Eternal Consciousness

“Eternal Consciousness” is the right word for “Consciousness”. This is the mother of all mysticism. If anybody can acquire full understanding of consciousness by personal deep experiences, there is no word like “unattainable” for him/her in whole cosmos. Such realized individual can do things that are beyond, and miracle, for the mind of common man. All spiritual seekers have many bothering questions about consciousness. For example:

What is consciousness? How is it related to human beings? How is consciousness related to cosmos? Is there any relationship between different form of lives and consciousness? etc etc etc.

Let us try to understand the basic concept of consciousness by following two metaphorical examples:

Number 1: Let us visualize the life on this “Earth” during twilight periods. Before morning twilight moments, whole darkness covers the land. Observe the behavior of different lives like human, animals, birds, trees, plants etc. As shine of twilight approaches almost whole lives come out of slumber and gradually with full sunshine in view, the sky gives full feeling of life with flying birds. Animals have typical ecstatic running, as if got new doses of energy. Flowers buds open out to enjoy the surrounding. What are the human feelings? If you ask to any one, even patients of some disease like cancer, they express the feeling of elation in their overall mood during morning hours. For normal men, they have a feeling of extra life energy into them.

Now sun goes up increasing its light and energy (heat), reaching to maximum at noon and then starts descending. Again sun approaches the evening twilight moments. Now observe in the same way during these twilight moments. What differences do we find? During evening twilight moments that bubbliness of inner life energy is not fully present, in comparison to morning. Why is it so? Whole surrounding is same, humans under observations are same, sun is same. Then why is so? If difference has come that must be at the inner plane of an individual. There must be some variations in some “unknown element” which is causing variation in the exhibited life at different time. This unknown element is known as “Consciousness”.

Number 2: Let us again visualize a situation where a very rationalist person of scientific temper is sitting in a room with all windows and doors fully closed to external light. Room has its own lighting system whose intensity can be controlled. Now at the start, keep the lights fully off for some period. Keep the room pitched dark. How does the man feel? Even if he opens his eyes, having full physical strength, he can’t move or work. After some time he will have a typical sinking feeling.

Now gradually bring the light on, but very gradually. Ask the man about his feelings. Finally bring the light to full bearable intensity. Leave it for some time. Finally again start dropping the light and bring back complete darkness.

What will be our observations on that man’s feeling? During initial darkness he will have a feeling of very low life energy that increases with increasing light. At full bearable light he will have full flow of energy. Again when light goes down, he will feel descending life energy. What is that, which causes such variations in feelings? That unknown element is known as “Consciousness”.

Human Beings And Consiousness: Existence of external material world and physical human body is no mystery even for a very layman mind. Human beings exists at a finer level, this idea may give some difficulties to ordinary mind. But personal experiences of dreams in sleeping state are such experiences that everybody experiences, be it poor/rich, literate/illiterate, theist/atheist etc. No one can deny this. So every human being sees dream, this is also an accepted fact. Questions may be asked: What is meant by seeing the dreams? Are there eyes present to see the dreams? Is there some one present to see the dreams? Where from does this whole script come? etc etc etc. Now if we extend the phenomenon of “seeing” of external world into inner world (also called inner plane), then logically, we have to agree that: Inner world must have eyes, seer, creator, scenes etc. Seems to be an interesting idea! Then comes another question: For external world, all working human bodies need energy. We get this energy through food intake, converting into blood and so on. Likewise there must be some exact counterpart in the inner world for activities. That is how an ordinary human mind can pick up. Let us accept this, before proceeding further.

Then question comes: If it is so, then all laws of external world must be applicable to inner world. Physical scientists work on the external physical world. They and their instruments, so far, have no reach to inner world. To find out truth and laws of inner world, few scientists ventured into this invisible world. They made their own whole being as the test laboratory and worked on it. Vedic texts called such Vedic scientists as “Rishis”. The word “Rishis” has its root in Sanskrit word: “Rit” meaning “Absolute Truth”. So “Rishis”, all over world tried to uncover this mysterious “Absolute Truth”. Gautam Buddha, Yogi Patanjali, Lord Christ, Prophet Mohammed are examples of such enlightened persons. After experimenting on their own being, they experienced and gave following mysterious facts:

[A] Inner body of every substance in the cosmos is made of distinct constituents. In human beings, this inner body is called as spiritual body. The origin of this body is “Soul” or “Spirit”. This origin gives out energy and light to the spiritual body (like sun) to work in the spiritual world. In itself, “Soul” or “Spirit” does nothing, like sun does nothing, except giving out energy and light.

[B] Unfortunate Revelation: Most unfortunate finding about “Mind”, by the “Rishis”, was that, it cannot work on its own even after having energy and light from the “Spirit”. It needs some past memories to work on. (Past memories are called Sanskara). These memories it crates by interacting with external material world through physical body. So inner body or spiritual body depends on physical body to create fodder for its own activities. That way spiritual body gets connected to physical body.

Later on, Rishis found that the only function of physical body is to serve spiritual body. For its own self, physical body is totally inert, a dead thing.

As said in [A] above, source “Soul” gives out energy and light to the inner world. In fact these two elements, light and energy are directly inter-related. [Note: In Vedic texts, “Tattwa” is the word used for “element”]. If light is more, energy from soul will be more and vice versa. It’s like more closer one is to the sun; he/she will receive more light and energy (heat). The light coming out from “Soul” or “Spirit” is called “Light of Consciousness” or simply “CONSCIOUSNESS”.

Caution: Reader are cautioned not to think about “Mind as a Gross Body” or physical identity, like physically visible body of human beings. In fact mind in itself is a big pool of energy coming out of the Source, the Soul or Spirit. This energy pool, that is “Mind”, works under the (light of) Consciousness. Obviously, if this pool is more nearer to the Soul, more Consciousness it will have, and vice-versa. Remember: Our physical body is far far away from the Source, that is why it lacks consciousness and remains inert (like the man of metaphor (2) in a dark room). Mind simply uses physical body for its own consumption. This way both gets married and thus starts the whole miseries of married life [sic]. To make concept more clear consider another metaphoric example:

Think of an airtight (sealed) glass chamber, full of super heated steam. Nothing will be visible from outside, as if only energy exists inside. Now cool the chamber gradually. Successively: first water vapor than water and on further cooling, ice shall appear. Note: on cooling we are withdrawing energy. So ice appears at lowest energy. Conclusion is: that more gross a body is more away it is from the Soul. Thus body becomes inert, not capable of working by themselves. Such bodies are referred as bodies with sleeping consciousness. Rocks have a complete sleeping state of consciousness.

Conlusions: Now we apply the developed concepts to the metaphorical examples already discussed.

In # 1: In fact in morning twilight time, there is a rise in consciousness of whole cosmos. Because of this raised Consciousness level, human feel an increase in the life energy in morning hours. This whole subtle phenomenon works in the “Mind” That is why, all spiritual practices are more strongly emphasized in morning hours.

In # 2: While room is dark for a longer period, person feels a drop in his Consciousness and feels typical inertness (also called inertia). This inertness is also referred as sadness. Patients suffering from “Depression” feel such depression in the Consciousness. Depression as a disease manifests only when there is sustain depression in Consciousness for a longer period.

When lights are switched on, the mind interacts through physical body (eyes) and experiences a rise in Consciousness. Don’t confuse that external lights are producing this rise in Consciousness. External light simply acts as a catalyst, a means for mind to react. This reaction of the mind is the cause of variation in Consciousness. Once again when lights are going down, whole phenomenon works in reverse order.

How to use this knowledge? Intellectual grasp of whole phenomenon discussed, is not going to help in any way. Unless we put ourselves to personal experiences by practices, nothing will materialize. Do any such practice/practices that helps to raise Consciousness. But practices must produce a progressively lasting effect.

Question is: Are there some externally exhibited parameters to declare that one’s Consciousness is increasing? Yes. “Rishis” whole rigorous exercise has made out such results that help in organizing the practices. Their findings are:

(i) All those externally exhibited parameters which uplifts Consciousness belongs to special group, known as positive traits. They are: Love; Compassion; Selfless service to others; Truthfulness; Non-violence; Non-possessiveness; Penance; Austerities etc.

(ii) Parameters pushing down the Consciousness, also called as negative traits are: Cruelty; Anger; Lie; Violence; Lust etc. They are also called seven sins in Catholic faith.

Therefore, while doing any practice, our actions should follow positive traits. Rishi Patanjali developed, based on his experienced studies, his practices, known as “Raj Yoga”. But it needs really a very high level guidance. In modern times of consumerism, one must feel himself/herself lucky if a genuine “Yoga Guru” meets you.

Try, may be it is your turn now.

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