The soul is ageless and goes through the cycle of yugas. So it must be true that all souls have gone through Satya and Treta yuga, which have higher levels of consciousness. So it might be possible for many souls to perceive God directly, and reach the stage of nirbhikalpa samadhi or higher. Why is it then that when the lower ages come, people again fall down?
—Alok Datta, India
Dear Friend,
I heard Swami Kriyananda respond to this question on various occasions. His simple answer was that there are many planets to which the soul can go if in the soul’s evolution it is not harmonious with the higher vibrations of Satya and Treta yugas. In addition, not all souls who are born into those yugas are universally as elevated in consciousness — just as in our age there are saints, and there are sadists and criminals. Thus in Satya yuga, in the midst of saints, there can be vaishyas (merchant-types) and sudras (body-bound people), though one assumes a relatively small minority.
The important teaching to consider is that as the yugas advance toward the higher ages, those who are not in tune with those ages reincarnate on darker planets. So too, as the yugas decline those of higher consciousness who perhaps weren’t completely liberated during, say Satya yuga, find themselves reincarnating on another planet of equal consciousness.
Yogananda taught that our planet Earth is mostly rajasic (energetic and infused with ego-directed activity) but other planets might be largely very dark (brutal, barbaric, cannibalistic) or very elevated. He said this even in respect to whole galaxies. ok?
Blessings to You!
Nayaswami Hriman
Seattle WA USA
www.Hrimananda.org
