Chapter 2

 

 

SOUL CONSCIOUSNESS -

THE GATEWAY TO GOD

 

 

 

"I AM A PEACEFUL SOUL"

Some think that everything in this world is unreal or an illusion (Maya) but this is not so. The drama, the stage, the actors and the roles are real enough, but it is our vision of things, and our deductions, that can be illusory. The basic illusion, "I am a body," is like a thread running through the existence of the majority on which all other thoughts, decisions and actions are strung.

 

The eternal soul, believing itself to be finite with a beginning and end, gives birth to a myriad of illusory desires and to such psychological insecurity that it tries to protect or support itself with scaffolding comprising the five main negative forces; anger, greed, ego, lust and attachment. The soul confuses itself by basing its total self-identification on the physical body: "I am so-and-so, the son of so-and so, the resident of such-and-such a place, of this or that religion or race; I am in such a profession, am this age," etc. Through these thoughts, which are the natural offspring of the thought, "I am a body," the eternal soul becomes trapped in a world of temporary illusions, likes and dislikes.

 

The actor (the soul) doesn't only believe that it is the costume (the body), but also the role that it is playing. Thus, this ego-sense or body-consciousness doesn't only restrict the soul to its form but to its name as well. While the soul remains a prisoner of its own role and form, it can't see the wider aspects of the drama of life in which it is involved. It remains restricted to the conditions of each place, moment and circumstance, bound by past habits and attitudes. If the situation is in harmony with the soul, it feels good; if not, it feels dejected and finds ways to escape from the imaginary or real threats of that situation. In this way, the soul passes from one scene to another, like a piece of cork on the high seas at the mercy of its own destiny. The soul in body-consciousness cannot control its own movements, but the external conditions, which the soul itself is continually determining according to the law of cause and effect, impose them. Lost in the waves of attractions and repulsions, restricted thus by the name and form of its body, the soul feeds and is fed by many illusions: "I'll stay with you, you'll give me everything I want from life", "I want to eat, see, hear, taste and feel this and that, because these things will give me what I want." Such desires are as endless as the task is impossible and futile.

 

The door that opens to the world of spiritual knowledge and inculcation of positive qualities is the thought "I am a peaceful soul." This thought, made with the understanding of its implications, is the most powerful and pure thought possible. It is this thought that immediately stills the restless mind and creates the stability necessary to absorb spiritual knowledge and power. It is this thought too, that channels the soul's potential for good. Just as a river when properly harnessed provides life for many, so too the properly harnessed mind provides a reservoir that can serve to uplift others. Just as an uncontrolled river causes floods, the ungoverned mind causes damage to the self and to others.

 

The consideration and concentration on worldly things, though obviously necessary, does not fill the soul with the bliss it seeks. By concentrating on understanding the atom, scientists have unleashed the power within it. Similarly, by concentrating lovefully on the soul and its eternal bond to the Supreme Soul, we can unleash our own potential and pure power.

 

WHAT IS CONSCIOUSNESS?

The soul is conscient energy, aware of its own existence. Consciousness can be described as the feeling "I am" or "I exist". If you examine any thought-decision-action process, you will find that behind it, there is always the feeling: "I am something or the other". Consciousness is thus the springboard for thought, decisions and actions. In other words, the soul reacts to external circumstances according to how it regards itself at that particular moment.

For example, a surgeon is able to perform surgery when there is the consciousness of being a surgeon. That very consciousness unlocks or gives the soul access to all the information and experience related to being a surgeon. The soul when it has the consciousness of being a soul is able to have instant access to its own original qualities. As we have discussed, there are two different basic levels of consciousness; "I am a body" or "I am a soul," the former, illusory and the latter, real. When the feeling is "I am a body," the thought process is trapped in the limitations, problems and vision of the physical identity. Its reaction to others is on the same level. The following table shows the difference in the case of a typical father-son relationship.

 

 

	AWARENESS	THOUGHT	DECISION	ACTION	RESULT
BODY CONSCIOUSNESS	I am the father, I know the most.	My son should listen to me as he is my own flesh and blood.	I will teach him a lesson, son.	Father argues with son	Ill feeling between father and son.
SOUL CONSCIOUSNESS	I am a soul my natural state is love and peace.	My son is a soul too. As a soul he is my brother.	I will respect his idea also.	Father and son discuss with respect.	Respect maintained.

 

This example clearly demonstrates the benefits of having a soul-conscious relationship, or in other words, seeing the other as a soul and not as a body.

 

 

BODY-CONSCIOUSNESS -
THE CAUSE OF MENTAL TENSION

Since there is such disparity between the body and the soul it is essential to realise this if one strives for peace of mind. It is not the body that desires peace, it is the soul.

 

It is not the body that has a relationship with God, it is the soul. When a soul leaves its body there is a distinct separation between matter and spirit. In understanding death we can better understand life. Moreover, would it not be better to experience the benefits of such self-realisation in one's practical life now? Can you imagine a driver thinking that she is the car, or a guest thinking he is the hotel? This is exactly what has happened. The soul has become totally identified with its housing. People think: "I AM a body and I HAVE a soul."

 

In reality, the contrary is true: "I AM a soul and I HAVE a body." In the following thoughts we can easily see the seeds of all types of prejudice; sexual, national, racial, religious, social, age:

 

"I am male."	"You are female."
"I am Russian."	"You are American."
"I am white."	"You are black."
"I am a Christian."	"You are a Buddhist."
"I am rich."	"You are poor."
"I am old."	"You are young."

 

The body-conscious soul thus classifies the world, has desires, adopts a perspective and responds according to its limited vision. The insecurity that this brings then manifests as anger, greed, ego, lust or attachment of some type or another. If you examine deeply what causes sorrow, you will see it is due to the mis-identification of the true self with one's own, or others' physical identities. In this state the mental process is a slave of the body and the external situation. The car becomes the controller of the driver.

 

The soul, because it is a soul and not a body, becomes insecure and tries to compensate with material things, status, profession, relationships etc., which, while appearing to give comfort and safety, in fact become further sources of worry and depression. Lust is the search for security though possessions or selfish relationships. Greed is the search for security through the accumulation of things, money, status etc. and keeping one's stomach always full. Ego is the search for security through the wearing of many masks related to the roles that one has to play. Anger is the guard which tries to protect the false sense of security when any of the other four are threatened. Armed with a bevy of harsh words and actions, anger patrols the walls of the castle of illusions built in body-consciousness. Just as the cobra has a diamond shape in the centre of the forehead, we should transform the habit of seeing the "skin" or body classification of others into seeing the diamond, the soul, in the centre of the forehead.

 

Each person is our brother. We are all visitors to this earth. We are all actors in this world drama. Each "I" is a soul. The soul has no sex, nationality or race. In this way we will see not only our own true value, but the true value of others and the true value of this world around us. In soul-consciousness, the soul is in its rightful place as ruler of the body, sitting on its throne between the eyebrows. Soul-consciousness also refers to being aware of one's own original state. In body-consciousness, the soul sees a problem as a huge mountain, but in soul-consciousness, the soul sees the same problem as a tiny mound. The problem is the same, but the new perspective has reduced the worry or fear involved to nothing.

 

IN BODY-CONSCIOUSNESS	IN SOUL-CONSCIOUSNESS
I am in bondage.	There are no bondages, I am free.
I have many questions and few answers.	I understand everything that I do.
I am afraid of dying (losing the body).	I know I am eternal and there is no fear of death.
I have no control over the sense organs.	I am able to practice self control.
I become bored and depressed easily.	I understand situations and overcome them easily. I am able to maintain enthusiasm.
The wings of the soul are clipped.	I have wings of thought to fly beyond the body.
The intellect is dull.	The intellect is sharp.
I am limited to the perception of this world.	I can travel to the other regions beyond this world.
I see a distorted past and have no clear aim for the future.	The past, present and future of my part are seen clearly.
I am disturbed by feelings of attraction and lust for bodies.	I am attracted by the qualities of the Supreme Soul only.
I give sorrow, like a thorn hurting everyone.	I spread the fragrance of virtues like a flower.
I see everyone relative to my identity, my life revolving around "me"... this is arrogance.	I respect each individual and relate to them with humility.
I am tense and tired.	I am alert and relaxed.

 

 

THE ORIGINAL HOME

Birth-Life-Death-Rebirth

The realisation of the self as a soul, an eternal entity, naturally leads to the questions:

• Where is the soul before it comes into a physical body?
• Where does the soul go after it leaves it?
• What is the purpose of eternity?

 

These are questions that deeply concern human beings, yet until now proof of life before birth or after death has been inconclusive.

The images conjuring up the "fires of hell" and a heavenly world beyond the clouds have figured greatly in the world's religions. Yet to the rationally-minded, the states of living forever tormented in sulphurous pits, or conversely lounging in perpetual bliss in a fairy-tale kingdom, seem far removed from the reality of the present.

Most accept that there is some order to the creation, but viewing our drama through spectacles of body-consciousness it is impossible to see it, as the soul is imprisoned by bodily needs and sensual desires. In body-consciousness the soul is unable to see anything objectively. Only when confronted by death does one instinctively consider "life after death". At funerals, everyone faces the new absence of a loved person, the departure of the personality and the impermanence of the body.

Everyone wishes that the departed one will go to "heaven" and not to "hell". We subconsciously know that we are souls. Birth, life and death are just stages in existence. In fact all natural processes can be found to have a beginning, a middle, an end and a new beginning to continue the cycle. The soul takes a bodily form, gives life to it and after a period of time, long or short, leaves it and takes another suited to the continuation of its role. As long as the soul is in the body, the body grows like a plant from baby to child, youth to maturity. It then begins to decay and finally becomes unserviceable. The moment the soul leaves the body, it becomes like a dead log. It immediately starts to decompose and eventually goes back "to dust".

 

Again the soul moves into a fetus. After some time it emerges as a newborn baby and immediately begins to show the tendencies and characteristics it had developed in its previous life. It is the same soul but in a new physical situation. Thus death is merely the means by which a complete change of circumstances and environment for the soul takes place. Time never kills the soul, but the body, being a part of nature or matter, obeys the law of decay that everything new becomes old and eventually ceases to hold its form. The molecular components of this body disintegrate only to re-integrate as another form some time later.

 

The process of birth-life-death-rebirth is also eternal. It has always been going on and will continue. The soul comes into the body, expresses a role and experiences the results of that for a certain time, then leaves it, and the process starts again. Similarly, souls come into this world, remain here as actors for a number of lifetimes and then return to the region from which they come, for rest. This process also starts again. The pattern is a cyclic one.

 

Why does the Soul search for Peace, Love and Happiness?

The search for true values is a constant preoccupation. In body-consciousness we mistakenly think that the physical world and physical relations can provide peace, love and happiness. However these are not the properties of matter, nor of the physical identity, but the true characteristics of the soul. This has to be realised.

Imagine a scene in which you are surrounded by all your favourite things; food, music, fragrance, scenery and companions. Just about to enjoy your meal, the telephone rings and you are told that a person close to you has just died. Instantly, that scene of "favourites" melts into an insipid and superficial experience. Something has happened that shakes the soul and it can no longer enjoy those things. At the same time it finds itself inadequate in the face of the bad news as understanding and power are missing. Life is full of experiences such as this and it becomes clear that physical things are not the sources of peace, love and happiness, but that understanding and inner strength are.

 

One of the basic facts of human psychology is that we do not seek or desire something that has not been experienced previously. For example, if one has never tasted a mango, there cannot be a burning desire to have a mango. This suggests that desires might be arising from previous life experiences. In fact, it is impossible for an human being to act or desire outside the field of his or her own experience. The search for peace, love and happiness is so fundamental to the human spirit because these are the original and true qualities of the soul itself.

 

 

THIS WORLD AND THE REGIONS BEYOND

 

The Physical World

This world is a vast amphitheatre of action in which embodied souls play their respective and various parts. Planet Earth exists in an extremely tiny portion of the physical universe and is governed by well-defined physical, chemical and biological laws.

In India, the world which we inhabit is called "karma kshetra" (the field of action), because it is here that we sow the seeds of actions and reap their fruits. It is here that the soul takes on flesh and bones and expresses the role that it has latent within itself, causing variations in the material environment. The state of the material world at any given moment is a direct reflection of the state of consciousness of the human beings which inhabit it. If there is peace and harmony within the soul this is reflected in nature. If there is conflict and confusion, nature responds accordingly.

It is a world of three dimensions of space and one of time. Its principal characteristics are sound, movement, colour and form. On this immense stage of deserts, forests, mountains and seas, illuminated by the sun, moon and stars, the drama of existence is enacted. In the drama, the actor-souls are subject to dualities; from pleasure to pain, birth to death, purity to impurity, happiness to sorrow, new to old, positive to negative; the vast pageant of history crawls along as indefatigable time devours all. A point is finally reached when the process is renewed and all souls and the elements of matter themselves move back to their points of origin, only to start again.

 

The Regions Beyond

Beyond the limits of this vast expanse of the solar system and galaxies there are regions of non-material light. They are not reached by any physical means because it is simply not a question of light years or kilometres. They are regions which "transcend" the physical plane and therefore can only be experienced through divine vision, perceivable to the "third eye". Through deep meditation the soul can "travel" to these regions and experience the bliss of being free from the limits of anything earthly.

 

The Subtle Regions

These regions are like three subtle "layers" around the physical plane which are absolutely necessary for the roles of creation, its sustenance and the destruction of that which is old and impure. Thus they have an important part in world transformation (this part will be explained in Chapter 6 - The Human World Tree). Those who have the gift of divine trance are able to have a vision of these regions. Such souls see the scenes much in the manner as one experiences a dream, yet much more vividly. Since the bodies there are of light and not matter, there is movement but no sound. The scenes seen in trance are like silent movies in which communication is by gesture and thought.

 

The Soul World - The Home

Further beyond the subtle regions is another region. It is pervaded by golden-red, divine light, which is the sixth element called "brahm". It is the region from which all souls have descended onto this earth. The conscient entities, the souls, have neither bodies of matter nor bodies of light. There exists neither thought, word nor action; just complete stillness, silence and peace. Just as this world occupies a tiny part of this physical universe, so too the souls occupy just a tiny portion of this infinite golden-red light.

 

WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THE ORIGINAL

NATURE OF THE SOUL?

I, the soul, am originally a star-like point of perfect peace and purity, twinkling in the golden-red expanse of the soul world. I am fully charged with spiritual energy which naturally manifests as love, joy, peace and purity when I first come into this physical world. Gradually by taking many births, I become attached to the senses and the various sense objects and I forget my original attributes. Then I become a slave to five basic negative forces; anger, greed, ego, lust and attachment. These forces have their roots in body-consciousness, or the illusion that existence is entirely physical. My ability to control matter is supplanted by matter controlling me. Any time I suffer disappointment, worry or anxiety, it is due to the effect of any one of these negative influences.

I forget the heights of spiritual attainment and the delights of super-sensuous joy thinking myself to be a body and I search for peace and happiness through the sense organs. I mistakenly pursue worldly pleasures in an effort to regain my former state. I forget my true identity, nature, home and my Supreme Father. I know that while controlled by these negative forces, I cannot come back to my normal state of peace, happiness and bliss. These vices are unwelcome intruders into my original texture of purity. They are not welcome in my internal "house." Until the vices have no control over the soul, I will never restore my original qualities of peace, bliss, love, purity and knowledge.

People afflicted by anger lose their temper and become excited at the slightest provocation. Yet, when the event is over they find "peace" in reverting to their normal temperament. The same applies to all the other vices which are at the root of all emotional disturbances, strains, tensions and imbalances.

If I contemplate on my original nature and do everything with the realisation "I am a soul, not a body," my original qualities reappear naturally. They are my basic attributes. It is worthless seeking them externally. It is like the musk deer running after the sweet smell of musk, unaware that it is coming from its own navel. Peace of mind is my property. It automatically flows from within me once I am soul-conscious.

I only have to let my original sanskaras become thoughts and keep them flowing. Whatever thoughts are in my mind, that is the state I experience. Soul-conscious thoughts bring peace of mind. Body-conscious thoughts disturb me. It is I who decide what state of mind to experience. I can either be the essence of peace, or in a turmoil. It is I, the soul who has the power of decision. The situation should not dictate to me. Soul-consciousness is the mind's food that strengthens the intellect and keeps me beyond the influence of negativity.

 

RAJA YOGA MEDITATION
REGAINING AWARENESS

Meditation is not a process of emptying the mind of thought, as was explained in the last chapter. It uses the natural endowment of the soul, thought, as a take-off point into the consciousness of the true self. I climb a well-prepared ladder of thoughts and eventually climb beyond it into the pure experience of what I really am.

Churning over these pure and real thoughts can occupy the soul for long periods of time. The deeper significances of Raja Yoga will be unfolded, but on the basis of what has been discussed so far, you should be able to experience the self as a soul, and discover some of your unique potential powers. First comes the realisation: I am a soul, I am mind, intellect and sanskaras. My ears, eyes, nose, mouth, are just the organs through which I can enjoy life. Due to body-consciousness and the build up of past negative sanskaras I have been trapped by these five vices: anger, greed, ego, lust and attachment. I now possess the knowledge that will free me from my cage. I have the key. I am a soul, "a bird". Knowing this, I am not bound by physical laws. I can detach and fly at the speed of a thought, to the soul world, where I can easily experience my original state. I must realise that it is impossible to have "peace of mind" if I cannot have detachment from the body.

 

During the initial stages of meditation many wasteful thoughts do come. This is due to the soul's longstanding habit of thinking aimlessly. The mind has been attracted or repelled by everything and everyone. The soul has been buffeted around from one experience to another, one scene to another. I must break the negative cycles of worry, doubt and confusion within, by recharging the soul with my own original attributes of peace, purity, love and joy. I must make sure the engines of my senses are not burning up the vital fuel of inner peace.

The soul does not grow or diminish but only experiences change in its happiness or unhappiness, peace or peacelessness, etc. The very word "peaceless" suggests that I was at some stage peaceful. I now know that I had peace in the soul world. I can see how peace it is the real "oxygen" for the soul. When I do not have it, I choke and gasp and look for it everywhere. I must look upon all my relatives, friends, associates, as souls also coming from the soul world. We are all fellow souls.

Meditation or Raja Yoga is the means to channel good thought energy into one's moods. It means to turn the thoughts away from those of anger, greed and frustration to a far higher level of peace and contentment.

 

 

IS IT POSSIBLE TO CONTROL

THE FLOW OF THOUGHTS?

Before doing any action we first have to think. Yet how much time do we spend developing the thinking faculty, the mind? With a little knowledge of the power of thought and soul-consciousness, I can remove all inner storms and enjoy a tranquil existence. With knowledge I can control any mood which and bring enormous benefit both to myself and to all others with whom I have contact.

 

As was stated, we spend most of our time searching externally for fulfillment. This means that the soul becomes totally at the mercy of what is going on externally. If the scene is unpleasant or even if something very minor goes wrong, I become worried and upset. Through the practice of soul-consciousness and meditation, I can remain strong and content, come what may, I am a soul and I have my own store of peace from which I can draw at any time. I do not need to practice complicated breathing exercises or strenuous physical posturing. I can draw on my own experience of just being a soul wherever I am, countryside or city, home or work. Thus meditation is a continuing experience rather than a static one.

 

The understanding of the self as a soul is the foundation of all spiritual experience. If you have practised some form of meditation before, it is likely that you were asked to concentrate on a flower, a dot on the wall, the picture of some great saint, a candle flame or maybe even to endlessly repeat some words which are little understood. To concentrate, I must have a focus that is certain and easy to visualise. Very simply and naturally, I, the soul, on the wings of my thoughts can fly to my eternal and highest home and experience my original attributes.

As I begin to practice soul-consciousness, I learn to detach myself from the diverse and difficult situations around me and turn naturally to my home and the Father of all souls who dwells there. The mind becomes automatically controlled by this flow of peace. With the fundamental understanding of the distinctions between soul and body, the spiritual and the physical, I begin to meditate.

 

 

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