3 wakings
January 15, 2008We tend to think of enlightenment as a grand awakening, where everything is illuminated and we instantly solve all our problems. However, enlightenment is part of natural human growth and development. It follows normal human growth patterns. It is a process, a series of shifts that take place, with certain key points, like puberty for example.
In a previous post, I observed how there are 3 ego values, the “3 Am-egos“. In the process from first waking to full enlightenment, we loose the 3 ego values. In a similar way, there are 3 values of mind. Individual mind, which supports the ego, universal mind (all of us), which supports the universe, and cosmic or divine mind, which supports all creation. This “support” can be said to be the dream or Maya.
In the above post I spoke about the 2 Mayas. I now see there are actually 3. The 2nd was simply less obvious in the process as it was not a distinct switch. But it exists structurally.
The process is thus, on average (there is many individual variations):
On first awakening, we “forget” or loose the ego of the individual mind and transcend the illusion of separateness. We become the Self within, witness to the world and our own life. This waking is a distinct shift for most people. A shift from being mind to being Self, a shift from experiencing who we are to being it.
After some time in this perspective, the nervous system is refined and we begin to be able to support more refined perception. The finer values become more obvious to us, both in the world and within. The feeling value of individuality falls away, the second value of ego. The Self begins to “move out” into the world and the heart is absorbed and a second opening of the heart occurs (the first of the chakra, the second of the divine). We become the divine flow and are immersed in the Love that creates and sustains all expression, beyond even existence and awareness. We connect with a deeper value of Being. We transcend the Universal mind, becoming the divine. This is a second awaking but unlike the first, is not a switch so much as a shift. We become love and see it within everything. True compassion and empathy blossom.
From that place, the final “grip” of individual identity is lost, the last hold of person. The remnants of ego fall away. The “I” remains but not the “my”, as an aspect of the whole. One perceives the Silence, within which is the expression, within which is the universe, within which is the individual aspect of “I”. No separateness. Finally, there is the second shift, the 3rd waking. The Aha of I Am That, Thou art That, All this is That. We wake from the 3rd and final dream of God. We transcend even the divine mind and find that all is Silence alone. Silence, Alertness without Object, and liveliness. Silence flows within Itself. Everything else is the Dream. The dream within a dream within a dream.
Fully awake, this is enlightenment. Beyond mind of all types, it cannot adequately be described. But we are that. Always have been. It is only for us to remember again. Beyond all dreams, only then can we understand the truth of being.
In some meditiation circles, these 3 wakings are known as Cosmic, God or Celestial, and Unity consciousness.
It should also be mentioned that the refinement of the 2nd waking starts well before this and continues on indefinitely. The expansion and depth of silence of the 3rd waking also continues to expand and deepen indefinitely. This illustrates how Enlightenment is not a goal but rather a process.
Its also worth observing that there isn’t really 3 Mayas. There is simply one dream with various perspectives. We wake from it in stages and there are typically 3.
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