Developing the capacity to love

We develop this value through two stages or levels::

·         Preparation

1.      Release of tension.

2.      Getting an impression, comprehending the material and accepting its truth.

3.      beliefs and wishes by means of a controlled exercise

·         Developing the essence

Preparation

Release of tension – Leave for a holiday in the countryside, far from the routine and noise of everyday life, so that you can relax and be with yourself. During the first two days, free yourself from any tension you feel, and strengthen your ability to visualize by performing exercises of meditation as well as suitable visualization exercises, twice a day (as specified in the chapter "Developing and improving spiritual qualities and capabilities"). The first exercise should be carried out after rising in the morning and the second exercise should be performed following your lunch rest. Each exercise's duration to be about 15 minutes.
Getting an impression, comprehending the material and accepting its truth

Enter a meditative state or a state of deep silence, once every two days, after rising. Take care to be in a place where you will not be disturbed. Go over this chapter's content up to this point. Do not rush; allow yourself enough time to delve deeply and properly absorb the content.

 The following day, in the morning hours, while you are relaxed and strolling alone in a quiet place, go over, in your imagination, the material you have read. Reflect upon its content, present queries, apply logic and creativity, examine the content from various angles and write down whatever unanswered questions you have, in order to remember them.

 The next time you study the content, seek the right answers to your questions. Continue it  until you feel that you have understood; that you have accepted the content to be true and that you are aware of the benefits that will arise from developing the value and expressing it.

Forming beliefs and wishes by means of a controlled exercise

16 exercises, one per day after rising in the morning. Duration of each exercise - approximately 15 minutes.

Note: This stage is designed to strengthen your desire and belief, to raise your chance of success in developing the value.

Preparation for the exercise

Record the contents of the whole exercise and play it back while activating it. Record it using a calm, clear, slow voice, with 5 second pauses between the sections, unless specified otherwise. These pauses aid the content's reception. If these spaces of time do not suit you, fit them to the period of time you require to fully absorb the message.

The Exercise

Enter α state or deepen this state if you naturally stay in it.

Request for the visualized images to be as clear as possible; for as many senses as possible to be triggered; that the images be naturally colored and for their accompanying sensations to appear without resistance and that they be stable and at the required intensity.

Continue holding on to the visualized images and their accompanying sensations during the pauses in the playback.

Reflect on love's role and on its importance in one’s everyday life as well as on the rewards and benefits this value provides when it is expressed. Feel that you comprehend and agree with these. Pause the playback for half a minute.

Feel yourself aware of the spiritual improvement you will be granted if you express this value.

Feel a desire to express love and feel this longing grow with each additional exercise

Believe .that you can fulfill this wish and that you have utter confidence in your success; express feelings of elation and happiness due to that.

See yourself anticipating its successful attainment.
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Say to yourself: whenever I enter α state, I shall dive deeper into it and will experience feelings even more wondrous. I will remember all that I pass through during this stay and all I learn in it will accumulate to my experience, forming a basis for my next stay.

Exit α state. Readers who stay in α naturally will say: end of exercise

Developing and expressing the essence

Exercise details: Number of sittings – 24, once a day, after rising in the morning. Duration: 15 – 20 minutes.

Preparation - Record the entire exercise and play it back as you activate it. The method of recording, its quality and its pauses should be as detailed in "Beliefs and wishes - developing the ability to love".

Confirm you possess:
An intense desire to develop the value of love;
A wholehearted belief in your ability to realize this wish;
Great expectations of encouraging results.

The Exercise

Enter α state or deepen this state if you naturally stay in it.

(*) Request the visualized images to be as clear and complete as possible; for as many senses as possible to be triggered; that the images shall be three dimensional and in natural color; that their accompanying sensations will appear without resistance; that they be stable and at the required intensity.

(*) Continue holding on to the visualized images and their accompanying sensations during the pauses in the playback.

(*) Remember that it is the highest intelligence in the universe that created us, which provided us with a special, powerful tool named love.

(*) Remember the great advantage attained through your developing and employing this tool.

Remember this love is vital to your fellow man and that it is crucial that you provide it to him.

See yourself capable of granting and receiving love. Feel this ability grow with each additional exercise.

See yourself going out into nature, observing creation. Witness its sophistication and beauty, see its value and feel your heart brimming with love for it. Pause the playback for 20 seconds.

See yourself approach the other respectfully, with estimation, with a smile and radiating love.

Feel his loving reaction and feel a desire to provide even more.

(-) Sense a growing urge to provide the other with love after each exercise.

(-) See yourself seeking out within the other a reason and an opportunity to grant them with your love.

See yourself lovingly assisting the other and feel that you experience feelings of satisfaction and joy due to this. Examine this image, turn around it, admire it. Accept it as a given fact.

Feel love towards the other conquers you. Allow it to do so. Pause the playback for 20 seconds.

(-) Sense closeness and increasing trust between yourself and the other, due to these mutual expressions of love.

See yourself lovingly carrying out all your activities and experiencing the wonderful feelings this love bestows.

(-) Sense that you instinctively express love towards God’s creation whenever you encounter it.

(-) Sense that you are more brilliant, increasingly creative, capable of finding beauty and goodness in the other, desiring and able to provide assistance, longing to live the true life, ready and willing to place yourself at the other’s disposal.

Rest for a couple of minutes in this glorious state.

Say to yourself: whenever I enter α state, I shall dive deeper into it and will experience feelings even more wondrous. I will remember all that I pass through during this stay and all I learn in it will accumulate to my experience, forming a basis for my next stay.

Exit α state. Readers who stay in α naturally will say: end of exercise

Notes

Activate the sections marked with a (*) only in the first 5 sessions. The sections marked by (-) should be performed from the 6th session onwards.

As of the 16th session, carefully begin in parallel to express love towards others in a practical way. Begin in a narrow area and gradually widen its scope as time goes by. Do not enter into arguments. Approach the other in a respectful and friendly manner, provide your assistance lovingly and experience the positive feelings you experienced in your visualization exercise.

Don’t be offended and do not hesitate to continue with this practical activity if the other does not accept your love; such things may happen.

After the 24 daily sessions, practice an identical exercise three times a week for three weeks and thereafter to once a week, on Saturdays, until you begin developing love as a meta-value.