What are the Seven Stages of Spirituality?

By George A. Boyd ©2023

Q: In your writing you speak about the seven stages of spirituality. Can you describe what those are?

A: In Mudrashram®, we track the development of the ensouling entity through seven stages:

  1. Subtle Realm
  2. Planetary Realm
  3. Transplanetary Realm
  4. Cosmic Sphere
  5. Supracosmic Sphere
  6. Aligned Transcendental Path [this is one of the Transcendental Paths among the first Transcendental Path and the fifth Transcendental Path]
  7. The Bridge Path, the remaining Transcendental Paths among the first Transcendental Path and the fifth Transcendental Path that were not opened at stage six, and the sixth and seventh Transcendental Paths.

You begin your spiritual journey with your cutting edge of spirituality at one of these seven stages. For most of humanity, their cutting edge of spirituality dwells in stage one (Subtle) or stage two (Planetary). A few, very rare individuals may have their cutting edge of spirituality in stages three through seven.

We teach people how to unfold their ensouling entity from where they are today on the Great Continuum of Consciousness through their current stage of spiritual development through each higher stage in our intermediate meditation classes, the in-person Mudrashram® Master Course in Meditation and the by-mail and online Accelerated Meditation Program. This process of progressive unfoldment culminates in the experience of the Infinite Stage (Param Moksha Desh). [As of May 18, 2023, 14 Mudrashram® students have completed their journey to the Infinite Stage, with more on the way.]

Mudrashram and Other Paths

© 2011 by George A. Boyd

Some seekers have asked us, what is the relationship of the Mudrashram lineage to other lineages? How is your path different from others?

We answer that the Mudrashram lineage exists to support the spiritual work of all other lineages that are established by the Divine purpose and the work of the Hierarchy in its Transcendental, Supracosmic, Cosmic, Transplanetary and Planetary forms. We share the common purposes of:

  1. Unfolding the ensouling entity to fulfill the Divine Purpose and to work out Adi Karma
  2. Tuning up the vehicles of consciousness, their seed atoms and nuclei of identity and to actualize spiritual and personal potentials in synchrony with the unfoldment of the ensouling entity; through this means, resolving the issues of Kriyaman Karma.
  3. Setting the spirit on the path to union with the Divine, guiding the spirit through all the stages of the path and liberating the spirit, thereby working out Sinchit Karma.
  4. Training the attentional principle to contemplate and study the vehicles of consciousness, and the Planes of the Great Continuum of Consciousness, and to learn to become an instrument of the Light through Attunement
  5. Bringing understanding of spirituality by gearing instruction to varying levels of mastery and knowledge, and giving individualized instruction to match the student’s current station on the Path
  6. Facilitating the individual’s communion with the Divine through prayer and mediation, giving guidance for the issues of life and challenges of the spiritual path, and clarifying Dharma and Soul Mission
  7. Inspiring service to humanity, encouraging individuals to use their wisdom, their abilities and gifts, and their personal resources to assist those in need.

As an Integral Mediation lineage, we emphasize it is beneficial and important to focus on what aspirants can do to develop themselves spiritually and personally in a balanced Integral way, to be of service to others, and to find a way to know and serve God in a progressively deeper way. We emphasize:

  • Doing spiritual transformation at the cutting edge of spirituality, aligning all four poles of being with each new initiatory nexus.
  • Empowering aspirants and disciples to actively transform their spiritual evolutionary potentials using bija mantras and transformational techniques.
  • Encouraging aspirants and disciples to express their gifts and abilities through the personality as service, and to continually develop new abilities and gain new knowledge.
  • Owning their human responsibilities and to discharging their duties to community, work, and family to the best of their ability, striving for excellence and improvement, seeking to embody integrity, and aiming for mastery of newly acquired skills and knowledge through continued learning and study

We diverge from other lineages, for:

  • We do not advocate that one religion or Path is the only way for everyone, for each individual has a unique karmic track back to the Divine.
  • We do not believe that transformational path work should be done outside of the cutting edge of spirituality, as this produces imbalances that disrupt the functioning of the personality, and may also alter the energetic equilibrium, which can produce kundalini syndromes.
  • We do not hold that religion or spirituality should teach hatred towards other groups, or advocate violence towards others, for the fruits of genuine spirituality are love, compassion, mercy and peace.
  • We also hold that religion or spirituality should not mystify their teachings, or entrap or enslave others, for the fruits of enlightenment are understanding, discernment and inner detachment and freedom.
  • We further believe that Religion and spirituality should not disempower others because of ethnicity, race, gender, or other criteria, because the actualization of human and spiritual gifts and abilities is every individual’s birthright.
  • We also do not believe that religion or spirituality requires special worship ceremonies, special clothing, or other extraordinary markers, because spirituality is innate to every individual, and requires only that they unite with their spiritual essence and commune with the Divine through prayer and meditation.
  • We also believe that focusing on eschatological themes such as the end of the world, the Last Judgment or other doomsday scenarios, or hoping for the Advent of all-powerful saviors is not relevant because these are themes that the individual cannot affect; but we rather point aspirants and disciples to what they can do—active spiritual development with the aim to make progress on the path.

We further hold that:

  • Each individual must follow their own Dharma, their inner sense of truth, in making spiritual and personal choices, and this choice should not be manipulated or coerced.
  • Debates and arguments about spirituality and the Nature of the Divine are non-productive, for perspectives are different and individuals identified with different spiritual essences perceive the Divine differently, and aspire towards different spiritual horizons.
  • It is important to understand the Great Continuum of Consciousness the nature of the different ensouling entities, the different domains of the spirit, the varying tracks of the Seven Rays, and the Paths of Supracosmic and Transcendental Spheres, will bring respect and tolerance between groups, allowing recognition and appreciation of their own unique contributions to out collective spiritual heritage.
  • Spirituality does not need to uproot or destroy the ego, but to redeem it to appropriately guide it, and to understand and appreciate its role as the protector and provider for the body, family and possessions; moreover, spirituality does not have to suppress the personality, but should aim instead to turn the Self and its vehicles into a tool that the ensouling entity can use for the service of others.
  • Attempts by zealous disciples convert others to the Mudrashram® way, or convince them that this is the best or highest path, or most inclusive path, is abjured for individuals must make their own decision about what is true for them, what is best for them, and what is the correct next step for them spiritually.
  • We welcome others to explore the Mudrashram® teachings, but will not coerce them to follow us.

We tell the seeker:

“We ask you to judge for yourself if these teachings resonate with you. Understand the differences between the Mudrashram way and other paths by studying the articles on our website and decide whether the Mudrashram teachings are relevant for you or not.”

“We are not here to frighten you, fool you or trick you. We will teach you Integral Meditation, which you can learn from us through the Mudrashram® Master Course in Meditation or the Accelerated Meditation Program. If this basic course speaks to you, then you can come for the advanced training we offer.”

“You can come for a first course, or you can go all the way with us…it’s all up to you.”

On Why We Give You Soul Readings in Mudrashram

By George A. Boyd © 2021

We uniquely start our intermediate meditation trainings in Mudrashram® with studies of the Great Continuum of Consciousness and your place on it? Why?

Because, your Path is unlike anyone else’s. So, we customize your meditation program to you.

We identify where you are on your inner spiritual journey through a Soul Reading, and we give you guidance appropriate to your station on the Path. As you take each new step, we give you new guidance relevant to that level. This process continues until you reach the highest stage of spiritual development.

Do you know that most spiritual groups start you meditating on their level, regardless of whether this is appropriate for you?

  • If you go to a Christian or Jewish spiritual teacher, they will focus your attention on your Moon Soul nucleus of identity.
  • If a Yogi Preceptor trains you in meditation, he or she will lift your attention into union with your Cosmic Consciousness nucleus of identity.
  • If you receive Light Immersion from a Cosmic Master, you will be led to unite your attention with the Astral Soul.
  • If you study with a Supracosmic Master, you will be taught to contemplate the Supracosmic seed atom of that teacher’s Path.
  • If you receive initiation from Sat Guru of a Transcendental Path, he or she will have you meditate on the spiritual essence of that Path.

In Mudrashram®, we start with your spiritual cutting edge, which is the aspect of your spiritual nature that is incarnate in your life, and teach you to transform it. This is unique and distinct: no other Path teaches you how to do this. This is why we say in Mudrashram®, we don’t take you to our Path; we unfold you on your Path.

If you have never meditated before, we start you with our Introduction to Meditation class. This trains you in the basic skills that you need to do the more advanced practices of our intermediate meditation classes, the in-person Mudrashram® Master Course in Meditation and the by-mail and online Accelerated Meditation Program.

Our intermediate classes are where you learn the advanced skills of transforming your Soul at the cutting edge of spirituality, awakening your spiritual heart and opening the inner channels of light and sound, and traveling in full consciousness through the Planes of Light—and much more. We give you a whole toolbox of 27 techniques to actualize your personal and spiritual potentials.

If you want to learn more, read our articles on the Open Stacks page, and in our free online Library. You can take Public Webinars that interest you.

On this website, you can also read about our classes, and the many other ways we have put into place to support you. And while you are there, take our meditation test to see which of our meditation programs is best for you!

If you have questions, or aren’t sure if this is the right program for you, schedule a complimentary spiritual discovery session with us. We’ll help you gain some clarity, so you can make a decision aligned with your values and your truth.

What is the Alaya?

Everything You Wanted to Know about Alaya but Were Afraid to Ask

By George A. Boyd © 2020

Q: Here’s another term that befuddles me: What the heck is Alaya?

A: We generally speak about Alaya as being the force that animates the cutting edge ensouling entity. There are actually three major forms:

  1. The Alaya directed to the ensouling entity – This is the brain center attunement. It gives life to the Soul. It reveals the calling of the Soul to complete its journey in that Division of the Continuum of Consciousness. It is the force that unfolds the Soul’s spiritual evolutionary potentials, which bestows initiation. It empowers the Soul to use its innate abilities, which are called the Shaktis of the Soul.
  2. The Alaya directed to the spirit – This is the spiritual heart center attunement. This activates the spirit in the domain that is contiguous with the cutting edge ensouling entity, and imbues it with Divine Love and remembrance of its Source. The Alaya expresses through a Nadamic Master that dwells in that domain to guide the spirit to reunify with the form of the Divine Beloved that dwells there.
  3. The Alaya directed to your vehicles of consciousness – This is the medulla center attunement. This circulates energy through your causal body, which revolves around your seed atoms of your vehicles of consciousness contiguous with your cutting edge ensouling entity.
    • It moves clockwise through the awakened zone of your consciousness, and allows you to carry out your personal and spiritual activities that arise from a center of integration—your ego, your Self, and your Soul.
    • It moves counter-clockwise through the layer of your unconscious mind directly behind your awakened zone of your consciousness, and brings forward your unconscious issues—these unconscious issues may be behavioral, like bad habits; emotional, like anxiety and depression; or cognitive, like obsessive or paranoid thinking—and allows you to process them.
    • The relative percentage of conscious/clockwise and unconscious/counter-clockwise energy movement varies widely between individuals. A woman with a virtuous, saintly character might demonstrate a 95% conscious/ 5% unconscious mix; whereas a man who is powerfully addicted to drugs might operate with a 15% conscious/ 85% unconscious matrix.

When the Soul is liberated in one Division of the Continuum, this brain center Alaya picks up and animates the Soul in the next Division. So for example, when you finish the development of the Soul Spark, Planetary Soul, and Monad in the first Division of the Continuum, the Alaya picks up and animates your Astral Soul in the Cosmic Sphere.

When you liberate the spirit in one domain, the spiritual heart Alaya will pick up and animate the spirit in the next domain. This occurs when, for example, you liberate the spirit upon the third Path of the Nada at the top of the Second Planetary Initiation, it animates the spirit of the fourth Path of the Nada, which begins in the Third Planetary Initiation.

When you drop a vehicle of consciousness into its origin, the vehicular Alaya will begin circulating around the next vehicle of consciousness on the next higher Plane. If you liberate your cosmic consciousness nucleus of identity and its associated vehicles of consciousness at the top of the First Cosmic Initiation, this energy will begin to work in your vehicles of the Second Cosmic Initiation, and work with the karmic stream behind those vehicles.

Q: Where does the Alaya come from?

A: The brain Alaya and the spiritual heart Alaya emanate from Satchitananda, the ensouling entity of the Seventh Transcendental Path. The rhythms of the vehicular Alaya originate from the Lords of Karma.

So when you liberate the spirit or the Soul, the energy of the Alaya returns to Satchitananda, then animates the next ensouling entity through the brain center attunement—or it may activate the spirit in the next domain through the spiritual heart attunement.

As long as you have vehicles of consciousness at your cutting edge of spirituality, this current of karmic cycling will operate within you.

Q: What happens if someone activates an ensouling entity, spirit, or nucleus of identity with its associated vehicles of consciousness outside the cutting edge of spirituality?

A: You perturb the Alayic Force.

First, you generate an imbalance that begins to create an energetic split between your cutting edge ensouling entity, its aligned spirit, and its vehicles of consciousness. You begin to partly process karma behind your vehicles of consciousness associated with your cutting edge of spirituality, and partly from behind the misaligned spiritual essence.

Second, when this imbalance reaches a certain point, you experience what we call a fulcrum shift: you fully identify with that spiritual essence that operates outside the cutting edge of spirituality, and your attention becomes fixed in this essence. You begin to primarily process karma from behind the misaligned spiritual essence; the karma behind your vehicles of consciousness associated with your cutting edge of spirituality begins to move into a state of suspension or dormancy.

When this fulcrum shift occurs, you begin to live from the misaligned spiritual essence and you may regard your native spiritual essences at the cutting edge of spirituality as unreal or illusory. You may abandon goals and desires that operate within and behind the spiritual essences and vehicles of consciousness at your cutting edge of spirituality; you instead operate on an alternate agenda.

Third, when you liberate the ensouling entity, spirit, and or vehicles of consciousness at this alternate octave of being, this energetic tributary to the native Alayic current returns to Satchitananda, and becomes refocused at the cutting edge of spirituality.

This is why the Masters of the Mudrashram® lineage may work with individuals, who have generated significant imbalances in their spiritual alignment, to liberate those higher essences, so they will be able to realign energetically with their cutting edge of spirituality. This heals the split within them.

This need for liberation of higher essences becomes most pronounced when individuals have moved their ensouling entity and spirit on a Transcendental Path way out of alignment, as the conflicting energetic harmonic that is set up makes it harder for them to function at the level of their personality.

Q: Is the Alaya the same as the Will of God?

A: The Alaya is synonymous with the core activity of the Divine Will. Those who work with a Master or Initiate may also incorporate the attunement of the transpersonal octave of will with the Divine Will, which confers discipleship. It may also include giving a spiritual service assignment to the attentional principle or the spirit under the Aegis of the Initiate who supervises the development of the Soul—we call this attunement, Dhana.

The next octave of the Divine Will aligns the personal octave of will with the Soul’s purpose. In disciples, when the Divine Will overshadows their transpersonal will, it is possible for the personality to receive the knowledge of the Divine Will through the Soul—and align personal activity to carry out that impress.

We discuss the Divine Will and its interface with the personality in greater depth in our article, “The personal octave of the Divine Will,” with is available in our Library. It is also published in our book, A Mudrashram® Reader: Understanding Integral Meditation. [We highly recommend this book to anyone who wishes to study the Mudrashram® teachings in greater depth and to understand the different types of meditations that are subsumed under the umbrella of Integral meditation.]

On the Limitations of Meditation Techniques

On the Limitations of Meditation Techniques: Getting to the Infinite Stage

By George A. Boyd © 2020

“Yes, I see you are doing that technique. But does this get you to the Infinite Stage?” [1]

Each meditation has certain effects.

  1. It focuses your attention on an object of meditation.
  2. It leads your attention to a particular band of the mind—Infraconscious [2], Conscious, Subconscious, Metaconscious, Superconscious, or unconscious.
  3. It operates within certain parameters. For example, your astral body operates from the Infraconscious to the top of the Psychic Realm. A Supracosmic Path transformational mantra will unfold the Supracosmic Seed Atom of that Path from its ground state to its origin in the seventh Supracosmic chakra along that track.
  4. It is designed for a particular objective or purpose. For example, Vipassana meditation helps you become aware of the content that is arising in the present time. Using a selected mantra will enable you to become aware of the forms of the god, Ganesha.
  5. It produces a particular outcome. It might relax you, release your stress, help you gain insight, activate one of your spiritual essences, or transform a spiritual essence through dissolving karma and moving it along its track.
  6. It elicits an emotional and energetic effect. When you do the technique, you might feel peace, ecstasy, or blessedness.
  7. It develops an aspect of your mind. You integrate this aspect of your mind, and you may express it in your life. For example, if you contemplate your Moon Soul or Christ Child nucleus of identity, using a technique like practicing the presence of God, you might become aware of your connection with the Divine and the presence of the Holy Spirit ministering to you—this would inspire you to live the holy virtues and make your every action an act of worship.
  8. It activates the latent abilities contained in the inner forms of your Superconscious mind. If you embodied the form of the Saint in the First Mesoteric Initiation, you would be empowered to send the Holy Spirit to others, plus you might demonstrate one of these additional powers that are potential abilities of this form:
    • You might be able to manifest a guide form to the attentional principle or the spirit of others on the inner Planes.
    • You may be able to channel the guidance of the Holy Spirit or speak under inspiration of Prophecy
    • You could be enabled to teach others about the principles and mysteries of your faith.
    • You could become an instrument of emotional and etheric healing.
    • You could embody one or more holy virtues, and act as an exemplar for others.
    • You might demonstrate miracles.
  9. If it is a transformational technique, it may unfold a spiritual essence along its track. Methods like transformational bija mantra, Kriya Yoga—and in the Transcendental Sphere—Nada Yoga, can unfold nuclei of identity or ensouling entities.

In our book, Religions, Cults, and Terrorism: What the Heck Are We Doing?, we have laid out the ranges of meditation techniques taught in different spiritual traditions. Each of these methods taught in these traditions accomplishes a circumscribed objective, but is unable to take you all the way to the Infinite Stage. It will open a part of the Continuum, but it won’t enable you to complete all aspects of the Great Work.

How do you get to the Infinite Stage and complete all aspects of the Great Work? Here’s how we do it in Mudrashram®:

To understand where these levels are, refer to this article.

  1. From the Subtle Realm up to the top of the Supracosmic Sphere, do the Quintessence Divine Name [the transformational mantra we give in Mudrashram®] in conjunction with opening the channels of the Nada [for the spirit that dwells in the level where your ensouling entity is] to bring about balanced spiritual development.
  2. For each Transcendental Path—Transcendental portion of the Bridge Path and T1 to T7—do shepherding of the spirit, which unfolds the ensouling entity on that Transcendental Path.
  3. Do this shepherding meditation in the Transcendental Sphere for your aligned Transcendental Path, and along the entire Bridge Path [on this level, you will open any Transcendental Path among T1 to T5 that you did not open as your aligned Transcendental Path], T6, and the remainder of T7. This will get you to the Infinite Stage.

Through this program of meditation:

  • You will progressively liberate each of your spirits in the 12 domains
  • You will liberate each ensouling entity that is not engaged in enacting your Soul Purpose, or engaged in carrying out Multiplane Mastery development on the Bridge Path, T6, or T7
  • You will remove the accretions of Adi, Sinchit, and stored Kriyaman Karma from all levels of the Superconscious mind along your developmental track
  • You will activate each of your vehicles of consciousness through which your ensouling entities operate, and thereby, actualize your full spiritual potential
  • You awaken your Illumined Mind to encompass all levels of the Superconscious mind for the entire Continuum of Consciousness
  • Those that choose the teaching Empowerment track on the Bridge Path additionally activate their Form of the Disciple [3], Mahatma [4], and Multiplane Master [5] forms.
  • You can bring this realization into your life and to touch the lives of others through teaching, doing therapy, guiding, counseling, coaching, healing, doing psychic reading, or engaging in ministry—or you may express it through artistic creativity.

Those who wish to learn how to reach the Infinite Stage can start by taking one of our intermediate classes, the in-person Mudrashram® Master Course in Meditation or the by-mail or online Accelerated Meditation Program, followed by the Mudrashram® Advanced Course in Meditation. Get on board our bus: we are departing for the Infinite Stage!


Endnotes

[1] The Infinite Stage is the origin of the Seventh Transcendental Path. It the final segment of your spiritual journey in Mudrashram®.

[2] The Infraconscious is the levels of the mind below the ground state of attention at the waking state of consciousness.

[3] This form, when activated, trains and empowers the advanced disciple to teach the Mudrashram® Master Course in Meditation.

[4] This form, when activated, trains and empowers the advanced disciple to teach the Mudrashram® Advanced Course in Meditation.

[5] This form empowers the Initiate to develop a form of universal ministry and Grace that can work with aspirants and disciples at every level of the Great Continuum of Consciousness.