The dictionary defines “cosmic” as being that of the whole universe. In the Song of Songs (The Bhagavad Gita) the Supreme Lord, Krsna says “asmi cetana”- that He is the living force (consciousness) in living beings. But what if there are more universes that what we have been taught to believe in? How can we grow into greater consciousness which already has been defined as supreme and eternal and cannot be produced by a combination of matter.

“According to the Vedas, the universe in which the earth is situated consists of a fourteen-planet system. The specific planets are categorized into three areas: higher planets, middle planets and lower planets. The lower or hellish planets are abodes of extreme chastisement for the purpose of rectification. The medium planets are the earth-like planets. The higher planets are those heavenly kingdoms that people sometimes call Heaven. Above all these planetary systems is the kingdom of God , or the spiritual world, which is anti-material in nature and has nothing to do with the mundane world.”

“When we talk about heaven, we are talking about places or states where intensified and unceasing pleasure is available. These experiences are available from the earth level up to higher planetary systems. Although such a place is called paradise, we are not really talking about the place where the Supreme Lord resides. We must make this distinction.”

Ancient teachings resurrected as “new” have encouraged us to understand that we are more than this body and to embrace our situation and rise to new heights. Actually we are not this body at all, it is merely a vehicle for us spirit souls to use to learn lessons. First lesson learned if we have felt that this outer covering really does not reflect the true state of who we are within.

Lesson not learned, if we continue to identify with the things around us as well as ourselves. Just how wrapped up are we in looking good, keeping up with the neighbours, spending time on ourselves, determines how much we identify with the body.

After understanding that we are not this body, another realisation hits home: we are continually repeating a cycle of birth, old age, disease and death – and repeating the same mistakes over and over again. Enough already! By good fortune we have been given an opportunity to use our superior reasoning powers, which unfortunately the animals lack, to consciously decide to change our lives.

Mostly people do not realise also that having a human body is the only opportunity to learn more about God. But there are a few who really do want to break free of this entrapment of the prison of the material world. They want to experience higher and higher understanding of the Supreme Lord and are willing to go the proverbial Avis “extra mile”. There are very few who try to live their lives piously, and yet even fewer are those who live in this world and yet have not become part of it.

“Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth.”

Of those seeking to improve their consciousness are they actually doing it the right way? Knowledge, unless obtained from scriptures can be very detrimental in one’s spiritual quest. Critical at this stage is guidance from a specialised mentor who is recognised as an authority with authentic information which goes back in a disciplic manner to the original source of the information. No more modern day interpretations are required because too many have altered and watered down the information. Watered down milk sold by people wanting to make a quick sale, quickly shows its lack of value and taste.

“The conditioned soul has four kinds of defects. The first defect is that he must commit mistakes. For example, in our country, Mahatma Gandhi was considered to be a very great personality, but he committed many mistakes……

Another defect: to be illusioned. Illusion means accept something which is not…..

Third defect is the cheating propensity….

Lastly, our senses are imperfect. We are very proud of our eyes. Often, someone will challenge, ‘Can you show me God?’ But do you have the eyes to see God?”

Sometimes the sanskrit statement “aham brahmasi” meaning “I am spirit” has been given the wrong emphasis and people think that once they learn all the wonderful secrets of the East, of ancient Mystery schools, and so on, they are then equal to God. One needs to appreciate things that God has done and then to see exactly how much these individuals are lacking. Can they create the abundance of variation, delicacy, perfume and wonder in flowers alone? The teachings if applied correctly, could change their total lives. But unfortunately for them they apply their power only for materialistic concerns and all it does is to entrench them deeper and deeper in the unknown prison they are trapped in. Just like that moth and the electric light bulb. Maybe now we are finally convinced that everything is created and belongs to a Supreme Person; we can get an idea to make something but from where does the inspiration come.

Reminiscent of Ezekiel’s stairway to God, another step is to realise that our real home is elsewhere and that we have been given an opportunity for another stage of growth in our consciousness by realising that this body is only a vehicle but one that needs specialised training if it is not to hold us back. Mastery of the senses is the main objective rather than having the senses master you.

Yoga means to link with God and bhakti means loving, devotional, unconditional, continual service to God.

So for sense training, Bhakti Yoga teaches one to focus on the higher taste rather than to try and dismiss the senses. By regularly reading scripture, withdrawing from people and activities that do not contribute to one’s spiritual growth, chanting and praying, eating special offered spiritual food, one learns the art of giving the senses better appreciation. And then bingo – your senses don’t trouble you even half as much!

So now we get to a stage which starts to become very interesting, especially if expanded consciousness is what you are striving for. Preparation up to this stage has involved quite a lot of focus and desire to change but what you really need now is grace – the grace of the Lord, in order to proceed further.

“There is an intermediate phase of unfoldment when we are able to associate with an individual form of God located in the heart region of every living being; this aspect of God is known as the paramatma. This is a higher ‘oneness’ that is more localized and more personal, a stage that great yogis strive to attain through their yogic practices.”

“We can have a personal exchange with God, even in these bodies. When this happens, the physical body cannot properly contain the experiences.”

The brahmajyoti is the Sanskrit name for the light or effulgence that surrounds the Lord, that many seek when they turn away from the material world as being a place of disillusionment. It is one of the phases experienced when making connection with higher consciousness. As one learns more and more it seems that this nothingness nirvana, is a goal to be sought after.

This is the “liberation” that impersonalistic schools of thought talk about. Big mistake especially if you aiming for greater consciousness. It is of course more difficult when experiencing bliss, to imagine that there could be anything more – but there is! So don’t get distracted en route.

“The philosophy of impersonalism tries to emcompass all the basic material elements, but it explains only one dimension of Divinity, and is thus incomplete. It shows how we are one with God, but it totally neglects to explain how we are different from God and this is essential. It is this difference that we experience and which stands out as fundamental for spiritual development. If we are different from God, then we can develop an attitude of service to Him.”

“The Supreme Lord being absolute, can simultaneously appear personally as well as impersonally.”

“We can the spiritually advance towards the ultimate association with the Supreme Lord in the spiritual world”

And why accept anything less than the best. And it’s also the best open secret in the world – exactly what is beyond cosmic consciousness. And what is that? We can actually have a loving reciprocal relationship with the Lord!