Freedom from external influences

We live as human beings with all facilities and consciousness of the highest level. To use these facilities, we must not get distracted by bad influences. Consciousness must be pure without attachment to any source. With this attitude one is likely to experience Nirvana. Obstacles can come from other people, our friends and spirits. Other humans and friends will force their views, and thereby prevent your liberation. Ghosts and spirits will also be obstacles to your progress. They survive and become stronger by our attachment to them. In this process we become slaves to them.

There are three types of Buddhas: Sammasumbuddha, Pacceka Buddha and Spiritual Buddha. In our meditation, though we respect them, we should have a free consciousness to enable us to seek the path and truth by ourselves. With the freedom of our consciousness and by Anapana, Satipattana, or by Kasina meditation, we should experience the state of Nibbana. We will then survive in our free state of consciousness.

We will then follow the path of an Arahat or follow the Yogi path. The Yogi path is often referred to as that of a Boddhisattva. In the Arahat path one cleanses the consciousness to the level of Arupa. It is not an attainment. One can be an Arahat as long as one maintains the purity of Arupa consciousness.

In the Yogi path, one dwells with the consciousness of Nirvana. His achievement leads to a Buddha state of consciousness. A Buddha after death will end up with Pari Nirvana or Final Nirvana. The Arahat after death will survive in the highest Arupa state till the consciousness energy expires and ends up in the final Nirvana.

Earlier we recommended being free from external influences. Now we must free ourselves from internal or body influences. The five sense fields; from eyes, nose, mouth, ears, body must be controlled not to influence self or consciousness. This can be from meditation practices, such as Anapana, Sathipattana or Kasina. In Anapana we breathe in and out at the nose, until feeling is neutralized. In Sathipattana we can begin by concentrating on the eyes till nothing is felt.

Here we can use the break-off point in insight. Dwell on sorrow, impermanence, pitifulness and ugliness till we break off from the eye sense field. Similarly we can apply the same to the nose, mouth, ear and body. By one of the three methods we can free our bodily influences. Our merits and demerits are not registered elsewhere, but they are all in our consciousness and carried forward to our next birth.

We have as far as possible liberated self. We must now seek the ultimate in consciousness. Then now or with several attempts we will experience Nirvana (neutral state) in our consciousness. Here too we can adopt the break- off point in insight. This is different from Pari Nirvana or final Nirvana. Final Nirvana is while the consciousness is permanently free from our body.

Once we experience Nirvana while living, we can take one of the two paths. First it is the Arahat path. The other is the Yogi path. Women are not recommended to take the Yogi path. In the Arahat path we attempt to imitate the spiritual Arupa state. In the Yogi path we seek insight while in the Nirvana state. The Arahat path does not generate energy, whereas in the Yogi path there is energy from the Universal Consciousness (Nirvana).

The time taken for a wish to be effective in insight, will be an indication of the depth of success in insight. For example a Sammasambuddha will have immediate results, a Pacceka Buddha will take a little longer. Others will take longer, six to three months to be effective.

Death is the time one will be in a powerful state to direct one's next existence or get further involved in an uncertain existence (ghostly) state. Here in this state, freedom of self from the five material senses is positive, because the five sense fields are not present. But if one allows the consciousness to dwell in the past, you will be directed to lower existence.

At death if one gets a neutral feeling, without activity or attachment, then you can direct yourself beyond the present. At this time if desired and successful you can seek Nirvana and be in Pari Nirvana. In lesser achievement you will be in a Deva state, and further in Rupa state and still further in Arupa.