The Ego Meditation by J.J. van der Leeuw
If the exercise is done in a group, begin by thinking of the unity of the group and try to feel that unity.
Then think of some high ideal, preferably of one of the Masters of the Wisdom and try to feel love and devotion for Him.
Now think of the physical body and see it as your servant in the physical world, feel it as healthy and strong and vitalized from within.
Withdraw the centre of consciousness from the physical body and etheric body, and look at the astral body; sweep it clear of all passing emotions and desires and pour out through it the higher emotions; feel love for all creatures, devotion to the Highest, sympathy for all who suffer, and spiritual aspirations; let these emotions radiate out from the astral body, steadily.
Withdraw the centre of consciousness from the astral body and look at the mental; sweep it clear of all thought-forms and images and pour out through it the light of the higher mind; let it radiate out through the mental body.
Create in the mental body the image of yourself as the perfect man; perfect in love, will and thought and fill the mental body with that image.
Withdraw the centre of consciousness from the mental body too, and feel the three bodies as perfectly controlled instruments in the power of the Ego.
Now realize yourself as the Ego, bring your consciousness back into it, and know that you are that Ego, living in your own world of joy and beauty; feel the joy and freedom and see the splendour of your own world and know that it is your own true home.
Now realize the powers of the Ego. First its love-power of unity with all things.
Feel unity with the Master, try to feel that you are part of His consciousness.
Next try to feel the unity of the Brotherhood; feel that mighty Consciousness pervading the entire world and know that all in It are one, utterly one.
Then feel unity with all that lives, with all Nature, with all mankind; feel love for all beings and feel your consciousness dissolving in the universal consciousness.
Feel the bliss of that unity and feel how, carried along by this love, you reach the heart of things, the love of Christ; feel yourself as part of His life and His love.
Now realize the will of the Ego, the Atma; feel it filling your consciousness like a searching light and feel that its power is irresistible.
Use the will to see only the one purpose which is “perfection for the sake of the world”, and exclude all other things, filling the whole consciousness with that one purpose, until you become it.
Now realize the creative energy of the Ego, the Manas; feel that boundless creative energy and use it to create the idea of perfection, filling it with creative power so that it must be realized.
Now use the three powers together; the will to see the one purpose (perfection for the sake of the world), love to draw us into it and make us one with it, and thought to create it and carry it out. Keep on doing this all day long.
Now realize yourself once again as the Ego, try to see the beauty of your own world, your own beauty in that world, and determine to maintain that state of Ego-consciousness whatever may happen to you during the day.
Now look back upon the three bodies, but do not go down into them again.
First the mental body, pour out through it the light of the higher mind and once again create in it the image of yourself as the perfect man.
Next look down on the emotion body and pour out through it the emotions of the Ego, love for all beings, devotion to the highest, sympathy for all who suffer, and spiritual aspiration, and let these radiate out steadily all the time.
Finally look back on the etheric and physical bodies, see them as the expression of the will, the Atma, and will them to be healthy and strong, radiating out vitality from within—regenerate.
Keep the three bodies like that, perfect channels for the powers of the Ego, and let the powers of the Ego radiate out through them.
But always and under all circumstances know yourself as the Ego and maintain without interruption the state of Ego‑consciousness.
Finally send out a spiritual blessing upon the world around, thus pouring out the powers you have realized.
In finishing the exercise do not at once go back to the ordinary body consciousness, but try to maintain the Ego-consciousness all through the day, keeping part of your attention concentrated on it while doing the ordinary things of daily life.
Then think of some high ideal, preferably of one of the Masters of the Wisdom and try to feel love and devotion for Him.
Now think of the physical body and see it as your servant in the physical world, feel it as healthy and strong and vitalized from within.
Withdraw the centre of consciousness from the physical body and etheric body, and look at the astral body; sweep it clear of all passing emotions and desires and pour out through it the higher emotions; feel love for all creatures, devotion to the Highest, sympathy for all who suffer, and spiritual aspirations; let these emotions radiate out from the astral body, steadily.
Withdraw the centre of consciousness from the astral body and look at the mental; sweep it clear of all thought-forms and images and pour out through it the light of the higher mind; let it radiate out through the mental body.
Create in the mental body the image of yourself as the perfect man; perfect in love, will and thought and fill the mental body with that image.
Withdraw the centre of consciousness from the mental body too, and feel the three bodies as perfectly controlled instruments in the power of the Ego.
Now realize yourself as the Ego, bring your consciousness back into it, and know that you are that Ego, living in your own world of joy and beauty; feel the joy and freedom and see the splendour of your own world and know that it is your own true home.
Now realize the powers of the Ego. First its love-power of unity with all things.
Feel unity with the Master, try to feel that you are part of His consciousness.
Next try to feel the unity of the Brotherhood; feel that mighty Consciousness pervading the entire world and know that all in It are one, utterly one.
Then feel unity with all that lives, with all Nature, with all mankind; feel love for all beings and feel your consciousness dissolving in the universal consciousness.
Feel the bliss of that unity and feel how, carried along by this love, you reach the heart of things, the love of Christ; feel yourself as part of His life and His love.
Now realize the will of the Ego, the Atma; feel it filling your consciousness like a searching light and feel that its power is irresistible.
Use the will to see only the one purpose which is “perfection for the sake of the world”, and exclude all other things, filling the whole consciousness with that one purpose, until you become it.
Now realize the creative energy of the Ego, the Manas; feel that boundless creative energy and use it to create the idea of perfection, filling it with creative power so that it must be realized.
Now use the three powers together; the will to see the one purpose (perfection for the sake of the world), love to draw us into it and make us one with it, and thought to create it and carry it out. Keep on doing this all day long.
Now realize yourself once again as the Ego, try to see the beauty of your own world, your own beauty in that world, and determine to maintain that state of Ego-consciousness whatever may happen to you during the day.
Now look back upon the three bodies, but do not go down into them again.
First the mental body, pour out through it the light of the higher mind and once again create in it the image of yourself as the perfect man.
Next look down on the emotion body and pour out through it the emotions of the Ego, love for all beings, devotion to the highest, sympathy for all who suffer, and spiritual aspiration, and let these radiate out steadily all the time.
Finally look back on the etheric and physical bodies, see them as the expression of the will, the Atma, and will them to be healthy and strong, radiating out vitality from within—regenerate.
Keep the three bodies like that, perfect channels for the powers of the Ego, and let the powers of the Ego radiate out through them.
But always and under all circumstances know yourself as the Ego and maintain without interruption the state of Ego‑consciousness.
Finally send out a spiritual blessing upon the world around, thus pouring out the powers you have realized.
In finishing the exercise do not at once go back to the ordinary body consciousness, but try to maintain the Ego-consciousness all through the day, keeping part of your attention concentrated on it while doing the ordinary things of daily life.
