Taj Mahal sunrise, India

Moving from consciousness to superconsciousness-
When someone begins to study in the divine school of the Brotherhood, they gradually move out of the limited field of a purely sensorial and physical consciousness, to the higher regions of superconsciousness. And this immense region of superconsciousness has thousands of different levels through which they must travel, until they feel that they really are an inhabitant of the sun, that they already dwell in the sun. That entity, that subtle being that is part of ourselves and that dwells in the sun, is our higher self.

It is evident that our higher self does not live in our physical body. No, it comes to visit us from time to time, manifesting itself to us through a brief contact with our brain. But our brain is incapable of sustaining the intensity of its vibrations; so the higher self goes away again.

When our brain is ready our higher self will abide within us permanently
But our higher self is working to prepare the brain, and when it is ready and fit to be its dwelling place, it will abide within us permanently. Our higher self is none other than God himself; a part of God. This is why we can truthfully say that in the higher regions of our being we are God, for nothing exists apart from God. God manifests himself through creation and creatures, and this means that we are a tiny part of him; we have no existence apart from God.

Maya – The Illusion – is that we are separate entities
The only real illusion is to believe that we are separate entities. When the sages of India speak of maya, illusion, they are not referring to the material world. The material world is not an illusion, it is our lower self that is the illusion, because it gives us the impression that we exist as separate entities, independently of the Deity. The world is a reality. Matter too is a reality, and even lies, even hell are reality. The only illusion, I repeat, comes from our lower self which constantly urges us to see ourselves as separate beings. As long as we remain on too low a level, on the level of our lower self, we shall continue to live in error and illusion.

Thousands of people have already achieved this state of consciousness, so why shouldn’t you? It is very simple and very easy, but it cannot be done if you cling to this notion of separateness, if you continue to think of yourselves as entirely extraneous and foreign to others, if you think that others are not you, and that you can cheat or injure or harm them with impunity.

Without this understanding, human beings could spend thousands of years struggling
When you injure others you are unwittingly injuring yourself too, for you are a part of them. But this is something that you cannot yet understand. One day, when you begin to come closer to your higher self, who is present not only in the sun but also in the other planets, in the earth, trees, oceans and mountains, and in every other being. Then you will feel that the suffering you inflict on others is your own suffering; when you hurt them it is you, yourself who feel the hurt; in inflicting pain on others you are inflicting it on yourself.

The sun can be the most enormous help in bridging the gulf that separates us from our higher self. Without this help, human beings might well spend thousands of years more sunk in the philosophy of separateness and never find the fulfilment they seek. The time has come to adopt the philosophy of universal unity, the point of view which enables us to feel that we are one with the Creator and with all the entities of light, angels, archangels and divinities.

To be continued…

Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov

Extract from a lecture contained in
Complete Works Volume 10, The Splendour of Tiphareth
Chapter 3, Our Higher Self Dwells in the Sun