Growth Online > Knowledge Base > Personal/Spiritual Growth > Human Progress and Evolution Human Progress and Evolution by Roy Posner and MSS   Introduction to Page Levels, Definitions, and Methods of Human Progress Purpose and Destiny of Human Evolution Our Conscious Choices (to Evolve) Overcoming Our Limitations | Miscellaneous       INTRODUCTION TO PAGE (top)   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 "Human Evolution." (If you wish, you can see our other Personal Growth categories.)     LEVELS, DEFINITIONS, & METHODS OF HUMAN PROGRESS (top)   Levels and Definitions of Human Progress Methods of Human Evolution   Levels and Definitions of Human Progress (growth, development, evolution, transformation)   Four Degrees of Progress for Individual, Business, Society Growth, development, evolution, and transformation are four degrees of progress for the individual, a business or for society. By growth we generally mean more of the same; development is attainment of something at a higher level; evolution is movement to a higher plane; and transformation is the embodiment into a new status.   Growth, Development, Evolution, and Transformation We can progress in our lives at the level of growth, development, evolution, and transformation. Growth in refers to the wanting and attainment of more of the same of what we already have. It is movement and progress but a sideways movement. Development is the wanting and attainment of something different, of something greater than what we currently have or currently are. There is a qualitative difference. It is a movement upwards. Evolution is wanting and the attainment of a whole new plane of existence and consciousness in our lives. It is a movement to another plane higher. Transformation is a movement to a status beyond even our human functioning to a permanent and radically new evolutionary functioning. We are transformed into another type of being.   Growth, Development, Evolution, and Transformation Personal growth and development are movements toward higher levels of consciousness. Evolution is a great movement to a whole other subplane or plane of existence. Transformation is the changeover from our current human functioning to a higher, supra-human functioning rooted in spirit.   Four Levels of Human Progress An individual is fortunate if he makes even a modicum of psychological progress in his life. E.g., a dull, dim-witted individual develops a new level of mental vibrancy, or a weak individual takes to a modestly higher degree of psychological strength. In our own lives, it is unfortunately too rare to make such progressive strides. To help us measure our true progress in life, we can develop a scale that ranges from growth to development to evolution to transformation. Most of us are able to grow, in the sense that we obtain more of what we already have. E.g. an individual, who has a house, develops an add-on facility in the back yard, or a sales person who had 20 individual boutiques as accounts, eventually acquires 40. That type of progress is horizontal, as it is more of the same thing. More knowledge, more money, more relations, more of what we already are capable of. Development on the other hand is a vertical progress, the acquisition of some quality of being, capacity, or level of achievement that we did not have before. E.g., the sales person who had 20 boutique accounts has developed an inner skill and capacity that has enabled him to attract a chain of stores as clients. Perhaps he has acquired a little more psychological toughness, or he has developed a new level of sales and interpersonal skill to make this happen. Most of us have made some progress along these lines at some point in our lives, though, realistically, it has likely not been enough. In fact, most of us are content with horizontal growth, of more at the same level. There are even a few who do not even have the aspiration for that minimal form of progress. They usually will regress. Above development is an even greater form of progress. It is what we can call human evolution. When a weak person becomes a strong person, that is evolution. When an uneducated dolt becomes a well-read expert in a field, there is certainly evolution. It is a movement and progress to an entirely different plane of being. When a wildly emotional person becomes a psychologically stable and reasonable individual, they move from a lower vital plane of life to a higher, mental one. It is an evolutionary movement. If that same person goes further and is able to maintain a constant level of calm and peace within, then that individual has even been a modicum of spiritual evolution. Very seriously taking to a path of personal progress can lead not only to vertical development, but, in the rarest of cases, to personal, and even spiritual evolution. Finally, the greatest form of progress, even beyond evolution, is Transformation. It is a decidedly radical change in our nature. It is not only a movement from one plane to a higher plane of being, but the permanent settling there so that the change is second nature to us. It is virtually unheard of, yet remains a measure of ultimate progress in life. E.g., the once emotional, non-stable person has now progressed to become a tower of calm for others in the world. Finally, the greatest form of progress, even beyond evolution, is Transformation. It is a decidedly radical change in our nature. It is not only a movement from one plane to a higher plane of being, but the permanent settling there so that the change is second nature to us. It is virtually unheard of, yet remains a measure of ultimate progress in life. E.g., the once emotional, non-stable person has now progressed to become a tower of calm for others in the world. Whatever the level of change we seek, the key to making that progress is our level of aspiration -- which is, in essence, our conscious intention to make a thing happen. Do we change because life forces us to do so, or because we consciously desire for it to come about? Conscious change is the best way, the way for the True Individuals of the future. Human Accomplishment at Various Levels Survival -- Living at the survival level one has a conscious or unconscious desire to remain at the current level of achievement in life. There is no attempt to rise above one's current achievement, nor is there an effort to raise one's own personal capacities. There is neither a quantitative expansion at one's current level of life, let alone a qualitative movement to a potential higher level. A real world example of accomplishment at the level of survival is an instructor who has achieved a degree of success that keeps him comfortable, has a defined set of skills, and has no desire, or makes no effort, to acquire more work or perhaps even update his skills to be current to the present needs of his students. Growth -- Growth, on the other hand, is an expansion of one's current level of achievement. For example improving on a skill, expanding knowledge in a field or another field at the same level, and earning more through greater effort are each expressions of growth. You are accomplishing more, but it is more at the same level. It is a horizontal expansion at the same level of capacity and achievement; i.e. an expansion of one's current level of achievement.  To accomplishment at the level of growth, the instructor would learn the latest versions of the current programs he is teaching, and seek out work with other companies to teach the same things he has been teaching in the past. He would be aspiring for more of the same work. Development -- Development is an expansion to a higher level of achievement. One may acquire a new or higher level skill, accept and implement a higher personal value, change a negative personal attitude into a positive attitude, acquire a higher order of knowledge, develops a new faith in life, or in general respond from a higher center than one's current level of development and consciousness. These are all expressions of personal development. In all these instances, you are accomplishing at a higher level, not merely more at the same level. Thus, we say that it is a vertical expansion to a new level of capacity and achievement. In our real world example at the level of development our instructor could have an aspiration to teach whole new subjects that are outside of his normal curricula, make contact with new types of clients so he can teach these courses, write a book on the topic of this new area, change a few personal attitudes in his life (such as attitudes towards his superiors), or decide to more fully implement in his work a value that he already cherishes, such as the value that students should come away with real knowledge in his classroom, rather than mere satisfaction of the experience. Evolution -- Evolution is an elevation of one's being to a whole new higher plane of consciousness and status of being. For example, an emotional individual could shift from the state where his desires and attachments predominate to becoming a person of more refined or higher emotions; or move from being a predominantly emotional person to becoming a more mental and thoughtful person whose life shifts from one of emotional intensity to thoughtfulness. Perhaps the individual rises to acquiring spiritual capacities, such as the ability to experience knowledge as illuminations of light or intuition, or to find his personal evolving soul. In these instances, you are accomplishing from a higher plane of consciousness than you were from before. It is a vertical leap to a new plane of capacity and achievement; an elevation of one's being to a whole new higher plane of consciousness.  In our real world example of accomplishment at the level of evolution, our instructor could change from being a person who competently performs his courses in an orderly and efficient manner to an individual who is passionate about teaching and emotionally involved with his students. He may also develop entirely new theories of instruction based on his new level of consciousness, rather than merely being a teacher of existing ideas. His overall attitudes toward his work has completely changed to the positive. He might move from emotional interaction with students to a true knowledge; even utilizing spiritual methods as a foundation for his work. Transformation -- At the frontiers of the development of the being is the transformation of the individual to a whole other functioning in life. One can embody a permanent inner change that connects one to the inner, soul being; one can enable a spiritual transformation into the spiritual planes of life above mind; and one can make the ultimate supramental transformation into a whole new type of being, beyond even the human functioning we now witness. As we embody these three transformational frontiers, we open to the infinite potentials of life, where we can thus accomplish infinitely in life. Progress at Four Planes of Our Being -Physical, Vital, Mental, and Spiritual Growth, development, evolution, and transformation can occur at the physical the vital/emotional, the psychological, and the mental levels of our being; even at he spiritual level. E.g. at the physical level from illness to health, at the vital/emotional level we can progress from weakness to strength, at the mental level from limited knowledge to great knowledge, at the spiritual level from self-involved to gratitude and self-givingness.   Personal Development at Different Planes Personal development [which is above growth but below human evolution and transformation -editor] can take place on several planes – physical, social, psychological, mental, spiritual. Acquiring a physical skill is physical development. Acquiring a higher, more positive behavior and attitude toward life, work or others is social development for the individual. Vital development releases greater energy and leads to greater expansion and enjoyment. Acquiring a higher level of mental comprehension is mental development. Greater knowledge is mental development. Becoming a more serious, or more organized or more honest person are instances of psychological development. Acquisition of a higher consciousness is spiritual development. (MSS) Yoga and Four Levels of Personal Progress For people in the West, “Yoga” generally refers to physical movements and exercises that bring one a greater sense of physical and vital well-being. Yoga is far beyond that. It is to consciously develop, evolve, and transform our nature. If the physical movements take us from say a level 1 to a level 2, then dedicating ourselves to a life of conscious progress can take us from 1 to a 5, to a 10, or even to 100.   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!   Definition of Evolution Evolution is the progressive self-manifestation of Nature in man. (Paraphrase of Sri Aurobindo)   Definition of Evolution Evolution is the progressive unfolding of the Being into the Becoming, the spirit into practical life. (Paraphrase of MSS)   Personal Growth vs. Personal Transformation 99% of those on earth can and should grow and develop through the insights and methods of personal growth insights and methods. Permanent transformational change for the individual and all of society is a more dramatic and radical shift to a new functioning above and beyond the current human functioning. It is a "hard-wiring" of our central consciousness and being into something very much different that our current functioning. It is a way of living dramatically different from the way we live now. Perhaps 5% of those who feel they are engaged in personal growth would likely be inclined to take up such a thing; though in the not too distant future those numbers will dramatically rise.   Meaning of Transformation Sri Aurobindo seeks transformation which means our defects are to be changed into their opposite strengths. (MSS) Biological, Social, and Spiritual Evolution Take any event, or history or piece of literature and note three levels of evolution that are going on. The evolution of the individual(s), which we can call biological evolution; the evolution of society, which is social evolution; and the evolution of the spirit, of the way the evolutionary Force is manifesting in the situation.     Methods of Human Evolution   Evolution of the Individual Among the Planes of Consciousness The planes that go from matter to vital to mind to spiritual mind to supermind is the vertical scale of consciousness. The movement from the surface of life to the depths of life within culminating in connection to the psychic being, the persona soul is the horizontal scale of consciousness. When we evolve, we move up among the planes in the vertical scale and move deeper within on the horizontal scale. The future evolutionary spiritual being will have reached and embodied the greatest heights of the vertical, and the greatest depths of the horizontal.   Keys to Personal Growth The keys to our personal growth are overcoming -- our limiting attitudes, our harsh judgments and opinions, our wonton emotions and passions, and our fixed, rigid physical aspects, including our habits and reflexive reactions. Key Points on What Enables our Personal Growth, Evolution, and Transformation An individual's growth and development is predominantly dependent on his or her -- level of organization, personal attitudes, level of skills, ability to garner knowledge, psychological strength, direction in life, personal values, goodness and givingness, level of energy, and true desire in career. It would also help to know the keys to accomplishment in life, and what a human being is truly made up of and what we are evolving towards.   To further integrate the higher spiritual possibilities in order to evolve or even be transformed as an individual he or she would learn to open to the Force; understand -- the miraculous phenomenon of life response, the hidden workings of life, the theory of the creation and evolution of the universe, the spiritual aspects of life, and perceive the ultimate destiny of humanity on earth; learn how to move to the depths within, find one's personal evolving soul, and transform one's self at three levels.   We have a lot of work ahead of us!   Thoughts on Evolution -Evolution takes place when the current level of existence is so fully organized that it manifests a result as the next highest form of existence. -The process by which we grow and accomplish in life is a conscious implementation of the method of evolution. First we consciously decide what we want. Then we organize that which we wish to become to its fullness, which enables results to occur, fulfilling our original intent. By following this process we consciously enable evolution to occur. -Through man's power of thought he is able to consciously will a higher level of functioning, which is brought about when he fully organizes and implements the decision. Since the scope of what he may will is infinite, he has infinite capacity to move evolution along. -Higher organization of intent enables higher consciousness, which is evolution. -A significant way of organizing the intent is to enable greater harmony and interrelationship among the constituent parts. Organization, harmony, unity, and oneness is key to progress -- i.e. evolution. -All of these movements of evolution mirror in the universe the movements of the involution, which is the process by which the universe manifest from a Divine source. -As we rise in consciousness through evolution, we move towards ultimate consciousness, which is the Omnipresent Divine Reality.   Accelerating Life's Evolutionary Unfolding Life is a continuing play of evolutionary unfolding. To be aware of this is to participate in that movement mentally; to be emotionally moved by it is to participate it in it vitally; to sense it in the very fiber of one's being is to participate in it physically.   Ascent that Enables a Descent As soon as Man rises to the next level that level partially descends on the previous level. Ascent and Descent Among the Planes in Human Evolution We know in the ascent man rises from the physical to the Supermind via vital and mental. In the mental range, there are four levels. In the descent, it is the Supramental emerging at each of these levels. Also, as soon as Man rises to the next level that level partially descends on the previous level. For evolution, that descent should saturate the previous level by its energy. (MSS)     On Being Human What characterizes being human? -Non-cannibalistic sympathy that tends to compassion is human. -Truth, unity, goodness, knowledge, power and Love characterize being human. (Paraphrase of MSS) Mental Consciousness Leads Our Evolution Humans, through their power of mind, is the first self-conscious being, capable of truly knowing himself. Our ability to know ourselves is accelerating because of the ever increasing utilization of our mental consciousness. Mind can reason and know itself. This self-consciousness leads to being self-aware, aware of one's potential, and having the conceptive power to more one towards one's fulfillment. Leading by Mind -In the involutionary descent from spirit to matter, Mind, i.e. the plane of Mind through Knowledge enabled Will and Energy. In our own individual process of growth, i.e. our accomplishment and our ability to create, mind too must lead the vital energies, rather than the reverse (even as it need the vital energies to get the will's sanction, support, and drive). Currently the average man is led by his vital. Being led by mind is his next frontier. -Now our vital -- i.e. our needs, emotions, and social sense -- lead the willing mind. Thus man is now essentially vital. His further destiny is to become mental-centric, i.e. mind should lead and the vital follow and sanction, whereas now the process is unconsciously the reverse for him. Untitled The need to think is a transitional phenomenon in human evolution. (Paraphrase of The Mother) Abridging 30,000 Years of Evolution Sri Aurobindo believed that we can abridge 30,000 years of human evolution into 300 or even 30 years if we consciously evolve our nature, and aspire for and open to the spiritual Force. In that process we open to the infinite potentials of life; which can enable stunning new developments in technology, in products, in any work, institution, social entity, or field of life. When we bring in the spirit in our lives we literally bring in the same infinite powers that created the universe. By opening to the Force the infinite potential for accomplishment, success, and joy defies our wildest imagination.   Maximum Personal Growth and the Psychic Being Maximum [personal] growth occurs when development of the parts is in a balanced manner that achieves and maintains a harmony of the personality and when it is integrated around a central organizing principle, the psychic [the personal evolving soul]. (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. How We Enable the Evolution To be conscious of the next stage brings it out in manifestation. (MSS) Real Definition of Survival of the Fittest Survival of the fittest that enables evolution comes from love, commonality, unity, harmony, etc.; not because of selfishness, self protection, self-assertion, and aggressive living of the individual.  (Paraphrase of Sri Aurobindo)   See Growth in Everything You can take the silliest story, or TV show, or movie, and see wonderful movements of growth, development, and evolution of the characters. Looking at life this way makes everything in it fascinating and energizing! If we can extend this deep mental effort to a wider effort to see the deep purpose in every small thing that is brought to our attention, then life would be a Marvel.   On Being Human What characterizes being human? -Non-cannibalistic sympathy that tends to compassion is human. -Truth, unity, goodness, knowledge, power and Love characterize being human. (Paraphrase of MSS) Personal Growth through Social Interaction Normally we think of personal growth as something just that -- an individual process. Here we see that it includes a social process. Through the given realities we come upon, we confront our own limitations. Life itself can be said to be a field intentionally created to further our own advancement. The field of life contains a Force that we are obliged to come in contact with that forces us to change our limited views and capacities. Life wants to progress, and so demands that we do as well. This is an element of the character of the Oneness of life that we are inextricably are a part of. It can be said to be the process by which higher levels of organization is brought to society -- helping perfect it, integrate it, make it truth-filled. The process helps us fulfill our individual purpose, which fulfills the Universal purpose, which in turn fulfills the transcendent purpose. The dance of life that we experience is the expression of the will of the divine. We have free will whether or not to participate. Participation is growth, evolution, and transformation. If we can see our lives from that perspective, we will be more eager to participate in the life-cosmic dance, becoming an instrument of that upward movement. We will also begin to have the Divine view of things. It can be a true glimpse, vision of the nature of Brahman. ARTICLE on Human Evolution and the Human Makeup How we evolved to what we are, what we are made up of, and where are we evolving to.     PURPOSE AND DESTINY OF HUMAN EVOLUTION (top)   Untitled We are here to make ourselves better than who we are. Man has Moved Toward Mental-Based Life A thousand years ago man was physical. His life was elementary. He survived. Today he has multiplied his comforts, enjoyment, reach, mastery a hundred or even a thousand-fold. The progress in one millennium has been phenomenal. This occurred because man moved from being physical to being mental. Though he has not yet acquired a fully formed mental life, a rational life, certainly he has moved away from the physical to the vital life. Both body and vitality accept the guidance of the mind, at least in material matters. Thus, we can say that man today is mental. (MSS) Untitled 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.    Ultimate Purpose of Our Existence The ultimate purpose in life is to discover the delight of being through our higher consciousness; thus fulfilling the purpose for which the Divine manifest a universe of forms; further diffusion and dissemination of the Original Delight into the universe. Our ultimate mission then can be to rise to our highest level of consciousness, where we not only experience this delight, not only experience the spiritual attributes of love, truth, knowledge, bliss, and power, but where overcome the divisions and dualities of existence, enabling higher harmonies of progress to emerge in the world. In that way we become the instruments of universe's progress and delight of being.   Purpose of Our Lives 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. Our Purpose in Life What is our purpose in life? Our role is to overcome all of the divisions and dualities of creation; to find our whole nature, which enables us to experience the delight of being in the discovery. That is our purpose of our existence, as individuals, and as part of the race of humanity. Our role is to reestablish the perfect harmony, infinite possibility, timelessness, oneness, and bliss and delight that is there in the Creator, in our own being, fulfilling our evolutionary purpose and potential. In that way, we are here to reestablish the attributes of the Divine that created us in our own lives as we move on a path toward our own divine nature. Our Ultimate Goal in Life Our goal is to achieve oneness in our being; thereby overcoming our divided nature. In that process we become realized, transformed individuals, experiencing the unending joy and delight of being. Our Role is to Find Spirit in Life 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. Purpose of Human Life The purpose of human life is to become Divine. To have the joy, the delight that we are the Divine. (Paraphrase of The Mother) Bridging Material Prosperity and Spiritual Realization in the Hour of God It has been said that the Hour of God is here. On earth it is fulfilled by relating the two ends of Material Prosperity and Spiritual Realization. One person can join these two ends, and through his experience present the Formula of Life for all the world to take up, enabling the rapid fulfillment of this auspicious time for Man. (Paraphrase of MSS) We are Here for Something More We are more than survivors, like the amoeba or the insect. We are mental creatures, who need to really understand the world we live in, the life around us. For those who don’t care to know about this world in this way, well they can continue to live their amoeba-like, or hive-like existence, untroubled in their secure, protected, and limited worlds. This is not however why we have come this far in our evolution. We came here for something more; for some greater understanding, for some higher degree of self-awareness, for some higher possibility and potentiality than that of our animal ancestors and cousins. We came here to do much better, to go much further, to realize the infinite possibilities and potential of life in our own lives. New Way of Human Functioning Eventually the human race will evolve to a new way of functioning, rooted in this truth, Supramental consciousness in all aspects of our being; in our bodies, our emotions, and our minds. Individual Achieves for Divine Goals, Universal Goals The individual achieves in the world not just for his own goals, but for the goals of the Divine purpose and the goals and purpose of the universe. Untitled 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) Procreation and Immortality Procreation is an incomplete form of immortality, where part of our physical essence is passed on to our progeny to enable continuance. However, through our insistence on a divine existence, we can secure this immortality in a single body. INTERVIEW on the Future Evolutionary Individual and Collective Life In this extensive four-part interview Roy Posner, President of Growth Online, considers what our evolutionary destiny might be; as individuals, and in our collective existence. From the Scientific to the Psychological to the Spiritually Perfect Man At the dawn of a new age of science there is the real possibility that through gene analysis and related techniques we can determine one's tendencies towards illness or even bad behavior. By making necessary adjustments science believes we can in this way create a more perfect man. But what of the complexity and vast scope of man's inner state, his psychological status, his emotive tendencies, his decisions that lead to his actions and inactions in life? Here too man can control his life; not through science but through higher consciousness. E.g. the individual who is a brute, without values, indiscriminate in his actions can learn to become a more moral man filled with essential human values. Likewise the weak, reluctant, timid individual who still retains his goodness can learn to express that goodness in his strength and through more forceful action in the world. (There are endless permutations of these limitations and their positive reconstitutions.) Such change will have 100 times or more the power and effect on the life of man than the scientific approach. Through this wider and deeper approach man can learn to rise in consciousness to overcome his own unique limiting, wanting propensities in life. In this way we move from the scientist's approach - rooted in its faith in the measurable, verifiable, provable workings of matter - to the vast and complex scope of the real life of the individual. Further still we can see the inherent limitations that all humans share, and learn to overcome them as well, enabling us to move towards the true Perfect Man. We can learn to recognize the essential limitations of our minds which sees the surface of things and not the deeper meanings, the one shade instead of the myriad of shadings, the error-prone part instead of the many-sided whole of any knowledge and truth. Similarly, we can learn to overcome the mindless passions, emotions, and feelings that drive us this way and that, establishing a truer center of vitality, enabling purer and higher emotions to take their place. Finally, we can learn to overcome our inherent pessimism, inflexibility, and rigidity born of our bodily consciousness, enabling a more dynamic, flexible, optimistic basis of movement and action in life. In such ways we can learn to move our center of being away from the inherent limitations of mind, and emotion, and body to a higher status rooted in a higher consciousness, enabling a truer perfected man to emerge. Ultimately, we can turn to Spirit itself to help us become more perfect individuals, or rather reach our ultimate possibilities in perfection. Through Spirit we can learn to change our perception of hopelessness and purposefulness and abdication to fate to a spiritual-based faith and belief in a Higher Power and Purpose. We can move from our current reliance and faith in our own capacities in life to a new reliance on the infinite capacities of the Spirit. Thus we can ultimately learn to change and overcome all wanting aspects of our being; from the physical limitations we are born with that science may recognize, to our limitations of character and capacity, to our inherent physical, vital, and mental limitations, to the ultimate recognition and utilization of Spirit in life, enabling a true, dynamic, creative ever-evolving Perfect Man to emerge in the world. Untitled The time of the ego, of a separate personality is over. It is false. Consciousness, action, and individuality is replaced by the Divine. (Paraphrase of The Mother) 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. 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. New Evolutionary Being and Collective Life on Earth Eventually this individual can become the ultimate evolutionary personality and being. He become a transformed gnostic individual, filled with the Divine aspects and powers, living life for a Divine Purpose and Unfolding in creation. He acts with a spiritual orientation and purpose, bringing this spirit to bear in all activities in life. He is infinitely creative, dynamic, releasing the infinite potential of life into every moment by bringing he Being, the Spirit into the Becoming of every moment of our existence. If a number of such divine-like humans emerge, then there is the possibility of the development of a community of such individuals, living within the greater community of society. Such individuals may come together to help form a new social and collective order and existence, culminating in the possibility of the emergence of a divine life on earth. The Curious, the Committed, the Transformed in New Age There are three types of people engaged in the life of the new age. Those who are curious, who believe in the Force and the emergence of a new way, though they live their lives in mostly traditional fashion; those who are deeply committed to their own growth and progress; and those who are doing radical transformational change to be harbingers of a new divine life on earth. The Negative Life that Has Now Become Potential Positive Can Be Invoked through Spirit Life was NEGATIVE in Shakespeare's time. Therefore, his best works were tragedies. After 1956 when the Supramental Force has descended into the subtle atmosphere of the earth, life has become positive in potential. The positive nature of life is not there on its surface as a Power of Life for us to readily draw upon. One who invokes the Spirit converts the potential into actual power. (MSS, slight modification) Small Effort, Great Results in The Hour of God The Mother (of India) has said that this is the hour when man will be vastly rewarded for a tiny effort, as this is the Hour of God. She also said that a small error equally brings a great loss. The atmosphere of the earth is no longer what it was but has become Spiritual. (MSS) Animal Instinct that Becomes Vital Instinct of Spiritual Sensations in Man The animal is given unerring instincts at birth. Man is born having given it up and evolved into mind. Now his mental development when completed must regain those vital instincts as higher spiritual sensations through his higher consciousness. (MSS) Also see Knowledgebase Mini-thoughts on the Emerging Spirituality in Society   HUMAN CHOICE, OUR CONSCIOUS CHOICE (TO EVOLVE) (top)     Our Choice as Ultimate Determinant of What We Can Become   What We Choose to Become It is what we choose to become that has the greatest influence on our lives.   What We Choose to Become as Ultimate Determinant It is what we choose to become that is the ultimate determinant of what we can become.   Human Choice as Ultimate Determinant The ultimate determinant of our lives are the choices we make. It is what we choose to become that has the greatest influence. The more conscious we are, the more we will sense our ultimate purposes; including the evolving soul’s purpose and our life purpose. If we are in touch with our deeper self within, down to that evolving Psychic/Soul element, and if we are connected to the greater truths of knowledge above through the spiritualized mind of intuition and revelation, we come in touch with the highest possibilities of what we can become. We can then choose to become those things, fulfilling all purposes -- personal, soul, and cosmic. Thus, human choice made through our highest consciousness an awareness become the ultimate determinant of what we are and who we can become.   Human Choice The human is the infinite in the finite appearance. In any given situation, its range of choice is from the finite to the infinite. Though the human is free to choose, it chooses according to the external circumstances. Those external circumstances can be replaced by internal circumstances. It also chooses from different levels (physical to spiritual). All these choices can be in grades. But they still belong to becoming, Nature, outside, finite. The human can choose compelled neither by the external nor internal circumstances but according to its own light independent of both. Spiritually, that is what is called Human Choice. (MSS)   What We Can Become -There are many determinants in life of who we are and what we can become -- including our environment, our parents, our genetic inheritance, our character, etc. Ultimately, it is what we choose to become that is the greatest determinant. -The more conscious we are, the more we tend to determine our own lives, instead of being determined by the exigencies of Nature. -When Nature determines, it occurs through division and duality, conflict and strife mixed with good fortune. -Self-determination avoids it. Increasing our consciousness, we avoid problems of Nature enabling our full self-determination of who we are and what we can become. -By discovering the spirit within and above, we enable the greatest level of awareness and hence self-determination power. -Regardless of the conditions of life, we can become anything we choose to become, especially when we connect and rise to our highest nature. Conscious Choice to Grow and Evolve Normally we grow and develop unconsciously in a slow process over the course of our lives (if at all, and some devolve), driven by the forces of Nature, of life. We can however dramatically accelerate that growth process through our conscious choice to take ourselves to higher levels in our lives.   Choice Achieves It is our choice that achieves. Human Choice and Accomplishment The ultimate determinant in human accomplishment is our own true desires and wants. It is our choices that ultimately determines the outcome and real accomplishment in life.   Making the Choice that Accomplishes The determination of accomplishment is determined by choice; it is made possible by the conscious exercise of choice at every minute. The short term gain vs. long term benefit; the occasion to exert vs. the least line of resistance; the courage to embrace the new vs. the cozy comfort of tradition; the readiness to risk vs. the sense of security, etc. etc. (MSS, modified)   Highest Consciousness/Soul Rather than Nature Determining Our Lives What determines normally is Nature (Prakriti in the East) -- i.e. by the exigencies of life. It is through pleasure and pain, and all of the other dualities of existence. Its method is slow and difficult. By becoming conscious individuals, we -- not Nature -- determine the conditions of our lives. This is the method of Soul (Purusha in the East), which is above conflict, and where life progresses rapidly and without division and duality. We can choose to live our lives determined by the higher consciousness that enables rapid progress, without conflict, which is through Soul. One's Revolutionary Change Attracts a One in a Million Mate In the film My Big Fat Greek Wedding we see a woman consciously transform herself from a homely, bored, non ambitious waitress in her family's restaurant to a vibrant individual looking to learn, grow, and develop a new career. It is a remarkable evolution, as great in its own way to Eliza in Pygmalion. Just as striking is the fact that she attracts an almost perfect man of her dreams, who is not only handsome and intelligent, but is even happily willing to put up with her near impossible family. Such a man is a one in a million dream, which she realizes by a once in a million change and evolution of her being. The Choice to Relate to Our Highest Consciousness Fate is real. Free will too is real. How do we reconcile these two seemingly opposite views? Philosophically we can say that the determinism of the Infinite is the utter freedom of the Finite. I.e. though the infinite divine enabled this universe, this world, including the hidden spirit in all things that is there just below our field of awareness in all things seen and unseen, we are free in the finite world we live in to discover it. Man always has the choice to either identify himself with the ego, the limitations of time, the finite possibility in the moment, and the dualities of Nature, including pain and suffering; or he can choose to find his inner self, his soul, his oneness with all, the timelessness of the Being, the infinity in the finite moment, and the Reality of the Being; i.e. the indwelling Spirit that arose from the Divine source, and is the source of fate. It is our choice. Now that the spiritual Force is here, and has descended into the earth's atmosphere, it is easier for us to make this choice. (Paraphrase of MSS) Who We Are Can Change Who we are is determined by the poise at which we decide (or not decide) to live our lives. We can choose to change that status at any time.    Your Belief Ultimately Determines You are what you believe in. You become that which you believe you can become.   Also See Thoughts on Achieving What You Believe You Can Become Moving from External Compulsion to Inner Aspiration To convert the external compulsion of the atmosphere into an inner aspiration for the Marvel is the choice before MAN. (MSS) Human Choice to Avail of Our Higher Consciousness -Having minds we can make the conscious choice of whether or not we wish to be more conscious. The choice is ours. -The Divine is the reality of the spiritual nature of the universe, and we are made of it; yet it is our choice whether we wish to avail of the higher consciousness, of our higher nature. -Though we can say that it is the Divine that is the ultimate determinant that enabled our existence, we have complete free will to act in the details of life.   Mental Man Enables Capacities of Individuality, Self-development, Spirituality As man develops greater capacities of mind, he gains a greater power of individuality, a freedom to develop his individual law of being, and ability to perceive that he can be more than his body, emotions, and mind, i.e. develop his spiritual capacities.   Connection Between Divine Intent and Our Intent The ultimate determinant in the cosmos is the Divine Intent. Through our own conscious choices of who we wish to become, we can collaborate with that Divine Intent, making it our intent. Free Will and the Divine Determinism We have ultimate freedom of choice, i.e. free will, within the determination of the Absolute. See Thoughts on the Determinism of the Absolute and Individual Collaboration   Man's Choice of Simultaneous Time Nature is in Time, Spirit is in Timelessness. Man alone when he chooses to evolve can move to Simultaneous Time. In Time man enjoys the disharmony of divided consciousness. Above, there is the static perfection. In simultaneous Time, there is dynamic perfection. Man has to choose between dynamic disharmony and dynamic perfection. In terms of life, man has the option of moving from vital success to success of the Spirit. (MSS)   The Determinants of Who We Are and What We Can Become There are several factors that shape who we are, ranging from outermost influences to the innermost. One popular notion, which has a degree of truth, is that we are shaped by our environment -- i.e. we are the product of the society we are born into. E.g. if we are born poor with little opportunity to rise, our character is shaped along these lines. Thus, with this influence, we may have little desire to rise up since all seems hopeless. This is perhaps the most outer determinant in shaping who we are and what we can become.  At the next level "in", it is said that we are shaped by our parents. As they raise us, so we are. It is true that the parental influence is substantial, though I suspect it is more than we believe -- especially from the biased parent’s perspective.   At a deeper level still, we are a product of our genetic disposition. This is undoubtedly the case, as when we are born, our lives are already shaped by our inherited character, which shows itself through such aspects of our nature as our psychological strength vs. weakness, intelligence vs. stupidity, aspiration and will vs. dullness, capacity vs. lack of it, and so forth. Of course, that genetic inheritance comes from our ancestors, often our grandparents or other relatives, and not necessarily our parents.   Deeper still we can say that we have come into this life for a purpose, and that is shaping who we are. In other words, we have taken a birth to rise to a higher level. We feel compelled to do certain things in life that almost seem destiny-like. That inner will of our being to move in a certain direction is an even greater determinant of who we are and what we can become. Of course, the more conscious we are, the more we will sense and then fulfill that subtle, driving determinant that wishes to fulfill life's purpose.   This in turn leads us to an even deeper determinant, our Soul's purpose. The True Self, the Psychic/Soul Being within has given birth in our self so that it can absorb the essence of the growth we make as individuals in life. That would suggest that an element of the Soul too is evolving. It is through our personal growth and successes, it absorbs new aspects that it sought when it entered our body at birth, and thus it evolves. It then withdraws and rests or enters a new individual for further progress. Thus, the Psychic Being is an ultimate inner determinant of what we are and who we can become which is inextricably connected with the subtle, driving life's purpose. (Beyond the inner Psychic/Soul Being as determinant, there is the universal and transcendent spiritual purpose we serve in the cosmic scheme of things; both as an individual and as a member of the human race. I will leave that issue for another time.)   And yet, the ultimate determinant of our lives are the choices we make. It is what we choose to become that has the greatest influence. The more conscious we are, the more we will sense our ultimate purposes; including the evolving soul’s purpose and our life purpose. If we are in touch with our deeper self within, down to that evolving Psychic/Soul element, and if we are connected to the greater truths of knowledge above through the spiritualized mind of intuition and revelation, we come in touch with the highest possibilities of what we can become. We can then choose to become those things, fulfilling all purposes -- personal, soul, and cosmic. Thus, human choice made through our highest consciousness an awareness become the ultimate determinant of what we are and who we can become. MSS Articles on Human Choice What is a Choice  Making the Right Choices (at any moment) Click here to see entries   OVERCOMING OUR LIMITATIONS (top)   3-Pronged Progress One must have an unvarying will to acquire what one does not have in one's nature, to know what one does not yet know, to be able to do what one cannot yet do. (The Mother) Overcoming Our Limitations For people who wish to grow, minimally we can discover our higher nature by overcoming our limitations; such as our limiting attitudes, opinions, habits, and capacities. We can make this change on our own, through our sincere and persevering effort to change our selves. If we do this, life will respond instantly, abundantly, and miraculously in kind. Part of Us that Needs to Be Transformed In each person there is a part of the personality that needs to be transformed (that the soul seeks to be changed in the life, or if not done in one's life, it waits for the next life). (Paraphrase of The Mother) “Take Inventory of Yourself” as the First Step to Endless Progress We are an amalgam of capacities and virtues. Each of us has exemplary, average, and weak parts of our nature and character. Over the course of our lives, we succeed because of our strengths, but are held back because of our weaknesses. We could argue metaphysically that our soul has taken birth in our bodies so that it can advance itself through our growth and development. From the “negative side,” we progress by turning our negative propensities into positive ones. Those truly on the path of personal growth dedicate their lives to this process. Though there are dozens if not hundred major and minor endowments, and capacities of our being, we can identify several constellations of traits that will indicate the general state of our strengths and weaknesses in life.  If we identify say one or two of the weaker ones, make the concerted effort to overcome them, not only will we progress, develop, and evolve as individuals, but we will tend to accomplish at far greater levels in life, which will lead to experiences of constant joy and delight in being alive. Consider the following list, determine which ones are false for you, i.e. where your weaknesses lie, pick out one or two where you can improve yourself, and come up with a plan to overcome them. By doing so, your life will never be the same, as you will quickly move towards the pinnacles of success, become endlessly creative, and feel a constant joy and happiness within. (And your evolving Soul within will become eminently satisfied in what it is drawing from you in its journey thorough multiple births, and space and time.) I am psychologically strong. I am organized in all facets of my being. I have the necessary knowledge and skills to be successful in my work. I am continually self-giving, instead of being selfish.  I really love the work I am doing. I have a passion for it. I have eminently positive attitudes toward everyone, and everything in life. I am willing to give up old repeating habits. I think for myself, and avoid the herd mentality. I am rational, taking in all points of view. I am filled with energy all of the time. I have a deep aspiration to improve myself in life. I work hard, and continually make a persevering effort. One individual determined that he could be more self-giving, less selfish, and work harder. Another that she was psychologically weak, that she found it difficult to give up old habits, and have an aspiration for something more than what she currently was. When each examined the reasons these were the case, and made the concerted effort to overcome these limiting traits, their lives improved dramatically, even overwhelmingly in short order. Life constantly responded to their efforts with instances of sudden good fortune (i.e. “life response”). They were able to quickly move to the pinnacles of success, becoming leaders in their fields, and becoming infinitely creative, even genius-like. Their lives were not only then filled with material success, but with constant surges of energy, and a deep contentment and joy within.   It is the power of taking inventory of yourself, and acting on it to attract the infinite potentials of life.    Bridging the Psychological and Spiritual Gap In one sense, we look on our lives as a constant “becoming.” We move from moment to moment, focused on those things coming up, whether it involves dressing for the morning, our next duty at work, an important meeting with a client, a trip across country, a holiday get-together, and so forth. There is a differential in time between the present and the events or activities we perceive coming in the near or distant future. We know it is just a matter of time for that gap to be bridged. It is simply the unfolding of life taking is course. There is also a differential between what we are now and what we can become in terms of our own inner psychological framework and status. Here, we are not so eager to bridge this gap, as it requires us to change our nature. Actually, we are hardly even aware of the gap in the first place. Yet, from one point of view, to fill the gap can be said to be the single reason we are here on earth. We each serve a purpose, which requires us to move from what we are to what we need to become. Not merely in terms of more success and achievement, but in terms of a greater consciousness and higher perspective. In addition, there is the perspective from the soul's point of view. It waits on us as well, and hopes we make the necessary effort to fill that gap. When we do, i.e. when we move higher in psychological and spiritual status, our soul -- i.e. our evolving soul -- becomes more satisfied in its appetite to acquire new knowledge in its journey of fulfillment through time. Or, to put it simply, when we grow by overcoming the differential between who we are and what we can become, our evolving soul within is nourished and grows as well. What can be more important in life than the fulfillment of our Truest Nature and Hig