SEVENDAYS COURSE ON GODLY KNOWLEDGE-LESSON 1-WHO AM I

 

SEVEN DAYS COURSE ON GODLY KNOWLEDGE
BY BRAHMA KUMARIS

LESSON 1

WHO AM I

1.1. INTRODUCTION

Om Shanti-These two words represent the essence of the teachings of Raja Yoga.”Om” means “I am a soul”, and “Shanti” means “Peaceful”. Hence “I am a peaceful soul”. Yet how long can I maintain being a peaceful soul? If I look back over the last 24 hours, is this what I have been?

      Probably the situation has been a very different one. In my search for peaceful satisfaction in life, I have been trapped by peacelessness, which has influenced me so much that I have moved so far away from my natural the consciousness of peace.

      Through the teachings of Raja Yoga, the soul is able to achieve its natural state of peace very easily. The name of Raja Yoga has been used for a long time; many centuries in fact, although these teachings have only recently emerged and are quite revolutionary. They explain very simply the most fundamental information of all: that of who I am and what I am.

Raja Yoga- can be defined in a number of ways. The word “Yoga” simply means “Union”, and the word “Raja” means “Supreme”, “King” or” Master”.Raja Yoga is the king of all Yogas because through it I can become sovereign. But of what? Not over others, because that would be artificial. The power that I gain, that I now seek, is the power of control over my own mind, because it is my mind that has been creating sorrow and distress.

My aim- is to become the master of my own mind, even to master my own personality, and of course to be the master of the physical costume-my body.

      The first subject of Raja Yoga is also the one that leads us to the last-that of not merely who I am, the soul, but of soul consciousness. The final stage of achievement through Raja Yoga, in which souls are free of all negative influences and have reached a state of perfection, is based entirely on this first lesson of soul consciousness.

1.2. THE PHYSICAL AND THE NON-PHYSICAL

Is there more to me than I see in the mirror? To see how there is more to me than an assembly of physical organs; we have first to define the Living and the Non-Living, not merely in the biological sense, but in a deeper, spiritual context.

The Living- is that which has AWARENESS of its own EXISTENCE and also that which is able to create its own thoughts. These thoughts form the basis of feelings and emotions and only ‘I the Living’ am capable of these.

The Living is also that which has the ability to JUDGE: Right from wrong, Truth from falsehood, reality from illusion. I the Living also have a unique personality which is totally incomparable to that of any other being. Individual uniqueness exists because every living being is carrying the full record of all its past experiences, which determines the personality. We observe that the personality of one person is quite different from that of another.

The Living is also that has MEMORY. On the basis of this unique quality, a person can establish a relationship. As I remember meeting others, the relationship grows.

Living is also that which DESIRES. These may be limited material ones, which tend to lead one soul into further mental degeneration, or desires of a highest, altruistic, spiritual kind, that lead the soul to its original state of excellence. These desires form the motivation for all actions.

The Non-Living- If I relate the qualities of the Living to those of Non-Living, I can see the vast difference between ‘I the Living being’, and all material objects around me.

Similarly, let me apply these criteria of the Living to my own physical body:-

      Thinking of the body as a separate instrument, is there any part of it which is experiencing, judging or deciding? I can see that none of the physical organs, such as my hands or feet, eyes or ears, even my head, have these faculties. There is something apart from these organs that dose these things.

Let us take an example:-

Whatever action I perform, although I will use various instruments, I am totally separate from them. For instance, if I use a knife with my hands to chop some tomatoes, throughout the operation the knife makes no decisions. If I lose concentration and cut my finger with a knife, neither my finger nor the knife became emotionally disturbed-they were purely instruments.

It is easy for me to see the knife as an instrument. But I am so attached to these hands that it is very difficult to dissociate myself from them and realise that they too are only instruments, and really nothing more than this. I have had this pair of hands for as long as I have had this body, and I know they are the only pair I will get. So not only personal attachment to my hands, but to the whole of my physical body, is something so deep, so intense, that I have totally forgotten my real identity.

The Mistake- Ever since the moment when I came into this physical body, I have been labelled and put into compartments according to my physical classification. It has been instilled into my consciousness that “You are a boy” or” you are a girl” so that I grew up absolutely committed this idea. And in fact, if someone were to question this today, to question the identity of being a man or woman, a person would probably consider it a very great insult. But is that what I am? Can I be accurately labelled ‘Young’ or ‘old’, ‘man’ or ’woman’, ‘fair’ or ‘dark’? Is there a real indication of who I am simply through this?

      Yet this is the mistake we have been making; not only have others made this mistake about me, putting me into a bodily compartment, but I have done this to me. I have totally identified myself with the body, and I have cut out all other possibilities; my consciousness has become quite restricted by the colour, the age, the nationality, the religion, the culture, into which the BODY has born.

1.3 THE REDISCOVERY OF “I”

I am the Living, I am not physical. I know I am not because I can experience things beyond physical limitation. My body cannot go back to childhood, but I can. Within a second, my mind can race back to the days of my youth. It can even race forward to the days of my probable old age. Past or future, both are equally easy for me to travel across any distance in a split second, as my thoughts carry me across to America, to Australia, to India. Wherever there is a pull, my thoughts will take me there. And all this while my body has been seated in one specific place. So my body is physical, I am not Physical, I am metaphysical, unhindered by the physical limitation of time or distance.

Just as I grew up with natural instincts such as eating, breathing etc.related to survival in a physical body. I also grew up with my own personality which, as has been mentioned, is absolutely exclusive to me. My own subtle characteristics are quite different from even those of my physical parents, and so I must have gained this in an existence even before this one.

Also, I am definitely invisible. A mirror will only show me bodily features: the shape of my face, the colour of my eyes. But all these exterior things tell me very little about my real self. I, the being within this physical frame, am invisible. Now I can see all these things: that I am metaphysical, eternal, and invisible.

Form- What am I? When I dissociate myself from my physical costume and search for my true identity, there is a strange detachment from the body, but also uncertainty, because I do not as yet fully know who I really am, and I am leaving behind territory which was familiar. So, let me go one step further, and think of myself in a non-physical form: a tiny point of light, a minute dot of invisible luminous energy. Can this really be true? Such a strange thought to have... for so long I have thought of myself as female or Male, and now I am thinking of myself as a tiny dot, as light.

Let me examine this further....

As you think deeply about this, you will become aware of yourself as a subtle being, a point of subtle energy, minute, yet full of power, so small it cannot be broken down any further.

Experience- Let me experiment with this...

            Yes, it is a dot that is eternal, unique, unhindered by time and space. A point that has no geometrical dimensions. The dot is invisible, Just pure energy. So peculiar to think of myself like this. And yet as I experiment with this concept of my deepest identity and experience myself a point of light, located directly in the centre of the forehead. I have this incredible sensation of lightness, of freedom, of peace, of subtle power, because I am now aware that all this is within the point.

Position:- Where am I located?

                  I the soul am located in the centre of the forehead, near the organs of control for the body, and near the organs of communication with the physical world, since it is from here that I can exercise total control.

Performance- The brain is an instrument operating by means of electrical impulses. I, the soul, make a decision and the decision reaches the brain instantly. It is translated into activity via the entire body system. Stimuli come in through my senses and reach the brain. From the brain, impulses reach “the soul”. Thus from outside, I am stimulated into further thought and possibly further action. The intellect makes this decision. I the soul am the controller, and the brain is the control room through which I operate

The Third eye:-  This is also where the third eye  of wisdom has been shown, which was once thought to have existed physically. However it is nothing physical, because wisdom is not related to any particular part of the body. It is the soul that seeks wisdom, and the soul that retains wisdom. So when we speak, in spiritual terms, of the ‘opening of the third eye’, we are referring to the awakening of consciousness, a new awareness, or a soul consciousness.

People only stumble around at night when they cannot see. The eyes deceive the mind, and the intellect can only make a wrong decision when its knowledge is incomplete. Knowledge is like daylight, it opens the third eye, and the dark immediately becomes light. With my third eye open, I can see what I should be doing. Up to now, I have been using these two physical eyes, which can only see physical dimensions and nothing further. With my third eye I can see beyond the physical, and, being able to see, I can now become the complete master of myself.

1.4. DRIVER and VEHICLE

It will sound obvious to say that “only when a driver is fully conscious, can he use his vehicle accurately to take him to his destination”. But if we now look at ourselves using this analogy, we can see clearly just what an enormous difference there is between being ‘in control’ and being asleep at the wheel.

The driver of a car can go anywhere, as long as he remembers what he is doing. If he is travelling along the road and suddenly loses concentration, allowing the mind to drift off even for a moment, he will plunge straight off the road. Accidents happen when people forget what they are doing.

In exactly the same way, if someone loses their self-control, even for a moment, there is an accident (an outburst of great anger for instance) which causes sorrow for the self and sorrow for anyone else involved. Even onlookers who simply saw the accident are very upset by the damage done to the occupants of the vehicles.

 So, awareness of and harmony between both the soul (the driver) and the body (its vehicle) is essential. Just as the driver must be aware of his vehicle and in harmony with it, the soul must be in total control of its body

And yet I have gone to sleep, I have not been aware, and so there have been many, many accidents. I have caused myself, and those around me, so much grief. But now with awareness, the driver wakes up, assumes control once more and begins to use his vehicle in the correct way.

Under Control- In the consciousness of “I, the soul”, I can now see the benefits of using my senses to pick out the good from the bad, the useful from the useful from the useless, and translate it all myself, I become the master of my physical senses.

It is so strange to realise that I have been using so little control over my senses, that my eyes and ears have been pulling my mind in different directions for years, making me literally into a slave of their every whim. It really is the situation of the cart before the horse, putting the body before the soul. Knowledge is power, and with this knowledge, I can re-establish my true state of sovereignty over the physical body.

1.5. HOW THE SOUL WORK

Having seen, and experienced, the effect of forgetting who I am, let us examine what is happening inside this pinpointed of light, this spark of consciousness, that is the soul. Each Soul has three separate faculties.As they are described, you will be able to see not only how so many accidents have come about through lack of understanding, but also the method for gaining control once more.

Although we can give each faculty name, it is actually the same energy functioning on three different levels-these are: the MIND, the INTELLECT and the IMPRESSIONS.

The Mind-Through the mind, one IMAGINE, THINKS and FORMS IDEAS. Our thoughts are created in the mind. The thought process is the basis of all EMOTIONS, DESIRES and SENSATIONS. It is through this faculty that, an instant, thoughts can reach anywhere, or relive a past experience and produce happiness or sadness. The mind is a subtle organ which should not be confused with the heart, which is merely a physical organ that maintains blood circulation.

Through Raja Yoga......the mind is controlled

The intellect-   The intellect is then used to ASSESS thoughts. This is the faculty which UNDERSTANDS. Our capacity to understand is perhaps the single most crucial ability of all. With the deepening and broadening of intellect, clear understanding of anything is possible.

..........the intellect is developed and elevated

In addition to understanding the intellect REASONS,MEMORISES, DISCRIMNATES and TAKES DECISIONS. As with all faculties of the soul, it is subtle and spiritual, not physical, so it should not be confused with the brain. The brain is merely the physical focus of the nervous system and act as the control panel of the soul. Through this physical control panel, ‘I, the soul” am able to regulate respiration of my body, simply by reacting to an external situation, which I decide makes me overjoyed or very upset. So my intellect is not part of the physical brain, but the subtle faculty of judgement and understanding of “I soul”.

THE CYCLE PATTERN OF THOUGHT

The Impressions- Any action that has been performed leaves an impression on soul. We will refer to impression as ‘SANSKARS’, which is the precise Hindi word used.HABITS,TENDENCIES,EMOTIONAL TENDENCIES, TEMPERAMENTS,PERSONALITY TRAITS are all Sanskars imprinted on the soul through each action it has performed. All the thoughts that occur in my mind are the direct result of my Sanskars. So my most fundamental feature as a soul, my personality, is determined by these Sanskars.

Each action I do either creates a Sanskars(this is how a habit begins), or re-enforces an old one if the action is repetition. This enables us to understand that the Sanskars contain the COMPLETE RECORD of all my mental and physical actions, that is, all my experiences up to this moment.

Any thought that arises in my head will be due to the influence of one or more Sanskars. This makes it clear that I, and I alone, am responsible for my own thoughts, although we tend to deny this responsibility and blame external situations instead.

If an action is repeated often, it becomes a deep Sanskars. Rather in the same way that the more one digs a hole the deeper it gets and the more difficult it will be to erase all trace of it. Old habits die hard for this reason alone.

.....and, with Raja Yoga, the Sanskars are purified and become sovereign.

The effect of Sanskars on the Mind and Intellect-

Imagine yourself as the detached observer of a car accident. A number of will arrive on the scene, but although it is the same sight for each person, their different Sanskars will produce quite different reactions to the chaos.

For example, one person is examining injured and I can see that he is a doctor. One is calmly questioning the onlookers and I can see that he is a policeman. Someone else is unhurriedly looking at the damaged vehicles, while another person is completely overwhelmed with emotion. The unhurried one is a mechanic and I can see that the other probably has a relationship with one of the injured.

The stimulus is the same, but their reactions are totally different. Different Sanskars lead to their different reactions.

Equally I know from past experience that my own state of mind controls my thoughts. For instance, one day many things go wrongs go wrong, and yet a great deal of inner strength enables me to remain calm and peaceful. On another day I may lack that stability and the slightest word out of place can annoy me. It was not the fault of the person who spoke, but my own state of being that created that reaction.

1.6. WHERE WE FIND OURSELVES TODAY

Gradually, as impure Sanskars were formed and were allowed to reinforce themselves through repetition, this instinctive voice gave way to the powerful influence of my physical senses.

The strong pull of these senses spurred my emotion to such a state that I overruled the decisions of my own intellect.

Consequently, when a similar situation now occurs, the weakened consciousness has even less influence, and due course it stops speaking altogether. As the conscience was ignored, ignorance inevitably followed.

And so we find ourselves often uncertain of separating right from wrong. We may even deny the very existence of right and wrong. The distinction between selfish and unselfish action has become clouded in the intellect, so that a state of amorality prevails.

As actions become progressively degraded, the search for happiness and fulfilment was only possible on a similar degraded level. Without the knowledge of “I, the soul”, body-consciousness became deeply ingrained as Sanskars and the soul has been forced to look for happiness on a material level.

Unable to find contentment from within the self, the soul has turned all its attention to pleasure derived from material sources and found himself in a void of inadequate, transitory experiences. In such a vulnerable position, the soul mentally grasps at any source of comfort. The level of motivation inevitably degrades into sense-gratification, which traps the soul into seeking greater pleasure to offset greater dissatisfaction.

This internal conflict has become a familiar scene throughout the world. The more we have turned our attention away from our true selves, the more we have become entangled in sorrow and frustration. The mind has become a slave to the senses, so that I am presently unable to control it.

1.7 THE FIRST STEP IN SOUL-CONSCIOUSNESS

The situation described in the previous section is definitely an unpleasant one, although very real for most people. But it need not be like this at all. The first step is to awaken the intellect, my power of judgement, which is very simple:-

A wild horse- With awareness of “I” as a soul, I am now awake to my real position in the world. In this consciousness state, I realize that it is me that is responsible for controlling my thoughts and disciplining my mind. The mind has been compared to a wild horse, one with such tremendous energy that it races round and round constantly, never stopping. Day and night it races on, even in my dreams it is still racing, and so little wonder that it has become tired. But even then it does not know how to calm itself. I can rest my body by resting down, but my mind refuses to slow down. It only knows how to go on, not even aware of which direction it should take.

Realising- The moment my intellect realizes I am non-physical, not a body but a focus of powerful energy within a body; I am able to use this power. With this awareness, I have in my hands the reins with which to tame these wild horses, my thoughts. Once I am the consciousness of the waves, I can direct their flow; in this way, there is none of the wastage that has made me so tired.

Choosing-   I now become very selective. In this position of authority over my own desires, I am able to choose thoughts that will lead me to experience permanent happiness and contentment, instead of something that is transitory. In allowing only pure thoughts to pass into action, my impure Sanskars, that has caused so much upset, gradually weaken, giving way to pure ones. I even reach a state in which my very thoughts are peaceful and deliberate, instead of tense and anxious.

Effect- At first there is some necessity for a deliberate control of the mind, but it leads to a situation where there is a complete transformation. So it is not merely an external force or discipline, but my very nature, my Sanskars, are being elevated. There comes a time when there are only pure elevated thoughts that bring me happiness and enable me happiness and enable me to give happiness.

With my intellect awake, and each thought being evaluated before mistake can occur, I am able to achieve actual changes in my life, when before it was impossible.

Developing a Sanskars- But I have been body-consciousness for so long, that the awareness “I the point of light” slip away again and again. Only with effort can I retain this consciousness, so I must develop the Sanskars of teaching myself. Everyone around me will still see me as a body, and tell me I am a body, I must tell myself that I am a peaceful soul, Invisible, eternal. And I am simply using my body as an instrument. For as long as I can maintain this attitude, I will have complete freedom and all my action done in this frame of mind will inevitably be accurate and positive.

As I see others I will begin to see them as souls too, as my brothers and I will be able to establish a relationship of pure love and harmony, without any personality clashes of any description interfering at all. All this is only possible when I am seeing others not as male or female bodies, but as souls, non-physical like myself.

This is the stage of soul-consciousness: to remember this is what I am, and then use my vehicle with wisdom, seeing everything with the third eye of knowledge.

1.8. MEDITATION-TURNING OF THE INTELLECT

Let a little time be spent, now, in total silence, focussing te thoughts on the centre of the forehead, on the pinpoint of subtle light that is the real self and, in this state, being able to feel energy glowing and sparking in that location. When next coming to a period of activity, it should then be possible to reach that consciousness within a few seconds and maintain it.

If possible, let the room be softly lit. Sit still for a few minutes in a comfortable, easy position; there is no need for strain. A number of thoughts for the mind to follow. When at ease, these thoughts are allowed to flow peacefully through the mind and there is then the experience of soul consciousness.

SUGGESTED THOUGHTS FOR MEDITATION

Turn your thoughts, your mind, to the self, the real I, the soul, a point of light....I the soul, am a point of light.... a tiny point of energy...I sit in the centre of my forehead...This is real I..the real me... my physical body is but a costume... which I, the living  energy, use...it exists for me to express my being.. Through which to express my personality..

Now I realise my true identity...I have unlocked my prison door...I am now free...like a bird, I can fly once again..

I now emerge my true nature, that of peace..I experience that peace..I become that peace...I am that peace...I experience my true nature...that of light...I become that light...I am that light...I experience my true nature-that of love..I become that love.... I am that love...

Now power is being filled in the soul..lightness and ease become my nature..now no longer the slave but the master of this body

.....I spread light and peace and purity into the world.

1.9. HELPFUL METHODS FOR THE DAY

Lightness-  By seeing light, lightness is filled into the self. If as you see others, you look at the soul(the light) at the centre of the forehead, you pass the day feeling light.

1.10. STUDY

Answering these questions gives one a deeper experience and understanding since it is, itself, a form of meditation. Some students find it enormously helpful to read lesson two or three times before answering.The chief thing is to enjoy writing the answers. They may be short or long, but all will be read with interest and comments offered.

QUESTIONS

1.           What is the Soul?

2.           What differences are there between the body and the soul?

3.           What are the mind, intellect and Sanskars?

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