Sri Aurobindo is
the author and sage, who along with his partner The
Mother, dedicated his life to bringing about the
next stage of evolution of life on earth. Throughout his life Sri Aurobindo
worked outwardly on his massive body of writings, and inwardly to connect to the
divine consciousness, to bring down its properties into the world. The Mother
followed a similar path, focusing on the transformation of her own physical body
in order to become the forerunner of a new type of human being, what Sri
Aurobindo calls the supramental being. The Mother also served as a conduit, an
intermediary between the new evolutionary spiritual force that Sri Aurobindo had
spent his life uncovering and their followers who were trying to open themselves
to this new consciousness.
Sri Aurobindo's
vision begins with the assertion that humans may not be the
final rung on the evolutionary scale. That we might witness
the emergence of a new species, one that is above and beyond
the present human race as we know it. Or, perhaps we could say that it is perhaps the
same human species, but that is evolving to a new level that
appears very different in functioning, inwardly and
outwardly, from the current humanity. Different, emotionally,
mentally, spiritually -- even one day physically!
Sri Aurobindo
gave us a vision of what a future society could be like if we
transcended the limited thinking of the old religions,
the old superstitions, of both East and the West; if we saw beyond
our physical/material view of the world; if we went beyond an analysis of existence based
solely only on a scientific method that did not include the realm of
consciousness and spirit. Sri Aurobindo invites us to
walk through the doors that he has opened, and journey into a
new frontier of understanding and experience; into a new
future of infinite, never before thought of possibilities.
Sri Aurobindo believed that
there is a future before us so utterly different than what we
might expect, that there are forces and possibilities so
staggering, that we must reevaluate our entire belief system,
dismantle much of our intellectual underpinnings, and relearn
a new vocabulary of life so we can understand this new
future.
Ascent Among the Planes of the Individual
Sri Aurobindo described how
the human individual consist of three essential planes -- our bodies,
i.e. the physical; our emotional center, i.e. the vital; and the mental. In the last five hundred
years, and especially in the last fifty years or so, we are seeing a vast
development of the mental functioning. We as a species are gradually moving upward from the inconscience, inertia, and incapacity of the
physical plane of our being; the passions, irrationality, attachments, ego-centricities,
and social deference of the vital/emotional plane of our being; to the knowledge, perceptions,
insight, and self-determination of the mental plane. Though most individuals are
predominantly centered at
the vital level of life, there is a rapid movement in the last several
decades among many individuals to a more mental-based consciousness and
functioning in life. Humanity itself is rapidly moving in that direction.
This mental-based
consciousness expresses itself in a number of ways for the individual. As an
individual becomes more mental-centric he begins to a have a broader
perspective of himself. He (or she, of course) senses to a greater degree his own uniqueness and
individuality. He develops a greater identity with his freedom, including his
freedom of self-determination; to be what he would like to be, what he can
be; not what
the social conventions dictate. He is
compelled to develop his capacities to ever higher levels. He begins to
see that he
can achieve complete personal fulfillment in his own life.
In
addition to individual expression, the ascendancy of mind has expressed at
the societal level as well. It expresses in the great movements in the last century
that have led to greater human liberty and freedom; to the emergence of
democracy throughout the world; and to the growing sense among the general
population that every person deserves to fulfill his potential in his own
lifetime. This is reinforced by
the rapid acceptance of education as a fundamental necessity, and the emergence
of social policies and values that enable the individual to fulfill his potential. All
of these are reflections of the mergence of the mental consciousness in
man; of mind in the world.
Ultimately, however, Sri Aurobindo
perceived that
humanity would begin to move even beyond this mental-based consciousness.
For all of its benefit over a physical and vital based consciousness, the
mental consciousness, i.e. mind, is still limited in many ways -- by its tendency to
see only part of a truth instead of the whole truth, by its prejudice to one
piece of knowledge over another, by its fixity, rigidity, and general ignorance.
In that light Sri
Aurobindo began to lay out a track of development of human consciousness
that would take us far beyond the current mental-based functioning of the
individual to a higher functioning where its limitations are overcome.
In
the first stage in this ascent
beyond the mental-centric individual, we begin to develop higher mental capacities, such
as our ability to engage in pure thought and reason; devoid of the prejudicial
nature and stifling rigidities that are there in normal
surface-influenced, sense-oriented mind. Yet another functioning
of this higher, rational aspect of mind is our ability to conceive new ideas,
and new possibilities for ourselves and the world. At this level of mind we become the
thinkers, reasoners, creators,
initiators, and pioneers in life. In these higher realms of mind proper we
begin to open ourselves to greater
possibilities and potentials, rather than the partial perceptions, half
truths, falsehoods, and ignorance of the lesser mind that most people live
in.
Further still we
begin to break out into yet higher movements of mind, which Sri Aurobindo
called "spiritual mind." There one begins to truly know things
in the fullness, wholeness, and integral truth. We begin to experience
knowledge as descents of light and vision, and intuitions of descents of
the entire object of knowledge that we wish to know. In other words, we
begin to have the experience that when we want to know something, it
simply drops into our mind in full with all of its details, without the normal thought
processes that we associate with mind; without thought at
all. At that point mind begins to develop the capacity to have direct
knowledge of that which we want to know; to have a direct identity
with the objects of knowledge that we wish to perceive and understand. In
hat way one doesn't have to research a subject and object of knowledge to
learn about it, or ask someone about it, or educate one's self or spend a
life discovering it through experience. Instead when one want to know
something the complete object of our knowledge with all of its myriad of
details simply enters our minds in total.
At
a further stage the object of our perception does not have to descend from
the beyond, from the universal Mind as an intuition, but is automatically
created inside us! Thus, if we want to know something in life, it does not
have to even descend from an out-there, but is already within us to begin
with. In that sense not only is the object of instantly known without
thought from within us, but we are simultaneously the creators of that
knowledge. We become in that sense like the Divine itself, which created
the universe from within itself. We have thus reached a similar
status where we literally create that which we wish to know. We become the
creators of life; not unlike the Divine Creator. At that point we have brought a power
of the Divine into human existence.
This
is very difficult thing to express in ordinary language, but it is one
aspect of our ultimate destiny and the destiny of a new future human
existence on earth. Needless to say at this point we are
a very long way from the original
sense-based mind, with its fumblings, half-truths, opinions, prejudices, and
other limitations. We are even beyond logical, creative mind; as well
as beyond the descent of the objects of knowledge into our being as
illuminations and intuitions. We are in fact at the doorways of Sri Aurobindo's
greatest discovery, the Supramental Truth consciousness.
As we open to these higher, spiritual levels of existence -- and as we go deeper within
ourselves were we discover our inner being, our true self, our evolving
personal souls, our own ray of the Spirit -- we begin to also open to
new currents of life; to universal forces,
powers, and truths. We begin to sense a spiritual presence inside ourselves,
as well as a connection
and constant communion to a Divine source, a Divine force and power and delight in the universe. At that point new
planes to existence
are revealed to us. We sense
a new purpose in life, we are born into a new discovery of who we are, and
what we can be, and how we can utilize the spiritual powers to effect our
lives. We have
extended beyond our normal skins, and have broken out into the infinite
potentials of existence. There we come in contact with a Reality; one that
that
defies our normal notions of what can and cannot be, of what is logical
and possible, of what we perceive as the right movements of cause and
effect, and space and time. We have opened the portals to the infinite
possibilities that spirit brings to life.
Human Transformation and Overcoming the
Problems of Life
For 10,000 years humanity
has labored to raise itself up. Yet even now there is great suffering,
anguish, disease, hunger, poverty, pain, ignorance, and falsehood.
All of the movements, political and social, have so far failed to really
remedy these problems. Things remain
for the most part the same. Man suffers, he experiences pain, he experiences
the endless ups and downs of life. Religion, though noble in its intent,
has also failed to solve these
problems. It has merely helped us cope with them. It has not changed their
fundamental nature.
To change their fundamental
nature one needs to understand the processes that caused them to become the
way they are. Then we need to understand the necessary methods and
techniques to overcome these limitations. Throughout his life Sri
Aurobindo endeavored to do both. With such an understanding we are better
prepared to take the right actions in life that enable the permanent
transformation in life that we seek; so that the problems
of the individual, of the community, of the society, of life on
earth cease to exist; now and forever.
He said that by transforming our own nature, by
opening to the spirit, the divisions and dualities of life gradually give way. By rising above the
inherent limitations of our physical, vital, and mental functioning to the higher mental functioning
and spirit beyond; by moving inward into the depths of our being where we touch our inner
spirit and soul, which itself calls to the greater spirit above, we
are lead to our higher nature and consciousness. From that poise we can then extend that
personal transformation
to our surroundings, to others, to our businesses
and communities, to our nations and to the world at large.
Through this process we begin to replace our normal functioning
and consciousness, rooted in unconsciousness, ignorance, falsehood, and ego, with a higher
consciousness, a spirit, a Force above, that we can call into our lives to
further enable our progress. By overcoming our limiting nature, by opening to
this Divine force, we
begin to see a life of emotional pain receding, a life of physical pain giving way,
and a life of mental confusion and ignorance changing into one of insight, knowledge, understanding, intuition,
truth, harmony, unity, and oneness of
purpose. Living our lives from this higher nature we come to see life
continually cooperating with us in every way. We work in harmony with
others; we experience a wonder of perfection and truth in all our activities,
in all circumstance and situations of life. We come upon the infinite
potentials and possibilities of life.
Thus Sri Aurobindo reveals
to us the methods and powers of life and spirit, and sets us on a road of transformation from our lower to our higher nature and consciousness.
Eventually we witness
the development of a new type of individual, living a life unprecedented in
human history. A life of spiritual oneness, of infinite potential, of
perfect execution, and infinite accomplishment and delight. Further on,
over time
there is an increase of the numbers of such individuals, culminating in a collective
of these individuals, who in essence become pioneers of what Sri Aurobindo called "a divine life on
earth."
Creation (Evolution, Involution)
To create a foundation for such a vision of
transformation for the individual and life on earth Sri Aurobindo made the supreme effort to
explain the nature of the universe, including the forces that
enabled it to come about; the nature of humanity and the individual,
including our makeup, limitations, and potentials; and our destiny and purpose
in life, including how that purpose is related to the
very purpose of the creation itself.
In his opus The Life Divine
Sri Aurobindo describes -- how the universe was created out of the Absolute,
the Omnipresent reality; how life evolved in the cosmos that was created; what the cause of
suffering and falsehood and ignorance in the creation is; what the way out of
this problem is; what the nature of spirit is, and how it gives us access to
infinite potential in life; and what the purpose of life is, including what the ultimate destiny of the individual and the
human race is.
Sri Aurobindo describes how from out of an Omnipresent Reality, the
Absolute (what is known as Brahman in the East) the universe was created, as
unconscious, ignorant, divided
forms. He goes on to say that the reason that the universe was created from the
Absolute is for the purpose of delight. Furthermore, in order to achieve the Absolute's goal of delight in the creation, we as humans must evolve beyond
our lower nature to rediscover our higher nature, including the hidden spirit in life. In
that process of discovering our higher nature and spirit, we experience
the delight of existence, fulfilling the very purpose for which the Absolute
created the universe.
Sri Aurobindo calls the process that led
up to the creation of the universe; i.e. the process by which the cosmos
emerged from the Absolute, the Divine, the "involution."
It is an involution because the spirit is hidden in the creation, i.e. it
is "involved" as potential in the forms (matter, life, mind,
plant, animals, humans) that that have been created.
Then once the universe is
created from the Absolute, the "evolution" begins.
Whereas the involution
is the process by which the Divine manifest a world of divided and
ignorant forms; the
evolution is the gradual movement upward of these forms from division and duality
to a higher state of oneness, spirit, and delight of existence.
Sri Aurobindo describes how the purpose and destiny of the
evolution
of the universe is to
overcome the inherent division and duality that emerged in creation, and to rediscover
through our individual, social, and universal growth, development,
evolution, and transformation, the
hidden Spirit that was buried, that was hidden, involved in the creation. This rediscovery of spirit
in existence fulfills the very purpose for which the Many emerged from the
One, the universe from the Absolute -- Delight of existence. It is in fact
we, who in our own ascent toward
our higher nature and spirit, experience that Delight. In that way, we, as humans, fulfill the
very purpose of the creation -- delight of being.
The Supramental (Truth) Consciousness and Its Use in Our Lives After revealing in The Life Divine
the nature of the Divine, God, the Absolute, and how the
universe was created and unfolded from out of the Absolute,
Sri Aurobindo uncovers something that is unique in the history of consciousness. He
has discovered in essence a new aspect and quality of God. He
discovered an extension to the unmanifest Absolute, which he called the
"Supramental" or "Truth Consciousness." This force or power of the
Divine is
in fact the ordering mechanism, the spring that enabled the cosmos to
manifest from out of the Absolute in the first place; that enabled the Many to emerge out of the One. This
Supramental Truth consciousness, also called the plane of Supermind, is
thus the cause of creation; the instrument that enabled the
cosmos, the universe to take form.
Sri Aurobindo believed that if we
could make the ascent to overcome our limiting nature, if we could further
rediscover the hidden spirit in life, if we could come in contact and open
ourselves to this Truth Consciousness (the very same consciousness that was
instrumental in the creation of the universe), then we can change life as
we know it. If we can change our own nature by making a concerted effort
to overcome our limiting attitudes, opinions, prejudices, and other
weaknesses; and open ourselves to this Force, we can see a dramatic,
unprecedented change in our nature, which will not only enable our own
infinite capacities to blossom, but will release the perfection, oneness, and infinite capacities
of the world around us to emerge, including our families, friends, associates,
businesses, institutions, and the communities and nations we live in.
If we learn how
to open to this Force, we can begin to live in an
astounding new way, a way that has no precedence in human history; where
every conceivable problem could be solved; where
all of life cooperates; where all life activities
and circumstances play out in perfect harmony, in perfect execution; and where we
come upon the infinite possibilities
for creation, accomplishment, success, and joy that are there just below the
surface of our normal awareness.
Things that we
perceived as limited in scope -- whether a business transaction, someone's
scientific research project, or a great work of art -- are now seen and understood to
have infinite
scope and possibility. Past limitations turn into great multiples and infinities. Our
perceptions of quantity and quality change, our perceptions of space and
time become different, the nature of cause and effect is altered.
In addition, we experience
within ourselves the spiritual attributers
of the Supramental consciousness -- its Truth, Peace,
Knowledge, Oneness, Force, Love, Beauty, Joy. In that way we become filled
with the very properties of the Creator. We become a manifestation of the
Divine. We become in fact the Divine in full.
Transformation and the Oneness of Life
As we ascend into our higher status of being we begin to realize that any problem,
whether within ourselves or without in the
world, can be solved. As we develop our higher nature we increasingly perceive the unity of
everything in life. At the spiritual level we experience a profound oneness of purpose,
rather than our normal status of separateness. At
that level of unity,
harmony, and oneness we perceive that every problem has a solution, or
rather that there is an infinite scope of solutions. This is the case
because we are able to
move beyond our own limiting sense of self, of our own limiting ego-sense
that breeds separateness and ignorance. We are able to break through into a wider
sphere, not limited to our previous shallow, small view of the
world.
At that point the individual
is better able to see his problems in the wider context of his relationship
with others, of the environment, of the world, and even the universe
itself.
He senses oneness everywhere; within the various parts of his being, and
in oneness collaboration and integration
with the world around him.
He gains a broader and deeper view and insight,
which inevitably leads to new, previously unthought of knowledge,
wisdom, and insight. Where there was once
a limited knowledge, an ignorance based on separateness, there comes into
his field of vision new knowledge, new insight, and newfound
solutions based on a broader, deeper, wider perspective of his existence. The wider field
also gives him wider possibilities and potentials for answers, solutions, and
actions. In essence, the spiritual experience of oneness enables man to move from a limited being to a limitless
one.
In addition, since the individual is
part of a collective action, since he interacts and works with others, he too
can bring this consciousness into his working life, into his social existence. As he participates in the social sphere, he can bring in his
newfound higher consciousness. From this poise he can
contribute to the collective's needs, requirements, and questions with a
vastly greater knowledge, wisdom, and effectivity.
Furthermore, as that new consciousness
extends outward others
can share with him in that new wisdom, insight, and effectivity of action. They
can, for example, share in his understanding of the oneness that exists not just between individuals,
but also between any form of social entity. From such a perspective individuals
and groups within businesses,
institutions, communities, states, and nations can now better solve
problems because they see problems not from their status of isolation,
ego, and separateness, but from the view of their common purpose with
other related social entities. Groups of individuals in the social entity
can sense their
unity, their ultimate purpose and destiny of oneness with related
entities, leading to a vast scope for solutions, opportunities, and abilities
to accomplish.
In this way, as the
spiritual individual collaborates with others of the same interests and
propensities, we can begin to
see the possibility of such groups collaborating to solve all of the
world's problems. The individual extending his Higher Consciousness
into the social sphere, and the emergence of groups of individuals who
perceive the world from their higher nature, enables an infinitely greater
scope, possibility, and potential for insights and solutions; which can in
turn bring about the necessary change, growth, and development for the
world.
In such a way we begin to
see problems of war, poverty, disease, and other issues and problems from
a wider context of harmony of purpose. For example, if there is
malnutrition in the world, we might perceive that its not so much a
problem of scarcity, but a problem of collaboration, of harmony of purpose and interest among the
interested nations.
So just as all of the
individual's problems can be overcome, solutions to
all of the world's problems can be overcome.
Conversely, new, unthought of possibilities are conceived
based on this status of Oneness. New inventions, products, ideas,
principles, laws, and so forth emerge that were not there before when we
stood separate, divided in our ego status. In other words, a consciousness of Oneness
breeds infinite diversity, possibility, solutions, and result.
New Divine Life on Earth Over
time we see emerging a growing, developing, evolving humanity; a humanity
that is becoming more conscious, more aware, that is perpetually transforming its
own nature, so that the long term issues and problems of life that have
been there since the creation -- inertia, incapacity, ignorance,
falsehood, pain, and suffering -- are overcome.
By
opening to the Supramental Consciousness and calling in its properties, we
see the emergence
of a new type of individual, living in a unitary consciousness that is one
with all parts of his being, one with everything around it; with the total
knowledge, comprehension, and understanding of the truth of every moment,
that enables him to take the right and most perfect action at any moment
in time. He becomes one with the flow of the universal action and the Divine
spirit.
Individuals living in such a poise has great positive influence
and oneness with the activities, projects, institutions,
organizations, communities, nations, societies that he is engaged in or
connected to. His involvement lend itself to fantastic successes for any
of these, enabling the greatest efficiencies of success; i.e. enabled the
greatest results with the least effort in the shortest period of time.
Eventually we begin to see
the emergence of a coming together of such individuals in a collective
life. These individuals become harbingers of a new type of existence; a
society steeped in the inner consciousness and spirit, releasing its infinite
potential, culminating in a new type
of life, a divine life on earth.
This is the staggering vision that Sri Aurobindo
has revealed for the future.
It
is then up to us to collaborate in that endeavor, to make that vision real. Sri Aurobindo
asks us only to make a sincere start in that effort, to aspire for this new world, for this new Consciousness,
so that we can create the foundation of a New Life on Earth.
"I
saw them cross the twilight of an age,
The sun-eyed children of the marvelous dawn,
The great creators with wide brows of calm,
The massive barrier-breakers of the world"
"The
Vision and the Boon" from Savitri by Sri Aurobindo
The
human is a transitional being. A new spiritual life, a divine
life on earth awaits him.
We
can attain this new life on earth by making the effort of
transformation.
We
must not only cope with the problems of life but transform them
so they are changed permanently.
Religion
has failed to change the essential nature of man. It has not
focused on permanent transformation, and has lost its relevancy
in that regard.
(Also
each religion only expresses but one or two major rays of the
spiritual reality; and hasn't the multi-rayed integral truth.
The spiritual reality, which can be experienced by
anyone at any time, expresses this multiple, integral, dynamic
aspect of the Divine.)
The
individual consists of the physical, vital, and mental
plane. As we grow and evolve, we move from the lower to the higher
aspect of each of these planes
Our
physical, vital, and mental nature are filled with the
limitations that need to be transformed -- the inconscience, inertia, and incapacity of the
physical plane of our being; the passions, irrationality, attachments, and ego
of the vital/emotional plane of our being; to the knowledge, perceptions, and
insight of the mental plane.
Most
individuals are centered in their vital functioning. In the last
50 years or so there has been a rapid movement toward a
centering in the mental consciousness.
Mind
proper ranges from the sense-based mind (focused on interpreting
that which our senses experience) to reasoning and
conceptive mind.
Though
mind proper is the highest of the three functionings, there are
planes of spiritual mind above mind such as higher (silent) mind, illumined mind,
intuitive mind, and Truth consciousness itself (supermind).
We
begin the process of evolution, development, and transformation
by becoming aware of the deficiencies of our nature, having
the aspiration to overcome them, and
then making the effort
to change them.
We also make the movement
within to touch our
inner being (our psychic being, our personal soul force), which
helps us move away from our ego sense and
nature, our
separateness, which also helps us overcome
the limitations of our physical, vital, and mental nature, and
also creates an opening to the
spiritual Force above.
In
his opus The Life Divine Sri Aurobindo explains the
nature of the immutable
Divine source of all, the Absolute
(also called Brahman in the East); how the Absolute manifest
the
universe we live in; the nature of
what was created, including matter, life, and mind in the universe,including man; and the purpose and destiny of the universe and
the humanity.
The
process that created the universe from the
Divine Source, the Absolute, is the
involution. That process begins when the Divine
Absolute
self-conceives a formation of forms.
To begin this process theAbsolute separates from a
unitary Divine Reality and extends itself into a trinity of Existence, Consciousness-Force,
and Bliss. Out of Consciousness-Force comes Energy,
energy at rest, which
then begins
to move, and thus the beginnings of existence in the universe.
The point up to the movement of energy is the involution. The process by which the universe though the emergence
of the consecutive planes of matter, life, mind, and spirit reconnects with the underlying
hidden spirit that enables the experience of
the delight of being is called the evolution.
The
purpose of the creation from the Divine Source is Delight of
being. When we discover our higher nature we experience the
delight of this discovery. In experiencing that delight we
fulfill the very reason the Divine created the universe of being
-- delight of being. [Also the greatest
discovery is Self-Discovery of our True Self and Spirit,
which creates the greatest Delight.]
The Divine
Source was at first the Omnipresent Reality (the Absolute,
Brahman); timeless, spaceless,
ungraspable, immutable
spirit. To begin the process of extending that spirit into a
material universe it first became Existent, i.e. it began to
exist as a reality beyond its unknowable state. This Existence
(or Being) then extended Itself as a self-conscious Force.
It further extended itself as Delighting in its existence, in
Its being conscious of its existence. The Reality had become the triune of Existence-Consciousness
Force-Delight (Sat-chit-ananda) to begin the process that
would enable its Being/Spirit, its Force, Its Delight to extend to a created universe.
A fourth aspect, Supermind,
emerged from the three to enable the universe to emerge. The
Supermind (i.e. Supramental Consciousness) is the intermediary
plane that enabled the cosmos, the universe to manifest from the
conscious, delighting Being, the Spirit. Supermind
thus
in essence enabled the creation. It
became the ordering
mechanism that enabled the Absolute/Brahman to move from its original
status of Existence, Consciousness-Force, and Bliss (Delight)
into a universe of matter,
life, and mind.
Supermind was/is the ordering
mechanism that enabled the Force of the original Divine Spirit
to manifest as material formations of that Force.
All of existence in the universe
are forms of the original Force of spirit. I.e. matter, life,
mind, etc. are all forms of this Force.
The universe, and hence the life
within it was created in division and duality to enable the
greatest multiplicity and variety of forms.
The struggle from the original
inconscience of matter to life to mind to spirit is the
evolution. The goal of the evolution, of life in the universe is
to enable the spirit, the Force, and the Delight of being to
emerge in all forms in the creation, including us.
We can make this effort of growth,
evolution, even transformation on our own, but we can also be
aided by the same Force that enabled
the universe. This
(Supramental) Force enables us to
overcome the limitations of our own physical, vital, and mental
nature; to overcome the inconscience, ignorance, falsehoods in
our own lives and life in general; and enable a radical
transformation of individuals and humanity into a higher
functioning, perhaps a enabling a new species to emerge beyond
the human, culminating in a divine life on earth.
We
can also utilize the Force to effect life's actions and results.
We can learn to bring in the Force to release the infinite
potential in life, including our ability to bring about infinite
accomplishment, success, and joy in our lives; to make every
activity, action, situation, and circumstance end in perfection,
in ways never thought of, releasing the infinite potential and
unity that lurks behind.
We can learn the secrets to literally
move and effect the world outside ourselves from within ourselves by
connecting with our Inner, Psychic Being, personal soul; and then further
opening to the infinite, ever creative, ever unifying, timeless,
spaceless, causal actions and powers of the Supramental Consciousness.
The
discovery of our inner, personal soul or psychic being
is the way out of our ego, separateness, universal Ignorance,
and the divisions and dualities of existence. Connecting thus
within and a
further opening to the Supramental Force and Consciousness is the key to our progress and transformation, and to the
transformation of the society out of its ignorance, falsehood,
division, suffering, and pain.
When we open to spirit it expresses
as any of Truth,
Knowledge, Power, Oneness, Peace, Delight, Beauty, and Love.
One
of the experiences of the Divine Consciousness is the experience
of harmony, Oneness, and Unity of being; oneness within
ourselves; and oneness with that which is outside ourselves. Through
Oneness we broaden our perspective beyond our ego, ourselves, to
the all, and thus to that vaster realm of possibility. From that
deeper and broader status we can much more easily find
greater solutions to the mysteries, issues, and problems of
life. Likewise
institutions and nations functioning from this status of Oneness
within itself and outside itself can see the solutions to all problems, as well as the
development of new, unthought of possibilities.
"All
problems in life are problems of harmony." Any problem that
exists can be resolved by finding a higher harmony than
currently exists between and among parties, entities, and
individuals. There is therefore no problem that cannot be
solved by rising to a higher harmony that
resolves the contradictions that exist at the previous level.
When we live in our higher consciousness we are far more able to
see the higher harmony that is emerging, that is in potential,
which then known we can help bring about in the world. We develop
this higher consciousness by living more within in the depths, and
by opening to the Force around us. [Editing
point]
The
individual has not only his individual purpose, but a purpose
and destiny that relates to the social environment, the
collective, and the universe itself.
Through the individual the
collective purpose and the universe's purpose is fulfilled.
The ultimate status of the individual then is to find his true
Individual Self (his psychic being, i.e. the personal evolving
soul), and to also discover his Universal Self and even his
Transcendent Self.
By overcoming one's limited propensities one begins on
the path of personal growth. By moving within into the depths one begins
to rise in consciousness to the point where he discovers his personal
evolving soul. He is then open to universal truths and powers, his inner
guide which guides him along the way, and to the higher truth and
knowledge that is emerging in the atmosphere at any moment. He discovers
the unity with everything around him. He then can more easily open to the
Force living a consecrated life so all actions he takes end in perfection
and infinite results, and he can further surrender his very existence to
this Force in all aspects of his life so that his own will and purpose is
one with the Divine purpose.
Man's ultimate evolutionary possibility is
the supramental transformation of his being. By
opening to the Supramental Consciousness and calling in its properties, we
see the emergence
of a new type of individual, living in a unitary consciousness that is one
with all parts of his being, one with everything around it; with the total
knowledge, comprehension, and understanding of the truth of every moment,
that enables him to take the right and most perfect action at any moment
in time. He becomes one with the flow of the universal action and the Divine
spirit. Individuals living in such a poise has great positive influence
and oneness with the activities, projects, institutions,
organizations, communities, nations, societies that he is engaged in or
connected to. His involvement lend itself to fantastic successes for any
of these, enabling the greatest efficiencies of success; i.e. enabled the
greatest results with the least effort in the shortest period of time.
Eventually we begin to see
the emergence of a coming together of such individuals in a collective
life. These individuals become harbingers of a new type of existence; a
society steeped in the inner consciousness and spirit, releasing its infinite
potential, culminating in a new type
of life, a divine life on earth.
FURTHER READING
To read
an article that describes Sri Aurobindo's path to the future, click
here.
To read
an interview with Roy Posner on what attracted him to
the teachings of Sri Aurobindo, click
here.
To gsee
ana analysis of Sri Aurobindo's metaphysical opus, The Life
Divine, click
here.