The
Triple Transformation
For
those who undertake the path of personal transformation (i.e. yoga),
Sri Aurobindo, the Indian seer describes three successive phases of this
transformation -- the psychic, the spiritual, and the
supramental.
In the first phase of the Triple
Transformation one moves from the outer surface consciousness to the
inner consciousness; the inner mind, the subliminal within, until one
reaches the personal soul, i.e. inner psychic consciousness. At the
psychic one has withdrawn from the ego consciousness, one is able to
understand and control the limitations of one's physical, vital, and
mental being, and one is put in touch with the cosmic, universal
forces and truths. This is the Psychic
transformation.
At a further phase one rises higher in one's being toward higher
planes of mind, including Higher Mind, Illumined Mind, and Intuitive
Mind. It is an opening to the presence above, an elevation of one's
lower consciousness to the higher, and the descent of the higher into
the lower. This is the Spiritual
transformation, beyond the Psychic
transformation.
Beyond that still is the Supramental
transformation,
where one rises to the level of Supermind, for a radical
transformation of the being out of the ignorance that is the
foundation of our nature, and into a new functioning
that transcends beyond the mental, vital, and physical. One can become the Supramental
being. The Triple Transformation are these three types
that would happen in succession.
(Note: The term "psychic" is used here as
Sri Aurobindo meant it, as the Inner Being, or Inner Soul Being, as
opposed to the common use of the term, as in the expression "she is
very psychic.")
Living from the Depths Within
In Sri Aurobindo's yoga, or way to develop one's self, the starting
point is a movement from the surface of life to the depths within. As
one withdraws from the surface in our daily activities, as we move
deeper within, we are far less troubled by the outside, because we have
found the calm, subliminal, psychic being, soul within. From that poise
problems on the outside melt away, because we cease to exist in our ego
state, or state of separateness. From this inner poise we are able to
calmly see all our mistakes, impulses, overreactions, poor attitudes,
assertive opinions, etc. that occur on the outside. By being stationed
within, our day moves along more calmly, sweetly, perfectly, integrally.
Things unfold more as peace and joy.
Also from
that poise we begin to sense that our being is not so small, that we are
not locked up in ourselves, that our being extends outside to everyone
and everything. There develops in one's self a sense of oneness, a
camaraderie with others, with life around us. We also come in contact
with universal, cosmic forces that open us to wider truths and
influences.
Overall
then in this approach we have shifted from the surface, which enables
our ego-sense and sense of separateness to prevail, to an inner depth,
calm, and connection within, which becomes the solid basis of our day.
Also we begin to sense the cosmic forces and even the transcendent
Divine spirit without.
Also,
from that poise you can more easily and more powerfully consecrate
major actions before they begin, causing everything to respond
positively, quickly, and greatly on the outside.
So
if you wish, go deeper within, find your inner being, not your ego and
watch life from there. The problems will melt away. You'll see all of
the blemishes in your outer nature from a state of calm, enabling you to
overcome them, enabling you to be appreciated more by others, enabling
you to rise in your accomplishment and happiness.
And
when you consecrate events from this inner poise, amazingly positive
things will occur. This is I believe the most powerful approach to what
we call "life response."
Sri
Aurobindo calls this first stage of his method for development the psychic transformation.
It is followed by the spiritual and supramental transformation.
Nature of the Psychic Being
The
soul is a piece of the Divine that the individual experiences within.
It is not unique to that person. On the other hand the Inner Being,
the Psychic Being is the link between
the soul of the individual and the personality. It evolves from life
to life as it enters the individual, and is the compelling aspect of
soul that urges the person further on for Its progress. When one is in
touch with one's Psychic being one understands one's deepest purpose
in life.
The
Inner, Psychic Being of a person is beyond space and time, subjectivity and objectivity.
It experiences timelessness and spacelessness.
Overcomes Ego
When one connects to the inner Psychic Being one begins the process
of ending the control of the ego in the person.
Purifies Parts of Being
By getting in touch with the Inner being, the Psychic Being one raises to a higher
level of consciousness by ascending, purification, and perfection of
the planes of the being -- the physical, the vital, and the
mental.
Enables Connection to Divine
Getting in touch with
the Psychic Being also enables one to more easily open to the Force,
the Supramental, i.e. Truth consciousness, which descends into the
person, enabling further perfection of the three aspects of the being,
and further still a development toward a new type of person, the Supramental
Being.
Excerpt from Interview
The following
is an excerpt from the Growth Online interview
The Future Evolutionary
Individual and Collective Life on Earth
Growth Online: So what is this first
stage, and why is it so important?
RP: The first stage of this Triple
Transformation of the individual that Sri Aurobindo envisions -- to get us
from here to the supramental there, from his current status
of pain and suffering and ignorance and falsehood, to a future supernature
-- he calls the Psychic Transformation.
He argues that we cannot possibly
move towards this new evolutionary individual if we live our lives the way
we do now. Even if we open to the Force, or make some basic changes to our
way of living, or even make sincere efforts to change our character and
nature, there will still be little change to our permanent human
nature. We will in essence remain who we are. Stuck on the surface of
life, driven by the pushes and pulls of the social environment, driven by
our emotions, our passions, our needs, our overwhelming fixation on
ourselves and our ego-sense. Thus he asks us to first break the chains
that bind us to this ordinary existence that we have been experiencing for
100,000 years. To do this he asks us to make the Psychic Transformation.
Essentially the psychic change is to
connect to our inner being, our inner personal souls, and establish
that connection on a permanent basis. He calls the inner personal soul,
the "psychic being", thus the need for the psychic
transformation. Once we establish the permanent link with our inner being
down to our personal soul, our psychic being, we have initiated the great
change that moves us away from our ordinary nature toward our supernature.
Growth Online: So how does one do
this, how does one connect to one's soul? And do we really have a soul to
begin with? And if so what is it, and what do we do with it?
RP: Excellent questions! (laughter)
(pause) Let's me try to explain this
with a real world example. Let's see-
A man is walking down the street. He
sees the street, the sky, and the people passing by. He decides to
withdraw inward into his inner being. Even as walks, he feels a connection
in his chest, behind his heart, deep within himself. He has withdrawn from
the surface, the normal outer connection to life, from the inputs of his
senses; even as he walks vigorously along the way and is aware of his
surroundings.
At another point on this inner and
outer journey he goes deeper still within. He thinks about the very
purpose of his existence; why he came on this earth, why he is in this
body he occupies. He remembers that he has an evolving soul deep within.
He knows that in this soul being, this psychic being lays the purpose and
connection of his purpose of being on this earth.
He then tries to make connection with
his soul, his psychic being. Suddenly he feels some inner stirring, some
subtle connection inside; something that he senses that is related to his
very reason for being on earth. He senses a live essence of being, a
driving influence stirring deep within. It is his soul being, there alive,
stirring, influencing, guiding, providing the spark and foundation for his
existence. He has made first contact with his psychic being, his personal
soul and inner guide.
Over the next few days he
periodically reconnects to his inner being and to his psychic, soul being.
He notices that as a result of being centered there he has a very
different sense of things; a totally different feeling within, and a very
different perspective of things life around him.
For one he notices that he has
withdrawn from the push and pulls of the surface workings of life, even as
he is still fully engaged in that life and work. He also senses that he
has withdrawn from his ego-sense and perspective that he normally
experiences when he lives solely at the surface of life. There is less of
a sense of an "I," of a "me," in which one tends to isolate one's self
from life; where one experiences the world from a separative,
me-orientation. As a result of moving away from this separative,
ego-centered consciousness, he senses a wider and truer existence around
him. He senses greater possibilities surrounding him because he is not
wedded to the I that sees things from one side, one perspective,
one truth. Instead he becomes aware of new perspectives, more truths, more
sides of truths, more possibilities, more choices, and therefore more
potential courses of actions. From moment to moment he becomes more aware
too of the right choices, the best way to proceed, the best courses of
action. Over time he begins to have a keener sense of things; he touches
on the myriad of subtle forces and energies and powers that are in the
atmosphere.
At another point in his journey into his inner being, in these depths
apart from the surface, he consciously experiences his psychic soul being
acting as his guide and mentor. He notices now that whenever
he does something wrong, takes the wrong attitude, or moves impulsively in
the wrong way, he senses an instruction or insight from his inner guide,
reminding him of his limiting way, and a better way to act or a better
course of action for the future. In that way his personal soul is
continually steering him in the right direction; giving him subtle nudges,
suggestions, and indications of how he should change himself in the
future.
Growth Online: So his soul being becomes a
kind of moral compass?
RP: Well, he doesn't receive this
soul guidance and influence as some sort of moral imperative; instead the
guiding influence just wells spontaneously within him at just the right
moment. The guidance is spontaneous, practical, and creatively insightful.
As a result of the influence of the inner guide, over time he is able to
see his strengths and weaknesses of character in a more illuminating
light. He gains a new clarity and insight into his nature, and feels a
glad compulsion to improve himself; to take steps to overcome his
limitations in his nature.
Also, as we connect to our soul
being, we begin to sense a wider existence than our own self. We begin to
make connections with greater and wider currents of life. For
example, we sense the environment around us differently, as an
extension of ourselves, not as a separate entity. Likewise, we
begin to feel that everything is a part of ourselves, and we are part of
everything. This perception extends outward across space, as we feel a
connection with the society, the earth, even the universe itself and its
forces and powers. We might for example feel a deep kinship with the
unfolding of human progress, world events, new developments on earth, or
the destiny of the race. Perhaps we might begin to sense that the world's
destiny is tied up in our own and visa versa. Or we might begin to
understand the reason for this universe, for our own place in the
universe, and the relationship between the two.
As a result of these associations we
begin to shift our center of awareness from our ego-centered individual
consciousness to being an individual with a more universal
consciousness.
Also, we increasingly experience the
subtle hidden forces and powers of life. For example, we continually
experiences synchronicities, have psychic experiences, see the
interrelatedness of distant events with our own, and other such
phenomenon. We more clearly perceive the connections between the outer
existence and our inner status; how a change in the inner reflects
in the outer, and how life continually responds on the outside to positive
movements within us. As a result of this awareness of this correlation, we
learn the subtleties, of action, of thought, of attitude, and emotion and
impulse and judgment; and we see how their movements reflect
instantaneously in the outer life. As a result we accumulate a great
knowledge of how to act, and how to make life continually respond
in a positive way. This invariably leads to the possibility of great
success and accomplishment in life. We have then in essence opened the
portals to the infinite potential to emerge into life. And ironically by
living in the deepest depths of the soul being we are able to elicit the
greatest responses from the outer life. From within we begin to become
masters of the outer life.
Growth Online: So this psychic
transformation is dependent on making this first contact and connection to
his personal soul?
RP: Actually at some point in this
stage of transformation he not has a connection not only with his inner
being, his psychic soul, which is his real spiritual individual Self,
but he also senses that he also has a connection with others, the
environment, and the forces and powers and connections with the universe,
the cosmos. Thus he begins to develop a universal Self as well.
Finally he also develops a deep
connection with the transcendent Divine, with God. Not only does he find
spirit in his inner personal soul; not only does he connect to the
environment and the universe in a profound way; but he connects to and
feels an intimate relationship with the source of all spirit; the
Absolute, Brahman, the Divine consciousness, God. At that point he has
begun to develop a third aspect of his self, his transcendent Self.
(pause) So when we live this way, when it becomes a
permanent part of our nature, we would essentially have completed the
first stage of becoming this new being. At that point we would have
dramatically shifted our center of consciousness and awareness away from
our normal human nature toward a the beginnings of a new
supernature. We will have thus established the foundation for a potential
future evolutionary spiritual existence.
Growth Online: This does sound like quite a change. But
still it is not clear why this psychic change is so necessary for the
ultimate goal of becoming this evolutionary being?
RP: It's simple; without it, it can't be done! The
psychic, inner soul change establishes the foundation for the much more
radical change that can come after. What this change does is establish the
necessary minimal reorientation of the individual. Unless he has
this new orientation, outlook, perspective, foundation, he cannot possibly
move onto the even greater changes that await him. It's just not possible!
He would be viewing the world from his old ignorance and falsehood. Any
attempt to become an evolutionary spiritual being with such limitations
would probably be a disaster, or more likely just a non-starter. He would
be continually be brought down to his lower nature, negating any of the
powers and movements that await him at the next stage.
ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS
-The next
stage of the transformation of the individual into a new evolutionary
being moves from the Psychic Transformation to the
Spiritual
Transformation.
-Sri Aurobindo said that it would take millennium for humanity to get
in touch with the psychic being. The Mother said that if an individual
is lucky in 30 years of yoga he can find his psychic being. (However,
we can learn to find a focus of our attention, such as a work on a
project and open to the psychic during that work and see a great life
response and results.)
-This
is an inward movement that breaks into the
subliminal self, into the inner being, an inner life, and further
into a personal soul, a psychic being there. It is capable of
directly connecting with universal forces, enabling us to become
universal beings.
Notes on the Psychic Transformation:
THE
PSYCHIC TRANSFORMATION
-
To arrive at its widest totality and completeness, the
consciousness must shift its center from the surface to
the inner being.
-
Difficulty
of touching inner being, the psychic: This is
difficult however because the outer nature opposes and
because there is a great distance between the outer and
the depths. The psychic is veiled from us; there is great
space in the intervening subliminal being.
-
Emergence
of Psychic upholding rest of being: When the
connection to the psychic being is made the psychic
supports, guides, and rules the nature; exposing all parts
of us to the Truth, lighting all parts of the being,
evaporating the limitations of our nature. (This is the
first stage.)
-
Psychic
opening to universal, and opening to powers and
illuminations: The second stage is the experience of
cosmic consciousness, a connection with the cosmic forces
and occult movements of universal Nature; a sympathy,
unity, and inner communication and interchange with other
beings and with Nature; illuminations my the mind by
knowledge, of the heart by love, devotion, and spiritual
joy and ecstasy, of action in truth, a divine light of
guidance, and the joy and power of the divine force.
-
By
not going fully within to the psychic, just to be in the
inner being can release a subliminal ignorance, which
could lead to a large ego movement or other problems of
admixture with the surface being.
-
The
completion of the psychic connection is through an opening
to the supreme spiritual status, to the supramental
nature. (This occurs in the third stage of the triple
transformation.)
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