Introduction:
Pujya
Babuji Maharaj in His message “Path
of Righteousness” states “…for making one-self deserving one must have his
goal and his present position clearly in his view.”
To know our present position, it will be helpful to understand the levels of
consciousness in general and the level in which we are living in.Levels of consciousness:
The classification of consciousness into streams/stages/levels of consciousness
is done based on:
The following article
Moulding is Preceptor's business
- Pujya Sri K.C. Narayana
And references are made, where applicable, to the Game of Life:
http://www.imperience.org/Research/ResearchGameoflife.htm
It is to be noted that
1. State of consciousness is a fluid transitory experience during meditations or
at other times.
2. Stages of consciousness are our enduring state.
Swami Vivekananda stated “According to the philosophers of our country, every
being is a perfect Soul, and the diversity of evolution and manifestation of
nature is simply due to the difference in the degree of manifestation of the
Soul. The moment the obstacles to the evolution and manifestation of nature are
completely removed, the Soul manifests itself perfectly. Whatever may happen in
the lower strata of nature’s evolution, in the higher strata at any rate, it is
not true that it is only by constantly struggling against obstacles that one has
to go beyond them. Rather it is observed that there, the obstacles give way and
a greater manifestation of the Soul takes place through education and culture,
through concentration and meditation, and above all through SACRIFICE……The
attempt to remove evil from the world by killing a thousand evil-doers only adds
to the evil in the world. But if the people can be made to desist from
evil-doing by means of SPIRITUAL INSTRUCTION, there is no more evil in the
world.”
He further states “Man’s struggle is in the mental sphere. A man is greater
in proportion as he can control his mind. When the mind’s activities are
perfectly at rest, the Atman manifests itself. The struggle which we observe in
the animal kingdom for the preservation of the gross body has its use in the
human plane of existence for gaining mastery over the mind or for attaining the
state of balance.’
Master stated “Life is the awakening of the state of Being. When we brought
in our share of the awakening state, every function of the material existence
commenced. In the beginning, it was more in relation with Divinity from which
life started. With the progress of life, actions continued having their effect
according to their nature.” He says that because Actions are very strong since
they are connected with life, their misuse produced wrong effects and the whole
frame of the body became a human factory with every faculty forming its own
centre and started pouring out what has been collected thus far. When the span
of life of a particular being ended a form afresh was assumed with the
accumulated grossness and this process continued for several lives. Thus he says
we have formed poles according to our Actions and they became very strong.
Finally all this led to a condition where we remain embraced by the commands we
receive from different centers each for the faculties.
Thus we see clearly the Master is referring only to the process of return to
the Home Land and we are not talking of evolution proper as understood by
Scientists, Philosophers and Psychologists. But the process of return to the
Home Land is the process of gradually annihilating the Ego and becoming Self
less. Such a self less person, who has reached a state of Void/Nothingness,
naturally is in tune with the power of manifestation and his participation in
that process is natural and Divine. The gradual process of becoming that has led
to the theory of evolutionism is sought to be explained in this system as a
gradual peeling up of samskaras/ impressions collected by the individual
expressions of the Life energy.
The beauty of the system is that while returning to the Origin/Centre we
arrive at a state of pure Divinity and we are exhorted to use this condition to
help others finds their return path to Home Land.
Master in his message in May.1970 stated that “The soul, is longing to feel
its characteristic which has gone out of sight, and this insignificant being is
seeking fellow pilgrims to march on the path of freedom.” The point of great
importance here is, Master is not restricting any one to try this system.
According to Hindu tradition human beings can be classified according to the
goals they entertain, as Kamarthi (seeker of desires), Artharthi (seeker of
wealth), Dharmarthi (seeker of virtuous path) and Moksharthi (seeker after
Freedom). That there are several types of people among human beings is
unquestionable. Are all of them fit for spiritual training? Further we know that
we cannot classify a person as purely Moksharthi or Kamarthi. The same person
may at different times have different goals as also the person may have at the
same time more than one of these goals. Spiritual training under the system
advocated by our Master can be given to all.
There are five sheaths covering human beings: these sheaths are well
classified as the 5 kosas in our tradition. But there was no effort made to
evaluate/ classify human beings according to the kosas. The simple point is that
all the kosas are there in every human being and therefore no such rigid
classification is possible. However we know some are governed more by some kosas
more than others. In any society there are bound to be individuals at different
levels of growth and maturity, not only intellectually but also morally and
spiritually. Master in his own way said that the end of philosophy is religion,
and the end of religion is spirituality. We find very interesting researches
done by Psychologists of the present day who are trying to restore Soul to the
Science of Soul (Psychology-Psyche=Soul, Logy= Science) which it almost lost a
Century ago.
It is agreed in the circles of Transpersonal Psychology as well as Integral
Psychology that there are streams of consciousness. They have been classified as
mainly consisting of certain basic characteristics identified as typical of each
stream. That all existence has been understood as a stream of Consciousness, we
all know is the basic tenet of the great Sage Nagarjuna. His philosophy of Alaya
Vijnana is something that swept the scholars of his day and most of the present
day philosophies of Consciousness use his terms and terminology which went to
the West via the Eastern China and Japan. Broadly the streams are classified as
7 or 8 categories. But clearly some of them are contrived and are patterns into
which an effort is made to somehow accommodate the entire human population.
However they have done service in pointing out certain inherent contradictions
in the content of consciousness. They are relevant for us in as much as we are
trying to balance the contradictory forces in our consciousness pulling us at
different directions, through the wholesome influx of Pranahuti. Pranasya Pranah
is the basic core of any type of consciousness and has therefore the inherent
capacity to bridge the gulf between two or more streams of consciousness that
are in collision path in us.
It is however necessary to note that these streams of consciousness which
perhaps can be better compared with strands in a rope never exist totally
independent of the other. It should make an interesting study of research to
find the origins of these strains or strands in the very make up of the content
of consciousness which is itself a conglomerate of the physical, vital, lower
mental, superior mental and the planes of equanimity. When we tend to classify
human into types we invariably get into the problems particularly when we demand
total separation of the types from each other. Even very great reformers and
sages have tended to think in terms of pure Sattva (Suddha) and having failed to
find it in the Universe have said that the matter of Sri Vaikuntam is that and
the bodies of Eternal Beings is composed of that type of matter. However for the
one who knows and feels in the real sense Impurity is as much a myth as Purity.
Thus if we keep in view that wholesome attitude it will be possible to find the
following strains/strands/streams of consciousness in society in general and the
individuals in particular. Their being present in the individual consciousness
is the matter of concern for us.
There are 7 states of consciousness.
1. Ego Centric
2. Ethno Centric
3. Global
4. Cosmic
5. Para Cosmic
6. Non dual
7. Oneness
Stages of consciousness:
1. Magical: Persons whose thinking pattern accommodates this stream of
consciousness think partially in animistic terms, magical spirits, belief in
good and bad spirits which either bless or curse and in turn decide the events
that occur. There is belief in the spirit of ancestors and an effort to work out
lineage with persons who are gone for ever and a strong bond in the clan or
tribe. In many persons we find this type of consciousness co-existing with more
advanced features of consciousness, many times including rationality. In the
case of persons who share this type of consciousness the Self is not fully
developed and is dependant on magical and mystical means. If one set of rites
and rituals or magical charms fail another is resorted immediately else their
self collapses under the weight of lack of confidence in self. These magical are
different for different cultures and societies
2. Power Gods: Persons whose thinking pattern accommodates this stream think in
terms of settling the accounts and through power (muscle or otherwise) control
and dictate others- their main motivating principle is power and glory.
Terrorists and war maniacs belong to this category. This is a streak of the
animal instinct that somehow persists in the human- perhaps civilizations built
and destroyed based on the muscle power and animal characteristics contribute to
our thinking in this pattern. The self development in these cases is dependant
on perceived capacity to inflict pain on others and ones’ own muscle or money
etc., power. The Self is bonded by these and any failing to the body or its
prowess can inflict a stunning blow to the self.
3. The conformists: Persons who partake in this stream are very decided as to
what is right and what is wrong and they know it fully. Violating the code of
conduct or rules is abhorred and punished if possible, if not the culprit is
severed of his connections with the family/village/or any other group to which
he belongs. Any lapse in following the norms leads a sense of guilt and severe
punishments are given and accepted. These persons who follow the norms, rules,
regulations and restrictions that are imposed by an avowed authority that is
usually a religious figure or book or tradition, generally pass off as saintly
persons in society which appreciates their holding the rigid hierarchies. The
consciousness here can be totally against freedom of spirit of others and
conformism is the only principle recognized. This pattern in consciousness is
common to find and in fact any society at any given point of time is ruled only
by the influence of these persons. The self here is under severe bondage but it
enjoys the credits that are showered on it by the society and many times is not
even aware of its bondage. This is one of the toughest bonds that required to be
broken in the path of freedom of spirit.
4. The explorers: Persons who partake in this stream are not convinced about the
existing strict code of morals and rules governing life, they question
everything of religion, every rite and routine. They claim to be having a
scientific temper and want equality, fraternity and liberty to be the same for
all the human population irrespective of the race, religion, gender and such
other divisions. They do not accept any hierarchy in the relationship of the
ruled and the ruler, between man and woman. Interestingly they raise a question
why should God be male? They have no moral compunction to utilize the resources
available even if it were to be for exploitation through intelligent manoeuvres.
They have no difficulty to use the baser instincts in the advertisement and
propaganda of their products and give all types of specious logic to defend
themselves. These persons have sought to use the available knowledge gained by
explorations in the nature of mind for their personal gain, or call it corporate
advantage and gain. This is particularly so in the food and cosmetic and fashion
industries. They choose all attractive means to debase the human thinking and
all the time say they are upholding the freedom of the individual to choose.
This type of consciousness is unfortunately seen in almost all the human beings
of the present day and this is one of the toughest problems facing one who seeks
to transform the content of consciousness of aspirants seeking to realize their
true nature. The self in these cases is under delusion and is totally lacking
direction in moral and spiritual plane. Imagine the extent to which the program
of awareness of AIDs goes and unabashed marketing of condoms and other means to
protect oneself and not even a single person is there to call the buff and plead
for a sane sex order. Note also the importance given in spiritual discipline for
the practice of celibacy in grhastha ashrama.
5. The sensitive seekers:. Persons who partake in this type of consciousness are
committed to communication as a means for developing fraternal bonds. They agree
that human beings must be freed from greed, avarice, jealousy and believe in
developing humane relationships with a symbiotic approach to all problems. While
the desire is there to attain harmony and understanding amongst all, they end up
with seeking and trying all the time to find means through which they can
succeed to communicate to others their point of view. They are heavily dependant
on the rationality of human being and think that rationality can itself solve
the problem though it is always frustrated in its attempts and the explorers and
power gods have their way. The simple fact that the explorers and the power gods
constitute the majority of human population is enough to have their way at the
least through the brute majority they command. The self in these cases is having
a taste of the expansiveness and is ready to come out of the shackles.
6. The holistic super conscious men: These are very few in the human population
who through their relentless struggle in their inner selves seek to generate
harmony and good will amongst all the human beings and enable them develop true
love amongst all sentient beings and devotion to the Supreme Consciousness that
rules the Universe. Apart from abiding by Truth and Reality in all its aspects
these persons enjoy a tranquility of the most superior type which bridges the
gulf and the possible perceived differences and lives and moves in the sphere of
harmony, understanding, compassion, co-operation, co-existence of all beings,
love and direct non interfered one ness which helps them share and make the
words of sacrifice meaningless in as much as it is only a service to ones’ own
very Being. They experience the inner oneness of all and find there is no
disharmony essentially in nature. Disharmony and dichotomy are the products of
thinking patterns that do not seek the good of all but only of a few to the
detriment of others interests. For these persons there is no individual self and
therefore no individual interest. They cross the borders of Egoism and naturally
their performance is always marked by a fragrance of natural perfection,
unifying all others efforts and exhibits a coordination that is better expressed
as cohesion. The self in these cases can be taken as expanded and the bonds of
animal and human realms and regions are broken and they are free moving and
having their being in the realm of pure consciousness.
Moulding or transformation of the stages of consciousness implies first of all
change from the existing position or status. Therefore it is incumbent on the
part of aspirants that they should be prepared to accept change in their ways of
living and behaving as also bring in changes in their attitudes and priorities.
It has been our experience that while almost all aspirants want to get
‘Realized’ very few of them ever think of being prepared to change.
While preparing this evaluation tool on the pind desh and the level of
progress with regards to the Kosas (Sheaths of consciousness) one has to
understand that one needs to continuously evaluate on a regular basis so as to
understand the levels to which the demolition and modification of our past has
taken place.
The demolition of our past has several stages. This has been dealt with in the
book Path of Grace and we have looked at the same process in a positive way as
to how the aspirant moves into higher and higher regions progressively. The
problem of demolition of our structures is the removal of influence of layers of
consciousness as studied in the nature of the Five Kosas as encountered in our
spiritual journey. Here in this evaluation tool we are looking at the same
process from the angle of demolition of the illusion of Ego. They are all minor
annihilation of the Ego structures we have developed out of nothing.
When we arrive at the first stage, we experience our first load shedding if
we may call it so. We are temporarily lost to our limited individuality and
experience bliss. Many confuse that they have realized Self/ God and hence get
stuck in the first plane. If we keep ourselves free from self-delusion or come
to realize that our attainment is but a transitional phase, we advance further
on the spiritual path and arrive at the second plane.
The merging into the second plane is called the annihilation of the false.
The aspirant is now absorbed in bliss and infinite light. Some think that they
have attained the goal and get stranded in the second plane, but others who keep
themselves free from self-delusion march onward and enter the third plane.
The merging into the third plane is called the annihilation of the apparent.
Here the aspirant loses all consciousness of his body and his world. In our
system we do not go through the coma state at all consciously and the helping
hand of the Master keeps us conscious all through and here our Vairagya gets
fulfilled. Here the awareness of the universal presence of the divine is felt
very acutely and the intimacy with it leads to ecstatic states temporarily.
The next structure to fall is the individuality and is the first encounter
with freedom or swarajya. The aspirant experiences a peculiar state of
consciousness that seems to have all the power. Master at this stage protects us
totally by making us oblivious of our capacity and there by avoiding any fall in
our state. The aspirant is never spiritually safe, and his reversion is always
possible until he has successfully crossed the fourth plane and arrived at the
fifth one. There is no way that we can think of in the modern world to demolish
these structures without the help of our Master. Those of the persons who seek
to simultaneously ride several horses may kindly note that one day or the other,
in one life or another they have to come to the path of the Master in toto.
The merging into the fifth plane is the state of annihilation of all desires.
Here the incessant activity of the lower intellect comes to a standstill. Master
tries to explain this by the process of Invertendo and reversal of sides of the
higher and lower types of mind. The seeker does not think in the ordinary way,
and he is indirectly a source of many inspiring thoughts. He sees, but not with
the physical eyes. Mind speaks with the mind, and there is neither worry nor
doubt. He is now spiritually safe and beyond the possibility of a downfall. This
we know is the stage of the beginning of Brahmand mandal. Here again Masters
Power supports us and does not allow us to delude ourselves to think that "I am
God." Or “Aham Brahmasmi”.
Master enables us to move on further and we advance into the sixth plane. The
merging into the sixth plane is called the annihilation of self (lover) in the
beloved. Now the pilgrim sees different things of this world. This is the stage
of starting of Prapanna gati where there is a continual perception and enjoyment
of God that does not suffer a break even for an instant. Yet the demolition is
not complete.
Master enables us to move on further into the seventh stage of annihilation and
helps us demolish our individuality in the Master and here we become Prapanna
Prabhu and hence forth there is no demolition of structures but progress by way
of mergence in the Divine becomes refined and there is no end to such a
refinement.
About the Tool:
The pind desh tool assists a discerning Abhyasi on the Path of Grace to evaluate
their spiritual condition and understand their real standing (Kasbi) in sadhana
or how much of the condition is internalized.
Note: This tool while being primarily meant only for the practicants of the
system of Pranahuti Aided Meditation does not prohibit other interested seekers
in search of a tool to ascertain their level of progress with respect to the
Kosas as well their development in their day to day life.
These people are welcome to take the self evaluation and it would be appreciated
if they could send us their valuable feedback.
Approach:
Pujya Babuji Maharaj broadly classified the composition of man into three bodies
viz., Gross/ Physical, Astral and Causal bodies. So, in order to know our
present position and shortcomings in pind-desh, evaluation is done on how far
the progress is made in each of these three bodies.
Every abhyasi while traversing through the Path of Grace will reckon with knots
/brackets /pauses /grandhis /chakras /lotuses /plexuses. These knots have
certain unique features, some of which are conducive for quicker and smoother
progress while some others retard/slow down the progress through the Knot. The
above features, mentioned as Positive attributes and pitfalls in the knots, are
clearly elucidated in the book Path of Grace. Evaluation against these knots
gives our progress in Astral body. Every knot is associated with one or more of
the “Principles of Spiritual Living given by Pujya Babuji Maharaj” as elucidated
in Practice and efficacy of Raja yoga – Part-II. Evaluation against the
Principles gives our progress in Physical body. Each knot has one or more layers
of opacity called Kosas. The kosas relate to the physical, vital, mental,
aspirational and blissful aspects of the being The Kosas influence the Knots as
given in the book “The five Kosas Role in Sadhana under Pranahuti Aided
Meditation” and each Kosa has some parameters indicating freedom and some
indicating bondage. Evaluation against the Kosas gives us the progress in the
Causal body.
By self evaluating against the above parameters in terms of: how many and how
much of the above attributes have been owned up or got over, we should
reasonably be able to find the extent of progress in each knot/Kosa and hence in
the pind-desh overall. The extent of bias in the evaluation can be reduced by
introducing a number of discrete parameters for evaluation and then rating
against the same. So, taking all the commonly defined parameters referred above
(knots, principles and kosas) and then evaluating against each of them would
give reasonably correct picture of the present position.
Limitations of the tool:
Spirituality is as wide as Universe and cannot be brought under certain
parameters or statements. Out of practical experience of the aspirants in the
path, certain conditions or states of consciousness have been identified to
indicate the spiritual progress of the person. These parameters are not
exhaustive (“..the thing never ends” – Pujya Babuji Maharaj) of all the
spiritual conditions obtaining in the various states and stages of progress;
therefore, the results of evaluation have to be taken as indications of the
progress in the path and more especially the residual progress is to be noted to
work with.
To take the Test: Please download the excel version by clicking here
|
