Episode 1 of the series „Die sieben Bhumikas" – A poetic-philosophical series about deception, realisation and the quiet awakening in the noise of our time. The Seven bhumikas are the seven stages of spiritual evolution as described in the Yoga Vasishtha and described in the commentary by Brahmananda to the Hatha Yoga Pradipika be described. Bhumika means steps.
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An atmospheric-philosophical prelude: Diagnosis of the times, collective self-delusion, introduction to avidya, self-forgetfulness, Patanjali and the bhumikas as an inner path.
It is a strange age in which lies are disguised as duty and truth is perceived as a threat. Not new, certainly, but never before so finely woven, so completely seeped into all the fabrics of humanity as today. Deception has no name - it speaks in many voices, wears many masks, glows in screens and whispers in promises. It is not just on the outside - it is on the inside. An echo of our own ignorance.
In the seven bhumikas, those inner stages of realisation, deception is not an enemy, but a veil.
At the first level - SubhecchaThe pure longing for truth - deception is still unnoticed: man thinks he is searching, but he is only following the play of the senses. He thinks he is waking up, but he is dreaming deeper than ever before. It is the stage of the world in which the play of the mind dominates, in which advertising and political narratives fight for the same attention as an inner child fights for love. Truth? Too uncomfortable. Too unprofitable. Too empty.
Patanjalithe silent architect of yoga, spoke of avidya - ignorance, the root cause of all suffering. This delusion, he said, consists not only in believing that what is false is true, but also that what is true is false, that what is fleeting is eternal and that what is impure is pure. How deeply this misunderstanding permeates human life today cannot be measured in statistics - but it can be measured in the silence of those who turn away, who wonder whether they themselves still feel or are merely functioning. In companies, where profit prevails over conscience. In governments, where power prevails over humanity.
VicharanaThe second Bhumika teaches discernment. But how is a person supposed to discern when the basis of his perception of the world is controlled by algorithms that confuse his need for truth with convenience? When opinions appear as knowledge and markets as gods? This deception is subtle - it doesn't come with force as it used to, but with a smile. It says: "You can be anything." And says: "As long as you stay what we need."
The Bhagavad Gitathat eternal dialogue between man and the divine, shows in Arjuna a seeker who must realise that his struggle is not an external one. Krishna reminds him: "What is real, what is illusion? Act without attachment. See through the game."
But today's man does not fight with bow and shield, but with opinion and mask. Deception no longer lies only in what is said - but in what remains concealed. In what pretends to be compassion and yet wants control. In what appears to be progress but forgets how to be human.
In the third Bhumika - TanumanasaThe refinement of the mind - deception is seen through like fog in the morning light. But who reaches this stage in a world that constantly generates noise to prevent quiet vision? How many flee from inner emptiness into outer speed, from humility into dominance, from freedom into filter bubbles? People have lost their way - not because they are bad, but because they have forgotten. The deception lies in the fact that we believe we can "become" something, while the essentials are long gone. The deepest transgression is not moral - it is metaphysical: forgetting one's own self. Confusing the body with the self, thinking with wisdom, having with being.
The "7 Bhumikas" (also known as Sapta Bhumikas or Jnana Bhumikas) are seven stages of spiritual progress as described in classical Vedic texts such as the Yoga Vasistha and the Varaha Upanishad. They outline the path from the initial yearning for truth to final liberation (moksha) and are particularly emphasised in Jnana Yoga. Here is an overview of these seven stages:
1. Śubhecchā - The desire for truth
This is the beginning of the spiritual path, characterised by a deep longing for truth and self-realisation. The seeker develops discernment (viveka) between the transient and the eternal, cultivates equanimity (vairagya) towards worldly pleasures and strives to free himself from the bonds of samsara.
2. vicāraṇa - Self-questioning
In this phase, the practitioner begins with intensive self-reflection and the study of spiritual writings under the guidance of a teacher. Through deep reflection on questions such as "Who am I?" and "What is the true nature of reality?", the understanding of the self deepens.
3. tanumānasa - refinement of the mind
The mind becomes calm and focussed, free from distractions from external sensory objects. The practitioner develops a deep concentration on the self, whereby the mind becomes "thin" or subtle and focusses on the One.
4. sattvāpatti - attainment of purity
At this stage, the practitioner becomes a "Brahmavid" - a knower of Brahman. There is a direct experience of the unity of all being, free from duality. The mind is completely purified and rests in the truth.
5. asaṃsakti - non-attachment
The practitioner remains untouched by worldly affairs, although he continues to act in the world. There is complete detachment from the fruits of action and a deep anchoring in the self.
6 Padārtha Bhāvana - perception of reality
The world is recognised as a manifestation of Brahman. The practitioner no longer sees any separation between the self and the outer world; everything is experienced as an expression of the same ultimate reality.
7. turīya - the superconscious state
This is the state of complete liberation in which the practitioner dwells permanently in samadhi. There is no longer any identification with body or mind; the self is completely merged with the Absolute.
Introduction to episode 1 - Deception (Śubhecchā) - a veil of light
The first of the seven bhumikas of Patanjali
They say the world is out of joint. But what if it is our perception? What if the greatest deception is not happening outside - but inside us? Not glaring, not brutal, but gentle. Like a mist that settles on our consciousness - almost tenderly.
Deception does not only manifest itself in words that lie. It manifests itself in the belief that we know. In the longing for certainty. In the idea that we can escape what we don't want to recognise.
This first instalment of the poetic-philosophical series "Light in the Veil - Truths at the Edge of the World" is an atmospheric prelude. It takes us into the depths of humanity in the mirror of time: a pause between Patanjali, Avidya and the first bhumikas - a reminder that we are not deceived, but have forgotten ourselves.
„Die sieben Bhumikas"
A series about deception, realisation and the quiet awakening in the noise of our time
The series consists of thematic impulses inspired by Patanjali, the seven Bhumikas, the Bhagavad Gita and being deeply human in a world full of masks, distraction and longing. Each contribution is a silent gateway - a mirror, a question, a reminder.
Avidya, in the context of yoga and Buddhism, means ignorance or lack of knowledge, but not in the sense of a lack of knowledge, but rather as a delusion or wrong view of reality. It is the basis for suffering and is regarded as the "mother" of all other kleshas (affects or hindrances).
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Note on the series: This series of articles is part of the forthcoming book
"THE SILENCE BEHIND THOUGHTS - Patañjali's Yogasūtra - four stages of inner concentration"
written by Kati Voß | Volume I of the series WEISHEITSWISSEN / Category: Spiritual Philosophy & Wisdom Literature for the Inner Path
This book takes you into the depths of Yogasūtra - not as a technique, but as an inner path. In four sections, a silent understanding of collection, clarity and self-direction unfolds. The millennia-old scripture can be read anew here: poetically, experientially, quietly. Patañjali's path to inner concentration becomes an invitation to counter the noise of thinking with another force - the silence behind it.
Erscheinung: Noveember 2025 – Die Texte der Reihe „Die sieben Bhumikas" sind begleitende Impulse dieses Werks.
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