Deciphering Two of the Great Plato’s Myths

Rafael – The School of Athens: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

Plato was a great initiate in the ancient Eleusinian Greek mysteries, who translated them into the language of philosophy, metaphysics, ethics, aesthetics and epistemology. In other words, he took the living archetypes of the mysteries and, while keeping something of their essence, presented them transformed into high intellectual concepts. It is not surprising then,

that he compared the life of human beings to life at the bottom of a cave where the dazzling light of the higher world of Divine ideas appears only as shadows.

Interesting example of this picture we find in the Hindu tradition, describing the vertical structure of the Universe as three worlds hierarchically placed one above the other: the material cosmos (our physical universe), the astral cosmos (consisting of various spiritual worlds) and the causal cosmos (the highest Divine world embracing the whole of Creation). The life of humankind in the material cosmos is life in at the bottom of the cave, life in Maya, in illusion. Sri Yogananda, in his most inspiring book Autobiography of a Yogi, gives a clear description of this three-fold hierarchical structure of the Universe, which was revealed to him by his beloved Master Sri Yukteswar. Below I will quote his description of the astral and the causal cosmos, which in essence corresponds to ascending from the bottom of the cave:

The astral universe, made of various subtle vibrations of light and

colour, is hundreds of times larger than the material cosmos. The

entire physical creation hangs like a little solid basket under the

huge luminous balloon of the astral sphere. Just as many

physical suns and stars roam in space, so there are also countless

astral solar and stellar systems. Their planets have astral suns

and moons, more beautiful than the physical ones. (Paramahansa

Yogananda, Autobiography of a Yogi, revised edition 1987, Rider,

London, p. 478)

The causal world is indescribably subtle . . . In order to

understand it, one would have to possess such tremendous

powers of concentration that he could close his eyes and visualise

the astral cosmos and the physical cosmos in all their vastness -

the luminous balloon with the solid basket - as existing in ideas

only. If by this superhuman concentration one succeeded in

converting or resolving the two cosmoses with all their complexities

into sheer ideas, he would then reach the causal world and stand

on the borderline of fusion between mind and matter. There one

perceives all created things - solids, liquids, gases, electricity,

energy, all beings, gods, men, animals, plants, bacteria - as

forms of consciousness, just as a man can close his eyes and

realise that he exists, even though his body is invisible to his

physical eyes and is present only as an idea. (Ibid., p. 488.)

In essence, the Eight-fold Path of Yoga, as the Paths in all world religions offer an ascent from the earthly life, from the bottom of the cave, to the higher Divine World.

Life at the Bottom of the Cave

The deep understanding of Plato’s myth came in connection with the Three-fold structure of Creation. We have to ascend from the restricted material consciousness (the bottom of the cave), firstly to the celestial worlds woven by spiritual light, love, music, harmony, archetypal thoughtforms, and then to reach the highest Divine world in the mind of God – the supreme cosmic intelligence, the Universal Spirit, the absolute origin of Creation. This according to Plato is the dazzling world of the pure creative Divine Ideas.

In time I realised that the ascent from the bottom of the cave to the World of Divine Ideas is an ascent to the top of the mythological Sacred Mountain and entry into the reality of the New Heaven and the New Earth. For this purpose the people have to open their seven spiritual centres (chakras), to gain a living experience of the supramundane worlds related to the chakras and to realise that they are micro-models of the Universe. This is like a great spiritual ascent, from the base camps (the Divine valley) through five intermediary camps (corresponding to the opening of the chakras) up to the top of the Sacred Mountain. When someone reaches the top they are initiated into the deepest esoteric mysteries of a particular

world religion and become able to communicate directly with God and the founder of the religion (becoming an initiate, a holy person, saint or apostle). So, the task then is to climb the Sacred Mountain, to link with the Divine Masters and the Personifications of the Divine Mother and to receive their initiations. And of course, for this purpose the sacred mountain Rila was one of the best places in the world.

The Search for the Soul Mate

Another great myth in Plato’s philosophy is the Search for the Soul Mate. According to Plato the human being is in eternal search for his or her unique soul mate. In his Symposium it is written: The original human nature was not as they are now, but originally three in number; there was man, woman, and the union of the two.

This myth reflects one of the main tasks of our incarnation on Earth. The dream for an ideal partnership is deeply inscribed in every one of us. It is not only a life-desire, but it is connected with the process of selfrealisation, liberation and merging together in God.

The key to this quest is to find the partner with whom we could work for the development of our three perfect bodies – physical, celestial and universal. For this purpose, the soul mates have to work together for the opening of the seven chakras and to build together seven Temples of life.

In general, it is not easy for anyone to achieve complete self-realisation on Earth. To find the soul mate and to achieve self-realisation together, through love and co-creation, is even more difficult. This is why Plato speaks about the Soul Mate who is the only One with whom we could achieve Enlightenment and the One we search for incarnation after incarnation.

The process of self-realisation together with the Beloved is a great existential dream. Nevertheless, even to understand the richness and the scale of this process and to try to make this dream a reality is a wonderful achievement. I am very grateful to the Lord and to the Divine Mother that They provided me with this understanding and allowed me to have some spiritual and mystical experience of this dream.

The deciphering of this myth is a vast and emotional theme. One could write many books about the mystery of love and the relationship between Soul Mates. It is not by chance then that some of the most inspiring pieces of Art (books, poems, music, paintings, etc.) are consecrated to this eternal theme. Here I would like only to mention some keys for the realisation of this fundamental myth.

In order to open the seven chakras the human being has to embark on the great journey of the soul. This is the purpose of human incarnation on Earth and all spiritual traditions, in one or another way, trace the steps of this great journey. When the human being opens the chakras he or she restores the Axis Mundi of their consciousness and become able to live in

all worlds of the three-fold structure of the Universe (with enlightened personality in the physical world, with an open soul in the angelic world and with an awakened Divine Self in the highest Divine world). Thus they become completely self-realised cosmic-spiritual beings, Sons and Daughters of the Living God.

Usually this journey is undertaken on an individual level but within a spiritual community and with the great help (or hindrance) of the opposite sex. Of course, there are some examples of achieving Enlightenment through a common journey with the Beloved Partner, but they are more the exception than the rule. In general every human being, at some stage of his or her life, experiences Divine Love but it is quite rare to undergo the whole journey of Enlightenment with the Beloved.

Because our epoch brings us to the end of the Indo-European Cycle and the beginning of the New Cycle, the archetype of the Divine Wedding plays an important role. Moreover, the common spiritual journey with the Beloved towards Enlightenment could become a part of the general stream of spirituality. Thus Plato’s myth of the search for the eternal Beloved could be transformed into a reality.

Over the years this myth developed into a revelation about the common intimate spiritual journey with the Beloved towards self-realisation and Enlightenment. The Soul Mates could open their chakras through the practice of love, tenderness, mutual appreciation and the full bouquet of human virtues. The opening of each chakra is connected with building a Temple of Love with the energies appropriate for the chakra. As a result they build seven different Temples, in every one of which the mutual love is manifested differently – from the passionate human love of the energies of the two lower chakras, through the emotional ecstatic love of the energy of the fourth chakra, the Soul level, up to the blissful Divine co-creative Love of the sixth and seventh chakras (the energies of the third and the fifth chakras are intermediary between the levels).

The process of building the seven Temples of Love together stretches through the whole common spiritual journey with the Beloved. In accordance with their life stages, from youth to old age, the Soul Mates develop the various Temples, one after another, and produce wonderful fruits in each one of them: the birth of children comes, a spiritual family of friends is formed, they enter into an eternal journey in the Kingdom of God as co-creators with the Lord and the Divine Mother.

The common life-journey of Soul Mates and the process of building the seven Temples of Love is too large a theme to cover in detail here. However, Plato’s myth of the search for the eternal Beloved is deciphered and this mystery could be shared at any time.