How to Change Human Nature

Human beings have struggled in their attempts to make changes to human nature throughout human history. Many approaches have been tried, including adopting tough disciplines, isolating oneself from society to avoid the impulses and temptations, as well as harsh tortures to which the body has been subjected to try to 'whip it into shape', so to speak.

Experience shows us, however, that these methods of forcible control or suppression of human nature simply do not succeed in the long term. And they have an additional drawback in that they require a tremendous amount of attention and effort to effectuate them at all.

These methods are based in the idea that the individual has control over his own life and actions and can therefore attain this mastery by his own efforts. When we look at the development of human attributes of body, life and mind, including instincts, habits and embedded modes of action, it is clear that these things developed over hundreds of thousands of years, with many of them going back even further to the pre-human evolutionary action that goes back many millions of years. The evolutionary process is therefore bigger and more encompassing than any individual human being can comprehend, much last gain mastery over.

When the seeker shifts his focus from the ego-standpoint to the divine standpoint, he is able to see that the evolutionary changes are a general change that needs to take place within a broader framework. This is not something that any individual can do on his own. The solution then is to use the focus and energy that otherwise is spent trying to control the lower nature through suppression to tune the awareness to the psychic being and the spiritual consciousness, and create a field of receptivity for the knowledge and power of that higher evolutionary force to work within and through him. This involves not simply creation of an intellectual knowledge, but also an opening of the heart and the vital being to the Divine.

Sri Aurobindo observes: "To do anything by mental control is always difficult, when what is attempted runs contrary to the trend of human nature or of the personal nature. A strong will patiently and perseveringly turned towards its object can effect a change, but usually it takes a long time and the success at the beginning may be only partial and chequered by many failures."

"To turn all actions automatically into worship cannot be done by thought control only; there must be a strong aspiration in the heart which will bring about some realisation or feeling of the presence of the One to whom worship is offered. The bhakta does not rely on his own effort alone, but on the grace and power of the Divine whom he adores."

Sri Aurobindo, Bases of Yoga, Chapter 2, Faith -- Aspiration -- Surrender, pg. 26