Four Fold Nature

In chapter 15 verses 16, 17 & 18 of the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna reveals the four layers of Himself. He starts with Ksaras, the perishable self, the persona, our personal self/identity or the personage known as Krishna. Then, he speaks of Aksaras, the imperishable self, our soul, or Vishnu in the case of Krishna.

Lord Krishna then moves on to some lofty heights, in verse 17, as he reveals the 3rd aspect of His nature, Ishwara and/or Paramatma. This is what we reference as the over soul. A state of awareness that oversees our individual soul. In psychology our subconscious referenced as our shadow self in more contemporary spiritual terms. The layer of deep awareness that drives our deepest desires in many ways unknown to our conscious self.

Ishwara and Paramatma, from Lord Krishna’s explanation appear to be two sides of the same coin with Ishwara being the more precipitated, particle aspect of Paramatma, the wave nature of the two.

In verse 18, Lord Krishna unveils the fourth layer of His own nature, Purusottamah, the Supreme Purusha. The God-head nature of Lord Krishna.

I see these layers of self/Self as being operational within our own nature. We are a persona, within a soul, within an oversoul, within a godhead self. We, in the ultimate analysis, are the full package. Whatever Lord Krishna is, we are.

There is also a relationship between this four fold nature of self and our consciousness behaviors. Sattva, Atman, Moksha and Brahman. In the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, chapter 3 verse 36 and again in verse 50 Patanjali makes a distinction between sattva and atman to start it off. Although Patanjali didn’t present a sutra that offers a distinction between atman and moksha (liberation) he does devote the fourth and final chapter to Liberation. Perhaps a fifth chapter could have been cognized on the subject of Brahman.

If we are translating these states of awareness to sutras they may be something like this. Distinction between sattva and atma. Then distinction between atma and moksha. And finally distinction between moksha and brahm. With such a practice we would enliven the four fold nature of consciousness regularly.

Happy consciousness research my friends. ❤️❤️❤️

Patanjali and Chapter 4 Verse 25 of Bhagavad Gita

In the yoga sutras Patanjali delineates three sutras in particular, dharana (focus), dhyana (meditation) and samadhi (transcendence). Together Patanjali terms them as samyama, a method for invoking knowledge of the object of focus, to know the very essence of the object.

Example: by lending focus (dharana) to say, the quality of friendliness we may travel into finer layers (dhyana) of friendliness until we transcend (samadhi) friendliness.

The internal experience of such an act would be to know the object so completely that we adopt the essence of that object, in this case the quality of friendliness.

Another thing is happening during this exercise. We are going beyond the object and experiencing samadhi. However, the experience of samadhi is flavored by the entryway in which we came. Its samadhi but it tastes like some version of friendliness.

So outwardly, we immerse ourselves in friendliness and in someway take on that quality of friendliness. But inwardly, we transcend with the flavor of the object, in this case friendliness.

At this fine layer of awareness the object, friendliness, looks and feels like a colored mist, for me its light green. This mist is actually the veil of maya, illusion, flavored as friendliness. Know that this is the view from the material world.

From the world of the transcendent, Patanjali terms it, savichara, samadhi with seed as opposed to samadhi without seed, nirvichara. Perspective does matter.

A term that encompasses both may better be, ritam bhara prajna, intelligence filled with truth. In this layer of awareness we know the object in its true and perfect form. The blueprint form, its vedic form as such it can be understood as both/neither simultaneously as subtle material or nothingness. If you’re in an upbeat place its glorious beyond glory. If you’re not, its zero, nothingness. If you’re feeling harmonious its both glorious and zero. If you’re feeling non-harmonious its neither or total negation. As maturation of consciousness development sets in, your awareness will grow beyond alteration of the options, into simultaneity of the options. It’s no wonder many enlightened people are looked at as nuts. :) In many cases you become a party 🎉 of one. :)

Let’s get back to this element of the experience of subtler layers. Frankly, it’s much easier to follow.

So as we experience finer states of the object we transcend samadhi with seed, savichara, and go into samadhi without seed, nirvichara. This is a state of atma or brahman. In knowing this we come to realize that following any object to its purest state will deliver us to brahman. And by doing this exercise with object after object one can stitch together brahman, as it were. This is the essence of the Brahma Sutras.

What this also is, is the discovery of a path to brahman consciousness. In chapter 4 v 25 it states, "Some yogis perform yagyas (sacrifice) to the gods. Others offer sacrifice to the fire of Brahman". The offering of sacrifice to the "fire of Brahman" uses the god as an avenue to Brahman. By doing the yagya like this both the god is satisfied as well as Brahman. The main reason there is worship to any god is so we may select a relative perfect form/vehicle in which to travel to Brahman. This is the main purpose of a mantra.

Note, that in the same way we use a sutra to experience finer levels of the object and arrive at samadhi with a specific flavor by using a mantra or name of a god or goddess we will also find samadhi to be flavored with the essence of that mantra/god.

As one moves forward in their own consciousness development at some point this phenomenon is naturally recognized and we find ourselves using the mantra less because its not pure enough. We innately desire to experience brahman without the flavor of something else so we drop the training wheels. At this stage of our consciousness development we can arrive at brahman without aids, without seeds, solely by itself/ourself. We recognize in ourselves that we are brahman and everything we perceive is brahman and brahman alone is.

Mantra meditations and Patanjali sutra exercises have served to deliver us to the goal. As such we lose the appetite for them. We respect their royal standing and honorably bow to them but we move past them to pure direct experience of brahman without these filters, or flavors.

Do we now enter brahman with some other kind of filter? Yes, but that filter now is our own nature. Brahman has become personalized. Its our Brahman. We own It. It owns us. Looking at this from either way it ends up being the same. Lending value to the concept of "sameness". An appropriate description. Sameness in all directions.

Wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita (Part 5)

In chapter 12 v 13 Lord Krishna introduces para (highest) brahman as na (not) sat (existence), na asat (non-existence). In this, the very nature of the highest brahman is described by the highest authority that has come to earth to explain the profound layers of consciousness knowledge.

Know that He explains this knowledge as a “What” then later in the Gita He explains it as a “Who”. Why first as a What?

In our development of consciousness experience we first obverse the new layer of development as an object. In those early stages of knowing a new layer of awareness our essence of Self is a witness to the new layer of awareness.

However, with more familiarity and comfort we gradually accept this new found state as a new realization of our own Self. Thereby understanding it as a subject. So the What of consciousness always precedes the Who of consciousness.

For the sake of remembrance the Who is stated by Lord Krishna in chapter 15 v 18 where Krishna states He is “... higher than the imperishable... and celebrated as Purusottamah” clearly spelling out the Who of the highest consciousness, para brahman.

One very important step remains for this ultimate layer of consciousness to be complete. It’s the point where we step into this realization. Lord Krishna discusses this in chapter 13 v 18 when He says, “My devotee, understanding this, enters into (arrives at) My state of being”.

Note that Krishna talks of “It” as a state, a What because at this point in the revealing of the knowledge He is teaching of that knowledge as a What. Later after Krishna speaks of the knowledge from the perspective of Who in chapter 18 v 55 He says, “By devotion to Me, he (the aspirant) comes to know who I am in truth. Then having known Me in truth, he enters Me immediately”.

There is a lot here. I hope I can do it justice. In brief, first there is devotion, which gives way to truth, which culminates in union. All 3 stages are respected here. This is how the truly wise speak to at least 3 layers of consciousness, in one breath.

Through devotion a closeness to the guru, god or goddess is created. This closeness, in time, will reveal truth. The truth being that they are the be all and end all in their ultimate state. They are everything there is. By the use of their own perfection they expose all of consciousness to us. This is very profound, worth reading again.

Now for the union part.

Not only are they the be all and end all but so are You. Once that is really realized. That is, realizing this with every fiber of your being. Then one will enter Him/Her/You immediately. It literally is in a flash. And that level of peace is total. Complete fullness. Totality. True Wholeness.

I encourage all of you to use your guru, god, goddess as an avenue to the realization of your own Self.

Know that your ultimate truth is identical to their ultimate truth. That’s why at the end of the journey you simply end up with You. You are wholeness already.

Don’t give away your treasure (Ratna - eighth word/sound of the RK Veda, meaning gems/treasure) to anyone else. No need to admire what any god or guru has because you have the same stuff in spades. They are just advertising it more. Cloaking themselves in it. Giving the illusion that they are the few entrusted with it. Not so. We are equal owners of It. Cut through the BS and see it clearly. YOU are the show. Own It.

Where is humility and respect?

It’s there, always. We respect and honor our parents and teachers but we also live our own lives powered by all our knowledge and experience. We live predominantly off of the culmination of all of it. We step into ourselves, while still honoring those that provide assistance to our development.

Do this same dance with your consciousness pursuits. Realize your value. Take It. Own It. Its yours. It was always yours. It will always be yours. No one can give you what you already own. That’s why enlightenment is a realization. A function of memory (smrtis).

Arjuna’s last statement to Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita is, “Now I remember”.

copyright © jim rocca, 2020

Wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita (Part 3)

The Bhagavad Gita is a 2 hour conversation between Vishnu, in the personage of Lord Krishna, and a great, highly intelligent, deeply sensitive, archer named Arjuna. Arjuna poses excellent questions of Lord Krishna about what he is about to do in the heat of battle against many of his respected teachers and relatives. This conversation takes place in the middle of this battlefield prior to war.

In this discussion Lord Krishna, driven by Arjuna’s profound questions, delivers a gigantic tranche of high knowledge about enlightenment that sages are still writing commentary about today. Over the roughly 5,000 years since that monumental event, commentary on the Bhagavad Gita has become a standard of consciousness development for those who have attempted commentary on the text.

No book has ever been written before or since containing the depth and breathe of this level of knowledge. Mainly, because no one has a better understanding of enlightenment that has chosen to speak on the subject beyond Lord Vishnu. If one really wants to know all there is to know about enlightenment they will find themselves humbly at the threshold of this study, no matter what their level of consciousness experience.

I write this to shine a spotlight on this work. A work that's designed to remind us of the value in undertaking the search for our truest nature both as individuals and as a civilization.

In my opinion, for the true seeker of knowledge, the study of the Bhagavad Gita, the words of Lord Krishna, is the pinnacle of knowledge.

In the previous two blogs I identified 3 iconic sections of the Gita that I feel denotes 3 very distinct evolutions in consciousness development. Each of these states are in the field of enlightenment. So, even the mastery of the 1st level of awareness is a great achievement. It would be easy for a seeker to uncover the wisdom in chapter 2 v 45 and experience, Liberation. Yes, with a capital “L”.  Being without the 3 gunas ... possessed of the Self (atmavan), resting in Atma is indeed a great attainment. The only reason I am writing more is because the knowledge that Lord Krishna reveals, doesn’t end there and internally I am compelled to honor the knowledge for some reason. The knowledge and the speaker of the knowledge, demand to be heard. As such, I find myself unfolding this cognition.

The instructions in chapter 2 v 45 takes the seeker from living life driven by the small self, an ego based reality, to living life driven by big Self, a divine based reality. For most of us that is phenomenal. However, there are layers to this reality. Initially, it’s felt as almost a bubble of awareness extending around us for maybe 10 to 20 feet in diameter but over time that bubble is sometimes known to be considerably larger with a depth of endless unfoldments within it. A strange thing happens. You begin to know your divine nature as very large but the rest of the world outside of Self is separate from your internal reality. However, one day that outside world becomes known to your infinite expanded Self as “another” infinite expanded Self. Both these infinities then look at each other and literally fall in love.

Some have described this as the divine worshipper meeting the divine worshipped, God for short. Haha. This is such a beautiful time. Your glorious grand Self finds someone or something that really knows It’s own nature, completely. It’s the best that a relationship can be. It’s the highest of relationships. But then the relationship ends. It ends in both infinities merging into one magnificent infinity. The relationship is no more.

When waking up to this some say, “Where did my God go?” We realize that the very essence of our Atma, our Self, is identical to the very essence of the Self of God. No difference. No separation. Perfect Oneness. Self has now grown to encompass everything. This state of awareness is expressed in chapter 6 v 32 of the Gita. “He who sees evenness everywhere by comparison (analogous to) their own Self... Is thought to be the highest yogi.”

In the commentary to the Bhagavad Gita by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi he speaks clearly about this transformation of consciousness. He states, “... the link of worship, of adoration and devotion, finds fulfillment in its own extinction, leaving worshipper and worshipped, together in perfect oneness...”

This is clearly a state beyond devotion. When experienced, one alternates between one’s own individualized Self and the Self of God, being unsure who is observing and performing at any given moment.

What could be greater than this? Many sages have ended it here. However, it seems consciousness isn’t finished developing. One more major discovery remains.

I have personally named this awareness the pinnacle of “white enlightenment” or “white transcendence” as opposed to “dark enlightenment” or dark transcendence”. One is the epitome of Everything - All Light - White Transcendence. The other is the epitome of Nothing-ness - No Light - Dark Transcendence. I found support for this experience in the words of Lord Krishna in chapter 13 v 12, “It is the beginningless (anadimat) highest (param) brahman, that it is said (ucyate) to be not (na) existence (sat) nor (na) non-existence (asat).”

So, the highest brahman is not existence nor non-existence. I love this. We are now looking at consciousness from the standpoint of negation. Not this. Not that. As such, providing knowledge by way of no limits.

Many have described the ultimate state by what Its not, leaving Its description as un-named. Like, the Un-created, Un-changed, Un-bounded, Attribute-less, In-finite, Im-perishable.

This opens the door to the realm of Nothing-ness as the basis or highest state, this dark transcendence phenomenon. A state absent of Everything. Even Maharishi had touched on this awareness terming it the “Fullness of Emptiness” as opposed to the “Fullness of Fullness”. He related this to the first two letters of the first verse of the first Veda, RK Veda. The first letter is “A” (Ah) meaning Full Open. The second letter is “K” (Ka) meaning Full Close. Full Open the Fullness of Fullness. Full Close the Fullness of Emptiness.

So from two impeccable sources, the words of Lord Krishna chapter 13 v 12 “not existence nor non-existence” and the first two letters of RK Veda, “A” and “K”, we see evidence of the Fullness of Fullness and the the Fullness of Emptiness.

To finish this exposition I’d like to turn back to the Bhagavad Gita chapter 13 v 18 where Lord Krishna states, “Thus the field (ksetram), knowledge and the object of knowledge have been briefly described. My devotee (madbhaktas) understanding this arrive into My state of being.”

This is so very beautiful. In this statement Lord Krishna is both describing a process of achievement and compassionately extending an invitation to be joined, somehow blending devotion and oneness. No more need be said. Simply rest in the experience. May the influence of these divine waves of knowledge penetrate deeply into your core. 

copyright © jim rocca, 2020

Wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita (Part 2)

Those 3 examples of the Gita, mentioned in the previous blog, really denote steps of enlightenment.

Chapter 2 v 45 is really about Cosmic Consciousness. The state of awareness where one becomes acutely conscious of the silent witness, aspect of our selves that is always there resting behind our thinking and actions that quietly observes everything we do. We become so keen to that state that we simply rest there and notice how our thoughts and actions carry on there functions, automatically. That which was silently in the background, is now in the foreground as our primary state of awareness. 

Chapter 6 v 32 is Unity Consciousness or the Unity of God Consciousness as Maharishi terms it. A state of consciousness that allows the individual Self to realize that ultimately its nature is identical to that of God. As such, the worshipper has risen to the level of the worshipped. One’s psychology is found initially to alternate between identifying with one’s supreme state of Self and God. Over time that alternation matures and that state grows into a simultaneous state where these realities live in perfect oneness, thus the term Unity Consciousness. 

Chapter 13 v 12 is about para brahman - Brahman without attributes - the highest Brahman. Much high level commentary on "param brahman is neither existence nor non-existence" have said it’s “neither” because it’s both. I say, not so. If that were the case we'd be right back to UC which was expressed in chapter 6 v 32. 

Chapter 13 v 12 is clearly a step up. Its approach is from a level of negation. Not this. Not that. Its the removal of any form of identification not of small self but of Big Self, universal Self. That's a whole different zip code. This is not a UC level of experience. 

This level of negation speaks to the very heart of identity. It’s beyond Self. Even the word Self denotes ego, identity. Yeah, its Big Self a great state of awareness but it’s still a form of identity. As such, there is still a sense of attachment. Lord Krishna is bringing Arjuna to the ultimate non-attachment - Param Brahman. Brahman without anything else. Not even Self. 

This is total renunciation. An absence of attachment. A field of awareness that contains zero influence's. Lord Krishna has allowed the psychology of Arjuna to be devoid of everything. He now will simply and directly do his duty, his dharma. His skills are free to be expressed at their highest level. Lord Krishna, the charioteer, will deliver Arjuna, the archer, to where they will be most effective and the action will happen, automatically, with perfection. Such, a beautiful metaphor for life in this glorious state of awareness. 

copyright © jim rocca, 2020

Wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita (Part 1)

There are certain iconic verses in the Gita that serve as anchors of consciousness. Chapter 2 v 45, comes to mind, “Be without the three gunas...possessed of the Self (atmavan)”. Lord Krishna provides the first truly profound instruction to Arjuna. Allow your self Arjuna to be held, possessed by Atma, that which is beyond the world of thinking, the world of loss and gain, of cause and effect. That state of awareness that is pure consciousness in its own nature. That state that some refer to as the silent witness. Rest there Oh Arjuna.

Another iconic verse for me is found in chapter 6 v 32. Lord Krishna said, “He who sees evenness in everything... Is thought to be the highest yogi”.

There is a five verse run up to this verse starting with verse 28 and the “contact with Brahman”. Then to verse 29, the seeing of Self in all beings and all beings in the Self. Verse 30, seeing all things in Me (Krishna). Verse 31, the honoring of Me (Krishna) abiding in all beings. And finally, verse 32, seeing evenness in everything.

In my humble opinion I find this to be the end of the Gita in many ways. Since, we have been taken from seeing everything as Self, a very non-personal state. To seeing everything in Me, the Lord Krishna, a very personal state. To seeing everything as evenness, a non-personal and personal state combined. A state where the Self and devotion to God meet in such a way that perfect oneness is known. Where both the illumined individual and the universal God are inseparable. Could there be more?

I never thought so until my new iconic verse hit me.

In chapter 13 v 12 through 16, yet another five verse run, there appears to be yet another wrinkle. Verse 12 states that the highest (param) Brahman is (na sat) not existence. Nor (na asat) non-existence. Whoa, what have we here?

Some say its both, in an attempt to regain a consciousness foundation. But, Lord Krishna says very plainly that its neither.

Right here is why full enlightenment is said to be incomprehensible. Logical thinking will never be able to explain the state of full enlightenment. I love it. A reality that will always be a mystery.

These five verses go on with statements like, outside and inside beings, moving and not moving, far away and also near. Finally ending in verse 16 with, “This is to be known as the sustainer of beings, their devourer and creator”.

Now, that’s heavy.

My sense is, Lord Krishna has painted an impossible portrayal, leaving Arjuna and in turn all true seekers with only one alternative - Surrender. Surrender to the will of God. You are the actor as well as not the actor. So act.

copyright © jim rocca, 2020