Karma - The Mechanism: Stage 03 Misra

clear understanding and delusion exist simultaneously in mixed form. We experience this as an ambivalent state. We neither want to separate us from delusion and error to regain the clear understanding of the fourth stage, nor do we let go of our clear understanding to move back into the familiar hypnotic environment of level one. As soon as this equilibrium is disturbed and a tendency towards clear understanding or delusion is started, we leave this stage either in the direction of the fourth gunasthana (avirata-samyaktva) or towards the second (sasadana).

The third level can only be reached from the fourth level. Its maximum duration is limited to 48 minutes.

The third stage has enormous significance for our development. Here an important process takes place that stabilizes our access to the clear understanding of the fourth stage.

Many who dwell mainly in the first stage experience flashes of insights into the fourth stage. This is usually a fleeting sensation that feels like a brief, but intense awakening from some long and almost hypnotic 'waking dream'. The sensation is generally regarded as highly agreeable and almost always accompanied by flash-backs to similarly fleeting states we experienced before. Many perceive these brief insights in regular intervals (every 3 to 6 weeks). Most often they occur in times of relative quietness.^[1]

Once we understand the nature of these insights, accept them as real and direct our attention towards them, they become livelier and more intense. We remember them more clearly and the ambivalence of the third stage - the simultaneous perception of clear understanding and delusion - occurs.

If at the time this happens we make a conscious effort to regain the clear understanding of the fourth stage, a momentum is created that eventually, but unfailingly causes the transfer of our awareness from the first stage to the fourth - irrespective whether each single effort is successful or not.

The fact that we stay only briefly in this stage should not cause disregard for its importance. The third gunasthana (misra) is a vital instrument for gaining access to higher stages of existence.