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ARTArticleComparing Thought and Intuition as Problem-Solving MethodologiesThe West, in particular, believes in the power of thought to solve problems. The educational system focuses its attention on analysis and categorization, and eventually adds the precepts of logical thought as a methodology to work through problems step by step. The scientific method, as it is called, tests a hypothesis by setting up experiments and systematically eliminating options that do not fit, until a conclusion is reached that fits the facts to the hypothesis. The systems of logic follow a strict line of development forcing a ‘solution’ at the end of the process.ARTArticleConditions for Emergence of the Psychic BeingMost people associate yoga with a series of physical exercises and breathing routines. Yoga, however, is more than such physical activities, although they can help to regulate energy flow and enhance stability and provide benefits to the body, life energy and mind. Sri Aurobindo has more broadly indicated that yoga is ‘applied psychology’ and the essence of any spiritual question, but more particularly the focus of the integral yoga, is to gain new insights and understanding and apply them toward the transformation of human life and our relation to the world within which we live.ARTArticleConditions for Preparation for the Supramental Change, Part 1The practice of the integral Yoga does not rely on prowess of physical postures (asanas) or breathing techniques (pranayama) or exte
al rituals or practices. It is focused on creating the right internal ‘landscape’ in the psychology in order to achieve specific psychological asanas, so to speak.ARTArticleConditions for Preparation for the Supramental Change, Part 2Once the psychic being is in front and directing the aspiration, focus and receptivity of the being to the action of the Divine Force, it is necessary to maintain the correct psychological posture, which implies not allowing either rajasic or tamasic energies to dominate the effort, avoiding thereby either any aggressive or anxious over-straining or demand, as well as any lassitude. despondency or darkness in the seeking. At the same time, the danger of the sattwic egoism needs to be understood and dealt with. There should not be any sense of superiority, or self-righteousness.ARTArticleConditions for the Practice and Progress on the Path of the Integral YogaPeople throughout time and around the world, from all different backgrounds and religious or spiritual traditions, have developed a number of ways to integrate their religious or spiritual beliefs and practices into their lives. Some simply disregard these things and live a life of satisfaction of their ideas, desires, emotional needs and physical requirements. Some attend a church on an occasional or weekly basis, and use that time as their practice of religion.ARTArticleContacting and Connecting With the Universal Vital Force, Part IChildren naturally have direct contact with the universal vital energy but this tends to fade into the background and be ‘lost’ as the mind ‘learns’ the ‘laws of nature’ which do not recognise the energy or its relationship to us. This is a circumstance of the artificially limiting action of the mind hindering the access to the larger reality of existence of which we are a part, and of which we partake at all times.ARTArticleContacting and Connecting With the Universal Vital Force, Part IIWhen we fixate on the fulfillment of the body-life-mind complex in our exte
al being, the exclusive concentration involved helps us to temporarily lose sight of the larger Oneness of which all are a part. We then put ourselves in opposition to other aspects of the one Reality and treat each part as separate and distinct. This sets up a sense of competition, an artificial fight over control of limited resources, and a sense of self-aggrandisement that engages in a “win-lose” battle to survive and thrive, rather than a “win-win” participation in the universal manifestation by all.ARTArticleControlling One’s ThoughtsThe mind is always active, jumping from one input source to another, depending on the senses and their objects, the various forms of media we are consuming, including radio, tv, music, reading, social media, etc.; but also on a variety of internal factors including nutritional factors, preoccupations with various conce
s or emotions, fatigue, illness, hormonal activity, mental training, and level of focus or inspiration the individual is experiencing. Generally thoughts arise in a scattered and chaotic manner as each of these potential factors presents its energetic input.ARTArticleCosmic Consciousness and a Shift from the Ego-Standpoint to the Divine StandpointHow can anyone describe or comprehend an experience of consciousness so foreign to our normal human individual experience? Sages and seers have used many illustrative images to try to provide the mind some vague notion of the significance of the shift in standpoint that is represented by the consciousness departing the limitations of the ego-personality and entering into the wideness of the cosmic consciousness. One image which comes up frequently is that of a stream or river which eventually joins the ocean and loses its individuality in the vastness of the sea.ARTArticleCosmic Truth and Cosmic Ignorance: the Unity and the MultiplicityThe Isha Upanishad describes the dual aspects of Reality, the Ignorance and the Knowledge: “Into a blind darkness they enter who follow after the Ignorance, they as if into a greater darkness who devote themselves to the Knowledge alone. Other, verily it is said, is that which comes by the Knowledge, other that which comes by the Ignorance; this ithe lore we have received from the wise who revealed That to our understanding.ARTArticleCreating Balance for the Physical Body as an Instrument of the SadhanaWhen the mind is engaged in carrying out some idea, or the vital being is involved and enthusiastic about something, there is a strong tendency for the rise of Rajas in the being. Rajas has a tendency to overdo things, go beyond limits and as a result, it is the frequent cause of injury and the effects of over-straining or over-indulgence that fall on the physical body. This can lead to the rise of Tamas, when the enthusiasm wears off and the body is left exhausted and worn out.ARTArticleDealing with Difficulties and Setbacks Along the WayWe tend to judge things, events, opportunities, setbacks, obstacles and directions from the standpoint of our individual ego-personality. When we take up a spiritual path, we expect that our efforts, and our devotion to the guide or master in whom we rely, will smooth the path in front of us and make for a straight, steady development in our yogic pursuits.ARTArticleDealing with Mental Resistance to Attempts to Silence the MindIt is quite natural for an individual, particularly a seeker attempting to make progress in the yogic process, to internalize the difficulties and blame them on his own weakness, incapacity, or lack of will power. The reality, however, is that this is a continuation of the egocentric viewpoint and does not represent the complete facts of the situation.ARTArticleDealing with Obtrusive, Repetitive ThoughtsBefore we can deal with thoughts, we need to have at least a basic understanding of what they are and where they come from, what they consist of, and what the purpose of thought is. Yet, we rarely if ever examine these questions and simply take thought for granted as something necessary and permanent and a part of our own being.ARTArticleDealing With Physical PainIn various places, Sri Aurobindo describes the possibility of pain becoming for the spiritual practitioner an intense form of spiritual bliss, Ananda. He is describing the psychological experience of a realized soul who has separated himself from attachment to and identification with the physical body. This is intended to show that vibrations experienced can have a different result when the individual shifts the standpoint of the consciousness. It is not meant as a prescription to ‘enjoy pain’.ARTArticleDealing with the Physical Mind in the Integral YogaPractitioners of spiritual and religious disciplines inevitably are confronted with the habits and expectations of the physical mind in day to day life. There is a constant pressure to provide regular meals that suit the taste of the individual, comfortable surroundings to support the day to day life and provide a safe and secure shelter. There is the inevitable pressure for regularity in the regimen and the physical demands for acquisition of the food, clothing, shelter, sexual satisfaction, etc. that come with life in the world.ARTArticleDeath, the Conquest of Death, and the Supramental TransformationIn his lectures on Raja Yoga, Swami Vivekananda points out clearly that chasing after powers or siddhis as they are called, is not the aim of the yoga and can be a distraction from the primary goal. They may come, but should not be sought after or made a primary determinant of the yogic process nor set as a goal of any sort. Similarly, Sri Aurobindo has emphasized that the eventual supramental transformation, while it will clearly have impacts on the physical body does not have as its goal the conquest of death or the seeking for immortality of the body.ARTArticleDepression and the Influence of the Gunas in Spiritual DevelopmentThere is a strong inclination for those spiritual practitioners who particularly follow a way of devotion, regardless of religious tradition around the world, to cry out for the presence of the Divine and to lament any feeling of separation. Depending on the play of the Gunas, this can take either a tamasic, a rajasic or a sattwic form, and does so at different times and circumstances for each seeker, as the Gunas keep changing their balance and expression.ARTArticleDesire — and the Need to Control DesirePeople believe that suppression of the vital forces that are actuated by the force of desire can lead to imbalance and mental illness. For this reason, Western psychology has recommended the moderate expression of these forces, and has generally counseled having a healthy vital life that does not try to suppress the desires as they arise.ARTArticleDesire and True Need for a Yogic PractitionerToday’s civilisation is fixated on possession and ownership of material things, and people are generally respected and honored for their ability to accumulate resources. This has led to extreme inequality in terms of the resources available for use by people on the planet, as a very small number of highly successful (in a material sense) people control ever-larger resources, while vast numbers of people go hungry or live a life of privation and suffering from physical want. The entire culture is permeated with suggestions, images and pressure to acquire and ‘own” more and more.ARTArticleDesires, Yoga and the Process of Overcoming the Promptings of the Lower NatureChange implies giving up something that is currently active and replacing it with something new and different. A change of consciousness, a shift from the normal human egoistic standpoint to the divine standpoint, implies similarly that the normal human habits, traits, actions, drives and motives must be given up and replaced. This is in fact the crux of the difficulties the practitioner faces when he takes up the integral yoga. Every trained in response, every instinct, long human habit and socialization from childhood builds a formidable obstacle to effectuating real change.ARTArticleDetachment from and Mastery of the Surface NatureWhen we are first confronted with the concept of detachment from our exte
al nature, we tend to approach it from a mental standpoint and thus, try to shut down our emotions and mental reactions with various types of response such as forms of stoicism, renunciation, or a show of non-caring, or some kind of overpowering of reactions including the use of self-torture to train the body-life-mind complex not to react. This is however, not a methodology that can succeed over the long term, and leads to abandonment or submission of the exte
al being, rather than true mastery.ARTArticleDeveloping Harmonious Relationships with Close Family, Friends and AssociatesEven among those closest to one another, there remain differences of habit and temperament. Issues of personal grooming, dietary choices, choices in music or other media interactions, time commitments, interactions about caring for the common shared space all work to create minor daily irritations or even conflicts. Add to this interpersonal differences in intimate relationships and comfort within one’s own personal space and it is easy to see that achieving and maintaining harmony in relationships requires both constant awareness and a willingness to accept differences with equanimity.ARTArticleDeveloping the Power of Supraphysical SightIf we accept the idea that supraphysical sight is a latent power of humanity, and not some kind of illusion or otherwise some miraculous special power, then we can seek to understand the conditions under which this power manifests, and show, first, that it is something that is reproducible and verifiable, and second, that it is possible under creation of those conditions needed for it to act, to develop this power in a broader segment of individuals in the society.ARTArticleDeveloping the Proper Attitude of Yogic Equality in Relation to Present Reality and Future DevelopmentWe tend to view everything from our individual ego-standpoint, and as a result, we take difficulties as being our own, as well as any obstacles, setbacks or delays being directly tied to ourselves. We tend to believe that we are either bound by some karmic destiny, or by the astrological pattern of the stars to determine the birth we have taken, the situations we have to endure and the obstacles we have to face, as well as the eventual end result.ARTArticleDevelopment of the Witness Consciousness Separate from the Analytical Mind Is Needed to Truly Understand the Springs of Action in Mind, Life and BodyThe ability to perceive, understand and modify the actions of the body, life and mind requires the development of a new standpoint outside of the body-life-mind complex. For this reason, the attempt to undertake this process with the analytical power of the mind is bound to fail.ARTArticleDiet for Meditation BeginnersHuman beings are Fructivorous (living on fruits, grains, and vegetables) and Frugivorous (Alapahar-Limited diet). Now, let us explore, enumerate, and explain the concept in the light of modern sciences.
1. Human Brain primarily lives on glucose, fructose, and oxygen for optimum contemplative mental functions.
2. Blood Sugar Level: Average: 111.618034 mg/deciliter. The blood sugar below 80mg/deciliter or above 140mg/deciliter is not conducive for optimum brain functions.
The Divine Message:ARTArticleDiet of a Spiritual SadhakDiet is a big factor. If you eat very little sugar, little processed food, and mostly a very simple diet of roti, dal, some fruits and nuts, etc., like most sadhus/babas/yogis do, insects are much less attracted to your body. You smell and taste different. This has been widely reported by many people practicing “primitive” diets and the like. It takes a while to cause this change though.ARTArticleDisce
ment of Good and Bad ThoughtsWhen we initially reflect on “what is a good thought” and “what is a bad thought”, the first ideas that arise almost inevitably harken back to whatever cultural, moral or ethical code prevails within the society of the time, whether this is based on religion or developed cultural understandings and taboos. This, however, is not the sense in which either the Dhammapada, or the Mother commenting on the Dhammapada, looks at the question of “good” or “bad” thoughts.ARTArticleDistinguishing the Psychic Transformation from the Spiritual TransformationSpiritual experience and progress can be confusing. In many cases the seeker is misled or misunderstands what is actually taking place, and the significance of it. Spiritual paths generally recommend the seeker find an experienced guide, or Guru, among other reasons, to help mitigate confusion and keep the seeker oriented in the right direction as new thoughts, emotions, feelings, experiences and events occur during the process of spiritual growth.