We may have thought that such a state was the monopoly of saints, but the average person may also enjoy spiritual consciousness, explains Sant Rajinder Singh
The world we see today before us is vastly altered from the world of yesterday. Far more dramatic than the changes brought about by technology are the changes in our perception of the world. Science has broadened our vision to extend from the minutest subatomic particles to the brilliant light radiating from distant quasars. The universe is no longer perceived as solid matter, but dancing packets of ever-whirling energy. Our world view has shifted from believing in only what one can perceive with the five senses to recognising that there is more than what we see with our physical eyes.
Science has begun to enter previously forbidden realms to explore dimensions not measurable by ordinary instruments. Scientists are awakening to the existence of phenomena that cannot be explained by antiquated science text books with their limited perspective. In discovering that there are dimensions beyond this physical one, they are changing our concept of reality. Journals abound with hypotheses about the origin of our universe, about black holes of minute size containing tremendous energy, about the possibility of entering space at one point and emerging in a far distant galaxy. What previously was material for science fiction writers is now the basis of serious study.
Besides exploring outer space, scientists have begun researching the realm of inner space. We find medical doctors reporting cases of people who had near-death experiences in which they underwent clinical death yet were revived. Dr Raymond Moody’s book, life After life, documents cases in which people who underwent the near-death experience reporting similar experiences. In the interim period while they were declared dead many reported leaving the body and finding themselves floating in the room, looking down at their physical body. They could float through the hospital, oftentimes seeing their relatives in the other room and listening to their conversations. A remarkable number of people experienced soaring through a tunnel to a region of light where they met a benign, radiant being. They experienced a transcendent peace and happiness, which they found difficult to leave. The number of people who underwent these near-death experiences is so large and the descriptions so strikingly similar that doctors and scientists find it difficult to ignore the possibility that there is more to who we are than our physical body.
These findings are corroborated with the experiences of mystics throughout the ages. What seems new to the Western mind has been widely accepted knowledge for centuries in the East. In each religion we find accounts of similar experiences in which one’s consciousness can be separated from the physical body. We find extraordinary descriptions of higher states of consciousness in different religions. In Hinduism, we find the ancient story of Savitri, whose husband was taken from her by death. Savitri is said to have left the body, apprehending the angel of death and imploring him to return her husband to life. In Buddhism, we have the Tibetan Book of the Dead, that describes in detail the journey of the soul as it departs from this world. Islam describes in detail regions of heaven, hell, and ahraf (purgatory) to which a soul passes after this physical existence is over. In Christianity, we have the Book of Revelation, rich in description of realms beyond this world. In the Kabbalah of Judaism, a cosmogony of higher planes is described.
A deeper study into the heart of each religion reveals a wealth of mystic experiences described by the saints and spiritual adepts. Each in its own time has taught disciples how to transcend physical consciousness and explore spiritual realms.
Spiritual consciousness is our birthright. It is the highest attainment we can achieve in our lifetime. We may have thought that these states were the monopoly of saints, but the experimentation of modern scientists and mystics confirms that the average person may also enjoy spiritual consciousness. There are simple steps to spiritual consciousness. Unbounded joy, happiness, and inner peace await us when we discover the freedom, the exhilaration, and the wonder of enlightenment that comes from attaining spiritual consciousness.
What is spiritual consciousnessIJ It is becoming conscious of the soul and God within us. Most of us are aware of our body, of the thoughts passing through our mind, and of the world around us. This is called body or physical consciousness. But we are more than our body and mind. We are actually a soul, a conscious entity which inhabits the body. The soul is a part of the oversoul, whether we call it God, the creator, Allah, Wah-i-Guru, or Parmatma. It is of the same essence as God. The soul is what enlivens the body. When the soul leaves the body at the time of death, the body dies. But the soul does not die. It is immortal. Just as people who clinically died experienced a continued existence outside their body, so will each of us continue to exist even after the demise of our mortal frame. This consciousness at the level of soul, independent of our body and mind, is what is termed spiritual consciousness.
These inner experiences are not limited to people of antiquity. Anyone in our own time who wishes to develop this for him or herself may have such experiences and verify the reality of the soul. The steps to spiritual consciousness are simple and can be practised by people of all religions, all nationalities, and all walks of life. The method is available for all those who wish to discover the treasure of their soul and the infinite consciousness, joy, peace, and bliss latent within.
The first step to spiritual consciousness is learning the art of meditation. The next step is to achieve personal transformation so we can lead a life in the world that increases our spiritual consciousness. It involves living life in such a way that our consciousness remains centered in our soul while we are attending to our worldly duties and responsibilities. This means that we develop spiritual qualities such as non-violence, truthfulness, purity, humility, and selfless service. Finally, inner peace and personal transformation lead to outer peace in the world. By attaining inner peace, we can make a positive contribution to human unity, universal love, and the improvement of all life on this planet.
The writer is a spiritual leader
