THE JOURNEY OF THE SOUL --- PART TWO

The Master Yukteswar continues.....

THE ASTRAL WORLDS

There are many astral worlds teaming with astral beings. The inhabitant use astral vehicles or masses of Light, to travel from one planet to another, faster than electricity or radioactive energies.

The astral universe, made of subtle vibrations of Light and colour, is hundreds of times larger than the material cosmos. The entire physical creation hangs like a little solid basket under the huge luminous balloon of the astral sphere. Just as many material suns and stars roam in space, so there are also countless astral solar and stellar systems. The astral suns and moons are more lovely than the physical ones. The astral luminaries resemble the Aurora Borealis -- the sunny aurora being more dazzling than the mild-rayed moon aurora. The astral day and night are longer than those of Earth.

The astral universe is infinitely beautiful, clean, pure, and orderly. There are no dead planets or barren lands. The terrestrial blemishes -- weeds, bacteria, insect, snakes -- are absent. Unlike the variable climates and seasons of the Earth, the astral spheres maintain the even temperature of an astral Spring, with occasional luminous white snow and rain of multicoloured Light. Astral worlds abound in opal lakes and bright seas and rainbow rivers.

THE ORDINARY ASTRAL UNIVERSE

The ordinary astral universe -- not the subtler astral heaven of Hiranyaloka -- is peopled with millions of astral beings who have come, more or less recently, from the Earth, and also with myriads of fairies, mermaids, fishes, animals, goblins, gnomes, demigods, and spirits, all residing on different astral planets in accordance with karmic qualifications. Various spheric mansions or vibratory regions are provided for good and evil spirits.

Good spirits can travel freely, but evil spirits are confined to limiited zones. In the same way that human beings live on the surface of the Earth, worms inside the soil, fish in the water, and birds in the air, so astral beings of different grades are assigned to suitable vibratory quarters.

Among fallen dark angels, expelled from various astral worlds, friction and war take place with "lifetronic bombs" (finer electronic energies), or mental Mantric (a chanted seed-sound discharged by the mental gun of concentration), vibraratory rays. These outcasts dwell in the gloom-drenched regions of the lower astral cosmos, working out their evil karma.

SHINING AND BEAUTIFUL

In the vast realms above the dark and astral prison, all is shining and beautiful. The astral cosmos is more naturally attuned than the Earth to the divine will and plan of perfection. Every astral object is manifested primarily by the Will of God, and partially by the will-call of astral beings. They possess the power of modifying or enhancing the grace and form of anything already created by the Lord. He has given His astral children the freedom and privilege of changing or improving at will the astral cosmos.

On Earth a solid must be transformed into liquid or another form through natural or chemical processes, but astral solids are changed into astral liquids, gases, or atomic energy solely and instantly by the will of the inhabitants.


(This article/teaching is from "Autobiography of a Yogi".)

THE JOURNEY OF THE SOUL --- PART ONE

The Soul must travel through three different levels of existence, with their corresponding bodies/vessels, for the necessary experience before returning to its eternal Oneness with Creator. On all three levels of existence the Soul must clear accumulated karma before progressing to the next level. These levels to be mastered consist of the physical world, the Astral plane and the Causal level of life.

The following is a teaching given by the ascended Master, Sri Yukteswar Giri, to his, then student, Paramahansa Yogananda whom is now, himself, a great Master. Shortly after his passing over, Sri Yukteswar manifested to Yogananda to deliver the following information to be shared with humanity.

AN ASTRAL PLANET

As prophets are sent on Earth to help mankind work out their physical karma, so I have been directed by God to serve on an astral planet as a saviour. This planet is called "Hiranyaloka" or "Illumined Astral Planet". There I am aiding advanced beings to rid themselves of astral karma, and thus to attain liberation from astral rebirths.

The dwellers on Hiranyaloka are highly developed spiritually; all of them have acquired, in their last incarnation on Earth, the meditation-given power of consciously leaving their physical bodies at death. No one can enter Hiranyaloka unless he/she had experienced during their previous terrestrial life, the states of "Subikalpa" (realisation of oneness with Spirit) and "Nirbikalpa samadhi" (superior state with liberation from earthly karma).

Hiranyaloka inhabitants have already passed through the ordinary astral spheres, where nearly all beings from Earth must go at death; there they destroyed many seeds of karma connected with their past actions in astral worlds. None but advanced devotees can perform such redemptive work effectively in the astral spheres. -- (This is because most persons, enjoying the beauty of the astral world, do not see any necessity for strenuous spiritual effort.) -- Then, in order to free their Souls fully from all traces of astral karma, these aspirants were drawn by cosmic law to be reborn in new astral bodies on Hiranyaloka, the astral Sun of heaven, where I am present to help them. There are also nearly perfect beings on Hiranyaloka who have come from the superior Causal World.

THE HUMAN SOUL ENCASED

You have read in the scriptures that God encased the human Soul successively in three bodies -- the idea, or Causal body, the subtle Astral body, seat of mankind´s mental and emotional natures; and the gross material body. On Earth a man is equipped with his/her physical senses. An Astral person works through their consciousness and feelings with a body made of "lifetrons" or Prana. A Causal-bodied being remains in the blissful realm of ideas. My work is with those Astral devotees who are preparing to enter, or re-enter the Causal world.


(This article/teaching is from "Autobiography of a Yogi".)