Level 1 Lesson 2 Video Assignment, Intro to SN Short Part 2b.mp4 , 20:14
Important Themes Presented
1. Chant is the beginning of meditation, it is not meditation itself.
2.Worship: Public and Private. Worship assisted by priests/ess in outer temple or inner court ( festival and official function). Ordinary people unable to go into the middle temple or beyond. Private practice at home with altar, offerings, prayer, studying. This was the ancient practice and is also for today. We practice together in good association and also focus on our private practice.
3. Glorious Light Meditation system in tomb of Seti Ua, a sage king of New Kingdom Period. He inscribed in his tomb a meditation system which is the oldest known form of meditation! It is a large scripture and this section is the main part. It gives instruction for posture, visualization (circle with dot of Ra), sitting in the circle. Identifying with the Divine Self.
4. Prt M Hru Text with Asar Sokar ( photo). The Avian form of Asar. When he dies and is resurrected he is king of the Netherworld as Asar Sokar. Asar, Heru, Ra form of Hawk triny. Same divinity in different aspects, different manifestations. Meskhenet
– Asar Sokar ( or Ra Herukhuti)
– Anpu ( son of Asar and Nebthet)
– Tehuti ( Scribe of gods and goddess and is mind)
– Meskhenet with Birthing stone.
– Maat.
5. Maat Judges a persons Aryu on the weight of the Feather and determines where a person will be reincarnated. If the heart is heavier than Maat, it means your heart is heavy with worry, anxiety, sinfulness, Lust, Desire, and that means unrighteousness and we suffer from our delusion and then reincarnate. If your heart is balanced equal with Maat, that means moderate righteousness and you go to Serve Asar in his house in the Netherworld. If your heart is lighter then ( is it possible to have a light heart if you performed unrighteousness up tell a certain point in your life, can this be known. When I meditate it feels like all things dissipate, and I wonder if that state is maintained if that could start the elimination of loads of karmic weight?) Maat, means you have transcended physicality and will go to Sit on Asars thrown. In the Astral plane you become one with the divine by merging, which is not possible in the physical reality. This is the heart of Maat philosophy. It has certain mystical and philosophical implications and when understood deeply thoroughly and properly then you enter into the higher aspects of Maat culture.
– Not righteous for the sake of being righteous. Its righteousness for the discovery of a cosmic harmony, balance, between the individual and universe. That is the goal of spirituality.
– Headdress; feather held with headband. Close fitting outfit.
Maat philosophy books, talks, wisdom texts. Heal the criminal heart.
6. Tef Neteru/Semi Tawi Postures. Physical workout and Mythological workout. Act and feel like the divinity leads to understanding the divinity’s consciousness. Kemetic Yoga Postures is a meditation system as well. It is based on the theatrical mythic drama of the Shemsu Neter.
Postures broken down into 5 phases
-first; Khepri and creation
-Earth Phase
-Transition Phase; animals elements and forces
-Higher Self Poses
-Establishment in Higher Self and Higher Teaching
7. This is learned from preceptor; how to reason. Any discipline you can study, you can get the theory but if it stops working troubleshooting inst the same as knowing how it works. You need to know how things operate, ware down, symptoms. The preceptor is a troubleshooter into how the world works. Needing to know how to understand and apply it. Once you have accepted a spiritual preceptor as your teacher, you should not carry into that relationship your own egoism or self-willed nature. You accept the advise. Many aspirants can come to spiritual lectures but do not have full commitment, and may try and check it out, pick it apart, debate it. The individual continues thinking how they think, but they should stay outside the temple and let serious seekers come in. Not knowing how to think is the key failure for a spiritual aspirant; not understanding how to make sense of the world, apply a philosophy. Not surrendering to the teaching. Carrying an internal pleasure seeking life and be considered spiritual are not mutually compatible.
8. Important: Yoga has to be an Integral Practice in your Spiritual Life. If you only concentrate on one aspect its not enough. Each aspect of the personality has to be harmonized, developed, balanced. Western Practice of Yoga repudiates certain practices in favor of an imbalanced concentration on physical exercise due to being unable to practice a spiritual system outside of Western Culture.
9. Time to Process is important. In Between concentrated teachings and regular teachings the aspirant has to have time and transition throughout the practice. Intensive teachings are for a specific purpose on occasion.
10. Question; please expand on Yoga of Wisdom. The definition of wisdom is Knowledge plus Experience. Information does not equal wisdom. Intellectual brightness does not equal spiritual enlightenment, it helps you understand a teaching. Wisdom arises from intuititonal understanding of a teaching. Intellectualism is comparisons, wisdom is Ah ha! A bigger understanding that goes beyond dualities. Wisdom; Listening, Reflection, Meditation ( Merging with the Teaching.)
Explain what Impressed you most in this presentation
1. The discussion on Maat philosophy was very important and impressive. I would like to learn more about the journey of life beyond this one. I understand that Maat philosophy is not only for the hereafter but as said it is the practice of righteousness in order to discover a cosmic harmony in the present moment.
2. The discussion on How To Reason is also critical as was conveyed through the statement that not knowing how to reason is the key failure for a spiritual aspirant. My reasoning leads me in somewhat the right direction but can be misguided through the fetters of attachments and base emotions. I find the study of the books and the taking of this course to be critical in providing the Reasoning Instruction that will allow me to live a viable Personal Spiritual Program ( Shedy.)
