Spiritual Growth Articles

While we live and act from the standpoint of the individual ego-personality, we measure and respond to everything based on how it impacts us personally and directly, and judge things based on that impact. This leads us to treat as positive, those events and interactions that satisfy our desires, meet our physical needs, or support our ambitions. Conversely, those things which create obstacles to what we desire, or which undermine our ambitions, or create physical or vital difficulties as we navigate our way through our lives, we treat as negative events.

When an individual takes up spiritual practice, he naturally will try to find a space that is calm and quiet to aid his contemplation, aspiration or devotion. The hustle and bustle of the exte al life is distracting to the concentration and all of the noise, and all of the pressures of that exte al life can make it difficult for the seeker to achieve the needed steady, calm aspiration on a consistent basis. Many seekers believe that they cannot make spiritual progress unless the exte al environment is calm and quiet.

The development of the human being takes place in several successive stages and as individuals mature they begin to manifest and express the powers of the nature as they successively come to the fore. Not every individual develops and expresses all the powers fully in a particular lifetime.

With the advent of modern society, the instantaneous technological experience, and an exte al life that puts a value on being active, being productive, we see the increased pressure for people to stay in motion without taking into account the factor of fatigue and the need for rest. People tend to brag about how many hours they work, how little sleep they get, and how active they are at every moment. It is almost as if any time spent in quiet reflection, simply breathing, daydreaming, sleeping or otherwise engaging in ‘quiet time’ is considered to be time ‘wasted’.

Exte al impressions, sensations, impulsions, events all traverse the nervous pathways from the sense organs to the mind, which tends to react to these sensations and thereby remains in a constant state of disturbance. In the modern world, with our addiction to social media, mobile phones, television and radio, and the constant bombardment of stimulation from the exte al world, we generally find it hard to stay focused and concentrate on a specific thought, or project or even just to sit quietly and be receptive in a state of meditative awareness.

In the Taittiriya Upanishad, Sri Aurobindo translates the term tapasya variously as ‘concentration in thought’ or ‘concentration of force’. Elsewhere he aligns the terms chit-shakti as ‘consciousness-force’, co-equal with the principles of sat, existence and ananda, bliss as the supreme existence, Sat-Chit-Ananda. The Upanishad equates this concentration of conscious force, tapasya, as the Ete al.

When we look back on our lives, with the benefit of hindsight, we frequently can identify a change in direction that took an individual from a normal path of societal acceptance, career, marriage, family, social interactions and entertainment, to a life that is dedicated to some cause or purpose or inner growth. For some this change comes somewhat naturally as they mature and reflect on what they are here on earth to do.

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When we read in the Puranas of India, we find that there are a host of beings who are essentially non-evolutionary, static beings. They may be gods, demons or animals, or occupy any number of other positions in the scale of the manifested existence. An interesting note, however, is that if they want to participate in the evolutionary cycle for any reason, they have to take human birth. The human birth is considered to be the key to the dynamic development of consciousness, and that is why the human birth is treasured in virtually all religious and spiritual traditions.

When the spiritual aspiration awakens in an individual, he often feels like he has to leave his employment and take up some work that is more ‘spiritual’. He tends to equate the type of work with some ill-defined spiritual nature. Thus, we frequently see spiritual people, and organizations, take up work to feed the hungry, heal the sick, etc. This of course is very positive and needed work and we honor those who make that commitment.

Both panic and inertia are responses to situations that arise in the life of individuals. They come about when something new or unexpected comes forward to challenge the individual. In the case of panic, there is clearly a perception of danger, and the rising of fear in the being. This drives the individual into what is generally regarded to be a manifestation of the “fight or flight” reaction. There is no ‘thought’ involved. It is a reaction of the vital being that drives the individual’s response to the situation.

As long as we focus on outer circumstances and involve ourselves in them, we are participating in what some have called the “illusory” life of the world. The world is not illusory in an ultimate sense, since it is a manifestation of the Divine consciousness, but it is illusory in the sense that achievement of specific societal goals or objectives is an end in itself.

For most people the impulsion to action comes from a need, desire or ambition of some sort. If these are removed, the individual can become depressed and fall into a state that lacks motivation and thereby reduces their energy when it comes to doing anything. We frequently see people, (or experience within ourselves), states of being that have essentially ‘given up’, with the sense that all this action is meaningless, or destined to fail, or else, a sense of deep fatigue takes over and one can barely get up out of bed and go through the normal chores of the day.

Without even thinking about it, we are programmed to bargain with the Divine. We carry expectations, we want our desires to be fulfilled. We care about immediate and positive feedback for the efforts we are making and the sacrifices we are undergoing for the Divine. We will agree to devote ourselves to the Divine as long as the Divine is giving us back what we want. We want experiences, we want progress, we want support, we want consolation, we want to see noticeable results. When these disappear, our faith also may disappear!

Whenever we act in the world, whether it is a job, or any kind of activity that involves the expression of energy in the exte al world, whether physical, vital, mental, etc. we generally do so with a particular ambition, motivation, desire or need. It could be based on physical needs for food, clothing and shelter; it could be based on vital desires or some form of ambition, a seeking for some physical, vital, emotional or mental satisfaction. It could be a form of vanity, or a seeking after fame or glory, wealth or other forms of recognition.

People commonly believe that espousing a particular religion or religious doctrine, reading scriptural texts, singing devotional songs, practicing yoga, or meditation or any of the numerous other practices often called ‘spiritual’ makes them spiritual. While these practices may help to turn their minds, their hearts, their life energy and even their bodies towards spiritual realisation, they do not, in and of themselves, constitute ‘living in the spirit’ or as the Mother puts it, ‘being born into the spirit.’

Forces at work in the world try to effectuate themselves and perpetuate their action. They seek for receptive vessels to manifest and carry out their line of action. As these waves of energy, these vibrations move out into the world, they naturally come across elements and beings that are not subject to vibration within that range, and thus, do not react.

Understanding the operation of the three Gunas, or qualities of Nature, is an important part of understanding yogic psychology. The Bhagavad Gita devotes considerable effort to describing the Gunas and their functionality. For most people, however, translating things like reactions, responses, attitudes, etc. into the language of the Gunas is a difficult task. This is particularly the case for Westerners who have no background or grounding in the yogic psychology and its terminology. Dr. Dalal has found a way to describe the action of the Gunas as a type of ‘attitude’ of response.

When we look back at the history of human civilization, we can see that many ideas have been attempted to try to develop a fair, balanced and prosperous society. Thinkers, philosophers, political scientists and economists have all weighed in with their dreams and considerations about how to perfect human life on earth. We can also see, however, that none of these ideas has actually worked out in practice.

The life force brings mobility and increased responsiveness compared to the physical being. It operates primarily under the impulsion of attraction and repulsion. The predominant quality or Guna is Rajas, which brings energy, action, and progress, while at the same time, its deformations can bring all manner of vital disturbances, such as reactions of anger, greed, lust, vanity, fear, etc. Rajas tends to push beyond limits and if it does this to the physical body, eventually suffering can result, including breakdown of the body if the force was more than it could handle.

The first time we experience something it starts to create a “groove” in our neural network, nerves or responsive centers. As the experience recurs, the groove becomes a ‘pathway’. Eventually, the pathway becomes an embedded habit. When a similar vibration is experienced, it ‘automatically’ follows the established patterns, which is why it is harder to break a habit than to avoid starting one to begin with.

We go through our daily lives, busy ourselves with earning a living, supporting our families, maintaining our bodies, entertaining ourselves, arguing, fighting, gossiping, and following up on hobbies or passions we are engaged in. We close ourselves into a narrow and limited existence and feel content that we are doing something important, or useful, or at least, whiling away our time between birth and death, with no further meaning. We may feel helplessly caught up in a life we do not understand, or alte atively, we may feel powerful and proud in our accomplishments in our lifetime.

Beyond the stage of “flight or fight” we see in panic and the eventual recoil into inertia, where we see the initial reactions of instinct at play, the stage of ‘striving’ begins to harness energy of response by the vital being, albeit still very much under the influence and control of the power of instinctive behaviour. Striving, however, implies marshalling of the vital forces to try to address and overcome the perceived threat or obstacle in the way of the being’s desire, and thus, goes beyond pure instinct to a type of vital focus or attention, characterised by the Guna of rajas.

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We tend to overlook, or underestimate, the powers inherent in our human existence, the powers of the body, the powers of the vital nature, the powers of the mind, the powers of the psychic being, and the power of the spirit. Some of these powers are manifest but not fully understood, explored or developed. Others remain latent within our being. Still others we can see active in other forms and beings in Nature. From time to time, some of these other powers can be activated within the human being as well.

One of the habits that has built up over many millennia among spiritual practitioners is the ingrained idea that Matter and Spirit are essentially irreconcilable and that in order to pursue the spiritual life one must be willing to give up and abandon the material life. Material life and a focus on it is seen as a distraction from the one-pointed effort needed to achieve spiritual liberation. The focus has been placed on the concept “One without a second”, to illustrate the need for focus.

The development of existentialism as a philosophical viewpoint on human existence in the world took place primarily during the 19th and 20th centuries. it focused on the apparent lack of meaning in the universe and thus, human significance had to be developed from an individual standpoint of freedom rather than from participation in a larger universal purpose.

Western psychology is still a relatively young science, and it necessarily does not have the complete picture of all the complex interactions that take place within our being.

We read or hear about the accounts of individuals who had some kind of experience, either dramatically uplifting, or severely traumatic, who awaken to a spiritual purpose in their lives which changes the entire direction and focus of what takes place for them afterwards when compared with their earlier life.

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An illness is a vibrational pattern that impacts the body and its normal operations. If one does not succeed in rejecting it before it breaks through the protective vital sheath and then, if one fails to prevent it from taking hold at all in the physical body, one is left with having to deal with the illness that is active in the body and vibrating the physical substance. As we see with all physical forms, they attain a type of “solidity” that makes them less maleable and able to be dealt with, and the physical body shares some of that attribute.

Many people believe that once they become adherents of a particular religion or spiritual tradition, they need no longer make an effort. The idea that someone else is “taking charge” and taking on the burden of one’s life is particularly enticing for people. They frequently then accept that whatever happens is ‘for the best’ and nothing they do, or could have done, would change that.

Rene Descartes famously proclaimed the fact the he existed by stating ‘I think, therefore I am.’ In today’s world, however, that method of proving existence is under pressure as we grapple with more subtle possible answers to how we exist, why we exist and what this entire existence means, if anything. There are scientists who hold that all life has come about purely through various chemical interactions and that these combinations of elements are simply, through the magnitude of time and chances to create our universe and all of our developments of awareness.

Today’s world provides people with both an obstacle and an opportunity when they try to follow their chosen or cherished path in life. The obstacle is based on societal requirement that individuals take up a productive form of work in the world to earn enough money to support their needs for basic necessities of life. In many cases, the skill set and education or training simply is not available to them for the jobs that are accessible to them, or else, to obtain the necessary skills and certifications, the time and cost of acquisition are beyond their means.

All sensations carry signals through the nervous system to the brain, which then can interpret the signal. The signal may be more or less intense. It may be interpreted as pain or pleasure. Intensity of the sensation has something to do with the experience and its interpretation. There is a certain intensity which is comfortable for an individual, and beyond that intensity, it is frequently interpreted as painful. Thus, the signal traveling to the brain, in and of itself is not necessarily pleasurable or painful.

It is difficult to both understand and appreciate the apparent regression from spiritual heights to a world in which the physical being and material focus reigns supreme and predominates in the entire world to an overwhelming degree. It is likely that the intellectual and then the spiritual development reached a point where it was too rarified and the generality of mankind was unable to adopt it, particularly as they struggled to survive and thrive in difficult exte al circumstances.

A relatively frequent occurrence for the spiritual aspirant is to reach the boundary wall of consciousness and get a glimpse or experience of the spiritual consciousness without limits. This experience, when it comes, may raise up tremendous fear in the individual and he reacts, almost automatically and spontaneously, drawing himself away from that unlimited field and back into his own comfortable ego-self. The reaction is one of the ego-consciousness that fears its dissolution.

At some point in life everyone is confronted with physical conditions which cause pain. What is pain exactly? When we speak about physical pain in particular, we reference particular sensations or impulses of an intensity that activates the nerves to carry the sensation to the brain, which interprets the signal. Pain can be a great aid at certain times as it acts as a warning system of danger to provoke the mental and vital being to action.

How do we look at our lives? Do we find any meaning or purpose in living? Or are we just here to live a material existence, enjoy ourselves as much as possible, try to avoid suffering and eventually die without much pain? Many people do not take the opportunity to shift their perspective on life and this then represents the frame within which they exist. They live in the exte al world without much reflection.

From early childhood we are inculcated with the idea of achieving success, becoming foremost and occupying a position of power, prestige or wealth in the world. Parents drum this idea into the mind of their children that they need to study, attain degrees, choose suitable (lucrative) careers, and marry well to occupy their role in society. A hierarchy is established through this process that treats certain types of careers as prestigious and rewarding, and others as low, demeaning, degrading, or somehow of lesser value or importance.

If we examine our reactions to circumstances that occur daily in our lives, we will see we generally go through a range of feelings from elation when something we deem positive occurs, to depression when it seems like the house is falling in on us. Major events, such as achievements in school, falling in love and getting married, having children, developing a successful career, enjoying amazing travel opportunities, spending time with loved ones, all create feelings of pleasure or joy.

Whenever anything happens in the world, the senses capture the vibrations and send them up the nervous channels to the brain where they are they interpreted and responded to. When the nervous system is sensitive and overly responsive it may vibrate continuously and not let up. This creates an uncomfortable feeling that makes the individual nervous or jumpy, wound up or overly reactive. This makes it difficult, if not impossible, to calmly view whatever the circumstance is and respond to it calmly and in the most effective manner.

The mental consciousness tends to look at things with a linear perspective. It expects things to systematically roll out in a continuous, directed stream. It becomes upset and disoriented when what appears to be a settled result gets suddenly disrupted or upset by new circumstances, forces or events.

Most people have very little, if any, real control over circumstances that arise in their lives. They are born into a family, a community, a society, a religious background, an ethnic background, an economic system, an educational system and a raft of customs, traditions, habits and lifeways that they breathe in with every breath as the grow, learn and take their place within the social structure. This structure focuses attention on the outward existence and builds up the persistence of the ego-personality.

The ego-personality almost always interprets exte al activity, work, by an arbitrary measure of value, in many cases, monetary, but in some cases, based on the benefits provided to the society. Religious and spiritual institutions frequently take up work that is considered to be charitable in nature, such as feeding large numbers of people, or treating people for their health conditions, founding hospitals, and providing refuge to people who are suffering. These things are then seen as a representation of selfless work, a form of karma yoga.

It is a frequent occurrence. Someone takes up the spiritual path and tries to follow the dictates set forth in that path, down to the smallest detail. They treat goals and aspiration as a type of ‘rule-book’ that needs to be followed. If, as is to be expected, they do not succeed in each such detail, they can get into a cycle of self-criticism. In some cases, this simply breeds an obsessive state of mind and an emotional reaction, but in others it can actually lead them to take up acts of violence against themselves in the form of various sorts of self-inflicted corporal punishments.

The mental consciousness evolved subsequent to the emergence of the physical consciousness and the vital consciousness. It appears in rudimentary forms in various animals, and advances to a much higher state of activity and power in the higher primates, including human beings, as well as ocean-going mammals such as dolphins and whales.

People who take up spiritual life frequently believe that they should change their line of work and focus in the exte al world. In some cases, this is a recognition of the inner being’s guidance as the individual awakens to his true calling. In other cases, however, this is a mistaken belief that certain lines of work or action are ‘more spiritual’ and thus, one should abandon what was a natural calling for one that the mind has determined is the ‘more spiritual’ activity.

In the preceding page, a passage from The Synthesis of Yoga by Sri Aurobindo was cited. The Mother is commenting on her impressions while reading that passage.

The Mother provides another example of the need for insight and flexibility to address changing circumstances. Most people want to have a fixed routine provided for them. ‘Do this, and you will achieve that.’ This process, while comforting to the mental consciousness that normally functions within fixed and narrow limits, is unable to address the fluidity and complexity of the world within which we actually live.