On Our Bodies, I spoke of the local bodies, the cosmic, and the Divine. There is more to this that can be explored. First some background…
There are 8 prakritis or fundamental values of our nature: the 5 elements (earth, water, fire, air, space), mind, intellect, and ego. These elements correspond to the koshas or subtle bodies:
| Kosha | Experience | Dominant element | Sense |
| Annamaya | food body, physical | earth | smell |
| Pranamaya | energy, emotional | water | taste |
| Manonmaya | mental, sensory | fire | sight |
| Vijnanamaya | intellect, intuition | air | touch |
| Anandamaya | bliss, celestial, causal | space | hearing |
| Chittamaya | flow, cosmic mind | – | – |
| Atmamaya | cosmic Self, consciousness | – | – |
Notice that the mind and intellect are also koshas that function in the ranges of fire and air. The intellect creates the ego by differentiating self from other. Ego doesn’t have its own kosha.
The net result is we have a personal body, mind, intellect, and ego.
There is also cosmic values of body, mind, intellect, and ego.
In The Stages of Unity, I talked about how the cosmic values of these prakritis can be integrated during the Unity stage.
Cosmic mind is the field of creation, of flowing consciousness, the 6th kosha in the above table. We see the cosmic intellect in consciousness discriminating itself in itself, the self-interacting dynamics of consciousness. This is the cosmic self, the 7th kosha. (Although consciousness is not seen as a kosha until we transcend it into the Brahman stage.)
The cosmic body, the body of all bodies arises in these upper koshas. It is like a Divine idea which expresses as the template for the form of bodies in our universe.
There is also a cosmic personality. As a person, we express aspects of that. As a whole, all of us together, we express the cosmic personality.
Consciousness is aware of itself globally and at every point. The global is the cosmic value, one point expresses as the local, personal value.
Just as we have to surrender identification with the personal ego for Self Realization, so too we have to surrender the cosmic ego, “I” sense, or cosmic Self for the Brahman shift.
But just as the ego is multi-layered (the 3 am-egos) and some values carry forward into later stages, the cosmic ego also has a value that continues, just not as the identified Self. Higher stages don’t eliminate the person nor the Self and if we do not see this, it can be a major blind spot. I’ll be writing more on this shortly.
Finally, there are also Divine values of the 8 prakriti. These are not manifest values but known by immersion.
On Waking the Body, I touched on how the body becomes immersed in pure Divinity, causing spiritual awakening for devas of the body-mind. This can trigger massive purification.
I’ve also spoken of the 7 stages of unfolding ParaBrahman. Like Unity stage, there is a progressive becoming that integrates more and more values.
We can see the 3 layers of Divine, cosmic, and personal:
| Divine | Cosmic, kosha | Universe and Personal | |
| 7 | Intelligence | – | – |
| 6 | Alertness | – | – |
| 5 | Liveliness | Self, cosmic ego, consciousness | – |
| 4 | Love | flow, cosmic body | – |
| 3 | Power | causality, space | space |
| 2 | Action | intellect | air > intellect & ego |
| 1 | Being | mind | fire > mind |
| – | shakti, energy | water > emotions | |
| – | food | earth > body |
As above, so below.
Update: we could also add a “Universal” column in there between cosmic and personal. Where the cosmic is on the level of creation, the universal is on the level of our universe. The elements, for example, function on the universal level. There is also universal mind, etc.
I’ve heard it said that there is a Divine personality too, although that’s not been experienced here on that level yet.
Davidya
Holy shit David!!!
What an article, what a transmission!!!!!
Something within understands what you wrote…but the mind not.
Thanks for sharing such a jewel!!!
Much love
Michael
Hey Michael
Thanks – yes it’s sometimes the same here. It shows up and I have to wait for a bit for the mind to catch up. Sometimes it shows up in writing, sometimes in insight.
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The lower table could use some further work but that didn’t fully gel. I added an Update this morning.
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You’re very welcome.
Thank you, David. I have (in my mind that is) highlighted Love in the chart and put it in bold letters and large font 🙂
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If earlier, love was an experience within creation and aspect of devotion it then turns out to be the very cause for and essence of creation. Its power and magnitude feel beyond beyond. Pretty humbling.
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Love seems to provide the framework and guidance for understanding where the flow (or its own flow) is restricted and surrender is called for, if that makes sense. I feel it also somehow alters the v nature of and increases the potential for surrendering (v much work in progress at this end, ha ha ha 🙂
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I guess, as you’ve so eloquently described in other posts, our make up and level of clarity color and inform what is experienced and how, and what the blind spots are. Btw amazing Bubble picture.
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Thank you.
Hi Oskari
Yes, exactly. The first qualities give rise to consciousness, then comes pure Love, the flow of creativity.
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Love is an effect of consciousness being aware of it’s own origins, or recognizing source. Shiva is the devotee of Divine Mother.
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The Love of pure Divinity is indeed humbling and leads to deep devotion. And yes, it is inclusive of all those qualities of consciousness, most particularly Intelligence.
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In a sense, the Power that follows is the power of Love. Just consider the power that supports innumerable universes and many creations, all being recreated in every moment. That is just a subset of the Love. The power supports all of this so our experience and unfolding can continue. It’s what keeps the lights on.
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We can similarly continue down the table.
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Yes, Love is accepting so allows us to see beyond our contractions and to let them go. Love has intelligence and thus brings understanding. It is our doorway to surrender.
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Yes, I delight when I find a picture that is just right for an article. 🙂
Just beautiful. Thank you (incl to David for stepping out of the way :-)) Blessings!
🙂 I was a slow learner on that front but what a difference it made when I got out of the way of life!
🙂 That resonates. I got multiple qualifications in resistance, suppression and avoidance. And an attitude towards life like the Black Knight in Monty Python (‘Tis but a scratch…’). It’s incredible how it all can start changing by a single moment of stepping out of the way. God bless!
Ditto. And agreed. 🙂
Blessings!
Hello Da-vidya, I am new to your site and sight. I’ve had your book for about three months now. I’ve been on this path for about 40 years having awakened, as it is called, when I was in my 40’s and am now pushing 80. If I consider your book, Our Natural Potential, a map, I am finding your blog to be wonder-fully a guide with markers of some detail along the way. I never encountered a teacher in the flesh, just groped my way along. Must say your blogs, including your insightful answers to the comments, have provided much food for thought on my continuing journey, guest, or possibly …. impossible dream. In-sight-full you are …. and blessed.
Welcome, Judith. Thanks for commenting. I did a lot of ‘stumbling toward ecstasy’ myself. 🙂
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I’m mystified why someone like me would be made a vehicle but, yes, I am indeed blessed. Anyone who has awoken is also.
Looking forward to your explanation on what you wrote that “higher stages don’t eliminate the person nor the Self and if we do not see this, it can be a major blind spot.”
Not sure at all what this means or why it could be an issue.
Do appreciate the truth that “that love is the doorway to Surrender.” Thanks for the insightful and profound sharing of pure knowledge and congratulations on your PhD!
I hope to have the article up for tomorrow, Harrison, but essentially, we need a person to function in the world. The person inherently has it’s strengths and weaknesses. If we lean on the “end of” experience and ignore the still-functioning person, those weaknesses can be a big blind spot. I’ve seen spiritual teachers create all sorts of problems because of this.
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Thanks!
Namaste. Energy follows attention. where are the source of attention and energy? You mentioned that anandamaya is experienced as empty or full. what is the difference? kindly respond.
Hi Guru
You are the source of attention. Where your attention goes, energy follows.
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Of course by you I mean your cosmic nature, your true Self.
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But it holds true, recognizing this or not.
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Anandamaya is the bliss body. When it’s experienced, it’s not going to be experienced as empty. It will be experienced as vibration, primordial sound, and/or bliss. Prior to that is the unmanifest space of creation. That may be experienced as a vast empty space if there isn’t much refinement yet. It’s very subtle. Same space, different perspectives.