Spiritual Autobiography and Meditation Handbook: Chronicles journey to experiencing True Self and describes techniques to begin or deepen meditation practice.
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Introducing the Serenity Meditation. In 1985, while visiting Chaing Mai in northern
Thailand, the author asks a monk to teach him meditation. The monk replies that he cannot, but his
teacher might.
His teacher is Chief Priest of
Sanpatong. No farang (foreigner of
European descent) had ever asked him to teach meditation, yet he readily agrees
to teach the author. He speaks no
English. During the next month, using
the monk as interpreter, he diligently teaches the Serenity Meditation.
Initiation into the Serenity Meditation
immediately propels the author on a most magnificent journey, transforming his
life and consciousness. His drug
addiction evaporates and he harvests other fruits of the spirit – a loving,
compassionate heart filled with peace and joy.
This book chronicles his journey along the
spiritual path. It is the journey from
identifying himself as a separate body-mind-personality self to experiencing
his essential Self as an expression of Infinite Consciousness-Existence.
This Spiritual
Autobiography and Meditation Handbook describes how he gradually explores
layer, beneath layer, beneath layer of his mind and being – sometimes referred
as “peeling the onion.”
Over the years, the author’s meditation
practice has proven to be divine psychotherapy.
In these pages, he shares how he learns to move from the False Self (the
self developed in his own likeness rather than in the likeness of God) to the
True Self (the image of God in which every human being is created). It has been, and continues to be, a journey
teaching him how to relax and learn to “let go and let God.”
Spiritual
Autobiography and Meditation Handbook is also a manual. It contains sufficient information and
techniques to allow the reader to begin or deepen a personal meditation
practice. Through God’s grace, this
intensive meditation practice may lead serious truth seekers to Self- and God-
realization.
Meditation is a relaxed, focused,
uninterrupted awareness.
RELAXED AWARENESS
Meditation requires the ability to “let go
and let God.” If you are unable to
relax, deep meditation is unlikely.
(Capital letters refer to headings in the
Table of Contents.)
Probably the easiest way to relax is to focus
on belly breathing. The DIAPHRAGMATIC
BREATHING EXERCISE is a good introduction.
If you are a chest breather and have difficulty breathing into your
belly, lie in THE CROCODILE POSTURE.
This posture will teach you the appropriate muscles to use to breathe
diaphragmatically.
When you are a proficient belly breather,
then master Three Part Breathing (Deergha Swaasam) described by Swami Satchidananda
in his article THE BREATH OF LIFE.
PROGRESSIVE MUSCLE RELAXATION and AUTOGENIC
TRAINING INSTRUCTIONS provide you with a powerful entry into deep
relaxation. THERMAL BIOFEEDBACK and
ELECTRODERMAL BIOFEEDBACK will help you.
Begin your meditation/prayer practice with
ALTERNATE NOSTRIL BREATHING. [If your
nose is congested, do a NETI (NASAL) WASH first.]
FOCUSED AWARENESS
SERENITY MEDITATION and MINDFULNESS (VIPASSANA)
MEDITATION INSTRUCTIONS are clearly written and include folks you can contact
if you have any questions.
Mantra meditation (FOCUS WORD OR PHRASE), THE
METHOD OF CHRISTIAN CENTERING PRAYER, Kriya Pranayama Meditation, and the
TECHINIQUE OF PRIMORDIAL SOUND AND LIGHT CONTEMPLATION are all simple, but
powerful, meditation techniques.
UNINTERRUPTED AWARENESS
For most folks, to achieve
“uninterrupted awareness” requires a great deal of practice. The mind is like a wild, drunken monkey
trapped in a cage. To tame it requires a
lot of loving patience. The author has
now been meditating for almost thirty years, and there still are days that he
experiences “monkey mind.” When he
reminds himself that God loves him just as he is, he is encouraged and continues
his practice.
To be successful in meditation/prayer usually
requires consistent effort, determination, and practice over a long period of
time. It also requires you to develop a
strong moral foundation. YOGA
PHILOSOPHY, INTEGRAL YOGA® and RAJA YOGA: THE YOGA OF MEDITATION expound this
truth.
Until you live a virtuous life, success in meditation/prayer
is doubtful. How does one who covets, lies,
cheats, steals, kills, and engages in sexual misconduct quiet the mind? That mind will always be agitated!
You may learn powerful meditation techniques
but your life and consciousness will not be transformed. You will never harvest the fruits of the
spirit – a loving, compassionate heart filled with peace and joy.
Remember, meditation/prayer is not about
getting high; it is not about bliss.
Often, the author has to remind himself not to be too satisfied resting
in Bliss-consciousness. As much as he
loves it, that is not his goal. Rather, his
goal is Self- and God-realization.
The author once asked Roy Eugene Davis,
his guru (teacher), how he could become fully Self- and God-realized. Roy laughed and said that he wished he could
tell the author but he could not. Then
he gently explained that is a path the author had to discover for himself.
You, too, will have to discover the path
for yourself. The author wishes you God
speed on this very special journey and stands ready to assist you in any way
that he can.
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The author lives peacefully and joyfully in his ashram, Panther Brook Spiritual Center. At the edge of the Southern Appalachian Mountains, Panther Brook Spiritual Center is located on 40 acres nestled in the Chattahoochee National Forest. The Center has an extensive trail system and a private waterfall.
Dr. Brooking provides spiritual guidance and teaches meditation/prayer, yoga, relaxation skills, and biofeedback. He also leads silent meditation retreats and stress management workshops.
His formal education includes a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in Psychology, and a Ph.D. in Child and Family Development with emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy.
Throughout his career, Dr. Brooking has served in a variety of human service positions, including an institution for the developmentally disabled, a community mental health center, and chair of the psychology department at a liberal arts college.
His training includes behavioral medicine, biofeedback, hypnotherapy, stress management, yoga, and the mystical practices of several religions. He is also a certified Integral Yoga® teacher with over 500-hours training.
The author knows that the purpose of his life is to be Self- and God- realized, loving and serving God. He believes his meditation/prayer practice and being of service to others are the most effective ways to achieve that purpose.
If there has been one theme in his life, it has been a deep and constant desire for a reunion with God, a desire to serve God, and a desire to enter into the Kingdom of God. Through God’s grace, he has, at times, fulfilled this desire.
