On these seven desires is based the entire working of the gross life, and that is why both "descent" and "ascent" of the soul is in seven stages.
The real seat of the Brahma is in the head, and so you find seven doors to these illusions — two eyes, two ears, two nostrils and one mouth. When an advanced soul enters the Path with the inner eye open, he is said to "open" the first knot. And when the first knot is open, one layer out of the seven drops down, corresponding to the mouth. When the first knot is opened, the pilgrim is said to have crushed one desire and to have entered the first plane.
When the second knot is opened, corresponding to the right nostril, the second layer falls down, and the pilgrim is said to have entered the second plane. Here he sees wonderful things. Although all these things are illusory, if he gets lost in them he is gone!1 The third knot is the left nostril. Here the pilgrim sees more enchantments. He can now read the thoughts of all. After this third knot, the pilgrim enters what is called by Jesus the dark, spiritual night of the soul.
The fourth and fifth knots are opened simultaneously, corresponding to the right and left ears. These desires are crushed, and the pilgrim enters the fourth plane. Now he becomes all powerful. He can even raise the dead, and here it is possible that he can fall to the lowest depth. He falls if he misuses his powers. If he resists the temptation of using his powers, then he opens the sixth and seventh knots simultaneously, corresponding to the two eyes, and crushes the sixth and seventh types of desires. He has entered the fifth plane now. But the veil is still there and he cannot see God. Only God's grace or the Master's help can throw away or tear this veil. Then the pilgrim enters the sixth plane, which is represented by the middle of the forehead, that is, the third eye. Now he sees God face to face everywhere.
Very few can enter the seventh plane, represented by the top of the head. Here one becomes God. But this can be done only with the Master's help. Only rare ones get down from the top of the head to the heart. The Master can, in the twinkling of an eye or even quicker, remove all these veils and everything at once, because all is illusory.
Footnotes
- 1."Gone" in this sense means lost in a heaven. Only Perfect Masters or the Avatar can rescue such souls out of this "divine stupor." An example is Mohammed Mast, who was found in Bombay in 1936 and brought out of this enchantment by Baba.