If I could give one thing to every person on the planet it would be the understanding of the difference between a) their thoughts and b) the awareness of those thoughts.
Thoughts are evidence of our conscious mind. The awareness OF our thoughts is evidence of our consciousness.
Raja Yoga is a personal, experiential PROOF that our
Consciousness is divine!
Students of Raja Yoga eventually experience six energetically-distinct dimensions of themselves (inner & outer physical body, conscious mind, and three states of sub-conscious mind), inevitably [with pigheaded determination] arriving at the conclusion that our underlying consciousness is “not of this earth”.
Consciousness or awareness simply “is”. It’s eternal & unchanging.
The awareness OF our thoughts NEVER changes. It’s literally the only thing in our universe that doesn’t! Obviously, WHAT we’re aware OF (our thoughts) changes every second – but not our awareness OF them!
The ancient yogis said that no amount of fire or water can affect this aspect of us.
Does that mean the essence of who we are, our awareness or consciousness, lives forever? FOREVER?! That’s the theory: that neither consciousness nor energy can be created or destroyed.
The key to significantly relieving suffering and reducing stress is to realize that the death of our body/mind is not the end of our journey!
While this body/mind will inevitably run out of energy and stop working, part of us lives forever!
The eternal, intangible nature of our consciousness remains unaffected by the death of its host body/mind.
Realizing the eternal nature of our own consciousness takes the stress out of life; it’s HUGELY literally empowering and transformative – because it inspires Faith!
“Yea, thou I walk thru the valley of death….”
Who’s to say what will happen when this body/mind exhales for the last time?
My guess is the ancient yogis were right: the eternal aspect of each of us withdraws back into a giant pool of consciousness which:
“sleeps in rocks;
dreams in plants;
stirs in animals; and
CAN awaken in man.”
As Amma says,
“Consciousness is essentially divine, infilling everything, pervading everywhere, impelling all. Revealing itself as Truth, Awareness, and Bliss.”
God bless, Skip
