The recent post Endless led to questions from a friend. I thought the results were worth sharing.
In later Unity, we can realize how consciousness is both globally aware of itself and aware of itself at every point simultaneously. I illustrated that here.
What part of that is eternal? Both global and point awareness. The second could be called the “soul” value.
As long as a person is in a body, the drop, point, flame, or wave (different ways of seeing & describing the same thing) remains active even if they are experienced as “merged” with the whole. Awakening doesn’t change reality, it changes how we experience it.
After a person has awoken and wound down their entanglements (desires, resistance) related to the world, they’re no longer obliged to return. At death there appears to be a choice.
A rare few continue on in their body as lights in the world, their karma complete.
Some drop the body and continue on in subtle form on some level to support some aspect of creation and evolution. Many of the more illustrious sages of history have stayed accessible, for example. I’ve also heard talk of continued evolution there, although I’d imagine there’s a huge variety in what that looks like.
Yet the majority are not camped out somewhere. They merged with the ocean.
But even that merge doesn’t mean the drop is not eternal. It’s more like it becomes dormant, unexpressed, somewhat like some laws of nature are dormant in darker times.
It seems there is 4 states of a point or soul:
1 – dormant or asleep, unexpressed (no self)
2 – waking and expressed (no self)
3 – awake to itself and expressed (Self)
4 – awake to itself and dormant (Self)
Note – the point value is the observer aspect that initiates the process of expression. (see the Illustrated link up top)
Both the universe and creation are forms of expression and are thus not eternal. They come and go in cycles over vast periods of time. The universe periodically goes to “sleep” and its particular expression goes dormant for a time. When it arises again, the growth of those points pick up where they left off.
When enough beings merge, the “lifespan” of the universe completes. But souls live on.
Davidya
Last Updated on September 20, 2023 by Davidya
Thank you. Very interesting.
probably the choice to stay or dissolve also depends on the inclination/intent/tradition through which development goes. For example if through Buddhism – more likely dissolution , Taoism – more likely subtle form as they advocates different ” end points “.. ??
Hi Alex
Yes, there would be various influences and it’s not something we can “plan” in some way. Like the choice at God Realization of merging with God or maintaining a small distance for the flow of devotion, it’s a choice that happens when we come to it.
Buddhists do have the Bodhisattva model, although the term has been somewhat watered down more recently.
But yes, our expectations may make the process less conscious and thus “choice” is skipped. This points to the value of study.
An equivalent here is people waking up and thinking they’re done. That can get in the way of further progress. As Vasishtha said, you want to desire Unity. But you have to know it’s there to desire it.
Thank you David.
Hi Davidya,
Can you say more about this?
When enough beings merge, the “lifespan” of the universe completes.
Hi Daniel
The universe has a lifespan. This varies somewhat by universe, just as it does with people. There’s a vast cycle of the universe expressing as a vehicle for experiencing, of That to know itself in all the details. Souls then take forms as experiencing vehicles to discover the universe, then get lost in the experiences for awhile, then rediscover their true nature and come back home/ awaken.
When the souls have rediscovered their nature, the purpose of the universe is complete, and it dissolves. The Vedic texts describe this cycle as a day and night of Brahma. The implication is it cycles repeatedly.
What makes this more complex is that this is a perspective. One way of seeing it. There are other ways I discuss here:
https://davidya.ca/2012/01/02/why-does-creation-repeat/