Unfolding Consciousness : Vol III: Gazing Through the Telescope - Man is the Measure of All Things : Gazing Through the Telescope - Man is the Measure of All Things Gazing Through the Telescope - Man - Edi Bilimoria
Volume III is a telescopic exposition of the role of the human being in the scheme of the universe and nature. It explains how and why the wisdom and powers invested in the universe are also present in each human being. The core of this narrative is a detailed and stepwise account of the derivation of the human senses: how physical sensation can result in subjective experience. The Preamble reviews the findings and implications of Volumes I and II; then elucidates the faculties that must be engaged in order to discover a new way of knowing and experiencing, the nature of both the human being and the universe beyond ordinary sight. The first section (Chapters 1 to 4) concerns symbolism, the language of the Mysteries. Numerous insights are provided from symbolic representations of the organic unity of cosmos and the human being, the human body, and its organs, and subtle bodies. The second section (Chapters 5 to 9) is of crucial importance and supplies the key to the adage Man is the measure of all things. The reason is fully explained on the basis of the Hermetic Axiom which the author explains in detail. This leads to an in-depth treatment of the unfolding of consciousness, the derivation of the human senses, how external stimuli to the physical senses result in internal subjective experience, and the role of divine forces in the human body, especially in relation to the awakening of dormant faculties of consciousness. The third section (Chapter 10) commences with a major exposition on evolution that considerably extends the scientific viewpoint, constrained by materialistic ideas, into the realm of spiritual evolution, destiny and purpose. Robust evidence is then given on the origin and antiquity of humans from findings (hitherto suppressed), in palaeontology and archaeology, that corroborate the Vedic doctrine in contradistinction to Darwinian theory. The state of enlightenment is outlined and supplemented with a simple and safe meditational technique. Anchored in the perennial wisdom, this technique is evergreen but especially adapted to our present age. Chapter 11 is a comprehensive summary of the entire work on the principal theme of consciousness and its unfoldment, as seen first by science and then the perennial philosophy. The vital role of neuroscience is contrasted with its shortcomings and an account given of what it truly means to think and work in the spirit of science. Thereafter, the precepts of the Perennial Philosophy are condensed and tabulated as a prelude to the assertion that Consciousness is the ultimate Element of existence. The Epilogue briefly surveys the status of science and spirituality in contemporary society, then explains that human beings are faced with, and must choose between, one of two paths in life. Finally, the question uppermost in the mind of every human being is addressed-immortality, and how it may be attained. The Appendix to Volume III explains why the quintessentially mind-based nature of the world, is revealed to some extent through mathematics.
