Life can be said to be a 3-parter. There is the form, the life that runs it and the soul that inhabits it. You may recognize the observer, process of observation and object dynamic once again.
A general object like a rock has a form that arises through the interplay of the 3 gunas in the universe, in consciousness. Physics studies this.
Forms that hold life though are a more direct expression of consciousness, originating from an idea in the cosmic. For example, a human body has the same rules as a rock but also is under the purview of the cosmic devata, creating and managing the more specific human form.
While rocks can have any shape or size, life forms have preset parameters.
Life-forms also run on life-force through the insertion of the chakras. There is a single set of 7 chakras on the anandamaya level which express variably through different life types and individuals. The devata of chakras are larger and add the meta values to the form – the gifts, and abilities that express in life and can be read in the databanks. We might call this the energy programming.
Animals have chakras too but with a difference in expression and smaller and very different databanks.
And finally, as the form matures into a life form in the womb, the soul or jiva moves in to experience a physical incarnation. A physical life is more challenging than the dream-like astral but offers great opportunities for learning and growth. That includes going beyond the astral into the divine.
From a global perspective, consciousness knows itself both globally and at every point within itself. One of those points can be said to express as your soul.
Ultimately, we can see that our soul, the style of our life, and our body are all direct expressions of the cosmic. They are an expression of the divine. But the cosmic operates prior to our universe, outside the usual constraints of space and time.
From inside space and time, our universe is mighty complex and much of it seems problematic. The divine is not apparently in evidence, aside from the occasional moment of reverie or awe, easily forgotten. But the deeper we go, the more we recognize the world as the surface side-effects of more universal dynamics.
There are profound benefits to be gained by stepping into the world, in choosing a human life. But once in this more constrained state, we forget our choice and the value of being here. But if we choose a road of self-discovery, we shall… well T.S. Elliot said it best:
We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time. (from Four Quartets)
Davidya
Last Updated on June 16, 2016 by
Hi David, I am always astonished at how … precisely some poets (Whitman & Blake also come to mind) write about immanence & beyond …
Rumi is another.
There is a few aspects that contribute.
One is direct experience – it makes a big difference when it’s not just concepts.
Secondly, some facility for working with words.
And finally, being in the flow of it allows the experience itself to flow out into words.
But the laws of nature also make a big difference. Poetry is a style of words that requires it’s own facility within the world of words.
I didn’t mention Rumi because (as far as I can tell) he was ‘awake’, so I am not surprised that his words flow in the way that they do. I am not aware that Eliot or Whitman (or other poets) were ‘awake’, but I am often struck by how their words seem to be coming from that place … maybe they were just tapping into the larger space anyway …
well – there are a lot of degrees of “awake”. Being awake to the divine, to one’s soul, and so forth can happen long before spiritual awakening. Or they may come well after…
Ah I see … I think I had confused this point …
Probably my favorite T. S. Eliot quotation.
My own also. I’ve used it a few times here…
And funnily enough, it has described the experience several times. (laughs)
I guess this is a description of the Hero’s journey in general, and not just the process of awakening to one’s self.
Yes, Pete, and it’s all the Hero’s Journey including enlightenment.
Hi Amaryllis
This is part of why I distinguish development of sattva and development of consciousness. While they’re intertwined, there are some distinctions.
If there is more inner clarity, then our inner structures, divinity, and other sorts of experiential things become available. That’s irrespective of stage of consciousness.
If there is insufficient grounding – in earth or in consciousness, such experiences can be distracting and may cause problems. That’s why I emphasize balanced development.
“A physical life is more challenging than the dream-like astral but offers great opportunities for learning and growth. That includes going beyond the astral into the divine.”
So after death, we return to the Astral, this dream like existence?
I have heard that it will tend to reflect our conditioning from this life, many live in conditions there that very closely resemble this world, although the possibilities in the Astral are endless and because non-material, easy and rapid to change…
Broadly, yes, Pete. The astral is multilayered and has what might be called worlds or nested spaces. We go to where it most suits us. Some become guides, some stay close to the physical, some go to higher layers and the very awake may go to the celestial or higher. Lots of variation.
.
And yes, we go to a place that matches our overall energy, so it would have similarities with our physical life. The movie What Dreams May Come is an interesting exploration of some of these themes.