There are many collections of sayings that can be used for meditation practice. Following is a short selection of the sayings of Jesus found in The Gospel of Thomas in the Nag Hammadi Manuscripts.
| "And he said: Whoever finds the interpretation of these sayings will not experience death. Let him who seeks continue seeking until he finds. When he finds, he will become troubled. When he becomes troubled, he will be astonished, and he will rule over the All.
If those who lead you say to you 'See the Kingdom is in the sky,' then the birds of the sky will precede you... Rather, the Kingdom is inside of you, and it is outside of you. When you come to know yourselves, then you will become known, and you will realize that it is you who are the sons of the living Father. But if you will not know yourselves, you dwell in poverty and it is you who are that poverty. The man old in days will not hesitate to ask a small child seven days old about the place of life, and he will live. For many who are first will become last, and they will become one and the same. Recognize what is in your sight, and that which is hidden from you will become plain to you. For there is nothing hidden which will not become manifest.
Blessed is the lion which becomes man when consumed by man; and cursed is the man whom the lion consumes, and the lion becomes man."
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To gain an understanding of sound: Sit quietly and become aware of your body and your consciousness. Systematically sound some of the vowels, then consonants, then combinations. See how it affects the body and the consciousness. (This practice alone can take two to three years to complete if done every day for about 15 minutes).
Zen practice: counting the breath:
1. Count both inhalations and exhalations until you can count to ten without interrupting thought. Repeat this. 2. Count exhalations only until ten. 3. Count inhalations only until 1O. Watch your breath.
| "Meditation of 'Candraprabha: This method consists in looking into the body wherein all watery elements do not by nature suppress one another, using as subjects of meditation first the tears and snot, and then saliva, secretions, blood, urine, and excrement, and then reversing the order, thereby perceiving that this water element in the body does not differ from that of the fragrant oceans that surround the Pure Lands of Buddhas, situated beyond our world." - (1 of 7 elements in meditation) Charles Luk
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"'Purification practice: 'Earth': breathe in the nose, out the nose, Purification using magnetism of the earth. Inhalation up through the feet and base of the spine, and down from the heavens through the crown center; energies meet in heart and are radiated from there on exhalation. Like a plant, integrating all forces." - (1 of four ) Vilayat Khan .......... |
| Centering Exercises: "As breath turns from down to up, and again as breath curves from up to down - through both these turns, REALIZE. Imagine spirit simultaneously within and around you until the entire universe SPIRITUALIZES. When in worldly activity, keep attentive between the two breaths, and so practicing, in a few days BE BORN ANEW. Even remembering union, without the embrace, THE TRANSFORMATION. Wherever your mind is wandering, internally or externally, at this very place, THIS. Listen while the ultimate mystical teaching is imparted: Eyes still, without winking, at once become ABSOLUTELY FREE. Wherever your attention alights, at this very point, EXPERIENCE. Enter the sound of your name and, through this sound, ALL SOUNDS.
Beloved, at this moment let mind, knowing, breath, form, BE INCLUDED." ( 9 of l12 ) Transcribed by Paul-Reps
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