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ARTArticleAre Our Thoughts Our Own?The normal mental process begins relatively simply. We hear something and accept it in our minds, and eventually we repeat the thought to others and thus, a thought-form moves through the mental atmosphere and touches many minds. Teilhard de Chardin referred to the mental force permeating the world as a noosphere, and like the atmosphere, it girdles the earth and carries mental energies as forces which act upon those who are able to receive these thought forms.ARTArticleAttaining Certainty About the Actuality of the Reversal of ConsciousnessSeekers wonder how they can be sure that the true shift of consciousness to the divine standpoint, or even a soul-centric standpoint has occurred. The status is so ‘real’ that it permits no doubt whatsoever. When one combines this sense of reality with the way in which one reacts totally differently than the ego-personality prior to this shift, it becomes obvious and there need be no doubt whatsoever at that point.ARTArticleAttaining Free Will By Overcoming the Sense of Individual Separation in the Manifestation and Our Bondage to the Cause and Effect Trajectory That Creates Our Present Opportunities and ChoicesAs the mental being develops and we begin to experience the sense of separation from the other beings who are part of the creation, we also begin to have a sense that we have “free will” and make our own independent choices. To a great degree, this sense is misplaced, insofar as our current decisions and choices are very much controlled by both past actions and their trajectory, as well as pressures and manipulation by forces active upon us, both in the past and the present.ARTArticleAwakening and Transformation of the Subconscious Must Precede Change at the Inconscient Levels of ExistenceThe inconscient level is a substratum for the broader manifestation and is not tied to any particular individual. Before anything can be done to effectively wake up and energize the inconscient, the task of the spiritual seeker is to bring down the light and consciousness through all the higher planes of the being, and then work on becoming conscious of and transforming the subconscious level, which includes both general and individualised aspects. An individual’s own experiences sink down into the subconscient and remain embedded there, waiting to manifest when the conditions ripen.ARTArticleBecoming Aware of the Existence of the Environmental ConsciousnessWhen we see someone struggling, or when we ourselves are struggling, with some feeling, emotion, thought, idea, force of illness, or just feeling some pressure, we usually associate these with our internal experience of reality, but nevertheless, the fact that forces and influences come from outside, from our social environment, for example, does not escape us. People will frequently get advice to avoid certain places, people or circumstances as being a ‘bad influence’ on them. Some of this influence is overt, directed pressure, whether we call it the press of circumstances or peer pressure.ARTArticleBecoming Aware of the Illusion of the Exte
al LifeMany people are begin to reflect, and even entertain the notion, that the world we experience on a day to day basis is somehow unreal or illusory. Films such as the dystopian story set forth in The Matrix envision that human beings are fettered and their brains wired so they experience a form of reality while their actual bodies and lives are turned into an energy farming activity. When they are disconnected from the matrix, they wake up to a bleak reality and an enormous struggle to free humanity from subjection to this terrible illusion.ARTArticleBecoming Conscious of the Multiple Sheaths or Planes of Our BeingIn the Taittiriya Upanishad, the seeker discovers, through intensive tapasya that there are multiple layers, or sheaths, of consciousness that make up the human being. His seeking first discovers the material body, or ‘food sheath’. As he continues he recognises the vital body, or ‘prana sheath’. Next he learns about the mind, or ‘mental sheath’. He continues to discover the ‘causal sheath’ and eventually the ‘bliss sheath’. Each one was successively more subtle than the prior one, and each one was more directly capable of causing the actions of the being.ARTArticleBoredom and Its CureWe are frequently not aware of the state of boredom and its various manifestations within us. We do recognise periods when we feel at a loss and want to do or experience something or distract our minds and we recognise these times as boredom. What we do not necessarily recognise however are the times when we seem busy and active, but actually are trying to compensate for the feeling of boredom. Modern society has habituated us to be always in motion, to be “doing” something, experiencing something, or simply keeping our minds occupied.ARTArticleBringing the Light of Consciousness to the Subconscient Levels of the BeingWhen the seeker recognises the difficulties attendant upon gaining control and mastery of the subconscient, he looks for leverage to both become conscious of what is currently subconscious to his awareness, and to find ways to change the response and reactions that arise from the subconscient.ARTArticleCan Destiny Be Modified Through Conscious Intention?However difficult it is to predict specifically the destiny of any individual, due to the complex interactions that create that destiny (or shall we say ‘destinies’), there is still a sense that life carries out the path of the energies at work, as well as the trajectory those energies follow. There is thus a ’cause and effect’ that drives the individual forward and which we call destiny, otherwise known as the fruits of karma.ARTArticleCan the Mind Recognise the Action or Influence of the Soul in Another Individual?Every aspect of life, and every plane of existence vibrates at its own unique frequency. As an individual develops, he can begin to resonate with and respond to the vibrations of various levels of existence. This also gives him the ability to feel and recognise the similar vibration when it is being projected by another individual. When this vibration is recognised, it may be experienced as a ‘feeling’, or, the mind may be able to translate this feeling into an understanding of what the significance of the vibration is. In such instances, the mind may cognize the action of the psychic or soulARTArticleCauses and Avoidance of AccidentsAn accident avoided. An individual related the following incident. He was driving with a passenger through Yellowstone National Park in the USA some years ago during the summer season in a van late in the afte
oon. He had a sense or feeling of an impending accident involving a bison, although there were no bison in sight anywhere, so he was driving extremely slowly and cautiously. A park ranger driving behind him was visibly impatient, but he did not change his driving speed. The ranger passed him and sped down the road.ARTArticleConcentration of the ConsciousnessPeople frequently confuse consciousness with mental awareness and concentration with some kind of mental effort or focus; yet, consciousness is not limited to mental awareness and concentration is not restricted to mental activity. We are all familiar with mental concentration. We focus on some specific subject and direct our attention, exclusively if possible, to that subject for a specified period of time. Taking a mathematics exam or concentrating on learning a song, or any other activity that requires highly focused attention is our usual way of understanding concentration, and this is inARTArticleConclusions About the Ideal of Human UnityEvolutionary change cannot be measured in one or two generations. Developing ideas and forces may be stirring under the surface, preparing to burst forth and, in the interim, remain relatively unseen. In the interim, life goes on as it has always gone on, with the vital and animal propensities governing much of what passes for civilisation in this world.ARTArticleConfusion About the Real Inner Self and the Exte
alSurface Personality Is the Root of Our SufferingWhen an individual takes up the spiritual path, there is considerable focus on the idea that the life of the exte
al world is an ‘illusion’ and needs to be abandoned in order to achieve spiritual liberation. He sees that a focus on the exte
al personality, its needs, desires, satisfactions, joys and sufferings is a distraction to his spiritual concentration. The answer is then generally to avoid the exte
al focus as much as possible to allow the spiritual discipline to bear fruit.ARTArticleConfusion About the Reality of the Atman and the EgoWe frequently allow our mental process and the limitations of language to create confusion within ourselves. The mind’s primary capacities involve fragmentation and classification; thus, we identify different aspects, parts, beings, roles, events and treat them as separate and distinct from one another. By doing this we remain fixated with the actions of the exte
al nature and fail to recognise the unity and oneness of the creation, and the One source and creator of all that exists to our vision as separate forms and actions.ARTArticleConfusion About the Reality of the Atman and the EgoWe frequently allow our mental process and the limitations of language to create confusion within ourselves. The mind’s primary capacities involve fragmentation and classification; thus, we identify different aspects, parts, beings, roles, events and treat them as separate and distinct from one another. By doing this we remain fixated with the actions of the exte
al nature and fail to recognise the unity and oneness of the creation, and the One source and creator of all that exists to our vision as separate forms and actions.ARTArticleConsciousness in the UnconsciousHow can something arise out of nothing? How can consciousness develop out of unconscious matter? Western science has tried to explain how life and mind can arise through random recombination of atoms and the impact of energetic forces on these atoms, but Western science has not explained where these ‘building blocks’ of existence come from and how they know what to do. If we look into the elements, and then into the atoms that make up the elements, we see that there is a consciousness at work in what we call the unconscious material universe.ARTArticleConservative Bias and Progressive ActionThere is a conservative bias in earthly existence that seeks to preserve established ways of life as a means of providing an element of stability. This principle helps to avoid the chaotic implications of unrestricted change, thereby providing a basis and a certain amount of certainty. This conservative bias is enshrined in the functional methodology of each being, as well as in the very formation of physical matter and the relation of the elements of matter to one another at the atomic level.ARTArticleContagion: Physical Contagion, Vital Contagion, Mental ContagionContagion is the transmission of something, whether physical, vital or mental energy/vibration, from one entity or being to another. On the physical plane, contagion is usually understood to be transmitted through the use of a physical medium, such as a ‘germ’, whether we call it a bacteria, or a virus, an amoeba or a spore. Whatever means of transmission occurs on the physical plan, the action communicates the power to develop a vibrational pattern in the target similar to that active in the original host. Thus, we see diseases take hold of individuals as a result of such transmissions.ARTArticleContending With the Multitude of Beings That Exist Within Each IndividualAlmost everyone has the experience, from time to time, of acting out a different personality. We may say that someone “got out of bed on the wrong side this morning” when we see a normally cheerful and upbeat individual responding in a totally uncharacteristic way. We chalk this up to some mood or temporary circumstance, stress, sleeplessness, worry or some physical condition or imbalance, or even some mental focus that distracts.ARTArticleContradictions and Inconsistencies in Our Mental ProcessThe normal process of mental reception brings in numerous thought-forms, based on the receptivity of the individual and the wideness of his sources of information and mental energy. For those who have not systematically developed a process for organising the mind, these thought-froms have no particular sequencing and are not necessarily reviewed for consistency as a result of serious reflection. This leads to a confused mental approach that can actually apply ideas in what area that are absolutely contradicted by the way they respond in another area.ARTArticleCreating a Balance Between the Spiritual Quest and the Development of the Body, Life and MindA yogic discipline focused on the abandonment of life does not take pains to develop the inherent powers and capacities of the body, life-force and the mind. In fact, the powers of these elements of the human instrument are instead considered to be lures, obstacles and impediments to the realisation. The focus on escaping the ‘illusory’ life of the exte
al being implies that any attempt to develop the body, life or mind is wasted effort and a distraction.âSome take this to the extreme of not exercising, accepting whatever food happens to come their way, and not caring about basic issues of hyARTArticleCreating a Balance Between the Spiritual Quest and the Development of the Body, Life and MindA yogic discipline focused on the abandonment of life does not take pains to develop the inherent powers and capacities of the body, life-force and the mind. In fact, the powers of these elements of the human instrument are instead considered to be lures, obstacles and impediments to the realisation. The focus on escaping the ‘illusory’ life of the exte
al being implies that any attempt to develop the body, life or mind is wasted effort and a distraction.âSome take this to the extreme of not exercising, accepting whatever food happens to come their way, and not caring about basic issues of hyARTArticleCultivating Mental Honesty to Address the Habit of Self-DeceptionThe habit of self-deception is so deeply ingrained, and so automatic, that we tend not to see or recognise it when it is occurring. And it occurs constantly throughout each day. How can we overcome this habit of self-deception? This is where a yogic discipline, an effort in the practice, becomes essential.ARTArticleDelving into the Complexity of Determining an Individual’s Destiny in LifeTo understand the complexity of any individual’s destiny, it is essential to note that it is comprised of an amalgam of the streams of energy that flow through each aspect of his being. Thus, there is a physical destiny, a vital destiny, a mental destiny, a spiritual destiny, each following the track based on the cause and effect of past actions and trajectories. These then begin to impact one another such that a vital force may disturb or disrupt the physical basis of the being, for instance.ARTArticleDeveloping Will-PowerWhen we are interested in something we naturally focus on that to the exclusion of other distractions. Time passes and we do not notice it. Things that would ordinarily engage our attention are disregarded. This power of ‘one pointed’ concentration is however elusive when it arises just out of natural interest. If we try to engage this power of concentration in other aspects of our lives, we find it is not so easy. The primary issue is one of distraction, and again, the distractions arise through various parts of the being seeking their own interests and forms of fulfillment.ARTArticleDiscrimination to Recognise the Distinction of Different Forces and the Various Parts of the Being is Necessary for the Spiritual SeekerThe Buddhist tradition describes Manjushri as a Bodhisattva who, with his flaming sword of discrimination, cuts through illusion and falsehood to disclose the truth of existence. The power of discrimination between different powers, forces, impressions, suggestions, and their source and intent in their pressure on the seeker, is essential if the seeker is not to fall victim to malign influences or suggestions. It is also important to disentangle the effects of the different elements of the being on the resultant thought-process and actions of the seeker.ARTArticleDistinguishing the Subconscient from the Subliminal Aspects of ConsciousnessThere is considerable confusion about the “subconscient” and the “subliminal” aspects of consciousness. Essentially, the subliminal references aspects of the independent levels of consciousness that embody the subtle physical, the subtle vital and the subtle mental. These levels are independent of the individual and we only experience a limited range of these layers of consciousness based on the ability of our senses and mind to receive, organize and relate to the larger vibratory patterns.ARTArticleDistinguishing the Vital Mind from the Mental Power of Reason, Thought and WillWe may observe feelings, perceptions, thoughts, emotions, ideas, imaginations, memories, etc. all arising in our minds, and, for most of us, this is all just ‘mental activity’. And for most people this is clearly enough! For those taking up the spiritual life and practice, however, it becomes difficult to understand what is going on, and what can and should be done about it, to bring about the right mental ‘texture’ of the consciousness to be receptive and able to handle the higher inspirations, intuitions, and powers as they enter into the mind.