Human beings are immense, but they do not know themselves. In their higher, divine self, they know themselves of course, but they have to get to know themselves here, through the work of the brain, as they exist in the material world, and it is this that is so difficult.

The kitten and its tail

I am sure you have watched a kitten in the past playing with its tail: to begin with it does not know what it is, so it gets quite a shock when it bites it! But you are very like that kitten yourself: one day you discover the tip of a tail and, not knowing what it is, you give it a good bite. Then, of course, you let out a howl, because you have suddenly and painfully discovered that that tail, which seemed to have a life of its own, is a part of yourself.

A human being is scattered throughout space, but we are going to have to find ourselves one day, and our ‘tail’ is our physical body, and it is through the physical body that we have to get to know ourselves, through our material reality. This is why our lives are so complicated and difficult, because we often collide with other people or things without in the least realizing that they too are ourselves.

Everything in Creation is connected

This truth is the foundation of all ethics. If we have been told that we must not injure our neighbour, it is because, if we did so, we would be injuring ourselves. Our true being is everywhere, in everything, so that it is we ourselves who are the first to suffer if we inflict pain on others.

And the same is true for joys, of course. Morality is based on the knowledge that a human being fills the whole of creation. So now you see why you always have to take care to do good, because the first to benefit from the good you do is you yourself, the self that is present in your neighbour!

Seeking out our higher self

Initiation is the path human beings tread in order to seek out their higher self, their divine soul and persuade it to take up permanent residence in them.

Our higher self has the power to do anything. The difficulty is getting it to use that power: we have no idea how to persuade it to want what we want it to want – and therein lies our tragedy! Our higher self is up there in untold bliss, oblivious to our suffering.

The only way to arouse its interest is to let it see that you really intend to get to know it, that is, get to know yourself. Once we really make up our minds to know and unite with our higher self, it hears about it and is very happy.

One day, when your higher self and lower self have become one, the screen of your consciousness will no longer be there, or rather, everything will be one vast screen, for we cannot know everything and be everywhere with one small screen. If you are limited you have a small, limited screen, but if you know no limits any more, the whole universe becomes a screen and you are everywhere, you know everything.’

Another article on the vast subject of Consciousness, Meditation and Yoga

Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov

Izvor Book 222, Man’s Psychic Life: Elements and Structures
Chapter 13, The Higher Self

Complete Works Vol. 17, Know Thyself: Jnana Yoga – Part 1
Chapter 8, The Higher Self