The higher worlds²

Cambridge, I bow to your aspiration-height. I bow to your I knowledge-light. I bow to your divine pride. True, you are of England; you are in England, but you are of the world at large. The entire world claims you as its very own.

There are seven higher worlds and seven lower worlds. The higher worlds are: Bhur, Bhuvar, Swar, Jana, Mahar, Tapas and Satya. One of the Upanishads names seven higher regions. These are: Agniloka, Vayuloka, Varunaloka, Adityaloka, Indraloka, Prajapatiloka and Brahmaloka. Certain spiritual figures are of the opinion that the first-mentioned group of the worlds corresponds to the second. Others, equally qualified, strongly object to this belief. Strangely enough, all, without exception, agree that the worlds Satya and Brahmaloka are one and the same.

We can enter into these worlds on the strength of our aspiration and receptivity. When we have aspiration, these worlds can never remain a far cry. Aspiration — what do we mean by this term? The inner cry, the mounting flame within us. Aspiration is reality’s constant necessity. Receptivity — how can we have receptivity? We can have receptivity if we grow into purity and sincerity. When sincerity and purity loom large and important in our earthly existence, we can easily have receptivity.

A sincere seeker needs aspiration and receptivity. Without aspiration, he is rootless. And without receptivity, he is fruitless.

The higher worlds. Each individual seeker has the divine right to enter into the higher worlds. His aspiration can easily guide him and lead him to God’s Throne. To enter into high, higher, highest world, what we need is inner cry. We cry for name and fame. If we inwardly cry for abundant peace, light and bliss, here on earth, then our entire being can be flooded with peace, light and bliss. These higher worlds are within us and not without. When we concentrate, when we meditate, when we contemplate, we enter into these higher worlds. When we concentrate dynamically, we near the Door of these higher worlds. When we meditate soulfully, we enter into the Room divine. When we contemplate unreservedly and unconditionally, we reach God’s Throne.

Since we aspire to enter into the higher worlds, we pray to the cosmic gods. We feel that the cosmic gods will come to our aid. They will help us enter into the higher worlds.

Here at this point, I would like to invoke the soul of Marcus Aurelius, “Either the gods have the power to assist us, or they have not. If they have not, what does praying to them signify? If they have, why do you not rather pray that they would remove your desires than satisfy them and rather set you above fear than keep away the thing you are afraid of?”

Now if we want to enter into the higher worlds with a view to fulfilling our desires, then we can never enter into the higher worlds. We can enter into the higher worlds just because it is the Will of our Inner Pilot, the Lord Supreme. When we go deep within, when we meditate for a couple of hours, if it is most soulful and if the meditation is unconditional at the same time, then we envision the higher worlds. No sincere seeker of the highest Truth, ultimate Truth, will be denied the higher worlds.

Porphyry throws further light on the matter: "We must ask of God only such gifts as are we worthy of God, — that is to say such things as we cannot obtain from any except God."

In order to enter into the higher worlds what we need is sincerity, what we need is purity, what we need is peace, what we need is delight.

Sincerity
Inner beauty's other name is sincerity.

Purity
The name of God’s first child is purity.

Peace
Peace is unity's sovereignty and multiplicity’s divinity.

Delight
Delight is the name of God's permanent Home.

There are two things we observe in our day to day life — human and divine. In everything we do, say or grow into we see either the divine or the human.

The human world and the divine world. A clever man is he who knows how to deal with his outer world. He does not want to be deceived by the world, mankind but unconsciously or consciously he deceives the world, the world of ignorance. A wise man is he who knows all about the inner world, the higher worlds. He does not deceive anybody. He wants to conquer the outer world, the world of ignorance. But his is not the conquest of Caesar — “I came, I saw, I conquered — Veni, vidi, vici.” Far from it. When a wise man wants to conquer ignorance, he does so only because his inner being compels him to transform the face of the world. He does not take pride in conquering the world. No. He feels the very breath of ignorance and then he feels that this is his bounden duty to transform ignorance into knowledge, darkness into light, death into immortality.

There are two ways to enter into the higher worlds — one is the way of knowledge, The other is the way of devotion. Knowledge — I am the knowledge, I am the known, I am the knower. The other way — I am devotion, I am dedication and I am salvation. Knowledge enlarges itself, expands itself into infinity. Devotion identifies itself with the absolute Truth. On the strength of its identification, devotion grows into infinity.

A sincere seeker of the ultimate Truth can either follow the path of knowledge or of devotion. But at the end of the journey's close, the seekers who follow the path of knowledge and the seekers who follow the path of devotion will meet together and shake hands, because they have reached the self-same Goal. We live either in the world of human thought or in the world of divine Will. Human thought slows down and dies out. But the divine Will constantly grows and swiftly flows.

Similarly human power is born of futility. Divine power is born of reality.

Finally, we observe our love — human love and divine love. Human love is an express train. Destination: frustration. Divine love is a local train. Destination: Illumination. Human physical love is slow poison. Divine love is the running stream and unceasing source of nectar. Human love can be transcended. Divine love can be manifested. Human love is fruitless expectation. Divine love is fulfilled perfection.

Unconditional love God is.
Unreserved devotion man needs.
Mutual surrender God and man offer.

When the power of love replaces the love of power, man will have a new name: God.

The Golden Hour, God’s Hour is dawning fast. Let us offer our heart’s aspiration to the lofty realisation of the seers of the hoary past: “Anandadvaiva…”

"From Delight we came into existence. In Delight we grow. At the end of our journey’s close, into Delight we retire."