The main two states of mind
A normal human being knows only the normal state of mind and has no idea about the special state of mind of an enlightened human being. For a better understanding of this topic I want to compare these two states by using a picture which allows some good degree of comprehension.
In fact the normal mind of a normal human is comparable with experiencing life in a city. The enlightened mind is completely different and comparable with sitting on the top of a mountain. A master is able to take part in both states, – in fact he is able to combine both at once. So when a master is in the city, he is mentally still on the top of the mountain.
Imagine a village near a mountain.
Now imagine to walk through this village. While walking through the village you permanently see houses, countless people, hear people talking, etc. Indeed you get thousands of impressions which are running through your mind and your sight is very limited by the facades of the houses. Your way is also limited by having to take the paths and streets in the village. The village is very busy and crowded and you feel this reflected inside of you. Somehow it seems very hard to get to rest in this busy village with all these impressions and sounds, with all these people running around.
The village is like the normal mind – always busy, always crowded with thoughts, impressions and very limited in its ways of thinking and perceiving.
Now imagine to leave the village. You have heard about the mountain and somehow you feel driven to climb the mountain. So you take this rocky path. It is a very demanding, exhausting way but with each step you get higher, you enjoy more and more the unfolding beauty of the unlimited view of the landscape below. After a long time you finally reach the top of the mountain and you sit down on a stone to enjoy the great view, the limitless view. You enjoy the silence, the unity, the purity which is typical for this special place. You are alone, one, there is nothing to hear and you can look down on the village where you have spent your whole life. It looks so different from above. Now you have a total comprehension of your village. You can see the center of the village with the market place, the major´s house, the church. You can see the smaller and the bigger houses, the streets and the ways which lead to the village coming from other cities. Now everything appears in one complete picture and you really understand the nature of the village.
When you look around yourself then you see only the blue sky and a few clouds. You experience the great silence, eternity, unity, peace, there is nothing but you, nothing but silence, everything is in a perfect state of peace. It is the enlightened state of consciousness where nothing matters, where all is clear, where everything is perfect, where unity rules, where life unfolds from. It is nothing but contains everything at the same time. Nirvana, Akasha, the great silence, the pure spirit. It is so peaceful. You enjoy it. And now that you have received enlightenment you go down again to tell the people in your village about the mountain and your experiences. And as you arrive in the village you face again all these crowded streets, all the facades of the houses, all these sounds, all this noise but you stay untouched as you have still the state of mind which you had on the mountain top. Something fundamental has changed in yourself. You have established a strong and lasting connection to this inner peace and silence. Eternity has become a part of your nature even if you stay down in the village with all its impressions and limitations.
In fact the experience of enlightenment is changing your nature and your perception of the world. Certainly you still can see everything from the limited point of view of the human nature but you are rooted in eternity and this provides a second, holistic, absolute point of view with a deep comprehension of the created, limited world.
I hope this picture, this comparison helps you to understand what is waiting for you, what you can expect. A second comparison which is useful is to think of normal humans as young children and of enlightened masters as grown-ups. This fits also very well the facts. A grown-up has a different, more comprehensive point of view than a child with its limited understanding and perception. A grown-up acts in a responsible way, knowing about the fruits of his actions. A child has no real idea about the effects of its behavior.
So indeed we climb the mountain, escaping the limited village, enjoying the freedom of nature and we grow up to become responsible adults in creation.
It is our foreseen evolution, – nothing to fear but something to welcome when the time is right.
We evolve from spirit and we return to spirit. From perfection to perfection.