Entering the path
In Listen Humanity (P167), Meher Baba writes: "At last, weary of enslavement to the gross world, the individual decides to free himself from the enticements of matter, In this moment of irrevocable decision, the individual cuts himself loose from the bondage of gross desires and ascends to the realm of energy. His will now reinforced, the individual prepares for a release of vital force far greater than was ever available to him during his bondage to the gross."
What is fascinating to me in this quote is the reference to a conscious decision to give up the gross world and enter the path. Many years ago, I had an experience of a vast radiant field of light. I remember struggling not to lose myself in it, repeating Baba's name over and over until I returned to ordinary consciousness. I've sometimes (surely mistakenly) imagined that this was a glimpse of the first plane. Although the imagination I had was probably false and certainly False in a real sense, it is still interesting to me that my own sense of will seemed to be almost purely directed to clinging to the gross. Any thoughts about the quote?
What is fascinating to me in this quote is the reference to a conscious decision to give up the gross world and enter the path. Many years ago, I had an experience of a vast radiant field of light. I remember struggling not to lose myself in it, repeating Baba's name over and over until I returned to ordinary consciousness. I've sometimes (surely mistakenly) imagined that this was a glimpse of the first plane. Although the imagination I had was probably false and certainly False in a real sense, it is still interesting to me that my own sense of will seemed to be almost purely directed to clinging to the gross. Any thoughts about the quote?
posted by David | 6:00 PM
2 Comments:
As I understand Baba's reference here, he's referring to what he says is paradoxically the first step of the path. You break conscious ties with the gross plane when you enter the first plane, or the subtle world (i. e. you've entered the spiritual path). You might yet have many incarnations to come, but these would occur without your regaining contact with the gross world. If when you die, you go through "heaven and hell" in the astral (sub-subtle) plane, I'm not sure what happens between physical incarnations once you're on the path...?
Your comment about fear is certainly potent. Fear of death is perhaps the key fear, and I would think it applies to all three "deaths:" (1) physical death before reincarnation, (2) the death of the gross body/gross world connection as you enter the path, and (3) the "final death" when you die in every way (nirvana) before instantly being reborn as God. What does Yogananda say?
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