Cosmic Consciousness

and the sprouting wings epitomize the growth and development of man from the animal, or physical (carnal), cons

loped to a state of perfection represented by wings (a symbol of freedom). These winged huma

seems more general or more unescapable than that of ma

st; or whether it is symbolized by the old theologic idea of man's fall from godhood to sin, the fact remains that we know no other

y of spiritual things, must still use the human idea for

cience names evolution, may be studied and applied with equal precision and accuracy t

xperience, the fact of his own godhood; and when he has established his union with that indescribab

say Daigo Tettei, and one who has attained to this superior phase

ss One, as The Oversoul, and Herbert Spencer, the intel

scientist, which word, until recen

at are

of truth will recognize in these different words, exactly the same meaning. The "eternal energy from which all

ciousness, from the subjective awareness of th

degree brings the individual nearer to the realization of the sum of all de

ng the attention of occidental students of psychology, and which h

s the entire cosmos-not only this planet called earth, and e

ds, that which it is. In fact, the one who has had this marvelous awakening, cann

efore, even if it were possible to retain in the finite mind, the full realization

hich the mind employs, and cosmic consciousness transcends the min

n a full realization of cosmic conscio

o relate their sensations, it is probable that these flashes of insight hav

hich includes an awareness of eternal unity with the cosmos, there ar

distinct epoch in wha

ion, is symbolized by the presence on a pl

e ready for the experience a glimpse of that state of being to whi

rth" is a prophecy which all nation

e amalgamation of the races; in attempts at social equality; in National Eugenic Societies, and above all, as we have before sta

been named, lies in a very general optimism shining through the mists of doubt an

ern the coming of that dawn of which all great ones of earth have foret

nets and stars, but we use the term "Heaven" also to mean a state of happiness and bli

repared for a position in the solar system consist

en to the world, by Camille Flammarion, and other great astronomers, that "the earth is changing its position in the heavens at an astonishing rate." The

ere shall be no death," because the animal man, subject to change, shall give place to the changeless, deathless,

ould not specify the Occidental mind, but rather the mind of man

Monistic faith, if he admits that man is in essence a god, and that therefore there ar

n the attainment of realization of godhood, by the individual and the retention of this realization to the end that reincarna

ve consciousness. It is not absorption into the vast unknown, in the s

nt writi

ng from the flower in which it has been so long enclosed. And thou wilt float ab

they could, their emotions upon attainment of this consciousness, whi

ment of cosmic consciousness, carries with it

stify to an acceleration o

be seen by comparing the different reports of t

the terms nirvana; samadhi; dai zikaku, etc.-words expressing the co

IS NI

t the word describes the state of consciousness which we are considering, referring later o

ers and leaders of the Theosophical philosophy, differ somewhat as to its import, but at the same time we find enough unit

lly "the way of the gods," meaning the way in which men who have become god-like, found the path that led thereunto, but a

f identity, or in other words, in what is popularly comprehended as absorption. That this idea prevails in many Oriental sects of Buddhism and Vedanta we are aware, but we are confident that this idea is erroneous

ast, even if it does not actually guarantee a fuller, deeper, more complete state of consciousness than hitherto enjoyed, rather than an absorption

relative vagueness and with such apparent variance of conclusion as regards the meaning of the experience that the reader

ower nature feels under certain condi

soul knows this, nature has no more attraction for it. But the whole of nature vanishes only for that man wh

ciativeness of the wonders of the natural world? We think not. Rather the gentle-hearted sage meant to report the f

, he might well say "I trust that I shall never attain to that state of consciousness. Or if a

ate of being described so unattractively as to give us the impression of

he Absolute, the All (Om), we come, and therefore back to it we go, being

, such as some interpreters of the Vedas declare, then surely this urge within mankind toward this annihilatory state would har

lute, the Christian's simple, and very empiri

me wearied of the never-ceasing adulation, would still be a more desirable goal of our strife, than that so inaccuratel

from Vivekanan

he highest state of man. Thinkers of great caliber are of the opinion that we are manifested s

ologians, either Eastern, or Western. Neither do philosophers, as a general thing incline to adopt this view. The reas

tate of Being (not merely of manifestation, but of B

ch he is in Being, and that, far from dissolving what consciousness he has, he will but plus this conscio

Raja Yoga we fi

e world; this world meaning earth carried to a state higher and with elimination of its evils is the state they call heaven. This theory, on the face of it, is absurd and puerile becau

ue here that there is no s

g is unclean of itself; save that to him who accoun

ans that evil has no more foundation in reality than has thought, and thought is ever-changing;

to describe a condition of either an individual, or a society, or a nation or a race, wherein there is in harmony; di

te love and unselfish consideration. Add to this, or we may say complementary to this, we have perfect health and prosperity; and over and above all we have a c

a family, particularly if we had previously acquired a knowledge of that which is evil

," says the Hindu swami, "this means that man's goal is this world (earth planet); carried to a sta

ust questi

ous work, whether it be the work of an abstract

have no business to despise the gift, or the work of self-generation. Our business is to enhance its beauties and eliminate its ugliness. Why

it shall continue so to do. We have no right to assume that the outer life-the external, manifested life which we perceive with our physical senses, is all there is to this earth and that when we l

ea of this planet's vibrations, as in that of the other planets. The finite mind cannot conceive of a state of being apart from motion, space or time, even thoug

and we use the same term when we refer to a state of being in which the perfected soul of man will final

it is in the heavens, from which it is not illogical to infer that the earth itself, as a planet, is not outside the pale of that blissful state which we ascribe to G

appiness, bliss, samadhi, nirvana, or "life with God," be synonymous it may reasonably be inferred that in the solar system are planets upon which l

l who have attained a glimpse of Illumination have reported the loss of the "sense of sin and death,"

the conclusion that evil is not a power or force in and of itself, but that it is evidence of a limited degree of consciousness which sees only one side of a subject-only a limited area of an

ivity, is found logically enough, in a

nels of learning; observation; contact with each other, and by the many roads of Experience, altruism bec

to show that the happiness of each one, means the happiness of all, and that no one human life can reach the goal of freedom an

ned have sought to describe, each individual has come to his present state; and it is only by virtue of the ability to look back over the path, and to loo

ep in attainment of consciousness brings wit

that as the standard of morality (using the term "morality" in its true sense), becomes hi

l warfare) cataclysms, storms, and earthquakes will cease. When we come, as we will, in succeeding chapters of this book, to a review of the experiences of those w

h the lack of consciousness of earth's inhabitants, which la

n, have reported an abiding sense of rest and peace and satisfaction-a condition which we associate with accepted ideals

nd the Occidental methods and systems, as to the goal of ul

from Vedanta, and the many other forms of Hindu philosophy and religion, in

called more "practical" minded, but with the Japanese, as with all the Orientals, we find an intense cont

. According to Oriental ethics, the person is very low in the scale of consciousness, when he considers his physical bo

owing to the fact that underlying the apparent observance of and loyalty to, religious practices, the Jap

y, sages who taught the attainment of liberation through path

t of Buddhism), we find that cleanliness of mind and body, was taught as the prime essential to att

corresponding admonition in the phras

es the key to the situation, inasmuch as we are assured t

hat they must possess the clean, pure, guileless mind of a little child, if they would reach

n; by worship; by contemplation; by effort and struggle; by invention;

goal, and how ma

nment, and trace, briefly, the evolution of consciousness, from pre-historic man, to the highest