Essays Essays I
Tablet Twelve
SPIRITUAL CENTER
<1>These spiritual centers can be built for each community. <2>The purpose of their existence is to have a place of gathering for the community, a training center, a place for the offering of prasadam (spiritual food), all types of spiritual activities, Satsang, service, meditation, education, etc.
<3>These spiritual centers can be built for each community which consists of (12 x 12 x 12) which is "1,728" people (or around 2,000 people). <4>However, these centers do not belong to a special community or religion but to anyone who would like to go to them.
<5>There should be a main floor for meditation, Satsangs, lectures, community discussions, solving of community problems, etc.
<6>There should be kitchen facilities large enough to prepare food for those in training at the center and also for preparation of the spiritual food for prasadam.
<7>There should be enough rooms and facilities to provide a place for training in the center, and also enough room for guests and travelers on their way from one city to another. However these facilities should not necessarily be luxurious. The minimum should suffice (according to time, place, and people).
<8>The training is mainly for sannyasins (renunciates) and other seekers (these people should become renunciates at least during the training) who have dedicated their lives to pursue a restricted spiritual life and are there to become spiritual leaders of the future of society and the communities.
<9>However, these centers will be used for community discussions only when a public discussion is necessary. There should be a separate place for discussions between leaders of the community. And if there is a big and better place for community discussions, that instead should be used. <10>The spiritual centers should be used for spiritual purposes as much as possible.
<11>If a sannyasin (renunciate) decides to become a family person, he should be free to do so. <12>Also if a family person wishes to come to the center and learn, he should be allowed to do so only if his family is secure (financially and supportively) and he leaves the family for the time of being in the center.
SETTING OF THE ALTAR
<13>The altar should be positioned in the houses, community Satsang buildings (community building or center), and in any closed area which has been set up especially for meditation in such a way that preferably people will be facing north when sitting for meditation. This means that The Greatest Sign will be directed toward the south, so people who sit in front of it will be facing toward the northern top of the world.
<14>However, the altar in the Temples will be set up in the center of the Temple on the top of a pillar. In the Temple all will face toward this center in their prayers and meditations.
<15>In the outdoors when the person does not know what direction is north, or when sitting toward the north is not possible, or for any reason (personal or impersonal), a person can do his Reminder and meditation (attunement) in any direction which is most feasible.
<16>By accepting the practice of facing toward the positive pole of the earth, not only will all humanity be facing a very positive point on the earth, but also, because the north pole is not a livable place, it will not be a point of dispute as any place (like a city) on earth would be.
<17>As we know God is everywhere, so, in any direction we face, He will be there. <18>However, the positive pole of the earth and the top of the world have a positive effect on the spiritual and mental progress of the meditator.
<19>In the Temple, the central point there represents the most concentrated spiritual energy of the Temple. <20>So to face this point will intensify this quality, and also will be beneficial to the meditator.
<21>When a person is doing The Reminder, prayer or meditation in an open field, that person can choose the most pleasant direction or the most convenient place which will help his ideation toward the Supreme. <22>This will prevent people from being superstitious that they have to face a certain direction. However, if they prefer to face a certain direction, so be it.