HD Poetry Meditation Page

Basic Instructions in Meditation

Two Methods in Meditation

Disciplines in Support of Meditation, based on Eknath Easwaran's Eight-point Program

Thoughts On Meditation

"Meditation is the regular, systematic training of attention to turn inward and dwell continuously on a single focus within consciousness." Eknath Easwaran

Meditation has always been woven into the mystical fabric of the world's great religions. For example, in the New RSV Bible, Psalm 1, verse 2, ends with: "their delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law they meditate day and night." In Joshua 1:8, we have, "This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; you shall meditate on it day and night,.." This is not a gentle suggestion. It came at a pivotal time for the Jews. Joshua was taking over from Moses. The Lord gave Joshua only four instructions, and this was one of them.

Spiritual teachers in the Hindu and Buddhist traditions are full of instructions and guidance in meditation and allied disciplines for their students. In the Christian tradition, however, except in the monasteries, for several hundred years there has been no ongoing tradition of the daily practice of meditation. In the Jewish tradition, mysticism and the practice of meditation flourished in Eastern Europe from the eighteenth century until 1940. Eighty percent of the Rabbis who could have carried this tradition into the present burgeoning atmosphere of mysticism in the West perished in the Holocaust.

Prior to the nineteen seventies, we Americans had little in the way of examples to follow in the application of meditation to daily life. We are beginning to climb out of a vast well of ignorance of meditative practices. An enormous and potentially confusing quantity of writing on meditation has become available in the bookstores during the last thirty or more years.

It is difficult to know what to read, whom to believe. My advice would be stay as close as you can to the sources. Meditation arises out of scripture. It has been refined over the centuries by direct commentary on the scriptures of each religious tradition by the sages (masters, teachers), holy men and women who have gained experiential knowledge of the teachings. If you are reading a book by a student of a master, or by a student of a student, keep a critical eye on what you are reading. Better still, go to the master. Even the master's suggestions must be weighed in the balance of your own inner truth.

In the absence of a spiritual teacher, we can only go to the bookshelf for instruction; however, reading about meditation is not meditation. In this respect, "practice makes perfect," takes on the deepest possible meaning.

Find your own technique of meditating, your own master or teacher. In entering an unknown realm, its helps to have a map, which a teacher can provide. The teachings of one you should follow will resonate in your heart. Don't jump around. Stick to the path you choose like glue.

If you cannot find a suitable teacher, proceed on your own. Continually seek inspiration from those whose wisdom touches your heart. Keep company with those who meditate.

Basic Instructions in Meditation

A spiritual teacher's instructions in meditation will be very simple. The idea is: you receive simple instructions; you go off and practice; you have difficulties; you return to the teacher for help; you keep at it. In case you take up meditation in the absence of a spiritual teacher, a number of potential difficulties have been listed below. Some of them may seem quite minor. Try it, and you will see.

Decide what method of meditation you will feel most comfortable in following. Learn the technique through daily practice. Stick with it.

Set aside a place for meditating. Let it become sacrosanct.

Set aside a time for meditating, preferably first thing in the morning, whatever time of day that is for you. Let it become sacrosanct.

Meditate daily. Never fail.

Keep trappings (candles, incense, etc.) to a minimum. None are necessary.

Wear loose-fitting clothes.

Initially, and probably continuing for several years, the optimum length of a single sitting is one-half hour. At first, thirty minutes may seem like forever. You may begin with twenty minutes, or ten, and work up to the half hour.

Assume a comfortable sitting posture. Meditation is most commonly done in a sitting position, as a compromise between lying down (with the high probability of falling asleep) and standing up (with the remote possibility of falling), or while slowly walking.

You may sit on the floor, carpet, a pad, one or two cushions on a pad, however you wish. Cushions should be filled with something like beans, to minimize squashing. Cross your legs, fold your lower legs under you, or do whatever you need to do to be reasonably comfortable.

You may sit in a straight-back chair, using the backrest or not. A chair with arms is safer, in case you slip into sleep.

What you do with your hands is not critical. Placing one hand inside the other in your lap, palms up, works nicely.

Very important: keep your back and neck "in a straight line"; that is, start off with good posture. Mentally check your posture often during meditation.

Some teachers of meditation prefer that a student assume specific postures. If that has been your experience, go with it.

Some teachers say it is better for the stomach to be empty. One ancient authority says it is better to meditate with the stomach partly filled. So, its up to you. Going for a walk or a bit of exercising before meditation may help. Other guidelines: after a light snack, wait about half an hour before meditating; after a meal, wait two hours.

The senses: close down as many as you can. Close your eyes gently, or gaze softly at a blank wall or the empty floor a short distance in front of you. If you can't keep other people quiet in your vicinity, use commercially available ear plugs, or get a noise machine (a fan may help). If you itch, scratching is harmless, but it may break up your attention. Its better to let your mind be aware of the itching, but not scratch. This is good discipline. Even fierce itches tend to go away on their own. Adjust your posture quietly during meditation, if necessary, to avoid pain or cramping.

You may become very much aware of other minor bodily discomforts. Let your mind be aware of the discomfort, but direct your attention toward the object of concentration. Your awareness of the body in meditation will eventually decrease, provided you persevere in meditating.

Having assumed your position, be quiet; you and your mind both, quiet. If you have little experience in meditation, you may be able to keep your mind quiet for perhaps a second or two. Why no longer? Because you have not trained your mind in quietness. It has a habit of being in constant "use;" of running along without constraint. However, if you can't keep your mind quiet, you can use it in pursuit of quietness.

Use your consciousness to focus the mind. Concentrate on an object: the breath; the words of an inspirational passage; the mantrum; mindfulness; your own interior silence; or use any other technique recommended by a master of meditation for redirecting the mind, for taking the attention of the mind away from its own ruminations.

Do not be discouraged by the multiple distractions the mind will throw at you. Repeatedly redirect your attention toward that which you wish to concentrate on. You may say quietly to your mind, "Don't make thoughts right now," or something similar. Replace the distraction with concentration on the object of meditation. You will need an enormous amount of patience. Be firm with the mind, with kindness and compassion; it is only following its own way. Be careful not to repress your thoughts; let them be replaced with concentrating on the object of meditation.

Perseverance is the key: "He never gives in to desire. He meditates. In the strength of his resolve, he discovers true happiness." (Dhammapada)

Two Methods in Meditation

Passage Meditation:

This method grew out of Eknath Easwaran's personal experience. His students have been using it for approximately forty years. It is outlined in his little book, Meditation, and treated extensively on the Blue Mountain Center of Meditation web site, www.easwaran.org.

Select a passage from scripture, or from the mystical literature, one that has meaning for you. Memorize it, or write it out and memorize it gradually. For passages you might want to use, see Easwaran's book, God Makes the Rivers to Flow, a remarkable collection of short and long passages from all the major religious traditions. For a selection of nontheistic passages from the Buddhist and Chinese traditions, see Steve Rupenthal's book, The Path to Direct Awakening.

In meditation, go slowly through the passage in your mind, concentrating on each word, slowly. If you get to the end before half an hour, go back to the beginning. Using a long passage or several shorter ones will help keep your enthusiasm from flagging. Memorizing several long passages and alternating use of them also helps. The memorizing itself is good discipline, good training for the mind. When distractions come, let them, but keep turning your attention back to the words. Be gentle with your mind, but firm in your determination to get back to the passage. When you realize that your mind has drawn your attention completely away from the passage, go bark to the beginning, or to the beginning of the section or verse you were on.

The secret of passage meditation is this: after many years of meditation, the words of the inspirational passage become an integral part of your consciousness. Even before this, you will find yourself acting out the words of passages in your relationships with others. For example, Easwaran recommends using the prayer of Saint Francis, which begins, "Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace; where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon;". Use of such passages in meditation can lead to a complete transformation of personality.

Centering Prayer:

For information on a world-wide group using this method, visit The World Community for Christian Meditators, www.wccm.org or www.contemplativeoutreach.org. The latter web site is associated with the work of Thomas Keating.

Centering prayer comes out of a first-century Christian monastic tradition. Basically, it is a way of meditation. One attempts to focus the mind on the interior silence. When a distraction arises, a "prayer word" is used to bring the mind's attention away from the distraction and back to concentration on interior silence. It is advisable for the prayer word to be one of the holy names or a word or phrase sanctified by use over time. The prayer word is, in effect, a mantrum, and it can be used as a mantrum outside of meditation.

This method brings to mind, "Be still and know that I am God." The interior silence was referred to by Thomas Merton: “…have the courage to enter your own silence". The interior silence can be equated with the Self, the Atman, the True Self and, "the Lord of Love, dwelling in your heart." Thus, by using centering prayer, one bridges the apparent gap between Christianity and other great religious traditions.

In the Catholic mystical tradition, “contemplation” or "interior prayer" is often used as synonym for what others call "meditation." Catholic monasticism has its own antique vocabulary. If you read Basil Pennington's little book, Centering Prayer, do not let such considerations bother you. Pennington goes deeply into the origins of centering prayer. However, Thomas Keating, in Open Mind, Open Heart, offers a more helpful manual of practice. This book is to centering prayer what Eknath Easwaran's book, Meditation, is to passage meditation and the disciplines allied with meditation.

The Quaker practice of silently "waiting on God" in meeting for worship or in silence at home is similar to centering prayer. The problems of concentration and distractions are the same.

Disciplines in Support of Meditation

Eknath Easwaran recommends seven disciplines in support of meditation: use of the mantrum (a holy name or phrase); slowing down; paying one-pointed attention; training the senses; putting the welfare of others first; seeking satsang (spiritual fellowship); and reading the scriptures and great mystics of all religious traditions. These practices are well known in the Hindu and Christian traditions, especially among monastics. Easwaran developed an Eight-point Program of practicing these disciplines in conjunction with passage meditation. (See Eknath Easwaran's book, Meditation.) As far as is known to HD, these disciplines can be used beneficially in conjunction with other methods of meditation.

The Eight-point Program is the framework of what follows.

The Practical Wisdom of the Meditative Life

The following is an expanded version of an Eight-point Program of spiritual living practiced by students of Sri Eknath Easwaran, which Easwaran based on Chapter Six of the Bhagavad Gita and his own experience. It is compatible with Christian mystical literature, the Dhammapada and Sufi teachings. For full information on any of the disciplines that follow (except 2.b.), visit the Blue Mountain Center of Meditation and Nilgiri Press, www.easwaran.org
[Expansion of each of the Eight Points by HD (without consultation with EE) include additional points by EE, Thomas a Kempis, Sri Ma, Sri Krishna, Gandhi, Naruda/Vishnu and others.]

1. Meditate daily; never fail (See Basic Instructions in Meditation, above).

Concentrate on each word of a memorized inspirational passage, slowly (see Two Methods in Meditation, above), or on another internal object of concentration.
Let go; let yourself be zero (empty yourself of yourself).
Trust always and only in That Which Is.
Invite a bhava (a divine attitude) into your life.
Meditate in addition to any prayer life you may have. After meditating for a few years, you may find prayer rising within you more than before.

2. Practice either a. or b.

a. Repeat the mantrum (a holy name or phrase) at every opportunity.
Put as much meaning into it as you can. Eventually, repeat it constantly, with sincerity, concentration and love.
Silent repetition of a holy name or phrase is interior prayer; a way to pray unceasingly.

b. Practice mindfulness in every activity. (See Tich Nhat Hanh, The Miracle of Mindfulness)

3. Slow down; slow down your thoughts.

Hurrying about agitates the mind.
Gradually, still your thoughts in That Which Is.
Become aware of what your mind is doing.

4. Pay one-pointed attention to every activity, even the smallest; the least significant.

Open yourself to others in conversation. Give the speaker your undivided attention. While listening, let your undivided attention be your mantrum .

5. Train the senses.

No junk food; no junk thoughts.
Garbage in, garbage out applies to all the senses.

6. Put the welfare of others first.

Your welfare is linked with theirs.
Develop discrimination (discernment).

7. Seek satsang, the company of truth, with your teacher, with others, within yourself.
"Satsanga, the company of the wise, is the way."

8. For inspiration, read and reread the scriptures and great mystics of all religions.

Further Suggestions:

It is essential that all eight of these be practiced daily.
Be regular and systematic in your practice.
Maintain your enthusiasm.
Develop a sustained spiritual campaign.
Accept joy; accept love.
Learn to love by practicing love; be a dispassionate observer.
Open yourself to prayer; get yourself out of the way.
Discern, accept and act upon the will of That Which Is, abandoning attachment to the results of work.
Strive for the good of the whole. Ask yourself, "Will this be for the good of the children and the children’s children?"

At intervals, practice detached reflection and determined redirection*.

*Detached reflection and determined redirection: Sit quietly at the end of a day or at any other time you feel the need, and reflect on things you did during the day or the past week or so that you are not happy about. Try to step back and detach yourself from any emotional involvement in the actions or their results. Be a dispassionate observer. Then resolve to redirect yourself away from taking those actions again.

For background and clarity on passage meditation and the Eight-point Program, visit the web site of The Blue Mountain Center of Meditation and Nilgiri Press, www.easwaran.org

All contents © HD Wagener 2007

Thoughts On Meditation

"Meditation is the regular, systematic training of attention to turn inward and dwell continuously on a single focus within consciousness." Eknath Easwaran

Meditation has always been woven into the mystical fabric of the world's great religions. For example, in the New RSV Bible, Psalm 1, verse 2, ends with: "their delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law they meditate day and night." In Joshua 1:8, we have, "This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; you shall meditate on it day and night,.." This is not a gentle suggestion. It came at a pivotal time for the Jews. Joshua was taking over from Moses. The Lord gave Joshua only four instructions, and this was one of them.

Spiritual teachers in the Hindu and Buddhist traditions are full of instructions and guidance in meditation and allied disciplines for their students. In the Christian tradition, however, except in the monasteries, for several hundred years there has been no ongoing tradition of the daily practice of meditation. In the Jewish tradition, mysticism and the practice of meditation flourished in Eastern Europe from the eighteenth century until 1940. Eighty percent of the Rabbis who could have carried this tradition into the present burgeoning atmosphere of mysticism in the West perished in the Holocaust.

Prior to the nineteen seventies, we Americans had little in the way of examples to follow in the application of meditation to daily life. We are beginning to climb out of a vast well of ignorance of meditative practices. An enormous and potentially confusing quantity of writing on meditation has become available in the bookstores during the last thirty or more years.

It is difficult to know what to read, whom to believe. My advice would be stay as close as you can to the sources. Meditation arises out of scripture. It has been refined over the centuries by direct commentary on the scriptures of each religious tradition by the sages (masters, teachers), holy men and women who have gained experiential knowledge of the teachings. If you are reading a book by a student of a master, or by a student of a student, keep a critical eye on what you are reading. Better still, go to the master. Even the master's suggestions must be weighed in the balance of your own inner truth.

In the absence of a spiritual teacher, we can only go to the bookshelf for instruction; however, reading about meditation is not meditation. In this respect, "practice makes perfect," takes on the deepest possible meaning.

Find your own technique of meditating, your own master or teacher. In entering an unknown realm, its helps to have a map, which a teacher can provide. The teachings of one you should follow will resonate in your heart. Don't jump around. Stick to the path you choose like glue.

If you cannot find a suitable teacher, proceed on your own. Continually seek inspiration from those whose wisdom touches your heart. Keep company with those who meditate.

Basic Instructions in Meditation

A spiritual teacher's instructions in meditation will be very simple. The idea is: you receive simple instructions; you go off and practice; you have difficulties; you return to the teacher for help; you keep at it. In case you take up meditation in the absence of a spiritual teacher, a number of potential difficulties have been listed below. Some of them may seem quite minor. Try it, and you will see.

Decide what method of meditation you will feel most comfortable in following. Learn the technique through daily practice. Stick with it.

Set aside a place for meditating. Let it become sacrosanct.

Set aside a time for meditating, preferably first thing in the morning, whatever time of day that is for you. Let it become sacrosanct.

Meditate daily. Never fail.

Keep trappings (candles, incense, etc.) to a minimum. None are necessary.

Wear loose-fitting clothes.

Initially, and probably continuing for several years, the optimum length of a single sitting is one-half hour. At first, thirty minutes may seem like forever. You may begin with twenty minutes, or ten, and work up to the half hour.

Assume a comfortable sitting posture. Meditation is most commonly done in a sitting position, as a compromise between lying down (with the high probability of falling asleep) and standing up (with the remote possibility of falling), or while slowly walking.

You may sit on the floor, carpet, a pad, one or two cushions on a pad, however you wish. Cushions should be filled with something like beans, to minimize squashing. Cross your legs, fold your lower legs under you, or do whatever you need to do to be reasonably comfortable.

You may sit in a straight-back chair, using the backrest or not. A chair with arms is safer, in case you slip into sleep.

What you do with your hands is not critical. Placing one hand inside the other in your lap, palms up, works nicely.

Very important: keep your back and neck "in a straight line"; that is, start off with good posture. Mentally check your posture often during meditation.

Some teachers of meditation prefer that a student assume specific postures. If that has been your experience, go with it.

Some teachers say it is better for the stomach to be empty. One ancient authority says it is better to meditate with the stomach partly filled. So, its up to you. Going for a walk or a bit of exercising before meditation may help. Other guidelines: after a light snack, wait about half an hour before meditating; after a meal, wait two hours.

The senses: close down as many as you can. Close your eyes gently, or gaze softly at a blank wall or the empty floor a short distance in front of you. If you can't keep other people quiet in your vicinity, use commercially available ear plugs, or get a noise machine (a fan may help). If you itch, scratching is harmless, but it may break up your attention. Its better to let your mind be aware of the itching, but not scratch. This is good discipline. Even fierce itches tend to go away on their own. Adjust your posture quietly during meditation, if necessary, to avoid pain or cramping.

You may become very much aware of other minor bodily discomforts. Let your mind be aware of the discomfort, but direct your attention toward the object of concentration. Your awareness of the body in meditation will eventually decrease, provided you persevere in meditating.

Having assumed your position, be quiet; you and your mind both, quiet. If you have little experience in meditation, you may be able to keep your mind quiet for perhaps a second or two. Why no longer? Because you have not trained your mind in quietness. It has a habit of being in constant "use;" of running along without constraint. However, if you can't keep your mind quiet, you can use it in pursuit of quietness.

Use your consciousness to focus the mind. Concentrate on an object: the breath; the words of an inspirational passage; the mantrum; mindfulness; your own interior silence; or use any other technique recommended by a master of meditation for redirecting the mind, for taking the attention of the mind away from its own ruminations.

Do not be discouraged by the multiple distractions the mind will throw at you. Repeatedly redirect your attention toward that which you wish to concentrate on. You may say quietly to your mind, "Don't make thoughts right now," or something similar. Replace the distraction with concentration on the object of meditation. You will need an enormous amount of patience. Be firm with the mind, with kindness and compassion; it is only following its own way. Be careful not to repress your thoughts; let them be replaced with concentrating on the object of meditation.

Perseverance is the key: "He never gives in to desire. He meditates. In the strength of his resolve, he discovers true happiness." (Dhammapada)

Two Methods in Meditation

Passage Meditation:

This method grew out of Eknath Easwaran's personal experience. His students have been using it for approximately forty years. It is outlined in his little book, Meditation, and treated extensively on the Blue Mountain Center of Meditation web site, www.easwaran.org.

Select a passage from scripture, or from the mystical literature, one that has meaning for you. Memorize it, or write it out and memorize it gradually. For passages you might want to use, see Easwaran's book, God Makes the Rivers to Flow, a remarkable collection of short and long passages from all the major religious traditions. For a selection of nontheistic passages from the Buddhist and Chinese traditions, see Steve Rupenthal's book, The Path to Direct Awakening.

In meditation, go slowly through the passage in your mind, concentrating on each word, slowly. If you get to the end before half an hour, go back to the beginning. Using a long passage or several shorter ones will help keep your enthusiasm from flagging. Memorizing several long passages and alternating use of them also helps. The memorizing itself is good discipline, good training for the mind. When distractions come, let them, but keep turning your attention back to the words. Be gentle with your mind, but firm in your determination to get back to the passage. When you realize that your mind has drawn your attention completely away from the passage, go bark to the beginning, or to the beginning of the section or verse you were on.

The secret of passage meditation is this: after many years of meditation, the words of the inspirational passage become an integral part of your consciousness. Even before this, you will find yourself acting out the words of passages in your relationships with others. For example, Easwaran recommends using the prayer of Saint Francis, which begins, "Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace; where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon;". Use of such passages in meditation can lead to a complete transformation of personality.

Centering Prayer:

For information on a world-wide group using this method, visit The World Community for Christian Meditators, www.wccm.org or www.contemplativeoutreach.org. The latter web site is associated with the work of Thomas Keating.

Centering prayer comes out of a first-century Christian monastic tradition. Basically, it is a way of meditation. One attempts to focus the mind on the interior silence. When a distraction arises, a "prayer word" is used to bring the mind's attention away from the distraction and back to concentration on interior silence. It is advisable for the prayer word to be one of the holy names or a word or phrase sanctified by use over time. The prayer word is, in effect, a mantrum, and it can be used as a mantrum outside of meditation.

This method brings to mind, "Be still and know that I am God." The interior silence was referred to by Thomas Merton: “…have the courage to enter your own silence". The interior silence can be equated with the Self, the Atman, the True Self and, "the Lord of Love, dwelling in your heart." Thus, by using centering prayer, one bridges the apparent gap between Christianity and other great religious traditions.

In the Catholic mystical tradition, “contemplation” or "interior prayer" is often used as synonym for what others call "meditation." Catholic monasticism has its own antique vocabulary. If you read Basil Pennington's little book, Centering Prayer, do not let such considerations bother you. Pennington goes deeply into the origins of centering prayer. However, Thomas Keating, in Open Mind, Open Heart, offers a more helpful manual of practice. This book is to centering prayer what Eknath Easwaran's book, Meditation, is to passage meditation and the disciplines allied with meditation.

The Quaker practice of silently "waiting on God" in meeting for worship or in silence at home is similar to centering prayer. The problems of concentration and distractions are the same.

Disciplines in Support of Meditation

Eknath Easwaran recommends seven disciplines in support of meditation: use of the mantrum (a holy name or phrase); slowing down; paying one-pointed attention; training the senses; putting the welfare of others first; seeking satsang (spiritual fellowship); and reading the scriptures and great mystics of all religious traditions. These practices are well known in the Hindu and Christian traditions, especially among monastics. Easwaran developed an Eight-point Program of practicing these disciplines in conjunction with passage meditation. (See Eknath Easwaran's book, Meditation.) As far as is known to HD, these disciplines can be used beneficially in conjunction with other methods of meditation.

The Eight-point Program is the framework of what follows.

The Practical Wisdom of the Meditative Life

The following is an expanded version of an Eight-point Program of spiritual living practiced by students of Sri Eknath Easwaran, which Easwaran based on Chapter Six of the Bhagavad Gita and his own experience. It is compatible with Christian mystical literature, the Dhammapada and Sufi teachings. For full information on any of the disciplines that follow (except 2.b.), visit the Blue Mountain Center of Meditation and Nilgiri Press, www.easwaran.org
[Expansion of each of the Eight Points by HD (without consultation with EE) include additional points by EE, Thomas a Kempis, Sri Ma, Sri Krishna, Gandhi, Naruda/Vishnu and others.]

1. Meditate daily; never fail (See Basic Instructions in Meditation, above).

Concentrate on each word of a memorized inspirational passage, slowly (see Two Methods in Meditation, above), or on another internal object of concentration.
Let go; let yourself be zero (empty yourself of yourself).
Trust always and only in That Which Is.
Invite a bhava (a divine attitude) into your life.
Meditate in addition to any prayer life you may have. After meditating for a few years, you may find prayer rising within you more than before.

2. Practice either a. or b.

a. Repeat the mantrum (a holy name or phrase) at every opportunity.
Put as much meaning into it as you can. Eventually, repeat it constantly, with sincerity, concentration and love.
Silent repetition of a holy name or phrase is interior prayer; a way to pray unceasingly.

b. Practice mindfulness in every activity. (See Tich Nhat Hanh, The Miracle of Mindfulness)

3. Slow down; slow down your thoughts.

Hurrying about agitates the mind.
Gradually, still your thoughts in That Which Is.
Become aware of what your mind is doing.

4. Pay one-pointed attention to every activity, even the smallest; the least significant.

Open yourself to others in conversation. Give the speaker your undivided attention. While listening, let your undivided attention be your mantrum .

5. Train the senses.

No junk food; no junk thoughts.
Garbage in, garbage out applies to all the senses.

6. Put the welfare of others first.

Your welfare is linked with theirs.
Develop discrimination (discernment).

7. Seek satsang, the company of truth, with your teacher, with others, within yourself.
"Satsanga, the company of the wise, is the way."

8. For inspiration, read and reread the scriptures and great mystics of all religions.

Further Suggestions:

It is essential that all eight of these be practiced daily.
Be regular and systematic in your practice.
Maintain your enthusiasm.
Develop a sustained spiritual campaign.
Accept joy; accept love.
Learn to love by practicing love; be a dispassionate observer.
Open yourself to prayer; get yourself out of the way.
Discern, accept and act upon the will of That Which Is, abandoning attachment to the results of work.
Strive for the good of the whole. Ask yourself, "Will this be for the good of the children and the children’s children?"

At intervals, practice detached reflection and determined redirection*.

*Detached reflection and determined redirection: Sit quietly at the end of a day or at any other time you feel the need, and reflect on things you did during the day or the past week or so that you are not happy about. Try to step back and detach yourself from any emotional involvement in the actions or their results. Be a dispassionate observer. Then resolve to redirect yourself away from taking those actions again.

For background and clarity on passage meditation and the Eight-point Program, visit the web site of The Blue Mountain Center of Meditation and Nilgiri Press, www.easwaran.org