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- The Long Journey from Should to Could - by Submitted on Feb 12, 2012 from Cathy EckI remember the first time I realized that the difference between should and could was far greater than a couple of letters. I was newly married, still in college, and it was time for me to choose my major. I enjoyed math, so I listed some possibilities: I could teach math. I could be an ...
Views: 1709 - The Lost Angel in the History of Islam - by Submitted on Feb 22, 2018 from saad sheikhIslam is the most practiced religion in the world. Muslims are present in almost every religion of the world and practicing the teaching of Islam. It is the psychology of every Muslim to know about their religion, its aspect and the events which occurred in Islam. Today I am here to throw some ...
Views: 957 - The Lower and Higher Forms of Psychological Innocence and Purity - by Submitted on Jan 12, 2024 from santosh krinskyThere is an ‘innocence’ of the instinctive vital nature. It acts according to its impulses, habits, instincts, without interference of any mental considerations, whether termed self-dealing, planning, calculation, conscience or ethical and moral constraints. The famous example is that the tiger ...
Views: 342 - The Luminosity of Your "Sparkling Soul" - by Submitted on May 26, 2013 from Moreen DuFermontThe Luminosity of Your “Sparkling Soul” Perhaps you, like many, have heard the old familiar proverb that “The eyes are the window to the soul” which is really nothing new; however, I am taking it one step further to say that the heart must then be the doorway. Since we are living during ...
Views: 3224 - The magic of ANALYSIS. - by Submitted on Apr 17, 2012 from mandie crawfordToo many people running their businesses forge forward at breakneck speed- getting new clients, running new promotions, changing products – all in an attempt to get more sales, new clients and ideally – more money! What many people fail to realize is that there are customers out there that ...
Views: 1139 - The Main Conditions of Preparation for the Supramental Change - by Submitted on Nov 14, 2025 from santosh krinskyIn a brief compass, Sri Aurobindo outlines the attitude to be assumed and the nature of the work to be done to prepare the being for the consummation of the path of the integral Yoga. Sri Aurobindo writes: "Get the psychic being in front and keep it there, putting its power on the mind, vital ...
Views: 87 - The Manifestation of the Supermind Level of Consciousness As the Next Evolutionary Phase - by Submitted on Jul 09, 2024 from santosh krinskyEach successive plane of consciousness has a native action in its own domain and then, as it enters the material plane, it has to modify its action to conform to the limitations of the other principles. Thus, the native action of the vital plane is freer and more fluid and powerful than when the ...
Views: 288 - The Material Consciousness and Its Resistance to Change - by Submitted on Jan 24, 2026 from santosh krinskyThere is a proverb that says that changing human nature is like trying to straighten out a dog’s tail. As soon as the hold is taken off of the tail, it reverts to its usual shape. When we reach the level of the material consciousness, we are at the point where the ‘solidity’ of matter makes ...
Views: 55 - The Material Universe, the Causative Plane and the Forces of Manifestation - by Submitted on May 08, 2024 from santosh krinskyWhen we look at existence from the individual standpoint, we see a number of solid forms interacting with one another. We do not see how they came into existence (other than the physical, material, practical methodology we can observe, which fails to give us the causative factors or ...
Views: 316 - The Material World Is the Effect, Not the Cause, of Vital, Mental, or Spiritual Manifestation - by Submitted on Jul 05, 2024 from santosh krinskyHumanity, for the most part, continues to believe that the material world occupies a primary place in the creation of the universe, and that somehow, Matter is able to create the encoding and the complex systems that come along with that encoding out of some random mixture of elements. If we ...
Views: 349 - The Maturation of the Soul Across Lifetimes in Fulfillment of Its Evolutionary Role - by Submitted on May 01, 2023 from santosh krinskyThe Maturation of the Soul Across Lifetimes in Fulfillment of Its Evolutionary Role Posted on May 2, 2023 There is a considerable amount of time, amounting to innumerable lifetimes, when the spark of the soul, the psychic being, is subordinated, hidden, virtually unseen and unheard in the ...
Views: 421 - The Meaning and Importance of Sincerity in the Practice of Yoga - by Submitted on Jan 10, 2024 from santosh krinskyWhen most people think about ‘sincerity’, they focus on the truth of the speech aligning with the actions of the individual. They expect this alignment to manifest itself in actuality. Expressions of good will or condolence, for instance, are sincere if they align with the true feelings of the ...
Views: 353 - The Meaning of Faith - by Submitted on Dec 26, 2022 from santosh krinskyThe 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 ...
Views: 594 - The Meaning of True and Complete Sincerity in the Spiritual Path - by Submitted on Dec 24, 2022 from santosh krinskyJust 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 ...
Views: 480 - The Means of Focus and Receptivity in the Integral Yoga - by Submitted on Oct 22, 2025 from santosh krinskyThe human instrument is essentially a receiver. Through the various energy centres, vibrational patterns are picked up. Most of what is received is not consciously attended to, but it has its subtle impact. The human being is able to respond to a limited range of vibrations on the ...
Views: 103 - The Mechanical Mind - by Submitted on Aug 13, 2023 from santosh krinskyThere is another aspect of mind that holds the habits, instincts and trained responses in place. This is what Sri Aurobindo and the Mother call the ‘mechanical mind’. There are uses and benefits to this mind, but it is one of the most rudimentary actions of mind, which arose to provide a ...
Views: 391 - The Mechanism of Action Of the Subconscient in Relation to the External Being - by Submitted on Mar 31, 2024 from santosh krinskyWhen we respond to a vibration, either at the physical level, the vital level or the mental level, we open a pathway for that vibration to impact us in some way, and, having once been accepted for admittance, it creates a propensity for us to admit it the next time it comes our way. In this way, ...
Views: 357 - The Mechanism of the Soul’s Evolutionary Development Through Death and Rebirth - by Submitted on Mar 04, 2022 from santosh krinskyThe human being is actually composed of a number of “sheaths” as described in the Taittiriya Upanishad. The outer form is the physical sheath. Informing the physical sheath with energy and responsiveness is the vital sheath. More subtle than the vital sheath is the mental sheath that provides ...
Views: 529 - The Mental and Vital Formation May Transfer Into a Next Lifetime Under Certain Conditions - by Submitted on May 06, 2023 from santosh krinskyThere are phenomena that are inexplicable under our normal understanding of life and death. The body dissolves, certainly, and the vital being and mental disperse soon thereafter and return into their native planes. Yet we find that occasionally it seems like a particular understanding or ...
Views: 445 - The Mental Process and Developing Independence of Thought - by Submitted on Oct 16, 2023 from santosh krinskyWe may believe that we create our own thoughts and ideas, but a close examination makes it clear that streams of thoughts, ideas, mental energies are constantly bombarding us, both overtly through what we read, what we hear, what we see and what we experience, and covertly through the subtle ...
Views: 359 - The Mental Purusha: the Witness Awareness of the Mind - by Submitted on Aug 30, 2025 from santosh krinskyAs the seeker attempts to achieve the separation of the witness consciousness from the external nature of the being (which is comprised of the body, the vital being and the mind), the first phase is generally the separation of the mental awareness from the body. This brings forth the awareness ...
Views: 122 - The Mental Will and Its Influence on the Health and Well-Being of the Body - by Submitted on Oct 14, 2024 from santosh krinskyBy now most people have heard of the ‘placebo effect’. Yet, they have not gone into the significance of what this implies. Studies have shown that as much as 30% of a group given an ‘inert’ treatment have similar healing outcomes to those given an actual targeted treatment. The individual given ...
Views: 249 - The Mind as a Helper, the Mind as an Obstacle for Spiritual Development - by Submitted on Jan 05, 2023 from santosh krinskyIf 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 ...
Views: 451 - The Mind, the Spirit and the Deeper Knowledge and Power That Can Know and Master the Universal Creation - by Submitted on Jan 06, 2025 from santosh krinskyWe can observe all around us, the steps the mental force is taking to take charge of both physical and vital nature. While much of this takes place through the development of technological tools, it is nevertheless an achievement of the mind that makes these things possible. We may debate the ...
Views: 203 - The Miracles and Mysteries in Our Everyday Lives and the Conclusions We Can Draw From Them - by Submitted on Aug 02, 2024 from santosh krinskyWe are constantly surrounded by ‘miracles’ in the sense that our lives are filled with activities, events, processes and circumstances that we clearly do not understand, but accept based on some explanation, assuming that someone knows what it is all about. Airplanes flying through the air, ...
Views: 374 - The Misdirected Mind and the Harm It Can Create - by Submitted on Sep 06, 2024 from santosh krinskyThe Dhammapada provides the spiritual seeker with a deep wisdom that forces us to reflect and gain understanding. The Mother has taken up a particular verse about the harm caused by a mind that is not tightly focused and under control. With some consideration we can understand the deeper ...
Views: 286 - The Most Effective Method for Achieving Detachment - by Submitted on May 30, 2022 from santosh krinskyWhen one works to develop the consciousness of the witness, Purusha, observing the Nature, Prakriti the progress comes generally over time with repeated persistent and patient effort. Consider for a moment going through one’s own life observing but not reacting internally. If we observe even a ...
Views: 603 - The Most Helpful Attitude for Spiritual Progress - by Submitted on Jun 20, 2025 from santosh krinskyThe vital nature, in particular, is addicted to ‘drama’. It seeks attention and excitement. An added complication is that in modern society, with our fixation on all types of electronic stimulation, internet, mobile phones, radio, television, cinema, along with neon signs, blaring ads and ...
Views: 135 - The Mother/Daughter Code of Conduct - by Submitted on Jul 05, 2012 from Kelly MarquetAre you concerned about your daughter's self-esteem? Do you worry that she may not be happy? Does she seem to have a non-focused energy around her? Has she shut down lately? Is communication getting more difficult? Are you wishing you still felt the connection with her like you did before she ...
Views: 2597 - The Mother: Supreme Nature That Manifests All Existence - by Submitted on Apr 15, 2021 from santosh krinskyThe Supreme Divine is “One without a second”. Yet we can still make mental distinctions between the Transcendent, the Universal and the Individual aspects of the Divine, as that is the nature of the mental consciousness, and we can focus on one or another of these aspects without forgetting the ...
Views: 632 - The Mother’s Force Is the Primary Aid in Overcoming the Force of Desire - by Submitted on Dec 23, 2025 from santosh krinskyThere is a dual significance to the term ‘the Mother’s Force’. First, this is the Divine Shakti, which manifests the universal creation, and which acts to bring forth the sequential expression of the consciousness involved in Matter. At the same time, there is the specific reference to the ...
Views: 70 - The Mother’s Force to Effectuate the Change of Consciousness - by Submitted on Apr 16, 2021 from santosh krinskyPractitioners of Yoga speak of the opening of the Kundalini and the energy rising up from the base of the spine, through the various chakras and issuing out of the 1000 petalled lotus at the top of the skull. The experience of the rising of the Kundalini is a core development in many yogic ...
Views: 566 - The Mystery of the Soul in Human Life - by Submitted on May 01, 2026 from santosh krinskyIn the first chapter of The Life Divine, Sri Aurobindo describes the human aspiration “It manifests itself in the divination of Godhead, the impulse towards perfection, the search after pure Truth and unmixed Bliss, the sense of a secret immortality. … The earliest formula of Wisdom promises to ...
Views: 4 - The Mystic Fire Manifesting in the Different Parts of the Being - by Submitted on May 12, 2026 from santosh krinskyIn Hymns to the Mystic Fire, Sri Aurobindo provides translations of the hymns to Agni crafted by the Rishis in the Rig Veda. The Rishis focus their attention on the flame of aspiration deep within in the psychic center of the being. They relate that through this flame the various powers of mind, ...
Views: 0 - The Nature and Action of the Intuitive Mind - by Submitted on Sep 11, 2023 from santosh krinskyWhen we generally consider the idea of intuition, we look at some ‘gut feeling’ we may have, or some quick certainty we have about a certain situation and call that ‘intuition’. If we examine the common notions of intuition carefully, we find that in some cases they are embedded responses to ...
Views: 406 - The Nature and Action of the Overmind Gradation of Consciousness - by Submitted on Sep 12, 2023 from santosh krinskyIn the Kena Upanishad, the various gods Agni, Vayu and Indra each are confronted by the Supreme and asked to use their utmost power to destroy what was presented before them. They each failed as their power was insufficient to meet the force of the Supreme. Indra eventually discovered that there ...
Views: 426 - The Nature and Action of the Physical Mind - by Submitted on Aug 10, 2023 from santosh krinskyIndividuals who are primarily rooted in the function of the physical mind have a difficulty in accepting the reality of anything that goes outside their ability to sense and perceive. These individuals will frequently deny the existence of the soul because it cannot be seen, measured or ...
Views: 397 - The Nature and Action of the Power of Suggestion - by Submitted on Apr 14, 2024 from santosh krinskyThere are many forms of suggestion, some more subtle than others. Peer pressure is one form that everyone experiences at some point in time. Our friends and acquaintances do something and encourage us to participate and do it also. In some cases, this can lead to life-long consequences, such as ...
Views: 316 - The Nature and Action of the Psychic Being - by Submitted on Apr 14, 2026 from santosh krinskySri Aurobindo describes here the nature and action of the psychic being. The psychic being is developed by the soul to interact with the external being. It gains experience, and it gains power as this development occurs. The psychic being develops over many lifetimes and carries the essence of ...
Views: 14 - The Nature and Action of the Psychic Being and the Inner Mental, Inner Vital and Inner Physical Beings - by Submitted on Sep 20, 2023 from santosh krinskyConfusion about the spiritual being and the psychic being is not the only source of misunderstanding about the source of inspirations, feelings, and thoughts that arise as the individual shifts away from exclusive focus on the surface external being and begins to gain experience of the inner ...
Views: 380 - The Nature and Power of Equality in the Practice of the Integral Yoga - by Submitted on May 21, 2021 from santosh krinskyWe usually think about the term ‘equality’ in relation to society or the economy. Sri Aurobindo uses the term to describe an inner psychological state that keeps the practitioner of the yoga focused on the inner being and its spiritual practices, rather than having the attention drawn out to ...
Views: 538 - The Nature and Power of Peace - by Submitted on Aug 23, 2025 from santosh krinskyIn the context of yogic psychology, peace is not the absence of disturbance, just as in the external world, peace is not the absence of war. We generally define peace as a negative attribute. As the seeker gains depth of experience, however, it becomes clear that peace is ultimately a very ...
Views: 134 - The Nature and Power of Sincerity in the Practice of Integral Yoga - by Submitted on Dec 15, 2022 from santosh krinskyWhat 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 ...
Views: 476 - The Nature and Power of Sincerity in the Practice of the Integral Yoga - by Submitted on May 13, 2021 from santosh krinskyFor spiritual practices that seek a solution outside the life in the world, it is possible to try to “cut the knot” and simply abandon, or at least minimize, the active engagement of mind, life and body in the world. For a spiritual practice such as the integral yoga, however, which aims at a ...
Views: 549 - The Nature and Role of the Ego - by Submitted on Dec 21, 2021 from santosh krinskyThe development of the ego-consciousness is part of the evolutionary cycle of increasing manifestation of conscious awareness in Nature. As consciousness develops it moves from a generalized sense of existence to a more specific recognition of one’s own life and awareness. In animals we see this ...
Views: 539 - The Nature and Role of the Soul - by Submitted on Sep 21, 2023 from santosh krinskyMuch of the confusion about the nature and action of the soul, the psychic being in man, is due to the loose and varied way the terms are thrown around in everyday parlance. We have ‘soul food’ and ‘soul mates’. We treat the soul as the seat of morality. At the same time, soul is used to ...
Views: 418 - The Nature of Bhakti - by Submitted on Mar 08, 2023 from santosh krinskyThe heart of devotion opens spontaneously with a deep sense of reverence, aspiration and love. It is based on soul-contact with the Divine. External signs of worship, prayers, songs, rituals, repeating words of devotion are not indicators of the soul status necessarily and they cannot replace ...
Views: 460 - The Nature of Equality in Yogic Psychology - by Submitted on Jun 01, 2022 from santosh krinskyThe term ‘equality’ in general use relates to inter-personal relationships within the society, but that is not how the term is utilized in yogic psychology. Equality in that sense means the ability to accept all touches from the universe, perceptions, feelings, thoughts, emotions, powers and ...
Views: 521 - The Nature of Faith - by Submitted on Dec 25, 2022 from santosh krinskyWhat 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 ...
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