Meditation at sunrise is a practice introduced by Master Peter Deunov in his initiatic school “White Brotherhood” (Bialo Bratstvo), founded in Bulgaria at the beginning of the 20th century. Master Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov very often emphasized the value and the importance of this practice and devoted a series of conferences to this subject during the summer of 1967. The symbolic image of the sun as a source is both vivid and striking for all people in the world.
The sun must rise within us
When we study the great book of living nature, we see that when winter comes and the earth is less exposed to the sun, nothing grows, even the rivers are frozen, life is slowing down. But in spring, when the earth is exposed longer to the sun, to its heat, to its light, everything grows, becomes beautiful, rich and life circulates everywhere.
True spirituality can be compared to the work that the sun does on the earth. When the sun, our spirit, begins to radiate, to penetrate with its love and light all the cells of our organs to harmonize them and make them sing in unison, it introduces a state of perfection: light, happiness, health, fulfillment. True spirituality is our spirit which enlightens and purifies our whole being every day so that new life may begin to flow within us.
The whole world knows that there is a sun and what it does, but very few have considered introducing it into their heart, soul, intelligence, their whole being, as a symbol, a life-giving power.
Man must learn to make the sun rise every day within himself.
Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov – Izvor Collection N°201
The humain being is at the image of the sun...
When we look at the sun, what we see first is this luminous disc which always has the same shape, the same size, and which can be observed, measured, filmed. It’s the body. But if we wanted to study what comes out of it, this light that gushes from the centre to the periphery, if we wanted to know what it really is about and how far it spreads in space, it is impossible, it is beyond imagination. The human being is similar to the sun: he has a determined physical body, but what comes out of it, his thoughts, his feelings, his radiations, his emanations, what do we know about them?
Izvor no. 201, chap. VI, I
Light and evolution
Every ray of sunlight, when falling on any object or being, will give it something. Even stones need this life which they receive from the sun; because stones, though inanimate, are alive. This life is more perceptible in plants, which grow and multiply thanks to sunlight. In animals, the rays are transformed not only into vitality, but also into sensitivity and it is thanks to them that they begin to feel pain or joy. And finally, in humans, the sun’s rays are transformed into intelligence, for it is from the human kingdom onwards that light is received in a way that is sufficient to manifest itself as thought.
Light is a living entity that comes down from the sun and has a direct contact with our spirit.
Brochure 323, No. 23
To feed on light
Learn to nourish yourself with light, for beyond that light lie the greatest blessings. Then you will feel so rich that you will begin to love all creatures. It is poverty that breeds hatred.
The work of the disciple is to awaken his consciousness to all these treasures of the universe that are there at his disposal.
Complete Works – volume XXX, chap. IV “Hrani yoga”, II
Telling children about spring
In spring, when the sun begins to warm the little seeds, he tells them, “So what are you waiting for? Now is the time to come out of the soil, to grow, to develop, to give flowers and fruits. Let’s get to work! – But… we are small, we are weak. – No, no, try it, you’ll see, I’ll help you. »
And then all the little seeds gain courage. Every day, with its warmth, its light, the sun speaks to them, and a little later we see beautiful plants appear that make everyone happy.
Well, why not understand that the same thing can happen with us human beings? We are seeds planted in the spiritual soil and, under the rays of the divine sun, we can give colors, perfumes, flavors so extraordinary that even the celestial entities will be amazed.
C.W., vol. 22 (2006), 22march
Concentration, meditation, contemplation
Concentration is one of the most needed faculties in most activities.
Meditation is an activity of the intellect which strives to penetrate spiritual truths.
Contemplation is an activity of the heart or soul which focuses on an image, a quality or a virtue, to rejoice in its light, its beauty and to be in communion with it.
And above meditation and contemplation there is the magical work of identification: it is an activity of the will, of the mind that identifies itself with the Creator in order to create.
Some days, the disciple tends to work with the intellect, he seeks, he digs, he studies: he meditates. On other days he feels harmony, peace, bliss, and is led to contemplation. At times he feels a desire to act, to create, to unleash forces. On these days, it is his will that manifests itself. You have certainly experienced these three states, but you may not have properly distinguished or classified them. The moment has come for you to get to know yourself, to recognise what your dispositions were today, what you worked on, what was the predominant factor within you…
Complete Works, volume XVIII, chapter VI
Through the sun, it is possible to be in communion with the divinity every day
Now you understand why the religion of the future will be the solar religion: because through the sun, each day one can commune with the Divinity. A distant and abstract God cannot help humans to transform themselves. Whereas the sun is there, real, powerful, great. It is the Christ who works through the sun. If Hermes Trismegistus said: “What is below is like what is above, and what is above is like what is below”, why not understand that the sun that is below is like the One who is above, the Lord? Beyond the sun, which is visible and tangible for us, there is the Lord. The physical, concrete, visible world is at the image of the abstract, invisible world. When we know how to observe what is on earth, we can then discover what is in heaven. That is what I have done. Everything that I reveal to you I have not found in the books of humans, but in the great book of living nature which is the reflection of the world above. We must know how to read this book of nature of which we are a part.
Complete Works – volume XXX, chapter IV “Surya yoga”, IV
Take the sun as a model
The highest ideal is to take the sun as a model. If you want to imitate a scientist, a philosopher or even a hero, a saint, an Initiate, you will undoubtedly receive some particles of their virtues, but never in such great number and of such pure quality as if your model is the sun.
The image of perfection is the sun, and if you take him as your model, if like him you only think of enlightening, warming and vivifying creatures, then you will truly transform yourself. For even if you never get the light, the warmth and the life of the sun, the mere desire to acquire them will project you into the heavenly regions where you will truly do wonders. This desire to give light, warmth and life to the creatures will make yourself brighter, warmer and more alive.
Complete Works – volume XXX, chaps. IV, V
The image of the summit
To go and watch the sunrise is to climb the slope of the spiritual mountain in order to reach the summit. The quest for the summit is long and difficult, but it is the only one worth the effort, for it is at the summit that the Source of all Good is to be found.
By focusing on the highest point, you are forced to always project yourself forward, to take new steps. Ask for nothing else but to reach the summit, the sun, God, and you will receive everything: light, beauty, health, knowledge, wealth, love, happiness…
…The path is opened in front of you, a bridge is re-established between you and the celestial regions, and one day you will only need to concentrate for a few minutes on these regions to feel fulfillment at once. No spiritual practice goes beyond the habit of concentrating on the image of the summit, the sun. That is how you are able to trigger certain forces and, from that summit, orders will be given regarding you: your prayers will be answered.
Brochure 323, No. 24
How to meditate gently
Meditation is a difficult exercise because it requires a great mastery of our thoughts. Now, thoughts are rebellious, they like to wander, to go about, and if you try to stop them abruptly, you will block your brain. The device that is the brain has to be turned on very gently, exactly as you would let the engine warm up when starting a car. So, when you want to meditate, don’t try to control your thoughts right away: they will retaliate, rearing up and even throw you to the ground. Begin by putting yourself in a state of peace and harmony, and then slowly bring your thinking in the direction you want it to go: after a while it will be at your service and will obey you. It is necessary to be very skillful, very diplomatic with one’s thoughts. Once you have learned to dominate them, all day long, without you having to intervene, they will follow the direction that you have given them.
Daily Meditations 2003, May 2
To help you concentrate more easily
As soon as they begin with spiritual life, most people encounter the problem of meditation: they are unable to concentrate. Why is this? Because they haven’t learned to choose meditation subjects, they start blindly, without any method.
The first rule is, of course, to choose a subject of spiritual nature; and the second rule is that this subject should be dear to you. It is the love you have for a being or an object that attaches you to it. When you don’t love, you are like a postal stamp without glue: you don’t stick! The mistake beginners make is that they immediately want to concentrate on the most abstract philosophical and mystical topics: truth, eternity, infinity, the Absolute, the Supreme Being. This is wrong. Begin by concentrating, for example, on a pure, beautiful image that you love, an image of nature or art. Your brain will then become accustomed to focusing, and little by little you will be able to meditate on subjects that are more distant to you. To achieve results in spiritual life, you must know how to use the tremendous force of love.
Daily Meditations 2004, April 7
Meditation on the first sun ray
Get used to doing this exercise.
You are at sunrise and you are waiting for the first ray to appear… You remain vigilant, attentive, and when this first ray appears, you try to drink it, to suck it up…In this way you start to drink the sun. Instead of only looking at it, of breathing it, you suck it up, you drink it, you eat it, thinking that this light which is alive spreads in all the cells of your organs, strengthens them, invigorates them, purifies them.
This exercise helps you to concentrate, to keep your consciousness awake. It is this need to keep drinking that keeps you alert. At that moment everything changes: your soul opens, a spring gushes forth, you become impregnated with the splendor of the dawn and something of this pure light in which you bathe gradually penetrates you.