DIFFERENT PLANES

      We often talk about different planes in Vedic Religion. We all can see and feel the PHYSICAL LEVEL or the Physical Plane . But then we have ASTRAL PLANE AND ALSO CAUSAL PLANE. And then in other way, we talk on different levels of planes - some call it 7 and some call it 14. So the question comes up. as to if we have different planes then why we cannot see or feel them.? 

    That brings me today's blog. I was wondering about astral plane or subtle plane. In out talk on 3 different bodies we had talked about Physical Body, Astral or Subtle Body and Causal Body. These are the the 3 planes for the ENTIRE UNIVERSE. There is Physical Universe that we see around us consisting of the the earth and Sun and the Moon and the stars and galaxies and so on. We have ability to perceive it with our senses. But the Astral or Causal universe is  not visible. The ASTRAL plane is the plane where everything which is Astral is there - just like Physical plane is where everything that is physical is there. The attachment between Physical and Astral is not as firm as is between Astral plane or body and Causal plane or body. The CAUSAL BODY AND ASTRAL BODY CAN NOT BE SEPERATED as Astral body exist only due to Causal body. These planes are not far from our physical plane, but are mingled with it. But sine there is no physical element in those planes ,we cannot feel it and perceive it and so are not aware of it , even though it is right HERE . 

    I have often given example of computer to explain these planes or bodies. We have computer which consist of Hardware , soft ware and a power source. The Hardware cannot function unless it has software and both cannot do anything without power supply. So the hardware is the PHYSICAL BODY. It is is needed to EXPRESS the Software . But software is useless if it does not have hardware. But Both hardware and software are useless until they have  POWER SOURCE the electric power or batteries etc. The same way physical body is useless without astral body - the mind the intellect, ego and CHITTA. And they both are useless without the, Causal body which is fuel for them to work .So the Causal body could be considered as the Battery  in computer. IN MY VIEW THE GOD OR HIS / HER REFLECTION IS THE ULTIMATE POWER which charges the causal body . 

   So the different planes are her and intermingles but since they are not physical we cannot perceive them.

AVATAR OR DEVINE REINCARNATION

       In Vedic religion, there is a concept of reincarnation of God . All the living beings have reincarnation and that is not optional . Everyone who is born will die and after death everyone will have to be reborn. There is no choice . But when the GOD reincarnates to help the human beings , that reincarnation is called AVATAR . In Geeta Lord Krishna tells Arjuna that he is GOD and he is reincarnated to help mankind. So in Hindu religion, we have 10 AVATARS in all before the universe ends. So far we have had 9 and , 19th will be there sometimes in future . Some believe that the 10 Avataras are in reality evolution of life . The first is MASYA - FISH ,second is KASYA - TURTLE ,third is VARAH- BORE, fourth is NARASINH-HALF MAN - HALF LION, fifth is VAMAN- SHORT MAN , sixth is PARASHURAM- MAN WITH WEAPONS ,seventh is RAMA- IDEAL KING ,eighth is KRISHNA- 9th is BUDHA and tenth is or will be KALAKI . 

     As one can see from aquatic to amphibian to land animal followed by half animal - half man and then with progression rest of them till KRISHNA , which was considered COMPLETE AVATAR . In complete AVATAR , the Lord Krishna knew that he was GOD in human form.

    But then the confusion arises as we often say XYZ is AVATAR OF God -DATTA OR GANESH etc. So again we have different types of AVATARAS . They are -

AVESH - In this form of Avatara , the God enters the human body and that person has qualities or energy to perform certain things , which otherwise would not have been possible in human form AVESH means entering or possession . 

PRABHAV- In this type of Avatar, there are qualities of the God which has origin from the GOD and the source is not Human being but it is the God , but that human being is not GOD . This could be considered as PARTIAL AVATARA. 

VAIBHAV - In this type of AVATATARA, we have wealth or  Grandeur or TEJ . This is suppose to be MORE COMPLETE .

PARAVASTH- This is complete form of reincarnation or the so called TM stage. In gthis form they have all the qualities and power of the GOD.

    If one loks at PARASHURAM- RAM AND KRISHNA , one can see the difference as KRISHNA WAS COMPLETE AVATAR. 

त्वमेव प्रत्यक्षम तत्व असि - TWAMEV PRATYAKSHAM TATW ASI

     त्वमेव प्रत्यक्षम तत्व असि -This is the beginning of ATHARVASHIRSH . This is the STOTRA for Lord Ganesh and the first line is त्वमेव प्रत्यक्षम तत्व असि . When people talk about the meaning of it they have standard explanation. YOU ARE THE TATWA . It is true but I feel that the line means little different. In Sanskrit 2 different words are use -PRATYAKSH and APAROKSHA . The meaning of AKSHA is EYES. 

    When we are talking about a proof -in general talk or legally, we say that 'I saw it with MY OWN EYES . So when we talk about something being REAL , we talk about SEEING IT. For us the eyes or seeing it is 100% proof of something being real. So when we say the first line, it means that YOU ARE THAT TATVA WHICH IS SEEN BY THE EYES. When we talk about the BRAHMAN or the TATVA it can not be perceived by any of the senses .By definition whatever is perceived by the senses is not BRAHMAN. So here we are told that something that we cann0ot perceive by senses , becomes visible for out understanding, and that is LORD GANESH So here we are talking about SAGOON and NIRGOON . The word SAGOON mean- One with GOONAS or qualities and NIRGOON means one without GOONAS. The BRAHMAN has no GOONAS as the GOONAS is belonging to PRAKRUTI . But when we want to see the TATVA or BRAHMAN , then it becomes ONE WITH GOONAS or SAGOON. 

  So in this line is telling us that if one wants to SEE the BRAHMAN then Lord GANESH  IS THAT.

MOKSHA -WHAT HAPPENS IF ONE GETS MOKSHA

    We have often heard the terms like NIRVAN, MOKSHA - FREEDON etc. But what exactly happens with that stage ? We know and many accept that when we have desires and we die -or our ASTRAL AND CAUSAL bodies leave the Physical bodies , then we call it a death. But we still have 2 other bodies namely Astral or SUKSHMA SHARIR and CAUSAL or KARAN SHARIR . So all out desires are stored there and ten when we found suitable new physical body, we come back to fulfill our desires and exhaust our VASANAS. Noe suppose that one has exhausted ALL THE VASANAS AND ATTACHMENTS , then what happens to the 2 bodies - ASTRAL and CAUSAL bodies. If the astral body has MIND -INTELLECT WGO AND CHITTA - can it sustain without the physical body ?

   The answer is not simple and there are different thoughts and responses given by different people. One of the examples that was given by YOGANAND , was by giving example of ocean water , which is enclosed in a bottle and that bottle is put in another bottle and these 2 are put in a third bottle . The bottles represent  2 bodies and the water in the bottle represents soul - consciousness or reflected consciousness. So the outermost bottle breaks at the time of death and the soul the water with 2 remaining bottles remain. The consciousness pervades everything or everything is happening IN THE CONSCIOUSNESS . So only way OUR CONSCIOUSNESS - REFLECETD will merge in universal consciousness , is when the all the bottles are broken . Think of these bottles are thrown in ocean  and even though the water inside the bottle is same as one in ocean - they remain separate . Once the ALL 3 bottles are broken , then the water from inside the bottle mixes with water from ocean. 

    THEN THERE IS NO  SEPERATE EXISTANCE.

   This is one way of thinking. The other way is that there are different levels of existence in ASTRAL WORLD. Some say 7 levels and some say more . But basic understanding is that when one loses STORAGE IN CAUSAL BODY -SUKSHMA SHARIR -of the VASANAS - IMPRESSIONS - SAUNSKAR - then one goes higher and higher . Once we have exhausted the VASANAS, then we are at highest level and we have  ACHOICE as to stay there as separate from the universal consciousness or become one with it. Those EVOLVED SOULS who want to help others can stay and come back and teach. Again this is one of the concepts. Hope this makes readers think even if don't have all the answers.  

ब्रह्म सत्यं जगत् मिथ्या-Brahman (the Absolute Reality) is True, the World (Jagat) is Illusory/Mithya

    This line or the verse has been said to us many a time  and we have difficulty in understanding it. The complete line is 'The individual soul is nothing but BRAHMAN'

But our experience does not go with this. We live in this world and we experience all the things around us like trees and mountains and rivers, fruits and many things in nature . We also experience the man made things like clothes and buildings and we have family and we have job and so on. So how can be the BRAHMAN can be the ONLY TRUE? This apparent paradox can be explained by definition of what 'REAL' or TRUE or REALITY.

    We call something real, when it does not change or one which is CHANGELESS. When I look at the table or chair , yes it is there and it is real in the usual sense -it is not figment of out imagination. But when we talk about real or not real , we use some other criteria . The table is there for now and it will appear unchanged for tomorrow. But would be unchanged in next 1 or 2 years ? Certainly not . It will change ,it will get warped if made of wood and get rusted if made of iron. So it CHANGES and then disappears . So everything that we see and experience CHANGES with TIME . The BRAHMAN is the only thing that does not change with time. So that is why we call the BRAHMAN as the only reality. 

   The other explanation which is rather difficult to digest or accept , is that the entire universe is nothing but a dream and we are players in the dream. If I have  dream - my entire dream is made by ME and the events that are happening are all CREATED by me. And when I wake up, everything that I see in my dream, is gone. The character in my dream are not aware of my existence  and MY world like my job, my home , my relatives etc. There is no way the dream characters have any idea or concept of the dreamer's so called real world. The same thing can be applied to US as character in the BIG DREAM.

     So if we are the characters in CREATER'S dream then we are not real. I understand this explanation but have hard time accepting it and I feel that when we talk or reality, we are taking about 'UNCHANGING' and limitless - No limits of DESH- KAAL - VASTU, means Location-Time -Identity. We all have these limits and only BRAHMAN has no such limits. The chair that I am sitting on is HERE and not THERE , that is limitation of location. It is here now and may not be there tomorrow -this is limitation of Time  and it is Chair and not table or computer -is the limitation of Identity. 

    So these are the some of the explanations of the statement that the Brahman is only REAL 

ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात्पुर्णमुदच्यते THE MEANING

                                         ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात्पुर्णमुदच्यते

                                     पूर्णश्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते ॥
                                         ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्त

This is the MANTRA in the ISHAVASHY UPANISHADA. The meaning of this is done by many and it differs and it causes the confusion . The meaning is THAT IS COMPLETE (OR INFINITE)ANDTHIS IS COMPLETE AND THIS COMPLETE COMES FROM THAT COMPLETE  AND THAT COMPLETE CONTINUES TO BE COMPLETE

      The confusion or question is , what is THAT and what is THIS . and everyone has their opinion And then how can complete remain complete when you take out complete. The answer is the way we consider origin of universe

   I think THAT is BRAHMAN and THIS is the UNIVERSE which includes living and nonliving things, Known and UNKNOWN things The BRHAMAN is infinite and complete is very well known. It is described as STYAM , DNYANAM, ANANTAM . The meaning of ANATAM is - one which does not have end or one which is INFINITE.As we have talked everything that we SEE has 3 limitations, namely DESH-KAAL -VASTU ,meaning PLACE - TIME AND IDENTITY. But the BRAHAMN does not have this limitation and is limitless in space and time. So this Mantra states that THAT which is complete THIS world which is complete comes out .But THAT complete REMAINS COMPLETE. 

    The entire univers - seen and unseen comes out of the BRAHMAN. One can state this in many different ways . One can give example of DREAM WORLD . The dream world -may contain people , at different places and and may have animals , plants and nonliving things - but all COME OUT OF THE DREAMER and the dreamer is not reduced and has no loss .The dreamer continues to be COMPLTE as he was before he had dream. The same way the BRAHMAN continues to be COMPLETE or INFINITE even after THIS UNIVERSE comes out of it.   

WHAT IS SOUL?

      The other day  I was checking my messages on a group chat, I and there was a news of someone passing away. This was followed by RIP-RIP-RIP by many. Then someone texted me asking me as to what is the concept of soul in Vedic religion and what happens to soul after death - death of physical body. Then we had exchange of texts and I thought of doing this blog. What I thought was what I told him and that is what I am writing here.

      The soul is a reflection of the CONSCIOUSNESS. So then the question comes as to where is this reflection and what happens to it after the death. How can it be carried from one life to other life. The reflection is not ORIGINAL THING , but still has the properties of the original thing. Let us take example of the Sun. When the Sun is reflected in a mirror, the reflection has the qualities of the Sun ,it has heat and also light .If we use lens to concentrate the image of the sun, then we can burn a paper.. But it is not real SUN. If we have a mirror, we will have a reflection of anything including the sun. The same thing can be applied to the human body. As one may recollect, we have 3 bodies namely physical body ,astral body  and causal body - STHUL SHARIR-SUKSHMA SHARIR AND KARAN SHARIR . The physical body dies at the time of so called death. But the 2 other bodies - Astral and Causal bodies are carried from one life to other. The IMPRESSIONS of our lives and KARMA are stored in CAUSAL BODY. And that is why we have rebirth. The Reflection of the Consciousness is in the CAUSAL BODY and the Astral body . As long as we have the MIRROR of these bodies , we have existence. This is THE SOUL-THE REFLECTION OF THE CONSCILUSNESS . This is the light - energy or the cause why we can think -act have intellect etc Without the fuel of this CONSCIOUSNESS , ONE WILL NOT HAVE ANY VALUE TO THE 2 BODIES. This can be compared to electricity. The computer works - the AC unit works -the Heater works and so does the light bulb. None of them can function without electricity . But the electricity ITSELF does not heat or cool or give light etc. The same is true of the reflected consciousness. IT ITSELF DOES NOT DO ANYTHING . But for mind to think , we need the consciousness. ASLONG AS THE MIRRORS OF ASTRAL AND CAUSAL BODIES ARE THERE there will be reflection and the SOUL IS THERE as an separate  entity - separate but still dependent. The only way we can have MUKTI or FREEDOM is when we have broken the CAUSAL BODY MIRROR. The astral body exists due to causal body  and causal body is there as we continue to accumulate KARMIC IMPRESSIONS. So now you know ,how to achieve NIRVANA and what is the SOUL.