Growth Online > Knowledge Base > The Spiritual Reality & Theory of Creation > The Spiritual Reality

Growth Online

Spiritual Reality, & Theory of Creation by Roy Posner and MSS

Knowledge Base

INTRODUCTION TO PAGE THE OMNIPRESENT REALITY & CREATION The Omnipresent Reality Process of Creation (Involution and Evolution) Delight of Being is Purpose of Creation Processes of Self-Conception, Self-Limitation, and Self-Absorption Processes of Creation of Universe Mirrors How We Create in Life   DETAILS OF THE INVOLUTION Origins and Nature of the Plane Existence, Conscious-Force, Delight Origins and Nature of the Plane of Supermind Origins and Nature of the Plane of Overmind Origins and Nature of the Plane of Mind Origins and Nature of the Plane of Life/Energy Cosmic Determinism, the Rendering of Creation, and Free Will Real Ideas The Triple Differentiation of the One Origins and Nature of Space and Time

DETAILS OF THE EVOLUTION Overview of the Unfolding of the Evolution Origins and Nature of Matter Origins and Nature of Life in the Universe Origins and Nature of Mind The Gross/Material, Subtle, and Causal Plane in Creation   RELATED TOPICS The One & The Many Being, Becoming, Being in the Becoming Finite and Infinite The Individual, Universal, and Transcendent Oneness of Life, Unity in Diversity Spiritual Powers, Attributes, Expressions Powers of Light and Darkness

HOW LIFE IS ORGANIZED/WORKS: Nature's Way vs. Soul The Nature of Positive & Negative; Good and Evil Embracing the All The Nature of Consciousness Truth   HUMAN PROGRESS Human Evolution Source of Ignorance & Integral Knowledge Spirituality for the Individual Supramental Plane We Can Rise To Using the Supramental Force in Our Lives Rebirth The Psychic Being   ADDITONAL: Sri Aurobindo The Mother; the Divine Mother Foundations of Indian Spirituality The Avatar Other

Also See Our Comprehensive Summation  of Our Theory of Creation

 

---

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 Spiritual Growth topic of "The Spiritual Reality and the Theory of Creation." Here is an overview of the topics. It is based on the ideas of the seer and sage Sri Aurobindo and the insights of Mother's Service Society.

The Omnipresent Reality (The Absolute of the West, Brahman of the East) is (to Mind) the unknowable immutable timeless spaceless reality that is the source of all creation that can be known through Soul and Supramental Truth Consciousness.

The Involutionary process is how the Omnipresent Reality (the Absolute, Brahman) that extended to the Triune of Existence, Consciousness-Force, Delight becomes the Energy that is the source of all forms in the universe enabled creation. The Evolutionary process is how those forms, beginning with matter, evolve in the universe to incorporate a vital aspect, mind, and one day spirit, fulfilling its destiny by returning to the spiritual source. The creation took place for the Delight of being of those forms when they are created. (I.e. a universe was created so that the delight of being of the Infinite Spirit can manifest in the forms of creation. When we discover our higher self and spirit, we experience the delight for which we were created.)

The Involution in creation that moved from a spiritual source to forms in creation occurred through three fundamental sub-processes, Self-Conception, i.e it conceives what is wishes to achieve (creating a universe), as well as Self-limitation, and Self-Absorption.

The nature of the involution is also explained in greater detail, including the nature of Existence, Conscious-Force, Delight, out of which emerged the plane of Supermind (i.e. Truth Consciousness) which rendered the created universe of forms a divine source, the plane of Mind which was sanctioned by Supermind to divide the force to enable the creation of distinct forms in the universe, and the plane of energy and Life, out of which the forms of the universe were to be created. Then the nature of the evolution is explained in greater detail, including an overview of the unfolding of the evolution, the matter that emerged from force and energy, the animated life forms and animus of life that emerged from matter, and the power of mind that emerged from the life forms, particularly the human.

We return then again for more information on the involution. When the creation is complete there is then the One source and the Many forms of the universe (the One and the Many). There is the Infinite of the One and the Finite of the Many, where the goal of creation is to bring the Infinite into the Finite. In the process of creation of the universe, Space and Time were enabled.

The reconciliation of Chance and Necessity and the subjects of Fate and Free Will in the universe are covered. In the universe substance and consciousness appears in the Gross/Material, Subtle, and Causal planes. A discussion of the Oneness of life is explained.

The Supramental (Truth Consciousness) plane enabled the Force of Existence, Consciousness-Force, Delight to turn into energy and then the forms of creation. It is the key to all of creation. It is also the ultimate truth consciousness that we can rise to in life. Real Ideas are spirit-originating ideas that are fused with a will for effectuation in the universe, which come through the Supramental plane and determine the formulations of existence in creation. The purpose of life is to bring the Spirit Being into the Becomings of our lives in the evolution. Also, we overcome our essential Ignorance born of creation and develop an Integral Knowledge of existence. We do each of these by discovering our True Self and Spirit within. See additional subjects above.

Return to Table of Contents

 

---

THE OMNIPRESENT REALITY AND CREATION
 

---

The Omnipresent Reality
(The Absolute, Brahman, God)
(top)

 

What the Reality Is How the Reality Extends to Creation How the Reality Includes Difficulties of Creation Perceiving the Reality from the Depths and Spiritual Mind Knowing the Reality through Supramental Consciousness Realizing the Reality After, Beyond the Spiritual Aspects Realizing the Reality in Our Lives at the Planes of Matter, Life, and Mind The Reality and Accomplishment

 

Here we try to explain the ultimate form of existence, the Reality; Brahman, the Absolute. It is an attempt to perceive the ultimate conception of existence here in life and beyond; in the realm if the unmanifest and the manifest universe; in the realm of existence in the cosmos and the realm of pure potentiality. These thoughts are based on the spiritual insights of Sri Aurobindo, Sri Karmayogi, and other members of MSS. We at Growth Online have added additional thoughts based on these.

What the Reality Is
(topic)

The Omnipresent Reality
There is a Reality beyond Man, Life, and Cosmos. Even beyond God as we know it. It is timeless, spaceless, immutable, ineffable. And that Reality has extended itself into this life. Matter, animated life, mentality are all forms of this Omnipresent Reality.

We are that Reality, but we do not perceive it; as the transcendent, the divine, God is considered something separate from ourselves. But we too are a formation of that Reality. We are a materialization, a manifestation of It; a substance of the Infinite consciousness. We are an extension of the One, evolving through time.

To perceive the Reality is to have the glimpse of the Absolute, Brahman; the ultimate conception of Existence given to Man.

Brahman, the Reality
Brahman, the Absolute, the Reality is the ultimate conception of existence.

The Omnipresent Reality in Sri Aurobindo's Teachings
A central tenet of Sri Aurobindo's philosophy is that the Truth of existence is an omnipresent Reality that both transcends the manifested universe and is inherent in it. This Reality, referred to as Brahman, is an Absolute: it is not limited by any mental conception or duality, whether personal or impersonal, existent or nonexistent, formless or manifested in form, timeless or extended in time, spaceless or extended in space. It is simultaneously all of these but is bound by none of them. It is at once the universe, each individual being and thing in the universe, and the Transcendent beyond the universe. (MSS)

First Glimpse of the Omnipresent Reality

There is an ultimate Reality that surrounds us; that we are a part of. It permeates matter, life, and mind. It is there in the hidden realms, in the universal plane, and in the transcendent Divine. The Reality is the essence of all these things. It is actually those things themselves; we, God, and the universe. Moreover, everything in this Reality is inexorably united and one. Everything, every plane, every force and being are unified within themselves and to each other. It is the Divine plan, method, and unfolding.

But how do we feel this ultimate conception of Existence? It is one thing to know that we are part of this Great All, it is another to truly perceive it, experience it, be awed, enriched, overwhelmed, and fulfilled by the fact.

In the physical/material consciousness we ordinarily live in, we perceive nothing of this wonder, splendor, power of existence. We are immune from it there. However, sometimes we have small experiences, sense subtle workings and unfoldings that suggest a correlation, interrelation of something wondrous; something beyond this world, yet within it; within us. At the subtle level of life, beyond the material, we have intimations of the Reality. And yet it is only reflective, a side glance, a transitory glimpse of the Wonder.

Beyond the gross/material and subtle, there is the causal experience. It is here that we can begin to truly perceive the omnipresent Reality; that which permeates all existence. It is here that we move into identity with the Reality, Brahman, the Absolute. We have intimations of the Wonder. It is there not only in our thoughts, but in our subtle perceptions of life. It is also there in extraordinary momentary feelings and emotions, even in our nerves. At that point, we sense, we feel, we know bound up with something Greater, even as we realize that this permeating Presence is right here, within us, around us, in the essence of all things. It is even there in the most superficial, surface of life.

When we conceive, perceive, and realize the Reality in our own lives, we have the greatest of all human experiences; that of the Infinite Divine expressing in all planes, beings, and things. Everywhere we look, we feel the Reality in its essence, in its progressive unfolding. We feel that we are part of a totality that is Infinite, Conscious, and Divine. At that point, we experience an inextricable Oneness with everyone and all things. Through that experience, we blend in, melt into the Reality that we are part of, even as we gaze out ecstatically on Its creation.

Impressions of Brahman
Impressions of Brahman based on an interpretation of Sri Karmayogi's conception based on Sri Aurobindo's:

-Brahman is omnipresent in every and all things.

-Brahman is like an egg that contains the Unmanifest and the Manifest and their integral relationship.

-From out of Brahman came Satchitananda and then creation.

-Brahman expresses in all planes from Existence (Sat) to Matter.

-Brahman is the ultimate conception of Reality afforded to Man.

-Bringing Brahman to the surface of Life is the purpose and destiny of Man.

-Brahman is ultimate Unity; of Unmanifest and Manifest; Spirit and Matter; Infinite and Finite; Time and Timelessness;  etc.

-Brahman can only be realized by rising to Supramental (Truth) consciousness.

-When Brahman is realized, we are able to fulfill our Human Aspiration -- for God, Immortality, Love, and Joy.

What the Reality Is
-The Reality, Brahman, the Absolute is the Unmanifest and the Manifest, Being and Becoming, Spirit and Life, and their integral oneness.

-Through our higher consciousness, we can realize that the Reality and its Oneness, including its truth, perfection, and and infinity at every planes.

The Reality
There is an ultimate Reality that embraces both Spirit and Matter, the Unmanifest and the Manifest. It is actually more than their sum, but their integral oneness and unity. We not only can have a glimpse and vision of this Reality, but we can realize it in our own lives, including the world around us.

Realizing the Cosmic Egg that is Brahman
We can think of Brahman as a cosmic Egg. Within it are two interwoven aspects, the Unmanifest and the Manifest, the Being and Becoming. To perceive their integral oneness and unity is to have a vision of Brahman, the Reality.

Brahman as Many and All Things
Brahman is many things and all things. (MSS)

Brahman
Brahman dwells equally in all existences. (Sri Aurobindo)

Brahman in All Planes
Brahman is in all planes from Existence, Conscious-Force, Supermind, Overmind, Mind, Energy/Life, and Matter.

Emergence of the Dual Aspect of the Reality
The Reality (Brahman) began as ineffable, immutable, timeless, spaceless being, and then extended itself into a universe of forms. The Reality thus becomes the Unmanifest and the Manifest, the Transcendent and Imminent, the Spirit, and Matter. It is actually beyond this as their oneness, unity, and integration. 

Brahman as Manifest and Unmanifest Realm of Infinite Possibilities
-The Unmanifest is not an empty void; it is an infinite possibility beyond form and manifestation. (MSS)

-Brahman is the Manifest, and the Unmanifest realm of infinite possibilities.

The Absolute, the Omnipresent Reality Described by Sri Aurobindo
Sri Aurobindo says that if you hold on to reality but go beyond it in your experience, you can ultimately come to something which includes both the Manifest and Unmanifest. This is what he calls the Absolute of Omnipresent Reality. It encompasses both Being (Sat) and Non-Being (Asat) and yet it is not limited even to these two. It is the Ultimate Reality, because it includes all realities. It is something more than all out of which all emerges. (MSS, modified)

God is Omnipresent Reality
For Sri Aurobindo, God is the Omnipresent Reality. (MSS)

Energy at Rest and in Motion Together is Contained in Brahman
The Absolute contains the manifest realm of constant change or energy in motion, and the unmanifest realm of energy at rest. (MSS)

Aspects of Omnipresent Reality
Both Being and Becoming, Self and Universe, are the Divine, real aspects of one indivisible Omnipresent Reality. (MSS)

Brahman as Truth
Pre-eminently, Brahman is TRUTH. (MSS)

Truth at Every Plane
Brahman is the truth at every plane. (MSS)

Brahman Consciousness
Brahman is the consciousness which knows itself in all that exists. (MSS)

Creative Truth of Brahmin Creates Brahman
We can as well say it is a creative Truth of Brahman that creates Brahman out of what we see. (MSS)

The Reality is Time and Time Eternity: We Can thus Bring Out the Future Now
-The Omnipresent Reality is both Time and (Time) Eternity.

-The eternal time exists at every moment. The whole of the future and the whole of the past exists simultaneously.

-Because the whole future exits now, we can make it real now. (MSS)

The Reality, Brahman
According to modern spiritual teachers like Sri Aurobindo, there is an ultimate conception of existence. It is called "the Reality", "Brahman", or "the Absolute" and includes both Spirit and Matter; i.e. the the Unmanifest and the Manifest; the One and the Many; the Being and the Becoming. In other words, Spirit and Matter are in essence One. It is actually more than their sum and totality, but their unity and integration, which makes all the difference in understanding their relation. To perceive how spirit is the source of matter (and life and mind), and matter the materialization of spirit is to perceive this Oneness.

The Reality -- aka Brahman  in the East and The Absolute in the West -- is not only the oneness and integration of spirit and matter, but also exists at each plane from the material to vital to mental to spiritual. Brahman is the essence of each plane, and through right consciousness and action, we can bring out, i.e.to the surface the capacity, perfection, infinity that is the Brahman at that plane.

To have the Brahman Consciousness is to perceive as a living reality this unity and integration of Spirit and Matter. And yet Brahman cannot be known by mind. One must move to the highest point of spiritualized mind, even above Intuition to have the vision of the integral oneness of the unmanifest and manifest that is Brahman. According to Sri Aurobindo, when we move to the deepest depths, the soul within, our minds move to the supramental heights where we perceive the integral view of Brahman, which is the ultimate perception of the Reality, the Absolute.

Realizing the Reality (Brahman) In Our Lives
One of the greatest of all questions is What is Life? Another is What is God? A third is What is my purpose in the world? Indian metaphysics answers all of these questions through the ultimate conception and principle of existence, known as Brahman. It is also referred to as The Absolute in the West. Let us call it "the Reality." Let's also consider a more modern evolutionary view of It as expounded by the Indian seer and sage Sri Aurobindo, and the contemporary, multi-dimensional spiritual genius Sri Karmayogi.

The human mind can easily conceive of the realm of matter which we live in. It can also conceive of the realm of spirit; even the possibility that this universe of forms emerged from it. What it cannot readily do is think of their oneness, unity, and integration; in particular, that the universe is a form of spirit; and that spirit extends and fulfills itself in creation. This integral fusion of spirit and matter -- i.e. of the Unmanifest and the Manifest, of the Transcendent and the Immanent -- is the ultimate conception of existence afforded to us. It is the Reality.

The Reality includes and yet  is beyond God the creator, as well as the transcendent Divine Spirit. It also embraces every and all things in creation; in this universe of forms, including us. The Reality is a starling conception that supersedes all notions of existence ever devised by man. It is in that way the ultimate Reality, Brahman, the Absolute. And yet it is something we can realize in our own lives.

Interestingly, America has in many ways realized the Reality in the realm of matter. It has perceived the infinite possibilities of material existence and has brought much of it to the surface of life. This suggests that we can realize, bring out the infinity of the Reality at any plane -- from vital to mental to spiritual. It is a vast opportunity that lies before us.

But then where is this Reality, this infinite possibility in these varying planes of existence? The answer is that it is buried deep down in an essential Essence. When Man rises in consciousness at that plane, we bring that essence to the fore in infinite variation. Whereas the US has brought the Reality, Brahman to the surface at the material level, we have yet to devise the ultimate emotional and social possibilities at the vital plane; or the most profound and wide reaching mental conceptions of existence at the mental plane. That infinity awaits those who can draw it out, who are able to unlock and bring to the surface, thereby enabling life to fulfill its ultimate potential.

And yet we cannot realize the Reality and its potentiality through the vehicle that is our ordinary Mind. Our normal mental functioning cannot perceive the inherent oneness, unity, and integration of spirit and matter; the Unmanifest and the Unmanifest; the Creator and the Creation. It sees them as separate aspects, not as integral, complementary partners and parts of a Whole. As a result, we cannot perceive the essence that exists at any plane -- whether material, vital, and mental levels -- not draw out its spirit to bring about its infinite potential in life.

However, when we move to higher mind, including its spiritual aspects as intuition and revelations of thought -- of knowledge perceived directly without the hard churning of thinking -- we begin to perceive the Reality; i.e. have a direct Vision of the unity of spirit and matter, and a perception of the infinite possibility in the plane we are focused on. It is at that point that we can begin to draw out the Infinite from the Finite through myriads of higher feelings, deeper and more profound emotions, and connections at the vital level; and penetrating insights, revelatory principles, and deep human values at the mental level.

But we can only have a vision of the Reality and bring out its essences when we move our center of awareness away from the surface of life, and develop a deeper poise within. The more we orient our lives inward in silence and stillness, the more our mind opens to perceive the integral oneness and unity of spirit and matter; and therefore perceive new ways to bring out the infinite possibilities locked into every aspect of our lives. Through such a "witness consciousness", we not only glimpse the Reality, but more readily become instruments for extracting the Essence that opens life to its ultimate possibilities. Then we become conduits and instruments for infinite progress, in life, and a leader of the evolution and transformation of life on earth.

Becoming One with 'The Field'

The other day I had a powerful inner experience. It lasted less than a minute, though it vibrated forward and stayed with me in the minutes, hours, and days since.

I was walking through a state of the art outdoor shopping center in Emeryville, California, near Berkeley.  As I entered the main street, on either side of which were fancy stores and above expensive condominiums, I suddenly felt a kind of stillness and whiteness around me. Simultaneously, I felt that everything in the surroundings was One thing; that there was no differentiation between objects, even as they maintained an essential interconnection. Moreover, I felt that I was part of this white Oneness. I sensed that this is how life really is; i.e. a wholeness and interconnected single Reality with no essential separation, even as distinct objects existed.

Accompanying this experience was the complete cessation of thought, emotion, feeling, and sensation. In fact, every time the smallest thought or feeling or sensation rose in me, I felt I was losing touch with this Reality, this undifferentiated, yet integral Field of Oneness. As I held back these subtle disturbances, the connection with this Reality maintained itself in my consciousness. For a minute or so, I was absorbed in clear vision state of Oneness, melting into that Field of pure existence surrounding me.

In the days that followed, I began to think about the undifferentiated Field that we are part of, and how we can connect with and remain one with It. I then recalled the film 'The Legend of Bagger Vance' where Bagger as golf caddy to Junah instructed him on how be to become "one with the Field." Just as Krishna instructed Arjuna before the battle of Kurekshetra in the Bhagavad Gita, Junah now tried to heed Bagger's advice and become one with the Reality before him. Rather than feeling separate from that field -- of the grass, the air, the trees; even the invisible realms -- Junah put aside his limiting thoughts, emotions, and attitudes, and merged with It in order to perform the task at hand. As a result, he made a great shot that not only turned the championship match against the two greatest golfers in the world in his favor, but it changed his life forever, including his perception of what is reality, and what engenders outer success and inner fulfillment.

When I walked into that outdoor mall, lined with palm trees and state of the art stores below colorful condos, I became one with that Field. There was no subject in me perceiving and separated from an object of perception. There was simply one undifferentiated Existence that I had embraced and merged with. Being absorbed in the Field in that moment, I sensed that all that was happening was absolutely perfect; that this was in fact the True State of existence, and that anything I did in from that status would unfold flawlessly.

This wonderful experience gave me a glimpse of the Truth of existence; of the one contiguous Reality that extends from heaven to earth, from spirit to matter, outside and inside, without separation and division; just a single stream of undifferentiated whiteness that is the Field of life.

Perceiving Brahman Evokes Its Power
Perceiving the Reality brings about its essence and infinite, creative power in our lives.

Embracing All and Every Thing
From an understanding of the nature of the Reality, Brahman, God, the Infinite -- as both the Unmanifest and the Manifest, the Creator and Creation, Spirit and Matter, and their integral relationship -- the following comes to mind about the way we view our existence:

-We need to ACCEPT everything in life, since all is Brahman. Not just 'this' at the expense of 'that', but all. The ego likes this but not that. But the Reality is beyond the ego. It embraces all and every thing; all planes and acts and forms in life. By embracing life this way, dualities, contradictions are overcome, as we move from the exclusive Part we are attached to to the Whole that is the Truth unfolding, engendering harmony and oneness.

-We also need to see the PURPOSE of all things in the scheme of things. We need to see each thing in its context; of its role in the unfolding, on its way to greater progress. (That way we see how even the trivial action of a person in the unfolding of an event serves an important purpose. That there are no such things as "interruptions" or "disturbances" or "side roads or issues" that take one off track.)

This leads to a profound RESPECT for all things, for all acts, for every person at any moment in time. It enables us to move from ego and selfishness to embracing the needs and concerns of others; i.e. self-givingness. It also engenders Non-reaction since nothing is outside us to disturb us (since we embrace and accept all in our purview).

Brahman is all and every thing (and even beyond to their integral relationship). And yet we can rise beyond exclusive mind to intuition and thereby perceive It, including the Dance of the All on its way to ever-greater progress. It is to have a glimpse of the Marvel of existence.

Brahman, the Reality and Consciousness of It
-Brahman is both Spirit and Matter; the Creator and the Creation; the Unmanifest and the Manifest and their integral Oneness.
-Brahman consciousness is to perceive and realize that Oneness.

The Absolute
-For Sri Aurobindo, the Absolute (Brahman, the Reality) consists of all that is manifested in the infinite and eternal cosmos as well as all that remains unmanifest as infinite potential. Being and Non-Being are dual aspects of the Absolute.

-The Absolute contains the manifest realm of constant change or energy in motions and the unmanifest realm of energy at rest. They are two sides of one reality.  They are Becoming and Being. (MSS, slightly altered)

Misconceptions and Correct Conceptions of Brahman

Misconception	Correct Conception
Brahman first and manifestation next.	They are both coexistent and simultaneous
Brahman is eternal while manifestation is temporal.	They are both eternal
Brahman    is sachchidananda	It is not bound even by sachchidananda. If it wants it can choose not to exist or be conscious in which case it passes beyond all verbal definitions or descriptions.
Brahman has created the world.	It does not create anything but simply brings forth what is inside it.
The world and manifestation are outside Brahman.	They are inside Brahman as nothing can be outside it.
The acme of manifestation is supramental manifestation.	The supramental manifestation is only the beginning of evolution in Knowledge. It looks like the acme for those looking from below who are in ignorance.
The Infinite Brahman could not have created the finite world.	Its infinity is not a bar to its capacity for turning itself into a finite world.
Existence is the All.	Existence is only a movement of Brahman which can stop the movement if it wants and free itself from it.
Brahaman is impersonal.	It has a personal dimension as the Existent.
Manifestation has positive and negative sides.	The negative disappears for those who can see the world as a marvel which it becomes if one can see that matter is delight of existence only.
Brahman is detached from the world and is uninvolved.	All that takes place here is only an expression of its Will and so how can it be uninvolved?
The manifestation is composed of an infinite number of forms and entities.	There is only one reality that looks at itself in infinite ways. (N. Ashokan)

Reality as Truth at every Plane
-Brahman is the truth and reality at each and every plane.
-In our Ignorance we do not perceive that truth.
-Through our higher consciousness, we can perceive and realize that truth.

Brahman and Our True Self
-Brahman is our deepest and secret Reality, our true Self, and we can recover this Reality of our being.
-We can know our True Self within and thereby know the Reality, Brahman.

Knowing Brahman at Planes, including Soul
We can know the Reality, Brahman at every plane, including the plane of the Soul of our being.

The Omnipresent Reality

-The Omnipresent reality is present everywhere; in the Non-Being and in the created universe.

-The Omnipresent reality is spirit; it is also matter.

-Non-being and the universe are different states of the Reality.

-We see these divisions in Omnipresent reality because of the limitations of our instruments of perception. Being and the universe are one.  (Sri Aurobindo, somewhat modified)

Vision of Brahman; the Reality
-Normally we perceive Spirit and Matter, the Creator and Creation as two separate entities; even opposites. However, the deeper truth is that these pairs are One. From our higher consciousness we perceive the Oneness of Spirit and Matter, (i.e. the Oneness of the Creator and the Creation; the Unmanifest and the Manifest). This is to perceive the Absolute, to have a vision of Brahman, the Reality.

-Spirit is the source and essence of matter; matter is an extension and materialization of spirit. They are one in essence. In fact, they are more than one, but are integrally united and interconnected. Together in their integral unity and totality, they make up the Reality.

-To perceive at every moment that we here in creation are spirit in essence is to have that Vision. That we are progressively manifesting that Oneness on the surface, not just in the essence.

-Brahman consciousness is to conceive, perceive, and realize  the Oneness, unity, and integration of Spirit and Matter; the Creator and the Creation; Being and Becoming.

-Brahman consciousness is to know the Truth of Existence.

-Brahman consciousness is to know the Truth of Existence in the details of life.

Wholeness of, Equality of Small & Large of Brahman (the Absolute)
The Spirit is Brahman. It creates the solar system and an anthill. Brahman is a whole. It can only be a whole. It can give itself only as a whole. It cannot give itself as a part. Brahman cannot give a part of Himself. The character of Brahman being a whole can never be parted for a moment. I am a man. My body is a whole. My body cannot move in parts. It can move itself only as a whole. I go to buy a fruit. It is a small work. I go to buy a house. One is small and the other is greater. To both works, I can go only as a whole man; I cannot send a small part of mine to do a small work. In creation, Brahman gives Himself equally fully to the solar system and the anthill. The solar system is of infinite proportion; the anthill is insignificant in its appearance. In essence, both are equal. [MSS]

Brahman Experience By Going Beyond Two Sides
For Brahman to become real, there should be no two sides. Both sides becoming ONE gives the feeling that IT is real. (MSS)

Vision of Brahman in the Tree
To be able to see Brahman in the tree and the tree in Brahman and to be able to see both simultaneously is the vision of Brahman. Of the many ideas the Mind should give up, one is that the Absolute is a vacant void. It is better to give up the other 'idea' that it is not a void. (MSS)

What Brahman Is
Brahman is the Self, the soul, the being, as it is the Spirit.   (MSS)

 

How the Reality Extends to Creation
(topic)

The Omnipresent Reality
Sri Aurobindo explains that the omnipresent Reality (Brahman in the East, the Absolute in the West) is highest conception of existence afforded to Man. He also explains how that Reality extended itself from an Unmanifest Supreme Conscious Being to a Manifest universe of forms in planes of Life/Energy, Matter, Vitalized Life, and Mind.  To know the Reality then is to know the unity and integration of the Unmanifest and the manifest, of Spirit and Matter, of the One and the Many.

Emergence of the Dual Aspect of the Reality
The Reality (Brahman) began as ineffable, immutable, timeless, spaceless being, and then extended itself into a universe of forms. The Reality thus becomes the Unmanifest and the Manifest, the Transcendent and Imminent, the Spirit, and Matter. It is their oneness, unity, and integration.

Brahman to Satchitananda to Creation
-Out of Brahman comes Satchitananda and from It creation. Brahman, the Reality is then both in an integral relationship.

-Unknowable Brahman extended itself to Satchitananda. I.e. it Exists, (Sat); it is Conscious of its Existence and thereby emanates a Force (Chit) and Delights in its Existence and Consciousness (Ananda). Through the Supramental Truth power the energy that is the source of creation emerges from the Conscious-Force (Chit).

The Absolute and Creating
The Absolute does not create.
It releases what is already in existence in Infinity.
Infinity is infinite existence that allows infinite non-existence. (MSS)

Creation is Eternal: Has No Beginning or End
From the writings of Sri Aurobindo and Sri Karmayogi we see that not only is the universe an extension of the Infinite Divine, but this universe is eternal, meaning that it had no beginning, just like the Infinite Consciousness and Source. This would surely challenging science who claim the Big Bang or something similar is the source. But this is only the material beginning. Mind, Energy, etc. -- i.e. other planes of existence  may have eternal roots and destinies; i.e. they always were and always will be, just like the Infinite Source itself.

Brahman, Satchitananda, and Creation
-Perceiving the Reality, we understand the evolutionary flow of life.

-Brahman is a being that extended Itself to become a Becoming, and then a Being in the becoming.

-Brahman became a Being that became conscious of itself, which released a force, and delighted in the experience (Sat-Chit-Ananda). Through the action of Supermind, its Force extended into an Energy that became the basis of Creation. Brahman was now Creator and Creation; Unmanifest and Manifest, and their Oneness and integral relation.

-Out of Force of Sat-Chit-Ananda the universe came to be.

-To perceive the Oneness of Sat-Chit-Ananda and Life is to perceive the Reality. To perceive Sat-Chit-Ananda in our own lives is to reach the highest evolutionary realization of our being.

Brahman's Nature as Satchitananda and Its Importance for Humanity
In its highest manifested poise, Brahman's nature may be described as Sachchidananda --infinite existence, infinite consciousness, and infinite delight or bliss --a triune principle in which the three are united in a single Reality. In other words, it is a fully conscious and blissful infinite existence. The importance of this concept for humanity lies in its implication that Brahman is our deepest and secret Reality, it is our true Self, and it is possible to recover this Reality of our being by removing the veil of ignorance that hides it from us and imprisons us in a false identification with an apparently divided and limited egoistic movement on the surface of our being. This is the metaphysical basis for Sri Aurobindo's yoga, the discipline given to consciously unite our phenomenal existence and life with our essential Reality. (MSS)

The Reality Becoming the Universe Permits Brahman Realization in Plane in Our Lives
The view the Omnipresent Reality became the universe, permits the principle that any plane is power, however small, when perfected crosses its plane and has the potential to reach Brahman. (MSS)

Brahman and Creation
The essence in creation is Brahman. (MSS)

The Gods Emanating from Brahman
As first formations of force, Gods emanated from the Suprme -- i..e Brahman and Satchitananda. The first batch of four divine beings turned asuric [dark forces], and so a 2nd batch came, which included the overmental gods such as Vishnu and Shiva. These overmental gods are fully satisfied with themselves and see no need to improve or transform. E.g. Durga said that she is so satisfied with the worship that she is being offered by people that she has forgotten that there is a supreme above her. [based on MSS]

How the Reality Includes Difficulties of Creation
(topic)

Brahman Embraces the Difficulties of Existence
How has the absolute Brahman, Sachchidananda, become what we see here around us --this world of inconscient matter, struggling life, ignorance, limitation, conflict, suffering, death, and evil? In answering this question, Sri Aurobindo explains that the Absolute is not bound --not bound to its infinite existence, not bound to its infinite consciousness and the force inherent in that consciousness, not bound to its infinite bliss. Second, he explains that by definition Brahman is capable of manifesting within its absolute existence innumerable, limited, even distorted and contrary forms of its being. We may further deduce that an infinitely extended, infinitely diverse manifestation, replete with objects and beings ranging from the most unconscious, the most vile, to the most conscious, the most beautiful, the most divine, would be perfectly consistent with an existence that was Absolute.

But how does the Brahman do this? Through what Sri Aurobindo describes as the principle of exclusive concentration. This principle is best explained through the example of our own ability to narrow our conscious awareness on a particular idea or perception, putting behind in the background of our focused awareness the rest of our conscious existence. When an author concentrates in writing her story -- developing the characters, the scene, the action -- her own personal identity becomes for the moment lost to her conscious awareness. Her consciousness enters into the story and identifies with it. She does not cease to be what she is or lose her knowledge of her identity, but practically her awareness is narrowed and identified at a point. This ability to focus awareness and put into the background all else is inherent in consciousness. It is through a similar process that the One and Infinite Being becomes the many, apparently separate, individual beings and things we see manifested in the universe. The separation is in appearance only, for in truth all individuals are constituted by the One, are That in their Reality, for there is nothing outside the Absolute. They are forms and appearances of its Being, expressions of its Consciousness, movements of its Delight. (MSS)

Embracing All and Every Thing
From an understanding of the nature of the Reality, Brahman, God, the Infinite -- as both the Unmanifest and the Manifest, the Creator and Creation, Spirit and Matter, and their integral relationship -- the following comes to mind about the way we view our existence:

-We need to ACCEPT everything in life, since all is Brahman. Not just 'this' at the expense of 'that', but all. The ego likes this but not that. But the Reality is beyond the ego. It embraces all and every thing; all planes and acts and forms in life. By embracing life this way, dualities, contradictions are overcome, as we move from the exclusive Part we are attached to to the Whole that is the Truth unfolding, engendering harmony and oneness.

-We also need to see the PURPOSE of all things in the scheme of things. We need to see each thing in its context; of its role in the unfolding, on its way to greater progress. (That way we see how even the trivial action of a person in the unfolding of an event serves an important purpose. That there are no such things as "interruptions" or "disturbances" or "side roads or issues" that take one off track.)

This leads to a profound RESPECT for all things, for all acts, for every person at any moment in time. It enables us to move from ego and selfishness to embracing the needs and concerns of others; i.e. self-givingness. It also engenders Non-reaction since nothing is outside us to disturb us (since we embrace and accept all in our purview).

Brahman is all and every thing (and even beyond to their integral relationship). And yet we can rise beyond exclusive mind to intuition and thereby perceive It, including the Dance of the All on its way to ever-greater progress. It is to have a glimpse of the Marvel of existence.

 

Perceiving the Reality from the Depths and Spiritual Mind
(topic)

Experiencing the Reality from Within
There is an ultimate Reality. It is beyond our normal conceptions of God. It is timeless, spaceless, immutable, indefinable. It is the Unmanifest as well as the Manifest. It is the Absolute of the West; Brahman of the East.

How can we know this ultimate Reality?  Not when we live ordinary lives of the surface. Only when we develop an inner poise and orientation can we begin that journey. From there we can begin to get intimations of this Reality.

As we plunge into the depths within, we become silent witness to the world. Deeper still we come upon our True Self, our personal evolving soul. There we constantly perceive the multiplicity of possibilities unfolding at any moment in time. We always know in which direction to turn, to act; what to avoid; what elements in our being need improvement, uplifting. There we feel connections to the universal and transcendent planes. We also now have direct intuitions and intimations of the forces and truths of the universe which enter our minds without thought.

In that status all conflicts, divisions, and dualities that we experience, such as the apparent incompatibility of Spirit and Matter, or the dual life experience of pleasure and pain, begin to break down.

From that deep poise, the contradictions of life resolve into their natural complementary status. From there we perceive that the inner and the outer are one; that in fact, the entire universe is contained inside ourselves and if we change the inner, the outer will respond in kind.

As a result of these harmonic experiences, we perceive the unity of the manifest and the unmanifest, which is the omnipresent Reality, the ultimate vision and experience of life.

We can begin approach this profound inner status through meditation, deep concentration, consecration of activities (i.e. surrendering all actions to the descending Force), and other methods.

As we make deep inroad into our inner being, we feel the divine presence within and above compelling us to Surrender to it. We perceive our role in the comic scheme of things. We become instruments of the transcendent and universal intent. We begin to offer our very existence to the Higher Purpose.

First Glimpse of the Omnipresent Reality

There is an ultimate Reality that surrounds us; that we are a part of. It permeates matter, life, and mind. It is there in the hidden realms, in the universal plane, and in the transcendent Divine. The Reality is the essence of all these things. It is actually those things themselves; we, God, and the universe. Moreover, everything in this Reality is inexorably united and one. Everything, every plane, every force and being are unified within themselves and to each other. It is the Divine plan, method, and unfolding.

But how do we feel this ultimate conception of Existence? It is one thing to know that we are part of this Great All, it is another to truly perceive it, experience it, be awed, enriched, overwhelmed, and fulfilled by the fact.

In the physical/material consciousness we ordinarily live in, we perceive nothing of this wonder, splendor, power of existence. We are immune from it there. However, sometimes we have small experiences, sense subtle workings and unfoldings that suggest a correlation, interrelation of something wondrous; something beyond this world, yet within it; within us. At the subtle level of life, beyond the material, we have intimations of the Reality. And yet it is only reflective, a side glance, a transitory glimpse of the Wonder.

Beyond the gross/material and subtle, there is the causal experience. It is here that we can begin to truly perceive the omnipresent Reality; that which permeates all existence. It is here that we move into identity with the Reality, Brahman, the Absolute. We have intimations of the Wonder. It is there not only in our thoughts, but in our subtle perceptions of life. It is also there in extraordinary momentary feelings and emotions, even in our nerves. At that point, we sense, we feel, we know bound up with something Greater, even as we realize that this permeating Presence is right here, within us, around us, in the essence of all things. It is even there in the most superficial, surface of life.

When we conceive, perceive, and realize the Reality in our own lives, we have the greatest of all human experiences; that of the Infinite Divine expressing in all planes, beings, and things. Everywhere we look, we feel the Reality in its essence, in its progressive unfolding. We feel that we are part of a totality that is Infinite, Conscious, and Divine. At that point, we experience an inextricable Oneness with everyone and all things. Through that experience, we blend in, melt into the Reality that we are part of, even as we gaze out ecstatically on Its creation.

See and Bring Out the Infinite, Brahman in Activities
We can see and bring out the Infinite, Brahman in every activity of our lives. It is the power to bring out the infinite from the finite, which is our spiritual destiny.

Soul, Spiritualized Mind, and Realization of the Reality
-Brahman, the reality, the Absolute is the ultimate conception of existence.

-We perceive it when we go beyond Mind proper, which sees only separateness and a part, to spiritualized Mind which perceives more widely, as a whole.

-When we move to the depths and soul within, we are catapulted to spiritualized mind, as we have intuitions, revelation, intimations of the highest Truth of Existence, the Reality, Brahman.

-In Truth Consciousness, Supermind, we most readily perceive the reality, Brahman.

Reality as Truth at every Plane
-Brahman is the truth and reality at each and every plane.
-In our Ignorance we do not perceive that truth.
-Through our higher consciousness, we can perceive and realize that truth.

Brahman and Our True Self
-Brahman is our deepest and secret Reality, our true Self, and we can recover this Reality of our being.
-We can know our True Self within and thereby know the Reality, Brahman.

Knowing Brahman at Planes, including Soul
We can know the Reality, Brahman at every plane, including the plane of the Soul of our being.

The Omnipresent Reality
The Omnipresent Reality (The Absolute, Brahman) at first appears as the unknowable, undefinable, unfathomable timeless, spaceless. But this is how Mind perceives it. Developing the supramental truth consciousness one can come to perceive it and see its realization in the details of life.

Vision of the Reality, Brahman, God
-To know the integral unity of spirit and matter is to have the vision of Brahman.

-Brahman consciousness is to have the conception, perception, and realization of the Oneness of the Manifest and Unmanifest.

-The Reality is the integral unity of the Creator and the Creation.

-To perceive spirit in all we do, and perceive this life as the arena for the spirit's unfolding is to have the vision of Brahman, God, the Absolute.

-To see life as spirit unfolding is to know the Reality. To see life as the Divine's fulfillment is Brahman consciousness.

We are Part of God
Nature is God in Physical Form. We are all a part of Nature. Being part of Nature means we ourselves are part of God. (MSS)

Discovering the Unity of the Reality Within Ourselves
-We need to discover the unity of the Reality [Brahman, God, the Absolute] through the development of our consciousness.

-If the individual finds his soul within, he begins to develop his consciousness, enabling him to perceive the unity of Brahman [of the creator and the creation and more so]. In touching his [personal evolving] soul, he moves beyond his individual status and ego, and touches the universal and transcendent spirit. In such a status, he is able to perceive the unity of spirit and matter, of the creator and that which has been created. (Paraphrase of Sri Aurobindo)

The Reality becoming the Universe Permits Brahman Realization in Plane in Our Lives
The view the Omnipresent Reality became the universe, permits the principle that any plane is power, however small, when perfected crosses its plane and has the potential to reach Brahman. (MSS)

Knowing Brahman through Brahman Inside
Man can know the whole of Brahman only through the Brahman inside him. For the Brahman in man to emerge, it should begin in the psychic and reach the Supermind. (MSS)

 

Knowing the Reality through Supramental Consciousness
(topic)

Discovering the Unity of Brahman by Discovering Our Higher Consciousness through Soul
Brahman is the One; nothing else exists. It is the Absolute and the relative; the corporeal and incorporeal. This Reality exceeds all definitions of mind. We need to discover a way beyond Mind to know the unity of Brahman, the Reality, We do that through by developing our higher consciousness.

If the individual finds his Soul within, he begins to develop his higher consciousness, enabling him to perceive the unity of Brahman, to see the true nature of existence. In touching his [personal evolving] Soul, he moves beyond his individual status/plane and ego, and touches the universal and the transcendent spirit. From that Soul status, he begins to perceive the unity of spirit and matter; the vision of Brahman.

[It is fully enabled when we develop the supramental status. I.e. when we have the (ultimate) supramental vision, we see the unity in all, in all life, existence, activities, etc. This is the perception of the fundamental unity of Brahman. (By the way, one definition of Brahman I have seen from Vedanta is that It is Everything, the one consciousness that fills every plane of existence.)]

Mind vs. Supermind in Revealing the Reality
When man moves to the Supermind, the Absolute can fully reveal to his mind instead of the partial Sachchidananda, which is a mental version of It. (MSS)

Brahman and Supermind
Only the Supermind is in constant touch with the Brahman. All other solutions up to the Overmind will not suffice. (MSS)

Vision of Brahman through Truth Consciousness
Only from the highest, unitarian, supramental truth consciousness can we know the Reality; can we perceive the unity of the Unmanifest in potential and the kinetic Manifest, and their integral unity and interdependence. It is the Vision of Brahman.

The Omnipresent Reality, Mind, and Supermind
That which is ineffable (inexpressible), immutable (undeniable) is the Omnipresent Reality to the Mind. Supermind (Truth consciousness) can know it intimately however, and manifest it.

Experiencing the Omnipresent Reality through Unitarian (Supramental) Consciousness
Sri Aurobindo says that we can only have this ultimate perception, this Vision of Brahman by rising to the highest unitarian (supramental, truth) consciousness. [That as he will later reveal can only happen when we forge a deeper consciousness within and come upon our Evolving Soul, Psychic Being within.]

When Man reaches his highest unitarian consciousness and makes the soul connection he can experience the original calm and passivity of the Unmanifest Brahman in his own life, enabling his ultimate perfection in his Manifest life.

The Reality and the Supramental Power
There is one Reality that includes the Unmanifest and the Manifest. There is also a Force that has emerged from the one Reality that sits between the Unmanifest and the Manifest. It is the Truth Consciousness and Power. Sri Aurobindo calls it the ''Supramental." That Force and instrument enabled the universe to emerge from the Unmanifest, the Divine Source, the Infinite.  It is also a Power we can rise to. It is now descending into the earth's atmosphere, especially in the last 50 years, penetrating deeper and deeper. When we consecrate, we open to that ever increasingly powerful Force.

The (divine) Mother can be thought as the conduit for that Force. That force has a power over life to instantly set things in order and attract positive conditions. It has a ''causal" power -- i.e. a capacity to create the completely out of nothing. When we open to the Mother -- when we consecrate activities, conditions, problems, and issues through Her -- we enable the Force to act through her, which produce the miraculous-like life changing results.

Having said this, the Divine Mother is even more than this for she is the force of creation itself.

All of this takes place within an ultimate Reality.  We can perceive It from our deepest and highest consciousness. It is the Vision of Brahman -- the highest perception of melding of the Creator and the Creation; of Spirit and Life; the Infinite and the Finite. It is the vision of the harmony of all things beyond division and duality. In particular, it is to perceive the integral relationship between Spirit and Life. E.g., we perceive that life is a manifestation of spirit, and also has a spiritual purpose that we can collaborate in by rising in our own consciousness.

Reconciliation, Unity of Spirit and Matter
The reconciliation of Spirit and Matter takes place as we see that both make up the Omnipresent Reality, also known as Brahman, the Absolute, God. The Reality, Brahman is both Spirit and Matter. We normally see these as distinct and separate as a result of the limitations of our instruments of perception [i.e. our minds and below]. The spiritual Being and the manifest universe are in fact one; they make up an intimate Oneness. [This fusion in the unity of Brahman we can know when we rise to the unitarian consciousness, i.e. the supramental consciousness. We perceive the unmanifest and the manifest as opposites because we live in the lower planes of the physical, vital, and the sense-based mind, but we can come to see that they are one and inexorably related. As we rise in consciousness, we perceive their unity; i.e. we have the true insight into the unity of this dual aspect of Brahman, the Omnipresent Reality.]

Supramental Consciousness and Vision of Brahman
When Man reaches the (Supramental) Truth Consciousness, he gains the full Vision of Brahman.

Mind, Supermind, and Brahman Realization
Mind sees Brahman as immutable, never born or ending, unknowable. Supermind perceives and enables the realization of Brahman in life.

Brahman Perceived through Mind vs. Supermind (Brahma Jananam)
Brahman is the origin. It is the Eternal and Infinite. It is immutable. It is never born, nor does it grow. It knows no end. This is the description we know. This is the description of Mind's Infinity.

Brahman seen by the Mind is incomplete. We can say it has no birth or death. Brahman seen by the Supermind is complete Brahman. It can be born if it chooses or die if it chooses. Brahman is covered by Ignorance in our world. Brahman is of knowledge in the higher world. The complete Brahman emerging in our world from the ignorance is what is called Brahma Jananam. Its world is a world of MARVEL where there is no suffering, pain or death. It is the Supramental world which Sri Aurobindo worked to create on earth. (MSS)

Supramental Consciousness, Unity, and Brahman Realization
Supramental consciousness sees the integral unity of things, the relationship of the part to the whole. In this way it perceives the relationship of the One, of the spirit, and the Many (creation). It knows the integral relationship between them. It can realize the spirit in Life; thus enable Brahman in life.

Movement Within and Above to Supermind that Enables Us to Perceive the True Nature of the Reality
We can move into the depths, culminating in the evolving soul deep within, enabling us to move up in consciousness from Mind proper to spiritual Mind (intuition, et al) culminating in Supramental, Unitarian perception. It is at that point that we can perceive the purpose of creation in terms of the creator; the manifest as an extension of and one with the unmanifest; where we can know the unity of the universe and the spirit; which is the perception of Brahman, the Reality, God.

Mother, Supermind, and Brahman
Mother is born amongst men so that Supermind in him may effectively express Brahman in his waking consciousness in the fullness of Brahman. (MSS)

 

Realizing the Reality After, Beyond the Spiritual Aspects
(topic)

Experience 12 Aspects of Spirit Before Brahmin
Conception of Brahman: Before one conceives of Brahman, one should have experienced the 12 aspects of Spirit. Infinity, Eternity, Truth, Goodness, Consciousness, Knowledge, Power, Beauty, Love, Joy, Silence and Peace. One who is utterly Truthful can realise any of them or all of them. Having realised them, one should rise above them in conception. That will be the conception of Brahman. (MSS)

Brahman Expressing Directly Rather than Through Spiritual Aspects
For Brahman to be effective in the world, Brahman should manifest in the world directly as Brahman, not as Truth or Love. Now Brahman manifests in the world as Ignorance. (MSS)

Realizing the Reality in Our Lives at the Planes of Matter, Life, and Mind
(topic)

Realizing the Brahman Truth and Reality at every Plane
-Brahman (the Reality) is the truth and reality at each and every plane.
-Brahman is our deepest and secret Reality, our true Self, and we can recover this Reality of our being.
-To bring it to the surface is the infinite opportunity before us.

Realizing Brahmin at Every Plane
To realize Brahman in every plane is the infinite opportunity before us.

Bringing Out the Infinite
I love the idea that the "Unmanifest is not an empty void; it is an infinite possibility beyond form and manifestation." This is the thought that has driven my recent thinking on the subject of Brahman. That we can bring out the Infinite from the Finite that is buried in it; the Brahman that is hidden in that plane.

Another aspect is that we can experience the Unmanifest and Manifest as one integral thing, which means in our daily lives we can perceive the Infinite; i.e. Brahman, the Reality. As a result of having that Vision, we become instruments of it emergence out of the plane we are focusing on -- whether mind, life, matter. Each time we do, success flies towards us, intentions are fulfilled 100 times over, money and other life powers come in torrents, bliss wells up to ecstasy, etc.

A more direct approach for the devotees is simply open to the Divine Mother. She brings out the Infinite from the Finite. She brings Brahman to the surface at that plane focused on for the aspirant.

Thank you for reminding us through this marvelous quote of the ultimate conception of existence afforded to us -- the Reality, Brahman, the Absolute.

Knowing Brahman from Supermind, Mind, Life, and Matter
Sri Aurobindo wants us to discover Brahman in Supermind. The Indian elite is capable of doing so in Mind and the masses can do it in Life. The Westerner did so in Matter. Discovery of Brahman in Matter is science and prosperity, in Life it is infinite prosperity and everlasting peace, in Mind it is subtle knowledge of supramental evolution. These are the steps HE wants us to skip and evolve as the Supramental Being. Let us do it at any ONE level. (MSS)

Discovery of Brahman in Life, Matter
Discovery of Brahman in Life, includes discovering Brahman in Matter. (MSS)

Brahman in Matter
To discover Brahman in matter, one needs to have all the energy the work needs at the material level organised into effective skill by the mental interest, motivated by the spiritual attitude of veneration. Brahman reveals if the spirit is evoked from the work. (MSS)

Brahman is in All Things, Money, Products, etc.
Brahman is in all things; all things are in Brahman; all things are Brahman.   Money is in all products; all products are in money; all products are money.   This is true of thought, light, Silence and all. It is such an obvious fact, we lose sight of it.  

The Reality Becoming the Universe Permits Brahman Realization in Plane in Our Lives
The view the Omnipresent Reality became the universe, permits the principle that any plane is power, however small, when perfected crosses its plane and has the potential to reach Brahman. (MSS)

Perceiving Brahman Evokes Its Power
Perceiving the Reality brings about its essence and infinite, creative power in our lives.

Experiencing Brahman in Thought, Feeling, Sense
Brahman can be thought, felt and sensed as thought is Brahman, feeling is Brahman, sense is Brahman. Brahman can be explained in words as words are Brahman. It can be done by one who realises that the words are Brahman.  (MSS)

Brahman in Gross, Subtle, Causal Planes
Brahman manifests in the gross, subtle and causal planes. (MSS)

Realizing We are Brahman; Not Body or Mind
To see we are only playing a role, to know we are NOT this body or mind is to know we are Brahman. The chapter 'Pure Existent' gives this conception conclusively. We have to move to the appropriate perception and sensation. (MSS)

Also See Practical Concept of Infinity

 

The Reality and Accomplishment
(topic)

Perceiving Brahman Evokes Its Power
Perceiving the Reality brings about its essence and infinite, creative power in our lives.

Capacity of Brahman: Something Out of Nothing
Capacity to create something out of nothing is the capacity of Brahman. (MSS)

Willingness to See Something as Brahman Creates It
By virtue of our willingness to see something as Brahman, it becomes Brahman is an eternal truth of the everlasting Infinite. (MSS)

The Reality Becoming the Universe Permits Brahman Realization in Plane in Our Lives
The view the Omnipresent Reality became the universe, permits the principle that any plane is power, however small, when perfected crosses its plane and has the potential to reach Brahman. (MSS)

Brahman and Creation
The essence in creation is Brahman. (MSS)

Discovering Brahman in Various Planes
Sri Aurobindo wants us to discover Brahman in Supermind. The Indian elite is capable of doing so in Mind and the masses can do it in Life. The Westerner did so in Matter. Discovery of Brahman in Matter is science and prosperity, in Life it is infinite prosperity and everlasting peace, in Mind it is subtle knowledge of supramental evolution. These are the steps HE wants us to skip and evolve as the Supramental Being. Let us do it at any ONE level. (MSS)

Bringing Out the Infinite
I love the idea that the "Unmanifest is not an empty void; it is an infinite possibility beyond form and manifestation." This is the thought that has driven my recent thinking on the subject of Brahman. That we can bring out the Infinite from the Finite that is buried in it; the Brahman that is hidden in that plane.

Another aspect is that we can experience the Unmanifest and Manifest as one integral thing, which means in our daily lives we can perceive the Infinite; i.e. Brahman, the Reality. As a result of having that Vision, we become instruments of it emergence out of the plane we are focusing on -- whether mind, life, matter. Each time we do, success flies towards us, intentions are fulfilled 100 times over, money and other life powers come in torrents, bliss wells up to ecstasy, etc.

A more direct approach for the devotees is simply open to the Divine Mother. She brings out the Infinite from the Finite. She brings Brahman to the surface at that plane focused on for the aspirant.

Thank you for reminding us through this marvelous quote of the ultimate conception of existence afforded to us -- the Reality, Brahman, the Absolute.

The Reality is Time and Time Eternity: We Can thus Bring Out the Future Now
-The Omnipresent Reality is both Time and (Time) Eternity.

-The eternal time exists at every moment. The whole of the future and the whole of the past exists simultaneously.

-Because the whole future exits now, we can make it real now. (MSS)

Energy Organized as Skill to release Brahmin in Work
To discover Brahman in matter, one needs to have all the energy the work needs at the material level organised into effective skill by the mental interest, motivated by the spiritual attitude of veneration. Brahman reveals if the spirit is evoked from the work. (MSS)

Power of Brahman Emerging in an Act
Any act in the doing of it slightly changes, bringing out its inherent vitality. It is the power of Brahman escaping the fixed form and spilling over that changes the course. (MSS)

Brahman is in All Things, Money, Products, etc.
Brahman is in all things; all things are in Brahman; all things are Brahman.   Money is in all products; all products are in money; all products are money.   This is true of thought, light, Silence and all. It is such an obvious fact, we lose sight of it.  (MSS)

 

---

---

 

Indian Prosperity through Brahman in Life
-The route for Indian prosperity is to discover Brahman in Life.
-Let India discover Brahman in Matter or Life. She will be more than prosperous. (MSS)

Brahman is Soul Seeking Beyond Results, Process
Man seeks results; science seeks process. Essence exceeds process and result. Man is Soul seeking Brahman. (MSS)

Realizing the Reality (Brahman) In Our Lives
One of the greatest of all questions is What is Life? Another is What is God? A third is What is my purpose in the world? Indian metaphysics answers all of these questions through the ultimate conception and principle of existence, known as Brahman. It is also referred to as The Absolute in the West. Let us call it "the Reality." Let's also consider a more modern evolutionary view of It as expounded by the Indian seer and sage Sri Aurobindo, and the contemporary, multi-dimensional spiritual genius Sri Karmayogi.

The human mind can conceive of the realm of matter we live in. It can also conceive of a realm of spirit; even the possibility that this universe of forms emerged from spirit. What it cannot readily do is think of their oneness, unity, and integration; in particular, that the universe is a form of spirit; and that spirit extends and fulfills itself in creation. This notion of the the fusion of spirit and matter -- of the Unmanifest and the Manifest, of the Transcendent and the Immanent -- is the ultimate conception of existence afforded to us. It is the Reality.

The Reality is beyond and yet includes a God that is the creator. It is also inclusive of the transcendence of the Divine Spirit. It embraces every and all things in creation. It is a starling conception and reality that supersedes all notions of ultimate existence so far devised by man. It is the ultimate Reality. An yet it is something we can realize in our own lives.

Interestingly, the Americans have in many ways realized the Reality in matter. It has perceived the infinite possibilities of material reality and has brought that infinity to the fore. For the realization of the Reality at any plane -- in the case of the USA, at the material level -- is to bring out its infinity. America and hardly anyone else knows how to bring about infinity at the vital, mental, and spiritual level. That remains for the future.

In the essence of anything in creation is the spirit; the same spirit that is the transcendent Reality. The immanent Reality of life in the cosmos is also Brahman, but it is buried deep down in an essential essence. When we rise in consciousness at that plane, we bring out its essence in the form of its infinity to the surface. Whereas the US has brought out Brahman, the Reality to the surface at the material level, we have yet to devise the ultimate emotional and social possibilities of the vital plane or mental conceptions as living realities for humanity at the mental plane to the surface. That infinity awaits those who can draw it out. Who perceive the infinity locked into that plane that can be brought to the surface, infinitely lifting and ennobling life.

And yet we cannot realize the Reality and its potentiality when we live on the surface of things, or even when we use ordinary mind. It cannot perceive the inherent oneness, unity, and integration of spirit and matter, the Unmanifest and the Unmanifest. It sees them as separate. Thus, it cannot perceive the spirit that is there in matter that can be drawn out and brought to the surface. However, when we move to higher mind, including its spiritual aspects through intuition and revelations of thought, of knowledge directly without the churning of thinking, we begin to perceive the Reality, to have a direct Vision of Brahman. It is at that point that we can begin to draw out the Infinite from the Finite.

But we can only move to such perceptions of spiritualized Mind when we move our center of awareness away from the surface, into a deeper poise within. The deeper within we go, all the way to our True Self and Evolving Soul within, the more open our mind opens to the spiritual heights, where we perceive the integral oneness and unity of spirit and matter; knowing directly that they are one and the same things. With this glimpse of the Reality, we can become instruments for bringing out the Essence of any matter to the surface; eliciting its infinity; its ultimate creative possibility and perfection. Then we become ultimate conduits and instruments for progress, including the evolution and transformation of life on earth.

Also See Practical Concept of Infinity

Other

Realizing Brahman as Studied as Subject, Not Object
Brahman will remain abstract as long as He is studied as an object. Only when He is felt as a Subject does He become concrete. (MSS)

Brahman and Consecration
To go in by consecration is to see the Brahman in its truth. Its greater truth is its external expression. (MSS)

One Indivisible Omnipresent Reality
Both Being and Becoming Self and Universe, are the Divine, real aspects of one indivisible Omnipresent Reality. (MSS)

Absolute as Being and Power of Creation
The Absolute, the Infinite Consciousness is not just a Being, but it is a Power, containing not only a quiescence and repose, but an action in of itself, a creation in of itself. The Absolute is then capable of an eternal action and creation; of deploying the Infinite Power.

Untitled
We are each the Source and the Unfolding in Creation.

---

---

The Omnipresent Reality, Eternal Time, Consecration, and Making Our Future
-The Omnipresent Reality is both Time and Eternity. The eternal Time exists at very moment. The whole of the  future and the whole of the past exist simultaneously. That has great relevance to us also. The past is not over. We can consecrate the past and change it even now.

-Our whole future is there in potential right now. Because the whole future is here now, we can work on it and make the future what we want it to be. (MSS)

Vision and Power of Brahman
Brahman is the sum of the upper hemisphere of Spirit and the lower hemisphere of creation -- matter, life, and mind. It is actually beyond these, in that it is their integration. To perceive this is to have the vision of Brahman (the Absolute, the Infinite).

The vision of Brahman is to perceive the Spirit and Matter as part of one single Whole. It is beyond that to see their integration.

The vision of Brahman is to see both the One and the Many; the Creator and the Creation, and their integration.

The power of Brahman is to see and bring out the Infinite from the finite.

The Vision of Brahman
To have the vision of Brahman is to see the integral relationship of spirit and matter. To see how matter expresses spirit in the details of life, to know the spirit as the Source, and beyond these. It is the ultimate reconciliation of sprit and matter; of the creator and the creation. These pairs are integrally bound up in one another, and are not dualistic, but integrally one. To perceive that truly is to have the vision of Brahman (or the integral vision of the Absolute, or the integral vision of God). It can be fully perceived this way when we move out of time, ego, Ignorance and finiteness, and moves to timelessness in time, experience the spirit being in the becoming of our daily lives, experience the timelessness in time, etc. This occurs by moving to the depths where one connects with our personal evolving soul. From their we can have the integral vision that relates these pairs, and relates the creator and the creation as one; i.e. the vision of Brahman.

Brahman Consciousness
Brahman consciousness is to know that the creation is the body of the Spiritual reality. It is to perceive the Spirit in all manner of creation. It is to perceive the unity of the One and the Many. It is to perceive the Being in the Becoming; Time Eternity in Time.

Vision of Brahman
The Reality, Brahman includes both the Pure Existent as well as the creation that will emerge out of it. To have the Brahman consciousness is to see the unity of the Pure Existent/Being/Spirit and the created universe (creation). It is the unity of the Being and the Becoming of the universe; of the world existence we know as Life.

Brahman Consciousness
Brahman consciousness is to perceive, to live, to embody the integral relationship between the unmanifest and the manifest.

Experiencing Brahman, the Absolute
Brahman (aka The Absolute, the Omnipresent Reality) is more than the sum of its parts; more than the one and the many; more than the involution and the evolution; more than what our minds can perceive. In that sense, it is indefinable. And yet, we can have a vision of It, as we move to the highest spiritual consciousness, where we see spirit of the upper hemisphere in the matter, life, and mind of the lower hemisphere of the universe. The vision of Brahman is to see these as one thing, and something even more.

When we can sense Brahman in each moment, in each thing, in each act, we sense the infinite in the finite, the timeless in time, the indefinable in the definable; enabling a new synthesis of awareness. We become a new type of being. As we rise among the planes of spiritual consciousness we approach this vision. 

Westerner has Found Brahman in Matter
Sri Aurobindo said the Westerner has discovered Brahman in Matter. [MSS, slightly modified.] [not in the other planes, which remains unfulfilled.]

---

Process of Creation (Involution and Evolution)
(top)

 

Extended Article Describing the Theory of Creation (Involution and Evolution)

Creation is Knowable
The knowledge of the creation, i.e. how the cosmos, the universe came about is known. It is not unknowable, as the religious traditions state.

Involution and Evolution
The process of the Absolute manifesting is called the Involution. The process where existence on earth moves toward uniting back toward its Divine Origins through matter, the vital life, and mind, and then Spirit is called the Evolution.

Involution, Evolution, and Man's Evolution
The process of the cosmos emerging from an  Infinite consciousness and then to cosmic Mind and further to the essential Energy of the universe is known as the Involution.

The emergence of matter from out of that Energy and then to animated life and life forms to the emergence of mind (in those forms), and then spiritualized mind and further upwards to the embodiment of the Conscious Being, Force, and Delight in those forms is the evolution.

Man embodies the evolution of life in creation. His physical body is an embodiment of matter. His emotional, vital, psychological, and social being embodies Life, his mentality embodies Mind, and his (potential) spiritualized mentality represents higher planes of Mind up to Spirit.

The Full Involution and Evolution
The full involution (or "decent") is from the Reality to the conscious Being to conscious Force to delight to Supermind to Overmind to Mind to Energy to Matter. The evolution in the universe (the "ascent") is essentially the opposite movement.

The Processes of Involution and Evolution
The involution is the process by which the Absolute manifest the creation, the universe. It is the process by which the Many emerged from the One as a universe of divided, ignorant forms. The involution is that which occurred that enabled the creation, the universe, the cosmos to manifest from out of the Original Principle, the Divine, God, the Absolute. Involution is the process of self-limitation, of densification, by which the Absolute, Brahman veils itself by stages until it assumes the appearance in the cosmos, the universe we know of. It wishes to create the universe to objectify itself and its spiritual properties in infinite possibilities, for the purpose of delight of discovery which it will achieve thereafter.

The evolution is the movement forward by which the created universe evolves from its initial state of divided, ignorant forms, emerges as Life and Mind, and in that process rediscovers its Source. The evolution occurs after the involution. It is the development and progressive movement of all in the cosmos, including humans, to attain its fulfillment, including rediscovery in delight of the spiritual aspect, that Consciousness-Force that was the source of the creation. The evolution is the progressive development from the first inconscience in matter into life (movement, sensation, etc. and living physical beings), to mind (in conscious being, animals, including the human, the self-conscious thinking animal), to spiritualized mind, culminating in Supermind, Truth Consciousness (as supramental individuals, leading to a supramental, i.e. a divine life on earth.)

The Cosmic Process of Creation
At the cosmic level the process of creation is the means by which the infinite, unmanifest and eternal spirit creates out of itself a finite, temporal material universe. An Infinite Being and Consciousness, all-knowing and all-powerful, creates, by itself becoming, a world peopled with apparently inanimate, inconscient objects and unconscious or semi-conscious, mortal creatures. Because that Infinite Reality is the origin, basis and real constitution of everything in the universe, the smallest infinitesimal act of the least significant individual in the most limiting circumstances imaginable is capable of revealing and unleashing the greatest opportunity resulting in the highest accomplishment. Often that infinite potential reveals in apparently chance events such as the first meeting of two strangers under the least expected conditions or the casual communication of a small but significant and life-changing information.

All creation, all accomplishment originates as an act of consciousness and an organization of that consciousness leading to the formation of a result. Sri Aurobindo describes this process of creation at the cosmic level in The Life Divine. (MSS)

Process of Creation Same in All Fields and Planes of Existence
Spiritual vision reveals that the fundamental reality and the process of creation are the same in all fields and planes of existence. Only the forms and expressions of manifestation vary. Mastery of the process in any field of life implies the knowledge and power for accomplishment in that field. E.g. the level of the individual, this mastery is the knowledge and power of the Complete Act, which is the capacity to make any act generate the desired results. (MSS, modified)

The Involutionary and Evolutionary Process

It is relatively easy for us to perceive that Evolution is taking place in the universe -- i.e. there has been and continues to be a movement from matter to animated life to mentality in conscious beings, and upward to ever higher consciousness. It is less obvious however to perceive the Involution of existence that has taken shape from an Infinite consciousness that has culminated in material existence in the universe.

In Evolution, we see a progressive ascendance of consciousness and ever more subtle substance from dumb, physical matter to animated life forms to mental intelligence, and upward. It is far more difficult to imagine how an original Infinite, timeless, spaceless Reality and Being enabled an essential Energy that became the basis for the forms in the universe, beginning with matter.

More difficult still is the fact that in this Involutionary process, what was enabled at each stage was less conscious than what preceded it, not more so, as in the Evolution. Thus, from an ultimate Consciousness and Force, emerged a less conscious invisible Energy from which emerged distinct forms as unconscious, dumb material existence -- i.e. matter.  Thus, whereas the Evolution seems be progressive, the creation of the universe in the Involutionary process from a Divine source seemed to be regressive; a diminution of consciousness!

And yet according to Sri Aurobindo, it was the very intention of the Infinite Reality to create a universe of forms and have those forms begin as unconscious matter. Why would it take this counter-intuitive course? It did so to create the greatest variation of experience amongst the forms of life; to include the dark and the light, the false and the true, the good and evil, the positive and the negative, and so forth. This infinite variety would create the greatest variation of discovery amongst those forms, including us, which in turn creates the greatest diversity of in the experience of Joy and Delight. And Delight was after all the reason this universe of forms was created in the first place. Now there could be infinite diversity and multiplicity of the experience Delight beyond the fixed original Delight and Bliss of the Infinite consciousness.

Equally interesting is the fact that though the Infinite consciousness seemed to disappear as it descended from  Force to Energy to matter in the Involutionary process, it is still involved as potential in matter and the animated forms and mentality that emerged from it. In fact, the reason animated forms evolved from matter upward in the Evolution is precisely because that capacity was already involved in material existence during the Involutionary process. That was actually the Divine's intention. The same for animated life and its involved mentality, and mentality's involved spiritual capacities beyond it. Thus in every plane are all the potential planes that will emerge from it. It is analogous to the DNA that is there when a human is conceived, which determines that person's nature.

Or to put it another way, Evolution takes place because in any given plane are involved the planes that will emerge from it. So animated life, mind, and spirit will evolve from matter because it is already involved, hidden in its essence as potential. That would thereby indicate that matter is spiritual in its essence. Though those higher forms of consciousness were ever diminished in the Involutionary process, they emerge through the reverse process of Evolution in the universe. Thus, Involution is the very reason Evolution is made possible.

In the end, an Infinite Reality hid itself in its descent from an original Consciousness and Force to a subtle Energy from which a material universe emerged. That original Reality and its Conscious-Force has then begun to reemerge in the Evolution from matter to animate life forms to mentality, and to realms beyond that are spiritual in nature. Thus, our ultimate destiny is embody through our Evolution the very Infinite Being, Consciousness, Force, and Delight that is the very Source of our existence.

 

The Process of Creation, Involution, and Evolution

On the 197th birthday of Charles Darwin, individuals are trying to reconcile his ideas with that of the Spirit. So far, all parties -- sectarian and scientific -- seem very far from understanding the true nature of the fundamental issue he addressed: evolution.

With that in mind, let’s consider one definition of evolution: Evolution takes place for any entity when it organizes itself at a higher level. Here are several examples:

When a business develops a strategic plan to grow, organizes and then executes it, the firm has followed a process for it to progress. Likewise, when I as an individual plan out what I want to become, organize the details, and then carry it out, I too can rapidly progress. If the organization or individual succeeds in not just going a bit higher, but to a new level or plane of existence, there is not only progress, but evolution.

These examples suggest that there is a common process by which accomplishment and creation takes place. It consists of a conception of that which we want to become, the organization of the details of that vision, and its execution. Moreover, when it is carried out with determined effort, skill, and right attitude, our aspiration/intention quickly comes about, which is progress for that entity.

When that process is practiced to perfection, not only is progress produced -- which is in essence more of what we currently have, along with a certain degree of elevation of consciousness -- but we are taken to an entirely new level or plane of our existence, which is the very definition of evolution.

Even the Spiritual reality in creating a universe from its Divine source, followed this same essential approach: i.e. it conceived that which it wished to create -- a universe -- and it organized and made it occur through powers of infinite consciousness that turned its Conscious Force into unseen subtle Energy that became the basis of all forms that would emerge in creation. In other words, it evolved itself further by becoming a manifest universe.

If we are to understand evolution, we need to understand this single essential process of creation that entails a movement from vision to organization to manifestation. Even when a primitive being or an animal evolves, there is some higher quality that is being organized, that is moving from its current level of being to a higher order. We can see this in the film 2001: A Space Odyssey, where at one point an ape vaguely perceives that a bone it has found can be used as a tool for defending itself, tries it out, and then uses it to gain superiority over rival clans. It is in essence the organization of a perception into a living reality. Evolution is then a product of the organization of consciousness -- whether it consciously, subconsciously, or unconsciously takes place.

There is another dimension to the evolutionary process. It is that the higher levels of progress, development, and evolution that entities move towards and attain is already involved in their being as potential. Just as a tree emerges from a seed in which all of its material existence is more or less predetermined, so too there is an involved capacity inherent in every form to bring about the next stage or phase of its being. For example, when the most primitive life forms emerged from matter, that capacity was already there involved as real potential in the essence of that physical form. Likewise, if I wish to become more intuitively aware -- a higher formation of mentality -- that capacity is already there involved as potential in my current mental framework. It is there in the seed of my being as potential. There is a real seed of possibility hidden in its essence, not just an imaginary one that somehow can be fulfilled.

Thus, not only is there one universal process of creation that moves from stages of vision to organization to manifestation, i.e. through a movement of higher consciousness, but the stages we can evolve to are already there embedded in our being as seed and essence of potentiality. This is the case because in the creation of the cosmos from a Divine Source, those infinitely higher planes of being were there before the universe even existed, and in creation were then embedded, hidden, involved in the forms that emerged, including us. E.g., a plane of Mind existed before the universe came to be in the involutionary process and descent from Spirit to matter. Then after creation, higher life forms emerged from matter, and developed a mentality with the capacity to think. That occurred because the original Cosmic Plane of Mind is involved in matter and life forms, which emerges through the development of our mentality.

Thus, we can say that the evolutionary process is able to occur because the involutionary process has created these potentialities in the very fiber of our being. The planes that emerge from us were already involved in us as a seed in subtle form.

In summary, through the process of creation -- i.e. vision, organization, and execution -- all life progresses. If the change is truly significant, -- i.e. there is a dramatic change in consciousness, bringing about a movement to an entirely new level or plane of existence -- then there is also evolution. And yet the seeds of our evolution and change, including all the planes above it, are already there involved, hidden in our being in potential, waiting to come out.

Whether we choose to progress and evolve is a matter of our own choice. If we consciously follow the process of creation, seeking to move to a higher level, we not only accelerate our own growth and progress, but we participate in the evolution of Man. 

 

Evolution, Involution, and Darwin
Darwin understood the physical causes of evolution in animals; even their only partially. He did not understand the subtle causes -- i.e. the psychological and spiritual.

For example, the evolutionary spiritual philosopher Sri Aurobindo says that evolution occurs not only because of a movement to higher consciousness -- e.g. greater thought or insight --, but to the unfolding of a seed of that possibility that is involved in that form. I.e. in a dumb animal is an involved consciousness of mentality, which will only come out through the evolution of that species, which is what happened when higher animals and man evolved from it. This involved seed and capacity is there because the Spirit put it there in its own involutionary descent from the Infinite consciousness, the Divine on its way to creating a universe of forms. All evolution is an unfolding of this intended process.

Thus, evolution is the very essence and will of God, to create ever more conscious beings, reflective of its own Infinite, Divine nature.

Darwin's explanation does not perceive the essential process of creation, therefore his view of evolution is material and mechanistic. Still his was a great breakthrough at its own (limited) level.

 

Energy in the Process of Creation

Question from a Reader: How does Energy fit into the process by which we create and accomplish in life?

Answer: The entire process of creation from the vision of a thing to its manifestation can be looked at from the perspective of Energy.

For example, I perceive something in life that I find attractive and want to manifest as real in the world. I thereby have a vision of what I want to create. I have in essence created a Force of energy. It is also a directed Force since it is a goal I want to achieve. It is further directed, amplified, intensified as it gains the sanction of my emotions. I.e. when I see the real possibility of bringing it about, and the enormous benefit that could ensue, a Will in me is generated for its manifestation. My Will in turn releases more energy, adding to the directed Force I have initiated within me.

Sometimes that is enough for life to manifest my goal. I.e. without having to take further action, life responds to the energies I have released, bringing about the conditions I had hoped for.

If however our aspiration/intention is something significant, we need to take it to the next level by Organizing our intention, which will convert the directed Force into a Power for manifestation. For example, I consider how I can make my goal real -- including which people to contact, when to do it, what skills I need to acquire gain, what attitudes I need to change, and so forth.  As a result or organizing my goal, the directed Force of Energy now becomes a highly concentrated POWER of Energy.

When I then carry put the details with determination and positive attitude, the concentrated Power of highly charged and focused energies call forth to life like magnets, evoking powerful positive results. I.e. the Energy is so highly charged within us, that it sends out a powerful signal that causes us to align with the very best of conditions, enabling us to attract our heart's desire. In essence, the Energy we have built up within us has converted into a Manifest Reality.

The energy conversion process can thus be summarized as:  Force of energy through Direction > Power of energy through Organization (of the details) > Action that converts energy into something real in the world, as a living Manifestation of it.

The energy process can also be thought of as the release of mental energy that then adds vital/emotional energy, and then physical energy that manifest the object of our desire as outer, material results.

If we bring the spiritual Force, i.e. consecrated action into the equation, then life moves to the causal plane, spiritual energies are added, and things move at the speed of light, bringing about our heart's desire and much more.

 

Process of Creation of the Universe

This is the same essential process by which the Divine created the universe; i.e. by which Supermind manifest a universe of forms from out of the Conscious Force. As described by Sri Aurobindo and Karmayogi it is more or less as follows:

The ineffable, immutable, timeless, spaceless Brahman became the Conscious Being (Sat) -- the Spirit, Truth. Being Conscious of Itself, the Being released a powerful Force; a Conscious Force (Chit).

Supermind knew the Real Ideas that the Conscious Being (Sat) wished to manifest in a universe of forms. Supermind through its dividing action reconstituted the Conscious Force into Knowledge and Will. I.e. Consciousness became Knowledge and Force became Will. (Knowledge was the means by which a Mind could perceive Consciousness, and Will was how a vital being of volition like we humans can express the Force.)

Out of Knowledge and Will, Supermind created the forms of force that it intended through its Real Ideas.

E.g. Supermind intended to turn the the Real Idea of LOVE into a living reality in the cosmos. It had the integral Knowledge of what Love is in its various aspects, as well as the Will and Power for it to come about. Though Its comprehending and apprehending power, Supermind turned the Real Idea of Love into an object that a subject perceives.  I.e. in space and time Supermind splits the idea of Love into the form of Lover-Loving-Beloved (subject-action/movement-object). Supermind has thus organized the Real Idea of Love into the ability of a lover to love a beloved. In this way all forms in the universe, can love, whether it means loving our children, our mate, or any others we come in contact with. Sub-aspects of Love take form as everything from human values like self-givingness, goodwill, and gratitude to human infatuation and desire.

In the same way other Real Ideas, such as Delight, Creativity, Goodness, Oneness, Wisdom, Truth, are manifest by supermind as forces and forms. E.g. the Real Idea of “Truth/Knowledge” is formulated as Knower Knows the Knowledge through the action of the truth consciousness of Supermind.

The process of creation then continues, as the Knowledge and Will further breaks down, losing much of its consciousness, becoming an essential Energy at rest. It then begins to move and formulate into constituent elements – plasma, fire, water, earth, etc. -- which become the basis for material forms that manifest in the universe. 

Thus, the process by which we create in life, as described earlier, parallels this cosmic process by which the universe emerged from a Divine Source.

 

God, Brahman, the Reality is Evolving
Normally we consider God as something distant and apart from ourselves. Rarely do we think of the Divine as immanent in the world, let alone evolving in the universe.

To address this issue, let us begin with a bit of metaphysics. The ultimate conception of existence is an omnipresent Reality that exists in all planes -- from an Infinite consciousness ''above" in the Unmanifest down through matter, life, and mind in the manifest universe. This Reality -- this ultimate conception of what is contained in all planes Unmanifest and Manifest -- is known as 'Brahman' in the East and 'The Absolute' in the West. Most will settle for 'God,' though that conception can be quite limiting.

But how then is this omnipresent Reality; this God, Brahman, Absolute evolving? To answer that question, we need to understand the 'Process of Creation.' To begin with there is an ineffable, immutable, infinite consciousness that always was, is, and always will be. It is the Reality in its first stage; before creation. This Infinite has then extended itself into a field of manifest entities. It extended its own infinite being, consciousness, and delight into a universal field of distinct forces and forms. To do so, it rendered a creating plane of Truth Consciousness, and from it, formulated the dividing capacity of Mind, through which emerged the Energies that are the source of all forces and distinct material life forms in space and time. This second movement can be thought of as the Involutionary process. Thus in the first stage there is a decent/involution from an  Infinite consciousness to Supermind, Mind, and then Energy; and a second stage of ascent/evolution in the universe from Energy to Matter to Life and Life Forms to Mind, the latter expressing mainly through we human beings.  

The Reality is then all of the planes of the involutionary and evolutionary processes together. Brahman/The Reality/God, is not only timeless, spaceless being, but extended Itself to forms of its Force in creation. In other words Brahman, God, the Reality also became this life. It is thus the Unmanifest and Manifest, and their integral relationship. This is the ultimate conception of Reality afforded to Man.

Moreover, since we humans in the universe are an extension of that Reality, and since we are evolving, then God the Divine, Brahman, the Absolute Reality is evolving as well. As we bring higher consciousness to bear in our lives, we evolve, as does God the Infinite. As we become more conscious -- overcoming our personal limitations and wanting qualities; find our spirit and soul within; commune with the transcendent  Divine, bring the that Higher Power into the details of our lives -- we not only uplift ourselves and life, but enable the Reality itself to evolve through creation.

We are then the instrument of God's evolution. As we evolve, so does the Reality, Brahman, which is in and of every and all things. When we connect to our higher nature, we serve the evolution of the Reality, as it seeks to render its own spiritual attributes of Silence, Oneness, Truth, Wisdom, Power, Love, Beauty, and Delight into this universe of forms.

Involution and Evolution
The involution -- which is from spirit to matter -- is reversed in the evolution; i.e. is a return to spirit from matter. The involution goes from the Real Idea of the Divine to manifest a universe for the delight of being, creates the planes of mind, life, and matter, and then hides them before creation; whereas the evolution is the reverse process where matter appears, where the plane of life emerges from matter, where mind emerges from life, and spirit from mind, and in that process enables man to discover the delight of being, the purpose for which the Divine manifest through Supermind the universe.

Process of Creation
Before the created universe, the manifestation, the Absolute through a process of self-conception, conceived of a universe for the purpose of the discovery of delight of being by those forms that would be created. To begin that process The Absolute extended to three aspects; Existence (which we will refer to as "Being," which can also be interpreted as pure spirit), Consciousness-Force, and Delight.

Brahman to Satchitananda to Creation
-Out of Brahman comes Satchitananda and from It creation. Brahman, the Reality is then both in an integral relationship.

-Unknowable Brahman extended itself to Satchitananda. I.e. it Exists, (Sat); it is Conscious of its Existence and thereby emanates a Force (Chit) and Delights in its Existence and Consciousness (Ananda). Through the Supramental Truth power the energy that is the source of creation emerges from the Conscious-Force (Chit).

The Cosmic Process of Creation
At the cosmic level the process of creation is the means by which the infinite, unmanifest and eternal spirit creates out of itself a finite, temporal material universe. An Infinite Being and Consciousness, all-knowing and all-powerful, creates, by itself becoming, a world peopled with apparently inanimate, inconscient objects and unconscious or semi-conscious, mortal creatures. Because that Infinite Reality is the origin, basis and real constitution of everything in the universe, the smallest infinitesimal act of the least significant individual in the most limiting circumstances imaginable is capable of revealing and unleashing the greatest opportunity resulting in the highest accomplishment. Often that infinite potential reveals in apparently chance events such as the first meeting of two strangers under the least expected conditions or the casual communication of a small but significant and life-changing information.

All creation, all accomplishment originates as an act of consciousness and an organization of that consciousness leading to the formation of a result. Sri Aurobindo describes this process of creation at the cosmic level in The Life Divine. (MSS)

The Involutionary and Evolutionary Process
The Omnipresent Reality is the unknowable immutable timeless spaceless that is the source of all creation. To initiate that process it divided into three aspects; Existence, i.e. the Reality now exits, and is identifiable Spirit and Truth; Consciousness-Force, the Reality is now conscious of its existence; and Delight, the Reality delights in its existence. From this triune existence, it begins the process of creation of the universe. How the Force of the triune that becomes the energy that is the source of all forms in the universe is the Involutionary process enabling creation. The Evolutionary process is how those forms, beginning with matter evolve in the universe to vital, mind, and spirit, fulfilling its destiny by returning to the spiritual source. The creation took place for the Delight of being of those forms when they are created. The Involution in creation that moved from a spiritual source to forms in creation occurred through three fundamental processes, Self-Conception, i.e it conceives what is wishes to achieve (creating a universe), as well as Self-limitation, and Self-Absorption. The Unfolding of the evolution in the universe is then explained in details from matter to vital to mind to spirit.

Involution & Evolution in Life as Explained by Sri Aurobindo
Involution & Evolution Before Creation -- In The Life Divine, Sri Aurobindo describes how by a process of involution the One, infinite, indivisible, formless omnipresent and omniscient reality or Self-Conscious Being creates of itself a world of multiple, divided, ignorant, impotent forms and how by a process of evolution these forms struggle to survive, grow and rise in consciousness to manifest in form the infinite potentials concealed in the formless.

Involution & Evolution in Creation/the Universe/in Our Lives -- We can understand the evolution fully only when we understand the essential role and process of the involution. The involution provides the essential foundation and conducive circumstances for the evolution. All that we perceive as unconsciousness, obstacle, resistance, hostility and perversity are products of the involution which play essential roles in the emergence of positive characteristics and accomplished capacities in the evolution. (MSS)

The Seed of Potentiality
In Sri Aurobindo's metaphysics, life emerged from a Conscious-Force, but the consciousness dissolved on the way to manifesting matter. Yet all of the magnificence is involved, hidden in matter as a seed of potential. Animated life and mind emerged from that seed, yet each of these also hold a seed of further possibility. When we evolve our consciousness, we bring the (infinite) potentiality out of the seed. If we examine your quote from Savitri, we can see this involutionary/evolutionary philosophy captured.

"All the world's possibilities in man
Are waiting as the tree waits in its seed:
His past lives in him; it drives his future's pace;
His present's acts fashion his coming fate.
The unborn gods hide in his house of Life."

From Material View of Science to Involution/Evolution of the Infinite
We worship the God of Science, trusting in its laws and rules, bowing before its child, Technology. After all, we are dazzled by the material benefit it has given us, including unprecedented security and infinite-like physical comforts.

And yet science's foundation rests on a material view of the world. All of its principles and insights derive from physical matter it can measure. Its view of evolution is a mere progression from matter forward -- i.e. as mere ever-more complex forms of atoms, molecules, chemical reactions, and micro and macro elements. This narrow, materialistic, mechanistic view of existence is what we have subconsciously embraced as the foundation of existence, particularly in the West.

But what if there were a decidedly different view? What if all that we are becoming and evolving towards was already involved, inherent in matter? What if embedded in material existence is a seed of all that has evolved from it -- from animated life and life forms to the  mentality of Man? What if in the hidden, subtle recesses of matter, there was the consciousness of future life and mind, lying dormant, holding out for the right time and conditions before coming out?

Science of course does not embrace such an involved consciousness latent in matter, for it cannot see it or measure it -- its prime means of determining the existence of anything. How can the seed of a life and mind be contained in material rock or stone or ice or water or fire when there are no signs of that possibility when examined under a microscope or analyzed with the latest, state-of-the-art measuring devices? And yet everything that has evolved from matter was and is there in consciousness, involved in it, secretly hidden from view, waiting to come out. Embedded in matter is not just the possibility and seeds of animated, energized life and the forms that move and interact; not just the splendors of mentality that emerged through those life forms, including us, but the possibility of Spirit itself emerging through we mental beings. Thus, all of life in the universe is a flowering from that seed; a constant unfolding of higher substance and consciousness from that involved, hidden Essence embedded in matter.

But who or what planted this life-mind-spirit seed in the recesses of matter? The answer is that only an Infinite consciousness, a Divine entity could have imagined, conceived, and planted the hidden fountain of life in the very core and being of matter. Only a Higher Power could have imagined and planted the ''DNA" of conscious life in the heart of a material existence; that on the surface appears completely unconscious and inert.

But why would a Divine entity usher in a universe with the dense, gross substance and unconsciousness of matter? Why not begin with those higher formations -- of matter, life, and mentality; or better yet their full integration. Surely, an Infinite consciousness could have devised anything It chose. The answer to this conundrum -- which incidentally also explains why there is suffering, difficulty, and evil in the world -- is quite simple: It did so to enable the greatest possibility and multiplicity in life. By starting with the unconsciousness of matter, an infinite array of possibilities could emerge above it; from positive to negative, light to dark, easy to problematic, etc. across all dualities and contradictions of existence.  That would enable Its own Divine attributes -- peace, harmony, wisdom, creativity, beauty, love, delight, etc. -- to express through an infinite variety of forces, energies, forms, and circumstance; across an infinitely varied spectrum of existence, providing ultimate diversity and richness to life.

Implicit in a seed of future planes embedded matter is not only an Infinite source, but the fact that these planes existed in some form before creation! In fact, we can only understand the evolution of planes from seeds of matter if we perceive the involutionary process that embedded those potentialities in first place. Whereas evolution is a self-unfolding from Matter to Life to Mind and Spirit, Involution is a previous and inverse process of self-manifestation of the Infinite consciousness into the planes Mind, Life/Energy, and Matter. Or looking at it chronologically, first there was the Infinite Divine, which manifest the plane of Supermind or Truth consciousness, and then Mind, out of which derived the plane of energy (Vital), out of which emerged the plane of Matter. As each plane emerged, it lost the higher consciousness, but embedded or involved itself as future potential. This is the involutionary process from spirit to matter. The evolutionary process then occurs, which is the unfolding from matter of involved Life/Energy and life forms, and then mentality from Life in those life forms, and then Spirit from Mind. Ultimately, conscious mental individuals in the evolution open and connecting back to the highest, Infinite consciousness that was the source of All in the involution.

The dual involutionary/evolutionary process is thus very different process than the mere, dumb, unconscious material evolution presented by Science. Involution indicates an Infinite consciousness and a Divine process behind the material one. Interestingly, recent scientific/mathematical formulas are starting to point in this direction. E.g., Dark Energy may be one significant step in that direction, indicating energy previous to matter.

Scientists ever-increasingly stand agape as they see their material, mechanistic views of existence ironically torn down through their own scientific investigations. When they come to see that all other planes -- back to cosmic Mind and Spirit -- were/are there before creation, and that life, mind, and spirit are buried in matter waiting to come out, they will begin to perceive the right relation of things, including the ultimate meaning and purpose of life in the cosmos.

The Processes of Involution & Evolution  
The Process of Creation is the process by which the Many emerged from the One as a universe of divided, ignorant forms.

The process begins when the immutable, unknowable Absolute divides into the triune of Existence/Being (i.e. that the Absolute can now be known as existing; which we will later perceive as "Spirit"), Conscious Force (i.e. It is also conscious of Its existence, which enables a Force or power), and Delight (i.e. It delights in the consciousness of its existence). This is the first stage of the involution. Now the involution continues through the further division of the Conscious-Force. This is enabled through the Truth Consciousness, a fourth aspect which will divide the Force from the Consciousness, and the Force itself into Knowledge and Will. When the Knowledge is empties in the Will through a process of self-absorption, what remains is the formation of Energy. In other words, as a result of this dividing action of the Truth Consciousness on the Conscious-Force, a plane of energy is released. This non-moving energy exits before the universe begins. When it "moves," coagulates, and then disaggregates into separate objects, i.e. forms, the universe begins. Space and time are also formed in this overall process.

The evolution is the movement forward by which the created universe evolves from its initial state of divided, ignorant forms, emerges as Life and Mind, and in that process rediscovers its Source. The evolution occurs after the involution. The evolution is the development and progressive movement of all in the cosmos, including humans, to attain its fulfillment, including rediscovery in delight of the spiritual aspect, that Consciousness-Force that was the source of the creation but was intentionally hidden for the purpose of the delight of discovery. The evolution is the progressive development from the first inconscience in matter into life (movement, sensation, etc. and living physical beings), to mind (in conscious being, animals, including the human, the self-conscious thinking animal), to spiritualized mind, culminating in Supermind, Truth Consciousness (as supramental individuals, leading to a supramental, i.e. a divine life on earth.)

In this process of Involution that creates this original Energy that formulated into forms of the universe, the Spirit consciousness of Existence/Being is absorbed and lost purposefully, so that the individual forms who would appear in creation, i.e. we humans, can experience the joy of discovery through our higher consciousness of the spirit hidden in the forms (including in matter, in life, in mind) that are actually embedded (i.e. involved) within each of these aspects of creation. Thus the Absolute (the Divine) enabled creation so that the conscious being in creation would have the joy of discovery of the spirit in matter and life. In essence, He wanted to extend his Delight of Being into the Delight of Becoming in the universe. He also purposely created divided, unconscious, ignorant forms through the instrument of Truth Consciousness in order to create the greatest possibility and multiplicity of those forms, which would have the greatest variation for expressing the Delight of Being. When we move form our unconsciousness to our higher consciousness we experience the delight of Being, the very reason that the Creator enabled a manifest universe in the first place.

Involution and Evolution
Beginning essentially with the energy that was there before the Big Bang or something similar is the manifestation of the universe. The universe is the body of the Divine, a form of the Divine in embodied matter and life.

The universe essentially began as energy at rest, becomes energy that moves, and eventually coagulates into forms of matter (plasma, galaxies, etc.), further evolving on earth (and elsewhere) as vital animus of life, and culminating in humans (and perhaps other intelligent life forms) as mind. Man continues this evolutionary process by rising to his higher nature above mind and within through sprit. When he touches Supermind and the pure spirit above in all aspect of his being, he has completed the evolutionary purpose. This entire process is the evolution.

Man utilizes the same spiritual supramental power that enables the Divine to manifest the universe to aid in our own ascent from vital and mental-based humans to spiritual and supramental truth consciousness evolutionary beings. This is the culminating of the evolution.

The spiritualized evolutionary individual and collective existence fulfills the purpose of the universe, which is delight of being.

How Supermind Enabled the Universe
To begin the process of creating the universe, the Absolute, the Original Principle, the Omnipresent Reality has the Real Idea of creation. It's conception is to create a manifest universe for the purpose of extending its own Delight into infinite multiplicity of forms. By creating a manifest universe of infinite variation of forms, infinite discovery is made potential through those forms. When they (i.e. us) discover the spirit in ourselves, in life, we experience the joy of the discovery, the Delight of Being, the very reason the Absolute wished for a universe of forms from out of itself.  Our delight of Being would then matches and even exceeds the delight of the Creator.

To that Goal the Absolute divides or extends itself into three aspects of itself in preparation for the creation -- as Existence, as Consciousness, and as Delight (i.e. Sat-chit-ananda). The Absolute further extends itself to further enable a manifest creation and universe it wishes to bring about. To that end it extends another plane, the plane of Truth Consciousness, or Supermind. Supermind coordinates the rendering of the Absolute, expressed as Real Ideas, into a created universe. Supermind is thus the great ordering mechanism and instrument of creation. It has the supreme Vision and Unity of Understanding of all of all attributes and will of the Supreme from "above" to order the creation in its potential of multiplicity as a universe "below." Supermind is both a Knowledge and a Power. It has the Knowledge of the Real Ideas and the intent of the Absolute to render a universe, and it has the Power to carry it out.

To that end Supermind creates the planes of (Cosmic) Mind to begin the process of objectifying the spirit of the Absolute into a manifestation, a universe. Creation must express the Timeless in the plane of Time in order to exist; i.e. to objectify itself, which requires division. To that end Supermind created the plane of Cosmic Mind to divide the Consciousness-Force. When the Consciousness-Force is split by Cosmic Mind, as agent of Supermind, Knowledge and Will are created. When the Knowledge is exhausted in the Will, the plane of Life emerges, initially as Energy at rest. When energy moves, then the energy coagulates and then forms distinct elements of matter. The distinct forms are thus the divisions required if there is to be objectification out of the Absolute.  This is what Supermind has enabled. Up to the point where energy is about to move is, in essence, the Involution.

When the energy moves, the Evolution begins as this energy coagulates into the forms of creation -- beginning initially as matter (which then evolves as animus of life and mind in the universe). All forms in the universe are forms of energy. This energy is in essence the Force of Consciousness-Force, separated from its Knowledge & Consciousness.

Supermind is then the ordering extension of the Absolute that enabled the Force to be divided from the Consciousness-Force to form energy which moved and coagulated into forms. 

Definition of Creation
Creation is an ordered deployment of the infinite possibilities of the Absolute. The Supreme and Eternal Infinite determines itself to our consciousness in the universe through Supermind by real and fundamental truths, as "Real Ideas" which can be seized by us, especially if we rise to a consciousness of spiritual intuition and beyond.

Involution and Evolution
The involution then was from Divine spirit to the beginnings of matter. The evolution is from matter to life to mind to spirit. In both the involution and the evolution, the Truth Consciousness power of the Divine, the supramental creative power, is the instrument for further movement, development, and progress.

The Omnipresent Reality/Brahman,/The Absolute Extends to Existence, Consciousness-Force, Delight to Manifest the Universe
The Omnipresent Reality in order to begin the process of creation of the universe divided into three aspects Existence, Consciousness-Force, and Bliss (Sat-Chit-Ananda). It extended one-step further to Supermind to enable the universe, i.e. coordinate between Satchitananda and that which would be created as matter, life, and mind. (Paraphrase of Sri Aurobindo)

---

---

Involution and Evolution
In the involution the plane of Mind (as the agent of Supermind) split the Force into Knowledge and Will in order to continue the process that led to the manifestation of the universe. In this process, spirit manifest matter. In the evolution man rises above mind to supermind where Knowledge and Will are reunited, fused in our expanded consciousness, enabling us to move from matter-life-mind to the Force of the Spirit and further to the Pure Existent.

Creation of the Universe
The universe was created when in the Involution before creation the plane of mind, as agent of the plane of Supermind, split the Force of (Existence, Consciousness Force, Delight; i.e. Sat-Chit-Ananda), creating Knowledge and Will out of the Force. When the Knowledge began to act on Will, Energy was released in the form of the plane of Life. When Knowledge withdrew from Will, the Energy was then devoid of its knowledge causing the plane of Matter to be created; i.e. distinct forms of matter to take shape. (At the point that the plane of energy/Life was created, the universe begins. It is without forms. When the energy moves and coagulates into forms, matter in the universe begins.)

The Process of Creation
The process of creation tells us the finite Matter is the inversion of the Infinite Sat (Existence). This inversion has originally occurred through a self-absorption and now emerges back to its original status by a process of evolution. (MSS)

Creation for the Creator, the Individual, Society, and an Organization

There is essentially one process of growth, accomplishment, and creation in the cosmos. It begins with a vision and aspiration, continues with a decision, and unfolds through organization and action, culminating in a result. This process occurs for the divine Spirit, for the individual human, for society, and for a business or organization. 

Creation of the Universe -- From an Omnipresent Spiritual Reality emerged the divine Will to create a universe of forms. Through a process of creation, a Conscious Force emerged from a spiritual Existent that formulated into an essential Energy out of which the forms of the universe, including we humans, emerged. The process was Vision, Aspiration, Decision, Organization, and Manifestation. The universe and all its forms were/are created through these stages of the process.

Creation for the Individual -- We follow that same process when we create as individuals. We have a vision and aspiration for something to come about. We make the firm decision to accomplish it. We organize the details. And we carry it out through a determined, persevering effort, blended with higher attitudes and personal values. The result, like the Spirit, are powerful positive results, which readily occur through sudden instances of good fortune.

Creation for the Society -- Accomplishment and development occurs similarly for society. Normally, a pioneer individual has a vision and aspires to accomplish something for the collective. That aspiration is organized into its details, and an effort is made to carry it out. If the society not only accept the vision, but collaborates with of the pioneer then a new progress is made for that people. Again, vision, aspiration, organization and effort are melded with acceptance and collaboration to create a powerful progress for society.

Creation for a Business/Organization -- A business or other organization accomplishes and grows in a similar fashion. It does this through a strategic plan. In that plan, there is a vision of what it aspires to accomplish, including the business values it subscribes to. It organizes the details into specific strategies and plans of action, and carries it out in a timely manner. As a result, the company rapidly accomplishes what it set out to do, and does so in overwhelming fashion if the process is followed closely and in great detail.

We can also view this process in terms of an energy flow. I.e. the vision, aspiration, and decision organizes the available energy into a Force, which through organization of the details becomes a Power that when executed through a determined persevering effort manifests as overwhelming Results. When the process is followed diligently, life responds positively, often from the most unexpected quarters, as the energies move out and align with the very best conditions.

The question then is how can we follow this same process in our own lives to bring about ultimate success, accomplishment, and delight.

The Divine's Power of Creation that is Available to Us
There are many properties of the Divine Reality. One is its poise as silent Witness of its creation. Others are its poise of supreme Love, ultimate Delight, infinite Wisdom, and Oneness and Unity of being. Another aspect of the Divine is its capacity to Create. Out of a conscious Decision of an Infinite Reality emerged a universe of Forms. Out of nothingness came an entire cosmos, demonstrating the Divine's infinite capacity to create.

What I would like to bring out here is that as forms of the body of the Divine, we have that same infinite capacity to create in our own lives as that of the Infinite Reality. We too have the ability to envision something unprecedented in our future and follow a process so that it manifests just as we intended. Just as the universe emerged from the Real Ideas of an Infinite consciousness, so too our heart's desire can be realized through an conception and idea originating in our minds.

I am not simply suggesting that we have the power to create, but we have the power to create perfect outcomes that come about instantaneously or very rapidly -- overcoming normally perceived limits of what is possible, and how cause and effect unfold. If we envision what we want, have the deep aspiration and will for it to come about, organize it in its details, carry it out in a timely manner with consummate skill and the very best of attitudes, and bring the spiritual Force to bear, we will evoke sudden good fortune that will descend on us like a miracle.

In this way, the process by which a universe of forms emerged from the Supreme is also available to us in our own lives. We are therefore also the Ishwara, the divine Creator in potential. We here in the body of God are capable of doing the same as He. In the end, that might be the greatest gift that the Supreme has endowed us with.

Energy in the Process of Creation

Question from a Reader: How does Energy fit into the process by which we create and accomplish in life?

Answer: The entire process of creation from the vision of a thing to its manifestation can be looked at from the perspective of Energy.

For example, I perceive something in life that I find attractive and want to manifest as real in the world. I thereby have a vision of what I want to create. I have in essence created a Force of energy. It is also a directed Force since it is a goal I want to achieve. It is further directed, amplified, intensified as it gains the sanction of my emotions. I.e. when I see the real possibility of bringing it about, and the enormous benefit that could ensue, a Will in me is generated for its manifestation. My Will in turn releases more energy, adding to the directed Force I have initiated within me.

Sometimes that is enough for life to manifest my goal. I.e. without having to take further action, life responds to the energies I have released, bringing about the conditions I had hoped for.

If however our aspiration/intention is something significant, we need to take it to the next level by Organizing our intention, which will convert the directed Force into a Power for manifestation. For example, I consider how I can make my goal real -- including which people to contact, when to do it, what skills I need to acquire gain, what attitudes I need to change, and so forth.  As a result or organizing my goal, the directed Force of Energy now becomes a highly concentrated POWER of Energy.

When I then carry put the details with determination and positive attitude, the concentrated Power of highly charged and focused energies call forth to life like magnets, evoking powerful positive results. I.e. the Energy is so highly charged within us, that it sends out a powerful signal that causes us to align with the very best of conditions, enabling us to attract our heart's desire. In essence, the Energy we have built up within us has converted into a Manifest Reality.

The energy conversion process can thus be summarized as:  Force of energy through Direction > Power of energy through Organization (of the details) > Action that converts energy into something real in the world, as a living Manifestation of it.

The energy process can also be thought of as the release of mental energy that then adds vital/emotional energy, and then physical energy that manifest the object of our desire as outer, material results.

If we bring the spiritual Force, i.e. consecrated action into the equation, then life moves to the causal plane, spiritual energies are added, and things move at the speed of light, bringing about our heart's desire and much more.

 

Process of Creation of the Universe

This is the same essential process by which the Divine created the universe; i.e. by which Supermind manifest a universe of forms from out of the Conscious Force. As described by Sri Aurobindo and Karmayogi it is more or less as follows:

The ineffable, immutable, timeless, spaceless Brahman became the Conscious Being (Sat) -- the Spirit, Truth. Being Conscious of Itself, the Being released a powerful Force; a Conscious Force (Chit).

Supermind knew the Real Ideas that the Conscious Being (Sat) wished to manifest in a universe of forms. Supermind through its dividing action reconstituted the Conscious Force into Knowledge and Will. I.e. Consciousness became Knowledge and Force became Will. (Knowledge was the means by which a Mind could perceive Consciousness, and Will was how a vital being of volition like we humans can express the Force.)

Out of Knowledge and Will, Supermind created the forms of force that it intended through its Real Ideas.

E.g. Supermind intended to turn the the Real Idea of LOVE into a living reality in the cosmos. It had the integral Knowledge of what Love is in its various aspects, as well as the Will and Power for it to come about. Though Its comprehending and apprehending power, Supermind turned the Real Idea of Love into an object that a subject perceives.  I.e. in space and time Supermind splits the idea of Love into the form of Lover-Loving-Beloved (subject-action/movement-object). Supermind has thus organized the Real Idea of Love into the ability of a lover to love a beloved. In this way all forms in the universe, can love, whether it means loving our children, our mate, or any others we come in contact with. Sub-aspects of Love take form as everything from human values like self-givingness, goodwill, and gratitude to human infatuation and desire.

In the same way other Real Ideas, such as Delight, Creativity, Goodness, Oneness, Wisdom, Truth, are manifest by supermind as forces and forms. E.g. the Real Idea of “Truth/Knowledge” is formulated as Knower Knows the Knowledge through the action of the truth consciousness of Supermind.

The process of creation then continues, as the Knowledge and Will further breaks down, losing much of its consciousness, becoming an essential Energy at rest. It then begins to move and formulate into constituent elements – plasma, fire, water, earth, etc. -- which become the basis for material forms that manifest in the universe. 

Thus, the process by which we create in life, as described earlier, parallels this cosmic process by which the universe emerged from a Divine Source.

Philosophy of Sri Aurobindo
-Sri Aurobindo envisaged that The Supreme Reality is in its initial status before creation unknowable, immutable, and timeless.

-for the process of creation there is then created three extensions of the Supreme Reality -- Existence, Consciousness Force, and Delight (Sat, Chit, and Ananda). The Reality in its first extension is first Pure Existence (i.e. it exists, i.e. there is a Truth to its Existence; it is a Being); second it is conscious of its existence, which causes it to be a force (a Conscious Force); and third it Delights in its own recognition of, its consciousness of its existence.
-An involutionary process enables the creation of the universe. When the involution ends, the evolution begins.
-The Supermind was/is the instrument for the organization of the Reality into the universe.
-The evolution begins with energy that became Matter that became Vital Life that became Mind. Through man it is evolving further through mind to spiritual mind
-The Omnipresent Reality thus now (the Absolute, God, Brahman) includes both Matter and Spirit; the Creator and Creation; the One and the Many.
-Man has come to the present stage of evolution through a process of evolutionary growth, which is as yet still incomplete.
-Man has to grow in consciousness until he reaches complete and perfect consciousness, not only in his individual, but in his collective and social life.
-In fact, growth of consciousness is the supreme secret of life and the master key to earthly evolution.
-Man can bring the Spirit Being into the Becoming into life; timelessness into time; and the infinite into the finite.
-Man fulfills the universe's purpose which fulfills the transcendent purpose.
-There is at the heart of things a conscious force that is evolving to ever-higher forms of being in life, and indeed, there is thus also evolution of the Divine in the world.
-Physical evolution has brought mankind from lower forms of existence to the present stage of development, but is on the verge of yet higher stages of evolution. In the next stage, man will emerge as a 'gnostic being.' This is our divine destiny.
-Corresponding to the ascent from the material to the spiritual is a descent of the spiritual into the material. The link between the process of ascent and descent is where Mind and Supermind meet with a veil between them.
-Reaching the supramental consciousness above spiritual mind and in all facets of our being is the ultimate destiny of the individual on earth.

The Effect of the Pure Existent and Spirit in Our Lives
The original status of God, Brahman, the Absolute it is that it is unknowable, undefinable, infinite, timeless, spaceless, etc. It's first defined status on the way to manifest a universe of forms is that It exists. That existence is called Sat in the East. The experience of Sat, i.e. the Pure Existent is what we mean by "spirit." Spirit is the essence of Brahman. It is also called Being. In our lives, we come to see that this Spirit or Being is the substance from which we are made -- in our bodies, our vital, and our minds. I.e. spirit (of existence) is the substance of the universe; and we are made up of that spiritual substance. As we become more conscious, we play the decisive role of bringing the spirit into life, i.e. realizing it in our material, life existence, thereby bringing the Being into the Becoming, which transforms our lives and the life around us into its infinite possibilities.

End of Involution, Beginning of Evolution
At the point that energy coagulates into objective uniqueness the involution ends and the evolution begins.

Untitled
First there was a Being, a Spirit, which extended itself to became Conscious of itself as spirit, of which that Awareness became a Force which came to Delight in its being and consciousness and power to such a degree that it extended itself into a universe of forms so that individuals there would come to discover to their infinite delight their true spiritual nature.

Releasing the Infinite in Planes in the Creation
The Infinite Omnipresent Reality became infinite Existence as Spirit, infinite Consciousness of its Existence, infinite Force, and infinite Delight of existence; inverting in Creation to discover the infinite hidden in matter, life, spiritual mind and beyond.

The Inversion of Existence, Consciousness-Force, Delight in Creation
In the process of creation, as a result of the Absolute following a process of self-conception, self-limitation, and self-absorption, the Existence (of E, C-F-D) above inverts to Non-Existence in creation, and then will evolve back in the evolution through the dualities of life and death on its way back to Existence; Consciousness above inverts into Inconscience in the creation, which will evolve back in the evolution through the dualities of Truth and Falsehood, and Knowledge and Error until it reaches Consciousness; and Delight above inverts into Insensibility in the creation and journeys back in the evolution through Pleasure and Pain back to Delight. These dualities will be the basis for (and the opportunities and methods out of) the Problems of life.

Why would the Absolute create such Problems? To enable the greatest Delight in the future created universe the Absolute followed a process of self-absorption to negate all of its Divine attributes, so that we in creation could have the greatest intensity in their rediscovery. Also, through the dualities that emerge there can be the greatest quantity and quality of forms that can be vehicles for the discovery of the Delight.

The Source of Divisions and Dualities in Creation
The Existence, i.e. being/Spirit (of Existence, Consciousness-Force, Delight) "Above" becomes Non-Being at the dawn of creation. The Consciousness-Force becomes Inconscience (Unconsciousness), and the Delight becomes Insensitivity. Thus we see the essential contradiction, contradictory aspect of what is Above and what is Below, between the One and the Many. Furthermore, the contradiction between Being and Non-being shows itself in particular in the universe and life as the division between Life and Death. The contradiction between Consciousness-Force and Inconscience shows itself as the division between Truth and Falsehood (and between knowledge and error), and the contradiction between Delight and Insensibility shows itself as Pleasure and Pain. Thus we can see the root beginnings and causes of all problems, contradictions, divisions, dualities in the universe. This is VERY SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE IT EXPLAINS ALL OF THE DIFFICULTIES OF LIFE! 

[Through Nature these lesser and greater contradictions work themselves out in an ascending movement back to their oneness; though through our invocation of Spirit we overcome them rapidly as we see them in their inherent oneness and unity, i.e. as we develop the supramental and Brahman consciousness.]

 

---

Delight of Being is Purpose of Creation
(top)

 

The Purpose of Creation

A question from a reader:
"Why did this creation happen? What is the purpose of creation?"

Answer:
-One reason is so that the static Delight of the Unmanifest could express as dynamic Delight in the myriad of forms of creation in the manifestation.

-Sri Aurobindo also indicates that the transcendent Reality, the Divine All manifest a universe in infinite space and time so that it can reveal through its forms that Reality. Thus, this progressive revealing of the transcendental Reality is the meaning and aim of the universe.

Another way to look at this is to say that the Spiritual qualities of the Divine All -- Truth, Oneness, Wisdom, Peace, Power, Creativity, Love, Delight, Infinity, Timelessness, etc -- seek myriad expression in an infinite variety of forms. To express these aspects of the Transcendent Reality in life is why the universe, the forms, we humans are here.

Delight of the Reality and Creation
For the purpose of creation the ineffable, immutable Reality first moved towards Existence, then became conscious of that existence, which through off a force, and then Delight in being conscious of its existence. The Reality then sought to extend that Delight into the forms of creation that would emerge from the Energy that came from Its Conscious-Force. when we discover our true nature that is of the Original Being, we experience Delight, thereby fulfilling the Intent of the Infinite.

Delight is Purpose of Creation
To begin the process of creating the universe, the Absolute, the Original Principle, the Omnipresent Reality has the Real Idea of creation. It's conception is to manifest a universe for the purpose of extending its own Delight into infinite multiplicity of forms. By creating a universe of infinite variation of forms, infinite discovery is made possible through those forms. When they (i.e. us) discover our higher nature, including the spirit inside, we experience joy of discovery, the Delight of Being, the very reason the Absolute manifest a universe of forms from out of itself. 

God's Delight Comes Out by Discovering Spirit in the Planes of Creation
God's delight lies in the original delight of the Spirit. It comes out when the original Spirit hidden in Mind, Life and Matter emerges on the surface. (MSS)

Delight Fulfills Man's Purpose
Ananda, Delight of Sat-Chit-Ananda, which is the source of creation, can be experienced by Man within, fulfilling Man's purpose in the universe.

Purpose of Universe is Delight Experienced by forms, i.e. Us in Creation
The Absolute rendered a universe so that the individual forms (i.e. us) in it could experience the Delight that the Absolute experienced.

Delight and Creation
Delight of Being (Ananda) moving to delight of Becoming [i.e.in Life] is the root reason of creation. (Paraphrase of Sri Aurobindo)

Delight vs. Human Happiness
Sri Aurobindo indicates that Delight is beyond the normal human, happiness which is based on the transitory and unstable joy that comes with the fulfillment of human desires, attachments, successes, etc.

Emergence of Delight in Humans
Sri Aurobindo indicates that Delight emerges through our inconscience; through pain, pleasure, and indifference. Whereas, pain, pleasure, and indifference come from living a superficial of the part, we can concentrate ourselves in the depths within, overcome our ego-sense, and thereby experience delight in any and all things. We can also use the higher powers of mind that are not tied to the life and body to free ourselves of these obstacles, enabling Delight in all things. [As we become more universalized with others and the environment, we move towards our destiny of experiencing Delight in all things.]

Process of Creation
Before the created universe, the manifestation, the Absolute through a process of self-conception, conceived of a universe for the purpose of the discover of delight of being by those forms that would be created. To begin that process The Absolute extended to three aspects; Existence (which we will refer to as "Being," which can also be interpreted as pure spirit), Consciousness-Force, and Delight. (MSS)

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.

Multiplicity of Forms & Delight
The Divine manifest a universe in division and duality to enable the greatest multiplicity and possibility of forms. The greater this diversity and multiplicity of forms, including us, the greater the possibilities of discovery and thus delight; the very delight for which the Divine created the universe. (When we live at higher planes of our consciousness we perceive that these division, dualities, and problems of existence, are not in fact in conflict, that each side of the duality needs the other side to further evolve, that there is no good and bad, that they are one in a truer Good.)

Static to Dynamic Delight in Creation
Sri Aurobindo tells us that the omnipresent Reality (God, the Absolute) enabled a universe so it could extend its static delight into dynamic delight through the becomings of the multiplicity of forms of creation; including us. When we discover our higher nature/consciousness, we experience Delight, fulfilling the intention of the Divine in creating the universe. Whenever we discover anything of our higher nature, we experience joy and delight of being. 

Darwin's 'Variation' in Terms of Consciousness
Like religion, science has a limited view of life. The former affirms a Spiritual Source, which is wonderful, but denies or is unaware or disinterested in the process of evolution in the details of life. The latter has served society well and produced vast practical results, but has a partial, mechanistic, material-only view of reality that often produces negative outcomes. Any attempt to reconcile these two realms is a movement of integration and harmony, and is eminently helpful for our understanding of life. Many recent deep thinkers, such as Deepak Chopra, have been trying to forge a link, and have made real, substantial progress in this area. If only the two sides would listen!

Recently I visited the new California Academy of Science located in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. It is two American football fields long and sits parallel to the equally vast and architecturally striking new De Young Museum. One of the CAS exhibits in the hall traces the course of biological evolution on earth as developed by 19^th century giant Charles Darwin. While perusing the main scientific principles behind his theory, something on the wall caught my eye. It was a statement that said something to the effect that "Variation is the spur and cause of evolution." It then struck me that this scientific principle could be explained in terms of spiritual laws of life, thereby reconciling spirit and science.

According to Sri Aurobindo, Variation goes to the very essence of the process of creation that enabled a universe to emerge from a Divine Source. He describes how an original immutable and ineffable Reality moved toward creation by first taking to existence, then becoming conscious of its own existence, which in turn released a force that coagulated into the primal Energy that became the source of all forms in creation.

But why would a Divine Reality seek to create this universe in the first place? Sri Aurobindo explains that this original unmanifest Reality extended itself into a Manifest cosmos so that its own Delight and Bliss could be experienced by those forms of force, including we humans. That when we discover our true nature and selves, we experience the same Delight that the Creator experienced when it moved toward being conscious of Its own Self. Thus, when I discover who I truly am, what purpose I truly serve, etc. -- i.e. move to higher consciousness -- I experience that same Delight.

So where does Variation come into the picture? It turns out that though the Delight of the Divine is one of eternal pleasure and bliss -- called Ananda in Indian parlance -- it is of one sort. I.e. it is singular, but static and unchanging. Therefore, according to Sri Aurobindo, the Divine wished to create a universe of forms that also experienced dynamic delight; i.e. where each of us through the process of self-discovery experienced a unique form of that bliss in our own lives. Well, in order to experience that unique form of Delight, we need to be unique individuals, each expressing and manifesting a unique consciousness. In other words, the Divine intended infinite variation for we humans in creation for infinite variety of discovery and bliss.

Thus, through cosmic insights into the nature of Reality, Sri Aurobindo has seized on the same conclusion as Darwin. Variation -- whether understood in terms of outer functioning of species as in the case of Darwin, or through Divine purpose and intention through human choice, functioning, and discovery as described by Sri Aurobindo -- is a principle of life both embraced.

To be able to describe the outer forces of life in terms of processes of consciousness is one of the great challenges of the New Age. The dogma and superstition of religious precepts and the narrow-minded, mechanistic, material view of existence are limited, contradictory influences that can only be resolved by such higher understanding. From that vantage point we are able perceive the source and essence of all phenomena; the deepest and most profound influence on the workings of life; and the true nature of our evolution through time.

Why There is Ignorance Falsehood, and Evil in Creation
Why is their ignorance, falsehood, evil, etc. in the world is a subject that has been discussed through the ages. No one has come up with an adequate answer, except modern sages like Sri Aurobindo who have the advantage of understanding evolution in combination with the spirit. He explains that out of a Divine Source emerged forms of an original force/energy that make up the universe, including us. We are divided, ignorant, false, beings, even as there are many negative aspects of the cosmos to go along with the positive. So why was there positive and negative in creation?

The Divine Reality extended itself into a universe of forms so that it could extend its status of immutable, unchanging, infinite Joy and Delight into the forms of creation. E.g. an individual rises in consciousness or otherwise become more aware, he has the joy of discovery, which is the very reason we are here, the reason forms emerged from a Divine Source -- i.e. to experience the Delight of the creator.

Then why the negative in creation? In order for the Delight of the Spiritual Source to extend into the greatest quantity/multiplicity of the forms, it had to enable a universe of unlimited possibilities, including the possibilities of the negative. The Divine though its deputy of Nature (as opposed to Soul) sanctioned difficulty, pain, division, duality, ignorance, falsehoods, and evil so that the greatest Delight of the immutable Divine can enter the greatest multiplicity of forms in the most varied way, i.e. through the greatest possibilities in the universe. This is the secret of ignorance, falsehoods, and evil in life.

As we evolve to our highest nature, we will then overcome our ignorance, falsehood, and evil, which will create an even greater richness to life in the future, as all possibilities (including the movement from the current good to the greater good), are now included, create an even more joyful, blissful, yes Divine life on earth.

Cosmic Reason for Delight
When one experiences delight of being, one is fulfilling the purpose for which the Divine created the universe, delight of being; i.e. for us to experience the delight through the discovery of our higher nature.

Joy and Delight of Being Comes through Discovery of Our Higher Nature
Joy and delight is really the delight of discovery in life, discovery of something new, of something you did not know or experience before.

See Thoughts on Delight of Being of Creation Based on Sri Aurobindo's 'The Life Divine'

See Thoughts on Happiness, Joy, Delight of Being for the Individual

 

---

Processes of Self-Conception, Self-Limitation, and Self-Absorption
(top)
 

[These thoughts are from MSS, Growth Online; and paraphrases of Sri Aurobindo.]
 

Overview

The Infinite Creating the Universe through Self-conception, Self-limitation and Self-absorption
The Infinite ONE seeking delight in Self-discovery hid Himself and emerged out of it. He [Sri Aurobindo] says it was done by Self-conception, Self-limitation and Self-absorption. (MSS)

Self-Conception, Self-Limitation, and Self-Absorption in the Universe
Creation is a process of self-conception, self-limitation and self-absorption by the Infinite to manifest as and through finite forms.

Self-conception, Self-Absorption in Involution
In the involution a process of self conception is used by the Divine to conceptualize the universe as a Real Idea, and through supermind converts that Real Idea into the planes of matter, life, and mind. Then thorough a process of self-absorption the Divine hides Itself (as Spirit) to enable forms. Through the evolution, man can discover the spirit that was self-absorbed, hidden, i.e. Godhead in objects, and thereby experience the delight of existence, fulfilling our purpose.

The Subprocesses of Creation & Accomplishment: Self-Conception, Self-Limitation, & Self-Absorption
The three sub processes that the Absolute utilized to support the underlying process by which the universe emerged from the One are self-conception, self-limitation, and self-absorption. The individual follows the same process when he wishes to successfully create, accomplish, create in life. E.g. a writer conceives that which he wishes to write about (self-conception), he limits himself to the area(s) he will cover in the book, i.e. he will not write about everything (self-limitation), and he absorbs himself in the writing, which is reflected in his concentration and focus (self-absorption). These are all necessary processes for the efficiency that will enable perfect execution and success.

---

---

Process of Self-Conception, Limitation, and Absorption for the Individual
The Absolute (God, Brahman, etc.) manifest the universe through a process of self conception, self limitation, and self absorption. Perhaps we can see that same process of creation in life in this example: A man needs to respond to an inquiry from one of his readers. He thinks of her situation before beginning his response. In that way he is self-conceiving that which he wants to respond with (it's his self-conception of what will be); he limits what he will say to the salient points, i.e. he wants to keep the discussion focused and not go off on too many tangents; this is his self-limitation; and, finally, he refrains from revealing the deepest truths, so that the reader can discover it for himself and have the joy of discovery; this is his self-absorption. We can see these three processes in all circumstances where accomplishment is perfect.

Self-Conception, Limitation, and Absorption in the Individual
We see Self-Conception, Self-Limitation, and Self-Absorption in the individual. I self-conceive that which I wish to be (self-conception), select that element that I am interested in (self-limitation) to the exclusion of other things, and completely focus my energies on that which I selected and limited myself to (self-absorption).

Process of Creation of an Act: Self-Conception, Limitation, Absorption
-I had dripped the sweetener onto the sides of the bottle when pouring a little bit into my coffee. Also it dribble onto the table top. I had done this many times before since the sweetener bottle arrived.

-The method was wrong -- unconscious. I.e., no conscious energy was applied to it, to the act.

-Recognizing the clumsiness and mess of the past, I wanted to do it different this time.

-I conceived of a way of resting the bottle on the top of the cup, perpendicular, to give it balance.

-This is self-conception of thinking of an idea, and self-limitation to come up with this specific potential solution.

-I then did the pouring, and it came out in just the right quantity, i.e. perfect flow; and with no mess. It seemed like a perfect solution.

-This was self-absorption in the act, as I was entirely focused on executing my plan to the exclusion of all other matters, everything else.

-The execution was as near to perfect as I could imagine at the time.

-I not only executed the act as intended, but I now had the method of doing it in the future.

-In a way, the latter was the life response because I now could do it repeatedly without failure.

-Another response was the fact that I had now been graced with perceiving the process of creation is the smallest of acts.

-That was also a response to my last night's efforts to begin to think of the specifics and then the integration of ides of the midsection of your book on Life Response, as explained above.

Self-Conception, Limitation, and Absorption for the Individual
Focus is the process of self-limitation. We limit ourselves down from the various possibilities. It is the second stage of the process of creation, with self-conception (of what to do, be) being the first. Self-absorption is a further stage where we put all of our energies into the thing we have set to focus on, and do so the expense of everything else.

 

Self-Conception

Power of Self-Determination
The Infinite consciousness has not only a power of self-determination.

Self-Conception
In the involution, a process of self conception is used by the Divine to conceptualize the universe as a Real Idea.

Self-Conception
All creation issues from a conscious or subconscious formulation of an intention of the consciousness, i.e. a self-conception of what the consciousness wants to become or achieve. A man may want to become an entrepreneur, earn or marry into wealth, or have many children. A patriot may dream of his country's freedom or prosperity, as Sri Aurobindo aspired for the freedom of India four decades before it was finally realized on his birthday in 1947.

Accomplishment is Self-conception
Accomplishment is self-conception. To paraphrase the Gita, 'You can become anything you have faith and aspire to become.' (MSS)

 

Self-Limitation

Self-Limitation
The Absolute limiting its possibilities to act is self-limitation.

Self-Limitation of the Infinite Consciousness
The Infinite consciousness has not only a power of (1) self-determination, but of (2) self-limitation. The self-limitation would be an individual specialization from out of a common universality or totality. Each self-determination has its own self-truth; it's own self-limitation from out of the universal totality.

Self-Limitation
To make self-absorption (i.e. the complete hiding of Himself on the road to creation), the Absolute limits its possibilities to act, which is an act of self-limitation, whose conception is an act of self-conception.

Self-Limitation of Force
Self-limitation is the power of the Infinite to limit its Force.

Self-Limitation
Consciousness is inherently infinite and capable of infinite alternatives, creation necessarily involves a decision to limit, focus, concentrate on the realization of a specific form, objective or course of action. Thus, all accomplishment involves self-limiting choices. The man may decide to start as an employee of another firm, rise to an executive position, then strike out to start his own business. The patriot who chooses to fight for his country may have to renounce a successful, lucrative career, as many of India's freedom fighters did, or the comforts of a quiet family life in pursuit of his ideal. Only by self-limitation can the infinite manifest as the finite. Only by self-limitation can you bring forth from among the infinite potentials of life the finite accomplishments you aspire for.

Self-Limitation of the Individual
We know from our own experience that when we concentrate our attention on a particular object - be it a thought, a feeling, sensation, external object or event - our attention is simultaneously drawn away from other fields of perception so that we may not display the normal awareness of what is going on around us and we may not respond to external stimuli as we do in a normal waking state. We know that this apparent lack of awareness and responsiveness are the result of a conscious self-limitation or concentration of our attention on a particular field. Concentration or self-limitation is an inherent power of consciousness.

 

Self-Absorption

Self-Absorption of the Infinite
Self-absorption is a power of the Infinite Consciousness; a plunging into itself; in which all would be involved.

Self-Absorption
Self-absorption is the complete hiding of Himself on the road to creation.

Self-Absorption
The process of creation tells us the finite Matter is the inversion of the Infinite Sat (Existence). This inversion has originally occurred through a self-absorption and now emerges back to its original status by a process of evolution.

Self-Absorption
The act of converting consciousness into will and energy involves a self-absorption of that consciousness into the forms it creates, i.e. all forms are created by and consist of consciousness self-absorbed.

The Process of Self-Absorption
The Supreme Absolute who removed His essence of spiritual Being in the involution to enable creation is the process of self-absorption.

Self-Absorption
The act of hiding (self-Absorption) requires the processes that enable division and duality that extend as such divisions as subjectivity and objectivity, time and timelessness, Ignorance and Knowledge, etc.

Self-Absorption
The more full and complete the hiding of Himself, then the greater the intensity if discovery and thus Delight. [In terms of the individual perhaps we could say that the greater I focus myself on my chosen path or direction, the greater the delight in the discovery of success and higher consciousness along the way.]

Self-Absorption through Self-Conception and Limitation
To make self-absorption (i.e. the complete hiding of Himself on the road to creation), the Absolute limits its possibilities of act, which is an act of self-limitation, whose conception is an act of self-conception.

Self-Absorption of Consciousness-Force
Self-absorption of consciousness-force so that it is not at all manifest in surface behaviour is also an inherent power of consciousness. [E.g. Consciousness exists in Matter, but it is self-absorbed there, and thus not-detectable in the surface.]

Absorption that Causes Mind to Forget Its Source
Because of absorption in the workings of formative Energy, Mind forgets that from which it derived, from Supermind. There is a partial movement of Conscious Force absorbed in its forms and actions.

The Self-Absorption that is Inconscience in Creation
The self-absorption is the state (in existence) we call the inconscience.

Self-Absorption of the Delight
The Delight of the Infinite Divine is hidden from us, is lost intentionally by the Creator to enable its greatest possibilities and diversities.

Self-Absorption by the Individual

Self Absorption for Infinite, the Individual
There is a parallel between the self-absorption of the individual in the process of creation, and the self-absorption of the Infinite in creating a universe from the Divine source.

Self-Absorption of the Individual
One is concentrated, self-absorbed in the one thing one has self-limited oneself to.

On Absorption
Every efficient activity requires a level of concentration and focusing, which is our absorption in the act, which mirrors the self-absorption of the Absolute on its way to extending itself as the universe in creation.

Self-Absorption of the Divine, the Cosmos, and the Individual
Self absorption in the process of creation of the universe occurs in the universe as well, including our own lives.

Self-Absorption of the Individual
The greatest performances of great actors are those in which they absorb themselves so fully by identification with the characters they are portraying that they forget for a moment who they really are. Creation is an act of self-giving in which one becomes the thing one creates just as the Divine has become the universe. The entrepreneur immerses himself in the effort to build a business, fully identified with his work and his role as leader, apparently forgetful of other potential careers, talents and personal interests he may possess. Thus, every form or action contains self-absorbed within it as a seed the intention and consciousness with which it was created. Each aspect and element of the entrepreneur's business plan, the people he hires, the location he selects, the name he gives his company, the products he designs, the decisions he takes are infused with his original inspiring conception. Organizations often fail because they drift away from the purity of the original inspiration that gave them birth and is the true source of their energy and vitality.

Individual Conception, Limitation, Absorption
When I choose what I wish to be (self-conception) excluding al other things (self-limitation), and put all my energies into that choice forgetting all other things (self-absorption) I follow the process of creation. This mirrors the process of creation of the universe of forms from a Divine Source.

Self-Absorption of the Individual
The writer who removes his essence of being a non-writer, i.e. other aspects of the expression of his personality in life, in order to focus on the task at hand, writing, is a parallel in life to the Supreme Absolute who removed His essence of spiritual Being in the involution to enable creation. In both cases it is a movement of self-absorption, a sub process of the process of creation.

Self-Limitation and Self-Absorption
It is the power of self-limitation and self-absorption that is necessary to accomplish a great work. It centralizes all of one's scattered interests and energies into a directed pinpointed force for accomplishment.

On Self-Absorption of the Individual
Every efficient activity requires a level of concentration and focusing, which is our absorption in the act, which mirrors the self-absorption of the Absolute on its way to extending itself as the universe in creation.

Self-Conception, Limitation, and Absorption for the Individual

Focus is the process of self-limitation. We limit ourselves down from the various possibilities. It is the second stage of the process of creation, with self-conception (of what to do, be) being the first. Self-absorption is a further stage where we put all of our energies into the thing we have set to focus on, and do so the expense of everything else.

MSS Paper: Theory of Creation & Sri Aurobindo
 

---

 

Processes of Creation of Universe Mirrors How We Create in Life
(top)
 

Creation for the Creator, the Individual, Society, and an Organization

There is essentially one process of growth, accomplishment, and creation in the cosmos. It begins with a vision and aspiration, continues with a decision, and unfolds through organization and action, culminating in a result. This process occurs for the divine Spirit, for the individual human, for society, and for a business or organization. 

Creation of the Universe -- From an Omnipresent Spiritual Reality emerged the divine Will to create a universe of forms. Through a process of creation, a Conscious Force emerged from a spiritual Existent that formulated into an essential Energy out of which the forms of the universe, including we humans, emerged. The process was Vision, Aspiration, Decision, Organization, and Manifestation. The universe and all its forms were/are created through these stages of the process.

Creation for the Individual -- We follow that same process when we create as individuals. We have a vision and aspiration for something to come about. We make the firm decision to accomplish it. We organize the details. And we carry it out through a determined, persevering effort, blended with higher attitudes and personal values. The result, like the Spirit, are powerful positive results, which readily occur through sudden instances of good fortune.

Creation for the Society -- Accomplishment and development occurs similarly for society. Normally, a pioneer individual has a vision and aspires to accomplish something for the collective. That aspiration is organized into its details, and an effort is made to carry it out. If the society not only accept the vision, but collaborates with of the pioneer then a new progress is made for that people. Again, vision, aspiration, organization and effort are melded with acceptance and collaboration to create a powerful progress for society.

Creation for a Business/Organization -- A business or other organization accomplishes and grows in a similar fashion. It does this through a strategic plan. In that plan, there is a vision of what it aspires to accomplish, including the business values it subscribes to. It organizes the details into specific strategies and plans of action, and carries it out in a timely manner. As a result, the company rapidly accomplishes what it set out to do, and does so in overwhelming fashion if the process is followed closely and in great detail.

We can also view this process in terms of an energy flow. I.e. the vision, aspiration, and decision organizes the available energy into a Force, which through organization of the details becomes a Power that when executed through a determined persevering effort manifests as overwhelming Results. When the process is followed diligently, life responds positively, often from the most unexpected quarters, as the energies move out and align with the very best conditions.

The question then is how can we follow this same process in our own lives to bring about ultimate success, accomplishment, and delight.

 

The Process of Creation for the Divine, the Individual, and Acts are the Same
-The process by which an individual or a collective creates in life is the same process that enabled a universe to emerge from a Spiritual source.
-When we create and accomplish in life, we essentially have a vision of, an aspiration of that which we want to accomplish, we organize its details, and carry it out through skills and positive attitudes that enables it to manifest as a living reality.
-Likewise, the Divine had a Vision of creating a universe to extend its Delight into forms, which it manifest by extending its original Spiritual status into a conscious Force, out of which emerged an essential Energy, which became/s becoming all forms in the universe, including us, via the dividing action of Truth Consciousness (Supermind). Thus the Divine too enabled the universe through a process of vision/conception to organization to manifestation.
-The individual act is a microcosm of the universe.
-The process of a successful act that manifests as accomplishment is the same process as the process of the creation, whether for the individual or the universe.
-Acts are accomplished perfectly through knowledge, aspiration, conception, will, organization, and skilled execution. This is a complete act that yields infinite results, mirroring the infinite results that took form as our universe originating from a Divine source. When we perfect an act by following the process of creation, we are mirroring the process of creation of the universe from a Divine source. In all instances, the ultimate purpose of the result is Delight of Being.
-There is ultimately only one process in the unmanifest, as well as in our manifest universe -- the Process of Creation.

The Process of Creation for the Individual; that Enabled the Universe

-Process of Creation for the Individual
An aspiration is a force set in motion that is organized into a power by the organization of the details including the consciousness of the individual, business, collective that is turned into a power and then through its capacities and its actions manifests as a material reality.

There is thus force, aspiration/idea, organization, energy (i.e. organized power of force), and matter (manifestation, materialization of energy). 

The completed process of creation enables discovery of the New and a joy and delight of being.

-Process of Creation that Enabled the Universe
The Absolute/Brahman/God extends as a Existence (i.e. Being/Spirit), Consciousness-Force, Delight. A Real Idea is initiated through this Consciousness-Force, which is organized through the intermediary organizational power of Truth Consciousness (Supermind), which divides the Force through the Truth Consciousness's deputy, the plane of Mind, producing Knowledge and Will from out of the split Force, which produces (from out of the Force) the plane of Life, which is Energy (i.e. the power of the Force) at the outset of the Universe. From out of the plane of Life/Energy manifests inconscient, i.e. unconscious Matter in the universe (as a result of the Knowledge being absorbed by the Will).

There is thus Force, Real Idea, Organization, Energy (organized power of Force), and Matter. This is the involution.

The whole process that ended in Matter began with Being.

In the evolution (i.e. the universe) invisible Energy at rest moves, the involved Matter emerges from it*, and visible Life/Vital/Energy from it, and mind (mainly through the human) emerges from life/vital/energy. Then through human evolution spiritual mind comes from mind, and Spirit (i.e. Being) from Spiritual Mind then emerges from Mind completing the cycle back up.

The cycle also moves along another pathway down into the depths of the individual who moves from surface living guided by the senses to a greater status in the depths within himself, culminating in the discovery of the personal evolving soul, which then ties up with the ascending vertical evolutionary movement in that it aids in the establishment of the higher movement to Spiritual Mind (silence, illuminations, light, intuition, revelation, et al), to Truth Consciousness (Supermind), and then pure Spirit (Being and Existence).

This process of discovery of our True Self and Infinite Capacities enables the Joy and Delight of Being for the individual (and thus fulfills the purpose of the universe, which is fulfilling the transcendent purpose).

The whole process of evolution that started in Matter thus ends in Being. (This is the inverse of the involution.)

*There is overlap between the involution and evolution here.

Splitting in the Involutionary Descent, Fusing in the Evolutionary Ascent
In the involutionary descent there is a splitting of aspects beginning with the One that divides into Existence-Consciousness Force-Delight, each of which then splits ad infinitum until we reach the dawn of creation where matter is enabled in infinite atomic existence. In the evolutionary ascent from matter to spirit there is an ascending gathering and combining of aspects into ever reducing fusions of ever-more subtle consciousness culminating in the spiritual One. There are rules of separation and combination to be learned.

This same process can be followed and the same rules applied when we follow the parallel process of growth and accomplishment in our own lives, which we call the energy conversion process of human creation. The movement from idea to its result is a splitting in the descent from the one thought to the myriad of details of manifestation, where the ascent ranges upward and in an ever-gathering movement from the material to vital to mental consciousness, culminating in the one spiritual consciousness.

---

---

Process of Creation in Life Mirrors Process of Divine Creation of Universe

The process of creation in our own lives mirrors the process by which the universe came about; i.e. manifest a universe from it conception, its Real Idea. The Divine began with a Real Idea to create a universe for greater delight of being. It then moves from consciousness to force to energy at rest to energy moving, the Big Bang, culminating in the manifestation of the universe as matter. We follow a similar process from Direction (including a vision which is our idea of that which we want to accomplish, its Organization, and its Implementation, culminating in results.

Similarity of How We Create and How the Universe Created a Divine reality
In general the process of creation and accomplishment begins with a conception and direction, is organized further in its details, and  is then implemented enabling results. It is a movement from initial energy, to energy directed as force, to energy organized as power, which  materializes as results.

The Divine began with a Real Idea of creating a universe for Delight of being. It used Supermind to organize it, turning Conscious-Force into energy of creation ending in matter, i.e. forms of Force. Similarly, we conceptualize what we wish to be, directing our energies into a force; organize the details, our will, and personality for accomplishment, turning the force into a power; and then implement it through skills and effort, turning the power of energy into great results.

Creation as Process of Self-Conception, Self-Limitation, and Self-Absorption
Creation is a process of self-conception, self-limitation and self-absorption by the Infinite to manifest as and through finite forms. All creation issues from a conscious or subconscious formulation of an intention of the consciousness, i.e. a self-conception of what the consciousness wants to become or achieve. A man may want to become an entrepreneur, earn or marry into wealth, or have many children. A patriot may dream of his country's freedom or prosperity, as Sri Aurobindo aspired for the freedom of India four decades before it was finally realized on his birthday in 1947.

Consciousness is inherently infinite and capable of infinite alternatives, creation necessarily involves a decision to limit, focus, concentrate on the realization of a specific form, objective or course of action. Thus, all accomplishment involves self-limiting choices. The man may decide to start as an employee of another firm, rise to an executive position, then strike out to start his own business. The patriot who chooses to fight for his country may have to renounce a successful, lucrative career, as many of India's freedom fighters did, or the comforts of a quiet family life in pursuit of his ideal. Only by self-limitation can the infinite manifest as the finite. Only by self-limitation can you bring forth from among the infinite potentials of life the finite accomplishments you aspire for.

The act of converting consciousness into will and energy involves a self-absorption of that consciousness into the forms it creates, i.e. all forms are created by and consist of consciousness self-absorbed. The greatest performances of great actors are those in which they absorb themselves so fully by identification with the characters they are portraying that they forget for a moment who they really are. Creation is an act of self-giving in which one becomes the thing one creates just as the Divine has become the universe. The entrepreneur immerses himself in the effort to build a business, fully identified with his work and his role as leader, apparently forgetful of other potential careers, talents and personal interests he may possess. Thus, every form or action contains self-absorbed within it as a seed the intention and consciousness with which it was created. Each aspect and element of the entrepreneur's business plan, the people he hires, the location he selects, the name he gives his company, the products he designs, the decisions he takes are infused with his original inspiring conception. Organizations often fail because they drift away from the purity of the original inspiration that gave them birth and is the true source of their energy and vitality. (MSS)

Process of Creation Mirrors All Process in Life
The process of creation (by which any aspect of existence is able to create something anew out of itself) is essentially the same on all planes of existence -- spiritual, mental, vital, physical; and mirrors the process by which the universe itself was created from out of the One. The process can be seen in how physical objects, the material, are created, or in the mental imaginative processes that enabled a Shakespeare to create his works. It can be seen as it relates to psychology of human character, attitudes and emotions; to the sociology of organizations, nations and their development; to the creation and growth of businesses; and in every important or mundane act, activity, situation, circumstance, and event we engage in, in which we attempt to accomplish in life. In all life the process of creating something anew is essentially the same. 

Process of Accomplishment
Individuals accomplish by growing beyond their limited capacities. In other words, from out of the limitations, the "Involution," humans make an Evolution. Greater accomplishment comes from out of this process. In fact, this is a process that the whole universe is going through. The ultimate purpose of this process is the unfolding of the higher qualities and capacities in the individual, which reflect the original purpose and determinants of the source of the creation, the Absolute, the Divine.

The Method of Creation of the Universe; and in Our Lives
Brahman spit into Sat-Chit-Ananda; i.e. Existence-Conscious-Force, Bliss. Supermind split off from these, created the plane of Mind, which split Conscious-Force into Knowledge and Will. Knowledge effected will to release energy which released the plane of Life when Knowledge withdrew, from which the plane of Matter was formed when Knowledge completely withdrew. The creation began with this dumb, inconscient Matter.

Self-conception, self-limitation and self-absorption are the processes along the way, with Delight in discovery being the purpose.

We can call this method the Descent. When individuals follow the process of creation and accomplishment in their own lives they also work in a human descent that begins with an idea (the higher) from the plane of Mind that ends in results (the lower) in the plane of Matter.

Self-Conception, Limitation, and Absorption for the Individual
Focus is the process of self-limitation. We limit ourselves down from the various possibilities. It is the second stage of the process of creation, with self-conception (of what to do, be) being the first. Self-absorption is a further stage where we put all of our energies into the thing we have set to focus on, and do so the expense of everything else.

Untitled
Knowledge and Will were a stage in the process of creation of the One into the Many. Likewise, when we create, we begin with knowledge of that which we wish to create, do, and then engage the will (of the vital-physical) to insure its manifestation into something tangible and real. (In Supermind this process is simultaneous.)

A Question
If in the process of Creation knowledge acted on will releasing the plane of energy which became the plane of matter as knowledge was absorbed, how can we practically show at each step the parallel process of growth and accomplishment in our own lives?

Supramental Consciousness Enables Creation
The supramental consciousness enabled the Divine to create the universe. This same power enables us to discover and embody our ultimate evolutionary nature.

Understanding Process of Creation
We can only fully understand the process of creation of the universe from out of a Divine and that same process in life by ourselves having the supramental consciousness. Though mind can only know it partially, yet it is where we must begin to understand the metaphysics and reality of creation.

Organization, the Force, and Efficiency of Results
Organizing a work or an endeavor one level higher than its current status, creates substantial improvements of results relative to that effort. E.g. the likelihood of success of an activity may be doubled or more. That is the power of organization. Opening to the Divine Force however opens enables infinite possibilities, where productivity and success can be 10, 100, a 1000 times to infinity greater. It also enables the decent of one or more spiritual properties into the atmosphere of the work, such as Truth, Knowledge, Power, Peace, Oneness, and Delight. This is the power of Spiritual Organization, a super organizing mechanism; an instrument of the Divine Force.

Untitled
To see the process of creation of the universe at work in the process by which we create and accomplish in life is a great wisdom, and a key to opening the gates to the infinite possibility in life.

INTERVIEW on Accomplishment through the Process of Creation
In this interview Roy Posner, president of Growth Online, discusses how we can learn to create infinite accomplishment, success, and joy for ourselves, our businesses, for society by following growth and development processes that mirror the process by which the universe was created from a Divine source. 

Untitled
The process by which the Divine creates the universe as revealed in The Life Divine is the same process by which man creates in his own life. The essence of that process is summarised as self-conception, self-limitation and self-absorption; consciousness involving as force, force creating form, etc.  (MSS)

 

Related

To view mini thoughts on the practical ways that the process of creation, growth, and accomplished can be followed by an individual to achieve greatly in life, click here.

 

---

DETAILS OF THE INVOLUTION

Origins and Nature of the Planes of Existence, Conscious Force, Delight (Sat-Chit-Ananda)

Origins and Nature of the Plane of Supermind | Origins and Nature of the Plane of Mind

Origins and Nature of the Plane of Life/Energy

 

---

INVOLUTION:
 Origins and Nature of the Planes of Existence, Conscious Force, Delight (Sat-Chit-Ananda)
(top)

 

Overview of Sat-Chit-Ananda in Creation

The Involutionary Process
The Involutionary process is how the Omnipresent Reality (the Absolute, Brahman) that extended to the Triune of Existence, Consciousness-Force, Delight becomes the Energy that is the source of all forms in the universe enabled creation.

Brahman to Satchitananda to Creation
-Out of Brahman comes Satchitananda and from It creation. Brahman, the Reality is then both in an integral relationship.

-Unknowable Brahman extended itself to Satchitananda. I.e. it Exists, (Sat); it is Conscious of its Existence and thereby emanates a Force (Chit) and Delights in its Existence and Consciousness (Ananda). Through the Supramental Truth power the energy that is the source of creation emerges from the Conscious-Force (Chit).

Theory of Creation
The Omnipresent Reality is the unknowable immutable timeless spaceless that is the source of all creation. To initiate that process it divided into three aspects; Existence, i.e. the Reality now exits, and is identifiable Spirit and Truth; Consciousness-Force, the Reality is now conscious of its existence; and Delight, the Reality delights in its existence. From this triune existence it begins the process of creation of the universe. How the Force of the triune that becomes the energy that is the source of all forms in the universe is the Involutionary process enabling creation.

The Omnipresent Reality/Brahman,/The Absolute Extends to Existence, Consciousness-Force, Delight to Manifest the Universe

The Omnipresent Reality in order to begin the process of creation of the universe divided into three aspects Existence, Consciousness-Force, and Bliss (Sat-Chit-Ananda). It extended one step further to Supermind to enable the universe, i.e. coordinate between Satchitananda and that which would be created as matter, life, and mind. (Paraphrase of Sri Aurobindo)

The Beginnings of the Process of Creation
The Process of Creation is the process by which the Many emerged from the One as a universe of divided, ignorant forms.

The process begins when the immutable, unknowable Absolute divides into the triune of Existence/Being (i.e. that the Absolute can now be known as existing; which we will later perceive as "Spirit"), Conscious Force (i.e. It is also conscious of Its existence, which enables a Force or power), and Delight (i.e. It delights in the consciousness of its existence). This is the first stage of the involution.

Creation of the Universe
The universe was created when in the Involution before creation the plane of mind, as agent of the plane of Supermind, split the Force of (Existence, Consciousness Force, Delight; i.e. Sat-Chit-Ananda), creating Knowledge and Will out of the Force.

 

Sat-Chit-Ananda
Existence/Being (Sat) (pure absolute existence)	Conscious - Force (Chit) (The force generated by being conscious of Its existence, which becomes the Energy of Creation)	Delight (Ananda) (The delight in existing/being)

Philosophy of Sri Aurobindo
-Sri Aurobindo envisaged that The Supreme Reality is in its initial status before creation unknowable, immutable, and timeless.

-for the process of creation there is then created three extensions of the Supreme Reality -- Existence, Consciousness Force, and Delight (Sat, Chit, and Ananda). The Reality in its first extension is first Pure Existence (i.e. it exists, i.e. there is a Truth to its Existence; it is a Being); second it is conscious of its existence, which causes it to be a force (a Conscious Force); and third it Delights in its own recognition of, its consciousness of its existence.

Unity of Sat-Chit-Ananda (Existence, Consciousness-Force, Delight)
Sachchidananda is the One with a triple aspect.  In the Supreme the three are not three but one - existence is consciousness, consciousness is bliss, and they are thus inseparable, not only inseparable but so much each other that they are not distinct at all.  In the superior planes of manifestation they become triune - although inseparable, one can be made more prominent and base or lead the others.  In the lower planes below they become separable in appearance, though not in their secret reality, and one can exist phenomenally without the others so that we become aware of what seems to us an inconscient or a painful existence or a consciousness without Ananda.  Indeed, without this separation of them in experience pain and ignorance and falsehood and death and what we call inconscience could not have manifested themselves - there could not have been this evolution of a limited and suffering consciousness out of the universal nescience of Matter. (Sri Aurobindo)

Releasing the Infinite in Planes in the Creation
The Infinite Omnipresent Reality became infinite Existence as Spirit, infinite Consciousness of its Existence, infinite Force, and infinite Delight of existence; inverting in Creation to discover the infinite hidden in matter, life, spiritual mind and beyond.

The Inversion of Existence, Consciousness-Force, Delight in Creation
In the process of creation, as a result of the Absolute following a process of self-conception, self-limitation, and self-absorption, the Existence (of E, C-F-D) above inverts to Non-Existence in creation, and then will evolve back in the evolution through the dualities of life and death on its way back to Existence; Consciousness above inverts into Inconscience in the creation, which will evolve back in the evolution through the dualities of Truth and Falsehood, and Knowledge and Error until it reaches Consciousness; and Delight above inverts into Insensibility in the creation and journeys back in the evolution through Pleasure and Pain back to Delight. These dualities will be the basis for (and the opportunities and methods out of) the Problems of life.

Continuum of Being
There is a continuum of Self (Pure Being?) > Conscious Being > Divine Being > Power of Being > Joy of Being. (Is this a viable statement?)

The Rishis and Satchitananda
Even the Rishis saw only one side of Sachchidananda. (MSS) [which was?]

Existence/Being (Sat)

Pure Existence
Behind the Infinite Energy that is poring into life, there is Stability. It is Pure Existent; timeless, spaceless, immutable, inexhaustible, not moving, pure existence.

The Pure Existent Infinite Stability (Behind the Infinite Energy)
Sri Aurobindo says that when we go beyond ego and enter a higher consciousness, we begin to see that there is a boundless Energy of infinite existence, movement, and activity that is pouring itself into Space and Time. This energy's intensity and force of movement is the same in the formation and upholding the macro and the micro. It is the same in all; in expression or repression; affirmation and negation; in the strong and the weak. And yet, behind this movement, there is Stability. It is pure existence, eternal, infinite, indefinable; not affected by the succession of time, not involved in the extensions of space; beyond form, quantity and quality. It is immutable, inexhaustible and unexpended, not acting though containing all this action, not energy, but pure existence.

The Pure Existent
The pure Existent is the Being (i.e. Sat of Satchitananda).

-It is the first stage from out of the immutable Absolute in the process toward a creation.

-In Existence, i.e. the pure Existent there is no Time or Space.

-There is an undefinable, infinite, timeless, spaceless Existence; it is a pure absolute existence.

The Absolute, the Pure Existent, and Energy
The Absolute contains and exceeds the Stability of the Pure Existence and the Energy (it supports) that is prior to and pours into creation.

Existence/Being
-Sri Aurobindo says that the Pure Existent, Sat of Sat-Chit-Ananda, is the first step that the Absolute, Brahman takes out of itself on its march to create life in the universe.

-The first extension of the Omnipresent Reality is Existence/Being. I.e. there is an existence to the Omnipresent reality that can be perceived. Existence/Being is in essence "the Pure Existent."

Existence/Being
Existence/Being consists of three aspects: Self, Purusha (i.e. Conscious Being, Spirit, Soul), and Ishwara (Creator, Creative Being). Self conceives the universe, Purusha can execute the conception. Ishwara does conceive and execute the creation of the universe.

The Effect of the Pure Existent and Spirit in Our Lives
The original status of God, Brahman, the Absolute it is that it is unknowable, undefinable, infinite, timeless, spaceless, etc. It's first defined status on the way to manifest a universe of forms is that It exists. That existence is called Sat in the East. The experience of Sat, i.e. the Pure Existent is what we mean by "spirit." Spirit is the essence of Brahman. It is also called Being. In our lives we come to see that this Spirit or Being is the substance from which we are made -- in our bodies, our vital, and our minds. I.e. spirit (of existence) is the substance of the universe; and we are made up of that spiritual substance. As we become more conscious, we play the decisive role of bringing the spirit into life, i.e. realizing it in our material, life existence, thereby bringing the Being into the Becoming, which transforms our lives and the life around us into its infinite possibilities.

The Creator Aspect (Ishwara) of Existence/Being
The original condition, Existence/Being has three aspects; its Absolute aspect (Self/Atman), its Witness/Spirit aspect (Conscious Being/Purusha), and its Creator aspect (Divine Being/Ishwara).

THE ABSOLUTE (Brahman, The Omnipresent Reality)
Existence/Being (Sat)	Conscious-Force (Chit)	Delight (Ananda)
Absolute (Brahman, the Beyond All, Self/Atman) -- Witness, Spirit, Conscious Being (Purusha) -- Creator, Divine Being (Ishwara)	Knowledge, Will V Energy, Life V The Universe	Beauty Bliss Love

The Absolute aspect of Existence is beyond all limitations, indeterminate, the Source Being. It can conceive the universe, but cannot execute it. There is also the Spirit or Witness consciousness (Purusha), a step closer to something we can identify (i.e. the spirit). It can stand back from creation, be a detached witness of it, and execute/initiate the process of creation. However, it cannot conceive it, which the Absolute state can. The Creator (Ishwara) is the third aspect of Existence (Sat, Being), and it can conceive and execute creation. (The Supermind -- the fourth aspect beyond Existence, Conscious-Force, Delight -- will be the instrument of the Creator aspect of Existence to create the universe out of the Conscious Force.)

Creation from Out of Existence/Being
-There is Self, Purusha (Spirit) and Ishwara (creator) as elements of Existence/Being involved in the process of creation of the universe.

-Self uses power of Maya to conceive creation) Purusha uses power of Prakriti, Nature to be an instrument in creation) Ishwara uses the power of Shakti to conceive and carry out the creation of the universe)

THE ABSOLUTE
Sat-Chit-Ananda
Existence/Being (Sat)			Conscious - Force (Chit)	Delight (Ananda)
Self (uses power of Maya to conceive creation)	Purusha (uses power of Prakriti, Nature to be an instrument in creation)	Ishwara (uses the power of Shakti to conceive and carry out the creation of the universe)	V Knowledge & Will V Energy V Universe emerges

Methods of Self, Purusha, Shakti
Maya is the Method of Self, Nature (Prakriti) is the method of Purusha, and Shakti is the method of Ishwara.

Maya as Power of Existence/Being (Sat)
Maya is the conceptive method by which the Self of Existence/Being (Sat) conceives to create a universe of divided forms for the purpose of extending Its Delight.

Lower and Higher Maya
Sri Aurobindo speaks of a lower Maya that is illusion, unreal to the Mind, as well as a higher Maya by which a universe of separate, divided (non-whole) forms were created from the One.

Sri Aurobindo Says Maya is Real to the Self
Analysing many of our beliefs from the first principles, we will be surprised by the fact that our whole existence is superstition. Rightly Shankara called it Maya and pleaded for its rejection in toto. Buddha's analysis dissolved ego and he extended it to the Self too. Ego is the creation of Mind which on analysis can dissolve. Self existed before the creation of the Mind. How can mental analysis dissolve Self? Thus Shankara stole a march over Buddha. Sri Aurobindo goes one step further that Maya, which is unreal to the mind, is real to the Self and He quotes the Vedas in His support, though He explains it on his own. A detailed knowledge of this idea in The Life Divine will directly help research in education. (MSS)

The Process of Creation (the Involution) in terms of Maya, Prakriti, Shakti - 1

• In the beginning is the self-conscious unity of Being.
• For the sake of the play, it becomes Sachchidananda.
• Supermind is the nature of Sachchidananda -- its objective status.
• The Self-Conscious Being presents itself as Brahman, Purusha, Ishwara with their corresponding powers of Maya, Prakriti, Shakti.
• Maya conceptively creates while preserving the original oneness.
• Prakriti dynamically executes as Purusha stands aloof.
• Shakti conceptively creates and dynamically executes as Ishwara here is a part of Shakti, by surrendering to it.
• Simultaneously the self-conscious Being divides itself subjectively as Spirit and objectively as Truth. The objective status of consciousness is knowledge.
• The action of Brahma, Purusha, and Ishwara through Maya, Prakriti, and Shakti takes place in the plane of Supermind which is the objective status of Sachchidananda.
• Supermind is called the plane of Truth-Conscious.
• It is here the ONE becomes the Many without actual separation, a differentiation without distinction.

The Process of Creation (the Involution) in terms of Maya, Prakriti, Shakti - 2

• In Creation the Absolute (Brahman) becomes the Self-Conscious Being, (Sat Purusha).
• The Self-conscious being acquires three consecutive states of Brahman, Purusha, Ishwara.
• Maya, Prakriti, Shakti are their powers.
• What Maya conceives, Prakriti executes.
• Shakti does both, i.e. conceives and executes.
• It is done in the Supramental plane which is the objectivised status of Sat.
• In addition, Sat creates Spirit and Truth by subjective, objective processes.
• Spirit again by a subjective-objective process creates Time and Space.
• So far, it is creation in the cosmos.
• Only when Time splits into Time and Timelessness is Mind created.
• Mind creates Life and Matter. (MSS, slightly modified)

Purusha
Purusha is the soul of the universe. (MSS) [Man has a soul too that reflects this. -editor]
 

Conscious-Force (Chit)

Conscious-Force
The Being is Conscious, and as a result has become a Force. (In this way, the Conscious-Force is the power of the Being.)

Conscious Force from Brahman to Create the Universe of Forms
Brahman (The Omnipresent reality, the Absolute) throws out force of consciousness to create the worlds of forms.

Sri Aurobindo Says the Force is Conscious
In the chapter on Conscious-Force Sri Aurobindo sets out to argue that the Force is conscious. In the previous chapter in the very last para He raises this question where Force is independent or a power of the Being. In an important sense, this question is a cornerstone of His philosophy. While the Upanishads, the materialist and the scientist argue Force is force, Sri Aurobindo postulates that the Force is a power of Being and therefore it is conscious. Hence HE called the chapter Conscious-Force. (MSS)

Conscious-Force
To create the universe the Absolute, Brahman at that point extended its Pure Existence (Sat) to Conscious Force (Chit); i.e. Sat extended to Chit. I.e. to create the world of forms Brahman throws out the force of consciousness to create the world of forms. That Force became the Energy which enabled the universe, including the world.

Conscious-Force (Chit) Created the World
Chit (Conscious Force), as energy, created the world.

Conscious-Force in Sri Aurobindo's 'The Life Divine'

Introduction
Whereas in the previous chapter on the Pure Existent Sri Aurobindo  spoke of the Stability behind the Infinite boundless energy that is pouring itself into Space and Time, in this chapter he focuses on the essential Force that is the source of that energy and hence of all forms in creation. Or to put it another way, if Being/Existence (i.e. Sat of Satchitananda) provides the timeless, spaceless, ineffable, immutable Stability and basis for a universe to emerge from it, then there must be a second aspect required for that universe to actually emerge; some Force and power out of which the Energy of creation can emerge. There is, and it is "Conscious-Force."

All Existence in the Universe is Forms of Force
He begins by saying all existence in the universe is a product of this Force and its corresponding energy. That the very seed of existence in the universe is this Force and energy expressing through all planes from inconscient matter to life through mind to supermind. (In each plane that Force has a different expression.)

Forms Take Shape as Gathering of Forces
He also explains that all of the forms that take shape in the cosmos is a meeting of and mutual adoption between unshaped forces that become forms of that Force.

Reason for Sensation and Action in the Universe
He also explains why there is sensation and action in the universe. He says that sensation and action is a response of something in a form of Force to the contact of other forms of Force.

Consciousness Enables the Force to Move
He says that Force can remain at rest self-concentrated or state of self-diffusion/movement. Then why does this Force move, issuing forth the energy that is the basis of all forms of that Force in creation? He says that this is not just a Force, but a Conscious Force. He says that Existence (As described in the previous chapter) is Conscious, and as a result it produces a Conscious-Force, one with a will or intention; which expresses as Energy. Since it is also conscious, it is not merely compelled to move, but do so in a conscious, creative way enabling unique formations and planes of forms of that Force to emerge.

Conscious Force as Second Stage of Satchitananda and Thus Creation
In the final analysis, if Existence/Being provides the Essence and Stability for creation, then Conscious Force is the basis for the instrumentality of Creation through forms of that Force. Or to put it another way, to create the world of forms, Brahman throws out the force of consciousness to create the world of forms.

Thus, the process of creation of a universe from an Infinite source is first Existence/being (sat), followed by Conscious-Force (Chit) of Satchitananda. (See diagram below)

Consciousness Involved in Planes
Finally, Sri Aurobindo says that the consciousness expresses differently amongst the planes. In inconscient matter, there is virtually no consciousness on the surface, but it is involved in it in its essence. As we move up to the next planes of animated life and then mind, the consciousness reveals itself more on the surface. E.g. in mind, consciousness is already well developed. Yet it to has involved consciousness of spiritualized mind, supermind, even Sat, Chit, and Ananda, and Brahman. Every plane has every higher plane involved in it in its essence (as potentiality).

Bringing Out the Consciousness of Any Plane
In Matter the Conscious aspect of the Force is least on the surface, it is involved, and expresses only in its subconscient nature. As we ascend the chord of planes from matter to Supermind, it is more on the surface. In Supermind it is fully present, active. Our human evolution is thus to bring it fully to the surface; for it to show itself in all aspects of that plane. It is really to bring out the Consciousness, which in the involutionary processes was divided and cut off from the Force, whereas (just) the Force is already present.

In the involutionary process -- the descent from Sat-Chit-Ananda to Mind to Energy to Matter -- that Conscious-Force will ever increasingly shed its Consciousness in degrees, but not its Force. In the evolutionary process of the universe from Matter to Animated Life to Mind and beyond, the consciousness that was involved moves to the surface, i.e. is evolved.

Conscious-Force
The process begins when the immutable, unknowable Absolute divides into the triune of Existence/Being (i.e. that the Absolute can now be known as existing; which we will later perceive as "Spirit"), Conscious Force (i.e. It is also conscious of Its existence, which enables a Force or power), and Delight (i.e. It delights in the consciousness of its existence). This is the first stage of the involution. Now the involution continues through the further division of the Conscious-Force. This is enabled through the Truth Consciousness, a fourth aspect which will divide the Force from the Consciousness, and the Force itself into Knowledge and Will. When the Knowledge is empties in the Will through a process of self-absorption, what remains is the formation of Energy. In other words, as a result of this dividing action of the Truth Consciousness on the Conscious-Force, a plane of energy is released. This non-moving energy exits before the universe begins. When it "moves," coagulates, and then disaggregates into separate objects, i.e. forms, the universe begins. Space and time are also formed in this overall process.

Splitting the Conscious Force to Create the Energy of the Universe
Supermind created the plane of Mind, which split Conscious Force into Knowledge and Will. Knowledge working on Will released Energy (i.e. the plane of Life). That still energy began to move, which coagulated into forms. (As Knowledge was absorbed by the Will these forms took shape, originally as the inconscient Matter, which is the first form of the Energy. This process up through where energy begins to coagulate into forms is the Involution, after which the evolution begins.]

Splitting the Force
In the involution the plane of Mind (as the agent of Supermind) split the (conscious) Force into Knowledge and Will in order to continue the process that led to the manifestation of the universe.

Universe from the Conscious-Force
The universe was created when in the Involution before creation the plane of mind, as agent of the plane of Supermind, split the Force of (Existence, Consciousness Force, Delight; i.e. Sat-Chit-Ananda), creating Knowledge and Will out of the Force. When the Knowledge began to act on Will, Energy was released in the form of the plane of Life. When Knowledge withdrew from Will, the Energy was then devoid of its knowledge causing the a plane of Matter to be created; i.e. distinct forms of matter to take shape.

Inversion of the Conscious Force in Creation
Consciousness above inverts into Inconscience in the creation, which will evolve back in the evolution through the dualities of Truth and Falsehood, and Knowledge and Error until it reaches Consciousness. [Thus we can say the Spirit, Purusha expresses in all planes, as does Brahman, the Omnipresent Reality Itself, which 'gave birth to Existence/Being and the Conscious Force.]

Inconscience out of the Conscious-Force
The Consciousness-Force becomes Inconscience (Unconsciousness) in creation (beginning in Matter).

Conscious Force Expresses in the Universe
The conscious Force expresses in everything in the universe; from the subconscient matter to life to mind to Supermind. Thus in every thing dwells the Original Conscious Force. (E.g. matter itself is forms of Conscious Force.)

Conscious-Force Expresses at All Planes in Creation
Consciousness is a self-aware force of existence, rising above us as Supermind, at mind, and below mind as vital, material and subconscient.

Conscious-Force and Matter
Matter is forms of Force; is a form of Conscious Force. [an inconscient/unconscious form.] The Conscious Force is involved, buried in Matter.

 

Delight (Ananda)

Formation and Purpose of Delight
When the Being becomes conscious of itself, it takes Delight in that fact.

The purpose of creation is to extend the static delight of the Unmanifest into the dynamic delight of he multiplicity of forms in the Manifest.

When individuals in the Manifest universe discover their higher nature, they experience delight, which was the purpose of their creation in the first place.

Delight (Ananda) and Psychic (Evolving Soul)
Delight/Ananda in the unmanifest becomes Psychic Being (evolving Soul) within us in the manifest.

Delight (Ananda) and Psychic (Evolving Soul)
The other day I had a momentary glimpse of why Ananda became the psychic being. I felt a sudden profound pleasure and a kind of flash of light within, a few moments after concentrating in the depths as I walked. Then I understood why Ananda became the psychic.  It was a dramatic experience, unlike anything before.

Delight of the Spirit vs. Human Happiness
Delight/Ananda for the individual is the experience of the Spirit, as opposed to the happiness of the individual which is transitory and changes, even to its opposite.

See thoughts on Delight as reason for creation

 

---

INVOLUTION:
 Origins and Nature of the Plane of Supermind
(top)

 

Supermind
By 'Supermind,' Sri Aurobindo means several things. For one, it a plane that resides between the 'upper hemisphere' of pure being and consciousness, and the 'lower hemisphere; of life in the universe (mind, life, and matter). This plane is what enables the Real Ideas of the Supreme to manifest as forms of that force in creation. So in that sense, Supermind is the power that enables creation; that divides the Force into the forms, forces, and powers, seen and unseen experienced in the universe.

Another way of looking at Supermind is a plane of perfect knowledge that has the full, integral truth of anything. It is a plane that Man can rise to above his current limited mentality so he too can have perfect understanding of a matter that enters his mind seemingly out of nowhere through revelations of that truth.

A third way of looking at Supermind is not only the means of creation, but a force and power that is leaning down on the earth's consciousness, and which we can open to in order to transform the various aspects of our being, as well as instantly or very rapidly set right the conditions of life, creating sudden good fortune ("instantaneous miraculousness") for the person opening to it.

Ultimately Sri Aurobindo envisions a new race of humans who through an opening to the supramental power and knowledge have been transformed in all planes of their being, mental, vital, and spiritual, ushering in what he calls the Gnostic, supramental individual who will be the basis of a new divine life on earth.

Supermind & Satchitananda
Supermind is the objective state, the nature of of Sachchidananda. It is the creator of the universe.

Supermind is Situated between Two Hemispheres
Supermind is [the plane] between the Sachchidananda [Existence, Conscious-Force, Delight; i.e. the Divine Consciousness] and the lower creation [Mind, Life, Matter]. 

Supermind as Creator of Universe
Supermind is an extension of Existence, Conscious-Force, Delight that renders the universe.

Role of Supermind
Supermind renders the Real Ideas of the conscious Being into the descending planes leading to creation (energy and matter).

What Supermind Creates
Through the involutionary process, Supermind renders out of the upper planes of Sat-Chit-Ananda, the lower planes of Mind, Life, and Matter.

Supermind and Brahman
Supermind is the extension of creative knowledge of Brahman (the Reality and totality that precedes Satchitananda).

Supermind Contains Self Determining Truth
Supermind alone contains the self-determining Truth of the Divine Consciousness and is necessary for a Truth creation. (Paraphrase of Sri Aurobindo)

Supermind as Creator
Supermind is the source of manifestation in creation. Supermind is the ultimate determinant as it shapes the Real Ideas through the Conscious Force to enable patters in creation. Supermind is the Creator.

Supermind as Creator and Availability to Man
-The Supermind is a plane of consciousness that enabled the creation of the universe from out of a Divine Source.
-Supermind  is the ordering mechanism that enabled the triune of Existence-Consciousness Force-Delight (Sat-Chit-Ananda) of the Absolute to become the creation and the forms within it.
-Supermind enabled/enables the involution from the Spirit into the forms of creation.
-Supermind is the ordering mechanism of the divine. It is that which enables the manifestation, the cosmos, the universe, the One to emanate from the One, the Original Source. It is also the power in the universe that one can open to that enables us to bring in the powers of the One, the Absolute into our lives, enabling us to evolve to a higher functioning, culminating in the supramental beings and the supramental life on earth. 
-Supermind  is also there in the universe enabling that which was created (i.e. the universe and humanity) to evolve and connect back to its original spiritual source, fulfilling the destiny of the universe and all that is in it. Simply put it is the plane that created the universe, and it is the plane by which we fulfill in our evolution the purpose of the creation.

How Supermind Enabled the Universe
To begin the process of creating the universe, the Absolute, the Original Principle, the Omnipresent Reality has the Real Idea of creation. It's conception is to create a manifest universe for the purpose of extending its own Delight into infinite multiplicity of forms. By creating a manifest universe of infinite variation of forms, infinite discovery is made potential through those forms. When they (i.e. us) discover the spirit in ourselves, in life, we experience the joy of the discovery, the Delight of Being, the very reason the Absolute wished for a universe of forms from out of itself.  Our delight of Being would then matches and even exceeds the delight of the Creator.

To that Goal the Absolute divides or extends itself into three aspects of itself in preparation for the creation -- as Existence, as Consciousness, and as Delight (i.e. Sat-chit-ananda). The Absolute further extends itself to further enable a manifest creation and universe it wishes to bring about. To that end it extends another plane, the plane of Truth Consciousness, or Supermind. Supermind coordinates the rendering of the Absolute, expressed as Real Ideas, into a created universe. Supermind is thus the great ordering mechanism and instrument of creation. It has the supreme Vision and Unity of Understanding of all of all attributes and will of the Supreme from "above" to order the creation in its potential of multiplicity as a universe "below." Supermind is both a Knowledge and a Power. It has the Knowledge of the Real Ideas and the intent of the Absolute to render a universe, and it has the Power to carry it out.

To that end Supermind creates the planes of (Cosmic) Mind to begin the process of objectifying the spirit of the Absolute into a manifestation, a universe. Creation must express the Timeless in the plane of Time in order to exist; i.e. to objectify itself, which requires division. To that end Supermind created the plane of Cosmic Mind to divide the Consciousness-Force. When the Consciousness-Force is split by Cosmic Mind, as agent of Supermind, Knowledge and Will are created. When the Knowledge is exhausted in the Will, the plane of Life emerges, initially as Energy at rest. When energy moves, then the energy coagulates and then forms distinct elements of matter. The distinct forms are thus the divisions required if there is to be objectification out of the Absolute.  This is what Supermind has enabled. Up to the point where energy is about to move is, in essence, the Involution.

When the energy moves, the Evolution begins as this energy coagulates into the forms of creation -- beginning initially as matter (which then evolves as animus of life and mind in the universe). All forms in the universe are forms of energy. This energy is in essence the Force of Consciousness-Force, separated from its Knowledge & Consciousness.

Supermind is then the ordering extension of the Absolute that enabled the Force to be divided from the Consciousness-Force to form energy which moved and coagulated into forms.    

Supermind Creates Forms Out of Conscious Force/Energy from Real Ideas that It Comprehends and Apprehends
In addition to enabling the Energy (out of of Conscious Force), which becomes the substance of creation, there is also a process by which Supermind creates distinct forms and forces out of the Energy in a particular way. It is done through the rendering of Its own Real Ideas in Space and Time through the creation of subject, object, method of eight essential determining aspects. This is explained in detail below.

How the One Became the Many; and Space and Time Emerged

[The following is based on the Theory of Creation presented by Sri Aurobindo in 'The Life Divine' and elsewhere, and further expanded on by Sri Karmayogi.]

From time immemorial, individuals have asked themselves how this world came to be, and what was the process that enabled it to happen. Here is one perspective:

To begin with, there was/is an infinite, divine Source of all things; a timeless, spaceless, immutable, ineffable Being. We can think of it as the "One," since there were not yet distinct forces and forms in a manifest universe. I.e. there was not yet a “Many.” Due to some inner compulsion, the One extended Itself to become the Many, which is in essence the distinct, unique forces and forms that will become the basis of Creation.

How then did the Many emerge from the One; i.e. the Creation from the Creator?

In the Source/Infinite consciousness are Real Ideas, which are possibilities It seeks to render as living realities; i.e. cosmic determinants that the Spirit seeks to make real in creation. Among them are spiritual aspects or qualities, including Oneness, Knowledge, Creativity, Beauty, Love, and Delight. There are also variations, combination, and subsets of these that the Divine seeks in its extension from the One to then Many.

Then how were/are the Real Ideas made real in the cosmos as unique forces and forms?

The Truth Consciousness, which Sri Aurobindo calls "Supermind" rendered through its own Comprehending capacity images of those Real Ideas. Or to put it another way, Comprehending Supermind imagined and envisioned distinct forces and forms that would embody these cosmic ideas and determinants.

At this point however, these imaginations have not been rendered real; as they are only a conception of separate formations. (We can compare this to the writer who has established characters, values and meaning, and plot in his mind, but has not yet committed them to paper.) However, through Supermind’s Apprehending capacity these envisioned formations are rendered real as distinct entries in an emerging cosmos. I.e. Oneness, Knowledge, Creativity, Beauty, Love, Delight, et al become distinct forces and forms at the unseen universal plane.

How then did these imagined forms become real?

To become separate, distinct objects, Apprehending Supermind divided each of the previously envisioned attributes of Knowledge, Oneness, Creativity, Love, Delight, etc. and their infinite variations into triplicities in the form of subject - subject/object experience - object. E.g. the distinct possibility of the spiritual aspect of "Knowledge" is rendered into Knower – Knowing – Known. E.g., as a knowing being one knows that which is known. (Or to put it in words of our own experience. I as knower am knowing what is known.) Similarly, there is the triplicity of the lover (the subject) loving (experience) the beloved (object). And so forth for the myriad of cosmic determinates/spiritual qualities of the Infinite Divine. In essence, the One reality has now divided itself in various ways so that each subject can experience itself as object, thereby becoming the Many.

It should be noted that at this point there is no physical universe. Before that can come about, there needs to be a foundation for it's occurrence; which is in essence what we know of as space and time. Though the Infinite Source is beyond space and time -- it is spaceless and timeless -- a potential universe requires these as underpinning. How does that happen?  

When the triplicities of the cosmic determinates are established through Supermind's comprehending action, which is, in essence, how the spiritual aspects/determinants are made real as distinct forces and forms, space and time are created.

But why does this happen? To answer that we need to know more about the nature of space and time.

Sri Aurobindo and Sri Karmayogi tell us that space is created at the point where a form is able, from its own unique vantage point, to perceive other forces and forms. Space then is perceived as a sense of extension from one form's perspective to another's.

Then there is time, which can be thought of as an outgrowth of space. Time is created at the point where a form perceives one form, then another one, etc. in sequence, which generates the sense of movement in extension. The perception of movement in the extension of space is what we call time.

With the triplicities of subject – functioning – object occurring though the comprehending action of the Truth Consciousness, distinct forces and forms take shape. Though these are initially at the idea of force, power and knowledge, they eventually begin to take on properties of substance through the creation and dispersion of an essential Energy. As forms take on properties of substance, they more readily perceive other forms, creating the sense of extension which is space, as well as the sense of movement within the extension, which is time.

In essence, this is the process by which the One extends Itself and is rendered into the Many. The process begins with the rendering of Real Ideas/Cosmic Determinants of the Source Being into forces and forms as triplicities of subject, experience, object, through the comprehending and apprehending action of Truth Consciousness. This becomes the basis of space and time, as well as the further involution of the cosmos that will culminate in the material-based universe that we live in.

Apprehending Supermind Creates Triplicities of Cosmic Determinants; Space and Time are Born
Sachchidananda gives rise to eight fundamental determinants. In Supermind, these eight determinants each give rise to three aspects or expressions of itself – subjective, objective and the experience or interaction between the two. In the Comprehending Supermind the object of knowledge and subject of knowledge are the same, but the apprehending Supermind creates time and space by splitting it into three so the One as subject can experience itself as object. We have said that Knowledge is the reflection of Chit. In Apprehending Supermind, Knowledge splits into three aspects -- the knower, the object of knowledge, and the act of knowing. Similarly, Will becomes the subject that wills, the object of the will and the act of willing. Beauty becomes the perceiver of beauty, the object of beauty, and the experience of beauty, and so on. (MSS)

Supermind Comprehending and Apprehending Power to Create a Universe of Forms
Now that we understand the method of (the Higher) Maya to shape finite appearance out of an undivided Infinite that enable a phenomenal existence of individual formations of Itself, Sri Aurobindo introduces us  to the power that will render this capacity into a living reality. It is the power of Supermind, which he deems the Creator of those forms of force that will make up a living universe.

He says that this supreme Truth (Supramental) Consciousness -- residing between the Infinite  "above" and the cosmos/universe "below" -- will through the inherent Real Idea (i.e. the cosmic conception of what creation can be) draw out the One into the Many.

[It should be noted that the Infinite Divine does not create something outside itself, different or separate from itself. It manifests and expresses truths and powers that are contained within itself in the same way that a prism reveals all the colors of the rainbow that are contained in white light.]

Supermind thus draws out the One into the Many through its comprehending and apprehending powers, differentiating and then manifesting the principles, forces, and forms of creation.

--Comprehending Supermind subjectively conceives principles, forms, and movements within itself, each of which contains all the rest of existence within it. It enables differentiation in potential.

--Apprehending Supermind then projects these principles, forces and forms into the objective real. In Apprehending Supermind, there is a reversal, as the all that is within each form gets expressed outside, around and encompassing the form as its field, environment and circumstances. What is there subjectively within each form in Comprehending Supermind expresses objectively as external reality in Apprehending Supermind.

It should also be pointed out that this objective reality precipitated by Apprehending Supermind is a frontal appearance for something more, as the rest of its existence is implicit behind it (i.e. which is created by Apprehending Supermind).

[This is analogous to the external facts, circumstances and actions that we experience in life that reflect the hidden, underlying truths, forces, and powers that are its source and influence. To see how the outer aspects of life reflect an inner working is to have a profound visions of existence. It is to see the outer as a reflection of the inner truth in any matter or circumstance.]

Apprehending-Enabling Role of Supermind in Creation
In order for Substance to become perceptible to us as Matter, the Energy must give that substance Forms which can be apprehended by our senses. This is the role of Mind (the universal principle of Mind). Consciousness-Force uses the instrumentation of [Supermind's Agent] Mind to divide the indivisible existence into individual Forms. (MSS)

[This process is a result of the apprehending action of the plane of Supermind, which enabled Mind to split the Force to create objects and forms from the moving Energy. Its prior comprehending action knows the inherent unity of all things.]

Comprehending & Apprehending Action of Supermind
-Supermind is the vast self-extension of the Brahman. It can contain Brahman in it and it can develop. In one part of the Supermind it has the powers of envelopment, involution and making implicit (Comprehending Supermind), and in another part has the powers of development, evolution and making explicit (Apprehending Supermind). The first is in Timelessness and the second is in Time.
-The subjective state is the comprehending Supermind in timelessness, the objective state is apprehending Supermind in Time. (Paraphrase of MSS)

Supermind's Power to Create and Real-Ideas
In Supermind the Divine formulates Real-Ideas that become manifest realities in the universe. Real Ideas express real Truths and Powers of Being (Sat). (MSS)

Power of Supermind to Create; Real Ideas; Knowledge and Will
Supermind creates by the Real-Idea that posses the inherent power to realize itself in manifestation. By Real-Idea, Sri Aurobindo means an idea which has the full power to realize itself. Conscious-Force (Chit) is both knowledge and will. In Supermind, knowledge and will are united. Whatever Supermind knows, it has the power to effectuate. Whatever it will, it posses the complete knowledge necessary for effectuation. ... The Real-Idea is a vibration of Being (Sat) that becomes whatever it wants. (MSS, slightly modified)

Supermind Realizes the Divine Conceptions of Real Ideas
In the Supermind, through Real-Ideas, the Divine conceptualizes everything it want to create in the world. Whatever it creates as a Real-Idea is a truth power of the Divine Being that has the full power to manifest itself. (MSS)

Real Ideas of Supermind
As the idea is from consciousness, so the Real-Idea is from the Being. Consciousness in its downward movement creates idea (knowledge) and will. As it is moving downward, they are separate. Being is the prior stage to consciousness. Therefore, its idea is Real-Idea. There will and knowledge are united. The officer commanding issues orders below to fire. A junior officer shouts out the order. The soldier fires. When the commanding officer wants to fire, he needs no orders. He fires. (MSS)

Supermind Deploying Real Ideas of the Source
All actions of the Supermind Truth Consciousness are determined by the Real Ideas of the Source. Supermind is deploying the Intention in the form of real Ideas of the Source in its methods and applications of creation. (The Source is essentially the Creator aspect of the Being; i.e. Sat, i.e. Existence of E-C-F,D)

[Those Real Ideas are even now descending into creation ; i.e the earth's atmosphere. If man is conscious he will perceive them, and thus will participate in the further creative deployment of the development and evolution on earth.]

Also See Entries on Real Ideas

Cosmic Determinants Deployed by Supermind
There is an ultimate intention of the Absolute in its movement towards creation. This intention are the ultimate Determinants of existence in the cosmos. The deployment of these intensions of the Absolute that are the determinants of all existence in the universe is deployed through the power of Supermind (Truth Consciousness.) There are eight determinants. Three come from Existence (i.e. Sat; E of E-CF-D) -- (1) Impersonal Spirit, (2) Witness Spirit, and (3) Creator. Two come from Consciousness Force (i.e. Chit, CF of E-CF-D) -- (4) Knowledge and (5) Will. Three come from Delight (i.e. Ananda; D of E-CF-D) -- (6) Beauty, (7) Love, and (8) Delight/Joy from Delight. All existence in creation reflects one or more of these eight. Supermind is the power that enabled the deployment of these eight into creation.

All existence in the universe then reflects various combinations of any of these eight in the form of subject, object, nature of the action. E.g. the expression in the universe of the determinant Love takes the form of Lover (the subject, Loved/the Beloved (the object), Loving (the action that the subject is relating to the object).

Integration of Two Aspects in Creation
We can begin to conceive the integration of two aspect of creation. (1) The energy conversion process that led Conscious-Force to emerge as Energy at rest that led to the creation of distinct forms in creation, and (2) the comprehending and apprehending aspects of Supermind that rendered three aspects -- subject, object, experience -- to each of the cosmic determinants (love, knowledge, witness, delight, etc.). To integrate the two seamlessly is one goal of understanding the Theory of Creation.

Supermind as Faculty of Conscious Force
Sri Aurobindo refers to this faculty of Consciousness-force as Supermind and the concepts generated by it as Real-ideas.

Six Powers of Supermind
[Comprehending Supermind] Development, evolution, making explicit in the descent. [Apprehending Supermind] Envelopment, involution, making implicit in the ascent are the six powers of the Supermind. (MSS)

Real Ideas Creates at Supramental Level
-At the Supramental level it is Real-Idea that creates.

1. all in each, and

2. each in all.

Supermind and Life Response
The Supermind is capable of instantaneous miraculousness.
30,000 years can be abridged in 30 years.
One can become what he aspires for. (MSS)

See Article Supermind as Creator

See Thoughts on the Emergence of the Force Moving in the World to Enable Its Further Evolution

 

---

INVOLUTION:
Origins and Nature of the Plane of Overmind
(The Plane of Overmind in the Involutionary Descent)
(top)

 

 

Planes of Involution & Evolution
In the decent (the involution), supermind emerges from sat-chit-ananda, then overmind from supermind, cosmic mind from overmind, energy from cosmic mind, and matter from energy. In the evolution, there is matter which evolves to vital life to mind (the three of which entail humans) to spiritual mind and upward.

Overmind

The next plane down in the descent from supermind is overmind. Like Supermind it is in identity with the object, yet has begun to lose connection with all other objects. Thus, it is the first movement out of integral knowledge and the first step into the Ignorance. (Mind is a much greater step.) It is in Overmind that the power and uniqueness of the Gods arise.

 

Supermind vs. Overmind

-Truth is self-existent in the plane of Supermind. Here there is no ignorance. Power of Supermind can enter into ignorance, reach its foundation of truth, unite all of them and from there transform ignorance into knowledge. Without that seed of truth, however little, neither ignorance, nor evil, nor falsehood, nor even hostility can exist.

-Overmind is a plane where the full power of truth does not exist.

-It is a plane where truths can protect themselves and act, eliminating the destructive influence of ignorance. Overmind brings together several truths to act in unison. (MSS)

 

Overmind
Overmind though great by bringing out the vast knowledge and uniqueness of a thing, is the first step towards Ignorance, in that it has lost total identify with all other things. Thus, a sense of separativeness is created, losing the inherent unity of what is perceived and made possible in supermind.

 

Overmind as Source of Lapse into Ignorance
Overmind is the plane that takes the unity and oneness of the Divine (manifest by Supermind in the universe) and turns it into the first divisions. Those divisions enable the beginnings of the separateness, uniqueness, and individuality of things. Thus it is the root cause of separation; where ego and ignorance are born, and the limits of our mentality.

 

Overmind

The next step in the process of creation [the involution] is the emergence of the Overmind. This is the first step into the Ignorance. What Sri Aurobindo means by Overmind can be imagined this way: I identify with one aspect of my personality, but I do not identify with all the other aspects. I think of myself as an adult. I look back and see myself behind that adulthood, but I say the child-self or my other-selves are not me. What I see of myself is true, but it is no longer the whole truth. I still know myself, but I do not know every other manifestation of myself. Overmind is the plane of the Gods. Each God is a manifestation of the Divine. Each is a true manifestation of the Divine, one aspect. Each of them can look back and find the Supramental Divine behind or within them, but none of them recognizes that all the other Gods are equally aspects of the Divine. Each expresses a Truth of the Divine, but limits itself to one aspect or portion of the whole Truth. It is the beginning of division and of separative knowledge. (MSS)

Overmind as Source of Lapse into Ignorance
-The process that enabled us to lapse into the original Ignorance began with Overmind, where there is a reflection of the unified Supramental truth consciousness, but expresses as the original division and separateness of things, expressing in their uniqueness. Ignorance is ultimately born of this lacking unitary knowledge and consciousness. (Paraphrase of Sri Aurobindo)

-Supermind expresses the integral relationship of all things born of the Absolute through Satchitananda; Overmind takes this unity, and expresses the uniqueness of things born of division.

Gods and Overmind
Gods arise in Overmind, where each expresses a powerful uniqueness of the Divine.

Gods are magnificent overmental individual manifestations of the divine, though being so, they have each lost their oneness with one another, as they only perceive their own uniqueness. Thus, they like anything else in overmental consciousness are wonders and have profound unique view of things, but it is still a partial view, not the whole truth as in supermind.

 

The Yoga of Sri Aurobindo, The Mother, Supermind, and Overmind

Between the lower hemisphere's highest reach -- overmind -- and the spiritual worlds of the Absolute lies a zone which was known to the ancient spiritual seekers called rishis, and which Sri Aurobindo called "Truth Consciousness;" or to use his own phraseology, the plane of "Supermind." 

The Mother was of the opinion that the power of the overmental world would serve the aim of their yoga -- namely the abolition of falsehood, suffering, and death in life. Sri Aurobindo explained to her that in the overmental world Truth was not self-existent; i.e. it had the beginnings of the negative side. Thus, overmind could build a partial world of truth uniting all available truths, but would not include overcoming the ignorance. Should the power of this world descend on earth, a great transformation would occur, but it would still leave a base of ignorance -- which means the body and life of Man would still be left untouched. In Supermind however, Truth is self-existent. The Truth of Supermind can also penetrate ignorance and reach its basis of truth and unite all such truths and build upon them. 

Thus, Sri Aurobindo and The Mother saw that the body and its inconscient base would not yield to the overmental force, but could not resist the onslaught of the supramental Force and truth. The Mother saw the profundity of Sri Aurobindo's experience and gave up her preference. 

In 1926, the overmental force descended into the mind, vital and very physical depths of Sri Aurobindo. After that momentous victory, he retired to make further gains in his yogic adventure -- which was to rise and bring down the supramental truth consciousness into the earthly realm. (MSS)

 

---

INVOLUTION:
Origins and Nature of the Plane of Mind
(The Plane of Mind in the Involutionary Descent)
(top)

 

Origins of Plane of Mind
To that end Supermind creates the planes of (Cosmic) Mind to begin the process of objectifying the spirit of the Absolute into a manifestation, a universe. Creation must express the Timeless in the plane of Time in order to exist; i.e. to objectify itself, which requires division. To that end Supermind created the plane of Cosmic Mind to divide the Consciousness-Force. When the Consciousness-Force is split by Cosmic Mind, as agent of Supermind, Knowledge and Will are created. When the Knowledge is exhausted in the Will, the plane of Life emerges, initially as Energy at rest.

Mind's Origins in Supermind and Spirit
-Spirit is the subjective experience of Sat.

-Supermind is the nature of Sachchidananda where Truth acquires consciousness of the comprehensive vast rhythm of existence.

-Mind is born when Supermind splits into Time and Timeless planes between them.

-The knowledge and will into which Mind divides itself enables knowledge to work on will releasing a plane of energy which is life.

-In the process of knowledge working on will, a little of that knowledge is lost. When all the knowledge is lost, life becomes Matter. (MSS)

Untitled
Creation must express the Timeless in the plane of Time in order to exist; i.e. to objectify itself, which requires division. To that end Supermind created the plane of Cosmic Mind to divide the Consciousness-Force. When the Consciousness-Force is split by Cosmic Mind, as agent of Supermind, Knowledge and Will are created. When the Knowledge is exhausted in the Will, the plane of Life emerges, initially as Energy at rest. When energy moves, then the energy coagulates and then forms distinct elements of matter. The distinct forms are thus the divisions required if there is to be objectification out of the Absolute.  This is what Supermind has enabled. Up to the point where energy is about to move is, in essence, the Involution.

Mind, Supermind, and Creation
Mind as Supermind's deputy is the source of manifestation in creation. Supermind is the ultimate determinant as it shapes the Real Ideas through the Conscious Force to enable patters in creation. Supermind is the Creator.

Additional: 

See chapter in Sri Aurobindo's The Life Divine On the Nature of Mind

---

INVOLUTION:
 Origins and Nature of the Plane of Life/Energy
(How Energy, the Plane of Life Emerged from Conscious-Force
in the Involution and is the Source of All Forms in Creation)
(top)

Origin of Energy
-Whereas physics is searching to explain the existence and origin of energy from some antecedent or smallest finite source, he [Sri Aurobindo] states that the origin of the energy is energy at rest, energy held in silent, motionless potential.

-The origin of all energy is Being, which is energy at rest or in potential.

-The Absolute manifests as Being, which at this stage has not yet become Consciousness-Force. Therefore all energy is held in potential. When Being expresses itself as Consciousness-Force through the power of Supermind, it manifests as energy and forms. Therefore, the foundation, basis and origin of all energy is energy at rest held in potential. (MSS)

Origins of Energy
The origin of all energy is Being/Existence Sat, which is energy at rest or in potential. The source of that energy is the will of Being/Existence, i.e. Consciousness-Force (Chit) projecting potential energy into forms. (MSS)

Consciousness Leads to Subjectivity and Objectivity; Force to Energy and Form
Being [Existence] manifests itself as the universe through an act of Self-conception which is at once Consciousness (knowledge) and Force (will). The consciousness gives rise to subjectivity and objectivity. The Force gives rise to all energy and form, including material energy and form. All forms (physical, vital, mental and supramental) are nothing but formations of force. (MSS)

Energy
The latest conception of Science is that the ultimate Reality is Energy. Indian yoga and philosophy knew that even before the Buddha [over 2500 years ago]. Indians went two further steps beyond Energy as the ultimate Reality. (MSS)

Energy and the Plane of Life
The ocean of energy out of which forms take shape is the plane of Life.

Energy Emerges from Splitting of Consciousness, and the Emergence of Matter from Energy
As a result of the splitting of the Consciousness-Force, Energy is created in the involution. As that Energy gathers, moves, and formulates, matter emerges. (The splitting of the Consciousness-Force created Knowledge and Will. The Knowledge acting on the Will releases the plane of Life and Energy. When Knowledge is completely absorbed and evaporated into the Will, the Energy dissipates and turns into Matter. Matter has no Knowledge or Consciousness and is thus Inconscient.)

Knowledge & Will in the Involution is Source of Energy in Creation; It Reflects the Process of How We Create in Life
In this process [of the involution] Knowledge and Will emerge from Conscious Force (through the action of Supermind). When the Knowledge acts on the Will, Energy (i.e. the plane of Life) emerges. [It is similar to when an individual learns about something, which drives him to have an aspiration, which creates the will to make it occur. That will creates energy, i.e energizes the person to act. So too when Knowledge acted/is acting on Will in the involution, Energy was/is created, that was/is the basis of creation of the universe.]

Once Knowledge acts on Will to create the Energy at rest, it [the Knowledge] withdraw from the Will, which causes the energy to become dumb physical matter. (The energy at rest begins to move and formulate into matter.) Thus the action of Knowledge and Will is the key to the involution and the evolution that follows. [Likewise, in our own lives when we are conscious of possibilities, thus developing the will and thus the energy to see them through until they manifest as a result we are in essence mimicking the Process, the Act of Creation of the E-CF-D.]

(Knowledge and Will are at first fused and one in the involution, indicating their Divine aspect. In creation, including our own lives, knowledge and will are divided, separate, which is the cause of duality in the universe and our inherent divided and Ignorant nature. As we discover our higher nature, the Knowledge of things, and the Will to see to the application of that Knowledge move towards reuniting, enabling an integral, dynamic, flawless, creative, infinite existence, reflecting the same in the manifest universe as the unmanifest Divine.)

Consciousness is the Substance, the Source of All Energy & Force in Universe
Consciousness is the very stuff [i.e. substance] of our existence. It is the ultimate source of all energy and force in the universe. (MSS)

Energy and Life
-There is an ocean of energy, a plane of Force enveloping the earth. This is Life.
-Forms, matter, us emerge from this energy, this plane of Life
-The Divine has created Man in the plane of life, through the force of life.

-Man is one formation of life, and the animal is another formation of life. Matter itself is a hard formation dense to our touch. (MSS, paraphrased)

Life and Energy
The dominant characteristic of life is energy. (MSS)

Life
Life is the energy that enables forms in creation. Energy at rest moved to enable the universe. Energy also moves in creation now to create forms and take away forms.

Also see How Energy Expresses in the Universe

The Nature of Life
Life is a form of, a dynamic of, a current of, a universal operation of the cosmic Conscious Force. Life creates, maintains, destroys, and recreates forms or bodies. Life builds up forms, energizes the forms through stimulation, and maintains the forces through disintegration and renewal of substance. (Based on Sri Aurobindo's The Life Divine, Book 1 Chapter 19)

Life Reflects Consciousness
Life is a universal field of energy/force that expresses the intention of the consciousness from which the force originates. (Paraphrase of Sri Aurobindo)

Life/Energy and Matter
Life is energy that emerged from the Conscious Force in the involution (through Supermind and then Mind).

Matter came from Energy/Life

Life thus came before matter.

Matter is formation of Energy/Life.

Energy is Source of Matter
Invisible energy, which is Life, is the source of visible matter.

Energy Preceded Matter in the Involution
In the involution Energy precedes Matter though on the physical plane we see only matter generating energy.

Definition of Life
Life is the Force, the Energy that enables forms to take shape, change, dissolve, and reconstitute in and out of the universe.

Life Continues to Create Forms
Life is continually creating forms from its energy.

Energy Behind Does Not Die, but Takes on New Forms
When a form dies, its energy does not, as it seeks and enters new forms. When the defense industry began to decline in Silicon Valley over the last two decades that energy continued to flow despite the companies' demise, and helped in the formation of new technologies in new organizations. The form dies, but not the energy, which seeks a higher form for its purpose.

Source of the Plane of Life
Life is a plane below that of Mind, but above Matter. Mind, or rather Supermind, with Mind as its instrument, divided the Conscious Force, enabling energy to emerge, which is the plane of Life through which all forms take shape.

Life is Infinite, Creative Force
In Life Divine, Sri Aurobindo describes life as a universal force that expresses as the individual force maintaining each individual form or object in manifestation. It is the force that creates and preserves the form, defends its survival and energizes its growth. Although we view life in terms of many separate and individual lives, it is only one single, universal existence that we perceive as many. In its origin, life is the infinite, creative force that builds the worlds and inhabits them with forms of its own self-conception and creation. It is the conscious force of Sat, the Self-Conscious Being, the Pure Existence, the Divine Consciousness, the omnipresent reality. (MSS)

Life and Forms
Life is a form of, a dynamic of, a current of, a universal operation of the cosmic Conscious Force. Life creates, maintains, destroys, and recreates forms or bodies. Life builds up forms, energizes the forms through stimulation, and maintains the forces through disintegration and renewal of substance. (Paraphrase of Sri Aurobindo)

Life
Life is really a universal operation of Conscious-Force acting subconsciously on and in Matter. It is the operation that creates, maintains, destroys and re-creates forms or bodies and attempts by play of nerve-force, that is to say, by currents of interchange of stimulating energy to awake conscious sensation in those bodies." (Paraphrase of Sri Aurobindo)

Source of Life
Life is energy that emerged from a Divine source that formulates as matter and other forms, including us in the universe. This occurs in the involutionary process.

Role of Life
Life creates sensation by acting on matter and takes that sensation to mind to convert it into thought so that thought can control matter. This is the indispensable role of Life. It is not something to be avoided but is something in which its origin must be discovered.

Life
'Life' is a partially involved subconscious status of Consciousness-Force. (MSS)

Untitled
Life, i.e. the plane of Life, i.e. energy, would still exist without any forms in the universe.

Life Force vs. Life of Being
Life exists in two layers of Force and Being. Life of force is governed by the law of karma. Life of Being is governed by the law of causality. In the one, failure and success alternates; in the other, there is only success. (MSS)

Man Created in Plane of Life
God has created Man in the plane of life, through the force of life. (MSS)

Spirit Revives
Spirit revives dead or dying vehicle into fresh new life. (Paraphrase of Sri Aurobindo)

Two Principles of Life
There are two aspects of the vital, i.e. two principles of Life; the necessity or will of the separative ego to survive in its distinctness and guard its identity, and the compulsion of Nature to fuse itself with others. [The two principles of life are the separative individual and the social individual.] (Paraphrase of Sri Aurobindo)

See Additional Thoughts on What Life Is
 

See chapter in Sri Aurobindo's The Life Divine On the Nature of Life

---

Cosmic Determinism, the Rendering of Creation, and Free Will
(top)
 

 

The Determinism of the Absolute and Individual Collaboration

Free Will and the Divine Determinism
We have ultimate freedom of choice, i.e. free will, within the determination of the Absolute (The Divine, Brahman).

On Choice vs. Fate in Our Lives
Q: As I look at my life it appears to have more to do with fate than choices I made. A: We have free will within the determination of the Divine Intent. There is both simultaneously choice and destiny. The more we are conscious, the more free will and destiny coincide, as we tend to choose what our higher nature (and thus the Divine) desires. If we look back on our lives, we will see that we made choices that propelled us forward; that brought about our progress. Those choices, conscious, semi-conscious, or subconscious were in essence in sync with the Divine will. The more we evolve ourselves, the more our choices are consciously working in tandem with the Divine will. We can also make choices that are neutral or in opposition to the Divine Will. Even these lead to our evolution, but through Nature's slow and difficult ways of contradiction and suffering.

The Absolute as Ultimate Determinant
The Absolute (Brahman) is the ultimate determinant, in that it has an intention to express its Delight and Consciousness in the forms of creation.

The Divine's Determinism of Real Ideas
-The Divine's determinism is expressed through Real Ideas. Those are deployed though the action of Supermind in creation.
-The real Ideas of the Absolute manifest through cosmic determinants such as Witness, Knowledge, Love, beauty, and others which are deploying in creation.
-These determinants are expressions of the Triune of Existence, Consciousness-Force, Delight (Sat-Chit-Ananda).
-We can choose to collaborate with that deployment. We have free will to do so.

Deployment of the Infinite Power of the Absolute
Sri Aurobindo says that The Absolute, the Infinite Consciousness is not just a Being, but it is a Power, containing not only a quiescence and repose, but an action in of itself, a creation in of itself. The Absolute is then capable of an eternal action and creation; of deploying the Infinite Power. Creation would then be an ordered deployment of the infinite possibilities of the Absolute. The Supreme and Eternal Infinite determines itself to our consciousness in the universe through Supermind by real and fundamental truths, as "Real Ideas" which can be seized by us, especially if we rise to a consciousness of spiritual intuition and beyond.

The Unfolding of the Determinism of the Absolute in Creation
-The Absolute (Brahman, the Omnipresent Reality) is the ultimate determinant in existence. That determination is expressed through Its essential Real Ideas, which are deployed in creation through the action of Supermind.

-Real-Ideas are the faculties of the Absolute that have the inherent power to fulfill themselves.

-Supermind deploys the Real Ideas through specific cosmic determinants that come from each of Existence (Sat), Conscious-Force (Chit), and Delight (Ananda). E.g. from Conscious-Force comes the determinant of Knowledge, and from Delight comes the determinant of Love.

-Supermind renders the Real Ideas through these eight determinants in creation through its comprehending power (which turns them into possibilities for manifestation), and then through its Apprehending power, which renders them as real in creation.

-In the Apprehending Process, Supermind creates space and time, and for each of the determinants enables the triune of object-subject-experience. E.g. for the cosmic determinants of Knowledge Supermind renders it into the Knower, that which is Known, and the Knowledge (that is known); or for Love as (the) Lover, (the) Beloved, (the act/experience of) Loving. All of life takes shape this way.

-Every individual has free will to choose as he pleases. And yet he does so within the ultimate determinism of the Absolute. Thus, the individual has a choice to collaborate in the unfolding of the will and determinism of the Absolute in creation.

How the Absolute Reflects as Determinants in the Universe
The Absolute is the source of all determination we see in creation. We know that in the involution the Absolute extended itself to the triune Existence, Conscious Force, Delight to enable creation. Each of these three is the source of all determination in Nature in the creation, and manifests specific ways that we express ourselves in life. (These ways are predetermined for us ) From "Existence" comes the determinants of Self, Creator, and Witness; from Consciousness Force comes the determinants of Knowledge and Will. From Delight come the determinants of Love, Joy, and Beauty. Specifically, we in life experience our sense of self in (Self), our ability to create (Creator), a way to stand back and view the creation as Witness; our ability to comprehend and know (Knowledge), our will and drive to see what we create through (Will); to share a relationship with other forms and beings (Love), to experience the satisfaction of that which is created (Joy), and the ability to acknowledge the forms we create (beauty.) These are the predetermined ways we experience life. Within that predetermination we have a choice of how to act.

Each determinant potentially manifests in any of three ways. E.g. when we live in such a way that is a reflection of the determinant of Knowledge, it can express as the Known, the Known, and the Knowledge; indicating we can express within that determinant as the subject, the object, subject-object (i.e. attribute or energy type or life activity).

Rendering of Creation through Comprehending and Apprehending Supermind

Comprehending Supermind

-Comprehending Supermind enables differentiation in potential of each of the eight cosmic determinants (witness, love, knowledge, etc.) into three aspect -- of subject (that which is viewing), object (the object of what which is being viewed), and experience (the viewing itself). E.g. the determinant of "love" formulates into the subject who is doing the loving (the lover), the object of that love (the beloved), which occurs through the experience and act of loving. Again, this differentiation is established (through Real-Ideas) as potential only.

Analogy: When I am thinking, I am the subject, thinking about an object through a method. Thus the process is Subject (me doing the thinking), Object (what I am thinking about; in this case how to explain Creation), and Method (thinking). Supermind rendered each of the essential eight cosmic determinants into Subject, Object, and Method. e.g. Lover, Beloved, Loving.

Without this triplet movement, there would be nothing to life. It would be a static zero. It is the rendering of the undifferentiated into the differentiated object to the subject through a method that life has any substance. Imagine if I could not think because I had nothing to think about, or something to think about without something thinking about it, etc. supermind renders the undifferentiated into the triune power of object, subject, method. without it nothing would happen in life.

Apprehending Supermind

-While Comprehending Supermind imagines the Real Ideas via the cosmic determinants rendered in their triplicity in creation, Apprehending Supermind moves it to manifestation; i.e. make the imagined real.

To do that first it establishes the dimensions of space and time. This is necessary so that the determinants can render into their triple aspect of Object, subject, and method. Analogy: How can I love the beloved unless there is a context of space and time to do so.

After Supermind creates Space and Time it establishes distinct individual centres of consciousness for each of the eight determinants (witness, love, knowledge, delight, beauty, etc.), and draws out the three aspect of subject, object, experience in creation for each in space and time.

Comprehending Supermind is analogous to a person imagining all of the things he can be (e.g. husband, father, businessperson, etc.), whereas Apprehending Supermind is analogous to actually becoming them.

Fate, Free Will, and Determinism of the Divine
What we call 'fate" is really the determinism of the Divine, which unfolds either through Nature or Soul, depending on the consciousness brought to bear. We have Free Will to participate in the unfolding of the Divine Determinism (Fate).

The Divine Intent
There is a Divine intent, which we can collaborate in.

Determinism of the Divine and Free Will
There is a Divine Intent. However, it cannot be executed/carried out until we exercise our own free will. (Sometimes, however, It acts on Its own, which is Grace.) This then resolves the contradiction between determinism and free will, that religion and science has grappled with from their respective sides of the issue.

Determinism and Free Will
The Absolute as Creator intended a universe so that forms manifest there, including us, could discover their true nature and thus experience Delight of Being. That intention is the determinism of the Source. And yet we have free will whether or not to participate in Its Intention.

The Supreme Will is the Cause, Not Human Action
All that happens is always the effect of the Supreme's Will. Human action can be the occasion but never the cause. (The Mother)

Divine Will is to Be Realized
We are always free to make our proposals to the Lord, but after all it is only His will that is realised. (The Mother)

Analysis of the Chapter on Cosmic Determinants from Sri Aurobindo's 'The Life Divine'

See Thoughts on How Human Choice Determines Who We Become

See Thoughts on the Way of Nature

 

Reconciling Chance and Necessity

Chance and Mechanical Necessity in Spiritual Context
Is existence just random Chance, or is it obediently following rules of Mechanical Necessity in Nature? Sri Aurobindo answers that only within the context of an Infinite source and consciousness all can be understood. He explains that the principle of free variation of the Infinite consciousness explains what we perceive as Chance in Nature, and the principle of truth powers of the Infinite explains what we see as Mechanical Necessity in Nature. Thus chance and necessity are explained in Nature. Such a theory would then give meaning to all of the unexpected process of Nature.

Chance vs. Necessity, and Free Will
Is existence just random Chance, or is it obediently following rules of Mechanical Necessity in Nature? Sri Aurobindo says that the principle of free variation of the Infinite consciousness (the Absolute) explains what we perceive as Chance in Nature, and the principle of truth powers of the Infinite explains what we see as Mechanical Necessity in Nature. In this way, chance and necessity are explained in Nature. (Such a theory would then give meaning to all of the unexplained processes of Nature.)

Chance and Order in the Universe
In life we recognize the phenomenon of chance, even as we see the order around us. How do we justify their coexistence? The One, the Infinite in the involution of the process of creation inverted itself into Finite forms, and in the evolution is moving back towards its Divine, infinite nature. This accounts for both chance and order. The infinite variations demanded by the journey of the finite to the infinite in the evolution (i.e. in the universe) explains the chance/ This journey which is subdivided into various stages, each stage organizing and establishing itself before passing onto the next highest stage explains the order. (Paraphrase of Sri Aurobindo, MSS)

Nature, Soul; Fate as Determinism of the Divine
-Life divides into Nature and Soul. Normal normally occurs through the slow and painful unfolding of Nature (Prakriti). In Higher, spirit-oriented life -- i.e. Soul (Purusha) -- life evolves rapidly and harmoniously. As we evolve there is a greater and greater capacity for further evolution through Soul, rather than Nature.

-The Divine sanctions in the created universe both the way of Nature and Soul. It perceives that in an unevolved universe it has enabled, Nature -- of progress through dualities and division -- must come first.

-What we call 'fate" is really the determinism of the Divine, which unfolds either through Nature or Soul, depending on the consciousness brought to bear. We have Free Will to participate in the unfolding of the Divine Determinism (Fate).

Fate (Determinism) and Free Will
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)

 

All That Occurs is for the Best

All That Occurs is for the Best
From a deeper poise of consciousness one realizes that everything that is happening, has happened, and will happen -- to you, to others, to the collective, and to the world and the universe --   is ALWAYS for the best. If not a Perfect best; it is a Relative best. It is relative best in the short term; a perfect best in the long term.

Everything is for the Best

"Everything is for the best" is in one sense an infuriating statement for those who seek truth. At one level it is absolutely true in that what occurs is the best considering the current conditions of consciousness. On another plane, it is false because it is static and does not account for the emerging will to bring about a higher harmony and oneness.

All that Happened To Us Had To
We will see some time in our life that all that has happened to us had to occur.

All That Occurred Had to, Indicating We Too are Brahman, God
When you examine recent history you see that everything had to take place as it did, suggesting that at one level there is a perfection in everything that is unfolding. It is further proof that God, Brahman, the Absolute, the Omnipresent Reality -- whatever name you give it -- is both the Source from which this universe manifest, and that which has been Created, the universe we live in, including us. The perfection we are as an element of God/Brahman is demonstrated in one way by the fact that all that has taken place had to.

Untitled
There is no real good or bad, all is what is should be. (Paraphrase of The Mother)

 

Other

The Inner Can Control the Outer
The outer reflects the inner. All life outside is under man's control. (MSS)

---

Real Ideas
(top)

 

Real Ideas
-Real Ideas are the Truths the Conscious Being wills to manifest in creation; what the Divine conceives it wants to accomplish. Real Ideas are thus the ultimate blueprint of creation.

-Real-Ideas are the faculties of the Absolute that have the inherent power to fulfill themselves.

-Real Ideas come from the Supramental plane which determine the formulation if existence in creation.

The Unfolding of the Determinism of the Absolute in Creation through Real Ideas
-The Absolute (Brahman, the Omnipresent Reality) is the ultimate determinant in existence. That determination is expressed through Its essential Real Ideas, which are deployed in creation through the action of Supermind.

-Real-Ideas are the faculties of the Absolute that have the inherent power to fulfill themselves.

-Supermind deploys the Real Ideas through specific cosmic determinants that come from each of Existence (Sat), Conscious-Force (Chit), and Delight (Ananda). E.g. from Conscious-Force comes the determinant of Knowledge, and from Delight comes the determinant of Love.

-Supermind renders the Real Ideas through these eight determinants in creation through its comprehending power (which turns them into possibilities for manifestation), and then through its Apprehending power, which renders them as real in creation.

-In the Apprehending Process, Supermind creates space and time, and for each of the determinants enables the triune of object-subject-experience. E.g. for the cosmic determinants of Knowledge Supermind renders it into the Knower, that which is Known, and the Knowledge (that is known); or for Love as (the) Lover, (the) Beloved, (the act/experience of) Loving. All of life takes shape this way.

-Every individual has free will to choose as he pleases. And yet he does so within the ultimate determinism of the Absolute. Thus, the individual has a choice to collaborate in the unfolding of the will and determinism of the Absolute in creation.
 

How the One Became the Many; and Space and Time Emerged

[The following is based on the Theory of Creation presented by Sri Aurobindo in 'The Life Divine' and elsewhere, and further expanded on by Sri Karmayogi.]

From time immemorial, individuals have asked themselves how this world came to be, and what was the process that enabled it to happen. Here is one perspective:

To begin with, there was/is an infinite, divine Source of all things; a timeless, spaceless, immutable, ineffable Being. We can think of it as the "One," since there were not yet distinct forces and forms in a manifest universe. I.e. there was not yet a “Many.” Due to some inner compulsion, the One extended Itself to become the Many, which is in essence the distinct, unique forces and forms that will become the basis of Creation.

How then did the Many emerge from the One; i.e. the Creation from the Creator?

In the Source/Infinite consciousness are Real Ideas, which are possibilities It seeks to render as living realities; i.e. cosmic determinants that the Spirit seeks to make real in creation. Among them are spiritual aspects or qualities, including Oneness, Knowledge, Creativity, Beauty, Love, and Delight. There are also variations, combination, and subsets of these that the Divine seeks in its extension from the One to then Many.

Then how were/are the Real Ideas made real in the cosmos as unique forces and forms?

The Truth Consciousness, which Sri Aurobindo calls "Supermind" rendered through its own Comprehending capacity images of those Real Ideas. Or to put it another way, Comprehending Supermind imagined and envisioned distinct forces and forms that would embody these cosmic ideas and determinants.

At this point however, these imaginations have not been rendered real; as they are only a conception of separate formations. (We can compare this to the writer who has established characters, values and meaning, and plot in his mind, but has not yet committed them to paper.) However, through Supermind’s Apprehending capacity these envisioned formations are rendered real as distinct entries in an emerging cosmos. I.e. Oneness, Knowledge, Creativity, Beauty, Love, Delight, et al become distinct forces and forms at the unseen universal plane.

How then did these imagined forms become real?

To become separate, distinct objects, Apprehending Supermind divided each of the previously envisioned attributes of Knowledge, Oneness, Creativity, Love, Delight, etc. and their infinite variations into triplicities in the form of subject - subject/object experience - object. E.g. the distinct possibility of the spiritual aspect of "Knowledge" is rendered into Knower – Knowing – Known. E.g., as a knowing being one knows that which is known. (Or to put it in words of our own experience. I as knower am knowing what is known.) Similarly, there is the triplicity of the lover (the subject) loving (experience) the beloved (object). And so forth for the myriad of cosmic determinates/spiritual qualities of the Infinite Divine. In essence, the One reality has now divided itself in various ways so that each subject can experience itself as object, thereby becoming the Many.

It should be noted that at this point there is no physical universe. Before that can come about, there needs to be a foundation for it's occurrence; which is in essence what we know of as space and time. Though the Infinite Source is beyond space and time -- it is spaceless and timeless -- a potential universe requires these as underpinning. How does that happen?  

When the triplicities of the cosmic determinates are established through Supermind's comprehending action, which is, in essence, how the spiritual aspects/determinants are made real as distinct forces and forms, space and time are created.

But why does this happen? To answer that we need to know more about the nature of space and time.

Sri Aurobindo and Sri Karmayogi tell us that space is created at the point where a form is able, from its own unique vantage point, to perceive other forces and forms. Space then is perceived as a sense of extension from one form's perspective to another's.

Then there is time, which can be thought of as an outgrowth of space. Time is created at the point where a form perceives one form, then another one, etc. in sequence, which generates the sense of movement in extension. The perception of movement in the extension of space is what we call time.

With the triplicities of subject – functioning – object occurring though the comprehending action of the Truth Consciousness, distinct forces and forms take shape. Though these are initially at the idea of force, power and knowledge, they eventually begin to take on properties of substance through the creation and dispersion of an essential Energy. As forms take on properties of substance, they more readily perceive other forms, creating the sense of extension which is space, as well as the sense of movement within the extension, which is time.

In essence, this is the process by which the One extends Itself and is rendered into the Many. The process begins with the rendering of Real Ideas/Cosmic Determinants of the Source Being into forces and forms as triplicities of subject, experience, object, through the comprehending and apprehending action of Truth Consciousness. This becomes the basis of space and time, as well as the further involution of the cosmos that will culminate in the material-based universe that we live in.

Real Ideas of Truth are Rendered in Creation through Supermind
What then what are the things, entities, force, et al that Supermind is rendering comprehensively and apprehensively? Or to put it another way, what is the Truth that Supermind seeks to manifest in the universe? Sri Aurobindo says it is Real Ideas. These are the Truths the Conscious Being wills to manifest in creation; what the Divine conceives it wants to accomplish. Real Ideas are thus the ultimate blueprint of creation.

Then what are these Real Ideas, and what truths does the Conscious Being seek to manifest in creation? He will later indicate that these Truths, these Real Ideas reflect "cosmic determinants,"  that are extensions in life of Sat, Chit, and Ananda, including spiritual attributes of Silent Witness, Creator, Oneness of being, Knowledge/Wisdom, Love, Joy/Delight, and Beauty. These Truths/Real Ideas will manifest (a) through principles which the Conscious Being conceives, (b) through forms of force (including us) which the Conscious Being conceives, who will be their instrument, and (c) through movements of those forms. Through principles, forms, and their movements the Truths of Real Idea will emerge from the One into the Many in space and time of creation.

[This cosmic "process of creation" is analogous to how we as humans create and accomplish in life. We have an idea, vision that we wish to bring about. It can be something we hope to accomplish or a deep value or belief we subscribe to in life. We then develop the intention and will for it to come about. We then establish the means for that to happen; through organization and a plan by which it can be made real. We then implement the organized plan through time-bound movements and actions. Thus, just as we organize and execute a plan of action through vision, organization, execution, so too the Conscious-Being envisions Truths it wishes to manifests, devises principles by which it can occur, conceives of forms (like us) which serve as their instrument, and perceives movements of those Forms so that the Truths/spiritual expressions and determinants, unfold and become living reality in the manifest universe.]

It should also be pointed out that Real Ideas are not just conceptions, but are Ideas of power. That is, they have the full power to realize itself in manifestation. They are a vibration emanating from the Conscious Being that becomes whatever it wants.

Supermind thus renders these Real Ideas, these Spiritual expressions first as formations of ideaized possibility in its Comprehending capacity, and then as living realities through its Apprehending capacity. It will enable the Truths/Real Ideas of the conscious being to manifest through principles, forms, and movements of those forms.

Supermind thus serves as the instrument of the Urge, Will, and Intention of the Conscious Being to render its envisioned Truths/Real Ideas as real in creation. In Supermind through the Real Idea, the Divine conceptualizes and then renders everything It wants to manifest in life.

[I conceive that I want my vision/idea to be realized. This is analogous to comprehending Supermind, which seeks to create real images of the Divine's Real Ideas. I then execute my vision/idea through plan and action. This is analogous to Apprehending Supermind., which seeks to manifest these images in space and time as living realities.]

[One, Single Process of Creation -- In this way, we begin to see that there is only one fundamental process of creation, that exists in the Unmanifest on its way towards manifestation, and that exists in the world, including our ability to manifest that which is unmanifest in our minds.]

Absolute as Being and Power; Real Ideas
The Absolute, the Infinite Consciousness is not just a Being, but it is a Power, containing not only a quiescence and repose, but an action in of itself, a creation in of itself. The Absolute is then capable of an eternal action and creation; of deploying the Infinite Power. Creation would then be an ordered deployment of the infinite possibilities of the Absolute. The Supreme and Eternal Infinite determines itself to our consciousness in the universe through Supermind by real and fundamental truths, as "Real Ideas" which can be seized by us, especially if we rise to a consciousness of spiritual intuition and beyond.

Formations of Real Ideas
The consciousness-force inherent in the seed as real-idea gives rise by rhythm of contact of substance with substance to the growth of the form of the tree from that seed, differentiating itself into trunk, roots, leaves, fruits and flowers. By a similar process, the consciousness-force latent in the child gives rise by rhythm of contact with people, objects, ideas and life experiences to the growth of conscious awareness and development of the personality of the child, differentiating itself in the process into an individual with characteristics, capacities, propensities and inclinations unique to its own being. By the same process, the power of Real-idea in the call for freedom unleashed an American, French and Russian Revolution. Continuous contact and interaction of that idea with other ideas, institutions, attitudes and values leads to the progressive manifestation of the Real-idea of freedom in the field of human social existence. (MSS) 

On Real-Ideas
-Real-Idea is a vibration of the Being, by which Supermind creates. Real-Idea combines knowledge and will in a state of fusion.

-This real-idea is a truth-perception which is self-effective; for it is the idea and will of the spirit in direct action and originates a movement of the substance of being which must inevitably effectuate itself in state and act of being.

-The supramental consciousness contains the Real-Idea in it.

-Supermind begins the process or organizing and developing the Real Idea of creation.

-It is the divine Mind (the subordinate delimiting action of the Real Idea), through the instrumentation of the supramental apprehending consciousness that projects the finite from the Infinite.

-Creation is a continuing phenomenon that expresses as Real Ideas descending, which we can rise to, embrace, and embody insuring their instrumentality.

-The more we are conscious, the more we are able to be a pure instrument for the right embodiment of descending Real Ideas.

-All forms of existence originated as the Real Ideas of the Self-Existent Reality.

-External forms--matter are symbols of the Real Ideas of the Self-Existent Reality.

-In all material things reside a mute and involved Real-Idea.

-For the gnostic being would be in unison and communion with the Consciousness-Force that is at the root of everything: his vision and his will would be the channel of the supramental Real-Idea, the self-effective Truth-Force...
(Paraphrase or direct quotes of MSS, Sri Aurobindo, and others)

Real Ideas and Cosmic Determinants
Real Ideas reflect "cosmic determinants," that are extensions in life of Sat, Chit, and Ananda, including spiritual attributes of Silent Witness, Creator, Oneness of being, Knowledge/Wisdom, Love, Joy/Delight, and Beauty.

The Purpose of Creation

A question from a reader:
"Why did this creation happen? What is the purpose of creation?"

Answer:
-One reason is so that the static Delight of the Unmanifest could express as dynamic Delight in the myriad of forms of creation in the manifestation.

-Sri Aurobindo also indicates that the transcendent Reality, the Divine All manifest a universe in infinite space and time so that it can reveal through its forms that Reality. Thus, this progressive revealing of the transcendental Reality is the meaning and aim of the universe.

Another way to look at this is to say that the Spiritual qualities of the Divine All -- Truth, Oneness, Wisdom, Peace, Power, Creativity, Love, Delight, Infinity, Timelessness, etc -- seek myriad expression in an infinite variety of forms. To express these aspects of the Transcendent Reality in life is why the universe, the forms, we humans are here.

Method Real Ideas Manifest
These Truths/Real Ideas will manifest (a) through principles which the Conscious Being conceives, (b) through forms of force (including us) which the Conscious Being conceives, who will be their instrument, and (c) through movements of those forms. Through principles, forms, and their movements the Truths of Real Idea will emerge from the One into the Many in space and time of creation.

Connecting with a Real Idea, Where Knowledge & Will Are Fused
Real-Idea is the original phrase of Sri Aurobindo who attributes it to being the faculty of the Supermind. He calls it a self-effectuating Idea, an idea that has the inherent power to fulfil itself. Our mind has knowledge and will. Knowledge knows, will implements.

I come to know of a conference in Washington. I understand attending this conference will do good to me, my career and my research. This is the knowledge of it. My knowledge about this conference will not take me to Washington. It has no power to buy my ticket, secure me an invitation, offer me leave of absence, etc.

That part belongs to my will, usually called determination. The mind knows, the will executes. In Real-Idea, both the knowledge and will are together. If you know, it will be fulfilled.

Sri Aurobindo's Force has the Real-Idea, i.e. when you know, what you know accomplishes itself. As soon as you come to know of the conference in Washington, if you invoke Mother's Force - Sri Aurobindo's Force is The Mother's Force - you will be called by your professor who tells you of this conference and asks whether you are willing to attend it.

When you listen to him about his need to send someone from his department and the department will secure your visa and ticket, you are pleasantly surprised. After you attend the conference and return, you tell yourself, 'It was a long felt dream. I was not strong enough to wish for it, being the junior most in the department. It all happened by itself, as if there was a Hand behind guiding it.' (MSS)

 Notes on Real Ideas (to be organized)
-Real Ideas come from the Supramental plane which determine the formulation if existence in creation.

-To begin the process of creating the universe, the Absolute, the Original Principle, the Omnipresent Reality has the Real Idea of creation.

-The involution goes from the Real Idea of the Divine to manifest a universe for the delight of being. The Divine began with a Real Idea to create a universe for greater delight of being

-A Real Idea is initiated through this Consciousness-Force, which is organized through the intermediary organizational power of Truth Consciousness (Supermind)

-In the involution a process of self conception is used by the Divine to conceptualize the universe as a Real Idea, and through supermind converts that Real Idea into the planes of matter, life, and mind. Supermind coordinates the rendering of the Absolute, expressed as Real Ideas, into a created universe. Supermind is both a Knowledge and a Power. It has the Knowledge of the Real Ideas and the intent of the Absolute to render a universe, and it has the Power to carry it out.

-The Absolute, the Infinite Consciousness is not just a Being, but it is a Power, containing not only a quiescence and repose, but an action in of itself, a creation in of itself. The Absolute is then capable of an eternal action and creation; of deploying the Infinite Power. Creation would then be an ordered deployment of the infinite possibilities of the Absolute. The Supreme and Eternal Infinite determines itself to our consciousness in the universe through Supermind by real and fundamental truths, as "Real Ideas" which can be seized by us, especially if we rise to a consciousness of spiritual intuition and beyond.

-Creation is not simply some thing, process that happened once as an extension of the Being, but is a continuing phenomenon that expresses as Real Ideas descending, which we can rise to, embrace, and embody insuring their instrumentality.

-The movement among the planes (from matter to life to mind and beyond) is due to a upward movement of consciousness that ends in something new. [There is a creative outcome.] It's drive is Consciousness-Force and the power of the Real Idea.

-Creative insight that comes as intuition is a distilling of an original Real Idea of Supermind.

Real Ideas Creates at Supramental Level
-At the Supramental level it is Real-Idea that creates.

1. all in each, and

2. each in all.

Aligning Ourselves with the Cosmic Intention
At any moment, there is a higher, Divine intention at work. It is flowing from that transcendent reality to the universal plane and on through us at the individual level. It flows in endless forms, factors, and variations. It has the potential to realize itself through our inner and outer actions, provided we are aware of and open to it.

The problem is that we are normally focused on what our limited self and ego dictates, than any urge to fulfill the higher intent of an Infinite consciousness. However, if we align with that cosmic aspiration, force, and unfolding, we can bring staggering positive result to the world, while accomplishing in ways we would never have imagined.

The Bhagavad Gita indicates that a person interested in a spirit-oriented existence should do one's work as service, not to aggrandize one's ego and exclusively for personal gain. At a deeper level still, Krishna indicates that one can surrender and become an instrument for the Divine intent. Sri Aurobindo goes further still and describes the nature of that cosmic aspiration. He indicates that there are Real Ideas originating in and flowing from an infinite, conscious Being, which aspires for their realization in the cosmos. Moreover, the individual human has the capacity at any moment to open to and latch onto these inner and outer movements, and be an instrument for their realization in life.

How then can we partake in this cosmic process in a practical way? At various point, we can pause to consider where we are going, and ask ourselves this question: Are we doing what the universe seems to be indicating for us, or are we caught up in selfish motives and desires. If we know what that Higher Purpose is, then we are well on our way to becoming an instruments of Its cosmic Intent, while living an unprecedented, marvelous, spirit-oriented practical existence. If we don't have that direct connection, we can offer up a powerful prayer such as, ''Oh Divine spirit, let Your will be done in my life." Then when we carry out our work, that higher power will guide us in the right direction each step of the way.

Whichever approach you take, life will unfold like a Marvel. As a result, not only will you be able to fulfill your deepest aspirations, not only will you constantly grow as a person, not only will you be an instrument for evolutionary change, but you will have brought a portion of the Transcendent Will into being in the world.

Real Ideas of Supermind
As the idea is from consciousness, so the Real-Idea is from the Being. Consciousness in its downward movement creates idea (knowledge) and will. As it is moving downward, they are separate. Being is the prior stage to consciousness. Therefore, its idea is Real-Idea. There will and knowledge are united. The officer commanding issues orders below to fire. A junior officer shouts out the order. The soldier fires. When the commanding officer wants to fire, he needs no orders. He fires. (MSS)

Supermind as Faculty of Conscious Force
Sri Aurobindo refers to this faculty of Consciousness-force as Supermind and the concepts generated by it as Real-ideas.

The spiritual energy-substance which is the Pure Existent imparts to this supramental consciousness-force an infinite power for effectuality. The process of creation is the process by which the supermental consciousness-force formulates Real-ideas out of the energy-substance of the Pure Existent and manifests those Real-ideas as forms and forces in the planes of mind, life and matter. Every form and force in the universe is form and expression of Real-idea, partially expressing or fully concealing the secret intention is strives to manifest in nature.

On The Real-Idea
The Real-Idea is Being [pure spirit] aware of what is in itself and automatically self-creative by the force of that Truth-awareness. (Paraphrase of Sri Aurobindo)

On Capturing "Real Ideas"
The Real Ideas of the Absolute stream down through the planes of consciousness. They are the cosmic potentials of seeking a plane to manifest a whole new form of creation. As human we normally "capture them" at our own lower planes, i.e. at our own limited physical and vital consciousness, causing the Real Ideas to take an inferior form. As we rise in consciousness to mind, spiritual mind and above, we become more positive instruments for the Real Ideas to manifest their infinite creativity of creation in higher and more subtle forms.

Highest Instruments of Real Ideas
Real Ideas are streaming down from Spirit. By attaining our highest consciousness we become the best possible instruments for their successful unfolding into Creative New Realities in life.

Also See Entries on the Nature of Supramental Plane

 

---

The Triple Differentiation of the One
(top)

 

Triple Differentiation of the Absolute as Subject, Object, Experience
When the Absolute want to experience itself as Separate, it first divides itself into three parts or aspects -- subject, object, experience.

Apprehending Supermind Creates Triplicities of Cosmic Determinants; Space and Time are Born
Sachchidananda gives rise to eight fundamental determinants. In Supermind, these eight determinants each give rise to three aspects or expressions of itself – subjective, objective and the experience or interaction between the two. In the Comprehending Supermind the object of knowledge and subject of knowledge are the same, but the apprehending Supermind creates time and space by splitting it into three so the One as subject can experience itself as object. We have said that Knowledge is the reflection of Chit. In Apprehending Supermind, Knowledge splits into three aspects -- the knower, the object of knowledge, and the act of knowing. Similarly, Will becomes the subject that wills, the object of the will and the act of willing. Beauty becomes the perceiver of beauty, the object of beauty, and the experience of beauty, and so on. (MSS)

From the One to Triplicity of Subject-Experience-Object

To become separate, distinct objects, Apprehending Supermind divided each of the previously envisioned attributes of Knowledge, Oneness, Creativity, Love, Delight, etc. and their infinite variations into triplicities in the form of subject - subject/object experience - object. E.g. the distinct possibility of the spiritual aspect of "Knowledge" is rendered into Knower – Knowing – Known. E.g., as a knowing being one knows that which is known. (Or to put it in words of our own experience. I as knower am knowing what is known.) Similarly, there is the triplicity of the lover (the subject) loving (experience) the beloved (object). And so forth for the myriad of cosmic determinates/spiritual qualities of the Infinite Divine. In essence, the One reality has now divided itself in various ways so that each subject can experience itself as object, thereby becoming the Many.

 

The Unfolding of the Determinism of the Absolute in Creation
-The Absolute (Brahman, the Omnipresent Reality) is the ultimate determinant in existence. That determination is expressed through Its essential Real Ideas, which are deployed in creation through the action of Supermind.

-Real-Ideas are the faculties of the Absolute that have the inherent power to fulfill themselves.

-Supermind deploys the Real Ideas through specific cosmic determinants that come from each of Existence (Sat), Conscious-Force (Chit), and Delight (Ananda). E.g. from Conscious-Force comes the determinant of Knowledge, and from Delight comes the determinant of Love.

-Supermind renders the Real Ideas through these eight determinants in creation through its comprehending power (which turns them into possibilities for manifestation), and then through its Apprehending power, which renders them as real in creation.

-In the Apprehending Process, Supermind creates space and time, and for each of the determinants enables the triune of object-subject-experience. E.g. for the cosmic determinants of Knowledge Supermind renders it into the Knower, that which is Known, and the Knowledge (that is known); or for Love as (the) Lover, (the) Beloved, (the act/experience of) Loving. All of life takes shape this way.

-Every individual has free will to choose as he pleases. And yet he does so within the ultimate determinism of the Absolute. Thus, the individual has a choice to collaborate in the unfolding of the will and determinism of the Absolute in creation.

 

How the One Became the Many; and Space and Time Emerged

[The following is based on the Theory of Creation presented by Sri Aurobindo in 'The Life Divine' and elsewhere, and further expanded on by Sri Karmayogi.]

From time immemorial, individuals have asked themselves how this world came to be, and what was the process that enabled it to happen. Here is one perspective:

To begin with, there was/is an infinite, divine Source of all things; a timeless, spaceless, immutable, ineffable Being. We can think of it as the "One," since there were not yet distinct forces and forms in a manifest universe. I.e. there was not yet a “Many.” Due to some inner compulsion, the One extended Itself to become the Many, which is in essence the distinct, unique forces and forms that will become the basis of Creation.

How then did the Many emerge from the One; i.e. the Creation from the Creator?

In the Source/Infinite consciousness are Real Ideas, which are possibilities It seeks to render as living realities; i.e. cosmic determinants that the Spirit seeks to make real in creation. Among them are spiritual aspects or qualities, including Oneness, Knowledge, Creativity, Beauty, Love, and Delight. There are also variations, combination, and subsets of these that the Divine seeks in its extension from the One to then Many.

Then how were/are the Real Ideas made real in the cosmos as unique forces and forms?

The Truth Consciousness, which Sri Aurobindo calls "Supermind" rendered through its own Comprehending capacity images of those Real Ideas. Or to put it another way, Comprehending Supermind imagined and envisioned distinct forces and forms that would embody these cosmic ideas and determinants.

At this point however, these imaginations have not been rendered real; as they are only a conception of separate formations. (We can compare this to the writer who has established characters, values and meaning, and plot in his mind, but has not yet committed them to paper.) However, through Supermind’s Apprehending capacity these envisioned formations are rendered real as distinct entries in an emerging cosmos. I.e. Oneness, Knowledge, Creativity, Beauty, Love, Delight, et al become distinct forces and forms at the unseen universal plane.

How then did these imagined forms become real?

To become separate, distinct objects, Apprehending Supermind divided each of the previously envisioned attributes of Knowledge, Oneness, Creativity, Love, Delight, etc. and their infinite variations into triplicities in the form of subject - subject/object experience - object. E.g. the distinct possibility of the spiritual aspect of "Knowledge" is rendered into Knower – Knowing – Known. E.g., as a knowing being one knows that which is known. (Or to put it in words of our own experience. I as knower am knowing what is known.) Similarly, there is the triplicity of the lover (the subject) loving (experience) the beloved (object). And so forth for the myriad of cosmic determinates/spiritual qualities of the Infinite Divine. In essence, the One reality has now divided itself in various ways so that each subject can experience itself as object, thereby becoming the Many.

It should be noted that at this point there is no physical universe. Before that can come about, there needs to be a foundation for it's occurrence; which is in essence what we know of as space and time. Though the Infinite Source is beyond space and time -- it is spaceless and timeless -- a potential universe requires these as underpinning. How does that happen?  

When the triplicities of the cosmic determinates are established through Supermind's comprehending action, which is, in essence, how the spiritual aspects/determinants are made real as distinct forces and forms, space and time are created.

But why does this happen? To answer that we need to know more about the nature of space and time.

Sri Aurobindo and Sri Karmayogi tell us that space is created at the point where a form is able, from its own unique vantage point, to perceive other forces and forms. Space then is perceived as a sense of extension from one form's perspective to another's.

Then there is time, which can be thought of as an outgrowth of space. Time is created at the point where a form perceives one form, then another one, etc. in sequence, which generates the sense of movement in extension. The perception of movement in the extension of space is what we call time.

With the triplicities of subject – functioning – object occurring though the comprehending action of the Truth Consciousness, distinct forces and forms take shape. Though these are initially at the idea of force, power and knowledge, they eventually begin to take on properties of substance through the creation and dispersion of an essential Energy. As forms take on properties of substance, they more readily perceive other forms, creating the sense of extension which is space, as well as the sense of movement within the extension, which is time.

In essence, this is the process by which the One extends Itself and is rendered into the Many. The process begins with the rendering of Real Ideas/Cosmic Determinants of the Source Being into forces and forms as triplicities of subject, experience, object, through the comprehending and apprehending action of Truth Consciousness. This becomes the basis of space and time, as well as the further involution of the cosmos that will culminate in the material-based universe that we live in.

 

The Undivided Consciousness Behind Subject and the Object
Those who understand this world say that at the most fundamental level of nature, one undivided consciousness collapses upon itself to create both the subject and the object of experience. In reality, the subject and the object, the seer and the scenery, the observer and the observed are the same being. (Deepak Chopra)

 

---

Origins and Nature of Space and Time
(top)

Click here to see entries

The Nature of Space and Time

Click here to see entries

 

The Cause, Origins of Space and Time

Click here to see entries

 

The Purpose of Space and Time

Click here to see entries

 

---

DETAILS OF THE EVOLUTION

Overview of the Unfolding of the Evolution | Origins and Nature of Matter

Origins and Nature of Life in the Universe | Origins and Nature of Mind
 

---

EVOLUTION:
 Overview of the Unfolding of the Evolution
(top)
 

Unfolding of Planes in Evolution

Four Evolutionary Developments in the Universe 
From some Conscious Force, perhaps we can call it a spiritual Reality, an essential Energy emerged completely at rest. When that essential energy began to move, and then coagulated into forms of existence, the universe was born. In that universe, the first essential forms of existence took shape. Though their are unseen forms --including subtle forces and powers --the first forms we come to physically know are the forms of Matter.

Gradually, we see, as we travel ahead on this cosmic timeline, mysteriously and apparently from within a proper mixture of the elements of matter, a second aspect emerging out of the inconscient matter. It is the animation of matter, which we can call the Vital (or Life) aspect. These vitalized forms, or 'life forms"  range from the simplest forms of life (e.g. amoebae, paramecium, fungus) all the way up through the complex animals in the primate family to humans.

On the next leg of our journey along the timeline of creation, we find the next evolutionary development occurring in animate forms. First in very rudimentary and later in more and more complex arrangements we see the birth of self-consciousness. In the earliest forms of animate life, consciousness appears to be based in chemical responses to impacts from internal or external sources. We see initial signs of life trying to defend, adapt, protect, hunt, etc. Gradually as higher forms of life with greater complexity emerged on earth we observe that consciousness, in fact, becomes different from the nervous response to chemical reactions. As thought, inspiration and creativity slowly emerge in the lower animals, and then in the higher primates, and finally in humans, we can clearly see more than just the mechanics, animus, and responses of the organism at work. Thus, we see the third aspect, Mind emerging in the evolution of creation.  Mind is the next building block of nature that is the basis of a more fully self-conscious species capable of self-choice and direction. It is most fully developed in humans, especially in the past ten thousand years, and its influence is rapidly accelerating, especially in the past 100 years.

Recently in cosmic terms as we approach what might be called modern times, say a few thousand years ago, which is like a second in the time window we have just traveled, we see another singularity emerging in the self-conscious species we call man. The evolutionary development of spiritual awakening or spiritual consciousness has appeared. Though rare, this experience has repeatedly occurred not just in ancient mystical societies but throughout modern times. In fact, when we scan life today, we find a small cross-section of individuals with a growing aspiration to exceed mind and find union and harmony in a higher universal consciousness. Thus Spirit is the fourth evolutionary development of existence in the universe. This principle is likely to expand in man after he has more successfully realized the full power of his mental consciousness.

We should point out that these four evolutionary developments in the universe actually existed before the universe existed. It is actually because they existed as plane of consciousness before creation that they exist in creation. Before creation there was Spirit from which in the "Involution" emerged a plane of Mind (unseen, hidden, unmanifest), which enabled a plane of Life, which is really an unseen Energy at rest, which coagulated into the forms of the universe as explained above, primarily as Matter. The universe essentially begins at the point where the unmoving energy of the Involution begins to move and coagulate in into the forms of existence. As these forms take shape, as subtle forces, plasma, matter, etc. the universe takes shape.

The Evolution
The Evolution is how forms, beginning with matter evolve in the universe to vital, mind, and spirit, fulfilling its destiny by returning to the spiritual source.

The Evolution Reverses the Involution
The involution begins with a self-conceptive Real Idea of the Divine to manifest a universe for the Delight of being, creates the planes of mind, life, and matter, and then through a process of self-absorption hides them before creation; whereas the evolution is the reverse process where matter appears, where the plane of life emerges from matter, where mind emerges from life, and Spirit (Being) from mind. In that process of coming to higher planes of spiritual mind to spirit man has the joy of self-discovery of his higher consciousness, which gives him the Delight of being, the very purpose for which the Absolute, the Divine manifest this universe in the first place.

Evolution is Reverse of Involution
The involution, which is from Existence (i.e. Being/Spirit) culminating in matter, is reversed in the evolution; i.e. there is an opposite movement, a return from the initial state of matter to the ultimate state of Spirit (Being).

Involution, then Evolution
Involution of consciousness-force in and as energy-substance is followed by evolution of conscious-force from the energy-substance. (MSS) 

Evolution is Rediscovery of Lost Spirit/Being of Creation
The Spirit Being has been absorbed and disappears in the process of the involution. Thus the evolution is the bringing back, the rediscovery of the Spirit that was lost. We, as universal instruments, enable this through our own higher consciousness. We can therefore say that evolution is the progressive unfolding of the Spirit Being into the Becoming of life, the Spirit reemerging in the practical life.

Untitled
Evolution is the progressive unfolding of the Being into the Becoming, the spirit emerging in the practical life. (Paraphrase of MSS)

Evolution is Overcoming the Inversion of Creation
Evolution is the method to overcome Non-Existence through and beyond the dualities of life and death; Inconscience through and beyond its dualities of Truth and Falsehood, and Knowledge and Error; and Insensibility through and beyond its dualities of Pleasure and Pain.

Formulations of Conscious Force
The universe consists of formulation of the original Conscious Force; as formulations of forces as physical matter, as energies of life, as thoughts of mind. The higher the plane, the more subtle and more conscious is the formulation. In spirit above mind they are highest. There are gradations there too. There is also gradations of force that we experience from the surface to the depths culminating in the evolving soul within.

The Seed of Potentiality
In Sri Aurobindo's metaphysics, life emerged from a Conscious-Force, but the consciousness dissolved on the way to manifesting matter. Yet all of the magnificence is involved, hidden in matter as a seed of potential. Animated life and mind emerged from that seed, yet each of these also hold a seed of further possibility. When we evolve our consciousness, we bring the (infinite) potentiality out of the seed. If we examine your quote from Savitri, we can see this involutionary/evolutionary philosophy captured.

"All the world's possibilities in man
Are waiting as the tree waits in its seed:
His past lives in him; it drives his future's pace;
His present's acts fashion his coming fate.
The unborn gods hide in his house of Life."

Evolution, Involution, and Darwin
Darwin understood the physical causes of evolution in animals; even their only partially. He did not understand the subtle causes -- i.e. the psychological and spiritual.

For example, the evolutionary spiritual philosopher Sri Aurobindo says that evolution occurs not only because of a movement to higher consciousness -- e.g. greater thought or insight --, but to the unfolding of a seed of that possibility that is involved in that form. I.e. in a dumb animal is an involved consciousness of mentality, which will only come out through the evolution of that species, which is what happened when higher animals and man evolved from it. This involved seed and capacity is there because the Spirit put it there in its own involutionary descent from the Infinite consciousness, the Divine on its way to creating a universe of forms. All evolution is an unfolding of this intended process.

Thus, evolution is the very essence and will of God, to create ever more conscious beings, reflective of its own Infinite, Divine nature.

Darwin's explanation does not perceive the essential process of creation, therefore his view of evolution is material and mechanistic. Still his was a great breakthrough at its own (limited) level.

 

The Evolutionary Process
(what is the process by which the evolution occurs)

The Process of Creation, Involution, and Evolution

On the 197th birthday of Charles Darwin, individuals are trying to reconcile his ideas with that of the Spirit. So far, all parties -- sectarian and scientific -- seem very far from understanding the true nature of the fundamental issue he addressed: evolution.

With that in mind, let’s consider one definition of evolution: Evolution takes place for any entity when it organizes itself at a higher level. Here are several examples:

When a business develops a strategic plan to grow, organizes and then executes it, the firm has followed a process for it to progress. Likewise, when I as an individual plan out what I want to become, organize the details, and then carry it out, I too can rapidly progress. If the organization or individual succeeds in not just going a bit higher, but to a new level or plane of existence, there is not only progress, but evolution.

These examples suggest that there is a common process by which accomplishment and creation takes place. It consists of a conception of that which we want to become, the organization of the details of that vision, and its execution. Moreover, when it is carried out with determined effort, skill, and right attitude, our aspiration/intention quickly comes about, which is progress for that entity.

When that process is practiced to perfection, not only is progress produced -- which is in essence more of what we currently have, along with a certain degree of elevation of consciousness -- but we are taken to an entirely new level or plane of our existence, which is the very definition of evolution.

Even the Spiritual reality in creating a universe from its Divine source, followed this same essential approach: i.e. it conceived that which it wished to create -- a universe -- and it organized and made it occur through powers of infinite consciousness that turned its Conscious Force into unseen subtle Energy that became the basis of all forms that would emerge in creation. In other words, it evolved itself further by becoming a manifest universe.

If we are to understand evolution, we need to understand this single essential process of creation that entails a movement from vision to organization to manifestation. Even when a primitive being or an animal evolves, there is some higher quality that is being organized, that is moving from its current level of being to a higher order. We can see this in the film 2001: A Space Odyssey, where at one point an ape vaguely perceives that a bone it has found can be used as a tool for defending itself, tries it out, and then uses it to gain superiority over rival clans. It is in essence the organization of a perception into a living reality. Evolution is then a product of the organization of consciousness -- whether it consciously, subconsciously, or unconsciously takes place.

There is another dimension to the evolutionary process. It is that the higher levels of progress, development, and evolution that entities move towards and attain is already involved in their being as potential. Just as a tree emerges from a seed in which all of its material existence is more or less predetermined, so too there is an involved capacity inherent in every form to bring about the next stage or phase of its being. For example, when the most primitive life forms emerged from matter, that capacity was already there involved as real potential in the essence of that physical form. Likewise, if I wish to become more intuitively aware -- a higher formation of mentality -- that capacity is already there involved as potential in my current mental framework. It is there in the seed of my being as potential. There is a real seed of possibility hidden in its essence, not just an imaginary one that somehow can be fulfilled.

Thus, not only is there one universal process of creation that moves from stages of vision to organization to manifestation, i.e. through a movement of higher consciousness, but the stages we can evolve to are already there embedded in our being as seed and essence of potentiality. This is the case because in the creation of the cosmos from a Divine Source, those infinitely higher planes of being were there before the universe even existed, and in creation were then embedded, hidden, involved in the forms that emerged, including us. E.g., a plane of Mind existed before the universe came to be in the involutionary process and descent from Spirit to matter. Then after creation, higher life forms emerged from matter, and developed a mentality with the capacity to think. That occurred because the original Cosmic Plane of Mind is involved in matter and life forms, which emerges through the development of our mentality.

Thus, we can say that the evolutionary process is able to occur because the involutionary process has created these potentialities in the very fiber of our being. The planes that emerge from us were already involved in us as a seed in subtle form.

In summary, through the process of creation -- i.e. vision, organization, and execution -- all life progresses. If the change is truly significant, -- i.e. there is a dramatic change in consciousness, bringing about a movement to an entirely new level or plane of existence -- then there is also evolution. And yet the seeds of our evolution and change, including all the planes above it, are already there involved, hidden in our being in potential, waiting to come out.

Whether we choose to progress and evolve is a matter of our own choice. If we consciously follow the process of creation, seeking to move to a higher level, we not only accelerate our own growth and progress, but we participate in the evolution of Man. 

Evolution as Higher Forms of Force
We are all forms of an original Force. When we enable higher formations of this force -- making it a more conscious Force -- we evolve.

The Evolutionary Process of Ascent
-There is an upward evolutionary progress, an ascent, of the consciousness itself from grade to higher grade.

-The transition from one state to the next is a stride from one principle of being to a different, higher principle.

-When the Force of concealed conscious being is so intensified in a plane, it develops a new principle of action, enabling a whole new plane to emerge out of it. This is the evolutionary process of ascent.

-The difference between the stages of evolution are due to the workings of the inner Force and not in the outer process of the evolutionary transition. (Paraphrase of Sri Aurobindo)

The Evolutionary Process
All evolution is in essence a heightening of the force of consciousness in the manifest being so that it may be raised into the greater intensity of what is still unmanifest, from matter into life, from life into mind, from the mind into the spirit. It is this that must be the method of our growth from a mental into a spiritual and supramental manifestation, out of a still half-animal humanity into a divine being and a divine living. (Sri Aurobindo)

Cause of Evolution
Evolution results from a rhythm and process of the contact between forms of substance, which awakens and releases the latent consciousness-force inherent in each form so that it can more fully express on the surface. (MSS) 
 

 

Origins and Nature of Energy

End of Involution, Beginning of Evolution
At the point that energy coagulates into objective uniqueness the involution ends and the evolution begins.

Energy and Life
-There is an ocean of energy, a plane of Force enveloping the earth. This is Life.
-Forms, matter, us emerge from this energy, this plane of Life
-The Divine has created Man in the plane of life, through the force of life.

-Man is one formation of life, and the animal is another formation of life. Matter itself is a hard formation dense to our touch.  
(MSS, paraphrased)

Untitled
The dominant characteristic of life is energy. (MSS)

Energy Emerges First from the Inconscience
In the beginning of the evolution when all is emerged in inconscience, there is the emergence first of Energy, not Consciousness, which emerges later.

Science Sees the Force, not the Will
The energy detected and measured by science is itself a partial expression of that consciousness-force, partial because we perceive only the force and not the will that determines the direction of that force. (MSS)

Thoughts on Energy

• Energy originates in Being through its extension to Consciousness to Force and to Will through the dividing action of the plane of Mind as determined by Supermind.
• Energy is the result of will which is the product of knowledge acting on the force of consciousness of the Being.
• Though energy in life expresses physically, vitally, and mentally, its origins are spiritual; i.e. from the Being. So it is logical that it also can express spiritually, which it does.
• Energy manifest as results in life through a process of conversion, and withers and dies through unconscious dispersion.
• Energy gathers through right consciousness, emotion, thought, and action.
• True interest in another energizes; in separative self (i.e. ego) depletes.
• Moving within replenishes energy, as it is a movement toward the Being in the individual in the universe.
• Energy gathers by understanding the nature of energy, or for that matter, the nature of anything.
• Nature is the energy of life moving towards a Higher end.

Process of Energy Creation
Knowledge and Will come from Consciousness-Force (of the Absolute, Brahman). Will comes about because of a Knowledge. That Will is the Energy of creation. This same process is there for the individual. (E.g. I am aware of something that can be achieved. I see the benefit of achieving it. I want to achieve it. Will arises. This in turn creates energy (i.e. turns the force of Consciousness-Force into energy.) The culmination as substance, results depends on execution, whether it be in the Creation, or in our individual creation.

Spirit Revives
Spirit revives dead or dying vehicle into fresh new life. (Paraphrase of Sri Aurobindo)

The Process of Evolution that Humans Can Accelerate
Sri Aurobindo, the Indian sage and seer spent decades trying to fathom the true nature of existence. He came to see that the universe came about through an involution of the Spirit; i.e. through a conscious decision of the Divine Will, there emerged a Force and then an Energy out of which all forms in the universe were created. At the point where the Force/Energy emerged form a Divine Source and coagulated into the first forms of creation, there began the evolution of the universe, which began as unconscious matter, evolved an animus of life, including life forms, and the development of mentality expressed predominantly through primate and especially man.

While philosophers and seers like Sri Aurobindo have attempted to explain the involution part, scientists like Darwin have tried to explain the evolution part; the movement from matter to life to intelligence. Unfortunately, these explanation have focused on the surface realities, and the outer material processes of evolution, as explained in such concepts as survival of the fittest, natural selection, spontaneous mutation, and so forth. Though there is considerable truth in these conclusions, especially at the material level, Sri Aurobindo believed that they elicit only a superficial understanding of the processes that enable evolution to move forward. He instead focused on the inner processes of evolution that enabled life to emerge from matter, and mind to emerge from life. His interest was to try to explain why these successive planes emerged from out of one another.

Sri Aurobindo explains it this way: There is a process of unfolding that occurs from one plane to the next plane; e.g. from matter to life to mind. The reason one plane emerges from the previous because it is already involved there as potential in the previous plane, not unlike a seed that has the potential to develop into a tree. When the existing plane becomes fully organized at its level, then the next plane emerges out of it. So the animus/life (in plant, lower life, animal, humans) that emerged from pure matter (material rock, gasses, et al.) were involved as potential to begin with, and emerged when the material level was organized enough to move to the next level. The same with the emergence of mentality from out of animus/life. (There are actually many subplanes and stratas in between.)

Sri Aurobindo goes on to say that what really compels the emergence of the next plane is the underlying (original) spirit that is embedded in each plane, pushing that plane's potential to emerge from its current plane into the next plane. (In the involution the Spirit was self-absorbed and hidden beginning in the Force and Energy and then the matter that emerged in the universe.) Since spirit, which is really the same spirit that created the universe in the first place, i.e. the Divine spirit, is infinitely creative, what emerges in the next plane is always dynamically new and creative; it is always an unexpected manifestation of new forms of consciousness. After all who could have conceived a thinking being from the plant, or perhaps a future spiritual being from the current mental-based man?

You might ask at this point, how does this all relate to me? Well Sri Aurobindo goes on to say that from time immemorial Nature has led this process of ascendance upward from matter to animus/life to mind. It is the slow and painful method by which life normally progresses. Now however the human being, the self-conscious, self-determining mental human can now take the evolution further. By connecting to his inner being, to his spiritual soul within, or to the Divine above, he comes in contact with the very spiritual powers and forces that enabled the current planes of matter, life, and mind to emerge. He then has the capacity to collaborate with spirit to enable further planes or sub planes to emerge, as well as the perfection of the current planes.

Thus man, through his conscious collaboration with the dynamic spiritual essence, becomes the enabler for the further evolution of the species. He enables new possibilities to rise in life; such as new perceptions, insights, and ideas; new inventions, products, and services; and new ways of living and acting and interacting. Ultimately through an individual's connection to consciousness and spirit, he becomes an instrument of human evolution. In that way, rather than Nature being the leader of our evolution, the self-conscious human individual becomes the pioneer and leader of our future evolution, further releasing the infinite potential and further (spiritual) planes of life.

 

Forms of Force

Forms of Force
Everything in the universe, seen and unseen is a formulation, i.e. a form of the Original Force that extended from Being, i.e. Spirit in the involution.

All Forms, Matter, We are Divine
What we think of as unspiritual outer forms (matter, life, us) is at a deeper level seen as spiritual as well. The forms of the universe are manifestations of the consciousness and force of the Divine. Matter is a materialization of the Consciousness-Force of the Divine. Matter and Spirit are therefore the same. So are life and mind. So are we. (Yet from the mental state of consciousness we see that we need to divinize these aspects, including ourselves.)

Creation of Forms
Form is created by contrast and apparent division of spiritual substance that is one and indivisible. (MSS)

Spirit Precedes and Enables Energy and Form
Science is not sure which came first, consciousness or the structure, leaning to the latter. Sri Aurobindo said that the Force was anterior to the form; i.e. the spirit and the energy at rest that is derived from the process of creation precedes and enables forms in the universe. (Paraphrase of MSS)

How Plane of Mind Creates Forms
In order for Substance to become perceptible to us as Matter, the Energy must give that substance Forms which can be apprehended by our senses. That is the role of Mind (the universal principle of mind). Consciousness-Force uses the instrumentation of Mind to divide the indivisible existence into individual Forms. (MSS)

Life Force vs. Life of Being
Life exists in two layers of Force and Being. Life of force is governed by the law of karma. Life of Being is governed by the law of causality. In the one, failure and success alternates; in the other, there is only success. (MSS)

Untitled
Everything that takes form in the manifestation, i.e. the known universe, was anterior, existed as potential form, as consciousness-force, before the creation. This is even now an ongoing process.

The Evolution of the Substance of Spirit
Spirit is the substance of the universe. (Paraphrase of Sri Aurobindo) In the creation that spiritual substance first takes the form matter, and then life, and then our mentality, and rises to ever higher, more subtle forms to spiritualized mind and beyond. In this sense through our growth, evolution, and transformation, we enable spirit to evolve in creation.

Things that are New
All things that are new in the world are new formulations of form of Force, and are thus new embodiment of Delight of Being.

Creative Formulation of Spirit Emerging
Each time a new variation of the same principle emerges, it is a new creative formation of spirit in the object.

Life is Infinite, Creative Force
In Life Divine, Sri Aurobindo describes life as a universal force that expresses as the individual force maintaining each individual form or object in manifestation. It is the force that creates and preserves the form, defends its survival and energizes its growth. Although we view life in terms of many separate and individual lives, it is only one single, universal existence that we perceive as many. In its origin, life is the infinite, creative force that builds the worlds and inhabits them with forms of its own self-conception and creation. It is the conscious force of Sat, the Self-Conscious Being, the Pure Existence, the Divine Consciousness, the omnipresent reality. (MSS)

Science Sees the Force, not the Will
The energy detected and measured by science is itself a partial expression of that consciousness-force, partial because we perceive only the force and not the will that determines the direction of that force. (MSS)

P,V,M are Expressions of Consciousness-Force
-Sri Aurobindo presents a unifying conception of matter, life and mind by representing that all three are expressions of a common energy-substance.

-This pure fundamental reality is what he terms Consciousness-Force, which is itself an expression of a more subtle reality he refers to as Self-conscious Being or Pure Existence.

-All matter, life and mental experience are limited or veiled expressions of this fundamental Consciousness-Force.

-Conscious-Force manifests as mind, life and matter through the process of involution.

-Consciousness-Force has the inherent capacity to take on the behavioral characteristics that we associate with inanimate, inconscient material energy-substance. This is made possible by an involution of the inherent properties of consciousness-force so that it assumes the appearance to our sense experience of inconscient material energy-substance, subconscious life and conscious mentality.

-Sri Aurobindo maintains that even our normal human consciousness is an involved state of the conscious-force of pure existence. It is involved in the sense that it possesses only very limited knowledge and negligible power in comparison with the knowledge and power inherent in pure consciousness-force. (MSS)

Physical, Vital, Mental Energy-Substance as Expressions of Consciousness-Force
Physical energy-substance, vital energy-substance and mental-energy substance represent three different expressions, or one might say vibratory frequencies, of a more fundamental energy-substance termed consciousness-force. (MSS)

Perceiving Consciousness and Energy Among P,V,M Levels
As we go down the ladder from mentality to vitality to physicality, consciousness becomes more involved and concealed, while energy becomes more evolved and manifest. (MSS)

Expressions of Energy in Life
-There is a field of energy that has emerged, and continues to emerge from the Consciousness-Force of the Absolute. That energy is the plane of Life. Life is then a sea of energy permeating all of existence that gives rise to all forms in the universe.

-Life is a field of energy that takes form materially, vitally, mentally, and spiritually.

-In life there is matter, i.e. the material plane, which express through material energies, there is the vital plane which expresses through vital energies, there is mind, which expresses through mental energies, and there is the supramental plane beyond mind which expresses through supramental energies.

-Life expresses through gross/material, subtle, and causal formations. Gross/material means the thing expresses as physical substance and can be perceived with the senses. When a thing expresses subtlely, it is not perceived through the senses, but is invisible. When a thing expresses causally, not only is it invisible but it is infused with spiritual consciousness giving it ultimate power of effectivity.

-Matter (e.g. the stone or the human body) expresses at the gross/material plane, as well as subtle, and causal planes; Vital individual wants, desires, emotions, feelings, attitudes, etc. and other vital life energies express predominantly at the subtle plane (though they can express causally as well.) Thoughts, ideas, opinions, beliefs, logical thoughts, etc., of the mind express fully at the subtle plane. Aspects of the spirit and supermind express causally (i.e. super-subtlely).

 

Miscellaneous

The Process of Creation
The process of creation tells us the finite Matter is the inversion of the Infinite Sat (Existence). This inversion has originally occurred through a self-absorption and now emerges back to its original status by a process of evolution. (MSS)

All that Emerged in Life Preexisted in Potential
-Logic compels us to also conclude that all that has emerged or manifested as material existence, life form or conscious experience, all the energy, substance, forms, properties, qualities, designs and patterns must in some way pre-exist in potential in that origin, for if no such potential existed, they could not have emerged from it. They must be inherent characteristics or inherent potentialities of the Infinite. This Infinite must in some manner of speaking be or have the potential to create living conscious beings. How can something evolve out of something else unless it pre-exists at least as potential in that from which it has emerged?

-The universe is not a creation by the creator of something outside and other than itself, but a progressive and evolutionary manifestation by the Infinite of that which it contains within itself as unmanifest potential. (MSS)

Reuniting the Consciousness and the Force
When in the involution the Knowledge was removed from the Will, the Consciousness went out of the Force, where it unfolds in the universe as dumb inconscient matter. However, through the development of our higher consciousness we reunite the Spirit/Consciousness with the Force in matter, life, and mind.

Consciousness & Being

• Consciousness is the conscious experience of Being.
• Being is the Self of Existence. (MSS)

Evolution, Force to Conscious Force
The process of evolution is to turn Force back into Conscious Force, [which is the highest trine status of the Absolute].

Dominant Characteristic of Matter, Life, and Mind
While the dominant characteristic of matter is form and the dominant characteristic of life is energy, the dominant characteristic of mind is knowledge. (MSS)

Untitled
As a result of the creation, the Involution, there is Division, which has to become Unity in life, the evolution. (Paraphrase of The Mother)

Untitled
In the involution there is spirit at first, ending in spirit involved in inconscient matter. In the evolution matter rises in substance and consciousness culminating in all planes saturated with spirit, which is invisible to us when we look out from lower status.

Untitled
Spirit is there behind everything. Soul is the spirit of man. Intelligence is the Spirit of Mind. Truthfulness is one expression of the Spirit of Speech. Skill is the Spirit of Work. Sweetness is the Spirit of human relationship. There is no work, person or thing behind which there is no Spirit. (MSS)

Untitled
There is matter. Then there is animus of life that uses matter as its substance for motion and limited consciousness. Then there is mind which can control vital life and its subordinate matter. Finally, there is spirit through which silence and illumination and intuition of thought can bring about great understanding that can be used to control life that utilizes matter for action and results.

Emergence of Planes Above into Corresponding Planes Below
-The material world has evolved life in obedience to a presence from the vital plane, mind in obedience to a pressure from the mental plane. It is now trying to evolves supermind in obedience to a pressure from the supramental plane.

-Each thing created here has, supporting it, subtler envelopes or forms of itself which make it subsist and connect it with forces acting from above. Man, has, for instance, besides his gross physical body, subtler sheaths or bodies by which he lives behind the veil in direct connection with supraphysical planes of consciousness and can be influenced by their powers, movement s, and beings. (Sri Aurobindo)

Expressions of Planes of Consciousness above Mind
Higher Mind of the Muni, Illumined Mind of the Rishi, Intuitive Mind of the yogi, Overmind of the gods, Supermind in Time, Supermind in timelessness are there between Man at the bottom and the Spirit at the top. (MSS)

Untitled
As life ascends towards mind, it moves towards acceptance of CONSCIOUS unity, reflecting ever more the fundamental nature of existence born of Satchitananda. There is even greater unity above mind in spiritual mind, culminating in perfect integral unity of Supermind. (Paraphrase of Sri Aurobindo)

Involution and Evolution of the Material
The materialist explains phenomenon such as sensations, emotions, feelings, psychological states, ideas, etc. as ever more complex forms of matter. The spiritual immersed person sees all as spirit, and the rest as non-spirit, even illusion. The Third Position is to see that spirit is the source of the material, and all that evolves from the material, from matter to spirit, is involved in it as potential. Evolution is then the movement of the release of that potential, whereas involution enabled that potential in the first place from a Divine source.

Untitled
To convert the external compulsion of the atmosphere into an inner aspiration for the Marvel is the choice before MAN. (MSS)

Life Force vs. Life of Being
Life exists in two layers of Force and Being. Life of force is governed by the law of karma. Life of Being is governed by the law of causality. In the one, failure and success alternates; in the other, there is only success. (MSS)

Untitled
Creation is not simply some thing, process that happened once as an extension of the Being, but is a continuing phenomenon that expresses as Real Ideas descending, which we can rise to, embrace, and embody insuring their instrumentality.

Creative insight that comes as intuition is a distilling of an original Real Idea of Supermind.

The Ascending Scale of Substance Among Planes|
There is an ascending scale of substance from matter to spirit. As we move to higher planes that plane is less bound to the form it is more subtle, flexible, interactive, interchangeable, unified, invisible, and infinite; the greater and more permanent is its power, potentiality, plasticity, and range in the becoming.

Parallels of Subtlety Between Emerging Individuals and Technologies
Just as there are individuals of mento-spiritual bent, indicating a more subtle quality of human emerging, there are occupations emerging that reflect a parallel subtlety. E.g. we can see this in the forms of higher technology, such as computer software. If we observe the world around us we can see how products and services are moving towards ever-greater subtlety of form reflecting the subtlety of spirit emerging in human life.

Man's Role in the Evolution Towards Higher Planes of Existence
The movement among the planes (from matter to life to mind and beyond) is due to a upward movement of consciousness that ends in something new. [There is a creative outcome.] It's drive is Consciousness-Force and the power of the Real Idea. It mostly happens on its own in Nature. Now man, the self-conscious being, can find the spirit within himself, by discovering the psychic being, and by turning Ignorance to Knowledge, enabling him to embody the spirit, which will aid in manifesting further movements of evolution upward into new and higher planes of existence.

[However, to do this fully, he will need to transcend his limiting Mind and open to Supermind to enable the greatest power of reversal and new emerging existence.]

How Man Enables Higher Scale of Substance
There are planes of consciousness that go from matter to vital to mind to spiritual mind and above. Each level is a higher order of substance of the original Conscious-Force of creation.

As man ascends among the planes, he brings out corresponding higher possibility in the grades of the substance. He is thus the great instrument of higher forms of substance; thus of evolution. When he reaches the Supermental plane he enables the greatest possibilities for himself, and for substance. This is the apprehending possibility of Supermind. One result is the divinization of the human body.

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.

Descent of Grace that Occasionally Pushes the Evolving Involved Forward
Q: The Mother describes a descent of a higher human consciousness into the essential luminous animality which enabled the emergences of the human. How does that square with the notion of an involved state emerging from out of  a previous state. It would seem that such a descent from above is another track that needs to be explained. Maybe the emergence of involved planes occurs in Nature, while there are occasionally movements that are direct descents from the Force or something from "above."

A: This question is fundamental, rarely raised. It concerns the action of Grace.

The Infinite that involved in the finite and has forgotten its involution has little scope to remember its forgetting. The delight issues from remembering. The game demands forgetting. The crux lies in remembering the forgetting. Left to itself, the involved infinite may take a long time or may not remember at all. So, the Infinite REMINDS the forgotten part. It is GRACE.

We see it in society. In a country like India, left to itself, the population may not seek prosperity for a long time. So, the government comes to help the dormant population to awaken. (Answer part is by MSS)
 

Social Life, Human Life, Life, Nature, and Spirit
-Human life exceeds social life in dimension. Life is far wider in its scope than either social life or human life. Nature outstrips life. Existence on earth is not confined to Nature. It consists of many other worlds such as the subtle world of spirits ... Beyond lie the causal worlds proper to the Spirit.

-The Spirit surfacing in personal life expands the scope of Man's existence to the borders of social and human life and goes beyond. (MSS)

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 Essential Nature
-What is our essential nature? We are divided beings who need to find their wholeness. And we need to discover the methods that will enable us move us toward that wholeness.

-Why is our nature divided? All sentient beings are born of the division and duality of creation. The Absolute, the Omnipresent Reality, in order to extend its Spiritual essence and delight into ultimate quantities and diversities of forms, enabled a universe of divided forms and beings. In order to extend spirit and delight, the Absolute, i.e. God manifested a universe of forms into which that spirit and delight could flow in ever new and dynamic ways. In order to create the greatest quantity and variety of these forms, they were created flawed and incomplete.

How does our divided nature express practically in our being? We need to overcome that which is divided and dual in our own nature. We need to overcome our limiting habits, attitudes, opinions, judgments, behaviors, and false actions. We need to overcome our physical, vital, and mental deficiencies, including our dead habits, our fixidity, our unchanging nature in the physical; our blind passions, desires, negative emotions, ego and separateness in the vital/emotional center; and our vast ignorance, our partial understandings, limited perceptions, and false observations and conclusions of the mind.

Spirit
Spirit, i.e. Being is the force that created the universe. It is infinite, timeless, spaceless Being that extended and continues to extend its Divine attributes into material formations, in material objects, in us, in our bodies in creation. Spirit is not only the eternal Being, but manifest as the dynamic Conscious Force that enabled the creation; and it is also the Delight of being that we experience when we come in touch with it.

Our Consciousness of the Superconscient and Subconscient
There are realms, planes above mind that we are unconscious of; they are "superconscient" to us. There are realms below mind that we are also unconscious of; they are "subconscient" or inconscient to us. We need to make these realms conscious to ourselves. (Paraphrase of Sri Aurobindo)

[We also need rise to it and to bring the superconscient into the subconscient to effect and change it.]

We are Divine, God
From the highest spiritual consciousness we can perceive that all in the universe is a manifestation of spirit; i.e. matter, vital, and mind are forms of spirit. Since Consciousness-Force, an aspect of the Divine, led to energy and then to matter, then matter is a form of spirit and consciousness; as is life and mind. That would mean that we are in fact spirit ourselves; we are the Divine, God.

Nature of Divine, God in Creation
All is God, the Divine. We are God too, though we don't recognize it.

God, the Divine is emerging through us, as we find spirit in all aspects of our lives.

God, the Divine is also transcendent to us; that which is unknowable and undefinable. On the other hand we enable God to emerge in life, in us. Perhaps in that sense we can say that God, the Divine, the Spirit is itself evolving through us.

Life Force vs. Life of Being
Life exists in two layers of Force and Being. Life of force is governed by the law of karma. Life of Being is governed by the law of causality. In the one, failure and success alternates; in the other, there is only success. (MSS)

Immutable Spirit, Force and Spirit, Bringing Spirit to Life by Connecting with the Evolving Soul
The buried Spirit is the immutable Spirit, it does not change. But the life we live - our daily lives - is Spirit in disguise. Externally it is Force - Shakti - but below the Force it is the Being or Spirit. Force is subject to limitation, to karma, not the Spirit below. Now it is up to us to encourage the Force or encourage the Spirit. It is left to our choice.

To do so in our own Mind, Life and Body however is Spiritual Transformation. It is a process by which the buried evolving Spirit is activated to evolve as Mind, Life or Body. Such evolution is that of the Evolving Soul, the Psychic Being. (MSS, paraphrased and reorganized)

Untitled
We are developing the consciousness of existence as the Divine sees things. (Paraphrase of The Mother)

The Big Bang, Involution, Evolution, and the Scientist
-It has been recently stated that the Big Bang took place 300 million years before Matter coagulates into recognizable form. Thus the Big Bang began as energy not matter.

We note in our Theory of Creation that energy emerges through the division of an original Consciousness of the Absolute. In our theory this occurs in the involution, i.e. at the end of it, not in the evolution. Thus the Big Bang would occur in the (latter part of) involution, not in the evolution.

This also suggest that the universe, the manifestation, including its point of energy release in the Big Bang and matter that followed, is not just occurring in the evolution, but manifest in the (later part of the) involution.

-The fact that energy emerged from Consciousness is the great Why of creation that the scientist misses. Most scientists in this domain are not concerned with the ultimate Why, but only the why and hows of the surface. Thus they miss the very depths of knowledge that they are subconsciously seeking. If scientists can be trained to seek the great Whys, they will move away from their current limited understandings of the surface. But is that enough to perceive the Consciousness? No, they will also have to move the center of their own consciousness from the practical mind that sees the parts, and not the Whole, to a higher consciousness of silence, light, intuitions, and knowledge by identity to know the Consciousness, and how It divided to become energy and then matter.

God Seeks Man Since 1956
Since 1956 when the Force descended on earth, God seeking Man more than Man seeking God has become a greater reality. We see no God, we see only how prosperous we are. Prosperity is the God for the householder. The Force came down on earth in 1956 but began to act through the governments in 1967. From then onwards its action is more and more pronounced. Just now Man is surrounded by a plethora of social opportunities. Psychologically it is greater. (MSS)

Untitled
In Supermind and beyond, Nature gives way fully to the movement of the Force in life.

To Be Conscious Means ...
To be conscious of the next stage brings it out in manifestation. (MSS)

---

EVOLUTION:
 Origins and Nature of Matter
(top)

Matter
Matter is a form, an extreme aggregation of the force and source energy released in the process of creation originating in the Divine Reality.

Matter and Spirit
Matter is a form and body of spirit, an extreme aggregation of the infinite. Matter and spirit are fundamentally not divided; they are one. Together they are Brahman, Mind sees the division. Matter is the form of the spirit. Spirit is the soul and reality of that which we recognize as matter. If, however, we are stationed in Supermind we see their perfect Unity and Oneness. Knowing this brings out the fact of the infinite potential of matter since it is imbued with the infinite potential of spirit.

God in Inanimate Objects
Not only in man, but also in inanimate objects, there is God [Spirit]. (MSS)

Creation of Matter
In the involution the Absolute extended itself to Existence, Conscious Force, Bliss (Delight). It further extends itself to Supermind to enable matter. In the Involution the apprehending functioning of Supermind creates the plane of universal Mind to enable a dividing action on substance which we experience as divided forms, the disaggragation of Matter. It is this way down to the atomic level.

Origins of Matter
Matter is Being/Existence (Sat) manifesting as form perceptible to the senses. Form is created by contrast and apparent division of spiritual substance that is one and indivisible.

The Nature of Matter
-Matter is Being manifesting as form perceptible to the senses.

-Matter is Energy in motion manifesting Forms of Force. (MSS)

Spirit is Matter Viewed through Sense-Based Mind
There is only one substance that is spiritual substance which appears to mind viewed through its senses as Matter. (MSS)

Matter is Spirit Seen through Mind
Sri Aurobindo maintains that the difference between spirit and matter is only a result of the limitation of our instruments for perception. We perceive spiritual substance as material substance through the action of our gross physical senses and sense mind, because these instruments are incapable of perceiving the true nature of that substance. In other words, spiritual substance viewed through the faculty of the sense mind appears as material substance, while the same spiritual substance experienced directly by a higher faculty of direct consciousness reveals as consciousness-force or pure existence. (MSS)

Pure Existence is spiritual substance to its own self-experience, but it appears as material substance to our limited mental consciousness contacting it through the senses.

Untitled
Matter is Mind Seeing Spirit.

Matter, Energy, Consciousness

• There is Matter.
• Behind Matter is a sea of Energy. It is the source from which that Matter derives.
• That Energy also moves in the universe in various forms, relating existing matter, objects, individuals.
• Behind the Energy that creates and interrelates life there is Consciousness from which Energy takes shape.
• Another way of saying this is that Consciousness created, is creating Energy, which is creating and is the force behind Matter.
• The Consciousness has ultimate power of effectivity because it is Divine in origin. It is the Intelligence behind the Energy.

Consciousness, Energy, Matter
Consciousness created, is creating Energy, which is creating and is the force behind Matter.

Untitled
In the creation Matter is the corresponding subordinate power of Existence; Life of Conscious-Force, Energy (Chit); the Psychic Being of Bliss, Delight of Existence (Ananda); Mind of Supermind. (Paraphrase of Sri Aurobindo)

Self-Absorption of Consciousness in Matter
-Consciousness exists in Matter, but it is self-absorbed there, and thus not-detectable in the surface.

-In material forms, the consciousness is imperceptible and the force expresses as inconscient energy moving in fixed patterns that are also imperceptible to our senses.

-Matter is a fully involved, inconscient status in which the Consciousness-Force takes on the appearance of inconscient and inanimate energy-substance.

-Sri Aurobindo's conception of involution explains the process by which pure consciousness through its capacities for self-limitation and self-absorption can take on the form and appearance of inconscient material substance-force. (MSS)

The Seed of Potentiality
In Sri Aurobindo's metaphysics, life emerged from a Conscious-Force, but the consciousness dissolved on the way to manifesting matter. Yet all of the magnificence is involved, hidden in matter as a seed of potential. Animated life and mind emerged from that seed, yet each of these also hold a seed of further possibility. When we evolve our consciousness, we bring the (infinite) potentiality out of the seed. If we examine your quote from Savitri, we can see this involutionary/evolutionary philosophy captured.

"All the world's possibilities in man
Are waiting as the tree waits in its seed:
His past lives in him; it drives his future's pace;
His present's acts fashion his coming fate.
The unborn gods hide in his house of Life."

Matter Described in Sri Aurobindo's 'The Life Divine'

Limits of Matter on Life and Mind
In the universe, Life arose from Matter, and Mind from Life. Both Life and Mind are limited by the foundation of Matter. Matter is formulated as inertia, inconscience, and atomic aggregation, which limits Life and Mind. It is thus the knot and difficulty of Matter. Life is constantly at war with matter, and its material principle causes Life to culminate in death. The discord deepens with the appearance of Mind (out of Life) , as Life quarrels with Life and Matter, at war with their limitations.

Matter Exists to Enable Multiplicity of Being, Consciousness, and Delight (Satchitananda)
Matter exists so that the highest Consciousness can take form in the greatest multiplicity and variety in order to inculcate the widest diversity of the experience of delight in creation. Thus the division of matter takes shape in order to  allow for separativeness and division; for separate centers of consciousness, each of whom are able to inculcate a dynamic and individual form of that being, consciousness and delight.

Matter is Created through Universal Mind
How is Matter created? Universal Mind creates matter. Universal Mind has a dividing action, which separates the energy into distinct forms down to the atomic level. The dividing action of Mind is thus the cause of atomic existence, thus allowing for the greatest multiplicity of being, consciousness, and delight in those forms.

Matter Enabled by, Has Involved In It Existence, Consciousness, Force
And yet universal Mind is working on behalf of, is an instrument of an even higher consciousness; of Brahman, and Being/Existence itself. Mater is actually a substance of the one Conscious-Being phenomenally divided within itself by the action of the universal Mind. In that way, Matter is a form of spirit. It is Being or Brahman in its creative action. Matter holds within itself the Reality, the Existence, Consciousness, Force, and Delight concentrated, involved, and absorbed in it.

Creation of Matter through Action of Supermind
 -In the involution the Absolute extended itself to Existence, Conscious Force, Bliss (Delight). It further extends itself to Supermind to enable matter.
 -In the Involution the apprehending functioning of Supermind creates the plane of (universal) Mind to enable a dividing action on substance, which we experience as divided forms, the disaggragation of Matter. It is this way down to the atomic level. Through this process, the individual knower regards a form of his own being as other than he, as object. (Thus there is a division between the knower and the known.)

Perceiving the Unity of Spirit and Matter through Supermind and Bringing Out Its Infinity
Matter is a form and body of spirit, an extreme aggregation of the infinite. Matter and spirit are fundamentally not divided; they are one. Together they are Brahman, though Mind sees the division. How can we then perceive this Oneness, this Vision of Brahman. If we are stationed in Supermind we see their perfect Unity and Oneness. Furthermore, knowing this brings out the fact of the infinite potential of matter since it is imbued with the infinite potential of spirit.

Overcoming the Knot of Matter and Bringing Out Its Divinity Described in Sri Aurobindo's 'The Life Divine'

Introduction
Sri Aurobindo said that Matter is formulated as inertia, inconscience, and atomic aggregation, which limits Life and Mind. It is thus the knot and difficulty of Matter. He then continues on this theme, focusing on the aspects of Matter -- Ignorance, Inertia, and Division -- that create this knot and influence on the planes above it. He concludes by saying that we can reverse the unconsciousness of matter, enabling its involved spirit and divinity to come forth through the action of the supramental power.

Matter as Form and Body of Spirit
He begins by reminding us that matter if really a form of spirit. That Spirit is the soul and reality of that which we sense as matter. Or to put another way, matter is a form and body of that which we sense as Spirit; an objective aspect of the divine Existence with all of God ever present in it and behind it.

Matter's Negative Influence on the Planes Above It
And yet he reiterates because of Matter, the planes above it are restricted by it. Life is gross and limited, and stricken with death and pain. Mind is more than half blind. And it denies Spirit. This is the knot of matter.

Three Aspects of Matter that Create Its Knot
He then explains the three fundamental negative aspects of Matter that create this knot -- Ignorance, Inertia, and Division, which are the fundamental oppositions and restrictions to Life and Mind. The Ignorance, Inertia, and Division of Matter impose on the emerging vital and mental existence the law of pain, suffering, futility, and dissatisfaction.

1. Ignorance of Matter
The first fundamental opposition Matter presents to Spirit (and the planes below it) is that it is the culmination of the principle of Ignorance. Consciousness has lost and forgotten itself. [If knowledge is the integral truth of things, then Ignorance is the opposite. Because Matter is inconscient, unconscious, it is the underpinning of the unconsciousness and ignorance we experience in our mentality.]

2. Inertia of Matter
The second opposition that Matter offers to Spirit is that it is bound to mechanical Law and a colossal and obstinate inertia, obstruction, negation. Matter persuades Life and Mind that they cannot go further, and therefore cannot move to their progress, evolution, and final victory.

How then does Matter affect each of these?

In Life -- Life strives to enlarge and prolong itself and succeeds, but when it seeks utter wideness and immortality, it meets the iron obstruction of Matter, and finds itself bound to narrowness and death.

When the vital principle manifests its activities in Matter, it finds there thus basis only for all its activities and is compelled to bow before its yoke; it has to accept the law of death, desire and limitation and that that constant struggle to devour, possess, dominate which we have seen to be the first aspect of Life.

In Mind -- Mind seeks to embrace all knowledge, all light, the truth, to enforce love and joy; but there is the deviation, error, and grossness of the material life instead.

3. Division of Matter
The third opposition which Matter offers to the Spirit is that it is the culmination of the principle of division and struggle. Divisibility is its whole basis of action from which it seems forbidden to depart. It only know union through aggregation of units, or assimilation, involving the destruction of one unit by another. They both repose death and a constant struggle of divided units. [Since it is in essence an unconscious divided form separate from other forms, it casts that quality into Life and Mind. Life is divided (e.g. people act from their separateness, and Mind is divided because it only knows part of the truth, separate and divided from the whole truth; or has opinion and points of view divided from others or the full object of knowledge.]

The Transformation of Matter through Supramental Power
Sri Aurobindo says that despite the limits of Matter on Life and Matter, it can evolve and be transformed. In fact, the immortality and infinite Spirit has veiled itself in the dense robe of the material substance. He says that the spirit works in matter as a result of the supreme creative power of Supermind. It however permitted the reign of the material principle on the surface, involving spirit only as an initial condition for the evolutionary play of the One and the Many.

However, the involved spirit in matter can be reversed in the evolution through human rise in consciousness. E.g. take the evolution of the human body. In the human, a supramental being would also liberate the bodily existence from death, division, and mutual devouring. Man through his elevation of consciousness can enable not only a divine mind and life, but the divine body, where the descent of spirit has been made into the form. Thus, the material being can transfigure itself by accepting of a Higher Law than its own; which is actually latent within itself.

Cleanliness Brings Out the Spirit in Matter
"Well, every time we clean a place or something the Divine inside the thing/place responds."

Thank you S for this statement. It is a powerful reminder that involved, embedded -- hidden away in the depths of all things -- is the Conscious Force. Even in inconscient, unconscious matter there is the seed of that Divine power, Spirit at its core, asleep, waiting to be awaken. By cleanliness, we somehow stimulate that essence, and bring it to the surface of life. When we do, life also responds.

This is very timely for me as I am editing my chapter on Organization in my Life Response book. The opening section is on Cleanliness and its awesome power to evoke the response. I am always trying to bring out clearer, more penetrating arguments. You have reminded me here of a central one.

I am also rereading and paraphrasing the chapter on Matter in Sri Aurobindo's 'The Life Divine', which covers the same subject. The argument there is how matter emerged from the action of the cosmic plane of Mind and how it became divided and unconscious. However, we can overcome that through our own rise in consciousness and bring out the inner spirit, conscious-force power of matter to the surface.

Consecration is thus a powerful method to do so. It is to call the Divine to bring out the divine in matter. Even organization does it without consecrating because it connects directly to the embedded spirit of the thing, which sends out signals that align us with corresponding positive elements, circumstance, and people in space-time that we experience as incidents of sudden good fortune.

Consecrated cleanliness is surely better however since the power above is working directly with the spirit in matter, without the limits of our personality.

Matter as Form of Spirit
Matter is a form and body of spirit, an extreme aggregation of the infinite. Matter and spirit are fundamentally not divided; they are one. Mind sees the division. If we are stationed in Supermind we see their perfect Oneness. This brings out the infinite potential of matter since it has the infinite potential of spirit.

Why Matter is Spiritual
All that emanates from the Absolute is spiritual. Energy emanated from the Absolute. Since matter is a product of energy, then matter must be spiritual. (Paraphrase of Sri Aurobindo)

All Forms, Matter, We are Divine
What we think of as unspiritual outer forms (matter, life, us) is at a deeper level seen as spiritual as well. The forms of the universe are manifestations of the consciousness and force of the Divine. Matter is a materialization of the Consciousness-Force of the Divine. Matter and Spirit are therefore the same. So are life and mind. So are we. (Yet from the mental state of consciousness we see that we need to divinize these aspects, including ourselves.)

Creation of Matter
 -In the involution the Absolute extended itself to Existence, Conscious Force, Bliss (Delight). It further extends itself to Supermind to enable matter.
 -In the Involution the apprehending functioning of Supermind creates the plane of (universal) Mind to enable a dividing action on substance which we experience as divided forms, the disaggragation of Matter.

Matter and Sat
In the creation Matter is the corresponding subordinate power of Existence (Sat); pure Spirit.

Only Mind Sees Parts, Divides Matter and Space; All is Really Unified
Sri Aurobindo tells us that this perception of the infinitesimal part is only a product of mind's tendency to divide. The Being is not divided, even the physical being.

Similarly mind divides matter and space. It perceives matter as separate objects within a field of space. Einstein noted that somehow the space and the matter are related in a way that matter seems to bend space. Suppose instead that we consider space and matter as a single continuum. Matter represents those aspects of the continuum in which the energy is in motion and space represents aspects in which the energy is at rest and therefore imperceptible (since we can only perceive active energy with the senses, not the absence of it) or in which the energy is vibrating at such a subtle level that it is imperceptible. All remains unified.  (MSS)

New Vision of String Theory based on Unified Energy
String theory still posits a smallest possible unit of matter, a common unit from which all derive. Sri Aurobindo tells us that this perception of the infinitesimal part is only a product of mind's tendency to divide. The Being is not divided, even the physical being. Suppose the strings they are positing are not units of matter at all, but vibrations of a single unified field of energy that expresses like waves on the surface of the ocean. The wave has no independent reality separate from the ocean. It is only a movement of energy. The unified energy of oneness vibrates and those manifestations of vibration are perceived as strings. (MSS)

Evolution in the Cosmos
Evolution is to discover Existence, Consciousness-Force, Delight in Matter, where the fleeting Delight of Cosmos is given permanency in the dense Matter below. For one who aspires for spiritual life, this is the only view. (MSS, slightly modified)

True Purpose of the Outer World

• To see the surface from the depths is a unique view of reality.
• The outer is not the whole reality, but the mere surface expression of vast inner forces behind it.
• The outer world is where people live, and thus they miss most of existence, since the outer is merely its surface expression. The purpose of the outer is to express the realms of consciousness behind it/surrounding it. 
• The surface, the material surface, ultimately serves the depths. When it does so, the material surface becomes the subtle/causal surface.

Additional:

See chapter in Sri Aurobindo's The Life Divine On the Nature of Matter

Thoughts on the Makeup of the Physical Plane (i.e. the Physical Body) for the Individual

Thoughts on Appealing to the Consciousness of Material Objects

 

---

EVOLUTION:
 Origins and Nature of Life in the Universe
(top)

 

How Energy Expresses through Forms in the Universe

All Phenomena are Forms of Force
All phenomena in the world are forms of Force.

Life as Current/Energy of Conscious Force that is Source of Forms in Creation
Life is a form of, a dynamic of, a current of, an energy of a universal operation of the cosmic Conscious Force. Life creates, maintains, destroys, and recreates forms or bodies. Life builds up forms, energizes the forms through stimulation, and maintains the forces through disintegration and renewal of substance. (Paraphrase of Sri Aurobindo)

Life in the Universe
In the involution the plane of Life emerges from the plane of Mind and takes shape as Energy. Out of that Energy emerges the forms of creation, including matter, animated life forms, i.e. we humans, etc.

The Movement of Energy Amongst  Forms
Energy creates form. However, forms break down, is unable to hold the energy, and so the energy takes new form. What lasts is the energy. What changes is the form. E.g. forms of government change, but the force and energy continues, even increases when of a higher consciousness. Thus energy goes from one form to another; one act to another.

Thoughts on Life in the Universe
Forms move in and out of the universe; as forms of energy come together and then disperse.

Life can exist without a universe, as Life is a plane of Energy that exists previous to it.

The universe contains visible and invisible forms of force, of energy that is the plane of Life.

 

The Energy that Creates Forms also Expresses in those Forms
There is a constant dynamic energy in movement in the universe that takes forms, subtle or gross, so in each physical body or object, plant or animal or metal, there is stored and active the same constant dynamic force. (Paraphrase of Sri Aurobindo)

 

The Nature of the Universe

Here I would like to describe the nature of the universe in a variety of ways, which I hope will add to our understanding of life's meaning and purpose, including our role in it.

Energy (Plane of Life) and the Universe -- Life is a plane of Energy, which surrounds the universe. Even if the physical universe were not there, this plane of Energy would still exist. In addition, the universe itself is a product of that energy. The Energy exists originally in a state of rest. Bu then through a divine compulsion, it begins to move, creating forces and forms out of itself, which becomes the visible and invisible contents of the universe. All forms that emerge in the universe are formations of that energy. When those forms cease to exist, such as when we die, the energy remains and takes a new form.

Origins of the Plane of Energy -- Energy has its origins in the Infinite consciousness. Energy is in fact the final movement of the Conscious Force -- ‘Chit’ in Sanskrit -- unfolding from out of the Infinite Divine. Thus, the universe is a product of a Divine Intent, using the Force and Energy of the Supreme for its clay and substance. What is created are forces and forms, visible and invisible, of which matter is the most obvious manifestation. Animated life, and mentality are further formations.

Equilibrium, Rebalancing in Universe -- The universe exits in a state of continuous equilibrium. When things change, the universe absorbs it and rebalances itself, forming a new equilibrium. Thus, the universe can be likened to the ocean, where if something is added or subtracted, whether a swell or reduced flow, it is immediately incorporated into an integrative, harmonious whole. In this scheme, relationships among forces, objects, forms, circumstance are continually updated and being adjusted to maintain the balance and harmony; this integral unity in the universe.

Oneness and the Cosmic Web -- All in the universe is interrelated and interconnected. Each thing is related to every other, as well as the whole; even its essence. There is a kind of cosmic web that encircle the universe containing a myriad of strands. Each thread has its own unique correspondences, connecting related elements, circumstances, etc a profound integral relationship. Thus, if one element on the strand changes, it affect other on that thread -- whether forces, energies, circumstance, or forms, including we humans. In this way, if we make an adjustment in consciousness, others elements are affected. More proactively, if we know what a particular strand consists of, we can elevate our consciousness in a corresponding area, consciously affecting related elements. E.g. if we know that cancer has its roots in greed, we can overcome greed in ourselves, and watch as cancer recedes across the earth as a major problem of life.

Life Response and the Universe -- Life response is the phenomenon where sudden good fortune descends on an individual or collective due to shifts in consciousness on our part. Life response can be explained in terms of the equilibrium of energies of the universe. I.e. the universe is in any moment in a state of equilibrium relative to local conditions. There is then an elevation of consciousness on the part of an individual or collective; e.g. due to a higher attitude, decision, or belief. Perceiving that things are now in a state of disequilibrium, the universe seeks to restore the balance. To do so, a fresh act is required. That occurs from amongst elements along a corresponding thread(s) of the web of life. E.g., as a result of my improved attitude, good fortune comes to me from a particular individual or unique circumstance along that corresponding thread. When the response comes, equilibrium is restored, though now at a higher level. Keep in mind that the dynamic of equilibrium, disequilibrium, new equilibrium occurs for positive, neutral, and negative movements of consciousness on our part, leading to corresponding quality of response. I.e. I can attract negative conditions through a movement of lower consciousness.

Necessity of All in the Universe – In life, we want certain things to occur -- essentially left out of the universe -- and some kept in. But at the highest level of consciousness, we perceive that every single thing is needed for progress in the universe; for movements forward in life. Thus, in life, and in the universe there is no waste. Everything serves a purpose in the progressive movement forward. In that way, every single object serves a purpose, whether positive or negative. For us that means nothing should be discarded as irrelevant or unimportant, for the smallest thing can determine the outcome of the largest; and the most negative can be an avenue and opening to the most positive.

The Reality and the Universe -- There is a relationship between the universe and the Reality that contains it. I.e. the omnipresent Reality (Brahman, The Absolute) is the highest conception of existence afforded to Man. It expresses in all planes unmanifest and manifest. The Reality begins as unmanifest Infinite consciousness, and then extends itself to a universe of forces and forms. Thus, we could say that the universe is the body of the Reality: a manifestation of the unmanifest. The Reality has then become both the Unmanifest and the Manifest; the Creator and the Creation. It is actually more than their sum, but their unity and integral relationship. Also, being a form of the Reality in creation, we inherit the infinite consciousness of the Divine Source. In essence, life and we are God incarnate.

Evolution and the Universe -- Evolution is constantly occurring in the universe. There is a constant upward compulsion to the highest formation possible of any form, including us. When the form reaches its highest state, it evolves another form. Evolution in the universe is occurring at the physical, vital (life plane) and mental levels. Animals emerged from plant and chemical; humans from animals; and higher mental, heart, and spiritual beings from lower consciousness individuals. Thus, we humans are the main instrument for evolution in the universe. There is a divine compulsion for change, progress, evolution, and transformation in the universe coming from a Higher Source. There is also something within us -- an embedded divine, an evolving soul, a hidden Conscious-Force -- that also has this urge for ever-higher development of our being.

The Individual, Universal, and Transcendent -- There is a relationship between us as individuals, the universe, and the transcendent. It can be explained this way: There is an Infinite consciousness with a transcendent status, with its spiritual qualities and divine Intent. We exist in the universe to fulfill its destiny to carry out and manifest the Transcendent Will. How do we do this? We fulfill the universal intent when we rise in consciousness; enabling the universal to fulfill its transcendent purpose. Thus, by discovering our highest nature, we become instruments of the will and Intent of the Infinite consciousness. In that way our destiny is not only to become fulfilled true Individuals, but universal, and transcendent beings.

Free Will and Determination -- In this scheme, we have free will to choose as we wish. And yet there is a compulsion and will of the Infinite consciousness for progress, evolution, and transformation in creation. I.e. there is a transcendent aspiration for the universe to increasingly manifest peace, oneness, wisdom, creativity, possibility, love, beauty, and delight. These are the cosmic determinants. And yet we are given full freedom to participate in this cosmic unfolding. It is our choice. Thus, we can say we have free will within the determination of the Infinite divine. Moreover, we collaborate with that cosmic intent by increasingly discovering our higher nature and bringing it to the world. This freedom and choice, this cosmic determinism is true for all things, seen and unseen, in the universe.

 

Form and Energy
We observe the forms of life around us and wonder where their origin and source of power lies. It comes from energy. Moreover, there is a fascinating relationship between the forms and the energy behind it.

Energy is the source and basis of all forms, whether physical forms of rocks or humans, or mental forms such as concepts and ideas. Forms however tend to break down. However, the energy behind them does not go away. Rather it formulates into new forms. For example, when a form of government, such as monarchy, breaks down, the energy behind it does not wither, but reformulates itself into a new form, such as democracy.

When things die -- whether anachronistic forms of social influence like aristocracy, or the physical human body -- that form is unable to hold its energy. It thus seeks corresponding new forms to inhabit, such as a new social order or a new form of life; even a new human body. In the 1960s the global Hippy movement was born in the San Francisco area. It sparkled like a comet across the sky changing the world, and just as suddenly died out. But then the energy behind morphed a new form with the rise of Silicon Valley, the personal computer, the Internet, and the Smartphone, all in that very same area. Their influence is untold, approaching infinity.

Sri Aurobindo in his metaphysical opus 'The Life Divine' tells us that energy is the source of all things, all life seen and unseen in the universe. He says that there is a constant, dynamic energy in the cosmos that takes subtle or gross form -- whether a physical body or object, a plant or animal, or an idea or insight. This common energy flowing subtly and invisibly through the universe has as its source a spiritual Conscious-Force of the one Infinite Consciousness.

Though we are a product of that universal force, energy is not a static entity. For example, we humans can increase it at any time -- whether it is physical, vital/emotional, mental, or spiritual energy. Increasing any of these will give us not only a greater power to accomplish, but a greater zest for life. If this is so, then what can we do to increase our energy? There are a number of practical approaches.

One is to increase our level of aspiration in life. The more intense our aspiration to achieve a goal, the more our will is engaged, and thus the greater energy released. Another way to maintain and build our energies is to maintain a positive attitude. Whereas negative attitudes tend or deplete our energies, even evoking instances of sudden ill fortune, positive ones -- whether towards others, one's self, one's work, or life -- tend to have the opposite effect.

Thus, the more we increase our energy, the more likely the forms that relate to our being will maintain themselves and avoid breaking down. If we lose physical, vital, or mental energy, those corresponding forms tend to whither. E.g. out body decays, our will depletes, and our understanding diminishes.

In the end, energy is the source of all accomplishment. It is energy that created, is creating the universe from a divine, Infinite consciousness. Likewise it is energy that also enables us create and achieve in life. The greater the consciousness, the greater the energy -- physical, vital, mental, and spiritual, and thus the greater sustainability of the forms of our being and our capacity to thrive.

Creation & Dissolution; Form and Force
Creation in the cosmos is in the shape of Form and Force. The Force takes the Form. When the Form dissolves, the Force rejoins its original consciousness. (MSS, edited)

Nature of Vital Substance & Energy
The vital substance which constitutes forms in the plane of life actually consists of impulses of vital energy presented to our nervous sense perception as vibrations of vital substance (desires, feelings, emotions, fear, lust, anger, desire, love, joy and so forth); only in the case of life, the energy content of the substance is far more perceptible than in matter, because it is less involved, more on the surface. (MSS)

 

Life and Death in Life in the Universe

Life and Death
The natural opposition we make between death and life is an error of our mentality. Death has no reality except as a process of life. Disintegration of substance and renewal of substance, maintenance of form and change of form are the constant process of life. Even in death of the body there is no cessation of Life, only the material of one form of life is broken up to serve as material for other forms of life. This occurs through some process of metapsychosis or new ensouling of body. (Paraphrase of Sri Aurobindo)

Life as Current/Energy of Conscious Force that is Source of Forms in Creation
Life is a form of, a dynamic of, a current of, an energy of a universal operation of the cosmic Conscious Force. Life creates, maintains, destroys, and recreates forms or bodies. Life builds up forms, energizes the forms through stimulation, and maintains the forces through disintegration and renewal of substance. (Paraphrase of Sri Aurobindo)

Creation & Dissolution; Form and Force
Creation in the cosmos is in the shape of Form and Force. The Force takes the Form. When the Form dissolves, the Force rejoins its original consciousness. (MSS, edited)

 Life and Death
-The processes of life are disintegration and renewal of substance, and maintenance and change of form.

-The natural opposition we make between death and life is an error of our mentality. Death has no reality except as a process of life. Disintegration of substance and renewal of substance, maintenance of form and change of form are the constant process of life. Even in death of the body there is no cessation of Life, only the material of one form of life is broken up to serve as material for other forms of life. This occurs through some process of metapsychosis or new ensouling of body.

-Thus death is just a process of life.

-Death is not a cessation of life. Also, in death materials of a form break up to serve as materials for other forms. (Paraphrase of Sri Aurobindo)

Utility of Death
Death compels Life to seek Immortality. (Paraphrase of Sri Aurobindo)

The Necessity of Death as a Process of Life
[The following comments from Garry Jacob's book 'Lectures on Sri Aurobindo's The Life Divine.' These statements are extracted from the section on Death, taken in somewhat random order.]

-Sri Aurobindo says that death is a process of life.  We understand death as the opposite of life. If we accept that life is a universal force, as the electricity flowing from a power plants to illuminate the light bulb is a universal energy, then what happens when the light bulb burns out? We know that the force illuminating the light does not disappear when the light goes out. The light goes out and the force flows somewhere else. Only it can no longer express through that particular light bulb, since the form of the bulb has been damaged. The force is not lost because it is a universal force.

-Sri Aurobindo explains that in death the only thing that ceases to exist is the form. The consciousness and the force that animated the form do not die.

------------

-Very clearly he says that death is necessary for the soul's evolution. The soul takes birth in a body, but it assumes a human character. The character is inherited genetically, but it is also partly a product of our upbringing. When we come into the world, the soul chooses certain circumstance that build up the character in a certain way.

Once the soul has acquired the experience, if the body remains, we have no further progress in that form. The form dies and the character dissolves, so that the soul can choose a new field and new form for further experience. Thus, death is absolutely necessary for the soul's evolution.

-------------

Sri Aurobindo goes further and says that death is absolutely essential for the progress of life. Death is not an error or aberration or unwanted attribute of life. Without death, all progress and evolution would cease sooner or later.

Suppose today that you found yourself through a miracle of medicine you could live for 5000 years. Then when we say make an experiment and take a very serious effort to improve your position tomorrow, immediately the thought will come, "What's the hurry? I am going to be around for 5000 years. I have plenty of time."

-------------

There is another reason why Sri Aurobindo calls death a process of life. All forms of force try to maintain and perpetuate themselves. In doing so, they tend to become rigid and unchangeable. This is true of physical forms of matter, the organizational forms of society we call institutions, and psychological forms such as our opinions, attitudes and character traits. When a form becomes rigid, it no longer responds and adapts to the impact of external forces, so eventually it breaks under the impact or gets petrified.

Death and Ignorance
Death, desire, and incapacity are due to the exclusivity and separateness, to the nature of divided being, and to the ignorance of the individual, rooted in ego and mind. They prevent the right balance of energies, which cause dissolution. 

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.

 

Poises, Statuses of Life in the Universe

Poises, Statuses of Life 1
Life is at first dumb subconscient will, apparent as dumb urge of physical energy; inconscient, subject to the mechanical forces. The middle term of Life is death and mutual devouring, hunger and conscious desire, the sense of a limited room and capacity and struggle to increase, expand, to conquer and possess. But a new set of terms intervenes and Life begins to evolve toward conscious Mind. [We can express these three as the Physical Vital, the Vital Vital, and the Mental Vital. Also corresponds to the physical, vital, and mental stages of social historical development] [In "The Double Soul of Man" (Book 1, Chapter XXIII Sri Aurobindo explains how we have moved through these 3 states to enable Delight of Being.]

Poises, Statuses of Life 2
The statuses of life are (1) dumb inconscient drive; (2) desire, eagerness to possess and give; (3) love, which seeks to possess, be possessed, to receive and give; (4) satisfaction. These statuses of life are actually the stages of the soul's seeking for delight in things. The ascent of life (of drive, desire, love, and satisfaction) is really the ascent of the Divine Delight in things. "Since Life is an energy of His conscious-force, the secret of all its movements must be hidden delight inherent in all things which is at once cause, motive, and object of its activities..." (Paraphrase of Sri Aurobindo)

First Status of Life: Unconscious Will to Survive
The first status of life is of force, of dumb subconscious will. It is mere physical energy, subject to mechanical, material forces. This is reflected in the necessity of the seperative ego that lives in division and duality; that merely tries to survive. (Paraphrase of Sri Aurobindo)

Second Status of Life: Ego-Oriented Interchange
The second status is a breaking of the bounds of seperative ego toward interaction with others. It is a compulsion of Nature to begin to fuse ourselves with others. In this status, there is death, mutual devouring, desire, and the need to expand, conquer, and possess. It is the struggle to possess, to master self and not self. This is a movement out of the influence of physical, the mechanical to the vital proper. It is also the beginning of the emergence of conscious mind. (Paraphrase of Sri Aurobindo)

Third Status of Life: Mutual Interchange and Harmony
The third status is the conscious movement towards commonality, mutuality, harmony, etc. It is a movement toward cooperation and mutual help, adaptation, interchange, fusion, conscious joining and interchange. It is a movement out of ego to meet and include other egos. In its higher aspects it is vitally reflected as the ability to be self giving towards others, and to feel love. A law of love, of common help, of kindness, affection, comradeship, unity, self-giving, etc.

He also indicates than in this third status, there is an increasing predominance of Mind. Mind is of a higher consciousness which does not need to devour to grow. To the degree that Mind is free of the material influence, it will have these positive influences.

This third status does not eliminate desire of the second status, but transforms and uplift; for after all love is the desire to give one's self to others. (Paraphrase of Sri Aurobindo)

 

The Life Play of the Force Expressing through the Forms
-The life play of the Force, manifests as an interchange and stimulation between the forms. Thorough this interchange Life seeks to awaken conscious sensation in those bodies.

-Forms feed upon the breath and energy of the Cosmic Force through an interchange with other forms or by absorbing it from the outside.

-"The life-play of this Force manifests itself as an interchange of stimulation and response to stimulation between the different forms it has built up and in which it keeps up its constant dynamic pulsation; each form is constantly taking into itself and giving out again the breath and energy of the common Force; each form feeds upon that and nourishes itself with it by various means, whether directly by taking in other forms in which the energy is stored or directly by absorbing the dynamic discharges it receives from outside. All this is the play of Life: ..."Matter is substance form of force. (paraphrase of Sri Aurobindo)

 

Spiritual Unity with Others, Life
Sri Aurobindo says that ultimately there is a need to harmonize two principles of life:  the necessity of the will of the seperative ego to survive in its distinctness; and the compulsion imposed upon it by Nature to fuse itself with others. It is that of the individual and the universal.

He says that these will be harmonized, fused when we reach a higher status still, through the capacity of higher (spiritual) Mind. That will bring about the unity and freedom of the Many of creation.

 

The Problems of Life

Cause of the Problem of Life
The underlying cause of the problems of life is that at the cosmic level there has been a separation between Consciousness and Force, which are One in Satchitananda, but are divided in creation. This expresses as an essential Ignorance that expresses at all levels for the individual human, providing the root of all human difficulties.

The Three Problems of Life
The first problem of life is that man is aware only of the surface of life, not his inner being and true Self. The second problem of life is that he is disconnected from the universal, and therefore from others. The third problem of life is that the body, the vital, and mind are not in harmony with each other, nor with its self. When man becomes conscious he becomes more aware of the discords and creates this harmony. (Paraphrase of Sri Aurobindo)

 

The Purpose of Our Lives

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.

 

The Character of Life

Standards, Rules, Personality of Life
-Life is ever present. Its personality is all-pervasive. It has standards, rules, etc.

-Life has a personality ["the character of life"]. It is not inert. It is alive and acts. Life is not moral, but it is sensitive. [as we see in life response] (MSS, extracted, with additions in brackets) (MSS, sometimes paraphrased)  

Life as Expression of Consciousness
Everything we experience in life is an expression of consciousness. All that occurs, from the very grand to the totally insignificant, is a reflection and result of consciousness. All that occurs around us and to us is an expression of our own consciousness, individual and collective. This knowledge enables one to not only understand that life is a manifestation of consciousness but compels us to want to discover the consciousness/spirit in life. The more conscious we are, the more we are able to be in tune with and master life. 

Furthermore consciousness is really an energy and force. Life itself is a universal field of this energy/force that expresses the intentions of the consciousness from which the energy/force originates. 

Furthermore the consciousness (i.e. energy/force) is the same as the Consciousness of the Spiritual Reality, the Absolute, Divine from which the universe emanated from. That Divine Consciousness is the optimal consciousness that we in life can rise to and have. The more conscious we are, the more we are one with the Divine and its infinite powers. The greater the consciousness, the greater the Divine attributes we experience in our lives -- including its the power, truth, unity, harmony, perfection, peace, beauty, and love.

See Thoughts on How Life Works

 

How Life Expresses for the Individual Human

Human as Life Form
The human is a form of life, a formulation of energy, of force that includes physical, vital, mental, and spiritual parts. 

Four Planes at which Energy Expresses in the Human
There is an energy associated with each plane of existence that governs accomplishment on the plane. Any work usually requires some amount of activity on all three planes of human consciousness - mental, vital and physical - and demands the requisite energy on each of them. But the primary determinant of the result will be the intensity of energy on the plane central to completion of that particular work.

Physical activity of any sort demands an expenditure of physical energy, but physical activity alone does not constitute or lead to accomplishment, even when that activity is associated with work. Often enough we find ourselves quite 'busy' performing work-related tasks that ultimately do not accomplish anything. Meetings often fall in this category when they are conducted out of habit or with little forethought or without a clear agenda or intention. Play is a form of purposeless activity that may generate enjoyment by the large expenditure of energy or satisfaction arising from social interaction, but does not result in accomplishment in the sense referred to here. Most work involves some physical component for its completion and demands physical energy in some measure, but most instances of human accomplishment are centered at a higher level and require expenditure of other forms of energy.

The vital is the life plane of human interactions, social and personal relationships. Selling is predominately a vital activity. The act of selling involves persuading, cajoling or otherwise influencing another human being to make a favorable decision regarding a transaction. The act is centered in the vital plane and like other acts in life the result is most strongly influenced by the strength of vital energy, though the act may require considerable thought, planning and conceptualization and significant physical activity as well. Negotiating, exercising authority, motivating other people to action, forging lasting relationships, and leading a group of people in purposeful action are tasks that depend largely on the intensity of vital energy. Money is a reservoir of vital energy and therefore actions related to the acquisition and expenditure of money involve large energy flows.

Mind has two essential capacities - to know and to will. Understanding and mastering any subject, developing a plan, inventing a technology, designing an organization, writing a novel or a book of philosophy, concentrating on an idea or thinking originally are essentially mental acts, though they may require a considerable expenditure of physical and vital energy in the doing. Here the quantum of mental energy is a paramount determinant of the result.

Decisions are mental acts of will. Taking an important decision may require huge amounts of mental energy. Often the mental decision refers to tasks that are predominantly vital or physical such as choosing a marriage partner or a career, making a purchase or starting an enterprise. In this case mental energy is not sufficient. The decision must release the requisite vital energy for the act to be carried out. The mental act of will must mature into a commitment, intensify into determination, elicit the endorsement and consent of the emotions and release the vital and physical energy for fulfillment of the decision. If the vital and physical do not fully endorse and support the mental decision, the action may remain incomplete or achieve only limited results after a considerable delay. Resolutions to diet or give up bad habits or do things which one does not like or enjoy often suffer this fate.

At a still higher level there are acts in a spiritual plane which involve the expenditure of a higher energy or consciousness. Silencing the mind, meditation on God, aspiration, rejection of lower movements, consecration and surrender are predominately spiritual acts which can consume an entire day's energy of the being in a few moments and even leave one physically, emotionally and mentally exhausted as well. (MSS)

Shedding Unwanted Forms of Our Being and Life Response
-When we shed a wanting form, such as a poor vital attitude or mental opinion, its energies are released, creating a disequilibrium that attracts evoking a corresponding positive response from life.

-(Example) When Eliza in Pride and Prejudice moved from vital understanding to mental Truth of the nature of her family, she exchanged a lower form for a higher one, releasing great energy, and thereby attracting positive response in the form of her marriage to Darcy.

-Thus our Conscious Choice enables us to change old negative form to release the energy, and make life respond.

Human Energies and Life Response
There are four essential planes of existence in the universe -- the physical/material, the vital/life, the mental, and the spiritual. In the human that expresses as the physical body, the vital/emotional being, the mental being, and the spiritual being. We can call this the 'vertical scale of being'. In addition, each of these dimensions express as energy; i.e. as physical, vital, mental, and spiritual energy.

That energy is expressed along another scale of being in the universe, which we  call 'the universal scale,' which runs the gamut from the gross/material, to subtle, to causal. Energy expressed at the gross/material plane can be visibly seen or otherwise perceived through the senses; energies expressed at the subtle plane are unseen; and energies at the causal plane are also unseen, but involve something never having existed before.

For example, human physical energies can express at the gross/material or the subtle plane. E.g. when I drive a hammer into a nail, the nail moves; i.e. I see the results of the energy released in the act. Material energies can also be subtle, as in the case of x-rays which are partially subtle because although they cannot be seen by the human eye, their substance is detectable by scientific instruments.

Vital energies generally express at the subtle plane; i.e they cannot be seen, and they can readily move across the universe. For example, when I change an attitude is at the vital plane of my being, it releases vital energies that are subtle (i.e unseen) that can travel across the universe, and meet up with corresponding elements and objects which can return to me as a life response event. Mental energies are also subtle, and have a similar capacity as vital energies. E.g. when I organize ideas, subtle/invisible thought energies are released which can attract corresponding elements from life as well. Spiritual energies are super-subtle in that they are invisible, defying all laws of cause and effect and space and time, and can attract back elements that never existed before. 

Thus, when we change our consciousness at a moment in time, subtle energies are released from one or more of the four planes of our being -- physical, vital, mental, and spiritual, attracting back corresponding elements which we experience as life response. If I take to an extra physical effort, the subtle physical energies attract a response from life. If I move from reluctance to acceptance, the vital energies attract a response.  The same with the subtle energies that are released from higher movements at the mental and spiritual parts of our being.

Thoughts on the Makeup of the Vital Plane for the Individual Human

 

Other

See chapter in Sri Aurobindo's The Life Divine On the Nature of Life

Social Life, Human Life, Life, Nature, and Spirit
-Human life exceeds social life in dimension. Life itself is far wider in its scope than either social life or human life. Nature outstrips life. Existence on earth is not confined to Nature. It consists of many other worlds such as the subtle world of spirits ... Beyond lie the causal worlds proper to the Spirit.

-The Spirit surfacing in personal life expands the scope of Man's existence to the borders of social and human life and goes beyond. (MSS)

Energy and Accomplishment
Energy is the basis of all accomplishment. Creation is a creation of forms out of energy. Material objects consist of physical energy moving in fixed patterns and relations that appear to our senses as solid, stable objects and to our scientific instruments as atoms and molecules in constant motion. Living beings are characterized by the presence of vital or life energy that expresses in the form of sensations, instinctive impulses, subconscious drives and desires, feelings, emotions, passions, attitudes, behavior, character and personality. Mental energy takes form in our minds as ideas, thoughts, theories, inventions, works of art, plans, dreams, ideals we aspire for and values we strive to attain.

Spiritually, all energy is an expression of will and there is a secret will that manifests and expresses through all forms of energy in the universe. All will is an expression of a consciousness, though the originating consciousness may be inconscient and imperceptible to our senses as in matter, subconscious as in the plant or animal, or superconscious as in spiritual experience. All consciousness is a manifestation of Being. Therefore, behind all energy, all will, all forms and all consciousness, there are beings or a Being that is a manifestation of the Infinite, the Absolute. All creation ultimately originates in the Being, which formulates a consciousness that has an inherent will and power for self-expression. The release of that will generates energy and that energy constitutes the building blocks for the creation as we perceive it in the universe. Thus, the entrepreneur (being), possessed of an aspiration to accomplish in business, conceives or becomes conscious of a new business idea and decides by an act of will to create a business. His decision releases his mental, vital and physical energy and propels him into action. By that energy and through that action he builds according to his conception the forms of a company, products and services, an organizational structure with operating systems, and a market identity to realize his vision.

-----

Anything that increases the energy of the being increases the capacity for accomplishment. Anything that reduces or dissipates the energy of the being in unproductive directions reduces that capacity. Negative thoughts, disturbing events, low energy people, unconscious acts, a lack of physical cleanliness, poor health, and bad habits are various ways in which energy is lost. (MSS)

Shedding Unwanted Forms of Our Being and Life Response
-When we shed a wanting form, such as a poor vital attitude or mental opinion, its energies are released, creating a disequilibrium that attracts evoking a corresponding positive response from life.

-(Example) When Eliza in Pride and Prejudice moved from vital understanding to mental Truth of the nature of her family, she exchanged a lower form for a higher one, releasing great energy, and thereby attracting positive response in the form of her marriage to Darcy.

-Thus our Conscious Choice enables us to change old negative form to release the energy, and make life respond.

Also See Thoughts on Energy for the Individual, and Its Relationship to Achievement in Life

---

EVOLUTION:
 Origins and Nature of Mind
(Mind in Man in the Evolutionary Ascent)
(top)

 

The Nature of Mind in Man
Mind is a subordinate action and instrumentation of Truth Consciousness, Supermind. What purpose then does it serve? Mind serves a great purpose, it is a creative agency for Life. It enables us to organize Life and Matter in a creative manner to serve our and the needs of Nature.

However, Mind sees in fragments, in contradictions and conflicts. Mind deals with things separately; it divides, perceiving the particular. It divides time, force, and substance. It does not know the whole, the unified.

Thus man is essentially ignorant of the true truth. Mind is the nodus of Ignorance, because it is the organization of what which divides and distributes. This Ignorance is supported in man's ego, in seeing things from its vantage point of only itself, in its exclusive concentration of consciousness. Furthermore, this ego sense and ignorance is deepened by its identification with the physical body. (Based on Sri Aurobindo's The Life Divine, Book 1 Chapter 18)

Nature of the Mind
The mind is a modified consciousness that puts forth a mental energy. (Sri Aurobindo)

Limitations of Mind in Man

Linearity -- Mind tends to think in a linear, unidimensional manner and pursue one line of truth, ignoring other complementary sides, viewing all reality from a single viewpoint.

Division - Mind knows by Division & Aggregation

• It knows by dividing each whole into parts and taking each part as a whole for further subdivision.
• This leads to reductionism
• Leads to overspecialization and fragmentation of knowledge.

Polarization

• It knows by contrasting one thing from another
• Dualities -- Mind can function only by creating dualities
• Mind progresses by creating opposition - by contrasting its position with those of others
• Creates a negative for every positive
• Tends to see things in polar opposite terms as either black or white, right or wrong
• Every partial truth attracts its opposite to restore Oneness

Part vs Whole - mind mistakes the part for the whole

• Loses site of the greater whole
• Whole is greater than the sum of its parts  (MSS)

Weaknesses of the Mind
The following weaknesses of the mind will be of interest to us:

• Mind relies on known methods and things
• Mind is always active with mechanical thoughts
• Mind exaggerates
• Mind has scales and believes big is difficult and small is easy
• Mind prefers illogical thoughts to reason
• Mind mistakes one for another  (MSS, extracted)

Ascending Levels of Mind

• Physical mind - based on senses
• Thinking mind -- based on distinction, linearity, division, opposition
• Higher mind to Intuitive Mind
  • Reason = mind detached from physical senses
  • Intuition = mind detached from the mental sense of understanding = it directly knows (MSS, slightly modified)

Mind and Supermind
Mind is the agent of the supramental consciousness, Supermind. Mind is the dividing mechanism that enables us to distinguish; and yet is also intimately linked with our separateness, our ignorance, and ego. Therefore, Supermind can replace mind one day, enabling us to see the oneness of existence, where divisions are perceived as unities or emerging unities that we now we miss in mind.

Mind's Original Capacity, its Descent into Ignorance, and Its Liberation
Mind is of Supermind which has the vision of the whole. Mind being a part of it has the ability to see one part of the whole at one time and can see the other part if it chooses. This is the original capacity of Mind. When it refuses to see the other side, Ignorance is born which is more and more organised as below.

-Mind's identifying with itself is to make the Ignorance entrenched.
-It can identify itself with its workings at a further stage.
-The identification can be extended to life and Matter where Ignorance is full. 

The liberation of the Mind is a reverse process which can start at the mental plane.

-Withdrawal from the identification of thoughts - [which is] Silence.
-Withdrawal from sense identification - [which is] Pure faculties of Mind.
-Withdrawal from Mind, life, Matter are the further stages. (MSS)

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
As life ascends towards mind, it moves towards acceptance of CONSCIOUS unity, reflecting ever more the fundamental nature of existence born of Satchitananda. There is even greater unity above mind in spiritual mind, culminating in perfect integral unity of Supermind. (Paraphrase of Sri Aurobindo)

Mind's Capacity for Aggregation, & that Expression in Life
Mind's capacity for endless subdivision is complemented by its capacity for continuous aggregation. Mind has the ability to combine any number of smaller wholes and view them as the parts of larger wholes.

Mind has the ability to combine any number of smaller wholes and view them as the parts of larger wholes. Thus, electrons, protons and neutrons combine to form atoms, atoms combine to form molecules, molecules unit to constitute organelles, cells, organs and living organisms. Thus, individuals, families, communities, castes, classes, professions, sexes, ethnic and religious groups combine to form nations and the international community. We construct organizations along the same pattern, be they the organizations for governance, business, education or even religion. (MSS)

How Thinking Mind Knows
Thinking mind knows through a linear process that moves from one thought-form to the next and finds it extremely difficult to handle higher order concepts consisting of complex interrelations interacting in multiple dimensions.

Thinking mind also knows by a process of division and aggregation. The mind studies and knows things by distinguishing them from other things. (MSS)

Mind Sees in Opposites; the Higher Worlds in Self-Existences
Mind does not know, or cannot know light without darkness. Darkness cannot exist without light as it depends on it. There will be no shadow if light is not there. Shadow needs light for its existence. Light does not need shade or darkness for its existence. It is self-existent light. The higher world has self-existent Ananda, self-existent knowledge, etc. So its infinity too is self-existent. It is not the opposite of finite, but the Self-Existent. (MSS)

How Mind vs. Supermind See the Spirit
Mind sees the Absolute as Sat or Chit or Ananda, i.e., Mind in ignorance sees life or meets life as pain or pleasure. Supermind sees the Absolute as a universe of Marvel, as the Absolute has changed itself into Infinite Consciousness and then a universe of joy. (MSS)

Mental Energy
The forms of mental substance are waves of mental energy presented to our cognitive faculties as thought-forms (mental sounds and images, conceptions, mental perceptions, ideas, and the like). In mind, the consciousness or knowledge content of the energy is quite apparent, its energy content less so. (MSS)

Limitation of Mind in Existence
In the current human condition, man finds himself in a unique evolutionary position. As the first partially self-conscious animal, man is capable of detaching himself to a greater or lesser degree from his animal past and rising into spheres of mind to observe, consider and interpret the nature and purpose of existence. For a significant period of human history, consciousness was limited to an experience of reality that lacked significant conscious thought or reflection. Gradually over time, a greater degree of conscious awareness grew out of the repeated impact of different forces on the senses. Today, the self-conscious center in the human animal has grown to an organized sense mind, a physical mind and on occasions a thinking mind, which is less dependent on the senses than other parts of mind. But despite the progress, human awareness is still highly dependent and subject to physical and vital sensations that produce at best a clouded picture of reality.

Despite the gradual evolution of mental consciousness, the nature and character of human consciousness is such that it does not have the capacity or instrumentality required to answer the fundamental questions about the meaning of existence. Mind, which has grown out of man's sense nature and animal past, is an instrument that knows only through separation and division. Its consciousness and subsequent awareness is made up of indirect sensations which are received and processed by the mind resulting in a constructed knowledge rather than a direct knowledge of reality. Humanity, which has been and continues to seek for answers to the essential questions of the meaning and purpose of life through mind, has found only a paradoxical and an unexplainable reality where the fundamental determinants and reasons for existence remain a mystery. (MSS, Robert Macfarlane)

The Process of Evolution that Humans Can Accelerate
Sri Aurobindo, the Indian sage and seer spent decades trying to fathom the true nature of existence. He came to see that the universe was create through an involution of the Spirit; where through a conscious decision of the Divine Will, a Force and then a subtle unmoving energy was created out of which all forms of the universe were created. Thus, forms emerging out of an original spiritual-based Force and Energy, he saw as involutionary movement that enabled creation. At the point where the Force/Energy emerged form a Divine Source and coagulated into the first forms of creation, there began the evolution of the universe, which began as unconscious matter, evolved life formations including plants and animals, through which mentality emerged, especially in the higher animal life forms, culminating in the human being.

While philosophers and seers like Aurobindo have attempted to explain the involution part, scientists like Darwin have tried to explain the evolution part; the movement from matter to life to intelligence. Unfortunately, these explanation have focused on the surface realities, and the outer material processes of evolution, as explained in such concepts as survival of the fittest, natural selection, spontaneous mutation, and so forth. Though there is considerable merit in these conclusions, especially at the material level, Sri Aurobindo believed that they elicit only a superficial understanding of the processes that enable evolution to move forward. He instead focused on the inner processes of evolution. He tirelessly explained these inner processes that enabled life to emerge from matter, and mind to emerge from life, as seen in the higher animals and culminating in the human being. His interest was to try to explain why these successive planes emerged from out of one another.

Sri Aurobindo explains it this way: There is a process of unfolding that occurs from one plane to the next plane; e.g. from matter to life to mind. The reason one plane emerges from the previous because it is already involved there as potential in the previous plane. Under the right circumstances there is an emergence to the next highest plane. So the animus/life (in plant, lower life, animal, humans) we see on earth that emerged from pure matter (material rock, gasses, et al.) were involved as potential in matter to begin with. (They are involved because in the involution that plane already existed -- e.g. there was a plane of Mind even before mind in animal and man emerged in the evolution.) Under the right circumstances animus/life emerges from matter. This same process can be explained amongst the different levels of animal life that emerged, which is really the emergence of mind out of animus/life. Darwin and scientists explain these transitions only through scientific concepts that perceive only the outer processes. 

Sri Aurobindo goes on to say that what really compels the emergence of the next plane is the underlying (original) spirit that is embedded in each plane, pushing that plane's potential to emerge from its current plane into the next plane. (In creation the Spirit was hidden, or involved, or self-absorbed in the process of creation that enabled matter, yet was still there in the depths of the inconscience of matter.) Since spirit, which is really the same spirit that created the universe in the first place, i.e. the Divine spirit, is infinitely creative, what emerges in the next plane is always dynamically new and creative; it is always an unexpected manifestation of new forms of consciousness. After all who could have conceived a thinking being from the plant, or perhaps a future spiritual being from the current mental-based man?

You might ask at this point, how does this all relate to me? Well Sri Aurobindo goes on to say that from time immemorial Nature has led this process of ascendance upward from matter to animus/life to mind. It is the slow and painful method by which life normally progresses. Now however the human being, the self-conscious, self-determining mental human can now take the evolution further. By connecting to his inner being, to his spiritual soul within or to the Divine above, he comes in contact with the very spiritual powers and forces that enabled the current planes of matter, life, and mind to emerge. He then has the capacity to collaborate with spirit to enable further planes or sub planes to emerge, as well as the perfection of the current planes.

Thus man, through his conscious collaboration with the dynamic spiritual essence, becomes the enabler for the further evolution of the species. He enables new possibilities to rise in life; such as new perceptions, insights, and ideas; new inventions, products, and services; and new ways of living and acting and interacting. Ultimately through an individual's connection to consciousness and spirit, he becomes an instrument of human evolution. In that way, rather than Nature being the leader of our evolution, the self-conscious human individual becomes the pioneer and leader of our future evolution, further releasing the infinite potential and further (spiritual) planes of life.

Evolution, Involution, and Darwin
Darwin understood the physical causes of evolution in animals; even their only partially. He did not understand the subtle causes -- i.e. the psychological and spiritual.

For example, the evolutionary spiritual philosopher Sri Aurobindo says that evolution occurs not only because of a movement to higher consciousness -- e.g. greater thought or insight --, but to the unfolding of a seed of that possibility that is involved in that form. I.e. in a dumb animal is an involved consciousness of mentality, which will only come out through the evolution of that species, which is what happened when higher animals and man evolved from it. This involved seed and capacity is there because the Spirit put it there in its own involutionary descent from the Infinite consciousness, the Divine on its way to creating a universe of forms. All evolution is an unfolding of this intended process.

Thus, evolution is the very essence and will of God, to create ever more conscious beings, reflective of its own Infinite, Divine nature.

Darwin's explanation does not perceive the essential process of creation, therefore his view of evolution is material and mechanistic. Still his was a great breakthrough at its own (limited) level.

 

Additional:

Thoughts on the Makeup of the Mental Plane for the Individual
 

See chapter in Sri Aurobindo's The Life Divine On the Nature of Mind
 

---

The Gross/Material, Subtle, and Causal Planes in Creation
(top)

 

Gross, Subtle, and Causal Planes
If the result is in the gross material plane, the process is in the subtle plane and the essence lies in the causal plane. (MSS)

The Causal, Subtle, and Gross Planes
-The plane in which all forms are there in potential is the causal plane. It is the infinite plane of possibility from which existence can take shape.

-The plane in which the infinite possibilities assume a form is the subtle plane.

-The final expression and result occurs in the gross/material plane.

The Nature of the Causal, Subtle, and Gross Planes
Causal is the plane of infinite possibilities. Subtle is the plane of conception. Gross is the plane of results.

Gross, Subtle, and Causal Planes
The gross plane is what can be seen. The subtle is invisible, and the causal is super subtle.

The Author Creating at the Causal, Subtle, and Gross Planes
The author's mind is analogous to the causal plane. It is the realm of infinite possibilities. When he conceives of scenes, characters, et al, he does so in the subtle plane. The result, a book or play is in the gross/material plane.

The Process of Creation and the Causal, Subtle, and Gross Planes
The process of creation is a movement from the causal (infinite possibilities) to subtle (delineation of separate forms) to their manifestation (gross).

Expressions of Subtle, Causal, and Gross/Material
A thought is subtle; the spirit is subtle but has causal power to create out of itself. A rock or the physical body is gross/material.

Values in Subtle, Spirit in Causal Planes
Values take us to the subtle plane. Worship of the Inner Divine, the Spirit, the inmost entity, Brahman, takes us to the causal plane. (MSS)

Gross Plane is Where We Predominantly Live
We live predominantly in the gross/material plane. Any expansion there is a horizontal expansion. Extension to the subtle and causal planes are vertical expansions. (MSS) 

The Causal Plane
The supramental plane is the causal plane where the law of cause and effect finds a play. It is the plane where Brahman dwells. It is the plane of pure spirit. The causal inversion is far more drastic than the subtle inversion. It comes positively as well as negatively. In both cases the outcome is more than marvelous. (MSS)

The Causal Plane
The causal plane is the plane of infinite possibilities; of the Infinite consciousness.

How the Vertical and Horizontal Express Across the Gross/Material, Subtle, and Causal Planes
We have spoken of a vertical scale of consciousness for the individual human that goes from the physical to the vital to the mental, and beyond to the spiritual mind and the supramental planes. We have also identified a horizontal scale that ranges from living on the surface of life to living in the depths in the Subliminal Being, and within that to the Psychic Being, the personal evolving soul. We have also identified in the horizontal scale and inconscience and subconscience range within, and a spiritual superconscience beyond us.

We can now identify a third scale, that takes three forms -- gross/material, subtle, and causal. Any plane of the vertical or horizontal scale can express at this third scale. For example, my physical body is of gross/material substance. My thoughts on the other hand are far less gross/material, they cannot be touched nor perceived through the five senses. In fact they are invisible, not material. Thus they are subtle. Subtle also indicates that it can move easily across space, whereas a gross/material object, like the physical body is encumbered by space. E.g. when I think something, someone half way around the world can pick up that thought instantaneously. Thus, my thoughts are subtle in nature. My emotions and feelings too are mostly subtle.

Thus we can say that the higher in the vertical scale, the more we move from the gross/material to the subtle planes. At the highest spiritual planes we reach the causal plane. At this plane, life is not only subtle, in that the element cannot be viewed and travels easily through space time, but something new, not currently existing in the world, suddenly takes shape as a result. if I move to the spiritual/supramental plane by opening to the (Supramental) Force, then not only is its substance invisible and unperceived by the senses, but it instantly causes (hence "causal") something new to be created just by invoking it. E.g. an instance of sudden good fortune can suddenly come my way, a solution that never existed in the world can suddenly arrive at my doorstep.

The various horizontal planes can express gross/material, subtle, and causal as well. What we do on the surface of life is gross/material. Even as we relate to life through our five sense, it is mostly gross/material with a degree of subtlety, for after all we cannot touch what we are seeing in our mind's eye. As we go deeper within, to the inner being, what occurs is subtle. At the level of the soul, the experience is not only subtle, but causal; it has a power to create something that never exists before. It is the spiritual power of the soul, not unlike the spiritual power of the supramental force.

In general we can say that anything that is physical is gross/material; anything that cannot be seen and has a power to readily across space-time is subtle, and anything that is subtle and has the capacity to create the new, fresh, and dynamic out of nothing is the causal.

The Gross/Material, Subtle, and Causal Planes
The Gross/Material plane refers to anything solid that can be touched and seen, or perceived through the senses (like matter and the physical body). The subtle plane refers to elements of life that cannot be seen (like thoughts), which have particular power to easily move across space-time. (E.g. one can sense another's thoughts and feelings instantly from the other side of the globe.) The causal plane is a kid of super-subtle plane that not only is invisible and moves easily across space-time, but also has an ability to create something new out of nothing (like spirit, or the spiritual Force of the Divine Reality; i.e. Supermind).

Even a mostly gross/material element like matter or the physical body can also be subtle, even causal. E.g. there is an invisible body sheath that surrounds the physical body. Thus, we can say that ultimately every thing that is physical, vital, mental, and spiritual can express as gross/material, subtle, and causal, though it tends to be more prominent in one than the other.

Expression of G/M,S,C Among Various Aspect of Our Being
-The body is gross/material. Sensations of the body are mostly gross/material with a shade of subtlety. Emotions and feelings are mostly subtle with a degree of gross/materiality. Thoughts are nearly fully subtle, while spiritual mind and especially supermind are causal (i.e. super-subtle). The soul within is also causal.

-As we move higher in the vertical scale and deeper in the horizontal scale we move from the gross/material to the subtle to causal planes. There is a higher aspect of substance and of consciousness.

The Gross/Material, Subtle, and Causal Planes Expressing in the Physical, Vital, and Mental
-There are three planes; the gross/material, the subtle, and the causal.
-The gross/material plane is the plane which we mostly live. We see it. The subtle plane is that which is invisible to us. The causal is beyond the subtle.
-Our own physical, vital, and mental makeup expresses at each of the gross/material, subtle, and mental planes.
-In the physical plane the flower itself is at the gross/material plane. Its fragrance, however is unseen is in the subtle plane. There is even a subtle body which we have that is a sheath protection. When we fall ill, it is because the subtle body is penetrated.
-The emotions of the vital plane may be gross/material, but the vital energies themselves are unseen and subtle.
-Then what if the mind. Let us consider the thoughts of the mind. There is gross/material thought that comes to us from the input of the five senses. It is often rooted in falsehood and error, e.g. as it believes that the sun revolves around the earth. Beyond gross thought there is the subtle thought of ideas, devoid of sense input, such as the better knowledge that the earth revolves around the sun. Thus to be a thinker one must engage in subtle thought. Beyond this capacity of thought, there are higher capacities of Mind in silence of mind, illuminations and light, and intuitions and revelations of even greater degrees of subtlety. E.g. in intuition there is no longer any thought. Beyond that there is Supermind which is causal.

The Gross, Subtle, and Causal Plane
As we move into the depths or above toward the spiritualized mind, we begin to see that we come in contact with planes of consciousness that have greater subtlety, power, and effectivity for creating results on the outside. As we open ourselves to these greater planes the fixities of cause and effect, space and time give way to spacelessness, timelessness, and infinities of potentials, possibilities, results. We see a continuum of life that we can experience, ranging from the gross/material which we normally function at, to the subtle, which we are not conscious of, which defy our normal perceptions, and on to the causal, where we enter the spiritual domain of infinite possibilities.

Expression of Planes of Planes at the Gross/Material, Subtle, and Causal Levels
Each plane can ultimately be expressed gross/materially, subtlely, and causally. E.g. though matter is mostly perceived as gross/material in certain forms it is subtle, as in X-rays and other invisible wave and particle forms. In fact, science has proven that two electrons of the same atom can affect one another's spin, even though they are thousands of miles apart. Likewise my physical body also has a subtle sheath that is invisible to the five senses; thus, it too has a subtle component. When we get sick, a virus may penetrate the invisible subtle sheath that surround the body. Still, the body (and matter) is mostly perceived as gross/material.

The Gross/Material, Subtle, Causal Scale
The Gross/Material, Subtle, Causal scale provides a means to measure the quality of substance and consciousness of elements of life, and the manner in which those elements exist and function, including their level of effectivity to produce results in space-time.

Human Energies, the Universal Scale, and Life Response
There are four essential planes of existence in the universe -- the physical/material, the vital/life, the mental, and the spiritual. In the human that expresses as the physical body, the vital/emotional being, the mental being, and the spiritual being. We can call this the 'vertical scale of being'. In addition, each of these dimensions express as energy; i.e. as physical, vital, mental, and spiritual energy.

That energy is expressed along another scale of being in the universe, which we call 'the universal scale,' which runs the gamut from the gross/material, to subtle, to causal. Energy expressed at the gross/material plane can be visibly seen or otherwise perceived through the senses; energies expressed at the subtle plane are unseen; and energies at the causal plane are also unseen, but involve something never having existed before.

For example, human physical energies can express at the gross/material or the subtle plane. E.g. when I drive a hammer into a nail, the nail moves; i.e. I see the results of the energy released in the act. Material energies can also be subtle, as in the case of x-rays which are partially subtle because although they cannot be seen by the human eye, their substance is detectable by scientific instruments.

Vital energies generally express at the subtle plane; i.e. they cannot be seen, and they can readily move across the universe. For example, when I change an attitude is at the vital plane of my being, it releases vital energies that are subtle (i.e unseen) that can travel across the universe, and meet up with corresponding elements and objects which can return to me as a life response event. Mental energies are also subtle, and have a similar capacity as vital energies. E.g. when I organize ideas, subtle/invisible thought energies are released which can attract corresponding elements from life as well. Spiritual energies are super-subtle in that they are invisible, defying all laws of cause and effect and space and time, and can attract back elements that never existed before. 

Thus, when we change our consciousness at a moment in time, subtle energies are released from one or more of the four planes of our being -- physical, vital, mental, and spiritual, attracting back corresponding elements which we experience as life response. If I take to an extra physical effort, the subtle physical energies attract a response from life. If I move from reluctance to acceptance, the vital energies attract a response.  The same with the subtle energies that are released from higher movements at the mental and spiritual parts of our being. 

The Vertical & Horizontal Scale of Consciousness in Terms of G/M,S,C
The Vertical scale of consciousness describes the part of our being from lowest to highest consciousness (matter or physical body to Supermind), which (based on Gross/Material, Subtle, Causal [G/M,S,C] can be said to move from most dense to most subtle (causal) in substance and power of effectivity. The Horizontal scale of consciousness describes the part of our being from the surface to the depths (from sense input to the psychic being/Soul),  which goes from  least to greatest consciousness (although there is also a dark consciousness in the subconscient depths), and (based on G/M,S,C) also goes from densest to most subtle (causal) in both substance and power of effectivity. I am thus using the G/M,S,C as a useful way to describe how life operates, including the elements in these two scales of the individual.

On Subtlety
The more subtle, the greater power to readily move in space-time.

The Subtlety of the Internet; a Step on the Way to Ultimate Causality
The web represents a movement toward the infinite capacity of life, which we are just beginning to understand. The greater the movement towards subtlety, all the way to the ultimate causality of spirit, the greater the capacity of life to respond beyond the normal notions of cause and effect, and space and time. Since the Internet is subtle, it is a movement towards that spirit. It reflects the subtlety of the organizational power of mind. Beyond that power is silent mind, spiritual mind of light, illumination, and intuition, and above that the higher consciousness where the Divine enables infinite, timeless capacity, if we connect with it. With Internet's capacity to retrieve information based on what you want, it is a step in the movement of society towards subtlety. At the highest level of subtlety, the connection to the Absolute, God, Brahman, the subtlely moves to causality, which is instantaneous and infinitely abundant.

Pain Seen through the Gross/Material, the Subtle, and the Causal planes
The physical mind of the senses which is in the gross/material plane sees pain; the subtle mind sees the process involved, the reason behind it, and its necessity; while the causal in Supermind sees the pain as Grace.

Rough Attempts at Understanding The Causal
-In the descent there is a movement from causal to subtle to gross/material. In the ascent there is the reverse. At their peaks -- i.e. in the never-beginning beginning in the involution, in the never-ending end of the evolution -- is ultimate causality, which is ultimate subtlety of substance and the very highest consciousness.

-Satchitananda exists in non-manifest causality, while man struggles out of gross materiality to subtlety to source causality.

-As the subtle lies behind the gross, the causal lies behind the subtle. [MSS]

-Causality traverses all the dimensions of the rounded pyramid of consciousness, horizontal and vertical, revealing relationships from any one point to any other point(s).

-The causal is activated down to the depths of the psychic and from the Force around us.

-What is the causal really from the perspective of The Omnipresent Reality and Satchitananda?

The Benefits of the Causal Plane
Beyond the gross/material, and even the subtle plane, is the ultimate causal plane. There we come to know the highest subtle movements and forces that reflect the Spiritual Consciousness that is behind all things. By connecting to the spiritual consciousness, we open ourselves to the most subtle of the subtle forces, the most powerful of the powerful; where space and time are completely overcome, where abundance and infinite possibility come to us where there was formerly finite possibility; where we experience the ultimate joys of inner delight and ecstatic bliss.

The causal plane is where we are connected to the Divine, to the Spiritual Force, where the infinite potentials and possibilities of life reside. At this level we can not only attain a positive life response of great physical, vital, or mental benefit (such as vast wealth, abundance, and accomplishment), but we also attain spiritual benefits as well, such as feelings of great calm and peace; or have at our disposal a great inner strength and power; or sense the deepest truths of things and have the greatest capacity to act in the right way; or to have the greatest insight, knowledge, and wisdom; or to perceive the deepest beauty in life around us; or to feel the profoundest harmony, oneness, and unity with others and the environment; or to know the deepest love for others; or to experience the greatest inner pleasure and bliss of being.  
 

---

 

RELATED TOPICS

 

---

Truth
(top)

Click here to see entries

 

---

The One and the Many
(top)

 

How the One Became the Many

Supermind, the One, and the Many
Supermind renders the One into the Many.

The One that Becomes the Many
The One becomes the Many through the deployment of Supermind of Space and Time, Nature and Soul, and the differentiation of the cosmic determinants into object, subject, experience.

 

The Nature of the One and the Many

The One and the Many

After the universe begins, we understand that there is a One and a Many. The One is the Divine source, the Many is the creation from the divine source. Brahman, The Absolute, God is the One and the Many. God is both the creator and that which has been created. Actually He (Brahman, the Absolute) are more than the sum of these.

The Divine is Both the One and the Many

The spirit is divine, as are the forms including us. That is the Divine, when it extended itself as a manifested cosmos, became the One and the Many. As scene from the highest consciousness the One and the Many are both divine; they are both the Divine, Brahman. Brahman (the Divine) is both the One and the Many.

The One and the Many 2

The One is the creations divine source, the Many is that which is created, i.e. the universe. The Absolute (i.e. Brahman, the Divine, God) is both the One, the creation's' source, and the Many, that which has been created, the universe.

---

Oneness of Life, Unity in Diversity
(top)
 

Harmony, Oneness, Union
Harmony is one level of integration. Oneness is a higher level of harmony. Unity is higher still, representing an integral complexity of Oneness.

Oneness
Oneness is non-differentiation; non-dual; without polarity.

The Oneness of Being
Behind all existence is a Oneness of being, whose origin and intelligence is the Spiritual Reality.

Unity in Diversity
All things are one in their being and origin, one in their general law of existence, one in their interdependence and universal pattern of their relations; but each realises this unity of purpose and being on its own lines and has its own law of variation by which it enriches the universal existence. (Sri Aurobindo)

Vision of Oneness of Spirit and Matter
We see Matter and Spirit as two separate aspects. They are actually One; part and parcel of one another. This is the vision of the Whole; of Oneness; of the Absolute, Brahman.

Untitled
Spirit and Life are one.

The Vision of Oneness that All is Necessary
Each and every thing in life is a necessary player in the Play unfolding. There are no exceptions. This is the vision of Oneness.

From a Divided Being to Oneness
Man was created as a divided being, though life is One. Through our evolution in consciousness, we can come to see the true Oneness of all things, the undifferentiated existence, which everything serves a purpose in the universal scheme of things.

Moving from Divided to View of Oneness
Man was created as a divided being. That is his perception. However, all of life is One. All things that occur are an unfolding of a Divine intention. When he rises in consciousness, he perceives the Oneness that is the foundation of existence.

Man's Evolution and Oneness at Various Planes
When man evolves, the dualities seen at the lower planes, of ego, will reunite, as they are in the higher planes. From the view of the higher planes, there is not even division of the lower planes now.

Inner Oneness
Surface relations are an expression of inner oneness. The connection between external events exists because division is only on the surface of life, consciousness and existence. Beneath the surface, there is oneness of consciousness and being. We see separate and apparently individual actions and people on the surface, but underneath there are movements of a common force and one consciousness expressing through multiple forces and forms. That which moves from one person to another or one event to another is a force or vibration of a single underlying being and intention, social or spiritual, just as the different words and actions of an individual emanate from the same being.

Inner Moves, Contains the Outer
We can think of God, Brahman, the Absolute as a great Cosmic Egg. In it is the Being, the pure spirit, and the universe that issued from the Being. Now think of ourselves in relationship to what is outside us. We can learn to move into the depths of our being to effect the outer world from within us, proof that the inner moves the outer; that the inner actually contains the outer; paralleling that from the Inner of the Cosmic Egg it, through its inner self-conception manifest the outer universe. We have that same power within us.

All is One in Supramental Consciousness
All forces and forms are One from the poise of the supramental consciousness. (MSS)

Oneness in Plane of Supermind
In the plane of Supermind all is known in its integral oneness; without separation.

Life as Universal Force
In Life Divine, Sri Aurobindo describes life as a universal force that expresses as the individual force maintaining each individual form or object in manifestation. It is the force that creates and preserves the form, defends its survival and energizes its growth. Although we view life in terms of many separate and individual lives, it is only one single, universal existence that we perceive as many. In its origin, life is the infinite, creative force that builds the worlds and inhabits them with forms of its own self-conception and creation. It is the conscious force of Sat, the Self-Conscious Being, the Pure Existence, the Divine Consciousness, the omnipresent reality. (MSS)

See Thoughts on How the Individual Comes to See the Oneness of Life

See Thoughts on an Society's Movement Toward  Oneness and Unity

 

---

The Individual, Universal, and Transcendent
(top)

Individuality and Collaboration
Perhaps the most thrilling rivalry in the world of business in the last generation has been the competitive battle between Apple and Microsoft. The twists and turns of that these two companies have gone through are legend -- as the experiences and action of their leaders, Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. One interesting way to look at their success is to examine some essence, quality, and core value that was critical to their success.

On the Apple side, it has been the ability to express the individuality of people through breakthrough technology. From the very beginning, Apple has seen itself as a company doing battle with the establishment, embodied in the IBM-centric world of hierarchy, and conformity. With breakthrough, people-oriented technology, it has aimed to break down these barriers, allowing the individual to express his capacities in full.  This capacity to bring out human individuality is one of the hallmarks of Apple's drive and success. The results has been products that revolutionized the computer world.

In the years, I have observed Microsoft, an almost opposite quality, essence, and value sticks out that is at the core of their success. It is an extraordinary ability to collaborate with its partners and users. Microsoft at every stage has sought to open itself to collaborating with hardware vendors, corporations, and users in order to extend its technology into the wider sphere. When Microsoft developed its original DOS personal computer operating system, it encouraged dozens of PC manufacturer to use it. That model continued with the development of Windows and Windows Mobile. Likewise, any developer who has worked with the company knows how they have bent over backwards to forge relationships that will both help users and expand Microsoft's market. The result has been a 90% market share in the OS, and a company that is a virtual money making machine.

These same two factors, individuality and collaboration (i.e. harmony, oneness, unity) and are central dynamics of life itself. On the one hand, there is the need to express one's self in life (individuality), even as there is the need to cooperate with others. This is a central dynamic in society, perpetually trying to work itself out. For example, in America, individuality is there in the extreme; and yet its collaborative capacities are sorely lacking. If it embraced both, it would almost certainly maintain its role of evolutionary leader of the world. In Asia, we see more of the other side, where collaboration is at the forefront, and true individuality is further behind. Of course, each alone -- individuality or collaboration -- is limited. However, together they harness infinite powers.

If I find fulfillment in by own self and being, I in essence experience individuality. When I find fulfillment in the world and people around me, I move towards becoming a Universalized being. When I open to the presence, power, and will of the spirit, I become a Transcendent being. However, when I combine all of these into one, I become an Integral being, who is fulfilled at the individual, universal, and transcendent level. We can see this same dynamic at work for organizations, nations, and society. Does it seek merely to find individual fulfillment, but universal and transcended as well. This is the challenge before us.

The Purpose of Creation

A question from a reader:
"Why did this creation happen? What is the purpose of creation?"

Answer:
-One reason is so that the static Delight of the Unmanifest could express as dynamic Delight in the myriad of forms of creation in the manifestation.

-Sri Aurobindo also indicates that the transcendent Reality, the Divine All manifest a universe in infinite space and time so that it can reveal through its forms that Reality. Thus, this progressive revealing of the transcendental Reality is the meaning and aim of the universe.

Another way to look at this is to say that the Spiritual qualities of the Divine All -- Truth, Oneness, Wisdom, Peace, Power, Creativity, Love, Delight, Infinity, Timelessness, etc -- seek myriad expression in an infinite variety of forms. To express these aspects of the Transcendent Reality in life is why the universe, the forms, we humans are here.

---

Finite and Infinite
(top)

 

The Infinite in the Finite
The universe and its forms has properties that are finite; i.e. limited, narrow in scope, etc. The spiritual Being, the Absolute is infinite. There is no limitation. It is endless, unbounded, etc. Bringing the unbound Infinite into the Finite of life evolves the finite life into an infinite, Divine  life.

The Infinite and the Finite
The Infinite is of the Being, and of the One.  The Finite is in the Becoming and in the Many. The destiny of the evolutionary being is to bring the Infinite into the Finite by bringing the Being into the Becoming.

Releasing the Infinite from the Infinitesimal
The Spirit is Infinite and Eternal. Indian spiritual wisdom knows how the entire infinite universe is compressed into the infinitesimal and how one can release that infinite from the infinitesimal. (MSS)

The Infinite in the Finite
The finite is only the Infinite that has folded itself up. If the finite is unfolded the hidden infinite will emerge.

Infinite Emerging from Finite in Creation
All this is Brahman, according to the Upanishads. Spiritually, the whole world is a manifestation of the Divine, the Infinite manifesting as finite form and finite force. All growth and development represents the progressive emergence in finite form of some of the hidden potentials of the Infinite concealed within the form.

Every moment has the potential of revealing an unexpected truth, since the Infinite is there behind the finite appearance of Time (MSS)

Man's Infinity Revealed
Man is the Infinite with the appearance of the Finite. The Force helps him discover his own infinity. In life, it is material abundance. (MSS)

The Infinite Emerging from out of the Finite = a "Miracle"
In the field of spirituality, the phrase 'the Infinite emerges out of the finite' occurs constantly. In human life, such a phenomenon is understood as a miracle. (MSS)

Atomic Fission and the Infinite
The energy released by the atomic fission is a symbolic demonstration of the release of the Infinite from the confinement of the finite.

Infinity is a Practical Concept
It is infinite Brahman that created this world of infinite joy. Infinity is not only a Spiritual concept or Mathematical concept. Infinity is a practical concept. (MSS)

Practical Concept of Infinity
In the very beginning of creation, there was Infinity and Eternity, says the scriptures. God is described as an infinite Being living eternally. Mathematics says that the Infinite does not increase or decrease. The Infinite multiplied by any number, say ten, remains Infinite. Even when the Infinite is divided by ten, it remains Infinite. It is an important concept in mathematics.

Spiritually too, the Infinite is equally important. Infinite minus Infinite equals Infinite is the dictum of the Upanishads. The Gita puts it as, ''It moves not, but it is always ahead of you.'' Again, the Gita says, ''It is indivisible. It is there in the divisible things undivided.'' Sri Aurobindo ascribes to Infinity, the concept of it, the most significant value in life.

I call it the Practical Concept of Infinity. It means Infinity that is so important to spirituality and mathematics is ever-present in life. In other words, one who realises this truth in life will have the power to multiply things in life infinitely.

Should he realise the truth of the Infinite in life, everything an individual does will multiply.

In the life of spiritual aspirants, it expresses as: 1) abridgement of Time, 2) raising the level of one's work, and 3) making the end result available at the beginning. (MSS, extracted, and slightly modified)

See Thoughts on the Logic of the Infinite From Sri Aurobindo's The Life Divine

See Thoughts on How the Individual Brings the Infinite into their Lives
(i.e. a practical concept of infinity)

Infinite & Infinitesimal
The Infinite in creation becomes the infinitesimal. (MSS)

Bringing Out the Infinite from Any Plane of the Reality

Sri Aurobindo says that the highest conception of existence given to Man is the Reality. Also known as Brahman of the East; the Absolute of the West. It is Spirit, but it is also this life of matter. It is the Unmanifest Source and Stability, but also the Manifest and its movement of forms of force. It is the Creator and Creation. In fact, the Reality expresses at every plane we can conceive of, from the Infinite consciousness "above," to matter, life, and mind on earth. They are simply different expression of the same omnipresent Reality.

When I look at a flower, I am experiencing the Reality in a material form that is beautiful. When I meet someone, I am seeing a living being expressing physical, vital, and mental dimensions of the Reality. And so forth for everything in an out of the universe.

One interesting aspect is that every plane of existence is capable of expressing the infinity of the Reality, since they originated in its Infinite consciousness. Thus in the unconsciousness of matter is buried a seed of infinite possibility that can be brought to the surface. As we ourselves become more conscious, we bring out that infinity, as the scientist has done by splitting the atom. But we can engage matter in other ways. E.g. by raising our attitudes, we can attract vast material success out of nowhere. In this way, we bring out the embedded, involved, hidden infinity that lurks within material existence.

We can take this same approach with other planes of the Reality, such as energy, life, and mind, since infinity is buried in potential there as well. In that way, we can bring about a social existence that is far richer and more satisfying than what we experience now, and we can elicit a many-sided knowledge about any matter in a flash, accelerating knowledge and wisdom exponentially. Thus, we bring the distant future into the present by evoking the infinity from the finite.  

 

Individuality and the Manifestation of Infinity

To mortal, limited beings in ephemeral physical bodies living in a transient material world of visible and tangible finite forms, the existence of an invisible and insubstantial, boundless infinite and eternal, omniscient and omnipotent, universal and transcendent Existence or Being is a wonder of wonders beyond conception. But Sri Aurobindo says the greatest mystery in not the existence of God. A still greater wonder is how an insubstantial Infinite and Eternal Spirit could create the finite, temporal material universe in which we live. This Infinite cannot create anything outside itself for there is nothing beyond it. Nor can it create anything that it is not already, since it is all and beyond all. The ultimate challenge is for Infinity to manifest itself in finite space and time. That is the mystery he unravels in The Life Divine.

The Absolute, Brahman, the Omnipresent Reality is Infinite. It is infinite not just in one of the dimensions of space (distance), time, quantity, quality, property, color, texture or design. It is Infinite in each of these dimensions and there is an infinity of other dimensions – dimensions of consciousness, knowledge, energy, force, power, form, beauty, love and ananda. Thus, the Absolute is an Infinity of Infinities. It is Infinity to the power of Infinity, Infinity∞.

Sri Aurobindo tells us that the Infinite and Eternal Absolute became the universe for the sheer delight of self-manifestation, of becoming in infinite Space and eternal Time. If we can speak of a goal at all, its goal is to experience the infinite delight of a progressive manifestation in endless Space and eternal Time, in which it is at once the creator, the creation and the act of creating. The Divine does not create the universe, it becomes the universe while remaining all the time its essential divinity. Brahman is the Omnipresent Reality that includes both the Absolute and the Relative, the Infinite and the finite, the One and the many, the Eternal unity and the temporal universe.

Supermind is the Divine’s power for manifesting the Infinite by a process of Self-conception, Self-limitation and Self-absorption. He calls each such Self-conception a Real Idea, which is a power or vibration of the Self-Conscious Being. Since the Absolute is Infinite, it must be capable of an infinite number and variety of such determining vibrations. The Absolute objectifies itself as Sachchidananda, (Existence, Consciousness, Bliss), from which all creation is derived. That Existence reveals itself as Atman (Self), Purusha (Conscious Being), Iswara (the Divine or God). The essential powers or attributes of that Being are Silence, Peace, Infinity, Eternity, Truth, Spirit, Goodness, Knowledge, Will, Beauty, Love and Joy. He calls these the fundamental spiritual determinations of the Infinite. Each of these has the capacity to combine with any of the others to form new determinates, which can in turn combine with one another and with the fundamental determinates to create other determinates, and so forth. Furthermore, each of these determinates can also differentiate itself as subject, object and experience (as knower, object of knowledge, and act of knowing; as lover, beloved and act of love; etc.). Each of these combinations of determinates represents a unique vibration of Being, a potentiality of the Infinite Absolute, which seeks to manifest itself for the sheer delight of existence. Therefore, we arrive at an infinite number of possible combinations of determinates seeking to manifest themselves in infinite Space and Eternal Time.

Infinity, by definition is without limit, so it can never be exhausted. Yet the Absolute seeks to manifest an Infinity of Infinities in Space and Time. This manifestation of an Infinitude of Infinities in a finite world of space and time poses a problem. You might say the universe is simply too small and limited. How then does the Absolute manifest Infinity∞? The key is Individuality or uniqueness.

Each form, each being or soul represents a unique combination of determinates, a unique vibration of the Infinite Being. As every human being has a unique set of fingerprints, each soul represents a unique vibration of Being (Darcy’s pride, Wickham’s charming falsehood, Elizabeth’s impertinence, Collins’ sycophancy, Mrs. Bennet’s nerves, Mr. Bennet’s aloofness, Mrs. Gardiner’s self-restraint, Lady Catherine’s vanity, Lydia’s shamelessness, Mary’s pedantry, Jane’s goodness, Charlotte’s practicality). This is an oversimplification, for each soul is in fact a microcosm of unique vibrations in combination (Apart from a rich man’s self-importance, Darcy has traces of goodness, truthfulness, clumsiness, domineering will, a master’s kindness, a brother’s affection, a lord’s generosity, a friend’s concern, a man’s passion and a lover’s idealism. He is himself a profusion of human qualities, a unique combination of all the basic characteristics of human nature, the society and class from which he comes.

Each of these souls has the capacity to relate, interact and creatively combine in experience with every other unique soul, creating an infinite combination of relationships (e.g. the world’s current population of 7 billion generates 7x1018 possible interactions at any instant in time). The interactions of Darcy, Bingley, Caroline, Lady Catherine, Lady Anne, Collins, Mrs. Hurst, Wickham, Georgiana, Mrs. Young, Mrs. Reynolds, Colonel Foster, the Gardiners, the chambermaid at Lambton, Elizabeth and her family represent only a few of an infinite number of possible combinations.

Each point in space and moment in time is an infinitesimal drop in the infinite and eternal ocean of the Absolute’s self-experience. Each point in boundless universal Space is unique and each of these possibilities can occur at any, many or every different point in space, once or any number of times in any sequence. Furthermore, each moment in Eternal Time is unique and each of these possibilities can occur at any, many or every different moment of time or any number of times in any order. So we see [in Jane Austin’s Pride and Prejudice] Darcy and Elizabeth, two souls, meeting at the first Meryton ball where she overhears Darcy call her ‘tolerable’; at the Meryton dance where she refuses Darcy’s offer to dance; at Netherfield Hall when she goes to care for Jane; at the Netherfield ball where they do dance; at Rosings and on its grounds; in the Hunford parsonage where he calls on her and proposes; twice at Pemberley; twice at Lambton Inn; and finally at Longbourn. The atmosphere of each of these places has its influence on their self-experience.

There are also unique circumstances surrounding each of these events. He is 27, she 21, not the reverse. She has a vulgar mother, he is parentless with a sister that needs a guardian and an aunt trying to marry him to her own sickly daughter. Both, importantly, are not yet married nor too old or disinclined to wedlock. They met at the time of the French Revolution, not 50 years too early for such a marriage between the classes or 50 years too late for it to have any particular significance. The setting is evolutionary England, not Revolutionary France, where even their meeting is highly improbable. Wickham, Collins and Fitzwilliam are potential rival suitors hovering about, whose very presence prompts Darcy to propose. Each of their meetings is unique in its circumstances, its action and the disposition of the characters. When Bingley prods Darcy to dance with her, he calls her ‘tolerable’. Caroline catches him staring at Elizabeth’s fine eyes. He frowns on her muddy shoes and petticoat when she walks to Netherfield after the rains. In reply to Caroline’s inquiry, he observes his sister is about the same height as Ms. Bennet. She feels an irresistible urge to taunt him during their dance at the Netherfield ball when she discovers that Wickham has not come. She teases him when he approaches her playing the piano at Rosings. When he proposes so clumsily, she calls him the last man on earth she would ever marry. Space and time are ultimately important when she visits Pemberley with the Gardiners. Had they departed just a few minutes earlier or had he arrived a few minutes later, they may never have met again. Later he calls on her at the inn precisely at the moment she is overwhelmed by the news of Lydia’s elopement and confesses all to him.

So too, each soul is capable of an infinite self-experience of the various aspects of its own being – ideas, thoughts, feelings, sensations, and movements as well as spiritual experiences. Elizabeth laughs to herself when he calls her ‘tolerable’. She keenly observes the silent coolness between Darcy and Wickham during their chance meeting on the road at Meryton. Anger rises when she notices Darcy’s staring glances at her during the dance, little imagining it is admiration which he feels. In spite of their angry confrontation at Hunsford, he wishes her health and happiness before he departs. The following day she observes the budding flowers announcing the start of Spring. She feels herself humiliated and absurd when she reads his letter and is ashamed of her own genius. They are both startled speechless by their unexpected meeting at Pemberley. Elizabeth falls from the heights of anticipation to the depths of despair in a single day when she reads Jane’s letter at Lambton Inn. By an accidental word, Lydia reveals the secret of Darcy’s noble intervention to save the family.

Moreover, each soul is evolving in time from ignorance to knowledge or knowledge to greater knowledge, so that it is never the same from one moment to the next. Elizabeth discovers that she never knew herself until she read Darcy’s letter and realized how blindly and foolishly she had been taken in by Wickham’s charms. He confesses that in abusing her, she had taught him a hard and painful lesson in self-awareness, but one that prompted him to drastically alter his attitudes and behavior.

And their world too is evolving. The French Revolution has stirred the aspirations of the lower classes in society. Wickham dares to attempt to elope with Georgiana. Collins dares to introduce himself to Darcy. Lydia has no fear of eloping with Wickham. Lady Catherine condescends to call on Elizabeth at Longbourn to press her case.

Space and Time form the field or playground for this infinite quest for self-manifestation and delight. The interaction of each unique evolving soul with itself, with other souls, with the evolving world of forms and forces in which it lives and with the Transcendent Eternal from on unique, infinitesimal moment to another, from one infinitesimal point to another, through myriad infinitesimal acts in boundless Space and Eternal Time is lila. (MSS)

 

---

Rebirth
(top)

 

Rebirth
The evolving soul enters a body to absorb the essence of that individual's progress in life, and then leaves to another body to continue its own  journey through time. This is rebirth. An individual can "remember" a past birth only if in a previous birth he was in touch with his evolving soul within.

Rebirth and the Evolving Soul

We have a soul, which is the spark of the divine. Its deputy is our True Self -- our evolving Soul, also known as the Psychic Being. It is called the evolving soul because it is progressing through many births in its journey through time. It seeks to gain the essence of our experience for its own growth. Or to put it another way, as we grow, so does our evolving soul.

Since we cannot make all of our progress in one single lifetime, our true self, psychic being, evolving soul leaves us at death, rests for awhile, and is reborn into another being thereafter. It garners the experience of the person for its own Nourishment, leaves the form, rests in the ethereal planes, and then is reborn into another person to continue its journey of discovery and progress. Rebirth is therefore the method by which our True Self, psychic being, evolving Soul makes its own progress.

What benefit will we get from connecting to our True Self? When we come in touch with our evolving Soul, we more readily perceive our true purpose and meaning in life. We will also perceive what aspects of our being need to change. If we then make those changes, we will evolve in consciousness, which will also benefit our evolving Soul in its journey of discovery through multiple births. Also, by moving from the surface of life and into the depths of our being, culminating in this psychic entity, we feel a deep oneness with others and the world around us, and are guided by its inner influence at important points in our daily lives.

In addition, by connecting with our evolving Soul within, our mind expands and experiences continuous descents of intuitions and revelations of truth, which also gives nourishment to that inner True Self. It is also a means by which we can permanently change our nature into a supernature; as our mental, vital, and physical parts are perfected and divinized from within and by the action of the spiritual Force from above. We can progress further still and attain psychological and physical immortality in this life.

The path to make that happens requires the most profound conscious effort to evolve ourselves -- i.e. a yoga -- which will not only help us attain a supernature that is attuned to the deepest spiritual values, such as oneness, love, delight, truth, but will give deep knowledge and spiritual sustenance to the evolving Soul in its journey through time.

Ultimately, when we have attained our highest consciousness, then our True Self, evolving Soul can remain with us in this life forever. We become realized and immortal beings, a member of a New Species of human, who can become the harbinger of a new Divine Life on Earth.

Overview of Rebirth
-The individual has a soul and an evolving soul; the former the spark of the Divine, the latter the deputy of the former. It is this evolving soul (Psychic Being) that takes its birth in the individual, and gathers the experience of the individual in its journey through existence. After death, this evolving soul takes on the body of other individuals to continue its journey towards ever higher states of being. It enters a particular individual to absorb those new experiences that will enable it to grow.

[Rebirth is not however an individual being reborn as another individual. E.g. John Smith dying and the personality of John Smith entering the next person. It is instead the movement of an evolving soul through various individuals. E.g. the psychic being of  Napoleon later entering that of Sri Aurobindo.]

-Rebirth is the birth of the individual soul from form to form until it reaches the human level of manifested consciousness which is its instrument for rising to yet higher levels, higher possibilities; to incorporate powers of spiritual mind, Supermind, and beyond.

-The soul not only gathers ever-higher spiritual experiences in moving from birth to birth, but it aids the individual and humanity into their higher consciousness.

-Rebirth is as inevitable as birth. It enables an incomplete being in a body its promise of completeness and its spiritual significance.

-If the soul enters this life with a certain development of personality, it must have prepared it in other precedent lives here or elsewhere.

-Birth and death are not life's beginning and end, but are rather intermediate stages in occult processes of life.

[The Mother seemed to indicate that when a person remembers past lives, it is a moment when that person in the past life was in touch with their True Self, their evolving Soul and now the person in the present is in touch with that moment.]

Rebirth
Rebirth of the Evolving Soul
The evolving soul enters a body, and if a person is in touch with his truest nature, he perceives that psychic being. That evolving soul had also lived in another person in a previous birth. And so on back in time. (Thus rebirth.)

Rebirth Experience
If we are in touch with our true self in this life we can experience the powerful experience that last person had when he or she was in touch with their inner being. E.g. I suddenly feel roman emperor Marcus Aurelius deep within me because he had a powerful experience in his life that nourished his evolving soul then. In that sense, we shared the same evolving soul in Its journey through time to find fulfillment.

In that sense the Soul is itself evolving; through our personal experiences of growth and realization. When the Evolving Soul is fully nourished and fulfilled it ''rests ''in the Infinite in some way.

Two Way Phenomenon
The Evolving Soul is thus a two way-phenomenon. We evolve when we come in touch with it as we discover our true nature within. It in turn is absorbing our experiences when we evolve in consciousness. It sough us out in the first place because it suspected that we would grow somehow, and therefore, it would gain from that unique experience which is so desperately need in its voyage toward ever greater fulfillment.

Rebirth
If the individual stops growing relative to the needs of an evolving Psychic Being, It will begin to withdraw from that person, searching for new opportunities for greater sustenance for its further development. It normally withdraws by leaving the individual, and merging with the higher realms of consciousness not of this world. If the right vehicle is found, the Psychic Being then enters that new individual in its quest for further nourishment of consciousness, i.e. to further evolve. This is what we mean by the term "rebirth."

Rebirth and Death
When the personal evolving soul can no longer find essence of consciousness from that individual for its own growth, it withdraws from that person. That often means we move toward our own end. Then this Psychic Being continues on its journey of progress, either by resting and assimilating its new found essence of experience, or it moves on to other bodies to gain further sustenance from their evolutionary experiences. This process is essentially what we know as 'rebirth.'

Immortality vs. the Deathless State
There is a difference between immortality and the deathless state. Sri Aurobindo has described it very well in Savitri. [We know what we normally mean by immortality. -editor] The deathless state is what can be envisaged for the human physical body in the future: it is constant rebirth.* Instead of again tumbling backwards and falling apart due to a lack of plasticity and an incapacity to adapt to the universal movement, the body is undone 'futurewards,' as it were." (The Mother) * in one's own life. [In other words, there is no need for rebirth of the soul into new forms; as one "rebirths" constantly within one's own never ending lifetime. -editor]

The Future Deathless State
The future deathless state where there is a constant rebirth in the body in a forward thrust. (Paraphrase of the Mother)

Rebirth in Terms of the Context of the Whole Cosmos
Rebirth must be considered not as a self-contained issue within life or human life, but as a part of the whole cosmos. (MSS)

Untitled
The soul relives the entire life at the time of death. (MSS)

Need for Rebirth
The spirit cannot accomplish its evolution in one birth; it needs several births. (MSS)

Transformation of the Individual through Lives
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).

---

Supramental Plane We Can Rise To
(top)

 

Supermind
By 'Supermind,' Sri Aurobindo means several things. For one, it a plane that resides between the 'upper hemisphere' of pure being and consciousness, and the 'lower hemisphere; of life in the universe (mind, life, and matter). This plane is what enables the Real Ideas of the Supreme to manifest as forms of that force in creation. So in that sense, Supermind is the power that enables creation; that divides the Force into the forms, forces, and powers, seen and unseen experienced in the universe.

Another way of looking at Supermind is a plane of perfect knowledge that has the full, integral truth of anything. It is a plane that Man can rise to above his current limited mentality so he too can have perfect understanding of a matter that enters his mind seemingly out of nowhere through revelations of that truth.

A third way of looking at Supermind is not only the means of creation, but a force and power that is leaning down on the earth's consciousness, and which we can open to in order to transform the various aspects of our being, as well as instantly or very rapidly set right the conditions of life, creating sudden good fortune ("instantaneous miraculousness") for the person opening to it.

Ultimately Sri Aurobindo envisions a new race of humans who through an opening to the supramental power and knowledge have been transformed in all planes of their being, mental, vital, and spiritual, ushering in what he calls the Gnostic, supramental individual who will be the basis of a new divine life on earth.

Expressions of Planes of Consciousness above Mind
Higher Mind of the Muni, Illumined Mind of the Rishi, Intuitive Mind of the yogi, Overmind of the gods, Supermind in Time, Supermind in timelessness are there between Man at the bottom and the Spirit at the top. (MSS)

Supramental Vision
Supramental experience will have the wholeness of vision as against the partial mental vision and will be accompanied by deep inner calm and silence. The characteristic of supramental perception is the causeless joy felt during the vision. One other index of the Supramental is the dimension of Infinity. (Paraphrase of MSS)

Untitled
As life ascends towards mind, it moves towards acceptance of CONSCIOUS unity, reflecting ever more the fundamental nature of existence born of Satchitananda. There is even greater unity above mind in spiritual mind, culminating in perfect integral unity of Supermind. (Paraphrase of Sri Aurobindo)

Untitled
The mind can individually see the possibilities, the evolutionary imperative, and the actualities in life. To have the supramental truth consciousness enables us to see these in their integral oneness. (Paraphrase of MSS)

Untitled
Creative insight that comes as intuition is a distilling of an original Real Idea of Supermind.

Expressions of Supramental Existence

Supramental existence is a stage beyond our normal human functioning. It expresses in many ways, among them:

• Anytime you want to know something, it simply appears in your mind complete without thought as an intuition or supramental perception.

• Each time you garner the integral knowledge of a thing, there is a power for it to manifest in life; either through your future action, or because it is already done for you.

• You know what other people are doing, thinking, etc. by just focusing your consciousness in their direction.

• You experience complete harmony with others, and are in constant, perfect flow with their lives.

• There is no sense of ego in thought, feeling, and action, but rather a deep sense of communion with the needs and concern of others.

• You are able to evaporate a problem by simply calling in the spiritual Force into the matter.

• You are easily able to perceive the cause of current problems in the past, including wanting attitudes, beliefs, and action, evoke the Force, and thereby cancel the karma effecting the present.

• Most physical illnesses are avoided.

• Every physical ailment is perceived in relation to a limitation in your being, which you can now overcome by making the necessary adjustment.

• One can access more Energy -- physical, vital, and mental -- by simply opening to it in your being.

• Everything flows right around you. If it doesn’t, you perceive the subtle unfoldings at work and the right inner principle and action that will change it to the positive.

• You perceive how each thing relates to every other in the course of your day.

• Life conspires to show you exactly what should be known when you should know it.

• You fully embrace the other person’s point of view.

• You do not react to the intensities of life, remaining still and calm in a witness consciousness that silently observes.

• Your center of consciousness is deep in the depths of your being.

• You perceive the utility of everything that is happening around you, whether positive, neutral, or negative.

• You perceive opportunities behind problems.

• You readily perceive the truth of a thing, including causes, realities, and possibilities across the arc of time -- past, present, and future.

• You perceive not only your Individual purpose, but your Universal and Transcendent as well.

• You perceive yourself as an instrument for the Divine unfolding on earth.

• You live a life of rapidly increasing experience of Truth, Integral Knowledge, Peace, Presence, Goodness, Power, Creativity, Love, Delight/Bliss, Timelessness, Infinity, and Immortality.

• Your inner and outer aspiration, feelings, and actions affect not only yourself, and your friend, family, and associates, but increasingly wider collectives, including society at large.

• You feel a constant Oneness of being with all of Life.

Supramental Perception

When one rises above mind, even illumination, intuition, and revelation of understanding, one has the experience of supramental perception. In supermind one has the experience of the total realization/ideation of an object of knowledge without thought, as it simply is there in the mind anew. Supramental perception involves a totality of knowing, as opposed to the very partial, limited perception of mind that knows but one side of a matter. In supramental perception, one understands any issues from its many sides; as well as its essence, totality, and wholeness. Any thing know is perceived in harmony and relation to other things; almost the opposite of mind which guards its own limited opinion, not seeing its thought in relation to others concerning an object of knowledge

In supermind, one perceives the object of knowledge directly, which Sri Aurobindo calls 'knowledge by identity.'

Supramental perception also implies a supramental Will for its effectuation in life; i.e. the power for it to become real as a manifest, living reality. E.g. if you know a thing directly through supramental perception, there is also a power for it to manifest quickly and suddenly from seemingly out of nowhere. Sri Aurobindo refers to this power of sudden manifestation through supramental perception an opening "instantaneous miraculousness."

Finally, through Supramental perception, one perceives the true nature of existence. One sees what Sri Aurobindo calls (in his opus 'The Life Divine' and elsewhere] the ‘omnipresent Reality,’ which is in essence the Divine Origin extended to all planes of life. When one has supramental perception one sees that all things – physical matter, vital life, and mental thought are various forms of the divine Reality.  One also perceive how each and every individual thing in life – large or small, positive or negative, liked or dislike – plays a role in the unfolding of existence. This is what Sri Aurobindo says is 'to see the Wonder,’ which one can only perceive when one has risen beyond limited mentality to supramental perception.

A Supramental Perception
Siddhartha's revelation [in Hermann Hesse's book Siddhartha] that in every truth the opposite is equally true is a supramental perception. (MSS)

Supermind and Truth
In Supermind one is one with the object of truth.

In supermind one knows the objective state of Existence (Sat), which is Truth.

Supermind is the intermediary between the objective state of Sat, i.e. Truth, and the universal and individual consciousness.

Supermind is truth consciousness.

 

Levels of Supramentalization
One level of supramentalization is supramental perception. This is the experience that can culminate in the supramental transformation of the mind. Supramentalization can also occur in the vital being, and ultimately in the physical being. By opening to the supramental force and power this process is enabled.

 

Mind and Supermind
Mind is the agent of the supramental consciousness, Supermind. Mind is the dividing mechanism that enables us to distinguish; and yet is also intimately linked with our separateness, our ignorance, and ego. Therefore, Supermind can replace mind one day, enabling us to see the oneness of existence, where divisions are perceived as unities or emerging unities that we now we miss in mind.

 

See Additional Thoughts on Supramental Perception

Overcoming Ignorance, Dissolution, and Death through Supramental Life
If this Supramental consciousness leads our lives, replacing the ignorance and dividing mechanism of mind, then the exclusivity and separateness are overcome; ignorance is replaced by divine knowledge; and the right balance of energies (of the balance of life force and the form it inhabits) is restored, preventing dissolution, enabling endless life.

Spiritual Truth Vision of Conflict and Contradiction
We overcome the divisions and dualities of life (good and bad, light and darkness, positive and negative, et al), not by knowing them in opposing nature or by trumpeting the triumph of one side over the other, as the western religion's propound; nor by seeing such conflict and contradictions as maya, illusion, as some eastern religions advocate; but by seeing these pairs in their right complementary relation to one another. This is the spiritual Truth [Supramental] Vision.

Mind Sees in Opposites; the Higher Worlds in Self-Existences
Mind does not know, or cannot know light without darkness. Darkness cannot exist without light as it depends on it. There will be no shadow if light is not there. Shadow needs light for its existence. Light does not need shade or darkness for its existence. It is self-existent light. The higher world has self-existent Ananda, self-existent knowledge, etc. So its infinity too is self-existent. It is not the opposite of finite, but the Self-Existent. (MSS)

How Mind vs. Supermind See the Spirit
Mind sees the Absolute as Sat or Chit or Ananda, i.e., Mind in ignorance sees life or meets life as pain or pleasure. Supermind sees the Absolute as a universe of Marvel, as the Absolute has changed itself into Infinite Consciousness and then a universe of joy. (MSS)

The Reality and the Supramental Power
There is one Reality that includes the Unmanifest and the Manifest. There is also a Force that has emerged from the one Reality that sits between the Unmanifest and the Manifest. It is the Truth Consciousness and Power. Sri Aurobindo calls it the ''Supramental." That Force and instrument enabled the universe to emerge from the Unmanifest, the Divine Source, the Infinite.  It is also a Power we can rise to. It is now descending into the earth's atmosphere, especially in the last 50 years, penetrating deeper and deeper. When we consecrate, we open to that ever increasingly powerful Force.

The (divine) Mother can be thought as the conduit for that Force. That force has a power over life to instantly set things in order and attract positive conditions. It has a ''causal" power -- i.e. a capacity to create the completely out of nothing. When we open to the Mother -- when we consecrate activities, conditions, problems, and issues through Her -- we enable the Force to act through her, which produce the miraculous-like life changing results.

Having said this, the Divine Mother is even more than this for she is the force of creation itself.

All of this takes place within an ultimate Reality.  We can perceive It from our deepest and highest consciousness. It is the Vision of Brahman -- the highest perception of melding of the Creator and the Creation; of Spirit and Life; the Infinite and the Finite. It is the vision of the harmony of all things beyond division and duality. In particular, it is to perceive the integral relationship between Spirit and Life. E.g., we perceive that life is a manifestation of spirit, and also has a spiritual purpose that we can collaborate in by rising in our own consciousness.

 

Supermind in the Involution and the Evolution
In addition to the Supermind's role in the creation of the universe (i.e. the involution), it also play a role in the evolution of man from what he is toward his highest nature. When he opens to this Force he rises. And the ultimate plane (aside from Pure Being) he can rise to is the supramental plane. It should also be pointed out that this supramental Force is descending on its own to make it easier for us to access its Force and so its instrumentality will be even greater when invoked.

What Is Supermind?
-The Supermind is a plane of consciousness that enabled the creation of the universe from out of a Divine Source.
-Supermind  is the ordering mechanism that enabled the triune of Existence-Consciousness Force-Delight (Sat-Chit-Ananda) of the Absolute, to become the creation and the forms within it.
-Supermind enabled/enables the involution from the Spirit into the forms of creation.
-Supermind is the ordering mechanism of the divine. It is that which enables the manifestation, the cosmos, the universe, the One to emanate from the One, the Original Source. It is also the power in the universe that one can open to that enables us to bring in the powers of the One, the Absolute into our lives, enabling us to evolve to a higher functioning, culminating in the supramental beings and the supramental life on earth. 
-Supermind  is also there in the universe enabling that which was created (i.e. the universe and humanity) to evolve and connect back to its original spiritual source, fulfilling the destiny of the universe and all that is in it. Simply put it is the plane that created the universe, and it is the plane by which we fulfill in our evolution the purpose of the creation.  

The Descent of the Supermind
The descent of the Supermind [the supramental truth consciousness] is a long process, or at least a process with a long preparation, and one can only say that the work is going on sometimes with a strong pressure for completion, sometimes retarded by the things that rise from below and have to be dealt with before further progress can be made. The process is a spiritual evolutionary process, concentrated into a brief period - it could be done otherwise (by what men would regard as a miraculous intervention) only if the human mind were more flexible and less attached to its ignorance than it is. As we envisage it, it must manifest in a few first and then spread, but it is not likely to overpower the earth in a moment.

It is not advisable to discuss too much what it will do and how it will do it, because these are things the Supermind itself will fix, acting out of that Divine Truth in it, and the mind must not try to fix for it grooves in which it will run. Naturally, the release from subconscient ignorance and from disease, duration of life at will, and a change in the functionings of the body must be among the ultimate elements of a supramental change; but the details of these things must be left for the supramental Energy to work out according to the truth of its own nature. (Sri Aurobindo)

All is One in Supramental Consciousness
All forces and forms are One from the poise of the supramental consciousness. (MSS)

The Causal Plane
The supramental plane is the causal plane where the law of cause and effect finds a play. It is the plane where Brahman dwells. It is the plane of pure spirit. The causal inversion is far more drastic than the subtle inversion. It comes positively as well as negatively. In both cases the outcome is more than marvelous. (MSS)

Also See Thoughts on The Force Moving in the World

 

---

Using the Supramental Force in Our Lives
(top)

 

Supramental Power in the Involution and Evolution

Supermind in the Involution and the Evolution
In addition to the Supermind's role in the creation of the universe (i.e. the involution), it also play a role in the evolution of man from what he is toward his highest nature. When he opens to this Force he rises. And the ultimate plane (aside from Pure Being) he can rise to is the supramental plane. It should also be pointed out that this supramental Force is descending on its own to make it easier for us to access its Force and so its instrumentality will be even greater when invoked.

Supramental Force in Creation, in Our Lives
The Supramental Force created the universe from a Divine source. It is a power we can open and surrender to to enable us to move our of our ignorance, divided nature, and become our spiritual and supramental selves.

The Reality and the Supramental Power
There is one Reality that includes the Unmanifest and the Manifest. There is also a Force that has emerged from the one Reality that sits between the Unmanifest and the Manifest. It is the Truth Consciousness and Power. Sri Aurobindo calls it the ''Supramental." That Force and instrument enabled the universe to emerge from the Unmanifest, the Divine Source, the Infinite.  It is also a Power we can rise to. It is now descending into the earth's atmosphere, especially in the last 50 years, penetrating deeper and deeper. When we consecrate, we open to that ever increasingly powerful Force.

The (divine) Mother can be thought as the conduit for that Force. That force has a power over life to instantly set things in order and attract positive conditions. It has a ''causal" power -- i.e. a capacity to create the completely out of nothing. When we open to the Mother -- when we consecrate activities, conditions, problems, and issues through Her -- we enable the Force to act through her, which produce the miraculous-like life changing results.

Having said this, the Divine Mother is even more than this for she is the force of creation itself.

All of this takes place within an ultimate Reality.  We can perceive It from our deepest and highest consciousness. It is the Vision of Brahman -- the highest perception of melding of the Creator and the Creation; of Spirit and Life; the Infinite and the Finite. It is the vision of the harmony of all things beyond division and duality. In particular, it is to perceive the integral relationship between Spirit and Life. E.g., we perceive that life is a manifestation of spirit, and also has a spiritual purpose that we can collaborate in by rising in our own consciousness.

INTERVIEW on What is "The Force"?

In this interview Roy Posner, president of Growth Online, discusses what he believes is the secret power of the universe, and how we can learn to utilize it in our own lives. Using analogies from Star Wars and his own practical experiences, he explores this spiritual key to human existence that was revealed to us by the sage Sri Aurobindo. 

 

Increasing Power of the Force

The Force is Increasingly More Powerful
The Force is there now more powerfully than ever. Its effectivity is greater than it was even twenty five years ago. When we now call it into our activities it has a marked causal impact on our lives, which enable not only the instantaneous miraculousness of life response, but the decent of spiritual properties such as Peace, Power, Love, Oneness, and Truth, and Delight into our being. Surely we can consistently take advantage of this greatest Boon in all creation!

Availing the Force
The Force on earth since 1956 enables us to call the Spirit situated so high and the Spirit itself is eager to respond, while our own highest ambitions are confined to a few levels of life [i.e. relatively small traditional human needs]. Let us call the Spirit successfully and be elevated to its regions. (MSS)

Spirit Entering without Calling
Now that the Spiritual Force has entered the atmosphere of the earth, it has made itself easily accessible. With increasing receptivity of mankind, a time will come when man will not even need to call and the Spirit will enter his life. That time has not yet come. One can make that TIME come if he can gather a good number of people who are fully receptive to the descent of the Spirit. (MSS)

 

Using the Supramental Power in Our Lives

Overview

Supramental Power to Transform Our Lives
Opening to the supramental Force is the means by which we evolve and transform our being into an ultimate spiritual and then supramental nature.

Supramental Power in Our Lives
Opening to the supramental power can constantly bring improvements to our physical, vital, and mental nature, as well as bring sudden good fortune.

Supramental Perception and Harmony
Sri Kamayogi says: "Supermind is aiming at Harmony of all forces."

What can we make of this?

As we shall later see in the chapters of The Life Divine, Supermind created the universe. Through its power of Maya, it could enable individual things, but each thing was still united to every other thing and the whole. This is Supermind's comprehending and apprehending function in the descent in creating a universe of forms out of Force. That involutionary process ends in near complete loss of consciousness in Matter, as only force remains. And yet involved is the seed of life, mind, supermind, and spirit, waiting to come out.

Though Supermind functions in this way in the involution, the decent; it is also there and available to humans in the evolution, i.e. the ascent. By rising to a higher consciousness beyond dividing and exclusive Mind, we open to supramental perception and power where we see any individual thing in relation to any other and to the whole. As a result of that truth-consciousness perception, in any endeavor we experience harmony; an inextricable Oneness. This is in fact the process of bringing about the Divine Life on earth: ever-higher harmonies through supramental perception and power. The power comes in in that through the perception we have the power to instantly make it a reality. So life around us is also harmonized and divinized.

Constant consecration through Mother enables our consciousness to move to a deeper poise, enabling us to rise in mentality from dividing, exclusive Mind to Insight to Intuition (direct thinking w/o thought) to Supramental perception. There we have direct, integral knowledge of the object, seeing each thing in its proper relation. We have in essence unity consciousness. Also in that consciousness, we have the power to manifest that unitarian, integral, direct perception as realities of life.

Three Levels of Using the Truth Consciousness Power, the Supramental
There are several levels of using the supramental power. (1) we can consecrate events, situations, problems, and limitations in our being, bringing life under control and sudden good fortune. (2) We can surrender our very being, our lives to the supramental power to become instruments of the Divine Intent. (3) After finding our personal souls within and transforming our nature through the spirit, we can use the supramental force and power to become supramental beings, the next stage of species beyond the human.

Untitled
For those who wished to undertake the effort, Sri Aurobindo laid out a path from our current human functioning to a new evolutionary spiritual-based functioning; rooted in this new supramental consciousness aspect of the Divine, God. Instead of merely opening to the Force to bring about sudden, abundant life response, one could also open to it to totally transform our mental, vital, and physical nature into their higher counterparts.

30,000 Years Evolution by Availing the Force
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.

Benefits of the Force to Individual
When one opens to the Divine Consciousness, the Force, one lives, experiences all its benefits. It can transform the nature, enable falsehoods to evaporate, create knowledge where there is ignorance, sets problems right, gives the full truth and knowledge, reveals solutions that create unity for multiple parties simultaneously, enables infinite possibilities, possibilities that can transcend space and time, etc. 

Aspiration and the Decent of the Force into Our Lives
Aspiration for the Force is the ascent that enables a descent of Light and other powers of Spirit into our being that enable us to reformulate ourselves into our ultimate evolutionary possibility.

 

Consecration

The Force and Instantaneous Miraculousness
The supramental force enables instantaneous miraculousness ; i.e. sudden good fortune, life response. It is consecration in action.

Supermind and Life Response
The Supermind is capable of instantaneous miraculousness.
30,000 years can be abridged in 30 years.
One can become what he aspires for. (MSS)

Power of the Supramental Force in Our Lives
The Mother's force -- the supramental force -- overcomes the limits of time, space, possibility, and finiteness.

It enables life to move towards us in no time at all -- i.e. Instantaneous miraculousness.

Not only is the duration of time overcome, but so is the distance of space. The response comes to our doorstep without our having to travel towards it.

It also overcomes what we believe is possible, as the response of the causal power of Her Force comes in ways we never would have imagined.

Finally, it overcomes the finite given and replaces it with an infinite-like reality. Both in quantity and quality.

Thus, the supramental truth consciousness power creates the most results in the shortest period of time with the least effort. It is a Cosmic efficiency penetrating and affecting the Becomings of our lives. It is the power of the spiritual Being affecting and transforming the becomings of life.

Opening to Force, Consecration
Opening to the Force is consecration in action.

Consecration
Consecration is essentially opening to the Spiritual Force, to the Divine. It is an opening to a Higher Power to brings its higher attributes, qualities, and properties into our lives and the world around us.

If you consecrate an event, that event will end in greater perfection, life will cooperate, and you will witness a fine result. It still also have the effect of overcoming any of the negative limitations that were there ready to assert themselves.

Consecration for Individual vs. Spiritual Aspirant
The average person, the householder can consecrate events, activities, problems, etc. The individual practicing yoga, i.e. conscious evolution consecrates all of these plus his entire life to the Divine Intent and Will.

What We Can Consecrate
We can consecrate an act, event, etc. from any center of ourselves from matter, to the vital, to mind, to spiritual mind to the Divine itself.

One can organize consecration at the deep-lying areas of one's being (spiritual mind and upward), and down into the depths within ourselves. (Paraphrase of MSS)

On Consecration
We can consecrate (i.e. open to the Force) before the smallest acts such as brushing one's teeth; or before a major event such as conducting a training class, or to overcome a current problem, or to dissolve the influence of a past problem on the present. If there are no results, which is sometimes the case, check a corresponding limiting habit, attitude, perception, action (or lack there of), sentiment that blocks Its action. When you identify it and overcome it, the Force will move, and instantaneous, abundant, miraculous positive life response will result. Or, if there is no result still, it will be as a result of Its own Wisdom. Normally, however consecrated actions result in abundant causal positive responses that are often accompanied by spiritual results, such as a feeling of peace, a vast knowledge gained, an understanding of truth, an atmosphere of harmony, a pleasure of bliss, etc.

Organization, the Force, and Efficiency of Results
Organizing a work or an endeavor one level higher than its current status, creates substantial improvements of results relative to that effort. E.g. the likelihood of success of an activity may be doubled or more. That is the power of organization. Opening to the Divine Force however opens enables infinite possibilities, where productivity and success can be 10, 100, a 1000 times to infinity greater. It also enables the decent of one or more spiritual properties into the atmosphere of the work, such as Truth, Knowledge, Power, Peace, Oneness, and Delight. This is the power of Spiritual Organization, a super organizing mechanism; an instrument of the Divine Force.

Untitled
Consecration, opening to the Force at greater and greater levels; i.e. with greater intensity is the key to the transformation. (Paraphrase of The Mother)

The Force and the Process of Creation
Opening to the Force can give direction, organization, energy, force, power, results, and delight all in one. In this way the Force enables the full process of creation.

ARTICLE on Using the Force -- i.e. Consecration -- in One's Life

See Our Abundant Thoughts on the Power of Consecration

 

Physical Transformation

The Arrival of the Immortal, Supramental Being
Re: The Mother's attempt to transform her body and end the decay of their cells through infusion of higher consciousness there, enabling the beginnings of a new deathless (supramentalized) race of humanity:

I believe she had the ongoing experience of the consciousness of the cells, but not the fulfillment, power, and realization to overcome their decay on a permanent basis, thus her physical death.

She said the new, supramental being would come in a new person in a new body (perhaps a baby of some sort, but I don't know). There was even discussion by Mother in Agenda that it could be Sri Aurobindo in the new birth and body. It could however be anyone, like the vision she had of it coming from the devotee.

Several times, Mother mentioned that it would be too hard to transmute the current body and create a supramental being out of it. I.e. she was skeptical because of the complexity of the current system (digestion, breathing, etc.). She however had the vision of a svelte, sexless being without lungs and other internal body organs. "Functions" replaced those organs. E.g. a certain breath consciousness replaced breathing. This could have been the supramental being of the future.

 

Levels of Physical Transformation

We can discern various stages of physical transformation. One is to overcome through spirito-psychological means small pains and illnesses. Further still is still is to transform the very cells of the body so that their programming changes from decay to sustainability. An ultimately transformed individual would be able to live as long as desired. This would require a fundamental change in the nature of the human body, including a transmutation of key material systems, including breathing, digestion, absorption, circulation, etc. The Mother tries the experiment of physical transformation by opening the cells of the body to the spiritual Force.

 

Immortality through Spirit, Not Technology/Science

Immortality is not dependent on the state of our technology or the discoveries of material science, but on the status of our consciousness to hold and utilize the spiritual Force. It has the power to reprogram the very cells of our body to no longer believe in the inevitability of decay and death. The woman known as The Mother practiced this approach, with startling positive results. 

 

Mind Overcoming Resistance to Change of Body Consciousness
The consciousness of the body is to do the same thing, to repeat, resisting any change or improvement. If the person is required to do anything out of the ordinary, the body cries out "why should I change and move in this new direction?" This is true for even the smallest things, such as putting in new stocks of paper towels in the kitchen, when it instead wants to continue to play on the computer.

It is only the mind that can force the body to adjust and make the necessary change. The mind is like the rider who kicks the mule, saying, "this is required of the situation. Since you resist, I command you/kick you to change." The body then makes the necessary change. If it is truly pleasurable and helpful, especially for something great, the body will learn from the experience, and will then happily do it next time. In that way, the body can quickly learn from experience. Until then, it resists change, resists doing something new, resists learning anything, and the mind must continually intervene and be the leader of one's being. 

Ultimately, only the spiritual Force can change the nature of the body and its subconscious resistance, which is a stage of physical transformation above limitations of habit and routine. The Mother made a great effort to transform her subconscious behind the physical. She said that this was the single key to evolving the new Man, which she called the supramental being.

 

Transitions from the Higher to the Lower, Physical Consciousness

It is rather startling to move back and forth from a higher consciousness, where one feels the Presence and Connection with what is Above or within, to the physical consciousness, of habit and routine, and back again. It is a movement from the freshness and dynamic existence to dullness, and back. It is an indicator of a spiritually evolving individual engaged in a dance of increasing progress and realization.

  

The Arrival of the Immortal, Supramental Being

Re: The Mother's attempt to transform her body and end the decay of their cells through infusion of higher consciousness there, enabling the beginnings of a new deathless (supramentalized) race of humanity:

I believe she had the ongoing experience of the consciousness of the cells, but not the fulfillment, power, and realization to overcome their decay on a permanent basis, thus her physical death.

She said the new, supramental being would come in a new person in a new body (perhaps a baby of some sort, but I don't know). There was even discussion by Mother in Agenda that it could be Sri Aurobindo in the new birth and body. It could however be anyone, like the vision she had of it coming from the devotee.

Several times, Mother mentioned that it would be too hard to transmute the current body and create a supramental being out of it. I.e. she was skeptical because of the complexity of the current system (digestion, breathing, etc.). She however had the vision of a svelte, sexless being without lungs and other internal body organs. "Functions" replaced those organs. E.g., a certain breath consciousness replaced breathing. This could have been the supramental being of the future.

 

Changing Genes through Change in Consciousness

A recent issue of Time magazine contained an article "Why Your DNA Isn't Your Destiny" in which science now recognizes how genes are changed through alterations in our material body through medicine and other physical remedies. This change in our generic structure is in turn passed down to our progeny.

They have not yet quite come to the more important understanding that changes in consciousness -- psychological, attitudinal, spiritual -- are also passed down through the genes this way.

 

Other Points

Untitled
In Supermind and beyond, Nature gives way fully to the movement of the Force in life.

Results Process, Essence of Knowledge The Mother Gave Us
The Divine Mother has Supramental Knowledge. She constantly gave it to us. It is all in writing. First SHE gives the results. Now we have to know the process by which SHE gave it to us. It is the Mystery. Beyond lies the essence which is Supermind or Brahman in Supermind. (MSS, slightly modified)

The Descent of the Supermind
The descent of the Supermind [the supramental truth consciousness] is a long process, or at least a process with a long preparation, and one can only say that the work is going on sometimes with a strong pressure for completion, sometimes retarded by the things that rise from below and have to be dealt with before further progress can be made. The process is a spiritual evolutionary process, concentrated into a brief period - it could be done otherwise (by what men would regard as a miraculous intervention) only if the human mind were more flexible and less attached to its ignorance than it is. As we envisage it, it must manifest in a few first and then spread, but it is not likely to overpower the earth in a moment.

It is not advisable to discuss too much what it will do and how it will do it, because these are things the Supermind itself will fix, acting out of that Divine Truth in it, and the mind must not try to fix for it grooves in which it will run. Naturally, the release from subconscient ignorance and from disease, duration of life at will, and a change in the functionings of the body must be among the ultimate elements of a supramental change; but the details of these things must be left for the supramental Energy to work out according to the truth of its own nature. (Sri Aurobindo)

---

Being, Becoming, Being in the Becoming
(top)

Untitled
There are three expressions of existence in the world. There is Being, Becoming, and Being in the Becoming. Being is the essential spiritual nature of the Divine. Becoming is our universal existence; i.e. the life and Nature we experience in the cosmos. Being in the Becoming is the bringing of the spirit into Life and Nature for its ultimate evolution and transformation.

In terms of Time we can say that that there is Timelessness, Time, and ultimately we can enable Timelessness in Time. Timelessness is of the Being. Time is of the Becoming, and Timelessness in Time is of the Being in the Becoming.

When I experience spirit and live a life devoid of involvement of life I experience Being. I live in the Timelessness of Being. When I live, am involved in the world I am in the Becoming. I live in Time in the Becoming. When I experience spirit in my actions in life I am living in the Being of the Becoming; the Timelessness in Time. 

When I do the latter I open the portals of the miraculous, the infinitely possible, the infinitely accomplished, the subtle and causal responses of life.

Enabling The Being in the Becoming
The Being is the Soul within that is the spirit for us. The becoming is the events of our lives, life itself. Being in the Becoming is to experience the soul-space in all activities of all, enabling the ultimate perfection, evolution, possibility, and divinization of life, and the vision of the unity of Brahman.

-The Being within is our inner reflection of the Being of Existence/Being-Conscious Force-delight, i.e. Sat of Sat-Chit-Ananda).

-The Being in the Becoming is the Third Way that Sri Aurobindo discovered, which is beyond a first way of beyond just releasing ourselves in the Being/Spirit, or a second way of attaching ourselves to the Becomings of life. The Third Way integrates the two.

-The Third Way is to discover our personal evolving soul, i.e. the True Self, the Psychic Being.)

Evolution
Evolution is the progressive unfolding of the Being into the Becoming, the spirit into practical life. (Paraphrase of MSS)

The Being and the Becoming
The Being is the Divine essence. The Becoming is the creation, i.e. the existence we experience in the creation that is not experienced as spiritual essence. The destiny of the evolutionary spiritual being is to enable the Being, the spiritual essence to fill up all aspects of the Becoming in his life, thus divinizing all aspects of his life. The Absolute (i.e. Brahman) is both the Being, the spiritual essence, and the Becoming, life in the universe.

Our Destiny is to Discover the Being in the Becoming
There is the spiritual reality; that is the Being. There is the existence of the universe, life; that is the Becoming. We must discover the spirit in life; i.e. we must discover the Being in the Becoming, discover the spirit in every activity, circumstance, perception, emotion in our moment to moment existence to unlock the infinite potential in life.

Divine Consciousness to Penetrate Matter
The goal is not to lose oneself in the Divine Consciousness. The goal is to let the Divine Consciousness penetrate into Matter and transform it. (The Mother)

Untitled
God is infinite Existence and Being. His Existence inverted in life and became finite form of material reality. When we reverse our consciousness towards the High, we invert that materiality back towards the infinite Existence, enabling the Being to enter the Becoming.

Untitled
Out of the Being, i.e. the spirit, emerged the Becoming, i.e. the universe. This is the involution. Into the Becoming, i.e. the universe, the Being, the spirit is emerging through our higher instrumentality.

Untitled
Sri Aurobindo speaks of the Being of the Becoming which is in the fourth dimension where life reveals itself as a Marvel. (MSS)

Consciousness & Being

• Consciousness is the conscious experience of Being.
• Being is the Self of Existence. (MSS)

Being a the Becoming as Way to reconcile Full Acceptance of Both Spirit & Life
[In response to discussion about how we can learn to relate emotionally as much to the reality of spirit as the reality of the life outside ourselves. That they are in fact one and the same reality:] Maybe it's the Being in the Becoming that we are in search of here. First we build up the habit of consecration, which after awhile tends to make us move within --  but we learn to follow that movement during the becomings of our daily lives. Then there develops the habit, the perception and sensation of the embracing of all, i.e. the inner and the outer. The transition between living in the Being within, and living in the Being in the Becomings of life is perhaps the subtle transition that needs to be discovered.

Mental & Emotional Focus in Enabling the Being in the Becoming
The effort to embrace the outer mentally and emotionally is a means to direct our consciousness toward the Being of the Becoming rather than the Being. (MSS)

Thoughts On Being, Becoming, Being in the Becoming for the Individual

 

---

Source of Ignorance and Integral Knowledge
(top)

Ignorance
Ignorance comes when mind is separated from its spiritual and supramental basis. Mind forgets the supramental source from which it came; and loses its knowledge by identity.

Source of Our Ignorance
Ignorance took root from the Inconscience that was there in matter in the creation. In the process of creation from the Divine Source, the original Truth Knowledge was lost, which expresses as the Inconscience (unconsciousness) of Matter. We express that limitation not only in our physical bodies (i.e matter), but through our vital being and our minds. That unconsciousness in the mind is our essential Ignorance born of creation. Our Ignorance (of mind) expresses as limited knowledge, part knowledge, exclusive knowledge, etc. in which the unity of Knowledge has been lost, but which has to be regained by connecting to our inner being and rising to higher and spiritual Mind.  The Truth Knowledge of the Source is lost in our mental being, which is our Ignorance, which is regained though our shedding of ego, discovery of soul, where we are put in contact with thoughts and truth knowledge in life.

Spiritual Approach for Overcoming Human Ignorance Born of Creation

A reader suggest that human nature tends to see and read and accept only what matches our already existing map of thoughts. If that is true, how can we ever move beyond those bounds and gain a higher understanding of Reality. My answer is as follows:

You have addressed the issue of human Ignorance square on. In essence, we only know what we know, and there is little compulsion to move beyond that understanding, unless Life forces us to do so, which is Nature's Way of Progress through contradiction and conflict.

Sri Aurobindo in his spiritual opus The Life Divine introduces us to 7 Essential Ignorances born in Man born, including the fact that we don't know the various parts of our being, we don't know how to make the parts and planes work in harmony, we don't perceive that we are also universal beings, we don't perceive our cosmic purpose, we don’t perceive the divine Reality that permeates All, and so forth. This multi-varied form of Ignorance is the central problem of Man that Sri Aurobindo addresses in The Life Divine.

He says the way out of the conundrum of Ignorance is to develop our consciousness. We do that by moving away from the surface of life and the sense inputs that dominate our mind, and discover our deeper Being within. Doing so, our mind expands and we spontaneously intuitivize the integral truths of any aspect of life while perceiving an infinite Reality that permeates all planes of existence. Having such experiences then become our great pleasure and modus operandi. As a result, gradually our multi-faceted Ignorance is replaced by a profound Integral Knowledge. It is a great step in the process of becoming a transformed individual, who can be a harbinger of a divine collective life on earth.

I would add that from this inner poise, we are also in the best position to perceive the subtle and profound laws and principles of life, most of which are unknown to the world. Karmayogi has outlined dozens, if not hundreds of them in astonishing detail. With that knowledge, plus the intuitional status born of an inner existence (which can rise to supramental perception), we can soar far beyond our human Ignorance born of creation. Therefore, at every step, we will be open to new knowledge, to new understanding, to profound laws of life, and to miraculous unfoldings that follow in the footsteps of every effort we make to raise our consciousness -- completely the reverse of our current propensity to embrace only that which we know.

How can we facilitate this? Karmayogi indicates that constant opening to the divine Mother forges the link within to our True Selves, to the evolving Soul, which in turn enables our minds to soar to spiritual mind, including revelation and supramental perception which catapults us far beyond our current understanding, knowledge, and power. Gradually, we grow out of our current limitations at all planes, and can become harbingers of a new species and a Divine Life on Earth.

 

Progressive Movement Out of Ignorance

The New York Times raised this question recently: Why do so many people believe they can drive safely while using cell phones but don't believe that others can do the same? The simple answer is that it is human nature to see the flaws in others, but not in ourselves. Of course, others see our flaws quite clearly! This in turn raises many issues; one of which is our inherent Ignorance born of creation.

When the Infinite consciousness descended to create a universe of forms, it shed its Awareness. When material forms were created, there was virtually complete unconsciousness; an Inconscience in Sri Aurobindo's terms. The Supreme consented to this unconsciousness to allow for the greatest diversity of forces and forms, from the unconscious to the conscious; from less to more positive; from false to true. When these forms evolved -- particularly us -- we would discover our higher nature, develop greater awareness, which would elicit in us deep delight. In this way, the Static delight of the Infinite Divine could express a Dynamic Delight through the forms of creation, including us In other words, for the expression of infinite forms of Delight, Ignorance was allowed. In fact, it was very necessary for this process.

Because of our inherent limited consciousness, each of us has a limited field of Awareness. It expresses from the material to the mental. Our material consciousness focuses us on our own distinct selves at the expense of others. Our vital desires, needs, passions again separate us from the same in others. When Mind enters the picture, then our separation becomes insidious, as our ego takes form; and there is an aggressive desire to defend our own interest at the expense of others. In this way, we perceive the Truth of things through a distorted lens. We perceive the small Part of any matter, not the many parts, let alone the Whole of the Truth. Thus, our being is blind to our own defects because we miss the total view of ourselves; filtered by the distorting lens of ego and sense mind.

In this way, a person while driving can glance to the side, dial, and talk on his or her cell phone, oblivious to the wider truth that we are putting others at risk. It is one of a thousand ways we express our Ignorance born of creation. It is an instance of how we are limited to a perception of the small part, though others see the parts we are missing -- about ourselves, as they perceive our selfishness, ego, error, falsehood, obliviousness, and a thousand other faux pas.

And yet our future evolution is to outgrow our fundamental Ignorance, which can progressively grow into an Integral knowledge. The intervening stages require us to take specific inner actions, such as shifting our attitudes from the negative to the positive, to be more self-giving rather than taking (i.e. shedding our selfishness), to have an open rather than a closed mind, to take the other person's point of view, and so forth. This would be a tremendous achievement, and a sure sign of human progress and evolution.

And yet this is just the first step to a further stage of spiritual evolution, which requires a disciplined yogic-like effort. In this transmutation, the very nature of our mind would have to be changed, as it would evolve from an instrument of the part, of division, of separation, of exclusivity to one capable of embracing the totality of Truth. It requires an opening to higher planes of mind, beyond rationality and insight to intuition, revelation, and supramental perception. I.e. multi-faceted, integral knowledge just comes to us from out of nowhere without the hard churning of thought. The many parts of a thing, the whole, the essence, just appear in our Minds in a continuous flow of Truth.

Needless to say, at that stage, there will be little or no possibility of driving dangerously while on the phone, for our own selves will have merged with the Selves of others in an inextricable Oneness.

Ignorance Born of Ignorance of Matter
The ultimate source of our ignorance and ego is our exclusive nature as material forms that separates us from other forms (i.e. individuals, objects). When the universe was created, it was done so through forms of an unconscious force that created inconscient objects of matter. Our physical bodies are made of that matter. Our vital and metal realms also took on aspects of that unconsciousness. That materiality and the ensuing planes that extended it is the source of our essential divided nature, our ego, our separateness, our ignorance. Before matter and the universe, knowledge was the Supramental Integral Knowledge of the Divine Source.

Knowledge to Ignorance in the Involution
In the Divine reality, the source of all creation, the essence of all being, there is an original integral Consciousness, reflected as unity, wholeness, perfection, and infinity of Knowledge. Something occurred in the process of the creation of the cosmos, in the emergence of the universe from a Divine source, that caused an Original integral consciousness and Knowledge to turn into, to become Ignorance.

Overmind as Source of Lapse into Ignorance
The process that enabled us to lapse into the original Ignorance began with Overmind, where there is a reflection of the unified Supramental truth consciousness, but expresses as the original division and separateness of things, expressing in their uniqueness. Ignorance is ultimately born of this lacking unitary knowledge and consciousness. (Paraphrase of Sri Aurobindo)

[-This suggests that the original Ignorance can only be rectified through Supermind entering Mind, enabling the unitary consciousness and end of original Ignorance.

-Supermind expresses the integral relationship of all things born of the Absolute through Satchitananda; Overmind takes this unity, and expresses the uniqueness of things born of division. Then what actually causes this division. It seems like the transition to Overmind is both a positive and negative thing; in that it enables uniqueness, yet also division?]

Gods, Humans, and Overmind

In the decent (the involution), supermind emerges from sat-chit-ananda, then overmind from supermind, cosmic mind from overmind, energy from cosmic mind, and matter from energy. In the evolution, there is matter which evolves to vital life to mind (the three of which entail humans) to spiritual mind and upward.

Gods arise in Overmind, where each expresses a powerful uniquness of the Divine.

Since Overmind is previous to humans, Gods (as in the Indian or even Greek pantheon) are normally previous to humans.

It is also true that humans energize Gods by paying attention to and worshiping them. Also they can come embody Gods.

Overmind though great by bringing out the vast knowledge and uniqueness of a thing, is the first step towards Ignorance, in that it has lost total identify with all other things. Thus, a sense of separativeness is created, losing the inherent unity of what is perceived and made possible in supermind.

Gods are magnificent overmental individual manifestations of the divine, though being so, they have each lost their oneness with one another, as they only perceive their own uniqueness. Thus, they like anything else in overmental consciousness are wonders and have profound unique view of things, but it is still a partial view, not the whole truth as in supermind.

Here is a quote from Garry Jacobs Sir's book 'Lectures on Sri Aurobindo's The Life Divine' that puts it in perspective:

"The next step in the process of creation is the emergence of the Overmind. This is the first step into the Ignorance. What Sri Aurobindo means by Overmind can be imagined this way: I identify with one aspect of my personality, but I do not identify with all the other aspects. I think of myself as an adult. I look back and see myself behind that adulthood, but I say the child-self or my other-selves are not me. What I see of myself is true, but it is no longer the whole truth. I still know myself, but I do not know every other manifestation of myself. Overmind is the plane of the Gods. Each God is a manifestation of the Divine. Each is a true manifestation of the Divine, one aspect. Each of them can look back and find the Supramental Divine behind or within them, but none of them recognizes that all the other Gods are equally aspects of the Divine. Each expresses a Truth of the Divine, but limits itself to one aspect or portion of the whole Truth. It is the beginning of division and of separative knowledge."

 

Gods, Overmind, and Ignorance

Sri Aurobindo used to say that he never wanted to be limited by the gods. The gods belong to the overmental plane. Their dimension, Mother says, belongs to the dimension of earth. Overmind is a plane where the full power of truth does not exist. It is a plane where truths can protect themselves and act, eliminating the destructive influence of ignorance. Overmind brings together several truths to act in unison. Krishnavatar came from this plane. The color of this plane is blue. Sri Aurobindo explained to Mother that the overmental truth had no power to transform ignorance into knowledge. It can function successfully protecting its truth and avoiding the warping influence of ignorance. Truth is self-existent in the next plane of Supermind. Here there is no ignorance. Power of Supermind can enter into ignorance, reach its foundation of truth, unite all of them and from there transform ignorance into knowledge. Without that seed of truth, however little, neither ignorance, nor evil, nor falsehood, nor even hostility can exist. Beings of the supramental plane are of the dimension of the universe. On February 29, 1956 when the Supermind descended, Mother found herself as big as the universe and in a golden form. The gods have a limitation when they come to function in the supramental plane. Sri Aurobindo had declared he never wanted to be limited by the gods in his work. (MSS)

 

Mind's Original Capacity and its Descent into Ignorance
Mind is of Supermind which has the vision of the whole. Mind being a part of it has the ability to see one part of the whole at one time and can see the other part if it chooses. This is the original capacity of Mind. When it refuses to see the other side, Ignorance is born which is more and more organised as below. (MSS)

The Supreme Sanction of the Ignorance
-The reason for creation was so the forms -- including us -- could experience the same bliss, the Delight that the Supreme already had. It may even be a greater Delight.
-In order to create the greatest possibility of that bliss, the greatest variety and multiplicity of those forms and qualities needed to be created.

-Greater variety and multiplicity includes everything and its opposite. Night and day, time and timelessness, ignorance and knowledge, good and evil, etc. etc.

-Now infinite variations can experience the bliss in infinite variety.

-Though the Supreme intended a Divine life on earth without contradictions, including the experience of spiritual qualities like Delight, Love, Beauty, Truth, et al , which are generally qualities without their opposite, It sanctioned all the aspects that we consider the negative side, as necessary steps on the way to the Divine Perfection.

-In several chapters in The Life Divine Sri Aurobindo describes the necessity of the Ignorance as a way to the Knowledge. Thus, Ignorance is sanctioned by the Supreme as something to be passed through along the way. He also speaks of the Supreme's sanction of Nature (Prakriti; of contradiction and conflict in life's evolution) in the course of Man's existence, even though it is a lesser power than the method of Purusha, i.e. progress by Soul. 

-Interestingly Sri Aurobindo says that when we reach the highest consciousness, we see that there is no division, no pain, no contradictions -- even perhaps, I might assume, at this point in the creation! This is the vision of Brahman that sees the Oneness of the Creator and the Creation. And yet at the lower plane of ego sees life not in its inherent perfection that someone who has risen to Supermind can see.

-This seems to be a conundrum in of itself for how can everything be perfect and not be so at the same time (as perceived by two different planes - Supermind and ego). My answer is that the more we move to the Supreme consciousness, to the Supramental, Truth Awareness, the more such conundrums are resolved through a higher understanding and cosmic perception.

Also See Moving from Ignorance to Integral Knowledge

 

 

---

The Nature of Consciousness
(top)

Click here to see entries
 

---

The Nature of Evil; Beyond Good and Evil
(top)

See Entries

 

---

Spiritual Powers, Attributes, Expressions
(top)

 

Aligning Ourselves with the Cosmic Intent, Fostering Progress in the World

The Divine expresses Its intention through Real Ideas It seeks to manifest in the world. Among them are spiritual qualities including Peace, Harmony, Timelessness, Infinity, Knowledge, Power, Creativity, Goodness, Delight, and Love. We can collaborate with that unfolding, by opening ourselves to the Divine Intent and discovering how we can practically implement these cosmic values in our lives. Doing so, we directly participate in the progress and evolution of life on earth.

For example, the Internet is an embodiment of several of these spiritual-like qualities. I.e. it brings greater knowledge to the world; it does so instantly (overcoming time, hence timelessness); it creates powerful connection between individuals (harmony); and so forth. Those who conceived, developed, and continue to develop the Internet are subconsciously in touch with universal forces and movements that seek to manifest the Real Ideas of the Infinite Divine in the world.

Of course, each one of us is capable of doing the same. Though it is not easy to express these spiritual determinants directly, we can instead look within and determine what our most cherished beliefs and personal values are. Values are after all the direct descendents and of these spiritual qualities. For example, the value of “global cooperation and collaboration” is a combination of the spiritual values of harmony, peace, and power. Thus, if we can find a practical way to further these values, such as engaging in a particular project or work, we become instruments of the progress of Spirit in life.

What is critical is our receptivity to the possibilities by discovering it around us. If we are curious enough to perceive new values awakening in the world; if we also discover how to practically apply them in a meaningful work, then we become instruments for great positive change.

For example, one individual believed that the world was moving towards a new spiritual age based on the teachings of a great sage and seer, and then sought to find out how he could apply this vision and spiritual value in a practical way. Over time, he managed to discover several outlets for his talents and beliefs -- one in writing, the other in business -- that played a role in furthering these values for a considerable number of individuals.

In that way, each of us can look within and determine our deepest personal values in life, and then find a means to implement them. When we discover that outlet, and put all of our energies into that work, we will not only uncover our deepest purpose in life, not only become a means of great benefit to others, but also become instruments of the Divine Intent that seek to manifest certain spiritual qualities in the world.

 

Manifesting the Spiritual Aspects of the Creator in Creation 

It is difficult for the average person, or for that matter any individual to reconcile Spirit and Matter, or as we tend to look at it, the Creator and the Creation. We think of the former as divine in nature, and the latter as a lesser formulation, though it is very real to us. And yet in my view, it was/is the Intent of the Divine to extend Itself and all its spiritual attributes into new forms that make up creation, including us. Thus, life in the universe is in essence new forms of the Spirit, of the Creator that have the potential to express the Divine’s spiritual aspects -- including Silence, Oneness, Knowledge, Creativity, Truth, Beauty, Love, Bliss, Timelessness, and Infinity.

It was in fact to enable these higher spiritual qualities in a multiplicity and variety of forms of Its own Force that the Creator has manifest the inanimate and inanimate, visible and invisible forms in creation. So that these spiritual aspects could formulate in infinite variation -- through life’s energy, matter, animus, and mentality -- the Divine manifest Its own Force into these forms. In that sense, we are the Divine incarnate; forces, forms and beings who seek to have the potential to bring the divinity buried within ourselves and in the world around us to the surface.

An obvious question then raises itself. If the Divine intent was to extend Its divinity and spiritual qualities into new forms of itself through energy, matter, animated life, and mentality which we embody, why does this not seem to be the case in life in the universe? There is after all so much suffering and pain, darkness and negativity mixed in with the pleasure and joy, light and harmony in the world. One answer is that from the perspective of the divine consciousness and Reality itself, life IS in fact perfect in its current status. When we perceive things from the Spirit or Creator’s point of view, we perceive that all things -- including positive and negative, pleasurable and painful, great and small -- are all necessary to the unfolding that is moving from limitation, ignorance, and falsehood to perfection and infinite possibility. Thus, all and everything -- even darkness and evil -- are contributing to the forward movement of evolution of life in the universe; whose ultimate goal is the manifestation of spiritual aspects of Oneness, Truth, Knowledge, Creativity, Beauty, Love, Delight, Timelessness, and Infinity in the detail of life and of our own individual lives.

But then one might ask, why didn’t the Creator create everything perfect to begin with; i.e. have all the forms of Its Force manifest these spiritual attributes in the first place? Why couldn’t each and every thing and individual be perfectly still silent, knowledgeable and living in full truth, in harmony and one with all things, be infinitely creative, experience endless delight, feel deep, unbinding love, and living beyond the bounds of time, space, and limitation. The answer is actually straightforward. In order to create the greatest diversity of manifestation of these spiritual attributes, the greatest variation and multiplicity of forms of Its Force was required. For life to express these spiritual aspects in all its possibilities and potentials, the Creator allowed for all manner of forces and forms in life, including that which is positive and negative, good and evil, pleasurable and pain filled, knowledgeable and ignorant and, and so forth. Through the mutual unfolding of these dual pairs, the greatest diversity of forces and forms could unfold in creation; therefore the greatest diversity and possibility of manifesting the spiritual aspects of the Divine in the particulars of life.

Thus, from the perspective of the Divine Reality, behind all existence, all that is unfolding in life is perfectly as it should be; even as it continues to evolve from its lower status to an increasingly higher one. What Sri Aurobindo and Sri Karmayogi call ‘The Marvel of Existence,’ is to see how everything -- great or small, positive and negative, good and evil, pleasure or pain-filled -- serve the unfolding of an ever increasing, progressive adoption of the divine Reality’s spiritual attributes in creation.

The Marvel then is to perceive how each thing that we encounter plays a role in this progressive unfolding. Nothing is wasted, or to be excluded, or deemed unnecessary or even harmful in this universal movement. Even in its negative state, every thing is on its way to its positive status. It is in fact the vital means by which life progresses and brings out more of the spiritual attributes of the Infinite Divine.

 

Spiritual Principles Reflecting in Values
There are fundamental spiritual principles of existence that reflect the One Being, such as peace, power, knowledge, goodness, truth, beauty, love, joy/delight, creator, etc. Each of these reflect as practical values in life. Thus if an individual, company, or institution demonstrates a serious paucity in one of the spiritual principles, it can consider applying one or more related practical values to itself, as show in the following:

Unity and Oneness -- All for One; One for All. Collaboration, Harmony, Oneness of purpose, Community, Concern for others, Equality, Family, Family Feeling, Integration, Organization, Respect for Others, Teamwork, World Oneness, Helpfulness, etc.

Truth -- Truth, Accountability, Accuracy, Content over form, Honesty, Integrity , Factual , Rationality , Organization , Self-Improvement, etc.

Goodness -- Concern for others, Gratitude, Generosity, Develop People, Helpfulness, etc.

Knowledge -- Knowledge, Education, Continuous Learning, Open-mindedness, etc.

Power -- Accomplishment, Success, Authority, Accountability, Challenges Desired, Commitment, Determination & perseverance, Individual Achievement, Prosperity/Wealth, Strength, Decisiveness, Self-Improvement, etc.

Delight of Being -- Discovery, Joy, Romance of life, Adventure, Customer satisfaction, Fun, Happiness, Love, Self-Improvement, etc.

Love -- Concern for others, Friendship, Loyalty, Commitment, Family Feeling, Collaboration, etc.

Beauty (Harmony of Form) -- Beauty, Perfection, Quality of work, Creativity, Innovation, etc.

Creator in Life -- Creativity, Discovery, Innovation, Pioneers' Effort, Progress, Resourcefulness, Self-reliance, etc.

Spiritual Values
We know of practical values in life like honesty, self-reliance, openness, tolerance, organization, maximum utilization, attention, continuous improvement, simplicity, respect for the individual, etc. We can devise a list of related spiritual values that include Harmony, Unity, Oneness, Perfection, Gratitude, Self-Givingness, (spiritual) Peace, Equality, (divine) Beauty, (divine) Love, Truth, Integral Knowledge, Power, Delight of Being (Bliss), and others.

Positive and Negative Human Traits

Recently, a fellow subscriber to the Karmayogi.net forum asked why does hate, anger, love, curiosity, admiration, etc. exist in the world. It was a very innocent yet important question that I would like to address.

Seekers of the Spirit throughout time have noticed that the Divine Reality expresses in various ways, including Peace, Oneness, Wisdom, Knowledge, Creativity, Beauty, Goodness, Love, Delight, Power, Timelessness, and Infinity. These are also qualities that the Supreme seeks to manifest in the forms of creation. We humans are the means by which they take shape on earth.

Interestingly, though the Intent of the Supreme was/is to spread these spiritual aspects throughout the cosmos, they initially took shape in their opposite form, as an inversion. I.e. life first emerged in the universe as unconscious physical matter; and only after, emerged higher, more conscious forms.

Thus, life, and indeed we humans have roots in unconsciousness mixed with the consciousness. And we have come to embody them in the form of both positive and negative character traits -- expressing the physical, vital, and mental levels.

An obvious question is why would a Divine Reality allow for both formations of darkness and light? Why not just manifest Its own, infinitely positive spiritual attributes? The answer is that it did so to enable the greatest variety, multiplicity, and possibility of experience. If there were only good traits, the diversity and depth of our life experiences would be limited.

Thus, over time, a vast array of positive, neutral, and negative physical, vital, and mental traits came to be. For example, feelings like fear, anger, hatred, are negative expressions that originate in the vital plane of our being. (The vital is the dimension of sensation, desire, emotion, feeling, attitude, and social interaction.)

It turns out that not only are these negative expressions inversions of their positive spiritual counterpart of Oneness, Power, Love, etc., but inversions of our own positive human traits. For example, people who hate, secretly harbor love, but through circumstance inner and outer, have inverted to its darker side. A child might hate a parent because of their abuse, but secretly harbored intense love that reversed itself. In fact, the more intense the hate, the greater the possibility of love when the obstacles are overcome.

In humanity’s evolution we emerged from physical existence where our physical traits predominated, such as hunting and other survival skills, to the development of more complex vital feelings and relationships, such as trade, cooperation, and affinity toward marriage, to sophisticated traits of the mind, such as analyzing, synthesizing, calculating, rational thinking, etc. These are positive or neutral characteristics developed over the course of human evolution.

And yet there are also negative qualities that developed, such as mental ignorance and falsehood. At the vital and physical levels there are far more and more virulent forms of negative character traits because as you go lower in human consciousness, the wanting characteristics tend to appear. Anger, hate, intense desire, lust, jealousy, et al are negative vital traits; while domination, tendency to violence, et al are examples of negative physical characteristics.

And so we see how life evolved both a plethora of qualities in the human, both positive and negative, to enable the greatest variety of experience, from which we can evolve our nature and through that discovery experience delight.

There are hundreds of human qualities that express at the physical, vital, and mental level; often centrally in one, though with a slight shading of another. E.g. attitudes are vital, but they have a slight mental aspect to them. Personal values and beliefs are predominantly mental, but also have a vital component in that there is a willful aspect.

If traits of human consciousness express positively and negatively, then we can take inventory of all of them, and determine where we are lacking. If we then make the sincere effort to strengthen the positive or overcome negative, we grow as individuals; plus it is highly likely that life will quickly respond in our favor to our efforts.

We also see several general wanting propensities in our nature. For one, many of our negative traits at the physical, vital, and mental level have at their root human Ego. It is the self-absorption and separativeness of our being that has at its very root the fact that we identify with our own separate bodies and self at the expense of others. The ego expresses as different levels, corresponding to the dimensions of our being -- physical vital, and mental. For example, the need to dominate another is an expression of the physical ego. Hate and anger are expressions of the vital ego that has been bruised.

Many negative human traits are due to another overriding factor; our essential Ignorance born of creation. Our Ignorance has its roots in the unconsciousness and non-knowledge of our physical body, which is an expression of the dumb, material matter that it is based on. Stupidity, ignorance, falsehood, folly, error-proneness, , poor decision making capacity, et al are examples of these.

In conclusion, the human individual is made up of hundreds if not thousands of traits that express positively and negatively. They are expressions of Divine Will that seeks multiplicity of expression in the universe to allow for infinite diversity, and therefore infinite variety of consciousness and bliss as each of us discover our Higher Nature.

The Divine's Love
The Divine's love is an eternal truth. (The Mother)

On Beauty
Beauty which we think is physical is only the mind's appreciation of Ananda in its spiritual origins.

---

Powers of Light & Darkness
(top)

 

Powers of Light & Darkness
For each force of Light that appears on earth, her is a cosmic right for a power of darkness, enabling the greatest possibilities of forms to discover their higher nature, and thus their delight of being, the purpose for which everything exists.

Role of the Hostile Forces
For each epoch of progress the hostile forces, born of the Creation, claim their right to reign, only to acknowledge that they too are children of the One Source, and they too play a role in the Unfolding and Progress in Life. While they cause mischief, it is a golden opportunity for us to practice calm and equality, and discover higher ways of truth.

Light and Darkness
At the highest level, the Light needs the Darkness to progress, as the Darkness needs the Light to progress.

Beyond Progress through the Dark Side
Often the greatest progress occurs through the reign of Darkness. We want to connect with the Light so that we can progress by it alone, avoiding the pain and difficulty of the Hostile forces.

 

---

The Avatar

Click here to see entries
 

Buddha

Click here to see entries

 

---

Sri Aurobindo

Click here to see entries

His Life

Click here to see entries

 

His Teachings

Click here to see entries

 

The Transformation of Humanity

Click here to see entries

'The Life Divine'

Click here to see entries

 

Additional Information

Click here to see entries

---

The Mother; The Divine Mother

Click here to see entries

 

The Mother (the person, personality, avatar)

Click here to see entries

The Divine Mother

Click here to see entries

---

Other
(top)

Yoga of the Earth
The yoga of the earth is done by the work of Nature -- with no waste. (MSS)

Spiritual Nature of the Negative
What we perceive in life as "negative" is really the Divine organizing Its consciousness in the darkness of life. (Paraphrase of MSS)

Untitled
There is an increasingly powerful descent of the Higher Force. (Sri Aurobindo)

The Scientist Availing the Theory of Creation which Knows Spirit
Should the seeker be a scientist and wish to make an original contribution to the body of knowledge, pushing the frontiers of knowledge to celestial frontiers, he need not make fresh original discoveries. They await his availing of them, waiting for him to seek them. The Theory of creation has long ago solved the mystery Science is looking for. The world of scientists abroad is buried in the obsession they have created for themselves. When the Indian scientist invokes the Sprit, he will emerge into the Truths the world is waiting for. Mother India is lovingly offering her children a rare treasure. Will they acknowledge her abundant love and receive it? (MSS)

Views of God from Varying Planes
God does not want to dominate us; God wants us to become God. Looking at it from the highest plane of consciousness, the Supreme's plane, we already are God. Looking at it from our own lower human plane, we need to bring the Supreme's Being into our lives to become what the Supreme wishes us to become. We see such differences as paradox, but that is only because we try to perceive things from the lower plane of mind.

Suffering and Difficulties for those Chosen
Certain essential qualities can only develop through suffering and difficulties. Men run away from them in their ignorance, but the Supreme Lord imposes them on those He has chosen to represent Him on earth in order to hasten their development ... (The Mother)

Spiritual Values
We know of practical values in life like honesty, self-reliance, openness, tolerance, organization, maximum utilization, attention, continuous improvement, simplicity, respect for the individual, etc. We can devise a list of related spiritual values that include Harmony, Unity, Oneness, Perfection, Gratitude, Self-Givingness, (spiritual) Peace, Equality, (divine) Beauty, (divine) Love, Truth, Integral Knowledge, and others.

Untitled
Spirit is there behind everything. Soul is the spirit of man. Intelligence is the Spirit of Mind. Truthfulness is one expression of the Spirit of Speech. Skill is the Spirit of Work. Sweetness is the Spirit of human relationship. There is no work, person or thing behind which there is no Spirit. (MSS)

The Spiritual Sense
The state described  in which one sees, hears, feels, touches, senses in every way the Divine is not just a  figure of speech, but the exact description of the fundamental action of the spiritual sense. The supramental consciousness is a step inclusive of and yet beyond even this. (Paraphrase of Sri Aurobindo)

Divine Love Should Come After Divine Truth
Truth first, then love. (Paraphrase of The Mother)

[Meaning that before define love can be a reality on earth, first individuals and humanity must learn the truth of existence. From that truth, love will be ready to emerge, on the sound basis of truth.

Spirit Revives
Spirit revives dead or dying vehicle into fresh new life. (Paraphrase of Sri Aurobindo)

Untitled
The Divine Mother is not an aspiring human being aspiring for perfection. She is a Divine Being trying to express the divine qualities in human life. (MSS)

Decision Making of the Infinite
Cosmic Determinants, the Decision-Making Process of creation is defined by Sri Aurobindo as The Infinite's Self-conception of Form that carries the Force. (MSS)

Untitled
The Divine Mother's consciousness is situated at the point Force issues out of Consciousness (in Sat-chit-ananda). This is prior to the birth of Supermind. (Paraphrase of MSS)

The Adverse Forces
I am not alarmed by the aspect of the world around me or disconcerted by the often successful fury of the adverse Forces who increase in their rage as the Light comes nearer and nearer to the field of earth and Matter. (Sri Aurobindo)

God Seeks Man Since 1956
Since 1956 when the Force descended on earth, God seeking Man more than Man seeking God has become a greater reality. We see no God, we see only how prosperous we are. Prosperity is the God for the householder. The Force came down on earth in 1956 but began to act through the governments in 1967. From then onwards its action is more and more pronounced. Just now Man is surrounded by a plethora of social opportunities. Psychologically it is greater. (MSS)

 

ADDITIONAL
 

• Knowledgebase thoughts on a Spirit-based life for the Individual

• Knowledgebase thoughts on the Emerging Spirituality in Society

 

 

 

To Be Categorized

 

 

The Reality, Brahman

What the Reality, Brahman consists Of

The Reality, Brahman is the All. It is that which is beyond this Life and it is Life itself. Every plane of being, from the unmanifest to the manifest, from the Divine Being to existence in the universe, from Spirit to Matter are expressions of that one, omnipresent Reality.

 

The Nature of and Perceiving the Reality

Cosmic Egg --We can think of the Reality, Brahman, the Absolute as a kind of cosmic Egg. Within the Reality are two interwoven aspects, the Unmanifest and the Manifest; the Being and the Becoming; Spirit and Matter; the Transcendent and the Universal.

Different Shadings of the Same Thing -- We also see that all planes -- matter, life, mind, spirit, etc. -- are simply different forms, shadings of the same one, omnipresent Reality.

A Totality -- We can thus think of Brahman as a totality of all of the planes of existence from Spirit to Matter. I.e. the Reality is and exists in all planes from spirit to matter.

Integral Unity of Planes -- And yet the Reality is not merely the sum of the planes or just various shadings of Itself, but is integral and unified. I.e. from the highest consciousness, we perceive how each plane is interrelated with every other. Thus, e.g. matter and spirit are associated, even unified from the view of the highest supramental consciousness. This indicates that everything we come upon, every detail of life is to be embraced, as it has the other planes, or the rest of Brahman integrally associated with it. This applies to the most significant aspects of life to the most trivial.

Individual, Universal, Transcendent -- The Reality can also be viewed as the integral relation of the Individual, the Universal, and the Transcendent.

 

The Absolute as Indescribable

The Absolute is beyond description. It is All and more than All, but cannot be limited by any description. (MSS)

 

The Beyond, Involution, and Evolution are Brahman, the Reality

Brahman, the omnipresent Reality is beyond all things; that which can be known. It is also the Involution and the Evolution, both of which can be known.

 

Spirit & Matter Reconciled in Supramental Consciousness of the Reality

The apparent contradiction between Spirit and Matter is reconciled when we have the consciousness of the Reality, Brahman. That occurs in supramental consciousness.

 

The Marvel of the ALL that Fits Together

Everything is necessary and fits together like a glove, but we don't see it. This is the ALL, the integral Brahman and Reality; the true Truth of things; the extraordinary Marvel we can perceive from our highest consciousness.

 

Non-being as Formless Absolute

Non-Being is the formless Infinite and Absolute

 

On Truth, Knowledge, and the Reality/Brahman

-Truth realized is the integral knowledge of Reality.

-Brahman/the Reality is the All that contains the Integral Truth and Knowledge.

 

Spiritual Freedom

The Infinite Consciousness is free to be anything It chooses. So too evolved Souls, Avatars like Krishna or The Mother, Its representatives on earth, do not insist on things or set fixed rules, thereby offering the same divine freedom to Man.

 

The Absolute (Brahman, the Reality), Its Play (Lila), and Our and the Universe's Spiritual Evolution

The Absolute (Brahman, the Reality) is a multidimensional Infinite that is not limited in any manner. It cannot be confined to a spiritual heaven, a formless status, or even to a static perfection.

Its Infinity is free to create countless universes, inhabit them and all they contain. Though perfect, its Infinity is free to change, grow, evolve and transform itself. Enjoying Eternally the Bliss of its Self-existent Being, it is also free to create and discover the Delight of an Eternal Becoming.

Though it is All and more than All, it cannot be said the Divine has not the capacity to enhance itself or become more than that All, for that too would be a limitation imposed by our own mental limitations.

Like a child, the Divine enjoys the sheer delight of a play without aim or intention, lila.

It has created a playground in Space and Time as the field for that purposeless self-expression. It has itself become Space, Time, the field and all the forms and forces which inhabit it.

In purposeless play, a child discovers, learns, grows and develops. So too the Divine's lila is made more complete, perfect and delightful by a involution and evolution of consciousness, a self-concealment of itself from itself and an adventure of self-discovery through a progressive unfolding of consciousness in forms.

Thus, the apparent contradiction between a purposeless play and a purposeful evolution are reconciled and revealed as complementary aspects of the Infinite.

Spiritual evolution is an evolution of Delight.

This play occurs in countless individual souls, each an emanation of vibratory truths of the Infinite. The soul evolves in the Ignorance as the subliminal Psychic Being, until the surface ego awakens to its true spiritual individuality and the psychic discovers itself as an emanation of the Individual Divine, the Identical One in all, of which it is a delegate and creative power in the universe.

Through this process, the soul and world evolve. The Divine evolves as well. It exceeds itself to become more than it is and has been, for that too is an essential expression of the power of the Infinite. (MSS)

 

Experiencing, Perceiving Brahman/Reality

Making Personal the Apparent Impersonality of Brahman, the Reality

How do we connect to the Infinite, Supreme Brahman, which is perceived as Unknowable and Unapproachable?

The first way we can worship the impersonal Brahman is through Sat-Chit-Ananda. In Sat, it is the pure Spirit subjectively, and Truth objectively. We can thereby perceive it as pure Being, as Stillness, as Peace, as spiritual Presence, as true Knowledge and Wisdom of life and beyond.

In Chit, there is the Conscious-Force, where Mother is born. We can feel it as Shakti, as Force, as her Force.

In Ananda, the previous two are experienced as Bliss.

There are thus endless ways to experience the offshoots of the seemingly unknowable Brahman.

Brahman itself (the Reality, the Absolute) exists as both the unmanifest and the manifest, and their integration. It is Satchitananda, Supermind, and Mind, Life, and Matter; all perceived as one and integrated. Brahman is the Reality that expresses through all of these planes of being. They are each different shades, formations of Brahman.

When we move to the depths and upward toward Supermind, we feel the Oneness of All, the utility of everything, the necessity of positive and negative; large and small, significant and insignificant. Harmony and Love are everywhere. In that way, we perceive the Reality/Brahman.

There are thus infinite entry points to Brahman. Silence, Peace, Harmony, Truth, Knowledge, Goodness, Power, Creativity, Beauty, Delight, Timelessness, Infinity, and Immortality are among them. Each are ways to experience the Infinite, Impersonal Brahman in Its Personal form.

Sri Aurobindo and Karmayogi offer CONSECRATION (self-offering and surrender to the spiritual Force; to the divine Mother) as the focal point to all these possibilities. It helps forge our depths within, and opens our being to the heights, including all the possibilities that Sat-Chit-Ananda drew out of Brahman. It in essence personalizes further the Personal potentials.

Still the choice of how we connect to the Supreme and all and any of its aspects is ours.

 

Unity of Braham, the Reality Perceived from Supermind

According to Sri Aurobindo, Brahman is the omnipresent Reality that expresses and exists at all planes of existence from Spirit to Mind to Matter in complete integral unity, and can be only perceived as such when one rises to the Supramental (i.e. Truth, Unity) Consciousness.

 

Supramental Perception of the Reality; the All & Everything Necessary for the Uplifting of Life

Sri Aurobindo indicates that this consciousness to embrace all things is to have the Supramental perception of the Reality (Brahman), which is the All; the everything -- positive and negative, good and evil, pleasure and pain, ignorance and knowledge, -- necessary for the unfolding and upward movement of life.

 

 

 

Theory of Creation: Involution and Evolution

Involution and Evolution

The Involution is the movement from the Supreme Consciousness into the nescience of Matter for the purpose of diversity of discovery and joy, while the evolution is the process of discovering and manifesting increasingly higher levels of consciousness for the purpose of infinite variation of delight through infinitely diverse forms.

 

Involution, Evolution, Process of Creation

The unfolding of the Involution and the evolution is the Process of Creation.

 

Why the Formlessness Moves to Form in Creation

"Why should the formless zone have a fascination for moving towards the zone of forms with the attendant limitations it will bring about. This is an intriguing phenomenon."

Though the formless is beyond all form, all time, all space; is immutable, ineffable, etc., it is in one sense a static, even limited Absolute. It thus seeks to become a dynamic Reality.

In order to do that it creates infinite possibilities of itself, in infinite forms, physical, vital, mental, spiritual, and supramental. Now it can manifest its Absoluteness, its being, Conscious-Force, and Delight through infinitely variables forces and forms. It allows for all opposites, such as ugliness and beauty in order to accommodate infinite variation. Thus ugliness is allowed to be along with beauty, with the former gradually evolving toward a Self-Existent (no dark side) form of the latter. The same with Ignorance and Knowledge, Conflict and Peace, and all other dual pairs in creation.

Thus the fascination of the formless to become form is for its own dynamic expression, including infinite expression of Delight of those forms, mirroring and perhaps exceeding the Static Delight of the Infinite Supreme.

In our own lives, we see the same movement for things to manifest in infinite variation from an Idea inside. Hopefully our mental or intuitive notion, possibility, goal, vision is implemented with higher consciousness. Then its form will be dynamic, creative, perfect, delightful, even infinite in nature.

Thus the expression of the form from the formless --whether originating in the Idea of the Supreme or in ourselves -- is to re-embody all of the divine attributes of the formless in infinite variation in the formed details of Life.

 

The Absolute as Indescribable; whereas the Emergence Sat-Chit-Ananda in Creation Is

The Absolute is beyond description. It is All and more than All, but cannot be limited by any description. (MSS) [What is describable is how Brahman, the Absolute, the omnipresent Reality extends to a universe of forms through the action of Supermind on Sat-Chit-Ananda (Existence, Conscious-Force Delight) that emerges from it.]

 

Involution and Ignorance; Evolution and Aspiration

Real Idea, the Divine Will, through Consciousness Force worked out the creation by hiding its full knowledge and brought out ignorance. Aspiration is the Consciousness Force that is finding out the hidden Divine and Truth. That is Evolution. (MSS)

 

Non-Being Infinite to Being in Involution; the Reverse in the Evolution

Non-Being is the formless Infinite and Absolute, unlimited by any description. The Infinite consciousness extended from Non-Being to Being.

Inversely, the universe is on the way from extending from Being to Non-Being -- to be infinite, eternal, powerful, beautiful, harmonic and all other spiritual aspects of the Infinite Divine in each form.

 

Sri Aurobindo's Revelation of the Planes of Involution and Evolution

Sri Aurobindo's entire analysis of existence is predicated on knowing the essential planes of existence; both in the Involution (the descent) and Evolution (the ascent). Involution: Sat-Chit-Ananda, Supermind, Cosmic Mind, to Energy at rest. Evolution: Energy moves, Matter, Animated Life, Mind, Spiritual Mind, Supermind, Sat-chit-ananda. Evolution for the Individual: Physical Body, Vital being, Mind, Spiritual Mind, Supermind, Sat-chit-ananda. All of these are various expressions, shadings of the one Reality, Brahman.

 

Divinity's Fulfillment through Higher Material Expression

A reader says: Whatever may be our understanding of Divinity, it can show its self only through higher forms of physical manifestation.

Comment: Very very profound and true! The proof of the Divine is that He extended Himself and Manifest this physical universe. We can also manifest material things by opening to the spiritual Force (in tandem with our goal and values).

 

The Process of Creation and Joy/Delight

The Process of Creation and the Joy in the Adventure of Discovery

It is explained in ‘The Life Divine’ that the entire process of the creation is an adventure in self-discovery by God choosing to bury himself in ignorance and unconsciousness and having the joy of slowly emerging out of them back into knowledge and awareness. The challenges and ordeals of reemerging constitute the joy of self-discovery. (N. Ashokan, MSS)

 

Diversity, Multiplicity is Purpose of Creation

Reason for Diversity of Forms

The Divine enabled an existence of ultimate Diversity and Multiplicity, so each unique form could have its own unique experience of the Joy of Discovery of its higher consciousness and nature.

 

Miscellaneous

On the Male and Female Principle in Brahman, Creation

Q: Why is the absolute just one? it created man and woman...and all the souls are divided like that...why is not there a male absolute and a female one?

A: The Absolute is beyond description. We cannot say it is one or many, man or woman. It is All and more than All, but cannot be limited by any description.

The male and female principle represent the Pure Being and Lord of Creation (Ishwara) and that Being's Conscious Force for Creation (Shakti). (MSS)

 

Freedom of the Creator that Enables Multiplicity that We Can Mirror as Leaders in Work

The freedom the Creator gives to his creation, allowing us to partake or not, enables the greatest variety and multiplicity of possibility (e.g. light and dark) in the universe. So too a manager can elicit all of the inputs of his subordinates to ascertain the needs of the Whole, at whatever level or status or skill, which will give the concern infinite power that will attract tremendous results. In Silicon Valley companies, the staff is allowed all manner of indulgences, as they now feel free to create a startling variety of innovative products and services that change the world, filling their and the company's coffers to the brim.

 

 

Involution

Satchitananda

Satchitananda

-Satchitananda is the first step the Absolute takes toward the relative; towards a universe of evolving, variegated forms.

-Satchitananda is the step by which the Non-being of the Absolute becomes the Being of the Absolute (from which Creation will arise).

-Satchitananda is Being, Consciousness Force, Delight.

 

On Sat-Chit-Ananda

The Being is conscious (Sat). In being conscious, it releases a force, a conscious Force (Chit). It also Delights (Ananda) in being conscious and releasing that Force.

 

What Sachchidananda Is

Sachchidananda is the undifferentiated Transcendent One. (MSS)

 

The Extension of Satchitananda into Cosmic Consciousness through Comprehending Supermind

Sachchidananda is the undifferentiated Transcendent One. In Comprehending Supermind it [Sachchidananda] extends itself as an all-containing, all-pervading equal concentration of Cosmic Consciousness populated with forms of itself which that consciousness pervades. The Consciousness is at once the field, the forms and the self-experiencing consciousness. (MSS)

 

Involutionary Process

Real Idea, the Divine Will, through Consciousness Force worked out the creation by hiding its full knowledge and brought out Ignorance.

 

Real Ideas, Supermind, Creation, and the Mother  !

Real Ideas of the Infinite Divine possess the inherent power to realize themselves in the manifestation.

Supermind envisions the universe and everything created as Real Ideas.

Whatever Supermind knows, it has the power to effectuate. Whatever Supermind wills, it has the complete knowledge for its effectuation.

Supermind renders creation through its deployment of Real Ideas. It is how the universe and its forces and forms are created.

The Mother is that same Force that creates the universe. Her power is the power of Supermind.

When we evoke the Mother, we evoke the supramental power of creation; to manifest Real Ideas as accomplishment in life.

Real Ideas express as peace, truth, knowledge, goodness, power, creativity, beauty, love, delight, timelessness, infinity, and immortality, amongst others. The Mother and Her Supramental power makes these real in the world.

Real Ideas are rendered into manifestation by the comprehending and then apprehending power of Supermind. It turns Real Ideas into identifiable entities (comprehending), and then renders them into subject that perceives an object (apprehending). E.g. Knower Knows that which is Known, the Lover Loves the Beloved, etc., and so forth for spiritual aspects (Real Ideas) and beyond. A by-product is that Space and Time are born.

When we evoke the Mother, we evoke Supermind's comprehending and apprehending action simultaneously. It is the complete process of creation in miniature that is always at our disposal.

Through the Mother we have the integral, creative power of Divine Creation in our hands.

 

Universe Extending from Being to Non-Being through Our Higher Consciousness

Non-Being is the formless Infinite and Absolute, unlimited by any description. The material universe is a physical form of Being, Existence, but is also evolving its involved and concealed consciousness, bringing Its Non-Being to the surface of Its Being.

Thus, the Infinite consciousness extended from Non-Being to Being. Inversely, the universe is on the way from extending from Being to Non-Being -- to be infinite, eternal, powerful, beautiful, harmonic and all other spiritual aspects of the Infinite Divine in each form.

That which enables the Being to merge with its Non-Being is through our higher human consciousness through connection to our Evolving Soul.

Thus all the forms of the universe, including planets, constellations, galaxies, dark energy, etc. are the Lila of the Infinite on their way to their fruition as integrally Divine formations of Itself, in all its wonder and splendor.

We also may be able to participate in that process. If we become supramental beings, then we can instantly have direct impacts on all things in the universe we put our focus on. Maybe we can even create new physical cosmic formations, including new universes that way!

 

On Cosmic and Human Initiative, Creation

The starting place of initiative is Real idea. The outcome is creation. There is nothing in the Universe without initiative. Universe took initiative to create human beings. It is the turn of human beings to initiate the inner journey towards evolution. The beauty here is to shift our initiative as Divine initiative. That is Consecration. (Karmayogi)

  

The Supreme Tolerates the Physical Manifestation

Karmayogi indicates that we human beings can neither help the divine nor harm the divine. The Transcendent Supreme at best only tolerates this physical manifestation.

 

Theory of Creation, Involution, Evolution, Infinite Variation, Gods, Avatars

Utility of Infinite Variation of Spiritual Experience of Gods, Avatars, et al before Having the Integral Experience of the Divine Mother

"What is the connection between the Gods and Mother? What was the importance of Gods when there is an ultimate power ...Mother? Why Gods, Why Krishna, Christ, Buddha, Mohammed?"

If we understand Involution and Evolution, it will be clear.

The Infinite Divine extended itself into infinite forms for the purpose of infinite diversity and possibility and therefore infinite variation of Delight.

Mother is there at the Inception. In Conscious Force (Chit) of Satchitananda before creation. Now the Conscious Force has to break down, and lose all of its consciousness to enable infinite variety through a manifest universe. Thus, there is the development of cosmic mind, then energy, then matter. Matter is fully unconscious, but infinite variation is made possible.  These are the involutionary steps.

Now the evolution begin, out  of unconsciousness toward consciousness through increasingly varied animated forms, races, cultures, etc. life experiences, ideas, forms of technology, etc. etc.

What about the Gods?

Supermind evokes the forces and forms out of the Real Ideas of Satchitananda that becomes the universe. In Supermind all is in unity. At one level down, emerges Overmind, or universal consciousness.  Though an infinitely profound state, Unity is somewhat lost.

There in Overmind the Gods are born, each expressing a variation of life, existence, and spirit - just as the Supreme intended. Though each God represents one or several aspects of Existence, each God has lost connection with the purpose of all the other Gods. Unity consciousness is missing as in Supermind. However, the variety of Gods were necessary as they are the infinite variations of forces and forms intended by the Infinite Brahman.

We needed to go through these variations of possibility before we could have the Totality that is Mother, or Supermind, or Satchitananda; i.e. to return to these Sources through our evolution. Otherwise, there would not have been ourselves and all aspects of life - i.e. infinite variations of form. This I believe is the key to your question.

The Mother who lived on earth recently was in full contacts with the Gods, and tried to convert them to Her Integral Consciousness so they could see their totality relative to the other Gods. She succeeded with some (e.g. Durga?).

Now that the earth has created infinite variation, including the Avatars you alluded to, and the religions and other spiritual teachings, there is the possibility of integrating them all in the Original Truth that is Brahman, that is Satchitananda, that is Mother born in the Conscious Force (Chit).

In this way, all was necessary in creation, --pleasure and pain, light and dark, positive and negative, ignorance and knowledge, the infinite variation of forms, people, circumstance, etc - to enable the infinite variety that can lead to the experience of infinite discovery of our higher nature and Self that leads to infinite variety of the experience of Delight/Bliss (Ananda of Satchitananda) beyond the great though static delight of the unmanifest Brahman.

 

 

Sat - Ishwara

Ishwara, Supreme Ishwara

Ishwara is the Consciousness of Being (Sat). The Force of Being is Shakti. The integration of the Consciousness and Force of Being (of Sat) is the Supreme Ishwara.

 

The Supreme Ishwara

In the Involution -- The Supreme Iswara unites force of Being and Force of Consciousness, which is the link between the Manifest and the Unmanifest. The 'purpose' of the Supreme Iswara (if we can speak of any purpose) like the purpose of everything else in the universe is to manifest Delight of Being.

In the Evolution -- At the highest peak of spiritual evolution, the Force of Being (Shakti) and the Consciousness of Being (Iswara) reunite and are integrated in what Sri Aurobindo terms the Supreme Iswara, who stands at the borderline between the Unmanifest and Manifest, One and Many, Infinite and Finite and radiates forth the infinite riches of the Absolute in creation. Sri Aurobindo calls that the Marvel. (MSS)

 

Mother, Sri Aurobindo from Ishwara

The Mother and Sri Aurobindo may be emanations of the consciousness of the Supreme Ishwara.

 

Fulfillment of Ishwara's (Creator) Intention though Attainment of Psychic Being by the Individual

The Purusha (Silent Witness) changing to Ishwara (Creator) in the Unmanifest is fulfilled when Prakriti evolves to Psychic in the Manifest. Example: Seeing Valjean's plight, and now wanting him to succeed, the Priest moves from Witness Purusha to Ishwara Creator, which is fulfilled when Valjean evolves from Prakriti/Ego to his True Self, psychic being, Evolving Soul in several stages.

Psychic in the Manifest universe thus fulfills the intention of Ishwara of the Unmanifest. (MSS)

 

 

Supermind in Involutionary Process

The Extension of Satchitananda into Cosmic Consciousness through Comprehending Supermind

Sachchidananda is the undifferentiated Transcendent One. In Comprehending Supermind it [Sachchidananda] extends itself as an all-containing, all-pervading equal concentration of Cosmic Consciousness populated with forms of itself which that consciousness pervades. The Consciousness is at once the field, the forms and the self-experiencing consciousness. (MSS)

 

The Psychic Being as Meeting Point of Individual Divine, Cosmic Divine, and Individual Soul in Apprehending Supermind

The psychic is the meeting place of the three aspects of the Spirit formed in the Apprehending Supermind - the Individual Divine which we call God, the Cosmic or Universal Divine, and the soul or Spiritual Individual. In Apprehending Supermind, the Divine Consciousness projects itself into each of these forms of itself and assumes the unique vantage point of each of its forms, which becomes the spiritual individual. All these individual centers are projections of the same Consciousness which resides within each of them as the Individual Divine. Simultaneously it becomes the all-containing, all-pervading universal consciousness, the Universal or Cosmic Divine, the field in which differentiation of form takes place. When the manifestation transitions into the Ignorance, the Cosmic Divine becomes the Cosmic Being. The Spiritual Individual becomes the Ego and the Individual Divine becomes the Purusha which stands above and behind the creation. (MSS)

 

 

Evolution, Evolutionary Process

The Evolution

-The evolution is the process of discovering and manifesting increasingly higher levels of consciousness for the purpose of infinite variation of delight through infinitely diverse forms.

-The emergence of the Delight of the Infinite into the varied delight of the finite on its way back to an Infinite is the reason for Evolution.

-The Conscious-Force and Delight reemerging in creation in new, varied forms is the Evolution.

-The Process of creation is God's Strategic Plan whereby Its Real Ideas are embodied increasingly in the forces and forms in the universe.

-The movement towards increasingly higher, more conscious, more subtle, less substance-oriented planes of existence is the Evolution.

 

Non-Being Infinite to Being in Involution; the Reverse in the Evolution

Non-Being is the formless Infinite and Absolute, unlimited by any description. The Infinite consciousness extended from Non-Being to Being.

Inversely, the universe is on the way from extending from Being to Non-Being -- to be infinite, eternal, powerful, beautiful, harmonic and all other spiritual aspects of the Infinite Divine in each form.

 

Progress and Emergence of Involved Conscious Force

At the point we progress -- mentally, psychologically, emotionally, physically -- more of the involved, hidden Conscious Force (Sat of Sat-Chit-Ananda) comes out.

 

Inward/Involved, and Outer Plane Pressure Compel Evolution

The advent of a new stage in evolution, whether it be Life in Matter or Mind in Life, has always resulted from a twofold pressure: a pressure from within or below, from the involved principle seeking to emerge, and a pressure from "outside" or "above," from the same principle as it already exists within its own [eternal] plane. The conjunction of these two pressures - for example, that of the mind involved in certain living forms and that of the Mind as it was created in its own plane in the course of a descending evolution or devolution - eventually led to a rupture of the vital limits, and suddenly Mind emerged in Life. (Satprem paraphrasing Sri Aurobindo)

 

In the Evolution, the Higher One Rises, the More One is Pulled Down

The more evolution progresses, the deeper the layers it seeks to touch. The principle of Life barely colonized the material crust of the world. The mental principle narrowly colonized its immediate past -- the mental subconscient and Life's old profligacies. The Supramental principle confronts not only the mental and vital subconscients, but an even more remote past, the physical subconscient and the inconscient. The higher one rises, the farther one is pulled down. (Satprem paraphrasing Sri Aurobindo)

 

The Practical Role of Shiva and Brahman in Our Lives

The more Shiva takes away from you what is no longer useful, the more Brahma creates for you anew what truly is.

 

Evolution - What Enables It

Factors that Leads to Evolution  !

It is the interaction of the descending Force from above with the involved Force below through the action of universal nature that leads to evolution. (MSS)

 

Discovering Our Higher Consciousness that is Already There in Creation  !

Consciousness was already there at the Source and extended into Creation, and through the evolutionary process, we increasingly express it in higher forms. Sri Aurobindo explains that there is a Conscious-Force embedded, involved in all things, including matter. Then as form interacts with form, including we with others, the higher plane of Consciousness "above" activates the involved Conscious-Force within our being, compelling us to take a step forward -- such as building a new tool, developing a new aspect of language, acquiring a new skill, a higher mental capacity emerging, a newfound aspirations for improvement expressed, a wider awareness of the social milieu attained, etc.

Thus, while humanity perceives the movement from matter to animated life forms to increasingly higher mentality in humans as an evolutionary movement of greater conscious awareness, it is unaware that the Consciousness is already there to begin with. It is there in the cosmos and involved in our being, and that through higher formations and organization of our being, we merely uncover what was already there. In other words, through a process of progress and evolution, we become that which already exists, but now in an infinite variety and diversity of forms of that Force.

 

Diversity, Multiplicity

Reason for Diversity of Forms

The Divine enabled an existence of ultimate Diversity and Multiplicity, so each unique form could have its own unique experience of the Joy of Discovery of its higher consciousness and nature.

 

Creation - Delight of Discovery

The Process of Creation and the Joy in the Adventure of Discovery

It is explained in ‘The Life Divine’ that the entire process of the creation is an adventure in self-discovery by God choosing to bury himself in ignorance and unconsciousness and having the joy of slowly emerging out of them back into knowledge and awareness. The challenges and ordeals of reemerging constitute the joy of self-discovery. (N. Ashokan, MSS)

 

Creator and Creation

Creation is the Creator Too

We know that the Creator created Creation. What we don't know is that the Creation is the Creator too.

 

Evolutionary Process (Human Role)

Our Collaboration in the Evolutionary Process

It is our collaboration and raising of our individual consciousnesses to its ultimate possibility that will enable the integral realization. (through the evolutionary process). Sri Aurobindo discovered the Psychic Being and the Supramental Force and Power to radically facilitate the process. The Mother embodied and reminded us of these through her physical presence, and went on to make the attempt at an ultimate, physical transformation and change. Thus, it's a dual movement; from "Above" (through Sri Aurobindo, the Mother and the Higher Forces) and from "Below" (i.e. us).

 

Psychic Being, Evolution

Evolution through Connection to the Psychic Being

When we connect to the Psychic Being and make it a more conscious part of our moment to existence, then we have a great power in and over life. E.g. we feel a profound oneness with others and all things. We experience deep peace and silence within. We feel a flood of creativity overtaking us. We have inner vision of infinite possibility that can be realized. We develop an integral understanding and knowledge of a thing.  When we then act with these inner powers of Consciousness, the world rapidly progresses and evolves around us.  In essence, Matter, Life, Mind increasingly incorporate the Spirit, accelerating human progress on the way to a divine existence on earth.

 

Connecting to the Mother and Our Role in the Evolution

Real Ideas, Supermind, Creation, and the Mother  !

Real Ideas of the Infinite Divine possess the inherent power to realize themselves in the manifestation.

Supermind envisions the universe and everything created as Real Ideas.

Whatever Supermind knows, it has the power to effectuate. Whatever Supermind wills, it has the complete knowledge for its effectuation.

Supermind renders creation through its deployment of Real Ideas. It is how the universe and its forces and forms are created.

The Mother is that same Force that creates the universe. Her power is the power of Supermind.

When we evoke the Mother, we evoke the supramental power of creation; to manifest Real Ideas as accomplishment in life.

Real Ideas express as peace, truth, knowledge, goodness, power, creativity, beauty, love, delight, timelessness, infinity, and immortality, amongst others. The Mother and Her Supramental power makes these real in the world.

Real Ideas are rendered into manifestation by the comprehending and then apprehending power of Supermind. It turns Real Ideas into identifiable entities (comprehending), and then renders them into subject that perceives an object (apprehending). E.g. Knower Knows that which is Known, the Lover Loves the Beloved, etc., and so forth for spiritual aspects (Real Ideas) and beyond. A by-product is that Space and Time are born.

When we evoke the Mother, we evoke Supermind's comprehending and apprehending action simultaneously. It is the complete process of creation in miniature that is always at our disposal.

Through the Mother we have the integral, creative power of Divine Creation in our hands.

 

Supermind/Supramental Force We Avail in Creation

On the Power and Experience of the Spiritual Force

The Invisible Force producing tangible results both inward and outward is the whole meaning of the Yogic consciousness.... If we had not had thousands of experiences showing that the Power within could alter the mind, develop its powers, add new ones, bring in new ranges of knowledge, master the vital movements, change the character, influence men and things, control the conditions and functionings of the body, work as a concrete dynamic Force on other forces, modify events... we would not speak of it as we do. Moreover, it is not only in its results but in its movements that the Force is tangible and concrete. When I speak of feeling Force or Power, I do not mean simply having a vague sense of it, but feeling it concretely and consequently being able to direct it, manipulate it, watch its movements, be conscious of its mass and intensity and in the same way as of other opposing forces .... (Sri Aurobindo)

 

Transformation

Transformation

Transformation is nothing but changing the darkness in our being to one of light. It is the Knowledge in the place of ignorance, Truth in the place of falsehood, Ananda in the place of pain and suffering. In other words, all eight aspects of Soul to be regained from the changed opposites that we are involved in right now. (MSS)

Comment: There are 8 or a dozen spiritual aspects. They are Peace, Harmony, Truth, Knowledge, Goodness, Beauty, Delight, Love, Timelessness, and Infinity. Man is a work in progress, moving from the opposite of these toward them. This process of progress attains its ultimate status as Transformation.

E.g. through perpetual self-givingness toward others, I move from my current, limited consciousness to Goodness; even Harmony and Love. The result is a fourth aspect still - Delight of being (Ananda).

All spiritual techniques, including Non-reaction and Consecration (opening to the spiritual Force) will move us from our current status to the embodiment and fulfillment of these (and other) cardinal spiritual qualities.

Transformation means they are fully ingrained in our being, which we spontaneously express, like the way we breathe in an out the air that is in the atmosphere.

 

How Life Evolves, Consciousness, Organization

Evolution of Life, Consciousness, and Organization

Life evolves by consciousness, consciousness evolves by organization. Human life evolves by a progressive heightening of our awareness, expansion of our knowledge, widening of our attitudes, and elevation of our values.

This evolving human consciousness progressively expresses itself through the formulation and creation of more complex and effective organization - a seamlessly integrated, organic web of relationships encompassing ideas, knowledge, people, activities, processes, systems, technology, laws, institutions, power and values - political, economic, social, cultural, intellectual and psychological.

The capacities of one person acting on his own are limited, but the action of organization has no limit. Organization creates abundance. (MSS)

 

Conscious Force Reemerging

Discovering Our Higher Consciousness that is Already There in Creation  !

Consciousness was already there at the Source and extended into Creation, and through the evolutionary process, we increasingly express it in higher forms. Sri Aurobindo explains that there is a Conscious-Force embedded, involved in all things, including matter. Then as form interacts with form, including we with others, the higher plane of Consciousness "above" activates the involved Conscious-Force within our being, compelling us to take a step forward -- such as building a new tool, developing a new aspect of language, acquiring a new skill, a higher mental capacity emerging, a newfound aspirations for improvement expressed, a wider awareness of the social milieu attained, etc.

Thus, while humanity perceives the movement from matter to animated life forms to increasingly higher mentality in humans as an evolutionary movement of greater conscious awareness, it is unaware that the Consciousness is already there to begin with. It is there in the cosmos and involved in our being, and that through higher formations and organization of our being, we merely uncover what was already there. In other words, through a process of progress and evolution, we become that which already exists, but now in an infinite variety and diversity of forms of that Force.

 

Force (vs. Consciousness)

Karma that Issues from Force, Not Consciousness  !

It is true there is no remedy from Karma in the traditional ways of worship. Spiritually the Cosmos is created by the Force that issues out of Consciousness. The Force accumulates Karma, the effects of past actions, not the consciousness from which the Force issues. Consciousness is a whole and cannot be divided. It does not accumulate Karma. Consciousness emanates from Being which is the Spirit. Spirit is not governed by Karma, as it is Timeless. In the plane of Time, cause leads to effect. Hence Karma can accumulate. In the Timeless plane of the Spirit, action is instantaneous. It leaves no room for the play of cause and effect. The touch of Rama's foot relieved Akalya of her sin as Rama, the Avatar, is not bound by the rigid rules of the plane of Time.

The Rishi in his tapas enters the Timeless plane when he is lost in dhyana. One who believes in his own Spirit and invokes it calls the Timeless plane to act on the plane of Time. Hence Karma dissolves. (Sri Karmayogi)

 

 

Evolution through Form Interacting With Form

Evolving Through Our Relations with Others

Life on earth evolves by form coming in contact with form. We humans progress through our positive, neutral, and negative associations with others.

When we have a conflict with another individual (or an institution we are part of), we are compelled to change our ways. Whether we consciously choose to make that change, or wait for life to force us to make it in a more brutal way, is our choice. That person we are in conflict with -- whether spouse, family member, boss, employee, colleague, friend, etc. -- is the means by which we are given an opportunity to grow out of our old nature into an increasingly more positive one.

The same is true for our positive relations with others. We learn from their positive qualities, which we can consciously adopt and therefore grow.

Either way, positive or negative, there is progress through our reaction with others.

 

Live Progresses through Conflict

Life normally progresses through the confluence of conflict.

 

 

Spiritual Evolution

The Absolute (Brahman, the Reality), Its Play (Lila), and Our and the Universe's Spiritual Evolution

The Absolute (Brahman, the Reality) is a multidimensional Infinite that is not limited in any manner. It cannot be confined to a spiritual heaven, a formless status, or even to a static perfection.

Its Infinity is free to create countless universes, inhabit them and all they contain. Though perfect, its Infinity is free to change, grow, evolve and transform itself. Enjoying Eternally the Bliss of its Self-existent Being, it is also free to create and discover the Delight of an Eternal Becoming.

Though it is All and more than All, it cannot be said the Divine has not the capacity to enhance itself or become more than that All, for that too would be a limitation imposed by our own mental limitations.

Like a child, the Divine enjoys the sheer delight of a play without aim or intention, lila.

It has created a playground in Space and Time as the field for that purposeless self-expression. It has itself become Space, Time, the field and all the forms and forces which inhabit it.

In purposeless play, a child discovers, learns, grows and develops. So too the Divine's lila is made more complete, perfect and delightful by an involution and evolution of consciousness, a self-concealment of itself from itself and an adventure of self-discovery through a progressive unfolding of consciousness in forms.

Thus, the apparent contradiction between a purposeless play and a purposeful evolution are reconciled and revealed as complementary aspects of the Infinite.

Spiritual evolution is an evolution of Delight.

This play occurs in countless individual souls, each an emanation of vibratory truths of the Infinite. The soul evolves in the Ignorance as the subliminal Psychic Being, until the surface ego awakens to its true spiritual individuality and the psychic discovers itself as an emanation of the Individual Divine, the Identical One in all, of which it is a delegate and creative power in the universe.

Through this process, the soul and world evolve. The Divine evolves as well. It exceeds itself to become more than it is and has been, for that too is an essential expression of the power of the Infinite. (MSS)

 

Spiritual Evolution -- from Ego to Psychic, Cosmic to Supramental Nature, Purusha to Ishwara (as portrayed in Pride and Prejudice)

Spiritual Evolution involves a progressive development of all three aspects - individual, universal and transcendent - and their gradual unification into a single embodied Supramental Being which is at once individual, universal and transcendent. By this process the spiritual individual is transformed into the Supramental Iswara. Psychic-Shakti-Iswara is the formula of Integral Yoga.

This wider view of Spiritual Evolution can be described as the transformation of ego into psychic, the transformation of cosmic nature into supramental nature, and the transformation of the Purusha into the Iswara.

Example: Mr. Bennet residing in the library represents the Purusha or transcending witness poise of the Divine. He is withdrawn and aloof, allowing freedom for the play of nature, Prakriti, represented by Mrs. Bennet, who ignorantly pursues her every whim. Their children are the souls lost in nature, acting out the impulses of the surface ego. Elizabeth takes after the false Wickham, then Lydia elopes with him. Mr. Bennet feels and acts as if he were powerless. The family is completely out of control. Events in the story compel Mr. Bennet to discover and exercise his true power over the family and his wife. When he asserts himself, he reveals himself as the creator, the Iswara. His wife, Prakriti, readily submits to his will and comes under control. The psychic emerges in Elizabeth and becomes an evolutionary instrument, leading to the elevation of the entire family. Lizzy becomes Mistress of Pemberley. Mr. Bennet establishes himself as not only Lord of Longbourn but esteemed guest at Pemberley. Three daughters are married and the family prospers.

By this process the witness Purusha evolves into the Supramental Iswara, Lord of All Creation. Cosmic Nature evolves into the Iswara's Consciousness Force, the Supramental Shakti. The Psychic Being is transformed by the descent into the Supramental Being in the physical body. That Individual Being is a meeting point and center for the Shakti of the Iswara which stands behind it. At a still further evolutionary stage, the force or power of consciousness (Shakti) is reunited with the force or power of being to become the Supreme Iswara in which all distinction of Being, Consciousness and Force disappear. This highest status is not a return to undifferentiated oneness, for the Supreme Iswara embodies both the unmanifest One and the manifest Many. It is the conscious creative Being of the Infinite Absolute manifesting infinitely from its infinite storehouse of potential in the Non-Being. Thus the final separation is removed between the Manifest and the unmanifest; the One and the many; the Infinite and the finite; Being and Consciousness-force; individual, universal and transcendent; Superconscient, inconscient and subliminal; God and universe. All are unified yet all continue to exist in the Infinity of the Omnipresent Reality. (MSS)

  

Progressive Movement of Change on Earth so the Descending Force Does Not Overwhelm Us

A reader indicates that if the entire Higher Force and Consciousness descended at once, we would be obliterated.

Response: Perhaps it explains why there is progressive progress and evolution. I.e. the universe began in nescience, and we too begin in unconsciousness, GRADUALLY moving to consciousness. It is for the sake of variation, including multiplicity of forces, forms, discovery, and delight. In that way, we don't take in the full Force of the evolution, which would overwhelm. Instead in our gradual progress, we move from Pain to true Pleasure, from Ignorance to Integral knowledge, from a level of loving to True Loving, etc. in steps. We can't take in the full Force in our current status, so we take it in the degree that we can, which is what the current conditions of life precisely provide for that gives us the opportunity to move to the next step. The universe is thus engaged in a progressive, but limited movement upward which is constantly rebalanced through a new equilibrium of each moment.

 

 

Supermind in the Process

Three Views of Supermind

Supramental perception is the view of the integral Truth of things; where we perceive the utility of every condition. This is a definition of Supermind as it relates to our integral knowledge and perceptions of things.

Supermind is also a Divine Force and Power that we can open to that attracts extreme positive benefit and transforms life.

And thirdly Supermind is the plane that enabled a universe of forces and forms to emerge from a timeless, spaceless Being. It is actually all three of these simultaneously.

 

Unity of Braham, the Reality Perceived from Supermind

According to Sri Aurobindo, Brahman is the omnipresent Reality that expresses and exists at all planes of existence from Spirit to Mind to Matter in complete integral unity, and can be only perceived as such when one rises to the Supramental (i.e. Truth, Unity) Consciousness.

 

 

Supramental Being, Life

How Long Will It take for the Supramental Being to Arrive?

The Mother said the change into the Supramental Being would take 30,000 years to occur, but she also said it could happen in 3000 if men practiced His yoga and surrendered to the Force in full. She even said it could happen in 300, or even 30 if the concentrated effort was great enough amongst a group of individuals.

She Herself was close to finding the key to the new supramental being in an exceedingly short period as a result of directing the Force onto her cells. They were beginning to cooperate and give up the notion of death, encouraged to become immortal. She had a number of startling experiences along this line, including once where she appeared to become the supramental being intact in her vision; with no organs, svelte, tall, with an ennobled, illumined head.

Ultimately, in that birth, she was confronted by the reality of how to change this gross substance of the body -- organs, etc. -- to the new substance, and thereby form this new supra-human being.

She also indicated that Sri Aurobindo could suddenly arrive in this new form, in a new birth perhaps in Her lifetime or soon after. But then how can other humans have this capacity?

Still She in this life, and now Both together from the subtle planes have paved the way for others to experiment; and for life to bring forward something new along these lines.

 

Speeding Up the Evolution to a Supramental Existence

Q: How can we speed up the Evolution to the Supramental Existence?

A: I would think that in practical terms this comes down to our level of Aspiration for this New Life; our Sincerity to see it through, for this divine life to be achieved; the intensity we bring to our efforts to Change our Nature, following Karmayogi's Methods to the nth degree, and opening and surrendering to Mother. In that way, we can see real signs of supramental change in our own lifetime.

 

 

Truth

On Truth, Knowledge, and the Reality/Brahman

-Truth realized is the integral knowledge of Reality.

-Brahman/the Reality is the All that contains the Integral Truth and Knowledge.

 

The Secret of Truth

The secret of Truth is it includes the truth of every point of view. (MSS)

 

Progress of Man through Human Values that are Aspects of Truth

Values are aspects of Truth expressed in life in different forms. The indwelling Divine Consciousness, in the process of Evolution, by using these values aspects of Truth enabled the phenomenal growth of humanity. (MSS)

 

The Secret of Truth

The secret of Truth is it includes the truth of every point of view. (MSS)

 

Truth or the Abyss

"Men, countries, continents! The choice is imperative: Truth or the abyss ..." (The Mother)

 

Progress of Man through Human Values that are Aspects of Truth

Values are aspects of Truth expressed in life in different forms. The indwelling Divine Consciousness, in the process of Evolution, by using these values aspects of Truth enabled the phenomenal growth of humanity. (MSS)

 

 

Individual, Universal, Transcendent

Confluence of the Individual, the Universal, and the Transcendent

When we take to the spirit or have some destiny, spiritual or otherwise, there is a confluence of the Individual, the Universal, and the Transcendent. Sri Aurobindo in The Life Divine often mentions the confluence of these three in Life, and Appa has written extensively on the subject in his various commentaries.

Moreover, this multi-dimensional flow can only be seen from a distance; from a higher consciousness that is able to perceive the march of events in its right context.

For example only later in life did it occur to me that when I made the great connection with the people at MSS in 1975 that it was the result of not only my inner initiative (Individual), but was fulfilled through the Center I visited (Universal/Societal), whose purpose was determined by a Divine Will (Transcendent); in this case, the Mother's aspiration for the founder to form a center in the US so that Her and Sri Aurobindo's consciousness and action could spread there.

 

All Purposes from the Macro to the Micro Are One; Have a Unity of Purpose

The Divine has a purpose in creation. The universe has a purpose in evolving living beings and humans in the world. Society has a purpose to accomplish. Countries have their own purposes. Individuals have their own purpose in life. In essence, every purpose is One from the point of view of the Supermind. There is a unity of purpose in the diverse purposes. (paraphrase of Nedumaran)

 

Spiritual Evolution and 3 Aspects

Spiritual Evolution involves a progressive development of all three aspects - individual, universal and transcendent - and their gradual unification into a single embodied Supramental Being which is at once individual, universal and transcendent. By this process the spiritual individual is transformed into the Supramental Iswara. Psychic-Shakti-Iswara is the formula of Integral Yoga.

 

Overmind, Gods

Utility of Infinite Variation of Spiritual Experience of Gods, Avatars, et al before Having the Integral Experience of the Divine Mother

"What is the connection between the Gods and Mother? What was the importance of Gods when there is an ultimate power ...Mother? Why Gods, Why Krishna, Christ, Buddha, Mohammed?"

If we understand Involution and Evolution, it will be clear.

The Infinite Divine extended itself into infinite forms for the purpose of infinite diversity and possibility and therefore infinite variation of Delight.

Mother is there at the Inception. In Conscious Force (Chit) of Satchitananda before creation. Now the Conscious Force has to break down, and lose all of its consciousness to enable infinite variety through a manifest universe. Thus, there is the development of cosmic mind, then energy, then matter. Matter is fully unconscious, but infinite variation is made possible.  These are the involutionary steps.

Now the evolution begin, out  of unconsciousness toward consciousness through increasingly varied animated forms, races, cultures, etc. life experiences, ideas, forms of technology, etc. etc.

What about the Gods?

Supermind evokes the forces and forms out of the Real Ideas of Satchitananda that becomes the universe. In Supermind all is in unity. At one level down, emerges Overmind, or universal consciousness.  Though an infinitely profound state, Unity is somewhat lost.

There in Overmind the Gods are born, each expressing a variation of life, existence, and spirit - just as the Supreme intended. Though each God represents one or several aspects of Existence, each God has lost connection with the purpose of all the other Gods. Unity consciousness is missing as in Supermind. However, the variety of Gods were necessary as they are the infinite variations of forces and forms intended by the Infinite Brahman.

We needed to go through these variations of possibility before we could have the Totality that is Mother, or Supermind, or Satchitananda; i.e. to return to these Sources through our evolution. Otherwise, there would not have been ourselves and all aspects of life - i.e. infinite variations of form. This I believe is the key to your question.

The Mother who lived on earth recently was in full contacts with the Gods, and tried to convert them to Her Integral Consciousness so they could see their totality relative to the other Gods. She succeeded with some (e.g. Durga?).

Now that the earth has created infinite variation, including the Avatars you alluded to, and the religions and other spiritual teachings, there is the possibility of integrating them all in the Original Truth that is Brahman, that is Satchitananda, that is Mother born in the Conscious Force (Chit).

In this way, all was necessary in creation, --pleasure and pain, light and dark, positive and negative, ignorance and knowledge, the infinite variation of forms, people, circumstance, etc - to enable the infinite variety that can lead to the experience of infinite discovery of our higher nature and Self that leads to infinite variety of the experience of Delight/Bliss (Ananda of Satchitananda) beyond the great though static delight of the unmanifest Brahman.

 

Forces of Darkness

Forces of Darkness Opposing the Light Trying to Establish Itself

Formidable forces of Darkness, evil and violence are active in the Ignorance. Their aim is to contaminate or destroy all higher Light. They intolerantly oppose and persecute all that tries to break away from the established order. In rare instances where the higher Light succeeds in establishing itself, these forces infiltrate it and offer to embrace it, which is far more dangerous than their opposition. In this manner they seek to dilute or contaminate the new principle. If the intention of the higher light is to embrace all humanity, the opposition might be even more violent. If the aim is high and the new light also bears with it a new and greater power, it might be necessary to separate and establish separate islands of the new life and spread from there to challenge and transform the established order, bringing aid and illumination which aspiring humanity may eventually come to understand and accept. (from 'The Book' by Garry Jacobs)

 

 

Determination, Destiny, Freewill, Chance

Cosmic Determination vs. Free will

A reader asks: The other day I read a teaching that says that "everything that one does is really done by God, man is only an instrument, but it's only his ego which says that he does it." I would like to know if this is true or is it only a misinterpretation.

Response: Yours is one of the oldest questions of mankind: Cosmic Determination or Free Will. Sri Aurobindo concludes that it is both simultaneously. There is an intention of the Divine that emanates as a Force in creation. We have free will to choose to be a receiver and instruments of that Power and Purpose. He says that there are Real Ideas; Cosmic Determinates that come from the Infinite Divine that seek actualization in creation. They include Peace, Oneness, Knowledge, Truth, Power, Goodness, Beauty, Creativity, Love, Delight, Timelessness, and Infinity. There are infinite variations of these that seek formation and fulfillment in the created universe. We can be an instrument of them, or not. It is our choice. Thus, we have Free Will within the Determinations of the Divine.

So is everything then done by God? It is hard to give a direct answer only to say that God has an Intention in creation to manifest aspects of Itself in infinite forms, and is likely to be carried out. Whether we choose to partake in it is another matter. We are free to choose. Is it ego to say that we create, not Him? Perhaps. But we can also become infinite Creators in our own lives, just like Him, which ironically would in the end be carrying out the Infinite, Divine's intention.

 

Meaning, Not Chance in Everything

Nothing happens by chance. There is a meaning to every event, a deeper significance and causality. (from The Book by Garry Jacobs)

 

Reconciling Cosmic Intention and Free Will through Consecration

"When we are destined for something which is willed by the Divine then whatever route we take will surely lead us to the Divine." (Durga Karthik)

Sri Aurobindo and Appa have addressed such things along these lines: How do we reconcile Destiny and Free Will? I.e. some cosmic determination vs. our free will to be who we choose to be. The answer is that within the Determination of the Divine, we have free will. Though the Divine sets things in motion, we have the free will to cooperate (or not) with its unfoldings in life. As the Divine converts in Real Ideas and Possibilities into creation to become manifest realities, we have the ability to collaborate with that cosmic Intention, that ray of Idea Truth.

The more receptive we are - through our spiritual aspiration, sincerity, humility, self-givingness, faith, withholding the negatives, etc. -- the more we can become a clear instrument of that which the Divine wishes to manifest through us (for our own growth and that of the world around us).

Karmayogi offers a short cut reconciling method, which is constant Consecration.

Consecration (plus the rejecting of our negatives tendencies) reconciles the apparent contradiction between Cosmic Destiny/Intent and our own Free Will. Through Mother's Force and self-control we become ripe, active, dynamic instruments for Divine Will to manifest on earth. Our (free) will then expresses by doing those things that Mother requires of us so that we can become instruments of one or more rays of Real Ideas to manifest on earth. We thereby become vehicles for certain cosmic determinates, spiritual aspects (peace, harmony, knowledge, goodness, love, timelessness, etc.), various human values to manifest on earth.

The Divine and our Own Intention are then reconciled and melded into one magnificent thing.

 

 

Perceiving the Reality

 

What We and the Divine Perceive

God, the Divine, the Reality, Brahman is one thing, the One. Then He extended Himself as infinite, variable forms, including us, thus becoming many things, i.e. the Many. As a result, we too can look out on Creation, perceiving the Infinite Reality there with our own unique eyes and heart.  (2009-2011 Q1)

 

Through Your Eyes

Look in the mirror. You will see God, the Infinite looking out at Itself through your eyes.  (2009-2011 Q1)

 

The Omnipresent Reality

 

The Nature of the Reality

The Omnipresent Reality

There is a Reality beyond Man, Life, and Cosmos. Even beyond God as we know it. It is timeless, spaceless, immutable, ineffable. And that Reality has extended itself into this life. Matter, animated life, mentality are all forms of this Omnipresent Reality.

We are that Reality, but we do not perceive it; as the transcendent, the divine, God is considered something separate from ourselves. But we too are a formation of that Reality. We are a materialization, a manifestation of It; a substance of the Infinite consciousness. We are an extension of the One, evolving through time.

To perceive the Reality is to have the glimpse of the Absolute, Brahman; the ultimate conception of Existence given to Man. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

One Reality; Multiple Planes

All planes of being, from spirit to matter, are different forms of the same Reality, Brahman, the Absolute.

 

Planes of the Reality

There is one Reality, though it expresses at different planes. Matter, life, mind, spirit are then different formations of the same omnipresent Reality (Brahman, God, the Absolute). (2009-2011 Q1)

 

God is Being and the Universe

The universe is the body of God, Brahman. God is therefore both his body and his Being.   (2009-2011 Q1)

 

God Became the Universe

God did not create the universe; God became the universe. I.e. it extended Itself to forms of its own Conscious Force. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

The Reality is an Indivisible Whole; Exits in an Integral Oneness

We perceive things in isolation, separation, even contradiction, but the Reality, (Brahman, the Absolute) is an indivisible whole. From the perspective of the Reality, everything is necessary, all things serve a purpose, and therefore exists in relation to one another in an integral Oneness. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

How the Reality Became the Universe

How did the Reality extend itself to a universe?  The Reality was beyond comprehension; ineffable, immutable. It then extended Itself and became a recognizable self-conscious being of Truth and Spirit, which released a Force, a conscious Force, which became the Energy that was the source of all forms seen and unseen in the universe. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

The Unity of Spirit and Matter of the Reality

The tradition of the East has been to look at the Spirit as the ever-lasting, never-ending, permanent being; while material existence was considered ephemeral, temporal, liable to dissolve at any time. The West's view on the other hand has been nearly the reverse: it believes fully in material existence -- that which is observable, measureable, empirical -- while the unseen spiritual dimension was considered nebulous, out of reach, if it existed at all.

The truth is that Spirit and Matter are both Real. Together they form the Reality, also known as the Absolute in the West, and Brahman in the East. Not only do Spirit and Matter, the Unmanifest and the Manifest, the Being and the Becoming, the One and the Many -- different ways of looking at the same thing -- make up the Reality, but each dual pairs is in a state of perfect Unity with the other side. Thus, the Absolute, Brahman -- the ultimate conception of existence afforded to Man -- is itself in a state of pure Unity.

The take away is that if we can experience that Reality in its essence, we will realize that Matter and Spirit are different formations of the same Existence, which will radically change our perspective of life. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

Know the Spiritual by Rising in Consciousness

If we want to comprehend and apprehend the nature of the Spiritual Reality -- e.g., what it is, how a universe of forms evolved out of it, how we can experience it in life, etc. -- we ourselves need to rise in consciousness beyond our normal mentality to spiritual mind expressing as intuition and revelation.  (2009-2011 Q1)

 

Interconnectedness of All at the Subtle Plane

Everything is connected with everything else. Though it is not perceived in the physical world (at the material level), it is more apparent from the subtle plane. From an inner poise away from the surface of life and its sense influence, we can perceive that oneness and interconnectedness. Having that perception, we develop a power over it; knowing what inner and outer strings to pluck to evoke good fortune for ourselves and the world around us.

Moreover, through that process, we bring the oneness of life to the surface; i.e. to the Life and Material planes. Then we will bathe in that Interconnectedness everywhere we turn; indicating the infinite, divine-like power that awaits us in the future. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

The Fundamental Reality

There is one fundamental Reality of which all things are expressions. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

Each Thing, every Plane are Expressions of the Omnipresent Reality

Each thing expresses Brahman, the Reality in a different, unique way. Each plane of existence expresses It -- from matter to vital existence to mentality to spiritualized mind to spirit; from the outer surface existence to inner depths and soul; from the material to the subtle and the causal. They are all different shadings of the one Brahman, the Reality, which accounts for the fact that it is Omnipresent. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

The Multiplicity of Brahman, the Omnipresent Reality

Brahman, the Absolute, the omnipresent Reality is the positive and negative, the good and evil, spirit and matter. They are each their own unique formations of it. Thus, each such shading serves a purpose in the unfolding of life; is necessary for its progress. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

Brahman Reconciles Spirit and Matter

The apparent contradiction between Spirit and Matter is reconciled in the principle of Brahman, the Omnipresent Reality, God, of which these two apparent opposites are both unique expressions. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

We are the Reality

We are each unique expressions of God, Brahman, the omnipresent Reality. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

Brahman is Evolving through Us

Brahman is all existence, with infinite variation of expression: big and small, positive and negative, pleasurable and painful, etc. Moreover, all things in their expression of Brahman, the Absolute are moving toward a higher manifestation; or otherwise are disappearing. Our elevation of consciousness enables the evolution of Brahman, the Reality possible. In another words, our progress enables God to evolve. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

The Many Expressing the One Lord and Self

There is only one Lord and Self, and the Many are His Representations and Becomings. So sayeth Sri Aurobindo. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

The Omnipresent Reality

The Reality which was immutable ineffable, beyond space and time consented to extend Itself into a universe of forms. All existence is therefore various formations of that Reality – physical, vital, mental, and spiritual. The Reality (Brahman) is thus Omnipresent, expressing from the formless to the formed. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

Beyond God to the Variation of Brahman, the Reality

-Beyond our conceptions of God is Brahman, the omnipresent Reality, which expresses in different ways, in various planes from spirit to matter to life.

-Every individual thing is a variation of Brahman, the One Reality. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

The Integral Brahman

-There is a difference between the Unmanifest Reality, Brahman that is ineffable, immutable, beyond All, that the rishis communed with apart from life; and the Integral Brahman, which is the unity and Oneness of the Unmanifest AND the Manifest, the Creator AND Creation, the Being AND Becoming, Spirit AND Matter, the Transcendent AND the Immanent.

-Thus all things in creation, such as matter, money, mind, etc. are various expressions of the unmanifest Brahman, making up the Integral Brahman. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

Planes that Arose from the Infinite Consciousness and Energy

Out of an Infinite Consciousness came an Infinite-like Divine Energy from which matter, Life, and Mind arose in Its different, increasingly evolved formations. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

The True “Normal”

Normal, capital N, includes not just the normal, but the abnormal as well. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

 

Perceiving the Reality

Beyond Intellect to Spiritual Mind to Perceive the Reality

The intellect cannot bring us in touch with the omnipresent Reality; that divine existence which permeates all planes, from the material to the vital to the mental to the spiritual. Man must rise to spiritual mentality of intuition and beyond to supramental perception to perceive that Reality, Brahman, the Absolute existent in every aspect and plane of life. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

Benefit of Conceiving the Absolute

The Absolute/the Infinite/Brahman is that which cannot be defined; only experienced. Still the effort of the Mind to conceive of the Absolute helps us to come out of the Finite Being. (Garry Jacobs, Life Divine Talks) (2009-2011 Q1)

 

What We and the Divine Perceive

God, the Divine, the Reality, Brahman is one thing, the One. Then He extended Himself as infinite, variable forms, including us, thus becoming many things, i.e. the Many. As a result, we too can look out on Creation, perceiving the Infinite Reality there with our own unique eyes and heart.   (2009-2011 Q1)

 

Joy of Contemplating the Profound, the Reality

There is great pleasure in thinking profound thoughts, as not just the higher mind, but the higher vital/emotional being is stimulated, releasing joyful energies. Contemplating the nature of the Reality and Spirit through intuitional and revelatory thought has the greatest capacity for eliciting this inner joy. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

Blissfulness from Thinking, Expounding on the Reality

When you are truly knowledgeable about the nature of existence and the underlying Divine Reality, it will be blissful every time you think about it or expound on it. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

Various Poises and What Determines Our Experiences of the Divine

People have experienced the Divine as formless, featureless Silence or as a witness Purusha or as the Lord of Creation. What is it that determines how we experience the Divine? It depends on our conception of the Divine and what we aspire for, as well as on the method we employ to reach it (Garry Jacobs, MSS) (2009-2011 Q1)

 

The Oneness of the Divine and the Soul

There is a Divine Reality and Spirit out of which all things have and continue to emerge. What we forget is that within us is that very same Spirit and Light. It is our evolving Soul within. That is why in the ancient Hindu texts it is said that the Spirit/Soul in us and the Divine Reality are One and the same thing. I.e. Atman is Brahman.  (2009-2011 Q1)

 

Embracing All and Every Thing

From an understanding of the nature of the Reality, Brahman, God, the Infinite -- as both the Unmanifest and the Manifest, the Creator and Creation, Spirit and Matter, and their integral relationship -- the following comes to mind about the way we view our existence:

-We need to ACCEPT everything in life, since all is Brahman. Not just 'this' at the expense of 'that', but all. The ego likes this but not that. But the Reality is beyond the ego. It embraces all and every thing; all planes and acts and forms in life. By embracing life this way, dualities, contradictions are overcome, as we move from the exclusive Part we are attached to to the Whole that is the Truth unfolding, engendering harmony and oneness.

-We also need to see the PURPOSE of all things in the scheme of things. We need to see each thing in its context; of its role in the unfolding, on its way to greater progress. (That way we see how even the trivial action of a person in the unfolding of an event serves an important purpose. That there are no such things as "interruptions" or "disturbances" or "side roads or issues" that take one off track.)

This leads to a profound RESPECT for all things, for all acts, for every person at any moment in time. It enables us to move from ego and selfishness to embracing the needs and concerns of others; i.e. self-givingness. It also engenders Non-reaction since nothing is outside us to disturb us (since we embrace and accept all in our purview).

Brahman is all and every thing (and even beyond to their integral relationship). And yet we can rise beyond exclusive mind to intuition and thereby perceive It, including the Dance of the All on its way to ever-greater progress. It is to have a glimpse of the Marvel of existence. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

Bringing Out the Infinite from Any Plane of the Reality

Sri Aurobindo says that the highest conception of existence given to Man is the Reality. Also known as Brahman of the East; the Absolute of the West. It is Spirit, but it is also this life of matter. It is the Unmanifest Source and Stability, but also the Manifest and its movement of forms of force. It is the Creator and Creation. In fact, the Reality expresses at every plane we can conceive of, from the Infinite consciousness "above," to matter, life, and mind on earth. They are simply different expression of the same omnipresent Reality.

When I look at a flower, I am experiencing the Reality in a material form that is beautiful. When I meet someone, I am seeing a living being expressing physical, vital, and mental dimensions of the Reality. And so forth for everything in an out of the universe.

One interesting aspect is that every plane of existence is capable of expressing the infinity of the Reality, since they originated in its Infinite consciousness. Thus in the unconsciousness of matter is buried a seed of infinite possibility that can be brought to the surface. As we ourselves become more conscious, we bring out that infinity, as the scientist has done by splitting the atom. But we can engage matter in other ways. E.g. by raising our attitudes, we can attract vast material success out of nowhere. In this way, we bring out the embedded, involved, hidden infinity that lurks within material existence.

We can take this same approach with other planes of the Reality, such as energy, life, and mind, since infinity is buried in potential there as well. In that way, we can bring about a social existence that is far richer and more satisfying than what we experience now, and we can elicit a many-sided knowledge about any matter in a flash, accelerating knowledge and wisdom exponentially. Thus, we bring the distant future into the present by evoking the infinity from the finite. (2009-2011 Q1) 

 

Connecting with the Divine Reality

Our consciousness is so thick that we do not perceive the Reality that is around us and in us. We are looking out on the world through the distorting influence of our limited consciousness. However, if we make the effort to pierce that solid wall, the infinity rushes in and we experience an unfathomable richness, wonder and joy of the Divinity inherent in life.  (2009-2011 Q1)

 

Reality's Objectivity Depends on the Perceiver

In the past, we only said that our experience of reality is subjective compared to another's. But now the equations of quantum physics tells us that objective reality is dependent on the perceiver. This turns science on its head, showing how consciousness is the ultimate determinant of existence. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

The Reality, Brahman, God

The One Omnipresent Reality that Express at Each Plane

-There is one omnipresent Reality that expresses from Being and Spirit to Energy to Matter to animated Forms to Mind and beyond. Can you imagine that you too are that Reality, as is everything around you, as is the Infinite Consciousness that the universe is an extension of? In India they have a term for this omnipresent Reality and Existence: it is "Brahman."

-This is Sri Aurobindo's view of the omnipresent Reality, which is very different than that of the Indian tradition. In the tradition, the Reality/Brahman/God is BEYOND the cosmic, beyond the universe, even beyond spirit. Bu in his view, it includes the beyond, the spirit, the universe, plus everything in it, including matter and forms and us. I.e. in Sri Aurobindo's philosophy, each plane from matter to life to mind to spirit and beyond are simply different formations of that SAME Reality!

Even good and bad are the Reality. Even the positive and negative. Even suffering, pain, and unhappiness.

In other words, All is the Reality/Brahman/God. They are just different forms of it. And the forms in the universe are evolving.

 

Perceiving the One Reality that is God Permeating All; that is Evolving

The illusion is that we are separate. The Reality is that we are One. Seeing the Reality requires us to perceive existence from the deepest and highest perspective and consciousness. There is one Reality, of which every plane -- spirit, matter, life, mind -- are simply different forms. And yet from another level, we perceive that there is evolution taking place, as the Consciousness not present in the lower planes, that is involved within them as potential are gradually coming to the surface through our own individual and collective growth. There IS only One God; it is the Reality that permeates everything.

 

Smiling Ananda vs. Seeing the Marvel of the All as Two Views of Consciousness

Reader 1:  "On a moment of reflection, observer and the observed tend to unite, enjoining sorrow and happiness into stoic silence."

Reader 2:  "Smiling ananda feels better to me than stoic silence!"

Comment: These are two ways of looking at Consciousness. One is to perceive the Delight of being through the heart. It is to feel the Smile of life that is the ground of all being. The other is to perceive that life is an amalgam of positive and negative, and both serve a purpose in the unfolding. It is the vision of the utility of the All, of Brahman, which we acknowledge through the calm and detachment of Silent Witness.

 

 

Theory of Creation (Involution & Evolution)

Process of Creation: Involution and Evolution

The Process of Creation

Sri Aurobindo in 'The Life Divine' explained how the universe came to be from a Divine source. It is the Process of Creation; which he also called the 'involution.' Karmayogi took up this theme and showed how that same process applies to how we humans create and accomplish in life, whether the individual or the collective.  (2009-2011 Q1)

 

What the Involution and Evolution are

The Divine becoming the Universe is the Involution; i.e. the descent. The Universe manifesting/becoming the Divine is the Evolution; the ascent. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

How the Reality Became the Universe

How did the Reality extend itself to a universe?  The Reality was beyond comprehension; ineffable, immutable. It then extended Itself and became a recognizable self-conscious being of Truth and Spirit, which released a Force, a conscious Force, which became the Energy that was the source of all forms seen and unseen in the universe. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

Involution and Evolution

Involution is the descent of the Infinite Divine, shedding its divinity, resulting in limited atomic existence of matter that is unconsciousness. Evolution is the ascent from the atomic existence of matter upward to life, mind, and spirit, which is the superconsciousness of the Infinite Divine.  (2009-2011 Q1)

 

Involution and Evolution: Multiplicity, Discovery, Delight

Sri Aurobindo in an unprecedented explanation of evolution indicates that it is proceeded by involution. Whereas evolution takes place essentially from that point forward that energy coagulates into the forms of the universe and all time thereafter, involution was the period previous to this when a Divine source extended Itself and became the Energy that was the basis for that universe.

And yet the end product of the divine intent to extend Itself was the emergence of unconsciousness in the form of physical matter. Only after that, through evolution, could life evolve to vitality, mentality, and spirituality. Why would the Infinite Divine have as its first product the utter unconsciousness and nescience of matter?

The answer is that Spirit removed its own divinity and consciousness in the involutionary process to enable the greatest diversity and multiplicity of forms in the universe, including those embodying darkness, unconsciousness, even evil. Why would the Infinite Divine do such a thing? To enable the greatest possibility of discovery of those forms of their true, higher nature, which engenders Delight in its greatest variety. When you and I discover our higher capacities and being, we experience utter joy, which is a unique expression of the Delight of the Creator.

Thus through the involutionary process, the Infinite Divine extended Itself as Energy which became unconscious forms of matter which could evolve and discover their higher nature, and a result experience their own unique delight in the discovery, mirroring in variation the Delight and Bliss of the spiritual Source. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

Intention of Divine of Individual Forms to Become Infinite

The Divine enabled, is enabling a multiplicity of forms of its Conscious Force, so that each finite form can become an Infinite. Thus, each form can fulfill its potential to mirror what the Divine is Itself in essence -- Infinite. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

The Infinite, Finite, Creation, Evolution

The Infinite becoming the finite is involution (creation). The finite becoming the Infinite is evolution. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

Infinite Consciousness, Universe

An Infinite Consciousness has become an infinite universe. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

Involution and Evolution

Unless you perceive Involution, you cannot understand Evolution.

I.e. unless you perceive the spiritual Reality as the source of any thing; that it is an embedded in it, a seed of infinite potential within yearning to come out, you cannot fully understand how and why it emerges through the evolutionary process, thereby furthering our development and progress. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

Fragmentation in the Descent, the Involution

A progressive law of fragmentation presides over the descent of consciousness from the Spirit down to the atom – fragmentation of joy, fragmentation of love and power, and naturally fragmentation of knowledge and vision. (Satprem, based on Sri Aurobindo’s Teachings) (2009-2011 Q1)

 

 

Involution, Evolution

 

Sri Aurobindo's View of Involution and Evolution

Sri Aurobindo's Theory of Creation includes Involution and Evolution; i.e. "the hide and seek of the Divine." In the Involution, from Spirit to Matter, the Consciousness is purposely hidden to allow for the greatest multiplicity of Delight in the forms that will eventually emerge. This is the Divine intent. In the Evolution, from Matter upward, the process is reversed, as the involved, hidden consciousness in forms (including us) comes out through their progressive actions, as well as from the Divine Influence descending from above.

 

Involution/Evolution, Life Response, and Service

Involution is in the descent from the unmanifest Spirit to Matter. Evolution is the ascent from matter back to Spirit, where the seed of consciousness buried within, involved there through the Divine Action and Will is brought to the surface through elevations of the consciousness of the form, including us.

Question from Reader: Can you kindly support this through a life response example?

Answer: Lizzy in Pride and Prejudice has enormous capacity for success for a woman of her times. She is intelligent and dynamic. However, success remains only a potential for her; it is Involved. After the elopement, she acknowledges the foolishness of her family. Because she does so in such a heartfelt manner, Darcy arrives out of nowhere, proposes to her, she accepts, and they are married, thus evoking great success for her and her family. Life has responded beyond all measure. Through her higher awareness and acknowledgement of the Truth, her involved great capacity for success comes to the surface. I.e. there is Evolution.

Question from Reader: Can you put forth your views on What is Involution and Evolution in Service to Karmayogi and Mother. I will be Blessed. Thanks.

Answer: In involution we serve our lower self, which is Ego. There is however the lurking potential to serve the Divine. Commitment to and taking action to serve Karmayogi and Mother brings that potential to the surface; makes it actualized and real, which is Evolution. Complete Surrender utilizing all Their methods is a further step, enabling integral Transformation of our being and all life around us. We thereby become instruments of Divine Life on Earth.

 

Evolution

Progress of Form through Other Forms

Progress occurs for forms, including we humans, through interrelationships with other forms -- whether the relation is positive, neutral, or negative.

 

The Ascent of Life

The ascent of Life is a movement from division to rediscover our oneness with the whole universe; from ignorance to right knowledge, will, and action; from impotence to infinite capacity for self-fulfillment. (MSS)

 

Process of Creation

 

From Consciousness the Being and We Create in the Universe

Things happen in the universe because of a conscious choice within a realm of possibilities by some Being. Who then is the chooser amongst those possibilities? It is the Infinite Consciousness, the Divine, but it also us. We create in consciousness just as the Divine created this universe. 

Science tells us that things happen because of the functioning of matter alone, not of consciousness.  That consciousness is a product of matter and what comes after it. But Consciousness, including the choices the Being and we make, is really the ground of all Existence; of what already exists and what can be created in the future.

 

Conscious Force

Source and Action of Creation of Conscious Force

When the unknowable Infinite Reality became the conscious Being, a Conscious Force emerged that would become the Energy that has been and is source of all forms in creation. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

Creation and Concentration of Consciousness

The Process of Creation for the Infinite Divine that enables a universe of forms is a concentration of consciousness; of the Conscious Force. This mirrors the fact that when we focus, concentrate our consciousness, we too attract vast results. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

 

Supermind and Creation

Creation Starts with Supermind in Earnest

The process of creation from a Divine source, truly begins in earnest with Supermind (truth consciousness), not Satchitananda, as it has not only Knowledge power, but Will power/urge to make that knowledge come about. (It is a similar process for us, when we make the effort to accomplish.)  (2009-2011 Q1)

 

Supermind and Creation

-Supermind has the power to manifest in life the integral truth it perceives.

-Supermind created the universe and all its forms, and continues to do so.

-Supermind is where all knowledge resides in an integral Unity that is also a Force that created the universe out of the Real Ideas of the Conscious Force. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

On Supermind and the Meeting of Spirit and Truth that Evokes the Infinite

-Sat, the pure Existent split itself into two: as Spirit, the inner, the subjective and as Truth, the outer, the objective. Thus, this first manifestation of the supreme is where Spirit and Truth co-exist; are even doorways of one another.

-Thus if our own inner Spirit, i.e. our highest consciousness, touches the outer true Truth (which is normally beyond mind’s capacity to perceive it), the results are exponential; life responds infinitely.

-Where does Supermind fit in? Supermind is thus developing the intuitive intelligence based on undisclosed truth of the whole hidden behind the presented or assumed facts. It is overcoming our ignorance to find the buried/hidden knowledge. When the intelligence meets the True truth of the situation, life responds exponentially. (paraphrase of Ramesh and Karmayogi) (2009-2011 Q1)

 

Cosmic and Individual Mind

Sri Aurobindo tells us that out of the Infinite Divine, emerged a Truth Consciousness, which he called 'Supermind.' Supermind has the knowledge of all notions possible, and how to make them real. And so Supermind/Truth Consciousness created the universe by manifesting the Real Ideas that were the Intention of the Supreme.

In that process, the plane of Mind cam to be, which divided the original Conscious-Force (Chit in Sanskrit) into separate forces, formation, of Energy that eventually coagulated into the Matter of creation. Thus, Mind existed previous to creation.

And yet Mind also has reemerged in the universe when the material forms evolved to life forms, which then evolved a mentality that was now in touch with the universal field of Cosmic Mind. We ourselves have our own individual Mind that is an expression of the Cosmic Mind that was there previous to and anterior to creation. We experience it at various levels -- from simply the processing of ideas that come into our thoughts from the senses inputs, to logical and rational thinking to insight to intuition to supramental perception, which was the Source consciousness power that knew and manifest the Real Ideas and Intention of the Supreme. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

 

Purpose of Creation

The Purpose of Creation

A question from a reader:

'Why did this creation happen? What is the purpose of creation? '

Answer:
-One reason is so that the static Delight of the Unmanifest could express as dynamic Delight in the myriad of forms of creation in the manifestation.

-Sri Aurobindo also indicates that the transcendent Reality, the Divine All manifest a universe in infinite space and time so that it can reveal through its forms that Reality. Thus, this progressive revealing of the transcendental Reality is the meaning and aim of the universe.

Another way to look at this is to say that the Spiritual qualities of the Divine All -- Truth, Oneness, Wisdom, Peace, Power, Creativity, Love, Delight, Infinity, Timelessness, etc -- seek myriad expression in an infinite variety of forms. To express these aspects of the Transcendent Reality in life is why the universe, the forms, we humans are here. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

 

Delight

Human Happiness vs. the Divine Delight We Can Experience

Sri Aurobindo makes the distinction between normal human happiness and the Delight of the Divine. Ordinary happiness is transient and ephemeral; depending on whether conditions are perceived as favorable or not. Delight of the Spirit on the other hand has its source in the highest, Infinite consciousness, and is therefore illimitable, permanent, and ever-lasting.

Spiritual Delight is also "self existent" -- i.e. it does not create a shadow or dark side, including unhappiness; -- whereas human happiness is not self-existent, which means it can at any time reverse into a dark side, expressing as unhappiness and pain.   

Sri Aurobindo also indicates that when the Divine Conscious Force works in us, then the transient happiness we normally experience will be replaced by the more permanent, self-existent joy that is the Immortal's ecstasy -- i.e. Pure Delight, Bliss, Ananda.  

 

On Delight in Creation

[a dialogue between a reader and myself concerning the nature of Delight in creation:]

Q: I am not sure I agree with the delight part for creation but delight can have many meanings to different people. A: Without Delight there would be no creation. The Divine has delight in being conscious of itself; 'Ananda' in Indian parlance. But it seeks to extend that Delight in infinite forms, which would express as infinite, dynamic Delight. So the Divine and Its Consciousness hides itself on the way to and in Creation. However, when we discover our higher nature, that Consciousness comes out. The discovery engenders great joy in us, which is Delight. That Delight is unique to our own selves, and has a dynamic quality; just what the Divine intended.  (2009-2011 Q1) 

 

Consciousness

Smiling Ananda vs. Seeing the Marvel of the All as Two Views of Consciousness

Reader 1:  "On a moment of reflection, observer and the observed tend to unite, enjoining sorrow and happiness into stoic silence."

Reader 2:  "Smiling ananda feels better to me than stoic silence!"

Comment: These are two ways of looking at Consciousness. One is to perceive the Delight of being through the heart. It is to feel the Smile of life that is the ground of all being. The other is to perceive that life is an amalgam of positive and negative, and both serve a purpose in the unfolding. It is the vision of the utility of the All, of Brahman, which we acknowledge through the calm and detachment of Silent Witness.

 

Science's vs. Spirit's View of Consciousness

Science says consciousness comes from Mind's thinking, but it is more accurate to say that Mind, like Matter and Life, comes from Consciousness.

 

 

Delight

Smiling Ananda vs. Seeing the Marvel of the All as Two Views of Consciousness

Reader 1:  "On a moment of reflection, observer and the observed tend to unite, enjoining sorrow and happiness into stoic silence."

Reader 2:  "Smiling ananda feels better to me than stoic silence!"

Comment: These are two ways of looking at Consciousness. One is to perceive the Delight of being through the heart. It is to feel the Smile of life that is the ground of all being. The other is to perceive that life is an amalgam of positive and negative, and both serve a purpose in the unfolding. It is the vision of the utility of the All, of Brahman, which we acknowledge through the calm and detachment of Silent Witness.

 

God and the Universe

God and the Universe

God did not so much create the universe, as He BECAME it. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

God Became the Universe

God did not create the universe; God became the universe. I.e. it extended Itself to forms of its own Conscious Force. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

God and the Universe

God did not create the universe. God became the universe. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

 

Parallel Between Divine and Human Process of Creation

Process of Creation for the Divine and Us

The process by which the Divine creates and the process by which we human beings create is the same. The Divine creates by converting Real-Ideas into material forms. We create by translating ideas into actions. If we want to create, we have to have a clear idea and by an act of will we have to convert that idea into a decision. The decision releases and directs our vital energy to do what we have decided to do. When we do that, we are doing exactly what the Creator is doing in creating the world. The Divine conceives of a Real Idea, it converts it into a will, and it releases the force of life to move matter. We can use the same process to achieve unfailing success. (by Karmayogi as paraphrased by Ragini)  (2009-2011 Q1)

 

The Process of Creation and Accomplishment

When you perform an action with great intention, focus, energy, will, effort, and do so with positive attitudes, not only do you accomplish greatly, but it occurs through instances of sudden good fortune. This is the process of creation and accomplishment -- for the individual, the universe, and the transcendent Divine. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

Making the World in Our Image

We have the power to make the world in our image; just as the Supreme consciousness was able to create  a universe of forms. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

 

The Evolution

Overview

The Evolution through a Reawakening of a Buried Consciousness

The evolution progresses when a consciousness within, buried and involved since creation, awakens from its slumber and moves to the surface, pushing life forward for that form. Thus, even the ape had a deeper consciousness buried within that began to awaken and come to the surface, compelling him to evolve to Man. We human are evolving the same way today from where we are to an even higher stage through an awakening of the dormant spirit within and the descent of its higher form from Above. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

Involution and Evolution of Consciousness

[says a reader:] It appears to me that consciousness evolves from a spark of awareness like a blade of grass to a human to a saint to a god as a perfect reflection of the divine. [my response:] Yes, the evolution in creation, the manifest, from matter to spirit mirrors in reverse the involution of the unmanifest from spirit to energy, culminating in matter. All its spiritual attributes -- oneness, knowledge, power, love, delight, creativity, beauty, timelessness -- were gradually eliminated in the involution, in the movement from spirit to matter, however they retained themselves, involved, hidden, as a seed in the forms, which came out in the evolution through the rise of consciousness of matter, life, and mentality, predominantly through us. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

Consciousness and Life

Though consciousness emerges in and through life, Sri Aurobindo indicates that Life itself emerged, is emerging from Consciousness, the Infinite Divine. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

Evolution and Higher Values

Evolution in history can in one sense be thought of as the progressive adoption of increasingly higher personal and social values. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

 

Planes of Existence in the Evolution

From Physical to Mental to Spiritualized Mind that Perceives the True Nature of Existence

We are human animals, and our first observations of the world are purely physical. Then we develop mentality and then for a few spiritual voyagers there is the experience of spiritual mind (light, vision, intuition, supramental perception). Only as we rise to those planes can we truly know the True nature of existence (of the Reality, Brahman), even physical existence, as there intuitional and supramental knowledge vibrations enter our mind and describe the outer and inner nature of the universe and Being to us. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

The Subtle Planes of Existence

In Sri Aurobindo’s The Life Divine and in Savitri (especially the section ‘The Book of the Traveler of the Worlds’) Sri Aurobindo describes the nature and experience of the subtle planes of existence. He explains it in Savitri poetically, which also touches on the facts of these planes.

The Mother throughout ‘The Agenda’ describes all of the subtle planes of life, as she experienced most in a spontaneous or systematic way. E.g. she described subtle physical plane, where Sri Aurobindo (and now Mother also) reside. She said it has a tendency to manifest,

The subtle physical plane is beyond space and time, so the rules of the purely material plane have little applications. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

Matter, Subtle, and Causal Planes of Existence

The planes of existence are material, subtle, and causal.

(Explanation: Matter, which is physical, exists at the material plane. Emotions and (especially) thoughts, which are invisible vibrations, are at the subtle plane. The spirit is at the causal plane, as it is not only invisible, but resides beyond space and time, while having the ability to create something out of nothing instantaneously. I.e. it causes, as in causal. The Divine Source of things had and continues to have that attribute.) (2009-2011 Q1)

 

Matter Viewed from Increasingly Higher Planes

The way we perceive physical Matter depends on the plane through which we observe, perceive, or grasp it. When we perceive it in our minds merely through our five senses, it appears as static form of substance; physical, unconscious and inert. But when we perceive it through a higher mental consciousness, we perceive it as a form of force, as the physicist now sees it, with its varied movements and gyrations.

Higher still, from the point of view cosmic consciousness of spiritualized mind, we perceive everything in life as an ocean of energy, including what we call Matter. Matter becomes more fluid and dynamic, with a universal force and power behind it.

Finally, when one rises to Transcendent Consciousness and views the universe, then Matter reveals as form of Spirit, as spiritual substance, divine in nature. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

Matter, Energy, Spirit

Matter is a concentrated form of energy; even a substance of Spirit.

(Explanation: Before creation, the universal Energy, which is a product of the original Conscious Force, is at rest. It then is compelled to move, formulating into various densifications of itself. Matter is thereby an extreme concentrated of that Energy, where consciousness has all but been removed, hidden and involved deep within itself. Looking at it from another level, Matter is simply another formation of the omnipresent Reality, Brahman, of the Spirit; just as animated life, its forms, and their mentality are.) (2009-2011 Q1)

 

What Matter and Material Force Is

Matter is substance form of Force, and material Force is only energy-form of Mind. (paraphrase of remark from The Book by Garry Jacobs) (2009-2011 Q1)

 

 

Consciousness and Force in the Evolution

Conscious Force Reemerges in the Evolution

All planes of existence are forms of Force, whose original status is a conscious Force (Chit) of the infinite, divine Reality. In matter, the Force is unconscious, and gradually emerges in consciousness through life and then mentality. The consciousness and Force are reunited in higher spiritual planes still we can evolve to, mirroring the original Conscious Force that is the source of all things. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

Evolution as Conversion of Force to Conscious Force

The evolution consists of the emergence of the involved consciousness in the Force -- from matter to life to mentality to spirit -- revealing and reconstituting itself as Conscious Force. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

Reuniting the Consciousness and Force

The original Conscious-Force in its involutionary descent from Spirit to Matter, in stages lost its consciousness, culminating in inconscient, dumb matter. Only force remains there, without its conscious origins. Even there the consciousness and thus the Conscious Force is involved as potential.

When life emerged through animated life forms and then we mental humans, the involved Conscious Force progressively emerged. From the outset onward, the Force on the surface that was alone began to unite with the consciousness that was brought to bear. As we continue to evolve, and life in the universe evolves to its spiritual potential, the Force and Consciousness move towards fully emerging in creation, mirroring its original status in the Unmanifest being. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

Spirit as Consciousness and Force

Spirit comes to us as Consciousness and Force. Consciousness is awareness of the true nature of existence. Force is the power to make our conscious awareness real. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

 

Divine Existence in the Evolution

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. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

The Divine Plan Expressing through Our Evolution of Consciousness

The plan is for the consciousness that is dormant within us to rise to the surface, and for the descending Force to urge the human form forward in a progressive unfolding in order to fulfill the Divine Intent. This is the Supreme's cosmic plan for life on earth, including every individual; for the divinity to emerge in a myriad of expressions of Oneness, Truth, Knowledge, Goodness, Creativity, Beauty, Love, and Delight. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

Descent of Truth Consciousness/Supermind that Releases the Same that is Involved in Us

Below Sri Aurobindo explains how the cosmic Truth Consciousness, which he calls “Supermind” needs to descent into our being (when we surrender to the Divine Mother) so that that same power that is involved in us can be released.

“Supermind [i.e. Truth Consciousness] is the grade of existence beyond mind, life and Matter and, as mind, life and Matter have manifested on the earth, so too must Supermind in the inevitable course of things manifest in this world of Matter. In fact a supermind is already here but it is involved, concealed behind this manifest mind, life and Matter and not yet acting overtly or in its own power: if it acts, it is through these inferior powers and modified by their characters and so not yet recognisable. It is only by the approach and arrival of the descending Supermind that it can be liberated upon earth and reveal itself in the action of our material, vital and mental parts so that these lower powers can become portions of a total divinised activity of our whole being: it is that that will bring us to a completely realised divinity or the divine life. It is indeed so that life and mind involved in Matter have realised themselves here; for only what is involved can evolve, otherwise there could be no emergence.” (Sri Aurobindo) (2009-2011 Q1)

 

The Nexus between Mental Man and a Supramental, Divine Existence

We humans are not the final rung in earth's evolution, as there will be a higher form; one Sri Aurobindo calls the "supramental being." These individuals will live in a unity consciousness, and be an intermediary to the full supramental realization and a Divine life on earth.

That change in consciousness began with the human mind that has created new forms of the environment, and has mentality through greater knowledge and insight. The next step then is to go deeper, and perceive the spirit, the Conscious-Force in all things, and bring it to the surface of life. In this transitional, intermediary stage to an ultimate, divine existence, our physical bodies and nature will continue to be essentially the same as now, even as we are inwardly transformed to a higher, infinitely more conscious supernature. In that process, Man will also become conscious of the potential of a new supramental existence, even as he lives in the old physical form.

Meanwhile, life around him will be of a different quality, one that is far beyond his present mental life and existence. Says the Mother: "It seems -- it is even certain -- that the very substance which will constitute this intermediate world that is already being built up, is richer, more powerful, more luminous, more resistant, with certain subtler, more penetrating new qualities, and an innate capacity for universality .. and removes the sensation of division one has with .. the ordinary mental substance."

In this way, this infinitely conscious being will be the intermediary, the nexus and bridge to an ultimate supramental, spiritual existence and Divine Life on earth. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

Creating a Personal Universe

From our highest consciousness, we perceive that we are each a universe in miniature, capable of creating our own infinite-like reality.  (2009-2011 Q1)

 

Evolution of the Individual, the Soul, the Universe, and the Divine

The Infinite, Divine Reality has extended itself into Life and is thereby evolving in the universe through us; through our deepest awareness, which we realize by connecting to our own True Selves, our Evolving Soul within. As we progress and evolve in life, so too does our soul. As individuals and their souls evolve, so does the universe, which is a composite of their progress. As the universe evolves, so does the Supreme, the Reality, Brahman, which has extended Itself from its immutable, ineffable, timeless, spaceless status into the field of life, including the multiplicity of forces and forms, including us. Or to put it another way, God is evolving through us. (2009-2011 Q1) 

 

The Ascent and Descent in Our Evolution

The evolution of humanity is taking place along two lines: the ascent from our current status to Self and Spirit, and the descent of Spirit into mind, life, and body transforming them. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

 

Other

Creation is Eternal: Has No Beginning or End

From the writings of Sri Aurobindo and Sri Karmayogi we see that not only is the universe an extension of the Infinite Divine, but this universe is eternal, meaning that it had no beginning, just like the Infinite Consciousness and Source. This would surely challenging science, who claim the Big Bang or something similar is the source. But this is only the material beginning. Mind, Energy, etc. -- i.e. other planes of existence  may have eternal roots and destinies; i.e. they always were and always will be, just like the Infinite Source itself. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

Organization of Infinite and in Life

-Organization overcomes space and time in the most practical sense. It is a universal power descended from the Infinite available to us to improve life and enable progress.

-When the infinite organized consciousness into matter, it gave us the power to organize matter, life, and mind into their higher formations.

-'Above,' organization is from spirit to matter. Here, 'below,' it is the opposite. One is decent, involution; the other is ascent, evolution. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

Each Person Unique

[says a reader:] "My belief at this time is that the Divine using nature as a process creates every soul unique." (2009-2011 Q1)

 

The Divine Mother

The Divine Mother is the Force of the Supreme; known as "shakti" in India. She is the Creator; the manifestor of His divine Intent. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

No Inherent Evil in Creation

-Sri Aurobindo says that there is no inherent evil in creation. It is merely Ignorance and Falsehood on the way to truth. And it is often the greatest spur to our evolution. So how can it be purely bad?

-There is no inherent evil in creation because the source of things is an illimitable, immutable, infinite consciousness and being; a divine reality, which the universe and we are an embodiment of. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

 

The Nature of Consciousness

 

Consciousness Precedes Form

According to spiritual and occult knowledge, consciousness precedes form; consciousness by self-concentration produces its form; whereas, according to the materialist idea, it is form which precedes consciousness and makes it possible for the consciousness to manifest. For those who have knowledge of the invisible worlds and a direct perception of the play of forces, there is no doubt: it is consciousness that produces a form in order to manifest. (The Mother)

[Comment: This explains the difference between the normal human/scientific view of the relationship between Consciousness and Form, and the true spiritual View. It helps explain how Creation involved from a Divine Source, and how forms in the universe, including we humans, evolve. This knowledge would also give science greater insight into the nature of existence; including the true source of creation, the nature of life in the universe, and method and means of our conscious evolution.] (2009-2011 Q1)

 

Involution and Evolution of Consciousness

[says a reader:] It appears to me that consciousness evolves from a spark of awareness like a blade of grass to a human to a saint to a god as a perfect reflection of the divine. [my response:] Yes, the evolution in creation, the manifest, from matter to spirit mirrors in reverse the involution of the unmanifest from spirit to energy, culminating in matter. All its spiritual attributes -- oneness, knowledge, power, love, delight, creativity, beauty, timelessness -- were gradually eliminated in the involution, in the movement from spirit to matter, however they retained themselves, involved, hidden, as a seed in the forms, which came out in the evolution through the rise of consciousness of matter, life, and mentality, predominantly through us. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

Consciousness and Life

Though consciousness emerges in and through life, Sri Aurobindo indicates that Life itself emerged, is emerging from Consciousness, the Infinite Divine. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

All as Consciousness

Everything that exists has Being, has God-essence, has some degree of consciousness. Even a stone has rudimentary consciousness; otherwise, it would not be, and its atoms and molecules would disperse. Everything is alive. The sun, the earth, plants, animals, humans - all are expressions of consciousness in varying degrees, consciousness manifesting as form. (Eckhart Tolle) (2009-2011 Q1)

 

Consciousness that is Organization that Binds the Universe

Science and followers of the Spirit both know that Energy is the source of everything in creation. Yet scientists do not yet know what binds these forms together, including at the subatomic level. They are now searching for an unknown particle that would provide this cosmic glue, creating accelerators and other technologies to discover it. And yet it is no mere particle that binds material (and vital and mental) existence together. Rather it is Consciousness.

Just as Energy is the source of material existence, Consciousness is what binds forms together. The Consciousness comes from the Energy, just as the Force does. Energy's source is Spirit, where Consciousness and Force are One.

Consciousness is thus the organizational power that relates and unites things; binding the world, creating stability of its forms so life can thrive.

When the Energy reaches its final descent -- into matter -- the Consciousness is lost, and only Force remains. Matter thus begins in nescience; as unconscious existence. There the Consciousness is fully absorbed and hidden, i.e. "involved," and only reemerges when matter evolves into animated life and further still to mentality through those increasingly conscious life forms. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

Inner and Cosmic Source of Our Thoughts

A reader asks: "where do our thoughts come from; inside or out?"

Answer: Sri Aurobindo says that thoughts come from outside the mind. They come from the sensations of the body rising up. They also come from the vital sensations/emotions. Higher thoughts, ideas, concepts, can come from the Universal Mind. That explains how Newton and Leibniz simultaneously developed certain aspects of Calculus. (Garry Jacobs)

(Further Comment: Even the physical body and the vital being have a mentality associated with them. E.g., when the body moves or averts a situation, or falls into illness, there is a degree of mentality, and therefore "thought" creation in it that relates, reacts, and "decides" relative to these issues.) (2009-2011 Q1)

 

All Things Have a Consciousness that Responds to Attention

There is a consciousness in all things, even the most material, which responds to attention we give it.

One man cleaned a machine that had been neglected because it had not been used for production purposes to fill an order in the company. Soon after, the cousin of the owner arrived, took notice of the machine, and used it to create a very successful enterprise.

In another case, a business owner who was going through hard times, was advised to and then cleaned the dead stocks that had been lying dormant, unsold in the basement for a long time. Very soon after an individual came along and bought six months worth of inventory, thereby pulling the company out of the doldrums.

In a third case, an individual decided to give more attention to a neglected machine, which suddenly started working at double its rated capacity!

There are also known cases where individuals have made contact with the essence and "soul," of a material object, only to see it suddenly generate unexpected benefit to the individual. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

 

Energy as Substance of Forms in Creation

 

On Energy

Everything in the universe is made up of the same essential substance -- Energy. And Energy is itself a formation of its Source -- the Conscious Force of the Supreme. (chit of Sat-chit-ananda) (2009-2011 Q1)

 

Energy as Source of Forms in Creation

Physicists, philosophers, spiritual seekers, and realized individuals are increasingly in agreement that Energy is the source of all creation.

-Then what is the source of Energy? The simple answer: an infinite, timeless, spaceless, ineffable, immutable consciousness and being. I.e. the Supreme Divine Reality.

Sri Aurobindo indicates that the Supreme Consciousness, being conscious of Itself, emanated a Force that through an involutionary process became the Energy that is the source of all forms in the universe. It is a process that is constantly occurring, always has been, and always will be.  (2009-2011 Q1)

 

The Universe

The universe is an unlimited field of knowledge and energy.

(Explanation: From a Divine Source there is Consciousness and Force. There is full awareness of its own existence (Consciousness) and a Force that springs from that integral self-awareness. In the descending, involutionary process that Consciousness turns into Knowledge; a field of infinite variety of truth. Likewise, the conscious Force becomes Energy. The universe that emerged from it is an extension of the Divine Source; is an unlimited field of this Knowledge and Energy. When we rise in consciousness, we too garner these aspects and powers.) (2009-2011 Q1)

 

Manifesting the Original Energy

We are not only a product of an essential Energy (originating in a Conscious Force), but we manifest it in its physical, vital, mental, and spiritual forms. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

Matter, Energy, Spirit

Matter is a concentrated form of energy; even a substance of Spirit.

(Explanation: Before creation, the universal Energy, which is a product of the original Conscious Force, is at rest. It then is compelled to move, formulating into various densifications of itself. Matter is thereby an extreme concentrated of that Energy, where consciousness has all but been removed, hidden and involved deep within itself. Looking at it from another level, Matter is simply another formation of the omnipresent Reality, Brahman, of the Spirit; just as animated life, its forms, and their mentality are.) (2009-2011 Q1)

 

Thoughts on Energy

-Energy expresses in various forms: physical/material, vital, mental, and spiritual.

-There are an infinite number of ways to increase our energy; as there are an infinite number of ways to squander it.

-The real power of energy is when it is organized and focused through human intention.

-Higher levels of energy attract positive conditions; lower energy attracts negative ones.

-Energy has at its source a Conscious Force of the Infinite Divine.

-Energy is the basis of all forms, seen and unseen in the universe.

-Energy always remains. It may change its forms, but it sustains itself, by entering a new form when the old one cannot contain it.

-Energy is Life, or rather is the essence of life out of which forms of its force are created.

-Even if there were no physical universe, there would still be Energy, ready to take forms of itself as forms in creation. (2009-2011 Q1)

 

Infinity

Practical Concept of Infinity in Life

The physical sciences regard infinity as a mathematical concept. We have not yet come to realize that in human life infinity is a practical concept. There really is an infinite potential for creation. (Garry Jacobs, from 'The Book') (2009-2011 Q1)

 

Bringing Out the Infinite from Any Plane of the Reality

Sri Aurobindo says that the highest conception of existence given to Man is the Reality. Also known as Brahman of the East; the Absolute of the West. It is Spirit, but it is also this life of matter. It is the Unmanifest Source and Stability, but also the Manifest and its movement of forms of force. It is the Creator and Creation. In fact, the Reality expresses at every plane we can conceive of, from the Infinite consciousness "above," to matter, life, and mind on earth. They are simply different expression of the same omnipresent Reality.

When I look at a flower, I am experiencing the Reality in a material form that is beautiful. When I meet someone, I am seeing a living being expressing physical, vital, and mental dimensions of the Reality. And so forth for everything in an out of the universe.

One interesting aspect is that every plane of existence is capable of expressing the infinity of the Reality, since they originated in its Infinite consciousness. Thus in the unconsciousness of matter is buried a seed of infinite possibility that can be brought to the surface. As we ourselves become more conscious, we bring out that infinity, as the scientist has done by splitting the atom. But we can engage matter in other ways. E.g. by raising our attitudes, we can attract vast material success out of nowhere. In this way, we bring out the embedded, involved, hidden infinity that lurks within material existence.

We can take this same approach with other planes of the Reality, such as energy, life, and mind, since infinity is buried in potential there as well. In that way, we can bring about a social existence that is far richer and more satisfying than what we experience now, and we can elicit a many-sided knowledge about any matter in a flash, accelerating knowledge and wisdom exponentially. Thus, we bring the distant future into the present by evoking the infinity from the finite.   (2009-2011 Q1)

 

Through Your Eyes

Look in the mirror. You will see God, the Infinite looking out at Itself through your eyes.   (2009-2011 Q1)

 

 

Freewill, Destiny

Reconciling Free Will and Destiny

We have free will within the determination of the Divine. I.e. there is a divine intention for progress and evolution on earth, and we can choose whether to collaborate with that unfolding. In this way, free will and destiny are reconciled.  (2009-2011 Q1)

On Choice vs. Fate in Our Lives

[a dialogue between a reader and myself:]

Q: As I look at my life, it appears to have more to do with fate than choices I made. A: We can say that we have free will within the determination of the Divine Intent. Thus, there here is both simultaneously choice and destiny/fate. The more we are conscious, the more free will and destiny coincide, as we tend to choose what our higher nature (and thus the Divine) intends.

If we look back on our lives, we will see that we made choices that propelled us forward; that brought about our progress. Those choices, conscious, semi-conscious, or subconscious were in essence in sync with the Divine Will. The more we evolve ourselves, the more our choices consciously work in tandem with the Divine Intent. We can also make choices that are neutral or in opposition to the aspiration of the Divine. Even these lead to our evolution, but through Nature's slow and difficult ways of contradiction, pain, and suffering.  (2009-2011 Q1)

 

V	Creation Theory (history of Spirit)	Rishis Did Not Know Creation The Rishis of the past knew everything in the universe to be known, except how it was created. (MSS)
I	Spirituality (Psychic Being); combine these two!	Purusha Purusha is the soul of the universe. (MSS)

V

Nature

We are Part of God Nature is God in Physical Form. We are all a part of Nature. Being part of Nature means we ourselves are part of God. (MSS)

V	Sages	Sages Working in the Subtle Plane Avoid Publicity Sages never seek publicity, especially if they are working for the world in the subtle plane. (MSS)
V I	Spirit Spirituality	The Lesson for the Ripe Soul in the Bhagavad-Gita In The Gita Krishna offers to the ripe soul [i.e. one who has developed considerably] a psychological method [of yoga, personal evolution]. It is a method of Jivatma [the individual soul] surrendering to Paramatma [the Divine]. It is accomplished by renouncing desire, ego and belief in Dharmas [points of view (?)]. (MSS, with embedded explanations)
V	The Whole, Brahman	Sri Aurobindo's Whole Sri Aurobindo's WHOLE is the whole creation including the Superconscient above and the subconscient below spreading all over the universe with the evolving godhead as the center. (MSS)

IV III	Creation Science	Origins of Spirit, Truth, Time, Space If the self-conscious Being splits itself into Spirit and Truth subjectively, the spirit by a similar process creates subjective Time and objective space. Further, the plane of Time splits into Time and Timelessness. (MSS)
IV III	Creation Science	Mind Splitting the Force, not the Being, enabling Atomic existence Unity and oneness being the real basis, Mind splits only the Force, not the Being. The division meets with the absolute resistance at the level of substance, resulting in atomic existence. (MSS)
IV	Creation, Evolution	Our Supermental Consciousness Reverses Involution into Evolution Our Supramental Consciousness has the power to reverse the involution into evolution at any stage. (MSS, slightly modified)
IV	Creation, Multiplicity, Diversity	Uniqueness Enables Perfection of Creation Uniqueness [i.e. diversity and multiplicity in creation] enables creation to reach perfection. (MSS, added to)
IV	Creation, Overmind	Overmental (Plane) Takes an Infinite Possibility and Develops it Infinitesimally to Exhaustion Overmind is a deputy to the Supermind in the lower hemisphere. When the Overmind takes a subject, it does not stop until it reaches the infinitesimal, as we have seen in the formation of Matter, its atomic existence, the physical ego. The role of Overmind is to take one infinite possibility and develop it to its exhaustion. (MSS, slightly edited)

IV	Creation, Mind	How Different Parts of Mind Perceive Spiritual Substance as Material or Mental Substance The physical plane is not in a different place from the spiritual or mental plane. It is only the same reality that we experience as material or mental substance. Mind perceives spiritual substance, which is one, as material substance when it views it through the senses or as mental substance when it views it through the pure thought mind, etc. But it is always spiritual substance that it perceives. (MSS)
IV	Creation, Evil	Beyond Ego there is No Evil Sri Aurobindo says that evil is real only to the ego, and has no inherent reality in itself. For one who has come out of ego, there is no evil to be seen. Wars are horrendous for us where millions of lives are destroyed. Once you come out of ego, you see war is Nature's method to hasten the process of evolution and the souls of those who die, die in bliss. (MSS, slightly modified)
IV	Creation, Good and Evil	On Evil -God works through Truth as well as evil. -Sri Aurobindo says there is no evil created. It is only ego that sees GOOD as evil. This is a philosophy the world has not heard of so far. -Evil does not exist even as karma does not exist. They have power over us only when we believe in them. When we withdraw our support to them, they cannot survive. In our daily practice, when we invoke the Spirit, the evil moves away from its path. Once we invoke the Spirit we no longer meet with evil as we do now. -Invocation of the Spirit can solve the problem of evil for the Individual. For the collective we have first to deal with it philosophically before we devise our method in practice. (MSS)
III	Science	Only Mind Sees Parts, Divides Matter and Space; All is Really Unified Sri Aurobindo tells us that this perception of the infinitesimal part is only a product of mind's tendency to divide. The Being is not divided, even the physical being. Similarly mind divides matter and space. It perceives matter as separate objects within a field of space. Einstein noted that somehow the space and the matter are related in a way that matter seems to bend space. Suppose instead that we consider space and matter as a single continuum. Matter represents those aspects of the continuum in which the energy is in motion and space represents aspects in which the energy is at rest and therefore imperceptible (since we can only perceive active energy with the senses, not the absence of it) or in which the energy is vibrating at such a subtle level that it is imperceptible. All remains unified.  (MSS)
IV	Creation, Energy	New Vision of String Theory based on Unified Energy String theory still posits a smallest possible unit of matter, a common unit from which all derive. Sri Aurobindo tells us that this perception of the infinitesimal part is only a product of mind's tendency to divide. The Being is not divided, even the physical being. Suppose the strings they are positing are not units of matter at all, but vibrations of a single unified field of energy that expresses like waves on the surface of the ocean. The wave has no independent reality separate from the ocean. It is only a movement of energy. The unified energy of oneness vibrates and those manifestations of vibration are perceived as strings. (MSS)
IV	Creation, Planes of Consciousness	The Advancing Materials of Technology As technology advances, one finds the materials used are more refined. It is worth noting that the stronger the material, the lighter it is. This is a spiritual truth that the subtler the plane or substance, the more powerful it is. (MSS)
IV	Creation, Self-Conception, Limitation, Absorption,	Self-Conception, Self-Limitation, and Self-Absorption in Involution; for Individual The Infinite consciousness has not only a power of (1) self-determination, but of (2) self-limitation. The self-limitation would be an individual specialization from out of a common universality or totality. Each self-determination has its own self-truth; it's own self-limitation from out of the universal totality. (3) Self-absorption is a third power of the Infinite Consciousness; a plunging into itself; in which all would be involved. It is the triune of infinity. The knowledge and inner consciousness would be lost in pure being. The self-absorption is the state (in existence) we call the inconscience. One is concentrated, self-absorbed in the one thing one has self-limited oneself to. [We see these three also in the individual. I self-conceive that which i wish to be (self-conception), select that element that I am interested in (self-limitation), and completely focus my energies on that which I selected and limited myself to (self-absorption). (Paraphrase of Sri Aurobindo, The Life Divine)
IV	Creation, Soul, Nature	The psychic is the soul in nature (MSS)
IV I	Creation, Truth Values	Truth & Values Truth is not a mere fact. It escapes a practical mind. In fact, Truth is objective Existence. For one to whom the subjective existence is sincere, Truth reveals. All over the world, in all cultures, it is called values. (MSS)
IV	Creation, Evolution	Evolution in the Cosmos Evolution is to discover Existence, Consciousness-Force, Delight in Matter, where the fleeting Delight of Cosmos is given permanency in the dense Matter below. For one who aspires for spiritual life, this is the only view. (MSS, slightly modified)

 

IV	Creation	End of Process of Division, Beginning of Process of Aggregation The process of division (of Force into Form, atomic existence) is infinite.  Therefore, it cannot stop. When further division is not possible, aggregation of divided units begins. (MSS, somewhat modified)
IV	Creation, Mind	Evolution, Freedom of the Mind There are ideas mind is sensitive about which it cannot allow for a moment. Imagine  the freedom of the Mind and see how we are encased psychologically. One who can do so can see what RATIONALITY is, how frightening it is even in contemplation. So far such an individual has not emerged in the world among human beings. Imagine the same freedom in the descent. It means the spiritual emergence in the mind. It is called the psychic being. ... The integration must be done in the individual SOUL [in the True Self, the Psychic Being]. After such integration, it has to ascend to the Eternal. This is done by shedding the 7 ignorances one by one. The Spirit begins to evolve only when all the 7 ignorances are shed. At that point the Mental Psychic emerges.  (MSS, extracted)

IV

Avatar

Krishna and Ananda/Bliss Krishna is the Eternal's Personality of Ananda [Bliss/Delight of being]; because of him all creation is possible, because of his play, because of his delight, because of his sweetness. (Sri Aurobindo)

 

IV

Evolution

First Preoccupations of Man Reflected in Society Sri Aurobindo says that the earliest preoccupation of man is the search for God, Freedom, Light and Immortality. That is man's spiritual quest. This is reflected in his social life as the quest for equality in Knowledge, Power, Status and Capacity. (MSS)

 

IV

Spiritual Evolution of Life

Nature Develops Spirit in India, then Moved On In India Nature developed the Spirit, i.e. the Spirit in Man. India recognized that Man's best part is the Spirit and devised various ways to attain it and release it for liberation. Having discovered the Spirit, Nature moved away and worked at various places for the development of various other parts. [E.g. mind in Greece, individuality in Europe, science and technology currently in US]. During that period there was the necessity to preserve the treasure of Spirit discovered during the period of the Vedas, the Upanishads and the Gita. It is nature's irony that the best has to be preserved by the worst, even as the treasure of gold is saved in a forest under thorny bushes and protected by vital spirits. Indian Spirit had to be preserved in an atmosphere of poverty by a top dressing of Falsehoods. (MSS, extracted) [Now that Nature has passed into science, technology, individuality, etc., it is ready to embrace the spirit that India knows; however not quite on its old basis, but through the further spiritual development of the Force of the Supermind that is now available to all.]

Inconscient is so Only to Surface Consciousness
Inconscient is not a complete absence of consciousness, but rather a complete absence of consciousness as manifest to our surface as reception of sensation or response to sensation. (MSS)

Fulfillment at Various Levels
The individual, family, collectives, and society each seek their own fulfillment. The Universe and the Transcendent Divine also seek fulfillment.

Essential to Know Physical, Vital, Mental
Understanding physical, vital, and mental planes is an essential knowledge of Sri Aurobindo's that can put everything in the right framework.  [MSS comments: Worth writing in GOLD]

Friendship and The Mother
Mother gives friendship Her Touch and makes it noble, magnanimous and divine. (MSS)

 

Consecration through the Divine Mother
For those who are devotees, opening to the Divine Mother is their way of connecting to the Force to consecrate an event, situation, problem, the past, etc..

 

Four Cardinal Points of Vedanta
Vedanta's four cardinal points are non-duality of the Godhead, divinity of the soul, oneness of existence, and harmony of religions. (Swami Adiswarananda) 

 

IV	Supermind	Origins of Supermind The plane of Supermind is created when the objective state of the spirit - Truth - relates itself to the objective state of consciousness - knowledge. It is called the plane of Truth Consciousness or Supermind. (MSS)
IV	Supramental plane	The Supramental Plane is Causal The spiritual plane is subtle and causal at supramental levels. In fact, the Supramental plane is the causal plane. The range from Higher Mind to Overmind is spiritual. Above is causal. The causal plane is the plane of Simultaneous Integrality of Time. The Spirit can go from Overmind directly to Sat, bypassing the Supramental plane. In moksha, it does so. (MSS)
	Supramental Force	Invoking the Supramental Force Overcomes the Karmic Rules of Life The rules of life are rigorous and inexorable. ... When the Force of Supermind is invoked, it has the power to go beyond the rules of life which we call karma. (MSS)

IV

Creation Theory Supermind

On Supermind Supermind is between the Sachchidananda and the lower creation.  It alone contains the self-determining Truth of the Divine Consciousness and is necessary for a Truth creation. (Sri Aurobindo)

III

Spiritual History (new topic)

The Division of the Rishis & the Priesthood in Indian Spirituality The Vedic Rishis never gave up life. They lived a full life, a life that was in balance with Nature. In the later centuries, there was a division, a division of knowledge and rituals. Vedanta was the culmination of the pursuit of knowledge, Jnana. They became the Rishis. The others came into life and took to the priesthood. (MSS)

IV	?	Darshan The [Divine] Mother used to say that it was useless to see Her physically, even if one met Her in Her room. Darshan [meeting in mass before the divine individual to receive spiritual force] is a special occasion of the human soul meeting the Divine Soul emerging out of its psychic cave out of aspiration that wells up. Without such an aspiration, the darshan is pointless. There is a difference between having a book physically and reading it. [MSS, somewhat modified]
IV	Brahman, Truth	Brahman and Truth Brahman is many things and all things. Pre-eminently, Brahman is TRUTH. (MSS)
IV	Truth	Truth as First Expression of Spirit Truth is powerful because it is the first expression of Spirit in cosmic creation. Therefore, Truth is a direct door to Spirit. (MSS)

 

IV

Creation, Life

Causes of Our Inability to Perceive How Life is Organized There is Matter. Behind Matter is a sea of Energy. It is the source from which that Matter derives. That Energy also moves in the universe in various forms, relating existing matter, objects, individuals. Behind the Energy that creates and interrelates life there is Consciousness from which Energy takes shape. Another way of saying this is that Consciousness created, is creating Energy, which is creating and is the force behind Matter. The Consciousness has ultimate power of effectivity because it is Divine in origin. It is the Intelligence behind the Energy. We look out on the world and see only Matter, not the sea of Energy that created Matter and interrelates all objects in the universe. We almost completely miss the Consciousness. We, as humans are a product of the Energy that enabled Matter that in the cosmos/on earth evolved animate life forms from which evolved sentient beings which evolved us humans capable of rational thought. We look out on the world through our minds. However, since we are born of Matter, we are limited by its inherent unconsciousness. Our limited physical consciousness reflects this the most. Our limited vital consciousness also reflects this. (These can be explained.) Even our mentality which sees only the surface through the senses (i.e. our preoccupation with sense mind, the surface of life) reflects this. All of these aspects of ourselves prevent us from perceiving the Energy from which matter derives, and, perhaps more importantly, the Energy that correlates all Matter -- i.e. objects and individuals -- in the world, the cosmos. Thus we miss the deeper connections between things. We do not see what is really transpiring around us because we are not penetrating the matter, the surface existence perceived through the five senses of mind. We are further stifled by the limitations of our physical and vital consciousness. We thus miss the existing reality of Energy behind Matter, and the Consciousness that is the Intelligence behind the Energy. (Developing our Inner Consciousness is the Way out of this Dilemma.)

IV	Shakti	The First Yogic Realisation:  to Dissolve the Ego, that the Divine Alone Acts God executes his Will in the world through the instrumentation of the individual MAN. Sri Aurobindo says Shakti acts and She alone acts. Man is a mere instrument, a channel. Creative personalities create unique products, but their theme is social, what all society happily receives and endorses. A writer feels that what he writes is his OWN thought. Yoga says thoughts are not ours, they are universal and they pass through our minds. With that Realisation, ego dissolves and disappears. To dissolve our ego is the sadhana [the practice of yoga]. It never occurs to us that God can live our lives better than we can. What stands in the way is ego. To dissolve the ego, to be aware that He alone acts, is the First Yogic Realisation. (MSS-extracted)
		Gold & Blue Light of Supermind, Overmind Golden light is the Light of the Supermind. Mother used to paint all Ashram buildings pale blue. It was Sri Aurobindo's colour, the colour of the Overmind, a plane that gave birth to the Avatar of Krishna. (MSS)

How We Become a Genius through Spirit in Mind, Powerful through Spirit in Vital, Son of God through Spirit in the Body
Man becomes a genius when the SPIRIT touches his mind. Mind has objective knowledge, i.e. the knowledge of what it sees outside. The higher, wider, completer knowledge belongs to the Spirit. It dwells inside. Man goes inside and touches the Spirit. It comes out of his mind. In the mind, the Spirit emerges as genius. Spirit emerging through the vital - the nerves - makes MAN a Caesar or Shivaji. The Spirit emerging through the vehicle of the body renders man the Son of God. (MSS, with headings added) 

Ghosts and the Subtle Physical
Often, it is individuals who did not want to die who remain in the subtle physical plain than can be seen as ghosts. If we pull on an individual who dies because of attachment or otherwise, they may remain in this state as well. On the other side, we can be obsessed with morbidity in life which likes to see ghosts and other horrific-type beings, perhaps because we have lost someone or just enjoy the morbid vital sensation.

In Shakespeare's Hamlet, the prince father appears as a ghost since he wanted to report his untimely death, the cooptation of the throne, and the bedding of his wife as a result of his brother's evil actions. In the film Ghost, we see that the young man who died suddenly and did not want to go, especially because he loved someone, was a ghost.

There are of course many subtle planes of being*. A good deal of Sri Aurobindo's Savitri describes these planes in poetic detail. Mother had endless subtle physical experiences, as expressed in the 13-volume The Agenda. Ghosts are a tiny subsection of the greater topic of the subtle physical, the subtle vital, and others. What we get excited about with ghosts is minor compared to the vast, infinite occult realms that the Mother and Master (and other spiritual figures and occultists) have experienced. Mother alone saw virtually every major God before her. She walked and put her head on the on the shoulder of Krishna. She saw Ganesh and other Gods in front of her  regularly. She once became a physical embodiment of the next human species. Etc.

*The subtle physical is an invisible plane of matter that has a propensity to want to manifest as the material real.

We have a capacity to make that which is in the subtle physical materially real.

What is going to manifest in the real can be perceived in the subtle physical beforehand.

---

 

 

Growth Online

Contact Us

---

  To go to the New Insights into the Life and Teachings
of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother site, click here