Suggested Practices

Silent Witness Practice

The Practice of the Silent Witness is a practice of merely observing mental-emotional states, and all of the thoughts and feelings-emotions that arise, without any judgment or attachment and aversion. One simply wishes to watch what is happening, inwardly and outwardly, without identifying oneself with anything that is transpiring.

So long as we remain identified with what is arising in consciousness we are powerless to make any real change, but if we can remove our self-identification with thoughts and emotions, and even events in life, we become empowered to make changes. Likewise we discover that often by merely letting go of self-identification with mental-emotional phenomena and events of life, and bringing what is happening into the Light of Awareness, most problems are naturally and spontaneously dissolved. Basically, the Silent Witness is an exercise in self-knowledge and the cultivation of self-awareness - what we call the Presence of Awareness.

At any time, anywhere, just let go and let be, and become the Silent Witness of all that is transpiring within and all around you. Become aware of your body and with your awareness scan your body. Notice its posture and all of the sensations in the body, including any tensions or stresses. Then shift your focus to the feeling-emotions underlying the bodily sensations, allowing yourself to become conscious of your feelings and emotions. Then shift your focus to the thoughts associated with these feelings and emotions. Without any judgment at all, without attachment or aversion, just Witness in Silence what is happening.

This practice can be done in the midst of any activity of daily life. It is one of the key methods through which Christian Gnostics integrate their spiritual practice into daily living. One can engage in this practice for prolonged periods of time, but even just five or ten minutes here and there throughout one's day is very powerful and beneficial. While we aim to abide in this Presence of Awareness the majority of the time, this evolves through consistent practice.

Witnessing is not something you do, it is the realization that awareness is present. Awareness is always present, even when you are totally absorbed in an activity or thought. "You" might be trying to do the witnessing, yet while this "you" seems to have awareness, in reality the "you" that tries to witness is being witnessed.

In the Sophian Way the practice of mindfulness is not limited to formal sessions of meditation practice in which one is seated, but is integrated into one’s daily activities. As much as spiritual practice through formal sessions one would typically associate with prayer, meditation and sacred ritual, the Sophian Gnostic seeks to cultivate mindfulness throughout the day, ultimately seeking a seamless union of spiritual practice and daily living. It is this that leads to the development of higher states of consciousness and actual Self-realization. Any activity can be a practice of mindfulness, and coupled with Primordial Meditation the Goodness within oneself will naturally shine forth.

In our ordinary condition our consciousness tends to be fragmented and the mind becomes scattered. Likewise, our desire-energy is unfocused and, consequently, our manifesting power is sorely limited. The practice of mindfulness naturally gathers up the fragments of consciousness into an integral whole and brings about a state of focused awareness that allows us to consciously direct our desire-energy. This brings about an experience of greater peace and joy, makes us more effective in whatever we might be doing, brings a state of clarity, and empowers us to consciously direct our desire-energy as a manifesting power – hence it supports our prosperity, success, health and happiness.

Generally speaking we tend to identify ourselves with the various moods and mental states that arise in our consciousness. We grasp at one fragment of consciousness after another thinking, “this is me” or “this is who I am.” Through the practice of mindfulness and Primordial Meditation, however, we learn to cultivate a more spacious and panoramic view, and letting go of the pieces we are able to become aware of the whole; hence become aware of the light and the darkness in us, and realize our transcendence of the light or darkness in the Sacred Unity of our True Being. Essentially, we become an authentic individual and experience the tikkune-healing of our Soul-Being.

Method of Primordial Meditation

Primordial Meditation with Breath: This method is most ancient and is found in many esoteric schools. Essentially, you allow your body to find its own natural rhythm of breath and rest your attention gently on the breath, using breathing as the vehicle of the Presence of Awareness.

According to Genesis, once God formed the Human One, God breathed a Living Soul into the First Human Being, who was both male and female. All words for the parts of the Soul in Kabbalah mean “air,” “wind” or “breath,” with the exception of Yechidah, which means “Divine Spark.” Thus, there is an intimate connection between the breath and the power of our Holy Soul. In advanced practices initiates discover a Radiant Holy Breath within and behind the ordinary breath, and a number of Energy or Light-Breaths that sustain the subtle Body of Consciousness. Ruach, which is a word for a principle aspect of the Soul in our experience and also a word for the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, literally means “breath.” In connection with these ideas you may recall the Light-Transmission imparted by the Risen Christ to the disciples, of which it is written: “When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained’” (Gospel of St. John 20:22-23).

There is power in our breath and in our breath we are connected to all that lives and to the Spirit of God. In many Christian Gnostic practices the breath becomes the vehicle of the Light-Presence and the direct expression of the power of our Supernal Soul. Thus, Primordial Meditation using the breath as our focus can facilitate the Enlightenment Experience as well as activate the powers of the Soul of Light in us – hence activate psychic and spiritual gifts.

When you meditate using this method, breathe naturally, with even inhalations and exhalations, just as you ordinarily do. Focus your awareness very gently on the out-breath, and when you exhale just flow out with the breath. Every time you breathe in, let go and let be, and imagine that at the end of the out-breath your breath dissolves into the infinite spaciousness of Truth. At the end of every exhalation, before the next inhalation, you will find there is a gap – let go and enter into the gap. In the gap is the “place” of Pure and Primordial Being. This is called Perfect Repose.

Whatever thoughts or emotions might arise, neither grasp at them nor push them away. Just let them be, and let them naturally arise and pass away, without doing anything with them or entertaining any judgment. If you find that you have become distracted or identified with thoughts and emotions arising, or find yourself daydreaming, merely restore your focus to your breath and continue. If mind enters into the gap and the Natural State dawns, let go of the practice and just calmly abide. If the mind or heart moves, return to the practice. It is that simple.

Do not focus too tightly upon breath, but focus upon it lightly. Basically, you want to place about ¼ of your awareness on breath and leave the other ¾ free, abiding in a quiet and spacious state of relaxed awareness. In this state one is essentially aware of oneself and what is happening in one’s consciousness, and aware of what is happening in one’s environment.

Instead of watching the breath, as though separate from breath, progressively allow yourself to identify with your breath, as though you are becoming your breath. Breathe and let the breath and the one who is breathing gradually merge in a natural way without unnecessary force.

In this practice you will find that as the Presence of Awareness grows you will experience the mind becoming more and more silent and the vital-emotional being becoming more and more quiet. It is as though one is shedding the Serpent’s skin and putting on a Body of Clear or Transparent Light. In this way one is set free!

Primordial Meditation with an Object: This method is also very ancient and very simple. Instead of focusing one’s awareness upon the breath, one gently rests one’s mind on an object. You can use any object that has a natural beauty and that uplifts and inspires you – a flower, a crystal, a flame, or other similar things. More powerful than this kind of object are sacred objects – Divine Images such as images of the Holy Mother, Lord Yeshua, Lady Mary, John the Baptist, St. Lazarus and other Holy Ones, or images of the Archangels of the Tradition, such as Raphael, Gabriel, Michael and Uriel, among others. One’s Living Tzaddik is the most powerful image of all, because of one’s direct and personal connection to the Elder or Tau who serves as one’s Tzaddik. Merely seeing her or his face invokes the remembrance of the Soul of Light within you and thus generates confidence in the Bornless Nature of your True Being.

In this method, merely rest your mind upon the chosen object, and let yourself merge with it – it is the same as with breath, but uses an object for focus instead. If you become distracted, restore yourself to the practice. If the Natural State dawns let go of the practice and abide in it. It is that simple.

(Beginning practice of Primordial Meditation with an object requires an external object of focus. However, in advanced practice an internal object or visualization may be used to further develop kavvanah-concentration and to generate a more subtle and sublime Presence of Awareness.)

Primordial Meditation with Sound or Chant: Another ancient and universal method of meditation is with chant and sound. Essentially, taking up a chant, you merge your mind with the sound of your voice.

In the prologue to the Gospel of John it is written: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being.” The Word-Logos is Sound-Vibration, and in advanced practice initiates discover that all things are Sound-Vibration and Light. In the Kabbalah there is an art of vibrating Divine Names and Words of Power through which initiates learn to facilitate shifts in consciousness and are able to cause corresponding changes in externally appearing phenomena; hence work wonders. Primordial Meditation using sound and chant is part of this sacred art, and like the practice with breath, can lead to the Enlightenment Experience as well as the activation of the innate powers of the Soul of Light.

The simple sound Ah could be used. Any of the Divine Names could also be used, or the chants of the Archangels given in Gnosis of the Cosmic Christ, by Tau Malachi. The chant of the Blessed Name Yeshua is very powerful, or the chant, 'Adonai Yeshua, Yeshua Messiah'. The chant of the Holy Bride, Kallah Messiah, is very good, as is the chant of the Mother of Light – 'Ha Isha Ha Elyona, Aima Israel'. Any chant to which one is inclined can be used.

Simply take up the chant and gradually merge the mind with the chant. If the Natural State dawns let go and abide in the silence of Pure Being. This is enough.

Any time one finds oneself distressed, chant can serve as a relief and it automatically tends to guard the mind against falling into negativity. So, aside from Primordial Meditation, chant is a useful practice which is common to all Sophian initiates.

(Beginning practice of Primordial Meditation with chant or sound requires an actual pronunciation of the chant. However, in advanced practice initiates may hold the chant in the mind with no externalization, in the same way they may use a visualized object in place of an external one. The reasons for this are basically the same.)

As a standard practice Sophians learn to practice both with eyes closed and eyes opened – the latter being necessary to certain advanced practices and to an integration of practice into daily living. In the beginning, however, it is fine to get started with the eyes closed if it is helpful, though obviously this cannot be done with an external object as one’s focus.

These are the basic methods of Primordial Meditation. You might wish to try each of these methods and find which one works best for you, or you may wish to consult a Sophian Elder or Tau to receive guidance and further teachings on the practice. Primordial Meditation is the foundation of all other practices in the Tradition, and coupled with the Silent Witness it proves an effective method for generating the Presence of Awareness in life. Many have experienced Enlightenment and Liberation purely through this practice. It is All-Good.

tags: sophian  gnostic  spiritualpractices  silentwitness