Level 1, Lesson 13, How to be a successful student Part 2A & 2B, 31:00 & 23:00
1. Main Teachings brought out in lecture?
Chant of Aspirants
Strengthen the path of giving oneself to the divine each day. Practicing the aspects of yoga practice ( listening, reflection, meditation, daily practice, studying, living the teaching) leads to being a successful student.
Statement on: Working with worldly opportunties, gain and loss.
The application of teaching and understanding everything that happens, happens for a reason, and to continue our effort and understanding that this will lead to better experiences. Aspiring and application involves reflecting on and experiencing the teachings through life-experiences and this will lead to true wisdom. Understanding that one has to do whatever the divine has in store for you, leading to peace and success.
Statement on: Spirituality and Science
Einsteins “science without spirituality is debunked.” Bridging the gap between science and spirituality, especially in quantum physics. Ideas of scientists like Steven Hawking have a commonality with spiritual insights. The reality is much more than the sum total of the parts regarding science but mystical-spiritual insights are often disregarded even when it is already present.
Statement on: History, Ivan Van Sertima, and African Origins-Taoism
The full story and connection from beginning to present is fully referenced and annotated in the Egyptian Origins book, Taoism not treated as substantially as some other connections but it is there for investigation.
Statement on: Communication with Higher Self
When one begins their spiritual journey represented by the divine child suckling from the divine mother, this nectar-teaching.. Being hid in papyrus swamps represents being protected, sequestered from the world like a growing plant needs safety tell its strong enough to exist. This is connected to being in touch with teacher and asking questions and learning until one is in touch with higher self.
Statement on: Akhenaten and Buddha as reformers
Both reformers reducing emphasis on myth-ritual for the mystic. Buddha reduced the deity whereas Akhenaten’s form of practice was devotion to a deity. At the higher aspect of Akhenaten it’s similar and on lower levels it is devotion to a divinity. They both experienced resistance, like Martin Luther’s reformation. The attacks on Egypt by Asiastics led to military taking over and priest priestess and elders were minimized, and the government (ritualism-secular), the Amunite church adopted ritualism and moved away from mysticism and Akhenaten was trying to go back to mysticism. Dealt with in Egyptian Yoga Vol 2. Akhenaten was too abrupt in instituting change by not working with the popular deity of the time. Sage Seti I who came after was a follower of Set and as pharaoh he commissioned the building of temples for other divinities and Set, that’s pragmatic.
Statement hard to hear on the divine within
The divine is within but one must purify themselves and practice the teachings in order to turn on the light in the dark. Parable of the King and the Young Man. Young man is surprised by the simplicity of the truth of the divine within, he went to the enlightened king and the king made all the vices available for him. The young man was not overwhelmed. When the king arrived he explained to the young man that he had been tested and he maintained his peace and has an understanding about himself and the universe and that is enlightenment. Most would be overwhelmed by the vices or made angry, agitated by being made to wait, etc.
Question on Akhenaten destroying Amun temples
There is a tradition in Ancient Egypt of dismantling temples and using them as foundations for new temples. Amunites did this, Akhenaten did this, etc – it’s a part of the tradition. Instead what many have done is tried to frame Akhenaten’s reformation as a violent overthrow, but there is no evidence for this. The Egyptian documentaries in popular culture are embellishing-speculating-gossiping. An aspirant should lay off the nonsense related to Ancient Egypt or learn to see through it and be able to dispel the nonsense. The correct way to frame a question based on Ancient Egypt in popular culture is by saying “some researchers are saying X, what is really going on?” Whereas many others already believe what the researchers are saying.
Question on Similarities between Bible and Akhenaten hymns
There are in some cases literal similarities but the bible is not a complete discourse on the same philosophy and teachings therefore can be misleading.
Question on physical pain
Pain is related to disorders and impurities of the body, mind, soul. Some specific herbs and other health practices like heat-application (tigerbalm, warm bath) can help, and meditation sends life-force energy to the area to help the energy move. Reference Kemetic Diet book.
Final Statements on Aten Hymn
Hymn states that its Aten which is the underlying force behind an embryo. The Aten is the true source of life its not the sperm and egg or the mother, it is the underlying support of all life – all hearts, all matter, etc. The spirit operates through matter and supports the activities of matter in order to have experience in time and space but the underlying force is spirit. When a person is dead they have all the same aspects as when alive or when dissecting a person where is the principle of life; in other cases a person has amputations or accidents and continue to function. The underlying teaching here is that the spirit of life transcends the body, its beyond the body.
Meditation on chant of aspirants.
Key note: Keeping awareness of I AM – Nuk Hekau
2 &3. Are you currently implementing the teachings given in lecture, if not how will you implement the teachings not currently being practiced?
The most important aspects of this lecture I understand to be similar to the important points of being an aspirant from the coursepack. Daily practice, consistency, listening-reflection-meditation in daily life, realizing the teachings through ones experiences in the world. Through the course I am gradually developing a working knowledge of the philosophy while working to develop my Shedy practice in a serious way. This process is still underway to build a foundation, build my life around the teachings instead of worldiness and external concerns of the world beyond reason. Most important here is my purification of the vices which is happening progressively along with learning to be consistent in practice and seeing what fetters are present that hinder consistency. I would say I am practicing the teachings brought out in the lecture albeit still working on producing a level of consistency so that the realization of the teachings and Self happens in a serious manner.
to further my practice I will work more diligently with the check list presented in this lessons coursepack reading.
