Ihrabaden | Stillness-Cycling

Ihrabaden is the ideal for a Kibtisk practitioner. It is less of a practice, and more of a way of living. It is the process which the Kibtisk practitioner aims to be constantly practising - the baden of ihra.

As such then, whilst being listed under the Kibtisk Practices, ihrabaden is as much of a meditative practice as it is a constant and repetitive process, likened to breathing. Conceptually, it is the source of the whole Baden Principle, with other practices involving this Principle being reflections of this Kibtisk ideal.

Definition

The definition of ihrabaden is literally 'to baden ihra', drawing upon those two Notions to be understood. However, in reality, the ideas of ihra and baden come from ihrabaden, not the other way around. The process of ihrabaden was conceptualised first, and the process of baden and the concept of ihra were results of this conceptualisation. So what is ihrabaden beyond simply the baden of ihra? Why was the process conceptualised before the ideas of ihra or baden had even been put into (Kibtisk) words?

Since the Notions of ihra and baden are results of ihrabaden, they can fortunately be used to begin to understand the process of ihrabaden. What ihrabaden is simply, is the ideal way of living as an absorber, carrier, and emitter of tranquil stillness. With the word ihra coming from the word 'air' and the word baden comes from the word 'breathe', the ideal of ihrabaden is that of intentionally yet subtly living our lives as a conduit of peace in the world, in the same way that we simply live our lives letting breaths in and out.

Ihrabaden is the process of deliberately finding and creating peaceful places (ihres) to be in for the purpose of absorbing the peace therein, allowing it to have a positive effect on our inner-selves (ardt) and then projecting it out to the benefit of others, either to them directly or out into the place we find ourselves. Ihrabaden then is not simply a Practice of the Kibtisk Way, but is the ultimate ideal: to harness tranquillity, carry it through the world, and give it unto others.

Revisiting Baden

Before we discuss the process of ihrabaden in more detail, it will be helpful for us to revisit the concepts of ihra and baden briefly in order to fully comprehend what the process of ihrabaden entails.

As mentioned, the principle of baden was not created in order to express the idea of ihrabaden, but rather the idea of ihrabaden was conceptualised first, and as a result the principle of baden was formed to relate to all ihres, not just those of ihra. This is due to the fact that what is true of peaceful atmospheres is true of other atmospheres.

Essentially, at its core, the principle of baden is that a person, in the same way that they breathe air, absorbs ('inhales') and projects ('exhales') the ihre around them. This ihre could be the ihre of a place, composed of the römihrkes such as lighting, sound, object placement etc.; or it could be the ihre of a person, composed of their body-language and facial expressions, and more metaphysically, their ardstat.

All of these things are absorbed (inbaden) by the individual and taken into their ardt (their inner-self, heart, psyche). After remaining in the ardt for some time, these things are eventually projected out (ütbaden) into the ihre again, either the ihre of the individual, or further out into the ihre of the place they are in. This projection manifests itself for the individual in their zonihrkes (body-language, facial expression, self-placement, ardstat), but also in the römihrkes (or rather their changing of the römihrkes) of the place they are in (e.g. lighting, sound, scent, object placement etc.). This projection can occur either intentionally or subconsciously.

Ihrabaden then is the process of using this innate process to absorb, carry, and project an ihre of ihra.

The Theory of Ihrabaden

The theory of ihrabaden is simple: by dwelling in ihres of ihra (peaceful atmospheres) either by finding them naturally (such as places in nature, or existing peaceful places like libraries, cathedrals/temples etc.) or through adjustment of the aspects of the ihre (such as light and sound etc.), we are able to absorb the stillness that is emitted in those places simply by actively and mindfully being in those places. This process is known as ihraceten (getting ihra).

Having 'soaked' in an atmosphere of ihra for some time, we will have inevitably absorbed some of this quality. Such that, upon emerging from the ihre we have been dwelling in, people may recognise that we have just been in nature, or in spiritual practice etc. Inevitably, leaving this ihre will mean entering other ihres, and so the next stage is ihrakurin (carrying ihra). This process involves guarding our inner-peace.

Following this, we are then able to give our absorbed and guarded peace out to others via a process called ihraciven (giving ihra). By giving it unto other people and places we enable the process of ihraceten to start.

By practising this cycle continually: receiving, carrying, and giving out peace, we are eventually able to possess an ihre of ihra ourselves, meaning that we can become the place people come to in order to obtain ihra. It means that we can also obtain ihra for ourselves, from ourselves; at least that is the ultimate ideal. Additionally, by obtaining and carrying ihra, we are able to create places of ihra from scratch for others to come to and obtain ihra for themselves.

The process of ihrabaden then is something which is to be practised continually and cyclically. It is also self-replicating: by giving ihra out to other people and places, we create more opportunities for others and ourselves to obtain ihra, starting the cycle all over again.

Practising Ihrabaden

The practice of ihrabaden is not a fixed meditative practice or method, but is rather a contemplative process by which one seeks to attain, maintain, and transmit ihra in one's day to day life. We're going to have a look at each of those three stages individually.

Step 1: Ihraceten (inbaden ihra)

The process of attaining ihra, known as ihraceten, is done by finding extant ihres of ihra to dwell in and thereby inbaden the ihra present there. What defines a place as having an ihre of ihra is the tangibility of the peace felt and perceived by the practitioner when they enter or dwell in that place.

The process of inbaden is usually done passively, however, it can be done actively by intentionally concentrated one's awareness on the ihre one is in. For the process of ihraceten then, one simply needs to find a place of ihra, whether that be a forest, church, garden, or even one's own home.

Step 2: Ihrakurin

Once ihra has been attained by intentionally being present within it, one simply needs to retain it. This is done by nurturing that sense of peace within. In the same way that one will get a plant and water it a lot at first to bring it to a good state of health, and then give it little bits of water consistently and periodically, so one attains ihra initially and drip-feeds oneself ihra to maintain the extant peace within.

This stage is essentially the same as the process of ihraceten, but on a smaller scale. It is the continued procurement of peace done to maintain the well within.

Step 3: Ihraciven (ütbaden ihra)

The final stage is ihraciven, which is giving out (ütbaden) peace. In the same way that the process of inbaden happens passively, but can be practised actively with intentional awareness, so can the practice of ütbaden. One gives out peace by being aware of oneself and one's projections and choosing to draw upon the well of peace within and project that outwards.

This can be done through meditation and mindfulness in day-to-day scenarios, but also by practising ihrekhunciünen and intentionally adjusting the atmosphere around oneself to portray and facilitate an atmosphere of peace - an ihre of ihra.

Methods

As with most Kibtisk practices, there are many methods to practising the process of ihrabaden.

Mindfulness, meditation, yoga, prayer, and contemplation are amongst the most recognised spiritual practices which are conducive to attaining, nurturing, and projecting stillness, and these can be practised in a wide variety of peaceful environments such as gardens, forests, and spiritual buildings in order to deepen the practice.

Other forms of outdoor practices such as forest therapy, gardening, and walking can also have the same effect without the spiritual element. Indoor practices, including the spiritual practices listed above can also be effective for the process of ihrabaden, such as breathing exercises, bathing/showering, massages and saunas, and practising solitude and silence.

Ihrekhunciünen and Ihrabaden

The practice of ihrabaden is closing tied with the practice of ihrekhunciünen.

Ihrekhunciünen is all about adjusting the ihre, both of a place as well as oneself, in order to facilitate the desired ihre. Since for the practice of ihrabaden the desired ihre is one of ihra, ihrekhunciünen can be used in its various ways to facilitate ihrabaden by making an ihre which is conducive to the practice of the different methods listed above.

Since some of the methods listed above are also spiritual practices, ihrabaden can and is used in concurrence with the Kibtisk spiritual practices of vitren and ardzýn, both of which also draw upon ihrekhunciünen.

Summary

The practice of ihrabaden is a continual process which is the ultimate ideal for a Kibtisk practitioner. It is practised in three stages: ihraceten, ihrakurin, and ihraciven. Each of these may be in turn practised using various methods, spiritual and otherwise, in order to attain, maintain, and transmit the atmosphere of stillness.

The practice of ihrabaden is congruent with the other Kibtisk practices, with those practices serving to facilitate or be a method of the practice of ihrabaden.

Ultimately, ihrabaden is the end-goal of the Kibtisk Way: to find peace, and give it to others.

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