Introduction
A veil represents the obscuration or concealment of deeper reality, permitting only a superficial and distorted experience. While this metaphor effectively conveys the clouding of perception, its limitation lies in what it appears to conceal – not a “higher” dimension or reality, but the function of concealment itself.
When delusion manifests this apparent division, both the veil and what it conceals are realized as illusory. Gnosis emerges through eliminating both the veil and the subject-object duality it creates. The veil itself is a perceptual illusion born from our attachment to a single perspective.
The Nature of Veils
The veil manifests through our sensory and mental experiences – what we see, feel, hear, smell, taste, and think. It forms the tantra (continuum) of our experiential reality, revealing itself in layers as one progresses along the spiritual path. Each layer distorts and conceals aspects of reality, imbuing phenomena with illusory meanings.
The Mundane Veils
The Basic Framework
For the average person without dedicated spiritual development, reality arises based on three defiled roots:
- Attachment
- Aversion
- Ignorance
The concept of self at this stage relies on a carefully edited simulacrum divided between self and shadow, with the latter projected onto convenient scapegoats.
Three Primary Veils
The Veils of Desire and Fear
Conscious phenomena arise from either greed or ill-will, becoming the primary motivating forces. This limited awareness persists until one achieves sotapanna, the first grade of enlightenment.
The Veil of Ignorance
Phenomena lacking perceived importance manifest as ignorance, functioning as both dismissal and concealment. This veil, known in Qabalistic terms as Sathariel (the concealment of God), enables selective memory that supports our cognitive prejudices.
Transcendence and Transformation
Breaking the First Veils
Transcendence begins with recognizing the illusory nature of self through penetrating:
- Emptiness
- Suffering
- Impermanence
Upon achieving sotapanna, the practitioner abandons belief in rites and rituals, developing faith in the path. While the initial breakthrough proves extraordinary, subsequent changes manifest subtly.
The Alchemical Process
The spiritual progression parallels alchemical transformation:
- Nigredo: Recognition of unrefined impurity
- Albedo: Freedom from delusional veils
- Citrinitas: Development of golden luminosity
Advanced Paths
The Lesser Vehicle
The solitary practitioner may work toward arahantship, completely eliminating cognitive self while phenomena continue to arise. The arahant achieves:
- Recognition of all phenomena as empty and illusory
- Uncontaminated action free from conceptual self
- Buddhahood in the first bardo after physical death
The Mahayana Path
The bodhisattva path differs through:
- Development of bodhicitta (universal love and compassion)
- Deliberate rebirth in realms of suffering
- Gradual elimination of afflictive and cognitive obstructions
Obstacles to Enlightenment
Afflictive Obstructions
These divide into two categories:
Intellectual Afflictive Obstructions
- Arise from mistaken self-perception
- Pertain to current lifetime experiences
- Eliminated upon reaching the Path of Seeing
Innate Afflictive Obstructions
- Transcend single lifetimes
- Represent deeper karmic conditioning
- Gradually eliminated through the ten bhumis
Cognitive Obstructions
The final barriers to full enlightenment:
- Persist after elimination of afflictive obstructions
- Dissolve through sustained non-dual awareness
- Their elimination results in complete omniscience
The Final Transformation
The journey culminates in:
- Abandonment of ordinary awareness
- Establishment in non-dual, non-cognitive awareness
- Development of unobstructed omniscience
This progression represents the complete dissolution of all veils, resulting in ultimate liberation and enlightenment.
Further reading and research
- Āvaraṇa – Encyclopaedia of Buddhism.
- Cognitive obscurations – Rigpa Wiki.
- Emotional obscurations – Rigpa Wiki.
- Kleshas (Buddhism) – Detailed exploration of afflictive emotions and mental defilements
- Pratītyasamutpāda – Advanced analysis of dependent origination and cognitive processes
- Five Hindrances – Technical examination of mental obstacles in meditation
Advanced Video Lectures
- “Why We Meditate with Tsoknyi Rinpoche & Daniel Goleman” – Deep exploration of cognitive patterns and emotional imprints
- “Longchen Rabjam (Longchenpa) – Afflictive Emotions – Dzogchen” – Advanced teachings on transforming mental afflictions
- “The Path To Wisdom: Where Philosophy, Cognitive Psychology & Buddhism Align” – Integration of Buddhist psychology with modern cognitive science
- “Vipassana, Transforming Obstacles into the Path” – Technical instruction on working with mental obstacles
The Veils: A Study of Spiritual Obscuration
This fascinating article is based on a chapter from “Rubedo,” the highly anticipated fourth instalment in Dr. Simon Robinson’s groundbreaking series “A Course in Modern Alchemy.” Currently being researched and written for publication in 2026, Rubedo represents the culmination of this transformative alchemical journey, exploring the final and most profound stage of the Great Work.
The book delves deep into the esoteric wisdom of both Eastern and Western mystical traditions, weaving together ancient alchemical symbolism with Buddhist philosophy, particularly the teachings of Dzogchen and Mahamudra. Through carefully structured chapters on topics like Dream, Mind, and The Matrix, Dr. Robinson illuminates the path to spiritual enlightenment using the metaphorical language of alchemy while grounding these concepts in modern understanding.
At its heart, Rubedo examines how we can transcend ordinary consciousness to realize our true nature through what the alchemists called “the reddening” – the final stage of spiritual transformation. The book includes detailed explorations of advanced meditation practices, philosophical insights about the nature of reality, and practical guidance for serious practitioners on the path of inner transformation.
Get Started on Your Alchemical Journey – View the Series on Amazon