The Action of Spiritual Force Is Generally Conditioned by the Field Within Which It Works

We tend to operate under the fallacy that any spiritual force that is operative will automatically, and completely, achieve its intended result without difficulty. We forget, thereby, the way forces actually work in the world. There are always starting points, conditions, limitations, and opposing forces, as well as the object upon which the force is working and its status, and the overall situation within which the operation is taking place.

We observe in the laws of motion that there is a tension between centrifugal force and centripetal force. When are in balance, we see a planetary orbit. If one becomes predominant, either there is a collision or a complete pulling away that occurs. We see in the economic models of ‘supply and demand’ that there are countervailing forces at work, some of which work to raise prices, some lower prices. We see in politics the offsetting forces of progressive and conservative which, when equally balanced, can lead to a form of gridlock or paralysis in the political system. Within the body, when a disease organism is active, there is a counter-balancing force of action from the immune system to fight off the disease. If the disease proves stronger than the immune response, the patient may die or be severely injured; if the immune response is successful, the disease is overcome.

During World War II, the Nazi ideology gained rapid strength and overcame much of Europe. Eventually, the countervailing forces got organized, focused and overcame the Nazi domination.

It is similar with the action of forces in each human individual’s life. There is the force of desire and the action of discipline. There are forces of inertia and forces of action.

The issue however is not simply related to counter-balanced forces at work. Every force has to contend with the conditions of the recipient of the force, the receptivity to accept and utilize the force, the preparation of the instruments that have to utilize the force, the situation in the environment that may favor, or dispose against, the success of the force at work. Spiritual aspirants everywhere have experienced the forces of desire, ambition, despair, temptation, laziness, etc. which act to interfere with the progress, distract, delay or obstruct the forward movement.

Over time, we can see a trend toward increasing progress, increasing action of consciousness, but this is, at the detailed level, not a straight line without setbacks, obstacles, perturbations, resistance; rather, we find that forces that are supportive of the status quo may fight intensely to maintain that situation when they are confronted by forces of progress. In human society a good example is provided by the attempt of people who hold wealth to try to suppress, hold down and otherwise prevent others from gaining the power of wealth and thus freeing themselves from subjugation in one form or another. We see it in the attempts to maintain abusive structures based in racism, sexism or other forms of segregation. There is a proverb that indicates that a cornered beast is more dangerous as it recognises the threat to its base of power and existence.

Spiritual forces generally work within the framework of Nature and effect their changes through the long, slow and arduous process of Time. Rarely do they work to overturn the established patterns of Nature entirely; rather, they create opportunities for the existing powers in Nature to embrace, accept and respond to a new vision. There is of course at times a need for a strong purifying and cleansing force to work, but this generally comes when the ground is prepared and a wider segment of humanity is ready, and able, to accept the new direction that is shown. Revolutions that overthrow an existing order, but which are not based in substantive changes in human nature, tend to reintroduce the very type of power structures that existed previously, with just a change of those specific individuals in power. The true change occurs when there is an actual progress prepared at the deeper levels so that humanity can move forward to a next stage and not fall back into old habits of action.

There may be a major tremendous, apparently revolutionary or miraculous leap forward, overturning existing patterns, with the advent of an entirely new level consciousness. Yet even here, the basis of the earlier terms is kept very much in place and just upgraded, harmonized and taught to accept the higher power and guidance, as we see with the expression of mental power and its action upon Life and Matter.

Sri Aurobindo notes: “It is not, unless it is a supramental Force, a Power that acts without conditions and limitations. The conditions and limits under which yoga or sadhana has to be worked out are not arbitrary or capricious; they arise from the nature of things. These including the will, receptivity, assent, self-opening and surrender of the sadhak have to be respected by the yoga-force, unless it receives a sanction from the Supreme to override everything and get something done, but that sanction is sparingly given. It is only if the supramental Power came fully down, not merely sent its influences through the overmind, that things could be very radically directed towards that object — for then the sanction would not be rare. For the Law of the Truth would be at work, not constantly balanced by the law of the Ignorance.”

Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, The Hidden Forces of Life, Ch.7 Spiritual Forces of Help and Succour, pp.163-164