A Spiritual Lifestyle: Contemplative Life From Egypt To India

The Purpose of Life: "With Swamiji there is no such thing as idle chatter; he talks of the impermanence of the body and the purpose of life -- attaining spiritual enlightenment to avoid samsara (endless rebirth). He reminds me that when I die nothing will go with me; I will have to leave everything behind, except the accumulated spiritual wealth of my personal sadhana [meditation practice]."

 

"In conversation with Swamiji, he suddenly bursts out enthusiastically with 'Brahma Muhurta!' This, I learn, is the time between 3;00 AM and 6;00 AM known as the most favourable time for Sadhana (one’s spiritual practices). During Brahmamuhurta, so called as it is considered the most auspicious time for meditating on Brahman (God), the mind is calm and less engaged with worldly thoughts, worries and anxieties. Also the atmospheric energy during this time is more charged with sattva (purity), increasing the likelihood one’s practice will go deeper, with the corresponding health and well-being benefits." (India: Glimpses Into Sant Mat Ashram Life: Rishikesh, Sanctuary of Sadhus, Sages and the Occasional Enlightened Master)

 

Egypt: Members of the Therapeutae order wore white like some Sikhs and Sufis: "... and being clothed in tunics of the most delicate texture, and of the purest white..." (Philo of Alexandria) In the case of most Gnostic groups, and the Jewish Essene sect, we only know them through their writings -- their teachings, not much else. In the case of the Therapeutae no collections of their writings have ever been found, but through Philo of Alexandria we have a fairly detailed description of their daily life and weekly format of worship. (Meet the Children of the Dawn: The Therapeutae -- The First Monastery Mentioned in History, an Ancient Spiritual Community that Once Existed Near Alexandria)

 

In Divine Love, Light, and Sound, At the Feet of the Masters,

James Bean

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