Some Influences on Experiences of the Subtle

Some Influences on Experiences of the Subtle

This came out of correspondence with a friend of mine, seeking understanding of newly flowering experiences after a move. Edited for context.

Firstly, the environment. Some places are more “pure” or sattvic than others. This allows for greater clarity in supporting our experience. While not a barrier, things can unfold with greater clarity in a purer environment.  That purity can also vary in different layers of the environment. For example, an ancient holy site may now have difficult energy and be a mess but deeper be quite clear. Or vice versa, etc.

Also related, the prominent laws of nature are different in each location. Each place has its own flavour and cultural meme. So local laws will tend to enhance certain ways of experiencing. More creative, more settled, more focused, more driven, etc. Brazil has a lushness not found in Arizona, for example. We’re usually most synced with the laws in the place where we grew up but other places can enhance in other ways.

On the body, I’ve found there are layers to that experience. There is of course our physical body, our energy bodies, causal and so forth. As you go deeper, they get more universal. With the bliss body, you get the body of the universe, deeper is the body of devata and then the cosmic body.

We tend to experience these blended in various ways, depending on how and from where we are looking.

The cosmic body is the body of all bodies. It is the one body that is reflected in all the zillions of apparent personal bodies, each a unique “wave” that emphasizes slightly different combinations of laws of nature and has a slightly different reference point. But all are contained in and arise from the one. It is also the body that contains all of creation. This has various names in different traditions.

The devata body is the more expressed form of the cosmic body where the laws of nature/ light beings (before form) are giving expression to all those apparent individual bodies. Notably, they are managing all bodies in all time, all now.

And then we have the more universal body, body of the universe where the body is the container of all the galaxies and stars and beings in this universe. We contain the world.

And then we have the more local bodies and the various ways of seeing them. There is far greater diversity in how different people perceive the world than most people recognize. And every kind of life has their own way of experiencing the world, with their own subset of variations.

Your experiences will combine different aspects of this, combined with your own unique perspective and balance of laws of nature.

And yes, it is a common experience of the unfolding to recognize the body as a temple of the divine (even to model physical temples after the body). Also to recognize the body as containing the universe/ creation/ all other beings.

And yes, the organs as divine “rooms” or even whole worlds (lokas). Or the organs as expressions of worlds. Most referenced is the heart which can be experienced a number of ways. (vast space, a light/flame, being the size of a thumb, etc) That’s complicated by there being several values of “heart” – physical heart, heart chakra (anahata), high heart chakra (hrit), and divine heart (hridaya). 

There is also the experience that everything happening is being done and thus has a being involved. But I suspect what you’re noticing is another layer to this. The deities in this case are not there to help with digestion, for example.

To explain this requires another layer. A somewhat large subject I’ll try to summarize briefly. There is a refined pre-physical substance the body produces when there is enough purity. It is called various names including soma, amrita or the nectar of the gods.

Basically it is produced in the head, drips down in the back of the throat where you may notice a sweet taste, then goes down into the digestion from where it is distributed out to the devata of the body. It is most commonly produced in samadhi but post-awakening becomes more ongoing.

This has several effects. One is it facilitates the refinement of the physiology and increased clarity and refined perception (the clairs, etc). Secondly, it helps facilitate the awakening of the heart. But of particular note here, it attracts laws of nature/ deities to us that have that option. This massively increases the support we have for various things, depending on what said deities are good at.

We might call soma the catalyst for the development of the divine within. But also a significant attractor of divine support. It can also greatly enhance refined perception and thus experiences.
Davidya

Last Updated on December 13, 2019 by Davidya

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20 Comments

  1. celeste

    I have heard this saying attributed to some native americans that you go to the desert to find god, you go to the ocean to find love.

    I love feeling the earth and it’s different vibrations. Thanks for posting this.

  2. celeste

    Just thought of something else. Some gurus also teach that to keep your energy from being influenced by earth energies and a form of protection is to sit on a wool asan or as MMY would do sit on a deerskin. Or others would sit on a sheepskin. Wearing wool and silk (cotton less) helps in keeping the energy pure.

  3. Hi Celeste
    Nice – have not heard that one before.

    I’d be very careful about overly simplified “purity” beliefs. The gunas or qualities arise in the bliss kosha. By the time something is fully expressed physically, its a complex blend. There is little physical that’s very pure. It’s physicality itself inherently requires inertia.

    It is very useful to become more-energy aware but out of an interest in quality rather than fear or avoidance. There are may subtle ways where we can culture unintentional aversion. Purity comes from allowing what is.

    The Vedic tradition does describe using a deerskin for monks, but such skin is supposed to come from a naturally dying deer, not hunted. Sheepskin is used for householders but how easily can you trace that history? The influence of the skin you sit on under your clothes or the fabric of your clothes is minor compared to how you position your mind and heart.

    Wool made in a sweat shop may be less “pure” than polyester. Someone may be allergic to wool. If you get my point, it’s not so black and white. Some are more sensitive but you have to be careful that’s not driven by stories that make you fearful of normal things.

    Personally I favour natural fabrics but prefer cotton as it’s cooler. I find inner purity purifies what’s around me. Simple.

  4. Gayanee

    Very helpful indeed!
    “Purity comes from allowing what is” David, when you get a chance, could you please elaborate on this. Surrender seem to be a theme coming up in my life. I’d love a little bit of fresh pointing towards this.

    1. Hi Gayanee
      Well – if you think of yourself as being built up in layers… consciousness, flow, liveliness, discrimination, mind, emotions, body.

      You can work to have a more “pure” diet or culture higher emotions. There can be some value in that. But real purity, sattva, is a guna or fundamental quality. It shows up in the liveliness level.

      The best way to upgrade a quality or circumstance is by enlivening the levels prior. If we want a better mind, we culture discrimination, etc. If we want to culture more sattva, the key is samadhi – the direct experience of pure consciousness/ pure being/ transcendence/ pure presence.

      That also triggers soma which greatly enhances the purification of all levels of the body.

      1. If we try to control our life, we’re operating from the mind and emotions. We can try and culture better thoughts and emotions but if the gunas lean otherwise, it won’t help much.

        But if we relax control (not try to control control) and just allow what is to be here, we learn the art of surrender. And this is a key in the awakening process. To awaken itself and everything that follows.

        This does not mean we should not act if something is amiss or needs doing. But fighting what is doesn’t correct anything. Seeing it as it is allows us to see clearly and act as required rather than thrash about it. it allows us to be in the flow and work with life rather than in conflict.

        Does this address your consideration?

  5. Jim

    Thanks for mentioning the favorable influences that we attract through soma, and the growing stream of transcendence; simply success in life, the ability to continue being fulfilled, not in a static way or by any belief system, but by living all life has to offer – the much greater power (and responsibility) we gain, after awakening and maturing to our true nature, our transcendent nature. Great post.

    1. Hi Jim
      Ah – you say that beautifully. The profundity of this cannot be overstated. The difference between struggle and suffering – something so many consider “normal” and living life in the flow of itself…

      I’m still surprised when I meet someone who doesn’t even remember what happiness is.

  6. Jim

    Yes, it is beautiful to recognize that after all our struggle as seekers begins to bear fruit, and we glimpse the everlasting flame within, that our further development leads to a realization that as much as we have left behind we are suddenly in the midst of an overwhelming abundance of life, including the welcome support for anything our little hearts desire**.

    We are never alone, and should the flocks of angels, the Gods and Goddesses be called upon, so be it always in surrender, humility and grace.

    **responsibility included. lol

    1. 🙂

      Happily, as we clear our old baggage, we move more into the flow and the drive to act from discord fades.

      Responsibility and consequences remain but when there isn’t the anger, regret, fear, and so forth that drove us into amplifying same, it is so much easier to be with the happiness always present.

  7. gayanee

    Yes David, It does. Though I couldn’t say I got everything you wrote! And I am ok with that 🙂

    May be I am getting better at art of allowing after all. haha

    I do come back to these replies again a few weeks later and another layer gets absorbed in. Or the words make more sense or they relate to my experience more. Thanks!

    1. Jim

      Thank you gayanee, and thank you for your interest in your liberation – once the goal is in sight, that persistence and focus is all that is needed. Nature extends his or her hand, and once we accept it, we learn to dance.

      1. gayanee

        Ahh! I totally feel the dance and feel like the dance. Yes there’s now an effortless persistence that wasn’t there before. But I couldn’t say the same for focus. It still feel effort-full. Not that my focus is scattered on other things but the focus itself feels forceful for me. Could be the symptoms of being in the tail end of a pretty malefic Rahu Mahadasha (if you are into jyotish) Or unresolved impressions coming to the surface to be met.

        Lately though there’s a tickle (literally) inside and felt in the body that’s constantly there making everything just ok. easier to do the dance and keep on keeping on! I have so much gratitude flowing even for the support showing up in the form of a couple of sentences from a person that gets this sacred dance. 🙂 Nature is pretty awesome once the personal ego make friends with it!

  8. Jim

    that’s funny David – i initially wrote something very much like your reply above, but decided on another direction, and yet, here it is expressed!

    Yes, we don’t alter the laws of nature when liberation comes, we just gain the ability to take full advantage of them, and discover successive treasure troves.

    Quite amazing really, and at the same time, simply the uncovering of a perfectly natural architecture of compassion and grace existing within life itself.

      1. Jim

        Indeed. I used to hear about hidden knowledge and experiences, and because they are hidden in consciousness itself, there is no way to find them, other than patiently developing consciousness. Then the jewel boxes begin to appear, and beyond them even greater treasures.

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