The Nature of a Mystic

There are five things to consider when one is trying to understand the nature of a mystic; his temperament, his dream, his outlook, his meditation, and his realization.

For a mystic time does not exist; it is only to be found on the clock. Life for him is eternal, and the time between birth and death is an illusion.

Every good and every bad experience he accepts as a lesson, and he thinks that all of them lead him onward. If it is a bad experience it is also a lesson; if it is a good experience, so much the better; but they are all leading him towards his purpose in life.

The quality of a mystic is the outgoing quality, the sympathetic, loving quality; and yet the mystic is detached and indifferent. Deep love on the one side, indifference on the other; together they make the balance of his life. In loving another he loves God, in serving another he serves God, in helping another he helps God: and in this way he worships.

In his worldly life, neither a rise nor a fall is very important to him, but at the same time he may experience all things.

It is the self-control of the mystic that balances his pleasure and displeasure, his joy and sorrow. It may be that others cannot realize it or feel it; nevertheless, if the mystic's feelings were not delicate, and if there were no subtlety in him, he could not be a mystic. On the one hand the mystic is most subtle; on the other hand he is most simple. 

He can be wise, and he can be quite innocent. Often people call the mystic an old soul, and yet he can be like a child.

Now we come to the dream of the mystic. It may be that other people have seen a mystic in trance, or meditating with closed eyes; but this is not necessary. With open eyes or with closed eyes: the mystic can dream either way. He may be in a crowd on in solitude, in both paces he can dream. To the mystic the dream is reality, although to another it might seem a dream. It is reality to the mystic because of his faith in what is written in the Scriptures, that when God said, ‘let there be light ‘and it became light and also in what the Vedanta say, that manifestation is the dream of Brahma the Creator. The mystic, who realizes the Creator within himself, thinks that his dream is the Creator's dream; if the Creator's dream is all this which we call reality, then the dream of the mystic is the same. If it is still in the mental sphere, that does not mean that it will never materialize; it will surely materialize one day.

Yet one often sees that the mystic lives above the world and many think that he is not conscious of the world. But they do not know that for that very reason that he lives above it, he is more conscious of it.

The mystic not only sees the reason of everything and anything; he sees the reason behind the reason, and behind that still another reason, until he touches the essence of reason, where what we call reason is transcended. As far as we can see, we see only a cause, but what the mystic sees is deeper than a cause; it is the cause of all causes. And by this his outlook changes from the ordinary outlook. Thus, it may happen that the language of the mystic seems like chatter; people cannot understand its wisdom because they only use their sense of reason.

The mystic is the friend of many, but for a mystic to find a friend is difficult. It is difficult enough for anyone to feel that there is even a single person in the world who understands him, so how much more difficult must it be for the mystic! He can only try to understand himself; but if he can do that it is quite sufficient. The mystic does not concern himself much with what will be the immediate result of anything; he concerns himself with what will be the final result. This makes his point of view different from the worldly point of view.

With regard to the meditation of the mystic, one should remember that it is part of his nature as an inner disposition, and every day, he has some way of meditating. The mystic never has to say that it is difficult for him to meditate; he is at home in it. It is his nature, his pleasure, his joy. Meditation is his life. And the meditation which lasts fifteen or twenty or twenty-five minutes is to the mystic only a kind of winding up. His meditation takes place every moment of the day; there is not one moment when he is not in a state of meditation, no matter what he is doing at the moment. In the crowd and while working, in all conditions the mystic continues his eternal meditation.

The mystic's realization

It is the mystic who realizes the latent power in every person, and he realize it even to such an extent that no one could believe it if it were to be put into words. He realizes the latent inspiration in man, an inspiration which culminates in revelation, when every object and every being begins to communicate with him, when he knows and sees and understands and realizes the essence of the whole of life. The mystic knows what perfection means, for it is in perfection that his joy and his happiness are to be found.

I invite you to ponder the mystical path and find out for yourself what it means to be a mystic, you may discover in it a wholesome way of being.

Mysticism II

Mysticism is for many an uncomfortable word, because it is more than a concept that can easily be accepted by the mind.

The dictionary defines Mysticism, taken from the Creek “to conceal.” In the Hellenistic world, which followed the Creek Classical period, ‘mystical’ referred to “secret” religious rituals.

A more detailed Explanation of mysticism is communion, identity with, or conscious awareness of Ultimate Reality, Divinity, Spiritual Truth or God, through experience, intuition, instinct or insight.

In early Christianity the term came to refer to “hidden” interpretations of Scriptures and to hidden presences. We can see this in the words of Jesus.

“And he said, unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand”.

                                                                              (KJV) Luke 8:10

I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.

                                                                              (KJV) John 16:12

Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him .....

                                                                                 Corinthian 2:12 –14

Buddhists, Christian Mystics and Yogis show us the way to mystical experiences through a process of discipline of the mind and the senses in order to experience higher levels of consciousness. They speak of emptying of the mind of all things. Emptiness is not what is known in Western thought as nihilism. It is rather the idea of renouncing one’s own ideas. This for many people is scary as they would have to give up their own ego involvement in order to attain emptiness. The mind needs to be empty of all phenomenon.

A way to achieved this is through meditation, prayer and stillness.

Let us envision for a moment a world where anything is possible, than accept that things are not just possible but also probable. We often fail to see possibilities arising because we are so attached to our limited, re occurring thought patterns, our ego and its pathetic predictability, that we impede any progress toward higher levels of consciousness.

We need to realize, that there is a higher force acting upon us at all times, call it spirit or whatever you want to name it, and that we can connect with that something only when we suspend our own thoughts and our own ego. By doing so, we open up a Divine gap of peace and silence, where the power of the Infinite can enter the picture and do it’s magic.

It is through meditative practice of emptying ourselves of every thought and every attachment, as both Eastern sages and Western mystics have taught for thousands of years, that we can make leaps into the realm of the unimaginable, the land of true creativity.

When we open ourselves in silence to this higher force and accept its guidance, we will soon realize that we live in accordance with the will of God.

 It is here where the much debated discourse of free will fits in, since we open up the possibility of Divine direction in our lives. We now talk about freedom from choice rather than freedom of choice. This Divine direction gives us freedom to rejoice every second of our existence without the stress of being confronted with our own choice, for everything always flows gracefully in an ocean of infinite bliss.

Mysticism

Mystical experience may be described as mystical or spiritual consciousness. We all have had experiences that could not be explained by our rational mind. We label these experiences as hunches, luck, good fortune, being in the right place at the right time, etc. because we don’t know the origin of this experience, but on reflection we arrive at certain insights that give us a better understanding.

Simply stated, mysticism can be defined as the search and pursuit of communion with the Ultimate, Divinity, Reality, Spiritual Truth or God. A mystic is person who attains this union. The term union has been expressed in various ways due to the differences in the religious, social and psychological backgrounds.

Mysticism is defined to be spiritual in nature. It has been described as an organic process which includes the perfect consummation of the love of God. The definition of mysticism is wide; it cannot be limited to any one religious tradition

With reference to Spirituality, in the words of Plotinus, a major philosopher of the ancient world, spirituality is the soul’s solitary adventure. Spirituality is associated with the quality or condition of being spiritual. It signifies the human spirit or soul as opposed to materials and materialistic interests. It is very difficult to explain spirituality as it is a very broad term that consists of several spectrums of perspectives. It has been explained quite differently by monotheists, polytheists, humanists, followers of new age, Natives, etc. Spirituality deals with the spirit within, which can also be referred to as an absolute master and controller of the body. Spirituality and mysticism are considered to be interconnected as both embrace the transcendent or ecstatic experiences. However, the in-depth meanings may be regarded as two different concepts.

In both spirituality and mysticism the personal experience may be as quiet as the soul’s awareness of where one is in the present moment, or the soul’s recognition of unity, the understanding that we all part of the same source.

It may also take the form of the soul’s awareness of visible or invisible higher influences.

Mystical consciousness is also knows as Cosmic Consciousness; Holy Spirit; Divine presence; Higher Centers, the real I, Self or Atman in the various esoteric traditions.

Since Mystical consciousness is being in touch with the unseen, which upon closer investigation is one’s inner essence, one has to be very careful in discriminating between the:

Mystical/Spiritual way and the Psychic way

There is very little difference between the two paths, but the consequences can lead one either to enlightenment or to pain.

The danger lies in that much of the psychic world is presented as mystical, but as mentioned, they are opposite poles leading into different directions.

Between these two poles are the Great Religions of the world. They may be describes as the habit forming regions of that consciousness. Yet at the same time some aspects of religion may lead to mysticism. We can say that no really religious person can be without a touch of mysticism and no mystic can be without religion.

At the other end of the scale, religion can also shade off into the psychic realm. This can occur when people seek personal experiences of the unknown nature.

The fundamental difference between the two is:

The Psychic method wants to obtain or experience something, whereas

The Mystic wants to give. He knows that he receives freely and he wants to give freely of services, things and of himself.

Both approaches claim revelation from a higher power, the difference is the application and the intention which result in different outcomes.

In mysticism the will is united with feelings and the urge to transcend the world of the senses, in order that the Self may be joint through love to the One, Eternal and Ultimate object of Love, Whose existence is intuitively perceived by that which we call the soul. Some call it the Cosmic Transcendental sense.

In the psychic approach, the will unites with the mind and the desire for super-sensible (Beyond or above perception by the senses) knowledge. This is the intellectual, aggressive temperament trying to extend its field of consciousness until it includes the super sensual world. The intention of a psychic is to see on a different plane of material density than the average person. But the level on which they are seeing and experiencing things is nevertheless still material and barely above the physical level, regardless of how wondrous and exciting it may seem to the psychics themselves. This approach represents the antithesis of mysticism.

We can broadly classify as psychic all forms of self seeking endeavors.  It is a seeking of the intellect for its own purposes or rewards.

Mysticism denounces individualism, the I, me, or mine thought which makes one a finite being. Mysticism is essentially a movement of the heart. It seeks to transcend the limitations of the individual and to surrender itself to Ultimate Reality for no personal gain.

By speaking of the heart, one should not think of the seat of affection but rather the innermost sanctuary of one’s being. The mystic is in love with the Infinite, the Absolute, not in a sentimental manner, but in that ritual, which moves forever toward that object of Love.

Mysticism is like art, it cannot exist without feeling. One must feel acutely before being moved to act.

There are two eternal passions of the Self: the desire to love and the desire of understanding.

Mysticism is the science of union with the Absolute. It is not enough just to know about it, one must become one with it. This is often referred to as the mystical union. It is the contact between the individual Self and the Supreme Self; it is conscious, personal and complete. It is a certain contact of the soul with the Divine.

Mysticism can also be said to be the active expression of a power latent in the whole human race, a power of perceiving transcendental reality. Most people going through life are at times touched by this mystical feeling, but they are unable to recognize it for what it is. It is the soul in deep silence, in meditation that comprehends this Presence, but can only explain it in a symbolical language to the interpreter, who then uses his own imagination to put it into words. It is the secret of Oneness, it is inner Peace and joy.

The artist may perceive this power as a heightened form of vitality, the power of communicating a vision into painting, poetry or music Some may call this an expression of Spirit relating through the artist a message, an image that may touch the essence of another. To the artist is laid the duty of expressing that which he has perceived. This vision then has to be balanced by work, for art is the mediator between vision, appearance and objective reality.

In contrast, the mystic can only say: my secret to myself, my experience.

Not every artist can be said to be gifted with mystical insight. In the true mystic the transcendental stage dominates the ordinary state of consciousness. His consciousness is transfigured, he lives at different levels of experience, he sees a different world, which is to the ordinary state of consciousness only imagination.

The mystic is totally immersed in spiritual life, he moves toward union with God. He often has been called a lonely soul, but a better description may be a lonely body, for his soul sends out and receives communication at every moment.

Mysticism is active and practical, not passive and theoretical. It is an organic life process.

Its aims are wholly transcendental and spiritual. It is in no way anything to do with exploring or arranging anything, it is living one’s life as it presents itself. He never thinks of what should be, only of what is.

The Changeless One is for the mystic not merely the Reality of all there is, but also a living entity of love.

The Mystical Way is a prolonged psychological and spiritual process. It entails a complete renewal of character and the liberation of a latent form of consciousness which may be called the Unitive state. Mysticism is not an opinion, it is not a philosophy, it cannot be identified with any religious practice, it is a process which evolves into the perfect confirmation of the love of God. It is the art of establishing one’s conscious relation with the Absolute. It is not, or seldom something that happens instantaneously, it is more a movement toward ever higher states of consciousness. It ends with I live, but not I, but God in me.

This feeling of identification, which is the tone of mystical awareness, has a very important significance. In its early stages the one’s consciousness feels the Absolute separate from the Self. Eventually it tends to abolish its separateness. When it has reached its goal, consciousness finds itself in oneness with the One, the centre of all Being. This is the Mystical Union, is the fulfillment of Divine love.

For people who have not had a mystical experience, and the ones attached to the material life, all of this may sound very strange, like a dreamlike, strange existence; people with narrow religious believes may call it sinful or blasphemy.

For the mystic it is the only way, union with the Infinite.

Consciousness

The word consciousness is formed by two Latin words, con and scire, meaning to know.   

Consciousness is the meeting ground for inner and outer reality. It is the common denominator of the objective world and subjective experience. 

Consciousness is not the same as thinking because we can be aware of thoughts, which is proof that they take place within consciousness and therefore are secondary to it.

Likewise, we can be aware without having any thoughts, only perceptions. But again, they are secondary to the field of awareness in which they occur.

Many people confuse consciousness with simple awareness, but consciousness does not just mean that we are aware, but that we are conscious of being aware.

Consciousness is the medium through which we can know reality.

Consciousness alone is primary and cannot be explained in terms of anything else. It can only be experienced.

What is Consciousness?

Consciousness is a non-physical entity, which is essentially different from the four basic entities of space, time, energy and matter of the conventional science. Consciousness does not have any physical attribute or property or action, but is endowed with autonomous willpower of creation, retention and annihilation of the knowledge of an individual or that of the universe.

Consciousness itself is non-differential, inactive, placid, indescribable and non associative: But consciousness manifests itself in the form of knowledge.

As a point of interest, scientists are investigating how to integrate consciousness with science as we read in the following statement.

Bridging the Gap

According to Prof Wigner (Eugene P. Wigner, Nobel Prize-winning Princeton University professor of mathematical physics): "The very study of the physical world leads to the conclusion that the concept of consciousness is an ultimate reality and, all the possible knowledge, concerning objects can be given as its wave function" and concludes that the gap between Vedic and scientific systems of knowledge has been considerably reduced and scientists have started realizing the necessity of integration of consciousness with the conceptual structure of science.

It becomes clear, that we cannot really define what consciousness is without placing limits on it? Who knows where it begins or ends? Animals are conscious, however, not self conscious.

Some religious and philosophical traditions including yoga hold that all creation, even inorganic matter, has a form of consciousness. From this perspective, consciousness is everywhere and is the foundation of all experience. It is the organizing principle behind the physical universe, often called the Logos, the Tao, or God.

In the Rig Veda (1:164:39) we read that knowledge is structured in consciousness, and our knowledge of absolute truth is directly proportioned to the degree to which we can step outside ourselves and purify our consciousness.

To step outside ourselves, we have to know what we step into and what the self, or ego is. Only human beings have a sense of separate self, personal identity, private individuality. This concept of identity, according to psychology, begins to develop at about age 2 because of various biological and social factors. The result is a self image we carry within our minds which we normally consider being our true self but which is none other than ego, the I am this or that.

Then what is consciousness?

Although we cannot clearly define consciousness, yet everyday living confirms its reality. Being conscious is the self evident dimension of all knowing, all perceptions, and all states of being.

We experience, that the boundaries of our personal awareness constantly shift like changing images on a movie screen and with it change our perceptions and our understanding of objective reality.

This reflection leads to an awareness of awareness through the integration of the conscious with the subconscious mind, further leading to super-conscious or cosmic conscious states of existence often referred to as samadhi in yoga, satori in Buddhism, mystical union in Christianity, the peace that passeth all understanding. Philippians 4:7.

Acknowledgement of the human potential for higher consciousness is imperative for humanity and earth to survive. Humankind finds itself at a critical juncture, where it has to decide to embrace an immediate radical change in thought and behavior, or the result could be disastrous for the current or future generations.

Perhaps the unrest we presently experience in many countries and societies is the sign of an impending consciousness revolution, even though it may not be defined as such.

Philosophy, religion, esoteric psychology and the humanities have been concerned with the study of the nature of consciousness for hundreds of years, but for changes in consciousness of the masses to occur, the interest has to flourish on broad levels of society.

What is needed is a kind of consciousness revolution which implies a turning back to the root of our existence, to truth, by asking the question: Who am I, where do I come from, what is the purpose of my being here on earth?”

We need to go beyond the I, the ego, to the Self, to our essence and embrace a philosophy of life that frees us from the fetters of convention and adopt an attitude that respects all life everywhere with an aim to realize one’s highest potential.

This may sound very idealistic, but the aim of all life forms is fulfilled only, when it has achieved perfection. Scriptures speak of reclaiming the Garden of Eden, where perfection reigns. This potential is within all of us.

We must not ignore the profound wisdom in human convention, but to appreciate it, we have to step out of it, view it from a higher perspective, embrace that which is of the highest value and discard all what impedes an upward evolutionary spiral from the material to the ideal, from matter to spirit.   

But first we need to realize our true nature as spiritual beings rather than acting as competing separate ego bound individuals seeking happiness and fulfillment in the material world where it has only a temporary existence.

From that perspective, the consciousness revolution is also an evolution. It is not just a nostalgic retreat to the past, but rather an upward spiraling quantum leap in awareness.

Regression merely negates; transcendence is progressive because it includes what was before, but with a larger understanding which corrects past errors, imbalances and that which was seen as incomplete.

Humanity needs to realize its interdependence and interconnectedness. It is time to live responsibly and righteously, our survival depends on it. It begins with a higher way of thinking and being of everyone. We do not require a new system, only a greater vision.

In Western thought consciousness is identified with the mind, and the mind is identified with the brain.

In the yoga teachings, consciousness is independent of the mind; consciousness exists by itself as a self-luminous entity.

In Western thought, right from Plato, human personality has been regarded as consisting of body and mind. The mind itself is called the soul and spirit.

In yoga human personality is regarded as consisting of body, mind and Self or soul.

In Western thought consciousness is characterized by directness, which is always conscious of something.

In yoga, consciousness is known as Chit, Chaitanya, Self, Atman etc. It is pure content less awareness; it is absolute self-awareness which transcends the senses.

In Western thought consciousness and knowledge are regarded as the same. To know is to be conscious.

In yoga consciousness and knowledge are not the same.

In Western thought there is no clear distinction between life and consciousness. This is the primary reason why brain processes are identified with consciousness.

From the yoga point of view, consciousness is transcendent reality and the brain is only an instrument through which consciousness manifests itself. Apart from brain processes, there are various other physiological processes like protein synthesis, immune response, inter cellular communication, etc. which all show inherent intelligence.

In yoga all these processes are regarded as functions of prana (life force), whereas consciousness manifests itself throughout existence.

In yoga consciousness is regarded as having two dimensions, the transcendent and the immanent.

Chit or Consciousness is considered beyond the senses and the mind and thus cannot be expressed properly. Its transcendent nature is indicated by such phrases as ‘the Light of all lights, the Truth of truths, and the Awareness of awareness’.

However, Chit, Consciousness is not just transcendent; it also constitutes the real nature of the true Self or the Atman. The knowledge of the body and mind obtained by various disciplines of modern science, such as neuroscience, molecular biology; psychology etc. is actually knowledge of the immanent aspect of consciousness

Consciousness has three approaches: Experimental, this realm belongs to scientist, analytical, the domain of the philosophers and Experiential, the area belonging to the mystics.

It was Ramakrishna’s realization that the entire universe is immersed in the ocean of consciousness and that there is no distinction between matter and spirit in the realm of super consciousness.

Both Ramakrishna and swami Vivekananda declared that the Consciousness is one and indivisible, and it is the Transcendental or Cosmic Consciousness. This realization has a profound socio-religious implication according to Swami Vivekananda, since in all religions the super conscious state is identical.

Christian, Hindus, Islam, Buddhists, and even those of no creed, all can have the same experience. He also said that Individual Consciousness and Cosmic Consciousness are one and the same. The highest plane of consciousness, the one superior to self consciousness is samadhi or super consciousness.

Super mind and Evolution according to Aurobindo

Aurobindo states that the expansion of the mind to levels not yet dreamed of is possible and probable. He states that the evolution from knowledge to greater knowledge, from consciousness to greater consciousness, from being to greater being is ongoing. This implies that the evolution of the human being is far from complete; in a sense that would imply that a human being is a transitional being and has yet to evolve to its full potential. On how this can be attained, he states, is by human effort through yoga and meditation.

Evolution and we:

Geoffrey Miller of the University of New Mexico, author of ‘The Mating Mind’ believes that the rate of human evolution is accelerating. Philosopher Daniel Dennett (2006) Tuft University Boston stated: ‘But I expect that Homo sapiens are evolving at a rather swift state.’

These thoughts find some support from empirical studies. James Flynn (1980) of the University of Octagon, Dunedin, New Zealand, a political scientist stated that, in 20 countries that he documented to date a rise of about 20 IQ points happens every 30 years. If everyone who took an IQ test today, using the norms set 50 years ago, more than 90% of them would be classified as geniuses, with an IQ of 130 and higher. Similarly if peoples scores were taken around 1949 using today’s norms, over 90% would be labeled ‘borderline mentally retarded’ with IQ below 70 or so.

JBS Haldane (was a British geneticist and evolutionary biologist) quoted that in about a million years, the average person would think like Newton, write like Jean Racine, (great playwrights of 17th-century France), Paint like Jan Van Eck (Flemish painter), compose like Bach and be incapable of hatred like St. Francis.

What do culture, spirituality and religion have to do with this evolutionary process?

According to Christopher Wills (Christopher J. Wills is Professor of Biology at UCSD. He received his Ph.D. from UC Berkeley), it is in intellectual and psychological areas that our culture generates the greatest advancement and diversity. He states, that rather than slowing us down, our culture has probably propelled us into developing at unprecedented speeds. Whether or not culture has shaped our biology in the past, John Campbell of UCLA (The moral imperative of man's future evolution, Evolutionary Journeys, R. Wesson and P. Williams, editors, 1995; 79-114.) thinks we will soon consciously control our own evolution.

Can human beings influence the enhancement of their consciousness or mind?

Samuel Alexander

1859 - 1938

Professor of Philosophy, University of Manchester

Lectures

1916–1918: Space, Time, and Deity, vol. 1

1916–1918: Space, Time, and Deity, vol. 2

He states: the cosmic process has reached the human level and man is now looking forward to the next higher quality. According to him men of spiritual advancement are preparing humankind to the next stage of development.

Alexander’s philosophy is called philosophy of emergent evolution. This doctrine implies that in the course of evolution, some entirely new properties, such as life and consciousness, appear at certain critical points, usually because of an unpredictable rearrangement of the already existing entities.

According to Alexander, when physical structures reach a certain point, life emerges as something new.

Raising Consciousness

What does it means to raise my consciousness?

How will it affect my present life?

What could be the results of a spiritual journey that literally never ends?

Once we start contemplating the answers to those questions deeply with mind and feelings, we are already starting the process of raising our consciousness.

So what does it mean to raise or expand our consciousness?

It means for a start, that we become more conscious at all levels and aspects of our life.

It means to stop the madness in our life and at least, for some period of time, engage daily in meditation and or contemplation for the purpose of exploring our "real nature, the Self". We start with opening ourselves to all possibilities through possibility thinking, or creative imagination.

We explore the wonders and the glory that are contained within ourselves, around us, in nature and everywhere on our planet and in the Universe.

Why would I want to raise my consciousness?

On the whole, the human experience on earth has become rather difficult and full of challenges for many people, mainly because we live on the surface of consciousness.

We have to raise our consciousness to the level of our true Self, embracing the divinity of every person to its fullest extent. We do this through contemplation, concentration, meditation, and prayer. By so doing, we raise our awareness to the needs of others, who in fact are none other than ourselves, as there is only one life flowing throughout all of creation.

We need to spend time contemplating the true meaning of freedom, what freedom means to us personally in order to experience peace and love that can be fully shared with our fellow human beings.

We need to decide what it is that we want in life and visualize how we would like to see our lives unfold?

We need to question our dreams? What would we like to manifest or accomplish in our present incarnation and what is our ultimate purpose in life?

How will it affect my present life?

As we start raising our consciousness, our desires, our interests and our priorities will change.

We will create a life surrounded with more beauty, more joy, more ease, gentler flow, love and happiness. We will be clearing our emotions and mind of old believes that no longer serve purpose.

Let us be united in our journey of upward moving consciousness.

Consciousness and Mind

In Western thought consciousness has always been identified with the mind. Most of the recent studies on consciousness are focused on the question whether the mind and the brain are the same. Since the brain is made of matter, the real issue is whether the mind is material or not.

The Vedanta school of philosophy regards the mind as material and being made of subtle elements, just as the body is made of gross elements. From a Vedanta point of view, it matters little whether the mind is identified with the brain or not.

The central point of Eastern philosophy and that of yoga is that consciousness is different from the mind and that consciousness belongs not to the mind but to the 

Self or Atman.

Nature of the Self

There are two different schools of thought concerning the Self. Vedanta holds a monistic view of the Self. According to its teachings, all the individual Selves are part or a reflection of the Supreme Self known as Brahman.

The other system holds a plural view of the Self in that the Self is an individualized unit of the Supreme Self we know as God.

1. The Self as Sat

a) Self (Atman) is the nature of Sat or being. Our very sense of existence, the ever present feeling ‘I exist’, is due to the Self in us.

b) The Atman is our true Self, our true identity, our true unchanging eternal nature. The aggregate of body, senses, and mind give rise to the ego, which is the false self; it is ever changing and is full of conflicting elements. The Self is different from it, but as a result of ignorance, we identify ourselves with the ego.

c) It is the Self that gives rise to our self identity. From birth to death the total of body, mind known as ego, go on changing; similarly our experience of the world around us changes also. Yet, in the midst of all these changes, we have an unchanging sense of self-identity in the form of the feeling “I am the same person that undergoes all these changes’.

d) According to Shankara, Being or Existence has three levels; the empirical, the illusory and the transcendent. Corresponding to these, there are three levels of Self.

2 Self (Atman) as Chit

a) Self is also of the nature of chit or pure consciousness. It is the ground of all knowledge we gain through the senses and mind of the countless types of knowledge and experience of the world around us. But there is one unchanging, basic element common to all these endless experiences, in the form of ‘I am aware’. Whatever the nature of our objective awareness, I am aware’ is common to all of them and this basic awareness comes from the Self.

b)      Another important point to understand about consciousness is that pure consciousness or chit by itself cannot know empirical objects. In order to know them, the Self must be associated with the mind.

c) A further related idea is that objective knowledge is only possible at the empirical plane of existence. At the transcendental plane the Self remains in its own nature as pure awareness.

3. Self as Ananda

a) Self is the nature of Ananda, Joy or Bliss. This is a very important concept which is not found in any other system of thought in the world. What it means is, the Self is the substratum not only of cognitive experience, but also of affective or emotional experience.

b) It is important to know, that Ananda, Bliss, joy is not merely a matter of experience, but is an intrinsic part of reality. The importance of realizing Ananda as an inseparable aspect of the ultimate Reality or God within is, that it provides the explanation what sorrow is. So what is it? Ananda or joy is one’s intrinsic nature. However, when it is veiled by ignorance, the experience becomes sorrow. We suffer because of ignorance.

Nature of Knowledge

It is important to realize, that the Self is of the nature of transcendental consciousness which is pure and without content. Since it is pure and content less, it cannot of itself know objects. If it could know objects, then it would be the same as the mind and become as changeable as the mind. Equally the mind of itself does not have knowledge. Only when the Self and the mind come together in association, knowledge arises as an emerging phenomenon.

Realm of Knowledge

Knowledge according to yoga is inherent on all levels. Knowledge is inseparable from being and existence. Every object in the universe has knowledge in it. Every change, every movement, every transaction in the universe is sustained by intrinsic knowledge.

Most people still believe, when judging by their actions, that this is their show and the better we can play the game, the better off they will be. The more goods they cam amass, the more successful they are in the eyes of their fellow man. In this manner they can buy their way into anything they want. This is their ultimate victory; to be rich and famous is the goal, so one may think until the lessons of life hits hard in the form of disappointment or illness.

Then they may look for God and ask Him how he figures that they disserve misfortune.

Then what?

The either find the answer, or they live the rest of their life being disenchanted.

Eric Erikson’s on Integrity versus despair. ‘We either get our act together, or we spend the rest of our life in mental anguish’.

Is this what life is all about?

Will self interest ever bring happiness or inner peace?

Many people we know have many problems in their lives and often it is because they go to places, where they find problems. For some reason they are attracted to them. 

This is why lifestyle is so important.

Plato’s cave
This reminds me of Plato’s cave as part of Plato’s dissertation on Plato’s republic.

People in the cave hanging on to the shadow – they are afraid of the light they see outside the cave; the light which embraces the unknown. They chose the darkness over the light for they think that if they go to the light, they may not find their way back to this secure, known place. Hence they remain in darkness.

Before anything in life can change we must adopt a new way of thought, a philosophy that encompasses both the outer and the inner world. It may be found through a deep understanding of one's chosen religion, authentic spirituality, the practice of Kriya Yoga, which includes all of the yogas. The goal needs to be realization of the Infinite, of God.

  

But where do we start in the quest for expanded consciousness? It starts with the realization of “Who we really are”. 

Attain Self Knowledge.

The answer for the egoist is to renounce his ways, to repent, to change his ways, to renounce attachment to an ever changing world.

Jesus taught: “Be in this world, but not of it”.

Yoga teaches us, to live right, to do what needs to be done when it needs to be done, to respect all life, to share our fortune with those in need, to keep life simple, to let spirit express, be open to life, be open to the life giving spirit.

The yogi emphasizes the inner perception of God in meditation and ecstasy, which he then strives to carry into his daily activities.  Christians ought to practice according to their teachings, love and devotional prayer. All legitimate religions need to strengthen their commitment to their chosen path. It is important to respect one another beliefs. We have to overcome that which seemingly divides us. We also need to heal the rift between the secular and the religious by acknowledging that in our innermost being we are all of the same source. On the physical plane we know, that we all share in one given life, how we live it is what ultimately matters. Ideally life ought to be based on a foundation of love and mutual respect and the realization that all life comes from the same source of love, peace and joy.

Yogananda:

Man must become internalizes in soul conscious, transforming his little ego into the divine Self, - the Soul.

A way to become internal

Once the mind is internalized and withdrawn from its identification with the world and with the body, the inner light comes into clear and steady focus. The inner sound becomes all absorbing. AUM fills the brain; its vibration moves down the spine, bursting open the door of the heart’s feeling, then flowing out into the body. The whole body vibrates with the sound of Aum.

Gradually with ever deeper meditation the consciousness expands with the sound of Aum, moving beyond the confines of the body, it embraces the confines of infinite vibrations. We realize our oneness with the all existence as Aum, the cosmic vibration. “we enter the state of Aum samadhi,  Aum with God as cosmic sound. Aum is the aspect of the Christian Trinity which is known as the Holy Ghost, the comforter or word of God.

By still deeper meditation, we expands our awareness of the Christ Consciousness beyond the limits of the body to perceive our oneness with the Christ Consciousness which underlies the manifest universe.

By still deeper meditation, we go beyond creation and unite our consciousness with that of the father, with Satchidananda, the ever existing conscious Bliss. Here we rest. Know ye not that ye are gods, children of the most High. Psalm 82:62

Here we realize, that we are not mere human beings aspiring to Divine status, but that we are spiritual beings temporarily involved in realm of nature. :

To keep this in perspective man experiences life from two main focal points.

One from the point of view BECOMING, where our consciousness brings us from where we are to where we need to go; from ego consciousness, to soul awareness and ultimately by merging the Soul with spirit, we experience this as the state of BEING.

Swami Shankara:

“When there is duality because of ignorance, one sees all things as distinct from the Self. When everything is known as the Self, not even an atom is seen as other then the Self …As soon as knowledge of Reality has sprung up, there can be no fruits of past actions to be experienced, owing to the unreality of the body, just as there can be no dream after awakening.”

There needs to be a shift in consciousness, in the way we perceive our world, our life and our existence. The world is no longer perceived as being flat.

It is very difficult for the ego centered soul to even have an appreciation for higher realities.

We must come to the point where we experience our selves being and existing in God. We may not say that God is our life, but do we really know it and live accordingly.

When we approach our life from the stage of Being, (which can be experienced in deep meditation), a life filled with inner joy and peace. When we realize, that Being is not a state of stagnation, but an existence of unlimited potential, a potential that can become actualized through an act of will and when employed in the service of God, we will have the full support of nature in the embrace of the potential.

With this comes the realization, that the universe is not inert, as most scientist lead us to believe, but that it is alive and by a process of interconnection, it is responsive to our states of consciousness.

So we become what we think about all day long.

Repeat this to yourself.

In my innermost being, I am pure consciousness, One with God. Never alone, never separate. So hum, I am he, he I am. The Father and I are one.

Feel the Joy, feel the love. Know that God is the only real love.

The liberated yogi is conscious of the spirit not only as Cosmic Bliss but also as Cosmic light that is the true structure of all beings. Beholding everything as Cosmic Light, the yogi sees his spirit united omnipresent Self and all beings as emanating from that Light.

Liberation of consciousness comes when we perceive God in all as the only Reality; Imminent and transcendent.

The liberated yogi does not lose the individuality of his soul; instead he finds his being extended into the Being of the Spirit.

We ought to see ourselves as liberated yogis, leading a God centered life while in this physical body. We can worship God in any form that is, personal or impersonal. Personal in the form of  Father – Mother – Friend - Beloved God, or as incarnate in one of the avatars as Christ or Krishna, or impersonal, as the All-Pervading Infinite.

We all want love, we want joy, we want peace. The only true love, joy and peace are within God. Let our life be centered in God and our soul will sing with joy in our realization that we live in Him and His Glory.