Spiritual consciousness is a vast subject; it comprises the entire scope of this human consciousness we possess.
Consciousness in its essence is ever pure. It engages in all actions, both good and evil, yet remains unaffected and untarnished. A sword may cut a leaf and become stained by it, yet the sword itself is not changed. Such is consciousness. A sword that has been used to kill an innocent man is condemned as evil. A sword that has been used to destroy a wicked enemy is honored as virtuous. Similarly, when consciousness is used to do good things, it is called spiritual consciousness, and when it is used to do wrong, it is called evil consciousness.
Just as a river has a source, so the river of consciousness has a source. It descends from Cosmic Consciousness, the consciousness of God that is beyond all creation. When Cosmic Consciousness comes into the realm of matter-into each of the atoms that makes up the planets and island universes, and the different form of plant, animal, and human life- that Consciousness is called Christ Consciousness. When Christ Consciousness (Kutastha Chaitanya) descends into the soul and pure mind of man, it is called superconsciousness. When superconsciousness descends into the realm of imagination, it is called subconsciousness. When subconsciousness descends into the muscular and sensory phase of human life, it is called human or waking consciousness. When waking consciousness becomes attached to the senses and material things, it is called worldly consciousness, and when it is used to harm oneself or others, it is evil consciousness. But when it is used to do good things and to produce attunement with God, then it is called spiritual consciousness.
These are the steps by which Cosmic Consciousness makes its entry into human consciousness, descending from Spirit into the body, and into our material and spiritual desires. In this way, Cosmic Consciousness becomes material consciousness as it flows downward and outward. Our souls are like derelicts floating on this river of consciousness, going farther and farther away from their source in Spirit towards the rocks of misery. The only way to stop this evolutional floating downward in the stream of consciousness is to swim against that current, back to the source in Spirit. Those who are carried on and on with the downward flowing stream of consciousness, toward finite proclivities, are spoken of as having material consciousness; and those who are going upstream, toward the source, the Spirit, are spoken of as possessing spiritual consciousness.
From time to time, the trend of human thought and consciousness may change, being either predominantly upward toward good, or downward toward matter. The trend can be predominant in these ways in a family, in a nation, or in the world in general, as well as in an individual. For just as individual human beings go through different states of consciousness, so, collectively, do families, nations, and the world. India, in her golden age, had the highest material intelligence and spirituality. America has the highest material efficiency now, and is passing into spiritual development.
India is more advanced in the science of spirituality than any other nation on the globe. Her spiritual development is seen in her saints of Self-realization. Look at Mahatma Gandhi: this one little man is dictating to the mighty British Empire. You must know that there has to be a great spiritual power behind one who can rule millions, not by a sword, but by the word of Truth, by living Truth.
Real spiritual truth in a nation or an individual is distinguishable as scientific knowledge of life and of the art of living in attunement with cosmic laws; and as greater contact and divine communion with God as Spirit. Such spiritual development does not come from swallowing theological ideas, but from assimilating the truth behind theology. One must be able to shave the husk of dogma and theory from the kernels of truth.
Extract from the book “The Divine Romance” by Sri Sri Paramahansa Yogananda
