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Yoga
Yoga
Conscious Evolution
Yoga/Conscious
Evolution
The highest aspiration
of Man is to evolve his Nature and become his ultimate
possibility. The conscious effort to make that change is
called Yoga, also known as Conscious Evolution. (added)
Embarking on Conscious Evolution through Spirit
Yoga
What Yoga Is Yoga, Organization, and Consciousness By yoga, Sri Aurobindo means a conscious ORGANISATION for the progress of consciousness. Life, He says, progresses by consciousness and consciousness progresses by organisation. (MSS)
Yoga
Yoga (Conscious Evolution) vs. Nature -Yoga is the rendering in personal experience of the truth which universal Nature has hidden in herself and which she travails to discover. It is the conversion of the divine soul and of natural life into divine living. -The aim and goal of Nature and Yoga are the same; though the later is infinitely more rapid and positively effective. (Paraphrase of Sri Aurobindo) -Sri Aurobindo means by the word yoga the self-willed progress of the deepest element even in the shallow layer. (MSS)
Beginning Conscious Evolution by
Discovering the Inner Being
The Nature of Yoga
Yoga is Spiritual Experience
Spirit Calling Us
to Yoga
Becoming the Opposite of Who You are in Yoga If we know the rules of conscious evolution, we can
make the majority of those changes in a few years. Supramental transformation to a new divine species
is a step beyond, but there is a spiritual Force at our disposal to
facilitate the process. That Force is even there to help us change a
single, solitary wanting attitude if we so choose to make use of it.
Yoga and Four
Levels of Personal Progress
When a person with substantial skills adds
similar ones, or a prosperous individual becomes
more prosperous through the same methods, then
there is "growth"
- i.e. progress that is more of the same.
In this scheme, one rises from a 1 to a 1+ or
perhaps a 2. On the other hand, improving
several parts of our being is a more formidable
change and progress that I call
"development."
E.g., a person giving up a persistent grudge
about his difficult station in life, or an
individual overcoming a virulent tendency to
dominate and oppress others would qualify as
development. Another example would be a general
practitioning doctor becoming an expert
pediatrician, or a lawyer becoming a district
attorney or even a judge. In our scheme, that
individual would move from a 1 to as far up as a
5 or 10, depending on the nature of the change.*
If growth is more of the same (i.e. horizontal
expansion), and development is to make
considerable upward progress in one's character,
station in life, etc. (i.e. vertical expansion),
then evolution is to move to a whole
new plane of existence. Evolution can occur
consciously through a dedicated
commitment to change over the course of one's
life -- which is essentially what Yoga is -- or
it can occur less decidedly and consciously as a
result of conditions that arise in one's life.
For example, in the film Educating Rita we
see how Rita moves from a rough, street-smart
woman to a semi-educated individual in an
extraordinarily short period of time. She has
essentially evolved a good part of her nature to
a new plane of existence -- from a vital-focused
individual to a more mental-centric one.
Likewise, Eliza Doolittle in Shaw's Pygmalion does
the same as she rises from a flower girl who
speaks in vulgar tones to a more polished woman
who speaks genteelly and with dignity. A degree
of evolution has surely occurred in both
instances. In Rita and Eliza's case, it occurred
semi-consciously, whereas Yoga enables evolution
to occur consciously and continuously throughout
one's life. Thus, where development is a
movement from a 1 to a 5 or even a 10, evolution
takes one much further, to perhaps a 20.
Conscious or semi-conscious, or even
unconsciously enabled, it is a vast leap,
ordinarily reserved for a very few in life.
Having identified these levels of progress, one
wonders what is it that we actually change in
our being when we develop or evolve ourselves.
For one, each of us has several major wanting
characteristics in our being. Each of these can
be overcome through our willful decisions to
change. E.g., I can change two of the most
untoward parts of my character -- such as a
propensity to laziness and pig-headedness -- to
the point that I actually become its opposite;
in this case, continually hard working and
open-minded. Likewise, a disorganized, weak
person could become a fully organized individual
who continually demonstrates psychological
strength in his behavior. In a life of conscious
Yoga, one continually attempts to overcome each
of our unique limitations of capacity, skill,
knowledge, attitude, opinion, belief, etc. To
the degree we overcome our limitations,
determines whether we are developing or
evolving.
Our limitations of character and capacity do not
end there however. For even if we were to
overcome all of our own unique limitations,
there are also wanting qualities that are
common to all humanity -- such as our
tendency towards anger, hate, fear, desire,
jealousy, and many others primal emotions. In
addition to these are the limitations of our
habitual nature -- including our tendency to
go on repeating our old ways avoiding change,
continually rejecting the new and the
unfamiliar, and an attachment to fixed opinions
and beliefs, amongst. Overcoming the limitations
of our primal and habitual nature is another
goal that can be achieved through a life-long
yogic effort.
Beyond development and evolution is the ultimate
form of progress -- transformation.
Transformation is the changeover from a
current
human functioning to a higher, supra-human
functioning. It is usually enabled by opening to
the transformative power of the Spirit. E.g.,
while a vital/emotional person becoming a
rational mental-oriented individual is
evolution, transformation would bring about a
radical change to the mind itself.
Instead of knowing a thing through study,
understanding, etc., one could come to know the
truth of any subject through descents of
intuitions of knowledge. I.e., through a
newly formulated spiritualized mind,
intuitions of the complete truth of a thing
simply descend and appear in our mind without
the hard churning of thought. Thus, the mind has
been transformed from its usual functioning into
its supra-human mental counterpart.
Such radical transformation can take place in
the mind, in the psyche, in the emotional/vital
centers, in the heart, even in the physical body
itself. E.g., one of our other universal
limitations concerns our physical body --
including the fact that we experience pain,
illness; and that the body withers, decays, and
dies. The transformation of the body would
overcome this -- as we would live in constant
health, and could eventually overcome death
itself. That would require the transformation of
the physical organs and systems of the body to a
new type of functioning, enabling the emergence
of a new type of human being. In our scheme of
things then, such transformation would be a
further exponential change that would take us
beyond a 20, up to 100.
At whatever level we make our change --
development, evolution, or transformation -- we
can utilize the power of the Spirit to help us
along the way. We can offer up to the Divine any
aspect of our nature that we wish to change,
which will attract its infinite power to aid in
the change. From our side we can make every
effort to attain the necessary knowledge to
understand this process, and make all necessary
psychological and behavioral change to overcome
the offending parts. It is a life-long endeavor,
demanding vigilance, dedication, and sincere
effort. It is Yoga in action.
Yogic life culminates when our entire being is
surrendered to the Divine Will, Purpose, and
Influence. We become in all aspect of our lives
-- physical, vital, mental, and spiritual --
instruments of the Higher Functioning. It is the
ultimate possibility of human existence, and the
culmination of Yoga in life.
*Keep in mind that each number upward is not just an
incremental increase, but something akin to an
exponential one!
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. When we do, we experience a palpable
silence and rich presence within; we shift from selfishness
to self-givingness; and we more acutely perceive the subtle
truths unfolding around us. All told, by connecting to
Spirit we experience an intense, ongoing joy and delight in
being alive.
And yet we cannot all have the same approach to Spirit, as
each of our lives are different. It would seem that there
should be a variety of approaches to Spirit that would
accommodate differences in people, including different
stages in their psychological and spiritual development.
Therefore, let's consider two approaches; 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 the family; while the latter aspires to
uplift his psychological and spiritual nature, making that
the cornerstone of his life. Of course, there are untold
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, his or her life continually
comes under control. The individual can engage in the act of
“consecration” before major activities, such as an important
business meeting; or to resolve a problem, such as a
pressing money issue, the health of a spouse, or a child's
education. By opening to the spiritual Force, positive
material results quickly and miraculously move in one’s
direction. I.e., the activity engaged in unfolds
marvelously, and the problem addressed tends to quickly
dissipate. This sudden cooperation from the world around us
I call a "life response."
The spiritual Aspirant on the other hand seeks to change and
transform his very nature. This individual seeks to raise
his consciousness, to come out of his essential Ignorance
born of creation, and evolve and transform the parts of his
being -- physical, vital, and mental -- through the power of
the Spirit.
The Man of the Spirit seeks to come in contact with his
evolving Soul within, as well as the transcendent Force
above in order to transmute his psychological nature, and to
infuse the spirit in all aspects of his life. He lives a
life of adventure of ever-increasing consciousness,
discovery, and joy. Eventually he surrender his very life
and being to the Will of the Divine, to be Its instrument
for the further evolution of humanity on earth.
If we are serious about connecting with spirit, we can do so
as Householder, Spiritual Aspirant, or somewhere in between.
Each person who feels an inner call to move beyond his
current condition is a ripe candidate. Only one should
consider his status in life – whether husband/wife,
father/mother, worker, pioneer, spiritual seeker, etc -- and
determine what approach is best.
Whatever we choose,
life will be a constant adventure, a continuous learning
process, as we experience a never-ending procession of
miraculous-like events that will make life truly worth
living.
Coming out of Ego
as First Step of Conscious Evolution However, we can go a step further and take to an even greater journey. It is dedicating ourselves to a life of conscious evolution, with the purpose of continually evolving our highest nature. It an aspiration and determination to progress from our current status to an ultimate status through the power of the spiritual dimension of life. If we are interested in such an undertaking, how would we begin? There are many places to start. E.g., we could commit to overcoming our limited attitudes; or continually open to the spiritual Force before engaging in ant activity acts, as mentioned above. The major step of conscious evolution is to make the effort to come out of ego -- the main bar to our higher nature. It is the way out of our current sense of separateness and selfishness to a higher state of harmony, oneness, and unity with the world and individuals around us. It is the decisive step that brings us to the next step of our own personal evolution. How then does one come out of the ego-sense, this very human tendency to focus on one's own needs and concerns, at the expense of others, and the true unfoldings of the world around us? We can begin to overcome our ego-sense by discovering our higher nature, thereby replacing its lower complement, which is ego. We do that by moving our center of consciousness away from the surface of life and into the depths within. There we come to a stillness, a silence that engenders a state of mindfulness that puts us in harmony with the truths of life that are unfolding, and the wills and purposes of those around us. As we move away from the surface bubblings, the visual and auditory stimuli of the senses that hogs our still and rational mentality, and discover the deeper poise within, we begin to dissolve our ego and connect more deeply with the world around us. There is no bottom to the depths, as there is no limit to how we can connect to the world and the universal plane around us. Behind the calm and silence, we discover within, there is a deeper Subliminal being that sends up its positive influences to the surface. Deeper still we discover our True Selves, our personal evolving Soul within. Though there we are now at our deepest depths, we are at that point ironically most connected with the world around us, extending out to the universal plane of life. It is the poise from which we develop the greatest identity with the world and to the individuals in our lives; it is where our essential Ignorance of life's workings ends, and where our True Knowledge and wisdom begins; and it is where we feel the greatest joy, sweetness, and delight of being. Thus, as we continually move to the deeper parts of our being, our ego gradually gives way -- which translates through self-givingness, mindfulness, and connectedness. At that point we will a have made the first decisive change in our attempt to follow the course of Conscious Evolution.
The First Yogic Realisation: to Dissolve the Ego,
that the Divine Alone Acts
Dissolving Ego and Yoga Also See Entries on Moving to the depths ('Concentration')
Becoming God, the
Divine
-We believe
we are here to worship and honor God, the Divine, but we are
here to realize, embody, and become Him.
-Sri
Aurobindo makes two beautiful, poetic statements in the
first chapter of The Life Divine. The first is that the
animal is a living laboratory in which Nature has worked out
Man. The other is that Man is a thinking and living
laboratory in which Nature is working out the Supreme, God.
I.e. his destiny is to manifest the Divine in his being; to
become God incarnate.
Reaching Brahman in
the Spirit
Illness and Yoga
The Process of Realizing the Guru's Realization and
Beyond
Magic Results,
Psychic Feats, Yogic Achievement
An associate
asks, "how are some people able to do magic, like levitating
an object or themselves, mesmerizing others, reading their
thoughts etc."
We can distinguish between popular magic, psychic ability,
and yogic achievement.
Exhibition
magic is always based on trickery; sometimes profound
trickery. It is material in nature.
Aside from
trickery, there are those who we say have "psychic
abilities." These individuals have power to see beyond the
physical/material to the subtle planes, though that doesn't
necessarily make them spiritual. They may have the capacity
to read minds, to project thoughts, to be in touch with the
non-living, to know what others are thinking, to predict the
future, and so forth.
Yogis have
direct spiritual power and are able to use it to change the
world around them. It is a power of consciousness that goes
out and touches related points in the cosmos. For example,
Sri Aurobindo said that the French Revolution originated
from some intention originating in the Himalayas. He and his
partner The Mother accomplished a number of significant
yogic feats, such as influencing the outcome of WWII in
several startling ways, preventing China's invasion of India
in the 60s, and even helping bring about the end of the Cold
War. They were able to garner the spiritual Force and
directed it to solving local and distant problems.
That same
power is available to each of us, enabling us to bring about
positive conditions in our own lives, as well as for the
collective.
Traditional
Indian Yoga Methods, Ideas, Writings
Traditional Indian
View of Yoga Yoga has been defined as "technologies or disciplines of asceticism and meditation which are thought to lead to spiritual experiences and a profound understanding or insight into the nature of existence." Outside India, yoga is mostly associated with the practice of asanas (postures) of Hatha Yoga or as a form of exercise. Many Hindu texts discuss aspects of yoga, including the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, and the Shiva Samhita Major branches of yoga include: Hatha Yoga, Karma Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, and Raja Yoga. Raja Yoga, established by the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, and known simply as yoga in the context of Hindu philosophy, is one of the six orthodox (āstika) schools of thought. The Sanskrit term yoga has many meanings. It is derived from the Sanskrit root yuj, "to control", "to yoke", or "to unite".Common meanings include "joining" or "uniting", and related ideas such as "union" and "conjunction". Another conceptual definition is that of "mode, manner, means"or "expedient, means in general". (Wikipedia)
The (Traditional)
Triple Path of Yoga -- of Knowledge, of Works, of Devotion
Stature of the Yogi
Radha's Devotion
to the Divine (as Personified by Lord Krishna) vs. Desire
The Lesson for the
Ripe Soul in the Bhagavad-Gita
The Wisdom of the
Bhagavad-Gita Discovery of
Self (Inner Divine, Brahman) Transformational Life Requires Overcoming Personal and Corresponding
Universal Resistances
Role of the Guru
Yogic Sincerity
Energy Accept (a Difficulty) that Comes
Anything [e.g.
negative] coming on its own is a reflection of what we really are
inside. In that sense, if we avoid it now, later worse specimens
will present themselves. So the rule in yoga is to accept what comes
and patiently work to overcome it till it leaves by itself. (MSS,
slight change for clarity)
Service to the
Divine See Additional Thoughts on Foundations of Indian Spirituality
Tapas
[spiritual discipline]
Moksha [Spiritual
Liberation]
Self & Moksha
[liberation]
Being in the Becoming Replaces
Moksha
Nirvana
Indian
Spiritual Terminology Moksha [Spiritual Liberation] is to lose one's own identity in identifying himself with the Spirit. Pranayama is regulation of the breath. Soon it puts the body in touch with the universal energies that flow into it, making it glow. Japa is to repeat the Lord's name or a mantra so that its power will enliven us. (MSS) [additional] Tapas is spiritual discipline. Japa
Pranayama
[control of breath] See Additional Thoughts on Foundations of Indian Spirituality
Sri
Aurobindo's (Integral, Evolutionary) Yoga Overview
Sri Aurobindo's Integral Yoga
Sri Aurobindo's
Integral Yoga Object of
Sri Aurobindo's Yoga
Difficulty and
Greatness of Sri Aurobindo's Integral Yoga Sri Aurobindo’s Integral Yoga is
difficult because it aims for the complete spiritual
transformation of our being, mental, vital, and physical,
and then it asks us to go several steps further, which is
supramental transformation at all these planes. His Yoga is also called the Yoga of
Perfection. It is most commonly called “Integral Yoga”
because it entails every conceivable aspect of life, and
embraces all past spiritual practices, but then goes much
further. In its simplest form, it requires
Aspiration, Rejection, Surrender. In its more complex form
it is to go through the entire Triple Transformation --
Psychic, Spiritual, and Supramental. The good news is that we can begin from
precisely where we are at now, and take the first steps of
opening to Mother and practicing non-reaction. Then if we
choose we can venture onto this path that is the ultimate
spiritual marathon, with the greatest of all conceivable
payoffs -- infinite delight, consciousness, and being, and a
divine life on earth. Fortunately, Sri Karmayogi has explained every step of the way in great detail, has applied it to every conceivable aspect of life, enabling us to make this great spiritual journey along the Sunlit Path.
Integral Yoga
Sri Aurobindo's Yoga -Sri Aurobindo's yoga is the means of rising to the supramental being and the divine life on earth. -Sri Aurobindo's yoga follows a path of psychic (soul) to spiritual to supramental transformation.
All Paths Are One, and Beyond I was watching the wonderful 1940s film version of Somerset Maugham’s novel, ‘The Razor's Edge,’ about the search for the Spirit in life by the main character Larry. At one point he goes to India and meets a great guru, and stays with him. After expressing his confusion about life’s meaning and purpose, the great Sage tells Larry that we may begin with one particular path, but at the highest level of consciousness they merge into one thing. Specifically though one may begin with the seeking of Truth, ultimately the Path of Truth/Knowledge, Devotion, and Works are really one and the same thing, as each one implies the other. I have been thinking about this subject recently; wondering about my level of spiritual connection amongst these three levels or paths. E.g. I am increasingly giving my inner and outer self to the Mother over these years, especially in recent times, but I haven’t the passion of Devotion (Bhakti) as I see other devotees have as expressed. My opening to Mother is more spontaneous, idealistic, self-giving, part of the adventure of life, a feeling of Presence, yet with not very much of the vital or heart’s intensity toward Her. Is it still the Path of Devotion then? Sri Aurobindo says that the path begins with Truth; of what we are, where we are going, and life’s true nature; and then all follows. I see this very clearly. E.g. how can we love, if we do not know the real Truth of existence? Mother in 'The Agenda' liked to say and emphasized "Truth, then Love." She indicated there that if we took to spiritual Love in full before higher realizations (of the truths of life and the guidance, security, and influence of Her Force), we would be crushed by Love's infinite power. On the Path of Knowledge -- i.e. Sri Aurobindo and Karmayogi's Knowledge -- I have increasingly learned of the utility and power of consecration and surrender to Mother, which I have then practiced. Some others started with a miracle that occurred in their lives by evoking Mother. Was that an Idea (of consecration) on their part, or a movement of Devotion, or simply an act of desperation, which was really some aspiration of their Soul and Being? As a result of their wondrous experience, many then took to Her in earnest, which can be considered Devotional; but perhaps more accurately a “spiritual Totality.”When we arrive at Sri Aurobindo and Mother, we may come from different paths or life experiences, but ultimately the Path of three is one. Sri Krishna indicated this, as does Vedanta. Sri Aurobindo added the dimensions of the Psychic Being (Evolving Soul) and Supermind (as Creator and ultimate Force to guide us to a Divine Life). So through our higher consciousness we come to see that these Rays of Contact are really One; and yet in the Integral Yoga of Sri Aurobindo, it is much more. Much of our approach to the Spirit depends on our backgrounds, the culture we come from (e.g. the West is not very devotional; the East is), current social trends, the stage humanity has reached in its progress, etc. In yet another area -- in his great essay 'The Mother' --, Sri Aurobindo offers the triple way of Aspiration, Rejection, and Surrender. There he suggests that the Path for devotees begins with an intense Aspiration to raise our consciousness, for a new human existence, for the Divine to come on earth. This is accompanied by Rejection of all of our wanting qualities and propensities, and further still enjoined by Surrendering all of the details of our lives; in fact our very being and life’s purpose to Her. So there too we have these intertwined Paths that are really integral and One. And here too, Sri Aurobindo’s great discoveries of the Psychic Being and the Supramental Force and Power, add new dimensions, making it not only One but Integrally Dynamic.
Sri Aurobindo's Roadmap of Transformation
Integral Yoga
of Sri Aurobindo By bringing in the supramental consciousness, individuals would have the decisive mechanism and power to complete their transformation. They could use the force in all aspects of life to change one's nature, to effect events and circumstances around one, to enable one to be in greater harmony with the world around one including others, and to be the effecting power that ultimately leads to a universal transformation for the earth. In the spiritual paths of the past the goal was to connect to the Divine above or within oneself, or to find a release in a Nirvana, or to experience the unreality of the outer world compared to the spiritual world. In Sri Aurobindo's yoga that goal is just the starting point. Once one has made the connection to the Divine, one brings in that consciousness into one's being and into the world so that the individual and the world can be transformed into a higher nature, from out of its inconscience, ignorance, and falsehood to consciousness, knowledge, truth, and joy. It aspires to create a permanent change in human and universal nature. It is called integral yoga because it includes and integrates much of the spiritual traditions and knowledge of the past, yet seeks to create something new that transcends all of these. It seeks to apply yoga to all aspects of life. It seeks to understand and integrate all parts of the being, all dimensions of life aided by the discovery of a new plane of consciousness, the Truth Consciousness, to enable the transformation for the individual, the society, the world, and the universe itself. For those who undertake the path of personal transformation (i.e. yoga), Sri Aurobindo 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. (MSS & Growth Online)
One
Perception of Sri Aurobindo's Yoga
Sri Aurobindo's
Yoga of Self-Perfection
The Ultimate, Integral Yoga
The Yoga of Sri
Aurobindo
Sri
Aurobindo's Yoga
Untitled
The Psychic Being as Opening to Spiritual Supramental Transformation
The Double Opening of the New Evolution of Sri Aurobindo
Ascending Effort and Descending Spirit Transforms Our Nature Normally we believe that higher consciousness and spiritual progress occurs by taking up an inner effort of discipline to evolve our nature from lower to higher states of being -- e.g. from lower to higher levels of awareness, from negative to more refined and higher attitudes, from lesser to greater skills and capacities, from selfishness to self-givingness, and so forth. This is a great movement of personal effort that is, in essence, one of ascent. And yet there is also a descending movement that also has an equal if not greater power to raise our consciousness and elevate our nature. There is spiritual Force in the atmosphere that is available to us at any moment in time, which has the power to transmute our being, overcoming our mental, vital, and physical limitations. By offering our deficiencies to that Power as they present themselves, that Force can quickly work its magic so that they rarely if ever show themselves again. E.g. a long term negative attitude can suddenly disappear. Even a long term ache and pain can vanish forever. Thus, there is both an ascending and descending movement that can be enjoined to raise our consciousness and being. One without the other only gives us partial power to transmute our nature. However, together they form a transformative team of overwhelming power that can quickly elevate us to the inner and outer heights.
ARTICLE on the Psychic [Soul] Transformation ARTICLE on the Spiritual Transformation ARTICLE on the Supramental Transformation
Man's Stages of Inner
Growth (away from the outer) & Mind
Traditional Spirit as
Ascent vs. Sri Aurobindo's Ascent & Descent In Purna Yoga, realization is not in the ascent but in the descent. The descent such as the one of which Sri Aurobindo speaks is not part of our traditional aims, but in view of the mighty souls that attempted YOGA, the strength of their spiritual personalities has invariably led to several unintended or unsought openings. Any descent in their experience was taken as a side effect. With Sri Aurobindo, there were essential differences. They were: 1) His yoga was an ascent for the purposes of the descent of the higher Force. 2) His ascent was not partial as a release from the being or its parts, but an ascent of the whole being that was released from ego and falsehood. 3) Also, the path of His ascent was the same as the path of descent. 4) He did not exclude the parts of being he exceeded. 5) Each stage of his ascent is completed by a descent from that height into the entire being, thus completing the transformation at that level. 6) He ascends to Supermind, trying to bring it down into his being. 7) His instrument is not mind, though he begins with the soul in the mind, but Supermind. 8) At every point, as well as every moment, there is a double opening towards the heights as well as depths. 9) The Brahman is directly reached when he reaches the Supermind, as it is in constant touch with Brahman. 10) He has gone beyond Supermind, Satchidananda and into the Brahman and realized it not as a partial experience but the Brahman in its fullness. Mind cannot fully grasp the Brahman, but Supermind can. 11) As descent is the main thrust of his yoga, the Brahman he realized descended.
12) That descent Mother
says, reached his physical body.
13) Mother went beyond
that, BECAME the Supreme and tried for a descent into the very physical
substance of her body, not the mere physical consciousness. (MSS)
Integral Yoga and Surrender
Surrender in Sri
Aurobindo's Yoga -Human energy cannot sustain yoga. Only the universal energy can. For that to enter our system, all human energy must be fully exhausted. No drop of energy should go to preserve the existing activities. Thus, HE arrives at the method of SURRENDER. (MSS)
The Act as Occasion
to Surrender in Sri Aurobindo's Yoga Connection to
Divine + Transformation Sri Aurobindo's Yoga
All Life is Yoga
Aspiration,
Rejection, Surrender
A Light Version of Sri Aurobindo's Yoga
Aspiration,
Equanimity/Detachment
Aspiration for
Self-Improvement
Mother's Benefits vs. a Life of
Yoga (Conscious Evolution)
The Supramental Being
Meaning of Yoga Progressing in
Yoga
The Life Divine and Integral Yoga
Becoming the Perfect
Individual There is no perfection in man today. He is born of Ignorance with positive and negative traits. Hence there is the availability of Yoga (conscious evolution) which enables him to eventually, through a great effort, become perfect in all aspects - vital, psychological, mental, and eventually physical and spiritual too. This is a vast undertaking that no one has completed; few have actually even begun! Then there is the relationship we have with the world that can also rise to perfection. If we change the consciousness within, then life on the outside will reflect correspondingly, and as a result move towards perfection. Therefore overall there is an ascending movement of progress (positive change), evolution (dramatic change to a higher consciousness), and eventually transformation (complete, permanent change and perfection at a plan of being) of the various centers of the being; a well as the outer world as well - i.e. society, and the universe itself we know. The method of perfection (of yoga) is twofold. Reject and overcome our negative propensities (attitudes, beliefs, habits, motives, weaknesses, incapacities, etc.) as we become aware of them, and aspire for the Spirit to enter us so that it does its work and changes us as well. Then we make dramatic strides towards perfection; overcoming our Ignorance born of creation, and fulfilling our evolutionary destiny, as individuals and as a species. This would then be the process of creating a Perfect Man. "All Life is
Yoga" Not Truly Perceived
Man's Role in the Evolution Towards
Higher Planes of Existence
Sri Aurobindo's Yoga
as a Step Beyond Tanta Three Tests of
Integral Yoga
Yoga of the Earth
Yoga of Consecutive Moments
The Ideal Attitude of
the Spiritual Aspirant Toward Time
Preliminaries of Integral Yoga's Full Flowering Also See Interview "A Roadmap for Individual Transformation"
MSS Articles on Yoga: -Spiritual Realisation in Yoga and Spiritual Fulfillment in Life (Luck) Thoughts on Sri Aurobindo & The Mother Developing Our Higher Consciousness
TO BE CATEGORIZED
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