Awakening Through the Nine Bodies: Explorations in Consciousness for Yoga and Mindfulness Meditation Practitioners

277 Pages·2017·12.69 MB·English

by  Phillip Moffitt

AWAKENING THROUGH
THE NINE BODIES
Explorations in Consciousness for Mindfulness Meditation and
Yoga Practitioners
PHILLIP MOFFITT
Copyright © 2017 by Phillip Moffitt. All rights reserved. No portion of this book, except for brief review,
may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic,
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information contact North Atlantic Books.
Published by
North Atlantic Books
Berkeley, California

Cover and book design by Gail Segerstrom
Printed in the United States of America

Cover illustration: The Cosmos in Movement

This book is for the general reader of writing on yoga in English, and uses phonetic Sanskrit without
diacritical marks.

Awakening through the Nine Bodies: Explorations in Consciousness for Mindfulness Meditation and Yoga
Practitioners is sponsored and published by the Society for the Study of Native Arts and Sciences (dba
North Atlantic Books), an educational nonprofit based in Berkeley, California, that collaborates with
partners to develop cross-cultural perspectives, nurture holistic views of art, science, the humanities, and
healing, and seed personal and global transformation by publishing work on the relationship of body,
spirit, and nature.

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DEDICATION
THIS BOOK is dedicated to Pawan Bareja, without whom it would never have
come into existence.
After my first few trips to study with Balyogi Premvarni in Rishikesh, India,
Pawan, a native of that country, accompanied me on subsequent trips as a
valued colleague. She sat in on most of my study sessions, taking notes, as was
permitted by Balyogi. I missed her presence on those occasions when she was
not present as it was impossible for me to both take comprehensive notes and
to engage in the teachings, which were more like a transmission than a didactic
presentation.
On many occasions Pawan acted as a translator, helping me and Balyogi to
understand each other. Her handwritten session notes of Balyogi’s teachings,
which she later transcribed, were often what I used as the final research
reference for the book, particularly in regard to Balyogi’s interpretations of his
illustrations. In the evening Pawan and I would review the day’s teachings so
that I could prepare for the next day’s study. I deeply enjoyed these sessions,
and they were essential because the material I was being taught was complex
and often the circumstances surrounding the teachings made understanding
and integrating the material more difficult.
Pawan often played a vital role in helping Balyogi and me communicate with
each other. Pawan also served as a cultural translator in relation to the many
challenges of spending time in India—from the basics of travel to the
complexity of the rituals and expected behavior at Balyogi’s ashram. She was
always willing to do whatever was necessary to keep the project moving.
When I describe life at Balyogi’s ashram, picture both Pawan and me
trudging up the hilly path carrying books, recorders, cameras, yellow note pads,
and food offerings. When Balyogi was having me do various cleansing and
health rituals, you can imagine Pawan being given her own to do. Pawan would
keep an eye out for my well-being and for the book project while I was
completely immersed in various meditations.
Thank you, Pawan, for all this and more.
CONTENTS
Foreword by Anam Thubten Rinpoche
How to Use This Book
Introduction
Chapter 1: Balyogi’s Ashram Life Is Integral to His Teachings
Chapter 2: Insights into Consciousness
Chapter 3: The Nine Bodies Teaching
Chapter 4: Connecting to the Nine Bodies in Meditation
Chapter 5: How to Work with Balyogi’s Illustrations
Chapter 6: Balyogi’s Cosmic View of Reality and Consciousness
Chapter 7: Three Levels and Nine Bodies
Chapter 8: The Flame of Consciousness
Chapter 9: Awakening in the Subtle Level
Chapter 10: The Awakened Heart
Chapter 11: Mandalas of Awakening
Appendix A: The Traditional Teachings on Levels of Being
Acknowledgments
Glossary
Resources
Index
About the Author
For guided audio meditations, go to www.ninebodies.com.