Growth Online > Knowledge Base > Personal/Spiritual Growth > Connecting to Spirit
Connecting to Spirit
(spirituality for the individual)
INTRODUCTION TO PAGE
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In this section of the Growth Online Knowledge Base, we present our original thoughts, as well as links to our original articles on the Personal Growth topic of "Connecting to Spirit." (If you wish, you can see our other Personal Growth categories.) First we speak about the nature of the spirit is for the individual, and then our purpose in life relative to the spirit. Then we discuss the three central spiritual methods of connecting to Spirit: Consecration, Moving to the Depths, and Surrender. Consecration is to open to the Force before engaging in an activity. Moving to the Depths (or Concentration) is a movement away from the surface existence to a deeper existence within. In the deepest depths one discovers the Personal Evolving Soul. Surrender is to offer all one's work, one's life to the Divine Force and Intent. (It occurs generally after one has connected with the Personal Evolving Soul.) The recommended approach for the average person is to begin consecrating every act to enable magnificent results, and over time move the consciousness into the depths, which will enable better consecration. When you reach the Evolving Soul in the depths, then you can begin a life of Surrender to the Divine.
We then cover many other topics related to connecting to the spirit, including aspiration, faith, oneness, delight of Being, and others.)
THE
NATURE OF SPIRIT FOR THE INDIVIDUAL
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On Spirituality
Spirituality is in its essence an awakening to the inner reality of our
being, to a spirit, self, soul ... an inner aspiration to enter into
contact with the greater Reality ... a turning, converting, a
transformation of our whole being ... into a new self, a new nature.
(Sri Aurobindo)
On Spirituality
Spirituality is the unfolding of this Divinity (or the Spirit) within
us. (MSS)
Nature's Four Ways to the
Inner Life
The course of Nature has followed four ways to open up our inner lives
-- through religion, occultism, spiritual thought, and inner spiritual
realization. Only the last is decisive. (Paraphrase of Sri Aurobindo)
Stages of Knowing Spirit
It is one thing to have knowledge of spirit. It is another to feel
spirit as experienced perceptive knowledge. It is yet another to feel it
as sensations, in our nerves. We know it truly when we embody it in the
physical, in our bodies, fulfilling a key objective of spirit's
evolutionary emergence through matter.
Spirit and Man
The
Spirit has moved from its high pedestal and has journeyed to the door of
man, stationing Itself there. Will man turn his attention to It? Will he
find the Spirit as attractive as the Spirit finds man attractive?
(MSS)
The Spiritual
Individual
The
Spiritual Individual lives IN the world, guided by the Psychic Being,
which gives inner strength, power, inspiration, and guidance, depending
not on the social influence, nor withdrawing from that society to be
alone in spirit. Life will oblige him at every step along the way.
Nature and Purpose
of Spirit
In the deepest
recesses of your being within you find spirit.
Sri Aurobindo, the Indian sage and seer says that spirituality is an awakening to the inner reality of our being, to a spirit, to the true self, to the soul within, in order that we may be able to enter into contact with the greater Spiritual Reality.
Connecting to the Spiritual Reality, the Being is accomplished by establishing a connection within yourself to your deepest parts, to your soul parts. By connecting within, finding the spirit there, the Being within you, enables not only the experience of one's own soul space but readily connects you with the greater ocean of spirit contained in the Divine reality.
The Divine created this universe in the first place, to extend his powers in life so that these spiritual attributes and powers can be utilized by all of the inhabitants of the globe; including Peace, Power, Strength, Delight, Love, Beauty, Knowledge, Truth, and others.
Discovering the
Spirit Within
In this
interview
Roy Posner, President of Growth Online, discusses how we can find
the spirit within us to enable infinite delight as well as infinite
accomplishment and success in life.
To see the interview go to:
http://www.gurusoftware.com/GuruNet/Interviews/Spirit.htm
Connecting to
Spirit as Householder, Aspirant, or In Between
It is true that we
are slowly evolving from mental to spiritual beings. In fact, as mental
beings, we can now consciously make the decision and effort to
connect with spirit in any area of our lives. By connecting with Spirit,
we experience a continuous silence and Presence within; we tend to move
from selfishness to selflessness and self-givingness; and we tend to
have the wherewithal to see the true truths unfolding around us to make
the right decisions and take to the right actions that lead to powerful
positive results. We also experience an ongoing joy and delight of
being.
Can all of us simply take to this spiritual-oriented way of life without any distinctions in our approach? It would seem that it would be best to have a variety of approaches to accommodate differences in people. Therefore, let's consider two approaches toward the spirit; one from the perspective of the 'householder'; and the other from the perspective of the 'spiritual aspirant'. The former tries to bring spirit into life in order to create success, harmony, and well-being in family life; the latter directs his life to his own physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual growth and evolution. One can also live a life of spirit at levels in between.
The householder takes to the spirit by opening to the spiritual Force in order to create a happy and prosperous family existence. As a result, life continually comes under one's control. That individual opens to the Force before major activities, such as an important business meeting; or in order to resolve a problem, such as issues of money, health of a family member, a child's education, an upcoming social event, and the long-term security and harmony of the family. By opening to the spiritual Force, vast material results come in an extraordinary short period of time. We experience a constant stream of miraculous-like events in which new opportunities suddenly arise, serious problems are suddenly overcome, difficult challenges are easily met -- as the Force brings life around us under control. I call this phenomenon "life response."
The spiritual Aspirant on the other hand seeks the change and transformation of his very nature. This individual seeks to discover move from the surface of life to the depths within, to come out of the essential Ignorance of man, and to infuse all parts of his being -- physical, vital, and mental -- with the spirit. He seeks to come in contact with his Soul within and with the Force around him, eventually surrendering all of his works his very life to the Divine Will. Through this effort, his nature changes, the world around him is changed, and he becomes an instrument for the spiritualization of society, culminating in a Divine life on earth. He is living an adventurous life of consciousness and joy. He (or she of course) becomes a pioneer in the spiritual evolution of humanity.
If we are serious about connecting with spirit in life, we can do so as a Householder or the Spiritual Aspirant, or any point in between. Each person who feels an inner call is ready to move one or several steps beyond his current condition. He can determine what his life status is -- as husband/wife, father/mother, worker, etc -- and determine his approach to the spirit. Whatever level we choose, life will consist of a never-ending succession of miraculous-like experiences in which we feel an ever-increasingly intense joy and delight of being.
How Spirit
Expresses
The Spirit
expresses as Oneness, Peace, Integral Knowledge, Truth, Power, Delight,
Love, Beauty, Infinite (expression, non-Time bound expression, amongst
others.
-When we move to our higher consciousness, we enable these expressions
of spirit to enter into the details of our lives life.
-When we move within to the depths of our being, away from the surface,
when we connect to the transcendent Force, these are spiritual ways of
enabling higher consciousness. Just below these are the life ways,
through goodness, self-givingness, humility, compassion, openness, and a
hundred other high values of life.
OUR PURPOSE: TO EMBODY SPIRIT
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The
purpose of life, our lives, is to rediscover the power, the Force
that created the universe in the first place, and to use that power in
our lives to transform ourselves, fulfilling our and the universe's
ultimate evolutionary purpose. That purpose is the Delight of existence.
The Vastness Beyond Our Limited Reality
Imagine an individual who lives in a beautiful region. He has explored
all of its stunning beauty, its great variety of hills, mountains, bays,
estuaries, marches, fauna and flowers. He is amazed at the diversity and
magnificence of his home town, and knows of no other. He then finds out
that there are dozens of such areas around the world, each with their
own unique beauty and fascination. He sits there dazed, overwhelmed by
the fact that there can be so many other wonder-filled places besides
his own. He then goes on to experience and enjoy their magnificence, and
over time he is dazzled by the life he then lives. Similarly we can
imagine our own life, which we view as so special and unique, so
magnificent and rich, as but a trifle of the life we can live compared
to the wonder we can know when we are transformed into a spirit-based
future evolutionary being.
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Humans fulfill the purpose
of creation when we find our higher nature; when we perceive spirit in
our lives, fulfilling the purpose for which the Divine manifest a
universe -- delight of being.
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Our role is to find spirit
in life; to find the spiritual Being in ourselves (whose origin is the
Divine) in the Becoming, i.e. the activities, actions, circumstances,
events, and acts of life. We evolve and evolve life by discovering the
Being in the Becoming. In that process we discover the Infinite of the
Divine in the finite details of our existence, and the Timelessness of
the Divine in the time-bound moments and periods we experience in life.
Availability of
Spirituality for this Who Have the Call, the Aspiration for It
-Religious worship is for all. Spirituality is for those who have the
call.
-There was a time when spirituality was meant for one who could go to the forest, sleep on a bed of nails, etc. Now since 1956 when the Force descended, the right to enjoy a higher spirituality is waiting at the door of everyone, provided he has aspiration. By aspiration it means the aspiration of the Soul. (MSS)
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Our ultimate purpose is to
have both the individual and universal consciousness, i.e. to see the
world as the Divine sees it. (Paraphrase of The Mother)
Experience Divine
To feel the Divine Presence just once in life, can change one's life forever.
Man's Role in the Evolution Towards Higher Planes of Existence
The movement among the planes (from matter to life to mind and beyond) is due to a upward movement of consciousness that ends in something new. [There is a creative outcome.] It's drive is Consciousness-Force and the power of the Real Idea. It mostly happens on its own in Nature. Now man, the self-conscious being, can find the spirit within himself, by discovering the psychic being, and by turning Ignorance to Knowledge, enabling him to embody the spirit, which will aid in manifesting further movements of evolution upward into new and higher planes of existence.
However, to do this fully, he will need to transcend his limiting Mind and open to Supermind to enable the greatest power of reversal and new emerging existence.]
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One ultimate goal of
becoming the evolutionary spiritual being is to overcome the limitations
of the physical consciousness and the subconscious.
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We are developing the consciousness of existence as the Divine sees
things. (Paraphrase of The Mother)
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Our destiny is to become
the supramentalized evolutionary spiritual being.
Our Individual and
Universal Purpose
Our true self can serve a universal as well as an individual purpose.
(Paraphrase of Sri Aurobindo) E.g. if one develops the inner capacity to
perceive and realize this, one could change the reality for the society
around one, either inwardly and outwardly. In that sense there are many
ways we can become a universal instrument.
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Ultimately people have
confidence in themselves, their families, society, not in the Divine.
Only in extreme moments of danger, or deep anguish is their a cry to the
Divine.
Ultimately it must be the foundation of our existence, to enable the infinite possibilities of life. (Paraphrase of MSS)
"God and Spirituality are for those who have knocked at the doors of the Absolute and found entry. To all the rest of us, Spirit is unknown. We worship the gods another person has discovered." (MSS)
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The individual in life has
his individual self. The spiritualized evolutionary being becomes an
individually realized Self, a realized universal Self, and a realized
transcendent Self.
Changing the World from Within
An individual can change the course of history from within. You can also accomplish the same thing by overcoming a corresponding limited quality in one's self. Perhaps these are the same thing.
Overcoming Outer Conflict by
Altering Corresponding Limiting Aspects Within Ourselves
Two nations are in conflict. We would like to see this end or resolve
itself in a higher way. We can enable this possibility by discovering a
corresponding conflict or negative aspect in ourselves, which
astonishingly can overcome the wider problem.
The question then rises; why is this so? It is because we are not only individual beings who can know our True Selves and thus enable our True Power over our lives from within ourselves, but we are also Universal beings, who can impact the outer world from within.
The universe, the whole of life reflects in a macrocosm, consisting of society, the earth, and the cosmos; which we embody as a microcosm within us. Thus at any point we can change our corresponding nature to affect the Whole.
A Human Being
The Absolute's first aspect is Being, i.e. Spirit. I am a human, a
semi-conscious form inherently of Spirit. This now I don't know; but
when I fully do, I will be fully conscious; i.e. I will truly be a human
Being.
Highest Instruments of
Real Ideas
Real Ideas are streaming down from Spirit. By attaining our highest
consciousness we become the best possible instruments for their
successful unfolding into Creative New Realities in life.
Potential of Endless
Life through Spirit
Man has prolonged life by his knowledge of physiology and medicine, but
has not achieved an endlessness to life. His conquest of pain is great,
but it is not complete. Also, he has achieved this mastery over life and
pain by the lower forces of Matter - Medicine - not by a superior force.
One's Spirit Connecting to Society's Spirit Enables Boom
When a writer or the leader or other skilled individual has touched the
Spirit in his own inspiration in his field, it touches the Spirit of the
population also. This individual Spirit calling the social Spirit
creates a live ever-increasing movement, a boom, e.g. of sales or
popularity.
Anyone who is patient enough to invoke the Spirit in his own life, who acts on his own faith in Spirit rather than his own individual capacities to succeed, will witness such a boom in his own life. How far it will rise depends upon how far he is in tune with the Spirit of the Times.
With the spiritual Force ever-increasing in the atmosphere, this phenomenon of interrelated Spirit is ever-more likely to burst out into boom. (Paraphrase of MSS)
Moving from the
Surface to the Inner Being to Reorient One's Life to the Spirit
Man lives mostly in his surface mind, life and body, but there is an
inner being within him with greater possibilities to which he has to
awake - for it is only a very restricted influence from it that he
receives now and that pushes him to a constant pursuit of a greater
beauty, harmony, power and knowledge. The first process of Yoga is
therefore to open the ranges of this inner being and to live from there
outward, governing his outward life by an inner light and force. In
doing so he discovers in himself his true soul which is not this outer
mixture of mental, vital and physical elements but something of the
Reality behind them, a spark from the one Divine Fire. He has to learn
to live in his soul and purify and orientate by its drive towards the
Truth the rest of the nature. There can follow afterwards an opening
upward and descent of a higher principle of the Being. (Sri Aurobindo)
Formula of Discovering the Spirit Within
Concentrate your focus
away from the surface of life and move to the depths within. A new inner
poise, as well as a calm and peace will gradually get established. Once
it is established, consistently consecrate act, events, and situation by
opening to the Force, which will enable abundant life response around
you, leading to accelerated results, achievement, and success.
This will amaze you, and greatly energize you. It will also have the
effect of opening the pathways to the deepest parts, the Inner Being,
the True Self, the evolving soul. Then if you are lucky, you will
actually move through this wider opening within and really experience
the Inner Being, the personal evolving soul on a more continuous basis,
which is, in essence, the first great opening and stage for an
individual on the road to one's ultimate evolutionary possibility.
Nature and Purpose
of Spirit
In the deepest
recesses of your being within you find spirit.
Sri Aurobindo, the Indian sage and seer says that spirituality is an awakening to the inner reality of our being, to a spirit, to the true self, to the soul within, in order that we may be able to enter into contact with the greater Spiritual Reality.
Connecting to the Spiritual Reality, the Being is accomplished by establishing a connection within yourself to your deepest parts, to your soul parts. By connecting within, finding the spirit there, the Being within you, enables not only the experience of one's own soul space but readily connects you with the greater ocean of spirit contained in the Divine reality.
The Divine created this universe in the first place, to extend his powers in life so that these spiritual attributes and powers can be utilized by all of the inhabitants of the globe; including Peace, Power, Strength, Delight, Love, Beauty, Knowledge, Truth, and others.
Discovering the
Spirit Within
In this
interview
Roy Posner, President of Growth Online, discusses how we can find
the spirit within us to enable infinite delight as well as infinite
accomplishment and success in life.
View
Perceptions of the Spiritual Life1
We think of spiritual life as something strange, exotic, interfering with our happiness; in other words, to be kept at bay. But it's really the same as the regular life, except there is a continuous inner joy bordering on bliss, and besides, everything works out perfectly in the world around you. It's just regular life with a wonderful twist; not unlike a heart-felt relationship vs. one of convenience.
Perceptions of the Spiritual Life2
Have you ever though that spiritual life is in one sense simply higher levels of workings of our minds, i.e. spiritual mind, enabling knowledge to come without thinking.
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We cannot rely on other people's descriptions of the Divine, God, the Absolute. We must have our own experience. (Paraphrase of MSS)
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How to become this evolutionary spiritual being? To change into the supramental evolutionary being, who is utterly different from our current human functioning, we will need to first change the orientation of our basic nature, and then begin to shift our center of consciousness from our current vital and mental based center to a higher spiritual based center, above mind, in spiritual mind, and above that to the supramental realms of truth consciousness; and then open to the supramental Force in all aspect of our being to transform them into the supramental evolutionary being. At that pointy all of the limitations of the current human functioning would disappear. Sri Aurobindo calls this process the triple transformation.
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The notion of time and space, subjectivity and objectivity, whether things are concrete or not, are of the old species. Then Mother says that these are all breaking down as she is becoming the new species. These aspects were necessary as part of the mental perception, which is no longer needed. (Paraphrase of The Mother)
Changing Our Nature
Requires Changing Our Awareness
We
see who we are, and we know we can be more than what we have been. Yet,
how to make ourselves different from the foolishness of our past? The
truth be told is that we cannot change anything truly until we learn
about our deepest nature, the highest spiritual truths, and then
implement our existence from that new found awareness. A wise man has
said: "Trying to change what you get from life without first changing
what you know about life is like putting on dry clothes over wet ones
and then wondering why you keep shivering."
Reversing One's Folly through Spirit
Life tells a man
that it is difficult if not impossible to reverse the current plight he
finds himself in because of his earlier folly. In Spirit, acts of
earlier folly can be reversed through recognition of past error, and a
deeply felt emotion of that recognition. The Spirit tells him,
"If you
genuinely regret in your emotions the folly of an earlier act, or
reverse your past attitudes that led to that folly now in your
understanding and feelings, the results of your folly -- such as huge
debt, lack of work, failed marriage, etc -- will fully, quickly, and
irreversibly dissolve, liberating you forever." Spirit corrects
physical FACTS by the reversal of TRUE feelings deeply realized.
(Paraphrase of MSS)
Nature vs. Spirit's Way to Overcome Problems, Knots of the Past
Unless one consciously digs them up and holds them up to the descending
Light, the problems and knots of the past have to undo themselves by the
negative impact of life events. This is Nature's way. The first, the
spiritually conscious approach, is preferable, in terms of greater
speed, joy, and great results, undoing the burdens of the past ways.
(Paraphrase of MSS)
Family, Friends, and the Divine
For some the Spirit beckons at our door as a response to our call,
awaiting our answer to It in return. However, we love the Divine only
from a distance; and though our love is true, we love our families and
friends more. It is there we hide ourselves when our call is answered.
Can we shed our reservation and let the Spirit emerge in our lives?
(Paraphrase of MSS)
Replacing Vital and
Mental Energy with Spiritual Energy; and Techniques for Its Deployment
Spiritual energy is superior to vital or mental energy. In a work
replace mental energy with spiritual energy and the result will be
greater, just as replacing the oil lamp by the electric lantern.
Spiritual atmosphere accomplishes more by its silent presence than
mental atmosphere.
Imagine the CEO present at the dispatch of a shipment, instead of the
floor supervisor. A lot more gets done. [He brings a greater power for
effectivity.] While you are reading, if you can, you can give up the
mental intelligence in favour of spiritual intelligence. Then you read
faster, understand better and are able to reproduce it with greater
effectivity.
For every skill, capacity, ability, talent, energy, faculty, tool or
instrument, there is a corresponding spiritual one. Using the spiritual
counterpart, one ends up with far greater results.
In each instance you can evoke a corresponding method spiritual faculty and employ it, such as the method of concentration in the depths down to the evolving soul, or consecration, i.e. offering of the event to a Higher Power, or even (e.g.) sending the Spirit to the destination, such as imagining the Spirit being there at the meeting before one arrives there one's self. (MSS, somewhat modified)
CENTRAL
METHODS OF CONNECTING TO SPIRIT
(Consecration, Concentration, Surrender, etc.)
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Three Movements to the Spirit
The three central spiritual methods of connecting to the Spirit are
Consecration, Moving to the Depths, and Surrender.
Consecration is to open
to the Force before engaging in an activity.
Moving to the
Depths (or Concentration) is a movement away from the
surface existence to a deeper existence within. In the deepest depths
one discovers the
Personal Evolving Soul.
Surrender is to offer all one's
work, one's life to the Divine Force and Intent. (It occurs generally
after one has connected with the Personal Evolving Soul.) The
recommended approach for the average person is to begin consecrating
every act to enable magnificent results, and over time move the
consciousness into the depths, which will enable better consecration.
When you reach the Evolving Soul in the depths, then you can begin a
life of Surrender to the Divine.
Central
Stages and Methods
The road to transformation can begin with a movement from the surface of
life to the depths. That movement from the outer to the inner is a
focused concentration within. Such inner concentrated status enables us
to experience the world in its myriad of possibility, and integrality.
We are also better able to perceive the Divine Force in the atmosphere.
When we invoke that Force in the events and circumstances of our lives
we begin the process of consecration which enables subtle and causal
life response. At some point the inner focus deepens and we can
eventually touch the personal evolving soul, the Psychic Being, where we
discover the Bliss of existence. At that point we are ready to move to
the next stage of Surrender, where all of our life is a continual
self-giving to the Divine Purpose and Will. So the central methods and
stages are concentration, consecration, a deeper concentration to the
psychic, and surrender.
Formula for Living Life
If you continually move your focus from the surface of life to a
concentration within in the depths of your being, and you consistently
open to the Force before acts or events, your life will be one of
endless wonder, miracle, perfection, results, and delight of being. It
is the simplest formula for life that we can suggest.
Choosing Inner Methods
Concentration within to enable a powerful result is easier when there is
time to gather one's self. If there is little time one can offer, i.e.
consecrate the event to the Divine and leave the result as what may. If
one's very life is
consecrated and surrendered to the Spirit, then one can easily
shift to the right method as needed as the fundamental nature is already
shifted to the Divine overall.
Concentration,
Consecration, Surrender; and the Personal Evolving Soul
Concentration is a movement away from living on the surface of life,
where the senses dominate, to a focus within. Consecration is to defer
all action in life to a higher consciousness [i.e. the Force] rather
than our self of ego. Surrender is the willed decision to move one's
entire life in a whole different direction; that direction being a
never-ending life of self-giving and surrender to the Divine Will.
The psychic [the personal evolving soul] is engaged when there is consecration. It begins to flower when surrender begins, and its is in full bloom as surrender unfolds.
Concentration, Consecration, and Surrender to Move the Outer Life
What are the inner methods that can move the outer life? In concentration there is a movement from an idea inside to a created reality outside. In consecration there is an opening to the higher power and force to perfect an event or overcome a difficulty, enabling that Force to effect the event, situation, or problem in the outer world. In surrender there is a general giving of one's self to the spirit so that it effects the outer whenever and however it sees fit.
Consciousness & Being
- Consciousness is the conscious experience of Being.
- Being is the Self of Existence. (MSS)
Process of Creation + Consecration + Inner Life is Unfailing
The vision of what you want to achieve, the decision to carry it out,
the right attitudes, and the right actions through consecrated acts will
be unfailingly successful, enabling rapid results. (Also in the depths
one will perceive the subtleties of right aspiration, decision,
attitudes, actions, etc.)
Consecration Enables
Depths & Heights
It is too difficult for an individual to go directly deep into the
depths to the subliminal and the soul, or burst through mind directly to
spirit above. Consecration which gives us access to spirit, so that we
can apply it to life to enable instantaneous miraculousness, causal
abundance, spiritual qualities, et al. also clears the way further into
the depths, which in turn enables us to rise in the heights.
Invoking the Spirit
When you want to invoke the Spirit, sit down, close your eyes -- it may
not be necessary -- stop moving the body, don't talk, DON'T THINK. A
stillness descends on the mind. The stillness grows into a QUIET, a
calm, and finally becomes SILENCE. Silence is an aspect of the Spirit.
As Silence is one aspect of the Spirit, Peace, Unity, Truth, Knowledge, Power, Beauty, Love, Joy, Infinity and Eternity are also aspects of Spirit. As soon as Silence descends, a great power develops. You feel like getting up and running. When Peace enters you, you see it is full of energy. Light entering the mind answers unresolved questions. Beauty makes you lose yourself. Joy thrills. Love fills the heart. In practice ONLY one aspect enters you.
Most people cannot keep quiet. They jump up and act. That is the end of it.
Once some aspect of Spirit descends, one has to be extraordinarily PATIENT till many other aspects also descend on him. At a certain moment, the inner strength becomes sufficient to raise a voice. That voice is the inner human voice, calling the Spirit or the Mother who is the Mother of Spirit. That call releases a spiritual peace, unattainable even in death. It enters the nerves, fills the cells of the body, i.e. the very Being. After such a call is saturated, the inner Spirit itself begins to call the outer Spirit. It is Jivatma calling Paramatma. It is the Individual becoming the Eternal. Man, at that moment, ceases to be a MAN. He becomes the Divine. (MSS, modified slightly & abridged)
Milestones on the Road to our Ultimate Evolutionary
Possibility
The roadmap to our evolutionary destiny passes through these milestones.
We begin by offering acts and activities and problems of life to the
Divine Force; which in turn enables us to make a link our inner being
within, which guides us to our truer nature and behavior, opens us to
the descents of intuition and revelation, and connects us to universal
force and powers; which leads us deeper within to our True Self, our
personal evolving soul; which leads to a realization that we should now
live our lives completely dedicated to the Divine Will and Purpose,
which is a life of surrender; which opens the portals to infinite
possibilities in life, and establishes the foundation for the ultimate
transformations to our supra-human functioning.
Supports for One's Inner
Method
Prayer, consecration and surrender are central methods. Once one is
adopted, there are many things that can be done to augment the result.
Implementing values like physical cleanliness, vital calmness, social
harmony, psychological goodwill, absolute truthfulness, purity of
motive, etc. all create conditions for the Force to descend in greater
measure when you call. (MSS)
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Consecration, though not easy is for the beginner devotee; while surrender is for those whose very lives are committed to progress and spiritual evolution.
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What
consecration begins, surrender completes and consummates. (MSS)
Methods that Enable the Practicality of the Infinite
We can
move life outside us in a great way if we
learn to concentrate on spirit. When we are involved in an act or a
situation or a possibility, such as a client or we are applying for a
bank loan, we can find spirit deep within in our soul space and up above
by opening to the Force. When the concentration reaches a calm that
grows to a deep profound richness, then life moves
on the outside beyond our wildest dreams. We have come to the point that
enables the infinite to emerge from the finite. Learning to tend the
Within and the opening to the Force above are the instruments of this
"practicality of the infinite."
Replacing Vital and
Mental Energy with Spiritual Energy; and Techniques for Its Deployment
Spiritual energy is superior to vital or mental energy. In a work
replace mental energy with spiritual energy and the result will be
greater, just as replacing the oil lamp by the electric lantern.
Spiritual atmosphere accomplishes more by its silent presence than
mental atmosphere.
Imagine the CEO present at the dispatch of a shipment, instead of the
floor supervisor. A lot more gets done. [He brings a greater power for
effectivity.] While you are reading, if you can, you can give up the
mental intelligence in favour of spiritual intelligence. Then you read
faster, understand better and are able to reproduce it with greater
effectivity.
For every skill, capacity, ability, talent, energy, faculty, tool or
instrument, there is a corresponding spiritual one. Using the spiritual
counterpart, one ends up with far greater results.
In each instance you can evoke a corresponding method spiritual faculty and employ it, such as the method of concentration in the depths down to the evolving soul, or consecration, i.e. offering of the event to a Higher Power, or even (e.g.) sending the Spirit to the destination, such as imagining the Spirit being there at the meeting before one arrives there one's self. (MSS, somewhat modified)
Concentration, Consecration, Psychic, Surrender, Total
Result
-The sequence of progress of the methods along the spiritual path are:
concentration, consecration, discovery of soul, i.e. the psychic, and
Total result.
-One moves to the
inner Self through concentration.
-One further finds the personal evolving soul as a result of action of
consecration
-For higher consecration one needs higher concentration. (Paraphrase of
MSS)
Accomplishing Infinitely
by Acting on the Universe Contained Inside Ourselves
For 10,000 years we lived our lives based on our perception of physical
space and measured time, which the Internet now threatens to abridge to
a considerable degree. And yet the deeper inner consciousness of an
individual can contain the entire universe within himself at any moment,
negating space and time altogether. E.g. he can take actions from those
depths, using that Force, enabling life to instantly respond up to an
infinite degree from anywhere on earth within seconds. Even the Internet
is a scratch of the surface compared to the accomplishment and joy that
can emanate from this timeless, spaceless, infinite existence that we
can contain from within.
Inner Leadership that Enables Spiritual Life
In one
sense it seems relatively easy to live the spiritual life because the
path has been laid out; e.g. moving to the depths, opening to the Force,
etc. The reality however is that most everything in the being opposes
it. That is why there needs to be a welling up of aspiration, a
dedication to the Spiritual Quest, and the tending of conscious inner
leadership, which organizes the quest,
facilitating the necessary transitions.
On Concentration
Concentration
is the means by which the individual soul identifies itself with and
enters any form, state or psychological self-manifestation of the Self.
(Sri Aurobindo)
Concentration
The method
to establish a permanent connection with the depths within is through a
focused, all inclusive concentration.
Self-Limitation
(Concentration) & Self-Absorption as Powers of Consciousness
-We know from our own experience that when we concentrate our attention
on a particular object - be it a thought, a feeling, sensation, external
object or event - our attention is simultaneously drawn away from other
fields of perception so that we may not display the normal awareness of
what is going on around us and we may not respond to external stimuli as
we do in a normal waking state. We know that this apparent lack of
awareness and responsiveness are the result of a conscious
self-limitation or concentration of our attention on a particular field.
Concentration or self-limitation is an inherent power of
consciousness.
-Self-absorption of consciousness-force so that it is not at all manifest in surface behaviour is also an inherent power of consciousness. [E.g. Consciousness exists in Matter, but it is self-absorbed there, and thus not-detectable in the surface.] (MSS)
Surrender
Instead of
us doing the work and relying on our own talents, if we allow the Divine
to bring out our talents in that work, the end result is seen in the
beginning itself. This is surrender. [MSS, slightly modified.]
Untitled
We fail to
see the truth and oneness of Brahman because we live on the surface of
life. Not living in the depth we live in our minds which only sees the
part and not the whole. When we move deep within, away from the surface,
and rise above mind to spiritual mind and supermind, we will know
Brahman in its Oneness; i.e. see the Becoming in terms of the Being, the
Many in terms of the One, the Universe in terms of the pre-universe of
Existence, Conscious-Force, Delight, Time in terms of Timelessness,
three dimension of time (past, present, and future) as one, and the
resolution or even the non-existence of the contradictions of Nature.
Discovering a
Permanent Station Within
In order
to go within, learn to concentrate and be still; i.e. shift your
consciousness from the surface of what is around you until you find a
point within yourself where you have established an inner poise. Remain
there, and try to keep that center in all of your actions. At a further
point in your life realize that this inner status is a spiritual
status. Feel the silence and spirit within. Continually center yourself
there until it is your fundamental poise of existence. One step
further is from that inner center continually open to the Force that is
there in the Atmosphere before undertaking any act. Life will now
respond positively each time to the invocation of that Power. If you are
so lucky you may also discover further along this path your "personal
evolving soul" in the deepest depths of your being. Now you have begun
to find the deepest meaning to your existence, your soul purpose in
life.
Two Ways to Spirit
We can know spirit by bursting through mind, through knowledge born of
silence, light, illumination, intuition, and revelation. One can also
open directly to the spirit by opening to the spiritual Force that is
around us everywhere. By opening to the Force consistently in life, we
can make all of life a dynamic field of its infinite power and grace, as
it descends into our lives, enabling infinite possibilities around us to
emerge. Open to the Force, and everything in your daily life works out
perfectly, even miraculously.
Untitled
We can
learn to live in the depths or stand in the light of the spirit above so
that we can experience -
-the timelessness
of the eternal beyond the changes of time
-the oneness and continuity of the past and future as it relates to the
present (i.e. the experience of the present not in isolation but in
oneness with its precedent past and its unfolding future.)
-the unfolding of moments of eternal timelessness in the ever-present.
Moving from the
Surface to the Inner Being to Reorient One's Life to the Spirit
Man lives mostly in his surface mind, life and body, but there is an
inner being within him with greater possibilities to which he has to
awake - for it is only a very restricted influence from it that he
receives now and that pushes him to a constant pursuit of a greater
beauty, harmony, power and knowledge. The first process of Yoga is
therefore to open the ranges of this inner being and to live from there
outward, governing his outward life by an inner light and force. In
doing so he discovers in himself his true soul which is not this outer
mixture of mental, vital and physical elements but something of the
Reality behind them, a spark from the one Divine Fire. He has to learn
to live in his soul and purify and orientate by its drive towards the
Truth the rest of the nature. There can follow afterwards an opening
upward and descent of a higher principle of the Being. (Sri Aurobindo)
Into the
Subliminal Mind to Enable Consciousness Over Force & the Evolution of
Man
A further opportunity has moved to Man to move into the subliminal [the
inner] mind. It is not Nature's slow movement we witness here. It is not
a world made of Force. This is a world of consciousness. We can say it
is a world of Being. Karma is not a factor here. Speed of life is not
speed of Time. Its speed is greater than light. (MSS, slightly modified)
[Out of the Spirit Being came Consciousness and Force. Force is lower, Consciousness is higher. In Force we are limited to ego, pain, duality, time, finite. In Consciousness there can be end of ego, universality, unity, instantaneous time, and the infinite. By going within to the inner mind and beyond to the personal evolving soul we can enable Consciousness and all its attributes. We back closer to Being, the source of all. This movement is the key to the evolution of Man.]
Formula of Discovering the Spirit Within
Concentrate your focus
away from the surface of life and move to the depths within. A new inner
poise, as well as a calm and peace will gradually get established. Once
it is established, consistently consecrate act, events, and situation by
opening to the Force, which will enable abundant life response around
you, leading to accelerated results, achievement, and success.
This will amaze you, and greatly energize you. It will also have the
effect of opening the pathways to the deepest parts, the Inner Being,
the True Self, the evolving soul. Then if you are lucky, you will
actually move through this wider opening within and really experience
the Inner Being, the personal evolving soul on a more continuous basis,
which is, in essence, the first great opening and stage for an
individual on the road to one's ultimate evolutionary possibility.
Discovering the
Spirit Within
In this
interview
Roy Posner, President of Growth Online, discusses how we can find
the spirit within us to enable infinite delight as well as infinite
accomplishment and success in life.
To see the interview go to:
http://www.gurusoftware.com/GuruNet/Interviews/Spirit.htm
The Psychic Being
as Opening to Spiritual Supramental Transformation
Supermind is come upon through the psychic opening, which then enables
the spiritual and then the supramental transformation. Consecrated
living enables the psychic opening in the first place.
Other Points
Shifting to Within
Enables Life to Suddenly Respond Positively in Kind
All around you are tensions, and the wrong movements of life. You catch
yourself and realize that you have been living these last moments in
your ego sense of separateness, which is synchronous to these outcomes.
You shift to the depths within, open to others' suggestions, and notice
that everything begins to work out around you, as if in a perfect
symphony of harmony and right result. It is a wonder to behold. An equal
wonder is that we do not choose to live this way all of the time.
Untitled
Bringing
out the timeless in time brings out its spirit. Evoking the infinite
from the infinite does the same. Going into the depths and gathering the
Force above are the decisive instruments for these movements, which
express for us through spiritual skills; i.e. personal values in life
Process of Attaining
Higher Life
For those committed
to the Higher Life the process of its attainment is aspiration (for the
Greater), rejection (of the lower), and surrender (to the Divine Will).
Transforming a Defect into Its Opposite
A defect hurts. When recognized and removed, it may become rectified.
When consecrated and surrendered, it is transformed into infinite
heights, as when cruelty turns into generosity. (Paraphrase MSS)
Learn from a Discussion
Our goal should not be to win a debate, bit to learn from the
discussion. Inner Silence, silent Will, and taking the other person's
point of view are spiritual techniques that will certainly go a long way
to achieving this goal.
From Organization to Material Results
Greater organization of the
person enables greater consciousness towards the gathered force, hence
its greater concentration moving towards material results. I.e. higher
organization is higher consciousness is higher concentration of force is
greater likelihood of material result.
Opening to the
Superconscient Transforms the Subconscient
As we rise in consciousness through our inner experiences and connect
with the superconscient forces and powers, we bring in those powers and
forces through our subliminal being that overcome the limiting
influences of the subconscient on us. Since the subliminal sits on the
surface of the subconscient, by opening to the superconscient it can
help the subconscient evolve. When the subconscient evolves all of its
negative influences on us can weaken.
OPENING TO THE FORCE (CONSECRATION)
(top)
What is the Force? | What Consecration Is
Results that Come from Consecration | What We Can Consecrate
What Enables Success of Consecration |
Miscellaneous/To Be Parsed
[Note: there are three central spiritual methods of connecting to the Spirit are Consecration, Moving to the Depths, and Surrender. Consecration is to open to the Force before engaging in an activity. Moving to the Depths (or Concentration) is a movement away from the surface existence to a deeper existence within. In the deepest depths one discovers the Personal Evolving Soul. Surrender is to offer all one's work, one's life to the Divine Force and Intent. (It occurs generally after one has connected with the Personal Evolving Soul.) The recommended approach for the average person is to begin consecrating every act to enable magnificent results, and over time move the consciousness into the depths, which will enable better consecration. When you reach the Evolving Soul in the depths, then you can begin a life of Surrender to the Divine.]
Overview
Click
to see
Introductory Article on Consecration
Consecration
Consecration is to direct the act one is undertaking towards the
intention of the Divine. (MSS)
Consecration
Consecration is the process of relating nature to spirit. (MSS)
What Consecration Is
Consecration is a process by which one trains the consciousness to
give itself to the Divine. (Sri Aurobindo)
What Consecration Is
Consecration is essentially opening to the Spiritual Force, to the Divine in relationship to any act, situation, or circumstance. It is an opening to a Higher Power to brings its higher attributes, qualities, and properties into our lives and the world around us.
Consecration Enables the Force to Act
By consecrating any act, activity, event, or circumstance, we
enable the spiritual Force to take over, bringing to bear its Infinite
powers. In addition, rather than depending on our own limited
capacities, a consecrated act is suffused with the limitless
Capacities of the Infinite. Thus, even if we do not have the necessary
skill, knowledge, or capacity in an activity, the Higher Power will
compensate for what we are missing.
Consecration
Consecration is to offer an act, event, or situation to a higher
power for the Divine's sake; to fulfill Its goals and intent.
Results from a consecrated act are often overwhelming positive, even
instantaneous. Compare that to the slow meandering results we get when
we depend on our own skills, talents, and efforts. Moreover,
consecrating an act generates spiritual results, such as
experiences of deep peace, or a harmony and oneness with others and the
environment, or even descents of intuitions of knowledge insight into
our minds.
Consecration
Asking the Divine to take responsibility for the actions when the
first thought [on anything] arises is
called consecration. (MSS)
Consecration
& Descent of Force which Enables Life Response
By
"consecrating" an act or an event before it occurs, by relating it and
offering it to the Divine, we open ourselves to Its Force, which
descends into the situation and brings about an astonishing positive
response from life.
Perhaps the greatest secret known to Man is the existence of a Power that when accessed can attract instantaneous good fortune, solve any problem, enable ultimate success, and bring about great joy and delight of being. By opening to this Power, to this spiritual Force before taking any action or commencing any activity, one is likely to notice shortly thereafter a sudden change of luck, as life begins to cooperate from every quarter, and sudden and abundant positive responses from life come our way.
Consecration and Spirit-based Living
One of the choices that we have available to us is whether we or not we wish to move to the Spirit. If one does, then we can begin with one essential approach to life -- consecrated existence.
Normally, when we take up an activity, we just do it. Usually there is some thought involved, perhaps some planning, a certain will to achieve, and the physical effort to make it happen. This is the way we normally accomplish our objectives in life. However, if we choose to live a spirit-oriented existence, this approach will not suffice. In a spirit-oriented life, actions are taken not merely for our own sake, but for the Divine's sake -- fulfilling Its will, purpose, and intent. When we focus our intention to accomplishing an act for that Higher Purpose, we are in essence consecrating the act. When we do, stunning developments are likely to follow, as the act is infused with the spiritual powers of the Divine. Consecration in this way is then the central method that distinguishes a spirit-oriented existence from an ordinary one.
How then do we consecrate? It is actually rather simple. Before we begin any activity -- such as reading an email or meeting with a new client -- we can pause for a moment, concentrate ourselves within until we are somewhat still, and offer that which we are about to undertake to the Higher Power. When we do so, we not only give what we are about to embark on greater purpose and meaning, but what takes place thereafter will tend to have the stamp of the Divine action upon it. The act that we have consecrated will tend to unfold better, as positive situations and circumstance unexpectedly arise; where previously problematic circumstances will begin to dissipate; and where a feeling of calm and well-being will permeate the atmosphere. In other words, by consecrating the activity, life will begin to cooperate from all quarters. It is the power of the spiritual Force in action.
Let's consider an example. Say that you are about to begin an important activity. Before beginning, close your eyes, quiet your mind a bit, and then list out in your thoughts some of the details of what you are about to embark on. Now try to come in contact with the spiritual Force in the atmosphere. Then say something like "Oh Divine Force, I offer X and Y [the things you are about to embark on] to You. I do this work for Your sake, so that Your power, force, energy, wisdom may suffuse the work." Then let go of that deep aspiration, and continue on with the activity.
Sometime thereafter, notice if anything special has taken place. Perhaps an unexpected positive development has come to you attention, or you have experienced an unexpected instance of good fortune. If you see the benefit, consider if and how it is related to your effort at consecration. Try consecrating in this manner several times in the course of the day, and see what results come your way. At the end of the day, tally the benefits that you have received as a result of your inner effort to engage the spirit in the activities of your life.
As you experience the wonder of these powerful results, you will be energized to no end. You will begin to see the power of spiritual magic at work in your life; that life operates in ways you would never have thought possible; that you have an awesome power at your disposal to direct the course of your life. In addition, as you consecrate activities on a regular basis, you will have taken the first decisive steps towards living a spirit-oriented existence.
At a later stage, you will feel not only this sense of wonder, but begin to develop a certain desire to surrender to this Power. You will begin to see that you are making the effort at consecration not so much for your own personal achievement and success, but to fulfill the Divine purpose and intent. You will begin to feel that you are becoming an instrument through which the Divine Intention and Will can flow. At that point, you may begin to surrender you very life's purpose and existence to the Divine. Then your own individual soul purpose and the Divine purpose will begin to merge. Such spiritual experience and realization in the activities of life is perhaps the greatest joy known to Man.
What
Consecration Means
Consecration means REMEMBERING God before doing
anything. Think of God and then speak. Think of God
and then eat. That is consecrating speech or eating. To
consecrate a sentence is to think of
[the Divine] Mother before
speaking that sentence. Some intricate problems give
way and are solved. (MSS)
Approaches & Ways to Consecrate
There are endless approaches and possibilities to
consecration. Whatever method you feel comfortable with is probably the
best one.
I myself think about situations at the outset of the
day and silently offer each one that comes to mind to the Force. Then as
I engage in particular activities in the course of the day - e.g. before
a major meeting, at the outset of a class, or starting writing session;
or even before a meal or sleep; I offer that act up silently.
One can offer up acts, current situations, problems,
limits in attitude and capacity, untoward feelings, as well as
aspirations you hope to achieve in life.
Some people need to verbalize the thought. Others
spontaneously offer the current condition, situation without formulating
it into a mental thought.
When there is an intense situation, the consecration
tends to have the mark of prayer. For others, it may always seem like a
prayer.
The key is the sincerity in the act of consecration,
the intensity one brings to the effort, and the faith one has in the
outcome, without any demands for specific results.
When the act of consecration becomes a joyful one - with a happy relationship with the Divine Mother or other conduit of the spiritual Force and power -- you know you are going in the right direction.
Thoughts
on Consecration
We would like to thank
Mother's Service Society for the following thoughts related to
consecration:
-Catch yourself at the moment of the greatest excitement. Consecration at that moment is great. Consecration of the excitement itself is momentous.
-When through consecration you transform an irresistible impulse, it turns into overpowering spiritual Force.
-Consecration yields the final result in the beginning.
-Consecration is the process of relating nature to spirit.
-Consecration is surface life submitting itself to the inner depths of one's being, and is evolutionary in that sense.
-A powerful beginning of consecration is possible only when the WILL is stronger than the urge for thought or sensation.
-Consecration is to direct the act one is undertaking towards the intention of the Divine.
-Consecration is made possible in the measure Mind is able to accept the results according to [the Divine Will], in the measure desire is dissolved and in the measure the body is willing not to insist on the habit.
-Consecration of a problem or an issue is not so difficult as the consecration of its details. Even when the main issue is consecrated, the details may defy consecration. This requires a more detailed faith.
Access the Force to Enable Our Ultimate Transformation
For those who wished to
undertake the effort, Sri Aurobindo laid out a path from our current
human functioning to a new evolutionary spiritual-based functioning;
rooted in this new supramental consciousness aspect of the Divine, God.
Instead of merely opening to the Force to bring about sudden, abundant
life response, one could also open to it to totally transform our
mental, vital, and physical nature into their higher counterparts.
The Power
of the Force in the Atmosphere
Spirit Entering without
Calling
Now that the Spiritual Force
has entered the atmosphere of the earth, it has made itself easily
accessible. With increasing receptivity of mankind, a time will come
when man will not even need to call and the Spirit will enter his life.
That time has not yet come. One can make that TIME come if he can gather
a good number of people who are fully receptive to the descent of the
Spirit.
(MSS)
Availing the Force
The Force on earth since 1956 enables us to call the Spirit situated so
high and the Spirit itself is eager to respond, while our own highest
ambitions are confined to a few levels of life [i.e. relatively small
traditional human needs]. Let us call the Spirit successfully and be
elevated to its regions. (MSS) [Availing the force is
done through consecration, calling, etc. -editor]
Bringing the Spirit
to Life can be Done for those Who Seek It
The great goals of spirituality were meant for the chosen few. The time
has come for the greater goals to be made available for all those who
seek them. Spiritual liberation is the crown of spiritual discipline.
Bringing the Spirit to earth is a greater spiritual goal. The Spiritual
Force that descended on earth in 1956 puts that kingdom at the disposal
of every aspiring soul. (MSS, modified)
Other
Constant Miracles of
the Divine Grace
We must learn to rely only on the Divine Grace and to call for its
help in all circumstances; then it will work out constant miracles. (The
Mother)
Two Ways to Spirit
We can know spirit by bursting through mind, through knowledge born of
silence, light, illumination, intuition, and revelation. One can also
open directly to the spirit by opening to the spiritual Force that is
around us everywhere. By opening to the Force consistently in