Toward Ecosophy

1) The astral plane is the plane of concrete consciousness; the mental plane is the plane of abstract consciousness. Think of a simple mathematical equation -- say, 2 + 2 = 4. When you say that to yourself, or imagine the letters written, that's an astral experience. The meaning of it -- the unitary relationship that's expressed by those five symbols -- is an astral experience. For another example, if you learn a word in an unfamiliar language and don't know what it means, the word is a purely astral experience. Once you learn the meaning, it's a combined astral and mental experience -- and if you compare that word to other words you know that mean almost the same thing, and experience the difference in their meanings, that's a mental experience.

2) That's not a simple process! Human beings don't yet have mental bodies -- we have a much simpler structure, a mental sheath, which is in the process of evolving into a mental body. Everything you do that brings you into contact with abstract meaning, from reading a poem to thinking about a problem to practicing discursive meditation, helps with that process. There have been many systems of mind training over the years; all of them involve some degree of meditation, so that's always a good place to start.

3) Again, this is a function of our limited capacities on the mental plane. If you can learn to see yourself clearly, exactly as you are, you're most of the way to enlightenment.