THE GNOSTIC SOCIETY Samael Aun Weor PROGRAM MEDITATION CHAMBER First Stage VOLUME Second English Edition - July 2018 MEDITATION CHAMBER Volume I Rights Reserved © 2013 Rafael Vargas Any form of reproduction, distribution, public communication, and transformation of this work is prohibited without the authorization of the owners of intellectual property, except where exempted by law. Gnostic Society Table of Contents 1. Relaxation ___________________________________________ 13 • Relaxation of the body _____________________________ 15 • Relaxation of the mind _____________________________ 16 2. Practice of Meditation through Rhythmic Breathing ________ 21 3. Practice of Meditation through the Exercise of Breathing ___ 27 • Breathing and Pranayama __________________________ 29 • What is Prana? ___________________________________30 • The Six Paths of Breathing __________________________30 • Phases of Meditation ______________________________35 • The Lungs _______________________________________36 • Sushumna _______________________________________40 • Ida and Pingala ___________________________________40 • Excerpt from a book by Lobsang Rampa ______________43 • Complete Breathing _______________________________55 • The Cleansing Breath _____________________________57 • Rhythmic Breathing _______________________________58 5 Meditation Chamber - 1st stage 4. The Science of Meditation ______________________________65 5. The Practice of Interiorization, Concentration, & Meditation 83 • 1.- Importance of an Ethical Foundation _______________87 • 2.- Self-Knowledge of the Being _____________________90 • 3.- Concentration and Silence _______________________94 • 4.- Becoming Conscious of What We Already Know _____ 96 • 5.- Concentration _________________________________ 99 • 6.- Resistance as a Secret Weapon of the Ego _________ 103 • 7.- Superlative Analysis of the “I” ___________________ 108 • 8.- An Arduous Task for the Beginner ________________ 112 6. The Eternal Feminine & Her Relationship with the Particular Jeshua ___________________________________ 115 7. Christic Egyptian Pranayama __________________________ 129 • The Mysteries of Fire Pranayama _____________________________________ 140 8. Concentration and Meditation _________________________ 153 • The First Thing the Candidate Should Acquire in the Spiritual Path _______________________ 156 • Practice of Meditation by Concentrating the Mind on One Point ________________ 159 • Practice of Meditation by Means of Visualization _______ 161 • Practicing Meditation through Mantram-Yoga —Reciting or Intoning of Incantations or Mystic Words ____________________ 164 6 Gnostic Society • Practicing Self-observation during Meditation ________________________________ 168 • Practicing Meditation by Concentrating or Absorbing the Mind in Good Will or Devotional Thoughts _________________ 173 • Practicing Meditation by Identifying the Essence of Mind _____________________ 176 • Comprehension and Self-Revelation in Meditation _____ 180 • Koans in Meditation ______________________________ 184 9. The Kundalini _______________________________________ 189 • The Seven Churches ______________________________ 195 9a. The Occult Psychology of the Chakras __________________ 207 • Occult Psychology ________________________________ 211 • What Are We? ___________________________________ 215 • Who Am I? ______________________________________ 218 • Psychological Thinking ____________________________ 221 • Energetic Centers ________________________________ 223 • Psychology through the Chakras ____________________ 225 • The Chakras _____________________________________ 231 7 Gnostic Society PROGRAM MEDITATION CHAMBER Introduction In the Gnostic Society Samael Aun Weor, all of us know that the Meditation Chamber program is theoretical-practical, in this respect “esoteric practice” is more important, since as the V.M. Samael Aun Weor tells us, through esoteric practice we can become conscious of what we already know intellectually. For that reason, the present program has been designed with the techniques of relaxation, respiration, concentration, and mysticism in mind, which are so necessary in meditation, introspection, interiorization, just as the V.M. Samael Aun Weor explains in some paragraphs of his lectures: Relaxation: “Observe newborn babies; their relaxed bodies in the crib have an ineffable appearance. Imitate newborn babies; relax your body the way children relax their bodies. Let no muscle remain in tension; the arms and legs of newborn babies are like silk.” Breathing: “There is an intimate and profound relationship between the sexual forces and breathing, which when combined and harmonized properly, originate fundamental changes in the physical anatomy and the psychology of men.” Concentration: “In order to achieve imagination, it is necessary to learn to concentrate thought solely on one thing. The one who learns to concentrate thought solely on one thing will do wonders and prodigies.” 9 Meditation Chamber - 1st stage Mysticism: “In the name of truth, I solemnly declare that the Being is the only real existence, before whose ineffable and terribly divine transparency, what we call “I,” ego, myself, oneself, is merely exterior darkness, crying, and gnashing of teeth.” And the following texts have been the ones that have motivated us very seriously to work in our Gnostic centers with the Meditation Chamber: Now you will comprehend, my dear friends, why the Meditation Chambers are so indispensable. Frankly, I feel quite sad when I see that even though I have written so much about meditation in different “Christmas Messages” of previous years, still in the South American and Central American countries, Meditation Chambers do not exist when they should already exist. What has happened? There is indolence. Why does it exist? It exists because of a lack of comprehension! It is indispensable to understand that the poor “intellectual animal” mistakenly called “man” needs encouragement, needs something to encourage him in the battle: stimulus for the work on himself. I know that the poor “intellectual animal” is weak by nature and finds himself in a completely disadvantageous situation. The ego is so strong and the personality is terribly weak. Left alone like that, he is hardly able to walk. He needs something to encourage him to work, he needs an intimate help. This is only possible through meditation. Samael Aun Weor “The Illuminating Void” 10 Gnostic Society At least these words from the Master have not been pronounced in vain because, fortunately, in a very short time we have been able to verify that what he told us about the Meditation Chamber was so true. Today, we know through direct experience how important it is to have a Meditation Chamber in our Gnostic centers because it is precisely from there where Gnostic students are emerging with a better degree of preparation for the following levels of study of the practical Gnosis or self Gnosis. The way of carrying out the exercises: First, the missionary will briefly explain the theoretical aspect which will create a favorable environment for meditation, thereby motivating the students. Next, the practice will begin, being led by the missionary. And about half way through, the missionary will also teach the student to enter into self-guided meditation so that, free from external influence, the student is able by himself to identify with his own interior Being, who will know how to guide him even better in the study of himself. The publication of our Meditation Chamber program in the form of a book is not only a yearning that has been fulfilled, it is also a confirmation that we are walking together on a path that is benefiting all of us. Rafael Vargas 11 Gnostic Society 1 Relaxation “Before the gold ame can burn with steady light, the lamp must stand well guarded in a spot free from all wind. Earthly thoughts must fall dead before the doors of the temple.” H.P. Blavatsky The Voice of Silence 13 Gnostic Society Relaxation Practice Relaxation of the body The Gnostic ascetic will lie down dorsal decubitus (face up) with one’s head pointed towards the east. One can lie down on one’s bed, or on the fragrant earth, or anywhere. It is delightful to lie down and meditate in flowery fields, or amidst that enchanted whisper of the ancestral lands where the birds sing. The Gnostic ascetic can also lie down on the rocks of the mountains or on the cliffs of the stormy sea. The friendly rocks offer solace to the Gnostic ascetics. Place your body either in the form of a beautiful five-pointed star or in the form of a dead man; you choose the position. The pentalpha1 is profoundly esoteric; it can fend off tenebrous attacks. The corpse position is profoundly meaningful (death is the crown of everyone; you know this). 1 A star-shaped geometric figure with five points, also called a pentacle, or pentangle. 15 Meditation Chamber - 1st stage You ought then to resemble a corpse, your feet touching at the heels with the tips of your feet fanned out. One’s arms are extended alongside one’s body like a “cadaver.” Now breathe as a newborn baby breathes; observe the little ones, pay attention to their way of breathing, imitate them during meditation. How beautiful newborn babies are; their breathing is truly that of the soul of the world. The scent of newborn babies is sylvan; they smell like the forest, like the mountains, they have “something special”… Only the pure, ineffable essence manifests in those innocent creatures. Now we will understand for ourselves the