Divine Eye Development

Divine Eye Development

I was working on the development of the divine eye for some years now, at least since1969. Prior to that after assuming this body as a social self in 1951, on the day of its birth and slightly before, I would use the divine eye intermittently and randomly. Then it was part of the subtle body, part of its apparatus which comes with its other mystic abilities.

One consideration is that the subtle body, every subtle body, has certain mystic abilities but not in everyone are these faculties operative. In some persons, many of the mystic senses are either dormant or totally absent. Their cultivation is possible by certain practices.

We may assume that if a siddha assumes an embryo, whatever mystic ability he/she has, will be reduced. The physical body has much psychic resistance, such that it will attenuate, reduce or even disable certain functions of the subtle body. The way to reverse this is to practice the ashtanga yoga process, all or part it.

Some aspects of the subtle body may not be resumed until after the physical system dies, but in any case, the yogi/yogini should strive to improve the situation bit by bit during the life of the physical form. Whatever is not cultivated then, may develop hereafter in the astral existence.

If there is a habit of cultivation during the life of the physical body, that will cause a continuation of practice after that body is deceased. Otherwise, it is likely that the person will resume a new embryo and gradually over a period of many lives, lose the view of the subtle body and become a materialistic person who is focused into physical existence only.

When Yogeshwarananda described his use of the divine eye, he described what he saw in the physical and subtle bodies. His divine eye focus was fully introspective to see within his psyche. He was graced with the use of the eye by Atmananda.

Conversely, when Buddha described the divine eye, he described seeing the coming and going of the entities, transmigrating, taking one body then another, with their due energies which were based on previous activities.

The internal use of the divine eye by Buddha is explained by his rendering of detailed information about the relationship of the senses and their compulsions which result in traumatic events for an ascetic.

These achievements of the great yogis tell us about the full development and best use of the divine eye. In a sense this may be misleading, as a beginner yogi may have experiences with the divine eye and not identify that because of having the view, that there will a clear-cut, well-defined perception when it operates.

In my experience to date, working with the present physical body and the influences which it enforces, I find that the beginning use of the divine eye is hard to know because its perceptions are unclear. And yet, these unclear perceptions, these hazy visions and sudden views in meditation, are important. A yogi should develop faith by appreciating these unclear, not-so-distinct perceptions and know that over time by more and more breath infusion and meditation, this will improve. In time the full use of the eye will be possible but only if one has faith and one appreciates the unclear perceptions.

Medical science informs us that babies do not see initially. Over time of some weeks, they see various colors but it is a gradual development. Of course, a baby has no choice in the development. It cannot cease the process. It begins seeing nothing and it eventually sees. A yogi/yogini can however become discouraged in meditation, and cease the practice which will result in not developing the divine eye.

At about one month, babies can detect the brightness and intensity of colors. By three months, they can see some basic colors. Its color vision is fully developed by about four months.

For a yogi it takes longer and is not as definite as for an infant. Practice, practice, practice. That is the method of development. The key process is the drastic reduction in the use of the intellect for mental calculations and opinions, for the illustration of memory, and for imagining various scenes and ideas. This reduction of mental operations along with breath infusion to infuse fresh subtle energy into the subtle body, will over time cause the divine eye facility to be operate.