Meditation, Prayer & Affirmation. Edgar Cayce
the course ye now pursue.
To each of you, then, we would give a word:
Ye all find yourselves confused at times respecting from whence ye came and whither ye goeth. Ye find yourselves with bodies, with minds—not all beautiful, not all clean, not all pure in thine own sight or in thy neighbor’s. And there are many who care more for the outward appearance than that which prompts the heart in its activity or in its seeking.
But, ye ask, what has this to do with Meditation? What is Meditation?
It is not musing, not daydreaming; but as ye find your bodies made up of the physical, mental and spiritual, it is the attuning of the mental body and the physical body to its spiritual source.
Many say that ye have no consciousness of having a soul—yet the very fact that ye hope, that ye have a desire for better things, the very fact that ye are able to be sorry or glad, indicates an activity of the mind that takes hold upon something that is not temporal in its nature—something that passeth not away with the last breath that is drawn but that takes hold upon the very sources of its beginning—the soul—that which was made in the image of thy Maker—not thy body, no—not thy mind, but thy soul was in the image of thy Creator.
Then, it is the attuning of thy physical and mental attributes seeking to know the relationships to the Maker. That is true meditation.
How do you accomplish same? How would ye as an individual go about learning to meditate?
For, ye must learn to meditate—just as ye have learned to walk, to talk, to do any of the physical attributes of thy mind as compared to the relationships with the facts, the attitudes, the conditions, the environs of thy daily surroundings.
Then, there must be a conscious contact with that which is a part of thy body-physical, thy body-mental, to thy soul-body or thy superconsciousness. The names indicate that ye have given it metes and bounds, while the soul is boundless—and is represented by many means or measures or manners in the expressions in the mind of each of you.
But there are physical contacts which the anatomist finds not, or those who would look for imaginations or the minds. Yet it is found that within the body there are channels, there are ducts, there are glands, there are activities that perform no one knows what! in a living, moving, thinking being. In many individuals such become dormant. Many have become atrophied. Why? Non-usage, non-activity! because only the desires of the appetite, self-indulgences and such, have so glossed over or used up the abilities in these directions that they become only wastes as it were in the spiritual life of an individual who has so abused or misused those abilities that have been given him for the greater activity.
Then, purify thy mind if ye would meditate. How? Depending on what is thy concept of purification! Does it mean to thee a mixing up with a lot of other things, or a setting aside of self, a washing with water, a cleansing or purifying by fire or what not?
Whatever thy concept is, be true to thine inner self. Live that choice ye make—do it! not merely say it but do it!
Purify thy body. Shut thyself away from the cares of the world. Think on that as ye would do to have thy God meet thee face to face. “Ah,” ye say “but many are not able to speak to God!” Many, you say, are fearful. Why? Have ye gone so far astray that ye cannot approach Him who is all merciful? He knows thy desires and thy needs, and can only supply according to the purposes that ye would perform within thine own self.
Then, purify thy body, physically. Sanctify thy body, as the laws were given of old, for tomorrow the Lord would speak with thee—as a father speaketh to his children. Has God changed? Have ye wandered so far away? Know ye not that, as He has given, “If ye will be my children, I will be thy God”? and “Though ye wander far away, if ye will but call I will hear”?
If any of you say, “Yes, but it was spoken to those of old—we have no part in such,” then indeed ye have no part. They that would know God, would know their own souls, would know how to meditate or to talk with God, must believe that He is—and that He rewards those who seek to know and to do His biddings.
That He gave of old is as new today as it was in the beginning of man’s relationship or seeking to know the will of God, if ye will but call on Him within thine inner self! Know that thy body is the temple of the living God. There He has promised to meet thee!
Are ye afraid? Are ye ashamed? Have ye so belittled thy opportunities, have ye so defamed thine own body and thine own mind that ye are ashamed to have thy God meet thee within thine own tabernacle?
Then, woe be unto thee—lest ye set thy house in order. For as has been indicated, there are physical contacts in thy own body with thy own soul, thy own mind. Does anyone have to indicate to you that if you touch a needle there is pain felt? Ye are told that such an awareness is an activity of consciousness that passes along the nervous system to and from the brain. Then, just the same there are contacts with that which is eternal within thy physical body. For there is the bowl that must one day be broken, the cord that must one day be severed from thine own physical body—and to be absent from the body is to be present with God.
What is thy God? Are thy ambitions only set in whether ye shall eat tomorrow, or as to wherewithal ye shall be clothed? Ye of little faith, ye of little hope, that allow such to become the paramount issues in thine own consciousness! Know ye not that ye are His? For ye are of His making! He hath willed that ye shall not perish, but hath left it with thee as to whether ye become even aware of thy relationships with Him or not. In thine own house, in thine own body there are the means for the approach—through the desire first to know Him; putting that desire into activity by purging the body, the mind of those things that ye know or even conceive of as being hindrances—not what someone else says! It isn’t what you want someone else to give! As Moses gave of old, it isn’t who will descend from heaven to bring you a message, nor who would come from over the seas, but Lo, ye find Him within thine own heart, within thine own consciousness! if ye will meditate, open thy heart, thy mind! Let thy body and mind be channels that ye may do the things ye ask God to do for you! Thus ye come to know Him.
Would you ask God to do for you that you would not do for your brother? If you would, you are selfish—and know not God. For as ye do it unto the least of thy brethren, ye do it unto thy Maker. These are not mere words—they are that as ye will experience—if ye would know Him at all. For He is not past finding out; and if ye will know Him, tune in to Him; turn, look, hope, act in such a way that ye expect Him, thy God, to meet thee face to face. “Be not afraid, it is I,” saith He that came to those seeking to know their relationship with their Maker. And because He came walking in the night, in the darkness, even upon the waters, they were afraid. Yea, many of you become afraid because of the things that ye hear—for ye say, “I do not understand—I do not comprehend!” Why? Have ye so belittled thyself, thy body, thy mind, thy consciousness, that thou hast seared, that thou hast made of none effect those opportunities within thine own consciousness to know thy Maker?
Then, to all of you:
Purify thy body, thy mind. Consecrate thyselves in prayer, yes—but not as he that prayed “I thank Thee I am not like other fellows.” Rather let there be in thy heart that humbleness, for ye must humble thyself if ye would know Him; and come with an open, seeking, contrite heart, desirous of having the way shown to thee.
And when thou art shown, turn not thy face the other way; but be true to the vision that is given thee. And He will speak, for His promise has been “When ye call I will hear, and will answer speedily.” Then, when He speaks, open thy heart, thy mind to the opportunities, to the glories that are thine—if ye will but accept them through that attuning through meditation of thy consciousness, thy desire to the living God; and say and live within thyself as He of old gave, “Others may do as they may, but as for me, I will worship—yea, I will serve the living God.”
He is not far from thee! He is closer than thy right hand. He standeth at the door of thy heart! Will ye bid Him enter? or will ye turn away?