Devi: The one supreme Brahman and pure Consciousness
"I am both awed and inspired by the fact that the Devi has declared that 'till the complete knowledge in the form of my consciousness arises, there is no liberation.' Everything else—seeking, knowledge, rituals, worship, relationships—pales into insignificance. Indeed She is the End of Sacred Knowledge that brings so much comfort and closure to the death, delusion and pettiness of human existence.”Life After Death: The Burden of Proof
INDEX
Consciousness:
action in, 152
Akasha as field of, 87-89, 106, 167, 221, 229
and angels, 161-162
boundaries of, 26
and brain, 226, 241
after brain death, 37, 43
in casual planes, 14
and creation of afterlife, 42, 58
creation within itself, 87, 137
of delogs, 41
devata effect, 164
energy field, 242, 244
evolution of, 76
field of, 247
and Five Koshas, 144-151
and formation of other worlds, 29
at home in, 151-153
in India, 4,5
and knowledge, 30
low ebb of, 75
and meditation, 7
minimal, 62
in near-death experience, 124-25, 126
of physical objects, 126, 127-28
powers of, 114
pure, 126, 127, 129, 135, 136, 141, 144, 149, 151
reality created from, 195
rishis on, 195, 199, 202, 229
Satan as creation of, 75
of subtle objects, 126-37, 141-45, 165
survival after death, 237-38
theory, 204, 263-64
as universal principle, 199
At Home in Consciousness
You and I seem to live primarily in the physical world, yet our
awareness began in pure consciousness, and as we traveled into this
life layer by layer through different dimensions, each one gave us a
new sense of self. We possess an entire self system. The rishis
studied this system and came to various conclusions:
- Pure Consciousness is always present in everything, no matter what
world it occupies or form it takes.
- The physical world has the least amount of pure consciousness
because it is dominated by physical beings and the illusion of
separateness.
- The closer you get to pure consciousness, the more powerful it
becomes.
- Changing one's consciousness on subtle level brings change to all
the Koshas at once.
If we follow these principles, we can gain the same mastery enjoyed
by the sages, or at least a fair share of it.
I posted opinions on the Internet to this effect, saying that basing
one's life on consciousness is the best route to mastering the
physical world. Responders were quite sceptical, however. Many said,
in effect," Talk about consciousness all you want, but we have to get
people to stop destroying this planet.” Or "Consciousness is all well
and good, but it won't end war and terrorism.” Or "Good luck using
consciousness to stop a bullet.” In other words, they were putting
the physical Kosha first, assuming that material things can only be
influenced through direct action.
How can one prove that the best way to change reality is through
consciousness? On the physical level action seems separate from
consciousness. The Buddhist concept of nondoing seems quite mystical
until you realize that it means "Action in consciousness.” Action on
consciousness takes many forms. The passive resistance of Gandhi was
an outward form of nondoing that had a huge effect on consciousness;
it brought an entire historical era to an end. Powerful ideas are
also in consciousness, and there is no doubt that have changed the
world, from the Greek invention of democracy to modern theories of
relativity. As we move to subtler Koshas, all action takes place in
consciousness.
Let me simplify things by making some suggestions about action in
each of the five Koshas:
Annamaya Kosha, the physical body: Nourish and respect your body.
Appreciate its incredible inner intelligence. Do not fear it or taint
it with toxins. Take time to really be in your body. Take it outside
and let it play.
Pranamaya Kosha, the vital body: Go out into Nature and sink into the
feeling that this is your home. Respect and nourish the ecosystem. Do
not harm other livings things. See Nature without fear or hostility.
Reverence for life is the key here.
Manomaya Kosha, the mental body: develop positive uses of the mind.
Read and appreciate what is finest in human expression. Become aware
that you are a wholeness, and allow ideas to come in that support
wholeness over separation. Resist us-versus-them thinking. Examine
your automatic reactions and secondhand beliefs. Find every
opportunity to welcome signals from your higher self.
Vigyanmaya Kosha, the ego body: Find a vision; go on a quest. Fit
yourself into the larger pattern of growth. Seek ways to evolve
personally. Celebrate the vast traditions of spirit and wisdom that
unite cultures. Be as humane as you can in every way, following the
dictum"The world is my family.”
Anandamaya Kosha, the body of bliss: develop your own practice for
transcending and finding bliss. You already know the phrase "Follow
your bliss" ; now put it into practice through some kind of "Alpha
wave" exercise like meditation and deep relaxation. Devote yourself
to discovering what Samadhi, the silence of deep awareness, is really
like. Experience your own being as a reason to be here.
Deepak Chopra, Life After Death: The Burden of Proof
Harmony; 1 edition (October 17, 2006), pages 151-153
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