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..:: Existence ::..
By
Alan Schneider
What is this existence, this life
we live on the Physical Plane of manifestation? What does it mean to
exist? How can we attain a sufficiently distant perspective of
observation to validate our perceptions of physical existence, since we
are apparently so completely entrained within it? What can be said with
any degree of reliability about our condition, its meaning, and purpose?
What I will say here amounts to suggestions, to possibilities
regarding the apparent form, and of hypothetical alternative
forms, of existence, all by way of addressing the questions noted above.
I shall begin at the extreme extent of the most expansive notion of
physical existence that we possess – the known universe itself, its
possible origin, ultimate nature, and the implications of that nature
for human observers here on Earth.
Most of those human observers would probably agree with the
contention that constant turbulence typifies existence – change
is the only truly permanent condition observable in the universe. Where
and how did this turbulent condition originate? The answer given by
science to this question, and one that seems plausible enough, is that
the universe as we know it originated from a primordial energy burst, or
some kind of bursting or explosion, customarily referred to as
“The Big Bang”. This is presumed, based upon astronomical evidence and
measurement of the movement of the observable structures in space, to
have originated some fifteen billion years ago at a “location” millions
of light years “behind” our galaxy. The universe also appears to be
continuously expanding at this time, and the most distant phenomena,
radio waves emanating from the far edges of the universe, are presumed
to be remnants of the Big Bang – more evidence that some kind of
incredible explosion gave birth to the physical mechanism of reality. It
is surmised that the inertia created by the primordial explosion will
eventually dissipate, causing the expansion of the universe to halt, and
then gravitational influences will effect a reversal of the process –
the universe will begin to contract, slowly at first, but with
increasing rapidity, until the totality of manifestation compresses back
into the tiny space of a quantum singularity, and then rebirths in
another “Big Bang”.
There are interesting variations on this theory. The
recently postulated existence of “Dark Matter” in space, and its effect
on gravitation, has resulted in renewed speculation regarding the
existence of “antigravity” and “antigravitons”. The graviton is
an as yet hypothetical quantum particle of gravitational attraction, and
the antigraviton is an even more hypothetical particle of antigravity –
the also hypothetical tendency of things to repel each other
under certain conditions, as opposed to attract each other. It is
presumed that Dark Matter, which has a theoretical relationship to
antigravity as yet not well understood, is somehow present in the
universe of conventional electromagnetic material, evidenced only by
gravitational interactions not well explained by either Newtonian of
Relativity physics. This presence of Dark Matter may, under
certain theoretical circumstances, generate a tendency for things to
“fly apart” from each other under the influence of antigravity at an
accelerating pace as time progresses, causing the universe to expand
faster and faster, until the rate of expansion presumably reaches the
speed of light, and existence disappears. It must be noted here that the
presence of Dark Matter is still largely theoretical itself, being
indicated by gravitational anomalies in galaxy rotation, and may well be
the manifestation of other conditions yet to be observed, or an
incomplete understanding of existing gravitational theory, both having
significantly less dire implications for the fate of the universe as a
whole.
And Einstein suggested that space itself is curved, that is,
distorted at the fundamental level of what he called spacetime
(also referred to as hyperspace in today’s media). In this
scenario, the supposed rate of expansion of things is less critical,
since the universe is essentially a closed system with a finite, albeit
extremely remote, boundary. Presumably, everything in existence
is inevitably conforming to the curvature of hyperspace as it travels
along whatever apparent path we can see, even the entire universe
itself. This can be viewed as another interesting variant of the “Big
Bang” theory of a pulsating universe, in which the
alternate expansion and contraction of existence continuously “travels”
through hyperspace, effectively, however, never retracing the same path
in “real” space.
Even if Dark Matter and antigravity become the defining
conditions of existence, and the universe eventually flies apart and
disappears, the departing material must still go somewhere, at
least according to the Law of Conservation of Matter and Energy, which
states that the amount of existence is fixed – things can be
transformed, but never really created or destroyed. Here again we enter
the realm of the purely hypothetical with the discussion of the
tachyon, a theoretical quantum particle that can exceed the speed of
light (long held to be the only constant value according to
Einstein’s Theory of Relativity), and travel back into the past in doing
so. Under this model, when the entire universe eventually reaches and
exceeds the speed of light, it will transition through hyperspace
backwards in time, essentially returning to the quantum singularity
previously mentioned, but once again traveling along a non-repetitive
route in real space.
If we exclude what is currently not supported by any kind of
experiential evidence, or very little direct evidence at any rate
(however interesting such speculations may be) then we are left with the
Big Bang pulsating model as the most probable explanation of the origin
and behavior of the physical universe. This model does a reasonably
satisfactory job of explaining things at the level of the macrocosm, and
remains comprehensible for individuals having intelligence quotients
lower than 200 points! As already noted, the typifying, defining
characteristic of this universe is constant change – turbulence – and
this turbulence occurs at not only the level of the macrocosm, but the
microcosm as well – quantum events are notoriously transitory in
virtually all theoretical models postulated by science. In fact, the
Quantum universe is even more turbulent than the Relativity universe –
supposedly blinking out, and back into, existence at picosecond
intervals, and subject to divergence into parallel universe expressions
every time any observation is made. Since the rate of observation
of the human central nervous system – the presumed origin of our
observational capability – is arguably in the sub-hertz (perhaps
hundredths a second) of region, this adds yet another dimension to the
Quantum turbulence of the microcosm. Thus, in whatever scenario used,
the agitation and turbulence of physical existence appears to be both
profound and continuous. This much we can be sure of.
One of the supreme caveats of Quantum Theory is that
observation depends upon the observer, and this is also a feature
of Relativity Theory, which holds that the relative movement of
the observer is the critical factor effecting observation. All that we
know comes to us through the senses, and is interpreted, that is
assigned meaning, by the ego, the observable essence of the
observer concept. Now, if that ego is even partially removed from the
process of observation by a given technique, such as meditation, a very
interesting series of events takes place. When we nullify the influence
of the ego in observation, the very nature of the observational process
is radically altered, as are the resultant observations themselves, up
to and including the “observation” that constitutes the universe, life,
and existence. Bluntly, we notice that our individual and collective
existences as experienced on the Physical Plane, and viewed from any
social or scientific perspective, are essentially flawed. The
remainder of this essay deals with specifically how flawed our
physical perception of “reality” really is (at least in comparison to
the alternative experience of the meditation process) and what
this flawed condition implies for humanity.
The whole of existence on the manifest Physical Plane, right
up to the macrocosmic level of the known universe, and down to the
microcosmic level of the cosmic string is broken, fragmented, and
utterly incomplete. No scientific theory or system of
thought, however sublime, will ever accurately and completely
describe the universe, because all such theories are themselves
intrinsically flawed as the products of the flawed human mind. It may
well be that this condition results from, and is a consequence of, our
human state of incarnation, a state that we can never really escape
from, and beyond which all other knowledge, even the Knowledge of
Ascension, is theoretical. Thus, even though I have myself attained
Ascension and Samadhi, I am still composing this document from the
perspective of the Physical Plane, using ego processing in my living
human body as the price of physical communication. Apart from the realm
of forensics, and very arguably from that of parapsychology, the
Dead tell no tales – communication is the exclusive domain of living
manifestations. But enough dispassionate observations, conducted from
sufficiently detached viewpoints, will inevitably reveal how utterly
wrong this physical existence of ours really is. A few comments
follow regarding the nature and extent of that sequence of errors and
imperfect observations we call “life”.
One of the more intriguing postulates of science concerns
the concept of antimatter. Anitmaterial particles (antiquanta) have been
observed for decades as the transitory results of collisions in particle
accelerators. There are such things as antiprotons (a negatively charged
proton), positrons (a positively charged electron), and so forth. It has
been theoretically postulated that there is even an anti-universe,
anti-Earth, and anti-humanity, all existing in some parallel
dimension to our own, and there may even be anti-parallel universes as
well. What meditation eventually reveals, and what the Yogi and Guru
know all too well, is that it is this universe we experience in
the body and senses which is the real anti-universe – the broken
universe – and it is we ourselves who are the Cabalist Qlippoth –
the broken fragments of perception and manifestation littering the area
around the base of the Tree of Life, below even the relatively idealized
Sephira of Malkuth, the Cabalist representation of the Physical Plane of
existence. The broken physical universe and our broken physical
perception are reflections of each other on the Physical Plane of
experience.
Most people who even think at all, who ever ponder upon the
conditions of this life, will occasionally have some perception of the
wrongness of this existence, of its transitory and illusory
qualities knowable through the physical senses. It is tempting to say
that this is ascribable solely to the incarnate form, but that form has
ultimately evolved from the raw material of this universe as an
inevitably manifest consequence of existence, and even that process of
evolution was wrong. It is as if this existence was an accident
of cosmic fate, but I believe the “error” goes further than that. The
omnipresent turbulence and fundamental chaos that define events here in
our continuum point to only one conclusion – creation was intended
to be what we experience, and we are what we were intended to be
as the observers of that experience.
What kind of Creator would author such a work? What could be
the motivations of such a Being? In Christian Mysticism, the actual work
of constructing this universe was presumably done by Lucifer, one of,
and arguably the first, subharmonic of God. Supposedly, Lucifer was
“with the program” of Creation, right up until God decided to place a
human caretaker in the picture! Lucifer found this to be insulting to
his role as the “construction foreman”, and began interfering with
things, eventually causing a complete schism with God, and resulting in
the formation of the Underworld of Hell, where he was subsequently
imprisoned. This did not cool his wrath, and he continued (and
continues) to make as much trouble for humanity as he can. There are, of
course, many other metaphysical explanations for the problem of
negativity – of evil. A perhaps more forgiving approach is the
imbalance theory, which holds that evil is simply the manifest
result of an imbalanced condition, or conditions, existing in life. The
problem here is that physical life itself is comprehensively imbalanced
for the term, permitting only transitory homeostasis, and still
eventually resulting in that “return to equilibrium” known as death.
And ascribing all negativity to one malevolent entity ignores the fact
that everything in experience is more or less malicious, perhaps
particularly when seen through the lens of malice, but
nevertheless always partially ill-intended simply by virtue of selfish
human motivations. Clearly, there is more to the problem of evil to be
considered. We must therefore examine the ego and the Soul to
understand the problem of evil.
Although it cannot be directly observed, the ego as a
concept is indicated well enough by much indirect evidence to be
accepted as at least an effective working model of sentience by most
reasonably objective observers. Most of us have a sense of our immediate
inner being – the ego – making conscious, purposeful decisions that we
use to guide ourselves through life. The ego is the physical, perceptual
focus of consciousness. Now, the spiritual, moral focus of consciousness
is the Soul, a significantly less substantiated manifestation
than the ego, and one that is not even a properly scientific construct.
The Soul exists at the level of the Heart, or Fourth, Chakra in Yogic
Theory, well past the Astral Plane of the Second Chakra, the level of
the archetypes and imagination, and completely removed from the physical
sensory perception of the First Chakra, Muladhara. The Soul is
experienced as compassion and selfless love, and known
through faith in God. The Soul is composed of Divine Light
radiating directly from God as the Logos existing in the
Seventh, and highest, Chakra. The Soul is the reason for the physical
expression of incarnation, and Karma is the set of physical and
spiritual conditions determined by God to be needed to guide the
evolution of the Soul through incarnate manifestation.
Our Karma can be positive or negative, and is usually a
combnation of both. On the negative side, if our destiny is to be evil,
and workers of darkness, that we will be until the Soul has been
sufficiently exposed to the vibration of personal evil to learn the
moral consequences of that experience on an intimately personal,
spiritual level that transcends simple perception. Then, and only
then, will the experience of evil have been assimilated at the level of
sensitivity that will result in the spiritual evolution of the Soul to a
higher state of moral manifestation, bringing it permanently closer to
God and the Divine Light. The Logos exists on a Plane of Perfection –
in a state of Pure Love and Light – no flaws are present there.
This is automatic and intrinsic for God – no further requirement for
action exists. The imperfections, however, still exist – on the lower
Planes of Manifestation, and particularly on our Physical Plane of
sensory experience. As trite and simplistic as this may seem, the flaws
had to go somewhere, and descended through the Planes of Ideation
until a dense enough condition was reached to sustain their expression –
the physical body on the Physical Plane! This is why everything on the
Physical Plane is intrinsically wrong; we are wrong by our very
physical nature, as is everything in our realm of sensory experience, no
matter how “right” those things may initially seem to be. This is the
essence of evil, flaws, and negativity – selfish actions born of
ignorance.
The corrective measure for negative Karma is Dharma –
acts of spiritual devotion to God typified by selfless service. That
which is dedicated to God and the spiritual well being of humanity
transforms evil intent into grace and positive Karma by spiritually
transforming the Soul, thereby achieving the goal of spiritual evolution
while we are still incarnate. The more selflessly one can live, the
better – the life devoted to spiritual achievement and Soul enhancement
is the best possible life of all. All that is given to God is returned
to us many times over in terms of wisdom, grace, and inner peace.
Meditation is one of, if not the most, powerful forms
of Dharma, because it automatically accesses the spiritual continuum
leading to the Logos through negation of the ego and its persistent
material focus on the Physical Plane. Almost everyone who practices
meditation successfully for even one instance reports an enhanced
state of well being during the process, and improved functioning on the
Physical Plane afterwards. Why? Because we have taken a step away from
the inherent negativity of the anti-universe of physical perception, and
back toward the Truth of Divine Love and Light on the higher spiritual
planes. From the perspective of Freudian psychology, the latter is an
insane and absurd statement, but consider this – the ultimate
destination of the body, ego, and physical senses on the Physical Plane
is oblivion. There is no reason whatsoever to suppose that any of
these three manifestations of existence survive physical death. And even
if there is no “Physical Plane” per se – only external reality – any
process which effectively relieves human suffering, and particularly one
with no adverse physiological side effects like meditation that
relieves existential suffering, must be viewed as fundamentally
beneficial. Even if meditation does not result in full Ascension and
Samadhi during a given incarnation, the positive, healthful benefits are
undeniable. The simple experience of deep relaxation for a short
interval, with or without any attendant spiritual enhancement, is
healing of the entire organism – body, mind, and spirit. And all of this
as the reward for simply voluntarily shutting down the ego and
distancing perception from the senses for a short period of time!
It would appear that the best thing we can do in life, at least from the
perspective of Enlightenment, is to closely control and minimize the
influence of the ego and sensory perception on the Physical Plane,
performing only the essential material actions needed to maintain
physical and mental health for the duration. And dedicating our
consciousness and activities to God, whether or not any physical
evidence of any kind supports the existence of the Divine Truth, is a
priority of the greatest importance. It is sufficient that this Truth
represents the greatest good for human beings, and the best goal one can
strive for in this existence of turbulence and illusion.
- With Love, Alan -
(CR2008, Alan Schneider)
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