[Sharma27]

Hi Everyone,
here I am again with a couple(more than a couple!) of questions, but first:
in order from gross to subtle
earth, water, fire, air, space, consciousness, nothingness, neither perception nor nonperception.
-Space is infinite, all-pervasive, eternal, so is consciousness?
-Both space and consciousness are subtler than the Suddashtaka?
-Existence while merger with those two is absolutely blissful, full of oceanic joy and an unshakable serenity, it still ends. (20000 great eons and 40000 great eons.) as I see?
-Memory records from beginning-less time are stored in the consciousness property. In other words, what we have thought, done, everything. (I wonder if the rumors’ of Akashic records originated from that, except it should be Vinnanic, not Akashic.) is that correct? could it also be possible to retrieve those records for one self?
-I see it as the end goal of all Vedanta practices. Merger with the eternal cosmic consciousness which is pure, absolutely blissful…. Except there’s no such thing as eternity there too! How fortunate we are to get to know this from a Fully Enlightened Buddha! And thanks to Lal sir, the Pure Dhamma is shining!
-Is it also possible to perceive the entire universe while being in contact with infinite space and infinite consciousness? (I am wondering because I’ll post the reference below.)
reference:
“Poor boy, the mountains couldn’t give what you wanted.” Master spoke caressively, comfortingly. His calm gaze was unfathomable. “Your heart’s desire shall be fulfilled.”

Sri Yukteswar seldom indulged in riddles; I was bewildered. He struck gently on my chest above the heart.

My body became immovably rooted; breath was drawn out of my lungs as if by some huge magnet. Soul and mind instantly lost their physical bondage, and streamed out like a fluid piercing light from my every pore. The flesh was as though dead, yet in my intense awareness I knew that never before had I been fully alive. My sense of identity was no longer narrowly confined to a body, but embraced the circumambient atoms. People on distant streets seemed to be moving gently over my own remote periphery. The roots of plants and trees appeared through a dim transparency of the soil; I discerned the inward flow of their sap.

The whole vicinity lay bare before me. My ordinary frontal vision was now changed to a vast spherical sight, simultaneously all-perceptive. Through the back of my head I saw men strolling far down Rai Ghat Road, and noticed also a white cow who was leisurely approaching. When she reached the space in front of the open ashram gate, I observed her with my two physical eyes. As she passed by, behind the brick wall, I saw her clearly still.

All objects within my panoramic gaze trembled and vibrated like quick motion pictures. My body, Master’s, the pillared courtyard, the furniture and floor, the trees and sunshine, occasionally became violently agitated, until all melted into a luminescent sea; even as sugar crystals, thrown into a glass of water, dissolve after being shaken. The unifying light alternated with materializations of form, the metamorphoses revealing the law of cause and effect in creation.

An oceanic joy broke upon calm endless shores of my soul. The Spirit of God, I realized, is exhaustless Bliss; His body is countless tissues of light. A swelling glory within me began to envelop towns, continents, the earth, solar and stellar systems, tenuous nebulae, and floating universes. The entire cosmos, gently luminous, like a city seen afar at night, glimmered within the infinitude of my being. The sharply etched global outlines faded somewhat at the farthest edges; there I could see a mellow radiance, ever-undiminished. It was indescribably subtle; the planetary pictures were formed of a grosser light.

The divine dispersion of rays poured from an Eternal Source, blazing into galaxies, transfigured with ineffable auras. Again and again I saw the creative beams condense into constellations, then resolve into sheets of transparent flame. By rhythmic reversion, sextillion worlds passed into diaphanous luster; fire became firmament.

I cognized the center of the empyrean as a point of intuitive perception in my heart. Irradiating splendor issued from my nucleus to every part of the universal structure. Blissful amrita , the nectar of immortality, pulsed through me with a quicksilverlike fluidity. The creative voice of God I heard resounding as Aum , 14-1 the vibration of the Cosmic Motor.

Suddenly the breath returned to my lungs. With a disappointment almost unbearable, I realized that my infinite immensity was lost. Once more I was limited to the humiliating cage of a body, not easily accommodative to the Spirit. Like a prodigal child, I had run away from my macrocosmic home and imprisoned myself in a narrow microcosm.

-Was this infinite consciousness, or something else?
-Autobiography of a yogi, “an experience in the cosmic consciousness”.
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/7452/7452-h/7452-h.htm
I would recommend this book. It shows the immense(but ultimately) limited possibilities of attaining anariya jhanas.
-Also, in the chapter, “The Resurrection Of Sri Yukteswar”, which heaven is described according to the Dhamma? Apparently, Sri Yukteswar died and was reborn there, and came back to his disciples.(contrary to the expectations, he didn’t merge with infinite consciousness, though. I wonder why? Could it be something related to being in the corresponding jhana at the moment of death? It’s possible that he was born in a sensuous realm because he couldn’t sustain the 6th jhana at the time of his death?)
Before being introduced to Dhamma, I read such biographies and got impressed, but still there was something dissatisfying. Now I know what it is.
-There’s no ultimate end of suffering by attaining those things! They’re like the magicians tricks, except those tricks are so complex and intricately formulated that they superimpose false attributes on the true nature of reality of three characteristics.
May all beings speedily attain the Deathless!
With Meta,
Gaurav

[TripleGemStudent]

Sharma said:

-Space is infinite, all-pervasive, eternal, so is consciousness?
-Is it also possible to perceive the entire universe while being in contact with infinite space and infinite consciousness?
– Both space and consciousness are subtler than the Suddashtaka?

I suggest you read this post

The Origin of Matter – Suddhāṭṭhaka

Sharma, what is the main goal for the people practicing Buddhism? Do you even want to attain infinite consciousness, if it’s even possible besides a Buddha . . ? Do you have the time to do so?

There’s a story about a yogi whom wanted to explore the whole universe. He ended up getting lost and died. There’s also a story about one of Lord Buddha’s disciple who wanted to explore the universe, he ended up getting lost. Lucky for him, Lord Buddha was able to find him.

Sharma said:

Memory records from beginning-less time are stored in the consciousness property. In other words, what we have thought, done, everything. (I wonder if the rumors’ of Akashic records originated from that, except it should be Vinnanic, not Akashic.) is that correct? could it also be possible to retrieve those records for one self?

– I suggest you read these two post and as well do a search on this website on “Nama gota”

Autobiographical Memory – Preserved in Nāma Loka

Memory Records- Critical Part of Five Aggregates

I can’t say for certain as I only have a general idea of what the Akashic records are, but I’m pretty sure the Akashic records is the same as the Nama gota or the concept anyways . . .

Sharma said

“I would recommend this book. It shows the immense(but ultimately) limited possibilities of attaining anariya jhanas.”

Thank you for the recommendations, but anyone that understands the Buddha Dhamma and the rebirth process would know this already. It might not be the best use of time reading some book about it when one can just focus on the Buddha Dhamma and they would learn that from it. As well, one can see the example of Devadatta for the easiest and quickest example . . .

with Metta,

[Sharma27]

Thanks, TripleGemStudent. I have gone through those links already, hence my questionns were formulated after that. :)
TripleGemStudent wrote:
Sharma, what is the main goal for the people practicing Buddhism? Do you even want to attain infinite consciousness, if it’s even possible besides a Buddha . . ? Do you have the time to do so?
The main reason I practice Dhamma, of course, is to get rid of asava and gati which tie you to the fruitless and pointless rebirth process. And no, I don’t have time to attain infinite consciousness, at least in this lifetime. :D and attaining infinite consciousness does not just lie in the realm of the Buddhas. As per the book I sent above, it is very much possible for any puthujana yogi to do so.
TrippleGemStudent says:
Thank you for the recommendations, but anyone that understands the Buddha Dhamma and the rebirth process would know this already. It might not be the best use of time reading some book about it when one can just focus on the Buddha Dhamma and they would learn that from it. As well, one can see the example of Devadatta for the easiest and quickest example . . .
Yes, you are right. I am aware of Devadatta. The example of Devadatta does not make sense here, though. Because he injured the Buddha, and caused a schism in the Sangha as well. And here I am just putting forward my questions due to my curiosity. :)
The country I am from has a lot of thriving and vibrant spiritual processes. Even though the final end of suffering cannot be obtained by most of those processes, it is well worth(my) time to know the Dhammic analysis of those processes. practicing Dhamma does not mean that we completely lose our curiosity, it’s the curiosity, after all, which lead me here: I wanted to know if there is any spiritual way which leads to the final destruction of suffering? And lo! That question of mine is finally answered.
I would kindly request anyone to provide me answers for those questions. I love the analysis on this site; it would be good if a Dhamma analysis of all the questions I asked above is provided to me so that my curiosity can be satiated.
With Meta,
Gaurav

[Lal]

Sharma27 wrote: “The country I am from has a lot of thriving and vibrant spiritual processes. Even though the final end of suffering cannot be obtained by most of those processes, it is well worth(my) time to know the Dhammic analysis of those processes…”

Yes. But those curiosities cannot be satisfied by reading accounts of other yogis. That is an endless process.

My suggestion is to read the sections, “Origin of Life” and “Buddha Dhamma – A Scientific Approach”

I think this discussion has gone far enough.

[Sharma27]

Venerable. Lal Sir Wrote:
Yes. But those curiosities cannot be satisfied by reading accounts of other yogis. That is an endless process.
Yes, Sir. That is very true. I totally agree there. As I said above, those experiences are just like magicians’ tricks. :)
With Meta,
Gaurav

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