determine an individual’s nature. Pregnant mothers
report that even in the womb, different babies express
different tendencies.
According to Shankara, every individual has a per-
sonal soul with its unique memories and desires. These
memories and desires guide the course of your life. When
you nurture the seeds of your innate gifts with your atten-
tion and intention, they sprout, and your personal soul
finds fulfillment.
The second sheath of the causal body is the collective
domain. This realm impels you to live a life of mythic pro-
portions. The gods and goddesses that reside in the col-
lective domain within your soul have one desire—to
express their creative power through you. Each of us is on
a heroic journey in search of the Holy Grail. Along the
way, obstacles and challenges arise, forcing us to reach
deeper into our being.
These collective aspirations are translated into the
archetypal stories that people have been telling one
another for millennia. For example, we learn the risks
associated with the arrogance of power through the tragic
story of Icarus. Ignoring the advice of his father, he
flew too close to the sun, melted his waxen wings, and
crashed into the ocean. If Bill Clinton or Martha Stewart
had heeded the wisdom resonating in their collective
domain, they might have avoided their foretold painful
outcomes.
A woman who closes down when a relationship
becomes too intimate is living the myth of Daphne who,
overwhelmed by the pursuit of Apollo, is transformed
into a laurel tree. A young man seeking to reestablish a
formerly successful family business is reenacting the story
20 The Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga