Continuing our investigations into Unity Consciousness (46), we found that the first initiation (i3), which leads us into objective union with our causal envelope (47:1-3), also involves experiencing buddhic consciousness (46). It is part of the process that links the first and second triads together through the building of the Antahkarana and finally joining the lower and higher mental envelopes. We will now build on the information shared in previous presentations to further explain the nature of consciousness on the buddhic/Unity (46) plane.
It is challenging to accurately describe buddhic consciousness, as words can only provide a glimpse of its true nature. The physical brain cannot fully comprehend the reality of higher consciousness. Even understanding emotional plane phenomena is difficult due to the four dimensions of the Emotional World. The buddhic world has six dimensions, making it even more challenging to grasp. A helpful diagram visually illustrates the fundamental difference between the buddhic plane and all the planes below it.
The diagram shows a number of spikes or spokes that overlap at a certain point, which marks the beginning of the buddhic plane. The tips of the spokes represent the physical consciousness of individuals, and as we move towards the centre, the emotional consciousness widens, bringing the consciousness of separate individuals closer together. This pattern continues as we move towards the higher mental consciousness, where at their highest level, they meet at the point where the buddhic consciousness begins. This illustrates how the buddhic consciousness of each individual overlaps with the consciousness of others on either side, creating a sense of union with others. For ease of constructing the diagram, the outer rings appear as a solid background. Concentrate on the black lines, not the coloured bands, until you get to the circle that represents the buddhic plane of consciousness.
As the consciousness rises further into the higher planes, the overlap with others becomes more pronounced until reaching the centre, where there is almost a complete merging of consciousness. However, each separate spoke still exists with its own individual direction and outlook. When looking out towards the lower worlds, each consciousness looks in a different direction, but when looking inward, these diverging directions meet and become one.
The sense of unity is characteristic of the buddhic plane. On this plane, all limitations begin to fall away, and the consciousness of humanity expands until it realises, not just in theory but through experience, that the consciousness of its fellow monads is included within its own. The monads feel, know, and experience with absolute sympathy everything that is in them because it is a part of themself.
On this plane, a person knows, not just through intellectual understanding but through definite experience, the fact that humanity is a brotherhood united by a spiritual unity. Although the monad remains itself and its own consciousness is its own, it has widened into perfect sympathy with the consciousness of others. The monad realises that it is truly only part of a mighty whole.
Just as a being standing in the sun, suffused with its light, and pouring it forth would feel no difference between one ray and another but would pour forth equally along any ray, a person on the buddhic plane feels brotherhood and pours themself into anyone who needs their help. The monad at this level of consciousness sees all beings as themselves and feels that all it has is theirs as much as its own, and in many cases, more theirs than itself because their need is greater and their strength is less.
The causal envelope is primarily associated with knowledge and wisdom, while the buddhic envelope is characterised by bliss and love, although wisdom is an equal partner on this plane of consciousness. The Vedantins refer to the buddhic envelope as Anandamayakosha or bliss sheath. This is similar to the “house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” mentioned by St. Paul in Christianity. Pure love and charity are emphasised as virtues that enable individuals to contribute to this glorious dwelling. Selfishness is incompatible with functioning on the buddhic plane, as this plane is defined by sympathy and a lack of selfishness.
There is a strong link between the emotional and the buddhic bodies, with the emotional envelope being in some ways a reflection of the buddhic envelope. It has often been pointed out how the Unity World (46) sits over the Emotional World (48) in our diagram of the triad. In reality, each lower world sits inside the higher, like a Russian Doll. Yet, there still is a particular affinity of plane 46 for plane 48, and this has been represented in diagrams such as this. However, it’s important to note that a person cannot transition directly from emotional consciousness to buddhic consciousness without developing the intervening vehicles. Mystics do, however, get a glimpse of this world in their ecstatic trances, and this has led to the misconceptions about dissolving into nothingness. Those mystics did not have the spiritual architecture at the time to understand the significance of their perceptions. Maybe the diagram would have helped.
On the highest levels of the buddhic plane, a person becomes united with all others, but it doesn’t mean that they feel the same way towards everyone. It’s natural for individuals to have different feelings towards different people. Even great spiritual leaders like Lord Buddha and Christ had their favourite disciples, showing that personal connections still exist.
On the buddhic plane, there is no separation, but consciousnesses may not merge instantly at the lowest level. Instead, they gradually expand until reaching the highest level, where a person becomes consciously united with humanity. This complete unity belongs to the atmic plane (45). It is World 45 that Theosophists designated as the nirvanic world. This makes sense when we consider back to the discussion we had on the triplicity of the atmic plane, encompassing all the worlds below it. Those who reach this level of consciousness may feel like they have absorbed or included all others. They perceive that everyone is part of a greater Consciousness and have realised the ancient idea: “Thou art That.”
It is important to remember that while buddhic consciousness connects a person with all that is glorious and wonderful in others, including with the Masters themselves, it also inevitably brings harmony with the vicious and the criminal. One must experience their feelings as well as the glory and splendour of the higher life. When separateness is abandoned and unity is realised, a person finds themselves merged in the Divine Life and discovers that the attitude of love is the only one that can be adopted towards any fellow human being, whether they are high or low. It still must be discouraging to have so many cancerous tumours inside the body of Humanity as a whole. I guess this is what motivates these sublime beings to help us heal and progress because, in doing so, they are healing themselves.
A soul, while residing in the causal envelope, already recognises the Divine Consciousness in all. When a soul looks upon another soul, their consciousness leaps up to acknowledge the Divine in them. But on the buddhic plane, it no longer leaps to greet from without, as it is already enshrined in the heart. It is that consciousness, and it is theirs. There is no longer the “you” and the “I”, for both are one—facets of something that transcends and yet includes them both. Not only do we understand another person, but we feel ourselves acting through them, and we appreciate their motives as our motives, even though, as mentioned in the preceding presentations, we might perfectly understand that another part of ourselves, possessing more knowledge or a different viewpoint, might act quite differently. The sense of personal ownership in qualities and ideas is entirely lost because we see that these things are truly common to all, as they are part of the great reality that lies equally behind all. If you understand this principle, you then realise that there is no such thing as original thought, especially for us on the first triad. The concepts that eventually filter down to us all have their genesis in Unity Consciousness.
Personal pride in individual development becomes impossible as we realise that personal growth is like the growth of one leaf among thousands on a tree. The crucial factor is not the size or shape of the leaf but its relation to the entire tree. We can only truly predict permanent growth for the tree as a whole. We no longer blame others for being different from us; instead, we see them as other manifestations of our own activity. Even an evil person is seen as a weak part of ourselves, so our aim is not to blame but to help by strengthening that weak part. This way, the whole envelope of humanity can be vigorous and healthy.
When a person reaches the buddhic plane, they can gain the experience of others. This means that not every individual soul needs to go through every experience separately. If someone doesn’t want to feel another’s suffering, they could withdraw, but they would choose to feel it because they want to help. They encompass in their own consciousness someone who is suffering, which can, to some extent, lessen the sufferer’s pain, even though the sufferer would be unaware of this enfoldment.
We will finish off our look at the buddhic/Unity plane (46) in the following presentation.