The Garden is the next echelon to higher consciousness. This is not a book teaching or guiding the reader on how to move toward a state of oneness because The Garden IS oneness. What this means is that, as you read you are transformed into the truly magical kingdom of the Soul. With a little help from the moving narrative you embark on an incredible journey to the Soul where you will experience deep meditations, elevated reflections and moments of stillness and bliss. You will encounter the uncovering of ancient wisdoms but you must also face the dangers that beset any voyage of discovery.

The Garden is a multi-dimensional mantra in the form of a book, designed to bring the reader into contact with the wonderful divine existence that is the life in all of us.

The story is a journey of transcendence and illumination, a trip through the mythological symbols and sagas left by our ancient forebears. What is revealed en-route is "Mankind's Opus Magnum, the grand drama played out by all cultures on all continents ever since the beginning of Time.

What is this One Great Story?

It is about finding the essence common to all states of consciousness. When we embrace this essence we move into a state of non-duality and all physical phenomena cease. Here we can discover perfect happiness, a place of peace and even bliss.
The teachings of this “inner journey” that leads to this prized state dates all the way back in our history to the revered and sacred teachings found in Chinese, Pali, Sanskrit, Tibetan and Upanishad writings, and the Holy Bible.

The constant theme that meanders through all these wonderful words of wisdom is Soul Awakening, or spiritual enlightenment. It is telling us about coming into a state of Knowing. This is the total sum of the One Great Story. And this is the ultimate journey for every living being.

The trick is – how to get there.

This one great story can be reduced to a simple harmonic motion or “sound” using the syllable AUM. This syllable has been regarded for millennia to be the Word, the Voice of God. What this means is that Aum is the verbal equivalent of the four states of human consciousness –

A: Waking

U: Dreaming

M: Sleeping

: Reawakening

It is the silence around this sacred sound that becomes the ultimate Transcendent to Soul awakening or God.

Aum is said to be the original sound that contains all other sounds, all words, all languages and all mantras. This One Great Story comes in One Small Package.

The Garden IS Aum. It tells the “One Great Story,” not only through its sweeping allegorical narrative that takes you through the first three states of consciousness: the waking, the dreaming and the sleeping, but there is also the book’s “silence,” the fourth state of consciousness. Soul awakening is presented within the book as “nothing.” It is the deliberate space on every page which surrounds the words that becomes the silence around the story which is the ultimate bridge of Transcendence.

So it is very important when sitting down to read The Garden that you approach it differently to any other book you have ever read before. You must carefully consider your time with The Garden and give it sensitive attention; you must sit quietly somewhere, undisturbed, in meditation, and remind yourself that you have within you a loving Soul watching over. As you begin to read, allow yourself to feel the emotions that will liberate from the words. Become aware of the peace, the exhilaration, the stillness around you as you begin the journey. Be attentive to even more subtle insights that the book invokes. When you come upon an illustration, take your time there. Stop and rest and become soothed by the soft colours of the dreamy landscape. Become acquainted. Meld awhile, as if you become a reflection to a beautiful vision. Read on only when you feel refreshed. Be intuitive with your reading. Take rests, reflect. Make use of the “silence” around you and listen to what your imagination presents you with. You and the book need to have an intimate contact.

The key is not to be mechanical with your reading, but work fully at experiencing each moment of the story with focus and feelings of your heart. This book should not involve your mind, reading it should be as if you were meditating. When your mind engages and you wander off, go back to reflecting on your “inner self,” your Soul and continue reading. It may not be easy at first to read without the aid of your analytical mind but with regular reading and practice you will suspend the mind and then a seemingly miraculous experience may take place.

In your stillness you will know!

The Garden “…slowly but surely causes elevation in levels of consciousness. For different individuals this will happen at different rates. Those who are sensitive will feel these effects sooner than others. However, sooner or later a large percentage of readers will find that new and broad inner horizons are opening up to them, which will fill their lives to a degree they could not have imagined before. One is able not only to see or know existence for what it is, but to become it. When one gains true knowledge, there is no split between knower and known: one becomes knowledge/consciousness itself.” – Itzhak Bentov

The Garden
by
Robin Craig