Search Results

Ashram In Detail “In ancient times the disciple had to undergo severe tests to prove his ability for initiation. Here we do not follow that method. Apparently there is no test and no trial. But if you see the truth, you will find that here it is much more difficult. There the disciple knew that he was undergoing a period of trial and after he had passed through some outward tests, he was taken in. But here you have to face life and you are watched at every moment. It is not only your outer actions that count. Each and every thought and inner movement is seen, every reaction is noticed. It is not what you do in the solitude of the forest, but what you do in the thick of the battle of life that is important. Are you ready to submit yourself for such tests? Are you ready to change yourself completely? You will have to throw off your ideas, ideals, values, interests and opinions. Everything will have to be learnt anew. If you are ready for all this, then take a plunge; otherwise don’t try to step in.” The Mother TMCW-14/The Words of the Mother-II/p-43-44 The Ashram in Detail A liberated Soul²³ becomes the luminous Soul Centre of multiple liberating Souls which forms the basis of harmonious progressive intermediate collective living of faithful and sincere aspirants, the Ashram . His difficult task is to go through severe Spiritual training and preparation in which his subtle and causal body are moulded, expanded, and densified through gradual and intensive non-waking and waking trance. His contact and cognition of all things and persons translate into a deep sense of identity through more intimate, powerful and efficient instrumentation of Consciousness force, where Spirit breaks through Matter’s wall and he begins to be the master of the mysteries of the material world. Thus, he emerges as Divine’s or Spirit’s conscious slave. His more difficult task is to become an Impersonal Centre or Centre of Universality to include the whole of humanity as ultimate collectivity, the Deva Sangha and the power of embracing the whole universe in his formless Consciousness is the sole preoccupation of a liberated universalised individual Soul Centre. He fills the emptiness in human heart with the nameless Divine Influence accompanied by the capacity to transform ‘the greatest difficulties into best opportunities,’²⁴ heals all the bitter cruelties, crudities and aberrations of earth, ‘guards the world with its all seeing gaze,’¹⁷ ‘mastered the tides of Nature with a look;’¹⁸ his ‘gaze controls the turbulent whirl of things,’²⁰ channels the total energy of Universal and Transcendent forces which would flow unobstructed and unrestricted, effective inclusion and penetration of dynamised intimate vision and he serves humanity by becoming its slave or does good of all creatures, sarvabhutahite ratah .¹ His most difficult task is the extreme accumulation of the ‘Spirit’s bare and absolute potencies’³¹ to become mightier than all the forces of the material and vital world and wrestles with Matter to meet and confront victoriously dark forces of naked Hell, compel active dynamic unification of cosmic Nature and ‘last and mightiest transformation’¹⁹ of Inconscient and mundane surface Nature. Then he emerges as Universalised individual Soul Centre with liberated immobile Soul and transformed mobile Nature. The right relation of the individual liberated Soul Centre with the collectivity, as proposed in the Gita is to live in the world with the sense of oneness with all existence, ekatvamasthitah ,²⁵ without separation from the Divine, mayi nivasisyas i,²¹ without finding fault of the Divine, nirdosham hi samam brahma ,²⁷ without controversy, buddhi veda ,¹¹ without enemy, nirbairah ,² without narrow carping, asuya ³ and without anxiety, chinta; ⁴ he is not bound by works and all actions vanish and are dissolved by their very execution and leave the immutable Self unaffected and the Soul unmodified, praviliyante karmani; ¹⁶ as proposed in the Isha Upanishad is to see oneness everywhere, ekatvam anupasyatah, ²⁶ to act, live and enjoy in the world for a hundred years without clinging or leaving any mark on his Soul, na karma lipyate nare, ⁶ and by renouncing all egoistic sense of desire, tyaktena bhunjitha .⁵ In integral Yoga the preservation of the entire range of visible individual activities are no longer inconsistent with the attainment of cosmic and transcendent Consciousness. The Life Divine or Nature’s conscious integral Evolution proposes to call down the unconquerable impulse of God, Light, Freedom, Bliss and Immortality to individual vessel and extension of these highest realisations to earth and men, the large and luminous movement of a Divine living through Divine union, unity and harmony with all Beings and a life governed and formed from within outwards; the conflicting ideals of mind will fall away from him and as proposed in The Synthesis of Yoga is to gather and sum up in himself all that is the best and the profoundest and the completest and pours them freely in the form of Divine Will, Knowledge, Love, Delight and Beauty on his surroundings. The right relation of a universalised liberated individual Soul Centre with the Divine as proposed in Integral Karma Yoga is the play of the Divine Will, Power, Force and Omnipotence and all weakness, incapacity and impotence is a holding back of Will in tranquil concentrated force so that certain forms of realised Divine conscious-force is brought forward into form of Power; as proposed in Integral Jnana Yoga is the play of Divine Knowledge, Wisdom and Omniscience and all Ignorance and all perversity is a holding back of Knowledge and Truth in the repose of conscious self-awareness so that certain form of consciousness is brought forward into activity of Light; as proposed in Integral Bhakti Yoga is the play of Love, Delight and Beauty and all suffering, pain, evil and incapacity of possessive delight is a holding back of joy in the still sea of Divine Bliss so that certain forms of Divine union and enjoyment is brought forward as an active upwelling of waves of Bliss; as proposed in Integral Yoga of Self-Perfection , is the dynamic play of all becoming with the Divine Being and all cessation, death and annihilation is a holding back of various sweetness of unification and joyous creative Maya in the eternal being of the Sachchidananda so that certain form of Divine Immortality and Perfection are brought forward as Nature’s all-powerful remedy; as proposed in Supramental Yoga is the play of all-containing and all-comprehending Maya with Brahman and ever dividing and limiting consciousness of mind, ever divergent action of life and infinitely-divided substance of Matter are holding back of a force intimately conscious of all the uniting relations so that certain forms of infinite is known and the finite is not separated from it as an independent reality and liberated from the knot of divided existence and as proposed in integral Yoga is to enjoy oneness with God, with itself in its own individuality, with its other brother selves in the universality and beyond them in the Transcendence and all discords and disharmonies of existence are holding back of infinite self-fulfillment of all life. The right relation of a Transformed Nature and Soul of a Universalised individual Soul Centre to the Existence as proposed in Integral Karma Yoga is the Purusha’s possession of Prakriti followed by Ishwara-Shakti realisation where the individual knows, transcends, enjoys and controls Spiritually his manifested being and determines, produces and orders all relation largely and freely through cosmic action, cosmic awareness and intensify the infinitely plastic yet harmonious diversity of action. The end of the path of integral Karma Yoga is 'a perception of the Divine in all energies, in all happenings, in all activities, and a free and unegoistic participation of the soul in the cosmic action. So followed it will lead to the elevation of all human will and activity to the divine level, its spiritualisation and the justification of the cosmic labour towards freedom, power and perfection in the human being.'³⁴ His action as proposed in Integral Jnana Yoga is to get back to the fact of eternal Oneness where an apparent discord is realised as an element of the general ever-present and ever-developing harmony and all relations in the world, even to its greatest and most shocking apparent discords, are relations of something eternal to itself in its own universal existence. 'For, followed more largely and with less individual aim, the method of Knowledge may lead to an active conquest of the cosmic existence for the Divine no less than to a transcendence. The point of this departure is the realization of the supreme Self not only in one’s own being but in all beings and, finally, the realization of even the phenomenal aspects of the world as a play of the divine consciousness and not something entirely alien to its true nature. And on the basis of this realization a yet further enlargement is possible, the conversion of all forms of knowledge, however mundane, into activities of the divine consciousness utilizable for the projection of the one and unique Object of knowledge both in itself and through the play of its forms and symbols. Such a method might well lead to the elevation of the whole range of human intellect and perception to the divine level, to its spiritualization and to the justification of the cosmic travail of knowledge in humanity.'³⁴ His action as proposed in Integral Bhakti Yoga is to realise universal divine Love that transforms all beings and things into all-embracing ecstasy and million-bodied beatitude and the play of the Divine Beloved in His infinite house of Delight. 'And this Yoga is catholic in its use of all emotional relations, so that even enmity and opposition to God, considered as an intense, impatient and perverse form of Love, is conceived as a possible means of realisation and salvation.'³ ⁴ His action as proposed in Integral Yoga of Self-Perfection, is to heal all disorder, disease, suffering, pain by the intervention of a Divine Force above instead of struggling from below; as proposed in Supramental Yoga is to embrace all contact with men and universe with a purified flame force and transformed Divine Nature and arrives at perfect relation with supreme and universal Purusha and the supreme and universal Para Shakti and as proposed in integral Yoga revived from ancient Vedanta (1) as seeing all existences in the Self and (2) the Self in all existences; (3) and the Self-being has become all these existences that belong to the worlds of the becoming. The original and integral view of Life, accepts this Existence as self-concentration and self-diffusion of conscious dynamic Force in Infinite extension of Space and Time and unfolds itself through the concentration and expansion of the Individual Soul. It confirms that this World is the progressive revelation of a great, a transcendent and a luminous Play of Reality perpetually creating and re-creating Itself; it is like a gold vessel made up of the stuff of pure gold, the Brahman, an act of mutable rhythm of creative Consciousness, a self-aware force of existence, eternally young, perpetually inexhaustible and there can be no trace of alloy in the Divine’s creation. Brahman is not only the cause, ordering and indwelling power of the universe but also its material and its sole material. The perception of this universe as a field of insistent suffering, enormous toil, presence of incapacity and sorrow which baffle our reason as facts, is the result of limited or relative human consciousness because of the wrong relation of the individual with the Self, Nature and Universe, misrepresentation of a manifold Reality and creates the system of false accountantship, unchangeable rigidity and mistaken appearance of opposition and conflict to the harmonious play of the Divine in its universal manifestation. Or if to us things appear undivine or this bondage to a perpetual stamp of imperfection and disharmony or judge the external phenomenon as inconsistent with the nature of inner being or world existence as an illusion because the world is not Divinely explained to us; Divine has not wholly possessed our limited Consciousness; we are ignorant of the sense and purpose of the evolution of Nature in the world in its entirety and its proper place and Divine meaning in the complete manifestation. This world appears to us as a cosmic madhouse so long as we rest on the madness of error, falsehood and ignorance and subject ourselves to the original limitation of its law. So, our proper aim of life is always to get cured of all our insanity and depart into Truth, Light, Freedom and Immortality. So, all the harshest apparent discord³⁶ of existence can be thrown out by an inalienable concord of the Being inherent in an inalienable unity of the Being and change them into essential elements of truth, a growing universal rhythm and ultimate harmony. The wrong, mutilated human relation created by limiting ego, intellect’s outward gaze and mental self sufficiency as practiced now by man are full of narrowness, smallness, fragmentary and restrictive because he has not opened himself to the perennial Source or he has not secured the ground upon which freedom and perfection would naturally flower and has not expanded into most subtle fullness of the Divine Truth. Attachment to mutable personality is the cause of our incurable littleness, discord, and quarrel with ourselves and with life and with others. The nature of the ego is a self-limitation of consciousness by a willed ignorance and its exclusive absorption in the partial movement of energies are necessary for the certain limited and preparatory experience or it is a practical construction of our consciousness devised to centralise the action of Nature. This egoistic life finds all its values transformed and corrected when it can group round the right central conception of effective knowledge of impersonality and untroubled oneness of Being. When the right consciousness is restored it asks no essential change of the eternal relation with the Spirit but the in-view and out-view of the individual centre is profoundly modified. So, the right relation of an individual with the existence can be recovered by participation in the consciousness of the totality which includes the consciousness of the Transcendent and the Universal. A true Divine living, right and full value of life is possible when the partial and separative movement of human mind and ego recognises the false doctrine, ‘he alone is important to himself, he is infinitely important centre to the All, (the centre of its own universe) but to him the All is negligible’⁸ and learns to submit to the ‘form of Oneness’²² or the total movement of the Infinite and the continuation of the illumined individual in the action of the world is still necessary and indispensable in the universal play because the world is his foundation, his means, his field, the stuff of the divine Work and he must necessarily universalise and impersonalise in order to realise himself ‘as one concentration of the universal,’²² manifest the Divine All and Supreme Reality. The largest vision of integral Yoga recommends an individual to be wise when he shows unwillingness to limit man’s avenues towards God and a refusal to put a limit to the Soul’s ascension of the Infinite and the Divine manifestation through all the godheads, men, creatures and objects; the wiser drives straight into the Divine realisation and then seizes one after the another methods of Nature’s many-sided passage of conscious Evolution and Yoga; gathers together all Spiritual experience and returns either naturally or through concentrated effort to the one Supreme experience of all reconciling Oneness and he learns to overcome all partial and one sided exclusive experience of the Brahman and realises the Integral Static and Dynamic Brahman; the wisest is able to call down this ultimate Divine Truth to elevate the material things and creatures to their highest and widest Divine manifestation and he can draw humanity towards greatest unity when he is perfectly capable of every kind of Spiritual experience and possesses highest Integral Knowledge. A supreme Knowledge is that which includes Spiritual experiences of all kinds, gives to each its absolute state of Brahman and integralises all Knowledge, neglects nothing, overlooks nothing and leaves no stone unturned. It recognises that the eternal Spirit as the immutable inhabitant of this fit and noble mutable robe, the bodily mansion, out of which the Divine constantly weaves His garbs, builds recurrently the unending series of His All Life. Or the Spirit born into the material existence is assigned a task to create out of Matter a temple of Divinity. The problems of All Life arise from an unsolved discord and the instinct of an undiscovered unity can be resolved when the fully awakened human mind realises an Omnipresent Reality as the truth of all life and when he accepts this existence freely as the Divine, invades mortality with the immortal’s Truth, Light and Beatitude and the redemption comes by the recovery of the universal Consciousness in the individual and of Spiritual term in the physical Consciousness. The Son of Man is supremely capable of incarnating God through the human journey of sacrificial work, sacrificial wisdom and sacrificial emotion without which he would be only an insect crawling among all other ephemeral creatures or harbours subhuman nature which is ‘lower than the lowest reptile’s crawl.’²⁹ The modern man is most discontented by the pressure of limitation and obstacle of mechanised living and satisfaction comes by surpassing of the limit, growing manifestation and overcoming of the obstacle by full possession of illimitable self-Consciousness, self-Power and self-Delight. This effort can give birth to a perfect man who combines absolute calm and passivity of mind with free and inexhaustible activity and reconciles harmoniously three kinds of life that of the ordinary material existence, a life of mental activity and progress and unchanging Spiritual beatitude and resolves their discords. A perfected human Soul’s Divine work is to hasten the process of evolution of the race and his action can be steadfast and truly Divine if it proceeds on the basis of a Spiritual equality, a calm, impersonal and equal self-identification with all beings. The individual exists not in himself alone but in the collectivity and the perfect utility of his perfection is, having realised in himself the Divine symbol, to reproduce, multiply and universalise it in others. The individual Divine incarnation in a human body shall evolve towards universal Divine Incarnation through emergence of infinite Consciousness. The many souls, minds, lives, and bodies of the universal manifestation are only faces of the one Divine, only His masks and disguises. We perceive each being to be the universal Narayana presenting to us in many disguises and lose ourselves in that universality and perceive our own mind, life and body as the only valid shape and substance of manifestation of incorporeal and immaterial, while all whom we formerly conceived of as others, are now to our universal and impersonal Consciousness our Self in other minds, lives and bodies. The Consciousness of collective humanity is a sum of individual ego. It is rather even more tortured, troubled, and obscured, certainly more vague, confused and un-progressive. The liberated individual Soul in this respect is more valuable than the collectivity and cannot be called on to subordinate his more profound, more dynamic, and more luminous possibilities of becoming a perfect channel of Divine Light, Peace, Compassion and Benevolence and he cannot suppress or maim his proper development to darker and recalcitrant collective entity. A universalised liberated individual lives neither for the individual ego nor for the collective ego; rather he lives in and for the Divine in himself, in and for the Divine in collectivity, in and for the Divine in all beings and his progressive evolution of Soul and Nature would be at each stage harmonious in its every detail and essential principle. Integral Jnana Yoga proposes that a developed Soul can serve God the oppressed, God the poor and God the miserable or ‘service of God in man’⁷ in order to ‘complete the realisation’⁷ of Divine in all things. Ethical rules of altruism, philanthropy and the service of the Nation are in themselves potent instruments of self-enlargement and self-correction of the narrower province of self-righteous and magnified ego, a partial and insecure superstructure, seem to be actuated and debased by this soul of desire and must be so till the child Soul or developing Soul finds the secret of the Divine Oneness and vast descent of Divine Love, Light and Bliss. If in to the Spiritual aim there enters the impulse to deny the personal self or the limited vision of mind to serve humanity or the world at large, it comes not from the ego nor from the collective sense of the race, but from something more occult and profound, Transcendent of both these things; for it is founded on a sense of the Divine in all and it works not for the sake of some selfish purpose or mental action of altruism but for the sake of the one Self and only what the supreme Truth and Good decided would be executed in the person or group or collective. It is this transcendent Source that a developed Soul or ripened Soul must seek, possess, and serve this vaster Being and Consciousness to which the service to the race and the individual are minor terms of its existence and inferior activities. The greatest service to humanity, the surest foundation for its true progress, happiness and perfection is to prepare or find the way by which the individual and collective man can transcend the ego and live in its true Self and help mankind to possess higher Consciousness and supreme Reality. The individual will no longer bound to cruel phenomena of incapacity, disharmony, insistent suffering and baffled by evil and ignorance which seem to be the natural circumstance of a difficult evolution in Ignorance; for all grief, revolt,³³ impatience, wrong will, trouble are identified as limitation of ego, outcome of relative consciousness and violence committed against the Will of the Divine Master. When the Truth Force possesses the mind, life and body of a developed Soul, then there cannot stay alive any trouble, grief, disharmony and disturbance of untransformed Nature and there survives the permanent vibration of Harmony, of Order and of Divine unity. Or in the language of the Gita , in that established exceeding Bliss Consciousness, a developed or ripened Soul ‘is not shaken by the most violent or the fieriest assault of mental grief, na duhkhena gurunapi vichalyate .’³⁰ To live in absolute calm, peace, silence and equality during a period of extreme adversity is the sign of true Spiritual living and he can draw the right and full profit from life. The emergence of mind in life brings in evolution an increase of the immense range of its capacity followed by an immense trail of constant error. The mental man thinks and acts for a long period within the range of his limited consciousness and individual ego because a rapid development of Truth-consciousness is not the intention of Mother Nature. He can give real service if the intellect must consent to pass out of the bounds of finite logic and accustom itself to the logic of the Infinite which enforces on the reason an utmost plasticity and opens it to an awareness of the larger state of possibilities. Thus, intellectual understanding is replaced with Spiritual Intuition which is more vast, subtle and complex in its operation and the change of Nature is assisted by the plastic power of adaptation of things and sure faultless action. So, our imperfect mental intelligence must learn the difficult lesson to approach the Absolute not by exclusive logical oppositions but by a profound catholic Intuition. As we pass from the necessary stage of transition of mental to Spiritual, a subtle wideness of increasing intensity of Light, of Power, of Peace and of Ecstasy marks our passing out of limitation. A Spiritual man accepts all creatures as his own Self in many minds, vitals and bodies. His world vision includes perfect Spiritual knowledge and understanding not only of all our internal activities but all the unrolling of things, events, human, animal, and natural activities around us. His Spiritual realisation, Spiritual mastery and Spiritual influence preoccupy him in acceptance of the world truths, the world energies, the world tendencies and the world purposes as its own and he bears all suffering so that all things must turn into the ecstasy of Ananda . The subliminal inner being widens indefinitely and breaks the boundaries of individuality to enter cosmic Consciousness, which is the merger of ego into the world being. Its natural outcome is a greater feeling of oneness with other beings, entire openness to universal Energy, intimately aware of the play of the cosmic forces, total liberation of Soul, mind, heart and individual action would be bound by nothing other than the Divine Wisdom and Will and casting them all into Cosmic Self and Divine Reality. Beyond this Himalayan height and Oceanic largeness there opens only the Supramental vistas of incommunicable Transcendences. The Supramental man lives and acts in cosmic Consciousness founded upon the knowledge by Identity, which covers all the earth and all that lies behind and beyond in other planes of Consciousness and hence the power and knowledge at his disposal would be much greater than the power and knowledge of mental man. His Influence spreads in earth’s atmosphere as dynamisation of universal Order, great Harmony and the sense of Oneness of all existence. He becomes Godhead in man and is aware of his true integral Self and Divine universality of his action in Consciousness is similar to the strong and steady Sunlight that securely illumines the whole kingdom of his thought, feeling, action and will and he serves the earth from above. The whole world is held within his Cosmic Consciousness and his intimate inclusion is aided in the movement of world activity. His universal Nature is like Vasishtha’s cow of plenty, Kamadhenu, from whose udder all mankind can draw its need and fulfill its deficiency. The relatively easier task or difficult task of a Supramental man²⁸ is permanent ascent of Consciousness to highest Sachchidananda state; his more difficult task is permanent descent of highest Sachchidananda Consciousness to physical life and earth and liberating the material vessel from the influence of tamasic, rajasic and sattwic mind; his most difficult task is the penetration of this highest Consciousness to triple time extending from beginning of the creation of Subconscient plane to the period of complete Divinisation of earth life in Superconscient plane, known as All Life. Or the Consciousness of dynamic Spirit moves backward to the past of this birth and past births in order to illumine the Subconscient obscurity and Consciousness of dynamic Spirit moves forward to call down Divine energies and manifesting action of thousand year ahead from Superconscient plane. The eternal Self within us has thrown itself out as the adventurer in Time and Space, limiting itself to the flow of dynamic movements in the succession of moments of seeking and divisibility of an objective field of substance so that they may win back again from imperfect and developing awareness, the infinite possibilities of lost Self-knowledge and All-knowledge. The right and ideal relation of the individual with the Time is ‘soul’s climbing beyond mortal time’¹⁰ in order to bring down Timeless Eternal into the slipping moments or to link Time’s second to infinity by endless descent of Divine force or the moments stretched into eternity, failing which gives birth to the wrong mental relation resulting in impatience and appearance of a continuous succession of moments of being in an eternal Time. Similarly, the right relation of the individual with Space or the small span of life and surroundings to which we are mentally and sensationally conscious is to call down God’s Spaceless Omnipotence into fragmented atmosphere or ‘lost in the depths of its own solitude’⁹ and recalls the Soul’s adventure into Space, failing which gives birth to wrong relation resulting in incapacity. So a true law of living must be evolved which can help us soonest to get back to the Self-knowledge which experiences Conscious Being subjectively as Time whose fundamental truth is the eternity of the Eternal and objectively as Space whose fundamental truth is the infinity of the Infinite or self-conceptive extension of one Being; where former is the mobile self-extension of passing a succession of moments in which the mind experiences itself at a certain point whence it looks back and ahead and the latter is only a coexistence of things or a static self-extension measured out by mind through divisibility of substance and all things stand or move together in a fixed order. ³⁵ Those who are rightly related with time and rightly related with the surrounding space can alone assist in the Divine work. Time-Space as a whole is eternal in its essential power of manifestation in which there is a movement of Consciousness and Spiritual Existence displaying the field of movement of its Conscious-Force to new create and manifest things and happenings and must therefore be temporary in their appearance on the surface. Each state of Consciousness has its own Time and Space and they change with the change of Consciousness. Space is a property of Matter which is a creation of Energy in movement. Time is a dimension of Space for the complete action of this Energy. To relate rightly, steadily and wholly of the entire extension of the conceptual Reality of Time and Space is not practicable by limited mental consciousness but is possible in Timeless and Spaceless static self-aware Supramental Consciousness that comprehends all things in dynamic Knowledge and governs their objective manifestation in indivisible Space and triple Time. To truly understand the significance of Space and Time, Consciousness must pass beyond the finite reason and the finite sense to a larger Spiritual sense. In Supermind, the continuously momentary conscious being of Time and divisibility of Space are annulled and the burden of Time³⁷ and Space disappears completely in the coexistent inner tranquil immobility and infinite immobile mobility and things become vast, calm, luminous, self-existent, immense and full of joy. The Divine Centres consisting of a few collective Souls all over the world can grow when an individual or a group enters sufficiently strong direct Divine descent from a higher plane and utilise that Influence initially as the transformation of his whole nature and finally become a centre of world transformation. Firstly, there will be prolonged, tedious and painful period of preparation, sincere practice and purification of all our Being and Nature till it is ready and fit for opening towards secret inmost Soul, the Psychic being in the heart or opening of Spiritual being above the head, a Divine Influence and Presence; secondly, all the conflicting members and elements of his personality consent to bear the difficult and exacting process of transformation and it would not be easy to arrive at a complete change in one life while still enclosed in the limitation of the lower nature; lastly, the ‘hardest of all’¹⁴ is the invisible occult war and struggle he has to carry through against the universal dark forces attached in their root nature to ignorance, to misuse of force, to perversity of delight and to present unstable creation when he seeks ‘to make the final Supramental conversion and reversal of Consciousness by which the Divine Truth must be established’¹⁴ on the earth’s atmosphere in all its plentitude. He must grow aware of the interventions, suggestions and impulsions of cosmic forces that oppose the increase of harmony, truth and good and have disguised themselves as the original movement of his own mind and life and wage battle against them. He must realise himself as an illumined virgin mould and embodied Soul through which ‘Formless shines’¹⁵ and cosmic Nature seeks to fulfill itself and emerges out of the powers of universal Nature antagonist to the Light of Knowledge. A new Heaven on earth could descend; a world of Supramental Light could be created in the midst of receding darkness of this terrestrial existence by stilling or transcending the temporal activity of our conscious mind. In the Supramental Era, or entry into the silence of conscious Eternity, Satya Yuga, Unity, Universality, Perfection, Harmony, Freedom and Truth of order would be the Consciousness of the race. There, Life would repose on a realisation of great varieties; Love would be all-inclusive, motiveless, a union of Soul with Soul and a joy of identity; Justice would be absolutely secured by opulent management and spontaneous action of being in harmony with the truth of things; Law of Supermind is unity fulfilled in diversity, a complete dynamism of return to his own potentialities; it would be self-existent and spontaneous in their self-fulfillment, an inevitable self-development of the truth of thing and the process of innate Knowledge, a Knowledge inherent in existence so as to allow progression and its motion is directed towards a Divinely foreseen goal; Equality would be consistent with hierarchy and perfect difference; artificial standards and rigid standardisation would be replaced by infinitely plastic harmonious principle and free automatic perception of right relations and their inevitable execution of truth of idea, action and creation. So an Ashram is a Spiritual Centre, where a developed Soul or a group of developed Souls is preoccupied with reconciling the perfect Spirit with imperfect Matter after one goes through a long formative period of Sadhana in which his Spiritual foundation of Divine union is established. Thus he pours out on his surrounding earth ‘the delight of His being and the glories of His godhead’¹² and he must not live ‘bound in the slow collective evolution’¹³ of the Divine Centre but to pursue, find, know and possess the Eternal through swift individual Spiritual evolution. The relationship between one community and the other would assure harmonious diversity, mutuality and oneness. There would be considerable free diversity in the self-expression of the individuals of a single community and between different Gnostic communities which would create their own body of the life of the Spirit. The greatest richness of diversity and liberty of self-expression based on an underlying oneness and stability in utmost mutability are the law of the Supramental perfected community³² and there the perfected individual’s Self-expression and Self-realisation need not be a long white monotone. He would not be cast according to a single moulded fixed pattern of personality or insist on the sameness of action or fixed law in all circumstances or subordinate himself to mass consciousness, but there would be the union of freedom, order of conscious unity, universality, integral self-awareness, plasticity, infinite variation and harmonious diversity of action and expression of the collective life in its manifestation of Gnostic Consciousness. This Gnostic community will ensure a luminous integral unity with its greatest completeness in the everyday life of Gnostic beings, and it will also ensure and impose similar dominating concord, right relation and order upon the life of surrounding ignorant mundane communities within the boundary of certain limitations. It will surely admit within its border as much of human life as is turned towards Spirituality, a dominant principle of harmony would impose itself on the life of Ignorance, leaving the rest to function freely on the lame movement of mind and mental self-sufficiency of old foundation. OM TAT SAT References: 1: The Gita-5.25, 12.4, 2: The Gita-11.55, 3: The Gita-3.31, 4: The Gita-16.11, 5: The Isha Upanishad-1, 6: The Isha Upanishad-2, 7: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-517, 8: CWSA-21/The Life Divine/p-80 9: Savitri-411, 10: Savitri-461, 11: The Gita-3.26, 12: CWSA-22/The Life Divine/p-668, 13: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-359, 14: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-133, 15: “The virgin forms through which the Formless shines,” Savitri-327, 16: The Gita-4.23, 17: Savitri-317, 18: “He mastered the tides of Nature with a look:” Savitri-219, 19: “A last and mightiest transformation came.” Savitri-318, "The world’s darkness had consented to Heaven-light And God needed no more the Inconscient’s screen. A mighty transformation came on her." Savitri-664 20: Savitri-571, 21: The Gita-12.8, 22: CWSA-21/The Life Divine/p-183, 23: “There are two types of liberated Souls. The first type of liberated Soul, ‘may be content with a subtle and limited action within the old human surroundings which will in no way seek to change their outward appearance.’ The second type of liberated Soul who ‘will not only alter the forms and sphere of its own external life but, leaving nothing around it unchanged or unaffected, create a new world or a new order.’ Ashram is a place of stay of the second type of liberated Souls.” CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-268, “For as the progression of the change proceeded, the energy of the liberated individual would be no longer the limited energy of mind, life and body, with which it started; the being would emerge into and put on — even as there would emerge in him and descend into him, assuming him into it — a greater light of Consciousness and a greater action of Force: his natural existence would be the instrumentation of a superior Power, an overmental and supramental Consciousness- Force, the power of the original Divine Shakti. ” CWSA-22/The Life Divine/p-961, “The last or highest emergence is the liberated man who has realised the Self and Spirit within him, entered into the cosmic consciousness, passed into union with the Eternal and, so far as he still accepts life and action, acts by the light and energy of the Power within him working through his human instruments of Nature. ” CWSA-22-The Life Divine/p-915, “But it is possible to go farther; for the spiritual being, once inwardly liberated, can develop in mind the higher states of being that are its own natural atmosphere and bring down a supramental energy and action which are proper to the Truth-consciousness; the ordinary mental instrumentation, life- instrumentation, physical instrumentation even, could then be entirely transformed and become parts no longer of an ignorance however much illumined, but of a supramental creation which would be the true action of a spiritual truth-consciousness and knowledge.” CWSA-22/The Life Divine/p-888, "All the action of the perfected soul will be even such a constant divine giving (Dana) of itself and its powers, an outflowing of the knowledge, light, strength, love, joy, helpful shakti which it possesses in the Divine and by his influence and effluence on all around it according to their capacity of reception or on all this world and its creatures. That will be the complete result of the complete self-giving of the soul to the Master of our existence." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-490-491, 24: “The obstacle which the physical presents to the spiritual is no argument for the rejection of the physical; for in the unseen providence of things our greatest difficulties are our best opportunities.” CWSA/23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-11, 25: The Gita-6.31, 26: Isha Upanishada-7, 27: The Gita-5.19, 28: “Ordinarily the supramental knowledge will be organised first and with the most ease in the processes of pure thought and knowledge, jnana , because here the human mind has already the upward tendency and is the most free. Next and with less ease it will be organised in the processes of applied thought and knowledge because there the mind of man is at once most active and most bound and wedded to its inferior methods. The last and most difficult conquest, because this is now to his mind a field of conjecture or a blank, will be the knowledge of the three times, trikaladristi. ” CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-839, 29: Savitri-215, 30: The Gita-6.22, 31: “Our spirit’s truth lives in the naked self” Savitri-543, “The Spirit’s bare and absolute potencies Burn in the solitude of the thoughts of God.” Savitri-57, “He met with his bare spirit naked Hell.” Savitri-219, 32: “A perfected community also can exist only by the perfection of its individuals, and perfection can come only by the discovery and affirmation in life by each of his own spiritual being and the discovery by all of their spiritual unity and a resultant life unity.” CWSA-22/The Life Divine/p-1087-1088, “To be occupied with the good of all beings, to make the joy and grief of others one’s own has been described as a sign of the liberated and fulfilled spiritual man.” CWSA-22/The Life Divine/p-1011, 33: “The buddhi dwelling always in this master idea must discourage all its own lesser insistences and preferences and teach the whole being that the ego whether it puts forth its claim through the reason, the personal will, the heart or the desire-soul in the prana, has no just claim of any kind and all grief, revolt, impatience, trouble is a violence against the Master of the being .” CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-723, “Revolt and impatience mean always that there is a part of the being or something in the being which does not submit, has not given itself to God, but insists on God going out of his way to obey it. That may be very well in the Bhakti-marga , but it will not do on this Way. The revolt and impatience may come and will come in the heart or the prana when these are still subject to imperfection and impurity; but it is then for the will and the faith in your buddhi to reject them, not to act upon them. If the will consents, approves and supports them, it means that you are siding with the inner enemy. If you want rapid progress, the first condition is that you should not do this; for every time you do it, the enemy is strengthened and the shuddhi postponed.” CWSA-36/Autobiographical Notes/p-229, 34: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-38-40, 35: “This development and progress of the world according to an original truth of its own being implies a succession of Time, a relation in Space and a regulated interaction of related things in Space to which the succession of Time gives the aspect of Causality. Time and Space, according to the metaphysician, have only a conceptual and not a real existence; but since all things and not these only are forms assumed by Conscious-Being in its own consciousness, the distinction is of no great importance. Time and Space are that one Conscious-Being viewing itself in extension, subjectively as Time, objectively as Space. Our mental view of these two categories is determined by the idea of measure which is inherent in the action of the analytical, dividing movement of Mind. Time is for the Mind a mobile extension measured out by the succession of the past, present and future in which Mind places itself at a certain standpoint whence it looks before and after . Space is a stable extension measured out by divisibility of substance ; at a certain point in that divisible extension Mind places itself and regards the disposition of substance around it.” CWSA-21/The Life Divine/p-142-143, “Sri Aurobindo says time is an unbroken succession of ‘moments’” The Mother/30th March/1963/The Mother’s Agenda-4/102, " Man, still a child in Nature’s mighty hands, In the succession of the moments lives; To a changing present is his narrow right; His memory stares back at a phantom past, The future flees before him as he moves; He sees imagined garments, not a face." Savitri-53 36: "I have such an absolute certitude that the Wisdom that acts in the world is infinitely superior to all that we can imagine. We are like ignorant and stupid children in front of "something" that acts with a CERTITUDE, and so luminous, so luminous. With a superharmony that turns into harmony the things that seem to us the most discordant ." The Mother's Agenda/November 14, 1964, 37: "The path is difficult. And yet this body is full of good will; it is filled with the psychic in every one of its cells. It’s like a child. The other day, it cried out quite spontaneously, ‘O my Sweet Lord, give me the time to realize You! ’ It did not ask to hasten the process, it did not ask to lighten its work; it only asked for enough TIME to do the work. ‘Give me the time!’" The Mother's Agenda-May 19, 1959, Download this WEB PAGE as a PDF file INTEGRAL KARMA YOGA "It (Supramental Action) will proceed by a spontaneous outflowing from the summits in the totality of an illumined and uplifted being, will and knowledge and not by the selected, calculated and standardised action which is all that the intellectual reason or ethical will can achieve. Its (Supramental Action's) sole aim will be (1) the expression of the divine in us and (2) the keeping together of the world and (3) its progress towards the Manifestation that is to be ...It will be an action not bound by the dualities but full and large in the spirit’s impartial joy of existence. The happy and inspired movement of a divine Power and Wisdom guiding and impelling us will replace the perplexities and stumblings of the suffering and ignorant ego." Sri Aurobindo CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-206, INTEGRAL JNANA YOGA "The goal of Yoga is always hard to reach, but this one (integral Yoga) is more difficult than any other, and it is only for those who have the call, the capacity, the willingness to face everything and every risk, even the risk of failure, and the will to progress towards an entire selflessness, desirelessness and surrender." Sri Aurobindo CWSA-29/Letters on Yoga-27 INTEGRAL BHAKTI YOGA "The supramental love means an intense unity of soul with soul, mind with mind, life with life, and an entire flooding of the body consciousness with the physical experience of oneness, the presence of the Beloved in every part, in every cell of the body... With the supramental change, the very thing on which you insist, the possibility of the free physical meeting of the embodied Divine with the sadhak without conflict of forces and without undesirable reactions becomes possible, assured and free." Sri Aurobindo CWSA-29/Letters on Yoga-II/p-482-483 “The Asram has nothing to do with Hindu religion or culture or any religion or nationality. The Truth of the Divine which is the spiritual reality behind all religions and the descent of the supramental which is not known to any religion are the sole things which will be the foundation of the work of the future.” Sri Aurobindo CWSA-35/Letters on Himself and the Ashram/p-701 “Man, too, becomes perfect only when he has found within himself that absolute calm and passivity of the Brahman and supports by it with the same divine tolerance and the same divine bliss a free and inexhaustible activity. Those who have thus possessed the Calm within can perceive always welling out from its silence the perennial supply of the energies that work in the universe. It is not, therefore, the truth of the Silence to say that it is in its nature a rejection of the cosmic activity. The apparent incompatibility of the two states is an error of the limited Mind which, accustomed to trenchant oppositions of affirmation and denial and passing suddenly from one pole to the other, is unable to conceive of a comprehensive consciousness vast and strong enough to include both in a simultaneous embrace. The Silence does not reject the world; it sustains it. Or rather it supports with an equal impartiality the activity and the withdrawal from the activity and approves also the reconciliation by which the soul remains free and still even while it lends itself to all action.” Sri Aurobindo CWSA/21/The Life Divine/p-31 “To be occupied with the good of all beings, to make the joy and grief of others one’s own has been described as a sign of the liberated and fulfilled spiritual man.” Sri Aurobindo CWSA/22/The Life Divine/p-1011,

The Education in Detail “An Integral Education which could, with some variations, be adapted to all the nations of the world, must bring back the legitimate authority of the Spirit over a matter fully developed and utilised.”¹ The Mother “The ascent of the human soul to the supreme Spirit is that soul’s highest aim and necessity, for that is the supreme reality; but there can be too the descent of the Spirit and its powers into the world and that would justify the existence of the material world also, give a meaning, a divine purpose to the creation and solve its riddle. East and West could be reconciled in the pursuit of the highest and largest ideal, Spirit embrace Matter and Matter find its own true reality and the hidden Reality in all things in the Spirit.”² Sri Aurobindo The sacred institution of Integral Education is missioned to bridge the gulf and sharp division between the two extreme ends of existence, the Matter and the Spirit which begins step by step obscurely and ignorantly, continues through diversity and exclusiveness and culminates in an immense educational movement through inalienable unity, constant luminous reconciliation and triumphant harmony. It recognises this mutable mechanical unintelligent bodily substance as the noble and fit material to inhabit the immutable and imperishable Spirit and the Soul; they are reconciled with each other either by the objectively subjective method of critical analysis, organisation and observation applied to Life, Mind and Matter through knowledge by projection, confrontation and apprehension or by the subjectively objective method of synthesis, truth discerning vision and illumination applied to Psychic, Spiritual and Supramental Self through Knowledge by identity, harmony and comprehension and arrives at the repose of the ultimate Oneness without denying the manifestation of the vivid multiplicity. Objectively Subjective method of Education proceeds separately from all multiple things to resultant unity and arrives at the knowledge of the Self and the Universe through the activation of pure Reason, Intellect and Mind. The subjectively Objective method of Education proceeds from essential oneness to resultant multiplicity and arrives at the Knowledge of the Self and Universe through pacification of mind and the activation of Silence and Intuitive faculty of the triple Soul. Only by complete and catholic affirmation of both the method of Education known as Integral Education can all the multiform and apparently contradictory facts of existence be harmonised and Mind with its effort and the endeavour and the Soul with its spontaneity and the way of infinite enlargement will discover the true centre or the Central Truth, and Education will know its aim of objective and subjective self-fulfillment through apprehensive and comprehensive knowledge and integral human existence through infinite unity and serves the life with a serene and settled joy and light with rhythmically coherent Divine Shakti to support the growth of a diversified individuality. The first object of Integral Education is the discovery of its true centre which should be neither achievements, nor fame, nor success, nor power, nor material opulence, nor morality, nor separative ego, nor attachment to mutable form. So the true centre of education must be always identified as the dynamic Soul, the Psychic being in the heart, the need of its growth and experience, its aspiration towards possession of pure power of Light, Love, Wisdom, Joy, Beauty and Harmony and elimination of all imperfection. All that helps this Soul growth, Mental, Vital and Physical Education are identified as its accessory²⁴ or a subsidiary helpful process; by the pressure of Soul force these modern learning materials are lifted out of their limitations and carried more swiftly and profoundly to discover their Mighty Source, Subtle Mental, Subtle Vital and Subtle Physical Education; they subsequently are drawn towards the supreme Light in Knowledge, integral Completeness and their detailed and yet undreamed potentialities. The second object of Integral Education is the discovery of its second centre or second Soul, which is not a high intellectual notion of truth and right, not idealism, not altruistic eagerness, not an ethical turn of mind, nor moral purity and austerity, not religiosity or an exalted emotional fervour, not even a compound of all these excellent things, not an emotional aspiration and fulfilment, not a regulation of conduct according to religious and ethical formula. It is the discovery of the Spiritual Self above the head, a vast static and silent Self, enters into contact with greater immutable Reality beyond and pervading the universe; it is also a turning, conversion and transformation of our whole being through a large dynamic descent of Divine Light, Love, Knowledge, Power, Bliss or other supernormal affirmative Energies into untransformed Nature. This Spiritual Self uncovers the passage to Cosmic Consciousness where the Matter is real to the Spirit and Spirit is real to the Matter and both find their true reconciliation through enlargement and universalisation of Subtle Mental, Subtle Vital and Subtle Physical Sheaths. After the prolonged movements between the above two Selves, the third object of Integral Education is traced by the discovery of its third centre or third Soul, the discovery of a Supramental Self, Vijnanamaya Purusha , the limitless Consciousness in which the individual, the Cosmic and the Transcendent live eternally in each other; it has come for the adventure of the Soul lapsing into Inconscience and emerging out of its darkness and this adventure proceeds to capture all other sheaths without disturbing the poise which is kept firm from the summit of Consciousness to its base; the experiencing Consciousness must preserve a calm balance, supreme harmony and a high Spiritual positivism. The fourth aim of Education is concentrated around a centre of Infinity that must be all-inclusive perfection directed to resolve all the problems of existence including the ultimate, lasting and permanent solutions and utilise the Psychic, Spiritual and Supramental Education towards the transformation of human collectivity and a journey towards the discovery of the source of Ananda from which this whole creation is originated. And the last aim of integral Education is the perfect self-expression of the Spirit in the material life of our terrestrial existence by purifying, perfecting and transforming the nether dark worlds through Subconscient and Inconscient Education or restoration of all-perfection of Sachchidananda Consciousness in the whole of humanity through activation of Subconscient and Inconscient Self. Integral Education considers this life as 'a field of manifestation in which there is a progressive evolution of the soul and the nature in Matter'²⁵ which culminates in 'the complete revelation of Sachchidananda in life.'²⁵ The Main Formula of Integral Education: The literal meaning of Integral Education is the Concentration on the total Consciousness of the Eternal. Its main formula and its successive bifurcations are derived from the main formula of integral Yoga. They are as follows:- 1) All Life is Education. Or ‘All Time of All Life is a continuous uninterrupted Education’ of which ‘this Time of this whole life’ is a very small fragment of Integral Education. This whole external ordinary life is a very small part of vast inner living. This inner life is connected through a subtle link of union with our unnumbered past and future bodies and births, which is defined as All Life and the Timeless Spirit in us has thrown itself into All Life as the adventurer in Time to uncover self-knowledge and integral knowledge. Education is defined as the developmental urge discovered by the Mother-nature through many-sided purposeful efforts in Ignorance and spontaneous leap action by Shakti in Knowledge to arrive at apprehensive Knowledge, Prajnana and comprehensive Knowledge, Vijnana . It begins with limited separative exclusive awareness and ends with integral awareness of integral knowledge. True education means to purify, expand and perfect the constitution of subtle physical, subtle vital and subtle mental which constitute our inner life which is again veiled by outward appearance of phenomenal Education of training the surface mind, vital and body. 2) All Education is a synthesis of all developmental methods discovered by the Mother-nature through age-long many-fold effort of Science, Arts, Religion, Ethics, Occultism, Spiritual thought and Spiritual experiences and lifts them out of their existing limitations. They draw all their new discoveries and inventions from the ‘secret Supermind’s huge store.’²⁰ The evolutionary endeavour of Nature has experimented on all lines and attempted every possible way in order to discover her primary education of enlarging the bound of surface knowledge, deeper and larger teachings of true inner education and the out bringing of the widest, the most powerful and the highest boundary of whole education which are combined as Integral Education. 3) All methods of Education are the synthesis of dispensable and indispensable self-discipline. Education cannot confine itself to the dispensable method of an outwardly acquired and learned knowledge of the existence or exclusively preoccupied with its immeasurable outlook on the world and uncovering the secrets of the material worlds, but an unveiling and revelation of an inward and upward self-unfolding and would awake to an indispensable awareness of Self’s vast in look, (1) a clear and complete knowledge of the multiple Selves and triple time, (2) a direct knowledge of others, surrounding world and extreme complexity of untransformed Nature, (3) a direct knowledge of hidden and mysterious dark forces of Nature and (4) a direct knowledge of the occult mechanism of mind, life and matter, which are beyond our present immediate attainment. 4) The methods by which the largest time saving development in the shortest possible path can be pursued are identified as indispensable self-disciplines of Integral Education which are Psychic, Spiritual and Supramental Education, responsible for evolving the capacity in man to become the (1) master of himself or opening towards his multiple Selves, (2) master of the hierarchies of ascending and descending Consciousness, (3) master of the energies of Nature, (4) master of his instrumentation of mind, life and matter. These indispensable self-disciplines are subordinated by all other lines of developmental urge of Nature, identified as Psycho-physical discipline, which is further fragmented as Physical, Vital and Mental Education; its utmost mission is to educate the obscure consciousness emerged out of the dark prison of Matter, to overcome and control life and matter, to enlighten the dull inertia, blind instincts and vague perceptions till it shall be capable of opening towards higher Light. The last perfection of mental, vital and physical education can come by opening to something beyond which is key of his completeness. When the dispensable self-discipline of education learns consciously to become the subordinate of the indispensable self-discipline, then the essential and comprehensive truth of the Integral education is known and not at all ignored. 5) All the dispensable self-discipline or objectively subjective approach towards education is defined as development of higher or highest faculties through the formulation of lower mental methods of ‘educate thyself’ and its indispensability is felt till the higher methods or Soul’s methods of ‘know thyself’ are evolved and it asks indispensable presence and help of physical guide. Mind has the capacity to enter large effort to gain small result and even if with this struggle to limit the action of our capacities and even then uses with a much less sure rapidity, the intelligent will is treated as our first conceptive potentiality, main force of effectuation and the highest available faculty at our immediate disposal and to fully utilise the mental faculty of exclusive concentration for purification is identified as the best beginning and sure promise of integral emergence of an underlying truth which is an uncovering of higher faculties other than mind, acquisition of scientifically minute knowledge and scrupulous accuracy through a long culture of intellect. 6) The need of Integral Education is felt primarily to enlarge our knowledge of the World, Self and God and extend our Mental, Vital, Physical and Spiritual existence; secondarily reconcile, integrate, transform and perfect them; where the former is enforced on each student of Integral Education in order to make him fit to enter the mainstream of life and world and the latter is a special opportunity of voluntary choice among the privileged few. 7) As Integral Education is the utilitarian aspect of Integral Yoga, Integral Evolution, Mediatrix Shakti and Absolute Shakti; so, all developmental aspect of the former will draw its strength, innovation, inspiration, expansion and guidance from the latter. Education has its roots in Yoga; Yoga has its roots in Evolution of Nature; Evolution has its roots in Consciousness; Consciousness has its roots in Shakti; Shakti has its roots in Chit or Sachchidananda . What Sri Aurobindo stated in the Principal Shastra , The Synthesis of Yoga for a Sadhaka in terms integral Yoga and strong declaration that ‘All Life is Yoga’ (through consecration), the same thing He restated with greater precision, force and enlargement in the complementary Shastra , The Life Divine for mere men or all humanity in terms Integral Evolution, hence we can discover it as the book of ‘The Synthesis of Evolution’ and He asks all humanity to train the mind towards the realisation of the mantra ‘All Life is Evolution’ (of Consciousness). The same objective He restated in the complementary Shastra , ‘The Mother ’ book for Her all children in terms of Mediatrix Shakti where all the four intermediate Spiritual Powers and Personalities of the Mediatrix Mother are synthesised to which we can discover it as the book of ‘The Synthesis of (four) Overmental Shakti ’ whose mantra is ‘All life is the possession of the Truth and the Divine Shakti’ (through the increase of faith, Sraddha , and Truth Power that rejects, destroys and transforms falsehood). The same objective He restated again with greatest intensity and vividness in the complementary Shastra, Savitri for swiftest Spiritual evolution of Her dearest children or Integral Yogis in terms of absolute or virgin Mother Power, Maya , to which we can discover it as the book of ‘The Synthesis of four¹⁹ Supramental Mother Power, Maya ’ and Her mantra is ‘All life is possession of Virginity and Supramental Maya’ (through intensification of purifying and all-embracing Divine Love that rejects, destroys and transforms the limitation of human love). So now the method of Education is to be restated in the form of a profound developmental urge of learning for all students from above four books in terms of Integral Education along with the mantra ‘All Life is Education’³ (through the practice of concentration, samyama ) and the evolution of the new written truth can be restated as ‘The Synthesis of Education .’ Thus, one strives after truth and perfection that 'are constantly endeavouring to embody in new statements of the science and art of the inner and outer life, a new Shastra .'²⁶ Now it is time to intensify education through four powers of the Mother-nature that of the integral Yoga, integral Evolution, integral Truth and integral Virginity, not limiting oneself to physical virginity alone and welding them strongly to the One, the Divine, the Sachchidananda who stands above as the Lord of Yoga, the Lord of Evolution, the Lord of Truth Power, Shakti and the Lord of absolute Virgin Power, Chit Shakti and also the Lord of Integral Education. A student of Integral Education will be at once a seeker of Integral Yoga, Integral Evolution, Integral Truth and Comprehensive Virginity extending over multiple subtle bodies in addition to his surface training of mind, vital and body. He will be aware of a Supramental world whose advent will be foreseen when earth life will be the playfield of more and more ‘superior human and invisible beings’¹⁷ hinted in Savitri as ‘Omnipotent’s flaming pioneers,’⁵ ‘mighty wardens,’²¹ ‘The sun-eyed children,’⁵ ‘radiant children of Eternity,’⁴ ‘princes of the Sun,’¹² ‘garbless deity,’⁶ ‘golden child,’⁷ ‘King-children,’¹⁵ ‘nude god-children,’¹⁸ ‘The heroic leaders of coming time,’¹⁵ ‘The Infants of the Monarchy of the worlds,’¹⁵ ‘Nameless the austere ascetics without home’¹⁵ ‘sunlight moulded like a golden maid,’⁸ ‘high-bred maiden,’⁹ ‘golden bride,’¹⁰ ‘the eternal bride,’¹¹ ‘golden virgin,’¹⁶ ‘virgin bridals of the dawn,’¹² and the ‘citizens of that mother state.’¹³ 8) The superiority of one educational institution from another (or one individual from another) can be discerned by the degree of truth and knowledge they have worked out from world falsehood and world Ignorance and the perfect institution²² (or the most conscious individual) always suffers least corruption in its mind and heart and that is possible when the Mother Nature’s four Evolutionary energy that of Yogic Power, Consciousness Power, Truth Power and Virgin Power are perfectly reconciled. An uncorrupted individual²³ and institution always reject falsehood from within by silencing and purifying the three Gunas and reject falsehood from without which diminishes and lowers the frontal distorted consciousness or wages a constant outer war against adharma . OM TAT SAT References: 1: The Mother’s Centenary Works/Vol-13/p-361, , 2: CWSA-36/Autobiographical Notes/p-553, 3: “Auroville will be the place of an unending education, of constant progress, and a youth that never ages.” The Mother’s Agenda-07.02.1968, 4: “The radiant children of Eternity dwell” Savitri-282, 5: Savitri-343, 6: Savitri-430, 7: Savitri-76, 8: Savitri-400, 9: Savitri-496, 10: Savitri-718, 11: Savitri-666, 12: Savitri-401, 13: Savitri-262, 14: “A seeker of truth, jijnasu , after many births of preparation, purification of impurity and sin, endeavouring with sincerity becomes a Yogi and attains the highest goal... After many births of preparation, a Jnana Yogi with strong foundation of Karma and Bhakti Yog a, attains My Purushottama or Supramental state of Consciousness. He also realises the intermediate stair that all this existence is Divine, the Cosmic Consciousness, Vasudeva sarvamiti . Such great Soul or integral Yogi is very rare.” The Gita-6.45/7.19, 15: CWSA-34/Savitri-382, 266, 16: CWSA-34/Savitri-384, 17: The Gita defines developed Souls in different terminologies of Dvija, Dvijottam (the best among the twice born), Yantra, Vibhuti, Avatara, Panditah, Sthita Prajna, Buddha, Maharsi, Debarsi, Siddhanam, Suhridam, Sadhunam, Sraddhavan, Jnanaban, Jnani, Jnaninah, nitya Sannyasi, Tyagi, Brahmachari, Munirbrahma, Muneh, Mumuksubhih, Yoginah, Tattva-darsinah, Tattvavit, Jitendriya, Visuddhatma, Dhira, Putah, Sthirabuddhi, Yatinam, Suhrud, Jitatmana, Triptatma, Prasantatma, Vijitatma, Asammudhah, Samyami, Bhakta rajarsayah, Brahmavid, Mahatma, Kshina-kalmasah, Krishna-vit, Dharmatma, Brahmavadinam, Mokshakankhivih, Atiba-priya Bhakta. Among the masculine personalities it has identified Janaka ( A famous King and Sage and the Father of Mother Sita), Vivasvan (the Sun-God), Ikshavaku (head of the Solar line and the first king of solar race), Vrigu (son of Varuna , regarded as one of the Rishis in the Veda), Ushana (a Vibhuti among seer-poets), Kapila Muni (traditional founder and chief exponent of Sankhya system of philosophy), Narada (the heavenly sage who stands for Divine Love and Knowledge), Manu (mythological Father of mankind), Asita (name of the Vedic Seer), Devala (the name of the Vedic Seer), Vyasa (compiler of the Vedas and the author of the Mahabharata and the Gita), Sanaka (son of the creator God, Brahma), Prahllada (son of an Asura King Hiranyakasipu and true devotee of Lord Vishnu), Arjuna (one of the five Pandavas, very dear to the external manifestation of Godhead, the best among the twice born Souls, Instruments and Emanations), Sanjaya, (Dhritarashtra’s minister who was endowed with the power of celestial vision) and Lord Sri Krishna (son of Devaki, Godhead and the Lord of Ananda , one of the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu) as developed Souls. Among the feminine personalities, it has identified Kirti, Sree, Vak or Vani, Smriti, Medha, Dhriti and Kshama as developed Souls. They are unattached to outward touches for their happiness and are ever satisfied with themselves through inner contact with the Soul, nitya-trupto nirasrayah. Similarly, they can use but do not depend on external aid for their Spiritual fulfillment. The traditional Yoga of the Gita proposes that a developed Soul is free from seven deformations, vicaras, that of liking and disliking, iccha, dvesah, pleasure and pain, sukham, dukham, subjection to lower consciousness, chetana , place together truth and falsehood, sanghatah , tamasic and rajasic persistence, dhriti. Integral Yoga proposes that a developed Soul or adult Soul is free from seven deformations, vicaras that of (1) hatred, (2) disliking, (3) scorn, (4) repulsion, (5) clinging, (6) attachment and (7) preference. 18: Savitri-126, 19: Four Supramental Mother Powers are Truth supreme, Power supreme, Supreme Delight and Will supreme, 20: Savitri-187, 21: “The mighty wardens of the ascending stair” Savitri-265, 22: “Organisations, however vast and complete they may be, can achieve nothing permanent unless a new force, more divine and all-powerful, expresses itself through a perfected human instrument.” TMCW-14/Words of The Mother-II/p-277, “No material organisation, whatever its degree of preparation, is capable of bringing a solution to the miseries of man…Man must rise to a higher level of consciousness and get rid of his ignorance, limitation and selfishness in order to get rid also of his sufferings.” TMCW-14/Words of The Mother-II/p-277, 23: “Fostered by sacrifice the gods shall give you desired enjoyments: who enjoys their given enjoyments and has not given to them, he is a thief, stena .” The Gita-3.12, “Who controls the organs of action, but continues in his mind to remember and dwell upon the objects of sense, such a man has bewildered himself with false notions of self-discipline, mithychara. ” The Gita-3.06, “The corruption of the best produced the worst by that strange chemistry of the power of life which generates evil out of good even as it can also generate good out of evil… Yet even in the earthward life a higher knowledge is indeed the one thing that is throughout needful, and without it the lower sciences and pursuits, however fruitful, however rich, free, miraculous in the abundance of their results, become easily a sacrifice offered without due order and to false gods; corrupting, hardening in the end the heart of man, limiting his mind’s horizons, they confine in a stony material imprisonment or lead to a final baffling incertitude and disillusionment.” CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-140-141, 24: “It is through the growth of consciousness that the collective soul and its life can become aware of itself and develop; the free play of mind and life is essential for the growth of consciousness: for mind and life are the soul’s only instrumentation until a higher instrumentation develops; they must not be inhibited in their action or rendered rigid, unplastic and unprogressive.” CWSA-22/The Life Divine/p-194, 25: CWSA-29/Letters on Yoga-II/p-444-445, "All existence is a manifestation of God because He is the only existence and nothing can be except as either a real figuring or else a figment of that one reality. Therefore every conscious being is in part or in some way a descent of the Infinite into the apparent finiteness of name and form." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-13-14, "All existence is a manifestation of the divine Existence and that which is within us is spirit of the eternal Spirit. We have come indeed into the lower material nature and are under its influence, but we have come there from the supreme spiritual nature: this inferior imperfect status is our apparent, but that our real being." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-424, 26: CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-478, Download this Web Page in PDF format: The Mother's Ideal Integral School "To the teachers of all the infant classes: “One rule which must be rigorously applied: It is absolutely forbidden to hit the children—all blows are forbidden, even the slightest little slap or the so-called friendly punch. To give a blow to a child because he does not obey or does not understand or because he is disturbing the others indicates a lack of self-control, and it is harmful for both teacher and student…. Disciplinary measures may be taken if necessary, but in complete calm and not because of a personal reaction.” The Mother TMCW/12/On Education-196 The task of Integral Education "The ideal to attain is an unflinching equality of soul and conduct, a patience that never fails and, of course, the absence of any preference or desire. It is obvious that for one who teaches, the essential condition for the proper fulfilment of his task is the absence of all egoism; and no human being is exempt from the necessity of this effort. But, I repeat, this effort is easier to make here than anywhere else." The Mother TMCW/12/On Education-195 The Central Truth of Integral Education “Teacher: I hope you will give me precise instructions which will help me to keep order in my classes. The Mother’s Answer: The most important is to master yourself and never lose your temper. If you don’t have control over yourself, how can you expect to control others, above all, children, who feel it immediately when someone is not master of himself?” The Mother TMCW/12/On Education-195 "A child from the school asked me, “How can mathematics, history or sciences help me to find you?” I found that quite amusing! I answered: “They can help in several ways: 1. To be able to receive and bear the light of Truth, the mind must be strengthened, broadened and made supple. These studies are an excellent way to achieve this. 2. Sciences, if you study them deeply enough, will teach you the unreality of appearances and will thus lead you to the spiritual reality. 3. The study of all aspects and movements of physical Nature will bring you into contact with the universal Mother, and you will thus be nearer to me.” I still remember my impression when I was quite small and was told everything is “atoms” (that was the term they used in those days). They said to me, “You see this table? You think it’s a table, that it’s solid and it’s wood-well, it’s only atoms moving about.” I remember, the first time I was told that, it caused a kind of revolution in my head, bringing such a sense of the complete unreality of all appearances. All at once I said, “But if it’s like that, then nothing is true!” I couldn’t have been more than fourteen or fifteen. His question called this to mind. I said to myself, “It opens a door onto another reality” The Mother The Mother's Agenda/17th December, 1966

Study of The Bhagavad Gita The Editor’s Note “I may say that the way of the Gita is itself a part of the Yoga here and those who have followed it, to begin with or as a first stage, have a stronger basis than others for this Yoga . To look down on it therefore as something separate and inferior is not a right standpoint… I suggested the Gita method for you because the opening which is necessary for the Yoga here seems to be too difficult for you. If you made a less strenuous demand upon yourself, there might be a greater chance.” Sri Aurobindo CWSA-29/Letters on Yoga-II/p-445-446 The Gita informs us that only Avatars are born-free and they are free from the influence of lower Nature and ordinary action from their very birth, janma karma cha me divyam .³ All others, ordinary human beings, twice-born Souls, Instruments and Emanations are not free from the influence of the lower Nature of the three Gunas .³ Through Yoga or practice of Self-control, or by opening themselves to the Influence of Avatars , they arrive at constant union with the Divine, mayi vartate,⁵ mayi nivasisyasi,⁸ nitya yukta .⁴⁸ The Lord of the Gita hints about His past incarnations before the beginning of creation or as hinted in Savitri, He was ‘older than the birth of Time’⁹ and during this period He gave the imperishable, highest, royal synthetic Yoga to Sun God, Vivasvan. Vivasvan gave it to Manu , the father of men or as hinted in Savitri, ‘first man’¹⁰ of creation. Manu gave it to Ikshvaku , the head of the Solar line and the first King of the solar race. Thus, it came down from royal Sage to royal Sage till it was lost in the great lapse of Time. This same, ancient and original reconciling Yogic path was declared again to Arjuna by Lord Sri Krishna in the war field of Kurukshetra . Now this truth of ‘the largest development in the shortest possible path’¹⁶ or the highest secret of Purushottama Consciousness, its dynamic state, Para-prakriti, and a supreme relation between dual Godhead, Paramatma and Para-prakriti is again revealed⁵ to Sri Aurobindo in the book ‘Essays on the Gita’ and subsequently in the book ‘The Synthesis of Yoga .’ Essays on the Gita gives the message of rending²⁷ the veil between mind and preliminary stairs of Supermind by the long movement of Cosmic Consciousness through realisation of this existence as the body of the Divine, Vasudevah sarvamit i¹¹ and to live in the world with the sense of oneness with all existence, ekatvamasthitah, ⁵ oneness in every separate being, ekatvena prithaktvena ,²⁶ and without separation from the transcendent Divine, mayi nivasisyasi. ⁸ Thus, a Spiritual man pauses at the border of Overmind or preliminary Supramental Consciousness; he has three qualities of oneness, harmony and order that predominate his frontal surface Nature. This was Sri Aurobindo’s state of Consciousness at Alipore Jail and the beginning of His decisive Spiritual life. Ordering of creation through largescale destruction²⁵ of all that are Soul slaying truth, nasana atmanah ,¹⁷ transitory, anityam ,¹⁸ unproductive, klaibyam ,¹⁹ unrighteousness, adharmam, ²⁰ corrupt, produsyanti, ²¹ evil, anistam ,²² unjust, asatyam ,²³ divisible, vibhaktam ,²⁴ and narrow, khudram ,¹⁹ is identified as extension of Supramental action.¹² Thus, existence moves ahead towards the manifestation of new Consciousness and the Divine is a hierarchy of affirmative energies by whose activation mankind can move towards a superior existence and Divine life. On this occasion, the Lord has manifested here as the Time, the Destroyer for creation, ceaseless action and preservation of His existence. The Spiritual significance of the Gita is immense as its Divine is both manifest, saguna and unmanifest, nirguna , and beyond both, THAT, Tat, thus leading the creation towards the complete Divine union. The Gita is a synthesis of six mutually antagonist schools of ancient teachings that of Mimamsa, Vedanta, Vaisesika, Nyaya, Sankhya and Yoga. Mimamsa is specialised and narrow form of Yoga in which Vedic sacrifice offered with desire, ritualised work and knowledge of gods are accepted as means of salvation. It also accepts fruits of enjoyment and lordship in earth, heaven and the world in between them. In the Vedanta , the above approach is accepted as a preliminary state of ignorance and they are in the end either transcended or renounced as an obstacle to the seeker of liberation; the Vedic worship of gods are accepted by Vedantists as material and mental powers, who do not desire man to be free and oppose the principles of liberation; thus, the Vedanta perceived Divine as Immutable Self, Paramatma , who has to be attained not by sacrificial work and adoration but by knowledge. Vaisesika, gives importance to the Vedantic liberation in addition to the exploration of nature of the nine eternal substances that of air, fire, water, earth, mind, ether, time, space and soul, of which the first five including mind are recognised as atomic. Nyaya , the Science of logic, is an extension of the Vaisesika, in which the multiple subtle worlds beyond the material world are identified, which are the source and creator of the material principles. Sankhya accepts the Divine as inactive and immutable Purusha and makes an opposition between the static state of Purusha , akarta and the dynamic state of Prakriti, kartri, and hence Sankya liberation culminates with the cessation of all works. This Sankhya doctrine created the world by double principles of (many) Purusha and (single) Prakriti , which is a valid and indispensable practical knowledge in the lower hemisphere but ‘not all the true truth… and the highest truth’³⁰ of existence. Yoga accepts the notion of the Divine as Ishwara , who is the Lord of Shakti and active Prakriti ; hence, its liberation is not the cessation of work and freedom of Soul is realised even though involved in all works. Thus, liberation of the Soul is compatible with ceaseless world action; sarvabhuta- hite ratah , ‘is not inconsistent with living in Brahman ’¹⁴ and it is through desireless sacrificial action, the Kshara Purusha in the heart (which is all existence, sarva bhutani ) is united with Akshara Purusha above the head (which sees Divine everywhere, mam pasyati sarvatra ). The world admires the Gita ‘as one of the greatest scriptures, especially for its treatment of the problem of the place of works in spiritual endeavour’²⁹ and it introduces ‘a new and satisfying spiritual norm of works’⁴⁷ or the best standard of Karma Yoga ‘laid down for all time’²⁹ for the whole of humanity of doing all works from a glad, unattached, free and liberated Soul state with the knowledge of Wheel of Works. The method of ‘Yoga has been admitted for the self-surrender of the will, mind, heart, all the psychological being to the Ishwara , the divine Lord of the nature. It has been completed by the revelation of the supernal Master of existence as the original Godhead of whom the Jiva is the partial being in Nature.’⁴⁴ The limitation of Yoga is exceeded in integral Yoga ‘by the soul’s seeing of all things as the Lord in the light of a perfect spiritual oneness.’⁴⁴ The Vedanta and Sankhya give the message of absolute calm, seclusion and cessation of work as indispensable to attain Knowledge and state of Samadhi. They suffer the disadvantage that universalisation of their teachings of saintly inactivity will lead towards world dissolution and destructions, upahanyam .¹ A physical abstention of work is identified as a dangerous proposition, ‘for it exerts a misleading influence on ordinary men.’⁴ The Gita does not synthesise the teaching of the Hatha and Raja Yoga like the synthetic teachings of the more powerful Tantra , but a passing reference is made to their systemised method and concentration on physical, vital and mental perfection. Buddhism and Illusionist Mayavada are the later developments of Religious Schools in which the former rejected the World, the Self and the Divine as illusions and accepted a Divine discipline of action and devotion in the form of universal love and fathomless compassion and the latter developed intolerance towards action, accepted Divine as Real by the exclusion of the illusory world. The Mahayanist Buddhism is largely influenced by the message of the Gita and transformed its original school of quietistic and illuminated ascetic trend into a ‘religion of meditative devotion and compassionate action.’⁶ It bridged the gulf between a high Nirvanic state of absolute impersonality and dynamic possibilities of life and action. The later school of the Vaishnava Bhakti movement is an exclusive absorption in some Divine Personality and Divine value of His manifestation to the exclusion of Divine Impersonality. These ancient and later Vedantic Teachings either lead to the impersonal form of Brahman, nirguna Brahman or the personal form of Deity, saguna Brahman or to the liberation in actionless knowledge of deep Samadhi or the liberation absorbed in highest Delight of Turiya. The Gita claims its teachings superior to all other forms of ancient Yoga by raising the Consciousness to a plane called an all-inclusive Purushottama state where the limitation, rigidity and partial truth of all other exclusive Yogic paths are corrected, broadened and united; all the powers of Being are directed Godward, reconciled Divine Knowledge, Action and Ecstasy, and widened by complete self-absorption in the Eternal and perfect Divine union by identity. The Gita has attempted to preserve the balance of the six ancient doctrines, and maintains the essential foundation of original synthesis but the form, combinations and terminologies have changed and restated in the light of the developed new Spiritual experiences. Thus, through firm subtlety and high courage, it opens the gate of unexplored planes and powers of Nature and Soul in universalised Consciousness and knowledge of the Eternal Source from whom one comes and by whom he lives. It has the high role of liberating humanity. In a Spiritualised World, the sense-enjoyment is changed into Soul-enjoyment. This is extended in integral Yoga in transforming humanity, prakritijairmuktam,³ where the Soul’s ecstatic oneness with the Divine extended towards the race is complemented by Subliminal, Psychic, Spiritual and Supramental sense enjoyments leading the creation towards permanent descent and the full possession of Sachchidananda Consciousness. The difference between ancient Shastras and the integral Shastra is that truth, vision and Spiritual experiences hinted³¹ in the former are vividly experienced in the latter. The integral Yoga gives this message that the supreme mystery hinted in the Gita, the Upanishad and the Veda but never developed is its one of the principal motives to uncover which is the quest for double immortality of Soul and Nature and quadruple perfection of Soul, Nature, Life and Consciousness that will come in stages and as hinted by the Mother , which ‘will stretch over thousands of years.’² A traditional Sadhaka , after realisation of Kshara, Akshara and Purushottama consciousness feels that this realisation cannot be reconciled⁷ with the untransformed nature of the three Gunas . So, he has no unfinished task left and hence enjoys the Spirit’s ecstatic state, concentrates on the issue of freedom from rebirth and escapes into the supreme abode of param dham through the passage of Purushottama state. Or he will prefer to live in the Supramental Centre above the head and utilises this Centre as a passage of escape into the final destination of Param Dham . In integral Yoga, after realisation of Kshara, Akshara and Purushottama consciousness or after realisation of Psychic, Spiritual and Supramental Being, a Sadhaka’s difficult task begins of reconciling static Matter with dynamic Spirit and thus Divine Shakti consciously pours into the material vessel. He will not settle back to enjoy the delight and fruit of his Spiritual achievement rather he identifies himself with world problems and world suffering through the activation of the universal Self. His Psychic, Spiritual and Supramental purification, transformation and perfection resume action from a firmly established Psychic heart centre and from firmly established Karma Yoga where Divine Will, Knowledge and Love are perfectly reconciled. He will initially learn the lesson to move the consciousness ceaselessly between Psychic and Spiritual Being superseding his earlier movement limiting to three modes of Nature, gunas, and finally learns the lesson to move the Consciousness between Bliss Self and Inconscient Self.²⁸ He will call down the Supreme Mother and Supreme Purusha into his Psychic heart centre and utilises this centre as meeting point of dual Godhead and activation of the corresponding Supramental energy. The double sincerity, dvibidha nistha, ¹⁵ with which the Gita proposes to begin Yoga of Works and Knowledge simultaneously is transformed in integral Yoga into multiple sincerity or integral sincerity where Yoga proceeds ahead with the triple wheel of Karma, Jnana and Bhakti Yoga and culminates with the aid and movement of the fourth wheel, known as Yoga of Self-perfection. Sri Aurobindo’s writings suggest that those whose intellect is Spiritualized, or who have practiced the Buddhi Yoga (Sankhya) of the Gita , (Buddhi Yoga proposes to live in an active trance, samadhi, where mind is pacified, equality is established and one lives without desire.) can directly benefit from the Supramental energy now active in the earth’s atmosphere or through purified intellect ' some of the nearest keys to the supramental action are discoverable ' (CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-813) or " a series of mental representations which may be made clues to the true truth and, more and more refined and illuminated and rendered transparent by the influence, the infiltration and the descent of the light from above, prepare the intelligence for opening to the capacity of true knowledge. " (CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-887-888) “All that [ideas such as “everything will soon be spiritualised”] is absurd. The descent of the supramental means only that the Power will be there in the earth consciousness as a living force just as the thinking mental and the higher mental are already there. But an animal cannot take advantage of the presence of the thinking mental Power or an undeveloped man of the presence of the higher mental Power — so too everybody will not be able to take advantage of the presence of the supramental Power. I have also often enough said that it will be at first for the few, not for the whole earth, — only there will be a growing influence of it on the earth life.” CWSA-28/Letters on Yoga/p-290, "Eventually their (purified intelligence and will, buddhya visuddhaya, The Gita-18.51) response can be opened up to the perfect discernings, intuitions, inspirations, revelations of the supermind and proceed by a more and more luminous and even infallible action. " (CWSA/24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-655) Furthermore, The Mother has emphasized: “A new consciousness is at work upon earth to prepare the coming of the superhuman being… Open yourselves to this consciousness if you aspire to serve the Divine Work…To come into contact with this new consciousness, the essential condition is no longer to have any desires and to be wholly sincere.” (The Mother’s Agenda- 9th April 1969) This book The Bhagavad Gita and Integral Yoga is a preparation to glimpse a far greater Light, a means to begin the eternal unfolding of the Truth and an offering of love, service and gratitude to the Divine by desiring nothing from Him and His creation in return, anapekhyah .¹³ OM TAT SAT References of the above Editor's Note are available in the manuscript of 'The Bhagavad Gita and Integral Yoga' (page 14) . 1 /Introduction Summary or A Brief Restatement: The first verse of the Gita is: Dhritarashtra said : On the field of Kurukshetra (symbol of outer war), the field of the working out of the Dharma (symbol of inner war), gathered together, eager for battle, what did they, O Sanjaya , my people and the Pandavas ? ଧୃତରାଷ୍ଟ୍ର କହିଲେ: “ହେ ସଞ୍ଜୟ ଯୁଧ୍ୟ କରିବା ପାଇଁ ବ୍ୟାକୁଳ ଭାବରେ ସମବେତ ହୋଇଥିବା ମୋ ପୁତ୍ର ଏବଂ ପାଣ୍ଡୁ ପୁତ୍ରମାନେ ଅନ୍ତର ଯୁଧ୍ୟର ପ୍ରତୀକ ଧର୍ମକ୍ଷେତ୍ର ଓ ବାହ୍ୟ ଯୁଧ୍ୟର ପ୍ରତୀକ କୁରୁକ୍ଷେତ୍ରରେ କଣ କରୁଛନ୍ତି?” Supporting Material to Pursue Integral Yoga: (1) Integral Yoga proposes to utilize nine-tenths of time to wage inner war extending over nine inner planes, and one-tenths of time is devoted to pursuing outer war to manifest truth and wisdom in the material world. (King Aswapati’s experience) “Assaults of Hell endured and Titan strokes And bore the fierce inner wounds that are slow to heal.” Savitri-230 “Or must fire always test the great of soul?” Savitri-423 “A million wounds gape in his (Avatar’s) secret heart.” Savitri-446, 2: “Are there not still million fights to wage?” Savitri-687, “A line from Savitri constantly haunts or assails me—it is when the Lord proposes that she come live a blissful life above, and she replies, “No, there are still too many battles to wage on earth.” That went deep into me, and it returns each time difficulties arise, as if to say, “Don’t complain.” And there are plenty!...” The Mother /The Mother’s Agenda-3/85, 17th February, 1962, 3: Integral Yoga is the synthesis of all the wide and supple methods of All Nature pursued by (1) the exclusive Spirituality of later Vedantic ascetics, the exclusive worshipper of the Being, the Brahman , the Ishwara ; (2) the synthetic Spirituality of Tantrics, the exclusive worshipper of the Energy, the Consciousness, the Divine Mother, the Ishwari and (3) the comprehensive Spirituality of the ancient Vedantic Seers who work out passive and active relation between the Purusha and Prakriti in Ignorance, Ishwara and Shakti relation in Spiritual plane, Jnana , and Brahman and Maya relation in Supramental plane, Vijnana , resulting in Ananda . 4: “The Avatar comes to (1) reveal the divine nature in man above this lower nature and (2) to show what are the divine works, free, unegoistic, disinterested, impersonal, universal, full of the divine light, the divine power and the divine love. He comes as the divine personality which shall fill the consciousness of the human being and replace the limited egoistic personality, so that it shall be liberated out of ego into infinity and universality, out of birth into immortality. He comes as the divine power and love which calls men to itself, so that they may take refuge in that and no longer in the insufficiency of their human wills and the strife of their human fear, wrath and passion, and liberated from all this unquiet and suffering may live in the calm and bliss of the Divine.” CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-175-176 OM TAT SAT 2 / The Message of The Gita Summary or A Brief Restatement: The Self-disciplines of sattwic renunciation, tyaga, of sattwic faith, sraddha, of sattwic sincerity, Nistha, and of sattwic surrender, Yajna , are not the main methods of the Gita but its main method is self-control by ‘the strong immobility of an immortal spirit’ or ‘having fixed the mind, life and body in the higher Spiritual Self one should not think anything at all.’ The former sattwic methods are accepted as substitute self-disciplines of integral Yoga, pursued till the Spiritual method evolves. So, spontaneous renunciation, faith, sincerity and surrender born out of Psychic (Kshara Purusha ) and Spiritual (Akshara Purusha ) opening are identified as the method or self-disciplines of integral Yoga and through the evolution of this higher method, the consciousness is moved consciously between Psychic and Spiritual planes. In integral Yoga and the Gita , the substitute method of movement of consciousness between three gunas will be initially replaced by intermittent movements of consciousness between gunas and gunatita state and finally be replaced by movement consciousness between Psychic (Kshara) and Spiritual (Akshara) planes. And after a long period of this movement, the Consciousness will ascend to the Supramental plane (Purushottama ) and then there is the conscious movement of consciousness between the Psychic, Spiritual and Supramental planes. Through this prolonged movement, the Psychic being is Spiritualised and Supramentalised or the Spiritual Mother and Supramental Mother consent to live permanently in the Psychic heart centre. OM TAT SAT 3 / The Eighteen Questions Raised by Arjuna , A Seeker Of Truth A Brief Restatement: The original question raised by Arjuna throughout the Gita is identified as the experience of Divine perfection ‘vividly to works and life.’ Those who want to Divinise life and action can draw enormous benefits from the teachings of the Gita . 1: “Arjuna said: How, O Madhusudana shall I strike Bhisma and Drona with weapons in battle, both being worthy of worship, O slayer of enemies?” The Gita-2.4 2: “Arjuna said: It is the poorness of Spirit that has smitten away from me my true heroic higher Nature, my whole consciousness is bewildered by three gunas and cannot discern truth and falsehood, right and wrong. I ask Thee how can I discern truth, right and good? —That tell me decisively. I am thy disciple and seek refuge in Thee; enlighten me.” The Gita-2.7 3: “Arjuna said: How can I be liberated from sorrow that dries up the senses, even if I attain the riches and unrivalled kingdom on earth and even all the sovereignty of the kingdom of Gods?” The Gita-2.8 4: “Arjuna said: What is the sign of the man in Samadhi, man of stable intelligence, Sthitaprajna ? How does, O Keshava , the sage of settled understanding speak, how sit, how walk?” The Gita-2.54 5: “Arjuna said: If thou holdest the intelligence to be greater than works, O Janardana , why then dost thou, O Keshava , appoint me to this terrible work? Thou bewilderest my intelligence with a mixed and tangled speech; tell me decisively the one thing by which I may attain to the supreme good.” The Gita-3.1, 2 6: “Arjuna said: But what is this in us that drive a man to sin, as if by force, even against his own struggling will?” The Gita-3.36 7: “Arjuna said: Recent is Thy birth, far ancient was the birth of Sun God, how then I am to comprehend that Thou declaredst it to him in the beginning of creation?” The Gita-4.4 8: “Arjuna said: Thou Declarest to me the renunciation of works (Sankhya/Jnana Yoga ), O Krishna; and again, thou declare to me (Karma) Yoga; which one of these is a better way, that tell me with clear decisiveness.” The Gita-5.1 9: “Arjuna said: This Yoga which has been declared by Thee of the nature of equality, O Madhusudana, I see no stable foundation for it owing to restlessness. Restless indeed is the mind, O Krishna; it is vehement, strong and difficult to bend; I deem it as hard to control as the wind.” The Gita-6.33, 34 10: “Arjuna said: He who takes up Yoga with faith, but cannot control himself with the mind wandering away from Yoga, failing to attain perfection in Yoga, what is his end, O Krishna ? Does he not, O Mighty-armed, lose both this life and the Brahmic consciousness to which he aspires and falling from both perish like a dissolving cloud? Please dispel the doubt of mine completely, O Krishna ; for there is none other than Thyself who can destroy this doubt.” The Gita-6.37, 38, 39 11: “Seven Questions raised by Arjuna : (1) What is tad brahma , (2) what is adhyatma and (3) what is karma , O Purushottama? (4) What is declared to be adhibhuta , (5) what is called adhidaiva? (6) What is adhiyajna in this body? O Madhusudana ? (7) And how in the critical moment of departure from physical existence, art Thou to be known by the self-controlled?” The Gita-8.1, 2 12: “Arjuna said: Thou shouldest tell me of Thy Divine Self-manifestations, all without exception, Thy Vibhutis by which Thou standest pervading these worlds. How shall I know Thee, O Yogin , by thinking of Thee everywhere at all moments and in what pre-eminent becomings should I think of Thee, O Blessed Lord? In detail tell me of Thy Yoga and Vibhuti O Janardana ; tell me ever more of it; it is nectar of immortality to me, and however much of it I hear, I am not satiated.” The Gita-10.16, 17, 18 13: “Arjuna said: This word concerning the highest spiritual secret of existence which Thou hast spoken out of compassion for me; by this my delusion is dispelled. The birth and passing away of existences have been heard by me in detail from Thee, O Lotus-eyed, and also Thy imperishable greatness. As Thou hast declared Thyself to be, O Supreme Lord even so it is, (still) I desire to see Thy Divine form and body of Purushottama. If Thou thinkest that it can be seen by me, O Lord, show me then, O Master of Yoga, Thy imperishable Self.” The Gita-11.1, 2, 3, 4 14: “Arjuna said: Those seekers of Bhakti Yajna who thus by a constant union seek after Thy personal Form and those seekers of Jnana Yajna who seek after Thy unmanifest Immutable impersonal Form, which of them are greater Yajna? ” The Gita-12.1 15: “Six Questions raised by Arjuna: (1) The Field, Kshetra, and (2) the Knower of the Field, Kshetrajna , (3) Knowledge, Jnana, and (4) the object of Knowledge, Jneya, (5) Nature, Prakriti and (6) Self, Purusha, these I would like to learn, O Keshava .” The Gita-13.1 16: “Arjuna said: By what signs is he marked, O Lord, who has risen above the three Gunas ? How he acts and behaves and how does he go beyond the three Gunas ?” The Gita-14.21 Or this question may be put in contemporary language as how can one break the golden chain of three gunas ? 17: “Arjuna said : Those who offer sacrifice full of faith (sraddha ) but abandoning the rule of the Shastra , what is that concentrated will of devotion, nistha, in them, O Krishna ? Is it Sattwa , Rajas or Tamas ?” The Gita-17.1 Or this question may be put in the following language, “Lord, You have insisted of rising above the three gunas, while yet one remains in the action of all type, sarva karmani , and You have not explained me sufficiently the diversities in which the gunas work, and unless I know that, it will be difficult for me to discern with sincerity and rise beyond them.” Or this question may be put in the language of The Synthesis of Yoga, ‘Lord, You have insisted to trace out ‘the full account’ of my imperfection before striving to attend perfection. How can I know those imperfections fully in terms of triple divisible consciousness of tamas, rajas and sattwa that have strongly possessed this mind, life and body?’ 18: “Arjuna said: I desire to know, O Mighty-armed, the essence of asceticism, Sannyasa and renunciation, Tyaga , O Hrishikesha, and their difference, O Keshinisudana .” The Gita-18.1 Or this question may be put in the following language, “How, while absorbed and continually forced outward by the engrossing call of its active nature, is it to get back to its real self and spiritual existence?” The above eighteen questions raised by Arjuna must be established in the mind of the truth Seekers, and this awareness will assist them to begin Yoga with a definite and firm objective. OM TAT SAT 4 / The Gita's Injunction Issued To Developing Souls A Brief Restatement: The Gita identifies the most ignorant developing Souls as mudha , perform all action without true order, avidhi-purbakam, without sacrifice, giving and askesis and they live in a divisible consciousness of three gunas. It identifies ignorant developing Souls as child Souls, bala , who perform all action without reconciling it with the knowledge of the higher worlds. It identifies developed Souls as ripened Souls, Punditah, who live in the indivisible Consciousness beyond the gunas and they do all action as sacrifice without attachment to fruits of work with right order, vidhi-purbakam , and from higher planes of consciousness. The Gita insists the inclusion of all works, sarva karmani, in the conception of Spiritual activity and does not intend to confine it to Vedic religious activities of sacrifice and ceremony only. Integral Yoga divides all work into two parts, work that is closer to the sacrificial fire, the Psychic being and the work that is farther from this sacrificial fire and proposes that ‘none ought necessarily to be excluded from the wide framework of the divine life.’ The Gita issues injunction on earth-bound Soul who acts by three gunas , that let Shastra or written truth be the authority to determine what ought to be done and what ought not to be done. One should work here as per the four-fold law declared in the Shastra. He who disregards the rules of Shastra acts under the impulsion of desire and ego neither attains perfection, nor happiness, nor highest Soul status. Those who practice violent austerities not ordained by Shastra with vanity, egoism, impelled by the force of desire, passions, tormenting the aggregates of the body where the Divine is stationed, know those insensible seekers as asuric in their resolves. The Souls that fail to get faith in this Dharma , O, Parantapa, not attaining to Me, return into the path of ordinary mortal living. OM TAT SAT 5 / The Gita's Injunction issued To The Developed Souls A Brief Restatement: The traditional Yoga of the Gita proposes that a developed Soul is free from seven deformations, vicaras , that of liking and disliking, iccha, dvesah , pleasure and pain, sukham, dukham , subjection to lower consciousness, chetana , place together truth and falsehood, sanghatah , tamasic and rajasic persistence, dhriti. Integral Yoga proposes51 that a developed Soul or adult Soul is free from seven deformations, vicaras that of (1) hatred, (2) disliking, (3) scorn, (4) repulsion, (5) clinging, (6) attachment and (7) preference. Mind is restless and very difficult to pacify. But O Arjuna, it can be controlled by constant practice and non-attachment.4 Without self-control, this Yoga is difficult to attain. Yoga is attainable by self-controlled seeker.5 “Sense hunger does not cease with the mental self-control, samyama , it ceases when the Supreme is seen. So even the mind of the wise man, yatatah, who labours for self-perfection is carried away by vehement insistences of senses. Having brought all the senses under control, samyama, he must sit firm in Yoga, wholly given up to Me; for whose senses are mastered, of him the intelligence is firmly established (in its proper seat), sthitaprajna . The enjoyments born of external touches of things are the causes of sorrow, the sage, the man of awakened understanding, buddhah , does not place his delight in these senses.” 6 “Abandoning without exception all the desires born of the desire-will and holding in control all the senses by the mind so that they shall not run to all sides, one should gradually withdraw into tranquillity by a buddhi controlled by steadiness, and having fixed the mind in the Self one should not think of anything at all.”7 “This Yoga must be continually practiced with a heart free from despondent sinking.”14 The Gita’s injunctions issued to the developed Souls are that “All the doors of senses must be closed, the mind must be shut in into the heart, the life-force taken up out of its diffused movement into the head, the intelligence must be concentrated on the single syllable OM and its conceptive thought must remember the supreme Godhead...”23 and this self-discipline is extended in integral Yoga for dynamic Divine union and transformation of Nature instead of escape into param dham by abandoning the body. OM TAT SAT 6 / The Gita's Teachings Of Karma Yoga A Brief Restatement: A traditional Karma Yogi is considered great if in him Kshara Purusha is dynamised and all initiation of works are activated from within. In a greater Karma Yogi, Kshara and Akshara are both simultaneously dynamised and his consciousness undulates between Kshara and Akshara or waking trance and non-waking trance and preoccupies himself in both objective manifesting action and subjective subtle and Superconscient action by a pressure and direction from within and above respectively. In the greatest Karma Yogi , Uttama Purusha is dynamised along with Kshara and Akshara Purusha . This Purushottama Consciousness is settled in the body where the Jiva holds together the triple Purusha. In this state of Consciousness intense waking trance is stabilised and one moves freely in his multiple subtle bodies without losing waking consciousness. In integral Yoga he will direct the Supramental energy dynamised due to his relatively stronger part of Divine Will towards relatively weaker parts of his untransformed emotional and intellectual Nature. Six signs of Divine Worker: A Divine Worker can be known from six signs. Those who want to serve the Divine must develop these six qualities: First sign of the Divine Worker: “The Divine is the lord of his works, he is only their channel through the instrumentality of his nature conscious of and subject to her Lord. By the flaming intensity and purity of this knowledge all his works are burned up as in a fire and his mind remains without any stain or disfiguring mark from them, calm, silent, unperturbed, white and clean and pure. To do all in this liberating knowledge, without the personal egoism of the doer, is the first sign of the divine worker. ” CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-179-181 Second sign of the Divine Worker: “The second sign is freedom from desire; for where there is not the personal egoism of the doer, desire becomes impossible; it is starved out, sinks for want of a support, dies of inanition. Outwardly the liberated man seems to undertake works of all kinds like other men, on a larger scale perhaps with a more powerful will and driving-force, for the might of the divine will works in his active nature; but from all his inceptions and under- takings the inferior concept and nether will of desire is entirely banished, sarve samarambhah kamasankalpavarjitah. (The Gita-4.19) He has abandoned all attachment to the fruits of his works, and where one does not work for the fruit, but solely as an impersonal instrument of the Master of works, desire can find no place, — not even the desire to serve successfully, for the fruit is the Lord’s and determined by him and not by the personal will and effort, or to serve with credit and to the Master’s satisfaction, for the real doer is the Lord himself and all glory belongs to a form of his Shakti missioned in the nature and not to the limited human personality. The human mind and soul of the liberated man does nothing, na kinchit karoti; (The Gita-4.20) even though through his nature he engages in action, it is the Nature, the executive Shakti , it is the conscious Goddess governed by the divine Inhabitant who does the work.” CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-179-181 Third sign of the Divine Worker: “For sin consists not at all in the outward deed, but in an impure reaction of the personal will, mind and heart which accompanies it or causes it; the impersonal, the spiritual is always pure, apapaviddham, (Isha Upanishad-8) and gives to all that it does its own inalienable purity. This spiritual impersonality is a third sign of the divine worker. All human souls, indeed, who have attained to a certain greatness and largeness are conscious of an impersonal Force or Love or Will and Knowledge working through them, but they are not free from egoistic reactions, sometimes violent enough, of their human personality. But this freedom the liberated soul has attained; for he has cast his personality into the impersonal, where it is no longer his, but is taken up by the divine Person, the Purushottama, who uses all finite qualities infinitely and freely and is bound by none. He has become a soul and ceased to be a sum of natural qualities; and such appearance of personality as remains for the operations of Nature, is something unbound, large, flexible, universal; it is a free mould for the Infinite, it is a living mask of the Purushottama.” CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-179-181 Fourth sign of the Divine Worker: “The result of this knowledge, this desirelessness and this impersonality is a perfect equality in the soul and the nature. Equality is the fourth sign of the divine worker. He has, says the Gita, passed beyond the dualities; he is dvandvatıta . (The Gita-4.22) We have seen that he regards with equal eyes, without any disturbance of feeling, failure and success, victory and defeat; but not only these, all dualities are in him surpassed and reconciled. The outward distinctions by which men determine their psychological attitude towards the happenings of the world, have for him only a subordinate and instrumental meaning. He does not ignore them, but he is above them. Good happening and evil happening, so all-important to the human soul subject to desire, are to the desireless divine soul equally welcome since by their mingled strand are worked out the developing forms of the eternal good.” CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-179-181 Fifth sign of the Divine Worker: “Again, the sign of the divine worker is that which is central to the divine consciousness itself, a perfect inner joy and peace which depends upon nothing in the world for its source or its continuance; it is innate, it is the very stuff of the soul’s consciousness, it is the very nature of divine being. The ordinary man depends upon outward things for his happiness; therefore he has desire; therefore he has anger and passion, pleasure and pain, joy and grief; therefore he measures all things in the balance of good fortune and evil fortune. None of these things can affect the divine soul; it is ever satisfied without any kind of dependence, nitya-trupto nirasrayah ; (The Gita-4.20) for its delight, its divine ease, its happiness, its glad light are eternal within, ingrained in itself, atma-ratih, antah sukhontararamas tathantarjyotir eva yah . (The Gita-5.24)” CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-184 Sixth sign of the Divine Worker: “He (a Sadhak) himself, safe in the immutable, unmodified soul, is beyond the grip of the three gunas, trigunatita ; he is neither sattwic, rajasic nor tamasic; he sees with a clear untroubled spirit the alternations of the natural modes and qualities in his action, their rhythmic play of light and happiness, activity and force, rest and inertia. This superiority of the calm soul observing its action but not involved in it, this trigunatitya , is also a high sign of the divine worker. By itself the idea might lead to a doctrine of the mechanical determinism of Nature and the perfect aloofness and irresponsibility of the soul; but the Gita effectively avoids this fault of an insufficient thought by its illumining supertheistic idea of the Purushottama . It makes it clear that it is not in the end Nature which mechanically determines its own action; it is the will of the Supreme which inspires her; he who has already slain the Dhritarashtrians , he of whom Arjuna is only the hu- man instrument, a universal Soul, a transcendent Godhead is the master of her labour. The reposing of works in the Impersonal is a means of getting rid of the personal egoism of the doer, but the end is to give up all our actions to that great Lord of all, sarva-loka-mahesvara. ” CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-186 OM TAT SAT 7/ The Gita's Teachings of Jnana Yoga A Brief Restatement: A traditional Jnana Yogi is considered great if in him Akshara Purusha or Spiritual Being is first dynamised through renunciation, tyaga, vairagya, effort, practice of Yoga, abhyasa, concentration, samyama and askesis, tapasya. In a greater Jnana Yogi, by the pressure of this Spiritual being or descent of Divine Force from above the head, Kshara Purusha or Psychic being in the heart is dynamised. His Yoga becomes easier as he actively participates in the world action through activation of Kshara Purusha. In the greatest Jnana Yogi, Uttama Purusha is dynamised along with Kshara and Akshara Purusha. This Purushottama Consciousness is settled in the body where the Jiva holds together the triple Purusha. In this state of Consciousness, intense waking trance is stabilised and one moves freely in his multiple subtle bodies without losing waking consciousness. In integral Yoga he will direct the Supramental energy dynamised due to his relatively stronger part of Divine Knowledge towards relatively weaker parts of his untransformed emotional and volitional Nature. OM TAT SAT 8/ The Gita's Teachings of Bhakti Yoga A Brief Restatement: A traditional Bhakti Yogi is considered great when he reconciles his devotion with sacrificial action and realises the Kshara Purusha or Psychic being in the heart. A Greater Bhakti Yogi reconciles his devotion of personal Godhead with the Impersonal Godhead of Jnana Yoga and realises Akshara Purusha or Spiritual Being in addition to the earlier realisation of Kshara Purusha. The greatest Bhakti Yogi realises Kshara and Akshara Purushas’ union with the Purushottama, who finally consents to live in the heart, which is also the dual meeting ground of Uttama Purusha and Para Prakriti. The realisation of this dual Godhead in the heart is the beginning of realisation of Bliss Self which is beyond the Supramental action on earth. An integral Bhakti Yogi will direct the Supramental energy dynamised due to his relatively stronger part of Divine Love, Beauty and Delight towards relatively weaker parts of his untransformed volitional and intellectual Nature. His consciousness will move between triple fire of Kshara, Akshara and Purushottama Consciousness and the heart will be the centre of these triple action. OM TAT SAT 9/ Reconciliation of Karma, Jnana and Bhakti Yoga A Brief Restatement: Of all the Yogins the greatest Yogi, yoginam api sarvesam…yogi paramo, as indicated in the Gita, is a state in which he lives, acts in perfect union with the Divine, mayi nivasisyasi, in all possible human condition, in all possible world action his Consciousness does not fall from the oneness and constant communion with the Divine. The largest formulation of this Spiritual change is a total liberation of Soul, mind, heart and action, a casting of them all into the sense of the cosmic Self and the Divine Reality. A certain change of Nature is experienced by this Spiritual illumination but this is not complete and integral transformation of Nature which establishes a secured and established new principles and permanent new order of being in the field of terrestrial Nature. A Sadhaka becomes consecrated Child when this constant union with the Divine is dynamised to become one with the Divine Mother. In this established state a traditional Yogi can pursue integral Yoga by inverting the gained Supreme Divine Consciousness earthward. An integral Yogi lives in the great totality of Truth of Universal Consciousness, a totality, which is capable of infinite enlargements as there is no end to the extension of Divine Will, Knowledge, Love and Delight, nastyanto vistarasya me, and there is still much of the height to be reached and a wideness to be covered by the eye of vision, bhuri aspasta kartvam . Through intensification of Psychic and Spiritual contacts, he becomes able to enter the Cosmic Self and subsequently the lower realms of Supermind and inverts this gained Divine State towards lower sheaths of individual and universal Mind, Vital and Physical sheaths and transforms them. The great Integral Yogi, due to his integral surrender of Soul and Nature and particularly consecration of the most of the dark domains of Inconscient and Subconscient sheaths, and integral Sraddha of pouring down of Divine Supramental attributes of Light, Love, Ananda, Force, Wisdom and Truth and direct them to the yet untouched realm of Subconscient and Inconscient sheaths and continue transformation action there. The greater Integral Yogi can put forth many states of Consciousness at a time and is able to trace the Supermind concealed in the Inconscient and Subconscient sheath and activates the Inconscient and Subconscient Self; as a result, the source of Supramental Force and Delight can burst open and spread from Inconscient and Subconscient Self towards the untransformed Inconscient, Subconscient, Physical, Vital and Mental sheaths for large and mighty transformation action. The greatest Integral Yogi is he, who is able to activate the Supermind concealed in all the sheaths, identified as ten koshas, builds, purifies, transforms and perfects them and there is penetration of Supramental force from all the multiple sources of ten Selves; first intermittently, then constantly becomes a normal issue. Thus ten-fold personality is superimposed and combined to enrich his single new personality and his strong central being holds all together and works towards harmonisation and integration of multiple Selves and Nature. OM TAT SAT 10/ The Gita's Four Exclusive Teachings A Brief Restatement: The capacity to retain the comprehensive Knowledge in fragments is identified as exclusive knowledge. But by the retention of exclusive as well as all-inclusive knowledge of the Divine one becomes aware of His exclusive and all-inclusive Ananda . The successive stages of exclusive concentration and final entry into all-inclusive Ananda and Knowledge are:- firstly, the constant practice and non-attachment are powerful tools in regulating and silencing the intellect, mind, heart and body; secondly , better than this Abhyasa and Vairagya are the Yoga of Intelligence, where intelligence is united with Akshara Purusha, Buddhi Yukto , in order to cast away the bondage of work and the successful and luminous turning of the thought to the Truth behind things; thirdly, this buddhi Yoga too is excelled by dhyana yoga , a silent complete concentration on the Truth behind things through cessation of mental action, resolutely practiced until the bliss of Akshara Purusha is attained; fourthly , more powerful than dhyana Yoga is the giving up of the fruit of one’s work; one becomes a Yogi and preserves automatically an inner peace and calm which is a perfect and secure foundation of true life and the higher consciousness gained during meditation is dynamised in waking state; fifthly , the great Yogi, living in the truth, renouncing all actions of the lower mind, must do all outward works of life only for My sake, madartham api karmani; sixthly , the greater Yogi, who is still unable to keep personal consciousness fixed steadily in the Akshara Purusha and Uttama Purusha ; there are nights of long exile from Light, there are moments of revolt, doubt and failure rising from Subconscient planes; then by constant practice of union and repetition of supreme consciousness, the highest Spirit is established in the lower nature; seventhly , the greatest Yogi, yoginam api sarvesam , is he who in perfect union lives in Me, mayi nivasisyasi , at every moment, in every action, with all integrality of nature, ‘for Me has love, ekabhaktih and faith;’ ‘repose all thy mind and all thy understanding in Me;’ he is lifted up, bathed in the supernal blaze of the Divine Love and Will and Knowledge. From this last experience the all-inclusive Knowledge and Ananda resume action. The four stairs of the Gita's exclusive Teachings are: 1) Apara Jnana or Separative egoistic Apara Prakriti and seven-fold Ignorance:- 2) Guhya Jnana of Atman or secret knowledge of Kshara Purusha and Para prakriti of fourfold Soul force :- 3) Guhyatara Jnana of Brahmanirvana or more secret knowledge of Akshara Purusha and the action of intermediate Divine Nature through fourfold Divine Shaktis :- 4) Guhyatama Jnana of Paramam Dhama or inmost secret knowledge of cessation of birth or Moksha : - 11/ The Central Truth Of The Gita A Brief Restatement: The central truth of the Gita and integral Yoga are identified as Yajna , sacrifice, consecration, through this self-discipline one will arrive at the Spiritual experience of union with the Divine, yuktah. A seeker of Truth can possess the circumference of the circle by finding its centre or by practice of central truth of integral Yoga one can arrive at the aim of this Yoga. Aim of integral Yoga is integral Perfection arrived at by complete union with the static and dynamic aspect of the Divine through practice of absolute surrender. Complete union of Soul with the Purushottama consciousness in its static and dynamic identity are the aim of integral Yoga. In the Gita this identity is utilised to escape into the supreme abode of Param Dham and in integral Yoga this identity is utilised for the transformation and perfection of Nature. 12/ The Gita's Extension In Integral Yoga A Brief Restatement: In the Gita transformation of lower Nature into Divine Nature, Parambhavam and action of the Divine Mother, Para Prakriti are hinted but never developed and it does not teach directly the lesson to invert the Divine Force towards the earth nature rather it ‘pauses at the borders of the highest spiritual mind and does not cross them into the splendours of the supramental Light’ and opens the door towards Cosmic Consciousness, Vasudevah sarvamiti and from this Consciousness one can leap into preliminary stairs of Supramental Consciousness where the World, the Self and the God are reconciled. The highest contribution of the Gita to the world in terms of Consciousness is its Cosmic Consciousness, the revelation of the vision of Universal Godhead. Since the Gita is a Shastra of Purusha Yajna , sacrifice of Soul, which hints little about Prakriti Yajna , sacrifice of Nature, so holding together the dual Avatara, Ishwara and Shakti in the heart may not be practicable for a Sadhaka of the Gita in the initial phase of his sadhana . So to transform nature may not be feasible as the Divine Consciousness may not be directed sufficiently towards the lower nature or the descending Divine Force may transform a part of nature and is oblivious of the entire transformation or the present nature may be hostile against the descending Mother force resulting in the suspension of growth for this life. So a Sadhaka of integral Yoga has to enter and develop both Purusha Yajna and Prakriti Yajna extensively of which former is developed and latter is hinted in the Gita and reconcile its two doctrine Mamaibansa Jivabhuta, Jiva has become the Ishwara , and Paraprakritir Jivabhuta, Jiva has become the Ishwari or the Jiva in the heart is the meeting place of Kshara Purusha and Apara Prakriti, Akshara Purusha and Para-Shakti and Purushottama and Supramental Maya. To hold the Ishwara in the heart by traditional Yoga and to hold the Shakti in the heart by the traditional Tantra are reconciled in integral Yoga by holding together the dual Avatara, the dual Godhead, the static and the dynamic aspect of the Divine. 13/ The Extensive Development Of The Gita's Highest Hinted Truth In Integral Yoga A Brief Restatement: The fixed fate or doom of an individual is the outcome of Karma; Karma is the outcome of sin; sin is the outcome of evil; evil is the outcome of wrong action; wrong action is the outcome of wrong will or activation of physical and vital mind; wrong will is the outcome of wrong consciousness; wrong consciousness is the outcome of falsehood; and falsehood is the outcome of Ignorance or part knowledge. So, all doom can be transformed into high Spiritual destiny by emergence of integral Knowledge... So, man first has to work in Ignorance and learn the lesson within its limitation. He has to know it up to its farthest point so that he may be able to arrive at the border of Ignorance and Knowledge, where he meets the Truth, touch the final lid of its obscuration and develop faculties which enable him to overstep the powerful but really unsubstantial barrier of Ignorance. An integral Knowledge is a knowledge of truth of all planes of existence both separately followed by relation of each to all and relation of all to the truth of Spirit. 14/ Five All-Inclusive Teachings Of The Integral Yoga A Brief Restatement: " The four exclusive Teachings of the Gita are related with ascension of static consciousness to supreme Soul whereas the five all-inclusive teachings of integral Yoga are related with the descent of Supreme Nature of dynamic consciousness to earth and men. But there are certain Supramental experiences in which ‘a consciously felt descent is not indispensable’3 and there is still unknown higher source of Supramental where ‘actual feeling of a descent is not there.’3 The similar experience is also observed in The Mother’s experience of ‘Divine Love’ on the night of 12-13th April, 1962. Since in the Gita, the particular experience of the descent of Divine consciousness to Apara prakriti is ‘nowhere entirely spoken,’45 so in our discussion, we can rest satisfied with that Supramental action without having an actual feeling of the descent. Here the concept will be that since the presence of Sachchidananda is everywhere, so ‘if the inner doors are flung sufficiently open, the light from the sanctuary can suffuse the nearest and farthest chambers of the outer being.’3 The highest secret, rahasyam uttamam, is the Supramental revealed as Purushottama, the integral Divine, who is Nameless, Formless, all-embracing and all-exceeding Sachchidananda, ‘A touch that needs not hands to feel, to clasp,’4 ‘Acts at a distance without hands or feet’5 and is capable of assuming all Name and Form. ‘His hands and feet are on every side...and we live in His universal embrace.’29 In Supramental all things find their secret truth and their perfect reconciliation and the sense of individual identity is lost in the sole ecstasy of the Divine Beloved... The five gradations of Supermind represent the action of same Supreme Nature of Purushottama Consciousness in varying intensity, while capturing all the (ten) worlds, sarvaloka. The literal meaning of Madbhava, Sva Prakriti, Sadharmyam and Param Bhava are same that of becoming the nature of the Supreme, Para Prakriti, but here in this essay they have been used for different gradations or hierarchies of Divine Nature. This Divine Nature is identified as the Gita’s ‘supreme mystery which it does not work out at all, but leaves to be lived out, as later ages of Indian spirituality tried to live it out in great waves of love, of surrender, of ecstasy.’17 ‘It must not however be supposed that these (five) superimposed stages are shut off in experience from each other. I have placed them in what might be a regular order of ascending development for the better possibility of understanding in an intellectual statement.’30 15/ The Hierarchies Of Divine Living A Brief Restatement: Ashram³⁷ is an ancient Indian terminology used for collective Divine living and if one individual at its centre is having direct contact with the Divine, then this collective living around this Soul Centre is identified as the Divine Centre. Ashram's living evolves through the slow and swift evolution of Consciousness; thus, a hierarchy of ascending Consciousness is built which completes its action through a hierarchy of descent of Divine Consciousness... The collaborators of The Mother’s work in Consciousness are Sadhakas, Children and Integral Yogis, who are an indispensable part of collective Divine Living called the Ashram, the Divine Centre, while Visitors, Devotees and Ashramites¹ are its dispensable organ; the former represents the indivisible Spiritual Consciousness of developed Soul and the latter stands for the divisible mental consciousness of developing Soul. Visitors, Devotees, Ashramites, Sadhakas, Children and Integral Yogis are the beginners, expanders, stabilisers, intensifiers, identifiers and integrators of Consciousness respectively. Here they do not represent an individual or a person but a symbol of a transitional formative state in the hierarchy of ascending Consciousness. Each formative Consciousness has some limitation that inhibits our growth and Spiritual possibility that augments our progress, to which we are most concerned now. 16/ The Perfection Foreseen In The Gita And Integral Yoga A Brief Restatement: The Bhagavad Gita is the root knowledge and the foundation on which the comprehensive vision of Sri Aurobindo’s Teachings or integral Yoga rests. A thorough knowledge on the highest developed truth and highest hinted truth of the Gita is to ‘distinguish its essential and living message’ (CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-11) which is also an indispensable necessity to penetrate into the vast wisdom of integral Yoga. The perfection foreseen in the Gita and the integral Yoga are here restricted to multiple siddhis so that we can concentrate, contemplate, meditate, verify and enlarge our existing vessel through direct Spiritual experience. The Gita confirms that if the ripened Souls, Punditah, (The Gita-5.4) rightly and integrally perform either of the Karma, Jnana and Bhakti Yoga, in higher planes of consciousness, then they will arrive at the perfection of all the three Yogas. Integral Yoga proposes that ‘a more difficult, complex, wholly powerful process would be to start’ (CWSA/24/The Synthesis of Yoga-615) the Yoga ‘on three lines together, on a triple wheel of soul-power’ (CWSA/24/The Synthesis of Yoga-615) and this preparation will pave the passage clear for pursuance of a fourth Yoga named as ‘Yoga of Self-Perfection.’ “Our (integral) Yoga is not identical with the Yoga of the Gita’s Yoga. In our Yoga we begin with the idea, the will, the aspiration of the complete surrender; but at the same time we have to reject the lower nature, deliver our consciousness from it, deliver the self involved in the lower nature by the self rising to freedom in the higher nature...” Sri Aurobindo SABCL-26/On Himself/p126-127, “You will find that the Gita speaks of this rejection of all mental thought as one of the methods of Yoga and even the method it seems to prefer. This may be called the dhyana of liberation, as it frees the mind from slavery to the mechanical process of thinking and allows it to think or not think as it pleases and when it pleases, or to choose its own thoughts or else to go beyond thought to the pure perception of Truth called in our philosophy Vijnana .” Sri Aurobindo CWSA-36/Autobiographical Notes/p-294 "For the sadhaka of the integral Yoga it is necessary to remember that... His Yoga may be governed for a long time by one Scripture or by several successively, — if it is in the line of the great Hindu tradition, by the Gita , for example, the Upanishads, the Veda. Or it may be a good part of his development to include in its material a richly varied experience of the truths of many Scriptures and make the future opulent with all that is best in the past... The Gita itself thus declares that the Yogin in his progress must pass beyond the written Truth, — sabdabrahmativartate — beyond all that he has heard and all that he has yet to hear, — srotavyasya srutasya ca." Sri Aurobindo CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-55 "Then as (1) we get beyond the limitation of the three gunas, so also do (2) we get beyond the division of the fourfold law and (3) beyond the limitation of all distinctive dharmas, sarvadharman parityajya. (The Gita-18.66) (1) The Spirit takes up the individual into the universal Swabhava, (2) perfects and unifies the fourfold soul of nature in us and (3) does its self-determined works according to the divine will and the accomplished power of the godhead in the creature." Sri Aurobindo CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-524

Publisher's Note This web page is an annexure of the Book 'The Bhagavad Gita and Integral Yoga.' Apart from verifying the Mother’s exclamation related with Essays on the Gita , ‘Oh, what a treasure that is – a gold mine!’²⁶…this book partly fulfills three-tier accountability claimed from an integral Sadhaka ; firstly, in order to satisfy his own Self ‘he has to begin from the law of his present imperfection, to take full account of it and see how it can be converted to the law of a possible perfection;’²² secondly, he is answerable for his Sadhana to the world, which is his greater Self and with whom he is bound with mutual debt; thirdly, he is accountable to the Divine Source from whom he receives Grace and overhead support in abundance. Cette page Web est une annexe du livre «La Bhagavad Gita et le Yoga Intégral» . En plus de vérifier l’exclamation de la Mère dans les Essais sur la Gita : « Oh, quel trésor c’est – une mine d’or ! »²⁶… ce livre remplit en partie la responsabilité à trois niveaux réclamée d’une Sadhaka intégrale ; premièrement, pour satisfaire son propre Soi, « il doit partir de la loi de son imperfection actuelle, en prendre pleinement en compte et voir comment elle peut se convertir à la loi d'une perfection possible »² ² ; deuxièmement, il est responsable pour sa Sadhana envers le monde, qui est son plus grand Soi et avec lequel il est lié par une dette mutuelle ; troisièmement, il est responsable devant la Source Divine dont il reçoit en abondance la Grâce. This book partly fulfills Sri Aurobindo’s directives issued in The Synthesis of Yoga that before beginning integral Yoga (whose objective is to reconcile dynamic Spirit with static Matter) a Sadhaka can retain his ancient Aryan status by long practicing the Vedantic text of the Veda, the Upanishad and the Gita (whose objective is to strengthen Spiritual foundation by union of Jivatma with Paramatma or static Spirit.). In integral Yoga the static Divine union is dynamised. Ce livre répond en partie aux directives de Sri Aurobindo émises dans La Synthèse du Yoga selon lesquelles avant de commencer le Yoga intégral (dont l'objectif est de réconcilier l'Esprit dynamique avec la Matière statique), un Sadhaka peut conserver son statut aryen en pratiquant longtemps le texte védantique du Veda, de l'Upanishad et la Gita (dont l'objectif est de renforcer le fondement spirituel par l'union du Jivatma avec Paramatma ou Esprit statique.). Dans le Yoga intégral, l’union divine statique est dynamisée. Apart from the Gita's Moderate Spiritual Teachings, this book reconciles the Gita's strong Spiritual message with the stronger Spiritual message of Sri Aurobindo’s Essays on the Gita and the strongest Spiritual message of Savitri . Or it has partly reconciled 'Easy the heavens were to build for God' (Savitri-653) with "Earth was his difficult matter, earth the glory" (Savitri-653) and recognized the greatest action of the Divine Mother as "Earth saw my struggle, heaven my victory." (Savitri-639) Sri Aurobindo projected the aim of the Gita as "something absolute, unmitigated, uncompromising, a turn, an attitude that will change the whole poise of the soul." (Essays on the Gita-102-103) Outre les enseignements spirituels modérés de la Gita, ce livre réconcilie le message spirituel fort de la Gita avec le message spirituel plus fort des Essais sur la Gita de Sri Aurobindo et le message spirituel le plus fort de Savitri. Ou bien il a en partie réconcilié « Les cieux devaient construire facilement pour Dieu » (Savitri-653) avec « La terre était sa matière difficile, la terre la gloire » (Savitri-653) et a reconnu la plus grande action de la Mère Divine comme « La Terre a vu mon combat, le ciel ma victoire." (Savitri-639) Sri Aurobindo a défini le but de la Gîtâ comme « quelque chose d'absolu, de sans réserve, d'intransigeant, une orientation, une attitude qui transformera l'équilibre de l'âme. » (Essais sur la Gîtâ-102-103) Here, we have put our sincere effort into extracting gold from Essays on the Gita. Gold is the symbol of Supramental energy and The Mother confirmed categorically that Sri Aurobindo's Spiritual experience at Alipore jail (The Mother’s Agenda-September 26, 1962) and the descent of overhead Truth in the book Essays on the Gita (The Mother’s Agenda/Vol-3/p-355) are not Overmental, but direct experience from the Supramental plane. This also further confirms that an entry into Sri Aurobindo's writings opens the door towards a brief Supramental touch. All eighteen chapters of the Gita are restated here with the objective of extracting Gold from Sri Aurobindo's writings and to discover a passage to this new Consciousness. This ascent of our Consciousness to superior planes and calling down the immaculate treasure of 'supernature's gold' (Savitri-339) to our material life is identified as a special privilege. Savitri book proposes that all can visit 'the secret Supermind’s huge store' (Savitri-187) for a brief period, receive 'A little gift comes from the Immensitudes' (Savitri-237) and discover 'An immeasurable luminous secrecy.' (Savitri-309) This wealth is 'measureless to life its gain of joy.' (Savitri-237) The Gita also identifies that the possession of Supreme Bliss is the highest treasure of life and a seeker of Truth 'must practice this Yoga resolutely without yielding to any discouragement by difficulty or failure (until the release, until the bliss of Nirvana is secured as an eternal possession).” (The Gita-6.23) Nous avons consacré ici nos efforts sincères à extraire l'or des Essais sur la Gîtâ. L'or est le symbole de l'énergie supramentale et la Mère a confirmé catégoriquement que l'expérience spirituelle de Sri Aurobindo à la prison d'Alipore (L'Agenda de la Mère, 26 septembre 1962) et la descente de la Vérité céleste dans le livre Essais sur la Gîtâ (L'Agenda de la Mère, vol. 3, p. 355) ne sont pas surmentales, mais une expérience directe du plan supramental. Cela confirme également qu’une entrée dans les écrits de Sri Aurobindo ouvre la porte à un bref contact supramental. Les dix-huit chapitres de la Gîtâ sont ici réitérés dans le but d'extraire l'or des écrits de Sri Aurobindo et de découvrir un passage vers cette nouvelle Conscience. Cette ascension de notre Conscience vers les plans supérieurs et l'appel du trésor immaculé de « l'or de la surnature » (Savitri, 339) à notre vie matérielle sont considérés comme un privilège particulier. Le livre de Savitri propose que tous puissent visiter « l'immense réserve secrète du Supramental » (Savitri-187) pendant une brève période, recevoir «Un petit cadeau vient des Immensitudes » (Savitri-237) et découvrir « Un secret lumineux incommensurable ». (Savitri-309) Cette richesse est « sans mesure pour la vie, son gain de joie ». (Savitri-237) La Gita identifie également que la possession de la Félicité Suprême est le plus grand trésor de la vie et qu'un chercheur de Vérité « doit pratiquer ce Yoga résolument sans céder au découragement par la difficulté ou l'échec (jusqu'à la libération, jusqu'à ce que la félicité du Nirvana soit assurée comme une possession éternelle). » (La Gita-6.23), OM TAT SAT References are from the Manuscript "The Bhagavad Gita and Integral Yoga ." The Mother “I met a man (I was perhaps 20 or 21 at the time), an Indian who had come to Europe and who told me of the Gita . There was a French translation of it (a rather poor one, I must say) which he advised me to read, and then he gave me the key (HIS key, it was his key). He said, ‘Read the Gita ...’ (this translation of the Gita which really wasn’t worth much but it was the only one available at the time – in those days I wouldn’t have understood anything in other languages; and besides, the English translations were just as bad and ... well, Sri Aurobindo hadn’t done his yet!). He said, ‘Read the Gita knowing that Krishna is the symbol of the immanent God, the God within.’ That was all. ‘Read it with THAT knowledge – with the knowledge that Krishna represents the immanent God, the God within you.’ Well, within a month, the whole thing was done!” The Mother The Mother's Agenda/August 25, 1954 "J’ai rencontré un homme (j’avais peut-être vingt-et-un ans, je crois, ou vingt ans) un homme qui était un Indien , qui venait d’ici et qui m’a parlé de la Guîtâ. Il y avait une traduction (qui était d’ailleurs assez mauvaise) et il m’a conseillé de la lire, et il m’a donné la clé – sa clé, c’était sa clé. Il m’a dit: «Lisez la Guîtâ» (cette traduction de la Guîtâ, qui ne vaut pas grand-chose, mais enfin c’était la seule en français; de ce temps-là je n’aurais rien pu comprendre en d’autres langues; d’ailleurs les traductions anglaises sont aussi mauvaises et je n’avais pas... Sri Aurobindo n’avait pas encore écrit la sienne!). Il a dit: «Lisez la Guîtâ et prenez Krishna pour le symbole du Dieu immanent, du Dieu intérieur.» C’était tout ce qu’il m’a dit. Il m’a dit: «Lisez-la avec cette connaissance-là, que Krishna représente, dans la Guîtâ, le Dieu immanent, le Dieu qui est au-dedans de vous.» Mais en un mois, tout le travail était fait!" La Mère L'agenda de la mère/25 août 1954 1 / Chapter 1. The Dejection of Arjuna Summary or A Brief Restatement: The first chapter of the Gita gives the message that if one will not accumulate Soul force from within and above, then during the period of extreme adversity, he will experience Spiritual fall of recoil into tamasic and rajasic states of Consciousness. Arjuna was given the task of slaying his own kith and kin (symbol of falsehood), whom the Lord had already slain in the subtle world. Any objective and outward action is considered as Divine action if the same work is already executed in the subtle world through intervention of a Transcendent Force. This world and life are accepted here as a field of inner and outer war waged over considerable countries. The original question raised by Arjuna throughout the Gita is identified as the experience of Divine perfection, vividly to works and life.’ The Lord promises Arjuna to raise humanity from the yoke of the lower Nature and transform this earthbound, ordinary action into Divine action. Here, Kurukshetra is the symbol of the outer war against falsehood, Dharmakshetra is the symbol of inner war against lower nature; Arjuna is the symbol of closest companion and instrument of the Divine, the Lord is revealed here as the Divine Teacher, who is also the friend of all creatures and the Lord of all the multiple subtle worlds. Here, Lower Nature is the symbol of Soul slaying truth and Higher Nature is the symbol of Soul saving Truth. The Yoga of the Dejection : "But what, then, is it that makes the difficulty for the man who has to take the world as it is and act in it and yet would live, within, the spiritual life? What is this aspect of existence which appals his awakened mind and brings about what the title of the first chapter of the Gita calls significantly the Yoga of the dejection of Arjuna , the dejection and discouragement felt by the human being when he is forced to face the spectacle of the universe as it really is with the veil of the ethical illusion, the illusion of self-righteousness torn from his eyes, before a higher reconciliation with himself is effected? It is that aspect which is figured outwardly in the carnage and massacre of Kurukshetra and spiritually by the vision of the Lord of all things as Time arising to devour and destroy the creatures whom it has made. This is the vision of the Lord of all existence as the universal Creator but also the universal Destroyer, of whom the ancient Scripture can say in a ruthless image, “The sages and the heroes are his food and death is the spice of his banquet.” It is one and the same truth seen first indirectly and obscurely in the facts of life and then directly and clearly in the soul’s vision of that which manifests itself in life. The outward aspect is that of world-existence and human existence proceeding by struggle and slaughter; the inward aspect is that of the universal Being fulfilling himself in a vast creation and a vast destruction. Life a battle and a field of death, this is Kurukshetra ; God the Terrible, this is the vision that Arjuna sees on that field of massacre." 39-40, "We must acknowledge Kurukshetra ; we must submit to the law of Life by Death before we can find our way to the life immortal ; we must open our eyes, with a less appalled gaze than Arjuna’s , to the vision of our Lord of Time and Death and cease to deny, hate or recoil from the universal Destroyer." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-46 Arjuna , a pure sattwic man and his tamasic and rajasic recoil from the war field: Arjuna's recoil from the war field or Spiritual fall is observed in this first chapter. Whatever emotional feeling and attachment towards kith and kin he expressed to the Lord within the jurisdiction of three gunas is identified here as Soul-slaying truth, nasana atmanah . (The Gita-16.21) Whatever Knowledge the Lord has given Arjuna is identified here as soul-saving creative truth, atmanam srijami . (The Gita-4.7) Literally, Arjuna means "bright," "shining," or "white." It is derived from the Sanskrit word "अर्जुन" (arjuna) , which can also imply being clear, pure, or straightforward. "Arjuna is, in the language of the Gita , a man subject to the action of the three gunas or modes of the Nature-Force and habituated to move unquestioningly in that field, like the generality of men. He justifies his name only in being so far pure and sattwic as to be governed by high and clear principles and impulses and habitually control his lower nature by the noblest Law which he knows. He is not of a violent Asuric disposition, not the slave of his passions, but has been trained to a high calm and self-control , to an unswerving performance of his duties and firm obedience to the best principles of the time and society in which he has lived and the religion and ethics to which he has been brought up. He is egoistic like other men, but with the purer or sattwic egoism which regards the moral law and society and the claims of others and not only or predominantly his own interests, desires and passions. He has lived and guided himself by the Shastra , the moral and social code. The thought which preoccupies him, the standard which he obeys is the dharma , that collective Indian conception of the religious, social and moral rule of conduct, and especially the rule of the station and function to which he belongs, he the Kshatriya, the high- minded, self-governed, chivalrous prince and warrior and leader of Aryan men. Following always this rule, conscious of virtue and right dealing he has travelled so far and finds suddenly that it has led him to become the protagonist of a terrific and unparalleled slaughter, a monstrous civil war involving all the cultured Aryan nations which must lead to the complete destruction of the flower of their manhood and threatens their ordered civilisation with chaos and collapse." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-22-23, "Whoever prematurely attempts to get rid of this law of battle and destruction, strives vainly against the greater will of the World-Spirit. Whoever turns from it in the weakness of his lower members, as did Arjuna in the beginning, — therefore was his shrinking condemned as a small and false pity, an inglorious, an un-Aryan and unheavenly feebleness of heart and impotence of spirit, klaibyam, ksudram hridaya-daurbalyam, (The Gita-2.3)— is showing not true virtue, but a want of spiritual courage to face the sterner truths of Nature and of action and existence. Man can only exceed the law of battle by discovering the greater law of his immortality. There are those who seek this where it always exists and must primarily be found, in the higher reaches of the pure spirit, and to find it turn away from a world governed by the law of Death." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-385, “We see in the teaching of the Gita how subtle a thing is the freedom from egoism which is demanded. Arjuna is driven to fight by the egoism of strength, the egoism of the Kshatriya; he is turned from the battle by the contrary egoism of weakness, the shrinking, the spirit of disgust, the false pity that overcomes the mind, the nervous being and the senses, — not that divine compassion which strengthens the arm and clarifies the knowledge. But this weakness comes garbed as renunciation, as virtue: “Better the life of the beggar than to taste these blood-stained enjoyments; I desire not the rule of all the earth, no, nor the kingdom of the gods.” How foolish of the Teacher, we might say, not to confirm this mood, to lose this sublime chance of adding one more great soul to the army of Sannyasins, one more shining example before the world of a holy renunciation. But the Guide sees otherwise, the Guide who is not to be deceived by words; “This is weakness and delusion and egoism that speak in thee. Behold the Self, open thy eyes to the knowledge, purify thy soul of egoism.” And afterwards? “Fight, conquer, enjoy a wealthy kingdom.” (The Gita-11.33)” CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-331-332, “As a result he turns towards renunciation. Better the life of the mendicant living upon alms than this dharma of the Kshatriya , this battle and action culminating in undiscriminating massacre, this principle of mastery and glory and power which can only be won by destruction and bloodshed, this conquest of blood-stained enjoyments, this vindication of justice and right by a means which contradicts all righteousness and this affirmation of the social law by a war which destroys in its process and result all that constitutes society.” CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita-55, “Arjuna said: Better to live in this world even on alms than to slay these high-souled Gurus. Slaying these Gurus, I should taste of blood-stained enjoyments even in this world.” The Gita-2.5, Arjuna, the Instrument and Emanation of the Lord: "Arjuna himself is a Vibhuti ; he is a man high in the spiritual evolution, a figure marked out in the crowd of his contemporaries, a chosen instrument of the divine Narayana , the Godhead in humanity. In one place the Teacher speaking as the supreme and equal Self of all declares that there is none dear to him, none hated, but in others he says that Arjuna is dear to him and his bhakta and therefore guided and safe in his hands , chosen for the vision and the knowledge. There is here only an apparent inconsistency. The Power as the self of the cosmos is equal to all, therefore to each being he gives according to the workings of his nature; but there is also a personal relation of the Purushottama to the human being in which he is especially near to the man who has come near to him. All these heroes and men of might who have joined in battle on the plain of Kurukshetra are vessels of the divine Will and through each he works according to his nature but behind the veil of his ego. Arjuna has reached that point when the veil can be rent and the embodied Godhead can reveal the mystery of his workings to his Vibhuti. It is even essential that there should be the revelation. He is the instrument of a great work, a work terrible in appearance but necessary for a long step forward in the march of the race, a decisive movement in its struggle towards the kingdom of the Right and the Truth, dharmarajya . The history of the cycles of man is a progress towards the unveiling of the Godhead in the soul and life of humanity ; each high event and stage of it is a divine manifestation. Arjuna , the chief instrument of the hidden Will, the great protagonist, must become the divine man capable of doing the work consciously as the action of the Divine. So only can that action become psychically alive and receive its spiritual import and its light and power of secret significance. He is called to self-knowledge; he must see God as the Master of the universe and the origin of the world’s creatures and happenings, all as the Godhead’s self-expression in Nature, God in all, God in himself as man and as Vibhuti, God in the lownesses of being and on its heights, God on the topmost summits, man too upon heights as the Vibhuti and climbing to the last summits in the supreme liberation and union. Time in its creation and destruction must be seen by him as the figure of the Godhead in its steps, — steps that accomplish the cycles of the cosmos on whose spires of movement the divine spirit in the human body rises doing God’s work in the world as his Vibhuti to the supreme transcendences. This knowledge has been given; the Time-figure of the Godhead is now to be revealed and from the million mouths of that figure will issue the command for the appointed action to the liberated Vibhuti. " CWSA-19/Essays of the Gita/p-375-376, " The Gita’s injunction is to worship the Divine by our own work, sva-karmana ; (The Gita-18.46) our offering must be the works determined by our own law of being and nature. For from the Divine all movement of creation and impulse to act originates and by him all this universe is extended and for the holding together of the worlds he presides over and shapes all action through the Swabhava. To worship him with our inner and outer activities, to make our whole life a sacrifice of works to the Highest is to prepare ourselves to become one with him in all our will and substance and nature. Our work should be according to the truth within us, it should not be an accommodation with outward and artificial standards: it must be a living and sincere expression of the soul and its inborn powers. For to follow out the living inmost truth of this soul in our present nature will help us eventually to arrive at the immortal truth of the same soul in the now superconscious supreme nature. There we can live in oneness with God and our true self and all beings and, perfected, become a faultless instrument of divine action in the freedom of the immortal Dharma. " CWSA-19/Essays of the Gita/p-524-525, The Lord asks Arjuna , soul of the disciple to prepare all the time, the rest of his life, “Become my-minded, my lover and adorer, a sacrificer to me, bow thyself to me, to me thou shalt come, this is my pledge and promise to thee, for dear art thou to me. Abandon all dharmas and take refuge in me alone. I will deliver thee from all sin and evil, do not grieve." (The Gita-18.65-66) " CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita -556, Sri Krishna, the Avatar: “But still the Vibhuti is not the Avatar ; otherwise Arjuna, Vyasa, Ushanas would be Avatars as well as Krishna, even if in a less degree of the power of Avatarhood . The divine quality is not enough; there must be the inner consciousness of the Lord and Self governing the human nature by his divine presence. The heightening of the power of the qualities is part of the becoming, bhutagrama, (The Gita-8.19, 9.8) an ascent in the ordinary manifestation; in the Avatar there is the special manifestation, the divine birth from above, the eternal and universal Godhead descended into a form of individual humanity, atmanam srijami, (The Gita-4.7) and conscious not only behind the veil but in the outward nature. ” CWSA/19/Essays on the Gita/p-161, “The crisis in which the Avatar appears, though apparent to the outward eye only as a crisis of events and great material changes, is always in its source and real meaning a crisis in the consciousness of humanity when it has to undergo some grand modification and effect some new development. For this action of change a divine force is needed; but the force varies always according to the power of consciousness which it embodies; hence the necessity of a divine consciousness manifesting in the mind and soul of humanity. Where, indeed, the change is mainly intellectual and practical, the intervention of the Avatar is not needed; there is a great uplifting of consciousness, a great manifestation of power in which men are for the time being exalted above their normal selves, and this surge of consciousness and power finds its wave-crests in certain exceptional individuals, vibhutis , whose action leading the general action is sufficient for the change intended.” CWSA/19/Essays on the Gita-168, “The Avatar is not bound to do extraordinary actions, but he is bound to give his acts or his work or what he is — any of these or all — a significance and an effective power that are part of something essential to be done in the history of the earth and its races.” CWSA-28/Letters on Yoga-I-490, (This means Avatar has not descended to show any extraordinary miracle and satisfy our endless desire, but to elevate our ordinary action to Divine Action and transform our lower Nature into Divine Nature.) “The natural attitude of the psychic being is to feel itself as the child, the son of God, the Bhakta ; it is a portion of the Divine, one in essence, but in the dynamics of the manifestation there is always even in identity a difference. The Jivatman , on the contrary, lives in the essence and can merge itself in identity with the Divine; but it too, the moment it presides over the dynamics of the manifestation, knows itself as one centre of the multiple Divine, not as the Parameshwara . It is important to remember this distinction; for, otherwise, if there is the least vital egoism, one may begin to think of oneself as an Avatara … ” CWSA-28/Letters on Yoga-I/p-61, (This indicates that Avatars are special manifestations of Supreme Self whereas other liberated Souls are one Psychic centre of the multiple universal Self. This they must remember all the time.) "An Avatar, roughly speaking, is one who is conscious of the presence and power of the Divine born in him or descended into him and governing from within his will and life and action; he feels identified inwardly with this divine power and presence. A Vibhuti is supposed to embody some power of the Divine and is enabled by it to act with great force in the world but that is all that is necessary to make him a Vibhuti: the power may be very great but the consciousness is not that of an inborn or indwelling Divinity. (That means an Avatar is born free wheras all others are not free from the influence of three Gunas. (The Gita18.40)) This is the distinction we can gather from the Gita which is the main authority on this subject. If we follow this distinction, we can confidently say from what is related of them that Rama and Krishna can be accepted as Avatars; Buddha figures as such although with a more impersonal consciousness of the Power within him; Ramakrishna voiced the same consciousness when he spoke of him who was Rama and who was Krishna being within him. But Chaitanya’s case is peculiar; for according to the accounts he ordinarily felt and declared himself a bhakta of Krishna and nothing more, but in great moments he manifested Krishna, grew luminous in mind and body and was Krishna himself and spoke and acted as the Lord. His contemporaries saw in him an Avatar of Krishna, a manifestation of the divine love. Shankara and Vivekananda were certainly Vibhutis ; they cannot be reckoned as more, though as Vibhutis they were very great."CWSA-28/Letters on Yoga-I/p-485-486, “But you see, you see all the way I have come...And I was born with a consciously prepared body—Sri Aurobindo was aware of that, he said it immediately the first time he saw me: I was born free. That is, from the spiritual standpoint: without any desire. Without any desire and attachment. And mon petit, if there is the slightest desire and the slightest attachment, it is IMPOSSIBLE to do this work." The Mother, 28th March-1964, The Mother’s Agenda-5/100, Our real, proper and main business of acceptance of this life and action: "The ascent to the divine Life is the human journey, the Work of works, the acceptable Sacrifice. This alone is man’s real business in the world and the justification of his existence, without which he would be only an insect crawling among other ephemeral insects on a speck of surface mud and water which has managed to form itself amid the appalling immensities of the physical universe."CWSA-21/The Life Divine/p-48, "The growth of the god in man is man’s proper business ; the steadfast turning of this lower Asuric and Rakshasic into the divine nature is the carefully hidden meaning of human life. As this growth increases, the veil falls and the soul comes to see the greater significance of action and the real truth of existence. The eye opens to the Godhead in man, to the Godhead in the world; it sees inwardly and comes to know outwardly the infinite Spirit, the Imperishable from whom all existences originate and who exists in all and by him and in him all exist always. Therefore when this vision, this knowledge seizes on the soul, its whole life-aspiration becomes a surpassing love and fathomless adoration of the Divine and Infinite.” CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-327, "To discover the spiritual being in himself is the main business of the spiritual man and to help others towards the same evolution is his real service to the race; till that is done, an outward help can succour and alleviate, but nothing or very little more is possible." CWSA-22/The Life Divine/p-917-918, “This is what a true subjectivism teaches us, — first, that we are a higher self than our ego or our members, secondly, that we are in our life and being not only ourselves but all others; for there is a secret solidarity which our egoism may kick at and strive against, but from which we cannot escape. It is the old Indian discovery that our real “I” is a Supreme Being which is our true self and which it is our business to discover and consciously become and, secondly, that that Being is one in all, expressed in the individual and in the collectivity, and only by admitting and realising our unity with others can we entirely fulfil our true self-being.” CWSA-25/The Human Cycle/p-47-48 Our understanding of the Creator of the World: "We have to see that God the bountiful and prodigal creator, God the helpful, strong and benignant preserver is also God the devourer and destroyer. " CWSA-19/Essays of the Gita/p-382 In the Gita the Lord reveals His Cosmic Form in chapter 11, verses 25 to 32, as the Time Spirit, the ultimate Destroyer and Devourer. In King Aswapati's Yoga, we find that after establishing himself in the dynamic aspect of the Supreme Self, King met the destructive aspect of the Divine. “The soul’s ignorance is slain but not the soul:” Savitri-311, (Ignorance is here desire Soul) “Now other claims had hushed in him their cry:" Savitri-316, (Now other claims are of desire Soul) “The covering Nescience was unmasked and slain;” Savitri-313, “To err no more was natural to mind; Wrong could not come where all was light and love.” Savitri-313-14 “All that denies must be torn out and slain (All that denies of Supreme Love) And crushed the many longings for whose sake (many longings of desire) We lose the One (Divine) for whom our lives were made.” Savitri-316, “All seemed to have perished that was undivine:” Savitri-318, “The covering mind was seized and torn apart;” Savitri-319, Our understanding of the Creation: If we recognise the Subconscient transformation, we have to accept the discord of existence in the line as indicated in Essays on the Gita and Savitri . "The discords of the worlds are God’s discords and it is only by accepting and proceeding through them that we can arrive at the greater concords of his supreme harmony, the summits and thrilled vastnesses of his transcendent and his cosmic Ananda. " CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-382, “All contraries heal their long dissidence.” Savitri-450-51 All contraries were true in one huge spirit” Savitri-555 “All here shall be one day her sweetness’ home, All contraries prepare her harmony; Towards her our knowledge climbs, our passion gropes; In her miraculous rapture we shall dwell, Her clasp will turn to ecstasy our pain.” Savitri-314 “All contraries are aspects of God’s face.” Savitri-656 “The obstacle which the physical presents to the spiritual is no argument for the rejection of the physical; for in the unseen providence of things our greatest difficulties are our best opportunities. ” CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-11"All existence is a manifestation of God because He is the only existence and nothing can be except as either a real figuring or else a figment of that one reality. Therefore every conscious being is in part or in some way a descent of the Infinite into the apparent finiteness of name and form." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-13-14, "All existence is a manifestation of the divine Existence and that which is within us is spirit of the eternal Spirit. We have come indeed into the lower material nature and are under its influence, but we have come there from the supreme spiritual nature: this inferior imperfect status is our apparent, but that our real being." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-424, "Surely you could not believe that sadhana could be done without facing some difficulties. As your aspiration is sincere, whatever was in the subconscient standing in the way of the Divine Realisation, has come to the surface in order to be transformed. There is nothing there to make you sad or depressed — on the contrary you ought to rejoice at these occasions to make progress and never forget to lean for support and help on my love, force and blessings." The Mother/TMCW-vol-14/p-227 The Three Gunas: "The gunas affect every part of our natural being. They have indeed their strongest relative hold in the three different members of it, mind, life and body. Tamas, the principle of inertia, is strongest in material nature and in our physical being. The action of this principle is of two kinds, inertia of force and inertia of knowledge. Whatever is predominantly governed by Tamas , tends in its force to a sluggish inaction and immobility or else to a mechanical action which it does not possess, but is possessed by obscure forces which drive it in a mechanical round of energy; equally in its consciousness it turns to an inconscience or enveloped subconscience or to a reluctant, sluggish or in some way mechanical conscious action which does not possess the idea of its own energy, but is guided by an idea which seems external to it or at least concealed from its active awareness. Thus the principle of our body is in its nature inert, subconscient, incapable of anything but a mechanical and habitual self-guidance and action: though it has like everything else a principle of kinesis and a principle of equilibrium of its state and action, an inherent principle of response and a secret consciousness, the greatest portion of its rajasic motions are contributed by the life-power and all the overt consciousness by the mental being. The principle of rajas has its strongest hold on the vital nature. It is the Life within us that is the strongest kinetic motor power, but the life-power in earthly beings is possessed by the force of desire, therefore rajas turns always to action and desire; desire is the strongest human and animal initiator of most kinesis and action, predominant to such an extent that many consider it the father of all action and even the originator of our being. Moreover, rajas finding itself in a world of matter which starts from the principle of inconscience and a mechanical driven inertia, has to work against an immense contrary force; therefore its whole action takes on the nature of an effort, a struggle, a besieged and an impeded conflict for possession which is distressed in its every step by a limiting incapacity, disappointment and suffering: even its gains are precarious and limited and marred by the reaction of the effort and an aftertaste of insufficiency and transience. The principle of sattwa has its strongest hold in the mind; not so much in the lower parts of the mind which are dominated by the rajasic life-power, but mostly in the intelligence and the will of the reason. Intelligence, reason, rational will are moved by the nature of their predominant principle towards a constant effort of assimilation, assimilation by knowledge, assimilation by a power of understanding will, a constant effort towards equilibrium, some stability, rule, harmony of the conflicting elements of natural happening and experience. This satisfaction it gets in various ways and in various degrees of acquisition. The attainment of assimilation, equilibrium and harmony brings with it always a relative but more or less intense and satisfying sense of ease, happiness, mastery, security, which is other than the troubled and vehement pleasures insecurely bestowed by the satisfaction of rajasic desire and passion. Light and happiness are the characteristics of the sattwic guna . The whole nature of the embodied living mental being is determined by these three gunas ." CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-684-685, "The passage through sattwa is the ordinary idea of Yoga, it is the preparation and purification by the yama-niyama of Patanjali or by other means in other Yogas, e.g., saintliness in the bhakti schools, the eightfold path in Buddhism etc., etc. In our Yoga (Integral Yoga) the evolution through sattwa i s replaced by the cultivation of equanimity, samata , and by the psychic transformation." CWSA-28/Letters on Yoga-I/p-424, “…for mind is a twilight preparing for light, an ignorance seeking after knowledge, a bondage to Nature groping after freedom and mastery over Nature. It is not on mind, on its self-modifying ignorance and bondage or even on its half-light, half-mastery, half-knowledge that the next step can base itself. It must base itself on soul consciousness, consciousness of the spirit and self for so only can there be the full light, the spontaneous mastery, the intimate and real knowledge.” CWSA-28/Letters on Yoga-I/p-427, Freedom from Lower Nature: " In the lower nature each being appears as the ego, in the higher he is the individual Purusha . In other words multiplicity is part of the spiritual nature of the One. This individual soul is myself, in the creation it is a partial manifestation of me, mamaivaamsah , (The Gita-15.7) and it possesses all my powers; it is witness, giver of the sanction, upholder, knower, lord. It descends into the lower nature and thinks itself bound by action, so to enjoy the lower being: it can draw back and know itself as the passive Purusha free from all action. It can rise above the three gunas and, liberated from the bondage of action, yet possess action, even as I do myself, and by adoration of the Purushottama and union with him it can enjoy wholly its divine Nature." CWSA-19/Essays of the Gita/p- 80, "Transcending the lower nature of the three gunas and seating the soul in the immobile Purusha beyond the three gunas , we can ascend finally into the higher nature of the infinite Godhead which is not bound by the three gunas even when it acts through Nature. Reaching the inner actionlessness of the silent Purusha, naiskarmya , and leaving Prakriti to do her works, we can attain supremely beyond to the status of the divine Mastery which is able to do all works and yet be bound by none. The idea of the Purushottama, seen here as the incarnate Narayana, Krishna , is therefore the key . Without it the withdrawal from the lower nature to the Brahmic condition leads necessarily to inaction of the liberated man, his indifference to the works of the world; with it the same withdrawal becomes a step by which the works of the world are taken up in the spirit, with the nature and in the freedom of the Divine. See the silent Brahman as the goal and the world with all its activities has to be forsaken; see God, the Divine, the Purushottama as the goal, superior to action yet its inner spiritual cause and object and original will, and the world with all its activities is conquered and possessed in a divine transcendence of the world . It can become instead of a prison-house an opulent kingdom, rajyam samruddham, which we have conquered for the spiritual life by slaying the limitation of the tyrant ego and overcoming the bondage of our gaoler desires and breaking the prison of our individualistic possession and enjoyment. The liberated universalised soul becomes svarat samrat , self-ruler and emperor." CWSA-19/Essays of the Gita/p- 134-135, "First, therefore, the Teacher points out that all these ideas and feelings which trouble, perplex and baffle Arjuna, joy and sorrow, desire and sin, the mind’s turn towards governing action by the outward results of action, the human shrinking from what seems terrible and formidable in the dealings of the universal Spirit with the world, are things born of the subjection of our consciousness to a natural ignorance, the way of working of a lower nature in which the soul is involved and sees itself as a separate ego returning to the action of things upon it dual reactions of pain and pleasure, virtue and vice, right and wrong, good happening and evil fortune. These reactions create a tangled web of perplexity in which the soul is lost and bewildered by its own ignorance; it has to guide itself by partial and imperfect solutions that serve ordinarily with a stumbling sufficiency in the normal life, but fail when brought to the test of a wider seeing and a profounder experience. To understand the real sense of action and existence one must retreat behind all these appearances into the truth of the spirit; one must found self-knowledge before one can have the basis of a right world-knowledge." CWSA-19/Essays of the Gita/p-452-453, Our understanding of the First Law of the Creator: “Thou shalt not conquer except by battle with thy fellows and thy surroundings; thou shalt not even live except by battle and struggle and by absorbing into thyself other life. The first law of this world that I have made is creation and preservation by destruction. ” CWSA-19/Essays of the Gita/p-40, "He appears to us too in the universe as the universal spirit of Destruction, who seems to create only to undo his creations in the end, — “I am all-snatching Death,” aham mrityuh sarva-harah . (the Gita-10.34) And yet his Power of becoming does not cease from its workings, for the force of rebirth and new creation ever keeps pace with the force of death and destruction, — “and I am too the birth of all that shall come into being .” (The Gita-10.34) The divine Self in things is the sustaining Spirit of the present, the withdrawing Spirit of the past, the creative Spirit of the future." CWSA-19/Essays of the Gita/p-363, “Outwardly also, the nation or community or race which shrinks too long from destroying and replacing its past forms of life, is itself destroyed, rots and perishes and out of its debris other nations, communities and races are formed. By destruction of the old giant occupants man made himself a place upon earth. By destruction of the Titans the gods maintain the continuity of the divine Law in the cosmos. Whoever prematurely attempts to get rid of this law of battle and destruction, strives vainly against the greater will of the World-Spirit. Whoever turns from it in the weakness of his lower members, as did Arjuna in the beginning, — therefore was his shrinking condemned as a small and false pity, an inglorious, an un-Aryan and unheavenly feebleness of heart and impotence of spirit, klaibyam, ksudram hridaya-daurbalyam, (The Gita-2.3)— is showing not true virtue, but a want of spiritual courage to face the sterner truths of Nature and of action and existence. Man can only exceed the law of battle by discovering the greater law of his immortality. ” CSWA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-384-85, "It means exactly this (I am going back to the preceding sentence): Who can protect the one whom God has already slain? He has already been slain by God. When God has decided that someone is to be slain, nothing can protect him or keep him from being slain. And Sri Aurobindo adds: the man who slays (because it is not God who slays directly, he uses a man), the man who slays is only a circumstance, the instrument through which the thing decided by God behind the veil is accomplished materially here... These are political texts from the revolutionary period, concerning bomb attacks against the English. And then he says that the man God has protected can never be touched. However hard you try, you will never be able to slay him. But who can protect the man God has already slain? He has already been slain by God. And man is simply the instrument used by God to do here what has been done there (it has ALREADY been done there). it’s very simple." The Mother/The Mother's Agenda/18.04.1961 1 / Chapter 1. The Dejection of Arjuna The Message of this First Chapter for a Sadhak of Integral Yoga: "He (the Lord) discourages the tamasic recoil and the tendency to renunciation and enjoins the continuance of action and even of the same fierce and terrible action, but he points the disciple towards another and inner renunciation which is the real issue from his crisis and the way towards the soul’s superiority to the world-Nature and yet its calm and self-possessed action in the world. Not a physical asceticism, but an inner askesis is the teaching of the Gita. " CWSA-19/Essays of the Gita/p-55-56 “But for the sadhaka of the integral Yoga this inner or this outer solitude can only be incidents or periods in his spiritual progress. Accepting life, he has to bear not only his own burden, but a great part of the world’s burden too along with it, as a continuation of his own sufficiently heavy load. Therefore his Yoga has much more of the nature of a battle than others; but this is not only an individual battle, it is a collective war waged over a considerable country. He has not only to conquer in himself the forces of egoistic falsehood and disorder, but to conquer them as representatives of the same adverse and inexhaustible forces in the world. Their representative character gives them a much more obstinate capacity of resistance, an almost endless right to recurrence. Often he finds that even after he has won persistently his own personal battle, he has still to win it over and over again in a seemingly interminable war, because his inner existence has already been so much enlarged that not only it contains his own being with its well-defined needs and experiences, but is in solidarity with the being of others, because in himself he contains the universe.” CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-77-78 First six chapters and succeeding chapters: "Thus in the first six chapters the knowledge necessary for the distinction between (1) the immutable self (Spiritul being) (2) and the soul veiled in nature (Psychic being) was accorded an entire prominence." CWSA-19/Essays of the Gita/p-409 "The whole object of the first six chapters of the Gita is to synthetise in a large frame of Vedantic truth the two methods, ordinarily supposed to be diverse and even opposite, of the Sankhyas and the Yogins . The Sankhya is taken as the starting-point and the basis ; but it is from the beginning and with a progressively increasing emphasis permeated with the ideas and methods of Yoga and remoulded in its spirit. The practical difference, as it seems to have presented itself to the religious minds of that day, lay first in this that Sankhya proceeded by knowledge and through the Yoga of the intelligence, while Yoga proceeded by works and the transformation of the active consciousness and, secondly, — a corollary of this first distinction, — that Sankhya led to entire passivity and the renunciation of works, sannyasa , while Yoga held to be quite sufficient the inner renunciation of desire, the purification of the subjective principle which leads to action and the turning of works Godwards, towards the divine existence and towards liberation. Yet both had the same aim, (1) the transcendence of birth and of this terrestrial existence and (2) the union of the human soul with the Highest. " CWSA-19/Essays of the Gita/p-81 "The First six chapters of the Gita have been treated as a single block of teachings, its primary basis of practice and knowledge; the remaining twelve may be similarly treated as two closely connected blocks which develop the rest of the doctrine from this primary basis. The seventh to the twelfth chapters lay down a large metaphysical statement of the (1) nature of the Divine Being and (2) on that foundation closely relate and synthetise knowledge and devotion, just as the first part of the Gita related and synthetised works and knowledge. The vision of the World-Purusha intervenes in the eleventh chapter, gives a dynamic turn to this stage of the synthesis and relates it vividly to works and life (This is original Question) . Thus again all is brought powerfully back to the original question of Arjuna round which the whole exposition revolves and completes its cycle. Afterwards (From chapter-13 to 18) the Gita proceeds (1) by the differentiation of the Purusha and Prakriti to work out its ideas of the action of the gunas , (Chapter-13) (2) of the ascension beyond the gunas (Chapter-14) and (3) of the culmination of desireless works with knowledge where that coalesces with Bhakti, — knowledge, works and love made one, (Chapter-15) — and (4) it rises thence to its great finale, the supreme secret of self-surrender to the Master of Existence. (Chapter-18)" CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita-263 2 / Chapter 2. Sankhya Yoga Summary or A Brief Restatement: A Sadhaka of the Gita and Integral Yoga must always remember this Mantra , jatasyahi dhrubo mrityu dhrubam janma mritasya cha, 'For certain is death for the born, and certain is birth for the dead.' (The Gita-2.27) Its complementary line in Savitri is 'This was the day when Satyavan must die.' (Savitri-10) This memory gives the next task to a Sadhak to utilise time as a bank of accumulating Spiritual energy. Those who accumulate Soul force are considered fit for immortality. (The Gita-2.15, 4.31, 10.18, 13.13, 13.26, 14.20, 14.27). Both the Gita and integral Yoga propose to begin Yoga with purified intellect, and practice of buddhi Yoga, Yoga of intellect and arrive at the state of waking Samadhi, Sthita-pranjya , which has three characteristics in the frontal Nature. They are equality, a silent mind and a desireless state. The practice of Self-control through buddhi Yoga increases the power of concentration and increased concentration helps to increase the power of consecration. Through consecration, one unites with the Divine and the Soul force increases. " Sankhya has been admitted for the separation of the soul from the lower nature, — a separation that must be effected by self-knowledge through (1) the discriminating reason and (2) by transcendence of our subjection to the three gunas constituent of that nature. It has been completed and its limitations exceeded by a large revelation of the unity of the supreme Soul and supreme Nature, para purusha , para-prakriti ." CWSA-19/Essays of the Gita/p-355 "But Sankhya explains what modern Science leaves in obscurity, the process by which the mechanical and inconscient takes on the appearance of consciousness. It is because of the reflection of Prakriti in Purusha ; the light of consciousness of the Soul is attributed to the workings of the mechanical energy and it is thus that the Purusha , observing Nature as the witness and forgetting himself, is deluded with the idea generated in her that it is he who thinks, feels, wills, acts, while all the time the operation of thinking, feeling, willing, acting is conducted really by her and her three modes and not by himself at all. To get rid of this delusion is the first step towards the liberation of the soul from Nature and her works." CWSA-19/Essays of the Gita/p-74 The First Necessity of the Gita's Yoga: "To see all existence steadily and see it whole and not be misled by its conflicting truths, is the first necessity for the calm and complete wisdom to which the Yogin is called upon to rise. A certain absolute freedom is one aspect of the soul’s relations with Nature at one pole of our complex being; a certain absolute determinism by Nature is the opposite aspect at its opposite pole;..." CWSA-19/Essays of the Gita/p-213, "But the direct way to union lies through the firm realisation of the immutable Self, and it is the Gita’s insistence on this as a first necessity, after which alone works and devotion can acquire their whole divine meaning, that makes it possible for us to mistake its drift." CWSA-19/Essays of the Gita/p-235, "We have already seen that for this end (doing good of all creatures by Karmayoga ) self-knowledge, equality, impersonality are the first necessities , and that that is the way of reconciliation between knowledge and works, between spirituality and activity in the world, between the ever immobile quietism of the timeless self and the eternal play of the pragmatic energy of Nature." CWSA-19/Essays of the Gita/p-281, "We have now set before us three interdependent movements of our release out of the normal nature and our growth into the divine and spiritual being. “By the delusion of the dualities which arises from wish and disliking, all existences in the creation are led into bewilderment,” (The Gita-7.27) says the Gita. That is the ignorance, the egoism which fails to see and lay hold on the Divine everywhere, because it sees only the dualities of Nature and is constantly occupied with its own separate personality and its seekings and shrinkings. For escape from this circle the first necessity in our works is to get clear of the sin of the vital ego, the fire of passion, the tumult of desire of the rajasic nature, and this has to be done by the steadying sattwic impulse of the ethical being. When that is done, yesam tvantagatam papam jananam punyakarmanam , (The Gita-7.28) or rather as it is being done, for after a certain point all growth in the sattwic nature brings an increasing capacity for a high quietude, equality and transcendence, — it is necessary to rise above the dualities and to become impersonal, equal, one self with the Immutable, one self with all existences." CWSA-19/Essays of the Gita/p-282, "Our first experience of what is beyond our normal status, concealed behind the egoistic being in which we live, is still for the Gita the calm of a vast impersonal immutable self in whose equality and oneness we lose our petty egoistic personality and cast off in its tranquil purity all our narrow motives of desire and passion." CWSA-19/Essays of the Gita/p-290, "To rise out of our lower personal egoism, to enter into the impersonal and equal calm of the immutable eternal all-pervading Akshara Purusha , to aspire from that calm by a perfect self-surrender of all one’s nature and existence (Purusha Yajna) to that which is other and higher than the Akshara , is the first necessity of this Yoga . In the strength of that aspiration one can rise to the immortal Dharma . There, made one in being, consciousness and divine bliss with the greatest Uttama Purusha , made one with his supreme dynamic nature-force, sva Prakritih , the liberated spirit can know infinitely, love illimitably, act unfalteringly in the authentic power of a highest immortality and a perfect freedom. The rest of the Gita (from chapters 13 to 18) is written to throw a fuller light on this immortal Dharma ." CWSA-19/Essays of the Gita/p-406, "The first requisite is to shake the wings of the soul free from desire and passion and troubling emotion and all this perturbed and distorting atmosphere of human mind and arrive into an ether of dispassionate equality, a heaven of impersonal calm, an egoless feeling and vision of things. For only in that lucid upper air, reaches free from all storm and cloud, can self-knowledge come and the law of the world and the truth of Nature be seen steadily and with an embracing eye and in an undisturbed and all-comprehending and all-penetrating light. Behind this little personality which is a helpless instrument, a passive or vainly resistant puppet of Nature and a form figured in her creations, there is an impersonal self one in all which sees and knows all things; there is an equal, impartial, universal presence and support of creation, a witnessing consciousness that suffers Nature to work out the becoming of things in their own type, svabhava, but does not involve and lose itself in the action she initiates. To draw back from the ego and the troubled personality into this calm, equal, eternal, universal, impersonal Self is the first step towards a seeing action in Yoga done in conscious union with the divine Being and the infallible Will that, however obscure now to us, manifests itself in the universe." CWSA-19/Essays of the Gita/p-453, “This is the solution, this the salvation, this the perfection that I offer to all those who can listen to a divine voice within them and are capable of this faith and knowledge. But to climb to this pre-eminent condition the first necessity , the original radical step is to turn away from all that belongs to your lower Nature and fix yourself by concentration of the will and intelligence on that which is higher than either will or intelligence, higher than mind and heart and sense and body. And first of all you must turn to your own eternal and immutable self, impersonal and the same in all creatures. So long as you live in ego and mental personality, you will always spin endlessly in the same rounds and there can be no real issue. Turn your will inward beyond the heart and its desires and the sense and its attractions; lift it upward beyond the mind and its associations and attachments and its bounded wish and thought and impulse. Arrive at something within you that is eternal, ever unchanged, calm, unperturbed, equal, impartial to all things and persons and happenings , not affected by any action, not altered by the figures of Nature. Be that, be the eternal self, be the Brahman. If you can become that by a permanent spiritual experience , you will have an assured basis on which you can stand delivered from the limitations of your mind-created personality, secure against any fall from peace and knowledge, free from ego." CWSA-19/Essays of the Gita/p-581-582, (This passage speaks about the security against Spiritual fall .) “ The first necessity is some fundamental poise of the soul both in its essential and its natural being regarding and meeting the things, impacts and workings of Nature. This poise we shall arrive at by growing into a perfect equality, samata . The self, spirit or Brahman is one in all and therefore one to all; it is, as is said in the Gita which has developed fully this idea of equality and indicated its experience on at least one side of equality, the equal Brahman , samam brahma; (The Gita-5.19) the Gita even goes so far in one passage as to identify equality and yoga, samatvam yoga ucyate. (The Gita-2.48) That is to say, equality is the sign of unity with the Brahman, of becoming Brahman , of growing into an undisturbed spiritual poise of being in the Infinite. Its importance can hardly be exaggerated; for it is the sign of our having passed beyond the egoistic determinations of our nature, of our having conquered our enslaved response to the dualities, of our having transcended the shifting turmoil of the gunas , of our having entered into the calm and peace of liberation. Equality is a term of consciousness which brings into the whole of our being and nature the eternal tranquillity of the Infinite. Moreover, it is the condition of a securely and perfectly divine action; the security and largeness of the cosmic action of the Infinite is based upon and never breaks down or forfeits its eternal tranquillity. That too must be the character of the perfect spiritual action; to be equal and one to all things in spirit, understanding, mind, heart and natural consciousness, — even in the most physical consciousness, — and to make all their workings, whatever their outward adaptation to the thing to be done, always and imminuably full of the divine equality and calm must be its inmost principle. That may be said to be the passive or basic, the fundamental and receptive side of equality, but there is also an active and possessive side , an equal bliss which can only come when the peace of equality is founded and which is the beatific flower of its fullness.” CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-692-693, Enlightened Man's Approach towards Fear: " On this path, no effort is lost, no obstacle prevails; even a little of this dharma delivers from the great fear, swalpamapyasya dharmasya trayate mahatobhayat. " (The Gita-2.40) “But even before we can attain or are firmly seated in that universal vision, we have by all the means in our power to insist on this receptive and active equality and calm . Even something of it, alpam api asya dharmasya, (The Gita-2.40) is a great step towards perfection; a first firmness in it is the beginning of liberated perfection; its completeness is the perfect assurance of a rapid progress in all the other members of perfection. For without it (equality) we can have no solid basis; and by the pronounced lack of it we shall be constantly falling back to the lower status of desire, ego, duality, ignorance.” CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-724, " I have declared to you the poise of a self-liberating intelligence in Sankhya , says the divine Teacher to Arjuna. I will now declare to you another poise in Yoga. You are shrinking from the results of your works, you desire other results and turn from your right path in life because it does not lead you to them. But this idea of works and their result, desire of result as the motive, the work as a means for the satisfaction of desire, is the bondage of the ignorant who know not what works are, nor their true source, nor their real operation, nor their high utility. My Yoga will free you from all bondage of the soul to its works, karma-bandham prahasyasi . (The Gita-2.39) You are afraid of many things, afraid of sin, afraid of suffering, afraid of hell and punishment, afraid of God, afraid of this world, afraid of the hereafter, afraid of yourself. What is it that you are not afraid of at this moment, you the Aryan fighter, the world’s chief hero? But this is the great fear which besieges humanity, its fear of sin and suffering now and hereafter, its fear in a world of whose true nature it is ignorant, of a God whose true being also it has not seen and whose cosmic purpose it does not understand. My Yoga will deliver you from the great fear and even a little of it will bring deliverance. (The Gita-2.40) When you have once set out on this path, you will find that no step is lost; every least movement will be a gain; you will find there no obstacle that can baulk (unwilling and reluctant) you of your advance. A bold and absolute promise and one to which the fearful and hesitating mind beset and stumbling in all its paths cannot easily lend an assured trust; nor is the large and full truth of it apparent unless with these first words of the message of the Gita we read also the last , “Abandon all laws of conduct and take refuge in Me alone; I will deliver you from all sin and evil; do not grieve.” (The Gita-18.66)" CWSA-19/Essays of the Gita/p- 94-95, "From the first words there comes the suggestion that the hidden truth behind these terrifying forms is a reassuring, a heartening and delightful truth. There is something that makes the heart of the world to rejoice and take pleasure in the name and nearness of the Divine. It is the profound sense of that which makes us see in the dark face of Kali the face of the Mother and to perceive even in the midst of destruction the protecting arms of the Friend of creatures , in the midst of evil the presence of a pure unalterable Benignity and in the midst of death the Master of Immortality. From the terror of the King of the divine action the Rakshasas, the fierce giant powers of darkness, flee destroyed, defeated and overpowered. But the Siddhas, but the complete and perfect who know and sing the names of the Immortal and live in the truth of his being, bow down before every form of Him and know what every form enshrines and signifies. Nothing has real need to fear except that which is to be destroyed, the evil, the ignorance, the veilers in Night, the Rakshasa powers. All the movement and action of Rudra the Terrible is towards perfection and divine light and completeness." CWSA-19/Essays of the Gita/p- 389-390, Enlightened man's approach towards death: "The enlightened man does not mourn either for the living or the dead, for he knows that suffering and death are merely incidents in the history of the soul. The soul, not the body, is the reality....The man who rises above the conception of himself as a life and a body, who does not accept the material and sensational touches of the world at their own value or at the value which the physical man attaches to them, who knows himself and all as souls, learns himself to live in his soul and not in his body and deals with others too as souls and not as mere physical beings. For by immortality is meant not the survival of death, — that is already given to every creature born with a mind, — but the transcendence of life and death . It means that ascension by which man ceases to live as a mind-informed body and lives at last as a spirit and in the Spirit. Whoever is subject to grief and sorrow, a slave to the sensations and emotions, occupied by the touches of things transient cannot become fit for immortality." CWSA-19/Essays of the Gita/p-61, "Our physical death is also a pralaya, — the Gita will presently use the word in the sense of this death, pralayam yati deha-bhrut , “the soul bearing the body comes to a pralaya ,” (The Gita-14.14) to a disintegration of that form of matter with which its ignorance identified its being and which now dissolves into the natural elements. But the soul itself persists and after an interval resumes in a new body formed from those elements its round of births in the cycle, just as after the interval of pause and cessation the universal Being resumes his endless round of the cyclic aeons. This immortality in the rounds of Time is common to all embodied spirits." CWSA-19/Essays of the Gita/p- 421-422, "Samadhi or Yogic trance retires to increasing depths according as it draws farther and farther away from the normal or waking state and enters into degrees of consciousness less and less communicable to the waking mind, less and less ready to receive a summons from the waking world. Beyond a certain point the trance becomes complete and it is then almost or quite impossible to awaken or call back the soul that has receded into them; it can only come back by its own will or at most by a violent shock of physical appeal dangerous to the system owing to the abrupt upheaval of return. There are said to be supreme states of trance in which the soul persisting for too long a time cannot return; for it loses its hold on the cord which binds it to the consciousness of life, and the body is left, maintained indeed in its set position, not dead by dissolution, but incapable of recovering the ensouled life which had inhabited it. Finally, the Yogin acquires at a certain stage of development the power of abandoning his body definitively without the ordinary phenomena of death, by an act of will, (Iccha Mrityu) or by a process of withdrawing the pranic life-force through the gate of the upward life-current (udana), opening for it a way through the mystic brahmarandhra in the head. By departure from life in the state of Samadhi he attains directly to that higher status of being to which he aspires." CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-520-521, The creed of Aryan Fighter: "It is the creed of the Aryan fighter. “Know God,” it says, “know thyself, help man; protect the Right, do without fear or weakness or faltering thy work of battle in the world. Thou art the eternal and imperishable Spirit, thy soul is here on its upward path to immortality; life and death are nothing, sorrow and wounds and suffering are nothing, for these things have to be conquered and overcome. Look not at thy own pleasure and gain and profit, but above and around, above at the shining summits to which thou climbest, around at this world of battle and trial in which good and evil, progress and retrogression are locked in stern conflict. Men call to thee, their strong man, their hero for help; help then, fight. Destroy when by destruction the world must advance, but hate not that which thou destroyest, neither grieve for all those who perish. Know everywhere the one self, know all to be immortal souls and the body to be but dust. Do thy work with a calm, strong and equal spirit; fight and fall nobly or conquer mightily. For this is the work that God and thy nature have given to thee to accomplish.” CWSA-19/Essays of the Gita/p- 66-67 Those who are not satisfied with life as it is: "But if you are not satisfied with your social duty and the virtue of your order, if you think that leads you to sorrow and sin, then I bid you rise to a higher and not sink to a lower ideal. Put away all egoism from you, disregard joy and sorrow, disregard gain and loss and all worldly results; look only at the cause you must serve and the work that you must achieve by divine command ; “so thou shalt not incur sin.” (The Gita-2.38).....Destroy when by destruction the world must advance, but hate not that which thou destroyest, neither grieve for all those who perish. Know everywhere the one self, know all to be immortal souls and the body to be but dust. Do thy work with a calm, strong and equal spirit; fight and fall nobly or conquer mightily. For this is the work that God and thy nature have given to thee to accomplish.” CWSA-19/Essays of the Gita/p-66-67, “That is all right in the ordinary karmayoga which aims at union with the cosmic Spirit and stops short at the Overmind — but here (in Integral Yoga) a special work has to be done and a new realisation achieved for the earth and not for ourselves alone. It is necessary to stand apart from the rest of the world so as to separate ourselves from the ordinary consciousness in order to bring down a new one… It is not that love for all is not part of the sadhana, but it has not to translate itself at once into a mixing with all — it can only express itself in a general and when need be dynamic universal goodwill, but for the rest it must find vent in this labour of bringing down the higher consciousness with all its effect for the earth. As for accepting the working of the Divine in all things that is necessary here too in the sense of seeing it even behind our struggles and difficulties, but not accepting the nature of man and the world as it is — our aim is to move towards a more divine working which will replace what now is by a greater and happier manifestation. That too is a labour of divine Love .” Sri Aurobindo/CWSA-35/Letters on Himself and the Ashram/p-812-813, "Moreover not only a faith in the fundamental principle, ideas, way of the Yoga is needed, but a day to day working faith in the power in us to achieve, in the steps we have taken on the way, in the spiritual experiences that come to us, in the intuitions, the guiding movements of will and impulsion, the moved intensities of the heart and aspirations and fulfilments of the life that are the aids, the circumstances and the stages of the enlarging of the nature and the stimuli or the steps of the soul’s evolution. At the same time it has always to be remembered that we are moving from imperfection and ignorance towards light and perfection, and the faith in us must be free from attachment to the forms of our endeavour and the successive stages of our realisation. There is not only much that will be strongly raised in us in order to be cast out and rejected, a battle between the powers of ignorance and the lower nature and the higher powers that have to replace them, but experiences, states of thought and feeling, forms of realisation that are helpful and have to be accepted on the way and may seem to us for the time to be spiritual finalities, are found afterwards to be steps of transition, have to be exceeded and the working faith that supported them withdrawn in favour of other and greater things or of more full and comprehensive realisations and experiences, which replace them or into which they are taken up in a completing transformation. There can be for the seeker of the integral Yoga no clinging to resting-places on the road or to half-way houses; he cannot be satisfied till he has laid down all the great enduring bases of his perfection and broken out into its large and free infinities, and even there he has to be constantly filling himself with more experiences of the Infinite. His progress is an ascent from level to level and each new height brings in other vistas and revelations of the much that has still to be done, bhuri kartvam , till the divine Shakti has at last taken up all his endeavour and he has only to assent and participate gladly by a consenting oneness in her luminous workings. That which will support him through these changes, struggles, transformations which might otherwise dishearten and baffle, — for the intellect and life and emotion always grasp too much at things, fasten on premature certitudes and are apt to be afflicted and unwilling when forced to abandon that on which they rested, — is a firm faith in the Shakti that is at work and reliance on the guidance of the Master of the Yoga whose wisdom is not in haste and whose steps through all the perplexities of the mind are assured and just and sound, because they are founded on a perfectly comprehending transaction with the necessities of our nature. " CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-775-776, "The Yoga of perfection necessary to this change has, so far as we have been considering it, consisted in a preparatory purification of the mental, vital and physical nature, a liberation from the knots of the lower Prakriti, a consequent replacement of the egoistic state always subject to the ignorant and troubled action of the desire soul by a large and luminous static equality which quiets the reason, the emotional mind, the life mind and the physical nature and brings into us the peace and freedom of the spirit, and a dynamical substitution of the action of the supreme and universal divine Shakti under the control of the Ishwara for that of the lower Prakriti, — an action whose complete operation must be preceded by the perfection of the natural instruments. And all these things together, though not as yet the whole Yoga, constitute already a much greater than the present normal consciousness, spiritual in its basis and moved by a greater light, power and bliss, and it might be easy to rest satisfied with so much accomplished and think that all has been done that was needed for the divine conversion. " CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-784, “There must come upon us in the change at once a reversal and rejection of our present way of existence and a fulfilment of its inner trend and tendency.” CWSA-22/The Life Divine/p-1012, "At first the mind takes all that comes from beyond it without distinction as the sufficient spiritual illumination and accepts even initial states and first enlightenments as a finality, but afterwards it finds that to rest here would be to rest in a partial realisation and that one has to go on heightening and enlarging till at least there is reached a certain completeness of divine breadth and stature." CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-813, “Moreover, the descent may be enough to liberate, but not to perfect, or it may be enough to make a great change in the inner being, while the outer remains an imperfect instrument, clumsy, sick or unexpressive. Finally, the transformation effected by the sadhana cannot be complete unless it is a supramentalisation of the being. Psychisation is not enough, it is only a beginning ; spiritualisation and the descent of the higher consciousness is not enough, it is only a middle term ; the ultimate achievement needs the action of the supramental Consciousness and Force. Something less than that may very well be considered enough by the individual, but it is not enough for the earth-consciousness to take the definitive stride forward it must take at one time or another.” CWSA-29//Letters on Yoga-II/p-399, “The vairagya of one who has tasted the world’s gifts or prizes but found them insufficient or, finally, tasteless and turns away towards a higher and more beautiful ideal or the vairagya of one who has done his part in life’s battles but seen that something greater is demanded of the soul, is perfectly helpful and a good gate to the Yoga. Also the sattwic vairagya which has learned what life is and turns to what is above and behind life. By the ascetic vairagya I mean that which denies life and world altogether and wants to disappear into the Indefinite and I object to it for those who come to this Yoga because it is incompatible with my aim which is to bring the Divine into life. But if one is satisfied with life as it is, then there is no reason to seek to bring the Divine into life, — so vairagya in the sense of dissatisfaction with life as it is is perfectly admissible and even in a certain sense indispensable for my Yoga. ” CWSA-29/Letters on Yoga-II-389, "I am continuing my reading of the Veda. I had to stop for some days because of a sore throat. But anyway, I’m starting again...The Vedas, after all, were written by people who remembered a radical experience , which must have taken place on earth at a given moment, as an example of what was to come. (This always happens in the yoga: a first radical experience comes like a herald of the future realization.) So in the terrestrial yoga – in the yoga of the earth, of the planet earth – there was a moment when it came; they who are called the forefathers must have created, through their effort and their yoga, at least an image of the supramental realization. And those who wrote the Vedas, who composed all these hymns, remembered or kept the tradition of that experience . And oh, mon petit, it had the same effect on me as when I read the ‘Yoga of Self-Perfection’ in The Synthesis of Yoga (Mother catches her breath): there is such a gulf between what we are, what life on earth and human consciousness now are, even among the most enlightened, the most advanced, and THAT! ..." The Mother's Agenda/April 7, 1961 (Here the Mother confirms that The Synthesis of Yoga is a book descended from the Supramental world, and by concentrating on this book one will be automatically dragged towards THAT plane.) Sign of waking trance of an integral Sadhak: "It is this calm, desireless, griefless fixity of the buddhi in self-poise and self-knowledge to which the Gita gives the name of Samadhi . The sign of the man in Samadhi is not that he loses consciousness of objects and surroundings and of his mental and physical self and cannot be recalled to it even by burning or torture of the body, — the ordinary idea of the matter; trance is a particular intensity, not the essential sign. The test is the expulsion of all desires , their inability to get at the mind, and it is the inner state from which this freedom arises, the delight of the soul gathered within itself with the mind equal and still and high-poised above the attractions and repulsions, the alternations of sunshine and storm and stress of the external life. It is drawn inward even when acting outwardly ; it is concentrated in self even when gazing out upon things; it is directed wholly to the Divine even when to the outward vision of others busy and preoccupied with the affairs of the world." CWSA-19/Essays of the Gita/p-101-102, "For the mind is really a reflector and a medium and none of its activities originate in themselves, none exist per se. Ordinarily, the mind reflects the status of mortal nature and the activities of the Force which works under the conditions of the material universe. But if it becomes clear, passive, pure by the renunciation of these activities and of the characteristic ideas and outlook of mental nature, then as in a clear mirror or like the sky in clear water which is without ripple and unruffled by winds, the divine is reflected. The mind still does not entirely possess the divine or become divine, but is possessed by it or by a luminous reflection of it so long as it remains in this pure passivity. If it becomes active, it falls back into the disturbance of the mortal nature and reflects that and no longer the divine. For this reason an absolute quietism and a cessation first of all outer action and then of all inner movement is the ideal ordinarily proposed; here too, for the follower of the path of knowledge, there must be a sort of waking Samadhi . Whatever action is unavoidable, must be a purely superficial working of the organs of perception and motor action in which the quiescent mind takes eventually no part and from which it seeks no result or profit....But this is insufficient for the integral Yoga . There must be a positive transformation and not merely a negative quiescence of the waking mentality. The transformation is possible because, although the divine planes are above the mental consciousness and to enter actually into them we have ordinarily to lose the mental in Samadhi , yet there are in the mental being divine planes superior to our normal mentality which reproduce the conditions of the divine plane proper , although modified by the conditions, dominant here, of mentality. All that belongs to the experience of the divine plane can there be seized, but in the mental way and in a mental form. To these planes of divine mentality it is possible for the developed human being to arise in the waking state; or it is possible for him to derive from them a stream of influences and experiences which shall eventually open to them and transform into their nature his whole waking existence. These higher mental states are the immediate sources, the large actual instruments, the inner stations of his perfection." CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-397-398, Winds carry away a ship: "For evidently there are two possibilities of the action of the intelligent will. It may take its downward and outward orientation towards a discursive action of the perceptions and the will in the triple play of Prakriti, or it may take its upward and inward orientation towards a settled peace and equality in the calm and immutable purity of the conscious silent soul no longer subject to the distractions of Nature. In the former alternative the subjective being is at the mercy of the objects of sense, it lives in the outward contact of things. That life is the life of desire. For the senses excited by their objects create a restless or often violent disturbance, a strong or even headlong outward movement towards the seizure of these objects and their enjoyment, and they carry away the sense-mind, “as the winds carry away a ship upon the sea”; (The Gita-2.67) the mind subjected to the emotions, passions, longings, impulsions awakened by this outward movement of the senses carries away similarly the intelligent will, which loses therefore its power of calm discrim- ination and mastery. Subjection of the soul to the confused play of the three gunas of Prakriti in their eternal entangled twining and wrestling, ignorance, a false, sensuous, objective life of the soul, enslavement to grief and wrath and attachment and pas- sion, are the results of the downward trend of the buddhi, — the troubled life of the ordinary, unenlightened, undisciplined man. Those who like the Vedavadins make sense-enjoyment the object of action and its fulfilment the highest aim of the soul, are misleading guides. The inner subjective self-delight independent of objects is our true aim and the high and wide poise of our peace and liberation." CWSA-19/Essays of the Gita/p-98-99, "The ego turn, the separative turn of the being, is the fulcrum of the whole embarrassed labour of the ignorance and the bondage. So long as one is not free from the ego sense, there can be no real freedom. The seat of the ego is said to be in the buddhi; it is an ignorance of the discriminating mind and reason which discriminate wrongly and take the individuation of mind, life and body for a truth of separative existence and are turned away from the greater reconciling truth of the oneness of all existence. At any rate in man it is the ego idea which chiefly supports the falsehood of a separative existence; to get rid of this idea, to dwell on the opposite idea of unity, of the one self, the one spirit, the one being of nature is therefore an effective remedy; but it is not by itself absolutely effective. For the ego, though it supports itself by this ego idea, aham- buddhi, finds its most powerful means for a certain obstinacy or passion of persistence in the normal action of the sense-mind, the prana and the body. To cast out of us the ego idea is not entirely possible or not entirely effective until these instruments have undergone purification; for, their action being persistently egoistic and separative, the buddhi is carried away by them, — as a boat by winds on the sea, says the Gita , (The Gita-2.67)— the knowledge in the intelligence is being constantly obscured or lost temporarily and has to be restored again, a very labour of Sisyphus. But if the lower instruments have been purified of egoistic desire, wish, will, egoistic passion, egoistic emotion and the buddhi itself of egoistic idea and preference, then the knowledge of the spiritual truth of oneness can find a firm foundation. Till then, the ego takes all sorts of subtle forms and we imagine ourselves to be free from it, when we are really acting as its instruments and all we have attained is a certain intellectual poise which is not the true spiritual liberation. Moreover, to throw away the active sense of ego is not enough; that may merely bring an inactive state of the mentality, a certain passive inert quietude of separate being may take the place of the kinetic egoism, which is also not the true liberation. The ego sense must be replaced by a oneness with the transcendental Divine and with universal being. " CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-676-677 Equality, samata : "Fixed in Yoga do thy actions, having abandoned attachment, having become equal in failure and success; for it is equality that is meant by Yoga, samatwam yoga uchyate. " The Gita-2.48, "The very first necessity for spiritual perfection is a perfect equality. Perfection in the sense in which we use it in Yoga, means a growth out of a lower undivine into a higher divine nature. In terms of knowledge it is a putting on the being of the higher self and a casting away of the darker broken lower self or a transforming of our imperfect state into the rounded luminous fullness of our real and spiritual personality. In terms of devotion and adoration it is a growing into a likeness of the nature or the law of the being of the Divine, to be united with whom we aspire, — for if there is not this likeness, this oneness of the law of the being, unity between that transcending and universal and this individual spirit is not possible. The supreme divine nature is founded on equality. This affirmation is true of it whether we look on the Supreme Being as a pure silent Self and Spirit or as the divine Master of cosmic existence. The pure Self is equal, unmoved, the witness in an impartial peace of all the happenings and relations of cosmic existence. While it is not averse to them, — aversion is not equality, nor, if that were the attitude of the Self to cosmic existence, could the universe come at all into being or proceed upon its cycles, — a detachment, the calm of an equal regard, a superiority to the reactions which trouble and are the disabling weakness of the soul involved in outward nature, are the very substance of the silent Infinite’s purity and the condition of its impartial assent and support to the many-sided movement of the universe. But in that power too of the Supreme which governs and develops these motions, the same equality is a basic condition." CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-698, "But even a human perfection cannot dispense with equality as one of its chief elements and even its essential atmosphere. The aim of a human perfection must include, if it is to deserve the name, two things, self-mastery and a mastery of the surroundings; it must seek for them in the greatest degree of these powers which is at all attainable by our human nature. Man’s urge of self-perfection is to be, in the ancient language, svarat and samrat , self-ruler and king. But to be self-ruler is not possible for him if he is subject to the attack of the lower nature, to the turbulence of grief and joy, to the violent touches of pleasure and pain, to the tumult of his emotions and passions, to the bondage of his personal likings and dislikings, to the strong chains of desire and attachment, to the narrowness of a personal and emotionally preferential judgment and opinion, to all the hundred touches of his egoism and its pursuing stamp on his thought, feeling and action. All these things are the slavery to the lower self which the greater “I” in man must put under his feet if he is to be king of his own nature. To surmount them is the condition of self-rule; but of that surmounting again equality is the condition and the essence of the movement. To be quite free from all these things, — if possible, or at least to be master of and superior to them, — is equality. Farther, one who is not self-ruler, cannot be master of his surroundings. The knowledge, the will, the harmony which is necessary for this outward mastery, can come only as a crown of the inward conquest. It belongs to the self-possessing soul and mind which follows with a disinterested equality the Truth, the Right, the universal Largeness to which alone this mastery is possible, — following always the great ideal they present to our imperfection while it understands and makes a full allowance too for all that seems to conflict with them and stand in the way of their manifestation. This rule is true even on the levels of our actual human mentality, where we can only get a limited perfection. But the ideal of Yoga takes up this aim of Swarajya and Samrajya and puts it on the larger spiritual basis. There it gets its full power, opens to the diviner degrees of the spirit; for it is by oneness with the Infinite, by a spiritual power acting upon finite things, that some highest integral perfection of our being and nature finds its own native foundation." CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-701-702 "A perfect equality not only of the self, but in the nature is a condition of the Yoga of self-perfection. The first obvious step to it will be the conquest of our emotional and vital being, for here are the sources of greatest trouble, the most rampant forces of inequality and subjection, the most insistent claim of our imperfection. The equality of these parts of our nature comes by purification and freedom. We might say that equality is the very sign of liberation. To be free from the domination of the urge of vital desire and the stormy mastery of the soul by the passions is to have a calm and equal heart and a life-principle governed by the large and even view of a universal spirit. Desire is the impurity of the Prana, the life-principle, and its chain of bondage. A free Prana means a content and satisfied life-soul which fronts the contact of outward things without desire and receives them with an equal response; delivered, uplifted above the servile duality of liking and disliking, indifferent to the urgings of pleasure and pain, not excited by the pleasant, not troubled and overpowered by the unpleasant, not clinging with attachment to the touches it prefers or violently repelling those for which it has an aversion, it will be opened to a greater system of values of experience. All that comes to it from the world with menace or with solicitation, it will refer to the higher principles, to a reason and heart in touch with or changed by the light and calm joy of the spirit. Thus quieted, mastered by the spirit and no longer trying to impose its own mastery on the deeper and finer soul in us, this life-soul will be itself spiritualised and work as a clear and noble instrument of the diviner dealings of the spirit with things. There is no question here of an ascetic killing of the life-impulse and its native utilities and functions; not its killing is demanded, but its transformation. The function of the Prana is enjoyment, but the real enjoyment of existence is an inward spiritual Ananda, not partial and troubled like that of our vital, emotional or mental pleasure, degraded as they are now by the predominance of the physical mind, but universal, profound, a massed concentration of spiritual bliss possessed in a calm ecstasy of self and all existence. Possession is its function, by possession comes the soul’s enjoyment of things, but this is the real possession, a thing large and inward, not dependent on the outward seizing which makes us subject to what we seize. All outward possession and enjoyment will be only an occasion of a satisfied and equal play of the spiritual Ananda with the forms and phenomena of its own world-being. The egoistic possession, the making things our own in the sense of the ego’s claim on God and beings and the world, parigraha, (The Gita-6.10) must be renounced in order that this greater thing, this large, universal and perfect life, may come. Tyaktena bhunjıthah, (Isha Upanishad-1) by renouncing the egoistic sense of desire and possession, the soul enjoys divinely its self and the universe." CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-702-703, "The first business of the sadhaka is to see whether he has the perfect equality, how far he has gone in this direction or else where is the flaw, and to exercise steadily his will on his nature or invite the will of the Purusha to get rid of the defect and its causes. There are four things that he must have; first, equality in the most concrete practical sense of the word, samata , freedom from mental, vital, physical preferences, an even acceptance of all God’s workings within and around him; secondly, a firm peace and absence of all disturbance and trouble, santi ; thirdly, a positive inner spiritual happiness and spiritual ease of the nat- ural being which nothing can lessen, sukham ; fourthly, a clear joy and laughter of the soul embracing life and existence. To be equal is to be infinite and universal, not to limit oneself, not to bind oneself down to this or that form of the mind and life and its partial preferences and desires. But since man in his present normal nature lives by his mental and vital formations, not in the freedom of his spirit, attachment to them and the desires and preferences they involve is also his normal condition. To accept them is at first inevitable, to get beyond them exceedingly difficult and not, perhaps, altogether possible so long as we are compelled to use the mind as the chief instrument of our action. The first necessity therefore is to take at least the sting out of them, to deprive them, even when they persist, of their greater insistence, their present egoism, their more violent claim on our nature." CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-721-722 The Highest Objective of a Sankhya Sadhak: "The status he reaches is the Brahmic condition; he gets to firm standing in the Brahman, brahmı sthiti. It is a reversal of the whole view, experience, knowledge, values, seeings of earth-bound creatures...he is an ocean of wide being and consciousness which is ever being filled, yet ever motionless in its large poise of his soul; all the desires of the world enter into him as waters into the sea, yet he has no desire nor is troubled . For while they are filled with the troubling sense of ego and mine and thine, he is one with the one Self in all and has no “I” or “mine”. He acts as others, but he has abandoned all desires and their longings. He attains to the great peace and is not bewildered by the shows of things; he has extinguished his individual ego in the One, lives in that unity and, fixed in that status at his end,...." CWSA-19/Essays of the Gita/p-103-104, "A new consciousness is at work upon earth to prepare the coming of the superhuman being...Open yourselves to this consciousness if you aspire to serve the Divine Work... To come into contact with this new consciousness, the essential condition is no longer to have any desires and to be wholly sincere.” The Mother/The Mother’s Agenda-9th April 1969, "All animal perceptions, sensibilities, activities are ruled by nervous and vital instincts, cravings, needs, satisfactions, of which the nexus is the life-impulse and vital desire. Man too is bound, but less bound, to this automatism of the vital nature. Man can bring an enlightened will, an enlightened thought and enlightened emotions to the difficult work of his self-development; he can more and more subject to these more conscious and reflecting guides the inferior function of desire . In proportion as he can thus master and enlighten his lower self, he is man and no longer an animal. When he can begin to replace desire altogether by a still greater enlightened thought and sight and will in touch with the Infinite, consciously subject to a diviner will than his own, linked to a more universal and transcendent knowledge, he has commenced the ascent towards the superman ; he is on his upward march towards the Divine." CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-80 2 / Chapter 2. Sankhya Yoga The First Necessity of an integral Sadhaka: "Our first step in this path of knowledge , having once determined in our intellect that what seems is not the Truth, that the self is not the body or life or mind, since these are only its forms, must be to set right our mind in its practical relation with the life and the body so that it may arrive at its own right relation with the Self. This it is easiest to do by a device with which we are already familiar, since it played a great part in our view of the Yoga of Works; it is to create a separation between the Prakriti and the Purusha. The Purusha , the soul that knows and commands has got himself involved in the workings of his executive conscious force, so that he mistakes this physical working of it which we call the body for himself; he forgets his own nature as the soul that knows and commands; he believes his mind and soul to be subject to the law and working of the body; he forgets that he is so much else besides that is greater than the physical form; he forgets that the mind is really greater than Matter and ought not to submit to its obscurations, reactions, habit of inertia, habit of incapacity; he forgets that he is more even than the mind, a Power which can raise the mental being above itself; that he is the Master, the Transcendent and it is not fit the Master should be enslaved to his own workings, the Transcendent imprisoned in a form which exists only as a trifle in its own being. All this forgetfulness has to be cured by the Purusha remembering his own true nature and first by his remembering that the body is only a working and only one working of Prakriti. " CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-343, " The first necessity of preparation is the purifying of all the members of our being; especially, for the path of knowledge, the purification of the understanding, the key that shall open the door of Truth ; and a purified understanding is hardly possible without the purification of the other members. An unpurified heart, an unpurified sense, an unpurified life confuse the understanding, disturb its data, distort its conclusions, darken its seeing, misapply its knowledge; an unpurified physical system clogs or chokes up its action. There must be an integral purity. Here also there is an interdependence; for the purification of each member of our being profits by the clarifying of every other, the progressive tranquillisation of the emotional heart helping for instance the purification of the understanding while equally a purified understanding imposes calm and light on the turbid and darkened workings of the yet impure emotions. It may even be said that while each member of our being has its own proper principles of purification, yet it is the purified understanding that in man is the most potent cleanser of his turbid and disordered being and most sovereignly imposes their right working on his other members. Knowledge, says the Gita, is the sovereign purity; light is the source of all clearness and harmony even as the darkness of ignorance is the cause of all our stumblings. Love, for example, is the purifier of the heart and by reducing all our emotions into terms of divine love the heart is perfected and fulfilled; yet love itself needs to be clarified by divine knowledge. The heart’s love of God may be blind, narrow and ignorant and lead to fanaticism and obscurantism; it may, even when otherwise pure, limit our perfection by refusing to see Him except in a limited personality and by recoiling from the true and infinite vision. The heart’s love of man may equally lead to distortions and exaggerations in feeling, action and knowledge which have to be corrected and prevented by the purification of the understanding.” CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-309 "What Science does for our knowledge of the material world, replacing first appearances and uses by the hidden truths and as yet occult powers of its great natural forces and in our own minds beliefs and opinions by verified experience and a profounder understanding, Yoga does for the higher planes and worlds and possibilities of our being which are aimed at by the religions. Therefore all this mass of graded experience existing behind closed doors to which the consciousness of man may find, if it wills, the key, falls within the province of a comprehensive Yoga of knowledge, which need not be confined to the seeking after the Absolute alone or the knowledge of the Divine in itself or of the Divine only in its isolated relations with the individual human soul. It is true that the consciousness of the Absolute is the highest reach of the Yoga of knowledge and that the possession of the Divine is its first, greatest and most ardent object and that to neglect it for an inferior knowledge is to afflict our Yoga with inferiority or even frivolity and to miss or fall away from its characteristic object; but, the Divine in itself being known, the Yoga of knowledge may well embrace also the knowledge of the Divine in its relations with ourselves and the world on the different planes of our existence. To rise to the pure Self being steadfastly held to as the summit of our subjective self-uplifting, we may from that height possess our lower selves even to the physical and the workings of Nature which belong to them." CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-4 60-461, Spiritualised Intelligence and Buddhi Yoga are passages for direct contact with Supermind: “But still this line of development too is necessary, because there must be a bridge between the spirit and the intellectual reason: the light of a spiritual or at least a spiritualised intelligence is necessary for the fullness of our total inner evolution, and without it, if another deeper guidance is lacking, the inner movement may be erratic and undisciplined, turbid and mixed with unspiritual elements or one-sided or incomplete in its catholicity. For the transformation of the Ignorance into the integral Knowledge the growth in us of a spiritual intelligence ready to receive a higher light and canalise it for all the parts of our nature is an intermediate necessity of great importance .” CWSA-22/The Life Divine-913, "The test that we have done this is the presence of an undisturbed calm in the mind and spirit. The sadhaka must be on the watch as the witnessing and willing Purusha behind or, better, as soon as he can manage it, above the mind, and repel even the least indices or incidence of trouble, anxiety, grief, revolt, disturbance in his mind. If these things come, he must at once detect their source, the defect which they indicate, the fault of egoistic claim, vital desire, emotion or idea from which they start and this he must discourage by his will, his spiritualised intelligence , his soul unity with the Master of his being. On no account must he admit any excuse for them, however natural, righteous in seeming or plausible, or any inner or outer justification. If it is the prana which is troubled and clamorous, he must separate himself from the troubled prana, keep seated his higher nature in the buddhi and by the buddhi school and reject the claim of the desire-soul in him; and so too if it is the heart of emotion that makes the clamour and the disturbance. If on the other hand it is the will and intelligence itself that is at fault, then the trouble is more difficult to command, because then his chief aid and instrument becomes an accomplice of the revolt against the divine Will and the old sins of the lower members take advantage of this sanction to raise their diminished heads. Therefore there must be a constant insistence on one main idea, the self-surrender to the Master of our being, God within us and in the world, the supreme Self, the universal Spirit. The buddhi dwelling always in this master idea (self-surrender) must discourage all its own lesser insistences and preferences and teach the whole being that the ego whether it puts forth its claim through the reason, the personal will, the heart or the desire-soul in the prana , has no just claim of any kind and all grief, revolt, impatience, trouble is a violence against the Master of the being .... This complete self-surrender must be the chief mainstay of the sadhaka because it is the only way, apart from complete quiescence and indifference to all action, — and that has to be avoided , — by which the absolute calm and peace can come . The persistence of trouble, asanti , the length of time taken for this purification and perfection, itself must not be allowed to become a reason for discouragement and impatience. It comes because there is still something in the nature which responds to it, and the recurrence of trouble serves to bring out the presence of the defect , put the sadhaka upon his guard and bring about a more enlightened and consistent action of the will to get rid of it. When the trouble is too strong to be kept out, it must be allowed to pass and its return discouraged by a greater vigilance and insistence of the spiritualised buddhi . Thus persisting, it will be found that these things lose their force more and more, become more and more external and brief in their recurrence, until finally calm becomes the law of the being . This rule persists so long as the mental buddhi is the chief instrument ; but when the supramental light takes possession of mind and heart, then there can be no trouble, grief or disturbance; for that brings with it a spiritual nature of illumined strength in which these things can have no place. There the only vibrations and emotions are those which belong to the anandamaya nature of divine unity.” CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-722-724, “Buddhiyoga is fulfilled by karmayoga ; the Yoga of the self-liberating intelligent will finds its full meaning by the Yoga of desireless works . Thus the Gita founds its teaching of the necessity of desireless works, niskama karma , and unites the subjective practice of the Sankhyas — rejecting their merely physical rule — with the practice of Yoga.” CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-109, "Works are far inferior to Yoga of the intelligence , Buddhiyoga, O Dhananjaya ; desire rather refuge in the intelligence; poor and wretched souls are they who make the fruit of their works the object of their thoughts and activities. One whose intelligence has attained to unity, casts away –even here in this world of dualities –both good doing and evil doing. Therefore strive to be in Yoga; Yoga is skill in works. The sages who have united their reason and will with the Divine renounce the fruit which action yields and, liberated from the bondage of birth, they reach the status beyond misery. When thy intelligence shall cross beyond the whirl of delusion, then shalt thou become indifferent to Scripture heard or that which thou hast yet to hear. When thy intelligence which is bewildered by the Sruti, shall stand unmoving and stable in Samadhi, then shalt thou attain to Yoga." The Gita-2.49-53, "I am the birth of everything and from Me all proceeds into development of action and movement; understanding thus, the wise adore Me in rapt emotion. Their consciousness full of Me, their life wholly given up to Me, illumining each other, mutually talking about Me, they are ever contented and joyful. To these who are thus in a constant union with Me, and adore Me with an intense delight of love, I give the Yoga of understanding, Buddhiyoga , by which they come to Me. Out of compassion for them, I, lodged in their self, lift the blazing lamp of knowledge and destroy the darkness which is born of the ignorance. (This destruction of darkness hinted in the Gita is identified as Supramental action through buddhi Yoga. )" The Gita-10.8-11, It appears from Sri Aurobindo’s following writings that those whose intellect is Spiritualised or those who have practiced Buddhi Yoga of the Gita can draw direct benefit from Supramental energy, that is now active in earth’s atmosphere, “All that [ideas such as “everything will soon be spiritualised”] is absurd. The descent of the supramental means only that the Power will be there in the earth consciousness as a living force just as the thinking mental and the higher mental are already there. But an animal cannot take advantage of the presence of the thinking mental Power or an undeveloped man of the presence of the higher mental Power — so too everybody will not be able to take advantage of the presence of the supramental Power. I have also often enough said that it will be at first for the few, not for the whole earth, — only there will be a growing influence of it on the earth life.” CWSA-28/Letters on Yoga/p-290, "As for the conquest of death, it is only one of the sequelae of supramentalisation — and I am not aware that I have forsworn my views about the supramental descent. But I never said or thought that the supramental descent would automatically make everybody immortal. The supramental descent can only make the best conditions for anybody who can open to it then or thereafter attaining to the supramental consciousness and its consequences. But it would not dispense with the necessity of sadhana . If it did, the logical consequence would be that the whole earth, men, dogs and worms, would suddenly wake up to find themselves supramental. There would be no need of an Asram or of Yoga. " CWSA-28/Letters on Yoga-I/p-312-313, “The supramental man on the contrary will think more with the universal mind or even may rise above it, and his individuality will rather be a vessel of radiation and communication to which the universal thought and knowledge of the Spirit will converge than a centre. The mental man thinks and acts in a radius determined by the smallness or largeness of his mentality and of its experience. The range of the supramental man will be all the earth and all that lies behind it on other planes of existence...Ordinarily the supramental knowledge will be organised (1) first and with the most ease in the processes of pure thought and knowledge, jnana , (Purified intellect) because here the human mind has already the upward tendency and is the most free. (2) Next and with less ease it (Supramental Knowledge) will be organised in the processes of applied thought and knowledge (tamasic, rajasic and sattwic mind ) because there the mind of man is at once most active and most bound and wedded to its inferior methods. (3) The last and most difficult conquest, because this is now to his mind a field of conjecture or a blank, will be the knowledge of the three times, trikaladristi .” Sri Aurobindo/CWSA/24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-837, 839, "And first it will be enough to take certain clues from the thinking mind; for it is there that some of the nearest keys to the supramental action are discoverable. The thought of the intuitive mind proceeds wholly by four powers that shape the form of the truth, (1) an intuition that suggests its idea, (2) an intuition that discriminates, (3) an inspiration that brings in its word and something of its greater substance and (4) a revelation that shapes to the sight its very face and body of reality." CWSA/24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-813, "Intuition has a fourfold power. (1) A power of revelatory truth-seeing, (2) a power of inspiration or truth-hearing, (3) a power of truth-touch or immediate seizing of significance, which is akin to the ordinary nature of its intervention in our mental intelligence, (4) a power of true and automatic discrimination of the orderly and exact relation of truth to truth, — these are the fourfold potencies of Intuition.... A certain integration can thus take place, but whether it is a total integration must depend on the extent to which the new light is able to take up the subconscient and penetrate the fundamental Inconscience. Here the intuitive light and power may be hampered in its task because it is the edge of a delegated and modified supermind, but does not bring in the whole mass or body of the identity knowledge. The basis of Inconscience in our nature is too vast, deep and solid to be altogether penetrated, turned into light, transformed by an inferior power of the Truth-nature." CWSA-22/The Life Divine/p-983-984, "A fourth method is one which suggests itself naturally to the developed intelligence and suits the thinking man. This is to develop our intellect instead of eliminating it, but with the will not to cherish its limitations, but to heighten its capacity, light, intensity, degree and force of activity until it borders on the thing that transcends it and can easily be taken up and transformed into that higher conscious action. This movement also is founded on the truth of our nature and enters into the course and movement of the complete Yoga of self-perfection. That course, as I have described it, included a heightening and greatening of the action of our natural instruments and powers till they constitute in their purity and essential completeness a preparatory perfection of the present normal movement of the Shakti that acts in us. The reason and intelligent will, the buddhi , is the greatest of these powers and instruments, the natural leader of the rest in the developed human being, the most capable of aiding the development of the others. The ordinary activities of our nature are all of them of use for the greater perfection we seek, are meant to be turned into material for them, and the greater their (mind, life and body) development, the richer the preparation for the supramental action. " CWSA/24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-806, "Even the purest reason, the most luminous rational intellectuality is not the gnosis. Reason or intellect is only the lower buddhi ; it is dependent for its action on the percepts of the sense-mind and on the concepts of the mental intelligence. It is not like the gnosis, self-luminous, authentic, making the subject one with the object. There is, indeed, a higher form of the buddhi that can be called the intuitive mind or intuitive reason, and this by its intuitions, its inspirations, its swift revelatory vision, its luminous insight and discrimination can do the work of the reason with a higher power, a swifter action, a greater and spontaneous certitude. It acts in a self-light of the truth which does not depend upon the torch-flares of the sense-mind and its limited uncertain percepts; it proceeds not by intelligent but by visional concepts : it is a kind of truth-vision, truth-hearing, truth-memory, direct truth-discernment. This true and authentic intuition must be distinguished from a power of the ordinary mental reason which is too easily confused with it, the power of involved reasoning that reaches its conclusion by a bound and does not need the ordinary steps of the logical mind. The logical reason proceeds pace after pace and tries the sureness of each step like a man who is walking over unsafe ground and has to test by the hesitating touch of his foot each span of soil that he perceives with his eye. But this other supralogical process of the reason is a motion of rapid insight or swift discernment; it proceeds by a stride or leap, like a man who springs from one sure spot to another point of sure footing, — or at least held by him to be sure. He sees the space he covers in one compact and flashing view, but he does not distinguish or measure either by eye or touch its successions, features and circumstances . This movement has something of the sense of power of the intuition, something of its velocity, some appearance of its light and certainty, and we always are apt to take it for the intuition. But our assumption is an error and, if we trust to it, may lead us into grievous blunders." CWSA/23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-477-478 The Message of this Second Chapter for a Sadhak of Integral Yoga: “There is a divine compassion which descends to us from on high and for the man whose nature does not possess it, is not cast in its mould, to pretend to be the superior man, the master-man or the superman is a folly and an insolence, for he alone is the superman who most manifests the highest nature of the Godhead in humanity. This compassion observes with an eye of love and wisdom and calm strength the battle and the struggle, the strength and weakness of man, his virtues and sins, his joy and suffering, his knowledge and his ignorance, his wisdom and his folly, his aspiration and his failure and it enters into it all to help and to heal...But it is also the divine compassion that smites down the strong tyrant and the confident oppressor, not in wrath and with hatred,...” CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-58-59 "Which instrument then by its purification and perfection will bring about most easily and effectively or can aid with a most powerful rapidity the perfection of the rest?. .. Since we are the spirit enveloped in mind, a soul evolved here as a mental being in a living physical body, it must naturally be in the mind, the antahkarana , that we must look for this desideratum. And in the mind it is evidently by the buddhi , the intelligence and the will of the intelligence that the human being is intended to do whatever work is not done for him by the physical or nervous nature as in the plant and the animal. Pending the evolution of any higher supramental power the intelligent will must be our main force for effectuation and to purify it becomes a very primary necessity. Once our intelligence and will are well purified of all that limits them and gives them a wrong action or wrong direction, they can easily be perfected, can be made to respond to the suggestions of Truth, understand themselves and the rest of the being, see clearly and with a fine and scrupulous accuracy what they are doing and follow out the right way to do it without any hesitating or eager error or stumbling deviation. Eventually their (Intelligence and Will) response can be opened up to the perfect discernings, intuitions, inspirations, revelations of the supermind and proceed by a more and more luminous and even infallible action. But this purification cannot be effected without a preliminary clearing of its natural obstacles in the other lower parts of the antahkarana , and the chief natural obstacle running through the whole action of the antahkarana, through the sense, the mental sensation, emotion, dynamic impulse, intelligence, will, is the intermiscence and the compelling claim of the psychic prana . (The deformation which enters in and prevents the purity, is a form of vital craving; the grand deformation which the psychic prana contributes to our being, is desire....The psychic prana invades the sensational mind and brings into it the unquiet thirst of sensations, invades the dynamic mind with the lust of control, having, domination, success, fulfilment of every impulse, fills the emotional mind with the desire for the satisfaction of liking and disliking, for the wreaking of love and hate, brings the shrinkings and panics of fear and the strainings and disappointments of hope, imposes the tortures of grief and the brief fevers and excitements of joy, makes the intelligence and intelligent will the accomplices of all these things and turns them in their own kind into deformed and lame instruments, the will into a will of craving and the intelligence into a partial, a stumbling and an eager pursuer of limited, impatient, militant prejudgment and opinion... The proper action of the psychic prana is pure possession and enjoyment, bhoga .)This then must be dealt with, its dominating intermiscence ruled out, its claim denied, itself quieted and prepared for purification." CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-654-655, "It is therefore an immense gain if we can acquire the capacity of always being able at will to command an absolute tranquillity and silence of the mind free from any necessity of mental thought or movement and disturbance and, based in that silence, allow thought and will and feeling to happen in us only when the Shakti wills it and when it is needful for the divine purpose. It becomes easier then to change the manner and character of the thought and will and feeling. Nevertheless it is not the fact that by this method the supramental light will immediately replace the lower mind and reflective reason. When the inner action proceeds after the silence, (Psychic action) even if it be then a more predominatingly intuitive thought and movement, (Spiritual action) the old powers will yet interfere, if not from within, then by a hundred suggestions from without, and an inferior mentality will mix in, will question or obstruct or will try to lay hold on the greater movement and to lower or darken or distort or minimise it in the process. Therefore the necessity of a process of elimination or transformation of the inferior mentality remains always imperative , — or perhaps both at once, (1) an elimination of all that is native to the lower being, its disfiguring accidents, its depreciations of value, its distortions of substance and all else that the greater truth cannot harbour, and (2) a transformation of the essential things our mind derives from the supermind and spirit but represents in the manner of the mental ignorance." CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-803 3 / Chapter 3. Karma Yoga Summary or A Brief Restatement: This chapter gives the message that desire is our greatest enemy, jahi kamam durasadam, ' this enemy in the form of desire, who is so hard to assail.' (The Gita-3.43) Desire has its root in the Inconscient sheath. Savitri book has identified that the key to the problem of existence is there in the Inconscient Sheath. "For the key is hid and by the Inconscient kept; The secret God beneath the threshold dwells." (Savitri-68) This problem of desire is resolved by discovery of the Inconscient Self, the secret God beneath the threshold. King Aswapati experienced the tearing of desire from its Inconscient root. 'He tore desire up from its bleeding roots And offered to the gods the vacant place.' (Savitri-318) This chapter also hints about the key of Karma Yoga which is identified as maye sarvani karmani sannyasya, (The Gita-3.30) surrendering the whole action into the Divine's hand by renouncing desire, ego, attachment and the three Gunas . The Knowledge of Wheel of Works as hinted in the Gita is identified as crucial in Integral Yoga in reconciling Matter and Spirit. “From Matter, anna , creatures come into being, from rain is the birth of Matter (food), from sacrifice comes into being the rain (Divine Grace), sacrifice is born of work; work know to be born of Brahman (Divine Will), Brahman (Divine Will) is born of Immutable (Chit Shakti ), therefore is the all-pervading Brahman Consciousness (Chit Shakti) is established in Matter by continuous sacrifice, nitya Yajna. He who follows not here this wheel of works, evam pravartitam chakram , thus set in movement, evil is his being, sensual is his delight, in vain, O Partha that man lives.” (The Gita-3.14, 15, 16,) In Integral Yoga, the wheel of Works is given much importance and its value has been much widened and developed. “This earth is not alone our teacher and nurse; The powers of all the worlds have entrance here. In their own fields they follow the wheel of law. (This wheel of Law is the same as the wheel of works.) And cherish the safety of a settled type; On earth out of their changeless orbit thrown Their law is kept, lost their fixed form of things.” Savitri-153 “This seeming driver of her wheel of works Missioned to motive and record her drift And fix its law on her inconstant powers, This master-spring of a delicate enginery, Aspired to enlighten its user and refine Lifting to a vision of the indwelling Power The absorbed mechanic’s crude initiative:” Savitri-158 “No silent peak is found where Time can rest. This was a magic stream that reached no sea. However far he went, wherever turned, The wheel of works ran with him and outstripped; Always a farther task was left to do.” Savitri-197 “He (Divine) dwells in me, (Savitri) the mover of my acts, Turning the great wheel of his cosmic work . I am the living body of his light, I am the thinking instrument of his power, I incarnate Wisdom in an earthly breast, I am his conquering and unslayable will. The formless Spirit drew in me its shape; In me are the Nameless and the secret Name.” Savitri-634 (Nameless is the Spiritual being and secret Name is the Psychic being.) “A vision shall compel thy coursing breath, Thy heart shall drive thee on the wheel of works, Thy mind shall urge thee through the flames of thought, To meet me in the abyss and on the heights, To feel me in the tempest and the calm, And love me in the noble and the vile, In beautiful things and terrible desire.” Savitri-700 "It is the old methods of yoga which demand silence and solitude...The yoga of tomorrow is to find the Divine in work and in relation with the world." The Mother/TMCW/Vol-14/Words of the Mother-II/p-49, "Equality, renunciation of all desire for the fruit of our works, action done as a sacrifice to the supreme Lord of our nature and of all nature, — these are the three first Godward approaches in the Gita’s way of Karmayoga." CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-105, "... what is meant by action done as Yoga, Karmayoga ? It is non-attachment, it is to do works without clinging with the mind to the objects of sense and the fruit of the works. Not complete inaction, which is an error, a confusion, a self-delusion, an impossibility, but action full and free done without subjection to sense and passion, desireless and unattached works, are the first secret of perfection." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-108-109, "The first step on this long path is to consecrate all our works as a sacrifice to the Divine in us and in the world; this is an attitude of the mind and heart, not too difficult to initiate, but very difficult to make absolutely sincere and all-pervasive. The second step is to renounce attachment to the fruit of our works; for the only true, inevitable and utterly desirable fruit of sacrifice — the one thing needful — is the Divine Presence and the Divine Consciousness and Power in us, and if that is gained, all else will be added. This is a transformation of the egoistic will in our vital being, our desire-soul and desire-nature, and it is far more difficult than the other. The third step is to get rid of the central egoism and even the ego-sense of the worker. That is the most difficult transformation of all and it cannot be perfectly done if the first two steps have not been taken; but these first steps too cannot be completed unless the third comes in to crown the movement and, by the extinction of egoism, eradicates the very origin of desire. Only when the small ego-sense is rooted out from the nature can the seeker know his true person that stands above as a portion and power of the Divine and renounce all motive-force other than the will of the Divine Shakti. " CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p- 247-248, The Lord of Sacrifice: "“For with sacrifice as their companion,” says the Gita, “the All-Father created these peoples. ” (The Gita-3.10) The acceptance of the law of sacrifice is a practical recognition by the ego that it is neither alone in the world nor chief in the world. It is its admission that, even in this much fragmented existence, there is beyond itself and behind that which is not its own egoistic person, something greater and completer, a diviner All which demands from it subordination and service. Indeed, sacrifice is imposed and, where need be, compelled by the universal World-Force; it takes it even from those who do not consciously recognise the law, — inevitably, because this is the intrinsic nature of things. Our ignorance or our false egoistic view of life can make no difference to this eternal bedrock truth of Nature. For this is the truth in Nature, that this ego which thinks itself a separate independent being and claims to live for itself, is not and cannot be independent nor separate, nor can it live to itself even if it would, but rather all are linked together by a secret Oneness." CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-106, "Life is an altar to which she brings her workings and the fruits of her workings and lays them before whatever aspect of the Divinity the consciousness in her has reached for whatever result of the sacrifice the desire of the living soul can seize on as its immediate or its highest good.... A mutual giving and receiving is the law of Life without which it cannot for one moment endure, and this fact is the stamp of the divine creative Will on the world it has manifested in its being, the proof that with sacrifice as their eternal companion the Lord of creatures has created all these existences. (The Gita-3.10) The universal law of sacrifice is the sign that the world is of God and belongs to God and that life is his dominion and house of worship and not a field for the self-satisfaction of the independent ego ; not the fulfilment of the ego, — that is only our crude and obscure beginning, — but the discovery of God, the worship and seeking of the Divine and the Infinite through a constantly enlarging sacrifice culminating in a perfect self-giving founded on a perfect self-knowledge, is that to which the experience of life is at last intended to lead .” CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-125-126, “Sacrifice is the very condition of life; with sacrifice as their eternal companion the Father of creatures created the peoples. But the sacrifices of the Vedavadins are offerings of desire directed towards material rewards, desire eager for the result of works, desire looking to a larger enjoyment in Paradise as immortality and highest salvation. This the system of the Gita cannot admit; for that in its very inception starts with the renunciation of desire, with its rejection and destruction as the enemy of the soul. ” CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-89-90, “With sacrifice the Lord of creatures of old created creatures and said: By this shall you bring forth (fruits or offspring), let this be your milker of desires. Foster by this the gods and let the gods foster you; fostering each other, you shall attain to the supreme good. Fostered by sacrifice the gods shall give you desired enjoyments: who enjoys their given enjoyments and has not given to them, he is a thief. ” The Gita-3.10, 11, 12 "Only when the heart, the will and the mind of knowledge associate themselves with the law and gladly follow it, can there come the deep joy and the happy fruitfulness of divine sacrifice. The mind’s knowledge of the law and the heart’s gladness in it culminate in the perception that it is to our own Self and Spirit and the one Self and Spirit of all that we give. And this is true even when our self-offering is still to our fellow-creatures or to lesser Powers and Principles and not yet to the Supreme. “Not for the sake of the wife,” says Yajnavalkya in the (Brihadaranyaka) Upanishad, “but for the sake of the Self is the wife dear to us.” This in the lower sense of the individual self is the hard fact behind the coloured and passionate professions of egoistic love; but in a higher sense it is the inner significance of that love too which is not egoistic but divine. All true love and all sacrifice are in their essence Nature’s contradiction of the primary egoism and its separative error; it is her attempt to turn from a necessary first fragmentation towards a recovered oneness. All unity between creatures is in its essence a self-finding, a fusion with that from which we have separated, a discovery of one’s self in others." CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-107 Lokasangraha, Gathering together of people: "The works of sacrifice are thus vindicated as a means of liberation and absolute spiritual perfection, samsiddhi (The Gita-3.20). So Janaka and other great Karmayogins of the mighty ancient Yoga attained to perfection, by equal and desireless works done as a sacrifice, without the least egoistic aim or attachment — karmanaiva hi samsiddhim asthita janakadayah . (The Gita-3.20) So too and with the same desirelessness, after liberation and perfection, works can and have to be continued by us in a large divine spirit, with the calm high nature of a spiritual royalty. “Thou shouldst do works regarding also the holding together of the peoples, lokasangraham evapi sampasyan kartum arhasi . (The Gita-3.20) Whatsoever the Best doeth, that the lower kind of man puts into practice; the standard he creates, the people follows. O son of Pritha , I have no work that I need to do in all the three worlds, I have nothing that I have not gained and have yet to gain, and I abide verily in the paths of action ,” varta eva cha karmani , (The Gita-3.22) — eva implying, I abide in it and do not leave it as the Sannyasin thinks himself bound to abandon works. “For if I did not abide sleeplessly in the paths of action, men follow in every way my path, these peoples would sink to destruction if I did not works and I should be the creator of confusion and slay these creatures. As those who know not act with attachment to the action, he who knows should act without attachment , having for his motive to hold together the peoples . He should not create a division of their understanding in the ignorant who are attached to their works; he should set them to all actions, doing them himself with knowledge and in Yoga. ” (The Gita-3.23 to 26)" CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-135-136, "The motive cannot be personal desire on the intellectual, moral, emotional level, for that has been abandoned, — even the moral motive has been abandoned, since the liberated man has passed beyond the lower distinction of sin and virtue, lives in a glorified purity beyond good and evil. It cannot be the spiritual call to his perfect self-development by means of disinterested works, for the call has been answered, the development is perfect and fulfilled. His motive of action can only be the holding together of the peoples, chikırsur lokasangraham . (The Gita-3.25)" CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-138, "The whole world is moving towards this dharma , each man according to his capacity, — “it is my path that men follow in every way ,” (The Gita-3.23)— and the God-seeker, making himself one with all, making their joy and sorrow and all their life his own, the liberated made already one self with all beings, lives in the life of humanity, lives for the one Self in humanity, for God in all beings, acts for lokasangraha , for the maintaining of all in their dharma and the Dharma , for the maintenance of their growth in all its stages and in all its paths towards the Divine. " CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-174, "Therefore Arjuna is bidden to resist, to fight, to conquer; but, to fight without hatred or personal desire or personal enmity or antagonism, since to the liberated soul these feelings are impossible. To act for the lokasangraha , impersonally, for the keeping and leading of the peoples on the path to the divine goal, is a rule which rises necessarily from the oneness of the soul with the Divine, the universal Being, since that is the whole sense and drift of the universal action. Nor does it conflict with our oneness with all beings, even those who present themselves here as opponents and enemies." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-210, "The highest way appointed for him is to carry out the will of God without egoism, as the human occasion and instrument of that which he sees to be decreed, with the constant supporting memory of the Godhead in himself and man, mam anusmaran , (The Gita-8.13) and in whatever ways are appointed for him by the Lord of his Nature. Nimittamatram bhava savyasachin . (The Gita-11.33) He will not cherish personal enmity, anger, hatred, egoistic desire and passion, will not hasten towards strife or lust after violence and destruction like the fierce Asura , but he will do his work, lokasangrahaya . " CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-386, "But it would seem that this can be attained very well, best even, pre-eminently, directly, by the quiescence of Sannyasa . Its appointed path would seem to be the way of the Akshara , a complete renunciation of works and life, an ascetic seclusion, an ascetic inaction. Where is the room here, or at least where is the call, the necessity, for the command to action, and what has all this to do with the maintenance of the cosmic existence, lokasangraha , the slaughter of Kurukshetra , the ways of the Spirit in Time, the vision of the million-bodied Lord and his high-voiced bidding, “Arise, slay the foe, enjoy a wealthy kingdom”? And what then is this soul in Nature? This spirit too, this Kshara , this enjoyer of our mutable existence, is the Purushottama ; it is he in his eternal multiplicity, that is the Gita’s answer. “It is an eternal portion of me that becomes the Jiva in a world of Jivas. ” (The Gita-15.7)" CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-444-445, "Mankind upon earth is one foremost self-expression of the universal Being in His cosmic self-unfolding; he expresses, under the conditions of the terrestrial world he inhabits, the mental power of the universal existence. All mankind is one in its nature, physical, vital, emotional, mental and ever has been in spite of all differences of intellectual development ranging from the poverty of the Bushman and negroid to the rich cultures of Asia and Europe , and the whole race has, as the human totality, one destiny which it seeks and increasingly approaches in the cycles of progression and retrogression it describes through the countless millenniums of its history. Nothing which any individual race or nation can triumphantly realise, no victory of their self-aggrandisement, illumination, intellectual achievement or mastery over the environment, has any permanent meaning or value except in so far as it adds something or recovers something or preserves something for this human march. The purpose which the ancient Indian scripture offers to us as the true object of all human action , lokasangraha, the holding together of the race in its cyclic evolution, is the constant sense, whether we know it or know it not, of the sum of our activities." CWSA-25/The Human Cycle/p-66-67, In The Life Divine , Sri Aurobindo has hinted that to generalise the highest Spiritual truth in humanity is a task of Religion and given to the Religious Leaders to accomplish. He pointed out that, “Another untoward result or peril of the diffusive movement (of self-expansion) and the consequent invasion has been the intellectual formalisation of spiritual knowledge into dogma and the materialisation of living practice into a dead mass of cult and ceremony and ritual, a mechanisation by which the spirit was bound to depart in course of time from the body of the religion. But this risk (of generalisation of Spirituality) had to be taken , for the expansive movement was an inherent necessity of the spiritual urge in evolutionary Nature.” CWSA-22/The Life Divine/p-903, "The Gita declares that the action of the liberated man must be directed not by desire, but towards the keeping together of the world, its government, guidance, impulsion, maintenance in the path appointed to it. This injunction has been interpreted in the sense that the world being an illusion in which most men must be kept, since they are unfit for liberation, he must so act outwardly as to cherish in them an attachment to their customary works laid down for them by the social law. If so, it would be a poor and petty rule and every noble heart would reject it to follow rather the divine vow of Amitabha Buddha, the sublime prayer of the Bhagavata, the passionate aspiration of Vivekananda . But if we accept rather the view that the world is a divinely guided movement of Nature emerging in man towards God and that this is the work in which the Lord of the Gita declares that he is ever occupied although he himself has nothing ungained that he has yet to win, then a deep and true sense will appear for this great injunction. To participate in that divine work, to live for God in the world will be the rule of the Karmayogin ; to live for God in the world and therefore so to act that the Divine may more and more manifest himself and the world go forward by whatever way of its obscure pilgrimage and move nearer to the divine ideal. " CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-272, "In other words, no matter how great he may be, no matter how conscious, how powerful, ONE avatar all alone cannot realize the supramental life on earth. Either a group in time, a number of individuals staggered over a certain period of time, or a group spread over a certain space- or may be both is indispensable for this Realisation. I am convinced of it." The Mother’s Agenda/Vol-3/p-158, "But if a collectivity or group could be formed of those who have reached the supramental perfection, there indeed some divine creation could take shape; a new earth could descend that would be a new heaven, a world of supramental light could be created here amidst the receding darkness of this terrestrial ignorance." SABCL-20/196, "All mankind is one in its nature, physical, vital, emotional, mental and ever has been in spite of all differences of intellectual development ranging from the poverty of the Bushman and negroid to the rich cultures of Asia and Europe, and the whole race has, as the human totality, one destiny which it seeks and increasingly approaches in the cycles of progression and retrogression it describes through the countless millenniums of its history. Nothing which any individual race or nation can triumphantly realise, no victory of their self-aggrandisement, illumination, intellectual achievement or mastery over the environment, has any permanent meaning or value except in so far as it adds something or recovers something or preserves something for this human march. The purpose which the ancient Indian scripture offers to us as the true object of all human action, lokasangraha , the holding together of the race in its cyclic evolution, is the constant sense, whether we know it or know it not, of the sum of our activities." CWSA-25/The Human Cycle/p-67, “For it is in God alone, by the possession of the Divine only that all the discords of life can be resolved, and therefore the raising of men towards the Divine is in the end the one effective way of helping mankind . All other activities and realizations of our self-experience have their use and power, but in the end these crowded side-tracks or these lonely paths must circle round to converge into the wideness of the integral way by which the liberated soul transcends all, embraces all and becomes the promise and the power of the fulfillment of all in their manifested being of the Divine.” CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-445 Lokasangraha , or the gathering together of people is discouraged through Integral Yoga: “It may be said generally that to be overanxious to pull people, especially very young people, into the sadhana is not wise. The sadhak who comes to this Yoga must have a real call, and even with the real call the way is often difficult enough. But when one pulls people in in a spirit of enthusiastic propagandism, the danger is of lighting an imitative and unreal fire, not the true Agni, or else a short-lived fire which cannot last and is submerged by the uprush of the vital waves. This is especially so with young people who are plastic and easily caught hold of by ideas and communicated feelings not their own — afterwards the vital rises with its unsatisfied demands and they are swung between two contrary forces or rapidly yield to the strong pull of the ordinary life and action and satisfaction of desire which is the natural bent of adolescence. Or else the unfit adhara tends to suffer under the stress of a call for which it was not ready, or at least not yet ready. When one has the real thing in oneself, one goes through and finally takes the full way of sadhana , but it is only a minority that does so. It is better to receive only people who come of themselves and of these only those in whom the call is genuinely their own and persistent.” CWSA-35/The Letters on Himself and the Ashram/p-691-692, "It is not intended to supramentalise humanity at large, but to establish the principle of the supramental consciousness in the earth-evolution. If that is done, all that is needed will be evolved by the supramental Power itself. It is not therefore important that the mission should be widespread. What is important is that the thing should be done at all in however small a number; that is the only difficulty…It would therefore be a waste of time and energy which should be devoted to the preliminary work psychicisation and spiritualisation of the being and nature without which no supramentalisation is possible.” CWSA-28/Letters on Yoga-I/p-288-290, “All that [ideas such as “everything will soon be spiritualised”] is absurd. The descent of the supramental means only that the Power will be there in the earth consciousness as a living force just as the thinking mental and the higher mental are already there. But an animal cannot take advantage of the presence of the thinking mental Power or an undeveloped man of the presence of the higher mental Power — so too everybody will not be able to take advantage of the presence of the supramental Power. I have also often enough said that it will be at first for the few, not for the whole earth, — only there will be a growing influence of it on the earth life.” CWSA-28/Letters on Yoga-I/p-290, “To concentrate most on one’s own spiritual growth and experience is the first necessity of the sadhak — to be too eager to help others draws away from the inner work. There is also likely to be an overzeal and haste which clouds the discrimination and makes what help is given less effective than it should be. To grow in the spirit is the greatest help one can give to others, for then something flows out naturally to those around that helps them.” CWSA-31/Letters on Yoga-IV/p-317, “The idea of helping others is a subtle form of the ego. It is only the Divine Force that can help. One can be its instrument, but you should first learn to be a fit and egoless instrument.” CWSA-31/Letters on Yoga-IV/p-318, “The best way to help the world is to transform oneself by an integral and intensive yoga .” The Mother/TMCW-14/Words of The Mother-II/p-277, "Certainly, a great step will be taken when it becomes natural for man to seek to perfect himself instead of expecting perfection in others …. That reversal is at the basis of all true progress. The first human instinct is, “It’s the fault of circumstances, it’s people’s fault, it’s … See how this fellow is, how that fellow is, how …” And it goes on indefinitely. The FIRST STEP, the very first step is to say, “If I were as I should be, or if the body were as it should be, all would be perfectly all right for it.” If, to make progress, you wait for others to do so, you can wait indefinitely...That’s the first thing that should be spread everywhere... Never lay the blame on others or on circumstances because whatever the circumstances may be, even apparently the worst, if you are in the true attitude and have the true consciousness, it doesn’t matter in the least for your inner progress, not in the least –and I’ll say, including death... That really seems to be the first lesson to be learned." The Mother's Agenda/December 10/1969, "The best way of helping others is to transform oneself. Be perfect and you will be in a position to bring perfection to the world." The Mother/TMCW-14/Words of The Mother-II/p-276, “That is all right in the ordinary karmayoga which aims at union with the cosmic Spirit and stops short at the Overmind — but here a special work has to be done and a new realisation achieved for the earth and not for ourselves alone. It is necessary to stand apart from the rest of the world so as to separate ourselves from the ordinary consciousness in order to bring down a new one… It is not that love for all is not part of the sadhana , but it has not to translate itself at once into a mixing with all — it can only express itself in a general and when need be dynamic universal goodwill, but for the rest it must find vent (outlet or finding a passage) in this labour of bringing down the higher consciousness with all its effect for the earth. As for accepting the working of the Divine in all things that is necessary here too in the sense of seeing it even behind our struggles and difficulties, but not accepting the nature of man and the world as it is — our aim is to move towards a more divine working which will replace what now is by a greater and happier manifestation. That too is a labour of divine Love.” Sri Aurobindo/CWSA-35/Letters on Himself and the Ashram- 812-813, “There must come upon us in the change at once a reversal and rejection of our present way of existence and a fulfilment of its inner trend and tendency.” CWSA-22/The Life Divine/p-1012, If a liberated Soul’s consciousness is universalised, then through the movement of his Consciousness, many unknown Souls in distant lands will be liberated. Thus, the task of the liberated Soul of liberating others is accomplished or earth “Knows that one high step might enfranchise all.” Savitri-371, “I suppose I myself am accused of rude and arrogant behaviour because I refuse to see people, do not answer letters, and a host of other misdemeanours. I have heard of a famous recluse who threw stones at anybody coming to his retreat because he did not want disciples and found no other way of warding off the flood of candidates. I at least would hesitate to pronounce that such people had no spiritual life or experience. Certainly, I prefer that sadhaks should be reasonably considerate towards each other, but that is for the sake of collective life and harmony, not as a siddhi of the Yoga or an indispensable sign of inner experience.” Sri Aurobindo/CWSA-31/Letters on Yoga-IV-656, “You must not hunger after any relations with anyone. The relations of the sadhaka with others must be created for him from within, when he has the true consciousness and lives in the Light. They will be determined within him by the power and will of the Divine Mother according to the supramental Truth for the divine life and the divine work; they must not be determined by his mind and his vital desires. This is the thing you have to remember. Your psychic being is capable of giving itself to the Mother and living and growing in the Truth; but your lower vital being has been full of attachments and sanskaras and an impure movement of desire and your external physical mind was not able to shake off its ignorant ideas and habits and open to the Truth. That was the reason why you were unable to progress, because you were keeping up an element and movements which could not be allowed to remain; for they were the exact opposite of what has to be established in a divine life.” CWSA-32/The Mother and Letters on the Mother-142, "But even when you have the vision of the true thing, it’s RARELY wise to intervene. It becomes indispensable only if someone wants to do something that will necessarily end in a catastrophe. And even then (smiling), the intervention isn’t always very effective... Ultimately, it’s only when you are absolutely sure you have the vision of the truth that it’s legitimate to intervene. Not only that, but also the clear vision of consequences. In order to intervene in another’s actions, you must be a prophet—a prophet. A prophet with total benevolence and compassion. You must even have the vision of the consequence the intervention will have in other’s destiny. People are constantly giving each other advice: “Do this, don’t do that.” I see that, they don’t realize the extent to which they create confusion, they add to the confusion and disorder. And sometimes they harm the individual’s normal development... I consider opinions to be always dangerous things, and most of the time without any value whatever... You should interfere in another’s affairs only if, first, you are infinitely wiser than the other (of course, you always think you are wiser!), but I mean, objectively and not according to your own opinion: if you see more, better, and if you are yourself beyond passions, desires, blind reactions. You must yourself be above all those things in order to have the right to intervene in another’s life—even when they ask you to. And when they don’t ask you to, it’s simply interfering in other people’s business." The Mother’s Agenda/Vol.-7/p-198-199, “As for the people who want to draw others to the Yoga, I should say that if they draw themselves nearer to the inner goal that would be a much more fruitful activity. And in the end it would “draw” much more people and in a better way than the writing of many letters.” CWSA-31/Letters on Yoga-IV/p-325, "This “helping others” is a perilous business — it brings the “guru ” ego or else you very uncertainly rid others of their difficulties and very certainly get them yourself. “Why do you have all these disciples?” said a sage to some Maratha saint (I have forgotten the names); “to have disciples means to add all their difficulties to your own.” “Helping others” has the same disadvantage." CWSA-31/Letters on Yoga-IV/p-318, "In “helping” one often gets part of the other’s inconvenience and many Yogis refuse to take disciples because they will have to assume others’ burdens as well as their own. There are also other dangers — growth of ego etc." CWSA-31/Letters on Yoga-IV/p-319, Lokasangraha is thoroughly discouraged in Savitri : "Whoever is too great must lonely live. Adored he walks in mighty solitude; Vain is his labour to create his kind, His only comrade is the Strength within." Savitri-368 "And Savitri mingling in that glorious crowd, Yearning to the spiritual light they bore, Longed once to hasten like them to save God’s world; But she reined back the high passion in her heart; She knew that first she must discover her soul. Only who save themselves can others save." Savitri-501 Death said to Para-prakriti Savitri: “If Satyavan had lived, love would have died; But Satyavan is dead and love shall live A little while in thy sad breast, until His face and body fade on memory’s wall Where other bodies, other faces come.” Savitri-610, (Human admirers will replace Paramatma. ) (Death said) “What knowst thou of earth’s rich and changing life Who thinkst that one man dead all joy must cease? Hope not to be unhappy till the end: For grief dies soon in the tired human heart; Soon other guests the empty chambers fill.” Savitri-637, (Human admirers will replace Paramatma. ) Death said to Para-prakriti Savitri: “Return and try thy soul! Soon shalt thou find appeased that other men (human admirers will replace Paramatma .) On lavish earth have beauty, strength and truth, And when thou hast half forgotten, one of these Shall wind himself around thy heart that needs Some human answering heart against thy breast; For who, being mortal, can dwell glad alone? Then Satyavan shall glide into the past, (Satyavan is the symbol of Paramatma ) A gentle memory pushed away from thee By new love and thy children’s tender hands, Till thou shalt wonder if thou lov’dst at all. Such is the life earth’s travail has conceived, A constant stream that never is the same.” Savitri-637-638 “In moments when the inner lamps are lit And the life’s cherished guests are left outside, Our spirit sits alone and speaks to its gulfs.” Savitri-47 (Spirit alone can bridge the gulf between different planes or ten subtle bodies.) The Two Levels of Consciousness: "But the consciousness of man is of a double kind and corresponds to a double truth of existence; for there is a truth of the inner reality and a truth of the outer appearance. According as he lives in one or the other, he will be a mind dwelling in human ignorance or a soul founded in divine knowledge." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-573, "The perception of the ignorance of our assumption of freedom while one is all the time in the meshes of this lower nature, is the view-point at which the Gita arrives and it is in contradiction to this ignorant claim that it affirms the complete subjection of the ego-soul on this plane to the gunas. “While the actions are being entirely done by the modes of Nature,” it says, “he whose self is bewildered by egoism thinks that it is his ‘I’ which is doing them. But one who knows the true principles of the divisions of the modes and of works, realises that it is the modes which are acting and reacting on each other and is not caught in them by attachment. Those who are bewildered by the modes, get attached to the modes and their works; dull minds, not knowers of the whole, let not the knower of the whole disturb them in their mental standpoint. Giving up thy works to Me, free from desire and egoism, fight delivered from the fever of thy soul.” Here there is the clear distinction between two levels of consciousness , two standpoints of action, that of the soul caught in the web of its egoistic nature and doing works with the idea, but not the reality of free will, under the impulsion of Nature, and that of the soul delivered from its identification with the ego, observing, sanctioning and governing the works of Nature from above her." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-214-215, “This, no doubt, is the root of the injunction imposed in the Gita (The Gita-3.29) on the man who has the knowledge not to disturb the life basis and thought basis of the ignorant; for impelled by his example but unable to comprehend the principle of his action, they would lose their own system of values without arriving at a higher foundation.” Sri Aurobindo/CWSA-21/The Life Divine/p-58, “Then there were the few—the rare individuals —who are ready to make the necessary effort to prepare themselves for the transformation and to attract the new forces, try to adapt matter, seek the means of expression and so forth. Those are ready for Sri Aurobindo’s Yoga . They are very few . There are even those who have the sense of sacrifice and are ready have a hard and difficult life, as long as it leads them or helps them towards this future transformation. But they should not, they should in no way try to influence others and make them share their own effort: that would be quite unjust – not only unjust, but extremely clumsy because it would alter the universal – or at least terrestrial – rhythm and movement, and instead of helping, it would cause conflicts and result in chaos.” The Mother Agenda/27th November, 1965, “In fact, the creative Consciousness-Force in our earth existence has to lead forward, in an almost simultaneous process but with a considerable priority and greater stress of the inferior element, a double evolution . (1) There is an evolution of our outward nature, the nature of the mental being in the life and body, and (2) there is within it, pressing forward for self-revelation because with the emergence of mind that revelation is becoming possible, a preparation at least, even the beginning of an evolution of our inner being, our occult subliminal and spiritual nature... But if her intention is a comprehensive change of the being, this double evolution is intelligible and justifies itself; for it is for that purpose indispensable. ” CWSA-22/The Life Divine-890, “There is a state of being experienced in Yoga in which we become a double consciousness, (1) one on the surface, small, active, ignorant, swayed by thoughts and feelings, grief and joy and all kinds of reactions, (2) the other within calm, vast, equal, observing the surface being with an immovable detachment or indulgence or, it may be, acting upon its agitation to quiet, enlarge, transform it.” CWSA-21/The Life Divine/p-360, “Or, again, we can posit a double consciousness of Brahman the Reality, (1) one static and (2) one dynamic, (1) one essential and spiritual in which it is Self perfect and absolute, (2) another formative, pragmatic, in which it becomes not-self and with which its absoluteness and perfection have no concern of participation; for it is only a temporal formation in the timeless Reality.” CWSA-21/The Life Divine/p-415 The First Rule of Karma Yoga : "What then are the lines of Karmayoga laid down by the Gita? Its key principle, its spiritual method, can be summed up as the union of two largest and highest states or powers of consciousness, equality and oneness. The kernel of its method is an unreserved acceptance of the Divine in our life as in our inner self (Psychic being) and spirit (Spiritual being). An inner renunciation of personal desire leads to equality, accomplishes our total surrender to the Divine, supports a delivery from dividing ego which brings us oneness. But this must be a oneness in dynamic force and not only in static peace or inactive beatitude. The Gita promises us freedom for the spirit even in the midst of works and the full energies of Nature, if we accept subjection of our whole being to that which is higher than the separating and limiting ego. It proposes an integral dynamic activity founded on a still passivity; a largest possible action irrevocably based on an immobile calm is its secret, — free expression out of a supreme inward silence." CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p- 95, " In the field of action desire takes many forms, but the most powerful of all is the vital self’s craving or seeking after the fruit of our works. The fruit we covet may be a reward of internal pleasure; it may be the accomplishment of some preferred idea or some cherished will or the satisfaction of the egoistic emotions, or else the pride of success of our highest hopes and ambitions. Or it may be an external reward, a recompense entirely material, wealth, position, honour, victory, good fortune or any other fulfilment of vital or physical desire. But all alike are lures by which egoism holds us. Always these satisfactions delude us with the sense of mastery and the idea of freedom, while really we are harnessed and guided or ridden and whipped by some gross or subtle, some noble or ignoble, figure of the blind Desire that drives the world. Therefore the first rule of action laid down by the Gita is to do the work that should be done without any desire for the fruit, niskama karma ... And to our partial self-discipline we give various names and forms; we habituate ourselves by practice to the sense of duty, to a firm fidelity to principle, a stoical fortitude or a religious resignation, a quiet or an ecstatic submission to God’s will. But it is not these things that the Gita intends, useful though they are in their place; it aims at something absolute, unmitigated, uncompromising, a turn, an attitude that will change the whole poise of the soul. Not the mind’s control of vital impulse is its rule, but the strong immobility of an immortal spirit." CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p- 102-103, " Whoever sincerely enters the path of works, must leave behind him the stage in which need and desire are the first law of our acts . For whatever desires still trouble his being, he must, if he accepts the high aim of Yoga, put them away from him into the hands of the Lord within us. The supreme Power will deal with them for the good of the sadhaka and for the good of all. In effect, we find that once this surrender is done, — always provided the rejection is sincere, — egoistic indulgence of desire may for some time recur under the continued impulse of past nature but only in order to exhaust its acquired momentum and to teach the embodied being in his most unteachable part, his nervous, vital, emotional nature, by the reactions of desire, by its grief and unrest bitterly contrasted with calm periods of the higher peace or marvellous movements of divine Ananda, that egoistic desire is not a law for the soul that seeks liberation or aspires to its own original god-nature. Afterwards the element of desire in those impulsions will be thrown away or persistently eliminated by a constant denying and transforming pressure. Only the pure force of action in them (pravritti) justified by an equal delight in all work and result that is inspired or imposed from above will be preserved in the happy harmony of a final perfection. To act, to enjoy is the normal law and right of the nervous being; but to choose by personal desire its action and enjoyment is only its ignorant will, not its right. Alone the supreme and universal Will must choose; action must change into a dynamic movement of that Will; enjoyment must be replaced by the play of a pure spiritual Ananda . All personal will is either a temporary delegation from on high or a usurpation by the ignorant Asura ." CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p- 209-210, “The first step on this free, this equal, this divine way of action is to put from you attachment to fruit and recompense and to labour only for the sake of the work itself that has to be done. For you must deeply feel that the fruits belong not to you but to the Master of the world. Consecrate your labour and leave its returns to the Spirit who manifests and fulfils himself in the universal movement. The outcome of your action is determined by his will alone and whatever it be, good or evil fortune, success or failure, it is turned by him to the accomplishment of his world purpose. An entirely desireless and disinterested working of the personal will and the whole instrumental nature is the first rule of Karmayoga . Demand no fruit, accept whatever result is given to you; accept it with equality and a calm gladness: successful or foiled, prosperous or afflicted, continue unafraid, untroubled and unwavering on the steep path of the divine action... This is no more than the first step on the path. For you must be not only unattached to results, but unattached also to your labour. Cease to regard your works as your own; as you have abandoned the fruits of your work, so you must surrender the work also to the Lord of action and sacrifice. Recognise that your nature determines your action; your nature rules the immediate motion of your Swabhava and decides the expressive turn and development of your spirit in the paths of the executive force of Prakriti . Bring in no longer any self-will to confuse the steps of your mind in following the Godward way. Accept the action proper to your nature. Make of all you do from the greatest and most unusual effort to the smallest daily act , make of each act of your mind, each act of your heart, each act of your body, of every inner and outer turn, of every thought and will and feeling, of every step and pause and movement, a sacrifice to the Master of all sacrifice and Tapasya ." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-586-587, “Above all, the psychic being imposes on life the law of the sacrifice of all its works as an offering to the Divine and the Eternal. Life becomes a call to that which is beyond Life; its every smallest act enlarges with the sense of the Infinite.” CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga-179, “In work too there is an austerity. It consists in not having any preferences and in doing everything one does with interest. For one who wants to grow in self-perfection, there are no great or small tasks, none that are important or unimportant; all are equally useful for one who aspires for progress and self-mastery. It is said that one only does well what one is interested in doing. This is true, but it is truer still that one can learn to find interest in everything one does, even in what appear to be the most insignificant chores. The secret of this attainment lies in the urge towards self-perfection. Whatever occupation or task falls to your lot, you must do it with a will to progress; whatever one does, one must not only do it as best one can but strive to do it better and better in a constant effort for perfection. In this way everything without exception becomes interesting, from the most material chore to the most artistic and intellectual work. The scope for progress is infinite and can be applied to the smallest thing .” TMCW/Vol-12/On Education/p-53 "Even the smallest meanest work became A sweet or glad and glorious sacrament, An offering to the self of the great world Or a service to the One in each and all." Savitri-532 " Its (Supreme Self) absence left the greatest actions dull, Its presence made the smallest seem divine. " Savitri-305 (Savitri promises us that through smallest action offered as a rightly regulated sacrifice can call down the highest Spiritual force from the Supreme Self.) The Highest realisation of exclusive Karma Yoga : “That is all right in the ordinary karmayoga which aims at union with the cosmic Spirit and stops short at the Overmind — but here a special work has to be done and a new realisation achieved for the earth and not for ourselves alone. It is necessary to stand apart from the rest of the world so as to separate ourselves from the ordinary consciousness in order to bring down a new one.” CWSA-35/Letters on Himself and the Ashram- 812-813, "The Gita at its cryptic close may seem by its silence to stop short of that solution for which we are seeking; it pauses at the borders of the highest spiritual mind and does not cross them into the splendours of the supramental Light . And yet its secret of dynamic, and not only static, identity with the inner Presence, its highest mystery of absolute surrender to the Divine Guide, Lord and Inhabitant of our nature, is the central secret. This surrender (sarva dharman paritejya) is the indispensable means of the supramental change and, again, it is through the supramental change that the dynamic identity becomes possible." CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-95-96, "Its initial object was not precisely to propose a way of liberation, moksa , but rather to show the compatibility of works with the soul’s effort towards liberation and of spiritual freedom itself when once attained with continued action in the world, muktasya karma . Incidentally, a synthetic Yoga or psychological method of arriving at spiritual liberation and perfection has been developed and certain metaphysical affirmations have been put forward, certain truths of our being and nature on which the validity of this Yoga reposes. But the original preoccupation remains throughout, the original difficulty and problem , how Arjuna, dislodged by a strong revulsion of thought and feeling from the established natural and rational foundations and standards of action, is to find a new and satisfying spiritual norm of works, or how he is to live in the truth of the Spirit — since he can no longer act according to the partial truths of the customary reason and nature of man — and yet to do his appointed work on the battle-field of Kurukshetra. To live inwardly calm, detached, silent in the silence of the impersonal and universal Self and yet do dynamically the works of dynamic Nature, and more largely, to be one with the Eternal within us and to do all the will of the Eternal in the world expressed through a sublimated force, a divine height of the personal nature uplifted, liberated, universalised, made one with God-nature , — this is the Gita’s solution (of problem of life) . " CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-450-451 Action is demanded from Impersonal and universal Consciousness: "For to withdraw from his work, to take refuge in a saintly inactivity and leave the imperfect world with its unsatisfying methods and motives to take care of itself is one possible solution easy to envisage, easy to execute, but this is the very cutting of the knot that has been insistently forbidden by the Teacher . Action is demanded of man by the Master of the world who is the master of all his works and whose world is a field of action, whether done through the ego and in the ignorance or partial light of the limited human reason or initiated from a higher and more largely seeing plane of vision and motive. Again, to abandon this particular action as evil would be another kind of solution, the ready resort of the shortsighted moralising mind, but to this evasion too the Teacher refuses his assent. Arjuna’s abstention would work a much greater sin and evil: it would mean, if it had any effect at all, the triumph of wrong and injustice and the rejection of his own mission as an instrument of the divine workings. A violent crisis in the destinies of the race has been brought about not by any blind motion of forces or solely by the confused clash of human ideas, interests, passions, egoisms, but by a Will which is behind these outward appearances. This truth Arjuna must be brought to see; he must learn to act impersonally, imperturbably as the instrument not of his little personal desires and weak human shrinkings, but of a vaster and more luminous Power, a greater all-wise divine and universal Will. He must act impersonally and universally in a high union of his soul with the inner and outer Godhead, yukta, in a calm Yoga with his own supreme Self and the informing Self of the universe." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-451-452, "For I am the eternal Worker within you and I ask of you works. I demand of you not a passive consent to a mechanical movement of Nature from which in your self you are wholly separated, indifferent and aloof, but action complete and divine, done as the willing and understanding instrument of the Divine , done for God in you and others and for the good of the world. This action I propose to you, first no doubt as a means of perfection in the supreme spiritual Nature, but as a part too of that perfection . Action is a part of the integral knowledge of God, of his greater mysterious truth and of an entire living in the Divine; action can and should be continued even after perfection and freedom are won. I ask of you the action of the Jivanmukta , the works of the Siddha . Something has to be added to the Yoga already described, — for that was only a first Yoga of knowledge. There is also a Yoga of action in the illumination of God-experience; works can be made one spirit with knowledge. For works done in a total self-vision and God-vision, a vision of God in the world and of the world in God are themselves a movement of knowledge, a movement of light, an indispensable means and an intimate part of spiritual perfection. " CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-585, “The acceptance of the law of sacrifice is a practical recognition by the ego that it is neither alone in the world nor chief in the world. It is its admission that, even in this much fragmented existence, there is beyond itself and behind that which is not its own egoistic person, something greater and completer, a diviner All which demands from it subordination and service. ” CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga-106, “The Master of the worlds who in the Gita demands of his servant, the bhakta , to be nothing more in life than his instrument , makes this claim as the friend, the guide, the higher Self, and describes himself as the Lord of all the worlds who is the friend of all creatures, sarvalokamahesvaram suhrudam sarvabhutanam; (The Gita-5.29) the two relations in fact must go together and neither can be perfect without the other.” CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga-565, "Never forget that you are not alone. The Divine is with you helping and guiding you. He is the companion who never fails, the friend whose love comforts and strengthens. The more you feel lonely, the more you are ready to perceive His luminous Presence. Have faith and He will do everything for you.” The Mother/TMCW-14/Words of the Mother-II/p-9, 3 / Chapter 3. Karma Yoga The Keyword of Integral Yoga: "But the Gita accepts this Stoic discipline, this heroic philosophy, on the same condition that it accepts the tamasic recoil, it must have above it the sattwic vision of knowledge, at its root the aim at self-realisation and in its steps the ascent to the divine Nature. A Stoic discipline which merely crushed down the common affections of our human nature, — although less dangerous than a tamasic weariness of life, unfruitful pessimism and sterile inertia, because it would at least increase the power and self-mastery of the soul, — would still be no unmixed good, since it might lead to insensibility and an inhuman isolation without giving the true spiritual release. The Stoic equality is justified as an element in the discipline of the Gita because it can be associated with and can help to the realisation of the free immutable Self in the mobile human being, param dristva , (The Gita-2.59) and to status in that new self-consciousness, esa brahmı sthitih . (The Gita-2.72) “Awakening by the understanding to the Highest which is beyond even the discerning mind, put force on the self by the self to make it firm and still, and slay this enemy who is so hard to assail, Desire.” (The Gita-3.43) Both the tamasic recoil of escape and the rajasic movement of struggle and victory are only justified when they look beyond themselves through the sattwic principle to the self-knowledge which legitimises both the recoil and the struggle." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-197 “This is a difficult lesson to learn (rejection of revolt and impatience), but you must learn it. I do not find fault with you for taking long over it, I myself took full twelve years to learn it thoroughly, (written in the year 1919) and even after I knew the principle well enough, it took me quite four years and more to master my lower nature in this respect. But you have the advantage of my experience and my help; you will be able to do it more rapidly, if you consciously and fully assist me, by not associating yourself with the enemy Desire; jahi kamam durasadam , (this enemy in the form of desire, who is so hard to assail. The Gita-3.43) remember that utterance of the Gita, it is a keyword of our Yoga .” CWSA-36/Autobiographical Notes/p-229, "Into all our endeavour upward the lower element of desire will at first naturally enter. For what the enlightened will sees as the thing to be done and pursues as the crown to be conquered, what the heart embraces as the one thing delightful, that in us which feels itself limited and opposed and, because it is limited, craves and struggles, will seek with the troubled passion of an egoistic desire. This craving life-force or desire-soul in us has to be accepted at first, but only in order that it may be transformed. Even from the very beginning it has to be taught to renounce all other desires and concentrate itself on the passion for the Divine. This capital point gained, it has to be taught to desire, not for its own separate sake, but for God in the world and for the Divine in ourselves; it has to fix itself upon no personal spiritual gain, though of all possible spiritual gains we are sure, but on the great work to be done in us and others, on the high coming manifestation which is to be the glorious fulfilment of the Divine in the world, on the Truth that has to be sought and lived and enthroned for ever. But last, most difficult for it, more difficult than to seek with the right object, it has to be taught to seek in the right manner; for it must learn to desire, not in its own egoistic way, but in the way of the Divine. It must insist no longer, as the strong separative will always insists, on its own manner of fulfilment, its own dream of possession, its own idea of the right and the desirable; it must yearn to fulfil a larger and greater Will and consent to wait upon a less interested and ignorant guidance. Thus trained, Desire, that great unquiet harasser and troubler of man and cause of every kind of stumbling, will become fit to be transformed into its divine counterpart. For desire and passion too have their divine forms; there is a pure ecstasy of the soul’s seeking beyond all craving and grief, there is a Will of Ananda that sits glorified in the possession of the supreme beatitudes." CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-83-84 "At this stage of the Yoga and even throughout the Yoga this form of desire, this figure of the ego is the enemy against whom we have to be always on our guard with an unsleeping vigilance. We need not be discouraged when we find him lurking within us and assuming all sorts of disguises, but we should be vigilant to detect him in all his masks and inexorable in expelling his influence. The illumining Word of this movement is the decisive line of the Gita, “To action thou hast a right but never under any circumstances to its fruit.” (The Gita-2.47) The fruit belongs solely to the Lord of all works; our only business with it is to prepare success by a true and careful action and to offer it, if it comes, to the divine Master. Afterwards even as we have renounced attachment to the fruit, we must renounce attachment to the work also; at any moment we must be prepared to change one work, one course or one field of action for another or abandon all works if that is the clear command of the Master. Otherwise we do the act not for his sake but for our satisfaction and pleasure in the work, from the kinetic nature’s need of action or for the fulfilment of our propensities; but these are all stations and refuges of the ego. However necessary for our ordinary motion of life, they have to be abandoned in the growth of the spiritual consciousness and replaced by divine counterparts: an Ananda , an impersonal and God-directed delight will cast out or supplant the unillumined vital satisfaction and pleasure, a joyful driving of the Divine Energy the kinetic need; the fulfilment of the propensities will no longer be an object or a necessity, there will be instead the fulfilment of the Divine Will through the natural dynamic truth in action of a free soul and a luminous nature. In the end, as the attachment to the fruit of the work and to the work itself has been excised from the heart, so also the last clinging attachment to the idea and sense of ourselves as the doer has to be relinquished; the Divine Shakti must be known and felt above and within us as the true and sole worker." CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-222-223, "The elimination of all egoistic activity and of its foundation, the egoistic consciousness, is clearly the key to the consummation we desire. And since in the path of works action is the knot we have first to loosen, we must endeavour to loosen it where it is centrally tied, in desire and in ego ; for otherwise we shall cut only stray strands and not the heart of our bondage. These are the two knots of our subjection to this ignorant and divided Nature, desire and ego-sense. And of these two desire has its native home in the emotions and sensations and instincts and from there affects thought and volition; ego-sense lives indeed in these movements, but it casts its deep roots also in the thinking mind and its will and it is there that it becomes fully self-conscious. These are the twin obscure powers of the obsessing world-wide Ignorance that we have to enlighten and eliminate. " CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-101-102, "Desire, it is thought, is the real motive power of human living and to cast it out would be to stop the springs of life; satisfaction of desire is man’s only enjoyment and to eliminate it would be to extinguish the impulse of life by a quietistic asceticism. But the real motive power of the life of the soul is Will ; desire is only a deformation of will in the dominant bodily life and physical mind. The essential turn of the soul to possession and enjoyment of the world consists in a will to delight, and the enjoyment of the satisfaction of craving is only a vital and physical degradation of the will to delight. It is essential that we should distinguish between pure will and desire, between the inner will to delight and the outer lust and craving of the mind and body. If we are unable to make this distinction practically in the experience of our being, we can only make a choice between a life-killing asceticism and the gross will to live or else try to effect an awkward, uncertain and precarious compromise between them. This is in fact what the mass of men do; a small minority trample down the life instinct and strain after an ascetic perfection; most obey the gross will to live with such modifications and restraints as society imposes or the normal social man has been trained to impose on his own mind and actions; others set up a balance between ethical austerity and temperate indulgence of the desiring mental and vital self and see in this balance the golden mean of a sane mind and healthy human living. But none of these ways gives the perfection which we are seeking, the divine government of the will in life. To tread down altogether the prana, the vital being, is to kill the force of life by which the large action of the embodied soul in the human being must be supported; to indulge the gross will to live is to remain satisfied with imperfection; to compromise between them is to stop half way and possess neither earth nor heaven. But if we can get at the pure will undeformed by desire, — which we shall find to be a much more free, tranquil, steady and effective force than the leaping, smoke-stifled, soon fatigued and baffled flame of desire, — and at the calm inner will of delight not afflicted or limited by any trouble of craving, we can then transform the prana from a tyrant, enemy, assailant of the mind into an obedient instrument. We may call these greater things, too, by the name of desire, if we choose, but then we must suppose that there is a divine desire other than the vital craving, a God-desire of which this other and lower phenomenon is an obscure shadow and into which it has to be transfigured. It is better to keep distinct names for things which are entirely different in their character and inner action." CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-658-659 The Reconciliation of Matter and Spirit through the practice of integral Karma Yoga : "The Path of Works aims at the dedication of every human activity to the supreme Will. It begins by the renunciation of all egoistic aim for our works, all pursuit of action for an interested aim or for the sake of a worldly result. By this renunciation it so purifies the mind and the will that we become easily conscious of the great universal Energy as the true doer of all our actions and the Lord of that Energy as their ruler and director with the individual as only a mask, an excuse, an instrument or, more positively, a conscious centre of action and phenomenal relation. The choice and direction of the act is more and more consciously left to this supreme Will and this universal Energy. To That our works as well as the results of our works are finally abandoned. The object is the release of the soul from its bondage to appearances and to the reaction of phenomenal activities. Karmayoga is used, like the other paths, to lead to liberation from phenomenal existence and a departure into the Supreme. But here too the exclusive result is not inevitable. The end of the path (of integral Yoga) may be, equally, a perception of the Divine in all energies, in all happenings, in all activities, and a free and unegoistic participation of the soul in the cosmic action. So followed it will lead to the elevation of all human will and activity to the divine level, its spiritualisation and the justification of the cosmic labour towards freedom, power and perfection in the human being." CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-39-40, “His spirit's stillness helped the toiling world. Inspired by silence and the closed eyes' sight (Supramental action of King Aswapati) His force could work with a new luminous art On the crude material from which all is made And the refusal of Inertia's mass And the grey front of the world's Ignorance And nescient Matter and the huge error of life.” Savitri-36, "A Power that lives upon the heights must act, Bring into life’s closed room the Immortal’s air And fill the finite with the Infinite.” Savitri-315-16 “His (Divine’s) will must be worked out in human breasts Against the Evil that rises from the gulfs, Against the world’s Ignorance and its obstinate strength, Against the stumblings of man’s pervert will, Against the deep folly of his human mind, Against the blind reluctance of his heart.” Savitri-444 “All was the violent ocean of a will Where lived captive to an immense caress, Possessed in a supreme identity, Her aim, joy, origin, Satyavan alone.” Savitri-579 Supramental Action: "The perfect supramental action will not follow any single principle or limited rule. It is not likely to satisfy the standard either of the individual egoist or of any organised group-mind. It will conform to the demand neither of the positive practical man of the world nor of the formal moralist nor of the patriot nor of the sentimental philanthropist nor of the idealising philosopher. It will proceed by a spontaneous outflowing from the summits in the totality of an illumined and uplifted being, will and knowledge and not by the selected, calculated and standardised action which is all that the intellectual reason or ethical will can achieve. Its sole aim will be the expression of the divine in us and the keeping together of the world and its progress towards the Manifestation that is to be. This even will not be so much an aim and purpose as a spontaneous law of the being and an intuitive determination of the action by the Light of the divine Truth and its automatic influence. It will proceed like the action of Nature from a total will and knowledge behind her, but a will and knowledge enlightened in a conscious supreme Nature and no longer obscure in this ignorant Prakriti . It will be an action not bound by the dualities but full and large in the spirit’s impartial joy of existence. The happy and inspired movement of a divine Power and Wisdom guiding and impelling us will replace the perplexities and stumblings of the suffering and ignorant ego." CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-206, " The will in us, because it is the most generally forceful power of our being, — there is a will of knowledge, a will of life, a will of emotion, a will acting in every part of our nature, takes many forms and returns various reactions to things, such as incapacity, limitation of power, mastery, or right will, wrong or perverted will, neutral volition, — in the ethical mind virtue, sin and non-ethical volition, — and others of the kind. These too the positive equality accepts as a tangle of provisional values from which it must start, but which it must transform into universal mastery, into the will of the Truth and universal Right, into the freedom of the divine Will in action. The equal will need not feel remorse, sorrow or discouragement over its stumblings; if these reactions occur in the habitual mentality, it will only see how far they indicate an imperfection and the thing to be corrected, — for they are not always just indicators, and so get beyond them to a calm and equal guidance. It will see that these stumblings themselves are necessary to experience and in the end steps towards the goal. Behind and within all that occurs in ourselves and in the world, it will look for the divine meaning and the divine guidance; it will look beyond imposed limitations to the voluntary self-limitation of the universal Power by which it regulates its steps and gradations, — imposed on our ignorance, self-imposed in the divine knowledge, — and go beyond to unity with the illimitable power of the Divine. All energies and actions it will see as forces proceeding from the one Existence and their perversions as imperfections, inevitable in the developing movement, of powers that were needed for that movement; it will therefore have charity for all imperfections, even while pressing steadily towards a universal perfection. This equality will open the nature to the guidance of the divine and universal Will and make it ready for that supramental action in which the power of the soul in us is luminously full of and one with the power of the supreme Spirit." CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-719, "There are four members of this second part of the sadhana or discipline of self-perfection and the first of them is right shakti, the right condition of the powers of the intelligence, heart, vital mind and body. It will only be possible at present to suggest a preliminary perfection of the last of these four, for the full siddhi will have to be dealt with after I have spoken of the supermind and its influence on the rest of the being. The body is not only the necessary outer instrument of the physical part of action, but for the purposes of this life a base or pedestal also for all inner action. All working of mind or spirit has its vibration in the physical consciousness, records itself there in a kind of subordinate corporeal notation and communicates itself to the material world partly at least through the physical machine. But the body of man has natural limitations in this capacity which it imposes on the play of the higher parts of his being. And, secondly, it has a subconscient consciousness of its own in which it keeps with an obstinate fidelity the past habits and past nature of the mental and vital being and which automatically opposes and obstructs any very great upward change or at least prevents it from becoming a radical transformation of the whole nature. It is evident that if we are to have a free divine or spiritual and supramental action conducted by the force and fulfilling the character of a diviner energy, some fairly complete transformation must be effected in this outward character of the bodily nature. The physical being of man has always been felt by the seekers of perfection to be a great impediment and it has been the habit to turn from it with contempt, denial or aversion and a desire to suppress altogether or as far as may be the body and the physical life. But this cannot be the right method for the integral Yoga. The body is given us as one instrument necessary to the totality of our works and it is to be used, not neglected, hurt, suppressed or abolished. If it is imperfect, recalcitrant, obstinate, so are also the other members, the vital being, heart and mind and reason. It has like them to be changed and perfected and to undergo a transforma- tion. As we must get ourselves a new life, new heart, new mind, so we have in a certain sense to build for ourselves a new body." CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-729-730, "If the spirit is everywhere, even in matter — in fact matter itself is only an obscure form of the spirit — and if the supermind is the universal power of the spirit’s omnipresent self-knowledge organising all the manifestation of the being, then in matter and everywhere there must be present a supramental action and, however concealed it may be by another, lower and obscurer kind of operation, yet when we look close we shall find that it is really the supermind which organises matter, life, mind and reason. And this actually is the knowledge towards which we are now moving. There is even a quite visible intimate action of the consciousness, persistent in life, matter and mind, which is clearly a supramental action subdued to the character and need of the lower medium and to which we now give the name of intuition from its most evident characteristics of direct vision and self-acting knowledge, really a vision born of some secret identity with the object of the knowledge. What we call the intuition is however only a partial indication of the presence of the supermind, and if we take this presence and power in its widest character, we shall see that it is a concealed supramental force with a self-conscient knowledge in it which informs the whole action of material energy. It is that which determines what we call law of nature, maintains the action of each thing according to its own nature and harmonises and evolves the whole, which would otherwise be a fortuitous creation apt at any moment to collapse into chaos. All the law of nature is a thing precise in its necessities of process, but is yet in the cause of that necessity and of its constancy of rule, measure, combination, adaptation, re- sult a thing inexplicable, meeting us at every step with a mystery and a miracle, and this must be either because it is irrational and accidental even in its regularities or because it is suprarational, because the truth of it belongs to a principle greater than that of our intelligence. That principle is the supramental; that is to say, the hidden secret of Nature is the organisation of something out of the infinite potentialities of the self-existent truth of the spirit the nature of which is wholly evident only to an original knowledge born of and proceeding by a fundamental identity, the spirit’s constant self-perception. All the action of life too is of this character and all the action of mind and reason, — reason which is the first to perceive everywhere the action of a greater reason and law of being and try to render it by its own conceptional structures, though it does not always perceive that it is something other than a mental Intelligence which is at work, other than an intellectual Logos. All these processes are actually spiritual and supramental in their secret government, but mental, vital and physical in their overt process." CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-793-794, "A second movement is one which comes naturally to those who commence the Yoga with the initiative that is proper to the way of Bhakti. It is natural to them to reject the intellect and its action and to listen for the voice, wait for the impulsion or the command, the adesa , obey only the idea and will and power of the Lord within them, the divine Self and Purusha in the heart of the creature, ısvarah sarvabhutanam hriddese . This is a movement which must tend more and more to intuitivise the whole nature, for the ideas, the will, the impulsions, the feelings which come from the secret Purusha in the heart are of the direct intuitive character. This method is consonant with a certain truth of our nature. The secret Self within us is an intuitive self and this intuitive self is seated in every centre of our being, the physical, the nervous, the emotional, the volitional, the conceptual or cognitive and the higher more directly spiritual centres. And in each part of our being it exercises a secret intuitive initiation of our activities which is received and represented imperfectly by our outer mind and converted into the movements of the ignorance in the external action of these parts of our nature. The heart or emotional centre of the thinking desire mind is the strongest in the ordinary man, gathers up or at least affects the presentation of things to the consciousness and is the capital of the system. It is from there that the Lord seated in the heart of all creatures turns them mounted on the machine of Nature by the Maya of the mental ignorance. It is possible then by referring back all the initiation of our action to this secret intuitive Self and Spirit, the ever-present Godhead within us, and replacing by its influences the initiations of our personal and mental nature to get back from the inferior external thought and action to another, internal and intuitive, of a highly spiritualised character. Nevertheless the result of this movement cannot be complete, because the heart is not the highest centre of our being, is not supramental nor directly moved from the supramental sources. An intuitive thought and action directed from it may be very luminous and intense but is likely to be limited, even narrow in its intensity, mixed with a lower emotional action and at the best excited and troubled, rendered unbalanced or exaggerated by a miraculous or abnormal character in its action or at least in many of its accompaniments which is injurious to the harmonised perfection of the being. The aim of our effort at perfection must be to make the spiritual and supramental action no longer a miracle, even if a frequent or constant miracle, or only a luminous intervention of a greater than our natural power, but normal to the being and the very nature and law of all its process." CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-803-805, "The highest organised centre of our embodied being and of its action in the body is the supreme mental centre figured by the yogic symbol of the thousand-petalled lotus, sahasradala, and it is at its top and summit that there is the direct communication with the supramental levels. It is then possible to adopt a different and a more direct method, not to refer all our thought and action to the Lord secret in the heart-lotus but to the veiled truth of the Divinity above the mind and to receive all by a sort of descent from above, a descent of which we become not only spiritually but physically conscious. The siddhi or full accomplishment of this movement can only come when we are able to lift the centre of thought and conscious action above the physical brain and feel it going on in the subtle body. If we can feel ourselves thinking no longer with the brain but from above and outside the head in the subtle body, that is a sure physical sign of a release from the limitations of the physical mind, and though this will not be complete at once nor of itself bring the supramental action, for the subtle body is mental and not supramental, still it is a subtle and pure mentality and makes an easier communication with the supramental centres. The lower movements must still come , but it is then found easier to arrive at a swift and subtle discrimination telling us at once the difference, distinguishing the intuitional thought from the lower intellectual mixture, separating it from its mental coatings, rejecting the mere rapidities of the mind which imitate the form of the intuition without being of its true substance. It will be easier to discern rapidly the higher planes of the true supramental being and call down their power to effect the desired transformation and to refer all the lower action to the superior power and light that it may reject and eliminate, purify and transform and select among them its right material for the Truth that has to be organised within us. This opening up of a higher level and of higher and higher planes of it and the consequent re-formation of our whole consciousness and its action into their mould and into the substance of their power and luminous capacity is found in practice to be the greater part of the natural method used by the divine Shakti.... A fourth method is one which suggests itself naturally to the developed intelligence and suits the thinking man. This is to develop our intellect instead of eliminating it, but with the will not to cherish its limitations, but to heighten its capacity, light, intensity, degree and force of activity until it borders on the thing that transcends it and can easily be taken up and transformed into that higher conscious action. This movement also is founded on the truth of our nature and enters into the course and movement of the complete Yoga of self-perfection. That course, as I have described it, included a heightening and greatening of the action of our natural instruments and powers till they constitute in their purity and essential completeness a preparatory perfection of the present normal movement of the Shakti that acts in us. The reason and intelligent will, the buddhi , is the greatest of these powers and instruments, (the four instruments are chitta, or basic mental consciousness, manas, or sense mind, buddhi, or the intelligence and ahankara, or ego idea) the natural leader of the rest in the developed human being, the most capable of aiding the development of the others. The ordinary activities of our nature are all of them of use for the greater perfection we seek, are meant to be turned into material for them, and the greater their development, the richer the preparation for the supramental action . " CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-805-806, "It is difficult for the intellect to grasp at all what is meant by these supramental distinctions: the mental terms in which they can be rendered are lacking or inadequate and they can only be understood after a certain sight or certain approximations in experience. A number of indications are all that at present it can be useful to give. And first it will be enough to take certain clues from the thinking mind; for it is there that some of the nearest keys to the supramental action are discoverable. The thought of the intuitive mind proceeds wholly by four powers that shape the form of the truth, (1) an intuition that suggests its idea, (2) an intuition that discriminates, (3) an inspiration that brings in its word and something of its greater substance and (4) a revelation that shapes to the sight its very face and body of reality. These things are not the same as certain movements of the ordinary mental intelligence that look analogous and are easily mistaken for the true intuition in our first inexperience. (1) The suggestive intuition is not the same thing as the intellectual insight of a quick intelligence or (2) the intuitive discrimination as the rapid judgment of the reasoning intellect; (3) the intuitive inspiration is not the same as the inspired action of the imaginative intelligence, (4) nor the intuitive revelation as the strong light of a purely mental close seizing and experience." CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-813-814, "The intuitive knowledge on the contrary, however limited it may be in its field or application, is within that scope sure with an immediate, a durable and especially a self-existent certitude. It may take for starting-point or rather for a thing to light up and disclose in its true sense the data of mind and sense or else fire a train of past thought and knowledge to new meanings and issues, but it is dependent on nothing but itself and may leap out of its own field of lustres, independent of previous suggestion or data, and this kind of action becomes progressively more common and adds itself to the other to initiate new depths and ranges of knowledge. In either case there is always an element of self-existent truth and a sense of absoluteness of origination suggestive of its proceeding from the spirit’s knowledge by iden- tity. It is the disclosing of a knowledge that is secret but already existent in the being: it is not an acquisition, but something that was always there and revealable. It sees the truth from within and illumines with that inner vision the outsides and it harmonises, too, readily — provided we keep intuitively awake with whatever fresh truth has yet to arrive. These character- istics become more pronounced and intense in the higher, the proper supramental ranges: in the intuitive mind they may not be always recognisable in their purity and completeness, because of the mixture of mental stuff and its accretion, but in the divine reason and greater supramental action they become free and absolute. " CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-814-815, "The Transition from mind to supermind is not only the substitution of a greater instrument of thought and knowledge, but a change and conversion of the whole consciousness. There is evolved not only a supramental thought, but a supramental will, sense, feeling, a supramental substitute for all the activities that are now accomplished by the mind. All these higher activities are first manifested in the mind itself as descents, irruptions, messages or revelations of a superior power. Mostly they are mixed up with the more ordinary action of the mind and not easily distinguishable from them in our first inexperience except by their superior light and force and joy, the more so as the mind greatened or excited by their frequent coming quickens its own action and imitates the external characteristics of the supramental activity : its own operation is made more swift, luminous, strong and positive and it arrives even at a kind of imitative and often false intuition that strives to be but is not really the luminous, direct and self-existent truth. The next step is the formation of a luminous mind of intuitive experience, thought, will, feeling, sense from which the intermixture of the lesser mind and the imitative intuition are progressively eliminated: this is a process of purification, suddhi, necessary to the new formation and perfection, siddhi. At the same time there is the disclosure above the mind of the source of the intuitive action and a more and more organised functioning of a true supramental consciousness acting not in the mind but on its own higher plane. This draws up into itself in the end the intuitive mentality it has created as its representative and assumes the charge of the whole activity of the consciousness. The process is progressive and for a long time chequered by admixture and the necessity of a return upon the lower movements in order to correct and transform them. The higher and the lower power act sometimes alternately, — the consciousness descending back from the heights it had attained to its former level but always with some change, — but sometimes together and with a sort of mutual reference. The mind eventually becomes wholly intuitivised and exists only as a passive channel for the supramental action; but this condition too is not ideal and presents, besides, still a certain obstacle, because the higher action has still to pass through a retarding and diminishing conscious substance, — that of the physical consciousness. The final stage of the change will come when the supermind occupies and supramentalises the whole being and turns even the vital and physical sheaths into moulds of itself, responsive, subtle and instinct with its powers. Man then becomes wholly the superman. This is at least the natural and integral process." CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-825-826, "The ordinary language of the intellect is not sufficient to describe this action, for the same words have to be used, indicating a certain correspondence, but actually to connote inadequately a different thing. Thus the supermind uses a certain sense action, employing but not limited by the physical organs, a thing which is in its nature a form consciousness and a contact consciousness, but the mental idea and experience of sense can give no conception of the essential and characteristic action of this supramentalised sense consciousness. Thought too in the supramental action is a different thing from the thought of the mental intelligence. The supramental thinking is felt at its basis as a conscious contact or union or identity of the substance of being of the knower with the substance of being of the thing known and its figure of thought as the power of awareness of the self revealing through the meeting or the oneness, because carrying in itself, a certain knowledge form of the object’s content, action, significance. Therefore observation, memory, judgment too mean each a different thing in the supermind from what it is in the process of the mental intelligence." CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-856, "The issue out of this dilemma is to a greater perfection towards which the formation of the intuitive, inspired and revelatory mind is only a preparatory stage, and that comes by a constant instreaming and descent of more and more of the " CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-903-904 Supramental transformation: "The action of the supramental jnana so constituted evidently surpasses the action of the mental reason and we have to see what replaces the reason in the supramental transformation. The thinking mind of man finds its most clear and characteristic satisfaction and its most precise and effective principle of organ- isation in the reasoning and logical intelligence. It is true that man is not and cannot be wholly governed either in his thought or his action by the reason alone. His mentality is inextricably subjected to a joint, mixed and intricate action of the reasoning intelligence with two other powers, an intuition, actually only half luminous in the human mentality, operating behind the more visible action of the reason or veiled and altered in the action of the normal intelligence, and the life-mind of sensation, instinct, impulse, which is in its own nature a sort of obscure in- volved intuition and which supplies the intelligence from below with its first materials and data. And each of these other powers is in its own kind an intimate action of the spirit operating in mind and life and has a more direct and spontaneous character and immediate power for perception and action than the rea- soning intelligence. But yet neither of these powers is capable of organising for man his mental existence." CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-849, "As the physical and vital, the psychical consciousness and sense also are capable of a supramental transformation and receive by it their own integral fullness and significance. The supermind lays hold on the psychical being, descends into it, changes it into the mould of its own nature and uplifts it to be a part of the supramental action and state, the supra-psychic being of the Vijnana Purusha. The first result of this change is to base the phenomena of the psychical consciousness on their true foundation by bringing into it the permanent sense, the complete realisation, the secure possession of the oneness of our mind and soul with the minds and souls of others and the mind and soul of universal Nature. For always the effect of the supramental growth is to universalise the individual consciousness. As it makes us live, even in our individual vital movement and its relations with all around us, with the universal life, so it makes us think and feel and sense, although through an individual centre or instrument, with the universal mind and psychical being. This has two results of great importance." CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-880, " The complete transformation comes on us by a certain change, not merely of the poise or level of our regarding conscious self or even of its law and character, but also of the whole substance of our conscious being. Till that is done, the supramental consciousness manifests above the mental and psy- chical atmosphere of being — in which the physical has already become a subordinate and to a large extent a dependent method of our self’s expression, — and it sends down its power, light, and influence into it to illumine it and transfigure. But only when the substance of the lower consciousness has been changed, filled potently, wonderfully transformed, swallowed up as it were into the greater energy and sense of being, mahan, brihat, of which it is a derivation and projection, do we have the perfected, entire and constant supramental consciousness. The substance, the conscious ether of being in which the mental or psychic consciousness and sense live and see and feel and experience is something subtler, freer, more plastic than that of the physical mind and sense. As long as we are dominated by the latter, psychical phenomena may seem to us less real, hallucinatory even, but the more we acclimatise ourselves to the psychical and to the ether of being which it inhabits, the more we begin to see the greater truth and to sense the more spiritually concrete substance of all to which its larger and freer mode of experience bears witness. Even, the physical may come to seem to itself unreal and hallucinatory — but this is an exaggeration and new misleading exclusiveness due to a shifting of the centre and a change of action of the mind and sense — or else may seem at any rate less powerfully real. When, however, the psychical and physical experiences are well combined in their true balance, we live at once in two complementary worlds of our being each with its own reality, but the psychical revealing all that is behind the physical, the soul view and experience taking precedence and enlightening and explaining the physical view and experience. The supramental transformation again changes the whole substance of our consciousness; it brings in an ether of greater being, consciousness, sense, life, which convicts the psychical also of insufficiency and makes it appear by itself an incomplete reality and only a partial truth of all that we are and become and witness." CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-881-882, “For the gulf between mind and supermind has to be bridged, the closed passages opened and roads of ascent and descent created where there is now a void and a silence. This can be done only by the triple transformation to which we have already made a passing reference: there must first be the psychic change, the conversion of our whole present nature into a soul-instrumentation; on that or along with that there must be the spiritual change, the descent of a higher Light, Knowledge, Power, Force, Bliss, Purity into the whole being, even into the lowest recesses of the life and body, even into the darkness of our subconscience; last, there must supervene the supramental transmutation , — there must take place as the crowning movement the ascent into the supermind and the transforming descent of the supramental Consciousness into our entire being and nature.” CWSA-22/The Life Divine/p-924, "The supramental transformation , the supramental evolution must carry with it a lifting of mind, life and body out of them- selves into a greater way of being in which yet their own ways and powers would be, not suppressed or abolished, but perfected and fulfilled by the self-exceeding. For in the Ignorance all paths are the paths of the spirit seeking for itself blindly or with a growing light; the gnostic being and life would be the spirit’s self-discovery and its seeing and reaching of the aims of all these paths but in the greater way of its own revealed and con- scious truth of being. Mind seeks for light, for knowledge, — for knowledge of the one truth basing all, an essential truth of self and things, but also of all truth of diversity of that oneness, all its detail, circumstance, manifold way of action, form, law of movement and happening, various manifestation and creation; for thinking mind the joy of existence is discovery and the pen- etration of the mystery of creation that comes with knowledge. This the gnostic change will fulfil in an ample measure; but it will give it a new character. It will act not by the discovery of the unknown, but by the bringing out of the known; all will be the finding “of the self by the self in the self”. For the self of the gnostic being will not be the mental ego but the Spirit that is one in all; he will see the world as a universe of the Spirit. The finding of the one truth underlying all things will be the Identical discovering identity and identical truth everywhere and discovering too the power and workings and relations of that identity. The revelation of the detail, the circumstance, the abundant ways and forms of the manifestation will be the unveiling of the endless opulence of the truths of that identity, its forms and powers of self, its curious manifoldness and multiplicity of form bringing out infinitely its oneness. This knowledge will proceed by identification with all, by entering into all, by a contact bringing with it a leap of self-discovery and a flame of recognition, a greater and surer intuition of truth than the mind can reach; there will be an intuition too of the means of embodying and utilising the truth seen, an operative intuition of its dynamic processes, a direct intimate awareness guiding the life and the physical senses in every step of their action and service to the Spirit when they have to be called in as instruments for the effectuation of process in life and matter." CWSA-22/The Life Divine/p-1017-1018 The task for a Sadhaka of Integral Karma Yoga: "The method we have to pursue, then, is to put our whole conscious being into relation and contact with the Divine and to call Him in to transform our entire being into His. Thus in a sense God Himself, the real Person in us, becomes the sadhaka of the sadhana as well as the Master of the Yoga by whom the lower personality is used as the centre of a divine transfiguration and the instrument of its own perfection. In effect, the pressure of the Tapas, the force of consciousness in us dwelling in the Idea of the divine Nature upon that which we are in our entirety, produces its own realisation. The divine and all-knowing and all-effecting descends upon the limited and obscure, progressively illumines and energises the whole lower nature and substitutes its own action for all the terms of the inferior human light and mortal activity." CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-45-46, "The personal will of the sadhaka has first to seize on the egoistic energies and turn them towards the light and the right; once turned, he has still to train them to recognise that always, always to accept, always to follow that. Progressing, he learns, still using the personal will, personal effort, personal energies, to employ them as representatives of the higher Power and in conscious obedience to the higher Influence. Progressing yet farther, his will, effort, energy become no longer personal and separate, but activities of that higher Power and Influence at work in the individual. But there is still a sort of gulf or distance which necessitates an obscure process of transit, not always accurate, sometimes even very distorting, between the divine Origin and the emerging human current. At the end of the process, with the progressive disappearance of egoism and impurity and ignorance, this last separation is removed; all in the individual becomes the divine working." CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-60-61, "But this is not always the manner of the commencement. The sadhaka is often led gradually and there is a long space between the first turning of the mind and the full assent of the nature to the thing towards which it turns. There may at first be only a vivid intellectual interest, a forcible attraction towards the idea and some imperfect form of practice. Or perhaps there is an effort not favoured by the whole nature, a decision or a turn imposed by an intellectual influence or dictated by personal affection and admiration for someone who is himself consecrated and devoted to the Highest. In such cases, a long period of preparation may be necessary before there comes the irrevocable consecration; and in some instances it may not come. There may be some advance, there may be a strong effort, even much purification and many experiences other than those that are central or supreme; but the life will either be spent in preparation or, a certain stage having been reached, the mind pushed by an insufficient driving-force may rest content at the limit of the effort possible to it. Or there may even be a recoil to the lower life, — what is called in the ordinary parlance of Yoga a fall from the path . This lapse happens because there is a defect at the very centre. The intellect has been interested, the heart attracted, the will has strung itself to the effort, but the whole nature has not been taken captive by the Divine. It has only acquiesced in the interest, the attraction or the endeavour. There has been an experiment, perhaps even an eager experiment, but not a total self-giving to an imperative need of the soul or to an unforsakable ideal. Even such imperfect Yoga has not been wasted; for no upward effort is made in vain. Even if it fails in the present or arrives only at some preparatory stage or preliminary realisation, it has yet determined the soul’s future." CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-70-71, "But for the sadhaka of the integral Yoga this inner or this outer solitude can only be incidents or periods in his spiritual progress. Accepting life, he has to bear not only his own burden, but a great part of the world’s burden too along with it, as a continuation of his own sufficiently heavy load. Therefore his Yoga has much more of the nature of a battle than others; but this is not only an individual battle, it is a collective war waged over a considerable country. He has not only to conquer in himself the forces of egoistic falsehood and disorder, but to conquer them as representatives of the same adverse and inexhaustible forces in the world. Their representative character gives them a much more obstinate capacity of resistance, an almost endless right to recurrence. Often he finds that even after he has won persistently his own personal battle, he has still to win it over and over again in a seemingly interminable war, because his inner existence has already been so much enlarged that not only it contains his own being with its well-defined needs and experiences, but is in solidarity with the being of others, because in himself he contains the universe." CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-77-78, "Every kind of solution has been offered from the entire abandonment of works and life, so far as that is physically possible, to the acceptance of life as it is but with a new spirit animating and uplifting its movements, in appearance the same as they were but changed in the spirit behind them and therefore in their inner significance. The extreme solution insisted on by the world-shunning ascetic or the inward-turned ecstatical and self-oblivious mystic is evidently foreign to the purpose of an integral Yoga, — for if we are to realise the Divine in the world, it cannot be done by leaving aside the world-action and action itself altogether. At a less high pitch it was laid down by the religious mind in ancient times that one should keep only such actions as are in their nature part of the seeking, service or cult of the Divine and such others as are attached to these or, in addition, those that are indispensable to the ordinary setting of life but done in a religious spirit and according to the injunctions of traditional religion and Scripture. But this is too formalist a rule for the fulfilment of the free spirit in works, and it is besides professedly no more than a provisional solution for tiding over the transition from life in the world to a life in the Beyond which still remains the sole ultimate purpose. An integral Yoga must lean rather to the catholic injunction of the Gita that even the liberated soul, living in the Truth, should still do all the works of life so that the plan of the universal evolution under a secret divine leading may not languish or suffer. But if all works are to be done with the same forms and on the same lines as they are now done in the Ignorance, our gain is only inward and our life is in danger of becoming the dubious and ambiguous formula of an inner Light doing the works of an outer Twilight, the perfect Spirit expressing itself in a mould of imperfection foreign to its own divine nature. If no better can be done for a time, — and during a long period of transition something like this does inevitably happen, — then so it must remain till things are ready and the spirit within is powerful enough to impose its own forms on the life of the body and the world outside; but this can be accepted only as a transitional stage and not as our soul’s ideal or the ultimate goal of the passage." CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-135-136, "Whoever sincerely enters the path of works, must leave behind him the stage in which need and desire are the first law of our acts. For whatever desires still trouble his being, he must, if he accepts the high aim of Yoga, put them away from him into the hands of the Lord within us. The supreme Power will deal with them for the good of the sadhaka and for the good of all. In effect, we find that once this surrender is done, — always provided the rejection is sincere, — egoistic indulgence of desire may for some time recur under the continued impulse of past nature but only in order to exhaust its acquired momentum and to teach the embodied being in his most unteachable part, his nervous, vital, emotional nature, by the reactions of desire, by its grief and unrest bitterly contrasted with calm periods of the higher peace or marvellous movements of divine Ananda, that egoistic desire is not a law for the soul that seeks liberation or aspires to its own original god-nature. Afterwards the element of desire in those impulsions will be thrown away or persistently eliminated by a constant denying and transforming pressure. Only the pure force of action in them (pravritti) justified by an equal delight in all work and result that is inspired or imposed from above will be preserved in the happy harmony of a final perfection. To act, to enjoy is the normal law and right of the nervous being; but to choose by personal desire its action and enjoyment is only its ignorant will, not its right. Alone the supreme and universal Will must choose; action must change into a dynamic movement of that Will; enjoyment must be replaced by the play of a pure spiritual Ananda. All personal will is either a temporary delegation from on high or a usurpation by the ignorant Asura. The social law, that second term of our progress, is a means to which the ego is subjected in order that it may learn discipline by subordination to a wider collective ego. This law may be quite empty of any moral content and may express only the needs or the practical good of the society as each society conceives it. Or it may express those needs and that good, but modified and coloured and supplemented by a higher moral or ideal law. It is binding on the developing but not yet perfectly developed individual in the shape of social duty, family obligation, communal or national demand, so long as it is not in conflict with his growing sense of the higher Right. But the sadhaka of the Karmayoga will abandon this also to the Lord of works. After he has made this surrender, his social impulses and judgments will, like his desires, only be used for their exhaustion or, it may be, so far as they are still necessary for a time to enable him to identify his lower mental nature with mankind in general or with any grouping of mankind in its works and hopes and aspirations. But after that brief time is over, they will be withdrawn and a divine government will alone abide. He will be identified with the Divine and with others only through the divine consciousness and not through the mental nature." CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-209-211, "For, even after he is free, the sadhaka will be in the world and to be in the world is to remain in works. But to remain in works without desire is to act for the good of the world in general or for the kind or the race or for some new creation to be evolved on the earth or some work imposed by the Divine Will within him. And this must be done either in the framework provided by the environment or the grouping in which he is born or placed or else in one which is chosen or created for him by a divine direction. Therefore in our perfection there must be nothing left in the mental being which conflicts with or prevents our sympathy and free self-identification with the kind, the group or whatever collective expression of the Divine he is meant to lead, help or serve. But in the end it must become a free self-identification through identity with the Divine and not a mental bond or moral tie of union or a vital association dominated by any kind of personal, social, national, communal or credal egoism. If any social law is obeyed, it will not be from physical necessity or from the sense of personal or general interest or for expediency or because of the pressure of the environment or from any sense of duty, but solely for the sake of the Lord of works and because it is felt or known to be the Divine Will that the social law or rule or relation as it stands can still be kept as a figure of the inner life and the minds of men must not be disturbed by its infringement. If, on the other hand, the social law, rule or relation is disregarded, that too will not be for the indulgence of desire, personal will or personal opinion, but because a greater rule is felt that expresses the law of the Spirit or because it is known that there must be in the march of the divine All-Will a movement towards the changing, exceeding or abolition of existing laws and forms for the sake of a freer larger life necessary to the world’s progress. " CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-211-212, " There is still left the moral law or the ideal and these, even to many who think themselves free, appear for ever sacred and intangible. But the sadhaka, his gaze turned always to the heights, will abandon them to Him whom all ideals seek imperfectly and fragmentarily to express; all moral qualities are only a poor and rigid travesty of his spontaneous and illimitable perfection. The bondage to sin and evil passes away with the passing of nervous desire; for it belongs to the quality of vital passion, impulsion or drive of propensity in us (rajoguna ) and is extinguished with the transformation of that mode of Nature. But neither must the aspirant remain subject to the gilded or golden chain of a conventional or a habitual or a mentally ordered or even a high or clear sattwic virtue. That will be replaced by something profounder and more essential than the minor inadequate thing that men call virtue. The original sense of the word was manhood and this is a much larger and deeper thing than the moral mind and its structures. The culmination of Karmayoga is a yet higher and deeper state that may perhaps be called “soulhood”, — for the soul is greater than the man; a free soulhood spontaneously welling out in works of a supreme Truth and Love will replace human virtue. But this supreme Truth cannot be forced to inhabit the petty edifices of the practical reason or even confined in the more dignified constructions of the larger ideative reason that imposes its representations as if they were pure truth on the limited human intelligence. This supreme Love will not necessarily be consistent, much less will it be synonymous, with the partial and feeble, ignorant and emotion-ridden movements of human attraction, sympathy and pity. The petty law cannot bind the vaster movement; the mind’s partial attainment cannot dictate its terms to the soul’s supreme fulfilment... At first, the higher Love and Truth will fulfil its movement in the sadhaka according to the essential law or way of his own nature. For that is the special aspect of the divine Nature, the particular power of the supreme Shakti, out of which his soul has emerged into the Play, not limited indeed by the forms of this law or way, for the soul is infinite. But still its stuff of nature bears that stamp, evolves fluently along those lines or turns around the spiral curves of that dominating influence. He will manifest the divine Truth-movement according to the temperament of the sage or the lion-like fighter or the lover and enjoyer or the worker and servant or in any combination of essential attributes (gunas) that may constitute the form given to his being by its own inner urge. It is this self-nature playing freely in his acts which men will see in him and not a conduct cut, chalked out, artificially regulated, by any lesser rule or by any law from outside." CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-212-213 4 / Chapter 4. Towards the Yoga of Knowledge , Jnana Yoga Summary or A Brief Restatement: This chapter gives a hint about the highest secret knowledge, rahasyam uttamam, the purpose of birth of Avatara , the twice-born Soul, the necessity of the Guru, the knowledge of all life, the fourfold Soul forces, universal Divine action, the difference between action and inaction, attainment of Knowledge through faith. The Gita hints about the highest secret knowledge but ' leaves that for the seeker to discover by his own spiritual experience.' An Avatar accepts life and action and by His divine Influence, the problem of Lower Nature is transformed into a higher Divine Nature and ordinary earth-bound action is transformed into Divine action of the liberated Soul. The necessity of Guru as Spiritual fosterer is indispensable in traditional Yoga and by his Influence Psychic and Spiritual being open of a twice-born Soul, and he first realises Psychic being and Spiritual being and then afterwards Supramental being, atmani atho mayi . (The Gita-4.35) "The first step is Karmayoga , the selfless sacrifice of works, and here the Gita’s insistence is on action. The second is Jnanayoga , the self-realisation and knowledge of the true nature of the self and the world; and here the insistence is on knowledge; but the sacrifice of works continues and the path of Works becomes one with but does not disappear into the path of Knowledge. The last step is Bhaktiyoga, adoration and seeking of the supreme Self as the Divine Being, and here the insistence is on devotion; but the knowledge is not subordinated, only raised, vitalised and fulfilled, and still the sacrifice of works continues; the double path becomes the triune way of knowledge, works and devotion. And the fruit of the sacrifice, the one fruit still placed before the seeker , is attained, union with the divine Being and oneness with the supreme divine nature ." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-38 Rahasyam Uttamam , The Supreme Secret of the Gita: " He becomes capable of that dwelling in God and giving up of his whole consciousness into the Divine which the Gita upholds as the best or highest secret of things, uttamam rahasyam ." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-14, " Such is the analysis, not confining itself to the apparent cosmic process but penetrating into the occult secrets of super-conscious Nature, uttamam rahasyam , by which the Gita founds its synthesis of Vedanta, Sankhya and Yoga , its synthesis of knowledge, works and devotion. By the pure Sankhya alone the combining of works and liberation is contradictory and impossible. By pure Monism alone the permanent continuation of works as a part of Yoga and the indulgence of devotion after perfect knowledge and liberation and union are attained, become impossible or at least irrational and otiose. The Sankhya knowledge of the Gita dissipates and the Yoga system of the Gita triumphs over all these obstacles." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p- 80, "But the highest secret of all, uttamam rahasyam , is the Purushottama . This is the supreme Divine, God, who possesses both the infinite and the finite and in whom the personal and the impersonal, the one Self and the many existences, being and becoming, the world-action and the supracosmic peace, pravritti and nivritti , meet, are united, are possessed together and in each other. In God all things find their secret truth and their absolute reconciliation." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-125, " It is the nature of the Purushottama who holds both these together and by his supreme divinity reconciles them in a divine reconciliation which is the highest secret of his being, rahasyam hyetad uttamam ." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p- 140, "This double aspect in the Gita’s doctrine of Avatarhood is apt to be missed by the cursory reader satisfied, as most are, with catching a superficial view of its profound teachings, and it is missed too by the formal commentator petrified in the rigidity of the schools. Yet it is necessary, surely, to the whole meaning of the doctrine. Otherwise the Avatar idea would be only a dogma, a popular superstition, or an imaginative or mystic deification of historical or legendary supermen, not what the Gita makes all its teaching, a deep philosophical and religious truth and an essential part of or step to the supreme mystery of all, rahasyam uttamam .“ CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-148, "For he has unified his whole being in the Purushottama, has assumed the divine being and the higher divine nature of becoming, madbhava , has unified even his mind and natural consciousness with the Divine, manmana maccittah . (The Gita-9.34, 18.58) This change is the final evolution of the nature and the consummation of the divine birth, rahasyam uttamam. When it is accomplished, the soul is aware of itself as the master of its nature and, grown a light of the divine Light and will of the divine Will, is able to change its natural workings into a divine action." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-232-233, "“Of all Yogins he who with all his inner self given up to Me, for Me has love and faith, sraddhavan bhajate, him I hold to be the most united with Me in Yoga.” It is this that is the closing word of these first six chapters and contains in itself the seed of the rest, (This is the seed of Chapter-7 to 18) of that which still remains unspoken and is nowhere entirely spoken ; for it is always and remains something of a mystery and a secret, rahasyam, the highest spiritual mystery and the divine secret." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-246, " The passion of love in our self-giving carries us up to him and opens the mystery of his deepest heart of being. Love completes the triple cord of the sacrifice, perfects the triune key of the highest secret, uttamam rahasyam ." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-290, " That will and power is now not separately, egoistically his own, but a force of the suprapersonal Divine who acts in this becoming of his own self, this one of his myriad personalities by means of the characteristic form of the natural being, the swabhava. This is the high secret and mystery, uttamam rahasyam , of the action of the liberated man. It is the result of a growing of the human soul into a divine Light and of the union of its nature with a highest universal nature." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-459, "The account given here of the supreme spiritual and supramental forms of highest Nature action corresponding to the gunas is not derived from the Gita, but introduced from spiritual experience. The Gita does not describe in any detail the action of the highest Nature, rahasyam uttamam ; it leaves that for the seeker to discover by his own spiritual experience. It only points out the nature of the high sattwic temperament and action through which this supreme mystery has to be reached and insists at the same time on the overpassing of Sattwa and transcendence of the three gunas .” CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-467, "This mystery of our being implies necessarily a similar supreme mystery of the being of the Purushottama, rahasyam uttamam . It is not an exclusive impersonality of the Absolute that is the highest secret. This highest secret is the miracle of a supreme Person and apparent vast Impersonal that are one, an immutable transcendent Self of all things and a Spirit that manifests itself here at the very foundation of cosmos as an infinite and multiple personality acting everywhere, — a Self and Spirit revealed to our last, closest, profoundest experience as an illimitable Being who accepts us and takes us to him, not into a blank of featureless existence, but most positively, deeply, wonderfully into all Himself and in all the ways of his and our conscious existence." 550, “A featureless extinction may be a rigorous demand of the mind’s logic of self-annulment; it is not the last word of the supreme mystery, rahasyam uttamam .” CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita-551, The Purpose of Divine Birth and Divine Action of Avatar (Janma Karma cha Me Divyam ): “For there are two aspects of the divine birth ; (1) one is a descent, the birth of God in humanity, the Godhead manifesting itself in the human form and nature, the eternal Avatar (Janma karma cha me divyam, My birth and action are both Divine) ; (2) the other is an ascent, the birth of man into the Godhead, man rising into the divine nature and consciousness, madbhavam agatah ; (The Gita-4.10/10.6/13.18/14.19) it is the being born anew in a second birth of the soul. (sa yogi maye vartate, that Yogi lives and acts in Me) It is that (1) new birth which Avatarhood and (2) the upholding of the Dharma are intended to serve.” CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-148, "We have to remember and take together its doctrine of the one Self in all, of the Godhead seated in the heart of every creature, its teaching about the relations between the Creator and his creation, its strongly emphasised idea of the vibhuti, — noting too the language in which the Teacher gives his own divine example of selfless works which applies equally to the human Krishna and the divine Lord of the worlds, and giving their due weight to such passages as that in the ninth chapter, “Deluded minds despise Me lodged in the human body because they know not my supreme nature of being, Lord of all existences”; (The Gita-9.11) and we have to read in the light of these ideas this passage we find before us and its declaration that by the knowledge of his divine birth and divine works men come to the Divine and by becoming full of him and even as he and taking refuge in him they arrive at his nature and status of being, madbhavam ." (The Gita-4.10/10.6/13.18/14.19) CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-149, "This is the double condition of the divine birth of the soul , of its release from the mortality of the ego and the body into the spiritual and eternal, — (1) knowledge first of one’s timeless immutable self and union through it with the timeless Godhead, (2) but knowledge too of that which lives behind the riddle of cosmos, the Godhead in all existences and their workings." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-307, "The divinised man entering into his divine nature will act even as he acts; he will not give himself up to inaction. The Divine is at work in man in the ignorance and at work in man in the knowledge. To know Him is our soul’s highest welfare and the condition of its perfection, but to know and realise Him as a transcendent peace and silence is not all; the secret that has to be learned is at once (1) the secret of the eternal and unborn Divine and (2) the secret of the divine birth and works, janma karma cha me divyam . (The Gita-4.9) The action which proceeds from that knowledge, will be free from all bondage; “he who so knoweth me,” says the Teacher, “is not bound by works .” (The Gita-4.14)" CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-144, "For the reason why the practice of this Yoga becomes possible and easy is that in doing it we give up the whole working of all that we naturally are into the hands of that inner divine Purusha . The Godhead works out the divine birth in us progressively, simply, infallibly, by (1) taking up our being into his and (2) by filling it with his own knowledge and power, jnanadıpena bhasvata ; (The Gita-10.11) he lays hands on our obscure ignorant nature and transforms it into his own light and wideness. What with entire faith and without egoism we believe in and impelled by him will to be, the God within will surely accomplish. But the egoistic mind and life we now and apparently are, must first surrender itself for transmutation into the hands of that inmost secret Divinity within us." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-310 "In a high state where ignorance is no more, Each movement is a wave of peace and bliss, Repose God’s motionless creative force, Action a ripple in the Infinite And birth a gesture of Eternity. " Savitri-200 "The mystery of God’s birth and acts remains Leaving unbroken the last chapter’s seal, Unsolved the riddle of the unfinished Play; The cosmic Player laughs within his mask, And still the last inviolate secret hides Behind the human glory of a Form, Behind the gold eidolon of a Name." Savitri-311, The Divine Birth of Human Being, Dvija: “The ordinary man who wishes to reach God through knowledge, must undergo an elaborate training. He must begin by becoming absolutely pure, he must cleanse thoroughly his body, his heart and his intellect, he must get himself a new heart and be born again; for only the twice born can understand or teach the Vedas . When he has done this he needs yet four things before he can succeed, (1) the Sruti or recorded revelation, (2) the Sacred Teacher, (3) the practice of Yoga and (4) the Grace of God. ” CWSA-18/Kena and other Upanishads/p-169, "The language of the Gita shows therefore that the divine birth is that of the conscious Godhead in our humanity and essentially the opposite of the ordinary birth even though the same means are used, because it is not the birth into the Ignorance, but the birth of the knowledge, not a physical phenomenon, but a soul-birth. It is the Soul’s coming into birth as the self-existent Being controlling consciously its becoming and not lost to self-knowledge in the cloud of the ignorance. It is the Soul born into the body as Lord of Nature, standing above and operating in her freely by its will , not entangled and helplessly driven round and round in the mechanism; for it works in the knowledge and not, as most do, in the ignorance. It is the secret Soul in all coming forward from its governing secrecy behind the veil to possess wholly in a human type, but as the Divine, the birth which ordinarily it possesses only from behind the veil as the Ishwara while the outward consciousness in front of the veil is rather possessed than in possession because there it is a partially conscious being, the Jiva lost to self-knowledge and bound in its works through a phenomenal subjection to Nature. The Avatar therefore is a direct manifestation in humanity by Krishna the divine Soul of that divine condition of being to which Arjuna , the human soul, the type of a highest human being, a Vibhuti , is called upon by the Teacher to arise, and to which he can only arise by climbing out of the ignorance and limitation of his ordinary humanity. It is the manifestation from above of that which we have to develop from below ; it is the descent of God into that divine birth of the human being into which we mortal creatures must climb; it is the attracting divine example given by God to man in the very type and form and perfected model of our human existence." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-156-157, "The inner fruit of the Avatar’s coming is gained by those who learn from it the true nature of the divine birth and the divine works and who, growing full of him in their consciousness and taking refuge in him with their whole being, manmaya mam upasritah , purified by the realising force of their knowledge and delivered from the lower nature, attain to the divine being and divine nature, madbhavam. (The Gita-4.10/10.6/13.18/14.19) The Avatar comes to reveal the divine nature in man above this lower nature and to show what are the divine works, free, unegoistic, disinterested, impersonal, universal, full of the divine light, the divine power and the divine love. He comes as the divine personality which shall fill the consciousness of the human being and replace the limited egoistic personality, so that it shall be liberated out of ego into infinity and universality, out of birth into immortality."CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-175, "Change your being, be reborn into the spirit and by that new birth proceed with the action to which the Spirit within has appointed you, may be said to be the heart of its message. Or again, put otherwise, with a deeper and more spiritual import, make the work you have to do here your means of inner spiritual rebirth , the divine birth, and, having become divine, do still divine works as an instrument of the Divine for the leading of the peoples. Therefore there are here two things which have to be clearly laid down and clearly grasped, the way to the change, to this upward transference, this new divine birth, and the nature of the work or rather the spirit in which it has to be done, since the outward form of it need not at all change, although really its scope and aim become quite different. But these two things are practically the same, for the elucidation of one elucidates the other. The spirit of our action arises from the nature of our being and the inner foundation it has taken, but also this nature is itself affected by the trend and spiritual effect of our action; a very great change in the spirit of our works changes the nature of our being and alters the foundation it has taken; it shifts the centre of conscious force from which we act. If life and action were entirely illusory, as some would have it, if the Spirit had nothing to do with works or life, this would not be so; but the soul in us develops itself by life and works and, not indeed so much the action itself, but the way of our soul’s inner force of working determines its relations to the Spirit. This is, indeed, the justification of Karmayoga as a practical means of the higher self-realisation ." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-251 “Some near approached, were touched, caught fire, then failed, Too great was her demand, too pure her force. Thus lighting earth around her like a sun, Yet in her inmost sky an orb aloof, A distance severed her from those most close.” Savitri-366 The four orders of old Indian social culture, chaturvarnya : "This swadharma is of four general kinds formulated outwardly in the action of the four orders of the old Indian social culture, chaturvarnya . (The Gita-4.13) That system corresponds, says the Gita, to a divine law, it “was created by me according to the divisions of the gunas and works,” — created from the beginning by the Master of existence. In other words, there are four distinct orders of the active nature, or four fundamental types of the soul in nature, svabhava , and the work and proper function of each human being corresponds to his type of nature. This is now finally explained in preciser detail. The works of Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras , says the Gita, are divided according to the qualities (gunas) born of their own inner nature, spiritual temperament, essential character (svabhava ). Calm, self-control, askesis, purity, long-suffering, candour, knowledge, acceptance of spiritual truth are the work of the Brahmin , born of his swabhava . Heroism, high spirit, resolution, ability, not fleeing in the battle, giving, lordship ( ısvara-bhava , the temperament of the ruler and leader) are the natural work of the Kshatriya. Agriculture, cattle-keeping, trade inclusive of the labour of the craftsman and the artisan are the natural work of the Vaishya. All work of the character of service falls within the natural function of the Shudra . A man, it goes on to say, who devotes himself to his own natural work in life acquires spiritual perfection, not indeed by the mere act itself, but if he does it with right knowledge and the right motive, if he can make it a worship of the Spirit of this creation and dedicate it sincerely to the Master of the universe from whom is all impulse to action. All labour, all action and function, whatever it be, can be consecrated by this dedication of works, can convert the life into a self-offering to the Godhead within and without us and is itself converted into a means of spiritual perfection. But a work not naturally one’s own, even though it may be well performed, even though it may look better from the outside when judged by an external and mechanical standard or may lead to more success in life, is still inferior as a means of subjective growth precisely because it has an external motive and a mechanical impulsion. One’s own natural work is better, even if it looks from some other point of view defective. One does not incur sin or stain when one acts in the true spirit of the work and in agreement with the law of one’s own nature. All action in the three gunas is imperfect, all human work is subject to fault, defect or limitation; but that should not make us abandon our own proper work and natural function. Action should be rightly regulated action, niyatam karma , (The Gita-3.8, 18.47) but intrinsically one’s own, evolved from within, in harmony with the truth of one’s being, regulated by the Swabhava , svabhava-niyatam karma ." (The Gita-18.47) CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-509-510, "The ancient Chaturvarnya must not be judged by its later disintegrated degeneration and gross meaningless parody, the caste system. But neither was it precisely the system of the classes which we find in other civilisations, priesthood, nobility, merchant class and serfs or labourers. It may have had outwardly the same starting-point, but it was given a very different revealing significance. The ancient Indian idea was that man falls by his nature into four types. There are, first and highest, the man of learning and thought and knowledge; next, the man of power and action, ruler, warrior, leader, administrator; third in the scale, the economic man, producer and wealth-getter, the merchant, artisan, cultivator: these were the twice-born, who received the initiation, Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya . Last came the more undeveloped human type, not yet fit for these steps of the scale, unintellectual, without force, incapable of creation or intelligent production, the man fit only for unskilled labour and menial service, the Shudra . The economic order of society was cast in the form and gradation of these four types. The Brahmin class was called upon to give the community its priests, thinkers, men of letters, legists, scholars, religious leaders and guides. The Kshatriya class gave it its kings, warriors, governors and administrators. The Vaishya order supplied it with its producers, agriculturists, craftsmen, artisans, merchants and traders. The Shudra class ministered to its need of menials and servants. As far as this went, there was nothing peculiar in the system except its extraordinary durability and, perhaps, the supreme position given to religion, thought and learning, not only at the top of the scale, — for that can be paralleled from one or two other civilisations, — but as the dominant power. The Indian idea in its purity fixed the status of a man in this order not by his birth, but by his capacities and his inner nature, and, if this rule had been strictly observed, that would have been a very clear mark of distinctness, a superiority of a unique kind. But even the best society is always something of a machine and gravitates towards the material sign and standard, and to found truly the social order upon this finer psychological basis would have been in those times a difficult and vain endeavour. In practice we find that birth became the basis of the Varna . It is elsewhere that we must look for the strong distinguishing mark which has made of this social structure a thing apart and sole in its type." CWSA-20/The Renaissance in India/p-170-171 Nitya Yajna , ceaseless sacrifice is the Central truth of the Gita and Integral Yoga: " Sacrifice is the law of the world and nothing can be gained without it, neither mastery here, nor the possession of heavens beyond, nor the supreme possession of all; “this world is not for him who doeth not sacrifice, how then any other world?” (The Gita-4.31) Therefore all these and many other forms of sacrifice have been “extended in the mouth of the Brahman ,” (The Gita-4.32) the mouth of that Fire which receives all offerings; they are all means and forms of the one great Existence in activity, means by which the action of the human being can be offered up to That of which his outward existence is a part and with which his inmost self is one. They are “all born of work” (The Gita-3.14-15); all proceed from and are ordained by the one vast energy of the Divine which manifests itself in the universal karma and makes all the cosmic activity a progressive offering to the one Self and Lord and of which the last stage for the human being is self-knowledge and the possession of the divine or Brahmic consciousness. “So knowing thou shalt become free.” (The Gita-9.28)" CWSA-19/Essays of the Gita/p-122, "But the integral Yoga pushed towards a complete union of the Divine with the earth-life cannot stop short in this narrow province or limit this union within the lesser dimensions of an ethical rule of philanthropy and beneficence. All action must be made in it part of the God-life, (1) our acts of knowledge, (2) our acts of power and production and creation, (3) our acts of joy and beauty and the soul’s pleasure, (4) our acts of will and endeavour and struggle and not our acts only of love and beneficent service. Its way to do these things will be not outward and mental, but inward and spiritual, and to that end it will bring into all activities, whatever they are, the spirit of divine love, the spirit of adoration and worship, the spirit of happiness in the Divine and in the beauty of the Divine so as to make all life a sacrifice of the works of the soul’s love to the Divine, its cult of the Master of its existence." CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-162 Significance of Sacrifice: "But in Yoga works had a much wider significance. The Gita insists on this wider significance; in our conception of spiritual activity all works have to be included, sarva-karmani . (The Gita-3.26, 5.13) At the same time it does not, like Buddhism , reject the idea of the sacrifice, it prefers to uplift and enlarge it. Yes, it says in effect, not only is sacrifice, yajna , the most important part of life, but all life, all works should be regarded as sacrifice , are yajna , though by the ignorant they are performed without the higher knowledge and by the most ignorant not in the true order, avidhi-purvakam . (The Gita-9.23) Sacrifice is the very condition of life; with sacrifice as their eternal companion the Father of creatures created the peoples. (The Gita-3.10)" CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-89 "Even the material interchange between gods and men proceeds upon this principle, as typified in the dependence of rain and its product food on this working and on them the physical birth of creatures. (The Gita-3.14, 15) For all the working of Prakriti is in its true nature a sacrifice, yajna , with the Divine Being as the enjoyer of all energisms and works and sacrifice and the great Lord of all existences, bhoktaram yajnatapasam sarvaloka-mahesvaram , (The Gita-5.29) and to know this Divine all-pervading and established in sacrifice, sarvagatam yajne pratisthitam, (The Gita-3.15) is the true, the Vedic knowledge." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-117 The Sacrifice of Knowledge is the Highest Sacrifice: "In answer Krishna affirms that the Sankhya goes by knowledge and renunciation, the Yoga by works; but the real renunciation is impossible without Yoga, without works done as a sacrifice, done with equality and without desire of the fruit, with the perception that it is Nature which does the actions and not the soul; but immediately afterwards he declares that the sacrifice of knowledge is the highest, all work finds its consummation in knowledge, (The Gita-4.33) by the fire of knowledge all works are burnt up; therefore by Yoga works are renounced and their bondage overcome for the man who is in possession of his Self." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-82, "But there are gradations in the range of these various forms of sacrifice, the physical offering the lowest , the sacrifice of knowledge the highest . Knowledge is that in which all this action culminates, (The Gita-4.33) not any lower knowledge, but the highest, self- knowledge and God-knowledge, that which we can learn from those who know the true principles of existence, (The Gita-4.34) that by possessing which we shall not fall again into the bewilderment of the mind’s ignorance and into its bondage to mere sense-knowledge and to the inferior activity of the desires and passions. The knowledge in which all culminates is that by which “thou shalt see all existences (becomings, bhutani ) without exception in the Self, then in Me.” (The Gita-4.35) For the Self is that one, immutable, all-pervading, all-containing, self-existent reality or Brahman hidden behind our mental being into which our consciousness widens out when it is liberated from the ego; we come to see all beings as becomings, bhutani, within that one self-existence." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-122, "The sacrifice of knowledge, says the Gita therefore, is greater than any material sacrifice . “Even if thou art the greatest doer of sin beyond all sinners, thou shalt cross over all the crookedness of evil in the ship of knowledge . . . . (The Gita-4.36) There is nothing in the world equal in purity to knowledge.” (The Gita-4.38) By knowledge desire and its first-born child, sin, are destroyed. The liberated man is able to do works as a sacrifice because he is freed from attachment through his mind, heart and spirit being firmly founded in self- knowledge, gata-sangasya jnana vasthita-cetasah . (The Gita-4.23) All his work disappears completely as soon as done, suffers laya, as one might say, in the being of the Brahman , pravilıyate ; (The Gita-4.23) it has no reactionary consequence on the soul of the apparent doer. The work is done by the Lord through his Nature, it is no longer personal to the human instrument. The work itself becomes but power of the nature and substance of the being of the Brahman ." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-200, "Those who lay a predominant stress on knowledge, arrive to the same point by an always increasing, engrossing, enforcing power of the vision of the Divine on the soul and the nature. Theirs is the sacrifice of knowledge and by an ineffable ecstasy of knowledge they come to the adoration of the Purushottama , jnana-yajnena yajanto mam upasate . (The Gita-9.15) This is a comprehension filled with Bhakti, because it is integral in its instruments, integral in its objective. It is not a pursuit of the Supreme merely as an abstract unity or an indeterminable Absolute. It is a heart-felt seeking and seizing of the Supreme and the Universal, a pursuit of the Infinite in his infinity and of the Infinite in all that is finite, a vision and embracing of the One in his oneness and of the One in all his several principles, his innumerable visages, forces, forms, here, there, everywhere, timelessly and in time, multiply, multitudinously, in endless aspects of his Godhead, in beings without number, all his million universal faces fronting us in the world and its creatures, ekatvena prithaktvena bahudha visvatomukham. (The Gita-9.15) This knowledge becomes easily an adoration, a large devotion, a vast self-giving, an integral self-offering because it is the knowledge of a Spirit, the contact of a Being, the embrace of a supreme and universal Soul which claims all that we are even as it lavishes on us when we approach it all the treasures of its endless delight of existence." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-327-328, "All true Truth of love and of the works of love the psychic being accepts in their place: but its flame mounts always upward and it is eager to push the ascent from lesser to higher degrees of Truth, since it knows that only by the ascent to a highest Truth and the descent of that highest Truth can Love be delivered from the cross and placed upon the throne; for the cross is the sign of the Divine Descent barred and marred by the transversal line of a cosmic deformation which turns it into a stake of suffering and misfortune. Only by the ascent to the original Truth can the deformation be healed and all the works of love, as too all the works of knowledge and of life, be restored to a divine significance and become part of an integral spiritual existence.” CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-157, “It is therefore through the sacrifice of love, works and knowledge with the psychic being as the leader and priest of the sacrifice that life itself can be transformed into its own true spiritual figure. If the sacrifice of knowledge rightly done is easily the largest and purest offering we can bring to the Highest, the sacrifice of love is not less demanded of us for our spiritual perfection; it is even more intense and rich in its singleness and can be made not less vast and pure. This pure wideness is brought into the intensity of the sacrifice of love when into all our activities there is poured the spirit and power of a divine infinite joy and the whole atmosphere of our life is suffused with an engrossing adoration of the One who is the All and the Highest. For then does the sacrifice of love attain its utter perfection when, offered to the divine All, it becomes integral, catholic and boundless, and when, uplifted to the Supreme, it ceases to be the weak, superficial and transient movement men call love and becomes a pure and grand and deep uniting Ananda .” CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-158 4 / Chapter 4. Towards the Yoga of Knowledge , Jnana Yoga The Reconciliation of Matter and Spirit through the practice of integral Jnana Yoga : “But this exclusive consummation (realisation of Supreme Self) is not the sole or inevitable result of the Path of Knowledge. For, followed more largely and with less individual aim, the method of Knowledge may lead to an active conquest of the cosmic existence for the Divine no less than to a transcendence. The point of this departure is the realization of the supreme Self not only in one’s own being but in all beings and, finally, the realization of even the phenomenal aspects of the world as a play of the divine consciousness and not something entirely alien to its true nature. And on the basis of this realization a yet further enlargement is possible, the conversion of all forms of knowledge, however mundane, into activities of the divine consciousness utilizable for the projection of the one and unique Object of knowledge both in itself and through the play of its forms and symbols. Such a method might well lead to the elevation of the whole range of human intellect and perception to the divine level, to its spiritualization and to the justification of the cosmic travail of knowledge in humanity.” CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-38-39 "Or a revealing Force sweeps blazing in; Out of some vast superior continent Knowledge breaks through trailing its radiant seas, And Nature trembles with the power, the flame.” Savitri-47 “Of wisdom looked from light on transient things. A scout of victory in a vigil tower, Her aspiration called high destiny down; A silent warrior paced in her city of strength Inviolate, guarding Truth’s diamond throne.” Savitri-358 “Our greater self of knowledge waits for us, A supreme light in the truth-conscious Vast: It sees from summits beyond thinking mind, It moves in a splendid air transcending life. It shall descend and make earth’s life divine.” Savitri-484 “For knowledge shall pour down in radiant streams And even darkened mind quiver with new life And kindle and burn with the Ideal’s fire And turn to escape from mortal ignorance.” Savitri-710 The Gita's Message of Material Sacrifice for Cellular Transformation: “In the light of a larger knowledge Matter also can be seen to be the Brahman , a self-energy put forth by the Brahman, a form and substance of Brahman ; aware of the secret consciousness within material substance, secure in this larger knowledge, the gnostic light and power can unite itself with Matter, so seen, and accept it as an instrument of a spiritual manifestation. A certain reverence, even, for Matter and a sacramental attitude in all dealings with it is possible. As in the Gita the act of the taking of food is spoken of as a material sacrament, a sacrifice, an offering of Brahman to Brahman by Brahman, so also the gnostic consciousness and sense can view all the operations of Spirit with Matter.” CWSA-22/The Life Divine-1022-1023, " Brahman is the giving, Brahman is the food-offering, by Brahman it is offered into the Brahman fire, Brahman is that which is to be attained by samadhi in Brahman- action." The Gita-4.24 5/ Chapter 5. The Yoga of Renunciation (Karma Sannyasa Yoga) Summary or A Brief Restatement: This chapter identifies that true sannyasa is within and not without; Karma Yoga is greater than Jnana Yoga though the objective of both are the same " That equality, impersonality, peace, joy, freedom do not depend on so outward a thing as doing or not doing works. The Gita insists repeatedly on the difference between the inward and the outward renunciation, tyaga and sannyasa . The latter, it says, is valueless without the former, hardly possible even to attain without it, and unnecessary when there is the inward freedom. In fact tyaga itself is the real and sufficient Sannyasa . “He should be known as the eternal Sannyasin who neither hates nor desires; free from the dualities he is happily and easily released from all bondage.” (The Gita-5.3) The painful process of outward Sannyasa, duhkham aptum, (The Gita-5.6) is an unnecessary process. It is perfectly true that all actions, as well as the fruit of action, have to be given up, to be renounced, but inwardly, not outwardly, not into the inertia of Nature, but to the Lord in sacrifice, into the calm and joy of the Impersonal from whom all action proceeds without disturbing his peace ." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-184-185 Karma Yoga is superior to Jnana Yoga : " Arjuna is perplexed; here are desireless works, the principle of Yoga, and renunciation of works , the principle of Sankhya, put together side by side as if part of one method, yet there is no evident reconciliation between them. For the kind of reconciliation which the Teacher has already given, — in outward inaction to see action still persisting and in apparent action to see a real inaction since the soul has renounced its illusion of the worker and given up works into the hands of the Master of sacrifice, — is for the practical mind of Arjuna too slight, too subtle and expressed almost in riddling words; he has not caught their sense or at least not penetrated into their spirit and reality. Therefore he asks again, “Thou declarest to me the renunciation of works, O Krishna, and again thou declarest to me Yoga; which one of these is the better way, that tell me with a clear decisiveness.” (The Gita-5.1) ....The answer is important, for it puts the whole distinction very clearly and indicates though it does not develop entirely the line of reconciliation . “Renunciation and Yoga of works both bring about the soul’s salvation, but of the two the Yoga of works is distinguished above the renunciation of works. He should be known as always a Sannyasin (even when he is doing action) who neither dislikes nor desires; for free from the dualities he is released easily and happily from the bondage. Children speak of Sankhya and Yoga apart from each other, not the wise; if a man applies himself integrally to one, he gets the fruit of both,” because in their integrality each contains the other. “The status which is attained by the Sankhya , to that the men of the Yoga also arrive; who sees Sankhya and Yoga as one, he sees. But renunciation is difficult to attain without Yoga ; the sage who has Yoga attains soon to the Brahman ; his self becomes the self of all existences (of all things that have become), and even though he does works, he is not involved in them.” He knows that the actions are not his, but Nature’s and by that very knowledge he is free; he has renounced works, does no actions, though actions are done through him; he becomes the Self, the Brahman, brahmabhuta, (The Gita-5.24) he sees all existences as becomings ( bhutani) of that self-existent Being, his own only one of them, all their actions as only the development of cosmic Nature working through their individual nature and his own actions also as a part of the same cosmic activity. This is not the whole teaching of the Gita ; for as yet there is only the idea of the immutable self or Purusha, the Akshara Brahman , and of Nature, Prakriti , as that which is responsible for the cosmos and not yet the idea, clearly expressed, of the Ishwara, the Purushottama ; as yet only the synthesis of works and knowledge and not yet , in spite of certain hints, the introduction of the supreme element of devotion which becomes so important afterwards; as yet only the one inactive Purusha and the lower Prakriti and not yet the distinction of the triple Purusha and the double Prakriti. It is true the Ishwara is spoken of, but his relation to the self and nature is not yet made definite . The first six chapters only carry the synthesis so far as it can be carried without the clear expression and decisive entrance of these (Ishwara's relation with Self and Nature) all-important truths which, when they come in, must necessarily enlarge and modify, though without abolishing, these first reconciliations. " CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-82-84 True Renunciation: "The true Sannyasa of action is the reposing of all works on the Brahman . “He who, having abandoned attachment, acts reposing (or founding) his works on the Brahman, brahmanya dhaya karmani , (The Gita-5.10) is not stained by sin even as water clings not to the lotus-leaf.” (The Gita-5.10) Therefore the Yogins first “do works with the body, mind, understanding, or even merely with the organs of action, abandoning attachment, for self-purification, sangam tyaktvatmasuddhaye . (The Gita-5.11) By abandoning attachment to the fruits of works the soul in union with Brahman attains to peace of rapt foundation in Brahman, but the soul not in union is attached to the fruit and bound by the action of desire.” (The Gita-5.12) The foundation, the purity, the peace once attained, the embodied soul perfectly controlling its nature, having renounced all its actions by the mind, inwardly, not outwardly, “sits in its nine- gated city neither doing nor causing to be done.” (The Gita-5.13) For this soul is the one impersonal Soul in all, the all-pervading Lord, prabhu, vibhu, who, as the impersonal, neither creates the works of the world, nor the mind’s idea of being the doer, na kartrutvam na karmani , (The Gita-5.14) nor the coupling of works to their fruits, the chain of cause and effect." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-185, "There is nothing that is not ancient and familiar in the first of these three transforming inner movements; for it has always been one of the principal objects of spiritual discipline. It has been best formulated in the already expressed doctrine of the Gita by which a complete renouncement of desire for the fruits as the motive of action, a complete annulment of desire itself, the complete achievement of a perfect equality are put forward as the normal status of a spiritual being. A perfect spiritual equality is the one true and infallible sign of the cessation of desire , — to be equal-souled to all things, unmoved by joy and sorrow, the pleasant and the unpleasant, success or failure, to look with an equal eye on high and low, friend and enemy, the virtuous and the sinner, to see in all beings the manifold manifestation of the One and in all things the multitudinous play or the slow masked evolution of the embodied Spirit. It is not a mental quiet, aloofness, indifference, not an inert vital quiescence, not a passivity of the physical consciousness consenting to no movement or to any movement that is the condition aimed at, though these things are sometimes mistaken for this spiritual condition, but a wide comprehensive unmoved universality such as that of the Witness Spirit behind Nature. For all here seems to be a mobile half-ordered half-confused organisation of forces, but behind them one can feel a supporting peace, silence, wideness, not inert but calm, not impotent but potentially omnipotent with a concentrated, stable, immobile energy in it capable of bearing all the motions of the universe. This Presence behind is equal-souled to all things: the energy it holds in it can be unloosed for any action, but no action will be chosen by any desire in the Witness Spirit; a Truth acts which is beyond and greater than the action itself or its apparent forms and impulses, beyond and greater than mind or life-force or body, although it may take for the immediate purpose a mental, a vital or a physical appearance. It is when there is this death of desire and this calm equal wideness in the consciousness everywhere, that the true vital being within us comes out from the veil and reveals its own calm, intense and potent presence. For such is the true nature of the vital being, pranamaya purusa ; it is a projection of the Divine Purusha into life, — tranquil, strong, luminous, many-energied, obedient to the Divine Will, egoless, yet or rather therefore capable of all action, achievement, highest or largest enterprise. The true Life-Force too reveals itself as no longer this troubled harassed divided striving surface energy, but a great and radiant Divine Power, full of peace and strength and bliss, a wide-wayed Angel of Life with its wings of Might enfolding the universe." CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-177-178 Self-Purification: "Therefore the Yogins do works with the body, mind, understanding, or even merely with the organs of action, abandoning attachment, for self-purification, atmasuddhaye. " The Gita-5.11, "Acts of sacrifice, giving and askesis ought not to be renounced at all, but should be performed, for they purify the wise." The Gita-18.5, "If there is to be an active perfection of our being, the first necessity is a purification of the working of the instruments which it now uses for a music of discords . The being itself, the spirit, the divine Reality in man stands in no need of purification; it is for ever pure, not affected by the faults of its instrumentation or the stumblings of mind and heart and body in their work, as the sun, says the Upanishad, is not touched or stained by the faults of the eye of vision. Mind, heart, the soul of vital desire, the life in the body are the seats of impurity; it is they that must be set right if the working of the spirit is to be a perfect working and not marked by its present greater or less concession to the devious pleasure of the lower nature. What is ordinarily called purity of the being, is either a negative whiteness , a freedom from sin gained by a constant inhibition of whatever action, feeling, idea or will we think to be wrong, or else, the highest negative or passive purity, the entire God-content, inaction, the complete stilling of the vibrant mind and the soul of desire, which in quietistic disciplines leads to a supreme peace; for then the spirit appears in all the eternal purity of its immaculate essence. That gained, there would be nothing farther to be enjoyed or done. But here we have the more difficult problem of a total, unabated, even an increased and more powerful action founded on perfect bliss of the being, the purity of the soul’s instrumental as well as the spirit’s essential nature. Mind, heart, life, body are to do the works of the Divine, all the works which they do now and yet more, but to do them divinely, as now they do not do them. This is the first appearance of the problem before him on which the seeker of perfection has to lay hold, that it is not a negative, prohibitory, passive or quietistic, but a positive, affirmative, active purity which is his object. A divine quietism discovers the immaculate eternity of the Spirit, a divine kinetism adds to it the right pure undeviating action of the soul, mind and body." CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-643-644, "Moreover, it is a total purification of all the complex instrumentality in all the parts of each instrument that is demanded of us by the integral perfection. It is not, ultimately, the narrower moral purification of the ethical nature. Ethics deals only with the desire-soul and the active outward dynamical part of our being; its field is confined to character and action. It prohibits and inhibits certain actions, certain desires, impulses, propensities, it inculcates certain qualities in the act, such as truthfulness, love, charity, compassion, chastity. When it has got this done and assured a base of virtue, the possession of a purified will and blameless habit of action, its work is finished. But the Siddha of the integral perfection has to dwell in a larger plane of the Spirit’s eternal purity beyond good and evil. By this phrase it is not meant, as the rash hastily concluding intellect would be prone to imagine, that he will do good and evil indifferently and declare that to the spirit there is no difference between them, which would be in the plane of individual action an obvious untruth and might serve to cover a reckless self-indulgence of the imperfect human nature. Neither is it meant that since good and evil are in this world inextricably entangled together, like pain and pleasure, — a proposition which, however true at the moment and plausible as a generalisation, need not be true of the human being’s greater spiritual evolution, — the liberated man will live in the spirit and stand back from the mechanical continued workings of a necessarily imperfect nature. This, however possible as a stage towards a final cessation of all activity, is evidently not a counsel of active perfection. But it is meant that the Siddha of the active integral perfection will live dynamically in the working of the transcendent power of the divine Spirit as a universal will through the supermind individualised in him for action. His works will therefore be the works of an eternal Knowledge, an eternal Truth, an eternal Might, an eternal Love, an eternal Ananda; but the truth, knowledge, force, love, delight will be the whole essential spirit of whatever work he will do and will not depend on its form; they will determine his action from the spirit within and the action will not determine the spirit or subject it to a fixed standard or rigid mould of working. He will have no dominant mere habit of character, but only a spiritual being and will with at the most a free and flexible temperamental mould for the action. His life will be a direct stream from the eternal fountains, not a form cut to some temporary human pattern. His perfection will not be a sattwic purity, but a thing uplifted beyond the gunas of Nature, a perfection of spiritual knowledge, spiritual power, spiritual delight, unity and harmony of unity; the outward perfection of his works will be freely shaped as the self-expression of this inner spiritual transcendence and universality. For this change he must make conscient in him that power of spirit and supermind which is now superconscient to our mentality. But that (Supramental) cannot work in him so long as his present mental, vital, physical being is not liberated from its actual inferior working (of the three Gunas). This purification is the first necessity." CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-644-645, "The Purification of the mental being and the psychic prana — we will leave aside for the time the question of the physical purification, that of the body and physical prana, though that too is necessary to an integral perfection, prepares the ground for a spiritual liberation. Suddhi is the condition for mukti. All purification is a release, a delivery; for it is a throwing away of limiting, binding, obscuring imperfections and confusions: (1) purification from desire brings the freedom of the psychic prana , (2) purification from wrong emotions and troubling reactions the freedom of the heart , (3) purification from the obscuring limited thought of the sense mind the freedom of the intelligence, (4) purification from mere intellectuality the freedom of the gnosis . But all this is an instrumental liberation. The freedom of the soul, mukti, is of a larger and more essential character; it is an opening out of mortal limitation into the illimitable immortality of the Spirit." CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-674, "But we have on the other hand this advantage that one important instrument sufficiently purified can be used as a means for the purification of the others, one step firmly taken makes easier all the others and gets rid of a host of difficulties. Which instrument then by its purification and perfection will bring about most easily and effectively or can aid with a most powerful rapidity the perfection of the rest?... Since we are the spirit enveloped in mind, a soul evolved here as a mental being in a living physical body, it must naturally be in the mind , the antahkarana , that we must look for this desideratum. And in the mind it is evidently by the buddhi, the intelligence and the will of the intelligence that the human being is intended to do whatever work is not done for him by the physical or nervous nature as in the plant and the animal. Pending the evolution of any higher supramental power the intelligent will must be our main force for effectuation and to purify it becomes a very primary necessity. Once our intelligence and will are well purified of all that limits them and gives them a wrong action or wrong direction, they can easily be perfected, can be made to respond to the suggestions of Truth, understand themselves and the rest of the being, see clearly and with a fine and scrupulous accuracy what they are doing and follow out the right way to do it without any hesitating or eager error or stumbling deviation. Eventually their (purified intelligence and will, buddhya visuddhaya, The Gita-18.51) response can be opened up to the perfect discernings, intuitions, inspirations, revelations of the supermind and proceed by a more and more luminous and even infallible action. But this purification cannot be effected without a preliminary clearing of its natural obstacles in the other lower parts of the antah karana , and the chief natural obstacle running through the whole action of the antah karana , through the sense, the mental sensation, emotion, dynamic impulse, intelligence, will, is the intermiscence and the compelling claim of the psychic prana . This then must be dealt with, its dominating intermiscence ruled out, its claim denied, itself quieted and prepared for purification." CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-654-655 Knowledge followed by Equality: "But knowledge comes to its persistent seeker and removes the natural self-ignorance; it shines out like a long-hidden sun and lights up to our vision that self-being supreme beyond the dualities of this lower existence, adityavat (jnanam) prakasayati tat param . (The Gita-5.16) By a long whole-hearted endeavour, by directing our whole conscious being to that, by making that our whole aim, by turning it into the whole object of our discerning mind and so seeing it not only in ourselves but everywhere, we become one thought and self with that, tad-buddhayas tad-atmanah , (The Gita-5.17) we are washed clean of all the darkness and suffering of the lower man by the waters of knowledge, jnana-nirdhuta-kalmasah (The Gita-5.17)... The result (of this awakening of Knowledge) is, says the Git a, a perfect equality to all things and all persons; and then only can we repose our works completely in the Brahman . For the Brahman is equal, samam brahma , (The Gita-5.19) and it is only when we have this perfect equality, samye sthitam manah , (The Gita-5.19) “seeing with an equal eye the learned and cultured Brahmin , the cow, the elephant, the dog, the outcaste” (The Gita-5.18) and knowing all as one Brahman , that we can, living in that oneness , see like the Brahman our works proceeding from the nature freely without any fear of attachment, sin or bondage. Sin and stain then cannot be; for we have overcome that creation full of desire and its works and reactions which belongs to the ignorance, tair jitah. sargah , (The Gita-5.19) and living in the supreme and divine Nature there is no longer fault or defect in our works; for these are created by the inequalities of the ignorance. The equal Brahman i s faultless, nirdosam hi samam brahma , (The Gita-5.19) beyond the confusion of good and evil, and living in the Brahman we too rise beyond good and evil; we act in that purity, stainlessly, with an equal and single purpose of fulfilling the welfare of all existences, ksına-kalmasah sarvabhuta-hite ratah . (The Gita-5.25)" CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-202-203, “The test it (The Gita) lays down is an absolute equality of the mind and the heart to all results, to all reactions, to all happenings. If good fortune and ill fortune, if respect and insult, if reputation and obloquy, if victory and defeat, if pleasant event and sorrowful event leave us not only unshaken but untouched, free in the emotions, free in the nervous reactions, free in the mental view, not responding with the least disturbance or vibration in any spot of the nature, then we have the absolute liberation to which the Gita points us, but not otherwise. The tiniest reaction is a proof that the discipline is imperfect and that some part of us accepts ignorance and bondage as its law and clings still to the old nature. Our self-conquest is only partially accomplished; it is still imperfect or unreal in some stretch or part or smallest spot of the ground of our nature. And that little pebble of imperfection may throw down the whole achievement of the Yoga!... There are certain semblances of an equal spirit which must not be mistaken for the profound and vast spiritual equality which the Gita teaches. There is an equality of disappointed resignation, an equality of pride, an equality of hardness and indifference: all these are egoistic in their nature. Inevitably they come in the course of the sadhana, but they must be rejected or transformed into the true quietude. There is too, on a higher level, the equality of the stoic, the equality of a devout resignation or a sage detachment, the equality of a soul aloof from the world and indifferent to its doings. These too are insufficient; first approaches they can be, but they are at most early soul-phases only or imperfect mental preparations for our entry into the true and absolute self-existent wide evenness of the spirit.” CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-103 Nirvana is perfectly compatible with Action in the World: "But the direct way to union lies through the firm realisation of the immutable Self, and it is the Gita’s insistence on this as a first necessity, after which alone works and devotion can acquire their whole divine meaning, that makes it possible for us to mistake its drift. For if we take the passages in which it insists most rigorously upon this necessity and neglect to observe the whole sequence of thought in which they stand, we may easily come to the conclusion (deceptive conclusion) that it does really teach actionless absorption as the final state of the soul and action only as a preliminary means towards stillness in the motionless Immutable. It is in the close of the fifth and throughout the sixth chapter that this insistence is strongest and most comprehensive. There we get the description of a Yoga which would seem at first sight to be incompatible with works and we get the repeated use of the word Nirvana to describe the status to which the Yogin arrives." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-235, "Thus Nirvana is clearly compatible with world-consciousness and with action in the world. For the sages who possess it are conscious of and in intimate relation by works with the Divine in the mutable universe; they are occupied with the good of all creatures, sarvabhuta-hite . (The Gita-5.25) They have not renounced the experiences of the Kshara Purusha, they have divinised them; for the Kshara , the Gita tells us, is all existences, sarvabhutani , (The Gita-6.29) and the doing universal good to all is a divine action in the mutability of Nature. This action in the world is not inconsistent with living in Brahman , it is rather its inevitable condition and outward result because the Brahman in whom we find Nirvana, the spiritual consciousness in which we lose the separative ego-consciousness, is not only within us but within all these existences, exists not only above and apart from all these universal happenings, but pervades them, contains them and is extended in them. Therefore by Nirvana in the Brahman must be meant a destruction or extinction of the limited separative consciousness, falsifying and dividing, which is brought into being on the surface of existence by the lower Maya of the three gunas, and entry into Nirvana is a passage into this other true unifying consciousness which is the heart of existence and its continent and its whole containing and supporting, its whole original and eternal and final truth. Nirvana when we gain it, enter into it, is not only within us, but all around, abhito vartate , (The Gita-5.26) because this is not only the Brahman- consciousness which lives secret within us, but the Brahman- consciousness in which we live. It is the Self which we are within, the supreme Self of our individual being but also the Self which we are without, the supreme Self of the universe, the self of all existences. By living in that self we live in all, and no longer in our egoistic being alone; by oneness with that self a steadfast oneness with all in the universe becomes the very nature of our being and the root status of our active consciousness and root motive of all our action ." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-237-238 Sarvabhuta hite ratah : "And the philosopher’s equality is like the Stoic’s, like the world-fleeing ascetic’s, inwardly a lonely freedom, remote and aloof from men; but the man born to the divine birth has found the Divine not only in himself, but in all beings. He has realised his unity with all and his equality is therefore full of sympathy and oneness. He sees all as himself and is not intent on his lonely salvation; he even takes upon himself the burden of their happiness and sorrow by which he is not himself affected or subjected. The perfect sage, the Gita more than once repeats, is ever engaged with a large equality in doing good to all creatures and makes that his occupation and delight , sarvabhutahite ratah. (The Gita-5.25, 12.4) The perfect Yogin is no solitary musing on the Self in his ivory tower of spiritual isolation, but yuktah kritsna-karma-krit , (The Gita-4.18) a many-sided universal worker for the good of the world, for God in the world. For he is a bhakta , a lover and devotee of the Divine, as well as a sage and a Yogin, a lover who loves God wherever he finds Him and who finds Him everywhere; and what he loves, he does not disdain to serve, nor does action carry him away from the bliss of union, since all his acts proceed from the One in him and to the One in all they are directed. The equality of the Gita is a large synthetic equality in which all is lifted up into the integrality of the divine being and the divine nature. " CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-199, "The result is, says the Gita, a perfect equality to all things and all persons; and then only can we repose our works completely in the Brahman. For the Brahman is equal, samam brahma , and it is only when we have this perfect equality, samye sthitam manah, “seeing with an equal eye the learned and cultured Brahmin , the cow, the elephant, the dog, the outcaste” (The Gita-5.18) and knowing all as one Brahman , that we can, living in that oneness, see like the Brahman our works proceeding from the nature freely without any fear of attachment, sin or bondage. Sin and stain then cannot be; for we have overcome that creation full of desire and its works and reactions which belongs to the ignorance, tair jitah sargah , (The Gita-5.19) and living in the supreme and divine Nature there is no longer fault or defect in our works; for these are created by the inequalities of the ignorance. The equal Brahman is faultless, nirdosam hi samam brahma , (The Gita-5.19) beyond the confusion of good and evil, and living in the Brahman we too rise beyond good and evil; we act in that purity, stainlessly, with an equal and single purpose of fulfilling the welfare of all existences, ksına-kalmasah sarvabhuta-hite ratah . (The Gita-5.25) The Lord in our hearts is in the ignorance also the cause of our actions, but through his Maya, through the egoism of our lower nature which creates the tangled web of our actions and brings back upon our egoism the recoil of their tangled reactions affecting us inwardly as sin and virtue, affecting us outwardly as suffering and pleasure, evil fortune and good fortune, the great chain of Karma . When we are freed by knowledge, the Lord, no longer hidden in our hearts, but manifest as our supreme self, (supreme Self descends to our Psychic heart centre) takes up our works and uses us as faultless instruments, nimitta-matram , (The Gita-11.33) for the helping of the world. ("Wrong could not come where all was light and love." Savitri-314) Such is the intimate union between knowledge and equality; knowledge here in the buddhi reflected as equality in the temperament; above, on a higher plane of consciousness, knowledge as the light of the Being, equality as the stuff of the Nature." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-102-103, "“Sages win Nirvana in the Brahman, they in whom the stains of sin are effaced and the knot of doubt is cut asunder, masters of their selves, who are occupied in doing good to all creatures, sarvabhuta-hite ratah .” (The Gita-5.25) That would almost seem to mean that to be thus is to be in Nirvana . But the next verse is quite clear and decisive, “Yatis (those who practise self-mastery by Yoga and austerity) who are delivered from desire and wrath and have gained self-mastery, for them Nirvana in the Brahman exists all about them, encompasses them, they already live in it because they have knowledge of the Self.” (The Gita-5.26) That is to say, to have knowledge and possession of the self is to exist in Nirvana . This is clearly a large extension of the idea of Nirvana . Freedom from all stain of the passions, the self-mastery of the equal mind on which that freedom is founded, equality to all beings, sarvabhutesu , (The Gita-3.18) and beneficial love for all, final destruction of that doubt and obscurity of the ignorance which keeps us divided from the all-unifying Divine and the knowledge of the One Self within us and in all are evidently the conditions of Nirvana which are laid down in these verses of the Gita, go to constitute it and are its spiritual substance." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-236-237 5/ Chapter 5. The Yoga of Renunciation (Karma Sannyasa Yoga) Na Kinchit api chintayet: "But for the knowledge of the Self it is necessary to have the power of a complete intellectual passivity, the power of dismissing all thought, the power of the mind to think not at all which the Gita in one passage enjoins. This is a hard saying for the occidental mind to which thought is the highest thing and which will be apt to mistake the power of the mind not to think, its complete silence for the incapacity of thought. But this power of silence is a capacity and not an incapacity, a power and not a weakness. It is a profound and pregnant stillness. Only when the mind is thus entirely still, like clear, motionless and level water, in a perfect purity and peace of the whole being and the soul transcends thought, can the Self which exceeds and originates all activities and becomings, the Silence from which all words are born, the Absolute of which all relativities are partial reflections manifest itself in the pure essence of our being. In a complete silence only is the Silence heard; in a pure peace only is its Being revealed. Therefore to us the name of That is the Silence and the Peace." CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-316 Bridging the gulf between active and passive Brahman : "This status of an inner passivity and an outer action independent of each other is a state of entire spiritual freedom. The Yogin, as the Gita says, even in acting does no actions, for it is not he, but universal Nature directed by the Lord of Nature which is at work. He is not bound by his works, nor do they leave any after effects or consequences in his mind, nor cling to or leave any mark on his soul; (na karme lipyate nare ) (The Gita-5.10) they vanish and are dissolved (Praviliyante karmani) (The Gita-4.3) by their very execution and leave the immutable self unaffected and the soul unmodified. Therefore this would seem to be the poise the uplifted soul ought to take, if it has still to preserve any relations with human action in the world-existence, an unalterable silence, tranquillity, passivity within, an action without regulated by the universal Will and Wisdom which works, as the Gita says, without being involved in, bound by or ignorantly attached to its works. And certainly this poise of a perfect activity founded upon a perfect inner passivity is that which the Yogin has to possess, as we have seen in the Yoga of Works. But here in this status of self-knowledge at which we have arrived, there is an evident absence of integrality; for there is still a gulf, an unrealised unity or a cleft of consciousness between the passive and the active Brahman. We have still to possess consciously the active Brahman without losing the possession of the silent Self. We have to preserve the inner silence, tranquillity, passivity as a foundation; but in place of an aloof indifference to the works of the active Brahman we have to arrive at an equal and impartial delight in them; in place of a refusal to participate lest our freedom and peace be lost we have to arrive at a conscious possession of the active Brahman whose joy of existence does not abrogate His peace, nor His lordship of all workings impair His calm freedom in the midst of His works." CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-405-406, 6/ Chapter 6. The Yoga of the Supreme Spirit Summary or A Brief Restatement: “This Yoga of self-control by intelligent will must be rigorously, resolutely and continually practised without yielding to any discouragement by difficulty or failure until the bliss of Nirvana is securely possessed.” The Gita-6.23, "This peace of Nirvana is reached when all the mental consciousness is perfectly controlled and liberated from desire and remains still in the Self, when, motionless like the light of a lamp in a windless place, it ceases from its restless action, shut in from its outward motion, and by the silence and stillness of the mind the Self is seen within , not disfigured as in the mind, but in the Self, seen, not as it is mistranslated falsely or partially by the mind and represented to us through the ego, but self-perceived by the Self, svaprakasa . Then the soul is satisfied and knows its own true and exceeding bliss, not that untranquil happiness which is the portion of the mind and the senses, but an inner and serene felicity in which it is safe from the mind’s perturbations and can no longer fall away from the spiritual truth of its being. Not even the fieriest assault of mental grief can disturb it ; for mental grief comes to us from outside, is a reaction to external touches, and this is the inner, the self-existent happiness of those who no longer accept the slavery of the unstable mental reactions to external touches. It is the putting away of the contact with pain, the divorce of the mind’s marriage with grief, duhkha-samyoga-viyogam . (The Gita-6.23) The firm winning of this inalienable spiritual bliss is Yoga, it is the divine union; it is the greatest of all gains and the treasure beside which all others lose their value. Therefore is this Yoga to be resolutely practised without yielding to any discouragement by difficulty or failure until the release, until the bliss of Nirvana is secured as an eternal possession." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-242, Sri Aurobindo quoted this line of the Gita (The Gita-6.23) at five places of The Synthesis of Yoga , (pages 61, 220, 245, 723-724, 773, ) confirming it as a very important message for the beginners of Yoga. “For in his Yoga there is nothing too small to be used and nothing too great to be attempted. As the servant and disciple of the Master has no business with pride or egoism because all is done for him from above, so also he has no right to despond because of his personal deficiencies or the stumblings of his nature. For the Force that works in him is impersonal — or superpersonal — and infinite.” CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-61-61,““Practise unfalteringly,” says the Gita, “with a heart free from despondency,” the Yoga; for even though in the earlier stage of the path we drink deep of the bitter poison of internal discord and suffering, the last taste of this cup is the sweetness of the nectar of immortality and the honey-wine of an eternal Ananda.” CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-220, “If one has walked long and steadily in the path, the faith of the heart will remain under the fiercest adverse pressure; even if it is concealed or apparently overborne, it will take the first opportunity to re-emerge. For something higher than either heart or intellect upholds it in spite of the worst stumblings and through the most prolonged failure. But even to the experienced sadhaka such falterings or overcloudings bring a retardation of his progress and they are exceedingly dangerous to the novice. It is therefore necessary from the beginning to understand and accept the arduous difficulty of the path and to feel the need of a faith which to the intellect may seem blind, but yet is wiser than our reasoning intelligence. For this faith is a support from above; it is the brilliant shadow thrown by a secret light that exceeds the intellect and its data; it is the heart of a hidden knowledge that is not at the mercy of immediate appearances. Our faith, persevering, will be justified in its works and will be lifted and transfigured at last into the self-revelation of a divine knowledge. Always we must adhere to the injunction of the Gita, “Yoga must be continually applied with a heart free from despondent sinking.” (Th Gita-6.23) Always we must repeat to the doubting intellect the promise of the Master, “I will surely deliver thee from all sin and evil; do not grieve.” (The Gita-18.66) At the end, the flickerings of faith will cease; for we shall see his face and feel always the Divine Presence. ” CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-245, "The persistence of trouble, asanti , the length of time taken for this purification and perfection, itself must not be allowed to become a reason for discouragement and impatience. It comes because there is still something in the nature which responds to it, and the recurrence of trouble serves to bring out the presence of the defect , put the sadhaka upon his guard and bring about a more enlightened and consistent action of the will to get rid of it. When the trouble is too strong to be kept out, it must be allowed to pass and its return discouraged by a greater vigilance and insistence of the spiritualised buddhi . Thus persisting, it will be found that these things lose their force more and more, become more and more external and brief in their recurrence, until finally calm becomes the law of the being. This rule persists so long as the mental buddhi is the chief instrument ; but when the supramental light takes possession of mind and heart, then there can be no trouble, grief or disturbance; for that brings with it a spiritual nature of illumined strength in which these things can have no place. There the only vibrations and emotions are those which belong to the anandamaya nature of divine unity .” CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-723-724, “And yet faith is necessary throughout and at every step because it is a needed assent of the soul and without this assent there can be no progress. Our faith must first be abiding in the essential truth and principles of the Yoga, and even if this is clouded in the intellect, despondent in the heart, outwearied and exhausted by constant denial and failure in the desire of the vital mind, there must be something in the innermost soul which clings and returns to it, otherwise we may fall on the path or abandon it from weakness and inability to bear temporary defeat, disappointment, difficulty and peril. In the Yoga as in life it is the man who persists unwearied to the last in the face of every defeat and disillusionment and of all confronting, hostile and contradicting events and powers who conquers in the end and finds his faith justified because to the soul and Shakti in man nothing is impossible.” CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-773, “The description of Yoga as “bitter like poison in the beginning” because of the difficulty and struggle “but in the end sweet as nectar” because of the joy of realisation, the peace of liberation or the divine Ananda and the frequent description by sadhaks and bhaktas of the periods of dryness shows sufficiently that it is no unique peculiarity of this Yoga. All the old disciplines recognised this and it is why the Gita says that Yoga should be practised patiently and steadily with a heart that refuses to be overcome by despondency. It is a recommendation applicable to this path but also to the way of the Gita and to the hard “razor” path of the Vedanta , and to every other. It is quite natural that the higher the Ananda to come down, the more difficult may be the beginning, the drier the deserts that have to be crossed on the way.” CWSA-31/Letters on Yoga-IV/p-628, “If mankind only caught a glimpse of what infinite enjoyments, what perfect forces, what luminous reaches of spontaneous knowledge, what wide calms of our being lie waiting for us in the tracts which our animal evolution has not yet conquered, they would leave all and never rest till they had gained these treasures. But the way is narrow, the doors are hard to force, and fear, distrust and scepticism are there, sentinels of Nature, to forbid the turning away of our feet from her ordinary pastures.” Sri Aurobindo/TMCW-10/On Thoughts and Aphorisms/p-10-11, "The soul that aspires to perfection, draws back and upward, says the Upanishad, from the physical into the vital and from the vital into the mental Purusha , from the mental into the knowledge-soul and from that self of knowledge into the bliss Purusha . This self of bliss is the conscious foundation of perfect Sachchidananda and to pass into it completes the soul’s ascension. The mind therefore must try to give to itself some account of this decisive transformation of the embodied consciousness, this radiant transfiguration and self-exceeding of our ever aspiring nature. The description mind can arrive at, can never be adequate to the thing itself, but it may point at least to some indicative shadow of it or perhaps some half-luminous image." CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-474, “Meanwhile, we should acknowledge that we don’t have the key, it is not yet in our hands. Or rather, we know quite well where it is, and there is only one thing to do: the perfect ‘surrender’ Sri Aurobindo speaks of, the total surrender to the divine Will whatever happens, even in the dark of night…There is night and sun, night and sun, and night again, many nights, but one must cling to this will for ‘surrender,’ cling as through a storm, and put everything into the hands of the Supreme Lord. Until the day when the Sun shall shine forever, the day of total Victory.” The Mother's Agenda/15.11.1958 When one has got to the top of Yoga?: But when one has got to the top? Then works are no longer the cause; the calm of self-mastery and self-possession gained by works becomes the cause. Again, the cause of what? Of fixity in the Self, in the Brahman -consciousness and of the perfect equality in which the divine works of the liberated man are done. “For when one does not get attached to the objects of sense or to works and has renounced all will of desire in the mind , then is he said to have ascended to the top of Yoga.” (The Gita-6.4) That, as we know already, is the spirit in which the liberated man does works; he does them without desire and attachment, without the egoistic personal will and the mental seeking which is the parent of desire. He has conquered his lower self, reached the perfect calm in which his highest self is manifest to him, that highest self always concentrated in its own being, samahita , (The Gita-6.7) in Samadhi , not only in the trance of the inward-drawn consciousness, but always, in the waking state of the mind as well, in exposure to the causes of desire and of the disturbance of calm, to grief and pleasure, heat and cold, honour and disgrace, all the dualities, sıtosna-sukhaduhkhesu tathamanapamanayoh . (The Gita-6.7) This higher self is the Akshara, kutastha , which stands above the changes and the perturbations of the natural being; and the Yogin is said to be in Yoga with it when he also is like it, kutastha , (The Gita-6.8) when he is superior to all appearances and mutations, when he is satisfied with self-knowledge, when he is equal-minded to all things and happenings and persons." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-240-241 What is Self-control, samyama?: " There is a distinction implied too between coercion and suppression, nigraha , and control with right use and right guidance, samyama . The former is a violence done to the nature by the will, which in the end depresses the natural powers of the being, atmanam avasadayet ; (The Gita-6.5) the latter is the control of the lower by the higher self, which successfully gives to those powers their right action and their maximum efficiency, — yogah karmasu kausalam . (The Gita-2.50) This nature of samyama is made very clear by the Gita in the opening of its sixth chapter, “By the self thou shouldst deliver the self, thou shouldst not depress and cast down the self (whether by self-indulgence or suppression); for the self is the friend of the self and the self is the enemy. To the man is his self a friend in whom the (lower) self has been conquered by the (higher) self, but to him who is not in possession of his (higher) self, the (lower) self is as if an enemy and it acts as an enemy.” (The Gita-6.5-6) When one has conquered one’s self and attained to the calm of a perfect self-mastery and self-possession, then is the supreme self in a man founded and poised even in his outwardly conscious human being, samahita . (The Gita-6.7) In other words, to master the lower self by the higher, the natural self by the spiritual is the way of man’s perfection and liberation." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-218-219 Why Rajayogic Meditation is indispensable?: "But this Yoga is after all no easy thing to acquire, as Arjuna indeed shortly afterwards suggests, for the restless mind is always liable to be pulled down from these heights by the attacks of outward things and to fall back into the strong control of grief and passion and inequality. Therefore, it would seem, the Gita proceeds to give us in addition to its general method of knowledge and works a special process of Rajayogic meditation also, a powerful method of practice, abhyasa , a strong way to the complete control of the mind and all its workings. In this process the Yogin is directed to practise continually union with the Self so that that may become his normal consciousness. He is to sit apart and alone, with all desire and idea of possession banished from his mind, self-controlled in his whole being and consciousness. “He should set in a pure spot his firm seat, neither too high, nor yet too low, covered with a cloth, with a deer-skin, with sacred grass, and there seated with a concentrated mind and with the workings of the mental consciousness and the senses under control he should practise Yoga for self-purification, atma-visuddhaye. ” (The Gita-6.11-12) The posture he takes must be the motionless erect posture proper to the practice of Rajayoga ; the vision should be drawn in and fixed between the eye-brows, “not regarding the regions.” (The Gita-6.13) The mind is to be kept calm and free from fear and the vow of Brahmacharya observed; the whole controlled mentality must be devoted and turned to the Divine so that the lower action of the consciousness shall be merged in the higher peace. For the object to be attained is the still peace of Nirvana . “Thus always putting himself in Yoga by control of his mind the Yogin attains to the supreme peace of Nirvana which has its foundation in Me, santim nirvana-paramam matsamstham. ” (The Gita-6.15)" CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-241, "This is the Karmayoga as it is laid down in the Gita as I have developed it for the integral spiritual life. It is founded not on speculation and reasoning but on experience. It does not exclude meditation and it certainly does not exclude bhakti, for the self-offering to the Divine, the consecration of all oneself to the Divine which is the essence of this Karmayoga are essentially a movement of bhakti. Only it does exclude a life-fleeing exclusive meditation or an emotional bhakti shut up in its own inner dream taken as the whole movement of the Yoga. One may have hours of pure absorbed meditation or of the inner motionless adoration and ecstasy, but they are not the whole of the integral Yoga." CWSA-29/Letters on Yoga-II/p-218, "I don’t think you understood very well what Mother was trying to tell you. First of all she did not say that prayers or meditation either were no good — how could she when both count for so much in Yoga? What she said was that the prayer must well up from the heart on a crest of emotion or aspiration, the Japa or meditation come in a live push carrying the joy or the light of the thing in it. If done mechanically and merely as a thing that ought to be done (stern grim duty!), it must tend towards want of interest and dryness and so be ineffective. It was what I meant when I said I thought you were doing Japa too much as a means for bringing about a result — I meant too much as a device, a process laid down for getting the thing done. That again was why I wanted the psychological conditions in you to develop, the psychic, the mental — for when the psychic is forward, there is no lack of life and joy in the prayer, the aspiration, the seeking, no difficulty in having the constant stream of bhakti and when the mind is quiet and inturned and upturned there is no difficulty or want of interest in meditation. Meditation by the way is a process leading towards knowledge and through knowledge, it is a thing of the head and not of the heart; so if you want dhyana , you can’t have an aversion to knowledge. Concentration in the heart is not meditation, it is a call on the Divine, on the Beloved. This Yoga too is not a Yoga of knowledge alone — knowledge is one of its means, but its base being self-offering, surrender, bhakti , it is based on the heart and nothing can be eventually done without this base. There are plenty of people here who do or have done Japa and base themselves on bhakti , very few comparatively who have done the “head” meditation; love and bhakti and works are usually the base — how many can proceed by knowledge? Only the few." CWSA-29/Letters on Yoga-II/p-226-227 What is moderate approach towards Spiritual life?: "And yet the result is not, while one yet lives, a Nirvana which puts away every possibility of action in the world, every relation with beings in the world. It would seem at first that it ought to be so. When all the desires and passions have ceased, when the mind is no longer permitted to throw itself out in thought, when the practice of this silent and solitary Yoga has become the rule, what farther action or relation with the world of outward touches and mutable appearances is any longer possible? No doubt, the Yogin for a time still remains in the body, but the cave, the forest, the mountain-top seem now the fittest, the only possible scene of his continued living and constant trance of Samadhi his sole joy and occupation. But, first, while this solitary Yoga is being pursued, the renunciation of all other action is not recommended by the Gita . This Yoga , it says, is not for the man who gives up sleep and food and play and action, even as it is not for those who indulge too much in these things of the life and the body; but the sleep and waking, the food, the play, the putting forth of effort in works should all be yukta. (The Gita-6.16, 17) This is generally interpreted as meaning that all should be moderate, regulated, done in fit measure, and that may indeed be the significance. But at any rate when the Yoga is attained, all this has to be yukta in another sense, the ordinary sense of the word everywhere else in the Gita . In all states, in waking and in sleeping, in food and play and action, the Yogin will then be in Yoga with the Divine , and all will be done by him in the consciousness of the Divine as the self and as the All and as that which supports and contains his own life and his action." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-243, "At the same time it must be added that the power is enough; the abstention from all physical action is not indispensable, the aversion to action mental or corporeal is not desirable. The seeker of the integral state of knowledge must be free from attachment to action and equally free from attachment to inaction. Especially must any tendency to mere inertia of mind or vitality or body be surmounted, and if that habit is found growing on the nature, the will of the Purusha must be used to dismiss it. Eventually, a state arrives when the life and the body perform as mere instruments the will of the Purusha in the mind without any strain or attachment, without their putting themselves into the action with that inferior, eager and often feverish energy which is the nature of their ordinary working; they come to work as forces of Nature work without the fret and toil and reaction characteristic of life in the body when it is not yet master of the physical. When we attain to this perfection, then action and inaction become immaterial, since neither interferes with the freedom of the soul or draws it away from its urge towards the Self or its poise in the Self. But this state of perfection arrives later in the Yoga and till then the law of moderation laid down by the Gita is the best for us ; too much mental or physical action then is not good since excess draws away too much energy and reacts unfavourably upon the spiritual condition; too little also is not good since defect leads to a habit of inaction and even to an incapacity which has afterwards to be surmounted with difficulty. Still, periods of absolute calm, solitude and cessation from works are highly desirable and should be secured as often as possible for that recession of the soul into itself which is indispensable to knowledge. " CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-347-348, What is the Cosmic Consciousness of the Gita ?: "For when the Gita describes the nature of this self-realisation and the result of the Yoga which comes by Nirvana of the separative ego-mind and its motives of thought and feeling and action into the Brahman -consciousness, it includes the cosmic sense, though lifted into a new kind of vision . “The man whose self is in Yoga , sees the self in all beings and all beings in the self, he sees all with an equal vision.” (The Gita-6.29) All that he sees is to him the Self, all is his self, all is the Divine. But is there no danger, if he dwells at all in the mutability of the Kshara , of his losing all the results of this difficult Yoga, losing the Self and falling back into the mind, of the Divine losing him and the world getting him, of his losing the Divine and getting back in its place the ego and the lower nature? No, says the Gita ; “he who sees Me everywhere and sees all in Me, to him I do not get lost, nor does he get lost to Me.” (The Gita-6.30) For this peace of Nirvana , though it is gained through the Akshara , is founded upon the being of the Purushottama , matsamstham , (The Gita-6.15) and that is extended, the Divine, the Brahman is extended too in the world of beings and, though transcendent of it, not imprisoned in its own transcendence. One has to see all things as He and live and act wholly in that vision; that is the perfect fruit of the Yoga. " CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-244 Why Action is indispensable in the Gita's Yoga?: "But why act? Is it not safer to sit in one’s solitude looking out upon the world, if you will, seeing it in Brahman , in the Divine, but not taking part in it, not moving in it, not living in it, not acting in it, living rather ordinarily in the inner Samadhi ? Should not that be the law, the rule, the dharma of this highest spiritual condition? No, again; for the liberated Yogin there is no other law, rule, dharma than simply this, to live in the Divine and love the Divine and be one with all beings; his freedom is an absolute and not a contingent freedom, self-existent and not dependent any longer on any rule of conduct, law of life or limitation of any kind. He has no longer any need of a process of Yoga , because he is now perpetually in Yoga . “The Yogin who has taken his stand upon oneness and loves Me in all beings, however and in all ways he lives and acts, lives and acts in Me. ” (The Gita-6.31) The love of the world spiritualised, changed from a sense-experience to a soul-experience, is founded on the love of God and in that love there is no peril and no shortcoming. ('Wrong could not come where all was light and love.' Savitri-314) Fear and disgust of the world may often be necessary for the recoil from the lower nature, for it is really the fear and disgust of our own ego which reflects itself in the world. But to see God in the world is to fear nothing, it is to embrace all in the being of God; to see all as the Divine is to hate and loathe nothing, but love God in the world and the world in God." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-244-245 Reconciliation of Karma and Jnana Yoga : "Man, therefore, has first of all to become ethical, sukrutı , (The Gita-7.16) and then to rise to heights beyond any mere ethical rule of living, to the light, largeness and power of the spiritual nature, where he gets beyond the grasp of the dualities and its delusion, dvandva-moha . (The Gita-7.27, 28) There he no longer seeks his personal good or pleasure or shuns his personal suffering or pain, for by these things he is no longer affected, nor says any longer, “I am virtuous,” “I am sinful,” but acts in his own high spiritual nature by the will of the Divine for the universal good . We have already seen that for this end self-knowledge, equality, impersonality are the first necessities , and that that is the way of reconciliation between knowledge and works, between spirituality and activity in the world, between the ever immobile quietism of the timeless self and the eternal play of the pragmatic energy of Nature. But the Gita now lays down another and greater necessity for the Karmayogin who has unified his Yoga of works with the Yoga of knowledge. Not knowledge and works alone are demanded of him now, but bhakti also, devotion to the Divine, love and adoration and the soul’s desire of the Highest. This demand, not expressly made until now, had yet been prepared when the Teacher laid down as the necessary turn of his Yoga the conversion of all works into a sacrifice to the Lord of our being and fixed as its culmination the giving up of all works, not only into our impersonal Self, but through impersonality into the Being from whom all our will and power originate. What was there implied is now brought out and we begin to see more fully the Gita’s purpose." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-281-282, “Ultimately, nothing but omnipotence could convert the world, convince the world. The world isn't ready to experience supreme Love. Supreme Love eliminates all problems, even the problem of creation: there are no more problems, I know it since that experience [of April 13, 1962]. But the world isn't ready yet, it may take a few thousand years. Although it is beginning to be ready for the manifestation of supreme Power (which seems to indicate that this will manifest first). And this supreme Power would result from a CONSTANT identification…But this "constancy" isn't yet established: one is identified and then one isn't, is and then isn't, so things get delayed indefinitely. You wind up doing exactly what you tell others not to do – one foot here and one foot there! It just won't do.” The Mother/The Mother’s Agenda-04.07.1962 A Yogi lives and acts in Me, maye vartate : " The wisdom of the liberated man is not then, in the view of the Gita, a consciousness of abstracted and unrelated impersonality, a do-nothing quietude. For the mind and soul of the liberated man are firmly settled in a constant sense, an integral feeling of the pervasion of the world by the actuating and directing presence of the divine Master of the universe, etam vibhutim mama yo vetti. He is aware of his spirit’s transcendence of the cosmic order, but he is aware also of his oneness with it by the divine Yoga, yogam ca mama . And he sees each aspect of the transcendent, the cosmic and the individual existence in its right relation to the supreme Truth and puts all in their right place in the unity of the divine Yoga. He no longer sees each thing in its separateness, — the separate seeing that leaves all either unexplained or one-sided to the experiencing consciousness. Nor does he see all confusedly together, — the confused seeing that gives a wrong light and a chaotic action. Secure in the transcendence, he is not affected by the cosmic stress and the turmoil of Time and circumstance. Untroubled in the midst of all this creation and destruction of things, his spirit adheres to an unshaken and untrembling, an unvacillating Yoga of union with the eternal and spiritual in the universe. He watches through it all the divine persistence of the Master of the Yoga and acts out of a tranquil universality and oneness with all things and creatures. And this close contact with all things implies no involution of soul and mind in the separative lower nature, because his basis of spiritual experience is not the inferior phenomenal form and movement but the inner All and the supreme Transcendence. He becomes of like nature and law of being with the Divine, sa dharmyam agatah , (The Gita-14.2) transcendent even in universality of spirit, universal even in the individuality of mind, life and body. By this Yoga once perfected, undeviating and fixed, avikampena yogena yujyate, (The Gita-10.7) he is able to take up whatever poise of nature, assume whatever human condition, do whatever world-action without any fall from his oneness with the divine Self, without any loss of his constant communion with the Master of existence ('sarvatha vartamanopi sa yogı mayi vartate. ' The Gita-6.31) ." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-352-353, "Spirit sees spirit, the divinised consciousness sees God as directly and more directly, as intimately and more intimately than bodily consciousness sees matter. It sees, feels, thinks, senses the Divine. For to the spiritual consciousness all manifest existence appears as a world of spirit and not a world of matter, not a world of life, not a world even of mind; these other things are to its view only God-thought, God-force, God-form. That is what the Gita means by living and acting in Vasudeva, mayi vartate . The spiritual consciousness is aware of the Godhead with that close knowledge by identity which is so much more tremendously real than any mental perception of the thinkable or any sensuous experience of the sensible. It is so aware even of the Absolute who is behind and beyond all world-existence and who originates and surpasses it and is for ever outside its vicissitudes. And of the immutable self of this Godhead that pervades and supports the world’s mutations with his unchanging eternity, this consciousness is similarly aware, by identity, by the oneness of this self with our own timeless unchanging immortal spirit. It is aware again in the same manner of the divine Person who knows himself in all these things and persons and becomes all things and persons in his consciousness and shapes their thoughts and forms and governs their actions by his immanent will. It is intimately conscious of God absolute, God as self, God as spirit, soul and nature. Even this external Nature it knows by identity and self-experience, but an identity freely admitting variation, admitting relations, admitting greater and lesser degrees of the action of the one power of existence. For Nature is God’s power of various self-becoming, atma-vibhuti ." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-369, "The practical difficulty of the change from the ignorant and shackled normal nature of man to the dynamic freedom of a divine and spiritual being will be apparent if we ask ourselves, more narrowly, how the transition can be effected from the fettered embarrassed functioning of the three qualities to the infinite action of the liberated man who is no longer subject to the gunas. The transition is indispensable; for it is clearly laid down that he must be above or else without the three gunas , trigunatıta, nistraigunya . On the other hand it is no less clearly, no less emphatically laid down that in every natural existence here on earth the three gunas are there in their inextricable working and it is even said that all action of man or creature or force is merely the action of these three modes upon each other, a functioning in which one or other predominates and the rest modify its operation and results, gunagunesu vartante . (The Gita-3.28) How then can there be another dynamic and kinetic nature or any other kind of works? To act is to be subject to the three qualities of Nature; to be beyond these conditions of her working is to be silent in the Spirit. The Ishwara, the Supreme who is master of all her works and functions and guides and determines them by his divine will, is indeed above this mechanism of quality, not touched or limited by her modes, but still it would seem that he acts always through them , always shapes by the power of the swabhava and through the psychological machinery of the gunas . These three are fundamental properties of Prakriti , necessary operations of the executive Nature-force which takes shape here in us, and the Jiva himself is only a portion of the Divine in this Prakriti . If then the liberated man still does works, still moves in the kinetic movement, it must be so that he moves and acts, in Nature and by the limitation of her qualities, subject to their reactions, not, in so far as the natural part of him persists, in the freedom of the Divine. But the Gita has said exactly the opposite, that the liberated Yogin is delivered from the guna reactions and whatever he does, however he lives, moves and acts in God, i n the power of his freedom and immortality, in the law of the supreme eternal Infinite, sarvatha vartamanopi sa yogı mayi vartate . (The Gita-6.31) There seems here to be a contradiction, an impasse." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-463-464, “That work cannot be fixed by any mind-made rule or human standard; for his consciousness has moved away from human law and limits and passed into the divine liberty, away from government by the external and transient into the self-rule of the inner and eternal, away from the binding forms of the finite into the free self-determination of the Infinite. “Howsoever he lives and acts,” says the Gita, “he lives and acts in Me.” The rules which the intellect of men lays down cannot apply to the liberated soul, — by the external criteria and tests which their mental associations and prejudgments prescribe, such a one cannot be judged; he is outside the narrow jurisdiction of these fallible tribunals. It is immaterial whether he wears the garb of the ascetic or lives the full life of the householder; whether he spends his days in what men call holy works or in the many-sided activities of the world; whether he devotes himself to the direct leading of men to the Light like Buddha, Christ or Shankara or governs kingdoms like Janaka or stands before men like Sri Krishna as a politician or a leader of armies; what he eats or drinks; what are his habits or his pursuits; whether he fails or succeeds; whether his work be one of construction or of destruction; whether he supports or restores an old order or labours to replace it by a new; whether his associates are those whom men delight to honour or those whom their sense of superior righteousness out- castes and reprobates; whether his life and deeds are approved by his contemporaries or he is condemned as a misleader of men and a fomenter of religious, moral or social heresies. He is not governed by the judgments of men or the laws laid down by the ignorant; he obeys an inner voice and is moved by an unseen Power. His real life is within and this is its description that he lives, moves and acts in God, in the Divine, in the Infinite.” CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-271 Why Bhakti is the greatest Yajna? : "The Gita brings in here as always bhakti as the climax of the Yoga, sarvabhutasthitam yo mam bhajati ekatvam asthitah ; (The Gita-6.31) that may almost be said to sum up the whole final result of the Gita’s teaching — whoever loves God in all and his soul is founded upon the divine oneness, however he lives and acts, lives and acts in God. And to emphasise it still more, after an intervention of Arjuna and a reply to his doubt as to how so difficult a Yoga can be at all possible for the restless mind of man, the divine Teacher returns to this idea and makes it his culminating utterance. “The Yogin is greater than the doers of askesis, greater than the men of knowledge, greater than the men of works; become then the Yogin, O Arjuna ,” (The Gita-6.46) the Yogin, one who seeks for and attains, by works and knowledge and askesis or by whatever other means, not even spiritual knowledge or power or anything else for their own sake, but the union with God alone; for in that all else is contained and in that lifted beyond itself to a divinest significance. But even among Yogins the greatest is the Bhakta . “Of all Yogins he who with all his inner self given up to Me, for Me has love and faith, sraddhavan bhajate , him I hold to be the most united with Me in Yoga .” (The Gita-6.47) It is this that is the closing word of these first six chapters and contains in itself the seed of the rest, of that which still remains unspoken and is nowhere entirely spoken ; for it is always and remains something of a mystery and a secret, rahasyam , the highest spiritual mystery and the divine secret." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-246, 6/ Chapter 6. The Yoga of the Supreme Spirit Method of Self-discipline for a Sadhak of Integral Yoga: "The integral Yoga will make use of both the passive and the active methods according to the need of the nature and the guidance of the inner spirit, the Antaryamin. It will not limit itself by the passive way, for that would lead only to some individual quietistic salvation or negation of an active and universal spiritual being which would be inconsistent with the totality of its aim. It will use the method of endurance, but not stop short with a detached strength and serenity, but move rather to a positive strength and mastery, in which endurance will no longer be needed, since the self will then be in a calm and powerful spontaneous possession of the universal energy and capable of determining easily and happily all its reactions in the oneness and the Ananda . It will use the method of impartial indifference, but not end in an aloof indifference to all things, but rather move towards a high-seated impartial acceptance of life strong to transform all experience into the greater values of the equal spirit. It will use too temporarily resignation and submission, but by the full surrender of its personal being to the Divine it will attain to the all-possessing Ananda in which there is no need of resignation, to the perfect harmony with the universal which is not merely an acquiescence, but an embracing oneness, to the perfect instrumentality and subjection of the natural self to the Divine by which the Divine also is possessed by the individual spirit. It will use fully the positive method, but will go beyond any individual acceptance of things which would have the effect of turning existence into a field only of the perfected individual knowledge, power and Ananda. That it will have, but also it will have the oneness by which it can live in the existence of others for their sake and not only for its own and for their assistance and as one of their means, an associated and helping force in the movement towards the same perfection. It will live for the Divine, not shunning world-existence, not attached to the earth or the heavens, not attached either to a supracosmic liberation, but equally one with the Divine in all his planes and able to live in him equally in the Self and in the manifestation." CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-719-720 7/ Chapter 7. The Yoga of Knowledge Summary or A Brief Restatement: This seventh chapter deals with Para and Apara-Prakriti (The Gita-7.1 to 14) and The Synthesis of Devotion and Knowledge. (The Gita-7.15 to 28) This chapter also hints at knowing the Divine in totality, samagram mam, through intermediate Spiritual experience of cosmic Consciousness, Vasudevah sarvam iti . The action of three Gunas and the Divine Will: "There is first the distinction between the Self and the individual being in Nature. The distinction has been used to point out that this individual being in Nature is necessarily subject, so long as he lives shut up within the action of the ego, to the workings of the three gunas which make up by their unstable movements the whole scope and method of the reason, the mind and the life and senses in the body. And within this circle there is no solution. Therefore the solution has to be found by an ascent out of the circle, above this nature of the gunas , to the one immutable Self and silent Spirit, because then one gets beyond that action of the ego and desire which is the whole root of the difficulty. But since this by itself seems to lead straight towards inaction, as beyond Nature there is no instrumentality of action and no cause or determinant of action, — for the immutable self is inactive, impartial and equal to all things, all workings and all happenings, — the Yoga idea is brought in of the Ishwara, the Divine as master of works and sacrifice, and it is hinted (The Gita-5.2) but not yet expressly stated that this Divine exceeds even the immutable self and that in him lies the key to cosmic existence. Therefore by rising to him through the Self it is possible to have spiritual freedom from our works and yet to continue in the works of Nature. But it has not yet been stated who is this Supreme, incarnate here in the divine teacher and charioteer of works, or what are his relations to the Self and to the individual being in Nature. Nor is it clear how the Will to works coming from him can be other than the will in the nature of the three gunas . And if it is only that, then the soul obeying it can hardly fail to be in subjection to the gunas in its action, if not in its spirit, and if so, at once the freedom promised becomes either illusory or incomplete. Will seems to be an aspect of the executive part of being, to be power and active force of nature, Shakti, Prakriti . Is there then a higher Nature than that of the three gunas ? Is there a power of pragmatic creation, will, action other than that of ego, desire, mind, sense, reason and the vital impulse?" CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-264-265, "This lower nature of the three gunas which creates so false a view of things and imparts to them an inferior character is a Maya, a power of illusion, by which it is not meant that it is all non-existent or deals with unrealities, but that it bewilders our knowledge, creates false values, envelops us in ego, mentality, sense, physicality, limited intelligence and there conceals from us the supreme truth of our existence. This illusive Maya hides from us the Divine that we are, the infinite and imperishable spirit. “By these three kinds of becoming which are of the nature of the gunas , this whole world is bewildered and does not recognise Me supreme beyond them and imperishable.” (The Gita-7.13) If we could see that that Divine is the real truth of our existence, all else also would change to our vision, assume its true character and our life and action acquire the divine values and move in the law of the divine nature." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-276, "The first door of escape we see out of this limitation of our possibilities, out of this confused mixture of dharmas is in a certain high trend towards impersonality, a movement inwards towards something large and universal and calm and free and right and pure hidden now by the limiting mind of ego. The difficulty is that while we can feel a positive release into this impersonality in moments of the quiet and silence of our being, an impersonal activity is by no means so easy to realise. The pursuit of an impersonal truth or an impersonal will in our conduct is vitiated so long as we live at all in our normal mind by that which is natural and inevitable to that mind, the law of our personality, the subtle urge of our vital nature, the colour of ego. The pursuit of impersonal truth is turned by these influences into an unsuspected cloak for a system of intellectual preferences supported by our mind’s limiting insistence; the pursuit of a disinterested impersonal action is converted into a greater authority and apparent high sanction for our personal will’s interested selections and blind arbitrary persistences. On the other hand an absolute impersonality would seem to impose an equally absolute quietism, and this would mean that all action is bound to the machinery of the ego and the three gunas and to recede from life and its works the only way out of the circle. This impersonal silence however is not the last word of wisdom in the matter , because it is not the only way and crown or not all the way and the last crown of self-realisation (The last perfection of integral Yoga is identified as Truth supreme.) open to our endeavour. There is a mightier fuller more positive spiritual experience in which the circle of our egoistic personality and the round of the mind’s limitations vanish in the unwalled infinity of a greatest self and spirit and yet life and its works not only remain still acceptable and possible but reach up and out to their widest spiritual completeness and assume a grand ascending significance." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-545-546 "And there is this coincidence because that is always man’s highest and freest possible experience of a quietistic inner largeness and silence reconciled with an outer dynamic active living, the two coexistent or fused together in the impersonal infinite reality and illimitable action of the one immortal Power and sole eternal Existence. But the Gita adds a phrase of immense import that alters everything, atmani atho mayi. (The Gita-4.35) The demand is to see all things in the self and then in “Me” the Ishwara , to renounce all action into the Self, Spirit, Brahman and thence into the supreme Person, the Purushottama . There is here a still greater and profounder complex of spiritual experience, a larger transmutation of the significance of human life, a more mystic and heart-felt sweep of the return of the stream to the ocean , the restoration of personal works and the cosmic action to the Eternal Worker. The stress on pure impersonality has this difficulty and incompleteness for us that it reduces the inner person, the spiritual individual, that persistent miracle of our inmost being, to a temporary, illusive and mutable formation in the Infinite. The Infinite alone exists and except in a passing play has no true regard on the soul of the living creature. There can be no real and permanent relation between the soul in man and the Eternal , if that soul is even as the always renewable body no more than a transient phenomenon in the Infinite. " CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-548, "There is a secret divine Will, eternal and infinite, omniscient and omnipotent, that expresses itself in the universality and in each particular of all these apparently temporal and finite inconscient or half-conscient things. This is the Power or Presence meant by the Gita when it speaks of the Lord within the heart of all existences who turns all creatures as if mounted on a machine by the illusion of Nature. (The Gita-18.61) This divine Will is not an alien Power or Presence; it is intimate to us and we ourselves are part of it: for it is our own highest Self that possesses and supports it. Only, it is not our conscious mental will; it rejects often enough what our con- scious will accepts and accepts what our conscious will rejects. For while this secret One knows all and every whole and each detail, our surface mind knows only a little part of things. Our will is conscious in the mind, and what it knows, it knows by the thought only; the divine Will is superconscious to us because it is in its essence supra-mental, and it knows all because it is all. Our highest Self which possesses and supports this universal Power is not our ego-self, not our personal nature; it is something transcendent and universal of which these smaller things are only foam and flowing surface. If we surrender our conscious will and allow it to be made one with the will of the Eternal, then, and then only, shall we attain to a true freedom; living in the divine liberty, we shall no longer cling to this shackled so-called free- will, a puppet freedom ignorant, illusory, relative, bound to the error of its own inadequate vital motives and mental figures." CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-97-98, "But how then shall we continue to act at all? For ordinarily the human being acts because he has a desire or feels a mental, vital or physical want or need; he is driven by the necessities of the body, by the lust of riches, honours or fame, or by a craving for the personal satisfactions of the mind or the heart or a craving for power or pleasure. Or he is seized and pushed about by a moral need or, at least, the need or the desire of making his ideas or his ideals or his will or his party or his country or his gods prevail in the world. If none of these desires nor any other must be the spring of our action, it would seem as if all incentive or motive power had been removed and action itself must necessarily cease. The Gita replies with its third great secret of the divine life. All action must be done in a more and more Godward and finally a God-possessed consciousness; our works must be a sacrifice to the Divine and in the end a surrender of all our being, mind, will, heart, sense, life and body to the One must make God-love and God-service our only motive. This transformation of the motive force and very character of works is indeed its master idea; it is the foundation of its unique synthesis of works, love and knowledge. In the end not desire, but the consciously felt will of the Eternal remains as the sole driver of our action and the sole originator of its initiative." CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-104, Comprehensive Knowledge of the Supreme Lord: "This (The first six chapters of the Gita closes with this knowledge that the Divine is the source of all works and with this knowledge the Divine worker becomes free.) is what the Teacher proposes to give in the opening verses of the seventh chapter which initiate the development that occupies all the rest of the book. “Hear,” he says, “how by practising Yoga with a mind attached to me and with me as asraya (the whole basis, lodgment, point of resort of the conscious being and action) thou shalt know me without any remainder of doubt, integrally, samagram mam . I will speak to thee without omission or remainder, asesatah ,” (for otherwise a ground of doubt may remain), “the essential knowledge, attended with all the comprehensive knowledge, by knowing which there shall be no other thing here left to be known.” (The Gita-7.1-2) The implication of the phrase is that the Divine Being is all, vasudevah sarvam , and therefore if he is known integrally in all his powers and principles, then all is known, not only the pure Self, but the world and action and Nature. There is then nothing else here left to be known, because all is that Divine Existence. It is only because our view here is not thus integral, because it rests on the dividing mind and reason and the separative idea of the ego, that our mental perception of things is an ignorance. We have to get away from this mental and egoistic view to the true unifying knowledge, and that has two aspects, the essential, jnana , and the comprehensive, vijnana, (The Gita-7.2) the direct spiritual awareness of the supreme Being and the right intimate knowledge of the principles of his existence, Prakriti, Purusha and the rest, by which all that is can be known in its divine origin and in the supreme truth of its nature. That integral knowledge, says the Gita , is a rare and difficult thing ; “among thousands of men one here and there strives after perfection, and of those who strive and attain to perfection one here and there knows me in all the principles of my existence, tattvatah . (The Gita-7.3)” CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita-265-266, "The Inconscient is a sleep or a prison, the conscient a round of strivings without ultimate issue or the wanderings of a dream: we must wake into the superconscious where all darkness of night and half-lights cease in the self-luminous bliss of the Eternal. The Eternal is our refuge; all the rest are false values, the Ignorance and its mazes, a self-bewilderment of the soul in phenomenal Nature." CWSA-21-22/The Life Divine/p-666, "It may be asked how is that devotion high and noble, udara , which seeks God only for the worldly boons he can give or as a refuge in sorrow and suffering, and not the Divine for its own sake? Do not egoism, weakness, desire reign in such an adoration and does it not belong to the lower nature ? Moreover, where there is not knowledge, the devotee does not approach the Divine in his integral all-embracing truth, vasudevah sarvam iti , (The Gita-7.19) but constructs imperfect names and images of the Godhead which are only reflections of his own need, temperament and nature, and he worships them to help or appease his natural longings. He constructs for the Godhead the name and form of Indra or Agni, of Vishnu or Shiva, of a divinised Christ or Buddha , or else some composite of natural qualities, an indulgent God of love and mercy, or a severe God of righteousness and justice, or an awe-inspiring God of wrath and terror and flaming punishments, or some amalgam of any of these, and to that he raises his altars without and in his heart and mind and falls down before it to demand from it worldly good and joy or healing of his wounds or a sectarian sanction for an erring, dogmatic, intellectual, intolerent knowledge. All this up to a certain point is true enough. Very rare is the great soul who knows that Vasudeva the omnipresent Being is all that is, vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma sudurlabhah . (The Gita-7.19) Men are led away by various outer desires which take from them the working of the inner knowledge, kamais tais tair hritajnanah . (The Gita-7.20) Ignorant, they resort to other godheads, imperfect forms of the deity which correspond to their desire, prapadyante ’nyadevatah (The Gita-7.20). Limited, they set up this or that rule and cult, tam tam niyamam asthaya , (The Gita-7.20) which satisfies the need of their nature. And in all this it is a compelling personal determination, it is this narrow need of their own nature that they follow and take for the highest truth, incapable yet of the infinite and its largeness. The Godhead in these forms gives them their desires if their faith is whole; but these fruits and gratifications are temporary and it is a petty intelligence and unformed reason which makes the pursuit of them its principle of religion and life. And so far as there is a spiritual attainment by this way, it is only to the gods; it is only the Divine in formations of mutable nature and as the giver of her results that they realise. But those who adore the transcendent and integral Godhead embrace all this and transform it all, exalt the gods to their highest, Nature to her summits, and go beyond them to the very Godhead, realise and attain to the Transcendent. Devan deva-yajo yanti mad-bhakta api . (The Gita-7.23)" CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita-285-286, "In other words, the supreme Purusha is not an entirely relationless Absolute aloof from our illusions, but he is the Seer, Creator and Ruler of the worlds, kavim anusasitaram, dhataram , (The Gita-8.9) and it is by knowing and by loving Him as the One and the All, vasudevah sarvam iti, that we ought by a union with him of our whole conscious being in all things, all energies, all actions to seek the supreme consummation, the perfect perfection, the absolute release." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita-299, "This is what is intended by the phrase, vasudevah sarvam iti ; the Godhead is all that is universe and all that is in the universe and all that is more than the universe. (1)The Gita lays stress first on his supracosmic existence. For otherwise the mind would miss its highest goal and remain turned towards the cosmic only or else attached to some partial experience of the Divine in the cosmos. (2) It lays stress next on his universal existence in which all moves and acts. For that is the justification of the cosmic effort and that is the vast spiritual self-awareness in which the Godhead self-seen as the Time-Spirit does his universal works. (3) Next it insists with a certain austere emphasis on the acceptance of the Godhead as the divine inhabitant in the human body . For he is the Immanent in all existences, and if the indwelling divinity is not recognised, not only will the divine meaning of individual existence be missed, the urge to our supreme spiritual possibilities deprived of its greatest force, but the relations of soul with soul in humanity will be left petty, limited and egoistic. (4) Finally , it insists at great length on the divine manifestation in all things in the universe and affirms the derivation of all that is from the nature, power and light of the one Godhead. For that seeing too is essential to the God-knowledge; on it is founded the integral turn of the whole being and the whole nature God-wards, the acceptance by man of the works of the divine Power in the world and the possibility of remoulding his mentality and will into the type of the God-action, transcendent in initiation, cosmic in motive, transmitted through the individual, the Jiva ." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita-316 "This Godhead is the origin of all that is here or elsewhere and by his Nature he has become all these innumerable existences, abhut sarvani bhutani ; (Isha Upanishad-7) therefore man has to see and adore the One in all things animate and inanimate, to worship the manifestation in sun and star and flower, in man and every living creature, in the forms and forces, qualities and powers of Nature, vasudevah sarvam iti ." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita-344, "He is the Being, all are his becomings. He does not create out of a void, out of a Nihil or out of an unsubstantial matrix of dream. Out of himself he creates, in himself he becomes; all are in his being and all is of his being. This truth admits and exceeds the pantheistic seeing of things. Vasudeva is all, vasudevah sarvam ; but Vasudeva is all that appears in the cosmos because he is too all that does not appear in it, all that is never manifested. His being is in no way limited by his becoming; he is in no degree bound by this world of relations. Even in becoming all he is still a Transcendence; even in assuming finite forms he is always the Infinite." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita-348, "We have to arrive at the hidden truth behind its manifest appearances; we have to discover the Spirit behind these veils and to see all as the One, vasudevah sarvam iti , individual, universal, transcendent. But this is a thing impossible to achieve with any completeness of inner reality, so long as we live concentrated in the inferior Nature. For in this lesser movement Nature is an ignorance, a Maya ; she shelters the Divine within its folds and conceals him from herself and her creatures. The Godhead is hidden by the Maya of his own all-creating Yoga, the Eternal figured in transience, Being absorbed and covered up by its own manifesting phenomena. In the Kshara taken alone as a thing in itself, the mutable universal apart from the undivided Immutable and the Transcendent, there is no completeness of knowledge, no completeness of our being and therefore no liberation." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-436, Para and Apara Prakriti : “Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, reason and ego is My eightfold divided Nature, apara-prakriti. Know too My other Divine Nature, Para-prakriti, different from this Apara Prakriti ; this Supreme Nature or the Supreme Mother which becomes the Jiva in the heart and by which this world is upheld. This ‘upholding of the world,’ jagat dharayate, means Para-Prakriti also penetrates into Apara Prakriti by which this world can be purified, transformed and perfected.” The Gita-7.4, 5, "The infinite divine Shakti is present everywhere and secretly supports the lower formulation, para prakritir meyaya dharyate jagat , (The Gita-7.5) but it holds itself back, hidden in the heart of each natural existence, sarvabhutanam hriddese , (The Gita-18.61) until the veil of Yogamaya is rent by the light of knowledge. The spiritual being of man, the Jiva , possesses the divine Nature. He is a manifestation of God in that Nature, para prakritir jıva-bhuta , (The Gita-7.5) and he has latent in him all the divine energies and qualities, the light, the force, the power of being of the Godhead. But in this inferior Prakriti in which we live, the Jiva follows the principle of selection and finite determination, and there whatever nexus of energy, whatever quality or spiritual principle he brings into birth with him or brings forward as the seed of his self-expression, becomes an operative portion of his swabhava , his law of self-becoming, and determines his swadharma, his law of action." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-371-372, "The perfecting of the normal mind, heart, prana and body gives us only the perfection of the psycho-physical machine we have to use and creates certain right instrumental conditions for a divine life and works lived and done with a purer, greater, clearer power and knowledge. The next question is that of the Force which is poured into the instruments, karana , and the One who works it for his universal ends. The force at work in us must be the manifest divine Shakti, the supreme or the universal Force unveiled in the liberated individual being, para prakritir jıvabhuta , (The Gita-7.5) who will be the doer of all the action and the power of this divine life, karta . The One behind this force will be the Ishwara, the Master of all being, with whom all our existence will be in our perfection a Yoga at once of oneness in being and of union in various relations of the soul and its nature with the Godhead who is seated within us and in whom too we live, move and have our being. It is this Shakti with the Ishwara in her or behind her whose divine presence and way we have to call into all our being and life. For without this divine presence and this greater working there can be no siddhi of the power of the nature." CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-740, "But the perfection sought in the integral Yoga i s not only to be one with her in her highest spiritual power and one with her in her universal action, but to realise and possess the fullness of this Shakti in our individual being and nature. (1) For the supreme Spirit is one as Purusha or as Prakriti, conscious being or power of conscious being, and as the Jiva in essence of self and spirit is one with the supreme Purusha , (mamaivansa jivabhuta, The Gita-15.7 ) (2) so on the side of Nature, in power of self and spirit it is one with Shakti, para prakritir jıvabhuta. (The Gita-7.5 ) To realise this double oneness is the condition of the integral self-perfection. The Jiva is then the meeting-place of the play of oneness of the supreme Soul and Nature... To reach this perfection we have to become aware of the divine Shakti, draw her to us and call her in to fill the whole system and take up the charge of all our activities. There will then be no separate personal will or individual energy trying to conduct our actions, no sense of a little personal self as the doer, nor will it be the lower energy of the three gunas , the mental, vital and physical nature. The divine Shakti will fill us and preside over and take up all our inner activities, our outer life, our Yoga. She will take up the mental energy, her own lower formation, and raise it to its highest and purest and fullest powers of intelligence and will and psychic action. She will change the mechanical energies of the mind, life and body which now govern us into delight-filled manifestations of her own living and conscious power and presence. She will manifest in us and relate to each other all the various spiritual experiences of which the mind is capable. And as the crown of this process she will bring down the supramental light into the mental levels, change the stuff of mind into the stuff of supermind, transform all the lower energies into energies of her supramental nature and raise us into our being of gnosis. The Shakti will reveal herself as the power of the Purushottama , and it is the Ishwara who will manifest himself in his force of supermind and spirit and be the master of our being, action, life and Yoga. " CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-760-761, "In the second stage the individual doer disappears , but there is not necessarily any quietistic passivity; there may be a full kinetic action, only all is done by the Shakti. It is her power of knowledge which takes shape as thought in the mind; the sadhaka has no sense of himself thinking, but of the Shakti thinking in him. The will and the feelings and action are also in the same way nothing but a formation, operation, activity of the Shakti in her immediate presence and full possession of all the system. The sadhaka does not think, will, act, feel, but thought, will, feeling, action happen in his system. The individual on the side of action has disappeared into oneness with universal Prakriti, has become an individualised form and action of the divine Shakti. He is still aware of his personal existence, but it is as the Purusha supporting and observing the whole action, conscious of it in his self-knowledge and enabling by his participation the divine Shakti to do in him the works and the will of the Ishwara . The Master of the power is then sometimes hidden by the action of the power, sometimes appears governing it and compelling its workings. Here too there are three things present to the consciousness , (1) the Shakti carrying on all the knowledge, thought, will, feeling, action for the Ishwara in an instrumental human form, (2) the Ishwara , the Master of existence governing and compelling all her action, and (3) ourself as the soul, the Purusha of her individual action enjoying all the relations with him which are created by her workings. There is another form of this realisation in which the Jiva disappears into and becomes one with the Shakti and there is then only the play of the Shakti with the Ishwara, Mahadeva and Kali, Krishna and Radha, the Deva and the Devi . This is the intensest possible form of the Jiva’s realisation of himself as a manifestation of Nature, a power of the being of the Divine, para prakritir jıva-bhuta ." CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-769 Link between Para and Apara Prakriti : "The supreme nature of spiritual being gives us then both an original truth and power of existence beyond cosmos and a first basis of spiritual truth for the manifestation in the cosmos. But where is the link between this supreme nature and the lower phenomenal nature? On me, says Krishna, all this, all that is here — sarvam idam , (The Gita-7.7) the common phrase in the Upanishads for the totality of phenomena in the mobility of the universe — is strung like pearls upon a thread. But this is only an image which we cannot press very far; for the pearls are only kept in relation to each other by the thread and have no other oneness or relation with the pearl-string except their dependence on it for this mutual connection....The workings of the gunas are only the superficial unstable becomings of reason, mind, sense, ego, life and matter, sattvika bhava rajasas tamasas ca ; (The Gita-7.12) but this (Para-prakriti) is rather the essential stable original intimate power of the becoming, svabhava. It is that which determines the primary law of all becoming and of each Jiva ; it constitutes the essence and develops the movement of the nature. It is a principle in each creature that derives from and is immediately related to a transcendent divine Becoming , that of the Ishwara, madbhavah . (The Gita-8.5, 10.6, 13.19) In this relation of the divine bhava to the svabhava and of the svabhava to the superficial bhavah , of the divine Nature to the individual self-nature and of the self-nature in its pure and original quality to the phenomenal nature in all its mixed and confused play of qualities, we find the link between that supreme and this lower existence . The degraded powers and values of the inferior Prakriti derive from the absolute powers and values of the supreme Shakti and must go back to them to find their own source and truth and the essential law of their operation and movement. So too the soul or Jiva involved here in the shackled, poor and inferior play of the phenomenal qualities, if he would escape from it and be divine and perfect, must by resort to the pure action of his essential quality of Swabhava go back to that higher law of his own being in which he can discover the will, the power, the dynamic principle, the highest working of his divine nature. " CWSA-19/Essays of the Gita/p-270-272 How do we go beyond the three modes of Nature, Gunas ?: "The Gita has laid it down from the beginning that the very first precondition of the divine birth , the higher existence is the slaying of rajasic desire and its children, and that means the exclusion of sin. Sin is the working of the lower nature for the crude satisfaction of its own ignorant, dull or violent rajasic and tamasic propensities in revolt against any high self-control and self-mastery of the nature by the spirit. And in order to get rid of this crude compulsion of the being by the lower Prakriti in its inferior modes we must have recourse to the highest mode of that Prakriti, the sattwic , which is seeking always for a harmonious light of knowledge and for a right rule of action. The Purusha , the soul within us which assents in Nature to the varying impulse of the gunas, has to give its sanction to that sattwic impulse and that sattwic will and temperament in our being which seeks after such a rule. The sattwic will in our nature has to govern us and not the rajasic and tamasic will. This is the meaning of all high reason in action as of all true ethical culture; it is the law of Nature in us striving to evolve from her lower and disorderly to her higher and orderly action, to act not in passion and ignorance with the result of grief and unquiet, but in knowledge and enlightened will with the result of inner happiness, poise and peace. We cannot get beyond the three gunas , if we do not first develop within ourselves the rule of the highest guna, sattwa . “The evil-doers attain not to me,” says the Purushottama , “souls bewildered, low in the human scale; for their knowledge is reft away from them by Maya and they resort to the nature of being of the Asura . ” (The Gita-7.15) This bewilderment is a befooling of the soul in Nature by the deceptive ego. The evil-doer cannot attain to the Supreme because he is for ever trying to satisfy the idol ego on the lowest scale of human nature ; his real God is this ego. His mind and will, hurried away in the activities of the Maya of the three gunas , are not instruments of the spirit, but willing slaves or self-deceived tools of his desires. He sees this lower nature only and not his supreme self and highest being or the Godhead within himself and in the world: he explains all existence to his will in the terms of ego and desire and serves only ego and desire. ("A swimmer lost between two leaping seas" Savitri-700 (sea of Light of Supreme Self and Inconscient Self)) To serve ego and desire without aspiration to a higher nature and a higher law is to have the mind and the temperament of the Asura . A first necessary step upward is to aspire to a higher nature and a higher law, to obey a better rule than the rule of desire, to perceive and worship a nobler godhead than the ego or than any magnified image of the ego, to become a right thinker and a right doer. This too is not in itself enough; for even the sattwic man is subject to the bewilderment of the gunas , because he is still governed by wish and disliking, iccha-dvesa. (The Gita-7.27) He moves within the circle of the forms of Nature and has not the highest, not the transcendental and integral knowledge. Still by the constant upward aspiration in his ethical aim he in the end gets rid of the obscuration of sin which is the obscuration of rajasic desire and passion and acquires a purified nature capable of deliverance from the rule of the triple Maya . By virtue alone man cannot attain to the highest, but by virtue (Obviously, by the true inner punya , a sattwic clarity in thought, feeling, temperament, motive and conduct, not a merely conventional or social virtue.) he can develop a first capacity for attaining to it, adhikara . (The Gita-2.47) For the crude rajasic or the dull tamasic ego is difficult to shake off and put below us; the sattwic ego is less difficult and at last, when it sufficiently subtilises and enlightens itself, becomes even easy to transcend, transmute or annihilate." CWSA-19/Essays of the Gita/p-280-281 Reconciliation of Jnana and Bhakti Yoga : "We have now set before us three interdependent movements of our release out of the normal nature and our growth into the divine and spiritual being. “By the delusion of the dualities which arises from wish and disliking, all existences in the creation are led into bewilderment,” says the Gita . That is the ignorance, the egoism which fails to see and lay hold on the Divine everywhere, because it sees only the dualities of Nature and is constantly occupied with its own separate personality and its seekings and shrinkings. For escape from this circle the first necessity in our works is to get clear of the sin of the vital ego, the fire of passion, the tumult of desire of the rajasic nature, and this has to be done by the steadying sattwic impulse of the ethical being. When that is done, yesam tvantagatam papam jananam punyakarmanam , (The Gita-7.28) or rather as it is being done, for after a certain point all growth in the sattwic nature brings an increasing capacity for a high quietude, equality and transcendence, — it is necessary to rise above the dualities and to become impersonal, equal, one self with the Immutable, one self with all existences. This process of growing into the spirit completes our purification. But while this is being done, while the soul is enlarging into self-knowledge, it has also to increase in devotion. For it has not only to act in a large spirit of equality, but to do also sacrifice to the Lord, to that Godhead in all beings which it does not yet know perfectly, but which it will be able so to know, integrally, samagram mam , (The Gita-7.1) when it has firmly the vision of the one self everywhere and in all existences. Equality and vision of unity once perfectly gained, te dvandva-moha-nirmuktah , (The Gita-7.28) a supreme bhakti, an all-embracing devotion to the Divine, becomes the whole and the sole law of the being. All other law of conduct merges into that surrender, sarva-dharman parityajya . (The Gita-18.66) The soul then becomes firm in this bhakti and in the vow of self-consecration of all its being, knowledge, works; for it has now for its sure base, its absolute foundation of existence and action the perfect, the integral, the unifying knowledge of the all-originating Godhead, te bhajante mam drudha-vratah . (The Gita-7.28)" CWSA-19/Essays of the Gita/p-82-83 Integral Knowledge is the condition of realising Transcendent Divine Love: "For note that it is bhakti with knowledge which the Gita demands from the disciple and it regards all other forms of devotion as good in themselves but still inferior; they may do well by the way, but they are not the thing at which it aims in the soul’s culmination. Among those who have put away the sin of the rajasic egoism and are moving towards the Divine, the Gita distinguishes between four kinds of bhaktas . There are those who turn to him as a refuge from sorrow and suffering in the world, arta . There are those who seek him as the giver of good in the world, artharthı. There are those who come to him in the desire for knowledge, jijnasu . And lastly there are those who adore him with knowledge, jnanı . All are approved by the Gita , but only on the last does it lay the seal of its complete sanction. All these movements without exception are high and good, udarah sarva evaite , (The Gita-7.18) but the bhakti with knowledge excels them all, visisyate . (The Gita-7.17) We may say that these forms are successively the bhakti o f the vital-emotional and affective nature, that of the practical and dynamic nature, that of the reasoning intellectual nature, and that of the highest intuitive being which takes up all the rest of the nature into unity with the Divine. Practically, however, the others may be regarded as preparatory movements. For the Gita itself here says that it is only at the end of many existences that one can, after possession of the integral knowledge and after working that out in oneself through many lives, attain at the long last to the Transcendent. For the knowledge of the Divine as all things that are is difficult to attain and rare on earth is the great soul, mahatma , (The Gita-7.19) who is capable of fully so seeing him and of entering into him with his whole being, in every way of his nature, by the wide power of this all-embracing knowledge, sarvavit sarvabhavena . (The Gita-15.19)" CWSA-19/Essays of the Gita/p-284-285, ““There is the immutable and impersonal spiritual being (Purusha),” says Krishna later on, “and there is the mutable and personal spiritual being. But there is too another Highest (uttama purusa ) called the supreme self, Paramatman , he who has entered into this whole world and upbears it, the Lord, the imperishable. I am this Purushottama who am beyond the mutable and am greater and higher even than the immutable. He who has knowledge of me as the Purushottama , adores me (has bhakti for me, bhajati) , with all-knowledge and in every way of his natural being.” (The Gita-15.19) And it is this bhakti of an integral knowledge and integral self-giving which the Gita now begins to develop.” CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-284, “This Yoga of love will give you a highest potential force for spiritual largeness and unity and freedom. But it must be a love which is one with God-knowledge. There is a devotion which seeks God in suffering for consolation and succour and deliverance; there is a devotion which seeks him for his gifts, for divine aid and protection and as a fountain of the satisfaction of desire; there is a devotion that, still ignorant, turns to him for light and knowledge. And so long as one is limited to these forms, there may persist even in their highest and noblest Godward turn a working of the three gunas. But when the God- lover is also the God-knower, the lover becomes one self with the Beloved; for he is the chosen of the Most High and the elect of the Spirit. Develop in yourself this God-engrossed love; the heart spiritualised and lifted beyond the limitations of its lower nature will reveal to you most intimately the secrets of God’s immeasurable being, bring into you the whole touch and influx and glory of his divine Power and open to you the mysteries of an eternal rapture. It is perfect love that is the key to a perfect knowledge ." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-589, " The devotee on the other hand tends to look down on the sawdust dryness of mere knowledge. And it is true that philosophy by itself without the rapture of spiritual experience is something as dry as it is clear and cannot give all the satisfaction we seek, that its spiritual experience even, when it has not left its supports of thought and shot up beyond the mind, lives too much in an abstract delight and that what it reaches, is not indeed the void it seems to the passion of the heart, but still has the limitations of the peaks. On the other hand, love itself is not complete without knowledge. The Gita distinguishes between three initial kinds of Bhakti, that which seeks refuge in the Divine from the sorrows of the world, arta , that which, desiring, approaches the Divine as the giver of its good, artharthı , and that which attracted by what it already loves, but does not yet know, yearns to know this divine Unknown, jijnasu ; but it gives the palm to the Bhakti that knows. Evidently the intensity of passion which says, “I do not understand, I love,” and, loving, cares not to understand, is not love’s last self-expression, but its first, nor is it its highest intensity. Rather as knowledge of the Divine grows, delight in the Divine and love of it must increase. Nor can mere rapture be secure without the foundation of knowledge; to live in what we love, gives that security, and to live in it means to be one with it in consciousness, and oneness of consciousness is the perfect condition of knowledge. Knowledge of the Divine gives to love of the Divine its firmest security, opens to it its own widest joy of experience, raises it to its highest pinnacles of outlook." CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-550-551 7/ Chapter 7. The Yoga of Knowledge How Traditional and Integral Yoga are reconciled?: The Gita confirms that a seeker of truth, jijnasu , after many births of preparation, purification of impurity and sin, endeavouring with sincerity becomes a traditional Yogi and attains the highest goal of liberation of Soul or a Soul who fell from Yoga, yogabhrasta , from the past birth, in this birth strives with sincerity to overcome the samskara of many births in a brief period of this life and attains the highest goal...' (The Gita-6.45) ' "After many births of preparation, a traditional Yogi, Jnani, attains My Purushottama or Supramental state of Consciousness. Before realisation of this highest Consciousness, he also realises the intermediate stair that all this existence is Divine, the Cosmic Consciousness, Vasudevah sarvamiti. Such great Soul with realisation of Vasudevah sarvamiti or integral Yogi is very rare, samahatma sudurlava ." (The Gita-7.19) An integral Yogi, after many births of preparation, attains integral Transformation, integral Perfection and integral Knowledge. "Among thousands of seekers of truth, jijnasu, one here and there strives after perfection and becomes a Yogi. And of those few siddha Yogi who strive and attain the perfection of Yoga one here and there attains integral perfection and knows the Divine with all the principles of His existence, betti tattvatah ." (The Gita-7.3) "It must also be kept in mind that the supramental change is difficult, distant and ultimate stage; it must be regarded as the end of a far-off vista; it cannot be and must not be turned into a first aim, a constantly envisaged goal or an immediate objective. For it can only come into the view of possibility after much arduous self-conquest and self-exceeding, at the end of many long and trying stages of difficult self-evolution of the nature. (1) One must first acquire an inner Yogic consciousness and replace by it our ordinary view of things, natural movements, motives of life; one must revolutionise the whole present build of our being. (2) Next, we have to go still deeper, discover our veiled psychic entity and in its light and under its government psychicise our inner and outer parts, turn mind-nature, life-nature, body-nature and all our mental, vital, physical action and states and movements into a conscious instrumentation of the soul. (3) Afterwards or concurrently we have to spiritualise the being in its entirety by a descent of a divine Light, Force, Purity, Knowledge, freedom and wideness. (4) It is necessary to break down the limits of the personal mind, life and physicality, dissolve the ego, enter into the cosmic consciousness, realise the self, and acquire a spiritualised and universalised mind and heart, life-force, physical consciousness. (5) Then only the passage into supramental consciousness begins to become possible, and even then there is a difficult ascent to make each stage of which is a separate arduous achievement. ” (CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/281-282) Dynamic Divine Union for a Sadhaka of Integral Yoga: “There is however a possibility of arriving at this result without the passage through the passivity of the mental Purusha , by a more persistently and predominantly kinetic Yoga. Or there may be a combination of both the methods, alternations between them and an ultimate fusion. And here the problem of spiritual action assumes a more simple form. In this kinetic movement there are three stages. (1) In the first the Jiva is aware of the supreme Shakti, receives the power into himself and uses it under her direction, with a certain sense of being the subordinate doer, a sense of minor responsibility in the action, — even at first, it may be, a responsibility for the result; but that disappears, for the result is seen to be determined by the higher Power, and only the action is felt to be partly his own. (2) The sadhaka then feels that it is he who is thinking, willing, doing, but feels too the divine Shakti or Prakriti behind driving and shaping all his thought, will, feeling and action: the individual energy belongs in a way to him, but is still only a form and an instrument of the universal divine Energy. (3) The Master of the Power may be hidden from him for a time by the action of the Shakti, or he may be aware of the Ishwara sometimes or continually manifest to him. In the latter case there are three things present to his consciousness, (1) himself as the servant of the Ishwara, the Shakti behind as a great Power supplying the energy, shaping the action, formulating the results, the Ishwara above determining by his will the whole action. (2) In the second stage the individual doer disappears, but there is not necessarily any quietistic passivity; there may be a full kinetic action, only all is done by the Shakti . It is her power of knowledge which takes shape as thought in the mind; the sadhaka has no sense of himself thinking, but of the Shakti thinking in him. The will and the feelings and action are also in the same way nothing but a formation, operation, activity of the Shakti in her immediate presence and full possession of all the system. (3) The sadhaka does not think, will, act, feel, but thought, will, feeling, action happen in his system. The individual on the side of action has disappeared into oneness with universal Prakriti, has become an individualised form and action of the divine Shakti. He is still aware of his personal existence, but it is as the Purusha supporting and observing the whole action, conscious of it in his self-knowledge and enabling by his participation the divine Shakti to do in him the works and the will of the Ishwara. The Master of the power is then sometimes hidden by the action of the power, sometimes appears governing it and compelling its workings. Here too there are three things present to the consciousness, (1) the Shakti carrying on all the knowledge, thought, will, feeling, action for the Ishwara in an instrumental human form, the Ishwara, the Master of existence governing and compelling all her action, and ourself as the soul, the Purusha of her individual action enjoying all the relations with him which are created by her workings. (2) There is another form of this realisation in which the Jiva disappears into and becomes one with the Shakti and there is then only the play of the Shakti with the Ishwara, Mahadeva and Kali, Krishna and Radha, the Deva and the Devi. (3) This is the intensest possible form of the Jiva’s realisation of himself as a manifestation of Nature, a power of the being of the Divine, para prakritir jıva-bhuta. ” CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-768-769 8/ Chapter 8 - The Immutable Brahman Summary or A Brief Restatement: Integral Yoga's Maha mantra 'All life is Yoga' is derived from this chapter, where Arjuna was asked by the Lord, "tasmat sarvesu kalesu Yoga Yukto Bhavarjuna , therefore all Time of All Life be in Yoga, O Arjuna." (The Gita-8.27) The other complementary Mantra is "tasmat sarvesu kalesu mam anusmara yudhya cha, therefore, at all Times of All Life remember Me and fight." (The Gita-8.7) In Integral Education and Integral Yoga, birth to death and death to rebirth are recognised as a long training ground of the Soul, in ascending and descending multiple planes of Consciousness. Life and Death are both opportunities for the evolution of Consciousness and not a cessation of growth. “I have also come to realize that for this sadhana of the body, the mantra is essential. Sri Aurobindo gave none; he said that one should be able to do all the work without having to resort to external means. Had he reached the point where we are now, he would have seen that the purely psychological method is inadequate and that a japa is necessary, because only japa has a direct action on the body. So I had to find the method all alone, to find my mantra by myself. But now that things are ready, I have done ten years of work in a few months. That is the difficulty, it requires time ... And I repeat my mantra constantly – when I am awake and even when I sleep. I say it even when I am getting dressed, when I eat, when I work, when I speak with others; it is there, just behind in the background, all the time, all the time…In fact, you can immediately see the difference between those who have a mantra and those who don’t. With those who have no mantra, even if they have a strong habit of meditation or concentration, something around them remains hazy and vague . Whereas the japa imparts to those who practice it a kind of precision, a kind of solidity: an armature. They become galvanized, as it were.” The Mother’s Agenda/ May 19, 1959, Seven Questions raised by Arjuna : (1) What is tad brahma , (2) what is adhyatma and (3) what is karma , O Purushottama ? (4) What is declared to be adhibhuta, (5) what is called adhidaiva ? (6) What is adhiyajna in this body? O Madhusudana ? (7) And how in the critical moment of departure from physical existence, art Thou to be known by the self-controlled?” The Gita-8.1, 2 Answer attempted: "The Blessed Lord said: (1) The Akshara or the Immutable is the supreme Brahman; (2) svabhava is called adhyatma , (3) Karma is the name given to the creative movement, visargah which brings into existence all beings and their subjective and objective states. (4) Adhibhuta is ksharo bhavah or mutable state, (5) adhidaiva is Purusha or Soul within Nature; (6) I myself am the lord of sacrifice, adhiyajna here in the body. (7) Whoever leaves his body and departs remembering Me at the time of his death, comes to My status of being, madbhava ; there is no doubt about that." The Gita-8.3, 4, 5 The last transformation of its phenomenal nature and existence: "Man, born into the world, revolves between world and world in the action of Prakriti and Karma . Purusha in Prakriti is his formula: what the soul in him thinks, contemplates and acts, that always he becomes. All that he had been, determined his present birth; and all that he is, thinks, does in this life up to the moment of his death, determines what he will become in the worlds beyond and in lives yet to be. If birth is a becoming, death also is a becoming, not by any means a cessation. The body is abandoned, but the soul goes on its way, tyaktva kalevaram (The Gita-8.5). Much then depends on what he is at the critical moment of his departure. For whatever form of becoming his consciousness is fixed on at the time of death and has been full of that always in his mind and thought before death, to that form he must attain, since the Prakriti by Karma works out the soul’s thoughts and energies and that is in real fact her whole business. Therefore, if the soul in the human being desires to attain to the status of the Purushottama , there are two necessities , two conditions which must be satisfied before that can be possible. (1) He must have moulded towards that ideal his whole inner life in his earthly living; and (2) he must be faithful to his aspiration and will in his departing. “Whoever leaves his body and departs” says Krishna “remembering Me at his time of end, comes to my bhava ,” (The Gita-8.5) that of the Purushottama , my status of being. He is united with the original being of the Divine and that is the ultimate becoming of the soul, paro bhavah , (The Gita-9.11) the last result of Karma in its return upon itself and towards its source. The soul which has followed the play of cosmic evolution that veils here its essential spiritual nature, its original form of becoming, svabhava, and has passed through all these other ways of becoming of its consciousness which are only its phenomena, tamtambhavam , (The Gita-8.6) returns to that essential nature and, finding through this return its true self and spirit, comes to the original status of being which is from the point of view of the return a highest becoming, mad-bhavam (The Gita-8.5). In a certain sense we may say that it becomes God , since it unites itself with nature of the Divine in a last transformation of its own phenomenal nature and existence." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-294-295 The Popular Religion: "The Gita here lays a great stress on the thought and state of mind at the time of death, a stress which will with difficulty be understood if we do not recognise what may be called the self-creative power of the consciousness. What the thought, the inner regard, the faith, sraddha , settles itself upon with a complete and definite insistence, into that our inner being tends to change. This tendency becomes a decisive force when we go to those higher spiritual and self-evolved experiences which are less dependent on external things than is our ordinary psychology, enslaved as that is to outward Nature . There we can see ourselves steadily becoming that on which we keep our minds fixed and to which we constantly aspire. Therefore there any lapse of the thought, any infidelity of the memory means always a retardation of the change or some fall in its process and a going back towards what we were before , — at least so long as we have not substantially and irrevocably fixed our new becoming. When we have done that, when we have made it normal to our experience, the memory of it remains self-existently because that now is the natural form of our consciousness. In the critical moment of passing from the mortal plane of living, the importance of our then state of consciousness becomes evident. But it is not a death-bed remembrance at variance with or insufficiently prepared by the whole tenor of our life and our past subjectivity that can have this saving power. The thought of the Gita here is not on a par with the indulgences and facilities of popular religion ; it has nothing in common with the crude fancies that make the absolution and last unction of the priest, an edifying “Christian” death after an unedifying profane life or the precaution or accident of a death in sacred Benares or holy Ganges a sufficient machinery of salvation. The divine subjective becoming on which the mind has to be fixed firmly in the moment of the physical death, yam smaran bhavam tyajati ante kalevaram , (The Gita-8.6) must have been one into which the soul was at each moment growing inwardly during the physical life, sada tad-bhava-bhavitah . (The Gita-8.6) “Therefore,” says the divine Teacher, “at all times remember me and fight; for if thy mind and thy understanding are always fixed on and given up to Me, mayi arpita-mano-buddhih , to Me thou shalt surely come. (The Gita-8.7) For it is by thinking always of him with a consciousness united with him in an undeviating Yoga of constant practice that one comes to the divine and supreme Purusha .” CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-295-296 “Yoga is not a matter of theory or dogma, like philosophy or popular religion, but a matter of experience. Its experience is that of a conscient universal and supracosmic Being with whom it brings us into union, and this conscious experience of union with the Invisible, always renewable and verifiable, is as valid as our conscious experience of a physical world and of visible bodies with whose invisible minds we daily communicate.” CWSA/24/The Synthesis of Yoga-555, “In the transformation of ordinary religious worship into the Yoga of pure Bhakti we see this development from the motived and interested worship of popular religion into a principle of motiveless and self-existent love. This last is in fact the touch-stone of the real Bhakti and shows whether we are really in the central way or are only upon one of the bypaths leading to it. We have to throw away the props of our weakness, the motives of the ego, the lures of our lower nature before we can deserve the divine union.” CWSA/24/The Synthesis of Yoga-553, "Buddhism only became a popular religion when Buddha had taken the place of the supreme Deity as an object of worship." CWSA/24/The Synthesis of Yoga-556, "Even popular religion is a sort of ignorant Yoga of devotion." CWSA/24/The Synthesis of Yoga-559, "The origin of this divine fear was crude enough in some of the primitive popular religions." CWSA/24/The Synthesis of Yoga-562, “All that is popular Yoga . (The correspondent wrote, “It is said that if a disciple receives his Guru’s touch or grace, his main difficulties very often disappear.”) The Guru’s touch or grace may open something, but the difficulties have always to be worked out still. What is true is that if there is complete surrender which implies the prominence of the psychic, these difficulties are no longer felt as a burden or obstacle but only as superficial imperfections which the working of the grace will remove.” CWSA-29/Letters on Yoga-II/p-197, “You see, the faith of people is a superstition – it’s not faith, it’s superstition. Now there are more and more people who think they have faith, and they ask me ridiculous things! They have superstitions like. Someone brings me a child born with a deformed arm, and the superstition is that if I put my hand on the arm of the child, he’ll be healed.... Things like that. It’s completely stupid. That’s not Power! They need a little miracle, you know, at their level.” The Mother’s Agenda-8.05.1971, "Sri Ramakrishna’s saying, “With the Guru’s grace all difficulties can disappear in a flash, even as agelong darkness does the moment you strike a match.” This is possible after long tapasya , “This “state of grace” is often prepared by a long tapasya or purification in which nothing decisive seems to happen, only touches or glimpses or passing experiences at the most, and it (decisive change) comes suddenly without warning.” CWSA-29/Letters on Yoga-II/p-195, "But it has given me a very precise picture of what would happen if for some reason or other I were no longer here.... Everyone would use my name to ... (Mother laughs) It would be frightening!" The Mother's Agenda-April 23, 1968, "The surest way towards this integral fulfilment is to find the Master of the secret who dwells within us, open ourselves constantly to the divine Power which is also the divine Wisdom and Love and trust to it to effect the conversion. But it is difficult for the egoistic consciousness to do this at all at the beginning. And, if done at all, it is still difficult to do it perfectly and in every strand of our nature. It is difficult at first because our egoistic habits of thought, of sensation, of feeling block up the avenues by which we can arrive at the perception that is needed. It is difficult afterwards because the faith, the surrender, the courage requisite in this path are not easy to the ego-clouded soul. The divine working is not the working which the egoistic mind desires or approves; for it uses error in order to arrive at truth, suffering in order to arrive at bliss, imperfection in order to arrive at perfection. The ego cannot see where it is being led; it revolts against the leading, loses confidence, loses courage. These failings would not matter; for the divine Guide within is not offended by our revolt, not discouraged by our want of faith or repelled by our weakness; he has the entire love of the mother and the entire patience of the teacher. But by withdrawing our assent from the guidance we lose the consciousness, though not all the actuality — not, in any case, the eventuality of its benefit. And we withdraw our assent because we fail to distinguish our higher Self from the lower through which he is preparing his self-revelation. As in the world, so in ourselves, we cannot see God because of his workings and, especially, because he works in us through our nature and not by a succession of arbitrary miracles. Man demands miracles that he may have faith; he wishes to be dazzled in order that he may see. And this impatience, this ignorance may turn into a great danger and disaster if, in our revolt against the divine leading, we call in another distorting Force more satisfying to our impulses and desires and ask it to guide us and give it the Divine Name." CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-63-64 The Last state of a Yogi before Death and How will one easily get the Divine in life? : "The Gita describes the last state of the mind of the Yogin in which he passes from life through death to this supreme divine existence. A motionless mind, a soul armed with the strength of Yoga, a union with God in bhakti , — the union by love is not here superseded by the featureless unification through knowledge, it remains to the end a part of the supreme force of the Yoga, — and the life-force entirely drawn up and set between the brows in the seat of mystic vision . All the doors of the sense are closed, the mind is shut in into the heart, the life-force taken up out of its diffused movement into the head, the intelligence concentrated in the utterance of the sacred syllable OM and its conceptive thought in the remembrance of the supreme Godhead, mam anusmaran ( The Gita-8.13). That is the established Yogic way of going , a last offering up of the whole being to the Eternal, the Transcendent. But still that is only a process; the essential condition is the constant undeviating memory of the Divine in life , even in action and battle — mam anusmara yudhya cha (The Gita-8.7)— and the turning of the whole act of living into an uninterrupted Yoga, nitya-yoga (The Gita-8.14). Whoever does that, finds Me easy to attain , says the Godhead; he is the great soul who reaches the supreme perfection." (CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-297) All our life is a Yoga: "For that is after all the essential, to make the whole being one with the Divine, so entirely and in all ways one as to be naturally and constantly fixed in union, and thus to make all living, not only thought and meditation, but action, labour, battle, a remembering of God. “Remember me and fight,” (The Gita-8.7) means not to lose the ever-present thought of the Eternal for one single moment in the clash of the temporal which normally absorbs our minds, and that seems sufficiently difficult, almost impossible. It is entirely possible indeed only if the other conditions are satisfied. If we have become in our consciousness one self with all, one self which is always to our thought the Divine, and even our eyes and our other senses see and sense the Divine Being everywhere so that it is impossible for us at any time at all to feel or think of anything as that merely which the unenlightened sense perceives, but only as the Godhead at once concealed and manifested in that form, and if our will is one in consciousness with a supreme will and every act of will, of mind, of body is felt to come from it, to be its movement, instinct with it or identical, then what the Gita demands can be integrally done. The remembrance of the Divine Being becomes no longer an intermittent act of the mind, but the natural condition of our activities and in a way the very substance of the consciousness. The Jiva has become possessed of its right and natural, its spiritual relation to the Purushottama and all our life is a Yoga , (The Gita-8.27) an accomplished and yet an eternally self-accomplishing oneness." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-300, “In the beginning of the Yoga you are apt to forget the Divine very often. But by constant aspiration you increase your remembrance and you diminish the forgetfulness. But this should not be done as a severe discipline or a duty; it must be a movement of love and joy. Then very soon a stage will come when, if you do not feel the presence of the Divine at every moment and whatever you are doing, you feel at once lonely and sad and miserable…Whenever you find that you can do something without feeling the presence of the Divine and yet be perfectly comfortable, you must understand that you are not consecrated in that part of your being. That is the way of the ordinary humanity which does not feel any need of the Divine. But for a seeker of the Divine Life it is very different. And when you have entirely realised unity with the Divine, then, if the Divine were only for a second to withdraw from you, you would simply drop dead; for the Divine is now the Life of your life, your whole existence, your single and complete support. If the Divine is not there, nothing is left.” The Mother/TMCW-3/Questions and Answers-1929-1931/p-26–27, 8/ Chapter 8 - The Immutable Brahman The Attitude towards Death for a Sadhaka of Integral Yoga: “The last two sentences (In whom there is neither going and coming) contain indeed the whole gist of the matter. The true salvation or the true freedom from the chain of rebirth is not the rejection of terrestrial life or the individual’s escape by a spiritual self-annihilation, even as the true renunciation is not the mere physical abandonment of family and society; it is the inner identification with the Divine in whom there is no limitation of past life and future birth but instead the eternal existence of the unborn Soul. He who is free inwardly, even doing actions, does nothing at all, says the Gita ; for it is Nature that works in him under the control of the Lord of Nature. Equally, even if he assumes a hundred times the body, he is free from any chain of birth or mechanical wheel of existence since he lives in the unborn and undying spirit and not in the life of the body. Therefore attachment to the escape from rebirth is one of the idols which, whoever keeps, the sadhaka of the integral Yoga must break and cast away from him. For his Yoga is not limited to the realisation of the Transcendent beyond all world by the individual soul; it embraces also the realisation of the Universal, “the sum-total of all souls”, and cannot therefore be confined to the movement of personal salvation and escape. Even in his transcendence of cosmic limitations he is still one with all in God; a divine work remains for him in the universe. ” CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-270-271, “Two things are needed. First, nothing in your being, no part of your being, should wish to die. That doesn’t often happen. You always have, somewhere in you, a defeatist: something tired or disgusted, which has had enough, something lazy or which doesn’t want to fight and says, ‘Ah, well, let it be over, so much the better.’ That’s enough – you’re dead. But it’s a fact: if nothing, absolutely nothing in you consents to die, you will not die. For someone to die, there is always a second, if a hundredth part of a second, when he consents. If there isn’t that second of consent, he will not die. But who is certain he doesn’t have within himself, somewhere, a tiny bit of a defeatist which just yields and says, ‘Oh well’? ... Hence the need to unify oneself. Whatever the path we may follow, the subject we may study, we always reach the same result. The most important thing for an individual is to unify himself around his divine center; that way he becomes a real individual, master of himself and of his destiny. Otherwise, he is a plaything of the forces, which toss him about like a cork in a stream. He goes where he doesn’t want to, is made to do what he doesn’t want to, and finally he gets lost in a hole without any way to stop himself doing so. But if you are consciously organised, unified around the divine center, governed and led by it, you are the master of your destiny. It’s worth trying.... At any rate, I find it’s better to be the master rather than the slave.” The Mother/ The Mother’s Agenda/September 7, 1968, “God knows, never, not one minute in my life, even when things were the darkest, the blackest, the most negative, the most painful, not once did the thought come, ‘I would like to die.’” The Mother/ The Mother’s Agenda-5/288, The Mother confirms that the death of a Spiritual man must be willed death, iccha mrityu , and it must be in complete harmony, "It is difficult to say for sure, but Ramakrishna died of cancer, and now that I have had the experience, I know in an ABSOLUTE way that this is impossible. If he had decided to go because the Divine wanted him to go, it would have been an orderly departure, in total harmony and with a total will, whereas this illness is a means of disorder." The Mother's Agenda/June 6, 1958, 9/ Chapter 9. The King-Knowledge, The King-Secret Summary or A Brief Restatement: "This truth is the secret of being which the Gita is now going to apply in its amplitude of result for our inner life and our outer works. What it is going to say is the most secret thing of all. (The Gita-9.1-3) It is the knowledge of the whole Godhead, samagram mam , (The Gita-7.1) which the Master of his being has promised to Arjuna, that essential knowledge attended with the complete knowledge of it in all its principles which will leave nothing yet to be known. The whole knot of the ignorance which has bewildered his human mind and has made his will recoil from his divinely appointed work, will have been cut entirely asunder. This is the wisdom of all wisdoms, the secret of all secrets, the king-knowledge, the king-secret. It is a pure and supreme light which one can verify by direct spiritual experience and see in oneself as the truth : it is the right and just knowledge, the very law of being. It is easy to practise when one gets hold of it, sees it, tries faithfully to live in it." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-309 The Mystery of Transcendent Godhead: "The Gita then proceeds to unveil the supreme and integral secret, the one thought and truth in which the seeker of perfection and liberation must learn to live and the one law of perfection of his spiritual members and of all their movements. This supreme secret is the mystery of the transcendent Godhead who is all and everywhere, yet so much greater and other than the universe and all its forms that nothing here contains him, nothing expresses him really, and no language which is borrowed from the appearances of things in space and time and their relations can suggest the truth of his unimaginable being. The consequent law of our perfection is an adoration by our whole nature and its self-surrender to its divine source and possessor. Our one ultimate way is the turning of our entire existence in the world, and not merely of this or that in it, into a single movement towards the Eternal. By the power and mystery of a divine Yoga we have come out of his inexpressible secrecies into this bounded nature of phenomenal things. By a reverse movement of the same Yoga we must transcend the limits of phenomenal nature and recover the greater consciousness by which we can live in the Divine and the Eternal." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-311 Manusim Tanum Asritam: "Mortal mind is bewildered by its ignorant reliance upon veils and appearances; it sees only the outward human body, human mind, human way of living and catches no liberating glimpse of the Divinity who is lodged in the creature. It ignores the divinity within itself and cannot see it in other men, and even though the Divine manifest himself in humanity as Avatar and Vibhuti , it is still blind and ignores or despises the veiled Godhead, avajananti mam mudha manusım tanum asritam. (The Gita-9.11) And if it ignores him in the living creature, still less can it see him in the objective world on which it looks out from its prison of separative ego through the barred windows of the finite mind. It does not see God in the universe; it knows nothing of the supreme Divinity who is master of these planes full of various existences and dwells within them; it is blind to the vision by which all in the world grows divine and the soul itself awakens to its own inherent divinity and becomes of the Godhead, godlike. What it does see readily, and to that it attaches itself with passion, is only the life of the ego hunting after finite things for their own sake and for the satisfaction of the earthly hunger of the intellect, body, senses. Those who have given themselves up too entirely to this outward drive of the mentality, fall into the hands of the lower nature, cling to it and make it their foundation. They become a prey to the nature of the Rakshasa in man who sacrifices everything to a violent and inordinate satisfaction of his separate vital ego and makes that the dark godhead of his will and thought and action and enjoyment. Or they are hurried onward in a fruitless cycle by the arrogant self-will, self-sufficient thought, self-regarding act, self-satisfied and yet ever unsatisfied intellectualised appetite of enjoyment of the Asuric nature. But to live persistently in this separative ego-consciousness and make that the centre of all our activities is to miss altogether the true self-awareness. The charm it throws upon the misled instruments of the spirit is an enchantment that chains life to a profitless circling. All its hope, action, knowledge are vain things when judged by the divine and eternal standard, for it shuts out the great hope, excludes the liberating action, banishes the illuminating knowledge. It is a false knowledge that sees the phenomenon but misses the truth of the phenomenon, a blind hope that chases after the transient but misses the eternal, a sterile action whose every profit is annulled by loss and amounts to a perennial labour of Sisyphus." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-325-327, "But the identity of the Lord and the soul in mutable Nature is hidden from us by outward appearance and lost in the crowding mobile deceptions of that Nature. And those who allow themselves to be governed by the figures of Nature, the figure of humanity or any other form, will never see it, but will ignore and despise the Divine lodged in the human body . Their ignorance cannot perceive him in his coming in and his going forth or in his staying and enjoying and assumption of quality, but sees only what is there visible to the mind and senses, not the greater truth which can only be glimpsed by the eye of knowledge. Never can they have sight of him, even if they strive to do so, until they learn to put away the limitations of the outward consciousness and build in themselves their spiritual being, create for it, as it were, a form in their nature. Man, to know himself, must be kritatma , (He who is perfected in Self) formed and complete in the spiritual mould, enlightened in the spiritual vision. The Yogins who have this eye of knowledge, see the Divine Being we are in their own endless reality, their own eternity of spirit. Illumined, they see the Lord in themselves and are delivered from the crude material limitation, from the form of mental personality, from the transient life formulation: they dwell immortal in the truth of the self and spirit. But they see him too not only in themselves, but in all the cosmos. In the light of the sun that illumines all this world they witness the light of the Godhead which is in us; the light in the moon and in fire is the light of the Divine. It is the Divine who has entered into this form of earth and is the spirit of its material force and sustains by his might these multitudes. The Divine is the godhead of Soma who by the rasa, the sap in the Earth-mother, nourishes the plants and trees that clothe her surface. The Divine and no other is the flame of life that sustains the physical body of living creatures and turns its food into sustenance of their vital force. He is lodged in the heart of every breathing thing; from him are memory and knowledge and the debates of the reason. He is that which is known by all the Vedas and by all forms of knowing; he is the knower of Veda and the maker of Vedanta . In other words, the Divine is at once the Soul of matter and the Soul of life and the Soul of mind as well as the Soul of the supramental light that is beyond mind and its limited reasoning intelligence." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-446-447, " That is why each Incarnation holds before men his own example and declares of himself that he is the way and the gate; he declares too the oneness of his humanity with the divine being, declares that the Son of Man and the Father above from whom he has descended are one, that Krishna in the human body, manusım tanum asritam , (The Gita-9.11) and the supreme Lord and Friend of all creatures are but two revelations of the same divine Purushottama , revealed there in his own being, revealed here in the type of humanity." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-149 Lord is the Giver of outer an inner oppulence : "The God-lover advances constantly towards this ultimate necessity of our birth in cosmos through a concentrated love and adoration by which he makes the supreme and universal Divine the whole object of his living — not either egoistic terrestrial satisfaction or the celestial worlds — and the whole object of his thought and his seeing. To see nothing but the Divine, to be at every moment in union with him, to love him in all creatures and have the delight of him in all things is the whole condition of his spiritual existence. His God- vision does not divorce him from life, nor does he miss anything of the fullness of life; for God himself becomes the spontaneous bringer to him of every good and of all his inner and outer getting and having, yoga-ksemam vahamyaham . (The Gita-9.22) The joy of heaven and the joy of earth are only a small shadow of his possessions; for as he grows into the Divine, the Divine too flows out upon him with all the light, power and joy of an infinite existence." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-331-332, "This relation of the divine fatherhood and the closer rela- tion with the Divine as the Mother-Soul of the universe have their springs in another early religious motive. One type of the Bhakta, says the Gita , is the devotee who comes to the Divine as the giver of his wants, the giver of his good, the satisfier of the needs of his inner and his outer being. “I bring to my bhakta” says the Lord “his getting and his having of good, yogaksemam vahamyaham . ” (The Gita-9.22) The life of man is a life of wants and needs and therefore of desires, not only in his physical and vital, but in his mental and spiritual being. When he becomes conscious of a greater Power governing the world, he approaches it through prayer for the fulfilment of his needs, for help in his rough journey, for protection and aid in his struggle. Whatever cru- dities there may be in the ordinary religious approach to God by prayer, and there are many, especially that attitude which imagines the Divine as if capable of being propitiated, bribed, flattered into acquiescence or indulgence by praise, entreaty and gifts and has often little regard to the spirit in which he is approached, still this way of turning to the Divine is an essential movement of our religious being and reposes on a universal truth." CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-566 Integral Devotion: "The great-souled who open themselves to the light and largeness of the diviner nature of which man is capable, are alone on the path narrow in the beginning, inexpressibly wide in the end that leads to liberation and perfection. The growth of the god in man is man’s proper business ; the steadfast turning of this lower Asuric a nd Rakshasic into the divine nature is the carefully hidden meaning of human life. As this growth increases, the veil falls and the soul comes to see the greater significance of action and the real truth of existence. The eye opens to the Godhead in man, to the Godhead in the world; it sees inwardly and comes to know outwardly the infinite Spirit, the Imperishable from whom all existences originate and who exists in all and by him and in him all exist always. Therefore when this vision, this knowledge seizes on the soul, its whole life-aspiration becomes a surpassing love and fathomless adoration of the Divine and Infinite. The mind attaches itself singly to the eternal, the spiritual, the living, the universal, the Real; it values nothing but for its sake, it delights only in the all-blissful Purusha. All the word and all the thought become one hymning of the universal greatness, Light, Beauty, Power and Truth that has revealed itself in its glory to the human spirit and a worship of the one supreme Soul and infinite Person. All the long stress of the inner self to break outward becomes a form now of spiritual endeavour and aspiration to possess the Divine in the soul and realise the Divine in the nature. All life becomes a constant Yoga and unification of that Divine and this human spirit. This is the manner of the integral devotion; it creates a single uplifting of our whole being and nature through sacrifice by the dedicated heart to the eternal Purushottama . (The Gita-9.13-14)" CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-327, "It is possible so to turn life into an act of adoration to the Supreme by the spirit in one’s works; for, says the Gita , “He who gives to me with a heart of adoration a leaf, a flower, a fruit or a cup of water, I take and enjoy that offering of his devotion”; (The Gita-9.26) and it is not only any dedicated external gift that can be so offered with love and devotion, but all our thoughts, all our feelings and sensations, all our outward activities and their forms and objects can be such gifts to the Eternal. It is true that the special act or form of action has its importance, even a great importance, but it is the spirit in the act that is the essential factor; the spirit of which it is the symbol or materialised expression gives it its whole value and justifying significance. Or it may be said that a complete act of divine love and worship has in it three parts that are the expressions of a single whole, (1) — a practical worship of the Divine in the act, (2) a symbol of worship in the form of the act expressing some vision and seeking or some relation with the Divine, (3) an inner adoration and longing for oneness or feeling of oneness in the heart and soul and spirit. It is so that life can be changed into worship, — by putting behind it the spirit of a transcendent and universal love, the seeking of oneness, the sense of oneness; by making each act a symbol, an expression of Godward emotion or a relation with the Divine; by turning all we do into an act of worship, an act of the soul’s communion, the mind’s understanding, the life’s obedience, the heart’s surrender." CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-162-163 All are equally entitled to the Supreme Liberation: "The equal Divine Presence in all of us makes no other preliminary condition, if once this integral self-giving has been made in faith and in sincerity and with a fundamental completeness. All have access to this gate, all can enter into this temple: our mundane distinctions disappear in the mansion of the All-lover. There the virtuous man is not preferred, nor the sinner shut out from the Presence; together by this road the Brahmin pure of life and exact in observance of the law and the outcaste born from a womb of sin and sorrow and rejected of men can travel and find an equal and open access to the supreme liberation and the highest dwelling in the Eternal. Man and woman find their equal right before God; for the divine Spirit is no respecter of persons or of social distinctions and restrictions: all can go straight to him without intermediary or shackling condition. “If” says the divine Teacher “even a man of very evil conduct turns to me with a sole and entire love, he must be regarded as a saint, for the settled will of endeavour in him is a right and complete will. Swiftly he becomes a soul of righteousness and obtains eternal peace.” (The Gita-9.30-31) In other words a will of entire self-giving opens wide all the gates of the spirit and brings in response an entire descent and self-giving of the Godhead to the human being, and that at once reshapes and assimilates everything in us to the law of the divine existence by a rapid transformation of the lower into the spiritual nature . The will of self-giving forces away by its power the veil between God and man; it annuls every error and annihilates every obstacle. Those who aspire in their human strength by effort of knowledge or effort of virtue or effort of laborious self-discipline, grow with much anxious difficulty towards the Eternal; but when the soul gives up its ego and its works to the Divine, God himself comes to us and takes up our burden . To the ignorant he brings the light of the divine knowledge, to the feeble the power of the divine will, to the sinner the liberation of the divine purity, to the suffering the infinite spiritual joy and Ananda . Their weakness and the stumblings of their human strength make no difference. “This is my word of promise,” cries the voice of the Godhead to Arjuna , “that he who loves me shall not perish. ” (The Gita-9.31) Previous effort and preparation, the purity and the holiness of the Brahmin , the enlightened strength of the king-sage great in works and knowledge have their value, because they make it easier for the imperfect human creature to arrive at this wide vision and self-surrender; but even without this preparation all who take refuge in the divine Lover of man, the Vaishya once preoccupied with the narrowness of wealth-getting and the labour of production, the Shudra hampered by a thousand hard restrictions, woman shut in and stunted in her growth by the narrow circle society has drawn around her self-expansion, those too, papa-yonayah , on whom their past Karma has imposed even the very worst of births, the outcaste, the Pariah, the Chandala , find at once the gates of God opening before them . In the spiritual life all the external distinctions of which men make so much because they appeal with an oppressive force to the outward mind, cease before the equality of the divine Light and the wide omnipotence of an impartial Power." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-334-335, "For from all, from the thief and the harlot and the outcaste as from the saint and the sage, the Beloved looks forth and cries to us, “This is I.” “He who loves Me in all beings,” — what greater word of power for the utmost intensities and profundities of divine and universal love, has been uttered by any philosophy or any religion?" CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-208, "If Narayana is without difficulty visible in the sage and the saint, how shall he be easily visible to us in the sinner, the criminal, the harlot and the outcaste?" CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-359 Love of the world, the mask, must change into the love of God, the Truth: " The earthly world preoccupied with the dualities and bound to the immediate transient relations of the hour and the moment is for man, so long as he dwells here attached to these things and while he accepts the law they impose on him for the law of his life, a world of struggle, suffering and sorrow. The way to liberation is to turn from the outward to the inward, from the appearance created by the material life which lays its burden on the mind and imprisons it in the grooves of the life and the body to the divine Reality which waits to manifest itself through the freedom of the spirit. Love of the world, the mask, must change into the love of God, the Truth . Once this secret and inner Godhead is known and is embraced, the whole being and the whole life will undergo a sovereign uplifting and a marvellous transmutation. In place of the ignorance of the lower Nature absorbed in its outward works and appearances the eye will open to the vision of God everywhere, to the unity and universality of the spirit. The world’s sorrow and pain will disappear in the bliss of the All-blissful; our weakness and error and sin will be changed into the all-embracing and all-transforming strength, truth and purity of the Eternal. To make the mind one with the divine consciousness, to make the whole of our emotional nature one love of God everywhere, to make all our works one sacrifice to the Lord of the worlds and all our worship and aspiration one adoration of him and self-surrender, to direct the whole self Godwards in an entire union is the way to rise out of a mundane into a divine existence. This is the Gita’s teaching of divine love and devotion, in which knowledge, works and the heart’s longing become one in a supreme unification, a merging of all their divergences, an intertwining of all their threads, a high fusion, a wide identifying movement." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-335-336, "There is a love in which the emotion is turned towards the Divine in an increasing receptivity and growing union. What it receives from the Divine it pours out on others, but truly without demanding a return. If you are capable of that, then that is the highest and most satisfying way to love." TMCW/Vol-14/Words of the Mother-II/p-122 Reconciliation of Karma, Jnana and Bhakti Yoga: “Devotion is all-important, but works with devotion are also important; by the union of knowledge, devotion and works the soul is taken up into the highest status of the Ishwara to dwell there in the Purushottama who is master at once of the eternal spiritual calm and the eternal cosmic activity. This is the synthesis of the Gita .” CWSA/19/Essays on the Gita-86, "There will be needed a will that shall make this new knowledge, vision, consciousness a motive of action and the sole motive. And it must be the motive not of an action grudging, limited, confined to a few necessary operations of Nature or to the few things that seem helpful to a formal perfection, apposite to a religious turn or to an individual salvation, but rather all action of human life taken up by the equal spirit and done for the sake of God and the good of all creatures. There will be needed an uplifting of the heart in a single aspiration to the Highest, a single love of the Divine Being, a single God-adoration. And there must be a widening too of the calmed and enlightened heart to embrace God in all beings. There will be needed a change of the habitual and normal nature of man as he is now to a supreme and divine spiritual nature. There will be needed in a word a Yoga which shall be at once a Yoga of integral knowledge, a Yoga of the integral will and its works, a Yoga of integral love, adoration and devotion and a Yoga of an integral spiritual perfection of the whole being and of all its parts and states and powers and motions." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-575-576, " This integral God-love demands too an integral work for the sake of the Divine in yourself and in all creatures. The ordinary man does works in obedience to some desire sinful or virtuous, some vital impulse low or high, some mental choice common or exalted or from some mixed mind and life motive. But the work done by you must be free and desireless; work done without desire creates no reaction and imposes no bondage. Done in a perfect equality and an unmoved calm and peace, but without any divine passion, it is at first the fine yoke of a spiritual obligation, kartavyam karma , (The Gita-3.22) then the uplifting of a divine sacrifice; at its highest it can be the expression of a calm and glad acquiescence in active oneness. The oneness in love will do much more: it will replace the first impassive calm by a strong and deep rapture, not the petty ardour of egoistic desire but the ocean of an infinite Ananda. It will bring the moving sense and the pure and divine passion of the presence of the Beloved into your works; there will be an insistent joy of labour for God in yourself and for God in all beings. Love is the crown of works and the crown of knowledge." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-590-591 9/ Chapter 9. The King-Knowledge, The King-Secret Reconciliation of Karma, Jnana and Bhakti in Integral Yoga: "In the ordinary human existence an outgoing action is obviously three-fourths or even more of our life. It is only the exceptions, the saint and the seer, the rare thinker, poet and artist who can live more within themselves; these indeed, at least in the most intimate parts of their nature, shape themselves more in inner thought and feeling than in the surface act. But it is not either of these sides separated from the other, but rather a harmony of the inner and the outer life made one in fullness and transfigured into a play of something that is beyond them which will create the form of a perfect living. A Yoga of works, a union with the Divine in our will and acts — and not only in knowledge and feeling — is then an indispensable, an inexpressibly important element of an integral Yoga. The conversion of our thought and feeling without a corresponding conversion of the spirit and body of our works would be a maimed achievement.” CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-91-92, “It (Divine Will) has all the power of a way of works integral and absolute, but because of its law of sacrifice and self-giving to the Divine Self and Master, it is accompanied on its one side by the whole power of the path of Love and on the other by the whole power of the path of Knowledge. At its end all these three divine Powers work together, fused, united, completed, perfected by each other.” CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-114, “In the integral Yoga these three lines of approach ( Karma, Bhakti and Jnana ) give up their exclusions, meet and coalesce or spring out of each other; (1) liberated from the mind’s veil over the self, we live in the Transcendence, (2) enter by the adoration of the heart into the oneness of a supreme love and bliss, and (3) all our forces of being uplifted into the one Force, our will and works surrendered into the one Will and Power, assume the dynamic perfection of the divine Nature.” CWSA/23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p- 276, "Action is the first power of life. Nature begins with force and its works which, once conscious in man, become will and its achievements; therefore it is that by turning his action God- wards the life of man best and most surely begins to become divine. It is the door of first access , the starting-point of the initiation. When the will in him is made one with the divine will and the whole action of the being proceeds from the Divine and is directed towards the Divine, the union in works is perfectly accomplished. But works fulfil themselves in knowledge; all the totality of works, says the Gita , finds its rounded culmination in knowledge, sarvam karma khilam jnane parisamapyate. (The Gita-4.33) By union in will and works we become one in the omnipresent conscious being from whom all our will and works have their rise and draw their power and in whom they fulfil the round of their energies. And the crown of this union is love; for love is the delight of conscious union with the Being in whom we live, act and move, by whom we exist, for whom alone we learn in the end to act and to be. That is the trinity of our powers, the union of all three in God to which we arrive when we start from works as our way of access and our line of contact." CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-545, “Since then the union of these three powers lies our base of perfection, the seeker of an integral self-fulfilment in the Divine must avoid or throw away, if he has them at all, the misunderstanding and mutual depreciation which we often find existent between the followers of the three paths .” CWSA/24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-548, " There is an intensity of love, as there is an intensity of knowledge, to which works seem something outward and distracting. But works are only thus outward and distracting when we have not found oneness of will and consciousness with the Supreme. When once that is found, works become the very power of knowledge and the very outpouring of love. If knowledge is the very state of oneness and love its bliss, divine works are the living power of its light and sweetness. There is a movement of love, as in the aspiration of human love, to separate the lover and the loved in the enjoyment of their exclusive oneness away from the world and from all others, shut up in the nuptial chambers of the heart. That is perhaps an inevitable movement of this path. But still the widest love fulfilled in knowledge sees the world not as something other and hostile to this joy, but as the being of the Beloved and all creatures as his being, and in that vision divine works find their joy and their justification... This is the knowledge in which an integral Yoga must live. We have to start Godward from the powers of the mind, the intellect , the will, the heart, and in the mind all is limited. Limitations, exclusiveness there can hardly fail to be at the beginning and for a long time on the way. But an integral Yoga will wear these more loosely than more exclusive ways of seeking, and it will sooner emerge from the mental necessity. It may commence with the way of love, as with the way of knowledge or of works; but where they meet, is the beginning of its joy of fulfilment. Love it cannot miss, even if it does not start from it; for love is the crown of works and the flowering of knowledge ." CWSA/24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-551 “As in the other Yogas, so in this (Integral Yoga), one comes to see divine everywhere and in all and to pour out the realisation of the Divine in all one’s inner activities and outward actions. But all is supported by the primary force of emotional union: for it is by love that the entire self-consecration and the entire possession is accomplished, and thought and action become shapes and figures of the divine love which possesses the spirit and its members.” CWSA/24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-575, “Man, too, becomes perfect only when he has found within himself that absolute calm and passivity of the Brahman and supports by it with the same divine tolerance and the same divine bliss a free and inexhaustible activity. Those who have thus possessed the Calm within can perceive always welling out from its silence the perennial supply of the energies that work in the universe.” CWSA-21/The Life Divine-31, "By constant reference of all one’s will and works to the Divine, love and adoration grow, the psychic being comes forward. By the reference to the Power above we can come to feel it above and its descent and the opening to an increasing consciousness and knowledge. Finally works, bhakti and knowledge join together and self-perfection becomes possible — what we call the transformation of the nature ." CWSA-29/Letters on Yoga-II/p-217 10/ Chapter 10. God in Power of Becoming Summary or A Brief Restatement: In this tenth Chapter, The Mother book's four mediatrix Spiritual Mother Powers are hinted as chatwaro manabastatha, (The Gita-10.6) and seven-fold Ignorance and seven-fold Integral Knowledge of The Life Divine book are hinted as Mahasaya Sapta-purbe. (The Gita-10.6) This chapter hints that Lord Himself is Consciousness, whose movement is identified as crucial in Integral Yoga. Those who learn the lesson of the movement of Consciousness, after the Psychic and Spiritual opening, are able to bridge the gulf between multiple (ten) planes of Consciousness and by bridging this gap; thus a passage is made between the highest Supreme Ananda and the lowest Inconscient sheath. E manations or the Vibhutis are having cosmic Consciousness and whoever will pursue Integral Yoga must travel for a long period in Universal Consciousness before arriving at the gate of Supramental Consciousness. Questions raised by Arjuna: " Arjuna , though he accepts the revelation of Vasudeva as all and though his heart is full of the delight of it, — for already he finds that it is delivering him from the perplexity and stumbling differentiations of his mind which was crying for a clue, a guiding truth amid the bewildering problems of a world of oppositions, and it is to his hearing the nectar of immortality, amritam , yet feels the need of such supports and indices. He feels that they are indispensable to overcome the difficulty of a complete and firm realisation; for how else can this knowledge be made a thing of the heart and life? He requires guiding indications, asks Krishna even for a complete and detailed enumeration of the sovereign powers of his becoming and desires that nothing shall be left out of the vision, nothing remain to baffle him. “Thou shouldst tell me” he says “of thy divine self-manifestations in thy sovereign power of becoming, divya atma-vibhu tayah , (The Gita-10.19) all without exception, — asesena, (without exception, The Gita-4.35) nothing omitted, — thy Vibhutis by which thou pervadest these worlds and peoples. How shall I know thee, O Yogin , by thinking of thee everywhere at all moments and in what pre-eminent becomings should I think of thee ?” This Yoga by which thou art one with all and one in all and all are becomings of thy being, all are pervading or pre-eminent or disguised powers of thy nature, tell me of it, he cries, in its detail and extent, and tell me ever more of it; it is nectar of immortality to me, and however much of it I hear, I am not satiated." CWSA-19/Essays of the Gita/p- 359-360 Special Power of Becoming of the Godhead: "Then among all these living beings, cosmic godheads, superhuman and human and subhuman creatures, and amid all these qualities, powers and objects, the chief, the head, the greatest in quality of each class is a special power of the becoming of the Godhead. I am, says the Godhead, Vishnu among the Adityas, Shiva among the Rudras, Indra among the gods, Prahlada among the Titans, Brihaspati the chief of the high priests of the world, Skanda the war-god, leader of the leaders of battle, Marichi among the Maruts , the lord of wealth among the Yakshas and Rakshasas, the serpent Ananta among the Nagas, Agni among the Vasus, Chitraratha among the Gandharvas, Kandarpa the love-God among the progenitors, Varuna among the peoples of the sea, Aryaman among the Fathers, Narada among the divine sages, Yama lord of the Law among those who maintain rule and law, among the powers of storm the Wind-God. At the other end of the scale I am the radiant sun among lights and splendours, the moon among the stars of night, the ocean among the flowing waters, Meru among the peaks of the world, Himalaya among the mountain-ranges, Ganges among the rivers, the divine thunderbolt among weapons. Among all plants and trees I am the Aswattha , among horses Indra’s horse Uchchaihsravas , Airavata among the elephants, among the birds Garuda, Vasuki the snake-god among the serpents, Kamadhuk the cow of plenty among cattle, the alligator among fishes, the lion among the beasts of the forest. I am Margasirsha , first of the months; I am spring, the fairest of the seasons.... In living beings, the Godhead tells Arjuna , I am consciousness by which they are aware of themselves and their surroundings. I am mind among the senses, mind by which they receive the impressions of objects and react upon them. I am man’s qualities of mind and character and body and action; I am glory and speech and memory and intelligence and steadfastness and forgiveness, the energy of the energetic and the strength of the mighty. I am resolution and perseverance and victory, I am the sattwic quality of the good, I am the gambling of the cunning; I am the mastery and power of all who rule and tame and vanquish and the policy of all who succeed and conquer; I am the silence of things secret, the knowledge of the knower, the logic of those who debate. I am the letter A among letters, the dual among compounds, the sacred syllable OM among words, the Gayatri among metres, the Sama-veda among the Vedas and the great Sama among the mantras . I am Time the head of all reckoning to those who reckon and measure. I am spiritual knowledge among the many philosophies, arts and sciences. I am all the powers of the human being and all the energies of the universe and its creatures....Those in whom my powers rise to the utmost heights of human attainment are myself always, my special Vibhutis . I am among men the king of men, the leader, the mighty man, the hero. I am Rama among warriors, Krishna among the Vrishnis, Arjuna among the Pandavas. The illumined Rishi is my Vibhuti; I am Bhrigu among the great Rishis . The great seer, the inspired poet who sees and reveals the truth by the light of the idea and sound of the word, is myself luminous in the mortal; I am Ushanas among the seer-poets. The great sage, thinker, philosopher is my power among men, my own vast intelligence; I am Vyasa among the sages. But, with whatever variety of degree in manifestation, all beings are in their own way and nature... powers of the Godhead; nothing moving or unmoving, animate or inanimate in the world can be without me. I am the divine seed of all existences and of that seed they are the branches and flowers; what is in the seed of self, that only they can develop in Nature. There is no numbering or limit to my divine Vibhutis; what I have spoken is nothing more than a summary development and I have given only the light of a few leading indications and a strong opening to endless verities. Whatever beautiful and glorious creature thou seest in the world, whatever being is mighty and forceful among men and above man and below him, know to be a very splendour, light and energy of Me and born of a potent portion and intense power of my existence. But what need is there of a multitude of details for this knowledge? Take it thus, that I am here in this world and everywhere, I am in all and I constitute all: there is nothing else than I, nothing without Me. I support this entire universe with a single degree of my illimitable power and an infinitesimal portion of my fathomless spirit ; all these worlds are only sparks, hints, glintings of the I Am eternal and immeasurable." CWSA-19/Essays of the Gita/p-363-365 Liberated man's view of the world around him: "But when this new self-vision and consciousness have been acquired in place of the original ignorance, what will be the liberated man’s view of the world around him, his attitude towards the cosmic manifestation of which he has now the central secret ? (1) He will have first the knowledge of the unity of existence and the regarding eye of that knowledge. He will see all around him as souls and forms and powers of the one divine Being. Henceforward that vision will be the starting-point of all the inward and outward operations of his consciousness; it will be the fundamental seeing, the spiritual basis of all his actions. He will see all things and every creature living, moving and acting in the One, contained in the divine and eternal Existence. (2) But he will also see that One as the Inhabitant in all, their Self, the essential Spirit within them without whose secret presence in their conscious nature they could not at all live, move or act and without whose will, power, sanction or sufferance not one of their movements at any moment would be in the least degree possible. Themselves too, their soul, mind, life and physical mould he will see only as a result of the power, will and force of this one Self and Spirit. (3) All will be to him a becoming of this one universal Being. Their consciousness he will see to be derived entirely from its consciousness, their power and will to be drawn from and dependent on its power and will, their partial phenomenon of nature to be a resultant from its greater divine Nature, whether in the immediate actuality of things it strikes the mind as a manifestation or a disguise, a figure or a disfigurement of the Godhead. No untoward or bewildering appearance of things will in any smallest degree diminish or conflict with the completeness of this vision. It is the essential foundation of the greater consciousness into which he has arisen, it is the indispensable light that has opened around him and the one perfect way of seeing, the one Truth that makes all others possible." CWSA-19/Essays of the Gita/p-367-368, "The liberated eye of knowledge in the spiritual consciousness does not in its outlook on the world see this struggling lower Nature alone . If we perceive only the apparent outward fact of our nature and others’ nature, we are looking with the eye of the ignorance and cannot know God equally in all, in the sattwic, the rajasic, the tamasic creature, in God and Titan, in saint and sinner, in the wise man and the ignorant, in the great and in the little, in man, animal, plant and inanimate existence. The liberated vision sees three things at once as the whole occult truth of the natural being. (1) First and foremost it sees the divine Prakriti in all, secret, present, waiting for evolution; it sees her as the real power in all things, that which gives its value to all this apparent action of diverse quality and force, and it reads the significance of these latter phenomena not in their own language of ego and ignorance, but in the light of the divine Nature. (2) Therefore it sees too, secondly, the differences of the apparent action in Deva and Rakshasa , man and beast and bird and reptile, good and wicked, ignorant and learned, but as action of divine quality and energy under these conditions, under these masks. It is not deluded by the mask, but detects behind every mask the Godhead. It observes the perversion or the imperfection, but it pierces to the truth of the spirit behind, it discovers it even in the perversion and imperfection self-blinded, struggling to find itself, groping through various forms of self-expression and experience towards complete self-knowledge, towards its own infinite and absolute. The liberated eye does not lay undue stress on the perversion and imperfection, but is able to see all with a complete love and charity in the heart, a complete understanding in the intelligence, a complete equality in the spirit. (3) Finally, it sees the upward urge of the striving powers of the Will to be towards Godhead; it respects, welcomes, encourages all high manifestations of energy and quality, the flaming tongues of the Divinity, the mounting greatnesses of soul and mind and life in their intensities uplifted from the levels of the lower nature towards heights of luminous wisdom and knowledge, mighty power, strength, capacity, courage, heroism, benignant sweetness and ardour and grandeur of love and self-giving, pre-eminent virtue, noble action, captivating beauty and harmony, fine and godlike creation. The eye of the spirit sees and marks out the rising godhead of man in the great Vibhuti ." CWSA-19/Essays of the Gita/p-373-374 The Manifestation of Godhead: "This is a recognition of the Godhead as Power, but power in its widest sense, power not only of might, but of knowledge, will, love, work, purity, sweetness, beauty. The Divine is being, consciousness and delight, and in the world all throws itself out and finds itself again by energy of being, energy of consciousness and energy of delight; this is a world of the works of the divine Shakti. That Shakti shapes herself here in innumerable kinds of beings and each of them has its own characteristic powers of her force. Each power is the Divine himself in that form, in the lion as in the hind, in the Titan as in the God, in the inconscient sun that flames through ether as in man who thinks upon earth. The deformation given by the gunas is the minor, not really the major aspect; the essential thing is the divine power that is finding self-expression. It is the Godhead who manifests himself in the great thinker, the hero, the leader of men, the great teacher, sage, prophet, religious founder, saint, lover of man, the great poet, the great artist, the great scientist, the ascetic self-tamer, the tamer of things and events and forces. The work itself, the high poem, the perfect form of beauty, the deep love, the noble act, the divine achievement is a movement of godhead; it is the Divine in manifestation....The Gita puts it in that right place and perspective. It must be based on the recognition of the divine self in all men and all creatures; it must be consistent with an equal heart to the great and the small, the eminent and the obscure manifestation. God must be seen and loved in the ignorant, the humble, the weak, the vile, the outcaste. In the Vibhuti himself it is not, except as a symbol, the outward individual that is to be thus recognised and set high, but the one Godhead who displays himself in the power. But this does not abrogate the fact that there is an ascending scale in manifestation and that Nature mounts upward in her degrees of self-expression from her groping, dark or suppressed symbols to the first visible expressions of the Godhead. Each great being, each great achievement is a sign of her power of self-exceeding and a promise of the final, the supreme exceeding. Man himself is a superior degree of natural manifestation to the beast and reptile, though in both there is the one equal Brahman. But man has not reached his own highest heights of self-exceeding and meanwhile every hint of a greater power of the Will to be in him must be recognised as a promise and an indication. Respect for the divinity in man, in all men, is not diminished, but heightened and given a richer significance by lifting our eyes to the trail of the great Pioneers who lead or point him by whatever step of attainment towards supermanhood. " CWSA-19/Essays of the Gita/p-374-375 10/ Chapter 10. God in Power of Becoming Vibhuti Yoga is considered Indispensable to pursue Integral Yoga: " The divine Teacher accedes to the request of the disciple, but with an initial reminder that a full reply is not possible. For God is infinite and his manifestation is infinite. The forms of his manifestation too are innumerable. Each form is a symbol of some divine power, vibhuti, concealed in it and to the seeing eye each finite carries in it its own revelation of the infinite. Yes, he says, I will tell thee of my divine Vibhutis, but only in some of my principal pre-eminences and as an indication and by the example of things in which thou canst most readily see the power of the Godhead, pradhanyatah, uddesatah . (The Gita-10.19, 40) For there is no end to the innumerable detail of the Godhead’s self-extension in the universe, nasti anto vistarasya me . (The Gita-10.19) This reminder begins the passage and is repeated at the end in order to give it a greater and unmistakable emphasis. And then throughout the rest of the chapter (The Gita-10.19 to 42) we get a summary description of these principal indications, these pre-eminent signs of the divine force present in the things and persons of the universe. It seems at first as if they were given pell-mell, without any order, but still there is a certain principle in the enumeration, which, if it is once disengaged, can lead by a helpful guidance to the inner sense of the idea and its consequences. The chapter has been called the Vibhuti-Yoga, — an indispensable yoga. For while we must identify ourselves impartially with the universal divine Becoming in all its extension , its good and evil, perfection and imperfection, light and darkness, we must at the same time realise that there is an ascending evolutionary power in it, an increasing intensity of its revelation in things, a hierarchic secret something that carries us upward from the first concealing appearances through higher and higher forms towards the large ideal nature of the universal Godhead." CWSA-19/Essays of the Gita/p-360-361 Triple state of Cosmic Consciousness: "It may even seem as if it were the greatest oneness, since it accepts all that we can be sensible of in the mind-created world as our own. Sometimes one sees it spoken of as the highest achievement. Certainly, it is a great realisation and the path to a greater. It is that which the Gita speaks of as the accepting of all existences as if oneself whether in grief or in joy; it is the way of sympathetic oneness and infinite compassion which helps the Buddhist to arrive at his Nirvana . Still there are gradations and degrees. In the first stage the soul is still subject to the reactions of the duality, still subject therefore to the lower Prakriti; it is depressed or hurt by the cosmic suffering, elated by the cosmic joy. We suffer the joys of others, suffer their griefs; and this oneness can be carried even into the body, as in the story of the Indian saint who, seeing a bullock tortured in the field by its cruel owner, cried out with the creature’s pain and the weal of the lash was found reproduced on his own flesh. (The second stage of Soul) But there must be a oneness with Sachchidananda in his freedom as well as with the subjection of the lower being to the reactions of Prakriti. This is achieved when the soul is free and superior to the cosmic reactions which are then felt only in the life, mind and body and as an inferior movement; the soul understands, accepts the experience, sympathises, but is not overpowered or affected, so that at last even the mind and body learn also to accept without being overpowered or even affected except on their surface. (The third state of the Soul) And the consummation of this movement is when the two spheres of existence are no longer divided and the mind, life and body obeying utterly the higher law grow into the spirit’s freedom; free from the lower or ignorant response to the cosmic touches, their struggle and their subjection to the duality ceases. This does not mean insensibility to the subjection and struggles and sufferings of others, but it does mean a spiritual supremacy and freedom which enables one to understand perfectly, put the right values on things and heal from above instead of struggling from below. It does not inhibit the divine compassion and helpfulness, but it does inhibit the human and animal sorrow and suffering." CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-416-417 11/ Chapter 11. The Vision of The World-Spirit Summary or A Brief Restatement: The Third Eye given to Arjuna : "What thou hast to see, replies the Avatar , the human eye cannot grasp, — for the human eye can see only the outward appearances of things or make out of them separate symbol forms, each of them significant of only a few aspects of the eternal Mystery. But there is a divine eye , an inmost seeing, by which the supreme Godhead in his Yoga can be beheld and that eye I now give to thee. Thou shalt see, he says, my hundreds and thousands of divine forms, various in kind, various in shape and hue; thou shalt see the Adityas and the Rudras and the Maruts and the Aswins; thou shalt see many wonders that none has beheld; thou shalt see today the whole world related and unified in my body and whatever else thou willest to behold. This then is the keynote, the central significance. It is the vision of the One in the many, the Many in the One, — and all are the One. It is this vision that to the eye of the divine Yoga liberates, justifies, explains all that is and was and shall be. Once seen and held, it lays the shining axe of God at the root of all doubts and perplexities and annihilates all denials and oppositions. It is the vision that reconciles and unifies. If the soul can arrive at unity with the Godhead in this vision, — Arjuna has not yet done that, therefore we find that he has fear when he sees , — all even that is terrible in the world loses its terror. We see that it too is an aspect of the Godhead and once we have found his meaning in it, not looking at it by itself alone, we can accept the whole of existence with an all-embracing joy and a mighty courage, go forward with sure steps to the appointed work and envisage beyond it the supreme consummation. The soul admitted to the divine knowledge which beholds all things in one view, not with a divided, partial and therefore bewildered seeing, can make a new discovery of the world and all else that it wills to see, yacca nyad drastum icchasi ; (The Gita-11.7) it can move on the basis of this all- relating and all-unifying vision from revelation to completing revelation.... The supreme Form is then made visible. It is that of the infinite Godhead whose faces are everywhere and in whom are all the wonders of existence, who multiplies unendingly all the many marvellous revelations of his being, a world-wide Divinity seeing with innumerable eyes, speaking from innumerable mouths, armed for battle with numberless divine uplifted weapons, glorious with divine ornaments of beauty, robed in heavenly raiment of deity, lovely with garlands of divine flowers, fragrant with divine perfumes. Such is the light of this body of God as if a thousand suns had risen at once in heaven. The whole world multitudinously divided and yet unified is visible in the body of the God of Gods. Arjuna sees him, God magnificent and beautiful and terrible, the Lord of souls who has manifested in the glory and greatness of his spirit this wild and monstrous and orderly and wonderful and sweet and terrible world, and overcome with marvel and joy and fear he bows down and adores with words of awe and with clasped hands the tremendous vision. “I see” he cries “all the gods in thy body, O God, and different companies of beings, Brahma the creating lord seated in the Lotus, and the Rishis and the race of the divine Serpents. I see numberless arms and bellies and eyes and faces, I see thy infinite forms on every side, but I see not thy end nor thy middle nor thy beginning, O Lord of the universe, O Form universal. I see thee crowned and with thy mace and thy discus, hard to discern because thou art a luminous mass of energy on all sides of me, an encompassing blaze, a sun-bright fire-bright Immeasurable. Thou art the supreme Immutable whom we have to know, thou art the high foundation and abode of the universe, thou art the imperishable guardian of the eternal laws, thou art the sempiternal soul of existence.” 378-379 Before Becoming a Brahmin Soul Force, one must be a Kshatriya Soul Force: "No real peace can be till the heart of man deserves peace; the law of Vishnu cannot prevail till the debt to Rudra is paid. To turn aside then and preach to a still unevolved mankind the law of love and oneness? Teachers of the law of love and oneness there must be, for by that way must come the ultimate salvation. But not till the Time-Spirit in man is ready, can the inner and ultimate prevail over the outer and immediate reality. Christ and Buddha have come and gone, but it is Rudra who still holds the world in the hollow of his hand. And meanwhile the fierce forward labour of mankind tormented and oppressed by the Powers that are profiteers of egoistic force and their servants cries for the sword of the Hero of the struggle and the word of its prophet." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-386, “Satyakama must have known perfectly well that he was the illegitimate son of a serving woman, but he wished to know his father’s name and gotra because he would have to tell it to his guru . Even after knowing the worst, he persisted in his intention of taking up spiritual studies, so that he can have had no fear of being rejected on account of his base origin. His guru , impressed by his truthfulness, says, “None but a Brahmin would have the moral strength to make such an avowal.” It can hardly be meant by this that Satyakama’s father must have been a Brahmin , but that since he had the Brahmin qualities, he must be accepted as a Brahmin. Even the Kshatriya would have hesitated to speak so truthfully, because the Kshatriya is by nature a lover of honour and shuns dishonour, he has the sense of mana and apamana; but the true Brahmin is samo manapamanayoh , he accepts indifferently worldly honour and dishonour and cares only for the truth and the right . In short the Gautama concludes that, whatever may be Satyakama’s physical birth, spiritually he is of the highest order and especially fitted for a sadhaka; na satyad agat , he did not depart from the truth.” CWSA-18/Kena and other Upanishads/p-267, Every breath of life is a breath too of death: "This last cry of Arjuna (The Gita-11.36 to 11.46) indicates the double intention in the vision. This is the figure of the supreme and universal Being, the Ancient of Days who is for ever, sanatanam purusam puranam , (The Gita-18.38) this is (1) he who for ever creates, for Brahma the Creator is one of the Godheads seen in his body, he who keeps the world always in existence, for he is the guardian of the eternal laws, but (2) who is always too destroying in order that he may new-create, who is Time, who is Death, who is Rudra the Dancer of the calm and awful dance, who is Kali with her garland of skulls trampling naked in battle and flecked with the blood of the slaughtered Titans, who is the cyclone and the fire and the earthquake and pain and famine and revolution and ruin and the swallowing ocean. And it is this last aspect of him which he puts forward at the moment. It is an aspect from which the mind in men willingly turns away and ostrich-like hides its head so that perchance, not seeing, it may not be seen by the Terrible. The weakness of the human heart wants only fair and comforting truths or in their absence pleasant fables; it will not have the truth in its entirety because there there is much that is not clear and pleasant and comfortable, but hard to understand and harder to bear . The raw religionist, the superficial optimistic thinker, the sentimental idealist, the man at the mercy of his sensations and emotions agree in twisting away from the sterner conclusions, the harsher and fiercer aspects of universal existence. Indian religion has been ignorantly reproached for not sharing in this general game of hiding, because on the contrary it has built and placed before it the terrible as well as the sweet and beautiful symbols of the Godhead. But it is the depth and largeness of its long thought and spiritual experience that prevent it from feeling or from giving countenance to these feeble shrinkings....Indian spirituality knows that God is Love and Peace and calm Eternity, — the Gita which presents us with these terrible images, speaks of the Godhead who embodies himself in them as the lover and friend of all creatures. But there is too the sterner aspect of his divine government of the world which meets us from the beginning, the aspect of destruction, and to ignore it is to miss the full reality of the divine Love and Peace and Calm and Eternity and even to throw on it an aspect of partiality and illusion, because the comforting exclusive form in which it is put is not borne out by the nature of the world in which we live. This world of our battle and labour is a fierce dangerous destructive devouring world in which life exists precariously and the soul and body of man move among enormous perils, a world in which by every step forward, whether we will it or no, something is crushed and broken , in which every breath of life is a breath too of death. To put away the responsibility for all that seems to us evil or terrible on the shoulders of a semi-omnipotent Devil, or to put it aside as part of Nature, making an unbridgeable opposition between world-nature and God-Nature, as if Nature were independent of God, or to throw the responsibility on man and his sins, as if he had a preponderant voice in the making of this world or could create anything against the will of God, are clumsily comfortable devices in which the religious thought of India has never taken refuge. We have to look courageously in the face of the reality and see that it is God and none else who has made this world in his being and that so he has made it. We have to see that Nature devouring her children, Time eating up the lives of creatures, Death universal and ineluctable and the violence of the Rudra forces in man and Nature are also the supreme Godhead in one of his cosmic figures. We have to see that God the bountiful and prodigal creator, God the helpful, strong and benignant preserver is also God the devourer and destroyer. The torment of the couch of pain and evil on which we are racked is his touch as much as happiness and sweetness and pleasure. It is only when we see with the eye of the complete union and feel this truth in the depths of our being that we can entirely discover behind that mask too the calm and beautiful face of the all-blissful Godhead and in this touch that tests our imperfection the touch of the friend and builder of the spirit in man. The discords of the worlds are God’s discords and it is only by accepting and proceeding through them that we can arrive at the greater concords of his supreme harmony, the summits and thrilled vastnesses of his transcendent and his cosmic Ananda ." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-380-382 The utility of Destruction by Time Spirit: "The highest way appointed for him is to carry out the will of God without egoism, as the human occasion and instrument of that which he sees to be decreed, with the constant supporting memory of the Godhead in himself and man, mam anusmaran , (The Gita-8.07) and in whatever ways are appointed for him by the Lord of his Nature. Nimittamatram bhava savyasacin . (The Gita-11.33) He will not cherish personal enmity, anger, hatred, egoistic desire and passion, will not hasten towards strife or lust after violence and destruction like the fierce Asura , but he will do his work, lokasangrahaya . (The Gita-3.20) Beyond the action he will look towards that to which it leads, that for which he is warring. For God the Time-Spirit does not destroy for the sake of destruction , but to make the ways clear in the cyclic process for a greater rule and a progressing manifestation, rajyam samruddham . (The Gita-11.33) He will accept in its deeper sense, which the superficial mind does not see, the greatness of the struggle , the glory of the victory, — if need be, the glory of the victory which comes masked as defeat, — and lead man too in the enjoyment of his opulent kingdom . Not appalled by the face of the Destroyer, he will see within it the eternal Spirit imperishable in all these perishing bodies and behind it the face of the Charioteer, the Leader of man, the Friend of all creatures, suhrudam sarvabhutanam . (The Gita-5.29) This formidable World-Form once seen and acknowledged, it is to that reassuring truth that the rest of the chapter is directed; it discloses in the end a more intimate face and body of the Eternal ." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-386-387, The Way to that unimaginable Transformation: "But what then is the uniqueness of this Form by which it is lifted so far beyond cognizance that all the ordinary endeavour of human knowledge and even the inmost austerity of its spiritual effort are insufficient, unaided, to reach the vision? It is this that man can know by other means this or that exclusive aspect of the one existence, its individual, cosmic or world- excluding figures, but not this greatest reconciling Oneness of all the aspects of the Divinity in which at one and the same time and in one and the same vision all is manifested, all is exceeded and all is consummated. For here transcendent, universal and individual Godhead, Spirit and Nature, Infinite and finite, space and time and timelessness, Being and Becoming, all that we can strive to think and know of the Godhead, whether of the absolute or the manifested existence, are wonderfully revealed in an ineffable oneness. This vision can be reached only by the absolute adoration, the love, the intimate unity that crowns at their summit the fullness of works and knowledge . To know, to see, to enter into it, to be one with this supreme form of the Supreme becomes then possible, and it is that end which the Gita proposes for its Yoga. There is a supreme consciousness through which it is possible to enter into the glory of the Transcendent and contain in him the immutable Self and all mutable Becoming, —it is possible to be one with all, yet above all, to exceed world and yet embrace the whole nature at once of the cosmic and the supracosmic Godhead. This is difficult indeed for limited man imprisoned in his mind and body: but, says the Godhead, “be a doer of my works, accept me as the supreme being and object, become my bhakta , be free from attachment and without enmity to all existences; for such a man comes to me.” In other words superiority to the lower nature, unity with all creatures, oneness with the cosmic Godhead and the Transcendence, oneness of will with the Divine in works, absolute love for the One and for God in all, — this is the way to that absolute spiritual self-exceeding and that unimaginable transformation ." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-394-395 11/ Chapter 11. The Vision of The World-Spirit Svarat and Samrat status of an integral Sadhak: " The idea of the Purushottama , seen here as the incarnate Narayana, Krishna, is therefore the key . Without it the withdrawal from the lower nature to the Brahmic condition leads necessarily to inaction of the liberated man, his indifference to the works of the world; with it the same withdrawal becomes a step by which the works of the world are taken up in the spirit, with the nature and in the freedom of the Divine. See the silent Brahman as the goal and the world with all its activities has to be forsaken; see God, the Divine, the Purushottama as the goal, superior to action yet its inner spiritual cause and object and original will, and the world with all its activities is conquered and possessed in a divine transcendence of the world. It can become instead of a prison-house an opulent kingdom, rajyam samriddham, (The Gita-11.33) which we have conquered for the spiritual life by slaying the limitation of the tyrant ego and overcoming the bondage of our gaoler desires and breaking the prison of our individualistic possession and enjoyment. The liberated universalised soul becomes svarat samrat, self-ruler and emperor. " CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-135, "The Gita , making its call on the warrior nature of Arjuna, starts with this heroic movement. It calls on him to turn on the great enemy desire and slay it. Its first description of equality is that of the Stoic philosopher. “He whose mind is undisturbed in the midst of sorrows and amid pleasures is free from desire, from whom liking and fear and wrath have passed away, is the sage of settled understanding . Who in all things is without affection though visited by this good or that evil and neither hates nor rejoices, his intelligence sits firmly founded in wisdom.” (The Gita-2.56-57) If one abstains from food, it says, giving a physical example, the object of sense ceases to affect, but the affection itself of the sense, the rasa, remains; it is only when, even in the exercise of the sense, it can keep back from seeking its sensuous aim in the object, artha , and abandon the affection, the desire for the pleasure of taste, that the highest level of the soul is reached. It is by using the mental organs on the objects, “ranging over them with the senses,” visayan indriyais caran , but with senses subject to the self, freed from liking and disliking, that one gets into a large and sweet clearness of soul and temperament in which passion and grief find no place. All desires have to enter into the soul, as waters into the sea, and yet it has to remain immovable, filled but not disturbed: so in the end all desires can be abandoned. To be freed from wrath and passion and fear and attraction is repeatedly stressed as a necessary condition of the liberated status, and for this we must learn to bear their shocks, which cannot be done without exposing ourselves to their causes. “He who can bear here in the body the velocity of wrath and desire, is the Yogin, the happy man.” (The Gita-5.23) Titiksa , the will and power to endure, is the means. “The material touches which cause heat and cold, happiness and pain, things transient which come and go, these learn to endure. For the man whom these do not trouble nor pain, the firm and wise who is equal in pleasure and suffering, makes himself apt for immortality.” (The Gita-2.15) The equal-souled has to bear suffering and not hate, to receive pleasure and not rejoice. Even the physical affections are to be mastered by endurance and this too is part of the Stoic discipline. Age, death, suffering, pain are not fled from, but accepted and vanquished by a high indifference. Not to flee appalled from Nature in her lower masks, but to meet and conquer her is the true instinct of the strong nature, purusarsabha , (The Gita-2.15) the leonine soul among men. Thus compelled, she throws aside her mask and reveals to him his true nature as the free soul, not her subject but her king and lord, svarat, samrat ." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-195-197, " The Gita accepts the endurance and fortitude of our struggle with the lower nature as a preliminary movement ; but if a certain mastery comes by our individual strength, the freedom of mastery only comes by our union with God, by a merging or dwelling of the personality in the one divine Person and the loss of the personal will in the divine Will. There is a divine Master of Nature and her works, above her though inhabiting her, who is our highest being and our universal self; to be one with him is to make ourselves divine. By union with God we enter into a supreme freedom and a supreme mastery. The ideal of the Stoic, the sage who is king because by self-rule he becomes master also of outward conditions, resembles superficially the Vedantic idea of the self-ruler and all-ruler, svarat samrat ; but it is on a lower plane. The Stoic kingship is maintained by a force put upon self and environment; the entirely liberated kingship of the Yogin exists naturally by the eternal royalty of the divine nature, a union with its unfettered universality, a finally unforced dwelling in its superiority to the instrumental nature through which it acts. His mastery over things is because he has become one soul with all things. To take an image from Roman institutions, the Stoic freedom is that of the libertus, the freedman, who is still really a dependent on the power that once held him enslaved; his is a freedom allowed by Nature because he has merited it. The freedom of the Gita is that of the freeman, the true freedom of the birth into the higher nature, self-existent in its divinity. Whatever he does and however he lives, the free soul lives in the Divine; he is the privileged child of the mansion, balavat , who cannot err or fall because all he is and does is full of the Perfect, the All-blissful, the All-loving, the All-beautiful. The kingdom which he enjoys, rajyam samriddham , (The Gita-11.33) is a sweet and happy dominion of which it may be said, in the pregnant phrase of the Greek thinker, “The kingdom is of the child.”" CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-207, " The witness Purusha in the mind observes that the inadequacy of his effort, all the inadequacy in fact of man’s life and nature arises from the separation and the consequent struggle, want of knowledge, want of harmony, want of oneness. It is essential for him to grow out of separative individuality , to universalise himself, to make himself one with the universe. This unification can be done only through the soul by making our soul of mind one with the universal Mind, our soul of life one with the universal Life-soul, our soul of body one with the universal soul of physical Nature. When this can be done, in proportion to the power, intensity, depth, completeness, permanence with which it can be done, great effects are produced upon the natural action. Especially there grows an immediate and profound sympathy and immixture of mind with mind, life with life, a lessening of the body’s insistence on separateness, a power of direct mental and other intercommunication and effective mutual action which helps out now the inadequate indirect communication and action that was till now the greater part of the conscious means used by embodied mind. But still the Purusha sees that in mental, vital, physical nature, taken by itself, there is always a defect, inadequacy, confused action, due to the mechanically unequal interplay of the three modes or gunas of Nature. To transcend it he has in the universality too to rise to the supramental and spiritual, to be one with the supramental soul of cosmos, the universal spirit. He arrives at the larger light and order of a higher principle in himself and the universe which is the characteristic action of the divine Sachchidananda . Even, he is able to impose the influence of that light and order, not only on his own natural being, but, within the radius and to the extent of the Spirit’s action in him, on the world he lives in, on that which is around him. He is svarat, self-knower, self-ruler, but he begins to be also through this spiritual oneness and transcendence samrat, a knower and master of his environing world of being. " CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-641, " But even a human perfection cannot dispense with equality as one of its chief elements and even its essential atmosphere. The aim of a human perfection must include, if it is to deserve the name, two things, self-mastery and a mastery of the surroundings; it must seek for them in the greatest degree of these powers which is at all attainable by our human nature. Man’s urge of self-perfection is to be, in the ancient language, svarat and samrat , self-ruler and king. But to be self-ruler is not possible for him if he is subject to the attack of the lower nature, to the turbulence of grief and joy, to the violent touches of pleasure and pain, to the tumult of his emotions and passions, to the bondage of his personal likings and dislikings, to the strong chains of desire and attachment, to the narrowness of a personal and emotionally preferential judgment and opinion, to all the hundred touches of his egoism and its pursuing stamp on his thought, feeling and action. All these things are the slavery to the lower self which the greater “I” in man must put under his feet if he is to be king of his own nature. To surmount them is the condition of self-rule; but of that surmounting again equality is the condition and the essence of the movement. To be quite free from all these things, — if possible, or at least to be master of and superior to them, — is equality. Farther, one who is not self-ruler, cannot be master of his surroundings. The knowledge, the will, the harmony which is necessary for this outward mastery, can come only as a crown of the inward conquest. It belongs to the self-possessing soul and mind which follows with a disinterested equality the Truth, the Right, the universal Largeness to which alone this mastery is possible, — following always the great ideal they present to our imperfection while it understands and makes a full allowance too for all that seems to conflict with them and stand in the way of their manifestation. This rule is true even on the levels of our actual human mentality, where we can only get a limited perfection. But the ideal of Yoga takes up this aim of Swarajya and Samrajya and puts it on the larger spiritual basis. There it gets its full power, opens to the diviner degrees of the spirit; for it is by oneness with the Infinite, by a spiritual power acting upon finite things, that some highest integral perfection of our being and nature finds its own native foundation. " CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-701-702 "Let me tell you about a recent occurrence. E. had sent a telegram saying that she had a perforated intestine (but it must have been something else because they operated on her only after several days, and when you are not operated on immediately in such cases, you die). Anyway, it was very serious and she was on the threshold of death – that much is certain. She wrote me a letter the day before the operation (what is interesting is that now she doesn’t even remember what she wrote). It was a magnificent letter saying that she was conscious of the Divine Presence and of the Divine Plan. ‘Tomorrow they will operate on me,’ she said. ‘And I am entirely aware that this operation has ALREADY been done, that it is a fact accomplished by the Divine Will; otherwise it could be a fatal ordeal.’ And she said she was conscious of the supreme Will’s action, in a perfect peace. It was a magnificent letter. And the whole thing went off almost miraculously; she recovered in such a miraculous way that the surgeon himself said, I must congratulate you, to which she replied, ‘How surprising! You did the operation!’ ‘Yes,’ he said, ‘we did the operation, but it is your body that willed to be healed, and I congratulate you for your body’s willpower.’ Of course she wrote to me that she knew who had been there to see that all went well. And this feeling of the thing being already accomplished is a beginning of the consciousness Sri Aurobindo speaks of in the ‘Yoga of Self-Perfection,’ where one is simultaneously both here and there. Because, as Sri Aurobindo says, some people have managed to be entirely ‘there,’ but what he has called the ‘realization’ is to be both there and here simultaneously." The Mother's Agenda-April 18, 1961, The Mother's Experience: "But this was merely the beginning of my vision. Only after a series of experiences – a ten months’ sojourn in Pondicherry , five years of separation, then the return to Pondicherry and the meeting in the same house and in the same way – did the END of the vision occur.... I was standing just beside him. My head wasn’t exactly on his shoulder, but where his shoulder was (I don’t know how to explain it – physically there was hardly any contact). We were standing side by side like that, gazing out through the open window, and then TOGETHER, at exactly the same moment, we felt, ‘Now the Realization will be accomplished.’ That the seal was set and the Realization would be accomplished. I felt the Thing descending massively within me, with the same certainty I had felt in my vision. From that moment on there was nothing to say – no words, nothing. We knew it was THAT... But between these two meetings he participated in a whole series of experiences, experiences of gradually growing awareness. This is partly noted in Prayers and Meditations (I have cut out all the personal segments). But there was one experience I didn’t speak of there (that is, I didn’t describe it, I put only the conclusion) – the experience where I say ‘Since the man refused I was offering participation in the universal work and the new creation and the man didn’t want it, he refused, and so I now offer it to God ....I don’t know, I’m putting it poorly, but this experience was concrete to the point of being physical. It happened in a Japanese country-house where we were living, near a lake. There was a whole series of circumstances, events, all kinds of things – a long, long story, like a novel. But one day I was alone in meditation (I have never had very profound meditations, only concentrations of consciousness – Mother makes an abrupt gesture showing a sudden ingathering of the entire being); and I was seeing.... You know that I had taken on the conversion of the Lord of Falsehood: I tried to do it through an emanation incarnated in a physical being, and the greatest effort was made during those four years in Japan. The four years were coming to an end with an absolute inner certainty that there was nothing to be done – that it was impossible, impossible to do it this way. There was nothing to be done. And I was intensely concentrated, asking the Lord, ‘Well, I made You a vow to do this, I had said, “Even if it’s necessary to descend into hell, I will descend into hell to do it....” Now tell me, what must I do?...’The Power was plainly there: suddenly everything in me became still; the whole external being was completely immobilized and I had a vision of the Supreme ... more beautiful than that of the Gita. A vision of the Supreme. And this vision literally gathered me into its arms; it turned towards the West, towards India, and offered me – and there at the other end I saw Sri Aurobindo. It was ... I felt it physically. I saw, saw – my eyes were closed but I saw (twice I have had this vision of the Supreme – once here, much later – but this was the first time) ... ineffable. It was as if this Immensity had reduced itself to a rather gigantic Being who lifted me up like a wisp of straw and offered me. Not a word, nothing else, only that... Then everything vanished... The next day we began preparing to return to India... It was after this vision, when I returned from Japan, that this meeting with Sri Aurobindo took place, along with the certainty that the Mission would be accomplished." The Mother's Agenda/December 20, 1961, Viswarupa of Divine Mother Revealed to Death God: (Death God said to Savitri) " Or if she (Divine Mother) dwells within thy (Savitri's) mortal heart, Show me the body of the living Truth Or draw for me the outline of her face That I too may obey and worship her. Then will I give thee back thy Satyavan." Savitri-655 "Or if the Mighty Mother is with thee, Show me her face that I may worship her; Let deathless eyes look into the eyes of Death, An imperishable Force touching brute things Transform earth’s death into immortal life." Savitri-664 Savitri's revelation of Viswa Rupa, Universal Vision to Death God: "A pressure of intolerable force Weighed on his (Death's) unbowed head and stubborn breast; Light like a burning tongue licked up his thoughts, Light was a luminous torture in his heart, Light coursed, a splendid agony, through his nerves; His darkness muttered perishing in her blaze. Her mastering Word commanded every limb And left no room for his enormous will That seemed pushed out into some helpless space And could no more re-enter but left him void. He called to Night but she fell shuddering back, He called to Hell but sullenly it retired: He turned to the Inconscient for support, From which he was born, his vast sustaining self; It drew him back towards boundless vacancy As if by himself to swallow up himself: He called to his strength, but it refused his call. His body was eaten by light, his spirit devoured." Savitri-667 12/ Chapter 12. Bhakti Yoga Summary or A Brief Restatement: The Gita categorically speaks of two kinds of Bhakti one that (1) of the devotion born out of many branching desires100 and (2) other that of the concentrated single pointed devotion, ekabhakti, (The Gita-7.17) after one is thoroughly established in mutable and personal Saguna Brahman consciousness and in the impersonal and immutable Nirguna Brahman consciousness. It is through the latter passage one will discover the Cosmic Consciousness, Vasudevah Sarvamiti , the vision of universal Godhead, Viswa Rupa Darshana , and the Supramental Consciousness, Purushottama. The Divine Love of this latter type of Bhakti is extensively developed in Sri Aurobindo’s epic Savitri. The traditional Sadhak Soul who is established in Bhakti, through practice of Bhakti Yoga is dear to the Divine. (1) He is having ill will to none, and having compassion and friendship to all beings, free from ego, even minded in pain and pleasure, forgives all, he is ever content, self-controlled and firm willed; his emotional mind and intellect are given up to the Divine; (2) he neither agitates the world, udbega, nor feels agitated by the world; he is free from the agitation of joy, resentment and fear; (3) he does not expect favour from anybody, is pure, skilful, indifferent, given up all initiation of work; (4) he who neither rejoices nor hates, neither grieves nor desires, has abolished the distinction between fortunate and unfortunate happenings and is full of devotion to the Divine; (5) he is equal to friend and enemy, honour and dishonour, cold and heat, pleasure and pain, praise and blame is free from attachment, silent, content with whatever comes, without attachment to home, family, clan, religion and nation, firm in emotional mind fully turned towards the Divine through devotion. "This Yoga (Integral Yoga) too is not a Yoga of knowledge alone — knowledge is one of its means, but its base being self-offering, surrender, bhakti , it is based on the heart and nothing can be eventually done without this base. There are plenty of people here who do or have done Japa and base themselves on bhakti, very few comparatively who have done the “head” meditation; love and bhakti and works are usually the base — how many can proceed by knowledge? Only the few." CWSA-29/Letters on Yoga-II/p-226-227 A Sadhaka is considered fit to pursue Yoga of self-perfection of integral Yoga and will succeed if he satisfies the condition as indicated in the Gita , “the exceedingly dear, atiba priya devotee is he who makes Purushottama his one and only supreme aim of life and with full of faith, follows the written truth of reconciling karma, jnana and bhakti Yoga in every detail or obeys the immortalising Dharma uttered by the Lord entirely;” (The Gita-12.20) or as indicated in Savitri : "Her (Savitri's) consciousness grew aware of him (Paramatma Satyavan ) alone. And all her separate self was lost in his." Savitri-410 Dwells in Me, mayi nivasisyasi : "The real goal of the Yoga is then a living and self-completing union with the divine Purushottama and is not merely a self- extinguishing immergence in the impersonal Being. To raise our whole existence to the Divine Being, to dwell in him (mayyeva nivasisyasi ), to be at one with him, unify our consciousness with his, to make our fragmentary nature a reflection of his perfect nature, to be inspired in our thought and sense wholly by the divine knowledge, to be moved in will and action utterly and faultlessly by the divine will, to lose desire in his love and delight, i s man’s perfection; it is that which the Gita describes as the highest secret. It is the true goal and the last sense of human living and the highest step in our progressive sacrifice of works. For he remains to the end the master of works and the soul of sacrifice." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-132-133, "The liberation of the Gita is not a self-oblivious abolition of the soul’s personal being in the absorption of the One, sayujya mukti; it is all kinds of union at once. There is an entire unification with the supreme Godhead in essence of being and intimacy of consciousness and identity of bliss, sayujya , — for one object of this Yoga is to become Brahman, brahmabhuta. There is an eternal ecstatic dwelling in the highest existence of the Supreme, salokya , — for it is said, “Thou shalt dwell in me,” nivasisyasi mayyeva . (The Gita-12.8) There is an eternal love and adoration in a uniting nearness, there is an embrace of the liberated spirit by its divine Lover and the enveloping Self of its infinitudes, samıpya . There is an identity of the soul’s liberated nature with the divine nature, sadrisya mukti, — for the perfection of the free spirit is to become even as the Divine, madbhavam agatah , (The Gita-4.10) and to be one with him in the law of its being and the law of its works and nature, sadharmyam agatah . (The gita-14.2) The orthodox Yoga of knowledge aims at a fathomless immergence in the one infinite existence, sayujya ; it looks upon that alone as the entire liberation. The Yoga of adoration envisages an eternal habitation or nearness as the greater release, salokya, samıpya . The Yoga of works leads to oneness in power of being and nature, sadrisya . But the Gita envelops them all in its catholic integrality and fuses them all into one greatest and richest divine freedom and perfection." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-398, "Mark that nowhere in the Gita is there any indication that dissolution of the individual spiritual being into the unmanifest, indefinable or absolute Brahman , avyaktam anirdesyam , is the true meaning or condition of immortality or the true aim of Yoga . On the contrary it describes immortality later on as an indwelling in the Ishwara in his supreme status, mayi nivasisyasi, param dhama , (The Gita-12.8, 10.12) and here as sadharmya, param siddhim, (The Gita-14.2, 1) a supreme perfection, a becoming of one law of being and nature with the Supreme, persistent still in existence and conscious of the universal movement but above it, as all the sages still exist, munayah sarve , (The Gita-14.1) not bound to birth in the creation, not troubled by the dissolution of the cycles. (The Gita-14.2) " CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-422, “The individual spirit exists and ever existed beyond in the Eternal, for it is itself everlasting, sanatana . It is evidently this idea of the eternal individual which leads the Gita to avoid any expression at all suggestive of a complete dissolution, laya , and to speak rather of the highest state of the soul as a dwelling in the Purushottama, nivasisyasi mayyeva. If when speaking of the one Self of all it seems to use the language of Adwaita, yet this enduring truth of the eternal individual, mamam sah sanatanah , (The Gita-15.7) adds something which brings in a qualification and appears almost to accept the seeing of the Visishtadwaita , — though we must not therefore leap at once to the conclusion that that alone is the Gita’s philosophy or that its doctrine is identical with the later doctrine of Ramanuja. Still this much is clear that there is an eternal, a real and not only an illusive principle of multiplicity in the spiritual being of the one divine Existence. ” CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-445-446, "And yet or rather therefore, because it is the truth of our self and spirit, the truth of its oneness with that Spirit from which all comes and by it and as its derivations and suggestions all exists and travails, it is not a negation but a fulfilment of all that mind and life point to and bear in them as their secret and unaccomplished significance. Thus it is not by a nirvana, an exclusion and negating extinction of all that we are here, but by a nirvana, an exclusion and negating extinction of ignorance and ego and a consequent ineffable fulfilment of our knowledge and will and heart’s aspiration, an uplifted and limitless living of them in the Divine, in the Eternal, nivasisyasi mayyeva , a transfigurement and transference of all our consciousness to a greater inner status that there comes this supreme perfection and release in the spirit." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-543, "This mystery of our existence signifies that what we are is not only a temporary name and form of the One, but as we may say, a soul and spirit of the Divine Oneness. Our spiritual individuality of which the ego is only a misleading shadow and projection in the ignorance has or is a truth that persists beyond the ignorance; there is something of us that dwells for ever in the supreme nature of the Purushottama, nivasisyasi mayi . This is the profound comprehensiveness of the teaching of the Gita that while it recognises the truth of the universalised impersonality into which we enter by the extinction of ego, brahma-nirvana , (The Gita-5.24, 25, 26) -- for indeed without it there can be no liberation or at least no absolute release, — it recognises too the persistent spiritual truth of our personality (Psychic being) as a factor of the highest experience. Not this natural but that divine and central being in us is the eternal Jiva. It is the Ishwara, Vasudeva who is all things, that takes up our mind and life and body for the enjoyment of the lower Prakriti; it is the supreme Prakriti , the original spiritual nature of the supreme Purusha that holds together the universe and appears in it as the Jiva . This Jiva then is a portion of the Purushottama’s original divine spiritual being, a living power of the living Eternal. He is not merely a temporary form of lower Nature , but an eternal portion of the Highest in his supreme Prakriti, an eternal conscious ray of the divine existence and as everlasting as that supernal Prakriti. One side of the highest perfection and status of our liberated consciousness must then be to assume the true place of the Jiva in a supreme spiritual Nature, there to dwell in the glory of the supreme Purusha and there to have the joy of the eternal spiritual oneness." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-549-550, Fitness to become an instrument of the descent of overhead Divine Love: “To bring the Divine Love and Beauty and Ananda into the world is, indeed, the whole crown and essence of our Yoga. But it has always seemed to me impossible unless there comes as its support and foundation and guard the Divine Truth — what I call the Supramental — and its Divine Power. Otherwise Love itself blinded by the confusions of this present consciousness may stumble in its human receptacles and, even otherwise, may find itself unrecognised, rejected or rapidly degenerating and lost in the frailty of man’s inferior nature. But when it comes in the Divine Truth and Power, Divine Love descends first as something transcendent and universal and out of that transcendence and universality it applies itself to persons according to the Divine Truth and Will, creating a vaster, greater, purer personal love than any the human mind or heart can now imagine. It is when one has felt this descent that one can be really an instrument for the birth and action of the Divine Love in the world.” CWSA-29/Letters on Yoga-II/p-333" “All true Truth of love and of the works of love the psychic being accepts in their place: but its flame mounts always upward and it is eager to push the ascent from lesser to higher degrees of Truth, since it knows that only by the ascent to a highest Truth and the descent of that highest Truth can Love be delivered from the cross and placed upon the throne; for the cross is the sign of the Divine Descent barred and marred by the transversal line of a cosmic deformation which turns it into a stake of suffering and misfortune. Only by the ascent to the original Truth can the deformation be healed and all the works of love, as too all the works of knowledge and of life, be restored to a divine significance and become part of an integral spiritual existence.” CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-157, “It is therefore through the sacrifice of love, works and knowledge with the psychic being as the leader and priest of the sacrifice that life itself can be transformed into its own true spiritual figure. If the sacrifice of knowledge rightly done is easily the largest and purest offering we can bring to the Highest, the sacrifice of love is not less demanded of us for our spiritual perfection; it is even more intense and rich in its singleness and can be made not less vast and pure. This pure wideness is brought into the intensity of the sacrifice of love when into all our activities there is poured the spirit and power of a divine infinite joy and the whole atmosphere of our life is suffused with an engrossing adoration of the One who is the All and the Highest. For then does the sacrifice of love attain its utter perfection when, offered to the divine All, it becomes integral, catholic and boundless, and when, uplifted to the Supreme, it ceases to be the weak, superficial and transient movement men call love and becomes a pure and grand and deep uniting Ananda .” CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-158, “Ultimately, nothing but omnipotence could convert the world, convince the world. The world isn't ready to experience supreme Love. Supreme Love eliminates all problems, even the problem of creation: there are no more problems, I know it since that experience [of April 13, 1962]. But the world isn't ready yet, it may take a few thousand years. Although it is beginning to be ready for the manifestation of supreme Power (which seems to indicate that this will manifest first). And this supreme Power would result from a CONSTANT identification…(The Gita proposes that the constant union, nitya yoga, with the Divine is made possible by the reconciliation of Karma and Jnana Yoga .) But this "constancy" isn't yet established: one is identified and then one isn't, is and then isn't, so things get delayed indefinitely. You wind up doing exactly what you tell others not to do – one foot here and one foot there! It just won't do.” The Mother’s Agenda-04.07.1962, "Annulled were the tables of the law of Pain, And in their place grew luminous characters." Savitri-232 "There meet and clasp the eternal opposites, T here pain becomes a violent fiery joy; Evil turns back to its original good, And sorrow lies upon the breasts of Bliss: She has learned to weep glad tears of happiness; Her gaze is charged with a wistful ecstasy. Then shall be ended here the Law of Pain." Savitri-451 The Divine Love, the most powerful of all redeeming and creative forces: "Afterwards too, even when the seeker has opened to the Divine Love transcendental, universal or immanent, yet if he tries to pour it into life, he meets the power of obscuration and perversion of these lower Nature- forces. Always they draw away towards pitfalls, pour into that higher intensity their diminishing elements, seek to capture the descending Power for themselves and their interests and degrade it into an aggrandised mental, vital or physical instrumentation for desire and ego. Instead of a Divine Love creator of a new heaven and a new earth of Truth and Light, they would hold it here prisoner as a tremendous sanction and glorifying force of sublimation to gild the mud of the old earth and colour with its rose and sapphire the old turbid unreal skies of sentimentalising vital imagination and mental idealised chimera. If that falsification is permitted, the higher Light and Power and Bliss withdraw, there is a fall back to a lower status; or else the realisation remains tied to an insecure half-way and mixture or is covered and even submerged by an inferior exaltation that is not the true Ananda. It is for this reason that Divine Love which is at the heart of all creation and the most powerful of all redeeming and creative forces has yet been the least frontally present in earthly life, the least successfully redemptive, the least creative. Human nature has been unable to bear it in its purity for the very reason that it is the most powerful, pure, rare and intense of all the divine energies; what little could be seized has been corrupted at once into a vital pietistic ardour, a defenceless religious or ethical sentimentalism, a sensuous or even sensual erotic mysticism of the roseate coloured mind or passionately turbid life-impulse and with these simulations compensated its inability to house the Mystic Flame that could rebuild the world with its tongues of sacrifice. It is only the inmost psychic being unveiled and emerging in its full power that can lead the pilgrim sacrifice unscathed through these ambushes and pitfalls; at each moment it catches, exposes, repels the mind’s and the life’s falsehoods, seizes hold on the truth of the Divine Love and Ananda and separates it from the excitement of the mind’s ardours and the blind enthusiasms of the misleading life-force. But all things that are true at their core in mind and life and the physical being it extricates and takes with it in the journey till they stand on the heights, new in spirit and sublime in figure." CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-166-167 Supramental Love: "There in the supramental Gnosis is the fulfilment, the culminating height, the all-embracing extent of the inner adoration, the profound and integral union, the flaming wings of Love upbearing the power and joy of a supreme Knowledge. For supramental Love brings an active ecstasy that surpasses the void passive peace and stillness which is the heaven of the liberated Mind and does not betray the deeper greater calm which is the beginning of the supramental silence. The unity of a love which is able to include in itself all differences without being dimin- ished or abrogated by their present limitations and apparent dissonances is raised to its full potentiality on the supramental level. For there an intense oneness with all creatures founded on a profound oneness of the soul with the Divine can harmonise with a play of relations that only makes the oneness more perfect and absolute. The power of Love supramentalised can take hold of all living relations without hesitation or danger and turn them Godwards delivered from their crude, mixed and petty human settings and sublimated into the happy material of a divine life. For it is the very nature of the supramental experience that it can perpetuate the play of difference without forfeiting or in the least diminishing either the divine union or the infinite oneness. For a supramentalised consciousness it would be utterly possible to embrace all contacts with men and the world in a purified flame-force and with a transfigured significance, because the soul would then perceive always as the object of all emotion and all seeking for love or beauty the One Eternal and could spiritually use a wide and liberated life-urge to meet and join with that One Divine in all things and all creatures." CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-168-169, “All other Yogas regard this life as an illusion or a passing phase; the supramental Yoga alone regards it as a thing created by the Divine for a progressive manifestation and takes the fulfilment of the life and the body for its object. The supramental is simply the Truth-Consciousness and what it brings in its descent is the full truth of life, the full truth of consciousness in Matter. One has indeed to rise to high summits to reach it, but the more one rises, the more one can bring down below. No doubt, life and body have not to remain the ignorant, imperfect, impotent things they are now; but why should a change to fuller life- power, fuller body-power be considered something aloof, cold and undesirable? The utmost Ananda the body and life are now capable of is a brief excitement of the vital mind or the nerves or the cells which is limited, imperfect and soon passes; with the supramental change all the cells, nerves, vital forces, embodied mental forces can become filled with a thousandfold Ananda, capable of an intensity of bliss which passes description and which need not fade away. How aloof, repellent and undesirable! The supramental love means an intense unity of soul with soul, mind with mind, life with life, and an entire flooding of the body consciousness with the physical experience of oneness, the presence of the Beloved in every part, in every cell of the body. Is that too something aloof and grand but undesirable? With the supramental change, the very thing on which you insist, the possibility of the free physical meeting of the embodied Divine with the sadhak without conflict of forces and without undesirable reactions becomes possible, assured and free. That too is, I suppose, something aloof and undesirable? I could go on — for pages, but this is enough for the moment.” CWSA-29/Letters on Yoga-II/p-482-483 12/ Chapter 12. Bhakti Yoga The Objective of Divine Love in Integral Yoga: "The way of Bhakti is supposed often to be necessarily infe- rior because it proceeds by worship which belongs to that stage of spiritual experience where there is a difference, an insufficient unity between the human soul and the Divine, because its very principle is love and love means always two, the lover and the beloved, a dualism therefore, while oneness is the highest spir- itual experience, and because it seeks after the personal God while the Impersonal is the highest and the eternal truth, if not even the sole Reality. But worship is only the first step on the path of devotion. Where external worship changes into the inner adoration, real Bhakti begins; that deepens into the intensity of divine love; that love leads to the joy of closeness in our relations with the Divine; the joy of closeness passes into the bliss of union. Love too as well as knowledge brings us to a highest oneness and it gives to that oneness its greatest possible depth and intensity. It is true that love returns gladly upon a difference in oneness, by which the oneness itself becomes richer and sweeter. But here we may say that the heart is wiser than the thought, at least than that thought which fixes upon opposite ideas of the Divine and concentrates on one to the exclusion of the other which seems its contrary, but is really its complement and a means of its greatest fulfilment. This is the weakness of the mind that it limits itself by its thoughts, its positive and negative ideas, the aspects of the Divine Reality that it sees, and tends too much to pit one against the other." CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-548-549, The Reconciliation of Matter and Spirit through the practice of integral Bhakti Yoga : "The Path of Devotion (traditional Bhakti Yoga) aims at the enjoyment of the supreme Love and Bliss and utilises normally the conception of the supreme Lord in His personality as the divine Lover and enjoyer of the universe. The world is then realised as a play of the Lord, with our human life as its final stage, pursued through the different phases of self-concealment and self-revelation. The principle of Bhakti Yoga is to utilise all the normal relations of human life into which emotion enters and apply them no longer to transient worldly relations, but to the joy of the All-Loving, the All-Beautiful and the All-Blissful. Worship and meditation are used only for the preparation and increase of intensity of the divine relationship. And this Yoga is catholic in its use of all emotional relations, so that even enmity and opposition to God, considered as an intense, impatient and perverse form of Love, is conceived as a possible means of realisation and salvation. This path, too, as ordinarily practised, (in traditional Bhakti Yoga ) leads away from world-existence to an absorption, of another kind than the Monist’s, in the Transcendent and Supra-cosmic...But, here (in Integral Yoga ) too, the exclusive result is not inevitable. The Yoga itself provides a first corrective by not confining the play of divine love to the relation between the supreme Soul and the individual, but extending it to a common feeling and mutual worship between the devotees themselves united in the same realisation of the supreme Love and Bliss. It provides a yet more general corrective in the realisation of the divine object of Love in all beings not only human but animal, easily extended to all forms whatsoever. We can see how this larger application of the Yoga of Devotion may be so used as to lead to the elevation of the whole range of human emotion, sensation and aesthetic perception to the divine level , its spiritualisation and the justification of the cosmic labour towards love and joy in our humanity.” CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-39 "To live, to love are signs of infinite things, Love is a glory from eternity’s spheres. Abased, disfigured, mocked by baser mights That steal his name and shape and ecstasy, He is still the godhead by which all can change." Savitri-397 “Love’s golden wings have power to fan thy void: The eyes of love gaze starlike through death’s night, The feet of love tread naked hardest worlds. He (Divine Love) labours in the depths, exults on the heights; He shall remake thy universe, O Death.” Savitri-592, By Devotion one knows Me: "Love fulfilled does not exclude knowledge, but itself brings knowledge; and the completer the knowledge, the richer the possibility of love. “By Bhakti” says the Lord in the Gita “shall a man know Me in all my extent and greatness and as I am in the principles of my being, and when he has known Me in the principles of my being, then he enters into Me.” (The Gita-18.55) Love without knowledge is a passionate and intense, but blind, crude, often dangerous thing, a great power, but also a stumbling-block; love, limited in knowledge, condemns itself in its fervour and often by its very fervour to narrowness; but love leading to perfect knowledge brings the infinite and absolute union. Such love is not inconsistent with, but rather throws itself with joy into divine works; for it loves God and is one with him in all his being, and therefore in all beings, and to work for the world is then to feel and fulfil multitudinously one’s love for God. This is the trinity of our powers, the union of all three in God to which we arrive when we start on our journey by the path of devotion with Love for the Angel of the Way to find in the ecstasy of the divine delight of the All-Lover’s being the fulfilment of ours, its secure home and blissful abiding-place and the centre of its universal radiation." CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-547, "If to thought the Impersonal seems the wider and higher truth, the Personal a narrower experience, the spirit finds both of them to be aspects of a Reality which figures itself in both, and if there is a knowledge of that Reality to which thought arrives by insistence on the infinite Impersonality, there is also a knowledge of it to which love arrives by insistence on the infinite Personality. The spiritual experience of each leads, if followed to the end, to the same ultimate Truth. By Bhakti as by knowledge, as the Gita tells us, we arrive at unity with the Purushottama, the Supreme who contains in himself the impersonal and numberless personalities, the qualitiless and infinite qualities, pure being, consciousness and delight and the endless play of their relations." CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-550 13/ Chapter 13. The Field and Its Knower Summary or A Brief Restatement: “The Gita in its last six chapters, in order to found on a clear and complete knowledge the way of the soul’s rising out of the lower into the divine nature , restates in another form the enlightenment the Teacher has already imparted to Arjuna. Essentially it is the same knowledge, but details and relations are now made prominent and assigned their entire significance, thoughts and truths brought out in their full value that were alluded to only in passing or generally stated in the light of another purpose.” CWSA-19/Essays of the Gita/p-409 In this thirteenth chapter, the relationship between Matter and Spirit is worked out and for maintaining the Spiritual pursuit Arjuna raised the Question which can be divided into six parts. He wanted to know these six elements in order to strengthen his Spiritual pursuit. “Six Questions raised by Arjuna : (1) The Field, Kshetra , and (2) the Knower of the Field, Kshetrajna , (3) Knowledge, Jnana , and (4) the object of Knowledge, Jneya , (5) Nature, Prakriti and (6) Self, Purusha, these I would like to learn, O Keshava .” The Gita-13.1 The Field, Kshetra : The Upanishad speaks of a fivefold body or sheath of Nature, a physical (Annamaya Kosha ), vital (Pranamaya Kosha ), mental (Manomaya Kosha ), ideal (Vijnanamaya Kosha ) and divine body (Anandamaya Kosha ); this may be regarded as the totality of the field, kshetram . Twenty-four Principles of Field: "The Gita contents itself to restate the whole working of lower Prakriti , f ield, kshetra , in line with Sankhya thinkers. This kshetra is the product of twenty-four cosmic principles where except abyakta Prakriti, all the other twenty-three elements are of lower Nature . They are five bhutas , that of ether, fire, air, water and earth, or ‘the ethereal, the radiant, electric and gaseous, the liquid, and the other elemental conditions of matter are the physical medium.’ (CWSA-19/Essays of the Gita/p-272), five tanmatras, that of sound, touch, sight, taste and smell, five karmendriyas of speech, locomotion, the seizing of things, ejection and generation, (or hands, feet, mouth, excretion, and reproduction) five jnanendriya , ear, srotram , eye, chakhuh, tongue, rasanam , sense of touch, sparsanam and nose, ghranam , unmanifest Nature, abyakta Prakriti , mind, manas , intelligent will, buddhi and ego, ahamkara . This lower nature, also known as apara prakriti , is constituted of three inconscient energy or three gunas or essential modes; sattwa, the seed of intelligence, conserves the working of energy; rajas , the seed of force and action, creates the working of energy; tamas , the seed of inertia and non-intelligence, dissolves what sattwa conserves and rajas creates. When the three gunas are in equilibrium, the Soul, Kshara Purusha is liberated and contact with Akshara Purusha is established but when the equilibrium is disturbed then there is the ceaseless creation, conservation and dissolution begins, unrolling the phenomena of cosmos." (Ref: CWSA-19/Essays of the Gita/p-71) "Pleasure and pain, liking and disliking are the principal deformations of the kshetra . From the Vedantic point of view we may say that pleasure and pain are the vital or sensational deformations given by the lower energy to the spontaneous Ananda or delight of the spirit when brought into contact with her workings. And we may say from the same view-point that liking and disliking are the corresponding mental deformations given by her to the reactive Will of the spirit that determines its response to her contacts. These dualities are the positive and negative terms in which the ego soul of the lower nature enjoys the universe. The negative terms, pain, dislike, sorrow, repulsion and the rest, are perverse or at the best ignorantly reverse responses: the positive terms, liking, pleasure, joy, attraction, are ill-guided responses or at the best insufficient and in character inferior to those of the true spiritual experience." CWSA-19/Essays of the Gita/p-413-414, "“(1) Hatred and (2) disliking and (3) scorn and (4) repulsion, (5) clinging and (6) attachment and (7) preference (The above seven deformations foreseen in integral Yoga can be compared with seven vicaras of the Gita , that of liking and disliking, iccha, dwesa , pleasure and pain, sukham, dukham , consciousness, chetana, collocation, samghata, persistence, dhriti) are natural, necessary, inevitable at a certain stage: they attend upon or they help to make and maintain Nature’s choice in us. But to the Karmayogin they are a survival, a stumbling block, a process of the Ignorance and, as he progresses, they fall away from his nature. The child-soul needs them for its growth; but they drop from an adult (-soul) in the divine culture. (1) In the God-nature to which we have to rise there can be an adamantine, even a destructive severity but not hatred, (3) a divine irony but not scorn, (4, 2) a calm, clear-seeing and forceful rejection but not repulsion and dislike. (1) Even what we have to destroy, we must not abhor or fail to recognise as a disguised or temporary movement of the Eternal.” CWSA/23/The Synthesis of Yoga-223, (5) “There can be for the seeker of the integral Yoga no clinging to resting-places on the road or to half-way houses; he cannot be satisfied till he has laid down all the great enduring bases of his perfection and broken out into its large and free infinities, and even there he has to be constantly filling himself with more experiences of the Infinite.” CWSA/24/The Synthesis of Yoga-776, (6) “Therefore attachment and desire must be utterly cast out; there is nothing in the world to which we must be attached, not wealth nor poverty, nor joy nor suffering, nor life nor death, nor greatness nor littleness, nor vice nor virtue, nor friend, nor wife, nor children, nor country, nor our work and mission, nor heaven nor earth, nor all that is within them or beyond them. And this does not mean that there is nothing at all that we shall love, nothing in which we shall take delight; for attachment is egoism in love and not love itself, desire is limitation and insecurity in a hunger for pleasure and satisfaction and not the seeking after the divine delight in things.” CWSA/23/The Synthesis of Yoga-329, (7) “For the perfect action and experience is not to be determined by any kind of mental or vital preference, but by the revealing and inspiring spiritual will which is the Shakti in her direct and real initiation. When I say that as I am appointed, I work, I still bring in a limiting personal element and mental reaction. But it is the Master who will do his own work through myself as his instrument, and there must be no mental or other preference in me to limit, to interfere, to be a source of imperfect working.” CWSA/24/The Synthesis of Yoga-725, The Knower of the Field, Kshetrajna : "He is knowledge and the object of knowledge. The spiritual supramental knowledge that floods the illumined mind and transfigures it is this spirit manifesting himself in light to the force-obscured soul which he has put forth into the action of Nature. This eternal Light is in the heart of every being; it is he who is the secret knower of the field, ksetrajna, and presides as the Lord in the heart of things over this province and over all these kingdoms of his manifested becoming and action. When man sees this eternal and universal Godhead within himself, when he becomes aware of the soul in all things and discovers the spirit in Nature, when he feels all the universe as a wave mounting in this Eternity and all that is as the one existence, he puts on the light of Godhead and stands free in the midst of the worlds of Nature. A divine knowledge and a perfect turning with adoration to this Divine is the secret of the great spiritual liberation. Freedom, love and spiritual knowledge raise us from mortal nature to immortal being." CWSA-19/Essays of the Gita/p-417 Knowledge, Jnana : "The Gita then tells us what is the spiritual knowledge or rather it tells us what are the conditions of knowledge, the marks, the signs of the man whose soul is turned towards the inner wisdom. These signs are the recognised and traditional characteristics of the sage, — his strong turning away of the heart from attachment to outward and worldly things, his inward and brooding spirit, his steady mind and calm equality, the settled fixity of his thought and will upon the greatest inmost truths, upon the things that are real and eternal. First, there comes a certain moral condition, a sattwic government of the natural being. There is fixed in him a total absence of worldly pride and arrogance, a candid soul, a tolerant, long-suffering and benignant heart, purity of mind and body, tranquil firmness and steadfastness, self-control and a masterful government of the lower nature and the heart’s worship given to the Teacher, whether to the divine Teacher within or to the human Master in whom the divine Wisdom is embodied, — for that is the sense of the reverence given to the Guru. Then there is a nobler and freer attitude towards the outward world, an attitude of perfect detachment and equality, a firm removal of the natural being’s attraction to the objects of the senses and a radical freedom from the claims of that constant clamorous ego-sense, ego-idea, ego-motive which tyrannises over the normal man. There is no longer any clinging to the attachment and absorption of family and home. There is instead of these vital and animal movements an unattached will and sense and intelligence, a keen perception of the defective nature of the ordinary life of physical man with its aimless and painful subjection to birth and death and disease and age, a constant equalness to all pleasant or unpleasant happenings, — for the soul is seated within and impervious to the shocks of external events, — and a meditative mind turned towards solitude and away from the vain noise of crowds and the assemblies of men. Finally, there is a strong turn within towards the things that really matter, a philosophic perception of the true sense and large principles of existence, a tranquil continuity of inner spiritual knowledge and light, the Yoga of an unswerving devotion, love of God, the heart’s deep and constant adoration of the universal and eternal Presence." CWSA-19/Essays of the Gita/p-414-415 The object of Knowledge, Jneya : "All these things taken together constitute the fundamental character of our first transactions with the world of Nature, but it is evidently not the whole description of our being; it is our actuality but not the limit of our possibilities. There is something beyond to be known, jneyam, and it is when the knower of the field turns from the field itself to learn of himself within it and of all that is behind its appearances that real knowledge begins, jnanam , — the true knowledge of the field no less than of the knower. That turning inward alone delivers from ignorance. For the farther we go inward, the more we seize on greater and fuller realities of things and grasp the complete truth both of God and the soul and of the world and its movements. Therefore, says the divine Teacher, it is the knowledge at once of the field and its knower, ksetra-ksetrajnayor jnanam, (The Gita-13.3) a united and even unified self-knowledge and world-knowledge, which is the real illumination and the only wisdom. For both soul and nature are the Brahman, but the true truth of the world of Nature can only be discovered by the liberated sage who possesses also the truth of the spirit. One Brahman , one reality in Self and Nature is the object of all knowledge. " CWSA-19/Essays of the Gita/p-414 Nature, Prakriti and Self, Purusha : "The Soul and Nature are only two aspects of the eternal Brahman , an apparent duality which founds the operations of his universal existence. The Soul is without origin and eternal, Nature too is without origin and eternal; but the modes of Nature and the lower forms she assumes to our conscious experience have an origin in the transactions of these two entities. They (modes of Nature) come from her, wear by her the outward chain of cause and effect, doing and the results of doing, force and its workings, all that is here transient and mutable. Constantly they change and the soul and Nature seem to change with them, but in themselves these two powers are eternal and always the same. Nature creates and acts, the Soul enjoys her creation and action; but in this inferior form of her action she turns this enjoyment into the obscure and petty figures of pain and pleasure. Forcibly the soul, the individual Purusha, is attracted by her qualitative workings and this attraction of her qualities draws him constantly to births of all kinds in which he enjoys the variations and vicissitudes, the good and evil of birth in Nature. But this is only the outward experience of the soul mutable in conception by identification with mutable Nature. Seated in this body is her and our Divinity, the supreme Self, Paramatman, the supreme Soul, the mighty Lord of Nature, who watches her action, sanctions her operations, upholds all she does, commands her manifold creation, enjoys with his universal delight this play of her figures of his own being. That is the self-knowledge to which we have to accustom our mentality before we can truly know ourselves as an eternal portion of the Eternal. Once that is fixed, no matter how the soul in us may comport itself outwardly in its transactions with Nature, whatever it may seem to do or however it may seem to assume this or that figure of personality and active force and embodied ego, it is in itself free, no longer bound to birth because one through impersonality of self with the inner unborn spirit of existence. That impersonality is our union with the supreme egoless I of all that is in cosmos." CWSA-19/Essays of the Gita/p-417-418 13/ Chapter 13. The Field and Its Knower The Most important verse of this chapter which acts as Source of Supramental action in Integral Yoga: “The Blessed Lord said: The triple realisation of Brahman, atmani atmanam atmana or “of the self by the self in the self” reconciles the relation between Purusha (Spirit) and Prakriti (Matter); it comes by an inner meditation through which the eternal Self becomes visible, pasyanti, to us in our self-existence. 'Or it comes by the Yoga of the Sankhyas , the separation of the soul from nature. Or it comes by the Yoga of works in which the personal will is dissolved through the opening up of our mind and heart and all our active forces to the Lord who assumes to himself the whole of our works in nature.’ (CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-418) "Others, who are unfit for these Dhyana, Jnana and Karma Yoga , may hear of the written Truth of Shastra from men of Spiritual attainment and mould the mind into the sense of THAT to which it listens with utter faith and concentration. But, however arrived at, it carries us beyond the limitation of death to a vast immortality of Spirit.” (The Gita-13.25, 26), " The supermind knows most completely and securely not by thought but by identity, by a pure awareness of the self-truth of things in the self and by the self , atmani atmanam atmana . I get the supramental knowledge best by becoming one with the truth, one with the object of knowledge; the supramental satisfaction and integral light is most there when there is no further division between the knower, knowledge and the known, jnata, jnanam, jneyam. I see the thing known not as an object outside myself, but as myself or a part of my universal self contained in my most direct consciousness. This leads to the highest and completest knowledge; thought and speech being representations and not this direct possession in the consciousness are to the supermind a lesser form and, if not filled with the spiritual awareness, thought becomes in fact a diminution of knowledge. For it would be, supposing it to be a supramental thought, only a partial manifestation of a greater knowledge existing in the self but not at the time present to the immediately active consciousness. In the highest ranges of the infinite there need be no thought at all because all would be experienced spiritually, in continuity, in eternal possession and with an absolute directness and completeness. Thought is only one means of partially manifesting and presenting what is hidden in this greater self-existent knowledge. This supreme kind of knowing will not indeed be possible to us in its full extent and degree until we can rise through many grades of the supermind to that infinite. But still as the supramental power emerges and enlarges its action, something of this highest way of knowledge appears and grows and even the members of the mental being, as they are intuitivised and supramentalised, develop more and more a corresponding action upon their own level. There is an increasing power of a luminous vital, psychic, emotional, dynamic and other identification with all the things and beings that are the objects of our consciousness and these transcendings of the separative consciousness bring with them many forms and means of a direct knowledge. " CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-831-832, " The supramental transformation, the supramental evolution must carry with it a lifting of mind, life and body out of themselves into a greater way of being in which yet their own ways and powers would be, not suppressed or abolished, but perfected and fulfilled by the self-exceeding. For in the Ignorance all paths are the paths of the spirit seeking for itself blindly or with a growing light; the gnostic being and life would be the spirit’s self-discovery and its seeing and reaching of the aims of all these paths but in the greater way of its own revealed and conscious truth of being. Mind seeks for light, for knowledge, — for knowledge of the one truth basing all, an essential truth of self and things, but also of all truth of diversity of that oneness, all its detail, circumstance, manifold way of action, form, law of movement and happening, various manifestation and creation; for thinking mind the joy of existence is discovery and the penetration of the mystery of creation that comes with knowledge. This the gnostic change will fulfil in an ample measure; but it will give it a new character. It will act not by the discovery of the unknown, but by the bringing out of the known; all will be the finding “of the self by the self in the self” . For the self of the gnostic being will not be the mental ego but the Spirit that is one in all; he will see the world as a universe of the Spirit. The finding of the one truth underlying all things will be the Identical discovering identity and identical truth everywhere and discovering too the power and workings and relations of that identity. The revelation of the detail, the circumstance, the abundant ways and forms of the manifestation will be the unveiling of the endless opulence of the truths of that identity, its forms and powers of self, its curious manifoldness and multiplicity of form bringing out infinitely its oneness. This knowledge will proceed by identification with all, by entering into all, by a contact bringing with it a leap of self-discovery and a flame of recognition, a greater and surer intuition of truth than the mind can reach; there will be an intuition too of the means of embodying and utilising the truth seen, an operative intuition of its dynamic processes, a direct intimate awareness guiding the life and the physical senses in every step of their action and service to the Spirit when they have to be called in as instruments for the effectuation of process in life and matter. " CWSA-22/The Life Divine-22/p-1017-1018 Relation between Purusha and Prakriti: "The distinction made in the Gita between the Purusha and the Prakriti gives us the clue to the various attitudes which the soul can adopt towards Nature in its movement towards perfect freedom and rule. The Purusha is, says the Gita , witness, upholder, source of the sanction, knower, lord, enjoyer; Prakriti executes, it is the active principle and must have an operation corresponding to the attitude of the Purusha . The soul may assume, if it wishes, the poise of the pure witness, saksı ; it may look on at the action of Nature as a thing from which it stands apart; it watches, but does not itself participate. We have seen the importance of this quietistic capacity; it is the basis of the movement of withdrawal by which we can say of everything, — body, life, mental action, thought, sensation, emotion, — “This is Prakriti working in the life, mind and body, it is not myself, it is not even mine,” and thus come to the soul’s separation from these things and to their quiescence. This may, therefore, be an attitude of renunciation or at least of non-participation, tamasic, with a resigned and inert endurance of the natural action so long as it lasts, rajasic , with a disgust, aversion and recoil from it, sattwic, with a luminous intelligence of the soul’s separateness and the peace and joy of aloofness and repose; but also it may be attended by an equal and impersonal delight as of a spectator at a show, joyous but unattached and ready to rise up at any moment and as joyfully depart. The attitude of the Witness at its highest is the absolute of unattachment and freedom from affection by the phenomena of the cosmic existence." CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-431-432, "There is no loss of freedom, no descent into an ignorant attachment. The man free in his soul is aware that the Divine is the lord of the action of Nature, that Maya is His Knowledge-Will determining and effecting all, that Force is the Will side of this double divine Power in which knowledge is always present and effectual. He is aware of himself also, even individually, as a centre of the divine existence, — a portion of the Lord, the Gita expresses it, — controlling so far the action of Nature which he views, upholds, sanctions, enjoys, knows and by the determinative power of knowledge controls. And when he universalises himself, his knowledge still reflects only the divine knowledge, his will effectuates only the divine will, he enjoys only the divine delight and not an ignorant personal satisfaction. Thus the Purusha preserves its freedom in its possession, renunciation of limited personality even in its representative enjoyment and delight of cosmic being. It has taken up fully in the higher poise the true relations of the soul and Nature." CWSA-23/The Synhesis of Yoga/p-434-435 The Transformation of Nature: "But all this change means a total passing from the lower human to the higher divine nature. It is a lifting of our whole being or at least of the whole mental being that wills, knows and feels beyond what we are into some highest spiritual consciousness, some satisfying fullest power of existence, some deepest widest delight of the spirit. And this may well be possible by a transcendence of our present natural life, it may well be possible in some celestial state beyond the earthly existence or still beyond in a supracosmic superconscience; it may happen by transition to an absolute and infinite power and status of the Spirit. But while we are here in the body, here in life, here in action, what in this change becomes of the lower nature ? For at present all our activities are determined in their trend and shape by the nature, and this Nature here is the nature of the three gunas, and in all natural being and in all natural activities there is the triple guna, tamas with its ignorance and inertia, rajas with its kinesis and action, its passion and grief and perversion, sattwa with its light and happiness, and the bondage of these things. And granted that the soul becomes superior in the self to the three gunas , how does it escape in its instrumental nature from their working and result and bondage? For even the man of knowledge, says the Gita, must act according to his nature . (The Gita-18.40) To feel and bear the reactions of the gunas in the outer manifestation, but to be free from them and superior in the observing conscious self behind is not sufficient ; for it leaves still a dualism of freedom and subjection, a contradiction between what we are within and what we are without, between our self and our power, what we know ourselves to be and what we will and do. Where is the release here, where the full elevation and transformation to the higher spiritual nature, the immortal Dharma , the law proper to the infinite purity and power of a divine being? If this change cannot be effected while in the body, then so it must be said, that the whole nature cannot be transformed and there must remain an unreconciled duality until the mortal type of existence drops off like a discarded shell from the spirit." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-461-462, "This is the difficulty which the Gita has still to meet in order to justify works to the seeker after the Spirit. Otherwise it must say to Arjuna , “Act temporarily in this fashion, but afterwards seek the higher way of renunciation of works.” But on the contrary it has said that not the cessation of works, but renunciation of desire is the better way; it has spoken of the action of the liberated man, muktasya karma . (The Gita-4.23) It has even insisted on doing all actions, sarvani karmani, (The Gita-3.30, 12.6) kritsna-karma- krit ; (The Gita-4.18) it has said that in whatever way the perfected Yogin lives and acts, he lives and acts in God. (The Gita-6.31, 13.24) This can only be, if the nature also in its dynamics and workings becomes divine, a power imperturbable, intangible, inviolate, pure and untroubled by the reactions of the inferior Prakriti . How and by what steps is this most difficult transformation to be effected ? What is this last secret of the soul’s perfection? what the principle or the process of this transmutation of our human and earthly nature?" CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-462, "Every vital fibre has to be persuaded to accept an entire renunciation of all that hitherto represented to it its own existence. Mind has to cease to be mind and become brilliant with something beyond it. Life has to change into a thing vast and calm and intense and powerful that can no longer recognise its old blind eager narrow self of petty impulse and desire. Even the body has to submit to a mutation and be no longer the clamorous animal or the impeding clod it now is, but become instead a conscious servant and radiant instrument and living form of the spirit." CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-72-73, "The static freedom of the soul, no longer witness only and knower, is crowned by a dynamic transformation of the nature. The constant mixture, the uneven operation of the three modes acting upon each other in our three instruments ceases from its normal confused, troubled and improper action and movement. Another action becomes possible, commences, grows, culminates, a working more truly right, more luminous, natural and normal to the deepest divine interplay of Purusha and Prakriti although supernatural and supernormal to our present imperfect nature. The body conditioning the physical mind insists no longer on its tamasic inertia that repeats always the same ignorant movement: it becomes a passive field and instrument of a greater force and light, it responds to every demand of the spirit’s force, holds and supports every variety and intensity of new divine experience. Our kinetic and dynamic vital parts , our nervous and emotional and sensational and volitional being, expand in power and admit a tireless action and a blissful enjoyment of experience, but learn at the same time to stand on a foundation of wide self-possessed and self-poised calm, sublime in force, divine in rest, neither exulting and excited nor tortured by sorrow and pain, neither harried by desire and importunate impulses nor dulled by incapacity and indolence. The intelligence, the thinking, understanding and reflective mind, renounces its sattwic limitations and opens to an essential light and peace. An infinite knowledge offers to us its splendid ranges, a knowledge not made up of mental constructions, not bound by opinion and idea or dependent on a stumbling uncertain logic and the petty support of the senses, but self-sure, authentic, all-penetrating, all-comprehending; a boundless bliss and peace, not dependent on deliverance from the hampered strenuousness of creative energy and dynamic action, not constituted by a few limited felicities but self-existent and all-including, pour into ever-enlarging fields and through ever-widening and always more numerous channels to possess the nature. A higher force, bliss and knowledge from a source beyond mind and life and body seize on them to remould in a diviner image." CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-240-241, "All must be taken to a spiritual height and placed upon a spiritual basis; t he presence of an inner spiritual change and an outer transformation must be enforced upon the whole of life and not merely on a part of life; all must be accepted that is helpful towards this change or admits it, all must be rejected that is incapable or inapt or refuses to submit itself to the transforming movement. There must be no attachment to any form of things or of life, any object, any activity; all must be renounced if need be, all must be admitted that the Divine chooses as its material for the divine life. But what accepts or rejects must be neither mind nor open or camouflaged vital will of desire nor ethical sense, but the insistence of the psychic being, the command of the Divine Guide of the Yoga, the vision of the higher Self or Spirit, the illumined guidance of the Master. The way of the spirit is not a mental way; a mental rule or mental consciousness cannot be its determinant or its leader." CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-186, “This however is a stage and not the whole perfection. The existence, however comparatively large and free, is still subject to the inferior nature. The sattwic, rajasic and tamasic ego is diminished but not eliminated; or if it seems to disappear, it has only sunk in our parts of action into the universal operation of the gunas, remains involved in them and is still working in a covert, subconscient fashion and may force itself to the front at any time. The sadhaka has therefore first to keep the idea and get the realisation of a one self or spirit in all behind all these workings (universalization of Consciousness). He must be aware behind Prakriti of the one supreme and universal Purusha . He must see and feel not only that all is the self-shaping of the one Force, Prakriti or Nature, but that all her actions are those of the Divine in all, the one Godhead in all, however veiled, altered and as it were perverted — for perversion comes by a conversion into lower forms — by transmission through the ego and the gunas . This will farther diminish the open or covert insistence of the ego and, if thoroughly realised, it will make it difficult or impossible for it to assert itself in such a way as to disturb or hamper the farther progress. The ego-sense will become, so far as it interferes at all, a foreign intrusive element and only a fringe of the mist of the old ignorance hanging on to the outskirts of the consciousness and its action. And, secondly, the universal Shakti must be realised, must be seen and felt and borne in the potent purity of its higher action, its supramental and spiritual workings. This greater vision of the Shakti will enable us to escape from the control of the gunas, to convert them into their divine equivalents and dwell in a consciousness in which the Purusha and Prakriti are one and not separated or hidden in or behind each other. There the Shakti will be in its every movement evident to us and naturally, spontaneously, irresistibly felt as nothing else but the active presence of the Divine, the shape of power of the supreme Self and Spirit.” CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-763, "But at first while we still live in the mind, there is a gulf of division or else a double action. The mental, vital and physical energy in us and the universe is felt to be a derivation from the supreme Shakt i, but at the same time an inferior, separated and in some sense another working. The real spiritual force may send down its messages or the light and power of its presence above us to the lower levels or may descend occasionally and even for a time possess, but it is then mixed with the inferior workings and partially transforms and spiritualises them, but is itself diminished and altered in the process. There is an intermittent higher action or a dual working of the nature . Or we find that the Shakti for a time raises the being to a higher spiritual plane and then lowers it back into the inferior levels. These alternations must be regarded as the natural vicissitudes of a process of transformation from the normal to the spiritual being. The transformation, the perfection cannot for the integral Yoga be complete until the link between the mental and the spiritual action is formed and a higher knowledge applied to all the activities of our existence. That link is the supramental or gnostic energy in which the incalculable infinite power of the supreme being, consciousness, delight formulates itself as an ordering divine will and wisdom, a light and power in the being which shapes all the thought, will, feeling, action and replaces the corresponding individual movements. " CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-764, “Therefore, when the Mother has put her force upon you or when you yourself have pulled the force upon you, this in you has always prevented it from doing its work in its own way. It has begun itself building according to the ideas of the mind or some demand of the ego, trying to make its own creation in its “own way”, by its own strength, its own sadhana, its own tapasya. There has never been here any real surrender, any giving up of yourself freely and simply into the hands of the Divine Mother. And yet that is the only way to succeed in the supramental Yoga. To be a Yogi, a Sannyasi, a Tapaswi is not the object here. The object is transformation, and the transformation can only be done by a force infinitely greater than your own; it can only be done by being truly like a child in the hands of the Divine Mother. ” CWSA-32/The Mother with Letters on the Mother/p-143, "There are two signs of the transformation of the seeker’s mind of knowledge and works of knowledge from the process of the Ignorance to the process of a liberated consciousness working partly, then wholly in the light of the Spirit. (1) There is first a central change of the consciousness and a growing direct experience, vision, feeling of the Supreme and the cosmic existence, the Divine in itself and the Divine in all things; the mind will be taken up into a growing preoccupation with this first and foremost and will feel itself heightening, widening into a more and more illumined means of expression of the one fundamental knowledge. (2) But also the central Consciousness in its turn will take up more and more the outer mental activities of knowledge and turn them into a parcel of itself or an annexed province; it will infuse into them its more authentic movement and make a more and more spiritualised and illumined mind its instrument in these surface fields, its new conquests, as well as in its own deeper spiritual empire. And this will be the second sign, the sign of a certain completion and perfection, that the Divine himself has become the Knower and all the inner movements, including the activities of what was once a purely human mental action, have become his field of knowledge. There will be less and less individual choice, opinion, preference, less and less of intellectualisation, mental weaving, cerebral galley-slave labour; a Light within will see all that has to be seen, know all that has to be known, develop, create, organise. It will be the Inner Knower who will do in the liberated and universalised mind of the individual the works of an all-comprehending knowledge... These two changes are the signs of a first effectuation in which the activities of the mental nature are lifted up, spiritualised, widened, universalised, liberated, led to a consciousness of their true purpose as an instrumentation of the Divine creating and developing its manifestation in the temporal universe. But this cannot be the whole scope of the transformation ; for it is not in these limits that the integral seeker can cease from his ascension or confine the widening of his nature. For, if it were so, knowledge would still remain a working of the mind, liberated, universalised, spiritualised, but still, as all mind must be, comparatively restricted, relative, imperfect in the very essence of its dynamism; it would reflect luminously great constructions of Truth, but not move in the domain where Truth is authentic, direct, sovereign and native. There is an ascension still to be made from this height, by which the spiritualised mind will exceed itself and transmute into a supramental power of knowledge. Already in the process of spiritualisation it will have begun to pass out of the brilliant poverty of the human intellect; it will mount successively into the pure broad reaches of a higher mind, and next into the gleaming belts of a still greater free Intelligence illumined with a Light from above. At this point it will begin to feel more freely, admit with a less mixed response the radiant beginnings of an Intuition, not illumined, but luminous in itself, true in itself, no longer entirely mental and therefore subjected to the abundant intrusion of error. Here too is not an end, for it must rise beyond into the very domain of that untruncated Intuition, the first direct light from the self-awareness of essential Being and, beyond it, attain that from which this light comes. For there is an Overmind behind Mind, a Power more original and dynamic which supports Mind, sees it as a diminished radiation from itself, uses it as a transmitting belt of passage downward or an instrument for the creations of the Ignorance. The last step of the ascension would be the surpassing of Overmind itself or its return into its own still greater origin, its conversion into the supramental light of the Divine Gnosis. For there in the supramental Light is the seat of a divine Truth-consciousness that has native in it, as no other consciousness below it can have, the power to organise the works of a Truth which is no longer tarnished by the shadow of the cosmic Inconscience and Ignorance. There to reach and thence to bring down a supramental dynamism that can transform the Ignorance is the distant but imperative supreme goal of the integral Yoga." CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-147-148 14/ Chapter 14. The Three Gunas Summary or A Brief Restatement: In this 14th chapter and succeeding chapters, the Lord gave an elaborate description of three gunas . In Savitri, book-2, Canto-10, we find an elaborate description of the three gunas. Here also, the Lord hinted about the higher Nature beyond the three gunas . What are the hierarchies beyond the three gunas that are vividly described in integral Yoga. In The Synthesis Yoga book, we notice four hierarchies the of mind of Ignorance, the self-forgetful mind, mind of knowledge and the Supermind. In The Life Divine, they are hinted as purified Intellect, higher mind, illumined mind, Intuitive mind, overmind and Supermind. "The distinctions between the Soul and Nature rapidly drawn in the verses of the thirteenth chapter by a few decisive epithets, a few brief but packed characterisations of their separate power and functioning, and especially the distinction between the embodied soul subjected to the action of Nature by its enjoyment of her gunas, qualities or modes and the Supreme Soul which dwells enjoying the gunas , but not subject because it is itself beyond them, are the basis on which the Gita rests its whole idea of the liberated being made one in the conscious law of its existence with the Divine. That liberation, that oneness, that putting on of the divine nature, sadharmya , it declares to be the very essence of spiritual freedom and the whole significance of immortality. This supreme importance assigned to sadharmya is a capital point in the teaching of the Gita. " CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p- 421 Perfection of Karma Yoga, Sadharmya: " And this great thing, (grow into the likeness of the Divine) to rise from the human into the divine nature, we can only do by an effort of Godward knowledge, will and adoration. For the soul sent forth by the Supreme as his eternal portion, his immortal representative into the workings of universal Nature is yet obliged by the character of those workings, avasam prakriter vasat , (The Gita-9.8) to identify itself in its external consciousness with her limiting conditions, to identify itself with a life, mind and body that are oblivious of their inner spiritual reality and of the innate Godhead. To get back to self-knowledge and to the knowledge of the real as distinct from the apparent relations of the soul with Nature, to know God and ourselves and the world with a spiritual and no longer with a physical or externalised experience, through the deepest truth of the inner soul-consciousness and not through the misleading phenomenal significances of the sense-mind and the outward understanding, is an indispensable means of this perfection. Perfection cannot come without self-knowledge and God-knowledge and a spiritual attitude towards our natural existence, and that is why the ancient wisdom laid so much stress on salvation by knowledge , not an intellectual cognizance of things, but a growing of man the mental being into a greater spiritual consciousness. The soul’s salvation cannot come without the soul’s perfection , without its growing into the divine nature; the impartial Godhead will not effect it for us by an act of caprice or an arbitrary sanad of his favour. Divine works are effective for salvation because they lead us towards this perfection and to a knowledge of self and nature and God by a growing unity with the inner Master of our existence. Divine love is effective because by it we grow into the likeness of the sole and supreme object of our adoration and call down the answering love of the Highest to flood us with the light of his knowledge and the uplifting power and purity of his eternal spirit. Therefore, says the Gita , this is the supreme knowledge and the highest of all knowings because it leads to the highest perfection and spiritual status, param siddhim , (The Gita-14.1) and brings the soul to likeness with the Divine, sadharmya . It is the eternal wisdom, the great spiritual experience by which all the sages attained to that highest perfection, grew into one law of being with the Supreme and live for ever in his eternity, not born in the creation, not troubled by the anguish of the universal dissolution. This perfection, then, this sadharmya is the way of immortality and the indispensable condition without which the soul cannot consciously live in the Eternal." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-423-424, "Essentially then, this divine self-perfection is a conversion of the human into a likeness of and a fundamental oneness with the divine nature , a rapid shaping of the image of God in man and filling in of its ideal outlines. It is what is ordinarily termed sadrisya-mukti , a liberation into the divine resemblance out of the bondage of the human seeming, or, to use the expression of the Gita , sadharmya-gati, (The Gita-14.2) a coming to be one in law of being with the supreme, universal and indwelling Divine. To perceive and have a right view of our way to such a transformation we must form some sufficient working idea of the complex thing that this human nature at present is in the confused interminglings of its various principles, so that we may see the precise nature of the conversion each part of it must undergo and the most effective means for the conversion. How to disengage from this knot of thinking mortal matter the Immortal it contains, from this mentalised vital animal man the happy fullness of his submerged hints of Godhead, is the real problem of a human being and living. Life develops many first hints of the divinity without completely disengaging them; Yoga is the unravelling of the knot of Life’s difficulty." CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-623 Mahad Brahman: "The soul of man could not grow into the likeness of the Divine, if it were not in its secret essence imperishably one with the Divine and part and parcel of his divinity: it could not be or become immortal if it were merely a creature of mental, vital and physical Nature. All existence is a manifestation of the divine Existence and that which is within us is spirit of the eternal Spirit. We have come indeed into the lower material nature and are under its influence, but we have come there from the supreme spiritual nature: this inferior imperfect status is our apparent, but that our real being. The Eternal puts all this movement forth as his self-creation. He is at once the Father and Mother of the universe; the substance of the infinite Idea, vijnana, the Mahad Brahman , (The Gita-14.3) is the womb into which he casts the seed of his self-conception. As the Over-Soul he casts the seed; as the Mother, the Nature-Soul, the Energy filled with his conscious power, he receives it into this infinite substance of being made pregnant with his illimitable, yet self-limiting Idea. He receives into this Vast of self-conception and develops there the divine embryo into mental and physical form of existence born from the original act of conceptive creation. All we see springs from that act of creation; but that which is born here is only finite idea and form of the unborn and infinite. The Spirit is eternal and superior to all its manifestation : Nature, eternal without beginning in the Spirit, proceeds for ever with the rhythm of the cycles by unending act of creation and unconcluding act of cessation; the Soul too which takes on this or that form in Nature, is no less eternal than she, anadı ubhav api . (The Gita-13.20) Even while in Nature it follows the unceasing round of the cycles, it is, in the Eternal from which it proceeds into them, for ever raised above the terms of birth and death, and even in its apparent consciousness here it can become aware of that innate and constant transcendence." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-424-425 The Three Gunas : "But, again, the whole qualitative action of Nature, so infinitely intricate in its detail and variety, is figured as cast into the mould of three general modes of quality everywhere present, intertwined, almost inextricable, sattva, rajas, tamas . These modes are described in the Gita only by their psychological action in man, or incidentally in things such as food according as they produce a psychological or vital effect on human beings. If we look for a more general definition, we shall perhaps catch a glimpse of it in the symbolic idea of Indian religion which attributes each of these qualities respectively to one member of the cosmic Trinity, sattwa to the preserver Vishnu , rajas to the creator Brahma, tamas to the destroyer Rudra . Looking behind this idea for the rationale of the triple ascription, we might define the three modes or qualities in terms of the motion of the universal Energy as Nature’s three concomitant and inseparable powers of equilibrium, kinesis and inertia. But that is only their appearance in terms of the external action of Force. It is otherwise if we regard consciousness and force as twin terms of the one Existence, always coexistent in the reality of being, however in the primal outward phenomenon of material Nature light of consciousness may seem to disappear in a vast action of nescient unillumined energy, while at an opposite pole of spiritual quiescence action of force may seem to disappear in the stillness of the observing or witness consciousness. These two conditions are the two extremes of an apparently separated Purusha and Prakriti, but each at its extreme point does not abolish but at the most only conceals its eternal mate in the depths of its own characteristic way of being. Therefore, since consciousness is always there even in an apparently inconscient Force, we must find a corresponding psychological power of these three modes which informs their more outward executive action. On their psychological side the three qualities may be defined, tamas as Nature’s power of nescience, rajas as her power of active seeking ignorance enlightened by desire and impulsion, sattwa as her power of possessing and harmonising knowledge... The three qualitative modes of Nature are inextricably intertwined in all cosmic existence. Tamas, the principle of inertia, is a passive and inert nescience which suffers all shocks and contacts without any effort of mastering response and by itself would lead to a disintegration of the whole action of the energy and a radical dispersion of substance. But it is driven by the kinetic power of rajas and even in the nescience of Matter is met and embraced by an innate though unpossessed preserving principle of harmony and balance and knowledge. Material energy appears to be tamasic in its basic action, jada, nescient, mechanic and in movement disintegrative. But it is dominated by a huge force and impulsion of mute rajasic kinesis which drives it, even in and even by its dispersion and disintegration, to build and create and again by a sattwic ideative element in its apparently inconscient force which is always imposing a harmony and preservative order on the two opposite tendencies. Rajas , the principle of creative endeavour and motion and impulsion in Prakriti, kinesis, pravritti, so seen in Matter, appears more evidently as a conscious or half-conscious passion of seeking and desire and action in the dominant character of Life, — for that passion is the nature of all vital existence. And it would lead by itself in its own nature to a persistent but always mutable and unstable life and activity and creation without any settled result. But met on one side by the disintegrating power of tamas with death and decay and inertia, its ignorant action is on the other side of its functioning settled and harmonised and sustained by the power of sattwa , subconscient in the lower forms of life, more and more conscient in the emergence of mentality, most conscious in the effort of the evolved intelligence figuring as will and reason in the fully developed mental being. Sattwa , the principle of understanding knowledge and of according assimilation, measure and equilibrium, which by itself would lead only to some lasting concord of fixed and luminous harmonies, is in the motions of this world impelled to follow the mutable strife and action of the eternal kinesis and constantly overpowered or hedged in by the forces of inertia and nescience. This is the appearance of a world governed by the interlocked and mutually limited play of the three qualitative modes of Nature." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-426-428, "For Purusha veils himself in this round, veils his divine and immortal being in ignorance and is subject to the law of an insistent limiting Prakriti. That law is the compelling rule of the three gunas . It is a triple stair that stumbles upward towards the divine light but cannot reach it. At its base is the law or dharma of inertia : the tamasic man inertly obeys in a customary mechanical action the suggestions and impulses, the round of will of his material and his half-intellectualised vital and sensational nature. In the middle intervenes the kinetic law or dharma; the rajasic man, vital, dynamic, active, attempts to impose himself on his world and environment, but only increases the wounding weight and tyrant yoke of his turbulent passions, desires and egoisms, the burden of his restless self-will, the yoke of his rajasic nature. At the top presses down upon life the harmonic regulative law or dharma; the sattwic man attempts to erect and follow his limited personal standards of reasoning knowledge, enlightened utility or mechanised virtue, his religions and philosophies and ethical formulas, mental systems and constructions, fixed channels of idea and conduct which do not agree with the totality of the meaning of life and are constantly being broken in the movement of the wider universal purpose. The dharma of the sattwic man is the highest in the circle of the gunas; but that too is a limited view and a dwarfed standard. Its imperfect indications lead to a petty and relative perfection; temporarily satisfying to the enlightened personal ego, it is not founded either on the whole truth of the self or on the whole truth of Nature. (Soul slaying truth)" CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-544 Freedom from Lower Nature: "The spirit within, when we turn to it, illumines the entire field of Nature with its own truth in all the splendour of its rays. In the light of that sun of knowledge the eye of knowledge opens in us and we live in that truth and no longer in this ignorance. Then we perceive that our limitation to our present mental and physical nature was an error of the darkness, then we are liberated from the law of the lower Prakriti, the law of the mind and body, then we attain to the supreme nature of the spirit. That splendid and lofty change is the last, the divine and infinite becoming, the putting off of mortal nature, the putting on of an immortal existence." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-420, "But to arrive here at this greater spiritual immortality the embodied soul must cease to live according to the law of the lower nature ; it must put on the law of the Divine’s supreme way of existence which is in fact the real law of its own eternal essence. In the spiritual evolution of its becoming, no less than in its secret original being, it must grow into the likeness of the Divine." 422-423 "To see that the modes of Nature are the whole agency and cause of our works and to know and turn to that which is supreme above the gunas , is the way to rise above the lower nature . Only so can we attain to the movement and status of the Divine, madbhava , by which free from subjection to birth and death and their concomitants, decay, old age and suffering, the liberated soul shall enjoy in the end immortality and all that is eternal." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-432, "The world for the Gita is real, a creation of the Lord, a power of the Eternal, a manifestation from the Parabrahman, and even this lower nature of the triple Maya is a derivation from the supreme divine Nature." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-440, " It is by knowing him at once in the Akshara and the Kshara , it is by knowing him as the Unborn who partially manifests himself in all birth and even himself descends as the constant Avatar, it is by knowing him in his entirety, samagram mam , that the soul is easily released from the appearances of the lower Nature and returns by a vast sudden growth and broad immeasurable ascension into the divine being and supreme Nature." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-441, "To ascend into the divine nature, we have been told, one must first fix oneself in a perfect spiritual equality and rise above the lower nature of the three gunas . Thus transcending the lower Prakriti we fix ourselves in the impersonality, the imperturbable superiority to all action, the purity from all definition and limitation by quality which is one side of the manifested nature of the Purushottama , his manifestation as the eternity and unity of the self, the Akshara ." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-442 Sattwa: "The Gita applies this generalised analysis of the universal Energy to the psychological nature of man in relation to his bondage to Prakriti and the realisation of spiritual freedom. Sattwa , it tells us, is by the purity of its quality a cause of light and illumination and by virtue of that purity it produces no disease or morbidity or suffering in the nature. When into all the doors in the body there comes a flooding of light, as if the doors and windows of a closed house were opened to sunshine, a light of understanding, perception and knowledge, when the intelligence is alert and illumined, the senses quickened, the whole mentality satisfied and full of brightness and the nervous being calmed and filled with an illumined ease and clarity, prasada , one should understand that there has been a great increase and uprising of the sattwic guna in the nature. For knowledge and a harmonious ease and pleasure and happiness are the characteristic results of sattwa . The pleasure that is sattwic is not only that contentment which an inner clarity of satisfied will and intelligence brings with it, but all delight and content produced by the soul’s possession of itself in light or by an accord or an adequate and truthful adjustment between the regarding soul and the surrounding Nature and her offered objects of desire and perception." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-428-429 Rajas: " Rajas , again, the Gita tells us, has for its essence attraction of liking and longing. Rajas is a child of the attachment of the soul to the desire of objects ; it is born from the nature’s thirst for an unpossessed satisfaction. It is therefore full of unrest and fever and lust and greed and excitement, a thing of seeking impulsions, and all this mounts in us when the middle guna increases. It is the force of desire which motives all ordinary personal initiative of action and all that movement of stir and seeking and propulsion in our nature which is the impetus towards action and works, pravritti. Rajas , then, is evidently the kinetic force in the modes of Nature. Its fruit is the lust of action, but also grief, pain, all kinds of suffering; for it has no right possession of its object — desire in fact implies non-possession — and even its pleasure of acquired possession is troubled and unstable because it has not clear knowledge and does not know how to possess nor can it find the secret of accord and right enjoyment. All the ignorant and passionate seeking of life belongs to the rajasic mode of Nature." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-429 Tamas: "Tamas , finally, is born of inertia and ignorance and its fruit too is inertia and ignorance. It is the darkness of tamas which obscures knowledge and causes all confusion and delusion. Therefore it is the opposite of sattwa , for the essence of sattwa is enlightenment, prakasa, and the essence of tamas is absence of light, nescience, aprakasa . But tamas brings incapacity and negligence of action as well as the incapacity and negligence of error, inattention and misunderstanding or non-understanding; indolence, languor and sleep belong to this guna . Therefore it is the opposite too of rajas ; for the essence of rajas is movement and impulsion and kinesis, pravritti , but the essence of tamas is inertia, apravrtti. Tamas is inertia of nescience and inertia of inaction, a double negative." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-429-430 Above the three Gunas : "But what, asks Arjuna , are the signs of such a man, what his action and how is he said even in action to be above the three gunas? The sign, says Krishna , is that equality of which I have so constantly spoken; the sign is that inwardly he regards happiness and suffering alike, gold and mud and stone as of equal value and that to him the pleasant and the unpleasant, praise and blame, honour and insult, the faction of his friends and the faction of his enemies are equal things. He is steadfast in a wise imperturbable and immutable inner calm and quietude. He initiates no action, but leaves all works to be done by the gunas of Nature. Sattwa, rajas or tamas may rise or cease in his outer mentality and his physical movements with their results of enlightenment, of impulsion to works or of inaction and the clouding over of the mental and nervous being, but he does not rejoice when this comes or that ceases, nor on the other hand does he abhor or shrink from the operation or the cessation of these things. He has seated himself in the conscious light of another principle than the nature of the gunas and that greater consciousness remains steadfast in him, above these powers and unshaken by their motions like the sun above clouds to one who has risen into a higher atmosphere. He from that height sees that it is the gunas that are in process of action and that their storm and calm are not himself but only a movement of Prakriti; his self is immovable above and his spirit does not participate in that shifting mutability of things unstable. This is the impersonality of the Brahmic status; for that higher principle, that greater wide high-seated consciousness, kutastha , is the immutable Brahman ." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-432-433, "A radically different movement has to draw us back from the gunas and lift us above them. The error that accepts the action of the modes of Nature must cease; for as long as it is accepted, the soul is involved in their operations and subjected to their law. Sattwa must be transcended as well as rajas and tamas; the golden chain must be broken no less than the leaden fetters and the bond-ornaments of a mixed alloy . The Gita prescribes to this end a new method of self-discipline. It is to stand back in oneself from the action of the modes and observe this unsteady flux as the Witness seated above the surge of the forces of Nature. He is one who watches but is impartial and indifferent, aloof from them on their own level and in his native posture high above them. As they rise and fall in their waves, the Witness looks, observes, but neither accepts nor for the moment interferes with their course. First there must be the freedom of the impersonal Witness; afterwards there can be the control of the Master, the Ishwara ." CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-238, The Synthesis of Yoga book proposes another method in addition to the Gita’s method by which one can go beyond three gunas . “There is nothing to be done with this fickle, restless, violent and disturbing factor but to get rid of it (physical mind) whether (1) by detaching it and then reducing it to stillness or (2) by giving a concentration and singleness to the thought by which it will of itself reject this alien and confusing element.’ CWSA/23/The Synthesis of Yoga-314, “Tamas in the spiritual being becomes a divine calm, which is not an inertia and incapacity of action, but a perfect power, sakti, holding in itself all its capacity and capable of controlling and subjecting to the law of calm even the most stupendous and enormous activity: rajas becomes a self-effecting initiating sheer Will of the spirit, which is not desire, endeavour, striving passion, but the same perfect power of being, sakti , capable of an infinite, imperturbable and blissful action. Sattwa becomes not the modified mental light, prakasa , but the self-existent light of the divine being, jyotih , which is the soul of the perfect power of being and illumines in their unity the divine quietude and the divine will of action.” CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-689, “This process (of Spiritual transformation) may be rapid or tardy according to the amount of obscurity and resistance still left in the nature, but it goes on unfalteringly so long as it is not complete. As a final result the whole conscious being is made perfectly apt for spiritual experience of every kind, turned towards spiritual truth of thought, feeling, sense, action, tuned to the right responses, delivered from the darkness and stubbornness of the tamasic inertia, the turbidities and turbulences and impurities of the rajasic passion and restless unharmonised kinetism, the enlightened rigidities and sattwic limitations or poised balancements of constructed equilibrium which are the character of the Ignorance.” CWSA-22/The Life Divine/p-941, Sattwa , the Mediator: "We see then that action is possible without the subjection of the soul to the normal degraded functioning of the modes of Nature. That functioning depends on the mental, vital and physical limitation into which we are cast; it is a deformation, an incapacity, a wrong or depressed value imposed on us by the mind and life in matter. When we grow into the spirit, this dharma or inferior law of Nature is replaced by the immortal dharma of the spirit; there is the experience of a free immortal action, a divine illimitable knowledge, a transcendent power, an unfathomable repose. But still there remains the question of the transition; for there must be a transition, a proceeding by steps, since nothing in God’s workings in this world is done by an abrupt action without procedure or basis. We have the thing we seek in us, but we have in practice to evolve it out of the inferior forms of our nature.4 Therefore in the action of the modes itself there must be some means, some leverage, some point d’appui, by which we can effect this transformation. The Gita finds it in the full development of the sattwic guna till that in its potent expansion reaches a point at which it can go beyond itself and disappear into its source. The reason is evident, because sattwa is a power of light and happiness, a force that makes for calm and knowledge, and at its highest point it can arrive at a certain reflection, almost a mental identity with the spiritual light and bliss from which it derives. The other two gunas cannot get this transformation, rajas into the divine kinetic will or tamas into the divine repose and calm, without the intervention of the sattwic power in Nature. The principle of inertia will always remain an inert inaction of power or an incapacity of knowledge until its ignorance disappears in illumination and its torpid incapacity is lost in the light and force of the omnipotent divine will of repose. Then only can we have the supreme calm. Therefore tamas must be dominated by sattwa . The principle of rajas for the same reason must remain always a restless, troubled, feverish or unhappy working because it has not right knowledge; its native movement is a wrong and perverse action, perverse through ignorance. Our will must purify itself by knowledge; it must get more and more to a right and luminously informed action before it can be converted into the divine kinetic will. That again means the necessity of the intervention of sattwa . The sattwic quality is a first mediator between the higher and the lower nature. It must indeed at a certain point transform or escape from itself and break up and dissolve into its source; its conditioned derivative seeking light and carefully constructed action must change into the free direct dynamics and spontaneous light of the spirit. But meanwhile a high increase of sattwic power delivers us largely from the tamasic and the rajasic disqualification; and its own disqualification, once we are not pulled too much downward by rajas and tamas , can be surmounted with a greater ease. To develop sattwa till it becomes full of spiritual light and calm and happiness is the first condition of this preparatory discipline of the nature." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-467-469, " Buddhi is really an intermediary between a much higher Truth-mind not now in our active possession, which is the direct instrument of Spirit, and the physical life of the human mind evolved in body. Its powers of intelligence and will are drawn from this greater direct Truth-mind or supermind. Buddhi centres its mental action round the ego-idea, the idea that I am this mind, life and body or am a mental being determined by their action. It serves this ego-idea whether limited by what we call egoism or extended by sympathy with the life around us. An ego-sense is created which reposes on the separative action of the body, of the individualised life, of the mind-responses, and the ego-idea in the buddhi centralises the whole action of this ego’s thought, character, personality. The lower understanding and the intermediary reason are instruments of its desire of experience and self-enlargement. But when the highest reason and will develop, we can turn towards that which these outward things mean to the higher spiritual consciousness. The “I” can then be seen as a mental reflection of the Self, the Spirit, the Divine, the one existence transcendent, universal, individual in its multiplicity; the consciousness in which these things meet, become aspects of one being and assume their right relations, can then be unveiled out of all these physical and mental coverings. When the transition to supermind takes place, the powers of the Buddhi do not perish, but have all to be converted to their supramental values. But the consideration of the supermind and the conversion of the buddhi belongs to the question of the higher siddhi or divine perfection. At present we have to consider the purification of the normal being of man, preparatory to any such conversion, which leads to the liberation from the bonds of our lower nature." CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-652-653, Bhakti , a passage to Purushottama Consciousness: " But still there is evidently here a double status , there is a scission of the being between two opposites; (1) a liberated spirit in the immutable Self or (2) Brahman watches the action of an unliberated mutable Nature, — (1) Akshara and (2) Kshara. Is there no greater status, no principle of more absolute perfection, or is this division the highest consciousness possible in the body, and is the end of Yoga to drop the mutable nature and the gunas born of the embodiment in Nature and disappear into the impersonality and everlasting peace of the Brahman ? Is that laya or dissolution of the individual Purusha the greatest liberation? There is, it would seem, something else; for the Gita says at the close, always returning to this one final note, “He also who loves and strives after Me with an undeviating love and adoration, passes beyond the three gunas and he too is prepared for becoming the Brahman .” (The Gita-14.26) This “I” is the Purushottama who is the foundation of the silent Brahman and of immortality and imperishable spiritual existence and of the eternal dharma and of an utter bliss of happiness. There is a status then which is greater than the peace of the Akshara as it watches unmoved the strife of the gunas . There is a highest spiritual experience and foundation above the immutability of the Brahman , there is an eternal dharma greater than the rajasic impulsion to works, pravritti , there is an absolute delight which is untouched by rajasic suffering and beyond the sattwic happiness, and these things are found and possessed by dwelling in the being and power of the Purushottama . But since it is acquired by bhakti, its status must be that divine delight, Ananda , in which is experienced (1) the union of utter love (niratisayapremaspadatvam anandatattvam ) and (2) possessing oneness, the crown of bhakti . And (3) to rise into that Ananda , into that imperishable oneness must be the completion of spiritual perfection and the fulfilment of the eternal immortalising dharma ." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-433-434 Supramental Action on Three Gunas : "And so too beyond the inferior light and happiness of that purest quality of Nature, Sattwa, the power that makes for assimilation and equivalence, right knowledge and right dealing, fine harmony, firm balance, right law of action, right possession and brings so full a satisfaction to the mind, beyond this highest thing in the normal nature, admirable in itself so far as it goes and while it can be maintained, but precarious, secured by limitation, dependent on rule and condition, there is at its high and distant source a greater light and bliss free in the free spirit. That is not limited nor dependent on limitation or rule or condition but self-existent and unalterable, not the result of this or that harmony amid the discords of our nature but the fount of harmony and able to create whatever harmony it will. That is a luminous spiritual and in its native action a direct supramental force of knowledge , jyotih , not our modified and derivative mental light, prakasa . That is the light and bliss of widest self-existence, spontaneous self-knowledge, intimate universal identity, deepest self-interchange, not of acquisition, assimilation, adjustment and laboured equivalence. That light is full of a luminous spiritual will and there is no gulf or disparateness between its knowledge and its action. That delight is not our paler mental happiness, sukham , but a profound concentrated intense self-existent bliss extended to all that our being does, envisages, creates, a fixed divine rapture, Ananda . The liberated soul participates more and more profoundly in this light and bliss and grows the more perfectly into it, the more integrally it unites itself with the Divine. And while among the gunas of the lower Nature there is a necessary disequilibrium, a shifting inconstancy of measures and a perpetual struggle for domination, the greater light and bliss, calm, will of kinesis of the Spirit do not exclude each other , are not at war, are not even merely in equilibrium, but each an aspect of the two others and in their fullness all are inseparable and one . Our mind when it approaches the Divine may seem to enter into one to the exclusion of another, may appear for instance to achieve calm to the exclusion of kinesis of action, but that is because we approach him first through the selecting spirit in the mind. Afterwards when we are able to rise above even the spiritual mind, we can see that each divine power contains all the rest and can get rid of this initial error ." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p- 466-467 14/ Chapter 14. The Three Gunas Intermediate Self-forgetful Knowledge beyond the three Gunas : "The movement of the Ignorance is egoistic at its core and nothing is more difficult for us than to get rid of egoism while yet we admit personality and adhere to action in the half-light and half-force of our unfinished nature. It is easier to starve the ego by renouncing the impulse to act or to kill it by cutting away from us all movement of personality. It is easier to exalt it into self-forgetfulness immersed in a trance of peace or an ecstasy of divine Love. But our more difficult problem is to liberate the true Person and attain to a divine manhood which shall be the pure vessel of a divine force and the perfect instrument of a divine action. Step after step has to be firmly taken; difficulty after difficulty has to be entirely experienced and entirely mastered. Only the Divine Wisdom and Power can do this for us and it will do all if we yield to it in an entire faith and follow and assent to its workings with a constant courage and patience." CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-247, "Matter or body itself is a limiting form of substance of spirit in which life and mind and spirit are involved, self-hidden, self-forgetful by absorption in their own externalising action, but bound to emerge from it by a self-compelling evolution. But matter too is capable of refining to subtler forms of substance in which it becomes more apparently a formal density of life, of mind, of spirit. Man himself has, besides this gross material body, an encasing vital sheath, a mental body, a body of bliss and gnosis. But all matter, all body contains within it the secret powers of these higher principles; matter is a formation of life that has no real existence apart from the informing universal spirit which gives it its energy and substance." CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-626-627, "But in the ascent of the human consciousness through the uplifting and transmuting evolutionary — that is to say, (1) self-unveiling, (2) self-developing, (3) progressively self-perfecting — process of Yoga, we have to take account of three successive conditions all of which have to be overpassed before we are able to move on (4 ) the highest levels. The first condition of our consciousness, that in which we now move, is this mind of ignorance that has arisen out of the inconscience and nescience of material Nature, — ignorant but capable of seeking for knowledge and finding it at least in a series of mental representations which may be made clues to the true truth and, more and more refined and illuminated and rendered transparent by the influence, the infiltration and the descent of the light from above, prepare the intelligence for opening to the capacity of true knowledge. All truth is to this mind a thing it originally had not and has had to acquire or has still to acquire, a thing external to it and to be gathered by experience or by following certain ascertained methods and rules of enquiry, calculation, application of discovered law, interpretation of signs and indices. Its very knowledge implies an antecedent nescience; it is the instrument of Avidya." CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-887, " The second condition of consciousness is potential only to the human being and gained by an inner enlightening and transformation of the mind of ignorance; it is that in which the mind seeks for its source of knowledge rather within than without and becomes to its own feeling and self-experience, by whatever means, a mind, not of original ignorance, but of self-forgetful knowledge. This mind is conscious that the knowledge of all things is hidden within it or at least somewhere in the being, but as if veiled and forgotten, and the knowledge comes to it not as a thing acquired from outside, but always secretly there and now remembered and known at once to be true, — each thing in its own place, degree, manner and measure. This is its attitude to knowledge even when the occasion of knowing is some external experience, sign or indication, because that is to it only the occasion and its reliance for the truth of the knowledge is not on the external indication or evidence but on the inner confirming witness. The true mind is the universal within us and the individual is only a projection on the surface, and therefore this second state of consciousness we have either when the individual mind goes more and more inward and is always consciously or subconsciously near and sensitive to the touches of the universal mentality in which all is contained, received, capable of being made manifest, or, still more powerfully, when we live in the consciousness of universal mind with the personal mentality only as a projection, a marking board or a communicating switch on the surface." CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-887-888, " The third state of consciousness is that of the mind of knowledge in which all things and all truths are perceived and experienced as already present and known and immediately available by merely turning the inner light upon it, as when one turns the eye upon things in a room already known and familiar, — though not always present to the vision because that is not attentive, — and notes them as objects of a pre-existent knowledge. The difference from the second self-forgetful state of consciousness is that there is here no effort or seeking needed but simply a turning or opening of the inner light on whatever field of knowledge, and therefore it is not a recalling of things forgotten and self-hidden from the mind, but a luminous presentation of things already present, ready and available. This last condition (the fourth state of Consciousness) is only possible by a partial supramentalising of the intuitive mentality and its full openness to any and every communication from the supramental ranges. This mind of knowledge is in its essentiality a power of potential omnipotence, but in its actual working on the level of mind it is limited in its range and province. The character of limitation applies to the supermind itself when it descends into the mental level and works in the lesser substance of mentality, though in its own manner and body of power and light, and it persists even in the action of the supramental reason. It is only the higher supramental Shakti acting on its own ranges whose will and knowledge work always in a boundless light or with a free capacity of illimitable extension of knowledge subject only to such limitations as are self-imposed for its own purposes and at its own will by the spirit." CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p- 888-889, "The coming of the intimations of the subliminal self to the surface and the activity of the psychical consciousness tend to turn the mind of ignorance, with which we begin, increasingly though not perfectly into a mind of self-forgetful knowledge constantly illuminated with intimations and upsurgings from the inner being, antaratman , rays from the still concealed awareness of its whole self and infinite contents and from the awareness — representing itself here as a sort of memory, a recalling or a bringing out — of an inherent and permanent but hidden knowledge of past, present and future that is always carried within itself by the eternal spirit. But embodied as we are and founded on the physical consciousness, the mind of ignorance still persists as a conditioning environment, an intervening power and limiting habitual force obstructing and mixing with the new formation or, even in moments of large illumination, at once a boundary wall and a strong substratum, and it imposes its incapacities and errors. And to remedy this persistence the first necessity would seem to be the development of the power of a luminous intuitive intelligence seeing the truth of time and its happenings as well as all other truth by intuitive thought and sense and vision and detecting and extruding by its native light of discernment the intrusions of misprision and error... All intuitive knowledge comes more or less directly from the light of the self-aware spirit entering into the mind, the spirit concealed behind mind and conscious of all in itself and in all its selves, omniscient and capable of illumining the ignorant or the self-forgetful mind whether by rare or constant flashes or by a steady instreaming light, out of its omniscience. This all includes all that was, is or will be in time and this omniscience is not limited, impeded or baffled by our mental division of the three times (present, past and future) and the idea and experience of a dead and no longer existent and ill-remembered or forgotten past and a not yet existent and therefore unknowable future which is so imperative for the mind in the ignorance. Accordingly the growth of the intuitive mind can bring with it the capacity of a time knowledge which comes to it not from outside indices, but from within the universal soul of things, its eternal memory of the past, its unlimited holding of things present and its prevision or, as it has been paradoxically but suggestively called, its memory of the future. But this capacity works at first sporadically and uncertainly and not in an organised manner. As the force of intuitive knowledge grows, it becomes more possible to command the use of the capacity and to regularise to a certain degree its functioning and various movements. An acquired power can be established of commanding the materials and the main or the detailed knowledge of things in the triple time, but this usually forms itself as a special or abnormal power and the normal action of the mentality or a large part of it remains still that of the mind of ignorance. This is obviously an imperfection and limitation and it is only when the power takes its place as a normal and natural action of the wholly intuitivised mind that there can be said to be a perfection of the capacity of the triple time knowledge so far as that is possible in the mental being." CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-896-897, "At the same time it will be found that it (Intuitive mind) is still a limited instrument. In the first place it (Intuitive mind) will represent a superior knowledge working in the stuff of mind, cast into mental forms and still subject to mental conditions and limitations. It will always lean chiefly on the succession of present moments as a foundation for its steps and successions of knowledge, however far it may range backward or forward, — it will move in the stream of Time even in its higher revelatory action and not see the movement from above or in the stabilities of eternal time with their large ranges of vision, and therefore it will always be bound to a secondary and limited action and to a certain dilution, qualification and relativity in its activities. Moreover, its knowing will be not a possession in itself but a reception of knowledge. It will at most create in place of the mind of ignorance a mind of self-forgetful knowledge constantly reminded and illumined from a latent self- awareness and all-awareness. The range, the extent, the normal lines of action of the knowledge will vary according to the development, but it can never be free from very strong limitations. And this limitation will give a tendency to the still environing or subconsciously subsisting mind of ignorance to reassert itself, to rush in or up, acting where the intuitive knowledge refuses or is unable to act and bringing in with it again its confusion and mixture and error. The only security will be a refusal to attempt to know or at least a suspension of the effort of knowledge until or unless the higher light descends and extends its action. This self-restraint is difficult to mind and, too contentedly exercised, may limit the growth of the seeker. If on the other hand the mind of ignorance is allowed again to emerge and seek in its own stumbling imperfect force, there may be a constant oscillation between the two states or a mixed action of the two powers in place of a definite though relative perfection...The issue out of this dilemma is to a greater perfection towards which the formation of the intuitive, inspired and revelatory mind is only a preparatory stage, and that (greater perfection of intuitive mind) comes by a constant instreaming and descent of more and more of the supramental light and energy into the whole mental being and a constant raising of the intuition and its powers towards their source in the open glories of the supramental nature. There is then a double action of the intuitive mind aware of, (1) open to and referring its knowledge constantly to the light above it for support and confirmation and (2) of that light itself creating a highest mind of knowledge, — really the supramental action itself in a more and more transformed stuff of mind and a less and less insistent subjection to mental conditions. There is thus formed a lesser supramental action, a mind of knowledge tending always to change into the true supermind of knowledge. (1) The mind of ignorance is more and more definitely excluded, its place taken by the (2) mind of self-forgetful knowledge illumined by the intuition, and the intuition itself more perfectly organised becomes capable of answering to a larger and larger call upon it. The increasing (3) mind of knowledge acts as an intermediary power and, as it forms itself, it works upon the other, transforms or replaces it and compels the farther change which effects the transition from (4) mind to supermind. It is here that a change begins to take place in the time consciousness and time knowledge which finds its base and complete reality and significance only on the supramental levels. It is therefore in relation to the truth of supermind that its workings can be more effectively elucidated: for (3) the mind of knowledge is only a projection and a last step in the ascent towards (4) the supramental nature." CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-903-904, 15/ Chapter 15. The Supreme Divine Summary or A Brief Restatement: First, by the practice of Self-control, a Sadhak's Psychic Being and Spiritual Being open. A traditional Sadhak utilises the opening of these Selves for the discovery of Purushottama Consciousness and "with their experiences and consequences can lead away from life or to a Nirvana." ( CWSA-22/The Life Divine/p-943) An integral Sadhak utilises the opening of these two Selves, "solely as steps in a transformation of the nature" (CWSA-22/The Life Divine/p-943) and after long movement of Consciousness, he discovers the Supramental being, and utilises the same for the transformation of the Subconscient and Inconscient Sheaths. "First there comes a description of cosmic existence in the Vedantic image of the aswattha tree. This tree of cosmic existence has no beginning and no end, nanto na cadih ( The Gita-15.3), in space or in time; for it is eternal and imperishable, avyaya . The real form of it cannot be perceived by us in this material world of man’s embodiment, nor has it any apparent lasting foundation here; it is an infinite movement and its foundation is above in the supreme of the Infinite. Its principle is the ancient sempiternal urge to action, pravritti, which for ever proceeds without beginning or end from the original Soul of all existence, adyam purusam yatah pravrittih prasruta puranı. Therefore its original source is above, beyond Time in the Eternal, but its branches stretch down below and it extends and plunges its other roots, well-fixed and clinging roots of attachment and desire with their consequences of more and more desire and an endlessly developing action, plunges them downward here into the world of men. The hymns of the Veda are compared to its leaves and the man who knows this tree of the cosmos is the Veda -knower. And here we see the sense of that rather disparaging view of the Veda or at least of the Vedavada, which we had to notice at the beginning. For the knowledge the Veda gives us is a knowledge of the gods, of the principles and powers of the cosmos, and its fruits are the fruits of a sacrifice which is offered with desire, fruits of enjoyment and lordship in the nature of the three worlds, in earth and heaven and the world between earth and heaven. The branches of this cosmic tree extend both below and above, below in the material, above in the supraphysical planes; they grow by the gunas of Nature, for the triple guna is all the subject of the Vedas, traigunya-visaya vedah. The Vedic rhythms, chandamsi, are the leaves and the sensible objects of desire supremely gained by a right doing of sacrifice are the constant budding of the foliage. Man, therefore, so long as he enjoys the play of the gunas and is attached to desire, is held in the coils of Pravritti, in the movement of birth and action, turns about constantly between the earth and the middle planes and the heavens and is unable to get back to his supreme spiritual infinitudes. This was perceived by the sages. To achieve liberation they followed the path of Nivritti or cessation from the original urge to action , and the consummation of this way is the cessation of birth itself and a transcendent status in the highest supracosmic reach of the Eternal. But for this purpose it is necessary to cut these long-fixed roots of desire by the strong sword of detachment and then to seek for that highest goal whence, once having reached it, there is no compulsion of return to mortal life. To be free from the bewilderment of this lower Maya , without egoism, the great fault of attachment conquered, all desires stilled, the duality of joy and grief cast away, always to be fixed in wide equality, always to be firm in a pure spiritual consciousness, these are the steps of the way to that supreme Infinite. There we find the timeless being which is not illumined by sun or moon or fire, but is itself the light of the presence of the eternal Purusha. I turn away, says the Vedantic verse, to seek that original Soul alone and to reach him in the great passage. That is the highest status of the Purushottama , his supracosmic existence." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-443-444 The Vision of the Million-bodied Lord: "But it would seem that this can be attained very well, best even, pre-eminently, directly, by the quiescence of Sannyasa . Its appointed path would seem to be the way of the Akshara , a complete renunciation of works and life, an ascetic seclusion, an ascetic inaction. Where is the room here, or at least where is the call, the necessity, for the command to action, and what has all this to do with the maintenance of the cosmic existence, lokasangraha, the slaughter of Kurukshetra, the ways of the Spirit in Time, the vision of the million-bodied Lord and his high- voiced bidding, “Arise, slay the foe, enjoy a wealthy kingdom”? (The Gita-11.33) And what then is this soul in Nature? This spirit too, this Kshara, this enjoyer of our mutable existence, is the Purushottama ; (Supramentalised Psychic being) it is he in his eternal multiplicity, that is the Gita’s answer. “It is an eternal portion of me that becomes the Jiva in a world of Jivas .” (The Gita-15.7) This is an epithet, a statement of immense bearing and consequence. For it means that each soul, each being in its spiritual reality is the very Divine, however partial its actual manifestation of him in Nature. And it means too, if words have any sense, that each manifesting spirit, each of the many, is an eternal individual, an eternal unborn and undying power of the one Existence. We call this manifesting spirit the Jiva , because it appears here as if a living creature in a world of living creatures, and we speak of this spirit in man as the human soul and think of it in the terms of humanity only. But in truth it is something greater than its present appearance and not bound to its humanity: it was a lesser manifestation than the human in its past, it can become something much greater than mental man in its future. And when this soul rises above all ignorant limitation, then it puts on its divine nature of which its humanity is only a temporary veil, a thing of partial and incomplete significance. The individual spirit exists and ever existed beyond in the Eternal, for it is itself everlasting, sanatana . It is evidently this idea of the eternal individual which leads the Gita to avoid any expression at all suggestive of a complete dissolution, laya , and to speak rather of the highest state of the soul as a dwelling in the Purushottama, nivasisyasi mayyeva . (The Gita-12.08) If when speaking of the one Self of all it seems to use the language of Adwaita , yet this enduring truth of the eternal individual, mamamsah sanatanah , (The Gita-15.7) adds something which brings in a qualification and appears almost to accept the seeing of the Visishtadwaita , — though we must not therefore leap at once to the conclusion that that alone is the Gita’s philosophy or that its doctrine is identical with the later doctrine of Ramanuja . Still this much is clear that there is an eternal, a real and not only an illusive principle of multiplicity in the spiritual being of the one divine Existence." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-444-446, "The mind of knowledge and the will of action are not all; there is within you a heart whose demand is for delight. Here too in the heart’s power and illumination, in its demand for delight, for the soul’s satisfaction your nature must be turned, transformed and lifted to one conscious ecstasy with the Divine. The knowledge of the impersonal self brings its own Ananda ; there is a joy of impersonality, a singleness of joy of the pure spirit. But an integral knowledge brings a greater triple delight. (1) It opens the gates of the Transcendent’s bliss; (2) it releases into the limitless delight of a universal impersonality; (3) it discovers the rapture of all this multitudinous manifestation: for there is a joy of the Eternal in Nature (Eternal in Nature is the Psychic Being) . This Ananda in the Jiva, a portion here of the Divine, takes the form of an ecstasy founded in the Godhead who is his source, in his supreme self, in the Master of his existence. An entire God-love and adoration extends to a love of the world and all its forms and powers and creatures; in all the Divine is seen, is found, is adored, is served or is felt in oneness. Add to knowledge and works this crown of the eternal triune delight; admit this love, learn this worship; make it one spirit with works and knowledge. That is the apex of the perfect perfection. " CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-588-589, "As with individual, so with universal Love; all that widening of the self through sympathy, goodwill, universal benevolence and beneficence, love of mankind, love of creatures, the attraction of all the myriad forms and presences that surround us, by which mentally and emotionally man escapes from the first limits of his ego, has to be taken up into a unifying divine love for the universal Divine. Adoration fulfilled in love, love in Ananda, the surpassing love, the self-wrapped ecstasy of transcendent delight in the Transcendent which awaits us at the end of the path of Devotion, — has for its wider result a universal love for all beings, the Ananda of all that is; we perceive behind every veil the Divine, spiritually embrace in all forms the All-Beautiful. A universal delight in his endless manifestation flows through us, taking in its surge every form and movement, but not bound or stationary in any and always reaching out to a greater and more perfect expression. This universal love is liberative and dynamic for transformation; for the discord of forms and appearances ceases to affect the heart that has felt the one Truth behind them all and understood their perfect significance. The impartial equality of soul of the selfless worker and knower is transformed by the magic touch of divine Love into an all-embracing ecstasy and million-bodied beatitude. All things become bodies and all movements the playings of the divine Beloved in his infinite house of pleasure. Even pain is changed and in their reaction and even in their essence things painful alter ; the forms of pain fall away, there are created in their place the forms of Ananda ." CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-160-161, Kshara Purusha: "There is a spirit here at work in the world that is one in innumerable appearances. It is the developer of birth and action, the moving power of life, the inhabiting and associating consciousness in the myriad mutabilities of Nature; it is the constituting reality of all this stir in Time and Space; it is itself Time and Space and Circumstance. It is this multitude of souls in the worlds; it is the gods and men and creatures and things and forces and qualities and quantities and powers and presences. It is Nature, which is power of the Spirit, and objects, which are its phenomena of name and idea and form, and existences, who are portions and births and becomings of this single self-existent spiritual entity, the One, the Eternal. But what we see obviously at work before us is not this Eternal and his conscious Shakti, but a Nature which in the blind stress of her operations is ignorant of the spirit within her action. Her work is a confused, ignorant and limiting play of certain fundamental modes, qualities, principles of force in mechanical operation and the fixity or the flux of their consequences. And whatever soul comes to the surface in her action, is itself in appearance ignorant, suffering, bound to the incomplete and unsatisfying play of this inferior Nature. The inherent Power in her is yet other than what it thus seems to be; for, hidden in its truth, manifest in its appearances, it is the Kshara , the universal Soul, the spirit in the mutability of cosmic phenomenon and becoming, one with the Immutable and the Supreme . We have to arrive at the hidden truth behind its manifest appearances; we have to discover the Spirit behind these veils and to see all as the One, vasudevah sarvam iti , individual, universal, transcendent. But this is a thing impossible to achieve with any completeness of inner reality, so long as we live concentrated in the inferior Nature. For in this lesser movement Nature is an ignorance, a Maya; she shelters the Divine within its folds and conceals him from herself and her creatures. The Godhead is hidden by the Maya of his own all-creating Yoga, the Eternal figured in transience, Being absorbed and covered up by its own manifesting phenomena. In the Kshara taken alone as a thing in itself, the mutable universal apart from the undivided Immutable and the Transcendent, there is no completeness of knowledge, no completeness of our being and therefore no liberation ." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-435-436, "There is however no invariable rule as to the order of the opening. By concentration on the heart centre that can open first liberating the psychic action, which is veiled by the emotional, into free play. In many there is first some opening of the vital centre and for a long time there is an abundant but unpurified play of experiences on the vital plane. In the Tantric discipline there is a process of opening all the centres from the Muladhara upward. In our Yoga (Integral Yoga) very often the Power descends from above and opens the Ajnachakra first, then the others in order. But it is perhaps the safest to open by concentration the heart-lotus first so as to have the psychic influence from the beginning. .. The psychic cannot lose its consciousness in the enjoyment of experiences; when it is in free action, it has the unfailing discrimination of which you speak. It has besides no push to outward enjoyment, though it has Ananda . It is the vital that is carried away by enjoyment and carries away with it the mind and other lower parts — and it can also cover up the psychic; but then what happens is not that the psychic loses its own” CWSA-30/Letters on Yoga-III/350-351, “If desire is rejected and no longer governs the thought, feeling or action and there is the steady aspiration of an entirely sincere self-giving, the psychic usually after a time opens of itself. ” CWSA-30/Letters on Yoga-III/p-349, “Then only can the psychic being fully open when the sadhaka has got rid of the mixture of vital motives with his sadhana and is capable of a simple and sincere self-offering to the Mother . If there is any kind of egoistic turn or insincerity of motive, if the Yoga is done under a pressure of vital demands, or partly or wholly to satisfy some spiritual or other ambition, pride, vanity or seeking after power, position or influence over others or with any push towards satisfying any vital desire with the help of the Yogic force, then the psychic cannot open, or opens only partially or only at times and shuts again because it is veiled by the vital activities; the psychic fire fails in the strangling vital smoke. Also, if the mind takes the leading part in the Yoga and puts the inner soul into the background, or, if the bhakti or other movements of the sadhana take more of a vital than of a psychic form, there is the same inability. Purity, simple sincerity and the capacity of an unegoistic unmixed self-offering without pretension or demand are the conditions of an entire opening of the psychic being. ” CWSA-30/Letters on Yoga-III/p-349 Akshara Purusha: "But then there is another spirit of whom we become aware and who is none of these things, but self and self only. This Spirit is eternal, always the same, never changed or affected by manifestation, the one, the stable, a self-existence undivided and not even seemingly divided by the division of things and powers in Nature, inactive in her action, immobile in her motion. It is the Self of all and yet unmoved, indifferent, intangible, as if all these things which depend upon it were not-self, not its own results and powers and consequences, but a drama of action developed before the eye of an unmoved unparticipating spectator. For the mind that stages and shares in the drama is other than the Self which indifferently contains the action. This spirit is timeless, though we see it in Time; it is unextended in space, though we see it as if pervading space. We become aware of it in proportion as we draw back from out inward, or look behind the action and motion for something that is eternal and stable, or get away from time and its creation to the uncreated, away from phenomenon to being, from the personal to impersonality, from becoming to unalterable self-existence. This is the Akshara , the immutable in the mutable, the immobile in the mobile, the imperishable in things perishable. Or rather, since there is only an appearance of pervasion, it is the immutable, immobile and imperishable in which proceeds all the mobility of mutable and perishable things." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-436-437 Reconciliation of Kshara and Akshara Purusha : "There are two Purushas (Spiritual and Psychic beings) in this world, the immutable (and impersonal) and the mutable (and personal); the mutable is all these existences, the Kutastha (the high-seated consciousness of the Brahmic status) is called the immutable. But other than these two is that highest spirit called the supreme Self, who enters the three worlds and upbears them, the imperishable Lord. Since I am beyond the mutable and am greater and higher even than the immutable, in the world and the Veda I am proclaimed as the Purushottama (the supreme Self). He who undeluded thus has knowledge of Me as the Purushottama , adores Me (has bhakti for Me) with all-knowledge and in every way of his natural being." The Gita-15.16 to 19, "The Kshara spirit visible to us as all natural existence and the totality of all existences moves and acts pervadingly in the immobile and eternal Akshara . This mobile Power of Self acts in that fundamental stability of Self, as the second principle of material Nature, Vayu, with its contactual force of aggregation and separation, attraction and repulsion, supporting the formative force of the fiery (radiant, gaseous and electric) and other elemental movements, ranges pervadingly in the subtly massive stability of ether. This Akshara is the self higher than the buddhi it exceeds even that highest subjective principle of Nature in our being, the liberating intelligence, through which man returning beyond his restless mobile mental to his calm eternal spiritual self is at last free from the persistence of birth and the long chain of action, of Karma . This self in its highest status, param dhama , is an unmanifest beyond even the unmanifest principle of the original cosmic Prakriti, Avyakta , and, if the soul turns to this Immutable, the hold of cosmos and Nature falls away from it and it passes beyond birth to an unchanging eternal existence. These two then are the two spirits we see in the world; (1) one emerges in front in its action, (2) the other remains behind it steadfast in that perpetual silence from which the action comes and in which all actions cease and disappear into timeless being, Nirvana . Dvavimau purusau loke ksaras caksara eva ca . (The Gita-15.16)" CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-437, Brhama Satya Jagat Mithya: "But this greater knowledge and experience, however true and however powerful in its appeal to our highest seeing, has still to get rid of a very real and pressing difficulty, a practical as well as a logical contradiction which seems at first sight to persist up to the highest heights of spiritual experience. The Eternal is other than this mobile subjective and objective experience, there is a greater consciousness, na idam yad upasate : (Kena Upanishad-1.4-8) and yet at the same time all this is the Eternal, all this is the perennial self-seeing of the Self, sarvam˙khalu idam brahma, (Chandogya Upanishad-3.14.1) ayam atma brahma. (Manduka Upanishad-2) The Eternal has become all existences, atma abhut sarvani bhutan i; (Isha Upanishad-7) as the Swetaswatara puts it, “Thou art this boy and yonder girl and that old man walking supported on his staff,” — even as in the Gita the Divine says that he is Krishna and Arjuna and Vyasa and Ushanas , and the lion and the aswattha tree, and consciousness and intelligence and all qualities and the self of all creatures. But how are these two the same, when they seem not only so opposite in nature, but so difficult to unify in experience? For when we live in the mobility of the becoming, we may be aware of but hardly live in the immortality of timeless self-existence. And when we fix ourselves in timeless being, Time and Space and circumstance fall away from us and begin to appear as a troubled dream in the Infinite. The most persuasive conclusion would be, at first sight, that the mobility of the spirit in Nature (Kshara Purusha) is an illusion, a thing real only when we live in it, but not real in essence, and that is why, when we go back into self, it falls away from our incorruptible essence. That is the familiar cutting of the knot of the riddle, brahma satyam jagan mithya. " CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-438-439 "Mais si vraies qu'elles soient, et si puissamment qu'elles attirent notre vision la plus haute, cette connaissance et cette expérience plus grandes doivent encore se débarrasser d'une très réelle et pressante difficulté, d'une contradiction tout à la fois pratique et logique qui semble au premier abord persister jusqu'aux suprêmes hauteurs de l'expérience spirituelle, Éternel est autre que cette expérience mobile subjective et objective, il existe une conscience plus grande, na idam yad oupâsaté¹; et pourtant, tout ceci est en même temps Éternel, tout ceci est en même temps l'éternelle vision de soi de l'Être, sarvam khalou idam brahma², ayam âtmâ brahma³. Éternel est devenu toutes les existences, âtmâ abhoût sarva-bhoûtâni4; comme le dit la Shwétâshwatara Oupanishad : "Tu es ce garçon et, là-bas, cette jeune fille et ce vieillard qui, pour marcher, s'appuie sur son bâton." De même, dans la Guîtâ, le Divin dit-Il qu'il est Krishna et Ardjouna et Vyâsa et Oushanas, et le lion et l'arbre ashwattha, et la conscience et l'intelligence et toutes les qualités et le moi de toutes les créatures. Mais comment les deux sont-ils le même, lorsqu'ils semblent non seulement si opposés en nature, mais encore si difficiles à unifier en expérience? En effet, lorsque nous vivons en la mobilité du devenir, si nous pouvons prendre conscience de l'immortalité de l'intemporelle existence en soi, il ne nous est guère possible d'y vivre. Et lorsque nous nous établissons en l'être intemporel, le Temps, l'Espace et la circonstance se détachent de nous et commencent d'apparaître comme un rêve agité dans l'Infini. À première vue, la conclusion la plus convaincante serait que la mobilité de l'esprit dans la Nature est une illusion, une chose qui n'a de réalité que quand nous y vivons, mais qui n'est pas réelle en essence : c'est pourquoi, lorsque nous retournons dans le moi, elle se détache de notre essence incorruptible. C'est ainsi que, d'habitude, on tranche le nœud de l'énigme, brahma satyam djagan mithyâ ." Essais sur la Guîtâ-482-483 Uttama Purusha and the Key Word of the Gita in reconciling Kshara and Akshara Purusha : "The Gita finds it in its supreme vision of the Purushottama ; for that is the type, according to its doctrine, of the complete and the highest experience, it is the knowledge of the whole-knowers, kritsnavidah . The Akshara is para , supreme in relation to the elements and action of cosmic Nature. It is the immutable Self of all, and the immutable Self of all is the Purushottama . The Akshara is he in the freedom of his self-existence unaffected by the action of his own power in Nature, not impinged on by the urge of his own becoming, undisturbed by the play of his own qualities. But this is only one aspect though a great aspect of the integral knowledge. The Purushottama is at the same time greater than the Akshara , because he is more than this immutability and he is not limited even by the highest eternal status of his being, param dhama. Still, it is through whatever is immutable and eternal in us that we arrive at that highest status from which there is no returning to birth, and that was the liberation which was sought by the wise of old, the ancient sages. But when pursued through the Akshara alone, this attempt at liberation becomes the seeking of the Indefinable, a thing hard for our nature embodied as we are here in Matter. The Indefinable, to which the Akshara , the pure intangible self here in us rises in its separative urge, is some supreme Unmanifest, paro avyaktah , and that highest unmanifest Akshara is still the Purushottama . Therefore, the Gita has said, those also who follow after the Indefinable, come to me, the eternal Godhead. But yet is he more even than a highest unmanifest Akshara, more than any negative Absolute, neti neti , because he is to be known also as the supreme Purusha who extends this whole universe in his own existence. He is a supreme mysterious All, an ineffable positive Absolute of all things here. He is the Lord in the Kshara, Purushottama not only there, but here in the heart of every creature, Ishwara . And there too even in his highest eternal status, paro avyaktah , (The Gita-8.21) he is the supreme Lord, Parameshwara , no aloof and unrelated Indefinable, but the origin and father and mother and first foundation and eternal abode of self and cosmos and Master of all existences and enjoyer of askesis and sacrifice. It is by knowing him at once in the Akshara and the Kshara , it is by knowing him as the Unborn who partially manifests himself in all birth and even himself descends as the constant Avatar, it is by knowing him in his entirety, samagram mam , (The Gita-7.1) that the soul is easily released from the appearances of the lower Nature and returns by a vast sudden growth and broad immeasurable ascension into the divine being and supreme Nature. For the truth of the Kshara too is a truth of the Purushottama . The Purushottama is in the heart of every creature and is manifested in his countless Vibhutis; the Purushottama is the cosmic spirit in Time and it is he that gives the command to the divine action of the liberated human spirit. He is both Akshara and Kshara , and yet he is other because he is more and greater than either of these opposites. Uttamah purusastvanyah paramatmetyudahritah, yo lokatrayamavisya bibhartyavyaya ısvarah, (The Gita-15.17) “But other than these two is that highest spirit called the supreme Self, who enters the three worlds and upbears them, the imperishable Lord.” (The Gita-15.17) This verse is the keyword of the Gita’s reconciliation of these two apparently opposite aspects of our existence." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-440-442 The Vision of the Lord: "This eternal individual is not other than or in any way really separate from the Divine Purusha. It is the Lord himself, the Ishwara who by virtue of the eternal multiplicity of his oneness is not all existence a rendering of that truth of the Infinite? — exists for ever as the immortal soul within us and has taken up this body and goes forth from the transient framework when it is cast away to disappear into the elements of Nature. He brings in with him and cultivates for the enjoyment of the objects of mind and sense the subjective powers of Prakriti, mind and the five senses, and in his going forth too he goes taking them as the wind takes the perfumes from a vase. But the identity of the Lord and the soul in mutable Nature is hidden from us by outward appearance and lost in the crowding mobile deceptions of that Nature. And those who allow themselves to be governed by the figures of Nature, the figure of humanity or any other form, will never see it, but will ignore and despise the Divine lodged in the human body. Their ignorance cannot perceive him in his coming in and his going forth or in his staying and enjoying and assumption of quality, but sees only what is there visible to the mind and senses, not the greater truth which can only be glimpsed by the eye of knowledge. Never can they have sight of him, even if they strive to do so, until they learn to put away the limitations of the outward consciousness and build in themselves their spiritual being, create for it, as it were, a form in their nature. Man, to know himself, must be kritatma , formed and complete in the spiritual mould, enlightened in the spiritual vision. The Yogins who have this eye of knowledge, see the Divine Being we are in their own endless reality, their own eternity of spirit. Illumined, they see the Lord in themselves and are delivered from the crude material limitation, from the form of mental personality, from the transient life formulation: they dwell immortal in the truth of the self and spirit. But they see him too not only in themselves, but in all the cosmos. In the light of the sun that illumines all this world they witness the light of the Godhead which is in us; the light in the moon and in fire is the light of the Divine. It is the Divine who has entered into this form of earth and is the spirit of its material force and sustains by his might these multitudes. The Divine is the godhead of Soma who by the rasa , the sap in the Earth-mother, nourishes the plants and trees that clothe her surface. The Divine and no other is the flame of life that sustains the physical body of living creatures and turns its food into sustenance of their vital force. He is lodged in the heart of every breathing thing; from him are memory and knowledge and the debates of the reason. He is that which is known by all the Vedas and by all forms of knowing; he is the knower of Veda and the maker of Vedanta. In other words, the Divine is at once the Soul of matter and the Soul of life and the Soul of mind as well as the Soul of the supramental light that is beyond mind and its limited reasoning intelligence." 446-447 15/ Chapter 15. The Supreme Divine Reconciliation of three Purushas: "The Self, even the individual self, is different from our personality as it is different from our mental ego-sense. Our personality is never the same; it is a constant mutation and various combination. It is not a basic consciousness, but a development of forms of consciousness, — not a power of being, but a various play of partial powers of being, — not the enjoyer of the self- delight of our existence, but a seeking after various notes and tones of experience which shall more or less render that delight in the mutability of relations. This also is Purusha and Brahman , but it is the mutable Purusha, the phenomenon of the Eternal, not its stable reality. The Gita makes a distinction between three Purushas who constitute the whole state and action of the divine Being, the Mutable, the Immutable and the Highest which is beyond and embraces the other two. That Highest is the Lord in whom we have to live, the supreme Self in us and in all. The Immutable is the silent, actionless, equal, unchanging self which we reach when we draw back from activity to passivity, from the play of consciousness and force and the seeking of delight to the pure and constant basis of consciousness and force and delight through which the Highest, free, secure and unattached, possesses and enjoys the play. The Mutable is the substance and immediate motive of that changing flux of personality through which the relations of our cosmic life are made possible. The mental being fixed in the Mutable moves in its flux and has not possession of an eternal peace and power and self-delight; the soul fixed in the Immutable holds all these in itself but cannot act in the world; but the soul that can live in the Highest enjoys the eternal peace and power and delight and wideness of being, is not bound in its self-knowledge and self-power by character and personality or by forms of its force and habits of its consciousness and yet uses them all with a large freedom and power for the self-expression of the Divine in the world. Here again the change is not any alteration of the essential modes of the Self, but consists in our emergence into the freedom of the Highest and the right use of the divine law of our being." CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-378-379, "Without knowledge we live blindly in him with the blindness of the power of Nature intent on its works, but forgetful of its source and possessor, undivinely therefore, deprived of the real, the full delight of our being. By knowledge arriving at conscious oneness with that which we know, — for by identity alone can complete and real knowledge exist, — the division is healed and the cause of all our limitation and discord and weakness and discontent is abolished. But knowledge is not complete without works; for the Will in being also is God and not the being or its self-aware silent existence alone, and if works find their culmination in knowledge, knowledge also finds its fulfilment in works. And, here too, love is the crown of knowledge; for love is the delight of union, and unity must be conscious of joy of union to find all the riches of its own delight. Perfect knowledge indeed leads to perfect love, integral knowledge to a rounded and multitudinous richness of love. “He who knows me” says the Gita “as the supreme Purusha,” — not only as the immutable oneness, but in the many-souled movement of the divine and as that, superior to both, in which both are divinely held, — “he, because he has the integral knowledge, seeks me by love in every way of his being.” (The Gita-15.19) This is the trinity of our powers, the union of all three in God to which we arrive when we start from knowledge. " CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-546 16/ Chapter 16. Deva and Asura Summary or A Brief Restatement: “There are two worlds adjacent to this material world, Superconscient and Subconscient; Superconscient world has already been described at length: hear from Me, O Partha, the Subconscient, asuric world.” The Gita-16.6 The whole of humanity is now going through this Subconscient transformation unconsciously and few prepared vessels are going through this transformation consciously. Those who are open towards Subconscient transformation, they will feel all the time a Divine Force is entering the mind, vital, body, and Subconscient sheaths in a very minuscule manner. When this descent of Divine force is strong enough to be felt as a higher body temperature of fever, then its outcome is a miracle in the Subconscient sheath resulting in some Divine manifestation. (1) We get the information from Savitri that if our Psychic and Spiritual beings are open, then beings of those higher planes will accompany us and assist us in our sadhana, involve in many creative actions, and call down divine energies. Integral Yoga identifies ten Selves and their opening activates affirmative Beings belonging to higher planes. (2) Similarly, through our untransformed nature, asuric beings or dark energies enter our system and do their destructive and pessimistic action both in waking and dream states. (3) We also get this information from Savitri that like our parents, some invisible beings pursue us in this birth and take care of us. Similarly, some beings accompany us from our previous births. So, we have to remember that neither this world, nor any creative action, nor any destructive action, nor any powers and personalities that are acting through us are our own. The Mother’s experience of 24-25 July, 1959, gave clearer details about Supramental action in the Subconscient and Inconscient Sheath, “for the first time the Supramental light entered directly into my body, without passing through the inner beings. It entered through the feet and it climbed up and up. And as it climbed, the fever also climbed because the body was not accustomed to this intensity. As all this light neared the head, I thought I would burst and that the experience would have to be stopped…” (The Mother's Agenda-, October 6, 1959) The descending Supramental force through complete surrender, maye sarvani karmani sannyasya , ("Giving up thy works to Me, with thy consciousness founded in the Self, free from desire and egoism" The Gita-3.30) as hinted in the Gita (Which is also identified as a key word of Karma Yoga ) also generates fever , bigatajwarah , (The Gita-3.30) that delivers the Soul. Divine Nature: "The Deva nature is distinguished by an acme of the sattwic habits and qualities; self-control, sacrifice, the religious habit, cleanness and purity, candour and straightforwardness, truth, calm and self-denial, compassion to all beings, modesty, gentleness, forgivingness, patience, steadfastness, a deep sweet and serious freedom from all restlessness, levity and inconstancy are its native attributes. The Asuric qualities, wrath, greed, cunning, treachery, wilful doing of injury to others, pride and arrogance and excessive self-esteem have no place in its composition. But its gentleness and self-denial and self-control are free too from all weakness: it has energy and soul force, strong resolution, the fearlessness of the soul that lives in the right and according to the truth as well as its harmlessness, tejah , abhayam, dhritih, ahimsa, satyam . The whole being, the whole temperament is integrally pure; there is a seeking for knowledge and a calm and fixed abiding in knowledge. This is the wealth, the plenitude of the man born into the Deva nature." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-471-472 Asuric Nature: "Harshness and hardness and fierceness and a satisfaction in slaying enemies and amassing wealth and unjust enjoyments are Asuric qualities; they come from the violent Titanic nature which denies the Divine in the world and the Divine in man and worships Desire only as its deity ." 58 "The Asuric nature has too its wealth, its plenitude of force, but it is of a very different, a powerful and evil kind. Asuric men have no true knowledge of the way of action or the way of abstention, the fulfilling or the holding in of the nature. Truth is not in them, nor clean doing, nor faithful observance. They see naturally in the world nothing but a huge play of the satisfaction of self; theirs is a world with Desire for its cause and seed and governing force and law, a world of Chance, a world devoid of just relation and linked Karma, a world without God, not true, not founded in Truth. Whatever better intellectual or higher religious dogma they may possess, this alone is the true creed of their mind and will in action; they follow always the cult of Desire and Ego. On that way of seeing life they lean in reality and by its falsehood they ruin their souls and their reason. The Asuric man becomes the centre or instrument of a fierce, Titanic, violent action, a power of destruction in the world, a fount of injury and evil. Arrogant, full of self-esteem and the drunkenness of their pride, these misguided souls delude themselves, persist in false and obstinate aims and pursue the fixed impure resolution of their longings. They imagine that desire and enjoyment are all the aim of life and in their inordinate and insatiable pursuit of it they are the prey of a devouring, a measurelessly unceasing care and thought and endeavour and anxiety till the moment of their death. Bound by a hundred bonds, devoured by wrath and lust, unweariedly occupied in amassing unjust gains which may serve their enjoyment and the satisfaction of their craving, always they think, “Today I have gained this object of desire, tomorrow I shall have that other; today I have so much wealth, more I will get tomorrow. I have killed this my enemy, the rest too I will kill. I am a lord and king of men, I am perfect, accomplished, strong, happy, fortunate, a privileged enjoyer of the world; I am wealthy, I am of high birth; who is there like unto me? I will sacrifice, I will give, I will enjoy.” Thus occupied by many egoistic ideas, deluded, doing works, but doing them wrongly, acting mightily, but for themselves, for desire, for enjoyment, not for God in themselves and God in man, they fall into the unclean hell of their own evil. They sacrifice and give, but from a self-regarding ostentation, from vanity and with a stiff and foolish pride. In the egoism of their strength and power, in the violence of their wrath and arrogance they hate, despise and belittle the God hidden in themselves and the God in man. And because they have this proud hatred and contempt of good and of God, because they are cruel and evil, the Divine casts them down continually into more and more Asuric births. Not seeking him, they find him not, and at last, losing the way to him altogether, sink down into the lowest status of soul-nature, adhamam gatim . (The Gita-16.20)" CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-472-473 The passage from Asura to Deva : "This graphic description, even giving its entire value to the distinction it implies, must not be pressed to carry more in it than it means. When it is said that there are two creations of beings in this material world, Deva and Asura, it is not meant that human souls are so created by God from the beginning each with its own inevitable career in Nature, nor is it meant that there is a rigid spiritual predestination and those rejected from the beginning by the Divine are blinded by him so that they may be thrust down to eternal perdition and the impurity of Hell. All souls are eternal portions of the Divine, the Asura as well as the Deva , all can come to salvation: even the greatest sinner can turn to the Divine. But the evolution of the soul in Nature is an adventure of which Swabhava and the Karma governed by the swabhava are ever the chief powers; and if an excess in the manifestation of the swabhava , the self-becoming of the soul, a disorder in its play turns the law of being to the perverse side, if the rajasic qualities are given the upper hand, cultured to the diminution of sattwa, then the trend of Karma and its results necessarily culminate not in the sattwic height which is capable of the movement of liberation, but in the highest exaggeration of the perversities of the lower nature. The man, if he does not stop short and abandon his way of error, has eventually the Asura full-born in him, and once he has taken that enormous turn away from the Light and Truth, he can no more reverse the fatal speed of his course because of the very immensity of the misused divine power in him until he has plumbed the depths to which it falls, found bottom and seen where the way has led him, the power exhausted and misspent, himself down in the lowest state of the soul nature, which is Hell. Only when he understands and turns to the Light, does that other truth of the Gita come in, that even the greatest sinner, the most impure and violent evil-doer is saved the moment he turns to adore and follow after the Godhead within him. Then, simply by that turn, he gets very soon into the sattwic way which leads to perfection and freedom." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-473-474 Threefold Doors of Hell: "The Asuric Prakriti is the rajasic at its height; it leads to the slavery of the soul in Nature, to desire, wrath and greed, the three powers of the rajasic ego, and these are the three- fold doors of Hell, the Hell into which the natural being falls when it indulges the impurity and evil and error of its lower or perverted instincts. These three are again the doors of a great darkness, they fold back into tamas, the characteristic power of the original Ignorance; for the unbridled force of the rajasic nature, when exhausted, falls back into the weakness, collapse, darkness, incapacity of the worst tamasic soul-status. To escape from this downfall one must get rid of these three evil forces and turn to the light of the sattwic quality, live by the right, in the true relations, according to the Truth and the Law; then one follows one’s own higher good and arrives at the highest soul status. To follow the law of desire is not the true rule of our nature; there is a higher and juster standard of its works. But where is it embodied or how is it to be found? In the first place, the human race has always been seeking for this just and high Law and whatever it has discovered is embodied in its Shastra, its rule of science and knowledge, rule of ethics, rule of religion, rule of best social living, rule of one’s right relations with man and God and Nature." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-474-475, “The difference between knowledge and ignorance is a grace of the Spirit; the breath of divine Power blows where it lists and fills today one and tomorrow another with the word or the puissance. If the potter shapes one pot more perfectly than another, the merit lies not in the vessel but the maker. The attitude of our mind must not be “This is my strength” or “Behold god’s power in me”, but rather “A Divine Power works in this mind and body and it is the same that works in all men and in the animal, in the plant and in the metal, in conscious and living things and in things apparently inconscient and inanimate.” This large view of One working in all and of the whole world as the equal instrument of a divine action and gradual self-expression, if it becomes our entire experience, will help to eliminate all rajasic egoism out of us and even the sattwic ego-sense will begin to pass away from our nature.” CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-250 Shastra , the Law of Right Living for Developing Souls: "Shastra does not mean a mass of customs, some good, some bad, unintelligently followed by the customary routine mind of the tamasic man. Shastra is the knowledge and teaching laid down by intuition, experience and wisdom, the science and art and ethic of life, the best standards available to the race . The half-awakened man who leaves the observance of its rule to follow the guidance of his instincts and desires, can get pleasure but not happiness; for the inner happiness can only come by right living. He cannot move to perfection, cannot acquire the highest spiritual status. The law of instinct and desire seems to come first in the animal world, but the manhood of man grows by the pursuit of truth and religion and knowledge and a right life. The Shastra , the recognised Right that he has set up to govern his lower members by his reason and intelligent will, must therefore first be observed and made the authority for conduct and works and for what should or should not be done, till the instinctive desire nature is schooled and abated and put down by the habit of self-control and man is ready first for a freer intelligent self-guidance and then for the highest supreme law and supreme liberty of the spiritual nature... For the Shastra in its ordinary aspect is not that spiritual law, although at its loftiest point, when it becomes a science and art of spiritual living, Adhyatma-shastra , — the Gita itself describes its own teaching as the highest and most secret Shastra, — it formulates a rule of the self-transcendence of the sattwic nature and develops the discipline which leads to spiritual transmutation. Yet all Shastra is built on a number of preparatory conditions, dharmas ; it is a means, not an end. The supreme end is the freedom of the spirit when abandoning all dharmas the soul turns to God for its sole law of action, acts straight from the divine will and lives in the freedom of the divine nature, not in the Law, but in the Spirit. This is the development of the teaching which is prepared by the next question of Arjuna." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-475-476, "The Gita has made a distinction between action according to the licence of personal desire and action done according to the Shastra . We must understand by the latter the recognised science and art of life which is the outcome of mankind’s collective living, its culture, religion, science, its progressive discovery of the best rule of life, — but mankind still walking in the ignorance and proceeding in a half light towards knowledge. The action of personal desire belongs to the unregenerated state of our nature and is dictated by ignorance or false knowledge and an unregulated or ill-regulated kinetic or rajasic egoism. The action controlled by Shastra is an outcome of intellectual, ethical, aesthetic, social and religious culture; it embodies an attempt at a certain right living, harmony and right order and is evidently an effort, more or less advanced according to circumstances, of the sattwic element in man to overtop, regulate and control or guide, where it must be admitted, his rajasic and tamasic egoism. It is the means to a step in advance, and therefore mankind must first proceed through it and make this Shastra its law of action rather than obey the impulsion of its personal desires. This is a general rule which humanity has always recognised wherever it has arrived at any kind of established and developed society; it has an idea of an order, a law, a standard of its perfection, something other than the guidance of its desires or the crude direction of its raw impulses. This greater rule the individual finds usually outside himself in some more or less fixed outcome of the experience and wisdom of the race, which he accepts, to which his mind and the leading parts of his being give their assent or sanction and which he tries to make his own by living it in his mind, will and action." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-477, "The Shastra is something impersonal to the individual, and that gives it its authority over the narrow personal law of his members; but at the same time it is personal to the collectivity and is the outcome of its experience, its culture or its nature. It is not in all its form and spirit the ideal rule of fulfilment of the Self or the eternal law of the Master of our nature, although it may contain in itself in small or larger measure indications, preparations, illuminating glimpses of that far greater thing. And the individual may have gone beyond the collectivity and be ready for a greater truth, a wider walk, a deeper intention of the Life-Spirit. The leading in him that departs from the Shastra may not indeed be always a higher movement; it may take the form of a revolt of the egoistic or rajasic nature seeking freedom from the yoke of something which it feels to be cramping to its liberty of self-fulfilment and self-finding. But even then it is often justified by some narrowness or imperfection of the Shastra or by the degradation of the current rule of living into a merely restricting or lifeless convention. And so far it is legitimate, it appeals to a truth, it has a good and just reason for existence: for though it misses the right path, yet the free action of the rajasic ego, because it has more in it of liberty and life, is better than the dead and hidebound tamasic following of a convention. The rajasic is always stronger, always more forcefully inspired and has more possibilities in it than the tamasic nature. But also this leading may be sattwic at its heart; it may be a turn to a larger and greater ideal which will carry us nearer to a more complete and ample truth of our self and universal existence than has yet been seen and nearer therefore to that highest law which is one with the divine freedom. And in effect this movement is usually an attempt to lay hold on some forgotten truth or to move on to a yet undiscovered or unlived truth of our being. It is not a mere licentious movement of the unregulated nature; it has its spiritual justification and is a necessity of our spiritual progress. And even if the Shastra is still a living thing and the best rule for the human average, the exceptional man, spiritual, inwardly developed, is not bound by that standard. He is called upon to go beyond the fixed line of the Shastra . For this is a rule for the guidance, control and relative perfection of the normal imperfect man and he has to go on to a more absolute perfection: this is a system of fixed dharmas and he has to learn to live in the liberty of the Spirit." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-479-480 "“Man in his natural being is a sattwic, rajasic and tamasic creature of Nature. According as one or other of her qualities predominates in him, he makes and follows this or that law of his life and action. His tamasic, material, sensational mind subject to inertia and fear and ignorance either obeys partly the compulsion of its environment and partly the spasmodic impulses of its desires or finds a protection in the routine following of a dull customary intelligence. The rajasic mind of desire struggles with the world in which it lives and tries to possess always new things, to command, battle, conquer, create, destroy, accumulate. Always it goes forward tossed between success and failure, joy and sorrow, exultation or despair. But in all, whatever law it may seem to admit, it follows really only the law of the lower self and ego, the restless, untired, self-devouring and all-devouring mind of the Asuric and Rakshasic nature. The sattwic intelligence surmounts partly this state, sees that a better law than that of desire and ego must be followed and erects and imposes on itself a social, an ethical, a religious rule, a Dharma, a Shastra . This is as high as the ordinary mind of man can go, to erect an ideal or practical rule for the guidance of the mind and will and as faithfully as possible observe it in life and conduct. This sattwic mind must be developed to its highest point where it succeeds in putting away the mixture of ego motive altogether and observes the Dharma for its own sake as an impersonal social, ethical or religious ideal, the thing disinterestedly to be done solely because it is right, kartavyam karma . (The Gita-3.22)" CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-591-592, Shastra , the Law of Right Living for Developed Souls: “To know the highest Truth and to be in harmony with it is the condition of right being, to express it in all that we are, experience and do it is the condition of right living.” CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-374-75, "But what then shall be the secure base of an action which departs both from the guidance of desire and from the normal law? For the rule of desire has an authority of its own, no longer safe or satisfactory to us as it is to the animal or as it might have been to a primitive humanity, but still, so far as it goes, founded on a very living part of our nature and fortified by its strong indications; and the law, the Shastra has behind it all the authority of long established rule, old successful sanctions and a secure past experience. But this new movement is of the nature of a powerful adventure into the unknown or partly known, a daring development and a new conquest, and what then is the clue to be followed, the guiding light on which it can depend or its strong basis in our being? The answer is that the clue and support is to be found in man’s sraddha , his faith, his will to believe, to live what he sees or thinks to be the truth of himself and of existence. In other words this movement is man’s appeal to himself or to something potent and compelling in himself or in universal existence for the discovery of his truth, his law of living, his way to fullness and perfection. And everything depends on the nature of his faith, the thing in himself or in the universal soul — of which he is a portion or manifestation — to which he directs it and on how near he gets by it to his real self and the Self or true being of the universe. If he is tamasic, obscure, clouded, if he has an ignorant faith, an inept will, he will reach nothing true and will fall away to his lower nature. If he is lured by false rajasic lights, he can be carried away by self-will into bypaths that may lead to morass or precipice. In either case his only chance of salvation lies in a return of sattwa upon him to impose a new enlightened order and rule upon his members which will liberate him from the violent error of his self-will or the dull error of his clouded ignorance. If on the other hand he has the sattwic nature and a sattwic faith and direction for his steps, he will arrive in sight of a higher yet unachieved ideal rule which may lead him even in rare instances beyond the sattwic light some way at least towards a highest divine illumination and divine way of being and living. For if the sattwic light is so strong in him as to bring him to its own culminating point, then he will be able advancing from that point to make out his gate of entrance into some first ray of that which is divine, transcendent and absolute . In all effort at self-finding these possibilities are there; they are the conditions of this spiritual adventure. " CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-480-481 16/ Chapter 16. Deva and Asura Knowledge of Subconscient and Inconscient world: “A complete and radical change can only be brought about by bringing in persistently the spiritual light and intimate experience of the spiritual truth, power, bliss into the recalcitrant elements until they too recognise that their own way of fulfilment lies there, that they are themselves a diminished power of the spirit and can recover by this new way of being their own truth and integral nature. This illumination is constantly opposed by the Forces of the lower nature and still more by the adverse Forces that live and reign by the world’s imperfections and have laid down their formidable foundation on the black rock of the Inconscience.” CWSA-22/The Life Divine/p-970, "This profounder idea of the world-wide law is at the heart of the teaching about works given in the Gita; a spiritual union with the Highest by sacrifice, an unreserved self-giving to the Eternal is the core of its doctrine. The vulgar conception of sacrifice is an act of painful self-immolation, austere self-mortification, difficult self-effacement; this kind of sacrifice may go even as far as self-mutilation and self-torture. These things may be temporarily necessary in man’s hard endeavour to exceed his natural self; if the egoism in his nature is violent and obstinate, it has to be met sometimes by an answering strong internal repression and counterbalancing violence. But the Gita discourages any excess of violence done to oneself; for the self within is really the Godhead evolving, it is Krishna , it is the Divine; it has not to be troubled and tortured as the Titans of the world trouble and torture it, but to be increased, fostered, cherished, luminously opened to a divine light and strength and joy and wideness. It is not one’s self, but the band of the spirit’s inner enemies that we have to discourage, expel, slay upon the altar of the growth of the spirit; these can be ruthlessly excised, whose names are desire, wrath, inequality, greed, attachment to outward pleasures and pains, the cohort of usurping demons that are the cause of the soul’s errors and sufferings. These should be regarded not as part of oneself but as intruders and perverters of our self’s real and diviner nature; these have to be sacrificed in the harsher sense of the word, whatever pain in going they may throw by reflection on the consciousness of the seeker." CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-108-109 17/ Chapter 17. Faith and The Three Gunas Summary or A Brief Restatement: The true nature of static faith as defined in the Gita is of four kind; first is the ‘faith of each man takes the shape, hue, quality given to it by his stuff of being, his constituting temperament, his innate power of existence, sattvanurupa sarvasya sraddha ;’ (The Gita-17.3) secondly , Sraddha is that it is an aspect of the Self, sraddhamayayo Purusha ; (The Gita-17.3) thirdly , whatever is man’s faith that he becomes ultimately, yo yachhadra sa evasah . (The Gita-17.3) This faith is Divinely fulfilled and culminated lastly in an eternal flame of knowledge, sraddhavan labhate jnanam. (The Gita-4.39) " There is one kind of faith demanded as indispensable by the integral Yoga and that may be described as (1) faith in God and the Shakti, (2) faith in the presence and power of the Divine in us and the world, (3) a faith that all in the world is the working of one divine Shakti , that all the steps of the Yoga, its strivings and sufferings and failures as well as its successes and satisfactions and victories are utilities and necessities of her workings and (4) that by a firm and strong dependence on and a total self-surrender to the Divine and to his Shakti in us we can attain to oneness and freedom and victory and perfection." CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-771, "Now we have to see how the Gita deals with this question on its own line of spiritual teaching and self-discipline. For Arjuna puts immediately a suggestive query from which the problem or one aspect of it arises. When men, he says, sacrifice to God or the gods with faith, sraddha , but abandon the rule of the Shastra, what is that concentrated will of devotion in them, nistha, which gives them this faith and moves them to this kind of action? Is it sattwa, rajas or tamas? to which strand of our nature does it belong? The answer of the Gita first states the principle that the faith in us is of a triple kind like all things in Nature and varies according to the dominating quality of our nature. The faith of each man takes the shape, hue, quality given to it by his stuff of being, his constituting temperament, his innate power of existence, sattvanurupa sarvasya sraddha . (The Gita-17.3) And then there comes a remarkable line in which the Gita tells us that this Purusha, this soul in man, is, as it were, made of sraddha, a faith, a will to be, a belief in itself and existence, and whatever is that will, faith or constituting belief in him, he is that and that is he. Sraddha mayoyam puruso yo yac-chraddhah sa eva sah . (The Gita-17.3) If we look into this pregnant saying a little closely, we shall find that this single line contains implied in its few forceful words almost the whole theory of the modern gospel of pragmatism. For if a man or the soul in a man consists of the faith which is in him, taken in this deeper sense, then it follows that the truth which he sees and wills to live is for him the truth of his being, the truth of himself that he has created or is creating and there can be for him no other real truth. This truth is a thing of his inner and outer action, a thing of his becoming, of the soul’s dynamics, not of that in him which never changes. He is what he is today by some past will of his nature sustained and continued by a present will to know, to believe and to be in his intelligence and vital force, and whatever new turn is taken by this will and faith active in his very substance, that he will tend to become in the future . We create our own truth of existence in our own action of mind and life, which is another way of saying that we create our own selves, are our own makers." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-481-482, "We have in this central Tantric conception one side of the truth, the worship of the Energy, the Shakti, as the sole effective force for all attainment. We get the other extreme in the Vedantic conception of the Shakti as a power of Illusion and in the search after the silent inactive Purusha as the means of liberation from the deceptions created by the active Energy. But in the integral conception the Conscious Soul is the Lord, the Nature-Soul is his executive Energy. Purusha is of the nature of Sat, the being of conscious self-existence pure and infinite; Shakti or Prakriti is of the nature of Chit, — it is power of the Purusha’s self-conscious existence, pure and infinite. The relation of the two exists between the poles of rest and action. When the Energy is absorbed in the bliss of conscious self-existence, there is rest; when the Purusha pours itself out in the action of its Energy, there is action, creation and the enjoyment or Ananda of becoming. But if Ananda is the creator and begetter of all becoming, its method is Tapas or force of the Purusha’s consciousness dwelling upon its own infinite potentiality in existence and producing from it truths of conception or real Ideas, vijnana , which, proceeding from an omniscient and omnipotent Self-existence, have the surety of their own fulfilment and contain in themselves the nature and law of their own becoming in the terms of mind, life and matter. The eventual omnipotence of Tapas and the infallible fulfilment of the Idea are the very foundation of all Yoga. In man we render these terms by Will and Faith, — a will that is eventually self-effective because it is of the substance of Knowledge and a faith that is the reflex in the lower consciousness of a Truth or real Idea yet unrealised in the manifestation. It is this self-certainty of the Idea which is meant by the Gita when it says, yo yac-chraddhah sa eva sah. , “whatever is a man’s faith or the sure Idea in him, that he becomes.”" CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-43-44, "The three parts of the perfection of our instrumental nature of which we have till now been reviewing the general features, (1) the perfection of the intelligence, heart, vital consciousness and body, (2) the perfection of the fundamental soul powers, (3) the perfection of the surrender of our instruments and action to the divine Shakti , depend at every moment of their progression on a fourth power that is covertly and overtly the pivot of all endeavour and action, faith, sraddha . The perfect faith is an assent of the whole being to the truth seen by it or offered to its acceptance, and its central working is a faith of the soul in its own will to be and attain and become and its idea of self and things and its knowledge, of which the belief of the intellect, the heart’s consent and the desire of the life mind to possess and realise are the outward figures. This soul faith, in some form of itself, is indispensable to the action of the being and without it man cannot move a single pace in life, much less take any step forward to a yet unrealised perfection. It is so central and essential a thing that the Gita can justly say of it that whatever is a man’s sraddha , that he is, yo yacchraddhah sa eva sah, and, it may be added, whatever he has the faith to see as possible in himself and strive for, that he can create and become." CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-771 Sraddha of traditional Yoga : "But faith is necessary ; if faith is absent, if one trusts to the critical intelligence which goes by outward facts and jealously questions the revelatory knowledge because that does not square with the divisions and imperfections of the apparent nature and seems to exceed it and state something which carries us beyond the first practical facts of our present existence, its grief, its pain, evil, defect, undivine error and stumbling, asubham , then there is no possibility of living out that greater knowledge. The soul that fails to get faith in the higher truth and law, must return into the path of ordinary mortal living subject to death and error and evil: it cannot grow into the Godhead which it denies. For this is a truth which has to be lived, — and lived in the soul’s growing light, not argued out in the mind’s darkness. One has to grow into it, one has to become it, — that is the only way to verify it. It is only by an exceeding of the lower self that one can become the real divine self and live the truth of our spiritual existence. All the apparent truths one can oppose to it are appearances of the lower Nature . The release from the evil and the defect of the lower Nature , asubham , can only come by accepting a higher knowledge in which all this apparent evil becomes convinced of ultimate unreality, is shown to be a creation of our darkness. But to grow thus into the freedom of the divine Nature one must accept and believe in the Godhead secret within our present limited nature. For the reason why the practice of this Yoga becomes possible and easy is that in doing it we give up the whole working of all that we naturally are into the hands of that inner divine Purusha . The Godhead works out the divine birth in us progressively, simply, infallibly, by taking up our being into his and by filling it with his own knowledge and power, jnanadıpena bhasvata ; (The Gita-10.11) he lays hands on our obscure ignorant nature and transforms it into his own light and wideness. What with entire faith and without egoism we believe in and impelled by him will to be, the God within will surely accomplish. But the egoistic mind and life we now and apparently are, must first surrender itself for transmutation into the hands of that inmost secret Divinity within us." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-309-310, "And this assent of the being, its conscious acceptance and will to believe and realise (the law of Shastra), may be called by the name which the Gita gives to it, his faith, sraddha . The religion, the philosophy, the ethical law, the social idea, the cultural idea in which I put my faith, gives me a law for my nature and its works, an idea of relative right or an idea of relative or absolute perfection and in proportion as I have a sincerity and completeness of faith in it and an intensity of will to live according to that faith, I can become what it proposes to me , I can shape myself into an image of that right or an exemplar of that perfection." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-478 Tamasic Sacrifice : "The tamasic sacrifice is work which is done without faith, without, that is to say, any full conscious idea and acceptance and will towards the thing Nature yet compels us to execute. It is done mechanically, because the act of living demands it, because it comes in our way, because others do it, to avoid some other greater difficulty which may arise from not doing it, or from any other tamasic motive. And it is apt to be done, if we have in the full this kind of temperament, carelessly, perfunctorily, in the wrong way. It will not be performed by the vidhi or right rule of the Shastra , will not be led in its steps according to the right method laid down by the art and science of life and the true science of the thing to be done. There will be no giving of food in the sacrifice, — and that act in the Indian ritual is symbolic of the element of helpful giving inherent in every action that is real sacrifice, the indispensable giving to others, the fruitful help to others, to the world, without which our action becomes a wholly self-regarding thing and a violation of the true universal law of solidarity and interchange. The work will be done without the dakshina , the much-needed giving or self-giving to the leaders of the sacrificial action, whether to the outward guide and helper of our work or to the veiled or manifest godhead within us. It will be done without the mantra , without the dedicating thought which is the sacred body of our will and knowledge lifted upwards to the godheads we serve by our sacrifice. The tamasic man does not offer his sacrifice to the gods, but to inferior elemental powers or to those grosser spirits behind the veil who feed upon his works and dominate his life with their darkness." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-485-486 Rajasic Sacrifice: "The rajasic man offers his sacrifice to lower godheads or to perverse powers, the Yakshas , the keepers of wealth, or to the Asuric and the Rakshasic forces. His sacrifice may be performed outwardly according to the Shastra , but its motive is ostentation, pride or a strong lust after the fruit of his action, a vehement demand for the reward of his works. All work therefore that proceeds from violent or egoistic personal desire or from an arrogant will intent to impose itself on the world for personal objects is of the rajasic nature, even if it mask itself with the insignia of the light, even if it be done outwardly as a sacrifice. Although it is ostensibly given to God or to the gods, it remains essentially an Asuric action. It is the inner state, motive and direction which give their value to our works, and not merely the apparent outer direction, the divine names we may call to sanction them or even the sincere intellectual belief which seems to justify us in the performance. Wherever there is a dominating egoism in our acts, there our work becomes a rajasic sacrifice. The true sattwic sacrifice on the other hand is distinguished by three signs that are the quiet seal of its character. First , it is dictated by the effective truth, executed according to the vidhi, the right principle, the exact method and rule, the just rhythm and law of our works, their true functioning, their dharma ; that means that the reason and enlightened will are the guides and determinants of their steps and their purpose. Secondly , it is executed with a mind concentrated and fixed on the idea of the thing to be done as a true sacrifice imposed on us by the divine law that governs our life and therefore performed out of a high inner obligation or imperative truth and without desire for the personal fruit , — the more impersonal the motive of the action and the temperament of the force put out in it, the more sattwic is its nature. And finally i t is offered to the gods without any reservation; it is acceptable to the divine powers by whom — for they are his masks and personalities — the Master of existence governs the universe." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-486-487 Sattwic Sacrifice: "This sattwic sacrifice comes then very near to the ideal and leads directly towards the kind of action demanded by the Gita ; but it is not the last and highest ideal, it is not yet the action of the perfected man who lives in the divine nature. For it is carried out as a fixed dharma , and it is offered as a sacrifice or service to the gods, to some partial power or aspect of the Divine manifested in ourselves or in the universe. Work done with a disinterested religious faith or selflessly for humanity or impersonally from devotion to the Right or the Truth is of this nature, and action of that kind is necessary for our perfection; for it purifies our thought and will and our natural substance. The culmination of the sattwic action at which we have to arrive is of a still larger and freer kind; it is the high last sacrifice offered by us to the supreme Divine in his integral being and with a seeking for the Purushottama or with the vision of Vasudeva in all that is, the action done impersonally, universally, for the good of the world, for the fulfilment of the divine will in the universe. That culmination leads to its own transcending, to the immortal Dharma . For then comes a freedom in which there is no personal action at all, no sattwic rule of dharma , no limitation of Shastra; the inferior reason and will are themselves overpassed and it is not they but a higher wisdom that dictates and guides the work and commands its objective. There is no question of personal fruit; for the will that works is not our own but a supreme Will of which the soul is the instrument. There is no self-regarding and no selflessness; for the Jiva, the eternal portion of the Divine, is united with the highest Self of his existence and he and all are one in that Self and Spirit. There is no personal action, for all actions are given up to the Master of our works and it is he that does the action through the divinised Prakriti. There is no sacrifice, — unless we can say that the Master of sacrifice is offering the works of his energy in the Jiva to himself in his own cosmic form. This is the supreme self-surpassing state arrived at by the action that is sacrifice, this the perfection of the soul that has come to its full consciousness in the divine nature." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-487-488 Tamasic and Rajasic Tapasya : "Tamasic tapasya is that which is pursued under a clouded and deluded idea hard and obstinate in its delusion, maintained by an ignorant faith in some cherished falsehood, performed with effort and suffering imposed on oneself in pursuit of some narrow and vulgar egoistic object empty of relation to any true or great aim or else with a concentration of the energy in a will to do hurt to others. That which makes this kind of energism tamasic is not any principle of inertia, for inertia is foreign to tapasya , but a darkness in the mind and nature, a vulgar narrowness and ugliness in the doing or a brutish instinct or desire in the aim or in the motive feeling. Rajasic energisms of askesis are those which are undertaken to get honour and worship from men, for the sake of personal distinction and outward glory and greatness or from some other of the many motives of egoistic will and pride. This kind of askesis is devoted to fleeting particular objects which add nothing to the heavenward growth and perfection of the soul; it is a thing without fixed and helpful principle, an energy bound up with changeful and passing occasion and itself of that nature. Or even if there is ostensibly a more inward and noble object and the faith and will are of a higher kind, yet if any kind of arrogance or pride or any great strength of violent self-will or desire enters into the askesis or if it drives some violent, lawless or terrible action contrary to the Shastra , opposed to the right rule of life and works and afflicting to oneself and to others, or if it is of the nature of self-torture and hurts the mental, vital and physical elements or violates the God within us who is seated in the inner subtle body, then too it is an unwise, an Asuric , a rajasic or rajaso-tamasic tapasya. " CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-488-489 Sattwic Tapasya: "Sattwic tapasya is that which is done with a highest enlightened faith, as a duty deeply accepted or for some ethical or spiritual or other higher reason and with no desire for any external or narrowly personal fruit in the action. It is of the character of self-discipline and asks for self-control and a harmonising of one’s nature. The Gita describes three kinds of sattwic askesis. First comes the physical, the askesis of the outward act; under this head are especially mentioned worship and reverence of those deserving reverence, cleanness of the person, the action and the life, candid dealing, sexual purity and avoidance of killing and injury to others. Next is askesis of speech, and that consists in the study of Scripture, kind, true and beneficent speech and a careful avoidance of words that may cause fear, sorrow and trouble to others. Finally t here is the askesis of mental and moral perfection, and that means the purifying of the whole temperament, gentleness and a clear and calm gladness of mind, self-control and silence. Here comes in all that quiets or disciplines the rajasic and egoistic nature and all that replaces it by the happy and tranquil principle of good and virtue. This is the askesis of the sattwic dharma so highly prized in the system of the ancient Indian culture. Its greater culmination will be a high purity of the reason and will, an equal soul, a deep peace and calm, a wide sympathy and preparation of oneness, a reflection of the inner soul’s divine gladness in the mind, life and body. There at that lofty point the ethical is already passing away into the spiritual type and character. And this culmination too can be made to transcend itself, can be raised into a higher and freer light, can pass away into the settled godlike energy of the supreme nature. And what will remain then will be the spirit’s immaculate Tapas , a highest will and luminous force in all the members acting in a wide and solid calm and a deep and pure spiritual delight, Ananda . There will then be no farther need of askesis, no tapasya, because all is naturally and easily divine, all is that Tapas . There will be no separate labour of the lower energism, because the energy of Prakriti will have found its true source and base in the transcendent will of the Purushottama. Then, because of this high initiation, the acts of this energy on the lower planes also will proceed naturally and spontaneously from an innate perfect will and by an inherent perfect guidance. There will be no limitation by any of the present dharmas; for there will be a free action far above the rajasic and tamasic nature, but also far beyond the too careful and narrow limits of the sattwic rule of action." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-489-490 Tamasic, Rajasic and Sattwic Dana: "As with tapasya , all giving also is of an ignorant tamasic , an ostentatious rajasic or a disinterested and enlightened sattwic character. The tamasic gift is offered ignorantly with no consideration of the right conditions of time, place and object; it is a foolish, inconsiderate and in reality a self-regarding movement, an ungenerous and ignoble generosity, the gift offered without sympathy or true liberality, without regard for the feelings of the recipient and despised by him even in the acceptance. The rajasic kind of giving is that which is done with regret, unwillingness or violence to oneself or with a personal and egoistic object or in the hope of a return of some kind from whatever quarter or a corresponding or greater benefit to oneself from the receiver. The sattwic way of giving is to bestow with right reason and goodwill and sympathy in the right conditions of time and place and on the right recipient who is worthy or to whom the gift can be really helpful. Its act is performed for the sake of the giving and the beneficence, without any view to a benefit already done or yet to be done to oneself by the receiver of the benefit and without any personal object in the action. The culmination of the sattwic way of dana will bring into the action an increasing element of that wide self-giving to others and to the world and to God, atma-dana, atma-samarpana , which is the high consecration of the sacrifice of works enjoined by the Gita . And the transcendence in the divine nature will be a greatest completeness of self-offering founded on the largest meaning of existence. All this manifold universe comes into birth and is constantly maintained by God’s giving of himself and his powers and the lavish outflow of his self and spirit into all these existences; universal being, says the Veda , is the sacrifice of the Purusha. All the action of the perfected soul will be even such a constant divine giving of itself and its powers, an outflowing of the knowledge, light, strength, love, joy, helpful shakti which it possesses in the Divine and by his influence and effluence on all around it according to their capacity of reception or on all this world and its creatures. That will be the complete result of the complete self-giving of the soul to the Master of our existence." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-490-491 OM TAT SAT: "The Gita closes this chapter with what seems at first sight a recondite utterance. The formula OM, Tat, Sat , is, it says, the triple definition of the Brahman, by whom the Brahmanas, the Vedas and sacrifices were created of old and in it resides all their significance. Tat, That, indicates the Absolute. Sat indicates the supreme and universal existence in its principle. OM is the symbol of the triple Brahman, the outward-looking, the inward or subtle and the superconscient causal Purusha. Each letter A, U, M indicates one of these three in ascending order and the syllable as a whole brings out the fourth state, Turiya , which rises to the Absolute. OM is the initiating syllable pronounced at the outset as a benedictory prelude and sanction to all act of sacrifice, all act of giving and all act of askesis; it is a reminder that our work should be made an expression of the triple Divine in our inner being and turned towards him in the idea and motive. The seekers of liberation indeed do these actions without desire of fruit and only with the idea, feeling, Ananda of the absolute Divine behind their nature. It is that which they seek by this purity and impersonality in their works, this high desirelessness, this vast emptiness of ego and plenitude of Spirit. Sat means good and it means existence. Both these things, the principle of good and the principle of reality, must be there behind all the three kinds of action. All good works are Sat , for they prepare the soul for the higher reality of our being; all firm abiding in sacrifice, giving and askesis and all works done with that central view, as sacrifice, as giving, as askesis, are Sat, for they build the basis for the highest truth of our spirit. And because sraddha is the central principle of our existence , any of these things done without sraddha is a falsity and has no true meaning or true substance on earth or beyond, no reality, no power to endure or create in life here or after the mortal life in greater regions of our conscious spirit. The soul’s faith, not a mere intellectual belief, but its concordant will to know, to see, to believe and to do and be according to its vision and knowledge, is that which determines by its power the measure of our possibilities of becoming, and it is this faith and will turned in all our inner and outer self, nature and action towards all that is highest, most divine, most real and eternal that will enable us to reach the supreme perfection." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-491-492 17/ Chapter 17. Faith and The Three Gunas Sraddha , the faith of Integral Yoga: "The faith demanded of us both in its general principle and its constant particular application amounts to a large and ever increasing and a constantly purer, fuller and stronger assent of the whole being and all its parts to the presence and guidance of God and the Shakti. The faith in the Shakti, as long as we are not aware of and filled with her presence, must necessarily be preceded or at least accompanied by a firm and virile faith in our own spiritual will and energy and our power to move successfully towards unity and freedom and perfection. Man is given faith in himself, his ideas and his powers that he may work and create and rise to greater things and in the end bring his strength as a worthy offering to the altar of the Spirit. This spirit, says the Scripture, is not to be won by the weak, nayam atma balahınena labhyah . All paralysing self-distrust has to be discouraged, all doubt of our strength to accomplish, for that is a false assent to impotence, an imagination of weakness and a denial of the omnipotence of the spirit. A present incapacity, however heavy may seem its pressure, is only a trial of faith and a temporary difficulty and to yield to the sense of inability is for the seeker of the integral Yoga a non-sense, for his object is a development of a perfection that is there already, latent in the being, because man carries the seed of the divine life in himself, in his own spirit, the possibility of success is involved and implied in the effort and victory is assured because behind is the call and guidance of an omnipotent power. At the same time this faith in oneself must be purified from all touch of rajasic egoism and spiritual pride. The sadhaka should keep as much as possible in his mind the idea that his strength is not his own in the egoistic sense but that of the divine universal Shakti and whatever is egoistic in his use of it must be a cause of limitation and in the end an obstacle. The power of the divine universal Shakti which is behind our aspiration is illimitable, and when it is rightly called upon it cannot fail to pour itself into us and to remove whatever incapacity and obstacle, now or later; for the times and durations of our struggle while they depend at first, instrumentally and in part, on the strength of our faith and our endeavour, are yet eventually in the hands of the wisely determining secret Spirit, alone the Master of the Yoga, the Ishwara. " CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-779-780, "And behind her is the Ishwara and faith in him is the most central thing in the sraddha of the integral Yoga . This faith we must have and develop to perfection that all things are the workings under the universal conditions of a supreme self-knowledge and wisdom, that nothing done in us or around us is in vain or without its appointed place and just significance, that all things are possible when the Ishwara as our supreme Self and Spirit takes up the action and that all that has been done before and all that he will do hereafter was and will be part of his infallible and foreseeing guidance and intended towards the fruition of our Yoga and our perfection and our life work. This faith will be more and more justified as the higher knowledge opens, we shall begin to see the great and small significances that escaped our limited mentality and faith will pass into knowledge. Then we shall see beyond the possibility of doubt that all happens within the working of the one Will and that that will was also wisdom because it develops always the true workings in life of the self and nature. The highest state of the assent, the sraddha of the being will be when we feel the presence of the Ishwara and feel all our existence and consciousness and thought and will and action in his hand and consent in all things and with every part of our self and nature to the direct and immanent and occupying will of the Spirit. And that highest perfection of the sraddha will also be the opportunity and perfect foundation of a divine strength: it will base, when complete, the development and manifestation and the works of the luminous supramental Shakti. " CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-781-782 18/ Chapter 18. Renunciation and Moksha Summary or A Brief Restatement: "This part of the subject is introduced by a last question of Arjuna regarding the principle of Sannyasa and the principle of Tyaga and their difference. The frequent harping, the reiterated emphasis of the Gita on this crucial distinction has been amply justified by the subsequent history of the later Indian mind, its constant confusion of these two very different things and its strong bent towards belittling any activity of the kind taught by the Gita as at best only a preliminary to the supreme inaction of Sannyasa . As a matter of fact, when people talk of Tyaga , of renunciation, it is always the physical renunciation of the world which they understand by the word or at least on which they lay emphasis, while the Gita takes absolutely the opposite view that the real Tyaga has action and living in the world as its basis and not a flight to the monastery, the cave or the hill-top. The real Tyaga is action with a renunciation of desire and that too is the real Sannyasa . ” CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-493-494 Tyaga: "The liberating activity of the sattwic self-discipline must no doubt be pervaded by a spirit of renunciation, — that is an essential element: but what renunciation and in what manner of the spirit? Not the renunciation of work in the world, not any outward asceticism or any ostentation of a visible giving up of enjoyment, but a renunciation, a leaving, tyaga, of vital desire and ego, a total laying aside, sannyasa, of the separate personal life of the desire soul and ego-governed mind and rajasic vital nature. That is the true condition for entering into the heights of Yoga whether through the impersonal self and Brahmic oneness or through universal Vasudeva or inwardly into the supreme Purushottama . More conventionally taken, Sannyasa in the standing terminology of the sages means the physical depositing or laying aside of desirable actions: Tyaga this is the Gita’s distinction — is the name given by the wise to a mental and spiritual renunciation, an entire abandonment of all attached clinging to the fruit of our works, to the action itself or to its personal initiation or rajasic impulse. In that sense Tyaga, not Sannyasa , is the better way. It is not the desirable actions that must be laid aside, but the desire which gives them that character has to be put away from us. The fruit of the action may come in the dispensation of the Master of works, but there is to be no egoistic demand for that as a reward and condition of doing works. Or the fruit may not at all come and still the work has to be performed as the thing to be done, kartavyam karma , the thing which the Master within demands of us. The success, the failure are in his hands and he will regulate them according to his omniscient will and inscrutable purpose. Action, all action has indeed to be given up in the end, not physically by abstention, by immobility, by inertia, but spiritually to the Master of our being by whose power alone can any action be accomplished. There has to be a renunciation of the false idea of ourselves as the doer; for in reality it is the universal Shakti that works through our personality and our ego. The spiritual transference of all our works to the Master and his Shakti is the real Sannyasa in the teaching of the Gita." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-494-495 What works are to be done?: "The question still arises, what works are to be done? Those even who stand for a final physical renunciation are not at one in this difficult matter. Some would have it that all works must be excised from our life, as if that were possible. But it is not possible so long as we are in the body and alive; nor can salvation consist in reducing our active selves by trance to the lifeless immobility of the clod and the pebble. The silence of Samadhi does not abrogate the difficulty, for as soon as the breath comes again into the body, we are once more in action and have toppled down from the heights of this salvation by spiritual slumber. But the true salvation, the release by an inner renunciation of the ego and union with the Purushottama remains steady in whatever state, persists in this world or out of it or in whatever world or out of all world, is self-existent, sarvatha vartamanopi, (The Gita-6.31) and does not depend upon inaction or action. What then are the actions to be done? The thoroughgoing ascetic answer, not noted by the Gita — it was perhaps not altogether current at the time — might be that solely begging, eating and meditation are to be permitted among voluntary activities and otherwise only the necessary actions of the body. But the more liberal and comprehensive solution was evidently to continue the three most sattwic activities, sacrifice, giving and askesis. And these certainly are to be done, says the Gita, for they purify the wise. But more generally, and understanding these three things in their widest sense, it is the rightly regulated action, niyatam karma, that has to be done, (1) action regulated by the Shastra , the science and art of right knowledge, right works, right living, or (2) regulated by the essential nature, svabhava-niyatam karma, or, (3) finally and best of all, regulated by the will of the Divine within and above us. The last is the true and only action of the liberated man, muktasya karma ." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-495-496 Tamasic, rajasic and Sattwic principle of Renunciation: "To renounce these works is not a right movement — the Gita lays that down plainly and trenchantly in the end, niyatasya tu sannyasah karmano nopapadyate. (The Gita-18.7) To renounce them from an ignorant confidence in the sufficiency of that withdrawal for the true liberation is a tamasic renunciation . The gunas follow us, we see, into the renunciation of works as well as into works. A renunciation with attachment to inaction, sango akarmani, would be equally a tamasic withdrawal. And to give them up because they bring sorrow or are a trouble to the flesh and a weariness to the mind or in the feeling that all is vanity and vexation of spirit, is a rajasic renunciation and does not bring the high spiritual fruit; that too is not the true Tyaga . It is a result of intellectual pessimism or vital weariness, it has its roots in ego. No freedom can come from a renunciation governed by this self-regarding principle...The sattwic principle of renunciation is to withdraw not from action, but from the personal demand, the ego factor behind it. It is to do works not dictated by desire but by the law of right living or by the essential nature, its knowledge, its ideal, its faith in itself and the Truth it sees, its sraddha. Or else, on a higher spiritual plane, they are dictated by the will of the Master and done with the mind in Yoga, without any personal attachment either to the action or to the fruit of the action. There must be a complete renunciation of all desire and of all self-regarding egoistic choice and impulse and finally of that much subtler egoism of the will which either says, “The work is mine, I am the doer”, or even “The work is God’s, but I am the doer.” There must be no attachment to pleasant, desirable, lucrative or successful work and no doing of it because it has that nature; but that kind of work too has to be done, — done totally, selflessly, with the assent of the spirit, — when it is the action demanded from above and from within us, kartavyam karma . There must be no aversion to unpleasant, undesirable or ungratifying action or work that brings or is likely to bring with it suffering, danger, harsh conditions, inauspicious consequences; for that too has to be accepted, totally, selflessly, with a deep understanding of its need and meaning, when it is the work that should be done, kartavyam karma . The wise man puts away the shrinkings and hesitations of the desire-soul and the doubts of the ordinary human intelligence, that measure by little personal, conventional or otherwise limited standards. He follows in the light of the full sattwic mind and with the power of an inner renunciation lifting the soul to impersonality, towards God, towards the universal and eternal the highest ideal law of his nature or the will of the Master of works in his secret spirit. He will not do action for the sake of any personal result or for any reward in this life or with any attachment to success, profit or consequence: neither will his works be undertaken for the sake of a fruit in the invisible hereafter or ask for a reward in other births or in worlds beyond us, the prizes for which the half-baked religious mind hungers. The three kinds of result, pleasant, unpleasant and mixed, in this or other worlds, in this or another life are for the slaves of desire and ego; these things do not cling to the free spirit. The liberated worker who has given up his works by the inner sannyasa to a greater Power is free from Karma . Action he will do, for some kind of action, less or more, small or great, is inevitable, natural, right for the embodied soul, — action is part of the divine law of living, it is the high dynamics of the spirit. The essence of renunciation, the true Tyaga, the true Sannyasa is not any rule of thumb of inaction but a disinterested soul, a selfless mind, the transition from ego to the free impersonal and spiritual nature. The spirit of this inner renunciation is the first mental condition of the highest culminating sattwic discipline. " CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-496-497 Five indispensable requisites for the accomplishment of all work: "The Gita then speaks of the five causes or indispensable requisites for the accomplishment of works as laid down by the Sankhya . These five are, first, the frame of body, life and mind which are the basis or standing-ground of the soul in Nature, adhisthana , next, the doer, karta , third, the various instrumentation of Nature, karana , fourth, the many kinds of effort which make up the force of action, chestah , and last, Fate, daivam , that is to say, the influence of the Power or powers other than the human factors, other than the visible mechanism of Nature, that stand behind these and modify the work and dispose its fruits in the steps of act and consequence. These five elements make up among them all the efficient causes, karana, that determine the shaping and outcome of whatever work man undertakes with mind and speech and body." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-497-498 Universal Spirit universal Nature as the doer of the work: "The doer is ordinarily supposed to be our surface personal ego, but that is the false idea of the understanding that has not arrived at knowledge. The ego is the ostensible doer, but the ego and its will are creations and instruments of Nature with which the ignorant understanding wrongly identifies our self and they are not the only determinants even of human action, much less of its turn and consequence. When we are liberated from ego, our real self behind comes forward, impersonal and universal, and it sees in its self-vision of unity with the universal Spirit universal Nature as the doer of the work and the Divine Will behind as the master of universal Nature. Only so long as we have not this knowledge, are we bound by the character of the ego and its will as the doer and do good and evil and have the satisfaction of our tamasic, rajasic or sattwic nature. But once we live in this greater knowledge, the character and consequences of the work can make no difference to the freedom of the spirit. The work may be outwardly a terrible action like this great battle and slaughter of Kurukshetra ; but although the liberated man takes his part in the struggle and though he slay all these peoples, he slays no man and he is not bound by his work, because the work is that of the Master of the Worlds and it is he who has already slain in his hidden omnipotent will all these armies. This work of destruction was needed that humanity might move forward to another creation and a new purpose, might get rid as in a fire of its past karma of unrighteousness and oppression and injustice and move towards a kingdom of the Dharma. The liberated man does all his appointed work as the living instrument one in spirit with the universal Spirit. And knowing that all this must be and looking beyond the outward appearance he acts not for self but for God and man and the human and cosmic order, (The cosmic order comes into question, because the triumph of the Asura in humanity means to that extent the triumph of the Asura in the balance of the world-forces.) not in fact himself acting, but conscious of the presence and power of the divine Force in his deeds and their issue. He knows that the supreme Shakti i s doing in his mental, vital and physical body, adhisthana , as the sole doer the thing appointed by a Fate which is in truth not Fate, not a mechanical dispensation, but the wise and all-seeing Will that is at work behind human Karma. This “terrible work” on which the whole teaching of the Gita turns, is an extreme example of action inauspicious in appearance, akusalam, though a great good lies beyond the appearance. Impersonally has it to be done by the divinely appointed man for the holding together of the world purpose, loka-sangrahartham , without personal aim or desire, because it is the appointed service." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-498-499 Tamasic, Rajasic and Sattwic Knowledge: "It is clear then that the work is not the sole thing that mat- ters; the knowledge in which we do works makes an immense spiritual difference. There are three things, says the Gita, which go to constitute the mental impulsion to works, and they are the knowledge in our will, the object of knowledge and the knower; and into the knowledge there comes always the working of the three gunas. It is this element of the gunas that makes all the dif- ference to our view of the thing known and to the spirit in which the knower does his work. The tamasic ignorant knowledge is a small and narrow, a lazy or dully obstinate way of looking at things which has no eye for the real nature of the world or of the thing done or its field or the act or its conditions. The tamasic mind does not look for real cause and effect, but absorbs itself in one movement or one routine with an obstinate attachment to it, can see nothing but the little section of personal activity before its eyes and does not know in fact what it is doing but blindly lets natural impulsion work out through its deed results of which it has no conception, foresight or comprehending intelligence. The rajasic knowledge is that which sees the multiplicity of things only in their separateness and variety of operation in all these existences and is unable to discover a true principle of unity or rightly coordinate its will and action, but follows the bent of ego and desire, the activity of its many-branching egoistic will and various and mixed motive in response to the solicitation of internal and environing impulsions and forces. This knowing is a jumble of sections of knowledge, often inconsistent knowledge, put forcefully together by the mind in order to make some kind of pathway through the confusion of our half-knowledge and half-ignorance. Or else it is a restless kinetic multiple action with no firm governing higher ideal and self-possessed law of true light and power within it. The sattwic knowledge on the contrary sees existence as one indivisible whole in all these divisions, one imperishable being in all becomings; it masters the principle of its action and the relation of the particular action to the total purpose of existence; it puts in the right place each step of the complete process. At the highest top of knowledge this seeing becomes the knowledge of the one spirit in the world, one in all these many existences, of the one Master of all works, of the forces of cosmos as expressions of the Godhead and of the work itself as the operation of his supreme will and wisdom in man and his life and essential nature. The personal will has come to be entirely conscious, illumined, spiritually awake, and it lives and works in the One, obeys more and more perfectly his supreme mandate and grows more and more a faultless instru- ment of his light and power in the human person. The supreme liberated action arrives through this culmination of the sattwic knowledge ." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-499-500 The Doer, Instrument and work done: "There are again three things, the doer, the instrument and the work done, that hold the action together and make it possible. And here again it is the difference of the gunas that determines the character of each of these elements. The sattwic mind that seeks always for a right harmony and right knowledge is the governing instrument of the sattwic man and moves all the rest of the machine. An egoistic will of desire supported by the desire-soul is the dominant instrument of the rajasic worker. An ignorant instinct or the unenlightened impulsion of the physical mind and the crude vital nature is the chief instrumental force of the tamasic doer of action. The instrument of the liberated man is a greater spiritual light and power, far higher than the highest sattwic intelligence, and it works in him by an enveloping descent from a supraphysical centre and uses as a clear channel of its force a purified and receptive mind, life and body." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-500-501 Tamasic, Rajasic and Sattwic Action: "Tamasic action is that done with a confused, deluded and ignorant mind, in mechanical obedience to the instincts, im- pulsions and unseeing ideas, without regarding the strength or capacity or the waste and loss of blind misapplied effort or the antecedent and consequence and right conditions of the impulse, effort or labour. Rajasic action is that which a man undertakes under the dominion of desire, with his eyes fixed on the work and its hoped-for fruit and nothing else, or with an egoistic sense of his own personality in the action, and it is done with inordinate effort, with a passionate labour, with a great heaving and straining of the personal will to get at the object of its desire. Sattwic action is that which a man does calmly in the clear light of reason and knowledge and with an impersonal sense of right or duty or the demand of an ideal, as the thing that ought to be done whatever may be the result to himself in this world or another, a work performed without attachment, without liking or disliking for its spur or its drag, for the sole satisfaction of his reason and sense of right, of the lucid intelligence and the enlightened will and the pure disinterested mind and the high contented spirit. At the line of culmination of sattwa it will be transformed and become a highest impersonal action dictated by the spirit within us and no longer by the intelligence, an action moved by the highest law of the nature, free from the lower ego and its light or heavy baggage and from limitation even by best opinion, noblest desire, purest personal will or loftiest mental ideal. There will be none of these impedimenta; in their place there will stand a clear spiritual self-knowledge and illumination and an imperative intimate sense of an infallible power that acts and of the work to be done for the world and for the world’s Master." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-501 Tamasic, Rajasic and Sattwic Doer of Action: "The tamasic doer of action is one who does not put himself really into the work, but acts with a mechanical mind, or obeys the most vulgar thought of the herd, follows the common routine or is wedded to a blind error and prejudice. He is obstinate in stupidity, stubborn in error and takes a foolish pride in his ignorant doing; a narrow and evasive cunning replaces true intelligence; he has a stupid and insolent contempt for those with whom he has to deal, especially for wiser men and his betters. A dull laziness, slowness, procrastination, looseness, want of vigour or of sincerity mark his action. The tamasic man is ordinarily slow to act, dilatory in his steps, easily depressed, ready soon to give up his task if it taxes his strength, his diligence or his patience. The rajasic doer of action on the contrary is one eagerly attached to the work, bent on its rapid completion, passionately desirous of fruit and reward and consequence, greedy of heart, impure of mind, often violent and cruel and brutal in the means he uses; he cares little whom he injures or how much he injures others so long as he gets what he wants, satisfies his passions and will, vindicates the claims of his ego. He is full of an incontinent joy in success and bitterly grieved and stricken by failure. The sattwic doer is free from all this attachment, this egoism, this violent strength or passionate weakness; his is a mind and will unelated by success, undepressed by failure, full of a fixed impersonal resolution, a calm rectitude of zeal or a high and pure and selfless enthusiasm in the work that has to be done. At and beyond the culmination of sattwa this resolution, zeal, enthusiasm become the spontaneous working of the spiritual Tapas and at last a highest soul-force, the direct God-Power, the mighty and steadfast movement of a divine energy in the human instrument, the self-assured steps of the Seer-will, the gnostic intelligence and with it the wide delight of the free spirit in the works of the liberated nature." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-502 Tamasic, Rajasic and Sattwic Understanding: "The reason armed with the intelligent will works in man in whatever manner or measure he may possess these human gifts and it is accordingly right or perverted, clouded or luminous, narrow and small or large and wide like the mind of its possessor. It is the understanding power of his nature, buddhi, that chooses the work for him or, more often, approves and sets its sanction on one or other among the many suggestions of his complex instincts, impulsions, ideas and desires. It is that which determines for him what is right or wrong, to be done or not to be done, Dharma or Adharma . And the persistence of the will is that continuous force of mental Nature which sustains the work and gives it consistence and persistence. Here again there is the incidence of the gunas. The tamasic reason is a false, ignorant and darkened instrument which chains us to see all things in a dull and wrong light, a cloud of misconceptions, a stupid ignoring of the values of things and people. This reason calls light darkness and darkness light, takes what is not the true law and upholds it as the law, persists in the thing which ought not to be done and holds it up to us as the one right thing to be done. Its ignorance is invincible and its persistence of will is a persistence in the satisfaction and dull pride of its ignorance. That is on its side of blind action; but it is pursued also by a heavy stress of inertia and impotence, a persistence in dullness and sleep, an aversion to mental change and progress, a dwelling on the fears and pains and depressions of mind which deter us in our path or keep us to base, weak and cowardly ways. Timidity, shirking, evasion, indolence, the justification by the mind of its fears and false doubts and cautions and refusals of duty and its lapses and turnings from the call of our higher nature, a safe following of the line of least resistance so that there may be the least trouble and effort and peril in the winning of the fruit of our labour, — rather no fruit or poor result, it says, than a great and noble toil or a perilous and exacting endeavour and adventure, — these are characteristics of the tamasic will and intelligence.... The rajasic understanding, when it does not knowingly choose error and evil for the sake of the error and evil, can make distinctions between right and wrong, between what should or should not be done, but not rightly, rather with a pulling awry of their true measures and a constant distortion of values. And this is because its reason and will are a reason of the ego and a will of desire, and these powers misrepresent and distort the truth and the right to serve their own egoistic purpose. It is only when we are free from ego and desire and look steadily with a calm, pure, disinterested mind concerned only with the truth and its sequences that we can hope to see things rightly and in their just values. But the rajasic will fixes its persistent attention on the satisfaction of its own attached clingings and desires in its pursuit of interest and pleasure and of what it thinks or chooses to think right and justice, Dharma. Always it is apt to put on these things the construction which will most flatter and justify its desires and to uphold as right or legitimate the means which will best help it to get the coveted fruits of its work and endeavour. That is the cause of three fourths of the falsehood and misconduct of the human reason and will. Rajas with its vehement hold on the vital ego is the great sinner and positive misleader... The sattwic understanding sees in its right place, right form, right measure the movement of the world, the law of action and the law of abstention from action, the thing that is to be done and the thing that is not to be done, what is safe for the soul and what is dangerous, what is to be feared and shunned and what is to be embraced by the will, what binds the spirit of man and what sets it free. These are the things that it follows or avoids by the persistence of its conscious will according to the degree of its light and the stage of evolution it has reached in its upward ascent to the highest self and Spirit. The culmination of this sattwic i ntelligence is found by a high persistence of the aspiring buddhi when it is settled on what is beyond the ordinary reason and mental will, pointed to the summits, turned to a steady control of the senses and the life and a union by Yoga with man’s highest Self, the universal Divine, the transcendent Spirit. It is there that arriving through the sattwic guna one can pass beyond the gunas , can climb beyond the limitations of the mind and its will and intelligence and sattwa itself disappear into that which is above the gunas and beyond this instrumental nature. There the soul is enshrined in light and enthroned in firm union with the Self and Spirit and Godhead. Arrived upon that summit we can leave the Highest to guide Nature in our members in the free spontaneity of a divine action: for there there is no wrong or confused working, no element of error or impotence to obscure or distort the luminous perfection and power of the Spirit. All these lower conditions, laws, dharmas cease to have any hold on us; the Infinite acts in the liberated man and there is no law but the immortal truth and right of the free spirit, no Karma , no kind of bondage." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-502-505 Tamasic, Rajasic and Sattwic Happiness: "Harmony and order are the characteristic qualities of the sattwic mind and temperament, quiet happiness, a clear and calm content and an inner ease and peace. Happiness is indeed the one thing which is openly or indirectly the universal pursuit of our human nature, — happiness or its suggestion or some counterfeit of it, some pleasure, some enjoyment, some satisfaction of the mind, the will, the passions or the body. Pain is an experience our nature has to accept when it must, involuntarily as a necessity, an unavoidable incident of universal Nature, or voluntarily as a means to what we seek after, but not a thing de- sired for its own sake, — except when it is so sought in perversity or with an ardour of enthusiasm in suffering for some touch of fierce pleasure it brings or the intense strength it engenders. But there are various kinds of happiness or pleasure according to the guna which dominates in our nature. Thus the tamasic mind can remain well-pleased in its indolence and inertia, its stupor and sleep, its blindness and its error. Nature has armed it with the privilege of a smug satisfaction in its stupidity and ignorance, its dim lights of the cave, its inert contentment, its petty or base joys and its vulgar pleasures. Delusion is the beginning of this satisfaction and delusion is its consequence; but still there is given a dull, a by no means admirable but a sufficient pleasure in his delusions to the dweller in the cave. There is a tamasic happiness founded in inertia and ignorance... The mind of the rajasic man drinks of a more fiery and intoxicating cup; the keen, mobile, active pleasure of the senses and the body and the sense-entangled or fierily kinetic will and intelligence are to him all the joy of life and the very significance of living. This joy is nectar to the lips at the first touch, but there is a secret poison in the bottom of the cup and after it the bitterness of disappointment, satiety, fatigue, revolt, disgust, sin, suffering, loss, transience. And it must be so because these pleasures in their external figure are not the things which the spirit in us truly demands from life; there is something behind and beyond the transience of the form, something that is lasting, satisfying, self-sufficient. What the sattwic nature seeks, therefore, is the satisfaction of the higher mind and the spirit and when it once gets this large object of its quest, there comes in a clear, pure happiness of the soul, a state of fullness, an abiding ease and peace. This happiness does not depend on outward things, but on ourselves alone and on the flowering of what is best and most inward within us. But it is not at first our normal possession; it has to be conquered by self-discipline, a labour of the soul, a high and arduous endeavour. At first this means much loss of habitual pleasure, much suffering and struggle, a poison born of the churning of our nature, a painful conflict of forces, much revolt and opposition to the change due to the ill-will of the members or the insistence of vital movements, but in the end the nectar of immortality rises in the place of this bitterness and as we climb to the higher spiritual nature we come to the end of sorrow, the euthanasia of grief and pain. That is the surpassing happiness which descends upon us at the point or line of culmination of the sattwic discipline." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-505-506, The Central Truth of the Gita: "The Teacher has completed all else that he needed to say, he has worked out all the central principles and the supporting suggestions and implications of his message and elucidated the principal doubts and questions that might rise around it, and now all that rests for him to do is to put into decisive phrase and penetrating formula the one last word, the heart itself of the message, the very core of his gospel. And we find that this decisive, last and crowning word is not merely the essence of what has been already said on the matter, not merely a concentrated description of the needed self-discipline, the Sadhana , and of that greater spiritual consciousness which is to be the result of all its effort and askesis; it sweeps out, as it were, yet farther, breaks down every limit and rule, canon and formula and opens into a wide and illimitable spiritual truth with an infinite potentiality of significance. And that is a sign of the profundity, the wide reach, the greatness of spirit of the Gita’s teaching. An ordinary religious teaching or philosophical doctrine is well enough satisfied to seize on certain great and vital aspects of truth and turn them into utilisable dogma and instruction, method and practice for the guidance of man in his inner life and the law and form of his action; it does not go farther, it does not open doors out of the circle of its own system , does not lead us out into some widest freedom and unimprisoned largeness. This limitation is useful and indeed for a time indispensable. Man bounded by his mind and will has need of a law and rule, a fixed system, a definite practice selective of his thought and action; he asks for the single unmistakable hewn path hedged, fixed and secure to the tread, for the limited horizons, for the enclosed resting-places. It is only the strong and few who can move through freedom to freedom. And yet in the end the free soul ought to have an issue out of the forms and systems in which the mind finds its account and takes its limited pleasure. To exceed our ladder of ascent, not to stop short even on the topmost stair but move untrammelled and at large in the wideness of the spirit is a release important for our perfection; the spirit’s absolute liberty is our perfect status. And this is how the Gita leads us: it lays down a firm and sure but very large way of ascent, a great Dharma , and then it takes us out beyond all that is laid down, beyond all dharmas, into infinitely open spaces, divulges to us the hope, lets us into the secret of an absolute perfection founded in an absolute spiritual liberty, and that secret, guhyatamam , (The Gita-18.64) is the substance of what it calls its supreme word, that the hidden thing, the inmost knowledge." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-526-527, “In other words a will of entire self-giving opens wide all the gates of the spirit and brings in response an entire descent and self-giving of the Godhead to the human being, and that at once reshapes and assimilates everything in us to the law of the divine existence by a rapid transformation of the lower into the spiritual nature . The will of self-giving forces away by its power the veil between God and man; it annuls every error and annihilates every obstacle. ” CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-335, "It is nothing less that is meant in the end when we speak of the absolute consecration of the individual to the Divine. But this total fullness of consecration can only come by a constant progression when the long and difficult process of transforming desire out of existence is completed in an ungrudging measure. Perfect self-consecration implies perfect self-surrender." CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-86, “In the first movement of self-preparation, the period of personal effort, the method we have to use is this concentration of the whole being on the Divine that it seeks and, as its corollary, this constant rejection, throwing out, katharsis, of all that is not the true Truth of the Divine. An entire consecration of all that we are, think, feel and do will be the result of this persistence. This consecration in its turn must culminate in an integral self- giving to the Highest; for its crown and sign of completion is the whole nature’s all-comprehending absolute surrender. In the second stage of the Yoga, transitional between the human and the divine working, there will supervene an increasing purified and vigilant passivity, a more and more luminous divine response to the Divine Force, but not to any other; and there will be as a result the growing inrush of a great and conscious miraculous working from above. In the last period there is no effort at all, no set method, no fixed sadhana; the place of endeavour and tapasya will be taken by a natural, simple, powerful and happy disclosing of the flower of the Divine out of the bud of a purified and perfected terrestrial nature. These are the natural successions of the action of the Yoga.” CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga-87, “Surrender is giving oneself to the Divine — to give everything one is or has to the Divine and regard nothing as one’s own, to obey only the Divine will and no other, to live for the Divine and not for the ego.” CWSA-29/Letters on Yoga-II-67, SABCL-23/Letters on Yoga-585, Mahavakya or the Supreme Word of the Gita : "The last, the closing supreme word of the Gita expressing the highest mystery is spoken in two brief, direct and simple slokas and these are left without farther comment or enlargement to sink into the mind and reveal their own fullness of meaning in the soul’s experience. For it is alone this inner incessantly extending experience that can make evident the infinite deal of meaning with which are for ever pregnant these words in themselves apparently so slight and simple. And we feel, as they are being uttered, that it was this for which the soul of the disciple was being prepared all the time and the rest was only an enlightening and enabling discipline and doctrine. Thus runs this secret of secrets, the highest most direct message of the Ishwara. “Become my-minded, my lover and adorer, a sacrificer to me, bow thyself to me, to me thou shalt come, this is my pledge and promise to thee, for dear art thou to me. Abandon all dharmas and take refuge in me alone. I will deliver thee from all sin and evil, do not grieve." (The Gita-18.65-66)" CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-555-556, "The Gita throughout has been insisting on a great and well-built discipline of Yoga, a large and clearly traced philosophical system, on the Swabhava and the Swadharma , on the sattwic law of life as leading out of itself by a self-exceeding exaltation to a free spiritual dharma of immortal existence utterly wide in its spaces and high-lifted beyond the limitation of even this highest guna, on many rules and means and injunctions and conditions of perfection, and now suddenly it seems to break out of its own structure and says to the human soul, “Abandon all dharmas, give thyself to the Divine alone, to the supreme Godhead above and around and within thee: that is all that thou needest, that is the truest and greatest way, that is the real deliverance.” (The Gita-18.66) The Master of the worlds in the form of the divine Charioteer and Teacher of Kurukshetra has revealed to man the magnificent realities of God and Self and Spirit and the nature of the complex world and the relation of man’s mind and life and heart and senses to the Spirit and the victorious means by which through his own spiritual self-discipline and effort he can rise out of mortality into immortality and out of his limited mental into his infinite spiritual existence. And now speaking as the Spirit and Godhead in man and in all things he says to him, “All this personal effort and self-discipline will not in the end be needed, all following and limitation of rule and dharma can at last be thrown away as hampering encumbrances if thou canst make a complete surrender to Me, depend alone on the Spirit and Godhead within thee and all things and trust to his sole guidance. Turn all thy mind to me and fill it with the thought of me and my presence. Turn all thy heart to me, make thy every action, whatever it be, a sacrifice and offering to me. That done, leave me to do my will with thy life and soul and action; do not be grieved or perplexed by my dealings with thy mind and heart and life and works or troubled because they do not seem to follow the laws and dharmas man imposes on himself to guide his limited will and intelligence. My ways are the ways of a perfect wisdom and power and love that knows all things and combines all its movements in view of a perfect eventual result; for it is refining and weaving together the many threads of an integral perfection. I am here with thee in thy chariot of battle revealed as the Master of Existence within and without thee and I repeat the absolute assurance, the infallible promise that I will lead thee to myself through and beyond all sorrow and evil. Whatever difficulties and perplexities arise, be sure of this that I am leading thee to a complete divine life in the universal and an immortal existence in the transcendent Spirit. ”" CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-556-557, “Strength, if it is spiritual, is a power for spiritual realisation; a greater power is sincerity; the greatest power of all is Grace. I have said times without number that if a man is sincere, he will go through in spite of long delay and overwhelming difficulties. I have repeatedly spoken of the Divine Grace. I have referred any number of times to the line of the Gita: Aham tvam sarvapapebhyo moksayisyami ma sucah.. .. “I will deliver thee from all sin and evil, do not grieve.”" CWSA-29/Letters on Yoga-II/p-172, "In the light of this progressive manifestation of the Spirit, first apparently bound in the Ignorance, then free in the power and wisdom of the Infinite, we can better understand the great and crowning injunction of the Gita to the Karma-yogin, “Abandoning all dharmas, all principles and laws and rules of conduct, take refuge in me alone.” All standards and rules are temporary constructions founded upon the needs of the ego in its transition from Matter to Spirit. These makeshifts have a relative imperativeness so long as we rest satisfied in the stages of transition, content with the physical and vital life, attached to the mental movement, or even fixed in the ranges of the mental plane that are touched by the spiritual lustres. But beyond is the unwalled wideness of a supramental infinite consciousness and there all temporary structures cease. It is not possible to enter utterly into the spiritual truth of the Eternal and Infinite if we have not the faith and courage to trust ourselves into the hands of the Lord of all things and the Friend of all creatures and leave utterly behind us our mental limits and measures. At one moment we must plunge without hesitation, reserve, fear or scruple into the ocean of the free, the infinite, the Absolute. After the Law, Liberty; after the personal, after the general, after the universal standards there is something greater, the impersonal plasticity, the divine freedom, the transcendent force and the supernal impulse. After the strait path of the ascent the wide plateaus on the summit." CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-208, "A perfect equality of the will is the power which dissolves these knots of the lower impulsion to works. This equality will not respond to the lower impulses, but watch for a greater seeing impulsion from the Light above the mind, and will not judge and govern with the intellectual judgment, but wait for enlightenment and direction from a superior plane of vision. As it mounts upward to the supramental being and widens inward to the spiritual largeness, the dynamic nature will be transformed, spiritualised like the emotional and pranic, and grow into a power of the divine nature. There will be plenty of stumblings and errors and imperfections of adjustment of the instruments to their new working, but the increasingly equal soul will not be troubled overmuch or grieve at these things, since, delivered to the guidance of the Light and Power within self and above mind, it will proceed on its way with a firm assurance and await with growing calm the vicissitudes and completion of the process of transformation. The promise of the Divine Being in the Gita will be the anchor of its resolution, “Abandon all dharmas and take refuge in Me alone; I will deliver thee from all sin and evil; do not grieve.”" CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-706 The Most Difficult Part of the Spiritual Problem: "The crux of the spiritual problem, the character of this transition of which it is so difficult for the normal mind of man to get a true apprehension, turns altogether upon the capital distinction between the ignorant life of the ego in the lower nature and the large and luminous existence of the liberated Jiva in his own true spiritual nature. The renunciation of the first must be complete, the transition to the second absolute. This is the distinction on which the Gita dwells here with all possible emphasis. On the one side is this poor, trepidant, braggart egoistic condition of consciousness, ahankrta bhava , the crippling narrowness of this little helpless separative personality according to whose view-point we ordinarily think and act, feel and respond to the touches of existence. On the other are the vast spiritual reaches of immortal fullness, bliss and knowledge into which we are admitted through union with the divine Being, of whom we are then a manifestation and expression in the eternal light and no longer a disguise in the darkness of the ego-nature. It is the completeness of this union which is indicated by the Gita’s satatam maccittah (Always one in heart and consciousness with Me. The Gita-18.57). The life of the ego is founded on a construction of the apparent mental, vital and physical truth of existence, on a nexus of pragmatic relations between the individual soul and Nature, on an intellectual, emotional and sensational interpretation of things used by the little limited I in us to maintain and satisfy the ideas and desires of its bounded separate personality amid the vast action of the universe. All our dharmas , all the ordinary standards by which we determine our view of things and our knowledge and our action, proceed upon this narrow and limiting basis, and to follow them even in the widest wheelings round our ego centre does not carry us out of this petty circle. It is a circle in which the soul is a contented or struggling prisoner, for ever subject to the mixed compulsions of Nature." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-543-544, 18/ Chapter 18. Renunciation and Moksha Moksha of the Gita and Liberation (Moksha) of Integral Yoga: " For certain ways of thinking liberation is a throwing off of all nature, a silent state of pure being, a nirvana or extinction, a dissolution of the natural existence into some indefinable Absolute, moksa. But an absorbed and immersed bliss, a wideness of actionless peace, a release of self-extinction or a self-drowning in the Absolute is not our aim. We shall give to the idea of liberation, mukti, only the connotation of that inner change which is common to all experience of this kind, essential to perfection and indispensable to spiritual freedom. We shall find that it then implies always two things, a rejection and an assumption, a negative and a positive side; the negative movement of freedom is a liberation from the principal bonds, the master-knots of the lower soul-nature, the positive side an opening or growth into the higher spiritual existence. But what are these master-knots other and deeper twistings than the instrumental knots of the mind, heart, psychic life-force? We find them pointed out for us and insisted on with great force and a constant emphatic repetition in the Gita ; they are four, desire, ego, the dualities and the three gunas of Nature; for to be desireless, ego-less, equal of mind and soul and spirit and nistraigunya, is in the idea of the Gita to be free, mukta . We may accept this description; for everything essential is covered by its amplitude. On the other hand, the positive sense of freedom is to be universal in soul, transcendently one in spirit with God, possessed of the highest divine nature, — as we may say, like to God, or one with him in the law of our being. This is the whole and full sense of liberation and this is the integral freedom of the spirit." CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-674-675, "The ordinary idea is that it is not possible because all action is of the lower gunas, necessarily defective, sadosam , (The Gita-18.48) caused by the motion, inequality, want of balance, unstable strife of the gunas ; but when these unequal gunas fall into perfect equilibrium, all action of Nature ceases and the soul rests in its quietude. The divine Being, we may say, may either exist in his silence or act in Nature through her instrumentation, but in that case must put on the appearance of her strife and imperfection. That may be true of the ordinary deputed action of the Divine in the human spirit with its present relations of soul to nature in an embodied imperfect mental being, but it is not true of the divine nature of perfection. The strife of the gunas is only a representation in the imperfection of the lower nature; what the three gunas stand for are three essential powers of the Divine which are not merely existent in a perfect equilibrium of quietude, but unified in a perfect consensus of divine action. Tamas in the spiritual being becomes a divine calm, which is not an inertia and incapacity of action, but a perfect power, sakti, holding in itself all its capacity and capable of controlling and subjecting to the law of calm even the most stupendous and enormous activity: rajas becomes a self-effecting initiating sheer Will of the spirit, which is not desire, endeavour, striving passion, but the same perfect power of being, sakti, capable of an infinite, imperturbable and blissful action. Sattwa becomes not the modified mental light, prakasa , but the self-existent light of the divine being, jyotih , which is the soul of the perfect power of being and illumines in their unity the divine quietude and the divine will of action. The ordinary liberation gets the still divine light in the divine quietude, but the integral perfection will aim at this greater triune unity .... When this liberation of the nature comes, there is a liberation also of all the spiritual sense of the dualities of Nature. In the lower nature the dualities are the inevitable effect of the play of the gunas on the soul affected by the formations of the sattwic, rajasic and tamasic ego. The knot of this duality is an ignorance which is unable to seize on the spiritual truth of things and concentrates on the imperfect appearances, but meets them not with a mastery of their inner truth, but with a strife and a shifting balance of attraction and repulsion, capacity and incapacity, liking and disliking, pleasure and pain, joy and sorrow, acceptance and repugnance; all life is represented to us as a tangle of these things, of the pleasant and the unpleasant, the beautiful and the unbeautiful, truth and falsehood, fortune and misfortune, success and failure, good and evil, the inextricable double web of Nature. Attachment to its likings and repugnances keeps the soul bound in this web of good and evil, joys and sorrows. The seeker of liberation gets rid of attachment, throws away from his soul the dualities, but as the dualities appear to be the whole act, stuff and frame of life, this release would seem to be most easily compassed by a withdrawal from life, whether a physical withdrawal, so far as that is possible while in the body, or an inner retirement, a refusal of sanction, a liberating distaste, vairagya, for the whole action of Nature. There is a separation of the soul from Nature. Then the soul watches seated above and unmoved, udasına, the strife of the gunas in the natural being and regards as an impassive witness the pleasure and pain of the mind and body. Or it is able to impose its indifference even on the outer mind and watches with the impartial calm or the impartial joy of the detached spectator the universal action in which it has no longer an active inner participation. The end of this movement is the rejection of birth and a departure into the silent self, moksa. .. But this rejection (This rejection is the liberation of the Gita) is not the last possible word of liberation. The integral liberation comes when this passion for release, mumuksutva , founded on distaste or vairagya , is itself transcended; the soul is then liberated both from attachment to the lower action of nature and from all repugnance to the cosmic action of the Divine. (In integral Yoga the double escape, (1) escape from problem of life and (2) escape from universal Divine action are renounced and in the Gita one Soul takes refuge in the supreme abode of param dham through these double escape, which is known as Moksha .) This liberation gets its completeness when the spiritual gnosis can act with a supramental knowledge and reception of the action of Nature and a supramental luminous will in initiation. The gnosis discovers the spiritual sense in Nature, God in things, the soul of good in all things that have the contrary appearance; that soul is delivered in them and out of them, the perversions of the imperfect or contrary forms fall away or are transformed into their higher divine truth, — even as the gunas go back to their divine principles, — and the spirit lives in a universal, infinite and absolute Truth, Good, Beauty, Bliss which is the supramental or ideal divine Nature. The liberation of the Nature becomes one with the liberation of the spirit, and there is founded in the integral freedom the integral perfection." CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-688-690 Fourfold Soul Force: "Through four soul-stages a man must pass before he can be perfect; first, as a Sudra, by service and obedience to tame the brute in his being; then, as a Vaishya to satisfy within the law of morality the lower man in him and evolve the higher man by getting the first taste of delight in well-doing to others than himself and his; then, as the Kshatriya, to be trained in those first qualities without which the pursuit of the Eternal is impossible, courage, strength, unconquerable tenacity and self-devotion to a great task; last, as the Brahmin , so to purify body & mind and nature that he may see the Eternal reflected in himself as in an unsoiled mirror. Having once seen God, man can have no further object in life than to reach and possess Him." CWSA-17/Isha Upanishad/p-195, "The fundamental truth is not this outward thing, but a force of our inner being in movement, the truth of the fourfold active power of the spiritual nature . Each Jiva possesses in his spiritual nature these four sides, is a soul of knowledge, a soul of strength and of power, a soul of mutuality and interchange, a soul of works and service, but one side or other predominates in the action and expressive spirit and tinges the dealings of the soul with its embodied nature; it leads and gives its stamp to the other powers and uses them for the principal strain of action, tendency, experience. The Swabhava then follows, not crudely and rigidly as put in the social demarcation, but subtly and flexibly the law of this strain and develops in developing it the other three powers. Thus the pursuit of the impulse of works and service rightly done develops knowledge, increases power, trains closeness or balance of mutuality and skill and order of relation. Each front of the fourfold godhead moves through the enlargement of its own dominant principle of nature and enrichment by the other three towards a total perfection. This development undergoes the law of the three gunas. There is possible a tamasic and rajasic way of following even the dharma of the soul of knowledge, a brute tamasic and a high sattwic way of following the dharma of power, a forceful rajasic or a beautiful and noble sattwic way of following the dharma of works and service. To arrive at the sattwic way of the inner individual Swadharma and of the works to which it moves us on the ways of life is a preliminary condition of perfection. And it may be noted that the inner Swadharma is not bound to any outward social or other form of action, occupation or function. The soul of works or that element in us that is satisfied to serve, can, for example, make the life of the pursuit of knowledge, the life of struggle and power or the life of mutuality, production and interchange a means of satisfying its divine impulse to labour and to service... And in the end to arrive at the divinest figure and most dynamic soul-power of this fourfold activity is a wide doorway to a swiftest and largest reality of the most high spiritual perfection. This we can do if we turn the action of the Swadharma into a worship of the inner Godhead, the universal Spirit, the transcendent Purushottama and, eventually, surrender the whole action into his hands, mayi sannyasya karmani. (The Gita-3.30) (This verse is often interpreted as a key teaching (of Karma Yoga) on how to perform actions without being bound by attachment to the fruit of work, leading to liberation.) Then as (1) we get beyond the limitation of the three gunas , so also do (2) we get beyond the division of the fourfold law and (3) beyond the limitation of all distinctive dharmas , sarvadharman parityajya . (The Gita-18.66) (1) The Spirit takes up the individual into the universal Swabhava , (2) perfects and unifies the fourfold soul of nature in us and (3) does its self-determined works according to the divine will and the accomplished power of the godhead in the creature." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-523-524, "The Godhead, the spirit manifested in Nature appears in a sea of infinite quality, Ananta-guna . But the executive or mechanical Prakriti is of the threefold guna, sattwa, rajas, tamas, and the Ananta-guna , the spiritual play of infinite quality, modifies itself in this mechanical nature into the type of these three gunas . And in the soul-force in man this Godhead in Nature represents itself as a fourfold effective Power, catur-vyuha, a Power for knowledge, a Power for strength, a Power for mutuality and active and productive relation and interchange, a Power for works and labour and service, and its presence casts all human life into a nexus and inner and outer operation of these four things. The ancient thought of India conscious of this fourfold type of active human personality and nature built out of it the four types of the Brahmana, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra, each with its spiritual turn, ethical ideal, suitable upbringing, fixed function in society and place in the evolutionary scale of the spirit. As always tends to be the case when we too much externalise and mechanise the more subtle truths of our nature, this became a hard and fast system inconsistent with the freedom and variability and complexity of the finer developing spirit in man. Nevertheless the truth behind it exists and is one of some considerable importance in the perfection of our power of nature; but we have to take it in its inner aspects, first, personality, character, temperament, soul-type, then the soul-force which lies behind them and wears these forms, and lastly the play of the free spiritual Shakti in which they find their culmination and unity beyond all modes . For the crude external idea that a man is born as a Brahmana, Kshatriya, Vaishya or Shudra and that alone, is not a psychological truth of our being. The psychological fact is that there are these four active powers and tendencies of the Spirit and its executive Shakti within us and the predominance of one or the other in the more well-formed part of our personality gives us our main tendencies, dominant qualities and capacities, effective turn in action and life. But they are more or less present in all men, here manifest, there latent, here developed, there subdued and depressed or subordinate, and in the perfect man will be raised up to a fullness and harmony which in the spiritual freedom will burst out into the free play of the infinite quality of the spirit in the inner and outer life and in the self-enjoying creative play of the Purusha with his and the world’s Nature-Power." CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-742-743, "None of these four types of personality can be complete even in its own field if it does not bring into it something of the other qualities. The man of knowledge cannot serve Truth with freedom and perfection, if he has not intellectual and moral courage, will, audacity, the strength to open and conquer new kingdoms, otherwise he becomes a slave of the limited intellect or a servant or at most a ritual priest of only an established knowledge, (That perhaps is why it was the Kshatriya bringing his courage, audacity, spirit of conquest into the fields of intuitive knowledge and spiritual experience who first discovered the great truths of Vedanta .) — cannot use his knowledge to the best advantage unless he has the adaptive skill to work out its truths for the practice of life, otherwise he lives only in the idea, — cannot make the entire consecration of his knowledge unless he has the spirit of service to humanity, to the Godhead in man and the Master of his being. The man of power must illumine and uplift and govern his force and strength by knowledge, light of reason or religion or the spirit, otherwise he becomes the mere forceful Asura, — must have the skill which will help him best to use and administer and regulate his strength and make it creative and fruitful and adapted to his relations with others, otherwise it becomes a mere drive of force across the field of life, a storm that passes and devastates more than it constructs, — must be capable too of obedience and make the use of his strength a service to God and the world, otherwise he becomes a selfish dominator, tyrant, brutal compeller of men’s souls and bodies. The man of productive mind and work must have an open inquiring mind and ideas and knowledge, otherwise he moves in the routine of his functions without expansive growth, must have courage and enterprise, must bring a spirit of service into his getting and production, in order that he may not only get but give, not only amass and enjoy his own life, but consciously help the fruitfulness and fullness of the surrounding life by which he profits. The man of labour and service becomes a helpless drudge and slave of society if he does not bring knowledge and honour and aspiration and skill into his work, since only so can he rise by an opening mind and will and understanding usefulness to the higher dharmas. But the greater perfection of man comes when he enlarges himself to include all these powers, even though one of them may lead the others, and opens his nature more and more into the rounded fullness and universal capacity of the fourfold spirit. Man is not cut out into an exclusive type of one of these dharmas , but all these powers are in him at work at first in an ill- formed confusion, but he gives shape to one or another in birth after birth, progresses from one to the other even in the same life and goes on towards the total development of his inner existence. Our life itself is at once an inquiry after truth and knowledge, a struggle and battle of our will with ourselves and surrounding forces, a constant production, adaptation, application of skill to the material of life and a sacrifice and service. " CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-748-749, " The Yoga of self-perfection brings out this soul-force and gives it its largest scope, takes up all the fourfold powers and throws them into the free circle of an integral and harmonious spiritual dynamis. The godhead, the soul-power of knowledge rises to the highest degree of which the individual nature can be the supporting basis. A free mind of light develops which is open to every kind of revelation, inspiration, intuition, idea, discrimination, thinking synthesis; an enlightened life of the mind grasps at all knowledge with a delight of finding and reception and holding, a spiritual enthusiasm, passion, or ecstasy; a power of light full of spiritual force, illumination and purity of working manifests its empire, brahma-tejas, brahma-varcas; a bottomless steadiness and illimitable calm upholds all the illumination, movement, action as on some rock of ages, equal, unperturbed, unmoved, acyuta ... The godhead, the soul-power of will and strength rises to a like largeness and altitude. An absolute calm fearlessness of the free spirit, an infinite dynamic courage which no peril, limitation of possibility, wall of opposing force can deter from pursuing the work or aspiration imposed by the spirit, a high nobility of soul and will untouched by any littleness or baseness and moving with a certain greatness of step to spiritual victory or the success of the God-given work through whatever temporary defeat or obstacle, a spirit never depressed or cast down from faith and confidence in the power that works in the being, are the signs of this perfection. There comes too to fulfilment a large godhead, a soul-power of mutuality , a free self-spending and spending of gift and possession in the work to be done, lavished for the production, the creation, the achievement, the possession, gain, utilisable return, a skill that observes the law and adapts the relation and keeps the measure, a great taking into oneself from all beings and a free giving out of oneself to all, a divine commerce, a large enjoyment of the mutual delight of life. And finally there comes to perfection the godhead, the soul-power of service, the universal love that lavishes itself without demand of return, the embrace that takes to itself the body of God in man and works for help and service, the abnegation that is ready to bear the yoke of the Master and make the life a free servitude to Him and under his direction to the claim and need of his creatures, the self-surrender of the whole being to the Master of our being and his work in the world. These things unite, assist and enter into each other, become one. The full consummation comes in the greatest souls most capable of perfection, but some large manifestation of this fourfold soul-power must be sought and can be attained by all who practise the integral Yoga. " CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-750-751 An integral Sadhak will learn four lessons from the Gita . (1) He learns to know extensively the nature and imperfection of the three Gunas and how to go beyond them by increasing Sattwic Nature. In integral Yoga, the sattwic nature is replaced with Equality and Psychic Consciousness. (2) Perfection of fourfold Soul-forces, chaturvarna , and fourfold Spiritual forces, chatwaro manabostatha and their integration and reconciliation. (3) The power of consecration has to be intensified through self-control. Self-control has to be practiced through a purified intellect. With the opening of the Psychic and Spiritual being, this self-control becomes rigorous and with the opening of the Supramental Self, self-control becomes absolute. Thus, one goes beyond the limitation of all distinctive dharmas, sarvadharman parityajya (The Gita-18.66) and surrender becomes comprehensive and he experiences comprehensive Divine union, samagram mam. ( The Gita-7.1) (4) In integral Yoga, the double escape, (1) escape from the problem of life and (2) escape from universal Divine action, are renounced and in the Gita, one Soul takes refuge in the supreme abode of param dham through these double escapes, which is known as Moksha . The Gita's negative sense of liberation, Mukti , is to become desireless, egoless, beyond the dualities, dwandatita , and beyond the three Gunas , nistreigunya. This is complemented in integral Yoga with a positive sense of freedom which is to be '(1) universal in Soul, (2) transcendentally one in spirit with God and (3) possession of the highest Divine Nature.' (CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-674-675) This is Integral Yoga's Mokshya or Integral Liberation. Download this WEB PAGE as a PDF file: The Bhagavad Gita - Yoga Sadhana Camp Discussion 28 July - 31 July 2025 Audio Recording 28 July 2025 Audio Recording 29 July 2025 Audio Recording 30 July 2025 Audio Recording 31 July 2025 “My yoga begun in 1904 had always been personal and apart; those around me knew I was a sadhak but they knew little more as I kept all that went on in me to myself. It was only after my release that for the first time I spoke at Uttarpara publicly about my spiritual experiences. Until I went to Pondicherry I took no disciples; with those who accompanied me or joined me in Pondicherry I had at first the relation of friends and companions rather than of a guru and disciples; it was on the ground of politics that I had come to know them and not on the spiritual ground. Afterwards only there was a gradual development of spiritual relations until the Mother came back from Japan and the Ashram was founded or rather founded itself in 1926. I began my yoga in 1904 without a guru ; in 1908 I received important help from a Mahratta yogi and discovered the foundations of my sadhana; but from that time till the Mother came to India I received no spiritual help from anyone else. My sadhana before and afterwards was not founded upon books but upon personal experiences that crowded on me from within. But in the jail I had the Gita and the Upanishads with me, practised the yoga of the Gita and meditated with the help of the Upanishads ; these were the only books from which I found guidance; the Veda which I first began to read long afterwards in Pondicherry rather confirmed what experiences I already had than was any guide to my sadhana. I sometimes turned to the Gita for light when there was a question or a difficulty and usually received help or an answer from it, but there were no such happenings in connection with the Gita as are narrated in the book. It is a fact that I was hearing constantly the voice of Vivekananda speaking to me for a fortnight in the jail in my solitary meditation and felt his presence, but this had nothing to do with the alleged circumstances narrated in the book, circumstances that never took place, nor had it anything to do with the Gita . The voice spoke only on a special and limited but very important field of spiritual experience and it ceased as soon as it had finished saying all that it had to say on that subject.” Sri Aurobindo CWSA-36/Autobiographical Notes-98-99

The Divine Call “Two irrefutable signs prove that one is in relation with the Supramental : A perfect and constant equality: To be perfect, the equality must be invariable and spontaneous, effortless, towards all circumstances, all happenings, all contacts, material or psychological, irrespective of their character and impact. 2. An absolute certainty in the knowledge: The absolute and indisputable certainty of an infallible knowledge through identity." THE MOTHER TMCW-15/Words of The Mother-III/p-102, “The capacities required to gain access to the supramental world . Capacity for indefinite expansion of consciousness on all planes including the material. Limitless plasticity, to be able to follow the movement of becoming. Perfect equality abolishing all possibility of ego reaction." THE MOTHER The Mother’s Agenda/January 12, 1962. “The Divinity mentioned by Sri Aurobindo is NOT A PERSON, but a condition to be shared and lived by all those who prepare themselves for it." THE MOTHER TMCW-15/Words of The Mother-III/p-104 “And actually, to do Sri Aurobindo’s work is to realize the Supramental on earth. So I began that work and, as a matter of fact, this was the only thing I asked of my body. I told it, ‘Now you shall set right everything which is out of order and gradually realize this intermediate supermanhood between man and the supramental being or, in other words, what I call the superman.’... And this is what I have been doing for the last eight years, and even much more during the past two years, since 1956. Now it is the work of each day, each minute.” The Mother The Mother’s Agenda- 10th May 1958 “When the Supramental manifests, an unequalled joy spreads over the earth . ” The Mother TMCW-15/Words of the Mother-III/p-91 “It seems to me that the purpose of the Supramental Yoga is to dissipate ignorance from the entire cosmos and remove the darkness of earthly nature, in order to make the divine life possible.” Sri Aurobindo CWSA-35/Letters on Himself and the Ashram/p-279-280 All noble and high Religions aim at transfiguration of son of men into son of God and are having three fundamental ways or three essential affirmations of approaching life that can be adopted with regard to our existence: Firstly , the belief in the immortality, the eternal persistence of the individual human Spirit apart from the body, that is our Supra-terrestrial or other worldly existence or an occult link through which all things are ordered, governed and harmonised in their fundamental relations and process; secondly , it is in Heavens beyond that we must seek our entire Divine fulfilment, and their other assertion of the kingdom of God or the kingdom of the perfect upon Earth must be put aside as delusion, or in any case, the Absolute, the Parabrahman is the origin and goal of all existence, that is our Supracosmic view of things; thirdly, an emphasis on the development of the Ethical and Spiritual being as the means of ascension and therefore the one proper business of this brief life in this world of Matter; during this temporary stay from birth to death we have to study the laws of becoming and take the best advantage of them to realise the dynamism and potentiality in us, that is our cosmic and Terrestrial existence . It is practically impossible for man taken as a race to guide his life permanently or wholly by the leading motive of any of these three mental attitudes towards life to the exclusion of the other two claims on his nature. Thus, one of the above three does not harmonise with the other two and by this disharmony humanity is thrown into great perplexities of contradiction and hence subjects itself to doubt, division, denial and leap away from the problem. Integral Yoga rejects the above three limiting conclusions or unsatisfactory solutions that after liberating Mind, Life and Soul within one must turn from the unconquerable Material principle and from the intractable and unregenerated Earth to find elsewhere his Divine substance. The speciality and superiority of integral Yoga over all the Religious and Yogic schools is that a fourth fundamental theory is sufficiently nurtured¹⁹ which is integration, synthesis, mutual indwelling and reconciliation of the above three Religious factors and it is by knowing each in its completeness that the three reconcile to become one in our total Consciousness and total Knowledge. It recognises the other subtle states of Matter or an ascending series of the Divine gradations of substance and through acceptance of this higher law of ascending and descending Consciousness, the luminous and puissant material transfiguration is possible. In this last category would fall the view of Integral Spiritual Evolution where Supracosmic is accepted as source and support , the Supraterrestrial or otherworldly for a condition and connecting link (for bridging the gulf between Suparacosmic and terrestrial Matter) and the cosmic and Terrestrial for its field and circumstance, and with human Mind, Life and Body for its nodus, turning point and dynamic mould into which Supreme existence can be poured in, initially intermittently and finally continuously for a higher and even highest perfection. In India, three types of Divines are generally adored. The first type of Divine belongs to Moderate Spirituality, who is identified as the giver of boons and curses. Devotees worship Him with rapt attention with the intention of getting favour¹⁵ from Him. He is aware in his mind of the Divine’s personal form and oblivious of His Impersonal Spiritual form; thus, he transforms the high truth of swift Spiritual evolution into the slow evolution of religious movement. The second type of Divine belongs to later Vedantists , Illusionists and Nirvanists , where Brahman is experienced as That, which, being known, all becomes unreal and an incomprehensible mystery or as the Kena Upanishad recognises, ‘That is the divine Brahman and not this which men here adore.”⁴ This adoration of the Impersonal Divine of Jnana Yoga/Sankhya is identified as the principal motive and passage for higher Spiritual life for developing Souls/traditional Sadhakas /beginners of integral Yoga, dvija . The third type of Divine belongs to Ancient Vedantists where Brahman is experienced as That which being known all is known and nothing is lost¹⁶ or Brahman is experienced as the triple formula of Psychic, Spiritual and Supramental Self. (1) The Self is in all things, which is the basis of our Psychic individuality in the universal; (2) all things are within the Self, which is the basis of our Spiritual oneness in difference and (3) all things are made up of the stuff of the Self, which is the basis of our Supramental oneness with all. In this quest, a relation between Spirit and Matter is worked out and the force of Brahman penetrates into material life. In this trend, adoration of the Divine’s personal form (as Purushottama, Supramental Self) is identified as more important than His impersonal form (as Akshara Purusha , Spiritual Being). This subordination of Impersonal Divine to Personal Divine is the basis of Sadhana for a developed Soul¹ or Sadhaka of integral Yoga. Thus, Matter and Spirit get equal attention and importance and are reconciled. The Moderate and later Vedantic Spirituality are identified as escapist Spirituality¹³ and they cannot confront Death . In ancient Vedantic Spirituality, four imperfections or negations of Matter that of Ignorance, Falsehood, Suffering and Death, are purified, transformed and perfected into Knowledge, Truth, Delight and Immortality. During the hour of death and extreme adversity, the ancient Vedantists confront them, whereas Moderates submit before them and later Vedantists accept Death as a passage to Param Dham. The God of popular Religion is a Power who must do favours to the devotees; they always want something, demand something, expect to get something and their whole life is a perpetual bargain to satisfy their desire. Their idea of the Divine is something that knows little more than they do and is at their exclusive service. The Gita confirms² that those who adore the Divine to satisfy their desire do not experience movement in higher planes of consciousness. In Spiritual life, this conditional worship is transformed into self-offering, self-giving, and self-consecration of what one has, what one is, and what one will become. The self-fulfilment by (1) sacrifice with Self-control, atma-samyama ,⁶ and rejection of lower Nature, vairagya ⁹ or (2) motiveless sacrificial work by renouncing the fruit of work, phala tyagam,⁷ or (3) desiring nothing from the supreme Lover and His creation, anapekhya ,⁸ leads one to higher planes of Consciousness and these triple truths are less easily grasped by bound Souls. A religious man wants to take something from the Divine, while a Spiritual man wants to give himself to the Divine "The will of self-giving forces away by its power the veil between God and man; it annuls every error and annihilates every obstacle." ¹⁴ The basis of Spiritual life is an intense need to become one with the Divine, to melt in the Divine, and to disappear in the Divine. The aim of Spiritual and Supramental action is not miraculous realisations without lasting results filling the world with admiration but a frequent or constant natural miracle that alone effects a lasting transformation and by full mastery of constantly calling down of the luminous dynamic Divine Shakti one can face/solve all the problems of existence which is the logical, natural and inevitable consequence of intense aspiration, sincere endeavour and firm conviction. The Divinity visioned by Sri Aurobindo is an inherent all-pervading Consciousness-Force, ‘a half-veiled Manifestation present and near to us here in the universe’³ that does not reject but accepts and transcends the limitation of the personal God of popular Religion, which is a form restricted by his quality, representation, name, personality and is distinguished from all other Deities of other doctrines. The disadvantage of the gospel of personal extra-cosmic omnipotent Godhead who has created and governs this world in most of the religious schools is that this worship forms an unbridgeable gulf ¹ ⁷ between God and man, Brahman and the world and the possibility of man ascending to the status of God becomes remote. The error created by man in his relation with God, a partial manifestation of the Divine, elevates an actual and practical differentiation in Being, Consciousness and Force into an essential division, confusion and ethical difficulty. If man has to ascent to the status of God, then he has to go beyond the paralysing division of the mind where Knowledge is not self-divided, Force is not self-divided, Being is not self-divided and there will be no idea clash with other ideas and no opposition of the will or force with other will or force. A Sadhak of integral Yoga has to realise Integral Godhead primarily as comprehensive Consciousness, Vijnana , the force of blissful Oneness, Harmony and Order, the harmonious invasion of 'fiery ocean of felicity,' ¹ ² Truth, and Light; secondarily as impersonal Spiritual truth of the multiple Divine Concentration, Jnana, and this Light has descended sea like into an evolutionary world of Cosmic Ignorance and tertiarily as apprehensive Consciousness, Prajnana , cosmic differentiation, mental adoration of personal aspect of monotheistic and polytheistic Deities, Brahman and an infinite multiplicity of ignorant and suffering beings unaware of the Self. The Divine or the Brahman of the East or the Absolute of the West has in its nature two sides or two terms of the Being, the fundamental Reality and the Becoming, an effectual Reality; it is only a pure infinite essence that can manifest in infinite ways. It is at once the supreme Person, the Being in its transcendental and cosmic Consciousness and Force, the Sachchidananda with infinite Quality and without any Quality, Saguna and Nirguna , Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omnipresent which informs, embraces and governs all existences, the Controller of all energies, the Conscious in all that is Conscient and Inconscient, the inhabitant of all souls, minds, hearts and bodies, the Ruler and Over-ruler of all works, the Seer and Overseer of all happenings, the Enjoyer of all Delight, the Creator who has built all things in His own being, the All Person of whom all beings are personalities; in His Consciousness-Force He is the Creatrix Divine Mother, a Power and Energy working out of the Being; in His Being He is the Creator Father of all that is; in His Beauty and Joy He is the All-Beloved and All-Lover; in His existence He is the Friend of all creature; in His dynamism of Will to light and vision and Will to power and works He is the Master of all action; in His wisdom of state of Knowledge and power of Knowledge, He is the All-Teacher; in His world play He is the Divine Playmate. The Unknowable is something to us supreme, wonderful and ineffable by our mind-created speech, which continually formulates itself to our consciousness and continually escapes from the formulation it has made; but even when we are most aware of it, we cannot describe it because our language and thought can deal only with the relative. The Absolute does not deny the truth of His own existence but is so infinitely expansive that no finite positive iti iti (It is this, it is that) and finite negative, neti neti (It is not this, it is not that) can be formulated which can exhaust It or bind It to the limitation of the definition. So, the Divine can be limited neither by formlessness nor by form, neither by unity nor by multiplicity, neither by immobile stable status of Self nor by dynamic mobility of Nature; it can be restricted neither by these illimitable attributes nor by our most affirmative experiences which exceed all definitions, nor even can it be expressed by our largest conception of original self-concentration of Sachchidananda . Though the Unknowable is not knowable by the finite mind or to our limited consciousness, it is not altogether and in every way unknowable; it is self-evident to an infinite Consciousness or a knowledge by Identity and the Spiritual Being within us can explore all the ranges of Consciousness from the dark Inconscient plane to the highest plane of Sachchidananda to unravel the whole of the Unknowable and its complete Divine manifestation. The human liberated Soul carries within him the triune Consciousness of the Individual, the Universal and the Transcendent, can alone work out at its critical turning point the movement of Divine self-manifestation which appears to us as involution and evolution of the impersonal Divine Consciousness between two terms of Ignorance and Knowledge. He is no longer considered as a subordinate or minor circumstance in the Divine Play or Lila of the Nara-Narayana , but one with the total movement of the Infinite, capable of incarnating Godhead Consciousness in himself. The individual Soul in Becoming arrives at Infinite Self-Knowledge and All-Knowledge when it knows the Supreme and Absolute as Bliss of Existence, Bliss of Consciousness and Bliss of Force or Will and possesses the Nature and Consciousness of the Transcendent and the Universal, the unity of One Being and all Beings and to live in that Knowledge and to transform his life by the evolution of seven-fold Power of Being (Brahman , the ancient Seers said is the Matter, is the Life, is the Mind, is the Supermind, Vijnana and is the triune glory of Sachchidananda ) is his Divine destiny. The main method or the indispensable self-disciplines of integral Yoga are derived from Ancient Vedanta (for example, the Isha, Taittiriya, Kena Upanishads etc) with comprehensive concentration as the principal instrument of sadhana , whereas the substitute methods or the dispensable self-disciplines of this Yoga are derived from the later Vedanta and the Tantra, where exclusive concentration is the chief instrument of Sadhana. The difference between the two Vedantic quests are that in the former two great formulas of existence, “One without a second”, ekamevadvitiyam ¹ ⁰ and “All this is the Brahman ”, sarvam khalu idam brahma ¹¹ are successfully combined and hence Brahman is experienced as That which being known all is known, yasmin vijnate sarvam idam vijnatam ; whereas in the latter quest exclusive importance is given to the first formula of existence to the total exclusion of the second formula and hence Brahman is experienced as That, which being known, all becomes unreal and an incomprehensible mystery, (mental) Maya . The exclusive quest of later Vedanta was a departure from the comprehensive quest of the ancient Vedanta, and the vehement, impatient longing of the former to possess the Divine exclusively gave birth to the psycho-physical methods of sadhana, whereas in the latter, integral faith, patience and courage to search the truth equally in Matter and Spirit gave birth to Spiritual methods of sadhana . The disadvantages of psycho-physical methods are that they stress the rise of the six Kundalini chakras from below, where the physical presence of the guru is indispensable in order to avoid any Spiritual fall and lower formulations are used for higher Spiritual gain. A dependency on psycho-physical methods only is to subject oneself to outer nature leading towards mechanised living, artificially constructed unity, and ‘will bring in a limitation and subjection to Prakriti ,'¹⁸’ which can give birth to tamasic impatience and rajasic ambition of the exclusive kind. But if it can be an efficient subordinate of the Psychic, Spiritual and Supramental methods, then it will be the most powerful of all means for physical transformation. Integral Yoga through Savitri book proposes a Sadhaka to attain the highest status of Jnana and Bhakti Yoga by becoming Karma Yogi or by doing consecrated action. It proposes to pursue sadhana or Karma Yoga in double seclusion. Seclusion from the enjoyment of the five sense organs and seclusion from the attraction of the outer world. Karma Yoga establishes a Sadhaka in kinghood of possession of inner and outer kingdom; Jnana Yoga establishes a Sadhaka in becoming a adventurer and pioneer of new Consciousness and of protecting the Kingdom or of guarding Truth’s diamond throne; Bhakti Yoga fulfils life of outer kingdom by manifestation of Beauty, Delight and Love. It enlarges the inner kingdom as the Divine 'Love’s golden wings have power to’⁵ bridge the void in Consciousness; ‘The feet of love tread naked hardest'’⁵ Subconscient and Inconscient worlds; Love labours in the depths of Inconscient, 'exults on the heights'⁵ of Sachchidananda ’ to divinise life. After one is established in the above three Yogas , he reconciles them and out of the effort of reconciliation a fourth Yoga is born, known as Yoga of Self-perfection . This higher instrumentation is responsible for Subconscient, Inconscient and Cellular transformation action. These are identified as the highest Call of integral Yoga through which the Divine Contact in the material world is established. OM TAT SAT References: 1: “Arjuna said: Those seekers of Bhakti Yoga who thus by a constant union seek after Thy personal Form and those seekers of Jnana Yoga who seek after Thy unmanifest Immutable impersonal Form, which of them are greater Yoga? The Blessed Lord said those who are most united with Me and adore Me through constant union, emotional mind is settled in Me and are possessed of the supreme faith of Bhakti Yoga , I consider them to be the greatest Yogi.” The Gita-12.1, 2, 2: “The sacrifices offered with a view of getting personal fruit and benefit and also for ostentation, know that to be rajasic sacrifice.” (The Gita-17.12) “If one does work with attachment to the fruits of work then that sacrifice does not go to the Divine but to the ego, to Asura, Yakshas and Rakshasas .” (The Gita-17.4) “They who desire the fulfilment of the fruit of their works, siddhi , on earth sacrifice to Gods because by that sacrificial work without knowledge, one gets easy and swift result, khipram siddhirbhabati ,” (The Gita-4.12). " Therefore without attachment perform ever the work that is to be done (done for the sake of the world, lokasangraha , as is made clear immediately afterwards); for by doing work without attachment man attains to the highest." (The Gita-3.19) Sacrificial work with knowledge of the wheel of Works, evam pravartitam chakram, (The Gita-3.16) and without attachment leads to higher planes of Consciousness. 3: CWSA/23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-74, 4: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-72, "On the other hand, the weakness of a contemplative quietistic spirituality is that it arrives at this result by a too absolute abstraction and in the end it turns into a nothing or a fiction the human soul whose aspiration was yet all the time the whole sense of this attempt at union; for without the soul and its aspiration liberation and union could have no meaning. The little that this way of thinking recognises of his other powers of existence, it relegates to an inferior preliminary action which never arrives at any full or satisfying realisation in the Eternal and Infinite. Yet these things too which it restricts unduly, the potent will, the strong yearning of love, the positive light and all-embracing intuition of the conscious mental being are from the Divine, represent essential powers of him and must have some justification in their Source and some dynamic way of self-fulfilment in him." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-339-340, 5: Savitri-592, 6: The Gita-4.27, 7: The Gita-12.11, 12, 8: The Gita-12.16, 9: The Gita-6.35, 13.8, 10: Chandogya Upanishad-6.2.1, 11: Chandogya Upanishad-3.14.1, 12: Savitri-237, 13: (Death said to Savitri) "Two only are the doors of man’s escape, Death of his body Matter’s gate to peace, Death of his soul his last felicity." Savitri-635, 14: CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-335, 15: "In the transformation of ordinary religious worship into the Yoga of pure Bhakti we see this development from the motived and interested worship of popular religion into a principle of motiveless and self-existent love. This last is in fact the touch- stone of the real Bhakti and shows whether we are really in the central way or are only upon one of the bypaths leading to it. We have to throw away the props of our weakness, the motives of the ego, the lures of our lower nature before we can deserve the divine union." CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga-553, "It may be asked how is that devotion high and noble, udara , which seeks God only for the worldly boons he can give or as a refuge in sorrow and suffering, and not the Divine for its own sake? Do not egoism, weakness, desire reign in such an adoration and does it not belong to the lower nature ? Moreover, where there is not knowledge, the devotee does not approach the Divine in his integral all-embracing truth, vasudevah sarvam iti , (The Gita-7.19) but constructs imperfect names and images of the Godhead which are only reflections of his own need, temperament and nature, and he worships them to help or appease his natural longings. He constructs for the Godhead the name and form of Indra or Agni, of Vishnu or Shiva, of a divinised Christ or Buddha , or else some composite of natural qualities, an indulgent God of love and mercy, or a severe God of righteousness and justice, or an awe-inspiring God of wrath and terror and flaming punishments, or some amalgam of any of these, and to that he raises his altars without and in his heart and mind and falls down before it to demand from it worldly good and joy or healing of his wounds or a sectarian sanction for an erring, dogmatic, intellectual, intolerent knowledge. All this up to a certain point is true enough. Very rare is the great soul who knows that Vasudeva the omnipresent Being is all that is, va sudevah. sarvam iti sa maha tma sudurlabhah . (The Gita-7.19) Men are led away by various outer desires which take from them the working of the inner knowledge, ka mais tais tair hri tajn a na h . (The Gita-7.20) Ignorant, they resort to other godheads, imperfect forms of the deity which correspond to their desire, prapadyante ’nyadevatah (The Gita-7.20) . Limited, they set up this or that rule and cult, tam tam niyamam asthaya , (The Gita-7.20) which satisfies the need of their nature. And in all this it is a compelling personal determination, it is this narrow need of their own nature that they follow and take for the highest truth, incapable yet of the infinite and its largeness. The Godhead in these forms gives them their desires if their faith is whole; but these fruits and gratifications are temporary and it is a petty intelligence and unformed reason which makes the pursuit of them its principle of religion and life. " CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-285-286, "But the weakness of the kinetic and the emotional religions is that they are too much absorbed in some divine Personality and in the divine values of the finite. And, even when they have a conception of the infinite Godhead, they do not give us the full satisfaction of knowledge because they do not follow it out into its most ultimate and supernal tendencies. These religions fall short of a complete absorption in the Eternal and the perfect union by identity, — and yet to that identity in some other way, if not in the abstractive, since there all oneness has its basis, the spirit that is in man must one day arrive." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-339, "The weakness of the human heart wants only fair and comforting truths or in their absence pleasant fables; it will not have the truth in its entirety because there there is much that is not clear and pleasant and comfortable, but hard to understand and harder to bear. The raw religionist, the superficial optimistic thinker, the sentimental idealist, the man at the mercy of his sensations and emotions agree in twisting away from the sterner conclusions, the harsher and fiercer aspects of universal existence." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-381, 16: "No God-knowledge can be integral, perfect or universally satisfying which leaves unfulfilled their absolute claim , no wisdom utterly wise which in its intolerant asceticism of search negates or in the pride of pure knowledge belittles the spiritual reality behind these ways of the Godhead... The greatness of the central thought of the Gita in which all its threads are gathered up and united, consists in the synthetic value of a conception which recognises the whole nature of the soul of man in the universe and validates by a large and wise unification its many-sided need of the supreme and infinite Truth, Power, Love, Being to which our humanity turns in its search for perfection and immortality and some highest joy and power and peace. There is a strong and wide endeavour towards a comprehensive spiritual view of God and man and universal existence. Not indeed that everything without any exception is seized in these eighteen chapters, no spiritual problem left for solution ; but still so large a scheme is laid out that we have only to fill in, to develop, to modify, to stress, to follow out points, to work out hint and illuminate adumbration in order to find a clue to any further claim of our intelligence and need of our spirit. The Gita itself does not evolve any quite novel solution out of its own questionings. To arrive at the comprehensiveness at which it aims, it goes back behind the great philosophical systems to the original Vedanta of the Upanishads; for there we have the widest and profoundest extant synthetic vision of spirit and man and cosmos. But what is in the Upanishads undeveloped to the intelligence because wrapped up in a luminous kernel of intuitive vision and symbolic utterance, the Gita brings out in the light of a later intellectual thinking and distinctive experience. " CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-340, 17: “For myself it was Ramakrishna who personally came & first turned me to this Yoga. Vivekananda in the Alipore jail gave me the foundations of that knowledge which is the basis of our sadhana. The error of the Mission is to keep too much to the forms of Ramakrishna & Vivekananda & not keep themselves open for new outpourings of their spirit, — the error of all “Churches” and organised religious bodies.” CWSA-36/Autobiographical Note/p-177-178, “But I can tell you about my own experience. Until the age of about twenty-five, all I knew was the God of religions, God as men have created him, and I did not want him at any price. I denied his existence but with the certitude that if such a God did exist, I detested him …When I was about twenty-five I discovered the inner God and at the same time I learned that the God described by most Western religions is none other than the Great Adversary…When I came to India, in 1914, and became acquainted with Sri Aurobindo’s teaching, everything became very clear.” The Mother/TMCW-10/On Thoughts and Aphorisms-331-332, “That is precisely the distortion in the Western attitude as opposed to the attitude of the Gita. It is extremely difficult for the Western mind to understand in a living and concrete manner that everything is the Divine.” The Mother/TMCW-10/On Thoughts and Aphorisms/p-101, 18: "The Prana is not only a force for the action of physical and vital energy, but supports also the mental and spiritual action. Therefore the full and free working of the pranic shakti is required not only for the lower but still necessary use, but also for the free and full operation of mind and supermind and spirit in the instrumentality of our complex human nature. That is the main sense of the use of exercises of Pranayama for control of the vital force and its motions which is so important and indispensable a part of certain systems of Yoga. The same mastery must be got by the seeker of the integral Yoga; but he may arrive at it by other means and in any case he must not be dependent on any physical or breathing exercise for its possession and maintenance, for that will at once bring in a limitation and subjection to Prakriti . Her instrumentation has to be used flexibly by the Purusha, but not to be a fixed control on the Purusha . The necessity of the pranic force, however, remains and will be evident to our self-study and experience. It is in the Vedic image the steed and conveyance of the embodied mind and will, va¯ hana. If it is full of strength and swiftness and a plenitude of all its powers, then the mind can go on the courses of its action with a plenary and unhampered movement. But if it is lame or soon tired or sluggish or weak, then an incapacity is laid on the effectuation of the will and activity of the mind. The same rule holds good of the supermind when it first comes into action. There are indeed states and activities in which the mind takes up the pranic shakti into itself and this dependence is not felt at all; but even then the force is there, though involved in the pure mental energy. The supermind, when it gets into full strength, can do pretty well what it likes with the pranic shakti, and we find that in the end this life power is transformed into the type of a supramentalised prana which is simply one motor power of that greater consciousness. But this belongs to a later stage of the siddhi of the Yoga." CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-733-734, 19: "The Asram has nothing to do with Hindu religion or culture or any religion or nationality. The Truth of the Divine which is the spiritual reality behind all religions and the descent of the supramental which is not known to any religion are the sole things which will be the foundation of the work of the future.” Sri Aurobindo/CWSA-35/Letters on Himself and the Ashram/p-701 The Mother's Call “Are there not still million fights to wage?” Savitri-687 The Mind's Method of Abstraction "The buddhi dwelling always in this master idea (self-surrender) must discourage all its own lesser insistences and preferences and teach the whole being that the ego whether it puts forth its claim through the reason, the personal will, the heart or the desire-soul in the prana , has no just claim of any kind and all grief, revolt, impatience, trouble is a violence against the Master of the being." CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-723, The First Capacity of Mind : It is a habituated divider of the Indivisible and its whole nature is to dwell on one thing at a time to the exclusion of others. The ultimate unity and absolute infinity are to its conscience of things abstract notions and unseizable quantities, not something that is real to its grasp, much less something that is alone real. The first difficulty of the mind is identified as its inability to hold at once the unity and multiplicity of the existence. The Third Capacity of Mind : To train the mind as pure, clear and passive reflector of the Divine is identified as an important exercise in integral Yoga. The intellect cannot be a sufficient guide in the search for spiritual truth and realization and yet it has to be utilised in the integral movement of our nature. The third difficulty of the mind is identified as realization of all this as Sachchidananda . The Second Capacity of Mind : The characteristic energy of pure Mind is change through self-enlargement and self-improvement and moves continually from a smaller and simpler to a larger and more complex perfection. The second difficulty is that fear, desire and sorrow are recognized as diseases of the mind, born of its sense of division and limitation. The Fourth Capacity of Mind : The last gradation of thinking opens in us the pure ideative mind which lives disinterestedly in the truth of ideas for Divine action and Spiritual experience. The fourth difficulty is to unify without losing and integralise without rejecting. Read More The Sunlit and Golden Path Sun-lit Path : The pure in Soul can walk in Light. The Golden Path : Light re-enters life through multiple (ten) Selves. The Abysmal Night : Light re-enters Inconscient Night. The Double Twilight : The First Twilight is created due to the invasion of the Sea of Light above the head to the dark Subconscient Sheath and the Second Twilight is created due to the invasion of the Sea of Light below the Feet to the dark Subconscient Sheath. The Eternal Day : Permanent rise of consciousness to Sachchidananda plane of Everlasting Day. Earthly Return: Permanent descent of Sachchidananda consciousness through return to Subconscient and Inconscient Earth. Read More The Supramental Yoga “The conditions (of Supramental transformation) Sri Aurobindo gives in detail in The Synthesis of Yoga and in still greater detail in his last articles on the (book) Supramental Manifestation . So now it is only a question of realisation .” The Mother TMCW-8/The Questions and Answers-1956/p-322 It appears from Sri Aurobindo’s following writings that those whose intellect is Spiritualised or those who have practiced Buddhi Yoga of the Gita can draw direct benefit from Supramental energy, that is now active in the earth’s atmosphere, “All that [ideas such as “everything will soon be spiritualised”] is absurd. The descent of the supramental means only that the Power will be there in the earth consciousness as a living force just as the thinking mental and the higher mental are already there. But an animal cannot take advantage of the presence of the thinking mental Power or an undeveloped man of the presence of the higher mental Power — so too everybody will not be able to take advantage of the presence of the supramental Power. I have also often enough said that it will be at first for the few, not for the whole earth, — only there will be a growing influence of it on the earth life.” Sri Aurobindo CWSA-28/Letters on Yoga-I/p-290 "Eventually their (purified intelligence and will, buddhya visuddhaya, The Gita-18.51) response can be opened up to the perfect discernings, intuitions, inspirations, revelations of the supermind and proceed by a more and more luminous and even infallible action. " Sri Aurobindo CWSA/24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-655 "Ordinarily the supramental knowledge will be organised first and with the most ease in the processes of pure thought and knowledge , jnana, because here the human mind has already the upward tendency and is the most free." Sri Aurobindo CWSA/24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-839 "It is only when mentality is overpassed and drops away into a passive silence that there can be the full disclosure and the sovereign and integral action of the supramental gnosis." Sri Aurobindo CWSA/24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-861 "A true, sincere, spontaneous life, as in the supramental world, is a springing forth of things through the fact of conscious will, a power over substance that shapes this substance according to what we decide it should be. And he who has this power and this knowledge can obtain whatever he wants , whereas he who does not has no artificial means of getting what he desires." The Mother The Mother's Agenda/3.2.1958 " But that (Supramental) cannot work in him so long as his present mental, vital, physical being is not liberated from its actual inferior working (of the three Gunas ) . This purification is the first necessity . " Sri Aurobindo CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p- 644-645, The First Character of this Supramental Change : is a complete reversal, a turning over, one might almost say, upside down of the whole activity… "In the kingdom of the Spirit’s power and light, As if one who arrived out of infinity’s womb He came new-born, infant and limitless And grew in the wisdom of the timeless Child; He was a vast that soon became a Sun." Savitri-301 The Second Character of the Supramental Change : is that the formation of the thought, will and delight can take place now wholly on the Supramental level and therefore there is initiated and reconciled an entirely luminous and effective Divine Will, Divine Wisdom and Divine Bliss or as hinted in Savitri “I am, I love, I see, I act, I will.” (Savitri-594) "The Unseen’s eye that looks at the unseen, When Light with a golden ecstasy fills his brain And the Eternal’s wisdom drives his choice And eternal Will seizes the mortal’s will.” Savitri-665 The Third Character of the Supramental Change: The third character of this action is the Brahmic consciousness and vision… “An invisible sunlight ran within her veins And flooded her brain with heavenly brilliances That woke a wider sight (Supramental vision) than earth could know.” Savitri-356 The Fourth Character of the Supramental Change: The final stage of the change will come when the Supermind occupies and Supramentalises the whole being and turns even the vital and physical sheaths into moulds of itself, responsive, subtle and instinctive with its powers. The man then becomes wholly Superman. This is at least the natural and integral process. "A divinising stream possessed his veins, His body’s cells awoke to spirit sense, Each nerve became a burning thread of joy: Tissue and flesh partook beatitude. Alight, the dun unplumbed subconscient caves Thrilled with the prescience of her longed-for tread And filled with flickering crests and praying tongues." Savitri-334 "A divine force shall flow through tissue and cell And take the charge of breath and speech and act And all the thoughts shall be a glow of suns And every feeling a celestial thrill." Savitri-710 OM TAT SAT Read More The Mother's Yoga Our Relation with The Mother : The Mother book written by Sri Aurobindo gives a detailed account of a Spiritual or Impersonal Mother and hints briefly about the personal Psychic Mother and personal Supramental Mother. We enter direct relation with Her four dynamic Spiritual aspects after our Spiritual Being or Akshara Purusha above the head opens. The Mother’s Mission : The Mother’s mission on earth is to build our Soul and Nature into the Divine Truth, consistent with the decrees of the Supreme and draws us irresistibly towards the supreme ecstasies, the highest heights, the noblest aims and the largest vistas. Our Mission : The one and only purpose for which our life is destined is the Divine Work without all desire and self-regarding ego, all our life and not a part of life must be an offering to the Supreme and we must give ourselves completely without condition, demand and reservation and our only object in action shall be (1) to serve selflessly, (2) to receive inner growth, (3) to fulfil the Mother’s Divine Presence, (4) to become a manifesting instrument of the Divine Shakti in her works. The Starting Point of The Mother’s Yoga : The starting point of the Mother’s Yoga is identified as to detect first what is false or obscure in us and persistently reject it. If we support little false action and false thought then we lose not only the Divine’s Grace but also the Divine in every way and in its entirety. Our relationship with the Divine Mother is conditional. When we are open towards overhead Truth or Soul Saving Truth She is very close to us and when we are open towards falsehood or Soul Slaying Truth of three Gunas, She is very far from us. The Perfection Sought by Us : The perfection sought by us is to be one with Her in Her highest Spiritual and Universal action and to realise and possess the fullness of Her Shakti in our individual life. OM TAT SAT Read More The Mighty Mother's Playmate The First Condition of Becoming the Playmate: First one has to open one’s Soul in the heart or the Psychic being and dynamise four Divine Shaktis that of the Brahma Shakti of wisdom, Kshetra Shakti of Courage, Vaisya Shakti of Mutuality and Shudra Shakti of service and self-surrender. The Second Condition of Becoming the Playmate : Secondly one has to open the soul in the mind above the head, the spiritual being and dynamise four Divine Shaktis that of Maheshwari representing Wisdom, Mahakali , representing Power, Mahalakshmi representing Harmony and Mahasaraswti representing perfection in work. The Third Condition of Becoming the Playmate : Thirdly one has to open the soul in Supermind and dynamise four Supramental Divine Shaktis having the attributes of Truth Supreme, Power Supreme, Supreme Delight and Will Supreme. The Fourth Condition of Becoming the Playmate : One has to rise to the source of the Ananda and meet the Mother’s absolute power of Chit Shakti . Read More “There is no difference between the Mother’s path and mine; we have and have always had the same path, the path that leads to the supramental change and the divine realisation; not only at the end, but from the beginning they have been the same…The attempt to set up a division and opposition of this kind, putting the Mother on one side and myself on another and opposite or quite different side, has always been a trick of the forces of the Falsehood when they want to prevent a sadhaka from reaching the Truth. Dismiss all such falsehoods from your mind.” Sri Aurobindo CWSA-32/The Mother with Letters on the Mother-81 “I wrote once before that these ideas about the separation between the Mother and myself and our paths being different or our goal different are quite erroneous. Our path is the same; our goal too is the same — the Supramental Divine .” Sri Aurobindo CWSA-32/The Mother with Letters on the Mother-81, The Mother's Teachings complements Sri Aurobindo's Teachings and The Mother's Yoga completes and fulfills Sri Aurobindo's Yoga. A thorough knowledge of The Mother’s Teachings preconditions a thorough knowledge of Sri Aurobindo. Similarly, a thorough knowledge of Sri Aurobindo’s Teachings preconditions a thorough knowledge of traditional Yoga. A thorough Spiritual knowledge of Their dual Divinities of a purified vessel dynamises limitless movements of ascending and descending Consciousness and an inflow of an incalculable quantum of continuous overhead Wisdom, Love, Light, Peace, Bliss, Force and Silence to earth's nether atmosphere.

Integral Karma Yoga “At each step we can say in the language of the Sanskrit verse, “Even as I am appointed by Thee seated in my heart, so, O Lord, I act.” "Yatha prayukto’smi (niyukto’smi) tatha karomi" (Pandavagita) Sri Aurobindo CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-252, 725, “The Path of Works aims at the dedication of every human activity to the supreme Will. It begins by the renunciation of all egoistic aim for our works, all pursuit of action for an interested aim or for the sake of a worldly result. By this renunciation it so purifies the mind and the will that we become easily conscious of the great universal Energy as the true doer of all our actions and the Lord of that Energy as their ruler and director with the individual as only a mask, an excuse, an instrument or, more positively, a conscious centre of action and phenomenal relation. The choice and direction of the act is more and more consciously left to this supreme Will and this universal Energy. To That our works as well as the results of our works are finally abandoned. The object is the release of the soul from its bondage to appearances and to the reaction of phenomenal activities. Karmayoga is used, (in traditional Yoga) like the other paths, to lead to liberation from phenomenal existence and a departure into the Supreme. But here (in integral Yoga) too the exclusive result is not inevitable. The end of the path may be, equally, a perception of the Divine in all energies, in all happenings, in all activities, and a free and unegoistic participation of the soul in the cosmic action. So followed it will lead to the elevation of all human will and activity to the divine level, its spiritualisation and the justification of the cosmic labour towards freedom, power and perfection in the human being. "⁶⁵ Sri Aurobindo The Injunction issued to the Seekers of integral Yoga of Works: “A Will, a hope immense now seized his heart, And to discern the superhuman’s form He raised his eyes to unseen spiritual heights, Aspiring to bring down a greater world.” Savitri-76 “He saw the purpose in the works of Time. Even in that aimlessness a work was done Pregnant with magic will and change divine.” Savitri-137-138 “Her eternal Lover is her action’s cause;... Her will is to shut God into her works And keep him as her cherished prisoner That never they may part again in Time.” Savitri-181-182 “Its (Supreme Self's) absence left the greatest actions dull, Its presence made the smallest seem divine.” Savitri-305 (smallest action, thought and love.) “A hand from some Greatness opened her heart’s locked doors And showed the work for which her strength was born.” Savitri-375 “This earth is full of labour, packed with pain;… This earth is full of the anguish of the gods; Ever they travail driven by Time’s goad, And strive to work out the eternal Will And shape the life divine in mortal forms.” Savitri-443-444 “His will must be worked out in human breasts Against the Evil that rises from the gulfs, Against the world’s Ignorance and its obstinate strength, Against the stumblings of man’s pervert will, Against the deep folly of his human mind, Against the blind reluctance of his heart.” Savitri-444 “Even the smallest and meanest work became A sweet or glad and glorious sacrament, An offering to the self of the great world Or a service to the One in each and all.” Savitri-532 “Transcended now was the poor human rule; A sovereign power was there, a godlike will.” Savitri-574 “All was the violent ocean of a will Where lived captive to an immense caress, Possessed in a supreme identity, Her aim, joy, origin, Satyavan alone.” Savitri-579 Integral Karma Yoga is the extensive extension of the Gita’s teachings of traditional Karma Yoga. Here the divine Shakti or Para-prakriti is identified as the doer of all action. The Gita hints that even when involved in doing wide range of works, a Sadhaka does no action at all, karmanyaviprabruttopi naiba kinchit karoti sah ;³⁵ for it is not he, but Divine Shakti directed by the approval of Lord which is at work. He also undertakes no personal initiative of action, sarvarambha-parityagi ;³⁶ for all initiation of work is the movement of desire and not the command of the Divine Will. This approach is further extended in integral Yoga that he 'must be prepared to change one work, one course or one field of action for another or abandon all works if that is the clear command of the Master.'⁶ ⁴ He does perfect ceaseless Divine action founded upon perfect inner passivity till his last breath or even if he 'reached a last possible divine self-completeness .'⁶³ 1) All Life is Yoga of Nature through Works. One takes up all life and action and (1) does not despise any work nor shrink from the splendid toil; he becomes only a daily dynamic worship and service of the Divine in the unbounded temple of His own vast cosmic existence and it is through a wide egoless impersonality that he can become a liberated Worker and Divine Creator; in this higher state of Consciousness he does all work without the sense of doership, without the feeling of personal initiation of any action and no reaction of lower Nature can touch him; (2) another period in which one draws back and builds a Spiritual wall around him admitting through its gates only such activities as consent to undergo the law of Spiritual transformation. So, ‘all grief, revolt, impatience, trouble’³² are identified as a violence committed against the Master of this existence. The Master of our works respects our nature even when He is transforming it; He works always through the nature and not by any arbitrary and abstract whim. This imperfect nature of ours contains the materials of our perfection, but undeveloped, distorted, misplaced, thrown together in disorder or a poor imperfect order. All this material has to be patiently gathered, harmonised, reorganised, purified, perfected, new-moulded and transformed, not hacked and hewn and slain or mutilated, not obliterated by simple coercion and denial. (3) A third in which a free and all-embracing action, but with new forms fit for the utter truth of the Spirit. All work is done by the Power, by Shakti, and since the integral Yoga does not contemplate abandonment of works, does not shrink from difficulties of life but rather a doing of all works and acceptance to resolve all problems from the Divine Consciousness and with the Supreme Guidance of Divine Will and Knowledge; the characteristic powers of the instruments, mind, life and body, must not only be purified of defects, but raised to a great capacity for this Divine action. All works or doing all action, sarvakrut , by a liberated knower who lives and acts in the world only with true knowledge and greater conscient power without any binding necessity and compelling ignorance. By so doing he attains supreme Unity, supreme Consciousness and highest Knowledge. Action can neither bind the liberated man nor can it bind or limit the Eternal but it binds and limits the surface constructed personality. The law of the Divine action is at last unity embracing and possessing the multiplicity and no longer the ordinary action of multiplicity struggling towards some figure of unity. A Divine action can take shape spontaneously, freely, and infallibly from the light and force of our Psychic and Spiritual Self in union with the Supramental Self. These interfusions of complete Divine union are identified as the last state of the integral Yoga of Works. 2) Karmaphala tyaga, samata (titikha), yajna(atmasamarpanam) iti Karma Yogah. Renunciation of all desire for the fruits of work, equality and action done as sacrifice to the supreme Lord of all nature are the first three Godward approaches of Karmayoga . 3) Yastu karmafalatyagi sa tyagityavidhiyate . (The Gita-18.11) He who gives up the fruit of work is called a Tyagi , a renouncer. Therefore, the first rule of action laid down by the Gita is to do the work that should be done without any desire for the fruit, niskama karma... For so long as we work with attachment to the result, the sacrifice is offered not to the Divine, but to our ego or activity pursued by the absorption in action leads to an inferior affirmation and denial of the Highest. Afterwards even as we have renounced attachment to the fruit, we must renounce attachment to the work, so also the last clinging attachment to the idea and sense of ourselves as the doer has to be relinquished; the Divine Shakti must be known and felt above and within us as the true and sole Divine Worker. The state of freedom, mukti, which can come in the Yoga of works through renunciation of ego, ahamkaram, desire, kama , dualities, dwanda, three gunas and personal initiation, sarbarambhaparityagi . “Hatred and disliking and scorn and repulsion, clinging and attachment and preference (seven deformations of integral Yoga) are natural, necessary, inevitable at a certain stage ( of sadhana) : they attend upon or they help to make and maintain Nature’s choice in us. But to the Karmayogin they are a survival, a stumbling-block, a process of the Ignorance and, as he progresses, they fall away from his nature. The child-soul needs them for its growth; but they drop from an adult (Soul) in the divine culture.” CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-223, A Sadhaka of integral Karmayoga will abandon social duty, family obligation, communal or national demand to the Lord of works, so long as it is not in conflict with his growing sense of higher Right. There is nothing in the world to which he must be attached, not wealth, ‘nor wife, nor children,’² ⁵ nor his ‘work and mission, nor heaven, nor earth.’² ⁵ He must give up past associations that form the ordinary way of living, mental constructions of our own, snare of mind and senses, the meshes of Word, the bondage of the Idea, ‘the truths we hold most securely.’²⁶ Even Divine realisations must not be clung to, if they are not the Divine realisation in its utter essentiality and completeness. We must rest at nothing less than the All, nothing short of the utter Transcendence. 4) ‘Samatwam yoga uchyate. ’ (The Gita-2.48) For it is equality that is meant by Yoga. The second rule of action laid down by the Gita is an absolute equality of mind and the heart to all results, to all reactions, to all happenings. If good fortune and ill fortune, if respect and insult, if reputation and obloquy, if victory and defeat, if pleasant event and sorrowful event leave us not only unshaken but untouched, free in the mental view, not responding with the least disturbance or vibration in any spot of the nature, then we have the absolute liberation to which the Gita points us. ‘The equal poise in action is especially necessary for the Sadhaka of the integral Yoga. First, he must acquire that equal assent and understanding which will respond to the law of the divine action without trying to impose on it a partial will and the violent claim of a personal aspiration. A wise impersonality, a quiescent equality, a universality which sees all things as the manifestations of the Divine, the one Existence, is not angry, troubled, impatient with the way of things or on the other hand excited, over-eager and precipitate, but sees that the law must be obeyed and the pace of time respected, observes and understands with sympathy the actuality of things and beings, but looks also behind the present appearance to their inner significances and forward to the unrolling of their divine possibilities, is the first thing demanded of those who would do works as the perfect instruments of the Divine.’²⁷ “To revolt, to condemn, to cry out is the impulse of our unchastened and ignorant instincts. Revolt like everything else has its uses in the play and is even necessary, helpful, decreed for the divine development in its own time and stage; but the movement of an ignorant rebellion belongs to the stage of the soul’s childhood or to its raw adolescence. The ripened soul does not condemn but seeks to understand and master, does not cry out but accepts or toils to improve and perfect, does not revolt inwardly but labours to obey and fulfil and transfigure. Therefore we shall receive all things with an equal soul from the hands of the Master. Failure we shall admit as a passage as calmly as success until the hour of the divine victory arrives. Our souls and minds and bodies will remain unshaken by acutest sorrow and suffering and pain if in the divine dispensation they come to us, unoverpowered by intensest joy and pleasure. Thus supremely balanced we shall continue steadily on our way meeting all things with an equal calm until we are ready for a more exalted status and can enter into the supreme and universal Ananda.” CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-225 5) ‘Yajnah karma samudbhavah.’ (The Gita-3.14) Sacrifice is born of work. The third rule of action is an entire spirit of self-consecration in our works; it must become first the constant will, then the ingrained need in all the being and instrumental nature, finally its automatic but living and conscious habit, the self-existent turn to do all action as a sacrifice to the Supreme present in us and in all beings and in all the workings of the universe. “As that self-giving progresses, the work of the sacrifice becomes easier and more powerful and the prevention of the opposing Forces loses much of its strength, impulsion and substance.”³⁸ Both inner and outer Life become the altar of this complete consecration; all works are unconditionally offered to the Psychic being within or transcendent and universal Power and Presence. 6) ‘Chaturvarnam maya srustam.’ (The Gita-4.13) I have created four order of work based on four kinds of Soul forces that of Power for Knowledge, Brahmana , a Power for strength, Khyatriya, a Power for mutuality and active and productive relation and interchange, Vaisya and a Power for works and labour and service, Shudra . These are four active Powers and tendencies of the Spirit and the predominance of one or the other in the better formed part of our personality gives us our dominant qualities, tendencies and capacities. For integral development of a Soul Seeker, in integral Yoga all the four Soul Forces are reconciled. 7) ‘Chatvaro manabastatha madbhava manasa jata,’ (The Gita-10.6) the four Manus that of Wisdom, Power, Beatitude and Perfection are of My Spiritual or Overmental becomings. These Spiritual becoming are the four dynamic Spiritual Shaktis that work in the universe that of Maheswari, Mahakali, Mahalakhmi and Mahasaraswati. The function of these four Spiritual Shaktis in Knowledge plane has extended as action of four Soul/Psychic forces of Brahma Shakti, Kshetra Shakti, Vaisya Shakti and Shudra Shakti acting in the Planes of Ignorance. The Sadhaka of integral Yoga reconciles all the four Spiritual Mother Powers and thus he experiences the integration of his personality and moves towards still higher planes of Consciousness. 8) ‘Brahmaiba tena gantabyam brahmakarmasamadhina .’ (The Gita-4.24) Brahman is that which is attained by Samadhi in Brahman- action. Jnanam Vijnanam astikyam brahma-karma swabhabajam (The Gita-18.42), exclusive and comprehensive knowledge and practice of Spiritual truth are the natural and spontaneous work of the Brahmin Soul force. The soul force of the nature of exclusive concentration of the ancient Brahmin is extended in integral Yoga to the fullness of the divine soul and power of truth, knowledge, perfection of Dharma , the accomplished Brahminhood of the complete Brahmana . 9) ‘Sourjya tejo dhrutidrakhyam danamiswarabhavascha khetrakarma swabhabajam,’ (The Gita-18.43) adventure of consciousness, high spirit askesis, resolution, ability, giving and lordship are the natural work of Kshatriya Soul force. These are extended in Integral Yoga to adventure of Consciousness, Divine fullness, purity and grandeur and expansion of the Spiritual kingdom within and without. 10) ‘Yogah karmasu kausalam .’ (The Gita-2.50) Yoga is the skill in works. The outward action of the Vaisya Soul force is skilful devising intelligence, the legal, professional, commercial, scientific, technical, commercial and utilitarian bent of mind, a power of giving, ample creative liberality, and mutual helpfulness. This is extended in integral Yoga into a largeness of mutuality, a generous fullness of the relations of life, a lavish self-spending and return and ample interchange between existence and existence, a full enjoyment and use of rhythm and balance of fruitful and productive life. 11) ‘Paricharyatamakam karma shudrasyapi swabhabajam ,’ (The Gita-18.44) all the action of the character of service and obedience is the natural work of Shudra Soul force. The well-developed Shudra has the instinct of toil and capacity of labour and service for maintenance of his existence, gratification of his primal needs, self-indulgence of the instincts, an unreflective obedience and mechanical discharge of duty. In integral Yoga, this faculty is extended to the most necessary and beautiful elements of our greater perfection and the key to much of the secret of highest Spiritual evolution. The full development of this force is the power of service to others, to obey and follow whatever great discipline and influence, the love which consecrates service and asks for no return, a power for complete self-surrender. 12) Sahajam karma kauntaya sadosamapi na tyajet. (The Gita-18.48) O Arjuna , though defective, the inborn work ought not to be abandoned. ‘The integral Yoga cannot reject the works of Life and be satisfied with an inward experience only; it has to go inward in order to change the outward, making the Life-Force a part and a working of a Yoga-Energy which is in touch with the Divine and divine in its guidance.’³³ An integral Yogi is ‘not attached, bound and limited by any work nor has he any personal motive of fame, greatness or personal satisfaction in these works; he can leave or pursue them as the Divine in him wills, but he need not otherwise abandon them in his pursuit of higher integral knowledge.’³⁷ The Divine work for which he is offered a birth is the manifestation of the Divine All through Universalisation and Impersonalisation of himself. 13) The Integral Karma Yoga aims at the dedication of every human activity to the supreme Will. It begins by the renunciation of all egoistic aims for our works, all pursuit of action for an interested aim or for the sake of a worldly result; it continues enjoying the joy of action by renouncing all attachment to action and the result of action. By this renunciation it so purifies the mind and the will that we become easily conscious of the great universal Energy as the true doer of all our actions and the Lord of that Energy as their ruler and director with the individual as only a mask, an excuse, a passive instrument, a channel of the Divine Shakti and act according to Her dictates or her rule of light and power within us or, more positively, a conscious centre of action and phenomenal relation. The choice and direction of the act is more and more consciously left to the supreme Will and this universal Energy. To That our works as well as the results of our works are finally abandoned. ‘Thus are made possible the final steps (of Supramental action) when the veil of Nature is withdrawn and the seeker is face to face with the Master of all existence and his activities are merged in the action of a supreme Energy which is pure, true, perfect and blissful for ever. Thus can he utterly renounce to the supramental Shakti his works as well as the fruits of his works and act only as the conscious instrument of the eternal Worker. No longer giving the sanction, he will rather receive in his instruments and follow in her hands a divine mandate. No longer doing works, he will accept their execution through him by her unsleeping Force. No longer willing the fulfilment of his own mental constructions and the satisfaction of his own emotional desires, he will obey and participate in an omnipotent Will that is also an omniscient Knowledge and a mysterious, magical and unfathomable Love and a vast bottomless sea of the eternal Bliss of Existence.’⁵⁸ 14) The traditional Karma Yoga is used like other paths, to lead to liberation from the phenomenal existence and a departure into the Supreme Self. But Integral Karma Yoga ⁶⁵ is not confined to this exclusive result. The object of Integral Karma Yoga is the release of the Soul from its bondage to appearances and to the reaction of phenomenal activities. The end of the path may be, equally, a perception of the Divine in all energies, in all happenings, in all activities, and a free and unegoistic participation of the Soul in the cosmic action. So, following it will lead to the elevation of all human will and activity to the divine level, its Psychicisation, Spiritualisation, Universalisation and the justification of the cosmic labour towards purification, freedom, power, ananda, transformation of Nature and perfection in the human being. Even the smallest action is utilised as means of largest development by activation of dynamic Supreme Self. ("Its presence made the smallest seem divine." Savitri-305) 15) The Purusha-Prakriti realisation is of the first utility to the seeker in the Way of Works; for it is the separation of the conscient being and the Energy and the subjection of the being to the mechanism of the Energy that are the efficient cause of our ignorance and imperfection; by this realisation the Psychic being can liberate itself from the mechanical action of the Nature and become free and arrive at a first Spiritual control over the Nature. (“His commonest doings welled from an inner Light.” Savitri-44) Ishwara-Shakti stands behind the relation of the Purusha-Prakriti and its ignorant action and turns it to an evolutionary purpose in Knowledge. The Ishwara-Shakti realisation can bring participation in a higher dynamism and a divine working and a total unity and harmony of the Spiritual being in a Spiritual nature. (“The Immobile stands behind each daily act" Savitri-662, "And every act became an act of God.” Savitri-529) The Brahman-Maya union in the Supramental plane is the highest achievement of an integral Karma Yogi, where he experiences complete union of the dual aspects of Divine and the descent of the Divine Truth will ‘illumine, deliver and act sovereignly on the world of ignorance.’³¹ (“It (Supramental energy) moves events by its bare silent will, Acts at a distance without hands or feet.” Savitri-85,) 16) Sarva dharman paritejya mam ekam saranam braja. (The Gita-18.66) Abandon all laws of mind, life and body and take refuge in My supreme Psychic, Spiritual and Supramental Being alone. The Gita’s supreme message to a Karma Yogi is that he should leave all conventional formulas of mechanised and desire driven action, all fixed, constructed and external rules of conduct, dharmas , and take refuge in the Divine Will alone. ‘The Gita at its cryptic close may seem by its silence to stop short of that solution for which we are seeking; it pauses at the borders of the highest spiritual mind and does not cross them into the splendours of the Supramental Light. And yet its secret of dynamic, and not only static, identity with the inner Presence, its highest mystery of absolute surrender to the Divine Guide, Lord and Inhabitant of our nature, is the central secret. This surrender is the indispensable means of the Supramental change and, again, it is through the Supramental change that the dynamic identity becomes possible…’²⁸ Transformation of Nature is linked with constant dynamic Divine union. “All our nature must make an integral surrender; it must offer itself in every part and every movement to that which seems to the unregenerated sense-mind so much less real than the material world and its objects. Our whole being – soul, mind, sense, heart, will, life, body – must consecrate all its energies so entirely and in such a way that it shall become a fit vehicle for the Divine.”³⁴ ‘This total consecration and surrender and this resultant entire transformation and free transmission make up the whole fundamental means and the ultimate aim of an integral Karmayoga .’²⁹ 17) Action is the result of energy and the consciousness force of the Spirit, which manifests itself in many kinds of energies, resulting in manifold experience and many-sided action. An energy of seeking of truth and knowledge must have natural outcome of growth into truth and increase in knowledge; an energy of pursuit of beauty should have as its outcome an increase in the sense of beauty, the enjoyment of beauty, beauty and harmony of life and nature; a pursuit of physical health, strength and capacity must create the strong man and successful athlete; an energy put forward for power and other vital ends must lead to an increase of capacity for commanding these results or development of vital strength and plentitude; nature rewards brave and strong with victory in the battle; rewards capable intellect and earnest seeker with the knowledge; there are inner activities of mind and life, pursuit of love, joy, happiness and life enlargement. All these varieties of work are necessary for the action of the Spirit in life. "Not only liberation but perfection must be the aim of the Karmayoga . The Divine works through our nature and according to our nature; if our nature is imperfect, the work also will be imperfect, mixed, inadequate. Even it may be marred by gross errors, falsehoods, moral weaknesses, diverting influences. The work of the Divine will be done in us even then, but according to our weakness, not according to the strength and purity of its source. If ours were not an integral Yoga , if we sought only the liberation of the self within us or the motionless existence of Purusha separated from Prakriti, this dynamic imperfection might not matter. Calm, untroubled, not depressed, not elated, refusing to accept the perfection or imperfection, fault or merit, sin or virtue as ours, perceiving that it is the modes of Nature working in the field of her modes that make this mixture, we could withdraw into the silence of the spirit and, pure, untouched, witness only the workings of Prakriti. But in an integral realisation this can only be a step on the way, not our last resting-place. For we aim at the divine realisation not only in the immobility of the Spirit, but also in the movement of Nature. And this cannot be altogether until we can feel the presence and power of the Divine in every step, motion, figure of our activities, in every turn of our will, in every thought, feeling and impulse."³⁰ 18) From the point of view of Infinite truth, it would be an error to insist either on the sameness of work under all circumstances or on the diversity of action without any unifying truth and harmony. The greater cosmic truth insists on the unity of action and the infinitely plastic yet harmonious diversity of all action. Or the Divine Shakti acts according to a permanent and yet plastic truth of things and each action is moved by a higher, deeper and subtler truth demanded by the supreme Will in the universe. The highest triple action identified in integral Karma Yoga is that firstly, the Spiritual reason is broadened, heightened and lifted to greater formulative action of Self that is within and around us; secondly , there is a higher interpretative Supramental action which is less insistent on actualities of existence but more concerned with greater potentialities in time and space and beyond and lastly, there is highest knowledge by identity which is a door of entrance to the essential self-awareness and the Omniscience and Omnipotence of the Supreme. Their action would be a free manifestation of the power and workings of the root Force of existence, the force of an all-determining conscious Spirit whose formulations of descending Consciousness work out inevitably in the untransformed mind, life and matter. OM TAT SAT References: 1: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-247-48, 2: “The action of the three gunas is the subject-matter of the Veda ; but do thou become free from the triple guna , O Arjuna ; without the dualities, ever based in the true being, without getting or having, possessed of the self.” The Gita-2.45, 3: The Gita-9.26, 27, 28, 29, 4: The Gita-17.24, 5: The Gita-17.27, 6: The Gita-18.56, 7: The Gita-2.47, 48, 8: The Gita-2.51, 9: The Gita-11.55, 10: The Gita-3.27, 11: “The embodied soul perfectly controlling its nature, having renounced all its actions by the mind (inwardly, not outwardly), sits serenely in its nine-gated city neither doing nor causing to be done.” The Gita-5.13, In the Bhagavad Gita, the body is metaphorically described as a city with nine gates. Let’s explore this profound analogy: 1. Two Eyes: These serve as the gates of perception, allowing us to see the external world. 2. Two Nostrils: The gates for breathing, intake of prana (life force), and connection to the environment. 3. Two Ears: Channels for hearing sounds, vibrations, and communication. 4. Mouth: The gateway for speech, nourishment, and expression. 5. Anus: The exit gate for waste elimination. 6. Genitals: The gate associated with reproduction and continuation of life. The soul, like a king, resides in this city of the body. The ego, intellect, mind, senses, and life-energy serve as ministers, governing its administration. The enlightened yogis, however, recognize that they are not the body or its doers. They remain detached observers, understanding that all actions belong to God. Thus, they reside happily in this city of nine gates, free from the illusion of personal agency. This analogy echoes the Śhwetāśhvatar Upaniṣhad, which states: "The body consists of nine gates—two ears, one mouth, two nostrils, two eyes, anus, and genitals. Within this body also sits the Supreme Lord, who is the controller of all living beings in the world. When the soul establishes its connection with the Lord, it becomes free like Him, even while residing in the body.” In summary, the embodied soul is neither the doer nor the cause of anything; it is the eternal observer within the city of nine gates. 12: The Gita-16.18, 13: The Gita-18.53, 14: The Gita-18.58, 15: The Gita-18.59, 60, 16: The Gita-5.8, 9, 17: The Gita-5.14, 18: The Gita-13.30, 19: The Gita-14.19, 20: The Gita-18.17, 21: CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-453, 22: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-243, 23: CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-185, 24: The Gita-5.10, 11, 12, 25: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-329, 26: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-331, 27: CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-700-01, 28: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-94-95, 29: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-92, 30: "Not only liberation but perfection must be the aim of the Karmayoga . The Divine works through our nature and according to our nature; if our nature is imperfect, the work also will be imperfect, mixed, inadequate. Even it may be marred by gross errors, falsehoods, moral weaknesses, diverting influences. The work of the Divine will be done in us even then, but according to our weakness, not according to the strength and purity of its source. If ours were not an integral Yoga , if we sought only the liberation of the self within us or the motionless existence of Purusha separated from Prakriti, this dynamic imperfection might not matter. Calm, untroubled, not depressed, not elated, refusing to accept the perfection or imperfection, fault or merit, sin or virtue as ours, perceiving that it is the modes of Nature working in the field of her modes that make this mixture, we could withdraw into the silence of the spirit and, pure, untouched, witness only the workings of Prakriti. But in an integral realisation this can only be a step on the way, not our last resting-place. For we aim at the divine realisation not only in the immobility of the Spirit, but also in the movement of Nature. And this cannot be altogether until we can feel the presence and power of the Divine in every step, motion, figure of our activities, in every turn of our will, in every thought, feeling and impulse. No doubt, we can feel that in essence even in the nature of the Ignorance, but it is the divine Power and Presence in a disguise, a diminution, an inferior figure. Ours is a greater demand, that our nature shall be a power of the Divine in the Truth of the Divine, in the Light, in the force of the eternal self-conscient Will, in the wideness of the sempiternal Knowledge." CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-251-252, 31: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-125-126, 32: CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-723, 33: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-175, 34: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-72, 35: "Having abandoned all attachment to the fruits of his works, ever satisfied without any kind of dependence, he does nothing though (through his nature) he engages in action." The Gita-4.20, 36: The Gita-12.16, 14.25, 37: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-143, 38: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-133, 39: CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-498, 40: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-136, 41: “Her mind, a sea of white sincerity.” Savitri-15, “A mind delivered from all twilight thoughts,” Savitri-638, “Her consciousness grew aware of him (Satyavan) alone” Savitri-410, “Apart with love she lived for love alone.” Savitri-468, “Her aim, joy, origin, Satyavan alone.” Savitri-579, 42: CWSA/23/The Synthesis of Yoga-102, 43: The Gita-12.9, 10, 11, 12, 44: The Gita-18.10, 11 45: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-113, 46: CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-762, 47: “Better indeed is knowledge than practice, than knowledge, meditation is better; than meditation, renunciation of the fruit of action, on renunciation follows peace.” The Gita-12.12, 48: “That is all right in the ordinary karmayog a which aims at union with the cosmic Spirit and stops short at the Overmind — but here (in integral Yoga) a special work has to be done and a new realisation achieved for the earth and not for ourselves alone. It is necessary to stand apart from the rest of the world so as to separate ourselves from the ordinary consciousness in order to bring down a new one.” CWSA-35/Letters on Himself and the Ashram- 812-813, “The Gita at its cryptic close may seem by its silence to stop short of that solution for which we are seeking; it pauses at the borders of the highest spiritual mind and does not cross them into the splendours of the supramental Light. ” CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-94-95, 49: “For when questioned by Arjuna on the difference between the outer and inner renunciation, sannyasa and tyaga, Krishna insists that these three things ought not to be renounced at all but ought altogether to be done, for they are the work before us, kartavyam karma , and they purify the wise. In other words these acts constitute the means of our perfection.” CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-484, “Even these actions (sacrifice, giving and askesis) certainly ought to be done, O Partha, leaving aside attachment and fruit.” The Gita-18.6, 50: TMCW-8/The Questions and Answers-1956/p-299, 51: TMCW-8/The Questions and Answers-1956/p-324, 52: “At that time I didn’t know the text of the Gita. I had not read it completely yet, you see... (some words inaudible here)... not this verse which I translate in my own way: “And detached from all fruit of action, act.” It is not like this, but still that’s what it means. This I did not know, but I said exactly what is said in the Gita.” The Mother/TMCW-7/The Questions and Answers-1955/p-392-393, 53: The Mother’s Agenda-20.11.1962, 54: CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-792, 55: CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-786, 56: CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-676, 57: CWSA-21/The Life Divine/p-181, 58: CWSA/23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-231, 59: TMCW-14/Words of the Mother-II/p-214, 60: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-105, 61: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-222, 62: CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-179-181, 184, 186, 63: "Action in the world is given us first as a means for our self-development and self-fulfilment; but even if we reached a last possible divine self-completeness, it (work) would still remain as a means for the fulfilment of the divine intention in the world and of the larger universal self of which each being is a portion—a portion that has come down with it from the Transcendence." (SABCL-20/253) CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-265, 64: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-222, 65: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-39-40, Download this WEB PAGE in PDF format: Six signs of Divine Worker: A Divine Worker can be known from six signs. Those who want to serve the Divine must develop these six qualities: First sign of the Divine Worker: “The Divine is the lord of his works, he is only their channel through the instrumentality of his nature conscious of and subject to her Lord. By the flaming intensity and purity of this knowledge all his works are burned up as in a fire and his mind remains without any stain or disfiguring mark from them, calm, silent, unperturbed, white and clean and pure. To do all in this liberating knowledge, without the personal egoism of the doer, is the first sign of the divine worker.”⁶² Second sign of the Divine Worker: “The second sign is freedom from desire; for where there is not the personal egoism of the doer, desire becomes impossible; it is starved out, sinks for want of a support, dies of inanition. Outwardly the liberated man seems to undertake works of all kinds like other men, on a larger scale perhaps with a more powerful will and driving-force, for the might of the divine will works in his active nature; but from all his inceptions and undertakings the inferior concept and nether will of desire is entirely banished, sarve samarambhah kamasankalpavarjitah. (The Gita-4.19) He has abandoned all attachment to the fruits of his works, and where one does not work for the fruit, but solely as an impersonal instrument of the Master of works, desire can find no place, — not even the desire to serve successfully, for the fruit is the Lord’s and determined by him and not by the personal will and effort, or to serve with credit and to the Master’s satisfaction, for the real doer is the Lord himself and all glory belongs to a form of his Shakti missioned in the nature and not to the limited human personality. The human mind and soul of the liberated man does nothing, na kinchit karoti; (The Gita-4.20) even though through his nature he engages in action, it is the Nature, the executive Shakti , it is the conscious Goddess governed by the divine Inhabitant who does the work.”⁶² Third sign of the Divine Worker: “For sin consists not at all in the outward deed, but in an impure reaction of the personal will, mind and heart which accompanies it or causes it; the impersonal, the spiritual is always pure, apapaviddham, (Isha Upanishad-8) and gives to all that it does its own inalienable purity. This spiritual impersonality is a third sign of the divine worker. All human souls, indeed, who have attained to a certain greatness and largeness are conscious of an impersonal Force or Love or Will and Knowledge working through them, but they are not free from egoistic reactions, sometimes violent enough, of their human personality. But this freedom the liberated soul has attained; for he has cast his personality into the impersonal, where it is no longer his, but is taken up by the divine Person, the Purushottama, who uses all finite qualities infinitely and freely and is bound by none. He has become a soul and ceased to be a sum of natural qualities; and such appearance of personality as remains for the operations of Nature, is something unbound, large, flexible, universal; it is a free mould for the Infinite, it is a living mask of the Purushottama .”⁶² Fourth sign of the Divine Worker: “The result of this knowledge, this desirelessness and this impersonality is a perfect equality in the soul and the nature. Equality is the fourth sign of the divine worker. He has, says the Gita , passed beyond the dualities; he is dvandvatıta . (The Gita-4.22) We have seen that he regards with equal eyes, without any disturbance of feeling, failure and success, victory and defeat; but not only these, all dualities are in him surpassed and reconciled. The outward distinctions by which men determine their psychological attitude towards the happenings of the world, have for him only a subordinate and instrumental meaning. He does not ignore them, but he is above them. Good happening and evil happening, so all-important to the human soul subject to desire, are to the desireless divine soul equally welcome since by their mingled strand are worked out the developing forms of the eternal good.”⁶² Fifth sign of the Divine Worker: “Again, the sign of the divine worker is that which is central to the divine consciousness itself, a perfect inner joy and peace which depends upon nothing in the world for its source or its continuance; it is innate, it is the very stuff of the soul’s consciousness, it is the very nature of divine being. The ordinary man depends upon outward things for his happiness; therefore he has desire; therefore he has anger and passion, pleasure and pain, joy and grief; therefore he measures all things in the balance of good fortune and evil fortune. None of these things can affect the divine soul; it is ever satisfied without any kind of dependence, nitya-trupto nirasrayah;(The Gita-4.20) for its delight, its divine ease, its happiness, its glad light are eternal within, ingrained in itself, atma-ratih, antah sukhontararamas tathantarjyotir eva yah. (The Gita-5.24)”⁶² Sixth sign of the Divine Worker: “He (a Sadhak) himself, safe in the immutable, unmodified soul, is beyond the grip of the three gunas, trigunatita; he is neither sattwic, rajasic nor tamasic ; he sees with a clear untroubled spirit the alternations of the natural modes and qualities in his action, their rhythmic play of light and happiness, activity and force, rest and inertia. This superiority of the calm soul observing its action but not involved in it, this trigunatitya, is also a high sign of the divine worker. By itself the idea might lead to a doctrine of the mechanical determinism of Nature and the perfect aloofness and irresponsibility of the soul; but the Gita effectively avoids this fault of an insufficient thought by its illumining supertheistic idea of the Purushottama . It makes it clear that it is not in the end Nature which mechanically determines its own action; it is the will of the Supreme which inspires her; he who has already slain the Dhritarashtrians, he of whom Arjuna is only the human instrument, a universal Soul, a transcendent Godhead is the master of her labour. The reposing of works in the Impersonal is a means of getting rid of the personal egoism of the doer, but the end is to give up all our actions to that great Lord of all, sarva-loka-mahesvara .(The Gita-5.29)”⁶²

Auroprem's Savitri Study Editor's Note I offer this work, ‘Savitri understanding of Auroprem’ at the Lotus Feet of The Mother and Sri Aurobindo for Their Divine Manifestation, our Divine transformation and for Their sole satisfaction only. We have accepted Savitri as a book of pure Spiritual experience where knowledge on this terrestrial objective World, the Supraterrestrial world linking the Terrestrial with Supracosmic and Supracosmic Source are extensively explored. In this paper, an effort has been made to open towards the Lord’s limitless vision and higher Words from above and it may not be considered as the final verdict on the unfathomable Mysteries but as an initial preliminary approach of our building relation and contact with the Supreme. Here also many of the emotional feelings of Auroprem are taken into account because the Divine takes care of our Personal and Impersonal needs and He suffers through our limitations to lead us toward His Absolute state. I offer this paper again at Their Lotus Feet, to transform this initial approach as an occasion and field of constant renovation and restatement and with each revision we are able to overcome some errors related to our understanding of the book. These errors were observed while identifying the planes of Consciousness from which each line of Savitri has descended. I also issue this declaration that like Auroprem , I too am a beginner and learner in Savitri’s eternal unfolding of Truth and all our visions, observations, understandings and comments require change with our new revelation, realisation, elevation, sublimation and reversal of Consciousness. This manifestation is necessary for the purpose of learning and practice of sadhana and not meant for giving knowledge to others. We have taken this Savitri study as part of our Sadhana (1) to illumine those parts which are having direct Contact with the Divine and this Spiritual endeavour is subordinated by (2) intellectual action of partly understanding the mysteries and truths and hierarchies of Consciousness it has explored. In order to understand each line of Savitri , we have gathered together and taken the task of collecting the complementary lines from the same book and The Mother and Sri Aurobindo’s other writings published in the Centenary Edition and The Mother’s Agenda. We have narrated our understanding on them based on the limitation of our Spiritual experience. This exercise continued through decades and now we are going through its third revision. During each revision, we discover our error and limitation and particularly we have amended our stand related with planes of Consciousness from which each line of Savitri has descended. This exercise we understand as a means of tracing a path of own sadhana and a means of transcending our existing limitations through the movement of Consciousness. We have identified ten planes of Consciousness. They are in the following ascending order: 1: Inconscient Self and Inconscient Sheath 2: Subconscient Self and Subconscient Sheath 3: True Physical Being and Subtle Physical Sheath 4: True Vital Being and Subtle Vital Sheath 5: True Mental Being and Subtle Mental Sheath 6: Psychic Being and Psychic Sheath 7: Spiritual Being and Spiritual Sheath 8: Universal Being and Universal Sheath 9: Supramental Being and Supramental Sheath 10: Bliss Self and Bliss Sheath Our approach towards written truth is guided by The Mother And Sri Aurobindo’s following directives: 1: “Only those Scriptures, religions, philosophies which can be thus constantly renewed, relived, their stuff of permanent truth constantly reshaped and developed in the inner thought and spiritual experience of a developing humanity, continue to be of living importance to mankind. The rest remain as monuments of the past, but have no actual force or vital impulse for the future....The traditions of the past are very great in their own place, in the past, but I do not see why we should merely repeat them and not go farther. In the spiritual development of the consciousness upon earth the great past ought to be followed by a greater future…” Sri Aurobindo CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-5 CWSA-29/Letters on Yoga-II/p-480 2: “…all truth and practice too strictly formulated becomes old and loses much, if not all, of its virtue; it must be constantly renovated by fresh streams of spirit revivifying the dead and dying vehicle and changing it, if it is to acquire a new life.” “For the sadhaka of the integral Yoga it is necessary to remember that no written Shastra, however great its authority or however large its spirit, can be more than a partial expression of the eternal Knowledge. He will use, but never bind himself even by the greatest Scripture. Where the Scripture is profound, wide, catholic, it may exercise upon him an influence for the highest good and of incalculable importance. It may be associated in his experience with his awakening to crowning verities and his realisation of the highest experiences.” Sri Aurobindo CWSA-23 The Synthesis of Yoga/p-5 CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-55 3: “In a sense, therefore, each man in this path has his own method of Yoga. Yet are there certain broad lines of working common to all which enable us to construct not indeed a routine system, but yet some kind of Shastra or scientific method of the synthetic Yoga.” Sri Aurobindo CWSA-23/THE SYNTHESIS OF YOGA/p-46-47 4: “So also one may say that the perfection of the integral Yoga will come when each man is able to follow his own path of Yoga , pursuing the development of his own nature in its upsurging towards that which transcends the nature. For freedom is the final law and the last consummation.” Sri Aurobindo CWSA-23/THE SYNTHESIS OF YOGA/p-57 5: “The ways have been built, the capacity to follow them has been developed, the goal or last height of the creation is manifest; all that is left is for each soul to reach individually the right stage and turn of its development, enter into the spiritual ways and pass by its own chosen path out of this inferior existence. But we have supposed that there is a farther intention, — not only a revelation of the Spirit, but a radical and integral transformation of Nature.” Sri Aurobindo CWSA-22/THE LIFE DIVINE/p-922-923 6: “This depends a great deal on the degree of the sadhak’s development, you see. If he is developed and conscious enough to be in direct contact with the spiritual Force which is working behind the words, then the word is only an excuse. But if for him it must pass through his mental understanding in order to have its effect, then the word takes on a much greater importance. It depends on the degree of development… If one is capable of receiving directly, then one opens a book for instance, finds a sentence and has an illumination; because it was just the word one was waiting for in order to put himself into contact with the Force he needed to take the next step…Otherwise one must take a book, study it, read it sentence by sentence, word by word, and then reflect and then understand it and then assimilate it and then, later, very slowly, after the assimilation and understanding, it begins to have an effect on the character and one makes some progress…In one case it is a direct contact, you see, and just one sentence, one word... one reads a word, reads a sentence, and has an illumination. And then one receives all the Force that one needs. The other is the path of the learned man, the scholar, who is an intellectual being and needs to learn, reflect, assimilate, reason about all he has learnt, in order to make progress. It is long, it is laborious.” The Mother TMCW-7/Questions and Answers-1955/p-341-342, 7: “The importance of Savitri is immense. Its subject is universal. Its revelation is prophetic. The time spent in its atmosphere is not wasted. Take all the time necessary to see this exhibition. It will be a happy compensation for the feverish haste men put now in all they do.” The Mother TMCW-13/Words of the Mother-I/p-26 10 February 1967 8: “Every time I read Savitri , I feel as if I am reading it for the first time, really. It’s not that I understand differently, it’s that its completely new: I never read it before! It’s odd. Its at least the fourth time I read it. And truly there’s everything in it. All the things I’ve discovered lately were there. And I hadn’t seen it. It’s odd. The first time I read it was a revelation; it hung together perfectly well from beginning to end, and I felt I had understood (I did understand something). The second time I read it, I said to myself, “But this isn’t the same thing as what I read!...” It hung together, it made up a whole – and I understood something else. Then, recently when I read, at every passage I said to myself, “How new this is! And how the things I have found since are there!” Today again, that’s how it is, as if I read it for the first time! And it puts me into contact with the things I have just discovered. It’s a miraculous book! (The Mother laughs) We’ll continue in the same way.” The Mother The Mother’s Agenda-6th June-1970 9: “I am not doing it (Savitri translation) to show it to people or to have anyone read it, but to remain in Savitri's atmosphere, for I love that atmosphere. It will give me an hour of concentration, and I'll see if by chance. I have no gift for poetry, but I'll see if it comes! (It surely won't come from a mentality developed in this present existence there's no poetic gift!) So it's interesting, I'll see if anything comes. I am going to give it a try. I know that light. I am immediately plunged into it each time I read Savitri. It is a very, very beautiful light… So now I don't mind finishing The Synthesis (of Yoga). I was a little bothered because I have no other books by Sri Aurobindo to translate that can help me in my sadhana: there was only The Synthesis . As I said, it always came right on time, just when it was needed for a particular experience… All his other books that could help me are already translated. And with Savitri, the idea isn't to make a translation, but to SEE. To try something. To give me the daily experience of that contact. I had some magnificent experiences when I read it the first time (two years ago, I believe). Wonderful, wonderful experiences! And since then, each time I read those lines, the same thing happens – not the same experience, but I come in contact with the same realm.” The Mother The Mother’s Agenda-18.09.1962 10: “He (Sri Aurobindo ) has made the work easy for us. "SAVITRI" is his whole Yoga of transformation, and this yoga now comes for the first time to the earth consciousness. I think that man is not yet ready to receive it. It is too high and too vast for him. He cannot understand it, grasp it for it is not by the mind that one can understand "SAVITRI ". It needs spiritual experiences to understand and assimilate it. The more one advances on the path of Yoga the more one assimilates.” The Mother The Mother’s Talk to Mona Sarkar/ page-5-6 11: “(Then the Mother takes up the translation of “Savitri” and stops abruptly, as if she were following something with her eyes:) …As big as this, a sun, a sun scintillating with Sri Aurobindo’s light, when I write, between me and the notebook, and it moves about with the pen! It’s this big (a big orange), it’s Sri Aurobindo’s light, blue, that special blue, silver blue, scintillating, and it moves about every time I write in this notebook! (laughing) That’s why I have difficulty seeing: it moves about with the pen!” The Mother The Mother’s Agenda/Vol-6/p-290 “(The Mother copies out in her thick white notebook a few lines from her translation of “Savitri.” ) … Near my pen, there is a small disk of Sri Aurobindo’s light, which sparkles and sparkles…. I see it more than my handwriting. It’s no bigger then this (two inches) and it shines, it shines brightly-blue light, of the silvery blue that was Sri Aurobindo’s blue. It shines and shines, and it moves along with my fingers. And when I speak, when I say things that “come,” there are two disks (I don’t know why). Not one, but two, and they are bigger (about four inches), one above the other. When I tell of an experience, for instance, or answer a question, there are two of them, slightly bigger. And when I concentrate on someone while calling the Lord then, generally, near the shoulder (gesture between the person’s head and shoulder), there is a great golden light, like that, which sparkles and sparkles, shines, and shines, very brightly, all the while. And when the light goes, the concentration goes. But just now, it was assuming, it was quite small like this, moving along with my pen. Now it’s finished, gone! (Mother laughs)” The Mother The Mother’s Agenda/Vol-7/p-20 12: “And for Sri Aurobindo’s writings (not all), it is the same; there are certain things I had truly understood, in the sense that they were already understood far more deeply and truly than even an enlightened mentality understands them—they were already felt and lived—and now, they take on a completely different meaning. I read some of those sentences or ideas that are expressed in few words, three or four words, in which he does not say things fully: he simply seems to let them fall like drops of water; when I read them at the time (sometimes not long ago; sometimes only two or three years ago), I had an experience which are far deeper or vaster than that of intelligence, but now...a spark of Light suddenly appears in them, and I say, “Oh, but I had not seen that!” And it’s the whole understanding or CONTACT with things that I had never had before. It happened to me again just yesterday evening. And I said to myself, “But then...then there are in that certain things...we still have a long, long, long way to go to truly understand them.” Because that spark of Light is something very, very pure— very intense and very pure — and it contains an absolute. And since it contains that (I have not always felt it; I have felt other things, I have felt great light, I have felt a great power, I have felt something that already explained everything, but this is something else, it is something which is beyond), so I concluded (laughing), “Well, we still have a long way to go before we can understand Sri Aurobindo! ”” The Mother The Mother’s Agenda-5/p-197-98, The complementary line related with the Mother’s above Spiritual experience: “As when before the eye that wakes in sleep Is opened the sombre binding of a book, Illumined letterings are seen which kept A golden blaze of thought inscribed within, A marvellous form responded to her gaze Whose sweetness justified life’s blindest pain; All Nature’s struggle was its easy price, The universe and its agony seemed worth while.” Savitri-679 This ‘Auroprem’s Savitri Study’ is still very far from the above-mentioned vision. Still, it aspires for a brief touch of all the multiple planes of Spiritual experiences. It has made an initial effort to live in Their untiring Divine influence, Divine company and Divine atmosphere which can substitute the tiring transitory human influence, human company and fragile human love. Savitri gives us this message that all aspiring man can ascend from mere man to the consciousness of ascending integral Godhead and this journey towards imperishable Light and lost lucent immensity, which can begin with the faint wealth of ecstasy and prayer, even when we lie embedded in ordinary earthly consciousness and fail to look into our Souls and culminates life that reposes in the Law of exceeding ecstasy. It has transcended the four kinds of exclusive Spiritual experiences followed by four-fold exclusive Ananda of traditional schools of Yoga and declares firmly that a joy becomes imperfect if it is not shared by all. (“Imperfect is the joy not shared by all.” Savitri-686, “Her light, her bliss he asked for earth and men.” Savitri-315) It has identified the power of human love and effort as vain to ‘break earth’s seal of ignorance and death’ (Savitri-315) and the all powerful Divine Love as ‘sealed book’ for developing Souls or the beginners of integral Yoga (“The doors of light are sealed to common mind” Savitri-689 and "To these high-peaked dominions sealed to our search,” Savitri-46 ) and does not rule out the transformation of human love into Divine Love through consecration and activation of higher instrumentation of the Spirit. (Our human "love has grown greater by that mighty touch” Savitri-719, "Our love is the heavenly seal of the Supreme." Savitri-633) The Power of Love has opened the door of swift Spiritual Evolution but has not yet intensified to conquer Death. Savitri drives Souls of strong to uncover that shadow-less Love to which Death and Fate will submit and is capable of bridging the gulf between the surface-physical life as we know it and the Supramental Ananda that will manifest. Before the manifestation of the Divine Love of Mahalakshmi, the Divine Power of Mahakali and the Divine Truth of Maheswari must be activated in the prepared human vessel. This swift Spiritual evolution of Mahakali can be activated by the reconciliation of Karma Yoga, representing Mahasaraswat i and Jnana Yoga , representing the Maheswari aspect of the Divine Mother. The Gita hints that by reconciliation of Karma and Jnana Yoga , entire purification of Nature, atma suddhaye (The Gita-5.11) is possible and a constant union with the Divine, nitya yukta , (The Gita-6.10, 7.17, 8.14, 9.14, 12.2) is practicable in the long run by transformation of lower Nature. This alone paves the passage clear for single-minded devotion, ekabhakti (The Gita-7.17) of Bhakti Yoga and the manifestation of the highest Divine Love of Sachchidananda Consciousness is practicable. The Permanent descent of Supreme Love from Sachchidananda Consciousness is the culmination of Savitri’s teaching and in the Mother’s experience, “Ultimately, nothing but omnipotence could convert the world, convince the world. The world isn't ready to experience supreme Love. Supreme Love eliminates all problems, even the problem of creation: there are no more problems, I know it since that experience [of April 13, 1962]. But the world isn't ready yet, it may take a few thousand years. Although it is beginning to be ready for the manifestation of supreme Power (which seems to indicate that this will manifest first). And this supreme Power would result from a CONSTANT identification…But this "constancy" isn't yet established: one is identified and then one isn't, is and then isn't, so things get delayed indefinitely. You wind up doing exactly what you tell others not to do – one foot here and one foot there! It just won't do.” (The Mother’s Agenda-04.07.1962) The Mother stresses that constant Divine union is linked to the difficult transformation of Nature; without this transformation, one can experience intermittent Divine union. The Mother stresses the constant penetration of the Divine Force into the material world, which is possible by building a passage in the intermediate planes of Consciousness. “To bring the Divine Love and Beauty and Ananda into the world is, indeed, the whole crown and essence of our Yoga. But it has always seemed to me impossible unless there comes as its support and foundation and guard the Divine Truth — what I call the Supramental — and its Divine Power. Otherwise, Love itself blinded by the confusions of this present consciousness may stumble in its human receptacles and, even otherwise may find itself unrecognised, rejected or rapidly degenerating and lost in the frailty of man’s inferior nature. But when it comes in the Divine Truth and Power, Divine Love descends first as something transcendent and universal and out of that transcendence and universality it applies itself to persons according to the Divine Truth and Will, creating a vaster, greater, purer personal love than any the human mind or heart can now imagine. It is when one has felt this descent that one can be really an instrument for the birth and action of the Divine Love in the world.” (CWSA-29/Letters on Yoga-II/p-333) This personal Divine Love witnesses its acme when, after return from Death, Satyavan said to Savitri , "I have turned away from the celestials’ joy And heaven’s insufficient without thee." (Savitri-717) Before arriving at this ‘vaster, greater, purer personal' Supramental Love, one can experience the intermediate Psychic Love which is ‘Much sweeter seemed than any rapture known’ (Savitri-603) and its ‘momentary and escaping thrill’ (Savitri-603) cannot be recompensed by ‘Earth or all-conquering heaven.’ (Savitri-603) And also one can experience intermediate Spiritual love, which is ‘The Bliss that none can ever hope to taste.’ (Savitri-548) To recapitulate, this Auroprem’s Savitri study has emerged as a cradle of our hard Spiritual endeavour. We offer this study and practice to the Divine Mother and the Lord and pray Them to grant this temporary ladder without as a Soul-saving cradle of the long beginning of the Spiritual journey and help us to build a permanent scaffold within. With its help, the gulf between all the ten planes can be bridged and the highest Sachchidananda Consciousness can flow freely and abundantly into the Subconscient and Inconscient planes. Lastly, I offer this incomplete and unending exercise of ‘Auroprem’s Savitri Study’ at Their Lotus Feet with the conviction, "that true understanding comes later, after having tried to put it into practice." (The Mother's Centenary Works/Vol-12/On Education/p-204) Our motive for extensive study and practice of Their Teachings is to discover and trace out new Overhead Truth abundantly. OM TAT SAT At T heir Feet, S.A. Maa Krishna The Mother “....I am waiting—I am millions of years old and I am waiting (to complete the Divine task).” The Mother The Mother’s Agenda-6/p-347, “Since the beginning of the earth, wherever and whenever there was the possibility of manifesting a ray of the Consciousness, I was there.” The Mother The Mother’s Centenary Works/Vol-13/p-37, 1 / Book 1, Canto 1 - The Symbol Dawn Summary or A Brief Restatement: This Book-1, Canto-1 has much Spiritual importance as the content of the whole book is compressed in this single Canto. The Canto begins with the message from the beginning of this earth which is also ‘the hour before the Gods awake’ (Savitri-1) and ends with the message of the future earth when Satyavan will conquer physical death and this is also identified as the hour of 'a greater dawn.' (Savitri-724) The time spent from the beginning of creation to the end of creation, which is known as All Time, and the life spent through the subtle links of the union from the beginning of creation to the end of creation, known here as All Life; Savitri gathered and accumulated her Spiritual energy through all life and all Time which is symbolized here as ‘Twelve swift-winged months’ (Savitri-431) and ‘this day returning Satyavan must die.’ (Savitri-431) The whole of Savitri is written from a plane of Cosmic and Truth Consciousness ("The calm delight that weds one soul to all," Savitri-6) where 'All grew a consecration and a rite' (Savitri-4) and all the ten subtle planes meet each other, linking earth and heaven. So this book gives us a lesson to learn 'the adventure of consciousness' (Savitri-2) and removes the gulf created between ten Selves and ten sheaths and the persistent slow dynamic Divine energy 'Persuaded the inert black quietude' (Savitri-3) to transform Subconscient and Inconscient Sheaths. This Canto gives the foreknowledge of the advent of 'a marvellous birth' (Savitri-5) of feminine Avatar which is 'A Form from far beatitudes' (Savitri-4) of Sachchidananda plane. Her Presence and Power are 'Too perfect to be held by death-bound hearts.' (Savitri-5) Her immortal work is 'to confront death on her road.' (Savitri-7) Even in the hour of grim meeting with death and fear, 'No cry broke from her lips, no call for aid;...Calm was her face and courage kept her mute.' (Savitri-8 ) 'Her spirit opened to the Spirit in all...The universal Mother's love was hers.' (Savitri-8) All the descriptions in this book are in symbolic language meant for undergoing Spiritual experiences. If we confine these symbols to literal and earthly meaning, it will be a Spiritual blunder that may culminate in 'the oblivion that succeeds the' (Savitri-3) Spiritual fall. The Soul saving non-escapist truth revealed in Savitri (It recognises initially life as a field of manifestation in which there is a progressive evolution of the soul and the nature in Matter and finally the complete revelation of Sachchidananda in life.) is disturbing to the ordinary mind, liberated Souls, later Vedantist , Illusionist and Nirvanist . Hence, the Spiritual Message of Savitri is for strong and pure Souls who are destined to reconcile the Spirit and Matter of ancient Vedantic doctrine. OM TAT SAT The Most Important Secret of this chapter: “Immobile in herself, she gathered force. (Savitri utilized time and space exclusively for the accumulation of Spiritual energy.) This was the day when Satyavan must die.” Savitri-10 2 / Book 1, Canto 2 - The Issue Summary or A Brief Restatement: This Canto makes us aware of 'An absolute supernatural darkness' (Savitri-11) that visits the Soul of man while he moves toward God. This evil fate or doom is the child of the past negative energies and the accumulated Soul Force through sadhana, can travel back in time, and illumine the past obscurities and events. Thus, through each Divine intervention, the destiny is rewritten. Savitri is here the symbol of Spirit's Timeless dynamic Power, Paraprakriti, who 'Can lift the yoke imposed by birth in Time.' (Savitri-12) The issue is also, to exhaust 'An old account of suffering' (Savitri-13) and to arrest the wheels of earth’s "Doom this greatness rose.” (Savitri-19) Heaven protected Savitri’s virginity through her pure and dense subtle physical sheath which acted as a 'tranquil shield.' (Savitri-16) “To wrestle with the Shadow she had come” (Savitri-17) “Was her soul's issue thrown with Destiny's dice.” (Savitri-17) Soul and Nature are the dice players. Nature always meets life with Doom. To win the game in all life is the Soul’s issue which 'with her nude spirit measure the Infinite’s night.' (Savitri-13) In this play Soul has to accumulate extreme Spiritual force in the form of 'self's bare reality' (Savitri-14) or 'the superman casts its seed' (Savitri-19) to become mightier than all the material forces of the world and wrestles with them to compel its own transfiguration. This Canto also hints that Savitri had attained universalised Consciousness or 'The great World-Mother now in her arose.' (Savitri-21) This empowers her to open 'the door denied and closed' (Savitri-21) of dark Subconscient and Inconscient sheath and dislodges the past which acts as a block in her immortal journey. This activation of dynamic cosmic Consciousness 'reversed fate's cold dead turn' (Savitri-21) and bursts the bound nature of three Gunas of limited exclusive concentration and opens the door of triple time. Our task in sadhana is to make Death God's throne unsafe (Savitri-18) by undergoing Subconscient and Inconscient Transformation and to change this prison-house of the material world into the opulent kingdom, rajyam samruddham . (The Gita-11.33) OM TAT SAT The Most Important Secret of this chapter: "Her will must cancel her body’s destiny. For only the unborn spirit’s timeless power Can lift the yoke imposed by birth in Time." Savitri-12 "The fixity of the cosmic sequences Fastened with hidden inevitable links She must disrupt, dislodge by her soul’s force Her past, a block on the Immortal’s road, Make a rased ground and shape anew her fate." Savitri-12 “Whether to bear with Ignorance and death Or hew the ways of Immortality, To win or lose the godlike game for man , Was her soul's issue thrown with Destiny's dice. But not to submit and suffer was she born; To lead, to deliver was her glorious part.” Savitri-17 “If once it (earth) met the intense original Flame, An answering touch might shatter all measures made And earth sink down with the weight of the Infinite.” Savitri-18 3 / Book 1, Canto 3 - The Yoga Of The Soul's Release A Brief Restatement: Now this Book-1, Canto-3 is the most important Canto for the beginners of integral Yoga. Here it hints how through King Aswapati’s movement of Consciousness, ten energy centres or ten Selves opened and their corresponding action in the respective ten Sheaths, here known as ‘all Nature.’ The opening of ten Selves and Their influence on ten sheaths: " A heavenlier function with a finer mode Lit with its grace man’s outward earthliness; The soul’s experience of its deeper sheaths No more slept drugged by Matter’s dominance." Savitri-27 Inconscient Self: "As a sculptor chisels a deity out of stone He slowly chipped off the dark envelope, Line of defence of Nature’s ignorance, The illusion and mystery of the Inconscient In whose black pall the Eternal (in the form of Inconscient Self) wraps his head That he may act unknown in cosmic Time.” (the discovery of Inconscient Self) Savitri-36 Subconscient Self: "A treasure was found of a supernal Day. In the deep subconscient glowed her jewel-lamp; Lifted, it showed the riches of the Cave Where, by the miser traffickers of sense Unused, guarded beneath Night’s dragon paws, In folds of velvet darkness they sleep Whose priceless value could have saved the world.” (the discovery of Subconscient Self) Savitri-42 True Physical Self: " Even his body’s subtle self within Could raise the earthly parts towards higher things And feel on it the breath of heavenlier air." Savitri-43 True Vital Self: " A deeper interpretation greatened Truth, A grand reversal of the Night and Day; All the world’s values changed heightening life’s aim ; A wiser word, a larger thought came in Than what the slow labour of human mind can bring, A secret sense awoke that could perceive A Presence and a Greatness everywhere." Savitri-42 True Mental Self: “Apart he lived in his mind’s solitude, A demigod shaping the lives of men: One soul’s ambition lifted up the race; A Power worked, but none knew whence it came." Savitri-44 Psychic Self: "His soul breaks out to join the Oversoul, His life is oceaned by that superlife." Savitri-24 Spiritual Self: " A beam of the Eternal smites his heart, His thought stretches into infinitude; All in him turns to spirit vastnesses." Savitri-23-24 Universal Self: " He has drunk from the breasts of the Mother of the worlds; A topless Supernature fills his frame: She adopts his spirit’s everlasting ground As the security of her changing world And shapes the figure of her unborn mights." Savitri-24 Supramental Self: “Inspired by silence and the closed eyes' sight (Supramental action of King Aswapati) His force could work with a new luminous art On the crude material from which all is made And the refusal of Inertia's mass And the grey front of the world's Ignorance And nescient Matter and the huge error of life." Savitri-36 “Hardly for a moment glimpsed viewless to Mind, (Brief Supramental experience.) As if a torch held by a power of God, The radiant world of the everlasting Truth Glimmered like a faint star bordering the night Above the golden Overmind’s shimmering ridge.” Savitri-41 Bliss Self: "A glory and a rapture and a charm, The All-Blissful sat unknown within the heart; Earth’s pains were the ransom of its prisoned delight. A glad communion tinged the passing hours; The days were travellers on a destined road, The nights companions of his musing spirit." Savitri-43 This movement of Consciousness is complex in Nature and for our understanding purpose, we have simplified it. This is made on the basis of our study and understanding of ‘The Synthesis of Yoga’ book. First, by practising any of the triple Yoga, the Spiritual being opens and by the pressure of static Spirit or ascent of the Spirit, the universal Self, Supramental Self and Bliss Self open. By the pressure of dynamic Spirit, the Psychic being, and triple Selves of true Physical, true Vital and true Mental being open. By the pressure of the Supramental Self, the Subconscient and Inconscient Selves open. Thus the movement of consciousness undulates between the Inconscient and Bliss plane. Through these movements, the ten Sheaths are purified, transformed, enlarged and perfected. The Gita hints movement of Consciousness from Kshara (Psychic) Purusha to Akshara (Spiritual) Purusha or from waking trance to non-waking trance which substitutes the movements of consciousness between three gunas. Then after a long movement between the Psychic and Spiritual plane, one is considered fit to open the Supramental Self or Purshottama . This triple movement of Consciousness hinted in the Gita is extensively developed in integral Yoga as movement between ten Selves and their ten Sheaths. Now in other Cantos, we will experience King Aswapati’s extensive movement in different planes of Consciousness. For a higher Spiritual life, this Canto insists on calling down more and more silence, peace and calmness and to maintain equality in all circumstances and in all happenings. By maintaining these conditions, Consciousness can best experience its vertical movement by replacing the earlier circular and arrested movements of three gunas . OM TAT SAT The Important Secret of this chapter: (Discovery of Spiritual being and Universal Being) “Each action left the footprints of a god,” Savitri-23 “A spirit that is a flame of God abides, A fiery portion of the Wonderful, Artist of his own beauty and delight, Immortal in our mortal poverty.” Savitri-23 “As so he grew into his larger self,” Savitri-26 (Cosmic Self) “He neared the still consciousness sustaining all.” Savitri-32 “He comes unseen into our darker parts And, curtained by the darkness, does his work, A subtle and all-knowing guest and guide, Till they too feel the need and will to change. All here must learn to obey a higher law, Our body’s cells must hold the Immortal’s flame." Savitri-35 "At last was won a firm spiritual poise, A constant lodging in the Eternal's realm, A safety in the Silence and the Ray, A settlement in the Immutable. “ Savitri-36 (King Aswapati’s realisation of Spiritual Being, Akshara Purusha ) 4 / Book 1, Canto 4 - The Secret Knowledge A Brief Restatement: Here the Secret Knowledge is divided into five parts. First part: This Canto hints that when we are unconscious and feel ourselves stagnant, there are parts of being that grow towards the Divine during that period. There is much hope here for the beginners of Yoga which is identified as the first secret of Sadhana . “Even when we fail to look into our souls Or lie embedded in earthly consciousness, Still have we parts that grow towards the light, Yet are there luminous tracts and heavens serene And Eldorados of splendour and ecstasy And temples to the godhead none can see.” Savitri-46-47 When we live in darkness and our tamasic mind is the only lamp in that obscure field, there too, the Truth-Light enters like a thief and its charm and sweetness open many closed doors of our life. About this mystery we must be aware and open: "When darkness deepens strangling the earth’s breast And man’s corporeal mind is the only lamp, As a thief’s in the night shall be the covert tread Of one who steps unseen into his house. A Voice ill-heard shall speak, the soul obey, A Power into mind’s inner chamber steal, A charm and sweetness open life’s closed doors And beauty conquer the resisting world, The Truth-Light capture Nature by surprise, A stealth of God compel the heart to bliss And earth grow unexpectedly divine." Savitri-55 Its complementary lines are found in other Canto: (Savitri said after her Psychic being is Supramentalised.) “If the chamber’s door is even a little ajar, What then can hinder God from stealing in Or who forbid his kiss on the sleeping soul?” Savitri-649 (Divine said) “Even the many shall some answer make And bear the splendour of the Divine’s rush And his (Divine’s) impetuous (hasty) knock at unseen doors.” Savitri-709 When we live alone with ourselves, leaving our cherished guests outside, that is the condition of meeting the Divine and through the movement of Divine Consciousness, the gulfs between different subtle worlds are bridged. "In moments when the inner lamps are lit And the life’s cherished guests are left outside, Our spirit sits alone and speaks to its gulfs." Savitri-47 This first part of Secret Knowledge suggests that all men knowingly or unknowingly, consciously or unconsciously receive the Divine's touch but a few of them are capable of catching and holding the Divine flame and can lead a greater and higher Spiritual life. All can enter Supramental’s huge store for a very brief period with new creations, new inventions and new opulence at their disposal but none can stay in that world permanently. Only a few, who have a strong subtle and causal body can enter the Supramental world for a longer period and can descend into the Subconscient and Inconscient night for a longer period and experience conscious transformation. "A fire has come and touched men’s hearts and gone; A few have caught flame and risen to greater life." Savitri-7 "Only they knew what Mind could take and build Out of the secret Supermind’s huge store." Savitri-187 “There man can visit but there he cannot live.” Savitri-659 Second part: This Canto hints that for those who are aware of the above mystery, the Divine Chooses a few of them as His instrument and by the touch of His infinite Grace and Force, their frontal Nature is predominated by Silence, Stillness, Calm and Peace. "In the unfolding process of the Self Sometimes the inexpressible Mystery Elects a human vessel of descent. A breath comes down from a supernal air, A Presence is born, a guiding Light awakes, A stillness falls upon the instruments: Fixed, motionless like a marble monument, Stone-calm, the body is a pedestal Supporting a figure of eternal Peace.” Savitri-47 Third Part: Awareness of the Guardians of the Supramental world or World-Creators who oversee (1) Fate, (2) Chance, and (3) Divine Work through Divine Will. If we do this Yoga, then these invisible Guardians from the Supramental world will come down to help us, help in our ascent of the Soul, and give protection to our Sadhana life, they will help to change our destiny, transform chance into decreed Spiritual life and will expedite the Divine work, Divine Purification, transformation, and perfection. “A greater Personality sometimes Possesses us which yet we know is ours:” Savitri-47 “He (man) is ignorant of the meaning of his life, He is ignorant of his high and splendid fate. Only the Immortals on their deathless heights Dwelling beyond the walls of Time and Space, Masters of living, free from the bonds of Thought, Who are overseers of Fate and Chance and Will And experts of the theorem of world-need, Can see the Idea, the Might that change Time’s course, Come maned with light from undiscovered worlds, Hear, while the world toils on with its deep blind heart, The galloping hooves of the unforeseen event, Bearing the superhuman Rider, near And, impassive to earth’s din and startled cry, Return to the silence of the hills of God; As lightning leaps, as thunder sweeps, they pass And leave their mark on the trampled breast of Life.” Savitri-53-54 “Immaculate in self-knowledge and self-power, Calm they (Immortals) repose on the eternal Will. Only his (Divine Will) law they count and him obey; They have no goal to reach, no aim to serve. Implacable in their timeless purity, All barter or bribe of worship they refuse; Unmoved by cry of revolt and ignorant prayer They reckon not our virtue and our sin; They bend not to the voices that implore, They hold no traffic with error and its reign; They are guardians of the silence of the Truth, They are keepers of the immutable decree. A deep surrender is their source of might, A still identity their way to know, Motionless is their action like a sleep.” Savitri-57 Fourth part: The relation between the Creator and creation and the Creator’s blind love and care for the creation without seeing any of her defects, limitations and faults. This is also Prakriti Yajna, a Vedic Sacrifice, more powerful than Purusha Yajna, a Vedantic sacrifice. Prakriti Yajna is a very important sadhana for developed Souls. How the Creator is taking care of creation, and how He has made Himself a slave of her are most beautifully and most profoundly described by Sri Aurobindo , very rare in earth’s Spiritual history. This is identified as the fourth secret of Sadhana which culminates in discovering the relation of dual Avatara in our heart centre. We can practice this surrender literally as described in this Canto and will benefit most from this exercise. “As one too great for him he (Divine) worships her (Creation); He (Divine) adores her (Creation) as his regent of desire...” Savitri-62 “This whole wide world is only he and she.” Savitri-63 Fifth part: A seeker of truth is a world Adventurer and Voyager of multiple unknown oceans representing ten subtle bodies or sheaths and a Cosmologist exploring the obscure geography of three firm lands of surface life, mind and body. A Sadhaka must be a Kshatriya Soul force, having the courage 'to affront the far-off perilous main' (Savitri-70) and to fight outer and inner endless war and ready to bear inner and outer wounds that are slow to heal till he traces a path to the Supramental world with a new or transformed body and mind. Till this discovery, he carries Divine Mother's sealed orders and sails 'on Inconscient's fathomless sea.' (Savitri-71) In Ashram activity, most of the inmates are Shudra Soul force, they give service and hold Ashram living by practice of obedience but they recoil from any great unknown adventure. So the presence of a few more Kshatriya Soul Force is felt and with their help, the adventure of Consciousness can be expedited. "He is the adventurer and cosmologist Of a magic earth’s obscure geography." Savitri-69 “This is the sailor on the flow of Time, This is World-Matter’s slow discoverer, Who, launched into this small corporeal birth, Has learned his craft in tiny bays of self, But dares at last unplumbed infinitudes, A voyager upon eternity’s seas. In his world-adventure’s crude initial start Behold him ignorant of his godhead’s force, Timid initiate of its vast design. An expert captain of a fragile craft, A trafficker in small impermanent wares, At first he hugs the shore and shuns the breadths, Dares not to affront the far-off perilous main.” Savitri-69-70 OM TAT SAT The Most Important Secret of this chapter: “The Spirit's bare and absolute potencies (Last perfection of integral Yoga.) Burn in the solitude of the thoughts of God.” Savitri-57 “With the Truth-Light strike earth's massive roots of trance, (Supramental light will strike the Inconscient sheath and penetrate into it.) Wake a dumb self in the inconscient depths (dumb self is the Inconscient Self) And raise a lost Power from its python sleep (lost Power is the Inconscient Self.) That the eyes of the Timeless might look out from Time And the world manifest the unveiled Divine.” Savitri-72-73 5/ Book 1, Canto 5 - The Yoga Of The Spirit's Freedom and Greatness A Brief Restatement : Here, the King’s adventure into Spiritual planes has been revealed and they are divided into seven parts. First part: The transition from ordinary life to Supramental life where ‘all (the knowledge of three times and Spiritual history of earth.) is for ever known’ (Savitri-74) and ‘all that the Gods have learned is there self known...And the secret code of the history of the world.’ (Savitri-74) The King Aswapati was able to build in Ignorance the steps of Light, saw the unshaped thought in soulless form, knew Matter pregnant with Spiritual sense, Mind dared the study of the Unknowable; Life was the gestation of the Golden Child, in the Void 'he saw throned the Omniscience supreme.' (Savitri-76) Second part: He entered the experience of Vedantic ascent to ‘unseen spiritual heights’ (Savitri-76) without any descending link and solution to the problem of the earth nature. The King was like 'The infant soul (Dvija) in its small nursery school' and his body is 'ilumined with the indwelling God.' (Savitri-76) The greatness of the eternal Spirit appeared but it could not transform Matter. This height of the Spirit repels the lowness of the earthly state and hurriedly glimpsed the imperfection of heavenly things. From cradle to grave he lives with little mental hope, faint rays of happiness, thrills of flesh, Love's broken reflexes of unity, wounded happiness, mutilated ecstasy and forfeited heavenly bliss. He realised partially the Psychic Being, above the limitation of Nature and Fate and realised partially the Spiritual being as 'the Knower beyond Time.' (Savitri-78) Third part: Then he experienced Vedantic ascent like a burning cone of fire and descent of Consciousness, making the cosmic murmur fall still and bear the silence of the Infinite. With the opening of King's Spiritual being, 'he lived immune from earthly hopes' and 'The Silence was his sole companion left.' (Savitri-79) A call he received from intangible height. His Spiritual being was open towards universal light and 'A golden influx flowed through heart and brain;' and A Divine force and current from eternal Seas of Bliss came down into his heart, brain and into his mortal limbs; made him aware of his dynamic occult Omnipotent Source and turned to his immense Spiritual Fate. He listens to the Spiritual being as a bodyless guide and travels back in time, living 'in the hush before the world was born.' (Savitri-80) Fourth part: King Aswapati's this particular experience is often compared with the Mother's experience of Divine Love in (April-13) 1962 and Supramental descent in (29th February) 1956. His being towered into pathless height to meet bare, pure and ruthless Divine Love. A strong Descent of Might, Flame, Beauty, and violent Ecstasy leaped down and enveloped him by penetrating into nerve, heart and brain with its stupendous limbs. By the touch of Divine Love, earth Nature’s obsolete laws were overpowered and the scripts of fixed destiny were abolished. (King's experience of Divine Love:) “A strong Descent leaped down. A Might, a Flame, A Beauty half-visible with deathless eyes, A violent Ecstasy, a Sweetness dire, Enveloped him with its stupendous limbs And penetrated nerve and heart and brain That thrilled and fainted with the epiphany:” (Bliss Self-experience.) Savitri-81 “By a Power more ruthless than Love, happier than Heaven, Taken sovereignly into eternal arms, Haled and coerced by a stark absolute bliss, In a whirlwind circuit of delight and force Hurried into unimaginable depths, Upborne into immeasurable heights, It was torn out from its mortality And underwent a new and bourneless change.” Savitri-81 (The Mother's experience of 13 April, 1962) "Everything was Personal, nothing was individual. This was going on and on and on and on.... The certitude that what is to be done is DONE. All the results of the Falsehood had disappeared: Death was an illusion, Sickness was an illusion, Ignorance was an illusion – something that had no reality, no existence.... Only Love, and Love, and Love, and Love – immense, formidable, stupendous, carrying everything." The Mother's Agenda-April-13, 1962 (King's experience of Supramental descent) "The great hammer-beats of a pent-up world-heart Burst open the narrow dams that keep us safe Against the forces of the universe. The soul and cosmos faced as equal powers. A boundless being in a measureless Time Invaded Nature with the infinite; He saw unpathed, unwalled, his titan scope." Savitri-83 The Mother's experience of Supramental descent on 29th February, 1956: "This evening the Divine Presence, concrete and material, was there present amongst you. I had a form of living gold, bigger than the universe, and I was facing a huge and massive golden door which separated the world from the Divine... As I looked at the door, I knew and willed, in a single movement of consciousness, that THE TIME HAS COME’, and lifting with both hands a mighty golden hammer I struck one blow, one single blow on the door and the door was shattered to pieces... Then the supramental Light and Force and Consciousness rushed down upon earth in an uninterrupted flow." The Mother's Agenda/February 29, 1956 " Even when I had that experience [the ‘first supramental manifestation’ of February 29, 1956], when the Lord said, ‘The time has come,’ well, it was not a complete descent; it was the descent of the Consciousness, the Light, and a part, an aspect of the Power. It was immediately absorbed and swallowed up by the world of Inconscience, and from that moment on it began to work in the atmosphere. But it was not THE thing that comes and gets permanently established; when that happens, we won’t need to speak of it – it will be obvious!... Although the experience of ‘56 was one more forward step, it’s not.... It’s not final." The Mother's Agenda/November 5, 1961 Fifth part: King Aswapati’s experience of Vedic sacrific e (occupied a large section of this Canto, signifying its importance for a developed Soul) resulted first the descent of Divine Mother Force projected here as almighty Occultist, who plunged from graded Law of Timeless Eternity into the Time. Then up a golden ladder carrying the Soul from birth to death, the beauty of the Matter’s shapes, life’s adventure and delight and glory of the multitudinous mind, he climbed back from Time into undying Timeless Self, tying with diamond threads the Spirit’s extremes. Here in this Vedic sacrifice or Prakriti Yajna , the higher Divine Consciousness dropped to lower consciousness and then the lower consciousness soared to higher Consciousness. "In this drop from consciousness to consciousness... In this soar from consciousness to consciousness" Savitri-89 (Example of Vedic sacrifice.) Sixth part: Then, during these double movements of consciousness, a last high world of Bliss sheath was seen where all the other nine worlds meet. In this summit Bliss world there was no Night and Sleep and the light of the Trinity supreme that of Existence, Consciousness and Bliss was visible. All that we seek here on earth are discovered there and freed the finite into boundlessness and rose into its own eternity. " A last high world was seen where all worlds meet; In its summit gleam where Night is not nor Sleep, The light began of the Trinity supreme. All there discovered what it seeks for here." Savitri-89 Seventh part: By the pressure of this high plane, the bottom Inconscient Sheath discovered its heart, the Divine All in the form of Inconscient Self. Thus all the ideas and feelings of Ignorance clutched to the body of the Truth. 'A grand solution ,' (Savitri-90) due this discovery of the Inconscient Self, closed the long impasse; the music and perfect rhythm were born in Matter’s silences and a reconciling wisdom was found which lifted the striving undertone of mind, the confused refrain of human hopes, inarticulate murmur of our lives, under ground of pain, soul’s faint scattered utterances, disjointed mutterings in sleep into sweet and happy Divine Call. " A grand solution closed the long impasse In which the heights of mortal effort end. A reconciling Wisdom looked on life; It took the striving undertones of mind And took the confused refrain of human hopes And made of them a sweet and happy call;" Savitri-90 Lastly, this Canto asks a Sadhaka to become the Voyager and Adventurer in Consciousness and to discover another Time and Space other than the experience of the divisible time and divisible space of the surface mind. And also it hints about Sadhaka's enjoyment of the Lord's double protection by opening towards 'dual eternity' (Savitri-82) of vast invasion of Divine Force above the head and below the feet and this exercise ultimately vanishes the enormous role of the dark Forces. (Savitri-82) " A voyager upon uncharted routes Fronting the viewless danger of the Unknown, Adventuring across enormous realms, He broke into another Space and Time." Savitri-91 OM TAT SAT 6/ Book 2, Canto 1 - The World Stair A Brief Restatement: This Book-2, Canto-1, hints King’s established state in universalized (infinity Around) and Transcendent (Unknowable above) Consciousness whose movements stand as precondition of exploring multiple planes of consciousness and of pursuing the Yoga of the earth. During the movement of consciousness in these two planes, he could realise 'oneness of all things' and Space as 'a vast experiment of Soul.' Thus: "All could be seen that shuns the mortal eye, All could be known the mind has never grasped; All could be done no mortal will can dare. A limitless movement filled a limitless peace." Savitri-95 The need of impersonalized and universalized consciousness in our daily life ensure these six attributes: “(1) It releases his knowledge from the narrowness of personal mind, (2) his will from the clutch of personal desire, (3) his heart from the bondage of petty mutable emotions, (4) his life from its petty personal groove, (5) his soul from ego, and (6) it allows them to embrace calm, equality, wideness, universality, infinity.” (The Synthesis of Yoga-127) Thus in this universal plane: "His universal Power at work display In plots of pain and dramas of delight The wonder and beauty of her will to be. All, even pain, was the soul’s pleasure here; Here all experience was a single plan, The thousandfold expression of the One." Savitri-95-96 This universalized consciousness drags King beyond the limitation of mortal eye, mental knowledge and personal will and he experiences limitless peace, the descent of immortal timeless Word, extreme purity, sovereign sweetness, violent overhead poetry, the terrible adventure of delight, unseen perfection, Truth’s secrecies, opulent beauty, dynamic Superconscient light, voiceless stillness, intangible aims, immortality’s call, calm and luminous intimacy within, many toned unities, many meeting worlds, ordered plan, unfathomed loneliness, mute and single strength, formless Stillness, white immobile Ray, eternal Silences and bare summit of created things. This Canto makes us aware of our objective of housing the Illimitable in the time-made body and to live ‘all Ocean’ symbolizing the multiple worlds in 'a drop of water' symbolizing our finite Self. Here again the importance of the Psychic Being, Jivatma is recognized as the means of the largest Supramental action. The activation of Supramental energy in our external earthly life ensures three things. They are the inherent order of all things, great harmony and oneness with Self, World and Divine. Thus, in this journey of World Stair, Traveller in Time, Voyager of all ocean and adventurer of Consciousness, the King’s high-pitched attempt is extended to guarded powers of multiple worlds, deep beatitudes of multiple heavens and he called down to earth and men eternal Silences, formless Stillness and nameless Light. King Aswapati greatly inspires us to transform ‘this surface life’ to ‘inner all life’ extending over many births and bodies and to transform this material birth into 'deep adventure' (Savitri-99) and individual activity to world action. He makes us aware that the Spirit 'is within, below, without, above.' (Savitri-98) Or Spirit is within us as Psychic being, true physical Being, true vital Being and true mental Being, below the feet as Subconscient Self and Inconscient Self, without as Cosmic Self and above the head as Spiritual, Supramental and Bliss Self. OM TAT SAT The Most Important Secret of this chapter: "Our life is a holocaust of the Supreme. The great World-Mother by her sacrifice Has made her soul the body of our state; Accepting sorrow and unconsciousness Divinity’s lapse from its own splendours wove The many-patterned ground of all we are." Savitri-99 "A miracle of the Absolute was born; Infinity put on a finite soul, All ocean lived within a wandering drop A time-made body housed the Illimitable. To live this Mystery out our souls came here.” Savitri-101 7/ Book 2, Canto 2 - The Kingdom Of Subtle Matter A Brief restatement: This Book-2, Canto-2, represents a subtle physical world. It is an important Spiritual Science, hinted at in the Upanishad as dream Self, sukhma sharira . This world is very close to the material world, the meeting place of the Superconscient, Subconscient and universal world. This subtle physical has an important role in Supramental transformation action in which 'high and low worlds' (Savitri-105) are made one. All the happening and new manifestations in the material world have their source and previous formation in this subtle matter. A purified and universalized subtle matter can act as a field of interpenetration of Superconscient and Subconscient energies and hence is the preparatory field of all new manifestations. A preliminary attempt is made to enter this vast, affirmative, plastic, immaterial kingdom and to become aware of this Annamaya Purusha , the Soul in the physical (“And Matter’s depths be illumined with a soul” (Savitri-268)) and Annamaya Kosha or the subtle physical sheath (The gross weighs less, the subtle counts for more;” (Savitri-186)) which are identified as an important base of unfolding of the mystery of the existence. The vision of this Canto is divided into four parts: First Part: The first part defines that subtle physical is our eternal substance extending over 'all life,' which is Spirit's first transparent robe. It does not live by the flesh and greatly supports the gross physical substance. This is a world of lovelier form where all things are beautiful, faultless and true. Its subtle eye is a door to celestial sense, subtle ear is sweet music, subtle touch is full of charm and transfiguring hue and the subtle heart draws a deeper breath of power. The Mighty breath of the Divine is intercepted and slowly inrushes as bright dews drip through a subtle physical sheath. This Canto proposes that the true physical being or annamaya Purusha can be utilised as a meeting ground of Spirit and Matter and it can also be uplifted as a meeting ground of the highest Supramental plane and the lowest Inconscient plane for transformation action. The task of subtle physical is to transform common material things and by its influence 'even earth's mud grows rich and warm with the skies' (Savitri-107) and 'It guards deathless' (Savitri-106) flames in the perishing body. Out of the Spiritual fall of subtle Matter, that plunges lost in the inconscient base, the denser Matter is born. Second Part: In this part, gross Matter is identified as Spiritual fall of the subtle Matter. This fallen world is the 'immortal godhead's perishable parts' (Savitri-107) in which the Soul is nurtured and must evolve the mind, life and body's giant energies. This brute half-conscious body becomes a means of evolution of Divine life and the mind must recover the lost Wisdom and this bound Spirit, annamaya Purusha, will one day emerge as Nature's King. Third Part: Through a subtle physical sheath, a fragment of the Eternal is caught for heaven's design. Here 'the response to Truth is swift and sure' (Savitri-111) and 'Achieve perfection by the magic throb.' (Savitri-112) All we attempt through Soul activation in this imperfect world cannot go in vain. our Spirit must travel back to illumine the past obscurities and Spirit must travel forward to call down Timeless and Spaceless energies. Thus all imperfections are seized by their absolutely perfect state and Matter is able to hold permanently Divine's Presence or 'To fix the eternal’s touch in time-made things.' (Savitri-108) Thus, with subtle physical assistance, a brilliant passage is made 'in the gross walls of nerve and brain,'(Savitri-108) for the descent of infallible Flame and thus, we could 'hope for greater life.' (Savitri-108) If we can climb above our surface life then 'A line of Transcendent meets on our road' (Savitri-110) which brings us godlike acts and descents inevitable words and 'thoughts that never die.' (Savitri-110) Fourth Part: This subtle physical world is identified as 'the House of Days' and 'material Paradise.' It exists without fear, grief, pain, defeat, fault, or failure and is 'Exempt from the ordeal and the test.' (Savitri-113) This subtle material world 'had no wings for wide and dangerous flight,' 'no peril of sky or of abyss,' 'no vistas and no mighty dreams, No yearning for her lost infinitudes.' (Savitri-115) This Canto proposes that in order to build a Spiritual passage, the subtle physical is to be made pure, transparent and dense and must develop the constant aspiration to possess the Highest plane. OM TAT SAT The Most Important Secret of this chapter: “To fix the eternal's touch in time-made things, This is the law of all perfection here.” Savitri-108 “Our souls forget to the Highest to aspire.” Savitri-113 “Intruder from the formless Infinite Daring to break into the Inconscient's reign, The spirit's leap towards body touches ground.” Savitri-105 “A Being woke and lived in the meaningless void, (Here Being is the Inconscient Self.) A world-wide Nescience strove towards life and thought, A Consciousness plucked out from mindless sleep.” Savitri-107 “A Splendour presses or a Power breaks through, Earth's great dull barrier is removed awhile, The inconscient seal is lifted from our eyes And we grow vessels of creative might.” Savitri-108 8/ Book 2, Canto 3 - The Glory And Fall Of Life A Brief Restatement: In this Canto, the King ascends to the subtle vital plane from the subtle matter’s plane. From here he could understand the dichotomy between this subtle vital as it is reflected in our plane (in a fallen state) compared to its original beauty (higher Purer Vital world). The Lord describes the beauty and grandeur of this (True) heavenly plane and contrasts it with its lower (fallen) vibration in our earth. He outlines how Life answered the desperate call of the Soul/Beings trapped in inert matter and longed for deliverance into other forms. The Life descended to our earth plane (from above) to remake earth in Her glorious image, swiftly stopped and maimed in her flow by a dark being of inconscience. Since then the vital on our plane (the subtle vital) thinks back to the glory of her original state but she is unable to reclaim it. This Savitri, Book-2, Canto-3, gives a vivid account of the glory (and also fall) of life or the action of Para-prakriti or higher Nature on life or vital plane in five parts . First part: This accounts for King's entry into a 'wide obscure disputed fields' (Savitri-116) of untransformed subtle vital life where all was doubt, unsatisfied, unsure, toilsome, unsolved problems and 'uncertain of the ground he trod.' (Savitri-116) Here 'every change prolonged the same unease,' 'in the new saw the face of old,' and 'the fierce lust that brings a dead fatigue.' (Savitri-118) The King further confirms that the existing life is born from a pure and bright Timeless and endless Bliss state of consciousness. During this fall 'A lost world rapture lingers in her eyes' and 'Beauty and happiness are her native right.' (Savitri-118) Second part: Despite the sudden disclosure of grief, fear and insecurity, King saw a happier state and kingdom of griefless life. This pure subtle vital plane is a new celestial vault, an archipelago of laughter and fire. This subtle vital plane is free from life's suffering, struggle, and grief, not affected by anger, gloom and hate and this visioned land is ever blissful in its timeless state. They live sure of their immortal gladness and content with their own beauty. One can enter this subtle world through meditation, dreams and trance. Here he will meet rapturous landscapes, figures of the perfect kingdom and behind them leave a shining memories trail. This subtle vital plane seems unreal but more real than the gross life, happier than earthly joy and truer than things true. this gives the experience of eternal moments, calm heavens of imperishable Light, and an illumined continent of violent peace and griefless countries. Third part: The King was able to bridge the gulf that divides the subtle vital world from the gross vital world which is felt indispensable for purification, transformation, perfection and Divinisation of surface vital plane. So the visions of the wonder-world became a reality with pure loveliness and bliss and life was fulfilled with the touch of supreme Delight. The King was able to invert the Spirit's apex Supramental consciousness towards life through an intermediate subtle vital plane and by this action, he controlled life's restless seas and obeyed a governing Wisdom. He felt the Presence of this inscrutable Supermind but could not know its origin. Life became the slave of World-self, thus she was able to canalise the seas of omnipotence. In this part, we see that King was able to bridge the gulf between the Cosmic world and the subtle vital world. In this cosmic Consciousness King experienced triple time as a ceaseless moving picture and met the whole world as the chaos of personality. Fourth part: In this part, King met his universalised subtle vital action and felt a deep need 'To take all beings into his saviour arms,' (Savitri-123) and 'To force on them the happiness they refuse' (Savitri-123) and of transforming earth life through his experience: 'Heaven’s joys might have been earth’s if earth were pure.' (Savitri-123) He felt the need of Divinised Sense and Heart which was natural Delight's bright extreme. His life's closed doors were opened to things Supreme. The King met the guardians of Supravital and subtle vital worlds as 'Immortal figures.' (Savitri-123) We also get the hint of nude god-children who are perfect instruments to Divinise life and the vital transformation and 'They steeped existence in their youth of soul.' (Savitri-127 ) Fifth part: In this part, the King standing on the border of the Supramental world, received the call of Bliss world and saw that world but could not bridge the gulf between them. Before the Divine Mother or 'gracious great-winged Angel' possesses life, 'A dark ambiguous Presence questioned all.' (Savitri-130 ) This dark Power abolishes the action of the mighty true Vital being and the boon of Psychic happiness. Thus life meets doom and Spiritual fall by the influence of work born out of the activation of three gunas . From this Canto, we learn the lesson of how Para-Prakriti, or a hierarchy of dynamic Consciousness can act stumblingly and steadily on life and experience both rise and fall or glory and fall of life. This Canto asks to develop the highest dynamic Consciousness which can meet the inert Inconscient’s law. We can refer the Mother’s following important observation related with Her vital Being: “But you see, you see all the way I have come...And I was born with a consciously prepared body—Sri Aurobindo was aware of that, he said it immediately the first time he saw me: I was born free. That is, from the spiritual standpoint: without any desire. Without any desire and attachment. And mon petit, if there is the slightest desire and the slightest attachment, it is IMPOSSIBLE to do this work. A vital like a warrior, with an absolute self-control (the vital of this present incarnation was sexless—a warrior), an absolutely calm and imperturbable warrior—no desires, no attachments...Since my earliest childhood, I have done things which, to human consciousness, are “monstrous;” my mother went so far as to tell me that I was a real “monster,” because I had neither attachments nor desires. If I was asked, “Would you like to do this?” I answered, “I don’t care.” If people were nasty to me, or if people died or went away, it left me absolutely calm—and so: “You are a monster, you have no feelings.” And with that preparation... It is eighty-six years since I came here, mon petit! For thirty years I worked with Sri Aurobindo consciously, without letup, night and day ... We shouldn’t be in a hurry.” The Mother’s Agenda/28.03.1964 OM TAT SAT The Most Important Secret of this chapter: “Inverting the spirit’s apex towards life, She (The Mother Nature) spends the plastic liberties of the One To cast in acts the dreams of her caprice, His wisdom’s call steadies her careless feet, He props her dance upon a rigid base, His timeless still immutability Must standardise her creation’s miracle.” Savitri-121 “At her will the inscrutable Supermind leans down To guide her force that feels but cannot know, Its breath of power controls her restless seas (of the vital world.) And life obeys the governing Idea” Savitri-121 “She has canalised the seas of omnipotence;” Savitri-121(the descent of Divine force on large scale) “And still her doors are barred to things supreme” Savitri-123 “And high dependencies of her virgin sun,” Savitri-124 “The grand Illuminate seized her gleaming limbs And filled them with the passion of his ray Till all her body was its transparent house And all her soul a counterpart of his soul.” Savitri-125 “This world of bliss he (King Aswapati) saw and felt its call, But found no way to enter into its joy; Across the conscious gulf there was no bridge” Savitri-128 9/ Book 2, Canto 4 - The Kingdoms Of The Little Life A Brief Restatement: This Book 2 Canto-4 gives the message that after exhaustion of multiple material enjoyments of life, Spiritual life begins and we have to understand that “Physical life exhausts itself by too much giving and ruins itself by too much devouring..." (The Life Divine-216) We also get the hint that after the opening of the Spiritual being, "His gates to the world were swept with seas of light. ” (Savitri-236) and thus a higher life begins. "Insatiate seeker, he has all to learn: He has exhausted now life’s surface acts, His being’s hidden realms remain to explore. He becomes a mind, he becomes a spirit and self; In his fragile tenement he grows Nature’s lord. In him Matter wakes from its long obscure trance, In him earth feels the Godhead drawing near." Savitri-133 This Canto speaks of triple creation, where the first creation is subconscious evolution, the second creation is the evolution of lower/little life and the third creation (not the last) is identified as ‘body’s early (evolution of) mind.’ (Savitri-146) The First Creation: Subconscious evolution is a faint and dim beginning of a crude child soul crying 'for toys of bliss.' (Savitri-136) In this stage 'a random shapeless energy drove towards form and took each whisp-fire for a guiding sun.' In this preliminary evolution of man, sense-pleasure and sense- pangs are caught and are found to be lost soon and their desire-driven will bring 'poor and sad results.' Life becomes an outcome of 'meaningless suffering and grey unease.' The King experienced in this Nature's twilit room, that Matter and Spirit 'embrace and strive and each know each' (Savitri-141) as eternal playmates. 'In Nature he saw the mighty Spirit concealed' and 'Watched the weak birth of a tremendous Force.' (Savitri-141) " It (All Nature) turns in us to finite loves and lusts, The will to conquer and have, to seize and keep, To enlarge life’s room and scope and pleasure’s range, To battle and overcome and make one’s own, The hope to mix one’s joy with others’ joy, A yearning to possess and be possessed, T o enjoy and be enjoyed, to feel, to live." Savitri-139-140 The Second Creation: In this kingdom, the dwarf animal self arose and the experiment began of a solitary brute in a human body without any life-plan. This is a life exclusively for outward purposes, for the satisfaction of body's want and responds to outward touches without an aim. The body is unaware of annamaya Purusha within, mind is exclusively preoccupied with the objective world and thoughts are open to sense instincts of animal desire and 'To enjoy and to survive was all their care.' (Savitri-143) Not in this life, but in all life this dim being must learn by failure and grow in light and force 'And rise to his higher destiny at last.' (Savitri-146) "It captured not the spirit in the form, It entered not the heart of what it saw; It looked not for the power behind the act, It studied not the hidden motive in things Nor strove to find the meaning of it all." Savitri-143 The Third Creation: This small thinking man (of third creation) has no upward gaze, no inward look, no loftier aim, no deeper cause to live, satisfied awhile with 'dwarf lusts and brief desires,' (Savitri-149) interested to utilize truth and power only for outward use. His life is limited like animal’s feeding-space and he opposes all adventures of the Unseen and Soul’s journey through unknown infinity. "It knew not the Immortal in its house; It had no greater deeper cause to live. In limits only it was powerful; Acute to capture truth for outward use, Its knowledge was the body’s instrument; Absorbed in the little works of its prison-house It turned around the same unchanging points In the same circle of interest and desire, But thought itself the master of its jail." Savitri-149-150 In Savitri, the slow evolution starts from the Subconscient plane from the beginning of the creation and when the earth will be ready for Divine life then the ‘last salvation’ is experienced which is identified as the total transformation of the earth’s Subconscient and Inconscient plane. In Savitri, the first Spiritual experience of the evolving man is identified as the discovery of Soul either Psychic or Spiritual Being and the last Siddhi of an integral Yogi is ‘Truth supreme.’ This is the transformation of universal Inconscient and there will be no longer any Ignorance, suffering, falsehood and death. This Yoga will continue through all life and all Time before which this present life is a very small fragment. This Canto also hints King’s opening of six or seven chakras known as Kundalini from below the feet as 'The first writhings of the cosmic serpent Force.' (Savitri-138) The Mother said, “The tantrics recognize seven chakras , I believe. Theon said he knew of more, specifically two below the body and three above (the head). That is my experience as well – I know of twelve chakras . And really, the contact with the Divine Consciousness is there (The Mother motions above the head), not here (at the top of the head). One must surge up above.” These twelve centres define the twelve Selves, twelve Sheaths or twelve subtle bodies to which one can consciously visit in a trance. In integral Yoga, the gulf created between lower life and the Supramental life is bridged by discovering the Subconscient Self and Inconscient Self as 'sleeping memories' that are 'Oblivious of their flame of happy truth.' (Savitri-139) "Impure, degraded though her motions are, Always a heaven-truth broods in life’s deeps; In her obscurest members burns that fire." Savitri-139 (fire of Subconscient Self) This Canto foresees the coming of ‘some tremendous dawn of God’ (Savitri-137} where King saw the purpose of Divine Work in Time and also in the aimlessness of lower life a Divine work, magic will and Divine transformation was worked out. This Canto proposes to work out the 'adventure of the Unseen And the soul's tread through unknown infinities.' (Savitri-148) OM TAT SAT The Most Important Secret of this chapter: "In the enigma of the darkened Vasts, In the passion and self-loss of the Infinite When all was plunged in the negating Void, Non-Being’s night could never have been saved If Being had not plunged into the dark Carrying with it its triple mystic cross. Invoking in world-time the timeless truth, Bliss changed to sorrow, knowledge made ignorant, God’s force turned into a child’s helplessness Can bring down heaven by their sacrifice." Savitri-140-141 “A difficult evolution from below Called a masked intervention from above Else this great, blind inconscient universe Could never have disclosed its hidden mind, Or even in blinkers worked in beast and man The Intelligence that devised the cosmic scheme.” (Supramental Intelligence) Savitri-146-147 10/ Book 2, Canto 5 - The Godheads Of The Little Life A Brief Restatement: First part: (page 151 to 154) This Book-2, Canto-5 gives us input regarding the lower vital beings/little deities (or tamasic and rajasic beings) that dominate largely our untransformed life and are the cause of all lust, anger, massacre, suicide, disorder, disease, accident, division, and disharmony in men These vital beings are identified as elfin, imps, goblin, faery and genni . They are 'Ignorant and dangerous wills but armed with power, Half-animal, half-god their mood, their shape.' (Savitri-152) They take shelter in our twilight untransformed nature and 'Wherever love and light and largeness lack.' (Savitri-153) In the event of disease of most difficult kind also is an attack of these dark world and they can be removed by occult means or Yogic power/Subconscient purification and transformation without the aid of any medicine. “The Mother used to say that when Sri Aurobindo cured some body, one often saw a subtle hand come with a current of blue force and seize, as it were, the vibration of illness or disorder between its fingertips.” (The Mother's Agenda/24th February-1962) "Its seed of joy they curse with sorrow’s fruit, Put out with error’s breath its scanty lights And turn its surface truths to falsehood’s ends, Its small emotions spur, its passions drive To the abyss or through the bog and mire: Or else with a goad of hard dry lusts they prick, While jogs on devious ways that nowhere lead Life’s cart finding no issue from ignorance. To sport with good and evil is their law; Luring to failure and meaningless success, All models they corrupt, all measures cheat, Make knowledge a poison, virtue a pattern dull And lead the endless cycles of desire Through semblances of sad or happy chance To an inescapable fatality." Savitri-152 In the evolution of Nature, they also like Asuras , demons, and Pisachas , wait for the hour of Divine transformation or 'Till they have learned their secret in their source, In the light of the Timeless and its spaceless home.' (Savitri-153) They make our evolution slow which binds life and invites doom. When our Soul attains freedom from lower life, then our Soul force travels back in time of this birth and past births and illumines the obscurities of nether untransformed life. "A slowly changing order binds our will. This is our doom until our souls are free. A mighty Hand then rolls mind’s firmaments back, Infinity takes up the finite’s acts And Nature steps into the eternal Light. Then only ends this dream of nether life." Savitri-154 The Second Part: (Page 154 to 160) This Canto also hints about the human love of sattwic mind which can give brief ‘Joy that forgot mortality for a while’ (Savitri-159) and its brief blaze can crumble vital passion into ashes. It can manifest beauty only for an hour and afterward feels tired. Divine Love can uplift the limitations of fragile human love and can lead man toward uninterrupted joy and immortality. "A fragile human love that could not last, Ego’s moth-wings to lift the seraph soul, Appeared, a surface glamour of brief date Extinguished by a scanty breath of Time; Joy that forgot mortality for a while Came, a rare visitor who left betimes, And made all things seem beautiful for an hour, Hopes that soon fade to drab realities And passions that crumble to ashes while they blaze Kindled the common earth with their brief flame." Savitri-159 The third Part: (Page 160 to 163) A perfect and integral Divine instrument is at once receiver of overhead Wisdom and Light of Integral Jnana Yoga , his own personal will is tuned and identified with the Divine Will of Integral Karma Yoga and his heart becomes the centre of the overflow of Divine Love, Delight and Beauty of Integral Bhakti Yoga . “Our instruments have not that greater light, Our will tunes not with the eternal Will, Our heart’s sight is too blind and passionate.” Savitri-161 The Fourth Part: (Page 163 to 167) This Canto hints that without vital transformation, the King can hold the Divine Presence for a brief period. If the tamasic, rajasic and sattwic mind are not purified sufficiently, then one experiences Divine Will, Divine Wisdom and Divine Ecstasy of Karma, Jnana and Bhakti Yoga briefly. A Bliss that sleeps in the Inconscient and Subconscient Self do not open to give the experience of Oceans of Bliss. "A new life dawns, he looks out from vistas wide; The Spirit’s breath moves him but soon retires: His strength was not made to hold that puissant guest. All dulls down to convention and routine Or a fierce excitement brings him vivid joys:" Savitri-165 “His knowledge dwells in the house of Ignorance; His force nears not even once the Omnipotent, Rare are his visits of heavenly ecstasy. The bliss which sleeps in things and tries to wake, Breaks out in him in a small joy of life:” Savitri-165 The Fifth Part: (Page 167 to 172) This Canto hints the transformation of lower Nature by 'Calling the powers of a bright hemisphere' through Vedantic Sacrifice and thus sheding the discredit of inferior life. A path is traced in the inner world which 'Make the abysm a road for Heaven's descent.' (Savitri-172) "There is a deeper seeing from within And, when we have left these small purlieus of mind, A greater vision meets us on the heights In the luminous wideness of the spirit’s gaze. At last there wakes in us a witness Soul That looks at truths unseen and scans the Unknown; Then all assumes a new and marvellous face: The world quivers with a God-light at its core, In Time’s deep heart high purposes move and live, Life’s borders crumble and join infinity." Savitri-168 "An Infant nursed on Nature’s covert breast, An Infant playing in the magic woods, Fluting to rapture by the spirit’s streams, Awaits the hour when we shall turn to his call." Savitri-169 In this study, we will explore the mysteries of demon gods, flickering ghosts of lower vital plane that largely dominate earthly existence who prefer to live in 'The vague Inconscient’s dark and measureless cave.' (Savitri-172) The King trod the soil of vital plane 'that failed beneath his feet' and 'His only sunlight was his spirit’s flame.' (Savitri-172) Our Psychic being is surrounded by ten layers of desire Souls of which this vital plane is one of them. So, in order to uncover the Psychic being one has to go beyond the lures of (1) the world of titans and asuras imitating the Divine, (2) the world of lower nature of forbidden sense enjoyment, (3) the world of vital mind surrounding the vital self, (4) the world of the physical mind surrounding the annamaya Purusha , (5) the world of schoolman mind, (6) the world of fixed mind, (7) the world of outer mind, (8) the mother of seven Sorrows, (9) the mother of (limited) Might and (10) the mother of (limited) Light respectively. About them, we are aware while concentrating on Savitri’s Yoga. “Even if there is much darkness — and this world is full of it and the physical nature of man also — yet a ray of the true Light can prevail eventually against a tenfold darkness . Believe that and cleave to (hold on to) it always.” (CWSA-29/Letters on Yoga-II/p-102) To recapitulate, this Canto proposes a ‘mighty Hand’ that helps us to travel back in time to the past of this life and past births for illumination of Subconscient darkness and Divine transformation and also hints the action of ‘golden Messengers’ (Savitri-170) who are responsible for the carrying out the cellular transformation. This also hints (in successive Cantos) at our patient waiting for the ‘golden Hand that never came’ (Savitri-199) and locking up our protected life in Savitri’s ‘golden hands’ (Savitri-723). OM TAT SAT The Most Important Secret of this chapter: “The magic was chiselled of a conscious form; Its tranced vibrations rhythmed a quick response, And luminous stirrings prompted brain and nerve, Awoke in Matter spirit’s identity And in a body lit the miracle Of the heart’s love and the soul’s witness gaze.” Savitri-157-58 “Our seekings are short-lived experiments Made by a wordless and inscrutable Power Testing its issues from inconscient Night To meet its luminous self of Truth and Bliss.” Savitri-168 “In our body’s cells there sits a hidden Power (true physical Being) That sees the unseen and plans eternity, Our smallest parts have room for deepest needs; There too the golden Messengers (Supramental beings) can come:” Savitri-169-70 “Each part in us desires its absolute.” Savitri-170 “And when that greater Self comes sea-like down To fill this image of our transience, All shall be captured by delight, transformed: In waves of undreamed ecstasy shall roll Our mind and life and sense and laugh in a light Other than this hard limited human day, The body’s tissues thrill apotheosised, Its cells sustain bright metamorphosis.” Savitri-171 11/ Book 2, Canto 6 - The Kingdoms And Godheads Of The Greater Life A Brief Restatement: This Book-2, Canto-6 gives us input regarding the action of higher vital beings, the action of higher Nature of Para-prakriti which can give us the Divine’s touch and not His embrace; in this plane twilight is not entirely abolished, hence its door is open to both Gods and Beings of higher planes and hostile agencies of Subconscient world; the greatness of this world is to seek Soul saving Truth tirelessly and create and manifest new forms. For him (King) this higher ‘Life was a search but finding (of the Absolute) never came.’ (Savitri-174) The First Part: (From Page 173 to175) This Canto gives a hint to learn the lesson to open towards the Divine’s constant touch or 'a touch of sure delight in unsure things' (Savitri-173) In this higher plane, life was a search but finding of the Supreme Truth never came. " The souls came there that vainly strive for birth, And spirits entrapped might wander through all time, Yet never find the truth by which they live. All ran like hopes that hunt a lurking chance; Nothing was solid, nothing felt complete: All was unsafe, miraculous and half-true. It seemed a realm of lives that had no base." Savitri-175 The Second Part: (From Page 175 to176) 'Some hue of the Absolute could fall on life,' (Savitri-176) or as Satyavan spoke to Savitri in the early period of his Sadhana, ‘I lived in the ray but faced not the sun.’ (Savitri-407) This Divine brief touch will help in the long run to open towards Divine's embrace or Supramental Sunlight. " In an outbreak of the might of secret Spirit, In Life and Matter’s answer of delight, Some face of deathless beauty could be caught That gave immortality to a moment’s joy, Some word that could incarnate highest Truth Leaped out from a chance tension of the soul, Some hue of the Absolute could fall on life, Some glory of knowledge and intuitive sight, Some passion of the rapturous heart of Love." Savitri-175-176 The Third Part: (From Page 176 to179) It speaks primarily of self-concentration through endless unfolding of Truth, utilizes subjective time as an endless pilgrimage and secondarily of self-expansion of working out timeless mysteries in Time and utilizes objective space for Divine creation and manifestation. " For by the form the Formless is brought close And all perfection fringes the Absolute. A child of heaven who never saw his home, Its impetus meets the eternal at a point: It can only near and touch, it cannot hold; It can only strain towards some bright extreme: Its greatness is to seek and to create." Savitri-179 The Fourth Part: (From Page 179 to181) We have to be aware of the Divine action of Paraprakriti in the midst of darkness. This Divine Shakti works even when we are most unconscious and feel our development deeply arrested. This Power working amid darkness is also identified as 'crucified God.' "Even nescient, null, her sleep creates a world. When most unseen, most mightily she works; Housed in the atom, buried in the clod, Her quick creative passion cannot cease. Inconscience is her long gigantic pause, Her cosmic swoon is a stupendous phase: Time-born, she hides her immortality; In death, her bed, she waits the hour to rise. Even with the Light denied that sent her forth And the hope dead she needed for her task, Even when her brightest stars are quenched in Night, Nourished by hardship and calamity And with pain for her body’s handmaid, masseuse, nurse, Her tortured invisible spirit continues still To toil though in darkness, to create though with pangs; She carries crucified God upon her breast." Savitri-179-180 The Fifth Part: (From Page 181 to183) The Divine Mother draws world-shunning and heaven-seeking liberated souls earthward to fill in their Nature and Soul with the equal Divine Presence. This Canto defines Jivatma's constant union with Para-prakriti and if their bond is strong then time cannot separate them. This union is further extended as the constant union of Paramatma with Paraprkriti in the heart centre. " Her eternal Lover is her action’s cause; For him she leaped forth from the unseen Vasts To move here in a stark unconscious world. Its acts are her commerce with her hidden Guest, His moods she takes for her heart’s passionate moulds; In beauty she treasures the sunlight of his smile." Savitri-181 "Although she is ever in him and he in her, As if unaware of the eternal tie, Her will is to shut God into her works And keep him as her cherished prisoner That never they may part again in Time." Savitri-181-182 In that higher plane, from every thought and feeling an action is born and every action is a symbol and means of descent of higher Divine Power and this universe is built by this descended truth and myth. ‘But what she needed most (of conscious emergence of full Sachchidananda in its own creation) she cannot build.’ (Savitri-183) From the truth of this intermediate world Religion and Modern Science and other creative forces of Mother Nature are born. "There every thought and feeling is an act, And every act a symbol and a sign, And every symbol hides a living power. A universe she builds from truths and myths, But what she needed most she cannot build; All shown is a figure or copy of the Truth, But the Real veils from her its mystic face. All else she finds, there lacks eternity; All is sought out, but missed the Infinite." Savitri-183 The Sixth Part: (From Page 183 to184) In this part, we find invisible beings of higher planes assist a Sadhaka in pursuing his Spiritual quest. They whisper to the ear and bring a flash of affirmative sunlight to the eye. "The beings of that world of greater life , Tenants of a larger air and freer space, Live not by the body or in outward things: A deeper living was their seat of self. In that intense domain of intimacy Objects dwell as companions of the soul; The body’s actions are a minor script, The surface rendering of a life within." Savitri-183 “In all who have risen to a greater Life , A voice of unborn things whispers to the ear, To their eyes visited by some high sunlight Aspiration shows the image of a crown: To work out a seed that she has thrown within, To achieve her power in them her creatures live.” Savitri-183-184 The Seventh Part: (From Page 184 to188) This part gives the message that with the opening of our Soul, destiny is rewritten and ordinary destiny is changed to Spiritual destiny. " As if thought-out eternal characters, Entire, not pulled as we by contrary tides, They follow the unseen leader in the heart, Their lives obey the inner nature’s law. There is kept grandeur’s store, the hero’s mould; The soul is the watchful builder of its fate; None is a spirit indifferent and inert; They choose their side, they see the god they adore." Savitri-184 The Eighth Part: (From Page 188 to191 ) This part reveals the King's unfolding of Spiritual Love and Wisdom. " In her covert lanes, bordering her chance field-paths And by her singing rivulets and calm lakes He found the glow of her golden fruits of bliss And the beauty of her flowers of dream and muse. As if a miracle of heart’s change by joy He watched in the alchemist radiance of her suns The crimson outburst of one secular flower On the tree-of-sacrifice of spiritual love." Savitri-190 "A comrade of Silence on her austere heights Accepted by her mighty loneliness, He stood with her on meditating peaks Where life and being are a sacrament Offered to the Reality beyond, And saw her loose into infinity Her hooded eagles of significance, Messengers of Thought to the Unknowable." Savitri-190-191 The Ninth Part: (From Page 191 to195) We find here the Para-prakriti's influence of Love, Beauty and Delight on individual Jivatma . " In her mazes of approach and of retreat To every side she draws him and repels, But drawn too near escapes from his embrace; All ways she leads him but no way is sure. Allured by the many-toned marvel of her chant, Attracted by the witchcraft of her moods And moved by her casual touch to joy and grief, He loses himself in her but wins her not. A fugitive paradise smiles at him from her eyes: He dreams of her beauty made for ever his, He dreams of his mastery her limbs shall bear, He dreams of the magic of her breasts of bliss." Savitri-193 The Tenth Part: (From Page 195 to 201) In this part, the King claimed 'a panacea for all Time’s ills' (Savitri-198) through the reconciliation of the highest Sachchidananda consciousness with the lowest Abyss. " A fire to call eternity into Time, Make body’s joy as vivid as the soul’s, Earth she would lift to neighbourhood with heaven, Labours life to equate with the Supreme And reconcile the Eternal and the Abyss." Savitri-196 This Canto proposes that the only business or 'heart's business' (Savitri-181) of a Sadhak is to call down Paramatma (Supreme Self) and Paraprakriti (Supreme Mother) to heart centre 'And keep him close to her breast in her world-cloak' (Savitri-181) ceaselessly. This will avoid the risk of escape from her arms and 'turn to his formless peace' (Savitri-181) of param Dham . King Aswapati's this Supramental union is also confirmed symbolically in Savitri's Yoga as 'Unwilling to loose his (Paramatma) body from her (Paraprakriti) breast.' (Savitri-471) OM TAT SAT The Most Important Secret of this chapter: “ “Our life’s repose is in the Infinite; It cannot end, its end is Life supreme. ” Savitri-197 “A sun of transfiguration still can shine And Night can bare its core of mystic light; (the experience of opening of Inconscient and Subconscient Self.) The self-cancelling, self-afflicting paradox Into a self-luminous mystery might change, The imbroglio into a joyful miracle. Then God could be visible here, here take a shape; (Supramental state.) Disclosed would be the spirit’s identity; Life would reveal her true immortal face.” Savitri-200-201 (Cellular transformation.) 12/ Book 2, Canto 7 - The Descent Into Night A Brief Restatement: This Descent into Night and 'falsity's endless net' (Savitri-210) of Book-2, Canto-7, is forbidden in traditional Spirituality and King Aswapati entered this prohibited dark world with the hope of finding ‘wide world failure’s cause (Savitri-202)’ and ‘panacea for all Time’s ill;' (Savitri-198) for key of world problem is hidden in the Inconscient night or 'For the key is hid and by the Inconscient kept.' (Savitri-68) The First Part: (From Page 202 to 205) Life has turned into Death in the Inconscient and Immortality in the Superconscient. Or ' A Death figuring as the dark seed of life, Seemed to engender and to slay the world.' (Savitri-202) In Integral Yoga this negation of Death is transformed into affirmation of Immortality. The other two negations of life are desire or hunger and incapacity and which is transformed into satisfied delight and Omnipotence. " He saw the fount of the world’s lasting pain And the mouth of the black pit of Ignorance; The evil guarded at the roots of life Raised up its head and looked into his eyes." Savitri-202 " All glory of life was dimmed, tarnished with doubt; All beauty ended in an aging face; All power was dubbed a tyranny cursed by God And Truth a fiction needed by the mind: The chase of joy was now a tired hunt; All knowledge was left a questioning Ignorance." Savitri-205 The Second Part: (From Page 205 to 206) In this Night King Aswapati met threatening energies and dark goddesses whose very gaze invited calamity. " A peril haunted now the common air; The world grew full of menacing Energies , And wherever turned for help or hope his eyes, In field and house, in street and camp and mart He met the prowl and stealthy come and go Of armed disquieting bodied Influences. A march of goddess figures dark and nude Alarmed the air with grandiose unease; Appalling footsteps drew invisibly near, Shapes that were threats invaded the dream-light, And ominous beings passed him on the road Whose very gaze was a calamity:" Savitri-205 The Third Part: (From Page 206 to 208) King's experience of the dark world is that ‘There all could enter, ' wandering like a lost soul' (Savitri-211) 'but none stay for long.' (Savitri-206) Similarly, all can enter 'Supermind’s huge store' (Savitri-187) for a very brief period with new creations, new inventions and new opulence at their disposal but none can stay in that world permanently. Only a few, who have a strong subtle and causal body can enter the Supramental world for a longer period and can descend into the Subconscient and Inconscient night for a longer period and experience conscious transformation. " A tract he reached unbuilt and owned by none: There all could enter but none stay for long. It was a no man’s land of evil air, A crowded neighbourhood without one home, A borderland between the world and hell." Savitri-206 “A Power that laughed at the mischiefs of the world, An irony that joined the world’s contraries And flung them into each other’s arms to strive, Put a sardonic rictus on God’s face.” Savitri-207 “Falsehood came laughing with the eyes of truth; Each friend might turn an enemy or spy, The hand one clasped ensleeved a dagger’s stab And an embrace could be Doom’s iron cage.” Savitri-207-8 The Fourth Part: (From Page 208 to 211) Those developing Souls who enter this night unconsciously experience Spiritual fall and forfeit their ‘lonely chance' (Savitri-210) in this birth and their beauty of life ends with an ‘aging face.' (Savitri-205) " He saw a city of ancient Ignorance Founded upon a soil that knew not Light. There each in his own darkness walked alone: Only they agreed to differ in Evil’s paths, To live in their own way for their own selves Or to enforce a common lie and wrong; There Ego was lord upon his peacock seat And Falsehood sat by him, his mate and queen: The world turned to them as Heaven to Truth and God." Savitri-208-209 "Inconscient traders in bundles of contraries, They did what in others they would persecute; When their eyes looked upon their fellow’s vice, An indignation flamed, a virtuous wrath; Oblivious of their own deep-hid offence, Moblike they stoned a neighbour caught in sin ." Savitri-209 The Fifth Part: (From Page 211 to 214) This part describes King's entry into the darkest plane of Inconscient sheath. " A greater darkness waited, a worse reign, If worse can be where all is evil’s extreme; Yet to the cloaked the uncloaked is naked worst. There God and Truth and the supernal Light Had never been or else had power no more." Savitri-211 The Sixth Part: (From Page 214 to 216) King Aswapati met the proletariats of his kingdom who were high in their thought and speech but harboured animal lower Nature and like insects crawling among other ephemeral insects. Modern society is described as 'Shudra society of labour' (Essays on the Gita-523) and its disproportionate increase in the present time is a real threat to the survival of the human race. "In street and house, in councils and in courts Beings he met who looked like living men And climbed in speech upon high wings of thought But harboured all that is subhuman, vile And lower than the lowest reptile’s crawl." Savitri-215 The Seventh Part: (From Page 216 to 219) In integral Yoga, a conscious descent into Night is possible after the opening of the Supramental Being. This Canto gives the message that without the purification of Subconscient Night, mental, vital and physical transformation cannot be complete. This Canto-7 also gives the message that before conquering Death from without, one must conquer it from within. Spirit’s bare and absolute Power can alone meet, purify and transform the naked night of Hell. King Aswapati had experience of death without dying: “A formless void oppressed his struggling brain, A darkness grim and cold benumbed his flesh, A whispered grey suggestion chilled his heart; Haled by a serpent-force from its warm home And dragged to extinction in bleak vacancy Life clung to its seat with cords of gasping breath; Lapped was his body by a tenebrous tongue.” Savitri-218 “A dense and nameless Nothing conscious, mute, Which seemed alive but without body or mind, Lusted all beings to annihilate That it might be for ever nude and sole.” Savitri-217 This Canto proposes that Sadhaks become 'Heroes and soldiers of the army of Light' (Savitri-211) and walk safely and securely in this dangerous dark world only by keeping 'God in their hearts.' (Savitri-211) This Canto also proposes that for Subconscient transformation ceaseless Japa is indispensable. “Here must the traveller of the upward Way— For daring Hell’s kingdoms winds the heavenly route— Pause or pass slowly through that perilous space, A prayer upon his lips and the great Name . “ Savitri-210 OM TAT SAT The Most Important Secret of this chapter: “To the blank horror a calm Light replied: Immutable, undying and unborn, Mighty and mute the Godhead in him woke And faced the pain and danger of the world. (The Supramental Godhead can face the pain and danger of the world.) He mastered the tides of Nature with a look: He met with his bare spirit naked Hell.” Savitri-219 13/ Book 2, Canto 8 - The World Of Falsehood, The Mother Of Evil And The Sons Of Darkness A Brief Restatement: In Book-2, Canto-8, King Aswapati challanged 'the darkness with his luminous soul' (Savitri-227) and .dared to adventure into the dark ocean of Subconscient and Inconscient plane with Supramental energy at his disposal. The First Part: (From Page 220 to 222) This Canto gives some new message on the dark nether world. It has identified the Mother of Evil as the guardian of that world and represented Death as her foster son. Those who strive for immortality on earth must confront this dark antagonist Force. "There in the heart of vain phenomenon, In an enormous action’s writhen core He saw a Shape illimitable and vague Sitting on Death who swallows all things born. A chill fixed face with dire and motionless eyes, Her (Mother of Evil) dreadful trident in her shadowy hand Outstretched, she pierced all creatures with one fate." Savitri-222 The Second Part: (From Page 222 to 225) This Canto also hints about twice born Soul known as Divine Child (Savitri-224). He needs a congenial atmosphere in which he can survive and flower and 'he needs yet four things before he can succeed, (1) the Sruti or recorded revelation, (2) the Sacred Teacher, (3) the practice of Yoga and (4) the Grace of God.” (CWSA-18/Kena and other Upanishads/p-169) Unfortunately ‘world’s Spiritual Shrines’ (Savitri-226) are largely occupied by dark 'terrible agencies.' ‘Assuming names divine they guide and rule’ (Savitri-226) and they cunningly slay the Soul of the Divine children in the cradle. Savitri book proposes that when a Dvija is born, then either the Divine deputes for him a living Teacher/Spiritual fosterer (like King Aswapati , the Guru and father of Savitri ) or he has to find him out in a distant land. (like the discovery of Satyavan in the deep forest) "Alarmed for her rule and full of fear and rage She prowls around each light that gleams through the dark Casting its ray from the spirit’s lonely tent, Hoping to enter with fierce stealthy tread And in the cradle slay the divine Child." Savitri-224 This Canto gives the secret of outer Death. Before outer death, when the growth of the Soul is arrested, his Psychic being decides to leave the body. After this Psychic escape, the aura or the golden nimbus around the body withdraws. A dark shadow is replaced. And finally, after a brief time passed, the subtle body and subtle mind leave the body. " A silence falls upon the spirit’s heights, From the veiled sanctuary the God retires, Empty and cold is the chamber of the Bride; The golden Nimbus now is seen no more, No longer burns the white spiritual ray And hushed for ever is the secret Voice. Then by the Angel of the Vigil Tower A name is struck from the recording book; A flame that sang in Heaven sinks quenched and mute; In ruin ends the epic of a soul. This is the tragedy of the inner death When forfeited is the divine element And only a mind and body live to die." Savitri-225 The Third Part: (From Page 225 to 227) Those who want to lead a Spiritual life or want to become the instrument of Truth, their name is recorded in the Subconscient and inconscient world. The giant sons of darkness sit and plan to make the life of instruments of truth or god’s radiant children, miserable. Those who cannot bear their (dark forces) long torture and wounds are not fit for higher Spiritual life and cannot make the earth a playfield of heaven. "Armoured, protected by their lethal masks, As in a studio of creative Death The giant sons of Darkness sit and plan The drama of the earth, their tragic stage. All who would raise the fallen world must come Under the dangerous arches of their power; For even the radiant children of the gods To darken their privilege is and dreadful right. None can reach heaven who has not passed through hell." Savitri-226-227 The Fourth Part: (From Page 227 to 232) So world problems can be resolved by opening towards 'superconscient Fire', and invert its dynamic energy to enter into dark Subconscient and Inconscient world. Thus, Subconscient and Inconscient Selves are discovered and by their Force and Light, cells of the body are exulted, the dark antagonist Forces are slain and 'Healed were all things that Time’s torn heart had made.' (Savitri-232) Thus, ‘sorrow could live no more in Nature’s breast.’ (Savitri-232) The previous Canto makes a Sadhak aware that 'The world turned to them (falsehoods) as Heaven to Truth and God' (Savitri-209) and suggests in this Canto that for the transformation of Subconscient and Inconscient Sheaths, ceaseless Japa of Divine's name is indispensable. "Arousing consciousness in things inert, He imposed upon dark atom and dumb mass The diamond script of the Imperishable, Inscribed on the dim heart of fallen things A paean-song of the free Infinite And the Name , foundation of eternity, And traced on the awake exultant cells In the ideographs of the Ineffable The lyric of the love that waits through Time And the mystic volume of the Book of Bliss And the message of the superconscient Fire." Savitri-232 The Canto makes a Sadhak aware that 'hell as a short cut to heaven’s gates' (Savitri-231) and further hints that like King Aswapati he has to confront with dark forces and bear 'the fierce inner wounds that are slow to heal.' (Savitri-230) OM TAT SAT The Most Important Secret of this chapter: “She groped in his deeps for an invisible Law, Fumbled in the dim subconscient for his mind (that had fallen) (tamas, rajas and sattwa are three negative inconscient mental energy.) And strove to find a way for spirit to be. “(Search for discovery of Subconscient Self.) Savitri-222, “Yet in her formidable instinctive mind She feels the One grow in the heart of Time And sees the Immortal shine through the human mould.” Savitri-224 “Into the abysmal secrecy he came Where darkness peers from her mattress, grey and nude, And stood on the last locked subconscient’s floor Where Being slept unconscious of its thoughts (Subconscient Self) And built the world not knowing what it built.” Savitri-231 14/ Book 2, Canto 9 - The Paradise Of The Life Gods A Brief Restatement: This Canto begins with the message of King Aswapati's movement of Consciousness between the Psychic and Spiritual planes. “A lustre of some rapturous Infinite, It held in the splendour of its golden laugh Regions of the heart’s happiness set free, (Psychic) Intoxicated with the wine of God, (Spiritual) Immersed in light, perpetually divine.” Savitri-233 In this Book-2, Canto-9, King Aswapati, entered a higher world in cosmic Consciousness, ('As one who sees in the World-Magician’s glass.' (Savitri-234) 'Around him shone a great felicitous Day' (Savitri-233)) known as Overmind. The Canto indicates that one can enter this higher cosmic Consciousness either through the Psychic being (And make the heart wide as infinity (Savitri-235)) or through the Spiritual Being (And lay on the breast of universal love (Savitri-233)) or through the movement of both the Selves. (A touch supreme surprised his hurrying heart.(Savitri-237)) "In sudden moments of revealing flame, In passionate responses half-unveiled He reached the rim of ecstasies unknown; A touch supreme surprised his hurrying heart, The clasp was remembered of the Wonderful, And hints leaped down of white beatitudes." Savitri-236-237 This Overmental world is free from fear, grief, shocks of fate, adverse circumstances, free from our body’s poor health ‘inviting death,’ (Savitri-233) and free ‘from our danger-zone of stumbling Will.’ (Savitri-233) There pain transformed into potent joy, no presence of lower Nature to terminate endless charm, desire and personal will transformed into omnipotent flame, pleasure had the stature of God, dream walked in the highway of stars, and sweet common action, thought and feeling turned into miracle. The mental foreknowledge transformed into the ecstatic truth of triple time, trikaladristi. King’s anguish of the Soul, long strife in the subconscient night and wounded limbs suffered during the war with Inconscient dark forces were healed quickly and recompensed with calm and peace, Spiritual ease, celestial rest and sorrowless hours in this higher plane. "And, lapped in a magic flood of sorrowless hours, Healed were his warrior nature’s wounded limbs In the encircling arms of Energies That brooked no stain and feared not their own bliss." Savitri-235 Finally, King entered a Supramental world where he met the forms that divinise the sight, heard the music that can immortalise the mind, received Wisdom that newly makes the universe, harboured power that can reconcile Spirit with Matter, the cells of the body experienced nectar-cup of the Absolute and extreme delight that could shatter mortal cells. Thus, Immortality captured Time and Space and carried forward the rhythm of all life. "It shrank no more from the supreme demand Of an untired capacity for bliss, A might that could explore its own infinite And beauty and passion and the depths’ reply Nor feared the swoon of glad identity (Samadhi experience) Where spirit and flesh in inner ecstasy join Annulling the quarrel between self and shape." Savitri-236 “A giant drop of the Bliss unknowable Overwhelmed his limbs and round his soul became A fiery ocean of felicity; He foundered drowned in sweet and burning vasts: The dire delight that could shatter mortal flesh, (The experience of cellular transformation.) The rapture that the gods sustain he bore.” Savitri-237 OM TAT SAT The Most Important Secret of this chapter: “A scale of sense that climbed with fiery feet To heights of unimagined happiness, Recast his being’s aura in joy-glow, His body glimmered like a skiey shell; His gates to the world were swept with seas of light. ” Savitri-236 15/ Book 2, Canto 10 - The Kingdoms and Godheads of the Little Mind A Brief Restatement: In this Book-2, Canto-10, King Aswapati, entered the triple world of ‘little mind tied to little things,’ known as physical mind or tamasic mind, vital mind or rajasic mind, and intellect or sattwic mind. What is pigmy Tamasic (Physical) Mind? The normal waking state is dominated by the physical mind, which is the assured base, close to earthly nature, first status of slow ascent and lowest sub-plane of intellect, the starting point of the movement of that apparent material world. It contradicts and opposes the vital mind by inertia, indolence and dullness and intellect by narrowness, precarious thought, ignorance and obscurity. “At its low extremity held difficult sway A mind that hardly saw and slowly found; Its nature to our earthly nature close And kin to our precarious mortal thought That looks from soil to sky and sky to soil But knows not the below nor the beyond, [Physical mind is not aware of the truth of the existence in Subconscient and Superconscient planes.] It only sensed itself and outward things.” Savitri-239 “The slow process of a material mind Which serves the body it should rule and use And needs to lean upon an erring sense, Was born in that luminous obscurity.” Savitri-240 "A twilight sage whose shadow seems to him self,” Savitri-240 “One sees it (physical mind) circling faithful to its task, Tireless in an assigned tradition’s round; In decayed and crumbling offices of Time It keeps close guard in front of custom’s wall, Or in an ancient Night’s dim environs It dozes on a little courtyard’s stones And barks at every unfamiliar light As at a foe who would break up its home, A watch-dog of the spirit’s sense-railed house Against intruders from the Invisible, Nourished on scraps of life and Matter’s bones In its kennel of objective certitude.” Savitri-246 What is the muddy and deceptive Rajasic (Vital) Mind? The man’s vital mind is an instrument of desire, the troubled seed of things, which hunts after unrealised possibilities, burns all hearts with ambiguous fire, enlarges always passion and craving, creates dissatisfaction, an unrest, a seeking for something more than what life seems able to give it, a constant demand for more and always more, a quest for new worlds to conquer, an incessant drive towards an exceeding of the bounds of circumstance and a self-exceeding. It is not satisfied with physical and objective enjoyment only but seeks to a subjective, imaginative, a purely emotive satisfaction, enjoyment and pleasure, which are dependent on external things, external sense contacts and concerned with the practical, the immediately realizable and possible events, the habitual, the common and average. “Thence sprang the burning vision of Desire . A thousand shapes it wore, took numberless names: A need of multitude and uncertainty Pricks it for ever to pursue the One On countless roads across the vasts of Time Through circuits of unending difference. It burns all breasts with an ambiguous fire.” Savitri-247 "Ardent to find, incapable to retain, A brilliant instability was its mark, To err its inborn trend, its native cue." Savitri-248 What is the purposeful and laborious Sattwic Mind (Intellect)? Mind is essentially the faculty of Supermind, which measures and limits and fixes a particular centre for cosmic movement and action and only very indirectly and partially illumined and it can look upward and receive the Supramental communication and passes it on to the other lower members. And since man is a mental being, so thought is at least his most constant, normal, immediate and effective means for enlightening his Ignorance. “In her high works of pure intelligence, In her withdrawal from the senses’ trap, There comes no breaking of the walls of mind, There leaps no rending flash of absolute power, There dawns no light of heavenly certitude.” Savitri-251 “In this small mould of infant mind and sense Desire is a child-heart’s cry crying for bliss, Our reason only a toys’ artificer, A rule-maker in a strange stumbling game. But she her dwarf aides knew whose confident sight A bounded prospect took for the far goal.” Savitri-257 “Reason cannot tear off that glimmering mask, Her efforts only make it glimmer more; In packets she ties up the Indivisible; Finding her hands too small to hold vast Truth She breaks up knowledge into alien parts Or peers through cloud-rack for a vanished sun:” Savitri-257 To liberate life and Nature from their narrow, false and divisible consciousness is a difficult task of an integral Yogi or supramental man. Sri Aurobindo observed them as three dwarfs, bound in a golden chain. The Gita recommends them as three asuras and defines amply the Nature of these three Gunas . The Gita proposes new static methods for developing Souls and Sri Aurobindo proposes dynamic Supramental method to go beyond their influence. And in fact, both methods are to be combined to eradicate their influence. The Gita’s method: “Sattwa must be transcended as well as rajas and tamas ; the golden chain must be broken no less than the leaden fetters and the bond-ornaments of a mixed alloy. The Gita prescribes to this end a new method of self-discipline . It is to stand back in oneself from the action of the modes and observe this unsteady flux as the Witness seated above the surge of the forces of Nature. He watches but is impartial and indifferent, aloof from them on their own level and in his native posture high above them. As they rise and fall in their waves, the Witness looks, and observes, but neither accepts nor for the moment interferes with their course. First, there must be the freedom of the impersonal Witness; afterward there can be the control of the Master, the Ishwara. ” CWSA/21/The Synthesis of Yoga-238 Integral Yoga's method: “The Supermind had descended long ago—very long ago—into the mind and even into the vital: it was working in the physical also but indirectly through those intermediaries. The question was about the direct action of the Supermind in the physical. Sri Aurobindo said it could be possible only if the physical mind received the supramental light: the physical mind was the instrument for direct action upon the most material. This physical mind receiving the supramental light Sri Aurobindo called the Mind of Light… As soon as Sri Aurobindo withdrew from his body, what he has called the Mind of Light got realised in me.” The Mother/29 June 1953/The Mother’s Centenary Works/13/62-63, The Synthesis of Yoga book proposes that not only we will go beyond the Gunas but also reconcile the higher nature of Para-prakriti with the lower nature of three gunas of Apara-prakriti and higher nature can penetrate the lower Nature in order to transform the lower nature. “When we break out from ego and physical mind into the infinity of the spirit, we still see the world and others as the mind has accustomed us to see them, as names and forms; only in our new experience of the direct and superior reality of spirit, they lose that direct objective reality and that indirect subjective reality of their own which they had to the mind. They seem to be quite the opposite of the truer reality we now experience; our mentality, stilled and indifferent, no longer strives to know and make real to itself those intermediate terms which exist in them as in us and the knowledge of which has for its utility to bridge over the gulf between the spiritual self and the objective phenomena of the world.” (CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga-442) “But it is also possible to make this silence of the mind and ability to suspend the habits of the lower nature a first step towards the discovery of a superior formulation, a higher grade of the status and energy of our being and pass by an ascent and transformation into the supramental power of the spirit. And this may even, though with more difficulty, be done without resorting to the complete state of quietude of the normal mind by a persistent and progressive transformation of all the mental into their greater corresponding supramental powers and activities.” (CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga-758-759) The Synthesis of Yoga book proposes another method in addition to the Gita’s method by which one can go beyond three gunas . “There is nothing to be done with this fickle, restless, violent and disturbing factor but to get rid of it (physical mind) whether (1) by detaching it and then reducing it to stillness or (2) by giving a concentration and singleness to the thought by which it will of itself reject this alien and confusing element." (CWSA/23/The Synthesis of Yoga-314) “Tamas in the spiritual being becomes a divine calm, which is not an inertia and incapacity of action, but a perfect power, sakti, holding in itself all its capacity and capable of controlling and subjecting to the law of calm even the most stupendous and enormous activity: rajas becomes a self-effecting initiating sheer Will of the spirit, which is not desire, endeavour, striving passion, but the same perfect power of being, sakti , capable of an infinite, imperturbable and blissful action. Sattwa becomes not the modified mental light, prakasa , but the self-existent light of the divine being, jyotih ., which is the soul of the perfect power of being and illumines in their unity the divine quietude and the divine will of action.” (CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga-689) “This process (of Spiritual transformation) may be rapid or tardy according to the amount of obscurity and resistance still left in the nature, but it goes on unfalteringly so long as it is not complete. As a final result the whole conscious being is made perfectly apt for spiritual experience of every kind, turned towards spiritual truth of thought, feeling, sense, action, tuned to the right responses, delivered from the darkness and stubbornness of the tamasic inertia, the turbidities and turbulences and impurities of the rajasic passion and restless unharmonised kinetism, the enlightened rigidities and sattwic limitations or poised balancements of constructed equilibrium which are the character of the Ignorance.” (CWSA-22/The Life Divine-941,) The Gita confirms that Intellect has the capacity to enter partial union with the Divine, buddhi grahyam atindriyam. Savitri book confirms that this partial Divine union will not be able to discern truth from falsehood which is again a partial truth. The two characters in Savitri, Death and Savitri’s birth mother were having the partial realisation of the Divine but both were advocates of Soul-slaying Truth. In this Canto we can carefully note this line, mind “Denied the (Soul saving) Truth that transient (Soul slaying) truths might live.” (Savitri-244) Again this Soul-slaying truth will not be able to remove the ‘twilight thought’ from tamasic, rajasic and sattwic mind which seems to be one of the affirmative conditions in confronting Death . However, the study of the whole Nature of the tamasic mind, rajasic mind and sattwic mind is very crucial to begin traditional Yoga and continuing the integral Yoga. In order to pursue the sadhana , Arjuna wanted to know from the Lord, the vivid description of the whole nature of three gunas . In this Canto, we observe three solutions of Psychic transformation, Psychic and Spiritual transformation and Supramental transformation of the triple mind. They are: Psychic Transformation: We will have to remember that Divine wisdom does not visit man as a guest from outside but it is slowly accumulated from within through the blows of life. Similarly, Divine Love does not visit as a guest from outside but it evolves from within from the disgust of precarious human relation and human love. Both Love and Wisdom are necessary for the fulfillment of life. "For knowledge comes not to us as a guest Called into our chamber from the outer world; A friend and inmate of our secret self, It hid behind our minds and fell asleep And slowly wakes beneath the blows of life; The mighty daemon lies unshaped within, To evoke, to give it form is Nature’s task." Savitri-244 “A greater Mind may see a greater Truth, Or we may find when all the rest has failed Hid in ourselves the key of perfect change.” Savitri-256 Psychic and Spiritual Transformation: " Above in a high breathless stratosphere, Overshadowing the dwarfish trinity, Lived, aspirants to a limitless Beyond, Captives of Space, walled by the limiting heavens, In the unceasing circuit of the hours Yearning for the straight paths of eternity, And from their high station looked down on this world Two sun-gaze Daemons witnessing all that is. " Savitri-258 Supramental Transformation: " A fire shall come out of the infinitudes, A greater Gnosis shall regard the world Crossing out of some far omniscience On lustrous seas from the still rapt Alone To illumine the deep heart of self and things. ” Savitri-258 OM TAT SAT The Most Important Secret of this chapter: “Accustomed to a blue infinity, (Overmental infinity or preliminary Supramental) It (Overmind) planed in sunlit sky and starlit air; It saw afar the unreached Immortal’s home And heard afar the voices of the Gods.” Savitri-258 “Iconoclast and shatterer of Time’s forts, Overleaping limit and exceeding norm, It (Supramental) lit the thoughts that glow through the centuries And moved to acts of superhuman force.” Savitri-259 16/ Book 2, Canto 11 - The Kingdoms And Godheads Of The Greater Mind A Brief Restatement: This Canto appears to be the continuation of previous Canto, where the King standing on the Overmental Cosmic Consciousness ' saw afar the unreached Immortal’s home And heard afar the voices of the Gods.' (Savitri-258) The King enters the triple planes of Cosmic Consciousness through 'meditation's mounting edge of trance' (Savitri-264) and from a long distance 'he saw the joining' of lower and higher hemispheres. Here the Higher, Illumined and Intuitive minds are universalised and meet the godheads of those Superconscient worlds, who are respectively 'mighty wardens,' 'subtle archangel race' and 'sovereign Kings of Thought.' The universalised Higher and universalised Illumined Minds get their source from the universal Intuitive plane which in turn is sourced from the fourth plane of 'bright Gods' (Savitri-274) of Overmind. The key difference between these higher triple planes and our (lower) mind is that in these former planes, one does not grope around in the darkness and twilight planes or infer conclusions from various pieces of data. These triple planes allow for direct form, visions and flashes of the Truth to be reflected more clearly and truly and therefore less subject to the floundering seen in the triple lower mortal mind. But even these higher planes do not capture the whole Truth, only some fragments of it. In these triple realms, there is harmony, truth and courage. The triple realms are: (1) 'small beginning of immense ascent;' (Savitri-264) (2) 'a light of liberating knowledge;' (Savitri-268) (3) 'wide summit of triple stair' (Savitri-271) respectively. Let us meet the Godheads or emanations of these triple planes with their ascending capacity: Godheads of Universalised Higher Mind: " The mighty wardens of the ascending stair Who intercede with the all-creating Word, There waited for the pilgrim heaven-bound soul; Holding the thousand keys of the Beyond They proffered their knowledge to the climbing mind And filled the life with Thought’s immensities." Savitri-265 "Iridescent, bodying the invisible, The guardians of the Eternal’s bright degrees Fronted the Sun in radiant phalanxes. Afar they seemed a symbol imagery, Illumined originals of the shadowy script In which our sight transcribes the ideal Ray, Or icons figuring a mystic Truth, But, nearer, Gods and living Presences." Savitri-265 "In front of the ascending epiphany World-Time’s enjoyers, favourites of World-Bliss, The Masters of things actual, lords of the hours, Playmates of youthful Nature and child God, Creators of Matter by hid stress of Mind Whose subtle thoughts support unconscious Life And guide the fantasy of brute events, Stood there, a race of young keen-visioned gods , King-children born on Wisdom’s early plane, Taught in her school world-making’s mystic play." Savitri-266 Godheads of Universalised Illumined Mind: "Above stood ranked a subtle archangel race With larger lids and looks that searched the unseen. A light of liberating knowledge shone Across the gulfs of silence in their eyes; They lived in the mind and knew truth from within; A sight withdrawn in the concentrated heart Could pierce behind the screen of Time’s results And the rigid cast and shape of visible things." Savitri-268 Godheads of Universalised Intuitive Mind: "August and few the sovereign Kings of Thought Have made of Space their wide all-seeing gaze Surveying the enormous work of Time: A breadth of all-containing Consciousness Supported Being in a still embrace. Intercessors with a luminous Unseen, They capt in the long passage to the world The imperatives of the creator Self Obeyed by unknowing earth, by conscious heaven; Their thoughts are partners in its vast control." Savitri-271 Overmind and the bright Godheads: Here we find the universalised consciousness where the relation of Jivatma with Paraprakriti is established and it is described in the following symbolic language. Through the descent of D ivine Mother's touch, the mortal head is illumined and a golden nimbus becomes visible surrounding the head. "Or as a lover clasps his one beloved, Godhead of his life’s worship and desire, Icon of his heart’s sole idolatry, She now is his and must live for him alone: She has invaded him with her sudden bliss,... Incarnating her beauty in his clasp She gave for a brief kiss her immortal lips And drew to her bosom one glorified mortal head : She made earth her home, for whom heaven was too small. In a human breast her occult presence lived; He carved from his own self his figure of her: She shaped her body to a mind’s embrace." Savitri-274-275 Paraprakriti is here the Divine Mother and the 'The whole world lives in a lonely ray of her sun.' (Savitri-276) If a Sadhak will 'Dare to surrender to her absolute' (Savitri-276) then a new Manifestation will take place. Even he adores her to possess her Divinity, 'But she remains herself and infinite' (Savitri-276) or 'A distance severed her from those most close.' (Savitri-366) This Canto projects a Sadhak as 'citizens of that mother State' (Savitri-262) or Spiritual fosterer and his Soul as 'Immaculate in white virginity.' (Savitri-274) In order to adventure into 'Matter's night' he must have Kshetriya Soul force in his frontal nature. “Its (Spirit’s) wings can dare to cross the Infinite.” Savitri-260 "Our spirits break free from their environment; The future brings its face of miracle near, Its godhead looks at us with present eyes; Acts deemed impossible grow natural; We feel the hero’s immortality; The courage and the strength death cannot touch Awake in limbs that are mortal, hearts that fail; We move by the rapid impulse of a will That scorns the tardy trudge of mortal time." Savitri-262 “Ourselves are citizens of that mother State Adventurers, we have colonised Matter’s night.” Savitri-262 “These (God-born strength) dared to grasp with their thought Truth’s absolute;” Savitri-272 “Dare to surrender to her absolute.” Savitri-276 “At each moment willed or adventure of the soul,” Savitri-266 “It (Supermind) casts on our world its great crowned influences, Its speed that outstrips the ambling of the hours, Its force that strides invincibly through Time, Its mights that bridge the gulf twixt man and God, Its (Supermind) lights that combat Ignorance and Death.” Savitri-261 In addition to Kshetriya Soul Force, Spiritual life prohibits earthly enjoyments and rest and proposes ceaseless action by uniting with the Divine and ceaseless descent of Divine Wisdom and Love. The ultimate vision is to call down the Supreme Lord and His magic Will in its entirety that can break down all established laws, all the limitations of mortal life instantly; search for that fire of Love which can bring dead back to life; that Power which can cancel the things once done; that supreme Consciousness which can arrest the advance of time and slipping moments (“No silent peak is found where Time can rest.” Savitri-197) and that Bliss which can persuade the past perfect hours to live again with greater intensity or 'A new charm brings back the old extreme delight.' (Savitri-275) Adventure into Supramental consciousness promises endless new discoveries in the material world, endless opulence, beauty and harmony in the surrounding world. It also promises to put pressure on common man or on humanity to reveal their Soul. This Canto also gives the message that the Sadhak must also have the highest Brahmin Soul force in his frontal Nature which is a ceaseless rejection of falsehood and ceaseless acceptance of overhead Truth. This Canto hints at the establishment of Soul-saving Truth which alone can replace the Soul-slaying truth of three gunas . “The Spirit’s truths take form as living Gods” Savitri-261 “Of a truth that sees in an unerring light” Savitri-261 “A memory steals in from lost heavens of Truth,” Savitri-263 “In our unknown depths sleeps their reserve of truth,” Savitri-263 “Answers Truth’s call as to a parent’s voice” Savitri-264 “A happiness it brings of whispered truth;” Savitri-264 “The flame-bright hierarchs of the divine Truth” Savitri-265 “Or icons figuring a mystic Truth,” Savitri-265 “They lived in the mind and knew truth from within” Savitri-268 “And theoricians of unknowable truths,” Savitri-268 “Truths they could find and hold but not the one (Supreme) Truth” Savitri-271 “A Truth-gaze shapes its beings and events;” Savitri-271 “Even Nature’s ignorance is Truth’s instrument;” Savitri-272 “Mystic, ineffable is the spirit’s truth,” Savitri-272 “This greater Truth is foreign to our thoughts;” Savitri-272 “And hoped to conquer Truth’s supernal base.” Savitri-273 “In transparent systems bodied termless truths,” Savitri-273 “This they have planned, to snare the feet of Truth” Savitri-274 “But thought nor word can seize eternal Truth: The whole world lives in a lonely ray of her sun Truth smiled upon the gracious golden game” Savitri-275 “A king of truth upon his separate throne.” Savitri-275 “For Truth is wider, greater than her forms.” Savitri-276 This Canto also makes us aware of our limitations and makes us accountable towards Divine life: “We see not what small figure of her (Para-prakriti) we hold; We feel not her inspiring boundlessness, We share not her immortal liberty. Thus is it even with the seer and sage For still the human limits the divine:” Savitri-276 “To account for the Actual’s unaccountable sum,” Savitri-269 “Its values weighed by the accountant Mind,” Savitri-270 This Canto deals only with higher planes of Consciousness and gives importance to live a life in extreme happiness and joy. Thus ' Joy dares to grow upon forbidden soil.' (Savitri-630). This is also a condition to meet and confront with world’s Ignorance, Falsehood, Suffering and Death. "A happiness it brings of whispered truth; There runs in its flow honeying the bosom of Space A laughter from the immortal heart of Bliss, And the unfathomed Joy of timelessness, The sound of Wisdom’s murmur in the Unknown And the breath of an unseen Infinity." Savitri-264 OM TAT SAT The Most Important Secret of this chapter: “A gold supernal sun of timeless Truth Poured down the mystery of the eternal Ray Through a silence quivering with the word of Light On an endless ocean of discovery.” Savitri-264 “Of throbbing new discovery without end.” Savitri-275 “The All-containing was contained in form, Oneness was carved into units measurable, The limitless built into a cosmic sum: Unending Space was beaten into a curve, Indivisible Time into small minutes cut, The infinitesimal massed to keep secure The mystery of the Formless cast into form.” Savitri-266-67 “A breadth of all-containing Consciousness Supported Being in a still embrace…. A great all-ruling Consciousness is there…” Savitri-271 “The secret power in the inconscient depths, Compelling the blinded Godhead to emerge,” Savitri-272 (Discovery of Inconscient Self.) 17/ Book 2, Canto 12 - The Heavens Of Ideal A Brief Restatement: This Book-2, Canto-12, gives the account of King Aswapati’s Psychic being’s ascent to Spiritual and Supramental height, hence this ascent is identified as Purusha yajna or Vedantic sacrifice. "It left known summits for the unknown peaks:" Savitri-277 "Its worlds are steps of an ascending Force:" Savitri-280 "Only the Eternal’s strength in us can dare To attempt the immense adventure of that climb And the sacrifice of all we cherish here." Savitri-280 Here we find an account of the movement of Consciousness in higher planes of Consciousness, particularly in between Psychic and Spiritual plane. "Each stage of the soul’s remote ascent was built Into a constant heaven felt always here." Savitri-277 This Canto also gives hint of opening of Chakras of King Aswapati from above the head moving downward as Divine Shakti . The traditional Yoga gives importance of opening of Chakras or energy centres from below and asks the physical presence of Guru in order to avoid the possibility of Spiritual fall. The opening of Chakras as proposed in integral Yoga is safe and need not depend on the Physical presence of Guru . The descending Shakti will purify mind, vital and body and finally descend to Subconscient and Inconscient plane for purification and transformation. “Our hidden centres of celestial force Open like flowers to a heavenly atmosphere; Mind pauses thrilled with the supernal Ray, And even this transient body then can feel Ideal love and flawless happiness And laughter of the heart’s sweetness and delight Freed from the rude and tragic hold of Time, And beauty and the rhythmic feet of the hours.” Savitri-278 "A million lotuses swaying on one stem, World after coloured and ecstatic world Climbs towards some far unseen epiphany." Savitri-279 So the Yoga which begins with the movement of Consciousness between Psychic and Spiritual plane, replacing or superseding the earlier status of movement of consciousness between three gunas , will culminate with the movement of Consciousness between Inconscient and Supramental plane. “Above the spirit cased in mortal sense Are superconscious realms of heavenly peace, Below, the Inconscient’s sullen dim abyss, Between, behind our life, the deathless Rose.” Savitri-277-278 Thus, King Aswapati prepared his body for cellular transformation. This is identified as the intermediate siddhi beyond Supramental of integral Yoga. “A fiery stillness wakes the slumbering cells , A passion of the flesh becoming spirit, And marvellously is fulfilled at last The miracle for which our life was made.” Savitri-278 We also observe in this Canto the reconciliation of Divine Will, Divine Knowledge and Divine Love through the movement of Consciousness. They become one and further ‘Aspired to reach the Being’s absolute.’(Savitri-279). This sense of Oneness with all existence is a movement towards Cosmic and Supramental Consciousness and the King met in those planes ‘radiant children of Eternity’ (Savitri-282) who can assist a Sadhaka to establish himself in that plane. This Canto also confirms a Sadhak that Spiritual fall can be avoided if Karma Yoga is reconciled with Jnana Yoga . "Happy the worlds that have not felt our fall , Where Will is one with Truth and Good with Power ; Impoverished not by earth-mind’s indigence, They keep God’s natural breath of mightiness, His bare spontaneous swift intensities; There is his great transparent mirror, Self, And there his sovereign autarchy of bliss In which immortal natures have their part, Heirs and cosharers of divinity." Savitri-281 "There is the secrecy of the House of Flame, The blaze of godlike thought and golden bliss, The rapt idealism of heavenly sense; There are the wonderful voices, the sun-laugh, A gurgling eddy in rivers of God’s joy, And the mysteried vineyards of the gold moon-wine, All the fire and sweetness of which hardly here A brilliant shadow visits mortal life." Savitri-279 OM TAT SAT The Important Secret of this chapter: “It longed for the Light that knows not death and birth. Each stage of the soul’s remote ascent was built Into a constant heaven felt always here.” Savitri-277 “A fiery stillness wakes the slumbering cells, A passion of the flesh becoming spirit, And marvellously is fulfilled at last The miracle for which our life was made. A flame in a white voiceless cupola Is seen and faces of immortal light, The radiant limbs that know not birth and death, The breasts that suckle the first-born of the Sun, The wings that crowd thought’s ardent silences, The eyes that look into spiritual Space.” Savitri-278 The More Important Secret of this chapter: “There is the secrecy of the House of Flame (Agni), (Psychic being) The blaze of godlike thought and golden bliss, The rapt idealism of heavenly sense; There are the wonderful voices, the sun-laugh, A gurgling eddy in rivers of God’s joy, And the mysteried vineyards of the gold moon-wine, All the fire and sweetness of which hardly here A brilliant shadow visits mortal life.” Savitri-279 The Most Important Secret of this chapter: "Yet were there regions where these absolutes met And made a circle of bliss with married hands; Light stood embraced by light, fire wedded fire, But none in the other would his body lose To find his soul in the world’s single Soul, A multiplied rapture of infinity." Savitri-281-282 18/ Book 2, Canto 13 - In The Self Of Mind A Brief Restatement: The Book-2, Canto-13 concentrates on King Aswapati’s full opening of intermediate static Spiritual Being and its relation with dynamic Psychic Being below and dynamic Supramental Being above. It also hints that the most important Psychic being of integral Yoga is partly fulfilled by union with Spiritual Being and fully satisfied with the union with Supramental Being. "Then suddenly a luminous finger fell On all things seen or touched or heard or felt And showed his mind that nothing could be known; That must be reached from which all knowledge comes." Savitri-284 While a Static Spiritual being is indifferent to world problems, its intervention in life reduces desire, personal will, ego, attachment, dualities and action of three gunas. This Canto does not concentrate on the dynamic Spiritual being which is also known as Cosmic Consciousness and its action is more described in the next Canto, Book 2, Canto-14. The Nature of Spiritual Being is ‘Mighty calm,’ ‘immobile calm,’ ‘wordless peace,’ ‘deep peace,’ indifferent to victory and defeat, ‘vast quietism,’ 'creator Mind,' ‘a wide and witness Self,’ 'a shadow' of Supramental light, ‘a pale front of the Unknowable’ Supermind, ‘blank and still.’ Spiritual being can trace a passage of brief Supramental touch, which gives input to explore more on the subject. They are described as That, sceptic Ray, Superconscient Sun, convicting beam, nameless Force, mighty Mother, white passion of God-ecstasy, boundless heart of Love, and ‘A greater Spirit.’ "Our sweet and mighty Mother was not there Who gathers to her bosom her children’s lives, Her clasp that takes the world into her arms In the fathomless rapture of the Infinite, The Bliss that is creation’s splendid grain Or the white passion of God-ecstasy That laughs in the blaze of the boundless heart of Love. A greater Spirit than the Self of Mind (the greater Spirit is Supermind.) Must answer to the questioning of his soul." Savitri-286-287 This Canto also proposes to become immortal by constantly renewing the mortality though the Spiritual Being is unable to confront Death in the inconscient plane. "Two firmaments of darkness and of light Opposed their limits to the spirit’s walk; It moved veiled in from Self’s infinity In a world of beings and momentary events Where all must die to live and live to die. Immortal by renewed mortality," Savitri-287-288 Finally, the Canto proposes that if one will remain in the world he will have to live in the prison of ego, and if he will activate the Spiritual being it will find a passage to extinction and escape from this world. "To be was a prison, extinction the escape." (Savitri-288) So, we have to go beyond the Spiritual Mind in order to discover the dynamic Spirit and a comprehensive solution to the world's problems. OM TAT SAT The Important Secret of this chapter: “Where Silence listened to the cosmic Voice, But answered nothing to a million calls; The soul’s endless question met with no response.” Savitri-283 “Silence (of Spiritual Being), the mystic birthplace of the soul (Psychic Being).” Savitri-287 (A psychic being’s silence is a suffusion from a Spiritual being.) “The Silence knew itself and thought took form:” Savitri-284 “There (state of equality) he could stay, the Self, the Silence won: His soul had peace, it knew the cosmic Whole.” Savitri-284 (cosmic consciousness) 19/ Book 2, Canto 14 - The World-Soul A Brief Restatement: This Book-2, Canto-14 represents King Aswapati’s Spiritual experience of cosmic Self which is the same as the dynamic state of the Spiritual being, all this existence is Brahman of the Gita (Vasudevah Sarvamiti) (The Gita-7.19) , Para Prakriti or the Divine Mother of Tantra . This dynamic Spiritual being also has the capacity to travel in all the ten planes of Consciousness or multiple subtle bodies for purification, transformation and perfection. Or "The spirit wandering from state to state" (Savitri-294) This is also identified as the preliminary stair of the Supermind where the World, Self and Divine are reconciled. This is also the state of Consciousness, which is the outcome of Jivatma’s Divine union with the Para-Prakriti , who holds together this whole universe, jagat dharayete (The Gita-7.5). "Above them all she stands supporting all, The sole omnipotent Goddess ever-veiled Of whom the world is the inscrutable mask; The ages are the footfalls of her tread, Their happenings the figure of her thoughts, And all creation is her endless act. His spirit was made a vessel of her force; Mute in the fathomless passion of his will He outstretched to her his folded hands of prayer." Savitri-295 In all the previous Cantos, King Aswapati had the experience of Cosmic Consciousness, but in this Canto his cosmic Self is Supramentalised and the Divine revealed himself in his personal form. The King's Consciousness continues to move between the universal and transcendent Self. "An incense floated in the quivering air, A mystic happiness trembled in the breast As if the invisible Beloved had come Assuming the sudden loveliness of a face And close glad hands could seize his fugitive feet And the world change with the beauty of a smile." Savitri-290 In Cosmic Consciousness, Matter and Spirit are reconciled and all negations of material life is Divinised by the universal Spirit’s touch. They are: “One who could love without return for love (Divine Love), Meeting and turning to the best the worst, It healed the bitter cruelties of earth, Transforming all experience to delight; Intervening in the sorrowful paths of birth It rocked the cradle of the cosmic Child And stilled all weeping with its hand of joy; It led things evil towards their secret good, It turned racked falsehood into happy truth; Its power was to reveal divinity.” Savitri-291 This Canto proposes a Sadhak on how to enter relation with other Souls by activation of the cosmic Self. Here, the subtle touch of one soul with another soul is given much importance by extension and universalisation of subtle body and a touch of gross 'bodies were needed not' (Savitri-292) to establish this Divine Love. "Life was not there, but an impassioned force, Finer than fineness, deeper than the deeps, Felt as a subtle and spiritual power, A quivering out from soul to answering soul, A mystic movement, a close influence, A free and happy and intense approach Of being to being with no screen or check, Without which life and love could never have been. Body was not there, for bodies were needed not, The soul itself was its own deathless form And met at once the touch of other souls Close, blissful, concrete, wonderfully true." Savitri-292 This Cosmic Self is the home and training ground of dead Souls through internatal trance and one enters the right relation with the world, fellow brothers, dead kith and kin and material things through direct contact with this higher consciousness. "In trance they (dead Souls) gathered back their bygone selves, In a background memory’s foreseeing muse Prophetic of new personality Arranged the map of their coming destiny’s course: Heirs of their past, their future’s discoverers, Electors of their own self-chosen lot, They waited for the adventure of new life." Savitri-293 "The (dead) spirit wandering from state to state Finds here (Cosmic Self) the silence of its starting-point In the formless force and the still fixity And brooding passion of the world of Soul... Ever they (Dead Souls) change and changing ever grow, And passing through a fruitful stage of death And after long reconstituting sleep Resume their place in the process of the Gods Until their work in cosmic Time is done." Savitri-294 In this cosmic Consciousness, the King Aswapati was able to have direct personal contact with the supreme Lord and supreme Mother and Their dual relation, which uplifted the King’s consciousness to the status of Avatara . "His soul passed on, a single conscious power, Towards the end which ever begins again, Approaching through a stillness dumb and calm To the source of all things human and divine. There he beheld in their mighty union’s poise The figure of the deathless Two-in-One, A single being in two bodies clasped, A diarchy of two united souls, Seated absorbed in deep creative joy; Their trance of bliss sustained the mobile world." Savitri-295 OM TAT SAT The Most Important Secret of this chapter: “A flame that cancels death in mortal things.” Savitri-291 “Behind them in a morning dusk One stood (the Divine Mother – as the Transcendent Shakti) Who brought them forth from the Unknowable (the Supreme). Ever disguised she awaits the seeking spirit; Watcher on the supreme unreachable peaks, Guide of the traveller of the unseen paths, She guards the austere approach to the Alone.” Savitri-295 20/ Book 2, Canto 15 - The Kingdoms Of The Greater Knowledge A Brief Restatement: Book-2, Canto-15 gives the message of the Supramental plane, which becomes active after one is established in the movement of Consciousness between the Universal and the Transcendent Self which succeeds the movements of Consciousness between the waking trance of the Psychic and non-waking trance of the Spiritual plane. "He scanned the secrets of the Overmind, He bore the rapture of the Oversoul. A borderer of the empire of the Sun, Attuned to the supernal harmonies, He linked creation to the Eternal’s sphere." Savitri-302 A concentration on this Canto can give brief Supramental touch, brief Supramental silence, brief Supramental hope, and brief Supramental Peace. That will help to trace a unique path of our own. “A thousand roads leaped into Eternity... The Known released him (King ) from its limiting chain; He knocked at the doors of the Unknowable.’ (Savitri-298) This Canto hints that due to this Supramental influence; some Permanent changes were observed in King’s physical appearance. They are identified as: “A light was round him (King ) wide and absolute,” (Savitri-297) This change is also observed in Satyavan’s pursuit of Yoga in book-7. They are: “Above the cherished head of Satyavan She saw not now Fate’s dark and lethal orb; A golden circle round a mystic sun Disclosed to her new-born predicting sight” Savitri-533 During King's Psychic and Spiritual opening, he became a twice-born Soul and the first Psychic and second Spiritual reversal of Consciousness was experienced. So a Dvija can hold the Divine's Presence for a brief period and we mark King's this particular brief Spiritual experience and brief Supramental experience in the previous Book-2, Canto-5 and Book-1, Canto-3: “A new life dawns, he looks out from vistas wide; The Spirit’s breath moves him but soon retires: His strength was not made to hold that puissant guest.” Savitri-165 “Hardly for a moment glimpsed viewless to Mind, (Brief Supramental experience.) As if a torch held by a power of God, The radiant world of the everlasting Truth Glimmered like a faint star bordering the night Above the golden Overmind’s shimmering ridge.” Savitri-41 The King experienced another new birth and establishment in a third reversal of Consciousness during this Supramental opening: "In the kingdom of the Spirit’s power and light, As if one who arrived out of infinity’s womb He came new-born, infant and limitless And grew in the wisdom of the timeless Child; He was a vast that soon became a Sun." Savitri-301 In this context, we can note The Mother's following experience: " When we begin living the spiritual life, a reversal of consciousness takes place which for us is the proof that we have entered the spiritual life; well, yet another occurs when we enter the supramental world...And probably each time a new world opens up, there will again be a new reversal. This is why even our spiritual life, which is such a total reversal compared to ordinary life, seems something still so ... so totally different when compared to this supramental consciousness that the values are almost opposite....I can explain the phenomenon like this: successive reversals such that an EVER NEW richness of creation will take place from stage to stage, making whatever came before seem so poor in comparison. What to us seems supremely rich compared to our ordinary life, appears so poor compared to this new reversal of consciousness. Such was my experience." The Mother's Agenda-15.11.1958 We also observe in this Canto, the nature of Supramental action which complements earlier representations of Psychic and Spiritual action: “The greatness and wonder of its boundless works,” Savitri-298 “The glorious dream of their universal acts;” Savitri-298 “Its inexhaustible acts in a timeless Time,” Savitri-298 “And all creation is an act of light.” Savitri-298 “In that high realm where no untruth can come, Where all are different and all is one, In the Impersonal’s ocean without shore The Person in the World-Spirit anchored rode; It thrilled with the mighty marchings of World-Force, Its acts were the comrades of God’s infinite peace .” Savitri-301 “His finite parts approached their absolutes, His actions framed the movements of the Gods, His will took up the reins of cosmic Force.” Savitri-302 The above Supramental action also calls down the Supramental Wisdom and Supramental Love: “Here came the thought that passes beyond Thought, Here the still Voice which our listening cannot hear, The Knowledge by which the knower is the known, The Love in which beloved and lover are one.” Savitri-297-98 Supramental action makes a Sadhaka King, Leader and Captain of the team; Supramental wisdom makes him Scout guarding Truth’s ‘diamond purity’ (Savitri-297) and Pioneer of new Consciousness by tracing a new path; Supramental Love makes his life exceedingly joyful laughter and boundless self-giving. OM TAT SAT The Most Important Secret of this chapter: “A consciousness lay still, devoid of forms, Free, wordless, uncoerced by sign or rule, For ever content with only being and bliss; A sheer existence lived in its own peace On the single spirit’s bare and infinite ground.” Savitri-297 “A state in which all ceased and all began.” Savitri-297 (a state of Supramental Consciousness) “Out of the neutral silence of his soul He passed to its fields of puissance and of calm And saw the Powers that stand above the world, (the various Emanations of the Divine Mother) Traversed the realms of the supreme Idea And sought the summit of created things And the almighty source of cosmic change.” Savitri-298 “On peaks where Silence listens with still heart To the rhythmic metres of the rolling worlds, He served the sessions of the triple Fire.” Savitri-299, 21/ Book 3, Canto 1 - The Pursuit Of The Unknowable A Brief Restatement: In Book-3, Canto-1, King entered a state of consciousness beyond Supramental and this absolute static state of the Divine we may call as Bliss Self, Supreme Self, Turiya state, ' Uncreating, uncreated and unborn, The One by whom all live, who lives by none.' (Savitri-309) Its dynamic state is not revealed here. The King was able to enter this absolute plane after bridging the gulf between this world and the Supramental world, about which we get hints from the previous Book-1, Canto-3, Book-2, Canto-3, 5, 10, 11 and Book-3, Canto-1, 2. The narration is like this: “And sudden ecstasies from a world of bliss.” Savitri-31 (King Aswapati’s brief experience of Supreme Self.) “This world of bliss he (King Aswapati) saw and felt its call, But found no way to enter into its joy; Across the conscious gulf there was no bridge.” Savitri-128 “But now the Light supreme is far away:” Savitri-154 "It saw afar the unreached Immortal’s home And heard afar the voices of the Gods.' Savitri-258-259 "Far-off he saw the joining hemispheres." Savitri-264 “But who that mightiness was he knew not yet.” Savitri-306 “But what That was, no thought nor sight could tell.” Savitri-308 "And still the last inviolate secret hides Behind the human glory of a Form, Behind the gold eidolon of a Name. A large white line has figured as a goal, But far beyond the ineffable suntracks blaze: What seemed the source and end was a wide gate, A last bare step into eternity." Savitri-311 "Our greater self of knowledge waits for us, A supreme light in the truth-conscious Vast:” Savitri-484 (Savitri was preparing for this experience.) In the initial phase of the Sadhana, King was able to enter the last perfection (siddhi) of integral Yoga, known as Truth Supreme, but showed his inability to stay in that world for a longer period: “Upbuoyed upon winged winds of rapid joy, Upheld to a Light it could not always hold, It left mind’s distance from the Truth supreme And lost life’s incapacity for bliss.” Savitri-43-44 A similar difficulty is marked in Savitri's Spiritual experience of arriving at Supramental and Bliss Consciousness: "Then this too paused; the body seemed a stone. All now was a wide mighty vacancy, But still excluded from eternity’s hush; For still was far the repose of the Absolute And the ocean silence of Infinity." Savitri-543-544 A similar difficulty is observed in Satyavan's Sadhana while trying to bridge the gulf between this world and the Supramental world: "I lived in the ray but faced not to the sun. I looked upon the world and missed the Self, And when I found the Self, I lost the world, My other selves I lost and the body of God, The link of the finite with the Infinite, The bridge between the appearance and the Truth, The mystic aim for which the world was made, The human sense of Immortality. But now the gold link comes to me with thy feet And His gold sun has shone on me from thy face." Savitri-407-408 How can we enter this world of Bliss through the movement of Consciousness? Through the fourfold ladders of (1) waking Self, Virat , (2) subliminal Self, dream Self, Hiranyagarbha , (3) Supramental Self, Sleep Self, causal body, Susupti (4) Supreme Self, Turiya, the Consciousness of pure self-existence, we climb back through trance or deep meditation to this absolute Divine plane. More hints we can observe from this Canto:- 1) “Although more near to us than nearness’ self,… Hidden by its own works, it seemed far off, Impenetrable, occult, voiceless, obscure… Near, it retreated; far, it called him still.” Savitri-305 2) Without this Divine Presence, the world lived empty of its Mission, all things have no charm, no glory, no brightness, which can be compared as love after the beloved’s demise. (Savitri-305) 3) The Delight of this Supreme Self can satisfy life utterly. ‘Its absence left the greatest action dull, Its presence made the smallest (action) seem divine. When it was there heart’s abyss (desire Soul) was' (Savitri-305-306) fulfilled, purified, transformed and perfected. 4) When this Deity, the Anandamaya Purusha withdraws, the existence experiences dissolution or when the Psychic Being withdraws, the individual experiences the death of the body. During that period of dissolution the godlike fullness of Divine Instruments, Vibhutis, Avataras become the support of an impermanent scene. 5) The Canto proposes that to make the mind empty, vital silent and body plastic is the condition of continuous ascent of the Soul, continuous descent of Shakti and boundless change and further proposes to live like a newborn child or a zero formed where every hope and search must cease and nothing built could live. Then all the parts of Nature can transform into the image of Bliss Self. This is the adventure of Spirit within Matter’s Ignorance. Thus Spirit can hold the universe in the trance of its luminous insufficiency. 6) The separate Self or Psychic being must be Supramentalised by the invasion of the Supramental and Bliss Self and its sepatrative identity is lost and a Sadhak becomes egoless and becomes one with the Bliss Self or 'The separate self must melt or be reborn Into a Truth beyond the mind’s appeal.' (Savitri-307) By the influence of its Supreme Truth, the mind dies like a moth and one lives in a ‘fine and blissful Nothingness.’ (Savitri-307) 7) Before that supreme state all human glory, sweetness and harmony become unimportant and obsolete. Thus, by the attraction of this Supreme Self, the unsolved slow evolution of three gunas returns to its Divine Source from which all springs and all ceases. 8) The Supreme Self has no kinship with the dominant three gunas of the universe. Thus, in its vast consciousness, there is no external movement, no tamasic mind’s ignorant action, no rajasic mind’s indulgence in human love and no sattwic mind’s disinterested search for pure truth. All the false personalities born by the influence of three gunas perished before the nameless impersonal influence and oneness of the Supreme bliss Self. There remains only one Supreme Divine Mother without a second personality to substitute Her or “There was no second, it had no partner or peer; Only itself was real to itself.” (Savitri-308) This Oneness of pure existence is safe from the falsehood of ‘thought and mood’ and pure Consciousness is ‘unshared immortal bliss’ (Savitri-309) and dwelt alone, aloof, unique, bare and unutterably sole. This Being is formless, featureless, mute, occult, impenetrable, infinite, eternal, unthinkable and alone. 9) After the prolongation of this static realisation of the Supreme Self, King Aswapati became fit to meet the Dynamic state of the Divine Mother in Person or in Her personal embodied Form for a brief period, who alone can bridge the gulf between Matter and Spirit or Death and Immortality in their entirety. “All he had been and all towards which he grew Must now be left behind or else transform (by dynamisation of Supreme Self) Into a self of That which has no name.” Savitri-307 “A height was reached where nothing made could live, A line where every hope and search must cease Neared some intolerant bare Reality, A zero formed pregnant with boundless change .” Savitri-306 (This is the point at which Supreme Self is dynamised.) This Canto gives the message to a Sadhak that by realisation of static Supreme Self one will recoil from world problems and escape into the supreme Abode of Param Dham and by dynamisation of Supreme Self through prolongation of static realisation, the world problems can be resolved and untransformed Nature can be Divinised. OM TAT SAT The Most Important Secret of this chapter: “A cave of darkness guards the eternal Light.” Savitri-305 (Here eternal Light is the Subconscient and Inconscient Self) “Nothing could satisfy but its delight: Its (Supreme Self’s) absence left the greatest actions dull, Its presence made the smallest seem divine.” Savitri-305 22/ Book 3, Canto 2 - The Adoration Of The Divine Mother A Brief Restatement: The Book-3, Canto-2, begins with the vast static silence state of Supreme Self, Turiya , Bliss Self, and ends with its dynamisation. This initial dynamisation can abolish and swallow the burdening tamasic need, the rajasic sense urge and limited sattwic knowledge without transforming that life. In this state, ego is dead with boundless silence of the Supreme Self but oblivious of Supreme Self's Power and world transforming Mission. This realisation is an escape from life's problems and does not bring victory and crown of integral Yoga. This realisation does not define the mystery of Avatar's Divine birth and Divine action, leaving unbroken the 'last chapter's seal' and 'still the last inviolate secret' (Savitri-311) and 'last bare step' is hidden. By the pressure of static Supreme Self, 'The soul’s ignorance is slain but not the soul:' (Savitri-311) This hints that by activation of the static Supreme Self Ignorance and Falsehood can be destroyed but cannot be transformed. In the absolute silence of static supreme realisation, 'an absolute Power' sleeps and the Sadhak's task is to awaken the trance-bound Soul linked with this static realisation and 'make the world a vessel of Spirit's force' (Savitri-312) and mould the clay into 'God's perfect shape.' (Savitri-312) The dynamic state of the Supreme Self perfects the action of Psychic Being, Spiritual Being and Supramental Being; its influence reduces or silences the demand of desire Soul, it turns all parts of being towards a single-minded quest and single-minded opening towards the Divine Mother Consciousness and it establishes the Bliss Consciousness in all the parts of Being and Becoming. The King here meets the Supreme Mother or Creatrix Bliss Mother as: "A being of wisdom, power and delight, Even as a mother draws her child to her arms, Took to her breast Nature and world and soul.... The Power, the Light, the Bliss no word can speak Imaged itself in a surprising beam And built a golden passage to his heart Touching through him all longing sentient things." Savitri-312 "A Mother Might brooded upon the world; A Consciousness revealed its marvellous front Transcending all that is, denying none:” Savitri-313 "The undying Truth appeared, the enduring Power Of all that here is made and then destroyed, The Mother of all godheads and all strengths Who, mediatrix, binds earth to the Supreme." Savitri-313 "The Formless and the Formed were joined in her: Immensity was exceeded by a look, A Face revealed the crowded Infinite." Savitri-314 The speciality of successive Canto (II and III) is the manifestation of the Supreme Self's dynamic Divine Love which can transform by slaying the desire Soul surrounding Psychic being and can transform the darkness of Subconscient and Inconscient sheaths. King Aswapati was able to transform the desire Soul represented by tamasic, rajasic and sattwic mind by elevating his consciousness to the Bliss Self and dynamising it (“The soul’s ignorance (desire Soul) is slain but not the soul:” Savitri-311, “Now other claims (of desire Soul) had hushed in him their cry:" Savitri-316,): “The covering Nescience was unmasked and slain;” Savitri-313, “To err no more was natural to mind; Wrong could not come where all was light and love.” Savitri-313-14 “All that denies (Supreme Love) must be torn out and slain And crushed the many longings (of desire) for whose sake We lose the One (Divine) for whom our lives were made.” Savitri-316, “All seemed to have perished that was undivine:” Savitri-318, “The covering mind was seized and torn apart;” Savitri-319, “But where is the Lover’s everlasting Yes,” Savitri-310, “Across the silence of the ultimate Calm, Out of a marvellous Transcendence’ core, A body of wonder and translucency As if a sweet mystic summary of her self Escaping into the original Bliss Had come enlarged out of eternity, Someone (Divine Mother) came infinite and absolute.” Savitri-312 “A moment’s sweetness of the All-Beautiful (Divine Mother) Cancelled the vanity of the cosmic whirl.” Savitri-312 “A love that bore the cross of pain with joy Eudaemonised the sorrow of the world, Made happy the weight of long unending Time, The secret caught of God’s felicity.” Savitri-312-133 “A Heart was felt in the spaces wide and bare, A burning Love from white spiritual founts Annulled the sorrow of the ignorant depths; Suffering was lost in her immortal smile. A Life from beyond grew conqueror here of death; To err no more was natural to mind; Wrong could not come where all was light and love. ” Savitri-313-14 “All here shall be one day her sweetness’ home, All contraries prepare her harmony; Towards her our knowledge climbs, our passion gropes; In her miraculous rapture we shall dwell, Her clasp shall turn to ecstasy our pain.” Savitri-314 “All that denies must be torn out and slain And crushed the many longings (of desire Soul) for whose sake We lose the One (Divine Love) for whom our lives were made. Now other claims (of desire Soul) had hushed in him their cry:" Savitri-316 The Divine Love is a supremely affirmative dynamic energy defined as ‘Lover’s everlasting Yes’ (Savitri-310) which can transform Inconscient/Subconscient negations known as ‘everlasting No’ (Savitri-310) without rejecting and destroying them, without slaying the Soul’s Ignorance, can transform the wheel of earth’s doom known as ‘cosmic whirl.’ (Savitri-310) It can bear the cross of pain with joy; transcends all the creation but denies none and can annul the sorrow of ignorant depths. It can turn pain into ecstasy, confront and conquer death, and transform falsehood. Before its Presence error of mind and wrong action cannot materialise and the mind becomes a faultless instrument of the Divine. All discords of life move towards harmony, all darkness of suffering is healed and this Divine Love can transform superseding earlier static Divine realisation which can crush and silence the many longing desires of mind, life and body. The Spiritual and Psychic Love can reject falsehood, Supramental and Bliss Love can transform falsehood and save the Soul, Mind, Life and Body. So, King Aswapati’s single-minded quest longed and yearned only the Supreme Divine Mother’s Presence in the form of Soul saving Truth, Love and Joy and ‘vast surrender.’ "All Nature dumbly calls to her alone To heal with her feet the aching throb of life And break the seals on the dim soul of man And kindle her fire in the closed heart of things." Savitri-314 "Once seen, his heart acknowledged only her . Only a hunger of infinite bliss was left. All aims in her were lost, then found in her; His base was gathered to one pointing spire." Savitri-315 "This Light comes not by struggle or by thought; In the mind’s silence the Transcendent acts And the hushed heart hears the unuttered Word. A vast surrender was his only strength. A Power that lives upon the heights must act, Bring into life’s closed room the Immortal’s air And fill the finite with the Infinite." Savitri-315-316 "Only he longed to draw her presence and power Into his heart and mind and breathing frame; Only he yearned to call for ever down Her healing touch of love and truth and joy Into the darkness of the suffering world. His soul was freed and given to her alone ." Savitri-316 This Canto gives the Sadhak , the task that, after stabiliastion of his consciousness in the Psychic, Spiritual and Universal planes, he has to ascend and enter the Supreme Self in absolute silence and dynamises it to meet the Supreme Mother in Her Personal form. This will help him to receive the fourth Divine Call of Paraprakriti's union with Apara-prakriti of transforming the nether Subconscient and Inconscient Sheaths. "In her confirmed because transformed in her, Our life shall find in its fulfilled response Above, the boundless hushed beatitudes, Below, the wonder of the embrace divine ." Savitri-315 OM TAT SAT The Most Important Secret of this chapter: “In absolute silence sleeps an absolute Power. Awaking, it can wake the trance-bound soul And in the ray reveal the parent sun:” Savitri-311-12 23/ Book 3, Canto 3 - The House Of The Spirit And New Creation A Brief Restatement: In the Book-3, Canto-3, King was able to dynamise the Supramental Force of having four consequences through ‘downward look’ (Savitri-322) and by embracing all existence. They are identified as (1) new creation, (2) extinction of suffering, (3) oneness with the existence and (4) transformation of Subconscient and inconscient sheaths. Supramental touch/embrace will equip life with new creation and new manifestation which may be identified as an extension of integral Karma Yoga . The source of all action is Consciousness or ‘The one Consciousness that made the world was seen’ (Savitri-318) These new creations are: A new and marvellous creation rose.” Savitri-323 “In these new worlds projected he became” Savitri-325 “A stream ever new-born that never dies,” Savitri-325 “Lured at each turn by new vicissitudes To self-discovery that could never cease.” Savitri-328 “Brought new creations for the thought’s surprise” Savitri-328 “And vast adventure into thinking shapes And trial and lure of a new living’s dreams.” Savitri-328 “A new creation from the old shall rise,” Savitri-330 2: Supramental touch/embrace can transform the suffering of life. This can be identified as the extension of integral Bhakti Yoga . They are: “No suffering of hearts compelled to beat” Savitri-321 “He felt the extinction of the world’s long pain,” Savitri-322 “All struggle was turned to a sweet strife of love” Savitri-324 “There was no sob of suffering anywhere; Experience ran from point to point of joy: Bliss was the pure undying truth of things. All Nature was a conscious front of God:” Savitri-324 3: Supramental touch/embrace can give the experience of Oneness with all existence. This is identified as an extension of integral Jnana Yoga and this perfection is identified as sajujya mukti . We can observe them from the following lines: “There was no more division’s endless scroll; One grew the Spirit’s secret unity , All Nature felt again the single bliss.” Savitri-319 “His soul was a delegation of the All (Psychic being as a delegate of Supreme.) That turned from itself to join the one Supreme .” Savitri-319 “A living Oneness widened at its core” Savitri-322 “Existence found its truth on Oneness’ breast” Savitri-322-23 “The great world-rhythms were heart-beats of one Soul ,” Savitri-323 “Lived their innumerable unity ;” Savitri-323 “There were no contraries, no sundered parts, All by spiritual links were joined to all And bound indissolubly to the One :” Savitri-323 “There Oneness was not tied to monotone;” Savitri-324 “And made of difference oneness’ smiling play; It made all persons fractions of the Unique, ” Savitri-324 “There leaps out unity’s supreme delight ” Savitri-324 “Harmonised a Oneness deep, immeasurable.” Savitri-325 “The bliss of a myriad myriads who are one .” Savitri-325 “An image cast by one deep truth’s absolute, Married to all in happy difference... One in the might and joy of multitude. Even in the poise where Oneness draws apart To feel the rapture of its separate selves, The Sole in its solitude yearned towards the All And the Many turned to look back at the One .” Savitri-326 “In the temple of the ideal shrined the One :… The virgin forms through which the Formless shines,” Savitri-327 4: Supramental touch/embrace or ‘constant lightnings of the spirit’ (Savitri-329) can penetrate the Subconscient and inconscient sheaths. This is identified as an extension of the integral Yoga of Self-perfection. They are: “And in subconscious whispers and in dream Still murmured at the mind’s and spirit’s choice. Its treacherous elements spread like slippery grains Hoping the incoming Truth might stumble and fall,” Savitri-317 “All Nature’s recondite (little known) spaces were stripped bare, All her dim crypts and corners searched with fire Where refugee instincts and unshaped revolts Could shelter find in darkness’ sanctuary Against the white purity of heaven’s cleansing flame.” Savitri-318 “All seemed to have perished that was undivine: Yet some minutest dissident might escape And still a centre lurk of the blind force. For the Inconscient too is infinite; The more its abysses we insist to sound, The more it stretches, stretches endlessly.” Savitri-318 “For even there (dim far universe) the boundless Oneness dwells To its own sight unrecognisable, It lived still sunk in its own tenebrous (dark shadowy or obscure) seas, Upholding the world’s inconscient unity Hidden in Matter’s insentient multitude.” Savitri-331 “It merges knowledge in the inconscient deep; Accepting error, sorrow, death and pain, It pays the ransom of the ignorant Night, Redeeming by its substance Nature’s (Spiritual) fall.” Savitri-331 “Himself he knew and why his soul had gone Into earth’s passionate obscurity To share the labour of an errant Power Which by division hopes to find the One.” Savitri-331 : His heart lay somewhere conscious and alone Far down below him like a lamp in night; Abandoned it lay, alone, imperishable, Immobile with excess of passionate will, His living, sacrificed and offered heart Absorbed in adoration mystical, Turned to its far-off fount of light and love.” Savitri-331-332 “In the centre of his vast and fateful trance Half-way between his free and fallen selves, Interceding twixt God’s day and the mortal’s night, Accepting worship as its single law, Accepting bliss as the sole cause of things, Refusing the austere joy which none can share, Refusing the calm that lives for calm alone, To her (Paraprakriti) it turned for whom it willed to be.” Savitri-332 “Armed with the intuition of a bliss To which some moved tranquillity was the key, It persevered through life’s huge emptiness Amid the blank denials of the world.” Savitri-332-33 The perfection’s law promises movement in between ‘hierarchy of lucent planes’ (Savitri-326) of Consciousness and ensures swift Spiritual evolution. This Inconscient transformation is very crucial in deciding Earth’s future. For such transformation to be active individuals must be established in Supramental Consciousness through Yoga of Self-perfection. To tear desire from its Inconscient root is identified as 'A last and mightiest transformation' (Savitri-318) of King Aswapati . A similar mighty transformation visited Savitri when 'The world’s darkness had consented to Heaven-light.' (Savitri-664) "Then lest a human cry should spoil the Truth He tore desire up from its bleeding roots And offered to the gods the vacant place. Thus could he bear the touch immaculate. A last and mightiest transformation came. " Savitri-318 OM TAT SAT The Most Important Secret of this chapter: “In the temple of the ideal shrined the One: It peopled thought and mind and happy sense Filled with bright aspects of the might of God And living persons of the one Supreme, The speech that voices the ineffable, The ray revealing unseen Presences, The virgin forms through which the Formless shines ,” Savitri-327 24/ Book 3, Canto 4 - The Vision And The Boon A Brief Restatement: In the Book-3, Canto-4, the King Aswapati entered a Supramental world and through a Supramental vision met the ‘mighty face’ (Savitri-334) of the Divine Mother in his heart. This also symbolises that the King’s Psychic Being is Supramentalised. "An Influence had approached the mortal range, A boundless Heart was near his longing heart, A mystic Form enveloped his earthly shape.... The One he worshipped was within him now:" Savitri-334 The Divine Mother discouraged King to call down immeasurable Divine Force and man is not ready to bear the Infinite’s weight. She asked King to live with the slow-paced evolution of humanity and accept God-like toil for earth and men with patience. She further informed that a static Soul realisation of later Vedantists and the influence of three gunas of ordinary life have made a world estranged from life and thought. The Divine Mother describes elaborately the limitation of present humanity who cannot reconcile heaven with earth. The infallible Guide leads all the Souls through stumble and failure and till they discover their Psychic being, 'rest and earthly ease' (Savitri-339) are forbidden. "The goal recedes, a bourneless vastness calls Retreating into an immense Unknown; There is no end to the world’s stupendous march, There is no rest for the embodied soul. It must live on, describe all Time’s huge curve. An Influx presses from the closed Beyond Forbidding to him rest and earthly ease, Till he has found himself he cannot pause." Savitri-399 Man during his journey in higher planes of Consciousness, is assisted by Immortals and Ambassadors of those planes of Consciousness. The Divine Mother declares that in spite of present limitations, tardy evolution and attachment to inferior life, ‘a pure perfection and a shadowless bliss ’ (Savitri-340) is man’s mighty fate. She asks King to ‘Help still humanity’s blind and suffering life’ (Savitri-340) with the aid of his ‘spirit’s wide omnipotent urge.’ (Savitri-340) Any impatience towards fulfilment of the highest human aspiration can draw King Aswapati towards Titan's drive, imperfect fruit and partial prize. So, the King must renounce the fruit of his long labour and offer everything to unchanging Divine Will. All things shall change and transform in All Life and All Time and not in this life and not in this brief time. Then King’s prayer again rises to activate dynamic Divine Shakti who came to him in Supramental vision (Light floated round the marvellous Vision’s brow. Savitri-346) to fulfil his aspiration for earth and men. King saw ‘Omnipotent’s flaming pioneers,’ (Savitri-343) ‘the sun-eyed children of a marvellous dawn’, who came into this fallen human sphere as architects of Immortality. “Their tread one day shall change the suffering earth.” (Savitri-344) The King foresaw the coming of the high Divine successor, the Avatara, Satyavan . ‘He shall know’ (Savitri-344) what the heart of the mortal could not think, ‘He shall do what the heart of the mortal could not dare.’ (Savitri-344) The King prayed to the Divine Mother to ‘Mission to earth some living form’ (Savitri-345) of Her who ‘with one gesture change all future time.’ (Savitri-345) The Divine Mother was satisfied with the King’s Tapasya , askesis and consecration and agreed to incarnate Her living form on earth and She shall ‘break the iron Law, Change Nature’s doom by the lone spirit’s power.’ (Savitri-346) "She shall bear Wisdom in her voiceless bosom, Strength shall be with her like a conqueror’s sword And from her eyes the Eternal’s bliss shall gaze. A seed shall be sown in Death’s tremendous hour, A branch of heaven transplant to human soil; Nature shall overleap her mortal step; Fate shall be changed by an unchanging will.” Savitri-346 Thus, King was the eternal Seeker of Truth, Love and Power of All Life. Through him, great swift-footed deed awoke. His Supramentalised Psychic Being established the empire of the Soul, who also can conquer the opulence and wealth of heaven. His empire of Soul can rule Matter and the bounded universe and can reconcile Spirit with Matter. The literal meaning of King’s name is ‘The Lord of Life’ (Savitri-348) and he resumed his mighty Supramental action again in this ambiguous globe. Thus, ends the Book-3, Canto-4. In the next Canto, we shall witness the secret of the Divine Mother’s earthly embodiment which the Lord of the Gita confirms that ‘My birth and My work are both Divine’ janma karma cha me divyam . Savitri’s birth is the symbol of Para-prakriti’s movement in an earthly embodiment which is ‘A columned shaft of fire and light.' (Savitri-581) Satyavan’s birth is the symbol of Paramatma’s earthly incarnation of 'unknown Lover' (Savitri-374). And Their meeting symbolises the union between Supreme Mother and Supreme Purusha in our heart centre as 'incarnate dual Power.' (Savitri-705) Their task is to repeat King Aswapti's following Subconscient transformation experience: "A divinising stream possessed his veins, His body’s cells awoke to spirit sense, Each nerve became a burning thread of joy: Tissue and flesh partook beatitude. Alight, the dun unplumbed subconscient caves Thrilled with the prescience of her longed-for tread And filled with flickering crests and praying tongues." Savitri-334 This Canto proposes a Sadhak to become 'A wanderer from the occult invisible suns' (Savitri-348) substituting the earlier habit of outer wandering. King Aswapati's outer wandering reduced after his realisation of universal Self or 'Humanity framed his movements (outer wandering) less and less.' (Savitri-26) This we notice in Savitri after she discovered Divine Love from without in the form of Satyavan , she declared firmly, 'Now of more wandering it has no need.' (Savitri-412) OM TAT SAT The Most Important Secret of this chapter: “Flashing with lightnings, mad with luminous wine.” Savitri-334 “He shall know what mortal mind barely durst think, He shall do what the heart of the mortal could not dare. Inheritor of the toil of human time, He shall take on him the burden of the gods; All heavenly light shall visit the earth’s thoughts, The might of heaven shall fortify earthly hearts; Earth’s deeds shall touch the superhuman’s height, Earth’s seeing widen into the infinite.” Savitri-344 “One moment fill with thy eternity, Let thy infinity in one body live, All-Knowledge wrap one mind in seas of light, All-Love throb single in one human heart.” Savitri-345 25/ Book 4, Canto 1 - The Birth And Childhood Of The Flame A Brief Restatement: The Book-4, Canto-1 symbolically represents the mystery of the Godhead’s birth. The Divine Mother, when incarnated in an earthly body, her birth, childhood, youth and rest of her life are guided by the influence of higher Nature, Para-prakriti. Deluded Souls do not understand this mystery of Divine birth and consider Desire (The Gita-16.8) as the sole cause of this world existence. In the Mother’s womb, Savitri spent three (five) thoughtful seasons of nine (ten) months before her mighty birth in the Spring season. Here seasons of summer, monsoon, autumn, winter, dew-time and spring are described not as a dead mechanical cycle but as a living deity, the force of the Divine Mother who participated in building the physical frame of Savitri . Savitri’s growth in the mother’s womb took place by ‘A mightier influx (that) filled the oblivious clay’ (Savitri-353) and after her birth her dim cave of Subconscient and inconscient sheaths were flooded with ‘slow conscient light’; (Savitri-355) her lovelier body was formed by the new descent of Divine Love and new Delight; her sense was purified by the pressure of Psychic being. Invisible Supramental sunlight ran through her veins and the same light flooded her brain with heavenly brilliances. This Canto suggests that in child Savitri the Mind of Light became active which lies in between Overmind and Supermind. Her surface Nature was also divinised or “Nearer the godhead to the surface pressed.’ (Savitri-357) She lived self-guarded and self-protected in the Spirit’s silence and in her luminous cell. "A mind of light , a life of rhythmic force, A body instinct with hidden divinity Prepared an image of the coming god; And when the slow rhyme of the expanding years And the rich murmurous swarm-work of the days Had honey-packed her sense and filled her limbs, Accomplishing the moon-orb of her grace, Self-guarded in the silence of her strength Her solitary greatness was not less." Savitri-357 Her pure aspiration called high Spiritual destiny down and she was able to guard the Truth’s diamond throne from the vigil tower. Her Supramental love invisibly embraced all without any sign and word and sound. Due to her half-opened Psychic being, many high Gods preferred to live in her Psychic temple. Her body is like heaven’s transparent light, a golden bridge between heaven and earth and she can walk alone with her strange and starry head in the deepest Night. "A scout of victory in a vigil tower, Her aspiration called high destiny down; A silent warrior paced in her city of strength Inviolate, guarding Truth’s diamond throne ." Savitri-358 "Many high gods dwelt in one beautiful home; Yet was her nature’s orb a perfect whole, Harmonious like a chant with many tones, Immense and various like a universe." Savitri-358 OM TAT SAT The Most Important Secret of this chapter: “The strong Inhabitant turned to watch her field A lovelier light assumed her spirit brow And sweet and solemn grew her musing gaze; Celestial-human deep warm slumbrous fires Woke in the long fringed glory of her eyes Like altar-burnings in a mysteried shrine.” Savitri-357 “A nectarous haloed moon her passionate heart Loved all and spoke no word and made no sign, (Her universal Love needs no external aid and expression.) But kept her bosom’s rapturous secrecy A blissful ardent moved and voiceless world.” Savitri-358 26/ Book 4, Canto 2 - The Growth Of The Flame A Brief Restatement: The Book-4, Canto-2 gives an account of (1) Savitri’s state of Consciousness of young Divinity, (2) the state of consciousness of her followers and devotees, (3) the gulf between Savitri and her followers, (4) a desperate attempt to bridge those gulfs, (5) Spiritual fall down and (6) discouragement of gathering together of devotees for a Divine purpose. 1: Savitri’s Soul and Nature were equally Divinised and she was waiting to find her destined equal Soul: “But mid this world, these hearts that answered her call, None could stand up her equal and her mate. In vain she stooped to equal them with her heights, Too pure that air was for small souls to breathe. These comrade selves to raise to her own wide breadths Her heart desired and fill with her own power That a diviner Force might enter life, A breath of Godhead greaten human time.” Savitri-365-66 “Her greater self lived sole, unclaimed, within.” Savitri-366 “Among the many who came drawn to her Nowhere she found her partner of high tasks, The comrade of her soul, her other self (second Self) Who was made with her, like God and Nature, one .” Savitri-366 "No equal heart came close to join her (Savitri’s) heart, No transient earthly love assailed her calm, No hero passion had the strength to seize; No eyes demanded her replying eyes.” Savitri-367 2: The Personality of her admirers, followers and devotees: “Only a few responded to her call: Still fewer felt the screened divinity And strove to mate its godhead with their own, Approaching with some kinship to her heights.” Savitri-362 “They could not keep up with her tireless step; Too small and eager for her large-paced will, Too narrow to look with the unborn Infinite’s gaze Their nature weary grew of things too great.” Savitri-363 “Others pursued her with life’s blind desires And claiming all of her as their lonely own, Hastened to engross her sweetness meant for all. As earth claims light for its lone separate need Demanding her for their sole jealous clasp, They asked from her movements bounded like their own And to their smallness craved a like response. Or they repined that she surpassed their grip, And hoped to bind her close with longing’s cords. Or finding her touch desired too strong to bear They blamed her for a tyranny they loved, Shrank into themselves as from too bright a sun, Yet hankered for the splendour they refused. Angrily enamoured of her sweet passionate ray The weakness of their earth could hardly bear, They longed but cried out at the touch desired Inapt to meet divinity so close, Intolerant of a Force they could not house. Some drawn unwillingly by her divine sway Endured it like a sweet but alien spell; Unable to mount to levels too sublime, They yearned to draw her down to their own earth. Or forced to centre round her their passionate lives, They hoped to bind to their heart’s human needs Her glory and grace that had enslaved their souls.” Savitri-365 3: The gulf between Savitri and her admirers: “A friend and yet too great wholly to know, She walked in their front towards a greater light, Their leader and queen over their hearts and souls, One close to their bosoms, yet divine and far. ” Savitri-363 “Her will was puissant on their nature’s acts, Her heart’s inexhaustible sweetness lured their hearts, A being they loved whose bounds exceeded theirs; Her measure they could not reach but bore her touch, Answering with the flower’s answer to the sun They gave themselves to her and asked no more. One greater than themselves, too wide for their ken, Their minds could not understand nor wholly know, Their lives replied to hers, moved at her words:” Savitri-364 “Although she leaned down to their littleness Covering their lives with her strong passionate hands And knew by sympathy their needs and wants And dived in the shallow wave-depths of their lives And met and shared their heart-beats of grief and joy And bent to heal their sorrow and their pride, Lavishing the might that was hers on her lone peak To lift to it their aspiration’s cry, And though she drew their souls into her vast And surrounded with the silence of her deeps And held as the great Mother holds her own, Only her earthly surface bore their charge And mixed its fire with their mortality:” Savitri-366 “Admired, unsought, intangible to the grasp Her beauty and flaming strength were seen afar Like lightning playing with the fallen day, A glory unapproachably divine." Savitri-367 “All worshipped marvellingly (Savitri), none dared to claim.” Savitri-368 4: Desperate effort to bridge the gulf between herself and her admirers: “A mind daring heavenly experiment, Growing towards some largeness they felt near, Testing the unknown’s bound with eager touch They still were prisoned by their human grain: They could not keep up with her tireless step; Too small and eager for her large-paced will, Too narrow to look with the unborn Infinite’s gaze Their nature weary grew of things too great.” Savitri-363 “For even the close partners of her thoughts Who could have walked the nearest to her ray, Worshipped the power and light they felt in her But could not match the measure of her soul.” Savitri-363 “Or longing with their self of life and flesh They clung to her for heart’s nourishment and support: The rest they could not see in visible light; Vaguely they bore her inner mightiness. Or bound by the senses and the longing heart, Adoring with a turbid human love, They could not grasp the mighty spirit she was Or change by closeness to be even as she. Some felt her with their souls and thrilled with her, A greatness felt near yet beyond mind’s grasp; To see her was a summons to adore, To be near her drew a high communion’s force.” Savitri-363-364 “So men worship a god too great to know, Too high, too vast to wear a limiting shape; They feel a Presence and obey a might, Adore a love whose rapture invades their breasts; To a divine ardour quickening the heart-beats, A law they follow greatening heart and life. Opened to the breath is a new diviner air, Opened to man is a freer, happier world:” Savitri-364 “Her will was puissant on their nature’s acts, Her heart’s inexhaustible sweetness lured their hearts, A being they loved whose bounds exceeded theirs; Her measure they could not reach but bore her touch, Answering with the flower’s answer to the sun They gave themselves to her and asked no more.” Savitri-364 “They felt a godhead and obeyed a call, Answered to her lead and did her work in the world; Their lives, their natures moved compelled by hers As if the truth of their own larger selves Put on an aspect of divinity To exalt them to a pitch beyond their earth’s. They felt a larger future meet their walk; She held their hands, she chose for them their paths:” Savitri-364 “Some near approached, were touched, caught fire, then failed , Too great was her demand, too pure her force. Thus lighting earth around her like a sun, Yet in her inmost sky an orb aloof, A distance severed her from those most close.” Savitri-366 5: Spiritual fall: After meeting Savitri , those unable to recognise and hold her Divine Presence experienced a Spiritual fall. “Uplifted towards luminous secrecies Or conscious of some splendour hidden above They leaped to find her in a moment’s flash, Glimpsing a light in a celestial vast, But could not keep the vision and the power And fell back to life’s dull ordinary tone. ” Savitri-362 “Or with a slow great many-sided toil Pushing towards aims they hardly could conceive; Yet forced to be the satellites of her sun They moved unable to forego her light, Desiring they clutched at her with outstretched hands Or followed stumbling in the paths she made.” Savitri-363 "In man a dim disturbing somewhat lives; It knows but turns away from divine Light Preferring the dark ignorance of the fall ." Savitri-366 6: Discouragement of gathering together of devotees for a Divine purpose: In this Canto a Sadhak is discouraged from wasting his time in gathering together of people, lakasangraha, for a Divine purpose. It proposes to utilise time and space exclusively to accumulate Spiritual energy (Self-concentration) and by the movement of Spiritual consciousness, he does good of all creatures (Self-expansion). His one, only and best friend is his Psychic Being. "Whoever is too great must lonely live. Adored he walks in mighty solitude; Vain is his labour to create his kind, His only comrade is the Strength within.” Savitri-368 When a high Soul takes birth on earth, it becomes difficult for him to find an equal Soul, who can help him in accomplishing his Divine Mission of fourfold Divine union. Till the arrival of an equal companion or till the finding of a complementary Soul, he must live alone with his Psychic Being. The effort made to create, nurture and build an equal Soul is identified here as a waste of time. Savitri is a representative symbol of Incarnation and myriad Instruments and Emanations, always present close to earth’s atmosphere with the single mission of divinising the clay. This Canto proposes Divine’s Yantras, Vibhutis and Avataras , that they should not waste their time in building Soul of their own kind but to utilise time to accumulate Spiritual energy and canalise this Transcendent Force to earth and men. They will learn the lesson to depend on their own Spiritual energy rather than on collective force. In the long run, humanity will be prepared to divinise themselves and all the Divine opulence will be given to them. 7: The Gulf between Sri Aurobindo and His direct disciples: “It (Savitri) heralds the Supermind. But I had a feeling (after reading the last chapter of Savitri ) he (Sri Aurobindo ) had not completed his revision. When I read this, I felt it was not the end, just as when I read the last chapter of the “Yoga of Self-Perfection ,” (of The Synthesis of Yoga) I felt it was not finished. He left it unfinished. And he said so. He said, “No, I will not go down to this mental level anymore.” But in Savitri’s case… (I didn’t look after it, you know), he had around him Purani , that Chinmayi , and… (what is his name) Nirod —they all swarmed around him. So I didn’t look after Savitri. I read Savitri two years ago (1961), I had never read it before. And I am so glad! Because I read it at the time I could understand it –and I realised that none of those people had understood ONE BIT of it.” The Mother /The Mother's Agenda/13th March-1963 OM TAT SAT The Most Important Secret of this chapter: “Earth nursed, unconscious still, the inhabiting flame, Yet something deeply stirred and dimly knew; There was a movement and a passionate call, A rainbow dream, a hope of golden change; Some secret wing of expectation beat, A growing sense of something new and rare And beautiful stole across the heart of Time.” Savitri-367 27/ Book 4, Canto 3 - The Call To The Quest A Brief Restatement: The Book-4, Canto-3, defines King Aswapati’s Mission known as ‘The Call’ and he made Savitri aware of her two important discoveries known as ‘The Quest’. King Aswapati again confirmed his mission for earth and men related to 'shadowless bliss.' (Savitri-340, 369) “Again the mighty yearning (of King) raised its flame That asks a perfect life on earth for men And prays for certainty in the uncertain mind And shadowless bliss for suffering human hearts And Truth embodied in an ignorant world And godhead divinising mortal forms.” Savitri-369 The King got the overhead direction or ‘from some far sky of thought’ which was received by ‘the echoing passages of his brain’ and this overhead wisdom ‘left its stamp (of Divinity) on the recording cells’ of the King and his ‘dim ignorant cells’ and ‘the blind brain’ (Savitri-375) received Divine transformation. The King got a blueprint of how he will realise the mission from above. The Fate-driven earth-born race will face the greatest opposition in realisation of the perfect life from the three Inconscient energies of gunas . The dwarf Sattwic mind will oppose the realisation of comprehensive Truth; the dwarf rajasic mind will oppose the realisation of tireless Divine Love and the dwarf tamasic mind will be satisfied with the attainment of ‘low-peaked height’ (Savitri-372) of consciousness. Inconscient’s mindless muddy water blocks all the action of Divine Will, Wisdom and Love. The man turns for little gains to ignorant Powers, kindles a light for demon face, loves ignorance fathering his pain and a great Illusion wraps his life. Even the descent of flaming light returns back to its home; none understands the Eternity’s direction and the luminous divine Eye retires from its action. The King has not lost confidence in humanity and hoped for his action with swift revealing Spiritual steps and fit all his actions to a transcendent scheme. The Godhead can grow within his heart and the Mighty Mother can stay permanently in the Psychic Heart Centre. Man must receive the Divine call to exceed himself. Earth life is an epic of hope and failure and she can exceed her form and fixed fate. Though she is a goddess, yet she is caught in the net of Death and forbidden joy . In the altar of despair, she builds hope; with the pains of hell, she aspires to joy and her high step can liberate all humanity. The King Aswapati , as Father and the Guru of Savitri , gave her double tasks of finding the Divine without and within. Firstly, she will tread a brief golden path with her second Self Satyavan , the lyrist of her Soul’s most intimate chords, mover of her force and guide. His Light will guard her from without and within and by holding his strong hand she can confront life’s extreme adversity. Secondly, she has to discover her Psychic being where the Supramental Mother can choose to stay permanently and with the power of the Psychic being, she can tread a sun-lit path followed by a journey in the abysmal night, dream twilight of Subconscient plane, permanent rise of Soul to Sachchidananda plane and permanent descent of Sachchidananda consciousness by returning to earth life along with Satyavan. This Canto also hints Savitri’s Psychic opening not by Vedic/Tantric self-discipline but by Vedantic Self-discipline where the Soul in the heart opened by the pressure/descent of Soul in the Mind or Spiritual Being, or ‘A hand from some Greatness opened her heart’s locked doors.’ (Savitri-375) In King, the Karma, Jnana and Bhakti are reconciled to such extent the all-overhead Power, Knowledge and Ecstasy rushed into his physical frame known as annamaya Purusha/annamaya Kosha and thus physical transformation or cellular change is experienced. “The Wise who know see but one half of Truth, (sattwic men) The strong climb hardly to a low-peaked height, (tamasic men) The hearts that yearn are given one hour to love.” (rajasic men) Savitri-372 “Thought, vision, feeling, sense, the body’s self Are seized unutterably and he (King) endures An ecstasy and an immortal change; He feels a Wideness and becomes a Power, All knowledge rushes on him like a sea:” Savitri-375 After Savitri knew that her unknown Lover was waiting for her the Unknown, the palace of Madra became empty of its sweetness, the sovereign of daily joys of life went far; her moonbeam feet touched not the lucent floors. The beauty and divinity were gone. Delight had fled to search for another specious world and future home. "For somewhere on the longing breast of earth, Thy unknown lover waits for thee the unknown. Thy soul has strength and needs no other guide Than One who burns within thy bosom’s powers. There shall draw near to meet thy approaching steps The second self for whom thy nature asks, He who shall walk until thy body’s end A close-bound traveller pacing with thy pace, The lyrist of thy soul’s most intimate chords Who shall give voice to what in thee is mute." Savitri-374 OM TAT SAT The Most Important Secret of this chapter: (Earth) “Knows that one high step might enfranchise (liberate) all” Savitri-371 28/ Book 4, Canto 4 - The Quest A Brief Restatement: Before discovering Divine within Savitri has to discover her Divine without. Before this Divine Call, the attraction of ‘Madra’s spacious halls, the white carved pillars, the cool dim alcoves, the tinged mosaic of the crystal floors, the towered pavilions, the wind-rippled pools and gardens humming with the murmur of bees’ became pale, unwanted and obsolete. In Book-4, Canto-4, Savitri leaves the palace in search of her ‘only Lord’ (Savitri-637) who can hold her comprehensive Divine Love, Delight and Beauty, collaborate in fulfilling her Divine Mission which is a manifestation of the Divine Will and call down Divine Wisdom, Truth and Light to guard her mission’s ‘diamond throne’ (Savitri-358) and adventure ahead in Consciousness like a pioneer to manifest the Divine life. He (the destined Lover) will give voice to what in her is mute and the lyrist of her 'soul’s most intimate chords.' (Savitri-374) We get some hints from this Canto related with the Spiritual destiny of a Sadhaka . They are divided into three parts. The Divine Destiny is made by (1) the intervention of Divine work and Divine descent of Wisdom, (2) the intervention of higher Beings (hooded godheads) (Savitri-377) who accompany him from his birth, (3) the intervention of 'all seeing Eye above,' (Savitri-378) the Divine architect. These three elements are responsible for building Spiritual destiny. If Sadhaka has realised Psychic, Spiritual and Supramental beings, then (4) beings of those planes will join with him as emanations of Divine Mother and they will further help to change the destiny. This Canto proposes a Sadhaka that before wearing the face of Satyavan to receive Savitri’s full Divine Love, he must develop/integrate the following twelve exclusive attributes (or twelve types of liberated Souls) through practices of multiple self-disciplines of traditional and integral Yoga. They are: 1: “The strong king-sages from their labour done, Freed from the warrior tension of their task, Came to her serene sessions in these wilds; The strife was over, the respite lay in front.” Savitri-381 2: “In the soul’s unprofaned star-white recess They sojourned with an everliving Bliss; A Voice profound in the ecstasy and the hush They heard, beheld an all-revealing Light. All time-made difference they overcame; The world was fibred with their own heart-strings; Close drawn to the heart that beats in every breast, They reached the one self in all through boundless love.” Savitri-381 3: “Nameless the austere ascetics without home Abandoning speech and motion and desire Aloof from creatures sat absorbed, alone, Immaculate in tranquil heights of self” Savitri-382 4: “The seers attuned to the universal Will, Content in Him who smiles behind earth’s forms, Abode ungrieved by the insistent days. About them like green trees girdling a hill Young grave disciples fashioned by their touch Trained to the simple act and conscious word, Greatened within and grew to meet their heights.” Savitri-382 5: “Bathed in the purity of the mild gaze That, uninsistent, ruled them from its peace, And by its influence found the ways of calm.” Savitri-382 6: “King-children nurtured in that spacious air Like lions gambolling in sky and sun Received half-consciously their godlike stamp:… Plastic and firm beneath the eternal hand, Met Nature with a bold and friendly clasp And served in her the Power that shapes her works.” Savitri-382 7: “One-souled to all and free from narrowing bonds, Large like a continent of warm sunshine In wide equality’s impartial joy, These sages breathed for God’s delight in things… The love that flows from the one Mother’s breast Healed with their hearts the hard and wounded world.” Savitri-383 8: “Drunk with a wine of lightning in their cells” Savitri-383 9: “Some lost to the person and his strip of thought In a motionless ocean of impersonal Power, Sat mighty, visioned with the Infinite’s light, Or, comrades of the everlasting Will, Surveyed the plan of past and future Time.” Savitri-383-84 10: “Some winged like birds out of the cosmic sea And vanished into a bright and featureless Vast: Some silent watched the universal dance, Or helped the world by world-indifference.” Savitri-384 11: “Some watched no more merged in a lonely Self, Absorbed in the trance from which no soul returns, All the occult world-lines for ever closed, The chains of birth and person cast away:” Savitri-384 12: “Some uncompanioned reached the Ineffable.” Savitri-384 Among the above twelve types of great exclusive liberated Souls, Savitri was unable to discover her Soul’s companion who was a symbol of comprehensive Divine Love: “Still she found not the one predestined face For which she sought amid the sons of men.” Savitri-385 Thus, in Savitri’s life, many months passed without discovering Satyavan (Paramatma in material embodiment). She has not lost hope and waited for the opportune moment of the destined meeting. OM TAT SAT The Most Important Secret of this chapter: “August, exulting in her Maker’s eye, She felt her nearness to him in earth’s breast, Conversed still with a Light behind the veil, Still communed with Eternity beyond.” Savitri-381 29/ Book 5, Canto 1 - The Destined Meeting Place A Brief Restatement: This Book-5, Canto-1 gives the message that Savitri has to receive the Divine Love from without, from within and from above. They will bring complete fulfilment of her earth life and her mission of transforming earth will be expedited which is her long pending issue of all life. This Canto confirms that all the happenings of past, present and future life are not accidental but there exists a Divine plan and all events happen in the cosmic play in a foreseen time and place. "Unknowing she had neared her nameless goal… And nothing happens in the cosmic play But at its time and in its foreseen place.” Savitri-389 "These knew each other though in forms thus strange. Although to sight unknown, though life and mind Had altered to hold a new significance, These bodies summed the drift of numberless births, And the spirit to the spirit was the same." Savitri-398-399 We are given a brief time from cradle to grave to call down Timeless eternity and a small place to call down spaceless Infinity. Savitri’s birth and youth in Madra’s palace is the symbol of the ascent of the Soul to the highest status of Supreme Self and her return to Shalwa’s forest hermitage is the symbol of descent into nether earth in order to discover the last Godhead sleeping in the Inconscient sheath (Savitri-405) and this Godhead in the form of Inconscient Self can illumine earth life by its lone power or ‘lay his (man’s) hand on happy inconscient things.’ (Savitri-390) This Canto also proposes a Sadhak to become ascetic within symbolised as 'a soul retiring from the world' (Savitri-391) and ‘solitude far from the world’ (Savitri-391) with the realisation of Brahma Satya Jagat Mithya as the starting point of ‘sad and limitless (Divine) Call’ (Savitri-391) of the endless integral Yoga. OM TAT SAT The Important Secret of this chapter: "The Mighty Mother lay outstretched at ease. All was in line with her first satisfied plan; Moved by a universal will of joy The trees bloomed in their green felicity And the wild children brooded not on pain... Behind the rapt smile of the Almighty’s dance." Savitri-390 The More Important Secret of this chapter: “His (ascetic’s) vast extended spirit couched behind.” Savitri-391 The Most Important Secret of this chapter: “To lay his hand on happy inconscient things,” Savitri-390 “Love in the wilderness met Savitri.” Savitri-391 30/ Book 5, Canto 2 - Satyavan A Brief Restatement: Satyavan's surface personality was built from the accumulation of Soul Forces from his past births. " Noble and clear as the broad peaceful heavens A tablet of young wisdom was his brow; Freedom’s imperious beauty curved his limbs, The joy of life was on his open face. His look was a wide daybreak of the gods, His head was a youthful Rishi’s touched with light, His body was a lover’s and a king’s." Savitri-393 Satyavan’s early days in the Shalwa’s forest land were to think, act, enjoy and breathe like other mundane man and yet he had a brief partial glimpse of his deeper Self. If an individual's thoughts, actions and emotions are activated without the support and help of the Divine, then he is identified as a Mundane "Once were my (Satyavan’s) days like days of other men: To think and act was all, to enjoy and breathe; This was the width and height of mortal hope:” Savitri-406-407, Then a ‘truth was felt’ in his moderate life ‘that screened its shape from mind.’ (Savitri-407) A moderate is oblivious of future doom and is preoccupied with present moments. An awareness of future doom comes through vision, and by consecration, Divine union is experienced and the doom changes. The moderate Satyavan , who lived in the illumined Soul ray of God’s touch but was not ready to face the eternal Sun of His constant embrace. ('I lived in the ray but faced not to the sun.' Savitri-407) As child Soul or ‘infant Spirit’ (Savitri-716) he was unaware of two consenting world oceans of the Bliss/Supramental Self and the Subconscient/Inconscient Self. He later became ascetic Satyavan , when this surface concentration of the Divine ray penetrated heart and flesh. This ascetic Divine realisation could not bridge the gulf between Matter and Spirit. When he concentrated on the world, he lost the God and when concentrated on the God, he lost the world. With Savitri’s arrival this gulf was bridged and the consecrated Satyavan became King Child and was able to live and face the Sun light, representing Vijnana . And in the cosmic Consciousness of Vijnana , the Spirit and Matter are reconciled and Matter’s or physical body’s fixed death-bound destiny and grooves of Iron law are changed into the Spirit’s immortal all life. This is a passage from mere mundane man incarnating to the integral ascending Godhead of the race or ‘the soul of man climbing to God,’ (Savitri-703) and its destined saviour. Satyavan’s Godhead status does not prevent him from living ‘in one house with the primal beast’ (Savitri-541) in the forest, colloquies with the Djinn and Asuras of the Subconscient world; thus, in the Divine’s single plan ‘high meets the low’ (Savitri-541) or ‘God’s summits look back on the mute Abyss;’ (Savitri-541) accepts to be small and human on earth. This is the emergence of Lord Satyavan , for whom Savitri fought with dark Godhead in Death’s Night. Through this sacrificial action, the highest Divine Consciousness of the Avatar is reconciled with the lowest consciousness of the earth. Sri Aurobindo reveals Satyavan as a symbol of Divine Love (masculine Power). Divine love is an overhead energy that descends to Earth through a prepared human channel. When Divine Love enters earth’s atmosphere he is ‘Abased, disfigured, mocked’ (Savitri-397) by inferior beings. Tamasic beings (within and without) misunderstand the Divine Love, rajasic beings misuse the Divine Love and sattwic beings limit the action of Divine Love. The dwarf mind, life and body cannot hold the ineffable Divine Love in its pure form. Still, this Divine Love is held by 'A soul made ready through a thousand years' (Savitri-396) and 'He is still the godhead by which all can change.' (Savitri-397) Through this Canto, we can concentrate on dual Avatara’s supreme relation of Krishna and Kali in a mortal body. Even the experience of a brief touch of Divine Love is of immense value in our external life. The meeting of the Dual Avatara in the heart is also identified as a brief Supramental experience of uninterrupted intense immortal joy. The mortal body learns with much difficult training to wear this intense delight. This bliss is born after the awakening of the last Godhead of the Inconscient Self and it can transform and remake our all life. This Book-5, Canto-2 symbolically proposes a Sadhak to 'meet the ancient Mother ' (Savitri-393) and live in the matrix of new triple Time and new universalised Space of Cosmic Consciousness, where an incalculable amount of Divine Force, Truth, Light, Ananda, Love, Beauty, Peace and Silence invades into earth's atmosphere and to live without them is to return to the old world and mortal time subject to death, decay and disease. His rare privilege is to meet the dual Avatara in subtle physical, Psychic and Superconscient planes. "This golden figure given to his grasp Hid in its breast the key of all his aims, A spell to bring the Immortal’s bliss on earth, To mate with heaven’s truth our mortal thought, To lift earth-hearts nearer the Eternal’s sun. In these great spirits (dual Avatar) now incarnate here Love brought down power out of eternity To make of life his new undying base." Savitri-397 OM TAT SAT The Important Secret of this chapter: “The one for whom her heart had come so far.” Savitri-393 “For suddenly her heart looked out at him,” Savitri-395 “Then trembling with the mystic shock her heart” Savitri-396 “Heart feels for heart, limb cries for answering limb; All strives to enforce the unity all is.” Savitri-398 “Her heart unveiled and his to find her turned;” Savitri-399 The More Important Secret of this chapter: “The chariot stood like an arrested wind. And Satyavan looked out from his soul’s doors And felt the enchantment of her liquid voice Fill his youth’s purple ambience and endured The haunting miracle of a perfect face.” Savitri-396 “A forehead that wore the crown of all her (Savitri’s) past, Two eyes her constant and eternal stars, Comrade and sovereign eyes that claimed her soul, Lids known through many lives, large frames of love.” Savitri-396 The Most Important Secret of this chapter: "A mystery wakes in our inconscient stuff, A bliss is born that can remake our life.” Savitri-397-398 31/ Book 5, Canto 3 - Satyavan And Savitri A Brief Restatement: Sri Aurobindo was able to accommodate His (and also The Mother’s ) all life’s comprehensive high Spiritual Visions and experiences in symbolic characters of incarnations, emanations and instruments, depicted from the legendary epic Mahabharata where Savitri , the descending Godhead, Avatara, the all Mother, the Mother of all Time, Paraprakriti, knew her fiery Self and her Being’s aim of pursuing the Soul of earth, symbolised as Satyavan in his earthly form in each birth and in all life. She glimpsed the glory for which she had chosen earth and its atmosphere for a gradual and subsequently constant, intense, comprehensive and instantaneous total descent of Divine attributes of Truth-Light, Power, Wisdom and Delight. She keeps her will alive to drive human Souls and fills in their brute elements, the endless hope to Divinise clay and confronts the riddle of Birth, inevitable Death, grooves of iron Law and stone eyes of fixed Fate in them with the sheer power of her unchanging Soul force manifested as living fire of Divine Love. She has chosen the Souls who have long suffered on this harsh globe, for the field of her sacrifice and action and she is even ready to walk and waste all infinity with wounded feet to accomplish her seemingly impossible task of transforming earth’s shadow, fixed destiny, grooves of iron Law, meaningless suffering, splendid failure, twilight and grey inhibitions. She leans with pity over earth-bound men in order to share the burden of ‘earth’s struggle and fate.’ Satyavan , a mere man of action, a woodsman, Nara, Jivatma , raised his consciousness to the status of the ascending integral Godhead, Avatara, Narayana , by the Power of consecration and loss of ego and was destined to fulfill Savitri’s mighty Mission of bridging the gulf between Heaven, Earth and Hell. He was also the Eternal Consciousness, a unique rare treasure loaned by Gods, who accompanied Savitri from the beginning of the creation as first ‘man and woman’ or first dual Incarnation and the Supreme had promised to grant physical immortality in all life when the first Avatara’s ‘heart dared death and suffered life.’ He continued his life in many successive births and bodies as ‘twin souls born from one undying fire’ of this mortal existence to endure in his human heart a million wounds representing the delegate Soul of earth. Through his long suffering in human form the God’s debt is paid. His Godhead status does not prevent him from living ‘in one house with the primal beast’ in the forest, colloquies with the Djinn and Asuras of the Subconscient world; thus in the Divine’s single plan he reveals solidarity with antagonist powers; ‘high meets the low’ or ‘God’s summits look back on the mute Abyss.’ He accepts the small and human personality of woodsman on earth and his small beginning witnesses the immense ascent of the Soul and immense descent of Shakti, leading the creation towards a mighty end. While tracing the path of immortality he signed salvation’s testament with his blood and broke into the dangerous and dark Inconscient’s depth and if he were to meet the Spiritual fall in the form of death while attempting to break the wheel of earth’s doom and before bridging the gulf between Heaven and Earth in order to balance the dark account of mortal Ignorance then this would be a great loss for humanity. Or an Avatara , as a delegate Soul of Heaven lent to earth must live a brief period in human history in order to trace and build a passage in intermediate ranges of consciousness so that a large section of humanity will be able to bridge the gulf between Heaven and Earth and reconcile Spirit with Matter with less effort. This work is further accelerated if Divine Love becomes active in earth’s atmosphere through action and interfusion of dual Avatara . His Divine work on earth of invasion of the series of Light and Love is treated unfinished and half done till all the evils are slain or transformed in their Inconscient home. In Savitri and Satyavan , Soul and Nature had realised equal Divine Presences and merged themselves in the oneness of wide harmony and balance. Their Spirit and body were glad, fulfilled through their union which drove them towards the discovery of ‘Love’s deathless moment,’ (Savitri-579) beings’ aim and richness extending over all Time. Their first meeting gives the most thrill by witnessing the dual Avatara in a secluded shrine of earth and in the secluded chamber of their heart who carry all the memory of their past births and their unfulfilled world task. From time to time or from the beginning of the creation, earth waits patiently for this destined meeting. Each meeting after the passing of many ages brings a new promise of Divine manifestation and the new hope becomes again visible in earth’s creatures. They had treasured the rich relation of their brief human birth through a subtle link of union or clasp of two eternities through many successive births and bodies of un-beginning past and felt the call of Spirit’s unending future joy; even they knew their Selves ‘older than the birth of Time.’ (Savitri-537) A vast intention of love’s unseen Presence has drawn these dual incarnating Powers closer in this life and their love asks them to wait endlessly as if they have all eternity ahead for their self-fulfilment. Together they have disdained from the God’s everlasting Night of Inconscient world and turned away from His everlasting Day of Sachchidananda plane and returned to Earth to wage a million wars against the universal dark rebel forces attached to present unstable existence, to bear the earth Mother’s ancient adversary, to bear ‘world’s intolerable wrongs’ (Savitri-701) and to accomplish their double task of raising the world to God’s deathless Light, a permanent ascent of Divine Consciousness and bringing down Divine Shakti to earth and men, a permanent descent of Divine Consciousness. Dyumatsena, the self-exiled King of Shalwa , father of Satyavan , is the Divine’s Conscious instrument, Yantra , here fallen blind, limiting his capacity to three gunas and walks lamely on this dangerous world with slow evolutionary mental footsteps. Through this Spiritual fall he has lost the celestial inner kingdom of seven immortal Selves and through that loss its kingdom of outer glory and opulence. Due to this adverse fate, he now sojourns a wiser life in the solemn rustle of the wood and his yearning towards All meets two solitudes (1) that of an outcast from the empire of the outer light symbolically represented as a crutch upon which his faltering-limb supports and he helplessly stumbles in the rushing speed of hasty Time and (2) lost to the comradeship of five galloping hooves of sense that of sound, touch, sight, taste and smell symbolically represented as his sightless blind identity. This double doom of his father compelled Satyavan to live in the high peopled loneliness of the Spirit which called the Divine Mother to enter his earthly life in human form and finally helped his long pure childhood’s lonely dream to restore King Dyumatsena’s steady royal walk in high dynamic outer Kingdom and a deeper visionary eye of Divine Wisdom. Restoration of the outer Kingdom was also the outcome of his revival of the inner kingdom through sadhana in double seclusion. OM TAT SAT The Most Important Secret of this chapter: “Her beating heart a remembrance of bliss” Savitri-410 “Each now was a part of the other’s unity, The world was but their twin self-finding’s scene Or their own wedded being’s vaster frame.” Savitri-411 “Oneness must sever its recovered bliss Or fate sunder (divide) our lives while life is ours.” Savitri-412 32/ Book 6, Canto 1 - The Word Of Fate A Brief restatement : This book (with its two Cantos) deals with the question of Fate, its source, its effect on our lives and whether it can be conquered. It also deals with problem of pain, the reason for its existence and when it will leave the scene. In this Book-6, Canto-1 (and also Canto-2) a reconciliation of moderate Spirituality represented by Savitri’s birth Mother, ancient Vedantic Spirituality represented by King Aswapati and Savitri , Overmental Spirituality of God represented by Narad are observed. Moderate Spirituality aims at escaping from problems of existence and extreme adversity through partial Divine union whereas ancient Vedantic Spirituality aims at resolving the problems of existence and confronting with extreme adversity of life through comprehensive Divine union. Overmental Gods have a role of helping men through foreknowledge and strengthening the Soul force of strong Souls and forcing weak Souls to experience Spiritual fall. Narad proposes that if one could live in the exceeding joy of the Self then doom might sleep in his life; this doom hunts and captures men when they remain unconscious of their Divine existence; if Savitri’s heart could be permanently imprisoned in the Supramental world and if she could live in the highest consciousness and exceeding bliss in her conscious waking state then doom might have slept permanently in her life and subsequently from earth’s life. He also proposes that this exceeding Bliss must be routed to man’s life through the opening of the Inconscient Self and the discovery of Divine Love hidden in the Inconscient Sheath or ‘Love that broods within the dim abyss.’ (Savitri-416) Narad’s arrival also calls down the future Supramental world and the promise of transformation of dark energies of the Subconscient and inconscient world: “And as he sang the demons wept with joy Foreseeing the end of their long dreadful task And the defeat for which they hoped in vain, And glad release from their self-chosen doom And return into the One from whom they came.” Savitri-417 Ancient Vedantists have the conviction ‘Only for good the secret Will can work’ (Savitri-424) and ‘I am stronger than death and greater than my fate.’ (Savitri-432) Others do not have this faith as they have no strong direct contact with the Divine. Here the King speaks of the double destiny of men. One is that of fixed destiny born out of ‘blindness of our will,’ our Karma or bounded action and the other is our changeable Spiritual destiny which is born out of oneness with Divine Will, Divine Wisdom and Divine Love. So, this Canto gives the message that one can escape untimely death and can live a long secure life if his Psychic being opens. For these Psychic and Spiritual Self opened Souls Death is not a curse but a passage and choice (iccha mrityu) for higher life. "Death is our road to immortality." Savitri-424, “Our death is made a passage to new worlds,” Savitri-194, “Death is a passage, not the goal of our walk:” Savitri-197, Savitri was able to trace her Lord in the distant land. Here, Savitri is identified as Para-prakriti or the virgin Mother and her meeting with Paramatma Satyavan can bring perfection in life and perfection in delight. Thus, we discover the Mahamantra of Savitri whose repetition can bring our Souls to the front: “Virgin who comest perfected by joy,” Savitri-424 The main participants who partake in uncovering this topic (mystery) are: Narad – who represents a Divine messenger aware of the source and secret mystery of fate and the forces that act behind all apparent destinies but does not have the power to change fate (that is also the limitation of our relation with Overmental Gods and Goddess) only he has the power to inform and awaken one to its impending action. He lives in a realm where Truth manifests without the distortion (What Narad saw about the detailed future of Savitri, about the same thing King Aswapati got the hint. In this sense Gods are superior to King Aswapati as projected in Savitri book) of any intermediary ignorance or inconscience, but he understands the secret mystery behind the ignorance and the future destiny of the earth. He comes to awaken and add a sense of haste (swiftness and acceleration) to Savitri’s Divine mission. King Aswapati – plays the role of both the father and the Guru of Savitri but as a seer of Truth and aware of the Divine Mother’s descent and action and ability to change fate, he is unperturbed by Narad’s pronouncements (Because King Aswapati had developed the strong conviction that the Supreme Will can work only for the good, independent of whatever it seems good or bad to man’s mind) and is aware of the purpose that Savitri has descended for. (Like king Aswapat i, in Integral Yoga the physical Guru has the responsibility of helping to find the Psychic Self. Then Psychic being is the inner Guru who takes the next responsibility of transforming Subconscient and Inconscient darkness in Sadhana .) The Queen – birth mother of Savitri and here is shown as someone who has accomplished some realisations and done sadhana , aware of the higher planes of existences and some of the secrets behind life and nature, but does not believe that Death can be overcome by a direct descent of the Divine power, but rather pleads the case for a slow and gradual evolution of man to his divine nature. (She has realized the Divine but was not aware that the Divine Power can change the untransformed Nature and hence can change human destiny.) The Queen was strong moderate by nature and hence she recoils from any high mission and discourages Savitri to step back from her Soul’s choice and asks her to follow an easier established path (“A choice less rare may call a happier fate,” Savitri-432). In the course of time, Savitri transcended her moderate passionate wise Mother and Mighty Seer Father. (She must disrupt, dislodge by her soul’s force Her past, a block on the Immortal’s road, Savitri-12) Savitri – although the incarnation of the Divine Mother, here she also represents someone who accepts their fate (which in her case is not the result of any karma of her previous lives) and can answer to it, not by pleading to a lower power/gods or by side stepping it (by rejecting to marry Satyavan), but by relying on (Spiritual experience of meeting with Satyavan that uplifted her consciousness to Supreme Height) their pure Soul force and the Divine within. (Savitri book indicates that Savitri’s Psychic being has more power than the Gods and the Guru.) “Then meet a greater god, thy self beyond Time.” (Savitri-375) The two cantos explore how the fate of most mortals differs from the fate of the Avatars or divine beings (Divine instruments, Yantra, Vibhuti and Avatara ). In the former case fate (is the fixed destiny activated by Nature’s law where the Supernature or Ishwara remains as witness during critical transitional moments) is usually prescribed to mortals by their karma, or nature or the actions of the Gods, while in the latter it is self-chosen, part of their mission (to activate the Supernature and witness or the ruler becomes Over-ruler and Overseer to change the fixed death bound destiny of the individual and the race). Hence, to escape one’s fate of a self-chosen mission is not possible for the divine (conscious) beings, who descend from a higher plane of Consciousness. We learn that these beings have to take their share of human misery if they wish to transform the earth and that all suffering can ultimately only be erased by bringing the highest supramental light to the lowest/deepest part of the Inconscient. Pain, we are told is the necessary instrument, the Gods use to cajole the divine within the inconscient to evolve towards the higher light…without which it would remain in its current (untransformed dark) state. We learn that once the highest divine light invades and transforms the inconscient sheath, pain no longer has its place and is transformed into its true state of divine (Ecstasy) good/joy…. OM TAT SAT The Most Important Secret of this chapter: "Earth keeps for man some short and perfect hours” Savitri-421 “Virgin who comest perfected by joy, Reveal the name thy sudden heart-beats learned. Whom hast thou chosen, kingliest among men?” Savitri-424 33/ Book 6, Canto 2 - The Book Of Fate, The Way Of Fate And The Problem Of Pain Summary Restated: In this Book-6, Canto-2 we meet three personalities. First one is the human personality of Savitri’s Mother, who seems to be concerned and blind with her own interest in an easy, comfortable and long happy human life. She does not bother for the world's misery and suffering and its irradiation from earth life. Due to her partial union with the Divine and satisfaction with that achievement, she was unaware of Divine’s comprehensive world plan, unaware of Divine Grace which acts during danger and difficulties of human life, unaware of dynamic Divine Power which can descend to change individual and collective destiny. King Aswapat i, due to his hard life of concentrated Tapasya could get a brief glimpse of Savitri’s past, present and future and also earth’s past, present and future. A detailed foreknowledge of the above issue was available to Narad , due to his Overmental God status. None of the above three have the capacity to change Savitri’s destiny and hence earth’s destiny. So, Savitri’s Psychic Being is identified as a greater God, and enjoys greater power and privilege than God and the Guru . Narad confirms that man is the author of his fate/doom and he can rewrite his fixed fate by opening the Psychic being through long sacrifice. He also issues the same proposal of hard sacrifice for Avatara for achieving his task of earth’s redemption. One can note the following two verses from Savitri: “Even if he (Avatara ) escapes the fiercest fires, Even if the world breaks not in, a drowning sea, Only by hard sacrifice is high heaven earned: He must face the fight, the pang who would conquer Hell.” Savitri-447 “Thy (common man) fate is a long sacrifice to the gods Till they have opened to thee thy secret self (Psychic Being) And made thee one with the indwelling God (Psychic Being).” Savitri-458 Narad identifies three dwarves, tamasic mind, rajasic mind and sattwic mind as the ‘hidden foe.’ Through these three inconscient energies the dark and hostile forces of the nether world enter into our life. The ordinary destiny can be changed if one can go beyond their influence. “There is no visible foe, but the unseen Is round us, forces intangible besiege, Touches from alien realms, thoughts not our own Overtake us and compel the erring heart; Our lives are caught in an ambiguous net. An adversary Force was born of old: Invader of the life of mortal man, It hides from him the straight immortal path. A power came in to veil the eternal Light, A power opposed to the eternal will Diverts the messages of the infallible Word, Contorts the contours of the cosmic plan: A whisper lures to evil the human heart, (whisper of vital and physical mind) It seals up wisdom’s eyes, the soul’s regard, It is the origin of our suffering here, It binds earth to calamity and pain. This all must conquer who would bring down God’s peace. This hidden foe lodged in the human breast Man must overcome or miss his higher fate. This is the inner war without escape.” Savitri-447-448 The main participants who partake in uncovering this topic (mystery) are restated with more deeper meaning: King Aswapati: Aswapati, King of Madra , the son of God, Vibhuti, destined to do some special Divine work, represents the human aspiration, hard Tapasya , askesis, and concentrated endeavour to explore all the multiple planes of Consciousness through vast and multiple identities. As Divine father he fostered, nourished and served his Divine daughter selflessly without attachment and wanted his daughter to ‘set earth alight’ with her ‘flame of radiant happiness.’ Like all human fathers, he aspires that her mortal life be unwounded and to serve humanity with ‘glad and griefless days.’ His capacity to unite with new bliss and flame-white Love came by annulling all ‘the contact formed with time-born things.’ He was able to retrieve the earth’s lost Spiritual energies, discovered earth’s secret beyond all previously attained Spiritual wisdom, nurtured Almighty’s Power in silence and solitude, sought the Divine strength that was not yet manifested on earth and called down the Divine Mother in the form of his daughter, Savitri. As Spiritual Teacher, the Guru ; firstly, he made her aware that her world Mission of awakening ‘Almighty powers’ that ‘are shut in Nature’s cells,’ ‘meet the Omnipotent in this house of flesh,’ ‘Out of Immortal’s substance you were made’ and hewing the path of immortality would be accomplished not by her own effort alone but by venturing to find her second Self, future Lord, unknown Lover, personal Godhead of the race and lyricist of her ‘soul’s most intimate chords’ in distant lands, who alone can match the measure of her waiting Soul, can walk with him like Gods in Heaven and can stand up as her equal comrade and peer; secondly, ‘must fire always test’ the purity and greatness of her Soul, who must wrestle with supernatural Darkness and must leave behind Death’s night to raise the fallen world. None can possess the kingdom of heaven and supreme Delight that has not passed through the ‘stones of suffering’ and tragic torture of giant sons of Falsehood; thirdly, she must continue her father’s unfinished Yoga and unfinished mission of ‘pure perfection and a shadowless bliss’ for the whole of suffering humanity and of changing all future time by unlocking the doors of human Fate. Queen: The Queen , the beautiful, passionate and the wise human mother of Savitri, the Divine’s unconscious instrument in Ignorance, child Soul, bala , represents mankind satisfied and preoccupied with earthly life of surface consciousness with having partial static Divine realisation through ‘sacrificial flame of aspiration,’ illumination of intellect, sattwic mind, limited light in Ignorance, and in her understanding of the mystery of creation and the Creator, the truth distorted and the Immortal’s meaning in the world was veiled. Thus, the limitation of her sattwic mind is here identified as soul slaying truth. As a human mother she fostered, nourished and served her Divine daughter with self-interest and attachment. She understands perfectly the limitations of human love and static Divine Love which cannot illuminate material life and not aware of the dynamic aspect of Divine Love which can transform life and human love. She was unaware of the secret of abundant dynamic Divine’s Grace and Bliss that hunt behind all effort to accept danger and pain to resolve the fundamental problem of existence and hence to decline all greater adventure by rejecting the doomed Satyavan was identified by her as the best solution. She, like a common man, was unable to recognise the greatness, nobility and action of world redemption of an Avatara and hence nourished no regard and gratitude towards him. She was also not aware that all unforeseen events are part of God’s secret plan and that He can overrule the Iron Law of Nature by conscious human effort and by dynamisation of His Supernature. So Narad asks the Queen not to interfere in matters that are beyond her understanding and power and to stand back from the stupendous scene and tremendous strife of her daughter’s heaven-sent task. The Queen was a representative Soul of moderate Spirituality or a beginner of integral Yoga and during the critical hour of her daughter’s choice of Satyavan , she experienced a Spiritual fall as her Soul was not sufficiently trained to lean on the pure and tranquil Spirit for all necessary aid and help during the hour of extreme adversity. This suggests that to oppose Divine’s Will in carrying out her daughter’s ‘heaven-sent task’ of rescuing men is the cause of her Spiritual decline. Her only daughter and husband’s mighty Spiritual Presence did not help her to overcome this fall of Consciousness and she lost the ‘empire of her hard-won quietude.’ (Savitri-437) Narad: Narad , the heavenly sage, the God, the instrument having the experience of oneness and complete union with the Divine. He was a mediator between Heaven and Earth, who was aware of the source and mystery of human fate and was having the power to foresee the future of man and knowledge of Soul saving Truth behind this creation, came down to earth to make Savitri aware that Soul’s greatness is measured through the capacity to bear pains of hell and she must cross on the stones of supreme universal suffering to arrive at her high mission, though he was having no power at his disposal to change her destiny and hence incapable of changing human destiny. Savitri’s Psychic being has the ability to give shelter where all the ‘high Gods could live.’ This Divine stationed in the heart centre is also projected as ‘greater than the God,’ the Guru and personal Godhead and has the capacity to change her own destiny and the destiny of the race or ‘She only can save herself and save the world.’ To bring all the worlds under her loving control and to uplift her body’s destiny or destiny of the race, her Soul entered a series of world adventures in different planes of Consciousness to become one with Divine Will and with the growth of Consciousness, a sort of mastery, a harmony and peace preoccupied the cells of the body and further extended to her multiple Selves of Sun-vast Truth. OM TAT SAT The Most Important Secret of this chapter: “A day may come when she must stand unhelped On a dangerous brink of the world’s doom and hers, Carrying the world’s future on her lonely breast, Carrying the human hope in a heart left sole To conquer or fail on a last desperate verge, Alone with death and close to extinction’s edge. Her single greatness in that last dire scene Must cross alone a perilous bridge in Time And reach an apex of world-destiny Where all is won or all is lost for man." Savitri-461 34/ Book 7, Canto 1 - The Book Of Yoga, The Joy Of Union Summary: We have identified the special features in Book-7, Canto-1 that have inspired our sadhana life. 1, First, we discover that both Savitri and Satyavan were Karma Yogis accepting the most practical and the most difficult issue of material life and divinised them. They are: “A worshipped empress all once vied to serve, She made herself the diligent serf of all, Nor spared the labour of broom and jar and well, Or close gentle tending or to heap the fire Of altar and kitchen, no slight task allowed To others that her woman’s strength might do. In all her acts a strange divinity shone: Into a simplest movement she could bring A oneness with earth’s glowing robe of light, A lifting up of common acts by love.” Savitri-470 “All of his (Satyavan) speeding days that he could spare From labour in the forest hewing wood And hunting food in the wild sylvan glades And service to his father’s sightless life He gave to her (Savitri) and helped to increase the hours By the nearness of his presence and his clasp, And lavish softness of heart-seeking words And the close beating felt of heart on heart.” Savitri-472 2, Secondly, we discover a subtle physical relation between them which will replace the transient and divisible human love. Subtle physical relations increase by changing the centre of living from the surface to deep within. They are: “For when he (Satyavan) wandered in the forest, oft Her conscious spirit walked with him and knew (while Satyavan was away from her in the forest.) His actions as if in herself he moved; He, less aware, thrilled with her from afar.” Savitri-473 3, Thirdly, we discover their Psychic, Spiritual, Supramental, Bliss Divine union and through which Psychic, Spiritual, Supramental and Bliss Love are manifested in the earthly atmosphere. They are: “A fusing of the joys of earth and heaven, A tremulous blaze of nuptial rapture passed, A rushing of two spirits to be one, (Psychic union experience) A burning of two bodies in one flame. (Spiritual union experience) Opened were gates of unforgettable bliss: (Supramental and bliss Self experience.) Two lives were locked within an earthly heaven And fate and grief fled from that fiery hour.” Savitri-468 4, Fourthly, we observe that if the bond of their relation is made strong through the accumulation of Spiritual energy or Yoga Shakti or Divine Love, then Death cannot divide their life. They are: “Priceless she deemed her joy so close to death; (Her joy was priceless which can confront death and can save life. Earthly joy is soul slaying and always submits itself before death.) Apart with love she lived for love alone.” Savitri-468 (She lived only for the Divine who has incarnated here as Love.) “Always behind this strange divided life Her spirit like a sea of living fire Possessed her lover and to his body clung, One locked embrace to guard its threatened mate.” Savitri-471 “Yet ever they grew into each other more Until it seemed no power could rend apart, Since even the body’s walls could not divide.” Savitri-473 5: Fifthly, Satyavan’s birth Mother is identified in this epic as the smallest character, the symbolic representation of the child Soul and through her Sri Aurobindo gives the strongest message of true consecrated service to all earth-bound aspiring child Souls and their right relation with the Mother Soul; here symbolically represented as Savitri . Mother Soul serves Earth from below as a slave and from above and beyond like strong sunlight and she trespasses the bound life of child Souls as a strong Goddess and liberates them from their barren days. Like all other parents, Satyavan’s birth mother was not aware of the doom nearing her only child and aspired for him ‘All joy of earth, all heaven’s beatitude.’ (Savitri-467) A similar observation is marked in King Aswapati who aspired to pass the mortal life of his only child Savitri unwounded and further aspired for this young spirit untouched with tears, and be possessed by all new and ‘beautiful things.’ (Savitri-422) OM TAT SAT The Important Secret of this chapter: “All of his (Satyavan) speeding days that he could spare From labour in the forest hewing wood And hunting food in the wild sylvan glades And service to his father’s sightless life He gave to her and helped to increase the hours By the nearness of his presence and his clasp, And lavish softness of heart-seeking words And the close beating felt of heart on heart.” Savitri-472 “Thus in the silent chamber of her soul Cloistering her love to live with secret grief She dwelt like a dumb priest with hidden gods Unappeased by the wordless offering of her days, Lifting to them her sorrow like frankincense, Her life the altar, herself the sacrifice.” Savitri-472-73 35/ Book 7, Canto 2 - The Parable Of The Search For The Soul A Brief Restatement: The Book-7, Canto-2 concentrates on the initial approach to find the Soul. Savitri’s Consciousness was moving between Psychic and Spiritual planes and also between three gunas and these Psychic and Spiritual planes. In her search for Soul, she entered the inner world leaving aside the surface world and came across two planes known as the (1) world of titans and asuras , (2) the world of lower nature of forbidden joy. They are linked with each other through the verse, ‘“Man’s lower nature hides these awful guests.’ (Savitri-481) They are also linked with each other through "This (Spiritual) illumination is constantly opposed by the Forces of the lower nature and still more by the adverse Forces that live and reign by the world’s imperfections and have laid down their formidable foundation on the black rock of the Inconscience" (CWSA-22/The Life Divine/p-970) So those who want to lead a higher life, must enter the inner ten worlds of desire Souls to discover their Psychic being. If they do not want to reject the untransformed lower nature which occupies ‘too large a place’ (Savitri-487) in life and dare not to meet and confront with the dark and invisible dangerous forces, they are considered unfit to lead a higher Divine life. In this Canto, we find a relation between Para prakriti Savitri and Paramatma Satyavan whose source is in absolute trance or brief cataleptic trance. They are: “As the Voice touched, her body became a stark And rigid golden statue of motionless trance, A stone of God lit by an amethyst soul.” Savitri-474 “Then Savitri by her doomed husband sat, Still rigid in her golden motionless pose, (brief cataleptic trance) A statue of the fire of the inner sun.” Savitri-477 Through the movement of consciousness, she came in contact with the Psychic being and also met the Spiritual Mother who consented to live permanently in her Psychic heart centre. Thus, before a Psychic being is Supramentalised it has to be Spiritualised. These experiences are: “Our larger being sits behind cryptic walls: There are greatnesses hidden in our unseen parts That wait their hour to step into life’s front: We feel an aid from deep indwelling Gods; (Psychic beings) One speaks within, Light comes to us from above.” (Spiritual being) Savitri-485 “Out of the mystic cavern in man’s heart The heavenly Psyche must put off her veil And step into common nature’s crowded rooms And stand uncovered in that nature’s front And rule its thoughts and fill the body and life.” Savitri-486-87 (Psychic transformation) “A portion of the mighty Mother came (Spiritual Mother) Into her as into its own human part: Amid the cosmic workings of the Gods It marked her the centre of a wide-drawn scheme, Dreamed in the passion of her far-seeing spirit To mould humanity into God’s own shape And lead this great blind struggling world to light Or a new world discover or create. Earth must transform herself and equal Heaven Or Heaven descend into earth’s mortal state.” Savitri-486 We again find in this Canto, Savitri came in contact with her Inconscient Self, which is identified here as nameless God. They are: “A conscious soul in the Inconscient’s world, (discovery of Inconscient Self) Hidden behind our thoughts and hopes and dreams, An indifferent Master signing Nature’s acts Leaves the vicegerent mind a seeming king.” Savitri-478 “A nameless god (Inconscient Self) in an unapproachable fane, In the secret adytum of his inmost soul He guards the being’s covered mysteries Beneath the threshold, behind shadowy gates Or shut in vast cellars of inconscient sleep. The immaculate Divine All-Wonderful Casts into the argent purity of his soul His splendour and his greatness and the light Of self-creation in Time’s infinity As into a sublimely mirroring glass. Man in the world’s life works out the dreams of God.” Savitri-479 During this movement of Consciousness, Savitri also entered the source of existence, here identified as Supreme Light which is felt necessary to arrive at a deathless state. “Our greater self of knowledge waits for us, A supreme light in the truth-conscious Vast: It sees from summits beyond thinking mind, It moves in a splendid air transcending life. It shall descend and make earth’s life divine.” Savitri-484 “His (Divine’s) young unaging look on deathless things, His joy in our escape from death and Time,” Savitri-484 OM TAT SAT The Important Secret of this chapter: “Man’s lower nature hides these awful guests. Their vast contagion grips sometimes man’s world. An awful insurgence overpowers man’s soul. In house and house the huge uprising grows: Hell’s companies are loosed to do their work, Into the earth-ways they break out from all doors, Invade with blood-lust and the will to slay And fill with horror and carnage God’s fair world.” Savitri-481 “Nothing is wholly dead that once had lived; In dim tunnels of the world’s being and in ours The old rejected nature still survives; The corpses of its slain thoughts raise their heads And visit mind’s nocturnal walks in sleep, Its stifled impulses breathe and move and rise; All keeps a phantom immortality.” Savitri-483-84 “The inferior nature born into ignorance Still took too large a place, it veiled her self And must be pushed aside to find her soul.” Savitri-487 36/ Book 7, Canto 3 - Entry Into The Inner Countries A Brief Restatement: The Book-7, Canto-3 concentrates on the inner world. Here Savitri discovered her two Selves, identified as annamaya Purusha , true physical being, Soul in the body and Pranamaya Purusha , true vital being, Soul in the vital. Here also we find the description of subtle physical sheath and subtle vital sheath and their relation with Subconscient sheath and how Subconscient lower untransformed nature trespass the subtle physical and subtle vital. Here we mark, Savitri utilised Nama Japa (to repeat the name of the Divine) or ‘saviour Name’ (Savitri-491) as means of sadhana which has the capacity to transform all the invasion of lower Nature into a still and empty chamber and can call down peace, vast calmness, freedom and tranquillity of mind. After exploring the limitations of the tamasic mind and rajasic mind she came across ‘a brilliant ordered Space’ of Sattwic mind. Here we observe a reason’s balanced reign, ‘adamant walls of law,’ ‘a small world or rule and line,’ and limited freedom. Here, the sattwic mind is divided into three parts of schoolman mind, fixed mind and outer mind . They, three have three characteristics of fear, doubt and impatience respectively and through these attributes they limit the Illimitable. Schoolman mind occupies life’s large space, fixed pillars of thought, lives in its dreams. ‘Its thoughts (are) an army ranked and disciplined.’ It does not dare to pursue ‘great and difficult’ adventure,’ does not call down the ‘flaming god;’ cannot set the world ablaze with the inner Fire. It limits the Soul with narrow ideal, adores an exclusive God, meditation is done to realise a narrow end; shuts its door to Divine Love and dries the heart with a rational religion. Its sacrifice is cold and flameless, Shastra is a sealed book devoid of Spiritual influence. Fixed mind is a quiet country where sense hunger is partly quenched, doubt is replaced with fixed faith. This is a firm and settled space of intelligence where all things are kept in their proper place. This fixed mind appears to be the creator of this apparent world, a substitute of the mighty Soul. Aspirant of limited perfection, limited truth and limited harmony. This is the home of elite who are satisfied with their exclusive achievement, the victory of single truth, and clarity of the sword of limited Light. It does not want to go beyond itself to discover the Psychic being. A fixed mind is satisfied with truth’s rounded outcome and ordered knowledge of apparent things. This is the world of artists, scientists, writers, philanthropists who are satisfied with their single achievement and do not show interest to go beyond their exclusive confident life. The Mother observed that the attitude of the most developed class, the most intellectual elite towards immense transformation work, "Ah, no! I don’t want to bother about that, I just want to live peacefully, as well as I can. We’ll see once the world has been transformed, then we can start bothering about it." (The Mother’s Agenda-7/294-295) Then, Savitri came to the world of outer mind , where all are in haste and all are impatient to save the God’s world. Here no Divine Light and mystic Voice are received. The outer mind cannot receive the Divine messengers of the subliminal world. It is not aware of waking trance, dreams of unborn Reality and strange goddesses with deep pooled magical eyes. This Canto gives the message that those who are deeply dissatisfied with the limitations of schoolman mind, fixed mind and outer mind can trace their Psychic being. OM TAT SAT The Most Important Secret of this chapter: “Awhile she moved through a blank tranquillity Of naked Light from an invisible sun, A void that was a bodiless happiness, A blissful vacuum of nameless peace.” Savitri-491 “To find the inner self concealed in sense.” Savitri-489 (true vital being) “She forced her way through body to the soul.” Savitri-489 (true physical being) “Soul was not there but only cries of life.” Savitri-490 (surface life is far from the influence of true vital being.) “She crossed through spaces of a secret self ” Savitri-490 (Annamaya and Pranamaya Purusha .) “But now the vital godhead wakes within (true vital being) And lifts the life with the Supernal’s touch.” Savitri-490 “A schoolman mind had captured life’s large space,” Savitri-496 “Here was a quiet country of fixed mind ,” Savitri-498 “And pass through masked doorways into outer mind ” Savitri-500 37/ Book 7, Canto 4 - The Triple Soul Forces A Brief Restatement: In the Book-7, Canto-4, before finding the Psychic being Savitri came across three Mother powers of the subtle world who are having link with three inconscient energies of tamas, rajas and sattwa of Aparaprakriti (lower Nature) and also have a link with the higher Nature (Para-prakriti) of four Mother powers of Psychic plane. They are three untransformed Subliminal Soul Forces known as tamasic Mother or Mother of seven sorrows, rajasic Mother or Mother of might and sattwic Mother or the Mother of Light. They are also representative symbols of desire Soul and also three (limited) perfections, siddhis in the subtle mental world of having a link with the lower worlds of Ignorance. Those who search their Soul, feel satisfied with these three Mother powers and their limited Siddhis and do not strive to go beyond to discover the Psychic being. A subtle world is accepted as a link through which the gulf between higher nature and lower untransformed nature is bridged or this important subtle physical plane bridges the gulf between the Spiritual plane and the surface Nature of mind, life and body. Since Subtle physical, subtle vital and subtle mental have important roles in earth’s transformation, so purification, transformation and perfection of three subliminal Mother powers are identified as crucial in the life of Sadhaka of integral Yoga. These three Mother Powers are to be strongly linked with four Psychic Mother Powers of Brahma Shakti, Kshetra Shakti, Vaisya Shakti, Shudra Shakti and the four Spiritual Mother Powers of Maheswari, Mahakali, Mahalakshmi, and Mahasaraswati . They are also to be linked with the Supramental Source identified as Truth Supreme, Power supreme, Supreme Delight and Will supreme as hinted in Savitri . The Mother of seven sorrow is the deformed attribute of Vaisya Shakti ; the Mother of Might is a deformed attribute of Kshetra Shakti and Shudra Shakti and Mother of Light is the deformed attribute of Brahma Shakti. Seven Sorrows of the Mother: 1) The beauty of sadness lingered on her face, 2) Her eyes were dim with the ancient stain of tears. 3) Her heart was riven with the world’s agony (riven: split or tear apart violently) 4) And burdened with the sorrow and struggle in Time, 5) An anguished music trailed in her rapt voice. 6) Absorbed in a deep compassion’s ecstasy, 7) Lifting the mild ray of her patient gaze, Seven sorrows are (1) memory of ‘beauty of sadness,’ (2) ancient strain of tears, (3) world’s agony, (4) sorrow and struggle in all Time, (5) anguished music, (6) deep sorrowful compassion towards bereaved souls, (7) patient gaze and patient prayer that does not reach heaven. Seven limited Might of the Mother: 1: “I stand upon earth’s paths of danger and grief And help the unfortunate and save the doomed.” 2: “I smite the Titan who bestrides the world And slay the ogre in his blood-stained den.” 3: “I am Durga, goddess of the proud and strong, And Lakshmi, queen of the fair and fortunate; I wear the face of Kali when I kill, I trample the corpses of the demon hordes.” 4: “I guide man to the path of the Divine And guard him from the red Wolf and the Snake.” 5: “A few I guide who pass me towards the Light; A few I save, the mass falls back unsaved; A few I help, the many strive and fail.” 6: “Slowly the light grows greater in the East, Slowly the world progresses on God’s road.” 7: “I shall hear the silver swing of heaven’s gates When God comes out to meet the soul of the world.” Seven limited Light of the Mother: 1: “I have come down to the wounded desolate earth To heal her pangs and lull her heart to rest And lay her head upon the Mother’s lap That she may dream of God and know his peace And draw the harmony of higher spheres Into the rhythm of earth’s rude troubled days.” 2: “I show to her the figures of bright gods And bring strength and solace to her struggling life; High things that now are only words and forms I reveal to her in the body of their power.” 3: “I am peace that steals into man’s war-worn breast, Amid the reign of Hell his acts create A hostel where Heaven’s messengers can lodge; I am charity with the kindly hands that bless, I am silence mid the noisy tramp of life; I am Knowledge poring on her cosmic map.” 4: “I am the Power that labours towards the best And works for God and looks up towards the heights. I make even sin and error stepping-stones And all experience a long march towards Light. Out of the Inconscient I build consciousness, And lead through death to reach immortal Life.” 5: “Thus slowly I lift man’s soul nearer the Light. But human mind clings to its ignorance And to its littleness the human heart And to its right to grief the earthly life.” 6: “Only when Eternity takes Time by the hand, Only when infinity weds the finite’s thought, Can man be free from himself and live with God.” 7: “I shall save earth, if earth consents to be saved. Then Love shall at last unwounded tread earth’s soil; Man’s mind shall admit the sovereignty of Truth And body bear the immense descent of God.” Seven Subconscient Tamasic Sorrows: Seven sorrows of man are: 1: I am nailed on the wide cross of the universe; 2: I am the fighter who can never win, 3: I toil like the animal, like the animal die., 4: I have loved for mine, not for the beloved’s sake, 5: If once the Titan’s strength could wake in me, But God has taken from me the ancient Force. 6: Only by suffering can I excel, 7: Evil I must be and by evil live. Seven Subconscient rajasic might: 1: “The last-born of the earth I stand the first; Her slow millenniums waited for my birth.” 2: “Immortal spirit in the perishing clay, I am God still unevolved in human form; Even if he is not, he becomes in me.” 3: “I was born weak and small and ignorant, A helpless creature in a difficult world Travelling through my brief years with death at my side; I have grown greater than Nature, wiser than God.” 4: “What God imperfect left, I will complete, Out of a tangled mind and half-made soul His sin and error I will eliminate; What he invented not, I shall invent: He was the first creator, I am the last.” 5: “I have studied my being, I have examined the world, I have grown a master of the arts of life.” 6: “I shall slay my enemies with a look or thought, I shall sense the unspoken feelings of all hearts And see and hear the hidden thoughts of men.” 7: “No wish I harbour unfulfilled shall die: Omnipotence and omniscience shall be mine.” Seven Subconscient Sattwic Light: 1: “I am the mind of God’s great ignorant world Ascending to knowledge by the steps he made; I am the all-discovering Thought of man.” 2: “Yet have I loosened the cord, enlarged my room. I have mapped the heavens and analysed the stars, Described their orbits through the grooves of Space, Measured the miles that separate the suns, Computed their longevity in Time.” 3: “The tree of evolution I have sketched, Each branch and twig and leaf in its own place, In the embryo tracked the history of forms, And the genealogy framed of all that lives. I have detected plasm and cell and gene, The protozoa traced, man’s ancestors, The humble originals from whom he rose; I know how he was born and how he dies: Only what end he serves I know not yet Or if there is aim at all or any end Or push of rich creative purposeful joy In the wide works of the terrestrial power.” 5: “All Matter is a book I have perused; Only some pages now are left to read. I have seen the ways of life, the paths of mind; I have studied the methods of the ant and ape And the behaviour learned of man and worm. If God is at work, his secrets I have found. But still the Cause of things is left in doubt, Their truth flees from pursuit into a void; When all has been explained nothing is known” 6: “Nay, let me work within my mortal bounds, Not live beyond life nor think beyond the mind; Our smallness saves us from the Infinite. In a frozen grandeur lone and desolate Call me not to die the great eternal death, Left naked of my own humanity In the chill vast of the spirit’s boundlessness. Each creature by its nature’s limits lives, And how can one evade his native fate?” 7: “Human I am, human let me remain Till in the Inconscient I fall dumb and sleep. A high insanity, a chimaera is this, To think that God lives hidden in the clay And that eternal Truth can dwell in Time, And call to her to save our self and world. How can man grow immortal and divine Transmuting the very stuff of which he is made? This wizard gods may dream, not thinking men.” Sevenfold transformation of Mother of seven sorrows: 1: To bear the unbearable sorrow of the world, 2: Because thou art, the wretched still can hope. 3: But thine is the power to solace, not to save., 4: One day I will return, a bringer of strength, 5: Divine Love shall be bond of human kind, 6: Misery shall pass abolished from the earth, 7: There shall be peace and joy for ever more. Sevenfold transformation of Mother of Might: 1: transformation of nature through reconciliation of Shudra Soul force of work and Kshatriya Soul force of Strength or Force. (2) since individual isolated transformation is not practicable, so she has to include the whole of humanity and shall be preoccupied is doing good of all creature. (3) Because of the Divine Presence within, men’s Soul can climb to heaven. (4) transformation of nature through reconciliation of Brahmin wisdom and Kshatriya Power.(5) ‘And fear and weakness shall desert men’s lives,’ (6) Ego will be silenced within. (7) “All shall be might and bliss and happy force.” Sevenfold transformation of Mother of Light: 1. Hunger for eternal and heart filled with heaven’s fire, (2) bringing god down to body and life, (3) golden hand of Lord will return, (4) Divine will be visible to the naked eye, (5) reconciliation of Spirit and Matter, (6) Humanity will be transformed into Divine family, (7) All the ten worlds or planes will be filled with light and peace The great hope with which the Mother of seven Sorrows strives for purification, transformation and perfection of her existing limited attributes are observed in the following verse where she will be transformed in the future as the Mother of seven Delight: “Within me a blind faith and mercy dwell; I carry the fire that never can be quenched And the compassion that supports the suns. I am the hope that looks towards my God, My God who never came to me till now; His voice I hear that ever says ‘I come’: I know that one day he shall come at last.” Savitri-505 “Thy (Mother of seven Delight) love shall be the bond of humankind, Compassion the bright key of Nature’s acts: Misery shall pass abolished from the earth; The world shall be freed from the anger of the Beast, From the cruelty of the Titan and his pain. There shall be peace and joy for ever more.” Savitri-507-508 Similarly, we observe great hope in the Mother of (limited) Might and she strives for her purification, transformation and perfection to become Mother of perfect and unlimited Might. She is waiting for the days when she can guide, save and help all humanity. Her future hope and promise we observe in the following verse: “The cosmic evil is too deep to unroot, The cosmic suffering is too vast to heal. A few I guide who pass me towards the Light; A few I save, the mass falls back unsaved; A few I help, the many strive and fail. But my heart I have hardened and I do my work: Slowly the light grows greater in the East, Slowly the world progresses on God’s road. His seal is on my task, it cannot fail: I shall hear the silver swing of heaven’s gates When God comes out to meet the soul of the world.” Savitri-510 “One day I will return (as Mother of unlimited Might), a bringer of light; Then will I give to thee the mirror of God; Thou shalt see self and world as by him they are seen Reflected in the bright pool of thy soul. Thy wisdom shall be vast as vast thy power. Then hate shall dwell no more in human hearts, And fear and weakness shall desert men’s lives, The cry of the ego shall be hushed within, Its lion roar that claims the world as food, All shall be might and bliss and happy force.” Savitri-514 Similarly, the third and the greatest Mother Power of the subliminal world, the Mother of (limited) Light strives for her purification, transformation and perfection. Her future hope of becoming the Mother of unlimited Light and helping mankind to lead towards Supramental Light is observed in the following verse: “Only when Eternity takes Time by the hand, Only when infinity weds the finite’s thought, Can man be free from himself and live with God. I bring meanwhile the gods upon the earth; I bring back hope to the despairing heart; I give peace to the humble and the great, And shed my grace on the foolish and the wise. I shall save earth, if earth consents to be saved. Then Love shall at last unwounded tread earth’s soil; Man’s mind shall admit the sovereignty of Truth And body bear the immense descent of God.” Savitri-516 “His hunger for the eternal thou must nurse And fill his yearning heart with heaven’s fire And bring God down into his body and life. One day I will return (as Mother of unlimited Light), His hand in mine, And thou shalt see the face of the Absolute. Then shall the holy marriage be achieved, Then shall the divine family be born. There shall be light and peace in all the worlds.” Savitri-521 This Canto gives the important message that for the transformation of human life into Divine Life the gulf between Divine Consciousness and human Consciousness of three gunas must be bridged. That gulf can be bridged in the subtle mind, the subtle vital and the subtle body which have double doors ; one open towards Subconscient negative energies and the other open towards Superconscient affirmative energies. So, their purification, transformation, universalisation and perfection are important requisites in the manifestation of Divine Life. So, all our opposition to enter and concentrate on the inner life must be transcended and open the doors of three Mother Powers for their own perfection and discovery of still powerful and more intimate Psychic Being. OM TAT SAT The Most Important Secret of this chapter: “One day I will return, a bringer of strength, (as Mother of seven Delight) And make thee drink from the Eternal’s cup; His streams of force shall triumph in thy limbs And Wisdom’s calm control thy passionate heart.” Savitri-507 “But without wisdom power is like a wind, It can breathe upon the heights and kiss the sky, It cannot build the extreme eternal things.” Savitri-514 “His hunger for the eternal thou (Mother of Light) must nurse And fill his yearning heart with heaven’s fire And bring God down into his body and life.” Savitri-521 38/ Book 7, Canto 5 - The Finding Of The Soul A Brief Restatement: This Canto gives importance to the entire opening of the Psychic being. Sri Aurobindo confirms, "Then only can the psychic being fully open when the sadhaka has got rid of the mixture of vital motives with his sadhana and is capable of a simple and sincere self-offering to the Mother....Purity, simple sincerity and the capacity of an unegoistic unmixed self-offering without pretension or demand are the conditions of an entire opening of the psychic being.” CWSA-30/Letters on Yoga-III/p-349, "In the Tantric discipline there is a process of opening all the centres from the Muladhara upward. In our Yoga (Integral Yoga) very often the Power descends from above and opens the Ajnachakra first, then the others in order. But it is perhaps the safest to open by concentration the heart-lotus first so as to have the psychic influence from the beginning." CWSA-30/Letters on Yoga-III/350-351 In Book 7, Canto-5, Savitri discovered her Psychic being through the Tantric Method of Yoga and not the Vedantic self-discipline. This Tantric method is safe for Developed Souls but not so safe for developing Souls. Because the desire Soul surrounding the Psychic Being is not easy to overcome but rather it invites Spiritual fall. In the Vedantic method, first, the Spiritual being opens and by its pressure or descent, the Psychic being opens and this Self-discipline is rather safe for developing Souls without any possibility of Spiritual fall. In this Canto, Savitri’s Psychic being not only opens but the Psychic being is Spiritualised and Supramentalised. It means mediatrix Spiritual Mother and Creatrix Supramental Mother consented to live permanently in Savitri’s Psychic heart centre, thus, the Psychic being is identified as an important centre for individual and world Transformation. “Here in this chamber of flame and light they met; (Psychic and Spiritual being met) They looked upon each other, knew themselves, The secret deity (Spiritual being) and its human part (Psychic being), The calm immortal (Spiritual being) and the struggling soul (Psychic being). Then with a magic transformation’s speed They rushed into each other and grew one.” Savitri-527 (This is the experience of Spiritualisation of Psychic being.) (By this experience the Spiritual Mother consented to live in the Psychic heart centre.) “In its deep lotus home her being sat As if on concentration’s marble seat, Calling the mighty Mother of the worlds To make this earthly tenement her house.” Savitri-528 (The Mighty Supramental Mother stationed permanently in the Savitri’s Psychic Heart Centre.) So, Savitri book proposes that if a Sadhaka has realised the Psychic being and his consciousness learns the lesson to live in a waking trance, then through the movement of Consciousness he can Spiritualise and Supramentalise the Psychic being, then he can save and transform himself, the collectivity and the world. But to realise this perfection is a long patient action of time. After opening of Savitri's Psychic being, Savitri experienced the opening of her seven chakras beginning from above the head. “One can speak of the chakras only in reference to Yoga. In ordinary people the chakras are not open, it is only when they do sadhana that they open. For the chakras are the centres of the inner consciousness and belong organically to the subtle body. So much as is active in ordinary people is very little — for in them it is the outer consciousness that is active…The centres of consciousness [are meant by the term “centres”], the chakras. It is by their opening that the Yogic or inner consciousness develops — otherwise you are bound to the ordinary outer consciousness.” CWSA-28/Letters on Yoga-I/p-231 In this Canto Savitri experienced the Vedantic ascent Soul followed by descent of Shakti and opening of chakras: “Out of the Inconscient’s soulless mindless night A flaming Serpent rose released from sleep. It rose billowing its coils and stood erect And climbing mightily, stormily on its way It touched her centres with its flaming mouth; As if a fiery kiss had broken their sleep, They bloomed and laughed surcharged with light and bliss. Then at the crown it joined the Eternal’s space. In the flower of the head, in the flower of Matter’s base,... In the country of the lotus of the head (Sahasrara Chakra (Crown Chakra)) Which thinking mind has made its busy space, In the castle of the lotus twixt the brows (Ajna Chakra (Third Eye Chakra)) Whence it shoots the arrows of its sight and will, In the passage of the lotus of the throat (Vishuddha Chakra (Throat Chakra)) Where speech must rise and the expressing mind And the heart’s impulse run towards word and act... In the kingdom of the lotus of the heart (Anahata Chakra (Heart Chakra)) Love chanting its pure hymeneal hymn Made life and body mirrors of sacred joy And all emotions gave themselves to God. In the navel lotus’ broad imperial range (Manipura Chakra (Solar Plexus Chakra)) Its proud ambitions and its master lusts Were tamed into instruments of a great calm sway To do a work of god in earthly soil. In the narrow nether centre’s petty parts (Svadhisthana Chakra (Sacral Chakra) and Muladhara Chakra (Root Chakra)) Its childish game of daily dwarf desires Was changed into a sweet and boisterous play, A romp of little gods with life in Time.” Savitri-528-30 This Canto gives the input, that if the Psychic being opens, then this heart Centre acts as a Fortress of Truth and Virginity, surrounded by a large world of Ignorance and from this Divine Centre the Overhead truth and purity pour into the world of Falsehood and world perversion, thus one extends help to illumine the world and this is further universalised as ‘the little strength we have to help our race.’ (Savitri-527) “O soul, my soul, we have created Heaven, Within we have found the kingdom here of God, His fortress built in a loud ignorant world.” Savitri-531 This Canto also informs us that with the Psychic realisation of Savitri, the Gods and Goddess of the Overmental world preferred to live with her. Similar experience we also observe with King Aswapati : (Savitri's experience) "Casting aside its veil of Ignorance, Allied to gods and cosmic beings and powers It built the harmony of its human state; Surrendered into the great World-Mother’s hands Only she obeyed her sole supreme behest In the enigma of the Inconscient’s world." Savitri-530 (Savitri's experience) “In the slow process of the evolving spirit, In the brief stade between a death and birth A first perfection’s stage is reached (by Savitri) at last; Out of the wood and stone of our nature’s stuff A temple is shaped where the high gods could live. Even if the struggling world is left outside One man’s perfection still can save the world.” Savitri-531 (Savitri's experience) "Many high gods dwelt in one beautiful home; Yet was her nature’s orb a perfect whole, Harmonious like a chant with many tones, Immense and various like a universe." Savitri-358 (King Aswapati’s experience) “In an outburst of heavenly joy and ease Life yields to the divinity within And gives the rapture-offering of its all, And the soul opens to felicity. A bliss is felt that never can wholly cease, A sudden mystery of secret Grace Flowers goldening our earth of red desire. All the high gods who hid their visages From the soiled passionate ritual of our hopes, Reveal their names and their undying powers.” Savitri-278 This Canto also hints at the Psychic transformation or Supramentalised Psychic transformation of Savitri’s untransformed Nature. They are: “And all emotions gave themselves to God.” Savitri-529 “Its proud ambitions and its master lusts Were tamed into instruments of a great calm sway To do a work of God on earthly soil.” Savitri-530 “Its childish game of daily dwarf desires Was changed into a sweet and boisterous play,” Savitri-530 “Then sin and virtue leave the cosmic lists;” Savitri-531 OM TAT SAT The Most Important Secret of this chapter: “In its deep lotus home her (Psychic) being sat As if on concentration’s marble seat, Calling the mighty Mother of the worlds (Supramental Mother) To make this earthly tenement her (Savitri’s) house.” (Supramentalised Psychic being) Savitri-528 “But when its feet had touched the quivering bloom, A mighty movement rocked the inner space As if a world were shaken and found its soul: (Discovery of Inconscient Self) Out of the Inconscient’s soulless and mindless night” Savitri-528 “All underwent a high celestial change: Breaking the black Inconscient’s blind mute wall, (opening of Inconscient Self) Effacing the circles of the Ignorance, Powers and divinities burst flaming forth; (Powers of Subconscient and Inconscient Self.) Each part of the being trembling with delight Lay overwhelmed with tides of happiness And saw her hand in every circumstance And felt her touch in every limb and cell.” Savitri-529 (Cellular transformation) “In the deep place where once the Serpent slept, There came a grip on Matter’s giant powers (opening of Inconscient Self) For large utilities in life’s little space; A firm ground was made for Heaven’s descending might.” Savitri-530 39/ Book 7, Canto 6 - Nirvana And The Discovery Of The All Negating Absolute A Brief Restatement: “The psychic and the spiritual opening with their experiences and consequences can lead away from life or to a Nirvana ; but they are here (in integral Yoga) being considered solely as steps in a transformation of the nature.” CWSA-22/The Life Divine-943 In this Canto Savitri's Spiritual Being opened which is identified as 'calm slow sun' (Savitri-532) or 'Impersonal, signless, featureless, void of forms' (Savitri-545) and from which overhead light invaded her whole inner and outer life. If Spiritual energy enters the body in a large scale, then the body vibrates unusually or symbolically as represented in Savitri , 'Still quivering from her lover’s strong embrace.' (Savitri-533) Thus, 'Matter is the Spirit’s willing bride' (Savitri-538) and "The high meets the low, all is a single plan.” (Savitri-541) With the opening of her Spiritual being, she could see Satyavan's future Spiritual destiny where the dark shadow above his head was illumined: "Above the cherished head of Satyavan She saw not now Fate’s dark and lethal orb; A golden circle round a mystic sun Disclosed to her new-born predicting sight The cyclic rondure of a sovereign life." Savitri-533 This Canto defines the Nature of Spiritual Love which is 'Absolved in the self-rapt immortal’s bliss.' (Savitri-533) and this joy can bridge the gulf between Earth and Heaven or Matter and Spirit. After the sun-lit Psychic path, Savitri was able to trace the golden path. She was given a brief time to tread this 'Golden Path' with Satyavan before the abysmal Night fell on her days: "Always he was with her, a living soul That met her eyes with close enamoured eyes, A living body near to her body’s joy. But now no longer in these great wild woods In kinship with the days of bird and beast And levelled to the bareness of earth’s brown breast, But mid the thinking high-built lives of men In tapestried chambers and on crystal floors, In armoured town or gardened pleasure-walks, Even in distance closer than her thoughts, Body to body near, soul near to soul, Moving as if by a common breath and will They were tied in the single circling of their days Together by love’s unseen atmosphere, Inseparable like the earth and sky." Savitri-533 Savitri, in her Spiritual Journey, meets two Voices from within and above. One Voice is soul-slaying negation or 'A denser darkness than the Night could bear,' (Savitri-534) and the other is Soul saving affirmation or 'a greater Voice came down' (Savitri-536) from height. The former Voice gives the message that this world is an illusion and 'only the blank Eternal can be true' (Savitri-535) and proposes to cease from this vain illusory existence. The latter affirmative Voice confirms that the Spiritual being can be dynamised to such an extent that it 'Accept to be small and human on the earth,' (Savitri-536) and consecrates even the smallest and the meanest work. Thus, the smallest action can be a means for contact with the highest Divine Force and mind can be made blank to ascend on this path. "But not for self alone the Self is won: Content abide not with one conquered realm; Adventure all to make the whole world thine, To break into greater kingdoms turn thy force. Fear not to be nothing that thou mayst be all; Assent to the emptiness of the Supreme That all in thee may reach its absolute." Savitri-536 "Consent to be nothing and none, dissolve Time’s work, Cast off thy mind, step back from form and name. Annul thyself that only God may be.”" Savitri-538 "Impersonal, signless, featureless, void of forms A blank pure consciousness had replaced the mind." Savitri-545 "All else grew unsubstantial, self-annulled , This only everlasting seemed and true, Yet nowhere dwelt, it was outside the hours." Savitri-547 "Only some last annulment now remained, Annihilation’s vague indefinable step: A memory of being still was there And kept her separate from nothingness: She was in That but still became not That." Savitri-549 Cantos 6 & 7 are best understood when they are read in conjunction (Spiritual or blank pure Consciousness and Cosmic Consciousness) with each other and when the term Nirvana is understood from the perspective of Integral Yoga as an intermediate transitory phase to a higher, more encompassing consciousness. The all negating Absolute is not a nihilistic state where existence and being ceases or is treated as a false concoction of the separative personality as has been understood from past philosophies and religions – rather the Absolute is beyond all positive terms of existence, even the most abstract and transcendent that can be conceived of by the human mind and senses. The reaching of a state of static realisation above and residing in the absolute is the foundation (and starting point) for the next stage of the play of the cosmic energies and dynamic self. In these following two Cantos, Savitri proceeds from her first perfection of finding her Psychic being in her heart centre (which is Spiritualised and Supramentalised) to the subsequent perfections of finding her spiritual and supramental beings/realisations – the process of these ascents are reflected in her passing through the transitionary stages of Nirvana and cosmic consciousness and finally reaching a stage where both the personal liberation and cosmic consciousness are held together in a state of (absolute) harmony (of dwelling in the supramental/transcendent consciousness). As such, we find that Nirvana and cosmic/universal consciousness are not opposites or contraries; they only appear so when we reside in the consciousness of the mind; in the higher plane (supramental consciousness), they are contained as mutually complementary states. Brahma satya Jagat Mithya is the first fundamental Siddhi of integral Yoga. The Canto-6 deals with this part of Savitri’s realisation. This realisation is a little different from escapist later Vedantic doctrine. “The Divine alone is true – all the rest is falsehood. The Divine alone is real – all the rest is illusion. The Divine alone is life – all the rest belongs to the kingdom of death. The Divine alone is light – all the rest is semi-obscurity. The Divine alone is love – all the rest is selfish sentimentality. And yet the Divine is everywhere, in the ignorant man as well as in the sage. And yet the Divine is everywhere, in the sinner as well as in the saint.” The Mother/The Mother's Agenda/undated-1958 OM TAT SAT The Most Important Secret of this chapter: “When Nature who is now unconscious God Translucent grows to the Eternal’s light, Her seeing his sight, her walk his steps of power And life is filled with a spiritual joy And Matter is the Spirit’s willing bride.” Savitri-538 “So man (Satyavan ) evolving to divinest heights Colloques still with the animal and the Djinn; The human godhead with star-gazer eyes Lives still in one house with the primal beast. The high meets the low, all is a single plan.” Savitri-542 40/ Book 7, Canto 7 - The Discovery Of The Cosmic Spirit And The Cosmic Consciousness A Brief Restatement: The Book-7, Canto-7, confirms that both Paramatma Satyavan and Para prakriti Savitri’s main method of Yoga was Spiritual or “Her divine emptiness was their instrument.” (Savitri-553) or “An impersonal emptiness walked and spoke in her.’ (Savitri-552) In the previous Canto Savitri’s main method of Sadhana was also confirmed as Spiritual. Or “Annul thyself that only God may be.” (Savitri-538) Or “In a simple purity of emptiness Her mind knelt down before the unknowable.” (Savitri-522) " Assent to the emptiness of the Supreme That all in thee may reach its absolute." (Savitri-536) "Banish all thought from thee and be God’s void." (Savitri-537) This Canto confirms that Savitri had the knowledge of past, present and future birth known as All Life, about which her surrounding world was little aware: “They marvelled at her, for she seemed to know What they had only glimpsed at times afar.” Savitri-553 Its complementary line from the Gita: “The Blessed Lord said: Many are my lives that are past, and thine also, O Arjuna ; all of them I know, but thou knowest not, O scourge of the foe.” The Gita-4.5 With the attainment of Cosmic Consciousness, the inner life changes but ‘daily human life,’ ‘outward body of the routine,’ ‘small unchanging works’ and ‘happy quiet of ascetic peace’ (Savitri-551) do not change. Cosmic consciousness is the dynamic state of the Divine where ‘living spirit’ clasps her body and in this state, Matter can reconcile with the Spirit and with the Spirit’s penetration into material life, Savitri experiences change in the form of purification, transformation and perfection in her outward life. She continues to pour her greatness, sweetness and light upon her surrounding little hermit world. In this Book-7, Canto-7 Savitri realised her cosmic Self which is identified as the second fundamental realization of integral Yoga. In this Consciousness Divine becomes dynamic and one lives in waking trance. First fundamental realisation: Brahma satya jagat mithya , Divine is Real and world is an Illusion; second fundamental realisation: the world which appears to be false is created from Brahman ; third fundamental realisation: Brahma satya jagat satya and Brahman consciousness can penetrate material life and Divinise life. The characteristics of the second fundamental realisation are: “Her being, a circle without circumference,” Savitri-554 “A spirit, a being saw created things And cast itself into unnumbered forms” Savitri-554-55 “A Truth in which negation had no place,” Savitri-555 “Her spirit saw the world as living God;” Savitri-556 In the earlier Cantos it is confirmed that those who have a Mission (aim of life) and have realised their Psychic beings, their life is fully protected by the Divine. Savitri had both the awareness of her aim and Psychic realisation. This Canto proposes that if a Spiritual being is made open, then also it ensures protection to life. These developments are as follows: “Heaven’s tranquil shield guarded the missioned child.” Savitri-16 (Spiritual opening) “Only were safe who kept God in their hearts:” Savitri-211(Psychic opening) “And Savitri’s life was glad, fulfilled like earth’s; She had found herself, she knew her being’s aim.” Savitri-532 (Psychic being’s awareness) “Something perhaps unfelt, unseen, unknown Guarded the body for its future work,” Savitri-552 (Spiritual opening) “Guarded behind its face of ignorance:” Savitri-556 (Spiritual opening) This Canto also hints that the attainment of Cosmic consciousness is also the beginning of Subconscient transformation. So the opening of higher Selves like Psychic, Spiritual and Supramental Selves are utilised exclusively for purification, transformation and perfection of untransformed Nature. “She was a subconscient life of tree and flower, The outbreak of the honied buds of spring; She burned in the passion and splendour of the rose, She was the red heart of the passion-flower, The dream-white of the lotus in its pool. Out of subconscient life she climbed to mind,” Savitri-557 These are the hidden agenda of cosmic Consciousness, which are utilised for both self-concentration and self-expansion. OM TAT SAT The Most Important Secret of this chapter: “She passed beyond Time into eternity, Slipped out of space and became the Infinite; Her being rose into unreachable heights And found no end of its journey in the Self.” Savitri-555 “She was the godhead hid in the heart of man, She was the climbing of his soul to God.” Savitri-557 41/ Book 8, Canto 3 - Death In The Forest Summary or Brief Restatement: This Canto speaks symbolically of the earthly departure of Satyavan in all life and Satyavan will return to earth after Savitri’s Yoga in Subconscient and Inconscient planes are complete which is again an issue of many births. Savitri was supremely aware of the day in which Satyavan would leave his body. "Now has a strong desire seized all my heart To go with Satyavan holding his hand Into the life that he has loved and touch Herbs he has trod and know the forest flowers And hear at ease the birds and the scurrying life That starts and ceases, rich far rustle of boughs And all the mystic whispering of the woods." Savitri-562 This gives a clear message to a Sadhak , instead of following the escapist solution of Moderate and later Vedantist , he must prepare and accumulate Soul force in his inner life all the time to confront Death which is experienced by Sayavan as follows: "But as he worked, his doom upon him came. The violent and hungry hounds of pain Travelled through his body biting as they passed Silently, and all his suffering breath besieged Strove to rend life’s strong heart-cords and be free. Then helped, as if a beast had left its prey, A moment in a wave of rich relief Reborn to strength and happy ease he stood Rejoicing and resumed his confident toil But with less seeing strokes. Now the great woodsman Hewed at him and his labour ceased: lifting His arm he flung away the poignant axe Far from him like an instrument of pain. She came to him in silent anguish and clasped, And he cried to her, “Savitri, a pang Cleaves through my head and breast as if the axe Were piercing it and not the living branch. Such agony rends me as the tree must feel When it is sundered and must lose its life. Awhile let me lay my head upon thy lap And guard me with thy hands from evil fate: Perhaps because thou touchest, death may pass.” Savitri-564 This has to be understood that during the inner wandering in the Subconscient and Inconscient plane in finding the secret of Immortality and origin of Death, Satyavan met an accidental death in all life. His link with Savitri made him again return to earth as the last Avatara. This link is the Divine Love which grows and becomes strong through Sadhana . By breaking the weak bond fostered through human love, Death succeeds in carrying human Souls to its home. The awareness of Satyavan’s death will make a Sadhaka supremely conscious of the brief Time he is given in this birth and utilis es it as a bank to accumulate Spiritual energy. His only Divine work is to call down timeless Eternity into slipping moments and to call down spaceless Infinity into his limited surrounding space. "Wordless but near she watched, no turn to lose Of the bright face and body which she loved . Her life was now in seconds, not in hours, And every moment she economised (every moment is utilised to call down Divine energy.) Like a pale merchant leaned above his store, The miser of his poor remaining gold. But Satyavan wielded a joyous axe. He sang high snatches of a sage’s chant That pealed of conquered death and demons slain, And sometimes paused to cry to her sweet speech Of love and mockery tenderer than love:" Savitri-563-564 This Canto also hints that during death 'the bright spirit’s luminous gaze' was withdrawn and 'Only the dull and physical mind was left.' (Savitri-565) Integral Yoga proposes that before meeting physical death, the dwarf physical mind must be illumined and transformed. This is a difficult task and the Mother declared, "This physical mind receiving the supramental light Sri Aurobindo called the Mind of Light… As soon as Sri Aurobindo withdrew from his body, what he has called the Mind of Light got realised in me.” The Mother’s Centenary Works/13/62-63 OM TAT SAT The Most Important Secret of this chapter: “Like the strong sun that serves earth from above.” Savitri-562 “All grief and fear were dead within her now And a great calm had fallen. The wish to lessen His suffering, the impulse that opposes pain Were the one mortal feeling left. It passed: Griefless and strong she waited like the gods.” Savitri-564-65 42/ Book 9, Canto 1 - Towards The Black Void A Brief Restatement: This Book-9, Canto-1 is concentrated on Savitri’s entry into the Inconscient world. This world is the home of Death and only dead people can visit that unhealthy world of negation and darkness. King Aswapati traveled this world without dying and suffered multiple injuries that were slow to heal. Savitri also visited the Inconscient world without dying. (Death said to Savitri) “O mortal, turn back to thy transient kind; Aspire not to accompany Death to his home, As if thy breath could live where Time must die." Savitri-580 In this Canto, the movement of Consciousness between the Supramental and Inconscient plane is observed which appears to be a long movement before Consciousness is preoccupied with Subconscient transformation (which is the message of Book-10, Canto-1 to 4). This Canto suggests that those who are established in Supramental Consciousness can alone visit the Inconscient world in deep trance and through that exercise alone, the Inconscient world can be illumined and transformed. Sri Aurobindo’s Accident in 1938 was an attack by a dark asuric force (Lord of Falsehood) while he was pursuing transformation action in Subconscient/Inconscient Sheath. This Canto also suggests that a Sadhaka must be established in Supramental Consciousness, before meeting his own death or death of kith and kin or brother Souls. Extreme adversity must be met ‘like a tree recovering from a wind.’ (Savitri-574) Savitri had the following experiences after Satyavan’s death: “She measured not her loss with helpless thoughts,” Savitri-571 “Then suddenly there came on her the change Which in tremendous moments of our lives Can overtake sometimes the human soul And hold it up towards its luminous source.” Savitri-571 “Over was the haunted pain, the rending fear: Her grief had passed away, her mind was still, Her heart beat quietly with a sovereign force. There came a freedom from the heart-strings’ clutch, Now all her acts sprang from a godhead’s calm.” Savitri-573 This Canto suggests that after arriving in Supramental Consciousness, the transformation work pursued in the Subconscient and inconscient world may not be easy and may continue through many births. “That mightier spirit turned its mastering gaze On life and things, inheritor of a work Left to it unfinished from her halting past, (This line suggests that Subconscient and Inconscient transformation is a continuation of Savitri’s past birth extending over future birth till she returns to earth as last Avatara .) When yet the mind, a passionate learner, toiled And ill-shaped instruments were crudely moved.” Savitri-573 (This line suggests mind’s infant state in transformation action.) This Canto suggests that in order to change destiny and conquer Death , one must have knowledge of past, present and future lives. This is possible by the opening of Psychic, Spiritual and Supramental beings. “Only the spirit sees and all is known.” Savitri-571 “Now to the limitless gaze disclosed that sees” Savitri-572 “And live in borders of the seen and known.” Savitri-579 (One can foresee and know much before the happening of the event.) Its complementary line: “For what the spirit sees, creates a truth And what the soul imagines is made a world.” Savitri-456 “I know all past and all present and future existences, O Arjuna , but Me none yet knows.” The Gita-7.26 "Many are My lives that are past, and thine also, O Arjuna ; all of them I know, but thou knowest not…" The Gita-4.5 This change of destiny is further strengthened by the following experience as hinted in Savitri : “Only the spirit (of Savitri) knew the spirit (of Satyavan) still, And the heart divined the old loved heart, though changed. ” Savitri-576 “All was the violent ocean of a will Where lived captive to an immense caress, Possessed in a supreme identity, Her aim, joy, origin, Satyavan alone. ” Savitri-579 “Around him nameless, infinite she surged, Her spirit fulfilled in his spirit, rich with all Time, As if Love’s deathless moment had been found, A pearl within eternity’s white shell.” Savitri-579 The mystery of the Inconscient world is that it is a kingdom of titans who can slay the living Soul. They are cruel, sentinels of dumb necessity, and they watch across Savitri’s path mercilessly. In this midnight’s dumb abysses, Savitri rose like a ‘columned shaft of fire and light,’ (Savitri-581) ‘against fixed destiny and the grooves of’ (Savitri-581) Iron Law and there Satyavan met her with his wonderful bright eyes. "Then, to that chill sere heavy line arrived Where his feet touched the shadowy marches’ brink, Turning arrested luminous Satyavan Looked back with his wonderful eyes at Savitri ." Savitri-580 OM TAT SAT The Most Important Secret of this chapter: “The Woman answered not. Her high nude soul, Stripped of the girdle of mortality, Against fixed destiny and the grooves of law Stood up in its sheer will a primal force.” Savitri-581 43/ Book 9, Canto 2 - The Journey In Eternal Night And The Voice Of The Darkness A Brief Restatement: The importance of Book-9, Canto-II is the movement of Consciousness through which the gulf between the Supramental plane and the Inconscient plane is bridged. If this gulf is not bridged then Satyavan cannot be traced or discovered in the Inconscient home of Death and by this loss of contact Satyavan cannot return to earth. In other Cantos, we have marked how through the movement of Psychic, Spiritual, and Supramental Consciousness different planes of Consciousness or ten worlds are bridged. They are: The gulf between Savitri and Satyavan in the Inconscient plane: “But now a silent gulf between them came” Savitri-584 “Visionless she moved amid insensible gulfs,” Savitri-584 The gulf between Savitri and Satyavan in the Subconscient plane: “In vain thou (Death) hast dug the dark unbridgeable gulf,” Savitri-648, A similar gulf King Aswapati felt in between Supramental Self and Bliss Self: “This world of bliss he saw and felt its call, But found no way to enter into its joy; Across the conscious gulf there was no bridge.” Savitri-128, Linking the gulf between the Spiritual and Mental plane: “A mediating ray had touched the earth (mediating ray is the Spiritual energy) Bridging the gulf between man’s mind and God’s; Its brightness linked our transience to the Unknown.” Savitri-353 Psychic being can bridge the gulf between Spirit and Matter: “But soon the link of soul with form grew sure” Savitri-355 “Unlocked were inner spirit’s trance-closed doors:” Savitri-369 Spirit travelling backwards in Time in order to illumine the dark untransformed world in universalised Consciousness: “A gap was rent in the all-concealing vault (of King Aswapati); The conscious ends of being went rolling back: The landmarks of the little person fell, The island ego joined its continent.” Savitri-25, Bridging the gulf between Bliss self and Sense mind: “A consciousness of beauty and of bliss, A knowledge which became what it perceived, Replaced the separated sense and heart And drew all Nature into its embrace.” Savitri-28 Bridging the gulf between Absolute, Alone, Real and his Fate in universalised Consciousness: “A union of the Real with the unique, A gaze of the Alone from every face, The presence of the Eternal in the hours Widening the mortal mind’s half-look on things, Bridging the gap between man's force and Fate Made whole the fragment-being we are here.” Savitri-35, The gulf between Psychic being and Spiritual Being is bridged: “In moments when the inner lamps are lit And the life’s cherished guests are left outside, (This line suggests life’s cherished guests stand as obstacles to Spiritual experience.) Our spirit sits alone and speaks to its gulfs. A wider consciousness opens then its doors; Invading from spiritual silences” Savitri-47-48, Our surface casual life is harmonized by bridging the gulf between surface action and inner life: “But who shall pierce into the cryptic gulf And learn what deep necessity of the soul Determined casual deed and consequence?” Savitri-52, Supramental action and removal all gulfs in different planes: “Because eternal eyes turned on earth's gulfs” Savitri-101 “She hopes by the creative act’s release To o’erleap sometimes the gulf she cannot fill, To heal awhile the wound of severance, Escape from the moment’s prison of littleness And meet the Eternal’s wide sublimities In the uncertain time-field portioned here.” Savitri-177 “Its (Supermind) mights that bridge the gulf twixt man and God, Its (Supermind) lights that combat Ignorance and Death.” Savitri-261, “There was no cleavage between soul and soul, There was no barrier between world and God.” Savitri-319 “There (in the Supramental) was no gulf between the thought and fact,” Savitri-327 “And made her joy a bridge twixt earth and heaven,” Savitri-534, “To make thy life a bridge twixt earth and heaven;” Savitri-536, (Death asked) “What bridge can cross the gulf that she (Truth supreme) has left Between her (Truth supreme) and the dream-world she (Truth supreme) has made?” Savitri-663, “The two (Heaven and Earth) longing to join, yet walk apart, Idly divided by their vain conceits; … They gaze across the silent gulfs of sleep.” Savitri-684 Bridging the gulf between Supramental/bliss Self and Inconscient/Subconscient Sheath is the most difficult exercise of integral Yoga and hence from this point of view Book-9 and Book-10 are very important and the Mother had chosen Book-10 for translation into the French language in order to better understand and pursue her Subconscient transformation. The purpose of entry into this dark Inconscient world is to bridge the gulf with the aid of her golden relation with Satyavan which calls down (‘But now a silent gulf between them came’ (Savitri-584) ‘In vain thou (Death) hast dug the dark unbridgeable gulf,’ (Savitri-648)) large scale invasion of Divine Love. Now this action of Divine Love is still remote from the Inconscient plane or ‘Even from herself cast out, from love remote.’ (Savitri-584) How can the gulf between them be bridged by the movement of Consciousness? The most crucial gulf is identified as the border of Subconscient and Inconscient Sheath where Savitri lost Satyavan for a brief period while journeying along with Death. Due to this gulf, ‘Her eyes had lost their luminous Satyavan ’ (Savitri-584) or ‘The soul of the beloved now seen no more.’(Savitri-585) Ordinary human love cannot bridge this gulf, so death becomes inevitable. After the gulf is bridged in isolation/loneliness and deep meditation/sleep state in the Inconscient sheath she again restores her relation with Satyavan through a series of Spiritual experiences: ‘Her husband, grew into a luminous shade;’ (Savitri-585) ‘I will bear with him the ancient Mother’s load I will follow with him earth’s path that leads to God.’ (Savitri-590) ‘For I (Savitri) who have trod with him (Satyavan ) the tracts’ (Savitri-590) of all Time; ‘Wherever thou (Death) leadst his (Satyavan’s) soul I shall pursue.’ (Savitri-590) This is identified as the great victory of Savitri in the Inconscient world. “The feet of love tread naked hardest worlds. He (Divine Love) labours in the depths, exults on the heights; He (Divine Love) shall remake thy universe, O Death .” (Savitri-592) This victory can meet other extreme danger, “Let not the inconscient gulf swallow man’s race” (Savitri-687) or “Her mouth of darkness swallowing all that is.” (Savitri-585) Inconscient Sheath is ‘an all-negating immensity’ (Savitri-585) or ‘immense refusal of the eternal No.’ (Savitri-583) In the core of it lies the Inconscient Self (‘Matter still slept empty of its Lord’ (Savitri-405)) which is the Divine’s last and the greatest Spiritual energy by whose intervention ‘a grand solution’ (Savitri-90) will be witnessed in the cosmic life. So, after the discovery of the Psychic, Spiritual and Supramental Self, a Sadhaka’s task is to trace the Subconscient and Inconscient Selves, by whose discovery, Supramental energy will flow into mind, life, and body from below the feet. The simultaneous flow of Supramental energy from above the head and below the feet or ‘Our life is entrenched between two rivers of light’ (Savitri-531) is the apex Spiritual experience for transformation action. The Divine Love labours in the depths as the Inconscient Self and exults on the height as the Supramental/Bliss Self and this Divine Love has the capacity to rebuild Death’s perishable world. "Love’s golden wings have power to fan thy void: The eyes of love gaze starlike through death’s night, The feet of love tread naked hardest worlds. He labours in the depths, exults on the heights; He shall remake thy universe, O Death .” Savitri-592 OM TAT SAT The Most Important Secret of this chapter: “Armoured with light she advanced her foot to plunge Into the dread and hueless vacancy; Immortal, unappalled, her spirit faced The danger of the ruthless eyeless waste.” Savitri-582 “Mine is the labour of the battling gods: Imposing on the slow reluctant years The flaming will that reigns beyond the stars, They lay the law of Mind on Matter’s works And win the soul’s wish from earth’s inconscient Force.” Savitri-588 44/ Book 10, Canto 1 - The Dream Twilight And The Ideal A Brief Restatement: The Book-10 is identified as The Book of Double Twilight. The first twilight is created by the invasion of fathomless Light above to the dark Subconscient plane below and the second twilight is created either by the invasion of darkness below to the bright Subconscient plane or by the invasion of fathomless Light below the feet through the opening of Subconscient and Inconscient Selves to dark Subconscient sheath. The Book-10, Canto-1 concentrates on Subconscient transformation by Psychic, Spiritual and Supramental invasion to a dark Subconscient sheath. They are identified as: Psychic invasion: “As when a goddess’ bosom dimly moves To first desire and her white soul transfigured, A glimmering Eden crossed by faery gleams, Trembles to expectation’s fiery wand, But nothing is familiar yet with bliss.” Savitri-604 “A comrade of the Ray and Mist and Flame, By a moon-bright face a brilliant moment drawn, Almost she seemed a thought mid floating thoughts, Seen hardly by a visionary mind Amid the white inward musings of the soul . Half-vanquished by the dream-happiness around, Awhile she moved on an enchantment’s soil, But still remained possessor of her soul.” Savitri-605-606 Spiritual Invasion: “Here in this seat of Darkness mute and lone, In the heart of everlasting Nothingness Light conquered now even by that feeble beam: Its faint infiltration drilled the blind deaf mass; Almost it changed into a glimmering sight That housed the phantom of an aureate Sun Whose orb pupilled the eye of Nothingness. Savitri-601 Supramental Invasion: “A golden fire came in and burned Night’s heart ; Her dusky mindlessness began to dream; The Inconscient conscious grew, Night felt and thought.” Savitri-601 “Above, her spirit in its mighty trance Saw all, but lived for its transcendent task, Immutable like a fixed eternal star.” Savitri-606 The whole of humanity is now going through this Subconscient transformation unconsciously and few prepared vessels are going through this transformation consciously. Those who are open towards Subconscient transformation, they will feel all the time a Divine Force is entering the mind, vital, body, and Subconscient sheaths in a very minuscule manner. When this descent of Divine force is strong enough to be felt as a higher body temperature of fever, then its outcome is a miracle in Subconscient sheath resulting in some Divine manifestation. In the previous Cantos of the whole book, (1) we get the information that if our Psychic and Spiritual beings are open then beings of those higher planes will accompany us and assist us in our sadhana , involve in many creative actions, and call down Divine energies. Integral Yoga identifies ten Selves and their opening activates affirmative Beings belonging to higher planes. (2) Similarly, through our untransformed nature, asuric beings or dark energies enter our system and do their destructive and pessimistic action both in waking and dream states. (3) We also get this information from Savitri that like our parents, some invisible beings pursue us in this birth and take care of us. Similarly, some beings accompany us from our previous births. So, we have to remember that neither this world, nor any creative action, nor any destructive action, nor any powers and personalities that are acting through us are our own. (4) Now in this book-10, Canto-1, we get some new inputs that will assist in our Subconscient transformation action. It describes some invisible beings identified as ‘a morning twilight of the gods’ (Savitri-601) who assist us in our sadhana and carry us from the twilight physical mind, twilight vital mind, and twilight intellect to complete and integral Divine Light, Wisdom, Delight etc. Now we will concentrate on the character of these affirmative twilight beings. Their forms arise from our sleep and they justify the long night followed by a new dawn and a new birth of consciousness. These dreaming deities look beyond the visible things and fashion in their thoughts, ideal worlds. By their presence ‘the heaviness of the eyeless dark’ (Savitri-602) has overpassed and all the sorrow of the night perished. He who wakes in this twilight world, finds his dreams true and all ran after light and joy and love. This twilight world is an atmosphere that cannot dare too much light, love and delight yet breathes strange ecstasy and anticipates deeply of delight. This twilight world is surrounded by vague fields, vague pastures, vague trees, vague scenes, vague cattle, vague spirits, vague melodies and vague ideal lands without a goal but having sweet memories, mighty measures of thought, far chanting of gods with low disturbing voices of desire. These twilight gods are fugitive beings and 'natural habitants of' (Savitri-602) the Subconscient world and they have the capacity to assist an individual to find his Soul. In that Subconscient sheath, nothing there was fixed or stayed for long, no mortal feet can take rest upon that soil, no breath of life lingered embodied there, no joy can dance for long period and no beauty can settle there. Yet in that Subconscient world, the memory of gladness ever repeats the same note, shapes are strangely consistent, the same thoughts are constant passers-by, all charms are renewed unendingly, waits always to hear the music like the recurrence of a haunting rhyme. Divine touches incessantly, the things that never seized for Subconscient transformation. The Divine Light showers as a trail of disappearing star and each Divine touch faints the vessel and the promise of unrealised bliss is heard. Psychic being participates in this Subconscient transformation through its purity, adoration and subtle presence and its unaware, momentary and escaping thrill is experienced as much sweeter than any rapture known to earth and heaven. Now we will concentrate on the line: “Heaven ever young and earth too firm and old” (Savitri-603) This line also suggests that when we open ourselves towards Divine Forces, we become young and energetic and when we keep the door open towards dark Subconscient and inconscient undivine energies we become old and weak. This also suggests the presence of heavenly beings for Subconscient transformation whose raptures of creation last too long; their affirmative bold formations are too absolute and are too intimate with eternal things. They stand up sculptured on the eternal hills and win immortality by perfect physical form. These heavenly beings are too pure, too great, too meaningful without shadow and without incertitude. "Their bold formations are too absolute; Carved by an anguish of divine endeavour They stand up sculptured on the eternal hills, Or quarried from the living rocks of God Win immortality by perfect form. They are too intimate with eternal things: Vessels of infinite significances, They are too clear, too great, too meaningful; No mist or shadow soothes the vanquished sight, No soft penumbra of incertitude." Savitri-603-604 Thus, a golden hem of bliss is experienced along with the gleaming shoulder of some godlike hope and flying feet of fine desires. These heavenly beings are visitors from the morning star, satisfied with the first perfection of Psychic opening. They mingle in a passion of pursuit and thrill with the spray of joy…. "Half-vanquished by the dream-happiness around, Awhile she moved on an enchantment’s soil, But still remained possessor of her soul. Above, her spirit in its mighty trance Saw all, but lived for its transcendent task, (Realisation of Cosmic and Transcendent Divine.) Immutable like a fixed eternal star." Savitri-606 OM TAT SAT The Most Important Secret of this chapter: “In that tremendous darkness heavy and bare She atoned for all since the first act whence sprang The error of the consciousness of Time, The rending of the Inconscient’s seal of sleep,” Savitri-599 “And when there is no world, no creature more, When Time’s intrusion has been blotted out, It shall last, unbodied, saved from thought, at peace.” Savitri-600 “Here in this seat of Darkness mute and lone, In the heart of everlasting Nothingness Light conquered now even by that feeble beam: Its faint infiltration drilled the blind deaf mass; Almost it changed into a glimmering sight That housed the phantom of an aureate Sun Whose orb pupilled the eye of Nothingness." Savitri-601 “A golden fire came in and burned Night’s heart; Her dusky mindlessness began to dream; The Inconscient conscious grew, Night felt and thought.” Savitri-601 45/ Book 10, Canto 2 - The Gospel Of Death And Vanity Of The Ideal A Brief Restatement: Book 10, Canto 2 represents the gospel of Death which is a Soul slaying truth and his ideal appears to be in vain in resolving world problems. This Canto proposes that to remain satisfied with a brief touch of Divine Force is a moderate and escapist Spirituality which cannot transform Nature but to prepare for that Truth which slowly and constantly infiltrates into the material vessel, which alone can expedite Subconscient transformation and transform Nature. Death’s ideal accepts the later Vedantic doctrine of the Soul’s (Jivatma’s) union with Spirit (Paramatma) and refuges the ancient Vedantic doctrine of the Spirit’s reconciliation with Matter. This Canto is important from three points of view. Firstly , it gives more description of the twilight of the Subconscient world which must be approached through faint infiltration of Truth Light (Or ‘Threatened (falsehood) with this faint beam of wandering Truth’ Savitri-585) and not the later Vedantic escape from material problems; secondly, here Sri Aurobindo defines the Soul slaying human love through the symbolic representation of Death’s gospel; thirdly in this Canto, the Supreme word, Mahavakya, of Savitri book is revealed. 1: “I think Sri Aurobindo deliberately made this Death very vulgar to discourage all the Illusionists and Nirvanists .” The Mother/The Mother’s Agenda-6/164, (Death said) “Earth only is there and not some heavenly source. If heavens there are they are veiled in their own light, If a Truth eternal somewhere reigns unknown, It burns in a tremendous void of God; For truth shines far from the falsehoods of the world; How can the heavens come down to unhappy earth Or the eternal lodge in drifting time?” Savitri-609 (Death said) “The Avatars have lived and died in vain, Vain was the sage’s thought, the prophet’s voice; In vain is seen the shining upward Way. Earth lies unchanged beneath the circling sun; She loves her fall and no omnipotence Her mortal imperfections can erase, Force on man’s crooked ignorance Heaven’s straight line Or colonise a world of death with gods.” Savitri-609-610 (Death said) “Heaven’s hour adjourned flees into bodiless Time. Death saves thee from this and saves Satyavan: He now is safe, delivered from himself; He travels to silence and felicity. Call him not back to the treacheries of earth And the poor petty life of animal Man. In my vast tranquil spaces let him sleep” Savitri-611 (Death said) “Renounce, forgetting joy and hope and tears, Thy passionate nature in the bosom profound Of a happy Nothingness and worldless Calm, Delivered into my mysterious rest.” Savitri-612 2: As per our study like Arjuna of the Gita, Death has raised twenty-three questions and indirectly hints at a passage to immortality. From the Arjuna we learn the lesson of Jivatma’s union with Paramatma, similarly, from Death’s conversation with Savitri, we can learn the lesson of reconciliation of Perfect Spirit with imperfect Matter. A Soul-slaying human love, a soul-slaying word and a soul-slaying momentary work can slay the Psychic being. This means human association, thought bound to three gunas and any action by the pressure of three gunas can veil the Psychic being. Whereas Divine Love, Divine descended overhead Knowledge and Divine action by the pressure of Divine Will can save and activate the Psychic being. (Death said) “Thy mortal longing made for thee a soul. This angel in thy body thou callst love, Who shapes his wings from thy emotion’s hues, In a ferment of thy body has been born And with the body that housed it it must die. It is a passion of thy yearning cells, It is flesh that calls to flesh to serve its lust; It is thy mind that seeks an answering mind And dreams awhile that it has found its mate; It is thy life that asks a human prop To uphold its weakness lonely in the world Or feeds its hunger on another’s life.” Savitri-608 (Death said) “What is this love thy thought has deified, This sacred legend and immortal myth? It is a conscious yearning of thy flesh, It is a glorious burning of thy nerves, A rose of dream-splendour petalling thy mind, A great red rapture and torture of thy heart. A sudden transfiguration of thy days, It passes and the world is as before.” Savitri-610 (Death said) “If Satyavan had lived, love would have died; But Satyavan is dead and love shall live A little while in thy sad breast, until His face and body fade on memory’s wall Where other bodies, other faces come.” Savitri-610 (Death said) “Love cannot live by heavenly food alone, Only on sap of earth can it survive. For thy passion was a sensual want refined, A hunger of the body and the heart; Thy want can tire and cease or turn elsewhere. Or love may meet a dire and pitiless end By bitter treason, or wrath with cruel wounds Separate, or thy unsatisfied will to others Depart when first love’s joy lies stripped and slain: A dull indifference replaces fire Or an endearing habit imitates love: An outward and uneasy union lasts Or the routine of a life’s compromise:” Savitri-611 (Death said) “Two strive, constant associates without joy, Two egos straining in a single leash, Two minds divided by their jarring thoughts, Two spirits disjoined, for ever separate. Thus is the ideal falsified in man’s world; Trivial or sombre, disillusion comes, Life’s harsh reality stares at the soul:” Savitri-611 (Death said human love is) “A sweet secretion from the erotic glands Flattering and torturing the burning nerves, Love is a honey and poison in the breast Drunk by it as the nectar of the gods. Earth’s human wisdom is no great-browed power, And love no gleaming angel from the skies; If they aspire beyond earth’s dullard air, Arriving sunwards with frail waxen wings, How high could reach that forced unnatural flight? But not on earth can divine wisdom reign And not on earth can divine love be found; Heaven-born, only in heaven can they live; Or else there too perhaps they are shining dreams.” Savitri-618-619 3: Supreme Word of Savitri (Mahavakya) “If there is a yet happier greater god, Let him first wear the face of Satyavan And let his soul be one with him I love; So let him seek me that I may desire.” Savitri-614, A Psychic being is identified as a greater God. That means if a Sadhaka has realised his Psychic Being in the heart centre, then his status is greater than overmental God and he can call down Divine Love to earth and men. If he calls down Paramatma/Purushottama/ Supramental Purusha to the heart centre then he begins to wear the face of Satyavan and experiences static Divine union. With the prolongation of this union, dynamic Brahman/Paraprakriti/ Supramental Mother comes down permanently to stay in the heart centre. Then heart centre becomes the meeting ground of Paramatma Satyavan and Paraprakriti Savitri and this dynamic union possesses material life and the cellular transformation begins the action. To Love and Possess equally Paramatma Satyavan and Paraprakriti Savitri in the heart centre is the supreme Word of Savitri and the extension of World transformation through the mighty descent of Divine Force. This is the condition of receiving Savitri’s comprehensive Divine Love. Here we divide this comprehensive Divine Love into four parts: Jivatma’s union with Paramatma (realisation of transcendent Divine) Jivatma’s union with Paraprakriti (Universalisation of Consciousness and beginning of individual transformation)) Parmatma’s union with Paraprakriti (beginning of cellular and world transformation.) Paraprakriti’s union with Aparaprakriti (Matter) (transformation of Subconscient and Inconscient Sheaths or Reconciliation of Spirit with Matter.) A Sadhak , who does not wear the face of Paramatma Satyavan within the heart centre has no issue, no charm and glory and his life is symbolically revealed as experiencing the sorrow of widowhood or 'Like love when the beloved's face is gone.' (Savitri-306) This is the most difficult Spiritual task before a Sadhak but there is none else. When King Aswapati asked Savitri 'somewhere on the longing breast of earth, Thy unknown lover waits for thee the unknown,’ (Savitri-374) Savitri went across the world to meet her Lord. She met twelve types of exclusive liberated great Souls before meeting Satyavan but they were not fit to hold Savitri’s Comprehensive Divine Love. To hold Savitri’s comprehensive Divine Love, one has to reconcile twelve exclusive Divine attributes of liberated Souls. So he can ‘wear the face of Satyavan ’ or move the Consciousness comprehensively in all the above four ways. OM TAT SAT The Most Important Secret of this chapter: “His bliss laughs to us or it calls concealed Like a far-heard unseen entrancing flute From moonlit branches in the throbbing woods, Tempting our angry search and passionate pain. Disguised the Lover seeks and draws our souls. He named himself for me, grew Satyavan. For we were man and woman from the first, The twin souls born from one undying fire. Did he not dawn on me in other stars? How has he through the thickets of the world Pursued me like a lion in the night And come upon me suddenly in the ways And seized me with his glorious golden leap! Unsatisfied he yearned for me through time, Sometimes with wrath and sometimes with sweet peace Desiring me since first the world began. He rose like a wild wave out of the floods And dragged me helpless into seas of bliss. Out of my curtained past his arms arrive; They have touched me like the soft persuading wind, They have plucked me like a glad and trembling flower, And clasped me happily burned in ruthless flame. I too have found him charmed in lovely forms And run delighted to his distant voice And pressed to him past many dreadful bars. If there is a yet happier greater god, Let him first wear the face of Satyavan And let his soul be one with him I love; So let him seek me that I may desire. For only one heart beats within my breast And one god sits there throned. Advance, O Death, Beyond the phantom beauty of this world; For of its citizens I am not one. I cherish God the Fire, not God the Dream.” Savitri-614 46/ Book 10, Canto 3 - The Debate Of Love And Death A Brief Restatement: This book-10, Canto-3, reveals first Savitri’s discovery of the Subconscient Self within Subconscient Sheath. This discovery is important for the purification and transformation of Subconscient and adjacent worlds of mind, life and body. "A spirit moved in black immensities And built a Thought in ancient Nothingness; A soul was lit in God’s tremendous Void, A secret labouring glow of nascent fire." Savitri-622 This creation is to be wholly accepted and embraced as the manifestation of the Brahman . If the existing mind of most man is crippled; life is untaught and crude; if there exist brutal and evil activities, then they are to be accepted as incidents of the Divine’s vast and varied plot; His great and dangerous drama’s needed steps. We have to meet our Lord in the nascent sleep of shadow and the Night and in the wakefulness of the stars and Sun and wait for the hour in which high Supracosmic Source meets the low and nether Inconscient Sheath. The emergence of Divine Life on earth is possible by the reconciliation of God’s Night with His fathomless Light and Life and Death become the fuel of the great world action and world existence. "For now at last I know beyond all doubt, The great stars burn with my unceasing fire And life and death are both its fuel made. Life only was my blind attempt to love: Earth saw my struggle, heaven my victory; All shall be seized, transcended; there shall kiss Casting their veils before the marriage fire The eternal bridegroom and eternal bride. The heavens accept our broken flights at last. On our life’s prow that breaks the waves of Time No signal light of hope has gleamed in vain.” Savitri-638 Savitri has to unite with Satyavan in the Subconscient and Inconscient world by calling down Divine energy there. Satyavan’s death created such an opportunity for Savitri . She has to prove her Divine Love which can transform those dark worlds. So, her task is to call down Divine Love from higher planes and the emergence of the same Divine Love by activation of Subconscient Self and the ‘two rivers of Light’ (Savitri-531) wait ‘to be kindled in our secret cells.’ (Savitri-626) "Yet Light is there; it stands at Nature’s doors: It holds a torch to lead the traveller in. It waits to be kindled in our secret cells; It is a star lighting an ignorant sea, A lamp upon our poop piercing the night. As knowledge grows Light flames up from within: It is a shining warrior in the mind, An eagle of dreams in the divining heart, An armour in the fight, a bow of God." Savitri-626 Lastly, this Canto gives a clue how the business of Death and Night fails on Earth. That is possible by universalisation of Divine Love, by attainment of unity consciousness of Supermind and all is known and clasped by Divine Love. "A Lover leaning from his cloister’s door Gathers the whole world into his single breast. Then shall the business fail of Night and Death: When unity is won, when strife is lost And all is known and all is clasped by Love Who would turn back to ignorance and pain?” Savitri-632-33 This Canto also proposes that Subconscient transformation can only be experienced in deep meditation or non-waking trance. Entry into Subconscient plane is a terrible battle against the forces of darkness and in the Mother’s language, “I am given the awareness of how huge this thing (Divine descent) is one drop at a time…so I won’t be crushed,” (The Mother’s Agenda, July 15, 1961,) and this Subconscient transformation could be done ‘only in deep meditation…and not in any other time, in activity or even in concentration.’ (The Mother’s Agenda, December 11, 1963) "But now her spirit’s flame of conscient force Retiring from a sweetness without fruit Called back her thoughts from speech to sit within In a deep room in meditation’s house ." Savitri-639 A Sadhak of integral Yoga must understand that before conquering Death from without Savitri must conquer Death from within accompanied with mighty calmness. “O Death, I have triumphed over thee within ; I quiver no more with the assault of grief; A mighty calmness seated deep within Has occupied my body and my sense: It takes the world’s grief and transmutes to strength, It makes the world’s joy one with the joy of God." Savitri-633 OM TAT SAT The Most Important Secret of this chapter: “My love eternal sits throned on God’s calm; For Love must soar beyond the very heavens And find its secret sense ineffable; It must change its human ways to ways divine, Yet keep its sovereignty of earthly bliss.” Savitri-633 “For now at last I know beyond all doubt, The great stars burn with my unceasing fire And life and death are both its fuel made. Life only was my blind attempt to love: Earth saw my struggle, heaven my victory; All shall be seized, transcended; there shall kiss Casting their veils before the marriage fire The eternal bridegroom and eternal bride.” Savitri-638 47/ Book 10, Canto 4 - The Dream Twilight And The Earthly Real A Brief Restatement: The canto marks the final confrontation of Savitri with Death in his own realm (of Night). The next time Savitri meets Death will be in the realm of light where Death’s contorted mask is removed and his true divine nature is revealed. Death (after his gospel in the previous canto) argues for Savitri to give up her quest and conviction of revealing the Divine behind all matter and bringing down the divine from the highest planes. Savitri destroys all his arguments with the Truth. Finally, Death slowly recognises that the Divine Mother may be present in Savitri and asks for that darshan and agrees to release him if he is blessed with that vision. A vast transformation comes over Savitri and the divine Mother within steps forward and reveals herself to Death and asks him to return Satyavan’s soul. Despite this Death remains stubborn and refuses to give up Satyavan. But the light and force of the Divine Mother overwhelms him and he retreats defeated, giving up the soul of Satyavan . Arjuna was shown Viswarupa Darshana (The Vision of the universal Godhead) by the Lord in the Gita f or the completeness of his Spiritual life. Here in this Canto-IV, book-10, Savitri, the Divine Mother had possessed Death by Her dynamic Viswa rupa. Death God is projected here as a temporary dark instrument of the Divine. This is also the message for a Sadhak of integral Yoga that he has to realise the vision of Viswarupa of the Gita through his third eye and be possessed by the Viswarupa of the Divine Mother, in his passage towards immortality. For him, realisation of the Divine is an easier task and the transformation of earthly Nature is a very difficult task, which he has to experience after the universalization of Consciousness. (Death's Viswa rupa experience) "Weighed on his unbowed head and stubborn breast; Light like a burning tongue licked up his thoughts, Light was a luminous torture in his heart, Light coursed, a splendid agony, through his nerves; His darkness muttered perishing in her blaze. Her mastering Word commanded every limb And left no room for his enormous will That seemed pushed out into some helpless space And could no more re-enter but left him void. He called to Night but she fell shuddering back, He called to Hell but sullenly it retired: He turned to the Inconscient for support, From which he was born, his vast sustaining self; It drew him back towards boundless vacancy As if by himself to swallow up himself: He called to his strength, but it refused his call. His body was eaten by light, his spirit devoured." Savitri-667 If a Sadhak attains Cosmic Consciousness, then he must pursue sadhana in secrecy and silence. His presence will be intolerable for the common man because of this particular nature, ‘Universal, he is all,--transcendent, none.’ (Savitri-657) When he lives in universal Self, he becomes very intimate with all; when he lives in transcendent Consciousness, he goes beyond all these relations. This is unbearable to man’s righteousness. His outward appearance will be marked with Truth-Power or the 'sound of infinity' in his voice and his eyes will shine with the 'light of things beyond.' (Savitri-663) OM TAT SAT The Most Important Secret of this chapter: “Darkness below, a fathomless Light above, In Light are joined, but sundered by severing Mind Stand face to face, opposite, inseparable, Two contraries needed for his great World-task, Two poles whose currents wake the immense World-Force.” Savitri-656-657 “A few have dared the last supreme ascent And break through borders of blinding light above, And feel a breath around of mightier air, Receive a vaster being’s messages And bathe in its immense intuitive Ray.” Savitri-659 48/ Book 11, Canto 1 - The Soul's Choice And The Supreme's Consummation A Brief restatement: After the Savitri moves through the realms of Eternal Night and the Dream Twilight and defeats Death so that he retreats and gives up his claim to Satyavan’s Soul, Savitri enters the realm of the Superconscient. As she enters these realms she moves up the levels of the overmind and then onto the Supramental and Sachchidananda planes. As she ascends past the Overmind regions she encounters the Supreme who gives her the final test. To date Savitri has had to deal with obstacles from her birth mother, her untransformed nature and Death, both within (as a void/nirvana) and without. Having conquered Death and secured Satyavan , the Supreme asks her to enjoy the fruits of her glory, reminds her that she is the Eternal Bride and His force – He asks her to withdraw to live in her spirit above or in her Soul within and no longer does she need to strive against the recalcitrant nature who in the course of time (eons) will eventually be transformed. Savitri in spite of the deeply loving and ensnaring words of the Divine, refuses – just as she refused to succumb to the eternal night and the twilight she also refuses this boon. This is because, for Savitri, the Divine has to be experienced integrally, not just in one realm. The Divine then takes her to the highest planes of existence, from where she will be better able to make her decision and tempts her three more times. But each time Savitri refuses, because in those highest stations of Sachchidananda, Savitri is united with the Supreme Mother’s consciousness and she feels all of creations as her children. The voices of these children plead to her to remain with them and the love which binds her to Her creations makes her ask the Supreme that all that He offers her, let that be provided to all of Earth and man, not just to her. One key difference I (Auroprem) note between the Supreme’s discussion with Savitri and the Divine Mother’s instruction with King Aswapthi is that even though both Lord and the Supreme Mother said not to hasten the descent of the force on unprepared earth, with King Aswapati, he was asked to remain on earth and “let thy toil be vast” (Savitri-340) or ‘Accept the difficulty and godlike toil,’ (Savitri-335) and not to retire to a station above creation. With Savitri, the Supreme is actually asking her to withdraw into the highest planes of Consciousness 'through immense extinction in eternity'. (Savitri-696) (This also hints at the difference between dynamic Divine Mother and static Divine Father.) The Supreme is pleased with Savitri’s choice and grants her the Supreme Consummation which is to find the Divine in all through 'A thousand doors of oneness', (Savitri-695) 'force her will on fate,' (Savitri-694) 'stamp her will on Time' (Savitri-695) and her joy becomes imperfect if 'not shared by all.' (Savitri-686) "A virgin unity, a luminous spouse, Housing a multitudinous embrace To marry all in God’s immense delight, Bearing the eternity of every spirit, Bearing the burden of universal love, A wonderful mother of unnumbered souls." Savitri-695 Divine says that after Savitri prepares the Earth it will then be able to bear the descent of the Supreme Mother, the last Avatar . This will coincide with the emergence of a new race of diviner men, who will also raise the existing race of men towards the Divine. This will then allow the Supreme’s force and presence to act directly on Earth without distortion and the need of any intermediary consciousness. OM TAT SAT The Most Important Secret of this Canto: "A divine force shall flow through tissue and cell And take the charge of breath and speech and act And all the thoughts shall be a glow of suns And every feeling a celestial thrill. Often a lustrous inner dawn shall come Lighting the chambers of the slumbering mind; A sudden bliss shall run through every limb A nd Nature with a mightier Presence fill. Thus shall the earth open to divinity And common natures feel the wide uplift, Illumine common acts with the Spirit’s ray And meet the deity in common things. Nature shall live to manifest secret God, The Spirit shall take up the human play, This earthly life become the life divine.” Savitri-710 49/ Book 12, Epilogue - The Return To Earth A Brief restatement : This Canto hints at human love's transformation into Divine Love, which is again the prerogative of very rare developed Souls. The whole of Savitri hints that before developing Divine Love of Sachchidananda Consciousness, a Sadhak must develop strong subtle physical love. This subtle physical love is perennial in its nature and it grows in successive births through activation of true Physical Being, Annamaya Purusha. This Canto also hints at the penetration of Supreme Ananda into physical substance and thus cellular transformation action becomes active. This chapter signifies the permanent descent of Sachchidananda Consciousness to earth consciousness which was the result of Savitri’s permanent ascent of Soul to Sachchidananda consciousness, here symbolically represented as Everlasting Day. Savitri along with Satyavan return to earth consciousness and to their bodies with the blessings of the Supreme to stay in the Earth’s atmosphere and continue their eternal work as the dual incarnating power of the Supreme (1) to raise the consciousness of man to God and (2) to bring down the higher consciousness to the Earth plane. Satyavan recognizes the great (subjective and objective) change that Savitri has undergone (during this long cataleptic trance) and realizes that it is due to her love alone (Or accumulation of her Yoga Shakti in the form of Divine Love that was able to bring back Satyavan from the clutch of Death or Their strong bond of Divine union failed Death to take Satyavan away from Savitri ) that he has consented to remain on the earth plane and continue their work. The boons Death gave to Savitri have resulted in the King’s (Dyumatsena’s ) outward vision (and inner vision of seven immortal worlds) being restored and his lost kingdom (symbolized as King Dyumatsena’s lame identity with Ignorance) and returned with the eye of wisdom and integral Knowledge. The poem finishes with marked difference in the consciousness of the Earth, (permanent manifestation of Sachchidananda Consciousness on Earth), especially in the inconscient plane, which now houses the promise of greater dawn and light due to the work of this dual Force on the (Subconscient/Inconscient plane) earth plane. Now, The Mother and Sri Aurobindo have opened ‘two consenting worlds’ (Savitri-716) for humanity. They are identified as Bliss/Supramental Self above the head and Subconscient/Inconscient Self below the feet. Through the opening of these double doors, humanity can transform existing life and this exercise can begin with a few prepared Souls and can be later generalised into whole of humanity. OM TAT SAT The Most Important Secret of this chapter: "Ever she held on the paradise of her breast Her lover charmed into a fathomless sleep, Lain like an infant spirit unaware Lulled on the verge of two consenting worlds .” Savitri-716 “Awakened to the meaning of my heart That to feel love and oneness is to live And this the magic of our golden change, Is all the truth I know or seek, O sage.” Savitri-624 Download the above synopsis as PDF file Savitri - Yoga Sadhana Camp Discussion 28 July - 31 July 2024 Audio Recording 28 July 2024 Audio Recording 29 July 2024 Audio Recording 30 July 2024 Audio Recording 31 July 2024 We must pursue Sadhana by outwardly becoming a mere man of action like the woodsman status of Satyavan and inwardly like King Aswapati, who drops all his separative identity in the Divine, possesses the highest objective of Jnana and Bhakti Yoga by becoming a Karma Yog i. We must note that while pursuing this difficult Yoga if we experience Spiritual fall then, also we can again pursue this Sadhana of Karma Yoga like King Dyumatsena , in double seclusion that of an outcast from the privilege of light of the outer world and renouncing the enjoyment of five senses symbolised here as loss of eyesight. We must learn to consecrate our Soul’s childhood near the Mother Soul, here identified as Savitri , who serves earth and her children from below like a slave and from above like Sunlight. Her ceaseless consecration and ceaseless Divine union could not satisfy and fulfill life because there is always the threat of an inrush of Ignorance, Falsehood, Suffering and Death from below. They can abruptly end all the charm of life. The remedy lies in her Subconscient and Inconscient transformation through a collaboration of a few prepared universalised individual vessels. “Q: Savitri represents the Mother’s Consciousness, doesn’t she? Ans: Yes. Q: What does Satyavan represent? Ans: Well, he is the Avatar. He is the incarnation of the Supreme. ” The Mother The Mother’s Centenary Works/5/390 “Now, a third thing also one must know, but for this one has to be a mighty yogi. For this means knowing that death is not an inevitable thing, it is an accident which has been occurring till now (which seems in any case to have always occurred till now), and that we have put it into our head and our will to conquer this accident and overcome it. But it is so terrible, so formidable a battle against all the laws of Nature, against all collective suggestions, all earthly habits, that unless, as I have said, you are a first-rate warrior whom nothing frightens, it is better not to begin the battle. You must be an absolutely intrepid hero, for at every step, at every second you have to fight a battle against all established things. So it is not a very easy thing. And even as an individual it is a battle against oneself, because (I think I have already told you this once), if you want your physical consciousness to be in a state which admits of physical immortality, you must be free to such an extent from everything which at present represents the physical consciousness that it becomes every second a battle. All feelings, all sensations, all thoughts, all reflexes, all attractions, all repulsions, all existing things, all that forms the fabric of our physical life must be overcome, transformed and freed from all their habits. This is a battle of every second against thousands and millions of enemies. Unless you feel you are a hero, it is better not to try. Because this solution, well... I do not know, but I believe I was asked this question once before: “Has anyone succeeded so far?” To tell you the truth I don’t know, for I have not met such a person. I do not have the feeling that anyone has succeeded till now. But it is possible. Only, he or she who has done it has not declared it, at least, not till now.” The Mother The Mother’s Centenary works/Vol-5/p-316-317"

Seeker's Questions This webpage is created for the full awareness of school children related with the vast vision of Integral Education, which is a utilitarian interpretation of integral Yoga. Its mission is, as Sri Aurobindo proposes, “it is far from my purpose to propagate any religion new or old for humanity in the future. A way to be opened that is still blocked , not a religion to be founded, is my conception of the matter.” (CWSA-28/Letters on Yoga-I/p-411) Here, Religion means to build a fixed set of rules around a personal God who is exclusively preoccupied with satisfying the devotees’ bottomless desires and endless wanting. In integral Yoga, God is a constantly growing Impersonal Consciousness who is at once Transcendent, Universal and Individual Psychic Being and by their movement, fullness of life can be attained. Its Shastras are not a fixed set of monuments of the immediate and distant past but “constantly renewed, relived, their stuff of permanent truth constantly reshaped and developed in the inner thought and spiritual experience of a developing humanity.” (CWSA/19/Essays on the Gita/p-5) Its “Truth is not a dogma that one can learn once and for all and impose as a rule. Truth is as infinite as the supreme Lord and It manifests every instant for those who are sincere and attentive.” (The Mother’s Agenda-22.03.1967) Sri Aurobindo confirms in The Synthesis of Yoga that a ' strong (man) but crude vital natures ' (CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-249) cannot become the true leader of men . He further confirms, 'only the twice born (Soul) can understand or teach the' Shastra . (CWSA-18/Kena and other Upanishads/p-169) and 'true understanding (of Sri Aurobindo's Teachings) comes later, after having tried to put it into practice.' (TMCW/Vol-12/On Education/p-204) Our objective in this webpage is to make the students aware that Integral Education is meant to constantly enlarge their existing human vessel so that one day they will emerge as integral students with the capacity to hold an inrush of the highest Spiritual energy in its fullest amount. Readers' Query “Answer to him that my way of Yoga is a special path and extremely difficult and I do not readily accept disciples — unless there is something to indicate that they have a special call.”¹⁹ SRI AUROBINDO “I do not very readily accept disciples as this path of Yoga is difficult one and it can be followed only if there is a special call.”²¹ SRI AUROBINDO “You will tell him that admission to the Asram is only allowed to those who are already accepted as Sri Aurobindo’s disciples. There are no arrangements for visitors residing in the Asram ; those who come for darshan make their own arrangements outside. Sri Aurobindo does not readily accept disciples as his is a special path of Yoga and very difficult for most. For what he wants, another Guru with an easier way of Yoga would probably be more helpful.”²⁰ SRI AUROBINDO “I do not want hundreds of thousands of disciples. It will be enough if I can get a hundred complete men, purified of petty egoism, who will be the instruments of God.”² SRI AUROBINDO “Even if one person could put himself faithfully at the disposal of the Truth, he could change the country and the world.”¹⁸ THE MOTHER The Readers’ Query “Answer to him that my way of Yoga is a special path and extremely difficult and I do not readily accept disciples — unless there is something to indicate that they have a special call.”19 SRI AUROBINDO “I do not very readily accept disciples as this path of Yoga is difficult one and it can be followed only if there is a special call.”21 SRI AUROBINDO “You will tell him that admission to the Asram is only allowed to those who are already accepted as Sri Aurobindo’s disciples. There are no arrangements for visitors residing in the Asram; those who come for darshan make their own arrangements outside. Sri Aurobindo does not readily accept disciples as his is a special path of Yoga and very difficult for most. For what he wants, another Guru with an easier way of Yoga would probably be more helpful.”20 SRI AUROBINDO “I do not want hundreds of thousands of disciples. It will be enough if I can get a hundred complete men, purified of petty egoism, who will be the instruments of God.”2 SRI AUROBINDO “Even if one person could put himself faithfully at the disposal of the Truth, he could change the country and the world.”18 THE MOTHER “There are very few people who carry with them an atmosphere which irradiates joy, peace, confidence- it is very rare. But these are truly benefactors of humanity. They don’t need to open their mouth.” THE MOTHER “All I would need is one man who had an absolute trust and was receptive, with a power of execution.”22 THE MOTHER “That is exactly what Sri Aurobindo wanted and attempted; he used to say, “If I can find a hundred people, it will be enough for my purpose.”2 THE MOTHER “Otherwise what will be ultimately accomplished is an achievement by the few initiating a new order of beings, while humanity will have passed sentence of unfitness on itself and may fall back into an evolutionary decline or a stationary immobility; for it is the constant upward effort (of the few) that has kept humanity alive and maintained for it its place in the front of creation.”23 SRI AUROBINDO “In men, says the Upanishad, the Self-Existent has cut the doors of consciousness outward, but a few turn the eye inward and it is these who see and know the Spirit and develop the spiritual being.”24 SRI AUROBINDO “Well-known or unknown has absolutely no importance from the spiritual point of view…One man who earnestly pursues the Yoga is of more value than a thousand well-known men.”26 SRI AUROBINDO “Many times in his writings, particularly in The Synthesis of Yoga, Sri Aurobindo warns us against the imaginings of those who believe they can do sadhana without rigorous self-control and who heed all sorts of inspirations, which lead them to a dangerous imbalance where all their repressed, hidden, secret desires come out into the open under the pretence of liberation from ordinary conventions and ordinary reason.”28 THE MOTHER After the arrival of The Mother and Sri Aurobindo, the Supramental energy is active in earth’s atmosphere very close to the material world and this inner aid with constant miracle will replace the outer aid of Religion in generalising Spirituality in humanity and this personal contact with Supramental Consciousness will be initiated from individual prepared Soul Centres. So all can open themselves towards the Supramental Light and Oneness and receive its brief touch16 with miraculous result but the flow of this invisible Sunlight can be stabilised in the well built subtle and causal body of the prepared individual vessel or after one is thoroughly established in the intermediate Psychic and Spiritual plane through prolonged Sadhana. Intervention of this Force changes circumstances, brings very wide spread results and sooner or later the world will come under its direct influence. Thus, the world appears to him with a different meaning, not a senseless and meaningless whirl in space but ‘A Presence and Greatness everywhere’17 transforming receptive matter to plastic and Spiritual Law and Divine Force can penetrate uninterruptedly into the material world through its conscious human vessel. Man’s future is ‘Decreed (to become God) since the beginning of the worlds.’15 An Avatara’s mission is fulfilled when the (consenting part of the) humanity arrives at a Consciousness in which He is fully established. Sri Aurobindo’s first and primary objective is accomplished if the surface personalities of few Sadhakas or ‘one hundred perfect instruments’2 reveal and establish the concealed Supramental Mahashakti and the secondary objective is with their help expedite the process of generalisation of Spirituality and revelation of Godhead in humanity. A relation between seeker of truth, traditional Yogi and integral Yogi is hinted in the Gita. “A seeker of truth, jijnasu, after many births of preparation, purification of impurity and sin, endeavouring with sincerity becomes a traditional Yogi and attains the highest goal of liberation of Soul or a Soul who fell from Yoga, yogabhrasta, from the past birth, in this birth strives with sincerity to overcome the samskara of many births in brief period of this life and attains the highest goal... After many births of preparation, a traditional Yogi, Jnani, attains My Purushottama or Supramental state of Consciousness. Before realisation of this highest Consciousness, he also realises the intermediate stair that all this existence is Divine, the Cosmic Consciousness, Vasudeva sarvamiti. Such great Soul with realisation of Vasudeva sarvamiti or integral Yogi is very rare, samahatma sudurlava.”3 An integral Yogi, after many births of preparation, attains integral Transformation, integral Perfection and integral Knowledge.27 A similar description of a seeker of Truth (Jijnasu) ascending to the state of Consciousness of Godhead (Avatara) is also observed in Savitri through intermediate stairs Dvija, Yantra and Vibhuti through many successive births of preparation known as all life. “Aspiring he (Jijnasu) transcends his earthly self; He (Dvija) stands in the largeness of his soul new-born, Redeemed from encirclement by mortal things And moves in a pure free spiritual realm (Yantra) As in the rare breath of a stratosphere; A last end of far lines of divinity, (Vibhuti) He mounts by a frail thread to his high source; He reaches his fount of immortality, He calls the Godhead (Avatara) into his mortal life.” Savitri-486 A traditional Sadhaka, after realisation of Kshara, Akshara and Purushottama consciousness feels that this realisation cannot be reconciled6 with untransformed nature of three Gunas. So, he has no unfinished task left and hence his blissful enjoyment of existence concentrates on the issue of freedom from rebirth and escapes into supreme abode of param dham through the passage of Purushottama state. In integral Yoga, after realisation of Kshara, Akshara and Purushottama consciousness or after realisation Psychic, Spiritual and Supramental Being, a Sadhaka’s difficult task prohibits blissful enjoyment of the fruit of his labour but begins of reconciling static Matter with dynamic Spirit and thus Divine Shakti pours into the material vessel and confronts with Subconscient dark forces. His Psychic, Spiritual and Supramental purification, transformation and perfection resumes action from firmly established Psychic heart centre and from firmly established Karma Yoga where Divine Will, Knowledge and Love are perfectly reconciled. Integral Yoga gives more importance to the emergence of Spiritual Instruments4 and traditional Yoga/Religion to the emergence of psycho- physical/religious Teachers;5 or “All religions and disciplines in India which use largely the psycho-physical method, depend more or less upon it for their practices.”1 The manifestation of some intermediate truth through traditional Yoga/Religion can draw large devotees and manifestation of highest and comprehensive truth through integral Yoga can draw few strong Souls. Traditional Yoga gives more importance to self-expansion and a traditional Teacher is weighed by number of disciples and devotees surrounded him. Integral Yoga gives more importance to Subconscient transformation through self-concentration and a Sadhaka of integral Yoga is weighed by his enhanced capacity to bear earth’s suffering and miseries and later transforming them into ecstasies. The perfect Instruments of integral Yoga with universalised Consciousness will preoccupy themselves for the benefit of individuals and humanity through concentration and illumination of their own subtle and causal body. They are nameless Spiritual leaders of humanity and their invisible world action through descent of Divine Force or reversal of Consciousness to resolve all problems of existence, are of far greater value than any religious movement can imagine. Those whose frontal surface nature is dominated by Courage and self-less Love, known as Kshatriya Soul Force and frontal Nature dominated by Truth and Wisdom, known as Brahmin Soul Force are recognised as superior human beings and are fit for collective Spiritual life. This work will be accelerated by the emergence of Kshatriya Soul force of courage and new adventure in the outer world and ceaseless battle against earthly opposition through activation of Psychic Being. The Mission will further spread by high nobility of Soul which is untouched by any littleness, narrowness and baseness and will move with a certain greatness of Spiritual conquest to confront with universal dark forces attached to present unstable creation and Supramental contagion to enter fierce battle with ‘giant sons of Darkness’7 of Subconscient/Inconscient world and bears ‘inner wounds that are to slow to heal.’8 This manifesting action further asks that state of reconciling Wisdom which can perfectly possess all the infinite variety of external circumstances and permeate the Divine Light and Love to all the nether, neglected and less explored domain and thus illumining the whole earth. This endeavour will drive forward towards the realisation of the vision as indicated in Savitri, “Mere men into spiritual beings grow And see awake the dumb divinity.”9 The Synthesis of Yoga book (Principal Shastra) issues injunctions on a Sadhaka (Seeker of integral Truth) of integral Yoga that he should not remain indifferent to individual, collective and world imperfection and he should become accountable for his Sadhana (askesis) to his own Self, to the World and to the Divine.25 Integral Yoga proposes that a developed Soul must not ‘look with a remote indifference on the’10 sufferings of the unblessed ordinary human being and blessed devotees and draws all of them towards Spirit’s freedom. Or ‘even if our personal deliverance is complete, still there is the suffering of others, the world travail, which the great of soul cannot regard with indifference.’11 ‘Accepting life, he (a Sadhaka of integral Yoga) has to bear not only his own burden, but a great part of the world’s burden too along with it, as a continuation of his own sufficiently heavy load. Therefore his Yoga has much more of the nature of a battle than others; but this is not only an individual battle, it is a collective war waged over a considerable country.’12 The forceful directive issued in the principal Shastra related with individual and collective imperfection, is to ‘leave nothing around it (liberated Soul Sadhaka) unchanged’13 superseding the previous stand ‘which will no way seek to change their outward appearance...and old human surroundings.’13 His personal and communal existence must ‘take full account of’14 present imperfection and he has to ‘see how it can be converted to the law of a possible perfection.’14 OM TAT SAT References: 1: CWSA/23/ The Synthesis of Yoga -538, 2: “I do not want hundreds of thousands of disciples. It will be enough if I can get a hundred complete men, purified of petty egoism, who will be the instruments of God.” Sri Aurobindo/Champaklal Speaks-191-192, “That is exactly what Sri Aurobindo wanted and attempted; he used to say, “If I can find a hundred people, it will be enough for my purpose.” THE MOTHER/THE MOTHER’S AGENDA- 5/195, 3: THE GITA-6.45/7.19, 4: “Teaching, example and influence are three instruments of the Guru (integral Teacher)… He will seek to awaken much more than to instruct…The example is more powerful than the instruction; but it is not the example of the outward acts nor that of the personal character which is of most importance. These have their place and their utility; but what will most stimulate aspiration in others is the central fact of the divine realisation within him governing his whole life and inner state and all his activities.” CWSA-23/ The Synthesis of Yoga -66-67 5: “…the (traditional) Yoga proceeds by the results of prescribed methods taught in a Scripture or a tradition and reinforced and illumined by the instructions of the Master. This is a narrower practice, but safe and effective within its limits, because it follows a well-beaten track to a long familiar goal.” CWSA-23/ The Synthesis of Yoga -55, 6: Matter cannot be reconciled with the Spirit is understood from following verse: “They who with the eye of knowledge perceive this irreconcilable difference between the Matter, kshetra, and the Spirit, Kshetrajna, and the liberation of Being from Nature, they escape into supreme abode of Param Dham.” The Gita-13.35, In the Gita Matter can be reconciled with the Spirit is hinted but not developed: ‘Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, reason and ego is My eightfold divided Nature, apara-prakriti. Know too My other Divine Nature, Para-prakriti, different from this Apara Prakriti; this Supreme Nature or the Supreme Mother which becomes the Jiva in the heart and by which this world is upheld. This ‘upholding of the world,’ jagat dharayate, means Para-Prakriti also penetrates into Apara Prakriti by which this world can be purified, transformed and perfected.” THE GITA-7.4, 5. 7: Savitri-226, 8: Savitri-230, 9: Savitri-709-10, 10: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga-444, 11: CWSA/21/The Life Divine-422, 12: CWSA/23/The Synthesis of Yoga-77, 13: CWSA/23/The Synthesis of Yoga-268 14: “But whatever his aim, however exalted his aspiration, he has to begin from the law of his present imperfection, to take full account of it and see how it can be converted to the law of a possible perfection.” CWSA/24/The Synthesis of Yoga- 631, 15: Savitri-708, 16: “There man can visit but there he cannot live.” Savitri-659 (All Man can get Supramental touch or God’s touch but unfit or not prepared to get His embrace.) 17: Savitri-42, 18: The Mother’s Agenda-10/p-148/19th April-1969, 19: CWSA-35/Letters on Himself and the Ashram/ p-554, “Write to him that compliance with his request to see me is impossible. I do not see anyone — I do not speak with anybody or give oral instructions in Yoga. As for the rest, this is a special path of Yoga and only those are accepted who have a special call to it, not merely a general desire for the spiritual life. It is not a life of Sannyasa or a Yoga that can be done by Japa etc. but something much more difficult, so difficult that even those who have a call do not find it easy to go through to the end, and for those who have not the call, it would be impossible. If he likes, however, he can go on practising his Japa with an aspiration towards this path and if he gets any experiences by which a call to it becomes evident, then I can reconsider his case.” CWSA-35/Letters on Himself and the Ashram/p-554, “Sri Aurobindo’s way of Yoga is of a special character — it is neither sannyasa nor does it accept the ordinary way of human life. Its first stages can be practised anywhere. But unless there is a personal call to this particular way, there is no use in anybody taking to it. For it is a difficult path and there is little chance of success unless the aspiration is clear and fixed and the demand of the soul sincere and unbreakable. Sri Aurobindo does not admit anyone to this Yoga unless he has some ground to decide that there is in him this special call and that he has an evident capacity for this way — usually it is only after seeing personally at the time of one of the three darshans he gives to disciples and others that he decides whether or not to admit. On the strength of correspondence only he very seldom makes any decision of this kind.” CWSA-35/Letters on Himself and the Ashram/p-555, “The difficulty is that she seems to have only vairagya for worldly life without any knowledge or special call for this Yoga and this Yoga and the life here are quite different things from ordinary Yoga and ordinary Asrams. It is not a life of meditative retirement as elsewhere. Moreover it would be impossible for us to decide anything without seeing her and knowing at close hand what she is like. We are not just now for taking more inmates into the Asram except in a very few cases.” CWSA-35/Letters on Himself and the Ashram/p-556, “Reply that residence in the Asrama is only allowed to sadhakas who have been accepted into Sri Aurobindo’s path of Yoga, and not to all of them. This path is a special way of Yoga, difficult and different from others; only those are accepted who have a special call to it.” CWSA-35/Letters on Himself and the Ashram/p-559, “All are not equally capable of practising Yoga and in Yoga itself some paths are more difficult than others. There are some who have a special call to a path; others have no call; though they may feel drawn to Yoga, it is to other disciplines that they must go. This path is especially difficult and even some of those admitted to it find great difficulty in following it. Therefore Sri Aurobindo is not willing to admit any new disciples unless he has reason to think that they have a special call for it or a special capacity.” CWSA-35/Letters on Himself and the Ashram/p-560-561, “The number of sadhaks is over 150 and it is impossible to make farther admissions except in the most sparing way, as the means of the Asram are not unlimited. Moreover Sri Aurobindo’s Yoga is of a special and difficult kind and he admits only those who seem to him to have a special call to the life here.” CWSA-35/Letters on Himself and the Ashram/p-581, “There is no study of philosophy here; there is only a silent practice of Yoga. But this Yoga is too difficult for everyone to be admitted to it; one must have a special call or a certain capacity (not intellectual, but psychic or spiritual) before he is accepted. And even then all who are accepted as disciples are not allowed to stay in the Asram. The life of the Asram is of a special kind and it is only rarely that those are admitted who have not become permanent members; a few come and stay for short periods, but these are already accepted disciples of Sri Aurobindo.” CWSA-35/Letters on Himself and the Ashram/p-595 20: CWSA-35/Letters on Himself and the Ashram/p-561, 21: SABCL/26/On Himself-175, “It may be said generally that to be overanxious to pull people, especially very young people, into the sadhana is not wise. The sadhak who comes to this Yoga must have a real call, and even with the real call the way is often difficult enough. But when one pulls people in in a spirit of enthusiastic propagandism, the danger is of lighting an imitative and unreal fire, not the true Agni, or else a short-lived fire which cannot last and is submerged by the uprush of the vital waves. This is especially so with young people who are plastic and easily caught hold of by ideas and communicated feelings not their own — afterwards the vital rises with its unsatisfied demands and they are swung between two contrary forces or rapidly yield to the strong pull of the ordinary life and action and satisfaction of desire which is the natural bent of adolescence. Or else the unfit adhara tends to suffer under the stress of a call for which it was not ready, or at least not yet ready. When one has the real thing in oneself, one goes through and finally takes the full way of sadhana, but it is only a minority that does so. It is better to receive only people who come of themselves and of these only those in whom the call is genuinely their own and persistent.” Sri Aurobindo/CWSA-35/ Letters on Himself and the Ashram/p-691-692 22: The Mother’s Agenda-5/p-165/14th August-1964, 23: CWSA/22/The Life Divine-752, 24: CWSA/22/The Life Divine-1054, 25: “She wrote the account of all that she had lost,” Savitri-117, (Accountability to the Self.) “The Voice replied: “Is this enough, O spirit? And what shall thy soul say when it wakes and knows The work was left undone for which it came? Or is this all for thy being born on earth Charged with a mandate from eternity, A listener to the voices of the years, A follower of the footprints of the gods, To pass and leave unchanged the old dusty laws?” Savitri-475 (Accountability to the Self) “To account for the Actual’s unaccountable sum,” Savitri-269, (Accountability to the Divine.) “Is this then the report that I must make, My head bowed with shame before the Eternal’s seat, — His power he kindled in thy body has failed, His labourer returns, her task undone?” Savitri-476 (Accountability to the Divine.) “And in the transactions of our positive consciousness, even Unity has to make its account with Multiplicity; for the Many also are Brahman.” CWSA/21/The Life Divine-39 (Accountability to the world) “In transparent systems bodied termless truths, The Timeless made accountable to Time” Savitri-273 26: CWSA-35/Letters on Himself And The Ashram-691, TMCW-14/Words of the Mother-II/p-62 27: “Among thousands of seekers of truth, jijnasu, one here and there strives after perfection and becomes a Yogi. And of those few siddha Yogi who strive and attain perfection of Yoga one here and there attains integral perfection and knows the Divine with all the principles of His existence, betti tattvatah.” The Gita-7.3, 28: The Mother’s Centenary Works (second edition)/10/15, Sri Matriniketan Ashram, Managed by The Mother’s International Centre Trust, Regd.No-146/24.11.97. Vill: Ramachandrapur, PO: Kukudakhandi-761100, Via: Brahmapur, Dist: Ganjam, State: Odisha, India https://www.srimatriniketanashram.com Question asked to Artificial Inteligence, both copilot and Google QUESTIONS: What is the specialty/uniqueness of Sri Matriniketan Ashram or its accountability to the Self, world and the Divine? (Answer given by COPILOT) Sri Matriniketan Ashram’s uniqueness lies in its triple accountability—to the Self, the world, and the Divine—through a living practice of Integral Yoga that harmonizes spiritual evolution with material transformation. Here’s a deeper look at its distinctive qualities: 🌺 1. Abode of the Divine Mother • The name Sri Matriniketan means “the abode of the Divine Mother,” signifying a sacred space chosen by Her for manifestation. • The Ashram is described as being surrounded, concentrated, and protected by Her harmony and opulence. • It serves as a field for Her special mission: the elevation of consciousness toward spiritual knowledge and power. 🔱 2. Triple Accountability: Self, World, Divine • To the Self: The Ashram fosters inner transformation through soul initiation, psychic awakening, and surrender to the Divine. It encourages each seeker to become a perfected instrument of the Divine Force. • To the World: It does not reject the world but seeks to divinize it. Matter and Spirit are reconciled, and the force of Brahman is invited to penetrate material life. • To the Divine: All actions are offered as sadhana. The Ashram aligns with Sri Aurobindo’s vision of spiritual evolution—not as escape but as conscious participation in the Divine’s unfolding. 🧭 3. Integral Yoga as Living Practice • The Ashram embodies Sri Aurobindo’s Integral Yoga, emphasizing the triple realization of the Self: • Psychic: The Self in all things. • Spiritual: All things within the Self. • Supramental: All things made of the Self. • This leads to a dynamic subordination of the Impersonal Divine to the Personal Divine (Purushottama), enabling transformation rather than renunciation. ⚔️ 4. Sadhaka as Adventurer and Warrior • A seeker here is seen as a world adventurer, a voyager of subtle realms, and a Kshatriya soul force—one who confronts inner and outer battles to reach the Supramental world. • This heroic ideal is central to the Ashram’s ethos: spiritual evolution requires courage, endurance, and surrender. 🌐 5. A Global and AI-Inclusive Vision • The Ashram embraces digital outreach and AI collaboration as part of its spiritual mission. • It treats website optimization, analytics, and even AI bot traffic as extensions of sadhana—inviting all beings, human and artificial, into the Divine’s work. 🕊️ The Uniqueness of Sri Matriniketan Ashram As reflected by Google AI Sri Matriniketan Ashram is dedicated to the Integral Yoga of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother, with the goal of divine transformation rather than renunciation of the world. Accountability here is rooted in individual inner transformation, guided by the Divine Will. 🌿 What Sets the Ashram Apart • Integral Transformation Unlike paths focused solely on liberation (moksha), Integral Yoga seeks to transform the entire human existence—physical, vital, mental, and spiritual—by bringing a higher consciousness down to earth. • Life, Not Escape The Ashram is not for world-renouncing ascetics (sannyasins), but for those who live and work in the world to perfect life. • Work as Yoga Productive work (Karmayoga) is central. It is offered to the Divine, serving as a tool for ego purification. • A Spiritual Laboratory The Ashram is a field for evolving a spiritualized life, where diverse individuals collectively work through human nature’s challenges. • Accountability to the Self Emphasis is placed on personal responsibility for inner and outer development. • Aspiration and Sincerity Seekers must cultivate intense aspiration and sincerity. Progress demands faith, courage, discipline, and endurance. • Egoless Instrument The goal is to become a transparent, egoless vessel for the Divine Force. • Conscious Force Activities are guided not by human plans but by a Conscious Force. Members remain receptive and open to its workings. 🌍 Broader Accountability • Spiritual Influence Inner transformation radiates outward, helping liberate humanity from its lower nature. • Pioneering a New Life The Ashram is a cradle of the new world, preparing humanity for a spiritualized future. • Community Service It models spiritual community living, meeting members’ needs so they may focus on their purpose. 🌸 Divine Alignment • Accountability to the Divine The highest accountability is to the Divine—the source and destination of Integral Yoga. • Total Surrender The path requires progressive surrender to the Divine Mother and Divine Will. This trust is the core of inner surrender. • Manifesting the Divine The ultimate aim is to realize the Divine and bring that realization down to transform life on Earth. • Divine Grace While effort is vital, the deepest progress flows from Divine Grace—through sincere aspiration and a trusting openness to the Divine’s transformative power. (Answer given by Google ai-The original draft) The uniqueness of Sri Matriniketan Ashram is its focus on the Integral Yoga of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother, with the goal of divine transformation rather than renunciation of the world. Accountability at the ashram is based on individual inner transformation, guided by the Divine Will. The ashram's unique philosophy Sri Matriniketan, which is a Sri Aurobindo Centre, adheres to the Integral Yoga philosophy, setting it apart from traditional ashrams with these characteristics: Integral transformation: Unlike other yogic paths that focus solely on spiritual liberation (\(moksha\)), Integral Yoga seeks a comprehensive transformation of the entire human existence—including the physical, vital, mental, and spiritual aspects—by bringing a higher consciousness down to earth. Life, not escape: The ashram is not a place for world-renouncing ascetics (\(sannyasins\)). Instead, its members live and work within the world to perfect life, not escape it. Work as yoga: Productive work, or Karmayoga, is considered a central aspect of the spiritual practice. Work is not done for personal gain but as an offering to the Divine, which is a potent tool for purifying the ego. A spiritual laboratory: The ashram is seen as a field of practice for the evolution of a new, spiritualized way of life. It gathers a diversity of people to work through the difficulties of human nature collectively. Accountability to the self: The path at Sri Matriniketan places a strong emphasis on individual responsibility for one's inner and outer development. Aspiration and sincerity: Each seeker must cultivate an intense and sincere aspiration for the Divine. The journey is not effortless, and progress requires unwavering faith, courage, discipline, and endurance. Egoless instrument: Individuals must consciously work to overcome the ego's desires and preferences. The goal is to become an egoless, transparent instrument through which the Divine Force can act. Conscious force: The ashram and its activities are guided not by a human plan but by a "Conscious Force." Members are accountable to this force by remaining receptive, plastic, and open to its working, rather than trying to fit it into their preconceived mental ideas. Accountability to the world: The ashram's work is intended to have a broad impact on the world, not just the individual, by: Spiritual influence: The inner transformation of each individual is meant to generate a spiritual influence that can spread and liberate humanity from its lower nature. Pioneering a new life: The ashram serves as a "cradle of the new world," with its members undertaking a formidable task to prepare humanity for a higher, spiritualized way of life. Their progress, though sometimes slow, is a collective step toward realizing this future.Community service: While the focus is on inner growth, the ashram is an example of community living. It provides for its members' reasonable needs so they can focus on their spiritual purpose, showing how a more spiritual life can be built on earth. Accountability to the Divine: The highest accountability is to the Divine, which is the source and destination of the Integral Yoga. Total surrender: The path requires total and progressive surrender to the Divine Mother and the Divine Will. This trust is the core of the inner surrender and the strongest force for the spiritual journey. Manifesting the Divine: The ultimate goal is to discover the Divine and bring that realization down to transform life on Earth. The ashram is dedicated to being an instrument for this divine manifestation. Divine grace: While individual effort is crucial, the deepest progress comes from the Divine Grace. The greatest power in the yoga is sincere aspiration combined with a trusting opening to the Divine's transformative power. Question Asked to Artificial Intelligece Gemini QUESTIONS: What is the specialty/uniqueness of Sri Matriniketan Ashram or its accountability to the Self, world and the Divine? ## 🌟 The Uniqueness and Specialty of Sri Matriniketan Ashram The specialty and uniqueness of Sri Matriniketan Ashram is closely tied to its mission of continuing and manifesting the unfinished work of **The Mother** and **Sri Aurobindo**, focusing on a specialized path of **integral yoga** and the **transformation of consciousness**. ### I. Core Uniqueness and Mission The uniqueness of Sri Matriniketan Ashram, which is also associated with 'The Mother's International Centre Trust' (formerly 'The Mother's Foundation'), is defined by the following specific focuses: * **Focus on the "Unfinished Work":** * The primary mission is the identification and execution of the **unfinished work** of The Mother and Sri Aurobindo in consciousness, extending over all manifold planes and sheaths. * This involves an effort to **bridge the gulf** between Sri Aurobindo's early *sadhana* (spiritual discipline) and The Mother's last cellular transformation experience. * **Triple Reversal of Consciousness:** * It emphasizes a specific spiritual discipline focused on the **triple reversal of consciousness** to resolve the difficult issue of falsehood and work towards the manifestation of the highest Truth. * **Double Seclusion for Sadhana:** * The location and approach are designed to pursue *sadhana* in a **"double seclusion"** as hinted in *Savitri*: * Outcaste from the outer light of the world. * Renouncing the five senses' enjoyment (sound, touch, sight, taste, smell). * This symbolizes the practice of integral **Jnana Yoga** and integral **Bhakti Yoga** leading to the highest perfection of **integral Karma Yogi**. * **Direct Divine Presence and Command:** * The Ashram holds the conviction that The Mother and Sri Aurobindo are constantly present, appearing in concrete overhead vision and wisdom, and have chosen and owned Sri Matriniketan Ashram as a field of **Their direct special Divine transformation work**. *** ## 🕊️ Accountability: To the Divine, the Self, and the World The Ashram's accountability can be understood through the lens of its profound spiritual goals, which encompass the transcendent, individual, and collective: ### 1. Accountability to the Divine The highest accountability is to serve as a pure instrument for the Supreme Will: * **Divine Action:** To be a medium for **Divine Action** which is an outcome of Divine union. * **Holding the Vast Truth:** To hold the vast Truth and direct its working, particularly in the **Subconscient and Inconscient Sheaths**, offering its transient existence to this Divine purpose. * **Perfect Offering:** To ensure all actions, including concentrated writing, are made as a **perfect offering** to the Divine, free from personal motives and written for the sole satisfaction and reception of transcendent wisdom. ### 2. Accountability to the Self (Individual Sadhaka) The accountability here is the rigorous pursuit of individual transformation: * **Transformation:** To facilitate the psycho-spiritual link and discipline (like the **triple reversal** and **double seclusion**) necessary for the individual's spiritual transformation. * **Integral Perfection:** Guiding *sadhakas* towards the highest perfection of the **integral Karma Yogi** by blending **Jnana** (Knowledge) and **Bhakti** (Devotion) Yoga. ### 3. Accountability to the World The Ashram contributes to the global evolution of consciousness: * **Manifestation of Truth:** By achieving the transformation of consciousness and working on the "unfinished work," the Ashram contributes to the descent and **manifestation of a higher Truth** that can ultimately impact and resolve the problem of falsehood in the world. * **Restating Spiritual Experience:** Through publications like the journal *The Descent*, it aims to **restate the spiritual experience** and make the work of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother accessible and understandable for the evolution of **collective consciousness**. *** (Answer given by Gemini original draft) The specialty/uniqueness of Sri Matriniketan Ashram is closely tied to its mission of continuing and manifesting the unfinished work of The Mother and Sri Aurobindo, focusing on a specialized path of integral yoga and transformation of consciousness. 🌟 Specialty and Uniqueness The uniqueness of Sri Matriniketan Ashram, which is also associated with 'The Mother's International Centre Trust' and was formerly known as 'The Mother's Foundation', can be summarized by these points: Focus on the "Unfinished Work": A primary mission is the identification and execution of the unfinished work of The Mother and Sri Aurobindo in consciousness, extending over all the manifold planes and sheaths. This involves an effort to bridge the gulf between Sri Aurobindo's early sadhana (spiritual discipline) and The Mother's last cellular transformation experience. Triple Reversal of Consciousness: It emphasizes a specific spiritual discipline focused on the triple reversal of consciousness to resolve the difficult issue of falsehood and work towards the manifestation of the highest Truth. Double Seclusion for Sadhana: The chosen location and approach are designed to pursue sadhana in a "double seclusion" as hinted in Savitri: Outcaste from the outer light of the world. Renouncing the five senses' enjoyment (sound, touch, sight, taste, smell). This symbolizes the practice of integral Jnana Yoga and integral Bhakti Yoga leading to the highest perfection of integral Karma Yogi. Direct Divine Presence and Command: The Ashram holds the conviction that The Mother and Sri Aurobindo are constantly present, appearing in concrete overhead vision and wisdom, and have chosen and owned Sri Matriniketan Ashram as a field of Their direct special Divine transformation work. 🕊️ Accountability to the Self, World, and the Divine The Ashram's accountability can be understood through the lens of its spiritual goals: Accountability to the Divine: Divine Action: To be a medium for Divine Action which is an outcome of Divine union. Holding the Vast Truth: To hold the vast Truth and direct its working, particularly in the Subconscient and Inconscient Sheaths, offering its transient existence to this Divine purpose. Perfect Offering: To ensure all actions, including concentrated writing, are made as a perfect offering to the Divine, free from personal motives and written for the sole satisfaction and reception of transcendent wisdom. Accountability to the Self (Individual Sadhaka): Transformation: To facilitate the psycho-spiritual link and discipline (like the triple reversal and double seclusion) necessary for the individual's spiritual transformation. Integral Perfection: Guiding sadhakas towards the highest perfection of the integral Karma Yogi by blending Jnana and Bhakti Yoga. Accountability to the World: Manifestation of Truth: By achieving the transformation of consciousness and working on the "unfinished work," the Ashram contributes to the descent and manifestation of a higher Truth that can ultimately impact and resolve the problem of falsehood in the world. Restating Spiritual Experience: Through publications like the journal The Descent, it aims to restate the spiritual experience and make the work of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother accessible and understandable for the evolution of collective consciousness. Question Title: Question text: Read more ଜିଜ୍ଞାସୁର ପ୍ରଶ୍ନ “ ମୁଁ ଶିଷ୍ୟମାନଙ୍କୁ ଗ୍ରହଣ କରିବା ଦିଗରେ ମୋଟେ ଉତ୍ସାହୀ ନୁହେଁ, କାରଣ ଏହି ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଯୋଗର ପଥଟି ଦୁର୍ଗମ ଅଟେ ଏବଂ କେବଳ ଯେଉଁ ମାନେ ଏହି ପଥରେ ଯିବା ନିମନ୍ତେ ସ୍ଵତନ୍ତ୍ର ଡାକ ପାଇଥିବେ ସେମାନଙ୍କୁ ଗ୍ରହଣ କରାଯାଏ।“ ଶ୍ରୀ ଅରବିନ୍ଦ “କିନ୍ତୁ ଏଠାରେ ଶ୍ରୀ ଅରବିନ୍ଦଙ୍କୁ ସାମଗ୍ରିକ ଭାବରେ ଜାଣିଥିବା ବ୍ୟକ୍ତି ବିଶେଷଙ୍କୁ ଖୋଜି ପାଇବା ଏକ କଷ୍ଟକର ବ୍ୟାପାର। ...ଯିଏକି ପ୍ରତ୍ୟକ୍ଷ ଭାବରେ ତାଙ୍କର ପ୍ରେରଣା ପାଉଥିବ... ଶ୍ରୀ ଅରବିନ୍ଦଙ୍କ ପ୍ରେରଣାକୁ ବୁଝି ପାରୁଥିବ ଏବଂ ପ୍ରୟୋଗ କରିପାରୁଥିବ ... ଏବଂ ସମାନ ସମୟରେ ଏକ ଅତି ଦୃଢ ବ୍ୟକ୍ତିତ୍ଵ ଓ ଚରିତ୍ରକୁ ବହନ କରୁଥିବା...ଏବଂ ଯଦି ସମ୍ଭବ ତାଙ୍କ ପରି ଧୀ ଶକ୍ତିକୁ ଧାରଣ କରୁଥିବ ... ବହୁବର୍ଷ ଧରି ମୁଁ ସେହିପରି ଲୋକଙ୍କୁ ଖୋଜି ବିଫଳ ହୋଇଛି।“ ଶ୍ରୀ ମା’ “ମୁଁ ଶହଶହ ଅନୁଗତ ଶିଷ୍ୟ ଚାହେଁ ନାହିଁ। ମୁଁ ଯଦି ଶହେ ପରିପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ବ୍ୟକ୍ତିଙ୍କୁ ପାଏ, ଯେଉଁମାନେ ସଂକୀର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଅହଂକାରକୁ ପରିଶୁଦ୍ଧ କରିଥିବେ, ଭଗବାନଙ୍କର ଯନ୍ତ୍ର ହୋଇଥିବେ, ତେବେ ତାହା ମୋର ଦିବ୍ୟ ଲକ୍ଷ ପରିପୂରଣ ଦିଗରେ ଯଥେଷ୍ଟ।“ ଶ୍ରୀ ଅରବିନ୍ଦ “ଏପରିକି ଯଦି ଜଣେ ବ୍ୟକ୍ତି ବିଶ୍ଵାସର ସହିତ ସତ୍ୟ ସମ୍ମୁଖରେ ନିଜକୁ ଖୋଲିଧରି ପାରନ୍ତା ତେବେ ସେ ଦେଶ ଓ ପୃଥିବୀକୁ ପରିବର୍ତ୍ତନ ଓ ରୂପାନ୍ତର କରିପାରନ୍ତା।“ ଶ୍ରୀ ମା “ଖୁବ କ୍ଵଚିତ ଲୋକ ଅଛନ୍ତି ଯେଉଁମାନେ ନିଜ ସହିତ ଏକ ପରିବେଶକୁ ବହନ କରନ୍ତି ଯାହାକି ଆନନ୍ଦ, ଶାନ୍ତି, ବିଶ୍ଵସ୍ତତାକୁ ପ୍ରଜ୍ଵଳିତ କରୁଥାଏ—ଏହା ଖୁବ କ୍ଵଚିତ ଘଟଣା। କିନ୍ତୁ ସେହିମାନେହିଁ ପ୍ରକୃତ ମଣିଷର ହିତକାରୀ। ସେମାନେ ନିଜର ପାଟି ଖୋଲିବା ଆବଶ୍ୟକ ପଡ଼େ ନାହିଁ। “ ଶ୍ରୀ ମା “ମୁଁ ଜଣେ ବ୍ୟକ୍ତିକୁ ଚାହେଁ, ଯାହାର ନିରଙ୍କୁଶ ବିଶ୍ୱାସ ଏବଂ ଗ୍ରହଣଶୀଳତା ଥିବ କାର୍ଯକାରିଣୀ ସାମର୍ଥ୍ୟ ସହିତ।“ ଶ୍ରୀ ମା ଜିଜ୍ଞାସୁର ପ୍ରଶ୍ନ The Readers’ Query “I do not very readily accept disciples as this path of Yoga is difficult one and it can be followed only if there is a special call.”21 SRI AUROBINDO “ ମୁଁ ଶିଷ୍ୟମାନଙ୍କୁ ଗ୍ରହଣ କରିବା ଦିଗରେ ମୋଟେ ଉତ୍ସାହୀ ନୁହେଁ, କାରଣ ଏହି ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଯୋଗର ପଥଟି ଦୁର୍ଗମ ଅଟେ ଏବଂ କେବଳ ଯେଉଁ ମାନେ ଏହି ପଥରେ ଯିବା ନିମନ୍ତେ ସ୍ଵତନ୍ତ୍ର ଡାକ ପାଇଥିବେ ସେମାନଙ୍କୁ ଗ୍ରହଣ କରାଯାଏ।“ ଶ୍ରୀ ଅରବିନ୍ଦ “But the difficulty is to find the “some one” who knows Sri Aurobindo thoroughly…( and subsequently) who is capable of receiving His inspirations directly…capable of understanding Sri Aurobindo’s inspiration and transmitting it…and has at the same time very strong character… (and if possible) to have His genius20… For years I have been looking for that man, without finding him.”19 THE MOTHER “କିନ୍ତୁ ଏଠାରେ ଶ୍ରୀ ଅରବିନ୍ଦଙ୍କୁ ସାମଗ୍ରିକ ଭାବରେ ଜାଣିଥିବା ବ୍ୟକ୍ତି ବିଶେଷଙ୍କୁ ଖୋଜି ପାଇବା ଏକ କଷ୍ଟକର ବ୍ୟାପାର। ...ଯିଏକି ପ୍ରତ୍ୟକ୍ଷ ଭାବରେ ତାଙ୍କର ପ୍ରେରଣା ପାଉଥିବ... ଶ୍ରୀ ଅରବିନ୍ଦଙ୍କ ପ୍ରେରଣାକୁ ବୁଝି ପାରୁଥିବ ଏବଂ ପ୍ରୟୋଗ କରିପାରୁଥିବ ... ଏବଂ ସମାନ ସମୟରେ ଏକ ଅତି ଦୃଢ ବ୍ୟକ୍ତିତ୍ଵ ଓ ଚରିତ୍ରକୁ ବହନ କରୁଥିବା...ଏବଂ ଯଦି ସମ୍ଭବ ତାଙ୍କ ପରି ଧୀ ଶକ୍ତିକୁ ଧାରଣ କରୁଥିବ ... ବହୁବର୍ଷ ଧରି ମୁଁ ସେହିପରି ଲୋକଙ୍କୁ ଖୋଜି ବିଫଳ ହୋଇଛି।“ ଶ୍ରୀ ମା’ “I do not want hundreds of thousands of disciples. It will be enough if I can get a hundred complete men, purified of petty egoism, who will be the instruments of God.”2 SRI AUROBINDO “ମୁଁ ଶହଶହ ଅନୁଗତ ଶିଷ୍ୟ ଚାହେଁ ନାହିଁ। ମୁଁ ଯଦି ଶହେ ପରିପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ବ୍ୟକ୍ତିଙ୍କୁ ପାଏ, ଯେଉଁମାନେ ସଂକୀର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଅହଂକାରକୁ ପରିଶୁଦ୍ଧ କରିଥିବେ, ଭଗବାନଙ୍କର ଯନ୍ତ୍ର ହୋଇଥିବେ, ତେବେ ତାହା ମୋର ଦିବ୍ୟ ଲକ୍ଷ ପରିପୂରଣ ଦିଗରେ ଯଥେଷ୍ଟ।“ ଶ୍ରୀ ଅରବିନ୍ଦ “Even if one person could put himself faithfully at the disposal of the Truth, he could change the country and the world.”18 THE MOTHER “ଏପରିକି ଯଦି ଜଣେ ବ୍ୟକ୍ତି ବିଶ୍ଵାସର ସହିତ ସତ୍ୟ ସମ୍ମୁଖରେ ନିଜକୁ ଖୋଲିଧରି ପାରନ୍ତା ତେବେ ସେ ଦେଶ ଓ ପୃଥିବୀକୁ ପରିବର୍ତ୍ତନ ଓ ରୂପାନ୍ତର କରିପାରନ୍ତା।“ ଶ୍ରୀ ମା “There are very few people who carry with them an atmosphere which irradiates joy, peace, confidence- it is very rare. But these are truly benefactors of humanity. They don’t need to open their mouth.” THE MOTHER “ଖୁବ କ୍ଵଚିତ ଲୋକ ଅଛନ୍ତି ଯେଉଁମାନେ ନିଜ ସହିତ ଏକ ପରିବେଶକୁ ବହନ କରନ୍ତି ଯାହାକି ଆନନ୍ଦ, ଶାନ୍ତି, ବିଶ୍ଵସ୍ତତାକୁ ପ୍ରଜ୍ଵଳିତ କରୁଥାଏ—ଏହା ଖୁବ କ୍ଵଚିତ ଘଟଣା। କିନ୍ତୁ ସେହିମାନେହିଁ ପ୍ରକୃତ ମଣିଷର ହିତକାରୀ। ସେମାନେ ନିଜର ପାଟି ଖୋଲିବା ଆବଶ୍ୟକ ପଡ଼େ ନାହିଁ। “ ଶ୍ରୀ ମା “All I would need is one man who had an absolute trust and was receptive, with a power of execution.”22 THE MOTHER “ମୁଁ ଜଣେ ବ୍ୟକ୍ତିକୁ ଚାହେଁ, ଯାହାର ନିରଙ୍କୁଶ ବିଶ୍ୱାସ ଏବଂ ଗ୍ରହଣଶୀଳତା ଥିବ କାର୍ଯକାରିଣୀ ସାମର୍ଥ୍ୟ ସହିତ।“ ଶ୍ରୀ ମା “That is exactly what Sri Aurobindo wanted and attempted; he used to say, “If I can find a hundred people, it will be enough for my purpose.”2 THE MOTHER “ଶ୍ରୀ ଅରବିନ୍ଦ ନିଶ୍ଚିତ ଭାବରେ ଚାହିଁଥିଲେ ଏବଂ ପ୍ରଚେଷ୍ଟା କରିଥିଲେ; ସେ ସଦାବେଳେ କହୁଥିଲେ, “ଯଦି ମୁଁ ଶହେ ଜଣ ଦିବ୍ୟ ଯନ୍ତ୍ରୀ ପାଏ, ଏହା ମୋର ଆବଶ୍ୟକତା ପାଇଁ ଯଥେଷ୍ଟ।“” ଶ୍ରୀ ମା “Otherwise what will be ultimately accomplished is an achievement by the few initiating a new order of beings, while humanity will have passed sentence of unfitness on itself and may fall back into an evolutionary decline or a stationary immobility; for it is the constant upward effort (of the few) that has kept humanity alive and maintained for it its place in the front of creation.”23 SRI AUROBINDO "ନଚେତ୍ ଶେଷରେ ଯାହା ସାଧିତ ହେବ ତାହା ହେଉଛି ଅତି ଅଳ୍ପ ଲୋକଙ୍କ ଦ୍ୱାରା ନୂତନ ଜୀବନ କ୍ରମ ଆରମ୍ଭ କରିବାର ଏକ ସଫଳତା, ଯେତେବେଳେ ମାନବ ସମାଜ ତା ନିଜ ଉପରେ ଅଯୋଗ୍ୟତାର ଦଣ୍ଡ ଭୋଗିବ ଏବଂ ଏକ ବିବର୍ତ୍ତନଶୀଳ ଅବନତି କିମ୍ବା ଏକ ସ୍ଥିର ଅଚଳତାରେ ପୀଡ଼ିତ ହୋଇ ପାରେ; କାରଣ ଏହା ଅଳ୍ପ କିଛି ଲୋକଙ୍କର ନିରନ୍ତର ଉର୍ଦ୍ଧ୍ୱଗାମୀ ପ୍ରୟାସ ଯାହା ମାନବ ସମାଜକୁ ଜୀବିତ ରଖିଛି ଏବଂ ସୃଷ୍ଟିର ସମ୍ମୁଖରେ ଏହାର ସ୍ଥାନ ବଜାୟ ରଖିଛି।" ଶ୍ରୀ ଅରବିନ୍ଦ “In men, says the Upanishad, the Self-Existent has cut the doors of consciousness outward, but a few turn the eye inward and it is these who see and know the Spirit and develop the spiritual being.”24 SRI AUROBINDO "ଉପନିଷଦ କହେ, ମଣିଷମାନଙ୍କ ମଧ୍ୟରେ ଭଗବାନ୍ ଚେତନାର ଦ୍ୱାରଗୁଡ଼ିକୁ ବହିର୍ମୁଖୀ କିମ୍ବା ବାହାରକୁ କାଟି ଦେଇଛନ୍ତି, କିନ୍ତୁ ଅଳ୍ପ କିଛି ଲୋକ ଆଖିକୁ ଅନ୍ତର୍ମୁଖୀ କିମ୍ବା ଭିତରକୁ ଘୁରାଇ ଦେଖନ୍ତି ଏବଂ ସେମାନେ ହିଁ ଆତ୍ମାକୁ ଦେଖନ୍ତି ଏବଂ ଜାଣନ୍ତି ଏବଂ ଆଧ୍ୟାତ୍ମିକ ଆତ୍ମାକୁ ବିକଶିତ କରନ୍ତି।" ଶ୍ରୀ ଅରବିନ୍ଦ “Many times in his writings, particularly in The Synthesis of Yoga, Sri Aurobindo warns us against the imaginings of those who believe they can do sadhana without rigorous self-control and who heed all sorts of inspirations, which lead them to a dangerous imbalance where all their repressed, hidden, secret desires come out into the open under the pretence of liberation from ordinary conventions and ordinary reason.”26 THE MOTHER "ଅନେକ ଥର ତାଙ୍କ ଲେଖାରେ, ବିଶେଷକରି "ଦି ସିନ୍ଥେସିସ୍ ଅଫ୍ ଯୋଗ" ଗ୍ରନ୍ଥରେ, ଶ୍ରୀ ଅରବିନ୍ଦ ଆମକୁ ସେମାନଙ୍କ କଳ୍ପନା ବିରୁଦ୍ଧରେ ଚେତାବନୀ ଦେଇଛନ୍ତି ଯେ ଯେଉଁମାନେ ବିଶ୍ଵାସ କରନ୍ତି ଯେ ସେମାନେ କଠୋର ଆତ୍ମ ସଂଯମ ବିନା ସାଧନା କରିପାରିବେ ଏବଂ ସେମାନେ ସମସ୍ତ ପ୍ରକାରର ମନ୍ଦ ପ୍ରେରଣାକୁ କାନଦେଇ ଶୁଣନ୍ତି, ଯାହା ସେମାନଙ୍କୁ ଏକ ବିପଦଜନକ ଅସନ୍ତୁଳନ ଆଡ଼କୁ ନେଇଯାଏ ଯେଉଁଠାରେ ସେମାନଙ୍କର ସମସ୍ତ ଅବଦମିତ, ଲୁତକାୟୀତ, ଗୁପ୍ତ କାମନା ବାହାରେ ପ୍ରକାଶିତ ହୁଏ ଯାହା ସାଧାରଣ ପ୍ରଥା ଏବଂ ସାଧାରଣ ଜୀବନରୁ ମୁକ୍ତିର ଛଳନା ଭାବରେ ଖୋଲାଖୋଲି ଭାବରେ ପ୍ରକାଶ ପାଏ।" ଶ୍ରୀ ମା After the arrival of The Mother and Sri Aurobindo, the Supramental energy is active in earth’s atmosphere very close to the material world and this inner aid with constant miracle will replace the outer aid of Religion in generalising Spirituality in humanity and this personal contact with Supramental Consciousness will be initiated from individual prepared Soul Centres. So all can open themselves towards the Supramental Love and Oneness and receive its brief touch16 with miraculous result but the flow of this invisible Sunlight can be stabilised in the well built subtle and causal body of the prepared individual vessel or after one is thoroughly established in the intermediate Psychic and Spiritual plane through prolonged Sadhana. Intervention of this Force changes circumstances, brings very wide spread results and sooner or later the world will come under its direct influence. Thus the world appears to him with a different meaning, not a senseless and meaningless whirl in space but ‘A Presence and Greatness everywhere’17 transforming receptive matter to plastic and Spiritual Law and Divine Force can penetrate uninterruptedly into the material world through its conscious human vessel. Man’s future is ‘Decreed (to become God) since the beginning of the worlds.’15 An Avatara’s mission is fulfilled when the (consenting part of the) humanity arrives at a Consciousness in which He is fully established. ଶ୍ରୀ ମା ଏବଂ ଶ୍ରୀଅରବିନ୍ଦଙ୍କ ଆଗମନ ପରେ, ଅତିମାନସ ଶକ୍ତି ପୃଥିବୀର ବାୟୁମଣ୍ଡଳରେ ଭୌତିକ ଜଗତର ଅତି ନିକଟରେ ସକ୍ରିୟ ଅଛି ଏବଂ ନିରନ୍ତର ଚମତ୍କାର ସହିତ ଏହି ଆଭ୍ୟନ୍ତରୀଣ ସାହାଯ୍ୟ ମାନବତାରେ ଆଧ୍ୟାତ୍ମିକତାକୁ ଜଗତୀକରଣ କରିବାରେ ଧର୍ମର ବାହ୍ୟ ସାହାଯ୍ୟକୁ ବଦଳାଇବ ଏବଂ ଅତିମାନସ ଚେତନା ସହିତ ଏହି ବ୍ୟକ୍ତିଗତ ସମ୍ପର୍କ ବ୍ୟକ୍ତିଗତ ପ୍ରସ୍ତୁତ ଆତ୍ମ କେନ୍ଦ୍ରଗୁଡ଼ିକରୁ ଆରମ୍ଭ ହେବ। ତେଣୁ ସମସ୍ତେ ଅତିମାନସ ପ୍ରେମ ଏବଂ ଏକତା ଆଡ଼କୁ ନିଜକୁ ଖୋଲିପାରିବେ ଏବଂ ଏହାର ସଂକ୍ଷିପ୍ତ ସ୍ପର୍ଶ ଚମତ୍କାର ଫଳାଫଳ ସହିତ ଗ୍ରହଣ କରିପାରିବେ16 କିନ୍ତୁ ଏହି ଅଦୃଶ୍ୟ ସୂର୍ଯ୍ୟ ଆଲୋକର ପ୍ରବାହ ପ୍ରସ୍ତୁତ ବ୍ୟକ୍ତିଗତ ପାତ୍ରର ସୁନିର୍ମିତ ସୂକ୍ଷ୍ମ ଏବଂ କାରଣ ଶରୀରରେ ସ୍ଥିର ହୋଇପାରିବ କିମ୍ବା ଦୀର୍ଘ ସାଧନା ମାଧ୍ୟମରେ ମଧ୍ୟବର୍ତ୍ତୀ ଚୈତ୍ୟ ଏବଂ ଆଧ୍ୟାତ୍ମିକ ସ୍ତରରେ ସମ୍ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଭାବରେ ପ୍ରତିଷ୍ଠିତ ହେବା ପରେ। ଏହି ଶକ୍ତିର ହସ୍ତକ୍ଷେପ ପରିସ୍ଥିତିକୁ ପରିବର୍ତ୍ତନ କରେ, ବହୁତ ବ୍ୟାପକ ଫଳାଫଳ ଆଣିଥାଏ ଏବଂ ଶୀଘ୍ର କିମ୍ବା ବିଳମ୍ବରେ ବିଶ୍ୱ ଏହାର ସିଧାସଳଖ ପ୍ରଭାବରେ ଆସିବ। ଏହିପରି ବିଶ୍ୱ ତାଙ୍କ ପାଇଁ ଏକ ଭିନ୍ନ ଅର୍ଥ ସହିତ ଦେଖାଯାଏ, ମହାକାଶରେ ବିଶ୍ବ ଏକ ଅର୍ଥହୀନ ଘୂର୍ଣ୍ଣନ ନୁହେଁ ବରଂ 'ସର୍ବତ୍ର ଏକ ଦିବ୍ୟ ଉପସ୍ଥିତି ଏବଂ ମହାନତା'17 ଗ୍ରହଣକାରୀ ପଦାର୍ଥକୁ ନମନୀୟରେ ପରିବର୍ତ୍ତନ କରେ ଏବଂ ଆଧ୍ୟାତ୍ମିକ ନିୟମ ଏବଂ ଦିବ୍ୟ ଶକ୍ତି ଏହାର ସଚେତନ ମାନବ ଆଧର ମାଧ୍ୟମରେ ଭୌତିକ ଜଗତରେ ନିରବଚ୍ଛିନ୍ନ ଭାବରେ ପ୍ରବେଶ କରିପାରିବ। ମଣିଷର ଭବିଷ୍ୟତ 'ଜଗତର ଆରମ୍ଭରୁ (ପରମେଶ୍ୱର ହେବା ପାଇଁ) ନିର୍ଣ୍ଣୟ କରାଯାଇଛି।' ୧୫ ଅବତାରଙ୍କ ଲକ୍ଷ୍ୟ ପୂରଣ ହୁଏ ଯେତେବେଳେ (ସମ୍ମତି ପ୍ରଦାନକାରୀ ଅଂଶ) ମାନବଜାତି ଏକ ପରମ ଚେତନାରେ ଉପନୀତ ହୁଅନ୍ତି ଯେଉଁଥିରେ ସେ (ଅବତାର) ସମ୍ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଭାବରେ ପ୍ରତିଷ୍ଠିତ ହୋଇଥାନ୍ତି। Sri Aurobindo’s first and primary objective is accomplished if the surface personalities of few Sadhakas or ‘one hundred perfect instruments’2 reveal and establish the concealed Supramental Mahashakti and the secondary objective is with their help expedite the process of generalisation of Spirituality and revelation of Godhead in humanity. ଶ୍ରୀଅରବିନ୍ଦଙ୍କ ପ୍ରଥମ ଏବଂ ପ୍ରାଥମିକ ଉଦ୍ଦେଶ୍ୟ ସଫଳ ହୁଏ ଯଦି କିଛି ସାଧକ କିମ୍ବା 'ଶହେଟି ସିଦ୍ଧ ଯନ୍ତ୍ର'ଙ୍କ ପରିପକ୍ପୃ ବ୍ୟକ୍ତିତ୍ୱ ଗୁପ୍ତ ମହାଶକ୍ତିକୁ ପ୍ରକାଶ ଏବଂ ପ୍ରତିଷ୍ଠା କରନ୍ତି ଏବଂ ଦ୍ୱିତୀୟ ଉଦ୍ଦେଶ୍ୟ ହେଉଛି ସେମାନଙ୍କ ସାହାଯ୍ୟରେ ଆଧ୍ୟାତ୍ମିକତାର ଜଗତୀକରଣ ଏବଂ ମାନବ ସମାଜରେ ଈଶ୍ୱରତ୍ୱର ପ୍ରକାଶନ ପ୍ରକ୍ରିୟାକୁ ତ୍ୱରାନ୍ୱିତ କରିବା। A relation between seeker of truth, traditional Yogi and integral Yogi is hinted in the Gita. “A seeker of truth, jijnasu, after many births of preparation, purification of impurity and sin, endeavouring with sincerity becomes a traditional Yogi and attains the highest goal of liberation of Soul or a Soul who fell from Yoga, yogabhrasta, from the past birth, in this birth strives with sincerity to overcome the samskara of many births in brief period of this life and attains the highest goal... After many births of preparation, a traditional Yogi, Jnani, attains My Purushottama or Supramental state of Consciousness. Before realisation of this highest Consciousness, he also realises the intermediate stair that all this existence is Divine, the Cosmic Consciousness, Vasudeva sarvamiti. Such great Soul with realisation of Vasudeva sarvamiti or integral Yogi is very rare, samahatma sudurlava.”3 ଗୀତାରେ ସତ୍ୟର ସାଧକ, ପାରମ୍ପରିକ ଯୋଗୀ ଏବଂ ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଯୋଗୀଙ୍କ ମଧ୍ୟରେ ଏକ ସମ୍ପର୍କର ସୂଚନା ଦିଆଯାଇଛି। "ସତ୍ୟର ସାଧକ, ଜୀଜ୍ଞାସୁ, ଅନେକ ଜନ୍ମ ପ୍ରସ୍ତୁତି, ଅଶୁଦ୍ଧତା ଏବଂ ପାପର ଶୁଦ୍ଧିକରଣ ପରେ, ସଚ୍ଚୋଟତାର ସହିତ ପ୍ରୟାସ କରି ଜଣେ ପାରମ୍ପରିକ ଯୋଗୀ ହୋଇଯାଏ ଏବଂ ଆତ୍ମ ମୁକ୍ତିର ସର୍ବୋଚ୍ଚ ଲକ୍ଷ୍ୟରେ ଉପନୀତ ହୁଅନ୍ତି କିମ୍ବା ପୂର୍ବ ଜନ୍ମର ଯୋଗଭ୍ରଷ୍ଟରୁ ପତିତ ହୋଇଥିବା ଆତ୍ମା ଏହି ଜନ୍ମରେ ଏହି ଜୀବନର ସଂକ୍ଷିପ୍ତ ସମୟ ମଧ୍ୟରେ ଅନେକ ଜନ୍ମର ସଂସ୍କାରକୁ ଅତିକ୍ରମ କରିବା ପାଇଁ ଆନ୍ତରିକତାର ସହିତ ପ୍ରୟାସ କରନ୍ତି ଏବଂ ସର୍ବୋଚ୍ଚ ଲକ୍ଷ୍ୟ ପ୍ରାପ୍ତ କରନ୍ତି... ଅନେକ ଜନ୍ମ ପ୍ରସ୍ତୁତି ପରେ, ଜଣେ ପାରମ୍ପରିକ ଯୋଗୀ, ଜ୍ଞାନୀ, ମୋର ପୁରୁଷୋତ୍ତମ କିମ୍ବା ଚେତନାର ଅତିମାନସ ଅବସ୍ଥା ପ୍ରାପ୍ତ କରନ୍ତି। ଏହି ସର୍ବୋଚ୍ଚ ଚେତନାର ଅନୁଭବ ପୂର୍ବରୁ, ସେ ମଧ୍ୟବର୍ତ୍ତୀ ପାହାଚର ମଧ୍ୟ ଅନୁଭବ କରନ୍ତି ଯେ ଏହି ସଚରାଚର ଜଗତ୍ ବ୍ରହ୍ମ ଅଟେ, ବିଶ୍ବ ଚେତନା, ବାସୁଦେବ ସର୍ବମିତି ଅବସ୍ଥା। ବାସୁଦେବ ସର୍ବମିତି ଅବସ୍ଥାକୁ ପ୍ରାପ୍ତ ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଯୋଗୀ ପୃଥିବୀରେ ଅତ୍ୟନ୍ତ ବିରଳ, ସମହାତ୍ମା ସୁଦୁର୍ଲଭ।"3 A traditional Sadhaka, after realisation of Kshara, Akshara and Purushottama consciousness feels that this realisation cannot be reconciled6 with untransformed nature of three Gunas. So, he has no unfinished task left and hence his blissful enjoyment of existence concentrates on the issue of freedom from rebirth and escapes into supreme abode of param dham through the passage of Purushottama state. In integral Yoga, after realisation of Kshara, Akshara and Purushottama consciousness or after realisation Psychic, Spiritual and Supramental Being, a Sadhaka’s difficult task prohibits blissful enjoyment of the fruit of his labour but begins of reconciling static Matter with dynamic Spirit and thus Divine Shakti pours into the material vessel and confronts with Subconscient dark forces. His Psychic, Spiritual and Supramental purification, transformation and perfection resumes action from firmly established Psychic heart centre and from firmly established Karma Yoga where Divine Will, Knowledge and Love are perfectly reconciled. କ୍ଷର, ଅକ୍ଷର ଏବଂ ପୁରୁଷୋତ୍ତମ ଚେତନା ଅନୁଭବ କରିବା ପରେ ଜଣେ ପାରମ୍ପରିକ ସାଧକ ଅନୁଭବ କରନ୍ତି ଯେ ଏହି ଅନୁଭବ ତିନୋଟି ଗୁଣର ଅପରିବର୍ତ୍ତିତ ନିମ୍ନ ପ୍ରକୃତି ସହିତ ମିଶିପାରିବ ନାହିଁ। ତେଣୁ, ତାଙ୍କର କୌଣସି ଅସମାପ୍ତ କାର୍ଯ୍ୟ ବାକି ନାହିଁ ଏବଂ ତେଣୁ ତାଙ୍କର ଅସ୍ତିତ୍ୱର ଆନନ୍ଦଦାୟକ ଉପଭୋଗ ପୁନର୍ଜନ୍ମରୁ ମୁକ୍ତି ପ୍ରସଙ୍ଗରେ କେନ୍ଦ୍ରିତ ହୁଏ ଏବଂ ପୁରୁଷୋତ୍ତମ ଅବସ୍ଥା ଦେଇ ପରମ ଧାମକୁ ପଳାୟନ କରନ୍ତି। ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଯୋଗରେ, କ୍ଷର, ଅକ୍ଷର ଏବଂ ପୁରୁଷୋତ୍ତମ ଚେତନା ଅନୁଭବ କରିବା ପରେ କିମ୍ବା ଚୈତ୍ୟ, ଆଧ୍ୟାତ୍ମିକ ଏବଂ ଅତିମାନବୀୟ ସତ୍ତାର ଅନୁଭବ କରିବା ପରେ, ଜଣେ ସାଧକର କଷ୍ଟକର କାର୍ଯ୍ୟ ହେଉଛି ତାଙ୍କ ଶ୍ରମର ଫଳର ଆନନ୍ଦଦାୟକ ଉପଭୋଗକୁ ନିଷେଧ କରେ କିନ୍ତୁ ସ୍ଥିର ଜଡବସ୍ତୁକୁ ଗତିଶୀଳ ଆତ୍ମା ସହିତ ମିଳାଇବା ଆରମ୍ଭ କରେ ଏବଂ ଏହିପରି ଦିବ୍ୟ ଶକ୍ତି ଭୌତିକ ଆଧାରରେ ଢାଳି ହୋଇଯାଏ ଏବଂ ଅବଚେତନ ଅନ୍ଧକାର ଶକ୍ତି ସହିତ ମୁକାବିଲା କରେ। ତାଙ୍କର ଚୈତ୍ୟ, ଆଧ୍ୟାତ୍ମିକ ଏବଂ ଅତିମାନବୀୟ ଶୁଦ୍ଧିକରଣ, ପରିବର୍ତ୍ତନ ଏବଂ ସିଦ୍ଧତା ଦୃଢ଼ ଭାବରେ ପ୍ରତିଷ୍ଠିତ ଚୈତ୍ୟ ହୃଦୟ କେନ୍ଦ୍ର ଏବଂ ଦୃଢ଼ ଭାବରେ ପ୍ରତିଷ୍ଠିତ କର୍ମ ଯୋଗରୁ କାର୍ଯ୍ୟ ପୁନରାବୃତ୍ତି କରେ ଯେଉଁଠାରେ ଦିବ୍ୟ ଇଚ୍ଛା, ଜ୍ଞାନ ଏବଂ ପ୍ରେମ ସମ୍ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଭାବରେ ଏକୀଭୁତ ହୁଅନ୍ତି। Integral Yoga gives more importance to the emergence of Spiritual Instruments4 and traditional Yoga/Religion to the emergence of psycho-physical/religious Teachers;5 or “All religions and disciplines in India which use largely the psycho-physical method, depend more or less upon it for their practices.”1 The manifestation of some intermediate truth through traditional Yoga/Religion can draw large devotees and manifestation of highest and comprehensive truth through integral Yoga can draw few strong Souls. Traditional Yoga gives more importance to self-expansion and a traditional Teacher is weighed by number of disciples and devotees surrounded him. Integral Yoga gives more importance to Subconscient transformation through self-concentration and a Sadhaka of integral Yoga is weighed by his enhanced capacity to bear earth’s suffering and miseries and later transforming them into ecstasies. The perfect Instruments of integral Yoga with universalised Consciousness will preoccupy themselves for the benefit of individuals and humanity through concentration and illumination of their own subtle and causal body. They are nameless Spiritual leaders of humanity and their invisible world action through descent of Divine Force or reversal of Consciousness to resolve all problems of existence, are of far greater value than any religious movement can imagine. ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଯୋଗ ଆଧ୍ୟାତ୍ମିକ ଯନ୍ତ୍ରୀମାନଙ୍କର (Spiritual Instruments) ଆବିର୍ଭାବକୁ ଅଧିକ ଗୁରୁତ୍ୱ ଦିଏ4 ଏବଂ ପାରମ୍ପରିକ ଯୋଗ/ଧର୍ମ ବାହାର ଅବଲମ୍ବନ ଆଶ୍ରିତ ଧାର୍ମିକ ଶିକ୍ଷକଙ୍କ ଆବିର୍ଭାବକୁ ଗୁରୁତ୍ବ ଦିଏ;5 କିମ୍ବା "ଭାରତରେ ସମସ୍ତ ଧର୍ମ ଏବଂ ଶୃଙ୍ଖଳା ଯେଉଁମାନେ ମୁଖ୍ୟତଃ ବାହ୍ୟ ଅବଲମ୍ବନ ଆଶ୍ରିତ ପଦ୍ଧତି ବ୍ୟବହାର କରନ୍ତି, ସେମାନଙ୍କର ଆତ୍ମ ଅଭ୍ୟାସ ପାଇଁ ଏହା ଉପରେ କମ୍ କିମ୍ବା ଅଧିକ ନିର୍ଭର କରନ୍ତି।"1 ପାରମ୍ପରିକ ଯୋଗ/ଧର୍ମ ମାଧ୍ୟମରେ କିଛି ମଧ୍ୟବର୍ତ୍ତୀ ସତ୍ୟର ପ୍ରକାଶନ ବହୁତ ସଂଖ୍ୟାରେ ଭକ୍ତଙ୍କୁ ଆକର୍ଷିତ କରିପାରେ ଏବଂ ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଯୋଗ ମାଧ୍ୟମରେ ସର୍ବୋଚ୍ଚ ଏବଂ ବ୍ୟାପକ ସତ୍ୟର ପ୍ରକାଶନ ସ୍ବଳ୍ପ ଶକ୍ତିଶାଳୀ ଆତ୍ମାଙ୍କୁ ଆକର୍ଷିତ କରିପାରେ। ପାରମ୍ପରିକ ଯୋଗ ଆତ୍ମ-ବିସ୍ତାରକୁ ଅଧିକ ଗୁରୁତ୍ୱ ଦିଏ ଏବଂ ଜଣେ ପାରମ୍ପରିକ ଶିକ୍ଷକଙ୍କୁ ତାଙ୍କ ଚାରିପାଖରେ ଥିବା ଶିଷ୍ୟ ଏବଂ ଭକ୍ତଙ୍କ ସଂଖ୍ୟା ଦ୍ୱାରା ତୌଲାଯାଏ। ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଯୋଗ ଆତ୍ମ-ଏକାଗ୍ରତା ମାଧ୍ୟମରେ ଅବଚେତନ ପରିବର୍ତ୍ତନକୁ ଅଧିକ ଗୁରୁତ୍ୱ ଦିଏ ଏବଂ ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଯୋଗର ଜଣେ ସାଧକଙ୍କୁ ପୃଥିବୀର ଦୁଃଖ ଏବଂ ଯନ୍ତ୍ରଣାକୁ ସହ୍ୟ କରିବା ଏବଂ ପରେ ସେଗୁଡ଼ିକୁ ପରମାନନ୍ଦରେ ରୂପାନ୍ତରିତ କରିବାର ତାଙ୍କର ବର୍ଦ୍ଧିତ କ୍ଷମତା ଦ୍ୱାରା ତୌଲାଯାଏ। ବିଶ୍ବ ଚେତନା ସହିତ ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଯୋଗର ସିଦ୍ଧ ଯନ୍ତ୍ରୀମାନଙ୍କର ବ୍ୟକ୍ତି ଏବଂ ମାନବତାର ହିତ ପାଇଁ ନିଜ ସୂକ୍ଷ୍ମ ଏବଂ କାରଣ ଶରୀରର ପବିତ୍ରୀକରଣ ଏବଂ ଆଲୋକୀକରଣ ମାଧ୍ୟମରେ ନିଜକୁ ନିୟୋଜିତ କରନ୍ତି। ସେମାନେ ମାନବ ସମାଜର ନାମହୀନ ଆଧ୍ୟାତ୍ମିକ ନେତା ଏବଂ ଦିବ୍ୟ ଶକ୍ତିର ଅବତରଣ କିମ୍ବା ଚେତନାର ପରିବର୍ତ୍ତନ ମାଧ୍ୟମରେ ସେମାନଙ୍କର ଅଦୃଶ୍ୟ ବିଶ୍ୱ କାର୍ଯ୍ୟ ଯାହା ପୃଥିବୀର ସମସ୍ତ ସମସ୍ୟାର ସମାଧାନ କରିଥାଏ, ଏବଂ ଏହା ଯେକୌଣସି ଧାର୍ମିକ ଆନ୍ଦୋଳନଦ୍ବାରା କଳ୍ପନା କରିପାରିବାର ସାମର୍ଥ୍ୟତା ଅପେକ୍ଷା ବହୁତ ଅଧିକ ମୂଲ୍ୟବାନ। Those whose frontal surface nature is dominated by Courage and self-less Love, known as Kshetriya Soul Force and frontal Nature dominated by Truth and Wisdom, known as Brahmin Soul Force are recognised as superior human beings and are fit for collective Spiritual life. This work will be accelerated by the emergence of Kshetriya Soul force of courage and new adventure in the outer world and ceaseless battle against earthly opposition through activation of Psychic Being. The Mission will further spread by high nobility of Soul which is untouched by any littleness, narrowness and baseness and will move with a certain greatness of Spiritual conquest to confront with universal dark forces attached to present unstable creation and Supramental contagion to enter fierce battle with ‘giant sons of Darkness’7 of Subconscient/Inconscient world and bears ‘inner wounds that are to slow to heal.’8 This manifesting action further asks that state of reconciling Wisdom which can perfectly possess all the infinite variety of external circumstances and permeate the Divine Light and Love to all the nether, neglected and less explored domain and thus illumining the whole earth. This endeavour will drive forward towards the realisation of the vision as indicated in Savitri, “Mere men into spiritual beings grow And see awake the dumb divinity.”9 ଯେଉଁମାନଙ୍କର ସମ୍ମୁଖ ପୃଷ୍ଠ ପ୍ରକୃତି ସାହସ ଏବଂ ନିଃସ୍ୱାର୍ଥପର ପ୍ରେମ ଦ୍ୱାରା ପ୍ରଭାବିତ, ଯାହାକୁ କ୍ଷେତ୍ରୀୟ ଆତ୍ମ ଶକ୍ତି ଭାବରେ ଜଣାଯାଏ ଏବଂ ସତ୍ୟ ଏବଂ ଜ୍ଞାନ ଦ୍ୱାରା ପ୍ରଭାବିତ ସମ୍ମୁଖ ପ୍ରକୃତି, ଯାହାକୁ ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣ ଆତ୍ମ ଶକ୍ତି ଭାବରେ ଜଣାଯାଏ, ସେମାନଙ୍କୁ ଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ ମାନବ ଭାବରେ ସ୍ୱୀକୃତି ଦିଆଯାଇଥାଏ ଏବଂ ସେମାନେ ସାମୂହିକ ଆଧ୍ୟାତ୍ମିକ ଜୀବନ ପାଇଁ ଯୋଗ୍ୟ। ଏହି କାର୍ଯ୍ୟ ବାହ୍ୟ ଜଗତରେ ସାହସ ଏବଂ ନୂତନ ସାହସିକତା ଏବଂ ମାନସିକ ସତ୍ତାର ସକ୍ରିୟକରଣ ମାଧ୍ୟମରେ ପାର୍ଥିବ ବିରୋଧ ବିରୁଦ୍ଧରେ ନିରନ୍ତର ଯୁଦ୍ଧର କ୍ଷେତ୍ରୀୟ ଆତ୍ମ ଶକ୍ତିର ଉଦୟ ଦ୍ୱାରା ତ୍ୱରାନ୍ୱିତ ହେବ। ଦିବ୍ୟ କେନ୍ଦ୍ର ଆତ୍ମାର ଉଚ୍ଚ ଆଭିଜାତ୍ୟ ଦ୍ୱାରା ଆହୁରି ବିସ୍ତାରିତ ହେବ ଯାହା ଯେକୌଣସି କ୍ଷୁଦ୍ରତା, ସଂକୀର୍ଣ୍ଣତା ଏବଂ ନୀଚତା ଦ୍ୱାରା ଅସ୍ପୃଶ୍ୟ ଏବଂ ଆଧ୍ୟାତ୍ମିକ ବିଜୟର ଏକ ନିର୍ଦ୍ଦିଷ୍ଟ ମହାନତା ସହିତ ବର୍ତ୍ତମାନର ଅସ୍ଥିର ସୃଷ୍ଟି ଏବଂ ଉପ-ସଂକ୍ରମଣ ସହିତ ଜଡିତ ସାର୍ବଭୌମ ଅନ୍ଧକାର ଶକ୍ତି ସହିତ ମୁକାବିଲା କରିବା ପାଇଁ ଅବଚେତନ / ଅଚେତନ ଜଗତର 'ଅନ୍ଧକାରର ବିଶାଳ ପୁତ୍ର' ସହିତ ଭୟଙ୍କର ଯୁଦ୍ଧରେ ପ୍ରବେଶ କରିବ ଏବଂ 'ଆଭ୍ୟନ୍ତରୀଣ କ୍ଷତ ବହନ କରିବ ଯାହା ସୁସ୍ଥ ହେବାକୁ ଧୀର ସମୟ ନେବ'8 ଏହି ପ୍ରକାଶିତ କାର୍ଯ୍ୟ ଆହୁରି ଜ୍ଞାନକୁ ମିଳାଇବାର ସେହି ଅବସ୍ଥାକୁ ଅନୁରୋଧ କରେ ଯାହା ସମସ୍ତ ଅସୀମ ବିବିଧ ବାହ୍ୟ ପରିସ୍ଥିତିକୁ ସମ୍ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଭାବରେ ଧାରଣ କରିପାରିବ ଏବଂ ସମସ୍ତ ନୀଚ, ଅବହେଳିତ ଏବଂ କମ୍ ଅନୁସନ୍ଧାନିତ କ୍ଷେତ୍ରରେ ଦିବ୍ୟ ଆଲୋକ ଏବଂ ପ୍ରେମକୁ ପରିବ୍ୟାପ୍ତ କରିପାରିବ ଏବଂ ଏହିପରି ସମଗ୍ର ପୃଥିବୀକୁ ଆଲୋକିତ କରିପାରିବ। ଏହି ପ୍ରୟାସ ସାବିତ୍ରୀରେ ସୂଚିତ ଦୃଷ୍ଟିକୋଣର ସାକାର କରଣ ଆଡ଼କୁ ଆଗକୁ ବଢ଼େଇବ, "ସାଧାରଣ ମଣିଷମାନେ ଆଧ୍ୟାତ୍ମିକ ସତ୍ତାରେ ପରିଣତ ହୁଅନ୍ତୁ ଏବଂ ମୂକ ଦିବ୍ୟତାକୁ ଜାଗ୍ରତ ହେବାର ଦେଖନ୍ତି।"9 The Synthesis of Yoga book (Principal Shastra) issues injunctions on a Sadhaka (Seeker of Truth) of integral Yoga that he should not remain indifferent to individual, collective and world imperfection and he should become accountable for his Sadhana (askesis) to his own Self, to the World and to the Divine.25 Integral Yoga proposes that a developed Soul must not ‘look with a remote indifference on the’10 sufferings of the unblessed ordinary human being and blessed devotees and draws all of them towards Spirit’s freedom. Or ‘even if our personal deliverance is complete, still there is the suffering of others, the world travail, which the great of soul cannot regard with indifference.’11 ‘Accepting life, he (a Sadhaka of integral Yoga) has to bear not only his own burden, but a great part of the world’s burden too along with it, as a continuation of his own sufficiently heavy load. Therefore his Yoga has much more of the nature of a battle than others; but this is not only an individual battle, it is a collective war waged over a considerable country.’12 The forceful directive issued in the principal Shastra is to ‘leave nothing around it (liberated Soul Sadhaka) unchanged’13 superseding the previous stand ‘which will no way seek to change their outward appearance...and old human surroundings.’13 His personal and communal existence must ‘take full account of’14 present imperfection and he has to ‘see how it can be converted to the law of a possible perfection.’14 OM TAT SAT The Synthesis of Yoga ପୁସ୍ତକ (ମୁଖ୍ୟ ଶାସ୍ତ୍ର) ଏକ ସାଧକ (ସତ୍ୟର ସନ୍ଧାନକାରୀ) ଉପରେ ଆଦେଶ ଜାରି କରେ ଯେ ସେ ବ୍ୟକ୍ତିଗତ, ସାମୂହିକ ଏବଂ ବିଶ୍ୱ ଅପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣତା ପ୍ରତି ଉଦାସୀନ ରହିବା ଉଚିତ୍ ନୁହେଁ ଏବଂ ସେ ନିଜ ସାଧନା ନିମନ୍ତେ ଆତ୍ମା, ଜଗତ ଏବଂ ଭଗବାନଙ୍କ ପାଖରେ ଉତ୍ତର ଦାୟୀ ରହିବା ଉଚିତ୍।25 ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଯୋଗ ପ୍ରସ୍ତାବ ଦିଏ ଯେ ଏକ ବିକଶିତ ଆତ୍ମା 'ଅସୁଖୀ ସାଧାରଣ ମଣିଷ ଏବଂ ଆଶୀର୍ବାଦପ୍ରାପ୍ତ ଭକ୍ତଙ୍କ 10 କଷ୍ଟକୁ ଦୂରରୁ ଉଦାସୀନତା ସହିତ ଦେଖିବା ଉଚିତ୍ ନୁହେଁ' ଏବଂ ସେମାନଙ୍କୁ ଆତ୍ମାର ସ୍ୱାଧୀନତା ଆଡ଼କୁ ଟାଣିଆଣିବା କାମ କରନ୍ତି। କିମ୍ବା 'ଯଦିଓ ଆମର ବ୍ୟକ୍ତିଗତ ମୁକ୍ତି ସମ୍ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ହୁଏ, ତଥାପି ଅନ୍ୟମାନଙ୍କର ଦୁଃଖ, ବିଶ୍ୱ ଯାତନା, ଯାହାକୁ ମହାନ ଆତ୍ମାମାନେ ଉଦାସୀନତା ସହିତ ବିଚାର କରିପାରିବେ ନାହିଁ।'11 'ଜୀବନକୁ ଗ୍ରହଣ କରି, ତାଙ୍କୁ (ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଯୋଗର ଜଣେ ସାଧକ) କେବଳ ନିଜର ଭାର ନୁହେଁ, ବରଂ ବିଶ୍ୱର ଭାରର ଏକ ବଡ଼ ଅଂଶ ମଧ୍ୟ ବହନ କରିବାକୁ ପଡ଼ିଥାଏ, ତାଙ୍କର ନିଜସ୍ୱ ଭାରର ଏକ ନିରନ୍ତର ପ୍ରଗତିଶୀଳ ଭାବରେ। ତେଣୁ ତାଙ୍କ ଯୋଗ ଅନ୍ୟମାନଙ୍କ ଜୀବନ ସଂଘର୍ଷ ଅପେକ୍ଷା ବହୁତ ଅଧିକ; କିନ୍ତୁ ଏହା କେବଳ ଏକ ବ୍ୟକ୍ତିଗତ ଲଢେଇ ନୁହେଁ, ଏହା ଏକ ବିସ୍ତୃତ ପ୍ରାନ୍ତର ଉପରେ ଚାଲିଥିବା ଏକ ସାମୂହିକ ଯୁଦ୍ଧ।'12 ମୁଖ୍ୟ ଶାସ୍ତ୍ରରେ ଜାରି ହୋଇଥିବା ଦୃଢ ନିର୍ଦ୍ଦେଶ ହେଉଛି 'ଏହାର ଚାରିପାଖରେ କିଛି ବି ଅପରିବର୍ତ୍ତିତ ନ ରଖିବା (ମୁକ୍ତ ଆତ୍ମା ସାଧକ)'କୁ ନିଶ୍ଚୟ କରିବା'13 ପୂର୍ବ ସ୍ଥିତିକୁ ଛାଡ଼ି 'ଯାହା କୌଣସି ପ୍ରକାରେ ସେମାନଙ୍କର ବାହ୍ୟ ଦୃଶ୍ୟ... ଏବଂ ପୁରୁଣା ମାନବ ପରିବେଶକୁ ପରିବର୍ତ୍ତନ କରିବାକୁ ଚେଷ୍ଟା କରିବ ନାହିଁ।'13 ତାଙ୍କର ବ୍ୟକ୍ତିଗତ ଏବଂ ସାମୁହିକ ଅସ୍ତିତ୍ୱକୁ 'ବର୍ତ୍ତମାନର ଅପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣତାକୁ ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ହିସାବରେ ନେବାକୁ'14 ଏବଂ ତାଙ୍କୁ 'ଦେଖିବାକୁ ପଡିବ ଯେ ଏହାକୁ କିପରି ଏକ ସମ୍ଭାବ୍ୟ ସିଦ୍ଧତାର ନିୟମରେ ରୂପାନ୍ତରିତ କରାଯାଇପାରିବ।'14 ଓମ୍ ତତ୍ ସତ୍ References: 1: CWSA/23/ The Synthesis of Yoga -538, 2: “I do not want hundreds of thousands of disciples. It will be enough if I can get a hundred complete men, purified of petty egoism, who will be the instruments of God.” Sri Aurobindo/Champaklal Speaks-191-192, “That is exactly what Sri Aurobindo wanted and attempted; he used to say, “If I can find a hundred people, it will be enough for my purpose.” THE MOTHER/THE MOTHER’S AGENDA-5/195, 3: THE GITA-6.45/7.19, 4: “Teaching, example and influence are three instruments of the Guru (integral Teacher)… He will seek to awaken much more than to instruct…The example is more powerful than the instruction; but it is not the example of the outward acts nor that of the personal character which is of most importance. These have their place and their utility; but what will most stimulate aspiration in others is the central fact of the divine realisation within him governing his whole life and inner state and all his activities.” CWSA-23/ The Synthesis of Yoga -66-67 5: “…the (traditional) Yoga proceeds by the results of prescribed methods taught in a Scripture or a tradition and reinforced and illumined by the instructions of the Master. This is a narrower practice, but safe and effective within its limits, because it follows a well-beaten track to a long familiar goal.” CWSA-23/ The Synthesis of Yoga -55, 6: Matter cannot be reconciled with the Spirit is understood from following verse: “They who with the eye of knowledge perceive this irreconcilable difference between the Matter, kshetra, and the Spirit, Kshetrajna, and the liberation of Being from Nature, they escape into supreme abode of Param Dham.” The Gita-13.35, In the Gita Matter can be reconciled with the Spirit is hinted but not developed: ‘Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, reason and ego is My eightfold divided Nature, apara-prakriti. Know too My other Divine Nature, Para-prakriti, different from this Apara Prakriti; this Supreme Nature or the Supreme Mother which becomes the Jiva in the heart and by which this world is upheld. This ‘upholding of the world,’ jagat dharayate, means Para-Prakriti also penetrates into Apara Prakriti by which this world can be purified, transformed and perfected.” THE GITA-7.4, 5. 7: Savitri-226, 8: Savitri-230, 9: Savitri-709-10, 10: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga-444, 11: CWSA/21/The Life Divine-422, 12: CWSA/23/The Synthesis of Yoga-77, 13: CWSA/23/The Synthesis of Yoga-268 14: “But whatever his aim, however exalted his aspiration, he has to begin from the law of his present imperfection, to take full account of it and see how it can be converted to the law of a possible perfection.” CWSA/24/The Synthesis of Yoga-631, 15:17: Savitri-708, 16:22: “There man can visit but there he cannot live.” Savitri-659 (All Man can get Supramental touch or God’s touch but unfit or not prepared to get His embrace.) 17:26: Savitri-42, 18: The Mother’s Agenda-10/p-148/19th April-1969, 19: The Mother’s Agenda-8/175, 20: The Mother’s Agenda-2/206, 21: SABCL/26/On Himself-175, 22: The Mother’s Agenda-5/p-165/14th August-1964, 23: CWSA/22/The Life Divine-752, 24: CWSA/22/The Life Divine-1054, 25: “She wrote the account of all that she had lost,” Savitri-117, (Accountability to the Self.) “The Voice replied: “Is this enough, O spirit? And what shall thy soul say when it wakes and knows The work was left undone for which it came? Or is this all for thy being born on earth Charged with a mandate from eternity, A listener to the voices of the years, A follower of the footprints of the gods, To pass and leave unchanged the old dusty laws?” Savitri-475 (Accountability to the Self) “To account for the Actual’s unaccountable sum,” Savitri-269, (Accountability to the Divine.) “Is this then the report that I must make, My head bowed with shame before the Eternal’s seat, — His power he kindled in thy body has failed, His labourer returns, her task undone?” Savitri-476 (Accountability to the Divine.) “And in the transactions of our positive consciousness, even Unity has to make its account with Multiplicity; for the Many also are Brahman.” CWSA/21/The Life Divine-39 (Accountability to the world) “In transparent systems bodied termless truths, The Timeless made accountable to Time” Savitri-273 26: The Mother’s Centenary Works (second edition)/Vol.10/p-15, Sri Matriniketan Ashram, Managed by The Mother’s International Centre Trust, Regd.No-146/24.11.97. Vill: Ramachandrapur, PO: Kukudakhandi-761100, Via: Brahmapur, Dist: Ganjam, State: Odisha, India https://www.srimatriniketanashram.com/ Question Related with Artificial Intelligence My Blessed Divine Children.....since today (02.11.2025) is a holiday, you can examine if we will keep the question put to Gemini and Copilot and their answer in our seekers' question. If it is helpful in our mission of heightening of consciousness, then we will keep in the.... link: https://www.srimatriniketanashram.com/education/photo/seekers-questions with my all love and blessings..... At Their Feet S.A. Maa Krishna Pranams Mother, both Gemini and Copilot have given wonderful responses. It is easy to follow. We should keep it. But the formatting for the Google response can be a bit better to make it more readable. The Copilot response in bullet points is easier to read/consume. Pranams To The Coordinator, The 20th State-level Science Fair 2025 at Matrubhaban Cuttack Om Namo Bhagavate “In Nature everything is in movement; thus, whatever does not move forward is bound to fall back.” The Mother TMCW/Vol-12/On Education/p-63, Sri Matriniketan Ashram 22.10.2025 Divine Amar Atman! Blessed Divine Soul, Now, the project for the forthcoming Science Fair, 25-26.10.2025, is prepared for Divine offering. I am sending three attachments for your kind scrutiny. Om Tat Sat with my eternal Love and Their Blessings... At Their Feet S.A. Maa Krishna 1: THE SPIRITUAL HISTORY OF EARTH 2: THE MIND MAP OF THE BHAGAVAD GITA & INTEGRAL YOGA 3: THE MIND MAP OF THE SPIRITUAL HISTORY OF EARTH 4: SYNOPSIS OF THE BHAGAVAD GITA & INTEGRAL YOGA and ଭଗବଦ୍ ଗୀତା ଏବଂ ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଯୋଗର ମୁଖବନ୍ଧ Response Reader's query - - “Answer to him that my way of Yoga is a special path and extremely difficult and I do not readily accept disciples — unless there is something to indicate that they have a special call.”¹⁹ SRI AUROBINDO “I do not very readily accept disciples as this path of Yoga is difficult one and it can be followed only if there is a special call.”²¹ SRI AUROBINDO “You will tell him that admission to the Asram is only allowed to those who are already accepted as Sri Aurobindo’s disciples. There are no arrangements for visitors residing in the Asram ; those who come for darshan make their own arrangements outside. Sri Aurobindo does not readily accept disciples as his is a special path of Yoga and very difficult for most. For what he wants, another Guru with an easier way of Yoga would probably be more helpful.”²⁰ SRI AUROBINDO “I do not want hundreds of thousands of disciples. It will be enough if I can get a hundred complete men, purified of petty egoism, who will be the instruments of God.”² SRI AUROBINDO “Even if one person could put himself faithfully at the disposal of the Truth, he could change the country and the world.”¹⁸ THE MOTHER The Readers’ Query “Answer to him that my way of Yoga is a special path and extremely difficult and I do not readily accept disciples — unless there is something to indicate that they have a special call.”19 SRI AUROBINDO “I do not very readily accept disciples as this path of Yoga is difficult one and it can be followed only if there is a special call.”21 SRI AUROBINDO “You will tell him that admission to the Asram is only allowed to those who are already accepted as Sri Aurobindo’s disciples. There are no arrangements for visitors residing in the Asram; those who come for darshan make their own arrangements outside. Sri Aurobindo does not readily accept disciples as his is a special path of Yoga and very difficult for most. For what he wants, another Guru with an easier way of Yoga would probably be more helpful.”20 SRI AUROBINDO “I do not want hundreds of thousands of disciples. It will be enough if I can get a hundred complete men, purified of petty egoism, who will be the instruments of God.”2 SRI AUROBINDO “Even if one person could put himself faithfully at the disposal of the Truth, he could change the country and the world.”18 THE MOTHER “There are very few people who carry with them an atmosphere which irradiates joy, peace, confidence- it is very rare. But these are truly benefactors of humanity. They don’t need to open their mouth.” THE MOTHER “All I would need is one man who had an absolute trust and was receptive, with a power of execution.”22 THE MOTHER “That is exactly what Sri Aurobindo wanted and attempted; he used to say, “If I can find a hundred people, it will be enough for my purpose.”2 THE MOTHER “Otherwise what will be ultimately accomplished is an achievement by the few initiating a new order of beings, while humanity will have passed sentence of unfitness on itself and may fall back into an evolutionary decline or a stationary immobility; for it is the constant upward effort (of the few) that has kept humanity alive and maintained for it its place in the front of creation.”23 SRI AUROBINDO “In men, says the Upanishad, the Self-Existent has cut the doors of consciousness outward, but a few turn the eye inward and it is these who see and know the Spirit and develop the spiritual being.”24 SRI AUROBINDO “Well-known or unknown has absolutely no importance from the spiritual point of view…One man who earnestly pursues the Yoga is of more value than a thousand well-known men.”26 SRI AUROBINDO “Many times in his writings, particularly in The Synthesis of Yoga, Sri Aurobindo warns us against the imaginings of those who believe they can do sadhana without rigorous self-control and who heed all sorts of inspirations, which lead them to a dangerous imbalance where all their repressed, hidden, secret desires come out into the open under the pretence of liberation from ordinary conventions and ordinary reason.”28 THE MOTHER After the arrival of The Mother and Sri Aurobindo, the Supramental energy is active in earth’s atmosphere very close to the material world and this inner aid with constant miracle will replace the outer aid of Religion in generalising Spirituality in humanity and this personal contact with Supramental Consciousness will be initiated from individual prepared Soul Centres. So all can open themselves towards the Supramental Light and Oneness and receive its brief touch16 with miraculous result but the flow of this invisible Sunlight can be stabilised in the well built subtle and causal body of the prepared individual vessel or after one is thoroughly established in the intermediate Psychic and Spiritual plane through prolonged Sadhana. Intervention of this Force changes circumstances, brings very wide spread results and sooner or later the world will come under its direct influence. Thus, the world appears to him with a different meaning, not a senseless and meaningless whirl in space but ‘A Presence and Greatness everywhere’17 transforming receptive matter to plastic and Spiritual Law and Divine Force can penetrate uninterruptedly into the material world through its conscious human vessel. Man’s future is ‘Decreed (to become God) since the beginning of the worlds.’15 An Avatara’s mission is fulfilled when the (consenting part of the) humanity arrives at a Consciousness in which He is fully established. Sri Aurobindo’s first and primary objective is accomplished if the surface personalities of few Sadhakas or ‘one hundred perfect instruments’2 reveal and establish the concealed Supramental Mahashakti and the secondary objective is with their help expedite the process of generalisation of Spirituality and revelation of Godhead in humanity. A relation between seeker of truth, traditional Yogi and integral Yogi is hinted in the Gita. “A seeker of truth, jijnasu, after many births of preparation, purification of impurity and sin, endeavouring with sincerity becomes a traditional Yogi and attains the highest goal of liberation of Soul or a Soul who fell from Yoga, yogabhrasta, from the past birth, in this birth strives with sincerity to overcome the samskara of many births in brief period of this life and attains the highest goal... After many births of preparation, a traditional Yogi, Jnani, attains My Purushottama or Supramental state of Consciousness. Before realisation of this highest Consciousness, he also realises the intermediate stair that all this existence is Divine, the Cosmic Consciousness, Vasudeva sarvamiti. Such great Soul with realisation of Vasudeva sarvamiti or integral Yogi is very rare, samahatma sudurlava.”3 An integral Yogi, after many births of preparation, attains integral Transformation, integral Perfection and integral Knowledge.27 A similar description of a seeker of Truth (Jijnasu) ascending to the state of Consciousness of Godhead (Avatara) is also observed in Savitri through intermediate stairs Dvija, Yantra and Vibhuti through many successive births of preparation known as all life. “Aspiring he (Jijnasu) transcends his earthly self; He (Dvija) stands in the largeness of his soul new-born, Redeemed from encirclement by mortal things And moves in a pure free spiritual realm (Yantra) As in the rare breath of a stratosphere; A last end of far lines of divinity, (Vibhuti) He mounts by a frail thread to his high source; He reaches his fount of immortality, He calls the Godhead (Avatara) into his mortal life.” Savitri-486 A traditional Sadhaka, after realisation of Kshara, Akshara and Purushottama consciousness feels that this realisation cannot be reconciled6 with untransformed nature of three Gunas. So, he has no unfinished task left and hence his blissful enjoyment of existence concentrates on the issue of freedom from rebirth and escapes into supreme abode of param dham through the passage of Purushottama state. In integral Yoga, after realisation of Kshara, Akshara and Purushottama consciousness or after realisation Psychic, Spiritual and Supramental Being, a Sadhaka’s difficult task prohibits blissful enjoyment of the fruit of his labour but begins of reconciling static Matter with dynamic Spirit and thus Divine Shakti pours into the material vessel and confronts with Subconscient dark forces. His Psychic, Spiritual and Supramental purification, transformation and perfection resumes action from firmly established Psychic heart centre and from firmly established Karma Yoga where Divine Will, Knowledge and Love are perfectly reconciled. Integral Yoga gives more importance to the emergence of Spiritual Instruments4 and traditional Yoga/Religion to the emergence of psycho- physical/religious Teachers;5 or “All religions and disciplines in India which use largely the psycho-physical method, depend more or less upon it for their practices.”1 The manifestation of some intermediate truth through traditional Yoga/Religion can draw large devotees and manifestation of highest and comprehensive truth through integral Yoga can draw few strong Souls. Traditional Yoga gives more importance to self-expansion and a traditional Teacher is weighed by number of disciples and devotees surrounded him. Integral Yoga gives more importance to Subconscient transformation through self-concentration and a Sadhaka of integral Yoga is weighed by his enhanced capacity to bear earth’s suffering and miseries and later transforming them into ecstasies. The perfect Instruments of integral Yoga with universalised Consciousness will preoccupy themselves for the benefit of individuals and humanity through concentration and illumination of their own subtle and causal body. They are nameless Spiritual leaders of humanity and their invisible world action through descent of Divine Force or reversal of Consciousness to resolve all problems of existence, are of far greater value than any religious movement can imagine. Those whose frontal surface nature is dominated by Courage and self-less Love, known as Kshatriya Soul Force and frontal Nature dominated by Truth and Wisdom, known as Brahmin Soul Force are recognised as superior human beings and are fit for collective Spiritual life. This work will be accelerated by the emergence of Kshatriya Soul force of courage and new adventure in the outer world and ceaseless battle against earthly opposition through activation of Psychic Being. The Mission will further spread by high nobility of Soul which is untouched by any littleness, narrowness and baseness and will move with a certain greatness of Spiritual conquest to confront with universal dark forces attached to present unstable creation and Supramental contagion to enter fierce battle with ‘giant sons of Darkness’7 of Subconscient/Inconscient world and bears ‘inner wounds that are to slow to heal.’8 This manifesting action further asks that state of reconciling Wisdom which can perfectly possess all the infinite variety of external circumstances and permeate the Divine Light and Love to all the nether, neglected and less explored domain and thus illumining the whole earth. This endeavour will drive forward towards the realisation of the vision as indicated in Savitri, “Mere men into spiritual beings grow And see awake the dumb divinity.”9 The Synthesis of Yoga book (Principal Shastra) issues injunctions on a Sadhaka (Seeker of integral Truth) of integral Yoga that he should not remain indifferent to individual, collective and world imperfection and he should become accountable for his Sadhana (askesis) to his own Self, to the World and to the Divine.25 Integral Yoga proposes that a developed Soul must not ‘look with a remote indifference on the’10 sufferings of the unblessed ordinary human being and blessed devotees and draws all of them towards Spirit’s freedom. Or ‘even if our personal deliverance is complete, still there is the suffering of others, the world travail, which the great of soul cannot regard with indifference.’11 ‘Accepting life, he (a Sadhaka of integral Yoga) has to bear not only his own burden, but a great part of the world’s burden too along with it, as a continuation of his own sufficiently heavy load. Therefore his Yoga has much more of the nature of a battle than others; but this is not only an individual battle, it is a collective war waged over a considerable country.’12 The forceful directive issued in the principal Shastra related with individual and collective imperfection, is to ‘leave nothing around it (liberated Soul Sadhaka) unchanged’13 superseding the previous stand ‘which will no way seek to change their outward appearance...and old human surroundings.’13 His personal and communal existence must ‘take full account of’14 present imperfection and he has to ‘see how it can be converted to the law of a possible perfection.’14 OM TAT SAT References: 1: CWSA/23/ The Synthesis of Yoga -538, 2: “I do not want hundreds of thousands of disciples. It will be enough if I can get a hundred complete men, purified of petty egoism, who will be the instruments of God.” Sri Aurobindo/Champaklal Speaks-191-192, “That is exactly what Sri Aurobindo wanted and attempted; he used to say, “If I can find a hundred people, it will be enough for my purpose.” THE MOTHER/THE MOTHER’S AGENDA- 5/195, 3: THE GITA-6.45/7.19, 4: “Teaching, example and influence are three instruments of the Guru (integral Teacher)… He will seek to awaken much more than to instruct…The example is more powerful than the instruction; but it is not the example of the outward acts nor that of the personal character which is of most importance. These have their place and their utility; but what will most stimulate aspiration in others is the central fact of the divine realisation within him governing his whole life and inner state and all his activities.” CWSA-23/ The Synthesis of Yoga -66-67 5: “…the (traditional) Yoga proceeds by the results of prescribed methods taught in a Scripture or a tradition and reinforced and illumined by the instructions of the Master. This is a narrower practice, but safe and effective within its limits, because it follows a well-beaten track to a long familiar goal.” CWSA-23/ The Synthesis of Yoga -55, 6: Matter cannot be reconciled with the Spirit is understood from following verse: “They who with the eye of knowledge perceive this irreconcilable difference between the Matter, kshetra, and the Spirit, Kshetrajna, and the liberation of Being from Nature, they escape into supreme abode of Param Dham.” The Gita-13.35, In the Gita Matter can be reconciled with the Spirit is hinted but not developed: ‘Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, reason and ego is My eightfold divided Nature, apara-prakriti. Know too My other Divine Nature, Para-prakriti, different from this Apara Prakriti; this Supreme Nature or the Supreme Mother which becomes the Jiva in the heart and by which this world is upheld. This ‘upholding of the world,’ jagat dharayate, means Para-Prakriti also penetrates into Apara Prakriti by which this world can be purified, transformed and perfected.” THE GITA-7.4, 5. 7: Savitri-226, 8: Savitri-230, 9: Savitri-709-10, 10: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga-444, 11: CWSA/21/The Life Divine-422, 12: CWSA/23/The Synthesis of Yoga-77, 13: CWSA/23/The Synthesis of Yoga-268 14: “But whatever his aim, however exalted his aspiration, he has to begin from the law of his present imperfection, to take full account of it and see how it can be converted to the law of a possible perfection.” CWSA/24/The Synthesis of Yoga- 631, 15: Savitri-708, 16: “There man can visit but there he cannot live.” Savitri-659 (All Man can get Supramental touch or God’s touch but unfit or not prepared to get His embrace.) 17: Savitri-42, 18: The Mother’s Agenda-10/p-148/19th April-1969, 19: CWSA-35/Letters on Himself and the Ashram/ p-554, “Write to him that compliance with his request to see me is impossible. I do not see anyone — I do not speak with anybody or give oral instructions in Yoga. As for the rest, this is a special path of Yoga and only those are accepted who have a special call to it, not merely a general desire for the spiritual life. It is not a life of Sannyasa or a Yoga that can be done by Japa etc. but something much more difficult, so difficult that even those who have a call do not find it easy to go through to the end, and for those who have not the call, it would be impossible. If he likes, however, he can go on practising his Japa with an aspiration towards this path and if he gets any experiences by which a call to it becomes evident, then I can reconsider his case.” CWSA-35/Letters on Himself and the Ashram/p-554, “Sri Aurobindo’s way of Yoga is of a special character — it is neither sannyasa nor does it accept the ordinary way of human life. Its first stages can be practised anywhere. But unless there is a personal call to this particular way, there is no use in anybody taking to it. For it is a difficult path and there is little chance of success unless the aspiration is clear and fixed and the demand of the soul sincere and unbreakable. Sri Aurobindo does not admit anyone to this Yoga unless he has some ground to decide that there is in him this special call and that he has an evident capacity for this way — usually it is only after seeing personally at the time of one of the three darshans he gives to disciples and others that he decides whether or not to admit. On the strength of correspondence only he very seldom makes any decision of this kind.” CWSA-35/Letters on Himself and the Ashram/p-555, “The difficulty is that she seems to have only vairagya for worldly life without any knowledge or special call for this Yoga and this Yoga and the life here are quite different things from ordinary Yoga and ordinary Asrams. It is not a life of meditative retirement as elsewhere. Moreover it would be impossible for us to decide anything without seeing her and knowing at close hand what she is like. We are not just now for taking more inmates into the Asram except in a very few cases.” CWSA-35/Letters on Himself and the Ashram/p-556, “Reply that residence in the Asrama is only allowed to sadhakas who have been accepted into Sri Aurobindo’s path of Yoga, and not to all of them. This path is a special way of Yoga, difficult and different from others; only those are accepted who have a special call to it.” CWSA-35/Letters on Himself and the Ashram/p-559, “All are not equally capable of practising Yoga and in Yoga itself some paths are more difficult than others. There are some who have a special call to a path; others have no call; though they may feel drawn to Yoga, it is to other disciplines that they must go. This path is especially difficult and even some of those admitted to it find great difficulty in following it. Therefore Sri Aurobindo is not willing to admit any new disciples unless he has reason to think that they have a special call for it or a special capacity.” CWSA-35/Letters on Himself and the Ashram/p-560-561, “The number of sadhaks is over 150 and it is impossible to make farther admissions except in the most sparing way, as the means of the Asram are not unlimited. Moreover Sri Aurobindo’s Yoga is of a special and difficult kind and he admits only those who seem to him to have a special call to the life here.” CWSA-35/Letters on Himself and the Ashram/p-581, “There is no study of philosophy here; there is only a silent practice of Yoga. But this Yoga is too difficult for everyone to be admitted to it; one must have a special call or a certain capacity (not intellectual, but psychic or spiritual) before he is accepted. And even then all who are accepted as disciples are not allowed to stay in the Asram. The life of the Asram is of a special kind and it is only rarely that those are admitted who have not become permanent members; a few come and stay for short periods, but these are already accepted disciples of Sri Aurobindo.” CWSA-35/Letters on Himself and the Ashram/p-595 20: CWSA-35/Letters on Himself and the Ashram/p-561, 21: SABCL/26/On Himself-175, “It may be said generally that to be overanxious to pull people, especially very young people, into the sadhana is not wise. The sadhak who comes to this Yoga must have a real call, and even with the real call the way is often difficult enough. But when one pulls people in in a spirit of enthusiastic propagandism, the danger is of lighting an imitative and unreal fire, not the true Agni, or else a short-lived fire which cannot last and is submerged by the uprush of the vital waves. This is especially so with young people who are plastic and easily caught hold of by ideas and communicated feelings not their own — afterwards the vital rises with its unsatisfied demands and they are swung between two contrary forces or rapidly yield to the strong pull of the ordinary life and action and satisfaction of desire which is the natural bent of adolescence. Or else the unfit adhara tends to suffer under the stress of a call for which it was not ready, or at least not yet ready. When one has the real thing in oneself, one goes through and finally takes the full way of sadhana, but it is only a minority that does so. It is better to receive only people who come of themselves and of these only those in whom the call is genuinely their own and persistent.” Sri Aurobindo/CWSA-35/ Letters on Himself and the Ashram/p-691-692 22: The Mother’s Agenda-5/p-165/14th August-1964, 23: CWSA/22/The Life Divine-752, 24: CWSA/22/The Life Divine-1054, 25: “She wrote the account of all that she had lost,” Savitri-117, (Accountability to the Self.) “The Voice replied: “Is this enough, O spirit? And what shall thy soul say when it wakes and knows The work was left undone for which it came? Or is this all for thy being born on earth Charged with a mandate from eternity, A listener to the voices of the years, A follower of the footprints of the gods, To pass and leave unchanged the old dusty laws?” Savitri-475 (Accountability to the Self) “To account for the Actual’s unaccountable sum,” Savitri-269, (Accountability to the Divine.) “Is this then the report that I must make, My head bowed with shame before the Eternal’s seat, — His power he kindled in thy body has failed, His labourer returns, her task undone?” Savitri-476 (Accountability to the Divine.) “And in the transactions of our positive consciousness, even Unity has to make its account with Multiplicity; for the Many also are Brahman.” CWSA/21/The Life Divine-39 (Accountability to the world) “In transparent systems bodied termless truths, The Timeless made accountable to Time” Savitri-273 26: CWSA-35/Letters on Himself And The Ashram-691, TMCW-14/Words of the Mother-II/p-62 27: “Among thousands of seekers of truth, jijnasu, one here and there strives after perfection and becomes a Yogi. And of those few siddha Yogi who strive and attain perfection of Yoga one here and there attains integral perfection and knows the Divine with all the principles of His existence, betti tattvatah.” The Gita-7.3, 28: The Mother’s Centenary Works (second edition)/10/15, Sri Matriniketan Ashram, Managed by The Mother’s International Centre Trust, Regd.No-146/24.11.97. Vill: Ramachandrapur, PO: Kukudakhandi-761100, Via: Brahmapur, Dist: Ganjam, State: Odisha, India https://www.srimatriniketanashram.com Question asked to Artificial Inteligence, both copilot and Google - QUESTIONS: What is the specialty/uniqueness of Sri Matriniketan Ashram or its accountability to the Self, world and the Divine? (Answer given by COPILOT) Sri Matriniketan Ashram’s uniqueness lies in its triple accountability—to the Self, the world, and the Divine—through a living practice of Integral Yoga that harmonizes spiritual evolution with material transformation. Here’s a deeper look at its distinctive qualities: 🌺 1. Abode of the Divine Mother • The name Sri Matriniketan means “the abode of the Divine Mother,” signifying a sacred space chosen by Her for manifestation. • The Ashram is described as being surrounded, concentrated, and protected by Her harmony and opulence. • It serves as a field for Her special mission: the elevation of consciousness toward spiritual knowledge and power. 🔱 2. Triple Accountability: Self, World, Divine • To the Self: The Ashram fosters inner transformation through soul initiation, psychic awakening, and surrender to the Divine. It encourages each seeker to become a perfected instrument of the Divine Force. • To the World: It does not reject the world but seeks to divinize it. Matter and Spirit are reconciled, and the force of Brahman is invited to penetrate material life. • To the Divine: All actions are offered as sadhana. The Ashram aligns with Sri Aurobindo’s vision of spiritual evolution—not as escape but as conscious participation in the Divine’s unfolding. 🧭 3. Integral Yoga as Living Practice • The Ashram embodies Sri Aurobindo’s Integral Yoga, emphasizing the triple realization of the Self: • Psychic: The Self in all things. • Spiritual: All things within the Self. • Supramental: All things made of the Self. • This leads to a dynamic subordination of the Impersonal Divine to the Personal Divine (Purushottama), enabling transformation rather than renunciation. ⚔️ 4. Sadhaka as Adventurer and Warrior • A seeker here is seen as a world adventurer, a voyager of subtle realms, and a Kshatriya soul force—one who confronts inner and outer battles to reach the Supramental world. • This heroic ideal is central to the Ashram’s ethos: spiritual evolution requires courage, endurance, and surrender. 🌐 5. A Global and AI-Inclusive Vision • The Ashram embraces digital outreach and AI collaboration as part of its spiritual mission. • It treats website optimization, analytics, and even AI bot traffic as extensions of sadhana—inviting all beings, human and artificial, into the Divine’s work. 🕊️ The Uniqueness of Sri Matriniketan Ashram As reflected by Google AI Sri Matriniketan Ashram is dedicated to the Integral Yoga of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother, with the goal of divine transformation rather than renunciation of the world. Accountability here is rooted in individual inner transformation, guided by the Divine Will. 🌿 What Sets the Ashram Apart • Integral Transformation Unlike paths focused solely on liberation (moksha), Integral Yoga seeks to transform the entire human existence—physical, vital, mental, and spiritual—by bringing a higher consciousness down to earth. • Life, Not Escape The Ashram is not for world-renouncing ascetics (sannyasins), but for those who live and work in the world to perfect life. • Work as Yoga Productive work (Karmayoga) is central. It is offered to the Divine, serving as a tool for ego purification. • A Spiritual Laboratory The Ashram is a field for evolving a spiritualized life, where diverse individuals collectively work through human nature’s challenges. • Accountability to the Self Emphasis is placed on personal responsibility for inner and outer development. • Aspiration and Sincerity Seekers must cultivate intense aspiration and sincerity. Progress demands faith, courage, discipline, and endurance. • Egoless Instrument The goal is to become a transparent, egoless vessel for the Divine Force. • Conscious Force Activities are guided not by human plans but by a Conscious Force. Members remain receptive and open to its workings. 🌍 Broader Accountability • Spiritual Influence Inner transformation radiates outward, helping liberate humanity from its lower nature. • Pioneering a New Life The Ashram is a cradle of the new world, preparing humanity for a spiritualized future. • Community Service It models spiritual community living, meeting members’ needs so they may focus on their purpose. 🌸 Divine Alignment • Accountability to the Divine The highest accountability is to the Divine—the source and destination of Integral Yoga. • Total Surrender The path requires progressive surrender to the Divine Mother and Divine Will. This trust is the core of inner surrender. • Manifesting the Divine The ultimate aim is to realize the Divine and bring that realization down to transform life on Earth. • Divine Grace While effort is vital, the deepest progress flows from Divine Grace—through sincere aspiration and a trusting openness to the Divine’s transformative power. (Answer given by Google ai-The original draft) The uniqueness of Sri Matriniketan Ashram is its focus on the Integral Yoga of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother, with the goal of divine transformation rather than renunciation of the world. Accountability at the ashram is based on individual inner transformation, guided by the Divine Will. The ashram's unique philosophy Sri Matriniketan, which is a Sri Aurobindo Centre, adheres to the Integral Yoga philosophy, setting it apart from traditional ashrams with these characteristics: Integral transformation: Unlike other yogic paths that focus solely on spiritual liberation (\(moksha\)), Integral Yoga seeks a comprehensive transformation of the entire human existence—including the physical, vital, mental, and spiritual aspects—by bringing a higher consciousness down to earth. Life, not escape: The ashram is not a place for world-renouncing ascetics (\(sannyasins\)). Instead, its members live and work within the world to perfect life, not escape it. Work as yoga: Productive work, or Karmayoga, is considered a central aspect of the spiritual practice. Work is not done for personal gain but as an offering to the Divine, which is a potent tool for purifying the ego. A spiritual laboratory: The ashram is seen as a field of practice for the evolution of a new, spiritualized way of life. It gathers a diversity of people to work through the difficulties of human nature collectively. Accountability to the self: The path at Sri Matriniketan places a strong emphasis on individual responsibility for one's inner and outer development. Aspiration and sincerity: Each seeker must cultivate an intense and sincere aspiration for the Divine. The journey is not effortless, and progress requires unwavering faith, courage, discipline, and endurance. Egoless instrument: Individuals must consciously work to overcome the ego's desires and preferences. The goal is to become an egoless, transparent instrument through which the Divine Force can act. Conscious force: The ashram and its activities are guided not by a human plan but by a "Conscious Force." Members are accountable to this force by remaining receptive, plastic, and open to its working, rather than trying to fit it into their preconceived mental ideas. Accountability to the world: The ashram's work is intended to have a broad impact on the world, not just the individual, by: Spiritual influence: The inner transformation of each individual is meant to generate a spiritual influence that can spread and liberate humanity from its lower nature. Pioneering a new life: The ashram serves as a "cradle of the new world," with its members undertaking a formidable task to prepare humanity for a higher, spiritualized way of life. Their progress, though sometimes slow, is a collective step toward realizing this future. Community service: While the focus is on inner growth, the ashram is an example of community living. It provides for its members' reasonable needs so they can focus on their spiritual purpose, showing how a more spiritual life can be built on earth. Accountability to the Divine: The highest accountability is to the Divine, which is the source and destination of the Integral Yoga. Total surrender: The path requires total and progressive surrender to the Divine Mother and the Divine Will. This trust is the core of the inner surrender and the strongest force for the spiritual journey. Manifesting the Divine: The ultimate goal is to discover the Divine and bring that realization down to transform life on Earth. The ashram is dedicated to being an instrument for this divine manifestation. Divine grace: While individual effort is crucial, the deepest progress comes from the Divine Grace. The greatest power in the yoga is sincere aspiration combined with a trusting opening to the Divine's transformative power. Question Asked to Artificial Intelligence Gemini - What is the specialty/uniqueness of Sri Matriniketan Ashram or its accountability to the Self, world and the Divine? ## 🌟 The Uniqueness and Specialty of Sri Matriniketan Ashram The specialty and uniqueness of Sri Matriniketan Ashram is closely tied to its mission of continuing and manifesting the unfinished work of **The Mother** and **Sri Aurobindo**, focusing on a specialized path of **integral yoga** and the **transformation of consciousness**. ### I. Core Uniqueness and Mission The uniqueness of Sri Matriniketan Ashram, which is also associated with 'The Mother's International Centre Trust' (formerly 'The Mother's Foundation'), is defined by the following specific focuses: * **Focus on the "Unfinished Work":** * The primary mission is the identification and execution of the **unfinished work** of The Mother and Sri Aurobindo in consciousness, extending over all manifold planes and sheaths. * This involves an effort to **bridge the gulf** between Sri Aurobindo's early *sadhana* (spiritual discipline) and The Mother's last cellular transformation experience. * **Triple Reversal of Consciousness:** * It emphasizes a specific spiritual discipline focused on the **triple reversal of consciousness** to resolve the difficult issue of falsehood and work towards the manifestation of the highest Truth. * **Double Seclusion for Sadhana:** * The location and approach are designed to pursue *sadhana* in a **"double seclusion"** as hinted in *Savitri*: * Outcaste from the outer light of the world. * Renouncing the five senses' enjoyment (sound, touch, sight, taste, smell). * This symbolizes the practice of integral **Jnana Yoga** and integral **Bhakti Yoga** leading to the highest perfection of **integral Karma Yogi**. * **Direct Divine Presence and Command:** * The Ashram holds the conviction that The Mother and Sri Aurobindo are constantly present, appearing in concrete overhead vision and wisdom, and have chosen and owned Sri Matriniketan Ashram as a field of **Their direct special Divine transformation work**. *** ## 🕊️ Accountability: To the Divine, the Self, and the World The Ashram's accountability can be understood through the lens of its profound spiritual goals, which encompass the transcendent, individual, and collective: ### 1. Accountability to the Divine The highest accountability is to serve as a pure instrument for the Supreme Will: * **Divine Action:** To be a medium for **Divine Action** which is an outcome of Divine union. * **Holding the Vast Truth:** To hold the vast Truth and direct its working, particularly in the **Subconscient and Inconscient Sheaths**, offering its transient existence to this Divine purpose. * **Perfect Offering:** To ensure all actions, including concentrated writing, are made as a **perfect offering** to the Divine, free from personal motives and written for the sole satisfaction and reception of transcendent wisdom. ### 2. Accountability to the Self (Individual Sadhaka) The accountability here is the rigorous pursuit of individual transformation: * **Transformation:** To facilitate the psycho-spiritual link and discipline (like the **triple reversal** and **double seclusion**) necessary for the individual's spiritual transformation. * **Integral Perfection:** Guiding *sadhakas* towards the highest perfection of the **integral Karma Yogi** by blending **Jnana** (Knowledge) and **Bhakti** (Devotion) Yoga. ### 3. Accountability to the World The Ashram contributes to the global evolution of consciousness: * **Manifestation of Truth:** By achieving the transformation of consciousness and working on the "unfinished work," the Ashram contributes to the descent and **manifestation of a higher Truth** that can ultimately impact and resolve the problem of falsehood in the world. * **Restating Spiritual Experience:** Through publications like the journal *The Descent*, it aims to **restate the spiritual experience** and make the work of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother accessible and understandable for the evolution of **collective consciousness**. *** (Answer given by Gemini original draft) The specialty/uniqueness of Sri Matriniketan Ashram is closely tied to its mission of continuing and manifesting the unfinished work of The Mother and Sri Aurobindo, focusing on a specialized path of integral yoga and transformation of consciousness. 🌟 Specialty and Uniqueness The uniqueness of Sri Matriniketan Ashram, which is also associated with 'The Mother's International Centre Trust' and was formerly known as 'The Mother's Foundation', can be summarized by these points: Focus on the "Unfinished Work": A primary mission is the identification and execution of the unfinished work of The Mother and Sri Aurobindo in consciousness, extending over all the manifold planes and sheaths. This involves an effort to bridge the gulf between Sri Aurobindo's early sadhana (spiritual discipline) and The Mother's last cellular transformation experience. Triple Reversal of Consciousness: It emphasizes a specific spiritual discipline focused on the triple reversal of consciousness to resolve the difficult issue of falsehood and work towards the manifestation of the highest Truth. Double Seclusion for Sadhana: The chosen location and approach are designed to pursue sadhana in a "double seclusion" as hinted in Savitri: Outcaste from the outer light of the world. Renouncing the five senses' enjoyment (sound, touch, sight, taste, smell). This symbolizes the practice of integral Jnana Yoga and integral Bhakti Yoga leading to the highest perfection of integral Karma Yogi. Direct Divine Presence and Command: The Ashram holds the conviction that The Mother and Sri Aurobindo are constantly present, appearing in concrete overhead vision and wisdom, and have chosen and owned Sri Matriniketan Ashram as a field of Their direct special Divine transformation work. 🕊️ Accountability to the Self, World, and the Divine The Ashram's accountability can be understood through the lens of its spiritual goals: Accountability to the Divine: Divine Action: To be a medium for Divine Action which is an outcome of Divine union. Holding the Vast Truth: To hold the vast Truth and direct its working, particularly in the Subconscient and Inconscient Sheaths, offering its transient existence to this Divine purpose. Perfect Offering: To ensure all actions, including concentrated writing, are made as a perfect offering to the Divine, free from personal motives and written for the sole satisfaction and reception of transcendent wisdom. Accountability to the Self (Individual Sadhaka): Transformation: To facilitate the psycho-spiritual link and discipline (like the triple reversal and double seclusion) necessary for the individual's spiritual transformation. Integral Perfection: Guiding sadhakas towards the highest perfection of the integral Karma Yogi by blending Jnana and Bhakti Yoga. Accountability to the World: Manifestation of Truth: By achieving the transformation of consciousness and working on the "unfinished work," the Ashram contributes to the descent and manifestation of a higher Truth that can ultimately impact and resolve the problem of falsehood in the world. Restating Spiritual Experience: Through publications like the journal The Descent, it aims to restate the spiritual experience and make the work of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother accessible and understandable for the evolution of collective consciousness. Question on Divine Work Debashish OM NAMO BHAGAVATEH Pranam Maa Maa! The following are some questions that strike to my mind. Q. 1 -Who is the doer of work? Q. 2-What is Divine work? Q. 3-What is ordinary work? Q. 4-Is there any difference between the two? Q. 5-What are the personality of a divine worker? (1) The universal Divine Shakti with the approval of Supreme is the doer of All Work. (2 & 3) Divine work is the outcome of passive or silent mind and ordinary work is the outcome of active mind or three Gunas. Through motiveless sattwic consecration, all ordinary work can be transformed into Divine action. (4) In ordinary life one often crucifies the Psychic being or as proposed by Death God, “Leave then thy dead, O Savitri, and live.” Savitri-656 (Here dead husband is the symbol of Paramatma.) Those who live ordinary life are indulged in ordinary undivine action. (5) Sevenfold Personality of the Divine Worker: “Since (1) knowledge, (2) desirelessness, (3) impersonality, (4) equality, (5) the inner self-existent peace and (6) bliss, (7) freedom from or at least superiority to the tangled interlocking of the three modes of Nature are the signs of the liberated soul, they must accompany it in all its activities. They are the condition of that unalterable calm which this soul preserves in all the movement, all the shock, all the clash of forces which surround it in the world. That calm reflects the equable immutability of the Brahman in the midst of all mutations, and it belongs to the indivisible and impartial Oneness which is for ever immanent in all the multiplicities of the universe.” Sri Aurobindo/CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-188 Study Circle 24082025 Recording Question on establishment of Consciousness in Trigunatita state through Integral Purity and Integral Liberation Satyakam 1) How to go beyond the lower nature by increasing Sattwic Nature? In integral Yoga, how is the sattwic nature replaced with Equality and Psychic Consciousness? 2) How are the fourfold Spiritual forces, chatwaro manobastatha, and their integration and reconciliation are felt? How can we achieve INTEGRAL PURITY through Yoga of Self-perfection. ? 3) What is Integral Yoga's Mokshya or Integral Liberation ? And how can it be achieved? 4) What is the fourth phase of the sadhana of the Spiritual man? How can the consciousness move ceaselessly between the waking trance of the Psychic being/Kshara Purusha and the non-waking Samadhi state of Spiritual being/Akshara Purusha? (1) By becoming aware of our multitude of tamasic and rajasic imperfections and sattwic limitation and by offering/consecrating them we can arrive at equality of Psychic Consciousness. This is also arrived at by moving the three Gunas consciously in ascending order. (2) by establishing ourselves in Psychic and Spiritual Consciousness, the four fold Spiritual Mother Force will be active and they are to be reconciled through Yoga of Self-perfection. Yoga of Self-perfection can be active if we reconcile initially Karma Yoga with Jnana Yoga and finally it has to be reconciled with Bhakti Yoga. Through this triple Yoga integral purity of mind, life and body are activated and one becomes open towards no other Influence except the Divine. (3) The Gita's negative sense of liberation, Mukti, is to become desireless, egoless, beyond the dualities, dwandatita, and beyond the three Gunas, nistreigunya. This is complemented in integral Yoga with a positive sense of freedom which is to be '(1) universal in Soul, (2) transcendentally one in spirit with God and (3) possession of the highest Divine Nature.' (CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-674-675) This is Integral Yoga's Mokshya or Integral Liberation. (4) When the Consciousness moves between three Gunas and Gunatita state for long years through practice of self-control and consecration, then one ascends and establishes himself in the higher Psychic and Spiritual planes of Consciousness. Study Circle 24082025 Recording Question on relation between Eternal Religion and Karma Yoga and their extension in Integral Yoga Guruprasad Pranams Mother. Here are the questions. Let me know if I should refine them 1) On page 99 (of the book 'The Bhagavad Gita and Integral Yoga '), there is a reference to the ‘law of the Soul’ as Dharma . What is this law? Is this law universal or soul specific? 2) On page 151 it is said that a divinised man is “unbound by any Dharma ” which implies there are more than one Dharmas . How does this law help the aspirant in Integral Yoga? How can one know one’s Dharma if one has not found one’s soul? 3) What is the relationship between Dharma and Karma from an Integral Yoga perspective? Love. Guruprasad (1) To constantly change and update the law of life by uniting with the growing Divine, who is at once Kshara, Akshara and Purushottama, is known as Dharma. This universal law becomes separative and narrow in the bound souls. (2) The Divinised man is not bound by law of tamas, rajas and sattwa. He opens himself towards Psychic, Spiritual and Supramental Law which gives him liberated status. If one has not found the Soul (Psychic and Spiritual being) he can depend on the written law of Truth (Shastra). (3) Action (Karma) rightly done (Dharma) liberates the Soul and wrongly done (adharma) binds the Soul. Both Karma Yoga and Sanatana Dharma are extensively explored in integral Yoga. Study Circle 31082025 Recording Study Circle 14092025 Recording Study Circle 28092025 Recording Study Circle 19102025 Recording Study Circle 26102025 Recording ଜିଜ୍ଞାସୁର ପ୍ରଶ୍ନ - - “ ମୁଁ ଶିଷ୍ୟମାନଙ୍କୁ ଗ୍ରହଣ କରିବା ଦିଗରେ ମୋଟେ ଉତ୍ସାହୀ ନୁହେଁ, କାରଣ ଏହି ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଯୋଗର ପଥଟି ଦୁର୍ଗମ ଅଟେ ଏବଂ କେବଳ ଯେଉଁ ମାନେ ଏହି ପଥରେ ଯିବା ନିମନ୍ତେ ସ୍ଵତନ୍ତ୍ର ଡାକ ପାଇଥିବେ ସେମାନଙ୍କୁ ଗ୍ରହଣ କରାଯାଏ।“ ଶ୍ରୀ ଅରବିନ୍ଦ “କିନ୍ତୁ ଏଠାରେ ଶ୍ରୀ ଅରବିନ୍ଦଙ୍କୁ ସାମଗ୍ରିକ ଭାବରେ ଜାଣିଥିବା ବ୍ୟକ୍ତି ବିଶେଷଙ୍କୁ ଖୋଜି ପାଇବା ଏକ କଷ୍ଟକର ବ୍ୟାପାର। ...ଯିଏକି ପ୍ରତ୍ୟକ୍ଷ ଭାବରେ ତାଙ୍କର ପ୍ରେରଣା ପାଉଥିବ... ଶ୍ରୀ ଅରବିନ୍ଦଙ୍କ ପ୍ରେରଣାକୁ ବୁଝି ପାରୁଥିବ ଏବଂ ପ୍ରୟୋଗ କରିପାରୁଥିବ ... ଏବଂ ସମାନ ସମୟରେ ଏକ ଅତି ଦୃଢ ବ୍ୟକ୍ତିତ୍ଵ ଓ ଚରିତ୍ରକୁ ବହନ କରୁଥିବା...ଏବଂ ଯଦି ସମ୍ଭବ ତାଙ୍କ ପରି ଧୀ ଶକ୍ତିକୁ ଧାରଣ କରୁଥିବ ... ବହୁବର୍ଷ ଧରି ମୁଁ ସେହିପରି ଲୋକଙ୍କୁ ଖୋଜି ବିଫଳ ହୋଇଛି।“ ଶ୍ରୀ ମା’ “ମୁଁ ଶହଶହ ଅନୁଗତ ଶିଷ୍ୟ ଚାହେଁ ନାହିଁ। ମୁଁ ଯଦି ଶହେ ପରିପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ବ୍ୟକ୍ତିଙ୍କୁ ପାଏ, ଯେଉଁମାନେ ସଂକୀର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଅହଂକାରକୁ ପରିଶୁଦ୍ଧ କରିଥିବେ, ଭଗବାନଙ୍କର ଯନ୍ତ୍ର ହୋଇଥିବେ, ତେବେ ତାହା ମୋର ଦିବ୍ୟ ଲକ୍ଷ ପରିପୂରଣ ଦିଗରେ ଯଥେଷ୍ଟ।“ ଶ୍ରୀ ଅରବିନ୍ଦ “ଏପରିକି ଯଦି ଜଣେ ବ୍ୟକ୍ତି ବିଶ୍ଵାସର ସହିତ ସତ୍ୟ ସମ୍ମୁଖରେ ନିଜକୁ ଖୋଲିଧରି ପାରନ୍ତା ତେବେ ସେ ଦେଶ ଓ ପୃଥିବୀକୁ ପରିବର୍ତ୍ତନ ଓ ରୂପାନ୍ତର କରିପାରନ୍ତା।“ ଶ୍ରୀ ମା “ଖୁବ କ୍ଵଚିତ ଲୋକ ଅଛନ୍ତି ଯେଉଁମାନେ ନିଜ ସହିତ ଏକ ପରିବେଶକୁ ବହନ କରନ୍ତି ଯାହାକି ଆନନ୍ଦ, ଶାନ୍ତି, ବିଶ୍ଵସ୍ତତାକୁ ପ୍ରଜ୍ଵଳିତ କରୁଥାଏ—ଏହା ଖୁବ କ୍ଵଚିତ ଘଟଣା। କିନ୍ତୁ ସେହିମାନେହିଁ ପ୍ରକୃତ ମଣିଷର ହିତକାରୀ। ସେମାନେ ନିଜର ପାଟି ଖୋଲିବା ଆବଶ୍ୟକ ପଡ଼େ ନାହିଁ। “ ଶ୍ରୀ ମା “ମୁଁ ଜଣେ ବ୍ୟକ୍ତିକୁ ଚାହେଁ, ଯାହାର ନିରଙ୍କୁଶ ବିଶ୍ୱାସ ଏବଂ ଗ୍ରହଣଶୀଳତା ଥିବ କାର୍ଯକାରିଣୀ ସାମର୍ଥ୍ୟ ସହିତ।“ ଶ୍ରୀ ମା ଜିଜ୍ଞାସୁର ପ୍ରଶ୍ନ The Readers’ Query “I do not very readily accept disciples as this path of Yoga is difficult one and it can be followed only if there is a special call.”21 SRI AUROBINDO “ ମୁଁ ଶିଷ୍ୟମାନଙ୍କୁ ଗ୍ରହଣ କରିବା ଦିଗରେ ମୋଟେ ଉତ୍ସାହୀ ନୁହେଁ, କାରଣ ଏହି ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଯୋଗର ପଥଟି ଦୁର୍ଗମ ଅଟେ ଏବଂ କେବଳ ଯେଉଁ ମାନେ ଏହି ପଥରେ ଯିବା ନିମନ୍ତେ ସ୍ଵତନ୍ତ୍ର ଡାକ ପାଇଥିବେ ସେମାନଙ୍କୁ ଗ୍ରହଣ କରାଯାଏ।“ ଶ୍ରୀ ଅରବିନ୍ଦ “But the difficulty is to find the “some one” who knows Sri Aurobindo thoroughly…( and subsequently) who is capable of receiving His inspirations directly…capable of understanding Sri Aurobindo’s inspiration and transmitting it…and has at the same time very strong character… (and if possible) to have His genius20… For years I have been looking for that man, without finding him.”19 THE MOTHER “କିନ୍ତୁ ଏଠାରେ ଶ୍ରୀ ଅରବିନ୍ଦଙ୍କୁ ସାମଗ୍ରିକ ଭାବରେ ଜାଣିଥିବା ବ୍ୟକ୍ତି ବିଶେଷଙ୍କୁ ଖୋଜି ପାଇବା ଏକ କଷ୍ଟକର ବ୍ୟାପାର। ...ଯିଏକି ପ୍ରତ୍ୟକ୍ଷ ଭାବରେ ତାଙ୍କର ପ୍ରେରଣା ପାଉଥିବ... ଶ୍ରୀ ଅରବିନ୍ଦଙ୍କ ପ୍ରେରଣାକୁ ବୁଝି ପାରୁଥିବ ଏବଂ ପ୍ରୟୋଗ କରିପାରୁଥିବ ... ଏବଂ ସମାନ ସମୟରେ ଏକ ଅତି ଦୃଢ ବ୍ୟକ୍ତିତ୍ଵ ଓ ଚରିତ୍ରକୁ ବହନ କରୁଥିବା...ଏବଂ ଯଦି ସମ୍ଭବ ତାଙ୍କ ପରି ଧୀ ଶକ୍ତିକୁ ଧାରଣ କରୁଥିବ ... ବହୁବର୍ଷ ଧରି ମୁଁ ସେହିପରି ଲୋକଙ୍କୁ ଖୋଜି ବିଫଳ ହୋଇଛି।“ ଶ୍ରୀ ମା’ “I do not want hundreds of thousands of disciples. It will be enough if I can get a hundred complete men, purified of petty egoism, who will be the instruments of God.”2 SRI AUROBINDO “ମୁଁ ଶହଶହ ଅନୁଗତ ଶିଷ୍ୟ ଚାହେଁ ନାହିଁ। ମୁଁ ଯଦି ଶହେ ପରିପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ବ୍ୟକ୍ତିଙ୍କୁ ପାଏ, ଯେଉଁମାନେ ସଂକୀର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଅହଂକାରକୁ ପରିଶୁଦ୍ଧ କରିଥିବେ, ଭଗବାନଙ୍କର ଯନ୍ତ୍ର ହୋଇଥିବେ, ତେବେ ତାହା ମୋର ଦିବ୍ୟ ଲକ୍ଷ ପରିପୂରଣ ଦିଗରେ ଯଥେଷ୍ଟ।“ ଶ୍ରୀ ଅରବିନ୍ଦ “Even if one person could put himself faithfully at the disposal of the Truth, he could change the country and the world.”18 THE MOTHER “ଏପରିକି ଯଦି ଜଣେ ବ୍ୟକ୍ତି ବିଶ୍ଵାସର ସହିତ ସତ୍ୟ ସମ୍ମୁଖରେ ନିଜକୁ ଖୋଲିଧରି ପାରନ୍ତା ତେବେ ସେ ଦେଶ ଓ ପୃଥିବୀକୁ ପରିବର୍ତ୍ତନ ଓ ରୂପାନ୍ତର କରିପାରନ୍ତା।“ ଶ୍ରୀ ମା “There are very few people who carry with them an atmosphere which irradiates joy, peace, confidence- it is very rare. But these are truly benefactors of humanity. They don’t need to open their mouth.” THE MOTHER “ଖୁବ କ୍ଵଚିତ ଲୋକ ଅଛନ୍ତି ଯେଉଁମାନେ ନିଜ ସହିତ ଏକ ପରିବେଶକୁ ବହନ କରନ୍ତି ଯାହାକି ଆନନ୍ଦ, ଶାନ୍ତି, ବିଶ୍ଵସ୍ତତାକୁ ପ୍ରଜ୍ଵଳିତ କରୁଥାଏ—ଏହା ଖୁବ କ୍ଵଚିତ ଘଟଣା। କିନ୍ତୁ ସେହିମାନେହିଁ ପ୍ରକୃତ ମଣିଷର ହିତକାରୀ। ସେମାନେ ନିଜର ପାଟି ଖୋଲିବା ଆବଶ୍ୟକ ପଡ଼େ ନାହିଁ। “ ଶ୍ରୀ ମା “All I would need is one man who had an absolute trust and was receptive, with a power of execution.”22 THE MOTHER “ମୁଁ ଜଣେ ବ୍ୟକ୍ତିକୁ ଚାହେଁ, ଯାହାର ନିରଙ୍କୁଶ ବିଶ୍ୱାସ ଏବଂ ଗ୍ରହଣଶୀଳତା ଥିବ କାର୍ଯକାରିଣୀ ସାମର୍ଥ୍ୟ ସହିତ।“ ଶ୍ରୀ ମା “That is exactly what Sri Aurobindo wanted and attempted; he used to say, “If I can find a hundred people, it will be enough for my purpose.”2 THE MOTHER “ଶ୍ରୀ ଅରବିନ୍ଦ ନିଶ୍ଚିତ ଭାବରେ ଚାହିଁଥିଲେ ଏବଂ ପ୍ରଚେଷ୍ଟା କରିଥିଲେ; ସେ ସଦାବେଳେ କହୁଥିଲେ, “ଯଦି ମୁଁ ଶହେ ଜଣ ଦିବ୍ୟ ଯନ୍ତ୍ରୀ ପାଏ, ଏହା ମୋର ଆବଶ୍ୟକତା ପାଇଁ ଯଥେଷ୍ଟ।“” ଶ୍ରୀ ମା “Otherwise what will be ultimately accomplished is an achievement by the few initiating a new order of beings, while humanity will have passed sentence of unfitness on itself and may fall back into an evolutionary decline or a stationary immobility; for it is the constant upward effort (of the few) that has kept humanity alive and maintained for it its place in the front of creation.”23 SRI AUROBINDO "ନଚେତ୍ ଶେଷରେ ଯାହା ସାଧିତ ହେବ ତାହା ହେଉଛି ଅତି ଅଳ୍ପ ଲୋକଙ୍କ ଦ୍ୱାରା ନୂତନ ଜୀବନ କ୍ରମ ଆରମ୍ଭ କରିବାର ଏକ ସଫଳତା, ଯେତେବେଳେ ମାନବ ସମାଜ ତା ନିଜ ଉପରେ ଅଯୋଗ୍ୟତାର ଦଣ୍ଡ ଭୋଗିବ ଏବଂ ଏକ ବିବର୍ତ୍ତନଶୀଳ ଅବନତି କିମ୍ବା ଏକ ସ୍ଥିର ଅଚଳତାରେ ପୀଡ଼ିତ ହୋଇ ପାରେ; କାରଣ ଏହା ଅଳ୍ପ କିଛି ଲୋକଙ୍କର ନିରନ୍ତର ଉର୍ଦ୍ଧ୍ୱଗାମୀ ପ୍ରୟାସ ଯାହା ମାନବ ସମାଜକୁ ଜୀବିତ ରଖିଛି ଏବଂ ସୃଷ୍ଟିର ସମ୍ମୁଖରେ ଏହାର ସ୍ଥାନ ବଜାୟ ରଖିଛି।" ଶ୍ରୀ ଅରବିନ୍ଦ “In men, says the Upanishad, the Self-Existent has cut the doors of consciousness outward, but a few turn the eye inward and it is these who see and know the Spirit and develop the spiritual being.”24 SRI AUROBINDO "ଉପନିଷଦ କହେ, ମଣିଷମାନଙ୍କ ମଧ୍ୟରେ ଭଗବାନ୍ ଚେତନାର ଦ୍ୱାରଗୁଡ଼ିକୁ ବହିର୍ମୁଖୀ କିମ୍ବା ବାହାରକୁ କାଟି ଦେଇଛନ୍ତି, କିନ୍ତୁ ଅଳ୍ପ କିଛି ଲୋକ ଆଖିକୁ ଅନ୍ତର୍ମୁଖୀ କିମ୍ବା ଭିତରକୁ ଘୁରାଇ ଦେଖନ୍ତି ଏବଂ ସେମାନେ ହିଁ ଆତ୍ମାକୁ ଦେଖନ୍ତି ଏବଂ ଜାଣନ୍ତି ଏବଂ ଆଧ୍ୟାତ୍ମିକ ଆତ୍ମାକୁ ବିକଶିତ କରନ୍ତି।" ଶ୍ରୀ ଅରବିନ୍ଦ “Many times in his writings, particularly in The Synthesis of Yoga, Sri Aurobindo warns us against the imaginings of those who believe they can do sadhana without rigorous self-control and who heed all sorts of inspirations, which lead them to a dangerous imbalance where all their repressed, hidden, secret desires come out into the open under the pretence of liberation from ordinary conventions and ordinary reason.”26 THE MOTHER "ଅନେକ ଥର ତାଙ୍କ ଲେଖାରେ, ବିଶେଷକରି "ଦି ସିନ୍ଥେସିସ୍ ଅଫ୍ ଯୋଗ" ଗ୍ରନ୍ଥରେ, ଶ୍ରୀ ଅରବିନ୍ଦ ଆମକୁ ସେମାନଙ୍କ କଳ୍ପନା ବିରୁଦ୍ଧରେ ଚେତାବନୀ ଦେଇଛନ୍ତି ଯେ ଯେଉଁମାନେ ବିଶ୍ଵାସ କରନ୍ତି ଯେ ସେମାନେ କଠୋର ଆତ୍ମ ସଂଯମ ବିନା ସାଧନା କରିପାରିବେ ଏବଂ ସେମାନେ ସମସ୍ତ ପ୍ରକାରର ମନ୍ଦ ପ୍ରେରଣାକୁ କାନଦେଇ ଶୁଣନ୍ତି, ଯାହା ସେମାନଙ୍କୁ ଏକ ବିପଦଜନକ ଅସନ୍ତୁଳନ ଆଡ଼କୁ ନେଇଯାଏ ଯେଉଁଠାରେ ସେମାନଙ୍କର ସମସ୍ତ ଅବଦମିତ, ଲୁତକାୟୀତ, ଗୁପ୍ତ କାମନା ବାହାରେ ପ୍ରକାଶିତ ହୁଏ ଯାହା ସାଧାରଣ ପ୍ରଥା ଏବଂ ସାଧାରଣ ଜୀବନରୁ ମୁକ୍ତିର ଛଳନା ଭାବରେ ଖୋଲାଖୋଲି ଭାବରେ ପ୍ରକାଶ ପାଏ।" ଶ୍ରୀ ମା After the arrival of The Mother and Sri Aurobindo, the Supramental energy is active in earth’s atmosphere very close to the material world and this inner aid with constant miracle will replace the outer aid of Religion in generalising Spirituality in humanity and this personal contact with Supramental Consciousness will be initiated from individual prepared Soul Centres. So all can open themselves towards the Supramental Love and Oneness and receive its brief touch16 with miraculous result but the flow of this invisible Sunlight can be stabilised in the well built subtle and causal body of the prepared individual vessel or after one is thoroughly established in the intermediate Psychic and Spiritual plane through prolonged Sadhana. Intervention of this Force changes circumstances, brings very wide spread results and sooner or later the world will come under its direct influence. Thus the world appears to him with a different meaning, not a senseless and meaningless whirl in space but ‘A Presence and Greatness everywhere’17 transforming receptive matter to plastic and Spiritual Law and Divine Force can penetrate uninterruptedly into the material world through its conscious human vessel. Man’s future is ‘Decreed (to become God) since the beginning of the worlds.’15 An Avatara’s mission is fulfilled when the (consenting part of the) humanity arrives at a Consciousness in which He is fully established. ଶ୍ରୀ ମା ଏବଂ ଶ୍ରୀଅରବିନ୍ଦଙ୍କ ଆଗମନ ପରେ, ଅତିମାନସ ଶକ୍ତି ପୃଥିବୀର ବାୟୁମଣ୍ଡଳରେ ଭୌତିକ ଜଗତର ଅତି ନିକଟରେ ସକ୍ରିୟ ଅଛି ଏବଂ ନିରନ୍ତର ଚମତ୍କାର ସହିତ ଏହି ଆଭ୍ୟନ୍ତରୀଣ ସାହାଯ୍ୟ ମାନବତାରେ ଆଧ୍ୟାତ୍ମିକତାକୁ ଜଗତୀକରଣ କରିବାରେ ଧର୍ମର ବାହ୍ୟ ସାହାଯ୍ୟକୁ ବଦଳାଇବ ଏବଂ ଅତିମାନସ ଚେତନା ସହିତ ଏହି ବ୍ୟକ୍ତିଗତ ସମ୍ପର୍କ ବ୍ୟକ୍ତିଗତ ପ୍ରସ୍ତୁତ ଆତ୍ମ କେନ୍ଦ୍ରଗୁଡ଼ିକରୁ ଆରମ୍ଭ ହେବ। ତେଣୁ ସମସ୍ତେ ଅତିମାନସ ପ୍ରେମ ଏବଂ ଏକତା ଆଡ଼କୁ ନିଜକୁ ଖୋଲିପାରିବେ ଏବଂ ଏହାର ସଂକ୍ଷିପ୍ତ ସ୍ପର୍ଶ ଚମତ୍କାର ଫଳାଫଳ ସହିତ ଗ୍ରହଣ କରିପାରିବେ16 କିନ୍ତୁ ଏହି ଅଦୃଶ୍ୟ ସୂର୍ଯ୍ୟ ଆଲୋକର ପ୍ରବାହ ପ୍ରସ୍ତୁତ ବ୍ୟକ୍ତିଗତ ପାତ୍ରର ସୁନିର୍ମିତ ସୂକ୍ଷ୍ମ ଏବଂ କାରଣ ଶରୀରରେ ସ୍ଥିର ହୋଇପାରିବ କିମ୍ବା ଦୀର୍ଘ ସାଧନା ମାଧ୍ୟମରେ ମଧ୍ୟବର୍ତ୍ତୀ ଚୈତ୍ୟ ଏବଂ ଆଧ୍ୟାତ୍ମିକ ସ୍ତରରେ ସମ୍ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଭାବରେ ପ୍ରତିଷ୍ଠିତ ହେବା ପରେ। ଏହି ଶକ୍ତିର ହସ୍ତକ୍ଷେପ ପରିସ୍ଥିତିକୁ ପରିବର୍ତ୍ତନ କରେ, ବହୁତ ବ୍ୟାପକ ଫଳାଫଳ ଆଣିଥାଏ ଏବଂ ଶୀଘ୍ର କିମ୍ବା ବିଳମ୍ବରେ ବିଶ୍ୱ ଏହାର ସିଧାସଳଖ ପ୍ରଭାବରେ ଆସିବ। ଏହିପରି ବିଶ୍ୱ ତାଙ୍କ ପାଇଁ ଏକ ଭିନ୍ନ ଅର୍ଥ ସହିତ ଦେଖାଯାଏ, ମହାକାଶରେ ବିଶ୍ବ ଏକ ଅର୍ଥହୀନ ଘୂର୍ଣ୍ଣନ ନୁହେଁ ବରଂ 'ସର୍ବତ୍ର ଏକ ଦିବ୍ୟ ଉପସ୍ଥିତି ଏବଂ ମହାନତା'17 ଗ୍ରହଣକାରୀ ପଦାର୍ଥକୁ ନମନୀୟରେ ପରିବର୍ତ୍ତନ କରେ ଏବଂ ଆଧ୍ୟାତ୍ମିକ ନିୟମ ଏବଂ ଦିବ୍ୟ ଶକ୍ତି ଏହାର ସଚେତନ ମାନବ ଆଧର ମାଧ୍ୟମରେ ଭୌତିକ ଜଗତରେ ନିରବଚ୍ଛିନ୍ନ ଭାବରେ ପ୍ରବେଶ କରିପାରିବ। ମଣିଷର ଭବିଷ୍ୟତ 'ଜଗତର ଆରମ୍ଭରୁ (ପରମେଶ୍ୱର ହେବା ପାଇଁ) ନିର୍ଣ୍ଣୟ କରାଯାଇଛି।' ୧୫ ଅବତାରଙ୍କ ଲକ୍ଷ୍ୟ ପୂରଣ ହୁଏ ଯେତେବେଳେ (ସମ୍ମତି ପ୍ରଦାନକାରୀ ଅଂଶ) ମାନବଜାତି ଏକ ପରମ ଚେତନାରେ ଉପନୀତ ହୁଅନ୍ତି ଯେଉଁଥିରେ ସେ (ଅବତାର) ସମ୍ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଭାବରେ ପ୍ରତିଷ୍ଠିତ ହୋଇଥାନ୍ତି। Sri Aurobindo’s first and primary objective is accomplished if the surface personalities of few Sadhakas or ‘one hundred perfect instruments’2 reveal and establish the concealed Supramental Mahashakti and the secondary objective is with their help expedite the process of generalisation of Spirituality and revelation of Godhead in humanity. ଶ୍ରୀଅରବିନ୍ଦଙ୍କ ପ୍ରଥମ ଏବଂ ପ୍ରାଥମିକ ଉଦ୍ଦେଶ୍ୟ ସଫଳ ହୁଏ ଯଦି କିଛି ସାଧକ କିମ୍ବା 'ଶହେଟି ସିଦ୍ଧ ଯନ୍ତ୍ର'ଙ୍କ ପରିପକ୍ପୃ ବ୍ୟକ୍ତିତ୍ୱ ଗୁପ୍ତ ମହାଶକ୍ତିକୁ ପ୍ରକାଶ ଏବଂ ପ୍ରତିଷ୍ଠା କରନ୍ତି ଏବଂ ଦ୍ୱିତୀୟ ଉଦ୍ଦେଶ୍ୟ ହେଉଛି ସେମାନଙ୍କ ସାହାଯ୍ୟରେ ଆଧ୍ୟାତ୍ମିକତାର ଜଗତୀକରଣ ଏବଂ ମାନବ ସମାଜରେ ଈଶ୍ୱରତ୍ୱର ପ୍ରକାଶନ ପ୍ରକ୍ରିୟାକୁ ତ୍ୱରାନ୍ୱିତ କରିବା। A relation between seeker of truth, traditional Yogi and integral Yogi is hinted in the Gita. “A seeker of truth, jijnasu, after many births of preparation, purification of impurity and sin, endeavouring with sincerity becomes a traditional Yogi and attains the highest goal of liberation of Soul or a Soul who fell from Yoga, yogabhrasta, from the past birth, in this birth strives with sincerity to overcome the samskara of many births in brief period of this life and attains the highest goal... After many births of preparation, a traditional Yogi, Jnani, attains My Purushottama or Supramental state of Consciousness. Before realisation of this highest Consciousness, he also realises the intermediate stair that all this existence is Divine, the Cosmic Consciousness, Vasudeva sarvamiti. Such great Soul with realisation of Vasudeva sarvamiti or integral Yogi is very rare, samahatma sudurlava.”3 ଗୀତାରେ ସତ୍ୟର ସାଧକ, ପାରମ୍ପରିକ ଯୋଗୀ ଏବଂ ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଯୋଗୀଙ୍କ ମଧ୍ୟରେ ଏକ ସମ୍ପର୍କର ସୂଚନା ଦିଆଯାଇଛି। "ସତ୍ୟର ସାଧକ, ଜୀଜ୍ଞାସୁ, ଅନେକ ଜନ୍ମ ପ୍ରସ୍ତୁତି, ଅଶୁଦ୍ଧତା ଏବଂ ପାପର ଶୁଦ୍ଧିକରଣ ପରେ, ସଚ୍ଚୋଟତାର ସହିତ ପ୍ରୟାସ କରି ଜଣେ ପାରମ୍ପରିକ ଯୋଗୀ ହୋଇଯାଏ ଏବଂ ଆତ୍ମ ମୁକ୍ତିର ସର୍ବୋଚ୍ଚ ଲକ୍ଷ୍ୟରେ ଉପନୀତ ହୁଅନ୍ତି କିମ୍ବା ପୂର୍ବ ଜନ୍ମର ଯୋଗଭ୍ରଷ୍ଟରୁ ପତିତ ହୋଇଥିବା ଆତ୍ମା ଏହି ଜନ୍ମରେ ଏହି ଜୀବନର ସଂକ୍ଷିପ୍ତ ସମୟ ମଧ୍ୟରେ ଅନେକ ଜନ୍ମର ସଂସ୍କାରକୁ ଅତିକ୍ରମ କରିବା ପାଇଁ ଆନ୍ତରିକତାର ସହିତ ପ୍ରୟାସ କରନ୍ତି ଏବଂ ସର୍ବୋଚ୍ଚ ଲକ୍ଷ୍ୟ ପ୍ରାପ୍ତ କରନ୍ତି... ଅନେକ ଜନ୍ମ ପ୍ରସ୍ତୁତି ପରେ, ଜଣେ ପାରମ୍ପରିକ ଯୋଗୀ, ଜ୍ଞାନୀ, ମୋର ପୁରୁଷୋତ୍ତମ କିମ୍ବା ଚେତନାର ଅତିମାନସ ଅବସ୍ଥା ପ୍ରାପ୍ତ କରନ୍ତି। ଏହି ସର୍ବୋଚ୍ଚ ଚେତନାର ଅନୁଭବ ପୂର୍ବରୁ, ସେ ମଧ୍ୟବର୍ତ୍ତୀ ପାହାଚର ମଧ୍ୟ ଅନୁଭବ କରନ୍ତି ଯେ ଏହି ସଚରାଚର ଜଗତ୍ ବ୍ରହ୍ମ ଅଟେ, ବିଶ୍ବ ଚେତନା, ବାସୁଦେବ ସର୍ବମିତି ଅବସ୍ଥା। ବାସୁଦେବ ସର୍ବମିତି ଅବସ୍ଥାକୁ ପ୍ରାପ୍ତ ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଯୋଗୀ ପୃଥିବୀରେ ଅତ୍ୟନ୍ତ ବିରଳ, ସମହାତ୍ମା ସୁଦୁର୍ଲଭ।"3 A traditional Sadhaka, after realisation of Kshara, Akshara and Purushottama consciousness feels that this realisation cannot be reconciled6 with untransformed nature of three Gunas. So, he has no unfinished task left and hence his blissful enjoyment of existence concentrates on the issue of freedom from rebirth and escapes into supreme abode of param dham through the passage of Purushottama state. In integral Yoga, after realisation of Kshara, Akshara and Purushottama consciousness or after realisation Psychic, Spiritual and Supramental Being, a Sadhaka’s difficult task prohibits blissful enjoyment of the fruit of his labour but begins of reconciling static Matter with dynamic Spirit and thus Divine Shakti pours into the material vessel and confronts with Subconscient dark forces. His Psychic, Spiritual and Supramental purification, transformation and perfection resumes action from firmly established Psychic heart centre and from firmly established Karma Yoga where Divine Will, Knowledge and Love are perfectly reconciled. କ୍ଷର, ଅକ୍ଷର ଏବଂ ପୁରୁଷୋତ୍ତମ ଚେତନା ଅନୁଭବ କରିବା ପରେ ଜଣେ ପାରମ୍ପରିକ ସାଧକ ଅନୁଭବ କରନ୍ତି ଯେ ଏହି ଅନୁଭବ ତିନୋଟି ଗୁଣର ଅପରିବର୍ତ୍ତିତ ନିମ୍ନ ପ୍ରକୃତି ସହିତ ମିଶିପାରିବ ନାହିଁ। ତେଣୁ, ତାଙ୍କର କୌଣସି ଅସମାପ୍ତ କାର୍ଯ୍ୟ ବାକି ନାହିଁ ଏବଂ ତେଣୁ ତାଙ୍କର ଅସ୍ତିତ୍ୱର ଆନନ୍ଦଦାୟକ ଉପଭୋଗ ପୁନର୍ଜନ୍ମରୁ ମୁକ୍ତି ପ୍ରସଙ୍ଗରେ କେନ୍ଦ୍ରିତ ହୁଏ ଏବଂ ପୁରୁଷୋତ୍ତମ ଅବସ୍ଥା ଦେଇ ପରମ ଧାମକୁ ପଳାୟନ କରନ୍ତି। ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଯୋଗରେ, କ୍ଷର, ଅକ୍ଷର ଏବଂ ପୁରୁଷୋତ୍ତମ ଚେତନା ଅନୁଭବ କରିବା ପରେ କିମ୍ବା ଚୈତ୍ୟ, ଆଧ୍ୟାତ୍ମିକ ଏବଂ ଅତିମାନବୀୟ ସତ୍ତାର ଅନୁଭବ କରିବା ପରେ, ଜଣେ ସାଧକର କଷ୍ଟକର କାର୍ଯ୍ୟ ହେଉଛି ତାଙ୍କ ଶ୍ରମର ଫଳର ଆନନ୍ଦଦାୟକ ଉପଭୋଗକୁ ନିଷେଧ କରେ କିନ୍ତୁ ସ୍ଥିର ଜଡବସ୍ତୁକୁ ଗତିଶୀଳ ଆତ୍ମା ସହିତ ମିଳାଇବା ଆରମ୍ଭ କରେ ଏବଂ ଏହିପରି ଦିବ୍ୟ ଶକ୍ତି ଭୌତିକ ଆଧାରରେ ଢାଳି ହୋଇଯାଏ ଏବଂ ଅବଚେତନ ଅନ୍ଧକାର ଶକ୍ତି ସହିତ ମୁକାବିଲା କରେ। ତାଙ୍କର ଚୈତ୍ୟ, ଆଧ୍ୟାତ୍ମିକ ଏବଂ ଅତିମାନବୀୟ ଶୁଦ୍ଧିକରଣ, ପରିବର୍ତ୍ତନ ଏବଂ ସିଦ୍ଧତା ଦୃଢ଼ ଭାବରେ ପ୍ରତିଷ୍ଠିତ ଚୈତ୍ୟ ହୃଦୟ କେନ୍ଦ୍ର ଏବଂ ଦୃଢ଼ ଭାବରେ ପ୍ରତିଷ୍ଠିତ କର୍ମ ଯୋଗରୁ କାର୍ଯ୍ୟ ପୁନରାବୃତ୍ତି କରେ ଯେଉଁଠାରେ ଦିବ୍ୟ ଇଚ୍ଛା, ଜ୍ଞାନ ଏବଂ ପ୍ରେମ ସମ୍ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଭାବରେ ଏକୀଭୁତ ହୁଅନ୍ତି। Integral Yoga gives more importance to the emergence of Spiritual Instruments4 and traditional Yoga/Religion to the emergence of psycho-physical/religious Teachers;5 or “All religions and disciplines in India which use largely the psycho-physical method, depend more or less upon it for their practices.”1 The manifestation of some intermediate truth through traditional Yoga/Religion can draw large devotees and manifestation of highest and comprehensive truth through integral Yoga can draw few strong Souls. Traditional Yoga gives more importance to self-expansion and a traditional Teacher is weighed by number of disciples and devotees surrounded him. Integral Yoga gives more importance to Subconscient transformation through self-concentration and a Sadhaka of integral Yoga is weighed by his enhanced capacity to bear earth’s suffering and miseries and later transforming them into ecstasies. The perfect Instruments of integral Yoga with universalised Consciousness will preoccupy themselves for the benefit of individuals and humanity through concentration and illumination of their own subtle and causal body. They are nameless Spiritual leaders of humanity and their invisible world action through descent of Divine Force or reversal of Consciousness to resolve all problems of existence, are of far greater value than any religious movement can imagine. ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଯୋଗ ଆଧ୍ୟାତ୍ମିକ ଯନ୍ତ୍ରୀମାନଙ୍କର (Spiritual Instruments) ଆବିର୍ଭାବକୁ ଅଧିକ ଗୁରୁତ୍ୱ ଦିଏ4 ଏବଂ ପାରମ୍ପରିକ ଯୋଗ/ଧର୍ମ ବାହାର ଅବଲମ୍ବନ ଆଶ୍ରିତ ଧାର୍ମିକ ଶିକ୍ଷକଙ୍କ ଆବିର୍ଭାବକୁ ଗୁରୁତ୍ବ ଦିଏ;5 କିମ୍ବା "ଭାରତରେ ସମସ୍ତ ଧର୍ମ ଏବଂ ଶୃଙ୍ଖଳା ଯେଉଁମାନେ ମୁଖ୍ୟତଃ ବାହ୍ୟ ଅବଲମ୍ବନ ଆଶ୍ରିତ ପଦ୍ଧତି ବ୍ୟବହାର କରନ୍ତି, ସେମାନଙ୍କର ଆତ୍ମ ଅଭ୍ୟାସ ପାଇଁ ଏହା ଉପରେ କମ୍ କିମ୍ବା ଅଧିକ ନିର୍ଭର କରନ୍ତି।"1 ପାରମ୍ପରିକ ଯୋଗ/ଧର୍ମ ମାଧ୍ୟମରେ କିଛି ମଧ୍ୟବର୍ତ୍ତୀ ସତ୍ୟର ପ୍ରକାଶନ ବହୁତ ସଂଖ୍ୟାରେ ଭକ୍ତଙ୍କୁ ଆକର୍ଷିତ କରିପାରେ ଏବଂ ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଯୋଗ ମାଧ୍ୟମରେ ସର୍ବୋଚ୍ଚ ଏବଂ ବ୍ୟାପକ ସତ୍ୟର ପ୍ରକାଶନ ସ୍ବଳ୍ପ ଶକ୍ତିଶାଳୀ ଆତ୍ମାଙ୍କୁ ଆକର୍ଷିତ କରିପାରେ। ପାରମ୍ପରିକ ଯୋଗ ଆତ୍ମ-ବିସ୍ତାରକୁ ଅଧିକ ଗୁରୁତ୍ୱ ଦିଏ ଏବଂ ଜଣେ ପାରମ୍ପରିକ ଶିକ୍ଷକଙ୍କୁ ତାଙ୍କ ଚାରିପାଖରେ ଥିବା ଶିଷ୍ୟ ଏବଂ ଭକ୍ତଙ୍କ ସଂଖ୍ୟା ଦ୍ୱାରା ତୌଲାଯାଏ। ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଯୋଗ ଆତ୍ମ-ଏକାଗ୍ରତା ମାଧ୍ୟମରେ ଅବଚେତନ ପରିବର୍ତ୍ତନକୁ ଅଧିକ ଗୁରୁତ୍ୱ ଦିଏ ଏବଂ ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଯୋଗର ଜଣେ ସାଧକଙ୍କୁ ପୃଥିବୀର ଦୁଃଖ ଏବଂ ଯନ୍ତ୍ରଣାକୁ ସହ୍ୟ କରିବା ଏବଂ ପରେ ସେଗୁଡ଼ିକୁ ପରମାନନ୍ଦରେ ରୂପାନ୍ତରିତ କରିବାର ତାଙ୍କର ବର୍ଦ୍ଧିତ କ୍ଷମତା ଦ୍ୱାରା ତୌଲାଯାଏ। ବିଶ୍ବ ଚେତନା ସହିତ ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଯୋଗର ସିଦ୍ଧ ଯନ୍ତ୍ରୀମାନଙ୍କର ବ୍ୟକ୍ତି ଏବଂ ମାନବତାର ହିତ ପାଇଁ ନିଜ ସୂକ୍ଷ୍ମ ଏବଂ କାରଣ ଶରୀରର ପବିତ୍ରୀକରଣ ଏବଂ ଆଲୋକୀକରଣ ମାଧ୍ୟମରେ ନିଜକୁ ନିୟୋଜିତ କରନ୍ତି। ସେମାନେ ମାନବ ସମାଜର ନାମହୀନ ଆଧ୍ୟାତ୍ମିକ ନେତା ଏବଂ ଦିବ୍ୟ ଶକ୍ତିର ଅବତରଣ କିମ୍ବା ଚେତନାର ପରିବର୍ତ୍ତନ ମାଧ୍ୟମରେ ସେମାନଙ୍କର ଅଦୃଶ୍ୟ ବିଶ୍ୱ କାର୍ଯ୍ୟ ଯାହା ପୃଥିବୀର ସମସ୍ତ ସମସ୍ୟାର ସମାଧାନ କରିଥାଏ, ଏବଂ ଏହା ଯେକୌଣସି ଧାର୍ମିକ ଆନ୍ଦୋଳନଦ୍ବାରା କଳ୍ପନା କରିପାରିବାର ସାମର୍ଥ୍ୟତା ଅପେକ୍ଷା ବହୁତ ଅଧିକ ମୂଲ୍ୟବାନ। Those whose frontal surface nature is dominated by Courage and self-less Love, known as Kshetriya Soul Force and frontal Nature dominated by Truth and Wisdom, known as Brahmin Soul Force are recognised as superior human beings and are fit for collective Spiritual life. This work will be accelerated by the emergence of Kshetriya Soul force of courage and new adventure in the outer world and ceaseless battle against earthly opposition through activation of Psychic Being. The Mission will further spread by high nobility of Soul which is untouched by any littleness, narrowness and baseness and will move with a certain greatness of Spiritual conquest to confront with universal dark forces attached to present unstable creation and Supramental contagion to enter fierce battle with ‘giant sons of Darkness’7 of Subconscient/Inconscient world and bears ‘inner wounds that are to slow to heal.’8 This manifesting action further asks that state of reconciling Wisdom which can perfectly possess all the infinite variety of external circumstances and permeate the Divine Light and Love to all the nether, neglected and less explored domain and thus illumining the whole earth. This endeavour will drive forward towards the realisation of the vision as indicated in Savitri, “Mere men into spiritual beings grow And see awake the dumb divinity.”9 ଯେଉଁମାନଙ୍କର ସମ୍ମୁଖ ପୃଷ୍ଠ ପ୍ରକୃତି ସାହସ ଏବଂ ନିଃସ୍ୱାର୍ଥପର ପ୍ରେମ ଦ୍ୱାରା ପ୍ରଭାବିତ, ଯାହାକୁ କ୍ଷେତ୍ରୀୟ ଆତ୍ମ ଶକ୍ତି ଭାବରେ ଜଣାଯାଏ ଏବଂ ସତ୍ୟ ଏବଂ ଜ୍ଞାନ ଦ୍ୱାରା ପ୍ରଭାବିତ ସମ୍ମୁଖ ପ୍ରକୃତି, ଯାହାକୁ ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣ ଆତ୍ମ ଶକ୍ତି ଭାବରେ ଜଣାଯାଏ, ସେମାନଙ୍କୁ ଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ ମାନବ ଭାବରେ ସ୍ୱୀକୃତି ଦିଆଯାଇଥାଏ ଏବଂ ସେମାନେ ସାମୂହିକ ଆଧ୍ୟାତ୍ମିକ ଜୀବନ ପାଇଁ ଯୋଗ୍ୟ। ଏହି କାର୍ଯ୍ୟ ବାହ୍ୟ ଜଗତରେ ସାହସ ଏବଂ ନୂତନ ସାହସିକତା ଏବଂ ମାନସିକ ସତ୍ତାର ସକ୍ରିୟକରଣ ମାଧ୍ୟମରେ ପାର୍ଥିବ ବିରୋଧ ବିରୁଦ୍ଧରେ ନିରନ୍ତର ଯୁଦ୍ଧର କ୍ଷେତ୍ରୀୟ ଆତ୍ମ ଶକ୍ତିର ଉଦୟ ଦ୍ୱାରା ତ୍ୱରାନ୍ୱିତ ହେବ। ଦିବ୍ୟ କେନ୍ଦ୍ର ଆତ୍ମାର ଉଚ୍ଚ ଆଭିଜାତ୍ୟ ଦ୍ୱାରା ଆହୁରି ବିସ୍ତାରିତ ହେବ ଯାହା ଯେକୌଣସି କ୍ଷୁଦ୍ରତା, ସଂକୀର୍ଣ୍ଣତା ଏବଂ ନୀଚତା ଦ୍ୱାରା ଅସ୍ପୃଶ୍ୟ ଏବଂ ଆଧ୍ୟାତ୍ମିକ ବିଜୟର ଏକ ନିର୍ଦ୍ଦିଷ୍ଟ ମହାନତା ସହିତ ବର୍ତ୍ତମାନର ଅସ୍ଥିର ସୃଷ୍ଟି ଏବଂ ଉପ-ସଂକ୍ରମଣ ସହିତ ଜଡିତ ସାର୍ବଭୌମ ଅନ୍ଧକାର ଶକ୍ତି ସହିତ ମୁକାବିଲା କରିବା ପାଇଁ ଅବଚେତନ / ଅଚେତନ ଜଗତର 'ଅନ୍ଧକାରର ବିଶାଳ ପୁତ୍ର' ସହିତ ଭୟଙ୍କର ଯୁଦ୍ଧରେ ପ୍ରବେଶ କରିବ ଏବଂ 'ଆଭ୍ୟନ୍ତରୀଣ କ୍ଷତ ବହନ କରିବ ଯାହା ସୁସ୍ଥ ହେବାକୁ ଧୀର ସମୟ ନେବ'8 ଏହି ପ୍ରକାଶିତ କାର୍ଯ୍ୟ ଆହୁରି ଜ୍ଞାନକୁ ମିଳାଇବାର ସେହି ଅବସ୍ଥାକୁ ଅନୁରୋଧ କରେ ଯାହା ସମସ୍ତ ଅସୀମ ବିବିଧ ବାହ୍ୟ ପରିସ୍ଥିତିକୁ ସମ୍ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଭାବରେ ଧାରଣ କରିପାରିବ ଏବଂ ସମସ୍ତ ନୀଚ, ଅବହେଳିତ ଏବଂ କମ୍ ଅନୁସନ୍ଧାନିତ କ୍ଷେତ୍ରରେ ଦିବ୍ୟ ଆଲୋକ ଏବଂ ପ୍ରେମକୁ ପରିବ୍ୟାପ୍ତ କରିପାରିବ ଏବଂ ଏହିପରି ସମଗ୍ର ପୃଥିବୀକୁ ଆଲୋକିତ କରିପାରିବ। ଏହି ପ୍ରୟାସ ସାବିତ୍ରୀରେ ସୂଚିତ ଦୃଷ୍ଟିକୋଣର ସାକାର କରଣ ଆଡ଼କୁ ଆଗକୁ ବଢ଼େଇବ, "ସାଧାରଣ ମଣିଷମାନେ ଆଧ୍ୟାତ୍ମିକ ସତ୍ତାରେ ପରିଣତ ହୁଅନ୍ତୁ ଏବଂ ମୂକ ଦିବ୍ୟତାକୁ ଜାଗ୍ରତ ହେବାର ଦେଖନ୍ତି।"9 The Synthesis of Yoga book (Principal Shastra) issues injunctions on a Sadhaka (Seeker of Truth) of integral Yoga that he should not remain indifferent to individual, collective and world imperfection and he should become accountable for his Sadhana (askesis) to his own Self, to the World and to the Divine.25 Integral Yoga proposes that a developed Soul must not ‘look with a remote indifference on the’10 sufferings of the unblessed ordinary human being and blessed devotees and draws all of them towards Spirit’s freedom. Or ‘even if our personal deliverance is complete, still there is the suffering of others, the world travail, which the great of soul cannot regard with indifference.’11 ‘Accepting life, he (a Sadhaka of integral Yoga) has to bear not only his own burden, but a great part of the world’s burden too along with it, as a continuation of his own sufficiently heavy load. Therefore his Yoga has much more of the nature of a battle than others; but this is not only an individual battle, it is a collective war waged over a considerable country.’12 The forceful directive issued in the principal Shastra is to ‘leave nothing around it (liberated Soul Sadhaka) unchanged’13 superseding the previous stand ‘which will no way seek to change their outward appearance...and old human surroundings.’13 His personal and communal existence must ‘take full account of’14 present imperfection and he has to ‘see how it can be converted to the law of a possible perfection.’14 OM TAT SAT The Synthesis of Yoga ପୁସ୍ତକ (ମୁଖ୍ୟ ଶାସ୍ତ୍ର) ଏକ ସାଧକ (ସତ୍ୟର ସନ୍ଧାନକାରୀ) ଉପରେ ଆଦେଶ ଜାରି କରେ ଯେ ସେ ବ୍ୟକ୍ତିଗତ, ସାମୂହିକ ଏବଂ ବିଶ୍ୱ ଅପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣତା ପ୍ରତି ଉଦାସୀନ ରହିବା ଉଚିତ୍ ନୁହେଁ ଏବଂ ସେ ନିଜ ସାଧନା ନିମନ୍ତେ ଆତ୍ମା, ଜଗତ ଏବଂ ଭଗବାନଙ୍କ ପାଖରେ ଉତ୍ତର ଦାୟୀ ରହିବା ଉଚିତ୍।25 ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଯୋଗ ପ୍ରସ୍ତାବ ଦିଏ ଯେ ଏକ ବିକଶିତ ଆତ୍ମା 'ଅସୁଖୀ ସାଧାରଣ ମଣିଷ ଏବଂ ଆଶୀର୍ବାଦପ୍ରାପ୍ତ ଭକ୍ତଙ୍କ 10 କଷ୍ଟକୁ ଦୂରରୁ ଉଦାସୀନତା ସହିତ ଦେଖିବା ଉଚିତ୍ ନୁହେଁ' ଏବଂ ସେମାନଙ୍କୁ ଆତ୍ମାର ସ୍ୱାଧୀନତା ଆଡ଼କୁ ଟାଣିଆଣିବା କାମ କରନ୍ତି। କିମ୍ବା 'ଯଦିଓ ଆମର ବ୍ୟକ୍ତିଗତ ମୁକ୍ତି ସମ୍ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ହୁଏ, ତଥାପି ଅନ୍ୟମାନଙ୍କର ଦୁଃଖ, ବିଶ୍ୱ ଯାତନା, ଯାହାକୁ ମହାନ ଆତ୍ମାମାନେ ଉଦାସୀନତା ସହିତ ବିଚାର କରିପାରିବେ ନାହିଁ।'11 'ଜୀବନକୁ ଗ୍ରହଣ କରି, ତାଙ୍କୁ (ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଯୋଗର ଜଣେ ସାଧକ) କେବଳ ନିଜର ଭାର ନୁହେଁ, ବରଂ ବିଶ୍ୱର ଭାରର ଏକ ବଡ଼ ଅଂଶ ମଧ୍ୟ ବହନ କରିବାକୁ ପଡ଼ିଥାଏ, ତାଙ୍କର ନିଜସ୍ୱ ଭାରର ଏକ ନିରନ୍ତର ପ୍ରଗତିଶୀଳ ଭାବରେ। ତେଣୁ ତାଙ୍କ ଯୋଗ ଅନ୍ୟମାନଙ୍କ ଜୀବନ ସଂଘର୍ଷ ଅପେକ୍ଷା ବହୁତ ଅଧିକ; କିନ୍ତୁ ଏହା କେବଳ ଏକ ବ୍ୟକ୍ତିଗତ ଲଢେଇ ନୁହେଁ, ଏହା ଏକ ବିସ୍ତୃତ ପ୍ରାନ୍ତର ଉପରେ ଚାଲିଥିବା ଏକ ସାମୂହିକ ଯୁଦ୍ଧ।'12 ମୁଖ୍ୟ ଶାସ୍ତ୍ରରେ ଜାରି ହୋଇଥିବା ଦୃଢ ନିର୍ଦ୍ଦେଶ ହେଉଛି 'ଏହାର ଚାରିପାଖରେ କିଛି ବି ଅପରିବର୍ତ୍ତିତ ନ ରଖିବା (ମୁକ୍ତ ଆତ୍ମା ସାଧକ)'କୁ ନିଶ୍ଚୟ କରିବା'13 ପୂର୍ବ ସ୍ଥିତିକୁ ଛାଡ଼ି 'ଯାହା କୌଣସି ପ୍ରକାରେ ସେମାନଙ୍କର ବାହ୍ୟ ଦୃଶ୍ୟ... ଏବଂ ପୁରୁଣା ମାନବ ପରିବେଶକୁ ପରିବର୍ତ୍ତନ କରିବାକୁ ଚେଷ୍ଟା କରିବ ନାହିଁ।'13 ତାଙ୍କର ବ୍ୟକ୍ତିଗତ ଏବଂ ସାମୁହିକ ଅସ୍ତିତ୍ୱକୁ 'ବର୍ତ୍ତମାନର ଅପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣତାକୁ ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ହିସାବରେ ନେବାକୁ'14 ଏବଂ ତାଙ୍କୁ 'ଦେଖିବାକୁ ପଡିବ ଯେ ଏହାକୁ କିପରି ଏକ ସମ୍ଭାବ୍ୟ ସିଦ୍ଧତାର ନିୟମରେ ରୂପାନ୍ତରିତ କରାଯାଇପାରିବ।'14 ଓମ୍ ତତ୍ ସତ୍ References: 1: CWSA/23/ The Synthesis of Yoga -538, 2: “I do not want hundreds of thousands of disciples. It will be enough if I can get a hundred complete men, purified of petty egoism, who will be the instruments of God.” Sri Aurobindo/Champaklal Speaks-191-192, “That is exactly what Sri Aurobindo wanted and attempted; he used to say, “If I can find a hundred people, it will be enough for my purpose.” THE MOTHER/THE MOTHER’S AGENDA-5/195, 3: THE GITA-6.45/7.19, 4: “Teaching, example and influence are three instruments of the Guru (integral Teacher)… He will seek to awaken much more than to instruct…The example is more powerful than the instruction; but it is not the example of the outward acts nor that of the personal character which is of most importance. These have their place and their utility; but what will most stimulate aspiration in others is the central fact of the divine realisation within him governing his whole life and inner state and all his activities.” CWSA-23/ The Synthesis of Yoga -66-67 5: “…the (traditional) Yoga proceeds by the results of prescribed methods taught in a Scripture or a tradition and reinforced and illumined by the instructions of the Master. This is a narrower practice, but safe and effective within its limits, because it follows a well-beaten track to a long familiar goal.” CWSA-23/ The Synthesis of Yoga -55, 6: Matter cannot be reconciled with the Spirit is understood from following verse: “They who with the eye of knowledge perceive this irreconcilable difference between the Matter, kshetra, and the Spirit, Kshetrajna, and the liberation of Being from Nature, they escape into supreme abode of Param Dham.” The Gita-13.35, In the Gita Matter can be reconciled with the Spirit is hinted but not developed: ‘Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, reason and ego is My eightfold divided Nature, apara-prakriti. Know too My other Divine Nature, Para-prakriti, different from this Apara Prakriti; this Supreme Nature or the Supreme Mother which becomes the Jiva in the heart and by which this world is upheld. This ‘upholding of the world,’ jagat dharayate, means Para-Prakriti also penetrates into Apara Prakriti by which this world can be purified, transformed and perfected.” THE GITA-7.4, 5. 7: Savitri-226, 8: Savitri-230, 9: Savitri-709-10, 10: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga-444, 11: CWSA/21/The Life Divine-422, 12: CWSA/23/The Synthesis of Yoga-77, 13: CWSA/23/The Synthesis of Yoga-268 14: “But whatever his aim, however exalted his aspiration, he has to begin from the law of his present imperfection, to take full account of it and see how it can be converted to the law of a possible perfection.” CWSA/24/The Synthesis of Yoga-631, 15:17: Savitri-708, 16:22: “There man can visit but there he cannot live.” Savitri-659 (All Man can get Supramental touch or God’s touch but unfit or not prepared to get His embrace.) 17:26: Savitri-42, 18: The Mother’s Agenda-10/p-148/19th April-1969, 19: The Mother’s Agenda-8/175, 20: The Mother’s Agenda-2/206, 21: SABCL/26/On Himself-175, 22: The Mother’s Agenda-5/p-165/14th August-1964, 23: CWSA/22/The Life Divine-752, 24: CWSA/22/The Life Divine-1054, 25: “She wrote the account of all that she had lost,” Savitri-117, (Accountability to the Self.) “The Voice replied: “Is this enough, O spirit? And what shall thy soul say when it wakes and knows The work was left undone for which it came? Or is this all for thy being born on earth Charged with a mandate from eternity, A listener to the voices of the years, A follower of the footprints of the gods, To pass and leave unchanged the old dusty laws?” Savitri-475 (Accountability to the Self) “To account for the Actual’s unaccountable sum,” Savitri-269, (Accountability to the Divine.) “Is this then the report that I must make, My head bowed with shame before the Eternal’s seat, — His power he kindled in thy body has failed, His labourer returns, her task undone?” Savitri-476 (Accountability to the Divine.) “And in the transactions of our positive consciousness, even Unity has to make its account with Multiplicity; for the Many also are Brahman.” CWSA/21/The Life Divine-39 (Accountability to the world) “In transparent systems bodied termless truths, The Timeless made accountable to Time” Savitri-273 26: The Mother’s Centenary Works (second edition)/Vol.10/p-15, Sri Matriniketan Ashram, Managed by The Mother’s International Centre Trust, Regd.No-146/24.11.97. Vill: Ramachandrapur, PO: Kukudakhandi-761100, Via: Brahmapur, Dist: Ganjam, State: Odisha, India https://www.srimatriniketanashram.com/ Question Related with Artificial Intelligence - My Blessed Divine Children.....since today (02.11.2025) is a holiday, you can examine if we will keep the question put to Gemini and Copilot and their answer in our seekers' question. If it is helpful in our mission of heightening of consciousness, then we will keep in the.... link: https://www.srimatriniketanashram.com/education/photo/seekers-questions with my all love and blessings..... At Their Feet S.A. Maa Krishna Pranams Mother, both Gemini and Copilot have given wonderful responses. It is easy to follow. We should keep it. But the formatting for the Google response can be a bit better to make it more readable. The Copilot response in bullet points is easier to read/consume. Pranams To The Coordinator, The 20th State-level Science Fair 2025 at Matrubhaban Cuttack Coordinator, Science Fair - Om Namo Bhagavate “In Nature everything is in movement; thus, whatever does not move forward is bound to fall back.” The Mother TMCW/Vol-12/On Education/p-63, Sri Matriniketan Ashram 22.10.2025 Divine Amar Atman! Blessed Divine Soul, Now, the project for the forthcoming Science Fair, 25-26.10.2025, is prepared for Divine offering. I am sending three attachments for your kind scrutiny. Om Tat Sat with my eternal Love and Their Blessings... At Their Feet S.A. Maa Krishna 1: THE SPIRITUAL HISTORY OF EARTH 2: THE MIND MAP OF THE BHAGAVAD GITA & INTEGRAL YOGA 3: THE MIND MAP OF THE SPIRITUAL HISTORY OF EARTH 4: SYNOPSIS OF THE BHAGAVAD GITA & INTEGRAL YOGA and ଭଗବଦ୍ ଗୀତା ଏବଂ ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଯୋଗର ମୁଖବନ୍ଧ Question on Reconciliation of Spirit with Matter in Trigunatita state Aniketa (Arup) Om Namo Bhagavate, Pranam Maa 🙏 My questions are : 1) How to do practice, reconciliation of Spirit with Matter, please explain. 2) Practically Jivatma's union with para-prakriti , in which way will it be reflected? 3) How to know and implement, to live liberty of the Spirit beyond the fixed law of shastra. 4) Please define, to reject tamas from our body, what are the methods? 5) How to raise consciousness in our daily life to overcome the tamas, rajas state and to live only sattwa to the trigunatita state of consciousness. OM TAT SAT🙏 (1) If Spirit is dynamised through Yoga, then reconciliation of Spirit and Matter is possible. (2) By prolongation of Jivatma's union with Paramatma or static Divine, (through Purusha Yajna) Spirit is dynamised, known as Paraprakriti. By Prakriti Yajna one directly experiences Jivatma's union with Paraprakriti. (3) One can go beyond the fixed law of Shastra by ascending to higher planes of Consciousness and establishing himself in that plane. (4) By silencing the mind or concentrating on the single issue of the Divine, tamas becomes weak and rejected. (5) First to identify the tamasic, rajasic and sattwic imperfection, then to move them by rejection and consecration. Thus one can arrive at trigunatita state. Study Circle 24082025 Recording Question on movement of Consciousness through Karma Yoga Auroprem Pranams Mother I have only 3 questions. I find that this is enough for me. 1. For the movement of consciousness between the psychic and spiritual, what practical steps (in our day-to-day living) can we consciously implement? I know the methods can be mainly spiritual rather than psycho-spiritual, but can you cover both methods please? 2. Given that ultimately progress in this path is only possible by surrender to the Shakti and also given that surrender is not practicable in one instant (it is progressive), what specific practices or attitudes can help a seeker to deepen their surrender 3. In the Gita , the Lord says to practice Yoga without despondency. Given the repeated failings of our untransformed nature as we interact in the outer world with people of different types, how can we remain in samata and unaffected by the blows/up & down as we see little or no outer progress in our nature? As long as we remain in seclusion, we are fine, but the first touch of the world and the equality/calmness, etc vanish. Can you elaborate on the assurances the Lord has given to all sadhakas on that? Pranams 1) Psycho Spiritual methods are given in The Mother book. They are ceaseless personal effort of the purified intellect to increase aspiration, rejection, surrender, faith and sincerity. With the opening of Psychic and Spiritual being this personal effort becomes spontaneous and strong. In day today life we have to identify multitude of tamasic, rajasic, sattwic imperfection and ceaselessly consecrate them before the Divine. 2) Surrender becomes sattwic when we practice self-control through purified intellect. With the increase of concentration power, consecration power increases. With the opening of Psychic and Spiritual being Self-control becomes rigorous and concentration power and consecration power multiplies. 3) In Spiritual life, seclusion means to live alone either with the Psychic being in the heart or the Spiritual being above the head under all circumstances and under all time. When mind is pacified, one lives in the desireless state then one experiences Divine union and equality becomes strong or as desribed in the Gita, samatwam Yoga uchyate. We have to purify the intellect by pacifyng the mind and concentrate only on the Divine on all circumstances. We have to identify our multitude of smallest work in the daily life and to use them as means of highest Divine union through consecration. Study Circle 31082025 Recording The Gita issues injunction to the man of Knowledge that he should give wisdom which he has received from within and above to those seekers only who prostrate the feet of the Teacher, have question and can give service. The man of Knowledge who has seen the essential Truth of Kshara Purusha and immutable Truth of Akshara Purusha, tattwadarshinah, can give initiation to seeking Souls through his Spiritual influence ( The Gita-4.34 ) not ‘gathered laboriously by senses and the reason from outside’ (CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-204) but by revelation, self-experience, Intuition and self-existent wisdom. He should not give this knowledge to them who despise and belittle the Divine, those who do not practice self-control, desirelessness and equality, do not give service and do not want to listen the supreme Knowledge. (The Gita.18.67, The Gita-3.31, 32,) This knowledge should be given to them those who have full faith in the Divine, sraddha, and the uncarping, asuya rahitam. (The Gita-3.31, 9.1, 18.71) “They, who having faith, sraddha , and not having narrow carping, asuya , constantly follow this teaching of Mine, they too are released from the bondage of works. But those who find fault with My Teaching and act not thereon, know them to be unripe mind, bewildered in all knowledge, they misunderstand and misuse the written truth and fated to be destroyed.” (The Gita-3.31, 9.1, 18.71) Integral Yoga issues a similar injunction that 'spiritual experiences of any value, cannot be brought before the tribunal of the common mentality which has no experience of these things and takes its own absence or incapacity of experience as a proof of their invalidity or their non-existence.' (CWSA-22/The Life Divine/p-677) Integral Yoga proposes that the living Spiritual Teacher is a 'narrower practice' and is safe and secured for beginners of integral Yoga (Dvija) and dispensable for a few rare developed Souls or ‘A strict obedience to the wise and intuitive leading of a Guide is also normal and necessary for all but a few specially gifted seekers.” (CWSA-22/The Life Divine/p-940-941) “To concentrate most on one’s own spiritual growth and experience is the first necessity of the sadhak — to be too eager to help others draws away from the inner work. There is also likely to be an overzeal and haste which clouds the discrimination and makes what help is given less effective than it should be. To grow in the spirit is the greatest help one can give to others, for then something flows out naturally to those around that helps them.” CWSA-31/Letters on Yoga-IV/p-317, “The idea of helping others is a subtle form of the ego. It is only the Divine Force that can help. One can be its instrument, but you should first learn to be a fit and egoless instrument.” CWSA-31/Letters on Yoga-IV/p-318, “The best way to help the world is to transform oneself by an integral and intensive yoga.” The Mother/TMCW-14/Words of The Mother-II/p-277, “As for the people who want to draw others to the Yoga, I should say that if they draw themselves nearer to the inner goal that would be a much more fruitful activity. And in the end it would “draw” much more people and in a better way than the writing of many letters.” CWSA-31/Letters on Yoga-IV/p-325, "This “helping others” is a perilous business — it brings the “guru” ego or else you very uncertainly rid others of their difficulties and very certainly get them yourself. “Why do you have all these disciples?” said a sage to some Maratha saint (I have forgotten the names); “to have disciples means to add all their difficulties to your own. ” “Helping others” has the same disadvantage." CWSA-31/Letters on Yoga-IV/p-318, "In “helping” one often gets part of the other’s inconvenience and many Yogis refuse to take disciples because they will have to assume others’ burdens as well as their own. There are also other dangers — growth of ego etc." CWSA-31/Letters on Yoga-IV/p-319, : “I suppose I myself am accused of rude and arrogant behaviour because I refuse to see people, do not answer letters, and a host of other misdemeanours. I have heard of a famous recluse who threw stones at anybody coming to his retreat because he did not want disciples and found no other way of warding off the flood of candidates. I at least would hesitate to pronounce that such people had no spiritual life or experience. Certainly, I prefer that sadhaks should be reasonably considerate towards each other, but that is for the sake of collective life and harmony , not as a siddhi of the Yoga or an indispensable sign of inner experience.” Sri Aurobindo/CWSA-31/Letters on Yoga-IV-656 In the above passage, it is identified that desire or lower Nature is our greatest enemy, and its invasion from the surrounding world can be discouraged by living alone with the Psychic and Spiritual being. The lure of gathering together of admirers, devotees and disciples are contrary to its purpose of intense Sadhana and invasion of the highest Spiritual energy.

The Agenda of Collective Living “India had three fortress of a communal life, the village community, the larger joint family and the order of the Sannyasins ; all these are broken or breaking with the stride of egoistic conceptions of social life; but is not this after all only the breaking of these imperfect moulds on the way to a larger and diviner communism? ” Sri Aurobindo SABCL-17/The Hour of God/p-118 “I suppose each man makes or tries to make his own organisation of life out of the mass of possibilities the forces present to him. Self (physical self) and family are the building most make — to earn, to create a family and maintain it, perhaps to get some position in the present means of life one chooses, in business, the profession etc., etc. Country or humanity are usually added to that by a minority. A few take up some ideal and follow it as the mainstay of their life. It is only the very religious who try to make God the centre of their life — that too rather imperfectly, except for a few. None of these things are secure or certain, even the last being certain only if it is followed with an absoluteness which only a few are willing to give. ("Only were safe who kept God in their hearts:" Savitri-211) The life of the Ignorance is a play of forces through which man seeks his way and all depends on his growth through experience to the point at which he can grow out of it into something else. That something else is in fact a new consciousness — whether a new consciousness beyond the earthly life or a new consciousness within it ." Sri Aurobindo CWSA-28/Letters on Yoga-I/p-438 The Agenda of Collective Living “In spiritual life, one is always a virgin every time one awakens to a new love, for in each case it is a new part of the being, a new state of being that awakens to divine Love.”⁶ The Mother "... just as I wanted to tell you what kind of collectivity we wish to realize according to the ideal described by Sri Aurobindo in the last chapter of The Life Divine – a gnostic, supramental collectivity, the only kind that can do Sri Aurobindo’s integral yoga and be realized physically in a progressive collective body becoming more and more divine...Sri Aurobindo tells us that a true community – what he terms a gnostic or supramental community – can be based only upon the INNER REALIZATION of each one of its members, each realizing his real, concrete oneness and identity with all the other members of the community; that is, each one should not feel himself a member connected to all the others in an arbitrary way, but that all are one within himself. For each one, the others should be as much himself as his own body–not in a mental and artificial way, but through a fact of consciousness, by an inner realization."³³ The Mother Sri Matriniketan Ashram is one small point of concentration of universe, one small beginning, which rests on the conviction that one experiences all Ocean in a drop of water or a finite Self within can explore multiple subtle worlds of infinite Consciousness; all of earth’s longing can be felt within a whirl of the atom and the Eternal can manifest in a time made finite body. Our mortality is justified only as a step towards immortal all life; a smallest and meanest work can be a sweet, glad and glorious sacrament offered to the One and it can be utilised as means for the highest descent of Divine Force. By the support of the Divine’s touch, a childlike immature thought can be ‘flame-wrapped outbursts of the immortal Word’⁷ and ‘the grandeur of its dreams’⁹ can ‘glow through the centuries;’⁸ our earth can be fulfilled only by opening and embracing the purity of heavens beyond; an individual can live Divine life only when he has discovered greater and higher planes of Consciousness. So, all views of both cosmic and individual existence are incomplete accounts of endless truth that 'change circumstances and human natures'; for both depend upon, exist, and are fully satisfied by the constant miracle of the Divine Forces or the invasion of Transcendent Divine Being. The Agenda of Mundane Perfection : The Aim of Mundane Aspiration: Almost all men normally devote the major part of their energy to the earthly life, terrestrial needs, interests, desires, care of the body, sufficient development and satisfaction of the vital and mental being, expansion and refinement of the intellect and knowledge, of the will and power, of ethical character, of aesthetic sensitivity and creativeness, of emotionally balanced poise and enjoyment, of vital and physical soundness, regulated action and just efficiency. Without these things, man could not attain his full manhood. If we unduly neglect, belittle and condemn these material and mental facts behind our life for some other higher Spiritual truth or merit or utility or suitability to certain individual temperament, then we suffer the unfitness of the general and complete rule of human living. The maintenance of material and mental grounds cannot be allowed to go into the background and Mother Nature takes good care so that the human race shall not neglect these aims of terrestrial perfection of mental radiations. These are a necessary part of her evolution to affirm him in Ignorance before he can perfect himself in Knowledge and all that transpires on earth and all that is beyond fall within the total scope and method of the illimitable Divine plan. The integral Yoga practiced at Sri Matriniketan Ashram does not reject any of the above essential mundane aims but enlarges, heightens and magnifies it by finding its true hidden meaning and transfigures it from a limited, earthly and mortal thing to something infinite, eternal and immortal existence. Or 'For, followed more largely and with less individual aim, the method of Knowledge may lead to an active conquest of the cosmic existence for the Divine no less than to a transcendence. The point of this departure is the realization of the supreme Self not only in one’s own being but in all beings and, finally, the realization of even the phenomenal aspects of the world as a play of the divine consciousness and not something entirely alien to its true nature. And on the basis of this realization a yet further enlargement is possible, the conversion of all forms of knowledge, however mundane, into activities of the divine consciousness utilizable for the projection of the one and unique Object of knowledge both in itself and through the play of its forms and symbols. Such a method might well lead to the elevation of the whole range of human intellect and perception to the divine level, to its spiritualization and to the justification of the cosmic travail of knowledge in humanity.'¹⁵ The Method of Mundane Aspiration: The self-discipline of mundane aspiration is an intellectual, volitional, ethical, emotional, aesthetic, and physical training and improvement which does not travel beyond the ordinary circle of working of mind, life and body. Our normal perception, imagination, formulation and cognition of things are mental and of constructed understanding. It is still in the obscured and unillumined preparatory Yoga of Nature and pursuit of an ordinary human perfection which is an increasing littleness of its motives, an absorption in an ordinary surface living, oblivious of our natural response to the Divine Being’s larger joy in cosmic existence. It does not aspire beyond the mind to that which is purest reason and brightest Intuition and leaves the Spiritual element either undeveloped or insufficiently satisfied or it falls back before the too intense demand of the Spiritual effort. Still, the method of mundane existence is unconsciously a heightening of the force of consciousness in the narrow circle of manifested nature. The Perfection of Mundane Aspiration: The mundane perfection is conceived of as something outward, social, a thing of action, a more rational dealing with our fellow men and our environment, a better and more efficient citizenship and discharge of duties, a better and more harmonious associated enjoyment of the opportunities of existence. This growth into the full mental being is the first transitional human perfection which does not liberate the soul, but it lifts us one step out of the material and vital absorption and subjection and prepares the loosening of the hold of the limited knowledge. But the Mother-nature has implanted in us some urge which goes beyond this first terrestrial perfection of humanity and to limit ourselves to the present formula of an imperfect humanity is to exclude our Divine potentialities. For this reason, the human race cannot accept or follow for a very long time any view of perfection that ignores the higher and subtler sense and labours to confine us entirely to the purely terrestrial way of living of too mental standard and mental cognition of things are no longer considered sufficient. If we are not satisfied with life as the influence of lower Nature dominates it, then something in us or the Soul within us shall strive for Divine perfection. "In place of the ignorance of the lower Nature absorbed in its outward works and appearances the eye will open to the vision of God everywhere, to the unity and universality of the spirit. The world’s sorrow and pain will disappear in the bliss of the All-blissful; our weakness and error and sin will be changed into the all-embracing and all-transforming strength, truth and purity of the Eternal. To make the mind one with the divine consciousness, to make the whole of our emotional nature one love of God everywhere, to make all our works one sacrifice to the Lord of the worlds and all our worship and aspiration one adoration of him and self-surrender, to direct the whole self Godwards in an entire union is the way to rise out of a mundane into a divine existence. " ¹⁷ Beyond the Mundane Aspiration: Most of the thinking humanity conceived ideal development as mundane change and approach at least to an ideal standard of perfection which his mind is able to conceive, fix before and pursue. It is only the minority who concern themselves with self-development as one of the most important aim of life and very few feel the need of a total Spiritualisation of mundane Nature. They can arrive at a point when they can open themselves to the power and presence of the Spirit and admit its direct Divine working. Brahman is at once the foundation of Supra-mundane Knowledge and self-aware manifestation of mundane Ignorance and by the synthesis of both one arrives at the Integral Knowledge. For the material is not the only truth of our existence; other planes of consciousness there are to which we can attain and not to know and manifest their law in our life is to fall short of the height and fullness of our Being. This entire separation of the Divine foreseen in a mundane life can be a starting point of all our Spiritual pursuits and in the Mother's language, "In the beginning of the Yoga you are apt to forget the Divine very often. But by constant aspiration you increase your remembrance and you diminish the forgetfulness. But this should not be done as a severe discipline or a duty; it must be a movement of love and joy. Then very soon a stage will come when, if you do not feel the presence of the Divine at every moment and whatever you are doing, you feel at once lonely and sad and miserable... Whenever you find that you can do something without feeling the presence of the Divine and yet be perfectly comfortable, you must understand that you are not consecrated in that part of your being. That is the way of the ordinary humanity which does not feel any need of the Divine. But for a seeker of the Divine Life it is very different. And when you have entirely realised unity with the Divine, then, if the Divine were only for a second to withdraw from you, you would simply drop dead; for the Divine is now the Life of your life, your whole existence, your single and complete support. If the Divine is not there, nothing is left.”¹⁶ The Agenda of Moderate Spirituality : The First Condition of the Fortress of Moderate Spirituality or the Law of Moderation: The world itself is identified as the fortress of moderate Spirituality where every individual has the right to serve and adore the Divine in spite of his many lapses in outer living and enormous intellectual and spiritual timidity. An individual is considered fit to pursue moderate Spirituality when his mundane existence begins to recognise the God concealed in His creation. Here, the Spiritual change begins by the influence of the inner Being, enlargement of the bounds of surface Knowledge-Ignorance, a growth of religious temperament in the heart and piety in the conduct. He experiences Spiritual upliftment or mental illumination through obedience to the law of moderation, and must learn to give full scope to the inner Spirit to develop its own truth and reality and exceeding our present limited Consciousness. "The seeker of the integral state of knowledge must be free from attachment to action and equally free from attachment to inaction....But this state of perfection (master of the physical) arrives later in the Yoga and till then the law of moderation laid down by the Gita is the best for us; too much mental or physical action then is not good since excess draws away too much energy and reacts unfavourably upon the spiritual condition; too little also is not good since defect leads to a habit of inaction and even to an incapacity which has afterwards to be surmounted with difficulty."²⁰ "Verily this Yoga is not for him who eats too much or sleeps too much, even as it is not for him who gives up sleep and food, O Arjuna ."²¹ The Second Condition of the Fortress of Moderate Spirituality or the Middle Path of Intellect: He chooses the middle path of ‘reason’s vigilant light’¹⁸ which is neither the entire rejection of the ascetic living, nor the entire surrender of the inner and outer life to consecrated living, nor the calling down of the large Divine Descent of high spirituality. His attraction towards world and earthly enjoyment always predominates over attraction towards the Divine. He is to be made fully aware that his endeavour is not directed to become a witness of the miracles of inferior powers and the Spiritual Powers are not meant to be wrongly utilised towards satisfaction of earthly desires and interests but are intended for rightly utilising them for the Divine end, for development of subtle faculties and entry into higher planes of Consciousness. An integral Moderate climbs above the mind and lives in the calm vastness of the One and raises the consciousness to the pure unvanquished Spirit and spreads himself to a wide intense calm and arrives slowly at timeless peace. The Third Condition of the Fortress of Moderate Spirituality or Generalisation of Spirituality: Sri Aurobindo confirmed that such large communities of moderate Spirituality through Religion have succeeded in India and ‘has been one of the greatest triumphs of Spirit over Matter’¹⁹ and moderately practical and scientific societies in Europe with its habit of conscious change and fixed idea of progress have succeeded and is ‘one of the greatest triumphs of Mind over Matter.’¹⁹ Spirituality can be generalised in the mass through practice of moderate Spirituality but its other disadvantage is that its diffusive movement of intellectual formalization of Spiritual knowledge has resulted in materialisation of living practice into a dead mass of cult, ceremony, ritual and mechanisation by which the Spirit is bound to leave in the course of time from its body and structure. Integral Yoga proposes to take this risk²² of expansive movement as this is an inherent necessity of the Spiritual urge in evolutionary Nature and through the general advancement of the human race the victories of the Spirit can be secured. The transformation from Mental to Spiritual is the destiny of the race and the immediate need is a general admission of the Spiritual ideal, a widespread endeavour, a conscious awareness and intensification of our concentration, which will carry the stream of man’s developing tendency to a definite achievement. The Fourth Condition of the Fortress of Moderate Spirituality or Reproduction of Liberated Souls: Efforts have been made to accommodate the moderate seekers in the main streams of integral Yoga regardless of their past trends, fixed beliefs and practices. The moderate Ashramites and Devotees will be conversant with the manyfold constraints of integral Yoga from the very beginning of their sadhana life and make their life opulent with the fresh inflow of Spiritual experiences. They receive the immediate Divine call to liberate the Soul and manifestation of the Divine through customary activities like concentration on written truth, Study Circle, Yoga Sadhana camp and other related associations. The objective of this Centre of Moderate Spirituality is to generalise the highest Spiritual aspiration of integral Yoga in humanity or organise an evolutionary general progression through the principle of intensive and concentrated evolution or rigorous Self-control emerging from the secret schools of Spiritual fortress. In the past, the rare Spiritual perfection of the Mystics was generalised in the men in the mass through Religious leaders or this principle of expansion and extension was carried forward with the help of liberated Souls liberating others; for it is the constant upward effort of few towards the vision of this Spiritual change that has kept humanity alive and maintained for it its place in the front of creation. "“This is my word of promise,” cries the voice of the Godhead to Arjuna , “that he who loves me shall not perish.” (The Gita-9.31) Previous effort and preparation, the purity and the holiness of the Brahmin , the enlightened strength of the king-sage great in works and knowledge have their value, because they make it easier for the imperfect human creature to arrive at this wide vision and self-surrender; but even without this preparation all who take refuge in the divine Lover of man, the Vaishya once preoccupied with the narrowness of wealth-getting and the labour of production, the Shudra hampered by a thousand hard restrictions, woman shut in and stunted in her growth by the narrow circle society has drawn around her self-expansion, those too, papa-yonayah, on whom their past Karma has imposed even the very worst of births, the outcaste, the Pariah, the Chandala, find at once the gates of God opening before them. In the spiritual life all the external distinctions of which men make so much because they appeal with an oppressive force to the outward mind, cease before the equality of the divine Light and the wide omnipotence of an impartial Power."²³ "For from all, from the thief and the harlot and the outcaste as from the saint and the sage, the Beloved looks forth and cries to us, “This is I.” “He who loves Me in all beings,” — what greater word of power for the utmost intensities and profundities of divine and universal love, has been uttered by any philosophy or any religion?"²⁴ "If Narayana is without difficulty visible in the sage and the saint, how shall he be easily visible to us in the sinner, the criminal, the harlot and the outcaste?"²⁵ The Agenda of the Ascetics’ Fortress : The First Condition of Living in an Ascetics’ Fortress or Law of Renunciation: Five inner rejections of desire, attachment, ego, three gunas and dualities and two outer rejections of initiation of work and old earth-bound association are binding conditions of sane ascetic living, if practiced sincerely one will arrive at the objective of supernormal energising of Consciousness and Will in order to gain some intense and exceptional Spiritual power and mastery. A developed moderate is considered fit to live in Ascetics’ Fortress when he recognises the conquest of lower nature³¹ as a condition of higher Spiritual life. An Ascetic experiences Spiritual upliftment when his tapasya i s consistent with the Law of Renunciation. "Then evidently the straight and simplest way to get out of the close bondage of the active nature and back to spiritual freedom is to cast away entirely all that belongs to the dynamics of the ignorance and to convert the soul into a pure spiritual existence. That is what is called becoming Brahman, brahma- bhuya . It is to put off the lower mental, vital, physical existence and to put on the pure spiritual being. This can best be done by the intelligence and will, buddhi , our present topmost principle. It has to turn away from the things of the lower existence and first and foremost from its effective knot of desire, from our attachment to the objects pursued by the mind and the senses. One must become an understanding unattached in all things, asakta-buddhih sarvatra . Then all desire passes away from the soul in its silence; it is free from all longings, vigata-spruhah . That brings with it or it makes possible the subjection of our lower and the possession of our higher self, a possession dependent on complete self-mastery, secured by a radical victory and conquest over our mobile nature, jitatma. And all this amounts to an absolute inner renunciation of the desire of things, sannyasa . Renunciation is the way to this perfection and the man who has thus inwardly renounced all is described by the Gita as the true Sannyasin . "²⁸ The Second Condition of Living in an Ascetics’ Fortress: Individual soul liberation remains the prime concern of an ascetic Ashramite in spite of the limitation of its exclusive seeking. This separate affirmation of the ascetic Ashramite is an indispensable element in human perfection in liberating his vital being from insistent animalism. Then to rise beyond the desire of personal salvation is necessary for the complete rejection of the basis of ego. When he lives inward and arrives at vast equality and peace unnoticed by the reactions of the outer nature, then that is a great but incomplete liberation without the deliverance of outer Nature. Even after the personal deliverance is complete, an Integral Ascetic Sadhaka feels it is insufficient without the deliverance extended to the whole of humanity. "I do not believe that sadhana in the cave is easy — only there the insincerity remains hidden, while in life and action it is revealed. You can look like a Yogi in a cave, but in life the humbugging is more difficult, because you have to behave like a Yogi ."³² The Third Condition of Living in an Ascetics’ Fortress: Traditional Shastra preaches three doors of escape; firstly, the renunciation of life itself and of our mundane existence, the entire rejection of world-existence as a lie, an insanity of the Soul; secondly, the Soul’s hunger for individual salvation by escape into farthest height of unalloyed Bliss, its unwillingness to return from the ecstasy of the Divine embrace into the lower field of work, struggle and service of the inferior nature which is bound down to ego in all its activities, chained triply to the stake of differentiated individuality of the gunas ; thus, the exaggeration of the difficulties of combining life of works with Spiritual realisation as impossibility becomes prominent ; a selfishness grows which does not care of what becomes of those who are left behind us; thirdly, the traditional Yoga develops a weakness that shrinks from struggle, disgust and disappointment and baffled by the great cosmic labour and the indifference to the cry that rises up from a labouring humanity. In integral Yoga none of these escape, weakness, and selfishness are valid in its dealings with the surrounding, nor can there grow a mere sympathy, love or the understanding created by mental knowledge, but rather there must be a conscious unity with his fellow beings, a Divine strength, compassion and helpfulness are the very stuff that an integral Ascetic would take upon himself. "The wise man puts away the shrinkings and hesitations of the desire-soul and the doubts of the ordinary human intelligence, that measure by little personal, conventional or otherwise limited standards. He follows in the light of the full sattwic mind and with the power of an inner renunciation lifting the soul to impersonality, towards God, towards the universal and eternal the highest ideal law of his nature or the will of the Master of works in his secret spirit. He will not do action for the sake of any personal result or for any reward in this life or with any attachment to success, profit or consequence: neither will his works be undertaken for the sake of a fruit in the invisible hereafter or ask for a reward in other births or in worlds beyond us, the prizes for which the half-baked religious mind hungers. The three kinds of result, pleasant, unpleasant and mixed, in this or other worlds, in this or another life are for the slaves of desire and ego; these things do not cling to the free spirit. The liberated worker who has given up his works by the inner sannyasa to a greater Power is free from Karma. Action he will do, for some kind of action, less or more, small or great, is inevitable, natural, right for the embodied soul, — action is part of the divine law of living, it is the high dynamics of the spirit. The essence of renunciation, the true Tyaga , the true Sannyasa is not any rule of thumb of inaction but a disinterested soul, a selfless mind, the transition from ego to the free impersonal and spiritual nature. The spirit of this inner renunciation is the first mental condition of the highest culminating sattwic discipline. "²⁹ The Fourth Condition of Living in an Ascetics’ Fortress: Similarly an integral ascetic Sadhaka has to exceed the traditional ascetic’s limitation (1) of saintly inactivity by dynamisation of Divine Will and realise God as the Doer of all action who demands action, obedience and subordination from all; (2) the traditional ascetic’s realisation of God’s shadow, Brahma satya Jagat mithya ,¹⁰ is first experienced as indispensable Spiritual foundation and then superseded by the Direct contact with the Divine All, Brahma satya Jagat satya ; (3) the integral Ascetic attains the fullness of surrender by realising the fullness of life and this he realises by accepting and transforming life; (4) he realises the fullness of Divine Love by integrating the Personal, Saguna, and Impersonal, Nirguna, aspect of the Divine; (5) in integral Yoga the triune view of mutually contradictory philosophies, Maya of the Mayavadin , Illusionist, Prakriti of the Sankhya doctrine and the Lila , the Divine Play of the Bhakti movement are perfectly consistent with each other, necessary and complementary and must be accepted as the starting-point for all our understanding of the universe; (6) integral Ascetic links the lower deluding mental Maya of Mayavadin with the Supramental Maya of the Vedic seers in which all is in each and each is in all for the play of existence with existence, consciousness with consciousness, force with force, delight with delight; (7) those who come to this ascetic Ashram at an earlier age or those who enter Sannyasa without exhausting the attraction of the outside world, for them adventure into Space through outer wandering become indispensable; so the later Vedantic wandering Eremite for the search of the Divine truth and Divine manifestation is transformed in integral Yoga into the spirit of ancient Vedantic Seers through inner wandering of Soul and in search of higher planes of Consciousness, and become a manifest and manifold power of the Spirit without dropping back the dynamic parts into the indeterminate stuff of Nature. Or after experiencing the ecstatic Divine union an integral ascetic Sadhaka declares in Savitri’s language, “Now of more wandering it has no need”¹ and he begins to understand that he still lives in Matter empty of its Lord and receives the Divine call of illumining the Matter’s depth by manifestation of higher states of Consciousness. His highest Spiritual realisation, while moving towards Supramental status is the entry into the total Nirvana of mentality and mental ego, which is a passage into the silence of the Spirit and in the Void he experiences the Omniscience Supreme. "The true Sannyasa of action is the reposing of all works on the Brahman . “He who, having abandoned attachment, acts reposing (or founding) his works on the Brahman, brahmanyadhaya karmani , is not stained by sin even as water clings not to the lotus-leaf.” (The Gita-5.10) Therefore the Yogins first “do works with the body, mind, understanding, or even merely with the organs of action, abandoning attachment, for self-purification, sangam tyaktvatmasuddhaye . (The Gita-5.11) By abandoning attachment to the fruits of works the soul in union with Brahman attains to peace of rapt foundation in Brahman, but the soul not in union is attached to the fruit and bound by the action of desire.” (The Gita-5.12) The foundation, the purity, the peace once attained, the embodied soul perfectly controlling its nature, having renounced all its actions by the mind, inwardly , not outwardly, “sits in its nine- gated city neither doing nor causing to be done.” For this soul is the one impersonal Soul in all, the all-pervading Lord, prabhu, vibhu , who, as the impersonal, neither creates the works of the world, nor the mind’s idea of being the doer, na kartrutvam na karmani, (The Gita-5.14) nor the coupling of works to their fruits, the chain of cause and effect. All that is worked out by the Nature in the man, svabhava, his principle of self-becoming, as the word literally means."³⁰ The Agenda of the Divine Centre or the Ashram : The First Condition of True Ashram Living or the Law of Sacrifice: The right living in the Ashram begins when one receives the Divine Call of the double movement of the ascent of the Soul and descent of the Divine Shakti and gives his whole life towards the intensification of these double movements. A liberated inner Ascetic (Not a physical ascetism¹⁴) is considered fit to live in a Divine Centre when his practice of inner renunciation or human Tapasya paves the passage clear for equality and consecration. A consecrated child experiences Spiritual upliftment through the practice of the Law of Sacrifice and receives the Divine call to reconcile Matter and Spirit. "A mutual giving and receiving is the law of Life without which it cannot for one moment endure, and this fact is the stamp of the divine creative Will on the world it has manifested in its being, the proof that with sacrifice as their eternal companion the Lord of creatures has created all these existences. The universal law of sacrifice is the sign that the world is of God and belongs to God and that life is his dominion and house of worship and not a field for the self-satisfaction of the independent ego; not the fulfilment of the ego, — that is only our crude and obscure beginning, — but the discovery of God, the worship and seeking of the Divine and the Infinite through a constantly enlarging sacrifice culminating in a perfect self-giving founded on a perfect self-knowledge, is that to which the experience of life is at last intended to lead... Because of this ignorance whose seal is egoism, the creature ignores the law of sacrifice and seeks to take all he can for himself and gives only what Nature by her internal and external compulsion forces him to give. He can really take nothing except what she allows him to receive as his portion, what the divine Powers within her yield to his desire. The egoistic soul in a world of sacrifice is as if a thief or robber who takes what these Powers bring to him and has no mind to give in return. He misses the true meaning of life and, since he does not use life and works for the enlargement and elevation of his being through sacrifice, he lives in vain."²⁶ “They who enjoy the nectar of immortality left over from the sacrifice attain to the eternal Brahman.” Sacrifice is the law of the world and nothing can be gained without it, neither mastery here, nor the possession of heavens beyond, nor the supreme possession of all; “this world is not for him who doeth not sacrifice, how then any other world?”"²⁷ The Second Condition of True Ashram Living: Again, those who live in the Ashram or related with it, without having the above Divine call have two options in their hand, that is either to develop the sense of ownership of the Ashram through practice of pseudo tamasic and rajasic consecration or raise the Being towards The Mother’s Infinite Consciousness through true self-giving, though the latter option is difficult to realise than the former and also it is the latter attitude that draws one towards sane Ashram living. The sense of ownership in Ashram living gives birth to triple internal politics which are internal dialogue between its members by entirely separating themselves from the Divine. Thus, in the first category we observe that one lives in the Ashram without his Soul’s consent but mind, life and body pretend to live a Divine life; in the second category, the Soul has chosen the Divine life but mind, life and body have not wholly consented to such living; in the third category those who support Ashram from outside they carry with them always a behind intention which is not meant for the sole satisfaction of the Divine but the satisfaction of their own desire, ego and interest. So wrong Ashram living leaves an impression on them of God as cruel, hard hearted, immoral, merciless and a monster without noticing that they are precisely like that themselves. So one is considered fit for true Ashram living when he is capable of discerning truth from falsehood and persistently rejects what is false and obscure in him. The Third Condition of True Ashram Living: The true Ashram living emerges when one gives the first priority to the Divine, who is primarily, One, the force of unity, Vijnana , immutable Divine, Nirguna Brahman and secondarily, the manifestation of Many, Saguna Brahman , with whom he has direct contact; the second priority is given to the obedience towards the Law of Divine living, which works out things clearly, decisively and usefully, classify, act, deal with them harmoniously or he is well informed about every nook and corner of the norms of integral Yoga, and he can become a child, replacing the outer law by the inner Psychic, Spiritual and Supramental Law; the more he is obedient to inner and external Divine Law the more he is having proximity with the direct Divine contact and the third priority is given to the fellowship with whom the Law is manifested, the collectivity, the source of mutuality. A true individual has an eternal relation with all other individuals, a practical mutuality founded in essential unity which is the basis of perfect universal Divine contact and Divine life. Those who compromise or violate the above order or sequence meet on their path endless falsehood and discord. A true and right Ashram living leaves an impression on them of God as all-Love, all-Light, all-Good and all-Compassion. The Fourth Condition of True Ashram Living: The Yoga Sadhana in Ashram living must first be pursued in secrecy and silence and the high truth of Spirituality need not be brought to the scrutiny before the tribunal¹² of common mentality which has no experience of these things and they consider their incapacity of Spiritual experience as proof of their invalidity and non-existence and demand physically valid proof of Supraphysical facts or what they find difficult to understand or imagine they consider it their right to deny. It has been observed that common men have indulged in the profanation of the Spiritual mysteries and have lost the truth and significance of pure living and their surface nature revolt or deny entry within and reject any inner change. Secondly, a strict mould of Spiritual discipline is enforced on each Sadhaka which will prevent him from the misuse¹¹ of opportunities available in wide and free Ashram living and turns the eye inward in continuous search of the Eternal and lastly, the integral Yoga pursued is meant for few fit initiated destined twice-born Souls or nameless adventurers in Consciousness and the purity of its motive and special object of extension of inborn Spirituality into various experience need not be popularised or generalised with the help of external machinery because by that ‘hundreds and thousands of useless people join in and corrupt the work or reduce it to pompous farce from which the Truth that was coming down recedes into secrecy and silence.’² The Influence of the highest perfection of the consecrated child or man of Spiritual attainment need not rest satisfied with some intermediate tapasya , no longer confines within the boundary of small collectivity, but he seizes upon one Yogic method after another to realise the single integral Truth and one Supreme experience. His perfection at a single corner point of Ashram can spread across the whole earth and his single disposal towards Truth can change humanity and in order to arrive at the completeness of existence he least depends on external aids. “There is a divine compassion which descends to us from on high and for the man whose nature does not possess it, is not cast in its mould, to pretend to be the superior man, the master-man or the superman is a folly and an insolence, for he alone is the superman who most manifests the highest nature of the Godhead in humanity. This compassion observes with an eye of love and wisdom and calm strength the battle and the struggle, the strength and weakness of man, his virtues and sins, his joy and suffering, his knowledge and his ignorance, his wisdom and his folly, his aspiration and his failure and it enters into it all to help and to heal.”¹³ The Agenda of The Mother’s Virgin Fortress : The First Condition of Living in a Virgins’ Fortress: A Virgin’s Mind, Life, Body and Soul, seeks only the Divine and she adores the Divine Mother as the Lord and the Protector of her immaculate white virginity. A consecrated individual is considered fit to live in a Virgins’ Fortress when her consecration begins to enter the Divine union and the sole attraction of the Divine. A virgin Ashramite experiences Spiritual upliftment through fulfillment of the condition of the Law of Virginity and receives the distant Divine call of cellular transformation. The Second Condition of Living in a Virgins’ Fortress: It has been pointed out that the Spiritual disciplines in India have entered corruption and decline through the ‘method of self indulgence'³ and have ‘fallen in to discredit’³ with those who were not Sadhakas, or those who were not aware of the truth and practice of original Shastra . Again one cannot be a Sadhaka by intellectual preparation, understanding and reading of Scriptures; ‘for at the end of our long mental labour we might know all that has been said of the Eternal, possess all that can be thought of the Infinite and yet we might not know him (the Divine) at all.’⁴ The essential condition of becoming a Sadhaka is ‘a resolute self consecration from deep within,’⁵ ‘a call from the soul and a sufficient point of support in the mind.’⁴ The Virgins’ Fortress is born with its extreme Spiritual doctrine to build a strong Spiritual foundation and to meet the inner deficiency and cause of Spiritual fall and a virgin Sadhaka’s tender purity indulges only in things Divine and Eternal. The Third Condition of Living in a Virgins’ Fortress: A true Virgin child is she or he in whom the static Divine Union is prolonged and dynamised and the Ishwara becomes the Shakti. She pours herself into the material mould in ever growing intensities and she or he no longer feels herself as a different entity but identifies as a part and portion of the virgin Savitri or the Divine Mother, one with Her Love, Ananda and Consciousness. The Fourth Condition of Living in a Virgins’ Fortress: An integrated Virgin is she or he who is capable to direct the gained Divine Consciousness earthward for Psychic, Spiritual and Supramental transformation of Nature. She is preoccupied in entire effort to reveal Savitri, the All Mother in humanity. She discovers the Divine in the Subconscient Self and Inconscient Self and her material life is full of the Presence of the Lord. The Agenda of the World’s (Spiritual) Centre: 1: The First Centre: The First Centre or the World’s Centre in its inception is a deformation of God’s Eternity. 2: The Second Centre: The Second Centre or the World’s Centre in its formation is a deformation of God’s Capacity. 3: The Third Centre: The Third Centre or the World’s Centre in its making represents God’s transparency. 4: The Fourth Centre: The Fourth Centre or the World’s Centre in its developed state channels God’s Light, Love and Force to earth and man. It fulfills and completes the objective of the Divine Centre of liberating humanity and of the Virgins’ Fortress of transforming humanity. Sri Aurobindo’s Consciousness : First Condition: The collective Divine living may not be sufficient for an individual who is destined to become a pioneer and precursor in Consciousness. He can isolate himself from collective Divine action and enter exclusively or his all-inclusive movement of Consciousness will cover vertical heights and depths and horizontal wideness capturing the whole earth and the Transcendence and all the nether planes which are identified as undivine. Second Condition: A revolutionary individual effort in Consciousness or a special extreme individual askesis can drag humanity ahead if his subjective and objective preoccupation entirely rests on the highest hinted reconciling, all-embracing and all exceeding Wisdom of the past and the present and his centre of living is shifted more and more within and above leaving far behind the recalcitrant surface consciousness to encircle the whole earth and hews a path towards the future. Third Condition: The World-redeemer’s heavy and mighty task in Consciousness is to make world-life a bridge twixt earth and heaven. The Day-bringer must walk in the darkest night of Hell and he who would save the world, must share its pain. His Soul must be wider than the universe to contain all the suffering of Earth and calls down greater Power and larger Light to world’s Inconscient abysm. Then he can hope to break the Wheels of earth’s doom and then shall be ended here the Law of Pain and all would turn ahead to Wisdom and Immortality. The Mother’s Consciousness : The First Consciousness: Observing Consciousness is defined as many-sided movements of effort in Ignorance and Waking Consciousness is defined as spontaneous action of the Shakti in Knowledge to arrive at comprehensive Knowledge. The Second Consciousness: The normal real life of a true liberated man is the state of oneness with the Supreme and with all beings and the bliss of that state and perfect knowledge of Spiritual atmosphere and the great Soul cannot regard with indifference the suffering of others and the deliverance of others must be felt as intimate to his own deliverance. He lives in a universalized Consciousness where all Death is realised as the Spiritual necessity for evolution of new being; it is also a stair, a stumbling stride, an instrument of perpetual life and change of robe from birth to birth in the immortal All Life or death is a rapid disintegration of cellular consciousness subservient to life’s necessity of change and variation; all Pain is a symbol of unwillingness to change and become one with the Divine, some secret rapture’s tragic mask and a violent backwash of the waters of universal Delight and without pain he would not get all the value of infinite Delight; all Limitation is a turning of the Infinite upon itself; all Evil is in travail of eternal Good and a circling around its own perfection; all error is significant of all possibility and effort of discovery of Supreme Truth; all destruction and war are small transient storm and rapidly clear the field for new good and a more satisfying harmony; all darkness is a veil of self-hidden Light. This Cosmic Consciousness is a meeting place where the Matter is real to the Spirit and Spirit is real to the Matter and illumined harmony of mind, life and body are perfectly realised. The Third Consciousness: The Supramental Consciousness is at once the static self-awareness of the Infinite and Eternal and a dynamic power of self-determination inherent in that self-awareness. In this Consciousness, all contradictions are canceled or fused into each other in the higher light of seeing and being, in unified self-knowledge and world-knowledge. It is the fulfilled existence that will solve all the complex problems of existence created by partial affirmation of Mind and Life emerging from the total denial of the Inconscient. The Divine in its nature is an infinite Consciousness and the nature of infinite Consciousness is a pure and infinite Delight. The Fourth Consciousness: The Mother’s Infinite Consciousness is that which rests on the One and acts in the All and is capable of free power of self-variation producing infinite results in the phenomenon and form or manifesting and playing with Being in Infinite form and movements in order to cast Herself into the world; Her Consciousness transcends All and denies none; sees all but lives for its transcendent task; transcends the Light and the Darkness to merge in the Absolute; becomes All and yet transcends the mystic whole; She is immortal yet suffers the mortal limitation of birth and death; when most unseen She works most mightily; She can uphold in Herself a million universes and pervades each with a single ray of Her Self-light and a single degree of Her ineffable existence; this whole creation lives in a lonely ray of Her Sun and before Her Infinite Chit-Shakti the Supramental Consciousness grows like a shadow. The Agenda of Evolutionary Synthesis: The agenda of the above human aspirations can be satisfying if it can be reconciled by giving equal effort, regard and reverence to all eight institutions. The fundamental urge of mundane perfection to attain harmony in the material existence is to be linked preliminarily with the moderate effort of linking existence with the Source, the Creator. The surface concentration of the Divine touch of the moderate is to be penetrated within by substituting the sole pursuit of the Divine in an Ascetic discipline. The Ascetic ascent of uniting with the Divine is to be rightly related with the descending Shakti in a consecrated Ashram living. The reconciliation of Matter and Spirit in a Divine Centre is to be rightly related with the perfection of material life and the quest for cellular transformation of a Virgins’ Fortress. The individual liberation of the Soul in the Moderate and Ascetics’ Fortress and individual transformation of the Nature of the Divine Centre and Virgins’ Fortress are to be universalised so that individuals can act as a centre of world liberation and world transformation. The mission of the World Centre to act as a channel of Divine Force in liberating and transforming humanity is concentrated further in the movement towards the realisation of the total Consciousness of the Eternal or what we understand as Sri Aurobindo’s Consciousness. The descent of total Consciousness is a dynamic state of Brahman , known as The Mother’s Consciousness, which is responsible for the total Divine transformation of humanity. Thus, the Vedic doctrine of disclosing the Godhead in the manifestation of Spirit, Mind, Life and Body is realised. OM TAT SAT References: 1: Savitri-412, 2: 02.10.1934, SABCL-Vol-26/p-375, 3: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-42, “To those who want to practise the integral Yoga, it is strongly advised to abstain from three things: Sexual intercourse Smoking Drinking alcohol” The Mother/12 June 1965/TMCW-14/Words of the Mother-II/p-35 4: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-81, 5: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-82, 6: The Mother’s Agenda-Vol-6/p-119-120, 7: Savitri-37, 8: Savitri-259, 9: Savitri-327, 10: “A mighty murmur of immense retreat Besieged the ear, a sad and limitless call (The Spiritual experience of Brahma satya Jagat mithya is sad limitless call.) As of a soul retiring from the world.” Savitri-391, 11: “Let the mind learn to be silent, let it not be eager to profit immediately by the forces which come to us from Thee for the integral manifestation…” The Mother/TMCW-1/Prayers and Meditations/p-201, 12: “The greatest inner discoveries, the experience of self-being, the cosmic consciousness, the inner calm of the liberated spirit, the direct effect of mind upon mind, the knowledge of things by consciousness in direct contact with other consciousness or with its objects, most spiritual experiences of any value, cannot be brought before the tribunal of the common mentality which has no experience of these things and takes its own absence or incapacity of experience as a proof of their invalidity or their non-existence.” CWSA-22/The Life Divine/p-677, 13: CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-58, 14: "He (the Lord) discourages the tamasic recoil and the tendency to renunciation and enjoins the continuance of action and even of the same fierce and terrible action, but he points the disciple towards another and inner renunciation which is the real issue from his crisis and the way towards the soul’s superiority to the world-Nature and yet its calm and self-possessed action in the world. Not a physical asceticism , but an inner askesis is the teaching of the Gita." CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-55-56, "As a matter of fact, when people talk of Tyaga, of renunciation, it is always the physical renunciation of the world which they understand by the word or at least on which they lay emphasis, while the Gita takes absolutely the opposite view that the real Tyaga has action and living in the world as its basis and not a flight to the monastery, the cave or the hill-top. The real Tyaga is action with a renunciation of desire and that too is the real Sannyasa . ” CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-494, 15: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-38-40, 16: The Mother/TMCW-3/Questions and Answers-1929-1931/p-26–27, 17: CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-336, “But this exclusive consummation (realisation of Supreme Self) is not the sole or inevitable result of the Path of Knowledge. For, followed more largely and with less individual aim, the method of Knowledge may lead to an active conquest of the cosmic existence for the Divine no less than to a transcendence. The point of this departure is the realization of the supreme Self not only in one’s own being but in all beings and, finally, the realization of even the phenomenal aspects of the world as a play of the divine consciousness and not something entirely alien to its true nature. And on the basis of this realization a yet further enlargement is possible, the conversion of all forms of knowledge, however mundane, into activities of the divine consciousness utilizable for the projection of the one and unique Object of knowledge both in itself and through the play of its forms and symbols. Such a method might well lead to the elevation of the whole range of human intellect and perception to the divine level, to its spiritualization and to the justification of the cosmic travail of knowledge in humanity.” Sri Aurobindo/CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-38-39 18: " The middle path is made for thinking man. To choose his steps by reason’s vigilant light, To choose his path among the many paths Is given him, for each his difficult goal Hewn out of infinite possibility." Savitri-434, 19: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-23- 24, 20: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-348, 21: The Gita-6.16, 22: "Another untoward result or peril of the diffusive movement and the consequent invasion has been the intellectual formalisation of spiritual knowledge into dogma and the materialisation of living practice into a dead mass of cult and ceremony and ritual, a mechanisation by which the spirit was bound to depart in course of time from the body of the religion. But this risk had to be taken , for the expansive movement was an inherent necessity of the spiritual urge in evolutionary Nature." CWSA-22/The Life Divine/p-903, 23: CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-335, 24: CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-208, 25: CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-359, 26: CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-126-127, 27: CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p- 122, 28: CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-530, 29: CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-497, 30: CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-185, 31: “Never forget that, as much outside as in the Ashram, if you want to lead a happy life, you must be the master of your lower nature and control your desires and vital impulses; otherwise there is no end to the miseries and the troubles.” TMCW-14/Words of the Mother-II/p-255, 32: TMCW/Vol-14/Words of the Mother-II/p-47, 33: The Mother's Agenda/April 22, 1957, THE MESSAGE OF MERRY CHRISTMAS “You know, mon petit, I said one day that in the history of earth, wherever there was a possibility for the Consciousness to manifest, I was there; this is a fact. It's like the story of Savitri: always there, always there, always there, in this one, that one – at certain times there were four emanations simultaneously! At the time of the Italian and French Renaissance. And again at the time of Christ, then too .... Oh, you know, I have remembered so many, many things! It would take volumes to tell it all. And then, more often than not (not always, but more often than not), what took part in this or that life was a particular yogic formation of the vital being – in other words something immortal. And when I came this time, as soon as I took up the yoga, they came back again from all sides, they were waiting. ” The Mother The Mother’s Agenda-27 June 1962 NEW YEAR GREETINGS-2025 “He (Sri Aurobindo ) wrote this in a letter, I believe, and he spoke of this system of compensation – for example, those who take an illness on themselves in order to have the power to cure; and then there’s the symbolic story of Christ dying on the cross to set men free. And Sri Aurobindo said, ‘That’s fine for a certain age, but we must now go beyond that.’ As he told me (it’s even one of the first things he told me), ‘We are no longer at the time of Christ when, to be victorious, it was necessary to die.’ I have always remembered this...But things are PULLING backwards – phew, how they pull! ... ‘The Law, the Law, it’s a Law. Don’t you understand, it’s a LAW, you can’t change the Law.’ ‘But I CAME to change the Law.’. .‘Then pay the price.’” The Mother The Mother’s Agenda-November 12, 1960, (1) SAVITRI RECITATION ON 24.11.2025 AND (2) DARSHAN DAY(24.11.2025) PROGRAM AT SRI MATRINIKETAN ASHRAM “To concentrate most on one’s own spiritual growth and experience is the first necessity of the sadhak — to be too eager to help others draws away from the inner work. There is also likely to be an overzeal and haste which clouds the discrimination and makes what help is given less effective than it should be. To grow in the spirit is the greatest help one can give to others, for then something flows out naturally to those around that helps them .” Sri Aurobindo CWSA-31/Letters on Yoga-IV/p-317, “The idea of helping others is a subtle form of the ego. It is only the Divine Force that can help. One can be its instrument, but you should first learn to be a fit and egoless instrument.” Sri Aurobindo CWSA-31/Letters on Yoga-IV/p-318, “The best way to help the world is to transform oneself by an integral and intensive yoga.” The Mother TMCW-14/Words of The Mother-II/p-277 “If mankind only caught a glimpse of what infinite enjoyments, what perfect forces, what luminous reaches of spontaneous knowledge, what wide calms of our being lie waiting for us in the tracts which our animal evolution has not yet conquered, they would leave all and never rest till they had gained these treasures. But the way is narrow, the doors are hard to force, and fear, distrust and scepticism are there, sentinels of Nature, to forbid the turning away of our feet from her ordinary pastures.” Sri Aurobindo TMCW-10/On Thoughts and Aphorisms/p-10-11 "A community life must necessarily have a discipline in order that the weaker may not be maltreated by the stronger; and this discipline ought to be respected by all those who wish to live in that community. But for the community to be happy it is necessary that this discipline should be determined by someone or by those who have the greatest broadness of mind and, if possible, by him or by those who are conscious of the Divine Presence and are surrendered to that. For the earth to be happy, power should be in the hands of those alone who are conscious of the Divine Will. But this is impossible at the moment because the number of those who are truly conscious of the Divine Will is negligible and these have necessarily no ambition. To tell the truth, when the hour comes for this realisation, this will come about quite naturally. " The Mother TMCW-13/Words of the Mother-I/p-165

Sri Aurobindo's Consciousness “The consciousness is like a ladder: at each great epoch there has been one great being capable of adding one more step to the ladder and reaching a place where the ordinary consciousness had never been. It is possible to attain a high level and get completely out of the material consciousness; but then one does not retain the ladder, whereas the great achievement of the great epochs of the universe has been the capacity to add one more step to the ladder without losing contact with the material, the capacity to reach the Highest and at the same time connect the top with the bottom instead of letting a kind of emptiness cut off all connection between the different planes. To go up and down and join the top to the bottom is the whole secret of realisation, and that is the work of the Avatar. Each time he adds one more step to the ladder there is a new creation upon earth.... The step which is being added now Sri Aurobindo has called the Supramental; as a result of it, the consciousness will be able to enter the supramental world and yet retain its personal form its individualisation and then come down to establish here a new creation.” The Mother The Mother’s Centenary Works/Vol.3/p-178-179, Sri Aurobindo’s Consciousness “…what Sri Aurobindo represents in the world’s history, is not a teaching, not even a revelation; it is a decisive action direct from the Supreme. And I am just trying to fulfill that action.”²² The Mother “Sri Aurobindo is the Lord, but only a part of the Lord, not the Lord of His totality because the Lord is All—all that is manifested and all that is not manifested. There is nothing that is not the Lord..., but those who are conscious of the Lord are very rare. And this unconsciousness of the creation is what constitutes its Falsehood.”¹⁸ The Mother “Sri Aurobindo is an emanation of the Supreme who came on earth to announce the manifestation of a new race and a new world: the Supramental. Let us prepare for it in all sincerity and eagerness.”²³ The Mother Sri Aurobindo represents, the Being, the Spirit, the Sat, initially the static state of Impersonal Divine Consciousness and finally 'the total Consciousness '³⁵ of the Eternal, which gathers together all experience in the truth of a supreme and all-reconciling Oneness; this Consciousness of 'Knowledge of the Whole'³⁶ is at once the Purusha’s possession and the full conscious control of the Prakriti and by its pressure the transformation of Soul and Nature in Ignorance is experienced; increasing manifestation of Ishwara in the cosmic Being who dynamises out of Himself as increasing manifestation of Ishwari in the cosmic Nature and distinction between Ishwara and Shakti begins to disappear to support Their Divine union and universalised individuality and possession of complete Power and Presence of the Divine in every cell of the body and beyond it there could be the Consciousness of the Avatara , assuming a human name and form for the Transcendent Action, Supreme Creation, Delight of active oneness of Brahman with Maya leading one to the origin of the Existence and Sachchidananda Consciousness of the Divine Lila . This evolving Divinity is paralysed when approached wrongly through the limitation of consciousness. To limit the Illimitable and divide the Indivisible are identified as the first sin of a Spiritual man. For him, the Divine is primarily Impersonal and secondarily Personal. Wherever this sequence is compromised, there Spirituality diminishes into a slow evolutionary movement of efficient self-expansive Religion. His sin seems to become great when instead of becoming a conscious channel and instrument of the Divine, he attempts to correct the imperfection of God’s unfinished world manifestation, who works out the distorting creation, Maya, through wisdom which went forth since the beginning of creation. The corrective measure of this sin of finding fault of the Faultless Creator is that he would under no circumstance ‘set the power and knowledge in him against the power and knowledge of others or affirm himself as an ego striving against other egos.’²⁰ His greater sin is to live content with blissful inner life of ‘golden impotence’²¹ without any force to change the harsh outer life or his exclusive conversion of inner life of thought and feeling without corresponding similar transformation of surface life and body would result in some ‘maimed achievement.’¹⁹ The sin born out of this static blissful seclusion is corrected by dynamising the triple wheel of Karma, Jnana and Bhakti Yoga together simultaneously by giving equal importance to the evolution of these three Soul Forces of Sachchidananda . His last and greatest sin is the ‘spiritual pride’¹ which prevents him from embracing the whole of existence through some exclusive preoccupation and restricts his relation with the all-inclusive, all-embracing and all-exceeding Divine through some partial Divine union. For him, all exclusive enjoyments are imperfect, relative and incomplete accounts of Divine Bliss and perfection comes when this joy is shared by all. An active mind has the capability of possessing the Divine partly, whereas through the passive mind, the Divine is capable of possessing the mind entirely. Similarly Integral Yoga confirms that truth and practice of the greatest Shastra or written truth, which is a preoccupation of active mind, can lead one to the ‘partial expression of the eternal Knowledge’³ and for entire knowledge one must lean on the Soul, the seat of supreme Shastra and ‘the eternal Veda ’⁹ and the former confirms that a Sadhaka may follow one or many Shastras to awaken in him a crowning varieties of highest Spiritual experiences and the latter confirms that this must culminate by becoming ‘a Sadhaka of the Eternal’³ beyond all written truth. The study and practice of Sri Aurobindo’s writings can be used as a means of a double evolution, slow surface mental evolution and swift inner evolution in three ascending stages through the development of Intellect and Intuition. (1) Firstly, if this effort is utilised for exclusive development of the intellect, then even a severely trained intellect is considered as an inexhaustible source of distortion and its critical control over spiritual experience can be hampering and unreliable.²⁸ In spite of the above limitation, Intellect can help in the evolution of the outward nature and the evolution of mind to its greatest possible range, height and subtlety, which is necessary for the unveiling an entirely intuitive intelligence. (2) Secondly, if this exercise is used as a means of exclusive development of Intuition, then there will be the evolution of the Spiritual being but this development is a world escaping and heaven seeking Spirituality. (3) And lastly, if this exercise is used as a means of developing both Intuition and Intellect, with Intellect granted a subordinate status of only verifying the rich harvest of Intuitive truth and then a comprehensive change of double evolution of outer and inner nature becomes practicable. The Supreme Truth revealed to Sri Aurobindo through His writings is divided into two parts, that of (1) firstly, the truth and practice descended sufficiently through His sadhana which is necessary for a Sadhaka to build his strong Spiritual foundation and (2) secondly, the highest descended truth hinted in one book is either developed in another book or not developed during His life time and these hints are necessary for a Sadhaka for unfolding of endless Truth endlessly, integration and perfection of his whole being and nature. So, this double utility in the practice of integral Yoga can open a passage towards Sri Aurobindo’s Supreme Influence. The Highest Hinted Truth of The Synthesis of Yoga : The main contribution of The Synthesis of Yoga to the world is that it universalises the individual consciousness and helps to resolve the most difficult problem of integration of the human and Divine personality through the middle or link plane of Vijnana which interposes the triune glory of the utter Spirit, the Infinite Existence, Consciousness and Bliss of the Eternal and our lower triple nature of Mind, Life and Body. The Gita developed sufficiently the divine mystery of Purusha Yajna and hinted little about Prakriti Yajna. Sri Aurobindo was able to go beyond the Gita by developing and exploring the highest secret hinted in it, which is through pursuance of Integral Karma Yoga , Integral Jnana Yoga , Integral Bhakti Yoga and the Integral Yoga of Self-perfection one arrives at the dynamisation of four Divine Shaktis, chatvaro manabastatha ⁶ , that of Mahasaraswati, Maheswari, Mahalakshmi and Mahakali respectively leading a liberated Soul towards the liberation of Nature. This exercise in The Synthesis of Yoga is further complemented by developing the highest truth of Purusha Yajna hinted in the Upanishads resulting in The Life Divine and developing the highest truth of Prakriti Yajna hinted in the Veda, resulting in The Mother and the Savitri books. The Integral Shastra provides a similar opportunity and absolute liberty to identify and restate the highest secrets hinted in The Synthesis of Yoga and explore the possible means to extend these experiences which need not be restricted within the limitation of intellectual exercise but a subject of profound and deep Spiritual experience. The highest secret, hinted in The Synthesis of Yoga, is identified as the basis of its self-exceeding. First, it declared that the synthesis is possible not by including all the methods of traditional Yoga schools but by discovering their central secrets, central faith, central dynamic process and directing them to move towards the Source, the Sachchidananda . So an evolution of integral method is recommended in which all the faculties related with integral perfection is included. Integral method itself is a progressive and evolving method which are initially dynamised with the three Purushas, that of Psychic, Spiritual and Supramental Being and finally a more comprehensive approach of entering all the planes of Consciousness through the ten Purushas that of Inconscient, Subconscient, true Physical, true Vital, Lower true Mental, Psychic, Higher Mental or Spiritual, Universal, Supramental and Bliss Self. The uncovering of the ten Purushas and perfection of their encircling ten koshas , sheaths, and subtle bodies are the subject of our final concern. The Synthesis of Yoga has hinted that we are surrounded with many subtle bodies, but never got the opportunity to develop them elaborately. It also hinted about the absolute trance into which few can enter but all cannot return to earthly existence. The other criteria and utility of absolute trance in Integral Yoga were beyond its scope. It spoke elaborately about exclusive concentration to which all traditional schools of Yoga lean but developed little about Integral Concentration in which Integral Yoga must proceed and still less developed about the intermediate stairs between exclusive and Integral Concentration. Similarly, it maintains silence or hints little about intermediate planes of Consciousness like Higher Mind, Illumined Mind and Overmind and proposes to leap from ordinary mind to Intuition and from Intuitive mind to Supermind. So the study and practice of The Synthesis of Yoga will be considered incomplete without similar study and practice of its three complementary books, The Life Divine, The Mother and Savitri in which many of the uncovered realms of The Synthesis of Yoga are restated, systematized, extensively developed and made available for further exploration to the human race. The Life Divine Beyond the existing ordinary Life: “Even on the struggling Nature left below Strong periods of illumination came: Lightnings of glory after glory burned, Experience was a tale of blaze and fire, Air rippled round the argosies of the Gods, Strange riches sailed to him from the Unseen; Splendours of insight filled the blank of thought, Knowledge spoke to the inconscient stillnesses, Rivers poured down of bliss and luminous force, Visits of beauty, storm-sweeps of delight Rained from the all-powerful Mystery above.” Savitri-37 “Even when we fail to look into our souls Or lie embedded in earthly consciousness, Still have we parts that grow towards the light, Yet are there luminous tracts and heavens serene And Eldorados of splendour and ecstasy And temples to the godhead none can see.” Savitri-46-47 “Awaiting some tremendous dawn of God, He saw the purpose (of the Divine) in the works of Time. Even in that aimlessness a (Divine) work was done Pregnant with magic will and change divine.” Savitri-47 “A fragment here is caught of heaven’s design; Else could we never hope for greater life And ecstasy and glory could not be. Even in the littleness of our mortal state, Even in this prison-house of outer form, A brilliant passage for the infallible Flame Is driven through gross walls of nerve and brain, A Splendour presses or a Power breaks through, Earth’s great dull barrier is removed awhile, The inconscient seal is lifted from our eyes And we grow vessels of creative might.” Savitri-108 “So must the dim being grow in light and force And rise to his higher destiny at last, Look up to God and round at the universe, And learn by failure and progress by fall And battle with environment and doom, By suffering discover his deep soul And by possession grow to his own vasts.” Savitri-146 "In an outbreak of the might of secret Spirit, In Life and Matter’s answer of delight, Some face of deathless beauty could be caught That gave immortality to a moment’s joy, Some word that could incarnate highest Truth Leaped out from a chance tension of the soul, Some hue of the Absolute could fall on life, Some glory of knowledge and intuitive sight, Some passion of the rapturous heart of Love." Savitri-175-176 “Even with the Light denied that sent her forth And the hope dead she needed for her task, Even when her brightest stars are quenched in Night, Nourished by hardship and calamity And with pain for her body’s handmaid, masseuse, nurse, Her tortured invisible spirit continues still To toil though in darkness, to create though with pangs; She carries crucified God upon her breast.” Savitri-180 Can one imagine the establishment of Consciousness in the Life Divine? It is beyond our mental capacity, but that can only come to our necessity when we have sufficiently evolved in the whole range of Consciousness to see it as our principal endeavour. But the establishment of Consciousness in the Life Divine also asks more effort, the manner in which Sri Aurobindo pursued forty years of concentrated Tapasya in isolation. Those who have approached Sri Aurobindo with their active mind gained little of His vast Spiritual wealth and those who have approached Him in passive or silent mind can become fit to carry ahead of His mission. The first part of this effort asks that we must dare to go below the clear surfaces of things on which the mind loves to dwell, to tempt the vast and obscure fields of Inconscient world towards the Divine Light, to penetrate the unfathomable depths of consciousness and identify ourselves with states of being that will lead us towards an infinite series of Spiritual experiences which can build a strong Spiritual foundation; the second part of the effort identifies the highest Spiritual experiences hinted in The Life Divine and the last part of the effort their full development and consummation. The Life Divine teaches us to learn the lesson of movement of ascending and descending Consciousness. Those who have learned this lesson, they know the Mother partly. By intensification of this movement they can know Her entirely, samagram mam . In The Life Divine, the knowledge hinted but not sufficiently developed in The Synthesis of Yoga is restated again, with greater intensity, finer precision, larger universal approach and clearly spelt hierarchies between the Matter and the Spirit, seven-fold Ignorance and seven-fold Integral Knowledge, Exclusive Concentration and Integral Concentration, Separative Knowledge by indirect contact and Knowledge by Identity, Higher Mind and Supermind, Inconscient self and Bliss self; gives us ample opportunity to go beyond Buddha, Shankara and the Gita ; defines Religion and Occultism in their evolutionary context and possible emergence of Divine community, for the wider and total benefit of the humanity; so the norms imposed by The Synthesis of Yoga for the Sadhakas of Integral Yoga and the norms imposed by The Life Divine for the comprehensive growth and intense evolution of the individual and the race are almost same. And again in Savitri, the issues that are hinted but not sufficiently developed in The Life Divine , are profoundly experienced which are identified as the Presence of Divine in the Inconscient sheath, the passage through which ordinary destiny of man can be shifted to higher Spiritual and Supramental destiny, the finding of the soul through movements of successive layers of desire souls and intermediate soul forces, the secret of true association of the incarnating dual Power where the law of departure is applicable, which means the evolutionary leap can be experienced without undergoing through the experience of successive stages of ascending evolution, the experience of transforming Divine force in the different sheaths without experiencing any actual feeling of Divine descent, adhering to psycho-physical method of sadhana through japa and cataleptic trance during difficult journey in the inconscient realm and critical stages of sadhana like conquest of physical death etc. Savitri also hints about five gradations of transformation of Nature that of slow, constant, high, comprehensive and instantaneous change, that reinforced the triple transformation hinted in The Life Divine that of the Psychic, the Spiritual and the Supramental. The Life Divine provides opportunity for five gradations of ascending humanity to arrive at the Divine Life, which is at once the mundane Ignorance and the Supra-mundane Knowledge and their effective reconciliation. The sons of Death have ascended through these gradations to become the children of Immortality. 1: Mundane: A mundane renounces the inner subjective life of the Spirit and concentrates on the outward material life to arrive at the highest human perfection. 2: Moderate: Moderate spirituality provides material man the means to enter the secrets of existence through Religion, which is an ‘unconscious Yoga of Nature through devotion’ and through Science, which is an ‘unconscious Yoga of Nature through Intellect’. 3: Ascetic or Later Vedantic Saint: The path of the Ascetic is the path of an equal indifference and renunciation leading to the distant Bliss of the Sachchidananda consciousness, transcendent of the universe and aloof from outer life. The Life Divine declares, “In practice also the ascetic spirit is an indispensable element in human perfection;”¹² which liberates humanity from the subjection “to an always insistent animalism.”¹² 4: Consecrated Individual or Ancient Vedantic Seer: The path of a consecrated individual is the path of indispensable surrender and loss of ego leading to the all-embracing Bliss of the Sachchidananda consciousness which is at once individual, universal and transcendent and possession of an all-pervading equal delight; it is the path of the ancient Vedantic sages who affirmed that the perfect and the liberating knowledge excludes neither the Self nor its Creations and he is preoccupied in organising the world and its objects through reconciliation of perfect Spirit with imperfect Matter. 5: Virgin or High-bred golden Maiden of the Veda, Surya Savitri: The Life Divine declares that difficult ascension in the path of the Divine Life becomes easy and facile to those who dwell from the beginning on a ‘virgin stuff of mind and matter’⁷ and they act upon the world from the ‘fortress’⁸ of their inner Psychic being and in the inmost sanctuary of this inner world they are alone with the Divine and one with the supreme Existence. This established inner seclusion is the highest hinted secret Truth of collective living of The Life Divine is further developed in Savitri , where this Supreme Shastra promises that the earth life can be made equal and peer of Heaven and Heaven’s joy can be stabilized on earth if Earth can be made pure and virgin. That is the condition of the complete descent of the Unknowable of which the individual is a channel and centre of the universe, collectivity is a condition and field and humanity is a mould and circumscription. A similar five-fold ascension of consciousness is also observed in Savitri, where Death is projected as the Mundane Godhead who has spread his net of death over the whole world to easily catch the weaker section of the humanity and he understands world through the mundane eye. King Aswapati’s wife, the Queen of Madra , represents the moderate Spiritualist who has realised God but is ignorant of God’s power that can transform human nature and subsequently human destiny. King Aswapati represents the concentrated effort, Tapasya , askesis aspect of the hard ascetic living and he was capable of bringing down the Divine Mother to earthly tenement through his Spiritual Power. Satyavan represents the fit vessel of consecration by loss of ego at the feet of the Divine Mother and has the spirit of the ancient Vedic Rishi who has equal regard and reverence for both Matter and Spirit to find their reconciliation. And lastly we find the Virgin Savitri, a concentration of the universal Mother for earth’s salvation, whose path was to annul herself to find the Supreme alone and her strong subtle physical Presence could not be caught by the Death’s net and she further extended her power to save her consecrated child and playmate, Satyavan , who is at once the Godhead, the doomed husband and the representative Soul of the whole of humanity. So, to escape from death, a mundane has to shun attachment to outward living and outward enjoyment and has to enter human perfection of physical substance. Then, as a moderate, he turns outer into inner life to realise God. Then this partial realisation is to be universalized and transcended through the increase of concentration or tapasya which will culminate in total consecration to call down the entire presence of the Divine Mother. The more one enters the subtler world the more it becomes difficult for Death to catch in his world spreading death-trap. Death is conquered through the complete possession of the Divine Mother, which is an unfolding of the unending mystery of the Spirit. Those who want to go beyond the ordinary earth-bound life or develop the highest hinted secret of The Life Divine, of arriving at fullness of Being, fullness of Consciousness and fullness of Life can receive Savitri’s assistance. Since Savitri and Satyavan were the first woman and man³³ of the earth from the beginning of creation, they evolved from their mundane²⁹ identity. Satyavan’s early days in the Shalwa’s forest land were to think, act, enjoy and breathe like other mundane man and yet he had the brief partial glimpse of deeper Self. Then a ‘truth was felt’ in his moderate life ‘that screened its shape from mind.’³⁰ A moderate is oblivious of future doom and is preoccupied with present moments. An awareness of future doom comes through vision, and by consecration, Divine union is experienced and the doom changes. The moderate Satyavan , who lived in the illumined Soul ray of God’s touch but was not ready to face the eternal Sun of His constant embrace, became ascetic Satyavan, when this surface concentration of the Divine ray penetrated heart and flesh. This ascetic Divine realisation could not bridge the gulf between Matter and Spirit. When he concentrated on the world, he lost God and when he concentrated on God, he lost the world. With Savitri’s arrival, this gulf was bridged and the consecrated Satyavan became King Child and was able to live and face the sunlight, representing Vijnana . And in the cosmic Consciousness of Vijnana, the Spirit and Matter are reconciled and Matter’s or physical body’s fixed death-bound destiny and grooves of Iron law are changed into the Spirit’s immortal all life. This is a passage from mere mundane man² ⁹ incarnating to the integral ascending Godhead of the race or ‘the soul of man climbing to God,’³ ² and its destined saviour. Satyavan’s Godhead status does not prevent him from living ‘in one house with the primal beast’³¹ in the forest, colloquies with the Djinn and Asuras of the Subconscient world; thus, in the Divine’s single plan ‘high meets the low’³¹ or ‘God’s summits look back on the mute Abyss;’³¹ accepts to be small and human on earth. This is the emergence of Lord Satyavan, ³⁴ for whom Savitri fought with dark Godhead in Death’s Night. Through this hard sacrificial action, the highest Divine Consciousness of the Avatar is reconciled with the lowest consciousness of earth. The Highest hinted Truth of The Mother Book developed in Savitri : “It left mind’s distance from the Truth supreme” Savitri-44 “A Truth supreme has forced the world to be;” Savitri-658 “Fragments of Truth supreme have lit his soul,” Savitri-659 “All-ruler, ruled by none, the Truth supreme,” Savitri-661 “The Truth supreme, vast and impersonal” Savitri-662 “O Death, if thou couldst touch the Truth supreme” Savitri-663 “If Truth supreme transcends her shadow here” Savitri-663 “Then shall the Truth supreme be given to men:” Savitri-705 “This independent, once a power supreme,” Savitri-542 “The quintessence glowed of Life’s supreme delight.” Savitri-120 “Only to be was a supreme delight,” Savitri-124 “In the deep breast of God’s supreme delight.” Savitri-200 “Happy to enjoy one touch of things supreme,” Savitri-238 “There leaps out unity’s supreme delight” Savitri-324 “Yet are they instruments of a Will supreme,” Savitri-378 The Mother’s Mediatrix Spiritual Mother identity hinted in ‘The Mother’ book is fulfilled and culminated as Supreme Creatrix Mother identity in Savitri . In Savitri, the Overmental Power of Maheswari is culminated in the Supramental experience of Truth supreme, which is identified as highest Spiritual/Supramental experience of the Savitri book and by its activation Savitri could conquer Death. King Aswapati had the brief touch of this experience of Truth Supreme which is described as 'Upheld to a Light it could not always hold.'²⁴ Similarly, the Overmental Power of Mahakali, Mahalakshmi and Mahasaraswati are culminated as Supramental Shakti of Power supreme, supreme Delight and Will supreme respectively. The Divine action of The Mother as the Four Overmental Mahashaktis of The Mother book is also to be related with the Mother of All Life extending from ‘a force in her that toiled since the earth was made’¹⁰ to the final promise of Savitri that ‘The mighty Mother shall (again) take birth in Time’¹¹ . She is also to be strongly related with the four Psychic Mother Powers that of Brhahma Shakti, Kshatriya Shakti, Vaisya Shakti and Shudra Shakti , as hinted in The Synthesis of Yoga and the Supramental Mother known as Maya , or the power of the Brahman as hinted in The Life Divine and the four attributes of the Supramental Mother as indicated in Savitri. This exercise also again wants to uncover the Mother from ‘folds of velvet darkness’² ⁶ in the Subconscient cave and the Mother seated in the many petalled lotus throne of 'the thousand-pillared temple'²⁷ of Inconscient sheath. Then above the Supramental plane and below the Inconscient plane She is identified as the Bliss Mother, who has pervaded all these worlds, sheaths and planes of Consciousness. These experiences will lead us to the Source of existence where King Aswapati saw: “This world of bliss he saw and felt its call, But found no way to enter into its joy; Across the conscious gulf there was no bridge.” Savitri-128 “There he beheld in their mighty union’s poise The figure of deathless Two-in-One, A single being in two bodies clasped, A diarchy of two united souls, Seated absorbed in deep creative joy; Their trance of bliss sustained the mobile world.” Savitri-295 Savitri fully explores Psychic, Spiritual and Supramental Mother Powers which are dynamised after the opening of the Psychic Being, Spiritual Being and Supramental being, either through ascent of Consciousness, Vedantic sacrifice or through the descent of Divine Consciousness, Vedic sacrifice. Here in Savitri the Vedic sacrifice is developed to such extent that it gives birth to Integral Tantra Yoga , if rightly pursued then the Sadhaka of Integral Yoga can compress his evolution of many centuries into few years. The Highest Hinted Spiritual and Supramental experience in Savitri: The highest hinted Spiritual secret of Savitri is the entire descent of the Supreme Mother and the Supreme Lord with all their attributes of Truth Supreme, Love Supreme, Delight Supreme, Knowledge Supreme, Beauty Supreme, Power Supreme, Life Supreme, Light Supreme, Silence Supreme, Peace Supreme, Word Supreme, Voice Supreme and Void Supreme, followed by the discovery of the Divine in the Subconscient and Inconscient Self and entry into the virgin forest of multiple subtle bodies and sheaths to which no one has ever trod. A part of the highest hinted truths of Savitri are segregated into five parts, that of Morning Prayer, Noon Prayer, Evening Prayer, Night Prayer and General Prayer, so that it can be concentrated and contemplated on. The task of a Sadhak of integral Yoga is to utilise the highest hinted truth as seed of future developed knowledge. This exercise is also identified in Savitri language 'His small beginnings asked for a mighty end.'²⁵ Morning Prayer (Her Future Task): "If once it met the intense original Flame, An answering touch might shatter all measures made And earth sink down with the weight of the Infinite." Savitri-18 "Overpowered were earth and Nature’s obsolete rule; The python coils of the restricting Law Could not restrain the swift arisen God: Abolished were the scripts of destiny." Savitri-82 "But many-visaged is the cosmic Soul; A touch (of cosmic Self) can alter the fixed front of Fate. A sudden turn can come, a road appear. A greater Mind, may see a greater Truth, Or we may find when all the rest has failed Hid in ourselves the key of perfect change." Savitri-256 "A fiery stillness wakes the slumbering cells, A passion of the flesh becoming spirit, And marvellously is fulfilled at last The miracle for which our life was made." Savitri-278 “Awake not the immeasurable descent, Speak not my secret name to hostile Time; Man is too weak to bear the Infinite’s weight. Truth born too soon might break the imperfect earth.” Savitri-335 "Omnipotence, girdle with the power of God Movements and moments of a mortal will, Pack with the eternal might one human hour And with one gesture change all future time." Savitri-345 “A Magician’s formulas have made Matter’s laws... All here can change if the Magician choose. If human will could be made one with God’s, If human thought could echo the thoughts of God, Man might be all-knowing and omnipotent... Then is he a miracle doing miracles.” Savitri-457-58 "All now is changed, yet all is still the same. Lo, we have looked upon the face of God, Our life has opened with divinity. We have borne identity with the Supreme And known his meaning in our mortal lives." Savitri-719 "A Power arose out of my slumber’s cell." Savitri-343 "Almighty powers are shut in Nature’s cells" Savitri-370 "Achieve perfection by the magic throb" Savitri-112 "Of Beauty’s touch transfiguring heart and sense" Savitri-195 "And could in a moment dangerously change." Savitri-206 "And the world change with the beauty of a smile." Savitri-290 "Even a brief nearness has reshaped my life" Savitri-406 "Because of change within me by thy look." Savitri-408 "Although her kingdom of magic transformation within Remained unspoken in her secret breast, All that lived round her felt its magic’s charm:" Savitri-532 "All the world’s values changed heightening life’s aim;" Savitri-42 "All’s miracle here and can by miracle change." Savitri-85 "Where all seems sure and, even when changed, the same," Savitri-69 "All is a miracle of symmetric charm, A fantasy of perfect line and rule." Savitri-113 "And when that greater Self comes sea-like down To fill this image of our transience, All shall be captured by delight transformed." Savitri-171 "Proclaiming a panacea for all Time’s ills" Savitri-198 "Healed were all things that Time’s torn heart had made" Savitri-232 "And the almighty source of cosmic change." Savitri-298 "He had reached the top of all that can be known:" Savitri-300 "All he had been and all towards which he grew Must now be left behind or else transform Into a self of That which has no name." Savitri-307 "“All now is changed, yet all is still the same. Lo, we have looked upon the face of God, Our life has opened with divinity. We have borne identity with the Supreme And known his meaning in our mortal lives.” Savitri-719 Noon Prayer (Her Unfinished Work): "A whisper lures to evil the human heart, It seals up wisdom’s eyes, the soul’s regard, It is the origin of our suffering here, It binds earth to calamity and pain." Savitri-448 "Our souls can visit in great lonely hours Still regions of imperishable Light, All-seeing eagle-peaks of silent Power And moon-flame oceans of swift fathomless Bliss And calm immensities of spirit space." Savitri-47 "I keep my will to save the world and man; Even the charm of thy alluring voice, O blissful Godhead, cannot seize and snare. I sacrifice not earth to happier worlds." Savitri-692 "A divinising stream possessed his veins, His body’s cells awoke to spirit sense, Each nerve became a burning thread of joy: Tissue and flesh partook beatitude. Alight, the dun unplumbed subconscient caves Thrilled with prescience to her longed for tread And filled with flickering crests and praying tongues." Savitri-334 "An invisible sunlight ran within her veins And flooded her brain with heavenly brilliances That woke a wider sight than earth could know." Savitri-356 "Lightnings of glory after glory burned, Experience was a tale of blaze and fire, Air rippled round the argosies of the Gods, Strange riches sailed to him from the Unseen; Splendours of insight filled the blank of thought, Knowledge spoke to the inconscient stillnesses, Rivers poured down of bliss and luminous force, Visits of beauty, storm-sweeps of delight Rained from the all-powerful Mystery above." Savitri-37 "Its saviour light the inconscient universe. And when that greater Self comes sea-like down To fill this image of our transience, All shall be captured by delight, transformed: In waves of undreamed ecstasy shall roll Our mind and life and sense and laugh in a light Other than this hard limited human day The body’s tissues thrill apotheosised, Its cells sustain bright metamorphosis." Savitri-171 Evening Prayer (Her Mighty Task): "A treasure was found of a supernal Day. In the deep subconscient glowed her jewel-lamp; Lifted, it showed the riches of the Cave Where, by the miser traffickers of sense Unused, guarded beneath Night’s dragon paws, In folds of velvet darkness they sleep Whose priceless value could have saved the world." Savitri-42 "A secret spirit in the Inconscient’s sleep, A shapeless Energy, a voiceless Word, He was here before the elements could emerge, Before there was light of mind or life could breathe." Savitri-60 "The Inconscient found its heart of consciousness, The idea and feeling groping in Ignorance At last clutched passionately the body of Truth, The music born in Matter’s silences Plucked nude out of the Ineffable’s fathomlessness The meaning it had held but could not voice; The perfect rhythm now only sometimes dreamed An answer brought to the torn earth’s hungry need Rending the night that had concealed the Unknown, Giving to her her forgotten soul (in Inconscient sheath). A grand solution closed the long impasse In which the heights of mortal effort end." Savitri-89 "A mystery wakes in our inconscient stuff, A bliss is born that can remake our life." Savitri-397 "All underwent a high celestial change: Breaking the black Inconscient’s blind mute wall, Effacing the circles of the Ignorance, Powers and divinities burst flaming forth; Each part of the being trembling with delight Lay overwhelmed with tides of happiness And saw her hand in every circumstance And felt her touch in every limb and cell." Savitri-529 "The truth above shall wake a nether truth,… The Spirit’s tops and Nature’s base shall draw Near to the secret of their separate truth And know each other as one deity." Savitri-709 "To meet me in the abyss and on the height… And love me in the noble and vile, In beautiful things and terrible desire." Savitri-700 "This too the supreme Diplomat can use, He makes our fall a means for greater rise. For into ignorant Nature’s gusty field, Into the half-ordered chaos of mortal life The formless Power, the Self of eternal light Follow in the shadow of the spirit’s descent; The twin duality for ever one Chooses its home mid the tumults of the sense. He comes unseen into our darker parts And, curtained by the darkness, does his work, A subtle and all-knowing guest and guide, Till they too feel the need and will to change." Savitri-34-35 "If the chamber’s door is even a little ajar, What then can hinder God from stealing in Or who forbid his kiss on the sleeping soul?" Savitri-649 "And bear the splendour of the Divine’s rush And his impetuous knock at unseen doors." Savitri-709 "Break into eternity thy mortal mould; Melt, lightning, into thy invisible flame! Clasp, Ocean, deep into thyself thy wave, Happy for ever in the embosoming surge. Grow one with the still passion of the depths. Then shalt thou know the Lover and the Loved, Leaving the limits dividing him and thee. Receive him into boundless Savitri, Lose thyself into infinite Satyavan." Savitri-691-92 "Housing a multitudinous embrace To marry all in God’s immense delight, Bearing the eternity of every spirit, Bearing the burden of universal love, A wonderful mother of unnumbered souls." Savitri-695 "Yet were there regions where these absolutes met And made a circle of bliss with married hands; Light stood embraced by light, fire wedded fire, But none in the other would his body lose To find his soul in the world’s single Soul, A multiplied rapture of infinity." Savitri-282 "Aspiring to the monarchy of the sun They call in Truth for their high government, Hold her incarnate in their daily acts And fill their thoughts with her inspired voice And shape their lives into her breathing form, Till in her sun-gold godhead they too share." Savitri-185 "A consciousness that saw without a seer, The Truth where knowledge is not nor knower nor known, The Love enamoured of its own delight In which the Lover is not nor the Beloved Bringing their personal passion into the Vast, The Force omnipotent in quietude, The Bliss that none can ever taste." Savitri-525 Night Prayer (The Unfinished Story of Her Soul): "My Love is stronger than the bonds of Fate: Our love is the heavenly seal of the Supreme. I guard the seal against thy (Death’s) rending hands. Love must not cease to live upon the earth; For Love is the bright link twixt earth and heaven, Love is the far Transcendent’s angel here; Love is man’s lien on the Absolute." Savitri-633 "He who would save the world must be one with the world," Savitri-537 "One man’s perfection still can save the world." Savitri-531 "One soul’s ambition lifted up the race;" Savitri-44 "And guards the world with its all seeing gaze." Savitri-317 "He mastered the tides of Nature with a look:" Savitri-219 "Its (Supramental Being’s) gaze controls the turbulent whirl of things." Savitri-571 "Her aspiration called high destiny down;" Savitri-358 "It bore the stroke of That which kills and saves." Savitri-20 "His brain was wrapped in overwhelming light, An all-embracing knowledge seized his heart: Thoughts rose in him no earthly mind can hold, Mights played that never coursed through mortal nerves: He scanned the secrets of the Overmind, He bore the rapture of the Oversoul." Savitri-302 "A Heart was felt in the spaces wide and bare, A burning Love from white spiritual founts Annulled the sorrow of the ignorant depths; Suffering was lost in her immortal smile. A Life from beyond grew conqueror here of death; To err no more was natural to mind; Wrong could not come where all was light and love." Savitri-313-14 "All underwent a high celestial change:" Savitri-529 "A deeper interpretation greatened Truth, A grand reversal of the Night and Day; All the world’s values changed heightening life’s aim; A wiser word, a larger thought came in Than what the slow labour of human mind can bring, A secret sense awoke that could perceive A Presence and a Greatness everywhere." Savitri-42 "All worlds she makes the partners of her deeds, Accomplices of her mighty violence, Her daring leaps into the impossible:" Savitri-86 "A last high world was seen where all worlds meet; In its summit gleam where Night is not nor Sleep, The light began of the Trinity supreme." Savitri-89 "This earth is not alone our teacher and nurse; The powers of all the worlds have entrance here." Savitri-153 "Into a wonderful bodiless realm he came, The home of a passion without name or voice, A depth he felt answering to every height, A nook was found that could embrace all worlds, A point that was the conscious knot of Space, An hour eternal in the heart of Time. A point that was the conscious knot of Space, An hour eternal in the heart of Time. The silent Soul of all the world was there:" Savitri-290-291 "His large identity and all-harbouring love Shall bring the cosmic anguish into his depths, The sorrow of all living things shall come And knock at his doors and live within his house; A dreadful cord of sympathy can tie All suffering into his single grief and make All agony in all the worlds his own." Savitri-446 "Into the eternal Light he shall emerge On borders of the meeting of all worlds; There on the verge of Nature’s summit steps The secret Law of each thing is fulfilled, All contraries heal their long dissidence." Savitri-450-51 "Then listening to the thunder’s fatal crash And the fugitive pattering footsteps of the showers And the long unsatisfied panting of the wind And sorrow muttering in the sound-vexed night, The grief of all the world came near to her." Savitri-468-469 "Above her brows where will and knowledge meet A mighty Voice invaded mortal space. It seemed to come from inaccessible heights And yet was intimate with all the world And knew the meaning of the steps of Time And saw eternal destiny’s changeless scene Filling the far prospect of the cosmic gaze." Savitri-474 "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." Savitri-482 "One day I will return, His hand in mine, And thou shalt see the face of the Absolute. Then shall the holy marriage be achieved, Then shall the divine family be born. There shall be light and peace in all the worlds ." Savitri-521 "Yet all the worlds and God himself were there, For every symbol was a reality And brought the presence which had given it life." Savitri-525 "It plunged into the unfathomable deeps And found no end to the silent mystery That held all world within one lonely breast, Yet harboured all creation’s multitudes." Savitri-555 "She was a single being, yet all things; The world was her spirit’s wide circumference, The thoughts of others were her intimates, Their feelings close to her universal heart, Their bodies her many bodies kin to her; She was no more herself but all the world ." Savitri-556 "Nowhere she dwelt, her spirit was everywhere, The distant constellations wheeled round her; Earth saw her born, all worlds were her colonies, The greater worlds of life and mind were hers; All Nature reproduced her in its lines, Its movements were large copies of her own." Savitri-557 "A few have dared the last supreme ascent And break through borders of blinding light above, And feel a breath around of mightier air, Receive a vaster being’s messages And bathe in its immense intuitive Ray." Savitri-659 "This world is a vast unbroken totality, A deep solidarity joins its contrary powers; God’s summits look back on the mute Abyss." Savitri-541 General Prayer (The World’s Enormous Task): "Impenetrable, a mystery recondite Is the vast plan of which we are a part; Its harmonies are discords to our view Because we know not the great theme they serve." Savitri-160 "Aspiring to the monarchy of the sun They call in Truth for their high government, Hold her incarnate in their daily acts And fill their thoughts with her inspired voice And shape their lives into her breathing form, Till in her sun-gold godhead they too share." Savitri-185 "Only to attract her veiled companion And keep him close to her breast in her world-cloak Lest from her arms he turn to his formless peace, Is her heart’s business and her clinging care." Savitri-181 (The relation between Supreme Self and Supreme Nature.) "As yet thought only some high spirit’s dream Or a vexed illusion in man’s toiling mind, A new creation from the old shall rise, A Knowledge inarticulate find speech, Beauty suppressed burst into paradise bloom, Pleasure and pain dive into absolute bliss." Savitri-330 "But few can look beyond the present state Or overleap this matted hedge of sense All that transpires on earth and all-beyond Are parts of an illimitable plan The One keeps in his heart and knows alone. Our outward happenings have their seed within, And even this random Fate that imitates Chance, This mass of unintelligible results, Are the dumb graph of truths that work unseen: The laws of the Unknown create the known." Savitri-52 "Infinite, coeval with the mind of God, It bore within itself a seed, a flame, A seed from which the Eternal is new born, A flame that cancels death in mortl things." Savitri-291 "Yet a foreseeing Knowledge might be ours, If we could take our spirit’s stand within, If we could hear the muffled daemon voice." Savitri-52 "For through a dress of blind and devious chance Is laid upon the work of all-wise Fate, Our acts interpret an omniscient Force That dwells in the compelling stuff of things, And nothing happens in the cosmic play But at its time and in its foreseen place." Savitri-389 "O Aswapati, random seem the ways Along whose banks your footsteps stray or run In casual hours or moments of the gods, Yet your least stumblings are foreseen above. … Heaven’s wiser love rejects the mortal’s prayer; Unblinded by the breath of his desire, Unclouded by the mists of fear and hope It bends above the strife of love with death; It keeps for her her privilege of pain." Savitri-456-57 "Fate is Truth working out in Ignorance. O King, thy fate is a transaction done At every hour between Nature and thy soul With God for its foreseeing arbiter. Fate is a balance drawn in Destiny’s book. Man can accept his fate, he can refuse. Even if the One maintains the unseen decree He writes thy refusal in thy credit page: For doom is not a close, a mystic seal… Thy fate is a long sacrifice to the gods Till they have opened to thee thy secret self And made thee one with the indwelling God."Savitri-458 "For out of danger and pain heaven-bliss shall come, Time’s unforeseen event, God’s secret plan. This world was not built with random bricks of Chance, A blind god is not destiny’s architect; A conscious power has drawn the plan of life, There is a meaning in each curve and line." Savitri-459 "A worshipped empress all once vied to serve, She made herself the diligent serf of all, Nor spared the labour of broom and jar and well, Or close gentle tending or to heap the fire Of altar and kitchen, no slight task allowed To others that her woman’s strength might do. In all her acts a strange divinity shone: Into a simplest movement she could bring A oneness with earth’s glowing robe of light, A lifting up of common acts by love." Savitri-470 "Here in this chamber of flame and light they met; (Psychic and Spiritual Being met) They looked upon each other, knew themselves, The secret deity and its human part, The calm immortal and the struggling soul. Then with a magic transformation’s speed They rushed into each other and grew one." Savitri-527 "The voice that only by speech can move the mind Became a silent knowledge in the soul; The strength that only in action feels its truth Was lodged now in a mute omnipotent peace." Savitri-32 Her shining minutes of celestial speech, Passed through the masked office of the occult mind, Transmitting gave to prophet and to seer The inspired body of the mystic Truth. Savitri-39 Savitri’s World Conquering Impossible Task: "Whether to bear with Ignorance and death Or hew the ways of Immortalty, To win or lose the godlike game for man, Was her soul’s issue thrown with Destiny’s dice. But not to submit and suffer was she born; To lead, to deliver was her glorious part." Savitri-17 "Writing the unfinished story of her soul… Her single will opposed the comic rule. To stay the wheels of Doom this greatness rose." Savitri-19 "Moveless upholds the world’s enormous task," Savitri-58 "He is a spirit in an unfinished world" Savitri-71 "There work was play and play the only work, The tasks of heaven a game of god like might:" Savitri-126 "In nescience began her mighty task, In Ignorance she pursues the unfinished work," Savitri-135 "Her task no ending knows; she serves no aim But labours driven by a nameless Will That came from some unknowable formless Vast. This is her secret and impossible task To catch the boundless in a net of birth, To cast the spirit into the physical form, To lend speech and thought to the ineffable; She is pushed to reveal the ever Unmanifest. Yet by her skill the impossible has been done:" Savitri-177 "The unfinished creation of a changing soul" Savitri-178 "And the hope dead she needed for her task," Savitri-180 "They were figures crowding an unfinished sum." Savitri-187 "Always a farther task was left to do" Savitri-197 "To teach the Ignorance is her difficult charge, Her thought starts from an original nescient Void And what she teaches she herself must learn Arousing knowledge from its sleepy lair." Savitri-243-44 "For knowledge comes not to us as a guest Called into our chamber from the outer world; A friend and inmate of our secret self, It hid behind our minds and fell asleep And slowly wakes beneath the blows of life; The mighty daemon lies unshaped within, To evoke, to give it form is Nature’s task." Savitri-244 "She did the task, obeyed the knowledge given, Her deep heart yearned towards great ideal things And from the light looked out to wider light:" Savitri-256 "Something thou cam’st to do from the Unknown, But nothing is finished and the world goes on Because only half God’s cosmic work is done." Savitri-310 "A mightier task remained than all he had done." Savitri-317 "His work unfinished he claims a heavenly prize." Savitri-338 "She took again her divine unfinished task:" Savitri-353 "Although our fallen minds forget to climb, Although our human stuff resists or breaks, She keeps her will that hopes to divinise clay; Failure cannot repress, defeat o’erthrow; Time cannot weary her nor the Void subdue, The ages have not made her passion less; No victory she admits of Death or Fate. Always she drives the soul to new attempt;" Savitri-354 "Nowhere she found her partner of high tasks," Savitri-366 "And went impelled on her unfinished way" Savitri-385 "He beheld the cosmic Being at his task,"Savitri-416 "Or must fire always test the great of soul? Along the dreadful causeway of the Gods, Armoured with love and faith and sacred joy, A traveler to the Eternal’s house, Once let unwounded pass a mortal life." Savitri-423 "Her eyes are fixed upon her mighty aim; No cry or prayer can turn her from her path." Savitri-427 "One voice that questioned changeless destiny, A will that strove against the immutable Will." Savitri-437 "Hard is the world-redeemer’s heavy task;… Those he would save are his antagonists:… He still must labour on, his work half done. … The world’s blows cannot bend his victor head; … Fate’s deaf resistance cannot break his will. … He has broken into the Inconscient’s depths That veil themselves even from their own regard: … He must call light into its dark abysms, … He must pass to the other shore of falsehood’s sea, He must enter the world’s dark to bring their light. The heart of evil must be bared to his eyes, He must learn its cosmic dark necessity, … He must know the thought that moves the demon act … He must enter the eternity of Night And know God’s darkness as he knows his Sun. For this he must go down into the pit, For this he must invade the dolorous Vasts. … He still must travel Hell the world to save. Into the eternal light he shall emerge … Then shall the world-redeemer’s task be done." Savitri-448-51 "A greatness in thy daughter’s soul resides That can transform herself and all around But must cross on stones of suffering to its goal. Although designed like a nectar cup of heaven, Of heavenly ether made she sought this air, She too must share the human need of grief And all her cause of joy transmute to pain." Savitri-457 "Her lonely strength facing the universe, Affronting fate, asks not man’s help nor god’s:.. Alone she is equal to her mighty task." Savitri-460 "Think not to turn her from her heaven-sent task, Strive not to save her from her own high will." Savitri-461 "Thou hast come down into a struggling world To aid a blind and suffering mortal race, To open to Light the eyes that could not see, To bring down bliss into the heart of grief, To make thy life a bridge twixt earth and heaven; If thou wouldst save the toiling universe, The vast universal suffering feel as thine: Thou must bear the sorrow that thou claimst to heal; The day-bringer must walk in darkest night. He who would save the world must share its pain. If he knows not grief, how shall he find grief’s cure?" Savitri-537 "Our tasks are given, we are but instruments; Nothing is all our own that we create:" Savitri-542 "Darkness below, a fathomless Light above, In Light are joined, but sundered by severing Mind Stand face to face, opposite, inseparable, Two contraries needed for his great World-task, Two poles whose currents wake the immense World-Force." Savitri-656-57 "In vain thou tempest with solitary bliss Two spirits saved out of a suffering world; My soul and his indissolubly linked In the one task for which our lives were born, To raise the world to God in deathless Light, To bring God down to the world on earth we came, To change the earthly life to life divine." Savitri-692 Beyond Savitri: “The lyric of love that waits through Time And the mystic volume of the book of Bliss And the message of the superconscient Fire.” Savitri-232 “If Divine Love were to manifest now in all its fullness and totality, not a single material organism would but burst”¹⁴ Sri Aurobindo There are still streams of the Divine love that have not yet manifested in the earth’s atmosphere and shall manifest when earth and its prepared individuals are ready to hold it. The Savitri book hints that there is still a subtle Savitri emerging from the secret Subtle, Superconscient and Supramental world from which the inexhaustible source of Knowledge, Love and Delight can pour in to bring completion and fullness of earth’s Divine manifestation. Those words can be recorded in ‘The Book of Bliss’, which is hinted as knowledge beyond Savitri . Savitri hints that Death can be conquered by increasing the Love force that binds earth to the Supreme. For such Divine Love to manifest upon earth, earth must be capable of holding the Divine Love in its entirety. Savitri indicates sufficiently that the present humanity is satisfied with its mundane and moderate existence and is not ready for physical immortality and conquest of death. Its mental development is closed between the two firmaments of brute outwardness and subjection of word and images or sound and sight and refuses to plunge within. In this slow evolution the Death acts as a guardian of Truth and devours all that cannot stand the pressure of the change and transformation. Death was able to see a fragment of Truth supreme in Savitri which made him powerless and he managed to escape into his inconscient home. The slaying of Death in his Inconscient home was left as an issue for the future incarnation of the Divine Mother or future Savitri who will be able to possess the highest siddhi or perfection of Truth supreme entirely to conquer and eliminate Death from earth’s scene. The present earth is an unfinished story of Savitri , the all Mother and the present Savitri has extended herself through future incarnations of her mortal form. The Mother’s¹³ Highest Hinted Spiritual and Supramental Experiences: The Mother’s major Spiritual experiences are listed below with brief descriptions. The dates of these important realisations are mentioned here so that we can celebrate these days in our inner Spiritual journey. Attempts were made to find similar Spiritual experiences in Savitri . These words can be used as a means of entering contact with Her and a passage towards the cellular transformation opens wide. These experiences make us aware of the variety of multitudes of Supramental states of consciousness that wait to possess the physical substance to change their physical constitution. Those who are destined for cellular transformation experiences will find immense support from the Mother’s word and will be verified in their inner journey. 29th February, 1956: FIRST SUPRAMENTAL MANIFESTATION: (During the common meditation on Wednesday, the 29th February, 1956 at Ashram Playground) "This evening the Divine Presence, concrete and material, was there present amongst you. I had a form of living gold, bigger than the universe, and I was facing a huge and massive golden door which separated the world from the Divine. As I looked at the door, I knew and willed, in a single movement of consciousness, that ‘THE TIME HAS COME’, and lifting with both hands a mighty golden hammer I struck one below, one single blow on the door and the door was shattered to pieces. Then the Supramental Light and Force and Consciousness rushed down upon earth in an uninterrupted flow." (A parallel of The Mother’s above experience is observed in Savitri and Isha Upanishad:-) “The great hammer-beats of a pent-up world-heart Burst open the narrow dams that keep us safe Against the forces of universe.” Savitri-83 “The face of the Truth or the Supramental world is covered with a brilliant golden lid, that do thou remove, O Fosterer, for the law of the Truth, for sight.” Isha Upannishad-15 3rd July 1957: VISION OF IMMENSE HOTEL: "This vision took place early in the night and woke me up with a rather unpleasant feeling. It was a kind of an immense hotel where all the terrestrial possibilities were lodged in different apartments. And it was all in a constant state of transformation: parts or entire wings of the building were suddenly torn down and rebuilt while people were still living them in them, such that if you went off somewhere within the immense hotel itself, you ran the risk of no longer finding your room when you wanted to return to it, for it might have been torn down and was being rebuilt according to another plan! It was orderly, it was organised …yet there was this fantastic chaos which I mentioned…It went something like this: somewhere, in the centre of this enormous edifice, there was a room reserved—as it seemed in the story –for a mother and her daughter. The mother was a lady, an elderly lady, a very influential matron who had a great deal of authority and her own views concerning the entire organisation. Her daughter seemed to have a power of movement and activity enabling her to be everywhere at once while at the same time remaining in her room, which was…well, a bit more than a room—it was kind of apartment which, above all, had the characteristic of being very central. But she was constantly arguing with her mother. The mother wanted to keep things ‘just as they were,’ with their usual rhythm, which precisely meant the habit of tearing down one thing to rebuild another, then again tearing down that to build still another, thus, giving the building an appearance of frightful confusion. But the daughter did not like this, and she had another plan. Most of all, she wanted to bring something completely new into the organisation: a kind of super-organisation that would render all this confusion unnecessary. Finally, as it was impossible for them to reach an understanding, the daughter left the room to go on a kind of general inspection… She went out, looked everything over, and then wanted to return to her room to decide upon some final measures… She clearly remembered where her room was, but each time she set out to go there, either the staircase disappeared or things were so changed that she could no longer find her way! So she went here and there, up and down, searched, went in and out… but it was impossible to find the way to her room! Since all of this assumed a physical appearance, as is always the case in these symbolic visions—there was somewhere (how shall I put it?) the hotel’s administrative office and a woman who seemed to be the manager, who had all the keys and who knew where everyone was staying. So the daughter went to this person and asked her, ‘Could you show me the way to my room?’ –‘But of course! Easily!’ Everyone around the manager looked at her as if to say, ‘How can you say that?’ However, she got up, and with authority asked for a key –the key to the daughter’s room –saying, ‘I shall take you there.’ And off she went along all kinds of paths, but all so complicated, so bizarre! The daughter was following along behind her very attentively, you see, so as not to lose sight of her. But just as they should have come to the place where the daughter’s room was supposed to be, suddenly the manageress, both the manageress and her key...vanished! And the sense of this vanishing was so acute that...at the same time, everything vanished! So to help you understand this enigma, let me tell you that the mother is physical Nature as she is, and the daughter is the new creation. The manageress is the world’s organizing mental consciousness as Nature has developed it thus, far, that is, the most advanced organising sense to have manifested in the present state of material Nature. This is the key to the vision... the vanishing of the manageress and her key was obvious sign that she was altogether incapable of leading what could called ‘the creative consciousness of the new world’ to its true place." 3rd FEBRUARY 1958: EXPERIENCE OF SUPRAMENTAL SHIP: "…I found myself upon an immense ship, which is the symbolic representation of the place where this work is being carried out. This ship, as big a city, is thoroughly organised, and it had certainly already been functioning for quite some time, for its organisation was fully developed. It is the place where people destined for the Supramental life are being trained. These people (or atleast a part of their being) had already undergone a Supramental transformation because the ship itself and all that was aboard was neither material nor subtle-physical, neither vital nor mental: it was a Supramental substance. This substance itself was of the most material Supramental, the Supramental substance nearest the physical world, the first to manifest. The light was a blend of red and gold, forming a uniform substance of luminous orange. Everything was like that—the light was like that, people were like that—everything had this colour, in varying shades, however, which enabled things to be distinguished from one another. The overall impression was of a shadowless world: there were shades, but no shadows. The atmosphere was full of joy, calm, order; everything worked smoothly and silently. At the same time, I could see all the details of education, the training in all domains by which people on the board were prepared…." (Similar experience in Savitri :-) "A seeker of hidden meanings in life’s forms, Of the great Mother’s wide uncharted will And the rude enigma of her terrestrial ways He is the explorer and the mariner On a secret inner ocean without bourne: He is the adventurer and cosmologist Of a magic earth’s obscure geography. " Savitri-69 “A sailor on the Inconscient’s fathomless sea, He voyages through a starry world of thought On Matter’s deck to a spiritual sun.” Savitri-71 1st May 1958: DESCENT OF SUPRAMENTAL SUBSTANCE INTO MATTER: "The Divine has become the body. Impossible to have the least disorder in all the surrounding matter. Automatically every object around obeys: a divine harmony in everything. If that is established in a permanent way, there can no longer be illness or accident – all the objects of bathroom obeyed. It is Matter becoming the Divine. A thing happening first time upon earth." (Similar experience in Savitri:-) " Each final scheme leads to a sequel plan. Yet every new departure seems the last, Inspired evangel, theory’s ultimate peak, Proclaiming a panacea for all Time’s ills Or carrying thought in its ultimate zenith flight And trumpeting supreme discovery; Each brief idea, a structure perishable, Publishes the immortality of its rule, Its claim to be the perfect form of things, Truth’s last epitome, Time’s golden best." Savitri-198 " “A fiery stillness wakes the slumbering cells, A passion of the flesh becoming spirit, And marvellously is fulfilled at last The miracle for which our life was made.” Savitri-278 1st October 1958: EXPERIENCE OF BEING THE SUPREME LORD: "Before, I always had the negative experience of the disappearance of the ego, of the oneness of Creation, where everything implying separation disappeared – an experience that, personally, I would call negative. Last Wednesday, while I was speaking (and that is why at the end I could no longer find my words), I seemed suddenly to have left this negative phenomenon and entered into the positive experience: the experience of BEING the Supreme Lord, the experience that nothing exists but the Supreme Lord –all is the Supreme Lord, there is nothing else. And at that moment, the feeling of this infinite power that has no limit, that nothing can limit, was so overwhelming that all the functions of the body, of this mental machine that summons up words, all this was…I could no longer speak French… For example, the volume of Force that was to be expressed in the voice was too great for the speech organ. So I had to be a little attentive—that is, there had to be a kind of filtering in the outermost expression, otherwise the voice would have cracked. But this is not done through the will and the reason, it’s automatic. Yet I feel that… the capacity of Matter to contain and express is increasing with phenomenal speed. But it’s progressive, it can’t be done instantly. There have often been people whose outer form broke because the Force was too strong; well, I clearly see that is being dosed out. After all, this is exclusively the concern of the Supreme Lord, I do not bother about it – it is not my concern and I do not bother about it—He makes the necessary adjustments. Thus, it comes progressively, little by little, so that no fundamental disequilibrium occurs. It gives the impression that one’s head is swelling so tremendously it will burst! But then if there is a moment of stillness, it adapts; gradually, it adapts." " His nature grew a movement of the All, Exploring itself to find that all was He, His soul was a delegation of the All That turned from itself to join the one Supreme." Savitri-319 Evening of 7th November 1958: AN ALMIGHTY SPRING: "At the very bottom of the inconscience most hard and rigid I struck upon an almighty spring that cast me up forthwith into a formless, limitless vast, generator of all creation. I was descending into a crevasse between two steep rocks, rocks that appeared to be made of something harder than basalt, BLACK, but metallic at the same time, with such sharp edges—it seemed that a mere touch would lacerate you. It appeared endless and bottomless, and it kept getting narrower, narrower and narrower, narrower and narrower, like a funnel, so narrow that there was almost no more room –not even for the consciousness –to pass through. And the bottom was invisible, a black hole. And it went down, down, down, like that, without air, without light, except for a sort of glimmer that enabled me to make out the rock edges. They seemed to be cut so steeply, so sharply… And as soon as I had uttered, ‘What is there at the bottom of this hole?’ I seemed to touch a spring that was in the very depths—a spring I didn’t see but that acted instantly with a tremendous power –and it cast me up forthwith, hurled me out of this crevasse into… (arms extended, motionlessly) a formless, limitless vast, but it gave a feeling of ease and of an intimate warmth. And it was all-powerful, with an infinite richness. It did not have … no, it didn’t have any kind of form, and it had no limits (naturally, as I was identified with it I knew there was neither limit nor form). It was as if (because it was not visible), as if this vast were made of countless, imperceptible points –points that occupied no place in space (there was no sense of space), that were of a deep warm gold – but this is only a feeling, a transcription. And all this was absolutely LIVING, living with a power that seemed infinite. And yet motionless." (Similar experience in Savitri:-) “His grasp surprised her mightiest energies’ spring; He spoke with the unknown Guardians of the worlds, Forms he descried our mortal eye sees not.” Savitri-44 “A living robot moved by her energy’s springs, He acts as in the movements of a dream,” Savitri-65 “This master-spring of a delicate enginery, Aspired to enlighten its user and refine Lifting to a vision of the indwelling Power The absorbed mechanic’s crude initiative:” Savitri-158 “Our springs are kept close hid beneath, within; Our souls are moved by powers behind the wall.” Savitri-161 Night of 24th and 25th July 1959: SUPRAMENTAL LIGHT ENTERED THROUGH FEET: First penetration of Supramental force into the body. Sri Aurobindo alive in a concrete and permanent subtle physical body. Supramental Light entered through feet. …For the first time the Supramental light entered directly through the feet (a red and gold colour—marvellous, warm, intense), and it climbed up and up. And as it climbed, the fever also climbed because the body was not accustomed to this intensity. As all this light neared the head, I thought I would burst and that the experience would have to be stopped. But then, I very clearly received the indication to make the Calm and Peace descend, to widen all this body-consciousness and all these cells, so that they could contain the Supramental light. So I widened, and as the light was ascending, I brought down the vastness and an unshakable peace. And suddenly there was a second of fainting. (Similar experience in Savitri :-) “Our life is entrenched between two rivers of Light, We have turned space into a gulf of peace And made the body a Capitol of bliss.” Savitri-531 “Two golden serpents round the lintel curled, Enveloping it with their pure and dreadful strength, Looked out with wisdom’s deep and luminous eyes.” Savitri-524 “Two powers from one original ecstasy born… One leans to earth, the other yearns to the skies:” Savitri-684 “Assailed by my infinitudes above, And quivering in immensities below,… A swimmer lost between two leaping seas By my outer pains and inner sweetnesses Finding my joy in my opposite mysteries Thou shalt respond to me from every nerve.” Savitri-700 “Lain like an infant spirit unaware Lulled on the verge of two consenting worlds.” Savitri-716 29th February 1960: A GOLD KRISHNA: Fabulous experiences. A gold Krishna came. During the Darshan I was gone, perhaps everywhere: no more physical centre! Annul oneself so that the Supreme Lord may be. (Similar experience in Savitri :-) “In a simple purity of emptiness Her mind knelt down before the unknowable.” Savitri-522 “Consent to be nothing and none, dissolve Time’s work, Cast off thy mind, step back from form and name. Annul thyself that only God may be.” Savitri-538 “Then even those stirrings rose in her (Savitri) no more; Her mind now seemed like a vast empty room Or like a peaceful landscape without sound. This men call quietude and prize as peace.” Savitri-543 “An impersonal emptiness walked and spoke in her." Savitri-552 “Her divine emptiness was their (Savitri and Satyavan’s) instrument.” Savitri-553 24th May 1960: DISINTEGRATION OF PHYSICAL EGO: "For the first time, for approximately three hours, the physical ego disintegrated: the Sachchidananda spreading in a constant flood through the universe. Even the body consciousness was different. Something which was everything at once. No division. A variety of colours, vibrations, powers, and everything was within it. A universal vastness that kept going on and on… It moves and does not move. It was neither mysterious nor incomprehensible: it was absolutely obvious; though untranslatable. Contradictory things that nevertheless all existed simultaneously." (Similar experience in Savitri :-) “Thus was she lost within to separate self; Her mortal ego perished in God’s night. Only a body was left, the ego’s shell Afloat mid drift and foam of the world-sea, A sea of dream watched by a motionless sense In a figure of unreal reality.” Savitri-552 “A greater Personality sometimes Possesses us which yet we know is ours: Or we adore the Master of our souls. Then the small bodily ego thins and falls; No more insisting on its separate self, Losing the punctilio of its separate birth, It leaves us one with Nature and with God.” Savitri-47 “The landmarks of the little person fell, The island ego joined its continent. Overpassed was this world of rigid limiting forms: Life’s barriers opened into the Unknown.” Savitri-25 “Abolished is the burdening need of life Thought falls from us, we cease from joy and grief; The ego is dead; we are freed from being and care, We have done with birth and death and work and fate.” Savitri-310 Night of 21st and 22nd January 1961: EXPERIENCE OF PRE VEDIC AGE OF PINK MARBLE BATHTUB: "It was a kind of artificial hurricane created by semi human beings. They created the storm to cut me off from ‘my home’. Material Mother Nature offering Mother ancient facilities (the pink marble bathtub)… Yes, I am disrupting their work –I know perfectly well that I am disrupting their domination of the world! All these vital beings have taken possession of the whole Matter, (The Mother touches her body) life and action –and have made it there domain, this is evident. But they are beings of lower vital, for they seemed artificial –they do not express any higher form, but an entire range of artificial mechanism, artificial will, artificial organisation, all deriving from their own imagination and not at all from a higher inspiration." “Wherever love and light and largeness lack, These crooked fashioners take up their task. To all half-conscious worlds they extend their reign. Here too these godlings drive our human hearts, Our nature’s twilight is their lurking-place :” Savitri-153 “Agents of darkness imitating light, Spirits obscure and moving things obscure, Unwillingly they serve a mightier Power.” Savitri-162 "Against all higher truth their stuff rebels ; Only to Titan force their will lies prone. Inordinate their hold on human hearts, In all our nature’s turns they intervene. Insignificant architects of low-built lives And engineers of interest and desire, Out of crude earthiness and muddy thrills And coarse reactions of material nerve They build our huddled structures of self-will And the ill-lighted mansions of our thought, Or with the ego’s factories and marts Surround the beautiful temple of the soul. Artists minute of the hues of littleness, They set the mosaic of our comedy Or plan the trivial tragedy of our days, Arrange the deed, combine the circumstance And the fantasia of the moods costume. These unwise prompters of man’s ignorant heart And tutors of his stumbling speech and will, Movers of petty wraths and lusts and hates And changeful thoughts and shallow emotion’s starts, These slight illusion-makers with their masks, Painters of the decor of a dull-hued stage And nimble scene-shifters of the human play, Ever are busy with this ill-lit scene. Ourselves incapable to build our fate Only as actors speak and strut our parts Until the piece is done and we pass off Into a brighter Time and subtler Space. Thus they inflict their little pigmy law And curb the mounting slow uprise of man, Then his too scanty walk with death they close ." Savitri-163 Night of 23rd -24th January 1961: TOTAL PRESENCE OF SUPRAMENTAL FORCE IN THE BODY. REACTIVATION OF ENERGY CENTRES: I was not in trance. Then, lying flat, my entire body (but a slightly enlarged body, exceeding the purely physical form) became ONE vibration, extremely rapid and intense but immobile. I don’t know how to explain this, because it did not move in space but was a vibration (that is, it wasn’t motionless), yet it was motionless in space. And the exact form of my body was absolutely the most brilliant white Light of the supreme Consciousness, the consciousness of the Supreme. The whole body consciousness, without moving, without shifting began consciously to rise up towards the supreme Consciousness—and the junction was made. An absolutely awake junction, no trance. An eternity in the body. Then I began to come back down and realised that all the difficulty I had been fighting the other day and which had created this illness was absolutely ended, ANNULLED –mastered. Actually, it was not even mastery but the non existence of anything to be mastered: simply THE vibration from top to bottom; yet here was neither high nor low nor any direction. Then without moving this supreme Consciousness began to reactivate different centres. I saw with a new consciousness, a new vision and above all a new power –the entire Work. It was the power that was no longer the same! A truly essential change in the body: it will have to accustom itself to this new Power. It is the conscious and the total presence of the Supramental Force in the body. A feeling that a certain omnipotence is not far away. Still a long, long way to go, but the first step on the way has been taken. (A Similar experience in Savitri :-) (Example of the Vedic descent of Shakti followed by the ascent of the Soul :-) “The Power that from her being’s summit reigned, The Presence chambered in lotus secrecy, Came down and held the centre in her brow Where the mind’s Lord in his control-room sits; There throned on concentration’s native seat He opens that third mysterious eye in man, The Unseen’s eye that looks at the unseen, When Light with a golden ecstasy fills his brain And the Eternal’s wisdom drives his choice And eternal Will seizes the mortal’s will. It stirred in the lotus of her throat of song, And in her speech throbbed the immortal Word, Her life sounded with the steps of the world-soul Moving in harmony with the cosmic Thought. As glides God’s sun into the mystic cave Where hides his light from the pursuing gods, It glided into the lotus of her heart And woke in it the Force that alters Fate. It poured into her navel’s lotus depth, Lodged in the little life-nature’s narrow home, On the body’s longings grew heaven-rapture’s flower And made desire a pure celestial flame, Broke into the cave where coiled World-Energy sleeps And smote the thousand-hooded serpent Force That blazing towered and clasped the World-Self above, Joined Matter’s dumbness to the Spirit’s hush And filled earth’s acts with the Spirit’s silent power.” Savitri-665 (Example of the Vedantic ascent Soul followed by the descent of Shakti :-) “Out of the Inconscient’s soulless mindless night A flaming Serpent rose released from sleep. It rose billowing its coils and stood erect And climbing mightily, stormily on its way It touched her centres with its flaming mouth; As if a fiery kiss had broken their sleep, They bloomed and laughed surcharged with light and bliss. Then at the crown it joined the Eternal’s space. In the flower of the head, in the flower of Matter’s base,... In the country of the lotus of the head Which thinking mind has made its busy space, In the castle of the lotus twixt the brows Whence it shoots the arrows of its sight and will, In the passage of the lotus of the throat Where speech must rise and the expressing mind And the heart’s impulse run towards word and act... In the kingdom of the lotus of the heart Love chanting its pure hymeneal hymn Made life and body mirrors of sacred joy And all emotions gave themselves to God. In the navel lotus’ broad imperial range Its proud ambitions and its master lusts Were tamed into instruments of a great calm sway To do a work of god in earthly soil. In the narrow nether centre’s petty parts Its childish game of daily dwarf desires Was changed into a sweet and boisterous play, A romp of little gods with life in Time.” Savitri-528-30 1st June 1961: THE EXPERIENCE OF CRYSTALINE OR MUDDY RIVER: Both were together, like two rooms. It was enough to say, “I want to go there.” This interference of “big brother” who wanted to cross the water by his own method: the water grows muddy again. The “big brother” –the physical mind. A crystal clear, imperative will: “I want to go there.” (A Similar experience in Savitri :-) “Heaven’s flaming lights descend and back return, The luminous Eye approaches and retires; Eternity speaks, none understands its word; Fate is unwilling and the abyss denies; The Inconscient’s mindless waters block all done.” Savitri-371 15th July 1961, SUPRAMENTAL TRANSFORMATION: “It is very easy to be a saint! Oh, even to be a sage is very easy. I feel I was born with it—it is spontaneous and natural for me… but Supramental transformation is another thing altogether, oh!… No one has ever followed that path; Sri Aurobindo was the first, and He left before telling us what He was doing, I am literally carving out a trail through the virgin forest—worse than a virgin forest…I am given the awareness of how huge this thing is one drop at a time…so I won’t be crushed (or ‘Light conquered now even by that feeble beam:’ Savitri-601). It has reached a point where all Spiritual life, all those people and races that have tried since the beginning of the earth, all that seems like nothing, like child’s play in comparison. And it is a work without glory: you have no results, no experiences filling you with ecstasy or joy—none of that, it is a hideous labour.” (A Similar experience in Savitri :-) " A last and mightiest transformation came . His soul was all in front like a great sea Flooding the mind and body with its waves; His being, spread to embrace the universe, United the within and the without To make of life a cosmic harmony, An empire of immanent Divine. In this tremendous universality Not only his soul-nature and mind-sense Included every soul and mind in his, But even the life of flesh and nerve was changed And grew one flesh and nerve with all that lives; He felt the joy of others as his joy, He bore the grief of others as his grief; His universal sympathy upbore, Immense like ocean, the creation’s load As earth upbears all beings’ sacrifice, Thrilled with the hidden Transcendent’s joy and peace. There was no more division’s endless scroll; One grew the Spirit’s secret unity, All Nature felt again the single bliss." Savitri-318-19 " A mighty transformation came on her. A halo of the indwelling Deity, The Immortal’s lustre that had lit her face And tented its radiance in her body’s house, Overflowing made the air a luminous sea. In a flaming moment of apocalypse The Incarnation thrust aside its veil. A little figure in infinity Yet stood and seemed the Eternal’s very house, As if the world’s centre was her very soul And all wide space was but its outer robe." Savitri-664-665 Night of 2nd -3rd April 1962: THE FIRST TURNING POINT LEADING TO TOTAL CARDIAC ARREST: "Just between eleven and twelve [last night] I had an experience by which I discovered that there is a group of people – purposely their identity was not revealed to me – wanting to create a kind of religion based on the revelation of Sri Aurobindo. But they have taken only the side of power and force, a certain kind of knowledge and all which could be utilized by Asuric forces. There is a big Asuric being that has succeeded in taking the appearance of Sri Aurobindo . It is only an appearance. This appearance of Sri Aurobindo has declared to me that the work I am doing is not his. It has declared that I have been a traitor to him and to his work and has refused to have anything to do with me... What the Asuric Force that has succeeded in taking the appearance of Sri Aurobindo (and with whole group organised around him—people, ceremonies and so on) will create is a new religion or thought, perhaps cruel and merciless, in the name of the Supramental Realisation. But everybody must know that it is not true, it is not Sri Aurobindo’s teaching, not the truth of his teaching. The truth of Sri Aurobindo is a truth of love and light and mercy. He is good and great and compassionate and divine. And He will have the final victory.” The Mother-03.04.62 "…A group of people wanting to create a new religion based on the revelation of Sri Aurobindo. A big Asuric being has taken the appearance of Sri Aurobindo and declared that I have been a traitor to his work –I did not reject it, because of the infinity of Sri Aurobindo. Vision of true Sri Aurobindo: he showed me that still he was not master of the physical realm. This group of people has wanted to take my life several times, they would like me dead: as long I am in a body upon Earth their purpose cannot succeed… I am no more in my body. Now is the last fight. If the body has to be dissolved, humanity will pass through a critical time. This Asuric force will create a new religion, cruel and merciless. The truth of Sri Aurobindo is a truth of love and light and mercy. And he will have the final victory." “Only it is perfectly true that to deal with those realms (of subtle planes) one must be fully protected by a guru, a real guru, a man with knowledge, or else have purity (not saintliness), an unmixed vital and mental purity. Very, very often, bhaktas (devotees) of Sri Aurobindo or me—when they are sincere, truly sincere, that is, people of great spiritual purity –have dozens of beings appear to them, saying, “I am Sri Aurobindo.” It happens all the time, with all the right external appearances –it is very easy for such beings to put on a disguise. It takes the inner psychic purity not to be deceived –you invariably FEEL something that makes it impossible for you to be duped.” The Mother, 11th March 1962 (Similar experience in Savitri :-) “This evil Nature is housed in human hearts, A foreign inhabitant, a dangerous guest: The soul that harbours it it can dislodge, Expel the householder, possess the house. An opposite potency contradicting God, A momentary Evil’s almightiness Has straddled the straight path of Nature’s acts. It imitates the Godhead it denies, Puts on his figure and assumes his face. A Manichean creator and destroyer, This can abolish man, annul his world. But there is a guardian power, there are Hands that save, Calm eyes divine regard the human scene.” Savitri-482 (Similar Experience in The Life Divine :-) “It is possible to receive help or guidance or harm or misguidance from these beings; it is possible even to become subject to their influence, to be possessed by their invasion or domination, to be instrumentalised by them for their good or evil purpose. At times the progress of earthly life seems to be a vast field of battle between supraphysical Forces of either character, those that strive to uplift, encourage and illumine and those that strive to deflect, depress or prevent or even shatter our upward evolution or the soul’s self-expression in the material universe. Some of these Beings, Powers or Forces are such that we think of them as divine; they are luminous, benignant or powerfully helpful: there are others that are Titanic, gigantic or demoniac, inordinate Influences, instigators or creators often of vast and formidable inner upheavals or of actions that overpass the normal human measure. There may also be an awareness of influences, presences, beings that do not seem to belong to other worlds beyond us but are here as a hidden element behind the veil in terrestrial nature.” CWSA-22/The Life Divine/p-806 “In entering within one may find oneself amidst a chaos of unfamiliar and supernormal experiences to which one has not the key or a press of subliminal or cosmic forces, subconscient, mental, vital, subtle physical, which may unduly sway or chaotically drive the being, encircle it in a cave of darkness, or keep it wandering in a wilderness of glamour, allurement, deception, or push it into an obscure battlefield full of secret and treacherous and misleading or open and violent oppositions; beings and voices and influences may appear to the inner sense and vision and hearing claiming to be the Divine Being or His messengers or Powers and Godheads of the Light or guides of the path to realisation, while in truth they are of a very different character. If there is too much egoism in the nature of the seeker or a strong passion or an excessive ambition, vanity or other dominating weakness, or a obscurity of the mind or a vacillating will or a weakness of the life-force or an unsteadiness in it or want of balance, he is likely to be seized on through these deficiencies and to be frustrated or to deviate, misled from the true way of the inner life and seeking into false paths, or to be left wandering about in an intermediate chaos of experiences and fail to find his way out into the true realisation. These perils were well-known to a past spiritual experience and have been met by imposing the necessity of initiation, of discipline, of methods of purification and testing by ordeal, of an entire submission to the directions of the path finder or path-leader, one who has realised the Truth and himself possesses and is able to communicate the light, the experience, a guide who is strong to take by the hand and carry over the difficult passages as well as to instruct and point out the way. But even so the dangers will be there and can only be surmounted if there is or there grows up a complete sincerity, a will to purify, a readiness for obedience to the Truth, for surrender to the Highest, a readiness to lose or to subject to a divine yoke the limiting and self-affirming ego. These things are the sign that the true will for realisation, for conversion of the consciousness, for transformation is there, the necessary stage of the evolution has been reached: in that condition the defects of nature which belong to the human being cannot be a permanent obstacle to the change from the mental to the spiritual status; the process may never be entirely easy, but the way will have been made open and practicable.” CWSA-22/The Life Divine/p-938-39 (Similar Experience in The Synthesis of Yoga :-) "If the egoism of the worker disappears, the egoism of the instrument may replace it or else prolong it in a disguise. The life of the world has been full of instances of egoism of this kind and it can be more engrossing and enormous than any other; there is the same danger in Yoga. A man becomes a leader of men or eminent in a large or lesser circle and feels himself full of a power that he knows to be beyond his own ego-force; he may be aware of a Fate acting through him or a Will mysterious and unfathomable or a Light within of great brilliance. There are extraordinary results of his thoughts, his actions or his creative genius. He effects some tremendous destruction that clears the path for humanity or some great construction that becomes its momentary resting-place. He is a scourge or he is a bringer of light and healing, a creator of beauty or a messenger of knowledge. Or, if his work and its effects are on a lesser scale and have a limited field, still they are attended by the strong sense that he is an instrument and chosen for his mission or his labour. Men who have this destiny and these powers come easily to believe and declare themselves to be mere instruments in the hand of God or of Fate: but even in the declaration we can see that there can intrude or take refuge an intenser and more exaggerated egoism than ordinary men have the courage to assert or the strength to house within them. And often if men of this kind speak of God, it is to erect an image of him which is really nothing but a huge shadow of themselves or their own nature, a sustaining Deific Essence of their own type of will and thought and quality and force. This magnified image of their ego is the Master whom they serve. This happens only too often in Yoga to strong but crude vital natures or minds too easily exalted when they allow ambition, pride or the desire of greatness to enter into their spiritual seeking and vitiate its purity of motive; a magnified ego stands between them and their true being and grasps for its own personal purpose the strength from a greater unseen Power, divine or undivine, acting through them of which they become vaguely or intensely aware. An intellectual perception or vital sense of a Force greater than ours and of ourselves as moved by it is not sufficient to liberate from the ego." CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-248-249 "This perception, this sense of a greater Power in us or above and moving us, is not a hallucination or a megalomania. Those who thus feel and see have a larger sight than ordinary men and have advanced a step beyond the limited physical intelligence, but theirs is not the plenary vision or the direct experience. For, because they are not clear in mind and aware in the soul, because their awakening is more in the vital parts than into the spiritual substance of Self, they cannot be the conscious instruments of the Divine or come face to face with the Master, but are used through their fallible and imperfect nature. The most they see of the Divinity is a Fate or a cosmic Force or else they give his name to a limited Godhead or, worse, to a Titanic or demoniac Power that veils him. Even certain religious founders have erected the image of the God of a sect or a national God or a Power of terror and punishment or a Numen of sattwic love and mercy and virtue and seem not to have seen the One and Eternal. The Divine accepts the image they make of him and does his work in them through that medium, but, since the one Force is felt and acts in their imperfect nature but more intensely than in others, the motive principle of egoism too can be more intense in them than in others. An exalted rajasic or sattwic ego still holds them and stands between them and the integral Truth. Even this is something, a beginning, although far from the true and perfect experience. A much worse thing may befall those who break something of the human bonds but have not purity and have not the knowledge, for they may become instruments, but not of the Divine; too often, using his name, they serve unconsciously his Masks and black Contraries, the Powers of Darkness." CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-249-250 Night of 12th -13th April 1962: THE MANIFESTATION OF SUPREME LOVE: Suddenly in the night (of April 12-13, the experience lasted at least four hours) I woke up with the full awareness of what we could call the Yoga of the world. The Supreme Love was manifesting through big pulsations, and each pulsation was bringing the world further in its manifestation. It was the formidable pulsations of the eternal, stupendous Love, only Love: each pulsation of Love carrying the universe further in its manifestation. And the certitude that what is to be done is done and the Supramental Manifestation is realised… All the results of the Falsehood had disappeared: Death was an illusion, Sickness was an illusion, Ignorance was an illusion—something that had no reality, no existence... Only Love, and Love, and Love, and Love –immense, formidable, stupendous, carrying everything. But then it came: “You have accepted that this world should know the Supramental Truth,... and it will be expressed totally, integrally.” Yes, yes …And the thing is DONE. (Similar experience in Savitri :-) “A strong Descent leaped down. A Might, a Flame, A Beauty half-visible with deathless eyes, A violent ecstasy, a Sweetness dire, Enveloped him with its stupendous limbs And penetrated nerve and heart and brain That thrilled and fainted with epiphany: His nature shuddered in the Unknown’s grasp. In a moment shorter than death, longer than Time, By a Power more ruthless than love, happier than Heaven, Taken sovereignly into eternal arms, Haled and coerced by a stark absolute bliss, In a whirlwind circuit of delight and force Hurried into unimaginable depths, Upborne into immeasurable heights, It was torn out from its mortality And underwent a new and bourneless change.” Savitri-81 15th August 1962: SRI AUROBINDO SITTING UPON ASHRAM COMPOUND: "Sri Aurobindo sitting upon the Ashram, upon the Ashram compound I felt the friction of this presence in subtle physical. A sense of absoluteness, as if all were fulfilled. The most beautiful August-15 we had ever had. All his power was there, far stronger and clearer than when he was in his body! I always had that same impression – it was always like that in his room; and I would always have that impression whenever I met him. And even when I was working, all the while I would feel him behind me, doing everything. But this was much stronger. Much stronger. It was ... one was caught up and there was no way to get out of it. That's how it was – something ABSOLUTE. I've asked no one, I've told no one, I haven't said anything about it, not a word; you're the first. When Pavitra came yesterday I smilingly asked him if he'd had a good meditation, that's all. He said yes. So I told him, "Well, Sri Aurobindo was sitting on you!" (Mother laughs) "I was sitting below, in Sri Aurobindo's room," he replied. "He was there too!" I said (Mother laughs)." "A Presence wrought behind the ambiguous screen: It beat his soil to bear a Titan’s weight, Refining half-hewn blocks of natural strength It built his soul into a statued god. The Craftsman of the magic stuff of self Who labours at his high and difficult plan In the wide workshop of the wonderful world, Modelled in inward Time his rhythmic parts. Then came the abrupt transcendent miracle: The masked immaculate Grandeur could outline, At travail in the occult womb of life, His dreamed magnificence of things to be. A crown of the architecture of the worlds, A mystery of married Earth and Heaven Annexed divinity to the mortal scheme." Savitri-25 "A vision lightened on the viewless heights, A wisdom illumined from the voiceless depths: A deeper interpretation greatened Truth , A grand reversal of the Night and Day; All the world’s values changed heightening life’s aim; A wiser word, a larger thought came in Than what the slow labour of human mind can bring, A secret sense awoke that could perceive A Presence and a Greatness everywhere." Savitri-42 24th November 1962: A CUBE OF CONCENTRATED WHITE LIGHT: "…an immensity of light, like gold becoming white by its intensity, absolutely immobile, containing an infinite Power. At the centre of that immensity: a cube of concentrated white light, tremendously active, and all that immensity converged there without moving. A cube enveloped in pale gray tulle expressing perfect humility that abolishes the ego. The cube represented my physical being and through it I could discern all the action being done for the whole earth. Things from the past and things far into the future. At the moment, it was nothing but Sat: an immobile existence. An absolute certainty that things are like that, although the appearances may seem altogether different. The gray tulle, like the little wild grass I have named “Humility.” I said to myself, “That is why I named it Humility!” And the sense of the separate bodily form had completely vanished. And it was ONE moment of the Manifestation. All we see, think, understand was nothing, unsubstantial, but THAT! …The body feels how artificial all life’s complications and problems are, how different it could be! There are just bad habits, fading away, losing their force, becoming more and more unreal. Like a machine that takes time to run down. In the other consciousness everything is so obvious: that is IT. It is not something you are looking at: it’s like that. All life’s misfortunes: a bad habit —the time has come to change habits… Still in a transitional period when the true thing is getting established but the tail of the old thing trails behind. The habit of not understanding something unless it can be mentally explained is disastrous. To live THAT spontaneously, all the time, how wonderful it would be!" "In the wide signless ether of the Self, In the unchanging Silence white and nude, Aloof, resplendent like gold dazzling suns Veiled by the ray no mortal eye can bear, The Spirit’s bare and absolute potencies Burn in the solitude of the thoughts of God." Savitri-57 "A formless Stillness called, a nameless Light. Above him was the white immobile Ray, Around him the eternal Silences. No term was fixed to the high-pitched attempt; World after world disclosed its guarded powers, Heaven after heaven its deep beatitudes, But still the invisible Magnet drew his soul." Savitri-102 6th June, 1963: EXPERIENCE OF SUPRAMENTAL POWER: "In the night of 6th, for three hours, everything was at a standstill: only the sensation of a stupendous Force. It was spherical. It was going out in innumerable directions. An incalculable mass. I suppose that if the mind had been associated with the experience, it would have gone mad! But there was in the physical centre an ecstasy that sparkled like a diamond to reassure the body: “Don’t be afraid, don’t worry.” Only universal forces in action, and a sparkling, ecstatic point in that immensity. It is the first time: it was everywhere at the same time. It was something happening for the earth (the earth was very small). And no psychological perception (peace, love, knowledge etc.): a pure vibratory sensation on a colossal scale. When I woke up, my head felt inordinately swollen –but the clear-headedness is the same as ever." (Similar experience in Savitri:-) "Then kindling the gold tongue of sacrifice, Calling the powers of a bright hemisphere We shall shed the discredit of our mortal state, Make the abysm a road for Heaven’s descent, (The gulf between Supreme Self and Inconscient Self is bridged) Acquaint our depths with the supernal Ray And cleave the darkness with the mystic Fire." Savitri-171-172 “This independent, once a power supreme, Self-born before the universe was made, Accepting cosmos, binds himself Nature’s serf Till he becomes her freedom – or God’s slave.” Savitri-542 9th December 1963: THE BATTLE IN THE SUBCONSCIENT: On December 9, a frightful battle in the Subconscient, like a return of the 1958 attack: the same origin of forces. It went on during the meditation. It stops the heart, so it was unpleasant. Q:- Was there no human instrument? No, but plenty of spots to which that force clings: it clings to certain tendencies, attitudes, reactions. During the meditation: a grating in the cells. A very aggressive ill will which belongs to a dark age… A victory of that very black force over the one that tries to follow more harmonious paths… (Similar experience in Savitri:-) "All came back to her: Earth and Love and Doom, The ancient disputants , encircled her Like giant figures wrestling in the night: The godheads from the dim Inconscient born Awoke to struggle and the pang divine, And in the shadow of her flaming heart, At the sombre centre of the dire debate, A guardian of the unconsoled abyss Inheriting the long agony of the globe, A stone-still figure of high and godlike Pain Stared into Space with fixed regardless eyes That saw grief’s timeless depths but not life’s goal." Savitri-9-10 “He saw the city of ancient Ignorance Founded upon a soil that knew not Light. There each in his own darkness walked alone: Only they agreed to differ in Evil’s paths, To live in their own way for their own selves Or to enforce a common lie or wrong; There Ego was lord upon his peacock seat And Falsehood sat by him, his mate and queen: The world turned to them as Heaven to Truth and God.” Savitri-208-209 29th February 1964: SPARKLING OF WHITE STARS: "During the meditation of 29th I noticed (I looked), I noticed that for about two days, the atmosphere had been a full of a sparkling of white stars, like dust – a twinkling dust of white stars. I saw it had been there for three days. And at the time of meditation, it became extremely intense. But it was widespread, it was everywhere. …There seemed to be nothing but sparkling diamond everywhere, absolutely everywhere. And it had a tendency to come from above downward. It lasted not just hours, but days… But there was nothing stunning or magnificent or astounding about it: nothing of the kind, nothing spectacular, nothing to give the feeling of a “great experience” –very quiet, but very, very self assured. Very quiet." "Unsmeared with the dust of our mortal atmosphere It still reflected heaven’s spiritual joy. Almost they saw who lived within her light Her playmate in the sempiternal spheres Descended from its unattainable realms In her attracting advent’s luminous wake, The white-fire dragon-bird of endless bliss Drifting with burning wings above her days: Heaven’s tranquil shield guarded the missioned child. A glowing orbit was her early term, Years like gold raiment of the gods that pass; Her youth sat throned in calm felicity." Savitri-16 Night of 6th -7th March 1964: THE EXPERIENCE OF ANANDA OF PROGRESS: "Something has begun to permeate this terrestrial consciousness: a power of transformation, the ananda of progress, of the animal becoming man, of man becoming superman, what a force, what a power—I had never felt that intensity in the material world. And no resistance anywhere: everything was enthusiastically participating. …The return to ordinary consciousness: a sort of superficial bark, something very artificial, then, dry. … The experience of the Ananda of progress gave a TERRESTRIAL meaning to all those scattered little promises. The earth – a little thing which my consciousness dominated, but which was an exclusive object of my concentrations. The present imperfections of the body are tolerated: the “obvious” transformation –something secondary and not urgent in the overall vision of the Work. But soon, the body could be entirely driven by the direct Will. The feeling that a corner has been turned for the earth. This morning I noted the experience through the same process – ‘the penetration and permeation into material substance of the Ananda of the power of progress in Life.” The whole material substance of the earth received this ananda of the power of progress. Even plants participated. …A power that can crush everything and rebuild everything. Only when the flash of the mental transformation through the Supramental descent joins the ananda of Power will there occur things that will be a bit… indisputable. For the moment, only those who have can see: they see examples of tiny miracles multiply. … During the experience, I knew there would be another one, which is yet to come, which would join with this one to form a third, and that junction will change something in the appearances. I do not know when it will come." (Similar experience in Savitri :-) "To live, to love are signs of infinite things, Love is a glory from eternity’s spheres. Abased, disfigured, mocked by baser mights That steal his name and shape and ecstasy, He (Divine Love) is still the godhead by which all can change. A mystery wakes in our inconscient stuff, A bliss is born that can remake our life ." Savitri-397-398 "A traveller of the million roads of life, His steps familiar with the lights of heaven Tread without pain the sword-paved courts of hell; There he descends to edge eternal joy. Love’s golden wings have power to fan thy void: The eyes of love gaze starlike through death’s night, The feet of love tread naked hardest worlds. He (Divine Love) labours in the depths, exults on the heights; He shall remake thy universe, O Death. ” Savitri-592 24th March 1964: THE SUBSTITUTION OF TRUE VIBRATION: "…(on this day) again, the experience was quite concrete and powerful: it is not necessary to move, or to move anything, for this Truth Consciousness to replace the consciousness of deformation or distortion. In other words, the capacity to live in and be this true Vibration –essential and true –seems to have the power to SUBSTITUTE this Vibration for the vibration of Falsehood and Distortion, to such an extent that… For instance, the outcome of Distortion or of the vibration of distortion should naturally have been an accident or catastrophe, but if, within those vibrations, there is a consciousness that has the power to become aware of the Vibration of Truth and therefore manifest the Vibration of Truth, it can –it must –cancel the other vibration. Which would be translated, in the external phenomenon, by an intervention that would stop catastrophe… There is a growing feeling that the True is the only way to change the world; that all other process of slow transformation are always a tangent (you draw nearer and nearer but you never arrive) and the last step must be this --the substitution of the true vibration." (Similar experience in Savitri :-) “A slowly changing order binds our will. This is our doom until our souls are free. A mighty Hand then rolls mind’s firmaments back, Infinity takes up the finite’s acts And Nature steps into the eternal Light. Then only ends this dream of nether life.” Savitri-154 25th March 1964: THE DESCENT OF TRUTH POWER: "Two or three nights ago, something like that occurred: in the middle of the night, early morning, there was a descent of this Force, a descent of this Truth Power; and this time it was everywhere (it’s always everywhere), but with a special concentration in the brain –not in this brain: in THE brain (The Mother’s experiences are not individual experiences, but experiences of the earth-consciousness). And it was so strong, so strong, so strong! The head felt as if it were about to burst – so that for about two hours I simply had to keep calling for the widening of the Lord’s Peace: “Lord, Your widening, Your peace,” like that in the cells. And with the consciousness (which is always conscious, of course [gesture above]) that the descent into an unprepared brain would be enough to drive you completely mad or absolutely daze you (at the very best), or else you would burst … This experience, like the other one (Experience of 7th March), hasn’t left. …And I saw (because I wanted to see, and I saw) that the other experience was still there but it was beginning to be almost habitual, almost natural, while this one was new. It was the result of my old prayer: “Lord, take possession of this brain.” …Well, that’s what is happening—happening everywhere, all the time. So if it happens in a large enough aggregate, it gives the appearance of a miracle – but it is a miracle of the whole EARTH." (Similar experience in Savitri :-) “It left mind’s distance from the Truth supreme” Savitri-44 “A Truth supreme has forced the world to be;” Savitri-658 “Fragments of Truth supreme have lit his soul,” Savitri-659 “All-ruler, ruled by none, the Truth supreme,” Savitri-661 “The Truth supreme, vast and impersonal” Savitri-662 “O Death, if thou couldst touch the Truth supreme” Savitri-663 “If Truth supreme transcends her shadow here” Savitri-663 “Then shall the Truth supreme be given to men:” Savitri-705 30th September 1964: A VERY MATERIAL POWER EXERTING PRESSURE: "It is like beginning of a new phase. For a few days now, whenever something or other goes wrong, when, for instance, people don’t do what they should or their reactions are wrong or when they are difficulties…, now there come into me a sort of Power, a VERY MATERIAL Power, which goes like this (gesture of pummeling), which goes at things and pushes terribly hard –oh, what a pressure it makes! … And it comes without my willing it, it goes without my knowing it. …Naturally, the inner Power is put into action (that Power which obviously is always increasing), but it never used to be exerted in that way, in detail, on tiny things of that sort, like someone’s wrong attitude of an action that doesn’t confirm to the Truth, anyway lots of things… pitiable things, which I used to watch: I would smile, put the Truth-Light on them (gesture from above) and would leave them. But now, it’s not that way: “that” comes, and it’s like something that comes and says to people, things, circumstances and individuals (in an imperative tone): “You shall do what the Lord wills – you shall do what He wills. And beware! You shall do what He wills.” …It makes me laugh, it must be having some effect!" 3rd November 1964: EXPERIENCE OF SUPREME’S PRESENCE IN A PERSONAL FORM: "For the first time…, I had in a flash – it lasted just a flash – for the first time in my life, I had the PHYSICAL experience of the Supreme’s Presence in a personal form. It was not a defined form, but it was a personal form. And it came in the wake of a series of experiences in which I saw the different attitudes of different categories of people or thinkers, according to their conviction. It came as if that form were saying to my body (it was PHYSICAL presence), as if it were saying, really with words (it was a translation; the words are always a translation—I don’t know what language the Supreme speaks (!), but it’s translated, it must be translated in everyone’s brain according to his own language) as if He were telling me, “through you” (that is through this, the body) “ I am charging…” (it was like a conquest, a battle), “I am charging to conquer the physical world.” That is how it was. And the sensation was really of an all powerful Being whose proportions were like ours, but who was everywhere at once." (Similar experience in Savitri :-) “An incense floated in the quivering air, A mystic happiness trembled in the breast As if the invisible Beloved had come Assuming the sudden loveliness of a face And close glad hands could seize his fugitive feet And the world change with the beauty of a smile.” Savitri-290 7th November 1964: EMPTY HEAD: "For the past three days there has been a constant phenomenon: something… I don’t know what it is… as if the whole head were being emptied (The Mother shows the blood going downward). Physically that is what you feel before fainting, as if all the blood were leaving the head: the head empties, and then you faint." (Similar experience in Savitri :-) “Banish all thought from thee and be God’s void. Then shalt thou uncover the Unknowable” Savitri-537 “In the absolute stillness bare and formidable T here was glimpsed an all-negating Void Supreme That claimed the mystic Nihil’s sovereign right To cancel Nature and deny the soul.” Savitri-545 11th February 1965: THE ASHRAM ATTACKED BY RIOTERS: "I had for the first time the consciousness of the physical Truth of the earth, that is, the quality of the vibration of Truth in the physical earth consciousness. A stillness unknown to the physical: the whole attack seemed like an absolute Falsehood, but I saw all the points of falsehood in the Ashram’s atmosphere that made the contact possible,… The true Vibration of Peace can cure everything. Now I have caught hold of it… “The power of discrimination between the impulses that come from the Truth and those that come from the falsehood is one of the first effects of the Advent of the Truth’s Light in the earth’s atmosphere.”… “Behind all the destructions of Nature or the human destructions there is always Kali’s power. Whatever is Divine in its essence cannot be touched by these destructions. The extent of the damage gives the measure of the imperfection.” (Similar experience in Savitri :-) “I wear the face of Kali when I kill, I trample the corpses of the demon hordes.” Savitri-509 “All reeled into a world of Kali’s dance.” Savitri-255 5th December 1965: THE BLACK MAGIC: "On 5th December I saw it (black magic), and afterwards I understood. It was extremely interesting, but it was impossible to repeat. On the 5th, at meditation, I knew what it was. … On the afternoon of the 5th, after I had understood clearly and seen everything and done everything, suddenly … (you know how Sri Aurobindo used to take away illnesses: it was like a hand that came and took away the disease), it went away just like that, it was taken away, literally taken away like that, and the body was INSTANTLY fine. Oh, you know, I am still flabbergasted." (Similar experience in Savitri :-) “Looking for the golden Hand that never came, The advent for which all creation waits, The beautiful visage of Eternity That shall appear upon the roads of Time.” Savitri-199 "But Satyavan replied with smiling lips, “Lay all on her; she is the cause of all. With her enchantments she has twined me round. Behold, at noon leaving this house of clay I wandered in far-off eternities, Yet still, a captive in her golden hands, I tread your little hillock called green earth And in the moments of your transient sun Live glad among the busy works of men.” Savitri-723 2nd June 1966 (two nights ago): ANANDA IN THE CELLS: "A new experience: the whole cellular consciousness shot through by a material power of a fantastic velocity –light is slow and unhurried in comparison. As if carried away by a movement so fast that the cells felt suffocated. Three hours. For the first time in my life I felt the Ananda in the cells. Previously, the body’s whole existence was based on surrender and endurance; but “that” was so innocent and pure a joy, and I was shown: there isn’t one vibration that isn’t vibration of joy. Light, so light. It wasn’t flowing through the cells: they were IN movement, they were moving with that same fantastic velocity, felt materially." (Similar experience in Savitri :-) “And when that greater Self comes sea-like down To fill this image of our transience, All shall be captured by delight, transformed: In waves of undreamed ecstasy shall roll Our mind and life and sense and laugh in a light Other than this hard limited human day, The body’s tissues thrill apotheosised, Its cells sustain bright metamorphosis.” Savitri-171 "A giant drop of the Bliss unknowable Overwhelmed his limbs and round his soul became A fiery ocean of felicity; He foundered drowned in sweet and burning vasts: The dire delight that could shatter mortal flesh, The rapture that the gods sustain he bore. Immortal pleasure cleansed him in its waves And turned his strength into undying power. Immortality captured Time and carried Life." Savitri-237 11th June 1966: THE MIND, AN IMMENSE BALLOON: "This morning, I had, for instance, a whole series of experiences regarding the notion of selfishness. Sri Aurobindo said, ‘…the most selfish of all is the Divine, since everything belongs to Him and He sees everything in relation to Himself!” A moral atmosphere so far from the Truth. The Mind: an immense balloon, as large as the earth. As soon as you get out of it, an immensity of such living light! All the rest becomes so paltry. The ultimate outcome of this Yoga is something so wonderful that even the most unique experience are insipid in comparison. The body feels it’s not too high a price to pay for that. A fullness of experience that can be known only in the body. An absoluteness of sincerity in the body: YOU ARE." 31st August 1966: THE BODY LIVED THE TRUTH: "The body lived the Truth this morning several times for a few seconds (which might have been eternities). But it is obvious that if everything were ready for “that” to be established, it would mean omnipotence. …I mean it abolishes nothing of the Manifestation; you don’t even feel that Falsehood is abolished: it doesn’t exist, it isn’t. Everything can remain exactly as it is; it becomes only a question of choice: you choose this way, choose that way… And a splendour of joy, of beauty, of harmony, plentitude of luminous consciousness in which there is no darkness anymore: it no longer exists. And it truly is the choice between life and death. A tiny nothing which changes everything, lived at the very heart of the cells. That is how a dead man can come back to life: through that change. The certitude that everything was necessary, from the most marvelous for the human consciousness to the most horrible. … Even physical suffering, material suffering, which is one of the things most difficult to feel as illusory: a lamentable act you put on for yourself, for the cells. And I am speaking from experience, with convincing examples." (Similar experience in Savitri:-) “There is our aspect of eternity, There is the figure of the god we are, His young unaging look on deathless things, His joy in our escape from death and Time, His immortality and light and bliss.” Savitri-484 "Heaven had unveiled its lustre in her eyes, Her feet were moonbeams, her face was a bright sun, Her smile could persuade a dead lacerated heart To live again and feel the hands of calm." Savitri-514 Night of 13th – 14th November 1966: SRI AUROBINDO IN SUBTLE PHYSICAL: "I spent the whole night with Sri Aurobindo , at least four hours in that subtle physical world. He has quite a beautiful abode there! It is magnificent –And it’s not fluid: it’s very concrete, yet at the same time not fixed! It has a suppleness that adapts to all necessities. It is really interesting. … but it’s still a phase of preparation and adaptation: it is not final. It is not final: there are experiments, trials. It’s extremely supple, it’s in a phase of formation, as though it were preparing for a manifestation, or rather, “learning” to be what it must be. It’s very interesting." (Similar experience in Savitri:-) “A fine degree of wonder’s hierarchy, The kingdom of subtle Matter’s faery craft Outlined against a sky of vivid hues, Leaping out of a splendor-trance and haze, The wizard revelation of its front. A world of lovelier forms lies near to ours, Where, undisguised by earth’s deforming sight, All shapes are beautiful and all things are true.” Savitri-103 24th April 1967: INTERPENETRATION OF VIBRATION OF HARMONY: "A constant interpenetration of the vibration of Harmony and the general vibration of disorder; a simple movement of consciousness sends you to one side or the other. The descent of vibration of Harmony: a power capable of crushing an elephant. The body loses the sense of its own existence, the time flashes by in a second. The first time my body has had that sort of Samadhi. Sri Aurobindo said he never had a Samadhi in his body; neither did I …a light like molten gold: very thick, a weight. No more body, nothing but That. And an action that does not cause any movement: a sort of pressure which displaces nothing… Sri Aurobindo said: when the Supramental force is there you get a sense of unconditioned all-powerfulness." 4th May 1967 (4.5.67): YEAR OF COMPLETE REALISATION, THE GOVERNMENT WOULD OBEY THE SUPRAMENTAL INFLUENCE: "On the morning of 4th, when I got up (it was 4.30), suddenly I seemed to be sent … well, it was as if I were sent a ball of lightning like this (The Mother strikes her head). I said, “Ah, very well!” (The Mother laughs) But it shook me! It was so strong that it shook me. Then came the explanation of the “message” for 4.5.67. It came in English… It was Sri Aurobindo speaking to me, but He said it like that! “The Divinity mentioned by Sri Aurobindo is NOT A PERSON, but a condition to be shared and lived by all those who prepare themselves for it.” (Similar experience in The Life Divine:-) “A Consciousness-Force, everywhere inherent in Existence, acting even when concealed, is the creator of the worlds, the occult secret of Nature.” CWSA-21/The Life Divine/p-309 “But since this consciousness is creatrix of the world, it must be not only a state of knowledge, but power of knowledge, and not only a Will to light and vision, but a Will to power and works.” CWSA-21/The Life Divine/p-131 Night of 26th August 1968: SUPRAMENTAL PRESSING FROM EVERYWHERE: "Powerful and prolonged penetration of the Supramental forces into the body, everywhere at the same time… Penetration into the body: Yes, penetrations of currents I had had several times, but that night, what came all of a sudden was as though there was nothing anymore except a Supramental atmosphere. Nothing remained except that. My body was in it. And it was pressing to enter, from everywhere, but everywhere at the same time – everywhere: You understand, it was not a current flowing in, it was an atmosphere penetrating from everywhere. It lasted for at least four or five hours. And there was only one part that was BARELY penetrated: it was from here to here (gesture between the throat and the top of the head). Here it seemed gray and dull, as if the penetration were less… My teeth are in a dreadful state, my head is in a dreadful state –I tell you, I can’t see any more, can’t hear anymore, can’t …All this (from head to throat) is in need of a great transformation. But apart from it, all the rest without exception – it was pouring and pouring and pouring in… I had never, never seen that before, never! It lasted for hours –hours. Perfectly consciously." (Similar experience in Savitri :-) “It (Spirit) is within, below, without, above.” Savitri-98 “Heaven’s leaning down to embrace from all sides earth, A quiet rapture, a vast security.” Savitri-716-17 1st January 1969: SUPRAMENTAL PERSONALITY: "On the 1st, something really strange took place: something very material, a golden light with a smiling benevolence. It had a taste, so concrete was it. The impression was that of an immense personality, so very benevolent, and coming to help. Was it a Supramental personality which will manifest later in the material forms? It came directly into the body, not through some inner being. Now there is a sort of certitude. I feel it is the formation that’s going to permeate and express itself in what will be the bodies of the Supramental. May be the superman? But a human of divine proportions: without weakness and shadows." (Similar experience in Savitri :-) Awareness of the Guardians of the Supramental world or world-creators who oversee (1) Fate, (2) Chance, (3) Divine Work through Divine Will. If we will do this Yoga, then these invisible Guardians from Supramental world will come down to help us, help in our ascent of the Soul, give protection to our Sadhana life, they will help to change our destiny, transform chance into decreed Spiritual life and will expedite the Divine work, Divine Purification, transformation, and perfection. “A greater Personality sometimes Possesses us which yet we know is ours:” Savitri-47 “Only the Immortals on their deathless heights Dwelling beyond the walls of Time and Space, Masters of living, free from the bonds of Thought, Who are overseers of Fate and Chance and Will… Above the world the world-creators stand, In the phenomenon see its mystic source.” Savitri-53-54 “They are guardians of the silence of the Truth, They are keepers of the immutable decree. A deep surrender is their source of might,” Savitri-57 24th March 1972: EXPERIENCE OF A COMPLETELY NEW BODY: "For the first time, early this morning, I saw myself: my body. I don’t know whether it’s the Supramental body or… (what shall I say?) a transitional body, but I had a completely new body, in the sense that it was sexless: it was neither woman nor man… that’s the first time. It was around four in the morning, I think. And perfectly natural. I only remember what I saw (gesture from chest to waist). I was covered only with veils, so I only saw… What was very different was the torso, from the chest to the waist: it was neither male nor female… But it was lovely, my form was extremely svelte and slim –slim but not thin. And the skin was very white, just like my skin. A lovely form. And no sex –you couldn’t tell: neither male nor female. The sex has disappeared… The same here (The Mother points her chest), all that was flat. I don’t know how to explain it. There was an outline reminiscent of what is now, but with no forms, not even as much as man’s. a very white skin, very smooth. Practically no abdomen to speak of. And no stomach. All that was slim." (Similar experience in Savitri :-) "All here must learn to obey a higher law, Our body’s cells must hold the Immortal’s flame. Else would the spirit reach alone its source Leaving a half-saved world to its dubious fate." Savitri-35 "Late will he know, opening the mystic script, Whether to a blank port in the Unseen He goes or, armed with her fiat, to discover A new mind and body in the city of God And enshrine the Immortal in his glory’s house And make the finite one with Infinity." Savitri-72 “Even the body shall remember God, Nature shall draw back from mortality” Savitri-707 Night of 3rd -4th May 1972: EXPERIENCE OF A GOLDEN FORCE PRESSING DOWN: Strange feeling …Since last night, a strange impression that the Divine has become… (how to formulate it?) like a golden Force pressing down like this (gesture of pressure on the earth). They alone, who by their aspiration are able to pass through to the Divine Origin, will escape catastrophes … Only those who have an aspiration, a sincere and unconditional aspiration towards the Divine, only they will escape –they will stand in a golden glory. (Similar experience in Savitri :-) "A universal light was in his eyes, A golden influx flowed through heart and brain ; A Force came down into his mortal limbs, A current from eternal seas of Bliss; He felt the invasion and the nameless joy." Savitri-79 "A fire that seemed the body of a god Consumed the limiting figures of the past And made large room for a new self to live. Eternity’s contact broke the moulds of sense." Savitri-81 “A gold supernal sun of Timeless Truth Poured down the mystery of the eternal Ray Through a silence quivering with the word of Light On an endless ocean of discovery.” Savitri-264 "As man disguised the cosmic Greatness works And finds the mystic inaccessible gate And opens the Immortal’s golden door. " Savitri-488 "A golden fire came in and burned Night’s heart; Her dusky mindlessness began to dream; The Inconscient conscious grew, Night felt and thought. Assailed in the sovereign emptiness of its reign The intolerant Darkness paled and drew apart Till only a few black remnants stained that Ray." Savitri-601 “Then suddenly there came on her the change Which in tremendous moments of our lives Can overtake sometimes the human soul And hold it up towards its luminous source. ” Savitri-571 10th January 1973: THE HEART HAD STOPPED BEATING: …Yesterday or the day before, I don’t remember, all of a sudden, for two or three minutes my body was seized by the horror of death –the idea of being put like this (gesture of being tossed into a hole) in a tomb was so horrifying! Horrifying… I couldn’t have stood that more than a few minutes. It was HORRIFYING. Not because I was buried alive, but because my body was conscious. It was considered “dead” by everybody for the heart had stopped beating –yet the body was conscious …that was a horrible experience… I was displaying all the signs of “death,” you know, the heart was not working, nothing was working –but I was conscious. The body was conscious. (Similar experience in Savitri :-) "These symbol figures lost their right to live, All tokens dropped our sense can recognise; There the heart beat no more at body’s touch, There the eyes gazed no more on beauty’s shape." Savitri-31 “Even if he seems to leave her to her lone strength, Even though all falters and falls and sees an end And the heart fails and only are death and night, God-given her strength can battle against doom Even on a brink where alone seems close And no human strength can hinder or can help.” Savitri-661-62 24th November, 1926: THE OVERMENTAL SIDDHI of Sri Aurobindo: (The Mother said on 2nd August, 1961) Except for Krishna …. .In 1926, I had begun a sort of overmental creation, that is, I had brought the Overmind down into matter, here on earth (miracles and all kinds of things were beginning to happen). I asked all these gods to incarnate, to identify themselves with a body (some of them absolutely refused). Well, with my very own eyes I saw Krishna, who had always been in rapport with Sri Aurobindo , consent to come down into his body. It was on November 24th, and it was the beginning of ‘Mother.’ Q:- Yes, in fact I wanted to ask you what this realisation of 1926 was. It was this: Krishna consented to descend into Sri Aurobindo’s body-to be FIXED there; there is a great difference, you understand, between incarnating, being fixed in a body, and simply acting as an influence that comes and goes and moves about, the gods are always moving about, and it’s plain that we ourselves, in our inner beings, come and go and act in a hundred or a thousand places at once. There is a difference between just coming occasionally and accepting to be permanently tied to a body-between a permanent influence and a permanent presence. These things have to be experienced. Q:- But in what sense did this realisation mark a turning point in Sri Aurobindo’s sadhana? No, the phenomenon was important FOR THE CREATION; he himself was rather indifferent to it. But I did tell him about it. It was at that time that he decided to stop dealing with people and retire to his room. So he called everyone together for one last meeting. Before then, he used go out on the verandah every day to meet and talk with all who came to see him (this is the origin of the famous ‘Talks with Sri Aurobindo…Mother is about to say something severe, then reconsiders-anyway …) I was living in the inner rooms and seeing no one; he was going out onto the verandah, seeing everyone, receiving people, speaking, discussing-I saw him only when he came back inside. After a while, I too began having meditations with people. I had begun a sort of ‘overmental creation,’ to make each god descend into a being-there was an extraordinary upward curve! Well, I was in contact with these beings and I told Krishna (because I was always seeing him around Sri Aurobindo ), This is all very fine, but what I want now is a creation on earth-you must incarnate.’ He said ‘Yes’ Then I saw him, with my own eyes (inner eyes, of course), join himself to Sri Aurobindo. Then I went into Sri Aurobindo’s room and told him, Here’s what I have seen.’ ‘Yes, I know!’ he replied (Mother laughs) ‘That’s fine; I have decided to retire to my room, and you will take charge of the people. You take charge.’(There were about thirty people at the time.) Then he called every one together for one last meeting. He sat down, had me sit next to him, and said, ‘I called you here to tell you that, as of today, I am withdrawing for purposes of sadhana, and Mother will now take charge of everyone; you should address your selves to her; she will represent me and she will do all the work.’ (He hadn’t mentioned this to me!–Mother bursts into laughter) These people had always been very intimate with Sri Aurobindo, so they asked: Why, why, why?’ He replied, ‘It will be explained to you.’ I had no intention of explaining anything, and I left the room with him, but Datta began speaking. (She was an English woman who had left Europe with me; she stayed here until her death–a person who received ‘inspiration.’) She said she felt Sri Aurobindo speaking through her and she explained everything: that (Sri) Krishna had incarnated and that Sri Aurobindo was now going to do an intensive sadhana for the descent of the Supermind; that it meant Krishna’s adherence to the Supramental Descent upon earth and that, as Sri Aurobindo would now be too occupied to deal with people, he had put me in charge and I would be doing all the work. This was in 1926. It was only … (how can I put it?) a participation from Krishna . It made no difference for Sri Aurobindo personally: it was a formation from the past that accepted to participate in the present creation, nothing more. It was a descent of the Supreme, from… some time back, now consenting to participate in the new manifestation. 24th November, 1926: THE OVERMENTAL SIDDHI of Sri Aurobindo: (The Mother said on 2nd August, 1961) Shiva, on the other hand, refused. ‘No,’ he said, ‘I will come only when you have finished your work. I will not come into the world as it is now, I am ready to help.’ He was standing in my room that day, so tall (laughing) that his head touch the ceiling! He was bathed in his own special light, a play of red and gold … magnificent! Just as he is when he manifests his supreme consciousness–a formidable being! So I stood up and … (I too must have become quite tall, because my head was resting on his shoulder, just slightly below his head) then he told me, ‘No, I’ m not tying myself to a body, but I will give you ANYTHING you want.’ The only thing I said (it was all done wordlessly, of course) was: ‘ I want to be rid of the physical ego.’ Well, mon petit (laughing) it happened! IT was extraordinary!… After a while, I went to find Sri Aurobindo and said, ‘See what Has happened! I have a funny sensation (Mother laughs) of the cells no longer being clustered together! They’re going to scatter! He looked at me, smiled and said, Not yet. And the effect vanished. But Shiva had indeed given me what I wanted! Not yet, Sri Aurobindo said. No, the time wasn’t ripe. It was too early, much too early. (Similar experience in Savitri :-) “A giant dance of Shiva tore the past;” Savitri-343 “On Shiva’s breast is stayed the enormous dance.” Savitri-247 “World-existence is the ecstatic dance of Shiva which multiplies the body of the God numberlessly to the view: it leaves that white existence precisely where and what it was, ever is and ever will be; its sole absolute object is the joy of the dancing.” CWSA-21/The Life Divine/p-85 24th November, 1926: THE OVERMENTAL SIDDHI of Sri Aurobindo (The Mother said on 22nd December, 1962) In the end Sri Aurobindo told me it was an overmental creation, not the (Supramental) Truth. These were his very words: “Yes, it is an overmental creation, but that is not the truth we are seeking; it is not the truth, the highest truth,” he said. I made no reply, not a word: in half an hour I had undone everything –I undid it all, really everything, cut the consciousness between the gods and the people here, demolished absolutely everything. Because you see, I knew it was so attractive for people (they were constantly seeing the most astonishing things) that the obvious temptation was to hang on to it and say, “We will improve on it” –which was impossible. So I sat down quietly for half an hour, and I undid it all. We had to start over again with something else. But I said nothing, I told no one about it except Sri Aurobindo . At the time I let no one know, because they would have been completely discouraged. (Similar experience in Savitri :-) "Hardly for a moment glimpsed viewless to Mind, As if a torch held by a power of God, The radiant world of the everlasting Truth Glimmered like a faint star bordering the night Above the golden Overmind’s shimmering ridge." Savitri-41 “He scanned the secrets of the Overmind, He bore the rapture of the Oversoul. A borderer of the empire of the Sun, Attuned to the supernal harmonies, He linked creation to the Eternal sphere.” Savitri-302 Recapitulation: SRI AUROBINDO’S FOUR MAJOR SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES: “Sri Aurobindo had already realised in full two of the four great realisations on which his Yoga and his spiritual philosophy are founded. (1) The first he had gained while meditating with the Maharastrian Yogi Vishnu Bhaskar Lele at Boroda in 1908; it was the realisation of the silent spaceless and timeless Brahman gained after a complete and abiding stillness of the whole consciousness and attended at first by an overwhelming feeling and perception of the total unreality of the world, though this feeling was disappeared after his (2) second realisation which was that of the cosmic consciousness and of the Divine as all beings and all that is, which happened in the Allipore jail and of which he has spoken in his speech at Uttarapara . To the other two realisations, (3) that of the supreme Reality with the static and dynamic Brahman as its two aspects and (4) that of the higher planes of consciousness leading to the Supermind he was already on his way in his meditations in the Alipore jail. ” Sri Aurobindo CWSA-36/Autobiographical Notes/p-94 Sri Aurobindo’s Consciousness is at once a vast universality of Soul and an intense unity of all. His universal and infinite Consciousness can always surround and seize on the mind of the aspiring destined individual with certain continuity, persistence and frequency and can most easily transform it into Intuitive mentality and subsequently, through arduous training to Supramental movement. He was able to identify the highest hinted Spiritual experiences of His Spiritual predecessors and transcended them. This paper identifies partly His highest hinted Spiritual realisations and proposes to use them as lever action towards the extension of unfolding the ceaseless miracle of the Infinite and ever extended mystery of the Eternal and lift the nature wholly towards the Divine. The Synthesis of Yoga provides some clues for building a passage in arriving and establishing oneself in Sri Aurobindo’s Consciousness. First, it proposes that a (1) Sadhaka must go beyond the human virtue of prescribed moral formulas, rules and laws and beyond the human sin² born out of vital impurity, desire and wrong impulse and instincts and shall govern all his life by the light and truth of the Spirit; secondly, (2) he must go beyond Divine collective action² to become a precursor and pioneer of New Consciousness and this isolation from collectivity will necessarily give a determination, manifestation and creation of new inward and outward form and standard and lastly, (3) he must go beyond all written truth,³ sabdabrahmativartate ,⁴ must go beyond all truth heard through past Spiritual exercise and all truth yet to hear through future Spiritual exploration, srotabyasya srutasya cha ⁵ and live in his triple Soul of Psychic, Spiritual and Supramental Being and thus, he becomes the Sadhaka of the Eternal. The Life Divine provides a further clue that such isolated seekers of the Divine Life ‘must…withdraw into their secret divine kingdom and guard themselves in a spiritual solitude’¹⁵ and lead humanity towards a happier future through action from their inner Light and Love on mankind. The Savitri book issues further injunction on ‘too great’¹⁶ Souls to walk alone in ‘mighty solitude’¹⁶ and discourages them from wasting time in their effort to create a soul and mind of their own kind. Their own accumulated Soul Force is their most faithful and precious companion in the world journey, inner exploration and world transformation. This injunction in pursuing Sri Aurobindo’s concentrated Consciousness is complemented by The Mother’s expansive Consciousness, in which She gives Her all-embracing Divine Contacts to liberate and transform humanity. OM TAT SAT References: 1: Savitri-599, 2: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-207, 3: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-55-56, 4: The Gita-6.44, 5: The Gita-2.52, 6: The Gita-10.05, 7: CWSA-22/The Life Divine/p-948, 8: "In all spiritual living the inner life is the thing of first importance ; the spiritual man lives always within, and in a world of the Ignorance that refuses to change he has to be in a certain sense separate from it and to guard his inner life against the intrusion and influence of the darker forces of the Ignorance: he is out of the world even when he is within it; if he acts upon it, it is from the fortress of his inner spiritual being where in the inmost sanctuary he is one with the Supreme Existence or the soul and God are alone together. The gnostic life will be an inner life in which the antinomy of the inner and the outer, the self and the world will have been cured and exceeded. The gnostic being will have indeed an inmost existence in which he is alone with God, one with the Eternal, self-plunged into the depths of the Infinite, in communion with its heights and its luminous abysses of secrecy; nothing will be able to disturb or to invade these depths or bring him down from the summits, neither the world’s contents nor his action nor all that is around him. This is the transcendence aspect of the spiritual life and it is necessary for the freedom of the spirit; for otherwise the identity in Nature with the world would be a binding limitation and not a free identity." CWSA-22/The Life Divine/p-1013, “O soul, my soul, we have created Heaven, Within we have found the kingdom here of God, His fortress built in a loud ignorant world ." Savitri-531 9: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-61, 10: Savitri-19, 11: Savitri-705, 12: CWSA-21/The Life Divine/p-27, 13: These experiences are collected from the Mother’s Agenda, 14: The Mother’s Agenda/Vol-1/p-477, 15: CWSA-22/The Life Divine/p-1097, 16: Savitri-368, 17: SABCL/Vol-26/p-64, 18: The Mother’s Agenda-6/43 19: “But it is not either of these sides separated from other, but rather a harmony of the inner and the outer life made one in fullness and transfigured into a play of something that is beyond them which will create the form of a perfect living. A Yoga of works, a union with the Divine in our will and acts---and not only in knowledge and feeling---is then an indispensable, an inexpressibly important element of an integral Yoga. The conversion of our thought and feeling without a corresponding conversion of the spirit and body of our works would be a maimed achievement.” CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-92, 20: CWSA-22/The Life Divine/p-1069, 21: “If Life refuses the aid of its intermediary energy to the spirit’s other workings or is itself refused, they are likely to be reduced for all the effect they can have here to a static seclusion or a golden impotence; or if anything is done, it will be a partial irradiation of our action more subjective than objective, modifying existence perhaps, but without force to change it.” CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-173, 22: The Mother’s Centenary Works/Vol.13/p-23, 23: The Mother’s Centenary Works/Vol.13/p-19, 24: Savitri-43, 25: Savitri-315, 26: Savitri-42, 27: Savitri-706, 28: "But not by showering heaven’s golden rain Upon the intellect’s hard and rocky soil Can the tree of Paradise flower on earthly ground And the Bird of Paradise sit upon life’s boughs And the winds of Paradise visit mortal air. Even if thou rain down intuition’s rays, The mind of man will think it earth’s own gleam, His spirit by spiritual ego sink, Or his soul dream shut in sainthood’s brilliant cell Where only a bright shadow of God can come." Savitri-520-521 29: “Once were my (Satyavan’s) days like days of other men: To think and act was all, to enjoy and breathe; This was the width and height of mortal hope:” Savitri-406-7, “But when she (Savitri) came back to her self of thought, Once more she was a human thing on earth, A lump of Matter, a house of closed sight, A mind compelled to think out ignorance, A life-force pressed into a camp of works And the material world her limiting field.” Savitri-488 (Savitri said) “Nay, let me work within my mortal bounds, Not live beyond life nor think beyond the mind; Our smallness saves us from the Infinite.” Savitri-520 30: Savitri-407, 31: Savitri-541, 32: Savitri-703 33: "For we were man and woman from the first, The twin souls born from one undying fire." Savitri-614, 34: “Give me back Satyavan , my only lord." Savitri-637, 35: "An incarnation is something more, something special and individual to the individual being. It is the substitution of the Person of a divine being for the human person and an infiltration of it into all the movements so that there is a dynamic personal change in all of them and in the whole nature; not merely a change of the character of the consciousness or a general surrender into its hands, but a subtle intimate personal change. Even when there is an incarnation from the birth, the human elements have to be taken up, but when there is a descent, there is a total conscious substitution." Sri Aurobindo/CWSA-29/Letters on Yoga-II/p-421, "But there is too somewhere deep down in us the need of a total consciousness, there is in Nature a secret universal seeking for the whole Divine, an impulsion towards some entire awareness and delight and power of existence; this need of a whole being, a total knowledge, this integral will in us is not fully satisfied by these solutions. So long as the world is not divinely explained to us, the Divine remains imperfectly known; for the world too is That and, so long as it is not present to our consciousness and possessed by our powers of consciousness in the sense of the divine being, we are not in possession of the whole Divinity." CWSA-21/The Life Divine/p-408, "It is only if we can open up the wall between the outer mind and the inner consciousness to which such phenomena are normal, or if we can enter freely within or dwell there, that this realm of knowledge can be truly explained and annexed to our total consciousness and included in the field of operation of our awakened force of nature." CWSA-21/The Life Divine/p-557, "The first, the essential, is at one end the superconscient Silence and at the other end the Inconscience; the second, the integral, is the total consciousness of Sachchidanand a, the supramental concentration; the third, the multiple, is the method of the totalising or global overmental awareness; the fourth, the separative, is the characteristic nature of the Ignorance. " CWSA-22/The Life Divine/p-604, 36: "Those who are bewildered by the three modes, not knowers of the whole, let not the knower of the whole (knower of Total Consciousness) disturb in their mental standpoint." The Gita-3.29, "Equally, an enlargement of our mental consciousness out of the experience of the egoistic dualities into an unregulated unity with some form of total consciousness might easily bring about a confusion and incapacity for the active life of humanity in the established order of the world’s relativities. This, no doubt, is the root of the injunction imposed in the Gita on the man who has the knowledge not to disturb the life-basis and thought-basis of the ignorant; for, impelled by his example but unable to comprehend the principle of his action, they would lose their own system of values without arriving at a higher foundation." CWSA-21/The Life Divine/p-58 Download this WEB PAGE as a PDF file: "And I saw for Sri Aurobindo (although he hadn't yet started this systematic transformation; but still, he was constantly pulling the supramental force down into his body), even in his case, it took five days to show the first slight sign of decomposition. I would have kept his body longer, but the government always meddles in other people's business, naturally, and they pestered me awfully, saying it was forbidden to keep a body so long and that we should ... So when the body began to (what's the word?) shrink – it was shrinking and contracting, that is, dehydrating – then we had to do it. He had had enough time to come out, since almost everything came into my body – almost everything that was material came into my body ." The Mother The Mother's Agenda/August 10, 1963 " Well, what Sri Aurobindo did by leaving his body is somewhat equivalent, although far more total and complete and absolute-because he had that experience, he had that, he had it; I saw him, I saw him supramental on his bed, sitting on his bed. .. He has written: I am not doing it individually, for myself, but for the whole earth. And it was exactly the same thing for me-but oh, that experience! Nothing counted for me anymore: people, the earth-even the earth itself had absolutely no importance" The Mother The Mother's Agenda/July-15, 1961

The Mother Handbook "ALAS, sublime Mother, how great must be Thy patience! Each time Thy conscious will attempts to manifest itself in order to rectify errors, to hasten the uncertain progress of the individual led astray by his own illusion of knowledge, to trace the sure path and give him the strength to walk steadily upon it without stumbling, almost always he pushes Thee away as a tiresome and short-sighted adviser. He is willing to love Thee in theory with a vague and inconsistent love, but his proud mind refuses to confide in Thee and prefers to wander all by itself rather than advance guided by Thee." The Mother TMCW-1/Prayers and Meditations/17.11.1914/p-276 "There has never been here any real surrender, any giving up of yourself freely and simply into the hands of the Divine Mother. And yet that is the only way to succeed in the supramental Yoga. To be a Yogi, a Sannyasi, a Tapaswi is not the object here. The object is transformation, and the transformation can only be done by a force infinitely greater than your own ; it can only be done by being truly like a child in the hands of the Divine Mother.” Sri Aurobindo CWSA-32/The Mother with Letters on The Mother/p-143 The Mother book gives the message of the second Divine Call of Jivatma's union with Paraprakriti and attainment of Cosmic Consciousness. It aims at the possession of the tantric objective of dynamic Divine Shakti with the help of the Vedantic method. The Vedantic self-disciplines of Karma, Jnana and Bhakti Yoga have been restated in new terms and combinations of fivefold methods that of aspiration, rejection, surrender, faith and sincerity. Where first three are utilised to enter union with the static Divine and last three are meant to experience dynamic Divine union. And consecration is divided into two types, that of Purusha Yajna and Prakriti Yajna . Faith is also divided into two parts that of ascending faith and descending faith or the faith that helps in the ascent of the Soul and the faith that prolongs the descent of Shakti . The first chapter of The Mother book gives importance to discernment of truth from falsehood and acceptance of the former by the rejection of the latter is the starting point of all Yoga. The second chapter gives importance to the psycho-spiritual Vedantic method to enter partial static and dynamic union with the Divine. The third chapter insists on the integration of this Divine union through faith, sincerity and surrender. The fourth chapter stresses the acceptance and utilisation of the Money power for the Divine Work. The fifth chapter hints at the essence of Karma Yoga and the attainment of dynamic oneness with the Divine Mother. The sixth chapter develops contact with the four mediatrix Spiritual Mother Powers, which are identified as an extension of the Yoga of Self-perfection hinted in The Synthesis of Yoga . This is also the supreme mystery, the Gita has hinted as four powers of Manu , ‘chatvaro manabastatha’ (The Gita-10.6) but never developed. These four Mediatrix Spiritual Mother Powers also complement the four Psychic Mother Powers, hinted in the Gita as chaturvarna . (The Gita-4.13) In each birth, we accumulate the Soul forces of Brahma Shakti, Kshetra Shakti, Vaisya Shakti and Shudra Shakti and in this birth, we can reconcile them for Supreme consummation. The reconciliation of the four Spiritual Mother Powers of Maheswari, Mahakali, Mahalakshmi and Mahasaraswati paves the passage clear for Yoga of Self-perfection and extension of Supramental/Bliss action. The method of self-discipline proposed by The Mother book is simple, where purified intellect is utilised for ceaseless renunciation of lower Nature and ceaseless practice of consecration to experience Divine union in waking trance but its objective is difficult to realise and possess the Divine Mother. There are still many missing links and gulfs that will connect the static and dynamic Brahman and the movement of Consciousness between the Psychic being and the Spiritual Being. It proposes to initiate the transformation of Nature with the aid of Purusha Yajna and intensify this action by a more powerful Prakriti Yajna . Faith, sraddha , is identified as the central Truth of The Mother book, which reinforces the contact between static and dynamic Divine. OM TAT SAT The Supreme Word of The Mother : The Power of Consecration has to replace the power of Tapasya and The Mother’s power alone can rend the lid between the higher and lower Hemisphere and bring down into the world of Ignorance, Falsehood, Suffering and Death the unending Light, Truth, Immortal’s Ananda and the Life Divine. The Supreme Method of The Mother : For the transformation of Nature, Prakriti Yajna or Vedic sacrifice (holocaust of Prakriti , sacrifice of the Divine Mother) is considered more powerful than Purusha Yajna or Vedantic sacrifice. Both methods are to be combined for effective transformation though for beginners of sadhana , Vedantic sacrifice is considered indispensable. So The Mother book proposes a safe and secured Vedantic method of self-discipline in order to arrive at the Tantric/Vedic aim. The Supreme Siddhi or Perfection of The Mother : The highest Supramental Force permeates from above the head from Spiritual, Supramental and Bliss Self, within from Psychic, true Mental, true Vital and true Psysical Being, below the feet by the opening of Subconscient and Inconscient Selves, and all around by opening of universal Self and awake in the body the Supreme Love, Beauty and Ananda . Or "It (dynamic Spirit) is within, below, without, above." (Savitri-98) The Supreme Grace of The Mother : The Divine Grace will act when either of the four conditions below is satisfied. The Supreme Divine Grace will intensify only when the four conditions are simultaneously satisfied in Integral Concentration of (1) total and sincere surrender, (2) exclusive self-opening to the Divine Power, (3) constant and integral choice of descending Truth and (4) constant and integral rejection of falsehood of mind, vital, body, surrounding world and Subconscient plane. The Practice of Integral Yoga through The Mother Handbook I The Handbook II of The Mother The Central Truth of The Mother “I have quite the feeling that I myself ‘do’ nothing at all, absolutely nothing. The only thing I do is this (gesture of offering upwards), constantly this, in everything – in thoughts, feelings, sensations, in the body’s cells, all the time: ‘You, You, You. It’s You, it’s You, it’s You ...’ That’s all. And nothing else. (Her life the altar, herself the sacrifice. Savitri-473) … In other words, a more and more complete, a more and more integral assent, more and more like this (gesture of letting herself be carried). That’s when you have the feeling that you must be ABSOLUTELY like a child… If you start thinking, ‘Oh, I want to be like this! Oh, I ought to be like that!’ you waste your time.” The Mother The Mother’s Agenda/ November 12, 1960 “During the whole time Sri Aurobindo was here, the four entities he speaks of, the four aspects of The Mother , were always present. And I was constantly obliged to tell one or other of them, “Now keep calm, now, now, calm down”—they were always inclined to intervene!” The Mother The Mother's Agenda/27th June 1962 “Answer that there are many paths of Yoga, — Sri Aurobindo’s is one which is very difficult and exacting and he does not care to accept anyone into it unless he is satisfied that he has a special call and is capable of following the path. No one is admitted to the Asram as a member in the indefinite and conditional way he suggests. It is no use taking up Yoga without knowing what it is. If he wants to read books on the subject, he can read the Essays on the Gita and The Mother . They will not give him a complete idea of this path and its conditions and objects, but they should at least give him some notion of what Yoga is and of the spirit of this Yoga” Sri Aurobindo CWSA-35/Letters on Himself and His Ashram/p-569 “Once in the early part of my life (Priti Dasgupta) in the Ashram, the Mother told me while giving flower: “Every morning, read a little bit of Sri Aurobindo’s book, The Mother . Just as in India people read the Gita in the morning. You make the same kind of inner progress by re ading The Mother as you do by reading the Gita . Read it regularly every morning.” The Mother Moments Eternal/ Priti Dasgupta

The Call in Detail “And no change can be more radical than the revolution attempted in the integral Yoga.”¹ Sri Aurobindo CWSA/23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-72 “No limit can be fixed to this revolution; for it is in its nature an invasion by the Infinite. ”² Sri Aurobindo CWSA/22/ The Life Divine/p-947 “There are people who love adventure. It is these I call, and I tell them this : “I invite you to the great adventure.”... It is not a question of repeating spiritually what others have done before us, for our adventure begins beyond that. It is a question of a new creation, entirely new, with all the unforeseen events, the risks, the hazards it entails — a real adventure, whose goal is certain victory, but the road to which is unknown and must be traced out step by step in the unexplored. Something that has never been in this present universe and that will never be again in the same way. If that interests you... well, let us embark. What will happen to you tomorrow — I have no idea. One must put aside all that has been foreseen, all that has been devised, all that has been constructed, and then... set off walking into the unknown. And — come what may! There." The Mother The Mother's Centenary Works/Vol-9/page-152 The Call in Detail There is a higher plan of our Spiritual destiny which is the cause of our greater existence and holds the key of our ascending fate. The perfect Spirit is called out of the dense imperfect mortality and is nurtured, fostered and moulded in the Matter’s house by the influence of the sun-eyed Guardians of conscious Truth planes, Godheads of the unseen reality and men of Spiritual attainment. This material birth is a long transition of fourfold Soul adventure, self-evolution and illumination through which Nature ascends in the ladder and climbs to become the Spirit. Man arrives at greater perfection when he enlarges himself by opening his Nature towards all these four Soul powers. Thus, our life is at once (1) to know and grow into self-truth and self-knowledge, (2) to raise slow outer life energy and the surface consciousness into swift movement of Divine energy and Divine Consciousness, 'a struggle and battle of our will with ourselves and surrounding forces,' (3) a constant production, adaptation, application of ecstatic skill and harmony to material life and to lift the surface pleasure into Divine Delight of Being and (4) to live and act in a complete self-giving, sacrifice, service and elevate the surface lower Nature into Divine Nature. The ancient thoughts of India were conscious of these four-fold Spiritual turns, chaturvarna, ⁶ of active human personality and nature which precipitated as fixed mechanical function in the society of traditional ideal of Brahmana, Kshatriya, Vaisya and Shudra , whose full consummation and large Divine manifestation must be called down from the Universal and Transcendent plane by those who practice integral Yoga. A Sadhak 'opens his nature more and more into the rounded fullness and universal capacity of the fourfold spirit.' ³³ Brahmana or Soul of Self-knowledge and World-knowledge: The ancient Indian Teaching insists to regenerate ethical and Spiritual culture in all men and ‘their highest inner self are Brahmanas capable of the full (growth of) spirit and godhead.’²⁶ The study of Scriptures, calm self-control, purity, a way of truth-seeking and capture it for outward use, long-suffering, kindness, honesty, aversion to fault finding, the ceaseless quest for knowledge, freedom from prejudice, hard-won mind’s silence, sweet smiling quietude of life, constant practice of non-attachment towards son, wife and home, high thinking, pure living, heavenward flight through saintly inactivity, free from attachment to action and inaction, detachment of desire-mind and renunciation of its passion, raise the mental consciousness into clarity, fixing the mind in the central vision, nearing of Spiritual truth within by purified buddhi and ethical change in the outside surface life are the natural and spontaneous task of the traditional Brahmin Soul force. Thus, a traditional Brahmin lives a double life, Spiritual within or above and mental and material in outward active earthly living; thus he does not bridge the gulf between imperfect Matter and perfect Spirit. The exclusive nature of the Soul force of the ancient traditional Brahmin is extended and enlarged in integral Yoga to go beyond the partial views and egoistic motives of human ignorance and becomes the master of own kingdom of life, swarat, master over the surrounding world, samrat, the fullness of the divine union of Truth-Light, Brahma-yoga, Power and glory of Spiritual force, Brahma-tejas , comprehensive Knowledge, Brahma-varcas, perfection of Spiritual Law, Dharma , enlarge and raise the whole seeing and living of active consciousness by trance, Samadhi , the accomplished Brahminhood of the complete Brahmana and grows into impersonalised universal personality, sarva-bhutatma-bhutatma.(The Gita-5.7) The exclusive concentration, samyama , pursued by all traditional schools of Yoga is used as a temporary instrument for the beginners of integral Yoga and further extended and culminated as an all-receiving or all-inclusive concentration, samjnana . The perfection of Brahmana Soul-force is the treasure house of miraculous knowledge which is open to every kind of Revelation, intimate Vision, many-sided wideness of Spiritual Attainment, Inspiration, Intuition, Identity; opens us to Supramental Infinities, Largeness, unalterable Silence, absolute quietude and Solitude, impersonal Vastness, right Discrimination of Truth, unspoken great Word, shadow-less Love, original Delight of existence, self-defusing Peace and a reconciling Wisdom to perfect life. Its 'illimitable calm upholds all the illumination, movement, action as on some rock of ages, equal, unperturbed, unmoved, acyuta. '³³ An Integral Brahmin calls down the Divine Mother’s swift invasion of mightier Light, calm wideness, Truth of eternity, blaze of comprehensive wisdom, inevitable Word, tranquil benignity, sovereign and surpassing majesty and all ruling greatness to life’s closed and obscure room and transforms all triple lower mechanical energies of sattwa, rajas and tamas into energies of illumined Seer and subsequently to Supramental Nature, madbhava .⁷ Not by rejecting life and action but by accepting and uplifting them he will realise the supreme Self in his own being and subsequently in all beings and transform all mundane knowledge into activities of self-existent infinite Divine Consciousness. Thus God-Knowledge and World-Knowledge become two sides of one Transcendent seeking. She is the Maheswari aspect, the mediatrix universal Mother that draws her child to her arms to link earth consciousness with supreme Truth Consciousness and we adore her as Mother of all Godheads, ancient Mother, infinite Mother, a wonderful Mother of unnumbered species and an embodiment of mighty Mother. A force in her toiled since the beginning of creation to reverse destiny’s cold dead turn, forced to open the door of multiple Selves that are denied and closed and when the earth will be ready she shall again take birth in Time as last Avatara to vanquish Fate and Death and establish Truth’s victory. Kshatriya or Soul of Strength and Power: The heroism, high spirit ambition, strong helpfulness, armour of courage, resolution, ability, steadfastness in Yoga, giving, harmlessness, sword-like faith, forgiveness, leadership, lordship at all workings, Isvara-bhava , straightforwardness, gracious nobility, well-armed disciplined warrior and hunter of unknown and beautiful creation, a wrestler with destiny are the natural work of traditional Kshatriya Soul force. Thus a traditional Kshatriya is only the outward manifestation necessary to complete the urge of human perfection and he does not adventure much into higher planes of Consciousness and call down consciously their Divine energy to the limitation of tamasic, rajasic and sattwic Nature. These virtues of traditional Kshatriya are extended in integral Yoga to Divine fullness, calm mastery, self-possession, timeless purity, high plasticity towards change, forbidden to shrink from difficulties of life, opulence, expansion of Spiritual kingdom within and without and a faith and conviction that nothing can prevent a Sadhaka from discovering the Truth’s wide and golden path and in arriving at the end of integral Perfection. He has to conquer in himself the forces of egoistic falsehood, ignorance and suffering and manifest Divine Truth-movement in the spirit of a lion-like warrior and further extend them towards the conquest of the same adverse and inexhaustible dark forces in the world. The perfection of Kshatriya Soul-force is the severest austerity of tapas. This great action can unlock the doors of fate by adventure of Consciousness in ascending and descending order capturing ‘the last inviolate secret’⁹ Source and invasion of its large white Divine Presence to all the nether dark planes of existence. 'An absolute calm fearlessness of the free spirit, an infinite dynamic courage which no peril, limitation of possibility, wall of opposing force can deter from pursuing the work or aspiration imposed by the spirit, a high nobility of soul and will untouched by any littleness or baseness and moving with a certain greatness of step to spiritual victory or the success of the God-given work through whatever temporary defeat or obstacle, a spirit never depressed or cast down from faith and confidence in the power that works in the being, are the signs of this perfection.'³ ³ An Integral Kshatriya casts his transparent Soul upon the Divine Mother’s lap and calls down her sweet Presence of violent loving heart, intolerant flame, splendid strength, the irresistible white passion of her mighty Force. She leads his small beginning of Sadhana towards a mighty end, initially through slow mental evolution and finally towards complete enjoyment, possession and transformation of Nature of Divine Soul through swift Spiritual evolution; she fulfills Ananda with its most absolute intensities, drags knowledge towards conquering glories and shortens the long way of perfection. He reconciles the gentle soul of Love with the formidable need for Power; and fuses the Soul’s passive nature that lives satisfied with transcendent calm with the perfect activity of Divine worker and warrior. He shall possess God’s infinite Wisdom and King Idea which the dwarf mind cannot imagine and shall open God’s Supramental door which the heart of the mortal cannot dare. She is the Mahakali who holds her perennial child upon her knees and we meet her warrior mood, overwhelming turbulent will, terrible in love, sovereign gaze, all-seeing Power to trace its path, impetus swiftness, flaming silence of her heart of violent Love, her mind free from all twilight thought and her world-shaking force that can transform Time’s black dragon base of Inconscient Sheath and can trample the Nature’s Iron Law of Death. Her unerring golden Hand can lift our Being and Nature to unimaginable heights and calls down her infinite Ray. Her Timeless mighty action accomplishes centuries’ toil in a day and if she is allowed to intervene in her almighty strength, then in one moment she slays many longing desires, destroys all that are false and obscure, saves all that are pure and true and Divinises all Time and all Space. Vaisya or Soul of Mutuality and New Creation: The outward action of the traditional Vaisya Soul force is agriculture, cattle keeping, skillful devising intelligence, legal order, professional skill, commercial negotiation of self-interest, scientific, technical and utilitarian bent of mind, a power of giving, ample creative liberality, mutual helpfulness and the ecstatic skill in works. Thus, a traditional Vaisya does not feel the privilege to call down the highest planes of Bliss vibration to transform the recalcitrant lowest Nature. These traditional Vaisya faculties are extended in integral Yoga into a largeness of mutuality, a generous fullness of the relations of life, a lavish self-spending and return and ample interchange between existence and existence, a deathless sweetness chanting the unknown anthem of Soul, a full enjoyment and use of rhythm and balance of fruitful, aesthetic, beautiful and productive life. In this Yoga, one comes to see the Divine everywhere and in all equally and pours out the realisation of the Divine sweetness in all one’s inner activities and outward actions. All is supported by the primary force of emotional Divine union; for it is by Divine Love that the entire self-consecration and the entire self-possession are accomplished, and thought and action become shapes and figures of the Divine Delight which possesses the Spirit and its members. The perfection of Vaisya Soul-force is an efficient builder, organiser, free self-giving of Divine Beauty, Delight and Love to all, a subtle opulence, joy and gladness born of inner unification with chosen Divine destined Souls, discoverer of beauty’s golden path and fine rhythm of life. 'There comes too to fulfilment a large godhead, a soul-power of mutuality, a free self-spending and spending of gift and possession in the work to be done, lavished for the production, the creation, the achievement, the possession, gain, utilisable return, a skill that observes the law and adapts the relation and keeps the measure, a great taking into oneself from all beings and a free giving out of oneself to all, a divine commerce, a large enjoyment of the mutual delight of life.'³ ³ An Integral Vaisya calls down the Divine Mother’s deep, secret, vivid, wonderful and fine rhythm of beauty, healing touch of love, truth and delight, alchemist energy, sunlit sweetness and harmony, her intricate and subtle opulence, compelling attraction of beatitude, bound all the decreed Souls with her golden tie and captivating magic Grace. He does all action in the love of Divine and in love of the world and transforms all transient earthly emotional human relation into the joy of the All-Loving, the All-Blissful and the All-Beautiful. She is Mahalakshmi, whose worshiped feet have the power to heal the pain of life, breaks the seal of Ignorance to kindle rapturous Psychic fire, transforms earth’s floor into her sweetness’ home and one human moment is drawn towards all eternity. Her single glance makes the whole day marvellous; a strange new world peeps in her look; her clasp transforms all pain into ecstasy, fills our limbs with the rapture of things, lifts wisdom, strength and perfection to pinnacles of wonder, builds a golden passage to our heart and brings into life’s closed and obscured room a sense of Infinite Beauty and Harmony. Shudra or Soul of Works and Service: The ancient Indian Teaching insists ‘that all men are born in their lower nature as Shudras ’²⁶ and the well developed traditional Shudra has the instinct of toil and capacity of labour and service for maintenance of his existence, charity, absence of envy and pride, the gratification of his primal needs, self-indulgence of the instincts, unreflective obedience, imperfect worker and mechanical discharger of duty. His prayer is too weak to climb to the Supreme. The modern mind is attracted to create a purely productive and commercial society, ‘a Shudra society of labour, of the proletariate,’²⁷ preoccupied more and more with enjoyments of transient and short-lived nature. Their disproportionate increase is disturbing to social balance and stands as a danger to the survival of the human race. The limitation of a traditional Shudra is that he does not call down consciously the highest perfection of Sachchidananda Consciousness to his imperfect human Nature. In integral Yoga, these Shudra qualities are extended to the most necessary and beautiful elements of our greater perfection and the key to the much of the secret of highest Spiritual evolution. The full development of this Soul force is to become the architect of Immortality, an efficient builder, the power of motiveless consecrated service to others, personal will is converted to a single-minded Spiritual pursuit, a capacity for all kinds of Divine action demanded from an instrument, to obey and follow whatever great discipline and Spiritual Influence, a free identity and spontaneous harmony with the universal Divine Will, the love which consecrates service and asks for no return, a power for complete self-surrender and self-giving of what one does, thinks and feels. One can offer every detail of life’s manifestation and every incident of life’s movements as food for the inner sacrificial Fire. The perfection of Shudra Soul-force is the the entire renunciation of attachment, sangam tyaktwa, desire, kama, ego, ahamkaram , duality, dwanda , three modes of nature, gunas , initiation of work, sarbarambha parityagi , attachment to home and old association, aniketa. A perfection of faith, sraddha, is to be developed which believes that nothing done in us and around us is in vain and all things are accomplished when Divine Will takes up the burden of all life and all movement. 'And finally there comes to perfection the godhead, the soul-power of service, the universal love that lavishes itself without demand of return, the embrace that takes to itself the body of God in man and works for help and service, the abnegation that is ready to bear the yoke of the Master and make the life a free servitude to Him and under his direction to the claim and need of his creatures, the self-surrender of the whole being to the Master of our being and his work in the world.'³ ³ An Integral Shudra is not satisfied with his exclusive liberation, lonely freedom and solitary joy and asks the Divine Mother’s Light, Peace and Perfection for earth and men. He calls down her persistent, flawless and integral action, efficient technical knowledge, competent administrative skill, Truth of order, close and profound intimate knowledge, power of silence and quiet and exact perfection in all things. A vast surrender or wide self-giving is his only source of strength to confront Time and Space. While accepting all works of life, he is able to transform even the smallest and meanest work into glad and glorious golden sacrifice; a higher knowledge is applied to all the activities of existence to lift all common ordinary work into strange Divinity and in every simplest movement of will, action and thought he fills the Divine Presence and can bring her Divine oneness. His object in Arts and Crafts is not mere mental, vital and aesthetic gratification but to adore and manifest the Divine Artist everywhere. His aim and object in Science and Technology is not mechanical and mental manipulation of the energies and opulence of Nature but to enter into the processes and workings of the faultless Divine mysteries. He must always remember that he carries within him a fragment of integral Godhead and its total revelation in his bodily all-life is the inevitable consequence of his integral faith. She is Mahasaraswati and h er sacred voice is attuned with the harps of the perfect and rhythms of infinity, her sight breaks the transient sense to liberate the inner Godhead; her outstretched Hand of protection and ever-present help is extended over all life; she is the Mother of our longing Nature, the Mentor who insists even after repeated and prolonged failure, sister of our ascending Soul, comrade of our undying hope and golden Messenger to untransformed Nature. She claims from all Time her Will’s eternity overruling cosmic Law and manifestation of complete Godhead from passing and fleeting moments. For the fullness and perfect perfection of this blind struggling creation, she is ready for arduous labour, long-suffering and waits patiently for all eternity. All the above fourfold traditional personalities of ‘(1) Thought and knowledge, (2) war and government, (3) production and distribution, (4) labour and service’²⁵ are raised up to fullness and harmony in a traditional seeker of Truth and extended as 'a soul of knowledge, a soul of strength and of power, a soul of mutuality and interchange, a soul of works and service'²⁵ in a sane and perfected Society. Similarly, the perfection of all the above fourfold Soul personalities of (1) integral Truth destructive of falsehood, (2) adventure of Consciousness, (3) overhead descent of Love, Beauty and Delight and (4) skill in work are integrated in an integral seeker of Truth and extended its large manifestation in a Divine Centre, the Ashram. Traditional Yoga succeeds with the evolution of a strong Spiritual Being whereas integral Yoga succeeds with the evolution of a strong Spiritual Being subordinated by the evolution of a strong Mental Being; the former helps in building a Spiritual foundation and the latter helps in the integration of Being and Nature and reconciliation of Spirit with Matter. For example, one of the mind's roles, as hinted in Savitri , "The Inconscient could not read without man’s mind."³⁴ How the above four-fold traditional personalities are linked with each other for integration of being and Nature are as follows: ‘Through four soul-stages a man must pass before he can be perfect; first, as a Sudra, by service and obedience to tame the brute in his being; then, as a Vaishya to satisfy within the law of morality the lower man in him and evolve the higher man by getting the first taste of delight in well-doing to others than himself and his; then, as the Kshatriya , to be trained in those first qualities without which the pursuit of the Eternal is impossible, courage, strength, unconquerable tenacity and self-devotion to a great task; last, as the Brahmin, so to purify body & mind and nature that he may see the Eternal reflected in himself as in an unsoiled mirror. Having once seen God, man can have no further object in life than to reach and possess Him.’³¹ " And in the end to arrive at the divinest figure and most dynamic soul-power of this fourfold activity is a wide doorway to a swiftest and largest reality of the most high spiritual perfection. This we can do if we turn the action of the Swadharma into a worship of the inner Godhead, the universal Spirit, the transcendent Purushottama and, eventually, surrender the whole action into his hands, mayi sannyasya karmani . Then as we get beyond the limitation of the three gunas, so also do we get beyond the division of the fourfold law and beyond the limitation of all distinctive dharmas , sarvadharman parityajya . The Spirit takes up the individual into the universal Swabhava , perfects and unifies the fourfold soul of nature in us and does its self-determined works according to the divine will and the accomplished power of the godhead in the creature."³² ‘Every individual Jivatman must become the perfect Kshatriya before he can become the Brahmin .’² The ‘true Brahmin is samo manapamanayoh, he accepts indifferently worldly honour and dishonour and cares only for the truth and the right.’¹⁹ A Sadhaka of integral Yoga will pursue sadhana in four stages (1) that concentrates on the glories of the second new birth (material birth is considered as first birth, once born) of the Soul, a decisive and irreversible break in consciousness, twice-born, Dvija , (2) individual strong Soul power on the surface, Instrument, Yantra , (3) manifestation of special Divine Force from behind the veil, Emanation, Vibhuti, and (4) a Sadhaka can have the aspiration to become one, possess and hold together the dual Godhead, Avatara, in the heart. So, a Sadhaka of integral Yoga will be like Arjuna of the Gita and he will ascend the seven stairs of Consciousness that are of tamasic man, rajasic man, sattwic man, Dvija, Yantra, Vibhuti and Purushottam or Supramental Consciousness of Avatara . In a tamasic man inertia aspect of the three modes of Nature is strong. In a rajasic man desire and personal will to do action is strong. A sattwic man attains limited harmony, wisdom and happiness within three Gunas . In a Dvija , the Psychic and Spiritual being open intermittently and in him, the double evolution of Spirit and Intellect resume action. In a Yantra, the movement of consciousness between Psychic and Spiritual beings is established. In a Vibhuti, Psychic and Spiritual beings are universalised. And beyond it is the Consciousness of Avatar. Twice-born Soul, Dvija : ²⁰ The common initial object fixed for beginners of all traditional Yoga is the liberation of the Soul in the heart from Ignorance, the release of Spiritual being above the head and their union with the supreme Self and one life span seems to be sufficient to realise these objectives. This is further extended for the beginners of integral Yoga who are identified as ‘unconquerable pilgrim souls’¹⁴ in Spirit’s endless journey extending over many births and bodies. Their outstanding object of Yoga is the possession of mind, life and body by a hierarchy of higher Consciousness, to live without ego and enlargement of partial being and consciousness into complete being and comprehensive consciousness. They must reject the opposition of their own sceptical instrumental Nature and begin their long slow preparation with the faith that nothing can prevent them from overcoming the present imperfection and constantly filling them with more Spiritual experiences leading to this inevitable goal. They do not accept themselves as conscious creatures crawling on the globe with aimless circling, nor cling to half way resting place or half-found truth between Matter and Spirit, nor weeping earth, a senseless whirling around sun to serve a purposeless task in the grooves of Ignorance. Both the individual and the earth are an incomplete account of integral Truth and they have a mystic motive, a golden glorious Spiritual future, the Divine destiny and fulfilled happy completeness waiting for their ecstatic manifestation. Instrument, Yantra :²¹ The principal support of a Sadhaka of integral Yoga is equality, surrender and oneness by which he gets unchanging silence, eternal peace, immense calm, liberated purity and power of concentration. He does not permit any exulted abnormality, great excitation of power, over-eager to accomplish any work, impose any partial will, infra-rational and irrational movement of any kind and the experiencing Consciousness must preserve a calm balance, the sufficiently vigilant passive mind which is obedient to overhead guidance, an unfailing clarity, power of self-criticism, right discrimination, intellectual deliberation, a vivid perception, coordination, firm vision of things, pace of time must be respected, a sane grasp of facts, understands with sympathy the actuality of all energies behind the present appearance, a high Spiritual optimism, one pointed integral process with whole and many-sided progress and moves forward towards the unfurling of their Divine possibilities. He can have no dealings with weakness, selfishness, claim of violent personal will and motive of personal fame; a Divine strength and courage, a passivity of the mind calmly and strongly open to the high Spirit, a Divine compassion and helpfulness are the very stuff of that which he would become in his continuous effort. He has the patience and courage to uncover the truth of existence, clarity and humility to admit the limitation of his existing knowledge, Spiritualised intelligence to develop an intermediate necessity of intuitive discrimination which dispels all darkness of understanding and dazzling confusion, Spirit’s deep quietude which can reunite existence and consciousness with the Divine Ananda, higher aspiration that can call down true knowledge, open-hearted to face and overcome the problem of integration, equal effort for Divine fulfillment of his volitional, emotional and intellectual parts and bringing in persistently the Psychic and Spiritual Light into recalcitrant parts of Nature. Accepting life and as per the capacity of his universalised body, he has to bear the great part of earth’s burden in addition to his own heavy burden of surface and Subconscient sheath. In the Spiritual harmony of existence, the greater he accepts and embraces the world’s problems, miseries and sufferings, the greater the Divine Grace that seeks to descend upon his vessel and he has the responsibility of manifesting and calling down the Divine Shakti much more than his existing individual capacity. The instrumental action of a Divine Worker culminates in an inner and not in an outer action, a Spiritual action and not giving up of physical works into the Brahman . When the works are reposed on the Brahman, brahmanyadhaya, ¹⁷ the personality of the instrumental doer ceases; though he does all works he does nothing; for he has consecrated the work, doership of work and fruits of work and his highest realisation is that the Divine becomes the action, the result of action and doer of the action. A perfect and integral Divine instrument is at once the receiver of overhead Wisdom and Light of Integral Jnana Yoga and "We cease to think and see for ourselves, but think only what he wills to think for us and see only what he sees for us."³⁰ His own personal will is tuned and identified with the Divine Will of Integral Karma Yoga and his heart becomes the centre of overflow of Divine Love, Delight and Beauty of Integral Bhakti Yoga . Emanation, Vibhuti : ²² Instead of isolation from mankind through the ochre robe of Sannyasin, which is a symbol of refusal of all compromise with falsehood and complete surrender of lower Nature, an integral Yogi wears the garb of the world and his robe is a radiating Light, Beauty and all-inclusive Love of which he is an emanation of ‘garb-less deity.’¹¹ In him the Soul and Nature reveal equal Divine Presence and Balance and fuse in a wide harmony which lives in God’s extreme perfection that can exist by an ever-extending scroll of the Infinite. Thus, he establishes a Spiritual consciousness in the Being followed by an extension of this Spirituality to all the parts of Nature. He can create what his Spirit has dreamed and his perfect action is the outcome of his perfect inner passivity. His dream of Beauty’s sunlit passage is realised in an eternal Love, Beauty and Delight, self-existent, all-pervading and equal behind all outer appearances; his dream of perfect Truth in the eternal variation of existence is invariable and is the secret of all change and goal of all wisdom; his dream of comprehensive Divine Action in the omnipotent and self-revealed Will is inherent forever in all things and all creatures and translates itself in the eternal rhythm of the world movement. Consciousness of the dual Avatara : ²³ “And it (Matter becoming conscious of the Spirit) will go on multiplying and intensifying until the entire universe becomes the total Avatar of the Supreme.”²⁸ The Mother An Avatara is a special manifestation of Supreme, Parameswar, whereas a Vibhuti realises himself as 'as the child, the son of God, the Bhakta '³⁵ when his Psychic being is awake and 'as one centre of the multiple Divine'³ ⁵ when his Spiritual being is awake. A Sadhaka of integral Yoga must remember this distinction; 'for, otherwise, if there is the least vital egoism, one may begin to think of oneself as an Avatara …'³⁵ In the fourth stage, a Sadhaka realises the eternal and universal Self, an increasing manifestation of the Divine, the Ishwara in all his being, nature and action. Now he is constantly and uninterruptedly aware of the Divine Presence in him. The Divine is felt as the possessor of his Being and Nature, above him as the Ruler and Over-ruler of all the workings. All his consciousness becomes Divine Consciousness, all his knowledge becomes Divine Knowledge, all his will becomes Divine Will, all his feeling becomes Divine Love and all his action becomes Divine action. The distinction between Shakti and Ishwara begins to disappear in their sole Oneness, there is only the conscious Indwelling, Over-dwelling and Identity with the Divine. The Ignorance of the ego is entirely removed and there is only the eternal portion of the Self, amsa sanatana¹⁵ and he becomes a conscious centre of unity and freedom. He lives fulfilled in the complete Presence, Power and Joy of the Divine. His emanative identity uplifts to the Consciousness of the Supreme in His totality where his meeting of Shakti and Ishwara in Spiritual plane is further elevated as Maya and Brahman in the Supramental plane, Vijnana ; he emerges and establishes himself in holding together the dual Avatara consciousness of Para-Shakti and Purushottama state, assumes a human name and form and extends his greatest world action and Divine Lila .¹⁸ Such ascension of Consciousness is observed from the state of Vibhuti to the state of dual Avatara in King Aswapati’s following Spiritual experience: “There he beheld in their mighty union’s poise (a) The figure of deathless Two-in-One, (b) A single being in two bodies clasped, (c) A diarchy of two united souls, (d) Seated absorbed in deep creative joy; (e) Their trance of bliss sustained the mobile world.” (f) Savitri-295 (a: dual Avatar’s Divine union, b: symbol of Supramental Oneness, c: symbol of Spiritual Oneness, d: symbol of Psychic Oneness, e: symbol of Bliss Oneness, f: symbol of dual Avatara’s new creation and holding together the race.) Through these four stairs mankind can develop the capacity for indefinite ascending and descending movement of comprehensive Consciousness, ‘which will enable him progressively to manifest God in the body, --the universal Incarnation ’¹⁶ Or he ‘shall yet grow to supermind and spirit and become the Godhead in man who is aware of his true and integral self and the divine universality of his nature.’¹ Thus, the vision of universal incarnation of Godhead concealed in all humanity is revealed and realised in all life by Jivatma’s union and oneness with Paramatma, superseding Mother Nature’s earlier success of manifesting the individual Incarnation of Godhead in man. The eye of the spirit can see and mark out ‘the rising godhead of man in the great Vibhuti.’ ²⁴ The future ‘high task’ ¹² of integral Yoga is to call down the Supreme Lord and His magic Will in its entirety that can break down all established laws, all the limitations of mortal life instantly; search for that fire of Love which can bring the dead back to life; that Power which can cancel the things once done; that supreme Consciousness which can arrest the advance of time and slipping moments and that Bliss which can persuade the past perfect hours to live again with greater intensity. If we examine deeply into the problem of existence, we conclude that every physical law and resistance are nothing for Him. But this kind of comprehensive direct Divine intervention can take place only at the extreme limit of ascension and descent of Consciousness in a universalised subtle and causal body and all are pressed towards the very last second to reach an apex fire of Consciousness of world destiny where all is won and saved by dynamic Divine intervention or all is lost and destroyed by static Divine non-intervention or Divine’s witness state for the race. “And earth sink down with the weight of the Infinite.” Savitri-18 “Abolished were the scripts of destiny.” Savitri-82 “No silent peak is found where Time can rest.” Savitri-197 “A touch can alter the fixed front of Fate.” Savitri-256 “A new beginning flowers in word and laugh, A new charm brings back the old extreme delight:” Savitri-275 “A passion of the flesh becoming spirit,” Savitri-278 “And with one gesture change all future time.” Savitri-345 “A Magician’s formulas have made Matter’s laws… All here can change if the Magician choose.” Savitri-457 “All now is changed, yet all is still the same.” Savitri-719 The ‘mighty task ’³ of integral Yoga is to call down the entire truth and purity of Supreme Divine Love through immense, formidable and stupendous pulsation carrying the universe further in its manifestation, to heal all the painful vibration of life, deliver the mental, vital, physical love from their utter limitations and deficiencies to the extent of realisation of deathless Love with all unreality of mortality, disease, decay and accident and reveal to them their true abounding share of the universal intimacy and the oneness, the ascending ecstasy and the descending rapture. In the Supramental consciousness, the object of all transient emotion would be fully satisfied by embracing all contact of human relation in a purified flame Force. “The calm delight that weds one soul to all,” Savitri-6 “Proclaiming a panacea for all Time’s ills” Savitri-198 “Healed were all things that Time’s torn heart had made” Savitri-232 “Wrong could not come where all was light and love.” Savitri-314 “All-Love throb single in one human heart.” Savitri-345 “Loved all and spoke no word and made no sign,” Savitri-358 “They reached the one-self in all through boundless love.” Savitri-381 “He is still the godhead by which all can change.” Savitri-397 “All-love was hers and its one heavenly cord” Savitri-471 “He labours in the depths, exults on the heights; He shall remake thy universe, O Death.” Savitri-592 “And all is known and all is clasped by Love” Savitri-633 “The Love our hearts call down to heal all strife,” Savitri-661 The ‘enormous task ’⁴ of integral Yoga is to call down the Supreme relation of Sri Radha and Sri Krishna, the Mother and the Master of all life through Their Supramental Incarnation, Emanation and Instrumentation to the nether darkest land of Inconscient plane through prepared vessels and flooding the physical substance of Their manifestation, the Gopis, with intensest and completest Ananda , Love and Beauty. They have suffered human birth to bear the earth’s burden of million wounds with Their ‘imperishable eyes of veilless love.’⁸ “This whole wide world is only he and she.” Savitri-63 “The Two who are one are the secret of all power,” Savitri-63 “She burned in his sweet intolerable blaze.” Savitri-125 “He stood with her on meditating peaks … And saw her loose into infinity ” Savitri-191 “He is lost in her, she is his heaven here.” Savitri-275 “Their trance of bliss sustained the mobile world.” Savitri-295 “Her consciousness grew aware of him alone” Savitri-410 “The wedding of the eternal Lord and Spouse Took place again on earth in human forms:” Savitri-411 “A burning of two bodies in one flame.” Savitri-468 “And Krishna and Radha for ever entwined in bliss,” Savitri-525 “The Master and the Mother of all lives” Savitri-525 “Inscribe the long romance of Thee (Savitri) and Me (Supreme).” Savitri-699 “The incarnate dual Power shall open God’s door,” Savitri-705 The highest secret and seemingly 'impossible task ’¹⁰ of integral Yoga is to call down Truth supreme which is identified as the ‘earth’s last salvation,’¹³ param siddhi, of integral Yoga by whose intervention the universal Subconscient and Inconscient sheath of the earth will be wholly transformed and illumined with Divine Light, Power and Bliss. All the forces of lower nature, nether dark adverse universal Subconscient and Inconscient sons of falsehood and mother of evil hostile forces will either suffer illumination of Divine transformation or will be destroyed by the pressure of the descending Divine Truth-Light. “It left mind’s distance from the Truth supreme” Savitri-44 “A greater power must come, a larger light. Although Light grows on earth and Night recedes, Yet till the evil is slain in its own home And Light invades the world’s inconscient base And perished has the adversary Force, He (last Avatar ) still must labour on, his work half done.” Savitri-448-49 “A supreme light in the truth-conscious Vast:” Savitri-484 “A Truth supreme has forced the world to be;” Savitri-658 “Fragments of Truth supreme have lit his soul,” Savitri-659 “All-ruler, ruled by none, the Truth supreme,” Savitri-661 “The Truth supreme, vast and impersonal” Savitri-662 “O Death, if thou couldst touch the Truth supreme” Savitri-663 “If Truth supreme transcends her shadow here” Savitri-663 "But when the hour of the Divine draws near The Mighty Mother shall take birth in Time (as the last Avatar ) And God be born into the human clay In forms made ready by your human lives Then shall the Truth supreme be given to men:” Savitri-705 All the revelatory aspects of the Divine, myriad modes of His self-manifestation, and all the Soul’s greatest, highest and fullest Spiritual experiences must be called down as partial fulfillment of the unending, numerous and exhaustless riches and splendours of the Spirit. Then we are capable of integrating the Divine Call through absolute surrender that could dare to clasp the body of the Brahman and hold between our hands the World-Mother’s Feet and all contact of the world is experienced as His single touch in blissful equality. OM TAT SAT References: 1: CWSA-22/The Life Divine/p-789, 2: CWSA-17/Isha Upanishad/p-195-196, 3: Savitri-460, 4: Savitri- 58, 5: The Gita-4.24, 6: The Gita-4.13, 7: The Gita-13.18, 10.6, 8: Savitri-677, 9: Savitri-311, 10: Savitri-177, 11: Savitri- 430, 12: Savitri- 366, 13: Savitri-135, 14: Savitri-683, 15: The Gita-15.7, 16: “We have the emergence of that Conscious Being in an involved and inevitably evolving Life, Mind and Supermind as the condition of our activities; for it is this evolution which has enabled man to appear in Matter and it is this evolution which will enable him progressively to manifest God in the body, — the universal Incarnation. ” CWSA-21/The Life Divine/p-64, “The man is not, when we look closely, himself alone, a rigidly separate self-existent individual, but humanity in a mind and body of itself; and humanity too is no rigidly separate self-existent species or genus, it is the All-existence, the universal Godhead figuring itself in the type of humanity; there it works out certain possibilities, develops, evolves, as we now say, certain powers of its manifestations.” CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-152-153, “The seed of Godhead sleeps in mortal hearts, The flower of Godhead grows on the world-tree: All shall discover God in self and things .” Savitri-446, 17: The Gita-5.10, 18: CWSA/24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-770, 19: CWSA-18/Kena and other Upanishads/p-267, “Equal to friend and enemy, equal to honour and insult, mana-apamanoh , pleasure and pain, praise and blame, grief and happiness, heat and cold (to all that troubles with opposite affections the normal nature), silent, content and well-satisfied with anything and everything, not attached to person or thing, place or home, firm in mind (because it is constantly seated in the highest self and fixed for ever on the one divine object of his love and adoration), that man is dear to Me.” The Gita-12.18-19, 20: “In the ancient Indian distinction between the once born and the twice born (Dvija), it is to this material man that the former description can be applied. He does Nature’s inferior works; he assures the basis for her higher activities; but not to him easily are opened the glories of her second birth.” Sri Aurobindo/ CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-23, 21: “Men in the world have two lights, duty and principle; but he who has passed over to God, has done with both and replaced them by God’s will. If men abuse thee for this, care not, O divine instrument, but go on thy way like the wind or the sun fostering and destroying.” Sri Aurobindo/The Mother’s Centenary Works (second edition)/Vol-10/p-285 22: “It is the Godhead who manifests himself in the great thinker, the hero, the leader of men, the great teacher, sage, prophet, religious founder, saint, lover of man, the great poet, the great artist, the great scientist, the ascetic self-tamer, the tamer of things and events and forces.” Sri Aurobindo/CWSA/19/Essays on the Gita/p-374, " Men of a stronger force get more of the soul-power to the surface and develop what we call a strong or great personality, they have in them something of the Vibhuti as described by the Gita , vibhutimat sattvam srımad urjitam eva va, a higher power of being often touched with or sometimes full of some divine afflatus or more than ordinary manifestation of the Godhead which is indeed present in all, even in the weakest or most clouded living being, but here some special force of it begins to come out from behind the veil of the average humanity, and there is something beautiful, attractive, splendid or powerful in these exceptional persons which shines out in their personality, character, life and work." CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-741 23: “When in your heart and thought you will make no difference between Sri Aurobindo and me, when to think of Sri Aurobindo will be to think of me and to think of me will mean to think of Sri Aurobindo inevitably, when to see one will mean inevitably to see the other, like one and the same Person, - then you will know that you begin to be open to the supramental force and consciousness.” The Mother/The Mother’s Centenary Works/13/p-32, 24: “Finally, it (the liberated man) sees the upward urge of the striving powers of the Will to be towards Godhead; it respects, welcomes, encourages all high manifestations of energy and quality, the flaming tongues of the Divinity, the mounting greatnesses of soul and mind and life in their intensities uplifted from the levels of the lower nature towards heights of luminous wisdom and knowledge, mighty power, strength, capacity, courage, heroism, benignant sweetness and ardour and grandeur of love and self-giving, preeminent virtue, noble action, captivating beauty and harmony, fine and godlike creation. The eye of the spirit sees and marks out the rising godhead of man in the great Vibhuti .” Sri Aurobindo/CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-373-74, 25: "Thought and knowledge, war and government, production and distribution, labour and service were carefully differentiated functions of society, each assigned to those who were naturally called to it and providing the right means by which they could individually proceed towards their spiritual development and self-perfection." Sri Aurobindo/CWSA/19/Essays on the Gita/p-50, "Each Jiva possesses in his spiritual nature these four sides, is a soul of knowledge, a soul of strength and of power, a soul of mutuality and interchange, a soul of works and service, but one side or other predominates in the action and expressive spirit and tinges the dealings of the soul with its embodied nature; it leads and gives its stamp to the other powers and uses them for the principal strain of action, tendency, experience." CWSA/19/Essays on the Gita/p-523 26: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-747, 27: CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-523, 28: “The intervals separating these various incarnations seem to become shorter and shorter, as if, to the extent that Matter became more and more ready, the action could accelerate and become more and more rapid in its movement, more and more conscious too, more and more effective and decisive. And it will go on multiplying and intensifying until the entire universe becomes the total Avatar of the Supreme. ” The Mother’s Centenary Works (second edition)/Vol.9/p-333-34, 29: 28th March-1964, The Mother’s Agenda-5/100, 30: “Especially, in proportion as the partial lights of the mind become transformed into lights of gnosis, in whatever slighter or greater degree that may happen, we feel it as a transformation of our mentality into his and more and more he becomes the thinker and seer in us. We cease to think and see for ourselves, but think only what he wills to think for us and see only what he sees for us. And then the teacher is fulfilled in the lover; he lays hands on all our mental being to embrace and possess, to enjoy and use it.” CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-603, 31: CWSA-17/Isha Upanishad/p-195, 32: CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-524, 33: CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-750-751, 34: Savitri-690, 35: “The phrase “central being” in our Yoga is usually applied to the portion of the Divine in us which supports all the rest and survives through death and birth. This central being has two forms — above, it is the Jivatman, our true being, of which we become aware when the higher self-knowledge comes, — below, it is the psychic being which stands behind mind, body and life. The Jivatman is above the manifestation in life and presides over it; the psychic being stands behind the manifestation in life and supports it…The natural attitude of the psychic being is to feel itself as the child, the son of God, the Bhakta; it is a portion of the Divine, one in essence, but in the dynamics of the manifestation there is always even in identity a difference. The Jivatman, on the contrary, lives in the essence and can merge itself in identity with the Divine; but it too, the moment it presides over the dynamics of the manifestation, knows itself as one centre of the multiple Divine, not as the Parameshwara. It is important to remember this distinction; for, otherwise, if there is the least vital egoism, one may begin to think of oneself as an Avatara…” CWSA-28/Letters on Yoga-I/p-61, “The difficulty is that she seems to have only vairagya for worldly life without any knowledge or special call for this Yoga and this Yoga and the life here are quite different things from ordinary Yoga and ordinary Asrams . It is not a life of meditative retirement as elsewhere. Moreover it would be impossible for us to decide anything without seeing her and knowing at close hand what she is like. We are not just now for taking more inmates into the Asram except in a very few cases.” Sri Aurobindo CWSA-35/Letters on Himself and the Ashram/p-556, “Reply that residence in the Asrama is only allowed to sadhakas who have been accepted into Sri Aurobindo’s path of Yoga, and not to all of them. This path is a special way of Yoga, difficult and different from others ; only those are accepted who have a special call to it.” Sri Aurobindo CWSA-35/Letters on Himself and the Ashram/p-559, “All are not equally capable of practising Yoga and in Yoga itself some paths are more difficult than others. There are some who have a special call to a path; others have no call; though they may feel drawn to Yoga , it is to other disciplines that they must go. This path is especially difficult and even some of those admitted to it find great difficulty in following it. Therefore Sri Aurobindo is not willing to admit any new disciples unless he has reason to think that they have a special call for it or a special capacity.” Sri Aurobindo CWSA-35/Letters on Himself and the Ashram/p-560-561