UNFOLDMENT OF

COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS

Bhaswat S. Chakraborty

Senior Vice President, Research & Development

Cadila Pharmaceuticals Ltd.,

Dholka – 387 910, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India

Human consciousness unfolds and shines in at least four distinct stages in its collective form – the Samashti Chetana (collective consciousness), although more than one of stages may unfold simultaneously during any given period of his life span. These four stages are Virat, Hiranygarbha, Avyakrit and Paramcaitanya. Realisation of these stages can come through Sadhana or Antarang Bhakti. When an individual begins to understand that his physical form and personality are separated from bigger consciousness, the journey of collective consciousness begins through intense meditation. The drive for seeking out the collective comes from the desire to understand the latter which is not separated from the Supreme One in essence. The initial stages of realization of the Samashti Chetana can be fraught with inner struggle, loneliness and even low self-esteem. However, if the Acarya or Guru is kind, the seeker begins to see the enlightened being in all life forms – limitless and yet covering the whole universe, the Virat. Processes other than meditation and Bhakti do not go beyond the perception of Virat. When the seeker advances a little more in his realization, he encounters the supreme creator in all his glory and opulences – the Hiranygarbha. If the seeker wishes so, at this stage he can yield tremendous social and interpersonal power. The next stage in the realization of the Samashti is the universal wisdom of Avyakrit, which can be compared with Buddha’s Nirvana, a cosmic consciousness which is free of all perturbances and contaminations. In plain language, this is the stage when a seeker matures in the knowledge of God as all pervading One as well as at the self of all (Paramatma). The supreme consciousness (Paramcaitanya) follows by the compassion and grace of the Guru.