Surya Yoga - Meditation on the sun
Omraam Mikhael Aivanhov
As you leave your house to watch the sunrise each morning, tell yourself
you’re about to meet a living being, that all of nature around you is alive.
The entire universe is inhabited by an infinite number of creatures, invisible
and yet real. So greet them all, tell these entities that live in the four
elements of earth, water, air and fire that you love them, you appreciate their
work, you’re grateful for the limpid purity of the morning, for all the life
awakening around you at that moment.
As you set off to meet the dawn, be conscious, in your head and heart that you
are about to watch, and even participate in, a universal event of great
significance. What is more beautiful, more essential than the birth of a new
day? You will say perhaps that your presence will change nothing: day will
break whether you are there or not. Of course, that’s true, but it is important
for you, yourself. For there is a correspondance between what takes place in
nature and what takes place within your own being. When you know how to watch
the sunrise, you will realise how important it is to work with the forces of day,
in order for these forces to dawn within your own consciousness’
In the philosophy of Omraam Mikhael Aivanhov, the
sun is restored to central place. He provides a modern, Western interpretation
of a spiritual discipline that has been practised in the Hindu tradition since
the time of the Vedas: contemplation of the rising sun.
Although most of us seek the sun, at least
unconsciously, as we book our holidays, and moan about grey, cloudy days, we
are generally unaware of how vitally important the sun is to our lives, to our
psychic as well as physical health, our relationships with others and even our
spiritual evolution.
Apart from being essential to our physical health,
the sun we see radiating in the sky is also our doorway to the spiritual sun,
the spirit of Christ in which the spirit of all creatures dwells. This inner
sun is also known in the Cabbalistic tradition as the Sephiroth Tiphereth, the
region of radiant beauty and splendour, of divine love, wisdom and truth.
The sun, centre of our inner life
In the twenty first century we know the sun is the
centre of our solar system and the planets, including the earth, revolve around
it, and yet many of us behave as though we still believed the earth were the
centre of the universe and we human beings, the summit of creation. This
egocentric (or as master Omraam says, geocentric) point of view is the cause of
many problems facing humankind: by centring our lives on the dictates of our
own will or selfish, instinctive desires, we prevent our inner sun, in other
words, our spirit, or higher Self, from governing our life in accordance with
universal harmony:
‘The sun is the centre of the solar system and the planets move
harmoniously in orbit around it; it is this harmonious movement of the planets
round the sun that must be duplicated in our own cells. But before this can
happen we have to discover our own centre: the sun, God, the spirit within us.
When we achieve this, every particle of our being moves in rhythm with
universal Life and the sensations and states of consciousness that this
produces is unutterably glorious’.
Uniting the human and divine Self
So disciples of the Universal White Brotherhood
practice ‘Surya Yoga’ as often as they can during the spring and summer months,
by rising early to watch the sunrise. As they contemplate the sun in an
attitude of reverence and gratitude they are able to restore the connections
between their human personality and their divine Self:
‘At sunrise, in the morning, all our work with the sun, our meditations
and prayers, are aimed at restoring communications, at building bridges between
our lower self down here and our higher self in the sun. When the bridge is
built and communications restored, we shall once again be united with that
higher self that dwells with God in constant happiness, bliss and boundless
freedom. Yes, part of us already dwells with God in a state of indescribable
bliss’.
Health benefits of sunrise meditation
Some people ask why it’s important to meditate
outside, why can’t they simply meditate in the comfort of their own room? There
are many good reasons and the most basic is that the ‘Prana’ present at sunrise
is able to restore and maintain our physical health:
‘Prana is a living force, the outpouring of vitality from the sun that we
breathe in with the air and absorb into every cell of our body. Prana is like a
pure stream, cascading down from the mountain heights, its water charged with
every kind of nourishment for the beings swimming in it and also for the humans
and animals living on its banks. Prana is a torrent flowing from the sun and,
by respiration and meditation, we can obtain from it all the benefits we need’.
Spiritual benefits
But the benefits of practising meditation at
sunrise are far from being merely physical. By focusing our attention on the
sun’s first rays while breathing deeply, we are nourishing our subtle, psychic
and spiritual bodies; we are able to ‘eat fire and drink light’. And in this
way, we not only rejuvenate our physical bodies, we also become inwardly
richer, freer and happier. Our relationships with others improve as we become
more loving and generous:
‘Learn to work with the light of the sun, for this
light contains all riches. When you begin to take possession of these riches,
you will feel your relationships with other human beings gradually improve.
Why? Because when you feel rich, you become generous. But please understand me:
I am speaking of true riches, that of the masters and initiates. They live in
such abundance, such plenitude, how could they not wish to help others and love
them? When you see someone who doesn’t love others, who shows no inner nobility
or generosity it is because he or she is poor and miserable. And if you don’t
want to fall into the same faults, work with the rays of the sun’.
The sun, image of perfection
The sun shines on all creatures equally, whether
they be saints or criminals, all receive its light, warmth and vitality whether
they are grateful for these blessings or not. In this sense, the sun can be
said to be a physical representation of God, an expression of the trinity of
love, wisdom and truth. It offers us a glorious image of perfection,
inspiration for all those who strive towards a spiritual ideal.
The following prayer can be said at sunrise. We
should pronounce it with inner conviction, while focusing on the first rays as
they appear above the horizon.
Meditation at Sunrise
The
following prayer can be said at sunrise. We should pronounce it with inner
conviction, while focusing on the first rays as they appear above the horizon.
The following formula
is one of many we have been given to use at the
sunrise:
- As the sun rises over the world, so may the sun of truth, freedom, immortality and Eternity, rise in my spirit.
- As the sun rises above the world, so may the sun of love and immensity rise in my soul.
- As the sun rises above the world, so may the sun of intelligence, light and wisdom rise in my intellect.
- As the sun rises above the world, so may the sun of gentleness, kindness, joy, happiness and purity rise in my heart.
- As this luminous, radiant sun rises over the world, so may the sun of strength, power, force, dynamic energy and activity rise in my will.
- And as this luminous, radiant, living sun rises over the world, so may the sun of health, vitality and vigor rise in my body.
- Amen. So be it, for the kingdom of God and His righteousness
- Amen. So be it, for the Glory of God!
----- ----- -----
Meditating at
dawn, in the living presence of the rising sun, is the method the Master urged
all disciples to practice; it lies at the heart of his teaching.
He gave it the name ‘Surya
Yoga' from the Sanskrit, 'Yoga of the Sun’ and it is practised at all
brotherhood centres between the Spring and the Autumn equinoxes.
By concentrating all our
thoughts and forces on the sun, the centre of our solar system, we gradually
reinforce our connection with our spirit, the centre of our own being. In this
way a bridge is formed between our higher and lower natures allowing paths of
communication to be established.
The rays of the sun and the
‘prana’ that is present in the air at sunrise are able to renew and transform
us.
Each morning, when you go to
the sunrise, think of nothing but renewing yourself. Leave everything else to
one side, everything that is old and mouldy, so you can once and for all
receive this new life and enter into communication with that great current
coming from the heart of the universe. In springtime, the early morning rays
send you all the energies and stimulus you need for the rest of the year. Don’t
let them pass you by without benefiting from them. Open yourself to these rays
and allow the forces of light, joy and resurrection to pass through you
Extracts from A New Earth –
Volume 13
Source: http://www.dovesnest.org/suryayogatheme.html
