By Sadhguru on Sunday October 18th, 2015

A Mystic’s Perspective

“Consciousness” is a highly abused word, used in many different ways. First of all, let me define what we refer to as consciousness. You are a combination of many things. As a piece of life, as a body, you are a certain amount of earth, water, air, fire, and akash or ether. And there is a fundamental intelligence that puts all these things together in a particular way to make life out of it. The same ingredients that are lying there as mud sit here as life – what an incredible transformation! There is a profound and unimaginable level of intelligence that can make simple things like air into life. If the air stops, life goes. 

Whether it is a tree, a bird, an insect, a worm, an elephant, or a human being – just about anything is made up of the same simple material. We call this intelligence that makes life happen “consciousness.” The only reason why you experience life and aliveness is because you are conscious. If you are unconscious, you do not know whether you are alive or dead. If you are in deep sleep, you are alive but you do not know it.

Consciousness cannot be raised

You actually can neither raise consciousness, nor can you bring it down. We only use the expression of “raising consciousness” against the following background: if you are strongly identified with your physical body, the boundaries of what is you and what is not you are distinctly clear. In this state, you experience yourself as a separate existence. This means you are in survival mode, which is what every other creature is in too. When you identify yourself as the body, the boundaries of who you are, are 100% fixed.

Then… the boundaries disappear

Even in the physical realm, the more subtle something is, the more the boundaries disappear. We are breathing the same air, which also includes some moisture. As we breathe, we constantly exchange air and water. We have no problems with this exchange between us because we are not identified with the air and the water. But we are identified with our body and consider it as ourselves, so we do not want anyone to transgress the boundaries of our body.

All of us are conscious to some extent. The question is to what degree you are conscious.

Consciousness is shared by everyone

What we refer to as consciousness is a much subtler dimension of who you are, and it is commonly shared by everyone. It is the same intelligence that is turning food into flesh in me, in you, in everyone. If we move people from being identified with the boundaries of their physical body to a deeper dimension within themselves, their sense of “me” and “you” decreases – “you” and “I” seem to be the same. This means consciousness has risen on a social level.

Essentially, we do not raise consciousness. We raise your experience so that you become more conscious. All of us are conscious to some extent. The question is to what degree you are conscious. You do not have to raise your consciousness – you have to raise yourself to find access to it and experience it. Consciousness is there all the time. If it was not, you would not be able to convert your breath and your food into life. You are alive – that means you are conscious. But so far, you only have minimal access. As your access improves, your sense of boundary expands.

If you become identified with consciousness, you will experience everyone as yourself. This is what yoga means.

The word “yoga” means union. Human beings are trying to experience this sense of union in so many ways. If it finds a very basic expression, we call it sexuality. If it finds an emotional expression, we call it love. If it finds a mental expression, it gets labeled as greed, ambition, conquest, or simply shopping. If it finds a conscious expression, we call it yoga. But the fundamental process and longing are the same. That is, you want to include something that is not you as a part of yourself. You want to obliterate the distance or the boundaries between you and the other.

Touching a dimension beyond

Whether it is sexuality or a love affair, ambition or conquest – all you are trying to do is make what is not you a part of yourself. And so with yoga. Yoga means becoming one with everything, or in other words, obliterating the boundaries of who you are. Instead of talking about it, instead of intellectualizing it, we are looking at how to raise your experience from the physical aspect of who you are to a dimension beyond the physical.
This is what Shambhavi does – taking you to a twilight zone. You are still rooted in the body but you are beginning to touch a dimension beyond, so that your experience of life is not limited to your body – you experience it as a larger phenomenon. This is raising consciousness. It means you experience all the people around you as a part of yourself.

The material that makes the five fingers on your hand was in the earth some time ago

The material that makes the five fingers on your hand was in the earth some time ago – now it is your five fingers. What was on your plate yesterday as food was not “you.” But you ate it, and today you experience it as a part of yourself. You are capable of experiencing anything as a part of yourself if only you include it into your boundaries. You cannot eat the entire universe. You have to expand your boundaries in different ways.

Expanding the sensory boundaries in such a way that if you sit here, the entire universe is a part of yourself – this is yoga; this is raising consciousness. We are not doing it philosophically or ideologically but experientially, using a technological process that everyone can make use of. Why a technology is – the nature of a technology is such that it will work for whoever is willing to learn to use it. You do not have to believe it; you do not have to worship it; you do not have to carry it on your head. You just have to learn to use it.

SEEK INSIGHTS

“The ultimate value of life depends upon awareness and the power of contemplation rather than upon mere survival.”
— Aristotle

INSIGHTS happen only when we shift to a higher, more inclusive perspective. As we grow in wisdom and experience, we become less attached to the form of reality and more aware of its spiritual side – its qualities, values and meaning. As we get to know ourselves as souls, we begin to let go of the self-consciousness of the ego. This allows us to more effectively include others and work with the whole picture.

When there is more in sight, we get more insights.

Try becoming aware of those times when you focus on differences. At those times, STOP and PAY ATTENTION and IDENTIFY SIMILARITIES INSTEAD. See how all parts fit into a bigger picture. Expand your perspectives. Find common causes, motives and needs. Go to another level of thinking and problem solving. Be open to using more imagination and creativity. Shift your thinking from “either/or” to “both/and” and be prepared for more insights.

“Insight occurs when, and to the degree that, one knows oneself.”
— Andrew Schneider

“We are not what we know. We are what we are willing to learn.”
— Council on Ideas

Copyright © 1999 – 2015 Higher Awareness Inc.
Edmonton, AB, Canada T5K 0K6

1. Rise with the sun to pray. Pray alone. Pray often. The Great Spirit will listen, if you only speak.

2. Be tolerant of those who are lost on their path. Ignorance, conceit, anger, jealousy and greed stem from a lost soul. Pray that they will find guidance.

3. Search for yourself, by yourself. Do not allow others to make your path for you. It is your road and yours alone. Others may walk it with you, but no one can walk it for you.

4. Treat the guests in your home with much consideration. Serve them the best food, give them the best bed and treat them with respect and honor.

5. Do not take what is not yours whether from a person, a community, the wilderness or from a culture. It was not earned nor given. It is not yours.

6. Respect all things that are placed upon this earth – whether it be people or plant.

7. Honor other people’s thoughts, wishes and words. Never interrupt another or mock or rudely mimic them. Allow each person the right to personal expression.

8. Never speak of others in a bad way. The negative energy that you put out into the universe will multiply when it returns to you.

9. All persons make mistakes. And all mistakes can be forgiven.

10. Bad thoughts cause illness of the mind, body and spirit. Practice optimism.

From nativeamericanpress.org

American Indians see the eagle as a sacred messenger that carries prayers to the Creator and returns with gifts and visions.

We use eagle’s feathers to connect to this majestic and powerful spirit guide as we know the eagle feather holds cleansing and healing powers. The eagle is seen by many cultures as a symbol of courage, vision, strength and endurance.

EAGLE MEDICINE

Eagles need isolation in the wild to propagate and prosper. This teaches us that we have a singular walk in life and must face life on its terms.

Freedom is vital to the survival of the eagle and this teaches us that all people must be free to choose their own paths; to worship as the Creator leads them; and to respect the freedom of others.

From nativeamericanpress.org

Welcome the month of Tevet.  Beginning sunset on December 12 and 13th.

According to kabbalah, every month offers unique spiritual opportunities and blessings. Just as there are fluctuations in the weather, so there are changes in the spiritual energies available. Those who are attuned to these energies are aware of these changes and know how to use this knowledge for their personal growth and success. 

This month of Tevet, the coldest month and darkest time of the year, is a time of great light, a time of transformation and redemption. The light of Tevet is hidden in the darkness.  As the Baal Shem Tov said, that because God’s light is so powerful it needs to be concealed in darkness. The letter for Tevet is Tet, which is also the first letter of Tov which means ” good”. 

Unlike the expansiveness of Kislev, the previous month, when we take steps to go forward to realize our dreams and visions, in Tevet, we uproot the remaining negative forces that keep us from realizing them. During the month of Tevet, there is a natural tendency to restrict oneself, to be prudent and focused. This is an optimal month to establish and strengthen a routine this month that truly supports your well-being. 

Do not be surprised if you witness around you or even within you greater anger this month. According to Kabbalah, the month of Tevet is devoted to the purification of negative emotions, particularly anger and jealousy. Tevet offers an amazing opportunity for clearing and healing negative emotion.

The Hebrew letter Ayin (eye) is associated with this month. The ability to see the good in every person and in everything that happens is a worthy goal for this month and one that will offer protection. Jealousy, the root of so much suffering and anger personally, communally and globally, comes from the incorrect perception that someone can have something that is meant for you. It is not possible! We can only have what we have the vessels to receive. 

Take care, and always pause to breathe if you find yourself becoming angry or jealous. Before we cast judgement on ourselves or others, we need to be aware that our eyes may deceive us. What we see may not actually be true. Remember that often times the reason the qualities of a person bother us so much is that they are mirroring something within ourselves needing healing. When we judge others in a negative light, too often we are simply projecting our own negative qualities onto them. Projection is a defense mechanism used to protect oneself from the experience of one’s own vulnerability. Our freedom lies in “true seeing” of the Godliness within the person with moving from being reactive to being able to make conscious heart centered responses in the face of challenge.

The feelings of jealousy and anger are indicators of a need for greater connection with ourselves and God. The inner work of Tevet asks us to be grateful for what we do have and to take responsibility for what shows up in our lives. The inward tone of this month invites us to see reality more as it is. Though this process may be painful and disillusioning, it actually strengthens us. Through this kind of introspection, we touch the essence of truth, which in itself brings an inner joy and goodness with it.  

This month we have an amazing opportunity to heal the anger we carry inside that continues to limit us. It may not be an easy process, but working though it will yield greater well-being, freedom, and joy in our lives. We must begin with the awareness of how we limit ourselves through our anger. Awareness is the first step. It does not matter if the anger is directed at ourselves or toward other people. Blaming oneself or others is simply disempowering.

On the first days of Tevet, when we are still lighting Chanukah lights we must consciously shine the Chanukah light into those places within us that call out for healing, light and love. The last days of Chanukah offer us the most healing and transformational blessing of teshuva. Teshuva means to return, to return to who we really are, to the experience of our true most glorious beautiful souls that shine so brightly within our bodies like Chanukah lights. 

Just as the Maccabees searched for a pure vial of oil to rededicate the Holy Temple, during the remaining few nights of Chanukah when we gaze at the candles, we must quiet the mind, and search our heart and soul for that part within ourselves, that is pure, and unaffected by what is happening externally. That is the light of our own soul. The soul within us is pure, it is a part of God, it cannot be contaminated. On Chanukah, we restore our access to our inner light. Our soul is God’s candle in the world.  Sit with the visualization of being God’s candle.

The challenge and opportunity this entire month is cultivate patience, practice forgiveness, and continually remember that nothing happens by accident. There is goodness within each challenge. Everything that is happening to us, what appears as good and what may feel as not so good, is designed to take us forward in your life. During this month, make a conscious effort to let go of the need to be right and attempt to see everything and everyone in the best light. We will know how we are progressing spiritually by observing our anger level. Becoming angered easily is a sign we need to purify ourselves.

We must make a decision to work on anger because being stuck in anger has so many negative consequences. It renders us victims who are powerless and unable to go forward in our lives. When we are angry we are not free. We are slaves to our emotions. We are out of control. We lose contact with our own souls when we blame other people or events for our own unhappiness.  That is why during this month the Torah portions we read all about slavery.

Long before the holistic movement made the connection between the mind and the body, Kabbalah said that anger was the root cause of illness, because it actually disconnects us from God’s energy and from who we really are. If we want to heal ourselves from illness, we have to heal and transform the anger we feel inside. Joy and love are powerful healing forces in life that we need to nourish in our lives.

If you find yourself becoming angry this month, here are a few suggestions.  Make an effort to calm yourself and not speak or act impulsively. Train yourself to take long deep breaths, visualize the release of tension through the breath. Make a habit of speaking in a soft and gentle voice so when you are angry you will not raise your voice too much. Give yourself time to look at the situation differently before responding. Try to be detached, objective, as if it were happening to someone else. Imagine yourself on a mountain top looking down from that vantage point. Assume responsibility for your feelings, making I statements such as “I feel this __- when you do___. Do not blame the other person for your feelings.  It is ultimately your choice whether to be hurt or angry. Raise your vibration by doing something nurturing or enjoyable.   

While it is not helpful to be angry and reactive, it is also important that in the face of conflict that we not become doormats or passive. It is not healthy to stuff our feelings inside. Denial does not in itself make the anger go away. Anger continues to occupy psychic space within us. whether we are conscious  of our feelings or not.  

It is  therefore important to create safe venues for oneself to process, feel and release anger particularly this month. Give yourself time to feel, rather than avoid or deny yourself or your negative feelings.  If you are angry, do not deny your angry feelings. Your feelings are beautiful, even your angry feelings.  It is really okay to feel your feelings. It is safe and healing to do so. Yet feeling one’s angry feelings is quite different than acting upon them and dumping them on another person. A person will often find that underneath the anger they feel is hurt, and a call for greater love and acceptance. Love Yourself and All Your Feelings Unconditionally!

When the root cause within yourself for your anger is revealed to you, you will appreciate the growth opportunity that the anger offered you, and you will then be able to truly heal yourself. And after that, if it is necessary, you may be able to express yourself to the actual person who has hurt you in a way that invites healing and reconciliation rather than defensiveness and hostility. It is possible to stand up for oneself and assert one’s truth without being angry, defensive or making another wrong for their truth.

In the course of the month particularly, as a general principle, it is helpful to continually remind yourself that the challenge or problem in front of you is an opportunity to change, heal, and expand yourself in the way that your soul wants to take you forward. Take time to meditate and speak to God about your hurt and anger and ask how you can heal and better respond to people in a more loving and positive way.  

This month of Tevet is a time of great light, for the greatest light is hidden in darkness. Everything is a mirror. Whatever we see is reflected back to us.  If we see the good, the good is reflected back to us. If we see the negative, the negative is reflected back to us. So let’s try to see the good in others and in ourselves, particularly this month.

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