What If Enlightenment Is Only Half The Journey

We all know how much emphasis is placed on enlightenment, and rightfully so. Evolution is our number one purpose. But what if enlightenment is just half the journey. 

As a soul before we ever come to earth to play the role of a human we are full, complete and whole. Why step down to a place that can be a struggle? If expansion, growth and evolution are chief principles of universal law then maybe the new frontier is the expansion of light into a lower dimension, a lower vibrational realm, for the purpose of, the creation of heaven on earth. 

So, instead of gaining enlightenment with the intention of leaving earth behind, our journey is to continue to raise the environmental vibration and create a utopia here on earth. A place we would be happy to revisit. 

Think about it. We would be considerably more engaged in our health, wealth, knowledge and relationships. Manifestation, would be a major part of our focus. The learning of the siddhis would make more sense. I remember Maharishi saying, “Once we gain liberation (Moksha) we move on to Mastery”. Liberation, in this context, rests as a passive application of Moksha. Thereby, making Mastery the proactive component of Moksha. 

Earth is a place of contrast which makes it easy to know what we don’t want or what we want less of. This awareness is the seed for us having a desire. That which is more inline with what we do want. This will launch us into action to acquire what we want. Our default mode is to effort our way there. However, there is another way. 

Acting from the deep quietness of Self we can let a thought/desire arise that perfectly identifies precisely what we want in its subtle wholeness. We would then be in the home of all knowledge, the field of all possibilities, the state of Ritumbara Pagya. A place where each item of creation is in a perfect blueprint state and is already manifest in a myriad of dimensions, simultaneously. It is like holograms of the same item stacked one within the other with slight variations due to changes governing each of these dimensions.  However, our job as manifestors is simply to match our vibration with the item desired and Nature does the rest. In this way we can witness our co-creations. 

Let’s practice with our own health. 

Rest deeply in your own silence. Now, bring in the feeling of your body. Initially just feel your body’s vibration and simply rest with this feeling. You will feel subtle corrections taking place by this act of attention alone. Then wish for perfect health. Stay present and you will witness the tiny devas joyfully working to make your body healthier. If you can’t see them or feel them then imagine them and soon they will magically materialize. Don’t forget the joyfulness, that’s where the magic is. 

Love. Love. Love. 

Karma 2

Let’s chat about family karma. Firstly, our earth family is not in perfect alignment with our soul family. Each time we reincarnate we are on a specific mission. We have very specific goals. We are building a very specific entity so we search out very specific cast members that are best suited for those roles. Of course we know all these various souls and based on their respective skill sets and what they need for their own evolution we will work highly complex scenarios that fit each other’s goals. So our earth family and friends may not be our soul family members. It’s not uncommon for a soul family member to be the villain in our lifetime script. Who else would you entrust with such an important role in your life mission. 

As such, family karma may or may not be a reality. If we are a soul family member we are likely to be close to having very similar experiences and goals so each close family member may have near identical goals and experiences so it may seem that we are sharing karma. But believe me our individual karma is not identical. 

In a super broad sense there may be little difference between very close souls but their karma is not your karma. Having said this, know that the unique way we overcome obstacles to our evolution is a matter of record, akashic record, of which there are many layers. Knowledge is different in different states of consciousness.  As such, one soul may appreciate and adopt your very own unique method of overcoming a particular obstacle and use it for their own evolution. In this way we take knowledge and give knowledge to the collective. 

The farther we ascend the more overlap there is in our consciousness and goals until we actually can finish each others sentences. At that point we speak as one voice. I see exactly what you see and come to the same conclusions. We become a “We” instead of an “I”. By this time karma is completely dissolved. It was really a tool in the first place to help keep us on task in an orderly way. As well as a means to have a whole experience. 

We cannot discount karma because it is valuable to our evolution but we don’t want to over emphasize it either. When we give karma too much power we risk using it as an excuse for not taking responsibility for our own behaviors. Same with the concept of family karma. It can become a way of deflection and not owning our own actions. 

Karma is so complex that this whole blog on it may be seen/experienced differently. I welcome your unique viewpoint. Feel free to contact me on the subject via my email: jim_rocca@yahoo.com

Love you everyone. 

Karma 1

Karma literally means action or the act of doing. So yes, as long as we have a body there is karma even if it’s just breathing or the beating of the heart. If the body is alive then there is karma. 

However, the kind of karma I'm considering is related to actions that have an effect on others and their consequences.

First off the consequences of any action we perform is not good or bad and it is never a punishment. Karma is designed to be an experience and since earth offers itself as a plain of existence that deals with duality there are two sides to the whole experience of each particular action/karma. There is the one doing the action and the one receiving the action. To complete the whole experience thoroughly we should play both parts. 

Simply put we should perform the action in one life and receive the action in another life. There is nothing good or bad about either.  It’s simply a way to fully experience an action. 

Next we’d like to ask why would we ever want to come to earth. Evidently, earth is a place where enlightened souls come so we may occupy a higher status in our off-earth lives. Earth is super challenging. Once we have achieved enlightenment on earth our status has significantly increased. And if we do it right we have helped many other souls to also advance in their respective evolution. 

Robert Schwartz has written a series of books, I found book one, Your Soul's Plan and two, Your Soul's Gift to be the best, and if you only have time for one book make it book two. Through the use of about 5-6 highly skilled psychics Swartz taps into the pre-life plan of various people in their planning stage before they incarnate. 

Evidently, we carefully structure all our life interactions with each key player and all the minor players as well. The inner circle may only be a handful of souls but all the players, may be in the hundreds. Every one of them are active participants in your pre-life script. And important life interactions are rehearsed. Such as the first moment you meet someone that will be important to the trajectory of your life, a dear friend, lover, teacher, etc. There are no coincidences. 

Wait a minute, what happened to free-will? 

It’s there every step of the way. If we are off script it’s usually a minor alteration. So in deep sleep we meet with our guides and masters to re-route our trajectory, creating a revised script and perhaps even recasting roles our current characters are playing. 

All of this is done with deep love for the individual souls and their evolution. It’s all heart driven action for the betterment of all. 

Earth is a challenge to begin with but many souls add more challenges to get the most out of their time on earth. Such as, coming on to earth with a sickness or disability. Or one come here as unique, like being gay in a non-friendly environment, even being ridiculed by family so you can’t get away from that harsh criticism. Why so nasty? Because progress comes from either discomfort or comfort. Many souls realize they won’t make much progress in their evolution, time on earth without pushing themselves. Putting yourself down in a harsh environment causes us to go deeper into self. Thereby exposing ourselves to our own refined nature. That revelation represents a big step in our evolution. The interesting point in this method is, a soul choosing the tough road will ask a soul family member or a deep soul friend to be the one that deals the heaviest ridicule or criticism, and its carried out with great love. (This is really touching my heart). This is why we always need to reserve judgment on anything we see. It’s seldom obvious. 

Wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita (Part 4)

It would seem that in chapter 13 v 12 where Lord Krishna says, “param brahman “, the highest brahman, is neither existence nor non-existence, that the door to consciousness development is now closed. From a state of consciousness it is. However, Lord Krishna continues, in chapter 15 v 16 for yet another 5 verse run. Chapter 15 v 16, “There are two “purusau” in the world, the perishable and the imperishable...”

Chapter 15 v 17, “But the highest (uttamas) purusas is another, called param atma (supreme Self). Who entering the three worlds as Isvarah, supports them (the perishable and imperishable).

Wow, we are definitely in deep waters here. We had the perishable and imperishable but now we have Isvarah who appears to be an overlord that supports the previous two.

Chapter 15 v 18, “Since I transcend (atitas) the perishable an am higher than the imperishable... I’m celebrated (prathitas) as purusottamah (the supreme purusa)”.

“Higher than the imperishable”? This is incomprehensible. I mean, think about it. How can one be higher than the imperishable. Like, where is that state? Just feeling into this reality causes one to be completely without foundation. Talk about true non-attachment.

Verses like this can’t simply be thought of. They must be taken into the heart and deeply felt.

Lord Krishna, in the form of Vishnu, Ishvarah (param atma), and now Purusottamah, the ultimate (uttamas) Purusa, is to be known through a perfect blend of mind, heart and soul.

Chapter 15 v 19, “He who, undeluded, unconfused, knows Me, as Purusottamam, he, sarvavit (all-knowing, omniscient, omni-cognizant), bhajati (worships, loves) Me, with sarvabhavena (all, whole, entire being).

Again, as in chapter 13 v 18, a brilliant folding in of a statement of achievement with a compassionate invitation to join Him in a place (loka) which is higher than the imperishable or not existence nor non-existence. A place/state that is incomprehensible nothingness yet simultaneously full, leaving one wanting for nothing. :)

Chapter 15 v 20, “Thus this most secret doctrine has been taught by Me, O Arjuna; having awakened to this, a man should be (syat), buddhiman (wise, enlightened) with all duties fulfilled (krtakrtyas).

Amazing how Lord Krishna takes Arjuna from the highest of spiritual highs in the previous verse to, down-to-earth, in this verse creating linkage and practicality. Useful in this moment. True mastery.

So, from the seemingly impersonal state of param brahman in chapter 13 starting with verse 12 of "not existence nor non-existence" to the very personal state of purusottamah, "higher than the imperishable". I get a sense of initially knowing the Highest then stepping into the Highest. The knowledge in chapter 13 addresses the question of, What am I? While chapter 15 answers the question, Who am I? What vs Who. These are probably the two eternal questions posed by the true seeker. From the standpoint of God it may play out as - once the creation is complete (the what) the creator (the who) steps into their creation.

In someways this can be seen as the journey of the seeker but in a deeper context it’s our inevitable evolution. Where we feel our way, through the avenue of the heart, to a state of oneness with this divine entity, Krishna, Vishnu, Isvarah, Purusottamah and in so doing, step into, realize and become our destiny.

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