Cross the Ocean of Doubt: SUBTLE BODY
An ocean, boundless and enigmatic, has long symbolized life’s great mystery. To stand at the edge of an ocean is to face both the allure of uncharted possibilities and a fearsome unknown.
There is a line in Sikh scripture that likens the Guru (divine spirit of teacher) to a boat that carries souls across a treacherous ocean.
Like an explorer journeying into the mystery, the yogi pushes past the shoreline of familiarity without knowing what lies ahead. And the allusion of the Guru as a boat introduces the idea that we need not brave the journey alone. Whether conscious of it or not, we are always guided along our protected path of destiny – through all uncertainties, doubts and delays…
When we chant ‘Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo,’ we ask for divine guidance at the same time we ask our inner receiver to listen for the message. That receiver in us is what’s known as the subtle body. It’s the part of us that never takes birth. Rather, it represents the matrix of universal consciousness in which our soul resides. It’s always tapped into the subtle messages of our experiences, relationships, signs, etc… And it always knows the way to go.
Our 9th body is the direct line to what lies beyond the material plane of reality. Governed by the slow-moving rhythms of cosmic time, it intuitively recognizes our connection to the infinite. And just like the boat, it contains our individual spirit while simultaneously connecting it to the vast ocean of Universal spirit. It is the Guru within and all-around, continually conspiring to help us along like a loving friend.
Similar to the abiding peacefulness of the ocean’s abyss, the subtle body is also our tranquil resting place beneath the waves of life. It is the fabric of stillness in which our soul is always suspended. When life kicks up a storm, dive deeper into this meditative place. It has a regenerative mother quality and is ready to help you touch other dimensions of Knowing.
September, represented by the number 9 and marking the beginning of Fall, pulls focus to this extra-sensory aspect. It asks us to journey through the unknown to the other side of life. To transition, yet again. And it affirms that when we do so, we build in ourselves a rare quality of mastery – to know the unknown, hear the unheard, and see the unseen. This is a month to focus on how the journey itself builds the spiritual grit we need to handle the blessings that are meant for us. And to relax our grip on the destination. Allowing for delays, disruptions and unknown variables along the voyage is essential to the process of becoming. For with every step across the mysterious world ocean, we build in ourselves the virtues of trust, patience, intuition and endurance.
The subtle body asks us to move with faith in the aphorism that “everything happens for a reason.” Especially when we don’t know the reason or where the path will lead.
Let the light of your heart and the teacher within guide you forward. And may you always be a loving friend to your soul.