To transform the life into one of spiritual focus and purpose, the various parts of the being need to be organized and ordered systematically to match the aspiration with the outward action. The thoughts, emotions, feelings, responses should be both coherent and arranged to present an harmonious relationship between the aspiration and the action. It does not help one if the aspiration is for one thing, but the mind, life or body chooses a different objective!
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We are ingrained with the notion that we own both the positive and negative qualities we can identify within ourselves. We work to enhance those we consider positive, and we struggle to overcome those that we view as negative. Through the practice of separating out the witness consciousness from the active outer nature, we gain a certain amount of objectivity about these qualities but nevertheless, to the extent we accept them as our own we provide them a basis for their continued attachment to ourselves.
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First, we must remember that Sri Aurobindo and the Mother relate the term ‘psychic’ to the soul, the aspect of the individual that maintains a direct connection with the Divine. The soul is an organising principle within the earth-consciousness and, while it maintains a connection to the Divine, nevertheless is rooted in the evolutionary principle of the earth-consciousness. The psychic being, which has developed and evolved over innumerable lifetimes, is based in the earth-evolutionary process and through aspiration is able to come into contact with the spiritual realms and spiritual powers a
When we reflect on the individuation process for which the ego-consciousness is the instrument of Nature, we oftentimes go to the extreme of believing that we are totally separate, independent and free of outside influence. We believe that our individuality is a wall of separation that keeps us safe and free. This viewpoint however is a mistaken one.
Earlier stages of human development kept the development of spiritual focus and occult powers to small groups of initiates, people who were vetted and who in many cases had to undergo special disciplines and ‘tests’ to ensure they were both worthy and capable of developing and holding the powers that would inevitably develop. This brought about an age that created the teacher/student, guru/shishya relationships and eventually the development of Ashrams, training institutions and schools for teaching the disciplines and practices to the selected students.
To the extent we fail to see the underlying motivations and desires that drive our thoughts and our actions, we tend to take a relatively benign view of who we are and how we respond to life. Similarly, to a great degree we tend to assign a similar motivation to others, although, it must be said, we tend to be more critical of others than of ourselves, and we do tend to project our own faults upon others.
When most people think of ‘power’ , it is within the context of some overt ability to accomplish something in the setting of the exte al world within which we live and act. This may be political power, economic power, physical power, moral power, the power to persuade, the power of an idea, the power of motivation, whether through speech, writing, or through some other medium. It may be the power to uplift and inspire, such as the power of art or music that touches something in the being.
We gain a human birth to discover the ultimate truth about âreally Who am I? Why am I here and what am I really supposed to do?â Upon attaining this knowledge, we begin our spiritual journey towards ultimate liberation. So, there is definitely a greater purpose to life than just performing duties in this worldly life.rn rnWhat is the ultimate truth? rnThe name and the body we associate ourselves with, in this materialistic world, are just for the sake of identification. T
The methodology for the mastery and transformation of the exte al nature of the individual essentially comes down to a shift in standpoint to the psychic being, which is the soul-element in the being, and then, a systematic review and management of the exte al nature and its various parts, drives and directions to conform with the direction that the psychic being is focused on taking.
In the Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna becomes conscious of the sin of fighting against and killing his relatives, revered teachers and elders, and declares that the moral code supports the idea that he should not fight. Sri Krishna responds that the divine intention is not limited by human-made moral codes, and that it was both his duty and his destiny to undertake the fight and come out victorious, killing those very elders, teachers and relatives who stood against him on the other side of the battlefield. There was a larger issue at stake that needed to be addressed.
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Until an aspiration awakens in the being, we tend to go about our lives taking cues from the promptings of family, friends, community, religion, or schools. Most people will not therefore recognise any greater or deeper purpose to their lives, and they simply determine to try to support themselves, enjoy themselves and carry out the tasks and relationships that are normal in their society.
Ase, often referred to as Ashe or Axe, is a concept deeply embedded in the spiritual fabric of Africa. Originating from the Yoruba people of Nigeria, Ase encapsulates a profound understanding of divine energy and the interconnectedness of all life. The phrase 'ase african meaning' reflects the essence of this concept, signifying the life force that permeates the universe and empowers individuals to manifest their intentions. In African spirituality, Ase is not merely a word b
We undergo changes of mood, feelings, responses and do not generally try to understand how these changes come about, their source, and impact upon our own state of being. In some cases, we actually associate ’cause and effect’ with an interaction with another individual, such as when we exclaim that we are avoiding meeting a particular person because it is a “draining” experience. This rare recognition is, however, a sign of the deeper interactions that are taking place constantly between people.
Every one of us is in a constant pursuit of happiness. We are drawn to happiness that we get from food, clothes, home and other material goods, from money, fame, status, etc. and also from our friends, family, relatives and in the company of various people. However, how often may you have experienced that after being to a nice restaurant or buying a new item of clothing or having attended an important event, we initially feel quite happy, but soon afterwards, we feel a feelin
Religious leaders teach religion, but finally they too say, that, âIf you are keen in seeking the Soul, please go to Atma Gnani (the Enlightened One).â When asked why so, their reply is, âbecause I have come to transform the one doing immoral conduct to become one with a moral conduct. But for the path ahead, you may contact Atma Gnani.â How do we recognize Atma Gnani? And how can we tell that he is a genuinely enlightened person?rnSuch a person is easily recognizable
Sight, sound, smell, taste and touch. We all recognise the input we receive from the five physical senses. These perceptions form the basis for much of our interpretation of our reality and our decision processes. Most people never consider that there are other senses possible, or available, to us. We do recognise that there are other senses in various animal species, such as the sonar or echolocation sense used by dolphins, homing sense available to many species (not just homing pigeons), etc.
There are numerous vested interests, spanning the entire globe, which make the issues surrounding the degradation of the ocean and the ability of the planet to sustain human life and civilization, virtually impossible to resolve from our normal perspectives. Any change that seems necessary or even critical for our future is opposed by those who profit by the status quo, or those who enjoy the results of the status quo. Yet, there are some very clear directions that can provide the difference between success and failure, and therefore, between life and death.
As human beings typically rely on their mental capacities to understand things, seekers frequently take the advice of tracing back to the roots of the impulses, thoughts, feelings they experience as requiring a method akin to the processes followed in psychotherapy. Western psychotherapy uses the mind to try to analyze causes and interpret signs, symbols and dreams to lead the individual to the underlying issues he is facing.
The Bhagavad Gita provides an extensive review of the operation of the three Gunas, the qualities of Nature, Sattwa, Rajas and Tamas. These qualities are always interacting and changing based on that interaction. There is no consistency or constancy in how an individual responds so long as he is subject to the operation of the Gunas, which is implicit in every action undertaken by the exte al surface personality. The inconstancy that results means that an individual who is normally quiet, thoughtful and reserved may, under certain conditions or influences, become imbalanced and disruptive.
We remain so fixated on the exte al surface being, that we fail to recognise the divinity within us. Just as we go through our daily lives in the light of the day and do not attend to our world’s connection to the vast galaxies and universe of which our world is a part, so also we do not consciously connect our soul with its divine being. We may separate a drop of water from the ocean, but that does not make it different from the ocean in its essence and nature.
Most people do not understand why it is they are alive, what it is they are here to do in the world. Many simply think that ‘eat, drink and be merry’ is the sum of their purpose; in other words, they do not recognise a life purpose or mission in that sense, and just want to find a way to enjoy their lives, satisfy their physical needs and cravings, enjoy their desires and relationships and then seek entertainment to avoid boredom, loneliness and ennui.
Large numbers of individuals have reported the experience of being conscious outside of their physical body. This frequently happens within the context of a near death experience. The individual reports his awareness up above looking down on the body, or outside observing what is taking place. In some cases, the individual, when he returns to the body and regains awareness there, can report about people and activities and describe the location and the circumstances even though he was technically dead and lacking consciousness within the body.
The core aspect of spirituality is to realise that, âI am really a pure Soul.â It is called Self-Realisation. rnThe Soul is made up of infinite knowledge and infinite vision, but it is currently covered with veils of ignorance. Owing to ignorance, we mistakenly believe the body or the name given to this body as our Self. So all along we have believed that, âI am this body and name.ârn rnOn the path of Akram Vignan, Gnani Purush, the Enlightened One, with his divine sp
Param Pujya Dada Bhagwan, the Enlightened being, explains:rnWhen an account of atoms (a karmic account of using the sense objects) is being settled, it is not considered enjoying the sense objects; but to become engrossed or absorbed during the discharge of that account (karmic account of enjoying the sense objects), that is called enjoying the sense objects. The senses do not play a role in it; they merely convey the message. That is why I say : âOne is not Jitendriya Jina
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A common conception about immortality is that this personality, this individuality that we identify with, will somehow survive intact, maintain its existence and continuity of existence and thus, have a continuous line of memory stretching endlessly into the future. This is not, however, a realistic viewpoint, nor is it the meaning of immortality in the sense that Sri Aurobindo describes it.r
What is Ego? Ego is the basic recognition you have of yourself in the world. People often misunderstand Ego to be a characteristic that demands self importance or self esteem; but really speaking, it is something that goes deeper. We have been living in the vast expanse of this world, experiencing everything with the five senses. But the world experienced with the five senses is only in the physical realm. Spiritual Science is needed to understand the inner components of Spir
When we work in the exte al world, whether it is to study, to follow up a line of development of some sort, to train the body for athletic endeavours, to strengthen and refine the mind to undertake serious development of the powers of Reason and intuition, etc., we do so with some expectation of a result or benefit. It may be some form of inner satisfaction of accomplishment, or it may be fame, or fortune or acclamation of some sort. It may that the form of a benefit to family, friends, community, our religion, or our country.
The body-life-mind complex is the nexus and the container for the divine force in manifestation. The force, when it descends into the conscious awareness of the devotee, requires that the instrument be stable, pure and ready to receive and transmit the force without diminution or distortion. Contrary forces, forces that are disruptive to this stable basis, act to diminish the action of the divine force.
As the seeker becomes more and more conscious he may experience reflections of his past actions which, in retrospect, were incorrect, inaccurate or false. This frequently brings feelings of regret and soul-searching. This is however an over-reaction to an increasing sense of awareness. It is good to appreciate, through the examination of past actions, those that were supportive of the aspiration and those that were not, particularly if this review helps refine the judgment of the seeker to avoid repeating mistakes of the past.
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Subjectively we tend to believe that we make our own decisions and that we are exercising ‘free will’. What we do not generally do is recognise that there is an entire preceding set of ’causes’ which lead us to the present moment and the very type of choices we make. We may be extremely ‘predictable’ in the regularity of our decision process, or we may be highly unconventional and tend to take the ‘road less travelled’.
When an individual is confronted with a possible, or likely, case of vampirism, several questions arise. The first is how the individual can be safe from the negative effects of such activity impacting them or their family, friends or associates directly; the second is the possibility and likelihood of being able to transform or change them; in other words, ‘defense’ and ‘offense’, if you will.
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In part 1 we provided an overview of the existential crisis facing the oceans, and by extension, the survival and the quality of life of humanity and other life on the planet due to the challenges to which the oceans are being subjected. That overview makes it clear that the oceans are integrated closely with events, not just in the oceans themselves, but on the land and in the air. Climate change, pollution,r
When a seeker awakens to the deformations of the body-life-mind complex, the distorted feelings, the misdirected emotions, the incomplete and misguided thoughts, the entire complex focused on and rooted in the idea of the aggrandisement of the ego-personality at the expense of everything else, he can easily become depressed with the magnitude of the work to be done, the difficulty of implementing the needed changes, the inter-relationship between the different parts of the being, all of which impact one another and increase the complexity of the actions required to accomplish those changes.r
There is the aspiration and dedication that the seeker recognises and treats as his true identity. Then there are all the thoughts, motives and actions that undermine or contradict in some manner that aspiration and dedication. Many people fail to recognise that this contradiction exists, as they have a built in mechanism in the mind and the vital to find excuses or to justify it. The vital is especially powerful in its ability to influence the mind and the mind is able to create justifications based on the vital self-interest that is pressuring it.
When we see any individual stopping to reflect, choose his line of action and make a specific, conscious determination of how to respond, we consider this action to be unnatural, stilted, and we imply that it is somehow subject to some kind of ulterior motive, and thus, tend to distrust it. Based on this general conception, we have a bias in favor of vital spontaneity, which we believe more perfectly expresses the true feelings of the individual than some kind of planned response.
Sri Aurobindo cites the Vedic Rishi of Mandala X, Canto 129, verses 1-5 at the beginning of Chapter 25 of The Life Divine, titled The Knot of Matter: “Then existence was not nor non-existence, the mid-world was not nor the Ether nor what is beyond. What covered all? where was it? in whose refuge? what was that ocean dense and deep? Death was not nor immortality nor the knowledge of day and night. That One lived without breath by his self-law, there was nothing else nor aught beyond it. In the beginning Darkness was hidden by darkness, all this was an ocean of inconscience.
If worries do not arise, if samadhi (a blissful state) prevails even amidst of mental, physical and emotional afflictions (aadhi-vyadhi-upadhi), then you can tell that spiritually speaking, you are on a right path in life. Any big talks or actions in the absence of such a state is like conjuring castles in the sky! Thereâs an interesting story to illustrate this factâ¦rnOne day, Sahajanand Swami met a King in the province of Kathiawad. The King told Sahajanand Swami that a
Samskara means the mental habit of reactionrnOwing to ignorance of the Self (really who am I), moment to moment, we blindly react to every situation in life by way of attachment and hatred. This habit of reaction is called samskaras. These samskaras are âkarmasâ and they are a shape of our future. The Enlightened One explains:rnDue to ignorance, ego comes into being. From ego, intellect arises. And intellect gives rise to attachment and hatred, which cause the karma to ge
We grow and develop our physical body and its capabilities. We may undertake various training regimens and refine the body’s ability to perceive, and to respond. Yet the body dies and that training is left behind with the dissolution of the body. We can see an effect within the larger framework of society as others notice and implement similar actions, so there is clearly a species-level benefit, but for the individual, the development of the body ends with its deterioration and death.
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