A footnote touching on the number three.

footnote: This is so complete that not only “Black is White,” but “The Whiteness of Black is the essential of its Blackness.” “Naught = One = Infinity”; but this is only true “because” of this threefold arrangement, a trinity or “triangle of contradictories.”

 

Meditation subjects

You can also meditate on “your dreams.” This sounds superstitious; but the idea is that you have already a tendency, independent of your conscious will, to think of those things, which will consequently be easier to think of than others. That this is the explanation is evident from the nature of the preceding and subsequent classes.

 

Oh. Humor.

Others say that it gives Hamlet’s feeling: “There’s nothing good or bad but thinking makes it so,” interpreted as literally as was done by Mrs. Eddy.

 

Ouch.

If the barking of a dog disturbs your meditation, it is simplest to shoot the dog, and think no more about it.

Humor?

Difficult to tell.

 

Crowley on mantras.

AC suggests this practice to calm the emotions. Suggests 1 hour per day at minimum. (Seems like it would tire anyone out.)

The ultimate idea of meditation being to still the mind, it may be considered a useful preliminary to still consciousness of all the functions of the body. This has been dealt with in the chapter on Asana. One may, however, mention that some Yogis carry it to the point of trying to stop the beating of the heart. Whether this be desirable or no it would be useless to the beginner, so he will endeavour to make the breathing very slow and very regular. The rules for this practice are given in Liber CCVI.The best way to time the breathing, once some little skill has been acquired, with a watch to bear witness, is by the use of a mantra. The mantra acts on the thoughts very much as Pranayama does upon the breath. The thought is bound down to a recurring cycle; any intruding thoughts are thrown off by the mantra, just as pieces of putty would be from a fly-wheel; and the swifter the wheel the more difficult would it be for anything to stick.This is the proper way to practise a mantra. Utter it as loudly and slowly as possible ten times, then not quite so loudly and a very little faster ten times more. Continue this process until there is nothing but a rapid movement of the lips; this movement should be continued with increased velocity and diminishing intensity until the mental muttering completely absorbs the physical. The student is by this time absolutely still, with the mantra racing in his brain; he should, however, continue to speed it up until he reaches his limit, at which he should continue for as long as possible, and then cease the practice by reversing the process above described.

…

But let the student select one mantra and master it thoroughly. You have not even begun to master a mantra until it continues unbroken through sleep. This is much easier than it sounds.

…

Remember that for the purpose of this treatise the whole object of Yama and Niyama is to live so that no emotion or passion disturbs the mind.

I wonder if this needs to be said aloud or not? Just did a med the other day that used a silent mantra.

Emphasis always mine unless otherwise stated.

 

Some of the Crowley is funny:

This is true enough. In fact, the majority of people who claim to have “seen God,” and who no doubt did “see God” just as much as those whom we have quoted, did nothing else.

But perhaps their silence is not a sign of their weakness, but of their strength. Perhaps these “great” men are the failures of humanity; perhaps it would be better to say nothing; perhaps only an unbalanced mind would wish to alter anything or believe in the possibility of altering anything; but there are those who think existence even in heaven intolerable so long as there is one single being who does not share that joy. There are some who may wish to travel back from the very threshold of the bridal chamber to assist belated guests.