The Seven Planes of Ignorance and Wisdom – A Detailed Exploration
Day 120
The Seven Planes of Ignorance and Wisdom – A Detailed Exploration
The Seven Planes of Ignorance
These descending planes represent a gradual descent into the illusion of separation, marked by increasing mental agitation, false identification, and suffering.
Seed State of Wakefulness: This is the subtlest level of delusion, where the potential for separation lies dormant. Think of it as a hazy dream state where the notions of self and other are barely present.
Wakefulness: Here, the distinctions between "I" and the external world begin to take shape. However, this concept of self is still fluid and not deeply ingrained.
Great Wakefulness: This stage brings a strong reinforcement of the sense of self. We start to believe in our personal history, drawing from past experiences and memories to solidify this identity.
Wakeful Dream: Now the mind becomes a powerful creator of its own internal reality. Daydreams, fantasies, and projections gain immense power, blurring the line between what's imagined and what's objectively real.
Dream: Sleep brings a fully immersive experience of an alternate reality, where illogical and fantastical events seem authentic.
Dream Wakefulness: This is where the lines become truly blurred. False memories and narratives, both real and imagined, solidify into a sense of personal history that we mistakenly believe to be true.
Sleep: The deepest level of ignorance. Consciousness is withdrawn, and the mind is at temporary rest.
The Seven Planes of Wisdom
These ascending planes bring a progressive dissolution of ego, a growing awareness of unity, and ultimately, liberation.
Pure Wish: The journey begins with the sincere yearning to escape delusion and discover the true nature of things. This is the driving force behind the spiritual seeker's path.
Enquiry: This involves active investigation. It could involve practices like meditation, studying sacred texts, or seeking the guidance of a spiritual teacher. It's about direct questioning and challenging assumptions.
Subtle Mind: Through practice, thoughts and agitation lessen. This increased clarity allows for deeper insights and a growing ability to discern truth from illusion.
Dwelling in Truth: Focus naturally shifts from momentary worldly pleasures to the inner peace and abiding joy found in connection with the greater truth.
Freedom from Attachment: Cravings, fixations, and the need to control external circumstances begin to fall away. This stage brings profound inner peace and a deep-seated trust in the unchanging Self.
Cessation of Objectivity: Inner and outer distinctions dissolve. One experiences themselves as interconnected with all existence in a profound sense of wholeness or unity.
Transcendental State: Self-knowledge is spontaneous, effortless, and complete. There is no longer a struggle to know what is true, as the truth simply permeates their being. They are liberated within this lifetime.
Beyond the Body (Turiyatita)
Vasishta offers this final note to suggest that liberation doesn't end with the earthly body. Even in its absence, the liberated consciousness continues to exist in a state of pure awareness, free from any confines of physical form.
Comments
Post a Comment