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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, vairagya⁹ 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 gulf¹⁷ 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,'¹² 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”, ekamevadvitiyam¹⁰ and “All this is the Brahman”, sarvam khalu idam brahma¹¹ 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, 120: “It is difficult to acquire or to practise this faith and steadfastness on the rough and narrow path of Yoga because of the impatience of both heart and mind and the eager but soon faltering will of our rajasic nature. The vital nature of man hungers always for the fruit of its labour and, if the fruit appears to be denied or long delayed, he loses faith in the ideal and in the guidance. For his mind judges always by the appearance of things, since that is the first ingrained habit of the intellectual reason in which he so inordinately trusts. Nothing is easier for us than to accuse God in our hearts when we suffer long or stumble in the darkness or to abjure the ideal that we have set before us. For we say, “I have trusted to the Highest and I am betrayed into suffering and sin and error.” Or else, “I have staked my whole life on an idea which the stern facts of experience contradict and discourage. It would have been better to be as other men are who accept their limitations and walk on the firm ground of normal experience.” In such moments — and they are sometimes frequent and long — all the higher experience is forgotten and the heart concentrates itself in its own bitterness. It is in these dark passages that it is possible to fall for good or to turn back from the divine labour.” CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-244, 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.

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. How can I see the Divine? Old pioneer Student of the school - 17.12.2025 OM NAMO BHAGAVATEH Maa Pranam.... (with my blessings…) Maa I have a question.... I deeply wish to feel the presence of the Lord, just as I can feel the presence of people around me. I know He will never come to me in a physical form, yet my heart longs to feel Him close to me at all times. I want to be able to communicate with Him silently & constantly...whenever I need guidance, especially while making any decisions in my life. ((Answer attempted) You feel the Divine because your Psychic being is alive and partly open and ready to receive the Divine’s touch. You have to recognise the fact that your Being is open towards Divine’s Truth Force and if you nurture This Truth Force and permit it to grow in you, then you will arrive at the required Goal. You can concentrate these six Mantras to help your growth of Psychic being: "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-47-48 “Only were safe who kept God in their hearts:” Savitri-211 "Forbidding to him rest and earthly ease, Till he has found himself he cannot pause." Savitri-339 “His only comrade is the Strength within.” Savitri-368 “Virgin who comest perfected by joy,” Savitri-424 “The soul that can live alone with itself meets God;” Savitri-460) I want to understand His will for me—what He wants me to follow and what He wants me to stay away from. ((Answer attempted) Psychic being has the capacity to discern truth and falsehood and it accepts the former by rejecting the latter. Purified intellect has this capacity partly.) (Obedience to Divine will makes the consciousness high. Obedience to personal will brings uneasiness and haziness in life. Intellect has the capacity to keep watch on them and correct his stand.) You will find this in our Education website: ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣାଙ୍ଗ ଶିକ୍ଷାର କେନ୍ଦ୍ରୀୟ ସତ୍ୟ ହେଉଛି ସଂଯମ । ଯେଉଁ କର୍ମ ଓ ଚିନ୍ତନ ମଣିଷକୁ ପ୍ରକୃତିର ଦାସ କରି ରଖେ ତାକୁ ନିରନ୍ତର ପରିତ୍ୟାଗ କରିବାକୁ ସଂଯମ କୁୋଯାଏ । ଏହି ସଂଯମ ଆଚରଣ କରିବା ଦ୍ବାରା ଜଣେ ପଶୁରୁ ମଣିଷ ହୁଏ ଏବଂ କଠୋର ଆତ୍ମ ସଂଯମ ଆଚରଣ ଦ୍ବାରା ଜଣେ ମଣିଷ ରୁପାନ୍ତର ପ୍ରକ୍ରିୟା ଦ୍ବାରା ଦେବତାରେ ପରିଣତ ହୁଏ । When ever you have confusion and uncomfortable ordinary action repeat this mantra. It will bring instant harmony and order and activates the Divine will.) (“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,) I wish for His constant guidance, so that I may walk on the path he wants and be protected from choices and actions that are not meant for me. ((Answer attempted) Constant guidance is possible by constant Divine union. Intermittent Divine union can be transformed into Constant Divine union by transformation of Nature and by movement of ascending Psychic Consciousness and descending Spiritual consciousness in the long run.) (Complete Divine union is possible by complete opening of Psychic Being. Then Psychic being is to be Spiritualised and Supramentalised. Sign of partial Psychic opening: (1) no desire, (2) equality, samata, (3) mind is pacified and silenced.) Is it possible through me... ((Answer attempted) Yes by constant rejection of falsehood from within, surrounding and Subconscient world and constant acceptance of truth radiating from within and descending from higher planes.) This is not a question I want to ask, but a sincere desire of my heart—a connection I wish to feel every moment of my life... ((Answer attempted) All those who have Psychic being, keep this sincerity and faith alive. Jivatma is fulfilled by uniting with Paramatma. So Divine has to be made only aim of life and He has to be brought down as Divine Shakti to every part and every nook and corner of our life, mind and body. To live more and more alone with pure Psychic being and less with impure surrounding world is the solution. In ordinary life Psychic Being is crucified and lower Nature is made active. This is more satisfying to the animal part in us and less satisfying to our Soul.) For this how can I prepare myself.... ((Answer attempted) Concentrate and practice this Mantra of our webpage (https://www.srimatriniketanashram.com/integral-yoga ) which today descended to me: Here in this Yoga, All Life is ceaseless Divine Union by ceaseless renunciation of lower Nature, ceaseless rigorous self-control, ceaseless remembrance of the Divine, ceaseless consecrated action and ceaseless descent of Divine Force. Integral Yoga proposes rigorous self control of the body by Integral Physical Education, rigorous Self-control of the Psychic Prana by Integral Vital Education, rigorous Self-control of Intellect by Integral Mental Education. It also includes and enforces Psychic Education, Spiritual Education, Universal Education, Supramental Education, Bliss Self Education, Subconscient Education and Inconscient Education in its scope. Spiritual life is for them those who are not satisfied with life as it is. They enjoy Divine’s single protection by partial Psychic opening, double protection by full opening of Psychic being which can discover Ocean of Light above the head and bellow the feet (“Our life is entrenched between two rivers of Light,” Savitri-531) and multiple protection by opening all the ten Selves. (“It (dynamic Spirit) is within, below, without, above.” Savitri-98, "Heaven’s leaning down to embrace from all sides earth," Savitri-716) OM TAT SAT With my eternal love and blessings At Their Feet S.A. Maa Krishna 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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. 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 Mother's Ideal Integral School “One must be a saint and a hero to be a good teacher. One must be a great yogi to be a good teacher. One must have a perfect attitude to be able to exact a perfect attitude from the students. You cannot ask anyone to do what you don’t do yourself. That is a rule. So look at the difference between what is and what ought to be, and you will be able to estimate the extent of your failure in class.” The Mother TMCW-8/Questions and Answers-1956/p-354 The Mother's Ideal Integral School “The child’s education ought to be an out bringing of all that is best, most powerful, most intimate and living in his nature; the mould into which the man’s action and development ought to run is that of his innate quality and power. He must acquire new things, but he will acquire them best, most vitally on the basis of his own developed type and inborn force.”¹ Sri Aurobindo “Therefore a time must come when man has to look below the obscure surface of his egoistic being and attempt to know himself; he must set out to find the real man: without that he would be stopping short at Nature’s primary education and never go on to her deeper and larger teachings; however great his practical knowledge and efficiency, he would be only a little higher than the animals.”² Sri Aurobindo “Intellectual, volitional, ethical, emotional, aesthetic and physical training and improvement are all so much to the good, but they are only in the end a constant movement in a circle without any last delivering and illumining aim, unless they arrive at a point when they can open themselves to the power and presence of the Spirit and admit its direct working. This direct working effects a conversion of the whole being which is the indispensable condition of our real perfection.”³ Sri Aurobindo “A change of education and social institutions is the outward means adopted or an inner self-training and development is preferred as the true instrumentation.”⁴ Sri Aurobindo “But it is within us that the Reality must be found and the source and foundation of a perfected life; no out-ward formation can replace it: there must be the true self realised within if there is to be the true life realised in world and Nature.”⁴⁵ Sri Aurobindo The Mother’s Ideal Integral School is The (Divine) Mother’s home of learning, the School, through immediate training of constructing mind to reveal progressively Her standards of material and scientific knowledge, emotional feeling, intellectual manipulation, character, aesthesis, greater interests, physical soundness, regulated action and just efficiency that She essays to turn into universal Ideal Education of fully developed mind, vital and physical and fully evolved science. She seeks to develop the loftier and the larger reaches of our mentality, vitality and physicality and its aim is limited to a terrestrial perfection of the normal human life, some order of right relations, right use of mind, right use of happiness and beauty of life and right use of body. She again reveals that these partial unfoldings of consciousness through Ideal Education are too narrow and pale radiations for the vastness of the Spirit and asks to enter the ocean of the Infinite through Psychic, Spiritual and Supramental extension identified as Integral Education , comprehensive learning and total unfolding of consciousness. The Mother’s Ideal Integral School is preparing for Sri Aurobindo’s Integral future vision through its existing foundation of mental ideal, ideal teachers and world inclined ideal students (who are accepted as children of half-light and half-darkness) with the ability to enlarge the knowledge on the World, the Self and God through mental formulation. The immediate objective of this school is to provide an ideal education within a strong Spiritual atmosphere and the ultimate objective is to replace this status of bound Souls with an integral vision, integral Teachers and integral perfect students with the ability to reconcile entirely the God, the Self and the World. When the Spiritual force possesses the surrounding atmosphere of the School, both Teacher and Student consent themselves spontaneously with love to become slave of each other, then they are recognised to enter right relation without ego and become ‘fit integral Teacher’¹⁵ and ‘fit integral student.’¹⁶ They emerge out of intense self-control, samyama , of past births and in this birth again they are destined to work together and the appetite to learn the lesson endlessly and tirelessly in this birth becomes a normal and natural condition. OM TAT SAT Ideal Education: “So long as there is only an intellectual, ethical and other self-training for the now normal purposes of life which does not travel beyond the ordinary circle of working of mind, life and body, we are still only in the obscure and yet unillumined preparatory Yoga of Nature; we are still in pursuit of only an ordinary human perfection.”³ Sri Aurobindo “A mental control can only be a control, not a cure; a mental teaching, rule, standard can only impose an artificial groove in which our action revolves mechanically or with difficulty and which imposes a curbed and limited formation on the course of our nature. A total change of consciousness, a radical change of nature is the one remedy and the sole issue.”¹² Sri Aurobindo “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.”³⁸ Sri Aurobindo “At any rate, in schools like ours and in universities sports have now a recognised and indispensable place; for even a highest and completest education of the mind is not enough without the education of the body. Where the qualities I have enumerated are absent or insufficiently present, a strong individual will or a national will may build them up, but the aid given by sports to their development is direct and in no way negligible.”⁴⁶ Sri Aurobindo The objectively-subjective doctrine of Ideal Education is to pursue subjective and objective development of the students with the help of outer aids, bahya avalambana , and external machinery. Ideal education has its root in natural Evolution, preoccupying the mind of the modern man that affirms an objective Reality as the only entire truth and an objective knowledge as entirely reliable education, which will build the student as a perfected social being in a perfected economic society. And so, the secret of the success of Ideal education can be possible when each ideal Teacher is capable of concentrating sufficiently on the materials of education through the faculty of exclusive concentration and his central faith will be preoccupied with the evolution and perfection of material and mental Nature and his watchword is progress. And perfection of Ideal education can come when each teacher can follow their own innovative, powerful and impressive line of teaching and discharge that developmental urge in the life of students. So the real business of ideal education is to prepare the student’s mind, life and bodily existence for the more potent, more perfect higher status of Integral education. The high aim of ideal education through intellectual training is a freedom from compulsory and entangled conditions of our physical and vital being, better information and more efficient machinery for its self-affirmation. The characteristic energy of ideal education is change, continual enlargement, improvement, a better arrangement of its gains, and a continual passage from smaller and simpler to larger and more complex perfection. The highest achievement of ideal education is a regulated pattern of mind, a fabricated pattern of life and a cultivated pattern of conduct. The method of ideal education is an increasing mechanisation, a standardisation, a fixing of everything into an artificially arranged unity of a common mould in order to ensure harmony and it obliges us to live in an apparent surface existence, oblivious of true Self and the whole nature of things. Limitations of Ideal Education: “The spirit stood back effaced behind its frame. Admired for the bright finality of its lines A blue horizon limited the soul; Thought moved in luminous facilities, The outer ideal’s shallows its swim-range: Life in its boundaries lingered satisfied With the small happiness of the body’s acts.” Savitri-114 “Or else for the body of some high Idea A house was build with too close-fitting bricks; Action and thought cemented made a wall Or small ideals limiting the soul.” Savitri-497 “The spirit’s almighty freedom was not here: A schoolman mind had captured life’s large space,” Savitri-496 “My teachers lesson me in slavery, I am shown God’s stamp and my own signature Upon the sorry contract of my fate.” Savitri-506 “When yet the mind, a passionate learner, toiled And ill-shaped instruments were crudely moved.” Savitri-574 Mental effort have had an immense effect on the earth life in carrying humanity from the status of a mere human animal to what it is now with its ideal of organised power, the cult of reason, the interpretation of life by a critical intellectual thought and the last outcome of this inspiration is the government of life by Modern Science. The ideal education is an ill-lighted purposeful training of mind to grow through its conscious stress of material and economic life, a constructed half-rightness mixed with much that is wrong and unlovely and unhappy, half automatic use of opportunities with many blunders, lapses, relapses and apparent discords in Ignorance which can succeed in mechanisation of the system but cannot change or recreate it from within. On the one side ideal education may be richer, fuller, more rationally plausible and externally effective pursuit of ideal truth, good and beauty but it cannot create and construct anything that goes beyond the Nature. Scientific knowledge is itself a construction of mind, a mass of formulas, masterful in the process of knowledge, a creation of apt machinery but ignorant of the individual Self and the world-Self and cannot utilise their influence in perfecting the nature and the life. The serious obstacle to the mind’s endeavour towards perfection is that mind cannot wholly mentalise life and matter; there are still considerable part of life and body which remain in the realm of Submental, Subconscient and Inconscient control. Ideal education unduly limited the pupils’ scope of learning by overdoing and exclusiveness and ignored the highest and the largest possibility and missed the full pursuit of its own object. The other danger is that the ideals constructed by the human mind are selective and relative and to shape the students’ nature rigidly according to them is to limit their growth into larger, wider and higher being. Despite all these limitations, the mind and life are the Soul’s only instrumentation until a higher instrumentation develops and free harmonious play of life and mind is essential for the highest growth of Ideal Education. ‘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 is replaced by the cultivation of equanimity, samata, and by the psychic transformation .’⁷⁸ “…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.”⁷⁹ OM TAT SAT Objective of Ideal Education: “His activity is centred in a progressive mind which aims at perfecting itself as well as the house in which it dwells and the means of life that it uses, and is capable of awaking by a progressive self-realisation to its own true nature as a form of the Spirit.”¹⁰³ Sri Aurobindo “By itself the control of the mind and moral being only puts our normal consciousness into the right preliminary condition; it cannot bring about that evolution or manifestation of the higher psychic being which is necessary for the greater aims of Yoga.”³⁷ Sri Aurobindo “The mind liberated from a lower control and preoccupation introduces into life a government, an uplifting, a refinement, a finer balance and harmony; the vital and physical movements are directed and put into order, transformed even as far as they can be by a mental agency; they are taught to be the instruments of reason and obedient to an enlightened will, an ethical perception and an aesthetic intelligence: the more this can be accomplished, the more the race becomes truly human, a race of mental beings.”⁴⁸ Sri Aurobindo The objective of ideal Education is to elevate the students’ state of Consciousness from the unaryan tamasic Shudra way of life to the Aryan sattwic way of life by identifying the full account of his tamasic and rajasic imperfection and elevating them to the limited sattwic perfection. So, the objective of ideal education in the language of India’s ancient tradition is to foresee limited human perfection and to produce sattwic man with limited knowledge, light, happiness, peace, love, freedom and sense of beauty. The characteristic of Tamasic, Rajasic and Sattwic man are identified in the Gita more vividly than any other available written truth. Sattwa, Rajas and Tamas are three Gunas born of the movement of Prakriti and they bind the Soul to the Apara-prakriti. Sattwa is the giver of illumination, calmness, equality, order, accomplished harmony and well-being. It binds the Soul by attachment to limited happiness and limited knowledge. When through all the doors of the body, light of knowledge shines forth, there is increase of Sattwa and it imposes on itself an impersonal ethical, social and religious law, a Dharma, a Shastra , right understanding and a disinterested search of truth. When in Sattwa, one leaves the body ; he attains the spotless worlds of the knowers of the Highest. In this state fruit of the work is rightly and naturally enjoyed. Those who dwell in Sattwa , their consciousness rises upward and knowledge is gained. Sattwic man offers a sacrifice to God or the partial Godhead. This true sacrifice is extended according to the right principle, without desire for fruit, with a mind concentrated and fixed on the truth of things. The food that augments life, vitality, strength, health, joy and cheerfulness, which are succinct, soft, sustaining and agreeable, is dear to sattwic persons. Askesis done with faith and with no desire for fruit is said to be sattwic . Serenity of mind, gentleness, silence, self-control and purity of feeling are called sattwic askesis of mind . The writing/oration which gives no offence, truthful, pleasant and beneficial and regular study and practice of Shastra are sattwic askesis of the vital/speech . The true sattwic Askesis of the body i s done through purity, straightforwardness, virginity, non-violence and the worship offered to Godhead, Teacher, Wise and the twice-born Soul. When the gift is given for the sake of giving to one from whom no benefit in return is expected, and in the right place, at the right time and to the right person, that gift is said to be sattwic. When one Imperishable Being is seen in all Beings and one indivisible Being is realised among the multiplicities of divisions, know that knowledge as sattwic . An action which is rightly regulated by renouncing the fruit of action, attachment and without liking and disliking, know that work as sattwic action. When one performs rightly regulated action by renouncing attachment to action and the fruit of action, know that as sattwic renunciation . One who is free from attachment, egoless, endowed with steadfastness and zeal, unaffected by success and failure, he is a sattwic doer . ‘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.’¹⁸ That which knows in essence action and withdrawal from action, what ought to be done and what ought not to be done, fear and fearlessness, bondage and liberation, clarity of mind, that understanding is sattwic. That unwavering persistence by which one controls the activities of mind, life and senses, know that persistence of mastering intelligence as sattwic. That happiness which seems like a poison initially but ends as nectar, that happiness is said to be sattwic, born out of clear understanding. A Student whose mind is concentrated on his studies, relates rightly with the surrounding world and is aware constantly of his objective aim of life, know him as Sattwic in Nature. A Teacher concentrated in his profession, loves the students genuinely without attachment and takes the responsibility of their inner and outer health, know him as Sattwic in Nature. An Institution/School with uncorrupt and dedicated management, teachers with attitude of giving selfless service to the Divine through educating the pupils, general cleanliness and manifestation of beauty in the outward surroundings, know that institution as Sattwic in Nature. After exploring the limitation of tamasic mind and rajasic mind Savitri 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 have three characteristics of fear, doubt and impatience respectively and through these attributes they limit the Illimitable. The 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. The Mother said, ‘‘It seems to me that unless the teachers themselves get out of this ordinary intellectuality (!), they will never be able to fulfill their duty.’⁷⁰ The 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, 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, victory of single truth, clarity of the sword of limited Light. It does not want to go beyond itself to discover the Psychic being. 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 and maimed achievements. 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. Outer mind cannot receive the Divine messengers of subliminal world. It is not aware of waking trance, dreams of unborn Reality and strange goddesses with deep pooled magical eyes. Savitri book 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 and subsequently their Spiritual being. This is identified as rebirth of an Ideal Teacher or the new birth of integral Teacher. The three immediate tasks before a newborn integral Teacher is: 1: “If you unite your consciousness with the Supreme Consciousness and manifest It, all you think, feel or do becomes luminous and true. It is not the subject of the teaching which is to be changed, it is the consciousness with which you teach that must be enlightened.”⁷¹ 2: “Your difficulty comes from the fact that you have still the old belief that in life, there are some things high and some things low. It is not exact. It is not the things or the activities that are high or low, it is the consciousness of the doer which is true or false....”⁷¹ 3: “If your calm is integral, that is, both inner and outer, founded on the perception of the Divine Presence, and unchanging, that is to say, constant and unvarying in all circumstances, it will undoubtedly be all-powerful, and the children will necessarily be influenced by it and the class will certainly become, spontaneously and almost automatically, what you want it to be.”⁹⁴ OM TAT SAT Ideal Teacher: “A poor self-righteous virtue is her stock And reason’s pragmatic grope and abstract sight, Or the technique of a brief hour’s success She teaches, an usher (or guide) in utility’s school.” Savitri-626 “Ideals, systems, sciences, poems, crafts Tirelessly there perished and again recurred, Sought restlessly by some creative Power; But all were dreams crossing an empty vast.” Savitri-642 “There are two kinds of knowledge — mental knowledge such as you describe here which is usually necessary as a mental preparation or for guidance and the real knowledge which is spiritual. One receives the mental knowledge from the Guru in the shape of instruction and guidance, but that is only a part of what he gives — for the man who gives only mental or what you call indirect knowledge is not a Guru but only a teacher, Acharya .”⁶³ Sri Aurobindo “Whatever imperfections the teachers and instructors here may have, they will always be better than those from outside. For all who work here do so without remuneration and in the service of a higher cause. It is clearly understood that each one, whatever his worth or capacity, can and must progress constantly to realise an ideal which is still much higher than the present realisation of humanity.”⁵² The Mother “By doing what they (teachers) can, knowing that they have everything to learn. In this way they will gain experience and do things better and better. That is the best way to learn, and if they do it in all sincerity, in two or three years they will become experts and will be truly useful. Naturally, work done in this way becomes really interesting and makes the teachers as well as the students progress.”⁶² The Mother “It is true that the guru himself is subject to the same rule of silence with regard to what concerns him personally. In Nature everything is in movement; thus, whatever does not move forward is bound to fall back. The guru must progress even as his disciples do, although his progress may not be on the same plane. And for him too, to speak about his experiences is not favourable: the greater part of the dynamic force for progress contained in the experience evaporates if it is put into words. But on the other hand, by explaining his experiences to his disciples, he greatly helps their understanding and consequently their progress. It is for him in his wisdom to know to what extent he can and ought to sacrifice the one to the other. It goes without saying that no boasting or vain glory should enter into his account, for the slightest vanity would make him no longer a guru but an imposter.”⁶¹ The Mother A living teacher or guru or representative influence occupies a larger place in the life of students. In India , a great authority and high reverence is attached to the guru , the traditional teacher ‘who has received the Shastra by tradition and realised it in practice guides the disciples along the immemorial tracks’⁵ and his task is to reinforce and illumine ‘the methods taught in a Scripture.’⁵ The modern age replaced it by ideal teacher who guides the student along the well-established track of fixed, mechanised and mundane perfection which is conceived as something outward, social, rational dealing with the fellow beings, a better and more efficient citizenship with discharge of duties, harmonious associated enjoyment of the opportunities of existence, an expansion and refinement of the intellect and knowledge and action based on utilitarian, technical and scientific skill and he will try to harmonise and implement the old virtues and ideals in order to make up the deficiencies of existing set up. He ignores all that other greater Spiritual element of our being, opposes any very great upward change and leaves it either undeveloped or insufficiently satisfied. An ideal Teacher examines only one side of existence, only one province or district of truth and leaves all the rest unexplained and without any special significance. The ‘elementary virtues’²⁴ of an ideal Teacher with Sattwic Nature as indicated in the Gita ²³ is fearlessness, purity of temperament, steadfastness in the aim of life, giving, self-control, sacrifice, concentration on the study material, askesis, candour, straightforwardness, harmlessness, truth speaking, absence of wrath, self-denial, calm, absence of fault finding, compassion to all beings, absence of greed, gentleness, modesty, freedom from restlessness, affirmative energy, forgiveness, patience, clearness, absence of envy and pride. ‘It is quite elementary: never take notice of evil, never speak of the evil present in others, never perpetuate the vibrations of evil by observation, criticism or giving undue attention to the evil deed. This is what Buddha taught: each time you mention an evil you help spread it.’⁷² In order to cure evil and ugliness, the Mother proposed two steps, negative and positive cooperation: 1: (First negative step): “it is not through ignorance or unconsciousness or indifference that you fail to see evil – you can see and even feel it, but you refuse to collaborate in spreading it by giving it the force of your attention or the support of your consciousness. And for that, you must yourself be above the perception and sensation – able to see evil or ugliness without suffering, without feeling shocked or troubled. You see them from a height where such things do not exist, yet you have the conscious perception of them – they don’t affect you, you are free. This is the first step.”⁷² 2: (second positive step): “The second step is to be POSITIVELY conscious of the supreme Goodness and Beauty behind all things and supporting all things, permitting them to exist. Once you have seen Him, you can perceive Him behind the mask and the distortion – even ugliness, even cruelty, even evil are a disguise for that Something which is essentially good or beautiful, luminous, pure.”⁷² The passage from ideal Teacher to integral Teacher opens through Sattwic renunciation, Sattwic concentration, Sattwi c askesis and Sattwic consecration. The Gita ²⁶ further hints that a Sattwic man, Jijnasu, or ideal Teacher, or a traditional realised Teacher, becomes a Yogi with Psychic and Spiritual opening after many births of Spiritual preparation, and a Yogi becomes an integral Yogi or integral Teacher with possession of Cosmic Consciousness after many births of Spiritual Self-discipline. In Ideal education, all life is considered as unconscious Yoga of Nature and in integral education, all life is a conscious Yoga of Nature. The gulf between ideal Education and integral Education can be bridged if son of man, Nara , shows willingness to become son of God, Narayana . The son of man limits his life to money earning, procreation of family and its maintenance. The desire to earn money, the desire to procreate a family and desire take care of them throughout his life can be exhausted after many births of preparation or it can be exhausted in one birth if the Soul is sufficiently evolved in the past births. ‘The outer apparent man, an ephemeral being subject to the constraints of his material embodiment and imprisoned in a limited mentality, has to become the inner real Man, master of himself and his environment and universal in his being. In a more vivid and less metaphysical language, the natural man has to evolve himself into the divine Man; the sons of Death have to know themselves as the children of Immortality. It is on this account that the human birth can be described as the turning-point in the evolution, the critical stage in earth-nature.’⁹¹ The son of God will exclusively preoccupy his time and small habitation of space in accumulating Spiritual energy by learning four lessons in many births or in one birth if Soul is sufficiently evolved. The four lessons are (1) Jivatma’s union with Paramatma, ( 2) Jivatma’s union with Paraprakriti , (3) Paramatma’s union with Paraprakriti in the heart centre and (4) Para-prakriti’s union with Apara-prakriti. Here, Jivatma is a Psychic and Spiritual being combined.⁹³ Paramatma is the Supreme Self, the Turiya state of Consciousness. Para-prakriti i s the Supreme Mother, dynamic state of Supreme Turiya . Apara-prakriti is the Subconscient and Inconscient sheath with their extension of negative energy in mind, life and body. OM TAT SAT Integral Teacher “To be a good teacher one must have the insight and knowledge of a Guru with an unfailing patience.”⁴¹ The Mother 19 January 1972 “Just as we organise the school in such a way as to be able to discover and help outstanding students, in the same way, the responsibility for classes should be given to outstanding teachers. So I ask each teacher to consider his work in the school as the best and quickest way of doing his Yoga. Moreover, every difficulty and every difficult student should be an opportunity for him to find a divine solution to the problem.”⁶⁴ The Mother “Help men, but do not pauperise them of their energy; lead and instruct men, but see that their initiative and originality remain intact; take others into thyself, but give them in return the full godhead of their nature. He who can do this is the leader and the guru .”⁶⁰ Sri Aurobindo “In fact, this is what we have said more than fifty thousand times: that all is the Divine and that consequently all is One; that it is only your consciousness which is separated and in a state of unconsciousness because it is separated; but that if you remove this unconsciousness and this sense of separation, you become divine.”⁵⁸ The Mother “The Yogin’s distinction from other men is this that he lives in a higher and vaster spiritual consciousness; all his work of knowledge or creation must then spring from there: it must not be made in the mind, — for it is a greater truth and vision than mental man’s that he has to express or rather that presses to express itself through him and mould his works, not for his personal satisfaction, but for a divine purpose.”⁵⁹ Sri Aurobindo “This earth is not alone our teacher and nurse; The powers of all the worlds have entrance here.” Savitri-153 “A few can climb to an unperishing sun, Or live on the edges of the mystic moon And channel to earth-mind the wizard ray.” Savitri-689 “Earth is the chosen place of mightiest souls; Earth is the heroic spirit’s battle field, The forge where the Archmason shapes his works.” Savitri-686 Sri Babaji Maharaj Here, the Guru is not a person, but a principle of the Eternal, a universal energy or a state of ascending and descending Consciousness, that manifests through a human form. He is not a separative identity oblivious of the Divine, but a channel and out-flow of the Divine Power and he is also one with the seven-fold personalities of the Divine. Similarly, here Divine is not a Person²¹ but a static pure absolute Consciousness extended over multiple Selves and the Divine Mother is a hierarchy of ascending and descending dynamic Consciousness extending Her action over multiple subtle bodies and subtle worlds. In principle, an integral Teacher is more a learner of endless truth⁴² and Spiritual influence and less an exemplar and instructor. He is primarily a servant, slave and follower of the Divine’s limitless Consciousness and secondarily a leader, path finder and mentor of limiting Consciousness represented by students. If an integral Teacher has to replace the traditional realised and contemporary ideal Teacher then he has to call down all the large and consummating wisdom and universalise the individual Divine realisation of traditional guru and the ego born of individual liberation is annulled by the possession of universal and transcendent Divine; he will not reject anything that is essential in the mundane perfection pursued by the contemporary ideal Teacher, but enlarges it, finds and lives in its greater, wider and truer values now hidden from it, transfigures it from a limited, earthly and mortal thing to a figure of Infinite, Immortal values and Divine perfection. His main business will be to reconcile the World, the Self and the God through his dynamic Supracosmic Influence and Presence which will be subordinated by the truth of cosmic Spiritual influence or Spiritual endeavour and individualised psycho-physical instructions and guidance. A Teacher of Integral Education is primarily a Spiritual influence and secondarily an exemplar and instructor and his environmental subtle body or universalized subtle body ‘must be so steeped in the spiritual light and spiritual substance that nothing (no world influence) can enter into it without undergoing this transformation…’⁵⁴ His Nature of living will be ‘an accomplished inner existence whose light and power will take perfect body in the outer life.’⁵⁵ He will turn his aspiration always to the height beyond the ideal aim of mind which imperfectly and fragmentarily attempts only his poor and rigid travesty of spontaneous and illimitable integral perfection. He is directed to act by the pressure from new suggestions from the Infinite. The concentration of an ideal Teacher is on the object of education which is identified as perfection of outer living while concentration of an integral Teacher goes behind the objective education to the Lord of Education and goes beyond the fragmentary knowledge to complete self-knowledge in all things and all moments and the mantra of an ideal Teacher intending to become an integral Teacher is in biblical language, “My zeal for the Lord has eaten me up.”¹³ The personality of an ideal Teacher is restricted by an isolated entity within ‘the inefficient mental ideal of brotherhood’⁶ whereas the personality of an integral Teacher is not limited by a separative individuality; he universalises the brotherhood to realise ‘unity of all’⁷ and develops seven-fold ecstatic Divine personality²⁵ that of entire love and tenderness of the Mother, of total compassion of the Father, of complete patience of the Teacher, of tireless action of the Divine Master, of full joy of the Playmate, of unprecedented help of the Friend and of the everlasting affirmation of the Divine Lover and he will consider his student as uninterrupted seeker of eternal Knowledge, child God, growing God and the future Godhead of the race. His nature is the characteristic law of Spirit which ‘is self-existent perfection and immutable infinity.’¹⁰³ OM TAT SAT Integral Student: “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-339 "How shall the child already be the man? Because he is infant, shall he never grow? Because he is ignorant, shall he never learn? In a small fragile seed a great tree lurks, In a tiny gene a thinking being is shut; A little element in a little sperm, It grows and is a conqueror and a sage." Savitri-623 We have always remembered that a Sadhaka of Integral Yoga is primarily a student of Integral Education and, secondarily, a Teacher. His appetite to learn has extended to multiple planes of Consciousness, including the limitation of modern Knowledge. A student of integral Education is a 'child of Immortality chosen by Sri Aurobindo and the Mother .'¹¹⁴ For him, The Mother and Sri Aurobindo are material embodiments of the Divine. They are at once symbols of Divine Love, Divine Action, comprehensive movement of Consciousness, and a primary Source. A concentration on Their supreme relation opens the Supramental door. A personal and impersonal relation with Them can be strengthened by awakening the Soul or Psychic Being in the heart Centre and the Spiritual being above the head, respectively. For him Integral Teacher is a symbol of perfect Arya, having triple realisation of the Divine in Psychic, Spiritual and Universal planes, a secondary Source, a Spiritual influence and he is ‘a child leading children, a Light kindling other lights, an awakened Soul awakening souls, at highest a Power or Presence of the Divine calling to him other powers of the Divine.’⁹⁸ For him, his fellow brothers and sisters in the school are tertiary Source , Divine inhabiting in a human vessel, brings fulfilment, joy and laughter of the Soul in his collective identity. For him, birth parents are the quaternary Source , indispensable fosterer and protector of his mind, life and body’s once-born Soul status. A mutual debt binds them in this birth. For higher Spiritual pursuit and shifting of inner consciousness from this life to all life, this parental debt is paid in the passage of time. If he does tapasya or self-control through purified intellect, then he is identified as ideal student and he can bring happiness in his birth parents and the parental debt is paid. If he pursues hard tapasya or rigorous self-control through Psychic and Spiritual opening, then he is identified as an integral Student and thus he satisfies the Divine, the primary Source and God’s debt is paid. The task given to Primary Source is to liberate the prepared vessel from the yoke of lower nature. The task of the secondary Source is to strengthen the contact with the primary Source. The task of the tertiary Source in collective living is to replace sense enjoyment with Soul enjoyment. The task of the quaternary Source is to stabilse and establish the existing earth-bound life through earthly enjoyment. For a student of integral Education, his birth from the mother’s womb gives him once born Soul status and 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.’¹⁰² This material birth can be further evolved in the few as a new second birth of the Soul. This identity of the twice-born Soul, Dvija, is generally the outcome of the askesis of past births. Divine deputes for him Spiritual fosterer replacing birth parents⁴⁰ who are symbols of conjugal human love and further representing as descendants of Adam and Eve,¹⁰¹ too old and obsolete for his future Soul growth. In Spiritual rebirth, if a twice-born Soul's direct contact with the Divine is not supported by a living Spiritual fosterer or is not in the Love and Care of the living Spiritual Influence, then he is identified here as an orphan divine child in the cradle and may recoil to his once-born Soul status. The universalisation and completeness of the integral Education movement is realised when the human race becomes master of the lower Nature or ‘When all mankind becomes boys and girls together with God revealed as Krishna and Kali, the happiest boy and strongest girl of the crowd, playing together in the gardens of Paradise.’¹⁰¹ A Dvija can concentrate the Teachings of The Mother and Sri Aurobindo , who have left behind unimaginable, vivid, overhead Spiritual wisdom and knowledge for the seekers of the new age. But the ‘most authoritative scripture is in the heart in which Eternal has His dwelling’⁹⁹ and the Supreme guide of the integral Yoga ‘is the inner Guide, the World-Teacher, jagad-guru , secret within us.’¹⁰⁰ Living Guru i s a Spiritual fosterer, indispensable for the twice-born Soul and dispensable when the latter ascends to still higher Spiritual Consciousness of Instrument and Emanation. If he can establish a firm contact with the inner Guru, the Psychic being, the Soul in the heart, or the Divine Presence within himself, then that can substitute the need for a living Teacher. After the first birth from the Mother’s womb, there is a second birth of the Soul, known as twice born, dvija . A dvija is in need of a Spiritual Father, a Spiritual Mother, a Spiritual Master and a Spiritual Guru for his survival and is in need of a Playmate, a Friend and a Lover for Soul flowering; otherwise, his Soul will suffer decay and death. Then he leads an ordinary, earthbound life. The Divine Centre is the cradle of Superman. At its centre there must be an individual Soul Centre who is having direct contact with the Divine and his brotherhood status must be fulfilled by the development of the above sevenfold Divine personality. Without this condition Divine Centre can deform as a soul-slaying cradle where the newborn dvijas are killed and they are forced to lead an ordinary earth-bound life. This presence of an Asuric Teacher in most of the Spiritual Centres is hinted in Savitri as, "And in the cradle slay the divine Child." (Savitri-224) Most of the Spiritual Teachers of traditional Schools of Yoga are satisfied with partial Divine union and show little interest in making this union comprehensive; hence, they are considered Asuric in Nature. OM TAT SAT Integral Education: “King-children born on Wisdom’s early plane, Taught in her school world-making’s mystic play.” Savitri-266 “Insatiate seeker, he has all to learn:” Savitri-133 “The Infants of the monarchy of the worlds, The heroic leaders of a coming time, King-children nurtured in that spacious air Like lions gambolling in sky and sun Received half-consciously their godlike stamp:” Savitri-382 Sri K. Anurakta Integral Education includes (1) pre-natal education⁷⁷ or education in the mother’s womb where the mother in this gestation period is educated in a harmonious, beautiful and protected atmosphere free from all vulgarities; (2) education of the child between birth to first five years of formative⁵⁷ and the most important period of integration where birth mother⁶⁵ is identified as the first and the foremost teacher; (3) conventional mental education received after five years in an education centre where the child further educates himself through a trained teacher; (4) education of all life or education continuing from past births to future forthcoming births which is possible if one will live an inner life and consciousness of triple time, trikaladristi, and during this period he will receive education of multiple Selves and Sheaths either through movement of all the planes of Consciousness or through increase of self-concentration or through practice of Yoga; (5) internatal education or training during the transition period between death of the body and new physical birth; during that transition the individual receives rigorous training in multiple subtle worlds before he is considered fit to take new birth from universal plane. A path of protection is to be built in the vital world so that a dead Soul can travel securely from terrestrial vital world to the Psychic world.⁶⁶ After death, each aspiring soul travels/adventures like a sailor⁸⁰ from one unknown Ocean to another unknown Ocean of subtle physical, subtle vital, subtle mental, Psychic and Spiritual planes for experience and Cosmic Self is his final training ground and resting place from which his rebirth is decided. The undeveloped Souls may take birth¹⁹ either from subtle vital or subtle mental wandering without arriving at the home of the Psychic/Universal Being. Integral Education has identified countless tamasic and rajasic imperfections and countless sattwic limited human perfections which are to be purified and transformed into Divine perfection and we must fulfil/perfect ‘the immense lacuna we have made.’⁸¹ It will not reject interest in the Arts, the Science, the Technology and Life but lifts them out of their limitations with the aid of Comprehensive Spiritual Knowledge. In the Integral Education, the complete triune unity and knowledge on the World, the Self and the God is the sure foundation of perfection and this perfection is extended towards fullness of Being, Consciousness and Life. The subjectively-objective doctrine of Integral Education is to pursue the subjective and objective development of the students with the help of inner aids, which are again helped and subordinated by outer aids. Integral education is a knowledge of the truth of all sides of existence, inner and outer training, a disappearance of limitation, a breaking down of separativeness, an overpassing of boundaries, a recovery of our essential and whole Reality of Self and Nature and a reconciliation of the apparently opposite terms of One and Many, Form and the Formless, Finite and the Infinite. Integral Education replaces the knowledge that can be learned by constructing mind of confused crab-motion of Ideal Education by a rapid, conscious and self-directed evolution; so the success of the former can come when the Integral Teacher transcended far beyond the capacity of exclusive concentration of Ideal Teacher and is capable of developing essential, multiple and integral Concentration which is the extension of partial mental consciousness towards the Infinite extending over multiple subtle worlds or he becomes at once the centre of large Subliminal action, universal action and of limitless transcendent action. The perfection foreseen in Integral Education is to take up all the truth of instrumental existence of mind, life and body and give them the orientation of oneness, integration and harmony and this perfection is a sovereignty and self-effectuation of the Spiritual Reality into all the elements of our nature. The perfection of Integral Education can come when the Psychic, Spiritual and Supramental influence of the integral Teacher would create the order of Spiritual freedom, an authentic, automatic and plastic order and harmony which is extended towards the outer world. The healthiness of an Integral Education Centre is dependent on harmonious combination of all the developmental faculties, striving to contribute the best in proportion to their capacity. This healthiness is further enforced through regular study circle, an external aid to substitute the more profound inner aid of the Soul, in which the commerce between the Divine, the Lord of Integral Education, Dharma, the law and principles of Integral Education and Sangha , the collectivity which includes teachers, students and guardians are worked out and its effective dynamisation brings abundant Divine Grace, Ananda and swift Evolution. Regular study circle for school children within the school premises is meant to make them aware of higher mental and Spiritual life and initiate their Soul through the cultivation of their Soul faculties, dikshya , which complements their routine and regular surface mental, vital and physical education, sikshya. The study circle has other objectives of elevating the common man to the need of Spiritual life. It cannot insist but make aware of the professional teacher to increase his capacity by renunciation, self-concentration and self-consecration and turn into a devotee. Since a devotee has received the Divine’s touch so he has the possibility of becoming Integral Yogi or constant union/embrace with the Divine, either in this life through gradual intensification of faith, sincerity and surrender or arrives at the same status after succession of many births. So if a devotee after receiving the Divine’s touch on the surface of his Nature remains satisfied with this unequal concentration of Consciousness in his whole being, then he will feel secured to remain as an eternal devotee through part self-giving or on the other hand if he can direct the gained Divine touch sufficiently inward beyond the surface nature, then he can spread and experience equal concentration of Consciousness on all the parts of his Being and Nature and thus he multiplies the capacity of Self-surrender and intensity of Divine union in this life. As an immediate remedy, a growing devotee seeking liberation of Soul is made aware of becoming an Ashramite by consecrating his outer life entirely to the Divine. Since an Ashramite has received the Divine’s Call to lead a Divine Life, he is made aware to become a Sadhaka by rejecting all earthly enjoyments and old earth-bound associations and turning his effort towards purification, concentration and identity and manifesting in him the norms of Integral Yoga. A Sadhaka is made aware to turn into a consecrated Child by entire self-giving of inner and outer life to the Divine and the outer law of integral Yoga is substituted by inner Psychic and Spiritual Law. A Child is made aware to become an Integral Yogi and becomes the living Supramental channel of the Divine. The Gita confirms that a seeker of Truth, after many births of preparation, becomes a Yogi and a Yogi with Psychic and Spiritual opening, after many births of preparation, becomes an integral Yogi with universalised Consciousness.⁶⁹ Thus, The Mother’s saying that a Teacher must be a Yogi¹⁰⁸ is realised in order to experience the extreme enhancement of his existing capacity in terms of God’s Omnipotence and Omniscience. Integral Yoga foresees the perfection and universalisation of this direct Divine faculty of God the Teacher and the personality of Guru force or the Nameless Divine Influence develops as one ascends in the path of Integral Jnana Yoga . Study Circle is Prakriti Yajna. If it is done rightly, then there will be a large descent of Divine Will, Divine Wisdom and Divine Love. The Earlier trend of using this as a platform for giving upadesha (advice) and lokasangraham (gathering together of people) has renewed their significance before the new movement of Consciousness through Prakriti Yajna or Vedic sacrifice. In Study circle, our firm motive is to “Ask for nothing but the divine, spiritual and supramental Truth, its realisation on earth and in you and in all who are called and chosen and the conditions needed for its creation and its victory over all opposing forces…Where there is affinity to the rhythms of the secret world-bliss and response to the call of the All-Beautiful and concord and unity and the glad flow of many lives turned towards the Divine, in that atmosphere she (Mahalakshmi) consents to abide.”⁶⁷ The other guideline for the study circle is that we have to discern Soul Slaying truth from Soul saving truth, where the manifestation of the former divides life⁷⁴ and the manifestation of the latter unites⁷⁵ individuals, collective groups and the existing life. OM TAT SAT Objective of integral Education: “The aim of education is not to prepare a man to succeed in life and society, but to increase his perfectibility to its utmost.”²⁷ The Mother “It is not a rationalisation but a supramentalisation, not a moralising but a spiritualising of life that is the object of the Yoga… All must be taken to a spiritual height and placed upon a spiritual basis; the 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.”³⁶ Sri Aurobindo “The object must be the training of the body and the development of certain parts of mind and character so far as this can be done by or in connection with this training, and I have already indicated in a previous number how and in what directions this can be done. It is a relative and human perfection that can be attained within these limits; anything greater can be reached only by the intervention of higher powers, psychic powers, the power of the spirit. Yet what can be attained within the human boundaries can be something very considerable and sometimes immense: what we call genius is part of the development of the human range of being, and its achievements, especially in things of the mind and will, can carry us half-way to the divine. Even what the mind and will can do with the body in the field proper to the body and its life, in the way of physical achievement, bodily endurance, feats of prowess of all kinds, a lasting activity refusing fatigue or collapse and continuing beyond what seems at first to be possible, courage and refusal to succumb under an endless and murderous physical suffering, these and other victories of many kinds sometimes approaching or reaching the miraculous are seen in the human field and must be reckoned as a part of our concept of a total perfection.”⁴⁴ Sri Aurobindo “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.”⁶⁸ Sri Aurobindo The first object of Integral Education is perfection of the body or ‘an intensive physical training which has given form to the sports and athletics’⁴³ and this type of training has benefits for both National and International life. This initial effort of physical training will make the foundation strong towards realisation of total perfection. So the objective of Integral Education is to attain integral perfection which in the language of India’s ancient tradition is to create a Spiritual Man with unlimited opening towards Divine Will, Knowledge, Light, Joy, Peace, Love, Freedom and a sense of Beauty. This perfection has been further extended in integral Yoga as the Gnostic Soul and Bliss Soul. Spiritual Man: “The spiritual man is one who has discovered his soul: he has found his self and lives in that, is conscious of it, has the joy of it; he needs nothing external for his completeness of existence. The gnostic being starting from this new basis takes up our ignorant becoming and turns it into a luminous becoming of knowledge and a realised power of being.”⁷⁶ Sri Aurobindo “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…”¹⁰⁵ Sri Aurobindo S.A. Maa Krishna The Gita issues injunctions¹¹⁵ on the Spiritual man that he must practice four self-disciplines ceaselessly without rest. They are identified as ceaseless action of memorising the Divine, ceaseless consecrated action, ceaseless action of giving, Dana, and ceaseless askesis or tapasya through self-control. A Spiritual man or a developed Soul needs nothing external for completeness of his existence because self-fulfilment comes by spontaneous union of the Soul with the Divine. His approach towards God is primarily Impersonal and secondarily adoration of the personal aspect of monotheistic and polytheistic Deities. His objective is primarily realisation of the eternal and immutable Self and secondarily to establish a true relation between the eternal Self and the mutable existence. He realises Divine primarily as fundamental Being of the highest state of Turiya and secondarily as the effectual becoming of the sleep Self, dream Self and waking Self. For him, the Divine is primarily ineffable, unmanifest and secondarily as His manifestation of infinite being, consciousness and bliss, embracing the universe and its play. He moves primarily in essential, universal, eternal and comprehensive Truth of Being, infinite Power of being, infinite Delight of Being and secondarily with finite aspect of applications, sequences, harmonies and the potentialities of the truths of Being. He experiences time primarily as continuity of manifestation from past successive lives to future forthcoming lives, is aware of timeless being, Eternal’s manifestation in time through successive many planes of Consciousness and secondarily as concentration on the limitation of present time of succession of moments and pragmatic surface reality. His vision of things is primarily a derivative of Omniscience, a vision from above the head, from within the heart and from Occult subliminal plane and secondarily the discord of present external facts, phenomena and appearance. His will and action is primarily a derivative of Omnipotence, action from dominating height of Divine Will with longer movement in time and a large range of potencies and secondarily a personal will and action from three modes of Nature. His Consciousness moves primarily in between Kshara and Akshara Purusha, or in between Psychic and Spiritual Being and secondarily in between tamas, rajas and sattwa . He lives primarily in the freedom of the universal, Transcendence and in God in all beings and things and secondarily shuts himself in limiting ego, mind’s abstractions and intellectual constructions. His mind, life and body live primarily in the infinity of the Spirit with their right value, place and purpose and secondarily accept and record their limitation. He primarily ceases to judge other men and things by their outward appearance and delivers himself and others from any hostile and contradictory ideas and emotions; for he sees, seeks and finds the Soul everywhere and all other inferior relations are of secondary importance and are not having any absolute values in them. He does good of all creatures primarily by extension of his Spiritual realisation and secondarily by diminutive mental effort. He lives alone with the Divine in the fortress of the Self within and his outer life must be sealed against the vibration and influence of the surrounding world through some secured Spiritual Fortress without. Again for a Spiritual movement, dependency will be more on the subtle action than any external machinery and few can spread and expand Consciousness without the support of outward means. So he must station himself within a strong fence of protection and infrastructure of collective living. Integral Yoga asks a strong Spiritual Being to be subordinated by a strong Mental Being and all primary Spiritual faculties and secondary mental faculties suffer equal Divine transformation by invasion of dynamic Spirit into the kingdom of mind, life and body. A Spiritual man’s evolution is decreed towards the evolution of the Gnostic Soul where even the widest mental Spirituality of one-sided, exclusive and imperfect power of self-expression of life is transcended. Gnostic Soul: The transition from Manomaya Purusha of Spiritual Man to Vijnanamaya Purusha of Gnostic Soul is a great and decisive transition of integral Yoga. It is the middle or link plane of creative wisdom, power and joy and not the highest plane of Consciousness. The ultimate transition is the change of Consciousness from Vijnanamaya Purusha of Gnostic Soul to Anandamaya Purusha of the Bliss Soul. A Gnostic Soul shakes off the last hold of cosmic Ignorance. He establishes a firm foundation in truth of things, in a Consciousness eternal and infinite and is untouched by obscurity, falsehood, suffering and error. He sees through direct self-illumining process of Supramental vision which is the very centre and pouring fount of truth, directly grasps the truth of things and penetrates to its original and eternal nature. His sense gets into relation with things by an unveiled oneness and identity. He has no need of any truth seeking and self-discipline and possesses the body of truth and light spontaneously, constantly and easily. He is capable of knowing all things simply, convincingly and directly without the aid of the sense organs. All his actions are free from doubt, self-evident, self-existent, unanswerable and absolute. In him, mental imagination is replaced by truth-inspiration, mental judgement is replaced by self-luminous discernment, uncertain mental memory is replaced by a memory at once of past, present and future. He dominates time by a subtle link of past, present and future and not by a mental perception of succession of moments. His knowledge does not recognise any real division and dwells in unity; he knows finite things only in their relation to the infinite. He pours out on the existence in the form of wealth of Divine Knowledge, Divine Will and Divine Ananda. In his Consciousness, truths of the eternal are not in conflict with each other and all opposite things of this imperfect world are happily fused. A Gnostic Soul creates a voluntary limitation for his world action and movement of knowledge and he is even having a particular luminous aura of his being in which he moves and yet he identifies with all beings and all existences. OM TAT SAT The True Physical Education The Subtle Physical Education: “Into a dense of subtle Matter packed, A cavity filled with a blind mass of power, An opposition of misleading gleams, A heavy barrier of unseeing sight, She forced her way through body to the soul.” Savitri-489 “Only our souls have left Death’s night behind, Changed by a mighty dream’s reality, Illumined by the light of symbol worlds And the stupendous summit self of things,” Savitri-718 “Earth’s bodies shall be conscious of a soul; Mortality’s bondslaves shall unloose their bonds, Mere men into spiritual beings grow And see awake the dumb divinity.” Savitri-709 “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 transformation. 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.”¹⁴ Sri Aurobindo “At any rate a full development of the general mental and physical faculties and experiences attainable by humanity through Yoga must be included in the scope of the integral method.”⁴⁹ Sri Aurobindo “Health and strength are the first conditions for the natural perfection of the body, not only muscular strength and the solid strength of the limbs and physical stamina, but the finer, alert and plastic and adaptable force which our nervous and subtle physical parts can put into the activities of the frame. There is also the still more dynamic force which a call upon the life-energies can bring into the body and stir it to greater activities, even feats of the most extraordinary character of which in its normal state it would not be capable.”⁴⁷ Sri Aurobindo “Apart from the obscurity, frailties and limitations, which this change will overcome, the body-consciousness is a patient servant and can be in its large reserve of possibilities a potent instrument of the individual life, and it asks for little on its own account: what it craves for is duration, health, strength, physical perfection, bodily happiness, liberation from suffering, ease.”⁵⁰ Sri Aurobindo “A light and power, a knowledge and force are felt which first take possession of the mind and remould it, afterwards of the life part and remould that, finally of the little physical consciousness and leave it no longer little but wide and plastic and even infinite.”⁹² Sri Aurobindo Integral Education proposes ‘rigorous discipline’³⁹ of which physical education is identified as rigorous self-control of the body. The Mother confirms, ‘all education of the body, if it is to be effective, must be rigorous and detailed, far-sighted and methodical. This will be translated into habits; the body is a being of habits. But these habits should be controlled and disciplined, while remaining flexible enough to adapt themselves to circumstances and to the needs of the growth and development of the being.’⁵⁶ We have two physical substances, one that of the gross body, bound by its past evolution in Matter and there are other and subtler grades of substance known as subtle physical with a finer law and a greater power which support the denser body and provides the substance for our physical, vital and mental sheaths and at the core of subtle physical sheath there is true physical being. Subtle physical in us is open towards the universal force-formation of cosmic Matter, enters into the ranges of consciousness belonging to them and imposes that finer law and power on our dense matter and substitute their purer, higher and intenser conditions of being for the grossness and limitation of our present physical life and impulses and habits. The learning capacity, plasticity and new moulding of the gross body is much slower than the subtle physical sheath, Annamaya Kosha and the true physical being, the Annamaya Purusha. The true physical education lies behind the surface physical education, which trains the physical substance to its utmost strength, capacity, plasticity and vigour. The outward character of the body has two deficiencies; firstly, that of limitations in terms of its capacity and secondly, it has a Subconscient consciousness of its own which is an obstinate fidelity to past habits and past nature and automatically opposes and obstructs any very great upward change and radical transformation of the whole nature. The physical substance is our base and foundation and if we ignore it or belittle it for any higher Spiritual quest, then we do not become perfect but only shift the field of our imperfection. The aim of true physical education is firstly, the discovery of the surface physical self, the true physical, annamaya Purusha , the Divine stationed in the physical sheath, secondly, purification and transformation of the Physical sheath, subtle physical, the annamaya kosha and finally, the perfection of the physical sheath. The perfection of body is of four types that of a greatness of sustaining force, mahattva , an abounding strength, energy and puissance of outgoing and managing force, bala , a lightness, swiftness and adaptability of the nervous and physical being, laghuta and a capacity to hold higher Psychic, Spiritual and Supramental energy in the whole physical substance, dharana-samarthya . ‘And finally the body must develop a perfect power to hold whatever force is brought into it by the spirit and to contain its action without spilling and wasting it or itself getting cracked… This faculty of holding, dharana-shakti, in the physical consciousness, energy and machinery is the most important siddhi or perfection of the body.’⁹⁷ Physical substance requires training to overcome the states of constant obscure parts, moments of unconsciousness, long obstinate habit, temporary inclination of weak resignation, dull acceptance, constitutional feebleness, movements of fatigue, negligence and indolence, lapses into ignorance, incapacity, depression and fear, cowardly recoil, submission to the environment and to the pressure of the men and events and forces. In its place, physical substance attains calm passivity, immobile tranquillity, dynamic peace and silence. This opens the passage through subtle physical to discover the true physical being. This discovery helps the physical substance to experience purification, transformation and perfection of the subtle physical substance and the gross physical substance, the annamaya kosha. The perfection of the body foreseen in ideal education is attained mechanically by physical exercises and other corporeal means. This can attain more flexibility with the assistance of Hathayoga, but still mechanically by Asana and Pranayama. In Integral Education these physical trainings, right use and control of physical things would exist, not for any inferior enjoyment and pleasure but as expression of the truth of the Spirit and beauty and delight of physical existence and a regulation of the physical life-force which liberated them from some of the ordinary physical habits or so-called laws thought by physical science to be inseparable from life in the body. In Integral Education, the perfection of the true and gross physical substance can be attained by three methods; firstly, by development of the will in mind and widely opening itself to and potently calling down the universal pranic Shakti and holding and fixing its more powerful working in the body. Secondly, by the will in mind opening itself rather to the Spiritual power above the head and calling in higher Spiritual pranic energy from above, the Spiritual pranic energy; thirdly, the final step is the opening towards highest Supramental will of the Spirit and it will enter in and take up directly the perfection of the body. The three stages through which integral Education proposes to train the body is that firstly, it considers the body as a mutable dress to be replaced repeatedly in all life and the body must develop the perfect capacity to hold whatever Spiritual energy without spilling, wasting or getting itself cracked and it is considered as foundation of our highest development without entering any attachment towards it; secondly, the body consciousness is to be transcended and exceeded of its limitations and subjection to death, decay and suffering and this faculty of holding higher Spiritual energy, dharana shakti, is considered as important achievement of the perfection of the body and to consider the body as an instrument and minor outward formation of annamaya Purusha , the Self in the body; thirdly, the bodily consciousness is universalised to feel its physical oneness with all material existence. The universalisation of physical consciousness has three stages in which firstly, the body is identified with universal suffering and pain and bears a part of the earthly burden which is too difficult for ordinary human consciousness to bear, secondly, gradual transformation of this universal suffering into Delight and lastly, achieving the state of absolute Delight from which all earthly sufferings are instantly healed and universal order and harmony are permanently restored. OM TAT SAT The Subtle Vital Education: “A mighty life-self with its inner powers Supports the dwarfish modicum we call life; It can graft upon our crawl two puissant wings.” Savitri-485 “Her being entered into the inner worlds. In a narrow passage, the subconscient’s gate, She breathed with difficulty and pain and strove To find the inner self concealed in sense.” Savitri-489 “It is only if the inner or true vital being replaces the outer life-personality that the drive of the vital ego can be wholly overcome and the life-force become the servant of the soul and a powerful instrumentation for the action of our true spiritual being.”³¹ Sri Aurobindo “The prominence of this true vital being under the lead of the true inmost soul within us is the condition for the divine fulfilment of the objects of the Life-Force. Those objects will even remain the same in essence, but transformed in their inner motive and outer character. The Divine Life-Power too will be a will for growth, a force of self-affirmation, but affirmation of the Divine within us, not of the little temporary personality on the surface, — growth into the true divine Individual, the central being, the secret imperishable Person who can emerge only by the subordination and disappearance of the ego. This is life’s true object: growth, but a growth of the spirit in Nature, affirming and developing itself in mind, life and body; possession, but a possession by the Divine of the Divine in all things, and not of things for their own sake by the desire of the ego; enjoyment, but an enjoyment of the divine Ananda in the universe; battle and conquest and empire in the shape of a victorious conflict with the Powers of Darkness, an entire spiritual self-rule and mastery over inward and outward Nature, a conquest by Knowledge, Love and Divine Will over the domains of the Ignorance.”³⁴ Sri Aurobindo We have two lives, one is outer life, bound by past evolution in matter which has birth, decay and death and the other is the subliminal force of life which is not cabined between the narrow boundaries of physical birth and death and the true vital being is at the core of subtle vital, our real vital existence. The subtle vital in us is open towards the universal force of the cosmic Life. The learning capacity, plasticity and new moulding of surface vital force is much slower than that of the subtle vital sheath, Pranamaya Kosha and true vital Self, the Pranamaya Purusha . The true Vital Education lies behind the surface Vital Education which is to train the surface emotion to its utmost intensity of beauty, joy, love and harmony of its vital Nature, prana, along with the surface mind and body. ‘The inner vital and physical are quite different — they have a larger, plastic, subtler, freer and richer consciousness than the surface vital and physical, much more open to the Truth and in direct touch with the universal.’⁹⁰ The aim of true vital education is firstly the discovery of vital Self, the true vital Being, the pranamaya Purusha, the Divine stationed in the vital sheath, secondly the purification and transformation of the vital sheath, the subtle vital, the pranamaya kosha and finally the perfection of the vital sheath. ‘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.’³⁵ The perfection of the vital, or psychic prana, is of four types that of fullness, purnata , clear purity and gladness, prasannata, equality, samata , capacity of calling down higher Spiritual energy for possession and enjoyment, bhoga-samarthya . The perfection of emotion, chitta is of four types that of sweetness and mildness, saumya , strength and force, raudra , faith, kalyana-sraddha , illimitable, widest and intensest capacity to call down and hold the Divine Love, prema-samarthya . Vital substance requires training for overcoming its emotions, governed by egoistic passion, blind instinctive affections, all the play of the life-impulses with their imperfections, perversions, often sordid degradations, a heart besieged and given over to the lusts, desires, wraths, intense or fierce demands or little greed and mean pettiness of an obscure and fallen life-force and debased by its slavery to any and every impulse. One enters the passivity, immobility and silence of the emotive heart and sensational hungering vital either by the ordinary method of artistic and aesthetic activities or through Yogic practices. So, behind the subtle physical sheath, one enters the subtle vital sheath and in the innermost chamber of the subtle vital sheath, the true vital Being is discovered. This discovery helps to purify, transform and perfect the subtle vital sheath, pranamaya kosha. Gayatri and Bhagyashree The perfection of ideal education, through vital training is arts, songs, music, painting, dance and various outer enjoyments. These can be refined and subtilised by the ancient psycho-physical science of Hathayoga , psychic science of Rajayoga and spiritual science of traditional Bhakti Yoga or as proposed in Integral Yoga is to combine the two methods of Sankhya and Yoga or the method of witness Purusha with the method of consecrated action before integrating the emotional and vital part of the Bhakti Yoga. In Integral Education, these arts and crafts would exist not for any inferior mental or vital amusement, entertainment, excitement and pleasure but for the expression and means of the truth of the Spirit, the manifestation of love, beauty and delight of vital existence. Life would no longer be tyrannous masters demanding their satisfaction, but a means of expression of the power of the Spirit. To recollect The Mother’s childhood experience, ‘Then at a very young age (about eight or ten), along with my studies I began to paint. At twelve I was already doing portraits. All aspects of art and beauty, but particularly music and painting, fascinated me. I went through a very intense vital development during that period, with, just like in my early years, the presence of a kind of inner Guide; and all centered on studies: the study of sensations, observations, the study of technique, comparative studies, even a whole spectrum of observations dealing with taste, smell and hearing – a kind of classification of experiences. And this extended to all facets of life, all the experiences life can bring, all of them – miseries, joys, difficulties, sufferings, everything – oh, a whole field of studies! And always this presence within, judging, deciding, classifying, organizing and systematizing everything.’⁹ Integral Education proposes three methods for perfection of subtle and gross vital substance; firstly that of awakening the emotion in mind and vital sensation of mind towards universal divine Love and experience purification of Nature through the universal Pranic Shakti, which supports emotional and vital activities; secondly, the emotional and vital part are opened towards higher Spiritual Love or higher Spiritual Pranic Shakti , which descends from the Supramental plane; thirdly, the final step is to call down the Supramental Love that meets successfully all human contacts and takes the responsibility of perfecting the vital being and vital sheath. OM TAT SAT The Subtle Mental Education: “The truth mind could not know unveils its face, We hear what mortal ears have never heard, We feel what earthly sense has never felt, We love what common hearts repel and dread; Our minds hush to a bright Omniscient; A Voice calls from the chambers of the soul; We meet the ecstasy of the Godhead’s touch In golden privacies of immortal fire.” Savitri-48 “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 “A human seeking limited by its gains, To her they seemed the great and early steps Hazardous of a young discovering spirit Which saw not yet by its own native light; It tapped the universe with testing knocks Or stretched to find truth mind’s divining rod; There was a growing out to numberless sides, But not the widest seeing of the soul, Not yet the vast direct immediate touch, Nor yet the art and wisdom of the Gods.” Savitri-361 “In waking Mind, the Thinker built his house.” Savitri-622 “"Spiritual things"!. They teach history OR spiritual things, they teach science OR spiritual things. That's where the stupidity lies! In history, there is the Spirit; in science, there is the Spirit – the Truth is everywhere. And what's needed is to teach it not in an untruthful but in a true way.”¹⁰ The Mother “The Yogin’s aim in the Arts should not be a mere aesthetic, mental or vital gratification, but, seeing the Divine everywhere, worshipping it with a revelation of the meaning of its own works, to express that One Divine in ideal forms, the One Divine in principles and forces, the One Divine in gods and men and creatures and objects.”¹⁰⁴ Sri Aurobindo “To arrive then at the whole truth of our self and Spirit and the knowledge, greatness, bliss of our free and complete being must be the object of the purification, liberation and perfection of the buddhi.”⁹⁵ Sri Aurobindo “One effective way often used to facilitate this entry into the inner self is the separation of the Purusha, the conscious being, from the Prakriti, the formulated nature. If one stands back from the mind and its activities so that they fall silent at will or go on as a surface movement of which one is the detached and disinterested witness, it becomes possible eventually to realise oneself as the inner Self of mind, the true and pure mental being, the Purusha; by similarly standing back from the life activities, it is possible to realise oneself as the inner Self of life, the true and pure vital being, the Purusha; there is even a Self of body of which, by standing back from the body and its demands and activities and entering into a silence of the physical consciousness watching the action of its energy, it is possible to become aware, a true and pure physical being, the Purusha. So too, by standing back from all these activities of nature successively or together, it becomes possible to realise one’s inner being as the silent impersonal self, the witness Purusha.”⁹⁶ Sri Aurobindo We have two minds,³² one that of surface mind evolved out of Matter and evolutionary ego and another that of subliminal mind which is something large, powerful and luminous and at the core of subliminal mind there is true mental being. The subtle mind in us is open to the universal knowledge of the cosmic Mind. The learning capacity, plasticity and new moulding of surface mind is much slower than the capacity of subtle mental sheath, manomaya Kosha and true mental being or the mental Purusha . The aim of the true mental education is firstly the discovery of the lower mental Self, the truth mind, a portion of Manomaya Purusha , the Divine stationed in the mind, secondly the purification and transformation of mental sheath, subtle mind, a portion of Manomaya kosha , and finally the perfection of mental sheath. The perfection of mental sheath is of four types that of purity, visuddhi , clear and strong radiance emanating from the sun of the Truth, prakasha, capable of variety of understanding, supple, rich, flexible, brilliant with all the flame and various with all the colours of the manifestation of the Truth, vichitra-bodha and integral capacity to hold all kind of exclusive and comprehensive knowledge, sarva-jnana-samarthya. If this quest of mental perfection is left to the unripe mind and untrained intellect then it lends itself to most perilous distortions and misleading imaginations; if they are exposed to mixed functioning of emotional desire and nervous impulses, then it will create the danger of illuminating confusion rather than clarifying the truth. The effort of unchastened mind and unpurified intellect are always dangerous for a higher Spiritual quest and they cannot bring about a transformation of earth life. Any utilitarian system grows obsolete and stands as a barrier to the self-development of the individual and the race if it is subjected to unrestrained indulgence of outer impulses, stagnation by the mechanisation of the system and dull convention. The Ideal Education through mind can spread in three directions; (1) it concentrates on the individual development and perfection of surface nature, thought, outer dynamic, practical and utilitarian action in the world and our personal relation with the world around us; (2) it concentrates on the outer world itself, making it better suited to our ideas, conceptions and temperaments and (3) it concentrates on our own inner Psychic and Spiritual growth, systemised idea of a goal, the method and principles of highest development of our nature. The ideal education through the mind makes up its deficiency by (1) memory, (2) imagination, (3) thought and idea symbols of various kinds and it is fulfilled in Integral Education by the emergence of integral Consciousness. Similarly, the main functions of the mind are sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch and it can function as substitute of the inner subliminal mind which has the capacity of subtle sight, hearing, power of contact of its own without depending on physical organs. The mind’s passage to the subliminal mind can be traced by complete withdrawal of sense activity and silencing the mind. These subtle faculties can be further heightened to direct vision and vision through identity through the extension of Psychic, Spiritual and Supramental experience. Similarly, Ideal Education through reason or intellect is (1) primarily a function of understanding, (2) secondarily critical, analytic and discriminating and (3) finally organising, controlling and formative. The reason makes up its deficiency by (1) intellectual reflection, vichara, (2) right discernment, vivek and (3) a settled ordering of knowledge and will and it is fulfilled in Integral Education by the emergence of Vijnanabuddhi. As long as higher faculties have not evolved, the reason must be our main force of effectuation and should base on a clear, pure and severely trained austerity and it can function as a substitute of Supermind. The reason’s passage to Supermind can be traced through its highest action which concerns itself disinterestedly with a pursuit of pure Truth and right Knowledge. To recollect The Mother’s childhood experience, “Then, school years. I was a very bright student, always for the same reason: I wanted to understand. I wasn't interested in learning things by heart like the others did – I wanted to understand them. And what a memory I had, a fantastic memory for sounds and images! I had only to read a poem aloud at night, and the next morning I knew it. And after I had studied or read a book and someone mentioned a passage to me, I would say, "Ah, yes – that's on page so and so." I would find the page. Nothing had faded, it was all still fresh. But this is the ordinary period of development.’⁹ Now the time has come in the universal history to establish a link between the ordinary sense limiting mind and the Knowledge through identity of the Supermind. Education is directed now to depart from its surface physical realm and enter more and more in to Supra-physical, Supra-vital and Supra-rational domains. Mind cannot be the perfect instrument of the Spirit, because to separate, divide and limit is its very character, which again gives birth to diseases like fear, desire and sorrow. The error of the practical reason is an excessive subjection to the apparent fact of phenomenal existence and an insufficient courage in carrying profounder facts of potentiality to their logical conclusion. ‘‘Avoid also the error of the ignorant mind’s demand on the Divine Power to act always according to our surface notions of omniscience and omnipotence. For our mind clamours to be impressed at every turn by miraculous power and easy success and dazzling splendour; otherwise it cannot believe that here is the Divine.’⁸⁴ So mind has to be taught some lessons of purity that will enable it to make the intellect a fit instrument towards the reception of higher Superconscient faculties beyond mind. When mind is open towards Self-Knowledge, then it is observed that Divine will and thought begin to descend from above and become overtly active in the mind. Mind can be educated in the following direction:- 1) All relations or associations of the past mutable personality that are related to the ordinary material living are to be scrapped or as it stands as a block in the newly evolved Spiritual journey. Or “At every moment we must shake off the past like falling dust, that it may not soil the virgin path which, at every moment also, opening before us.”²⁰ 2) The sense-dominated mind of the present humanity is preoccupied with the exclusive learning that can resolve the immediate and practical problems of the material existence, which affects various mechanisations, manipulations, developments and formulations. A superficial happiness, material success, money getting, procreation of a family and its maintenance are very much desirable for our vital appetite, ego and manhood of yesterday, but they are not the object and main preoccupation of higher Mental Education, nor desirable for future Supermanhood. 3) If all the written truth and practices are too strictly formulated by mind, then it becomes old and loses much of its vigour and strength, if not all of its purity and efficacy; so it must be ‘constantly renovated’²² by the fresh instreaming of overhead Spiritual experience. Research into the field of Occult or Subliminal sciences that are beyond the scope of mind and intellect is always the demand of the Time-Spirit, because by that the safety, stability and growth of the schools of Integral Education and Integral Yoga are ensured. Study and practice of Shastra or written truth is an ideal Sattwic action but restating them through long concentration, contemplation and meditation is a trigunatita action or action from the higher plane of Consciousness. Integral action begins with the emergence of integral Knowledge. 4) In this path, the most humiliating (Spiritual) fall’¹⁸ is also identified as an indispensable step in integral perfection extending over all life. So efforts must continue to rise and overcome the period of oblivion after each Spiritual fall of consciousness without discouragement and despondency. 5) The mind must be pacified and must be trained to go beyond and preoccupy oneself with the ultimate and lasting solution of existence; that of living in the freedom of the Universal, in God, Light, Bliss and Immortality and in all Beings. This will again be subordinated by the preoccupation with resolving the immediate and practical problems of individual and collective living. 6) The transition between ordinary Ideal Education and the true Integral Education can be transcended if the reverse movement of exclusive concentration of mind is activated. Which means forward movement of mind’s exclusive concentration is utilised to realise many immense and innumerable minute discoveries of physical science and the material gain, whereas opposite movement is turned to trace the inner living, discovery of subliminal Self, Psychic Self and Spiritual Self. 7) "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." ¹⁰⁹ The ignorant mind must be taught to become an impartial and discerning witness, sakhi , and know every intricacy of the complex nature. As he proceeds in this knowledge, he will be able to be the giver of sanction, anumanta , and no longer remain as an ignorant tool of the three modes of nature, that of sattwa, rajas and tamas. Then subsequently the imperfect human intelligence will be replaced by master of nature, Ishwara, which is identified in ascending hierarchies as higher mind, illumined mind, intuitive mind, overmind and Supermind; it transforms the three modes of nature to their Divine equivalent, that of Divine illumination and bliss, Divine dynamis, Tapas, and supreme repose and calm respectively. 8) The intellect can arrive at two kinds of perfection, 'first, a greater and greater detachment from the control of the lower suggestions; secondly, an increasing discovery of a self-existent Being, Light, Power and Ananda which surpasses and transforms the normal humanity. The ethical mind becomes perfect in proportion as it detaches itself from desire, sense suggestion, impulse, customary dictated action and discovers a self of Right, Love, Strength and Purity in which it can live accomplished and make it the foundation of all its actions. The aesthetic mind is perfected in proportion as it detaches itself from all its cruder pleasures and from outward conventional canons of the aesthetic reason and discovers a self-existent self and spirit of pure and infinite Beauty and Delight which gives its own light and joy to the material of the aesthesis. The mind of knowledge is perfected when it gets away from impression and dogma and opinion and discovers a light of self-knowledge and intuition which illumines all the workings of the sense and reason, all self-experience and world-experience. The will is perfected when it gets away from and behind its impulses and its customary ruts of effectuation and discovers an inner power of the Spirit which is the source of an intuitive and luminous action and an original harmonious creation. The movement of perfection is away from all domination by the lower nature and towards a pure and powerful reflection of the being, power, knowledge and delight of the Spirit and Self in the buddhi .’⁵¹ 9) “Mankind has first to seek this knowledge through the external life; for until its mentality is sufficiently developed, spiritual knowledge is not really possible, and in proportion as it is developed, the possibilities of spiritual knowledge become richer and fuller.”⁸⁵ “But Nature’s major preoccupation must necessarily be still and for a long time the evolution of mind to its greatest possible range, height, subtlety; for only so can be prepared the unveiling of an entirely intuitive intelligence, of overmind, of supermind, the difficult passage to a higher instrumentation of the Spirit.”⁸⁶ "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."⁸⁶ 10) In the past, most of the noble army of Saints have never dared to inquire the problems of existence sufficiently and have satisfied themselves in some interim intermediate solution of kingdom of Heaven beyond in this life. Lasting solutions are beyond the scope and capacity of mind. What is proposed here is that sufficient inquiry is to be made of all the problems of existence through Vedantic sacrifice of ascent followed by descent of Divine Consciousness and Vedic sacrifice of descent followed by ascent of Divine Consciousness, extending over all life reviving its golden significance of resolving all problems of existence through the invasion of Truth Consciousness. Through these two exercises the higher faculties beyond mind can activate and direct themselves in perfecting the human vessel. 11) The Mother ⁸⁷ and Sri Aurobindo ⁸⁸ confirm that integral Yoga can begin only after opening either of the Psychic or Spiritual being and if the Psychic being in the heart opens first then by its ascent the Spiritual being above the head opens or if the Spiritual being opens first then by its descent as dynamic Divine Shakti, the Psychic being opens. By these openings an aspirant Soul, Jijnasu, sattwic man becomes twice born Soul, Dvija . When a Dvija is born, it is Divine’s responsibility to depute a Spiritual fosterer for nourishment and growth of the Soul like as He deputes birth parents for once-born Soul for evolution of his mind, life and body. So a Dvija has the possibility of double evolution,⁸⁹ one that of evolution of external life and another that of evolution of his inner life. By activation of three Gunas or by horizontal movement of Consciousness, he will experience slow mental evolution of external life and by movement of Psychic and Spiritual being or vertical movement of Consciousness, he will experience swift Spiritual evolution of inner life. Thus his slow material evolution is complemented by swift Spiritual evolution and this movement culminates in the reconciliation of perfect Spirit with imperfect Matter. The Ideal Education through mind proposes full development of mental faculties through all the developmental methods invented by the Mother Nature and universalisation of all its mental achievements for the well-being of the race and in Integral Education this fully developed mind is utilised to enter beyond mind higher formulation of Shakti or "A blank pure consciousness had replaced the mind." ¹¹⁰ The three methods of Integral Education through mind are; firstly, the intellect in mind is turned towards the pure universal mental energy and liberates itself from all separative and divided instincts and enlarges itself from all narrowness and limitations; thus more effectively bring our mind formulations into harmony with the higher powers of being ; secondly, the intellect in mind is further opened towards Spiritual energy above the head and permit it to enlighten and enlarge the mental capacity and lastly, the purified intellect in mind is directly opened towards Supermind and it takes the full responsibility of perfecting the mind. OM TAT SAT The Subtle Psychic Education: “But for such vast spiritual change to be, 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-486-487 “The soul, the psychic entity, then manifests itself as the central being which upholds mind and life and body and supports all the other powers and functions of the Spirit; it takes up its greater function as the guide and ruler of the nature. A guidance, a governance begins from within which exposes every movement to the light of Truth, repels what is false, obscure, opposed to the divine realisation: every region of the being, every nook and corner of it, every movement, formation, direction, inclination of thought, will, emotion, sensation, action, reaction, motive, disposition, propensity, desire, habit of the conscious or subconscious physical, even the most concealed, camouflaged, mute, recondite, is lighted up with the unerring psychic light, their confusions dissipated, their tangles disentangled, their obscurities, deceptions, self-deceptions precisely indicated and removed; all is purified, set right, the whole nature harmonised, modulated in the psychic key, put in spiritual order.”²⁸ Sri Aurobindo “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.”¹⁰⁶ Sri Aurobindo There is the double Soul or Psychic term, one is the surface-desire soul which works as vital cravings, emotions, aesthetic faculty, mental seeking for power, knowledge and happiness and the another is the subliminal Psychic entity, the true Psychic being, a pure power of light, love, joy and refined essence of being. So the true Soul is the inner consciousness which aspires to its own complete self-realisation and is open in us towards the universal delight of cosmic Self. So the opening towards Psychical Consciousness enables us to become aware of the Powers, Presences and Influences of inner and higher planes who help to change and harmonise our external being and life. The learning capacity, plasticity and new moulding of the surface desire soul is much slower than the learning capacity and plasticity of true Psychic Being. The aim of true Psychic education is primarily the discovery of the individual Soul, the Chaitya Purusha, the Divine stationed in the heart centre, the ever pure flame of Divinity in things, watching and profiting the development and experience of mind, vital and body, secondarily the transformation of Psychic sheath, the Chaitya Kosha and adjacent sheaths of mind, life, and body and finally the perfection of Psychic sheath, puts forward a Psychic personality which changes, grows and develops from life to life and is uplifted and united with the original Delight which is the occult Source of this creation. After the physical, vital and mental sheaths are silenced, behind the subtle physical, subtle vital, subtle mental there is the Psychic sheath in whose innermost chamber there is true Psychic being, the Divine stationed in the heart. The true Psychic being is surrounded by the thick cloud of desire soul and the former is missioned to lead man in Ignorance towards the Light of Divine Consciousness and takes the essence of all experience to form the nucleus of Soul-growth until desire soul, mind, life and body are ready to be a luminous instrumentation of the Divine. It points always towards Truth, Right, Beauty, Love and Harmony and persists till these things become the major need of our life. The Psychic being has its three stages of realisation; in the first stage it becomes aware of the eternal Companion, Paramatma, and elects to live forever in His Eternal Presence in an imperishable union and oneness; this Psychic being is no bigger than the man’s thumb as described in the Upanishad , can by Spiritual influx enlarge itself and embrace the whole world with intimate oneness; secondly, the Psychic being develops the capacity of knowledge of three time, trikaladristi , the knowledge of past retrospective vision, circum-vision of the present and pre-vision of the future happenings; thirdly, based on this triple time knowledge it develops the capacity of changing the individual fixed destiny into higher Spiritual destiny and further extension of its capacity towards the change of the destiny of the collectivity and the race. All that is experienced through the Psychic being can be further stabilised by repetition of same experience in the Spiritual plane and all these Spiritual changes have to be completed, integrated, exceeded and uplifted by their absolute state through Supramental experience. OM TAT SAT The Spiritual Education: "Impersonal, signless, featureless, void of forms A blank pure consciousness had replaced the mind." Savitri-545 “A refugee from the domain of sense, Evading the necessity of thought, Delivered from Knowledge and from Ignorance And rescued from the true and the untrue, She shared the Superconscient’s high retreat Beyond the self-born Word, the nude Idea, The first bare solid ground of consciousness; Beings were not there, existence had no place , There was no temptation of the joy to be.” Savitri-548-549 “A light descends and touches or envelops or penetrates the lower being, the mind, the life or the body; or a presence or a power or a stream of knowledge pours in waves or currents, or there is a flood of bliss or a sudden ecstasy; the contact with the superconscient has been established. For such experiences repeat themselves till they become normal, familiar and well understood, revelatory of their contents and their significance which may have at first been involved and wrapped into secrecy by the figure of the covering experience. For a knowledge from above begins to descend, frequently, constantly, then uninterruptedly, and to manifest in the mind’s quietude or silence; intuitions and inspirations, revelations born of a greater sight, a higher truth and wisdom, enter into the being, a luminous intuitive discrimination works which dispels all darkness of understanding or dazzling confusions, puts all in order; a new consciousness begins to form, the mind of a high wide self existent thinking knowledge or an illumined or an intuitive or an overmental consciousness with new forces of thought or sight and a greater power of direct spiritual realisation which is more than thought or sight, a greater becoming in the spiritual substance of our present being; the heart and the sense become subtle, intense, large to embrace all existence, to see God, to feel and hear and touch the Eternal, to make a deeper and closer unity of self and the world in a transcendent realisation.”²⁹ Sri Aurobindo “The physical being could only endure, if by some means its physical causes of decay and disruption could be overcome and at the same time it could be made so plastic and progressive in its structure and its functioning that it would answer to each change demanded of it by the progress of the inner Person; it must be able to keep pace with the soul in its formation of self-expressive personality, its long unfolding of a secret spiritual divinity and the slow transformation of the mental into the divine mental or spiritual existence.”³³ Sri Aurobindo “And Krishna and Radha for ever entwined in bliss, The Adorer and Adored self-lost and one.”⁸ (“The Gods, who in their highest secret entity are powers of this supermind, born of it, seated in it as in their proper home, are in their knowledge “truth-conscious” and in their possessed of the “seer-will”.”¹¹) The aim of Spiritual education is primarily the discovery of the Spiritual Self, Manomaya Purusha , the Divine stationed in the higher Mind, illumined Mind, intuitive Mind and Overmind, secondarily formation and densification of Spiritual sheath and purification and transformation of lower sheaths and finally the perfection of Spiritual sheath. Spiritual Self or the Soul in Mind is uncovered either with the help of Psychic being or through the practice of the triple Yoga of Karma, Jnana and Bhakti. After discovery of Spiritual Self, its Power and force descends towards the lower plane to transform the mental, vital, physical and Subconscient sheath. It also transforms and densify the Spiritual sheath. Spiritual Self or the Soul in Mind ascends upward towards higher planes of Consciousness which paves the passage clear for the discovery of Supramental Self above. The four-fold perfection of Spiritual living are, a power of revelatory truth seeing, dristi , a power of inspiration or truth hearing, sriti, a power of truth touch, divya sparsa , and a power of true and automatic discrimination, viveka . "A sight opened upon the invisible And sensed the shapes that mortal eyes see not, The sounds that mortal listening cannot hear, The blissful sweetness of the intangible’s touch; The objects that to us are empty air, Are there the stuff of daily experience And the common pabulum of sense and thought." Savitri-540-541 These perfections attain their full and absolute state in Supramental and are revealed as Supramental vision, Supramental word, Supramental contact and Supramental discernment, Vijnanabuddhi. In Spiritual Education, a light, power, knowledge and force are felt and it takes possession of the mind and remoulds it and afterwards possesses life and body and leaves them wide and plastic and infinite. It brings to us the abiding Spiritual sense and awareness of the infinite and eternal with great largeness of nature and immortality becomes the normal self-awareness, the Divine force working in us everywhere, the joy and the peace of the infinite are now concrete and constant in the being. The lower status of mind, life and body can arrive at its full meaning when it is restated and transformed by the light, power and joy of the higher Spiritual Consciousness. OM TAT SAT Universal Education: “Apart, living within, all lives she bore; Aloof, she carried in herself the world: Her dread was one with the great cosmic dread, Her strength was founded on the cosmic mights; The universal Mother’s love was hers.” Savitri-8 “The great World-Mother now in her arose: A living choice reversed fate’s cold dead turn, Affirmed the spirit’s tread on Circumstance, Pressed back the senseless dire revolving Wheel And stopped the mute march of Necessity.” Savitri-21 “Our life is a holocaust of the Supreme. (holocaust is complete surrender) 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 "But many-visaged is the cosmic Soul ; A touch 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 “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.” Savitri-295 The Gita informs us that the all pervading Brahman, Vasudeva is endless in His self extension in the universe, nastyonto vistarasya me , and the highest power of Supreme manifestation is only a very partial revelation of the Infinite; even the whole universe is preoccupied by only one degree of His greatness, illumined by one ray of His splendour and it will still remain the perennial Source of ‘birth of all that shall come into the being.’¹⁰⁷ This Savitri, Book-7, Canto-7, speaks of a cosmic Consciousness of affirmative energy, if dynamised, can confront and transform world negations. Cosmic consciousness is the passage of discovery of Supramental Consciousness. This is the Consciousness which can penetrate mind, vital and body and transforms them. Thus in this consciousness World, Self and God are reconciled and a right relation between individual and the world is established. The present individual and world are incomplete account of integral Truth and with more and more invasion of transcendent Divine Force they can retain their total identity. Cosmic consciousness is the dynamic state of the Spiritual being. What are the characteristic natures of cosmic Consciousness? 1: “Her mortal ego perished in God’s night.” Savitri-552 “and this (dynamic Divine) union may even bring about a disappearance of the sense of individuality, a merger of the ego into the world-being.” CWSA-21/The Life Divine-561 2: “The being travelled not towards nothingness.” Savitri-552 (not towards Nirvana and all-negating absolute.) 3: “It (cosmic consciousness) seized on speech to give those flaming shape,… Her mouth was seized to channel ineffable truths,…” Savitri-553 4: “Her being, a circle without circumference,.. The world was her spirit’s wide circumference,” Savitri-554-556 5: “The world of unreality ceased to be:.. A spirit, a being saw created things And cast itself into unnumbered forms… A Truth in which negation had no place,… The sense of unreality was slain:” Savitri-554- 55 (dynamic Spirit of cosmic consciousness which is accepted as second fundamental realisation of integral Yoga. First fundamental realisation: Brahma satya jagat mithya; 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.) Second fundamental realisation of integral Yoga: “But this is not the only line of issue; it is possible, on the contrary, for me to wait till through the silence of this timeless unfilled liberation I begin to enter into relations with that yet ungrasped Source of myself and my actions; then the void begins to fill, there emerges out of it or there rushes into it all the manifold Truth of the Divine, all the aspects and manifestations and many levels of a dynamic Infinite.” CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga-117 6: “It was her self, it was the self of all,” Savitri-555 “This first was an immense identity In which her own identity was lost:” Savitri-557 (In cosmic consciousness Oneness with the Divine and world are realized and the separative individual identity is dissolved.) 7: “That (cosmic consciousness) held all world within one lonely breast,” “The spiritual individual acts out of that sense of oneness which gives him immediate and direct perception of the demand of self on other self, the need of the life, the good, the work of love and sympathy that can truly be done. A realisation of spiritual unity, a dynamisation of the intimate consciousness of one-being, of one self in all beings, can alone found and govern by its truth the action of the divine life.” CWSA-22/The Life Divine/p-1068 8: “All contraries were true in one huge spirit” Savitri-556 “An external unity with others must always be an outward joining and association of external lives with a minor inner result; the mind and heart attach their movements to this common life and the beings whom we meet there; but the common external life remains the foundation, — the inward constructed unity, or so much of it as can persist in spite of mutual ignorance and discordant egoisms, conflict of minds, conflict of hearts, conflict of vital temperaments, conflict of interests, is a partial and insecure superstructure. The spiritual consciousness, the spiritual life reverses this principle of building; it bases its action in the collective life upon an inner experience and inclusion of others in our own being, an inner sense and reality of oneness.” CWSA-22/The Life Divine/p- 1068 9: “(Cosmic Self) Was the creator and the lord of all.” Savitri-556, (Transcendent Self is the creator of Cosmic and Individual Self) 10: “Her Spirit saw the world as living God;” Savitri-556 (Here God is Cosmic Self.) 11: “Her mind became familiar with its (universal) mind, Its (world’s) body was her body’s larger frame” Savitri-556 “there is a greater openness of the mind to the cosmic Mind and its energies, to the cosmic Life and its energies, to cosmic Matter and its energies.” CWSA-21/The Life Divine/p-562 This is the universalization of subtle body, subtle vital and subtle mind. 12: “Earth saw her born, all worlds were her colonies,” Savitri-557, “A certain sense of unity of the individual with the cosmic, a perception of the world held within one’s consciousness as well as of one’s own intimate inclusion in the world consciousness can become frequent or constant in this opening; a greater feeling of unity with other beings is its natural consequence. It is then that the existence of the cosmic Being becomes a certitude and a reality and is no longer an ideative perception.” CWSA-21/The Life Divine-562 13: “She was the single self of all these selves, She was in them and they were all in her.” Savitri-557, “But the cosmic consciousness of things is founded upon knowledge by identity; for the universal Spirit knows itself as the Self of all, knows all as itself and in itself, knows all nature as part of its nature. It is one with all that it contains and knows it by that identity and by a containing nearness; for there is at the same time an identity and an exceeding, and, while from the point of view of the identification there is a oneness and complete knowledge, so from the point of view of the exceeding there is an inclusion and a penetration, an enveloping cognition of each thing and all things, a penetrating sense and vision of each thing and all things.” CWSA-21/The Life Divine/p-562 Now, after this realisation of Cosmic Self, Savitri is considered fit to ascend and establish her consciousness in Supramental plane. Now she is fit to confront Death in the Subconscient and Inconscient world. The Savitri , 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 Cantos 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 This Canto-7 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 ascetic peace’ 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 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 realized her cosmic self which is identified as the second fundamental realization of integral Yoga. 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-7 proposes that if 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 “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-7 also hints that attainment of Cosmic consciousness is also the beginning of subconscient transformation. So opening of higher Selves like Psychic, Spiritual, Cosmic and Supramental Selves are utilised exclusively for purification, transformation and perfection of untransformed Nature. “The psychic and the spiritual opening with their experiences and consequences can lead away from life or to a Nirvana; but they are here being considered solely as steps in a transformation of the nature.” CWSA-22/The Life Divine-943 “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 agendas of cosmic consciousness, which is utilised for both self-concentration and self-expansion. And after the universalisation of consciousness, Subconscient transformation can begin and with the Supramentalisation of Consciousness, this transformation action can go still farther. OM TAT SAT The Supramental Education: “Only the supermind can thus descend without losing its full power of action; for its action is always intrinsic and automatic, its will and knowledge identical and the result commensurate: its nature is a self-achieving Truth-consciousness and, if it limits itself or its working, it is by choice and intention, not by compulsion; in the limits it chooses its action and the results of its action are harmonious and inevitable.”³⁰ Sri Aurobindo (Lord Sri Balabhadra, Mother Sri Subhadra and Lord Sri Jagannatha are the fundamental symbolic truth representation of the triple name of the Divine Sat (Existence), Chit (Consciousness) and Ananda (Bliss) respectively who have extended towards the manifestation of mind, life and body through Their fourth name Vijnana or the Supermind.) “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 “One who could love without return for 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 “A touch that needs not hands to feel, to clasp, Were there the native means of consciousness And heightened the intimacy of soul with soul. ” Savitri-325 “It (Overmind) moves events by its bare and silent will, Acts at a distance without hands or feet .” Savitri-85 “No feet that move, no hands to take his gifts:” Savitri-609 “At last the soul turns to eternal things, In every shrine it cries for the clasp of God.” Savitri-631 The Supramental or Purushottama Consciousness is having no hand and yet this Consciousness is all embracing towards His creation. He is having no feet to move yet the movement of this Truth Consciousness is all pervading and all-inclusive and possesses all the multiple subtle worlds. ‘His hands and feet are extended on every side...and we live in His universal embrace.’¹⁷ The aim of Supramental Education is primarily the discovery of the Supramental Self, Vijnanamaya Purusha , the Divine stationed in the Supramental Sheath, Supermind, secondarily densification, Ghana, of Supramental Sheath, Vijnanamaya Kosha , and transformation of all the lower sheaths and finally the perfection of Supramental sheath. Supramental Self is uncovered either by the pressure of ascension of Psychic Self or of Spiritual Self or movement of Consciousness in between Psychic and Spiritual Self for a prolonged period. Supramental Self has the capacity to densify the Supramental sheath or the causal body and inverts itself down ward to purify and transform mental, vital, physical, subconscient and inconscient sheaths. ‘But this is difficult in the extreme; for the causal body opens itself readily to the consciousness and capacities of the spiritual planes and belongs in its nature to the higher hemisphere of existence, but it is either not developed at all in man or only as yet crudely developed and organised and veiled behind many intervening portals of the subliminal in us. It draws its stuff from the plane of the truth-knowledge and the plane of the infinite bliss and these pertain altogether to a still inaccessible higher hemisphere.’⁸² The three minimum conditions for dynamising Supramental education are, firstly, unification of entire being by breaking down of the wall between the outer and inner nature, a shifting of centre of consciousness from outer to inner self; secondly, from this new inner Self of firm foundation an opening of individual into the cosmic Consciousness and all the inner centres of Consciousness must burst open and released into action their large capacities; lastly Supramental change does admit the descent of highest light for supremely concentrated pace of evolutionary swiftness. ‘But this causal body is, as we may say, little developed in the majority of men and to live in it or to ascend to the supramental planes, as distinguished from corresponding sub-planes in the mental being, or still more to dwell consciously upon them is the most difficult thing of all for the human being. It can be done in the trance of Samadhi , but otherwise only by a new evolution of the capacities of the individual Purusha of which few are even willing to conceive. Yet is that the condition of the perfect self-consciousness by which alone the Purusha can possess the full conscious control of Prakriti; for there not even the mind determines, but the Spirit freely uses the lower differentiating principles as minor terms of its existence governed by the higher and reaching by them their own perfect capacity.’⁸³ The first objective of Supramental education will be to restore the oneness of division of all things, secondly in this state the physical presence of Divine is established; thirdly, complete union between the Supreme Soul and Supreme Nature is realised and as a result Supreme Ananda is manifested in the whole nature; fourthly, the Supramental Consciousness will work towards the whole transformation of nature and lastly, the integral Divine is manifested in Soul as Purusohottama and in Nature as Para Prakriti, holding together the multiple Soul, Kshara Purusha and Immutable Being, Akshara Purusha. Six Vedantic formulas of Supramental learning are given below, they are related with ascending intensities of Supramental realisation in order to descend and capture the whole nature for transformation. First formula of Supramental learning: The highest mystery of absolute surrender to the Divine Guide is the first formula of Supramental education, which can be expressed in the words of the Gita, “Sarvadharman parityajya mam akam saranam braja ,” (The Gita-18.66) abandon all dharmas and take refuge in Me alone. Increase of surrender is dependent on increase of concentration, samyama. Increase of concentration is dependent on increase of practice of Yoga, abhyasa . Increase of practice of Yoga is dependent on increase of renunciation, Vairagya, Tyaga . Second formula of Supramental learning related to the transformation of mind, life and body : - Simultaneous triple realisation of, “Brahman is in all things, all things are in Brahman and all things are Brahman .” (The Isha Upanishad) Brahman in all things is the realisation of Kshara Purusha, the Psychic Being. All things are within the Brahman is the realisation of Akshara Purusha , the Spiritual Being. A prolonged movement of Consciousness between Kshara and Akshara will lead towards realisation of Purushottama Consciousness or realisation of all things as Brahman . Third formula of Supramental learning related to transformation of Subconscient Sheath : - “I, the Purushottama Consciousness, lodged in the Self, lift the blazing lamp of knowledge and destroy the darkness which is born of the Subconscient Ignorance.” (The Gita-10.11) This is the experience of Supramental Consciousness transforming the Subconscient Sheath. Fourth formula of Supramental learning related with the transformation of Inconscient Sheath and the whole being : - “If you are one in heart and consciousness with Brahman at all times, then by the grace of Brahman you shall pass safe through all difficult and perilous passages of Inconscient world.” (The Gita-18.58) Below the Subconscient there is Inconscient Sheath, and Supramental transformation is extended to Inconscient sheath. Fifth formula related with transformation of whole being through discovery of Supramental concealed in the Inconscient Self: - “The Brahman has concealed into this form of (inconscient) earth and sustains by His might these multitudes.” (The Gita-15.13) The discovery of Subconscient and Inconscient Self accelerates the transformation work towards a ‘grand solution’ and save the world from being swallowed by the dark inconscient plane. Sixth formula of Supramental learning related to the transformation of the whole being: - “Into all the doors in the body there can come a flooding of light of the Brahman …” (The Gita-14.11) Possession of the Supramental from all ends is the final lesson to be learned for the complete manifestation of the Divine in the world. OM TAT SAT The Subconscient Education: (The Mother’s Consciousness is that which rests on the One and acts in the All, transcends All and denies none, sees all but lives for its transcendent task, becomes All and yet transcends the mystic whole, All ruler and is ruled by none, transcends the Light and the Darkness and yet one with the Absolute, Eternal and All-knowing it suffers mortal birth and death and in the Subconscient waits Her large unfinished task.) “In darkness’ core she dug out wells of light,” Savitri-41 “With the Light that dwells near the dark end of things,” Savitri-60 “A cave of darkness guards the eternal Light.” Savitri-305 “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 “It (mystic Presence) summons the spirit’s sleeping memories Up from subconscient depths beneath Time’s foam; Oblivious of their flame of happy truth, Arriving with heavy eyes that hardly see, They come disguised as feelings and desires, Like weeds upon the surface float awhile And rise and sink on a somnambulist tide. Impure, degraded though her motions are, Always a heaven-truth broods in life’s deeps; In her obscurest members burns that fire.” Savitri-138-39 “Inverting into half-thought the quickened sense She felt around for truth with fumbling hands, Clutched to her the little she could reach and seize And put aside in her subconscient cave. 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 (discovery of Subconscient Self.) And by possession grow to his own vasts.” Savitri-146 “Over life and Matter only brooding bowed, Mind changed to the image of a rampant beast; It scrambled into the pit to dig for truth And lighted its search with the subconscient’s flares.” Savitri-213-214 “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 “A spirit moved in black immensities And built a Thought in ancient Nothingness; A soul was lit in God’s tremendous Void, (emergence of Subconscient Self) A secret labouring glow of nascent fire” Savitri-622 Subconscient and Inconscient Education are extensions of Supramental education. Supramental education is the extension of Psychic and Spiritual education. The Subconscient is defined as the Inconscient in the process of becoming conscious. It sustains and reinforces all that is animal in us that clings most and refuses to transform, our mechanical recurrence of unintelligent thought, feeling, sensation and our uncontrolled fixities of character. ‘The subconscient is below the waking physical consciousness — it is an automatic, obscure, incoherent, half-unconscious realm into which light and awareness can with difficulty come.’⁹⁰ The Mother confirmed, “The problem appeared again to me very intensely when I read Sri Aurobindo’s The Yoga of Self-Perfection. I was confronted with a whole formidable world to be transformed – to transform what is already luminous is quite easy, but to transform that! ... ugh – this stuff of life, so low and so coarse, so ordinary ... it’s much more difficult.’ ”⁹⁰ The aim of Subconscient education is primarily the discovery of the Subconscient Self, the Divine stationed in the Subconscient Sheath, secondarily purification and transformation of the Subconscient Sheath and finally the perfection of the Subconscient Sheath. Subconscient Sheath is below the physical sheath and above the inconscient sheath and all dark and untransformed forces rise from inconscient to physical through Subconscient Sheath. After the discovery of the Supramental Self, the Supramental force and light penetrates the Subconscient Sheath for its purification, transformation, establishes a control and uncovers the veiled Subconscient Self. After the discovery of the Subconscient Self, it engages itself of greater action of transformation of lower hemisphere including the Subconscient sheath which is indispensable for the completeness of higher life. 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 exists brutal and evil activities, then they are to be accepted as incidents of 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 the high Supracosmic Source meets the low and nether Inconscient Sheath. The emergence of Divine Life on earth is possible by reconciliation of God’s Night with His fathomless Light and Life and Death become the fuel of the great world action and world existence. 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 same Divine Love by activation of Subconscient Self and the ‘two rivers of Light’¹¹² wait ‘to be kindled in our secret cells.’¹¹³ We get the hint from Savitri about how the business of Death and Night fails on earth. That is possible by universalisation of Divine Love, by the attainment of unity consciousness of the Supermind and all is known and clasped by Divine Love. This paper proposes that Subconscient transformation can only be experienced in deep meditation¹¹¹ or non-waking trance. There are also many secrets of the Subconscient world which are not possible to catch at present, but a few of them are caught in this revised study. OM TAT SAT The Inconscient Education: “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 wraps his head That he may act unknown in cosmic Time.” Savitri-36 “A secret spirit in the Inconscient’s sleep, A shapeless energy, a voiceless Word, He (Inconscient Self) was here before the elements could emerge, Before there was light of mind (Sattwic mind) or life (Rajasic mind) could breathe.” Savitri-60 “For the key is hid and by the Inconscient kept; The secret God beneath the threshold dwells.” Savitri-68 “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. A grand solution closed the long impasse In which the heights of mortal effort end.” Savitri-89 “The spirit in a finite ignorant world Must rescue so its prisoned consciousness Forced out in little jets at quivering points From the Inconscient’s sealed infinitude.” Savitri-140 “A sun of transfiguration still can come And Night can bare its core of mystic light;” Savitri-200 “The secret power in the inconscient depths, Compelling the blinded Godhead to emerge,” Savitri-272 “I (Satyavan) sat with the forest sages in their trance: There poured awakening streams of diamond light, I glimpsed the presence of the One in all. But still there lacked the last transcendent power And Matter still slept empty of its Lord.” Savitri-405 “He still must travel Hell the world to save.” Savitri-450 “He sang the Inconscient and its secret self, Its power omnipotent knowing not what it does,” Savitri-416 “A soul shall wake in the Inconscient’s house;” Savitri-707 (Inconscient transformation becomes possible through the conscious intervention of the Incarnating Dual Power, who open God's secret door to the most stubborn and recalcitrant darkest nether domain of existence.) The aim of Inconscient education is primarily the discovery of the Inconscient Self, the Divine stationed in the Inconscient Sheath, secondarily purification and transformation of Inconscient Sheath and finally the perfection and illumination of Inconscient Sheath. Inconscient Sheath is recognised as the home of Ignorance, Falsehood, Suffering and Death and they rule the earth with their firm kingdom. After the discovery of the Supramental Self, by its pressure the Divine force enters the Subconscient and Inconscient sheaths and uncovers the veiled innermost chamber of Inconscient Self, whose discovery is recognised as great transforming action in the world. Through unveiling of Inconscient Self direct and most potent Divine action is activated in all the planes of lower hemisphere including the Inconscient sheath. The dark Law of the Inconscient can disappear by outburst of greater consciousness from the direct Divine Power of Inconscient Self, at present concealed within the inconscient sheath. The Important Secret of the Inconscient Plane: “When yet the mind, a passionate learner, toiled And ill-shaped instruments were crudely moved.” Savitri-574 “But more and more this grew an alien sound, And her old intimate body seemed to her A burden which her being remotely bore.” Savitri-577 “This clotted cypher was its dark result. In the smothering stress of this stupendous Nought Mind could not think, breath could not breathe, the soul (description of inconscient sheath) Could not remember or feel itself; it seemed A hollow gulf of sterile emptiness, A zero oblivious of the sum it closed, An abnegation of the Maker’s joy Saved by no wide repose, no depth of peace.” Savitri-583 “There was no course, no path, no end or goal:” (The Inconscient journey appears to be pathless and goalless.) Savitri-584 The More Important Secret of the Inconscient Plane: “Enigma of the Inconscient’s sculptural sleep, Symbols of the approach to darkness old And monuments of her titanic reign, Opening to depths like dumb appalling jaws That wait a traveller down a haunted path Attracted to a mystery that slays, (slays the Soul) They (titans) watched across her (Inconscient sheath) road, cruel and still; Sentinels they stood of dumb Necessity, Mute heads of vigilant and sullen gloom, Carved muzzle of a dim enormous world.” Savitri-580 “Then out of the engulfing sea of trance Her mind rose drenched to light streaming with hues Of vision and, awake once more to Time, (Intense waking trance) Returned to shape the lineaments of things And live in borders of the seen and known.” (One can foresee and know much before the happening of the event.) Savitri-579 Its complementary line: “Only the spirit sees and all is known. Then a calm Power seated above our brows Is seen, unshaken by our thoughts and deeds, Its stillness bears the voices of the world: Immobile, it moves Nature, looks on life.” Savitri-571 “Now to the limitless gaze disclosed that sees” Savitri-572 “Night felt assailed her heavy sombre reign; The splendour of some bright eternity Threatened with this faint beam of wandering Truth Her empire of the everlasting Nought.“ Savitri-585 “Now in the wrestling of the splendid gods My spirit shall be obstinate and strong Against the vast refusal of the world.” Savitri-588 The Most Important Secret of Inconscient Plane: “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 “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 “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 “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 OM TAT SAT Recapitulation: “Akin to the eternity whence she came, No part she took in this small happiness; A mighty stranger in the human field, The embodied Guest within made no response.” Savitri-6 “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.” Savitri-69 “To eternal light and knowledge meant to rise, Up from man’s bare beginning is our climb; Out of earth’s heavy smallness we must break, We must search our nature with spiritual fire: An insect crawl preludes our glorious flight; Our human state cradles the future god, Our mortal frailty an immortal force.” Savitri-240 “A small beginning of immense ascent: Above were bright ethereal skies of mind, A packed and endless soar as if sky pressed sky Buttressed against the Void on bastioned light; The highest strove to neighbour eternity, The largest widened into the infinite.” Savitri-264 “All he had done was to prepare a field; His small beginnings asked for a mighty end:” Savitri-315 “His ways challenge our reason and our sense; By blind brute movements of an ignorant Force, By means we slight as small, obscure or base, A greatness founded upon little things, He has built a world in the unknowing Void. His forms he has massed from infinitesimal dust; His marvels are built from insignificant things.” Savitri-624 “O fragrant are the lanes thy children walk And lovely is the memory of their feet Amid the wonder-flowers of Paradise:” Savitri-686 The Ideal Education represents the mental vision, the Soul’s dream of the moon light, whose main doctrine is objectively-subjective that prepares the difficult ascent of life through outer aids and efforts and Integral Education represents the supremely optimistic Supramental vision, the Soul’s vision of the Sun Light, whose main doctrine is subjectively-objective that confirms the sure progress and intends to manifest by the inner aids and spontaneous direct pressure from the Infinite. Ideal Education fulfils the first necessity of transforming the lower mental, vital and physical life into higher mental harmony through turning its gaze downward towards earth bound sattwic perfection and around towards awareness of limited universal fulfilment of life. Integral Education fulfils the second necessity of integration by turning its gaze up ward towards the Supramental harmony and inward towards that which is Occult, Subliminal and Psychic. Loving Surrender Psychic, Spiritual, Universal Supramental, Subconscient and Inconscient Education, are least dependent on external machinery. School children are not directly associated with these educations but indirectly get some touch and influence of them in proportion to their openness towards these planes. These higher types of Education of fine, delicate and subtle realm are directly related with integral Yoga, responsible for building and densifying the subtle and causal body of the perfected vessel. Integral Education foresees the inclusion of all students to the exposure of higher Subliminal, Psychic and Spiritual education and they can follow and verify in themselves deeper Spiritual experiences, only when they have acquired the capacity to follow the inner method and verification as they have trained now their mind to follow the mathematics and difficult scientific truths. Spiritual force can take possession of the mere students and Truth shall dictate their life, thought, effort, endeavour and action. OM TAT SAT References: 1: CWSA/19/Essays on the Gita/p-517, 2: CWSA-22/The Life Divine/p-722, 3: CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-618-19, 4: CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-616, 5: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-56, 6: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-166, 7: CWSA-22/The Life Divine/p-1096, 8: Savitri-525, 9: The Mother’s Agenda-25.07.1962, 10: The Mother's Agenda-5.4.1967, 11: CWSA-21/The Life Divine/p-132, 12: CWSA-21/The Life Divine/p-650, 13: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-58, 14: CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-730, 15: “To be the master of the world would indeed be supreme felicity, if one were universally loved; but for that one would have to be at the same time the slave of all humanity.” SABCL/17/The Hour of God/142, “If thou canst not be the slave of all mankind, thou art not fit to be its master…” SABCL/17/The Hour of God-95, “A spiritual or gnostic being would feel his harmony with the whole gnostic life around him, whatever his position in the whole. According to his place in it he would know how to lead or to rule, but also how to subordinate himself; both would be to him an equal delight: for the spirit’s freedom, because it is eternal, self-existent and inalienable, can be felt as much in service and willing subordination and adjustment with other selves as in power and rule.” CWSA-22/The Life Divine-1069 16: “There are two who are unfit for greatness and freedom, the man who has never been a slave to another and the nation that has never been under the yoke of foreigners.” SABCL/17/The Hour of God/p-115, 17: The Gita-13.14, 18: CWSA/23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-47, 19: “In fact entire subjection of the mind and the life to the body is the characteristic of an undeveloped humanity, as it is in an even greater degree of the infra-human animal. According to the theory of reincarnation those who do not get beyond this stage in the earthly life, cannot rise after death to the mental or higher vital worlds, but have to return from the confines of a series of physical planes to increase their development in the next earthly existence. For the undeveloped physical soul is entirely dominated by material nature and its impressions and has to work them out to a better advantage before it can rise in the scale of being.” CWSA/23/The Synthesis of Yoga-461 20: The Mother/ CWM/1/Prayers and Meditations/p-42, 21: “The Divinity mentioned by Sri Aurobindo is not a person but a condition that will be shared by all those who have prepared themselves to receive it.” TMCW/15/104, “Petty minds think of Me, the unmanifest, as being limited by manifestation, because they know not my supreme nature of being, imperishable, most perfect.” The Gita-7.24, 22: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-5, 23: The Gita-16.1, 2, 3, 24: “The indispensable basis of our Yoga is sincerity, honesty, unselfishness, disinterested consecration to the work to be done, nobility of character and straight forwardness. They who do not practice these elementary virtues are not Sri Aurobindo’s disciples and have no place in Ashram .” The Mother’s Centenary Works/Vol-13/p-128-29, 25: “(The Divine is) the perfect Personality capable of all relations even to the most human, concrete and intimate; for he is friend, comrade, lover, playmate, guide, teacher, master, ministrant of knowledge or ministrant of joy, yet in all relations unbound, free and absolute. This too the divinised man becomes in the measure of his attainment ...” CWSA/19/Essays on the Gita/p-141. 26: “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 a strong foundation of Karma and Bhakti Yoga , 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 a great Soul or integral Yogi is very rare.” The Gita-6.45/7.19, 27: TMCW/12/On Education/p-120, 28: CWSA/22/The Life Divine/p-941, 29: CWSA/22/The Life Divine/p-946-947, 30: CWSA/22/The Life Divine/p-951, 31: CWSA/21/The Life Divine/p-646, 32: “For we have two minds, one the surface mind of our expressed evolutionary ego, the superficial mentality created by us in our emergence out of Matter, another a subliminal mind which is not hampered by our actual mental life and its strict limitations, something large, powerful and luminous, the true mental being behind that superficial form of mental personality which we mistake for ourselves.” CWSA/21/The Life Divine/p-233, 33: CWSA/22/The Life Divine/p-854, 34: CWSA/23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-175, 35: CWSA/23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-178, 36: CWSA/23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-176, 186, 37: CWSA/23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-539, 38: CWSA/23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-644, 39: “Live always in the aspiration of realising your most complete and most true perfection…And for a beginning take care to be honest, sincere, straight- forward, noble and pure in a rigorous discipline that you will impose on yourselves.” TMCW-12/On Education-128, 40: “Take advantage of the circumstances to get rid of all attachment to the members of your family. You must learn that you have no more brothers, sister, father, mother, except Sri Aurobindo and myself, and you must feel free and unconcerned whatever happens to them. We are your whole family, your protection, your all in all.” The Mother/ The Mother’s Centenary Edition/Vol-14/p-305, "There are two things in every human being: (1) what comes from the past and has persisted because it is formed and conscious, and (2) then all that dark, unconscious mass, really muddy, that is added in every new life. Then the other thing gets into that and finds itself imprisoned, you know—adulterated and imprisoned—and generally it takes more than half one’s life to emerge from that entanglement …. That discovery I made at the age of about fifteen or sixteen, or seventeen. I began to see clearly all the “gifts” (if we can call them that) that came from father, mother, parents, grandparents, education, people who looked after me, that whole mudhole , as it were, into which you fall headfirst. And then, the quality of the vibration, the quality of the sensation, of the so-called “thoughts” (which aren’t thoughts, but are almost automatic mental reflexes of sorts) and of the feelings (if you can call them feelings: they are kinds of reactions to the milieu and to all that comes from outside)—it all swarms, swarms like worms in the mud. " The Mother/The Mother’s Agenda-4/p-383-386 41: TMCW (second edition)/12/On Education-370, 42: “An endless Truth she endlessly unfolds; A timeless mystery works out in Time.” Savitri-178, “Lured at each turn by a new vicissitudes To self-discovery that could never cease.” Savitri-328, 43: CWSA-13/Essays in Philosophy and Yoga/p-525, 44: CWSA-13/Essays in Philosophy and Yoga/p-526, 45: CWSA-22/ The Life Divine/p-1057, 46: CWSA-13/Essays in Philosophy and Yoga/p-520, 47: CWSA-13/Essays in Philosophy and Yoga/p-527, 48: CWSA/22/The Life Divine/p-759, 49: CWSA/23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p- 49-50 50: CWSA/22/The Life Divine/p-1023, 51: CWSA/24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-668-669, 52: TMCW-12/On Education/p-358, 53: “The spiritual knowledge is then gained through meditation on the truths that are taught and it is made living and conscious by their realisation in the personal experience; the 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/p-55, 54: “Or it may force them (world influences) to receive the spiritual influence and return with a transforming power on the world they come from, for such a compulsion on the lower universal Nature is part of a perfect spiritual action. But for that the circumconscient or environmental being must be so steeped in the spiritual light and spiritual substance that nothing can enter into it without undergoing this transformation: the invading external influences have not to bring in at all their lower awareness, their lower sight, their lower dynamism.” CWSA-22/The Life Divine/p-995, 55: CWSA-22/The Life Divine/p-1013, 56: TMCW-12/On Education/p-12, 57: “If one wants to give an education which prevents bad habits from being formed or bad tendencies from being pursued, an education which leads children constantly into the right path (that one wants them to follow), well, when they are small it is possible, when they become bigger, it becomes hard. One cannot change the imprint easily. Even sometimes it is necessary to break things to be able to change them: as those who are not progressive, who are fixed and remain fixed, who cling with all their strength to their petty habits. While the little ones are supple, one can change their opinions, one can make them progress, give them the sense that tomorrow one must do better than today.” TMCW-6/Questions and Answers-1954/p-12, 58: TMCW-8/Questions and Answers-1958/p-78-79, 59: CWSA/23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-143, 60: CWSA-13/Essays in Philosophy and Yoga/p-208, 61: The Mother/TMCW-12/On Education/p-63, 62: The Mother/TMCW-12/On Education/p-375, 63: CWSA-29/Letters on Yoga-II/p-198, 64: TMCW-12/On Education/p-173, 65: “I was brought up by an ascetic, a stoic; my mother was a woman like an iron bar, you know. When my brother and I were small she spent her time telling us over and over that we weren't on earth to have fun; that it's constant hell, but you have to put up with it, and the only possible satisfaction lies in doing your duty!... A splendid education, mon petit!...Splendid. I am infinitely grateful to her. My body has never asked for fun or well-being or anything else. "That's life," it said, "and you just have to take it as it is." And that's why when I first met someone who told me it could be otherwise (I was already past twenty), I said, "Oh, really? Is that so?" (Mother laughs) And then when he told me all about Théon's teachings and The Cosmic Life and about the inner God and a new world that would be a world of beauty and (at least) of peace and light ... well, I rushed into it headlong…But even then I was told: "It depends on YOU alone, not on circumstances – above all, don't blame circumstances; you must find it in yourself, the transformative element is within you. And you can do it wherever you are, even in a cell at the bottom of a hole." The groundwork was already done, you see, since the body never asked for anything…Well, I think that's the best education. To the children here we give the exact opposite! But that's how it is: it's a principle – it's not practical.” The Mother’s Agenda-29.05.1962 66: “These things are very interesting. They must form part of the work I have come on earth to do. Because even before encountering Theon, before knowing anything, I had experiences at night, certain types of activities looking after people who were leaving their bodies-and with a knowledge of the process; I didn’t know what I was doing nor did I seek to know, yet I knew exactly what had to be done and I did it. I was around twenty…As soon as I came upon Theon’s teaching (even before meeting him personally), and read and understood all kinds of things which I hadn’t known before, I began to work quite systematically. Every night, at the same hour, I was working to construct-between the purely terrestrial atmosphere and the psychic atmosphere-a path of protection across the vital, so that people wouldn’t have to pass through it (for those who are conscious but without knowledge it’s a very difficult passage-infernal.) I was preparing this path, doing this work (it must have been around 1903 or 1904, I don’t remember exactly) for months and months and months. All sorts of extraordinary things happened during the time-extraordinary. I could tell long series…Then, when I went to Tlemcen, I told MadameTheon about it. ‘Yes, ‘she told me, ‘it is part of the work you have come on earth to do. Everyone with even a slightly awakened psychic being who can see your Light will go to your Light at the moment of dying, no matter where they die, and you will help them to pass through,’ And this work is constant. Constant. It has given me a considerable number of experiences concerning what happens to people when they leave their bodies. I’ve had all sorts of experiences, all kinds of examples-it’s really very interesting.” The Mother’s Agenda/Vol-2/P: 231-238, 67: CWSA-32/The Mother and Letters on the Mother/p-8, 21, 68: CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-645, 69: “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.” The Gita-6.45, “After many births of preparation, a Jnana Yogi with strong foundation of Karma and Bhakti Yoga, attains My Purushottama or Supramental state of Consciousness. He also realises the intermediate stair that all this existence is Divine, the Cosmic Consciousness, Vasudevah sarvamiti. Such great Soul or integral Yogi is very rare.” The Gita-7.19, "The consciousness of supermind is a cosmic consciousness and it is in this self of universal consciousness, in which the individual knower lives and with which he is more or less closely united, that it holds before him the object of knowledge." CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-857, 70: The Mother’s Agenda-10.08.1960, 71: The Mother’s Agenda-02.08.1967, 72: The Mother’s Agenda-10.01.1961, 73: 74: “So long as one is for some and against others, one is necessarily far from the Truth.” The Mother/The Mother’s Agenda-02.08.1967, 75: “Those who serve the Truth cannot take one side or another. Truth is above conflict or opposition. In Truth all countries unite in a common effort towards progress and realisation.” The Mother/The Mother’s Agenda-17th June, 1967, 76: CWSA-22/The Life Divine-1017, 77: “I read it yesterday, because she had so much spoken of this prenatal education, saying the child is fully educated by the age of three, so I wanted to know what she proposed. But there isn't a single thing in it, she doesn't say what should be done… To do things well, we would need a small "educational booklet" for the children of the future. A "preconceptional booklet" to prepare the father and mother (especially the mother, that's the most important). Then a booklet for the first three years of life: the qualities required, the attitude to be taken.... At any rate, the father and mother should first know the possibility (at least the possibility) of a child being more than a mere animal man. Then, the conception should take place entirely outside desire. That's another very difficult condition to be fulfilled. And the mother, throughout the gestation, should be in an atmosphere absolutely protected from all degrading influences: an ideally beautiful place, a wonderful climate where everything is harmonious, and a wholly spontaneous, free and harmonious and beautiful life sheltered from all vulgarities of life. And the mother herself should have the ideal of the new child. It should be done not as a mechanical but as a conscious, willed thing in an absolutely "creative" atmosphere, we might say. All these are very difficult conditions to fulfill.” The Mother’s Agenda-19.04.1967, “It’s strange. I say ‘strange’ because it’s due to her that I took birth in this body, that it was chosen. When she was very young she had a great aspiration. She was exactly twenty years older than I; she was twenty when I was born and I was her third child. The first was a son who died in Turkey when he was two months old, I think – they vaccinated him against smallpox and poisoned him, (laughing) god knows what it means! He died of convulsions. Next was my brother who was born in Egypt, at Alexandria, and then me, born in Paris when she was exactly twenty years old. At that time (especially since the death of her first child) she had a kind Of GREAT aspiration in her: her children had to be ‘the best in the world.’ It wasn’t an ambition, I don’t know what it was. And what a will she had! MY mother had a formidable will, like an iron bar, utterly impervious to all outside influence. Once she had made up her mind, it was made up; even if someone had been dying before her eyes, she wouldn’t have budged! And she decided: ‘My children will be the best in the world.’ …one thing she did have was a sense of progress; she felt that the world was progressing and we had to be better than anything that had come before – and that was sufficient…It’s strange, but that was sufficient…Did I tell you what happened to my brother? No?... My brother was a terribly serious boy, and frightfully studious – oh, it was awful! But he also had a very strong character, a strong will, and there was something interesting about him. When he was studying to enter the Polytechnique, I studied with him – it interested me. We were very intimate (there were only eighteen months between us). He was quite violent, but with an extraordinary strength of character. He almost killed me three times, but when my mother told him, ‘Next time, you will kill her,’ he resolved that it wouldn’t happen again – and it never did. But what I wanted to tell you is that one day when he was eighteen, just before the Polytechnique exams, as he was crossing the Seine (I think it was the Pont des Arts), suddenly in the middle of the bridge ... he felt something descend into him with such force that he became immobilized, petrified; then, although he didn’t exactly hear a voice, a very clear message came to him: ‘If you want, you can become a god’ – it was translated like that in his consciousness. He told me that it took hold of him entirely, immobilized him – a formidable and extremely luminous power: ‘If you want, you can become a god.’ Then, in the thick of the experience itself, he replied, ‘No, I want to serve humanity.’ And it was gone. Of course, he took great care to say nothing to my mother, but we were intimate enough for him to tell me about it. I told him, ‘Well (laughing), what an idiot you are!’…That’s the story…At that moment he could have had a spiritual realization: he had the right stuff… Three years later I had that experience – I’ve told you about it – of the Light piercing through me; I physically saw it enter into me. It was obviously the descent of a Being – not a past incarnation, but a Being from another plane. It was a golden light – the incarnation of a divine consciousness. Which proves that she succeeded for both her children…But she ...She was down on her knees before my brother. My mother scorned all religious sentiments as weakness and superstition and she absolutely denied the invisible. ‘It’s all brain disease,’ she would say! But she could say just as well, ‘Oh, my Matteo is my God, he is my God.’ The devil knows why, but in Alexandria she gave him the Italian name Matteo! And she truly treated him like a god. She left him only when he married, because then she really couldn’t continue to follow him around any longer…But what’s interesting, for instance, is that when her father died she knew it; she saw him. She thought it was a dream-’a stupid dream.’ But he came to let her know he was dead and she saw him. ‘It’s nothing,’ she said, ‘a dream!’ (Mother laughs)…When my grandmother died.... My grandmother had the occult sense. She had made her own fortune (a sizeable fortune) and had had five children, each one more extravagant than the other. She considered me the only sensible person in the family and she shared her secrets with me. ‘You see,’ she told me, ‘these people are going to squander all my money!’ She had a sixty year old son (she had married in Egypt at the age of fifteen, and had had this son when she was quite young). ‘You see this boy, he goes out and visits impossible people! And then he starts playing cards and loses all my money!’ I saw this ‘boy,’ I was there in the house when he came to her and said very politely, ‘Good-bye, mother, I’m going out to so-and-so’s house.’ ‘Ah, please don’t waste all my money, and take an overcoat – it’s getting chilly at night.’ Sixty years old! It was comical.... But to return to my story, after my grandmother died (I took a lot of care over her), she came to my mother (my mother was with her when she died; they embalmed her – she had gotten it into her head that she wanted to be burned, and since she died at Nice they had to embalm her so she could be burned in Paris). I was in Paris. My mother arrived with the body and told me, ‘Just imagine, I’m constantly seeing her! And what’s more, she gives me advice! “Don’t waste your money!” she tells me.’ ‘Well, she’s right, one must be careful,’ I replied. ‘But look here, she’s dead! Dead! How can she talk to me! She’s dead, I tell you, and quite dead at that!’ I said to her, ‘What does it mean, to die?’…It was all very funny… There was another reason. My father was wonderfully healthy and strong – well-balanced. He wasn’t very tall, but stocky. He did all his studies in Austria (at that time French was widely spoken in Austria, but he knew German, he knew English, Italian, Turkish), and there he had learned to ride horses in an extraordinary manner: he was so strong that he could bring a horse to the ground simply by pressing his knees. He could break anything at all with a blow of his fist, even one of those big silver five-franc pieces they had in those days – one blow and it was broken in two. Curiously enough, he looked Russian. I don’t know why. They used to call him Barine. What an equilibrium – an extraordinary physical poise! And not only did this man know all those languages, but I never saw such a brain for arithmetic. Never. He made a game of calculations – not the slightest effort – calculations with hundreds of digits! And on top of it, he loved birds. He had a room to himself in our apartment (because my mother could never much tolerate him), he had his separate room, and in it he kept a big cage ... full of canaries! During the day he would close the windows and let all the canaries loose....And could he tell stories! I think he read every novel available, all the stories he could find – extraordinary adventure stories, for he loved adventures. When we were kids he used to let us come into his room very early in the morning and, while still sitting in bed, tell us stories from the books he had read – but he told them as if they were his own, as if he’d had extraordinary adventures with outlaws, with wild animals. Every story he picked up he told as his own. We enjoyed it tremendously!...But one day when my brother had disobeyed him (Matteo must have been ten or eleven, and I perhaps nine or ten), I came into the dining room and saw my father sitting on a sofa with my brother across his knees; he had pulled down his trousers and was spanking him, I don’t know what for. It wasn’t a very serious spanking, but still.... I came in, drew myself up to my full height and said, ‘Papa, if you ever do that again, I am leaving this house!’ And with such authority, mon petit! He stopped and never did it again.” The Mother’s Agenda-05.08.1961, 78: CWSA-28/Letters on Yoga-I-424, 79: CWSA-28/Letters on Yoga-I-427, 80: “He sails through life and death and other life, He travels on through waking and through sleep. A power is on him from her occult force That ties him to his own creation’s fate, And never can the mighty Traveller rest And never can the mystic voyage cease Till the nescient dusk is lifted from man’s soul And the morns of God have overtaken his night.” Savitri-72, 81: Savitri-56, 82: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga-473, 83: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga-456, 84: CWSA-32/The Mother with Letters on the Mother-25, 85: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga-513, 86: CWSA-22/The Life Divine-890, CWSA/24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-655, 87: “And finally, Sri Aurobindo has told us somewhere in The Life Divine that to follow the path of spiritual experience, one must have within oneself a “spiritual being”, one must be “twice born” as it is said, for if one doesn’t have a spiritual being within, which is at least on the point of becoming self-aware, one may try to imitate these experiences but it will only be crude imitation or hypocrisy, it won’t be a reality.” TMCW-9/Questions and Answers-1957/p-344-345, 88: “In this Yoga, the psychic being is that which opens the rest of the nature to the true supramental light and finally to the supreme Ananda. If the soul is awakened, if there is a new birth out of the mere mental, vital and physical into the psychic consciousness, then the Yoga can be done; otherwise (by the mere power of the mind or any other part) it is impossible.” CWSA-32/The Mother with Letters on the Mother-161, 89: CWSA-22/The Life Divine-890, 90: “The subconscient is below the waking physical consciousness — it is an automatic, obscure, incoherent, half-unconscious realm into which light and awareness can with difficulty come. The inner vital and physical are quite different — they have a larger, plastic, subtler, freer and richer consciousness than the surface vital and physical, much more open to the Truth and in direct touch with the universal.” CWSA-28/Letters on Yoga-217, The Mother’s Agenda/ December 13, 1960, 91: CWSA-22/The Life Divine-712, 92: CWSA-22/The Life Divine-947, 93: “The being of man is composed of these elements — the psychic behind supporting all, the inner mental, vital and physical, and the outer, quite external nature of mind, life and body which is their instrument of expression. But above all is the central being (Jivatman) which uses them all for its manifestation; it is a portion of the Divine Self, but this reality of himself is hidden from the external man who replaces this inmost self and soul of him by the mental and vital ego…. It is by the growth of the psychic element in one’s own nature that one begins to come into conscious touch with one’s central being above. When that happens and the central being uses a conscious will to control and organise the movements of the nature, it is then that one has a real, a spiritual as opposed to a partial and merely mental or moral self-mastery.” CWSA-28/Letters on Yoga-63, 94: TMCW-12/On Education-337, 95: CWSA-24/ The Synthesis of Yoga-666, 96: CWSA-22/The Life Divine- 939-940, 97: “But afterwards the mind must itself give place to the spirit, to the spiritual force, the supermind and the Supramental force. And finally the body must develop a perfect power to hold whatever force is brought into it by the spirit and to contain its action without spilling and wasting it or itself getting cracked. It must be capable of being filled and powerfully used by whatever intensity of spiritual or higher mind or life force without any part of the mechanical instrument being agitated, upset, broken or damaged by the inrush or pressure, --as the brain, vital health or moral nature are often injured in those who unwisely attempt Yogic practice without preparation or by undue means or rashly invite a power they are intellectually, vitally, morally unfit to bear, --and, thus filled, it must have the capacity to work normally, automatically, rightly according to the will of that spiritual or other now unusual agent without distorting, diminishing or mistranslating its intention and stress. This faculty of holding, dharana-sakti, in the physical consciousness, energy and machinery is the most important siddhi of the perfection of the body.” CWSA-24/ The Synthesis of Yoga-731, 98: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga-67-68, 99: SABCL-2/Karmayogin/p-19m 100: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-61, 101: “When will the world change into the model of heaven? When all mankind becomes boys and girls together with God revealed as Krishna and Kali, the happiest boy and strongest girl of the crowd, playing together in the gardens of Paradise. The Semitic Eden was well enough, but Adam and Eve were too grown up and its God Himself too old and stern and solemn for the offer of the Serpent to be resisted.” Sri Aurobindo/TMCW-10/On Thoughts and Aphorisms/p-344, 102: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga-23, 103: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga-20-21, 104: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga-142, 105: CWSA-22/The Life Divine/p-917-918, 106: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga-108, 107: The Gita-10.34, 108: “One must be a saint and a hero to be a good teacher. One must be a great yogi to be a good teacher. One must have a perfect attitude to be able to exact a perfect attitude from the students. You cannot ask anyone to do what you don’t do yourself. That is a rule. So look at the difference between what is and what ought to be, and you will be able to estimate the extent of your failure in class.” TMCW-8/Questions and Answers-1956/p-354, 109: CWSA/24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-723, 110: Savitri-545, 111: “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, ‘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, “And it’s true, I have noticed it: at times when the Force comes with really all its might, it’s terrible! Even for those who are most used to it, even for the most courageous ... it’s hard. So it’s always like that: it contains itself so as not to be ...unbearable. What do you have to tell me? Nothing?... It’s a pity. I’m always the one who speaks!” The Mother’s Agenda/20.02.1968, “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 (of Subconscient transformation) 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-p-812-813, 112: Savitri-531, 113: Savitri-626, 114: “When I spoke of being faithful to the light of the soul and the divine Call, I was not referring to anything in the past or to any lapse on your part. I was simply suggesting the great need in all crises and attacks, — to refuse to listen to any suggestions, impulses, lures and to oppose to them all the call of the Truth, the imperative beckoning of the Light. In all doubt and depression, to say “I belong to the Divine, I cannot fail”; to all suggestions of impurity and unfitness, to reply “I am a child of Immortality chosen by Sri Aurobindo and the Mother ; I have but to be true to myself and to them — the victory is sure; even if I fell, I would be sure to rise again”; to all impulsions to depart and serve some other ideal, to reply “This is the greatest, this is the Truth, this alone can satisfy the soul within me; I will endure through all tests and tribulations to the very end of the divine journey.” This is what I mean by faithfulness to the Light and the Call." CWSA-32/The Mother with Letters on the Mother/p-104, 115: "Therefore with the pronunciation of OM the acts of sacrifice, giving and askesis as laid down in the rules are always commenced by the knowers of the Brahman." The Gita-17.24, Download this WEB PAGE in PDF format: Universal Education "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 Subconscient 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 Inconscient 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 “By doing what they (teachers) can, knowing that they have everything to learn. In this way they will gain experience and do things better and better. That is the best way to learn, and if they do it in all sincerity, in two or three years they will become experts and will be truly useful. Naturally, work done in this way becomes really interesting and makes the teachers as well as the students progress.” The Mother The Mother’s Centenary Works/Vol-12/p-63 “It is true that the guru himself is subject to the same rule of silence with regard to what concerns him personally. In Nature everything is in movement; thus, whatever does not move forward is bound to fall back. The guru must progress even as his disciples do, although his progress may not be on the same plane. (1) And for him too, to speak about his experiences is not favourable: the greater part of the dynamic force for progress contained in the experience evaporates if it is put into words. (2) But on the other hand, by explaining his experiences to his disciples, he greatly helps their understanding and consequently their progress. It is for him in his wisdom to know to what extent he can and ought to sacrifice the one to the other. It goes without saying that no boasting or vain glory should enter into his account, for the slightest vanity would make him no longer a guru but an imposter.” The Mother The Mother’s Centenary Works/Vol-12/p-375

Universal Education "If you concentrate long enough on any one point, you discover the Infinite, what could be called your own Infinite. But this is not what WE want, not this; what we want is the direct and integral contact between the manifested universe and the Infinite out of which this universe has emerged. So then it is no longer an individual or personal contact with the Infinite, it’s a total contact. And Sri Aurobindo insists on this , he says that it’s absolutely impossible to have the transformation (not the contact, but the supramental transformation) without becoming universalized – that is the first condition. You cannot become supramental before being universal. And to be universal means to accept everything, be everything, become everything – really to accept everything. And as for all those who are shut up in a system, even if it belongs to the highest regions of thought, it is not THAT." The Mother The Mother's Agenda/20.09.1960, "There is another point. You sent a message about an “Aurobindo Math” which seemed to show you had caught the contagion which rages in Bengal. You must understand that my mission is not to create maths, ascetics and Sannyasis; but to call back the souls of the strong to the Lila of Krishna & Kali . That is my teaching, as you can see from the Review, and my name must never be connected with monastic forms or the monastic ideal. Every ascetic movement since the time of Buddha has left India weaker and for a very obvious reason. Renunciation of life is one thing, to make life itself, national, individual, world-life greater & more divine is another. You cannot enforce one ideal on the country without weakening the other. You cannot take away the best souls from life & yet leave life stronger & greater. Renunciation of ego, acceptance of God in life is the Yoga I teach, — no other renunciation." Sri Aurobindo CWSA-36/ Autobiographical Note/p-222, Universal Education: "The calm delight that weds one soul to all," Savitri-6 “The whole world could take refuge in her single heart.” Savitri-15 “As so he grew into his larger self, Humanity framed his movements less and less A greater being saw a greater world.” Savitri-26 “His inner self grew near to others’ selves And bore a kinship’s weight, a common tie, Yet stood untouched, king of itself, alone.” Savitri-27 “A splendour of self-creation from the peaks, A transfiguration in the mystic depths, A happier cosmic working could begin And fashion the world-shape in him anew, God found in Nature, Nature fulfilled in God.” Savitri-36-37 “The universal strengths were linked with his; Filling earth’s smallness with their boundless breadths, He drew the energies that transmute an age.” Savitri-44-45 “These signs are native to a larger self That lives within us by ourselves unseen; Only sometimes a holier influence comes, A tide of mightier surgings bears our lives And a diviner Presence moves the soul; Or through the earthly coverings something breaks, A grace and beauty of spiritual light, The murmuring tongue of a celestial fire.” Savitri-48 “A many-miracled Consciousness unrolled Vast aim and process and unfettered norms, A larger Nature’s great familiar roads.” Savitri-91 “Images in a supernal consciousness Embodying the Unborn who never dies, The structured visions of the cosmic Self Alive with the touch of being’s eternity Looked at him like form-bound spiritual thoughts Figuring the movements of the Ineffable.” Savitri-96 “Trembling with the first faint thrills of a World-Soul.” Savitri-157 “Obeying the Eternal’s deep command They (King-children) have built in the material front of things This wide world-kindergarten of young souls Where the infant spirit learns through mind and sense To read the letters of the cosmic script And study the body of the cosmic self And search for the secret meaning of the whole.” Savtri-266 “The psycho-analysis of cosmic Self Was traced, its secrets hunted down, and read The unknown pathology of the Unique.” Savitri-269 “A Wisdom knows and guides the mysteried world; A Truth-gaze shapes its beings and events; A Word self-born upon creation’s heights, Voice of the Eternal in the temporal spheres, Prophet of the seeings of the Absolute, Sows the Idea’s significance in Form And from that seed the growths of Time arise.” Savitri-271 “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 “The great world-rhythms were heart-beats of one Soul, To feel was a flame-discovery of God, All mind was a single harp of many strings, All life a song of many meeting lives; For worlds were many, but the Self was one.” Savitri-323 “Mounting from mind’s last peaks to mate with gods, Making earth’s brilliant thoughts a springing-board To dive into the cosmic vastnesses,” Savitri-359 “Aware of the universal Self in all She turned to living hearts and human forms,” Savitri-362 “Her greater self lived sole, unclaimed, within.” Savitri-366 “We see beyond self’s walls our limitless self,” Savitri-485 “Across the threshold’s sleep she entered in And found herself amid great figures of gods Conscious in stone and living without breath, Watching with fixed regard the soul of man, Executive figures of the cosmic self, World-symbols of immutable potency.” Savitri-524 “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 “Our consciousness is cosmic and immense, But only when we break through Matter’s wall In that spiritual vastness can we stand Where we can live the masters of our world And mind is only a means and body a tool.” Savitri-542-43 “An only centre now of consciousness, If centre could be where all seemed only space; No more shut in by body’s walls and gates Her being, a circle without circumference, Already now surpassed all cosmic bounds And more and more spread into infinity.” Savitri-554 “A Truth in which negation had no place, A being and a living consciousness, A stark and absolute Reality. There the unreal could not find a place, The sense of unreality was slain: There all was conscious, made of the Infinite, All had a substance of Eternity.” Savitri-555 “It was her self, it was the self of all, It was the reality of existing things, It was the consciousness of all that lived And felt and saw; it was Timelessness and Time, It was the Bliss of formlessness and form.” Savitri-555 “An individual, one with cosmic self In the heart of the Transcendent’s miracle And the secret of World-personality Was the creator and the lord of all.” Savtiri-556 “He glimpses eternity, touches the infinite, He meets the gods in great and sudden hours, He feels the universe as his larger self, Makes Space and Time his opportunity To join the heights and depths of being in light, In the heart’s cave speaks secretly with God.” Savitri-659 “Then stretches the boundless finite’s last expanse, The cosmic empire of the Overmind, Time’s buffer state bordering Eternity, Too vast for the experience of man’s soul:” Savitri-660 “A cosmic vision, a spiritual sense Feels all the Infinite lodged in finite form And seen through a quivering ecstasy of light Discovers the bright face of the Bodiless, In the truth of a moment, in the moment’s soul Can sip the honey-wine of Eternity.” Savitri-662 “There is a being beyond the being of mind, An Immeasurable cast into many forms, A miracle of the multitudinous One, There is a consciousness mind cannot touch, Its speech cannot utter nor its thought reveal.” Savitri-705 “If by some miracle of divine intervention all mankind at once could be raised to this level, we should have something on earth like the Golden Age of the traditions, Satya Yuga, the Age of Truth or true existence. For the sign of the Satya Yuga is that the Law is spontaneous and conscious in each creature and does its own works in a perfect harmony and freedom. Unity and universality, not separative division, would be the foundation of the consciousness of the race; love would be absolute; equality would be consistent with hierarchy and perfect in difference; absolute justice would be secured by the spontaneous action of the being in harmony with the truth of things and the truth of himself and others and therefore sure of true and right result; right reason, no longer mental but supramental, would be satisfied not by the observation of artificial standards but by the free automatic perception of right relations and their inevitable execution in the act. The quarrel between the individual and society or disastrous struggle between one community and another could not exist: the cosmic consciousness imbedded in embodied beings would assure a harmonious diversity in oneness.”² Sri Aurobindo Universal Education begins after the discovery of Universal Self, which lies above the Spiritual Self and below the Supramental Self. This is a dynamic state of Consciousness activated by long movement of Consciousness between the Psychic and Spiritual planes. Integral Yoga proposes that Universalised Consciousness is an indispensable condition¹ for experiencing the transformation of Nature and ascending into Supramental Consciousness. Also in universalised Consciousness, surrender and self-offering becomes complete and exclusive concentration is replaced with the faculty of Multiple-concentrations. Thus, one is able to pursue the triple Yoga of Karma, Jnana and Bhakti simultaneously and ceaselessly. Integral Yoga is neither a popular Religion⁵ nor a popular Yoga;⁶ so it does not encourage gathering together of people, lakasangraha , by activation of mind.⁸ Rather, it proposes that if an individual’s consciousness is universalised, then by the movement of his Spiritual Influence, distant unknown Souls will attain liberation. So, 'the perfect utility of our perfection is, having realised in ourselves the divine symbol, to reproduce, multiply and universalize it in others.’³ After one is established in the Psychic plane, one can save oneself and the world. ⁹ This is what we understand as the lokasangraha of integral Yoga. ⁸ Or Self-expansion is primarily the the outcome of Self-concentration and secondarily the outcome of active mind of three Gunas . The Manifestation of Universal Consciousness through activation of Mahakali Force: “Universal, the cosmic Mahashakti , she creates all these beings and contains and enters, supports and conducts all these million processes and forces.”⁴ “Terrible is her (Mahakali) face to the Asura , dangerous and ruthless her mood against the haters of the Divine; for she is the Warrior of the Worlds who never shrinks from the battle. Intolerant of imperfection, she deals roughly with all in man that is unwilling and she is severe to all that is obstinately ignorant and obscure; her wrath is immediate and dire against treachery and falsehood and malignity, ill-will is smitten at once by her scourge. Indifference, negligence and sloth in the divine work she cannot bear and she smites awake at once with sharp pain, if need be, the untimely slumberer and the loiterer.”⁴ “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 “I am Kali black and naked in the world,” Savitri-535 (Description of Sri Krishna changing into Mother Kali) “Changed in its shape, yet rapturously the same, It grew a woman’s dark and beautiful Like a mooned night with drifting star-gemmed clouds, A shadowy glory and a stormy depth, Turbulent in will and terrible in love.” Savitri-711 The Manifestation of Universal Consciousness in the Gita: “He who in action can see inaction and can see action still continuing in cessation from works, is the man of true reason and discernment among men; he is in Yoga and a many-sided universal worker (for the good of the world, for God in the world). The Gita-4.18, “After many births of preparation, a Jnana Yogi with a strong foundation of Karma and Bhakti Yoga , attains My Purushottama or Supramental state of Consciousness. He also realises the intermediate stair that all this existence is Divine, the Cosmic Consciousness, Vasudevah sarvamiti . Such a great Soul or integral Yogi is very rare.” The Gita-7.19 The Manifestation of Universal Consciousness in Savitri: Book-2, Canto-14 of the Savitri book, represents King Aswapati’s establishment of Spiritual experience of cosmic Self, which is identified 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 is also identified as the preliminary stair of Supermind, where the World, Self and Divine are reconciled, home and training ground of dead Souls and one enters right relation with the world, fellow brothers and material things through direct contact with this higher consciousness. 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). 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, 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 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 . “There he (King Aswapati ) beheld in their mighty union’s poise The figure of the deathless Two-in-One, A single being in two bodies clasped, (Spiritual being) A diarchy of two united souls, (Psychic being) Seated absorbed in deep creative joy; (Supreme relation of dual Godhead) Their trance of bliss sustained the mobile world.” Savitri-295 The above experience reveals King’s universalised Spiritual Consciousness, universalised Psychic Consciousness, and Supramentalised Psychic Consciousness, where the heart centre becomes the meeting ground of the Supreme Self and the Supreme Mother and the bliss born out of that intense Divine union can hold this mutable untransformed world. The Book-7, Canto-7, reveals the arrival of Savitri's Cosmic Self, after opening of her Psychic and Spiritual Being. It 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 realisation 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 References: 1: “To open oneself to the supracosmic Divine is an essential condition of this integral perfection; to unite oneself with the universal Divine is another essential condition. Here the Yoga of self-perfection coincides with the Yogas of knowledge, works and devotion; for it is impossible to change the human nature into the divine or to make it an instrument of the divine knowledge, will and joy of existence, unless there is a union with the supreme Being, Consciousness and Bliss and a unity with its universal Self in all things and beings. A wholly separative possession of the divine nature by the human individual, as distinct from a self-withdrawn absorption in it, is not possible.” CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-622, “The individual must be the instrument and first field of the transformation; but an isolated individual transformation is not enough and may not be wholly feasible. Even when achieved, the individual change will have a permanent and cosmic significance only if the individual becomes a centre and a sign for the establishment of the supramental Consciousness-Force as an overtly operative power in the terrestrial workings of Nature, — in the same way in which thinking Mind has been established through the human evolution as an overtly operative power in Life and Matter. This would mean the appearance in the evolution of a gnostic being or Purusha and a gnostic Prakriti, a gnostic Nature. There must be an emergent supramental Consciousness-Force liberated and active within the terrestrial whole and an organised supramental instrumentation of the Spirit in the life and the body, — for the body consciousness also must become sufficiently awake to be a fit instrument of the workings of the new supramental Force and its new order. Till then any intermediate change could be only partial or insecure; an overmind or intuitive instrumentation of Nature could be developed, but it would be a luminous formation imposed on a fundamental and environmental Inconscience. A supramental principle and its cosmic operation once established permanently on its own basis, the intervening powers of Overmind and spiritual Mind could found themselves securely upon it and reach their own perfection; they would become in the earth-existence a hierarchy of states of consciousness rising out of Mind and physical life to the supreme spiritual level.” CWSA-22/The Life Divine/p-997-998, “A perfect self-expression of the spirit is the object of our terrestrial existence. This cannot be achieved if we have not grown conscious of the supreme Reality; for it is only by the touch of the Absolute that we can arrive at our own absolute. But neither can it be done to the exclusion of the cosmic Reality: we must become universal, for without an opening into universality the individual remains incomplete. ” CWSA-22/The Life Divine/p-706, “No, you have to approach the problem from the other direction. Evolution begins with the Inconscient, complete Inconscience; and from this Inconscient a Subconscient gradually emerges – that is, a half or quarter-consciousness....There are two different things here. Consider life on earth (because the process is slightly different in the universe); earth-life begins with total Inconscience and little by little what was involved within it works out and changes this Inconscience into semi-consciousness or subconsciousness. At the same time, there is an individual working that awakens the INDIVIDUAL inconscient to an individual semiconsciousness, and here, of course, the individual has control although it’s not actually individualized because individualization begins with consciousness. The subconscient of plants or animals, for example, isn’t individualized; what we call an animal’s behavior doesn’t arise from individualization but from the genius of the species. Consequently, the individual subconscient is something already evolved out of the general Subconscient. But when one descends to accomplish a work of transformation -to bring Light into the different layers of life, for instance – one descends into a cosmic, terrestrial Subconscient, not an individual Subconscient. And the work of transformation is done within the whole – not through individualization, but through the opposite movement, through a sort of universalization. ” The Mother’s Agenda-2.8.1961, “Even Buddha said that if you have a vibration of desire, this vibration goes all around the terrestrial atmosphere. The opposite is what’s impossible! It’s impossible to separate yourself. You can have the idea of being separate, but you can’t be separate in reality. In fact, if you are trying to eliminate the Subconscient in yourself your movement must necessarily be general; it can’t be personal, you would never get anywhere… So it all keeps circling round and round in the earth’s atmosphere. But compared to the universe, the earth’s atmosphere is a very tiny thing. Well, all this keeps circling around within it. And in fact, because of the movement of evolution, there is a progress. The present Inconscient is not as unconscious as the initial Inconscient, and the present Subconscient is not as subconscious nor as generalized as it was at the beginning. This is the meaning of terrestrial evolution.” The Mother’s Agenda-02.08.1961, “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, 2: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga-206-207, 3: “We have to recognise once more that the individual exists not in himself alone but in the collectivity and that individual perfection and liberation are not the whole sense of God’s intention in the world. The free use of our liberty includes also the liberation of others and of mankind; the perfect utility of our perfection is, having realised in ourselves the divine symbol, to reproduce, multiply and universalize it in others. Therefore from a concrete view of human life in its threefold potentialities we come to the same conclusion that we had drawn from an observation of Nature in her general workings and the three steps of her evolution. And we begin to perceive a complete aim for the synthesis of Yoga.” CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-29, “The divine soul reproduces itself in similar liberated souls as the animal reproduces itself in similar bodies. Therefore, whenever even a single soul is liberated, there is a tendency to an extension and even to an outburst of the same divine self-consciousness in other individual souls of our terrestrial humanity ...” CWSA/21/The Life Divine/p-45, 4: CWSA-32/The Mother with Letters on the Mother-p-14, p-19, 5: “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, “Emotionally, the first form which this turning takes must be that of adoration. In ordinary religion this adoration wears the form of external worship and that again develops a most external form of ceremonial worship. This element is ordinarily necessary because the mass of men live in their physical minds, cannot realise anything except by the force of a physical symbol and cannot feel that they are living anything except by the force of a physical action.” CWSA/24/The Synthesis of Yoga/572, “Buddha never said he was an Avatar of a Personal God but that he was the Buddha. It is the Hindus who made him an Avatar. If Buddha had looked upon himself as an Avatar at all, it would have been as an Avatar of the impersonal Truth.” CWSA-28/Letters on Yoga-I-500, “You must not confuse a religious teaching with a spiritual one. Religious teaching belongs to the past and halts progress. Spiritual teaching is the teaching of the future—it illumines the consciousness and prepares it for the future realisation. Spiritual teaching is above religions and strives towards a global Truth. It teaches us to enter into direct relations with the Divine.” 12th February 1972/The Mother/TMCW/12/On Education-120, “Why do men cling to a religion? Religions are based on creeds which are spiritual experiences brought down to a level where they become more easy to grasp, but at the cost of their integral purity and truth. The time of religions is over. We have entered the age of universal spirituality, of spiritual experience in its initial purity.” The Mother/14th October-1964/The Mother’s Agenda-5/237, “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, 6: “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, “"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. " CWSA-29/Letters on Yoga-II-27, “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.” Sri Aurobindo/The Mother’s Agenda-8/175, 7: “Above, beginning with the center between the eyebrows, the work has been done for a long time. There it is blank. For ages upon ages upon ages, the union with the Supreme has been realized and is constant… Below this center is the body. And this body has indeed the concrete sensation of the Divine in each of its cells; but it needs to become universalized. That’s the work to be done, center by center. I understand now what Sri Aurobindo meant when he repeatedly insisted, ‘Widen yourself.’ All this must be universalized; it is the condition, the basis, for the Supramental to descend into the body… According to the ancient traditions, this universalization of the physical body was considered the supreme realization, but it is only a foundation, the base upon which the Supramental can come down without breaking everything.” The Mother’s Agenda/21.04.1959, 8: “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/TMCW14/Words of The Mother-II/p-277, "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 (This line proposes a Sadhaka to accept Universalised Psychic being as the only and one and the best friend of this whole life and all life.) "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 “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 9: "To save the world from Ignorance she came." Savitri-250 "She only can save herself and save the world." Savitri-461 "One man’s perfection still can save the world." Savitri-531 "He who would save the world must share its pain." Savitri-537 "He who would save the world must be one with the world," Savitri-537 "I (Savitri) keep my will to save the world and man;" Savitri-692 Download this WEB PAGE in PDF format: “To open oneself to the supracosmic Divine is an essential condition of this integral perfection; to unite oneself with the universal Divine is another essential condition. Here the Yoga of self-perfection coincides with the Yogas of knowledge, works and devotion; for it is impossible to change the human nature into the divine or to make it an instrument of the divine knowledge, will and joy of existence, unless there is a union with the supreme Being, Consciousness and Bliss and a unity with its universal Self in all things and beings. A wholly separative possession of the divine nature by the human individual, as distinct from a self-withdrawn absorption in it, is not possible.” Sri Aurobindo CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-622, “The individual must be the instrument and first field of the transformation; but an isolated individual transformation is not enough and may not be wholly feasible. Even when achieved, the individual change will have a permanent and cosmic significance only if the individual becomes a centre and a sign for the establishment of the supramental Consciousness-Force as an overtly operative power in the terrestrial workings of Nature, — in the same way in which thinking Mind has been established through the human evolution as an overtly operative power in Life and Matter. This would mean the appearance in the evolution of a gnostic being or Purusha and a gnostic Prakriti, a gnostic Nature. There must be an emergent supramental Consciousness-Force liberated and active within the terrestrial whole and an organised supramental instrumentation of the Spirit in the life and the body, — for the body consciousness also must become sufficiently awake to be a fit instrument of the workings of the new supramental Force and its new order. Till then any intermediate change could be only partial or insecure; an overmind or intuitive instrumentation of Nature could be developed, but it would be a luminous formation imposed on a fundamental and environmental Inconscience. A supramental principle and its cosmic operation once established permanently on its own basis, the intervening powers of Overmind and spiritual Mind could found themselves securely upon it and reach their own perfection; they would become in the earth-existence a hierarchy of states of consciousness rising out of Mind and physical life to the supreme spiritual level.” Sri Aurobindo CWSA-22/The Life Divine/p-997-998,

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. 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-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-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-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-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 the four-fold exclusive Ananda of traditional schools of Yoga and declares firmly that a joy becomes imperfect if it is not shared by all. 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. The Power of Love has opened the door of swift Spiritual Evolution but has not yet intensified to conquer Death. Savitri drives the Souls of the strong to uncover that shadowless 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 must be activated in the prepared human vessel. This swift Spiritual evolution of Mahakali can be activated by the reconciliation of Karma Yoga , representing Mahasaraswati 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. 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) To recapitulate, this Auroprem’s Savitri study has emerged as a cradle of our hard Spiritual endeavour. We offer this study to the Lord and pray to Him to grant this temporary ladder (which can give us Divine's touch) as a Soul-saving cradle of the long beginning of the Spiritual journey and help us to build a permanent scaffold within (which can give us Divine's embrace). With its help, bridging the gulf between all the ten planes can be initiated 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. 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. " 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

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 mortal 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 or transformation 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 hinted 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 o f 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, (Penetration of permeation of Ananda from below the feet.) 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 There 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, in part, His (and also the Mother’s) highest hinted Spiritual realisations and proposes to use them as a lever to extend the unfolding of the ceaseless miracle of the Infinite and the ever-expanding mystery of the Eternal, thereby lifting the nature wholly towards the Divine. This paper also creates an opportunity to develop the highest hinted Truth of Integral Yoga through concentration, contemplation and meditation and subsequently the flashes of Spiritual experiences. 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/Vol-6/p-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

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World Hindu Wisdom Meet 2014 Sanatana Dharma “I regard the spiritual history of mankind and especially of India as a constant development of a divine purpose, not a book that is closed, the lines of which have to be constantly repeated. Even the Upanishads and the Gita were not final though everything may be there in seed… I may say that 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.” Sri Aurobindo CWSA-28/Letters on Yoga-I/p-411 The third lecture delivered by S.A. Maa Krishna at the World Hindu Wisdom Meet-2014 held at Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia on 17.04.2014: (This pilgrimage to Bali witnessed tremendous opening towards The Mother’s new Divinity, both by the Balinese Aspirants and the noble participants of World Hindu Wisdom Meet-2014 which is a continuation of its earlier World Hindu Summit Meet in 2012 and 2013 . The first-day session, 16.04.2014, began with the inauguration of S.A. Maa Krishna’s Book The Divine Bliss which focuses on the man’s possibility of ascending to the status of Integral Godhead through Divine Call and our Soul’s task in Integral Yoga is to reveal The Mother’s Power which is too great for earth, to live in Her Bliss which is too large for heaven, to open toward Her Light which is too intense for inconscient hell, to extricate Her Beauty which is too vast for physical consciousness and to possess Her Love which is too boundless. The second-day session, 17.04.2014 began with S.A. Maa Krishna’s recitation of the Hymn offered to Mother Durga in which Sri Aurobindo projected India as the noblest race destined to save the world by calling down the Divine Mother power, by whose appearance we can regain the lost Spiritual Teaching, inviolate Character, strength of Intuition, force of Austerity, power of Virginity and true liberating Integral Knowledge. She only can slay the dark enemy of Titan and Asura within and root out all obscurity without. Our earnest prayer is that may our entire life and all life of successive births and bodies become a ceaseless worship of the Mother and that all our actions are a continuous service dedicated to Her. May She descend and manifest physically upon this earth. The second-day session ended with S.A. Maa Krishna’s lecture representing The Mother and Sri Aurobindo’s world vision, world redemption and world transformation. She pointed out that 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 nescient sleep of shadow and the Night in the form of Subconscient Sheath and in the wakefulness of the stars and Sun symbolising Supramental Self and wait for the hour in which high meets the low. The emergence of Divine Life on earth is possible by the reconciliation of God’s Night below the feet and His fathomless Light above the head. Bali is long recognised as the land of peace, whose Soul has turned towards greater Spiritual Call and this auspicious World Hindu Wisdom Meet-2014 has opened enormous Spiritual possibilities for the children of Bali and its ardent seekers.) OM Manatha Sree Jagannatha Mad Guru Sree Jagad Guru Mad Atma Sarva Bhutatma Thasmai Sree Guruvae Namahah “Supreme Lord, Eternal Truth, let us obey Thee alone and live according to Truth.” OM Swastiastu Om Namo Bhagavateh Divine Amar Atman! My all Eternal Love and heartiest Pranams to you all, WORLD HINDU WISDOM MEET-2014 PROPOSAL “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 On this auspicious occasion of the noble and great World Hindu Parisad/World Hindu Wisdom Meet-2014, I propose the following abstracts not on behalf of me but on behalf of The Mother and Sri Aurobindo for world Spiritual movement and radical Divine change. All our human effort has a subordinate role and utility before the great mysterious infinitely superior Divine plan and wisdom which has worked out its faultless action since the beginning of this creation. We must hate none, despise none, be repelled by none but rather to accept this existence as the body of the Brahman, where the Divine is little revealed in one or more revealed in another or veiled and wholly distorted in others for that which He intends to become something best in their form and to execute secret Divine plan in their recalcitrant nature. This spiritual experience extends to embracing Godhead in whatever disguise He approaches us. We must regard, obey and adhere to the law, guidelines, norms of traditional or ancient schools of Yoga in conformity with our highest objective Truth realization and proceed ahead with the other complementary discipline of constantly renovating and restating all truth and practice through fresh instreaming of Spiritual experiences. We propose to give secondary importance to the outward appearance of things and fellow creatures and deliver them from contradictory and hostile ideas and emotions and insists to lean on the primary importance of seeking the Soul and Divine in all. And we always preserve within us the inalienable sense of unity in the midst of infinite variation of potentiality and differences of all possible relations. A seeker of truth would under no circumstance set the power and knowledge in him against the power and knowledge in others or affirm himself as an ego striving against other egos. He is rightly related to the world by giving or contributing what is the best, the profoundest and the completest in him. All our actions of intermediate planes between the highest and the lowest are the intermingling of truth and falsehood, knowledge and ignorance, joy and suffering, from which pure truth, wisdom and delight have to be worked out. It further believes that the Truth of things that emerges out of the phenomenal world’s contradictions is an infinite Bliss and self-conscious Existence, the same everywhere, self-existent in all things, in all times and beyond Time, whose largest totality and most intense vibrations of activity can be entirely manifested through practice of Yoga and Spiritual discipline. The integral liberating Knowledge or “Sā Vidya Yā Vimuktaye ” insists on the unity and reality of all the manifestations of the Absolute and refuses to confine truth to any one aspect. It admits all the valid truths of all the Schools of thought by getting rid of their limitation and negation and reconciles these partial truths in the larger all-truth that fulfills our whole being entirely. This Wisdom proposes to turn all the individual problems, one sided view points, individual perfection, liberation, ananda and limitation imposed on Brahman out of partial Divine experiences into catholicity of the all vision of the Divine and he will be able to wait, learn, grow, integrate, synthesize and universalize all Deities, Teachers, Scriptures, Religions, developmental urges invented by Mother nature and weld them strongly to the One, the Ineffable and the Infinite and unifies many states of Consciousness at a time. Lastly, we aspire for the complete descent of the dynamic Divine Shakti or the Divine Mother through all Her attributes that of the Truth Supreme, Love Supreme, Delight Supreme, Knowledge Supreme, Beauty Supreme, Power Supreme, Life Supreme, Light Supreme, Silence Supreme, Peace Supreme, Word Supreme, Voice Supreme, Void Supreme, and entry into all the intermediate worlds or planes of Consciousness that exists between the Inconscient Matter and Sachchidananda. Though the UNKNOWABLE is not knowable by the finite mind or to our limited mental 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 darkest Inconscient plane to the highest plane of Sachchidananda to unravel the whole of the Unknowable and its complete Divine manifestation. OM TAT SAT Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Post Speech Thesis: Religion is considered great if behind every exoteric side of fixed faith, devotion, hope, symbol, ritual, ceremony and limiting dogmas there exists an esoteric side of inner Spiritual preparation, illumination and discovery of mystery of higher planes of existence. Its real motive is to train man’s mind, life and body for the emergence of an inner Spiritual Light and higher Consciousness. Integral Yoga accepts all ‘exoteric Religion’ as unconscious Yoga, the inferior stage and first approach of tardy evolution and insists on its subordination over esoteric Religion which is a conscious Yoga of swift Spiritual evolution. We have to identify two forms of Spiritual evolution developed by Mother nature; the first is an esoteric movement of Consciousness, the Mystic approach of concentrated evolution and unfolding of endless Spiritual mysteries in secrecy and silence of a secured and isolated Spiritual Fortress; the second is an exoteric diffusive Religious approach of entering commerce with the world in transforming it; here the highest available Spiritual truth is generalised for the largest benefit of humanity. These two complementary movements of the subjective adventure of Self-concentration of Spirituality and subordinate action of the objective adventure of Self-expansion of Religion are effectively combined in integral Yoga. But in integral Yoga Self-expansion is pursued primarily by movement of universal consciousness and secondarily by psycho-physical machinery. In Religion the Knowledge of the Self, World and God are relatively fixed and in Spirituality they are constantly updated, relived, renewed and restated and their endless Truth is endlessly unfolded. Now it is time for humanity to search for that highest Spiritual Knowledge which gathers together, illumines, integralises and harmonises the essential truth of all available knowledge and finds the basic and justifying reason of the existence of four negations of Ignorance, Falsehood, Suffering and Death and cures them. This effort can begin with the thorough study of the evolution of the Spiritual history of the earth and must culminate with the realisation of that Vedantic Supreme Reality, which being known all is known, yasmin vijnate sarvam idam vijnatam . OM TAT SAT Download this WEB PAGE in PDF Format: Photo Gallery “Help men, but do not pauperise them of their energy; lead and instruct men, but see that their initiative and originality remain intact; take others into thyself, but give them in return the full godhead of their nature. He who can do this is the leader and the guru .” Sri Aurobindo CWSA-13/Essays in Philosophy and Yoga-p-208 “That is why it is always said that, no matter what aspect of the Divine you adore or even what guide you choose, if you are perfect in your self-giving and absolutely sincere, you are sure to attain the spiritual goal.” The Mother The Mother’s Centenary Works (second edition)/Vol.8/p-243, The Divine Bliss “For the greatest Master is much less a Teacher than a Presence pouring the divine consciousness and its constituting light and power and purity and bliss into all who are receptive around him....For the seeker of the integral Yoga… will meet him (the Divine) in the faces of the Gods, his cosmic personalities supporting the World-Play, detect him behind the mask of the Vibhutis, embodied World-Forces or human Leaders, reverence and obey him in the Guru , worship him in the Avatar .” Sri Aurobindo CWSA/23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-67, 130 Hymn to Mother Durga “It has always been said that to take disciples means to take upon yourself the difficulties of the disciples as well as your own. Of course, if the Guru does not identify himself with the disciple, does not take him into his own consciousness, keeps him outside and only gives him upadesa , leaving him to do the rest himself, then the chance of these effects is much diminished, made practically nil.” Sri Aurobindo CWSA-29/Letters on Yoga-II/p-197, “The ideal is that of humanity in God, of God in humanity, the ancient ideal of the sanatana dharma but applied as it has never been applied before to the problem of politics and the work of national revival. To realise that ideal, to impart it to the world is the mission of India. She has evolved a religion which embraces all that the heart, the brain, the practical faculty of man can desire but she has not yet applied it to the problems of modern politics. This therefore is the work which she has still to do before she can help humanity; the necessity of this mission is the justification for her resurgence, the great incentive of saving herself to save mankind is the native power which will give her the force, the strength, the vehemence which can alone enable her to realise her destiny... Spirituality is India’s only politics, the fulfilment of the Sanatan Dharma its only Swaraj. ” Sri Aurobindo CWSA-6-7/Vande Mataram/p-1017 CWSA-36/Autobiographical Note/p-170 Each Nation/Continent is having its Soul quality about which she must be aware. For example, Europe represents ‘material sincerity and honesty;’ Roman empire represents ‘efficiency and administrative organisation;’ Arabians represent ‘passionate and impulsive in Nature;’ India represents ‘ Spiritual heart centre of the world ; ’ France represents ‘clarity in intellect;’ Japan represents ‘wonderful and unexpected progress through Beauty;’ Germany represents ‘skill and inventiveness;’ Russia represents ‘brotherhood of man;’ United States of America represents ‘enthusiasm for adventure and practical organisation;’ China represents ‘inventive intellect with creative power and self-expansion;’ Ireland represents ‘fine psychic turn and quick intelligence and delicate imagination;’ Australia represents ‘emergence of new generous energy and enthusiasm;’ Israel represents ‘intellectuals with an exceptional will and sense of organisation;’ Ukraine represents ‘extraordinary Heroism and Nationalism.’

Integral Jnana Yoga “ The Path of Knowledge aims at the realisation of the unique and supreme Self. It proceeds by the method of intellectual reflection, vicara , to right discrimination, viveka . It observes and distinguishes the different elements of our apparent or phenomenal being and rejecting identification with each of them arrives at their exclusion and separation in one common term as constituents of Prakriti , of phenomenal Nature, creations of Maya, the phenomenal consciousness. So it is able to arrive at its right identification with the pure and unique Self which is not mutable or perishable, not determinable by any phenomenon or combination of phenomena. From this point the path, as ordinarily followed, leads to the rejection of the phenomenal worlds from the consciousness as an illusion and the final immergence without return of the individual soul in the Supreme... But this exclusive consummation is not the sole or inevitable result of the Path of Knowledge. For, followed more largely and with a 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 realisation of the supreme Self not only in one’s own being but in all beings and, finally, the realisation 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 realisation a yet further enlargement is possible, the conversion of all forms of knowledge, however mundane, into activities of the divine consciousness utilisable for the perception 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 spiritualisation and to the justification of the cosmic travail of knowledge in humanity.” Sri Aurobindo CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-38-39 The Injunction issued to the Seekers of integral Jnana Yoga : “These are the three fundamental realisations (1. Brahma Satya Jagat Mithya , 2. Brahman is the Source and creator of the Jagat, 3. Brahma Satya Jagat Satya ), so fundamental that to the Yogin of the way of Knowledge they seem ultimate, sufficient in themselves, destined to overtop and replace all others… Other realisations there are that are imperatively needed and must be explored to the full limit of their possibilities… All the revelatory aspects of the Divine must be caught in the wide net of the integral Yoga.”³ ⁷ Sri Aurobindo “The knowledge comes from above like the light and peace and everything else. As the consciousness progresses, it comes from a higher and higher level. First it is the higher or illumined mind that predominates, then the intuition, next the overmind, lastly the supermind; but the whole consciousness has to be sufficiently transformed before the supramental knowledge can begin to come.”²⁸ Sri Aurobindo Psychic Knowledge: “An inspired Knowledge sat enthroned within Whose seconds illumined more than reason’s years:” Savitri-37 “A wide God-knowledge poured down from above, A new world-knowledge broadened from within: His daily thoughts looked up to the True and One, His commonest doings welled from an inner Light.” Savitri-44 “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. A wider consciousness opens then its doors; Invading from spiritual silences A ray of the timeless Glory stoops awhile To commune with our seized illumined clay And leaves its huge white stamp upon our lives.” Savitri-47-48 “An inmost self looked up to a heavenlier height, An inmost thought kindled a hidden flame And the inner sight adored an unseen sun.” Savitri-351 “All this she saw and inly felt and knew Not by some thought of mind but by the self. A light not born of sun or moon or fire, A light that dwelt within and saw within Shedding an intimate visibility Made secrecy more revealing than the word:” Savitri-525 “As knowledge grows Light flames up from within:” Savitri-626 “The soul that into the world-adventure came, A scout and voyager from Eternity?” Savitri-717 Spiritual Knowledge: “As so he grew into his larger self, Humanity framed his movements less and less; A greater being saw a greater world. A fearless will for knowledge dared to erase The lines of safety Reason draws that bar Mind’s soar, soul’s dive into the Infinite.” Savitri-26 “His being lay down in bright immobile peace And bathed in wells of pure spiritual light; It wandered in wide fields of wisdom-self Lit by the rays of an everlasting sun.” Savitri-43 “Even now great thoughts are here that walk alone: Armed they have come with the infallible word In an investiture of intuitive light That is a sanction from the eyes of God; Announcers of a distant Truth they flame Arriving from the rim of eternity.” Savitri-258 “The labour to know seemed a vain strife of Mind; All knowledge ended in the Unknowable:” Savitri-305 “At hide-and-seek on a Mother-Wisdom’s breast, An artist teeming with her world-idea, She never could exhaust its numberless thoughts And vast adventure into thinking shapes And trial and lure of a new living’s dreams.” Savitri-328 “A lightning from the heights that think and plan,” Savitri-336 “Assent to thy high self, create, endure. Cease not from knowledge, let thy toil be vast.” Savitri-340 “Holding her forehead’s candid stainless space Behind the student arch a noble power Of wisdom looked from light on transient things.” Savitri-357-58 “Cast from thee sense that veils thy spirit’s sight: In the enormous emptiness of thy mind Thou shalt see the Eternal’s body in the world, Know him in every voice heard by thy soul, In the world’s contacts meet his single touch; All things shall fold thee into his embrace.” Savitri-476 “All knowledge failed and the Idea’s forms And Wisdom screened in awe her lowly head Feeling a Truth too great for thought or speech, Formless, ineffable, for ever the same.” Savitri-522 “The immortal’s thoughts displaced our bounded view, The immortal’s thoughts earth’s drab idea and sense; All things now bore a deeper heavenlier sense. A glad clear harmony marked their truth’s outline, Reset the balance and measures of the world.” Savitri-529 “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 “Thoughts leaped down from a superconscient field Like eagles swooping from a viewless peak, Thoughts gleamed up from the screened subliminal depths Like golden fishes from a hidden sea.” Savitri-541 “Only sometimes small thoughts arose and fell Like quiet waves upon a silent sea Or ripples passing over a lonely pool When a stray stone disturbs its dreaming rest. Yet the mind’s factory had ceased to work, There was no sound of the dynamo’s throb, There came no call from the still fields of life.” Savitri-543 “This seeing was identical with the seen; It knew without knowledge all that could be known, It saw impartially the world go by, But in the same supine unmoving glance Saw too its abysmal unreality.” Savitri-546 “Something unknown, unreached, inscrutable Sent down the messages of its bodiless Light, Cast lightning flashes of a thought not ours Crossing the immobile silence of her mind: In its might of irresponsible sovereignty It seized on speech to give those flamings shape, Made beat the heart of wisdom in a word And spoke immortal things through mortal lips.” Savitri-553 “The voice of life is tuned to infinite sounds, The moments on great wings of lightning come And godlike thoughts surprise the mind of earth.” Savitri-571-72 Supramental Knowledge: “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 “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; It lifted from an underground of pain The inarticulate murmur of our lives And found for it a sense illimitable.” Savitri-90 “Out of the ineffable hush it hears them come Trembling with the beauty of a wordless speech, And thoughts too great and deep to find a voice, Thoughts whose desire new-makes the universe.” Savitri-236 “But thought nor word can seize eternal Truth: The whole world lives in a lonely ray of her sun.” Savitri-276 “Awakened by the touch of the Unseen, Deserting the boundary of things achieved, Aspired the strong discoverer, tireless Thought, Revealing at each step a luminous world.” Savitri-277 “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 “The knowledge of the thinker and the seer Saw the unseen and thought the unthinkable, Opened the enormous doors of the unknown, Rent man’s horizons into infinity.” Savitri-359 “I sat with the forest sages in their trance: There poured awakening streams of diamond light, I glimpsed the presence of the One in all.” Savitri-405 “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 “A voice comes down from mystic unseen peaks: A cry of splendour from a mouth of storm, It is the voice that speaks to night’s profound, It is the thunder and the flaming call.” Savitri-627 “He (Supermind) is the Wisdom that comes not by thought, His wordless silence brings the immortal word.” Savitri-681 “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 Integral Yoga of Knowledge is the extensive extension of the Gita’s teaching of traditional Sankhya and Vedanta . Through this Yoga the higher Nature of Sachchidananda and the lower nature of mind, life and body are reconciled to such extent that the Matter becomes the manifesting field of the Light, Force and Joy of Sachchidananda; life becomes all-blissful conscious force of Sachchidananda ; sensational mind and emotional mind become play field of Divine Love and universal Delight and intellect transforms into Divine Knowledge-Will. 1) All Life is Yoga of Nature through Knowledge, which is something self-existent, everlasting and infinite. All life includes a higher, truly conscious existence which our half-conscious humanity does not yet possess and can only arrive at by a self-exceeding spiritual ascension. All life is extended towards the pursuit of this knowledge in three stages. Firstly, the ‘endless difficulties that arise from the environing world are dismissed by erecting firmly against them a defence of outer physical and inner spiritual solitude; safe behind a wall of inner silence, he remains impassive and untouched by the discords of world and others.’³ ⁴ The Sadhak of the integral Knowledge must be absolutely free from attachment to action and equally free from attachment to inaction and must be capable of pursuing ceaseless action. Any ‘tendency to mere inertia of mind or vitality or body must be surmounted, and if that habit is found growing on the nature, the will of the Purusha must be used to dismiss it.’³⁵ Secondly , the difficulty of realisation of the divine life with human living, of being in God and yet living in man is the very difficulty that he is set here to solve and not to shun. If there is an opposition between the Spiritual life and that of the world, it is that gulf which he is here to bridge, that opposition which he is here to change into a harmony. The example of great Avataras is there to show that not only by rejecting the life of the world as it is can help, but also and more by accepting and uplifting it. Thirdly , all knowledge is ultimately the knowledge of the One, through himself, through Nature, through her works. Mankind has first to seek the knowledge through the external life; for until its mentality, buddhi, is sufficiently purified and developed, Spiritual knowledge is not really possible, and in proportion as it is developed, the possibilities of Spiritual knowledge become richer and fuller. 2) Sarvam karmakhilam Partha jnane parisamapyate , (The Gita-4.33) Knowledge is that in which all action culminates, O Arjuna ! Due to the defect in work, sacrifice through knowledge is considered greater than sacrifice through action. And Bhakti is recognised as the highest sacrifice of Yoga. Integral Yoga accepts this hierarchy of traditional Yoga and further defines Divine Will as the foundation and is fit to occupy the Driver’s seat, whereas Divine Knowledge and Love are its willing subordinates. From this, we understand Karma Yoga is the greatest Yoga, the starting point and foundation of all Yoga; Bhakti Yoga is considered as ‘the crown of Works and flowering of Knowledge.’³⁶ 3) Traditional Jnana Yoga leads to the rejection of phenomenal worlds from consciousness as an illusion and the final immergence without return of the individual soul in the Supreme Self. The point of departure of Integral Jnana Yoga from the traditional path of knowledge is the realisation of the supreme Self not only in one’s own being but in all beings and, finally, the realisation of even the phenomenal aspects of the world as a play of the Divine consciousness and not something entirely alien to its true nature. The unique object of Integral Jnana Yoga i s that it seeks the truth of existence in its completeness and converts all forms of mundane knowledge into activities of the Divine Consciousness utilised for both in itself and through the play of its forms and symbols. 4) “The criterion is within, as the Gita insists. It is to have the soul free from craving and attachment, but free from the attachment to inaction as well as from the egoistic impulse to action, free from attachment to the forms of virtue as well as from the attraction to sin. It is to be rid of “I-ness” and “my- ness” so as to live in the one Self and act in the one Self; to reject the egoism of refusing to work through the individual centre of the universal Being as well as the egoism of serving the individual mind and life and body to the exclusion of others. To live in the Self is not to dwell for oneself alone in the Infinite immersed and oblivious of all things in that ocean of impersonal self-delight; but it is to live as the Self and in the Self equal in this embodiment and all embodiments and beyond all embodiments. This is the integral knowledge.”²³ “The seeker of the integral knowledge will not stop either at half-way and attractive or high-pinnacled and exclusive end. He will not limit himself within any religious creed and philosophical dogma. He must soar to the utmost height, circle and spread to the most all-embracing wideness, free to admit and combine all the soul’s highest and greatest and fullest and most numerous experiences. If the highest height of Spiritual experience, the sheer summit of all realisation is the absolute union of the Soul with the Transcendent who exceeds the individual and the universe, the widest scope of that union is the discovery of that very Transcendent as the source, support, continent, informing and constituent spirit and substance of both these manifesting powers of the divine Essence and the divine Nature.”¹⁵ “We must be prepared to leave behind on the path not only that which we stigmatise as evil, but that which seems to us to be good, yet is not the one good. There are things which were beneficial, helpful, which seemed perhaps at one time the one thing desirable, and yet once their work is done, once they are attained, they become obstacles and even hostile forces when we are called to advance beyond them. There are desirable states of the soul which it is dangerous to rest in after they have been mastered, because then we do not march on to the wider kingdoms of God beyond. 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.”²⁰ 5) The method of Integral Knowledge is initiated through the mind’s method of abstraction, which is the most effective means of enlightening the ignorance by the practice of gathering and reflection, sravana , meditation and fixed contemplation, manana , absorbed dwelling of mind in its object, nidhidhyasa . The whole preparatory method of Yoga is psychological and it does not exclude the forms of lower knowledge, so that the outward-going sensuous, pragmatic preoccupation of the lower knowledge with phenomena and forms is replaced by the one Divine preoccupation. ‘Contemplation of God in Nature, contemplation and service of God in man and in the life of man and of the world in its past, present and future, are equally elements of which the Yoga of knowledge can make use to complete the realisation of God in all things.’¹⁷ ‘The highest truth, the integral self-knowledge is not to be gained by this self-blinded leap into the Absolute but by a patient transit beyond the mind into the Truth-consciousness where the Infinite can be known, felt, seen, experienced in all the fullness of its unending riches.’¹⁸ ‘The status of knowledge, is a “realisation”, in the full sense of the word;... it consists of three successive movements, (1) internal Vision, (2) complete internal Experience and (3) Identity.’¹⁹ 6) Our mind gives a false report, an imperfect construction, an attenuated and erroneous figure in its relation with the Existence until they are enlightened by the faculty of higher Spiritual, Supramental and supra-sensuous Knowledge. The Supreme has the right relation with our individual being and with the universe and it transcends both the Soul and the Universe. The object of a Yoga of Spiritual knowledge is this eternal Reality, this Self, this Brahman, this Transcendent, this All that dwells over all and in all and is manifest and yet concealed in the individual and disguised in the universe. Ordinary objects, the external appearances of life and matter, the psychology of our thoughts and actions, the perceptions of forces of the apparent world are part of this knowledge and are the part of the manifestation of the One. Intellectual analysis can only lead to a clear conception, intellectual deliberations and right discriminations are meant to remove the difficulty of the path; all concentration, purification of understanding, psychological self-knowledge, all seeking by the heart through love, by the senses through beauty, by the will through power and works and by the Soul through peace and joy are only keys, avenues, first approaches and beginnings of the ascent which we have to use and to follow till the wide and infinite levels are attained and the Divine doors swing open into the infinite Light. 7) The comprehensive Yoga of Knowledge includes all the mass of graded experience existing behind the closed doors to which the consciousness of a seeker may find. It need not confine to the seeking after the Absolute alone but the hidden truth of material world and occult powers of great natural forces through the cultivation of Science and higher Spiritual planes and worlds and possibilities of our being through Yoga which are aimed at and cultivated by great Religions. The consciousness of the Absolute is the highest reach of the Yoga of Knowledge and the first, foremost, greatest and ardent object is the possession of this highest Divine and to neglect it for any inferior knowledge is to afflict our Yoga, Life and Evolution with inferiority and fall away from its true characteristic object. So, the integral Yoga of Knowledge takes account of all things, unifies their diverse truth and embraces all the Divine in its relations with ourselves and the world on the different planes of Existence. 8) The first object of integral Yoga of Knowledge¹³ is realisation of pure Self, pure Existence, jyotirmaya Brahman , above the terms of mind, life and body which is achieved after long persistent concentration or by other means the veil of mind is rent or swept aside. In this experience, Self is realised as present, real and concrete to physical sensation. After this realisation whatever darkness and fading of the light may afflict the Soul, the experience is inevitably renewed and must become frequent and constant depending on our sincere effort and persistence. The first result of the aim of Jnana Yoga ¹⁶ is an absolute quietude; for unless the old action of Nature in us be entirely quieted, it is difficult if not impossible to find either any true soul-status or any divine activity. Our first object on the path of knowledge is rather the liberation that comes by detachment from the desire-mind and by the renunciation of its passions. Therefore, to get back to this eternal fact of complete Oneness is our essential act of self-knowledge and whole aim of our Yoga of knowledge; to live in it must be the effective principle of our inner possession of our being and of our right and ideal relations with the world. For integral self-possession, we must be one not only with the Self, with God, but with all existences; this realisation of oneness of Sachchidananda in himself and this practice of oneness in difference or oneness in all His manifestation is the whole basis of Yoga. The second object of integral Yoga of Knowledge¹⁴ is that we begin to realise that the first Spiritual experience is not sufficient and we must realise the Self or Brahman in its essential mode of triune reality of static Sachchidananda . Thus, Existence, Consciousness and Delight are experienced as silent, passive, quietistic, self-absorbed, self-sufficient, impersonal, without play of qualities and turned away from the universe with indifference and without participation. The third object of integral Yoga of Knowledge¹⁴ is the realisation of dynamic Sachchidananda which is sovereign, free, lord of things, acting out of an inalienable calm, pouring itself out in infinite action, infinite quality acting out of integral self-concentration, all possible play of personality of the one Person, possession of the infinite phenomenon of the universe, without attachment, without aloofness and without indifference. Thus, the Divine Manifestation takes place with Freedom, Divine Mastery and luminous Self-delight without any bondage. The fourth object of integral Yoga of Knowledge¹⁴ is the holding together of the static and dynamic aspects of the Sachchidananda in a Transcendent Consciousness which is not the personal God of the Religions or the qualified Brahman of the philosophers, but that in which personal and impersonal, quality and non-quality are reconciled. The fifth aim of integral Yoga of Knowledge¹² is to possess the Divine and be possessed by the Divine either through movement of Consciousness or through identification or through reflection of the Divine Reality. This possession of the Divine in himself is extended to the Divine in the world and the Divine in all things and all beings. This possession of the Divine is to be realised either in the oneness or in the infinite diversity, in his personality and impersonality, in his purity free from qualities and in his infinite qualities, in time and beyond time, in his action and in his silence, in the finite and in the infinite in this life and in all life. The sixth aim of integral Yoga of Knowledge¹² is to put on in our surface life the Divine being and Divine nature. And since Divine is Sachchidananda , it is our responsibility to raise our being into the Divine being, our consciousness into the Divine consciousness, our energy into the Divine energy, our delight of existence into Divine delight of being. This highest consciousness is to be found on all the planes of our existence and in all our members, so that our mental, vital, and physical existence shall become full of the Divine nature. Our intelligent mentality is to become a play of the Divine knowledge-will, our mental soul-life a play of the Divine love and delight, our vitality a play of the Divine life, our physical being a new-mould of the Divine substance. The seventh aim of integral Yoga of knowledge¹² is realised by an opening of oneself to the Divine gnosis and Divine Ananda and, in its fullness, by an ascent into and a permanent dwelling in the Vijnanamaya Purusha and the Anandamaya Purusha . One earth-bound Soul lives within the binding limitation of the material plane and in normal outward-going surface experience; the Mind and Life are preoccupied only with the externality of material existence. He can raise the internal consciousness from the lower plane to the higher planes through true and right relations of Purusha with Prakriti , and subsequently Ishwara with Shakti, Brahman with Maya and Sat with Chit . Thus, the mental being ascends to the Gnostic being and the Bliss-self and assumes the Gnostic and the Bliss nature. By upliftment of this inner life, one can experience the positive transformation of the whole outward-going existence. Thus, the Material life will be dominated and possessed by the absolute Spirit with all its circumstances moulded and determined by the purity of Being, by the infinite Consciousness possessing the finite limiting consciousness of Mind, Vital and Physical, by the invasion of Divine energy, joy and bliss of the Spirit. 9) Samadhi or trance is given great importance in the Yoga of traditional knowledge, because there it is the very principle of its method and its object to raise the mental consciousness into a clarity of and concentrated power by which it can become entirely aware of, lost in, and identified with true being. In integral Yoga, Yogic trance is not accepted as an aim but only a means utilised not as an escape from waking existence by cessation of life, but includes the possession of the Divine in life through waking trance. 10) The limitation of traditional Jnana Yoga is that when one enters higher or highest state of Consciousness of inner Samadhi, absolute state of Turiya , either through concentration on single object, or through contemplation, meditation or through silencing of the mind either through rejection of thought-suggestion or through witness state of standing back from the mental action; one loses hold of the inward Samadhi when he is awake or ‘descend into the contacts of the world.’⁹ This truncated possession of the perfect Consciousness may be accepted as the initial Spiritual experience of the beginners of integral Yoga but this higher/highest Consciousness must be finally called down to the waking state ‘to take possession of the lower being, to shed its light, power and bliss on our ordinary consciousness.’⁹ “Therefore not only must the mind be able to rise in abnormal states out of itself into a higher consciousness, but its waking mentality also must be entirely spiritualised.”²⁹ Thus, Purusha can exercise its full conscious control over Prakriti. This repeated and prolonged calling down of the dynamic Divine Shakti to the nether untransformed Nature is identified as ‘not of a pilgrim following the highroad to his destination, but, to that extent at least, of a path finder hewing his way through a virgin forest’¹⁰ and there will not be merely negative quiescence of waking trance but effective dynamisation of positive transformation of Nature. Yogic trance is not the aim of integral Jnana Yoga but an important means to ‘enlarge and raise the whole seeing, living and active consciousness.’¹¹ Thus, one becomes established in waking trance in which he experiences all the four planes of Waking, Dream, Sleep and Turiya Consciousness or Divine union of multiple (ten) Selves with the respective Sheaths, koshas , in a dynamic waking state. The Divine life is possible with self-identification with all four planes and a right relation with Purusha and Prakriti is restored. Thus, through movement of the highest Consciousness to the lowest Matter, the Spirit’s Face is revealed. OM TAT SAT References: 1: CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-109, 2: The Gita-4.10, 4.19, 20, 21, 22, 3: The Gita-4.33, 34, 35, 4: The Gita-4.36, 37, 38, 39, 5: The Gita-5.16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 6: The Gita-18.49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 7: The Gita-18.57, 8: The Gita-7.30, 9: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-323-325, 10: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-56-57, 11: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-519, 12: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-511-12, 13: “It is only when after long and persistent concentration or by other means the veil of the mind is rent or swept aside, only when a flood of light breaks over the awakened mentality, jyotirmaya brahman, and conception gives place to a knowledge-vision in which the Self is as present, real, concrete as a physical object to the physical eye, that we possess in knowledge; for we have seen. After that revelation, whatever fadings of the light, whatever periods of darkness may afflict the soul, it can never irretrievably lose what it has once held. The experience is inevitably renewed and must become more frequent till it is constant; when and how soon depends on the devotion and persistence with which we insist on the path and besiege by our will or our love the hidden Deity.” CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-305, 14: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-390, 15: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-361, 16: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-420, 17: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-517, 18: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-296 19: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-296, 20: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-334, 21: The Mother’s Centenary Works (second edition)/10/p-15, 22: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-103, “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. ” CWSA-36/Autobiographical Notes/p-294 23: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-332-33, 24: CWSA/24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-631, 25: “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 “So a whole slice of my life came back, but it didn’t stop there! It keeps extending back further and further, and memories keep on coming, things that go back sixty years now, even beyond, seventy, seventy-five years – they are all coming back. And so it all has to be put in order .” The Mother’s Agenda/November 5/1960 26: CWSA/22/The Life Divine/p-1054, 27: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-303, 28: CWSA-30/Letters on Yoga-III/p-461, 29: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga-396, 30: TMCW-8/The Questions and Answers-1956/p-299-300, 31: Sri Aurobindo/CWSA-/23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-230, 32: CWSA/23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-59-60, 33: “It is only in the parts where the little ego is usually too strong for us, it is only in our emotional or physical joy and suffering, our pleasure and pain of life, before which the desire-soul in us is utterly weak and cowardly, that the application of the divine principle becomes supreme difficult and seems to many impossible or even monstrous and repellent. Here the ignorance of ego shrinks from the principle of impersonality which it yet applies without too much difficulty in Science, in Art and even in a certain kind of imperfect spiritual living because there the rule of impersonality does not attack those desire cherished by the surface soul and those values of desire fixed by the surface mind in which our outward life is most vitally interested. In the freer and higher movements there is demanded of us only a limited and specialized equality and impersonality proper to a particular field of consciousness and activity while the egoistic basis of our practical life remains to us; in the lower movements the whole foundation of our life has to be changed in order to make room for impersonality, and this the desire soul finds impossible.” CWSA-21/The Life Divine/p-237-38, 34: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-77, 35: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-348, 36: CWSA-24/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-551 37: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-118, “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 c an 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.” Sri Aurobindo CWSA-18/Kena and other Upanishads/p-169 “ In the Vijnana the right relation and action of Purusha and Prakriti are found, because there they become unified and the Divine is no longer veiled in Maya. All is his action. The Jiva no longer says “I think, I act, I desire, I feel”; he does not even say like the sadhaka striving after unity but before he has reached it, “As appointed by Thee seated in my heart, I act.” For the heart, the centre of the mental consciousness is no longer the centre of origination but only a blissful channel. He is rather aware of the Divine seated above, lord of all, adhisthita , as well as acting within him . And seated himself in that higher being, parardhe, (Katha Upanishad-1.3.1) paramasyam paravati , (the highest summit) he can say truly and boldly, “God himself by his Prakriti knows, acts, loves, takes delight through my individuality and its figures and fulfils there in its higher and divine measures the multiple lıla which the Infinite for ever plays in the universality which is himself for ever.”" Sri Aurobindo CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-496-497 "I can see I am still (and God knows how long it will last!) in that transitional period Sri Aurobindo describes in "The Yoga of Self-Perfection. " A period when the true thing is getting established but the tail of the old thing trails behind, mixes in and colors things. Well, it's an old habit, and it takes SUCH a long time to go away... The habit of not understanding something unless it can be mentally explained is disastrous, for instance. This feeling we have that we don't understand something unless we can explain it – that's really disastrous. That half-hour's experience was something absolute, you see, not for one second was there any concern to know what was going on (naturally!); it was absolute. And only when the time was up and I had to come out of it did I start wondering, "What happened? What does it mean?" It wasn't even that pronounced. It's simply an old habit, what we call "understanding." A bad habit... To live THAT spontaneously, all the time – how wonderful it would be! (silence)... And the Power! The Power was tremendous. And I could see in detail everything it was doing, but in another way. I can say it was a certainty (I knew exactly what it was doing), but I couldn't have described it with the words we use here." The Mother The Mother's Agenda/November 27, 196 2

The Central Truth of The Life Divine The Central Truth of The Divine Life Or The Book of Consciousness “A spiritual evolution, an evolution of consciousness in Matter in a constant developing self-formation till the form can reveal the indwelling spirit, is then the key-note, the central significant motive of the terrestrial existence .”¹ Sri Aurobindo “If consciousness is the central secret , life is the outward indication, the effective power of being in Matter; for it is that which liberates consciousness and gives it its form or embodiment of force and its effectuation in material act.”² Sri Aurobindo “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.”¹⁷ Sri Aurobindo “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.”⁸ Sri Aurobindo The central thought, the central secret and central truth of Integral Evolution is identified as Consciousness, which is the real creative Power, the universal Witness, the force of awareness, a play of Energy, an infinite, indivisible Existence moves out of its fundamental purity into the varied play of Force; for whom the world is a field and condition of Divine Life; life is the exterior and dynamic sign and index of that revelation and effectuation; all life is the fundamental poise of its own constituting Consciousness in possession both of unity and of diversity where the former contains and governs the latter; the physical, vital, mind, soul and Supermind are instruments of Consciousness; the accessories or subordinate energies of these instruments are identified as elements of Consciousness; following this line the individual Consciousness fulfils itself by that which is beyond his obscured and limited ego, beyond the thought and speech, a centre of the Divine Life and of the universal Consciousness embracing, utilising and transforming all individual determinations into the Divine harmony; universal Consciousness fulfils itself by variations of numberless individuals and not by suppressing the variations; the Transcendent Consciousness fulfils, contains, manifests, constitutes the cosmos and the individual by its own infinite harmonic varieties and it is the true truth and source of both the Individuality and the Cosmic Being. Consciousness or the power of Being is like the nave of a wheel works through the individual centre, with the Divine Life or transformed Becoming is its circumference, the wheel. The spokes, the radiating bars connecting the wheel and the nave are the instruments of Consciousness responsible for rightly relating the existence with the Supreme through change of consciousness and thus the evolutionary growth of life is accelerated. Consciousness: “An integral consciousness will become the basis of an entire harmonisation of life through the total transformation, unification, integration of the being and the nature…An integral consciousness with a multiform dynamic experience is essential for the complete transformation of our nature.”⁷ Sri Aurobindo “Consciousness is the breath that makes everything live.”¹⁴ The Mother The Highest Consciousness is an awareness of the Spirit by Identity, subordinated by the awareness of the Spirit by Inclusion of Psychic opening and Indwelling of Spiritual opening, which is the very stuff of the Spirit’s triple self-knowledge. We have two fundamental facts – a fact of pure Existence or Being and a fact of world existence or Becomings; to deny one or the other is to bring either narrow limitation to our Spiritual order or an incompetent and restricting physical life and to recognise the facts of Consciousness is to find out their true and fruitful relation. Consciousness is only a bridge of transition in which initially the Spirit becomes partially aware of itself and finally becomes the normal waking trance of luminous Superconscience. The extension of this consciousness can be satisfied by an inner enlargement from the individual consciousness into the cosmic existence and in the Transcendent Consciousness, both the individual and universal find its own fullness, freedom of reality and perfect harmonisation. Therefore, man’s importance in the world is recognised by the development of a comprehensive Consciousness in which Silence and cosmic Activity are reconciled and a transfiguration by a perfect self-discovery becomes possible. We must note that what we mean ordinarily by the superficial man6 is not the inner self, but only a sum of apparent continuous movement of consciousness-force concentrated on the surface in a certain stream of superficial workings or an unequal concentration of consciousness in which there is the beginning of self-division, which does all his works, thinks all his thoughts, feels all his emotions. Behind this stream of energy there is the whole sea of consciousness, the vast sea of Subliminal, Superconscient and Subconscient Self which is aware of the stream but of which the stream is unaware. Yet it is really the hidden sea and not the superficial stream which is doing all the action and the source of all his movement. Instruments of Consciousness: Consciousness is a self-aware force of existence whose middle term is Mind, below it, it sinks into Vital, Physical and Subconscient movements and above it, it rises to Subliminal, Spiritual and Supramental heights. This Consciousness is quite involved in Inconscient Matter, hesitating on the verge between involution and conscious evolution in the non-animal form of life, consciously evolving but greatly limited and hampered in the mind housed in the living body of man, destined to be fully evolved by awakening the Supermind in the embodied fully developed mental being and Nature. The phenomenon of Consciousness is certainly a Force, a formative movement of energies and all material forms are born out of meeting and mutual adaptation between unshaped forces. Subconscient consciousness is the Inconscient vibrating on the borders of consciousness, sending up its motions to be changed into conscious stuff, swallowing into its depths impressions of past experience as seeds of unconscious habit and returning them constantly but often chaotically to the surface consciousness; for surface consciousness is bound down to ego in all its activities and the first formation of egoistic consciousness is the dualities of life and death, joy and sorrow, pleasure and pain, truth and error, good and evil. The supraphysical plane of consciousness ³ is not governed by the law of Spiritual evolution and from this world, bright and dark forces cast their influence on the physical plane of existence. The enlargement of the superficially active surface consciousness is possible either by some kind of untaught effort and casual ill-ordered effect or by a scientific and well-regulated practice. The surface consciousness is having three appearances; firstly, the material consciousness is a submerged consciousness, self-oblivious, and is lost in the form but really obeys faultlessly the laws of Right and Truth fixed for it by the Divine Will concealed in its own superficial expressive action; this body consciousness is a patient servant and what it craves for is long life, good health, physical strength and comfortable easy life and the right action of the physical consciousness is distorted by the pressure of separative consciousness of physical mind; secondly, the vital consciousness is an emerging consciousness seen as an important part in animal life and intuitively evident in plant, it acts in the cells of the body for purposeful movements, automatic vital function and a process of the growth, activity, attraction, repulsion and decay of form to which our mind is a stranger; it has the same initial reactions of pleasure and pain, sleep and wakefulness as that of mental consciousness but different in constitution of its self-experience; thirdly, the mental consciousness is not the completely illumined consciousness emerged out of the obscuration of Matter but it is the emerged individual limited consciousness, aware of things and forces in their apparent division and opposition to each other but not in their real unity, reflects new ideas as facts of life, modifies comfortably the internal and the external existence of the being; delivers out of its imprisonment but it is not yet master of the act and form and is aware therefore only of a fragmentary movement of its own total progressive activities; it is a many-sided mental effort in order to arrive at an apprehensive knowledge. Apprehensive Consciousness, Prajnana, is a luminous mental activity in the body, sense mind and nerves unconsciously without any notice; it is active, formative of creative knowledge, originative, cognizant as the processor and witness of its own working; it is in its nature truth seeing, truth hearing and truth remembering; apprehensive active consciousness works as an energy throwing up knowledge and activity out of itself; an apprehensive passive consciousness does not act as an energy with absence of force of action; mental waking consciousness is only a small selection of the entire conscious being, it is a perceptive consciousness of waking state where the transcript of physical things and of our contacts with universe are recorded. If we develop our inner being, live more inwardly than most men do, then the balance is changed and a larger dream consciousness opens before us; our dreams can take on a subliminal and no longer a subconscious character and can assume a reality and significance; this is also subliminal consciousness, which is a witness to truth through truth vision, truth hearing, truth discernment, truth touch, truth thought and truth action and its testimony can be confirmed again and again in physical and objective field, it delivers us definitely from circumscription by the material and from the illusion of the obvious; on the border of subliminal consciousness there is Psychic Consciousness ,⁹ which can identify itself with other Souls, can enter into them, can realise its unity with them and this can take place in perfect waking state, observes all distinctions of objective world and exceeds them. Above it there is Spiritual Consciousness ,¹⁰ which is intrinsic, self-existent, more embracing, universal and transcendent, it can take up mind, life and body into its light and give them the immobile and featureless Divine touch; for it has a greater instrumentality of knowledge, a fountain of deeper light, power and will, an unlimited splendour and force of love, joy and beauty; its highest state is Overmind Consciousness , which can hold any number of seemingly fundamental oppositions together in a reconciling global vision. In Sleep Consciousness all the material and sensory experiences cease in the deeper trance when we enter into superconscience, no record from it or transcript of its contents can normally reach us; it is only by a special or an unusual development, in a supernormal condition or through a break or rift in our confined normality, that we can be on the surface conscious of the contacts or messages of the Superconscience. This Consciousness of the upper hemisphere, also known as the Supramental Truth Consciousness¹¹ is at once a total self-awareness and ordering self-knowledge of the Eternal and Infinite and a power of self-determination inherent in that self-awareness by which the One manifests the harmonies of its infinite potential multiplicity; its other name, the Gnostic Consciousness is that in which all contradictions are cancelled and fused into each other in a higher light of unified plasticity, self-knowledge and world-knowledge, instead of ego-insistence on personal ideas there would be a unifying sense of a common truth in many forms, a common self in many consciousness and bodies; it is extended as an original and ultimate Consciousness which is a power of unity in diversity, it is integral, all-accepting, all-embracing, all-discriminating, all-determining and an indivisible whole-vision. In this comprehensive Supramental Consciousness, it is equally possible to regard and rank waking, dream and sleep consciousness together as three different orders of one Reality or as three different grades of embodied contact of self-experience and world-experience. If we can develop a causal body or Supramental Sheath, which is not formed in most human beings, then this faculty will remain active in the conscious waking state. Beyond the Supramental Consciousness is the infinite Consciousness of Sachchidananda which must always find and achieve itself in the Divine Bliss, an Omnipresent Self-delight. This highest state of Consciousness of the Self is also called Turiya of pure existence and our absolute state of Being, with which it is difficult to have direct contact. Elements of Consciousness: There are some more terminologies through which the instruments of Consciousness are linked to the Divine Life and we have to understand all of them in relation to Consciousness. Ignorance is an unconsciousness, achiti , of the Truth and Right; it is the non-perceiving principle of our consciousness as opposed to the truth-perceiving conscious vision and knowledge; it can only come about as a subordinate phenomenon by some concentration of consciousness absorbed in a part knowledge or a part action of the being and excluding the rest from its awareness; this Ignorance is a frontal power of that all-consciousness which limits itself in certain field, within certain boundaries to a particular operation of knowledge, a particular mode of conscious working, and keeps back all the rest of its knowledge in waiting as a force behind it. Falsehood is a personal attachment to limited consciousness absorbed in part truth and a by-product of world movement. Its necessity becomes inevitable in the fragmentary evolution of Ignorance. Suffering , a great stumbling-block to understand the truth of the universe, is a failure of the consciousness in us to meet the shocks of existence, the incapacity to bear the touch of delight. Evil is a wrong consciousness governed by life ego. Death is a loss of consciousness or failure of consciousness to unite the cells of the body. It is a peaceful transition from one state of surface consciousness to another state of subtle consciousness and can destroy unconsciousness. All Death, Decay and Destruction are the outcome of the arrest of growth of consciousness or the distortion of consciousness. When one enters higher ranges of consciousness beyond mind, he experiences Divine action, creation and Ananda and when one enters lower ranges of consciousness below mind, he experiences undivine action, destruction and suffering. Tamas is the Sanskrit word for the principle and power of inertia of consciousness and the first born of inconscient force:²⁰ a less developed downward depressing consciousness, dull, obscure, sluggish, conservative, unwilling to enlarge itself, recalcitrant to new stimulus of Divine force, barks at all unfamiliar wisdom and light and incompetent in its play is said to be tamasic . Rajas is the principle and power of kinetic force of consciousness impelled by desire and instinct, an intermediate, slow-evolving consciousness, dynamic, possessive, ever restless, governed in its idea not by truth and light, passionate and active; it accepts enjoyment of desire as the ruling human motive. Sattwa is the principle of harmonious upward rising consciousness; a consciousness of limited light, relative freedom, inner satisfaction, happiness, balanced knowledge and eager to possess higher Divine faculties of limitless Wisdom, Love, Delight, Beauty and Silence. Ego is a practical construction of our consciousness devised to centralise the activities of Nature in us; this constant outer ego building is only a provisional device of the Consciousness-Force in things so that the secret individual, the spirit within, may establish a representative and instrumental formation of itself in physical nature; the individual ego is a pragmatic and effective fiction, a translation of the secret self into the terms of surface consciousness, or a subjective substitute for our true self in our surface experience; the limited ego is only an intermediate phenomenon of consciousness necessary for a certain line of development in Ignorance; the nature of the ego is a self-limitation of consciousness by a willed ignorance of the rest of its play and its exclusive absorption in one form, one combination of tendencies, one field of the movement of energies. Memory is only a process and utility of consciousness; it is also a poverty-stricken substitute for an integral direct abiding consciousness of self and a direct integral or global perception of things. Mind, life and body are different organisations and grades of one conscious force of Existence; they are inferior expressions of partial consciousness which strive to arrive in the mould of a varied evolution at that superior expression of itself already existent to the Beyond-Mind. Time experience varies with the variation of state of consciousness and Space is a category of consciousness which arranges the perception of phenomena. Reason is only a messenger, a representative or a shadow of a greater consciousness beyond itself. Mind is a degradation¹⁵ of Supramental Consciousness. (Mental) Maya is the inverse creative movement of the Divine Consciousness and (Supramental) Maya is the forward creative movement of the Eternal Consciousness. Yoga-Maya is the power of Supramental Consciousness-Force put out in self-manifestation. Intuition is a power of consciousness nearer and more intimate to the original knowledge by identity; it is a special movement of self-existent direct awareness of Knowledge and it brings to man the brilliant messages from the Unknown. Vision is an instrument of the Consciousness of the dream Self to approach and foresee the Divine action. All evolution is, in essence, a heightening of the force of consciousness in the manifest being so that it may be raised into the greater intensity of what is still unmanifest, from matter into life, from life into mind, from the mind into the Spirit. Nature is the unconscious God whose conscious part is the creative force of consciousness of the Being within us. Being, Purusha, is the conscious God working within Ignorance, is also the static status of the infinite Consciousness. Purusha is a consciousness that observes and can reserve its will power. (Apara) Prakriti is the dynamic state of finite surface consciousness acting within the boundary of three gunas. Prakriti is an energy full of the substance of consciousness that takes the form of knowledge, will and feeling. Para Prakriti, Shakti is the dynamic status of infinite indwelling and over-dwelling Consciousness. Soul is the inner consciousness that aspires to its own complete self-realisation and therefore always exceeds the individual formation of the moment. Brahman is integral and unifies many states of consciousness at a time and knows itself in all that exists. Divine Will is the potency of the power of consciousness applying itself to a work and a result. “If knowledge is the widest power of the consciousness and its function is to free and illumine, yet love is the deepest and most intense and its privilege is to be the key to the most profound and secret recesses of the Divine Mystery.”¹⁶ Tapas is the concentration power of consciousness. Samjnana or Supramental Sens e is the contact of Consciousness with its object; its action is the result of extension and vibration of consciousness in a supra-ethereal ether of light, power and bliss. It can be directly aware of all things in all the planes of consciousness without the aid of a sense organ. Knowledge is a potency of Light and Consciousness that possesses the highest Truth in terms of direct perception and self-experience. Knowledge and Will are dual aspects of one Consciousness or the twin power of actions of Consciousness. Ananda is the very substance of Consciousness and is the outcome of the interaction of Knowledge and Will. Equality is that power of consciousness which brings into the whole of our Nature and Being the sense of eternal tranquillity of Self. Life evolves through growth of consciousness or a greater consciousness means greater life. Integral Education , a utilitarian aspect of Integral Yoga, proceeds ahead with effort, askesis and tapasya , which are defined as the concentration energy of Consciousness. Consciousness is the central Truth of Divine Life which is a self-aware force of existence extended from the Inconscient Sheath to the Bliss Sheath. By movement of Consciousness, fullness of Being, fullness of Consciousness and fullness of Life can be attained. Harmony is the inherent Nature of infinite Divine Consciousness and disharmony or limited harmony is the nature of the finite Consciousness of the three gunas . The Law that descends from Psychic, Spiritual and Supramental Consciousness is known as Dharma . The Law that enters the human vessel from the tamasic and rajasic mind and from the surrounding world is known as Adharma . Vedantic Sraddha is the pouring down of Divine attributes of infinite Static consciousness into finite dynamic Consciousness of the three gunas through Purusha Yajna, Vedantic self-discipline. Vedic Sraddha is the pouring down of Divine attributes of infinite Dynamic Consciousness into finite dynamic consciousness of the three gunas by Prakriti Yajna . Sincerity is the concentration of finite dynamic Consciousness of the three gunas around the Psychic being. Exclusive concentration is a concentration of separative mental active consciousness absorbed in part knowledge or a part action of the being and excluding the rest from its awareness. Submission of finite dynamic consciousness to infinite static Consciousness is defined as (Vedantic) surrender. Integral Concentration of Consciousness, Tapas , is the inherent power of Consciousness Force. Submission of finite dynamic consciousness to infinite dynamic consciousness is defined as (Vedic) surrender . Equality is gained when the Consciousness goes beyond the finite consciousness of the three gunas. Renunciation is the rejection of finite dynamic consciousness represented by three gunas of apara-prakriti. 'Samyama is a process of pressure on the consciousness by which the secret Truth, the involved intuition is released…’¹³ The Divine Life:¹² “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 “If our souls could see and love and clasp God’s Truth, Its infinite radiance would seize our hearts, Our being in God’s image be remade And earthly life becomes the life divine.” Savitri-663 This world is real precisely because it consists of an observing consciousness and an objective reality and the world action cannot proceed without the witness because the universe exists only in or for the Consciousness that observes and has no independent reality. The individual can be a centre of the whole universal Consciousness and world transcending Consciousness superior to all cosmic existence and the form of the universe is occupied by the entire immanence of the Formless and Ineffable. So, to exist not as self of body only which is subject to death, desire and pain but to consider body as a minor outward arrangement of Self and an out-flowering of life by expansion and elevation of Consciousness is a first condition of the Divine life. The second condition⁴ of Divine Life is to transcend the ignorance, limitation and control of the surface formation of mind which is only a subordinate and instrument of Self. The third condition of the Divine life is to possess and govern the dynamic condition of becoming from an inner eternity of Being and its outcome is the Spiritual self-possession, self-mastery and the manifestation of Divine miracle. As the Consciousness turns more within all obstacles and resistances appear unreal, transient and extremely relative. Out of this living a fourth condition evolves which insists to withdraw from the absorption of material preoccupation, not by rejecting or neglecting life in the body but by a constant living on the inner and higher planes of Consciousness by an ascent and stepping back inward; both these movements are necessary in order to elevate life from the transient life from moment to moment into the eternal life of our immortal Consciousness. The fifth condition of Divine life is the widening of our range of Consciousness, field of action in time and a taking up and transcending of the existing state of our mental, vital and corporeal consciousness and consider them as the instrument and minor outward formation of the Self. Thus, in reality the world lives in us, thinks in us, formulates itself in us; but we imagine and misunderstand that it is we who live, think, formulate separately by ourselves and for ourselves and we claim the universal forces that act in us as our own. In the last condition of Divine living, the Consciousness is at once aware of the Law, Right and Truth of the Individual and All and the two become consciously harmonised in a mutual unity, One knowing itself as the Many and the Many knowing themselves as the One, life obeys the law of Unity and yet fulfils each thing in the diversity according to its proper rule and function; in this Divine Life all the individuals live at once as one conscious Being in many living Souls, one power of Consciousness in many minds, one joy of force in many lives, one reality of Delight fulfilling itself in many hearts and bodies. An integral evolution of Consciousness in Matter in a constant developing self-formation till the form reveals and manifests the indwelling Spirit is then the central significant motive of our terrestrial existence. Savitri and Supramental/Supreme Consciousness: “The All-Conscious ventured into Ignorance, The All-Blissful bore to be insensible.” Savitri-66-67 “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.” Savitri-271 “A great all-ruling Consciousness is there” Savitri-271 “A light was round him wide and absolute, A diamond purity of eternal sight; 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 “For one was there supreme behind the God. A Mother Might brooded upon the world; A Consciousness revealed its marvellous front Transcending all that is, denying none:" Savitri-313 “The one Consciousness that made the world was seen; All now was luminosity and force." Savitri-319 Consciousness is a yearning,⁵ an exploration, an action and a search through every movement, gesture and cry and it hunts in the Inconscient depths and Superconscient heights to find some lost felicity, missed sweetness and manifests itself as Knowledge and limiting that knowledge to such extent to create phenomena of Ignorance acting upon surface consciousness. We are in search of that single beginningless and endless Consciousness for whom this creation is a small incident, which mind cannot touch, speech cannot utter, thought cannot reveal; it has no home on earth and no centre in man and yet is the fount of creation, source and origin of all truth, all things thought and all action done. Delight is the original nature of Consciousness and its deepest form is manifested as Divine Love. This Love labours in the depths as established Consciousness which maintains a growing but firm light in the darkness of original Nescience and exults on the heights and its feet can walk in the naked hardest world. Savitri teaches us this lesson that if the highest Consciousness of Divine Love can be called down to the lowest plane of Inconscient, then the perishable stuff of our body can be transformed into immortal Divine Life and harmonise all the obscure forces of existence that surround and press upon the body. This inner movement of ascension and descent of Consciousness can be carried out by the support of Vedantic and Vedic action of Sacrifice and Faith and can be further intensified by the support of Divine Love. Through the movement of Consciousness, Divine Love can be activated which needs no hand to feel and clasp but this mighty vibration can destroy the falsity in human love and heighten the intimacy of Soul with Soul, which no human love can imagine. OM TAT SAT References: 1: CWSA-22/The Life Divine-856, 2: CWSA-22/The Life Divine-1054, 3: CWSA/19/Essays on the Gita-473, 4: CWSA-22/The Life Divine-1062, 5: “A consciousness that yearned through every cry Of unexplored attraction and desire, It found and searched again the unsatisfied deeps Hunting as if in some deep secret heart To find some lost or missed felicity.” Savitri-674 “He (King) neared the still consciousness sustaining all.” Savitri-32, “The one Consciousness that made the world was seen;” Savitri-319, 6: “Yes, the ordinary consciousness is like an axis with everything revolving around it. An axis fixed somewhere, and everything revolves around it – that's the ordinary individual consciousness. And if the axis shifts, one feels lost. It's like a big axis (more or less big, it can also be tiny) planted straight up in time, with everything revolving around it. The consciousness may be more or less extended, more or less high, more or less strong, but it always turns on an axis. And now for me there is no more axis. ” The Mother's Agenda/14th July 1962, 7: CWSA-22/The Life Divine/p-753, CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-114, 8: CWSA-22/The Life Divine/p-924, "All the works of mind and intellect must be first heightened and widened, then illumined, lifted into the domain of a higher Intelligence, afterwards translated into workings of a greater non-mental Intuition, these again transformed into the dynamic outpourings of the Overmind radiance, and those transfigured into the full light and sovereignty of the supramental Gnosis. It is this that the evolution of consciousness in the world carries prefigured but latent in its seed and in the straining tense intention of its process; nor can that process, that evolution cease till it has evolved the instruments of a perfect in place of its now imperfect manifestation of the Spirit." CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-149, 9: “The soul, the psychic entity , then manifests itself as the central being which upholds mind and life and body and supports all the other powers and functions of the Spirit; it takes up its greater function as the guide and ruler of the nature. A guidance, a governance begins from within which exposes every movement to the light of Truth, repels what is false, obscure, opposed to the divine realisation: every region of the being, every nook and corner of it, every movement, formation, direction, inclination of thought, will, emotion, sensation, action, reaction, motive, disposition, propensity, desire, habit of the conscious or subconscious physical, even the most concealed, camouflaged, mute, recondite, is lighted up with the unerring psychic light , their confusions dissipated, their tangles disentangled, their obscurities, deceptions, self-deceptions precisely indicated and removed; all is purified, set right, the whole nature harmonised, modulated in the psychic key, put in spiritual order.” CWSA-22/The Life Divine-941, 10: “This, effected little by little or in a succession of great and swift definitive experiences, is the process of the spiritual transformation . It achieves itself and culminates in an upward ascent often repeated by which in the end the consciousness fixes itself on a higher plane and from there sees and governs the mind, life and body; it achieves itself also in an increasing descent of the powers of the higher consciousness and knowledge which become more and more the whole normal consciousness and knowledge. A light and power, a knowledge and force are felt which first take possession of the mind and remould it, afterwards of the life part and remould that, finally of the little physical consciousness and leave it no longer little but wide and plastic and even infinite. For this new consciousness has itself the nature of infinity: it brings to us the abiding spiritual sense and awareness of the infinite and eternal with a great largeness of the nature and a breaking down of its limitations; immortality becomes no longer a belief or an experience but a normal self-awareness; the close presence of the Divine Being, his rule of the world and of our self and natural members, his force working in us and everywhere, the peace of the infinite, the joy of the infinite are now concrete and constant in the being; in all sights and forms one sees the Eternal, the Reality, in all sounds one hears it, in all touches feels it; there is nothing else but its forms and personalities and manifestations; the joy or adoration of the heart, the embrace of all existence, the unity of the spirit are abiding realities.” CWSA-22/The Life Divine-947, 11: “If the spirit could from the first dwell securely on the superior heights and deal with a blank and virgin stuff of mind and matter, a complete spiritual transformation might be rapid, even facile: but the actual process of Nature is more difficult, the logic of her movement more manifold, contorted, winding, comprehensive; she recognises all the data of the task she has set to herself and is not satisfied with a summary triumph over her own complexities. Every part of our being has to be taken in its own nature and character, with all the moulds and writings of the past still there in it: each minutest portion and movement must either be destroyed and replaced if it is unfit, or, if it is capable, transmuted into the truth of the higher being. If the psychic change is complete, this can be done by a painless process, though still the programme must be long and scrupulous and the progress deliberate; but otherwise one has to be satisfied with a partial result or, if one’s own scrupulousness of perfection or hunger of the spirit is insatiable, consent to a difficult, often painful and seemingly interminable action. For ordinarily the consciousness does not rise to the summits except in the highest moments; it remains on the mental level and receives descents from above, sometimes a single descent of some spiritual power that stays and moulds the being into something predominatingly spiritual, or a succession of descents bringing into it more and more of the spiritual status and dynamis: but unless one can live on the highest height reached, there cannot be the complete or more integral change .” CWSA-22/The Life Divine-948, 12: "As it is, the physical body is really only a very disfigured shadow of the eternal life of the Self, but this physical body is capable of a progressive development; the physical substance progresses through each individual formation, and one day it will be able to build a bridge between physical life as we know it and the supramental life that is to manifest." The Mother/ The Mother's Agenda/28.11.1958 “The only hope for the future is in a change of man’s consciousness and the change is bound to come....But it is left to men to decide if they will collaborate in this change or if it will have to be enforced upon them by the power of crushing circumstances... So, wake up and collaborate.” The Mother/ The Mother’s Agenda-Vol-5/p-46, “In my Yoga also I found myself moved to include both worlds in my purview, the spiritual and the material, and to try to establish the divine Consciousness and the divine Power in men’s hearts and in earthly life, not for personal salvation only but for a life divine here . This seems to me as spiritual an aim as any and the fact of this life taking up earthly pursuits and earthly things into its scope cannot, I believe, tarnish its spirituality or alter its Indian character. This at least has always been my view and experience of the reality and nature of the world and things and the Divine: it seemed to me as nearly as possible the integral truth about them and I have therefore spoken of the pursuit of it as the integral Yoga. Everyone is, of course, free to reject and disbelieve in this kind of integrality or to believe in the spiritual necessity of an entire other-worldliness excluding any kind of this-worldliness altogether, but that would make the exercise of my Yoga impossible. My Yoga can include indeed a full experience of the other worlds, the plane of the supreme Spirit and the other planes in between and their possible effects upon our life and material world ; but it will be quite possible to insist only on the realisation of the supreme Being or Ishwara even in one aspect, Shiva, Krishna as Lord of the world and Master of ourselves and our works or else the universal Sachchidananda , and attain to the essential results of this Yoga and afterwards to proceed from them to the integral results if one accepted the ideal of the divine life and this material world conquered by the Spirit. It is this view and experience of things and of the truth of existence that enabled me to write The Life Divin e and Savitri . ” CWSA-29/Letters on Yoga-II-375, 13: CWSA-35/Letters on Himself and the Ashram-308, 14: The Mother’s Agenda-29.06.1966, 15: “Man and the animal are both mentally conscious beings: but the animal is fixed in vital mind and mind-sense and cannot exceed its limitations, while man has received into his sense-mind the light of another principle, the intellect, which is really at once a reflection and a degradation of the supermind, a ray of gnosis seized by the sense-mentality and transformed by it into something other than its source: for it is agnostic like the sense- mind in which and for which it works, not gnostic; it seeks to lay hold on knowledge, because it does not possess it, it does not like supermind hold knowledge in itself as its natural prerogative. In other words, in each of these forms of existence the universal being has fixed its action of consciousness in a different principle or, as between man and animal, in the modification of a lower by a higher though still not a highest-grade principle.” CWSA-22/The Life Divine-739, 16: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga-149, 17: CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga-147, 18: “For, as a matter of fact, while the very keyword of the ideal creation is a plenary self-consciousness and self-possession in the infinite Soul and a perfect oneness, the keyword of the creation of which we have present experience is the very opposite; it is an original inconscience developing in life into a limited and divided self-consciousness, an original inert subjection to the drive of a blind self-existent Force developing in life into a struggle of the self-conscious being to possess himself and all things and to establish in the kingdom of this unseeing mechanic Force the reign of an enlightened Will and Knowledge.” CWSA-21/The Life Divine/p-501-502 19: “It is consciousness and life that must be the keywords to what is being thus worked out in Time; for without them Matter and the world of Matter would be a meaningless phenomenon, a thing that has just happened by Chance or by an unconscious Necessity. But consciousness as it is, life as it is cannot be the whole secret; for both are very clearly something unfinished and still in process. In us consciousness is Mind, and our mind is ignorant and imperfect, an intermediate power that has grown and is still growing towards something beyond itself: there were lower levels of consciousness that came before it and out of which it arose, there must very evidently be higher levels to which it is itself arising. Before our thinking, reasoning, reflecting mind there was a consciousness unthinking but living and sentient, and before that there was the subconscious and the unconscious; after us or in our yet unevolved selves there is likely to be waiting a greater consciousness , self-luminous, not dependent on constructive thought: our imperfect and ignorant thought-mind is certainly not the last word of consciousness, its ultimate possibility. For the essence of consciousness is the power to be aware of itself and its objects, and in its true nature this power must be direct, self-fulfilled and complete : if it is in us indirect, incomplete, unfulfilled in its workings, dependent on constructed instruments, it is because consciousness here is emerging from an original veiling Inconscience and is yet burdened and enveloped with the first Nescience proper to the Inconscient; but it must have the power to emerge completely, its destiny must be to evolve into its own perfection which is its true nature. Its true nature is to be wholly aware of its objects, and of these objects the first is self, the being which is evolving its consciousness here, and the rest is what we see as not-self, — but if existence is indivisible, that too must in reality be self: the destiny of evolving consciousness must be, then, to become perfect in its awareness, entirely aware of self and all-aware. This perfect and natural condition of consciousness is to us a superconscience, a state which is beyond us and in which our mind, if suddenly transferred to it, could not at first function; but it is towards that superconscience that our conscious being must be evolving.” CWSA-22/The Life Divine/p-1052-1053, 20: “Buddhi , which is simply the determinative power that determines all inertly out of indeterminate inconscient Force, takes for us the form of intelligence and will. Manas, the inconscient force which seizes Nature’s discriminations by objective action and reaction and grasps at them by attraction, becomes sense-perception and desire, the two crude terms or degradations of intelligence and will, — becomes the sense-mind sensational, emotive, volitional in the lower sense of wish, hope, longing, passion, vital impulsion, all the deformations (vikara ) of will. The senses become the instruments of sense-mind, the perceptive five of our sense-knowledge, the active five of our impulsions and vital habits, mediators between the subjective and objective; the rest are the objects of our consciousness, visayas of the senses.” CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-97, “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.” CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/p-427, “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.” CWSA-19/Essays on the Gita/428, “The old semi-Buddhistic , semi-Sankhya theory which saw only the Quiescent and nothing else in the world except a constant combination of the five elements (The Gita-18.14) and the three modes of inconscient Energy lighting up their false activity by the consciousness of the Quiescent in which it is reflected, is not the whole truth of the Brahman. We are not a mere mass of changing mind-stuff, life-stuff, body-stuff taking different forms of mind and life and body from birth to birth, so that at no time is there any real self or conscious reason of existence behind all the flux or none except that Quiescent who cares for none of these things. There is a real and stable power of our being behind the constant mutation of our mental, vital and physical personality, and this we have to know and preserve in order that the Infinite may manifest Himself through it according to His will in whatever range and for whatever purpose of His eternal cosmic activity.” CWSA-23/The Synthesis of Yoga/p-376 Download this file in PDF format: “There must grow up within us or there must manifest a consciousness more and more open to the deeper and the higher being, more and more laid bare to the cosmic Self and Power and to what comes down from the Transcendence, turned to a higher Peace, permeable to a greater light, force and ecstasy, a consciousness that exceeds the small personality and surpasses the limited light and experience of the surface mind, the limited force and aspiration of the normal life consciousness, the obscure and limited responsiveness of the body.” Sri Aurobindo CWSA-22/The Life Divine/p-938

Sri Matri Dhyana Mandir The Temple of the Divine Descent Sri Matri Dhyana Mandir is the temple of adoration of the Divine Mother, not a religious centre of worship but rather a place where all outer aids are substituted by inner aids of concentration, meditation, silencing of the mind and inner adoration which are identified as indispensable method and second step¹ of integral Jnana and Bhakti Yoga . This is further extended as a Spiritual experience of Knowledge by identity and Bliss of union and dynamised as pouring down of Divine Knowledge and Love of the third and fourth steps and the last ascending Spiritual experience of integral Yoga is the highest oneness with the greatest possible depth and height of Consciousness, substituting the world as a temple ground and cry of the devotees for the clasp of God. A BRIEF HINT OF THE TEMPLE: Sri Matri Dhyana Mandir is a partially closed, many-petalled Lotus-shaped structure within a rectangular hall. The structure rests on twelve curved pillars surrounded with eighteen+six rectangular pillars. These rectangular pillars symbolise the twenty-four perfections ² (6x4) of integral Yoga. The twelve pillars form twelve petals or twelve attributes of the Divine Mother that converge into four petals or four Divine Shaktis and finally into a central petal or One Mother, Aditi , representing the perfection of The Mother’s Symbol. This temple also symbolically represents one of the last, the profoundest and the 'grand solution’³ of the opening of the Inconscient Self and calling down the Divine Mother seated in the Inconscient Self’s ‘many-petalled lotus-throne,’⁴ which is an Immobile Centre of many infinitudes, located by the side of Time’s Sea ‘in thousand-pillared temple.’⁴ There is a rectangular corridor, The Mother’s room and a library encircling this meditation hall. The Hall can accommodate approximately 250 devotees for meditation and concentration. The Temple height is 30 feet with an inside hall dimension of 44x50 feet size. A BRIEF HINT OF THE INTEGRAL YOGA: A Sadhaka’s Spiritual life is secured through the complete union of the Soul (Psychic Being) with the Divine. His primary motive is to give Them (dual Divine Consciousness) consecrated service without rest and earthly ease, which will establish him as a slave of all humanity and in the consciousness of the King Child with the extension of the inner and outer Kingdom. His secondary motive is to develop his own path of Yoga through concentration, contemplation and meditation of written Truth and its constant restatement and renovation which will establish him as a disciple of the Lord, Prophet, Pathfinder, Pioneer of new Consciousness and a student of Integral Education. His tertiary motive is to emerge as Lover of the Divine, lover of brother Souls and lover of all creatures and humanity. Thus, his Spiritual life is fulfilled by the emergence of triple overhead energies of Delight, Love and Beauty. Integral Yoga further insists a Sadhaka to remain aware of full account⁵ of his human imperfection. It has been identified that to remain satisfied with partial Divine union is a ‘maimed achievement’ ⁶ and he must strive for integration and perfection of his whole Being and Nature from a higher plane of Consciousness. This Yoga is primarily ‘Yoga of Self-perfection’ of developed Souls and secondarily Karma, Jnana and Bhakti Yoga of developing and developed Souls. Out of these triple paths, integral Yoga is primarily Karma Yoga and secondarily the subordinate action of Jnana and Bhakti Yoga . Integration comes by the reconciliation of triple Yoga and practice of the fourth ‘Yoga of Self-perfection.’ The Consciousness in which an integral Yogi is established is primarily waking trance or entry into multiple subtle bodies/koshas in the waking state and secondarily dream trance, sleep trance and absolute trance of Turiya, ‘to which few can attain and from which not all can return’⁷ to the body. FUTURE VISION: Sri Matri Dhyana Mandir symbolically represents earth as half opened and half-closed aspirant lotus bud, who no longer spins unhelped in Space within the burden of existing Time extending towards Eternity and oblivious of its high and luminous Supreme destiny but it is also a living manifestation of Eternal and Infinite All-existence and it 'Knows that one high step might'⁸ liberate all. This view of accepting this earth as a world of sacrifice and enlargement of this life through sacrifice is further supported by our other view that the Divine Life is the culmination of an evolutionary process and using this phrase implies that our present life is undivine and imperfect. This apparent Earth has to retain her purity through her marriage with Eternity and sole dependency on the Supreme from above. This world is a growing image of Divine creation and it expresses a foreseen Truth, obeys a predetermining Will and realises an original formative self-vision. The existing Sri Matri Dhyana Mandir Project seems to be an ambitious mental construction and can wait for supreme creation related to the invisible descent of Spiritual Force precipitating as a perfect piece of material CREATION and manifestation. Form may be said to be the innate body and the inevitable self-revelation of the Formless. This construction is dependent neither on government machinery, local surroundings, human architects, or generous donors but on the Divine. Its objective is not only to gather together a few zealous aspirants to possess and be possessed by the Divine Beloved but to serve as a means to channel God’s Supreme Light for earth and man. This universal all-pervading Divine Force considers this earth not as a figment of conception in universal Mind but as a conscious birth that can act through the individual concentration to open another dimension of life in its widest and profoundest sense, shows the definite path to distant unknown wandering Souls, who emerge as new-born destined Divine Souls leading them towards their moderate, ascetic and extreme Spiritual fulfillment. Finally, this temple of light will be able to 'bring the glory here of the Absolute’s force,'⁹ serve as a means of enlarging the existing human limitation into 'Light too intense for thought and love too boundless'¹⁰ and can draw brief time into limitless Eternity. It can also become a cradle of a few twice-born Souls, Dvija, to pursue rightly regulated consecration through persistent and rigorous askesis. OM TAT SAT REFERENCES : 1. “But worship is only the first step on the path of devotion. Where external worship changes into (second step) the inner adoration, real Bhakti begins; (third step) that deepens into the intensity of divine love; (fourth step) that love leads to the joy of closeness passes into the bliss of union. Love too as well as knowledge brings us to (fifth step) a highest oneness and (sixth step) it gives to that oneness its greatest possible depth and intensity.” Sri Aurobindo/ CWSA-24/The Synthesis Of Yoga-549, 2. Twenty-four Concentrations of Divine Perfection are taken from sapta-chatustaya : Concentration of Fourfold Perfection of Equality: Samata, Shanti, Sukha and Hasya. Concentration of Fourfold Perfection of Body: Arogyam, Utthapana, Saundaryam, Vividhanandah . The concentration of Fourfold Perfection of Mind and Supermind: Jnanam, Trikala Dristi, Asta Siddhi and Samadhi . Concentration of Fourfold Perfection of Shakti: Viryam, Shaktih, Daivi Prakriti, Sraddha . Concentration of Fourfold Perfection of Action: Krishnah, Kali, Kamah, Karma . The concentration of Fourfold Perfection of Brahman: Sarvam Brahma, Anantam Brahmah, Jnanam Brahmah, Anandam Brahmah . 3. “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 lost forgotten soul. A grand solution closed the long impasse In which the heights of mortal effort end.” Savitri-89-90, 4. “The Immanent shall be the witness God Watching on his many-petalled lotus-throne His actionless being and his silent might Ruling earth-nature by eternity’s law, A thinker waking the Inconscient’s world, An immobile centre of many infinitudes In his thousand-pillared temple by Time’s sea .” Savitri-706, 5. “But whatever his (Sadhaka) 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, 6. “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-92, 7: CWSA/23/The Synthesis of Yoga-395, 8: (Earth) “Knows that one high step might enfranchise all.” Savitri-371, 9: “Toiling to transform the still far Absolute Into an all-fulfilling epiphany, Into an utterance of the Ineffable, She would bring the glory here of the Absolute’s force, Change poise into creation’s rhythmic swing, Marry with a sky of calm a sea of bliss.” Savitri-195-196 10: “A power dwelt in her soul too great for earth, A bliss lived in her heart too large for heaven; Light too intense for thought and love too boundless For earth’s emotions lit her skies of mind And spread through her deep and happy seas of soul.” Savitri-715 The revelation of Supramental Energy in the Inconscient Sheath is ‘a grand solution’ and a confirmation of the acceleration of the individual and universal transformation of nature. This discovery of Inconscient Self is also identified as ‘the last transcendent power’ where ‘Matter still slept empty of its Lord.’ Sri Matri Dhyana Mandir stands primarily as a symbol of this perfection where Divine force rushes into the body, life and mind from the farthest end of the feet and secondarily a symbol of all-pervading Overhead Supramental Energy capturing all the sheaths and can be approached from the two gates of head and feet or ‘Our life is entrenched between two rivers of Light.’ (Refer Savitri-page- 90, 405, 531) “Powerful and prolonged penetration of the Supramental forces into the body, it was pressing to enter, from everywhere, but everywhere at the same time… it was not a current flowing in, it was an atmosphere penetrating from everywhere. It lasted for at least four to five hours.” The Mother The Mother’s Agenda, August 28, 1968 "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

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, ("A little point reveal the infinitudes." Savitri-100) one small beginning, ("His small beginnings asked for a mighty end:" Savitri-315) 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, DOWNLOAD THIS WEBPAGE IN PDF FORMAT: 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