June 2020 Newsletter

June 2020 SRI AUROBINDO SOCIETY VOL 34.06 Singapore NEWSLETTER Psychic Being Organisation of the Being around the Psychic The first stage of transformation. Plumbago indica Small pinkish red salverform flower with five rounded lobes and a thin corolla tube, set in a dark red tubular calyx covered with hairs; borne in spikelike racemes. A semi-scandent evergreen shrub. Earth must transform herself and equal Heaven Or Heaven descend into earth’s mortal state. But for such vast spiritual change to be, Out of the mystic cavern in man’s heart The heavenly Psyche must put off her veil And step into common nature’s crowded rooms And stand uncovered in that nature’s front And rule its thoughts and fill the body and life. Savitri, Sri Aurobindo

Psychic Being Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore. June 2020. Guiding Light of the Month “O LORD, Thou showerest upon me all Thy boons. Now that this being expects nothing, desires nothing from life any longer, life brings it its most precious treasures, those coveted by all men. In all the domains of my individual being Thou showerest Thy boons, in the mind, the psychic and even the physical. Thou hast placed me amidst abundance, and abundance seems to me as natural as scarcity and does not bring me a greater joy, for often in poverty the spiritual life was more intense and conscious for me; but I see this abundance very clearly, and my individual being on whom Thou heapest Thy boons thus, prostrates itself before Thee in inexpressible gratitude.” January 4, 1917 Prayers and Meditations, The Mother From the Editor’s Desk In this issue of our newsletter, we invoke one of the This need may not manifest itself in one who is convinced of the superiority of the mind or life or central themes of Integral Yoga, the Psychic Being. the body over everything else, or perhaps in one As we turn the pages of this newsletter, we will who is deeply embroiled in the expression of the come across The Mother’s and Sri Aurobindo’s physical, the vital and the mental and keenly expressions on what the Psychic Being is, where it is contented with such a life. Neither does this need situated in the being, where it came from and where surface in one who lives in pretension of having it can lead us, and its purpose in the being. Since the acquired the highest, since nothing else he would Psychic Being is a presence hid deep in each of us – need, living in certain wilful blindness and us as we are, a blend and product of complex delusion. thought processes, chemical compositions, emotional constituencies not only in our day and Very often, we, aspirants of a life divine, may time but inheriting those from millenniums – only wonder about what that state could be of one who we, each individual one of us can find a way, hew a is surely ready for that inward journey towards the path towards the discovery of this secret being innermost cave where shines the golden flame. Let seated in our heart cave. Those who have taken the us follow these lines from ‘Savitri’ when she too lonely path and endured, and also succeeded have went in search of the innermost soul. Sri Aurobindo penned their experiences quite briefly and usually gives a clear glimpse of her state: cryptically to give us a few hints along the way. Sri Aurobindo and The Mother, who place the Psychic In a simple purity of emptiness Being as pivotal in the Purna Yoga – since this Her mind knelt down before the unknowable. sadhana is one that is five-fold, encompassing All was abolished save her naked self integrally all parts of the being, namely the physical, And the prostrate yearning of her surrendered heart: vital, mental, psychic and spiritual – have given us There was no strength in her, no pride of force; some luminous lights along the way. They too have The lofty burning of desire had sunk cautioned us that the path may be tough, arduous Ashamed, a vanity of separate self, and that an unyielding patience and perseverance The hope of spiritual greatness fled, will be our watchwords along the way. Salvation she asked not nor a heavenly crown: Humility seemed now too proud a state. As in the achievement of everything else in life, the It appears a state of total abandonment to the One first requirement in the journey towards the Psychic who is also not fathomable. In that state what we Being is the need in the being, the want translated adore as humility is a proud state. Do we know this into a deep aspiration to discover the psychic being. state? The journey opens before us. Let us embark. www.sriaurobindosociety.org.sg 2 Psychic Being

Psychic Being Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore. June 2020. www.sriaurobindosociety.org.sg Savitri Psychic Being This bodily appearance is not all; The form deceives, the person is a mask; Hid deep in man celestial powers can dwell. His fragile ship conveys through the sea of years An incognito of the Imperishable. A spirit that is a flame of God abides, A fiery portion of the Wonderful, Artist of his own beauty and delight, Immortal in our mortal poverty. This sculptor of the forms of the Infinite, This screened unrecognised Inhabitant, Initiate of his own veiled mysteries, Hides in a small dumb seed his cosmic thought. In the mute strength of the occult Idea Determining predestined shape and act, Passenger from life to life, from scale to scale, Changing his imaged self from form to form, He regards the icon growing by his gaze And in the worm foresees the coming god. A soul that is a spark of God survives And sometimes it breaks through the sordid screen And kindles a fire that makes us half-divine. Our soul from its mysterious chamber acts; Its influence pressing on our heart and mind Pushes them to exceed their mortal selves. It seeks for Good and Beauty and for God; We see beyond self’s walls our limitless self, We gaze through our world’s glass at half-seen vasts, We hunt for the Truth behind apparent things. Savitri, Sri Aurobindo 3

Psychic Being Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore. June 2020. Questions & Answers Is the psychic being in the heart? Not in the physical heart, not in the organ. It is in a fourth dimension, an inner dimension. But it is in that region, the region somewhat behind the solar plexus, it is there that one finds it most easily. The psychic being is in the fourth dimension as related to our physical being. THE MOTHER (The Psychic Being, Selections of the Works of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother) What is the work of the psychic being? What is the work of the psychic being? You want it to have some work? What do you want to say exactly? What is its function? Ah! very well. One could put it this way, that it is like an electric wire that connects the generator with the lamp. Now, if someone has understood, let him explain what I said! What is the generator and what the lamp? (Laughter) Ah, there are! So, what is the generator and what the lamp? That is exactly it. What is the generator and what the lamp ? Or rather, who is the generator and who is the lamp? The generator is the Divine and the lamp is the body. It is the body, it is the visible being. So, that is its function. This means that if there were no psychic in Matter, it would not be able to have any direct contact with the Divine. And it is happily due to this psychic presence in Matter that the contact between Matter and the Divine can be direct and all human beings can be told, \"You carry the Divine within you, and you have only to enter within yourself and you will find Him. \" It is. something very particular to the human being or rather to the inhabitants of the earth. In the human being the psychic becomes more conscious, more formed, more conscious and more independent also. It is individualised in human beings. But it is a speciality of the earth. It is a direct infusion, special and redeeming, in the most inconscient and obscure Matter, so that it might once again awake through stages to the divine Consciousness, the divine Presence and finally to the Divine Himself. It is the presence of the psychic which makes man an exceptional being- I don't like to tell him this very much, because already he thinks too much of himself; he has such a high opinion of himself that it is not necessary to encourage him! But still, this is a fact -so much so that there are beings of other domains of the universe, those called by some people demigods and even gods, beings, for instance, of what Sri Aurobindo calls the Overmind, who are very eager to take a physical body on earth to have the experience of the psychic, for they don't have it. These beings certainly have many qualities that men don't, but they lack this divine presence which is altogether exceptional and exists only on the earth and nowhere else. All these inhabitants of the higher worlds, the Higher Mind, Overmind and other regions have no psychic being. Of course, the beings of the vital worlds don't have it either. But these latter don't regret it, they don't want it. There are only those www.sriaurobindosociety.org.sg 4 Psychic Being

Psychic Being Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore. June 2020. very rare ones, quite exceptional, who want to be converted, and for this they act without delay, they immediately take a physical body. The others don't want it; it is something which binds them and constrains them to a rule they do not want. But it is a fact, so I am obliged to state that this is how it is, that it is an exceptional quality of the human being to carry within himself the psychic and, truly speaking, he does not take full advantage from it. He does not seem to consider this quality as something very, very desirable, from the way he treats this presence - exactly that! He prefers to it the ideas of his mind, prefers the desires of his vital being and the habits of his physical. THE MOTHER * Is it the psychic will which wants the being to be identified with the Divine? Yes, surely. It is the will of the psychic. It is also the very reason of its existence. It is for that it is there. For example, in the mind certain activities (and even at times in the physical and vital) ...awaken to the influence of the psychic without even knowing it. That is why those parts adhere to it and begin to aspire also for the divine knowledge, the divine union, the relation with the Divine. (The Written Works of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother) * How can one make one’s psychic personality grow? It is through all the experiences of life that the psychic personality forms, grows, develops and finally becomes a complete, conscious and free being. The process of development goes on tirelessly through innumerable lives, and if one is not conscious of it, it is because one is not conscious of one’s psychic being – for that is the indispensable starting point. Through interiorisation and concentration one has to enter into conscious contact with one’s psychic being. This psychic being always has an influence on the outer being but that influence is almost always occult, neither seen not perceived nor felt, save on truly exceptional occasions. Power of Psychic Expression In order to strengthen the contact and aid, if possible, the The psychic obtains its power of expression when it governs the whole being. development of the conscious psychic personality, one should, while concentrating, turn towards it, aspire to know it and feel it, open oneself to receive its influence, and take great care, each time that one receives an indication from it, to follow it very scrupulously and sincerely. To live in a great aspiration, to take care to become inwardly calm and remain so always as far as possible, to cultivate a perfect sincerity in all the activities of one’s being – these are the essential conditions for the growth of the psychic being. THE MOTHER www.sriaurobindosociety.org.sg 5 Psychic Being

Psychic Being Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore. June 2020. Introduction to the Psychic Being The psychic world or plane of consciousness is that part of the world, the psychic being is that part of the being which is directly under the influence of the Divine Consciousness; the hostile forces cannot have even the remotest action upon it. It is a world of harmony, and everything moves in it from light to light and from progress to progress. It is the seat of the Divine Consciousness, the Divine Self in the individual being. It is a centre of light and truth and knowledge and beauty and harmony which the Divine Self in each of you creates by his presence, little by little; it is influenced, formed and moved by the Divine Consciousness of which it is a part and parcel. Psychic Balance It is in each of you the deep inner being which Under the psychic influence all activity becomes balanced. you have to find in order that you may come in contact with the Divine in you. It is the intermediary between the Divine Consciousness and your external consciousness; it is the builder of the inner life, it is that which manifests in the outer nature the order and rule of the Divine Will. If you become aware in your outer consciousness of the psychic being within you and unite with it, you can find the pure Eternal Consciousness and live in it; instead of being moved by the Ignorance as the human being constantly is, you grow aware of the presence of an eternal light and knowledge within you, and to it you surrender and are integrally consecrated to it and moved by it in all things. For your psychic being is that part of you which is already given to the Divine. It is its influence gradually spreading from within towards the most outward and material boundaries of your consciousness that will bring about the transformation of your entire nature. There can be no obscurity here; it is the luminous part in you. Most people are unconscious of this psychic part within them; the effort of Yoga is to make you conscious of it, so that the process of your transformation, instead of a slow labour extending through centuries, can be pressed into one life or even a few years. The psychic being is that which persists after death, because it is your eternal self; it is this that carries the consciousness forward from life to life. The psychic being is the real individuality of the true and divine individual within you. For your individuality means your special mode of expression and your psychic being is a special aspect of the one Divine Consciousness that has taken shape in you. But in the psychic consciousness there is not that sense of division between the individual and the universal consciousness which affects the other parts of your nature. You are conscious there that your individuality is your own line of expression, but at the same time you know too that it is an expression objectifying the one universal consciousness. It is as though you had taken a portion out of yourself and put it in front of you and there were a mutual look and play of movement between the two. This duality was necessary in order to create and establish the objectivised relation and to enjoy it; but in your psychic being the separation that sharpens the duality is seen to be an illusion, an appearance and nothing more. THE MOTHER (Collected Works of the Mother, Volume 3) www.sriaurobindosociety.org.sg 6 Psychic Being

Psychic Being Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore. June 2020. Development of the Psychic Being One of the most important processes in real spiritual transformation is, according to Sri Aurobindo, development of the “psychic being”. It is the soul-person, the psychic being, that survives and carries mind and life with it on its journey. The psychic opening first, the higher consciousness and its experiences afterwards. It is one of the aims of the Yoga to centralise and harmonise all the parts of the being — not around the ego as is done in ordinary life, but around first the psychic being and then the central being in its station above the head (Jivatman). Psychic Aspiration First is the psychic transformation, in which all is in Constant, regular, organised, gentle and contact with the Divine through the psychic patient at the same time, resists all consciousness. Next is the spiritual transformation in which all is merged in the Divine in the cosmic opposition, overcomes all difficulties. consciousness. Third is the supramental transformation in which all becomes supramentalised in the divine gnostic consciousness. It is only with the last that there can begin the complete transformation of mind, life and body — in my sense of completeness. In this Yoga, one can realise the psychic being as a portion of the Divine seated in the heart with the Divine supporting it there — this psychic being takes charge of the sadhana and turns the whole being to the Truth and the Divine, with results in the mind, the vital, the physical consciousness which I need not go into here, — that is a first transformation. We realise it next as the one Self, Brahman, Divine, first above the body, life, mind and not only within the heart supporting them — above and free and unattached as the static Self but also extended in wideness through the world as the silent Self in all and dynamic too as the active Divine Being and Power, Ishwara-Shakti, containing the world and pervading it as well as transcending it, manifesting all cosmic aspects. But, what is most important for us, is that it manifests as a transcending Light, Knowledge, Power, Purity, Peace, Ananda of which we become aware above and which descends into the being and progressively replaces the ordinary consciousness by its own movements — that is the second transformation. We realise also the consciousness itself as moving upward, ascending through many planes physical, vital, mental, overmental to the supramental and Ananda planes. This is nothing new; it is stated in the Taittiriya Upanishad that there are five Purushas, the physical, the vital, the mental, the Truth Purusha (supramental) and the Bliss Purusha; it says that one has to draw the physical self up into the vital, the vital into the mental, the mental into the Truth Self, the Truth Self into the Bliss Self and so attain perfection. But in this Yoga we become aware not only of this taking up but of a pouring down of the powers of the higher Self, so that there comes in the possibility of a descent of the Supramental Self and nature to dominate and change our present nature and turn it from nature of Ignorance into nature of Truth-Knowledge (and through the supramental into nature of Ananda) — this is the third or supramental transformation. It does not always go in this order, for with many the spiritual descent begins first in an imperfect way before the psychic is in front and in charge, but the psychic development has to be attained before a perfect and unhampered spiritual descent can take place, and the last or supramental change is impossible so long as the two first have not become full and complete. That’s the whole matter, put as briefly as possible. The psychic is the first of two transformations necessary — if you have the psychic transformation it facilitates immensely the other, i.e., the transformation of the ordinary human into the higher spiritual consciousness — otherwise one is likely to have either a slow and dull or exciting but perilous journey. The psychic opening first, the higher consciousness and its experiences afterwards — this is the safe road and it seems to be the one your inner consciousness wants to follow. (Collected Works of the Mother, Volume 3) www.sriaurobindosociety.org.sg 7 Psychic Being

Psychic Being Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore. June 2020. April – May Sunday Activities at the Centre - A glimpse April 26th 2020 – Meditation on SAVITRI with HUTA’S Painting. Book One-Canto 3, The Yoga of the King: The Yoga of the Soul’s Release. Because of COVID-19 Lock down, the session was again a Zoom meeting with dear Ramdoss as the facilitator. Around 18 pictures with passages from SAVITRI was shown. Below is each picture’s understanding from from THE COLLECTED WORKS OF SRI AUROBINDO. King Aswapathy, representative of the aspiration of the helpless human kind, with his will brought down the special puissance of the Divine Mother into human birth as Savitri. King Aswapathy was chosen by Divine Planner to bring Divine life on Earth-Nature. Aswapathy’s various parts of the inner being started to work in beautiful, harmonious rhythm to form an integrated being with no change in outward appearance. An intervention of some element from above made King Aswapathy a super-human. The mind was released from its reasoning and conception by breaking the barrier to bring down the luminous moments to expand continuously. The small ego island joined the divine continent, that is the larger divine consciousness. The newly awakened Aswapathy, was no more the prisoner of the past, present and future. TIME was seen in one vision. He entered a higher world, where at the entrance check point the sentinels of gods made sure he was not carrying any baggage of human elements of desire and ego. Aswapathy crossed many worlds with each growing principle of truth special to it. He also met the natural denizens and also many in transitory course which included the dead on earth but the consciousness of them very much alive in subtler sheaths greeting the high-soaring king. Man’s life is always the battle field of asuric forces versus divine forces. Man’s soul is always tossed between two opposite forces. Aswapathy reached a zone where there the dominant spirit of Oneness encompassing the many. Love flows from itself to itself energised by ruling Oneness. The aspiration in the heart initially burns bright but the pollutants from physical, mental and vital with their black smoke envelops the flame, where the Will has to exert itself to subdue the obstructing elements. The fall and rise of the consciousness is a natural phenomenon which should not be a blocking barrier. To realise that GOD and NATURE are two poles of One Reality comes with the inner awakening. King Aswapathy could, with his tapasya bring the glow of spiritual light on his emotions and thoughts. Aswapathy in his state of amazing silent receptivity could install the higher faculties which revealed their contents. The newly awakened knowledge communicated with the mechanical blind forces, bringing into them the knowledge without the labours of thought process. King Aswapathy experienced the bliss from above, which is self-existent Divine not depending on external factors to evoke the delight. BEAUTY, POWER and BLISS aspects of the Divine thrilled him. The Divine consciousness being Self-aware and ALL-aware takes many forms to communicate with the mind across the barriers that intervene. The energy of this chakra allowed him to experience the whole world of subtler forms. www.sriaurobindosociety.org.sg 8 Psychic Being

Psychic Being Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore. June 2020. Inspiration also entered Aswapathy’s expanded being becoming a permanent fixture enlivened his thought faculties moving them infallibly in the direction of the truth. With the power of his yoga, the whole being got set in tune with the higher Truth-Consciousness. Working of greater powers were open to higher light with all the obscurities and darkness permanently eliminated. The last picture concludes with Aswapathy being one with the universal Being, took hold of the earth-life in the hollow of his palm and treated it to the enlarging action of the transfiguring forces so as to usher in a new phase in its progression. MAY 3rd 2020 – Read passages from book “The Mother” by Sri Aurobindo. Zoom meeting continued with our dear Sri Ram facilitating the session. Read a few passages from Chapter One. Sri Aurobindo very emphatically says that our endeavour to realise the Divine is possible only with our ardent aspiration from below and divine grace from above. Aspiration should be untainted without even a trace of garbage of egoistic desire or emotions. Total surrender is a mandatory prerequisite; no parts of the being can be left to act on its own. To observe the physical properties of light can be exciting, but discovering the properties of spiritual light and truth is even more awe inspiring and essential. We discussed how the Mother experienced a pandemic situation around 100 years ago in Japan. The Mother herself experienced the symptoms and reveals how she understood the reason for the pandemic. Thereafter, the Mother ensured that she protected the people from the pandemic. All the participants discussed the present situation in the light of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. It is important to surrender to the Mother who will take us through the present situation. May 10th-2020- Synthesis of Yoga, Chapter: Self-Consecration Zoom meeting hosted by our dear Sanjay. Continued reading the passages from page 81 to 83, facilitated by our dear Rakesh. At this period of Covid 19 being invisible but causing such a fear and devastation, it is like nectar from Divine through Sri Aurobindo to read and contemplate on the One which is in ourselves and in all around us. It needs a great effort to concentrate on the Divine whom we know not. Doing pooja and reading puranas certainly help to give mental and intellectual support to bring the Light from above to awaken the soul. But it is a very narrow windy path to keep the flame of aspiration lit. Self-Consecration is the only portal to reach the Divine in one’s own heart with ardent faith. In integral yoga the idea-force (transcendental idea) makes the consecration all-encompassing with no sectarian religious outlook or onesided philosophical conception. Then one can get the delight of Realisation of His Existence, Consciousness and Ananda in the very material of our being, mind and life and spirit. www.sriaurobindosociety.org.sg 9 Psychic Being

Psychic Being Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore. June 2020. Rakesh came out with the perfect lines from SAVITRI expressing the above truth: If in the meaningless Void creation rose, If from a bodiless Force Matter was born, If Life could climb in the unconscious tree, Its green delight break into emerald leaves And its laughter of beauty blossom in the flower, If sense could wake in tissue, nerve and cell And Thought seize the grey matter of the brain, And soul peep from its secrecy through the flesh, How shall the nameless Light not leap on men, And unknown powers emerge from Nature’s sleep? Savitri, Sri Aurobindo May 17th 2020 - The Synthesis of Yoga by Sri Aurobindo. Zoom meeting. Self-consecration: page 84 to 85 Our dear KV Rao facilitated the understanding of the passages. The passages again and again emphasised the importance of crossing over the ocean of egoistic heart desires and cravings and planting in it the higher delight of the divine which should not be only for one’s own Ananda, but also for the world at large. The instruments in us which are the Thought, the Heart, and the Will should transmute to become like “Brahmastra” in Lord Rama’s hand to rescue the Rama Rajya of our real nature not only within us from the catch hold of egocentric confusions, ignorant vacillating thoughts and but also for the same Spirit’s spreading of Unity, Love, Freedom, Strength, Power, Splendour in every soul in the wide world. Sri Aurobindo’ s sadhana was for the glorious synthesis of spiritual knowledge and dynamic love with the will of consecration blossoming like the beautiful jasmine flowers with divine fragrance in the garden of our whole world. - Jayalakshmi www.sriaurobindosociety.org.sg 10 Psychic Being

Psychic Being Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore. June 2020. PROGRAMME FOR THE MONTH OF JUNE 2020 DATE TIME DETAILS 8 AM Monthly Morning Walk * 7 June 2020 Sunday 6 PM AIM Magazine Reading and Discussion 14 June 2020 6 PM Thematic Study Circle by Rakesh: Sunday The Synthesis of Yoga 21 June 2020 6 PM Thematic Study Circle by Rakesh: Sunday The Synthesis of Yoga 28 June 2020 4 PM Youth Programme Sunday 6 PM Savitri Circle by Mr. Ramadoss * Please see below for details. Note: In view of the ongoing Covid 19 pandemic, please note the following: - There will be a collective meditation via Zoom, but the brunch and the walk are cancelled. PREVIEW OF FORTHCOMING SUNDAY MORNING WALKS WALK NO DATE PLACE HOST 419 05/7/20 TBA Mr Sanjay Mehta & Family 420 02/8/20 TBA Mr Arjun Madan & Family Printed and Published by The Sri Aurobindo Society of Singapore 2A Starlight Road 01-07, Singapore 217755. Ramadoss: 97354063 or ramadossns@gmail.com; Anand Patel:patelanand456@hotmail.com; Email: sas.webteam@gmail.com Visit our website at: www.sriaurobindosociety.org.sg www.sriaurobindosociety.org.sg 11 Psychic Being