AWAKENING… 'EXPANSION' OR 'DISSOLUTION'!

The ‘journey’ from self to Self... enlightenment, liberation and awakening… can be experienced in terms of 'expansion' or 'dissolution'! A deeper glance makes us aware that these are not two opposing paths/processes - they work in complete tandem.

The path of expansion implies focusing on, abiding as and thus expanding Self (Universal Consciousness) - in that is a spontaneously dissolving self (personal consciousness)!

The path of dissolution implies dissolution of self (personal consciousness) - in that is a spontaneous expansion of Self (Universal Consciousness). Thus the paradox: in every dissolution is an expansion and in every expansion is dissolution!

Indeed as we increasingly move into and abide as Consciousness, these terms don’t matter, and we can understand both those who speak about it in terms of expansion or dissolution - without needing to insist on the labels t we may define our journey through… without needing to insist our path is the only right path! We can then understand both expressions and say one ‘expands’ personal consciousness/our personal energy fields - our mind - into becoming one with  Universal Consciousness/ Awareness/ Universal Mind (often the path of gyan) or say one can ‘dissolves’ personal consciousness/mind and its me-notion into becoming one with Universal Consciousness/Awareness (often the path of bhakti)....!

Of course these two paths merge at some point, and are not complete segregated paths as they may appear to be to some… indeed mind expansion/path of gyan implies expansion at the heart centre (bhakti) too… one always think of the 'heart' as separate from the 'mind'- but as there is no ‘physical mind’ -what we refer to as the mind is our energy field - thus your heart is also part of your mind & thus mind expansion implies expansion at the heart centre too! This is why gyan/mind expansion is not merely a cerebral path as often thought, but automatically encompasses bhakti and love well! This is why gyan/understanding spiritual truths/mind expansion leads to an automatic ‘change’ in heart… why we automatically become more compassionate, accepting and non-judging; why one automatically begins to feel centered, joyous and at peace; why one indeed increasingly moves into finer and purer ways of being… indeed love in all its nuances- towards self, others, and the divine- happens automatically…! Indeed Self expands and self dissolves.

Thus transcending the mind can be viewed in many (seemingly contradictory but not really so) ways: we can say it’s about stilling the mind (unto pure consciousness); or expanding the mind beyond itself (into pure consciousness); or dissolving the mind (into pure consciousness)!And yet we must not make the mind out to be some enemy. Indeed it is Pure Consciousness that creates/adopts 'the mind' to experience & express Indeed it is Pure Consciousness that creates/adopts 'the mind' to experience & express its infinite nuances. Thus, only in fulfilling its purpose to be through an 'us'... in experiencing/exploring/adding whatever pure consciousness chose through ‘our mind’….is our 'mind' effortlessly and spontaneously ready to transcend! The much maligned mind is a beautiful vehicle/tool pure consciousness creates…to explore All That It Is…somewhat like a car/bridge which enables our journey/exploration - yes after that it is automatically redundant-but was a vital part of the journey!