Living in the Shadow

Within every living thing is the germ of death; a hidden saboteur that lurks in the darkness, waiting for its moment to come — as inevitably it must. Deep within is the truth that gives the lie to the pleasing seduction of illusion.

Death is ingrained in this life. Our very flesh betrays us. We are led to the gallows by the treachery of our worldly loves, there to suffer a fate of our own making – our indebtedness to the Lord of this world, to whom we sacrificed our all, in order to obtain the illusion of comfort and happiness.

But there is no lasting comfort to be had in this world. Whatever passes for comfort gets taken away without warning, and we are left bereft. For what do we grieve? What was there in this experience of gentleness and warmth that was so hastily and so easily torn away by death? Should we quiver and quail at our approaching doom? Not at all! The material world is not the sum total of existence. If this were the case, we’d be in serious trouble!

Now we need to ask the question: what, in fact, is life? We came into this world at some point, and in the blink of an eye we find ourselves preparing to leave it again. So what awaits us when we depart? The great unknown we call death remains a mystery, in that we cannot see beyond it.

However, the mystics of all the ages have said that it is possible, with a little application, to see beyond those far horizons. But how do we get to know that which is imperceptible to the senses? And do we have the means to experience higher forms of reality than the merely physical? Do we as humans have other, unused senses or abilities that may be implemented in order to develop a higher consciousness?

For uncountable lifetimes we have been wandering about in the illusion of the material world, believing that it is real. For we have been used to indulging in the sense pleasures and becoming attached to the objects of sense, because we believed that they were the pathway to peace, happiness and bliss. The fact that we never achieved anything resembling lasting peace and bliss did not cause us to revise our position. We came to accept that it was just in the nature of things that our brief experiences of pleasure were followed by long periods of pain and suffering.

Interestingly, the mystics have repeatedly told us that the Truth or Reality we seek actually lies beyond the reach of the senses. Initially it is difficult to understand the reality that the mystics describe. It is entirely outside anything that we are familiar with. It is beyond our current frame of reference, so we find ourselves wondering if this is all a fantasy.

However, we sometimes have some interesting experiences that can make us wonder about the nature of reality. For instance, if we are having an intense dream in which we are pursued by enemies, and just when they’re about to catch us and hurt us, we wake up and realize that none of that was real. So we do experience different states of consciousness that appear to demonstrate different realities.

Could it be that the reality described by the mystics, that elevated state of consciousness that enables one to contact the divine, could be just as real as these ‘normal’ states, if not more so? The issue really comes down to how we can access these higher states of consciousness. If it were easy there would be nothing to discuss, since everyone would be doing it. However, very few people are even aware that there are such things as higher states of consciousness. So how can we proceed?

It turns out that there is a methodology for the inner experience of higher states of consciousness that has existed since the dawn of time. In fact, all over the world there have existed methods of raising one’s awareness to various levels by techniques that have stood the test of time. So, what is the discipline or practice by means of which we too can experience these higher realities for ourselves? The mystics of all the ages have come among us to tell us the answer to this very question.

The key to it all hinges around energy and consciousness. Normally our energies and our attention are all directed downward and outward, and so that is where we centre our sense of reality. However, the mystics say, if we raise our consciousness and direct our attention inward, focusing our attention initially on the eye centre, we will start to become aware of a very different perspective of life.

This is the point that can be considered the gateway that leads inward to the higher realms of existence, with a consequently higher sense of reality. This will be our starting point if we mean to travel on the path of spiritual awakening. The mystics have often referred to the spiritual process as “dying while living”, which at first sounds like a total contradiction.

However, let us consider: what is life and what is death? If one has been privileged to witness someone passing from this world, one becomes aware that at one time that person was there, alive and present, and the next moment they have gone. Medical science will define this transition by saying that the heart has stopped or that breathing has ceased or there is no pulse present.

So, what is the difference between these two states? The mystics have an interesting explanation. They say that the difference is the presence or absence of that conscious energy body which is the true self of that individual. Furthermore, they explain that even when the physical body is declared officially dead, the soul lives on. So the presence or absence of the consciousness of the individual in the physical body determines whether it is alive or dead.

With this in mind, we have the basis for understanding what the mystics mean when they say that the spiritual path is “dying while living”. The mystical practice consists of withdrawing all the conscious energy from the lower part of the body and focusing it at the eye centre. When this has been achieved, and it is no simple task to do so, the consciousness is no longer centred in the physical body, but stands at the threshold of the inner realms; inwardly alive, yet dead to the world.

At this point the spiritual practitioner meets the inner Radiant Form of his Master, regardless of whether or not his Master is in the physical body or has passed on. This wondrous event marks the true beginning of the initiate’s venture into spirituality. Yet it is the journey to reach this point that seems to be the most difficult for any would-be traveller on this mystic way.

For one thing, one needs to adopt a lifestyle that requires becoming vegetarian, abstaining from drugs and alcohol, and living according to a lofty set of moral standards. And we should also be clear that, although the proper lifestyle is very important, in itself it will not take us to our goal. Something more is required – something that will result in fundamental and radical change in us.

Teaching us how to “die while living” through meditation is the domain of the true spiritual Masters. The message that they bring is that, having withdrawn our attention from the outer world and the domain of our senses, we should then focus at the third eye or tenth door. This is the avenue that leads to the feet of the inner (mystic) form of our Master. Having reached this point, the first part of our journey is complete, and from this point onwards, we are directly guided and helped by the Master to the end of our journey: the Lord himself.

It is only by applying ourselves assiduously to the practice of meditation and being constantly mindful of where we allow our mind to go that we can avoid the pitfalls of the road we are on. One way to help us in our quest is to consider the inevitable fact of our death.

Most people avoid this subject, but in fact it is the most useful in order to determine what is truly important and what is not. When we look at the issue of our inevitable mortality, what is it that we value? We very soon realize that a lot of things that we previously regarded as important we now see as trivial. We recognize that wealth and possessions are of no use to us at all if we are on our deathbed – and into that category fall all the things that will not accompany us when we pass from this world to the next.

However, we may realize that whatever efforts we have committed towards raising our consciousness and to detaching ourselves from the world and its distractions will be the benefits that remain ours, whether in this world or the next. Every effort in the right direction is leading us closer to our destination. And the key to all of this, the root and source of our good fortune in being on this path, is none other than the true Master who initiated us. With his help and grace, there is no obstacle that cannot be overcome.

Moreover, at the time of death the Master comes to take the departing soul across in an atmosphere of love and peace, without any fear. This is something that we can all look forward to.