Namaskar

The Cosmic Cycle - Summary

What would you think if someone told you that all the parts in your watch just fell into place, without anyone designing it or putting it together?  Well, it's the same with the universe. From the materialistic viewpoint, it just happened at random. In yogic philosophy that way of thinking is a bit crazy! Just like the watch, it's logical to assume there must be some kind of consciousness behind it making it and witnessing it. And that's not even getting into the problem of where all the parts came from in the first place!

Here's a brief summary of the yogic philosophy of life, the universe and everything:

* The Cosmic Entity is everything. Everything exists within it, and nothing exists outside it.

* The main part of the Cosmic Entity is Cosmic Consciousness.

* Within that Consciousness is the Cosmic Mind (just as our own mind is within our own consciousness).

* The universe is a giant thought of the Cosmic Mind (one of the differences between our mind and the Cosmic Mind is that it can think of everything at the same time).

* The universe is composed of 5 fundamental factors:
- space 
- gas
- heat/light
- liquid
- solid

* Each factor is "created" by the thought-projection of the Cosmic Mind. So the Cosmic Mind is within every object, and the Cosmic Consciousness is also within every object, because it's within the Cosmic Mind.

* The individual mind originally comes out of the solid factor (from a small part of the Cosmic Mind originally in that factor). That's why we say in yoga: "The microcosm is a miniature of the Macrocosm."

* The individual mind "develops" over many different births, in many different bodies. By "develop", is meant that the consciousness within it becomes gradually more and more apparent. For example, in undeveloped creatures, consciousness is hidden within them, and their sense of awareness is not very strong. They act mostly by instinct. As the mind develops, that sense of awareness increases as the consciousness within it becomes more expressed. Instinct gradually gives way to intellect. For example, a dog has a certain amount of intellect as well as instinct. Finally, at the human stage, our consciousness is much more expressed, so we have a clear awareness of our individual existence, as well as of the universe in general. That comes from intuition. Of course we still mostly operate on intellect, as well as a certain amount of instinct. But intuition gives us a deeper conscience, as well as the capacity for creative insight and discovery.

* A very developed human mind eventually becomes so aware of the universal existence that it loses awareness of its own individual existence. At that stage it merges back into the original state of Cosmic Consciousness, or full Cosmic awareness.

* Since the Cosmic Mind originally came from that Cosmic Consciousness, the whole process is a cycle: from Cosmic Consciousness, to Cosmic Mind, to matter, to individual mind (undeveloped, developed, human), to Cosmic Consciousness again.

* Note that this cycle doesn't happen all at once for all minds. It's a continual process with different parts of existence all at different stages. That explains why there are so many different creatures with so many different minds. It also explains why scientists have discovered new stars within old galaxies - new matter is formed from the Cosmic Mind while old matter gets gradually (and that means VERY gradually) transformed into individual minds.

*The characteristic of the Cosmic Entity (apart from existence and consciousness) is infinity - it is the only infinite entity. In fact, not only infinity, but infinite happiness, perfect peace - bliss. That's why we want infinite happiness, because we're naturally attracted by the Cosmic Bliss! 

Got it? 

See attached for more detail.

But the main thing is to keep going through all the meditation practices.  What helps a lot is to sing along to the universal mantra of BABA NAM KEVALAM while you're listening to the kiirtan tunes that go with it. It also helps to sing the mantra any time, to any tune you like - when you're walking down the street, driving your car, cooking in the kitchen - wherever!

Dharma

"God is infinite. God has no beginning and no end.  God is the unbroken flow of pure and serene bliss stretching from beginninglessness to endlessness."
(Shrii Shrii Anandamurti)