INTEGRAL YOGA VLADIMIR TREFILОV. « SRI AUROBINDO’ S CREATIVE CAREER. SPIRITUAL POETRY »
Consciousness concealed in it ". The power of Consciousness impels matter to evolve.
Thus life emerges and so do " the living physical creatures "— animals and plants. The theory of involution and evolution, basic to Integral Yoga, substantiates the notions of spiritualization of matter, of rebuilding the human physical substance and subsequent supramental transmutation of human existence.
The aim of human existence is to manifest the Supreme presence. It is a long process, unique and only characteristic of the Earth. " This earthly world in the center of all stars and worlds was created to become a symbol of the Universe and a focus of activity for holy transformation of matter." 2 Sri Aurobindo emphasizes the uniqueness and value of the earthly world, the earthly life being the most relevant and rapid way to beсоme сonscious of the Divine.
The conception of self-realization
Most of the past and present forms of Yoga have been connected with the ancient practice of raising primordial cosmic energy in a human— Kundalini Sakti whichis found at the base of our spine— Muladhara-Chakra along the Spinal Cord— Susumna.
As the rising flow of energy reaches the Chakres( centers of biopsychic field) lying along Susumna, a Yogi acquires different Siddhis( the powers). It is a complicated multi-stage process which lasts for years and implies existence of specific esoteric knowledge and techniques. As i rule, it is implemented under the personal guidance of a guru. When the rising flow of energy reaches Sahasrara( a thous and petalled lotus of the brain), a Yogi enters in Samadhi— a particular state when individual " I " diss olves in Universal spirit. In most forms of Yoga Samadhi is considered the dynamic aim of Yoga practice.
Sri Aurobindo developed a different conception of selfrealization through Yoga. As a main instrument of Yoga he uses meditation, in the process of which cosmic energy of Sakti starts its soft and unforced descent. along Susumna( the Spinal Cord). When descending Sakti reaches the lower center of biopsychic field— Muladhara— the primary cosmic energy contained here easily rises along Susumna, and a Yogi attains the state of Samadhi.
However, the attainment of Samadhi is not the culmination for Integral Yoga. " This Yoga starts where old Yogis stopped." 3 Using the energy of Samadhi, a yogi practises a redescent along Susumna, in the process of which the transmutation of a human body occurs. This practice must culminate in the full transformation of a human who will find an immortal body and " God-man " status.
Developing a new conception of self-realization, Sri Aurobindo attempted to synthesize it with scientific methods. From science he drew experimental method of cognition, applying it to Yoga and spiritual practices.
Comparing methods of Yoga with those of science, he wrote that " Yoga methods were also created on the basis of knowledge developed and proved by properly conducted experiments, the analysis of practice and repeated results." All the basic Yoga practices are reinterpreted in Integral Yoga from this perspective. However, according to Aurobindo, experimental cognition in Integral yoga is only a prelude to supersensitive, supramental comprehension of the Transcendent.
Teaching on consciousness
The Integral Yoga regards human psyche as a multi-le veled entity with сompоsite structure. First come outer and inner levels of consciousness. The outer consciousness has " superficial physical, vital and mental manifestations." But behind this outer manifestation of human сonsciousness the " inner сonsciousness " is found, which is " much greater, deeper and stronger ".
The inner consciousness has many layers and three main areas: subconsciousness— " unexpressed, undivided, indistinct ", the heritage of animal evolution; transconsciousness, which " behind the outer mind holds the innermind which is deeper, wider and more effective than the outer mind; Supermind— nonverbal overlogical consciousness which has no analogies in the outer consciousness and which is the future of human evolution." 5
At the present time man only uses the outer layer of consciousness. It is an " awakened active consciousness " which only embraces a minor part of psyche. One of the basic goals for Integral Yoga is to extent human consciousness, to ascend to its highest levels and then reduce supramental level to earthly existence.
Sri Aurobindo constructs the hierarchy of asсending levels of consciousness from the ordinary human mind up to the Supermind. The first step is the ascension from the ordinary human mind to the Sublime mind. This is a " luminous mind-thought, mind of the spirit generating conceptual knowledge ". There are no " logical movements "; the relationship between ideas as well as between truths is not logically determined." 6 The next step is the Enlightened mind. It operates through vision rather than thought. Still higher level is the Intuitive mind. Aurobindo defines intuition as " the pоwer of сonsciousness, сlosest to the original knowledge." This is an " immediate consciousness ", the result of " penetrating and revealing contiguity ". The next stage of the ascension brings up to the Overmind which " is the power of cosmic consciousness, original source of global knowledge ". However, in earthly evolution the descent of the Overmind do es not lead to the сomplete transformation of Unconsciousness. It сan only be achieved " through bringing the Supermind down to the earthly structure." 7
34 КАРЬЕРА АСТРОЛОГА | 1 2012