Chapter 2
Energetic-Informational Planes of a Man and Cosmos.
"Forgetting how to observe, a man looses the gift for synthesis." (A.Y.,20)
Not understanding how a man is arranged, can one assist himself?
When we get acquainted with an ancient eastern books we learn that a man is a small particle of Cosmos, that is Microcosm in Macrocosm. He has rather complicated structure and consists not only of the sets of cells, muscles and organs. A man has not one but seven bodies . These bodies except physical one, have also material nature, but of another, more subtle energetic quality.
Here are first four bodies:
These are lower transient bodies of a man. They are born, die and are changed with each new life due to the laws of Cosmos.
The other three bodies are the Highest immortal Triad of a man, consisting of:
Physical Body.
The physical body is the closest, the most clear and the most completely studied at present, consists of different substances, which form cells and organs.
Its main purpose is to give the Spirit an opportunity to accept impressions, to work out knowledge, while having intercoursed with matter and having come in touch with physical world. So it is called the "body of an action". In the course of an evolutionary development of a man his physical body is also being developed. However, not the increasing of muscles is meant, but the state when a body becomes to be able to accept the subtle vibrations from the Upper World and response to them.
Ethereal Body.
The ethereal body or the subtle prototype of a man repeats the shape of a physical body. This is the most densified energetic shell.
The main task of an ethereal body is to be the conductor of a vital (bio) energy to a physical body. People who have their internal sight being disclosed, see the ethereal body, having been protruded out of the boundaries of a physical body somewhat for about several centimeters. Everybody can make an attempt to see the eternal body. For this in relaxation, not fixing your sight, look at your hands, and in definite period you will see a kind of dim light around your fingers.
Some very sensitive people especially in a period of an emotional stress may see an ethereal body leaving the physical body after its death. There is the folk tradition to cover mirrors in the flat, where somebody has died in order not to get afraid of having seen by the lateral sight how the ethereal body is flowing away.
Ethereal body flows out from the physical one and has been decomposed within 24 or 36 hours. The lights sometimes seen on the cemeteries near the fresh graves have been the process of ethereal bodies' decomposition.
Astral Body.
Astral body is the body of wishes, feelings, emotional experience. It is an egg-shaped, and, penetrating physical and ethereal bodies surrounds a man with luminous cloud. When a man falls asleep an astral body leaves him and comes back in the morning. Under the action of narcosis an astral body separates from physical one and so a man doesn't feel pain. During sleeping an astral body has been moving in astral world and sometimes is able to percept impressions, visions and prophetic dreams.
An astral body of a backward person looks like cloudy dimly outlined mass. It is coarse and dense. Its coloring is of dingy, turbid and dark shades. During sleeping such body is unconsciousness and wanders near the body.
Under the influence of passions and desires an astral body changes. Controlling his feeling and deeds and consciously directing them a man can improve an astral body.
An astral body of a spiritually developed person consists of the tiniest particles of an astral matter and presents bright spectacle by its radiance and coloring. Under the influence of pure and noble deeds there appear shades, unknown on the Earth. During sleeping the consciousness doesn't cease. Having left heavy physical shell an astral body can wander freely in higher layers of an astral world. This gives him the possibility to be consciously active on an astral plane.
After his death a man makes himself free consequently of physical and then ethereal bodies and being in his astral body he gets into an astral plane of Cosmos.
Every died man stays in the region of the astral world corresponding to his passions and desires until he not having the possibility to satisfy them, falls out of those habits.
There are the heaviest vibrations in the lowest planes of the astral, through which the died passes. This layer is filled with numerous different, often shapeless elementals hich can only live at the expense of the other's energies. It is the real Purgatory and Hell described in many religious beliefs.
Spiritually developed man passes them in a dream without any delay.
The lesser developed person will pass the Purgatory slower and his awakening will begin at the moment he comes in touch with energies, corresponding with his nature.
Those people who only lived on the Earth in accordance with their lowest passions experience the most serious difficulties. Their astral bodies having the remained lowest desires to drink, to take drugs, sex doing, but not having the opportunity to satisfy them, brings a man inexpressive sufferings. Besides, blood of all living beings which a man whenever shed on the Earth, still remains on an astral body.
There pass sometimes millions of years before the spirit leaves this abode of sufferings.
"The Spirit who didn't seek perfection in life after throwing away his body is plunged into indifferent state and then wanders, being tormented by the dim remembrances. And these low carnal remembrances plunge him into utterly cheerlessness. One must avoid indifference at the moment of changing body. The perfection of aspirations will give the calmness to pass from one body to another." (A.Y.,130)
Those who thought that the evolution would finish at the Paradise or in another analogous place, stay in the higher astral layers and a lot of time passes by, until they come to realize that there is no end of the evolutionary movement.
It becomes quite clear that the clearing of an astral body in the earthly life is of great importance.
But for every man, earlier or later, the time comes when the connection with astral body has been broken once and for all. And the soul passes to the next step, to conscious abode - mental plane.
Mental body.
Mental body is the body of our thoughts, the intellectual principle of a man, the following energetic step.
It is placed around the head and the heart of a man, and grows in volume with developing of man's consciousness. It is the mental body of the Highest Spirits that is depicted like a gold luminescence around the head on the icons of Jesus Christ, Divine Mother and other Saints.
All our thoughts are reflected on our mental body. Like the astral one it differs greatly in people of different stages of development. It is distinctly outlined over spiritual cultural people and has been in constant movement.
In a backward man mental body is small and slight. The alien thoughts with which most of people are satisfied don't develop their mental body and it looks like a cloud with uncertain outlines.
Mental body is in constant activity so a man proceeds thinking even while sleeping, and after death when he passes to the Upper World.
Having passed to the mental layer, a man spends most of his time in this kind of his bodies. This is the time of the conscious evolution of a man. It is this layer from which the conscious incarnations occur.
It would be rather sane to strive for perfection of a mental body: on the way of spiritual development and meditation, by gaining knowledge and seeking for beauty. Under such conditions mental body may evolve much quicker.
All our future depends on what we shall bring from our earthly life, what thoughts, feelings and aspirations fill our soul.
Such are the man's mortal bodies. At the moment of death he throws off his physical body, after it - ethereal, and he throws off astral one when he prepares to enter the heavenly world.
Of great interest are the works by the doctors P.Kalinovsky and R.Moody, describing the recollections of people who experienced clinical death. The main thing in all these recollections is that the consciousness isn't broken off after the death's coming.
The studies, carried out by the cardiologist, professor of the Emery University Dr.Sabom, are worth while trusting. He writes how a number of the patients, experienced clinical death in the course of time quite correctly told about their crisis and gave accurate proofs of medical measures which corresponded to the notations in the protocols of the medical observations. Some doubting doctors supposed that the patients were simply in semiconscious state. However Dr. Sabom marked that when the patients had been in semiconscious state their stories bore a strong resemblance of the descriptions of nightmares.
The opponents of the investigations connect the feelings of the people which experienced the clinical death, with their religion visions and traditions. Nevertheless neither Moody, nor Kalinovsky or Sabom find any connection between age, sex, national origin, level of education, religious belief and the conversancy with the phenomena of posthumous experience.
The doctors R.Coste and R.Blata supposed that the posthumous experience is the psychological reaction to the approaching of death, a kind of fantasy of our consciousness which is aware of coming to the end.
There, however, might be given an example when people, having not supposed that they were threatened by mortal danger, told about "flowing out of the body". Dr. Sabom adduces an accident when a man is knocked down by a car, and he feels himself "soaring" over people, cars, his own body, before he realizes that he has got an accident
When the heavenly period comes to an end before the next incarnation, the mental body has been decomposed.
In a new incarnation new mental body is formed, then new astral and ethereal bodies, and after that they are united together with a new physical body.
Many people probably know that a man's body weighs lesser after his death. The investigations which determine the presence of the energies inherent only in a living body even within 24 hours after the physical death, are also very interesting.
Our knowledge about energetic structure of a human body won't be complete, if we don't know about chacras - energetic centers providing the transmutation of cosmic energies after what they (energies) are disseminated throughout each cell and organ. Translated from Sanscrit it means "fiery wheel" or "disc". In vedic texts they are described as multicoloured lotuses, in each of them one of the colours being predominated over the others, and the number of petals also being different. Long before the appearance of the notion of spectral structure of light the descriptions of chacras contained the colours of decomposition of white light. From top to bottom: violet, blue, pale blue, green yellow, orange, red. Isn't the principle of decomposition of energies isn't it put into this internal rainbow?
There 49 chacras all in all. 7 of them are the main and are located alongside spinal column. They govern 7 main nervous plexus and are called in Sanscrit: Brahamarandra, Ajna, Vishuddha, Anahata, Manipura, Svadhistana, Muladhara. Each center has the corresponding colour, smell, taste, sound, sense and guiding planet.
Chacras are also the centers of psychical consciousness.
Brahamarandra is located in the crown (top of the head). In the Living Ethics it is called the Center of the Bell. It has 960 petals. In the Hindu philosophy it is called 1000-petal lotus, each petal having definite function, so its significance is rather various. Its colour is violet. It corresponds to the sound Si(B). The guiding planet - Sun.This is the center of auditory and visual perceptions of spatial thoughts and everything coming from Upper Worlds and Spheres. Brahamarandra is the center of the higher abstract philosophical thinking, supermind.
The philosophers, sages and scientists work on the energies of this center.
Ajna is located over the eye-brows. It also is called "The Brama's Eye", "The Third Eye" or the 96-petal lotus.
The projection on the physical organ - pineal gland.
Colour - blue. The corresponding sound is La(A). The guiding planet is Saturn.
Disclosing of this center provides clairvoyance, i.e. conscious penetrating into past and future events out of time and space. There appears the ability to see through the barriers, earth, to see the work of organs, to observe the life of minerals, to hear Music of Spheres.
With the help of this center one can correct corporal defects.
In Russian fairy-tales there is a mention about "the third eye". Recollect the tale "Kroshechka-Khavroshechka": "Sleep the eye, sleep the other, and about the third eye she has forgotten".
Vishuddha or the 16-petal lotus. The projection on physical organ is the thyroid gland. The disorder of its function causes goitre.
Colour is pale-blue. It corresponds to the sound Sol(G). The guiding planet is Jupiter.
It is the center of the synthesis, of the analytical logical thinking and emotionally-spiritual activity. The development of this center determines our memory and mental abilities.
Disclosing of this center gives the comprehension of the word in any language; the ability to exert influence on the listener with one's speech in such a way, that he would understand the words addressed, no matter what language they have been uttered in, as it was with Jesus Christ and His disciples.
By concentrating on this center one can preserve his youth. This center is well developed in the people of art (actors, poets and musicians).
If a man is often irritated or angry, if he shouts, i.e. throws out energy from this chakra, the changes may begin in the process of metabolism, and consequently osteochondrosis, sediments of salts, goitre and similar illnesses may appear.
Anahata is the 12-petal lotus located in the heart domain.
Colour is green. Corresponds to the sound Fa(F). The guiding planet is Venus. This center has great functions. First, it is the bond between physical consciousness and Cosmos, Spirit and Heart. Disclosing of this center gives wisdom and internal strength, gaining power over one's lower "Ego", control over feelings, knowledge about the previous incarnations, it gives affirming of Harmony and Love, understanding of surrender, duty and faith. All the creative ideas come from here. If this center is open a man attains intuitive knowledge, higher wisdom, which comes to him through the wire of a heart, "the silver thread" connected with the Cosmic Consciousness.
Manipura is the 10-petal lotus, located in solar plexus. Colour is yellow. Corresponds to the sound Mi(E). The guiding planet is Sun.
The Solar plexus like accumulator nourish the whole organism by psychic energy, likewise the sun it brings life to everything. The threads of all organs and the centers are interlaced in Solar Plexus. It is transmutator and disseminator of the energy not only through the organs but also throughout ethereal and astral bodies.
Disclosing of this center brings the increasing of vital power.
Throwing out of the energy from this center takes place when a man feels fear.
Svadhistana is the 6-petal lotus. Located a little bit lower the navel. The information about it is scarce. Probably it is the additional source of energy and is controlled by Solar Plexus. Colour is orange. Corresponds to the sound Re(D). The guiding planet is Mercury.
Muladhara is 4-petal lotus, located in the region of sacrum, and it is the root of all the "lotus flowers.
Colour is red." Corresponds to the sound Do(C). Guiding planet is Mars.
This is the main center of living power and the center of will. The center of concentration of fiery energy of Kundalini.
The disorders in this center lead to the loss of vital power, to weakness and indecision.
The open centers are the great power. A little child and immature young man don't ossess open centers because their mind, will and heart haven't been brought to harmony yet. Wise cosmic laws take care of a man and only by the age of 30 the opportunity of full action of the centers appears.
The energies of all our bodies mutually penetrating into each other form aura on the perimeter of which on the whole extent the protective net is glittering being iridescented with purple, having guarded its owner against the strange influence.
"Recently the soma of organism has become the subject of investigation. Then the purple protective net was recollected. They both corresponds to the sphere of fire. The first is the consequence of phosphorus work, the second gives the power of fire attracted from space by the healthy radiation of organism. So, it's necessary to take care of a body in order his consequences were mighty. Our remedies are directed to these fires. Not a muscle but the fiery tide of nervous is worth while paying attention. It is necessary to restore and nourish it." (A.Y.,371)
In the antiquity there were the methods of disclosing of the centers of psychic consciousness in a man for cognizing the Truth. After durable testing and trials when the Teacher saw that the disciple was ready to use his superabilities for the sake of Good, only then the centers were being disclosed for accepting new knowledge by the sequence of specific exercises. But in all handbooks as well as in Agni Yoga the dangers are described which a man is exposed to, if he is not ready. The energy of Kundalini, described as a serpent, twisted three and a half revolutions in the lowest chakra (Muladhara) begins to rise up and connects all chakras into a single energetic system. But woe is him who hasn't prepared his upper centers. The energy cannot rise higher then the heart chakra, and sometimes even higher than the solar plexus, and energetic bonds are ruptured, and a man becomes a slave, that is, he experiences the influence of dark astral forces.
"Each cosmic achievement is fraught with danger in the case of negligence. If people can master new energies, then for the weak spirits the danger of obsession will increase." (A.Y.,227).
The Highest Triad or Spirit has been never dying part of human nature, immortal individuality which is preserved having passed all the incarnations. The Triad (Atma-Buddhi-Manas) corresponds to Divine Trinity which can be translated as Divine Light - Spiritual Consciousness and Higher Intelligence. This principle presents the true essence of a man, his Higher "Ego", his Spirit.
Our mortal nature, consisting of physical, ethereal, astral and mental bodies, doesn't make a man yet, it presents the so-called clothing for Spirit.
For cognizing the Truth, the internal essence of events and things the mortal nature must be submitted to the immortal principle. The Living Ethics writes that the time of evolutionary changes has come and a man can cognize his true nature, having submitted it to his immortal "Ego", to his Spirit.
ATMA - Divine Light.
It is the tiniest substance of our spiritual world. It is the Divine principle which is present in every man, plant, animal, in any material body. And it is He Who fills us with Higher Cosmic Energies.
BUDDHI - Spiritual Consciousness.
It belongs to the world of pure spiritual wisdom, knowledge and love joined into indivisible integer. The results of all incarnations and experiences, attained in the course of eternity, are accumulated in this higher body. It is sated with energies which are imbued with Love and Compassion.
MANAS - Highest Intelligence.
Cosmic Intelligence is the Highest Mind able to abstracting, which belongs to the "nature of knowledge". With the help of it a man realizes the Truth. Sometimes in dreams or in man's waking hours manas comes in touch with lower consciousness and we obtain knowledge not by logical reasoning, but straightly, intuitively. There suddenly comes enlightenment, and we learn how to act, or how to solve the problem.
Immortal human bodies don't undergo mutation or death. They give the continuity of memory which is the essence of the immortal individuality. It is that treasure where everything worthwhile eternity is preserved.
All world's religions speak of a divine nature of a man, orthodoxal Christianity in the words of St. Apostle Paul also acknowledges the higher nature of a man:
"Don't you know that your bodies are the Temple of living in you the Holy Spirit, whom you have from your God..." (To Corinth. YI, 19).
Nobody can become divinely perfect in one short life. A long way is necessary for this purpose and a man slowly, but unavoidably goes up to his true aim, divine perfectness on the inexpressive for our consciousness summit.
The man' path doesn't finish with his sojourn on the Earth. And now esoteric literature describes seven other planes of a further evolutionary advancement. In the order of evolution they may be disposed as physical, astral, mental, spiritual, nirvana, monadial and Divine.
Getting acquainted with the levels of Universe we may say today that the spiritual plane is the place where those Spirits are dwelling who having passed their way of material evolution stayed there in order to help the people of the Earth. The cognition of High planes demands from a person deep spiritual penetrating, the transition to higher energies. But we may only speak about the Highest as about the approaching to the True Knowledge. Helena Petrovna Blavatskaya in her "Secret Doctrine" wrote:
"Three upper planes are the three highest planes of consciousness being given away and being explained in both mentioned schools only to the Initiated" (Secret Doctr.v.I,p.YI).
"So the question about recognizing the Higher World will become essential and science itself will approach it as the engine of evolution. One may not only dream of such an approach, but one can approach the Highest World by the earthly measures. Each reapproachement of the Worlds is the victory over flesh". (AUM, 124)
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