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ARTArticleThe Essential Process of Ascent and Integration of Spiritual ProgressBy putting emphasis on ‘headline’ spiritual experiences and attempting to hold onto them or repeat them, the seeker is potentially losing sight of the larger process that is taking place to effect the transformation of the nature. All progress represents what may be called a ‘vertical ascent’ to a higher level of conscious awareness. This may come through an experience that either takes the seeker to that higher plane for a time, or else, brings the force of that plane down into his normal awareness for a time.ARTArticleThe Evolutionary Cycle and the Speeding Up of the Evolutionary CycleWhen we reflect on the evolution of consciousness, it becomes obvious to us that nothing can evolve out of Matter that is not already involved in some way. We plant an acorn, and an oak tree grows. Someone unfamiliar with the science would treat this as a magical event. We put one form of matter, the acorn, into another form of matter, the soil, and a living being in the form of a tree results. With our relatively recent understanding of the mechanics of DNA and RNA, etc.ARTArticleThe Experience of SamadhiIt is impossible for the mental consciousness to imagine what the state of Samadhi actually is. If we try to sit for meditation, we find all kinds of perceptions, feelings, nervous impulses, random thoughts and emotions flitting across our minds. We can observe an almost endless stream of inner subtle reactions and mental commentary that has been called by some our “monkey mind”.ARTArticleThe Exte al Being and the Inner BeingMost people identify closely with their active exte al personality, and as a result, they consider that to be the extent of their existence. They leave on the surface, interact with others, family, friends, acquaintances, associates and other members of society, and respond to the outer environment, the weather, the economic and political conditions, etc. This constitutes the framework of their lives.ARTArticleThe Exte al Personality and the Psychic BeingFor most people, the exte al personality and being, the body and its needs and habits, the life-force and its desires and the mind and its particular predilections, represent “who they are”. Rarely, an individual reflects deeply on the question of ‘who am I’ and begins to understand that there is a deeper significance and reality to our lives than can be contained within this exte al being.ARTArticleThe Faults We Observe In Others Are a Reflection of the Faults We Carry In OurselvesIt is much easier to see and criticise others for their ideas, behaviour or habits, than to see in oneself potentially those same issues. Jesus raised this issue in his Sermon on the Mount: “And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?ARTArticleThe First Movement of Aspiration for the Divine“Seek thou to know that from which these creatures are born, whereby being born they live and to which they go hence and enter again; for that is the Ete al.” Thus goes the teaching of Varuna to his son Bhrigu in the Taittiriya Upanishad (translation by Sri Aurobindo in The Upanishads, pg. 275). We rarely stop and wonder about how it is we exist, and for what reason.ARTArticleThe First Necessary Step in Preparation for the Practice of the Integral YogaOne can clearly appreciate the unique nature of the integral yoga when one reflects on the preparation needed for the practice when compared to the preparations required for numerous other paths of yoga. The 8 steps set forth in Patanjali’s yoga sutras include two preparatory stages, called yamas and niyamas. These set forth purifications of the physical, vital and mental being so that the further practices can bear fruit and not wind up harming the practitioner.ARTArticleThe Formation of Human Nature and the Character of the Individual and the Basis of the Resistance to ChangeA yogic practice focus on transformation of human nature must necessarily address issues differently than one that has ‘liberation’ as its sole goal. This brings in the need for an understanding of the human instrument, the various elements of the being, the development of those elements through time, and the manner in which past stages form a basis for the current stage, with both its capacities and its limitations.ARTArticleThe Greatest Difficulties Signal the Greatest Strength for the Yogic PractitionerWhen an individual is called to the yoga of transformation, he comes with all of his strengths, weaknesses, developed and latent capacities, and habitual ways of dealing with things, as well as his familial, social, economic and educational background. These frame the starting point for the individual’s yogic practice. As he begins to shift to the standpoint of the witness of the nature, he begins to identify issues, patterns, conce s and obstacles to the practice. Some of these may be physical limitations, nervous disturbances, or emotional or mental blockages.ARTArticleThe Growth and Evolution of the SoulMost people are not directly aware of their soul, although it is frequently talked about. There seems to be much confusion. Western scientists have tried to determine the existence of the soul like they would measure particular chemical elements within the body. They weigh the body immediately before and then immediately after the time of death, and try to determine if there is any difference in weight. This approach assumes that the soul has weight and mass that would be measurable by our exte al measuring capabilities.ARTArticleThe Growth of the SoulWe become so used to all of the dark tendencies, hurtful energies and bad faith displayed throughout the world that we sometimes believe that this is the unchanging way that life is meant to be. What we often do not see is the secret evolutionary development of the soul, through time and circumstance, as it weaves its way through its various lifetimes of growth and development, and the interactions that occur with those who are at different stages in their own evolutionary progression, all of which, together, creates the mixed energetic reality that we see around us.ARTArticleThe Human Need for an Intermediary to the Divine Brings About the Presence of the Avatar, the World-Teacher, or the Human GuruSpiritual experience is not realised through following a manual or cookbook. There is not an actual way that any prescriptive documentation can both tune the consciousness to the spiritual plane, nor avoid the many chances of confusion that can arise through mistake or through misapplication or through misleading indications provided either by the vital nature, or forces inimical to the yogic development of the seeker. It is easy to be led astray as various types of ideas, emotions, feelings, sensations, experiences and directions come during the practice.ARTArticleThe Human Need for an Object to Venerate and to Be Guided By in the Spiritual PathFor the vast majority of individuals, the idea of confronting the vast consciousness without any disce able or identifiable form is overwhelming. Anything that is undefined or unlimited breeds discomfort and fear in our being. in the Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna is confronted with a vision of the Divine in a vast, all-powerful form, far beyond what he was prepared to handle. He begged Sri Krishna to return to his normal ‘four-armed’ form and to shower grace upon him. Few are those who can confront the larger forms of the universal creation, much less the vast, formless reality.ARTArticleThe Impersonal and the Personal DivineIt seems that people fall into two camps. Either they believe in a personal form of divinity, God, or savior, or they don’t. For those that do not believe in a personal form of the Divine, there is a belief in some impersonal machinery of unknown origin or purpose. These two however need not be mutually exclusive; rather, the division is due to the way we process concepts with our mentality, which seems to prefer ‘either/or’ choices and black and white distinctions.ARTArticleThe Individual and the CollectivityMany studies have been done, and real-life examples have shown the power of a body of people focused on a particular feeling, thought or action. Mob psychology shows that individuals who otherwise might be seen as quiet and peaceful can be riled up into paroxysms of anger when part of an angry crowd. It is this type of psychology that turnsordinary people into savage beasts when they are demagogued and harangued to stoke the force of anger.ARTArticleThe Individual Seeker and the Best Path Forward in the Practice of the YogaAs each individual tries to understand his life and purpose, he begins a process of observation, review, and experimentation. At this stage, many seekers have little clue about the path that is best suited for them, and they may try out different approaches. Once a path has been identified, they believe in many cases this is the “best” path and they begin to recommend it to others. It is, however, frequently the case, that what suits one individual will not suit the next one.ARTArticleThe Influence of Inner Planes of Consciousness on the Outer Life of the IndividualIn The Life Divine, Sri Aurobindo devotes a chapter to the ‘sevenfold ignorance’. While we are fixated on our exte al mind, life and body and the life we lead in the exte al world, we remain ignorant of the forces at work, behind the scenes, to create what we call our being and personality, and to bring about the circumstances that we require in the exte al live to realise the purpose of our existence (even if we fail to recognise or acknowledge that purpose overtly). Our surface personality is like the tip of the iceberg, with the scope and mass of that iceberg hidden from our view.ARTArticleThe Intense Opposition of Basic Human Nature to Any Attempt to Change or Grow into a New Status and the Need to PersevereUntil an individual takes up the issue of inner growth and development, whether this is for spiritual progress, mental development, emotional growth, vital discipline or some kind of physical control, he tends to take very little notice of any inner conflict or struggle. He just acts ‘naturally’ according to his own idea of what his life is about. This all changes when an individual attempts to undertake any manner of change in some part of his being.ARTArticleThe Intermediate Zone and Its DangersWe see many examples through time of individuals who began a spiritual quest with good intention and who later came to grief as they got caught up in the snares of what Sri Aurobindo calls the ‘intermediate zone’. When we leave behind the safety and security of the exte al consciousness and its grounded physical reality, and enter into a world filled with vital forces, pressures, inner thoughts and drives, it becomes difficult to sort out what is actually taking place.ARTArticleThe Limitations of Religious Worship for Spiritual Growth and DevelopmentWorship of an exte al deity, an avatar, savior or enlightened being is recognised as a sign of religious dedication on the part of an individual. In many instances, however, this form of worship is a more or less empty ritual that is part of a societal expectation or norm, or operates as a mechanism for indoctrination and control, but does not necessarily effectuate any deeper change in the being. Founders and leaders of some of the great religions speak of an inner change that must take place to follow their teachings.ARTArticleThe Maturation of the Soul Across Lifetimes in Fulfillment of Its Evolutionary RoleThe Maturation of the Soul Across Lifetimes in Fulfillment of Its Evolutionary Roler Posted on May 2, 2023r ARTArticleThe Meaning of FaithThe mind is not an instrument of knowledge. It is an analytical and organising tool, but is unable, on its own, to establish truth or certainty. It also maintains a certain arrogance in its own powers, and thus, when confronted with something beyond its own capabilities, it doubts the veracity and asks for proof. Some things, however, cannot be proven to the satisfaction of the intellect; however, that does not disprove those things.ARTArticleThe Meaning of True and Complete Sincerity in the Spiritual PathJust about every individual, including those practicing a spiritual discipline of some sort, creates an image of himself that he then projects out into the world. This image is something of a stylized and idealized version of himself that attempts to present the highest and best of his aspiration, whether it be mental development, expressions of faith, compassion, goodwill, purity, and an abstemious nature not given to over-indulgence.ARTArticleThe Mind as a Helper, the Mind as an Obstacle for Spiritual DevelopmentIf we view the vast array of methods recommended by spiritual paths of the world, we find that many of them utilize various forms of mental focus or concentration in order to achieve specific results along the way. Tibetan yoga, for instance, has intensive visualisation techniques along with concentrations of various sorts and meditation. Many paths recommend use of various prayers or mantras formulated in the mind to guide the awareness in the proper direction. A large number of paths recommend reading and contemplation on the truths set forth in their respective scriptural texts.ARTArticleThe Nature and Power of Sincerity in the Practice of Integral YogaWhat exactly is the meaning of ‘sincerity’ in the context of the integral yoga, and what makes it so essential to the successful practice of this yoga? For most people, sincerity is a quality defined by adherence to a specific idea or belief and a direct translation of that belief into the exte al being in its relationships to the world. In other words, it is seen as a ‘transactional’ quality for interacting with others without duplicity or any form of intended deceit.ARTArticleThe Nature of BhaktiThe heart of devotion opens spontaneously with a deep sense of reverence, aspiration and love. It is based on soul-contact with the Divine. Exte al signs of worship, prayers, songs, rituals, repeating words of devotion are not indicators of the soul status necessarily and they cannot replace the true opening of the being that can occur at any time when contact from the psychic being comes to the fore.ARTArticleThe Nature of FaithWhat is faith? Faith has generally been associated with belief in a religion and its specific tenets, or ‘articles of faith’. We are educated within our religion of choice about the basic beliefs that underlie that religion and we are asked to accept them ‘on faith’. In some cases, these ‘articles of faith’ are due to negotiated agreements among church elders at some time in the distant past, and in some cases, these beliefs are fully contradicted by knowledge that has subsequently come to light as humanity grows and advances in its understanding.ARTArticleThe Nature of Karma YogaIt is a common conception, and a tempting one, to expect that by taking up a certain type of charitable work, or even service to support a particular religion or spiritual path, one is practicing a form of karma yoga. All of these things may have enormous benefit in the outer world, and may certainly be encouraged generally. As a stage away from purely self-aggrandising action that has no real benefits to others, it may also find a place in the maturing of the individual consciousness.ARTArticleThe Nature, Character and Evolutionary Role of the Psychic Entity, the SoulThe Rishis of the Rig Veda place Agni at the beginning and in a central role in the spiritual development they described. The flame of aspiration, the ‘knower of all things born’, the mystic fire is the starting point for spiritual growth. This flame resides in the psychic being, the soul, hidden deep within the mystic heart center, and making itself felt to the exte al formation of the mind-life-body, until eventually it becomes the leader of the powers of the exte al being, guiding and directing them through multiple births and countless steps of growth along the way.

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