Individual
Consciousness, a Ladder to Heaven
Carlos Cardoso Aveline
* Verbal information about the spiritual path has a
limited value in esoteric philosophy:
unless it leads to the actual growth and strengthening of one’s soul.
* The deeper importance of studying theosophical texts
lies in the fact that human mind adopts both the form and substance of whatever
it reflects upon. Distancing oneself from falsehoods is therefore a decisive
factor in being able to learn.
* By uplifting his mind and soul, the student becomes
one with divine knowledge. As he thinks
upon that which is immortal and unlimited, his mind and his life change, and an
existential syntony with divine knowledge unfolds.
* The calm study of esoteric philosophy silently
transforms one’s life through the dynamic affinity between the microcosm and
the macrocosm, between one’s soul and the Soul of the universe. Thus one learns
to live in conscious unity with eternal time and infinite lucidity.
* Esoteric philosophy
speaks of seven levels of consciousness, which can be symbolized by Jacob’s
ladder in the Bible. [1]
* We ourselves are the
Ladder to Heaven, or the bridge to the sky. We inhabit the seven planes of
consciousness - and their subplanes. [2]
* What does, then, an
aspirant to wisdom do?
* He elevates the Focus
of his mind and heart along the lines of this invisible ladder. Yet he is still
the whole ladder himself, and this is so all along each one of his
incarnations.
* The ladder is built from
above, upon being born. Its foundation is spiritual, not material. Its basis
and dwelling place are above. The ladder appears material only to one’s five
senses and left-side brain.
* As the truth-seeker
expands the higher side of his experience in life, he still owes due respect
for his lower self.
* The pilgrim will look
at the denser aspects of his life according to his horizon, depending on the
contents of his mind, on his conditions and goals. In any case, the esoteric
tradition teaches that while you look for eternal truth, you must not disrespect your lower, basic levels of life-perception.
* The ladder to heaven
that every human being constitutes can also be seen as the keyboard of a piano.
You must know well and coordinate the entire keyboard in order to have the
right kind of music, or sound, and life.
* The idea of “self” is
complex, for there is no “single self”. We have a number of levels of
perception. Many different voices inhabit and can be heard in each one’s soul.
* One’s different kinds
of intelligence must come to an agreement. A harmonious cooperation among them allows
them all to be consistent and achieve their main goal, a shared object - the wisdom of the spiritual soul, for
instance.
* The one and the same
divine knowledge enlightens the various levels of consciousness in sharply different
ways. Unknown forms of both ignorance and good sense become visible. Pleasure
and pain are now more intense. There is also a certain harmony between energies
of different levels of consciousness.
* Generous emotions are
in syntony with elevated thoughts, with sincere words, with altruistic actions.
They all can be aligned. Their alignment, however, should not be taken for
granted, for it is rarely perfect and keeping it requires vigilance and
self-discipline.
* The basic agreement
among different principles or levels of perception includes difficult moments
and sad paradoxes. Mistakes are part of life, and correcting them is our sacred
duty.
* The “inter-sectoral” agreement
of different levels of consciousness must be accepted with its limitations, and
can be (patiently) improved along time. Little by little, vertical integration -
or Yoga - takes place.
NOTES:
[1] See “Antahkarana, the Bridge to Sky” and “The Vertical Side of a Journey”.
[2] Take a look at “The Seven Principles of Consciousness”.
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The above article
was published as an independent item in the associated websites on 4 April 2023.
An initial version of it - with no indication as to the name of the author - is
part of the February 2021 edition of “The
Aquarian Theosophist”, pp. 17-18.
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Print the texts you
study from the associated websites. Reading on paper helps us attain a deeper view
of philosophical texts. When studying a printed text, the reader can underline sentences
and make handwritten comments in the margins that link the ideas to his personal
reality.
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Read more:
* Thoughts Along the Road - 01.
* The Vertical Side of a Journey.
* Other writings of Carlos Cardoso Aveline.
* The Shock Doctrine, by James Richards.
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Helena Blavatsky
(photo) wrote these words: “Deserve,
then desire”.
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