This is the entirety of a letter that is excerpted in Letters on Yoga – it’s one of the clearest statements I’ve ever seen by Sri Aurobindo the difference between the highest ideal of the non yogic life and the yogic life.
The question I’ve been relentlessly pursuing on Auroconf – these past 2 years and back in the 90s – and which has been the focus of my life’s work – is how do these two interact?
What relevance, if any, does the yogic ideal (or yogic knowledge, actually) have for those only interested in living the ordinary human life (the vast majority of whom have absolutely no interest even in the highest human ideal, but even for those interested in developing a highly sattwic life)
The ovewhelming consensus among most psychologists and therapists who are interested in the yogic life has been, for years, that it has no relevance at all. You get to the sattwic, and then go on to the spiritual.
I’ve always believed that even the develop the sattwic nature, the deeper spiritual knowledge is profoundly important (for those therapists, counselors, teachers and others who are responsible for supporting people in developing a more sattwic nature)
But the other question more relevant to auroconf – what is the relevance of the ordinary means of developing a sattwic nature for those consciously doing yoga? The overwhelming consensus seems to be that it has no relevance at all. Whereas Sri Aurobindo says the key to developing the ideal nature for one devoted to the ordinary ideal of human life is a strong mind and will (the sattwic buddhi of traditional Indian psychology) the IY catechism seems to be to hold up one’s finger sin the form of a cross as if warding off the devil himself when the question of using one’s mind to harmonize the nature.
Mother and Sri Aurobindo have made clear, countless times, that until surrender is complete, some personal effort is necessary. By “personal” I suppose one could say they are referring to the psychic being, but what if the psychic is not awake? (or at least, at times when one has little or no contact with it). I don’t see any other way of understanding the means of personal effort than to say it is the “topmost instrument” (as Sri Aurobindo refers to it in Synthesis) – “our intelligent will”, the executive functions, the capacity of our mental consciousness to attend calmly, holistically, empathically, and compassionately, from a place of inner quiet, to allow the various parts of our nature to naturally, organically become more and more integrated so as to thin the “crust” of the surface nature in order to allow more and more of the psychic Light to shine through.
- Save Mirambika case is finally taking a Constitutional turn - Save Mirambika Court case update from this afternoon’s hearing - Aside September 10, 2015 savemirambika 1. Counsel for the 36 parent petitioners, Kanika ...
- Court case update from this afternoon’s hearing - Counsel for the 36 parent petitioners, Kanika Agnihotri, completed her arguments. Counsel for the 9 parent petitioners, Gopal Shankarnarayan, began his con...
- Pranjal Jauhar, Acharya, and Bijlani are undermining the running of Mirambika - Save Mirambika Mother’s emphasis on indispensabilty of parents & replacement of utilitarian motivation in the Free Progress System - Aside September 9, 2015...
- Hindus are locally organising outside the Sangh - "If “debate” with the Hindu side is what you want, it is they who are the ones to talk to." -- K. Elst http://t.co/qLIQBpOVDs A serious drawback of this boo...
- Swami Vivekananda and Bagha Jatin by Dr. Prithwindra Mukherjee - Dear Friends, 10 September 2015 marks the Centenary of the martyrdom of Jatindra Nath Mukherjee alias Bagha Jatin, the pride of every Bengali. To commemora...
- Koodam in Kailash first meeting - [image: 2015_09_08_meeting_koodam_in_kailash_first_meeting_english_1]Dearling with Restorative Justice, Mediation, Conflict Resolution. Koodam's first meet...
- Koodam in Kailash first meeting - [image: Thumbnail for 3948] Koodam is a center that serves individuals and groups who need support with: Communication, Facilitation and Conflict transform...
- The Benefits and Limitations of Psychological Self-Analysis & Self-Observation - Each human being starts from the basic instruments of body, life and mind, and, utilizing these instruments, begins to collect sense impressions, organize them and try to make sense of the world within which he lives and acts. At a certain stage, the mature and developed intellectual capacity may see that it cannot find its way out of the framework within which it works, and that there must be answers outside that realm. Thus begins the quest through the Yoga of knowledge. The primary role of the intellect at this point is to assist the seeker in divesting himself of the illusions that fixate the attention in the outer world. The “negative aspect” of the acquisition if knowledge is highlighted at this stage. “Not this, not that” helps the seeker distinguish the solidity of what he knows, and explore the boundaries to determine where the mind reaches its limits. [...] The refinement of the intellect, the honing of the powers of perception and incisive reasoning based on close examination of the facts brought to the seeker by the sense-organs, is therefore a powerful starting point for the Yoga of knowledge. It is important to recognize however that the knowledge acquired in this manner cannot embrace the totality of the Absolute, of the Eternal and thus, must open the way for new powers of knowledge to develop and come into action:
- Resisting the hegemony of muscular Hindutva - 1. Tusar Nath Mohapatra7:50 AM, September 08, 2015 Related posts: http://savitriera.blogspot.in/2007/10/marketing-savitri-era-religion.html ...
- Sri Aurobindo on the ideal of ordinary human life vs the yogic ideal - [30 September 1925] Dear Ramchandran, I am answering your second letter which reached me today. And first I must say something about the very extraordinary...
- Visual Art in Savitri: And savitri too awoke among these tribes..( image "a") -And Savitri too awoke among these tribesThat hastened to join the brilliant Summoner’s chantAnd, lured by the beauty of the apparent ways,Acclaimed their por...
- No accommodation is possible between Hindutva and democracy, or between Hindutva and equality - "If “debate” with the Hindu side is what you want, it is they who are the ones to talk to." -- K. Elst http://t.co/qLIQBpOVDs A serious drawback of this boo...
- No modality to judge each other's action or experience - Tusar Nath Mohapatra5:57 PM, August 30, 2015 It's not "by not discussing things in the light of His teachings" rather by discussing things in the light of H...
- A Desi Secularist Dilemma (Or How to Secularize a Hindu Religious Festival) -A New Post in the Series: *Current Events* If you are part of the so-called educated, English-speaking, urban/semi-urban sections of Indian populace, and ...
- APOLOGIES - My apologies for the absence of posts since mid-August, but my domestic situation continues, and may do for some weeks yet. My wife is in hospital though I...
- Sri Aurobindo and the Supramental Consciousness - Sri Aurobindo saw that the divine force permeates all matter, and that all matter therefore has a force of consciousness. The process of the divine spirit de...
- Why India must embrace Modi like the Hindus of America – David Frawley -It has been remarked how well Indians do outside of India. It could also be said how well Hindus do outside of India, and additionally how well Hindu-based...
- New contributor: Alex Watson - I am pleased to announce the addition of a new contributor to our blog: Alex Watson. Our readers already read here his description of his current position ...
We all know the sun is big. But this image, part of a great series on the s...- The true soul – Sri Aurobindo - The true soul secret in us…burns in the temple of the inmost heart behind the thick screen of an ignorant mind, life and body… the flame of the Godhead alw...
- PERSEVERANCE - Botanical Name: Wadelia Common Name*: *Creeping daisy, West Indian creeper Spiritual Significance: *Detailed Perseverance* *One continues the work begun fo...
- Book Review: ABC’s of Indian National Education (Dr. Larry Seidlitz) - It is my great joy and privilege today to share another review of my book, ABC’s of Indian National Education. This one is a very special review as it is w...
- Divine Vision and Divine Action - talk by Alok Pandey Tuesday, 2nd September 2015, Time : 7:10pm at Hall of Harmony, Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry, India. PLAY / DOWNLOAD (41MB, 43 Minu...
- Consecration of our actions and outer movements - Sri Aurobindo Centre Gurgaon 15 August at 04:47 Dear Friends, Please join us for Sunday Satsang on 16th August, from 1100 to 1200 hrs. Shri Krishan Sethi wi...
- Spiritual Growth and Organised Efficiency – M.S. Srinivasan - A great Indian poet and a Nobel Laureate once said that a community of God-seekers is a great thing, but the moment it begins to organise Truth, it may adm...
- Dyuman’s Correspondence with the Mother (free ebook) - Dyuman’s Correspondence with the Mother (Mirra Alfassa) in Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry.
- The superogatory acts are the ones that matter - Last time I introduced the idea of supererogatory acts, those that are good beyond what duty and obligation require. The … Continue reading →
- Grace - There is grace in all that is given And grace in all that is not And grace in all that […] The post Grace appeared first on Next Future Magazine.
- National Education: 14: A new centre of thought implies a new centre of education - Indian culture recognises the spirit as the truth of our being and our life as a growth and evolution of the spirit. It sees the Eternal, the Infinite, the S...
- 11th International Whitehead Conference (2017 in the Azores) - The 11th International Whitehead Conference will be hosted by the University of the Azores on Sao Miguel Island. The conference website is now up. The titl...
- BJP President lauds, deeply appreciates the Sri Aurobindo Ashram - While the Sri Aurobindo Ashram does not depend on or need the patronage and certificates of good conduct from politicians, bureaucrats, the media, etc., th...
