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If we view the development of the ego through the lens of the evolution of consciousness, we can see the importance that this evolutionary step plays. The process of individuation opens up the potentiality of new, complex interactions, creative development and faster evolutionary change.
Seekers throughout the ages have struggled with the issue of how to deal with the pressures and circumstances of the exte al world. They recognise the swing of emotions, feelings and thoughts that occur as they receive input from people and events. They recognise that sometimes this causes them to lose control and do things that are counter-productive, or which create enormous internal stresses and disturb the calm of the mind and emotions, the nervous and vital framework and even the operations of their physical bodies.
When we look at the working of Nature, we see ample evidence of inbred habits of action and reaction, which we call ‘instinct’ in the world of animals, and which we call the laws of physics in the material world. Consider how it is possible, for instance, that Monarch butterflies carry out a multi-thousand mile migration across four generations of butterflies. There are no schools for butterflies to learn what they need to do in the next generation, so we cannot call thus “nurture” — it is inbred into their genetic instructions.
Depression and anger represent two types of response to a vital impulse or desire which has been thwarted, or to exte al pressures which try to overwhelm the individual. When we understand the action of the 3 gunas, or qualities of nature, sattwa, rajas and tamas, it is easy to see that when tamas is predominant, the being tends to respond with the symptoms of depression; while when rajas is dominant, the expression of anger takes place.
As long as an individual lives ‘aimlessly’, without recognising a higher purpose in life, there is no way to appreciate and measure the actions of the exte al nature with respect to any variance from that aim or purpose. The aim or purpose comes with the identification with the soul, the psychic being, which is connected to the divine spiritual being that is One and which is manifesting in the universal creation through all the individual points of reference that we consider to be individual beings.
There are many functions of our existence that take place without the conscious awareness or intervention of the mind. All of the complex functions of the body and its organs, for instance, are very much independent of control by our conscious mind and will, although some of these functions may, through intensive training and focus, come under at least partial control, such as the generation of inner heat in the Tibetan practice of tummo.
When we are met with ideas or understanding propounded by others that we do not agree with we tend to create a mental barrier as a defense and then develop our mental arguments to contradict or overtu the proposed ideas. There is very little, if any, true understanding that comes out of such interactions. People wind up ‘talking past’ one another as if they are engaged in two separate and different conversations. There is also no basis for achieving a greater harmony from such interactions.
In any technical field, there are both a general statement of goals and principles, as well as specific steps that should be applied to achieve those results. In many endeavours, particularly those involved in dealing with the physical world and the science that operates in that world, the process is relatively straightforward and consistent and anyone applying those steps would expect to achieve the stated end result. Thus, we rely on airplanes, using principles enunciated by mechanical physicals and aerodynamics, to be able to take off and fly around the world.
It is one thing to adopt, in one’s mind, the idea that since the Divine is doing the work, we need simply accept the idea and let things take their course. It is an entirely different thing if we actually want to accomplish the transformation needed to bring about a change in human nature based on evolutionary growth and development. There is a long debate about whether we have ‘free will’ or whether everything is determined by fate, or destiny, dependent origination or karmic consequence. The mind wants to have a simple solution that tends to be either ‘yes’ or ‘no’, ‘black’ or ‘white’.
While we tend to believe that our consciousness is centered in the region of the brain, or in some cases, the heart, there is really a much broader framework for consciousness. There are different forms that consciousness takes. These forms vibrate at different frequencies and are then taken up and processed by the various subtle energy centers aligned along the spine, based on which vibratory pattern and frequency can be picked up by these centres or chakras, as they are called. Thus, vibrations that occur at a level that we call ‘mental’, i.e. thoughts, perceptions, etc.
Every aspect of life, and every plane of existence vibrates at its own unique frequency. As an individual develops, he can begin to resonate with and respond to the vibrations of various levels of existence. This also gives him the ability to feel and recognise the similar vibration when it is being projected by another individual. When this vibration is recognised, it may be experienced as a ‘feeling’, or, the mind may be able to translate this feeling into an understanding of what the significance of the vibration is. In such instances, the mind may cognize the action of the psychic or soul
For most people, the concept of ‘sincerity’ is connected with how they relate to other people, in an open, natural and honest way, without duplicity or hypocrisy. The idea that sincerity can relate to oneself and one’s inner life is something that spiritual aspirants grapple with. Sincerity is an essential quality for the spiritual seeker as it implies that the thoughts, emotions, vital responses and physical reactions align with the deepest aspiration. Without sincerity, the aspiration is basically thwarted, diverted or obstructed in the exte al being.
Most people identify themselves with their exte al being, their body-life-mind complex. They assign a name to that being and they answer to that name. They are totally immersed in the needs, wants, and directions that that exte al being is taking. When they awaken to a deeper spiritual urge, they talk about “finding the soul” as if the soul is an element of that exte al being.
Every spiritual discipline, every path, has its unique challenges and difficulties. One cannot minimize the issues that anyone taking up the spiritual life must face. Almost all of these paths traditionally have focused on liberation of the individual seeker, regardless of the specific methodology employed. The stories are legendary.
Confusion about the spiritual being and the psychic being is not the only source of misunderstanding about the source of inspirations, feelings, and thoughts that arise as the individual shifts away from exclusive focus on the surface exte al being and begins to gain experience of the inner being. It becomes necessary then to recognize that the mind, the life and the body have not only an exte al, surface action, but also have an inner or subtle action .
Developing exte al power through the use of technology has several unexpected or unintended consequences. One of these, of course, is to give us powers of observation and action that were not available to us through the normal progression of physical, vital and mental development. In order to develop such exte al powers, a corresponding inner development is of course also required, as it requires a power of insight, intuition, imagination, perseverance, reasoning, etc. Thus, the development of any exte al power has a corresponding inner movement associated with it.
Today’s civilisation is fixated on possession and ownership of material things, and people are generally respected and honored for their ability to accumulate resources. This has led to extreme inequality in terms of the resources available for use by people on the planet, as a very small number of highly successful (in a material sense) people control ever-larger resources, while vast numbers of people go hungry or live a life of privation and suffering from physical want. The entire culture is permeated with suggestions, images and pressure to acquire and ‘own” more and more.
Endurance can be trained and developed. There are entire philosophical programs that have developed to systematically help an individual face the pressures and circumstances of the world with a sense of equality and equanimity. Some of these disciplines rely on acclimating the body to handle increasing stress. One well-known escape artist from the 20th century used to immerse himself in a bathtub of ice in order to prepare his body for extremely cold water during his performances. Others do systematic training to harden their bodies and prepare them for various extreme conditions.
Most people respond to life as it comes to them and react according to the energy that they are able to receive and process in some form or another. They remain immersed in the exte al personality. They become the fear, the anger, the hunger, the thirst, the craving, the pleasure, the pain, the joy, the sorrow, etc. They are attached to the impressions and sensations and how their internal awareness feels about them.
When we read Sri Aurobindo’s aphorism noted below, we tend to focus on the second part of the equation, the “bar” to achieving the higher result. There is an implication thereby that we have already achieved the first part and that we are thus ready to proceed to the next phase or stage of inner growth. In some cases, we assign a moral value to the two states and try to apply this generally, such that we treat desire and ego as bad things that need to be removed, and we may even go so far as to try to extrapolate this to others, not just for our own spiritual growth.
Sri Aurobindo frequently describes going inward to discover the deepest inner being, the psychic being, or soul, as one way to come into contact with the truth of one’s existence and unify one’s being with the Divine. This is a way to overcome the artificial wall of separation that we set up that treats the Divine as something “other” than who or what we are, essentially recognising the inherent oneness of the entire creation, rather than accepting the illusion of duality.
In Savitri: A Legend and a Symbol, Sri Aurobindo poses the question: ‘How shall he cure the ills he never felt’, in reference to the world redeemer’s task. There is a truth here that impacts every disciple and devotee of the integral yoga. Sri Aurobnido has set the objective as the transformation of all of human nature through the descent and integration of the next stage of evolution beyond the mental level.
The vital forces that have, for the most part, gained substantial control of the earth-nature’s vital existence, are very protective of their ‘turf’, so to speak. They do not cede the ground easily, and once they are dismissed from an individual’s nature, they still maintain both their existence in the surrounding nature, and always try to either convince or overpower the seeker to regain their foothold in that individual.
For someone beginning with meditation, every aspect of the process raises a question. One of these questions relates to the body. The eventual goal is to attain a state whereby meditation can occur regardless of what the body is doing or how it is positioned. However, this is not usually the way things start out. Sri Aurobindo responds on this point.
We experience a growth of consciousness during the maturation process starting with birth and continuing as the infant becomes a school-age child, then grows into teenage years and passes through puberty and the hormonal changes that come with that period, then into young adulthood and experience of adult life, eventually as an elder who hopefully has gained some vision and reflection about life as he reflects on his experience.
The principle Patanjali set forth for the practice of samyajma provided that one would be identified with and gain complete knowledge with the object of the practice of concentration. Those who choose to identify with the vast galactic panorama of stars and space would find their consciousness widened and they would loosen the bonds of the narrow ego personality. Since the ego-personality is the knot of what the spiritual disciplines call bondage to the world of illusions, maya, this practice provides a useful opportunity to shift the consciousness to a wider and more disinterested sphere.
Children naturally have direct contact with the universal vital energy but this tends to fade into the background and be ‘lost’ as the mind ‘learns’ the ‘laws of nature’ which do not recognise the energy or its relationship to us. This is a circumstance of the artificially limiting action of the mind hindering the access to the larger reality of existence of which we are a part, and of which we partake at all times.
During the evolutionary development of the ascending powers of consciousness, the action of the soul is to provide an influence from behind, while the primary attention is fixated on the needed development of the powers of the exte al being, body, life and mind. This severely limits the direct action of the soul until everything is readied. There are however additional factors which both limit and distort the soul’s action in the exte al being.
How can we know that the spiritual force is actually working in us? An actual experience of a force or what is called a ‘spiritual experience’ is a specific, generally short-lived ‘event’ that enormous numbers of people have had. Yet, the experience recedes and the daily life goes on, seemingly in its old habitual patterns with little noticeable change, and with the old routines seemingly firmly entrenched.
Some spiritual seekers follow the path of knowledge, utilizing deep meditation in a trance-state called Samadhi, to put aside all interaction with the exte al world and focus intensely on the unification with the Supreme Truth, and liberation from the life of the body. Their goal is thus for a status outside the world of life and action. For these seekers, the world is an illusion that needs to be overcome so as to provide them an ‘exit ramp’ from the world. These individuals ‘de facto’ do not accept the manifested creation as having any real and substantive purpose or goal, and they seek sim
A yogic practice focus on transformation of human nature must necessarily address issues differently than one that has ‘liberation’ as its sole goal. This brings in the need for an understanding of the human instrument, the various elements of the being, the development of those elements through time, and the manner in which past stages form a basis for the current stage, with both its capacities and its limitations.
There is a discipline that asks an individual to focus on conscious attention to each thought, each emotion and each movement he makes, through a process called ‘mindfulness’. This is intended primarily to center the individual’s mind and attention and focus the person on the present moment rather than having the mind jumping in all different directions. The process however can also be utilized proactively as part of a development of physical culture, the use of conscious attention to strengthen the physical being and bring its activity into a harmonious and consistent movement.
People frequently seek for a very specific, directed form of practice which will provide liberation and spiritual perfection. They ask ‘what is the best form of practice’? Sri Aurobindo takes a much more flexible approach which is based on the need and development of the individual practitioner, the unique capacities that seeker brings to the process at a particular point in time, and the unique challenges a particular individual must face given their pre-existing habits and formations.
Our attitude to the development of what many call “psychic powers” is ambivalent, at best. Our popular culture is awash with movies, books, television programs and any number of healers, psychics, and occult practitioners plying their trade in our society.
A relatively frequent occurrence for the spiritual aspirant is to reach the boundary wall of consciousness and get a glimpse or experience of the spiritual consciousness without limits. This experience, when it comes, may raise up tremendous fear in the individual and he reacts, almost automatically and spontaneously, drawing himself away from that unlimited field and back into his own comfortable ego-self. The reaction is one of the ego-consciousness that fears its dissolution.
While each power of consciousness, physical, vital, mental (and others) operates in its native mode and strength in its own plane or sphere of action, it projects itself into the world we inhabit by tying itself to the foundation of the basic physical principle. This involves a ‘watering down’ of the native action of the power in question, while also creating a ‘mixing’ effect so that each level of consciousness is not only attenuated, but also forced to interact with the other principles and thereby develop a hybrid action.
When we are interested in something we naturally focus on that to the exclusion of other distractions. Time passes and we do not notice it. Things that would ordinarily engage our attention are disregarded. This power of ‘one pointed’ concentration is however elusive when it arises just out of natural interest. If we try to engage this power of concentration in other aspects of our lives, we find it is not so easy. The primary issue is one of distraction, and again, the distractions arise through various parts of the being seeking their own interests and forms of fulfillment.
The first time we experience something it starts to create a “groove” in our neural network, nerves or responsive centers. As the experience recurs, the groove becomes a ‘pathway’. Eventually, the pathway becomes an embedded habit. When a similar vibration is experienced, it ‘automatically’ follows the established patterns, which is why it is harder to break a habit than to avoid starting one to begin with.
Most of us, when we reflect on the quality of “peace” think about finding an exte al situation that is quiet and isolated from the activities of the social body, whether it be politics, the economy, or inter-personal relationships. Peace for us is something that exists through the absence of disturbance. We then say we are “at peace”. We also tend to relegate “peace” to the dead and departed when we say “rest in peace”. The peace of death is, for many, the ultimate description of “peace”.
Every level of consciousness is limited by the frame within which it operates, as well as by the mechanism of its action within that frame. In its own field of action, with its own native operation, the mind can be a powerful tool and aid to the individual. Yet, when it tries to assert for itself the power to judge things and forces that are beyond its frame of reference, it becomes an obstacle to a deeper understanding.
Earlier stages of human development kept the development of spiritual focus and occult powers to small groups of initiates, people who were vetted and who in many cases had to undergo special disciplines and ‘tests’ to ensure they were both worthy and capable of developing and holding the powers that would inevitably develop. This brought about an age that created the teacher/student, guru/shishya relationships and eventually the development of Ashrams, training institutions and schools for teaching the disciplines and practices to the selected students.
Particularly in the West, historically, but more and more a world-wide phenomenon in the modern era, there is a strong bias toward the idea that one needs to be a “self-made man”, implying that it is through individual strength and accomplishment that one can accomplish anything. This bias is something of an illusion, even in the exte al world and its results, as much of the success we see in the world may be the result of family or school connections, or just being in the right place at the right time.
Western psychology has developed with the basis that the subconscious mind is extremely powerful and can determine actions and reactions of individuals that overcome the conscious intentions of those individuals. Events, circumstances, perceptions, and corresponding fears, hopes and excitement, deep-seated emotions, all wind up in the subconscient, ‘out of sight and out of mind’ so to speak.
We tend to attract those energies, beings and forces to us that respond to the vibratory pattern of our thoughts, emotions, feelings, desires and physical state. Keeping this in mind, we can review our relationship to places of worship, whether a temple, mosque, church or other. Some individuals, and on some occasions, bring true devotion to the place of worship. Yet, we also see many other drives, desires and motives operating as people visit their local shrine. A major motive is desire.
It is inevitable that as long as the human standpoint remains active, there will be periods of doubt, depression, dissatisfaction, weakness, and self-doubt. The action of the Gunas ensures there will be such periods when the enthusiasm and focus, energy and optimism depart and darkness tries to strangle the spiritual aspiration of the seeker. If the shift to the divine standpoint occurs, such events cannot occur as the seeker is liberated from the small, narrow human egoistic viewpoint which holds these types of conce s and reactions.
The focus on attacks by hostile forces, and difficulties faced, easily engages the ego-personality in a form of vanity. It strengthens the hold of the ego, rather than loosening attachment to open the way for the shift to the divine standpoint. When it takes a rajasic form, the ego glorifies in the fight against the ‘powerful forces’ that are attacking constantly. When it takes a tamasic form, the ego wallows in despair that it is being overwhelmed without assistance as these forces attack.
The chakras are subtle energy centers, not physical centers in the body, although they generally correspond to various physical capacities ranged along the exte al body. They essentially act as vibrational ‘receptors’ and transmitters of energies. When they are closed or very much shut down, the energy that would normally work through them tends to be weak or missing in the manifestation of any being. Evolution of consciousness and its expression in the exte al being involves the systematic development and opening of the higher subtle energy centers.
Someone has their astrological chart done, and by that they are able to determine the location of the various planets and the sun and moon and the constellations in relation to their birth. They will learn about the hardships they will face, the major life events they can expect, and the opportunities that lie in front of them. Some people reject the entire concept of astrology, while others treat it as a true relation of their future and take the information they receive from their chart to heart.
Speech not only can affect one’s own energy, but it can also affect one’s relationship with others and the dynamics of a social relationship and a community. For the most part, people tend to speak whatever comes to them without a great deal (if any) reflection. This practice however can have grave and negative consequences in interpersonal relationships and for any society. The loss of civility, an increase in anger and hatred, polarization are all symptoms of speech that has gone far beyond the bounds within which it acts as a positive influence.
Our surface awareness is basically the ‘tip of the iceberg’. Most of what takes place in our being occurs outside of the range of our active exte al perception of the senses and mental awareness. Even the interactions with the exte al reality we experience represent only a small fraction of the input we are receiving from that exte al reality.