The Process of Establishing the True Foundation for the Practice of the Integral Yoga

Establishing 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. At the same time, such methods are imperfect, subject to failure under extreme provocation, and are primarily external controls, not necessarily a true peace and quietude inwardly. Just as the mental quiet is focused on stilling the ripples of the mind-stuff, so the true experience of peace and quietude in the practice of yoga comes through the stilling of the inward vibrational pattern, or at least, the separation of the witness consciousness from the external nature so that all the ripples take place on the surface and don’t affect the Witness.

The experience of this deep peace and the widening of the being is something palpable and not to be confused with either suppression of reactions or a dulling of the awareness.

Sri Aurobindo writes: “At last you have the true foundation of the sadhana. This calm, peace and surrender are the right atmosphere for all the rest to come, knowledge, strength, Ananda. Let it become complete.”

“It does not remain when engaged in work because it is still confined to the mind proper which has only just received the gift of silence. When the new consciousness is fully formed and has taken entire possession of the vital nature and the physical being (the vital as yet is only touched or dominated by the silence, not possessed by it), then this defect will disappear.”

“The quiet consciousness of peace you now have in the mind must becomew not only calm but wide. You must feel it everywhere, yourself in it and all in it. This also will help to bring the calm as a basis into the action.”

“The wider your consciousness becomes, the more you will be able to receive from above. The Shakti will be able to descend and bring strength and light as well as peace into the system. What you feel as narrow and limited in you is the physical mind; it can only widen if this wider consciousness and the light come down and possess the nature.”

“The physical inertia from which you suffer is likely to lessen and disappear only when strength from above descends into the system.”

“Remain quiet, open yourself and call the divine Shakti to confirm the calm and peace, to widen the consciousness and to bring into it as much light and power as it can at present receive and assimilate.”

“Take care not to be over-eager, as this may disturb again such quiet and balance as has been already established in the vital nature.”

“Have confidence in the final result and give time for the Power to do its work.”

Sri Aurobindo, Bases of Yoga, Chapter 1, Calm — Peace — Equality, pp. 9-10