Part 11 (1/2)
There is one quality of the All that should give you hope. It wants to share.”
If the divine mind wants to share itself with us and we are willing to accept, then the stage is set for unity. The main tenet of Vedanta is extremely simple-duality is too weak to stand forever. Take any sin or delusion, and in time it will come to an end. Take any pleasure, and in time it will start to pall. Take any depth of sleep, and in time you have to wake up. In Vedanta they say that the only real thing is eternal bliss consciousness (sat chit ananda). These words promise that the timeless waits for me when the temporary expires, bliss outlives pleasure, and being awake comes after sleep. In that simplicity the whole notion of duality collapses, revealing the unity behind all illusion.
What is my greatest temptation? ...
Beyond temptation.
You can't be tempted when you have it all. It is even better when they can't take it away from you. Vedanta is expressed in a famous saying, ”I am That, You are That, and All this is That.” When the ancient sages refer to ”That,” they are referring to an invisible but quite real power. It is the power of existence. You have it forever when you can say, ”I am that power, you are that power, and everything around us is that power.” Other words like grace, G.o.dhead, the light, alpha and omega work just as well-yet none of them equals the experience, which is very personal and totally universal at the same time.
The sage Vasishtha was one of the first human beings to realize that we experience only the world we filter through our minds. Whatever I can imagine is a product of my life experience so far, and that is the tiniest fragment of what I could know. As Vasishtha himself wrote: Infinite worlds come and go in the vast expanse of consciousness, like motes of dust dancing in a beam of light.
This is a reminder that if the material world is just a product of my awareness, so is heaven. I have every right, therefore, to try to know the mind of G.o.d. A journey that begins in mystery and silence ends with myself.
In the holy cave I visited above the Ganges, only at the last moment did I get a hint that someone else was sharing the place with us. Our group was lost in the vast silence that blossomed there. It had become evident without a doubt that G.o.d existed, not as a person but as an infinite intelligence moving at infinite speed through infinite dimensions, a creator modern physics could come to terms with as well. But at that moment none of us had any thoughts. We got up to go, and in the dimness we sensed that we weren't alone. Peering into the gloom, we made out the faint shape of another person who had been there all the time-it was the old saint who couldn't meet us with the key when we arrived. Sitting in lotus position, he hadn't stirred when we entered and didn't stir now.
We left quietly, and as we emerged into the blinding daylight, what we had shared started to fade. My mind began churning again. Words that first sounded like harsh cymbal clashes became normal within a few minutes. The usual distractions grabbed hold. But some flavor of that cave remained with me for weeks in the form of a quiet certainty that nothing was ever going to go wrong again. This is not nearly the same as being unborn, eternal, hard as stone, boundless, invulnerable, blissful, and all-knowing. Yet I am closer to it, nearer to the source. For once my mind jumped off the ledge of everyday life and landed in a good place, where struggle isn't necessary, I opened the door on the side of eternity. Now I can fully appreciate Rumi's words: When I die I shall soar with angels, And when I die to the angels, what I shall become, You cannot imagine.
G.o.d IS AS WE ARE.
WHO IS G.o.d?.
Stage One: Fight-or-Flight Response: G.o.d the Protector Vengeful Capricious Quick to anger Jealous Judgmental-meting out reward and punishment Unfathomable Sometimes merciful Stage Two: Reactive Response: G.o.d the Almighty Sovereign Omnipotent Just Answerer of prayers Impartial Rational Organized into rules Stage Three: Restful Awareness Response: G.o.d of Peace Detached Calm Offering consolation Undemanding Conciliatory Silent Meditative Stage Four: Intuitive Response: G.o.d the Redeemer Understanding Tolerant Forgiving Nonjudgmental Inclusive Accepting Stage Five: Creative Response: G.o.d the Creator Unlimited creative potential Control over s.p.a.ce and time Abundant Open Generous Willing to be known Inspired Stage Six: Visionary Response: G.o.d of Miracles Transformative Mystical Enlightened Beyond all causes Existing Healing Magical Alchemist Stage Seven: Sacred Response: G.o.d of Pure Being-”I Am”
Unborn Undying Unchanging Unmoving Unmanifest Immeasurable Invisible Intangible Infinite WHAT KIND OF WORLD DID G.o.d CREATE?.
Stage 1: Fight-or-Flight Response: World of bare survival Stage 2: Reactive Response: World of compet.i.tion and ambition Stage 3: Restful Awareness Response: World of inner solitude, self-sufficiency Stage 4: Intuitive Response: World of insight, personal growth Stage 5: Creative Response: World of art, invention, discovery Stage 6: Visionary Response: World of prophets, sages, and seers Stage 7: Sacred Response: Transcendent world WHO AM I?.
Stage 1: Fight-or-Flight Response: A survivor Stage 2: Reactive Response: Ego, personality Stage 3: Restful Awareness Response: Silent witness Stage 4: Intuitive Response: Knower within Stage 5: Creative Response: Co-creator Stage 6: Visionary Response: Enlightened awareness Stage 7: Sacred Response: The source HOW DO I FIT IN?.
Stage 1: Fight-or-Flight Response: I cope.
Stage 2: Reactive Response: I win.
Stage 3: Restful Awareness Response: I stay centered.
Stage 4: Intuitive Response: I understand.
Stage 5: Creative Response: I intend.
Stage 6: Visionary Response: I love.
Stage 7: Sacred Response: I am.
HOW DO I FIND G.o.d?.
Stage 1: Fight-or-Flight Response: Fear, loving devotion Stage 2: Reactive Response: Awe, obedience Stage 3: Restful Awareness Response: Meditation, silent contemplation Stage 4: Intuitive Response: Self-acceptance Stage 5: Creative Response: Inspiration Stage 6: Visionary Response: Grace Stage 7: Sacred Response: By transcending WHAT IS THE NATURE OF GOOD AND EVIL?.
Stage 1: Fight-or-Flight Response Good is safety, comfort, food, shelter and family.
Evil is physical threat and abandonment.
Stage 2: Reactive Response Good is getting what you want.
Evil is any obstacle to getting what you want.
Stage 3: Restful Awareness Response Good is clarity, inner calm, and contact with the self.
Evil is inner turmoil and chaos.
Stage 4: Intuitive Response Good is clarity, seeing the truth.
Evil is blindness, denying the truth.
Stage 5: Creative Response Good is higher consciousness.
Evil is lower consciousness.
Stage 6: Visionary Response Good is a cosmic force.
Evil is another aspect of the same force.
Stage 7: Sacred Response Good is the union of all opposites.
Evil no longer exists.
WHAT IS MY LIFE CHALLENGE?.
Stage 1: Fight-or-Flight Response: To survive, protect, and maintain Stage 2: Reactive Response: Maximum achievement Stage 3: Restful Awareness Response: To be engaged and detached Stage 4: Intuitive Response: To go beyond duality Stage 5: Creative Response: To align with the Creator Stage 6: Visionary Response: To attain liberation Stage 7: Sacred Response: To be myself WHAT IS MY GREATEST STRENGTH?.
Stage 1: Fight-or-Flight Response: Courage Stage 2: Reactive Response: Accomplishment Stage 3: Restful Awareness Response: Autonomy Stage 4: Intuitive Response: Insight Stage 5: Creative Response: Imagination Stage 6: Visionary Response: Holiness Stage 7: Sacred Response: Unity WHAT IS MY BIGGEST HURDLE?.
Stage 1: Fight-or-Flight Response: Fear of loss, abandonment Stage 2: Reactive Response: Guilt, victimization Stage 3: Restful Awareness Response: Fatalism Stage 4: Intuitive Response: Delusion Stage 5: Creative Response: Self-importance Stage 6: Visionary Response: False idealism Stage 7: Sacred Response: Duality WHAT IS MY GREATEST TEMPTATION?.
Stage 1: Fight-or-Flight Response: Tyranny Stage 2: Reactive Response: Addiction Stage 3: Restful Awareness Response: Introversion Stage 4: Intuitive Response: Deception Stage 5: Creative Response: Solipsism Stage 6: Visionary Response: Martyrdom Stage 7: Sacred Response: Beyond temptation GETTING WHAT YOU WANT.
The Seven Levels of Fulfillment G.o.d is another name for infinite intelligence. To achieve anything in life, a piece of this intelligence must be contacted and used. In other words, G.o.d is always there for you. The seven responses of the human brain are avenues to attain some aspect of G.o.d. Each level of fulfillment proves G.o.d's reality at that level.
Level 1 (Fight-or-Flight Response) You fulfill your life through family, community, a sense of belonging, and material comforts.
Level 2 (Reactive Response) You fulfill your life through success, power, influence, status, and other ego satisfactions.
Level 3 (Restful Awareness Response) You fulfill your life through peace, centeredness, selfacceptance, and inner silence.
Level 4 (Intuitive Response) You fulfill your life through insight, empathy, tolerance, and forgiveness.
Level 5 (Creative Response) You fulfill your life through inspiration, expanded creativity in art or science, and unlimited discovery.