The Koshas (Part 2) "I Live in Many Worlds"

In the first part of this topic I wanted to see if the five Koshas--the different bodies that pure consciousness takes on--hold the key to changing the world. It seems that the Koshas aren't just about each person's makeup; they form levels of reality we all share. We seem to live in the physical world, yet in truth we live in many worlds. So to change this world, one must look at the others, too. Here's what we might say about the "self system" created by the five Koshas:

--Pure consciousness is always present in everything, no matter what world it occupies.
--The physical world has the least amount of pure consciousness, because it is dominated by physical things and separate individuals.
--The closer you get to pure consciousness, the more powerful it becomes.
--Changing consciousness on subtle levels brings change to all the Koshas at once.

On the thread about the human race as a cancer, many responders said, "Talk about consciousness all you want, but first we have to get people to stop destroying the planet." They were putting the physical Kosha first, assuming that materialism can't be influenced without direct action. This position doesn't need to deny consciousness (although 99% of materialists do). There can be a link.

The idea I'd like to offer is that the best way to change the material world is through consciousness. You are closer to fellow human beings at the level of mind, ego, and bliss--the three subtle Koshas--than you are anywhere else. At these levels human beings decide their identity, their vision, their purpose.

Let's say that in fact you do live in many worlds and that you always have. Why would you agree to let overpopulation, pollution, disease, etc. run rampant on the planet? One can think of many positive reasons, actually:

--Present chaos may just be a stage in forming a new kind of order.
--Desire is being allowed a free run among those who have been suppressed for a long time
--Collective consciousness hasn't matured enough to see the harm that is looming
--Those who have higher consciousness are still in a minority
--Karmic debts are being paid
--Each person inhabits the world that is right for him or her at the present time
--The future is unknown and cannot be foretold looking at the present

These aren't consistent reasons, and you may feel that some are right and others wrong, some credible and others far-fetched. I agree on all counts. But these explanations have in common that they look beyond the physical. They transcend the problem, and it is a truism in spirituality that the solution is never at the level of the problem. So looking beyond is a first step.

Many responders used the word "action" or "action steps," picking up from Richard Thomas. On the physical level action seems separate from consciousness. The Buddhist concept of non-doing sounds mystical until you realize that it means "action in consciousness." Action in consciousness takes many forms. The passive resistance of Gandhi was an outward form of non-doing, and it had a huge effect in consciousness. It brought an entire historical era to an end. Powerful ideas are also actions in consciousness.
As we go to subtler Koshas, all action is in consciousness. When you were a baby and developed into someone who could speak, express your emotions, or even walk, action in consciousness made that possible. What you were less conscious of, or even totally unconscious of, was the way you began to fit into humanity. But those developments, which gave you purpose, vision, group identity, family ties, and historical place in time were actions in consciousness.
I'd like to suggest that since you live in many worlds, you can act in all of them, and in this way you can change the world quite powerfully. If we had a whole weekend together we could discuss Patanjali's eight limbs of Yoga, for they are the encyclopedia for action in consciousness. Here I will simplify things by giving some suggestions about acting through each of the five Koshas:

Annamaya Kosha, the physical body: Nourish and respect your body. Appreciate its incredible inner intelligence. Do not fear it or taint it with toxins. Take time to really be in your body. Sit and feel it. Take it outside and let it play.

Pranamaya Kosha, the vital body: go out into Nature and sink into the feeling that this is your home. Respect and nourish the ecosystem. Do not harm other living things. See Nature without fear or hostility. Reverence for life is the key here.

Manomaya Kosha, the mental body: Develop the positive uses of our mind. Read and appreciate what is finest in human expression. Become aware that you are a wholeness, allow ideas to come in that support wholeness over separation. Resist us-versus-them thinking. Examine your automatic reactions and second-hand beliefs. Find every opportunity to welcome in signals from your higher self.

Vigyanmaya Kosha, the ego body: Shift your identity away form separation toward wholeness. Find a vision; go on a quest. Fit yourself into the larger pattern of Dharma, which is the guiding principle of evolution. Seek ways to evolve. Celebrate the vast traditions of spirit and wisdom that unite cultures. be as humane as you can in every way, following the dictum "The world is my family."

Anandamaya Kosha, the body of bliss: Develop your own practice for transcending and finding bliss. You already know the phrase "Follow your bliss." Put it into practice through some kind of "alpha wave" exercise like meditation and deep relaxation. Devote yourself to discovering what Samadhi is really like. Experience your own being as a reason to be here.

Someone once said that all the ignorance in the world was due to level confusion, and there is truth in that. Our Koshas are out of balance. We have confused the material world as a cause rather than an effect of consciousness. We mistake the grossest actions as powerful and neglect the real source of power at subtler levels. All of this confusion can be corrected one person at a time, but as clarity replaces confusion, a ripple of clarity will run throughout the human family.