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So many people today are bitter, broken-hearted, or just plain angry because of what happened to them while growing up.
The reasons for their resentment or regret are as countless as are the unconscionable people responsible for the pain they unknowingly created in the lives of those they ... Views: 1408
We value negative states because of the strong sense of self we get from them. This may be very difficult for us to see, but a strong light will show us the freeing facts. No one wants to believe that he or she values things like self-pity, anger, and depression. We would insist we don't, and as ... Views: 875
There is a theory, current in various spiritual paths, as well as in various attempts to overcome certain unwanted behaviours in the ordinary life, that by purposeful indulgence, through ‘experience’ (anubhava), the individual can overcome the undesired impulse, craving or desire. The idea is ... Views: 72
An individual dedicated some years to study and spiritual development. He gathered a small group of young people around him and took on the role of a teacher. He had obviously studied the texts and spent some time practicing them. He gained an aura of charisma for the young people who came under ... Views: 71
When an individual undertakes tapasya, the concentration of conscious force, in any manner, it is certain that the results will bring about new powers for that individual, whether an accentuation of powers that the individual already possessed and exercised to some degree, or the development and ... Views: 265
In Savitri: A Legend and a Symbol, Sri Aurobindo poses the question: ‘How shall he cure the ills he never felt’, in reference to the world redeemer’s task. There is a truth here that impacts every disciple and devotee of the integral yoga. Sri Aurobnido has set the objective as the ... Views: 120
An understanding of the three gunas, or qualities of Nature, is extremely helpful in gaining an understanding of the responses to external stimuli, events, people and circumstances. The gunas are sattwa, with a predominant quality of light and harmony, rajas with a predominant quality of ... Views: 511
Once the yogic sadhana moves to the physical consciousness, it runs into the nature of the physical and material world that predominates in the quality of Tamas, with its characteristics of darkness, sloth, indolence and dullness, inertia and slowness to change. In the physical world itself, ... Views: 623
In his book The Mother, Sri Aurobindo provides a detailed roadmap for understanding the relatively simple idea that one must have the ‘will to overcome all attachments’, etc. In order to do this, we need to be able to appreciate what is meant by ‘attachments’. Most people would associate this ... Views: 101
Medical researchers tell us that bacteria that can cause various disease conditions are always present in our environment, to some degree, including within our bodies. Yet for the most part, we do not become ill or remain ill all the time. The bacteria may be in a diffused or weak form, or our ... Views: 71
Some believe that it is impossible to change human nature. They repeat the proverb that one cannot straighten out a dog’s tail, but it will return to its former status time and again. Some become frustrated and essentially fight with their body, vital being or mind, wherever the movement they ... Views: 540
We utilize speech to communicate with other people. Speech however is a translation into vibrational patterns a specific thought content developed with a particular pattern of electrical impulses. When it is effective, the hearer receives the vibrational energy of the speech he has heard, and ... Views: 285
The question of how to achieve the status of inner equality to all outward circumstances is one that occupies the attention of spiritual seekers everywhere. In his book Bases of Yoga, Sri Aurobindo devotes the first chapter to the questions of achieving calm, peace and equality, as these are ... Views: 174
Once we acknowledge the ability of the vital desire nature to influence and manipulate the mind in its judgment process, biasing the interpretation and understanding of the motives behind the actions, it is incumbent on those who aspire to spiritual growth to find a way to root out this inherent ... Views: 335
Anyone who has taken up the practice of meditation is familiar with the attempt to quiet the mind and not pay attention to thoughts that arise during the process, letting them drift through without being followed or amplified in any way. One quickly realises during the process that we tend to ... Views: 602
As long as an individual lives ‘aimlessly’, without recognising a higher purpose in life, there is no way to appreciate and measure the actions of the external nature with respect to any variance from that aim or purpose. The aim or purpose comes with the identification with the soul, the ... Views: 354
When we take up the question of how to go about changing human nature, we are confronted with the difficulty of that attempt. Instincts, habits, trained responses, ‘nature’ and ‘nurture’ all conspire to maintain the status quo. When we attempt to make any change, we run up against the opposition ... Views: 420
The character we exhibit today is a result of the past, whether we start from the underlying habitual patterns of human nature, or perhaps even go back farther to the patterns of the vital animal nature. Much of this is actually built into the genetic framework of the being, but layered on top ... Views: 533
Honest observation without mental bias is the first step the Mother outlines. This is accomplished by setting up the ideal as a screen or filter against which to compare each action. Those that do not compare entirely favorably represent things that can be identified as subjects for the change ... Views: 499
As Sri Aurobindo has indicated, the practice of yoga is a science of applied psychology. The normal and habitual patterns of response that we exhibit need to be both understood and modified, energies redirected, and new forces allowed to intervene and exert their influence in our lives. ... Views: 635
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 ... Views: 142
If we examine the sleep state, we can identify different phases of ‘normal’ sleep patterns for human beings in general. Starting from the waking state where we are conscious of the sights, and sounds of the outside world, as well as the thoughts and emotions and nervous impulses, feelings and ... Views: 528
If it were only simple! The integral yoga holds out the goal of not just attaining liberation from the external surface nature, but also transforming that nature under the impulsion and intention of the divine intention in the universal creation. While the concept of liberation is well known and ... Views: 380
The Bhagavad Gita proclaims that ‘yoga is skill in works’. The type of focused concentrated effort that comes about through a yogic practice is an essential aspect of completing any task skillfully. It does not imply, however, that all ‘skill in works’ is necessarily yoga, unless by that one ... Views: 576
The Bhagavad Gita proclaims that ‘yoga is skill in works’. The type of focused concentrated effort that comes about through a yogic practice is an essential aspect of completing any task skillfully. It does not imply, however, that all ‘skill in works’ is necessarily yoga, unless by that one ... Views: 592
Individuals who take up spiritual practice are generally advised that they have to overcome the ego and free themselves from its desires, ambitions, wants or needs. As the practice advances, the seeker begins to recognise that he is not that ego-personality, either as the specific person or in ... Views: 5
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 ... Views: 358
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 ... Views: 351
The Greek philosopher Plato, after deep consideration, reached the conclusion that some higher principle was real, which he called ‘Forms” or ‘Ideas’, and that the physical reality we see and experience is the result, not the cause. This concept is in consonance with the Vedic understanding. ... Views: 68
A devotee reported the following incident: He had visited a researcher at Jipmer Hospital in Pondicherry, India who was using Kirlian photography in his research. The researcher showed him several stones. One of them was an ordinary stone. The other one had been in an active temple for a ... Views: 268
The Psychic Being Acts as the Organising Principle Around Which the Responses of the Mind, Life and Body Are Aligned
Posted on May 21, 2026
In our ordinary external awareness we experience ourselves as an individuality, and we look at our various actions and reactions, responses and directed ... Views: 13
The physical being, the vital being and the mental being each have their own characteristic mode of action, habits and predilections. They also have created over time an interface that modfiies the native action of each to accept some amount of influence and control by the other elements. Thus, ... Views: 35
The newborn child has a mind, but it is not yet fully focused, awakened and in control of the sensory instruments. Over time, as the child grows and matures, he can gain more precise control over his senses and his powers of action, and eventually, the mind matures, can be trained and developed ... Views: 18
Until someone actively takes up the spiritual path, and consciously begins to focus on the significance of his life and the purpose of the manifestation, the question of progress for the psychic being does not even arise. The progress takes place, but it happens without appreciation or ... Views: 7
There are certain beings that occupy specific positions in the hierarchy of consciousness, who inhabit specific planes with a specific define role in the creation. These are essentially ‘static’ beings as they do not ‘evolve’. It is commonly held that, on the contrary, the evolutionary principle ... Views: 422
Wherever we focus our attention, we attract the object of the attention. The universal manifestation is one consciousness. Attention creates a direct correspondence that sets up affinities and links. This leads to meeting people or attracting circumstances that fulfil the focus of the attention. ... Views: 18
There are a number of different management strategies we see in the world today. They range from attempts at total control, what we can call ‘micromanagement’ to total laissez faire release to permit individuals to do whatever they decide at each moment. Both of these extremes have their ... Views: 18
Nothing can evolve that has not previously been involved. A tree grows from an acorn because the essence of the tree, in the form of its genetic code, is already in place within that acorn. The entire creation, from the most material to the most subtle, contains an involved consciousness. If we ... Views: 12
Humanity has grappled with finding a meaning and purpose to life since time immemorial. We ask ourselves, why have we been born? Is there a meaning to life? What are we here to do? Is life simply about acquiring wealth, status, power and creating offspring? Is there anything else that acts as ... Views: 40
As long as we remain rooted in the awareness of mind-life-body, we see the world and our existence as a fragmented collection of separate objects, beings and forces and we act as if we are separate and distinct from everything else. The spiritual transformation of consciousness involves a shift ... Views: 425
Aspiration. When we observe sunflowers opening and turning toward the sun, we are witnessing a form of aspiration at a very basic level. When we strive to enhance our physical capacities, manifest and express beauty, work to achieve a more pure and powerful vital energy, develop our minds and ... Views: 17
In his novel Martin Chuzzlewit, Charles Dickens exposes us to a character who is perpetually cheerful, Mark Tapley. We meet him in a comfortable situation working at an inn, with a warm relationship with the proprietor of the inn, with whom he is in love (and who is in love with him). He ... Views: 144
An individual recounted a seemingly minor incident that nevertheless began to turn his mind into a new direction, eventually leading him, over time, with further experiences, to take up the spiritual quest. He was in a debating competition in high school. His team was well-prepared, and the ... Views: 21
We are born into the world, we grow, we learn, we participate in it, we age, and eventually we die. Many people look at this process without trying to understand any deeper significance. They involve themselves in the process and do not look at what happened before, what caused the existence we ... Views: 13
We tend to look at things through the standpoint of the external physical being, the body, life and mind with which we identify. From this standpoint we treat the soul as something that we need to search for, if we even acknowledge the existence of the soul, and as something secondary to and ... Views: 47
We observe in nature that certain plants turn towards the sun and follow the sun’s position in the sky throughout the day. This phenomenon, ‘heliotropism’, is based on certain sensor cells in these plants that identify the location of the light and automatically orient themselves towards it. ... Views: 12
Goethe, in his famous poem Faust, recounts a scene where Faust conjures the Earth-Spirit. He is stricken with fear although he felt himself to be a god and a peer to the Spirit he called forth.
“To view me is thine aspiration,
My voice to hear, my countenance to see;
Thy powerful yearning ... Views: 0
We train the physical body with intense repetition to create what is called ‘muscle memory’. This allows the body to respond, instantly, without thought, when certain circumstances occur. Not all circumstances require the instantaneous response of the body, or even if they do, the body may not ... Views: 250
Everything we experience is sensed or felt by some developed capacity or part of the being. Vibrations that occur within the ranges of the electro-magnetic spectrum that human beings can perceive are identified as light, colors, sound, etc. We have senses of taste, touch and smell, similarly ... Views: 103
The Bodhisattva vow represents an ideal of dedication and compassion by those who have reached the stage of enlightenment and who thereby have gained the freedom to choose liberation, moksha, from the cycle of birth and death. Those individuals who attain this state of consciousness make the ... Views: 10