Antahkarana
– The Path to Eternity –
Deep within the recesses of human consciousness there exists a gap that must be bridged. It is an inner space that separates the consciousness of the personality from that of the soul, and even beyond. Located upon the mental plane, this chasm must eventually be traversed, for enlightenment demands that this be so. At its distant shore is found the land of eternity, and the bridge leading to it is called the antahkarana.
It must be realized that the antahkarana does not naturally exist. Instead, it is built through the crucible of human living, coupled with the integration of three spiritual disciplines into the fabric of one’s life—the first being that of heartfelt service. The soul is the greater heart within us. Given this, the demonstration of soulful love in one’s outer life creates the threads of inner substance needed to initially bridge the gap lying between the soul and the personality. In this way, a faint but enduring connection is established between lower and higher dimensions of human consciousness.
The construction of this interior bridge is also facilitated through study, and the development of the abstract mind. The gaping void, across which the antahkarana must be built, is located on the abstract mental plane, which is also the region where the causal body (the abode of the soul) is found. To think abstractly is to be in the neighborhood of the soul. As a result, the soul’s intuitive impressions can be mentally registered and rightly interpreted. In truth, this is one of the essential functions of the antahkarana. It acts as a communicative conduit for the soul to express its wisdom and benevolent guidance.
Perhaps most importantly, the building of the antahkarana is facilitated when an individual adopts a meditative regime in life. Through regular practice of occult meditation, s/he is able to add filaments of mental substance into this bridge. Every meditation has the potential of adding substance to the antahkarana—the result of which can be seen in a meditator’s ability to create inner alignment with the soul, and this with less and less distraction.
These three practices accelerate the evolution of consciousness by facilitating the construction of the antahkarana. Progress upon the upward way is then sure reward. Occultly understood, the antahkarana is the Path, and the outer path that we walk is merely its reflection. Herein is a notion worthy to ponder.
William Meader
