________________
40
Hermann Kuhn
sions of our consciousness or change the general direction into which we are moving, we need to become aware of the very mechanisms that influence us. By knowing their respective characteristics we then can easily identify and employ the types of actions or modifications that will produce the changes we desire.
Once we stop confusing the different planes, we cease to apply mechanisms to planes on which they do not work. Confusing the planes is one of the main causes of our misunderstanding of the world's mechanisms. It effectively retains us on the lower stages of development (gunasthana).
We e.g. often confuse the plane of articulation (nama) with the plane of reality (bhava).We accept words and terms at face value and consequently experience disappointment when the words do not correspond with the expected action. Or we use words to try to win over others that can only be convinced by our actions.
The plane of mental structure (sthapana) is often mistaken for the plane of real manifestation (bhava). We experience this as the desire to see events as we want to see them, and not as they really are. This prevents us from understanding that what we want to perceive is only one part of reality, not its entirety.
Constant awareness of the four planes of reality does not impede our normal life. Life remains a holistic experience even when we are constantly aware of the four planes' mechanics. As we effortlessly are able to cook, listen to the radio and converse with other persons all at the same time, we can also easily distinguish between the four planes while conducting the rest of our activities.
The plane of articulation (nama) is focussed on the external part of our life. On this plane we assign names and
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org