The Process of Establishing Equality in the Being

As Sri Aurobindo has indicated, the practice of yoga is a science of applied psychology. The normal and habitual patterns of response that we exhibit need to be both understood and modified, energies redirected, and new forces allowed to intervene and exert their influence in our lives. Establishment of a state of equality in the being is one aspect of the psychological change required. There is also a balance required to avoid extremes that actually defeat the intention and purpose, either with too strident a suppression of the nature, or with a sense that a mental idea of non-involvement is actually the achievement of the state of equality. There may be, early in the yogic development, a mental control exerted and the idea that “I am not affected”. At the same time, we may find that if we look more closely, or even measure the subtle reactions of the nervous system or the body, that we are being affected. Blood pressure goes up, tension headaches, indigestion, ulcers, insomnia, depression, anxiety, or escape from pressure through consuming comfort foods, binge eating, alcohol or other drugs, or through mindless distraction or entertainment, all of these (and a host of other symptoms) evidence the actual impact on the being, and show the imperfect nature of the equality that the mind feels it has achieved. True equality eventually needs to work its way down from the mind, into the emotions, the vital being and even the physical body. It may start with a mental idea or discipline, and even this needs substantial time and effort to come to full fruition.

Sri Aurobindo notes: “Complete samata takes long to establish and it is dependent on three things — the soul’s self-giving to the Divine by an inner surrender, the descent of the spiritual calm and peace from above and the steady, long and persistent rejection of all egoistic, rajasic and other feelings that contradict samata. The first thing to do is to make the full consecration and offering of the heart — the increase of the spiritual calm and the surrender are the conditions for the rejection of ego, rajoguna, etc. to be effective.”

“To be free from all preference and receive joyfully whatever comes from the Divine Will is not possible at first for any human being. What one should have at first is the constant idea that what the Divine wills is always for the best even when the mind does not see how it is so, to accept with resignation what one cannot yet accept with gladness and so to arrive at a calm equality which is not shaken even when on the surface there may be passing movements of a momentary reaction to outward happenings. If that is once firmly founded, the rest can come.” Sri Aurobindo, Integral Yoga: Sri Aurobindo’s Teaching and Method of Practice, Chapter 5 Bases of Yoga, Equality, pp. 124-127