nn edited,ss edited;1.4.3 spiritual liberation

Q: What are the stages that a spiritual aspirant must pass through between the time that the unreality of Ahamkar is realized and the state of Kaevalya is attained? What do you have to go through?

Yes, yes, I will answer this question. When the Ahamkar is merged into Mahattattva, the little 'I' looses its sense of individuality and becomes involved in the great cosmic experience of existence. In this stage the sadhaka will feel "I am all that exists," and the sadhaka will come to know that every molecule in the universe lies within their mental sphere. So identity will cease to be associated with the physical body and will associate instead with all creation. In this phase the manifest universe becomes an internal projection of the mind, and in this phase there is identity with the Cosmic Ego, that is to say, the Cosmic feeling of "I exist" and "I do". So the sadhaka experiences that the Cosmic Mind and identity lies not with body, not with unit mind, but with the Cosmic "I", and that the universe is an internal projection. Then the Cosmic Mind begins to unwind and the question comes again, "Who am I"? Now it is not the little person who is asking, but the Cosmic Progenitor, and the pull of Parama Purus'a on the mind continues to bring identity to more and more subtle spheres. There continues to be a pull, and gradually the experience becomes more internalized, not in the body, not in the mind of the little person, but in the cosmic experience of "I exist".

So who is it that has played the great dance of creation, that has sung the song of manifestation? Who is the great dancer? This question begins to rummage through the mind. What emerges is the cessation of thought, the cessation of mental function as the Cosmic Mind turns inward, dissolving engagement with externalized or projected reality. Absorbing the experience of Parama Purus'a in this magnetically drawn transformation, the "I" feeling becomes separated from all objects or projections and instead gets lost in the pure experience of Self. There is no thought, no mind to analyze, to project, or to discover. There is only awareness, pure, undifferentiated, whole and complete. Now,this experience may come and go for some time, but eventually the sense of "I" will get so deeply submerged in the experience of existence that it will cease to exist all together. From that moment forth, it will not again come. This is the state of Kaevalya.

Even the cosmic identity is transmuted into pure, undifferentiated awareness. There is no "I" or "Thou", no beginning and no end. There is no thought and no mind upon which to record experience. There is awareness, pure and self-resplendent. Mind then becomes the servant of consciousness. Consciousness alone will hold the human being. All identities of a lesser sort will be permanently and completely dissolved. There is no identification with the little person, only with Cosmic Mind, and then only in the pure experience of being.

Q: Are there any pitfalls or obstacles at this stage?

Yes, there is one serious pitfall that may be encountered, that is misdentification of states of being. You see, before the pure experience of Parama Purus'a is had - the direct total experience - there is a reflection of His emanation upon the unit mind. This may be mistaken for the final realization which is not yet at hand. This is a difficult period and the sadhaka must entrust themselves to the Sadguru, because the final liberation cannot be achieved except by the Grace of the Sadguru. It is by Parama Purus'a's direct intervention that the final bonds are broken. No human being may break them by their own will. So in the end, every sadhaka must entrust themself to Parama Purus'a.

The second serious pitfall is that there may be the feeling of ego: "I can do", "I will do", "I have the power", "I have the prestige", "I have so much". This is ego and will hinder progress. Better to realize that He is the doer of all actions and all strengths; all capabilities belong to the Cosmic Progenitor. This attitude will help the sadhaka in his or her development.

Thirdly there is the problem of reactive momenta. Now if the reactive momentum which hold the conglomerate sense of individuality are loosened sufficiently, then the sense of aham will begin to dissolve. But there is a final note here. It is not uncommon at this stage for the loosening ego to get reacted to the dissolution and make all efforts to restructure according to old patterns. When this happens, the sadhaka must have a great deal of trust in Parama Purus'a so that they may let go of these threads of delusion.

Q: Sometimes sadhakas come to a high level and then fall from the path. They may negatively influence a lot of people. Does this mean you have failed spiritually?

Remember always that you are in the hands of Parama Purus'a. It is His magnetic pull which is drawing you closer and closer to Him, which is bringing you ever toward Him. If the reactive momentum should contract the mind and find some outlet for expression, it does not mean the journey is over or that you have failed. It only means you have suffered this reaction and you must pick yourself up, brush yourself off, reach out to your Divine Guide, take His hands, and walk again to Him. You are not lost, only waylaid. So people should not fear, should not worry. They say it is a razor's edge, and perhaps that is the case, but for those who turn their welfare over to the Lord,they will be carried by Him and they have nothing to fear. The purity of their hearts will bring them through, and the trust they develop and cultivate will serve them well against these pitfalls.