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ARTArticleThe Nature of True AspirationRestlessness, impatience and disturbance of the vital nature are signs of weakness in the vital, an inability to hold the energy that is available to the vital. A strong vital nature will have the ability to remain calm and hold the energy without spilling it.ARTArticleThe Necessity of Receptivity to the Force of the Divine Shakti to Accomplish the Sadhana of the Integral YogaFor the practitioner of the integral yoga, it becomes evident that the transformation of human nature is not something that can be done by his own capacity alone. His mental ideas, the will power, vital drives and physical powers have their limitations and remain relatively fixed within the framework of the untransformed human nature as we recognise it. Some progress can be made, but it reaches a point where the change cannot progress any farther and a new power needs to be brought into the picture to work through the subsequent steps.ARTArticleThe Need for a Settled Peace and Silence in the Mind As the First Stage of Yogic PracticeThe vital nature seeks ‘experiences’. These experiences are something special that sets the individual apart. In most cases, these experiences come as signposts along the way to motivate the seeker and guide. But the vital ego latches on to them and desires them to repeat as well as have new ever more meaningful experiences. This sets up a pattern of vital desire and, when they do not come, potential frustration and doubt.ARTArticleThe Need for a Sleepless Vigilance in the Yogic SadhanaVirtually everyone has had the experience, at some point or another of finally overcoming a particularly difficult internal issue, whether it is the force of desire, or not responding with anger to things that do not go as anticipated, or any number of other activities that take place in the physical, the vital or the mental elements of the being; and then, when one is feeling satisfied that a real progress has been made, there is a circumstance that demolishes that sense of accomplishment with a recognition that one has once again given in to the impulsion or the provocation and repeated whatARTArticleThe Need for Action of the Psychic Being in the Yoga of Transformation of Human NatureIn a certain sense, pursuing one of the paths that lead to liberation from human life is actually simpler and less complicated than a path that calls for the total change and transformation of human nature. In the first case, the seeker can choose to disregard the exte
al life and the exte
al nature, focus on the spiritual objective and, with sufficient concentration, can reach the objective, whether it is called liberation, moksha, or nirvana, or possible attainment of heaven after the death of the body.ARTArticleThe Need for Patience and PerseveranceScientists tell us that human beings diverged from chimpanzees somewhere between 4 and 8 million years ago. Somewhere around 2 million years ago, the line of development that led to human beings appeared and our current formation, Homo sapiens came on the scenes around 300,000 years ago. Each stage led to expression of new physical, vital and mental traits that coalesced around the current status of what we understand to be human capabilities today.ARTArticleThe Need for Patience and PerseveranceIn today’s modern societies, people expect instant results. They want things to be fast and easy. They respond to ads claiming they can lose weight easily in a few days’ time. They want deliveries from stores to be ove
ight, if not ‘same day’. They would prefer to receive their enlightenment from a pill in many cases! We hear people who indicate that they tried meditation or hatha yoga but got nothing out of it. When pressed, they will admit to trying it for a few brief sessions on and off.ARTArticleThe Need for Patience and Perseverance to Bring About Evolutionary Change of ConsciousnessIt is essential for the spiritual seeker to maintain his view of the long-term objectives and the time frames of the evolution of consciousness in Nature, in order for him to avoid becoming overly anxious about specific setbacks or delays in completing transforming the exte
al physical consciousness. When an individual takes up the practice of yoga, he begins to observe the defects and limitations of the existing formulation of not only his own exte
al being, but of the exte
al life, in general.ARTArticleThe Need for the Persistence of Faith to Succeed in the Yogic EndeavourWe often do not recognise that there are different parts of our being that may be at different stages in terms of the spiritual focus, the dedication, the faith and the commitment. Thus, when our mind gets distracted or conce
ed, or when our vital nature goes off in another direction, we may tend to feel like we are failing in the spiritual practice and we entertain considerations of giving up.ARTArticleThe Need for the Power of Disce
ment in the Spiritual SadhanaThere are many powers at work in the world, physical powers, vital powers, mental powers, spiritual powers. They are native to their own sphere, but in many cases they are active here in our world, trying to assert themselves and thrive here. Many of these powers are conscious and act with intentionality. Some support the development of consciousness and represent the spiritual forces that are beneficent, helpful and compassionate.ARTArticleThe Need to Achieve a Calm Equality Not Shaken By Outward HappeningsIf we examine our reactions to circumstances that occur daily in our lives, we will see we generally go through a range of feelings from elation when something we deem positive occurs, to depression when it seems like the house is falling in on us. Major events, such as achievements in school, falling in love and getting married, having children, developing a successful career, enjoying amazing travel opportunities, spending time with loved ones, all create feelings of pleasure or joy.ARTArticleThe Need to Employ the Searchlight on Every Aspect of One’s BeingIn its essence, yoga is a form of applied psychology. The practitioner of yoga is attempting to redirect the focus, the responses and the reactions of the being, in many cases having to overcome deeply rooted and embedded instincts, habits, and trained responses, as well as the forces of desire, physical sensations, cravings and mental predilections. The development takes place by a refocusing the being on the higher principles or forces and then by a systematic rejection of the uprising of lower forces which try to distract, distort, or dilute the action of the higher force.ARTArticleThe Need to Maintain Calm Equality in One’s Relation to the Circumstances of LifeSomeone says or does something we do not like or which we find offensive. They may do things to harm our reputation or our relationships, or they may affect our financial well being, possibly cheat us or interfere with our lives in some other way. The natural reaction is one of anger, even “righteous anger, ” In some cases we feel that our stomach knots up, we lose our peace of mind, we cannot sleep, or we experience other symptoms of anxiety or nervous tension.ARTArticleThe Needed Effort to Resolve the Deformations of the Lower Vital NatureIn his application of yoga as applied psychology, Sri Aurobindo identifies a number of different planes and parts of the being that make up the human individual. There are various levels of mind, vital being and physical being. Each level carries out specific types of functions and responds to specific vibrational patterns and is generally activated through the energy that flows through one of the subtle energy centers, or chakras.ARTArticleThe One Essential Thing in Spiritual Development is an Inward Focus of the Awareness on the Divine PresenceIn the Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 2, v. 54, Arjuna asks Sri Krishna how to recognise the enlightened man. Sri Aurobindo translates: “What is the sign of the man in Samadhi whose intelligence is firmly fixed in wisdom? How does the sage of settled understanding speak, how sit, how walk?” Sri Aurobindo goes on to explain: “Arjuna, voicing the average human mind, asks for some outward, physical, practically disce
ible sign of Samadhi.ARTArticleThe Parable of the Mote and the Beam and Its Relevance for the Spiritual SeekerThe spiritual seeker often finds that he can see weaknesses and faults in others. If he fails to recognise that his reaction may be due to harboring those faults and weaknesses within himself, he can take an attitude of hostility toward the other person who is exhibiting those things. He may try to control in someone else what he does not control within himself. He may give way to anger and a self-righteous attitude that can lead to much negativity.ARTArticleThe Path Is Fulfilled Through the Cultivation of Inward and Outward PeaceIt is a frequent occurrence. Someone takes up the spiritual path and tries to follow the dictates set forth in that path, down to the smallest detail. They treat goals and aspiration as a type of ‘rule-book’ that needs to be followed. If, as is to be expected, they do not succeed in each such detail, they can get into a cycle of self-criticism. In some cases, this simply breeds an obsessive state of mind and an emotional reaction, but in others it can actually lead them to take up acts of violence against themselves in the form of various sorts of self-inflicted corporal punishments.ARTArticleThe Peace of Pure Existence Is the Foundation for All Spiritual DevelopmentAll of the action that takes place in the world, in the galaxy, in the universe, occurs within a vast, unmoving, wide space. The ancient Vedic Rishis termed this basis of reality, Satyam, Ritam, Brihat, the Truth, the Right, the Vast.ARTArticleThe Physical Consciousness and Its FunctionsMost people, when asked, attribute consciousness to the mind, and center it in the brain. But consciousness does not stop there and, indeed, there are various types of consciousness associated with different aspects of the being. There is a mental consciousness, an emotional consciousness, a vital consciousness and even a physical consciousness. People do not generally recognise the physical consciousness for what it is, and therefore, they tend to underestimate it and its potential as an aid in the spiritual development.ARTArticleThe Physical Consciousness and the Method of Effectuating Change in ItThe integral yoga operates on the principle of the Force descending from above and working through the mind, the emotions, the vital and finally into the physical nature. While some action may take place in the sadhana out of a specific order, this is the general case, as the issue of addressing and definitively changing the embedded habits and predilections of the physical nature naturally is easier if the mind, the heart and the vital nature are all cooperating in the process.ARTArticleThe Power of a Quiet MindModern civilization puts a premium on the mental process. We educate our children with a focus on the mind. We want them to learn verbal skills, reading skills, logical skills and measure them on their abilities in these areas with various forms of standardized tests by which we then classify them based on their capabilities in this regard.
We under-value different forms of intelligence that may be based on the capacities of the physical body, the vital nature or the emotional being. Empathy and insight are less valued than mental, linear logic.ARTArticleThe Power of ChoiceI had the opportunity to watch the movie The Reader last night and I was stuck by profound impact of the characters decisions throughout their lives. As I sat back and reflected upon the movie - I thought of hundreds of personal choices that changed the story of my own movie-worthy life. So often we make choices totally unaware of what we are creating. Just one seemingly small choice may have catastrophic effects if made without consciousness.ARTArticleThe Power of Rejection in Gaining Mastery Over the NatureOperant conditioning is a phenomenon identified in Western psychology by B.F. Skinner. His experiments showed that by the results of carrying out specific actions, they can either be encouraged, through positive reinforcement, or discouraged through negative reinforcement. One of the principles he elicited in his experiments was the impact of the reinforcement over time. Experiments showed that by removing any positive reinforcement, certain behaviours would weaken and fade out over time. Consistent reinforcement led to patterns, habits and embedded actions.ARTArticleThe Practice of Attempted Elimination of Unwanted Vital Movements Through Purposeful Indulgence, Part 1There is a theory, current in various spiritual paths, as well as in various attempts to overcome certain unwanted behaviours in the ordinary life, that by purposeful indulgence, through ‘experience’ (anubhava), the individual can overcome the undesired impulse, craving or desire. The idea is that such indulgence will exhaust the tendency, and thus, allow the individual to ‘move on’ from that drive. The over-indulgence can create a form of distaste or rejection, eventually a detachment from the impulse, vairagya.ARTArticleThe Practice of Attempted Elimination of Unwanted Vital Movements Through Purposeful Indulgence, Part 2An individual dedicated some years to study and spiritual development. He gathered a small group of young people around him and took on the role of a teacher. He had obviously studied the texts and spent some time practicing them. He gained an aura of charisma for the young people who came under his tutelage. Eventually he came to Europe and started a small community with himself at the center. So far, so good. But something changed. At some point he began to exercise his desire for money, power, sex and began to exploit the young people to achieve his immediate objectives.ARTArticleThe Practitioner of the Integral Yoga Will Face Difficulties, Obstructions and Challenges With the Support of the Divine Force to Meet Them and Overcome ThemIn Savitri: A Legend and a Symbol, Sri Aurobindo poses the question: ‘How shall he cure the ills he never felt’, in reference to the world redeemer’s task. There is a truth here that impacts every disciple and devotee of the integral yoga. Sri Aurobnido has set the objective as the transformation of all of human nature through the descent and integration of the next stage of evolution beyond the mental level.ARTArticleThe Principle Thing in the Practice of Integral YogaIn his book The Mother, Sri Aurobindo provides a detailed roadmap for understanding the relatively simple idea that one must have the ‘will to overcome all attachments’, etc. In order to do this, we need to be able to appreciate what is meant by ‘attachments’. Most people would associate this with exte
al things or with exte
al relationships, and they of course need to be looked at.ARTArticleThe Procedure for Elimination of Unwanted Movements in the BeingMedical researchers tell us that bacteria that can cause various disease conditions are always present in our environment, to some degree, including within our bodies. Yet for the most part, we do not become ill or remain ill all the time. The bacteria may be in a diffused or weak form, or our various immune system defenses reject their attempt to overpower our system in a way that creates an active illness.ARTArticleThe Process for Gaining Equality in the Face of Outer CircumstancesThe question of how to achieve the status of inner equality to all outward circumstances is one that occupies the attention of spiritual seekers everywhere. In his book Bases of Yoga, Sri Aurobindo devotes the first chapter to the questions of achieving calm, peace and equality, as these are foundational for spiritual development. Some individuals try to establish a philosophical approach based in the mind. They become analytical about situations and work to defuse vital reactions that arise through applying a deeper insight to the situation.ARTArticleThe Process of Establishing the True Foundation for the Practice of the Integral YogaEstablishing peace and quietness in the being is not a matter of intellectual determination; rather, it is a concrete experience that comes with the action of the Force that descends into the being from higher ranges of consciousness. Many believe that it is a matter of disciplining oneself not to react to circumstances. Stoicism and similar disciplines try to suppress and overcome the reactions and to a certain degree, such methods may provide some help initially.