MAHAYANA SUTRA

The sixth lecture
"The Attainment and the Perfection of Astral Yoga"


The astral world - the world of frosted glass

Today is the explanation for the Astral Yoga. Let's begin. Astral Yoga is completely different from the expelience of detaching from physical body which you often experience. In general, one's consciousness detach from ones physical body and watch various phenomena. On the contrary, one goes to the Astral world by transferring ones consciousness to the body called "the body of reward" in Astral Yoga. And he can actually experience things rather than just to watch them.

The body of reward usually exists in the Vishudda Chakra at human throat. It is made of the subtle material. It feels like, let's see, something like frosted glass. And the Astral world also feels like the world made of the frosted glass.

There are six worlds in the Astral world. It has six faults(levels). And the light gets stronger as the world goes higher.

The body of reward can freely goes through the faults. It can freely transport within the space.

Exchanging information - eradication of karma

What do one do in this Astral world? In a word, it is the exchange of information. Let's say that he has the bad karma of homocide in his past life. This karma can be seen as a vision by being projected in the Astral world from the Causal world.

If the person were to die with this karma remained in the Astral world, he will be injured and have to suffer in the level of the body of reward. So he should erase the thing which is projected. By the way, I have already told you that the karma in this life should be eradicated by the analysis in Jnana Yoga. So Astral Yoga is to eradicate the karma in the Astral world as they do in Jnana Yoga in this world.

The problem is how we can eradicate it. For example, if one saw the vision of homocide, he immediately erase the vision of homocide by returing to the original state using his will power. After that, he inputs the information, "Homocide didn't occur". Then the information of homocide disappears and the karma also disap pears. The vision can be changed with the help of will power because this is the world of subconsciousness and will.

And everything is illusion. What you had done as well as what you haven't done; they are all illusion. Even karma is illusion. That is why the information in the Astral world can easily be changed with the will power in Astral Yoga.

The body of reward flies through the astral world

The Astral world is the world for the body of reward, but the body of reward and this physical body are not the only bodies we have. We also have bodies such as "the body of manifestation", "the body of Dharma", "the body of essence", and "the body of Vajra".

Through out all these bodies, this physical body is made of rough material. The body of manifestation and the body of reward are made of subtle material. And the body of Dharma and the body of essence is made of nothing but consciousness. You can consider the body of Vajra as "true self".

The body of manifestation exists at our manipura Chakra. we can go to lower Astral world by transferring our consciousness to this. On the other hand, the body of reward can take us to the high Astral world.

The body of Dharma exists in our Anahata Chakra (brest), and the body of essence in our Ajna Chakra. The former goes to the middle and teh lower Causal world, and the latter goes to the higher Causal world.

How many bodies can one use depends on one's spiritual level. One can use all of them when he goes to the process of "Causal Yoga" which comes next.

If one obtained the body of reward and became able to enter the Astral world, he is the man who deserves oblation. I am not sure whether I can call him "man" or not, because this person has no desire at all. No sexual desire, no appetite. Anger occurs according to condition, but can be eradicated immeidately. No pride, no desire for position, authority, or honor.

However, this person who obtains the body of reward has only one attachment. It is the attachment toward "salvation". The body of reward moves rapidly. Almost all bodies of reward wear hat. You can consider this hat as the symbol of Sahasrara Chakra. The body of reward is very cute.

As far as I know, there is no book which tells about the world of body of reward, or the Astral world. I myself shall write about it in the future.

When we look at the Causal world from the Astral world, we can see the bright light coming. You will feel, "How great it is!".

However, when you go into that world, to our surprise it is the world of darkness. The higher you go, the brighter it can be in the Causal world as it was in the Astral world. So the lowest Causal world is the dark world. I shall tell you about the Causal world tomorrow when I tell you about Causal Yoga.

How to distinguish your level

Haven't you ever had such question? In which level of Yoga shall I practice? Is it Raja Yoga? Is it Kundalini Yoga? Is it Jnana Yoga? or....

Or can you define whether you should practice Hinayana or Mahayana. Let me tell you the simple way to define.

First of all, let's define Hinayana and Mahayana. Those who overestimates ones own talent - Hinayana. Those who is sensitive in the suffering of oneself and not dull in other's suffering - such people are also Hinayana.

On the contrary, those who can praise the wonderful parts of others - Mahayana. Those who is dull in one's own suffering - such people are also Mahayana.

Let me go on to the process of Yoga. Those who thinks that one can live with the power of will, rather than to think of the importance of merit or truth - such people are the ones who used todo spiritual practice of Raja Yoga for some extent in their past lives.

Those who find pleasure in devoting oneself to senior or elder people, and always supporting them as assistant - such people are good at Kundalini Yoga.

Those who solve everything logically, and can observe things equally without so much attachments - such people are good at Jnana Yoga.

Those wo can not use one's ability but can make the best use of his ability if it is for others, in other words, those who can sacrifice oneself to others - such people are good at Mahayana Yoga.

And those who are loved by everyone, or those who have a lot of people who can say, "I can die for him." - such people has a condition for Astral Yoga.

It is difficult to say about the Causal Yoga which comes next, because it belong to the secret teaching. So please come to me personally if you are interested in it.

Any way, these are the conditions in principle. You don't have to feel sad even if the result was lower than you have expected. Things can be changed if you keep doing your spiritual practice checking your stage. Your stage of Yoga are sure to go higher.

The possibility for the future exists within you.