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THE WAY
THROUGH THE ASTRAL REALMS According to the teachings of the Adepts of Mysticism (saints, masters of truth, Murshid-i-Kamil or Pir) there are seven cosmic islands and nine vast
divisions of our universe of the universes. For this purpose it is most
appropriate to subdivide these realms, homesteads in our father’s house, into four main realms of the cosmic plan of
creation: 1.
the purely spiritual realm; 2.
the spiritual-material realm; 3.
the material-spiritual realm; 4.
the material realm. The Adepts of Mysticism report to us that the
exploration of the inner realms (which consist of
the first three main realms) is the
hereditary title of each soul; and if we do not go inward, in order to cross
these realms, this will be our fault. Perhaps it was Kabir, the Indian poet and saint, who described these realms in his
books in the most complete way. But they are also described by Guru Nanak, the
first guru of the Sikh religion, Soami Ji and Baba Jaimal Singh Ji, the two
masters of the highest order in the 19th century and also by Hazur
Baba Sawan Singh Ji and his spiritual successor Param Sant Kirpal Singh in this
century. The third and lowest realm, the material-spiritual
one, is the main realm which is the closest to the physical universe. The
central source of power has become known as Sahasdal Kanwal (thousand-leaf lotus) in the Oriental terminology, and it is this source of power from which
the whole physical universe gets its driving energies. This third,
material-spiritual realm has been termed astral level in the western occult
literature and in the theosophical scriptures. In this astral realm the scale
of time is smaller than in the second spiritual-material realm, but much bigger
than in the physical universe. At the end of a shorter cosmic cycle of life,
which lasts, however, many million
years, it will vanish into the realm of the universal mind. This is where the
heavens of most of the religions of the
world are located. Here one can find the heaven of Christianity, the Paradise
of Islam and the Swargas of Hinduism. These heavens are really beautiful, but they are also
subject to the final dissolution. The beginning of the mystical path of love, the way back to
our true home, takes place at the fourth and lowest level of creation, which
comprises our entire physical universe: all the planets, suns, stars, solar
systems, galaxies and cosmic systems – whether known to current astronomy or
not. Matter in our physical universe is in its rawest, densest form with a tiny
addition of spiritual substance which is just enough to enliven matter and to
preserve life. The physical structure of our universe is the lowest projection
of a cosmic idea, which is guided by the medium of the universal mind. The
whole physical universe with its millions of galaxies that are a vast number of
light years apart from one another, is just like a dust particle if compared to
the inner realms beyond it. The mystic path of love has its starting point in
human consciousness when the aspirant has fixed his attention on the centre of
the third eye between and behind the two eyebrows. The third eye has its own
brilliance which is enlightened by the light of the soul and therefore
independent of external light – i.e. in contrast to our physical eyes. The light of the body is the eye; if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
-Bible- Matt: 6:22 Saint Augustine tells us of the manifestation in him
of the Light in this way: I entered even into my inward self. Thou being my Guide and able as I was: for Thou were become my helper. And I entered and beheld with the eye of my
soul (such as it was), above the same eye of my soul above my
mind, the Light Unchangeable. Not this ordinary light which all flesh may
look upon, nor as it were a greater of the same kind, as though the brightness of this should be
manifold brighter, and with its greatness take up all space. Not such was the light but other, yea, far other from all these... He that knows the Truth, knows what that Light is and he that knows
It, knows Eternity. By the mercy of an Adept of Mysticism the aspirant was
given a simple method to rise above body consciousness and thereby enters into
the inner regionss. First he closes his outer eyes and sees with his inner
third eye. He also closes his outer ears and hears with his inner spiritual
ear. If these things have been achieved, the stream of
consciousness which is diffused in the whole body will withdraw and concentrate
in the centre of the third eye. The body itself is getting insensitive thus
increasing the aspirant’s consciousness of his soul, his real self. This is the
initial stage of that which the Adepts
of Mysticism call Turiya Pad, i.e. the fourth stage of existence, the stage of
transcendental consciousness or super-consciousness. Be strictly on guard when doing practices. Pranas or breathing is not
involved in any way. You should also
have no consciousness of the body whatsoever. Master-Power is over your head
and will be extending all feasible help. When you hear a mingling of many
sounds within, please try to discriminate which Sound is coming from the right
side. The Sound will come nearer and ultimately will come from above and you
will hear It much clearer. (Sp.Exr. p. 166). At the beginning the disciple of the Adept of Mysticism was
given Simran (a repetition
exercise or loving remembrance of the charged names of the Lord) of five charged words in order to rise into the
spiritual realms. He collects the whole stream of consciousness – mind and soul
– in the centre of his third eye, and the mental repetition of the five holy
words will help him to achieve the desired aim and he notices that his
consciousness withdraws from the physical world. ( Simran helps in the
withdrawal of spirit-currents from the body. In Simran lies the seed that helps in the development of the soul.
(Sp.Exr. p. 184) ( Simran makes man introspective and concentrative.
Extraordinary powers inevitably follow as a result of the concentration of mind in the inner planes. (Sp.Exr. p. 184) ( Simran is a weapon against
all dangers. It acts as a password to all spiritual planes. It gives strength
and sustenance to the body and mind during trouble and affliction, and brings
the soul near the Master. (Sp.Exr. p. 184) According to the individual case his first view at the
astral realm can differ... The manifestation of the eye within which is two or three times the size
of the normal eye is auspicious, as it is that of the Master. It should be
penetrated lovingly while fixing your inner gaze intently in its middle and
repeating the sacred charged Names mentally, when it will burst to give you
further way up, in due course with His grace. It is possible that you may be
blessed with the full size charming Radiant Form of the Master, which usually
follows this manifestation. Please repeat the sacred Names to test its
genuineness as sometimes the negative forces interfere and the charged Names
are the sure criterion for testing the
genuineness of the inner form. (Sp.Exr.
p. 188.) The lowest astral level is a location of unbridled desires,
a true hell, into which the spoilt and brutish people will get after death. In
these dark and horrible surroundings evil beings will harvest the fruit of
their evil deeds on earth. This is not the eternal hell of the books, but a
venue of punishment and final liberation. The devoted may cross the lower astral regions by the loving
mercy and protection of the Adept of Mysticism, though they might be shown to
him as a reward sometimes. At this lowest astral region there are further steps on
which the environment is steadily improving. Some are full of the best
amenities with a wonderful scenery and places of rest for common people who are
waiting for reincarnation onto earth. On the natural way everyone will first see Light. This will first be
stationary, then brighter and will burst to give way for one to pass through it
and up. One may see scenes, figures, colours etc., but to stay long with them
will only delay spiritual progress. One usually has to cross sun, moon or
stars, but they give way in similar manner to allow one to pass onwards.
(Sp.Exr- p. 167) After the aspirant has passed these lower regions quickly, he will
travel through a genuinely astral region, which is studded with bright suns and
stars. He can hear the Sound Current as a never ending melody and during his
ascent to the star-spangled sky he passes a sun and a moon which seem to
dissolve or burst when he travels through them. These star bodies are not like the physical stars, planets and
satellites we are familiar with from our physical universe but they are much
brighter and more radiant than our celestial bodies. (I am glad for your holy
meditations wherein you are blessed with the celestial manifestations of sun
and moon within, and hear the holy Sound Current of bells and drums almost at
all times with the grace of the Master. (Sp.Exr. p. 167) Now the aspirant can hear the melody of a heavenly bell and becomes
absorbed by its harmonious sound. (Listening to the holy Sound Current of big
bell is equally auspicious and noteworthy, as each stroke is so uplifting and
inspiring. Please listen to it with rapturous attention; it will draw closer, grow stronger and
ultimately come from above. (Sp.Exr. p. 153)
Then, the aspirant will hear the melodies of a conch and will be
completely penetrated by its music. Conch sound resembles that one coming out
as a result of blowing in the form of a long, continuous sweet mellow sound.
You should not follow the Sound to the place from where it comes but stick to
your place at the back of the eyes and listen to the Sound coming from the
right side. In this way, the Sound will draw closer, grow stronger and
ultimately come from above. (Sp.Exr. pp.178, 180) When the disciple advances further and higher, the longing soul will get
more and more aware of the Sound Current (Holy Word) or the audible stream of life, the
incomparable and inscrutable word that preserves the entire creation from the
realm of pure spirit down to the material realm. This God into expression power exists as the stream of life, changing
its form and tone from realm to realm and yet being always the same in its
original nature. As Guru Nanak states, the practice of connecting oneself with this
unpronounceable word (light and sound)
is a prerequisite for the ascent on the
mystical path of love: By practice of the Word, one speeds on to the Higher Spiritual Planes
unhindered; By practice of the Word, one gets into the spiritual planes openly and
honourably; By practice of the Word, one escapes the by-paths of Yama, the king of Death; By practice of the Word, one gets in close touch with the Truth. O, great is the Power of the Word, But few there be that know it. Jap Ji, Stanza 14 When the aspirant further proceeds in the astral realm he is confronted with three ways: 1) The way on his left-hand side is a dark, disgusting region, where
strange Rischis, Yogis and Adepts of a lower order are in the majority. This left-side way is the dwelling place of
Kal, the negative power, the master of the realms of mind and matter. In some
of the Eastern teachings Kal is also known as Brahma, and he dominates the
fourth division as well as the lower regionss of the third division of
creation. Though the lower realms of creation are ruled by Kal, he still has to
obey the divine laws of the Supreme Lord. Modern theosophy and other current mystic movements assure that there is
an inner government of the world. And it is its main task to control the stream
of power which causes the development of all races and nations and to
contribute to improvement of the world at the same time. This hidden government
lies within the sphere of Kal’s competence. The term of Kal means time, hence Kal comprises in its existence past,
present and future as they are understood by people in general. However, it is
impossible to fix a cosmic point of time for Kal’s origin or to predict its
end. Beginning and ending are unreal terms, created by man’s outgoing faculties
that detect an apparent beginning and an apparent ending in everything which
happens in his surroundings. From the point of view of a higher consciousness
we have to see that a thing which can be considered the beginning of an event
in the physical world has happened unseen as a thought in the mental-astral
realm, and above these realm there are regions which surpass time (or Kal) itself. But
nevertheless, it can be said that the
duration of Kal ranges from one big cycle to an other whereas the universe
composed of mind and material remains in its revealed form until it finally
disintegrates. The main task of Kal as the binding (negative) power in the creation is to bind
mankind to the wheel of births and deaths; and the long-lasting upward struggle
against the negative power is governed by the supreme Master in order to
liberate us from our sins and impurities and to prepare us for our journey to
our true home, the homestead of all love and blissfulness. If the development of man has been accomplished by the wheel of rebirth
his task in the physical world should be completed, but man´s soul gets
captured by the unending scenery of the down draging negative power. Kal is the
creator of the laws of nature which are to be obeyed by all as long as they
live in the physical body. In most of the religious communities the creator of the lower worlds is
known as God. The hierarchical representatives of the lower, astral and
physical plains of existence serve him loyally. Only the Adepts of Mysticism and their disciples know of a higher God
than Kal, and yet the negative power is worshipped by millions of people as the
Supreme Lord of creation. In comparison with the perfection of the true Supreme Lord of Love (known as Sat Purush in the Eastern terminology) Kal is only an assisting power in the hierarchy of
the cosmic universe, and hence he is not completely free of imperfections. However, in comparison with the majority of men, Kal is a sublime being,
an incarnation of light, wisdom and power. Kal’s hierarchic representatives,
known as Brahma’s incarnations in the East, are the Avatars and prophets, whose
mission are to incarnate themselves at any times in order to abolish injustice
and evil, to protect the good ones and to punish the evildoers, and to
establish righteousness throughout the world. These incarnations bring the promise of salvation to the righteous
people; but this salvation is still bound to the time scale of the lower realms
and is therefore not eternal. The stream of Kal or time is endless to mankind in its course, but with
the guidance of a master of the highest order, souls can transcend time and
space and ascend into the timeless kingdom of the Supreme Lord of Love. Such an Adept of Mysticism does not belong to Kal’s internal government,
although he respects all those who play their roles in bringing order to the
creation. But the Adept of Mysticism is
an envoy of the Supreme Lord and has got the task to rescue souls and to
accompany them into their real home. Thus out of the three ways the aspirant sees during his journey upwards
through the astral realm, the inner region of Kal’s rule is the path on the
left-hand side. In this region you can find thousands and thousands of holy men
absorbed in deep meditation, enchanted by the intrigues and flattering of the
negative power. Incarnations of lower spiritual powers, known as Riddhis and Siddhis (supernatural powers) in Eastern terminology, are the
guardians of these regions situated at the left side. These incarnations are real and visible and equipped with an extended
consciousness. Pitiless, and on guard they offer the aspirant great knowledge
and physical power to prevent any
further ascent of his soul, but they cannot withstand the Simran of the five holy names (the essence of which is the name of the Almighty) given by the Adept of Mysticism and they vanish when
these names are uttered. Man who stepped into the astral realm without the guidance of a
competent Adept of Mysticism are misled by these supernatural powers, and many
of the occult circles which grew like mushrooms from the soil in the 19th
and 20th centuries get their inspiration from those Riddhis and
Siddhis. There are also millions of prophets of higher or lower rank as well as
incarnations of small deities and spiritual hermits who are stranded in these
regions. Not before they are liberated from Kal’s shackles through an Adept of
Mysticism of the highest order, can they advance to the realm of pure
spirituality. No soul that has gone this way without the guidance of an Adept of
Mysticism has ever reached the spiritual realm of pure love which is high above
the material-spiritual ones. For the aspirant, however, who was initiated by a competent Adept of
Mysticism, the ascent is free of all hindrances. 2) The way which the aspirant
can see at his right-hand side grants access
to far higher universes which, however, end up in a blind alley. 3) The true main road of the Adept of
Mysticism is the road in the middle, an immensely brilliant path which finally leads to the kingdom of the
Supreme Lord. The aspirant proceeds on this shining way until he reaches the
region of Bankanal, which appears just before the mental and causal regions. At the high plain of Sahasdal Kanwal, in the upper districts of the
astral realm, the aspirant sees the bright spiritual form of the Adept of
Mysticism i.e. Guru Dev; and this is his first inner revelation concerning the
true nature of his spiritual leader whom he only has seen in the shell of a
physical body by now. Tulsi Sahib, a higher order Adept of Mysticism, stated that in the inner
realms there sparkles a bright light from the toe-nails of the Master and
enlightens the soul of the devotee. Maulana Rumi spoke about the experience of seeing the radiating form of
the Guru Dev as follows: When the light of the Master dawns in the soul, you experience the secrets of both worlds. Guru Arjan states: The blessed shape of the Master is in my forehead. Whenever I tap
inside I see him there. And Khawaja Moinuddin Christi poetically spoke about this internal
relationship with the Adept of Mysticism as follows: Oh, Lord! The sun cannot withstand the splendour of your countenance. Even the moon has covered its face to escape from your bright light. In the person of Nabi (the prophet) himself, God has chosen a material form, just like the sunlight in the body of the
moon. Even the Christian writings have described the experience of the vision
of the radiating form of the Adept of Mysticism very precisely: And I did turn to see the voice that did speak with
me, and having turned, I saw seven golden lamp-stands, and in the midst of the seven lamp-stands, (one) like to a son of man, clothed to the foot, and girt round at the breast with a golden girdle, and his head and hairs white, as if white wool as
snow, and his eyes as a flame of fire; and his feet like to fine brass, as in a furnace having been fired, and his voice as a sound of many waters... Revelation 1, 12 - 15 Now, the shining shape of the Adept of Mysticism reveals the highest
regions of the astral realm to the aspirant; and together with the Adept of
Mysticism he proceeds into the region of Sahasdal Kanwal, the thousand-leaf lotus
of cosmic energy, the power station of both the astral and the physical
universes. Sahasdal Kanwal is a radiating, pulsating cosmos, and this bright region
is illuminated by a central flame which possesses the most intense illuminating
power of all astral realms. Numerous melodies and harmonies of enchanting
beauty originate from this immense splendour, and those who are in this region
believe in fact that they are in the ultimate heaven. And yet, they only stand
at the first step of the grand, ascending main road of the Adept of Mysticism,
of the holy Shabd ( the Sound Current coming from the
right side), for only at this region, the real
journey, guided by the Adept of Mysticism, begins. When the human mind comes to the regions of Sahasdal Kanwal, it becomes
clear that it has really slept over periods of innumerable incarnations and
that it has been now awakened for the higher realms of the inner cosmos. Even for the most advanced Yogis, Sahasdal Kanwal is the last and
ultimate level, as the streams of life – called Pranas by Eastern Mystics and necessary in the Yoga practice – do
not go beyond it. This high astral
level is incredibly vast and awe-inspiring, and the holy men who live here
cannot understand that there are countless more beautiful and far higher
spiritual realms beyond Sahasdal Kanwal. But the disciple of an Adept of
Mysticism has to ascend far higher in order to achieve real spiritual
liberation
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