Theos-Talk Archives (May 2001 Message tt00190)

Saturday, May 26, 2001


Dear Friend:

I wonder if you are familiar with Mr. Judge's article, which I
reprint below because it is so interesting to all of us.

Best wishes,

Dallas

------------------------------------------------


THREE PLANES OF HUMAN LIFE -- Jagrat - Swapna - Sushupti

W.Q.J. Articles I 294 [ PATH, Aug. 1888 ]

=============================


THE THREE PLANES OF HUMAN LIFE
JAGRATA, SWAPNA, SUSHUPTI:
WAKING, DREAMING, DREAMLESS SLEEP
I SPEAK of ordinary men. The Adept, the Master, the Yogi, the
Mahatma, the Buddha, each lives in more than three states while
incarnated upon this world, and they are fully conscious of them
all, while the ordinary man is only conscious of the first - the
waking-life, as the word conscious is now
understood.[NL][NL]Every theosophist who is in earnest ought to
know the importance of these three states, and especially how
essential it is that one should not lose in Swapna the memory of
experiences in Sushupti, nor in Jagrata those of Swapna, and vice
versa.[PARA]Jagrata, our waking state, is the one in which we
must be regenerated; where we must come to a full consciousness
of the Self within, for in no other is salvation
possible.[PARA]When a man dies he goes either to the Supreme
Condition from which no return against his will is possible, or
to the other states - heaven, hell, avitchi, devachan, what not -
from which return to incarnation is inevitable. But he cannot go
to the Supreme State unless he has perfected and regenerated
himself; unless the wonderful and shining heights on which the
Masters stand have been reached while he is in a body. This
consummation, so devoutly desired, cannot be secured unless at
some period in his evolution the being takes the steps that lead
to the final attainment. These steps can and must be taken. In
the very first is contained the possibility of the last, for
causes once put in motion eternally produce their natural
results.[NL][NL]Among those steps are an acquaintance with and
understanding of the three states first spoken of.[NL][NL]Jagrata
acts on Swapna, producing dreams and suggestions, and either
disturbs the instructions that come down from the higher state or
aids the person through waking calmness and concentration which
tend to lessen the distortions of the mental experiences of dream
life. Swapna again in its turn acts on the waking state (Jagrata)
by the good or bad suggestions made to him in dreams. All
experience and all religions are full of proofs of this. In the
fabled Garden of Eden the wily serpent whispered in the ear of
the sleeping mortal to the end that when awake he should violate
the command. In Job it is said that God instructeth man in sleep,
in dreams, and in visions of the night. And the common
introspective and dream life of the most ordinary people needs no
proof. Many cases are within my knowledge where the man was led
to commit acts against which his better nature rebelled, the
suggestion for the act coming to him in dream. It was because the
unholy state of his waking thoughts infected his dreams, and laid
him open to evil influences. By natural action and reaction he
poisoned both Jagrata and Swapna.[NL][NL]It is therefore our duty
to purify and keep clear these two planes.[PARA]The third state
common to all is Sushupti, which has been translated "dreamless
sleep." The translation is inadequate, for, while it is
dreamless, it is also a state in which even criminals commune
through the higher nature with spiritual beings and enter into
the spiritual plane. It is the great spiritual reservoir by means
of which the tremendous momentum toward evil living is held in
check. And because it is involuntary with them, it is constantly
salutary in its effect.[NL][NL]In order to understand the subject
better, it is well to consider a little in detail what happens
when one falls asleep, has dreams, and then enters Sushupti. As
his outer senses are dulled the brain begins to throw up images,
the reproductions of waking acts and thoughts, and soon he is
asleep. He has then entered a plane of experience which is as
real as that just quitted, only that it is of a different sort.
We may roughly divide this from the waking life by an imaginary
partition on the one side, and from Sushupti by another partition
on the other. In this region he wanders until he begins to rise
beyond it into the higher. There no disturbances come from the
brain action, and the being is a partaker to the extent his
nature permits of the "banquet of the gods." But he has to return
to waking state, and he can get back by no other road than the
one he came upon, for, as Sushupti extends in every direction and
Swapna under it also in every direction, there is no possibility
of emerging at once from Sushupti into Jagrata. And this is true
even though on returning no memory of any dream is
retained.[PARA]Now the ordinary non-concentrated man, by reason
of the want of focus due to multitudinous and confused thought,
has put his Swapna field or state into confusion, and in passing
through it the useful and elevating experiences of Sushupti
become mixed up and distorted, not resulting in the benefit to
him as a waking person which is his right as well as his duty to
have. Here again is seen the lasting effect, either prejudicial
or the opposite, of the conduct and thoughts when
awake.[NL][NL]So it appears, then, that what he should try to
accomplish is such a clearing up and vivification of Swapna state
as shall result in removing the confusion and distortion existing
there, in order that upon emerging into waking life he may retain
a wider and brighter memory of what occurred in Sushupti. This is
done by an increase of concentration upon high thoughts, upon
noble purposes, upon all that is best and most spiritual in him
while awake. The best result cannot be accomplished in a week or
a year, perhaps not in a life, but, once begun, it will lead to
the perfection of spiritual cultivation in some incarnation
hereafter.[NL][NL]By this course a centre of attraction is set up
in him while awake, and to that all his energies flow, so that it
may be figured to ourselves as a focus in the waking man. To this
focal point-looking at it from that plane - converge the rays
from the whole waking man toward Swapna, carrying him into
dream - state with greater clearness. By reaction this creates
another focus in Swapna, through which he can emerge into
Sushupti in a collected condition. Returning he goes by means of
these points through Swapna, and there, the confusion being
lessened, he enters into his usual waking state the possessor, to
some extent at least, of the benefits and knowledge of Sushupti.
The difference between the man who is not concentrated and the
one who is, consists in this, that the first passes from one
state to the other through the imaginary partitions postulated
above, just as sand does through a sieve, while the concentrated
man passes from one to the other similarly to water through a
pipe or the rays of the sun through a lens. In the first case
each stream of sand is a different experience, a different set of
confused and irregular thoughts, whereas the collected man goes
and returns the owner of regular and clear
experience.[NL][NL]These thoughts are not intended to be
exhaustive, but so far as they go it is believed they are
correct. The subject is one of enormous extent as well as great
importance, and theosophists are urged to purify, elevate, and
concentrate the thoughts and acts of their waking hours so that
they shall not continually and aimlessly, night after night and
day succeeding day, go into and return from these natural and
wisely appointed states, no wiser, no better able to help their
fellow men. For by this way, as by the spider's small thread, we
may gain the free space of spiritual life.[PARA]EUSEBIO
URBAN[NL]Path, August, 1888









-----Original Message-----
From: DNisk98114@aol.com [mailto:DNisk98114@aol.com]
Sent: Thursday, May 24, 2001 10:01 AM
To: study@blavatsky.net
Subject: [bn-study] 3 Planes....

under that heading during the next couple of weeks, "The Daily
Journey--Three Planes of Human Life."
(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((
What is the role of true vison in the inter-connected "Planes of
Human Life"?
Can we think of recent , or so called modern "visions" given to
us in America
that would prompt us to be inspired by their scope?
Just some questions.


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