Realms of Existence

The Nature of Consciousness

Consciousness manifests in three fundamental ways: karmically creative, functional, and resultant. Karmically creative consciousness can be either wholesome or unwholesome, generating corresponding karma. Functional consciousness performs basic operations with negligible karmic impact. Understanding resultant consciousness is crucial for spiritual development.

Resultant consciousness emerges from previous decisions carrying karmic weight. This isn’t limited to major life choices but encompasses every moment of awareness where decisions occur. Consider how we learn to identify colors: once we establish what “blue” means, this karmic imprint typically persists throughout our lifetime. While often unnoticed, this resultant consciousness activates whenever we encounter “blue,” enabling instant recognition when needed.

This mechanism explains traumatic projection: once a perception of danger forms, it becomes deeply ingrained, leading to persistent inappropriate fear. The complexity lies not in trauma itself but in the meanings we attach to it. Trauma can brutalize consciousness, providing justification for developing anger and delusions.

The Life Continuum

At our core exists the life continuum, neither purely physical nor entirely conceptual. It resembles a pulsating light marking each moment of existence. This “structure” and “gate” of the mind depends on electromagnetic currents centered in the heart, arising from circulating iron in hemoglobin. Blood circulation establishes currents within nerve cells, forming the mind’s physical basis.

The life continuum consists of citta – point moments of awareness that arise, exist briefly, and cease. Each citta conditions the next, creating a continuous chain. These moments can take previous citta as objects, enabling the mind to “look back” through its experiential chain.

Types of Consciousness

These citta fall into nineteen distinct types, all resultant from the final cognitive process of our previous existence. A being’s last moment of awareness captures an object or experience that karmically encapsulates their life experience. This becomes particularly significant in:

• Near-death experiences
• Severe mental illness
• Psychological trauma
• Addiction

Consciousness Classifications

The nineteen types include:

• Nine associated with jhanic consciousness and heavenly beings
• Eight associated with human rebirth
• One associated with animal rebirth
• One associated with hell rebirth

Realms of Experience

The human-associated consciousnesses are all rooted, providing stability. These eight types are wholesome resultant consciousnesses, indicating satisfactory conclusions. They divide into:

• Four triple-rooted consciousnesses (including non-greed, non-hate, and wisdom)
• Four double-rooted consciousnesses (containing non-greed and non-hate)

Hell and Higher Realms

Hell beings manifest in two forms:

• Demons: spiritually blind, perceiving the world as hostile
• Ghosts: evolved demons struggling with shame and guilt, often developing addictions

The alchemist’s breakthrough transforms the life continuum, typically achieving triple-rooted consciousness. This doesn’t prevent unwholesome actions but ensures awareness of moral implications in every experience.

Conclusion

The quality of one’s life continuum determines their subjective experience. Lower quality consciousness fails to recognize benevolent qualities, resulting in self-focused existence. While challenging, this continuum can transform through near-death experience or spiritual training, offering hope for those experiencing hellish states.

Further Reading

Books:

• “Manual of Abhidhamma” by Narada Thera
• “Abhidhamma Studies” by Nyanaponika Thera
• “Comprehensive Manual of Abhidhamma” by Bhikkhu Bodhi

Online Resources:

• Wikipedia: “Buddhist Cosmology”
• Wikipedia: “Bhavanga”

Video Resources:

• Ajahn Punnadhammo’s YouTube Channel: “Buddhist Cosmology“
• “Understanding Selflessness & Clearlight: Buddhism 101” Understanding – Ep. 309 – Tibet House US Menla Online

The passage above is based on a chapter from “Nigredo,” the first volume in Dr. Simon Robinson’s groundbreaking series “A Course in Modern Alchemy.” This thoughtfully crafted work serves as both an introduction and deep dive into the ancient practice of alchemy, reimagined for the modern seeker.

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