That morning Theophile the Younger looked worried:
– I find that human relationships are very complicated. Take friendship, for instance. It usually starts with a great impulse, but over the years, the relationship will often come apart.
Theophile the Elder looked at him attentively:
– I’d rather have another approach, if you don’t mind. Let us talk about a true, sincere and genuine relationship. How would you consider it?
– I see in it a mutual kindness that gives each of the partners an opportunity to develop, ideally, a spontaneous self-giving.
– But practically, how do you see it?
– Well! I think we are always expecting something from a friend and that we are bound to be disappointed, sooner or later. That is why I was talking about self-giving and kindness.
– Actually, the painful part in it is disillusion.
Disillusion comes from the world of maya, which is governed by Point 5, as I have already explained. Until the other four points have not been cleaned, the point of illusion won’t regain its original condition. Therefore, we remain under the control of our impressions.
– Aren’t these impressions and complexities what is called samskaras in the Sahaj Marg teachings? Theophile the Younger asked.
– Exactly. Samskaras feed our inner complexities and impede the clarity of our perception of reality. Before creating a true friendly relationship with a person, first we should be true to ourselves.
Taoists used to call themselves ‘genuine creatures’. They practiced Tao and virtue. They were free from any influence, whether it came from outside or from inside. They just carried on their daily occupations, supported by the Primal Breathing (the Womb Breath). They were balanced beings.
Theophile the Younger felt somehow impatient:
– You told me that it takes seven years to cross the heart region, where all is manifested, which means quite a long time before you can ever regain the original condition of each point in the heart region!
Theophile the Elder continued, calmly:
– I also told you that constant remembrance was another key. It is a means to live in the present and act freely, here and now.
– But what is that ‘Now’ everybody is talking about? I have read Eckhart Tolle’s book entitled ‘The Power of Now’, but are you talking about the same Now? the young man asked.
– Not exactly. The heart’s instant is at once within and beyond time. In fact, you live in the present time, but your conscience is beyond time.
– You say the solution is there, but for me it seems inaccessible.
– Here again, the heart is the key: the cosmic dimension is the second level of depth of the heart. It contains all we need. Going through the points corresponds to heart dimensions that open onto your conscience.
– And practically, how should I proceed?
The esoteric symbol.
– All right, just get ready now.
Gently close your eyes.
Behold the symbol of the spiritual man in your heart.
Plunge and focus on the luminous point at the centre of the symbol.
Be immersed in it for a long moment.
Now, slowly rise from those depths.
Pause for a while at the centre of the second star. It is the star of the cosmic region – the region our manifestation comes from.
The five points of the star vibrate in unison.
Your conscience is vast and inclusive, as if it were unobstructed, and your mind is suspended as if it were beyond time.
Stay there. Then open your eyes.
Be aware of everything around you: the objects and the creatures.
What perception of them do you get?
– It’s difficult to say. My mind is peaceful. It feeds on silence. Around me, everything looks deeper. I am connected, though detached. Kindness and benevolence to all that surrounds me emanate from my heart. Each person is at the right place. I am serene. Everything is harmony.
– So, you see, it is accessible.
– Yes, but with your help.
– I just accompanied you. You had it within yourself, but you had forgotten.
– How could I maintain that state of awareness permanently?
– It means working at remaining permanently vigilant. The difficulty lies in “being in the cosmic region while living down here”. There is what I call the terrestrial gravity and its effects. So long as we won’t be naturally and definitely in place at the centre of the second star, we’ll have to fight against terrestrial gravity.
– The challenge is interesting. Now I can look at the practice from a different angle. It becomes motivating and accessible. In fact, the Sahaj Marg is not a mere spiritual quest. It is also an ‘Art of living’.
– Babuji used to say and repeat that we are as the bird that needs both its wings to fly: the material wing and the spiritual wing. If one of them is too heavy, the bird will turn round and round. Kamlesh Bhai has added that the tail of the bird is what gives him the possibility to maintain a steady course towards the goal.
Theophile the Elder
An excerpt from Dialogs with Theophile the Elder
Theophile the Younger’s initiation