There’s another key way of differentiating between Unity and Brahman. In Cosmic Consciousness or Self Realization, we recognize ourselves as the Seer or Observer. In Unity, we recognize the same Seer in the objects of perception. Thus, seer and seen become one, leaving only seeing. This takes place within the “container” or self-aware or self-referral consciousness, a bubble of awareness curving back on itself. This Self-aware consciousness gives rise to subtle space and time and contains the impulse of all creation.
As I put it over on Unity into Brahman, “This next stage is known as Brahman Consciousness (BC) but is not a stage of development of consciousness or Self like prior stages as we’re transcending them.” In Brahman, we transcend Self or self-referral consciousness so even “seeing” ceases. There is only the quiet undulation of That within Itself.
Not to worry if this doesn’t make a lot of sense. Brahman is incomprehensible even for someone in Unity. This is because in Unity, we experience all within consciousness as ourselves. In Brahman we transcend that. It’s a little like explaining samadhi to someone who has never meditated. Or spirit, to someone who experiences that only the physical world is real.
During Unity and Brahman process, we can seem to contract into an apparent me again briefly here and there. But this is just old habits of mind and being. It isn’t really happening. We’re now functioning from the one Cosmic Body. The impulses of thoughts and emotions that may arise are not personal, are not coming from a me. It’s just the very old ego habit of taking credit. It is simply in the environment unless we dwell on it, making it real for ourselves.
Just allow, as always.
Davidya
Last Updated on November 26, 2020 by Davidya
Thank you for timely (is there any other kind?) posting. I had an emergence of ego fragments with a recent triggering event. Which at this point on my path was slightly confusing, but this is passing into a calm afterglow as there is a letting go of some deeply buried impulses.
I enjoy your descriptive maps of the terrain and hope I can convey my experiences as helpfully as you do. Cheers.
Hi Jason
Thanks for sharing. Yeah – I’ve called that ego shrapnel. As someone observed, one of the best tests of an enlightenment is to spend time with your family – sure to trigger some old junk. (laughs)
As you might imply from the article, you can expect that to continue. We gathered our resistance for a very long time so it can take time for it to arise and be resolved. Similarly, the unification or aggregate process develops over time as things arise. And the refinement of perception too.
It’s a grand process of refinement of all levels or values of our being that becomes increasingly cosmic in scope over time. Thus the contraction may even feel greater.
Cheers!
Vedas and Upanishad tell us intelligence is the charioteer, but only the master of the chariot can say where the chariot shall go. He only knows the direction and time- for it is only Ataman that alone knows the – the direction of His vocation. Where will the intelligence direct the chariot without the intimation given by the master of the chariot? And where the master is seated is indeed the Anandamaya kosha – the abode of Bliss Eternal. Very clearly it states that the Mind of God, the intelligence that is seated behind the soul, the seat of consciousness. Very clearly the real happiness exists in this world within us, in the real knowledge, but we fail to perceive it, because our mind becomes a barrier to perceive it.
Actually, the Bhagavad Gita tells us this. Part of the Vedas, yes.
This post is about Brahman, beyond Atman. From that perspective, Atman is simply the container. In that sense the master is seated in the atmamaya kosha which is beyond chittamaya and anandamaya. Ananda exists not only within but is the lively edge of consciousness itself. Thus it infuses everything and can be seen and heard as well as felt. But the first place we find it is usually within.
Actually, the mind is not a barrier to it. The liveliness we call mind is made of bliss. What prevents us from experiencing this is attachment to experiences of the mind, not the mind itself.
Normally, I would delete comments that are designed to advertise here but instead I removed the links to discuss the points, even if they are off topic.
Agreed. Could one expand to say, mind is movement of bliss into gross experience if desired? Desire, which is subtle in itself, would be the barrier only via awareness of it (the attachment is the barrier like you say, the desire). So, what is first? Mind or desire? Seems both are the same?
Thus, each experience (which can also be felt at the cusp of creation as bliss) has layers that may be experienced depending upon fluidity and purity/clarity of awareness/perception (which in itself is before bliss).
Pardon me, for me, words are difficult to describe this. So, when someone is in a Brahman stage, this awareness is wholeness with seamlessness (if that’s a word), which is that? The desire to look through and past the mind, past gross experience, is just that. Looking past this, moves into finer bliss experience, and past this, finer, then past this, then opening to finer, finer….are these the stages you are speaking of? Going beyond the bliss, light, void, then beyond the Unity, into dryer, yet fuller Brahman, etc…etc…. I am not sure where I am, past Unity, yes, but….hmm I will sit on this…thank you! Interesting…
Hi Lins
Yes, we can broadly say it’s all bliss. But you have to be careful not take that into the details. When you break it down into the parts, you shift out of wholeness.
There are are number of things that create thoughts and desires. I explore that here:
https://davidya.ca/2019/11/09/what-is-mind-2/
Some desire comes from the process of creation itself, much deeper than mind. And some from much more surface action, seeking resolution.
But yes, each experience has layers. We tend to be experiencing mostly from a specific layer at any given time, but the others remain present. So we may be experiencing a physical dog while also feeling care while bliss quietly bubbles in the background. The range we experience depends partly on our clarity, yes.
For me, I use the word wholeness to describe the experience of unity when more and more is recognized to be the one Self. For Brahman, the experience is more a totality as it’s inclusive of apparent opposites, like conscious and not conscious.
No. The stages I speak of are stages in the development of our relationship with consciousness, etc. The finer, finer process is one of refined perception. This relates to the Refined stages. I explain the difference here:
https://davidya.ca/2014/01/25/stages-of-development-in-consciousness/
I appreciate the issues of language, but if there is an I there who thinks its somewhere, thats not it. Relating to the words here is not it. The stages are not a concept you understand. They’re stages of development like puberty.
It’s also worth noting that Unity has a bunch of sub-stages. It’s a progressive process, not a single shift like the first one.
Agreed…I agree with all you say here…thank you for sharing, it wipes the mirror. I’ve been just living, unpacking and integrating subtle shifts, it’s been years since I read and responded to your blog. It feels like it’s that time again. You always help with the process. Thank you again.
Warmest regards…
Pingback: Understanding Shakti in Awakening – Pt 2 of 3 | In 2 Deep
Pingback: Unity unto Brahman | In 2 Deep
Yeah…thank you, David, again…hmmm.
🙂