As your vibration increases, it becomes less important whether or not you have thoughts. This is literally true, and it is something that is experienced and actually happens, rather than something that is understood through words and logic. When your vibration increases, you instantly know it. If the word "vibration" is difficult to understand, it means energy. When you are full of energy, whether or not you have thoughts becomes less important. At such times, miscellaneous thoughts tend to decrease, but even if thoughts or miscellaneous thoughts arise, they are appropriate for that vibration, so they do not become a significant obstacle. The main reason why you feel that miscellaneous thoughts and thoughts are bothersome is that your own vibration is low.

There are two things: the height of your vibration, and the strength of your aura and energy.

The height of your vibration is to some extent consistent with the height of your body's vibration, and this is generally true in yoga and spirituality, but the position and vibration are relative, and like octaves, the same location is used in stages. Therefore, although it is not said in spirituality, if you were to use the analogy of musical notation and notes, the chakra lower down in a higher octave can have a higher vibration than the chakra higher up in a lower octave. In spirituality, the dan tien or the swadhisthana chakra are often the focus, but which octave we are talking about changes depending on the context.

The amount of energy that each person has from the beginning is different, and so is the height of their vibration. Generally, men have lower vibrations, while women have higher vibrations, but even among women, there are those who have fallen to lower vibrations. On the other hand, even men can raise their vibrations.

However, it is important to note that a higher vibration is not always better. This world exists from physical things to higher dimensions, and they are equivalent. If you forget this, you may fall into misunderstandings and actions that look down on or despise things or people with lower vibrations. The harmony between higher and lower dimensions is the true nature of this world. Lower vibrations have their own corresponding suffering, but that is because there are worlds corresponding to each vibration. In each of those worlds, people are deepening their learning. Where is your vibration? Even on the same Earth, people live in worlds that correspond to them. Therefore, you are attracted to people with similar vibrations.

First, starting from the lowest vibrations, there are vibrations similar to those of animals. There are vibrations that are like an enhanced version of animals, and in such a state, there are many distractions, and spiritual understanding does not progress easily. When this happens, "stopping thoughts" becomes important for spiritual growth.

As these vibrations gradually increase, you become less troubled by distractions, but to a certain extent, "stopping thoughts" is still a better state. At this stage, meditation that involves listening to the so-called "nada" sound by stopping thoughts can be helpful. This is the stage of concentration meditation. This continues until you reach a certain "state of silence," but even when you reach silence, there is still a barrier to awakening to the "consciousness" in the higher vibrational realm. Awakening to that higher "consciousness" is initially temporary, and there is still a sense of separation, resulting in a state of "two minds." This is a state where the lower mind and the higher mind are separated and exist independently.

Eventually, the lower mind and the higher mind will merge, but in reality, it is a process where the activity of the lower mind weakens and the higher mind becomes dominant, making it appear as if they are merging. As this happens, the "two minds" gradually transform into "one mind." This process occurs in stages with respect to the higher realms. Initially, there are two, and then two minds appear and become one in each stage, repeating this process. The first two minds that appear are the ones that undergo the most significant change, and they are generally called the "lower mind" and the "higher mind."

And, what is said to be "better to stop thoughts" refers to the "lower mind." The higher mind, on the other hand, is inherently vast, based on silence, and always full, and because it is "full," it has the awareness that "nothing disappears." Once you awaken to such awareness, why is it necessary to "stop thoughts"? Because that awakened consciousness is always present and open, it is a consciousness that does not "stop" in that way, so such a thing is fundamentally impossible. What is possible is that "consciousness may become clouded," but if the higher consciousness becomes clouded, it means it is switching to the lower consciousness, so in that sense, it is clear that "stopping" is undesirable. Continuing to function with the higher consciousness without "stopping" is what activates the awakened consciousness, and therefore, it should be immediately understood that "stopping thoughts" is not only unimportant but completely unnecessary. However, sometimes, contact with a strong lower consciousness can temporarily affect you, so in that sense, temporarily stopping thoughts to suppress or distance yourself from the activity of the lower consciousness can sometimes be effective. However, even that is fundamentally unnecessary for the awakened consciousness, and just like a water droplet illuminated by strong sunlight evaporates naturally, such distractions disappear from the heart. Having a heart with such a purifying power is what it means to awaken to the higher mind, and therefore, once you awaken to the higher consciousness, "stopping thoughts" becomes much less important.

Just like water flows naturally, the movements of the heart flow gracefully, and like ripples appearing on the surface of the water, they eventually subside naturally.

Energy basically comes from below or above. Energy coming from below is grounding, and energy coming from above is also grounding, but it is energy that descends from the heavens or the universe, and it consists of both. Energy from below mainly appears in various parts of the body, while energy from the heavens or the universe enters through various parts of the head.

Initially, it is基本 to activate by taking in energy from below, but even so, taking in energy from the center of the eyebrows to balance the left and right sides supports this. There is no question of which comes first, but initially, it is activated by taking in energy from below while balancing the left and right sides with yoga breathing.

And the first thing that appears is a strong earth energy. It is also called Kundalini. A rough wave like magma appears first, and as it rises slightly, it mixes with the heart, and you experience a basic love and a fundamental oneness. And eventually, the energy rises to the head, but the energy in this initial stage is still rough, so it is only a catalyst for merging with the energy of the heavens. Nevertheless, by raising this rough energy to the head, the energy is activated. At this point, you may feel a certain degree of basic oneness and tranquility, but there are still many distractions, and "stopping thoughts" is still somewhat effective.

When I see people practicing yoga around me, most of them spend their lives without experiencing this Kundalini. Some people experience Kundalini, but it ends at the stage of reaching the head, or some people force energy into the head, causing the head to become overheated, resulting in what is called Kundalini syndrome. And they think that this is the final stage of Kundalini or Kundalini yoga, and they think that they have "achieved" it, and they stop there. I think this is unavoidable, but in most cases, this two-stage level is the destination.

・Those who have not experienced Kundalini.
・Those who have experienced Kundalini, but only reached the head, or those who have experienced Kundalini syndrome.

And I think that to go beyond this stage, the intervention of higher consciousness, rather than the lower self, is necessary. From the perspective of my lower self, I think that is all I can do. And there are many people who are satisfied with this stage, so if that is the case, I think that living such a life is their destiny. Therefore, there is no need to be particularly discouraged, and I don't think it's destiny, but it's close to it, or perhaps it's a matter of being "unselected."

And the difference is, I think, the total amount of aura. In Kundalini Yoga, for example, it is possible to strengthen the aura, but in reality, it is often difficult to have an aura that is greater than the one you were born with. Basically, people either live with the same aura or become tired and consume or lose their aura. Therefore, it is quite difficult to increase the aura. And even if you can increase the aura, it is possible to absorb aura that is abundant in nature, but the higher-level aura, which is the human consciousness, is not obtained from nature, but rather requires additional assistance from the group soul, which is the original group from which you are a fragment. I think that such strengthening of the aura does not occur without that. And since a person's life begins with the creation of a fragment based on the "intention" of the group soul, basically, the aura does not increase throughout life, and life ends based on the total amount of one's aura. Therefore, even if you do Kundalini Yoga, for example, the total amount of your aura basically does not change, so it is difficult to develop a personality and body that can handle a temporarily enhanced aura. While it is possible to increase the aura in the dimension of energy that is closer to the human body, and the dimension of energy also increases with food and muscle growth, the higher-level aura does not increase easily.

In reality, that is why, based on one's current state, it is the basic principle of spiritual growth to try to get closer to a slightly higher vibration, to raise the vibration, and to cultivate and increase a high-vibration aura. Conversely, trying to increase the aura all at once is a rather unorthodox method. In the world, there are things like Shakti pads and initiations that give aura and provide rapid growth, but such effects are temporary and bring "separation" to one's own aura. Since you have obtained a higher vibration without a solid understanding, if you experience a drop in vibration, you may fall. On the other hand, when you grow step by step, even if you experience a drop in vibration, you have an understanding, so it is easier to persevere and recover. Therefore, it is important to remember that the method of growing by being given an aura is unorthodox and not common.

And regarding the Kundalini experience mentioned above, it seems that if the original vibration is high and the aura is abundant, the person is less likely to experience Kundalini syndrome and is more likely to awaken smoothly.

Basically, that's all there is to it, and I don't think there's anything more.

However, it is possible to overcome this barrier through the influence of the group soul, which is the source of one's being, or through the guidance of a guide, or through the influence of a higher aspect of oneself, such as the so-called higher self. This influence is carried out in response to the call of the lower self on the conscious side, and it descends as help. In yoga, this might be called the Purusha, in spirituality, the higher self, or in Christianity, it might be felt as Jesus Christ within oneself. In any case, it is a contact from a higher level, and through that, the lower self, which is the physical body and the conscious mind, is saved.

Thus, those who originally have a high vibration or a large aura, or those whose vibration and aura have increased through the call of the group soul or the higher self, proceed to the next stage.

In my case, the higher self gradually approached from the "back" and eventually merged. There were also times when a strong mass of aura was forcibly and abruptly drawn in from the crown of the head. This deepened the sense of oneness and activated the heart. However, whether this happens to everyone is unknown. Some books describe that the connection comes from the "back," so there may be some commonality.

And as the aura becomes stronger, it begins to fill the entire body, and one can feel the aura in the palms of the hands and the tips of the toes, and experience the aura flowing in and out. This can also happen in the previous stage, but one becomes more aware of the natural consciousness in various parts of the body.

Furthermore, the aura enters the head and begins to activate it. Initially, various parts of the head loosen randomly, and gradually, but steadily, the loosening progresses.

And eventually, as described in the book "Flower of Life," channels are created in the head. The basic channel is one that starts from the energy channels along the spine, extending up to the neck, and then proceeds straight upwards. From there, branches are created, and channels are opened that extend from the neck to the area near the forehead, specifically the nasal bridge (bikon). Various parts of the forehead and crown also loosen, but the following points seem particularly important:

・Base of the nose (bikon)
・Center of the head (pituitary gland and pineal gland)
・Back of the head
・Crown of the head

In particular, the center of the head is a very important area that has been frequently discussed. According to theosophy, in ordinary people, the 6th and 7th chakras (Ajna and Sahasrara) are related to the pituitary gland. On the other hand, some people say that the 7th chakra is related to the pineal gland. (From "Chakra" P94).

My current understanding of what this means is that the energy route extending from the area between the eyebrows, especially the base of the nose, reaches a place like the pituitary gland. And, since activating the base of the nose to some extent activates the Sahasrara at the crown of the head, I think that we perceive Ajna (Ajna, the 6th) and Sahasrara (Crown, the 7th) through the area between the eyebrows and the base of the nose. I have only recently begun to feel this, and there is still much more to experience, but perhaps, as we progress further, we will be able to feel the connection between the pineal gland and the Sahasrara more strongly.

In fact, at this stage, the meaning of "stopping thoughts" changes again. Especially when energy begins to flow through the base of the nose and the connection to the Sahasrara is strengthened, the necessity of "stopping thoughts" becomes less and less. This means that the grounding becomes stronger, and the power of silence and stability increases. The base of the nose is only just beginning to open and is still weak, and it can sometimes become blocked. However, by repeatedly opening the route between the base of the nose and the pituitary gland through meditation, the power of silence and grounding will increase.

As for my current level, this is about it, but now I can confidently see the next stage. I will continue to progress through meditation, yoga, or pranayama-like breathing techniques. And, as we go through each stage, the necessity of "stopping thoughts" decreases.