p>Spiritual Practice
Philosophical Reflection
Atma Ananda
© Atma Ananda, 2024
ISBN 978-5-0064-9520-3
Created with Ridero smart publishing system
Preface to the 2nd English edition
The author’s translation of the books from Russian into English was made a long time ago in 2009—2013 when I was in Bali for publication on the American print-to-order service. Then the book appeared on the Amazon world trade network among millions of books on this topic.
The very idea of the book is connected with my research interests as a philosopher and orientalist, which extend to both theoretical and practical aspects of Oriental culture.
Unsurprisingly, the original Russian edition was much more successful in Russia itself. The very first Russian editions was published in the LitRes publishing house in Moscow although I lived and worked abroad, communicating exclusively in English.
Over the years, my English skills improved, especially since I professionally worked on translations from English into Russian, which was my earnings in those years, and subsequently became the basis for admission to the Russian Translators’ Union.
Preparing the second English edition through the Russian Ridero system, of course, it would be worthwhile to make a new translation of this book. However, due to the lack of time and the large number of new projects, I leave everything as it was, correcting only few obvious mistakes.
I hope that the sophisticated reader will forgive the imperfection of my early translations, paying more attention to the content that concerns eternal questions, and perhaps enjoy the specifics of the Russian mentality when transferring knowledge from East to West.
Self-Being Strategy. Research Methodology
Foreword
Reading Maria Nikolaeva’s book came actually as a quite pleasant surprise to me. The title of the book led me to expect just another book on meditation and the discovery of one’s self; and, truth be told, there are many of those in print! Fortunately, I was wrong! This book is an easy-to-understand guide to the exploration of one’s self in conjunction with space, time and the cosmic scene. It is a roadmap that imprints not only the paths of self-awareness but also describes the provisions one must carry on the way. I have read phrases such as “one road many ways,” “one way many roads,” etc. In the case however of this particular book, the Author proves both sentences true provided that the correct conditions concur.
The problems of self-awareness and the discovery of one’s true self and as a result, of one’s true volition, have been engaging the mind of man for many centuries and continue still to be a research subject of substance. Starting with Socrates’ exhortation “Know thyself,” the mantle is taken up by the Gnostics, who first pointed out in a systematic way and with a religious structure the fact of the fallacy of appearances when compared to the truth of being. The illusive world of the Creator (“Demiurge”) of the Gnostics differs very little from the Maya, the illusive reality of Hinduism. The Hindus in the authentic “Sanathana Dharma,” the Vedas and their books of knowledge, wherein they have concerned themselves with a multitude of issues, point out the inability of human beings to understand the nature of the Divine as well as their own limitations to perceive the natural reality which surrounds them. This inability to understand the nature of the Divine is also pointed out by Origen, who while walking on the beach with a student proceeded to ask him to count the grains of sand. The student by confessing his inability to do so, received the following answer: If you are incapable of investigating something as finite as a beach how dare you wish to perceive the nature of infinity? What one perceives is a dreamy state, Maya, which imposes an illusory perception of reality. This illusory perception of reality results in an equally illusory perception of oneself, of what one is, where one goes and what one really wants. Modern science confirms that man’s tools of perception of reality have their own limitations. Our senses collect but a fragment of the reality surrounding us and codify it in a way suitable for us to perceive it. From the moment we accept that the Universe is temporary and relative and that we perceive it with ineffective means, it is clear that on a level of consciousness we live in a micro-universe within another Universe. The attempt to break through the walls of the virtual universe we perceive, to break through the Matrix —if I may use the modern terminology for Maya— is clearly to be made using supersensory means, such as those possessed by one’s spirit, one’s higher self, which by its own nature participates in both realities, the Matrix as well as the cosmic truth. One such tool, which has been proven effective through the ages, is meditation.
This book presents a roadmap that guides us to meditation. This is achieved using the Hindu tradition as a point of reference, and yet in an non-dogmatic way, i.e. without imposing authority but with the provision of such means that shall assist the reader to discover his or her own way, without stumbling into obstacles. The references in the book make the analogy between the eastern meditation and the orthodox tradition of anchorites, and the correspondence of yogis to the Christian orthodox “holy fools.” For them the common ground is their distancing from the matrix of material perception. Anyone seriously interested in meditation and wanting to be informed in a correct, objective, impartial and nonsectarian way, has acquired the right book. For me it has been a pleasure to read the book and an honour to meet the author.
*Athanassios Theodorou is Bachelor of Arts in Law (National University of Athens), Master of Arts in Philosophy with a focus on the history of religions (University of Sorbonne, Paris), Practicing law in Athens, Greece.
Expert Feedback
In a very interesting way, through her personal experience and knowledge, Maria Nikolaeva describes the interaction and methodology of several practices to achieve self-realization into Reality- Samádhi, Nirvana or Satori. Personally, through my experience as a Yoga Instructor, I agree to interact multiple paths to attain Enlightment. What really matters is the goal; the way to attain it is a personal choice. As I often say to my students: “your mind is your guru, so follow your Inner Voice.”
Through this book, readers will find an intelligent and profound explanation to the development of their Inner Consciousness.
My sincere congratulations for this wonderful book that transmits the essence of rich experience and knowledge by Maria Nikolaeva (Atma Ananda).
Namaste.
* Lina Gonçalves is Yoga Samkhya Instructor, Reiki Master and Master of Magnified Healing in Lisbon, Portugal
Introduction to Reality
Spiritual practice is the self-being strategy. Historically, we see different options for development in 4 particular situations: self-realized persons 1) in a tradition 2) outside of all traditions; not self-realized people 3) among devotees 4) atheists. It is not important, what is the tradition or who is the guru. The only important thing is unity with Reality itself. Devotion (bhakti) or religious devotedness is just one of the options to open true Reality; that means in the path of traditional realization, surrending dominates self-investigation. Actuality is the direct way to Reality; that means there is nobody else anymore except of one’s own
