The Descent

I was One, lone, Pure, Love. 

I wished to experience My own Being. 

And so...

“I separated Myself from Myself so that I may Love Myself.” ~ Creator

The following took place, when even the concept of time was in its nascent stage. It took place in a reality that is beyond human vocabulary or comprehension. 

The Pure, unqualified Beings belonging to the realm of the Absolute, known in devic language as Parabrahma Loka, had heard stories of beings in the material realm, and what they heard aroused their curiosity and sense of adventure to experience  material creation and through that the awareness and Love of the Self.  And so, they approached the Creator, their own pure essence, seeking His permission and blessings to venture into His subtler and grosser realms of creations. The Creator acknowledging their use of free will gave them His loving consent to venture into any of the 14 realms constituting creation.

Descending into the grosser forms of creation was however not simple. The Beings were required to cover themselves with an etheric causal sheath that formed their first protection (a sort of a space suit if you please). This sheath is known in the devic tongue as the Ananda-maya-kosha or the Bliss sheath. It serves to protect the soul in its innate bliss, much like a thermal worn in colder regions helps preserve ones body heat. But the use of this sheath drastically shortened their multidimensional awareness and limited their Drishti or divine ability of sight.

Thus prepared, the 7 Beings began their descent into creation.

 

Shakti Loka

From the regions of the Absolute they now travelled to the first realm of creation belonging to Adi Shakti, the Cosmic Divine Mother, known as Shakti Loka. They sought the blessings and permission of the Divine Mother whose energy and intelligence created the worlds and whose Maya sustains it. The Divine Mother lovingly consented to their plans and gave them each a portion of her Shakti energy and  further blessed them with another gift they would need to progress to grosser creations. This gift was another protective sheath known as the Vijnana-maya-kosha or the Knowledge sheath. Its purpose - to protect the innate knowledge of the Self that each soul intuitively has. Wearing this new layer of protective space suit gave the pure Beings the ability to further descend into creation, but also further handicapped their divine abilities and visions, reducing them drastically.

 Kailasa - Shiva Loka

Vaikuntha 

From here the 7 pure Beings travelled to the supernal realms of Kailasa, Vaikuntha and Brahmaloka. Upon their stay there they learned that these realms are caused by pure divine thought and are made of thought substance. They met and sought blessings of the Absolute Divinity, now playing the separate roles of Lord Shiva, the destroyer; Lord Mahavishnu, the preserver; and  Lord Brahma, the creator.

Brahmaloka

Having stayed in these higher spheres to their hearts delight, the 7 eventually sought permission from the Chaturmukha (4 faced) Brahma to venture further into His creation.  Lord Brahma said “O pure Ones, you have so far travelled through the Divine cosmos. Now you will be entering the grosser mental and physical realms. For this you will require a very special etheric covering to enable your travel.” Lord Brahma directed them to a region in creation known as Manovati Nagar in the devic dialect. Here wise inhabitants of the realm offered them these special koshas or sheaths known as Mano-maya-koshas or Mind sheaths. They gave them the sheaths with the following information regarding its unique nature:

•    These koshas hold in them the blue prints of all material bodies that they will assume in the Bhuloka (Physical realms).
•    The koshas will also designate the sex of the material body so assumed by the thus far sexless Beings.
•    This sheath has the ability to filter off all excess quantities of experiences that the Beings may go through.
•    The sheath enables the Beings to astral travel through the 14 lokas provided they are able to rise above gross sensations to travel astrally.
•    This sheath has the ability to stretch to infinity and can travel at infinite speeds through thoughts.

   Then their guide drew their attention to the most important feature and qualification to assume this special sheath.

•   “Upon completing your sojourn to Bhu loka and your return to Brahma loka, you will be required to return the mind sheath now being collected by you, in the same pure, blemishless condition as it is now. The sheath will be bound to you and will bind you to Bhu loka as long as it is impure or unclean.”

The 7 pure Beings thanked their guide and selected their new sheaths. Their eagerness to reach Bhu loka made them oblivious of the implications involved in the conditional return of these sheaths.

Equipped now with the manomaya kosha the Beings descended into the grosser dimensions of lower astral and physical vibrations. Their journey took them through various astral realms, which were governed by various deities, each of who blessed and permitted their journey by incorporating certain astral marks or signatures on their subtle sheaths which would permit further travel and also enable them to return through those higher spheres. In this way they passed through Satyaloka, lorded by Shani dev; Tapoloka, lorded by Shukra dev;  Janaloka by Guru (Jupiter) dev; Maharloka, presided by Budha dev; Suvarloka presided by Mangala deva; Bhuvarloka presided by Moon god Chandra deva; and so on.

Astral Regions

Crossing the Astral spheres of light essence, the pure Beings now began their descent to the grossest part of creation – the physical universe. They travelled through various galaxies and were intuitively guided to the milky galaxy. Here they became aware of various dualities that features in the physical cosmos – dark- light, cold - heat, and so on.

Physical Cosmos

Finally they found themselves looking upon a most beautiful celestial body with amazing features enhancing its beauty. In their eagerness as they rushed towards it they found that beyond a certain point they could not move or descend. Amazed at this they meditated inwardly seeking a solution to their impediment.

Upon their inner supplications a being of high order appeared before them. “O faultless Ones, I am Indra, the overlord of the three worlds. This planet you are looking at is Prithvi loka (Earth). To enter its space you will have to assume a form grosser then what your 3 sheaths permit, which will then allow you to negotiate with Earth's gravity and denser atmosphere. Your essence as of now, is too light to enter Earth's grosser airs.” 

Heavenly Regions

Following the suggestions of Indra, the 7 Beings made their way to a celestial city spanning 9 billion light years diametrically. The city was abuzz with activity. They learned it is known as Yama Dharamapuri, presided by the Lord of Southernly direction, Dharamaraj Yama. Upon their arrival the 7 Beings were received with honor befitting the status of inhabitants of Parabrahma loka. Lord Yama entrusted them to a gandharva Chitrasen to do the needful.

Chitrasen took them around the city showing them the various phases a soul returning from Earth goes through. He showed them the Akashic records and the Akashic mirror, which enabled them to look at their blemishless state. Chitrasen then gave them an etheric silver cord that they would need to inhibit a grosser form and again reminded them of the condition of returning the Mind sheath in a pure state.

Equipped now with the silver cord which lent them certain weight, the Beings accompanied yet by Indra made a slow descent  towards Earth. Lord Indra knowing the limitiations of the silver cord then suggested to them that he would enable them to merge with one of the elements of Earth which would help their descent fully. The Beings agreed.

With that Indra created a thunderstorm with charged clouds and million volts of lightening and static electricity. The electricity charged the silver cord enabling them Beings to merge their essence in the misty vapors and hold on to it. The vapors filtered through the dense dark clouds formed into raindrops and poured on Earth in torrential rains. Thus the 7 Beings made their way into the Prithvi loka.

The Beautiful Prithvi Loka - Mother Earth

The raindrops fell and merged into the soft and slushy earth. Sinking thus into the wet soil the Beings lay confused upon being conscious of a matter so gross. Over time the waters was sucked through earth into plants and trees and transmuting themselves into life giving seeds, fruits and vegetables. The Beings found their consciousness travelling through to the essence of the fruits. The inhabitants of the Earth, the humans, cultivated these fruits for consumption, and in this way the 7 Beings found their essence travelling from the fruits through to the human body merging into the blood stream of the bodies and eventually distilling itself into the most potent essence in a human body known as the life giving Shukra (sperm).

In due course when those humans became intimate with the intent of procreating, the 7 Beings, now existing within different human forms, through mergence of the vital fluids, found themselves connecting to an embryo with the help of the etheric silver cord. As mentioned, the blueprint of their human form was already embedded in the manomaya kosha. The atmans busied themselves in assisting the embryos take the desired forms. However for the Beings to become one with the growing form they needed aid. Such aid was provided by Lord Suryanarayana, the Sun God who endowed them with a sheath that would enable mergence with the fleshly form. This sheath is known in the devic language as the Prana-maya-kosha, and it is solely due to this sheath that a being can dwell in a live fleshly form and is hence known as a Prani. The pranic sheath enabled the Beings to assume that last of the sheaths – the human body, also known as the Anna-maya-kosha in Sanskrit, because of its dependence on food for sustenance. From hereon the Beings grew in the womb and in course of 9 months emerged into the Bhu loka with a young human body.

Covered with the 5 sheaths, thus descended the 7 Pure Beings on Earth. They grew up to be highly enlightened Beings known amongst the human race as the Sapta Rishis, and dedicated their lives to helping humans find their way back to their source.

This journey is not specific only to the Rishis, but to each and every soul that comes to Earth. Though normal humans have to work their way through various forms of life - from minerals to plants to animals, before they inhabit a human form, the 7 Beings being inhabitants of Parabrahmaloka were given this special grace for a special purpose of helping and redeeming souls on Earth.

In this way the One Pure consciousness separated itself into many and entered its own complex and multi dimensional creation, for one reason and one reason alone – To experience Love. 

But coming into this creation necessitated that we lose consciousness of our origins and essence in order to play this game of separation and Love. To do so we gave over our power of attorney to our minds commanding it to entertain us in this world of duality. The powerful, restless and independent mind, using the aid of the ego-feeling, is now taking us through this journey called life.  Keeping mankind wrapped in their egos with emotions like anger, hatred, jealousy, envy, lust and so on the mind deludes us further and further away from our Selves. Engrossed in this feeling of separation, mankind has led itself through the darkest phases of life in form of crimes, murders, wars, holocausts each of them making him feel isolated, alone, unloved, thus keeping the illusory game alive and thriving.

And yet, despite all the darkness around us, Life is not a story of hatred and sorrow as most living it are led to believe, but is the ultimate story of Love; of Love seeking itself.

This is your truth, You who read this, and mine... for in essence we are not separate. You are an extension of me and I an aspect of you.

Look around you right now. You see this world and its various objects. You may see and know different beings like yourself who you label family or strangers, friends or foes, good or bad. Know that each of these inanimate objects and Beings – plants, animals, birds or humans, all aspects of your own Self; exist for one and one reason alone – to experience Your Love… for in sharing that love, You are loving Yourself.

One day Sri Sathya Sai Baba came into a room and sat on the floor next to two of His students and held their hands. Lowering His voice to a whisper He asked them, :

"Do you want to know a secret?"

"O yes Swami!" the students eagerly replied.

Swami then whispered, :

" When your life on Earth is done, and you look back at your life, it really does not matter if you were the wealthiest with the most 'toys', or king of the world, a genius, a priest, a hardworking person, or the loneliest beggar on the street; all that will matter is ~      How much LOVE You would have shared, EVERY moment of your life, with ALL of Creation!..

The rest, is byproduct!"

( Credits / References : Autobiography of a Yogi, The Holy science, Daniel B. Holeman, Sri Amara Rsi - Amaravani, Lightstorm - The 10th Step )

RELATED POSTS:

The mystical lines between Reality and fantasy

Journey to Indraloka

Secrets of the Inner world

Why should I be Spiritual?

A Hackers guide to Self realisation