Introduction

The Kingdom of Light Within

God made man’s senses pointing outwards from the time of his birth, so that man always looks outside of himself and never within. Extremely rare is that wise person, who, desiring immortality, directs his senses inward and perceives the truth of his own innermost Self.

Katha Upaniṣad, 2.1.1

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The Pharisees asked Jesus: ‘When will the kingdom of God come?’

And Jesus replied: ‘The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, “Here it is,” or “There it is,” because the kingdom of God is within you.’

Luke 17: 20–21

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To find, know, and experience this inner kingdom, and to discover the truth of who we are and what God is, a shift of emphasis must be made from the external to the internal world. You need to discard the old outworn concepts of God being far away sitting on a throne up there and out there, somewhere at the end of the universe, rewarding those who are good and punishing those who are bad. And where is heaven? Heaven is where God is and God is everywhere. God is omnipresent. There is no presence within you that is not God’s presence, so you cannot be separate from God. God is present within you as you are within God. ‘In God we live and move and have our being’ (Acts 17: 28). God is not more present in heaven than He is on earth, for omnipresence means that God is eternally present, undivided, and that He pervades everything. There is nothing outside of the ultimate Reality, God.

The difference between heaven and hell is in the awareness not the location. Heaven and hell are not objective places set in time and space. When you are aware that God alone is, when your consciousness is in God, that is heaven. When there is an absence of awareness, that is hell.

Be Still and Know Your Self

Self-knowledge is the awareness that the Self alone is. The Self is the kingdom of God within us. Due to being forgetful of our true nature we continually search outward in the objective world for happiness and joy. The Self is the joy we are searching for. Joy is within you now; it is not something which is attained in the future. You do not have to go to the Himalayas or anywhere else to find that infinite Joy, which is your God-Self, for it is as close to you as your own breath. The Self is the Kingdom of God; there is nothing outside the Self. It is always present within you here and now. All you have to do to realize the kingdom of God is to be still and know your Self.

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Be still, and know that I am God.

Psalm 46: 10

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In stillness there is no ego-sense of ‘I’, only the pure ‘I am’. There is no movement of the mind because you are beyond space and time. You are present in the now-moment. By becoming aware of the oneness of your being, the Self, you will realize God’s all-pervading presence within you and in everything.

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When your eye is single, your whole body will be filled with light.

Matthew 6: 22

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In this verse, Jesus is making a mystical statement that has largely been misunderstood and mistranslated by Christian theologians and followers of Christianity. The deeper meaning of this succinct statement is referring not to the physical body but to the subtle body, the astral body of light, within which the chakras are located.

When Jesus said, ‘When your eye is single . . .’ he was not referring to the gross physical eye, but to the ‘Spiritual Eye’, the positive pole of the ājñā chakra (also known as the third eye, and Christ Consciousness Centre), the fifth centre of consciousness, situated in the astral spine or suṣumnā. The Spiritual Eye is the centre of spiritual perception and intuition that yogis meditate on at the midpoint between the eyebrows. The Spiritual Eye’s inner vision can be achieved without the physical eyes that see in the waking state, and the mental eye that sees in the dream state. When the mental eye is closed the physical eye has no vision. In comparison, the Spiritual Eye perceives the truth of everything from within, through intuitive awareness in the present, in the ‘now’ moment. By meditating on the Spiritual Eye, you become aware of the Self, your pure existence, through the light of the Self. Just as you can see your eye only through the reflection in a mirror, the Self can see itself only through the mirror of the mind. When the mirror of the mind is removed, your true Reality, the Self, remains present.

When your thoughts are single and concentrated, then your mind becomes one-pointed, to abide in the silence of the Self. When your Spiritual Eye is single, then your whole astral body is filled with light.

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The spinal cord may be likened to a wire. In it are located seven centres of light which are the subcentres for the conduction and distribution of life current throughout the body. The body is nothing but a condensation of this spinal energy. Just as invisible hydrogen and oxygen atoms can be condensed into visible vapour, water, and ice, so light can be transformed into body which is nothing but frozen energy.

Paramhansa Yogananda

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The gross physical body is connected to the vital force in the astral and causal bodies by seven main subtle energy centres known as chakras, vortices of energy and consciousness. Cosmic energy flows in through the medulla oblongata (‘The Mouth of God’) and is stored in the brain and distributed through a network of subtle channels (nāḍīs) into the spine and into its seven centres (chakras), and into the body.

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The soul must leave the physical, astral and spiritual bodies through the seven astral doors [chakras] in order to reach, and merge into, the Spirit. After it lifts its consciousness from the physical body, it must unlock, and pass through, the seven astral doors in the spine.

Paramhansa Yogananda.

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Divinity’s Descent

Hāṭha Yoga comes in with a brilliant system. It suggests that the polarized consciousness descends in a spiralling movement of energy, and as it descends, as it ramifies, as it stretches out, it becomes matter. Consciousness moving becomes energy, and when the movement is slowed down it becomes matter. This is pure physics. As consciousness condenses into matter it forms the various elements, and the difference between one element and another is a difference in the frequency and wavelength of their vibrations.

As consciousness descends there is space (ether) – everything is in space. And when something starts moving in that space, it becomes air. When air moves there is friction and therefore fire, and when the gases collide and fire is generated, water is also generated, and then water condenses into solid substances. One is not totally different from the other – the difference is merely one of vibratory frequency.

We have this whole system of elemental stages of creation and the chakras from Sāṁkhya philosophy and Hāṭha Yoga. These subtle elements (earth, water, fire, air, ether) represent the various stages of manifestation outward from Spirit to matter, the descent of the soul-consciousness into matter; and when reversed the ascent from matter to Spirit.

The theory starts at the base of the spine, at the mūlādhāra chakra, where the final point of descent has been reached. Energy apparently moving away from the centre has become solid, earth. The earth is considered the mūlādhāra chakra. How do you contemplate this? How do you visualize this? How can you focus your attention on this? For that purpose the yogi sages suggest a physical or physiological counterpart as a focal point of attention. The earth centre is that part of your anatomy which comes into contact with the earth, it is as simple as that! A little way above there is the water element, the next subtle element, located where water collects in the body. This centre (svādhiṣ ṭhāna chakra) represents both water in its simple form, and also the nectar of immortality. Just a little higher from there is the maṇipūra chakra, the fire element region – we even call it the gastric fire. It is quite simple. Higher still is the heart region (anāhata chakra) which represents air, which is obvious – the lungs and oxygenation. The throat region (viśuddha chakra) is a little space (ether) in the throat. Then we go on to the mind – the ājñā chakra in the forehead.

Divine Consciousness via the soul has descended from the causal sphere to the gross sphere through seven levels of consciousness, from subtle to gross. As the soul descends stage by stage through the seven levels of consciousness into the physical body, it becomes more and more identified with the body and mind, until it seems to have forgotten its original nature. On its descent down through the chakras, the soul first feels itself distinct or separate from God at the ājñā chakra, located at the junction between the eyebrows. It is interesting that the lotus symbol of this chakra has only two petals, and in that state there is already a sense of duality. At the ājñā chakra the soul is still ever aware of God; it has not forgotten God. Although there is a distinction, there is no bondage at this stage.

But as the soul descends farther down through the other chakras, it begins to lose its conscious fellowship with God. His presence is not very clear, it is partly obscured. When the soul reaches the heart centre, the awareness of God is still there, but the longing for God is beginning to diminish. As the soul continues to descend to the lowest three chakras, below the heart level, it becomes more and more entangled in bondage. The soul forgets the existence of God or Spirit, and its direction goes toward matter. The soul in this state is fully enclosed in the consciousness of its own gross physical form. In this form the soul is identified with the body and mind, and is primarily concerned with the three lowest chakras – mūlādhāra (coccyx centre at the base of the spine), svādhiṣ ṭhāna (second chakra or sacral centre), and maṇipūra (third chakra or lumbar centre, opposite the navel). Vṛttis, subtle vortices of energy created by saṁskāras (the conditioned patterns of response that drive our behaviour), karmic actions, and waves of like and dislike that create our mental tendencies, desires and habits, enter the subconscious mind and spine, and then get submerged in these lower chakras.

Gateways to Higher Consciousness

We perceive reality through the chakra in which our awareness is most dominant. If it is the first chakra (mūlādhāra), then our awareness and experience will revolve around insecurities about our basic needs and instincts, such as our need for food, shelter, and procreation. If it is the second chakra (svādhiṣ ṭhāna) then sexual energy and pleasure can dominate our awareness. At the third chakra (maṇipūra) the ego can assert itself. A need for dominance or power can manifest as anger, aggression, control and intolerance.

Each chakra represents a higher level of human evolution of awareness. The aim of chakra awareness and meditation is initially to bring the lower chakras into balance with the upper or higher chakras, so that our lives are not conditioned and governed in a mundane existence by lower chakra consciousness. Most people in the world have lost awareness of their divine nature as a result of involvement in the world of illusions and limitations. Their consciousness is imprisoned in the lower chakras. The higher consciousness in the so-called normal person is practically asleep. Some might even say it is non-existent. Only a rare few souls take the initiative to develop beyond conditioned living in ego-consciousness, and seek to regain their freedom by awakening and raising their consciousness to a higher level.

It is only when the spiritual nature of a person becomes sufficiently unfolded that the divine power hidden within the person’s heart begins to awaken. Then we transcend the illusions and limitations that have imprisoned us, and regain full awareness of our real Self.

Yoga and meditation techniques assist us in raising our consciousness by influencing life-force (prāṇa) and energy in the spine. When energy is liberated from a chakra, it can then be channelled and integrated into our whole being. Stimulating and activating each chakra gradually awakens consciousness at that level. In the upward return journey through the seven levels of consciousness the soul becomes more and more disidentified with the mental–physical form, and becomes more and more aware of God. As a result the soul rises from the gross to the subtle state of consciousness. In this higher state of consciousness we regain the memory of our true identity: that our true essential nature is the Self, separate from body and mind, and not separate from one another as we had thought.

As we transcend further, we go beyond even the subtle state and come to the causal state, where we feel we are Godlike in nature; we feel one with God – there is no separation. But even this is not the highest. The highest is still beyond this causal state.

Unless you become transformed from your present limited state to a state where you can directly perceive God, how will you perceive Him? The fact is that higher Consciousness is here and now, but because we are unaware and not paying attention to it, we are not cognizant of it; it is hidden from us. It has to be brought forward so that we can become aware of it. And since our state of consciousness is also our state of being, we not only have to become aware of it, we have to become identified with it, and function with it. That is the purpose of all spiritual effort. My guru, Paramhansa Yogananda, emphasized a number of times that we need to make a ‘strong, persistent effort’ or ‘intense effort’ on the spiritual path to Self-realization. In his Yoga Sutras, Patañjali, the codifier of Yoga science, gives us two of the most important foundation principles of Yoga – abhyāsa and vairāgya. Abhyāsa means ‘repeated practice’ and involves cultivating a strong conviction, a persistent effort consistently to choose practices with actions, speech and thoughts that lead in the direction of a stable tranquility. Vairāgya means non-attachment, dispassion. It involves learning actively to let go of the many attachments, fears, aversions and false identities that obscure the true Self. Abhyāsa and vairāgya are like the two wheels of a car – they work together. Practice leads you in the right direction, while non-attachment allows you to continue the inner journey without any diversions into pleasures and pain along the way. As abhyāsa becomes well grounded, vairāgya also happens. Neither vairāgya nor abhyāsa can be practised independently. What is needed here is zeal, urgency. Very few of us have that urgency. It is something that cannot be taught; it has to develop from within oneself. In the Bhagavad Gītā, Arjuna raised the problem of the difficulty of controlling the mind. He said: ‘I find it as difficult to hold the mind as to hold the air with one’s fist.’ Śrī Krishna answered: ‘Yes, O mighty-armed one, without doubt, the mind is unsteady and difficult to control, but through abhyāsa and vairāgya the mind can be brought under control.’ In other words Śrī Krishna propounded the two methods: abhyāsa and vairāgya.

This higher state of consciousness has to be realized here; and everyone sooner or later is destined to realize it. The object of that consciousness is the infinite, eternal Being, Pure Consciousness, Absolute God. Higher Consciousness is perfect consciousness, and therefore that of which this consciousness is aware is also perfect.

Turning Inward

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Meditation is simply reminding yourself again and again that you are not the limited physical body, but the Infinite Spirit. Meditation is arousing the memory of your real Self and forgetting what you imagine you are.

Paramhansa Yogananda

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The concept of the chakras is a system of understanding our consciousness, of understanding who and what we really are. Meditation on the chakras is a means for dissolving the deep-seated and latent saṁskāras and obstacles blocking our spiritual awareness to the ultimate goal of Self – God-realization.

Yoga meditation is a journey from the restless and emotional distracted state of mind to a state of inner calm and stillness. As the mind becomes quiet and calm you develop an awareness of yourself as a silent witness – a calm and steady centre of consciousness from which you can quietly observe other mental activities without distraction and involvement. In this meditative state you become aware of your own awareness, and in doing so you become aware of the reality deep within. Meditation replaces the continuous mind-stream of thoughts and feelings with the quiet, effortless, one-pointed focus of inner awareness and attention that leads you to inner joy. The phenomenal worldly joys are momentary and transient, but the joy of yoga meditation is immense and everlasting.

Don’t wait until tomorrow, make meditation a top priority in your life now and practise it regularly. Connect your life with conscious awareness in the stillness of God. Persist in your practice of meditation, do not give up, then you will begin to experience the joy of being fully present, here and now. Meditation will give you the inner strength to deal with all of life’s problems. Make meditation a fundamental part of your life, and live in the divine consciousness of your Self, then all forms of creativity, and success will find expression in your life. Realizing the divine image of God Self within you is the ultimate success. Meditation will introduce you to your real Self, and will reveal your purpose here on earth. Ultimately, meditation will liberate you from all suffering, and separation, and take you into the love, peace, and eternal bliss of oneness with the Divine, the source of lasting happiness and security.

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Jesus said: ‘Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto you.’

Matthew 6: 33

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