The Buddha Explains Universal Mind

[godnotgod]

Cosmic Consciousness, obviously. A pretentious muddle of jargon buzz-words and metaphysical garbage.

Ooooh! Sounds exciting! So tell me. What exactly is the doctrine of this so-called 'Cosmic Consciousness'? You know what I mean. For example, Christian doctrine, for one, says that, if only you will accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, you will be saved.

 

[godnotgod]

Cosmic Consciousness

In addition to the fourth room*, there is said by some commentators on this subject to exist a fifth
room, corresponding to the fifth level of consciousness. It is related to that condition which R. M.
Bucke described in Cosmic Consciousness, the "prime characteristic of which" was "a
consciousness of the cosmos, that is, of the Me and order of the universe." Flashes of this state of
consciousness may be experienced by certain people for no apparent reason. They may also be
induced by psychedelics. Much of the material described by Alan Watts in The Joyous Cosmology
could have been obtained as a result of his having entered the fifth room. The cosmic vision offered
to Arjuna by Krishna and described in the eleventh chapter of the Bhagavad Gita is another example
of the working of the fifth state of consciousness.

It must be understood, however, that this state, cosmic consciousness, is impossible for man to
sustain without long and special training. The normal course of development demands that man
must learn to enter and live in the fourth room before he can safely ascend to the fifth. If he enters
the fifth room unlawfully, either by the use of drugs or any other means, he may suffer permanent
damage as a result of the force of the impressions poured into his unprepared awareness. His
situation is akin to that of an electrical machine suddenly subjected to a current much more
powerful than that for which it was designed. The result at best is a blown fuse, at worst a burned
out machine. Fortunately the physiological equivalent of a fuse does exist in man. Its operation
results in the loss of consciousness when a man accidentally enters the fifth room. He is simply
overwhelmed by the terrific rush of awareness and "blacks out," retaining afterwards scarcely a
memory of that extraordinary moment.

This concept of the five rooms, or five levels of consciousness, is the theoretical basis of the whole
teaching of Creative Psychology. We say "theoretical" because, unless a man has experienced the
five states, they must remain for him theoretical possibilities only. No one, no matter how great his
skill, can communicate to another the feeling of a different level of consciousness. Man in the
fourth room cannot communicate his condition to man in the third room, nor can man in the third
room communicate with man in the second.

from: 'The Master Game', by Robert deRopp

*1st Room: (level of consciousness) sleep without dreams
2nd Room: sleep with dreams
3rd Room: Waking Sleep, or Identification
4th Room: Self-Remembering, or Self-Transcendence (The Observer)
5th Room: Cosmic Consciousness

 

[Ben Dhyan]

Cosmic Consciousness

In addition to the fourth room*, there is said by some commentators on this subject to exist a fifth
room, corresponding to the fifth level of consciousness. It is related to that condition which R. M.
Bucke described in Cosmic Consciousness, the "prime characteristic of which" was "a
consciousness of the cosmos, that is, of the Me and order of the universe." Flashes of this state of
consciousness may be experienced by certain people for no apparent reason. They may also be
induced by psychedelics. Much of the material described by Alan Watts in The Joyous Cosmology
could have been obtained as a result of his having entered the fifth room. The cosmic vision offered
to Arjuna by Krishna and described in the eleventh chapter of the Bhagavad Gita is another example
of the working of the fifth state of consciousness.

It must be understood, however, that this state, cosmic consciousness, is impossible for man to
sustain without long and special training. The normal course of development demands that man
must learn to enter and live in the fourth room before he can safely ascend to the fifth. If he enters
the fifth room unlawfully, either by the use of drugs or any other means, he may suffer permanent
damage as a result of the force of the impressions poured into his unprepared awareness. His
situation is akin to that of an electrical machine suddenly subjected to a current much more
powerful than that for which it was designed. The result at best is a blown fuse, at worst a burned
out machine. Fortunately the physiological equivalent of a fuse does exist in man. Its operation
results in the loss of consciousness when a man accidentally enters the fifth room. He is simply
overwhelmed by the terrific rush of awareness and "blacks out," retaining afterwards scarcely a
memory of that extraordinary moment.

This concept of the five rooms, or five levels of consciousness, is the theoretical basis of the whole
teaching of Creative Psychology. We say "theoretical" because, unless a man has experienced the
five states, they must remain for him theoretical possibilities only. No one, no matter how great his
skill, can communicate to another the feeling of a different level of consciousness. Man in the
fourth room cannot communicate his condition to man in the third room, nor can man in the third
room communicate with man in the second.

from: 'The Master Game', by Robert deRopp

*1st Room: (level of consciousness) sleep without dreams
2nd Room: sleep with dreams
3rd Room: Waking Sleep, or Identification
4th Room: Self-Remembering, or Self-Transcendence (The Observer)
5th Room: Cosmic Consciousness

Seems to equate pretty well with Al Arabi's Sufi piece....
God sleeps in a rock (room 1)
God dreams in a plant....(room 2)
God stirs in an animal (room 3)
God awakens in man (room 4)

We could add...

God unites with God (room 5)

For those with an aversion to the concept God, please substitute universal mind, cosmic consciousness, or some such....

 

[Twilight Hue]

It's the moon st***d!

http://www.satrak****a.com/images/Oregon71.jpg

Or an aggregious lack of understanding by which one must even find need to point in the first place.

Somehow fitting for this photoshop rendition of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh.

 

[psychoslice]

It's the moon st***d!

http://www.satrak****a.com/images/Oregon71.jpg

I love Osho.

 

[Ben Dhyan]

Or an aggregious lack of understanding by which one must even find need to point in the first place.

Somehow fitting for this photoshop rendition of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh.

Ah so....is this a subtle hint that underlying all your verbose criticism of the 'pointing' given for the benefit of those who appeared unaware of universal mind....Nowhere Man has been hiding from us that he was a Buddha all along by pretending foolish...you sly fox...lol...

 

[Twilight Hue]

Ah so....is this a subtle hint that underlying all your verbose criticism of the 'pointing' given for the benefit of those who appeared unaware of universal mind....Nowhere Man has been hiding from us that he was a Buddha all along by pretending foolish...you sly fox...lol...

Guess I'm not so sly then.

Otherwise, I would have surely gotten away with it.

Buddhahood is now transmitted to you.

Your it now. Start counting.

My turn to run away. ....

 

[Rick O'Shez]

Again as has already been made clear to you....your criticism only addresses the 'finger pointing at the moon'....not the moon... Are you saying that there is no underlying unity to the cosmos?

I think you're pointing in the wrong direction. I think you are so attached to your beliefs that you can't see the wood for the trees.

 

[Ben Dhyan]

I think you're pointing in the wrong direction. I think you are so attached to your beliefs that you can't see the wood for the trees.

I have no problem with what you think....but it won't help you realize universal mind....

 

[Rick O'Shez]

For those with an aversion to the concept God, please substitute universal mind, cosmic consciousness, or some such....

A revealing statement. Just admit that you're really a closet pantheist!

 

[Rick O'Shez]

I have no problem with what you think....but it won't help you realize universal mind....

If you've realised "universal mind" then describe it to us now.

If you haven't then admit it's just an unsubstantiated belief, a kind of wishful thinking.

 

[Ben Dhyan]

A revealing statement. Just admit that you're really a closet pantheist!

Yeah...I definitely have no problem being called a pantheist...

 

[Rick O'Shez]

Cosmic Consciousness
In addition to the fourth room*, there is said by some commentators on this subject to exist a fifth
room, corresponding to the fifth level of consciousness. It is related to that condition which R. M.
Bucke described in Cosmic Consciousness, the "prime characteristic of which" was "a
consciousness of the cosmos, that is, of the Me and order of the universe." Flashes of this state of
consciousness may be experienced by certain people for no apparent reason. They may also be
induced by psychedelics.

Right, so altered states of consciousness are possible, you can take a few mushrooms or you can experience them meditatively, eg via samadhi and jhana. Been there, done that.

But these pronouncements about "cosmic consciousness" and "fifth level" sound like pretentious baloney, exactly the kind of thing the Church of Cosmic Consciousness would preach.

Sermons at the CCC would also include a lot of unexplained jargon buzz-words and numerous references to "non-duality", probably also throw in some ideas from Scientology to further mystify the congregation. "Yeah, man, it's all beyond space and time, roll another one...."

 

[Rick O'Shez]

Yeah...I definitely have no problem being called a pantheist...

Do you agree the Buddha didn't teach pantheism?

 

[Rick O'Shez]

This has nothing to do with Buddha.......is not in the context of this thread...so what is your point in posting it?

To be fair a lot of stuff in this thread has nothing to do with Buddha, it's mostly preaching by devotees of the Church of Cosmic Consciousness.

 

[Ben Dhyan]

If you've realised "universal mind" then describe it to us now.

If you haven't then admit it's just an unsubstantiated belief, a kind of wishful thinking.

Look...it doesn't matter what you believe....but fwiw...here are the reasons why what you ask can not be provided...not only by me...but by anyone and everyone..

The universal mind is non-dual, it is realized when the mortal mind is without thought...it is the I which thinks... and without thought, there is no I to arise in the mind to be aware of the non-dual reality....universal mind...this one mind is just that...it is pure awareness....no second thing that is separate from the one mind can be one with the one mind for that would be logically impossible...

Now the very desire you have to know or experience the one mind is what prevents it from being realized in the only way possible it can ever ever be realized...through non-duality... That is...non separation from the one mind....that is why it is said that non-duality can never be understood by the 'you'....the you who seeks to still the mind,,,or the you who thinks stilling the mind is nonsense...

And look...if you find anything I've said seemingly cryptic, non understandable, illogical, etc....please go ahead and bring them to my attention and I will try and address them..

 

[crossfire]

This has nothing to do with Buddha.......is not in the context of this thread...so what is your point in posting it?

I quoted this post for context and added the smiley "" at the end of my post to denote the reason

Forget about what Buda say's, what do you think, we need to not put Buddha on a pedestal, we need to knock him off the pedestal to become who we truly are.

 

[Ben Dhyan]

To be fair a lot of stuff in this thread has nothing to do with Buddha, it's mostly preaching by devotees of the Church of Cosmic Consciousness.

What is this Church of Cosmic Consciousness...if you are making it up to confuse the debate...then you should cease forthwith as this forum is meant for sincere debate...

 

[Ben Dhyan]

I quoted this post for context and added the smiley "" at the end of my post to denote the reason

Ok...you are forgiven...

 

[crossfire]

Look...it doesn't matter what you believe....but fwiw...here are the reasons why what you ask can not be provided...not only by me...but by anyone and everyone..

The universal mind is non-dual, it is realized when the mortal mind is without thought...it is the I which thinks... and without thought, there is no I to arise in the mind to be aware of the non-dual reality....universal mind...this one mind is just that...it is pure awareness....no second thing that is separate from the one mind can be one with the one mind for that would be logically impossible...

Now the very desire you have to know or experience the one mind is what prevents it from being realized in the only way possible it can ever ever be realized...through non-duality... That is...non separation from the one mind....that is why it is said that non-duality can never be understood by the 'you'....the you who seeks to still the mind,,,or the you who thinks stilling the mind is nonsense...

And look...if you find anything I've said seemingly cryptic, non understandable, illogical, etc....please go ahead and bring them to my attention and I will try and address them..

How did Buddha explain Universal Mind, as per title of thread?