Topics
In our
material life we have various abilities to perform different tasks. All
of these are the abilities of the conscious mind. For example the ability to touch, to feel, to listen, to
smell, to behold, to taste, to speak, to hold, to walk, to sleep or to arise
and so on all fall under that category. Various branches of knowledge like art,
music, printing, literature, poetry, history, science and so on and so forth
are also in the same league. When someone wants to learn a skill that he or she
does not already know, the first thing they need to do is to concentrate on the
idea of learning that particular skill and then depending on their overall
enthusiasm, the hidden qualities and abilities come to the surface. Bottom line
is that to set any ability into motion the primary thing is to focus on it. No
one could acquire any skill or ability without concentrating on the idea of
acquiring that skill. Whether it is intentional or unintentional,
concentration is the basis of all learning and acquiring new skills.
This rule also applies to the awakening
of spiritual abilities. Since we are unaware of the extent of our spiritual
potential, we simply do not even attempt to focus on it. Unless someone would
try to focus on his or her inner self, their spiritual abilities would never
emerge.
We all know for a fact that unless any
work is done using the full concentration, desired results would never be
achieved. Whether it is educational, sports or spiritual, mental concentration
is the backbone of all the achievements. To learn something we need an
environment where there is least distraction. When we learn something new using
full concentration, we usually achieve the desired results. On the other hand
if the environment is full of distraction then our objective could not he
achieved, no matter great our ability to learn it.
Concentration is the name of focusing
the mind into one point so that it could be focused on a single thought or
point. Through it, the scattered forces from the depth of mind converge and
then surface. The reason why so many reflections of the soul and its unlimited
force remain dormant is because the power of mental concentration is hardly
used to activate the paranormal capabilities that exist within each of us.
Under the influence of emotions,
thoughts, and urges, the mind is constantly changing from one state to the
other. It never stays in a single state. Due to the constant influx of
thoughts, we failed to perceive the stations that are the source of our origin.
Example
Radio
stations throughout the world relay their transmission on the air through radio
waves. Each wave has its own frequency. The various radio sets receiving the
transmission are receivers, because they receive the transmission. To receive
those transmissions radio sets must be tuned to the same frequency, which is
the frequency of that radio station. It is our daily routine that whenever we
want to hear our favorite radio station, all we have to do is to adjust the
switch to the relaying station's frequency. When the receiving frequency
corresponds to the relaying frequency we start hearing our favorite station.
All radio stations relay their
programming in different frequencies. When the frequencies do not match, we do
not hear anything. In the same way if there is resistance of any kind, for
example bad weather, we do not hear the clear sound. In case of television
sound and picture are relayed together. We not only hear the sound but watch
the pictures as well in different channels.
In the same way human consciousness is
also a receiver. The information that is stored in the depth of the mind
transmits itself in various forms to the consciousness. Some information is
displayed in the form of pictures, some in the form of imagination. Others are
received in the form of thought, while some are also received as sound.
We all know for a fact that thoughts
come to our mind involuntarily. There is not a single moment in our life when
we are free of thoughts. What we do not realize is the urges for food and water
to end our hunger and thirst are also thoughts. And so are our needs for sleep
or awakening after sleep. Happiness, sadness, and other emotions are thoughts
as well. Not only thoughts and imaginations but vision, hearing, touch are
nothing but information. In fact our whole life revolves around thoughts and
when this process finally ends, it culminates in death.
Law of Inventions
When a thought goes deeper, it has a way
of manifesting itself. If life were something other than the thoughts then they
would not have affected us. However, the truth is that when happier thoughts
come to our mind, we feel serenity and peace. Scary thoughts make us fearful
and when doubts enter our mind, we become anxious. From the medical point of view, this has been recognized as well.
Diseases and disorders like ulcers, other digestive ailments, hypertension,
depression and others either are caused or get complicated by thoughts. This
is our daily observation that when we are worried or anxious, we lose our
appetite. Even a remote thought about an accident or any other disaster could
send our heart rate up. In the same way, we would not be able to go to work or
school unless the thought of going to work or school enters our conscious mind.
For instance if we wanted to build a house, the first thought that comes to our
mind is the need of the house. When this thought activates we start making
plans for it like getting the capital or loan, contact builders and so on. The
architecture itself is stored in the human mind in the form of a thought.
Therefore, when the forces of thoughts and action combine, the construction of
the house starts. The house that once existed in the form of a thought
manifests itself into a building.
The scriptures tell us that there is a
single source of all the thoughts. That source is the Point of Self (nuqta
zaat) which exists in the depths of the mind. Through this source, unlimited
information (thought) is transmitted continuously. However, the information
that is received by the conscious receiver is very limited. This information
becomes his knowledge and memory and it is this, which we call consciousness.
To receive more and detailed information we need to have higher mental
concentration. When our cognition descends into our Point of Self with full mental
focus, then little by little we encounter that information that is beyond the
scope of our ordinary senses.
The
last boundary of this transmitting information is really what consciousness is
all about. To receive more and in-depth information, we have to be acquainted
with our subconscious. Just as in the field of science, any new formula or
invention is in fact new information. Scientists and inventors spend days,
months, and sometimes years on contemplating on a point; this cognitive
activity eventually sends them into the realm of subconscious that exists
beyond the layers of consciousness. This results in the discovery or invention
of something new. Therefore, even they could not come to any conclusion unless
they venture into the subconscious.
First, the idea about an invention
enters the mind of the inventor and his mind starts to focus on it. The deeper
the mind descends into the thought, the greater the thought broadens; and the
form and figures of that thought begin to form. Eventually it manifests as the
final invention. Here we can use the invention of airplanes as an example.
First in the human mind, the very idea of flight came by simply watching the
birds. That curiosity or the desire to fly in space continued to guide man over
time. When one generation died, it gave away its conscious inheri tance to the
new generation. First, humans tried to imitate the birds by attaching wings to
their bodies, but that did not work. Nevertheless, that failure did not stop
the desire and so the process continued for centuries. Some like Leonardo Da
Vinci came very close but the end product was still far away. Little by little,
the mechanics of flight started to emerge in the mind and the concepts of air
pressure and aerodynamics were finally revealed. And as we know it, the Wright
brothers finally succeeded in making a machine that could fly and the rest is
history.
All branches of knowledge, rational or
intuitive, work the same way. That is, when the mind focuses on any given idea
or topic with all its abilities then hidden details leap into the mind. When
the cognition focuses on the outward or physical subjects, then physical
knowledge is revealed and when it descends into the inner plane then esoteric
knowledge and revelation surface.
The consciousness of a child is
different from that of an adult. At the time of the birth, the child is unaware
of his environment. His vision hardly stays on any object nor could he
comprehend the sounds around his environment. He could not speak or sense time
and space. Slowly and gradually, he learns more or less everything that is
prevalent in his environment (i.e., society). Even the way of thinking is
transferred from his environment to him. In this transfer, the child's will or
intention also plays a part. A big chunk of knowledge that he receives comes
involuntarily from the people of his environment. He learns to speak his
native language without ever receiving a formal education for that language. In
the same way, he learns the meaning and use of the objects present in his
environment. More or less a child sees, understands, and perceives the
knowledge and consciousness of his elders. By the time he reaches adulthood,
his consciousness contains roughly everything that enables him to lead the life
in the same manner or style that is prevalent in his society.
To better explain consciousness we can
use the example of a mirror. On it the lights fall and reflect, in the same way
thoughts in the form of lights shine on consciousness and based on its
knowledge and interest, it absorbs some of those while letting go of others.
The lights that the consciousness absorbs stay on the screen. Man sees and
feels them but those that cross its screen he is able to behold.
Example
If a clear, clean glass is placed in
front of you, and you are unaware of it then you would not be able to see it.
The reason is simple, the light passes through that glass, and reflection does
not occur. Since there is no reflection, eyes could not see it. You might have
seen people would walk towards those glass walls and only after they are hit
with it that they realize that it was a glass.
The
consciousness has a natural ability that when it is focused on an object, it
starts absorbing the lights from it. These lights, which were then unknown,
become declassified, as it gets hold of them. This hold or grasp is what we
call knowledge, experience, and observation etc. According to the Spiritual
branch of knowledge, the unseen realm holds an unlimited number of these
lights. In this realm of lights lie the galaxies, the species of other planets,
civilizations, and spiritual mysteries and abundance of spiritual knowledge.
When you shift your focus to your inner Self then on the screen of your
consciousness is information that starts to appear in the form of images and
your consciousness is then able to understand them as they appear. Gradually it
understands and feels them just as a
child slowly gets acquainted with his environment.
The will or intention plays a big part
in activating your spiritual or hidden senses. When you do Muraqaba with your
closed eyes, you are aware that beyond this darkness those objects do exist.
This awareness helps activate your esoteric vision. At first, you get
frustrated but with continued practice, your will or intention is set into
motion and you with your eyes closed are able to see the unseen realm just as
with open eyes you see the material world.
We all know that belief plays a major part in
achieving anything. If you do not believe that New York is a city then you would
never be able to get there. If we do not believe in Chemistry as a science, we
would not able to learn it Ever.
KHWAJA SHAMS-UD-DEEN AZEEMI
In the current information age, the very question of what Man
is, and to what extent his abilities
go, has gained prominence. Metaphysical knowledge tells us
that Man is not just a mass of muscles and bones but in fact is a living
universe or microcosm (a'lam asghar) itself. His life is primarily relying on
information. As a matter of fact his life is nothing but a collection of
thoughts and imagination. His every movement is influenced by information and
thoughts. Every human achievement is circled around the unseen world of
cognition, imagination and creative thoughts. By giving new meaning to this
idea, Man creates and invents new things out of nothing.