One scarcely needs to be told that all description of buddhic consciousness is necessarily and essentially defective. It is impossible to describe in words what it is, as the physical brain is incapable of grasping the reality. It is difficult enough to form a concept even of lower astral plane phenomena, so trying to describe the buddhic plane is out of question. The sense of union is characteristic of the buddhic plane and on this plane all limitations begin to fall away. One’s consciousness expands until one realises that the consciousness of one’s fellowmen is included within one’s own.
On this plane one knows by definite experience the fact that humanity is one. Though one still has a consciousness of one’s own, the fact is that it has widened out into such perfect sympathy with the consciousness of others. One sees all others as oneself. While the predominant element in the causal body is knowledge, the predominant element of consciousness in the buddhic body is bliss and love. Hence the buddhic body is called by the sheath of bliss. A selfish person cannot function on the buddhic plane for the very essence of that plane is sympathy. On this plane, consciousnesses do not necessarily merge instantly at the lowest level, but they gradually grow until the highest level is reached. At this point one finds oneself consciously one with humanity. This is the lowest level at which the separateness is absolutely non-existent i.e., in its fullness, the conscious unity with all belongs to the higher atmic plane. To each ego that can reach this state of consciousness, it would seem that it has absorbed or included all others; one perceives that all are facets of a greater Consciousness. One ceases altogether to blame others for their differences with oneself. Instead, one simply notes them as other manifestations of one’s own activity, for now one can see reasons which previously were hidden. Even the so called ‘evil person’ is seen to be part of oneself, a weak part; so one’s desire is to help such an individual by pouring strength into that weak part of oneself. Thus, when one rises to the buddhic plane, one can gain the experience of others; hence it is not necessary for every ego to go through every experience as a separate individual. If one did not want to feel the suffering of another, one could withdraw, but one would choose to feel it, because one wants to help.
While the intuition of the causal body recognises the outer, the intuition of buddhic recognises the inner. Intellectual intuition enables one to realise a thing outside oneself, while with buddhic intuition, one sees a thing from inside. Thus when working in the causal body, if one wants to understand another person in order to help that individual one has to turn one’s consciousness upon that individuals causal body. The particular characteristics are quite well marked but they are always seen only from the outside. If, wanting the same knowledge, one raises one’s consciousness to the buddhic level, one finds the consciousness of the other person as a part of oneself. The power of identification is gained not only with regard to the consciousness of people, but with regard to everything else on the buddhic plane. That which one is examining has become a part of oneself, one examines it as a kind of symptom in oneself. This characteristic obviously constitutes a fundamental difference. Before it can be attained, total selflessness must be acquired because so long as there is anything personal in one’s point of view, one cannot make any progress with the buddhic consciousness. On the buddhic plane, past, present and future all exist simultaneously. Neither is one subject to the limitations of space such as on the physical plane. Hence, in reading the past or akashic records one no longer needs as on the mental plane, to pass a series of events in review because, past, present and future are simultaneously present.
The article is taken from the book Life Beyond Death by Anil Sharma