When I was a child I was taught both by my parents and my teachers at school that one should not ask for things and it was considered as bad manners. One should instead wait to be asked, which must have prompted a good deal of hinting and possibly praying on my part.

When I first encountered a Spiritual Path way back in the 1980’s it was likewise considered presumptuous to ask for States of Consciousness; the most we could do, without rebuke, was to ask to be considered….., thus declaring our enthusiasm and our desire for the Truth.

In the years that followed it became more and more acceptable to ask outright to receive the Grace in order to attain higher States of Consciousness. Personally, I found this approach extremely uncomfortable to deal with and all I could see was a selfish ambition in the person who was asking. This of course was my own prejudice based on my early childhood influences.

As I write this article I have had many encounters with the Beings we refer to as the Spiritual Hierarchy and have learnt many lessons as a consequence. The most recent lesson is that seemingly we need to ask before we are given. initially, as you can imagine that didn’t sit well with me, but after much thought it became apparent that this was the way They worked. It was our responsibility to determine what we wanted and then to humbly ask for it. It was not Their responsibility to somehow mind read and then thrust some idea, knowledge or gift in our direction.

This way we have to take full responsibility for our actions, both the asking and the receiving. We have all heard the saying, “Be careful what you wish for; you might just get it”. This is exactly what we need to consider. I am beginning to understand that all this is part of that enormous subject called Karma.

However, to conclude, when you are meditating and you feel you need assistance with some problem do ask for help and guidance. I personally do my asking when I am using a Mandala. Not all of you may know about the recent introduction to using Mandalas. The Hierarchy suggested that we find a way for Adepts to receive communications from Them and we came up with the idea of a personal Mandala.

All you need to do is check out Google Images; I put in Mandala hd. Then choose one that resonates with you and spend about 10 minutes a day meditating on it. During these sessions anything that pops into my mind I take note of and invariably act upon. This very article is an example of what can come through. If you need any further guidance regarding the use of Mandalas or want to share your experiences, let me know and I will post them on the News page and/or under Inspiration.
(N.H.)