In our present human configuration we’re both form / matter (body) and formless (spirit / energy) simultaneously. If I may use a leaf analogy. When we look at a leaf we see its outer form, but, what makes up the leaf is sap: we don’t see the sap as it is covered by green Maya (ma, ya, “that which is not”). Thus we could say the outer visible leaf is / reflects Maya or illusion. The outer leaf, Maya, is covering the inner Essence of the invisible Real leaf. Likewise, OUR unseen inner bliss nature is covered mainly through generational conditioning, addictions and unending “world” head-noise. In other words, due to out of cosmic coherence sync the mind fails to perceive “as is”, fails to experience through its innate nature — present moment awareness — fails to experience divinely.
Like the leaf, what we see is not what we are. The essence of the leaf is pure sap, similarly the essence-potential of humankind is Pure Transcendental Spirit.
Again, like the butterfly miracle, we’re each intended to shed the caterpillar status, grow through this chrysalis (cocoon) of “world” — subconscious conditioning — or Maya by means of our latent spiritual mechanisms. Unlike the caterpillar, which has to spin a chrysalis to “birth” its higher Butterfly nature, humankind already has this cocoon in the form of the endocrine / glandular system along the spine and into the brain. As such, by activation — hormonal secretion — of the glandular system by means of meditational silence, we germinate the bliss seed — known as kundalini — in the base [of spine] chakra, temporarily sealed by generational conditioning or Maya. The mind, on knowing mental stillness triggers this dormant, potent chrysalis to birthing our spiritual Self. Birthing this Self-seed nature, this bliss dynamic through vibrational silence is our life’s purpose, with its development into Cosmic Consciousness the ultimate goal of human evolution.
As we know, water adjusts to whatever shape the pipe takes. Likewise, mind accepts whatever we settle upon or have been indoctrinated into — also known as belief systems. But, in settling for Maya, this inherently carries evolution’s silent disagreement. Evolution will be at work to rectify all non life-serving mind-sets in the form of “suffering” in proportion to our “lost” true nature. In other words, while we may be enjoying senses gratification and “world” happiness, but if such is through spiritual ignorance, evolution will be aware of the soul’s need of “course correction” at a later date, either in this lifetime or another.
Evolution will eventually bring each soul back to the purification process of eventually knowing Pure Consciousness. “Purification” here means expansion of conscious mind — gained through the silence of [inner] mental stillness — whereby we live through soul-understanding based on Divine Principle or spiritual values. In other words, for mind to perceive spiritually, intuitively then mind needs to be functioning as full mind — not diluted or splintered by sub conscious Maya conditioning — thus bringing healing to every area of our divine nature: mind, body spirit.
To live Maya knowingly is to consciously choose suffering over bliss thereby thwart or deny chrysalis birth or spiritual transformation, thus remaining a dysfunctional caterpillar indefinitely.
But, of course, we’re not all starting from the same point of spiritual awareness, rather we’re each continuing the personal journey of soul purification, (mind expansion) of becoming de-conditioned [of Maya] thus to know our eternal spiritual nature — unconditional love or bliss consciousness. Now that we know what needs to carried out, why not make this earth journey the one we finally succeed in breaking free of lower-self dominance — ever-clinging Maya — and actually come upon the Transcendental Nature of our soul’s freeing bliss status — Scripture puts it: ‘know ye the Truth [state of pure inner silence] and this Truth shall make you free’ [of sub consciousness / Maya].
Silence
As we can see, the activity of meditational Silence is more than just the absence of environmental noise. In spiritual terms, transcendental silence is a dynamic not an intangible or static emptiness; like an ocean of electricity waiting to be sparked into activity, divine silence is the “lightening” spark [to this ocean] with its after-activity/ effect “thunder” or love. First there’s “lightening” (silence spark) then thunder or unconditional love: no lightening, no thunder. Thunder without lightening equals ego.
In the spiritual matrix, the dynamics of noise (mental chatter) and Silence are mutual conduits, in that, transcending mental noise (compulsive thoughts) allows the all-pervading Electric Silence become experiential as bliss or unconditional love, thereby know Universal consciousness as separate from finite or limited individuality. In this regard — similar to electricity — when sparked through silence, Transcendental nature becomes as all-encompassing interactive bliss-consciousness or individual soul awakening to itself.
It’s important to distinguish between human emotional love FOR God and the state of unconditional Love-Consciousness realized in meditation: bliss is not emotional love rather an overall compassionate resonance — a state [of Heart] in harmony with the all of creation: mankind / animal / environment / the Cosmos).
Altered States of Consciousness
As physical beings, re-birthing out of this time-tomb body or chrysalis into transcendental expanded consciousness is our life-purpose. This entails the mind entering into subtler states of silence-awareness or altered states of consciousness thus the mind becoming unbounded or cosmic in nature, (think biblical Matthew 17:1-13) and Jesus’ Transfiguration on the Mountain’ meaning, our own highest point of inner awareness — transcendence — in meditation:
Transcendence is the Purity-Prism through which the never-changing Divine (Truth) reflects AS Cosmic Consciousness, the potential functioning capacity of each spiritually awakening soul.
As the mind begins encountering deeper meditational silence, the respiratory system reduces — breathing becomes more and more refined. With this level of mental inactivity, the nervous system adapts gradually to a profound level of restful alertness — neither active nor inactive — leading thus to the nervous system / brain reflecting divinely, reflecting bliss consciousness naturally; when the lake is calm the Moon reflects beautifully, serenely and clearly.
Through persistence [of practice], all sub conscious Maya or conditioning becomes integrated. To this end, infusion of bliss into the conscious mind is fundamental. Here properly carried out twice-daily meditation brings about tangible success in this area, thereby resolving subconscious reactive thought patterns — the Maya “loop”. Thus “worldly” addictions can be seen as temporary clouds, which, on passing (integration), reveal the Sun, the real You, our true eternal Spirit nature.