THE ALPHA POINT– A GLIMPSE OF GOD, is a book about relationships with God. ‘Father’ is something we say easily, but here we find God as our companion... our teacher... our beloved. Written by a yogi who has dedicated his life to understanding and developing relationships with God, this book offers us the window of his experience. Through it we can see the possibilities that exist for all of us – possibilities that only exist when there is absolute love. Only God gives absolute and eternal love.
Foreword
The Alpha Point
Relationships
God as the Father and Mother
The Teacher: The Lord of Nectar
God, the True Guide: The Satguru
God as the Beloved
God the Friend
Silence
What Song can be sung
What Word can be spoken
What Act can be done
To give thanks to the One
Who has given me Existence
Who has given me Truth
Who has given the blessing of Eternity
These writings on God are based on my personal experience of Raja Yoga as taught by the Brahma Kumaris Spiritual University. I can remember from a very young age, while growing up in Australia, that I wanted to know God in a real way. It was a silent search filled with readings of the Christian mystics, especially John of the Cross and Theresa of Avila, Julian of Norwich and, later on, readings of Buddhist and Chinese philosophy. At that time, it seemed that the more I read the less I knew. More and more I realised that silence and stillness are equally as important as knowledge. That is, as well as learning from the experiences of others, it was necessary for me to practise stillness. Not just praying, or chanting or reading, but coming into a state of deep inner silence in which the soul can listen to God. In stillness the soul can tune into aspects of being that exist beyond analysis and discussion. I knew I needed a method, a teaching on how to be still, silent, concentrating mind and heart on God.
Whilst coming to this realisation, I was introduced to the teachings of the Brahma Kumaris, which gave me deeper insights into spiritual knowledge, as well as methods of silence. Although I had been to India before starting Raja Yoga, I could not comprehend the many rituals, scriptures and the plethora of representations of God (especially the monkey and elephant gods!). Somehow I found it all too confusing and stayed clear of Indian religious philosophy, preferring to acquaint myself with Greek philosophy especially pre–theocratic, ancient mythologies and Christian teachings. However, in London, I heard a talk by the director of the Brahma Kumaris Spiritual University, Dadi Prakashmani, who was visiting from India. She said that the essence of effort to be with God is simply one word, Manmanabhav. This is translated in two ways: ‘Remember one God’, or that God says to the soul: ‘Be mine with your mind’.
For me, that was it. I needed to learn from this university the simple way to experience the Eternal One. So, I began with the Raja Yoga courses in London and now 20 years later, teaching Raja Yoga meditation in Greece, I am still experimenting with yoga and experiencing God. In this booklet I have shared my feelings about some of the relationships one can experience with God. Certainly, there are others – the rest for another time, another booklet.
I hope that you use my essays as a springboard for your own yoga experiments, and that you come closer and closer to the loving heart of God.
All the best,
Anthony