In the last part of this article, we wrote about how Sahaja meditation is all about developing precision skills with your attentional control and using it for effective meditation experiences. The most interesting part of how this works in Sahaja is that it is part cognitive and part spiritual, primarily because of the elevation of our attention to a unique, higher state of consciousness.

This higher realm is entirely spiritual but not completely unknown to researchers and psychologists. Carl Jung spoke about it relatively vaguely and from a theoretical perspective, for instance, and called it the Collective UnConscious. However, Sahaja is a one of a kind practice of meditation that helps materialize and experience this higher state in a tangible manner to unleash a host of powerful benefits. And it gives us living and real proof of this higher realm in a much nuanced manner.

The first part of this article also described the steps of attention control during a meditation session. You can read about it here.

To recap,

– The power of our attention is the primary vehicle for meditation and spiritual evolution. Our states of consciousness are manifested through the power of our attention.

– In Sahaja, the attention is raised to the unique, higher spiritual realm of Collective Consciousness (the same as Jung’s Collective UnConscious). This works spontaneously by the rising of the Kundalini energy. But it also requires some level of cognitive effort and awareness when our attention drops down or is dragged back to the usual state of awareness.

– Precision meditation is about knowing exactly where our attention is and making it a witness to everything going on inside us – our thoughts, the lack of them, when they rise and fall and more importantly, the quality and duration of true thoughtless awareness or our existence in the higher state.

– Last and not the least, our ability to stay in the higher state with ease and without much effort and struggles is directly dependent on how well our Kundalini energy can rise through our Central energy channel. More precisely, how many strands or threads of it can rise and also how wide our central channel is.

That last step has a disproportionately positive impact on our meditation and our overall spiritual progress. We could continue on for years, merely scratching the surface with regard to the power of our subtle instrument, feeling tepid experiences and seeing weak results.

And so, by the above definitions, precision meditation is also knowing about scenarios in our life that enhance the spontaneous rise of the energy within us, so we can focus more on these.

Now we discuss how this important step can be enabled within us – the habits, tendencies and choices in life that help aid the spontaneous rising of the energy. Or at least, for the most part, keep its pathway for rising clear enough to get a deep meditation experience.

Our roots and grounding in life

The 99% of us are born with this energy dormant. The phases, people, surroundings, learnings and experiences we go through in our lives has a strong influence on it.  And we realize and feel the consequences when we reach the point of awakening and using it for our meditation practice on a daily basis.

So in effect, the weight and the baggage of our past reflects on our subtle energy system and how strongly the energy can rise.

Turning things around – the desired state

From the objective of becoming a precision meditator, we need those important strategies that are going to cause us to get rid of this baggage and accelerate our progress towards states where the inner Kundalini energy rises as a thick column of energy, nice and fast, and with minimal effort on our part. We want the connection of our subtle being with the all-pervading power to be strong and permanent, to experience it strongly, whenever and wherever we want.

We want our chakras and centers completely supercharged where we simply blow away and knock off negativity, obstacles and problems. So much so that we become permanently immune to problems. Or at least, the problems as we perceive them today cease to exist.  We are driven by this heavenly state of existence on earth in our individual lives.

7 important tenets for aiding the growth of our subtle system

1. Bring down that Great Wall of Ego…

And its evil twin, the Super Ego, or our undesirable and rigid conditioning and fixations. By far, in today’s world, the biggest obstacle to our rising to a higher plane of awareness are these two subtle institutions within us. Yet, they are so subtle that they escape our day-to-day awareness, making it trickier for us to get rid of them. And they adapt skillfully as we and our lives, personalities and choices change. Like shadows we can never get rid of, only be hyper-aware and manage.

How can we focus on reducing our Ego and Superego?

Accomplishment and Belonging

Realize that you’re a tiny and insignificant part of this universe. We make choices, use our will and effort, but the results are 100% controlled by the supreme forces. So take no credit for it, no matter what your achievements or status in life. But, of course, feel happy and enjoy those achievements and moments, without developing the notion that it’s you who did it. Anytime you feel like that, Mr. Ego is lurking somewhere.

And then there’s the “me”, “my”, “mine” stuff. We don’t realize how much importance we give to our identities and belongings and how much they hold us back.

The Super Ego

Get rid of rigid rules, limited ideas and preconceived notions. Don’t assume that what you know or have been taught or experienced is the only way. Be fluid, dynamic, accepting, open, ready to embrace positive changes and most of all, willing to experiment and treat the results on merit. See them as they are, not as you want them to be and accept it if they broke your rules and expectations.

Staying caught up at the mental level

The world is filled with arguments, rationales, reasoning, debates – you can’t win and no one can if we keep rationalizing, analyzing and fighting over it mentally. You now have a higher awareness and perception – try reaching that higher level for newer and breakthrough solutions to problems. Don’t get lost in the quicksand of endless arguments and debates. Just detach. A surprising number of meditation practitioners discover how entangled they get in such situations. And they thought they were peaceful, calm people and that not much could get under their skin. The more we spend our attention mentally, the less we appreciate the higher spiritual state.

Entitlement

When you feel like you deserve something and don’t get it, take a step back and feel thankful for everything you already have. Don’t feel entitled. You may be truly deserving, but that is not the end of the world or an unforgivable sin and so don’t remain stuck. Move on past it, gracefully.

Forgiveness

Forgive, forget and move on. Do this to everything, everyone and every day. Check daily to see if you’ve been clinging to vengeance, hatred, dislikes from the past and discard them.

Inflexible and stuck

Unlearn what’s not important; move past your limitations. Human knowledge and scientific discoveries are still very limited to the infinite possibilities and power of the universe. Never be a doubter in science or research or knowledge, just understand that they are not the end of everything.

Now, none of the above can be a forceful, mental exercise, this is not a moral science class. So here’s the key – you place these aspects and problems in your attention during your meditation and allow these changes and positive traits to percolate gradually into your being. Soon enough, you’ll be aided by your inner strength and power and begin to see positive changes. Those changes, in turn, will make you feel better about yourself and you enter a positive upward spiral of self-improvement and a serious takedown of the Great Wall of Ego.

Use the above tenets as the reference for measuring your Ego and Superego at all times and keep them under check. Chances are that for the most part, your Kundalini won’t hit this wall anymore and more likely get through it to take you to the higher state.

2. Make vibrationally positive choices in life

At every step in your life, let your new awareness and vibrations decide what’s good for you. What’s appealing on the surface might likely be horrible when you check its vibrational suitability for you. (Our online workshops on Vibratory Awareness deal with these techniques).

Seek nature and things made of natural material as much as you can. Unless something frees up your time or attention for higher things or makes you a better person, try fewer artificial things and solutions. Most certainly avoid plastics and synthetic stuff that don’t give out any natural vibes.

Tap into the power of Mother Earth to balance yourself and get rid of your negativity.

3. Tap into the power of Collective Meditation

Yes, I understand. We all love convenience, do-it-yourself, our independence and privacy. It’s great to be an individual, independent, skilled meditator.

The only problem is that in the context of spiritual meditation, such a concept has serious limitations. You can only get to very basic levels by practicing meditation all by yourself. It is not without reason that the higher realm was coined “Collective UnConscious”, it’s an expansive, infinite realm designed by nature for the collective evolution of the human race and not for one person to become god-like. That’s why those zealous yogis in caves never made it for thousands of years. To be fair, people who lived in their times were likely not ready for such deep things. But we live in a different world today. We can all be mature, intelligent and knowledgeable if really want. Collective higher consciousness is not just a possibility, it is a reality that you can be part of.

It’s important to note however that this collectivity is at a spiritual and subtler level, not physical congregation or becoming a meditation groupie. Rather it’s a collective of highly skilled, powerful, individuals tapping into the combined power of their subtle energy to reach a higher state. And you don’t need to know the others in the group through any real-world association, or even know how many in the group there are. The perception of your higher awareness will tell you that.

Fact – 100% of regular meditators who practiced Sahaja for several weeks reported that their experience in a group setting or class was much more powerful than their individual, at home meditation. It may take time for you to realize this, but it’s worth trusting the benefits it brings. Which is why at Sahaja Online, we go to extraordinary pains to offer live meditation sessions. Those recordings you can do by yourself at home can only take you so far.

Just commit to collective or group meditation. Watch how your Kundalini responds and rises compared to you going alone in your meditation. Over time, the difference is unmistakably clear, no matter what excuses you might have or make to be a loner.

4. An unexplored life is not worth living

Seek spiritual depths boldly without hesitation, break the shackles and limitations; dive into the ocean of deep spirituality. Explore the Sahasrara, the crown chakra or energy center. Ponder about how this magnificent subtle energy system inside you works, what its powers and essences are. There are most certainly many things you are missing since your own divinity and energy system is a treasure trove.

The point is that your Kundalini energy will start responding and moving in ways you’ve never felt before to some of the deeper spiritual aspects and endeavors. So rather than use your analysis and reasoning to evaluate what those are, sometimes, jumping into it can give you an out of the world experience. Especially, if you’ve been stagnating for quite a while, now knowing how to proceed further.

5. Keep negativity at bay

The simplest formula – develop deep compassion and do everything from your heart always. Watch how you never absorb negativity when you do so.

Sure, clearing, cleansing, techniques are all fine, but nothing like developing warmth and compassion as a basic trait all your life. The mantra is “You will never catch in compassion…”, I.e., catch or contract negativity.

6. Strengthen the launchpad and foundation of your spirituality

This lies in the first energy center – the Mooladhara – lead a life of simplicity, innocence, without malice. Watch childlike innocence in children and see if your life can be like them, even though you don’t need to be naive or stupid.

So, just keep in mind that this center has a disproportionately higher significance in aiding our spiritual growth and progress.

7. Watch the outcomes that reflect your spiritual state

Unquestionably, your improving character and behavior are the proof of your spiritual state.  Your innate tendencies are the ultimate gauge of your progress. If we’re outwardly well behaved, with raging negative tendencies within, it’s still of very little use.

Our character and personality are the best mirrors we have at our disposal, they can shock us sometimes by telling us truths that we never knew and indicate that we probably haven’t elevated our state all that much. But not looking at them is not an option for us. The Kundalini energy rises or falls and the central channel expands or contracts based on our good or bad character and personality traits that we exhibit. Errant behavior on the basic set of traits can definitely cause the subtle system to be clogged up, sometimes quite stubbornly.

The richest and most successful people take advantage of the trends they see in the world and not individual and tactical techniques.

Precision meditators always focus on the bigger picture at all times in addition to having an accurate and truthful indicator of their own progress.

The above 7 trends and strategies should be on your list and awareness forever more than specific techniques and a day to day, tactical approach to meditation, such as for stress or anxiety relief.