WISDOM

Posted on October 19, 2025 by DonBothell

STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN VIII

VIJNANAMAYA KOSHA (Wisdom Body)

The sheath of knowing, the Vijanamaya Kosha is often called the ‘Wisdom Body’. This is the knowledge inherent to the universe’s multitude of functional relationships that balance and order existence from the structure of subatomic particles to the spin of the cosmos.This is knowing beyond the information of the senses.

This is the paradox of seeing what is in the illusion. The ego (intellect) forms structure from experience, but at some point perceives the structure as only that, a construct. Here is understanding on the highest level, unfiltered intuition. Here we have the deepest insights, as we experience the moment. The Vijnanamaya Kosha is insight, integration and wholeness.

LAMENTATION OF A PSYCHIC WARRIOR

Posted on October 17, 2025 by DonBothell

a poem by Don Bothell

How many times has dread filled me; from early battles did I shy?

Shame, soon realized, the most painful death.

When did I square my stance — run over me —

I won’t leave the field.

Soul cast a warrior… warrior my caste.

Over again. Broken body.

Having stood once more in the light of the vision.

Souls thrown from heaven:

Some roll priest, some roll servant, some roll sage, some roll

king.

From the many lots — my way the warrior.

Confrontation my teacher… teach again.

You’ve stood beside me and faced obliteration.

Together we sing the song of sacrifice.

Taken the high ground and not been able to hold it.

May the blade be swift, drawing this dream to an end.

To awaken again, carrying the standard forward .

Knowing no fear — our cause advancing

Caste, warrior… love to defend!

PYRRHIC WARRIOR

BLISS

Posted on October 13, 2025 by DonBothell

STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN IX

ANANDAMAYA KOSHA (Bliss Body)

The Self in the Sheath of Bliss (in Sanskrit, the Anandamaya Kosha), surrounds the absolute self. Absolute truth, a point, is never changing. It and the bliss are forever and always protected on all sides. The Self is the truth, and truth is never changing. Everything else is always in a state of flux, always changing.

The self realizes all else is illusion. The Self can be compared to a movie screen. While the film is playing, all sorts of action is going on, but when the movie is finished, the screen is exactly like it was before, untouched by what appeared to be taking place.

Bliss just is. It is not of the mind, but the peace, love and joy that is this level of reality.

courtesy The Flower of Sacred Geometry

Even this can be released to be pure self, in Sanskrit, ‘Atman’. The Anandamaya Kosha is still a sheath covering the Atman. It’s as if the true self is a light and the kosha a lampshade covering it. Even though the Anandamaya Kosha is the subtlest of koshas, it still suppresses the full magnitude of the light. One is reminded of the Biblical admonishment to take your light from beneath the bushel basket.

CAUSAL BEING

Posted on October 11, 2025 by DonBothell

We cannot perceive those beings spiritually advanced beyond us; Causal Being? But knowing nature’s tendency to repeat herself, can we draw broad assumptions? This human ‘father face’ we assign to the Higher Powers is but spiritual shorthand. Mere children spiritually, we use comfortable symbols to express what we intuit. What we consider God, these entities advanced compared to us, are they evolving too? What higher forms constitute their gods? Given what we can see in our small universe, wouldn’t that seem to be the case? One octave flows into another and that into yet another, energy evolving in perpetuity. Creation — ever changing, ever growing, in a joyful dance to the Absolute.

Weight Loss Through Yoga, Jewel in the Lotus page158

SEVENTH CHAKRA — CROWN CHAKRA

Posted on October 9, 2025 by DonBothell

ESSENCE OF BEING

Awareness floats up to the crown chakra. A yarmulke of ultra-violet is over the skull. Here the illusion of the individual self is dissolved. One is their own real true self, at one with the cosmic principles within the body that govern the entire universe. This is the essence of being, a reflection of the cosmic absolute where it is possible to realize the divine.

With grace, awareness floats above the head into the super conscious, the domain of existence beyond our physical plane. Being is now released from familiar foregone dimensions. Being, the quintessence of infinity, shimmers, a thousand-petal lotus with a radiance of such a pure white that all the colors of the spectrum glisten within its brilliance.