. But unless we can have this
harmony and peaceful cooperation in sacred places, it is better we do as
Christ bade us do, "Enter into your closet and pray in secret. "God knows our
hidden thoughts and the sincerity of our motives. It is good to pray in the
same surroundings, if that is possible. We can dedicate a place in our home,
no matter how small, for daily worship. Here we can build the Invisible
Temple, adding to the spiritual atmosphere from day to day, and in time this
place will be to us a holy place.
If we realize that "all spiritual development begins with the vital body,"
we will understand why we are told in the Bible to pray without ceasing. The
keyword of the vital body is "repetition." The pure and lofty thoughts our
mind dwells upon cleanse and purify this vehicle. By earnest, repeated prayer
we can acquire the habit of daily communion with God, and we will be lifted up
on wings of power and aspiration. It is essential that we put intense
earnestness into our devotional exercises. Otherwise our monotonous repetition
becomes mere habit, and we are in danger of saying mere empty words. When we
dedicate ourselves wholeheartedly to the Highest we know, then prayer is the
most powerful method of soul growth known to us.
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