Essential role of the physical world

by Marinus Jan Marijs

Several mystics, such as Plotinus, cabalist Luria, Sri Aurobindo and Teilhard de Chardin have put forward the idea that the Absolute, which transcends space and time, created relative reality by laying down inactivated ontological levels of existence (consisting of inactivated subtle particles) from the high causal level down to the psychical world, at which point the activation of the subtle energies on all levels starts from the lowest level upwards until it fully activates the high causal level. If the goal of this involutionary and evolutionary process is to develop subtle energies at the divine level (high-causal), then why is the physical world necessary? What would have happened, if the involutionary force had created a whole stratification of levels of existence without the physical world?

The proposition is that the physical world was necessary to compactify the subtle energies to such an extent, that enough momentum was generated to actually reach the high-causal level. The logic for this is to be found in a parallel evolution. An evolution that took place without a physical world. This has to do with the concept of ‘celestial beings’ that we can find in many spiritual traditions:

• In Christianity they are called angels.
• In Judaism there is the concept of mal’akh.
• In Zoroastrian theology there are the yazatas.
• In the Hindu Scriptures we find the devas, ‘the shining ones’.
• In Islam there is the concept of angels, beings created of light.
• In Buddhism we also find descriptions of Devas.

There can be said to be a lot of cross-cultural evidence relating to the existence of angels, but this whole subject is obscured by mythological thinking, symbolism and metaphysical speculation. However, most of the great mystics (including Socrates) were aware of their existence, and mentioned seeing them or communicating with them.

Generally speaking a person will become able to visually perceive subtle energy fields which are sentient and intelligent beings if one can bring one’s consciousness to high-subtle mystical level, sublevel C. Like humans, devas have several different subtle energy fields at different levels. But their subtle energy fields are larger than human ones. They have chakras in the form of what is called a Catherine-wheel which have a diameter of several meters across. See figure 57. And the energy streams leaving them are like undulating ribbons that radiate out from a central point. This is quite different from the human aura fields after death.

A few examples: Kurt Gödel, generally seen as the greatest logician of the twentieth century and by many seen as the greatest logican that ever lived, left in his papers a fourteen-point outline of his philosophical beliefs, some of which dealing with higher ontological worlds (heavens) and higher beings (angels):

Point 4: There are other worlds and rational beings of a different and higher kind
Point 5: The world in which we live is not the only one in which we shall live or have lived.     
Point 10: Materialism is false.
Point 11: The higher beings are connected to the other by analogy, not by composition

Alfred Russel Wallace was a naturalist, explorer, geographer, anthropologist and biologist. His formulation of the theory of evolution by natural selection, which predated Charles Darwin’s published contributions, is his most outstanding legacy. He wrote that life in all its varied abundance could only be explained by the actions of higher beings:

Call them spirits, angels, gods, or what you will: The name is of no importance.

If one can bring one’s consciousness to high-subtle sublevel C, one can visually perceive concentrated subtle energy fields who are sentient and intelligent beings. Like humans, devas have several different subtle energy fields at different levels. But their subtle energy fields are larger than human ones. They have chakras in the form of what is called a Catherine-wheel which has a diameter of several meters across. See figure 57 here below. The energy streams leaving the wheel are like undulating ribbons that radiate out from a central point. This is quite different from the human aura fields.

 

Some Hebrew prophets gave descriptions of the angels and of the wheel:

Ezekiel 1

13. As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps: it went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning. 14. And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning. 15. Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, with his four faces. 16. The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the color of a beryl: and they four had one likeness: and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel. 17. when they went, they went upon their four sides: and they turned not when they went. 18. As for their rings, they were so high that they were dreadful; and their rings were full of eyes round about them four. 19. And when the living creatures went, the wheels went by them: and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up. 20. Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went, thither was their spirit to go; and the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels. 21. When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those where lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. 22. And the likeness of the firmament upon the heads of the living creature was as the color of the terrible crystal, stretched forth over their heads above. 23. And under the firmament were their wings straight, the one toward the other: every one had two, which covered on this side, and everyone had two, which covered on that side, their bodies. 24. And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech, as the noise of an host: when they stood, they let down their wings. 25. And there was a voice from the firmament that was over their heads, when they stood, and had let down their wings. 26. And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it. 27. And I saw as the color of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about. 28. as the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard the voice of one that spoke.

Comments:

13: Description of the subtle energies these beings are made of. 15: The wheel is a chakra. 16: The circulating energy within this wheel/chakra looks like a liquid fire, here it is a reference to a precious stone. 18: While the chakras of humans are about 15 cm across when they are fully functioning (only the crown center can be bigger), the wheel/chakra of these beings can be several meters across. Within these wheels/chakras there are concentrated points of subtle energy like burning magnesium, much brighter than the other part of the wheel/chakra. Ezekiel calls them eyes. 20:  “The spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.” The subtle energies circulate in the chakras. 22: Streams of subtle energy. 24: The movements of the outgoing streams produce psychic sounds. 27: These subtle energies have the appearance of a bright fire. 28: These aura fields of subtle energy look like a rainbow.

Daniel 7

9. I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. 10.  A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened. Comment: 9:  Fiery flame: subtle energies are flame-like, and the wheels = chakras are made of circulating subtle energy.

Separated evolution

What is important here is that these devas represent a separated evolution which is different to that of humanity. They develop through different stages just as humans do, but they have no physical existence. The great spiritual traditions like Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism and Christianity maintain that only humans (and not devas, angels, seraphim, gods or demigods) can realize enlightenment. Christ is above all the angels, the Buddha is above all the devas and so on. Only spiritual beings who have (had) a physical body/existence can reach a high-causal bhava samadhi level.

So why can humans realize enlightenment while devas, angels and demigods cannot? The answer to this question has to do with differences in the subtle energy fields. While the subtle fields of the devas are much larger than those of humans, they are also much more diffuse. The effect of a physical body on the subtle fields enveloping it, is that these fields become highly concentrated. They are much denser than the fields of a deva. The human body with its chakra system is responsible for this condensing of subtle energy fields. This concentration of the energy fields increases human’s capacity to develop, particularly up to and including the high-causal level.

The implications are far reaching. The involutionary force which is able to connect to physical bodies will be able to reach highest level, the high-causal, the divine. By contrast, the involutionary force which was not connected with physical bodies – as is the case of the devas -in the evolutionary way upwards cannot reach beyond the high-subtle  level. The its losing its momentum.

This means that without the physical world the involutionary force would not have enough power after its evolutionary return to reach its source fully activated. And so this is why the physical world was created: without it, the divine involutionary force could not return fully energized to its source. Full collective activation of the high-causal level, encompassing permanent high-causal bhava Samadhi on an individual level, and Supramentalisation on a collective level seems to be the Ultimate destiny of humanity and the kosmos.