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Revision as of 19:03, 5 May 2007 by 81.79.200.120 (talk)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Higher consciousness, also called super consciousness (Yoga), Buddhic consciousness (Theosophy), objective consciousness (Gurdjieff), Christ consciousness (Christianity), cosmic consciousness and God-consciousness (Sufism and Hinduism), to name but a few - are expressions used in various traditions of spiritual science and psychology to denote the consciousness of a human being who has reached a higher level of evolutionary development and who has come to know reality as it is. Evolution in this sense is not that which occurs by natural selection over generations of human reproduction but evolution brought about by the application of spiritual knowledge to the conduct of human life. Through the application of such knowledge (traditionally the preserve of the world's great religions) to practical self-management, the awakening and development of faculties dormant in the ordinary human being is achieved. These faculties are aroused by and developed in conjunction with certain dispositions of character such as patience, kindness, truthfulness, humility and forgiveness towards one's fellow man – qualities without which higher consciousness is not possible.
Concept
The concept of higher consciousness rests on the understanding that the average, ordinary human being is only partially conscious due to being under the sway of inferior impulses and preoccupations. As a result, most humans are considered to be asleep (to reality), even as they go about their daily business. Gurdjieff called this ordinary condition of humanity 'waking sleep' an idea gleaned in part from ancient spiritual teachings such as those of the Buddha. In each person lie potentialities that remain inchoate as a result of the individual being caught up in mechanical, neurotic modes of behaviour where the correct use of energy for personal spiritual development has not been understood but is squandered in unskillful ways. As a result of the phenomenon of projection the cause of such a person's suffering is often seen to lie in outer circumstances or other individuals. One prerequisite for the development of consciousness is the understanding that suffering and alienation are one's own responsibility and dependent on the mind's acquiescence (through ignorance, for example). Traditionally, both in the Eastern and the Abrahamic spiritual traditions a person who sought mind-body transformation came under the tutelage of a Master (Rabbi, Sheikh, Guru, Acarya, etc) who would oversee their progress. In the past, as today, this education would often involve periods of retreat in communities (ashrams, monasteries, meditation centers etc.) whose sole purpose is the cultivation of awakening.
Ordinary consciousness as projection
In the spiritual traditions of India, consciousness is understood to be obscured by defilements (Skt: Kilesa) which are compared to clouds covering the sun. These defilements are the result of conditioning (Skt:samskara), accumulations in the unconscious caused by past actions (karma) . As a result, what any individual perceives as reality is a picture of the world at one particular moment filtered through his unconscious conditioning – a ‘reality’ that western psychology calls ‘projection’ (i.e., of the contents of the unconscious). Every individual human being has their own store of conditioning based on their unique past experiences. The goal of spiritual practice (buddhadharma, shariah, yoga etc) is the transformation and higher integration of these contents so that any practitioner following a spiritual path comes closer to reality as the causes of delusion are dissolved. Enlightenment (also called salvation, kaivalya, moksha, Union with God,etc) furthermore, involves the complete dissolution of all the causes for future becoming so that reality is seen, finally, as it is, rather than through the veils of projected unconscious contents. It may be protested that the mere possession of an apparatus such as the mind and body of a human being with its genetically predetermined structures prevents the possibility of unconditioned consciousness (Skt: asankhata-nana or nibbana) but the testimonials of numerous saints and mystics throughout history bear witness to the contrary.
A parable
Since ancient times, sages have used parables and metaphors to teach people about the higher possibilities of being human. One such parable states that God (or Nature, if one prefers) has given human beings as their birthright a beautiful mansion to live in. In this glorious habitation there are many fine rooms full of priceless objects, well-stocked libraries, furnishings and décor of incomparable quality. Each human being, for the most part, however, lives in the basement of this mansion, in two or three rooms only, and the majority of humanity is barely aware that the rest of the building exists, let alone that it exists for each person's own use and advancement.
The spiritual path
The path of cultivating consciousness requires the adoption of certain self-imposed rules or vows. These are generally concerned with exercising restraint with respect to actions of body, speech and mind. Examples include the five precepts of Buddhism. The effect of this restraint is to begin to contain energy and prevent unskillful actions that cause ongoing harm. Over time changes in the moral disposition of the aspirant are accompanied by physiological changes in the brain and nervous system opening up the energy channels (nadis or meridians) present in the subtle bodies which are thereby activated. Critical (indeed central) to development of one’s latent spiritual faculties is the practice of meditation. After moral restraint, meditation is the most important tool in the purification of the mind.
See also
Further Reading
- The Psychology of Man's Possible Evolution, P.D. Ouspensky, Online Version
- Discourses of Rumi (Fihi Ma Fihi), trans. A.J. Arberry, Online Version
- The Dhammapada, trans. Harischandra Kaviratna, Online Version
- The Evolution of Consciousness, Robert Ornstein
- The Degrees of The Soul, Shaykh Abd Al-Khaliq Al-Shabrawi, Quilliam Press