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If we look at the individual life as separate from the rest of the creation, and claim that it starts at birth and ends at death, there seems to be no rationale or meaning for that life, nor can we explain the evolutionary progression of awareness, understanding, growth, and development that we see before us.
The Taittiriya Upanishad presents a methodology or practice to gain direct knowledge of the Ete al. The seeker is asked to practice tapasya, variously translated as concentration in thought, or concentration of force by Sri Aurobindo. Tapasya cannot be easily or completely understood through these concepts in English. It is a form of internal concentration that goes beyond what we know of as ‘thought’ and is more akin to the type of concentration that transcends the thinking mind and brings one to an awareness of pure consciousness. The seeker practices tapasya and first recognises physical s
Those who wish to develop and utilize the power of intuition in their own lives have to address their active mental process, so as to open up the receptivity to the higher intuitive force, and allow it to modify the action of the mentality itself. There is a parable out of the teachings of Jesus that says essentially that one does not put new wine into old bottles. This is relevant here, as the intuition cannot be jumbled successfully into the normal mental process that is the standard known by most people.
Under the influence of the gnostic consciousness, the entire framework of the mental organisation of life, which we accept as assumed and given, would necessarily be modified. The very basis of viewing and understanding things would have to shift from one of division and separation to one of unity and oneness. This will have profound effects all spheres of human endeavor.
We could say that it is almost a universal experience. A child expresses some sentiment, some idea about what he or she would like to do, something that soars beyond the mundane daily existence, something that makes things better, increases the beauty and harmony of life, cherishes life, and then the elders, parents, relatives, teachers, make it clear to the child that their dreams are not ‘practical’ and they should instead focus on their studies and preparing for a career or job that will provide them a stable livelihood in their adult lives.
When we are confronted with difficulties, we employ several different types of responses, mainly depending on instinct, habit, training and the play of the three Gunas, the qualities of Nature, Sattwa, Rajas and Tamas. Sometimes we respond with more effort, sometimes we lapse into depression and sometimes we take a longer-range view and accept the process and the necessary time.
In the Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna poses the question to Sri Krishna as to how to identify the realised soul, asking how does he act, how does he speak, etc. Sri Krishna responds that it is not through outer action that one can identify the liberated individual, as this is something that can only be understood from the inner state of consciousness of that individual.
In the ordinary life in society, food plays an especially important and high profile role. We treat food as a centerpiece of our various celebrations, as rewards, as comfort when we are under stress and as something we consumer out of boredom or inattention. Food taste, food preparation, food choices all become major topics of consideration and discussion.
When we see things from the viewpoint of our ego-personality, with our limited life-span, and our insecurities based on the limitations of our knowledge and power we frequently experience bouts of anxiety or at least uncertainty about the reality of what we are doing, about the truth of the spiritual path, and about our ability to face all the obstacles and overcome them to obtain the objective we have set before ourselves.
An illness is a vibrational pattern that impacts the body and its normal operations. If one does not succeed in rejecting it before it breaks through the protective vital sheath and then, if one fails to prevent it from taking hold at all in the physical body, one is left with having to deal with the illness that is active in the body and vibrating the physical substance. As we see with all physical forms, they attain a type of “solidity” that makes them less maleable and able to be dealt with, and the physical body shares some of that attribute.
The vital nature craves excitement. It also craves recognition and acknowledgement, in the form of vanity, aggrandisement of the ego, and seeking for fame. The vital nature is also quite impatient and wants to see results right away. When the vital nature enters into the spiritual realm, it brings the seeker to the idea that by suppressing the impulses, by torturing the body, by crippling the mental functions, it can achieve the result, ‘storming the gates of heaven’, so to speak.
Human beings are talkative creatures. The power of speech, the power of language is one of the most highly developed areas of difference from most other species on the planet (there are other beings that have speech, but to date we have not found them to have the complexity and breadth of capacity for conceptual speech that we find in humanity). We talk about everything, from our daily activities and needs, to subtle concepts of science of philosophy. We have developed numerous languages, and many of these languages have tens of thousands of words.
As noted, to be conscious is a broadly applicable term, not just to one’s own body-life-mind complex but to all factors in the universal creation, the flow of time, the development of circumstances, the relations between the individual and the society, world, environment and universal forces. A seeker, however, generally wants to start with the basics, becoming conscious of his own nexus of awareness and learning how to achieve control and mastery within that limited scope.
The Vedic Rishis sought the Truth, the Right, the Vast. (satyam, rtam, brihat). They understood that the awareness limited to the ego-personality, the individual body-life-mind complex, was incomplete and could not comprehend the truth or meaning of existence. They sought to identify with the larger reality that manifested our existence as part of its own, not simply as separate beings. What many do not recognise is that this is not some concept of pure philosophy, but an actual experience of consciousness.
One of the most frequent conce s raised by people generally is their inability to get a good night’s sleep. Insomnia, as well as restless sleep, seems to be a widespread concern. Among practitioners of yoga, the conce goes even farther, in that they desire to convert sleep into a luminous, rather than a dull or dark period of life, particularly given the fact that we tend to spend 30% or more of our lives asleep or attempting to sleep.
The vital nature generally craves praise and becomes upset with criticism. This habit has been increased by the rise of social media with the ‘likes’ and ‘dislikes’ that appear on various posts, videos and blogs. People work hard to increase their ‘likes’ and ‘followers’ and make that almost an end in itself to justify their activities, ideas, actions and reactions to themselves through this exte al form of validation.
For most people, acute illness is an event of the body, which is subject to attack by various malign types of germs, bacteria and viruses. We tend to envision the body as a battlefield and the attacking germs aggressively target the cells and organs and the body fights back with an immune response. The combination of the effects of the attack and the defense create the symptoms that we associate with a particular illness.
The objective is almost unimaginably complex and difficult. Changing human nature, including the inheritance humanity brings from the animal evolutionary process, is not something that is quickly or easily accomplished. It cannot also be done entirely by the action of human mind and will power. If we waited on Nature to accomplish the change, it could take many thousands of years, as we have seen with the development of life, and its increasingly complex formulations out of matter, and the development of mind, and its impact on life and matter.
Human interactions, human relationships have both a surface meaning and a subtle hidden energetic action. One of the most powerful vital energies in human life is sexual relations. By examining how this force operates, both overtly and on the occult levels, we can quickly see the mechanism that takes place with all vital forces at work in human affairs.
In our modern world, we see the wide dissemination of yoga, primarily as a means of gaining some measure of control over the body, through the postures developed and taught under the rubric of ‘hatha yoga’. In many instances, teachers of hatha yoga have taken the step of teaching their students about breathing techniques, called ‘pranayama’, as well as various forms of meditation, chanting and devotional singing. Hatha yoga is taught as a means to obtain health, fitness, wellness, and flexibility of the body and potentially as a way to address stress, insomnia, and lack of peace in the mind.
It is difficult, if not impossible, for the mental awareness to understand experiences of consciousness outside of the mind’s normal ranges of operation.
Transforming human nature does not happen ove ight. There are thus periods when the spiritual force is actively experienced and descending into the being; and then, there are other periods where it needs to adjust the responses of the mind, the life energy and the physical body to both hold and accommodate the impact of the force and thereby create the needed changes. Sri Aurobindo describes this process as one of ascent and integration.
For those individuals called to take up the integral yoga, there is a unique opportunity and a unique set of conce s that arise. Those paths of yoga which aim at liberation have their own difficulties. It is not simple to escape the lures of the exte al life, or even to undertake one-pointed concentration to the exclusion of anything else. Yet there are methods, and there are defined results, and at the end, with sufficient determination and practice, the seeker in the traditional paths of yoga can reach his objective.
A powerful technique for inner growth and understanding is to sit quietly and simply observe one’s thoughts and feelings as they arise. Then, trace back any of them to where and how it arose. What triggered it? Where did it come from? Initially it is difficult to successfully carry out this practice as the next thought comes along and we tend to jump to that one; however, with time and patience, one can begin to isolate any specific thought or feeling and track it backwards. Invariably one finds that something from outside triggered it, even if it seems to arise from inside oneself.
In his application of yoga as applied psychology, Sri Aurobindo identifies a number of different planes and parts of the being that make up the human individual. There are various levels of mind, vital being and physical being. Each level carries out specific types of functions and responds to specific vibrational patterns and is generally activated through the energy that flows through one of the subtle energy centers, or chakras.
Everything that exists in the universe has an energy signature or frequency which is manifested by light, colour and sound, whether perceived by our limited sense capabilities or outside their range. As the seeker begins to shift awareness inwards, he is no longer totally reliant on the exte al sense organs and thus, as openness to other planes or worlds begins to occur, he can start to perceive the energetic signature of forms, forces and beings that operate on these other planes.
The importance of preparation of the nature for the spiritual quest, the development of a solid and unshakable aspiration and devotion, and growth of both an understanding and the ability to distinguish what one is seeing and experiencing, cannot be overstated. As the seeker moves into the inner realms of awareness, he may come into contact with vital worlds that represent forces and beings inimical to the spiritual quest.
Santosh Krinsky gave this talk to outline both the existential crisis we are facing in the world today, tying together numerous different symptoms into a view of the larger issues we are facing, as well as the causative factors and the direction for solving this crisis through the development of the next phase of the growth of consciousness on the planet, the development of the supramental consciousness, beyond the mental level.
We observe everywhere that Nature has a development cycle, with focus of attention on what needs to take place at each stage of that cycle, rather than simply jumping ahead to an 'end result' of the development. Thus, we see that plants undergo a stage of sprouting from seed, and the first focus is on putting out a root system and leaves, then stems and trunks, more leaves, and eventually they come to a stage of flowering and bearing of fruit, which then leads to a new seed generation and repeat of the cycle.
The questions of what happens to us after we die, whether we are reborn, and if so, in what form or manner have occupied human beings from time immemorial. What is the purpose of life and what are we, as conscious individuals, supposed to do with the life we are living?
Every great power that humanity discovers and wields in the world has both its negative and its positive side. It can either be utilized to destroy or to support, benefit and create. For example, humanity has harnessed the use of fire. Fire can burn down the house, or it can cook one’s food. Rocket technology can be used to create weapons, or to explore the solar system. Certain medicines can be used to poison an individual.
There is a tendency among human beings to react with extremes. Something is either ‘yes’ or ‘no’. ‘black’ or ‘white’, ‘positive’ or ‘negative’. This occurs due to the linear nature of the mental consciousness aided by a vital nature that wants to assert itself by being ‘right’.
We tend to imagine that somehow the mind, the vital energy and the physical body we identify through our ego-complex as ourselves, is separate from those of everyone else. In reality, however, the physical, vital and mental substance is universal in nature and the portion we try to wall off within our ego-awareness is part of that universal Nature. It is like the idea of submerging an open-mouth jar into the ocean. The water that migrates into the jar is the same water that surrounds the jar, and the water flows back and forth between what is ‘inside’ and what is outside.
The imposition of the exte al world on our mind and senses is so powerful that we don’t pay attention to the vast universe of galaxies and stars. In former times, before the world was widely illuminated by lighting at night, there was at least some opportunity for people to be outside at night, and see the broad array of stars, and wonder about what it all meant. In today’s world, however, one would have to go to a remote location, or to a place that had no electrification, to even see the stars most of the time.
First, we must remember that Sri Aurobindo and the Mother relate the term ‘psychic’ to the soul, the aspect of the individual that maintains a direct connection with the Divine. The soul is an organising principle within the earth-consciousness and, while it maintains a connection to the Divine, nevertheless is rooted in the evolutionary principle of the earth-consciousness. The psychic being, which has developed and evolved over innumerable lifetimes, is based in the earth-evolutionary process and through aspiration is able to come into contact with the spiritual realms and spiritual powers a
If we observe ourselves carefully, we find that as a natural consequence of the distractions and the dispersion of the consciousness, we have little if any calm and peace in the being. We experience not only the more overt forms of anxiety and concern, but the more subtle forms of nervous disquiet and mental lack of ease.
When we are injured or affected by a disease condition that can cause pain, we find that the nerves attached to the injured area capture a vibration and transmit it to the brain as a signal we associate with pain. This signal is intended to spur us to some form of action to relieve the causative factor.
Many people confuse spirituality and religion and then try to associate various spiritual paths with specific religious traditions. Spirituality, however, is not based in the beliefs, practices, or customary folkways of any religion. Spirituality seeks for direct experience of the greater reality of existence, independent of the mind’s ideas or beliefs, independent of any particular philosophical direction, independent of any emotional or vital relationships.
Yogic practitioners have a number of different methods they have utilized to try to gain control over the movement of vital desire. The disturbances caused by desire, and the distractions that result are clearly inimical to success in the yogic sadhana. Some, like those who practice various forms of the tantric tradition, believe that the ‘hero-yogin’ can conquer desire through conscious indulgence. For most people, however, this becomes an excuse that the vital uses to convince the mind to ‘play along’.
Sri Aurobindo took up yoga, not for individual salvation or to abandon the life of the world, but to aid in transforming life, for action in the world.
We tend to pay attention to the various forms of exte al communication that take place between people. Written, verbal, and visual non-verbal cues through body language or expression, are all considered to be the major means of creating a relation between individuals. What we do not always recognise, however, is the impact and importance of the subtle, subliminal communication that is constantly taking place. We understand that there are vibrations that fall outside the spectrum that we can consciously perceive with our senses.
People have an inner ‘commentary’ and ‘sound track’ going on virtually constantly in their heads. The ‘sound track’ may be a piece of music they heard which keeps repeating in their minds, what is colloquially called an ‘ear worm’. It may also be something of far less enjoyment such as a constant ringing in the ears, tinnitus, that can drive people eventually to distraction, disrupt sleep and rest, and make the individual tired and irritable.
As long as we remain rooted in the awareness of mind-life-body, we see the world and our existence as a fragmented collection of separate objects, beings and forces and we act as if we are separate and distinct from everything else. The spiritual transformation of consciousness involves a shift of standpoint to that of oneness, where we can see and experience the unity of the entire creation, and can act from the deeper intention of that unified existence.
As we are primarily based in our ego-consciousness, we tend to accept that ideas we have, feelings we have, emotions we express, needs and desires we seek after, are all what make up ourselves, our personality, our persistent individuality. We identify with a specific religion, political movement, philosophy, or way of life and we think that we somehow are independent and created this for ourselves.
From a superficial perspective it is virtually impossible to understand the development of consciousness from Matter to Life, and from Life to Mind, and beyond. We now recognize that our beliefs and actions are conditioned by factors unseen and essentially unknown to us. C. G. Jung described the “collective unconscious” where many factors, not obvious to our conscious minds, lead us to act and react to situations, people and circumstances, including desires, tendencies, and impulsions of various sorts.
The Mother illustrates the difficulty of transforming the vital nature. None of this is either fast or easy, given the complexity of human nature and, in particular, the vital being. There are also deeply entrenched habits of action and reaction and a general force of vital nature that lives in the collective environment, and thus, can always impact the individual, even if he happens to have made substantial progress within his own psychological identity.
There is a substantial and well-known danger of the vital nature taking advantage of the force that comes down through the psychic aspiration and using it to advance objectives of the vital rather than those that carry out the intended purpose of the Divine Power. There is a well known connection, for instance, between the opening of the heart centre and its emotions and the activation of the sexual impulse, when the being has not been sufficiently prepared and purified in its ability to receive and hold the higher force as it descends.
Sri Aurobindo describes a goal for humanity which involves a change of consciousness and the transformation of human nature. There is considerable debate about whether it is possible to change human nature, or whether we are doomed to be stuck in our animal nature for all times. Sri Aurobindo acknowledges that the process of changing human nature is difficult, that the long-held habits of the physical and vital nature of man continue to exert their strong control over our actions, despite our highest ideals and mental conceptions.
A seeker treading the path of spiritual growth and enlightenment is confronted with a confusing mix of experiences and insights, as well as obstacles and setbacks of various kinds. A working knowledge of the various “moving parts” involved in the consciousness of the human being is valuable to help the seeker address the issues that arise. Sri Aurobindo has identified the major elements of human awareness as well as the stages that develop during the growth and evolution of consciousness.
Virtually everyone has had the experience, at some point or another of finally overcoming a particularly difficult internal issue, whether it is the force of desire, or not responding with anger to things that do not go as anticipated, or any number of other activities that take place in the physical, the vital or the mental elements of the being; and then, when one is feeling satisfied that a real progress has been made, there is a circumstance that demolishes that sense of accomplishment with a recognition that one has once again given in to the impulsion or the provocation and repeated what