RE: Celestial, subtle planes, visions of angels

[Guest guest]

Namaste Dear Kenji:

 

Thank you for sharing from your experiences and research on these types of

experiences. I will pass on what you said to as there were

several people who made comments on that post there as well.

 

I found fascinating what you said "Also there are profound experiences for

the schizoid mind and those coming out of epileptic fits."

 

Thank you for educating us further on this.

 

Lots of love

Harsha.

 

 

 

ken knight [hilken_98]

Saturday, April 06, 2002 2:36 AM

advaitin

Re: Celestial, subtle planes, visions of angels

 

Namaste Harshaji,

What a brilliant, short and insightful posting. As

you know my own research is with testimonies of

profound spiritual experiences. The vast majority of

these are from Westerners but some from the East.

Cultural background effects the reporting of the event

but it is an open question whether the initial

'vibration' is common to all. Coming from an advaitin

perspective then it is common but more on that later

in the year maybe. For the moment can I pick up a

couple of points. You wrote:

>Many people

> are compelled to engage in spiritual practices by

> their nature at a young

> age. Such experiences come to them more easily.

 

At least half of thousands of testimonies that I have

studied in our archives are from people with no

religious background. So we may ask is this the

working of grace..anugraha...or the fruits of a past

life? Both give us food for careful thought in the

light of advaita.

I think it is a Ramakrishna story of a man who desired

to meet the Holy Mother and spent a long time

preparing the ritual. The great day came and he sat on

his deer skin and set everything out perfectly. A

passerby saw him and also saw a tiger approaching so

he climbed a tree. The man preparing for his big

moment did not see the tiger and was gobbled up. The

other man came down from the tree and completed the

ritual and the Holy Mother appeared to him. He was

much surprised, " But I have done nothing to deserve

this vision," he exclaimed. " You forget what you

have done in a previous life," was the reply.

> Beyond a certain point,

> however, these things cannot be forced. Meditative

> techniques become useful

> only when the engine of motivation (eagerness for

> understanding the mystery

> of life) drives the practice.

> The purity of the state of the conscious mind at the

> time of meditation

> determines the superconscious realms that one will

> experience. The more

> pure, quiet, and serene the mind is, the higher the

> superconscious

> experience.

 

Again, this is not typically the case. Frequently

these experiences, some of great insight and feeling

of union, arise from a period of great turmoil and

yearning in a person's life. They have reached the

'end of their tether' and can go no further. Also

there are profound experiences for the schizoid mind

and those coming out of epileptic fits.

I understand, and agree, that from the purity of

advaita there is no experiencer, as we would normally

understand the term, but there are levels of

consciousness as described in other threads at the

moment on jAgrat and svapna avasthA. We need to look

seriously at whose 'intention' does the experience

arise?

In relation to these experiences it is not the forms

of expression of these experiences that should

interest us as these are culture bound, but the

vibration in consciousness that is behind these forms.

I am sure that advaitin philosophy has much to teach

us if we can find the correct questions on this.

> Serenity of the mind is obtained

> through understanding and

> practicing Ahimsa (non-violence) which is the

> cardinal principle in all

> yogic traditions. When the mind of a yogi is

> agitated, the possibility of

> experiencing lower realms is there as well.

> Advaita Vedanta does not attach significance to

> experience of celestial

> planes, visionary experiences of angels, gods, and

> the Goddess.

 

There are many accounts that go beyond this level to

an awareness of Light that precedes such forms. Some

occur in times of conflict and armed confrontation.

Again I acknowledge the advaitin position.

If these experiences are to come to fruition then the

reporter has to discriminate and not become attached

to the forms of the experience. If the discrimination

is in place then the experience is offered up,

renounced and remains pure. The energy then available

leads to service for the good of all. ( There was an

Englishman on a plane that dropped the atomic bombs on

Hiroshima and what he experienced at that moment

changed his life into one of service.)

If the person becomes attached to the experience with

'my experience' claims then the energy dissipates or

congeals in the psychic structure of such a one.

> However,

> Jnanis commonly have such experiences and

> acknowledge them freely. Since

> Jnanis have no one to impress, they enjoy being

> devotees as well.

 

 

I love this so thank you for these words; two

wonderful sentences that I will recall for future use.

They are the foundation for all your recent postings.

 

> Many people ask that if someone is on the Advaitic

> path or Self-Realized

> then why should such a person sing praises of the

> Goddess. Such questioners

> do not understand the depth of the Advaitic state.

> When we even have a

> neighbor come over, we show respect and offer them

> tea. We do not say, you

> are unreal, get out of my house, etc. Similarly,

> when divine beings,

> saints, or the Goddess appears in the superconscious

> mind of the Sage, they

> are shown due respect and devotion and love. It is

> only the Self loving It

> Self in different forms. A Jnani sees no point in

> resisting devotion and

> love.

 

 

Brilliant!! It would be good if we could be physical

neighbours as well as in cyber space.

 

Om sri ram jai jai ram

 

Ken Knight