One of the questions that came out of the call was, “What is the difference between awakening and enlightenment?” Another question was, “What is cosmic consciousness?”
First I offer my humble opinion about awakening.
Awakening is the realization of ‘I am not this body and I am not even my mind’. I say realization because I am not speaking about the idea or the concept of this state but the actual experience. Many people have experienced an awakened state but soon thereafter return to their habitual mind identified state. When this awakened state becomes permanent, one is considered to be “awakened”.
Awakening is a state of consciousness where the outside no longer dictates the inside. It is a state where the “I” is no longer identified with mind-body programming as primary reality. It essentially is a state where the “you” you think you are seems to be absent and is replaced with a deeper knowing of your authentic real nature. At first this authentic “real nature” can be considered (in my opinion) as Soul. In this state there is very little if any mind chatter. There is a predominant experience of unreasonable happiness, joy and peace. Negative emotions may still arise but they pass through very quickly as there is no longer any identification with them. From the awakened state, identified with Soul one has the capacity to perceive the deeper truth of their authentic nature as Spirit.
Here is where the subject turns to enlightenment. There are 100 levels associated with Awakening. Each level represents the percentage of the brain that has rewired to our authentic truth. So in other words someone who calibrates at a “1” on the awakened scale is said to have realized Oneness as there true identity and at this point 1% of their brain is wired to this truth. Someone who calibrates at 50 on the scale has 50% of their brain wired to truth. Enlightenment is said to be experienced when one’s brain has become 70% “wired” to truth. The distinction of this level of consciousness has been titled cosmic consciousness and is considered the 1st of 3 levels of enlightenment.
I like this number of 70 because it correlates with David Hawkins’ scale of consciousness where he places enlightenment at 700 and above.
So to offer a bit more credentialed clarity let me refer to one of my influences.
In the growth to full enlightenment, there are three successive and distinct stages. The first stage is to realize who and what we really are. True Self-knowledge is to have the immortal, transpersonal Self permanently established in our awareness. Then the surface of our life, our individual mind, is united to its base, the cosmic Self, which is experienced as an unbroken substratum of subjective awareness –“I AM.” No matter what else is happening in our experience, the Self is there as an undisturbed witness. When this level is clearly experienced in deepest meditation, there is what is called Self-realization; when it is lived continuously through the transient states of waking, dreaming, and deep sleep, there is the first stage of Enlightenment, technically known as Cosmic Consciousness.
Cosmic Consciousness. There is a separation experienced between inner, spiritual reality of the Self- silent, unmoving, and utterly stable –and the ever-changing activity of the outside world. Cosmic consciousness is described in the literature yoga as jivanmukti (“liberation in life”).…jivanmukti is indeed eternal freedom, but it is freedom on the basis of radical duality- Self and other- it is not yet the glory of full enlightenment.
Divine or God Consciousness. The second phase which begins to resolve this existential duality, is the state when the infinity of the subjective Self begins to be infused into the objective, relative world, illuminating it in the celestial light of the Divine.
Unity Consciousness. The third and final stage, the full maturing of Enlightenment, is when the unbounded world of time and space, and everything- all objects, all experience – is perceived as nothing less than the unbinding and temporary modification of the one infinite Radiance which is my Self. Unity Consciousness is the highest state, the pinnacle of evolution, when the individual lives in, and as, the very Divine.
Alistair Shearer ~ The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
– and –
Spirit is the state of the miraculous which unfolds in three stages.
1st I experience miracles in a state called Cosmic Consciousness. Every material event has a spiritual cause. My slightest wish causes cosmic forces to bring about its fulfillment.
2nd I perform miracles in a state called Divine Consciousness. This is where I fuse with God’s power. The world is illuminated from within and there is no doubt that matter is simply spirit made manifest. Here, I see myself as the creator, not the created.
3rd I have become the miracle in a state known as Unity Consciousness. Any distinction between creator and created has vanished. Although I seem to reside I a body, it is only a grain of being on the shores of the infinite ocean of being that is my Self.
Deepak Chopra referring to ~ The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali ~ As translated and introduced by Alistair Shearer
So the reason behind all this information about awakening and enlightenment is because it points to What I Am at my core. This is a perfect foundation to elaborate on the alternative point of discussion of Who I Am. Essentially after Spirit and Soul whatever is left represents the Who I Am. I am a male human being. I am a father, a friend, a coach, I drive this kind of car, I live in this kind of house, I have these memories, these values, these opinions. Who I Am is a collection of data, a story in my mind that I tend to believe as well as rely on as my identity. WHO I AM is my identity.
My subconscious is a warehouse of the data I have been exposed to throughout my life. Meaning comes from the value I have given to this data. This organized data has very distinct features. One of the features is called neural pathways. Neural pathways are the “hard-wired” result of conditioning. Fight or flight, pleasure or pain, self or not self, right or wrong. The bottom line is attachment and aversion. All of this is conditioning. All of this is a filter built by my past and it heavily influences the interpretation of my present moment experiences and thus the choices I make. In many ways these neural pathways have kept us alive and therefore have tremendous value. In addition these neural pathways can be considered as the biological result of learned strategies for pursuing pleasure and avoiding pain.
When we identify with our conditioning the result is simply our point of view. Now our point of view is only one of billions of possibilities and yet we tend to defend it as if it were the only one. It is the indwelling observer / witness that has the capacity to notice this habitual tendency of defending our point of view. This defensiveness sets up a polarity of right and wrong and winner and loser. This is the foundation of all unconscious arguments.
This is where resistance comes from, a point of view that opposes what is. If I am identified with a given point of view and I feel threatened by an apposing point of view then not only am “I” at risk of being the loser or wrong but my identity itself is being threatened; “I” am being threatened. My conditioned programming will kick in and the result again is defensiveness and in many cases offensiveness; the fight or flight; resistance. This is a mild form of insanity! This is an epidemic in society. This is the condition we are healing as we rediscover our authentic nature.
Another question tonight was “what is my purpose?”
Each of us has the experience of two realities, primary and secondary. Primary reality is within and secondary without, inner and out. This understanding is at the foundation of various principles of truth.
Is it possible to be dropped off in paradise and still be in a bad mood? Is it possible to be imprisoned and still be in a good mood?
No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. ~Eleanor Roosevelt
When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves. ~Victor Frankyl
The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new lands, but in seeing with new eyes. ~Marcel Proust
So with primary reality within, we have a corresponding primary purpose, and with secondary reality without, we have a corresponding secondary purpose. Everyone shares the same primary inner purpose and that is to remember our real nature. It is worth stating here that our real nature experiences an absence of suffering.
It is our real nature that is beckoning to us in our goals. If we deeply analyze any goal we have, toward something or away from something, it will always have an emotional driver behind it. The emotional driver behind money is always freedom. The emotional driver behind romantic goals is always love. The emotional driver behind ending stress or suffering is always peace. These are all qualities inherent in our real nature. The more we align with this inherent nature the more we naturally experience the joy of living. This is the purpose of life; to live!
FREEDOM – LOVE – PEACE – JOY
As we become more present, more identified with truth, our secondary purpose becomes clearer. Essentially our secondary purpose is the mark we make in the world. The gift we give. The greatest gift you can give to humanity is to become the greatest you you can be. So it’s really what we do with this realization that can become our secondary purpose.
Often times you find those with a unique predisposition. Some have an incredible talent or are gifted with a natural skill. Some have the natural capacity to express empathy and care. Some are natural born teachers, communicators, artist or healers. Some have an amazing knack for fixing things or figuring things out. Everyone has a unique predisposition shaped by there life experiences. All of these talents, skills and predispositions are added to the mix of possibilities of our secondary purpose. Ultimately a major part of your outer purpose come down to – What do you choose it to be?
“The greatest gift is a portion of thyself.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
This was an amazing conversation with a huge group of wonderful people. The elaboration provided here covers the essence of the call but the life in the conversation made it thoroughly enjoyable. I offer my sincere gratitude to everyone who participated.
Thank You. Thank You. Thank You.
Namaste
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