Vision and Purpose

A Course in Tranquility – Lesson 4 of 14 – Vision and Purpose

We are each individualized expressions of consciousness. What does that mean?
It means that we are a condensation of Infinity. Imagine that there is a field of being that
has no boundary and no limitation. You can imagine it like an immense ocean, if you are
inclined. Now, from time to time, that ocean becomes more dense. Imagine a flat cloth
sheet spread across a table. Now imagine pressing your finger on the sheet and twisting it,
so that the sheet bunches up around your finger. The field bunches up into an
“individual”. The field becomes contracted and it experiences itself with attributes. It
gains a sense of self, it feels that it is an individual. It gains a personality, an idea of
history. It is then able to feel itself and begins to “think” that it is different than the space
around it.

Imagine, as the sage Vasistha would have you do, that this field takes shape,
much like a block of gold can be shaped into a bracelet. The biggest problem we all have
to face is the forgetfulness that although we are no longer identified with the formless
field, we are still that field, just as the bracelet is really still gold. To feel separate from
God or the Divine is just as absurd as the bracelet bemoaning that it has become a
bracelet and lost its “goldness”.

Yogananda has said that, “the purpose of life is much different than what most
people believe.” He is correct. The purpose of life is to wake up to your immortal nature.
It’s to realize that, yes, you currently identify with a form, but that really you are the
wholeness of life. I’ve heard my meditation teacher say before, that when you meditate,
“feel as though you are in God.” I followed this advice for a long time. Then one day, it
occurred to me. ‘Since we are not separate from God or the infinite, why not meditate as
though we are the infinite!?’ You then realize that you are what God is doing right now.

From a human perspective, raised on stories of heroes saving the day, and taught
that we need to overcome odds and achieve glory, fame, money, a big house, the perfect
family, etc. the need for a purpose is extremely strong. However, the question I’d like to
encourage you to ask your self is, “What needs a purpose?” Obviously you will say that
“You do!” But that is not true. Remember, the real you is immortal, changeless, timeless,
infinite. Yet something within encourages you that there must be a purpose to your life to
be happy and successful. You can meditate on this, and I highly advise that, so that you
get the direct experience of this knowledge.

I’m going to go ahead and give the actual answer to this question, “who needs a
purpose”. The mind needs a purpose. You are not the mind. Yet you have a mind, and it’s
not happy unless it’s got something to think about. Hence, one thing that will keep it
thinking for centuries is “what’s my purpose?” Why is this case? If you had a purpose,
you would be acting on it and not wondering what it is. We’ll discuss how to remedy the
“I need a purpose” problem later in the lesson.

I’d like to encourage you to think about something to help bring this home. When
you look to nature, do you wonder, “what’s the purpose?” If so, why? Does nature
wonder, “what’s the purpose of my existence?” No. So why should you? Think about
dancing. Is the purpose of dancing to get from point A to point B? Think about music. Is
the purpose to get to the end of a song? You may have heard theories that all of this
experience is God’s play, or that life is a cosmic dance. So what’s the purpose of playing
and dancing? Simply, to do it.

Now, it is obvious that we, being individualized units of infinity, do have specific
role to play in this divine drama. If you want to think about it, think of it as though you
are each individual cells of a larger organism, you are not different from the organism,
because you came out of its substance, but you take shape to express certain aspects so
that organism may experience life.

Before we go into more detail about what you, as an individual “should” be doing
with your life, please take some time to answer the following questionnaire. Write as
much as you want, but be sure to write at least three good sentences for each question.
This will start the process of being able to really question your ideas about purpose, and
bring some more clarity along the way.

So You Need a Purpose Questionnaire
1) In an ideal world, what would your purpose be?
2) Are you living in the world, acting in a way, or doing work that you do not
enjoy or that you find meaningless?
3) Where do you think meaning comes from?
4) Why are you living like you are living now?
5) Who told you to live this way? Why did you listen?
6) Do you think fulfillment is going to come when you accomplish that one
specific thing, meet that one specific person, or acquire a certain predetermined status?
7) What is wrong with right now?
8) When you are in your day, and you are doing your job, or interacting with
certain people, are there particular moments that just are not right? Are you sure? How
can you tell?
9) What makes you think that one moment is better than another?
10) What would it mean to you if you know, in your heart of hearts, your sense of
meaning is really only dependant on your attitude and choice to imbue something with
meaning and purpose?

How to Avoid Wasting Your Life Wondering
As we go along, we need to realize that one of the biggest blocks to experiencing
real tranquility is thinking too much. As mentioned before, yes, we do need to be able to
think. We need to be able to reason, to balance our check book, to make a plan of action,
to assess the merit or demerit of a situation, but once these actions are completed,
thinking does not need to continue.

As mentioned above, wondering what your purpose is, is one sure fire way to
waste endless moments of time thinking and not being in a tranquil space. The real reason
we think too much is to avoid making decisions. Why? Usually it’s because we don’t
want to fail. We want to make sure we are making the right decision. As if, if we only
made that one perfect decision, everything would work out in a fairy tale ending, AND
THEN we can relax and be tranquil.

This leads us back to the ideal of spiritual practice as daily living: To act in the
world, while letting go of the fruits of our actions. Take some time to think about this.
Can anyone, even the most talented expert in a field, completely control the outcomes of
their actions? We can live perfectly skillfully, and yes this has merit. It keeps us out of a
lot of trouble and gives us a higher probability that life will go our way, but has anyone
been able assure that life WILL go the way they want all time? Jesus was nailed to a
cross. Do you think that was on his personal agenda? The point I am making is that, we
are here to act, to surrender, to let the divine work through us. We are here to do our best
and give up the fruits of our actions to the divine, and then let the cards fall where they
may.

Many people mistake this idea of renouncing our actions to mean that they should
just not do anything. If nothing happens, then that is God’s will. There is the thought they
should renounce their work, family, obligations etc, to know God. In our current age, that
is not a useful thought. If work is troubling, if family gets in the way of your decisions,
or your obligations waste your time and your resources, then yes, cut them loose.
Otherwise, this is a projection of your own inability to accept the moment, and to blame it
on an external situation.

Real renunciation is being appropriate to the moment while letting go of
attachment to the action. If your kid needs a new pair of shoes, it’s appropriate to get him
a pair. No need to think about it. That is what needs to occur. If your coworker is going
out to lunch, your hungry, you didn’t bring food to work, and she asks you to tag along,
that is appropriate. Who needs to think about it? If you have a terrible disease and need
treatment, do some research, find out what would help out, and if you want to live, take
action. If you don’t like your spouse anymore and you don’t have much in common or
are not supportive of each others lifestyle, it may be time for counseling or moving on.
Make a decision and let it go. You can never look back and say, “Well, if I had only done
that…” If you had only done ‘that’, still no one can say what the outcome would’ve been.

To avoid useless thinking and endless worrying and begin more fully moving into
a state of tranquility, follow these steps:

1) Look at the situation you are in.
2) Ask, “what is appropriate for me to do here?”
3) Based on the information you have, and the inner guidance that is available to
you, make a decision.
4) Act on the decision.
5) Let the result be what it is. You can’t control that. That’s the way it is, so make
some peace with it.
6) Move on to the next moment.
7) Repeat.

Now, you might be focused on step #3, specifically the part that talks about
accessing your inner guidance. This is a very important part of the whole process, and
there are some good points to remember about how this works:

• The same intelligence that organizes the trillions of cells in your body, and the
spinning and whirling of the countless galaxies guides your actions.
• Inspiration and inner guidance is nothing special, mystical or flashy. There are no
bells and whistles. If you think there are, that is the mind needing something
interesting to pay attention to.
• The more you pay attention to your inner guidance, the more active it becomes.
• The less you pay attention to and the more willful you are about needing to think
things through, the less active is the inner guidance.

Learning to Access Your Inner Guidance

First, you can meditate every day. That will allow you to detach from your mind and
your thinking process so you can become aware of the vast stillness, from which the inner
guidance comes. Then as you go about your day, if you need to make a decision, you can
remember what it was like to be in the silence, and then ask, “What is appropriate here?”
Now, the response will not be a thought. If you ask the question, and you are greeted
with a flurry of thoughts resembling a list of multiple choice answers, ignore them.

Remember the silence, and ask again. Then wait. You will find that the inner guidance
comes out of nowhere. It does not come in the form of a thought. It comes as an impulse.
The impulse feels natural. Someone calls your phone. You don’t think about it, you just
immediately decide to ignore it or answer it. Someone asks what your name is, again you
don’t think about it, you just decide to say your name. That’s the kind of feeling that the
inner guidance resembles. It is immediate and natural.

The more you trust yourself to live in this way, the better decisions you will be
making, because you will not be relying on the limited information in your mind to make
decisions, you will be merged with your infinite nature and allowing the natural
expression of that nature to come through. Note, I did not say, everything will work out
exactly as you expect it to. To think that is a waste of time and a way of maintaining
unreasonable expectations. A well informed man once said, “Not even the very wise can
see all ends.” And he said it for a reason!

Your Purpose Is Found in Your Vision
We have a vision of life. Each of us have ideas about how life works, why people are
the way they are, what an ideal life looks like. In our consciousness we have moods, and
thoughts and memories we constantly entertain. These are the threads of the fabric of our
vision.

Do you want to know what your vision of life is?

• Look at the people around you.
• Look at the moods and feelings you habitually have.
• Look at what you do with your time.
• Look at the thoughts you allow your self to think.

This is your vision. You see it outside, but you only see it there, because that is
the way you believe life is, that is your internal faith in the world. This is usually the
hardest thing to swallow, because it can be EXTREMELY hard to change. This depends
on how invested we are in this vision. Again, meditation is so important, because over
time, if we do it right, we eventually get to see that we are NOT our thoughts, moods,
actions, friends, etc. If we are not these things, it is easier to change them, because they
do not define us. If you want to know your purpose, it is sustaining your vision. We do it
every day, whether we know it or not.

Remember, we are infinite. The real us is not bound by time, or space, or
circumstance.

We have free will. To think that there is a divine being in the sky proclaiming that
“such and such” should happen, is another way of skirting our responsibility, and once
more projecting the source of our experiences, somewhere outside of us. Our fate, our
purpose, is just the accumulation of our past thoughts, actions, and states of
consciousness. God is infinite. That means there are infinite possibilities. ANYTHING
CAN HAPPEN. God is infinite. While embodied, we have a choice in regards to what
part of our infinity we want to experience.

We’ve talked a lot about giving up the fruits of our actions and letting results be
what they may. Yet I also encourage you to live a dynamic life, making choices and
moving in the direction you want to go. This can create a bit of dissonance. It can inspire
someone to ask, “Well, if I can’t control the results, why should I try to do anything at
all?”

You will always be somewhere in Infinity. So let your purpose be to build your
ideal vision. As you persist, and give it attention and are skillful and mindful as you go,
your vision will become a reality. Worrying about your mistakes, and thinking about the
results doesn’t help you get there. It is your intention, fortified by your actions, thoughts,
feelings and faith, that creates it.

Yogananda once said, that within failure is the best time to sow the seeds of
success. This is because if you fail at an endeavor, you have just burnt off some of the
force of your past actions that were supportive of failure. When you fail, and you get up
and keep moving toward your goal, you are taking actions and setting intentions for
success. To continue in this way, eventually, the power of your actions dedicated to being
successful in an endeavor will become stronger than your past actions towards failure.
Then success in the given endeavor becomes the norm. It’s all about the interplay
between your past and present actions.

Fate is the accumulation of your past actions and modes of being. You create your
future fate by the persistence of your present actions and modes of being.

Creating Your Vision and Purpose

Now that you have had a chance to do some reflecting on your mental concepts of
purpose and life, let’s get right down determining your role in life and how that role is
determined.

Step 1: Make peace with the role you have been playing up until now. This may
take some reflection, some therapy, or just a moments notice. What ever you need to do,
do it.
Step 2: Acknowledge that your head might be filled with thoughts, ideas,
intentions, successes and failures of others you have encountered. Decide if you want to
keep listening to the stuff in your head. Remember, the people that you have allowed to
influence your sense of self are just like you. So there is nothing special about their input
that you need to pay attention to unless you want to. Even if they are extremely
persuasive people, that doesn’t make their insights more pertinent, it just means they are
better at making an impression and being persuasive.
Step 3: Begin to use your imagination. Brainstorm. Get out a sheet of paper and
write at the top MY VISION OF LIFE. Then make a list of 100 specific things you would
be doing, ways you would be feeling, the types of people you would be interacting with if
you were living your vision in this moment. 100 is a lot, but don’t stop until you reach
100.
Step 4: Face your fears. Look at your vision of life. Take another sheet of paper.
Look at each of the 100 items individually. Write down what would need to change in
your life to make this so. Then write down why this scares you.
Step 5: Looking at your fears, take another sheet of paper. Now beside each fear,
list what the pros and cons are of remaining immobilized by this fear.
Step 6: Decide if your vision is worth it to you. If it is proceed to step 7. If it’s not,
start over or revise your vision. But remember, you will get exactly what you settle for.
Step 7: Look at the list of actions you need to take to experience your vision.
Make a discipline of doing at least one thing every day, that will make your vision a
reality. Find pictures of people who have accomplished the same thing. Keep those
pictures somewhere you can see them often. Read biographies of people who have
accomplished this similar vision. In this way, you will be attuning to their state of
consciousness and accessing the support of that state. Avoid people who are unsupportive
in their thoughts and actions. Don’t talk about your vision to anyone, unless you have a
mentor that can guide you. Keep your energy for actually doing what it takes to birth
your vision.
Step 8: Let go of the results of your actions, and persist until your vision is as
natural as the current vision of your life is. Let your purpose be manifesting this vision.

Sincerely, Ryan Kurczak 2010

No Reasons

A Course in Tranquility Lesson 1 of 14 – No Reasons

“Learn to live a natural and spontaneous life, contentedly.” According to the sage
Vasistha, that is the point. It is to this end, that we will direct our efforts, so that you may
know the power of real tranquility. By clearing away our false notions of reality and who
and what we really are, we will learn to exist in truth. By challenging our preconceptions
of what it means to be fully human and Self-realized we will learn that it is as easy or as
hard as we make it. There is no end to this thing called life, and we, our individual
personalities, are unique and necessary expressions of it. It is by learning to function
between two worlds, the limited world of the personality, and the infinite world which is
the source of our very existence that we learn to joyfully ride the rising and falling waves
of divine creation. Living from the full knowledge of our essence of being we know what
we are and what are not, and are then free to move gracefully and dispassionately in,
through and as the infinite consciousness.

Identification with the mind, our collection of thoughts, beliefs, and conditioning,
is the root of the weed that prevents our natural spontaneity. It is also the vessel that
maintains our false sense of self, so that we are confined to act only within a certain set of
parameters. We become so invested in this false sense of self that we defend it to the
detriment of our quality of life. Stray too far outside the boundaries of who you think you
are or what you think your life should be like, and prepare for the waves of anxiety,
confusion and fear that will wash over you. All the terror is a mind produced phenomena
generated by our inability to accept our capacity to act as a limitless manifestation of a
field of unbounded possibilities.

Once we let go of the mind and let it function in its natural role, as a servant to
our consciousness–calculator and recorder of data, we are free to turn our attention to
more important matters, such as living.

Consider the quote from Alan Watts, “No work of love will flourish out of guilt,
fear, or hollowness of heart, just as no valid plans for the future can be made by those
who have no capacity for living now.” Living now is an inside job. No matter how hard
you try, there will never be any fulfillment from the external world. No situation, person,
experience, place, or thing will ever fully satisfy you. There is no satisfaction in the
future, and despite what you may falsely remember, there was never any satisfaction in
the past. If you were ever truly satisfied, it is because you chose to be. You may have
attached a reason to it, but that reason was just an after-thought, albeit a very subtle one.

The past and future are external creations, projections and recordings of past
perceptions in the mind. A very efficient and quick way restore the mind to its natural
function is to stop waiting for the next moment. No doubt you have already experienced
the fact that it is easier said than done. When you work, live, love and play without
waiting for the next moment everything you are and encounter flourishes.

The way to success in this endeavor returns us to our very Self, not the mind
imagined self, but our true eternal nature, the witnessing presence. When you find your
self waiting for the next moment, admit it. Then ask your self, “What is waiting for this
next moment?” Of course the answer is “I am.” We then take it a step further, “What am
I?” Ask that question enough and sit quietly receptive and open to the answer, and you
will move into a state of tranquility like you could never have imagined possible. To
develop the skill of receptivity to the answer, meditation is invaluable, and we will
review that practice at the end of this lesson. It is impossible to really ‘hear’ the answer
or experience the truth of what you are if we have not learned to turn down the static in
our consciousness, and that is the point of meditation. For now, let us continue on
focusing on the living present.

In our efforts to stop waiting for the next moment, we can learn to experience our
consciousness directly. We wait for the next moment because we are not comfortable
where we are for one reason or another. We are uncomfortable because we do not
remember what we truly are, and are avoiding reality. Finding reasons for our discomfort
will only strengthen the identification with the mind, that very thing we are trying to up
root.

The best way to stop waiting for the next moment is to simply accept what
consciousness is experiencing through your personality at this moment. If it is an
uncomfortable feeling of dis-ease, just feel it. Do not continue to fool your self that
something external in the future will change this feeling of dis-ease. Also, do not look to
the past for the reason that you feel the way you do. You can always find a reason to feel
bad, just as you can always imagine a reason to feel good. It just depends on which habit
you have strengthened most, feeling bad, or feeling great! The power in this practice is
not finding or imagining reasons for your current state of consciousness, it is DECIDING
to be different now FOR NO REASON. When you decide to be a certain way for no
reason, then no reason can influence you to be a way you do not want to be. The mind
feeds on reasons. You grow into tranquility through being free of reasons.

To avoid frustration, it is good to accurately judge your potential in this practice.
If this is a new concept for you, your abilities to make these changes will, of course, be
weak. Just as with all exercises, you start where you can and hold the intention of where
you want to be until you get there. Then you become strong. Your mind may be strong
and your tendency towards tranquility may be weak. Just admit it, if it is true. This state
of affairs has occurred because you, like many people, have given more attention to the
mind, rather than to a state of tranquility. We are now undertaking the task to reverse that
tendency. You will succeed so long as you never quit. This is exactly how all the other
saints and sages of the world have become what they have become. They persevered.

Well intentioned people may say that saints and sages are created through grace.
Grace is involved, but not in the way you might imagine. As written in the bible, “God
helps those who help themselves.” Grace, like fate, is the accumulation of present self
efforts to a desired end. So yes, God does help those who help themselves. No unit of
consciousness has ever experienced sainthood without intention or practice.

What is a saint or a sage? A saint is a person who is completely and totally
knowledgeable and identified with the Self. To say that a sage is the eternal Self is not
entirely correct. Otherwise we would all be saints. A realized holy person can be
appropriate in any circumstance. When it is time to meditate, she can withdraw her
attention into complete and total pure consciousness. When it is time to interact with a
neighbor, or a family member, or to take any normal action in the world, she can do her
best without attachment to the results of her actions. Remember, the label saint or sage is
just role some people play. One can be Self and God-realized playing any role.

Saints do not have to act pious, or have any outward display of divinity. Saints
that display fantastic powers do so for a reason. Their mission in the world may involve
being spectacular in some way, but this is not a requirement. There are many people who

can display fantastic feats and have interesting psychic abilities, but they have no idea
about who or what they are and so still function out of an illusional sense of self, rather
than a surrendered and appropriate expression of the infinite consciousness. Fantastic
“spiritual powers” manifest spontaneously without premeditation through a saint. I
mention this point, because it is not helpful to define your progress through any special
abilities or perceptions. Our only point of measure should be the amount of tranquility
and wisdom that comes as we mature into our intention to wake up fully.

Involved in the world of form, emotions are common to everyone. Realized
people feel emotions as well as everyone else. They can also choose to express or not
express certain emotions, good or bad. They are free, so they are free to do what is
appropriate. The difference between a realized person and others, is that the realized
person is not attached to emotional states or expressions. They are free to be fully human
and fully divine simultaneously, and all that implies. When you directly experience that
you are a realized sage, you too will have that same latitude.

According to sage Patanjali, “Yoga is the cessation of fluctuations in the field of
consciousness. When the fluctuations cease, the seer abides in its own nature. At other
times there is conformity to definitions.” Yoga in this context refers to a complete
realization of the unity of consciousness. The result is perfect peace and tranquility. With
the ending of fluctuations (or the need to think and label), Self-realization shines forth of
its own accord. We are completely fulfilled. When focused on the “changes” or
“differences” in consciousness, we are bound again to live in delusion and thereby forget
our tranquility.

The idea of changes or fluctuations in consciousness is just that, an idea. To
clarify, note the words of Vasistha, “Even as the mirage appears to be a very real river of
water, this creation appears to be entirely real. And as long as one clings to the notion of
the reality of “you” and “I”, there is no liberation.” The notions of “you” and “I” is label
created by the mind. We are inseparable. When we dream, who are the characters in the
dream? Are they not a manifestation of the same one thing? The same is true for our
waking dream. To continue to enforce labels, rather than simply acting appropriately and
knowing this whole experience is just one thing, we continue our existence in bondage.

Begin to accept, that this, your experiences, is all you. You may not have the power to
fully realize that, or to even understand what this will mean once you fully grasp it. But if
you are going to entertain a notion, “This is all me” is a good one to switch to.
Vasistha continues, “Not by merely and verbally denying such a notion of
existence is it obliterated: on the contrary, such denial itself becomes a further
distraction.” To deny the existence of a problem simply enforces it. To say, “I’m working
hard to gain liberation and perfect peace,” generates the notion, that you do not have
liberation or peace. You are affirming that which you do not want to experience without
your knowing. You are liberation and peace. To say, “I am making my self well through
this practice, because there was something fundamentally wrong with me before,” has the
same effect. There is nothing wrong with you. You have just been affirming your current
state through your actions, thoughts and words. Now it is time to affirm that which you
do want to experience.

This brings us to the secret key a lot of spiritual teachers leave out. Practice is
done for the joy of doing the practice, not for a result. If you like to meditate, excellent,
meditate because you like it. If you like to pray for peace, that’s good, do it for its own
sake. If you enjoy reading spiritual or philosophical literature, knock your self out, not
because it will make you better or because it is good for you, but because that is what
consciousness enjoys doing through you. Play music, dance, and cook, serve the
homeless or work hard at your job. If you need a reason, do it because that is what you
the Self enjoys doing through you as an individualized unit of its own wholeness. The
real eternal you, is not going to get any better. Not even with age.

Now there may be experiences you would like to have which involve doing things
you do not particularly enjoy. In our current cultural atmosphere, sitting to meditate for
an hour a day, being truthful in all circumstances, eating a non-fad nutrition rich diet,
being content for no reason, working to have adequate resources to accomplish goals and
even regular exercise, all actions conducive to the practice of experiencing liberation of
consciousness, a lot of people do not like to do. This again comes down to choice and
how badly you would like to experience the life you want. If you do not want to harness
your will to overcome attachments to your current experience, and are not willing to
master your state of consciousness to move beyond debilitating aversions, at least be
honest with your self about it. There is no need to feel guilt about your choice. Either you
do or you don’t. It’s up to you. Being peacefully self honest about it, is a good first step.
Keep it up for long enough, and you may find that you eventually start moving in the
direction you want effortlessly.

Remember, you are the Self. Nothing can make you the Self, or take you away
from the Self. It is you. Now that we have that cleared up, the important question arises,
as stated so well by Roy Eugene Davis, “How do you want to be living your immortal
life?” This is what I would like you to think about as we move through this course. If you
already have a clear idea, write it down. Hold that intention as we proceed. If you do not
yet know, hold the intention that you do know how you want to live your immortal life.
Affirm it with conviction daily. When you feel lost or confused do not affirm the feeling
of doubt. Chase it away however you can, and bring back up the feeling of what it would
be like to be completely and totally knowledgeable. You do not have to have the
information in your mind immediately. Remember, there is more to you than the mind.
Through the affirmation and adopting the feeling state, you are accessing the information.
Be patient as the rest of your being, the infinite consciousness, gathers the opportunities
to reveal it to you.

With every breath and movement, feel as though you are, at this very moment,
living a natural and spontaneous life, contentedly. In all circumstances, whether you
judge the circumstance to be perfect or imperfect, good or bad, pleasant or unpleasant,
accept that this is your natural and spontaneous life, the accumulation of all your present
choices, thoughts and words up to this point. Be content to let the accumulated force
exhaust itself. It has to one way or the other. To deny this is to deny reality, and that will
not help. As the accumulated force loses its momentum, make the choices that are
conducive to your ideal experience as an expression of the infinite consciousness.
Review this writing before sleep at night or during leisure time. Contemplate that
which you do not understand, and put into action what you do understand. It will become
clearer with repeated contact.

Week 1 Exercise #1
Begin or Deepen a Regular Meditation Practice
First sit in a comfortable position with the back straight. Close your eyes and look
slightly upward gazing into the darkness of your eyelids. Upward gazing will keep you
alert and awake. Take a few deep breaths, and feel the air come in and leave your body.
With each exhalation let your worries or concerns fall away. As you settle into a relaxed
attentive state set your intention to experience the essence of divinity within and without
you. This can be done with a prayer if you are inclined. Now, return your attention to
your breath.

For the next fifteen minutes just breath, and be aware of breathing. Should
thoughts arise, let them pass. Remember to give yourself fully to the practice. Become
absorbed in the breath, prayer or stillness. This is the time for inner rejuvenation. You
have all day to attend to other matters. After any form of distraction, gently return your
attention to your breathing. When you are ready, drop the breath from you attention. Rest
within the stillness that has been allowed to emerge from this simple practice.

After a few weeks gaining proficiency in the above routine, utilizing the
following schedule can deepen the practice. Twice a day sit for thirty to forty-five
minutes. Set aside the same time every day. Sit where you will not be disturbed. Take a
few deep breaths and get comfortable with your back straight. Close your eyes and direct
your attention within. Again, looking slightly upward to stay alert and affirm your
innate divine nature.

Recite a memorized prayer, or speak one spontaneously silently to allow the
connection with the divine to become more real. Now, use a two word phrase to direct
your attention toward. This can be as simple as “Peace, love” or any other word that
positively attracts your attention. With your breathing recite your word phrase. On the
inhale, listen to the first word inside your head. On the exhale, listen to the second word.
Let it fill your entire awareness. Give all of your attention to it.

Should thoughts or distractions arise, gently bring your attention back to your
word phrase and breathing. Practice feeling the word phrase resonating in your awareness
for the next ten to fifteen minutes. This will calm the mind and allow the body to relax
deeply. Now rest in this relaxed, yet alert peaceful state. Remain calm and poised for as
long as possible.

Once internal or external distractions begin to make themselves known, start over
again. Continue practicing in this way until you have reached your proscribed time.
Finish with a silent prayer, and acknowledge the divine peace you experienced, and let it
fill your day.

After resting for a while in the pure state of awareness you may conclude and go
about your day, or remain a little longer engaging in constructive problem solving. It is
after the practice that we can most appropriately address any issues in our lives that need
it. When our awareness is not clouded by overactive thoughts or emotions we are more
easily able to understand why things are the way they are. With this understanding

proper action can be taken to change. This practice creates the structure in life for the
unfoldment of self-realization and spiritual knowledge. Without this understanding we
wander pointlessly into suffering.

Each day we meditate or pray to realize our spiritual purposes and how they
transpose into our physical life, we lay a few more bricks into the structure. With
patience and consistency we will eventually wake up to find that the last brick was set
yesterday morning, and from there all we need do is let life happen spontaneously and
constructively.
Week 1 Exercise #2
Stop Waiting for the Next Moment
What ever you are doing in your day, do it fully. Focus on the action. Just do the
action. There is no need to think about it, unless thinking is the action. Once you are done
with one action, move on to the next.
It is helpful to make a list the night before of what you intend to accomplish the
next day. Here is an example list:
1. Meditate.
2. Shower.
3. Go to work. (You could also make a list of what you will do while at work.)
4. Exercise for 45 minutes.
5. Pay due bills
6. Practice my instrument.
7. Clean the kitchen after dinner
8. Watch favorite show.
9. Check the mail.
10. Read “Yoga Sutras.”
11. Meditate.
12. Make ‘to do’ list for tomorrow.

Now you do not have to think about your day. You know what you are going to
do. You can now focus on one thing at a time. Mark out each action as they are
completed. This will also help you feel a sense of accomplishment as your day progresses.
There may be points through out the day when you are unhappy or uncomfortable
with the present circumstance. That’s natural until you learn to be content all the time.
What is the best way to deal with moments like that?

First, admit that you feel the way you do. Then if you find your self thinking that
something in the future would change it, stop. More than likely, you would just feel better
temporarily, and then once that is cleared up, something else would come up and you
would think that there must be something else. It’s an endless cycle. So just stop it now.
Next, you will probably look for something or someone in the past to blame your
unpleasant state on. Stop that too. Don’t blame, just feel what you feel. It will quit
eventually. Stay in reality, and the relative reality may be that you feel uncomfortable.
Leave the past and future alone.

Does this make sense? No, of course not. Your mind would like it to though,
wouldn’t it? Stay vigilant and continue the practice. You will eventually have the direct
experience, that how you feel is not dependant on the past or the future, and that you can
always find a reason to feel how you do. Forget about reasons. Focus on choice.
Choose what you want to feel and feel it. Don’t wait for the next moment. Be with
what is, and once you are comfortable with that, then choose what is. You are learning to
develop control over your states of consciousness, a key skill for any Self-realized person.

Sincerely, Ryan Kurczak 2010