Abhyasi Self Study Course
Welcome
Dear sisters and brothers,
Welcome to the web-based self-study course on Sahaj Marg Practice!
This course provides you with an opportunity to extend your inquiry and understanding of Sahaj Marg practice. Abhyasis 'new and old' may find it useful and refreshing. It assumes that you are already practicing Sahaj Marg and have a basic knowledge of the system.
It is designed to stimulate introspection and contemplation and to prompt proper practice of Sahaj Marg. Upon completing this course, you can expect to have gained at least two things:
- An understanding of the system of Sahaj Marg and some hints to aid your practice.
- A personal record of your spiritual search and what Sahaj Marg practice means to you.
This course contains six modules: Seeking Spirituality, The Goal, Meditation, Cleaning, Prayer, and Diary-writing. 'Study and understand, do and become' is an axiom that applies to Sahaj Marg. Each lesson contains 'theoretical' material for studying and 'practical' activities to do. The lessons of the course constitute a workbook to study and apply.
You can also download the complete course in Word format if you wish to conduct this course among a group locally. Click Here to download.
Each lesson will take a few hours of study-time distributed over a week or more. Work through one lesson at a time and in the order presented. Each module is organized as follows.
Step 1. Introduction: This section introduces the subject of the lesson with a brief quote or summary about the material being presented.
Step 2. Preparatory Inquiry: The questions in the preparatory-inquiry step are aimed at defining your current understanding and set the stage to learn from the selected-readings. Write down the answers to these questions in your diary or a notebook set aside for this purpose. Give your self the necessary time to answer the questions as thoroughly as you can.
Step 3. Selected Reading: The selected-readings are brief excerpts chosen from Sahaj Marg literature on the topic of the module. They have been selected to be instructive and also thought provoking. They are not intended to be exhaustive or comprehensive. Study them and reflect on them. Make notes about what they reveal to you. If you find something that is difficult to understand or accept, seek further information or clarification in the Mission literature or from a preceptor. Revisit the material after a few days and you may find a new meaning and a better understanding. References are provided for each excerpt. Thus, if you wish to explore a topic further, you can easily locate the source.
Step 4. Reflection and Integration: The questions in this step are aimed at integrating any new understanding or knowledge you may have gained from the selected readings and translating it into practice. You are urged to take the time and effort to answer the questions. To get the most out of the course, write down your observations.
Step 5. Supplementary Reading: This section contains one or more articles on the topic of the lesson from the Sahaj Marg literature. The readings have been chosen to extend your understanding and appreciation of the practice. We hope that this encourages you to read the works of the Masters.
You will find that the approach of 'questions and answers' is used in the Sections on Preparatory Inquiry, Reflection and Integration. This approach may be intimidating to some as it reminds them of their school days! But here there is no evaluation of your performance and no question of failing! The questions in this course are designed to reveal what you already know and what remains to be learnt. Some of the questions will require that you seek new information, understanding or commitment to complete your answer. From this point of view, good questions are those that do not have a ready answer but compel you to seek an answer. The best questions are those that lead to more questions and a restlessness to know and to act!
After finishing the course please provide your feedback using the Course Feedback Form. Your responses to these questions are valued and your suggestions are also welcome.
Variations may exist between what you were instructed about the practice and that given here. Such issues should be resolved by choosing to stick to those instructions given by Master. As Master would say, "Just do it"!
Sincerely,
Sahaj Marg Research and Training Institute, USA
(SMRTI)