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- The Power of Enthusiasm Represents the Action of the Mystic Flame of Aspiration Working in the External Being - by Submitted on Jan 25, 2024 from santosh krinskyThe Rishis of the Rig Veda focused, first and foremost, on kindling the mystic fire as the key to the reception and utilization of higher powers of consciousness. The altar for this flame is in the secret heart of the being, deep within, behind the physical organ, where the psychic being is ...
Views: 204 - What Is the Difference Between Spiritual and Psychic? - by Submitted on Jan 24, 2024 from santosh krinskyFirst, we must remember that Sri Aurobindo and the Mother relate the term ‘psychic’ to the soul, the aspect of the individual that maintains a direct connection with the Divine. The soul is an organising principle within the earth-consciousness and, while it maintains a connection to the Divine, ...
Views: 236 - Why Is Joy Inconstant, and How Does One Extend it? - by Submitted on Jan 22, 2024 from santosh krinskyIt is first necessary to distinguish pleasure from joy. Pleasure may arise from the most insignificant, external factors, a sense impression, a lucky or fortuitous turn of events, or some passing vital response to a circumstance. Pleasure is a response of the surface being to something which has ...
Views: 221 - The Process for Reviewing the Origin and Impact of One’s Thoughts, Feelings and Actions - by Submitted on Jan 21, 2024 from santosh krinskyOnce 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: 204 - Self-Deception Manifested Through One’s Own External Actions and Internal Justifications - by Submitted on Jan 20, 2024 from santosh krinskyAnother type of deception may either be conscious fraud, or may be another instance of the process of self-deception manifesting also as deception in relation to others. If the individual is purposely trying to take advantage of people, and knows that to be the case, it is an instance of ...
Views: 199 - Self-Deception Manifested Through Judgment of Others - by Submitted on Jan 19, 2024 from santosh krinskySelf-deception can take the form of a judgmental attitude regarding the thoughts, feelings or actions of others. Particularly if an individual has worked to try to eliminate certain things within himself, he has a very close relationship to those things, he can feel the vibration and a lot of ...
Views: 228 - Cultivating Mental Honesty to Address the Habit of Self-Deception - by Submitted on Jan 18, 2024 from santosh krinskyThe habit of self-deception is so deeply ingrained, and so automatic, that we tend not to see or recognise it when it is occurring. And it occurs constantly throughout each day. How can we overcome this habit of self-deception? This is where a yogic discipline, an effort in the practice, becomes ...
Views: 235 - The Habit of Self-Deception - by Submitted on Jan 17, 2024 from santosh krinskyWhat we frequently fail to recognise is that much of the vital interaction and mental self-justification that supports it takes place more or less without active intervention or reflection by the mind. A vital desire or concern is prodded and the mind instantly jumps to self-justification ...
Views: 233 - The Ego-Standpoint Bias — the Basis of Self-Deception - by Submitted on Jan 16, 2024 from santosh krinskyWe tend to have a more or less hidden bias in favor of our own view or position in various matters, which carries out at each level of the ego-standpoint, individual, family, community, religion, country, etc. as it expands its scope. We tend to see things from our unique viewpoint and not take ...
Views: 232 - Developing Will-Power - by Submitted on Jan 15, 2024 from santosh krinskyWhen we are interested in something we naturally focus on that to the exclusion of other distractions. Time passes and we do not notice it. Things that would ordinarily engage our attention are disregarded. This power of ‘one pointed’ concentration is however elusive when it arises just out of ...
Views: 243 - The Obstacles to Exercising the Will - by Submitted on Jan 14, 2024 from santosh krinskyWhatever experience an individual has in life, there come moments when he determines that he needs to exercise his will-power. it may be related to overcoming habits of laziness or procrastination, or overcoming a form of addiction, undertaking a diet to manage his weight, restraining the ...
Views: 216 - How Does an Individual Acquire the Higher Form of Spontaneity? - by Submitted on Jan 13, 2024 from santosh krinskyOnce we distinguish the lower forms of spontaneity that stem from the vital nature and its instincts and desires, from the higher form of spontaneity that is linked to unification of the being with the higher spiritual purpose, the question arises as to how the individual can develop this higher ...
Views: 213 - The Lower and Higher Forms of Psychological Innocence and Purity - by Submitted on Jan 12, 2024 from santosh krinskyThere is an ‘innocence’ of the instinctive vital nature. It acts according to its impulses, habits, instincts, without interference of any mental considerations, whether termed self-dealing, planning, calculation, conscience or ethical and moral constraints. The famous example is that the tiger ...
Views: 217 - What Is Meant by Spontaneity and How to Apply It - by Submitted on Jan 11, 2024 from santosh krinskyThere are two types of spontaneity and each of them proceeds from a different cause and has a vastly different effect. Spontaneity is generally understood in the context of responding ‘naturally’ to situations without a lot of thinking, planning or detailed consideration of one’s actions or ...
Views: 236 - The Meaning and Importance of Sincerity in the Practice of Yoga - by Submitted on Jan 10, 2024 from santosh krinskyWhen most people think about ‘sincerity’, they focus on the truth of the speech aligning with the actions of the individual. They expect this alignment to manifest itself in actuality. Expressions of good will or condolence, for instance, are sincere if they align with the true feelings of the ...
Views: 219 - Patience and Perseverance Are Required in the Path of Spiritual Realisation - by Submitted on Jan 06, 2024 from santosh krinskyPossibly it is a result of our relatively short span of life during which we are active and capable of conscious observation, insight and action. The period of childhood is mostly involved with development of the body, the vital force and the mind to the point where they can become functional ...
Views: 205 - Listening and Heeding the Voice of the Soul - by Submitted on Jan 05, 2024 from santosh krinskyThe voice of reason, the urging of desire, the warning of what we call the conscience, all of these are aspects of the inner dialogue that takes place within the individual as he determines his direction and his response to life situations. None of these are, however, the voice of the soul. How ...
Views: 238 - The Forms of Knowledge: the Mind’s Knowledge and the Soul’s Knowledge - by Submitted on Jan 04, 2024 from santosh krinskyIn a chapter titled ‘Knowledge by Identity and Separative Knowledge’ in The Life Divine, Sri Aurobindo describes true knowledge as coming through identity, where the knower and the object of knowledge are one and unified. This occurs through the direct relation of the soul with the Divine in a ...
Views: 230 - The Separation of Consciousness From the Physical Body - by Submitted on Jan 03, 2024 from santosh krinskyLarge numbers of individuals have reported the experience of being conscious outside of their physical body. This frequently happens within the context of a near death experience. The individual reports his awareness up above looking down on the body, or outside observing what is taking ...
Views: 221 - How to Find the Soul - by Submitted on Jan 02, 2024 from santosh krinskyPhilosophers, scientists and religious leaders argue about the existence of the soul. Some say the soul does not exist. Some scientists have tried to conduct measurements by weighing the person immediately before and after death to determine if any difference in weight, representing the soul, ...
Views: 261 - Is It the Soul or the Vital Being We Perceive? - by Submitted on Jan 01, 2024 from santosh krinskyMost people are rooted in the vital consciousness, and thus respond to the vibrations that occur within the vital realm. Unless they have contact with their soul or at least clear influence by the psychic being on the external parts of the being, they are virtually unable to recognise the action ...
Views: 206 - Can the Mind Recognise the Action or Influence of the Soul in Another Individual? - by Submitted on Dec 31, 2023 from santosh krinskyEvery aspect of life, and every plane of existence vibrates at its own unique frequency. As an individual develops, he can begin to resonate with and respond to the vibrations of various levels of existence. This also gives him the ability to feel and recognise the similar vibration when it is ...
Views: 206 - Personal Effort, the Ego and the Nature of Selfishness - by Submitted on Dec 30, 2023 from santosh krinskyThere is considerable confusion about the role of the ego and the nature of actions one undertakes. Many believe that charitable actions, altruistic or philanthropic actions by definition are unselfish acts and evidence the elimination of ego from the action. This, however, is not accurate. The ...
Views: 236 - The State of Conscious Sleep - by Submitted on Dec 29, 2023 from santosh krinskyOne of the reasons that a seeker is advised to have the assistance of an experienced guide, or guru, in the spiritual path, is that it is easy to be confused about the real meaning of what is written in the texts. For instance, when we hear about the concept of ‘conscious sleep’ or we see Arjuna ...
Views: 249 - The Bifurcation of the External Parts of the Being and the Central Consciousness - by Submitted on Dec 28, 2023 from santosh krinskyWhen we happen to identify ourselves with certain parts of the being, such as those parts that are conscious, or which are aware of the divine Presence, we generally fail to recognise that this is not the entirety of our being, nor that other parts of the being, with different types of needs, ...
Views: 194 - Signs for Identifying the World Personality - by Submitted on Dec 27, 2023 from santosh krinskyIn the Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna poses the question of how to identify the spiritual man, the superior individual. Sri Krishna makes it clear that this is not determined by outer signs, but by the inner state of the individual. The Mother takes up this question in a slightly different form and ...
Views: 216 - The Spiritual Path and Ascetic Practices - by Submitted on Dec 26, 2023 from santosh krinskyThe vital nature craves excitement. It also craves recognition and acknowledgement, in the form of vanity, aggrandisement of the ego, and seeking for fame. The vital nature is also quite impatient and wants to see results right away. When the vital nature enters into the spiritual realm, it ...
Views: 211 - The Development of the Powers of the Body - by Submitted on Dec 25, 2023 from santosh krinskyFor the seekers who wish to depart the creation through unification with the Supreme, the body is often considered to be an obstacle, something that needs a certain amount of begrudging attention in order to allow the meditation to take place uninterruptedly. These seekers prefer to give as ...
Views: 209 - The Benefits of a Prepared Mental Instrument for Action in the World - by Submitted on Dec 24, 2023 from santosh krinskyMany spiritual seekers in today’s world dismiss the need to develop the mind and its inherent powers. The mind is seen as the obstacle to the attainment of the greater knowledge that accompanies spiritual development. This understanding is rooted in the larger belief that spiritual growth ...
Views: 195 - Creating a Balance Between the Spiritual Quest and the Development of the Body, Life and Mind - by Submitted on Dec 23, 2023 from santosh krinskyA yogic discipline focused on the abandonment of life does not take pains to develop the inherent powers and capacities of the body, life-force and the mind. In fact, the powers of these elements of the human instrument are instead considered to be lures, obstacles and impediments to the ...
Views: 194 - Creating a Balance Between the Spiritual Quest and the Development of the Body, Life and Mind - by Submitted on Dec 23, 2023 from santosh krinskyA yogic discipline focused on the abandonment of life does not take pains to develop the inherent powers and capacities of the body, life-force and the mind. In fact, the powers of these elements of the human instrument are instead considered to be lures, obstacles and impediments to the ...
Views: 201 - The Need to Integrate the Realisations of the Yoga of Knowledge With the External Life of the Seeker - by Submitted on Dec 22, 2023 from santosh krinskySome spiritual seekers follow the path of knowledge, utilizing deep meditation in a trance-state called Samadhi, to put aside all interaction with the external world and focus intensely on the unification with the Supreme Truth, and liberation from the life of the body. Their goal is thus for a ...
Views: 192 - The Witness Consciousness - by Submitted on Dec 21, 2023 from santosh krinskyWhen the seeker first becomes aware of the practice of separating the witness consciousness from the active external nature, he may naturally take his stance in the mental awareness and begin to observe his actions and reactions from the mental standpoint. This generally yields some kind of ...
Views: 223 - The Call of the Divine Flute - by Submitted on Dec 20, 2023 from santosh krinskyAn individual is living out his life, following his career, pursuing education, enjoying himself, raising a family, pursuing a hobby. All quite normal things. For most people, this is the frame within which his life carries on, and he experiences the joys and sorrows, the pains and the ...
Views: 214 - The Awakening of the Soul to a Greater Life and Purpose - by Submitted on Dec 19, 2023 from santosh krinskyUntil an aspiration awakens in the being, we tend to go about our lives taking cues from the promptings of family, friends, community, religion, or schools. Most people will not therefore recognise any greater or deeper purpose to their lives, and they simply determine to try to support ...
Views: 217 - The Phenomenon of the ‘Evil Persona’ - by Submitted on Dec 18, 2023 from santosh krinskyWe are ingrained with the notion that we own both the positive and negative qualities we can identify within ourselves. We work to enhance those we consider positive, and we struggle to overcome those that we view as negative. Through the practice of separating out the witness consciousness from ...
Views: 237 - The Challenge of Duality and the Conquest of Light Over Darkness - by Submitted on Dec 17, 2023 from santosh krinskyWe live in a world filled with contradictions, a world of dualities. We accept the premise that we cannot have light without dark, pleasure without pain, joy without sorrow. This appears to be the nature of the world, and it seems like an irrefutable concept. Yet, we can in fact conceive of the ...
Views: 214 - The Unique Truth of Each Being in Relation to the Divine Manifestation - by Submitted on Dec 16, 2023 from santosh krinskyRecently the question arose about how and in what form the witness consciousness survives death. This is not a question for either philosophical reasoning or religious dogma. Regardless of the opinion that these general approaches put forth, it is between the individual soul, as a unique ...
Views: 215 - The Separation of the Witness Consciousness from the External Nature - by Submitted on Dec 15, 2023 from santosh krinskyWe tend to identify ourselves with the specific body-life-mind complex we inhabit and which becomes the nexus for the ego-consciousness. This identification, however, makes it virtually impossible to gain real insight or mastery over the mind, life and body. The process followed by the devotee ...
Views: 207 - An Exercise to Become Conscious of One’s Consciousness - by Submitted on Dec 14, 2023 from santosh krinskyThe Taittiriya Upanishad presents a methodology or practice to gain direct knowledge of the Eternal. The seeker is asked to practice tapasya, variously translated as concentration in thought, or concentration of force by Sri Aurobindo. Tapasya cannot be easily or completely understood through ...
Views: 214 - Concentration of the Consciousness - by Submitted on Dec 13, 2023 from santosh krinskyPeople frequently confuse consciousness with mental awareness and concentration with some kind of mental effort or focus; yet, consciousness is not limited to mental awareness and concentration is not restricted to mental activity. We are all familiar with mental concentration. We focus on some ...
Views: 232 - Attaining Free Will By Overcoming the Sense of Individual Separation in the Manifestation and Our Bondage to the Cause and Effect Trajectory That Creates Our Present Opportunities and Choices - by Submitted on Dec 12, 2023 from santosh krinskyAs the mental being develops and we begin to experience the sense of separation from the other beings who are part of the creation, we also begin to have a sense that we have “free will” and make our own independent choices. To a great degree, this sense is misplaced, insofar as our current ...
Views: 204 - What Is a ‘Natural” Response to Circumstances for the Human Individual? - by Submitted on Dec 11, 2023 from santosh krinskyWhen we see any individual stopping to reflect, choose his line of action and make a specific, conscious determination of how to respond, we consider this action to be unnatural, stilted, and we imply that it is somehow subject to some kind of ulterior motive, and thus, tend to distrust it. ...
Views: 217 - What Is a ‘Natural” Response to Circumstances for the Human Individual? - by Submitted on Dec 11, 2023 from santosh krinskyWhen we see any individual stopping to reflect, choose his line of action and make a specific, conscious determination of how to respond, we consider this action to be unnatural, stilted, and we imply that it is somehow subject to some kind of ulterior motive, and thus, tend to distrust it. ...
Views: 226 - Contagion: Physical Contagion, Vital Contagion, Mental Contagion - by Submitted on Dec 10, 2023 from santosh krinskyContagion is the transmission of something, whether physical, vital or mental energy/vibration, from one entity or being to another. On the physical plane, contagion is usually understood to be transmitted through the use of a physical medium, such as a ‘germ’, whether we call it a bacteria, or ...
Views: 222 - Understanding Societal Expectations and Their Impact on the Individual and His Development - by Submitted on Dec 09, 2023 from santosh krinskyWe generally fail to recognise how much we tend to take on the coloration of the thoughts and feelings of those around us. Just as a chameleon will adapt its body color to blend into its physical environment, we tend to adapt our ideas, opinions, and feelings to match up with those with whom we ...
Views: 218 - From the Oneness of Unconsciousness to the Oneness of Consciousness: the Impulsion of the Divine Consciousness - by Submitted on Dec 08, 2023 from santosh krinskySri Aurobindo cites the Vedic Rishi of Mandala X, Canto 129, verses 1-5 at the beginning of Chapter 25 of The Life Divine, titled The Knot of Matter: “Then existence was not nor non-existence, the mid-world was not nor the Ether nor what is beyond. What covered all? where was it? in whose ...
Views: 225 - Understanding the Limiting Frames of Our Existence and the Process for Breaking Free of the Bonds of those Frames - by Submitted on Dec 07, 2023 from santosh krinskyAs long as we live within a certain frame of understanding, we cannot truly understand who or what we are, or why we do what we do, as we are bound by the limitations of that frame. Thus, as we are born in a particular culture, or a particular society, or a particular religious persuasion, or ...
Views: 218 - Individuality Is a Stage Along the Path of the Evolution of Consciousness - by Submitted on Dec 06, 2023 from santosh krinskySri Aurobindo has indicated that the evolution of consciousness is carried out by the gradual and mostly unconscious action of the divine intention within Nature. At the stage of the human being, however, it becomes possible for the individual to “speed up” the slow action of Nature through ...
Views: 218 - Habits - by Submitted on Dec 05, 2023 from santosh krinskyMuch of the activity in our lives is governed by the force of habits, whether ingrained in the genetic and species memory as ‘instinctive’ behavior, or built into the structure and function of the anatomy and physiology of our bodies, or developed through various forms of conditioning of our ...
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