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Philosophy and Spiritualism of Sri Aurobindo

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Template:Integral thought The Philosophy and Spiritualism of Sri Aurobindo is a theory of evolution detailed in Sri Aurobindo's work "The Life Divine".[1]

In The Synthesis of Yoga, and in his voluminous correspondence with his disciples collected under the title Letters on Yoga, Sri Aurobindo laid out the psychological principles and practices of the Integral Yoga or Poorna Yoga. The aim of Integral yoga is to enable the individual who undertakes it the attainment of a conscious identity with the Divine, the true Self, and to transform the mind, life, and body so they would become fit instruments for a divine life on earth.[2]

Aurobindo is said to have started his practise of yoga without a teacher, except for some rules that he learned from Ganganath, a friend who was a disciple of Brahmananda. [3] According to Meher Baba, Aurobindo was a yogi who had advanced himself by his own efforts to the sixth plane and become a saint.[4][5]

Evolutionary Philosophy

The Triple Transformation of the Individual

Sri Aurobindo's argues that Man is born an ignorant, divided, conflicted being; a product of the original inconscience (i.e. unconsciousness,) inherent in Matter that he evolved out of. As a result, he does not know the nature of Reality, including its source and purpose; his own nature, including the parts and integration of his being; what purpose he serves, and what his individual and spiritual potential is, amongst others. In addition, he experiences life through division and conflict, including his relationship with others, and his divided view of spirit and life.

To overcome these limitations, Man must embark on a process of self-discovery in which he uncovers his Divine nature. To that end, he undertakes a three-step process, which he calls the Triple Transformation. It is described in Book II, Chapter 25 of his opus The Life Divine.

Psychic Transformation

The first of the three stages is a movement within, away from the surface of life, to the depths, culminating in the discovery of his Psychic Being (the evolving soul). From that experience, he sees the oneness and unity of creation, and the harmony of all opposites experienced in life. As a result, he begins to shed his essential Ignorance born of creation. He also experiences his true individual nature, shedding his ego and sense of separateness from other and life. He also begins to glean his true individual purpose, as well as his universal and transcendent purpose in life. He comes in touch with an inner Guide that constantly indicates what actions to take and what to avoid. As a result of connecting to the transcendent divine, he experiences a deep pleasure and bliss, causing him to want to surrender to the Divine Will and Intent.

Spiritual Transformation

As a result of making the psychic change, his mind expands and he experiences knowledge not through the hard churning of thought, but through light, intuition, and revelation of knowledge, culminating in supramental perception. Light enters from the heights and begins to transmute various parts of his being.[6]

Supramental transformation

After making the psychic and spiritual change, he makes the supramental and most radical change. Sri Aurobindo says the mind cannot easily perceive this possibility, as it goes beyond past spiritual principles and experiences. It is basically a complete transformation of the mind, the heart, the emotions, and the physical body. Consciousness and Force are reintegrated in the being that were lost in the involution of consciousness from an infinite Reality that began in creation as matter. He also has ultimate knowledge that is matched by a power for its effectuation. Thus, Knowledge and Will become fused and one. Whatever he perceives is able to manifest as a reality, reflecting that same power in the original Reality and Being from out of which the universe manifest. At that point, he has the Vision of Brahman that perceives the integral unity of spirit and Life. That spirit is the source of life, and that life is a manifestation of spirit in an ongoing, endless, integral process. The supramental transformation culminates in the change in the very cells of the body, ushering in a new form of human, devoid of the functioning it now exhibits, replaced by their spiritual equivalents. It is the ultimate transformational change. At that point, a Gnostic being is fully realized, as is a collective, Divine Life on earth.

Integral Yoga

Main article: Integral Yoga

References

  1. ^ SRI AUROBINDO’S AESTHETICS AND POETICS — New Directions: Murali Sivaramakrishnan; Authorspress, Q-2A, Hauz Khas Enclave, New Delhi-110016
  2. ^ Letters on Yoga, p. 505
  3. ^ Aurobindo (2006), p. 110.
  4. ^ Kalchuri, Bhau (1986). Meher Prabhu: Lord Meher, The Biography of the Avatar of the Age, Meher Baba. Manifestation, Inc.
  5. ^ http://www.lordmeher.org/rev/index.jsp?pageBase=page.jsp&nextPage=2958
  6. ^ SRI AUROBINDO’S AESTHETICS AND POETICS — New Directions: Murali Sivaramakrishnan; Authorspress, Q-2A, Hauz Khas Enclave, New Delhi-110016

See also

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