Obsidian – Knowledge is Within

The first parable of the Bible is in Genesis, with the story of Adam and Eve.  There were two trees in the middle of the garden, the tree of life and the tree of knowledge.  They were instructed that they could eat from all the trees that were in the garden, but not from the tree of knowledge.

Eventually, they ate from the forbidden tree, found that they were naked, and clothed themselves.  This parable reveals the beginning of life in the first stage of tamas. 

The indigenous tribes that wear very little are not aware of their nakedness and do not feel ashamed.  This isn’t a stage of innocence, but ignorance, as the mind acclimates to dwelling in a human body.

Later, God walks into the garden and finds that Adam and Eve have eaten from the tree of knowledge, and Eve is cursed with pain during childbirth, Adam with hard labor, and both with physical death.  A tamasic mindset is one who is unable to fathom death and one who feels little suffering, whether for themselves or others.

Eating from the tree of knowledge describes spiritual growth for Adam and Eve into the next stage of rajas.  They were aware of their nakedness and clothed themselves.  Their awareness of pain during childbirth and physical labor increased compared to the stage of tamas, where the senses are dull and the mind is ignorant.

Sadhana in tamas is learning to use the mind and dwell in a body, and in rajas, acquiring what they need through whatever means necessary.  In both stages, their senses are turned outward.  If they follow a religion or custom, the effect is only external.

God provides each soul with a subtle body, chakras, and the Atman.  Nature provides the ego that the soul naturally generates as a defense mechanism for survival.  Within the subtle body lies the higher, lower, and unconscious mind.

Those in rajas become powerful and ruthless in the world through brute force as they naturally seek dominion with their senses fully turned outward. 

Since the soul is too weak, these stages must look to society or religion to define basic goodness.  Aware of these boundaries, they may live within them or push the boundaries as far as possible in fulfilling their lust for power or material pursuits. 

Others may ignore societal and religious laws and become outright criminals.  The conscience is produced by the Atman and descends into the higher mind.  Unable to access it, the criminal cares little about right or wrong until he’s caught.  Any remorse is external and self-serving to appease society and lighten the judgment against him.

Genesis says that “God walked among them in the cool of the day,” and denotes evening time or the end of the chakra when God’s power is required to help the soul open the next chakra.  It is a gift through our own efforts and perseverance that the Holy Spirit quickens and awakens each to a new chakra.

With each birth, everyone eats from the tree of knowledge for spiritual growth is an ongoing process.

As a woman’s pregnancy begins, she has no conscious control over what’s being formed, relying on a natural progression as the baby grows a heart, lungs, skin, and nails.

So, too, the progression of the soul is to move upward through the chakras until liberation when a new creation is born within.  Each chakra opened is a preparation ground for the next until sadhana is completed.

This progression during tamas and rajas is accomplished through karma yoga alone since the soul is unable to access meditation or contemplation.  Without these abilities, as evident by the world’s leaders, war and suffering are inevitable.

Those in rajas lack mercy and wisdom and most countries are led by them.  They represent the military and organizations that desire obedience without question.  They are the current governments, the Hitlers’, Bushes’, Putins’, Kim Jong Uns’, Netanyahus’, and Trumps.’

Trump is the king of rajas and ahead of the others with more vices to achieve his desires that many find appealing.  Yet he, like the others, is too crass, unsophisticated, and foolish to help bring the world through such dark times.

Pratyahara

In the next stage of pratyahara, the soul gains new powers or the ability to apply a dual effect.  In rajas, it’s “what you see, is what you get.”  In pratyahara, their personal motivations stay hidden while they excel in the world.

If we use the analogy of children’s fables, rajas represents the wolf in Three Little Pigs.  He doesn’t disguise himself and says, “I’ll huff and puff and blow your house in!”  In Little Red Riding Hood, the wolf disguises himself as grandma to acquire what he desires.

As those progress through this chakra, they have a better understanding of the behavior that appeals to the masses, and their creativity increases with this dual ability.  As a salesman, they can serve what the buyer wants on a beautiful shiny platter.  Once home and the platter flakes, pratyahara laughs and says, “Too bad, that’s not how I sold it to you!”

They may gravitate toward sales, politics, and religion for the offering of fame or monetary gain and are successful at being the “everyone’s guy,” that collectively, the public relates to. 

A comedian in Hollywood, Chris Rock, is in pratyahara, and I found this altercation between him and Will Smith interesting.

During an awards ceremony, Will Smith walked on stage and slapped Chris Rock on the mouth for joking unkindly about his wife.  Later, Will’s wife would abandon him publicly for his decision to do so.

Will Smith is a bodhisattva and his anger was justified.  In slapping Chris, he was really saying, “Words are important, and you need to be careful of the words you use instead of spouting off whatever ugly things come into your mind.” 

I was watching the awards at the time, and my first reaction was shock.  My second was, “Wow! What strength of character!”  I’ve thought for a while that Mr. Rock needed a sting across the mouth for all his put-downs and thoughtless smears against others. 

Jokes that belittle are a form of cruelty.  It shouldn’t be practiced by anyone or taken lightly by others listening.  It’s an even more topsy-turvy world when a person makes millions of dollars exploiting others by behaving this way.

The public opinion of Will changed afterward, and many spoke against him.  Yet, he still chose the path of non-harm in slapping Chris. 

For one, Will didn’t physically hurt him, and whether Chris Rock admits it or not, spiritually, this was a karmic lesson for him.  It was positive instruction, too, for all those watching that hurtful jokes are just as humiliating as a public slap in the face, and indeed, they are.

   

There are many in pratyahara in politics, including DHS Secretary Mayorkas, whom the Republicans attempted to impeach for the illegal border crossings into the United States.  Ted Cruz, who is one of his biggest opponents, is in rajas.

Admittedly, Mayorkas is doing a terrible job, but unlike Cruz, he doesn’t rule with an iron fist.  It is difficult in the stage of pratyahara to create order out of chaos for they no longer enjoy applying brute force as first option, preferring this new power of duality in disguising their selfish intent.

Pratyahara do not make excellent government leaders or spiritual teachers, yet they thrive in Christianity by turning this path to heaven into a pleasure-seeking vacation. 

In this chakra, they would thrive better with to-do lists and should try to remain focused while practicing attentiveness in their daily duties.  Japam, along with karma yoga and practicing contemplation would help greatly at this stage.

Dharana

As all those in pratyahara continue to eat from the tree of knowledge, the Holy Spirit awakens the next chakra, and they enter dharana.

This is an introspective stage where the spiritual aspirant gains new power, delving deeply into the mind for meaning.  They no longer view their existence with the simplicity of pratyahara and want to explore this new depth they’ve found inside.

There is much to uncover as they dive deeper, and this stage reminds me of the jnana path, and those who apply the mind rather than the heart in sadhana.  This is the path forward for dharana since the heart chakra hasn’t opened yet.

As they delve deeply into the mind, they can reach contemplative or semi-meditative states and are able to use japam with great success.  Repeating the Lord’s name often throughout the day and while sitting in a contemplative state for a half-hour daily will help greatly in their sadhana.

Anyone just entering a chakra or suffering from anger, depression, PTSD, or other issues that make meditation too difficult, can find their path forward, like dharana, through contemplation, japam, and karma yoga. 

If the mind is racing, slow it down by repeating the Lord’s Name slowly in a controlled manner. It’s similar to a bodybuilder who focuses on a certain area as he lifts weights using deep concentration. At first, there will be difficulty, but over time, doing this daily for a half hour will help clear the mind and bring relief.

Dharana is typically a dry stage, for the blissfulness of dhyana has not yet awakened.  There is much to do in preparation, and they should guard themselves against complacency.  They should watch their thoughts and not allow negativity to overtake them.

This stage reminds me of the donkey, Eeyore, in The Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.  One of Eeyore’s favorite lines is, “Oh, bother!”  In some of the scenes, Eeyore loses his tail, and the others help him find it. 

A donkey is known for its stubbornness, and Eeyore’s detachable tail represents his motivation.  Most of the events surrounding Eeyore involve his friends helping him find his tail or improving his outlook on life.  The stories are so uplifting and how I’ve enjoyed watching them!

Dhyana

The chakras are like a road map that must be traveled to reach wholeness and are an indication of the spiritual awareness and knowledge gained. 

As noted earlier, it’s not possible to bypass current knowledge, experience, and wisdom by focusing on a higher chakra during meditation or other spiritual practices. 

It can’t be forced open by lighting candles, incense, or through incantations, positive thoughts, prayer, or belief.  Through effort, it is the Holy Spirit that quickens and awakens the soul to the next chakra, and it is God’s Power and Wisdom that decides when the spiritual aspirant is ready.

The magic in sadhana is found through daily spiritual practices that light a fire within and burn continually through ahimsa.  The wisdom acquired from past lives is retained and accessed through spiritual practices such as meditation, japam, and self-reflection.

The soul expands as the chakras open, providing endless growth that leads to deeper awareness, happiness, and spiritual prosperity.  The higher the chakra, the more power and the deeper the understanding.

As we move into dhyana, Winnie reminds me of the fourth chakra.  In the 2011 Disney movie, Winnie the Pooh, the scene opens with Winnie being tugged about by his stomach in search of honey, which represents unending bliss. 

At one point, Eeyore says his throat is a little scratchy.  Winnie looks in his mouth and says, “Just what I suspected.”  He turns to Owl and says, “We need honey.”

With the awakening of the heart chakra, meditation produces stilling moments and bliss that have never been felt before.  Their ability to feel joy and suffering deepens, and they find it less difficult to put themselves in another’s shoes.

They may feel inclined to champion the less fortunate like Angelina Jolie who became an ambassador and adopted several children from poor countries.  She relieved their poverty, but the children are much lower, spiritually, and their behavior must have antagonized her in private. 

As a female, she possesses a great deal of long-suffering and has used it to bring order to the chaos that was inevitable, though it couldn’t have been easy.

Much of her publicized quarrels with her husband, Brad Pitt, were over the children. I suspect this was the main driving force in her decision to separate.  Unable to see the real situation, she blamed him for the family upheavals and stress that she caused herself by adopting children from tamas and lower rajas.

Due to all experiences of past lives, no two people are in the exact same place spiritually, but those close within the same chakra, will feel a sense of friendship and kinship towards one another.

With each chakra opening, the senses are heightened, and the ability to feel, too, is more profound.  The one in dhyana whose heart is happy or sad will feel more deeply than the one in pratyahara.  The vastness of the chakra differences created too much stress for Angelina Jolie, and it is not my recommendation for dhyana to adopt the lower chakras due to spiritual incompatibility.   

Ahimsa takes on a deeper meaning for the one in the higher chakra.  Where the lower chakra follows basic laws to stay out of jail, he may still be hateful and combative towards his neighbor.  The higher chakras will not want to argue or fight and will choose to avoid the less sophisticated to keep peace with their neighbor.

Dhyana has a better understanding of the need for peace, but the fourth chakra may have the most difficulty dealing with anger.  It’s a feisty stage as they search for ways to combat it.  Using karma yoga and hobbies can quell anger issues and bring relief, along with daily meditation and japam.

The fourth chakra is the rowdiest stage of dhyana, and when the heart chakra opens and the senses become stronger, their ego fools them into thinking that they can find shortcuts to wholeness. 

They often search for it in sex or mind-altering substances and are enticed by fast paths that offer quick access to spiritual experiences. 

Winnie’s addiction to honey is like the fourth chakra’s attraction to bliss.  They may have a spiritual experience with a drug and then want to relive it every day until one day, they wake up and realize the substance has become an addiction.

These spiritual experiences from substances are not Atman-induced, and the soul will not grow through these routes any more than burning incense or smoking marijuana.  It often changes a person’s perception of reality, which, in rare circumstances, may be helpful in a small number of situations. 

Some therapists have given ketamine to those who have chronic depression.  It’s given in their offices sparingly, and many have found relief.  It is not meant to be used as a crutch, but as a temporary perception change to help them through their debilitating depression. 

It’s only a fraction of their therapy while they work through the cause and may be useful.  What’s detrimental to sadhana, is repeating this behavior enough times that it becomes an addiction.  Don’t allow yourself to fall into this trap, whether by doctor, therapist, or the world!

The fourth chakra is attracted to fast paths because they offer so much for so little.  Like Winnie the Pooh, they want the honey and Winnie doesn’t care if he finds it himself or if it’s handed to him!

A good teacher instructs others through knowledge and experience, just as the one learning must practice what’s taught.  Knowledge isn’t acquired through a faith or belief system, but through actions that lead to wisdom and understanding. 

Spiritual growth is a process that begins with looking within and searching for what makes the heart soar! 

Do you prefer a belief system that requires little effort?  Any of the religions can offer a get-it-now approach to appease the ego.  Those who teach reward without effort have no knowledge or understanding of the progress that takes place through God’s natural order within the soul. 

It takes time for a child to grow through all the stages into adulthood. Just as the physical is, so is the spiritual, and everything manifested in the physical world is evidence of God’s natural order.

During infancy, a baby must be fed the basics of good nutrition to be strong and healthy, and as the child grows, he learns to feed himself. 

If he sneaks into the cookie jar too many times, there’s an adverse effect since it doesn’t nourish the body.  It may affect him spiritually, too, when his behavior becomes difficult for him or others to manage.

There’s an interconnectedness or interface between the soul and the body, which is the reason why many feel bad after eating junk food or find physical exercise spiritually uplifting.  The Atman sends peace and joy when the body is cared for, since it is the vehicle for spiritual growth.   

Sadhana is life, for it is the spirit that wills the body to move, and we are not our bodies, but spiritual beings temporarily housed for the purpose of spiritual growth. 

We won’t grow spiritually by attaching our happiness to physical objects, popular opinions, or fast paths through faith.  Just as cookies make the body weak, faith must be accompanied by the purifying effects of karma yoga and meditation, for this is what nourishes the soul.

Those in the higher chakras should guard themselves with ahimsa and spiritual practices, for they carry the creativity of all previous births, which, if left unchecked, naturally leads to evil vices.

If, for instance, a person is in the fourth chakra, he or she will have the creativity of all the chakras up to the fourth and may still lack wisdom without spiritual practices.  Until samadhi, a person can commit sin, and the higher the chakra, the more required spiritually for happiness and peace of mind. 

To give an example, I like to visit a Christian forum where most are in dhyana.  A girl entered with the topic of nudity.  She said that she and her husband were nudists and Christians both, and that nowhere in the Bible does it say that nudity is a sin.

Being raised in the Christian community as a child, my first thought was, “Did Jesus walk around unclothed?”  Why wouldn’t she consider His example of living as instruction as well as the scripture she claims to believe in?

Though in dhyana, her lower mind is looking down and recalling her time in tamas. Without spiritual practices, she wants to relive it, searching for bliss using an ignorant state that’s far removed from the joy she’s capable of experiencing.

A fellow in the fifth chakra responded with stronger impressions from the Atman and said, “Your desire to be naked does not trump your obligation to care for others.”   Then, his ego took over, and he responded, “But I would say on a nudist beach where everyone will be comfortable, I see no issue.”

Our public appearance does matter in all cases, as we are spiritual beings first, and nudity is a stumbling block, even for those who claim it feels natural. 

In essence, this female is in the fourth chakra with a tamasic mindset, and this is the result of a lack of spiritual practices that led to a depraved lifestyle. 

She’s essentially wasting this lifetime searching for joy through her senses, which are unable to provide what her spirit needs to thrive and be happy.  Despite this, she won’t give up her desire to be in tamas again, to the point of destroying her opportunities for spiritual growth and the peace that comes with a rational mind.

Let’s look once more at the growth and creativity of each chakra.  In tamas, we first begin to learn how to use the mind and body.  In rajas, we learn to work hard with an exponential increase in intelligence. 

In pratyahara, we learn that we have a spiritual effect while using the body and mind. Beautifying the surroundings and home is also important.

In dharana, we are driven to search the recesses of the mind for meaning and find it to be a worthwhile project. 

In dhyana, the heart awakens, and we feel deeply, whether joy or suffering.  The senses become more heightened with each chakra change, and bliss becomes more pronounced.  These changes bring ultimate danger to those who don’t commit to spiritual practices.

The ego within will take full advantage of the heightened senses and experiences of bliss, and through the lower mind, entice a person to relive an ignorant state. 

With the heart chakra open and even with the senses heightened, meditation can overcome sense gratifications that the ego wants to cling to.  

How can you tell the difference between joy and pleasure?  Joy gives purpose and meaning, and pleasure results in short-term gratification.  Afterward, you’ll feel empty inside and run for your next sense experience.

I know of an acquaintance in the fourth chakra who only feels good about herself when she’s shopping.  No one in dhyana can ultimately find a sense of meaning through objects, but she keeps looking and thinking, “If I buy that one more thing, it will surely make me happy.” 

She keeps buying, but she’s never satisfied.  This rush she feels for more objects is really her desire to find happiness, and her lower mind keeps looking back to previous chakras when acquiring objects was enough to make her happy; only now it doesn’t and can’t.

As we move through Knowledge is Within, we need to explore the spirituality that exists every moment of our lives! 

The ego is comfortable when we compartmentalize our spirituality by picking one or two days a week for effort.  We then slide into our outer garment of religion and go to church.

This behavior comes from leaning backward on a previous chakra when rituals and objects were enough.  You’re in dhyana now, and you won’t find bliss by continuing to relive a previous chakra that was never blissful to begin with!

These lower stages of ignorance were only designed to get you where you are now. You’ve eaten from the tree of knowledge and can never go back except through a fall from yoga.  What terrible suffering that would be!

You must forge ahead to find bliss and meaning in living.  Living in sense-gratification will not bring happiness, only a weakened state, filled with emptiness and suffering.

At the end of the parable of Adam and Eve, it says, “After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.”

The tree of life represents samadhi, as noted by the wording on the east side of the garden, where the cherubim and flaming sword were placed.  The East teaches a more advanced truth of transformation after samadhi, along with the practice of meditation. 

There’s a flaming sword flashing back and forth that blocks the way to samadhi.  Like the story of little King Arthur who pulled the sword from the stone, will you be the one who’s found worthy to seize the flaming sword and slay your dragons, the dreaded ego?

The cherubim represents the Atman as the watchman and overseer of the soul’s progress.  The Atman, or Lord within, is the one you must please at the end of the day to find happiness and fulfillment.   

The Atman is a part of your being, and peace can only come when you search diligently for the impersonal Atman through spiritual practices.  Look up, not back, like Lot’s wife, who turned into a pillar of salt.  Reliving a distant past will never lead you a step closer to the flaming sword and tree of life that awaits your destiny!

Joy is equal to growth, for as joy increases, growth is inevitable. By looking within, the soul gains clarity, direction, and a sense of purpose.  Spend time each day searching for the Atman’s guidance, and through meditation, this action will slowly transform your life.