In this exercise,
We show the way to the Garden of Krish.
This garden is our special inner sanctuary.
To take refuge,
Stabilize our consciousness.
For self-inquiry,
We close our eyes.
To cut down on any physical distractions,
We take a few deep breaths.
And then,
If any current annoyances,
Clears our consciousness to be more open to new experiences.
Ways return to these outer issues and concerns,
If necessary.
After our metta,
Do this now.
Let go of any immediate concerns.
So,
Who are we?
We have a body.
We can control it.
Relax our body at will.
We are not.
We have emotions.
And we can select the feeling and reaction that we want.
And control them.
We,
We have desires that we can direct.
Not them either.
We have an intellect that we use for thinking.
We are not.
We,
These,
Are instruments of awareness.
Vehicles for communication.
They are integral parts of our personality.
Our ego.
We are more.
Each one of us is a center of awareness.
A focus or point of pure intelligence.
That observes,
Directs,
Guides,
And controls our ego.
All are instruments of awareness.
This center of consciousness acts like a lens.
It is our lens of awareness.
That knows how to direct energy from the ocean of light,
Into our instruments of awareness.
This center of consciousness truly is our higher self.
The I am.
Our immortal,
Conscious,
Present.
And now it is time to go to our garden of tranquility.
Our special inner sanctuary.
Where we go to take refuge from the outer world.
Our external levels of thought and feeling.
To do this,
We imagine that we are in a dense forest.
It is a quiet day.
The trees and plants are thick with a beautiful white fog.
We are walking up a path.
As we walk along,
We make note of the peaceful mood of this entire area.
The fog is getting thicker now.
So thick that it is becoming difficult to see the trees.
As we continue walking up the hill,
The fog becomes brighter and brighter.
Brighter.
Higher.
And brighter.
When suddenly we break through the fog,
We are above the clouds,
Where the sun is shining brilliantly.
We continue up the path in the clear sunlight.
Just up ahead,
We notice a curve in the path.
At the bend,
As we turn,
We encounter an open and level place.
And a wood gate.
Beyond the gate,
We see a beautiful garden of flowering trees.
Walking up to the gate,
We notice a sign.
Please leave your intellect at the gate.
It will be useful to remove our intellectual expectations before we proceed.
It is as if we can take off our intellect,
Just as we might remove a hand,
And simply set it aside for a while.
We will pick it up as we leave in a few moments.
So now,
Let's remove our intellectual assumption.
Take off the intellect,
As if we are removing a hat.
There is a hook near the gate,
Where we can hang our intellectual hat.
Do this now.
We will pick our intellect up later on the way out.
Now that our intellect is parked,
Let's proceed to open the gate.
Step into the garden.
Close the gate.
Turn to survey the area.
The first thing we notice is how neat and well kept everything is.
Slowly walk about this garden.
Observe the delicate and colorful flowers.
Notice the path,
The trees,
The bushes.
We spot a nearby stream of bright,
Clear water.
We notice how peaceful and safe we feel in this place.
We look for a spot to rest in our garden near the stream.
Take a few moments to find that special place,
Our sanctuary,
Where we can retreat from time and space,
Our inner refuge from the outer world,
For relaxation,
Contemplation,
And to enjoy the unusual presence of our garden.
We notice how calm we are,
How clear our thinking has become,
How safe and comfortable we feel in this place.
We become acutely aware that we are experiencing a very powerful clarity of consciousness.
We are extremely alert and energy rich.
In this level of consciousness,
We feel more alive and mindful,
More cognizant of our strengths and abilities.
We are aware of our inner life and to recognize and attune ourselves to our inner strength,
To be patient,
Kind,
And grateful,
To deepen our understanding of the meaning of our life.
Immerse yourself in the quiet alertness and tranquility.
Remember this spot.
It is your special place in the garden,
Your sanctuary.
As we begin to walk to the gate,
Take one last look around to remember this garden and our special place in it.
We will come back here often.
Approach the entry gate.
Open it,
Walk through,
And close the gate.
Find the hook,
Pick up,
And put on the hat that symbolizes the intellect.
Start down the path for our return to time and space.
We are on our way now,
Down the hill,
Slowly sinking into the clouds,
Moving through the clouds,
Thicker and thicker,
Lower,
Down,
Out of the clouds,
And back into the dense forest,
Down the path,
Preparing to return.
Now that we have made real contact with the higher level of consciousness,
The real I am,
The higher self,
It will be easy to return to this level of awareness by recalling the memory of this state.
And every time we make an effort to do this,
We will find it easier to accomplish,
And we will achieve a more effective and powerful level.
Let's return to our regular waking state of thoughts,
Feelings,
And actions,
To time and space.
And as we do this,
We know that our personality has made progress in developing a working relationship with our higher self,
The conscious presence.
Take a few deep breaths to help establish the waking state,
And return fully alert,
Comfortable in all instruments of awareness,
With a heightened awareness of our environment,
The knowledge,
I am aware,
I am.
