Keeping The Faith

Just yesterday I read this somewhat humorous article. In the article, Bishop Bacani says that atheists secretly believe in God in their hearts whenever they work for justice and do good deeds, it's just that they don't want to admit it. The writer, who is presumably atheist, retorted that people who sexually abuse children are secretly Catholic priests in their hearts.

Of course, the writer is mixing up religion with belief in God. Anti-religion is not the same as anti-spirituality or anti-God, though they often come hand in hand. After all, religion is what you call a set of approved practices that one is obligated to follow on a regular basis. But this is not the only way to search for the Divine, and that's why we have the mystics who become enlightened even if they don't necessarily achieve it within the context of a religion. But all this is really beside the point for me.

For someone on the spiritual path, encountering an atheist can be quite a challenging experience, especially if one is not yet firmly established in one's spiritual practice. They hold many arguments about why God does not exist, and at the same time there is no way for one to convincingly (by their standards) prove God's existence.  More often than not, atheists are so convinced about the non-existence of God that there is no argument that will convince them otherwise. I think it's rare for an atheist to actually follow an open-minded inquiry and search for God's existence. But this obstinacy is true not just for atheists but for anyone who strongly holds on to their views (fundamentalists and fanatics, for example).

One reason for the yawning disconnect between atheists and spiritual practitioners is that the experience of the Divine is precisely that: an experience. Teachers or gurus open the student's mind to the possibility of such an experience or state, and may even teach certain techniques or exercises that will help lead to such an experience, but it is only the student who can have the experience itself. This is the part that cannot be taught by the guru. Without that experience, the student only knows the theory, and the matter thus becomes vulnerable to debate.

Since such a spiritual experience cannot be induced in others except by their own willingness and effort, explaining the existence of God to an atheist would be like trying to explain the beauty of the Mona Lisa to someone born blind. There is simply no reference point that the blind man can use to understand the awe and respect of someone who can see and appreciate the Mona Lisa.

One may argue that atheists have all five senses and in fact there are atheists who are smart, articulate and very intelligent. Some of these guys can blow anyone out of the water with their skill in debate. How then can they insist that God does not exist?

One of Master Choa Kok Sui's Golden Lotus sutras is entitled Beyond the Mind and it deals with the subject of meditation. The very title itself already gives a clue. One has to look and go beyond the mind for the experience of the Divine.

From the point of view of the esoteric student, we are made up of several bodies. There is the physical body, etheric body, emotional body and mental body. There are even higher subtle bodies, but essentially at the core of all these bodies is the soul, the spark of God that is expressed individually. Now, imagine a ladder against a wall in pitch black darkness. The ladder only reaches up to a certain point but if you just stood on the topmost rung and stretched upward, you'll be able to feel a ledge at the tip of your fingers. You just need to jump a little bit to grab the edge more firmly.

When questions about God and spirituality rest solely with the mind, then it's like saying there's nothing else beyond the ladder. One needs a "leap of faith" to let it all go and experience oneself as the soul. This is why in meditation it's important to clear oneself of thought, to achieve an inner state of total stillness.

To allow for the possibility of something makes it more likely for that something to happen. It's the Law of Attraction at work, but it also has to do with one's mental attitude. As an example, let's say you were absolutely convinced that you couldn't get into a Fortune 500 company because you felt you don't have the skills that would matter. Aside from not actively trying to apply for any Fortune 500 company, you may even ignore opportunities that might bring you into closer contact with a Fortune 500 company (for example, a trade show or an invitation from a friend who worked in one such company). So your mental attitude would affect the way you treat your opportunities, and you've already failed before you even tried because you were already convinced of the result.

In spirituality, "allowing for the possibility of something" is called faith. This is why a belief in God is important, because this provides a way for you to have that experience. Experiencing soul realization is not just you reaching out, it's also God pulling you up. As I've said before, such a spiritual journey can last several lifetimes so it's certainly possible that for most people, spiritual practice would still mostly be a matter of faith. And yet it's that same faith that prevents us from faltering despite the lack of apparent results.

By developing this sort of openness, this faith, one's intuition gets more developed. Since intuition is direct inner knowing, then one's experience of God and the supernal realms becomes more natural, more deep. In that case, the existence of God becomes more than just a matter of faith, and it becomes more than just knowledge; it becomes a matter of wisdom and understanding. And that's something no one can argue away from you.

Musings About the Astral Plane

A few days ago I was able to observe a lively discussion about the astral plane that was going on in an esoteric forum I am part of. The debate stemmed from a few statements from the writings of the Master DK through Alice Bailey, particularly in the book The Externalization of the Hierarchy.

Just to give a background, Alice Bailey was once a member of the Theosophical Society. From 1919 until her death in 1949, she started channeling the teachings of a certain Tibetan initiate named Djwhal Khul. He was termed either The Tibetan or the Master DK. These channeled teachings resulted in 24 published books on a wide range of esoteric topics that are still the subject of intense study among various esoteric practitioners and groups across the world. Alice Bailey has her detractors and her supporters, but there is no doubt that the writings she channelled from the Master DK are a rich source of esoteric lore.

The problem with Alice Bailey's books is that they are very heavy reading, not for the casual reader at all. Deciphering the meaning and intent of the books has proven to be a challenge for many an esoteric student and explains why there can be debates about the interpretation of certain statements and passages.

And so we go back to the lively debate I mentioned earlier. The statement in question was about the assertion that the astral plane was literally an illusion. One student clarified that what Alice Bailey was saying was that the astral plane did not exist for the ascended masters, but for the rest of humanity, the astral plane was very much real. It did not mean that the astral plane was literally non-existent. I'll have to review what I've read, but I seem to remember reading in Glamour: A World Problem (the Alice Bailey book, not the magazine) that the astral plane was literally an illusion and did not exist.

In any case, you can see how the debate might arise, because it's very difficult to validate the above statements. And for those who can do astral travel, they're in the astral plane so how can it be non-existent? Also, assuming that the astral plane exists for most of humanity, how can it not exist for the adepts and ascended masters?

Answering the above is not so simple. One needs to have some background about the different planes of existence and how they interact with each other. But in the name of making things interesting, I'll venture an explanation while trying not to make the both of us dizzy.

There are multiple planes of existence. That much is clear from all the esoteric literature out there. The most familiar to us is the physical plane we live in. Then there's the etheric plane, then the astral, the mental plane and so on. Higher up there is there is even the atmic plane, where the Higher Soul resides, and the monadic plane where the Divine Spark is located. There are even higher planes but we don't need to concern ourselves with those right now.

To say that the astral plane is an illusion would be to also say that the physical plane is also an illusion, because the physical plane is located "lower" than the astral plane. In one sense, this is true because of the impermanence that is a hallmark of the physical and astral. We can easily understand physical impermanence, but how can astral substance be impermanent? The astral body is also called the desire body, so you can infer that the astral plane is the realm of desire and emotions. You don't hold any particular emotion in the forefront all the time, i.e. you're not angry all the time, happy all the time, afraid all the time. These emotions may lurk below your conscious level but in terms of your attention (when you're feeling them), your emotions are always shifting from one moment to the next, hence it's impermanent in that sense.

A little more tricky is explaining why the astral plane does not exist for the masters and adepts. For me, I compare the astral plane to those aids we use when trying to learn something, like those side wheels when learning how to bike, or the multiplication table when learning basic math. They're not meant to be permanent and once you master the required skills, those training aids essentially "don't exist" for you anymore. In some Theosophical texts, there are statements to the effect that one must be completely desireless in order to elevate to the higher realms. Since the masters and adepts do operate on those higher realms, it may be said that the complete non-existence of desire in them means that they have no astral substance, hence they are absent from the astral.

The Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception takes a similar tack in saying that the vibration of the higher realms is so high that beings there cannot occupy forms from the lower planes because the higher vibrations would destroy the lower form in short order, if not instantly. Imagine plugging a toaster directly into a high voltage transformer. The toaster is not built to withstand the higher voltage electricity coming from the transformer.

Below is an image taken from the Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception. It will be difficult to decipher for most, but it does illustrate the different levels of existence and how far "down" a spirit takes form depending on the level of development.


In the above image, you can see that the Lord Jesus was of so high a vibration that he couldn't directly incarnate into the physical plane. According to Rosicrucian lore, there had to be an intermediary, in this case an initiate who developed his subtle bodies to a level that could withstand higher divine energies, at least for a time, which allowed the Christ spirit to make enough of a leap across the lower planes and do a walk in. Try to read the Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception if you can, but I must say that like the Alice Bailey books, it's very heavy reading.

This is all very interesting, but is there any practical benefit we can derive from this knowledge? It depends on one's level of development, but at the very least it shows us just how far we need to go in order to get to the level of the adepts. It also emphasizes one important aspect about esoteric knowledge that the erstwhile student should be cognizant of: not everything found in esoteric literature is always applicable for the student.

It's something that Master Choa Kok Sui also mentioned in his book Inner Teachings of Hinduism Revealed. The example Master Choa cited was certain teachings on karma where some writings indicate that all good karma must be given away. This is applicable for initiates who are about to be liberated from the wheel of rebirth (because karma, whether good or bad, binds us to rebirth), but this teaching is not applicable for a young soul who has a lot of future incarnations to look forward to and/or a lot of negative karma to pay off. In this case, one needs all the good karma one can get, so it won't make sense to give it all away.

Perhaps this short discussion about the astral plane has stretched the limits of your understanding, but just like in weight lifting perhaps this has helped expand your mental threshold just a little bit more. It's just one small step, considering the scale we need to achieve, but like the Chinese saying goes, the journey of 10,000 li begins with one step.

Happiness In Perspective

Happiness is a state of mind more than anything else. A humble street vendor can find joy where a billionaire would only see misery. Perhaps this is why Aristotle said that happiness depends on ourselves. Yet however we view happiness, it is a state that is coveted by all. We have devoted our lives practically to the pursuit of happiness. In fact, this is how a lot of advertisements work, by preying on our desire to be "happy and enjoy life."

Of course, we cannot discount chemical imbalances in the brain that can cause feelings of sadness and depression. For such cases, there are natural and herbal remedies such as the saffron herb that can help mitigate any physical or chemical imbalances.

In any case, I recently happened upon a nice article talking about the 15 Things You Should Give Up To Be Happy. They're all common-sense advice, so try to read that article if you have the time.

Given our apparent obsession with happiness, I started to think through the idea that perhaps happiness is not really the purpose of life. Sounds like heresy, I know, given what I just stated earlier. After all, who doesn't look forward to a Friday night with friends? Or dinner at one's favorite restaurant? Or a dream vacation somewhere? A dream house? A dream job?

Let me clarify by saying that I think happiness is a necessary part of life, like air, but not necessarily the purpose of life. Let's think this through. For those who have meditated long enough, you may have had episodes of indescribable bliss. Many religions and sages have been consistent in mentioning the eternal joy and happiness of heaven, as well as accounts of peace and happiness experienced by some who had near death experiences. Don't we even term any experience of great bliss and happiness as a "taste of heaven?" They are all consistent: in the spiritual realms lie our true state of happiness. If that's the case, then happiness can't be the reason we incarnated. Why give up eternal happiness in heaven for temporary happiness mixed with suffering in the physical world?

There is something about difficulty and struggle (a staple of incarnated life) that is necessary for us. I don't have the answer to what that may be. It's something akin to the age old question: "Why am I here?" But if I were to make a guess, I would say this. When we are happy, we are contented, and when we're contented, we don't want things to change. Inertia builds up. However, evolution requires change and the ancient writings have made it clear that we all need to spiritually evolve. You get the picture.

However we may view our lives, I think it's important that we do not lose ourselves so much in the pursuit of happiness that we forget about everything else that makes life worthwhile, especially in these times when a lot of what we think will make us happy costs money (sometimes a lot of it), leading most people to think that money equals happiness. Yet how many times have we gotten what we desired only to ask: now what?

Albert Pike once said, "What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal." Of course, Albert Pike was a Freemason, but whatever views you may have about the Freemasons, there is no denying the truth of Pike's words. Perhaps this is what will help us view happiness in perspective.

A Light Upon The Way

When the World Wide Web was introduced sometime in the mid-90s, we literally saw an explosion of information across the world. Part of the knowledge that spread included topics on esoteric spirituality and occult practices. Naturally, the spread of information has also given rise to a variety of "New Agers" (one of the generic terms used in the US to describe anyone who is into spirituality, occult or anything else esoteric).

For the most part, the spread of information has been very beneficial. E-book or scanned copies of previously hard to find ancient manuscripts are now a few clicks away. I'm certainly one of those beneficiaries and am thankful that all this has happened. Still, with the humongous amount of information available, it falls even more heavily upon the student to practice discernment when studying any new and unfamiliar topic.

One thing that has accompanied the popularization of the Internet are the so-called do-it-yourself teachings on the occult and esoteric practices. Inspirational articles about improving one's life and how to get the most out of praying are one thing, but I've seen some sites publishing different spells, advanced meditation practices and other stuff that the untrained shouldn't be touching with a 10-foot pole, let alone published freely on the Web. I mean, no one would read some blog about how to repair jet engines and then go out and try to tinker with an actual jet engine. So the same thing applies with advanced spiritual practices and techniques.

In ancient times, the exoteric practices of religion were for the masses while esoteric spiritual teachings and advanced practices were passed on strictly from guru to disciple. These disciples were taught based on their capability to handle the new teachings, because most advanced spiritual practices involve the downpour of tremendous amounts of energy. This statement would be hard to understand for someone who hasn't had experience with any energy system but let's just say that there are increasing levels of difficulty, and responsibility, as one climbs the spiritual ladder.

In today's fast food world, the relevance of a guru may be questioned by most but that doesn't decrease the guru's importance. Some Eastern sects of esoteric spirituality in fact put so much importance on the guru that they have a practice called guru yoga. As per the Wikipedia article:

The Guru or spiritual teacher is essential as a guide during tantric practice, as without their example, blessings and grace, genuine progress is held to be impossible for all but the most keen and gifted...The guru is considered even more compassionate and more potent than the Buddha because we can have a direct relationship with the guru.

The guru is a direct and living example of the Teachings, and this is why he is highly revered among the disciples. According to Master Choa Kok Sui, a guru has already made a path through the forest so that his disciples don't unnecessarily get hurt along the way. One may ask why we should bother trying to follow an established path. Aren't we supposed to learn for ourselves instead of being spoon-fed?

An example from the field of computer programming may help explain this. Programmers have this rule of thumb that when writing a program, if there are already a series of codes existing for a particular function (for example, a timer or form checker), they just incorporate or make use of the existing code in their program rather than write the whole code from scratch. It saves time and effort, and when project deadlines are involved, it could also save a lot of money. There is no need to reinvent the wheel every time.

The same thing applies to our spiritual practice. We could spend several lifetimes worth of trial and error in order to spiritually develop, or we could follow the teachings of a guru and proceed faster in our spiritual development. The choice is ours to make.

Of course, it's important to get a true guru so that one is not led astray, otherwise one may find oneself worse off than before one started. So how does one discern a true guru?

The word guru means "dispeller of darkness" so in my estimation, one indication of a true guru is that he should be a living example of his Teachings. A guru does not seek to control, but rather hopes to enlighten his disciples while training them to think for themselves and develop their intuition so that they have the free will to discern and decide how they want to pursue their spiritual development. It's an esoteric maxim that the guru can show the door, but it's up to the student to step through that door.

A guru's teachings should also be uplifting. In this sense, the spiritual teachings of a guru are the foundations that allow the disciples to stand on their own and become gurus themselves through the practice of the teachings.

The disciples of a guru are works in progress, therefore it brings us to one thing that one may encounter along spiritual path. One may notice that sometimes there are disciples of a guru who do exactly the opposite of the teachings. It's a fact of life, there will be those who are not the examples we expect them to be, and the practice of spiritual teachings is no different.

If ever you experience this, then this is when you will find out how much you have internalized the guru's teachings. For example, there are a lot of Catholic priests who are sex offenders, yet the existence of these deviants do not invalidate the Teachings of Jesus Christ. But if one has not internalized Christ's teachings, one may either convert to a different religion or become agnostic or atheist. My personal motto is to focus on the teacher and his Teachings, not on the personalities surrounding the Teachings.

This has now led us to another facet pertaining to spiritual practice: the practice itself. When a guru teaches, he does so not for the purpose of memorization but so that the student can follow in the path and experience the Teachings for themselves. Spiritual teachings are always an experiential matter. This is the only way to internalize them and have a stable foundation. Otherwise, if it's all head knowledge, then the slightest challenge such as an unfavorable situation or arguments by a skeptic and skilled debater will make you waver. Only experience can bring conviction.

But should one decide to embark on the spiritual path under the guidance of a guru, there is one very important thing that one should keep in mind. A guru does not exist by himself. By becoming enlightened, he joins the ranks of all other enlightened beings who work in accordance with the Divine Plan and Purpose.

"The teacher is the needle and the disciple is the thread," wrote Miyamoto Musashi, Japan's greatest swordsman, in his book The Book of Five Rings. By aligning oneself with the teachings, one also commits oneself to this Divine Plan and Purpose so that you also form part of this grand tapestry of creation. This should be the reason for one to seek faster advancement in one's spiritual development. As Master Choa said, one should become enlightened in order to become a better Divine Servant.

As we fully enter into this Holy Week, let us then reflect on the Teachings of the great guru Jesus Christ. The Christ's teachings have been passed on to us since we were children. If we were to truly follow Him, we should give serious thought to putting those teachings into practice.