Contacting Subtle Energies

It's useful for us to situate ourselves in the vast universe so that we can be a little free of self-occupation. Just a reminder that there are now, according to our astrophysicists, two trillion galaxies in the universe. And we are in just an average galaxy that is only the vastness in which we need to situate ourselves so that we don't feel very self-important. Then there is the question of levels. According to all the sages in the history of humanity and all the major philosophers and scientists, there are subtle and conscious energies pervading the whole space, including this room. We should naturally expect that the labels for these energies are different from language to language, culture to culture.

It may be called Brahma in India or the Holy Spirit, Allah. It's useful for us to realize that what is common to all these labels, that these energies are subtle, much subtler than the body and the mind, and they are conscious, much more conscious than we are. And that they pervade the whole universe, therefore the Holy Spirit is right here. Almost the major purpose of any spiritual practice, including meditation, is that I could be in contact with these subtle energies, with Brahma or Krishna or the Holy Spirit. Ideally, so that I could actually become an instrument of Krishna. Again, a useful reminder that I did not create myself. In this vast universe, for a few decades, these conscious and subtle energies have created me.

Not for the purpose of my body that is destined to be destroyed in a few decades, but for the purpose of this spirit or any other label you like, scientists prefer to use the expression cosmic intelligence. So then the question is, how can I be in contact with these energies? As these energies are subtler and more conscious than myself, they cannot be commanded by me or controlled by me, but I can become receptive to them. And the fundamental requirement for receptivity on our part is relaxation. Even in standard physics we know that subtler the energy, more easily it is repelled by tensions. So first of all it is very important to make sure that physically I am relaxed, but much more important is emotional relaxation.

Anxiety, worry, jealousy, even expectation, excitement, these are all emotional tensions. And certainly not to speak of violence, anger, sense of vengeance, but even the milder anxieties. So I pay some attention and see if I have just any worry. This is practically universal condition. To be free of this, at least to move towards a little freedom from this so that I can be emotionally relaxed.

I need to try to move towards this sense of wonder. A sense of wonder and anxiety cannot coexist. But that also is not in our control, a sense of wonder. But we can move towards it if we begin to take interest, more and more interest, in a very intimate mystery, intimate to all of us, namely, why have these intelligent energies taken the trouble to create me for a few decades? What is their call for my existence? There can be no obvious rational answers to this kind of mystery. But as I begin to take interest in this, an emotional freedom slowly emerges. The other contribution from our side is to search for the right alignment.

All the great traditions have suggested that we have axis mundi, the world axis passing through each one of us. How to connect with this? First of all, physically, to find a posture which seems to have a very large cosmic intelligence behind it. As far as we know, it is possible only for human beings and no other creature has this possibility that we can have a vertical posture and if our eyes are open, we can look horizontally. So, find the position of the head essentially as an extension of the spinal column and not to be bending forward or sideways or upward so that I can look horizontally, so that my attention can be at the junction of the vertical and the horizontal axis.

If we allow the great sage's comments or injunctions to help us, this can correspond to the two great commandments in the Bible. Connection with higher and higher levels towards God and connection with our fellow beings at the horizontal level. So, take a few moments to come to the right alignment physically but remaining relaxed, not only physically but also emotionally. More and more wondering, what do these subtle energies demand of me? Why have they created me? But also about alignment. It is not only the physical alignment. In fact, the Sanskrit word asana is not only physical alignment.

It is also we have intellectual postures and there what is needed is for us to recognize that even if I had the combined intelligence of Einstein, Aristotle, Nagarjuna and Shankara and Patanjali, I still cannot know all there is to know. So to remain in this intellectual posture of unknowing, not of ignorance, but a willingness to be surprised. To allow the great mysteries exist and will always exist. But as my mind becomes a little quieter and I am emotionally relaxed, intellectually not convinced that I know everything, so I don't make comments on everything. Gradually that quietening of the mind allows me to hear whispers from these great mysteries and sometimes I hear something that surprises me.

So finding deeper and deeper relaxation physically, emotionally, finding the right alignment again physically, intellectually, cherishing the increasing silence inside even though there may be sounds outside, but my attention is turned inside. Thank you. Thank you. Whenever a passing thought or an association arises, I don't try to give it more energy by trying to follow it. I see if I can return to this sense of wonder by again asking myself why have these subtle energies taken the trouble to create me?

If it is really true what all the sages without exception have said in the history of humanity, that there is God or whatever other labels people use, that means very high conscious energies. If that is true, my own existence cannot be without some reason, without some purpose. And I wonder about what that is. How do I fulfill that? A very helpful reminder from a very great Christian mystic, Maister Eckhart, what we receive in contemplation we give out in love. So when we, whatever we receive in our meditation or contemplation, we get up, we act in the world with friends, relatives, employers, employees. How do we give out in love?

Thank you.