DISCOURSES Volume II - Avatar Meher Baba Trust

THE STAGES OF THE PATH 23mental activity comparable to sleep. However, Samadhi isfundamentally different from sleep, in that a person is totallyunconscious in sleep whereas in Samadhi he is conscious of blissor light or power, although he is unconscious of his body andsurroundings. After a period of comparative stillness the mindbegins to function on the new plane and experiences a state ofconsciousness which is utterly different from the state which it hasleft behind.When the aspirant enters a new plane he is merged into itand along with the lowering down of mental activity he experiencesa substantial diminution in the ego-life. This curtailment ofEach stage on path isa curtailment ofego-lifeThe ego-life is different from the finalannihilation of ego, which takes place atthe seventh plane. But like the finalannihilation at the seventh plane, thedifferent stages of the curtailment of the ego at the intermediate sixplanes deserve special mention owing to their relative importance.In the Sufi spiritual tradition, the final annihilation of the ego isdescribed as "Fana-Fillah," and the earlier Samadhi of the sixplanes of duality have also been recognised as kinds of Fana, sincethey also involve a partial annihilation of the ego.Through all these Fanas of ascending order there is continuityof progression towards the final Fana-Fillah, and each hassome special characteristic. When the pilgrim arrives at the firstFirst three Fanasplane he experiences his first Fana or minorannihilation of the ego. The pilgrim istemporarily lost to his limited individuality and experiences bliss.Many pilgrims thus merged think they have realised God andhence get stuck in the first plane. If the pilgrim keeps himself freefrom self-delusion or comes to realise that his attainment is really atransitional phase in his journey, he advances further on thespiritual Path and arrives