An ancient Indian legend tells that every soul records every moment of its existence in an ethereal “book,” and that it is possible to “read” it. The word akasha comes from Sanskrit in India and is usually translated as sky, space, or ether, but is originally said to refer to a radiant luminosity. In Indian tradition, akasha was regarded as the first of the five elements, followed by air, fire, water, and earth. The name of what we call the Milky Way is known in India as Akash Ganga.
The Akashic Records are sometimes described as a cosmic library—an information bank containing everything that has ever happened and everything that will happen. All knowledge, past, present, and future, is said to be preserved in the Records, which are also called God’s memory and the Book of Life. It is said that all information about every individual and every event throughout eternity is encoded in this universal archive, and that it is also possible for us to access it.
Some believe that the ability to connect to this field is what enables certain people to develop psychic abilities such as clairvoyance. In simpler terms, one might say it is what we commonly call intuition—a sense of what is right or what is unfolding.
In the book Science and the Akashic Field: An Integral Theory of Everything, the philosopher Ervin László developed a theory of an informational field in the cosmos where data is stored, and he argues that this theory also resolves the conflict between religious and scientific belief systems.
The legend of the Akashic Records once inspired me to write the following story:
Far away, in the most unknown regions of the distant East, there stood an ancient temple to which a woman one day arrived to visit a wise old guru whom she wished to ask for advice.
“Master,” said the woman, “what should I do to have a good and happy life?”
“You must empty your backpacks,” replied the master.
“What do you mean? I don’t have any backpacks,” the woman exclaimed in surprise.
“You cannot see them, but I see them clearly,” answered the master.
“Please explain,” said the woman.
“Human beings carry three backpacks through life,” replied the master. “In one they carry guilt, in the second they carry fear, and in the third they carry anger. The first creates the second, and the second creates the third. These three phenomena are what make a person unhappy and prevent a good life. When a person has emptied their backpacks of guilt, fear, and anger and instead filled them with love, they also build the bridges to a good and happy life.”
Another day, a young man came to the temple to meet the wise master.
“Master, what does it mean to be happy?” he asked.
“Ask ten people and you may get ten different answers,” said the master. “But regardless of what they answer, they all carry the same longing in their hearts: they want to be loved. To be loved, they must be seen, and to be seen, they must feel welcome.”
“But some people don’t seem to want to receive love,” the young man objected.
“Everyone wants love, but not everyone dares to receive it. This is because they did not feel affirmed, seen, welcomed, and accepted as children. Love can then feel like a threat, as it awakens the memory of a lack of love. This creates discomfort, which they try to eliminate by pushing love away. In relationships, they then create drama by playing the blame game through jealousy, insults, threats, and physical violence.”
“How, then, can one let go of this fear?”
“You cannot change something you do not admit exists. First, you must see where the problem lies. Then you can begin to bring awareness to and process the pain by examining it, speaking about it, and expressing it. This can happen through crying, through writing, or through other creative activities that give expression to feelings. What it is really about is building self-worth and thereby learning to love oneself instead of projecting pain onto others.”
Some time later, an elderly academic came to the temple to meet the old guru, who as usual sat on a cushion in the middle of the simple room.
“Master, I have researched all my life and traveled the world in search of knowledge, and recently I heard it claimed that the famous Akashic Records are said to be here. Is this true?”
“Yes,” replied the master.
“May I take a look at them?” asked the academic.
“Of course,” said the master. “Step into the room behind here and you will find what you are seeking.”
The academic walked resolutely past the master and entered the room. There he found a simple table with two candles. Between them lay a large, golden-shimmering book with a fabulously beautiful cover. Sweat began to break out on the man’s forehead, and his mouth was dry after the long journey. His hands trembled as he carefully opened the sacred book. With wide eyes, he flipped through page after page, then exclaimed:
“What kind of nonsense is this? There isn’t a single word in this book! All the pages are completely blank.” Exhausted and deeply disappointed, he sat down on the floor with his hands over his face. “Charlatan,” he muttered, shaking his head in dismay. Just then, a young monk entered the room carrying a broom and began carefully tidying the floor.
The academic looked at the monk and bitterly exclaimed:
“I’ve traveled the world to get here, hoping to find a valuable ancient book, and it turns out the whole thing is just a big hoax. It was truly naive of me to abandon the traditional academic path and even for a moment imagine that I could find some remarkable ancient knowledge in this godforsaken place.”
“What kind of knowledge are you seeking?” the monk asked.
“The knowledge of the Book of Life,” replied the academic.
“Ah,” said the monk, “like the fish that swims upstream to reach the source.”
“What do you mean?”
“Humanity can be likened to a school of fish in a polluted sea. A few dare to raise their heads above the surface from time to time, and some may even catch sight of a beautiful island. They must then find a way to lead the others there. Most, however, swim according to familiar patterns and are reluctant to break old habits. But to reach land, they must challenge themselves and find new abilities—develop legs and learn to walk. Only then can they explore the beautiful island and make use of the resources available to create a better life for all.”
“That sounds like a philosophical version of evolution and capitalism,” said the academic.
“Not if one understands the meaning,” said the monk. “There is a time to sow and a time to reap. A wise person tends their garden with a gentle hand and does not drown it in arrogance and greed. One who wishes to see paradise bloom must first water the garden of their own heart. To do that, a person must learn to distinguish between illusion and reality. Those who are lost within themselves create illusions for others, who then believe this is the only and natural path.”
“I don’t understand what you’re talking about,” the academic objected in frustration. “I came here to find an important book, not to ramble about gardens and illusions. I was told that the famous Akashic Records would be here, but that does not seem to be the case at all.”
“Oh yes,” said the monk kindly, “they are right behind you,” and he pointed to a curtain on the wall before leaving the room.
The academic turned around and, with tense anticipation, walked forward and pulled the curtain aside.
Behind it sat a large mirror.
Michael Delavante, The Akashic Records – the book that contains everything
