TERMS STARTING WITH
self-abased ::: a. --> Humbled by consciousness of inferiority, unworthiness, guilt, or shame.
self-abasement ::: n. --> Degradation of one&
self-abasing ::: a. --> Lowering or humbling one&
self-abhorrence ::: n. --> Abhorrence of one&
self-abnegation ::: n. --> Self-denial; self-renunciation; self-sacrifice.
self-absorbed ::: preoccupied with one"s thoughts, interests, etc.
self-abuse ::: n. --> The abuse of one&
self-acceptance: an acceptance of yourself as you are, warts and all.
self-accused ::: a. --> Accused by one&
self-acting ::: a. --> Acting of or by one&
self-action ::: action by, or originating in, one"s self for itself.
self-action ::: n. --> Action by, or originating in, one&
self-active ::: a. --> Acting of one&
self-activity ::: n. --> The quality or state of being self-active; self-action.
self-actualisation : in Maslows hierarchy of needs, refers to an individuals desire to grow and reach his or her potential. The process of becoming a person in psychological emancipation (Carl Rogers).
self-adjusting ::: a. --> Capable of assuming a desired position or condition with relation to other parts, under varying circumstances, without requiring to be adjusted by hand; -- said of a piece in machinery.
self-admiration ::: n. --> Admiration of one&
self-affairs ::: n. pl. --> One&
self-affrighted ::: a. --> Frightened at or by one&
self-aggrandizement ::: n. --> The aggrandizement of one&
self-annihilated ::: a. --> Annihilated by one&
self-annihilation ::: n. --> Annihilation by one&
self-applause ::: n. --> Applause of one&
self-applying ::: a. --> Applying to or by one&
self-approving ::: a. --> Approving one&
self-asserting ::: a. --> asserting one&
self-assertion ::: n. --> The act of asserting one&
self-assertive ::: a. --> Disposed to self-assertion; self-asserting.
self-assumed ::: a. --> Assumed by one&
self-assured ::: a. --> Assured by or of one&
self-awareness: is the explicit understanding that one exists. Furthermore, it includes the concept that one exists as an individual, separate from other people, with private thoughts.
self-banished ::: a. --> Exiled voluntarily.
self-begetten ::: a. --> Begotten by one&
self-bern ::: a. --> Born or produced by one&
self-born ::: born of or produced by or originating from or by oneself.
self-bound ::: see: bound
self-categorisation theory: proposes people are most likely to be influenced by those perceived to be similar to themselves (i.e. in-group members).
self-cconsistent ::: a. --> Consistent with one&
self-celored ::: a. --> Being of a single color; -- applied to flowers, animals, and textile fabrics.
self-centered ::: a. --> Alt. of Self-centred
self-centering ::: a. --> Alt. of Self-centring
self-centration ::: n. --> The quality or state of being self-centered.
self-centred ::: a. --> Centered in itself, or in one&
self-centring ::: a. --> Centering in one&
self-charity ::: n. --> Self-love.
self-closed ::: self-contained.
self-color ::: n. --> A color not mixed or variegated.
self-command ::: n. --> Control over one&
self-commune ::: n. --> Self-communion.
self-communicative ::: a. --> Imparting or communicating by its own powers.
self-communion ::: n. --> Communion with one&
self-complacency ::: n. --> The quality of being self-complacent.
self-complacent ::: a. --> Satisfied with one&
self-conceited ::: a. --> Having an overweening opinion of one&
self-conceit ::: n. --> Conceit of one&
self-concept: mental representation of our sense of individuality and inter-dependence on others, and includes two aspects ? self-understanding and self-esteem.
self-concern ::: n. --> Concern for one&
self-condemnation ::: n. --> Condemnation of one&
self-confidence ::: n. --> The quality or state of being self-confident; self-reliance.
self-confident ::: a. --> Confident of one&
self-conjugate ::: a. --> Having the two things that are conjugate parts of the same figure; as, self-conjugate triangles.
self-conscious ::: a. --> Conscious of one&
self-consciousness ::: n. --> The quality or state of being self-conscious.
self-considering ::: a. --> Considering in one&
self-consistency ::: n. --> The quality or state of being self-consistent.
self-consuming ::: a. --> Consuming one&
self-contained ::: a. --> Having self-control; reserved; uncommunicative; wholly engrossed in one&
self-contradiction ::: n. --> The act of contradicting one&
self-contradictory ::: a. --> Contradicting one&
self-control ::: n. --> Control of one&
self-convicted ::: a. --> Convicted by one&
self-conviction ::: n. --> The act of convicting one&
self-created ::: a. --> Created by one&
self-culture ::: n. --> Culture, training, or education of one&
self-deceit ::: n. --> The act of deceiving one&
self-deceived ::: a. --> Deceived or misled respecting one&
self-deceiving ::: deceiving oneself, marked by self-deception.
self-deception ::: n. --> Self-deceit.
self-defence ::: n. --> See Self-defense.
self-defense ::: n. --> The act of defending one&
self-defensive ::: a. --> Defending, or tending to defend, one&
self-degradation ::: n. --> The act of degrading one&
self-delation ::: n. --> Accusation of one&
self-delusion ::: n. --> The act of deluding one&
self-denial ::: n. --> The denial of one&
self-denying ::: a. --> Refusing to gratify one&
self-dependent ::: a. --> Dependent on one&
self-depending ::: a. --> Depending on one&
self-depraved ::: a. --> Corrupted or depraved by one&
self-destroyer ::: n. --> One who destroys himself; a suicide.
self-destruction ::: n. --> The destruction of one&
self-destructive ::: a. --> Destroying, or tending to destroy, one&
self-determination ::: n. --> Determination by one&
self-determining ::: a. --> Capable of self-determination; as, the self-determining power of will.
self-devised ::: a. --> Devised by one&
self-devoted ::: a. --> Devoted in person, or by one&
self-devotement ::: n. --> Self-devotion.
self-devotion ::: n. --> The act of devoting one&
self-devouring ::: a. --> Devouring one&
self-diffusing ::: diffusing. Pouring or sending forth as from a centre of dispersion; spreading abroad over a surface, or through a space or region; spreading widely, shedding abroad, dispersing, disseminating.
self-diffusive ::: a. --> Having power to diffuse itself; diffusing itself.
self-discipline ::: n. --> Correction or government of one&
self-disclosure: the tendency to reveal gradually more intimate information as we get to know others better.
self-distrust ::: n. --> Want of confidence in one&
self-educated ::: a. --> Educated by one&
self-efficacy: an individual's belief in ability and performance on a task or in a situation.
self-elective ::: a. --> Having the right of electing one&
self-enjoyment ::: n. --> Enjoyment of one&
self-esteem: evaluative attitude towards the self of how much an individual likes themselves, influencing personal and social behaviours.
self-esteem ::: n. --> The holding a good opinion of one&
self-estimation ::: n. --> The act of estimating one&
self-evidence ::: evidence which requires no proof or explanation.
self-evidence ::: n. --> The quality or state of being self-evident.
self-evident ::: a. --> Evident without proof or reasoning; producing certainty or conviction upon a bare presentation to the mind; as, a self-evident proposition or truth.
self-evolution ::: n. --> Evolution of one&
self-exaltation ::: n. --> The act of exalting one&
self-examinant ::: n. --> One who examines himself; one given to self-examination.
self-examination ::: n. --> An examination into one&
self-exiled ::: one exiled by his or her own decision or volition.
self-existence ::: n. --> Inherent existence; existence possessed by virtue of a being&
self-existent ::: a. --> Existing of or by himself,independent of any other being or cause; -- as, God is the only self-existent being.
self-explaining ::: a. --> Explaining itself; capable of being understood without explanation.
self-exposure ::: n. --> The act of exposing one&
self-expression ::: the expression or assertion of one"s own personality, as in conversation, behaviour, poetry, or painting.
self-feeling ::: the feeling of one"s individuality or identity.
self-fertilization ::: n. --> The fertilization of a flower by pollen from the same flower and without outer aid; autogamy.
self-fertilized ::: a. --> Fertilized by pollen from the same flower.
self-fulfilling ::: achieving fulfillment as a result of have been expected or foretold; esp. by prophecy.
self-fulfilling prophecy: a phenomenon whereby expectations of how others will act or behave, affects interactions and elicits the anticipated response.
self-giving ::: characterized by self-sacrificing behavior; giving oneself through devotion or for others.
self-giving
self-glorious ::: a. --> Springing from vainglory or vanity; vain; boastful.
self-government ::: n. --> The act of governing one&
self-gratulation ::: n. --> Gratulation of one&
self-healing ::: a. --> Having the power or property of healing itself.
self-heal ::: n. --> A blue-flowered labiate plant (Brunella vulgaris); the healall.
self-help ::: n. --> The act of aiding one&
self-homicide ::: n. --> The act of killing one&
self-ignorance ::: n. --> Ignorance of one&
self-ignorant ::: a. --> Ignorant of one&
self-image: is the mental picture, generally of a kind that is quite resistant to change, that depicts not only details that are potentially available to objective investigation by others (height, weight, hair color, sex, I.Q. score, etc.), but also items that have been learned by that person about himself or herself, either from personal experiences or by internalising the judgments of others.
self-imparting ::: a. --> Imparting by one&
self-importance ::: n. --> An exaggerated estimate of one&
self-important ::: a. --> Having or manifesting an exaggerated idea of one&
self-imposed ::: a. --> Voluntarily taken on one&
self-imposture ::: n. --> Imposture practiced on one&
self-indignation ::: n. --> Indignation at one&
self-indulgence ::: n. --> Indulgence of one&
self-indulgent ::: a. --> Indulging one&
self-interested ::: a. --> Particularly concerned for one&
self-interest ::: n. --> Private interest; the interest or advantage of one&
self-involution ::: n. --> Involution in one&
self-justifier ::: n. --> One who excuses or justifies himself.
self-kindled ::: a. --> Kindled of itself, or without extraneous aid or power.
self-knowing ::: a. --> Knowing one&
self-knowledge ::: knowing of oneself, without help from another.
Sri Aurobindo: The possibility of a cosmic consciousness in humanity is coming slowly to be admitted in modern Psychology, like the possibility of more elastic instruments of knowledge, although still classified, even when its value and power are admitted, as a hallucination. In the psychology of the East it has always been recognised as a reality and the aim of our subjective progress. The essence of the passage over to this goal is the exceeding of the limits imposed on us by the ego-sense and at least a partaking, at most an identification with the self-knowledge which broods secret in all life and in all that seems to us inanimate. *The Life Divine
"Therefore the only final goal possible is the emergence of the infinite consciousness in the individual; it is his recovery of the truth of himself by self-knowledge and by self-realisation, the truth of the Infinite in being, the Infinite in consciousness, the Infinite in delight repossessed as his own Self and Reality of which the finite is only a mask and an instrument for various expression.” The Life Divine
"The Truth-Consciousness is everywhere present in the universe as an ordering self-knowledge by which the One manifests the harmonies of its infinite potential multiplicity.” The Life Divine
self-knowledge ::: n. --> Knowledge of one&
self-knowledge
self-known ::: the fact of possessing knowledge of oneself and in and through oneself.
self-life ::: n. --> Life for one&
self-loss ::: loss of the recognition of oneself; one"s being.
self-lost
self-love ::: n. --> The love of one&
self-luminous ::: a. --> Possessing in itself the property of emitting light.
self-luminous ::: possessing in itself the quality of light.
self-made ::: a. --> Made by one&
self-made ::: made by itself or oneself; by one"s own efforts or action.
self-mettle ::: n. --> Inborn mettle or courage; one&
self-motion ::: n. --> Motion given by inherent power, without external impulse; spontaneus or voluntary motion.
self-moved ::: a. --> Moved by inherent power., without the aid of external impulse.
self-moved ::: moved by inherent power, without the aid of external impulse.
self-moving ::: a. --> Moving by inherent power, without the aid of external impulse.
self-murder ::: a. --> Suicide.
self-murderer ::: n. --> A suicide.
self-neglecting ::: n. --> A neglecting of one&
self-one ::: a. --> Secret.
self-opininating ::: a. --> Beginning wwith, or springing from, one&
self-opinioned ::: a. --> Having a high opinion of one&
self-opinion ::: n. --> Opinion, especially high opinion, of one&
self-partiality ::: n. --> That partiality to himself by which a man overrates his own worth when compared with others.
self-perception theory: suggests that by observing and perceiving how we act in a situation, shapes our attitudes and other self-characterisations.
self-perplexed ::: a. --> Perplexed by doubts originating in one&
self-poised ::: in a state of balance without need of support; in command of oneself.
self-poise ::: inner balance, command.
self-posited ::: a. --> Disposed or arranged by an action originating in one&
self-positing ::: a. --> The act of disposing or arranging one&
self-possessed ::: a. --> Composed or tranquill in mind, manner, etc.; undisturbed.
self-possession ::: n. --> The possession of one&
self-praise ::: n. --> Praise of one&
self-preservation ::: n. --> The preservation of one&
self-propagating ::: a. --> Propagating by one&
self-protecting ::: protecting of one"s self or itself.
self-realisation: the emancipation of an individual towards self-reliance in respect of the integrity, or the love of knowledge, the filognosy, of the different views, forms of logic and intelligence one finds in modern society. Self-actualisation is the more specific humanist conception of self-realisation.
self-reference ::: See self-reference.[Jargon File]
self-reference See {self-reference}. [{Jargon File}]
self-reflexive writing: Where an author, sometimes through a self-conscious narrator, integrates ideas about the business of writing itself into the text.
self-registering ::: a. --> Registering itself; -- said of any instrument so contrived as to record its own indications of phenomena, whether continuously or at stated times, as at the maxima and minima of variations; as, a self-registering anemometer or barometer.
self-regulated ::: a. --> Regulated by one&
self-regulative ::: a. --> Tending or serving to regulate one&
self-reliance ::: n. --> Reliance on one&
self-reliant ::: a. --> Reliant upon one&
self-renunciation ::: n. --> The act of renouncing, or setting aside, one&
self-repellency ::: n. --> The quality or state of being self-repelling.
self-repelling ::: a. --> Made up of parts, as molecules or atoms, which mutually repel each other; as, gases are self-repelling.
self-repetition ::: n. --> Repetition of one&
self-report: a method of gathering data by asking an individual to report and identify their behaviour or mental state.
self-reproached ::: a. --> Reproached by one&
self-reproaching ::: a. --> Reproaching one&
self-reproach ::: n. --> The act of reproaching one&
self-reproof ::: n. --> The act of reproving one&
self-reproved ::: a. --> Reproved by one&
self-reproving ::: a. --> Reproving one&
self-reprovingly ::: adv. --> In a self-reproving way.
self-repugnant ::: a. --> Self-contradictory; inconsistent.
self-repulsive ::: a. --> Self-repelling.
self-respect ::: n. --> Respect for one&
self-restrained ::: a. --> Restrained by one&
self-restraint ::: n. --> Restraint over one&
self-revealed ::: revealed to the self.
self-revealing ::: displaying, exhibiting, or disclosing one"s inner feelings, thoughts, etc.; esp. the inner nature, qualities aspects, etc. of the self.
self-reverence ::: n. --> A reverent respect for one&
self-righteous ::: a. --> Righteous in one&
self-righteous ::: confident of one"s own righteousness, esp. when smugly moralistic and intolerant of the opinions and behaviour or others.
self-righteousness ::: n. --> The quality or state of being self-righteous; pharisaism.
self-sacrifice ::: n. --> The act of sacrificing one&
self-sacrificing ::: a. --> Yielding up one&
self-satisfaction ::: n. --> The quality or state of being self-satisfied.
self-satisfied ::: a. --> Satisfied with one&
self-satisfying ::: a. --> Giving satisfaction to one&
self-seeker ::: n. --> One who seeks only his own interest, advantage, or pleasure.
self-seeking ::: a. --> Seeking one&
self-seeking ::: [Ed. note: In this instance the meaning of the word is seeking for itself, rather than the usual definition which is the seeking of one"s own interest or selfish ends.]
self-serving bias: the tendency to bias our judgements of our own behaviour, by emphasising external factors for failure, but attributing success to ability or effort.
self-similarity: A property of a geometric figure where the figure (or part of it) resembles itself (or another part of it) under elementary transformations, such as rotation, reflection, translation, enlargement etc.
self-slaughter ::: n. --> Suicide.
self-sufficiency ::: n. --> The quality or state of being self-sufficient.
self-sufficient ::: a. --> Sufficient for one&
self-sufficing ::: a. --> Sufficing for one&
self-suspended ::: a. --> Suspended by one&
self-suspicious ::: a. --> Suspicious or distrustful of one&
self-system ::: A third-person descriptor for the overall self. The self-system is the locus of identification, will, defenses, metabolism, and integration (i.e., balancing the various levels, lines, states, and types of consciousness).
self-taught ::: a. --> Taught by one&
self-tormentor ::: n. --> One who torments himself.
self-torture ::: n. --> The act of inflicting pain on one&
self-trust ::: n. --> Faith in one&
self-uned ::: a. --> One with itself; separate from others.
self-view ::: n. --> A view if one&
self-willed ::: a. --> Governed by one&
self-willedness ::: n. --> Obstinacy.
self-will ::: n. --> One&
self-will ::: wilful or obstinate persistence in following one"s own desires, aims or opinions.
self-worship ::: n. --> The idolizing of one&
self-wrong ::: n. --> Wrong done by a person himself.
Self-actualisation - A level on Maslow's hierarchy where an employee realises his or her full potential.
Self-Actualization ::: The process through which one becomes the self they feel called toward becoming. Realizing our path is one matter, but actively moving there and stabilizing awareness there is another altogether. These movements can be subtle or profound: distinct leaps in stages of awareness or simply incremental steps evolving perspective.
Self-attenuation: The fana (q.v.) of Sufis.
Self-awareness: The awareness of one’s existence as an individual.
Self-born Parentless, in Sanskrit aupapaduka or aja — terms used of the head of a hierarchy, such as the Logos, corresponding to the Son, the second person of the Christian Trinity. From another aspect, it is the cosmic dragon in the highest of its septenary meanings. All gods and beings born through and from will, whether of deity or adept, are said to be self-born, e.g., the pitris, who issued from Brahma’s body of twilight; or Daksha, a self-born power who sprang from his father’s body. Each cosmic monad is svayambhuva (the self-become or self-born) and in its turn becomes a center of force from within which emerges a planetary chain.
Self-Concept ::: The subjective perception of the self.
Self-consciousness Awareness of oneself as the experiencer, attribution of one’s experiences to an ego, consciousness of being a separate individual; whereas consciousness in the abstract is merely awareness of the experience. Animals and very young children are conscious, man is self-conscious; yet the adult, when engrossed in an experience, may lose his self-consciousness for a while. But even man is only partially self-conscious, because he can contemplate only part of his being; that in him which is now the contemplator may become part of what is contemplated. As the subject, the knower, shifts upwards and inwards, so to speak, more and more of the vestures pass into the category of objects or what is known. The Unknown manifests the universe in order to attain full self-consciousness; and in man, the microcosm, an unself-conscious spark of divinity passes through stages of evolution and experience in order to achieve relatively full self-consciousness. The potentiality of self-consciousness, however, is in every atom. In order to become self-conscious, spirit must pass through every cycle of cosmic being, until every ego has attained full self-consciousness as a human being or equivalent entity. Man’s self-consciousness depends on his triple nature; it is man who is the separator of the One into various contrasted aspects.
Self-consciousness: The knowledge by the self of itself.
Self-Consciousness: The knowledge by the self of itself. The term is usually restricted to empirical self-consciousness. (See Empirical Ego) -- L.W.
SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS The monad&
SELF-CONSECRATION. ::: The acceptance of a new spiritual idea-foiTc and upward onentatioo in the being, an iliuounation, a tunuflg or cooventon seized on by the will and the heart’s aspiration, — this is the momeatons act u'hicb contains as in a seed all the rest that the yoga bas to give.
Self-Deification ::: The process of becoming more "god"-like in awareness, attachments, and/or abilities. Many paradigms that are LHP-oriented focus on deifying the self and differ from RHP paradigms that seek to shed or shatter the illusion of a self (see Anatta) entirely. Self-deification — or at least the attributes we ascribe to self-deification — can arise in either path and is frequently a result of becoming more aware of the nature of reality and What is doing the observing, regardless of whether one is seeking deification of the self or not. But that attachment to deification and its status as a goal along the path is what primarily distinguishes LHP from RHP philosophies.
Self-determination: a) In political theory the working out by a people or nation of its own problems and destiny, free from interference from without. It is often said that peoples and nations have a right to self-determination, at least under certain conditions
Self-directed Evolution That all evolution is caused by, and consists in the self-expression of the svabhava (essential characteristics) combined with the will of the monad dwelling within the form; in contradistinction to the doctrine that external circumstances are the determining evolutionary factor. The expression applies to every evolving entity, from the life-atom upwards, but has a special significance when applied to man, because he is endowed with the power to blend his personal consciousness with that of the monad within-above; so that what in the animal or unawakened person is an unconscious process becomes in the awakened person a process in which his mind and will acquiesce:
Self-effacement: See: Fana.
Self-employed - A worker who makes his or her own decisions about accepting work and conditions of work, and pays his or her own tax and National insurance contributions
SELF-ESTEEM. ::: A very strong self-esteem and a self- righteous spirit stand in the way of pedcction and constitute a very serious obstacle. So long as a sadhaka has that, the attempt of the Truth to manliest in him wiD always be baffled by his changing it into mental and \^tal constructions which distort it, turn it into ineffective haJf-lruib, even make truth itself a source of error.
Self-Evidence: That property of a proposition by which its truth is open to direct inspection and requires no appeal to other evidence. See Intuition. -- A.C.B.
Self-Existence featureless and absolute. ‘ ^
Self-existent (Atmabhu, Svayambhuva) Existing in and by itself alone; applied to any self-contained entity when considered apart from others. Applied by Western theologians to Deity as contrasted with his creatures, whose being sprang from him and is dependent on him. In addition to its use in defining the cosmic monad or unity, it is also used for subordinate monads considered in relation to the entities which spring from them; for example, the logos or head of a hierarchy is self-existent by contrast with its emanations. In the Qabbalah the Heavenly Man (’Adam Qadmon) is called the self-existent, and the same may be said of Brahman, or even of Brahma, in Hindu systems. See SVAYAMBHUVA
Self-existent transcendent Love spreading itself over all, turn- ing’ everywhere to contain, embrace, unite, help, upraise towards love and bliss and oneness, becomes cosmic divine Love.
Self-Extensible Language ::: [SEL - A Self-Extensible Programming Language, G. Molnar, Computer J 14(3):238-242 (Aug 1971)]. (1994-12-15)
Self-Extensible Language ["SEL - A Self-Extensible Programming Language", G. Molnar, Computer J 14(3):238-242 (Aug 1971)]. (1994-12-15)
Self-fulfilling speculation - The actions of speculators tend to cause the very effect that they had anticipated.
SELF-GATHERING. ::: Gather jouisclf within more firmly.
Self-giving or surrender is demanded because without such a progressive surrender of the being it is quite impossible to get anywhere near the goal. To keep open means to call m the Force to work in you, and if you do not surrender to it, it amounts to not allowing the Force to work in you at all or else only on condition that it will work in the way you want and not in its own way which is the way of the Divine Truth.
SELF-JUSTIFICATION. ::: Always a sign of ego and ignor- ance. ^Vhen one has a wider consciousness, one knows that each one has his o>vn way of looking at things and finds in that way his own justification so that both parties in a quarrel believe
Self-knowledge ::: the knowledge of the Self.
Self-love: The term may be used to denote self-complacency or self-admiration (see Spinoza, Ethics, Book III, Prop. 55, note), but in ethical discussion it usually designates concern for one's own individual interest, advantage, or happiness. Taking the term in this latter sense philosophers have debated the question whether or not all of our actions, approvals, etc., are motivated entirely by self-love. Hobbes holds that they are. Spinoza, similarity, holds that the endeavor to conserve oneself is the basis of all of one's actions and virtues. Shaftesbury, Hutcheson, Butler, and Hume, in opposition to Hobbes, argued that benevolence or sympathy and the moral sense or conscience are springs of action which are not reducible to self-love. Butler also pointed out that self-love itself presupposes the existence of certain primary desires, such as hunger, with whose satisfaction it is concerned, and which therefore cannot be subsumed under it. See Egoism. -- W.K.F.
Self-luminous Matter Matter which shines from itself and not by reflected light; the existence of such matter in interstellar space was believed in by Halley, and The Secret Doctrine states that matter in several phases of the nebulous condition, before it condenses into solar or planetary bodies, is self-luminous; and that the planets are also self-luminous before they become materially concreted globes. Science has long recognized self-luminosity in phosphorus, radium, and in some other bodies.
SELF-MASTERY. ::: To be aware of one's central conscious- ness and to know the action of the forces is the first definite step towards self-mastery.
Self-nullification or
Self-Realization: A notion central to the ethics of recent Idealism, e.g., T. H. Green, F. H. Bradley, J. Seth, J. H. Muirhead. These writers hold that self-realization is the end, and that right action is action which conduces to self-realization.. -- W.K.F.
Self-Realization Fellowship: A non-sectarian organization, founded in 1920 by the late Paramhansa Yogananda. The Fellowship teaches Yoga methods for harmonizing man’s physical, mental and spiritual natures. Its headquarters is in Los Angeles, California, and has 100 branches and churches in America, Europe and India. Its president is Rajasi Janakananda.
Self-realization: The comprehensive, permanent and harmonious realization of one’s potentialities.
Self-Realization ::: The process through which one begins to unravel who they are, what they are, and why they are. Many grow into an idea of this that evolves as one's understanding matures and changes due to experiences. It is best complemented through a solid and consistent meditation practice. It is a journey of many flavors and stages that leads to revelations about the nature of self, the reasons for existing, and the purpose underlying one's particular path.
Self-sufficiency - A state that occurs when each individual consumes only what he or she produces.
Self-surrender to the divine and infinite Mother, however dilD- cult, remains our only effective means and our sole abiding refuge,
TERMS ANYWHERE
1. Again an equivoque on the double sense of svadhiti, an axe or other cleaving instrument and the self-ordering power of Nature, Swadha. The image is of the progress of the divine Force through the forests of the material existence as with an axe. But the axe is the natural self-arranging progression of Nature, the World-Energy, the Mother from whom this divine Force, son of Energy, is born.
1. Not caught or apprehended by the sense of hearing; not heard. 2. Not heard in self-defence or entreaty; not listened to.
"A basis can be created for a subjective illusion-consciousness which is yet part of Being, if we accept in the sense of an illusory subjective world-awareness the account of sleep and dream creation given to us in the Upanishads. For the affirmation there is that Brahman as Self is fourfold; the Self is Brahman and all that is is the Brahman, but all that is is the Self seen by the Self in four states of its being. In the pure self-status neither consciousness nor unconsciousness as we conceive it can be affirmed about Brahman; it is a state of superconscience absorbed in its self-existence, in a self-silence or a self-ecstasy, or else it is the status of a free Superconscient containing or basing everything but involved in nothing. But there is also a luminous status of sleep-self, a massed consciousness which is the origin of cosmic existence; this state of deep sleep in which yet there is the presence of an omnipotent Intelligence is the seed state or causal condition from which emerges the cosmos; — this and the dream-self which is the continent of all subtle, subjective or supraphysical experience, and the self of waking which is the support of all physical experience, can be taken as the whole field of Maya.” The Life Divine
“A basis can be created for a subjective illusion-consciousness which is yet part of Being, if we accept in the sense of an illusory subjective world-awareness the account of sleep and dream creation given to us in the Upanishads. For the affirmation there is that Brahman as Self is fourfold; the Self is Brahman and all that is is the Brahman, but all that is is the Self seen by the Self in four states of its being. In the pure self-status neither consciousness nor unconsciousness as we conceive it can be affirmed about Brahman; it is a state of superconscience absorbed in its self-existence, in a self-silence or a self-ecstasy, or else it is the status of a free Superconscient containing or basing everything but involved in nothing. But there is also a luminous status of sleep-self, a massed consciousness which is the origin of cosmic existence; this state of deep sleep in which yet there is the presence of an omnipotent Intelligence is the seed state or causal condition from which emerges the cosmos;—this and the dream-self which is the continent of all subtle, subjective or supraphysical experience, and the self of waking which is the support of all physical experience, can be taken as the whole field of Maya.” The Life Divine
absolute ::: adj. 1. Free from all imperfection or deficiency; complete, finished; perfect, consummate. 2. Of degree: Complete, entire; in the fullest sense. 3. Having ultimate power, governing totally; unlimited by a constitution or the concurrent authority of a parliament; arbitrary, despotic. 4. Existing without relation to any other being; self-existent; self-sufficing. 5. Capable of being thought or conceived by itself alone; unconditioned. 6. Considered independently of its being subjective or objective. n. 7. Something that is not dependent upon external conditions for existence or for its specific nature, size, etc. (opposed to relative). Absolute, Absolute"s, absolutes, absoluteness.
Absolute ::: Sri Aurobindo: “We mean by the Absolute something greater than ourselves, greater than the cosmos which we live in, the supreme reality of that transcendent Being which we call God, something without which all that we see or are conscious of as existing, could not have been, could not for a moment remain in existence. Indian thought calls it Brahman, European thought the Absolute because it is a self-existent which is absolved of all bondage to relativities . . . The Absolute is for us the Ineffable.” The Life Divine
ABSOLUTE. ::: The Absolute is beyond personality and beyond impersonality, and yet it is both the Impersonal and the supreme Person and all persons. The Absolute is beyond the distinction of unity and multiplicity, and yet is the One and the innumerable Many in all the universes. It is beyond all limitation by quality and yet it is not limited by a quality less void but is too all infinite qualities. It is the individual soul and all souls and more of them; it is the formless Brahman and the universe.
Absolute Divine ::: personal, supreme and omnipresent Godhead, transcendent as well as universal, an infinite master of all relations and determinations upholding a million universes and pervading each with a single ray of his self-light.
"A consciousness possessing the essential and integral knowledge, proceeding from the essence to the whole and from the whole to the parts, would be no longer Mind, but a perfect Truth-Consciousness automatically possessed of inherent self-knowledge and world-knowledge.” The Life Divine
“A consciousness possessing the essential and integral knowledge, proceeding from the essence to the whole and from the whole to the parts, would be no longer Mind, but a perfect Truth-Consciousness automatically possessed of inherent self-knowledge and world-knowledge.” The Life Divine
action ::: 1. The process or condition of acting or doing (in the widest sense), the exertion of energy, influence, power or force. 2. A way or manner of moving. 3. A thing done, a deed**. action"s, actions, self-action.
ADHYATMA YOGA. ::: The principle of adhyātma yoga is, in knowledge, the realisation of all things that we see or do not see but are aware of, - men, things, ourselves, events, gods, titans, angels, - as one divine Brahman, and in action and attitude, an absolute self-surrender to the Paratpara Purusha, the transcendent, infinite and universal Personality who is at once personal and impersonal, finite and infinite, self-limiting and illimitable, one and many, and informs with his being not only the Gods above, but man and the worm and the cold below.
afflicting ::: 1. Grievously painful, distressing. 2. Distressing with bodily or mental suffering; troubling grievously, tormenting. self-afflicting.
Again an equivoque on the double sense of svadhiti, an axe or other cleaving instrument and the self-ordering power of Nature, Swadha. The image is of the progress of the divine Force through the forests of the material existence as with an axe. But the axe is the natural self-arranging progression of Nature, the World-Energy, the Mother from whom this divine Force, son of Energy, is born.
". . . a limited consciousness growing out of nescience is the source of error, a personal attachment to the limitation and the error born of it the source of falsity, a wrong consciousness governed by the life-ego the source of evil. But it is evident that their relative existence is only a phenomenon thrown up by the cosmic Force in its drive towards evolutionary self-expression.” The Life Divine
“… a limited consciousness growing out of nescience is the source of error, a personal attachment to the limitation and the error born of it the source of falsity, a wrong consciousness governed by the life-ego the source of evil. But it is evident that their relative existence is only a phenomenon thrown up by the cosmic Force in its drive towards evolutionary self-expression.” The Life Divine
“All aspects of the omnipresent Reality have their fundamental truth in the Supreme Existence. Thus even the aspect or power of Inconscience, which seems to be an opposite, a negation of the eternal Reality, yet corresponds to a Truth held in itself by the self-aware and all-conscious Infinite. It is, when we look closely at it, the Infinite’s power of plunging the consciousness into a trance of self-involution, a self-oblivion of the Spirit veiled in its own abysses where nothing is manifest but all inconceivably is and can emerge from that ineffable latency. In the heights of Spirit this state of cosmic or infinite trance-sleep appears to our cognition as a luminous uttermost Superconscience: at the other end of being it offers itself to cognition as the Spirit’s potency of presenting to itself the opposites of its own truths of being,—an abyss of non-existence, a profound Night of inconscience, a fathomless swoon of insensibility from which yet all forms of being, consciousness and delight of existence can manifest themselves,—but they appear in limited terms, in slowly emerging and increasing self-formulations, even in contrary terms of themselves; it is the play of a secret all-being, all-delight, all-knowledge, but it observes the rules of its own self-oblivion, self-opposition, self-limitation until it is ready to surpass it. This is the Inconscience and Ignorance that we see at work in the material universe. It is not a denial, it is one term, one formula of the infinite and eternal Existence.” The Life Divine
". . . all birth is a progressive self-finding, a means of self-realisation.” Essays in Philosophy and Yoga
“… all birth is a progressive self-finding, a means of self-realisation.” Essays in Philosophy and Yoga
::: "All evolution is the progressive self-revelation of the One to himself in the terms of the Many out of the Inconscience through the Ignorance towards self-conscient perfection.” Essays Divine and Human **evolution"s, Evolution"s.**
“All evolution is the progressive self-revelation of the One to himself in the terms of the Many out of the Inconscience through the Ignorance towards self-conscient perfection.” Essays Divine and Human
"All existence, – as the mind and sense know existence – is manifestation of an Eternal and Infinite which is to the mind and sense unknowable but not unknowable to its own self-awareness.” The Hour of God
"All intuitive knowledge comes more or less directly from the light of the self-aware spirit entering into the mind, the spirit concealed behind mind and conscious of all in itself and in all its selves, omniscient and capable of illumining the ignorant or the self-forgetful mind whether by rare or constant flashes or by a steady instreaming light, out of its omniscience.” The Synthesis of Yoga*
“All intuitive knowledge comes more or less directly from the light of the self-aware spirit entering into the mind, the spirit concealed behind mind and conscious of all in itself and in all its selves, omniscient and capable of illumining the ignorant or the self-forgetful mind whether by rare or constant flashes or by a steady instreaming light, out of its omniscience.” The Synthesis of Yoga
::: ". . . all our spiritual and psychic experience bears affirmative witness, brings us always a constant and, in its main principles, an invariable evidence of the existence of higher worlds, freer planes of existence. Not having bound ourselves down, like so much of modern thought, to the dogma that only physical experience or experience based upon the physical sense is true, the analysis of physical experience by the reason alone verifiable, and all else only result of physical experience and physical existence and anything beyond this an error, self-delusion and hallucination, we are free to accept this evidence and to admit the reality of these planes. We see that they are, practically, different harmonies from the harmony of the physical universe; they occupy, as the word ‘plane" suggests, a different level in the scale of being and adopt a different system and ordering of its principles.” The Life Divine
“… all our spiritual and psychic experience bears affirmative witness, brings us always a constant and, in its main principles, an invariable evidence of the existence of higher worlds, freer planes of existence. Not having bound ourselves down, like so much of modern thought, to the dogma that only physical experience or experience based upon the physical sense is true, the analysis of physical experience by the reason alone verifiable, and all else only result of physical experience and physical existence and anything beyond this an error, self-delusion and hallucination, we are free to accept this evidence and to admit the reality of these planes. We see that they are, practically, different harmonies from the harmony of the physical universe; they occupy, as the word ‘plane’ suggests, a different level in the scale of being and adopt a different system and ordering of its principles.” The Life Divine
"All phenomenal existence resolves itself into Force, into a movement of energy that assumes more or less material, more or less gross or subtle forms for self-presentation to its own experience.” The Life Divine
“All phenomenal existence resolves itself into Force, into a movement of energy that assumes more or less material, more or less gross or subtle forms for self-presentation to its own experience.” The Life Divine
"All supramental gnosis is a twofold Truth-Consciousness, a consciousness of inherent self-knowledge and, by identity of self and world, of intimate world-knowledge; this knowledge is the criterion, the characteristic power of the gnosis.” The Life Divine*
“All supramental gnosis is a twofold Truth-Consciousness, a consciousness of inherent self-knowledge and, by identity of self and world, of intimate world-knowledge; this knowledge is the criterion, the characteristic power of the gnosis.” The Life Divine
"All true law is the right motion and process of a reality, an energy or power of being in action fulfilling its own inherent movement self-implied in its own truth of existence. This law may be inconscient and its working appear to be mechanical, — that is the character or, at least, the appearance of law in material Nature: it may be a conscious energy, freely determined in its action by the consciousness in the being aware of its own imperative of truth, aware of its plastic possibilities of self-expression of that truth, aware, always in the whole and at each moment in the detail, of the actualities it has to realise; this is the figure of the law of the Spirit.” *The Life Divine
“All true law is the right motion and process of a reality, an energy or power of being in action fulfilling its own inherent movement self-implied in its own truth of existence. This law may be inconscient and its working appear to be mechanical,—that is the character or, at least, the appearance of law in material Nature: it may be a conscious energy, freely determined in its action by the consciousness in the being aware of its own imperative of truth, aware of its plastic possibilities of self-expression of that truth, aware, always in the whole and at each moment in the detail, of the actualities it has to realise; this is the figure of the law of the Spirit.” The Life Divine
Amal: “‘The earth’s strange twi-natured life’ means the earth’s self-division, one part tending upward, the other drawn downward.”
ANANDA. ::: Delight; essential principle of delight; bliss; spiritual ecstasy; the bliss of the Spirit which is the secret source· and support of all existence.
Ānanda is the secret delight from which all things are born, by which all is sustained in existence and to which all can rise in the spiritual culmination.
It is the Divine Bliss which comes from above. It is not joy or pleasure, but something self-existent, pure and quite beyond what any joy or pleasure can be.
Something greater than peace or joy, something that, like Truth and Light, is the very nature of the supramental Divine. It can come by frequent inrushes or descents, partially or for a time, but it cannot -remain in the system so long as the system has not been prepared for it.
It can come not only with its fullest intensity but with a more enduring persistence when the mind is at peace and the heart delivered from ordinary joy and sorrow. If the mind and heart are restless, changeful, unquiet, Ānanda of a kind may come, but it is mixed with vital excitement and cannot abide. One must get peace and calm fixed in the consciousness first, then there is a solid basis on which Ānanda can spread itself and in its turn become an enduring part of the consciousness and the nature.
Ānanda (ascension into) ::: It is quite impossible to ascend to the real Ānanda plane (except in a profound trance), until after the supramental consciousness has been entered, realised and possessed; but it is quite possible and normal to feel some form of Ānanda consciousness on any level. This consciousness, wherever it is felt, is a derivation from the Ānanda plane, but it is very much diminished in power and modified to suit the lesser power of receptivity of the inferior levels.
Ānanda (divine) in the physical ::: self-existent in its essence, its manifestation is dependent only on an inner union with the Divine.
Ānanda (of the Brahman) ::: there is an absoluteness of immutable ecstasy in it, a concentrated intensity of silent and inalienable rapture.
Ananke ::: “This truth of Karma has been always recognised in the East in one form or else in another; but to the Buddhists belongs the credit of having given to it the clearest and fullest universal enunciation and the most insistent importance. In the West too the idea has constantly recurred, but in external, in fragmentary glimpses, as the recognition of a pragmatic truth of experience, and mostly as an ordered ethical law or fatality set over against the self-will and strength of man: but it was clouded over by other ideas inconsistent with any reign of law, vague ideas of some superior caprice or of some divine jealousy,—that was a notion of the Greeks,—a blind Fate or inscrutable Necessity, Ananke, or, later, the mysterious ways of an arbitrary, though no doubt an all-wise Providence.” Essays in Philosophy and Yoga
"And if there is, as there must be in the nature of things, an ascending series in the scale of substance from Matter to Spirit, it must be marked by a progressive diminution of these capacities most characteristic of the physical principle and a progressive increase of the opposite characteristics which will lead us to the formula of pure spiritual self-extension. This is to say that they must be marked by less and less bondage to the form, more and more subtlety and flexibility of substance and force, more and more interfusion, interpenetration, power of assimilation, power of interchange, power of variation, transmutation, unification. Drawing away from durability of form, we draw towards eternity of essence; drawing away from our poise in the persistent separation and resistance of physical Matter, we draw near to the highest divine poise in the infinity, unity and indivisibility of Spirit.” The Life Divine
“And if there is, as there must be in the nature of things, an ascending series in the scale of substance from Matter to Spirit, it must be marked by a progressive diminution of these capacities most characteristic of the physical principle and a progressive increase of the opposite characteristics which will lead us to the formula of pure spiritual self-extension. This is to say that they must be marked by less and less bondage to the form, more and more subtlety and flexibility of substance and force, more and more interfusion, interpenetration, power of assimilation, power of interchange, power of variation, transmutation, unification. Drawing away from durability of form, we draw towards eternity of essence; drawing away from our poise in the persistent separation and resistance of physical Matter, we draw near to the highest divine poise in the infinity, unity and indivisibility of Spirit.” The Life Divine
And still we can recognise at once in the Overmind the original cosmic Maya, not a Maya of Ignorance but a Maya of Knowledge, yet a Power which has made the Ignorance possible, even inevitable. For if each principle loosed into action must follow its independent line and carry out its complete consequences, the principle of separation must also be allowed its complete course and arrive at its absolute consequence; this is Overmind in its descent reaches a line which divides the cosmic Truth from the cosmic Ignorance; it is the line at which it becomes possible for Consciousness-Force, emphasising the separateness of each independent movement created by Overmind and hiding or darkening their unity, to divide Mind by an exclusive concentration from the overmental source. There has already been a similar separation of Overmind from its supramental source, but with a transparency in the veil which allows a conscious transmission and maintains a certain luminous kinship; but here the veil is opaque and the transmission of the Overmind motives to the Mind is occult and obscure. Mind separated acts as if it were an independent principle, and each mental being, each basic mental idea, power, force stands similarly on its separate self; if it communicates with or combines or contacts others, it is not with the catholic universality of the overmind movement, on a basis of underlying oneness, but as independent units joining to form a separate constructed whole. It is by this movement that we pass from the cosmic Truth into the cosmic Ignorance. The cosmic Mind on this level, no doubt, comprehends its own unity, but it is not aware of its own source and foundation in the Spirit or can only comprehend it by the intelligence, not in any enduring experience; it acts in itself as if by its own right and works out what it receives as material without direct communication with the source from which it receives it. Its units also act in ignorance of each other and of the cosmic whole except for the knowledge that they can get by contact and communication,—the basic sense of identity and the mutual penetration and understanding that comes from it are no longer there. All the actions of this Mind Energy proceed on the opposite basis of the Ignorance and its divisions and, although they are the results of a certain conscious knowledge, it is a partial knowledge, not a true and integral self-knowledge, nor a true and integral world-knowledge. This character persists in Life and in subtle Matter and reappears in the gross material universe which arises from the final lapse into the Inconscience. …
and the power that perseveres and conquers. It is really a habit that one has to get of opening to these helpful forces and either passively receiving them or actively drawing upon them — for one can do either. It is easier if you have the conception of them above and around you and the faith and the will to receive them ; for that brings the experience and concrete sense of them and the capacity to receive at need or at will. It is a question of habituating your consciousness to get into touch and keep in touch with these helpful forces ; and for that you must accustom yourself to reject the impressions forced on you by the others, depression, self-distrust, repining and all similar disturbances.
::: "And this bliss is not a supreme pleasure of the heart and sensations with the experience of pain and sorrow as its background, but a delight also self-existent and independent of objects and particular experiences, a self-delight which is the very nature, the very stuff, as it were, of a transcendent and infinite existence.” The Synthesis of Yoga
“And this bliss is not a supreme pleasure of the heart and sensations with the experience of pain and sorrow as its background, but a delight also self-existent and independent of objects and particular experiences, a self-delight which is the very nature, the very stuff, as it were, of a transcendent and infinite existence.” The Synthesis of Yoga
“An eternal infinite self-existence is the supreme reality, but the supreme transcendent eternal Being, Self and Spirit,—an infinite Person, we may say, because his being is the essence and source of all personality,—is the reality and meaning of self-existence: so too the cosmic Self, Spirit, Being, Person is the reality and meaning of cosmic existence; the same Self, Spirit, Being or Person manifesting its multiplicity is the reality and meaning of individual existence.” The Life Divine
"A new humanity means for us the appearance, the development of a type or race of mental beings whose principle of mentality would be no longer a mind in the Ignorance seeking for knowledge but even in its knowledge bound to the Ignorance, a seeker after Light but not its natural possessor, open to the Light but not an inhabitant of the Light, not yet a perfected instrument, truth-conscious and delivered out of the Ignorance. Instead, it would be possessed already of what could be called a mind of Light, a mind capable of living in the truth, capable of being truth-conscious and manifesting in its life a direct in place of an indirect knowledge. Its mentality would be an instrument of the Light and no longer of the Ignorance. At its highest it would be capable of passing into the supermind and from the new race would be recruited the race of supramental beings who would appear as the leaders of the evolution in earth-nature. Even, the highest manifestations of a mind of Light would be an instrumentality of the supermind, a part of it or a projection from it, a stepping beyond humanity into the superhumanity of the supramental principle. Above all, its possession would enable the human being to rise beyond the normalities of his present thinking, feeling and being into those highest powers of the mind in its self-exceedings which intervene between our mentality and supermind and can be regarded as steps leading towards the greater and more luminous principle. This advance like others in the evolution might not be reached and would naturally not be reached at one bound, but from the very beginning it would be inevitable: the pressure of the supermind creating from above out of itself the mind of Light would compel this certainty of the eventual outcome.” Essays in Philosophy and Yoga
“A new humanity means for us the appearance, the development of a type or race of mental beings whose principle of mentality would be no longer a mind in the Ignorance seeking for knowledge but even in its knowledge bound to the Ignorance, a seeker after Light but not its natural possessor, open to the Light but not an inhabitant of the Light, not yet a perfected instrument, truth-conscious and delivered out of the Ignorance. Instead, it would be possessed already of what could be called a mind of Light, a mind capable of living in the truth, capable of being truth-conscious and manifesting in its life a direct in place of an indirect knowledge. Its mentality would be an instrument of the Light and no longer of the Ignorance. At its highest it would be capable of passing into the supermind and from the new race would be recruited the race of supramental beings who would appear as the leaders of the evolution in earth-nature. Even, the highest manifestations of a mind of Light would be an instrumentality of the supermind, a part of it or a projection from it, a stepping beyond humanity into the superhumanity of the supramental principle. Above all, its possession would enable the human being to rise beyond the normalities of his present thinking, feeling and being into those highest powers of the mind in its self-exceedings which intervene between our mentality and supermind and can be regarded as steps leading towards the greater and more luminous principle. This advance like others in the evolution might not be reached and would naturally not be reached at one bound, but from the very beginning it would be inevitable: the pressure of the supermind creating from above out of itself the mind of Light would compel this certainty of the eventual outcome.” Essays in Philosophy and Yoga
"An exclusive inner concentration on the Real, the Eternal is possible, even a self-immersion by which we can lose or put away the dissonances of the universe.” The Life Divine
“An exclusive inner concentration on the Real, the Eternal is possible, even a self-immersion by which we can lose or put away the dissonances of the universe.” The Life Divine
"An OMNIPRESENT Reality is the truth of all life and existence whether absolute or relative, whether corporeal or incorporeal, whether animate or inanimate, whether intelligent or unintelligent; and in all its infinitely varying and even constantly opposed self-expressions, from the contradictions nearest to our ordinary experience to those remotest antinomies which lose themselves on the verges of the Ineffable, the Reality is one and not a sum or concourse. From that all variations begin, in that all variations consist, to that all variations return. All affirmations are denied only to lead to a wider affirmation of the same Reality.” The Life Divine ::: *reality, absolute See **absolute reality**
“An OMNIPRESENT Reality is the truth of all life and existence whether absolute or relative, whether corporeal or incorporeal, whether animate or inanimate, whether intelligent or unintelligent; and in all its infinitely varying and even constantly opposed self-expressions, from the contradictions nearest to our ordinary experience to those remotest antinomies which lose themselves on the verges of the Ineffable, the Reality is one and not a sum or concourse. From that all variations begin, in that all variations consist, to that all variations return. All affirmations are denied only to lead to a wider affirmation of the same Reality.” The Life Divine
ARADHANA ::: Worship of the Divine, love, self-surrender, aspiration to the Divine, calling the name, prayer.
"A Rishi is one who sees or discovers an inner truth and puts it into self-effective language — the mantra.” The Future Poetry
“A Rishi is one who sees or discovers an inner truth and puts it into self-effective language—the mantra.” The Future Poetry
arrange ::: 1. To put into a specific order or relation; dispose. 2. To settle the order, manner, and circumstantial relations of (a thing to be done); to prepare or plan beforehand. arranged, arranging, self-arranged.
arrogant ::: 1. Having or displaying a sense of overbearing self-worth or self-importance. 2. Marked by or arising from a feeling or assumption of one"s superiority toward others.
ASCETICISM. ::: Asceticism for its own sake is not the ideal of this yoga, but self-control in the vital and right order in the material are a very important part of it ; and an ascetic discipline is better than loose absence of true control.
ascetic ::: one who dedicates his or her life to a pursuit of contemplative ideals, whether by seclusion or by abstinence from creature comforts, and practices extreme self-denial, rigorous self-discipline or self-mortification. ascetic"s, ascetics.
ASPIRATION. ::: The call in the being for the Divine or for the higher things that belong to the Divine Consciousness.
A call to the Divine; aspiration for the discovery and embodiment of the Divine Truth and to nothing else whatever.
An aspiration vigilant, constant, unceasing- the mind’s will, the heart’s seeking, the assent of the vital being, the will to open and make plastic the physical consciousness and nature.
There is no need of words in aspiration. It can be expressed or unexpressed in words.
Aspiration need not be in the form of thought; it can be a feeling within that remains even when the mind is attending to the work.
Aspiration is to call the forces. When the forces have answered, there is a natural state of quiet receptivity concentrated but spontaneous.
In aspiration there is a self-giving for the higher consciousness to descend and take possession ; the more intense the call, the greater the self-giving.
Aspiration keeps the consciousness open, prevents an inert state of acquiescence in all that comes and exercises a sort of pull on the sources of the higher consciousness.
The intensity of aspiration brings the intensity of the experience and by repeated intensity of the experience, the change. It is the psychic that gives the true aspiration; if the vital is purified and subjected to the psychic, then the vital gives intensity.
Aspiration in the physical consciousness ::: the physical consciousness is always in everybody in its own nature a little inert and in it a constant strong aspiration is not natural, it has to be created. But first there must be the opening, a purification, a fixed quietude, otherwise the physical vital will turn the strong aspiration into over-eagerness and impatience or rather it will try to give it that turn.
"A SPIRITUAL evolution, an evolution of consciousness in Matter in a constant developing self-formation till the form can reveal the indwelling Spirit, is then the keynote, the central significant motive of the terrestrial existence. This significance is concealed at the outset by the involution of the Spirit, the Divine Reality, in a dense material Inconscience; a veil of Inconscience, a veil of insensibility of Matter hides the universal Consciousness-Force which works within it, so that the Energy, which is the first form the Force of creation assumes in the physical universe, appears to be itself inconscient and yet does the works of a vast occult Intelligence.” The Life Divine
“A SPIRITUAL evolution, an evolution of consciousness in Matter in a constant developing self-formation till the form can reveal the indwelling Spirit, is then the keynote, the central significant motive of the terrestrial existence. This significance is concealed at the outset by the involution of the Spirit, the Divine Reality, in a dense material Inconscience; a veil of Inconscience, a veil of insensibility of Matter hides the universal Consciousness-Force which works within it, so that the Energy, which is the first form the Force of creation assumes in the physical universe, appears to be itself inconscient and yet does the works of a vast occult Intelligence.” The Life Divine
"A supramental Truth-Consciousness is at once the self-awareness of the Infinite and Eternal and a power of self-determination inherent in that self-awareness;” *The Life Divine
“A supramental Truth-Consciousness is at once the self-awareness of the Infinite and Eternal and a power of self-determination inherent in that self-awareness;” The Life Divine
ASURA. ::: Titan; a being of ignorant egoism as opposed to the Deva or god, who is a being of Light; sons of Darkness and Division.
Asuras are really the dark side of the mental, or more strictly, of the vital mind plane. This mind is the very field of the Asuras. Their main characteristic is egoistic strength and struggle, which refuse the higher law. The Asura has self-control, tapas, and intelligence, but all that for the sake of his ego.
There are no Asuras on the higher planes where the Truth prevails, except in the Vedic sense -“ the Divine in its strength “. The mental and vital Asuras are only a deviation of that power.
There are two kinds of Asuras - one kind were divine in their origin but have fallen from their divinity by self-will and opposition to the intention of the Divine; they are spoken in the Hindu scriptures as the former or earlier gods; these can be converted and their conversion is indeed necessary for the ultimate purpose of the universe. But the ordinary Asura is not of this character, is not an evolutionary but a typal being and represents a fixed principle of the creation which does not evolve or change and is not intended to do so. These Asuras, as also the other hostile beings, Rakshasas, Pishachas and others resemble the devils of the Christian tradition and oppose the divine intention and the evolutionary purpose in the human being; they don’t change the purpose in them for which they exist which is evil, but have to be destroyed like the evil. The Asura has no soul, no psychic being which has to evolve to a higher state; he has only an ego and usually a very powerful ego; he has a mind, sometimes even a highly intellectual mind; but the basis of his thinking and feeling is vital and not mental, at the service of his desire and not truth. He is a formation assumed by the life-principle for a particular kind of work and not a divine formation or soul.
Some kinds of Asuras are very religious, very fanatical about their religion, very strict about rules of ethical conduct. There are others who use spiritual ideas without believing in them to give them a perverted twist and delude the sadhaka.
"A third step is to find out that there is something in him other than his instrumental mind, life and body, not only an immortal ever-developing individual soul that supports his nature but an eternal immutable self and spirit, and to learn what are the categories of his spiritual being, until he discovers that all in him is an expression of the spirit and distinguishes the link between his lower and his higher existence; thus he sets out to remove his constitutional self-ignorance. Discovering self and spirit he discovers God; he finds out that there is a Self beyond the temporal: he comes to the vision of that Self in the cosmic consciousness as the divine Reality behind Nature and this world of beings; his mind opens to the thought or the sense of the Absolute of whom self and the individual and the cosmos are so many faces; the cosmic, the egoistic, the original ignorance begin to lose the rigidness of their hold upon him.” The Life Divine
“A third step is to find out that there is something in him other than his instrumental mind, life and body, not only an immortal ever-developing individual soul that supports his nature but an eternal immutable self and spirit, and to learn what are the categories of his spiritual being, until he discovers that all in him is an expression of the spirit and distinguishes the link between his lower and his higher existence; thus he sets out to remove his constitutional self-ignorance. Discovering self and spirit he discovers God; he finds out that there is a Self beyond the temporal: he comes to the vision of that Self in the cosmic consciousness as the divine Reality behind Nature and this world of beings; his mind opens to the thought or the sense of the Absolute of whom self and the individual and the cosmos are so many faces; the cosmic, the egoistic, the original ignorance begin to lose the rigidness of their hold upon him.” The Life Divine
ATMAN. ::: The Ātman is the Self or Spirit that remains above, pure and stainless, unaffected by the stains of life, by desire and ego and ignorance. It is realised as the true being of the individual, but also more widely as the same being in all and as the Self in the cosmos; it his also a self-existence above the individual and cosmos and it is then called the Paramatma, the supreme Divine Being.
austere ::: 1. Severe in manner or appearance; uncompromising; strict; forbidding; stark. 2. Rigorously self-disciplined and severely moral; ascetic; abstinent. 3. Grave; sober; solemn; serious. 4. Without excess, luxury, or ease; severely simple; without ornament. austerity.
autonomy ::: 1. Independence or freedom, as of the will or one"s actions. 2. Self-government. autonomies.
birth ::: “Birth is the first spiritual mystery of the physical universe, death is the second which gives its double point of perplexity to the mystery of birth; for life, which would otherwise be a self-evident fact of existence, becomes itself a mystery by virtue of these two which seem to be its beginning and its end and yet in a thousand ways betray themselves as neither of these things, but rather intermediate stages in an occult processus of life.” The Life Divine
blaze of intimate truth-perception is lit in its depths. This close perception is more than sight, more than conception: it is the result of a penetrating and revealing touch which carries in it sight and conception as part of itself or as its natural consequence. A concealed or slumbering identity, not yet recovering itself, still remembers or conveys by the intuition its own contents and the intimacy of its self-feeling and self-vision of things, its light of truth, its overwhelming and automatic certitude.” The Life Divine
bliss ::: perfect happiness; serene joy or ecstasy. (See delight for Sri Aurobindo"s definitions.) **self-bliss, World-Bliss.
"Body is the outward sign and lowest basis of the apparent division which Nature plunging into ignorance and self-nescience makes the starting-point for the recovery of unity by the individual soul, unity even in the midst of the most exaggerated forms of her multiple consciousness.” The Life Divine
“Body is the outward sign and lowest basis of the apparent division which Nature plunging into ignorance and self-nescience makes the starting-point for the recovery of unity by the individual soul, unity even in the midst of the most exaggerated forms of her multiple consciousness.” The Life Divine
bound and –bound ::: 1. Pp. and pt. of bind. *adj. 2. Being under a legal or moral obligation. 3. Circumscribed; kept within bounds. * close-bound, death-bound, earth-bound, fate-bound, form-bound, heart-bound, self-bound, sleep-bound, steel-bound, stone-bound, time-bound, trance-bound.
Brahma is Immortality, Vishnu is Eternity, Shiva is Infinity; Krishna is the Supreme"s eternal, infinite, immortal self-possession, self-issuing, self-manifestation, self-finding.” *Essays Divine and Human
Brahma is Immortality, Vishnu is Eternity, Shiva is Infinity; Krishna is the Supreme’s eternal, infinite, immortal self-possession, self-issuing, self-manifestation, self-finding.” Essays Divine and Human
self-absorbed ::: preoccupied with one"s thoughts, interests, etc.
self-action ::: action by, or originating in, one"s self for itself.
self-born ::: born of or produced by or originating from or by oneself.
self-bound ::: see: bound
self-closed ::: self-contained.
self-deceiving ::: deceiving oneself, marked by self-deception.
self-diffusing ::: diffusing. Pouring or sending forth as from a centre of dispersion; spreading abroad over a surface, or through a space or region; spreading widely, shedding abroad, dispersing, disseminating.
self-evidence ::: evidence which requires no proof or explanation.
self-exiled ::: one exiled by his or her own decision or volition.
self-expression ::: the expression or assertion of one"s own personality, as in conversation, behaviour, poetry, or painting.
self-feeling ::: the feeling of one"s individuality or identity.
self-fulfilling ::: achieving fulfillment as a result of have been expected or foretold; esp. by prophecy.
self-giving ::: characterized by self-sacrificing behavior; giving oneself through devotion or for others.
self-giving
self-knowledge ::: knowing of oneself, without help from another.
Sri Aurobindo: The possibility of a cosmic consciousness in humanity is coming slowly to be admitted in modern Psychology, like the possibility of more elastic instruments of knowledge, although still classified, even when its value and power are admitted, as a hallucination. In the psychology of the East it has always been recognised as a reality and the aim of our subjective progress. The essence of the passage over to this goal is the exceeding of the limits imposed on us by the ego-sense and at least a partaking, at most an identification with the self-knowledge which broods secret in all life and in all that seems to us inanimate. *The Life Divine
"Therefore the only final goal possible is the emergence of the infinite consciousness in the individual; it is his recovery of the truth of himself by self-knowledge and by self-realisation, the truth of the Infinite in being, the Infinite in consciousness, the Infinite in delight repossessed as his own Self and Reality of which the finite is only a mask and an instrument for various expression.” The Life Divine
"The Truth-Consciousness is everywhere present in the universe as an ordering self-knowledge by which the One manifests the harmonies of its infinite potential multiplicity.” The Life Divine
self-knowledge
self-known ::: the fact of possessing knowledge of oneself and in and through oneself.
self-loss ::: loss of the recognition of oneself; one"s being.
self-lost
self-luminous ::: possessing in itself the quality of light.
self-made ::: made by itself or oneself; by one"s own efforts or action.
self-moved ::: moved by inherent power, without the aid of external impulse.
self-poised ::: in a state of balance without need of support; in command of oneself.
self-poise ::: inner balance, command.
self-protecting ::: protecting of one"s self or itself.
self-revealed ::: revealed to the self.
self-revealing ::: displaying, exhibiting, or disclosing one"s inner feelings, thoughts, etc.; esp. the inner nature, qualities aspects, etc. of the self.
self-righteous ::: confident of one"s own righteousness, esp. when smugly moralistic and intolerant of the opinions and behaviour or others.
self-seeking ::: [Ed. note: In this instance the meaning of the word is seeking for itself, rather than the usual definition which is the seeking of one"s own interest or selfish ends.]
self-will ::: wilful or obstinate persistence in following one"s own desires, aims or opinions.
"But in the larger universal consciousness there must be a power of carrying this movement to its absolute point, to the greatest extreme possible for any relative movement to reach, and this point is reached, not in human unconsciousness which is not abiding and always refers back to the awakened conscious being that man normally and characteristically is, but in the inconscience of material Nature. This inconscience is no more real than the ignorance of exclusive concentration in our temporary being which limits the waking consciousness of man; for as in us, so in the atom, the metal, the plant, in every form of material Nature, in every energy of material Nature, there is, we know, a secret soul, a secret will, a secret intelligence at work, other than the mute self-oblivious form, the Conscient, — conscient even in unconscious things, — of the Upanishad, without whose presence and informing Conscious-Force or Tapas no work of Nature could be done.” The Life Divine
“But in the larger universal consciousness there must be a power of carrying this movement to its absolute point, to the greatest extreme possible for any relative movement to reach, and this point is reached, not in human unconsciousness which is not abiding and always refers back to the awakened conscious being that man normally and characteristically is, but in the inconscience of material Nature. This inconscience is no more real than the ignorance of exclusive concentration in our temporary being which limits the waking consciousness of man; for as in us, so in the atom, the metal, the plant, in every form of material Nature, in every energy of material Nature, there is, we know, a secret soul, a secret will, a secret intelligence at work, other than the mute self-oblivious form, the Conscient,—conscient even in unconscious things,—of the Upanishad, without whose presence and informing Conscious-Force or Tapas no work of Nature could be done.” The Life Divine
"But it is not a mental Intelligence that informs and governs all things; it is a self-aware Truth of being in which self-knowledge is inseparable from self-existence: it is this Truth-Consciousness which has not to think out things but works them out with knowledge according to the impeccable self-vision and the inevitable force of a sole and self-fulfilling Existence.” The Life Divine
“But it is not a mental Intelligence that informs and governs all things; it is a self-aware Truth of being in which self-knowledge is inseparable from self-existence: it is this Truth-Consciousness which has not to think out things but works them out with knowledge according to the impeccable self-vision and the inevitable force of a sole and self-fulfilling Existence.” The Life Divine
"But man also has a life-mind, a vital mentality which is an instrument of desire: this is not satisfied with the actual, it is a dealer in possibilities; it has the passion for novelty and is seeking always to extend the limits of experience for the satisfaction of desire, for enjoyment, for an enlarged self-affirmation and aggrandisement of its terrain of power and profit. It desires, enjoys, possesses actualities, but it hunts also after unrealised possibilities, is ardent to materialise them, to possess and enjoy them also. It is not satisfied with the physical and objective only, but seeks too a subjective, an imaginative, a purely emotive satisfaction and pleasure.” *The Life Divine
“But man also has a life-mind, a vital mentality which is an instrument of desire: this is not satisfied with the actual, it is a dealer in possibilities; it has the passion for novelty and is seeking always to extend the limits of experience for the satisfaction of desire, for enjoyment, for an enlarged self-affirmation and aggrandisement of its terrain of power and profit. It desires, enjoys, possesses actualities, but it hunts also after unrealised possibilities, is ardent to materialise them, to possess and enjoy them also. It is not satisfied with the physical and objective only, but seeks too a subjective, an imaginative, a purely emotive satisfaction and pleasure.” The Life Divine
"But the gnosis is not only light, it is force; it is creative knowledge, it is the self-effective truth of the divine Idea. This idea is not creative imagination, not something that constructs in a void, but light and power of eternal substance, truth-light full of truth-force; and it brings out what is latent in being, it does not create a fiction that never was in being.” The Synthesis of Yoga
“But the gnosis is not only light, it is force; it is creative knowledge, it is the self-effective truth of the divine Idea. This idea is not creative imagination, not something that constructs in a void, but light and power of eternal substance, truth-light full of truth-force; and it brings out what is latent in being, it does not create a fiction that never was in being.” The Synthesis of Yoga
"But the timeless self-knowledge of this Eternal is beyond mind; it is a supramental knowledge superconscient to us and only to be acquired by the stilling or transcending of the temporal activity of our conscious mind, by an entry into Silence or a passage through Silence into the consciousness of eternity.” The Life Divine*
“But the timeless self-knowledge of this Eternal is beyond mind; it is a supramental knowledge superconscient to us and only to be acquired by the stilling or transcending of the temporal activity of our conscious mind, by an entry into Silence or a passage through Silence into the consciousness of eternity.” The Life Divine
"But the Titan will have nothing of all this; it is too great and subtle for his comprehension. His instincts call for a visible, tangible mastery and a sensational domination. How shall he feel sure of his empire unless he can feel something writhing helpless under his heel, — if in agony, so much the better? What is exploitation to him, unless it diminishes the exploited? To be able to coerce, exact, slay, overtly, irresistibly, — it is this that fills him with the sense of glory and dominion. For he is the son of division and the strong flowering of the Ego. To feel the comparative limitation of others is necessary to him that he may imagine himself immeasurable; for he has not the real, self-existent sense of infinity which no outward circumstance can abrogate. Contrast, division, negation of the wills and lives of others are essential to his self-development and self-assertion. The Titan would unify by devouring, not by harmonising; he must conquer and trample what is not himself either out of existence or into subservience so that his own image may stand out stamped upon all things and dominating all his environment.” Essays in Philosophy and Yoga
::: "By self-realisation of Brahman as our self we find the force, the divine energy which lifts us beyond the limitation, weakness, darkness, sorrow, all-pervading death of our mortal existence; by the knowledge of the one Brahman in all beings and in all the various movement of the cosmos we attain beyond these things to the infinity, the omnipotent being, the omniscient light, the pure beatitude of that divine existence.” The Upanishads
“By self-realisation of Brahman as our self we find the force, the divine energy which lifts us beyond the limitation, weakness, darkness, sorrow, all-pervading death of our mortal existence; by the knowledge of the one Brahman in all beings and in all the various movement of the cosmos we attain beyond these things to the infinity, the omnipotent being, the omniscient light, the pure beatitude of that divine existence.” The Upanishads
"By individual we mean normally something that separates itself from everything else and stands apart, though in reality there is no such thing anywhere in existence; it is a figment of our mental conceptions useful and necessary to express a partial and practical truth. But the difficulty is that the mind gets dominated by its words and forgets that the partial and practical truth becomes true truth only by its relation to others which seem to the reason to contradict it, and that taken by itself it contains a constant element of falsity. Thus when we speak of an individual we mean ordinarily an individualisation of mental, vital, physical being separate from all other beings, incapable of unity with them by its very individuality. If we go beyond these three terms of mind, life and body, and speak of the soul or individual self, we still think of an individualised being separate from all others, incapable of unity and inclusive mutuality, capable at most of a spiritual contact and soul-sympathy. It is therefore necessary to insist that by the true individual we mean nothing of the kind, but a conscious power of being of the Eternal, always existing by unity, always capable of mutuality. It is that being which by self-knowledge enjoys liberation and immortality.” The Life Divine
“By individual we mean normally something that separates itself from everything else and stands apart, though in reality there is no such thing anywhere in existence; it is a figment of our mental conceptions useful and necessary to express a partial and practical truth. But the difficulty is that the mind gets dominated by its words and forgets that the partial and practical truth becomes true truth only by its relation to others which seem to the reason to contradict it, and that taken by itself it contains a constant element of falsity. Thus when we speak of an individual we mean ordinarily an individualisation of mental, vital, physical being separate from all other beings, incapable of unity with them by its very individuality. If we go beyond these three terms of mind, life and body, and speak of the soul or individual self, we still think of an individualised being separate from all others, incapable of unity and inclusive mutuality, capable at most of a spiritual contact and soul-sympathy. It is therefore necessary to insist that by the true individual we mean nothing of the kind, but a conscious power of being of the Eternal, always existing by unity, always capable of mutuality. It is that being which by self-knowledge enjoys liberation and immortality.” The Life Divine
calm ::: n. 1. Serenity; tranquillity; peace. 2. Nearly or completely motionless as a condition of no wind. Calm, Calm"s, calms, calmness. adj. 3. Not excited or agitated; composed; tranquil; 4. Without rough motion; still or nearly still. calmer, calm-lipped, stone-calm. *adv. calmly.
Sri Aurobindo: "Calm is a still unmoved condition which no disturbance can affect — it is a less negative condition than quiet.” Letters on Yoga*
"Calm is a positive tranquillity which can exist in spite of superficial disturbances.” *Letters on Yoga
"Calm is a strong and positive quietude, firm and solid — ordinary quietude is mere negation, simply the absence of disturbance.” *Letters on Yoga
"But more powerful still is the giving up of the fruit of one"s works, because that immediately destroys all causes of disturbance and brings and preserves automatically an inner calm and peace, and calm and peace are the foundation on which all else becomes perfect and secure in possession by the tranquil spirit.” Essays on the Gita
The Mother: "Calm is self-possessed strength, quiet and conscious energy, mastery of the impulses, control over the unconscious reflexes.” Words of the Mother, MCW Vol. 14*.
cancel ::: 1. To annul, make void or invalidate. 2. To equalize or make up for; offset. 3. To cross out with lines or other markings, making something invalid. cancels, cancelled, cancelling, self-cancelling.
CENTRAL BEING. ::: The portion of the Divine in us which supports all the rest and survives through death and birth. This centra! being has two forms ::: above, it is Jivatman, our true being, of which we become aware when the higher self-know- ledge comes ; below, it is the psychic being which stands behind mind, body and life. The Jivatman is above the manifestation in life and presides over it ; the psychic being stands behind the manifestation in life and supports it,
chosen ::: n. 1. Having been selected by God; elect. adj. 2. Selected from or preferred above others. self-chosen. (Also pp. of choose.)
complete scIf'knovUcdcc uhen he Is thus auare of living in (wo worlds, two consciousnesses at the same lime, two parts of the same existence. At present he lives in the outer self, but he will go more and more inward, (ill the position is reversed and he lives within in this new inner consciousness, inner self and feels the outer as something on the surface formed as an instru- mental personality for the inner's self-expression in the material world. Then from within a Power works on the outer to make it a conscious plastic instrument so that finally the inner and the outer may become fused into one.
conceive ::: 1. To form or hold an idea. 2. To begin, originate, or found (something) in a particular way (usually used in the passive). 3. To apprehend mentally; understand. 4. To be created or formed in the womb; to be engendered; begotten. conceives, conceived, self-conceived.
CONCENTRATION ::: Fixing the consciousness in one place or on one object and in a single condition.
A gathering together of the consciousness and either centralising at one point or turning on a single object, e.g. the Divine; there can also be a gathered condition throughout the whole being, not at a point.
Concentration is necessary, first to turn the whole will and mind from the discursive divagation natural to them, following a dispersed movement of the thoughts, running after many-branching desires, led away in the track of the senses and the outward mental response to phenomena; we have to fix the will and the thought on the eternal and real behind all, and this demands an immense effort, a one-pointed concentration. Secondly, it is necessary in order to break down the veil which is erected by our ordinary mentality between ourselves and the truth; for outer knowledge can be picked up by the way, by ordinary attention and reception, but the inner, hidden and higher truth can only be seized by an absolute concentration of the mind on its object, an absolute concentration of the will to attain it and, once attained, to hold it habitually and securely unite oneself with it.
Centre of Concentration: The two main places where one can centre the consciousness for yoga are in the head and in the heart - the mind-centre and the soul-centre.
Brain concentration is always a tapasyā and necessarily brings a strain. It is only if one is lifted out of the brain mind altogether that the strain of mental concentration disappears.
At the top of the head or above it is the right place for yogic concentration in reading or thinking.
In whatever centre the concentration takes place, the yoga force generated extends to the others and produces concentration or workings there.
Modes of Concentration: There is no harm in concentrating sometimes in the heart and sometimes above the head. But concentration in either place does not mean keeping the attention fixed on a particular spot; you have to take your station of consciousness in either place and concentrate there not on the place, but on the Divine. This can be done with eyes shut or with eyes open, according as it best suits.
If one concentrates on a thought or a word, one has to dwell on the essential idea contained in the word with the aspiration to feel the thing which it expresses.
There is no method in this yoga except to concentrate, preferably in the heart, and call the presence and power of the Mother to take up the being and by the workings of her force to transform the consciousness; one can concentrate also in the head or between the eye-brows, but for many this is a too difficult opening. When the mind falls quiet and the concentration becomes strong and the aspiration intense, then there is a beginning of experience. The more the faith, the more rapid the result is likely to be.
Powers (three) of Concentration ::: By concentration on anything whatsoever we are able to know that thing, to make it deliver up its concealed secrets; we must use this power to know not things, but the one Thing-in-itself. By concentration again the whole will can be gathered up for the acquisition of that which is still ungrasped, still beyond us; this power, if it is sufficiently trained, sufficiently single-minded, sufficiently sincere, sure of itself, faithful to itself alone, absolute in faith, we can use for the acquisition of any object whatsoever; but we ought to use it not for the acquisition of the many objects which the world offers to us, but to grasp spiritually that one object worthy of pursuit which is also the one subject worthy of knowledge. By concentration of our whole being on one status of itself we can become whatever we choose ; we can become, for instance, even if we were before a mass of weaknesses and fears, a mass instead of strength and courage, or we can become all a great purity, holiness and peace or a single universal soul of Love ; but we ought, it is said, to use this power to become not even these things, high as they may be in comparison with what we now are, but rather to become that which is above all things and free from all action and attributes, the pure and absolute Being. All else, all other concentration can only be valuable for preparation, for previous steps, for a gradual training of the dissolute and self-dissipating thought, will and being towards their grand and unique object.
Stages in Concentration (Rajayogic) ::: that in which the object is seized, that in which it is held, that in which the mind is lost in the status which the object represents or to which the concentration leads.
Concentration and Meditation ::: Concentration means fixing the consciousness in one place or one object and in a single condition Meditation can be diffusive,e.g. thinking about the Divine, receiving impressions and discriminating, watching what goes on in the nature and acting upon it etc. Meditation is when the inner mind is looking at things to get the right knowledge.
vide Dhyāna.
Conditions for reception of intuition ::: To have the true intui- tion one must get rid of the mind’s self-will and vital’s also, their
Conditions lor equality ::: Complete samata takes long to establish and it is dependent on three things ::: the soul’s self- giving to the Divine by an inner surrender, the descent of the spiritual calm and peace from above and the steady, long and persistent rejection of all egoistic, rajasic and other feelings that contradict samata.
Conditions of descent t Thece must be a total and sincere surrender ; there must be an cxcIosHt self-opening to the divine
confidence ::: 1. Full trust or faith in a person or thing. 2. A feeling of assurance, especially of self-assurance.
confident ::: 1. Having or showing confidence or certainty; sure. 2. Sure of oneself; having no uncertainty about one"s own abilities, correctness, successfulness, etc.; self-confident; bold.
Consecration vs. Conversion ::: Conversion is a spontaneous movement of the consciousness, a turning of it away from external things towards the Divine. It comes as well as is the result of a touch from within and above. Self-consecration may help one to open to the touch or the touch may come of itself.
CONTRADICTIONS. ::: Every man is full of contradictions because he is one person, no doubt, but made up of different personalities. So long as one does not aim at unity in a single dominant intention, like that of seeking and self-dedication to the Divine, they get on somehow together, alternating or quar- relling or muddling through or else one taking the lead and compelling the others to take a minor part — but once you try to unite them in one aim, then the trouble becomes evident.
cosmic Self ::: Sri Aurobindo: "When one has the cosmic consciousness, one can feel the cosmic Self as one"s own self, one can feel one with other beings in the cosmos, one can feel all the forces of Nature as moving in oneself, all selves as one"s own self. There is no why except that it is so, since all is the One.” Letters on Yoga (See also Cosmic Spirit)
"Impersonality is the first character of cosmic self; . . . .” *The Life Divine
"An eternal infinite self-existence is the supreme reality, but the supreme transcendent eternal Being, Self and Spirit, — an infinite Person, we may say, because his being is the essence and source of all personality, — is the reality and meaning of self-existence: so too the cosmic Self, Spirit, Being, Person is the reality and meaning of cosmic existence; the same Self, Spirit, Being or Person manifesting its multiplicity is the reality and meaning of individual existence.” The Life Divine
"But this cosmic self is spiritual in essence and in experience; it must not be confused with the collective existence, with any group soul or the life and body of a human society or even of all mankind.” The Synthesis of Yoga
"It is the Cosmic Self and Spirit that is in and behind all things and beings, from which and in which all is manifested in the universe — although it is now a manifestation in the Ignorance.” Letters on Yoga*
::: "Cosmos is not the Divine in all his utter reality, but a single self-expression, a true but minor motion of his being.” *The Human Cycle
“Cosmos is not the Divine in all his utter reality, but a single self-expression, a true but minor motion of his being.” The Human Cycle
courage ::: the state or quality of mind or spirit that enables one to face danger, fear, or vicissitudes with self-possession, confidence, and resolution; bravery.
cowled ::: wearing or supplied with a cowl; hooded. self-cowled.
create ::: 1. To cause to come into being, as something unique that would not naturally evolve or that is not made by ordinary processes. 2. To evolve from one"s own thought or imagination, as a work of art or an invention. 3. To cause to happen; to bring about; arrange, as by intention or design. creates, created, creating, all-creating, self-creating, world-creating, new-create.
creation ::: 1. The act or process of creating, esp. the universe as thus brought into being by God. 2. Something that has been brought into existence or created, esp. a product of human intelligence or imagination, as a work of art, music, etc. creation"s, creations, half-creations, **self-creation.
creation ::: “Creation is not a making of something out of nothing or of one thing out of another, but a self-projection of Brahman into the conditions of Space and Time. Creation is not a making, but a becoming in terms and forms of conscious existence.” The Upanishads
deceiving ::: causing to believe what is not true; misleading. self-deceiving.
"Desire is the lever by which the divine Life-principle effects its end of self-affirmation in the universe. . . " The Life Divine
“Desire is the lever by which the divine Life-principle effects its end of self-affirmation in the universe…” The Life Divine
"Destruction is always a simultaneous or alternate element which keeps pace with creation and it is by destroying and renewing that the Master of Life does his long work of preservation. More, destruction is the first condition of progress. Inwardly, the man who does not destroy his lower self-formations, cannot rise to a greater existence. Outwardly also, the nation or community or race which shrinks too long from destroying and replacing its past forms of life, is itself destroyed, rots and perishes and out of its debris other nations, communities and races are formed. By destruction of the old giant occupants man made himself a place upon earth. By destruction of the Titans the gods maintain the continuity of the divine Law in the cosmos. Whoever prematurely attempts to get rid of this law of battle and destruction, strives vainly against the greater will of the World-Spirit.” Essays on the Gita
“Destruction is always a simultaneous or alternate element which keeps pace with creation and it is by destroying and renewing that the Master of Life does his long work of preservation. More, destruction is the first condition of progress. Inwardly, the man who does not destroy his lower self-formations, cannot rise to a greater existence. Outwardly also, the nation or community or race which shrinks too long from destroying and replacing its past forms of life, is itself destroyed, rots and perishes and out of its debris other nations, communities and races are formed. By destruction of the old giant occupants man made himself a place upon earth. By destruction of the Titans the gods maintain the continuity of the divine Law in the cosmos. Whoever prematurely attempts to get rid of this law of battle and destruction, strives vainly against the greater will of the World-Spirit.” Essays on the Gita
disciplines ::: branches of knowledge as well as training for the improvement of physical powers, self-control, etc.
discovery ::: the fact of revealing or making known something that was hidden or unknown previously. flame-discovery, self-discovery, self-discovery"s, discoveries, form-discoveries.
disguise ::: n. 1. A mask, costume, or manner that conceals the identity of. 2. Something that serves or is intended for concealment of identity, character, or quality; a deceptive covering, condition, manner, etc. 3. The state of being disguised; masquerade. disguises, self-disguise. v. 4. To hide under a false appearance. disguised.
disintegrating ::: reducing to components, fragments, or particles. self-disintegrating.
divine Reality ::: Sri Aurobindo: "The Divine Reality is infinite in its being; in this infinite being, we find limited being everywhere, — that is the apparent fact from which our existence here seems to start and to which our own narrow ego and its ego-centric activities bear constant witness. But, in reality, when we come to an integral self-knowledge, we find that we are not limited, for we also are infinite.” *The Life Divine
Divinity ::: “The Divinity in man dwells veiled in his spiritual centre; there can be no such thing as self-exceeding for man or a higher issue for his existence if there is not in him the reality of an eternal Self and Spirit.” The Life Divine
dream ::: 1. A series of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations occurring involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. 2. A vision occurring to a person while awake. 3. A person or thing that is as pleasant, or seemingly unreal, as a dream 4. An ideal or aspiration; goal; aim. 5. A wild or vain fancy. Dream, dream"s, Dream"s, dreams, dream-brood, dream-brush, dream-built, dream-caught, dream-fact, dream-fate, dream-god"s, dream-happiness, dream-hued, dream-life, dream-light, dream-made, dream-mind, dream-notes, dream-print, dream-sculptured, dream-shores, dream-smiles, dream-splendour, dream-truth, dream-vasts, dream-white, dream-world, half-dream, self-dream, sun-dream, world-dream. *adj. 6. Of a colour: misty, dim, or cloudy. v. 7. To have an image (of) or fantasy (about) in or as if in a dream. dreams, dreamed, *dreaming.
DRY PERIOD. ::: There is a long stage of preparation neces- sary in order to arrive at the moer psychologic^ condition in which the doors of experience can open and one can walk from vista to vista — though even then new gates may present them- selves and refuse to open until all is ready. This period can be dry and desert-like unless one has the ardour of self-introspec- tion and self-conquest and finds every step of the effort and struggle interesting or unless one has or gets the secret of trust and self-giving which secs the hand of the Divine in every step of the path and even in the difficulty the grace or the guidance.
Such interval periods come to all and cannot be avoided.
The main thing is to meet them with quietude and not become restless, depressed or despondent. A constant fire can be there only when a certain stage has been reached, that is when one is always inside consciously living in the psychic being, but for that all this preparation of the mind, vital, physical is necessary.
For this fire belongs to the psychic and one cannot command it always merely by the mind's effort. The psychic has to be fully liberated and that is what the Force is working to make fully possible.
The difficulty comes when either the vital with its desires or the physical with its past habitual movements comes in — as they do with almost everyone. It is then that the dryness and difficulty of spontaneous aspiration come. This dryness is a well- known obstacle in all sadhana. But one has to persist and not be discouraged. If one keep? the will fixed even in these barren periods, they pass and after their passage a greater force of aspiration and experience becomes possible.
Dryness comes usually when the vital dislikes a movement or' condition or the refusal of its desires and starts non-co-operation.
But sometimes it is a condition that has to be crossed through, e.g. the neutral or dry quietude which sometimes comes when the ordinary movements have been thrown out but nothing positive has yet come to take their place, i.e, peace, joy, a higher know- ledge or force or action.
duality ::: “The duality is a position taken up, a double status accepted for the operations of the self-manifestation of the being; but there is no eternal and fundamental separateness and dualism of Being and its Consciousness-Force, of the Soul and Nature.” The Life Divine
ecstasy ::: 1. Intense joy or delight. 2. A state of exalted emotion so intense that one is carried beyond thought. 3. Used by mystical writers as the technical name for the state of rapture in which the body was supposed to become incapable of sensation, while the soul was engaged in the contemplation of divine things. 4. The trance, frenzy, or rapture associated with mystic or prophetic exaltation. Ecstasy, ecstasy"s, ecstasies, ecstasied, self-ecstasy, strange-ecstasied.
Ecstasy ::: “It has been held that ecstasy is a lower and transient passage, the peace of the Supreme is the supreme realisation, the consummate abiding experience. This may be true on the spiritual-mind plane: there the first ecstasy felt is indeed a spiritual rapture, but it can be and is very usually mingled with a supreme happiness of the vital parts taken up by the Spirit; there is an exaltation, exultation, excitement, a highest intensity of the joy of the heart and the pure inner soul-sensation that can be a splendid passage or an uplifting force but is not the ultimate permanent foundation. But in the highest ascents of the spiritual bliss there is not this vehement exaltation and excitement; there is instead an illimitable intensity of participation in an eternal ecstasy which is founded on the eternal Existence and therefore on a beatific tranquillity of eternal peace. Peace and ecstasy cease to be different and become one. The Supermind, reconciling and fusing all differences as well as all contradictions, brings out this unity; a wide calm and a deep delight of all-existence are among its first steps of self-realisation, but this calm and this delight rise together, as one state, into an increasing intensity and culminate in the eternal ecstasy, the bliss that is the Infinite.” The Life Divine
Effort and surrender ::: Surrender is not a thing that can be done in a day. The mind has its ideas and clings to them ; the human vital resists surrender, for what it calls surrender in the early stages is a doubtful kind of self-giving with a demand in it ; the physical consciousness is like a stone and what it calls surrender is often no more Ilian Inertia. It is only the psychic that knows how to surrender and the psychic is usually very much veiled in the beginning. When the psychic awakes, it can bring a sudden and true surrender of the whole being, for the difficulty of the rest is rapidly dealt with and disappears. But till then effort is indispensable. Or else it is necessary till the
embody ::: 1. To invest (a spiritual entity) with a body or with bodily form; render incarnate; make corporeal. 2. To give a tangible, bodily, or concrete form to (an abstract concept) or to be an example of or express (an idea, principle, etc. embodies, embodied, embodying, self-embodying.
energy ::: “It is true that when Matter first emerges it becomes the dominant principle; it seems to be and is within its own field the basis of all things, the constituent of all things, the end of all things: but Matter itself is found to be a result of something that is not Matter, of Energy, and this Energy cannot be something self-existent and acting in the Void, but can turn out and, when deeply scrutinised, seems likely to turn out to be the action of a secret Consciousness and Being: when the spiritual knowledge and experience emerge, this becomes a certitude,—it is seen that the creative Energy in Matter is a movement of the power of the Spirit.” The Life Divine
::: Equality means a quiet and unmoved mind and vital, it means not to be touched or disturbed by things that happen or things said or done to you, but to look at them with a straight look, free from the distortions created by personal feeling, and to try to understand what is behind them, why they happen, what is to be learnt from them, what is it in oneself which they are cast against and what inner profit or progress one can make out of them; it means self-mastery over the vital movements, — anger and sensitiveness and pride as well as desire and the rest, — not to let them get hold of the emotional being and disturb the inner peace, not to speak and act in the rush and impulsion of these things, always to act and speak out of a calm inner poise of the spirit.” *Letters on Yoga
Equality means a quiet and unmoved mind and vital, it means not to be touched or disturbed by things that happen or things said or done to you, but to look at them with a straight look, free from the distortions created by personal feeling, and to try to understand what is behind them, why they happen, what is to be learnt from them, what is it in oneself which they are cast against and what inner profit or progress one can make out of them; it means self-mastery over the vital movements,—anger and sensitiveness and pride as well as desire and the rest,—not to let them get hold of the emotional being and disturb the inner peace, not to speak and act in the rush and impulsion of these things, always to act and speak out of a calm inner poise of the spirit.” Letters on Yoga
Equality means a quiet and unmoved mind and vital, it means not to be touched or disturbed by things that happen or things satd or done to you, but to look at them with a straight look, free from the distortions created by personal feelings, and to try to understand what is behind them, why they happen, what is to be learnt from them, what is it in oneself which they are cast against and what inner profit or progress one can make out of them ; it means self-mastery over the vital movements,
ethics ::: “In other words, ethics is a stage in evolution. That which is common to all stages is the urge of Sachchidananda towards self-expression. This urge is at first non-ethical, then infra-ethical in the animal, then in the intelligent animal even anti-ethical for it permits us to approve hurt done to others which we disapprove when done to ourselves. In this respect man even now is only half-ethical. And just as all below us is infra-ethical, so there may be that above us whither we shall eventually arrive, which is supra-ethical, has no need of ethics. The ethical impulse and attitude, so all-important to humanity, is a means by which it struggles out of the lower harmony and universality based upon inconscience and broken up by Life into individual discords towards a higher harmony and universality based upon conscient oneness with all existences. Arriving at that goal, this means will no longer be necessary or even possible, since the qualities and oppositions on which it depends will naturally dissolve and disappear in the final reconciliation.” The Life Divine
evidence ::: something that makes plain or clear; an indication or sign. self-evidence.
evil ::: “… wrong will and falsehood of the steps, . . . separative egoism inflicting by its ignorance and separate contrary will harm on oneself or harm on others, self-driven to a wrong dealing with one’s own soul, mind, life or body or a wrong dealing with the soul, mind, life, body of others, . . . is the practical sense of all human evil.” The Life Divine
evolution ::: “Evolution is nothing but the progressive unfolding of spirit out of the density of material consciousness and the gradual self-revelation of God out of this apparent animal being.” The Hour of God
evolution ::: Sri Aurobindo: "Evolution is nothing but the progressive unfolding of spirit out of the density of material consciousness and the gradual self-revelation of God out of this apparent animal being.” *The Hour of God
exile ::: n. 1. Enforced removal from one"s native country. 2. The condition or a period of living away from one"s native country. 3. A person banished or living away from his home or country; expatriate. v. 4. To expel from home or country, esp. by official decree as a punishment; banish. exiles, exiled, self-exiled.
expression ::: 1. The act of expressing, conveying, or representing in something such as a movement, etc. 2. A manifestation. self-expression.
"First, we affirm an Absolute as the origin and support and secret Reality of all things. The Absolute Reality is indefinable and ineffable by mental thought and mental language; it is self-existent and self-evident to itself, as all absolutes are self-evident, but our mental affirmatives and negatives, whether taken separatively or together, cannot limit or define it.” The Life Divine
“First, we affirm an Absolute as the origin and support and secret Reality of all things. The Absolute Reality is indefinable and ineffable by mental thought and mental language; it is self-existent and self-evident to itself, as all absolutes are self-evident, but our mental affirmatives and negatives, whether taken separatively or together, cannot limit or define it.” The Life Divine
"For by an absolute self-giving all egoistic desire disappears from the heart and there is a perfect union between the Divine and the individual soul through an inner renunciation of its separate living.” Essays on the Gita
“For by an absolute self-giving all egoistic desire disappears from the heart and there is a perfect union between the Divine and the individual soul through an inner renunciation of its separate living.” Essays on the Gita
"For do not imagine that light is created by the Suns. The Suns are only physical concentrations of Light, but the splendour they concentrate for us is self-born and everywhere.” Essays Divine and Human
“For do not imagine that light is created by the Suns. The Suns are only physical concentrations of Light, but the splendour they concentrate for us is self-born and everywhere.” Essays Divine and Human
For do not imagine that light is created by the Suns. The Suns are only physical concentrations of Light, but the splendour they concentrate for us is self-born and everywhere.
::: "For in reality, no man works, but Nature works through him for the self-expression of a Power within that proceeds from the Infinite. To know that and live in the presence and in the being of the Master of Nature, free from desire and the illusion of personal impulsion, is the one thing needful. That and not the bodily cessation of action is the true release; for the bondage of works at once ceases. A man might sit still and motionless for ever and yet be as much bound to the Ignorance as the animal or the insect. But if he can make this greater consciousness dynamic within him, then all the work of all the worlds could pass through him and yet he would remain at rest, absolute in calm and peace, free from all bondage.” *The Synthesis of Yoga
“For in reality, no man works, but Nature works through him for the self-expression of a Power within that proceeds from the Infinite. To know that and live in the presence and in the being of the Master of Nature, free from desire and the illusion of personal impulsion, is the one thing needful. That and not the bodily cessation of action is the true release; for the bondage of works at once ceases. A man might sit still and motionless for ever and yet be as much bound to the Ignorance as the animal or the insect. But if he can make this greater consciousness dynamic within him, then all the work of all the worlds could pass through him and yet he would remain at rest, absolute in calm and peace, free from all bondage.” The Synthesis of Yoga
"For the supermind is a Truth-Consciousness in which the Divine Reality, fully manifested, no longer works with the instrumentation of the Ignorance; a truth of status of being which is absolute becomes dynamic in a truth of energy and activity of the being which is self-existent and perfect. Every movement there is a movement of the self-aware truth of Divine Being and every part is in entire harmony with the whole. Even the most limited and finite action is in the Truth-Consciousness a movement of the Eternal and Infinite and partakes of the inherent absoluteness and perfection of the Eternal and Infinite.” The Synthesis of Yoga
“For the supermind is a Truth-Consciousness in which the Divine Reality, fully manifested, no longer works with the instrumentation of the Ignorance; a truth of status of being which is absolute becomes dynamic in a truth of energy and activity of the being which is self-existent and perfect. Every movement there is a movement of the self-aware truth of Divine Being and every part is in entire harmony with the whole. Even the most limited and finite action is in the Truth-Consciousness a movement of the Eternal and Infinite and partakes of the inherent absoluteness and perfection of the Eternal and Infinite.” The Synthesis of Yoga
Free yourself from all exaggerated self-depredation and the habit of getting depressed by the sense of sin, difficulty or failure.
fulfil ::: 1. To fill or meet a want or need. 2. To develop the full potential of. 3. To bring about the completion or achievement of (a desire, prophecy, promise, etc.). 4. To carry out or execute (a request, etc.). fulfils, fulfilled, fulfilling, all-fulfilling, self-fulfilling.
glad ::: 1. Accompanied by or causing joy or pleasure. 2. Feeling joy or pleasure; delighted; pleased. 3. Experiencing or exhibiting joy and pleasure. 4. Filled with happiness pleased; contented. gladness, self-glad.
glory ::: n. 1. Majestic and radiant beauty and splendour; resplendence. 2. Great honour, praise, or distinction accorded by common consent; renown. 3. A state of extreme happiness or exaltation. 4. A state of absolute happiness; gratification. Glory, glory"s, glories, self-glory. v. 5. Rejoice proudly (usually followed by in). glories, gloried, glorying.
Gnosis ::: “Gnosis or true supermind is a power above mind working in its own law, out of the direct identity of the supreme Self, his absolute self-conscious Truth knowing herself by her own power of absolute Light without any need of seeking, even the most luminous seeking.” The Upanishads (footnote)
godhead ::: Sri Aurobindo: ". . . the Godhead is all that is universe and all that is in the universe and all that is more than the universe. The Gita lays stress first on his supracosmic existence. For otherwise the mind would miss its highest goal and remain turned towards the cosmic only or else attached to some partial experience of the Divine in the cosmos. It lays stress next on his universal existence in which all moves and acts. For that is the justification of the cosmic effort and that is the vast spiritual self-awareness in which the Godhead self-seen as the Time-Spirit does his universal works. Next it insists with a certain austere emphasis on the acceptance of the Godhead as the divine inhabitant in the human body. For he is the Immanent in all existences, and if the indwelling divinity is not recognised, not only will the divine meaning of individual existence be missed, the urge to our supreme spiritual possibilities deprived of its greatest force, but the relations of soul with soul in humanity will be left petty, limited and egoistic. Finally, it insists at great length on the divine manifestation in all things in the universe and affirms the derivation of all that is from the nature, power and light of the one Godhead.” *Essays on the Gita
Godhead ::: “… the Godhead is all that is universe and all that is in the universe and all that is more than the universe. The Gita lays stress first on his supracosmic existence. For otherwise the mind would miss its highest goal and remain turned towards the cosmic only or else attached to some partial experience of the Divine in the cosmos. It lays stress next on his universal existence in which all moves and acts. For that is the justification of the cosmic effort and that is the vast spiritual self-awareness in which the Godhead self-seen as the Time-Spirit does his universal works. Next it insists with a certain austere emphasis on the acceptance of the Godhead as the divine inhabitant in the human body. For he is the Immanent in all existences, and if the indwelling divinity is not recognised, not only will the divine meaning of individual existence be missed, the urge to our supreme spiritual possibilities deprived of its greatest force, but the relations of soul with soul in humanity will be left petty, limited and egoistic. Finally, it insists at great length on the divine manifestation in all things in the universe and affirms the derivation of all that is from the nature, power and light of the one Godhead.” Essays on the Gita
guard ::: n. 1. Something that gives protection; a safeguard. 2. A body of people, esp. soldiers, charged with guarding a place from disturbance, theft, etc. guards. v. 3. To keep safe from harm or danger; to take care of, watch over, protect, defend. 4. To protect from harm by or as if by watching over. guards, guarded, guarding, deep-guarded, self-guarded. ::: on guard. Vigilant; watchful.
Guru is the channel or the representative or the manifestation of the Divine, according to (be measure of his personality or his attainment ; but whatever he is, it is to the Divine that one opens in opening to him ; and if something is determined by the power of the channel, more is determined by the inherent and intrinsic attitude of the lecciving consciousness, an element that comes out in the surface mind as simple trust or direct uncondi- tional self-giving, and once that is there, the essential things can be gained even from one who seems to others than the disciple an inferior spiritual source, and the rest will grow up in the sadhaka of itself by the Grace of the Divine, even if the human being in the Guru cannot it.
"Here we live in an organisation of mortal consciousness which takes the form of a transient world; there we are liberated into the harmonies of an infinite self-seeing which knows all world in the light of the eternal and immortal. The Beyond is our reality; that is our plenitude; that is the absolute satisfaction of our self-existence. It is immortality and it is ‘That Delight".” The Upanishads *beyond
“Here we live in an organisation of mortal consciousness which takes the form of a transient world; there we are liberated into the harmonies of an infinite self-seeing which knows all world in the light of the eternal and immortal. The Beyond is our reality; that is our plenitude; that is the absolute satisfaction of our self-existence. It is immortality and it is ‘That Delight’.” The Upanishads
Holocaust ::: Madhav: “Holocaust—this profound sacrifice of the soul, the soul of the ‘burdened great’, those who sacrifice their celestial status and accept to undergo the yoke of Fate and Death. Their holocaust, chosen sacrifice, is not a sacrifice imposed by their karma for they have no karma, but a self-chosen sacrifice in furtherance of God’s work.” Sat-Sang Talk, 25/8/91
HOLOCAUST OF THE DIVINE. ::: The Mother not only governs all from above but she descends into this lesser tnple universe. Impersonally, all things here, even the movements of the Ignorance, are herself in veiled power and her creations in diminished substance, her Nafure-b^y and Nature-force, and they exist because moved by the mysterious fiat of the Supreme to work out something that was fbere «i the possibilities of The Infinite she has consented to the great sacrifice and has put on like a mask the soul and forms of the Ignorance. But personally too she has stooped to descend here into the Darkness that she may lead it to the Light, into the Falsehood and Error that she may convert it to the Truth, into this Death that she may turn it to godlike Life, into this world-pain and its obstinate sorrow assimilate it ; avoid self-dispersion and all externalising of the consciousness.
Hostile Forces have a certain self-chosen function ::: it is to test the condition of the individual, of the work, of the earth itself and their readiness for the spiritual descent and fulfilment.
::: "Humility before the Divine is also a sine qua non of the spiritual life, and spiritual pride, arrogance, or vanity and self-assurance press always downward. But confidence in the Divine and a faith in one"s spiritual destiny (i.e. since my heart and soul seek for the Divine, I cannot fail one day to reach Him) are much needed in view of the difficulties of the Path.” Letters on Yoga
“Humility before the Divine is also a sine qua non of the spiritual life, and spiritual pride, arrogance, or vanity and self-assurance press always downward. But confidence in the Divine and a faith in one’s spiritual destiny (i.e. since my heart and soul seek for the Divine, I cannot fail one day to reach Him) are much needed in view of the difficulties of the Path.” Letters on Yoga
"Humility before the Divine is also a sine qua non of the spiritual life, and spiritual pride, arrogance, or vanity and self-assurance press always downward.” *Letters on Yoga
“Humility before the Divine is also a sine qua non of the spiritual life, and spiritual pride, arrogance, or vanity and self-assurance press always downward.” Letters on Yoga
::: "Identity is the first truth of existence; division is the second truth; all division is a division in oneness. There is one Existence which looks at itself from many self-divided unities observing other similar and dissimilar self-divided unities by the device of division. Being is one; division is a device or a secondary condition of consciousness; but the primary truth of consciousness also is a truth of oneness and identity.” Essays Divine and Human
“Identity is the first truth of existence; division is the second truth; all division is a division in oneness. There is one Existence which looks at itself from many self-divided unities observing other similar and dissimilar self-divided unities by the device of division. Being is one; division is a device or a secondary condition of consciousness; but the primary truth of consciousness also is a truth of oneness and identity.” Essays Divine and Human
::: "If there is an evolution in material Nature and if it is an evolution of being with consciousness and life as its two key-terms and powers, this fullness of being, fullness of consciousness, fullness of life must be the goal of development towards which we are tending and which will manifest at an early or later stage of our destiny. The Self, the Spirit, the Reality that is disclosing itself out of the first inconscience of life and matter, would evolve its complete truth of being and consciousness in that life and matter. It would return to itself, — or, if its end as an individual is to return into its Absolute, it could make that return also, — not through a frustration of life but through a spiritual completeness of itself in life. Our evolution in the Ignorance with its chequered joy and pain of self-discovery and world-discovery, its half-fulfilments, its constant finding and missing, is only our first state. It must lead inevitably towards an evolution in the Knowledge, a self-finding and self-unfolding of the Spirit, a self-revelation of the Divinity in things in that true power of itself in Nature which is to us still a Supernature.” The Life Divine
“If there is an evolution in material Nature and if it is an evolution of being with consciousness and life as its two key-terms and powers, this fullness of being, fullness of consciousness, fullness of life must be the goal of development towards which we are tending and which will manifest at an early or later stage of our destiny. The Self, the Spirit, the Reality that is disclosing itself out of the first inconscience of life and matter, would evolve its complete truth of being and consciousness in that life and matter. It would return to itself,—or, if its end as an individual is to return into its Absolute, it could make that return also,—not through a frustration of life but through a spiritual completeness of itself in life. Our evolution in the Ignorance with its chequered joy and pain of self-discovery and world-discovery, its half-fulfilments, its constant finding and missing, is only our first state. It must lead inevitably towards an evolution in the Knowledge, a self-finding and self-unfolding of the Spirit, a self-revelation of the Divinity in things in that true power of itself in Nature which is to us still a Supernature.” The Life Divine
"If we take this fourfold status as a figure of the Self passing from its superconscient state, where there is no subject or object, into a luminous trance in which superconscience becomes a massed consciousness out of which the subjective status of being and the objective come into emergence, then we get according to our view of things either a possible process of illusionary creation or a process of creative Self-knowledge and All-knowledge.” The Life Divine
“If we take this fourfold status as a figure of the Self passing from its superconscient state, where there is no subject or object, into a luminous trance in which superconscience becomes a massed consciousness out of which the subjective status of being and the objective come into emergence, then we get according to our view of things either a possible process of illusionary creation or a process of creative Self-knowledge and All-knowledge.” The Life Divine
IGNORANCE. ::: Avidya, the separative consciousness and the egoistic mind and life that flow from it and all that is natural to the separative consciousness and the egoistic mind and life.
This Ignorance is the result of a movement by which the cosmic Intelligence separated itself from the light of the Supermind (the divine Gnosis) and lost the Truth.
Sevenfold Ignorance ::: If we look at this Ignorance in which ordinarily we live by the very circumstance of our separative existence in a material, ip a spatial and temporal universe, wc see that on its obscurer side it reduces itself, from whatever direction we look at or approach it, into the fact of a many- sided self-ignorance. We are Ignorant of the Absolute which is the source of all being and becoming ; we take partial facts of being, temporal relations of the becoming for the whole truth of existence — that is the first, the original ignorance. We are ignorant of the spaceless, timeless, immobile and immutable Self ; we take the constant mobility and mutation of the cosmic becom- ing in Time and Space for the whole truth of existence — that is the second, the cosmic ignorance. We are ignorant of our universal self, the cosmic existence, the cosmic consciousness, our infinite unity with all being and becoming ; we take our limited egoistic mentality, vitality, corporeality for our true self and regard everything other than that as not-sclf — that is the tViTid, \Vie egoistic ignorance. V/c aie ignorant of oat eteinai becoming in Time ; we take this Uttle life in a small span of Time, in a petty field of Space for our beginning, our middle and our end, — that is the fourth, the temporal ignorance. Even within this brief temporal becoming we are ignorant of our large and complex being, of that in us which is super-conscient, sub- conscient, intraconscient, circumcooscient to our surface becoming; we take that surface becoming with its small selection of overtly mentalised experiences for our whole existence — that is the fifth, the psychological ignorance. We are ignorant of the true constitution of our becoming ; we take the mind or life or body or any two or all three tor our true principle or the whole account of what we are, losing sight of that which constitutes them and determines by its occult presence and is meant to deter- mine sovereignly by its emergence from their operations, — that is the sixth, the constitutional ignorance. As a result of all these ignorances, we miss the true knowledge, government and enjoy- ment of our life in the world ; we are ignorant in our thought, will, sensations, actions, return wrong or imperfect responses at every point to the questionings of the world, wander in a maze of errors and desires, strivings and failures, pain and pleasure, sin and stumbling, follow a crooked road, grope blindly for a changing goal, — that is the seventh, the practical ignorance.
“Ignorance is the consciousness of being in the successions of Time, divided in its knowledge by dwelling in the moment, divided in its conception of self-being by dwelling in the divisions of Space and the relations of circumstance, self-prisoned in the multiple working of the unity. It is called the Ignorance because it has put behind it the knowledge of unity and by that very fact is unable to know truly or completely either itself or the world, either the transcendent or the universal reality.” The Life Divine
ignorance ::: the state or fact of being ignorant; lack of knowledge, learning, information. Ignorance, ignorance"s, Ignorance"s, ignorance", world-ignorance, World-Ignorance.
Sri Aurobindo: "Ignorance is the absence of the divine eye of perception which gives us the sight of the supramental Truth; it is the non-perceiving principle in our consciousness as opposed to the truth-perceiving conscious vision and knowledge.” *The Life Divine
"Ignorance is the consciousness of being in the successions of Time, divided in its knowledge by dwelling in the moment, divided in its conception of self-being by dwelling in the divisions of Space and the relations of circumstance, self-prisoned in the multiple working of the unity. It is called the Ignorance because it has put behind it the knowledge of unity and by that very fact is unable to know truly or completely either itself or the world, either the transcendent or the universal reality.” The Life Divine
"Ignorance means Avidya, the separative consciousness and the egoistic mind and life that flow from it and all that is natural to the separative consciousness and the egoistic mind and life. This Ignorance is the result of a movement by which the cosmic Intelligence separated itself from the light of the Supermind (the divine Gnosis) and lost the Truth, — truth of being, truth of divine consciousness, truth of force and action, truth of Ananda. As a result, instead of a world of integral truth and divine harmony created in the light of the divine Gnosis, we have a world founded on the part truths of an inferior cosmic Intelligence in which all is half-truth, half-error. . . . All in the consciousness of this creation is either limited or else perverted by separation from the integral Light; even the Truth it perceives is only a half-knowledge. Therefore it is called the Ignorance.” The Mother
". . . all ignorance is a penumbra which environs an orb of knowledge . . . .”The Life Divine
"This world is not really created by a blind force of Nature: even in the Inconscient the presence of the supreme Truth is at work; there is a seeing Power behind it which acts infallibly and the steps of the Ignorance itself are guided even when they seem to stumble; for what we call the Ignorance is a cloaked Knowledge, a Knowledge at work in a body not its own but moving towards its own supreme self-discovery.” Essays in Philosophy and Yoga
"Knowledge is no doubt the knowledge of the One, the realisation of the Being; Ignorance is a self-oblivion of Being, the experience of separateness in the multiplicity and a dwelling or circling in the ill-understood maze of becomings: . . . .” The Life Divine*
::: ". . . immortality in its fundamental sense does not mean merely some kind of personal survival of the bodily death; we are immortal by the eternity of our self-existence without beginning or end, beyond the whole succession of physical births and deaths through which we pass, beyond the alternations of our existence in this and other worlds: the spirit"s timeless existence is the true immortality.” *The Life Divine
“… immortality in its fundamental sense does not mean merely some kind of personal survival of the bodily death; we are immortal by the eternity of our self-existence without beginning or end, beyond the whole succession of physical births and deaths through which we pass, beyond the alternations of our existence in this and other worlds: the spirit’s timeless existence is the true immortality.” The Life Divine
". . . imperfection is not a thing to be at all deplored, but rather a privilege and a promise, for it opens out to us an immense vista of self-development and self-exceeding.” The Human Cycle etc.*
“… imperfection is not a thing to be at all deplored, but rather a privilege and a promise, for it opens out to us an immense vista of self-development and self-exceeding.” The Human Cycle etc.
inconscience ::: Sri Aurobindo: "The Inconscience is an inverse reproduction of the supreme superconscience: it has the same absoluteness of being and automatic action, but in a vast involved trance; it is being lost in itself, plunged in its own abyss of infinity.” *The Life Divine
"All aspects of the omnipresent Reality have their fundamental truth in the Supreme Existence. Thus even the aspect or power of Inconscience, which seems to be an opposite, a negation of the eternal Reality, yet corresponds to a Truth held in itself by the self-aware and all-conscious Infinite. It is, when we look closely at it, the Infinite"s power of plunging the consciousness into a trance of self-involution, a self-oblivion of the Spirit veiled in its own abysses where nothing is manifest but all inconceivably is and can emerge from that ineffable latency. In the heights of Spirit this state of cosmic or infinite trance-sleep appears to our cognition as a luminous uttermost Superconscience: at the other end of being it offers itself to cognition as the Spirit"s potency of presenting to itself the opposites of its own truths of being, — an abyss of non-existence, a profound Night of inconscience, a fathomless swoon of insensibility from which yet all forms of being, consciousness and delight of existence can manifest themselves, — but they appear in limited terms, in slowly emerging and increasing self-formulations, even in contrary terms of themselves; it is the play of a secret all-being, all-delight, all-knowledge, but it observes the rules of its own self-oblivion, self-opposition, self-limitation until it is ready to surpass it. This is the Inconscience and Ignorance that we see at work in the material universe. It is not a denial, it is one term, one formula of the infinite and eternal Existence.” *The Life Divine
"Once consciousnesses separated from the one consciousness, they fell inevitably into Ignorance and the last result of Ignorance was Inconscience.” Letters on Yoga
*inconscience.
inconscient ::: Sri Aurobindo: "The Inconscient and the Ignorance may be mere empty abstractions and can be dismissed as irrelevant jargon if one has not come in collision with them or plunged into their dark and bottomless reality. But to me they are realities, concrete powers whose resistance is present everywhere and at all times in its tremendous and boundless mass.” *Letters on Savitri
". . . in its actual cosmic manifestation the Supreme, being the Infinite and not bound by any limitation, can manifest in Itself, in its consciousness of innumerable possibilities, something that seems to be the opposite of itself, something in which there can be Darkness, Inconscience, Inertia, Insensibility, Disharmony and Disintegration. It is this that we see at the basis of the material world and speak of nowadays as the Inconscient — the Inconscient Ocean of the Rigveda in which the One was hidden and arose in the form of this universe — or, as it is sometimes called, the non-being, Asat.” Letters on Yoga
"The Inconscient itself is only an involved state of consciousness which like the Tao or Shunya, though in a different way, contains all things suppressed within it so that under a pressure from above or within all can evolve out of it — ‘an inert Soul with a somnambulist Force".” Letters on Yoga
"The Inconscient is the last resort of the Ignorance.” Letters on Yoga
"The body, we have said, is a creation of the Inconscient and itself inconscient or at least subconscient in parts of itself and much of its hidden action; but what we call the Inconscient is an appearance, a dwelling place, an instrument of a secret Consciousness or a Superconscient which has created the miracle we call the universe.” Essays in Philosophy and Yoga :::
"The Inconscient is a sleep or a prison, the conscient a round of strivings without ultimate issue or the wanderings of a dream: we must wake into the superconscious where all darkness of night and half-lights cease in the self-luminous bliss of the Eternal.” The Life Divine
"Men have not learnt yet to recognise the Inconscient on which the whole material world they see is built, or the Ignorance of which their whole nature including their knowledge is built; they think that these words are only abstract metaphysical jargon flung about by the philosophers in their clouds or laboured out in long and wearisome books like The Life Divine. Letters on Savitri :::
"Is it really a fact that even the ordinary reader would not be able to see any difference between the Inconscient and Ignorance unless the difference is expressly explained to him? This is not a matter of philosophical terminology but of common sense and the understood meaning of English words. One would say ‘even the inconscient stone" but one would not say, as one might of a child, ‘the ignorant stone". One must first be conscious before one can be ignorant. What is true is that the ordinary reader might not be familiar with the philosophical content of the word Inconscient and might not be familiar with the Vedantic idea of the Ignorance as the power behind the manifested world. But I don"t see how I can acquaint him with these things in a single line, even with the most. illuminating image or symbol. He might wonder, if he were Johnsonianly minded, how an Inconscient could be teased or how it could wake Ignorance. I am afraid, in the absence of a miracle of inspired poetical exegesis flashing through my mind, he will have to be left wondering.” Letters on Savitri
**inconscient, Inconscient"s.**
infinity ::: “We see at once that if such an Existence is, it must be, like the Energy, infinite. Neither reason nor experience nor intuition nor imagination bears witness to us of the possibility of a final terminus. All end and beginning presuppose something beyond the end or beginning. An absolute end, an absolute beginning is not only a contradiction in terms, but a contradiction of the essence of things, a violence, a fiction. Infinity imposes itself upon the appearances of the finite by its ineffugable self-existence.” The Life Divine
In its nature and law the Overmind is a delegate of the Supermind Consciousness, its delegate to the Ignorance. Or we might speak of it as a protective double, a screen of dissimilar similarity through which Supermind can act indirectly on an Ignorance whose darkness could not bear or receive the direct impact of a supreme Light. Even, it is by the projection of this luminous Overmind corona that the diffusion of a diminished light in the Ignorance and the throwing of that contrary shadow which swallows up in itself all light, the Inconscience, became at all possible. For Supermind transmits to Overmind all its realities, but leaves it to formulate them in a movement and according to an awareness of things which is still a vision of Truth and yet at the same time a first parent of the Ignorance. A line divides Supermind and Overmind which permits a free transmission, allows the lower Power to derive from the higher Power all it holds or sees, but automatically compels a transitional change in the passage. The integrality of the Supermind keeps always the essential truth of things, the total truth and the truth of its individual self-determinations clearly knit together; it maintains in them an inseparable unity and between them a close interpenetration and a free and full consciousness of each other: but in Overmind this integrality is no longer there. And yet the Overmind is well aware of the essential Truth of things; it embraces the totality; it uses the individual self-determinations without being limited by them: but although it knows their oneness, can realise it in a spiritual cognition, yet its dynamic movement, even while relying on that for its security, is not directly determined by it. Overmind Energy proceeds through an illimitable capacity of separation and combination of the powers and aspects of the integral and indivisible all-comprehending Unity. It takes each Aspect or Power and gives to it an independent action in which it acquires a full separate importance and is able to work out, we might say, its own world of creation. Purusha and Prakriti, Conscious Soul and executive Force of Nature, are in the supramental harmony a two-aspected single truth, being and dynamis of the Reality; there can be no disequilibrium or predominance of one over the other. In Overmind we have the origin of the cleavage, the trenchant distinction made by the philosophy of the Sankhyas in which they appear as two independent entities, Prakriti able to dominate Purusha and cloud its freedom and power, reducing it to a witness and recipient of her forms and actions, Purusha able to return to its separate existence and abide in a free self-sovereignty by rejection of her original overclouding material principle. So with the other aspects or powers of the Divine Reality, One and Many, Divine Personality and Divine Impersonality, and the rest; each is still an aspect and power of the one Reality, but each is empowered to act as an independent entity in the whole, arrive at the fullness of the possibilities of its separate expression and develop the dynamic consequences of that separateness. At the same time in Overmind this separateness is still founded on the basis of an implicit underlying unity; all possibilities of combination and relation between the separated Powers and Aspects, all interchanges and mutualities of their energies are freely organised and their actuality always possible.
::: ". . . in such a view, the word consciousness changes its meaning. It is no longer synonymous with mentality but indicates a self-aware force of existence of which mentality is a middle term; below mentality it sinks into vital and material movements which are for us subconscient; above, it rises into the supramental which is for us the superconscient. But in all it is one and the same thing organising itself differently. This is, once more, the Indian conception of Chit which, as energy, creates the worlds.” *The Life Divine
“… in such a view, the word consciousness changes its meaning. It is no longer synonymous with mentality but indicates a self-aware force of existence of which mentality is a middle term; below mentality it sinks into vital and material movements which are for us subconscient; above, it rises into the supramental which is for us the superconscient. But in all it is one and the same thing organising itself differently. This is, once more, the Indian conception of Chit which, as energy, creates the worlds.” The Life Divine
"In Supermind being, consciousness of knowledge and consciousness of will are not divided as they seem to be in our mental operations; they are a trinity, one movement with three effective aspects. Each has its own effect. Being gives the effect of substance, consciousness the effect of knowledge, of the self-guiding and shaping idea, of comprehension and apprehension; will gives the effect of self-fulfilling force. But the idea is only the light of the reality illumining itself; it is not mental thought nor imagination, but effective self-awareness. It is Real-Idea.” The Life Divine
“In Supermind being, consciousness of knowledge and consciousness of will are not divided as they seem to be in our mental operations; they are a trinity, one movement with three effective aspects. Each has its own effect. Being gives the effect of substance, consciousness the effect of knowledge, of the self-guiding and shaping idea, of comprehension and apprehension; will gives the effect of self-fulfilling force. But the idea is only the light of the reality illumining itself; it is not mental thought nor imagination, but effective self-awareness. It is Real-Idea.” The Life Divine
INTEGRAL WAY TO THE TRUTH ::: To pass from the external to a direct and intimate inner consciousness; to widen consciousness out of the limits of the ego and the body; to heighten it by an inner will and aspiration and opening to the height till it passes in its ascent beyond Mind, to bring down a descent of the supramental Divine through self-giving and surrender with a consequent transformation of mind, life and body.
INTEGRAL YOGA ::: This yoga accepts the value of cosmic existence and holds it to be a reality; its object is to enter into a higher Truth-Consciousness or Divine Supramental Consciousness in which action and creation are the expression not of ignorance and imperfection, but of the Truth, the Light, the Divine Ānanda. But for that, the surrender of the mortal mind, life and body to the Higher Consciousnessis indispensable, since it is too difficult for the mortal human being to pass by its own effort beyond mind to a Supramental Consciousness in which the dynamism is no longer mental but of quite another power. Only those who can accept the call to such a change should enter into this yoga.
Aim of the Integral Yoga ::: It is not merely to rise out of the ordinary ignorant world-consciousness into the divine consciousness, but to bring the supramental power of that divine consciousness down into the ignorance of mind, life and body, to transform them, to manifest the Divine here and create a divine life in Matter.
Conditions of the Integral Yoga ::: This yoga can only be done to the end by those who are in total earnest about it and ready to abolish their little human ego and its demands in order to find themselves in the Divine. It cannot be done in a spirit of levity or laxity; the work is too high and difficult, the adverse powers in the lower Nature too ready to take advantage of the least sanction or the smallest opening, the aspiration and tapasyā needed too constant and intense.
Method in the Integral Yoga ::: To concentrate, preferably in the heart and call the presence and power of the Mother to take up the being and by the workings of her force transform the consciousness. One can concentrate also in the head or between the eye-brows, but for many this is a too difficult opening. When the mind falls quiet and the concentration becomes strong and the aspiration intense, then there is the beginning of experience. The more the faith, the more rapid the result is likely to be. For the rest one must not depend on one’s own efforts only, but succeed in establishing a contact with the Divine and a receptivity to the Mother’s Power and Presence.
Integral method ::: The method we have to pursue is to put our whole conscious being into relation and contact with the Divine and to call Him in to transform Our entire being into His, so that in a sense God Himself, the real Person in us, becomes the sādhaka of the sādhana* as well as the Master of the Yoga by whom the lower personality is used as the centre of a divine transfiguration and the instrument of its own perfection. In effect, the pressure of the Tapas, the force of consciousness in us dwelling in the Idea of the divine Nature upon that which we are in our entirety, produces its own realisation. The divine and all-knowing and all-effecting descends upon the limited and obscure, progressively illumines and energises the whole lower nature and substitutes its own action for all the terms of the inferior human light and mortal activity.
In psychological fact this method translates itself into the progressive surrender of the ego with its whole field and all its apparatus to the Beyond-ego with its vast and incalculable but always inevitable workings. Certainly, this is no short cut or easy sādhana. It requires a colossal faith, an absolute courage and above all an unflinching patience. For it implies three stages of which only the last can be wholly blissful or rapid, - the attempt of the ego to enter into contact with the Divine, the wide, full and therefore laborious preparation of the whole lower Nature by the divine working to receive and become the higher Nature, and the eventual transformation. In fact, however, the divine strength, often unobserved and behind the veil, substitutes itself for the weakness and supports us through all our failings of faith, courage and patience. It” makes the blind to see and the lame to stride over the hills.” The intellect becomes aware of a Law that beneficently insists and a Succour that upholds; the heart speaks of a Master of all things and Friend of man or a universal Mother who upholds through all stumblings. Therefore this path is at once the most difficult imaginable and yet in comparison with the magnitude of its effort and object, the most easy and sure of all.
There are three outstanding features of this action of the higher when it works integrally on the lower nature. In the first place, it does not act according to a fixed system and succession as in the specialised methods of Yoga, but with a sort of free, scattered and yet gradually intensive and purposeful working determined by the temperament of the individual in whom it operates, the helpful materials which his nature offers and the obstacles which it presents to purification and perfection. In a sense, therefore, each man in this path has his own method of Yoga. Yet are there certain broad lines of working common to all which enable us to construct not indeed a routine system, but yet some kind of Shastra or scientific method of the synthetic Yoga.
Secondly, the process, being integral, accepts our nature such as it stands organised by our past evolution and without rejecting anything essential compels all to undergo a divine change. Everything in us is seized by the hands of a mighty Artificer and transformed into a clear image of that which it now seeks confusedly to present. In that ever-progressive experience we begin to perceive how this lower manifestation is constituted and that everything in it, however seemingly deformed or petty or vile, is the more or less distorted or imperfect figure of some elements or action in the harmony of the divine Nature. We begin to understand what the Vedic Rishis meant when they spoke of the human forefathers fashioning the gods as a smith forges the crude material in his smithy.
Thirdly, the divine Power in us uses all life as the means of this integral Yoga. Every experience and outer contact with our world-environment, however trifling or however disastrous, is used for the work, and every inner experience, even to the most repellent suffering or the most humiliating fall, becomes a step on the path to perfection. And we recognise in ourselves with opened eyes the method of God in the world, His purpose of light in the obscure, of might in the weak and fallen, of delight in what is grievous and miserable. We see the divine method to be the same in the lower and in the higher working; only in the one it is pursued tardily and obscurely through the subconscious in Nature, in the other it becomes swift and selfconscious and the instrument confesses the hand of the Master. All life is a Yoga of Nature seeking to manifest God within itself. Yoga marks the stage at which this effort becomes capable of self-awareness and therefore of right completion in the individual. It is a gathering up and concentration of the movements dispersed and loosely combined in the lower evolution.
Key-methods ::: The way to devotion and surrender. It is the psychic movement that brings the constant and pure devotion and the removal of the ego that makes it possible to surrender.
The way to knowledge. Meditation in the head by which there comes the opening above, the quietude or silence of the mind and the descent of peace etc. of the higher consciousness generally till it envelops the being and fills the body and begins to take up all the movements.
Yoga by works ::: Separation of the Purusha from the Prakriti, the inner silent being from the outer active one, so that one has two consciousnesses or a double consciousness, one behind watching and observing and finally controlling and changing the other which is active in front. The other way of beginning the yoga of works is by doing them for the Divine, for the Mother, and not for oneself, consecrating and dedicating them till one concretely feels the Divine Force taking up the activities and doing them for one.
Object of the Integral Yoga is to enter into and be possessed by the Divine Presence and Consciousness, to love the Divine for the Divine’s sake alone, to be tuned in our nature into the nature of the Divine, and in our will and works and life to be the instrument of the Divine.
Principle of the Integral Yoga ::: The whole principle of Integral Yoga is to give oneself entirely to the Divine alone and to nobody else, and to bring down into ourselves by union with the Divine Mother all the transcendent light, power, wideness, peace, purity, truth-consciousness and Ānanda of the Supramental Divine.
Central purpose of the Integral Yoga ::: Transformation of our superficial, narrow and fragmentary human way of thinking, seeing, feeling and being into a deep and wide spiritual consciousness and an integrated inner and outer existence and of our ordinary human living into the divine way of life.
Fundamental realisations of the Integral Yoga ::: The psychic change so that a complete devotion can be the main motive of the heart and the ruler of thought, life and action in constant union with the Mother and in her Presence. The descent of the Peace, Power, Light etc. of the Higher Consciousness through the head and heart into the whole being, occupying the very cells of the body. The perception of the One and Divine infinitely everywhere, the Mother everywhere and living in that infinite consciousness.
Results ::: First, an integral realisation of Divine Being; not only a realisation of the One in its indistinguishable unity, but also in its multitude of aspects which are also necessary to the complete knowledge of it by the relative consciousness; not only realisation of unity in the Self, but of unity in the infinite diversity of activities, worlds and creatures.
Therefore, also, an integral liberation. Not only the freedom born of unbroken contact of the individual being in all its parts with the Divine, sāyujya mukti, by which it becomes free even in its separation, even in the duality; not only the sālokya mukti by which the whole conscious existence dwells in the same status of being as the Divine, in the state of Sachchidananda ; but also the acquisition of the divine nature by the transformation of this lower being into the human image of the divine, sādharmya mukti, and the complete and final release of all, the liberation of the consciousness from the transitory mould of the ego and its unification with the One Being, universal both in the world and the individual and transcendentally one both in the world and beyond all universe.
By this integral realisation and liberation, the perfect harmony of the results of Knowledge, Love and Works. For there is attained the complete release from ego and identification in being with the One in all and beyond all. But since the attaining consciousness is not limited by its attainment, we win also the unity in Beatitude and the harmonised diversity in Love, so that all relations of the play remain possible to us even while we retain on the heights of our being the eternal oneness with the Beloved. And by a similar wideness, being capable of a freedom in spirit that embraces life and does not depend upon withdrawal from life, we are able to become without egoism, bondage or reaction the channel in our mind and body for a divine action poured out freely upon the world.
The divine existence is of the nature not only of freedom, but of purity, beatitude and perfection. In integral purity which shall enable on the one hand the perfect reflection of the divine Being in ourselves and on the other the perfect outpouring of its Truth and Law in us in the terms of life and through the right functioning of the complex instrument we are in our outer parts, is the condition of an integral liberty. Its result is an integral beatitude, in which there becomes possible at once the Ānanda of all that is in the world seen as symbols of the Divine and the Ānanda of that which is not-world. And it prepares the integral perfection of our humanity as a type of the Divine in the conditions of the human manifestation, a perfection founded on a certain free universality of being, of love and joy, of play of knowledge and of play of will in power and will in unegoistic action. This integrality also can be attained by the integral Yoga.
Sādhanā of the Integral Yoga does not proceed through any set mental teaching or prescribed forms of meditation, mantras or others, but by aspiration, by a self-concentration inwards or upwards, by a self-opening to an Influence, to the Divine Power above us and its workings, to the Divine Presence in the heart and by the rejection of all that is foreign to these things. It is only by faith, aspiration and surrender that this self-opening can come.
The yoga does not proceed by upadeśa but by inner influence.
Integral Yoga and Gita ::: The Gita’s Yoga consists in the offering of one’s work as a sacrifice to the Divine, the conquest of desire, egoless and desireless action, bhakti for the Divine, an entering into the cosmic consciousness, the sense of unity with all creatures, oneness with the Divine. This yoga adds the bringing down of the supramental Light and Force (its ultimate aim) and the transformation of the nature.
Our yoga is not identical with the yoga of the Gita although it contains all that is essential in the Gita’s yoga. In our yoga we begin with the idea, the will, the aspiration of the complete surrender; but at the same time we have to reject the lower nature, deliver our consciousness from it, deliver the self involved in the lower nature by the self rising to freedom in the higher nature. If we do not do this double movement, we are in danger of making a tamasic and therefore unreal surrender, making no effort, no tapas and therefore no progress ; or else we make a rajasic surrender not to the Divine but to some self-made false idea or image of the Divine which masks our rajasic ego or something still worse.
Integral Yoga, Gita and Tantra ::: The Gita follows the Vedantic tradition which leans entirely on the Ishvara aspect of the Divine and speaks little of the Divine Mother because its object is to draw back from world-nature and arrive at the supreme realisation beyond it.
The Tantric tradition leans on the Shakti or Ishvari aspect and makes all depend on the Divine Mother because its object is to possess and dominate the world-nature and arrive at the supreme realisation through it.
This yoga insists on both the aspects; the surrender to the Divine Mother is essential, for without it there is no fulfilment of the object of the yoga.
Integral Yoga and Hatha-Raja Yogas ::: For an integral yoga the special methods of Rajayoga and Hathayoga may be useful at times in certain stages of the progress, but are not indispensable. Their principal aims must be included in the integrality of the yoga; but they can be brought about by other means. For the methods of the integral yoga must be mainly spiritual, and dependence on physical methods or fixed psychic or psychophysical processes on a large scale would be the substitution of a lower for a higher action. Integral Yoga and Kundalini Yoga: There is a feeling of waves surging up, mounting to the head, which brings an outer unconsciousness and an inner waking. It is the ascending of the lower consciousness in the ādhāra to meet the greater consciousness above. It is a movement analogous to that on which so much stress is laid in the Tantric process, the awakening of the Kundalini, the Energy coiled up and latent in the body and its mounting through the spinal cord and the centres (cakras) and the Brahmarandhra to meet the Divine above. In our yoga it is not a specialised process, but a spontaneous upnish of the whole lower consciousness sometimes in currents or waves, sometimes in a less concrete motion, and on the other side a descent of the Divine Consciousness and its Force into the body.
Integral Yoga and other Yogas ::: The old yogas reach Sachchidananda through the spiritualised mind and depart into the eternally static oneness of Sachchidananda or rather pure Sat (Existence), absolute and eternal or else a pure Non-exist- ence, absolute and eternal. Ours having realised Sachchidananda in the spiritualised mind plane proceeds to realise it in the Supramcntal plane.
The suprcfhe supra-cosmic Sachchidananda is above all. Supermind may be described as its power of self-awareness and W’orld- awareness, the world being known as within itself and not out- side. So to live consciously in the supreme Sachchidananda one must pass through the Supermind.
Distinction ::: The realisation of Self and of the Cosmic being (without which the realisation of the Self is incomplete) are essential steps in our yoga ; it is the end of other yogas, but it is, as it were, the beginning of outs, that is to say, the point where its own characteristic realisation can commence.
It is new as compared with the old yogas (1) Because it aims not at a departure out of world and life into Heaven and Nir- vana, but at a change of life and existence, not as something subordinate or incidental, but as a distinct and central object.
If there is a descent in other yogas, yet it is only an incident on the way or resulting from the ascent — the ascent is the real thing. Here the ascent is the first step, but it is a means for the descent. It is the descent of the new coosdousness attain- ed by the ascent that is the stamp and seal of the sadhana. Even the Tantra and Vaishnavism end in the release from life ; here the object is the divine fulfilment of life.
(2) Because the object sought after is not an individual achievement of divine realisation for the sake of the individual, but something to be gained for the earth-consciousness here, a cosmic, not solely a supra-cosmic acbievement. The thing to be gained also is the bringing of a Power of consciousness (the Supramental) not yet organised or active directly in earth-nature, even in the spiritual life, but yet to be organised and made directly active.
(3) Because a method has been preconized for achieving this purpose which is as total and integral as the aim set before it, viz., the total and integral change of the consciousness and nature, taking up old methods, but only as a part action and present aid to others that are distinctive.
Integral Yoga and Patanjali Yoga ::: Cilia is the stuff of mixed mental-vital-physical consciousness out of which arise the movements of thought, emotion, sensation, impulse etc.
It is these that in the Patanjali system have to be stilled altogether so that the consciousness may be immobile and go into Samadhi.
Our yoga has a different function. The movements of the ordinary consciousness have to be quieted and into the quietude there has to be brought down a higher consciousness and its powers which will transform the nature.
interest ::: 1. Something that concerns, involves, draws the attention of, or arouses the curiosity of a person. 2. Regard for one"s own benefit or advantage; self-interest. interests.
"In the inner sense of the Veda Surya, the Sun-God, represents the divine Illumination of the Kavi which exceeds mind and forms the pure self-luminous Truth of things. His principal power is self-revelatory knowledge, termed in the Veda ``Sight"". His realm is described as the Truth, the Law, the Vast. He is the Fosterer or Increaser, for he enlarges and opens man"s dark and limited being into a luminous and infinite consciousness. He is the sole Seer, Seer of Oneness and Knower of the Self, and leads him to the highest Sight.” The Upanishads*
“In the inner sense of the Veda Surya, the Sun-God, represents the divine Illumination of the Kavi which exceeds mind and forms the pure self-luminous Truth of things. His principal power is self-revelatory knowledge, termed in the Veda ``Sight’’. His realm is described as the Truth, the Law, the Vast. He is the Fosterer or Increaser, for he enlarges and opens man’s dark and limited being into a luminous and infinite consciousness. He is the sole Seer, Seer of Oneness and Knower of the Self, and leads him to the highest Sight.” The Upanishads
In the interest, the attraction or the endeavour. There has been an experiment, perhaps even an eager experiment, but not a total self-giving to an imperative need of the soul or to an unforsakablc ideal. Even such imperfect yoga has not been wasted ; for no upward effort is made in vain. Even if it fails
"In the spiritual sense, however, sacrifice has a different meaning — it does not so much indicate giving up what is held dear as an offering of oneself, one"s being, one"s mind, heart, will, body, life, actions to the Divine. It has the original sense of ‘making sacred" and is used as an equivalent of the word yajna. When the Gita speaks of the ‘sacrifice of knowledge", it does not mean a giving up of anything, but a turning of the mind towards the Divine in the search for knowledge and an offering of oneself through it. It is in this sense, too, that one speaks of the offering or sacrifice of works. The Mother has written somewhere that the spiritual sacrifice is joyful and not painful in its nature. On the spiritual path, very commonly, if a seeker still feels the old ties and responsibilities strongly he is not asked to sever or leave them, but to let the call in him grow till all within is ready. Many, indeed, come away earlier because they feel that to cut loose is their only chance, and these have to go sometimes through a struggle. But the pain, the struggle, is not the essential character of this spiritual self-offering.” Letters on Yoga
“In the spiritual sense, however, sacrifice has a different meaning—it does not so much indicate giving up what is held dear as an offering of oneself, one’s being, one’s mind, heart, will, body, life, actions to the Divine. It has the original sense of ‘making sacred’ and is used as an equivalent of the word yajna. When the Gita speaks of the ‘sacrifice of knowledge’, it does not mean a giving up of anything, but a turning of the mind towards the Divine in the search for knowledge and an offering of oneself through it. It is in this sense, too, that one speaks of the offering or sacrifice of works. The Mother has written somewhere that the spiritual sacrifice is joyful and not painful in its nature. On the spiritual path, very commonly, if a seeker still feels the old ties and responsibilities strongly he is not asked to sever or leave them, but to let the call in him grow till all within is ready. Many, indeed, come away earlier because they feel that to cut loose is their only chance, and these have to go sometimes through a struggle. But the pain, the struggle, is not the essential character of this spiritual self-offering.” Letters on Yoga
intuition ::: direct perception of truth, fact, etc., independent of any reasoning process. intuition"s, intuitions, half-intuition.
Sri Aurobindo: "Intuition is a power of consciousness nearer and more intimate to the original knowledge by identity; for it is always something that leaps out direct from a concealed identity. It is when the consciousness of the subject meets with the consciousness in the object, penetrates it and sees, feels or vibrates with the truth of what it contacts, that the intuition leaps out like a spark or lightning-flash from the shock of the meeting; or when the consciousness, even without any such meeting, looks into itself and feels directly and intimately the truth or the truths that are there or so contacts the hidden forces behind appearances, then also there is the outbreak of an intuitive light; or, again, when the consciousness meets the Supreme Reality or the spiritual reality of things and beings and has a contactual union with it, then the spark, the flash or the blaze of intimate truth-perception is lit in its depths. This close perception is more than sight, more than conception: it is the result of a penetrating and revealing touch which carries in it sight and conception as part of itself or as its natural consequence. A concealed or slumbering identity, not yet recovering itself, still remembers or conveys by the intuition its own contents and the intimacy of its self-feeling and self-vision of things, its light of truth, its overwhelming and automatic certitude.” *The Life Divine
"Intuition is always an edge or ray or outleap of a superior light; it is in us a projecting blade, edge or point of a far-off supermind light entering into and modified by some intermediate truth-mind substance above us and, so modified, again entering into and very much blinded by our ordinary or ignorant mind-substance; but on that higher level to which it is native its light is unmixed and therefore entirely and purely veridical, and its rays are not separated but connected or massed together in a play of waves of what might almost be called in the Sanskrit poetic figure a sea or mass of ``stable lightnings"". When this original or native Intuition begins to descend into us in answer to an ascension of our consciousness to its level or as a result of our finding of a clear way of communication with it, it may continue to come as a play of lightning-flashes, isolated or in constant action; but at this stage the judgment of reason becomes quite inapplicable, it can only act as an observer or registrar understanding or recording the more luminous intimations, judgments and discriminations of the higher power. To complete or verify an isolated intuition or discriminate its nature, its application, its limitations, the receiving consciousness must rely on another completing intuition or be able to call down a massed intuition capable of putting all in place. For once the process of the change has begun, a complete transmutation of the stuff and activities of the mind into the substance, form and power of Intuition is imperative; until then, so long as the process of consciousness depends upon the lower intelligence serving or helping out or using the intuition, the result can only be a survival of the mixed Knowledge-Ignorance uplifted or relieved by a higher light and force acting in its parts of Knowledge.” *The Life Divine
"I use the word ‘intuition" for want of a better. In truth, it is a makeshift and inadequate to the connotation demanded of it. The same has to be said of the word ‘consciousness" and many others which our poverty compels us to extend illegitimately in their significance.” *The Life Divine - Sri Aurobindo"s footnote.
"For intuition is an edge of light thrust out by the secret Supermind. . . .” The Life Divine
". . . intuition is born of a direct awareness while intellect is an indirect action of a knowledge which constructs itself with difficulty out of the unknown from signs and indications and gathered data.” The Life Divine
"Intuition is above illumined Mind which is simply higher Mind raised to a great luminosity and more open to modified forms of intuition and inspiration.” Letters on Yoga
"Intuition sees the truth of things by a direct inner contact, not like the ordinary mental intelligence by seeking and reaching out for indirect contacts through the senses etc. But the limitation of the Intuition as compared with the supermind is that it sees things by flashes, point by point, not as a whole. Also in coming into the mind it gets mixed with the mental movement and forms a kind of intuitive mind activity which is not the pure truth, but something in between the higher Truth and the mental seeking. It can lead the consciousness through a sort of transitional stage and that is practically its function.” Letters on Yoga
intuitive knowledge ::: Sri Aurobindo: " For the highest intuitive Knowledge sees things in the whole, in the large and details only as sides of the indivisible whole; its tendency is towards immediate synthesis and the unity of knowledge.” *The Life Divine
"The intuitive knowledge on the contrary, however limited it may be in its field or application, is within that scope sure with an immediate, a durable and especially a self-existent certitude.” The Synthesis of Yoga
"All intuitive knowledge comes more or less directly from the light of the self-aware spirit entering into the mind, the spirit concealed behind mind and conscious of all in itself and in all its selves, omniscient and capable of illumining the ignorant or the self-forgetful mind whether by rare or constant flashes or by a steady instreaming light, out of its omniscience.” The Synthesis of Yoga*
"Ishwara is Brahman the Reality, Self, Spirit, revealed as possessor, enjoyer of his own self-existence, creator of the universe and one with it, Pantheos, and yet superior to it, the Eternal, the Infinite, the Ineffable, the Divine Transcendence.” The Life Divine
“Ishwara is Brahman the Reality, Self, Spirit, revealed as possessor, enjoyer of his own self-existence, creator of the universe and one with it, Pantheos, and yet superior to it, the Eternal, the Infinite, the Ineffable, the Divine Transcendence.” The Life Divine
"It is He that has gone abroad — That which is bright, bodi-less, without scar of imperfection, without sinews, pure, unpierced by evil. The Seer, the Thinker,(1) the One who becomes everywhere, the Self-existent has ordered objects perfectly according to their nature from years sempiternal.” The Upanishads
“It is He that has gone abroad—That which is bright, bodi-less, without scar of imperfection, without sinews, pure, unpierced by evil. The Seer, the Thinker,(1) the One who becomes everywhere, the Self-existent has ordered objects perfectly according to their nature from years sempiternal.” The Upanishads
It is the cryptic verses of the Veda that help us here; for they contain, though concealed, the gospel of the divine and immortal Supermind and through the veil some illumining flashes come to us. We can see through these utterances the conception of this Supermind as a vastness beyond the ordinary firmaments of our consciousness in which truth of being is luminously one with all that expresses it and assures inevitably truth of vision, formulation, arrangement, word, act and movement and therefore truth also of result of movement, result of action and expression, infallible ordinance or law. Vast all-comprehensiveness; luminous truth and harmony of being in that vastness and not a vague chaos or self-lost obscurity; truth of law and act and knowledge expressive of that harmonious truth of being: these seem to be the essential terms of the Vedic description.” *The Life Divine
It is the cryptic verses of the Veda that help us here; for they contain, though concealed, the gospel of the divine and immortal Supermind and through the veil some illumining flashes come to us. We can see through these utterances the conception of this Supermind as a vastness beyond the ordinary firmaments of our consciousness in which truth of being is luminously one with all that expresses it and assures inevitably truth of vision, formulation, arrangement, word, act and movement and therefore truth also of result of movement, result of action and expression, infallible ordinance or law. Vast all-comprehensiveness; luminous truth and harmony of being in that vastness and not a vague chaos or self-lost obscurity; truth of law and act and knowledge expressive of that harmonious truth of being: these seem to be the essential terms of the Vedic description.” The Life Divine
“It is this essential indeterminability of the Absolute that translates itself into our consciousness through the fundamental negating positives of our spiritual experience, the immobile immutable Self, the Nirguna Brahman, the Eternal without qualities, the pure featureless One Existence, the Impersonal, the Silence void of activities, the Non-being, the Ineffable and the Unknowable. On the other side it is the essence and source of all determinations, and this dynamic essentiality manifests to us through the fundamental affirming positives in which the Absolute equally meets us; for it is the Self that becomes all things, the Saguna Brahman, the Eternal with infinite qualities, the One who is the Many, the infinite Person who is the source and foundation of all persons and personalities, the Lord of creation, the Word, the Master of all works and action; it is that which being known all is known: these affirmatives correspond to those negatives. For it is not possible in a supramental cognition to split asunder the two sides of the One Existence,—even to speak of them as sides is excessive, for they are in each other, their co-existence or one-existence is eternal and their powers sustaining each other found the self-manifestation of the Infinite.” The Life Divine
" . . . it is through self-giving or surrender of soul and nature to the Divine Being that we can attain to our highest self and supreme Reality, for it is the Divine Being who is that highest self and that supreme Reality, and we are self-existent and eternal only in his eternity and by his self-existence.” The Life Divine
“ . . . it is through self-giving or surrender of soul and nature to the Divine Being that we can attain to our highest self and supreme Reality, for it is the Divine Being who is that highest self and that supreme Reality, and we are self-existent and eternal only in his eternity and by his self-existence.” The Life Divine
“It might be said again that, even so, in Sachchidananda itself at least, above all worlds of manifestation, there could be nothing but the self-awareness of pure existence and consciousness and a pure delight of existence. Or, indeed, this triune being itself might well be only a trinity of original spiritual self-determinations of the Infinite; these too, like all determinations, would cease to exist in the ineffable Absolute. But our position is that these must be inherent truths of the supreme being; their utmost reality must be pre-existent in the Absolute even if they are ineffably other there than what they are in the spiritual mind’s highest possible experience. The Absolute is not a mystery of infinite blankness nor a supreme sum of negations; nothing can manifest that is not justified by some self-power of the original and omnipresent Reality.” The Life Divine
Jivatman, soul, psychic being ::: The Jivatma or spirit is self- existent above the manifested or instrumental being ; It is supe- rior to birth and death, always the same, the individual Self or Atman. It is the eternal true being of the individual.
JNaNA, Knowledge direct without the use of a medium ; supreme self-knowledge ; -a spiritual seizing by a kind of identifi- cation with the object of knowledge.
Joy ::: “Pleasure, joy and delight, as man uses the words, are limited and occasional movements which depend on certain habitual causes and emerge, like their opposites pain and grief which are equally limited and occasional movements, from a background other than themselves. Delight of being is universal, illimitable and self-existent, not dependent on particular causes, the background of all backgrounds, from which pleasure, pain and other more neutral experiences emerge. When delight of being seeks to realise itself as delight of becoming, it moves in the movement of force and itself takes different forms of movement of which pleasure and pain are positive and negative currents.” The Life Divine
kind ::: 1. A class or group of individual objects, people, animals, etc., of the same nature or character, or classified together because they have traits in common; category. 2. Nature or character as determining likeness or difference between things. 3. One"s family, clan, kin, or kinsfolk. earth-kind, god-kind, self-kind.
“Knowledge is no doubt the knowledge of the One, the realisation of the Being; Ignorance is a self-oblivion of Being, the experience of separateness in the multiplicity and a dwelling or circling in the ill-understood maze of becomings: …” The Life Divine
". . . knowledge is not a systematised result of mental questionings and reasonings, not a temporary arrangement of conclusions and opinions in the terms of the highest probability, but rather a pure self-existent and self-luminous Truth.” The Synthesis of Yoga
“… knowledge is not a systematised result of mental questionings and reasonings, not a temporary arrangement of conclusions and opinions in the terms of the highest probability, but rather a pure self-existent and self-luminous Truth.” The Synthesis of Yoga
law ::: “… all cosmic and real Law is a thing not imposed from outside, but from within, all development is self-development, all seed and result are seed of a Truth of things and result of that seed determined out of its potentialities. For the same reason no Law is absolute, because only the infinite is absolute, and everything contains within itself endless potentialities quite beyond its determined form and course, which are only determined through a self-limitation by Idea proceeding from an infinite liberty within.” The Life Divine
Let your faith be pure, candid and perfect. An egoistic faith in the mental and vital being tainted by ambition, pride, vanity, mental arrogance, vital self-will, personal demand, desire for the petty satisfactions of the lower nature is a low and smoke-obs- cured flame that cannot bum upwards to heaven.
::: " . . . liberation is self-possession. . . .” *Essays in Philosophy and Yoga
“… liberation is self-possession….” Essays in Philosophy and Yoga
". . . liberation signifies an emergence into the true spiritual nature of being where all action is the automatic self-expression of that truth and there can be nothing else." *The Life Divine
“… liberation signifies an emergence into the true spiritual nature of being where all action is the automatic self-expression of that truth and there can be nothing else.” The Life Divine
::: "Liberty in one shape or another ranks among the most ancient and certainly among the most difficult aspirations of our race: it arises from a radical instinct of our being and is yet opposed to all our circumstances, it is our eternal good and our condition of perfection, but our temporal being has failed to find its key. That perhaps is because true freedom is only possible if we live in the infinite, live, as the Vedanta bids us, in and from our self-existent being; but our natural and temporal energies seek for it first not in ourselves, but in our external conditions. This great indefinable thing, liberty, is in its highest and ultimate sense a state of being; it is self living in itself and determining by its own energy what is shall be inwardly and, eventually, by the growth of a divine spiritual power within determining too what it shall make of its external circumstances and environment." War and Self-Determination
“Liberty in one shape or another ranks among the most ancient and certainly among the most difficult aspirations of our race: it arises from a radical instinct of our being and is yet opposed to all our circumstances, it is our eternal good and our condition of perfection, but our temporal being has failed to find its key. That perhaps is because true freedom is only possible if we live in the infinite, live, as the Vedanta bids us, in and from our self-existent being; but our natural and temporal energies seek for it first not in ourselves, but in our external conditions. This great indefinable thing, liberty, is in its highest and ultimate sense a state of being; it is self living in itself and determining by its own energy what is shall be inwardly and, eventually, by the growth of a divine spiritual power within determining too what it shall make of its external circumstances and environment.” War and Self-Determination
liberty ::: “… liberty is at once the condition of vigorous variation and the condition of self-finding.” The Human Cycle
life-self ::: Sri Aurobindo: ". . . our self-view is vitiated by the constant impact and intrusion of our outer life-self, our vital being, which seeks always to make the thinking mind its tool and servant: for our vital being is not concerned with self-knowledge but with self-affirmation, desire, ego.” *The Life Divine
light ::: Sri Aurobindo: ". . . light is primarily a spiritual manifestation of the Divine Reality illuminative and creative; material light is a subsequent representation or conversion of it into Matter for the purposes of the material Energy.” *The Life Divine
"Our sense by its incapacity has invented darkness. In truth there is nothing but Light, only it is a power of light either above or below our poor human vision"s limited range.
For do not imagine that light is created by the Suns. The Suns are only physical concentrations of Light, but the splendour they concentrate for us is self-born and everywhere.
God is everywhere and wherever God is, there is Light.” *The Hour of God
"Light is a general term. Light is not knowledge but the illumination that comes from above and liberates the being from obscurity and darkness.” The Mother
The Mother: "The light is everywhere, the force is everywhere. And the world is so small.” Words of the Mother, MCW Vol. 15. ::: *Light, light"s, lights, light-petalled, light-tasselled, half-light.
::: "Love at its origin is a self-existent force, an absolute, a transcendent . . . which does not depend upon the objects — it depends only on itself or only on the Divine; for it is a self-existent power of the Divine.” Letters on Yoga
“Love at its origin is a self-existent force, an absolute, a transcendent . . . which does not depend upon the objects—it depends only on itself or only on the Divine; for it is a self-existent power of the Divine.” Letters on Yoga
"Love is the crown of all being and its way of fulfilment, that by which it rises to all intensity and all fullness and the ecstasy of utter self-finding.” The Synthesis of Yoga
“Love is the crown of all being and its way of fulfilment, that by which it rises to all intensity and all fullness and the ecstasy of utter self-finding.” The Synthesis of Yoga
"Love is the power and passion of the divine self-delight and without love we may get the rapt peace of its infinity, the absorbed silence of the Ananda, but not its absolute depth of richness and fullness. Love leads us from the suffering of division into the bliss of perfect union, but without losing that joy of the act of union which is the soul"s greatest discovery and for which the life of the cosmos is a long preparation. Therefore to approach God by love is to prepare oneself for the greatest possible spiritual fulfilment. ” The Synthesis of Yoga
“Love is the power and passion of the divine self-delight and without love we may get the rapt peace of its infinity, the absorbed silence of the Ananda, but not its absolute depth of richness and fullness. Love leads us from the suffering of division into the bliss of perfect union, but without losing that joy of the act of union which is the soul’s greatest discovery and for which the life of the cosmos is a long preparation. Therefore to approach God by love is to prepare oneself for the greatest possible spiritual fulfilment.” The Synthesis of Yoga
Love ::: “Love is an intense self-expression of the soul of Ananda.” Letters on Yoga
love ::: Sri Aurobindo: "Love is an intense self-expression of the soul of Ananda.” *Letters on Yoga
luminous ::: 1. Emitting light, especially emitting self-generated light. 2. Full of light; illuminated; radiant; resplendent; lucid. luminousness, luminosity, half-luminous, luminous-eyed.
luxury ::: 1. Free or habitual indulgence in or enjoyment of comforts and pleasures in addition to those necessary for a reasonable standard of well-being. 2. A pleasure out of the ordinary. 3. A foolish or worthless form of self-indulgence.
Madhav: “The manifestation of the One as the Individual, the Universal and the Transcendent: it is triple act of self-revelation.” The Book of the Divine Mother
Madhav: “This is another key idea in Sri Aurobindo’s philosophy, that Nature, what is called Prakriti in Indian philosophy, is not different, not alien to the Purusha. Nature is not foreign to the soul, to God. It is a conscious front of God. Scratch Nature, look behind the exterior of Nature and you will find God. The apparent difference, distinction between Nature and God is only a superficial appearance. Nature is really a power of God. It is devatma shakti, the self-power of God—svagunair nigudham lost in its qualitative workings. She is not separate; conscious, not something unconscious. Nature is aware that it is only a front of God behind.” The Book of the Divine Mother
“Material Nature is not ethical; the law which governs it is a co-ordination of fixed habits which take no cognisance of good and evil, but only of force that creates, force that arranges and preserves, force that disturbs and destroys impartially, non-ethically, according to the secret Will in it, according to the mute satisfaction of that Will in its own self-formations and self-dissolutions.” The Life Divine
::: ". . . matter means the involution of the conscious delight of existence in self-oblivious force and in a self-dividing, infinitesimally disaggregated form of substance.” *The Synthesis of Yoga
“… matter means the involution of the conscious delight of existence in self-oblivious force and in a self-dividing, infinitesimally disaggregated form of substance.” The Synthesis of Yoga
"Matter, — substance itself, subtle or dense, mental or material, — is form and body of Spirit and would never have been created if it could not be made a basis for the self-expression of the Spirit.” The Life Divine
“Matter,—substance itself, subtle or dense, mental or material,—is form and body of Spirit and would never have been created if it could not be made a basis for the self-expression of the Spirit.” The Life Divine
Meditation is the easiest process for the human mind, but the narrtyftest in its results ; contemplation more difficult, but greater; self-observation and liberation from the chains of Thought the most difficult of all, but the widest and greatest in its fruits.
mission ::: n. **1. The business with which a person or a body of persons is charged. 2. An assigned or self-imposed duty or task. v. 3. To send forth to someone. missioned.**
n. **1. A rigid structure formed of relatively slender pieces, joined as to surround sizeable empty spaces. 2. Form, constitution, or structure in general; system; order. 3. Applied to the heaven, earth, etc. regarded as a structure. 4. A body, esp. the human body; physique. 5. A border or case for enclosing a picture, mirror, etc. ::: frames, world-frame. v. 6. To contrive, devise, or compose, as a plan, law, or poem. 7. To fashion or shape. 8. To shape or adapt to a particular purpose. framed, framing, self-framed.**
Nature ::: “An active force of conscious-being which realises itself in its powers of self-experience, its powers of knowledge, will, self-delight, self-formulation with all their marvellous variations, inversions, conservations and conversions of energy, even perversions, is what we call Prakriti or Nature, in ourselves as in the cosmos.” The Synthesis of Yoga
". . . Nature is God"s power of various self-becoming, . . . .” *Essays on the Gita
“… Nature is God’s power of various self-becoming, . . . ” Essays on the Gita
nature ::: Sri Aurobindo: "An active force of conscious-being which realises itself in its powers of self-experience, its powers of knowledge, will, self-delight, self-formulation with all their marvellous variations, inversions, conservations and conversions of energy, even perversions, is what we call Prakriti or Nature, in ourselves as in the cosmos.” *The Synthesis of Yoga
Necessity ::: “… Necessity is the child of the spirit’s free self-determination. What affects us as Necessity, is a Will which works in sequence and not a blind Force driven by its own mechanism.” Essays in Philosophy and Yoga
necessity ::: Sri Aurobindo: ". . . Necessity is the child of the spirit"s free self-determination. What affects us as Necessity, is a Will which works in sequence and not a blind Force driven by its own mechanism.” *Essays in Philosophy and Yoga
nescient. ::: *Sri Aurobindo: "Nescience in Nature is the complete self-ignorance; . . . .” The Life Divine*
ness of our pure self-existence or our absolute being with which we have no direct relations at all, whatever mental reflections we may receive in our dream or our waking or even irrecover- ably, in our sleep consciousness.
“ Now, that a conscious Infinite is there in physical Nature, we are assured by every sign, though it is a consciousness not made or limited like ours. All her constructions and motions are those of an illimitable intuitive wisdom too great and spontaneous and mysteriously self-effective to be described as an intelligence, of a Power and Will working for Time in eternity with an inevitable and forecasting movement in each of its steps, even in those steps that in their outward or superficial impetus seem to us inconscient. And as there is in her this greater consciousness and greater power, so too there is an illimitable spirit of harmony and beauty in her constructions that never fails her, though its works are not limited by our aesthetic canons. An infinite hedonism too is there, an illimitable spirit of delight, of which we become aware when we enter into impersonal unity with her; and even as that in her which is terrible is a part of her beauty, that in her which is dangerous, cruel, destructive is a part of her delight, her universal Ananda. Essays in Philosophy and Yoga
oblivion ::: 1. Total forgetfulness. 2. The state of being disregarded or forgotten. self-oblivion.
". . . One Being and Consciousness is involved here in Matter. Evolution is the method by which it liberates itself; consciousness appears in what seems to be inconscient, and once having appeared is self-impelled to grow higher and higher and at the same time to enlarge and develop towards a greater and greater perfection. Life is the first step of this release of consciousness; mind is the second; but the evolution does not finish with mind, it awaits a release into something greater, a consciousness which is spiritual and supramental. The next step of the evolution must be towards the development of Supermind and Spirit as the dominant power in the conscious being. For only then will the involved Divinity in things release itself entirely and it become possible for life to manifest perfection.” On Himself
“… One Being and Consciousness is involved here in Matter. Evolution is the method by which it liberates itself; consciousness appears in what seems to be inconscient, and once having appeared is self-impelled to grow higher and higher and at the same time to enlarge and develop towards a greater and greater perfection. Life is the first step of this release of consciousness; mind is the second; but the evolution does not finish with mind, it awaits a release into something greater, a consciousness which is spiritual and supramental. The next step of the evolution must be towards the development of Supermind and Spirit as the dominant power in the conscious being. For only then will the involved Divinity in things release itself entirely and it become possible for life to manifest perfection.” On Himself
“Our self-ignorance and our world-ignorance can only grow towards integral self-knowledge and integral world-knowledge in proportion as our limited ego and its half-blind consciousness open to a greater inner existence and consciousness and a true self-being and become aware too of the not-self outside it also as self,—on one side a Nature constituent of our own nature, on the other an Existence which is a boundless continuation of our own self-being. Our being has to break the walls of ego-consciousness which it has created, it has to extend itself beyond its body and inhabit the body of the universe.” The Life Divine
“… our self-view is vitiated by the constant impact and intrusion of our outer life-self, our vital being, which seeks always to make the thinking mind its tool and servant: for our vital being is not concerned with self-knowledge but with self-affirmation, desire, ego.” The Life Divine
"Our explanation of the evolution in Matter is that the universe is a self-creative process of a supreme Reality whose presence makes spirit the substance of things, — all things are there as the spirit"s powers and means and forms of manifestation.” The Life Divine
“Our explanation of the evolution in Matter is that the universe is a self-creative process of a supreme Reality whose presence makes spirit the substance of things,—all things are there as the spirit’s powers and means and forms of manifestation.” The Life Divine
“Our first decisive step out of our human intelligence, our normal mentality, is an ascent into a higher Mind, a mind no longer of mingled light and obscurity or half-light, but a large clarity of the Spirit. Its basic substance is a unitarian sense of being with a powerful multiple dynamisation capable of the formation of a multitude of aspects of knowledge, ways of action, forms and significances of becoming, of all of which there is a spontaneous inherent knowledge. It is therefore a power that has proceeded from the Overmind,—but with the Supermind as its ulterior origin,—as all these greater powers have proceeded: but its special character, its activity of consciousness are dominated by Thought; it is a luminous thought-mind, a mind of Spirit-born conceptual knowledge. An all-awareness emerging from the original identity, carrying the truths the identity held in itself, conceiving swiftly, victoriously, multitudinously, formulating and by self-power of the Idea effectually realising its conceptions, is the character of this greater mind of knowledge.” The Life Divine
Our notion of free will is apt to be tainted with the excessive individualism of the human ego and to assume the figure of an independent will acting on its own isolated account, in a complete liberty without any determination other than its own choice and single unrelated movement. This idea ignores the fact that our natural being is a part of cosmic Nature and our spiritual being exists only by the supreme Transcendence. Our total being can rise out of subjection to fact of present Nature only by an identification with a greater Truth and a greater Nature. The will of the individual, even when completely free, could not act in an isolated independence, because the individual being and nature are included in the universal Being and Nature and dependent on the all-overruling Transcendence. There could indeed be in the ascent a dual line. On one line the being could feel and behave as an independent self-existence uniting itself with its own impersonal Reality; it could, so self-conceived, act with a great force, but either this action would be still within an enlarged frame of its past and present self-formation of power of Nature or else it would be the cosmic or supreme Force that acted in it and there would be no personal initiation of action, no sense therefore of individual free will but only of an impersonal cosmic or supreme Will or Energy at its work. On the other line the being would feel itself a spiritual instrument and so act as a power of the Supreme Being, limited in its workings only by the potencies of the Supernature, which are without bounds or any restriction except its own Truth and self-law, and by the Will in her. But in either case there would be, as the condition of a freedom from the control of a mechanical action of Nature-forces, a submission to a greater conscious Power or an acquiescent unity of the individual being with its intention and movement in his own and in the world’s existence.” The Life Divine
::: "Out of imperfection we have to construct perfection, out of limitation to discover infinity, out of death to find immortality, out of grief to recover divine bliss, out of ignorance to rescue divine self-knowledge, out of matter to reveal Spirit. To work out this end for ourselves and for humanity is the object of our Yogic practice.” *Essays Divine and Human
“Out of imperfection we have to construct perfection, out of limitation to discover infinity, out of death to find immortality, out of grief to recover divine bliss, out of ignorance to rescue divine self-knowledge, out of matter to reveal Spirit. To work out this end for ourselves and for humanity is the object of our Yogic practice.” Essays Divine and Human
Oversoul ::: We might say then that there are three elements in the totality of our being: there is the submental and the subconscient which appears to us as if it were inconscient, comprising the material basis and a good part of our life and body; there is the subliminal, which comprises the inner being, taken in its entirety of inner mind, inner life, inner physical with the soul or psychic entity supporting them; there is this waking consciousness which the subliminal and the subconscient throw up on the surface, a wave of their secret surge. But even this is not an adequate account of what we are; for there is not only something deep within behind our normal self-awareness, but something also high above it: that too is ourselves, other than our surface mental personality, but not outside our true self; that too is a country of our spirit. For the subliminal proper is no more than the inner being on the level of the Knowledge-Ignorance, luminous, powerful and extended indeed beyond the poor conception of our waking mind, but still not the supreme or the whole sense of our being, not its ultimate mystery. We become aware, in a certain experience, of a range of being superconscient to all these three, aware too of something, a supreme highest Reality sustaining and exceeding them all, which humanity speaks of vaguely as Spirit, God, the Oversoul: from these superconscient ranges we have visitations and in our highest being we tend towards them and to that supreme Spirit. There is then in our total range of existence a superconscience as well as a subconscience and inconscience, overarching and perhaps enveloping our subliminal and our waking selves, but unknown to us, seemingly unattainable and incommunicable.
panergy ::: Sri Aurobindo: "The ‘Panergy" suggested is a self-existent total power which may carry the cosmic energies in it and is their cause but is not constituted by them.” Letters on Savitri.
Panergy ::: “The ‘Panergy’ suggested is a self-existent total power which may carry the cosmic energies in it and is their cause but is not constituted by them.” Letters on Savitri.
paradox ::: 1. Any person, thing, or situation exhibiting an apparently contradictory nature; puzzle; anomaly; riddle. 2. A statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth. paradoxical.
perverse ::: 1. Directed away from what is right or good; perverted. 2. Obstinately persisting in an error or fault; wrongly self-willed or stubborn. perversity, Perversity.
poise ::: 1. A state of balance or equilibrium; stability. lit. and fig. 2. A dignified, self-confident manner or bearing; composure; self-possession. 3. A state or condition of hovering or being suspended; suspense or indecision. poised, self-poised, wide-poised.
Por immortality in its fundamental sense does not mean merely some'kind of penonal survival of the bodily death ; we are im- mortal by the eternity of our self-existence without beginning or end, beyond the whole succession of physical births and deaths through which we pass, beyond the alternations of our existence in this and other worlds ; the spirit’s timeless existence is the true immortality.
postulates ::: things assumed without proof as being self-evident or generally accepted, esp. when used as a basis for an argument.
**power"s, power-patterns, self-power, world-power, World-Power, World-Power"s.**
Prema Nandakumar: “The title itself, at any rate to Hindu ears, is charged with untold significance. A very gem of a title, Savitri has a self-sufficing beauty of its own; trisyllabic, trinitarian, a union of light, strength and silence, three circles radiating from one centre, Love. Again, ‘Savitri’, being the other name of the holiest and hoariest of the Vedic mantras—the Gayatri—which for some thousands of years Hindus have chanted morning, noon and evening, at once starts psychic vibrations of incommensurable potency.” A Study of Savitri
pride ::: 1. An excessively high opinion of oneself; conceit. 2. A sense of one"s own proper dignity or value; self-respect. 3. Display, pomp, or splendour. 4. A feeling of pleasure or satisfaction taken in an achievement, possession, or association. 5. Mettle or spirit in horses.
prophecy ::: “If this higher buddhi {{understanding in the profoundest sense] could act pure of the interference of these lower members, it would give pure forms of the truth; observation would be dominated or replaced by a vision which could see without subservient dependence on the testimony of the sense-mind and senses; imagination would give place to the self-assured inspiration of the truth, reasoning to the spontaneous discernment of relations and conclusion from reasoning to an intuition containing in itself those relations and not building laboriously upon them, judgment to a thought-vision in whose light the truth would stand revealed without the mask which it now wears and which our intellectual judgment has to penetrate; while memory too would take upon itself that larger sense given to it in Greek thought and be no longer a paltry selection from the store gained by the individual in his present life, but rather the all-recording knowledge which secretly holds and constantly gives from itself everything that we now seem painfully to acquire but really in this sense remember, a knowledge which includes the future(1) no less than the past.
proud ::: 1. Having, proceeding from, or showing a high opinion, dignity, importance, or superiority. 2. Feeling or showing justifiable self-respect. 3. Feeling pleasurable satisfaction over an act, possession, quality, or relationship by which one measures one"s stature or self-worth. 4. Of lofty dignity or distinction. 5. Majestic; magnificent. 6. In a bad sense: filled with or showing excessive self-esteem. 7. Highly honourable or creditable.
"Pulling comes usually from a desire to get things for oneself — in aspiration there is a self-giving for the higher consciousness to descend and take possession — the more intense the call the greater the self-giving.” Letters on Yoga
“Pulling comes usually from a desire to get things for oneself—in aspiration there is a self-giving for the higher consciousness to descend and take possession—the more intense the call the greater the self-giving.” Letters on Yoga
rack ::: n. 1. Torment; anguish. v. 2. To inflict torment and anguish. adj. racked, self-racked.
Radha ::: “Radha is the personification of the absolute love for the Divine, total and integral in all parts of the being from the highest spiritual to the physical, bringing the absolute self-giving and total consecration of all the being and calling down into the body and the most material nature the supreme Ananda.” Letters on Yoga
rapt ::: 1. Deeply engrossed or absorbed. 2. Entranced; transported with emotion; enraptured; ecstatic. 3. Indicating, proceeding from, characterized by, a state of rapture. 4. Carried off spiritually to another place, sphere of existence, etc. self-rapt.
Rdjasic ego is puffed up with pride and self-esteem or stub- bornly asserts itself at every step or else wherever it can.
repenting ::: feeling remorse, contrition, or self-reproach for what one has done or failed to do.
reveal ::: 1. To make known (something concealed or secret) 2. To lay open to view; to uncover as if drawing away a veil. reveals, revealed, revealing, all-revealing, new-revealed, self-revealed, self-revealing.
rule ::: n. 1. Action, procedure, arrangement, etc. 2. Governing power or its possession or use; authority. 3. A usual, customary, or generalized course of action or behaviour. 4. The customary or normal circumstance, occurrence, manner, practice, quality, etc. 5. A thin metal strip of various widths and designs, used to print borders or lines, as between columns. Chiefly fig. rules, rule-maker, self-rule. *v. 6. To control or direct; exercise dominating power, authority, or influence over; govern. *rules, ruled, ruling.
seek ::: to try to locate or discover; search for. seeks, seeking, seeking"s, seekings, all-seeking, heart-seeking, self-seeking.
Self-Existence featureless and absolute. ‘ ^
"Self-giving in fact means a change from ego-centricity to God-centricity; . . .” Letters on Yoga
“Self-giving in fact means a change from ego-centricity to God-centricity; …” Letters on Yoga
"Self-knowledge is impossible unless we go behind our surface existence, which is a mere result of selective outer experiences, an imperfect sounding-board or a hasty, incompetent and fragmentary translation of a little out of the much that we are, — unless we go behind this and send down our plummet into the subconscient and open ourself to the superconscient so as to know their relation to our surface being.” The Life Divine
“Self-knowledge is impossible unless we go behind our surface existence, which is a mere result of selective outer experiences, an imperfect sounding-board or a hasty, incompetent and fragmentary translation of a little out of the much that we are,—unless we go behind this and send down our plummet into the subconscient and open ourself to the superconscient so as to know their relation to our surface being.” The Life Divine
self ::: Sri Aurobindo: "The Self is our self-existent being.” *Essays on the Gita
self ::: “The Self is our self-existent being.” Essays on the Gita
“Self-will in thought and action has, we have already seen, to be quite renounced if we would be perfect in the way of divine works; it has equally to be renounced if we are to be perfect in divine knowledge. This self-will means an egoism in the mind which attaches itself to its preferences, its habits, its past or present formations of thought and view and will because it regards them as itself or its own, weaves around them the delicate threads of I-ness’’ andmy-ness’’ and lives in them like a spider in its web. It hates to be disturbed, as a spider hates attack on its web, and feels foreign and unhappy if transplanted to fresh view-points and formations as a spider feels foreign in another web than its own. This attachment must be entirely excised from the mind.” The Synthesis of Yoga
Since the Consciousness-Force of the eternal Existence is the universal creatrix, the nature of a given world will depend on whatever self-formulation of that Consciousness expresses itself in that world. Equally, for each individual being, his seeing or representation to himself of the world he lives in will depend on the poise or make which that Consciousness has assumed in him. Our human mental consciousness sees the world in sections cut by the reason and sense and put together in a formation which is also sectional; the house it builds is planned to accommodate one or another generalised formulation of Truth, but excludes the rest or admits some only as guests or dependents in the house. Overmind Consciousness is global in its cognition and can hold any number of seemingly fundamental differences together in a reconciling vision. Thus the mental reason sees Person and the Impersonal as opposites: it conceives an impersonal Existence in which person and personality are fictions of the Ignorance or temporary constructions; or, on the contrary, it can see Person as the primary reality and the impersonal as a mental abstraction or only stuff or means of manifestation. To the Overmind intelligence these are separable Powers of the one Existence which can pursue their independent self-affirmation and can also unite together their different modes of action, creating both in their independence and in their union different states of consciousness and being which can be all of them valid and all capable of coexistence. A purely impersonal existence and consciousness is true and possible, but also an entirely personal consciousness and existence; the Impersonal Divine, Nirguna Brahman, and the Personal Divine, Saguna Brahman, are here equal and coexistent aspects of the Eternal. Impersonality can manifest with person subordinated to it as a mode of expression; but, equally, Person can be the reality with impersonality as a mode of its nature: both aspects of manifestation face each other in the infinite variety of conscious Existence. What to the mental reason are irreconcilable differences present themselves to the Overmind intelligence as coexistent correlatives; what to the mental reason are contraries are to the Overmind intelligence complementaries. Our mind sees that all things are born from Matter or material Energy, exist by it, go back into it; it concludes that Matter is the eternal factor, the primary and ultimate reality, Brahman. Or it sees all as born of Life-Force or Mind, existing by Life or by Mind, going back into the universal Life or Mind, and it concludes that this world is a creation of the cosmic Life-Force or of a cosmic Mind or Logos. Or again it sees the world and all things as born of, existing by and going back to the Real-Idea or Knowledge-Will of the Spirit or to the Spirit itself and it concludes on an idealistic or spiritual view of the universe. It can fix on any of these ways of seeing, but to its normal separative vision each way excludes the others. Overmind consciousness perceives that each view is true of the action of the principle it erects; it can see that there is a material world-formula, a vital world-formula, a mental world-formula, a spiritual world-formula, and each can predominate in a world of its own and at the same time all can combine in one world as its constituent powers. The self-formulation of Conscious Force on which our world is based as an apparent Inconscience that conceals in itself a supreme Conscious-Existence and holds all the powers of Being together in its inconscient secrecy, a world of universal Matter realising in itself Life, Mind, Overmind, Supermind, Spirit, each of them in its turn taking up the others as means of its self-expression, Matter proving in the spiritual vision to have been always itself a manifestation of the Spirit, is to the Overmind view a normal and easily realisable creation. In its power of origination and in the process of its executive dynamis Overmind is an organiser of many potentialities of Existence, each affirming its separate reality but all capable of linking themselves together in many different but simultaneous ways, a magician craftsman empowered to weave the multicoloured warp and woof of manifestation of a single entity in a complex universe. …
sin ::: “ Sin is the working of the lower nature for the crude satisfaction of its own ignorant, dull or violent rajasic and tamasic propensities in revolt against any high self-control and self-mastery of the nature by the spirit.” Essays on the Gita
space ::: 1. The unlimited or incalculably great three-dimensional realm or expanse in which all material objects are located and all events occur. 2. The portion or extent of this in a given instance; extent or room in three dimensions. 3. An interval of time; a while. 4. Extent, or a particular extent, of time. 5. A place available for a particular purpose. Space, spaces, spaces", space-tenancy, feeding-space, mind-space, self-space, soul-space, soul-spaces, spirit-space, world-space. *v. 6. *spaces. Sets or places, arranges or puts, at determinate intervals or distances.
spirit of Delight ::: Sri Aurobindo: " Now, that a conscious Infinite is there in physical Nature, we are assured by every sign, though it is a consciousness not made or limited like ours. All her constructions and motions are those of an illimitable intuitive wisdom too great and spontaneous and mysteriously self-effective to be described as an intelligence, of a Power and Will working for Time in eternity with an inevitable and forecasting movement in each of its steps, even in those steps that in their outward or superficial impetus seem to us inconscient. And as there is in her this greater consciousness and greater power, so too there is an illimitable spirit of harmony and beauty in her constructions that never fails her, though its works are not limited by our aesthetic canons. An infinite hedonism too is there, an illimitable spirit of delight, of which we become aware when we enter into impersonal unity with her; and even as that in her which is terrible is a part of her beauty, that in her which is dangerous, cruel, destructive is a part of her delight, her universal Ananda. Essays in Philosophy and Yoga
Spiritual evolution ::: It is a series of ascents from the physical being and consciousness to the vital, the being dominated by the life-self, thence to the menial being realised in the fully deve- loped man and thence into the perfect consciousness which is beyond the mental, into the supramental consciousness and the supramental being, the Truth-Consciousness which is the integral consciousness of the spiritual being. Mind cannot be our last conscious expression because mind is fundamentally an ignorance seeking for knowledge ; it is only the supramental Truth-Cons- ciousness that can bring us the true and whole Self-Knowledge and world-KnowIedge ; it is through that only that we can get to our true being and fulfilment of our spiritual evolution.
Sri Aurobindo: ". . . all cosmic and real Law is a thing not imposed from outside, but from within, all development is self-development, all seed and result are seed of a Truth of things and result of that seed determined out of its potentialities. For the same reason no Law is absolute, because only the infinite is absolute, and everything contains within itself endless potentialities quite beyond its determined form and course, which are only determined through a self-limitation by Idea proceeding from an infinite liberty within.” The Life Divine
Sri Aurobindo: "Birth is the first spiritual mystery of the physical universe, death is the second which gives its double point of perplexity to the mystery of birth; for life, which would otherwise be a self-evident fact of existence, becomes itself a mystery by virtue of these two which seem to be its beginning and its end and yet in a thousand ways betray themselves as neither of these things, but rather intermediate stages in an occult processus of life.” *The Life Divine
Sri Aurobindo: "By attaining to the Unborn beyond all becoming we are liberated from this lower birth and death; by accepting the Becoming freely as the Divine, we invade mortality with the immortal beatitude and become luminous centres of its conscious self-expression in humanity.” *The Life Divine
*Sri Aurobindo: "Creation is not a making of something out of nothing or of one thing out of another, but a self-projection of Brahman into the conditions of Space and Time. Creation is not a making, but a becoming in terms and forms of conscious existence.” The Upanishads*
Sri Aurobindo: "Gnosis or true supermind is a power above mind working in its own law, out of the direct identity of the supreme Self, his absolute self-conscious Truth knowing herself by her own power of absolute Light without any need of seeking, even the most luminous seeking.” The Upanishads (footnote)
Sri Aurobindo: "His [the Titan"s] instincts call for a visible, tangible mastery and a sensational domination. How shall he feel sure of his empire unless he can feel something writhing helpless under his heel, — if in agony, so much the better? What is exploitation to him, unless it diminishes the exploited? To be able to coerce, exact, slay, overtly, irresistibly, — it is this that fills him with the sense of glory and dominion. For he is the son of division and the strong flowering of the Ego. To feel the comparative limitation of others is necessary to him that he may imagine himself immeasurable; for he has not the real, self-existent sense of infinity which no outward circumstance can abrogate. Contrast, division, negation of the wills and lives of others are essential to his self-development and self-assertion. The Titan would unify by devouring, not by harmonising; he must conquer and trample what is not himself either out of existence or into subservience so that his own image may stand out stamped upon all things and dominating all his environment.” Essays in Philosophy and Yoga
Sri Aurobindo: “His [the Titan’s] instincts call for a visible, tangible mastery and a sensational domination. How shall he feel sure of his empire unless he can feel something writhing helpless under his heel,—if in agony, so much the better? What is exploitation to him, unless it diminishes the exploited? To be able to coerce, exact, slay, overtly, irresistibly,—it is this that fills him with the sense of glory and dominion. For he is the son of division and the strong flowering of the Ego. To feel the comparative limitation of others is necessary to him that he may imagine himself immeasurable; for he has not the real, self-existent sense of infinity which no outward circumstance can abrogate. Contrast, division, negation of the wills and lives of others are essential to his self-development and self-assertion. The Titan would unify by devouring, not by harmonising; he must conquer and trample what is not himself either out of existence or into subservience so that his own image may stand out stamped upon all things and dominating all his environment.” Essays in Philosophy and Yoga
Sri Aurobindo: "If this higher buddhi {{understanding in the profoundest sense] could act pure of the interference of these lower members, it would give pure forms of the truth; observation would be dominated or replaced by a vision which could see without subservient dependence on the testimony of the sense-mind and senses; imagination would give place to the self-assured inspiration of the truth, reasoning to the spontaneous discernment of relations and conclusion from reasoning to an intuition containing in itself those relations and not building laboriously upon them, judgment to a thought-vision in whose light the truth would stand revealed without the mask which it now wears and which our intellectual judgment has to penetrate; while memory too would take upon itself that larger sense given to it in Greek thought and be no longer a paltry selection from the store gained by the individual in his present life, but rather the all-recording knowledge which secretly holds and constantly gives from itself everything that we now seem painfully to acquire but really in this sense remember, a knowledge which includes the future(1) no less than the past. ::: Footnote: In this sense the power of prophecy has been aptly called a memory of the future.]” *The Synthesis of Yoga
*Sri Aurobindo: "In other words, ethics is a stage in evolution. That which is common to all stages is the urge of Sachchidananda towards self-expression. This urge is at first non-ethical, then infra-ethical in the animal, then in the intelligent animal even anti-ethical for it permits us to approve hurt done to others which we disapprove when done to ourselves. In this respect man even now is only half-ethical. And just as all below us is infra-ethical, so there may be that above us whither we shall eventually arrive, which is supra-ethical, has no need of ethics. The ethical impulse and attitude, so all-important to humanity, is a means by which it struggles out of the lower harmony and universality based upon inconscience and broken up by Life into individual discords towards a higher harmony and universality based upon conscient oneness with all existences. Arriving at that goal, this means will no longer be necessary or even possible, since the qualities and oppositions on which it depends will naturally dissolve and disappear in the final reconciliation.” The Life Divine
Sri Aurobindo: "In other words, that which has thrown itself out into forms is a triune Existence-Consciousness-Bliss, Sachchidananda, whose consciousness is in its nature a creative or rather a self-expressive Force capable of infinite variation in phenomenon and form of its self-conscious being and endlessly enjoying the delight of that variation.” *The Life Divine
"Sri Aurobindo: "It has been held that ecstasy is a lower and transient passage, the peace of the Supreme is the supreme realisation, the consummate abiding experience. This may be true on the spiritual-mind plane: there the first ecstasy felt is indeed a spiritual rapture, but it can be and is very usually mingled with a supreme happiness of the vital parts taken up by the Spirit; there is an exaltation, exultation, excitement, a highest intensity of the joy of the heart and the pure inner soul-sensation that can be a splendid passage or an uplifting force but is not the ultimate permanent foundation. But in the highest ascents of the spiritual bliss there is not this vehement exaltation and excitement; there is instead an illimitable intensity of participation in an eternal ecstasy which is founded on the eternal Existence and therefore on a beatific tranquillity of eternal peace. Peace and ecstasy cease to be different and become one. The Supermind, reconciling and fusing all differences as well as all contradictions, brings out this unity; a wide calm and a deep delight of all-existence are among its first steps of self-realisation, but this calm and this delight rise together, as one state, into an increasing intensity and culminate in the eternal ecstasy, the bliss that is the Infinite.” The Life Divine
*Sri Aurobindo: "It is true that when Matter first emerges it becomes the dominant principle; it seems to be and is within its own field the basis of all things, the constituent of all things, the end of all things: but Matter itself is found to be a result of something that is not Matter, of Energy, and this Energy cannot be something self-existent and acting in the Void, but can turn out and, when deeply scrutinised, seems likely to turn out to be the action of a secret Consciousness and Being: when the spiritual knowledge and experience emerge, this becomes a certitude, — it is seen that the creative Energy in Matter is a movement of the power of the Spirit.” The Life Divine
Sri Aurobindo: "It might be said again that, even so, in Sachchidananda itself at least, above all worlds of manifestation, there could be nothing but the self-awareness of pure existence and consciousness and a pure delight of existence. Or, indeed, this triune being itself might well be only a trinity of original spiritual self-determinations of the Infinite; these too, like all determinations, would cease to exist in the ineffable Absolute. But our position is that these must be inherent truths of the supreme being; their utmost reality must be pre-existent in the Absolute even if they are ineffably other there than what they are in the spiritual mind"s highest possible experience. The Absolute is not a mystery of infinite blankness nor a supreme sum of negations; nothing can manifest that is not justified by some self-power of the original and omnipresent Reality.” The Life Divine
*Sri Aurobindo: ". . . liberty is at once the condition of vigorous variation and the condition of self-finding.” The Human Cycle
Sri Aurobindo: "Material Nature is not ethical; the law which governs it is a co-ordination of fixed habits which take no cognisance of good and evil, but only of force that creates, force that arranges and preserves, force that disturbs and destroys impartially, non-ethically, according to the secret Will in it, according to the mute satisfaction of that Will in its own self-formations and self-dissolutions.” *The Life Divine
*Sri Aurobindo: "Pleasure, joy and delight, as man uses the words, are limited and occasional movements which depend on certain habitual causes and emerge, like their opposites pain and grief which are equally limited and occasional movements, from a background other than themselves. Delight of being is universal, illimitable and self-existent, not dependent on particular causes, the background of all backgrounds, from which pleasure, pain and other more neutral experiences emerge. When delight of being seeks to realise itself as delight of becoming, it moves in the movement of force and itself takes different forms of movement of which pleasure and pain are positive and negative currents.” The Life Divine*
::: Sri Aurobindo: "Radha is the personification of the absolute love for the Divine, total and integral in all parts of the being from the highest spiritual to the physical, bringing the absolute self-giving and total consecration of all the being and calling down into the body and the most material nature the supreme Ananda.” *Letters on Yoga
Sri Aurobindo: “Radha is the personification of the absolute love for the Divine, total and integral in all parts of the being from the highest spiritual to the physical, bringing the absolute self-giving and total consecration of all the being and calling down into the body and the most material nature the supreme Ananda.” Letters on Yoga
Sri Aurobindo: " Sin is the working of the lower nature for the crude satisfaction of its own ignorant, dull or violent rajasic and tamasic propensities in revolt against any high self-control and self-mastery of the nature by the spirit.” *Essays on the Gita
Sri Aurobindo: "The Divinity in man dwells veiled in his spiritual centre; there can be no such thing as self-exceeding for man or a higher issue for his existence if there is not in him the reality of an eternal Self and Spirit.” *The Life Divine
Sri Aurobindo: "The duality is a position taken up, a double status accepted for the operations of the self-manifestation of the being; but there is no eternal and fundamental separateness and dualism of Being and its Consciousness-Force, of the Soul and Nature.” *The Life Divine
Sri Aurobindo: "The nature of Bhakti is adoration, worship, self-offering to what is greater than oneself; the nature of love is a feeling or a seeking for closeness and union. Self-giving is the character of both; both are necessary in the yoga and each gets its full force when supported by the other.” *Letters on Yoga
Sri Aurobindo: "This truth of Karma has been always recognised in the East in one form or else in another; but to the Buddhists belongs the credit of having given to it the clearest and fullest universal enunciation and the most insistent importance. In the West too the idea has constantly recurred, but in external, in fragmentary glimpses, as the recognition of a pragmatic truth of experience, and mostly as an ordered ethical law or fatality set over against the self-will and strength of man: but it was clouded over by other ideas inconsistent with any reign of law, vague ideas of some superior caprice or of some divine jealousy, — that was a notion of the Greeks, — a blind Fate or inscrutable Necessity, Ananke, or, later, the mysterious ways of an arbitrary, though no doubt an all-wise Providence.” Essays in Philosophy and Yoga *Ananke"s.
Sri Aurobindo: “This truth of Karma has been always recognised in the East in one form or else in another; but to the Buddhists belongs the credit of having given to it the clearest and fullest universal enunciation and the most insistent importance. In the West too the idea has constantly recurred, but in external, in fragmentary glimpses, as the recognition of a pragmatic truth of experience, and mostly as an ordered ethical law or fatality set over against the self-will and strength of man: but it was clouded over by other ideas inconsistent with any reign of law, vague ideas of some superior caprice or of some divine jealousy,—that was a notion of the Greeks,—a blind Fate or inscrutable Necessity, Ananke, or, later, the mysterious ways of an arbitrary, though no doubt an all-wise Providence.” Essays in Philosophy and Yoga
Sri Aurobindo: "We mean by the Absolute something greater than ourselves, greater than the cosmos which we live in, the supreme reality of that transcendent Being which we call God, something without which all that we see or are conscious of as existing, could not have been, could not for a moment remain in existence. Indian thought calls it Brahman, European thought the Absolute because it is a self-existent which is absolved of all bondage to relativities . . . The Absolute is for us the Ineffable.” *The Life Divine
Sri Aurobindo: "We see at once that if such an Existence is, it must be, like the Energy, infinite. Neither reason nor experience nor intuition nor imagination bears witness to us of the possibility of a final terminus. All end and beginning presuppose something beyond the end or beginning. An absolute end, an absolute beginning is not only a contradiction in terms, but a contradiction of the essence of things, a violence, a fiction. Infinity imposes itself upon the appearances of the finite by its ineffugable self-existence.” *The Life Divine
Sri Aurobindo: "What we call unconsciousness is simply other-consciousness; it is the going in of this surface wave of our mental awareness of outer objects into our subliminal self-awareness and into our awareness too of other planes of existence. We are really no more unconscious when we are asleep or stunned or drugged or ``dead"" or in any other state, than when we are plunged in inner thought oblivious of our physical selves and our surroundings. For anyone who has advanced even a little way in Yoga, this is a most elementary proposition and one which offers no difficulty whatever to the thought because it is proved at every point by experience.” *The Synthesis of Yoga
Sri Aurobindo: ". . . wrong will and falsehood of the steps, . . . separative egoism inflicting by its ignorance and separate contrary will harm on oneself or harm on others, self-driven to a wrong dealing with one"s own soul, mind, life or body or a wrong dealing with the soul, mind, life, body of others, . . . is the practical sense of all human evil.” *The Life Divine
suicidal ::: foolishly or rashly dangerous to oneself or to one"s interests; self-destructive or ruinous.
superconscience ::: “But a third power or possibility of the Infinite Consciousness can be admitted, its power of self-absorption, of plunging into itself, into a state in which self-awareness exists but not as knowledge and not as all-knowledge; the all would then be involved in pure self-awareness, and knowledge and the inner consciousness itself would be lost in pure being. This is, luminously, the state which we call the Superconscience in an absolute sense,—although most of what we call superconscient is in reality not that but only a higher conscient, something that is conscious to itself and only superconscious to our own limited level of awareness.” The Life Divine
superconscience ::: Sri Aurobindo: "But a third power or possibility of the Infinite Consciousness can be admitted, its power of self-absorption, of plunging into itself, into a state in which self-awareness exists but not as knowledge and not as all-knowledge; the all would then be involved in pure self-awareness, and knowledge and the inner consciousness itself would be lost in pure being. This is, luminously, the state which we call the Superconscience in an absolute sense, — although most of what we call superconscient is in reality not that but only a higher conscient, something that is conscious to itself and only superconscious to our own limited level of awareness.” The Life Divine
Supporting from its place behind the heart-centre the mental, vital, physical, psychic evolution of the being in Nature. Its realisation brings Bhakti, self-^ving, surrender, turning of all the 'movements Godward, discrimination and choice of all that
Tamasic ego is the ego of weakness, self-depreciation, des- pondency, unbelief.
::: "The ancient Vedanta presents us with . . . the conception and experience of Brahman as the one universal and essential fact and of the nature of Brahman as Sachchidananda [Existence, Consciousness, Bliss]. In this view the essence of all life is the movement of a universal and immortal existence, the essence of all sensation and emotion is the play of a universal and self-existent delight in being, the essence of all thought and perception is the radiation of a universal and all-pervading truth, the essence of all activity is the progression of a universal and self-effecting good.” The Life Divine
“The ancient Vedanta presents us with . . . the conception and experience of Brahman as the one universal and essential fact and of the nature of Brahman as Sachchidananda [Existence, Consciousness, Bliss]. In this view the essence of all life is the movement of a universal and immortal existence, the essence of all sensation and emotion is the play of a universal and self-existent delight in being, the essence of all thought and perception is the radiation of a universal and all-pervading truth, the essence of all activity is the progression of a universal and self-effecting good.” The Life Divine
"the basic syllable OM, which is the foundation of all the perfect creative sounds of the revealed word; OM is the one universal formulation of the energy of sound and speech, that which contains and sums up, synthesises and releases, all the spiritual power and all the potentiality of Vak (speech, the goddess Speech) and Shabda (sound, vibration, word). The mantra of the divine consciousness brings its light of revelation, the Mantra of the divine Power, its will of effectuation, the Mantra of the divine Ananda is equal fulfilment of the spiritual delight of existence. All word and thought are an outflowing of he great OM, - OM, the Word, the Eternal Manifest in the forms of sensible objects; manifest in that conscious play of creative self-conception of which forms and objects are the figures, manifest behind in the self-gathered superconscient power of the Infinite, OM is the sovereign source, seed, womb of thing and idea, form and name – it is itself, integrally, the supreme Intangible, the original Unity, the timeless Mystery self- existent above all manifestation in supernal being.” SABCL Volume 13 – Page 315*
“the basic syllable OM, which is the foundation of all the perfect creative sounds of the revealed word; OM is the one universal formulation of the energy of sound and speech, that which contains and sums up, synthesises and releases, all the spiritual power and all the potentiality of Vak (speech, the goddess Speech) and Shabda (sound, vibration, word). The mantra of the divine consciousness brings its light of revelation, the Mantra of the divine Power, its will of effectuation, the Mantra of the divine Ananda is equal fulfilment of the spiritual delight of existence. All word and thought are an outflowing of he great OM,—OM, the Word, the Eternal Manifest in the forms of sensible objects; manifest in that conscious play of creative self-conception of which forms and objects are the figures, manifest behind in the self-gathered superconscient power of the Infinite, OM is the sovereign source, seed, womb of thing and idea, form and name—it is itself, integrally, the supreme Intangible, the original Unity, the timeless Mystery self—existent above all manifestation in supernal being.” SABCL Volume 13—Page 315
"The call, once decisive, stands; the thing that has been born cannot eventually be stifled. Even if the force of circumstances prevents a regular pursuit or a full practical self-consecration from the first, still the mind has taken its bent and persists and returns with an ever-increasing effect upon its leading preoccupation. There is an ineluctable persistence of the inner being, and against it circumstances are in the end powerless, and no weakness in the nature can for long be an obstacle.” The Synthesis of Yoga
“The call, once decisive, stands; the thing that has been born cannot eventually be stifled. Even if the force of circumstances prevents a regular pursuit or a full practical self-consecration from the first, still the mind has taken its bent and persists and returns with an ever-increasing effect upon its leading preoccupation. There is an ineluctable persistence of the inner being, and against it circumstances are in the end powerless, and no weakness in the nature can for long be an obstacle.” The Synthesis of Yoga
“The Chhandogya,… is to be a work in the right and perfect way of devoting oneself to the Brahman; its subject is the Brahman, but the Brahman as symbolised in the OM, the sacred syllable of the Veda, not therefore, the pure state of existence only, but that existence in all its parts… OM is the symbol and the thing symbolised.”the basic syllable OM, which is the foundation of all the perfect creative sounds of the revealed word; OM is the one universal formulation of the energy of sound and speech, that which contains and sums up, synthesises and releases, all the spiritual power and all the potentiality of Vak (speech, the goddess Speech) and Shabda (sound, vibration, word). The mantra of the divine consciousness brings its light of revelation, the Mantra of the divine Power, its will of effectuation, the Mantra of the divine Ananda is equal fulfilment of the spiritual delight of existence. All word and thought are an outflowing of he great OM,—OM, the Word, the Eternal Manifest in the forms of sensible objects; manifest in that conscious play of creative self-conception of which forms and objects are the figures, manifest behind in the self-gathered superconscient power of the Infinite, OM is the sovereign source, seed, womb of thing and idea, form and name—it is itself, integrally, the supreme Intangible, the original Unity, the timeless Mystery self—existent above all manifestation in supernal being.” SABCL Volume 13—Page 315
"The culmination of the soul"s constant touch with the Supreme is that self-giving which we call surrender to the divine Will and immergence of the separated ego in the One who is all.” The Synthesis of Yoga
“The culmination of the soul’s constant touch with the Supreme is that self-giving which we call surrender to the divine Will and immergence of the separated ego in the One who is all.” The Synthesis of Yoga
The difficulty of the difficulties is self-created, a knot of the
“The Divine Reality is infinite in its being; in this infinite being, we find limited being everywhere,—that is the apparent fact from which our existence here seems to start and to which our own narrow ego and its ego-centric activities bear constant witness. But, in reality, when we come to an integral self-knowledge, we find that we are not limited, for we also are infinite.” The Life Divine
"The elementary state of material Force is, in the view of the old Indian physicists, a condition of pure material extension in Space of which the peculiar property is vibration typified to us by the phenomenon of sound. But vibration in this state of ether is not sufficient to create forms. There must first be some obstruction in the flow of the Force ocean, some contraction and expansion, some interplay of vibrations, some impinging of force upon force so as to create a beginning of fixed relations and mutual effects. Material Force modifying its first ethereal status assumes a second, called in the old language the aerial, of which the special property is contact between force and force, contact that is the basis of all material relations. Still we have not as yet real forms but only varying forces. A sustaining principle is needed. This is provided by a third self-modification of the primitive Force of which the principle of light, electricity, fire and heat is for us the characteristic manifestation. Even then, we can have forms of force preserving their own character and peculiar action, but not stable forms of Matter. A fourth state characterised by diffusion and a first medium of permanent attractions and repulsions, termed picturesquely water or the liquid state, and a fifth of cohesion, termed earth or the solid state, complete the necessary elements.” The Life Divine*
“The elementary state of material Force is, in the view of the old Indian physicists, a condition of pure material extension in Space of which the peculiar property is vibration typified to us by the phenomenon of sound. But vibration in this state of ether is not sufficient to create forms. There must first be some obstruction in the flow of the Force ocean, some contraction and expansion, some interplay of vibrations, some impinging of force upon force so as to create a beginning of fixed relations and mutual effects. Material Force modifying its first ethereal status assumes a second, called in the old language the aerial, of which the special property is contact between force and force, contact that is the basis of all material relations. Still we have not as yet real forms but only varying forces. A sustaining principle is needed. This is provided by a third self-modification of the primitive Force of which the principle of light, electricity, fire and heat is for us the characteristic manifestation. Even then, we can have forms of force preserving their own character and peculiar action, but not stable forms of Matter. A fourth state characterised by diffusion and a first medium of permanent attractions and repulsions, termed picturesquely water or the liquid state, and a fifth of cohesion, termed earth or the solid state, complete the necessary elements.” The Life Divine
"The Eternal is our refuge; all the rest are false values, the Ignorance and its mazes, a self-bewilderment of the soul in phenomenal Nature.” The Life Divine*
“The Eternal is our refuge; all the rest are false values, the Ignorance and its mazes, a self-bewilderment of the soul in phenomenal Nature.” The Life Divine
"The first word of the supramental Yoga is surrender; its last word also is surrender. It is by a will to give oneself to the eternal Divine, for lifting into the divine consciousness, for perfection, for transformation, that the Yoga begins; it is in the entire giving that it culminates; for it is only when the self-giving is complete that there comes the finality of the Yoga, the entire taking up into the supramental Divine, the perfection of the being, the transformation of the nature.” Essays Divine and Human
“The first word of the supramental Yoga is surrender; its last word also is surrender. It is by a will to give oneself to the eternal Divine, for lifting into the divine consciousness, for perfection, for transformation, that the Yoga begins; it is in the entire giving that it culminates; for it is only when the self-giving is complete that there comes the finality of the Yoga, the entire taking up into the supramental Divine, the perfection of the being, the transformation of the nature.” Essays Divine and Human
"The freedom of the Gita is that of the freeman, the true freedom of the birth into the higher nature, self-existent in its divinity. Whatever he does and however he lives, the free soul lives in the Divine; he is the privileged child of the mansion, bâlavat, who cannot err or fall because all he is and does is full of the Perfect, the All-blissful, the All-loving, the All-beautiful. The kingdom which he enjoys, râjyam samrddham, is a sweet and happy dominion of which it may be said, in the pregnant phrase of the Greek thinker, ``The kingdom is of the child."" Essays on the Gita
“The freedom of the Gita is that of the freeman, the true freedom of the birth into the higher nature, self-existent in its divinity. Whatever he does and however he lives, the free soul lives in the Divine; he is the privileged child of the mansion, bâlavat, who cannot err or fall because all he is and does is full of the Perfect, the All-blissful, the All-loving, the All-beautiful. The kingdom which he enjoys, râjyam samrddham, is a sweet and happy dominion of which it may be said, in the pregnant phrase of the Greek thinker, ``The kingdom is of the child.’’ Essays on the Gita
"The gradual self-liberation from bondage to Nature is the true progress of humanity.” Essays in Philosophy and Yoga
“The gradual self-liberation from bondage to Nature is the true progress of humanity.” Essays in Philosophy and Yoga
"The idea of purpose, of a goal is born of the progressive self-unfolding by the world of its own true nature to the individual Souls inhabiting its forms; for the Being is gradually self-revealed within its own becomings, real Unity emerges out of the Multiplicity and changes entirely the values of the latter to our consciousness.” The Upanishads
“The idea of purpose, of a goal is born of the progressive self-unfolding by the world of its own true nature to the individual Souls inhabiting its forms; for the Being is gradually self-revealed within its own becomings, real Unity emerges out of the Multiplicity and changes entirely the values of the latter to our consciousness.” The Upanishads
“The Inconscient is a sleep or a prison, the conscient a round of strivings without ultimate issue or the wanderings of a dream: we must wake into the superconscious where all darkness of night and half-lights cease in the self-luminous bliss of the Eternal.” The Life Divine
". . . the individual is a self-expression of the universal and the transcendent. . . .” The Life Divine
“… the individual is a self-expression of the universal and the transcendent….” The Life Divine
The Ineffable: *Sri Aurobindo: "It is this essential indeterminability of the Absolute that translates itself into our consciousness through the fundamental negating positives of our spiritual experience, the immobile immutable Self, the Nirguna Brahman, the Eternal without qualities, the pure featureless One Existence, the Impersonal, the Silence void of activities, the Non-being, the Ineffable and the Unknowable. On the other side it is the essence and source of all determinations, and this dynamic essentiality manifests to us through the fundamental affirming positives in which the Absolute equally meets us; for it is the Self that becomes all things, the Saguna Brahman, the Eternal with infinite qualities, the One who is the Many, the infinite Person who is the source and foundation of all persons and personalities, the Lord of creation, the Word, the Master of all works and action; it is that which being known all is known: these affirmatives correspond to those negatives. For it is not possible in a supramental cognition to split asunder the two sides of the One Existence, — even to speak of them as sides is excessive, for they are in each other, their co-existence or one-existence is eternal and their powers sustaining each other found the self-manifestation of the Infinite.” The Life Divine
“The integral Knowledge is something that is already there in the integral Reality: it is not a new or still non-existent thing that has to be created, acquired, learned, invented or built up by the mind; it must rather be discovered or uncovered, it is a Truth that is self-revealed to a spiritual endeavour: for it is there veiled in our deeper and greater self; it is the very stuff of our own spiritual consciousness, and it is by awaking to it even in our surface self that we have to possess it. There is an integral self-knowledge that we have to recover and, because the world-self also is our self, an integral world-knowledge. A knowledge that can be learned or constructed by the mind exists and has its value, but that is not what is meant when we speak of the Knowledge and the Ignorance.” The Life Divine
"The intuitive knowledge on the contrary, however limited it may be in its field or application, is within that scope sure with an immediate, a durable and especially a self-existent certitude.” The Synthesis of Yoga
“The intuitive knowledge on the contrary, however limited it may be in its field or application, is within that scope sure with an immediate, a durable and especially a self-existent certitude.” The Synthesis of Yoga
::: "The Lord of Beings is that which is conscious in the conscious being, but he is also the Conscious in inconscient things, the One who is master and in control of the many that are passive in the hands of Force-Nature. He is the Timeless and Time; he is Space and all that is in Space; he is Causality and the cause and the effect: He is the thinker and his thought, the warrior and his courage, the gambler and his dice-throw. All realities and all aspects and all semblances are the Brahman; Brahman is the Absolute, the transcendent and incommunicable, the Supracosmic Existence that sustains the cosmos, the Cosmic Self that upholds all beings, but It is too the self of each individual: the soul or psychic entity is an eternal portion of the Ishwara; it is his supreme Nature or Consciousness-Force that has become the living being in a world of living beings. The Brahman alone is, and because of It all are, for all are the Brahman; this Reality is the reality of everything that we see in Self and Nature. Brahman, the Ishwara, is all this by his Yoga-Maya, by the power of his Consciousness-Force put out in self-manifestation: he is the Conscious Being, Soul, Spirit, Purusha, and it is by his Nature, the force of his conscious self-existence that he is all things; he is the Ishwara, the omniscient and omnipotent All-ruler, and it is by his Shakti, his conscious Power, that he manifests himself in Time and governs the universe.” The Life Divine*
“The Lord of Beings is that which is conscious in the conscious being, but he is also the Conscious in inconscient things, the One who is master and in control of the many that are passive in the hands of Force-Nature. He is the Timeless and Time; he is Space and all that is in Space; he is Causality and the cause and the effect: He is the thinker and his thought, the warrior and his courage, the gambler and his dice-throw. All realities and all aspects and all semblances are the Brahman; Brahman is the Absolute, the transcendent and incommunicable, the Supracosmic Existence that sustains the cosmos, the Cosmic Self that upholds all beings, but It is too the self of each individual: the soul or psychic entity is an eternal portion of the Ishwara; it is his supreme Nature or Consciousness-Force that has become the living being in a world of living beings. The Brahman alone is, and because of It all are, for all are the Brahman; this Reality is the reality of everything that we see in Self and Nature. Brahman, the Ishwara, is all this by his Yoga-Maya, by the power of his Consciousness-Force put out in self-manifestation: he is the Conscious Being, Soul, Spirit, Purusha, and it is by his Nature, the force of his conscious self-existence that he is all things; he is the Ishwara, the omniscient and omnipotent All-ruler, and it is by his Shakti, his conscious Power, that he manifests himself in Time and governs the universe.” The Life Divine
The merging of the little ego ia union with the Divine, puri- fication, surrender, the substitution of the Divine guidance for one’s own ignorant self-guidance based on one's personal Ideas and personal feelings is the aim of Karmajoga, the surrender of one's own will to the Divine Will.
The Mother: " A total self-giving to the Divine is the true purpose of existence.” On Thoughts and Aphorisms, MCW Vol. 10.*
The Mother: “ A total self-giving to the Divine is the true purpose of existence.” On Thoughts and Aphorisms, MCW Vol. 10.
The Mother: “Calm is self-possessed strength, quiet and conscious energy, mastery of the impulses, control over the unconscious reflexes.” Words of the Mother, MCW Vol. 14.
*The Mother: "To conquer the Adversary is not a small thing. One must have a greater power than his to vanquish him. But one can liberate oneself totally from his influence. And from the minute one is completely free from his influence, one"s self-giving can be total. And with the self-giving comes joy, long before the Adversary is truly vanquished and disappears.”
The Mother: “To conquer the Adversary is not a small thing. One must have a greater power than his to vanquish him. But one can liberate oneself totally from his influence. And from the minute one is completely free from his influence, one’s self-giving can be total. And with the self-giving comes joy, long before the Adversary is truly vanquished and disappears.”
“The nature of Bhakti is adoration, worship, self-offering to what is greater than oneself; the nature of love is a feeling or a seeking for closeness and union. Self-giving is the character of both; both are necessary in the yoga and each gets its full force when supported by the other.” Letters on Yoga
::: ". . . the Person puts forward the personality as his role, character, persona, in the present act of his long drama of manifested existence. But the Person is larger than his personality, and it may happen that this inner largeness overflows into the surface formation; the result is a self-expression of being which can no longer be described by fixed qualities, normalities of mood, exact lineaments, or marked out by any structural limits.” *The Life Divine
“… the Person puts forward the personality as his role, character, persona, in the present act of his long drama of manifested existence. But the Person is larger than his personality, and it may happen that this inner largeness overflows into the surface formation; the result is a self-expression of being which can no longer be described by fixed qualities, normalities of mood, exact lineaments, or marked out by any structural limits.” The Life Divine
The possibility of a cosmic consciousness in humanity is coming slowly to be admitted in modern Psychology, like the possibility of more elastic instruments of knowledge, although still classified, even when its value and power are admitted, as a hallucination. In the psychology of the East it has always been recognised as a reality and the aim of our subjective progress. The essence of the passage over to this goal is the exceeding of the limits imposed on us by the ego-sense and at least a partaking, at most an identification with the self-knowledge which broods secret in all life and in all that seems to us inanimate. The Life Divine
"The real source of knowledge is the Lord in the heart; ‘I am seated in the heart of every man and from me is knowledge," says the Gita; the Scripture is only a verbal form of that inner Veda, of that self-luminous Reality, it is sabdabrahma: the mantra, says the Veda, has risen from the heart, from the secret place where is the seat of the truth, sadanâd rtasya, guhâyâm. That origin is its sanction; but still the infinite Truth is greater than its word. Nor shall you say of any Scripture that it alone is all-sufficient and no other truth can be admitted, as the Vedavadins said of the Veda, nânyad astîti vâdinah. This is a saving and liberating word which must be applied to all the Scriptures of the world. Take all the Scriptures that are or have been, Bible and Koran and the books of the Chinese, Veda and Upanishads and Purana and Tantra and Shastra and the Gita itself and the sayings of thinkers and sages, prophets and Avatars, still you shall not say that there is nothing else or that the truth your intellect cannot find there is not true because you cannot find it there. That is the limited thought of the sectarian or the composite thought of the eclectic religionist, not the untrammelled truth-seeking of the free and illumined mind and God-experienced soul. Heard or unheard before, that always is the truth which is seen by the heart of man in its illumined depths or heard within from the Master of all knowledge, the knower of the eternal Veda.” Essays on the Gita*
“The real source of knowledge is the Lord in the heart; ‘I am seated in the heart of every man and from me is knowledge,’ says the Gita; the Scripture is only a verbal form of that inner Veda, of that self-luminous Reality, it is sabdabrahma: the mantra, says the Veda, has risen from the heart, from the secret place where is the seat of the truth, sadanâd rtasya, guhâyâm. That origin is its sanction; but still the infinite Truth is greater than its word. Nor shall you say of any Scripture that it alone is all-sufficient and no other truth can be admitted, as the Vedavadins said of the Veda, nânyad astîti vâdinah. This is a saving and liberating word which must be applied to all the Scriptures of the world. Take all the Scriptures that are or have been, Bible and Koran and the books of the Chinese, Veda and Upanishads and Purana and Tantra and Shastra and the Gita itself and the sayings of thinkers and sages, prophets and Avatars, still you shall not say that there is nothing else or that the truth your intellect cannot find there is not true because you cannot find it there. That is the limited thought of the sectarian or the composite thought of the eclectic religionist, not the untrammelled truth-seeking of the free and illumined mind and God-experienced soul. Heard or unheard before, that always is the truth which is seen by the heart of man in its illumined depths or heard within from the Master of all knowledge, the knower of the eternal Veda.” Essays on the Gita
“The real source of knowledge is the Lord in the heart; ‘I am seated in the heart of every man and from me is knowledge,’ says the Gita; the Scripture is only a verbal form of that inner Veda, of that self-luminous Reality, it is sabdabrahma: the mantra, says the Veda, has risen from the heart, from the secret place where is the seat of the truth, sadanâdrtasya, guhâyâm. That origin is its sanction; but still the infinite Truth is greater than its word. Nor shall you say of any Scripture that it alone is all-sufficient and no other truth can be admitted, as the Vedavadins said of the Veda, nânyadastîtivâdinah. This is a saving and liberating word which must be applied to all the Scriptures of the world. Take all the Scriptures that are or have been, Bible and Koran and the books of the Chinese, Veda and Upanishads and Purana and Tantra and Shastra and the Gita itself and the sayings of thinkers and sages, prophets and Avatars, still you shall not say that there is nothing else or that the truth your intellect cannot find there is not true because you cannot find it there. That is the limited thought of the sectarian or the composite thought of the eclectic religionist, not the untrammelled truth-seeking of the free and illumined mind and God-experienced soul. Heard or unheard before, that always is the truth which is seen by the heartof man in its illumined depths or heard within from the Master of all knowledge, the knower of the eternal Veda.” Essays on the Gita
". . . there are a series of subtler and subtler formulations of substance which escape from and go beyond the formula of the material universe. Without going deeply into matters which are too occult and difficult for our present inquiry, we may say, adhering to the system on which we have based ourselves, that these gradations of substance, in one important aspect of their formulation in series, can be seen to correspond to the ascending series of Matter, Life, Mind, Supermind and that other higher divine triplicity of Sachchidananda. In other words, we find that substance in its ascension bases itself upon each of these principles and makes itself successively a characteristic vehicle for the dominating cosmic self-expression of each in their ascending series.” The Life Divine
“… there are a series of subtler and subtler formulations of substance which escape from and go beyond the formula of the material universe. Without going deeply into matters which are too occult and difficult for our present inquiry, we may say, adhering to the system on which we have based ourselves, that these gradations of substance, in one important aspect of their formulation in series, can be seen to correspond to the ascending series of Matter, Life, Mind, Supermind and that other higher divine triplicity of Sachchidananda. In other words, we find that substance in its ascension bases itself upon each of these principles and makes itself successively a characteristic vehicle for the dominating cosmic self-expression of each in their ascending series.” The Life Divine
There are two words used in English to express the Indian idea of dhyana, * meditation ’ and ‘ contemplation ’. Meditation means properly the concentration of the mind on a single train of ideas which work out a single subject. Contemplation means regarding mentally a single object, image, idea so that the know- ledge about the object, image or idea may arise naturally in the mind by force of the concentration. Both these things are forms of dhyana, for the principle of dh)ona is mental concentration whether in thought, vision or knowledge. There are other forms of dhyana. You stand back from your thoughts, let them occur in your mind as they will and simply observe them and see what they are. This may be called concentration in self-observation.
“Therefore the only final goal possible is the emergence of the infinite consciousness in the individual; it is his recovery of the truth of himself by self-knowledge and by self-realisation, the truth of the Infinite in being, the Infinite in consciousness, the Infinite in delight repossessed as his own Self and Reality of which the finite is only a mask and an instrument for various expression.” The Life Divine
"There is a clear distinction in Vedic thought between kavi, the seer and manîshî, the thinker. The former indicates the divine supra-intellectual Knowledge which by direct vision and illumination sees the reality, the principles and the forms of things in their true relations, the latter, the labouring mentality, which works from the divided consciousness through the possibilities of things downward to the actual manifestation in form and upward to their reality in the self-existent Brahman.” The Upanishads*
“There is a clear distinction in Vedic thought between kavi, the seer and manîshî, the thinker. The former indicates the divine supra-intellectual Knowledge which by direct vision and illumination sees the reality, the principles and the forms of things in their true relations, the latter, the labouring mentality, which works from the divided consciousness through the possibilities of things downward to the actual manifestation in form and upward to their reality in the self-existent Brahman.” The Upanishads
The Seer, the Thinker, the Self-existent who becomes everywhere has ordered perfectly all things from years sempiternal. Isha Upanishad. (1) The Life Divine
::: "The shoreless stream of idea and thought, imagination and experience, name and form, sensation and vibration sweeps onward for ever, without beginning, without end, rising into view, sinking out of sight; through it the one Intelligence with its million self-expressions pours itself abroad, an ocean with innumerable waves. One particular self-expression may disappear into its source and continent, but that does not and cannot abolish the phenomenal universe. The One is for ever, and the Many are for ever because the One is for ever. So long as there is a sea, there will be waves.” Essays in Philosophy and Yoga
“The shoreless stream of idea and thought, imagination and experience, name and form, sensation and vibration sweeps onward for ever, without beginning, without end, rising into view, sinking out of sight; through it the one Intelligence with its million self-expressions pours itself abroad, an ocean with innumerable waves. One particular self-expression may disappear into its source and continent, but that does not and cannot abolish the phenomenal universe. The One is for ever, and the Many are for ever because the One is for ever. So long as there is a sea, there will be waves.” Essays in Philosophy and Yoga
"The silent and the active Brahman are not different, opposite and irreconcilable entities, the one denying, the other affirming a cosmic illusion; they are one Brahman in two aspects, positive and negative, and each is necessary to the other. It is out of this Silence that the Word which creates the worlds for ever proceeds; for the Word expresses that which is self-hidden in the Silence.” The Life Divine*
“The silent and the active Brahman are not different, opposite and irreconcilable entities, the one denying, the other affirming a cosmic illusion; they are one Brahman in two aspects, positive and negative, and each is necessary to the other. It is out of this Silence that the Word which creates the worlds for ever proceeds; for the Word expresses that which is self-hidden in the Silence.” The Life Divine
"The sunlit path can be followed by those who are able to practise surrender, first a central surrender and afterwards a more complete self-giving in all the parts of the being. If they can achieve and preserve the attitude of the central surrender, if they can rely wholly on the Divine and accept cheerfully whatever comes to them from the Divine, then their path becomes sunlit and may even be straightforward and easy.” Letters on Yoga*
“The sunlit path can be followed by those who are able to practise surrender, first a central surrender and afterwards a more complete self-giving in all the parts of the being. If they can achieve and preserve the attitude of the central surrender, if they can rely wholly on the Divine and accept cheerfully whatever comes to them from the Divine, then their path becomes sunlit and may even be straightforward and easy.” Letters on Yoga
"The supermind contains all its knowledge in itself, is in its highest divine wisdom in eternal possession of all truth and even in its lower, limited or individualised forms has only to bring the latent truth out of itself, — the perception which the old thinkers tried to express when they said that all knowing was in its real origin and nature only a memory of inwardly existing knowledge.” The Synthesis of Yoga ::: *knowledge-bales, knowledge-scrap, half-knowledge, self-knowledge, world-knowledge.
"The Supermind is in its very essence a truth-consciousness, a consciousness always free from the Ignorance which is the foundation of our present natural or evolutionary existence and from which nature in us is trying to arrive at self-knowledge and world-knowledge and a right consciousness and the right use of our existence in the universe. The Supermind, because it is a truth-consciousness, has this knowledge inherent in it and this power of true existence; its course is straight and can go direct to its aim, its field is wide and can even be made illimitable. This is because its very nature is knowledge: it has not to acquire knowledge but possesses it in its own right; its steps are not from nescience or ignorance into some imperfect light, but from truth to greater truth, from right perception to deeper perception, from intuition to intuition, from illumination to utter and boundless luminousness, from growing widenesses to the utter vasts and to very infinitude. On its summits it possesses the divine omniscience and omnipotence, but even in an evolutionary movement of its own graded self-manifestation by which it would eventually reveal its own highest heights it must be in its very nature essentially free from ignorance and error: it starts from truth and light and moves always in truth and light. As its knowledge is always true, so too its will is always true; it does not fumble in its handling of things or stumble in its paces. In the Supermind feeling and emotion do not depart from their truth, make no slips or mistakes, do not swerve from the right and the real, cannot misuse beauty and delight or twist away from a divine rectitude. In the Supermind sense cannot mislead or deviate into the grossnesses which are here its natural imperfections and the cause of reproach, distrust and misuse by our ignorance. Even an incomplete statement made by the Supermind is a truth leading to a further truth, its incomplete action a step towards completeness.” The Supramental Manifestation
“The Supermind is in its very essence a truth-consciousness, a consciousness always free from the Ignorance which is the foundation of our present natural or evolutionary existence and from which nature in us is trying to arrive at self-knowledge and world-knowledge and a right consciousness and the right use of our existence in the universe. The Supermind, because it is a truth-consciousness, has this knowledge inherent in it and this power of true existence; its course is straight and can go direct to its aim, its field is wide and can even be made illimitable. This is because its very nature is knowledge: it has not to acquire knowledge but possesses it in its own right; its steps are not from nescience or ignorance into some imperfect light, but from truth to greater truth, from right perception to deeper perception, from intuition to intuition, from illumination to utter and boundless luminousness, from growing widenesses to the utter vasts and to very infinitude. On its summits it possesses the divine omniscience and omnipotence, but even in an evolutionary movement of its own graded self-manifestation by which it would eventually reveal its own highest heights it must be in its very nature essentially free from ignorance and error: it starts from truth and light and moves always in truth and light. As its knowledge is always true, so too its will is always true; it does not fumble in its handling of things or stumble in its paces. In the Supermind feeling and emotion do not depart from their truth, make no slips or mistakes, do not swerve from the right and the real, cannot misuse beauty and delight or twist away from a divine rectitude. In the Supermind sense cannot mislead or deviate into the grossnesses which are here its natural imperfections and the cause of reproach, distrust and misuse by our ignorance. Even an incomplete statement made by the Supermind is a truth leading to a further truth, its incomplete action a step towards completeness.” The Supramental Manifestation
"The Supermind then is Being moving out into a determinative self-knowledge which perceives certain truths of itself and wills to realise them in a temporal and spatial extension of its own timeless and spaceless existence. Whatever is in its own being, takes form as self-knowledge, as Truth-Consciousness, as Real-Idea, and, that self-knowledge being also self-force, fulfils or realises itself inevitably in Time and Space.” The Life Divine
“The Supermind then is Being moving out into a determinative self-knowledge which perceives certain truths of itself and wills to realise them in a temporal and spatial extension of its own timeless and spaceless existence. Whatever is in its own being, takes form as self-knowledge, as Truth-Consciousness, as Real-Idea, and, that self-knowledge being also self-force, fulfils or realises itself inevitably in Time and Space.” The Life Divine
“The Transcendent, the Universal, the Individual are three powers overarching, underlying and penetrating the whole manifestation; this is the first of the Trinities. In the unfolding of consciousness also, these are the three fundamental terms and none of them can be neglected if we would have the experience of the whole Truth of existence. Out of the individual we wake into a vaster freer cosmic consciousness; but out of the universal too with its complex of forms and powers we must emerge by a still greater self-exceeding into a consciousness without limits that is founded on the Absolute.” The Synthesis of Yoga
"The true essence of sacrifice is not self-immolation, it is self-giving; its object not self-effacement, but self-fulfilment; its method not self-mortification, but a greater life, not self-mutilation, but a transformation of our natural human parts into divine members, not self-torture, but a passage from a lesser satisfaction to a greater Ananda.” The Synthesis of Yoga
“The true essence of sacrifice is not self-immolation, it is self-giving; its object not self-effacement, but self-fulfilment; its method not self-mortification, but a greater life, not self-mutilation, but a transformation of our natural human parts into divine members, not self-torture, but a passage from a lesser satisfaction to a greater Ananda.” The Synthesis of Yoga
“The Truth-Consciousness is everywhere present in the universe as an ordering self-knowledge by which the One manifests the harmonies of its infinite potential multiplicity.” The Life Divine
"The universe is not merely a mathematical formula for working out the relation of certain mental abstractions called numbers and principles to arrive in the end at a zero or a void unit, neither is it merely a physical operation embodying a certain equation of forces. It is the delight of a Self-lover, the play of a Child, the endless self-multiplication of a Poet intoxicated with the rapture of His own power of endless creation.” The Supramental Manifestation
“The universe is not merely a mathematical formula for working out the relation of certain mental abstractions called numbers and principles to arrive in the end at a zero or a void unit, neither is it merely a physical operation embodying a certain equation of forces. It is the delight of a Self-lover, the play of a Child, the endless self-multiplication of a Poet intoxicated with the rapture of His own power of endless creation.” The Supramental Manifestation
"The Unknowable, — not absolutely unknowable, but beyond mental knowledge, — can only be a higher degree in the intensity of being of that Something, a degree beyond the loftiest summit attainable by mental beings, and, if it were known as it must be known to itself, that discovery would not destroy entirely what is given us by our supreme possible knowledge but rather carry it to a higher fulfilment and larger truth of what it has already gained by self-vision and self-experience.” The Life Divine
“The Unknowable,—not absolutely unknowable, but beyond mental knowledge,—can only be a higher degree in the intensity of being of that Something, a degree beyond the loftiest summit attainable by mental beings, and, if it were known as it must be known to itself, that discovery would not destroy entirely what is given us by our supreme possible knowledge but rather carry it to a higher fulfilment and larger truth of what it has already gained by self-vision and self-experience.” The Life Divine
The unseized miracle of self-born shapes
The wall is indeed the wall of the ego which is based on the insistent identification of oneself with the outer personality and its movements. It is that identification which is the key-stone of the limitation and bondage from which the outer being su/Tcrs, prevenUng expansion, self-knowledge, spiritual freedom. But still the wall must not be prematurely broken down, because that may lead to a disruption or confusion or invasion of either part by the movements of the two separated worlds before they are ready to harmonise. A certain separation is necessary for some time after one has become aware of these two parts of the being as existing together. The force of the Yoga must be given time to make the necessary adjustments and openings, and to take the being inward and then from this inward poise to work on the outer nature.
"The will of self-giving forces away by its power the veil between God and man; it annuls every error and annihilates every obstacle. Those who aspire in their human strength by effort of knowledge or effort of virtue or effort of laborious self-discipline, grow with much anxious difficulty towards the Eternal; but when the soul gives up its ego and its works to the Divine, God himself comes to us and takes up our burden.” Essays on the Gita
“The will of self-giving forces away by its power the veil between God and man; it annuls every error and annihilates every obstacle. Those who aspire in their human strength by effort of knowledge or effort of virtue or effort of laborious self-discipline, grow with much anxious difficulty towards the Eternal; but when the soul gives up its ego and its works to the Divine, God himself comes to us and takes up our burden.” Essays on the Gita
"The world expresses a foreseen Truth, obeys a predetermining Will, realises an original formative self-vision, — it is the growing image of a divine creation.” The Life Divine
“The world expresses a foreseen Truth, obeys a predetermining Will, realises an original formative self-vision,—it is the growing image of a divine creation.” The Life Divine
This opposition has been permitted from of old not merely as a test or ordeal, but as a compulsion on us to seek a greater strength, a more perfect self-knowledge, an intenser purity and force of aspiration, a faith that nothing can crush, a more power- ful descent of the Divine Grace.
"This Self is fourfold, — the Self of Waking who has the outer intelligence and enjoys external things, is its first part; the Self of Dream who has the inner intelligence and enjoys things subtle, is its second part; the Self of Sleep, unified, a massed intelligence, blissful and enjoying bliss, is the third part… the lord of all, the omniscient, the inner Control. That which is unseen, indefinable, self-evident in its one selfhood, is the fourth part: this is the Self, this is that which has to be known.” Mandukya Upanishad. (5) The Life Divine*
“This Self is fourfold,—the Self of Waking who has the outer intelligence and enjoys external things, is its first part; the Self of Dream who has the inner intelligence and enjoys things subtle, is its second part; the Self of Sleep, unified, a massed intelligence, blissful and enjoying bliss, is the third part… the lord of all, the omniscient, the inner Control. That which is unseen, indefinable, self-evident in its one selfhood, is the fourth part: this is the Self, this is that which has to be known.” Mandukya Upanishad. (5) The Life Divine
::: **"This sraddhâ — the English word faith is inadequate to express it — is in reality an influence from the supreme Spirit and its light a message from our supramental being which is calling the lower nature to rise out of its petty present to a great self-becoming and self-exceeding.” The Synthesis of Yoga
“This sraddhâ—the English word faith is inadequate to express it—is in reality an influence from the supreme Spirit and its light a message from our supramental being which is calling the lower nature to rise out of its petty present to a great self-becoming and self-exceeding.” The Synthesis of Yoga
"This supreme Soul and Self is the Seer, the Ancient of Days and in his eternal self-vision and wisdom the Master and Ruler of all existence who sets in their place in his being all things that are, . . . .” Essays on the Gita
“This supreme Soul and Self is the Seer, the Ancient of Days and in his eternal self-vision and wisdom the Master and Ruler of all existence who sets in their place in his being all things that are, …” Essays on the Gita
“This world is not really created by a blind force of Nature: even in the Inconscient the presence of the supreme Truth is at work; there is a seeing Power behind it which acts infallibly and the steps of the Ignorance itself are guided even when they seem to stumble; for what we call the Ignorance is a cloaked Knowledge, a Knowledge at work in a body not its own but moving towards its own supreme self-discovery.” Essays in Philosophy and Yoga
"Though man is infinitely greater than the plant or the animal, he is not perfect in his own nature like the plant and the animal. This imperfection is not a thing to be at all deplored, but rather a privilege and a promise, for it opens out to us an immense vista of self-development and self-exceeding. Man at his highest is a half-god who has risen up out of the animal Nature and is splendidly abnormal in it, but the thing which he has started out to be, the whole god, is something so much greater than what he is that it seems to him as abnormal to himself as he is to the animal. This means a great and arduous labour of growth before him, but also a splendid crown of his race and his victory. A kingdom is offered to him beside which his present triumphs in the realms of mind or over external Nature will appear only as a rough hint and a poor beginning. The Human Cycle
“Though man is infinitely greater than the plant or the animal, he is not perfect in his own nature like the plant and the animal. This imperfection is not a thing to be at all deplored, but rather a privilege and a promise, for it opens out to us an immense vista of self-development and self-exceeding. Man at his highest is a half-god who has risen up out of the animal Nature and is splendidly abnormal in it, but the thing which he has started out to be, the whole god, is something so much greater than what he is that it seems to him as abnormal to himself as he is to the animal. This means a great and arduous labour of growth before him, but also a splendid crown of his race and his victory. A kingdom is offered to him beside which his present triumphs in the realms of mind or over external Nature will appear only as a rough hint and a poor beginning. The Human Cycle
thought-Mind ::: Sri Aurobindo: "Our first decisive step out of our human intelligence, our normal mentality, is an ascent into a higher Mind, a mind no longer of mingled light and obscurity or half-light, but a large clarity of the Spirit. Its basic substance is a unitarian sense of being with a powerful multiple dynamisation capable of the formation of a multitude of aspects of knowledge, ways of action, forms and significances of becoming, of all of which there is a spontaneous inherent knowledge. It is therefore a power that has proceeded from the Overmind, — but with the Supermind as its ulterior origin, — as all these greater powers have proceeded: but its special character, its activity of consciousness are dominated by Thought; it is a luminous thought-mind, a mind of Spirit-born conceptual knowledge. An all-awareness emerging from the original identity, carrying the truths the identity held in itself, conceiving swiftly, victoriously, multitudinously, formulating and by self-power of the Idea effectually realising its conceptions, is the character of this greater mind of knowledge. " *The Life Divine
timid ::: lacking self-confidence; shy.
Titan ::: : “His [the Titan’s] instincts call for a visible, tangible mastery and a sensational domination. How shall he feel sure of his empire unless he can feel something writhing helpless under his heel,—if in agony, so much the better? What is exploitation to him, unless it diminishes the exploited? To be able to coerce, exact, slay, overtly, irresistibly,—it is this that fills him with the sense of glory and dominion. For he is the son of division and the strong flowering of the Ego. To feel the comparative limitation of others is necessary to him that he may imagine himself immeasurable; for he has not the real, self-existent sense of infinity which no outward circumstance can abrogate. Contrast, division, negation of the wills and lives of others are essential to his self-development and self-assertion. The Titan would unify by devouring, not by harmonising; he must conquer and trample what is not himself either out of existence or into subservience so that his own image may stand out stamped upon all things and dominating all his environment.” Essays in Philosophy and Yoga
Titan ::: “In Greek mythology, one of a family of gigantic beings, the twelve primordial children of Uranus (Heaven) and Gaea (Earth); also certain of the offspring of these Titans. The names of the twelve Titans, the ancestors of the Olympian gods, were Oceanus, Coeus, Crius, Hyperion, Iapetos, Theia, Rhea, Themis, Mnemosyne, Phoebe, Tethys, and Cronos. Cronos, the youngest of them, ruled the world after overthrowing and castrating Uranus. He swallowed each of his own children at birth but Zeus escaped. Cronos was made to vomit up the others (including Hera, Demeter, Poseidon, and Hades) and, after a protracted struggle, he and the other Titans were vanquished, all of them but Atlas imprisoned in Tartarus, and the reign of Zeus was established. More broadly, the word Titan may be applied to any being of a colossal force or grandiose and lawless self-assertion, or even to whatever is huge or mighty.” Glossary and Index of Proper Names in Sri Aurobindo’s Works.
titan ::: "In Greek mythology, one of a family of gigantic beings, the twelve primordial children of Uranus (Heaven) and Gaea (Earth); also certain of the offspring of these Titans. The names of the twelve Titans, the ancestors of the Olympian gods, were Oceanus, Coeus, Crius, Hyperion, Iapetos, Theia, Rhea, Themis, Mnemosyne, Phoebe, Tethys, and Cronos. Cronos, the youngest of them, ruled the world after overthrowing and castrating Uranus. He swallowed each of his own children at birth but Zeus escaped. Cronos was made to vomit up the others (including Hera, Demeter, Poseidon, and Hades) and, after a protracted struggle, he and the other Titans were vanquished, all of them but Atlas imprisoned in Tartarus, and the reign of Zeus was established. More broadly, the word Titan may be applied to any being of a colossal force or grandiose and lawless self-assertion, or even to whatever is huge or mighty.” *Glossary and Index of Proper Names in Sri Aurobindo"s Works.
"To have the true intuition one must get rid of the mind"s self-will, and the vital"s also, their preferences, fancies, fantasies, strong insistences and eliminate the mental and vital ego"s pressure which sets the consciousness to work in the service of its own claims and desires.” Letters on Yoga*
“To have the true intuition one must get rid of the mind’s self-will, and the vital’s also, their preferences, fancies, fantasies, strong insistences and eliminate the mental and vital ego’s pressure which sets the consciousness to work in the service of its own claims and desires.” Letters on Yoga
torture ::: n. 1. Infliction of severe physical pain as a means of punishment, coercion or malevolent purpose. 2. Excruciating physical or mental pain; agony. self-torture. *v. *3. To bring great physical or mental pain upon another. tortures.
transcendent ::: Sri Aurobindo: "A Transcendent who is beyond all world and all Nature and yet possesses the world and its nature, who has descended with something of himself into it and is shaping it into that which as yet it is not, is the Source of our being, the Source of our works and their Master. But the seat of the Transcendent Consciousness is above in an absoluteness of divine Existence — and there too is the absolute Power, Truth, Bliss of the Eternal — of which our mentality can form no conception and of which even our greatest spiritual experience is only a diminished reflection in the spiritualised mind and heart, a faint shadow, a thin derivate. Yet proceeding from it there is a sort of golden corona of Light, Power, Bliss and Truth — a divine Truth-Consciousness as the ancient mystics called it, a Supermind, a Gnosis, with which this world of a lesser consciousness proceeding by Ignorance is in secret relation and which alone maintains it and prevents it from falling into a disintegrated chaos.” *The Synthesis of Yoga
"The Transcendent, the Universal, the Individual are three powers overarching, underlying and penetrating the whole manifestation; this is the first of the Trinities. In the unfolding of consciousness also, these are the three fundamental terms and none of them can be neglected if we would have the experience of the whole Truth of existence. Out of the individual we wake into a vaster freer cosmic consciousness; but out of the universal too with its complex of forms and powers we must emerge by a still greater self-exceeding into a consciousness without limits that is founded on the Absolute.” The Synthesis of Yoga
"We see then that there are three terms of the one existence, transcendent, universal and individual, and that each of these always contains secretly or overtly the two others. The Transcendent possesses itself always and controls the other two as the basis of its own temporal possibilities; that is the Divine, the eternal all-possessing God-consciousness, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, which informs, embraces, governs all existences. The human being is here on earth the highest power of the third term, the individual, for he alone can work out at its critical turning-point that movement of self-manifestation which appears to us as the involution and evolution of the divine consciousness between the two terms of the Ignorance and the Knowledge.” The Life Divine
The Transcendent
This is what is termed the Adya Shakti; she is the Supreme Consciousness and Power above the universe and it is by her that all the Gods are manifested, and even the supramental Ishwara comes into manifestation through her — the supramental Purushottama of whom the Gods are Powers and Personalities.” Letters on Yoga
**Transcendent"s.**
triple heavens ::: Sri Aurobindo: "Vishnu is the wide-moving one. He is that which has gone abroad — as it is put in the language of the Isha Upanishad, sa paryagât, — triply extending himself as Seer, Thinker and Former, in the superconscient Bliss, in the heaven of mind, in the earth of the physical consciousness, tredhâ vicakramânah. In those three strides he has measured out, he has formed in all their extension the earthly worlds; for in the Vedic idea the material world which we inhabit is only one of several steps leading to and supporting the vital and mental worlds beyond. In those strides he supports upon the earth and mid-world, — the earth the material, the mid-world the vital realms of Vayu, Lord of the dynamic Life-principle, — the triple heaven and its three luminous summits, trîni rocanâ. These heavens the Rishi describes as the higher seat of the fulfilling. Earth, the mid-world and heaven are the triple place of the conscious being"s progressive self-fulfilling, trishadhastha, earth the lower seat, the vital world the middle, heaven the higher. All these are contained in the threefold movement of Vishnu.” The Secret of the Veda
triune ::: “In other words, that which has thrown itself out into forms is a triune Existence-Consciousness-Bliss, Sachchidananda, whose consciousness is in its nature a creative or rather a self-expressive Force capable of infinite variation in phenomenon and form of its self-conscious being and endlessly enjoying the delight of that variation.” The Life Divine
truth-Consciousness ::: Sri Aurobindo: "The Truth-Consciousness is everywhere present in the universe as an ordering self-knowledge by which the One manifests the harmonies of its infinite potential multiplicity.” *The Life Divine
Two consciousnesses ::: A lime must come for every seeker of complete self-knowledge when he is aware of living in two worlds, two consciousnesses at the same lime, two parts of the same existence. At present he lives in the outer self, but he will go more and more inward, till the position is reversed and he lives within in this new inner consciousness, inner self and feels the outer as something on the surface formed as an instrumental personality for the inner's self-expression in the material world.
unborn ::: “By attaining to the Unborn beyond all becoming we are liberated from this lower birth and death; by accepting the Becoming freely as the Divine, we invade mortality with the immortal beatitude and become luminous centres of its conscious self-expression in humanity.” The Life Divine
unconsciousness ::: “What we call unconsciousness is simply other-consciousness; it is the going in of this surface wave of our mental awareness of outer objects into our subliminal self-awareness and into our awareness too of other planes of existence. We are really no more unconscious when we are asleep or stunned or drugged or ``dead’’ or in any other state, than when we are plunged in inner thought oblivious of our physical selves and our surroundings. For anyone who has advanced even a little way in Yoga, this is a most elementary proposition and one which offers no difficulty whatever to the thought because it is proved at every point by experience.” The Synthesis of Yoga
uncreated ::: 1. Not brought into existence by a special act of creation; of a self-existent or eternal nature. 2. Not created; not brought into being. uncreating.
view ::: 1. Sight; vision. 2. Range of sight or vision. 3. A particular way of looking at something. 4. An individual and personal perception, judgment, or interpretation; an opinion. 5. A sight afforded of something from a position stated or qualified. self-view.
“Vishnu is the wide-moving one. He is that which has gone abroad—as it is put in the language of the Isha Upanishad, sa paryagât,—triply extending himself as Seer, Thinker and Former, in the superconscient Bliss, in the heaven of mind, in the earth of the physical consciousness, tredhâ vicakramânah. In those three strides he has measured out, he has formed in all their extension the earthly worlds; for in the Vedic idea the material world which we inhabit is only one of several steps leading to and supporting the vital and mental worlds beyond. In those strides he supports upon the earth and mid-world,—the earth the material, the mid-world the vital realms of Vayu, Lord of the dynamic Life-principle,—the triple heaven and its three luminous summits, trîni rocanâ. These heavens the Rishi describes as the higher seat of the fulfilling. Earth, the mid-world and heaven are the triple place of the conscious being’s progressive self-fulfilling, trishadhastha, earth the lower seat, the vital world the middle, heaven the higher. All these are contained in the threefold movement of Vishnu.” The Secret of the Veda
vision ::: 1. The mystical experience of seeing as if with the eyes the supernatural or a supernatural being. 2. A mystical insight. 3. Ability to see or conceive what might be attempted or achieved. 4. The faculty of sight; eyesight. 5. Something that is or has been seen. 6. A person, scene, etc., of extraordinary beauty. **Vision, vision"s, Vision"s, visions, All-vision, earth-vision, God-vision"s, seer-vision"s, self-vision, soul-vision, stress-vision, vision-plans.
We become part of it. Our own mind, life, body become to us only its habitation and temple, a form of its wwlang and an instrument of its self-expression. All is only soul and body of this delight.
—we may compare the action of the Higher Mind to a composed and steady sunshine, the energy of the Illumined Mind beyond it to an outpouring of massive lightnings of flaming sun-stuff. Still beyond can be met a yet greater power of the Truth-Force, an intimate and exact Truth-vision, Truth-thought, Truth-sense, Truth-feeling, Truth-action, to which we can give in a special sense the name of Intuition; for though we have applied that word for want of a better to any supra-intellectual direct way of knowing, yet what we actually know as intuition is only one special movement of self-existent knowledge. This new range is its origin; it imparts to our intuitions something of its own distinct character and is very clearly an intermediary of a greater Truth-Light with which our mind cannot directly communicate. At the source of this Intuition we discover a superconscient cosmic Mind in direct contact with the supramental Truth-Consciousness, an original intensity determinant of all movements below it and all mental energies,—not Mind as we know it, but an Overmind that covers as with the wide wings of some creative Oversoul this whole lower hemisphere of Knowledge-Ignorance, links it with that greater Truth-Consciousness while yet at the same time with its brilliant golden Lid it veils the face of the greater Truth from our sight, intervening with its flood of infinite possibilities as at once an obstacle and a passage in our seeking of the spiritual law of our existence, its highest aim, its secret Reality. This then is the occult link we were looking for; this is the Power that at once connects and divides the supreme Knowledge and the cosmic Ignorance….
“We may rely, if on nothing else, on the evolutionary urge and, if on no other greater hidden Power, on the manifest working and drift or intention in the World-Energy we call Nature to carry mankind at least as far as the necessary next step to be taken, a self-preserving next step: for the necessity is there, at least some general recognition of it has been achieved and of the thing to which it must eventually lead the idea has been born and the body of it is already calling for its creation.” The Human Cycle, etc.
"We might say then that there are three elements in the totality of our being: there is the submental and the subconscient which appears to us as if it were inconscient, comprising the material basis and a good part of our life and body; there is the subliminal, which comprises the inner being, taken in its entirety of inner mind, inner life, inner physical with the soul or psychic entity supporting them; there is this waking consciousness which the subliminal and the subconscient throw up on the surface, a wave of their secret surge. But even this is not an adequate account of what we are; for there is not only something deep within behind our normal self-awareness, but something also high above it: that too is ourselves, other than our surface mental personality, but not outside our true self; that too is a country of our spirit. For the subliminal proper is no more than the inner being on the level of the Knowledge-Ignorance luminous, powerful and extended indeed beyond the poor conception of our waking mind, but still not the supreme or the whole sense of our being, not its ultimate mystery.” The Life Divine
“We might say then that there are three elements in the totality of our being: there is the submental and the subconscient which appears to us as if it were inconscient, comprising the material basis and a good part of our life and body; there is the subliminal, which comprises the inner being, taken in its entirety of inner mind, inner life, inner physical with the soul or psychic entity supporting them; there is this waking consciousness which the subliminal and the subconscient throw up on the surface, a wave of their secret surge. But even this is not an adequate account of what we are; for there is not only something deep within behind our normal self-awareness, but something also high above it: that too is ourselves, other than our surface mental personality, but not outside our true self; that too is a country of our spirit. For the subliminal proper is no more than the inner being on the level of the Knowledge-Ignorance luminous, powerful and extended indeed beyond the poor conception of our waking mind, but still not the supreme or the whole sense of our being, not its ultimate mystery.” The Life Divine
“We see then that there are three terms of the one existence, transcendent, universal and individual, and that each of these always contains secretly or overtly the two others. The Transcendent possesses itself always and controls the other two as the basis of its own temporal possibilities; that is the Divine, the eternal all-possessing God-consciousness, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, which informs, embraces, governs all existences. The human being is here on earth the highest power of the third term, the individual, for he alone can work out at its critical turning-point that movement of self-manifestation which appears to us as the involution and evolution of the divine consciousness between the two terms of the Ignorance and the Knowledge.” The Life Divine
". . . what is this strongly separative self-experience that we call ego? It is nothing fundamentally real in itself but only a practical constitution of our consciousness devised to centralise the activities of Nature in us. We perceive a formation of mental, physical, vital experience which distinguishes itself from the rest of being, and that is what we think of as ourselves in nature — this individualisation of being in becoming. We then proceed to conceive of ourselves as something which has thus individualised itself and only exists so long as it is individualised, — a temporary or at least a temporal becoming; or else we conceive of ourselves as someone who supports or causes the individualisation, an immortal being perhaps but limited by its individuality. This perception and this conception constitute our ego-sense.” The Life Divine
“… what is this strongly separative self-experience that we call ego? It is nothing fundamentally real in itself but only a practical constitution of our consciousness devised to centralise the activities of Nature in us. We perceive a formation of mental, physical, vital experience which distinguishes itself from the rest of being, and that is what we think of as ourselves in nature—this individualisation of being in becoming. We then proceed to conceive of ourselves as something which has thus individualised itself and only exists so long as it is individualised,—a temporary or at least a temporal becoming; or else we conceive of ourselves as someone who supports or causes the individualisation, an immortal being perhaps but limited by its individuality. This perception and this conception constitute our ego-sense.” The Life Divine
"What we have called specifically the Mind of Light is indeed the last of a series of descending planes of consciousness in which the Supermind veils itself by a self-chosen limitation or modification of its self-manifesting activities, but its essential character remains the same: there is in it an action of light, of truth, of knowledge in which inconscience, ignorance and error claim no place.” Essays in Philosophy and Yoga*
“What we have called specifically the Mind of Light is indeed the last of a series of descending planes of consciousness in which the Supermind veils itself by a self-chosen limitation or modification of its self-manifesting activities, but its essential character remains the same: there is in it an action of light, of truth, of knowledge in which inconscience, ignorance and error claim no place.” Essays in Philosophy and Yoga
"What we mean by Spirit is self-existent being with an infinite power of consciousness and unconditioned delight in its being.” Essays on the Gita
“What we mean by Spirit is self-existent being with an infinite power of consciousness and unconditioned delight in its being.” Essays on the Gita
When the human ego realises that its will is a tool, its wisdom ignorance and childishness, its power an infant’s groping, its virtue a pretentious impurity, and learns to trust itself to that which transcends it, that is its salvation. The apparent freedom and self-assertion of our personal being to which we arc so profoundly attached, conceal a most pitiable subjection to a thousand suggestions, impulsions, forces which we have made extraneous to our little person. Our ego, boasting of freedom, is at every moment the slave, toy and puppet of countless beings, powers, forces, influences in uniwrsal Nature. The self-abnega- tion of the ego in the Divine is its self-fulfilment ; its surrender to that which transcends it is its liberation from bonds and limits and its perfect freedom.
will, free ::: Sri Aurobindo: Our notion of free will is apt to be tainted with the excessive individualism of the human ego and to assume the figure of an independent will acting on its own isolated account, in a complete liberty without any determination other than its own choice and single unrelated movement. This idea ignores the fact that our natural being is a part of cosmic Nature and our spiritual being exists only by the supreme Transcendence. Our total being can rise out of subjection to fact of present Nature only by an identification with a greater Truth and a greater Nature. The will of the individual, even when completely free, could not act in an isolated independence, because the individual being and nature are included in the universal Being and Nature and dependent on the all-overruling Transcendence. There could indeed be in the ascent a dual line. On one line the being could feel and behave as an independent self-existence uniting itself with its own impersonal Reality; it could, so self-conceived, act with a great force, but either this action would be still within an enlarged frame of its past and present self-formation of power of Nature or else it would be the cosmic or supreme Force that acted in it and there would be no personal initiation of action, no sense therefore of individual free will but only of an impersonal cosmic or supreme Will or Energy at its work. On the other line the being would feel itself a spiritual instrument and so act as a power of the Supreme Being, limited in its workings only by the potencies of the Supernature, which are without bounds or any restriction except its own Truth and self-law, and by the Will in her. But in either case there would be, as the condition of a freedom from the control of a mechanical action of Nature-forces, a submission to a greater conscious Power or an acquiescent unity of the individual being with its intention and movement in his own and in the world"s existence.” *The Life Divine
will, self ::: Sri Aurobindo: "Self-will in thought and action has, we have already seen, to be quite renounced if we would be perfect in the way of divine works; it has equally to be renounced if we are to be perfect in divine knowledge. This self-will means an egoism in the mind which attaches itself to its preferences, its habits, its past or present formations of thought and view and will because it regards them as itself or its own, weaves around them the delicate threads of I-ness'' andmy-ness"" and lives in them like a spider in its web. It hates to be disturbed, as a spider hates attack on its web, and feels foreign and unhappy if transplanted to fresh view-points and formations as a spider feels foreign in another web than its own. This attachment must be entirely excised from the mind.” *The Synthesis of Yoga
winged ::: 1. Having wings or wing like appendages. 2. Moving or reaching swiftly on or as if on wings. 3. Fig. Swift; fleet. 4. Elevated or lofty. Also in numerous parasynthetic compounds, as strong-winged, swift-winged, white-winged, etc. blue-winged, eagle-winged, fire-winged, great-winged, high-winged, hue-winged, pearl-winged, puissant-winged, self-winged, seraph-winged, silver-winged, snow-winged, soft-winged, storm-winged, swift-winged, wide-winged. winged marvel
world-energy ::: Sri Aurobindo: "We may rely, if on nothing else, on the evolutionary urge and, if on no other greater hidden Power, on the manifest working and drift or intention in the World-Energy we call Nature to carry mankind at least as far as the necessary next step to be taken, a self-preserving next step: for the necessity is there, at least some general recognition of it has been achieved and of the thing to which it must eventually lead the idea has been born and the body of it is already calling for its creation.” *The Human Cycle, etc.
world-ignorance ::: Sri Aurobindo: "Our self-ignorance and our world-ignorance can only grow towards integral self-knowledge and integral world-knowledge in proportion as our limited ego and its half-blind consciousness open to a greater inner existence and consciousness and a true self-being and become aware too of the not-self outside it also as self, — on one side a Nature constituent of our own nature, on the other an Existence which is a boundless continuation of our own self-being. Our being has to break the walls of ego-consciousness which it has created, it has to extend itself beyond its body and inhabit the body of the universe.” The Life Divine
world-knowledge ::: Sri Aurobindo: "The integral Knowledge is something that is already there in the integral Reality: it is not a new or still non-existent thing that has to be created, acquired, learned, invented or built up by the mind; it must rather be discovered or uncovered, it is a Truth that is self-revealed to a spiritual endeavour: for it is there veiled in our deeper and greater self; it is the very stuff of our own spiritual consciousness, and it is by awaking to it even in our surface self that we have to possess it. There is an integral self-knowledge that we have to recover and, because the world-self also is our self, an integral world-knowledge. A knowledge that can be learned or constructed by the mind exists and has its value, but that is not what is meant when we speak of the Knowledge and the Ignorance.” *The Life Divine
"Yet there is still the unknown underlying Oneness which compels us to strive slowly towards some form of harmony, of interdependence, of concording of discords, of a difficult unity. But it is only by the evolution in us of the concealed superconscient powers of cosmic Truth and of the Reality in which they are one that the harmony and unity we strive for can be dynamically realised in the very fibre of our being and all its self-expression and not merely in imperfect attempts, incomplete constructions, ever-changing approximations.” The Life Divine*
“Yet there is still the unknown underlying Oneness which compels us to strive slowly towards some form of harmony, of interdependence, of concording of discords, of a difficult unity. But it is only by the evolution in us of the concealed superconscient powers of cosmic Truth and of the Reality in which they are one that the harmony and unity we strive for can be dynamically realised in the very fibre of our being and all its self-expression and not merely in imperfect attempts, incomplete constructions, ever-changing approximations.” The Life Divine
KEYS (10k)
95 Sri Ramana Maharshi
13 Sri Ramana Maharshi
10 Epictetus
9 Tao Te Ching
6 The Mother
5 Michel de Montaigne
5 Albert Camus
5 Jalaluddin Rumi
4 Tolstoi
4 Ralph Waldo Emerson
4 Franz Kafka
4 Sri Aurobindo
4 Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
4 Dogen Zenji
4 Confucius
3 Shunryu Suzuki
3 Leo Tolstoy
3 George Bernard Shaw
3 Bhagavad Gita
3 Anonymous
3 Albert Einstein
3 Sri Ramakrishna
3 Saint Thomas Aquinas
2 William Blake
2 Whitman
2 Wei Wu Wei
2 Thomas Keating
2 SWAMI TRIGUNATITANANDA
2 Soren Kierkegaard
2 Saint Ignatius of Loyola
2 Robert Adams
2 Quetzalcoatl
2 Miyamoto Musashi
2 Maya Angelou
2 Marcus Aurelius
2 Ludwig Wittgenstein
2 Lao-Tse
2 Khalil Gibran
2 Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
2 Jinul
2 Jalaluddin Rumi
2 Hakuin Ekaku
2 Gurdjieff
2 Georg C Lichtenberg
2 Friedrich Nietzsche
2 C S Lewis
2 Chu-King
2 Buddha
2 Bruce Lee
2 Bill Hicks
2 Al-Jilani
2 Swami Vivekananda
2 Lao Tzu
2 Heraclitus
1 Zen Master So Sahn
1 Yoga Vasistha
1 Yajnavalkya
1 William James
1 William Faulkner
1 Walter White
1 Voltaire
1 Unknown
1 Udanavarga
1 Tōyō Eichō
1 Tolstoy
1 Thought for the Day
1 the Temple of Apollo at Delphi
1 The Avadhuta Gita
1 Thales
1 Teilhard de Chardin
1 Taizan Maezumi
1 Taittiriya Upanishad
1 Taigu Ryokan
1 Swami Turiyananda
1 Swami Sivananda
1 Swami Saradananda
1 SWAMI PREMANANDA
1 Swami Chinmayananda
1 Suzanne Segal
1 Sun Tzu
1 St. Vincent de Paul
1 St. Paul
1 Stephen Covey
1 Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
1 Sri Sarada Devi
1 Sri Ramakrishsa
1 Sophocles
1 Socrates
1 Sine.wav
1 Shigeru Mizuno
1 Sheila M. Burke
1 Shantideva
1 Seneca
1 Sathya Sai Baba
1 Samuel Taylor Coleridge
1 Salvador Dali
1 Saint Vincent Ferrer
1 Saint Therese of Lisieux
1 Saint Peter Chrysologus
1 Saint Pedro Pio
1 Saint John Chrysostom
1 Saint Gregory the Great
1 Saint Catherine of Sweden
1 Saint Catherine of Siena
1 Saint Ambrose of Milan
1 Saint Ambrose
1 Rodney Collin
1 Robert M. Pirsig
1 Robert Louis Stevenson
1 Robert Burton
1 Rilke
1 Rick Riordan
1 Richard P Feynman
1 René Descartes
1 Ramesh Balsekar
1 Rainer Maria Rilke
1 Plautus
1 Pinocchio
1 Philokalia
1 Philip Arnold
1 Peter J Carroll
1 Pema Chodron
1 Paulo Coelho
1 Oscar Wilde
1 Og Mandino
1 Novalis
1 Noah Kagan
1 Nikola Tesla
1 Niels Bohr
1 "Mystic Wisdom: Rosicrucian Order AMORC"
1 MOTHER MIRA
1 Michael Jordan
1 Martin Cruz Smith
1 Mark 8
1 Ma Jaya
1 Mahatma Gandhi
1 Maggie Stiefvater
1 Madharata
1 Ludwig Von Mises
1 Lucan
1 Linus Torvalds
1 Lewis Carroll
1 Leviticus XIX. 18
1 Let yourself dissolve.
1 Lao-Tse-35
1 Lao-tse
1 Kurt Vonnegut
1 Koun Yamada
1 Koran
1 Khail Gibran
1 Karen Maezen Miller
1 Kant
1 Kamal Ravikant
1 Kaivaiya Upanishad
1 Joyce Carol Oates
1 Joseph Campbell
1 Jonathan Safran Foer
1 John Steinbeck
1 John Muir
1 John Milton
1 John Donne
1 Jim Rohn
1 Jiddu Krishnamurti
1 Jetsun Milarepa
1 Jac O'Keeffe
1 Jack Kornfield
1 Isaac Asimov
1 Inscription on the Catacombs
1 Ingrid Bergman
1 Immanuel Kant
1 Imitation of Christ
1 id
1 Hui Hai
1 Hippocrates
1 Hermes
1 Hermann Hesse
1 Heraclitus
1 Helen Keller
1 GG
1 Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel
1 George Harrison
1 George Foreman
1 Fyodor Dostoyevsky
1 Fyodor Dostoevsky
1 Ferdinand Ulrich
1 Federico Garcia Lorca
1 Erik Erikson
1 Emily Brontë
1 Emanuel Swedenborg
1 Elizabeth I
1 Eliphas Levi
1 Edgar Cayce
1 D.T. Suzuki
1 Doug Dillon
1 Dion Fortune
1 Diane Von Furstenberg
1 Democritus
1 Deepak Chopra
1 Cullen Hightower
1 C.S. Lewis
1 Claudio Naranjo
1 Chogyam Trungpa
1 Chinese Maxims
1 Charles Dickens
1 CErsted
1 Carl Jung
1 Buddhist Texts
1 Buddhist Proverb
1 Book of Golden Precepts
1 Booker T. Washington
1 Boethius
1 Binavi Badakhshani 13th century(?) Sufi poet.
1 Bhagavad Gita XII. 11
1 Benoît Mandelbrot
1 Baron de Montesquieu
1 Aubrey de Grey
1 Attar of Nishapur
1 Ashtavakra-Gita
1 Anon.
1 Anne Campbell
1 Annamalai Swami
1 Anandamayi Ma
1 Anais Nin
1 Ambrose of Milan
1 Aldous Huxley
1 Alan Wilson
1 Alan Watts
1 Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj
1 Saint Augustine of Hippo
1 Pythagoras
1 Plotinus
1 Plato
1 Paracelsus
1 Leonardo da Vinci
1 Jorge Luis Borges
1 Jetsun Milarepa
1 Hafiz
1 Bodhidharma
1 Aristotle
1 Aleister Crowley
1 Adyashanti
1 A Chinese Buddhist Inscription
1 Abraham Maslow
1 1 John 3:2-3
NEW FULL DB (2.4M)
28 Sri Ramana Maharshi
27 Anonymous
26 Rumi
12 Plato
9 William Shakespeare
8 Bob Marley
8 Bob Dylan
7 Socrates
7 Rupi Kaur
7 George Herbert
7 C S Lewis
6 Suzanne Collins
6 Mason Cooley
6 Laozi
6 Jane Austen
6 Chuck Palahniuk
6 Bruce Lee
5 Toba Beta
5 Sun Tzu
5 Stephen Richards
1:You are Self. ~ Anandamayi Ma, #KEYS
2:Be patient and devoted to your self. ~ Robert Burton, #KEYS
3:Humility is the forgetfulness of self. ~ Thomas Keating, #KEYS
4:Unabidance in the ego, is abidance in the Self. ~ Ramesh Balsekar, #KEYS
5:Until you know nothing you will never know Self. ~ Ashtavakra-Gita, 16.11, #KEYS
6:Are you not the Self? Why trouble about other matters? ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
7:The first and best victory is to conquer self.
~ Plato,#KEYS
8:Trust your Self, then you will know how to live. ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, #KEYS
9:Seek the real, the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
10:Truth is that of the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
11:We are in our Self. We are not in the world. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi #KEYS
12:One cannot deny one's own Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
13:Everything is within one's Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
14:How can the self not know the Self? ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
15:Is there anyone unaware of the Self? ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
16:That which is Bliss is also the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
17:Time and space cannot affect the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
18:Grace is within you. Grace is the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
19:What is there apart from one's own Self? ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
20:You cannot by any means escape the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
21:It [the Heart] is the center of the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
22:Many a book is like a key to unknown chambers within the castle of one's own self.
~ Franz Kafka,#KEYS
23:No aids are needed to know one's own Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
24:No effort is needed to remain as the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
25:Seeing the world, the jnani sees the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
26:What is, is the Self. It is all-pervading. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
27:There is no me, no you, no manifold world; All is the Self, and the Self alone. ~ The Avadhuta Gita, #KEYS
28:No one is free that has not obtained the empire of their self. ~ Pythagoras, #KEYS
29:We are in our Self. We are not in the world. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
30:Dive deep in the Heart and remain as the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
31:What can anyone know without knowing the Self? ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
32:Dive consciously into the Self, into the heart. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
33:There is only one Master, and that is the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
34:Do not even for a moment lose sight of the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
35:There is no difference between God, Guru and Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
36:We are always the Self. Only, we don't realize it. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
37:Grace is within you; Grace is the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, Talks, 251, #KEYS
38:To remain quiet is to resolve the mind in the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
39:You are always that Self and nothing but that Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
40:There is but one cause of human failure. And that is man's lack of faith in his true Self.
~ William James,#KEYS
41:Open your heart and see the world through the eyes of the true Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi #KEYS
42:Give yourself the gift of your true self. ~ Jinul, @BashoSociety #KEYS
43:Do not forget the covenant. Struggle with your lower self. Either you ride it, or it will ride you. ~ Al-Jilani, #KEYS
44:Perfect Bliss is Brahman. Perfect Peace is of the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
45:When the mind comes out of the Self, the world appears. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
46:Little by little, through patience and repeated effort, the mind will become stilled in the Self. ~ Bhagavad Gita, #KEYS
47:Call it by any name, God, Self, the Heart, or the Seat of Consciousness, it is all the same. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
48:If you can hold on to this knowledge 'I am Self' at all times, no further practice is necessary. ~ Annamalai Swami, #KEYS
49:The sage does not 'know' the Self, because he is the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
50:Time and space are within us. You are always in your Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
51:Give yourself the gift of your true self.
~ Jinul, @BashoSociety#KEYS
52:Grace is in the beginning, middle and end. Grace is the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
53:Let us cherish that Self, which is the Reality, in the Heart. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
54:There is no difference between God, Guru and Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, Talks, 198, #KEYS
55:The thoughts change but not you. Let go the passing thoughts and hold on to the unchanging Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
56:The Atman, Self, is the same as Brahman, the Lord. ~ Swami Vivekananda, (C.W. VIII. 100), #KEYS
57:Giving one self up to God, means constantly remembering the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
58:Knowledge of the Self, which knows all, is Knowledge in perfection. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
59:If you keep hold of your Self, you will not see the objective world. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
60:Once we admit our existence, how is it that we do not know our Self? ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
61:The Self is pure consciousness. No one can ever be away from the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
62:Ignorance is nothing but a superimposition of the non-self. The destruction of ignorance is liberation. ~ SRI ADI SHANKARACHARYA, #KEYS
63:God or Guru never forsakes the devotee who has surrendered him [her] self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
64:How few are they who can attain samadhi and rid themselves of this aham, this self! ~ Sri Ramakrishna, #KEYS
65:Want what you have, and then you can have what you want." ~ Frederick Dodson, from his book, " Parallel Universes of Self,", (2017), #KEYS
66:If you know the Self, there will be no darkness, no ignorance and no misery. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
67:Meditation on the Self, which is oneself, is the greatest of all meditations. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
68:You are the Self. Was there ever a time when you were not aware of that Self? ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
69:Look within. See the Self! There will be an end of the world and its miseries. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
70:Whether one has surrendered or not, one has never been separate from the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
71:Drop the craving for self, for permanence, for particular circumstances, and go straight ahead with the movement of life." ~ Alan Watts, #KEYS
72:In the heart of the Jnana, all is like a dream -- one remains absorbed in his own self. ~ Sri Ramakrishna, #KEYS
73:The questioner must admit the existence of his Self. 'I am' is the realization. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
74:Things that happen during the wakeful, dream and sleep states do not affect you at all; you remain your own Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
75:One must test oneself from time to time to see whether one has conquered the lower self. ~ Sri Ramakrishna, #KEYS
76:That which rises and sets is the ego; that which remains changeless is the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
77:You are always the Self. Earnest efforts never fail. Success is bound to result. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
78:He answered: "...wherever I did not see my own self." ~ Shaikh Abul-Hasan Kharqani, @Sufi_Path #KEYS
79:There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow men. True nobility lies in being superior to your former self. ~ Ernest Hemingway, #KEYS
80:Is there anyone who is not realizing the Self? Does anyone deny his own existence? ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
81:There is no goal to be reached. There is nothing to be attained. You are the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
82:Whatever form your enquiry may take, you must finally come to the one I, the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
83:Happiness is the very nature of the Self; happiness and the Self are not different. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
84:Knowing the Self is being the Self, and being means existence, one's own existence. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
85:One's own self is well hidden from one's own self. Of all the mines of treasure, one's own is the last to be dug up." ~ Friedrich Nietzsche, #KEYS
86:The Self is all-comprising. In fact Self is all. There is nothing besides the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
87:If you give up all else and seek Him alone, He alone will remain as the I, the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
88:Those who have discovered great Truths have done so in the still depths of the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
89:Thoughts change but not you. Let go of the passing thoughts and hold on to the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
90:Peace prevails only in the transcendental state, which is the true state of the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
91:See who you are and remain as the Self, free from birth, going, coming and returning. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
92:What are the obstacles which hinder realization of the Self? They are habits of mind. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
93:Peace is always present. Get rid of the disturbances to Peace. This Peace is the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
94:The mind does not exist apart from the Self, that is, it has no independent existence. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
95:To study the self is to forget the self. To forget the self is to be enlightened by the ten thousand things. ~ Dogen Zenji, #KEYS
96:Assent to thy high self, create, endure.
~ Sri Aurobindo, Savitri, The Vision and the Boon,#KEYS
97:Self is always there. One seeks to destroy the obstacles to the revelation of the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
98:The Jiva is a spirit and self, superior to Nature. ~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, The Release from the Ego, #KEYS
99:Only one's own awareness is direct knowledge. No aids are needed to know one's own Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
100:When you see the Seer, you merge in the Self, you become one with it; that is the heart. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
101:Grace is the Self. That also is not to be acquired; you only need to know that it exists. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
102:Happiness and misery are only in the senses, they cannot touch our real Self. ~ Swami Vivekananda, (C.W. VIII. 10), #KEYS
103:Keep an open mind, dive within and find out the Self. The truth will itself dawn upon you. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
104:The best discipline is to stay quiescent without ever forgetting Him [Her] (God, the Self). ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
105:The deep contemplative thought of the Self, constitutes self-surrender to the Supreme Lord. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
106:What could be more concrete than the Self? It is within each one's experience every moment. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
107:Call it by any name, God, Self, the Heart, or the Seat of Consciousness, it is all the same. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
108:The idea of time is only in your mind. It is not in the Self. There is no time for the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
109:The seer and the seen are the Self. There are not many selves either. All are only one Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
110:When the source of the 'I thought' is reached it vanishes and what remains over is the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
111:All is one in self, but all is variation in the phenomenon. ~ Sri Aurobindo, Essays on the Gita, The Divine Truth and Way, #KEYS
112:Man's mind is the dupe of his animal self. ~ Sri Aurobindo, Collected Poems, A God's Labour, #KEYS
113:Wherever the mind wanders, restless and diffuse in its search for satisfaction without, lead it within; train it to rest in the Self. ~ Bhagavat Gita, #KEYS
114:All choices can be broken down to two choices: The choice for fear or the choice for love." ~ Frederick Dodson, "Parallel Universes of Self,", (2006)., #KEYS
115:Seeking the ego, ego disappears. What is left over is the Self. This method is the direct one. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
116:Perfect bliss is Brahman. Perfect peace is of the Self. That alone exists and is consciousness. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
117:The two marks of an intense love for God are a forgetfulness of this world and a forgetfulness of self. ~ Sri Ramakrishna, #KEYS
118:Each of our good thoughts tears the veil behind which appears the pure, the infinite, God, our self. ~ Swami Vivekananda, #KEYS
119:The purpose of philosophy is to turn you inward. If you know your Self, no evil can come to you. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
120:We imagine that we will realize that Self some time, whereas we are never anything but the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
121:Having realized the Self, nothing remains to be known because it is perfect Bliss, it is the All. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
122:I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies, for the hardest victory is over self. ~ Aristotle, #KEYS
123:By directly inquiring, "Who AM I?" ... 'I' reveals itself as the Perfect Being, the Absolute Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
124:Having realized the Self, nothing remains to be known, because it is perfect Bliss, it is the All. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
125:If we cannot define the Eternal, we can unify ourselves with it. ~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, The Modes of the Self, #KEYS
126:The Lord is there, not only in that self, but in Nature. ~ Sri Aurobindo, Essays on the Gita, The Fullness of Spiritual Action, #KEYS
127:A devotee concentrates on God; a seeker seeks the Self. The practice is equally difficult for both. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
128:Aspiring he transcends his earthly self. ~ Sri Aurobindo, Savitri, The Parable of the Search for the Soul, #KEYS
129:I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is over self.
~ Aristotle,#KEYS
130:There is only one Self. That Self is always aware. It is changeless. There is nothing but the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
131:If one gains the Peace of the Self, it will spread without any effort on the part of the individual. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
132:Keep an open mind, dive within and find out the Self. The truth will itself dawn upon you. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, Talks, 63 #KEYS
133:The man of Tao remains unknown. Perfect virtue produces nothing. No self is True self. And the greatest man is nobody. ~ Chuang Tzu, #KEYS
134:The state we call Realization is simply being one's self, not knowing anything or becoming anything. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
135:He who turns inward with a calm mind to see where the consciousness of 'I' arises, realizes the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
136:The idea of the Self being the witness is only in the mind; it is not the absolute truth of the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
137:The mind, body, and world are not separate from the Self; and they cannot remain apart from the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
138:When the Self is sought, the mind is nowhere. Abiding in the Self, one need not worry about the mind. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
139:For we are always glad to have something to comfort us, and only with difficulty does a man divest himself of self. ~ Thomas A Kempis, The Imitation of Christ, #KEYS
140:When the mind is one with the deeper spirit, there results the absolute knowledge of the self. ~ Patanjali, the Eternal Wisdom #KEYS
141:The selfs must allow each self a shot at its goals in life, if you wish to achieve any sense of fulfillment and remain sane.
~ Peter J Carroll, Psyber Magick,#KEYS
142:You will understand all happiness comes only from the Self, and then you will always abide in the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
143:When the source of the 'I-throught' is reached it vanishes and what remains over is the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, Talks, 130, #KEYS
144:As one continues to abide as the Self, the experience 'I am the Supreme Spirit' grows and becomes natural. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
145:If you see the Self, the same will be found to be all, everywhere and always. Nothing but the Self exists. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
146:The idea of the ego makes the soul seem distinct from the Supreme Self. Really, there is no division between them. ~ Sri Ramakrishna, #KEYS
147:The Self is God. `I AM' is God. If God be apart from the Self, He must be a Selfless God, which is absurd. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
148:When you see the Seer himself [herself], you merge in the Self, you become one with it; that is the heart. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
149:Drink this wine, dying to self, You will be free from the spell of self. Then will your being as a drop, Fall into the ocean of the Eternal." ~ Mahmoud Shabestari, #KEYS
150:The consciousness which does not go out to know those things which are other than Self, alone is the Heart. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
151:There is no goal to be reached. There is nothing to be attained. You are the Self. You exist always." ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, (1879 - 1950) a Hindu sage, Wikipedia., #KEYS
152:There is no reaching the Self. If Self were to be reached, it would mean that the Self is not here and now. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
153:Selfishness is to live for oneself and not for something greater than the self. ~ Sri Aurobindo, Letters on Yoga - IV, Ego and Its Forms, #KEYS
154:What way is there except to draw in the mind as often as it strays or goes outward and to fix it in the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
155:Each of our good thoughts tears the veil behind which appears the pure, the infinite, God, our self. ~ Vivekananda, the Eternal Wisdom #KEYS
156:If it be true that the Self alone exists, it must be also true that all is the Self. ~ Sri Aurobindo, The Life Divine, Reality Omnipresent, #KEYS
157:If the earnest seeker would cultivate the constant and deep remembrance of the Self, that alone would suffice. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
158:One must lose one's little lower self to find the greater self. ~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, The Supermind and the Yoga of Works, #KEYS
159:Thoughts should be annihilated at the very place of their origin by the method of enquiry in quest of the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
160:How can the intellect, which can never reach the Self, be competent to ascertain the final state of Realization? ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
161:That still mind which is adorned with the attainment of the limitless supreme Self, alone is the reality of God. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
162:There is no other way to succeed than to draw the mind back every time it turns outwards and fix it in the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
163:In the silence and not in the thought we shall find the Self. ~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, The Release from the Heart and the Mind, #KEYS
164:The jnani knows all is of the Self. If there be pain let it be. It is also part of the Self. The Self is perfect. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
165:If we continuously contemplate the Self, all distraction would vanish; the pure Consciousness that remains is God. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
166:In the state of jnana, the jnani sees nothing separate from the Self. The Self is all shining and only pure jnana. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
167:The Self is known to everyone but not clearly. You always exist. The Be-ing is the Self. 'I am' is the name of God. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
168:The thoughts change but not you.
Let go the passing throughts and hold on to the unchanging Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, Talks, 524,#KEYS
169:Dive deep into the chambers of your heart. Find out the real, infinite 'I'. Rest there peacefully for ever and become identical with the Supreme Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
170:What does stillness mean? It means 'Destroy yourself'; because every name and form is the cause of trouble. 'I-I' is the Self. 'I am this' is the ego. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
171:By continuous investigation, the mind is transformed into That to which the 'I' refers; and that is in fact the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
172:If we would continuously contemplate the Self, the pure Consciousness that alone remains is God. This is Liberation.. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
173:Steady abidance in the Self, looking at all with an equal eye, unshakable courage at all times, in all circumstances. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
174:The answer is the same to all your questions. Whatever form your enquiry may take, you must finally come to the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
175:The Guru cannot give you anything new, which you have not already. We are always the Self. Only, we don't realize it. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
176:Thought is projected from the Self. Find out from where it rises. Thoughts will cease and the Self alone will remain. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
177:Believe in your self! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble, but reasonable confidence in your own powers, you cannot be successful or happy." ~ Norman Vincent Peale, #KEYS
178:The man who prays, the prayer, and the God to whom he prays all have reality only as manifestations of the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, [T5], #KEYS
179:There is nothing so simple as being the Self. It requires no effort. One has to be in his [her] eternal natural state. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
180:We go round and round in search of atma [Self] saying, `Where is atma? till at last we say, `This is atma this is me.' ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
181:When the world recedes from one's view, that is when one is free from thought - the mind enjoys the Bliss of the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
182:`Who am I to meditate on an object ?' Such a one must be told to find the Self. That is the finality. That is vichara. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
183:Our personality is never the same; it is a constant mutation and various combination. ~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, The Modes of the Self, #KEYS
184:When the 'I' is kept up as the 'I' only, it is the Self. When it flies off at a tangent and says, 'I am this or that. I am such and such', it is the ego. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
185:That man who seeth the self in all beings and all beings in the self, has no disdain for any thing that is. ~ Isha Upanishad, the Eternal Wisdom #KEYS
186:In the silence of the self there is no time—it is akāla. ~ Sri Aurobindo, Letters on Yoga - III, Experiences of the Self, the One and the Infinite, #KEYS
187:Look for the ego, and it vanishes. If you enquire, ignorance will be found to be non-existent. It is the mind which feels misery and darkness. See the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
188:Purified mind is one that is necessarily passive and open to the knowledge. ~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, The Realisation of the Cosmic Self, #KEYS
189:Self-knowledge of all kinds is on the straight path to the knowledge of the real Self. ~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, The Status of Knowledge, #KEYS
190:Thyself awaken thy self: then protected by thyself and discovering thy own deepest secret, thou shalt not change. ~ Hindu Wisdom, the Eternal Wisdom #KEYS
191:Good and evil are relative terms. There must be a subject to know the good and evil. That subject is the ego. Trace the source of the ego. It ends in the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
192:Know thyself and thou shalt know the non-self, the Lord of all. Ponder deeply and thou shalt know that there is no such thing as "I". ~ Sri Ramakrishna, #KEYS
193:When you give up thinking of outward objects and prevent your mind from going outwards by turning it inwards and fixing it in the Self, the Self alone remains. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
194:Who knows this ruler within, he knows the worlds and the gods and creatures and the Self, he knows all. ~ Mundaka Upanishad I.210., the Eternal Wisdom #KEYS
195:If your prayer is sincere, my Mother will respond to it, if you will only wait. Pray to Her if you want to realize Her impersonal self. ~ Sri Ramakrishna, #KEYS
196:The heart is Jnana, discrimination between the real and the unreal, leading up to Nirvikalpa Samadhi, the total effacement of the self. ~ Sri Ramakrishna, #KEYS
197:The only useful purpose of the present birth is to turn within and realise the Self.
There is nothing else to do. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, Talks, 219,#KEYS
198:In the hierarchy of our psychological functions the Thought is in a way nearest to this Self. ~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, The Object of Knowledge, #KEYS
199:Looking at you from within the Self, I never leave you.
How can this fact be known to your externalised vision? ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, Padamalai, 37,#KEYS
200:You are living within your shell. Expand! See yourself 'in all beings and all beings in your Self.' Expand until you reach the goal, which is to see the Self in all. ~ Swami Turiyananda, #KEYS
201:He who thus knows, "I am the Eternal", the gods themselves cannot make him other, for he is their own self. ~ Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, the Eternal Wisdom #KEYS
202:Liberation is attained only by one who has forgotten the self. Even when losing all ego, God may or may not come to take the place of ego. ~ Sri Ramakrishna, #KEYS
203:Climbed back from Time into undying Self,
~ Sri Aurobindo, Savitri, The Yoga of the King The Yoga of the Spirits Freedom and Greatness,#KEYS
204:If you cannot destroy the self, then let it be the servant. The self that knows itself as the servant/lover of God will do little mischief. ~ Sri Ramakrishna, #KEYS
205:To whom are these thoughts arising? To you. That means you are not the thought. You are the Self. Remain as the Self, and don't latch onto anything that is not the Self. ~ Annamalai Swami, #KEYS
206:Where are you now if not in the Self? Where should you go? The other activities throw a veil on you. All that is necessary is the stern belief that you are the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
207:How can you draw close to God when you are far from your own self? Grant, Lord, that I may know myself that I may know thee.
~ Saint Augustine of Hippo,#KEYS
208:O Lower self, which is better, the Garden of eternity or a glimpse of this world's unlawful bounty and its wretched, fleeting rubbish? ~ Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, #KEYS
209:This liberation is attained by him alone who has understood the lesson of complete disinterestedness and forgetfulness of self. ~ Ramakrishna, the Eternal Wisdom #KEYS
210:All that is necessary is the stern belief that you are the Self.
Say rather that the other activities throw a veil on you. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, Talks, 406,#KEYS
211:Learn the backward step that turns your light inward to illuminate your self. Body and mind of themselves will drop away, and your original face will be manifest. ~ Dogen Zenji, #KEYS
212:Meet you own self. Be with your own self, listen to it, obey it, cherish it, keep it in mind ceaselessly. You need no other guide. ~ Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, #KEYS
213:Renunciation of the world is followed by peace; its desire brings sorrow. Restrain your desires and discipline your self. ~ Rabia al-Adawiyya, @Sufi_Path #KEYS
214:One must begin by annihilating one's self, to be able to kindle within the Flame of existence and be admitted into the paths of Love. ~ Baha-ullah, the Eternal Wisdom #KEYS
215:Spirit and material existence are highest and lowest rung of an orderly and progressive series. ~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, The Realisation of the Cosmic Self, #KEYS
216:The central aim of Knowledge is the recovery of the Self, of our true self-existence. ~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, The Synthesis of the Disciplines of Knowledge, #KEYS
217:A perfect equality not only of the self, but in the nature is a condition of the Yoga of self-perfection. ~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, The Perfection of Equality, #KEYS
218:By turning the mind outwards, you have been seeing the world, the non-Self. If you turn it inwards you will see the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, Day by Day, 5-1-46, #KEYS
219:I encourage all you superior seekers in the secret depths to devote yourselves to penetrating and clarifying the self, as earnestly as you would put out a fire on the top of your head.
~ Hakuin Ekaku,#KEYS
220:The self is the master of the self, what other master wouldst thou have? A self well-controlled is a master one can get with difficulty. ~ Dhammapada, the Eternal Wisdom #KEYS
221:If to-day when thou art with thy self, thou knowest nothing, what wilt thou know tomorrow when thou shalt have passed out of this self? ~ Omar Khayyam, the Eternal Wisdom #KEYS
222:Self-knowledge and world-knowledge must be made one in the all-ensphering knowledge of the Brahman. ~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, The Realisation of the Cosmic Self, #KEYS
223:For integral self-possession we must be one not only with the Self, with God, but with all existences. ~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, The Realisation of the Cosmic Self, #KEYS
224:There Matter is the Spirit's firm density,
An artistry of glad outwardness of self. ~ Sri Aurobindo, Savitri, The House of the Spirit and the New Creation,#KEYS
225:By meditation the mind is further purified and it remains still without the least ripple. That calm expanse is the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, Maharshi's Gospel, B.1, Ch. 7, #KEYS
226:Whenever obstacles come on the path, think of them as 'not me'. Cultivate the attitude that the real you is beyond the reach of all troubles and obstacles. There are no obstacles for the Self. ~ Annamalai Swami, #KEYS
227:Soul-existence is the real Individuality which stands behind the constant mutations of the thing we call our personality. ~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, The Modes of the Self, #KEYS
228:It is necessarily through the individual Self that we must arrive at the One, for that is the basis of all our experience. ~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, The Modes of the Self, #KEYS
229:After camphor burns away no residue is left. The mind is the camphor. When it has resolved itself into the Self without leaving even the slightest trace behind, it is realization of the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
230:How dare you talk of helping the world? God alone can do that. First you must be made free from all sense of self; then the Divine Mother will give you a task to do. ~ Sri Ramakrishna, #KEYS
231:Impersonality belongs to the intellectual mind and the static self, personality to the soul and heart and dynamic being. ~ Sri Aurobindo, Letters on Yoga - I, The Divine and Its Aspects, #KEYS
232:The man who has conquered himself and is tranquillised, remains fixed in his highest self, whether in pleasure or pain, in honour or in disgrace. ~ Bhagavad Gita, the Eternal Wisdom #KEYS
233:The Self, (Atman) is not this, it is not that, (neti, neti)" ~ Brihadaranyaka Upanishad iv, iv, 22, (c. 700 BC), one of the Principal Upanishads and one of the oldest Upanishadic scriptures of Hinduism, Wikipedia., #KEYS
234:It is written in the great Law, "Before thou canst become a knower of the All-Self, thou must first b the knower of thine own self". ~ Book of the Golden Precepts, the Eternal Wisdom #KEYS
235:The self is master of the self; what other master can it have? The sage who has made himself master of himself, rends his bonds and breaks his chains. ~ Udanavarga, the Eternal Wisdom #KEYS
236:The Self, the Divine, the Supreme Reality, the All, the Transcendent, - the One in all aspects is then the object of Yogic knowledge.
~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, [T5],#KEYS
237:There substance was a resonant harp of self,
A net for the constant lightnings of the spirit, ~ Sri Aurobindo, Savitri, The House of the Spirit and the New Creation,#KEYS
238:Peeling off the layers of ego, emotions, and embedded thought patterns is not so easy. On account of maya, one is not conscious of the real Self. A seeker must start the search in earnest and begin digging. ~ SWAMI RAMA, #KEYS
239:The height of love is the rapturous immersion of ourselves in unity of ecstatic delight with the object of our love and adoration. ~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, The Modes of the Self, #KEYS
240:How to see God? To see Him is to be consumed by Him.
How to see the Self? As the Self is one without a second, it is impossible to see it. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, Reality in Forty Verses,#KEYS
241:So long as our mind is in this world, so long as our mind is in this body, so long as we identify ourselves with our ego, we cannot be expected to know our own Self. We cannot realize our own Self. ~ SWAMI TRIGUNATITANANDA, #KEYS
242:The Jiva cannot really become master except in proportion as he arrives at oneness with the Divine who is his supreme Self. ~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, The Action of the Divine Shakti, #KEYS
243:The self behind our mind, life and body is the same as the self behind the mind, life and body of all our fellow-beings. ~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, The Realisation of the Cosmic Self, #KEYS
244:Q.: Sir, why does one take so much care of his body? ~ Sri Ramakrishna: One has to realize the Supreme Self. One has to attain Self-knowledge. After that the body may remain or go. Till then the body has to be taken care of., #KEYS
245:The essence of religion is an aspiration and adoration of the soul towards the Divine, the Self, the Supreme, the Eternal, the Infinite. ~ Sri Aurobindo, The Future Poetry, The Sun of Poetic Truth, #KEYS
246:What is dearest in the world to beings is their own self. Therefore from love for that own self which is so dear to beings, neither kill nor torment any. ~ Sa-myutta Nikaya, the Eternal Wisdom #KEYS
247:Psychological self-knowledge is only the experience of the modes of the Self, it is not the realisation of the Self in its pure being. ~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, The Status of Knowledge, #KEYS
248:The self is the master of the self, what other master of it canst thou have? The wise man who has made himself the master of himself, is a world-illumining beacon. ~ Udanavarga, the Eternal Wisdom #KEYS
249:I [the real Self] am without character, without action, without imagination, without relation, without change, without form, without sin, all eternity, every liberated." ~ From the "Atmabodha," one of the 10 Upanishads, Wikipedia., #KEYS
250:The Self is the source background in which the phenomena of thoughts, emotions, sounds, smells, etc. spring as foreground. When one rests in the background, one can taste the Self. One just has to offer oneself to it. ~ Adyashanti, #KEYS
251:Cultivate the attitude that the real you is beyond the reach of all troubles and obstacles. There are no obstacles for the Self. If you can remember that you always are the Self, obstacles will be of no importance. ~ Annamalai Swami, #KEYS
252:Fear belongs to the lower nature, to the lower self, and in approaching the higher Self must be put aside before we can enter into its presence. ~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, The Godward Emotions, #KEYS
253:Every man's true teacher is his own Higher Self, and when the life is brought under the control of reason, this Higher Self is released from bondage to appetites and impulses, and becomes Priest, Sage and Illuminator.
~ Manly P Hall,#KEYS
254:Catch the thoughts by becoming aware of the thinker, that's how you do it. Or, just look at the thoughts; ignore them; that stops thoughts. You cause the thoughts to cease by doing absolutely nothing; by being your self. ~ Robert Adams, #KEYS
255:Everything will be known spontaneously if you do sadhana. Understand who you are. Know the Self. Then you can lead a life without attachment to anything. Such a state of mind will come if you do sadhana sincerely. ~ MATA AMRITANANDAMAYI, #KEYS
256:The self and the world are in an eternal close relation and there is a connection between them, not a gulf that has to be overleaped. ~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, The Realisation of the Cosmic Self, #KEYS
257:When we get back to our true being, the ego falls away from us; its place is taken by our supreme and integral self, the true individuality. ~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, The Soul and Its Liberation, #KEYS
258:First one sees the Self as objects, then one sees the Self as void, then one sees the Self as Self, only in this last there is no seeing because seeing is being. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, Day by Day, 21-7-46, #KEYS
259:But when I call for a hero, out comes my lazy old self; so I never know who I am, nor how many I am or will be. I'd love to be able to touch a bell and summon the real me, because if I really need myself, I mustn't disappear. ~ Pablo Neruda, #KEYS
260:There are four types of oceans; passions are oceans of sins, the self (nafs) is the ocean of lust, death is the ocean of life, and the grave is the ocean of distress. ~ Sayyiduna Uthman, @Sufi_Path #KEYS
261:Grace is within you. Grace is your self. Grace is not something to be acquired from others. If it is external, it is useless. All that is necessary is to know its existence is in you. You are never out of its operation. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
262:In the deep sleep state we lay down our ego, our thoughts and our desires. If we could only do all this while we are conscious, we would realise the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, Conscious Immortality, Ch. 13, #KEYS
263:When his thought and feeling are perfectly under regulation and stand firm in his Self, then, unmoved to longing by any desire, he is said to be in union with the Self. ~ Bhagavad Gita VI.18, the Eternal Wisdom #KEYS
264:This one question - "What do I know for certain?" - is tremendously powerful. When you look deeply into this question, it actually destroys your world. It destroys your whole sense of self, and it's meant to. ~ Adyashanti, The End of Your World, #KEYS
265:Actualization of self cannot be sought as a goal in its own right. . . . Rather, it seems to be a by-product of active commitment of one's talents to some cause, outside the self, such as the quest for beauty, truth, or justice. ~ Sidney Jourard, #KEYS
266:You should analyze your mind and see whether you have been able to cover every bit of work with the spirit of God and judge whether the duties you are performing are for His sake or for the propitiation of your spurious self. ~ Swami Saradananda, #KEYS
267:We are the Self. All we have to do is to remember that. We keep on forgetting it and thus think we are this body, or this ego. If the will and desire to remember Self are strong enough, they will eventually overcome vasanas. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
268:The fastest way to quiet the mind is to search for the 'I', because the 'I' is the mind. And when you discover that the 'I' is the Self, there is no more mind. Then you have transcended the mind automatically. That's the easiest way. ~ Robert Adams, #KEYS
269:Deep sleep can e'er be had while wide awake By search for Self. In dream and waking states Pursue the quest for Self without a break So long sleep's ignorance them permeates." ~ "Collected Works of Ramana Maharshi,", (1972, 1997), ed. Arthur Osborne, #KEYS
270:The two phases of this distinction in life are—first, that the man who knows the real Self, will not be affected by anything; secondly, that that man alone can do good to the world. ~ Swami Vivekananda, (CW. V. 285), #KEYS
271:The greatest Guru is your inner self. But you must have the strong desire to find him and do nothing that will create obstacles and delays. And do not waste energy and time on regrets. ~ Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, #KEYS
272:The realised being does not see the world as being apart from the Self, he possesses true knowledge and the internal happiness of being perfect, whereas the other person sees the world apart, feels imperfection and is miserable. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
273:It is only through the individual mind that the mass can arrive at a clear knowledge and creation of the thing it held in its subconscient self. ~ Sri Aurobindo, The Human Cycle, Conditions for the Coming of a Spiritual Age, #KEYS
274:What wonder if feel no burden when borne up by the Almighty and led on by the Supreme Guide! For we are always glad to have something to comfort us, and only with difficulty does a man divest himself of self. ~ Thomas A Kempis, The Imitation of Christ, #KEYS
275:That being known which is without sound, touch or form, inexhaustible, eternal, without beginning or end, greater than the great self, immutable, man escapes from the month of death. ~ Katha Upanishad, the Eternal Wisdom #KEYS
276:He who watches over his body, his speech, his whole self, who is full of serenity and joy, possesses a spirit unified and finds satisfaction in solitude, he is in-deed a man of religion. ~ Buddhist Text, the Eternal Wisdom #KEYS
277:D.: When I concentrate, all sorts of thoughts arise and disturb me. ~ Ramana Maharshi: Yes, that will happen. All that is inside will try to come out. There is no other way except to pull the mind up each time it wants to go astray and fix it in the Self., #KEYS
278:In place of the explosive unity of the absolute identity of the self and God or the absolute contradiction between the self and God a unity of tension enters, one of a relative similarity and a relative dissimilarity between God and self. ~ Erich Przywara, #KEYS
279:Great figures of gods
Conscious in stone and living without breath,
Watching with fixed regard the soul of man,
Executive figures of the cosmic self ~ Sri Aurobindo, Savitri, The Finding of the Soul,#KEYS
280:The self is the master of the self, what other master of it canst thou have? The wise man who has made himself the master of himself, has broken his chains, he has rent the ties of his bondage. ~ Udanavarga, the Eternal Wisdom #KEYS
281:As sunlight hitting an object creates a shadow, the light of consciousness hitting the form of its instrument creates what in essence is also a shadow, the seeming self. What efforts can such a shadow make? Can you cook food on a painting of a fire? ~ Wu Hsin, #KEYS
282:If your sadhana itself assumes the existence of the limitations, how can it help you to transcend them? Hence I say know that you are really the infinite, pure Being, the Self Absolute. You are always that Self and nothing but that Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
283:In relation to the individual the Supreme is our own true and highest self, that which ultimately we are in our essence, that of which we are in our manifested nature. ~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, The Object of Knowledge, #KEYS
284:Let us always remember the world is only the projection of the mind and the mind is in the Self. Wherever the body may move the mind must be kept under control. The body moves, but not the Self. The world is within the Self, that is all. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
285:Real rebirth is dying from the ego into the spirit. Whenever identification with the body exists, a body is always available, whether this or any other one, till the body-sense disappears by merging into the source - the spirit, or Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
286:The knowledge of the Self includes also the knowledge of the principles of Being, its fundamental modes and its relations with the principles of the phenomenal universe. ~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, The Modes of the Self, #KEYS
287:The interval between the mind's passing from one idea to another - the period of calm between the two storms of thought - may be described as the native condition of the Self." ~ "Yoga Vasistha," Hindu philosophical text, contains over 29,000 verses, Wikipedia., #KEYS
288:The experience of emptiness is love, because emptiness means 'emptiness of self.' Where there is no self there is no other. . . there is a unity, a communion." ~ Joseph Goldstein, (b. 1944), U.S. vipassana meditation teacher, "The Experience of Insight,", (1987), #KEYS
289:The greatest Guru is your inner self. Truly, he is the supreme teacher. He alone can take you to your goal and he alone meets you at the end of the road. Confide in him and you need no outer Guru. ~ Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, #KEYS
290:Love is a priceless thing, only to be won at the cost of death. Those who live to die, these attain; for they have shed all thoughts of self." ~ Gujarati Hymn [Gujarati an Indo-Aryan language native to the Indian state of Gujarat. "Death" refers to death of ego.], #KEYS
291:To know the highest Truth and to be in harmony with it is the condition of right being, to express it in all that we are, experience and do is the condition of right living. ~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, The Modes of the Self, #KEYS
292:Disease disappears not with the mere name of medicine, but by actually swallowing it. Talking of the Self, without proper realization, can never bring about liberation." ~ "Vivekachudamani" an introductory treatise within the Advaita Vedanta, 8th century, Wikipedia., #KEYS
293:Things are not supposed to be any way. Things just are. They have no substance, they have no reality. As you respond to conditions you are simply wasting your energy, when you can be using that energy to uncover your self, to discover your own reality. ~ Robert Adams, #KEYS
294:Whatever kind of thought arises, have the same reaction: 'Not me, not my business'. It can be a good thought or a bad thought. Treat them the same way. To whom are these thoughts arising? To you. That means you are not the thought. You are the Self. ~ Annamalai Swami, #KEYS
295:Grace is ever present, Grace is the Self, you are never but of its operation. All you have to do is to merge in the heart and surrender. All that is necessary is to know its existence. Earnest effort never fails. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
296:One of two things must be done, either surrender because you admit your inability and require a higher power to help you, or investigate the cause of misery by going to the source and merging into the Self. Either way you will be free from misery. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
297:It is ridiculous to say either 'I have not realized the Self'; or 'I have realized the Self'; are there two selves, for one to be the object of the other's realization?" ~ "The Collected Works of Ramana Maharshi,", (1972, 1997). An Indian sage, (1879 - 1950), Wikipedia., #KEYS
298:The Eternal is bound neither by quality nor absence of quality, neither by Personality nor by Impersonality; He is Himself, beyond all our positive and all our negative definitions. ~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, The Modes of the Self, #KEYS
299:He sang the Inconscient and its secret self,
Its power omnipotent knowing not what it does,
All-shaping without will or thought or sense,
Its blind unerring occult mystery. ~ Sri Aurobindo, Savitri, The Word of Fate,#KEYS
300:The experience of Self, which is nothing but the form of [supreme] love, is that in which the eyes see only love, the tongue tastes only love and the touch feels only love, which is bliss." [655] ~ Guru Vachaka Kovai [The Garland of Guru's Sayings] See: http://bit.ly/38LDceX, #KEYS
301:This phenomenal world is nothing but thought. When the world recedes from one's view (when one is free from thought), the mind enjoys the Bliss of the Self. Conversely, when the world appears (when thought occurs), the mind experiences pain and anguish. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
302:One must learn to dissipate the shadow and live in the Eternal. And to that end thou shouldest live and brea the in all as all breathes in thee and feel that thou dwellest in all things in the self. ~ Book of Golden Precepts, the Eternal Wisdom #KEYS
303:When the mind has put off the old self & put on the one born of grace, it will see its own state in the time of prayer resembling sapphire or the color of heaven; this state scripture calls the place of God that was seen by the elders on Mount Sinai. ~ Evagrius, On Thoughts 39, #KEYS
304:Just as a second lamp is not necessary to illumine a lamp, so a second consciousness is not necessary to make known Pure Consciousness which is the nature of the Self." ~ Sankara, 8th century Indian philosopher and theologian, consolidated doctrine of Advaita Vedanta, Wikipedia, #KEYS
305:Jnani sees the infinite Self in all and all in the infinite Self, which is his being. He is infinite, imperishable, Self-luminous, Self-existent, without beginning or end, birthless, deathless, without change or decay. Jnani permeate and interpenetrate all things. ~ Robert Adams, #KEYS
306:There are two beings in my single self.
A Godhead watches Nature from behind
At play in front with a brilliant surface elf,
A time-born creature with a human mind. ~ Sri Aurobindo, Collected Poems, The Dual Being,#KEYS
307:As long as you are clinging to the idea of self and trying to improve your practice or find something out, trying to create an improved, better self, then your practice has gone astray." ~ Shunryu Suzuki, (1904-1971), Japanesse Zen master. Came to the U.S. in 1954. See Wikipedia., #KEYS
308:Climbed back from Time into undying Self,
Up a golden ladder carrying the soul,
Tying with diamond threads the Spirit's extremes. ~ Sri Aurobindo, Savitri, The Yoga of the King, The Yoga of the Spirit's Freedom and Greatness,#KEYS
309:It is impossible for anyone to get what he has not got already. Even if he gets any such thing, it will go as it came. What always is will alone remain. Removal of the notion that we have not realised the Self is all that is required. We are always the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
310:The greatest hazard of all, losing one's self, can occur very quietly in the world, as if it were nothing at all. No other loss can occur so quietly; any other loss - an arm, a leg, five dollars, a wife, etc. - is sure to be noticed.
~ Soren Kierkegaard, The Sickness Unto Death,#KEYS
311:The supreme task of culture is to take possession of one's transcendental self, to be truly the self of the self...Without a complete intelligence of oneself one will never learn to understand others aright. ~ Novalis, Fragments, the Eternal Wisdom #KEYS
312:For all beings a human birth is difficult to obtain, rarer is attachment to the path of Vedic religion; higher than this is erudition in the scriptures; next is discrimination between the Self and not-Self, Realisation and continuing in a state of identity with Brahman. ~ Shankara, #KEYS
313:Is it the mind that wants to kill itself? The mind cannot kill itself. Your business is to find the real nature of the mind. Then you will find there is no mind. When the Self is discovered, the mind ceases to exist. Abiding in the Self, one need not worry about the mind. ~ Ramana, #KEYS
314:Stillness means 'Destroy yourself'; every name & form is the cause of trouble. 'I-I' is the Self. 'I am this' is the ego. When the 'I' is kept up as the 'I' only, it is the Self. When it flies off at a tangent & says 'I am this or that. I am such and such', it is the ego. ~ Ramana, #KEYS
315:Deliver yourself from all that is not your self; but what is it that is not your self? The body, the sensations, the perceptions, the relative differentiations. This liberation will lead you to felicity and peace. ~ Buddhist Texts, the Eternal Wisdom #KEYS
316:In the waking state or dream state, in which things appear, and in the sleep state, in which we see nothing, there is always the light of consciousness or Self. Concentrate on the Seer and not on the seen, not on the objects, but on the Light which reveals them. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
317:The ego says 'I will,' the self says 'thou shalt.' In that sense everybody should be aware of the warrior in his own self, accept his superior insight as a 'thou shalt' & never as 'I will.' If the latter is true you are in danger of an inflation ~ Carl Jung, Zarathustra Seminars, 568, #KEYS
318:All will surely realize God. All will be liberated. It may be that some get their meal in the morning, some at noon, and some in the evening; but none will go without food. All, without any exception, will certainly know their real Self. ~ Sri Ramakrishna, #KEYS
319:If you make a stern effort to reject every thought when it rises, you will soon find that you are going deeper & deeper into your own inner Self where there is no need for your effort to reject the thoughts. The effort is sublimated in just awareness of the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
320:The Spirit has made itself Matter in order to place itself there as an instrument for the well-being and joy, yogakṣema, of created beings, for a self. offering of universal physical utility and service. ~ Sri Aurobindo, The Life Divine, The Gnostic Being, #KEYS
321:On heights unreached by mind's most daring soar,
Upon a dangerous edge of failing Time
The soul draws back into its deathless Self;
Man's knowledge becomes God's supernal Ray. ~ Sri Aurobindo, Savitri, The Debate of Love and Death,#KEYS
322:If a person realises his position and stays in his own self, things that are to happen will happen. Things that are not to happen will not happen. The shakti that is in the world, is only one. All these troubles arise if we think that we are separate from that shakti. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
323:Yes, yes; you've read thousands of books but you've never tried to read your own self; you rush into your temples, into your mosques, but you have never tried to enter your own heart; futile are all your battles with the devil for you have never tried to fight your own desires. ~ Bulleh Shah, #KEYS
324:You are already the Self. Therefore realization is common to everyone. Realization knows no difference in the aspirants. This very doubt, "Can I realize?" or the feeling, "I have not realized" are the obstacles. Be free from these also. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
325:God can be seen. By practicing spiritual discipline one sees God, through His grace. The rishis directly realized the Self. One cannot know the truth about God through science. Science gives us information only about things perceived by the senses. ~ Sri Ramakrishna, #KEYS
326:To Him when the sages come, they are satisfied in knowledge, desire passes away from them, they have perfected the self, they enter in on every side into the All who pervades all things and they are united with him for ever. ~ Mundaka Upanishad, the Eternal Wisdom #KEYS
327:Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. ~ Anonymous, The Bible, 1 Peter, 3:3-4, #KEYS
328:Two cities have been formed by two loves: the earthly by the love of self, even to the contempt of God; the heavenly by the love of God, even to the contempt of self. The former glories in itself, the latter in the Lord ~ Saint Augustine of Hippo, City of God 14.28).., #KEYS
329:But if the man who is animated by hatred, could by an effort of his hate enter even into the most detested of his adversaries and arrive in him to the very centre, then would he be greatly astonis bed, for he would discover there his own self. ~ Schopenhauer, the Eternal Wisdom #KEYS
330:Two cities have been formed by two loves: the earthly by the love of self, even to the contempt of God; the heavenly by the love of God, even to the contempt of self. The former glories in itself, the latter in the Lord ~ Saint Thomas Aquinas, (Augustine, City of God 14.28).., #KEYS
331:You can understand only what you already know in your own inner self. What strikes you in a book is what you have already experienced deep within you. The knowledge that seems to come to you from outside is only an occasion for bringing out the knowledge that is within you. ~ The Mother, #KEYS
332:But if we learn to live within, we infallibly awaken to this presence within us which is our more real self, a presence profound, calm, joyous and puissant of which the world is not the master — a presence which, if it is not the Lord Himself, is the radiation of the Lord within. ~ Sri Aurobindo, The Life Divine #KEYS
333:Pleasure is readily accepted, while all the powers of the self reject pain. As the acceptance of pain is the denial of the self, and the self stands in the way of true happiness, the wholehearted acceptance of pain releases the springs of happiness. ~ Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, #KEYS
334:We must find the Self, the Divine, then only can we know what is the work the Self or the Divine demands from us. Until then our life and action can only be a help or means towards finding the Divine and it ought not to have any other purpose. ~ Sri Aurobindo, Letters On Yoga - II, [T5], #KEYS
335:You are asking, "Who am I?" and you are not going to get an answer, because the one who will get the answer is false. You may have an idea, a concept, and you will think you have found yourself, but it is only a concept; you can never see your Self. ~ Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, #KEYS
336:It is not that you must be free from the "I-am-the-body" idea first, and then realize the Self. It is definitely the other way round - you cling to the false because you do not know the true. Earnestness, not perfection, is a precondition to self-realization. ~ Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, #KEYS
337:Man's law of progress progress perfection man
He [man] needs the help of the secret Divine above his mentality in his superconscient self; he needs the help also of the secret Divine around him in Nature and in his fellow-men. ~ Sri Aurobindo, The Human Cycle, The Ideal Law of Social Development,#KEYS
338:D.: Is God personal?
B.: Yes, He is always the first person, the I, ever standing before you. Because you give precedence to worldly things, God appears to have receded to the background. If you give up all else and seek Him alone, He will remain as the I, the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi,#KEYS
339:For if a man moves among sensible objects with the senses delivered from liking and dislike and obedient to his self, he attains to serenity. By serenity is born the slaying of all sorrows, for when the heart is serene, the intelligent mind soon comes to its poise. ~ Bhagavad Gita, the Eternal Wisdom #KEYS
340:There are some who see by contemplation the self in themselves by the self, others by union through the understanding, and others again know not, but hear of it from others and seek after it, and all these, even they who hear and seek after it, pass over beyond death. ~ Bhagavad Gita, the Eternal Wisdom #KEYS
341:Knowledge comes not to us as a guest
Called into our chamber from the outer world;
A friend and inmate of our secret self,
It hid behind our minds and fell asleep
And slowly wakes beneath the blows of life. ~ Sri Aurobindo, Savitri, The Kingdoms and Godheads of the Little Mind,#KEYS
342:Talk 6.
A question was asked by a monk (sannyasi) about how to prevent the mind from being distracted.
M.: You see the objects on forgetting your own Self. If you keep hold of your Self, you will not see the objective world. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi, Sri Ramanasramam,#KEYS
343:Shitposting, I claim, is a form of transcendental meditation through which the shitposter becomes an empty vessell - the shitposter's 'self' ceases to be, in the Lacanian sense, 'I' and instead becomes a 'creative nothing' which expands from an infantismal singularly of pure meme essence into the eternal void of post-ironic nihilism. ~ Unknown, #KEYS
344:The great teachers say that forgetfulness is the root of all evil, and is death for those who seek release;10 so one should rest the mind in one's Self and should never forget the Self: this is the aim. If the mind is controlled, all else can be controlled. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, Self-Enquiry, 34, [T5], #KEYS
345:The object of a Yoga of spiritual knowledge can be nothing else than this eternal Reality, this Self, this Brahman, this Transcendent that dwells over all and in all and is manifest yet concealed in the individual, manifest yet disguised in the universe.
~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, The Object of Knowledge,#KEYS
346:This is the sailor on the flow of Time,
This is World-Matter's slow discoverer,
Who, launched into this small corporeal birth,
Has learned his craft in tiny bays of self,
But dares at last unplumbed infinitudes,
A voyager upon eternity's seas. ~ Sri Aurobindo, Savitri, The Secret Knowledge,#KEYS
347:O may I join the choir invisible of those immortal dead who live again in minds made better by their presence; live in pulses stirred to generosity, in deeds of daring rectitude, in scorn for miserable aims that end with self, in thoughts sublime that pierce the night like stars, and with their mild persistence urge men's search to vaster issues. ~ George Eliot, #KEYS
348:The senses and the mind seek to convince thee, sova in are they, that they are the end of all things. The senses and the mind are only instruments and play things. Behind the feelings and the thoughts, my brother; there dwells a more puissant master, an unknown sage; it is called the Self. ~ Nietzsche Zarathustra, the Eternal Wisdom #KEYS
349:The Self in man enlarging light and knowledge and harmonising will with light and knowledge so as to fulfil in life what he has seen in his increasing vision and idea of the Self, this is man's source and law of progress and the secret of his impulse towards perfection. ~ Sri Aurobindo, The Human Cycle: The Ideal Law of Social Development #KEYS
350:If this were not a stade through which we pass
On our road from Matter to eternal Self,
To the Light that made the worlds, the Cause of things,
Well might interpret our mind's limited view
Existence as an accident in Time, ~ Sri Aurobindo, Savitri, 02.05,#KEYS
351:One of two things must be done. Either surrender because you admit your inability and require a higher power to help you, or investigate the cause of misery by going to the source and merging into the Self. Either way you will be free from misery. God never forsakes one who has surrendered. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, Surpassing Love and Grace, #KEYS
352:In a wide opening of its native sky
Intuition's lightnings range in a bright pack
Hunting all hidden truths out of their lairs,
Its fiery edge of seeing absolute
Cleaves into locked unknown retreats of self,
Rummages the sky-recesses of the brai ~ Sri Aurobindo, Savitri, The Dream Twilight of the Earthly Real,#KEYS
353:The mainspring of creativity appears to be the same tendency which we discover so deeply as the curative force in psychotherapy, man's tendency to actualize himself, to become his potentialities. By this I mean the organic and human life, the urge to expand, extend, develop, mature - the tendency to express and activate all the capacities of the organism, or the self. ~ Carl Rogers, #KEYS
354:... In all is the one Self, the one Divine is all; all are in the Divine, all are the Divine and there is nothing else in the universe, - this thought or this faith is the whole background until it becomes the whole substance of the consciousness of the worker. ...
~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, The Sacrifice and the Lord of the Sacrifice [112] [T1],#KEYS
355:That Self, Lord, Brahman we would know that we may realise our unity with it and with all that it manifests and in that unity we would live. For we demand of knowledge that it shall unite; the knowledge that divides must always be a partial knowing good for certain practical purposes; the knowledge that unites is the knowledge. ~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, The Synthesis of the Disciplines of Knowledge, #KEYS
356:All was abolished save her naked self
And the prostrate yearning of her surrendered heart:
There was no strength in her, no pride of force;
The lofty burning of desire had sunk
Ashamed, a vanity of separate self,
The hope of spiritual greatness fled,
Salvation she asked not nor a heavenly crown:
Humility seemed now too proud a state. ~ Sri Aurobindo, Savitri, The Finding of the Soul,#KEYS
357:The High-Subtle Self ::: "...cognitive style- actual intuition and literal inspiration, archetypal Form, audible illumination, revelations of light and sound affective elements- rapture, bliss, ecstatic release into superconsciousness motivational/conative factors-karuna, compassion, overwhelming love and gratefulness temporal mode- transtemporal, moving into eternity mode of self- archetypal-divine, overself, overmind." ~ Ken Wilber, The Atman Project pg.80, #KEYS
358:D.: Meditation is with mind and how can it kill the mind in order to reveal the Self?
M.: Meditation is sticking to one thought. That single thought keeps away other thoughts; distraction of mind is a sign of its weakness. By constant meditation it gains strength, i.e., to say, its weakness of fugitive thought gives place to the enduring background free from thoughts. This expanse devoid of thought is the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, Talks, 293,#KEYS
359:When a jar is broken, the space that was inside Merges into the space outside. In the same way, my mind has merged in God; To me, there appears no duality.
Truly, there's no jar, no space within; There's no body and no soul encased. Please understand; everything is Brahman. There's no subject, no object, no separate parts.
Everywhere, always, and in everything, Know this: the Self alone exists. Everything, both the Void and the manifested world, Is nothing but my Self; of this I am certain. ~ The Song of the Avadhut,#KEYS
360:The Mother says, "Look at me, I am here, come back in my new body, divine, transformed and glorious. And I am the same Mother, still human. Do not worry. Do not be concerned about your own self, your progress and realisation, nor about others. I am here, look at me, gaze into me, enter into me wholly, merge into my being, lose yourself into my love, with your love. You will see all problems solved, everything done. Forget all else, forget the world. Remember me alone, be one with me, with my love." ~ Priti Dasgupta, Moments Eternal, #KEYS
361:7. Don't entertain such thoughts of imperfection, lack of qualities, etc. You are already perfect. Get rid of the ideas of imperfection and need for development. There is nothing to realize or annihilate. You are the Self. The ego does not exist. Pursue the enquiry and see if there is anything to be realised or annihilated. See if there is any mind to be controlled. Even the effort is being made by the mind which does not exist. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, Surpassing Love and Grace An Offering from His Devotees, #KEYS
362:To laugh often and love much; to win the respect of intelligent persons and the affection of children; to earn the approbation of honest citizens and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to give of one's self; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to have played and laughed with enthusiasm and sung with exultation; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived~this is to have succeeded. ~ Bessie Anderson Stanley, #KEYS
363:In the stillness of the night, the Goddess whispers. In the brightness of the day, dear God roars. Life pulses, mind imagines, emotions wave, thoughts wander. What are all these but the endless movements of One Taste, forever at play with its own gestures, whispering quietly to all who would listen: is this not yourself? When the thunder roars, do you not hear your Self? When the lightning cracks, do you not see your Self? When clouds float quietly across the sky, is this not your own limitless Being, waving back at you? ~ Ken Wilber, One Taste, page 279, #KEYS
364:Beneath the surface level of conditioned thinking in every one of us there is a single living spirit. The still small voice whispering to me in the depths of my consciousness is saying exactly the same thing as the voice whispering to you in your consciousness. 'I want an earth that is healthy, a world at peace, and a heart filled with love.' It doesn't matter if your skin is brown or white or black, or whether you speak English, Japanese, or Malayalam - the voice, says the Gita, is the same in every creature, and it comes from your true self. ~ Eknath Easwaran, #KEYS
365:The aim of a complete course of development is to divest the basic structures of any sense of exclusive self, and thus free the basic needs from their contamination by the needs of the separate self sense. When the basic structures are freed from the immortality projects of the separate self, they are free to return to their natural functional relationships .... when hungry, we eat; when tired, we sleep. The self has been returned to the Self, all self-needs have been met and discarded; and the basic needs alone remain. ~ Ken Wilber, Integral Psychology, p. 253, #KEYS
366:... Krishna, the great Lord of Yoga,
revealed to Arjuna his majestic,
transcendent, limitless form.
With innumerable mouths and eyes,
faces too marvelous to stare at,
dazzling ornaments, innumerable
weapons uplifted, flaming-
crowned with fire, wrapped
in pure light, with celestial fragrance,
he stood forth as the infinite
God, composed of all wonders.
If a thousand suns were to rise
and stand in the noon sky, blazing,
such brilliance would be like the fierce
brilliance of that mighty Self. ~ Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa,#KEYS
367:In union by a purified understanding, controlling himself by a firm perseverance, abandoning the objects of the senses, putting away from him all liking and disliking, when one resorts to solitude, lives on little, masters speech and mind and body, ever in meditation and fixed in withdrawal from the desires of the world, when he has loosened from him egoism and violence and pride and lust and wrath and possession, then calm and without thought of self, he is able to become one with the Eternal. ~ Bhagavad Gita XVIII. 51-53, the Eternal Wisdom #KEYS
368:The Mantra in other words is a direct and most heightened, an intensest and most divinely burdened rhythmic word which embodies an intuitive and revelatory inspiration and ensouls the mind with the sight and the presence of the very self, the inmost reality of things and with its truth and with the divine soul-forms of it, the Godheads which are born from the living Truth. Or, let us say, it is a supreme rhythmic language which seizes hold upon all that is finite and brings into each the light and voice of its own infinite. ~ Sri Aurobindo, The Future Poetry, #KEYS
369:It is the Divine who is the Master - the Self is inactive, it is always a silent wideness supporting all things - that is the static aspect. There is also the dynamic aspect through which the Divine works - behind that is the Mother. You must not lose sight of that, that it is through the Mother that all things are attained.
Again I feel that this Self is not only the Lord of this being, but that I myself am this Self. All these feelings are within myself, not above me; they come down from above. ~ Sri Aurobindo, The Mother With Letters On The Mother [T8],#KEYS
370:Now then, that part of him which belongs to tamas, that, O students of sacred knowledge (Brahmacharins), is this Rudra.
That part of him which belongs to rajas, that O students of sacred knowledge, is this Brahma.
That part of him which belongs to sattva, that O students of sacred knowledge, is this Vishnu.
Verily, that One became threefold, became eightfold, elevenfold, twelvefold, into infinite fold.
This Being (neuter) entered all beings, he became the overlord of all beings.
That is the Atman (Soul, Self) within and without - yea, within and without! ~ Maitri Upanishad 5.2,#KEYS
371:The Good, the True, and the Beautiful, then, are simply the faces of Spirit as it shines in this world. Spirit seen subjectively is Beauty, and I of Spirit. Spirit seen intersubjectively is the Good, the We of Spirit. And Spirit seen objectively is the True, the It of Spirit....And whenever we pause, and enter the quiet, and rest in the utter stillness, we can hear that whispering voice calling to us still: never forgot the Good, and never forgot the True, and never forget the Beautiful, for these are the faces of your own deepest Self, freely shown to you. ~ Ken Wilber, Marriage of Sense and Soul, p. 201, #KEYS
372:We have to know ourselves as the self, the spirit, the eternal; we have to exist consciously in our true being. Therefore this must be our primary, if not our first one and all-absorbing idea and effort in the path of knowledge. But when we have realised the eternal self that we are, when we have become that inalienably, we have still a secondary aim, to establish the true relation between this eternal self that we are and the mutable existence and mutable world which till now we had falsely taken for our real being and our sole possible status.
~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga,#KEYS
373:And yet, and yet... Denying temporal succession, denying the self, denying the astronomical universe, are apparent desperations and secret consolations. Our destiny ... is not frightful by being unreal; it is frightful because it is irreversible and iron-clad. Time is the substance I am made of. Time is a river which sweeps me along, but I am the river; it is a tiger which destroys me, but I am the tiger; it is a fire which consumes me, but I am the fire. The world, unfortunately, is real; I, unfortunately, am Borges.~ Jorge Luis Borges, Labyrinths, Selected Stories and Other Writings, #KEYS
374:Her mortal members fell back from her soul.
A moment of a secret body's sleep,
Her trance knew not of sun or earth or world;
Thought, time and death were absent from her grasp:
She knew not self, forgotten was Savitri.
All was the violent ocean of a will
Where lived captive to an immense caress,
Possessed in a supreme identity,
Her aim, joy, origin, Satyavan alone.
Her sovereign prisoned in her being's core,
He beat there like a rhythmic heart, - herself
But different still, one loved, enveloped, clasped,
A treasure saved from the collapse of space. ~ Sri Aurobindo, Savitri,#KEYS
375:It is the same thing for the ego, the self. In order to pass on to a higher plane, one must first exist; and to exist one must become a conscious, separate individual, and to become a conscious separate individual, the ego is indispensable, otherwise one remains mingled with all that lies around us. But once the individuality is formed, if one wants to rise to a higher level and live a spiritual life, if one wants even to become simply a higher type of man, the limitations of the ego are the worst obstacles, and the ego must be surpassed in order to enter the true consciousness. ~ The Mother, Questions And Answers 1956, 367, #KEYS
376:By what is man impelled to act sin, though not willing it, as if brought to it by force? It is desire it is wrath born of the principle of passion, a mighty and devouring and evil thing; know this for the enemy. Eternal enemy of the sage, in the form of desire it obscures his knowledge and is an insatiable fire. The senses are supreme in the body, above the senses is the mind, higher than the mind is the understanding and higher than the understanding the spiritual Self. Know then that which is higher than the understanding, by the self control thyself and slay this difficult enemy, desire. ~ Bhagavad Gita III. 36. 37. 39. 42. 43, the Eternal Wisdom #KEYS
377:At the base of all spiritual knowledge is this consciousness of identity and by identity, which knows or is simply aware of all as itself. Translated into our way of consciousness this becomes the triple knowledge thus formulated in the Upanishad, 'He who sees all existences in the Self', 'He who sees the Self in all existences', 'He in whom the Self has become all existences', -inclusion, indwelling and identity: but in the fundamental consciousness this seeing is a spiritual self-sense, a seeing that is self-light of being, not a separative regard or a regard upon self turning that self into object.
~ Sri Aurobindo, The Life Divine, Knowledge by Identity and Separative Knowledge, 565,#KEYS
378:2. What should be the object or ideas for meditation?
Whatever is most consonant with your nature and highest aspirations. But if you ask me for an absolute answer, then I must say that Brahman is always the best object for meditation or contemplation and the idea on which the mind should fix is that of God in all, all in God and all as God. It does not matter essentially whether it is the Impersonal or the Personal God, or subjectively, the One Self. But this is the idea I have found the best, because it is the highest and embraces all other truths, whether truths of this world or of the other worlds or beyond all phenomenal existence, - 'All this is the Brahman.'
~ Sri Aurobindo, Autobiographical Notes,#KEYS
379:Q:How shall I realise God?
M.: God is an unknown entity. Moreover He is external. Whereas, the Self is always with you and it is you. Why do you leave out what is intimate and go in for what is external?
D.: What is this Self again?
M.: The Self is known to everyone but not clearly. You always exist. The Be-ing is the Self. 'I am' is the name of God. Of all the definitions of God, none is indeed so well put as the Biblical statement "I AM THAT I AM" in EXODUS (Chap. 3). There are other statements, such as Brahmaivaham, Aham Brahmasmi and Soham. But none is so direct as the name JEHOVAH = I AM. The Absolute Being is what is - It is the Self. It is God. Knowing the Self, God is known. In fact God is none other than the Self. ~ Sri Ramama Maharshi, Collected Works,#KEYS
380:A union of the Real with the unique,
A gaze of the Alone from every face,
The Presence of the Eternal in the hours
Widening the mortal mind’s half-look on things,
Bridging the gap between man’s force and Fate
Made whole the fragment-being we are here. (7.15)
A firm spiritual poise,
A constant lodging in the Eternal's realm,
A safety in the Silence and the Ray,
A settlement in the Immutable. (7.16)
His heights of being lived in the still Self;
His mind could rest on a supernal ground
And look down on the magic and the play
Where the God-child lies on the lap of Night and Dawn
And the Everlasting puts on Time’s disguise. (7.17)
~ Sri Aurobindo, Savitri, 1:3, || 7.15 - 7.17 ||,#KEYS
381:It is not one's self, but the band of the spirit's inner enemies that we have to discourage, expel, slay upon the altar of the growth of the spirit; these can be ruthlessly excised, whose names are desire, wrath, inequality, greed, attachment to outward pleasures and pains, the cohort of usurping demons that are the cause of the soul's errors and sufferings. These should be regarded not as part of oneself but as intruders and perverters of our self's real and diviner nature; these have to be sacrificed in the harsher sense of the word, whatever pain in going they may throw by reflection on the consciousness of the seeker.
~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, The Yoga of Divine Works, The Sacrifice, the Triune Path and the Lord of the Sacrifice [108-109],#KEYS
382:18. Of the devotees, who is the greatest?
He who gives himself up to the Self that is God is the most excellent devotee. Giving one's self up to God means remaining constantly in the Self without giving room for the rise of any thoughts other than that of the Self. Whatever burdens are thrown on God, He bears them. Since the supreme power of God makes all things move, why should we, without submitting ourselves to it, constantly worry ourselves with thoughts as to what should be done and how, and what should not be done and how not? We know that the train carries all loads, so after getting on it why should we carry our small luggage on our head to our discomfort, instead of putting it down in the train and feeling at ease? ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, Who am I,#KEYS
383:The Fire is to be quieted and silenced says the Upanishad. Then we come nearer, to the immediate vicinity of the Truth; an inner hearing opens, the direct voice of Truth - the Word - reaches us to lead and guide. Even so, however, we have not come to the end of our journey; the Word of revelation is not the ultimate Light. The Word too is a clothing, though a luminous clothing - hiranmayam pair am. When this last veil dissolves and disappears, when utter silence, absolute calm and quietude reign in the entire consciousness, when no other lights trouble or distract our attention, there appears the Atman in its own body ; we stand face to face with the source of all lights, the self of the Light, the light of the Self. We are that Light and we become that Light.
~ Nolini Kanta Gupta, The Approach To Mysticism,#KEYS
384:I mean by the Higher Mind a first plane of spiritual [consciousness] where one becomes constantly and closely aware of the Self, the One everywhere and knows and sees things habitually with that awareness; but it is still very much on the mind level although highly spiritual in its essential substance; and its instrumentation is through an elevated thought-power and comprehensive mental sight-not illumined by any of the intenser upper lights but as if in a large strong and clear daylight. It acts as an intermediate state between the Truth-Light above and the human mind; communicating the higher knowledge in a form that the Mind intensified, broadened, made spiritually supple, can receive without being blinded or dazzled by a Truth beyond it.
~ Sri Aurobindo, Letters On Poetry And Art, [9:342],#KEYS
385:Likewise, looking deep within the mind, in the very most interior part of the self, when the mind becomes very, very quiet, and one listens very carefully, in that infinite silence, the soul begins to whisper, and its feather-soft voice takes one far beyond what the mind could ever imagine, beyond anything rationality could possibly tolerate, beyond anything logic can endure. In its gentle whisperings, there are the faintest hints of infinite love, glimmers of a life that time forgot, flashes of a bliss that must not be mentioned, an infinite intersection where the mysteries of eternity breathe life into mortal time, where suffering and pain have forgotten how to pronounce their own names, this secret quiet intersection of time and the very timeless, an intersection called the soul. ~ Ken Wilber, Integral Psychology, p. 106., #KEYS
386:The three states come and go, but you are always there. It is like a cinema. The screen is always there but several types of pictures appear on the screen and then disappear. Nothing sticks to the screen, it remains a screen. Similarly, you remain your own Self in all the three states. If you know that, the three states will not trouble you, just as the pictures which appear on the screen do not stick to it. On the screen, you sometimes see a huge ocean with endless waves; that disappears. Another time, you see fire spreading all around; that too disappears. The screen is there on both occasions. Did the screen get wet with the water or did it get burned by the fire? Nothing affected the screen. In the same way, the things that happen during the wakeful, dream and sleep states do not affect you at all; you remain your own Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #KEYS
387:The consciousness of the transcendent Absolute with its consequence in individual and universal is the last, the eternal knowledge. Our minds may deal with it on various lines, may build upon it conflicting philosophies, may limit, modify, overstress, understress sides of the knowledge, deduce from it truth or error; but our intellectual variations and imperfect statements make no difference to the ultimate fact that if we push thought and experience to their end, this is the knowledge in which they terminate. The object of a Yoga of spiritual knowledge can be nothing else than this eternal Reality, this Self, this Brahman, this Transcendent that dwells over all and in all and is manifest yet concealed in the individual, manifest yet disguised in the universe.
~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, The Object of Knowledge.,#KEYS
388:The student is told to set apart moments in his daily life in which to withdraw into himself, quietly and alone. He is not to occupy himself at such moments with the affairs of his own ego. This would result in the contrary of what is intended. He should rather let his experiences and the messages from the outer world re-echo within his own completely silent self. At such silent moments every flower, every animal, every action will unveil to him secrets undreamt of. And thus he will prepare himself to receive quite new impressions of the outer world through quite different eyes. The desire to enjoy impression after impression merely blunts the faculty of cognition; the latter, however, is nurtured and cultivated if the enjoyment once experienced is allowed to reveal its message. Thus the student must accustom himself not merely to let the enjoyment. ~ Rudolf Steiner, #KEYS
389:The universe and the individual are necessary to each other in their ascent. Always indeed they exist for each other and profit by each other. Universe is a diffusion of the divine All in infinite Space and Time, the individual its concentration within limits of Space and Time. Universe seeks in infinite extension the divine totality it feels itself to be but cannot entirely realise; for in extension existence drives at a pluralistic sum of itself which can neither be the primal nor the final unit, but only a recurring decimal without end or beginning. Therefore it creates in itself a self-conscious concentration of the All through which it can aspire. In the conscious individual Prakriti turns back to perceive Purusha, World seeks after Self; God having entirely become Nature, Nature seeks to become progressively God. ~ Sri Aurobindo, The Life Divine, Man in the Universe, 50, [T9], #KEYS
390:Above her little finite steps she feels,
Careless of knot or pause, worlds which weave out
A strange perfection beyond law and rule,
A universe of self-found felicity,
An inexpressible rhythm of timeless beats,
The many-movemented heart-beats of the One,
Magic of the boundless harmonies of self,
Order of the freedom of the infinite,
The wonder-plastics of the Absolute.
There is the All-Truth and there the timeless bliss.
But hers are fragments of a star-lost gleam,
Hers are but careless visits of the gods.
They are a Light that fails, a Word soon hushed
And nothing they mean can stay for long on earth.
There are high glimpses, not the lasting sight.
A few can climb to an unperishing sun,
Or live on the edges of the mystic moon
And channel to earth-mind the wizard ray. ~ Sri Aurobindo, Savitri, The Eternal Day,#KEYS
391:When ye look at me I am an idle, idle man; when I look at myself I am a busy, busy man. Since upon the plain of uncreated infinity I am building, building the tower of ecstasy, I have no time for building houses. Since upon the steppe of the void of truth I am breaking, breaking the savage fetter of suffering, I have no time for ploughing family land. Since at the bourn of unity ineffable I am subduing, subduing the demon-foe of self, I have no time for subduing angry foe-men. Since in the palace of mind which transcends duality I am waiting, waiting for spiritual experience as my bride, I have no time for setting up house. Since in the circle of the Buddhas of my body I am fostering, fostering the child of wisdom, I have no time for fostering snivelling children. Since in the frame of the body, the seat of all delight, I am saving, saving precious instruction and reflection, I have no time for saving wordly wealth. ~ Jetsun Milarepa, Songs of Milarepa, #KEYS
392:The greatest value of the dream-state of Samadhi lies, however, not in these more outward things, but in its power to open up easily higher ranges and powers of thought, emotion, will by which the soul grows in height, range and self-mastery. Especially, withdrawing from the distraction of sensible things, it can, in a perfect power of concentrated self-seclusion, prepare itself by a free reasoning, thought, discrimination or more intimately, more finally, by an ever deeper vision and identification, for access to the Divine, the supreme Self, the transcendent Truth, both in its principles and powers and manifestations and in its highest original Being. Or it can by an absorbed inner joy and emotion, as in a sealed and secluded chamber of the soul, prepare itself for the delight of union with the divine Beloved, the Master of all bliss, rapture and Ananda.
~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, Part Two: The Yoga of Integral Knowledge, Chapter 26, Samadhi, pg. 503,#KEYS
393:Now, on the other hand, there is an entirely different type of angel; and here we must be especially careful to remember that we include gods and devils, for there are such beings who are not by any means dependent on one particular element for their existence. They are microcosms in exactly the same sense as men and women are. They are individuals who have picked up the elements of their composition as possibility and convenience dictates, exactly as we do ourselves... I believe that the Holy Guardian Angel is a Being of this order. He is something more than a man, possibly a being who has already passed through the stage of humanity, and his peculiarly intimate relationship with his client is that of friendship, of community, of brotherhood, or Fatherhood. He is not, let me say with emphasis, a mere abstraction from yourself; and that is why I have insisted rather heavily that the term 'Higher Self' implies a damnable heresy and a dangerous delusion. ~ Aleister Crowley, Magick Without Tears, #KEYS
394:a sevenfold self-revelation within our consciousness: - it will mean the knowledge of the Absolute as the origin of all things; the knowledge of the Self, the Spirit, the Being and of the cosmos as the Self's becoming, the becoming of the Being, a manifestation of the Spirit; the knowledge of the world as one with us in the consciousness of our true self, thus cancelling our division from it by the separative idea and life of ego; the knowledge of our psychic entity and its immortal persistence in Time beyond death and earth-existence; the knowledge of our greater and inner existence behind the surface; the knowledge of our mind, life and body in its true relation to the self within and the superconscient spiritual and supramental being above them; the knowledge, finally, of the true harmony and true use of our thought, will and action and a change of all our nature into a conscious expression of the truth of the Spirit, the Self, the Divinity, the integral spiritual Reality.
~ Sri Aurobindo, The Life Divine,#KEYS
395:For the contact of the human and individual consciousness with the divine is the very essence of Yoga. Yoga is the union of that which has become separated in the play of the universe with its own true self, origin and universality. The contact may take place at any point of the complex and intricately organised consciousness which we call our personality. It may be effected in the physical through the body; in the vital through the action of those functionings which determine the state and the experiences of our nervous being; through the mentality, whether by means of the emotional heart, the active will or the understanding mind, or more largely by a general conversion of the mental consciousness in all its activities. It may equally be accomplished through a direct awakening to the universal or transcendent Truth and Bliss by the conversion of the central ego in the mind. And according to the point of contact that we choose will be the type of the Yoga that we practise. ~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, #KEYS
396:Here is a man to whom all others are not-self: at bottom his own personality alone is real to him, the others in truth only phantasms: he recognises an existence in them, but it is relative, they can serve him as instruments of his designs or can come in his way and that is all: in short between his own personality and all of them there is a deep gulf, an immense distance. Look upon this man confronted by death: it seems to him as if with him all reality, the whole world were disappearing. Then look upon this other who recognises in all that are his like, more, in all that lives, himself, his own essence : he casts his existence into the existence of all living beings and by death he loses only a feeble portion of that existence, for he subsists in all the others in whom he has always recognised, has always loved his own being, his own essence, and it is only the illusion that is now about to fall away from him, the illusion which separated his consciousness from all others. ~ Schopenhauer, the Eternal Wisdom #KEYS
397:But what then of that silent Self, inactive, pure, self-existent, self-enjoying, which presented itself to us as the abiding justification of the ascetic? Here also harmony and not irreconcilable opposition must be the illuminative truth. The silent and the active Brahman are not different, opposite and irreconcilable entities, the one denying, the other affirming a cosmic illusion; they are one Brahman in two aspects, positive and negative, and each is necessary to the other. It is out of this Silence that the Word which creates the worlds for ever proceeds; for the Word expresses that which is self-hidden in the Silence. It is an eternal passivity which makes possible the perfect freedom and omnipotence of an eternal divine activity in innumerable cosmic systems. For the becomings of that activity derive their energies and their illimitable potency of variation and harmony from the impartial support of the immutable Being, its consent to this infinite fecundity of its own dynamic Nature. ~ Sri Aurobindo, The Life Divine, Reality Omnipresent, #KEYS
398:the importance and power of surrender :::
Surrender is the decision taken to hand over the responsibility of your life to the Divine. Without this decision nothing is at all possible; if you do not surrender, the Yoga is entirely out of the question. Everything else comes naturally after it, for the whole process starts with surrender. You can surrender either through knowledge or through devotion. You may have a strong intuition that the Divine alone is the truth and a luminous conviction that without the Divine you cannot manage. Or you may have a spontaneous feeling that this line is the only way of being happy, a strong psychic desire to belong exclusively to the Divine: I do not belong to my self, you say, and give up the responsibility of your being to the Truth. Then comes self-offering: Here I am, a creature of various qualities, good and bad, dark and enlightened. I offer myself as I am to you, take me up with all my ups and downs, conflicting impulses and tendencies - do whatever you like with me.
~ The Mother, Questions And Answers 1929-1931,#KEYS
399:O soul, it is too early to rejoice!
Thou hast reached the boundless silence of the Self,
Thou hast leaped into a glad divine abyss;
But where hast thou thrown Self's mission and Self's power?
On what dead bank on the Eternal's road?
One was within thee who was self and world,
What hast thou done for his purpose in the stars?
Escape brings not the victory and the crown!
Something thou cam'st to do from the Unknown,
But nothing is finished and the world goes on
Because only half God's cosmic work is done.
Only the everlasting No has neared
And stared into thy eyes and killed thy heart:
But where is the Lover's everlasting Yes,
And immortality in the secret heart,
The voice that chants to the creator Fire,
The symbolled OM, the great assenting Word,
The bridge between the rapture and the calm,
The passion and the beauty of the Bride,
The chamber where the glorious enemies kiss,
The smile that saves, the golden peak of things?
This too is Truth at the mystic fount of Life. ~ Sri Aurobindo, Savitri, The Adoration of the Divine Mother,#KEYS
400:witness and non-dual states ::: The Witness and Non-Dual states are everpresent capacities which hold the special relationship to the other states. The Witness state, or Witnessing, is the capacity to observe, see or witness phenomenon arising in the other states. Meaning for example, its the capacity to hold unbroken attention in the gross states, and the capacity to witness the entire relative world of form arise as object viewed by the pure witness, the pure subject that is never itself a seen object but always the pure seer or pure Self, that is actually no-self. Next we have Non-Dual which refers to both the suchness and is-ness of reality right now. It is the not-two-ness or everpresent unity of subject and object, form and emptiness, heaven and earth, relative and absolute. When the Witness dissolves and pure seer and all that is seen become not seperate or not two, the Non-Duality of absolute emptiness and relative form or the luminous identity of unqualifiable spirit and all of its manifestations appear as play of radiant natural and spontaneous and present love. Absolute and relative are already always not-two but nor are they one, nor both nor neither. ~ Essential Integral, L5-18, #KEYS
401:five schools of yoga :::
For if, leaving aside the complexities of their particular processes, we fix our regard on the central principle of the chief schools of Yoga still prevalent in India, we find that they arrange themselves in an ascending order which starts from the lowest rung of the ladder, the body, and ascends to the direct contact between the individual soul and the transcendent and universal Self. Hathayoga selects the body and the vital functionings as its instruments of perfection and realisation; its concern is with the gross body. Rajayoga selects the mental being in its different parts as its lever-power; it concentrates on the subtle body. The triple Path of Works, of Love and of Knowledge uses some part of the mental being, will, heart or intellect as a starting-point and seeks by its conversion to arrive at the liberating Truth, Beatitude and Infinity which are the nature of the spiritual life.Its method is a direct commerce between the human Purusha in the individual body and the divine Purusha who dwells in everybody and yet transcends all form and name.
~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, Introduction - The Conditions of the Synthesis, The Systems of Yoga,#KEYS
402:An integral method and an integral result. First, an integral realisation of Divine Being; not only a realisation of the One in its indistinguishable unity, but also in its multitude of aspects which are also necessary to the complete knowledge of it by the relative consciousness; not only realisation of unity in the Self, but of unity in the infinite diversity of activities, worlds and creatures. Therefore, also, an integral liberation. Not only the freedom born of unbroken contact of the individual being in all its parts with the Divine, sayujyamukti, by which it becomes free even in its separation, even in the duality; not only the salokyalmukti by which the whole conscious existence dwells in the same status of being as the Divine, in the state of Sachchidananda; but also the acquisition of the divine nature by the transformation of this lower being into the human image of the divine, sadharmyamukti, and the complete and final release of all, the liberation of the consciousness from the transitory mould of the ego and its unification with the One Being, universal both in the world and the individual and transcendentally one both in the world and beyond all universe.
~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, p.47-8,#KEYS
403:the three results of effective practice: devotion, the central liberating knowledge and purification of ego; :::
...it leads straight and inevitably towards the highest devotion possible;.. There is bound up a growing sense of the Divine in all things, a deepening communion with the Divine in all our through, will and action and at every moment of our lives, a more and more moved conscecration to the Divine of the totality of our being....
...next, the practice of this Yoga demands a constant inward remembrance of the one central liberating knowledge, ... In all is the one Self, the one Divine is all; all are in the Divine, all are the Divine and there is nothing else in the universe, - this thought or this faith is the whole background until it becomes the whole substance of the consciousness of the worker. ...
Lastly, the practice of this Yoga of sacrifice compels us to renounce all the inner supports of egoism, casting them out of our mind and will and actions, and to eliminate its seed, its presence, its influence out of our nature. All must be done for the Divine; all must be directed towards the Divine.
~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, The Sacrifice, The Triune Path and the Lord of the Sacrifice [T1],#KEYS
404:The Self, the Divine, the Supreme Reality, the All, the Transcendent, - the One in all these aspects is then the object of Yogic knowledge. Ordinary objects, the external appearances of life and matter, the psychology of out thoughts and actions, the perception of the forces of the apparent world can be part of this knowledge, but only in so far as it is part of the manifestation of the One. It becomes at once evident that the knowledge for which Yoga strives must be different from what men ordinarily understand by the word. For we mean ordinarily by knowledge an intellectual appreciation of the facts of life, mind and matter and the laws that govern them. This is a knowledge founded upon our sense-perception and upon reasoning from our sense-perceptions and it is undertaken partly for the pure satisfaction of the intellect, partly for practical efficiency and the added power which knowledge gives in managing our lives and the lives of others, in utilising for human ends the overt or secret forces of Nature and in helping or hurting, in saving and ennobling or in oppressing and destroying our fellow-men. Yoga, indeed, is commensurate with all life and can include these subjects and objects.
~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, The Status of Knowledge,#KEYS
405:Listen to Erwin Schroedinger,the Nobel Prize-winning cofounder of quantum mechanics,and how can I convince you that he means this literally?Consciousness is a singular of which the plural is unknown.It is not possible that this unity of knowledge,feelings,and choice which you call your own should have sprung into being from nothingness at a given moment not so long ago;rather,this knowledge,feeling, and choice are essentially eternal and unchangeable and numerically one in all people,nay in all sensitive beings.The conditions for your existence are almost as old as rocks.For thousands of years men have striven and suffered and begotten and women have brought in pain.A hundred years ago (there's the test),another man sat on this spot;like you he gazed with awe and yearning in his heart at the dying light on the glaciers. Like you he was begotten of man and born of woman.He felt pain and brief joy as you do.Was he someone else? Was it not you yourself?WAS IT NOT YOU,YOURSELF? Are you not humanity itself? Do you not touch all things human,because you are it's only Witness? Do you not therefore love the world,and love all people,and love the Kosmos,because you are its only Self? Do you not weep when one person is hurt,do you not cry when one child goes hungry,do you not scream when one soul is tortured? You know you suffer when others suffer.You already know this! "Was it someone else? Was it not you yourself?" ~ Ken Wilber, One Taste, p. 342-343, #KEYS
406:the one entirely acceptable sacrifice :::
And the fruit also of the sacrifice of works varies according to the work, according to the intention in the work and according to the spirit that is behind the intention. But all other sacrifices are partial, egoistic, mixed, temporal, incomplete, - even those offered to the highest Powers and Principles keep this character: the result too is partial, limited, temporal, mixed in its reactions, effective only for a minor or intermediate purpose. The one entirely acceptable sacrifice is a last and highest and uttermost self-giving, - it is that surrender made face to face, with devotion and knowledge, freely and without any reserve to One who is at once our immanent Self, the environing constituent All, the Supreme Reality beyond this or any manifestation and, secretly, all these together, concealed everywhere, the immanent Transcendence. For to the soul that wholly gives itself to him, God also gives himself altogether. Only the one who offers his whole nature, finds the Self. Only the one who can give everything, enjoys the Divine All everywhere. Only a supreme self-abandonment attains to the Supreme. Only the sublimation by sacrifice of all that we are, can enable us to embody the Highest and live here in the immanent consciousness of the transcendent Spirit.
~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, The Yoga of Divine Works, The Sacrifice, the Triune Path and the Lord of the Sacrifice [110],#KEYS
407:0 Order - All developmental theories consider the infant to be "undifferentiated," the essence of which is the absence of any self-other boundary (interpersonally) or any subject-object boundary (intrapsychically), hence, stage 0 rather than stage 1. The infant is believed to consider all of the phenomena it experiences as extensions of itself. The infant is "all self" or "all subject" and "no object or other." Whether one speaks of infantile narcissism," "orality," being under the sway completely of "the pleasure principle" with no countervailing "reality principle," or being "all assimilative" with no countervailing "accommodation," all descriptions amount to the same picture of an objectless, incorporative embeddedness. Such an underlying psychologic gives rise not only to a specific kind of cognition (prerepresentational) but to a specific kind of emotion in which the emotional world lacks any distinction between inner and outer sources of pleasure and discomfort. To describe a state of complete undifferentiation, psychologists have had to rely on metaphors: Our language itself depends on the transcendence of this prerepresentational stage. The objects, symbols, signs, and referents of language organize the experienced world and presuppose the very categories that are not yet articulated at stage 0. Thus, Freud has described this period as the "oceanic stage," the self undifferentiated from the swelling sea. Jung suggested "uroboros," the snake that swallows its tail. ~ Robert Kegan, #KEYS
408:When, then, by the withdrawal of the centre of consciousness from identification with the mind, life and body, one has discovered ones true self, discovered the oneness of that self with the pure, silent, immutable Brahman, discovered in the immutable, in the Akshara Brahman, that by which the individual being escapes from his own personality into the impersonal, the first movement of the Path of Knowledge has been completed. It is the sole that is absolutely necessary for the traditional aim of the Yoga of Knowledge, for immergence, for escape from cosmic existence, for release into the absolute and ineffable Parabrahman who is beyond all cosmic being. The seeker of this ultimate release may take other realisations on his way, may realise the Lord of the universe, the Purusha who manifests Himself in all creatures, may arrive at the cosmic consciousness, may know and feel his unity with all beings; but these are only stages or circumstances of his journey, results of the unfolding of his soul as it approaches nearer the ineffable goal. To pass beyond them all is his supreme object. When on the other hand, having attained to the freedom and the silence and the peace, we resume possession by the cosmic consciousness of the active as well as the silent Brahman and can securely live in the divine freedom as well as rest in it, we have completed the second movement of the Path by which the integrality of self-knowledge becomes the station of the liberated soul.
~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga,#KEYS
409:the ruthless sacrifice ::: The vulgar conception of sacrifice is an act of painful self-immolation, austere self-mortification, difficult self-effacement; this kind of sacrifice may go even as far as self-mutilation and self-torture. These things may be temporarily necessary in man's hard endeavor to exceed his natural self; if the egoism in his nature is violent and obstinate, it has to be met sometimes by an answering strong internal repression and counterbalancing violence. But the Gita discourages any excess of violence done to oneself; for the self within is really the Godhead evolving, it is Krishna, the Divine; it has not to be troubled and tortured as the Titans of the world trouble and torture it, but to be increased, fostered, cherished, luminously opened to a divine light and strength and joy and wideness. It is not one's self, but the band of the spirit's inner enemies that we have to discourage, expel, slay upon the alter of the growth of the spirit; these can be ruthlessly excised, whose names are desire, wrath, inequality, greed, attachment to outward pleasures and pains, the cohort of usurping demons that are the cause of the soul's errors and sufferings. These should be regarded not as part of oneself but as intruders and perverters of our self's real and diviner nature; these have to be sacrificed in the harsher sense of the word, whatever pain in going they may thrown by reflection on the consciousness of the seeker.
~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, The Sacrifice, The Triune Path and the Lord of the Sacrifice,#KEYS
410:But what has fixed the modes of Nature? Or who has originated and governs the movements of Force? There is a Consciousness - or a Conscient - behind that is the lord, witness, knower, enjoyer, upholder and source of sanction for her works; this consciousness is Soul or Purusha. Prakriti shapes the action in us; Purusha in her or behind her witnesses, assents, bears and upholds it. Prakriti forms the thought in our minds; Purusha in her or behind her knows the thought and the truth in it. Prakriti determines the result of the action; Purusha in her or behind her enjoys or suffers the consequence. Prakriti forms mind and body, labours over them, develops them; Purusha upholds the formation and evolution and sanctions each step of her works. Prakriti applies the Will-force which works in things and men; Purusha sets that Will-force to work by his vision of that which should be done. This Purusha is not the surface ego, but a silent Self, a source of Power, an originator and receiver of Knowledge behind the ego. Our mental "I" is only a false reflection of this Self, this Power, this Knowledge. This Purusha or supporting Consciousness is therefore the cause, recipient and support of all Nature's works, but he is not himself the doer. Prakriti, NatureForce, in front and Shakti, Conscious-Force, Soul-Force behind her, - for these two are the inner and outer faces of the universal Mother, - account for all that is done in the universe. The universal Mother, Prakriti-Shakti, is the one and only worker. ~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, The Supreme Will, 214, #KEYS
411:So too we can rise to a consciousness above and observe the various parts of our being, inner and outer, mental, vital and physical and the subconscient below all, and act upon one or other or the whole from that higher status. It is possible also to go down from that height or from any height into any of these lower states and take its limited light or its obscurity as our place of working while the rest that we are is either temporarily put away or put behind or else kept as a field of reference from which we can get support, sanction or light and influence or as a status into which we can ascend or recede and from it observe the inferior movements. Or we can plunge into trance, get within ourselves and be conscious there while all outward things are excluded; or we can go beyond even this inner awareness and lose ourselves in some deeper other consciousness or some high superconscience. There is also a pervading equal consciousness into which we can enter and see all ourselves with one enveloping glance or omnipresent awareness one and indivisible. All this which looks strange and abnormal or may seem fantastic to the surface reason acquainted only with our normal status of limited ignorance and its movements divided from our inner higher and total reality, becomes easily intelligible and admissible in the light of the larger reason and logic of the Infinite or by the admission of the greater illimitable powers of the Self, the Spirit in us which is of one essence with the Infinite. ~ Sri Aurobindo, The Life Divine, 1.2.02 #KEYS
412:[the value of sublimation:]
And since Yoga is in its essence a turning away from the ordinary material and animal life led by most men or from the more mental but still limited way of living followed by the few to a greater spiritual life, to the way divine, every part of our energies that is given to the lower existence in the spirit of that existence is a contradiction of our aim and our self-dedication. On the other hand, every energy or activity that we can convert from its allegiance to the lower and dedicate to the service of the higher is so much gained on our road, so much taken from the powers that oppose our progress. It is the difficulty of this wholesale conversion that is the source of all the stumblings in the path of Yoga. For our entire nature and its environment, all our personal and all our universal self, are full of habits and of influences that are opposed to our spiritual rebirth and work against the whole-heartedness of our endeavour.
In a certain sense we are nothing but a complex mass of mental, nervous and physical habits held together by a few ruling ideas, desires and associations, - an amalgam of many small self-repeating forces with a few major vibrations. What we propose in our Yoga is nothing less than to break up the whole formation of our past and present which makes up the ordinary material and mental man and to create a new centre of vision and a new universe of activities in ourselves which shall constitute a divine humanity or a superhuman nature.
~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, Self-Consecration, [71] [T1],#KEYS
413:What your reasoning ignores is that which is absolute or tends towards the absolute in man and his seeking as well as in the Divine - something not to be explained by mental reasoning or vital motive. A motive, but a motive of the soul, not of vital desire; a reason not of the mind, but of the self and spirit. An asking too, but the asking that is the soul's inherent aspiration, not a vital longing. That is what comes up when there is the sheer self-giving, when "I seek you for this, I seek you for that" changes to a sheer "I seek you for you." It is that marvellous and ineffable absolute in the Divine that Krishnaprem means when he says, "Not knowledge nor this nor that, but Krishna."
The pull of that is indeed a categorical imperative, the self in us drawn to the Divine because of the imperative call of its greater Self, the soul ineffably drawn towards the object of its adoration, because it cannot be otherwise, because it is it and He is He. That is all about it.
I have written all that only to explain what we mean whenwe speak of seeking the Divine for himself and not for anything else - so far as it is explicable. Explicable or not, it is one of the most dominant facts of spiritual experience. The call to selfgiving is only an expression of this fact. But this does not mean that I object to your asking for Ananda. Ask for that by all means, so long as to ask for it is a need of any part of your being - for these are the things that lead on towards the Divine so long as the absolute inner call that is there all the time does not push itself to the surface. But it is really that that has drawn from the beginning and is there behind - it is the categorical spiritual imperative, the absolute need of the soul for the Divine. ~ Sri Aurobindo, Letters On Yoga - II, Seeking the Divine,#KEYS
414:mastering the lower self and leverage for the march towards the Divine :::
In proportion as he can thus master and enlighten his lower self, he is man and no longer an animal. When he can begin to replace desire altogether by a still greater enlightened thought and sight and will in touch with the Infinite, consciously subject to a diviner will than his own, linked to a more universal and transcendent knowledge, he has commenced the ascent towards tile superman; he is on his upward march towards the Divine.
It is, then, in the highest mind of thought and light and will or it is in the inner heart of deepest feeling and emotion that we must first centre our consciousness, -- in either of them or, if we are capable, in both together, -- and use that as our leverage to lift the nature wholly towards the Divine. The concentration of an enlightened thought, will and heart turned in unison towards one vast goal of our knowledge, one luminous and infinite source of our action, one imperishable object of our emotion is the starting-point of the Yoga. And the object of our seeking must be the very fount of the Light which is growing in us, the very origin of the Force which we are calling to move our members. Our one objective must be the Divine himself to whom, knowingly or unknowingly, something always aspires in our secret nature. There must be a large, many-sided yet single concentration of the thought on the idea, the perception, the vision, the awakening touch, the soul's realisation of the one Divine. There must be a flaming concentration of the heart on the All and Eternal and, when once we have found him, a deep plunging and immersion in the possession and ecstasy of the All-Beautiful. There must be a strong and immovable concentration of the will on the attainment and fulfilment of all that the Divine is and a free and plastic opening of it to all that he intends to manifest in us. This is the triple way of the Yoga.
~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, Self-Consecration, 80-81,#KEYS
415:It must also be kept in mind that the supramental change is difficult, distant, an ultimate stage; it must be regarded as the end of a far-off vista; it cannot be and must not be turned into a first aim, a constantly envisaged goal or an immediate objective. For it can only come into the view of possibility after much arduous self-conquest and self-exceeding, at the end of many long and trying stages of a difficult self-evolution of the nature. One must first acquire an inner Yogic consciousness and replace by it our ordinary view of things, natural movements, motives of life; one must revolutionise the whole present build of our being. Next, we have to go still deeper, discover our veiled psychic entity and in its light and under its government psychicise our inner and outer parts, turn mind-nature, life-nature, body-nature and all our mental, vital, physical action and states and movements into a conscious instrumentation of the soul. Afterwards or concurrently we have to spiritualise the being in its entirety by a descent of a divine Light, Force, Purity, Knowledge, freedom and wideness. It is necessary to break down the limits of the personal mind, life and physicality, dissolve the ego, enter into the cosmic consciousness, realise the self, acquire a spiritualised and universalised mind and heart, life-force, physical consciousness. Then only the passage into the supramental consciousness begins to become possible, and even then there is a difficult ascent to make each stage of which is a separate arduous achievement. Yoga is a rapid and concentrated conscious evolution of the being, but however rapid, even though it may effect in a single life what in an instrumental Nature might take centuries and millenniums or many hundreds of lives, still all evolution must move by stages; even the greatest rapidity and concentration of the movement cannot swallow up all the stages or reverse natural process and bring the end near to the beginning.
~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, The Supermind and the Yoga of Works, 281,#KEYS
416:the omnipresent Trinity :::
In practice three conceptions are necessary before there can be any possibility of Yoga; there must be, as it were, three consenting parties to the effort,-God, Nature and the human soul or, in more abstract language, the Transcendental, the Universal and the Individual. If the individual and Nature are left to themselves, the one is bound to the other and unable to exceed appreciably her lingering march. Something transcendent is needed, free from her and greater, which will act upon us and her, attracting us upward to Itself and securing from her by good grace or by force her consent to the individual ascension. It is this truth which makes necessary to every philosophy of Yoga the conception of the Ishwara, Lord, supreme Soul or supreme Self, towards whom the effort is directed and who gives the illuminating touch and the strength to attain. Equally true is the complementary idea so often enforced by the Yoga of devotion that as the Transcendent is necessary to the individual and sought after by him, so also the individual is necessary in a sense to the Transcendent and sought after by It. If the Bhakta seeks and yearns after Bhagavan, Bhagavan also seeks and yearns after the Bhakta. There can be no Yoga of knowledge without a human seeker of the knowledge, the supreme subject of knowledge and the divine use by the individual of the universal faculties of knowledge; no Yoga of devotion without the human God-lover, the supreme object of love and delight and the divine use by the individual of the universal faculties of spiritual, emotional and aesthetic enjoyment; no Yoga of works without the human worker, the supreme Will, Master of all works and sacrifices, and the divine use by the individual of the universal faculties of power and action. However Monistic maybe our intellectual conception of the highest truth of things, in practice we are compelled to accept this omnipresent Trinity.
~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, Introduction - The Conditions of the Synthesis, The Systems of Yoga,#KEYS
417:Jnana Yoga, the Path of Knowledge; :::
The Path of Knowledge aims at the realisation of the unique and supreme Self. It proceeds by the method of intellectual reflection, vicara ¯, to right discrimination, viveka. It observes and distinguishes the different elements of our apparent or phenomenal being and rejecting identification with each of them arrives at their exclusion and separation in one common term as constituents of Prakriti, of phenomenal Nature, creations of Maya, the phenomenal consciousness. So it is able to arrive at its right identification with the pure and unique Self which is not mutable or perishable, not determinable by any phenomenon or combination of phenomena. From this point the path, as ordinarily followed, leads to the rejection of the phenomenal worlds from the consciousness as an illusion and the final immergence without return of the individual soul in the Supreme. But this exclusive consummation is not the sole or inevitable result of the Path of Knowledge. For, followed more largely and with a less individual aim, the method of Knowledge may lead to an active conquest of the cosmic existence for the Divine no less than to a transcendence. The point of this departure is the realisation of the supreme Self not only in one's own being but in all beings and, finally, the realisation of even the phenomenal aspects of the world as a play of the divine consciousness and not something entirely alien to its true nature. And on the basis of this realisation a yet further enlargement is possible, the conversion of all forms of knowledge, however mundane, into activities of the divine consciousness utilisable for the perception of the one and unique Object of knowledge both in itself and through the play of its forms and symbols. Such a method might well lead to the elevation of the whole range of human intellect and perception to the divine level, to its spiritualisation and to the justification of the cosmic travail of knowledge in humanity.
~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, The Conditions of the Synthesis, The Systems Of Yoga, 38,#KEYS
418:And therefore, all of those for whom authentic transformation has deeply unseated their souls must, I believe, wrestle with the profound moral obligation to shout form the heart-perhaps quietly and gently, with tears of reluctance; perhaps with fierce fire and angry wisdom; perhaps with slow and careful analysis; perhaps by unshakable public example-but authentically always and absolutely carries a a demand and duty: you must speak out, to the best of your ability, and shake the spiritual tree, and shine your headlights into the eyes of the complacent. You must let that radical realization rumble through your veins and rattle those around you.
Alas, if you fail to do so, you are betraying your own authenticity. You are hiding your true estate. You don't want to upset others because you don't want to upset your self. You are acting in bad faith, the taste of a bad infinity.
Because, you see, the alarming fact is that any realization of depth carries a terrible burden: those who are allowed to see are simultaneously saddled with the obligation to communicate that vision in no uncertain terms: that is the bargain. You were allowed to see the truth under the agreement that you would communicate it to others (that is the ultimate meaning of the bodhisattva vow). And therefore, if you have seen, you simply must speak out. Speak out with compassion, or speak out with angry wisdom, or speak out with skillful means, but speak out you must.
And this is truly a terrible burden, a horrible burden, because in any case there is no room for timidity. The fact that you might be wrong is simply no excuse: You might be right in your communication, and you might be wrong, but that doesn't matter. What does matter, as Kierkegaard so rudely reminded us, is that only by investing and speaking your vision with passion, can the truth, one way or another, finally penetrate the reluctance of the world. If you are right, or if you are wrong, it is only your passion that will force either to be discovered. It is your duty to promote that discovery-either way-and therefore it is your duty to speak your truth with whatever passion and courage you can find in your heart. You must shout, in whatever way you can. ~ Ken Wilber, One Taste,#KEYS
419:The most disconcerting discovery is to find that every part of us -- intellect, will, sense-mind, nervous or desire self, the heart, the body-has each, as it were, its own complex individuality and natural formation independent of the rest; it neither agrees with itself nor with the others nor with the representative ego which is the shadow cast by some central and centralising self on our superficial ignorance. We find that we are composed not of one but many personalities and each has its own demands and differing nature. Our being is a roughly constituted chaos into which we have to introduce the principle of a divine order. Moreover, we find that inwardly too, no less than outwardly, we are not alone in the world; the sharp separateness of our ego was no more than a strong imposition and delusion; we do not exist in ourselves, we do not really live apart in an inner privacy or solitude. Our mind is a receiving, developing and modifying machine into which there is being constantly passed from moment to moment a ceaseless foreign flux, a streaming mass of disparate materials from above, from below, from outside. Much more than half our thoughts and feelings are not our own in the sense that they take form out of ourselves; of hardly anything can it be said that it is truly original to our nature. A large part comes to us from others or from the environment, whether as raw material or as manufactured imports; but still more largely they come from universal Nature here or from other worlds and planes and their beings and powers and influences; for we are overtopped and environed by other planes of consciousness, mind planes, life planes, subtle matter planes, from which our life and action here are fed, or fed on, pressed, dominated, made use offer the manifestation of their forms and forces. The difficulty of our separate salvation is immensely increased by this complexity and manifold openness and subjection to tile in-streaming energies of the universe. Of all this we have to take account, to deal with it, to know what is the secret stuff of our nature and its constituent and resultant motions and to create in it all a divine centre and a true harmony and luminous order. ~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, 1.02, #KEYS
420:The Absolute is beyond personality and beyond impersonality, and yet it is both the Impersonal and the supreme Person and all persons. The Absolute is beyond the distinction of unity and multiplicity, and yet it is the One and the innumerable Many in all the universes. It is beyond all limitation by quality and yet it is not limited by a qualityless void but is too all infinite qualities. It is the individual soul and all souls and more of them; it is the formless Brahman and the universe. It is the cosmic and the supracosmic spirit, the supreme Lord, the supreme Self, the supreme Purusha and supreme shakti, the Ever Unborn who is endlessly born, the Infinite who is innumerably finite, the multitudinous One, the complex Simple, the many-sided Single, the Word of the Silence Ineffable, the impersonal omnipresent Person, the Mystery, translucent in highest consciousness to its own spirit, but to a lesser consciousness veiled in its own exceeding light and impenetrable for ever. These things are to the dimensional mind irreconcilable opposites, but to the constant vision and experience of the supramental Truth-Consciousness they are so simply and inevitably the intrinsic nature of each other that even to think of them as contraries is an unimaginable violence. The walls constructed by the measuring and separating Intellect have disappeared and the Truth in its simplicity and beauty appears and reduces all to terms of its harmony and unity and light. Dimensions and distinctions remain but as figures for use, not a separative prison for the self-forgetting Spirit.
2:In the ordinary Yoga of knowledge it is only necessary to recognise two planes of our consciousness, the spiritual and the materialised mental; the pure reason standing between these two views them both, cuts through the illusions of the phenomenal world, exceeds the materialised mental plane, sees the reality of the spiritual; and then the will of the individual Purusha unifying itself with this poise of knowledge rejects the lower and draws back to the supreme plane, dwells there, loses mind and body, sheds life from it and merges itself in the supreme Purusha, is delivered from individual existence. ~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis of Yoga, 2.01 - The Object of Knowledge,#KEYS
421:34
D: What are the eight limbs of knowledge (jnana ashtanga)?
M: The eight limbs are those which have been already mentioned, viz., yama, niyama etc., but differently defined:
(1) Yama: This is controlling the aggregate of sense-organs, realizing the defects that are present in the world consisting of the body, etc.
(2) Niyama: This is maintaining a stream of mental modes that relate to the Self and rejecting the contrary modes. In other words, it means love that arises uninterruptedly for the Supreme Self.
(3) Asana: That with the help of which constant meditation on Brahman is made possible with ease is asana.
(4) Pranayama: Rechaka (exhalation) is removing the two unreal aspects of name and form from the objects constituting the world, the body etc., puraka (inhalation) is grasping the three real aspects, existence, consciousness and bliss, which are constant in those objects, and kumbhaka is retaining those aspects thus grasped.
(5) Pratyahara: This is preventing name and form which have been removed from re-entering the mind.
(6) Dharana: This is making the mind stay in the Heart, without straying outward, and realizing that one is the Self itself which is Existence-Consciousness-Bliss.
(7) Dhyana: This is meditation of the form 'I am only pure consciousness'. That is, after leaving aside the body which consists of five sheaths, one enquires 'Who am I?', and as a result of that, one stays as 'I' which shines as the Self.
(8) Samadhi: When the 'I-manifestation' also ceases, there is (subtle) direct experience. This is samadhi.
For pranayama, etc., detailed here, the disciplines such as asana, etc., mentioned in connection with yoga are not necessary.
The limbs of knowledge may be practised at all places and at all times. Of yoga and knowledge, one may follow whichever is pleasing to one, or both, according to circumstances. The great teachers say that forgetfulness is the root of all evil, and is death for those who seek release,10 so one should rest the mind in one's Self and should never forget the Self: this is the aim. If the mind is controlled, all else can be controlled. The distinction between yoga with eight limbs and knowledge with eight limbs has been set forth elaborately in the sacred texts; so only the substance of this teaching has been given here. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, Self-Enquiry, 34,#KEYS
422:The majority of Buddhists and Buddhist teachers in the West are green postmodern pluralists, and thus Buddhism is largely interpreted in terms of the green altitude and the pluralistic value set, whereas the greatest Buddhist texts are all 2nd tier, teal (Holistic) or higher (for example, Lankavatara Sutra, Kalachakra Tantra, Longchenpa's Kindly Bent to Ease Us, Nagarjuna's Madhyamaka treatises, and so forth).
This makes teal (Holistic), or Integral 2nd tier in general, the lowest deeply adequate level with which to interpret Buddhism, ultimate Reality, and Suchness itself. Thus, interpreting Suchness in pluralistic terms (or lower) would have to be viewed ultimately as a dysfunction, certainly a case of arrested development, and one requiring urgent attention in any Fourth Turning.
These are some of the problems with interpreting states (in this case, Suchness states) with a too-low structure (in short, a severe misinterpretation and thus misunderstanding of the Ultimate). As for interpreting them with dysfunctional structures (of any altitude), the problem more or less speaks for itself. Whether the structure in itself is high enough or not, any malformation of the structure will be included in the interpretation of any state (or any other experience), and hence will deform the interpretation itself, usually in the same basic ways as the structure itself is deformed. Thus, for example, if there is a major Fulcrum-3 (red altitude) repression of various bodily states (sex, aggression, power, feelings), those repressions will be interpreted as part of the higher state itself, and so the state will thus be viewed as devoid of (whereas this is actually a repression of) any sex, aggression, power, feelings, or whatever it is that is dis-owned and pushed into the repressed submergent unconscious. If there is an orange altitude problem with self-esteem (Fulcrum-5), that problem will be magnified by the state experience, and the more intense the state experience, the greater the magnification. Too little self-esteem, and even profound spiritual experiences can be interpreted as "I'm not worthy, so this state-which seems to love me unconditionally-must be confused." If too much self-esteem, higher experiences are misinterpreted, not as a transcendence of the self, but as a reward for being the amazing self I am-"the wonder of being me." ~ Ken Wilber, The Religion Of Tomorrow,#KEYS
423:the three stages of the ascent :::
There are three stages of the ascent, -at the bottom the bodily life enslaved to the pressure of necessity and desire, in the middle the mental, the higher emotional and psychic rule that feels after greater interests, aspirations, experiences, ideas, and at the summits first a deeper psychic and spiritual state and then a supramental eternal consciousness in which all our aspirations and seekings discover their own intimate significance.In the bodily life first desire and need and then the practical good of the individual and the society are the governing consideration, the dominant force. In the mental life ideas and ideals rule, ideas that are half-lights wearing the garb of Truth, ideals formed by the mind as a result of a growing but still imperfect intuition and experience. Whenever the mental life prevails and the bodily diminishes its brute insistence, man the mental being feels pushed by the urge of mental Nature to mould in the sense of the idea or the ideal the life of the individual, and in the end even the vaguer more complex life of the society is forced to undergo this subtle process.In the spiritual life, or when a higher power than Mind has manifested and taken possession of the nature, these limited motive-forces recede, dwindle, tend to disappear. The spiritual or supramental Self, the Divine Being, the supreme and immanent Reality, must be alone the Lord within us and shape freely our final development according to the highest, widest, most integral expression possible of the law of our nature. In the end that nature acts in the perfect Truth and its spontaneous freedom; for it obeys only the luminous power of the Eternal. The individual has nothing further to gain, no desire to fulfil; he has become a portion of the impersonality or the universal personality of the Eternal. No other object than the manifestation and play of the Divine Spirit in life and the maintenance and conduct of the world in its march towards the divine goal can move him to action. Mental ideas, opinions, constructions are his no more; for his mind has fallen into silence, it is only a channel for the Light and Truth of the divine knowledge. Ideals are too narrow for the vastness of his spirit; it is the ocean of the Infinite that flows through him and moves him for ever.
~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, The Supreme Will,#KEYS
424:complexity of the human constitution :::
There is another direction in which the ordinary practice of Yoga arrives at a helpful but narrowing simplification which is denied to the Sadhaka of the integral aim. The practice of Yoga brings us face to face with the extraordinary complexity of our own being, the stimulating but also embarrassing multiplicity of our personality, the rich endless confusion of Nature. To the ordinary man who lives upon his own waking surface, ignorant of the self's depths and vastnesses behind the veil, his psychological existence is fairly simple. A small but clamorous company of desires, some imperative intellectual and aesthetic cravings, some tastes, a few ruling or prominent ideas amid a great current of unconnected or ill-connected and mostly trivial thoughts, a number of more or less imperative vital needs, alternations of physical health and disease, a scattered and inconsequent succession of joys and griefs, frequent minor disturbances and vicissitudes and rarer strong searchings and upheavals of mind or body, and through it all Nature, partly with the aid of his thought and will, partly without or in spite of it, arranging these things in some rough practical fashion, some tolerable disorderly order, -- this is the material of his existence. The average human being even now is in his inward existence as crude and undeveloped as was the bygone primitive man in his outward life. But as soon as we go deep within ourselves, -- and Yoga means a plunge into all the multiple profundities of' the soul, -- we find ourselves subjectively, as man in his growth has found himself objectively, surrounded by a whole complex world which we have to know and to conquer.
The most disconcerting discovery is to find that every part of us -- intellect, will, sense-mind, nervous or desire self, the heart, the body-has each, as it were, its own complex individuality and natural formation independent of the rest; it neither agrees with itself nor with the others nor with the representative ego which is the shadow cast by some central and centralising self on our superficial ignorance. We find that we are composed not of one but many personalities and each has its own demands and differing nature. Our being is a roughly constituted chaos into which we have to introduce the principle of a divine order.
~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, Self-Consecration, 74-75,#KEYS
425:meta-systemic operations ::: As the 1950's and 60s begin to roll around the last stage of first tier emerged as a cultural force. With the Green Altitude we see the emergence of Pluralistic, Multicultural, Post-Modern world-views.
Cognition is starting to move beyond formal-operations into the realm of co-ordinating systems of abstractions, in what is called Meta-systemic Cognition. While formal-operations acted upon the classes and relations between members of classes. Meta-systemic operations start at the level of relating systems to systems. The focus of these investigations is placed upon comparing, contrasting, transforming and synthesizing entire systems, rather than components of one system. This emergent faculty allows self-sense to focus around a heightened sense of individuality and an increased ability for emotional resonance. The recognition of individual differences, the ability to tolerate paradox and contradiction, and greater conceptual complexity all provide for an understanding of conflict as being both internally and externally caused. Context plays a major role in the creation of truth and individual perspective. With each being context dependent and open to subjective interpretation, meaning each perspective and truth are rendered relative and are not able to be judged as better or more true than any other. This fuels a value set that centers on softness over cold rationality. Sensitivity and preference over objectivity.
Along with a focus on community harmony and equality which drives the valuing of sensitivity to others, reconcilation, consensus, dialogue, relationship, human development, bonding, and a seeking of a peace with the inner-self. Moral decisions are based on rights, values, or principles that are agreeable to all individuals composing a society based on fair and beneficial practices. All of this leads to the Equality movements and multiculturalism. And to the extreme form of relativitism which we saw earlier as context dependant nature of all truth including objective facts.
Faith at the green altitude is called Conjunctive, and allows the self to integrate what was unrecognized by the previous stages self-certainty and cognitive and affective adaptation to reality. New features at this level of faith include the unification of symbolic power with conceptual meaning, an awareness of ones social unconscious, a reworking of ones past, and an opening to ones deeper self. ~ Essential Integral, 4.1-52, Meta-systemic Operations,#KEYS
426:the ways of the Bhakta and man of Knowledge :::
In the ordinary paths of Yoga the method used for dealing with these conflicting materials is direct and simple. One or another of the principal psychological forces in us is selected as our single means for attaining to the Divine; the rest is quieted into inertia or left to starve in its smallness. The Bhakta, seizing on the emotional forces of the being, the intense activities of the heart, abides concentrated in the love of God, gathered up as into a single one-pointed tongue of fire; he is indifferent to the activities of thought, throws behind him the importunities of the reason, cares nothing for the mind's thirst for knowledge. All the knowledge he needs is his faith and the inspirations that well up from a heart in communion with the Divine. He has no use for any will to works that is not turned to the direct worship of the Beloved or the service of the temple. The man of Knowledge, self-confined by a deliberate choice to the force and activities of discriminative thought, finds release in the mind's inward-drawn endeavour. He concentrates on the idea of the self, succeeds by a subtle inner discernment in distinguishing its silent presence amid the veiling activities of Nature, and through the perceptive idea arrives at the concrete spiritual experience. He is indifferent to the play of the emotions, deaf to the hunger-call of passion, closed to the activities of Life, -- the more blessed he, the sooner they fall away from him and leave him free, still and mute, the eternal non-doer. The body is his stumbling-block, the vital functions are his enemies; if their demands can be reduced to a minimum, that is his great good fortune. The endless difficulties that arise from the environing world are dismissed by erecting firmly against them a defence of outer physical and inner spiritual solitude; safe behind a wall of inner silence, he remains impassive and untouched by the world and by others. To be alone with oneself or alone with the Divine, to walk apart with God and his devotees, to entrench oneself in the single self-ward endeavour of the mind or Godward passion of the heart is the trend of these Yogas. The problem is solved by the excision of all but the one central difficulty which pursues the only chosen motive-force; into the midst of the dividing calls of our nature the principle of an exclusive concentration comes sovereignly to our rescue.
~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, Self-Consecration. 76-77,#KEYS
427:Integral knowledge will then mean the cancelling of the sevenfold Ignorance by the discovery of what it misses and ignores, a sevenfold self-revelation within our consciousness:- it will mean the knowledge of the Absolute as the origin of all things; the knowledge of the Self, the Spirit, the Being and of the cosmos as the Self's becoming, the becoming of the Being, a manifestation of the Spirit; the knowledge of the world as one with us in the consciousness of our true self, thus cancelling our division from it by the separative idea and life of ego; the knowledge of our psychic entity and its immortal persistence in Time beyond death and earth-existence; the knowledge of our greater and inner existence behind the surface; the knowledge of our mind, life and body in its true relation to the self within and the superconscient spiritual and supramental being above them; the knowledge, finally, of the true harmony and true use of our thought, will and action and a change of all our nature into a conscious expression of the truth of the Spirit, the Self, the Divinity, the integral spiritual Reality. But this is not an intellectual knowledge which can be learned and completed in our present mould of consciousness; it must be an experience, a becoming, a change of consciousness, a change of being. This brings in the evolutionary character of the Becoming and the fact that our mental ignorance is only a stage in our evolution. The integral knowledge, then, can only come by an evolution of our being and our nature, and that would seem to signify a slow process in Time such as has accompanied the other evolutionary transformations. But as against that inference there is the fact that the evolution has now become conscious and its method and steps need not be altogether of the same character as when it was subconscious in its process. The integral knowledge, since it must result from a change of consciousness, can be gained by a process in which our will and endeavour have a part, in which they can discover and apply their own steps and method: its growth in us can proceed by a conscious self-transformation. It is necessary then to see what is likely to be the principle of this new process of evolution and what are the movements of the integral knowledge that must necessarily emerge in it,-or, in other words, what is the nature of the consciousness that must be the base of the life divine and how that life may be expected to be formed or to form itself, to materialise or, as one might say, to realise.
~ Sri Aurobindo, The Life Divine, Reality and the Integral Knowledge, 681,#KEYS
428:10000 ::: The True Object of Spiritual Seeking:
To find the Divine is indeed the first reason for seeking the spiritual Truth and the spiritual life; it is the one thing indispensable and all the rest is nothing without it. The Divine once found, to manifest Him,-that is, first of all to transform one's own limited consciousness into the Divine Consciousness, to live in the infinite Peace, Light, Love, Strength, Bliss, to become that in one's essential nature and, as a consequence, to be its vessel, channel, instrument in one's active nature. To bring into activity the principle of oneness on the material plane or to work for humanity is a mental mistranslation of the Truth-these things cannot be the first or true object of spiritual seeking. We must find the Self, the Divine, then only can we know what is the work the Self or the Divine demands from us. Until then our life and action can only be a help or means towards finding the Divine and it ought not to have any other purpose. As we grow in the inner consciousness, or as the spiritual Truth of the Divine grows in us, our life and action must indeed more and more flow from that, be one with that. But to decide beforehand by our limited mental conceptions what they must be is to hamper the growth of the spiritual Truth within. As that grows we shall feel the Divine Light and Truth, the Divine Power and Force, the Divine Purity and Peace working within us, dealing with our actions as well as our consciousness, making use of them to reshape us into the Divine Image, removing the dross, substituting the pure gold of the Spirit. Only when the Divine Presence is there in us always and the consciousness transformed, can we have the right to say that we are ready to manifest the Divine on the material plane. To hold up a mental ideal or principle and impose that on the inner working brings the danger of limiting ourselves to a mental realisation or of impeding or even falsifying by a half-way formation the true growth into the full communion and union with the Divine and the free and intimate outflowing of His will in our life. This is a mistake of orientation to which the mind of today is especially prone. It is far better to approach the Divine for the Peace or Light or Bliss that the realisation of Him gives than to bring in these minor things which can divert us from the one thing needful. The divinisation of the material life also as well as the inner life is part of what we see as the Divine Plan, but it can only be fulfilled by an outflowing of the inner realisation, something that grows from within outward, not by the working out of a mental principle.
~ Sri Aurobindo, Letters On Yoga - II, [T1],#KEYS
429:If we look at this picture of the Self-Existence and its works as a unitary unlimited whole of vision, it stands together and imposes itself by its convincing totality: but to the analysis of the logical intellect it offers an abundance of difficulties, such as all attempts to erect a logical system out of a perception of an illimitable Existence must necessarily create; for any such endeavour must either effect consistency by an arbitrary sectioning of the complex truth of things or else by its comprehensiveness become logically untenable. For we see that the Indeterminable determines itself as infinite and finite, the Immutable admits a constant mutability and endless differences, the One becomes an innumerable multitude, the Impersonal creates or supports personality, is itself a Person; the Self has a nature and is yet other than its nature; Being turns into becoming and yet it is always itself and other than its becomings; the Universal individualises itself and the Individual universalises himself; Brahman is at once void of qualities and capable of infinite qualities, the Lord and Doer of works, yet a non-doer and a silent witness of the workings of Nature. If we look carefully at these workings of Nature, once we put aside the veil of familiarity and our unthinking acquiescence in the process of things as natural because so they always happen, we discover that all she does in whole or in parts is a miracle, an act of some incomprehensible magic. The being of the Self-existence and the world that has appeared in it are, each of them and both together, a suprarational mystery. There seems to us to be a reason in things because the processes of the physical finite are consistent to our view and their law determinable, but this reason in things, when closely examined, seems to stumble at every moment against the irrational or infrarational and the suprarational: the consistency, the determinability of process seems to lessen rather than increase as we pass from matter to life and from life to mentality; if the finite consents to some extent to look as if it were rational, the infinitesimal refuses to be bound by the same laws and the infinite is unseizable. As for the action of the universe and its significance, it escapes us altogether; if Self, God or Spirit there be, his dealings with the world and us are incomprehensible, offer no clue that we can follow. God and Nature and even ourselves move in a mysterious way which is only partially and at points intelligible, but as a whole escapes our comprehension. All the works of Maya look like the production of a suprarational magical Power which arranges things according to its wisdom or its phantasy, but a wisdom which is not ours and a phantasy which baffles our imagination. ~ Sri Aurobindo, The Life Divine, 2.02, #KEYS
430:Worthy The Name Of Sir Knight
Sir Knight of the world's oldest order,
Sir Knight of the Army of God,
You have crossed the strange mystical border,
The ground floor of truth you have trod;
You have entered the sanctum sanctorum,
Which leads to the temple above,
Where you come as a stone, and a Christ-chosen one,
In the kingdom of Friendship and Love.
II
As you stand in this new realm of beauty,
Where each man you meet is your friend,
Think not that your promise of duty
In hall, or asylum, shall end;
Outside, in the great world of pleasure,
Beyond, in the clamor of trade,
In the battle of life and its coarse daily strife
Remember the vows you have made.
III
Your service, majestic and solemn,
Your symbols, suggestive and sweet,
Your uniformed phalanx in column
On gala days marching the street;
Your sword and your plume and your helmet,
Your 'secrets' hid from the world's sight;
These things are the small, lesser parts of the all
Which are needed to form the true Knight.
IV
The martyrs who perished rejoicing
In Templary's glorious laws,
Who died 'midst the fagots while voicing
The glory and worth of their cause-
935
They honored the title of 'Templar'
No more than the Knight of to-day
Who mars not the name with one blemish of shame,
But carries it clean through life's fray.
To live for a cause, to endeavor
To make your deeds grace it, to try
And uphold its precepts forever,
Is harder by far than to die.
For the battle of life is unending,
The enemy, Self, never tires,
And the true Knight must slay that sly foe every day
Ere he reaches the heights he desires.
VI
Sir Knight, have you pondered the meaning
Of all you have heard and been told?
Have you strengthened your heart for its weaning
From vices and faults loved of old?
Will you honor, in hours of temptation,
Your promises noble and grand?
Will your spirit be strong to do battle with wrong,
'And having done all, to stand?'
VII
Will you ever be true to a brother
In actions as well as in creed?
Will you stand by his side as no other
Could stand in the hour of his need?
Will you boldly defend him from peril,
And lift him from poverty's curseWill the promise of aid which you willingly made,
Reach down from your lips to your purse?
VIII
The world's battle field is before you!
Let Wisdom walk close by your side,
936
Let Faith spread her snowy wings o'er you,
Let Truth be your comrade and guide;
Let Fortitude, Justice and Mercy
Direct all your conduct aright,
And let each word and act tell to men the proud fact,
You are worthy the name of 'Sir Knight'.
~ Ella Wheeler Wilcox,#KEYS
431:Concentration is a gathering together of the consciousness and either centralising at one point or turning on a single object, e.g., the Divine; there can be also be a gathered condition throughout the whole being, not at a point. In meditation it is not indispensable to gather like this, one can simply remain with a quiet mind thinking of one subject or observing what comes in the consciousness and dealing with it. ... Of this true consciousness other than the superficial there are two main centres, one in the heart (not the physical heart, but the cardiac centre in the middle of the chest), one in the head. The concentration in the heart opens within and by following this inward opening and going deep one becomes aware of the soul or psychic being, the divine element in the individual. This being unveiled begins to come forward, to govern the nature, to turn it and all its movements towards the Truth, towards the Divine, and to call down into it all that is above. It brings the consciousness of the Presence, the dedication of the being to the Highest and invites the descent into our nature of a greater Force and Consciousness which is waiting above us. To concentrate in the heart centre with the offering of oneself to the Divine and the aspiration for this inward opening and for the Presence in the heart is the first way and, if it can be done, the natural beginning; for its result once obtained makes the spiritual path far more easy and safe than if one begins the other ways.
That other way is the concentration in the head, in the mental centre. This, if it brings about the silence of the surface mind, opens up an inner, larger, deeper mind within which is more capable of receiving spiritual experience and spiritual knowledge. But once concentrated here one must open the silent mental consciousness upward and in the end it rises beyond the lid which has so long kept it tied in the body and finds a centre above the head where it is liberated into the Infinite. There it begins to come into contact with the universal Self, the Divine Peace, Light, Power, Knowledge, Bliss, to enter into that and become that, to feel the descent of these things into the nature. To concentrate in the head with the aspiration for quietude in the mind and the realisation of the Self and Divine above is the second way of concentration. It is important, however, to remember that the concentration of the consciousness in the head in only a preparation for its rising to the centre above; otherwise, one may get shut up in one's own mind and its experiences or at best attain only to a reflection of the Truth above instead of rising into the spiritual transcendence to live there. For some the mental concentration is easier, for some the concentration in the heart centre; some are capable of doing both alternatively - but to begin with the heart centre, if one can do it, is the most desirable.
~ Sri Aurobindo, Letters On Yoga - II,#KEYS
432:There is one fundamental perception indispensable towards any integral knowledge or many-sided experience of this Infinite. It is to realise the Divine in its essential self and truth unaltered by forms and phenomena. Otherwise we are likely to remain caught in the net of appearances or wander confusedly in a chaotic multitude of cosmic or particular aspects, and if we avoid this confusion, it will be at the price of getting chained to some mental formula or shut up in a limited personal experience. The one secure and all-reconciling truth which is the very foundation of the universe is this that life is the manifestation of an uncreated Self and Spirit, and the key to life's hidden secret is the true relation of this Spirit with its own created existences. There is behind all this life the look of an eternal Being upon its multitudinous becomings; there is around and everywhere in it the envelopment and penetration of a manifestation in time by an unmanifested timeless Eternal. But this knowledge is valueless for Yoga if it is only an intellectual and metaphysical notion void of life and barren of consequence; a mental realisation alone cannot be sufficient for the seeker. For what Yoga searches after is not truth of thought alone or truth of mind alone, but the dynamic truth of a living and revealing spiritual experience. There must awake in us a constant indwelling and enveloping nearness, a vivid perception, a close feeling and communion, a concrete sense and contact of a true and infinite Presence always and everywhere. That Presence must remain with us as the living, pervading Reality in which we and all things exist and move and act, and we must feel it always and everywhere, concrete, visible, inhabiting all things; it must be patent to us as their true Self, tangible as their imperishable Essence, met by us closely as their inmost Spirit. To see, to feel, to sense, to contact in every way and not merely to conceive this Self and Spirit here in all existences and to feel with the same vividness all existences in this Self and Spirit, is the fundamental experience which must englobe all other knowledge. This infinite and eternal Self of things is an omnipresent Reality, one existence everywhere; it is a single unifying presence and not different in different creatures; it can be met, seen or felt in its completeness in each soul or each form in the universe. For its infinity is spiritual and essential and not merely a boundlessness in Space or an endlessness in Time; the Infinite can be felt in an infinitesimal atom or in a second of time as convincingly as in the stretch of the aeons or the stupendous enormity of the intersolar spaces. The knowledge or experience of it can begin anywhere and express itself through anything; for the Divine is in all, and all is the Divine.
~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, The Yoga of Divine Works, The Sacrifice, the Triune Path and the Lord of the Sacrifice,#KEYS
433:on purifying ego and desire :::
The elimination of all egoistic activity and of its foundation, the egoistic consciousness, is clearly the key to the consummation we desire. And since in the path of works action is the knot we have first to loosen, we must endeavour to loosen it where it is centrally tied, in desire and in ego; for otherwise we shall cut only stray strands and not the heart of our bondage.These are the two knots of our subjection to this ignorant and divided Nature, desire and ego-sense. And of these two desire has its native home in the emotions and sensations and instincts and from there affects thought and volition; ego-sense lives indeed in these movements, but it casts its deep roots also in the thinking mind and its will and it is there that it becomes fully self conscious. These are the twin obscure powers of the obsessing world-wide Ignorance that we have to enlighten and eliminate.
In the field of action desire takes many forms, but the most powerful of all is the vital selfs craving or seeking after the fruit of our works. The fruit we covet may be a reward of internal pleasure; it may be the accomplishment of some preferred idea or some cherished will or the satisfaction of the egoistic emotions, or else the pride of success of our highest hopes and ambitions. Or it may be an external reward, a recompense entirely material, -wealth, position, honour, victory, good fortune or any other fulfilment of vital or physical desire. But all alike are lures by which egoism holds us. Always these satisfactions delude us with the sense of mastery and the idea of freedom, while really we are harnessed and guided or ridden and whipped by some gross or subtle, some noble or ignoble, figure of the blind Desire that drives the world. Therefore the first rule of action laid down by the Gita is to do the work that should be done without any desire for the fruit, niskama karma. ...
The test it lays down is an absolute equality of the mind and the heart to all results, to all reactions, to all happenings. If good fortune and ill fortune, if respect and insult, if reputation and obloquy, if victory and defeat, if pleasant event and sorrowful event leave us not only unshaken but untouched, free in the emotions, free in the nervous reactions, free in the mental view, not responding with the least disturbance or vibration in any spot of the nature, then we have the absolute liberation to which the Gita points us, but not otherwise. The tiniest reaction is a proof that the discipline is imperfect and that some part of us accepts ignorance and bondage as its law and clings still to the old nature. Our self-conquest is only partially accomplished; it is still imperfect or unreal in some stretch or part or smallest spot of the ground of our nature. And that little pebble of imperfection may throw down the whole achievement of the Yoga
~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, The Yoga of Divine Works, Self-Surrender in Works - The Way of the Gita, [102],#KEYS
434:reading :::
50 Psychology Classics: List of Books Covered:
Alfred Adler - Understanding Human Nature (1927)
Gordon Allport - The Nature of Prejudice (1954)
Albert Bandura - Self-Efficacy: The Exercise of Control (1997)
Gavin Becker - The Gift of Fear (1997)
Eric Berne - Games People Play (1964)
Isabel Briggs Myers - Gifts Differing: Understanding Personality Type (1980)
Louann Brizendine - The Female Brain (2006)
David D Burns - Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy (1980)
Susan Cain - Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking (2012)
Robert Cialdini - Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion (1984)
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi - Creativity (1997)
Carol Dweck - Mindset: The New Psychology of Success (2006)
Albert Ellis & Robert Harper - (1961) A Guide To Rational Living(1961)
Milton Erickson - My Voice Will Go With You (1982) by Sidney Rosen
Eric Erikson - Young Man Luther (1958)
Hans Eysenck - Dimensions of Personality (1947)
Viktor Frankl - The Will to Meaning (1969)
Anna Freud - The Ego and the Mechanisms of Defense (1936)
Sigmund Freud - The Interpretation of Dreams (1901)
Howard Gardner - Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences (1983)
Daniel Gilbert - Stumbling on Happiness (2006)
Malcolm Gladwell - Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking (2005)
Daniel Goleman - Emotional Intelligence at Work (1998)
John M Gottman - The Seven Principles For Making Marriage Work (1999)
Temple Grandin - The Autistic Brain: Helping Different Kinds of Minds Succeed (2013)
Harry Harlow - The Nature of Love (1958)
Thomas A Harris - I'm OK - You're OK (1967)
Eric Hoffer - The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements (1951)
Karen Horney - Our Inner Conflicts (1945)
William James - Principles of Psychology (1890)
Carl Jung - The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious (1953)
Daniel Kahneman - Thinking, Fast and Slow (2011)
Alfred Kinsey - Sexual Behavior in the Human Female (1953)
RD Laing - The Divided Self (1959)
Abraham Maslow - The Farther Reaches of Human Nature (1970)
Stanley Milgram - Obedience To Authority (1974)
Walter Mischel - The Marshmallow Test (2014)
Leonard Mlodinow - Subliminal: How Your Unconscious Mind Rules Your Behavior (2012)
IP Pavlov - Conditioned Reflexes (1927)
Fritz Perls - Gestalt Therapy: Excitement and Growth in the Human Personality (1951)
Jean Piaget - The Language and Thought of the Child (1966)
Steven Pinker - The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature (2002)
VS Ramachandran - Phantoms in the Brain (1998)
Carl Rogers - On Becoming a Person (1961)
Oliver Sacks - The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat (1970)
Barry Schwartz - The Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less (2004)
Martin Seligman - Authentic Happiness (2002)
BF Skinner - Beyond Freedom & Dignity (1953)
Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton & Sheila Heen - Difficult Conversations (2000)
William Styron - Darkness Visible (1990)
~ Tom Butler-Bowdon, 50 Psychology Classics,#KEYS
435:Apotheosis ::: One of the most powerful and beloved of the Bodhisattvas of the Mahayana Buddhism of Tibet, China, and Japan is the Lotus Bearer, Avalokiteshvara, "The Lord Looking Down in Pity," so called because he regards with compassion all sentient creatures suffering the evils of existence. To him goes the millionfold repeated prayer of the prayer wheels and temple gongs of Tibet: Om mani padme hum, "The jewel is in the lotus." To him go perhaps more prayers per minute than to any single divinity known to man; for when, during his final life on earth as a human being, he shattered for himself the bounds of the last threshold (which moment opened to him the timelessness of the void beyond the frustrating mirage-enigmas of the named and bounded cosmos), he paused: he made a vow that before entering the void he would bring all creatures without exception to enlightenment; and since then he has permeated the whole texture of existence with the divine grace of his assisting presence, so that the least prayer addressed to him, throughout the vast spiritual empire of the Buddha, is graciously heard. Under differing forms he traverses the ten thousand worlds, and appears in the hour of need and prayer. He reveals himself in human form with two arms, in superhuman forms with four arms, or with six, or twelve, or a thousand, and he holds in one of his left hands the lotus of the world.
Like the Buddha himself, this godlike being is a pattern of the divine state to which the human hero attains who has gone beyond the last terrors of ignorance. "When the envelopment of consciousness has been annihilated, then he becomes free of all fear, beyond the reach of change." This is the release potential within us all, and which anyone can attain-through herohood; for, as we read: "All things are Buddha-things"; or again (and this is the other way of making the same statement) : "All beings are without self."
The world is filled and illumined by, but does not hold, the Bodhisattva ("he whose being is enlightenment"); rather, it is he who holds the world, the lotus. Pain and pleasure do not enclose him, he encloses them-and with profound repose. And since he is what all of us may be, his presence, his image, the mere naming of him, helps. "He wears a garland of eight thousand rays, in which is seen fully reflected a state of perfect beauty.
The color of his body is purple gold. His palms have the mixed color of five hundred lotuses, while each finger tip has eighty-four thousand signet-marks, and each mark eighty-four thousand colors; each color has eighty-four thousand rays which are soft and mild and shine over all things that exist. With these jewel hands he draws and embraces all beings. The halo surrounding his head is studded with five hundred Buddhas, miraculously transformed, each attended by five hundred Bodhisattvas, who are attended, in turn, by numberless gods. And when he puts his feet down to the ground, the flowers of diamonds and jewels that are scattered cover everything in all directions. The color of his face is gold. While in his towering crown of gems stands a Buddha, two hundred and fifty miles high." - Amitayur-Dhyana Sutra, 19; ibid., pp. 182-183. ~ Joseph Campbell, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Apotheosis,#KEYS
436:Talk 26
...
D.: Taking the first part first, how is the mind to be eliminated or relative consciousness transcended?
M.: The mind is by nature restless. Begin liberating it from its restlessness; give it peace; make it free from distractions; train it to look inward; make this a habit. This is done by ignoring the external world and removing the obstacles to peace of mind.
D.: How is restlessness removed from the mind?
M.: External contacts - contacts with objects other than itself - make the mind restless. Loss of interest in non-Self, (vairagya) is the first step. Then the habits of introspection and concentration follow. They are characterised by control of external senses, internal faculties, etc. (sama, dama, etc.) ending in samadhi (undistracted mind).
Talk 27.
D.: How are they practised?
M.: An examination of the ephemeral nature of external phenomena leads to vairagya. Hence enquiry (vichara) is the first and foremost step to be taken. When vichara continues automatically, it results in a contempt for wealth, fame, ease, pleasure, etc. The 'I' thought becomes clearer for inspection. The source of 'I' is the Heart - the final goal. If, however, the aspirant is not temperamentally suited to Vichara Marga (to the introspective analytical method), he must develop bhakti (devotion) to an ideal - may be God, Guru, humanity in general, ethical laws, or even the idea of beauty. When one of these takes possession of the individual, other attachments grow weaker, i.e., dispassion (vairagya) develops. Attachment for the ideal simultaneously grows and finally holds the field. Thus ekagrata (concentration) grows simultaneously and imperceptibly - with or without visions and direct aids.
In the absence of enquiry and devotion, the natural sedative pranayama (breath regulation) may be tried. This is known as Yoga Marga. If life is imperilled the whole interest centres round the one point, the saving of life. If the breath is held the mind cannot afford to (and does not) jump at its pets - external objects. Thus there is rest for the mind so long as the breath is held. All attention being turned on breath or its regulation, other interests are lost. Again, passions are attended with irregular breathing, whereas calm and happiness are attended with slow and regular breathing. Paroxysm of joy is in fact as painful as one of pain, and both are accompanied by ruffled breaths. Real peace is happiness. Pleasures do not form happiness. The mind improves by practice and becomes finer just as the razor's edge is sharpened by stropping. The mind is then better able to tackle internal or external problems. If an aspirant be unsuited temperamentally for the first two methods and circumstantially (on account of age) for the third method, he must try the Karma Marga (doing good deeds, for example, social service). His nobler instincts become more evident and he derives impersonal pleasure. His smaller self is less assertive and has a chance of expanding its good side. The man becomes duly equipped for one of the three aforesaid paths. His intuition may also develop directly by this single method. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi, Sri Ramanasramam,#KEYS
437:At it's narrowest (although this is a common and perhaps the official position; need to find ref in What is Enlightenment) "integral", "turquois" (Spiral Dynamics), and "second tier" (ditto) are all synonms, and in turn are equivalent to Wilber IV / AQAL/Wilber V "Post-metaphysical" AQAL. This is the position that "Integral = Ken Wilber". It constitutes a new philosophical school or meme-set, in the tradition of charismatic spiritual teachers of all ages, in which an articulate, brilliant, and popular figure would arise, and gather a following around him- or her-self. After the teacher passes on, their teaching remains through books and organisations dedicated to perpetuating that teaching; although without the brilliant light of the Founder, things generally become pretty stultifying, and there is often little or no original development. Even so, the books themselves continue to inspire, and many people benefit greatly from these tecahings, and can contact the original Light of the founders to be inspired by them on the subtle planes. Some late 19th, 20th, and early 21st century examples of such teachers, known and less well-known, are Blavatsky, Theon, Steiner, Aurobindo, Gurdjieff, Crowley, Alice Bailey, Carl Jung, Ann Ree Colton, and now Ken Wilber. Also, many popular gurus belong in this category. It could plausibly be suggested that the founders of the great world religions started out no different, but their teaching really caught on n a big way.
...
At its broadest then, the Integral Community includes not only Wilber but those he cites as his influences and hold universal and evolutionary views or teachings, as well as those who, while influenced by him also differ somewhat, and even those like Arthur M Young that Wilber has apparently never heard of. Nevertheless, all share a common, evolutionary, "theory of everything" position, and, whilst they may differ on many details and even on many major points, taken together they could be considered a wave front for a new paradigm, a memetic revolution. I use the term Daimon of the Integral Movement to refer to the spiritual being or personality of light that is behind and working through this broader movement.
Now, this doesn't mean that this daimon is necessarily a negative entity. I see a lot of promise, a lot of potential, in the Integral Approach. From what I feel at the moment, the Integral Deva is a force and power of good.
But, as with any new spiritual or evolutionary development, there is duality, in that there are forces that hinder and oppose and distort, as well as forces that help and aid in the evolution and ultimate divinisation of the Earth and the cosmos. Thus even where a guru does give in the dark side (as very often happens with many gurus today) there still remains an element of Mixed Light that remains (one finds this ambiguity with Sai Baba, with Da Free John, and with Rajneesh); and we find this same ambiguity with the Integral Community regarding what seems to me a certain offputting devotional attitude towards Wilber himself. The light will find its way, regardless. However, an Intregral Movement that is caught up in worship of and obedience to an authority figure, will not be able to achieve what a movement unfettered by such shackles could. ~ M Alan Kazlev, Kheper, Wilber, Integral,#KEYS
438:The supreme Truth aspect which thus manifests itself to us is an eternal and infinite and absolute self-existence, self-awareness, self-delight of being; this bounds all things and secretly supports and pervades all things. This Self-existence reveals itself again in three terms of its essential nature,-self, conscious being or spirit, and God or the Divine Being. The Indian terms are more satisfactory,-Brahman the Reality is Atman, Purusha, Ishwara; for these terms grew from a root of Intuition and, while they have a comprehensive preciseness, are capable of a plastic application which avoids both vagueness in the use and the rigid snare of a too limiting intellectual concept. The Supreme Brahman is that which in Western metaphysics is called the Absolute: but Brahman is at the same time the omnipresent Reality in which all that is relative exists as its forms or its movements; this is an Absolute which takes all relativities in its embrace. [...] Brahman is the Consciousness that knows itself in all that exists; Brahman is the force that sustains the power of God and Titan and Demon, the Force that acts in man and animal and the forms and energies of Nature; Brahman is the Ananda, the secret Bliss of existence which is the ether of our being and without which none could breathe or live. Brahman is the inner Soul in all; it has taken a form in correspondence with each created form which it inhabits. The Lord of Beings is that which is conscious in the conscious being, but he is also the Conscious in inconscient things, the One who is master and in control of the many that are passive in the hands of Force-Nature. He is the Timeless and Time; He is Space and all that is in Space; He is Causality and the cause and the effect: He is the thinker and his thought, the warrior and his courage, the gambler and his dice-throw. All realities and all aspects and all semblances are the Brahman; Brahman is the Absolute, the Transcendent and incommunicable, the Supracosmic Existence that sustains the cosmos, the Cosmic Self that upholds all beings, but It is too the self of each individual: the soul or psychic entity is an eternal portion of the Ishwara; it is his supreme Nature or Consciousness-Force that has become the living being in a world of living beings. The Brahman alone is, and because of It all are, for all are the Brahman; this Reality is the reality of everything that we see in Self and Nature. Brahman, the Ishwara, is all this by his Yoga-Maya, by the power of his Consciousness-Force put out in self-manifestation: he is the Conscious Being, Soul, Spirit, Purusha, and it is by his Nature, the force of his conscious self-existence that he is all things; he is the Ishwara, the omniscient and omnipotent All-ruler, and it is by his Shakti, his conscious Power, that he manifests himself in Time and governs the universe. These and similar statements taken together are all-comprehensive: it is possible for the mind to cut and select, to build a closed system and explain away all that does not fit within it; but it is on the complete and many-sided statement that we must take our stand if we have to acquire an integral knowledge.
~ Sri Aurobindo, The Life Divine, Book 02: The Knowledge and the Ignorance - The Spiritual Evolution, Part I, The Infinite Consciousness and the Ignorance Brahman, Purusha, Ishwara - Maya, Prakriti, Shakti [336-337],#KEYS
439:There is no invariable rule of such suffering. It is not the soul that suffers; the Self is calm and equal to all things and the only sorrow of the psychic being is the sorrow of the resistance of Nature to the Divine Will or the resistance of things and people to the call of the True, the Good and the Beautiful. What is affected by suffering is the vital nature and the body. When the soul draws towards the Divine, there may be a resistance in the mind and the common form of that is denial and doubt - which may create mental and vital suffering. There may again be a resistance in the vital nature whose principal character is desire and the attachment to the objects of desire, and if in this field there is conflict between the soul and the vital nature, between the Divine Attraction and the pull of the Ignorance, then obviously there may be much suffering of the mind and vital parts. The physical consciousness also may offer a resistance which is usually that of a fundamental inertia, an obscurity in the very stuff of the physical, an incomprehension, an inability to respond to the higher consciousness, a habit of helplessly responding to the lower mechanically, even when it does not want to do so; both vital and physical suffering may be the consequence. There is moreover the resistance of the Universal Nature which does not want the being to escape from the Ignorance into the Light. This may take the form of a vehement insistence on the continuation of the old movements, waves of them thrown on the mind and vital and body so that old ideas, impulses, desires, feelings, responses continue even after they are thrown out and rejected, and can return like an invading army from outside, until the whole nature, given to the Divine, refuses to admit them. This is the subjective form of the universal resistance, but it may also take an objective form - opposition, calumny, attacks, persecution, misfortunes of many kinds, adverse conditions and circumstances, pain, illness, assaults from men or forces. There too the possibility of suffering is evident. There are two ways to meet all that - first that of the Self, calm, equality, a spirit, a will, a mind, a vital, a physical consciousness that remain resolutely turned towards the Divine and unshaken by all suggestion of doubt, desire, attachment, depression, sorrow, pain, inertia. This is possible when the inner being awakens, when one becomes conscious of the Self, of the inner mind, the inner vital, the inner physical, for that can more easily attune itself to the divine Will, and then there is a division in the being as if there were two beings, one within, calm, strong, equal, unperturbed, a channel of the Divine Consciousness and Force, one without, still encroached on by the lower Nature; but then the disturbances of the latter become something superficial which are no more than an outer ripple, - until these under the inner pressure fade and sink away and the outer being too remains calm, concentrated, unattackable. There is also the way of the psychic, - when the psychic being comes out in its inherent power, its consecration, adoration, love of the Divine, self-giving, surrender and imposes these on the mind, vital and physical consciousness and compels them to turn all their movements Godward. If the psychic is strong and master...
~ Sri Aurobindo, Letters On Yoga - IV, Resistances, Sufferings and Falls, 669,#KEYS
440:Can it be said in justification of one's past that whatever has happened in one's life had to happen?
The Mother: Obviously, what has happened had to happen; it would not have been, if it had not been intended. Even the mistakes that we have committed and the adversities that fell upon us had to be, because there was some necessity in them, some utility for our lives. But in truth these things cannot be explained mentally and should not be. For all that happened was necessary, not for any mental reason, but to lead us to something beyond what the mind imagines. But is there any need to explain after all? The whole universe explains everything at every moment and a particular thing happens because the whole universe is what it is. But this does not mean that we are bound over to a blind acquiescence in Nature's inexorable law. You can accept the past as a settled fact and perceive the necessity in it, and still you can use the experience it gave you to build up the power consciously to guide and shape your present and your future.
Is the time also of an occurrence arranged in the Divine Plan of things?
The Mother: All depends upon the plane from which one sees and speaks. There is a plane of divine consciousness in which all is known absolutely, and the whole plan of things foreseen and predetermined. That way of seeing lives in the highest reaches of the Supramental; it is the Supreme's own vision. But when we do not possess that consciousness, it is useless to speak in terms that hold good only in that region and are not our present effective way of seeing things. For at a lower level of consciousness nothing is realised or fixed beforehand; all is in the process of making. Here there are no settled facts, there is only the play of possibilities; out of the clash of possibilities is realised the thing that has to happen. On this plane we can choose and select; we can refuse one possibility and accept another; we can follow one path, turn away from another. And that we can do, even though what is actually happening may have been foreseen and predetermined in a higher plane.
The Supreme Consciousness knows everything beforehand, because everything is realised there in her eternity. But for the sake of her play and in order to carry out actually on the physical plane what is foreordained in her own supreme self, she moves here upon earth as if she did not know the whole story; she works as if it was a new and untried thread that she was weaving. It is this apparent forgetfulness of her own foreknowledge in the higher consciousness that gives to the individual in the active life of the world his sense of freedom and independence and initiative. These things in him are her pragmatic tools or devices, and it is through this machinery that the movements and issues planned and foreseen elsewhere are realised here.
It may help you to understand if you take the example of an actor. An actor knows the whole part he has to play; he has in his mind the exact sequence of what is to happen on the stage. But when he is on the stage, he has to appear as if he did not know anything; he has to feel and act as if he were experiencing all these things for the first time, as if it was an entirely new world with all its chance events and surprises that was unrolling before his eyes. 28th April ~ The Mother, Questions And Answers 1929-1931,#KEYS
441:If this is the truth of works, the first thing the sadhaka has to do is to recoil from the egoistic forms of activity and get rid of the sense of an "I" that acts. He has to see and feel that everything happens in him by the plastic conscious or subconscious or sometimes superconscious automatism of his mental and bodily instruments moved by the forces of spiritual, mental, vital and physical Nature. There is a personality on his surface that chooses and wills, submits and struggles, tries to make good in Nature or prevail over Nature, but this personality is itself a construction of Nature and so dominated, driven, determined by her that it cannot be free. It is a formation or expression of the Self in her, - it is a self of Nature rather than a self of Self, his natural and processive, not his spiritual and permanent being, a temporary constructed personality, not the true immortal Person. It is that Person that he must become. He must succeed in being inwardly quiescent, detach himself as the observer from the outer active personality and learn the play of the cosmic forces in him by standing back from all blinding absorption in its turns and movements. Thus calm, detached, a student of himself and a witness of his nature, he realises that he is the individual soul who observes the works of Nature, accepts tranquilly her results and sanctions or withholds his sanction from the impulse to her acts. At present this soul or Purusha is little more than an acquiescent spectator, influencing perhaps the action and development of the being by the pressure of its veiled consciousness, but for the most part delegating its powers or a fragment of them to the outer personality, - in fact to Nature, for this outer self is not lord but subject to her, anı̄sa; but, once unveiled, it can make its sanction or refusal effective, become the master of the action, dictate sovereignly a change of Nature. Even if for a long time, as the result of fixed association and past storage of energy, the habitual movement takes place independent of the Purusha's assent and even if the sanctioned movement is persistently refused by Nature for want of past habit, still he will discover that in the end his assent or refusal prevails, - slowly with much resistance or quickly with a rapid accommodation of her means and tendencies she modifies herself and her workings in the direction indicated by his inner sight or volition. Thus he learns in place of mental control or egoistic will an inner spiritual control which makes him master of the Nature-forces that work in him and not their unconscious instrument or mechanic slave. Above and around him is the Shakti, the universal Mother and from her he can get all his inmost soul needs and wills if only he has a true knowledge of her ways and a true surrender to the divine Will in her. Finally, he becomes aware of that highest dynamic Self within him and within Nature which is the source of all his seeing and knowing, the source of the sanction, the source of the acceptance, the source of the rejection. This is the Lord, the Supreme, the One-in-all, Ishwara-Shakti, of whom his soul is a portion, a being of that Being and a power of that Power. The rest of our progress depends on our knowledge of the ways in which the Lord of works manifests his Will in the world and in us and executes them through the transcendent and universal Shakti. ~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, The Supreme Will, 216, #KEYS
442:THE WAND
THE Magical Will is in its essence twofold, for it presupposes a beginning and an end; to will to be a thing is to admit that you are not that thing.
Hence to will anything but the supreme thing, is to wander still further from it - any will but that to give up the self to the Beloved is Black Magick - yet this surrender is so simple an act that to our complex minds it is the most difficult of all acts; and hence training is necessary. Further, the Self surrendered must not be less than the All-Self; one must not come before the altar of the Most High with an impure or an imperfect offering. As it is written in Liber LXV, "To await Thee is the end, not the beginning."
This training may lead through all sorts of complications, varying according to the nature of the student, and hence it may be necessary for him at any moment to will all sorts of things which to others might seem unconnected with the goal. Thus it is not "a priori" obvious why a billiard player should need a file.
Since, then, we may want "anything," let us see to it that our will is strong enough to obtain anything we want without loss of time.
It is therefore necessary to develop the will to its highest point, even though the last task but one is the total surrender of this will. Partial surrender of an imperfect will is of no account in Magick.
The will being a lever, a fulcrum is necessary; this fulcrum is the main aspiration of the student to attain. All wills which are not dependent upon this principal will are so many leakages; they are like fat to the athlete.
The majority of the people in this world are ataxic; they cannot coordinate their mental muscles to make a purposed movement. They have no real will, only a set of wishes, many of which contradict others. The victim wobbles from one to the other (and it is no less wobbling because the movements may occasionally be very violent) and at the end of life the movements cancel each other out. Nothing has been achieved; except the one thing of which the victim is not conscious: the destruction of his own character, the confirming of indecision. Such an one is torn limb from limb by Choronzon.
How then is the will to be trained? All these wishes, whims, caprices, inclinations, tendencies, appetites, must be detected, examined, judged by the standard of whether they help or hinder the main purpose, and treated accordingly.
Vigilance and courage are obviously required. I was about to add self-denial, in deference to conventional speech; but how could I call that self-denial which is merely denial of those things which hamper the self? It is not suicide to kill the germs of malaria in one's blood.
Now there are very great difficulties to be overcome in the training of the mind. Perhaps the greatest is forgetfulness, which is probably the worst form of what the Buddhists call ignorance. Special practices for training the memory may be of some use as a preliminary for persons whose memory is naturally poor. In any case the Magical Record prescribed for Probationers of the A.'.A.'. is useful and necessary.
Above all the practices of Liber III must be done again and again, for these practices develop not only vigilance but those inhibiting centres in the brain which are, according to some psychologists, the mainspring of the mechanism by which civilized man has raised himself above the savage.
So far it has been spoken, as it were, in the negative. Aaron's rod has become a serpent, and swallowed the serpents of the other Magicians; it is now necessary to turn it once more into a rod.
~ Aleister Crowley, Liber ABA, Book 4, The Wand,#KEYS
443:We have now completed our view of the path of Knowledge and seen to what it leads. First, the end of Yoga of Knowledge is God-possession, it is to possess God and be possessed by him through consciousness, through identification, through reflection of the divine Reality. But not merely in some abstraction away from our present existence, but here also; therefore to possess the Divine in himself, the Divine in the world, the Divine within, the Divine in all things and all beings. It is to possess oneness with God and through that to possess also oneness with the universal, with the cosmos and all existences; therefore to possess the infinite diversity also in the oneness, but on the basis of oneness and not on the basis of division. It is to possess God in his personality and his impersonality; in his purity free from qualities and in his infinite qualities; in time and beyond time; in his action and in his silence; in the finite and in the infinite. It is to possess him not only in pure self, but in all self; not only in self, but in Nature; not only in spirit, but in supermind, mind, life and body; to possess him with the spirit, with the mind, with the vital and the physical consciousness; and it is again for all these to be possessed by him, so that our whole being is one with him, full of him, governed and driven by him. It is, since God is oneness, for our physical consciousness to be one with the soul and the nature of the material universe; for our life, to be one with all life; for our mind, to be one with the universal mind; for our spirit, to be identified with the universal spirit. It is to merge in him in the absolute and find him in all relations. Secondly, it is to put on the divine being and the divine nature. And since God is Sachchidananda, it is to raise our being into the divine being, our consciousness into the divine consciousness, our energy into the divine energy, our delight of existence into the divine delight of being. And it is not only to lift ourselves into this higher consciousness, but to widen into it in all our being, because it is to be found on all the planes of our existence and in all our members, so that our mental, vital, physical existence shall become full of the divine nature. Our intelligent mentality is to become a play of the divine knowledge-will, our mental soul-life a play of the divine love and delight, our vitality a play of the divine life, our physical being a mould of the divine substance. This God-action in us is to be realised by an opening of ourselves to the divine gnosis and divine Ananda and, in its fullness, by an ascent into and a permanent dwelling in the gnosis and the Ananda. For though we live physically on the material plane and in normal outwardgoing life the mind and soul are preoccupied with material existence, this externality of our being is not a binding limitation. We can raise our internal consciousness from plane to plane of the relations of Purusha with prakriti, and even become, instead of the mental being dominated by the physical soul and nature, the gnostic being or the bliss-self and assume the gnostic or the bliss nature. And by this raising of the inner life we can transform our whole outward-going existence; instead of a life dominated by matter we shall then have a life dominated by spirit with all its circumstances moulded and determined by the purity of being, the consciousness infinite even in the finite, the divine energy, the divine joy and bliss of the spirit.
~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, The Yoga of Integral Knowledge, The Higher and the Lower Knowledge [511] [T1],#KEYS
444:Wake-Initiated Lucid Dreams (WILDS)
In the last chapter we talked about strategies for inducing lucid dreams by carrying an idea from the waking world into the dream, such as an intention to comprehend the dream state, a habit of critical state testing, or the recognition of a dreamsign. These strategies are intended to stimulate a dreamer to become lucid within a dream.
This chapter presents a completely different set of approaches to the world of lucid dreaming based on the idea of falling asleep consciously. This involves retaining consciousness while wakefulness is lost and allows direct entry into the lucid dream state without any loss of reflective consciousness. The basic idea has many variations.
While falling asleep, you can focus on hypnagogic (sleep onset) imagery, deliberate visualizations, your breath or heartbeat, the sensations in your body, your sense of self, and so on. If you keep the mind sufficiently active while the tendency to enter REM sleep is strong, you feel your body fall asleep, but you, that is to say, your consciousness, remains awake. The next thing you know, you will find yourself in the dream world, fully lucid.
These two different strategies for inducing lucidity result in two distinct types of lucid dreams. Experiences in which people consciously enter dreaming sleep are referred to as wake-initiated lucid dreams (WILDs), in contrast to dream-initiated lucid dreams (DILDs), in which people become lucid after having fallen asleep unconsciously. 1 The two kinds of lucid dreams differ in a number of ways. WILDs always happen in association with brief awakenings (sometimes only one or two seconds long) from and immediate return to REM sleep. The sleeper has a subjective impression of having been awake. This is not true of DILDs. Although both kinds of lucid dream are more likely to occur later in the night, the proportion of WILDs also increases with time of night. In other words, WILDs are most likely to occur the late morning hours or in afternoon naps. This is strikingly evident in my own record of lucid dreams. Of thirty-three lucid dreams from the first REM period of the night, only one (3 percent) was a WILD, compared with thirteen out of thirty-two (41 percent) lucid dreams from afternoon naps. 2 Generally speaking, WILDs are less frequent than DILDs; in a laboratory study of seventy-six lucid dreams, 72 percent were DILDs compared with 28 percent WILDs. 3 The proportion of WILDs observed in the laboratory seems, by my experience, to be considerably higher than the proportion of WILDs reported at home.
To take a specific example, WILDs account for only 5 percent of my home record of lucid dreams, but for 40 percent of my first fifteen lucid dreams in the laboratory. 4 Ibelieve there are two reasons for this highly significant difference: whenever I spentthe night in the sleep laboratory, I was highly conscious of every time I awakened andI made extraordinary efforts not to move more than necessary in order to minimizeinterference with the physiological recordings.
Thus, my awakenings from REM in the lab were more likely to lead toconscious returns to REM than awakenings at home when I was sleeping with neitherheightened consciousness of my environment and self nor any particular intent not tomove. This suggests that WILD induction techniques might be highly effective underthe proper conditions.
Paul Tholey notes that, while techniques for direct entry to the dream staterequire considerable practice in the beginning, they offer correspondingly greatrewards. 5 When mastered, these techniques (like MILD) can confer the capacity toinduce lucid dreams virtually at will. ~ Stephen LaBerge, Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming, 4 - Falling Asleep Consciously,#KEYS
445:The Teachings of Some Modern Indian Yogis
Ramana Maharshi
According to Brunton's description of the sadhana he (Brunton) practised under the Maharshi's instructions,1 it is the Overself one has to seek within, but he describes the Overself in a way that is at once the Psychic Being, the Atman and the Ishwara. So it is a little difficult to know what is the exact reading.
*
The methods described in the account [of Ramana Maharshi's technique of self-realisation] are the well-established methods of Jnanayoga - (1) one-pointed concentration followed by thought-suspension, (2) the method of distinguishing or finding out the true self by separating it from mind, life, body (this I have seen described by him [Brunton] more at length in another book) and coming to the pure I behind; this also can disappear into the Impersonal Self. The usual result is a merging in the Atman or Brahman - which is what one would suppose is meant by the Overself, for it is that which is the real Overself. This Brahman or Atman is everywhere, all is in it, it is in all, but it is in all not as an individual being in each but is the same in all - as the Ether is in all. When the merging into the Overself is complete, there is no ego, no distinguishable I, or any formed separative person or personality. All is ekakara - an indivisible and undistinguishable Oneness either free from all formations or carrying all formations in it without being affected - for one can realise it in either way. There is a realisation in which all beings are moving in the one Self and this Self is there stable in all beings; there is another more complete and thoroughgoing in which not only is it so but all are vividly realised as the Self, the Brahman, the Divine. In the former, it is possible to dismiss all beings as creations of Maya, leaving the one Self alone as true - in the other it is easier to regard them as real manifestations of the Self, not as illusions. But one can also regard all beings as souls, independent realities in an eternal Nature dependent upon the One Divine. These are the characteristic realisations of the Overself familiar to the Vedanta. But on the other hand you say that this Overself is realised by the Maharshi as lodged in the heart-centre, and it is described by Brunton as something concealed which when it manifests appears as the real Thinker, source of all action, but now guiding thought and action in the Truth. Now the first description applies to the Purusha in the heart, described by the Gita as the Ishwara situated in the heart and by the Upanishads as the Purusha Antaratma; the second could apply also to the mental Purusha, manomayah. pran.asarı̄ra neta of the Upanishads, the mental Being or Purusha who leads the life and the body. So your question is one which on the data I cannot easily answer. His Overself may be a combination of all these experiences, without any distinction being made or thought necessary between the various aspects. There are a thousand ways of approaching and realising the Divine and each way has its own experiences which have their own truth and stand really on a basis, one in essence but complex in aspects, common to all, but not expressed in the same way by all. There is not much use in discussing these variations; the important thing is to follow one's own way well and thoroughly. 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 ......
1 The correspondent sent to Sri Aurobindo two paragraphs from Paul Brunton's book A Message from Arunachala (London: Rider & Co., n.d. [1936], pp. 205 - 7). - Ed. ~ Sri Aurobindo, Letters On Yoga - II,#KEYS
446:A God's Labour
I have gathered my dreams in a silver air
Between the gold and the blue
And wrapped them softly and left them there,
My jewelled dreams of you.
I had hoped to build a rainbow bridge
Marrying the soil to the sky
And sow in this dancing planet midge
The moods of infinity.
But too bright were our heavens, too far away,
Too frail their ethereal stuff;
Too splendid and sudden our light could not stay;
The roots were not deep enough.
He who would bring the heavens here
Must descend himself into clay
And the burden of earthly nature bear
And tread the dolorous way.
Coercing my godhead I have come down
Here on the sordid earth,
Ignorant, labouring, human grown
Twixt the gates of death and birth.
I have been digging deep and long
Mid a horror of filth and mire
A bed for the golden river's song,
A home for the deathless fire.
I have laboured and suffered in Matter's night
To bring the fire to man;
But the hate of hell and human spite
Are my meed since the world began.
For man's mind is the dupe of his animal self;
Hoping its lusts to win,
He harbours within him a grisly Elf
Enamoured of sorrow and sin.
The grey Elf shudders from heaven's flame
And from all things glad and pure;
Only by pleasure and passion and pain
His drama can endure.
All around is darkness and strife;
For the lamps that men call suns
Are but halfway gleams on this stumbling life
Cast by the Undying Ones.
Man lights his little torches of hope
That lead to a failing edge;
A fragment of Truth is his widest scope,
An inn his pilgrimage.
The Truth of truths men fear and deny,
The Light of lights they refuse;
To ignorant gods they lift their cry
Or a demon altar choose.
All that was found must again be sought,
Each enemy slain revives,
Each battle for ever is fought and refought
Through vistas of fruitless lives.
My gaping wounds are a thousand and one
And the Titan kings assail,
But I dare not rest till my task is done
And wrought the eternal will.
How they mock and sneer, both devils and men!
"Thy hope is Chimera's head
Painting the sky with its fiery stain;
Thou shalt fall and thy work lie dead.
"Who art thou that babblest of heavenly ease
And joy and golden room
To us who are waifs on inconscient seas
And bound to life's iron doom?
"This earth is ours, a field of Night
For our petty flickering fires.
How shall it brook the sacred Light
Or suffer a god's desires?
"Come, let us slay him and end his course!
Then shall our hearts have release
From the burden and call of his glory and force
And the curb of his wide white peace."
But the god is there in my mortal breast
Who wrestles with error and fate
And tramples a road through mire and waste
For the nameless Immaculate.
A voice cried, "Go where none have gone!
Dig deeper, deeper yet
Till thou reach the grim foundation stone
And knock at the keyless gate."
I saw that a falsehood was planted deep
At the very root of things
Where the grey Sphinx guards God's riddle sleep
On the Dragon's outspread wings.
I left the surface gauds of mind
And life's unsatisfied seas
And plunged through the body's alleys blind
To the nether mysteries.
I have delved through the dumb Earth's dreadful heart
And heard her black mass' bell.
I have seen the source whence her agonies part
And the inner reason of hell.
Above me the dragon murmurs moan
And the goblin voices flit;
I have pierced the Void where Thought was born,
I have walked in the bottomless pit.
On a desperate stair my feet have trod
Armoured with boundless peace,
Bringing the fires of the splendour of God
Into the human abyss.
He who I am was with me still;
All veils are breaking now.
I have heard His voice and borne His will
On my vast untroubled brow.
The gulf twixt the depths and the heights is bridged
And the golden waters pour
Down the sapphire mountain rainbow-ridged
And glimmer from shore to shore.
Heaven's fire is lit in the breast of the earth
And the undying suns here burn;
Through a wonder cleft in the bounds of birth
The incarnate spirits yearn
Like flames to the kingdoms of Truth and Bliss:
Down a gold-red stairway wend
The radiant children of Paradise
Clarioning darkness' end.
A little more and the new life's doors
Shall be carved in silver light
With its aureate roof and mosaic floors
In a great world bare and bright.
I shall leave my dreams in their argent air,
For in a raiment of gold and blue
There shall move on the earth embodied and fair
The living truth of you.
~ Sri Aurobindo, Collected Poems, A God's Labour, 534,#KEYS
447:[the sevenfold ignorance and the integral knowledge:]
We are ignorant of the Absolute which is the source of all being and becoming; we take partial facts of being, temporal relations of the becoming for the whole truth of existence,-that is the first, the original ignorance. We are ignorant of the spaceless, timeless, immobile and immutable Self; we take the constant mobility and mutation of the cosmic becoming in Time and Space for the whole truth of existence, -that is the second, the cosmic ignorance. We are ignorant of our universal self, the cosmic existence, the cosmic consciousness, our infinite unity with all being and becoming; we take our limited egoistic mentality, vitality, corporeality for our true self and regard everything other than that as not-self,-that is the third, the egoistic ignorance. We are ignorant of our eternal becoming in Time; we take this little life in a small span of Time, in a petty field of Space, for our beginning, our middle and our end,-that is the fourth, the temporal ignorance. Even within this brief temporal becoming we are ignorant of our large and complex being, of that in us which is superconscient, subconscient, intraconscient, circumconscient to our surface becoming; we take that surface becoming with its small selection of overtly mentalised experiences for our whole existence,-that is the fifth, the psychological ignorance. We are ignorant of the true constitution of our becoming; we take the mind or life or body or any two of these or all three for our true principle or the whole account of what we are, losing sight of that which constitutes them and determines by its occult presence and is meant to determine sovereignly by its emergence their operations,-that is the sixth, the constitutional ignorance. As a result of all these ignorances, we miss the true knowledge, government and enjoyment of our life in the world; we are ignorant in our thought, will, sensations, actions, return wrong or imperfect responses at every point to the questionings of the world, wander in a maze of errors and desires, strivings and failures, pain and pleasure, sin and stumbling, follow a crooked road, grope blindly for a changing goal,-that is the seventh, the practical ignorance.
Our conception of the Ignorance will necessarily determine our conception of the Knowledge and determine, therefore, since our life is the Ignorance at once denying and seeking after the Knowledge, the goal of human effort and the aim of the cosmic endeavour. Integral knowledge will then mean the cancelling of the sevenfold Ignorance by the discovery of what it misses and ignores, a sevenfold self-revelation within our consciousness:- it will mean [1] the knowledge of the Absolute as the origin of all things; [2] the knowledge of the Self, the Spirit, the Being and of the cosmos as the Self's becoming, the becoming of the Being, a manifestation of the Spirit; [3] the knowledge of the world as one with us in the consciousness of our true self, thus cancelling our division from it by the separative idea and life of ego; [4] the knowledge of our psychic entity and its immortal persistence in Time beyond death and earth-existence; [5] the knowledge of our greater and inner existence behind the surface; [6] the knowledge of our mind, life and body in its true relation to the self within and the superconscient spiritual and supramental being above them; [7] the knowledge, finally, of the true harmony and true use of our thought, will and action and a change of all our nature into a conscious expression of the truth of the Spirit, the Self, the Divinity, the integral spiritual Reality.
But this is not an intellectual knowledge which can be learned and completed in our present mould of consciousness; it must be an experience, a becoming, a change of consciousness, a change of being. This brings in the evolutionary character of the Becoming and the fact that our mental ignorance is only a stage in our evolution. The integral knowledge, then, can only come by an evolution of our being and our nature, and that would seem to signify a slow process in Time such as has accompanied the other evolutionary transformations. But as against that inference there is the fact that the evolution has now become conscious and its method and steps need not be altogether of the same character as when it was subconscious in its process. The integral knowledge, since it must result from a change of consciousness, can be gained by a process in which our will and endeavour have a part, in which they can discover and apply their own steps and method: its growth in us can proceed by a conscious self-transformation. It is necessary then to see what is likely to be the principle of this new process of evolution and what are the movements of the integral knowledge that must necessarily emerge in it,-or, in other words, what is the nature of the consciousness that must be the base of the life divine and how that life may be expected to be formed or to form itself, to materialise or, as one might say, to realise.
~ Sri Aurobindo, The Life Divine, pg 680-683 [T1],#KEYS
448:What are these operations? They are not mere psychological self-analysis and self-observation. Such analysis, such observation are, like the process of right thought, of immense value and practically indispensable. They may even, if rightly pursued, lead to a right thought of considerable power and effectivity. Like intellectual discrimination by the process of meditative thought they will have an effect of purification; they will lead to self-knowledge of a certain kind and to the setting right of the disorders of the soul and the heart and even of the disorders of the understanding. Self-knowledge of all kinds is on the straight path to the knowledge of the real Self. The Upanishad tells us that the Self-existent has so set the doors of the soul that they turn outwards and most men look outward into the appearances of things; only the rare soul that is ripe for a calm thought and steady wisdom turns its eye inward, sees the Self and attains to immortality. To this turning of the eye inward psychological self-observation and analysis is a great and effective introduction.We can look into the inward of ourselves more easily than we can look into the inward of things external to us because there, in things outside us, we are in the first place embarrassed by the form and secondly we have no natural previous experience of that in them which is other than their physical substance. A purified or tranquillised mind may reflect or a powerful concentration may discover God in the world, the Self in Nature even before it is realised in ourselves, but this is rare and difficult. (2) And it is only in ourselves that we can observe and know the process of the Self in its becoming and follow the process by which it draws back into self-being. Therefore the ancient counsel, know thyself, will always stand as the first word that directs us towards the knowledge. Still, psychological self-knowledge is only the experience of the modes of the Self, it is not the realisation of the Self in its pure being.
The status of knowledge, then, which Yoga envisages is not merely an intellectual conception or clear discrimination of the truth, nor is it an enlightened psychological experience of the modes of our being. It is a "realisation", in the full sense of the word; it is the making real to ourselves and in ourselves of the Self, the transcendent and universal Divine, and it is the subsequent impossibility of viewing the modes of being except in the light of that Self and in their true aspect as its flux of becoming under the psychical and physical conditions of our world-existence. This realisation consists of three successive movements, internal vision, complete internal experience and identity.
This internal vision, dr.s.t.i, the power so highly valued by the ancient sages, the power which made a man a Rishi or Kavi and no longer a mere thinker, is a sort of light in the soul by which things unseen become as evident and real to it-to the soul and not merely to the intellect-as do things seen to the physical eye. In the physical world there are always two forms of knowledge, the direct and the indirect, pratyaks.a, of that which is present to the eyes, and paroks.a, of that which is remote from and beyond our vision. When the object is beyond our vision, we are necessarily obliged to arrive at an idea of it by inference, imagination, analogy, by hearing the descriptions of others who have seen it or by studying pictorial or other representations of it if these are available. By putting together all these aids we can indeed arrive at a more or less adequate idea or suggestive image of the object, but we do not realise the thing itself; it is not yet to us the grasped reality, but only our conceptual representation of a reality. But once we have seen it with the eyes,-for no other sense is adequate,-we possess, we realise; it is there secure in our satisfied being, part of ourselves in knowledge. Precisely the same rule holds good of psychical things and of he Self. We may hear clear and luminous teachings about the Self from philosophers or teachers or from ancient writings; we may by thought, inference, imagination, analogy or by any other available means attempt to form a mental figure or conception of it; we may hold firmly that conception in our mind and fix it by an entire and exclusive concentration;3 but we have not yet realised it, we have not seen God. It is only when after long and persistent concentration or by other means the veil of the mind is rent or swept aside, only when a flood of light breaks over the awakened mentality, jyotirmaya brahman, and conception gives place to a knowledge-vision in which the Self is as present, real, concrete as a physical object to the physical eye, that we possess in knowledge; for we have seen. After that revelation, whatever fadings of the light, whatever periods of darkness may afflict the soul, it can never irretrievably lose what it has once held. The experience is inevitably renewed and must become more frequent till it is constant; when and how soon depends on the devotion and persistence with which we insist on the path and besiege by our will or our love the hidden Deity.
(2) And it is only in ourselves that we can observe and know the 2 In one respect, however, it is easier, because in external things we are not so much hampered by the sense of the limited ego as in ourselves; one obstacle to the realisation of God is therefore removed.
~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, The Status of Knowledge,#KEYS
449:summary of the entire process of psychic awakening :::
You have asked what is the discipline to be followed in order to convert the mental seeking into a living spiritual experience. The first necessity is the practice of concentration of your consciousness within yourself. The ordinary human mind has an activity on the surface which veils the real Self. But there is another, a hidden consciousness within behind the surface one in which we can become aware of the real Self and of a larger deeper truth of nature, can realise the Self and liberate and transform the nature. To quiet the surface mind and begin to live within is the object of this concentration. Of this true consciousness other then the superficial there are two main centres, one in the heart (not the physical heart, but the cardiac centre in the middle of the chest), one in the head. The concentration in the heart opens within and by following this inward opening and going deep one becomes aware of the soul or psychic being, the divine element in the individual. This being unveiled begins to come forward, to govern the nature, to turn it an d all its movements towards the Truth, towards the Divine, and to call down into it all that is above. It brings the consciousness of the Presence, the dedication of the being to the Highest and invites the descent into our nature of a greater Force and Consciousness which is waiting above us. To concentrate in the heart centre with the offering of oneself to the Divine and the aspiration for this inward opening and for the Presence in the heart is the first way and, if it can be done, the natural beginning; for its result once obtained makes the spiritual path far more easy and safe than if one begins the other way.
That other way is the concentration in the head, in the mental centre. This, if it brings about the silence of the surface mind, opens up an inner, larger, deeper mind within which is more capable of receiving spiritual experience and spiritual knowledge. But once concentrated here one must open the silent mental consciousness upward to all that is above mind. After a time one feels the consciousness rising upward and it the end it rises beyond the lid which has so long kept it tied in the body and finds a centre above the head where it is liberated into the Infinite. There it behind to come into contact with the universal Self, the Divine Peace, Light, Power, Knowledge, Bliss, to enter into that and become that, to feel the descent of these things into the nature. To concentrate in the head with the aspiration for quietude in the mind and the realisation of the Self and Divine above is the second way of concentration. It is important, however, to remember that the concentration of the consciousness in the head is only a preparation for its rising to the centre above; otherwise, one may get shut up in one's own mind and its experiences or at best attain only to a reflection of the Truth above instead of rising into the spiritual transcendence to live there. For some the mental consciousness is easier, for some the concentration in the heart centre; some are capable of doing both alternatively - but to begin with the heart centre, if one can do it, is the more desirable.
The other side of the discipline is with regard to the activities of the nature, of the mind, of the life-self or vital, of the physical being. Here the principle is to accord the nature with the inner realisation so that one may not be divided into two discordant parts. There are here several disciplines or processes possible. One is to offer all the activities to the Divine and call for the inner guidance and the taking up of one's nature by a Higher Power. If there is the inward soul-opening, if the psychic being comes forward, then there is no great difficulty - there comes with it a psychic discrimination, a constant intimation, finally a governance which discloses and quietly and patiently removes all imperfections, bring the right mental and vital movements and reshapes the physical consciousness also. Another method is to stand back detached from the movements of the mind, life, physical being, to regard their activities as only a habitual formation of general Nature in the individual imposed on us by past workings, not as any part of our real being; in proportion as one succeeds in this, becomes detached, sees mind and its activities as not oneself, life and its activities as not oneself, the body and its activities as not oneself, one becomes aware of an inner Being within us - inner mental, inner vital, inner physical - silent, calm, unbound, unattached which reflects the true Self above and can be its direct representative; from this inner silent Being proceeds a rejection of all that is to be rejected, an acceptance only of what can be kept and transformed, an inmost Will to perfection or a call to the Divine Power to do at each step what is necessary for the change of the Nature. It can also open mind, life and body to the inmost psychic entity and its guiding influence or its direct guidance. In most cases these two methods emerge and work together and finally fuse into one. But one can being with either, the one that one feels most natural and easy to follow.
Finally, in all difficulties where personal effort is hampered, the help of the Teacher can intervene and bring above what is needed for the realisation or for the immediate step that is necessary.
~ Sri Aurobindo, Letters On Yoga - II, 6, {871},#KEYS
450:This, in short, is the demand made on us, that we should turn our whole life into a conscious sacrifice. Every moment and every movement of our being is to be resolved into a continuous and a devoted self-giving to the Eternal. All our actions, not less the smallest and most ordinary and trifling than the greatest and most uncommon and noble, must be performed as consecrated acts. Our individualised nature must live in the single consciousness of an inner and outer movement dedicated to Something that is beyond us and greater than our ego. No matter what the gift or to whom it is presented by us, there must be a consciousness in the act that we are presenting it to the one divine Being in all beings. Our commonest or most grossly material actions must assume this sublimated character; when we eat, we should be conscious that we are giving our food to that Presence in us; it must be a sacred offering in a temple and the sense of a mere physical need or self-gratification must pass away from us. In any great labour, in any high discipline, in any difficult or noble enterprise, whether undertaken for ourselves, for others or for the race, it will no longer be possible to stop short at the idea of the race, of ourselves or of others. The thing we are doing must be consciously offered as a sacrifice of works, not to these, but either through them or directly to the One Godhead; the Divine Inhabitant who was hidden by these figures must be no longer hidden but ever present to our soul, our mind, our sense. The workings and results of our acts must be put in the hands of that One in the feeling that that Presence is the Infinite and Most High by whom alone our labour and our aspiration are possible. For in his being all takes place; for him all labour and aspiration are taken from us by Nature and offered on his altar. Even in those things in which Nature is herself very plainly the worker and we only the witnesses of her working and its containers and supporters, there should be the same constant memory and insistent consciousness of a work and of its divine Master. Our very inspiration and respiration, our very heart-beats can and must be made conscious in us as the living rhythm of the universal sacrifice.
It is clear that a conception of this kind and its effective practice must carry in them three results that are of a central importance for our spiritual ideal. It is evident, to begin with, that, even if such a discipline is begun without devotion, it leads straight and inevitably towards the highest devotion possible; for it must deepen naturally into the completest adoration imaginable, the most profound God-love. There is bound up with it a growing sense of the Divine in all things, a deepening communion with the Divine in all our thought, will and action and at every moment of our lives, a more and more moved consecration to the Divine of the totality of our being. Now these implications of the Yoga of works are also of the very essence of an integral and absolute Bhakti. The seeker who puts them into living practice makes in himself continually a constant, active and effective representation of the very spirit of self-devotion, and it is inevitable that out of it there should emerge the most engrossing worship of the Highest to whom is given this service. An absorbing love for the Divine Presence to whom he feels an always more intimate closeness, grows upon the consecrated worker. And with it is born or in it is contained a universal love too for all these beings, living forms and creatures that are habitations of the Divine - not the brief restless grasping emotions of division, but the settled selfless love that is the deeper vibration of oneness. In all the seeker begins to meet the one Object of his adoration and service. The way of works turns by this road of sacrifice to meet the path of Devotion; it can be itself a devotion as complete, as absorbing, as integral as any the desire of the heart can ask for or the passion of the mind can imagine.
Next, the practice of this Yoga demands a constant inward remembrance of the one central liberating knowledge, and a constant active externalising of it in works comes in too to intensify the remembrance. In all is the one Self, the one Divine is all; all are in the Divine, all are the Divine and there is nothing else in the universe, - this thought or this faith is the whole background until it becomes the whole substance of the consciousness of the worker. A memory, a self-dynamising meditation of this kind, must and does in its end turn into a profound and uninterrupted vision and a vivid and all-embracing consciousness of that which we so powerfully remember or on which we so constantly meditate. For it compels a constant reference at each moment to the Origin of all being and will and action and there is at once an embracing and exceeding of all particular forms and appearances in That which is their cause and upholder. This way cannot go to its end without a seeing vivid and vital, as concrete in its way as physical sight, of the works of the universal Spirit everywhere. On its summits it rises into a constant living and thinking and willing and acting in the presence of the Supramental, the Transcendent. Whatever we see and hear, whatever we touch and sense, all of which we are conscious, has to be known and felt by us as That which we worship and serve; all has to be turned into an image of the Divinity, perceived as a dwelling-place of his Godhead, enveloped with the eternal Omnipresence. In its close, if not long before it, this way of works turns by communion with the Divine Presence, Will and Force into a way of Knowledge more complete and integral than any the mere creature intelligence can construct or the search of the intellect can discover.
Lastly, the practice of this Yoga of sacrifice compels us to renounce all the inner supports of egoism, casting them out of our mind and will and actions, and to eliminate its seed, its presence, its influence out of our nature. All must be done for the Divine; all must be directed towards the Divine. Nothing must be attempted for ourselves as a separate existence; nothing done for others, whether neighbours, friends, family, country or mankind or other creatures merely because they are connected with our personal life and thought and sentiment or because the ego takes a preferential interest in their welfare. In this way of doing and seeing all works and all life become only a daily dynamic worship and service of the Divine in the unbounded temple of his own vast cosmic existence. Life becomes more and more the sacrifice of the eternal in the individual constantly self-offered to the eternal Transcendence. It is offered in the wide sacrificial ground of the field of the eternal cosmic Spirit; and the Force too that offers it is the eternal Force, the omnipresent Mother. Therefore is this way a way of union and communion by acts and by the spirit and knowledge in the act as complete and integral as any our Godward will can hope for or our soul's strength execute.
It has all the power of a way of works integral and absolute, but because of its law of sacrifice and self-giving to the Divine Self and Master, it is accompanied on its one side by the whole power of the path of Love and on the other by the whole power of the path of Knowledge. At its end all these three divine Powers work together, fused, united, completed, perfected by each other.
~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, The Yoga of Divine Works, The Sacrifice, the Triune Path and the Lord of the Sacrifice [111-114],#KEYS
451:Dissolving You are pure. Nothing touches you. What is there to renounce? Let it all go, The body and the mind. Let yourself dissolve. Like bubbles in the sea, All the worlds arise in you. Know you are the Self. Know you are one. Let yourself dissolve. You see the world. But like the snake in the rope, It is not really there. You are pure. Let yourself dissolve. You are one and the same In joy and sorrow, Hope and despair, Life and death. You are already fulfilled. Let yourself dissolve. 6 Knowledge I am boundless space. The world is a clay pot. This is the truth. There is nothing to accept, Nothing to reject, Nothing to dissolve. I am the ocean. All the worlds are like waves. This is the truth. Nothing to hold on to, Nothing to let go of, Nothing to dissolve. I am the mother-of-pearl. The world is a vein of silver, An illusion! This is the truth. Nothing to grasp, Nothing to spurn, Nothing to dissolve. ~ Astavakra Gita, #KEYS
452: M.: Yes. When you see God in all, do you think of God or do you not?
You should certainly keep God in your mind for seeing God all round you. Keeping God in your mind becomes dhyana. Dhyana is the stage before realisation. Realisation is in the Self only. Dhyana must precede it. Whether you make dhyana of God or of Self, it is immaterial. The goal is the same. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi,#KEYS
*** WISDOM TROVE ***
1:Know thy self, know thy enemy. ~ sun-tzu, @wisdomtrove 2:All desire is a desire for the Self. ~ jean-klein, @wisdomtrove 3:The goal of evolution is self - conquest ~ elbert-hubbard, @wisdomtrove 4:Be a light unto others, not boastful of self. ~ edgar-cayce, @wisdomtrove 5:Be your imperfectly perfect self. ~ marc-and-angel-chernoff, @wisdomtrove 6:In my very own self, I am part of my family. ~ d-h-lawrence, @wisdomtrove 7:Do not look for a sanctuary in anyone except your self. ~ buddha, @wisdomtrove 8:The finding of God is the coming to one's own self. ~ meher-baba, @wisdomtrove 9:Replace self-love by love of the Self. ~ sri-nisargadatta-maharaj, @wisdomtrove 10:Intuitive thoughts are gifts from the higher self. ~ susan-jeffers, @wisdomtrove 11:It’s not me, it’s he himself He amuses his own self. ~ bulleh-shah, @wisdomtrove 12:The greatest gift you ever give is your honest self. ~ fred-rogers, @wisdomtrove 13:Comparison is an act of violence against the self. ~ lyania-vanzant, @wisdomtrove 14:A day wasted on others is not wasted on one's self. ~ charles-dickens, @wisdomtrove 15:Death's second self, that seals up all in rest. ~ william-shakespeare, @wisdomtrove 16:There is nothing so high as renunciation of self. ~ swami-vivekananda, @wisdomtrove 17:The truest self-respect is not to think of self. ~ henry-ward-beecher, @wisdomtrove 18:Humility is to make a right estimate of one's self. ~ charles-spurgeon, @wisdomtrove 19:I am never bored; to be bored is an insult to one's self. ~ jules-renard, @wisdomtrove 20:All you may know of heaven or hell is within your own self. ~ edgar-cayce, @wisdomtrove 21:Deny existence to everything except your self. ~ sri-nisargadatta-maharaj, @wisdomtrove 22:If you do not conquer self, you will be conquered by self. ~ napoleon-hill, @wisdomtrove 23:I'm sick to death of this particular self. I want another. ~ virginia-woolf, @wisdomtrove 24:Turn thy gaze inward, wherein resides the Supreme Self. ~ swami-vivekananda, @wisdomtrove 25:The glory of God always comes at the sacrifice of self. ~ aiden-wilson-tozer, @wisdomtrove 26:Through my handicaps, I have found my self, my work, my God. ~ hellen-keller, @wisdomtrove 27:What a blind person needs is not a teacher but another self. ~ hellen-keller, @wisdomtrove 28:The boundaries of your life are merely a creation of the self. ~ robin-sharma, @wisdomtrove 29:To love one that is great, is almost to be great one's self. ~ samuel-johnson, @wisdomtrove 30:Invincibility depends on one's self; the enemy's vulnerability on him. ~ sun-tzu, @wisdomtrove 31:Silence is not the absence of sound, but the absence of self. ~ anthony-de-mello, @wisdomtrove 32:Self-esteem comes from the self, not from acquisitions and approval. ~ wayne-dyer, @wisdomtrove 33:The real preparation for education is the study of one's self. ~ maria-montessori, @wisdomtrove 34:Whatever is rejected from the self, appears in the world as an event. ~ carl-jung, @wisdomtrove 35:Know thy self, know thy enemy. A thousand battles, a thousand victories. ~ sun-tzu, @wisdomtrove 36:Until you have given up yourself to Him, you will not have a real self. ~ c-s-lewis, @wisdomtrove 37:I go fishing for a thousand monsters in the depths of my own self ~ soren-kierkegaard, @wisdomtrove 38:In order to love your enemies, you must begin by analyzing self. ~ martin-luther-king, @wisdomtrove 39:The jiva, in reality, is the Supreme Self; all else besides is unreal. ~ adi-shankara, @wisdomtrove 40:Love to be real, it must cost‚ it must hurt‚ it must empty us of self. ~ mother-teresa, @wisdomtrove 41:Every man has a mob self and an individual self, in varying proportions. ~ d-h-lawrence, @wisdomtrove 42:Meaning is in contribution, in living for something higher than self. ~ stephen-r-covey, @wisdomtrove 43:public self is a conditioned construct of the inner psychological self. ~ sigmund-freud, @wisdomtrove 44:The more one forgets one’s own self, the more human the person becomes. ~ viktor-frankl, @wisdomtrove 45:To study the Way is to study the self. To study the self is to forget the self. ~ dogen, @wisdomtrove 46:In the World of Reality there is no self, There is no other-than-self. ~ jianzhi-sengcan, @wisdomtrove 47:Passion will always move you in the direction of your authentic self. ~ danielle-laporte, @wisdomtrove 48:Loneliness is a barrier that prevents one from uniting with the inner self. ~ carl-rogers, @wisdomtrove 49:I see the meaning of apocalypse as an unveiling of our deeper self. ~ barbara-marx-hubbard, @wisdomtrove 50:All the good maxims which are in the world fail when applied to one's self. ~ blaise-pascal, @wisdomtrove 51:Fear is only in duality. Fear is Mind. When you are your Self, there is no fear. ~ sivananda, @wisdomtrove 52:How beautiful, if sorrow had not made Sorrow more beautiful than Beauty's self. ~ john-keats, @wisdomtrove 53:Listen to your own Self. If you listen to that Self within, then you find the Truth. ~ kabir, @wisdomtrove 54:I feel the greatest gift we can give to anybody is the gift of our honest self. ~ fred-rogers, @wisdomtrove 55:Sancho Panza by name is my own self, if I was not changed in my cradle. ~ miguel-de-cervantes, @wisdomtrove 56:What is needed is not the removal of the trouble but the conquest of self. ~ charles-spurgeon, @wisdomtrove 57:The essence of independence is to be able to do something for one‚Äôs self. ~ maria-montessori, @wisdomtrove 58:The Universe is the game of the self, which plays hide and seek forever and ever. ~ alan-watts, @wisdomtrove 59:Freedom is to be free of attachments, and the main attachment is to the & 60:Free your mind from all distractions and dwell in the consciousness of the Self. ~ adi-shankara, @wisdomtrove 61:Comparing yourself to others is an act of violence against your authentic self. ~ lyania-vanzant, @wisdomtrove 62:Every other religion is a salvation by self, Christianity is a salvation by Christ. ~ max-lucado, @wisdomtrove 63:If one is true to one's inner self, and follows its wisdom, who is without a teacher? ~ zhuangzi, @wisdomtrove 64:Many a book is like a key to unknown chambers within the castle of one's own self. ~ franz-kafka, @wisdomtrove 65:Success comes when you have the trust on self, passion to transcend, and courage to do. ~ amit-ray, @wisdomtrove 66:As long as you do not live totally in the body, you do not live totally in the Self. ~ b-k-s-iyengar, @wisdomtrove 67:Can anything be so elegant as to have few wants, and to serve them one’s self? ~ ralph-waldo-emerson, @wisdomtrove 68:Give up yourself, and you will find your real self. Lose your life and you will save it. ~ c-s-lewis, @wisdomtrove 69:It's not only the most difficult thing to know one's self, but the most inconvenient. ~ josh-billings, @wisdomtrove 70:The needs of the body are the needs of the divine self, which lives through the body. ~ b-k-s-iyengar, @wisdomtrove 71:Challenge serves beautifully to introduce you to your best - and most brilliant - self. ~ robin-sharma, @wisdomtrove 72:Faith is in the soul. Belief is thought. Faith is so rich. Faith gives me my spiritual self. ~ ram-das, @wisdomtrove 73:God Himself begins to live in me not only as my Creator but as my other and true self. ~ thomas-merton, @wisdomtrove 74:The deep I is a permanent presence witnessing the ever-changing dramas of my personal self. ~ tim-freke, @wisdomtrove 75:The observer is beyond observation. What is observable is not the real self. ~ sri-nisargadatta-maharaj, @wisdomtrove 76:They say love thy neighbor as thy self , what am I supposed to do jerk him off too? ~ rodney-dangerfield, @wisdomtrove 77:To know itself the self must be faced with its opposite - the not-self. ~ sri-nisargadatta-maharaj, @wisdomtrove 78:You have always the company of your own self - you need not feel alone. ~ sri-nisargadatta-maharaj, @wisdomtrove 79:The hero journey is inside of you; tear off the veils and open the mystery of your self. ~ joseph-campbell, @wisdomtrove 80:One can hardly think too little of one's self. One can hardly think too much of one's soul. ~ g-k-chesterton, @wisdomtrove 81:There is no self, yet we all exist. All phenomena are "empty," yet they have Buddha nature. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove 82:Love the world. Otherwise, you will be forced to carry the heaviest load: your own bitter self. ~ sri-chinmoy, @wisdomtrove 83:The spiritual life is a reaching out to our innermost self, to our fellow human and to our God. ~ henri-nouwen, @wisdomtrove 84:When a woman conceives her true self, a miracle occurs and life around her begins again. ~ marianne-williamson, @wisdomtrove 85:Follow the three Rs: Respect for self, Respect for others, Responsibility for all your actions. ~ dalai-lama, @wisdomtrove 86:Stand as a rock; you are indestructible. You are the Self (atman), the God of the universe. ~ swami-vivekananda, @wisdomtrove 87:The best asset is your own self. You can become to an enormous degree the person you want to be ~ warren-buffet, @wisdomtrove 88:What other dungeon is so dark as one's own heart! What jailer so inexorable as one's self! ~ nathaniel-hawthorne, @wisdomtrove 89:There is a God part in you. The consciousness. The pure Self. Learn to listen the voice of that Power. ~ amit-ray, @wisdomtrove 90:Our best work is done, our greatest influence is exerted, when we are without thought of self. ~ swami-vivekananda, @wisdomtrove 91:For, know that each soul constantly meets its own self. No problem may be run away from. Meet it now! ~ edgar-cayce, @wisdomtrove 92:In advanced meditation you become light. You transcend self, ego, time, space, and dimensionality. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove 93:To study the self is to forget the self. To forget the self is to be enlightened by the ten thousand things. ~ dogen, @wisdomtrove 94:Books simply help you to see what is already within your self. That's what enlightenment is all about. ~ robin-sharma, @wisdomtrove 95:You have the freedom to be yourself, your true self, here and now, and nothing can stand in your way". ~ richard-bach, @wisdomtrove 96:It is in their & 97:Buddha indicated that the self, that part of you that incarnates from lifetime to lifetime was causal. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove 98:Everyone rushes elsewhere and into the future, because no one wants to face one's own inner self. ~ michel-de-montaigne, @wisdomtrove 99:Purity is innocence, the innocence of lack of self. Desire is innocent unless it's connected with self. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove 100:Who exactly is the ultimate experiencer - the Self or the Unknown? The Self, of course. ~ sri-nisargadatta-maharaj, @wisdomtrove 101:Avoidance of experiences is a fixation and it binds you to the world, it binds you to the personal self. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove 102:[The self] knows no suffering, for it neither likes nor dislikes; neither accepts nor rejects. ~ sri-nisargadatta-maharaj, @wisdomtrove 103:Truly, the greatest power you have in this world is the power of your own self- transformation. ~ marc-and-angel-chernoff, @wisdomtrove 104:You have now reached infatuation’s final destination; the complete and merciless devaluation of self. ~ elizabeth-gilbert, @wisdomtrove 105:According to the law that governs the universe,all sufferings are your labor of love to unveil your real self. ~ meher-baba, @wisdomtrove 106:It is through the alignment of the body that I discovered the alignment of my mind, self, and intelligence. ~ b-k-s-iyengar, @wisdomtrove 107:No one can find inner peace except by working, not in a self- centered way, but for the whole human family. ~ peace-pilgrim, @wisdomtrove 108:Zazen is the ultimate practice. This is indeed the True Self. The Buddhadharma is not to be sought outside of this. ~ dogen, @wisdomtrove 109:Never esteem anything as of advantage to you that will make you break your word or lose your self- respect. ~ marcus-aurelius, @wisdomtrove 110:Religion is only another word for the right use of a man's whole self, instead of a wrong use of himself. ~ henry-ward-beecher, @wisdomtrove 111:The ego loves to emphasise the otherness of others so it can feel stronger in its fictitious sense of self. ~ eckhart-tolle, @wisdomtrove 112:Either consciously or unconsciously we are searching for the highest Self, which is at once eternal and infinite. ~ sri-chinmoy, @wisdomtrove 113:Forget about trying to stabilize the personal sense of Self. It is inherently unstable. See that the Self watches this. ~ mooji, @wisdomtrove 114:I am more afraid of my own heart than of the pope and all his cardinals. I have within me the great pope, Self. ~ martin-luther, @wisdomtrove 115:Thought is only thought from the point of view of thinking. Experience, that is, our self, knows no such things. ~ rupert-spira, @wisdomtrove 116:You were put on this earth to achieve your greatest self, to live out your purpose, and to do it courageously. ~ steve-maraboli, @wisdomtrove 117:By learning to trust your intuition, miracles seem to happen. Intuitive thoughts are gifts from the higher self. ~ susan-jeffers, @wisdomtrove 118:Go toward self-actualization rather than self-image actualization... Search within... for honest self- expression. ~ bruce-lee, @wisdomtrove 119:Humility is the most difficult of all virtues to achieve; nothing dies harder than the desire to think well of self. ~ t-s-eliot, @wisdomtrove 120:I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is over self. ~ aristotle, @wisdomtrove 121:I wanted only to live in accord with the promptings which came from my true self. Why was that so very difficult? ~ hermann-hesse, @wisdomtrove 122:When you see a worthy person, endeavor to emulate him. When you see an unworthy person, then examine your inner self. ~ confucius, @wisdomtrove 123:Your sense of identity, of self, is reduced to a story you keep telling yourself in your head. "Me and my story." ~ eckhart-tolle, @wisdomtrove 124:You say you want to know your self. You are your self - you cannot be anything but what you are. ~ sri-nisargadatta-maharaj, @wisdomtrove 125:We have nothing to lose by trusting the infinite power of the Self, except the bondage of our own ignorance. ~ mata-amritanandamayi, @wisdomtrove 126:Have you ever had that feeling that you’d like to go to a whole different place and become a whole different self? ~ haruki-murakami, @wisdomtrove 127:One cannot choose wisely for a life unless he dares to listen to himself, his own self, at each moment of his life. ~ abraham-maslow, @wisdomtrove 128:There is a subtle but inescapable connection between the "sacred" attitude and the acceptance of one's in most self. ~ thomas-merton, @wisdomtrove 129:To become conscious of your naked essence you need to peel away all your superficial identities to reveal the deep self. ~ tim-freke, @wisdomtrove 130:You are led through your lifetime by the inner learning creature, the playful spiritual being that is your real self. ~ richard-bach, @wisdomtrove 131:Marinate in your own being, grow in your wisdom, mature in understanding, be firm in your conviction, be strong in your Self. ~ mooji, @wisdomtrove 132:Whatever is associated with the mind is bound to change. The truth is that which is changeless. It is the Self. ~ mata-amritanandamayi, @wisdomtrove 133:When the mind adjusts to simply staying here, then that mind is not called mind any more. It's just Self. It's only ever Self. ~ mooji, @wisdomtrove 134:Our ideas of self are created by identification. The less we cling to ideas of self, the freer and happier we will be. ~ jack-kornfield, @wisdomtrove 135:Since I am I, I must make an act of self-surrender, however small or however easy, in living to God rather than to my self. ~ c-s-lewis, @wisdomtrove 136:Without understanding the process of the self, there is no bais for thought, there is no basis for right thinking. ~ jiddu-krishnamurti, @wisdomtrove 137:There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow men. True nobility lies in being superior to your former self. ~ ernest-hemingway, @wisdomtrove 138:I think the most productive thing to do during times of change is to be your best self, not the best version of someone else. ~ seth-godin, @wisdomtrove 139:Like the appearance of silver in mother of pearl, the world seems real until the Self, the underlying reality, is realized. ~ adi-shankara, @wisdomtrove 140:Loving the Om (AUM) is loving yourself, your own Self. Om chanting is a creative art, not just mechanical repetition of a word. ~ amit-ray, @wisdomtrove 141:None are so desolate but something dear, Dearer than self, possesses or possess'd A thought, and claims the homage of a tear. ~ lord-byron, @wisdomtrove 142:When you observe yourself you must not condemn or approve what you see. If you tell a lie there is no need to judge your-self. ~ barry-long, @wisdomtrove 143:A friend is a second self, so that our consciousness of a friend's existence makes us more fully conscious of our own existence. ~ aristotle, @wisdomtrove 144:For there is only one great adventure and that is inward toward the self, and for that, time nor space nor even deeds matter. ~ henry-miller, @wisdomtrove 145:Hope and fear are both phantoms that arise from thinking of the self. When we don't see the self as self, what do we have to fear? ~ lao-tzu, @wisdomtrove 146:One must find the source within one's own Self, one must possess it. Everything else was seeking - a detour, an error. ~ hermann-hesse, @wisdomtrove 147:We are all God, Godding - experiencing Our Self through the experiencing of Our parts. We are God expressing Our Self. ~ neale-donald-walsch, @wisdomtrove 148:If you are renewed by grace, and were to meet your old self, I am sure you would be very anxious to get out of his company. ~ charles-spurgeon, @wisdomtrove 149:It is a strange desire, to seek power, and to lose liberty; or to seek power over others, and to lose power over a man's self. ~ francis-bacon, @wisdomtrove 150:So rainbow-sided, touch'd with miseries, She seem'd, at once, some penanced lady elf, Some demon's mistress, or the demon's self. ~ john-keats, @wisdomtrove 151:To open your mind to the silence of your mind is to open to your true self. Conscious silence is already open. You are already open. ~ gangaji, @wisdomtrove 152:You are not what you take yourself to be. Find out what you are. Watch the sense & 153:Since every individual is accountable ultimately to the self, the formation of that self demands our utmost care and attention. ~ frank-herbert, @wisdomtrove 154:I have now concentrated all my prayers into one, and that one prayer is this, that I may die to self, and live wholly to Him. ~ charles-spurgeon, @wisdomtrove 155:Know this also to be one of the spiritual practices, a discipline for God - realisation. Its aim also is Self - realisation. ~ swami-vivekananda, @wisdomtrove 156:The goal of spiritual practice is full recovery, and the only thing you need to recover from is a fractured sense of self. ~ marianne-williamson, @wisdomtrove 157:Your innermost sense of self, of who you are, is inseparable from stillness. This is the I Am that is deeper than name and form. ~ eckhart-tolle, @wisdomtrove 158:Remember He is the artist and you are the picture. You can‚Äôt see it, you can't see your true self. So quietly submit to be painted. ~ c-s-lewis, @wisdomtrove 159:Get away from all books and forms and let your soul see its Self. "We are deluded and maddened by books", Shri Krishna declares. ~ swami-vivekananda, @wisdomtrove 160:Happiness and joy are inner qualities that can't be shaken by outer circumstances because they are inherent within the core Self. ~ michael-beckwith, @wisdomtrove 161:The terrible thing, the almost impossible thing, is the hand over your whole self& 162:I, and "mine" that is ignorance. By discriminating, you will realize that what you call "I" is really nothing but Atman [the Self]. ~ sri-ramakrishna, @wisdomtrove 163:Man is by nature a lover. Only he has yet to discover the real thing to love. This quest awakens him to the fulfillment of his real Self. ~ sri-chinmoy, @wisdomtrove 164:Man is spirit. But what is spirit? Spirit is the self. But what is the self? The self is a relation which relates itself to itself. ~ soren-kierkegaard, @wisdomtrove 165:Seated in a solitary place, free from desires and with senses controlled, one should meditate free of thought on that one infinite Self. ~ adi-shankara, @wisdomtrove 166:Understand the root cause of your fears - estrangement from yourself: and of desires - the longing for the self. ~ sri-nisargadatta-maharaj, @wisdomtrove 167:Love of the limited self, the very limited self, is another name for human love. Love of the entire world is another name for divine love. ~ sri-chinmoy, @wisdomtrove 168:All we really want in the end is to be connected once again with the Truth of our being, to realize what it is that wears this mask of self. ~ adyashanti, @wisdomtrove 169:Before man attempts to solve the secrets of the Universe without, he should master the Universe within—the Kingdom of the Self. ~ william-walker-atkinson, @wisdomtrove 170:The greater a child’s terror, and the earlier it is experienced, the harder it becomes to develop a strong and healthy sense of self. ~ nathaniel-branden, @wisdomtrove 171:The true self is not aware that it is a self. A bird, as it sings, sings itself. But not according to a picture. It has no idea of itself. ~ d-h-lawrence, @wisdomtrove 172:The unmet need that can get met right now is the need to be whole, to be both your magnificent, divine self and your imperfect, human self. ~ debbie-ford, @wisdomtrove 173:I believe that a man is converted when first he hears the low, vast murmur of life, of human life, troubling his hitherto unconscious self. ~ d-h-lawrence, @wisdomtrove 174:Space seems broken and diverse because of the many forms in it. Remove the forms and pure space remains. So, too with the Omnipresent Self. ~ adi-shankara, @wisdomtrove 175:When one is in love, one always begins by deceiving one's self, and one always ends by deceiving others. That is what world calls a romance. ~ oscar-wilde, @wisdomtrove 176:Humility - the discipline of putting others ahead of self, the choice to value others above self - is, at its core, a matter of faith. ~ charles-r-swindoll, @wisdomtrove 177:What we are seeking to do is not melt the map of America. We are seeking to melt the self, the solid form that we consider ourselves to be. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove 178:You are emerging from the cocoon of your former self. There are no limits to the extent of the transformation that's possible for you. ~ marianne-williamson, @wisdomtrove 179:If you pay close attention to your identity, you will discover your subjective nature as the mysterious ‘I’ of awareness. This is your deep self. ~ tim-freke, @wisdomtrove 180:It was only the matter of a new voice. Nobody listened to an old voice anymore. Old voices became a part of one's self, like a fingernail. ~ charles-bukowski, @wisdomtrove 181:The instrument through which you see God is your whole self. And if a man's self is not kept clean and bright, his glimpse of God will be blurred ~ c-s-lewis, @wisdomtrove 182:The witness of the three states of consciousness [waking, dream and deep sleep] and of the nature of Existence-Consciousness-Bliss is the Self ~ adi-shankara, @wisdomtrove 183:Always with me was the inner twin: my true nature, my true self. It is timeless, free, compassionate and in love with whatever is natural to me ~ alice-walker, @wisdomtrove 184:I lack self-confidence. I don't know whether I shall ever get it. Perhaps it is better to be unsure of your self, as I am. But it is very tiring. ~ audrey-hepburn, @wisdomtrove 185:And this ‘knowing’ is our self, aware presence. In other words, all that is ever experienced is our self knowing itself, awareness aware of awareness. ~ rupert-spira, @wisdomtrove 186:In self-giving you must be so careful of egotism. You must be so careful when you are aiding others in their liberation not to have a sense of self. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove 187:Love took up the harp of Life, and smote on all the chords with might; Smote the chord of Self, that, trembling, passed in music out of sight. ~ alfred-lord-tennyson, @wisdomtrove 188:Selfless giving changes our concept of our identity. When we give to others our unselfishness removes the spot of "self" that stained our awareness. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove 189:That’s what every uncomfortable feeling is for—that’s what pain is for, what money is for, what everything in the world is for: your self- realization. ~ byron-katie, @wisdomtrove 190:There can only be two basic loves... the love of God unto the forgetfulness of self, or the love of self unto the forgetfulness and denial of God. ~ saint-augustine, @wisdomtrove 191:Never let the darkness or negativity outside affect your inner self. Just wait until morning comes and the bright light will drown out the darkness. ~ haruki-murakami, @wisdomtrove 192:Nothing appears to be something. The human experience is a senseory organ for the divine self. Through these eyes, the divine gets to see itself in form. ~ adyashanti, @wisdomtrove 193:This solidity is not true. The apparent solidity is the delusion of the senses and of the self. Everything is made up of infinite, intelligent light. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove 194:To me, nothing exists by itself. All is the Self, all is myself. To see myself in everybody and everybody in myself most certainly is love. ~ sri-nisargadatta-maharaj, @wisdomtrove 195:To venture causes anxiety, but not to venture is to lose one's self... . And to venture in the highest is precisely to be conscious of one's self. ~ soren-kierkegaard, @wisdomtrove 196:You imagine me as separate, hence your question. There is no & 197:We're blind, deaf and dumb. It is only that Self, which is our life force that makes who and what we are. The realization of that is self-realization. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove 198:Get to know your true self. When you are truly comfortable in your own skin, not everyone will like you, but you won’t care about it one bit. ~ marc-and-angel-chernoff, @wisdomtrove 199:I think we have to prepare the mind in one way or another to accept the great uprush or downrush, whichever you like to call it, of the greater non-self. ~ aldous-huxley, @wisdomtrove 200:From the moment a creature becomes aware of God as God and of itself as self, the terrible alternative of choosing God or self for the centre is opened to it. ~ c-s-lewis, @wisdomtrove 201:Learn the backward step that turns your light inward to illuminate your self. Body and mind of themselves will drop away, and your original face will be manifest. ~ dogen, @wisdomtrove 202:By ceaseless prayer He Who is Akhands (whole) is found. One's own Self, the Life of one's life, the Beloved of One's heart is the One to be eagerly sought. ~ anandamayi-ma, @wisdomtrove 203:If you make human company too important you will not discover your true Self. Relationships not based in truth are never entirely reliable and are rarely enduring. ~ mooji, @wisdomtrove 204:The all-embracing vast being which is there behind the play of the universe and with which you will have to identify yourself - for this is your true self. ~ sri-aurobindo, @wisdomtrove 205:Solitude is the furnace of transformation. Without solitude we remain victims of our society and continue to be entangled in the illusions of the false self. ~ henri-nouwen, @wisdomtrove 206:The battle of yoga is with the body and with the ego. You must conquer your ego, or small self, so that you can let your soul, your big Self, be victorious. ~ b-k-s-iyengar, @wisdomtrove 207:The term ego means different things to different people, but when I use it here it means a false self, created by unconscious identification with the mind. ~ eckhart-tolle, @wisdomtrove 208:Attention pays attention to a lot of things, but when attention pays attention to attention, then there is a stillness, and that stillness introduces you to your Self. ~ mooji, @wisdomtrove 209:And the more you become aware of the unknown self - if you become aware of it - the more you realize that it is inseparably connected with everything else that is. ~ alan-watts, @wisdomtrove 210:A lamp does not flicker in a place where no wind blows; so it is with a yogi, who controls his mind, intellect and self, being absorbed in the spirit within him. ~ b-k-s-iyengar, @wisdomtrove 211:Every one of us is shadowed by an illusory person: a false Self. We are not very good at recognizing illusions, least of all the ones we cherish about ourselves. ~ thomas-merton, @wisdomtrove 212:However, love, peace and happiness are inherent in the knowing of our own being. In fact, they are the knowing of being. They are simply other names for our self. ~ rupert-spira, @wisdomtrove 213:According to this philosophy, each man consists of three parts - the body, the internal organ or the mind, and behind that, what is called the Atman, the Self. ~ swami-vivekananda, @wisdomtrove 214:When you operate from the Higher Self, you feel centered and abundant?in fact, overflowing. When you experience this abundance, your fears automatically disappear. ~ susan-jeffers, @wisdomtrove 215:Attraction and aversion create a sense of self. There is no self. They are just thoughts. They are insubstantial. When you die, all the ideas of self will go away. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove 216:Love has nothing to do with another person. Love is Truth. Love is Beauty. Love is Self. To know yourself, to surrender to the truth of yourself, is to surrender to love. ~ gangaji, @wisdomtrove 217:Think of the shadow in a more approachable way as simply the ‘unloved self’. The shadow is that part of ourselves that we regard as unlovable, so we seek to repress it. ~ tim-freke, @wisdomtrove 218:I know quite certainly that I myself have no special talent. Curiosity, obsession and dogged endurance, combined with self- criticism, have brought me to my ideas. ~ albert-einstein, @wisdomtrove 219:T he All-Transcendent, utterly void of multiplicity, is Unity's Self, independent of all else... It is the great Beginning, wholly and truly One. All life belongs to It. ~ plotinus, @wisdomtrove 220:The more you are willing to just let the world be something you’re aware of, the more it will let you be who you are – the awareness, the self, the Atman, the Soul. ~ michael-singer, @wisdomtrove 221:When you meet someone better than yourself, turn your thoughts to becoming his equal. When you meet someone not as good as you are, look within and examine your own self. ~ confucius, @wisdomtrove 222:You identify with your self. You have a personal history. You have commitments. There are things that you want to experience and other things that you want to avoid. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove 223:Children are wise in a funny kind of way. They haven't developed so many vested interests of self. There is a wisdom, a lack of self-consciousness, that is innocence. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove 224:Silence is the language of Om. We need silence to be able to reach our Self. Both internal and external silence is very important to feel the presence of that supreme Love. ~ amit-ray, @wisdomtrove 225:True self is non-self, the awareness that the self is made only of non-self elements. There's no separation between self and other, and everything is interconnected. ~ thich-nhat-hanh, @wisdomtrove 226:What is the way of the Buddha? It is to study the self. What is the study of the self? It is to forget oneself. To forget oneself is to enlightened by everything in the world. ~ dogen, @wisdomtrove 227:Yoga is nothing if it is not perfect harmonyof the body, senses, mind and intellect, reason, consciousness and self. When all these are integrated that is true yoga. ~ b-k-s-iyengar, @wisdomtrove 228:For me to be a saint means to be myself. Therefore the problem of sanctity and salvation is in fact the problem of finding out who I am and of discovering my true self. ~ thomas-merton, @wisdomtrove 229:I am increasingly an architect of self. I am free to will and choose. I can, through accepting my individuality... become more of my uniqueness, more of my potentiality. ~ carl-rogers, @wisdomtrove 230:The way you become happy is by realizing that there is no self. No self at all, not a silly millimeter of self. You don't exist. When you know this, you will be happy. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove 231:And why not death rather than living torment? To die is to be banish'd from myself; And Silvia is myself: banish'd from her Is self from self: a deadly banishment! ~ william-shakespeare, @wisdomtrove 232:Humans punish themselves endlessly for not being what they believe they should be. They become very self- abusive, and they use other people to abuse themselves as well. ~ don-miguel-ruiz, @wisdomtrove 233:If you first fortify yourself with the true knowledge of the Universal Self, and then live in the midst of wealth and worldliness, surely they will in no way affect you. ~ sri-ramakrishna, @wisdomtrove 234:[Repentance] means unlearning all the self-conceit and self -will that we have been training ourselves into... It means killing part of yourself, under-going a kind of death. ~ c-s-lewis, @wisdomtrove 235:It’s time to care; it’s time to take responsibility; it’s time to lead; it’s time for a change; it’s time to be true to our greatest self; it’s time to stop blaming others. ~ steve-maraboli, @wisdomtrove 236:Selfishness does not mean only to do things for one's self. One may do things, affecting others, for his own pleasure and benefit. This is not immoral, but the highest of morality. ~ ayn-rand, @wisdomtrove 237:The way to ascend unto God is to descend into one’s self; these are Hugo’s words. If thou wisheth to search out the deep things of God, search out the depths of thine own spirit. ~ d-t-suzuki, @wisdomtrove 238:Is there any sex-distinction in the Atman (Self)? Out with the differentiation between man and woman‚Äîall is Atman! Give up the identification with the body, and stand up! ~ swami-vivekananda, @wisdomtrove 239:What is the holding of breath? It is a flight from the Self, it is a temporary escape from the torment of Self. It is a temporary palliative against the pain and folly of life. ~ hermann-hesse, @wisdomtrove 240:Your real, new self (which is Christ's and also yours, and yours just because it is His) will not come as long as you are looking for it. It will come when you are looking for Him. ~ c-s-lewis, @wisdomtrove 241:When all the Self was conquered and dead, when all passions and desires were silent, then the last must awaken, the innermost of Being that is no longer Self - the great secret! ~ hermann-hesse, @wisdomtrove 242:There is something that matters more than anything and that is finding the essence of who you are beyond that short- lived entity, that short- lived personalized sense of self. ~ eckhart-tolle, @wisdomtrove 243:Understand this great truth: The happiness that comes from the pleasures of the world is but a minute reflection of the infinite bliss that comes from within your own Self. ~ mata-amritanandamayi, @wisdomtrove 244:Q: Is the witness-consciousness the real Self? M: It is the reflection of the real in the mind. The real is beyond. The witness is the door through which you pass beyond. ~ sri-nisargadatta-maharaj, @wisdomtrove 245:There is no real separation between self or no-self. Anything you do for yourself you do for the society at the same time. And anything you do for society you do for yourself also. ~ thich-nhat-hanh, @wisdomtrove 246:We are the eyes of the cosmos. So that in a way, when you look deeply into somebody's eyes, you're looking deep into yourself, and the other person is looking deeply into the same self. ~ alan-watts, @wisdomtrove 247:Q: Is the witness-consciousness the real Self. M: It is the reflection of the real in the mind. The real is beyond. The witness is the door through which you pass beyond. ~ sri-nisargadatta-maharaj, @wisdomtrove 248:Just as ice is nothing but water, so the Beloved is without form, without quality, and the question of manifestation does not arise. When this is realized, one has realized one’s Self. ~ anandamayi-ma, @wisdomtrove 249:Life is short. Time is fleeting. Realize the Self. Purity of the heart is the gateway to God. Aspire. Renounce. Meditate. Be good; do good. Be kind; be compassionate. Inquire, know Thyself. ~ sivananda, @wisdomtrove 250:The key to a successful career is realizing that it's not separate from the rest of your life, but is rather an extension of your most basic self. And your most basic self is love. ~ marianne-williamson, @wisdomtrove 251:Whether you bathe in the Ganga for a thousand years or live on vegetable food for a like period, unless it helps towards the manifestation of the Self, know that it is all of no use. ~ swami-vivekananda, @wisdomtrove 252:If we look at the world with a deluded body and mind, we will think that our self is permanent. But if we practice correctly and return to our true self, we will realize that nothing is permanent ~ dogen, @wisdomtrove 253:Sexuality, for the person who practices tantra, is a marvelous way to experience illusion. Illusion is just another way of seeing things. There are no illusions because there is no self. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove 254:The Christ-symbol is of the greatest importance for psychology in so far as it is perhaps the most highly developed and differentiated symbol of the self, apart from the figure of the Buddha. ~ carl-jung, @wisdomtrove 255:The supreme adventure in a man's life is his journey back to his Creator. To reach the goal he needs well developed and co-ordinated functioning of his body, senses, mind, reason and Self. ~ b-k-s-iyengar, @wisdomtrove 256:What you do for your Self, you do for another. What you do for another, you do for the Self. This is because you and the other are one. And this is because... there is naught but You. ~ neale-donald-walsch, @wisdomtrove 257:Men are not free when they're doing just what they like. Men are only free when they're doing what the deepest self likes. And there is getting down to the deepest self! It takes some diving. ~ d-h-lawrence, @wisdomtrove 258:Whatever man loves, that is his god. For he carries it in his heart; he goes about with it night and day; he sleeps and wakes with it, be it what it may - wealth or self, pleasure or renown. ~ martin-luther, @wisdomtrove 259:For pride, which is the inordinate attribution of goods and values and glories to one's own contingent self, cannot exist where there is no contingent self to which anything can be attributed. ~ thomas-merton, @wisdomtrove 260:To laugh is to risk appearing a fool, to weep is to risk appearing too sentimental, to reach out for another is to risk involvement, and to expose feelings is to risk exposing one's true self. ~ leo-buscaglia, @wisdomtrove 261:Each one of you has created a sense of self. That's what the tonal does. Each one of you is taught a system of maintenance that has been developed by humankind from your birth till your death. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove 262:Sacrifice does not mean that, by giving, we lose something. We sacrifice our limited self to our highest and largest Self, and at that time we immediately become the largest and the highest Self. ~ sri-chinmoy, @wisdomtrove 263:This is the great lesson that we are here to learn through myriads of births and heavens and hells - that there is nothing to be asked for, desired for, beyond one's spiritual Self (atman). ~ swami-vivekananda, @wisdomtrove 264:& 265:The individual may be understood as one particular focal point at which the whole universe expresses itself - as an incarnation of the self, or of the Godhead, or whatever one may choose to call it. ~ alan-watts, @wisdomtrove 266:To run away from danger, instead of facing it, is to deny one's faith in man and God, even one's own self. It were better for one to drown oneself than live to declare such bankruptcy of faith. ~ mahatma-gandhi, @wisdomtrove 267:Imagination builds the image of the self, and thought then functions within its shadows. From this self-concept grows the conflict between what is and what should be, the conflict in duality. ~ jiddu-krishnamurti, @wisdomtrove 268:In any influence, will, a self, the ego, the I AM is the greater force to be dealt with, but as numbers do influence, a knowledge of same certainly gives an individual a foresight into relationships. ~ edgar-cayce, @wisdomtrove 269:Nourishing the soul is the process of drinking at the life stream, coming back to one's true self, embracing the whole of one's experience - good, bad, or ugly; painful or exalted; dull or boring. ~ jon-kabat-zinn, @wisdomtrove 270:Once you had the taste of your own self, you will find it everywhere and at all times. Therefore, it is so important that you should come to it. Once you know it, you will never lose it. ~ sri-nisargadatta-maharaj, @wisdomtrove 271:The final bridge to cross is to let go of the mind-created & 272:Once you give up your identification with the body, then you are all the time the Self, or Atman, only. For this, no effort is required. You only have to realize that you are not the body. ~ sri-nisargadatta-maharaj, @wisdomtrove 273:The point is not to find the most turnarounds, but to find the ones that bring you the shift to self- realization, the enlightenment that sets you free from the nightmare you’re innocently attached to. ~ byron-katie, @wisdomtrove 274:The wizard [of Oz] says look inside yourself and find self. God says look inside yourself and find [the Holy Spirit]. The first will get you to Kansas. The latter will get you to heaven. Take your pick. ~ max-lucado, @wisdomtrove 275:I no longer agree to treat myself with disrespect. Every time a self-critical thought comes to mind, I will forgive the Judge and follow this comment with words of praise, self- acceptance, and love. ~ don-miguel-ruiz, @wisdomtrove 276:This person, this self, this me, finally, was made somewhere else. Everything had come from somewhere else, and it would all go somewhere else. I was nothing but a pathway for the person known as me. ~ haruki-murakami, @wisdomtrove 277:Like the lotus flower that is born out of mud, we must honor the darkest parts of ourselves and the most painful of our life’s experiences, because they are what allow us to birth our most beautiful self. ~ debbie-ford, @wisdomtrove 278:To be free from bondage the wise person must practise discrimination between One-Self and the ego-self. By that alone you will become full of joy, recognising Self as Pure Being, Consciousness and Bliss. ~ adi-shankara, @wisdomtrove 279:Love is as simple as the absence of self- given to another. God, when invited, fills the void of any unrequited love; hence loving is how one is drawn closer to God no matter its most horrific repercussions. ~ criss-jami, @wisdomtrove 280:A human being is a spirit. But what is spirit? Spirit is the self. But what is self? The self is a relation that relates itself to itself or is the relation's relating itself to itself in the relation. ~ soren-kierkegaard, @wisdomtrove 281:Each of us is here to discover our higher self or our spiritual self. We must find out for ourself that inside us is a god or goddess in embryo that wants to be born so that we can express our divinity. ~ deepak-chopra, @wisdomtrove 282:When all the false self- identifications are thrown away, what remains is all-embracing love. Get rid of all ideas about yourself, even of the idea that you are God. No self-definition is valid. ~ sri-nisargadatta-maharaj, @wisdomtrove 283:A man’s belief is greatly influenced by his environment; therefore he should choose the company of the Holy and Wise. Belief means to believe in one’s Self, disbelief to mistake the non-Self for one’s Self. ~ anandamayi-ma, @wisdomtrove 284:The sole purpose is to provide infinite springs, at which the soul may allay the eternal thirst TO KNOW which is forever unquenchable within it, since to quench it, would be to extinguish the soul's self. ~ edgar-allan-poe, @wisdomtrove 285:We realize& 286:When the thunder roars, do you not hear your Self? When the lightening cracks, do you not see your Self? When clouds float quietly across the sky, is this not your very own limitless Being, waving back at you? ~ ken-wilber, @wisdomtrove 287:The greatest Guru is your inner self. Truly, he is the supreme teacher. He alone can take you to your goal and he alone meets you at the end of the road. Confide in him and you need no outer Guru. ~ sri-nisargadatta-maharaj, @wisdomtrove 288:The size of your accomplishments, the quality of your achievement, will depend very largely on how big a man you see in yourself, what sort of image you get of your possible self, yourself at your best. ~ orison-swett-marden, @wisdomtrove 289:As the mind becomes gradually established in the Self, it proportionately gives up the desire for external objects. When all such desires have been eliminated, there is the unobstructed realization of the Self. ~ adi-shankara, @wisdomtrove 290:Our self – luminous, empty Awareness – knows no resistance and is, therefore, Peace itself; it seeks nothing and is, thus, happiness itself; it is intimately one with all appearances and is, as such, pure love. ~ rupert-spira, @wisdomtrove 291:Let the spirit out - Discard all thoughts of reward, all hopes of praise and fears of blame, all awareness of one's bodily self. And, finally closing the avenues of sense perception, let the spirit out, as it will. ~ bruce-lee, @wisdomtrove 292:To say that I am made in the image of God is to say that love is the reason for my existence, for God is love. Love is my true identity. Selflessness is my true self. Love is my true character. Love is my name. ~ thomas-merton, @wisdomtrove 293:You are the Self, here and now. Leave the mind alone, stand aware and unconcerned and you will realise that to stand alert but detached, watching events come and go, is an aspect of your real nature. ~ sri-nisargadatta-maharaj, @wisdomtrove 294:Everything, from the intellect down to the gross physical body, is the effect of Maya. Understand that all these and Maya itself are not the [absolute] Self, and are therefore unreal, like a mirage in the desert. ~ adi-shankara, @wisdomtrove 295:We are all part of the One Spirit. When you experience the true meaning of religion, which is to know God, you will realize that He is your Self, and that He exists equally and impartially in all beings. ~ paramahansa-yogananda, @wisdomtrove 296:Be perfectly resigned, perfectly unconcerned; then alone can you do any true work. No eyes can see the real forces; we can only see the results. Put out self, forget it; just let God work, it is HIS business. ~ swami-vivekananda, @wisdomtrove 297:Awareness is our essential being. The Hindus call it the atman, which means & 298:Examples of principles include the law of the harvest (You reap whatever you sow in the long term), thrift, industry, trust, saving for future needs, self- reliance, reaching out and helping other people, etc. ~ stephen-r-covey, @wisdomtrove 299:I want my husband to want what he wants. And I also notice that I don't have a choice. That's self- love. He does what he does, and I love that. That's what I want, because when I'm at war with reality, it hurts. ~ byron-katie, @wisdomtrove 300:Man has infinite power within himself, and he can realise it - he can realise himself as the one infinite Self. It can be done; but you do not believe it. You pray to God and keep your powder dry all the time. ~ swami-vivekananda, @wisdomtrove 301:There is a way to again be in real time with the universe, but it is not through force, imagination or manipulation. It is by finding your true Self. When you do, you will not need to manipulate life, it will simply flow. ~ mooji, @wisdomtrove 302:Your technology is the inner practice of meditation, which will stimulate the link between your brain and ignite your innate desire to know your True Self. Trust yourself in a deeper way & reap the rewards! ~ michael-beckwith, @wisdomtrove 303:The gulfing whale was like a dot in the spell. Yet look upon it, and & 304:The man who is kind and who practices righteousness, who remains passive against the affairs of the world, who considers all creatures on earth as his own self, he attains the Immortal Being; the true God is ever with him. ~ kabir, @wisdomtrove 305:We can never hope to know the real nature of the Absolute until we pass beyond the limits of even the highest manifestation of Mind, and pass into a consciousness and realization of our Real Self— Spirit. ~ william-walker-atkinson, @wisdomtrove 306:I plan to stand by nonviolence, because I have found it to be a philosophy of life that regulates not only my dealings in the struggle for racial justice, but also my dealings with people, and with my own self. ~ martin-luther-king, @wisdomtrove 307:Look for good things about where you are, and in your state of appreciation, you lift all self- imposed limitations - and all limitations are self-imposed - and you free yourself for the receiving of wonderful things. ~ esther-hicks, @wisdomtrove 308:The burden you are carrying around is the burden of self. You seek release from that. You want to let it all go. You want to forget who you are and what you are. You wish to be the whole universe, infinite, endless. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove 309:The real preparation for education is a study of one's self. The training of the teacher... is something far more than a learning of ideas. It includes the training of character; it is a preparation of the spirit. ~ maria-montessori, @wisdomtrove 310:The way to happiness: Keep your heart free from hate, your mind from worry. Live simply, expect little, give much. Scatter sunshine, forget self, think of others. Try this for a week and you will be surprised. ~ norman-vincent-peale, @wisdomtrove 311:I will not be "famous," "great." I will go on adventuring, changing, opening my mind and my eyes, refusing to be stamped and stereotyped. The thing is to free one's self: to let it find its dimensions, not be impeded. ~ virginia-woolf, @wisdomtrove 312:The primitive in each of us climbs closer to the surface during the night, for the moon sings to it, and the cold void between the stars speaks its language. To that savage self, evil can look lovely in too little light. ~ dean-koontz, @wisdomtrove 313:Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self- abuse and regret. ~ don-miguel-ruiz, @wisdomtrove 314:The entire universe is truly the Self. There exists nothing at all other than the Self. The enlightened person sees everything in the world as his own Self, just as one views earthenware jars and pots as nothing but clay. ~ adi-shankara, @wisdomtrove 315:Human nature, essentially changeable, as unstable as the dust, can endure no restraint; if it binds itself it soon begins to tear madly at its bonds, until it rends everything asunder, the wall, the bonds, and its very self. ~ franz-kafka, @wisdomtrove 316:My soul is the essence of who I am. I am a spiritual being. The being I am is Love. That's why, when I'm being that, I find my greatest joy. I am God and God is Love. I am an aspect of divinity, experiencing my Self. ~ neale-donald-walsch, @wisdomtrove 317:While overeating would be seen by some as an indulgence of self, it is in fact a profound rejection of self. It is a moment of self-betrayal and self-punishment, and anything but a commitment to one's own well-being. ~ marianne-williamson, @wisdomtrove 318:Moderation, which consists in an indifference about little things, and in a prudent and well- proportioned zeal about things of importance, can proceed from nothing but true knowledge, which has its foundation in self- acquaintance. ~ plato, @wisdomtrove 319:Spirit is the essence of consciousness, the energy of the universe that creates all things. Each one of us is a part of that spirit - a divine entity. So the spirit is the higher self, the eternal being that lives within us. ~ shakti-gawain, @wisdomtrove 320:What sex gives you momentarily is the total abandonment of yourself, then you are back again with your turmoil, so you want a repetition over and over again of that state in which there is no worry, no problem, no self. ~ jiddu-krishnamurti, @wisdomtrove 321:Meditation without selfless giving is not enough. You may go into very high states of consciousness but the rough edges will still be there - there may be lots of selfish motives lurking within the self - that you don't see. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove 322:The Christian life is simply a process of having your natural self changed into a Christ self, and that this process goes on very far inside. One's most private wishes, one's point of view, are the things that have to be changed. ~ c-s-lewis, @wisdomtrove 323:To be free is to be capable of thinking one's own thoughts - not the thoughts merely of the body, or of society, but thoughts generated by one's deepest, most original, most essential and spiritual self, one's individuality. ~ rudolf-steiner, @wisdomtrove 324:When the bubble of ignorance bursts the self realizes its oneness with the indivisible Self. Words that proceed from the Source of Truth have real meaning. But when men speakthese words as their own, the words become meaningless. ~ meher-baba, @wisdomtrove 325:Meditation is listening to the song of the inner Soul, seeing the beauty of the inner Self, smelling the fragrance of the inner Spirit, experiencing the touch of the inner energies and tasting the intense sweetness of the inner God. ~ amit-ray, @wisdomtrove 326:The self is a relation which relates itself to its own self, or it is that in the relation that the relation relates itself to its own self; the self is not the relation but that the relation relates itself to its own self. ~ soren-kierkegaard, @wisdomtrove 327:It is a curious thing how poets tend to become ascetics... . Even a debauch for them is a self-flagellation. They go on the loose in cruelty against themselves, admitting that they are pandering to, and despising, the lower self. ~ d-h-lawrence, @wisdomtrove 328:You must learn to honour and cherish and love your Self. You must first see your Self as worthy before you can see another as worthy. You must first know your Self to be holy before you can acknowledge holiness in another. ~ neale-donald-walsch, @wisdomtrove 329:How would your life be different if…You didn’t allow yourself to be defined by your past? Let today be the day…You stop letting your history interfere with your destiny and awaken to the opportunity to release your greatest self. ~ steve-maraboli, @wisdomtrove 330:There comes a time in the evolution of every soul when the chief concern is no longer the survival of the physical body, but the growth of the spirit; no longer the attainment of worldly success, but the realization of Self. ~ neale-donald-walsch, @wisdomtrove 331:The highest, most decisive experience is to be alone with one's own self. You must be alone to find out what supports you, when you find that you can not support yourself. Only this experience can give you an indestructible foundation. ~ carl-jung, @wisdomtrove 332:The way to plan the family is natural family planning not contraception. In destroying the power of giving life, through contraception, a husband or wife is doing something to self, and so it destroys the gift of life in him or her ~ mother-teresa, @wisdomtrove 333:The world in which we live today-reflecting in so many way the opposite of our sweetness and love-reminds us how desperately important it is to break the spell that's been cast on the human race and retrieve our shining self. ~ marianne-williamson, @wisdomtrove 334:I have only one purpose: to make people free, to urge them towards freedom, to help them to break away from all limitations, for that alone will give them eternal happiness, will give them the unconditional realization of Self. ~ jiddu-krishnamurti, @wisdomtrove 335:The moment you understand yourself as the true Self, you find such peace and bliss that the impressions of the petty enjoyments you experienced before become as ordinary specks of light in front of the brilliant sun. ~ swami-satchidananda-saraswati, @wisdomtrove 336:Meditation is listening to the song of the inner Soul, seeing the beauty of the inner Self, smelling the fragrance of the inner Spirit, experiencing the touch of the Divine inner energies and tasting the intense sweetness of the inner God. ~ amit-ray, @wisdomtrove 337:The advanced education in Tantra obviously has to do with the entrance into samadhi, the negation of the self. That is what the path of negation means, not the negation of life, but the negation of anything that is not enlightenment. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove 338:I, also, would like to look and smile, sit and walk like that, so free, so worthy, so restrained, so candid, so childlike and mysterious. A man only looks and walks like that when he has conquered his Self. I also will conquer my Self. ~ hermann-hesse, @wisdomtrove 339:The greatest hazard of all, losing one’s self, can occur very quietly in the world, as if it were nothing at all. No other loss can occur so quietly; any other loss - an arm, a leg, five dollars, a wife, etc. - is sure to be noticed. ~ soren-kierkegaard, @wisdomtrove 340:All will surely realize God. All will be liberated. It may be that some get their meal in the morning, some at noon, and some in the evening; but none will go without food. All, without any exception, will certainly know their real Self. ~ sri-ramakrishna, @wisdomtrove 341:I'm not only my spirit buy my body, and who can decide how much I, my individual self, am conditioned by the accident of my body? Would Byron have been Byron but for his club foot, or Dostoyevsky Dostoyevsky without his epilepsy? ~ william-somerset-maugham, @wisdomtrove 342:Just practice good, do good for others, without thinking of making yourself known so that you may gain reward. Really bring benefit to others, gaining nothing for yourself. This is the primary requisite for breaking free of attachments to the Self. ~ dogen, @wisdomtrove 343:If anyone can show me, and convince me, that I have acted or thought in error, I will gladly change; for I seek truth, and no one was ever injured by the truth. But people injure themselves if they live with self- deception and ignorance. ~ marcus-aurelius, @wisdomtrove 344:Was it not his Self, his small, fearful and proud Self, with which he had wrestled for so many years, but which had always conquered him again, which appeared each time again and again, which robbed him of happiness and filled him with fear? ~ hermann-hesse, @wisdomtrove 345:It’s not so much that nothing means anything but more that it keeps meaning nothing. there’s no release, just gurus and self- appointed gods and hucksters. the more people say, the less there is to say. even the best books are dry sawdust. ~ charles-bukowski, @wisdomtrove 346:A true spiritual practitioner is someone who has discovered that it is possible to be at ease in the world for no reason, if only for a few moments at a time, and that such ease is synonymous with transcending the apparent boundaries of the self. ~ sam-harris, @wisdomtrove 347:Give up all self, all egotisms get out of anger, lust, give all to God. "I am not, but Thou art; the old man is all gone, only Thou remainest." "I am Thou." Blame none; if evil comes, know the Lord is playing with you and be exceeding glad. ~ swami-vivekananda, @wisdomtrove 348:If we really want to love, if we really want to live, we must love until it hurts . . . No Rotarian whose motto is Service Above Self, I think, should call himself a Rotarian if he does not make time to serve . . . If we love, we begin to serve ~ mother-teresa, @wisdomtrove 349:I marvel that whereas the ambitious dreams of my self, Caesar, and Alexander should have vanished into thin air, a Judean peasant-Jesus-s hould be able to stretch His hands across the centuries and control the destinies of men and nations. ~ napoleon-bonaparte, @wisdomtrove 350:Siddhartha has one single goal-to become empty, to become empty of thirst, desire, dreams, pleasure and sorrow-to let the Self die. No longer to be Self, to experience the peace of an emptied heart, to experience pure thought-that was his goal. ~ hermann-hesse, @wisdomtrove 351:Love goes very far beyond the physical person of the beloved. It finds its deepest meaning in its spiritual being, his inner self. Whether or not he is actually present, whether or not he is still alive at all, ceases somehow to be of importance. ~ viktor-frankl, @wisdomtrove 352:Question: Since the will of the individual is illusory and one does not know God's will, how can one lead a purposeful life in this world. Ma: By contemplating the Self, one will find out. It is man's principal duty to aspire to Self-realization. ~ anandamayi-ma, @wisdomtrove 353:That which sees all this, and the nothing too, is the inner teacher. He alone is, all else only appears to be. He is your own self (swarupa), your hope and assurance of freedom; find him and cling to him and you will be saved and safe. ~ sri-nisargadatta-maharaj, @wisdomtrove 354:Hold on to your humility. All self-misery has its roots in self-pity, and all self- pity is rooted in taking life too seriously. If you take everything too seriously, especially yourself, you’ll wind up fearing every new step you take. ~ marc-and-angel-chernoff, @wisdomtrove 355:Suffering is a wonderful teacher. Suffering is most people’s only spiritual teacher. Suffering deepens you, it gradually erodes the mind made sense of self, the ego. And for some people the point arrives where they realize “I have suffered enough.” ~ eckhart-tolle, @wisdomtrove 356:For the sinful self is not my real self, it is not the self YOU have wanted for me, only the self that I have wanted : And I no longer want this false self. But now, Father, I come to You in your own Son's self ... and it is He Who Presents me to You. ~ thomas-merton, @wisdomtrove 357:It is in quiet that our best ideas occur to us. Don't make the mistake of believing that by a frantic kind of dashing around you are being your most effective and efficient self. Don't assume that you are wasting time when you take time out for thought. ~ napoleon-hill, @wisdomtrove 358:What I saw wasn't a ghost. It was simply& 359:Once in a dream I saw a snake swallowing its own tail, it swallowed and swallowed until it got halfway round, and there it stopped and there it stayed, it was stuffed with its own self. Some fix, that. We only have ourselves to go on, and it's enough. ~ charles-bukowski, @wisdomtrove 360:You might think you made a new world or a new self, but your old self is always gonna be there, just below the surface, and if something happens, it'll stick its head out and say & 361:There is only light and the light is all. Everything else is but a picture made of light. The picture is in the light and the light is in the picture. Life and death, self and not-self - abandon all these ideas. They are of no use to you. ~ sri-nisargadatta-maharaj, @wisdomtrove 362:Love is a state of being, and in that state, the & 363:The spirit for me is the eternal self. And when one incarnates, an aspect comes with that incarnation, that's called the soul. And together the mind, the emotional body, and the soul form the energy field that lives within this thing called the human body. ~ caroline-myss, @wisdomtrove 364:The typical American of today has lost all the love of liberty, that his forefathers had, and all their disgust of emotion, and pride in self- reliance. He is led no longer by Davy Crocketts; he is led by cheer leaders, press agents, word mongers, uplifters. ~ h-l-mencken, @wisdomtrove 365:Focus your mind on & 366:How can we prevent ourselves being overwhelmed by the unloved self? The clue is in the name. We need to love it. We need to care for our own wounded self as compassionately as we would care for someone else in great distress. We need to heal the pain of the past. ~ tim-freke, @wisdomtrove 367:I am not interested in being a role model, or in fulfilling the expectations of others. I know I am of most use to others and to myself by being this unique self: Nature, I have noticed, is not particularly devoted to copies, and human beings needn't be either. ~ alice-walker, @wisdomtrove 368:I like solitude. It is when you truly hear and speak your natural, unadulterated mind, and out comes your most stupid self as well as your most intelligent self. It is when you realize who you are and the extents of the good and the evils which you are capable of ~ criss-jami, @wisdomtrove 369:To me you are your own God. But if you think otherwise, think to the end. If there be God, then all is God's and all is for the best. Welcome all that comes with a glad and thankful heart. And love all creatures. This too will take you to your Self. ~ sri-nisargadatta-maharaj, @wisdomtrove 370:I am more than a physical being. When I love myself, my whole self, I realize I'm more than a human body, I am a vehicle for my soul to express itself. I need to love, value, honor, and take care of my human form, and not beat it up, and criticize, and judge it. ~ anita-moorjani, @wisdomtrove 371:Since karma is meeting self, we acquire karma as we meet self in our many attitudes and emotions; when we serve in loving kindness and patience or hold resentful malicious thoughts What we do to our fellow man we do to our Maker our karma or problem is within self. ~ edgar-cayce, @wisdomtrove 372:The spirit for me is the eternal self. And when one incarnates, an aspect comes with that incarnation, that's called the soul. And together the mind, the emotional body, and the soul form the energy field that lives within this thing called the human body. ~ norman-vincent-peale, @wisdomtrove 373:You are the Self, the infinite Being, the pure, unchanging Consciousness, which pervades everything. Your nature is bliss and your glory is without stain. Because you identify yourself with the ego, you are tied to birth and death. Your bondage has no other cause. ~ adi-shankara, @wisdomtrove 374:The Christian leader of the future is called to be completely irrelevant and to stand in this world with nothing to offer but his or her own vulnerable self. God loves us, not because of what we do or accomplish, but because God has created and redeemed us in love. ~ henri-nouwen, @wisdomtrove 375:Your purpose is to create and recreate yourself anew in each golden moment of Now in the next grandest version of the greatest vision you have ever held about Who You Really Are. To announce and become, express and fulfil, experience and know your true Self. ~ neale-donald-walsch, @wisdomtrove 376:I seek to speak to you, in some way, as your own self. Who can tell what this may meanI myself do not know, but if you listen, things will be said that are perhaps not written in this book. And this will be due not to me but to the One who lives and speaks in both. ~ thomas-merton, @wisdomtrove 377:One has a more practical survival level, that's the mind function. The heart function obviously has an internal level that has to do with the quality of developing perceptions, feelings, the self. And the spirit level has to do with the pondering part of our lives. ~ caroline-myss, @wisdomtrove 378:I began to go into samadhi, not just occasionally, but every day many times a day until I reached a point where I could no longer distinguish between ordinary and non-ordinary reality. For me it is all the same. I am in a state of continuous absorption in the Self. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove 379:Once you are present in the Energyfield of Self-discovery, it's like you are a piece of ice in warm water. The warm water is the Self. The ice is the mind. The warm water is not fighting with the ice. The ice can not resist the melting. It is a natural and fatal attraction. ~ mooji, @wisdomtrove 380:Contemplation is not and cannot be a function of this external self. There is an irreducible opposition between the deep transcendent self that awakens only in contemplation, and the superficial, external self which we commonly identify with the first person singular. ~ thomas-merton, @wisdomtrove 381:And let us never forget that in honoring our flag, we honor the American men and women who have courageously fought and died for it over the last 200 years, patriots who set an ideal above any consideration of self. Our flag flies free today because of their sacrifice. ~ ronald-reagan, @wisdomtrove 382:Meditation means conscious self-expansion. Meditation means one's conscious awareness of the transcendental Reality. Meditation means the recognition or the discovery of one's own true self. It is through meditation that we transcend limitation, bondage and imperfection. ~ sri-chinmoy, @wisdomtrove 383:If we all hold on to the mistake, we can't see our own glory in the mirror because we have the mistake between our faces and the mirror; we can't see what we're capable of being. You can ask forgiveness of others, but in the end the real forgiveness is in one's own self. ~ maya-angelou, @wisdomtrove 384:My face, my self, what would they mean to anybody? Just another stiff. So this self of mine passes some other's self on the street - what do we have to say to each other? Hey there! Hi ya!That's about it. Nobody raises a hand. No one turns around to take another look. ~ haruki-murakami, @wisdomtrove 385:The way to happiness: keep your heart free from hate, your mind from worry. Live simply, expect little, give much. Fill your life with love. Scatter sunshine. Forget self, think of others. Do as you would be done by. Try this for a week and you will be surprised. ~ norman-vincent-peale, @wisdomtrove 386:Yoga is an interior penetration leading to integration of being, senses, breath, mind, intelligence, consciousness, and Self. It is definitely an inward journey, evolution through involution, toward the Soul, which in turn desires to emerge and embrace you in its glory. ~ b-k-s-iyengar, @wisdomtrove 387:Do not desire, for what you desire you get, and with it comes terrible bondage. It is nothing but bringing "noses on us," as in the case of the man who had three boons to ask. We never get freedom until we are self-contained. "Self is the Saviour of self, none else." ~ swami-vivekananda, @wisdomtrove 388:One has a more practical survival level, that's the mind function. The heart function obviously has an internal level that has to do with the quality of developing perceptions, feelings, the self. And the spirit level has to do with the pondering part of our lives. ~ norman-vincent-peale, @wisdomtrove 389:To be ourselves we must have ourselves – possess, if need be re-possess, our life-stories. We must “recollect” ourselves, recollect the inner drama, the narrative, of ourselves. A man needs such a narrative, a continuous inner narrative, to maintain his identity, his self. ~ oliver-sacks, @wisdomtrove 390:Metaphysics is the study of how to shift the self. How to get outside the self-reflection and to just gaze with awe and wonder at the countless universes, the countless celestial radiances of mind, of life, of enlightenment, nirvana, or God, whatever you want to call it. ~ frederick-lenz, @wisdomtrove 391:Forgiveness is to relinquish your grievance and so to let go of grief. It happens naturally once you realize that your grievance serves no purpose except to strengthen a false sense of self. Forgiveness is to offer no resistance to life – to allow life to live through you. ~ eckhart-tolle, @wisdomtrove 392:Either melt by devotion the sense of separateness, or burn it by knowledge-for what is it that melts or burns? Only that which by its nature can be melted or burnt; namely the idea that something other than your Self exists. What will happen then? You come to know your Self. ~ anandamayi-ma, @wisdomtrove 393:Our self (Soul), as a form of God's joy, is deathless. For his joy is amritham, eternal bliss. We know that the life of a Soul, which is finite in its expression and infinite in its principle, must go through the portals of death in its journey to realize the infinite. ~ rabindranath-tagore, @wisdomtrove 394:The confidence you need is belief in your potential. If you see world-class potential in yourself, you'll put in the effort. If you don't see the potential, you won't put in the effort and you'll wait for the performance, and the performance always follows the belief in self. ~ denis-waitley, @wisdomtrove 395:Yes, yes; you've read thousands of books but you've never tried to read your own self; you rush into your temples, into your mosques, but you have never tried to enter your own heart; futile are all your battles with the devil for you have never tried to fight your own desires. ~ bulleh-shah, @wisdomtrove 396:& 397:Our self – luminous, open, empty Awareness – cannot be enlightened. It is already the light that illuminates all experience. Nor can a separate self be enlightened, for when the separate self faces the light of Awareness, it vanishes, just as a shadow does when exposed to the sun. ~ rupert-spira, @wisdomtrove 398:Bless people when they revile you. Think how much good they are doing by helping to stamp out the false ego. Hold fast to the real Self. Think only pure thoughts, and you will accomplish more than a regiment of mere preachers. Out of purity and silence comes the word of power. ~ swami-vivekananda, @wisdomtrove 399:You, the self, being the root of all being, consciousness and joy, impart your reality to whatever you perceive. This imparting of reality takes place invariably in the now, at no other time, because past and future are only in the mind. ‘Being' applies to the now only. ~ sri-nisargadatta-maharaj, @wisdomtrove 400:Because you aren't just someone I loved back then. You were my best friend, my best self, and I can't imagine giving that up again." He hesitated searching for the right words. "You might not understand, but I gave you the best of me, and after you left, nothing was ever the same. ~ nicholas-sparks, @wisdomtrove 401:The personal self by its very nature is constantly pursuing pleasure and avoiding pain. The ending of this pattern is the ending of the self. The ending of the self with its desires and fears enables you to return to your real nature, the source of all happiness and peace. ~ sri-nisargadatta-maharaj, @wisdomtrove 402:They have become strong enough to be independent of the good opinion of other people, or even of their affection. The honours, the status, the rewards, the popularity, the prestige, and the love they can bestow must have become less important than self- development and inner growth. ~ abraham-maslow, @wisdomtrove 403:To achieve that state of lasting happiness and absolute peace, we must first know how to calm the mind, to concentrate and go beyond the mind. By turning the mind's concentration inward, upon the self, we can deepen that experience of perfect concentration. This is the state of Meditation. ~ sivananda, @wisdomtrove 404:To continue to condemn only brings condemnation, then, for self. This does not mean that self's activity should be passive, but rather being constant in prayer-knowing and taking, knowing and understanding that he that is faithful is not given a burden beyond that he is able to bear . . . ~ edgar-cayce, @wisdomtrove 405:The essence of independence is to be able to do something for one‚Äôs self. Adults work to finish a task, but the child works in order to grow, and is working to create the adult, the person that is to be. Such experience is not just play... it is work he must do in order to grow up. ~ maria-montessori, @wisdomtrove 406:My good friends, while I do most earnestly recommend you to take care of your health and safety, as things most precious to us, I would not have that care degenerate into an effeminate and over-curious attention, which is always disgraceful to a man's self, and often troublesome to others. ~ edmund-burke, @wisdomtrove 407:Think about all the good things of your life. Never think about your difficulties. Forget yourself, and concentrate on being of service as much as you can in this world, and then, having lost your lower self in a cause greater than yourself, you will find your higher self: your real self. ~ peace-pilgrim, @wisdomtrove 408:There is great change to be experienced once you learn the power of letting go. Stop allowing anyone or anything to control, limit, repress, or discourage you from being your true self! Today is YOURS to shape - own it - break free from people and things that poison or dilute your spirit. ~ steve-maraboli, @wisdomtrove 409:To do is hard, but to teach is still harder. Do not teach only to teach. Teach to improve the pupil. To be a teacher requires tremendous, vigorous discipline on oneself. We are teachers because somebody demands it from us. But the teacher should first rub his own self, and teach afterwards ~ b-k-s-iyengar, @wisdomtrove 410:Everything is in God’s hands, and you are His tool to be used by Him as He pleases. Try to grasp the significance of ‘all is His’, and you will immediately feel free from all burdens. What will be the result of your surrender to Him? None will seem alien, all will be your very own, your Self. ~ anandamayi-ma, @wisdomtrove 411:But when the self speaks to the self, who is speaking? The entombed soul, the spirit driven in, in, in to the central catacomb; the self that took the veil and left the world - a coward perhaps, yet somehow beautiful, as it flits with its lantern restlessly up and down the dark corridors. ~ virginia-woolf, @wisdomtrove 412:Only to the extent that someone is living out this self transcendence of human existence, is he truly human or does he become his true self. He becomes so, not by concerning himself with his self's actualization, but by forgetting himself and giving himself, overlooking himself and focusing outward. ~ viktor-frankl, @wisdomtrove 413:Fortunately, deep within us, there is a direct connection to the Divine. There is a part of our being that is beyond the personal self. You can consciously choose to identify with that part, rather than with the psyche or the body. When you do this, a natural transformation begins to take place within. ~ michael-singer, @wisdomtrove 414:Civilized Man says: I am Self, I am Master, all the rest is other& 415:The flesh surrenders itself. Eternity takes back its own. Our bodies stirred these waters briefly, danced with a certain intoxication before the love of life and self, dealt with a few strange ideas, then submitted to the instruments of Time. What can we say of this? I occurred. I am not... yet, I occurred. ~ frank-herbert, @wisdomtrove 416:With a single stroke we are freed from bondage; nothing clings to us and we hold to nothing. All is empty, clear, self-illuminating, with no exertion of the mind’s power. Here thought, feeling, knowledge, and imagination are of no value. In this world of Suchness there is neither self nor other-than-self. ~ jianzhi-sengcan, @wisdomtrove 417:& 418:I am part of the sun as my eye is part of me. That I am part of the earth my feet know perfectly, and my blood is part of the sea. My soul knows that I am part of the human race, my soul is an organic part of the great human race, as my spirit is part of my nation. In my own very self, I am part of my family. ~ d-h-lawrence, @wisdomtrove 419:It's a general moral principle that the more power you have over someone, the greater your duty to use that power benevolently. Well, who is the one person in the world you have the greatest power over? It's your future self. You hold that life in your hands, and what it will be depends on how you care for it. ~ rick-hanson, @wisdomtrove 420:Let the average man be put to the proof on the question of who is above, and his true position will be exposed. Let him be forced into making a choice between God and money, between God and men, between God and personal ambition, God and self, God and human love, and God will take second place every time. ~ aiden-wilson-tozer, @wisdomtrove 421:You are led through your lifetime by the inner learning creature, the playful spiritual being that is your real self. Don't turn away from possible futures before you're certain you don't have anything to learn from them. You're always free to change your mind and choose a different future, or a different past. ~ richard-bach, @wisdomtrove 422:Always bear this in mind: Everything is in God’s hands, and you are His tool to be used by Him as He pleases. Try to grasp the significance of ‘all is His’ and you will immediately feel free from all burdens. What will be the result of your surrender to Him? None will seem alien, all will be your very own Self. ~ anandamayi-ma, @wisdomtrove 423:To study the buddha way is to study the self. To study the self is to forget the self. To forget the self is to be actualized by myriad things. When actualized by myriad things, your body and mind as well as the bodies and minds of others drop away. No trace of realization remains, and this no trace continues endlessly. ~ dogen, @wisdomtrove 424:The answer to any challenge you are having has nothing to do with God's willingness to help. It has to do with your acceptance of how the Infinite is already active within you, how it has already placed within you all that you need to solve and dissolve inner conflict through conscious communion with the Self. ~ michael-beckwith, @wisdomtrove 425:Change is the end result of all true learning. Change involves three things: First, a dissatisfaction with self - a felt void or need; second, a decision to change to fill the void or need; and third, a conscious dedication to the process of growth and change - the willful act of making the change, doing something. ~ leo-buscaglia, @wisdomtrove 426:When I come upon anything-in Logic or in any other hard subject-that entirely puzzles me, I find it a capital plan to talk it over, aloud, even when I am all alone. One can explain things so clearly to one's self! And then, you know, one is so patient with one's self: one never gets irritated at one's own stupidity! ~ lewis-carroll, @wisdomtrove 427:When we are angry, our anger is our very self. To suppress or chase away our anger is to suppress or chase away ourselves. When anger is born, we can be aware that anger is an energy in us, and we can change that energy into another kind of energy. If we want to transform it, first we have to know how to accept it. ~ thich-nhat-hanh, @wisdomtrove 428:Always bear this in mind: Everything is in God's hands, and you are His tool to be used by Him as He pleases. Try to grasp the significance of & 429:... and if you live in a culture that to a large extent equates self- worth with how much and what you have, if you cannot look through this collective delusion, you will be condemned to chasing after things for the rest of your life in the vain hope of finding your worth and completion of your sense of self there. ~ eckhart-tolle, @wisdomtrove 430:If you have the insight of non-self, if you have the insight of impermanence, you should make that insight into a concentration that you keep alive throughout the day. Then what you say, what you think, and what you do will then be in the light of that wisdom and you will avoid making mistakes and creating suffering. ~ thich-nhat-hanh, @wisdomtrove 431:True art and true science possess two unmistakable marks: the first, an inward mark, which is this, that the servitor of art and science will fulfil his vocation, not for profit but with self- sacrifice; and the second, an external sign, his productions will be intelligible to all the people whose welfare he has in view. ~ leo-tolstoy, @wisdomtrove 432:No matter what you tell me, no matter how legitimate your reasons, I can never just forget about you, I can never push the years we spent together out of my mind. I can't do it because it really happened, they are part of my life, and there is no way I can just erase them. That would be the same as erasing my own self. ~ haruki-murakami, @wisdomtrove 433:Becoming a ‘lover of life’ isn’t about achieving a spiritually awakened state in which we’re detached from life. It’s becoming conscious of the deep self so that we can engage compassionately with the adventures of the separate self. It’s discovering the love within us, so that we can express this love in the world around us. ~ tim-freke, @wisdomtrove 434:It's the self that suffers, and there's a place where the self& 435:The question of whether or not there is a God or truth or reality or whatever you like to call it, can never be answered by books, by priests, philosopher's or saviours. Nobody and nothing can answer the question but you yourself, and that is why you must know yourself - Immaturity lies only in total ignorance of self. ~ jiddu-krishnamurti, @wisdomtrove 436:The reaction to any word may be, in an individual, either a mob-reaction or an individual reaction. It is up to the individual to ask himself: Is my reaction individual, or am I merely reacting from my mob-self? When it comes to the so-called obscene words, I should say that hardly one person in a million escapes mob-reaction. ~ d-h-lawrence, @wisdomtrove 437:The most important investment you can make is in yourself. Very few people get anything like their potential horsepower translated into the actual horsepower of their output in life. Potential exceeds realization for many people... The best asset is your own self. You can become to an enormous degree the person you want to be. ~ warren-buffet, @wisdomtrove 438:When a pot is broken the space that was in it becomes one with space; so too when the limitation caused by the body and its adjuncts is removed the Sage, realized during life, shines as Brahman, becoming absorbed in Brahman he already was, like milk in milk, water in water, or oil in oil, and is radiant as the One Supreme Self. ~ adi-shankara, @wisdomtrove 439:When we are in touch with our universal Self, We relinquish the need for approval and control. This means that our actions are independent of the opinions of others and detached from expectations. We are motivated by our own powerful instincts and their evolutionary outcome, not because we have any expectations for payback. ~ deepak-chopra, @wisdomtrove 440:It seems to me that self and no-self paralogically coexist. It’s like in the yin/yang symbol. There’s a dot of white in the middle of the black, and vice versa. In the same way when I go to the depths of the separate self I find the no-self. But when I dissolve into the no-self I see that it’s Tim who is conscious of this happening. ~ tim-freke, @wisdomtrove 441:There is a presence, a silence, a stillness which is here by itself. There is no doer of it, no creator of this stillness. It is simply here in you, with you. It is the fragrance of your own self. There is nothing to do about this, it is naturally present. This fragrance of peace, this spaciousness, it is the fragrance of your own being. ~ mooji, @wisdomtrove 442:When you experience the power of the Self, there is an absence of fear, there is no compulsion to control, and no struggle for approval or external power… Your true Self, which is your spirit, your soul, is completely free of those things. It is immune to criticism, it is unfearful of any challenge, and it feels beneath no one. ~ deepak-chopra, @wisdomtrove 443:You nourish your minds by reading books. There is no good in doing that unless you hold it also as a sacrifice to the whole world. For the whole world is one; you are rated a very insignificant part of it, and therefore it is right for you that you should serve your millions of brothers rather than aggrandise this little self ~ swami-vivekananda, @wisdomtrove 444:Your very nature has the infinite capacity to enjoy. It is full of zest and affection. It sheds its radiance on all that comes within its focus of awareness and nothing is excluded. It does not know evil nor ugliness, it hopes, it trusts, it loves. You people do not know how much you miss by not knowing your own true self. ~ sri-nisargadatta-maharaj, @wisdomtrove 445:The bourgeois treasures nothing more highly than the self... . And so at the cost of intensity he achieves his own preservation andsecurity. His harvest is a quiet mind which he prefers to being possessed by God, as he prefers comfort to pleasure, convenience to liberty, and a pleasant temperature to that deathly inner consuming fire. ~ hermann-hesse, @wisdomtrove 446:When each thought absorbs your attention completely, it means you identify with the voice in your head. Thought then becomes invested with a sense of self. This is the ego, a mind- made "me." That mentally constructed self feels incomplete and precarious. That’s why fearing and wanting are its predominant emotions and motivating forces ~ eckhart-tolle, @wisdomtrove 447:Even after the Truth has been realised, there remains that strong, obstinate impression that one is still an ego - the agent and experiencer. This has to be carefully removed by living in a state of constant identification with the supreme non-dual Self. Full Awakening is the eventual ceasing of all the mental impressions of being an ego. ~ adi-shankara, @wisdomtrove 448:What is meditation?... It is fleeing from the self, it is a short escape of the agony of being a self, it is a short numbing of the senses against the pain and the pointlessness of life. The same escape, the same short numbing is what the driver of an ox-cart finds in the inn, drinking a few bowls of rice wine or fermented coconut-milk. ~ hermann-hesse, @wisdomtrove 449:I'm not responsible for my photographs. Photography is not documentary, but intuition, a poetic experience. It's drowning yourself, dissolving yourself, and then sniff, sniff, sniff - being sensitive to coincidence. You can't go looking for it; you can't want it, or you won't get it. First you must lose your self. Then it happens. ~ henri-cartier-bresson, @wisdomtrove 450:Conscious business.. business that is conscious of inner and outer worlds.. would therefore be business that takes into account body, mind, and spirit in self, culture, and nature. Put differently, conscious business would be mindful of the way that the spectrum of consciousness operates in the Big Three worlds of self and culture and nature. ~ ken-wilber, @wisdomtrove 451:For some spiritual traditions the ego is not the ‘I’, but rather our human personality. When we identify with the person we appear to be we are unconscious of the deep self. The ego is our ‘lower self’, which connives to prevent us realizing that it isn’t who we really are. When we act or think in ways we don’t like… that’s the ego playing up. ~ tim-freke, @wisdomtrove 452:The sense & 453:DESTINY is a feeling you have that you know something about yourself nobody else does. The picture you have in your own mind of what you're about WILL COME TRUE. It's a kind of a thing you kind of have to keep to your own self, because it's a fragile feeling, and you put it out there, then someone will kill it. It's best to keep that all inside. ~ bob-dylan, @wisdomtrove 454:Under the strain of this continually impending doom and by the sleeplessness to which I now condemned myself, ay, even beyond what I had thought possible to man, I became, in my own person, a creature eaten up and emptied by fever, languidly weak both in body and mind, and solely occupied by one thought: the horror of my other self. ~ robert-louis-stevenson, @wisdomtrove 455:When we are in touch with our universal Self, we empower others by allowing them to be themselves. This means we react to people without preconditions and preconceptions. We accept people for who they are and do not force them to conform to our needs and expectations. In doing so, we empower others to express their full potential as well. ~ deepak-chopra, @wisdomtrove 456:The Self never undergoes change; the intellect never possesses consciousness. But when one sees all this world, he is deluded into thinking, "I am the seer, I am the knower." Mistaking one's Self for the individual entity, one is overcome with fear. If one knows oneself not as the individual but as the supreme Self, one becomes free from fear. ~ adi-shankara, @wisdomtrove 457:Loving the self, to me, begins with never ever criticizing ourselves for anything. Criticism locks us into the very pattern we are trying to change. Understanding and being gentle with ourselves helps us to move out of it. Remember, you have been criticizing yourself for years, and it hasn't worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens. ~ louise-hay, @wisdomtrove 458:Our own bodies are changing every second. Yet we take the body to be our Self; and, speaking in terms of it, we say, I am hungry or I am lame; I am black or I am white. These are all just the conditions of the body. We touch the truth when we say, My body aches, implying the body belongs to us and that therefore we are not that. ~ swami-satchidananda-saraswati, @wisdomtrove 459:OF writing many books there is no end; And I who have written much in prose and verse For others' uses, will write now for mine,- Will write my story for my better self, As when you paint your portrait for a friend, Who keeps it in a drawer and looks at it Long after he has ceased to love you, just To hold together what he was and is. ~ elizabeth-barrett-browning, @wisdomtrove 460:The sole work and deed of universal freedom is therefore death, a death too which has no inner significance or filling, for what is negated is the empty point of the absolutely free self. It is thus the coldest and meanest of all deaths, with no more significance than cutting off a head of cabbage or swallowing a mouthful of water. ~ georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel, @wisdomtrove 461:True self-love is having this level of trust in the universe, in your higher self. You know that even if you say no to an opportunity that seems great, because you don't feel like doing it right now, or maybe you're too tired or overbooked, you understand "if it's meant to be for me, it's going to come back when I'm ready". That is true self-love. ~ anita-moorjani, @wisdomtrove 462:& 463:And those handmade presents that children often bring home from school: They have so much value! The value is that the child put whatever he or she could into making them. The way we parents respond to the giving of such gifts is very important. To the child the gift is really self, and they want so much for their selves to be acceptable, to be loved. ~ fred-rogers, @wisdomtrove 464:Reincarnation implies a reincarnating self. There is no such thing. The bundle of memories and hopes, called the & 465:She put both her hands on his shoulders and gazed at him long, with a deep look of ecstasy and yet searchingly. She scrutinized his face to make up for the time she had not seen him. She compared, as she did at every interview with him, the image her fancy painted of him (incomparably finer than, and impossible in actual existence) with his real self. ~ leo-tolstoy, @wisdomtrove 466:The terrible thing, the almost impossible thing, is to hand over your whole self& 467:The progressive growth of the finite consciousness of man towards this Self, towards the universal , the eternal, the infinite, in a word his growth into spiritual consciousness by the development of his ordinary ignorant natural being into an illumined divine nature, this is for Indian thinking the significance of life and the aim of human existance. ~ sri-aurobindo, @wisdomtrove 468:You are innately designed to use your personal power. When you don't, you experience a sense of helplessness, paralysis, and depression-which is your clue that something is not working as it could. You, like all of us, deserve everything that is wonderful and exciting in life. And those feelings emerge only when you get in touch with your powerful self. ~ susan-jeffers, @wisdomtrove 469:Fear will try to stop you. Doubts will try to stop you. You’ll shy away from doing great things, from going on new adventures, from creating something new and putting it out in the world, because of self- doubt and fear. Become aware of these doubts and fears. Shine some light on them. Beat them with a thousand tiny cuts. Do it anyway, because they are wrong. ~ leo-babauta, @wisdomtrove 470:Christ says, & 471:No external activity can reach the inner self; worship and prayers remain on the surface only; to go deeper meditation is essential, the striving to go beyond the states of sleep, dream and waking. In the beginning the attempts are irregular, then they recur more often, become regular, then continuous and intense, until all obstacles are conquered. ~ sri-nisargadatta-maharaj, @wisdomtrove 472:I believe that a life of integrity is the most fundamental source of personal worth. I do not agree with the popular success literature that says that self- esteem is primarily a matter of mind set, of attitude—that you can psych yourself into peace of mind. Peace of mind comes when your life is in harmony with true principles and values and in no other way. ~ stephen-r-covey, @wisdomtrove 473:And he began to see the truth, that Ged had neither lost nor won but, naming the shadow of his death with his own name, had made himself whole: a man who, knowing his whole true self, cannot be used or possessed by any power other than himself, and whose life therefore is lived for life's sake and never in the service of ruin, or pain, or hatred, or the dark. ~ ursula-k-le-guin, @wisdomtrove 474:Astrology is a fact, in most instances. But astrological aspects are but signs, symbols. No influence is of greater value or of greater help than the will of an individual... . Do not attempt to be guided by, but use the astrological influences as the means to meet or to overcome the faults and failures, or to minimize the faults and to magnify the virtues in self. ~ edgar-cayce, @wisdomtrove 475:Silence has many dimensions. It can be a regression and an escape, a loss of self, or it can be presence, awareness, unification, self-discovery. Negative silence blurs and confuses our identity, and we lapse into daydreams or diffuse anxieties. Positive silence pulls us together and makes us realize who we are, who we might be, and the distance between these two. ~ thomas-merton, @wisdomtrove 476:Karma is only a store of unspent energies, of unfulfilled desires and fears not understood. The store is being constantly replenished by new desires and fears. It need not be so for ever. Understand the root cause of your fears - estrangement from yourself: and of desires - the longing for the self, and your karma will dissolve like a dream. ~ sri-nisargadatta-maharaj, @wisdomtrove 477:Melville had to fight, fight against the existing world, against his own very self. Only he would never quite put the knife in the heart of his paradisal ideal. Somehow, somewhere, somewhen, love should be a fulfillment, and life should be a thing of bliss. That was his fixed ideal. Fata Morgana. That was the pin he tortured himself on, like a pinned-down butterfly. ~ d-h-lawrence, @wisdomtrove 478:The mainspring of creativity appears to be the same tendency which we discover so deeply as the curative force in psychotherapy, man's tendency to actualize himself, to become his potentialities. By this I mean the organic and human life, the urge to expand, extend, develop, mature - the tendency to express and activate all the capacities of the organism, or the self. ~ carl-rogers, @wisdomtrove 479:Nor do we merely feel these essences for one short hour no, even as these trees that whisper round a temple become soon dear as the temples self, so does the moon, the passion posey, glories infinite, Haunt us till they become a cheering light unto our souls and bound to us so fast, that wheather there be shine, or gloom o'er cast, They always must be with us, or we die. ~ john-keats, @wisdomtrove 480:What Is Realisation? Living the spiritual life is a continuous ‘dying’ of layers of the individual’s self. With each significant ‘death’ there is an advance in consciousness, marked by a finer perception of spiritual truth and a distinct change in the persona. At the spiritual energy level the change is usually startlingly dramatic and is often referred to as realisation. ~ barry-long, @wisdomtrove 481:When I break My Silence, the impact of My Love will be universal and all life in creation will know, feel and receive of it. It will help every individual to break himself free from his own bondage in his own way. I am the Divine Beloved who loves you more than you can ever love yourself. The breaking of My Silence will help you to help yourself in knowing your real Self. ~ meher-baba, @wisdomtrove 482:Something magical happens when you begin to love and accept yourself. You start to shine your light again. You realise that you are connected to a deeper Self, a divine spark within. This divine spark is the light of your inner awareness, illuminating all your life experiences, and when you sink back and rest in it, as it, it is felt as a sense of pure aliveness and joy. ~ aimee-davies, @wisdomtrove 483:Discover all you are not. Body, feelings, thoughts, ideas, time, space, being and not-being, this or that - nothing concrete or abstract you can point out to is you. You must watch your-self continuously - particularly your mind - moment by moment, missing nothing. This witnessing is essential for the separation of the self from the not-self. ~ sri-nisargadatta-maharaj, @wisdomtrove 484:If we only identify with the mortal world, then we identify with a level of scarcity and lack and brokenness, and that will be our experience. But if we shift our experience of self-identification - and this is what enlightenment is - from the body-self to the spiritual-self, then we place ourselves under an entirely different set of possibilities and probabilities. ~ marianne-williamson, @wisdomtrove 485:I wrote to my bishop, the Archbishop of Utrecht, Holland, and explained that I wanted not just permission to stay longer, but a mission. He met me at the Trosly L'Arche community and we spent a few days together . . . I wanted him to get to know L'Arche, to understand what I was doing there. Afterward he said, "I understand now, Henri. You have found a home for your self." ~ henri-nouwen, @wisdomtrove 486:To study the Way is to study the Self. To study the Self is to forget the self. To forget the self is to be enlightened by all things of the universe. To be enlightened by all things of the universe is to cast off the body and mind of the self as well as those of others. Even the traces of enlightenment are wiped out, and life with traceless enlightenment goes on forever and ever ~ dogen, @wisdomtrove 487:Perhaps the best place to begin with an integral approach to business is with.. oneself. In the Big Three of self, culture, and world, integral mastery starts with self. How do body and mind and spirit operate in me? How does that necessarily impact my role in the world of business? And how can I become more conscious of these already operating realities in myself and in others? ~ ken-wilber, @wisdomtrove 488:Do not let a moment go by in which you have an opportunity to tell someone how magnificent they are. Give people the gift of self- esteem, and you will have given them a gift that many connot find a way to give themselves. Yet when they find themselves through their own grandest idea of who they really are, they are lost no more, for you have returned them to themselves. ~ neale-donald-walsch, @wisdomtrove 489:Well, think of what I’m doing to you right now. For me I’m the self, and you’re the object. For you, of course, it’s the exact opposite you’re the self to you and I’m the object. And by exchanging self and object, we can project ourselves onto the other and gain self-consciousness. Volitionally.I still don’t get it, but it sure feels good.That’s the whole idea,the girl said. ~ haruki-murakami, @wisdomtrove 490:For who can wonder that man should feel a vague belief in tales of disembodied spirits wandering through those places which they once dearly affected, when he himself, scarcely less separated from his old world than they, is for ever lingering upon past emotions and bygone times, and hovering, the ghost of his former self, about the places and people that warmed his heart of old? ~ charles-dickens, @wisdomtrove 491:To be a lover of life is to be a heroic lover on a sacred quest to become an embodiment of love. This means facing the dilemmas that confront us with bold determination to love. But the hero doesn’t start triumphant, win every war, and return victorious. The hero struggles and fails, yet finds the inner strength, which wells up from the deep self, to come back from defeat and love again. ~ tim-freke, @wisdomtrove 492:Life is a constant process of limitless creation. It is about recreating Who You are, by remembering all you have always known, and choosing what you want to experience of your Self. Go therefore into this magnificent world of your creation and make your lifetime an extraordinary statement of and a breath-taking experience of the greatest idea that you have ever had of yourself. ~ neale-donald-walsch, @wisdomtrove 493:Why two selves? Between the bound and the free there can be no relationship. The very fact of co-existence proves their basic unity. There is but one self - it is always now. What you call the other self - old or new - is but a modality, another aspect of the one self. The self is single. You are that self and you have ideas of what you have been or will be. ~ sri-nisargadatta-maharaj, @wisdomtrove 494:Fear arises through identification with form, whether it be a material possession, a physical body, a social role, a self- image, a thought, or an emotion. It arises through unawareness of the formless inner dimension of consciousness or spirit, which is the essence of who you are. You are trapped in object consciousness, unaware of the dimension of inner space which alone is true freedom. ~ eckhart-tolle, @wisdomtrove 495:I am conscious that I am conscious. I am conscious of being. How does this feel? It feels as if I am a mysterious presence which is always present. I am an unchanging stillness witnessing an ever-changing flow of experiences. In the flow of experiences, I appear to be a person called ‘Tim’. But essentially, I am awareness witnessing the unfolding adventures of Tim. This is my deep self. ~ tim-freke, @wisdomtrove 496:Liberation and enlightenment do not exist outside of your own self. We need only open our eyes to see that we ourselves are the very essence of liberation and enlightenment. All dharmas, all beings, contain the nature of full enlightenment within themselves. Don't look for it outside yourself. If you shine the light of awareness on your own self, you will realize enlightenment immediately. ~ thich-nhat-hanh, @wisdomtrove 497:Not selfishness, but precisely the absence of a self. Look at them. The man who cheats and lies, but preserves a respectable front. He knows himself to be dishonest, but others think he & 498:Each contact is an opportunity for your own unique satsang with your Self, not in some strained or contrived way, but by keeping your mind inside your Heart, by trusting the inner guru and by recognizing each moment as perfect in itself and by simply being your Self. This is the true and natural responsibility or rather & 499:For as long as you can remember, you have been a pleaser, depending on others to give you an identity. You need not look at that only in a negative way. You wanted to give your heart to others, and you did so quickly and easily. But now you are being asked to let go of all these self-made props and trust that God is enough for you. You must stop being a pleaser and reclaim your identity as a free self. ~ henri-nouwen, @wisdomtrove 500:There is no holy life. There is no war between good and evil. There is no sin and no redemption. None of these things matter to the real you. But they all matter hugely to the false you, the one who believes in the separate self. You have tried to take your separate self, with all its loneliness and anxiety and pride, to the door of enlightenment. But it will never go through, because it is a ghost. ~ deepak-chopra, @wisdomtrove *** NEWFULLDB 2.4M ***
1:Be true to thine own self ~ Socrates, #NFDB
2:Be true to thine own self. ~ Socrates, #NFDB
3:Go with your bad self. ~ Stephen King, #NFDB
4:Music is reflection of self. ~ Eminem, #NFDB
5:Note to self: don't die. ~ Ryan Adams, #NFDB
6:A friend is a second self. ~ Aristotle, #NFDB
7:Guru is the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
8:Know thy self, know thy enemy. ~ Sun Tzu, #NFDB
9:Discover your deep inner-self ~ Amit Ray, #NFDB
10:The secret is within your self. ~ Huineng, #NFDB
11:A friend is a second self. ~ Jack McDevitt, #NFDB
12:Pardon all but thy selfe. ~ George Herbert, #NFDB
13:humble self- confidence. ~ Patrick Lencioni, #NFDB
14:Schadenfreude is so nutritious. ~ Will Self, #NFDB
15:Hush, self, let me think. ~ Sherrilyn Kenyon, #NFDB
16:The Heart is the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
17:Note to self: buy more garters. ~ Rene Folsom, #NFDB
18:I cannot touch my essential self. ~ Sarah Kane, #NFDB
19:Seek the real, the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
20:solitude is a deep romance with self ~ R H Sin, #NFDB
21:The greatest victory is over self. ~ Aristotle, #NFDB
22:No one ever judges their own self. ~ James Wolk, #NFDB
23:Can't get away from your own self. ~ Holly Black, #NFDB
24:Come to the Root of the Root of your Self ~ Rumi, #NFDB
25:Fear is the fear of one's self. ~ Wilhelm Stekel, #NFDB
26:It is no use lying to one's self. ~ Henrik Ibsen, #NFDB
27:Truth is that of the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
28:a friend is a second self ~ Marcus Tullius Cicero, #NFDB
29:Patriotism is idolatry of the self. ~ Simone Weil, #NFDB
30:The people is dead! Good-day, Self! ~ Max Stirner, #NFDB
31:Why is Mr Universe always from Earth? ~ Will Self, #NFDB
32:Know Thy Self, and nothing in Excess". ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
33:Make today a gift to your future self. ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
34:Egotism fears its own self. ~ Alexis de Tocqueville, #NFDB
35:Self- Made Loogon Ka Almiya
~ Amjad Islam Amjad,#NFDB
36:Be your own self. Love what YOU love. ~ Ray Bradbury, #NFDB
37:Death contradicts ownership and self. ~ Iris Murdoch, #NFDB
38:God is no other than the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
39:Just be the Self, that is all. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
40:The spirit is the true self. ~ Marcus Tullius Cicero, #NFDB
41:All fear is ultimately fear of no-self. ~ Jed McKenna, #NFDB
42:Duty Before Self. Kingdom Before King. ~ Tomi Adeyemi, #NFDB
43:He has seen the glory of the Self ~ Swami Vivekananda, #NFDB
44:Knowing the Self, God is known. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
45:One cannot deny one's own Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
46:The first and best victory is to conquer self ~ Plato, #NFDB
47:There is no one to realize the Self. ~ Frederick Lenz, #NFDB
48:Things are only boring if you are boring. ~ Will Self, #NFDB
49:To be in love is to surpass one's self. ~ Oscar Wilde, #NFDB
50:To deceive ones selfe is very easie. ~ George Herbert, #NFDB
51:Everything is within one's Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
52:He that attends to his interior self, ~ William Cowper, #NFDB
53:One of my problems is to find the self. ~ Max Beckmann, #NFDB
54:Self, listen for moment, I will speak to you. ~ Martyn, #NFDB
55:The only aberration is denial of self. ~ L Ron Hubbard, #NFDB
56:To study the self is to forget the self. ~ Phil Knight, #NFDB
57:Always carry a notebook. And I mean always. ~ Will Self, #NFDB
58:Guru is none other than the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
59:Humility is the forgetfulness of self. ~ Thomas Keating, #NFDB
60:-(I)n memory, remorse wraps the self. ~ Claudia Rankine, #NFDB
61:My usual self is a very unusual self. ~ Shelagh Delaney, #NFDB
62:THE AUTOTELIC SELF: A SUMMARY ~ Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, #NFDB
63:The gentle Hawke halfe mans her selfe. ~ George Herbert, #NFDB
64:There's something beyond one's self ~ Robert S McNamara, #NFDB
65:Faith is a total attitude of the self. ~ John Macquarrie, #NFDB
66:Haters gonna hate because they hate there self ~ Unknown, #NFDB
67:Humility is the forgetfulness of self. ~ Thomas Keating, #NFDB
68:is self-mastery—the rule of the self, by ~ Tara Westover, #NFDB
69:Note to self: don’t throw things at girls. ~ Emlyn Chand, #NFDB
70:Note to self: never cockblock a sex demon. ~ Alexis Hall, #NFDB
71:The real friend is another self. ~ Marcus Tullius Cicero, #NFDB
72:The ultimate mystery is one's own self. ~ Sammy Davis Jr, #NFDB
73:How can the self not know the Self? ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
74:Sin is the self curved in on the self. ~ Nadia Bolz Weber, #NFDB
75:The first and best victory is to conquer self.
~ Plato,#NFDB
76:The goal of evolution is self - conquest ~ Elbert Hubbard, #NFDB
77:The hardest victory is the victory over self. ~ Aristotle, #NFDB
78:Cultivated in the self, virtue is realized; ~ Wayne W Dyer, #NFDB
79:Egg is ego, and bird is the liberated Self. ~ Alan W Watts, #NFDB
80:Every act is an expression of one's self. ~ Eiji Yoshikawa, #NFDB
81:Happiness is the nature of the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
82:Helpe thy selfe, and God will helpe thee. ~ George Herbert, #NFDB
83:I mean: be your best, most gigantic self. ~ Cheryl Strayed, #NFDB
84:Is there anyone unaware of the Self? ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
85:The first and the best victory is to conquer self. ~ Plato, #NFDB
86:The only love language is 'die to self.' ~ Christine Caine, #NFDB
87:The universe exists within the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
88:With a false self, intimacy is impossible. ~ John Bradshaw, #NFDB
89:You should never give up your inner self. ~ Clint Eastwood, #NFDB
90:All talk and all chatter is the false self. ~ Bryant McGill, #NFDB
91:Be a light unto others, not boastful of self. ~ Edgar Cayce, #NFDB
92:In my very own self, I am part of my family. ~ D H Lawrence, #NFDB
93:Is there any escaping the junkshop of the self? ~ Ali Smith, #NFDB
94:That which is Bliss is also the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
95:there was no getting away from one's self. So ~ Jane Austen, #NFDB
96:What is self? Self is a lotus bud slimed over in mud. ~ H D, #NFDB
97:Who sees the other half of Self, sees Truth. ~ Anne Cameron, #NFDB
98:Danger it selfe the best remedy for danger. ~ George Herbert, #NFDB
99:Every American was to become a performing self. ~ Susan Cain, #NFDB
100:Love of others is the appreciation of one's self. ~ Mina Loy, #NFDB
101:Till man destroys "self" he is no true friend of God. ~ Rumi, #NFDB
102:Time and space cannot affect the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
103:Writing is ultimately a discovery of one's self. ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
104:Everyone has a private self and a public self. ~ Kevin Conroy, #NFDB
105:Grace is within you. Grace is the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
106:Grace is within you; Grace is the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
107:Her self, then, was represented in her books. ~ Claire Messud, #NFDB
108:It can be frightening to own your authentic self. ~ T D Jakes, #NFDB
109:Knowledge is the very nature [of Self]. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
110:Note to self: buy some nunchucks or something. ~ Cynthia Hand, #NFDB
111:Realize thy Simple Self, Embrace thy Original Nature. ~ Laozi, #NFDB
112:The gospel will die in the toxic soil of self. ~ Jen Hatmaker, #NFDB
113:To be good is to be in harmony with one's self. ~ Oscar Wilde, #NFDB
114:Be bold, be brave enough to be your true self. ~ Queen Latifah, #NFDB
115:Don't compromise your self, you're all you got. ~ Janis Joplin, #NFDB
116:Every extreme attitude is a fight from the self. ~ Eric Hoffer, #NFDB
117:For an octopus, its arms are partly self ~ Peter Godfrey Smith, #NFDB
118:If thou has not seen the devil, look at thine own self. ~ Rumi, #NFDB
119:In silence you shall face self...and have respect. ~ T F Hodge, #NFDB
120:... justice is mercy's highest self. ~ Frances Hodgson Burnett, #NFDB
121:Note to self: Never try to out-trick a trickster. ~ L H Cosway, #NFDB
122:There is no such flatterer as is a man's self. ~ Francis Bacon, #NFDB
123:Through adversity we find our better self. ~ Michelle Waterson, #NFDB
124:Whatever the self describes, describes the self. ~ Jakob Bohme, #NFDB
125:What is there apart from one's own Self? ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
126:You cannot by any means escape the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
127:A friend is, as it were, a second self. ~ Marcus Tullius Cicero, #NFDB
128:A true friend is a sort of second self. ~ Marcus Tullius Cicero, #NFDB
129:Be congruent, be authentic, be your true self. ~ Mahatma Gandhi, #NFDB
130:Every extreme attitude is a flight from the self. ~ Eric Hoffer, #NFDB
131:Give up yourself, and you will find your real self. ~ C S Lewis, #NFDB
132:It [the Heart] is the center of the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
133:Work is an almost pure expression of the self. ~ Chase Twichell, #NFDB
134:All significant battles are fought within self. ~ Sheldon B Kopp, #NFDB
135:Attitude ... is the vanguard of your true self. ~ John C Maxwell, #NFDB
136:Everyone ends up moving alone towards the self ~ Nadine Gordimer, #NFDB
137:Great. Note to self. Listen to the godfather. ~ Rachel Van Dyken, #NFDB
138:`I-I' is the Self. `I am this' is the ego. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
139:Know your real Self, beyond who you think you are. ~ Vivian Amis, #NFDB
140:No aids are needed to know one’s own Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
141:No effort is needed to remain as the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
142:Note to self: Never leave home without glitter. ~ Adrienne Kress, #NFDB
143:Seeing the world, the jnani sees the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
144:Self-education only produces expressions of self. ~ Robert Henri, #NFDB
145:Success comes from finding your center and self. ~ Bryant McGill, #NFDB
146:The finding of God is the coming to one's own self. ~ Meher Baba, #NFDB
147:To be calm is the highest achievement of the self. ~ Zen Proverb, #NFDB
148:What is, is the Self. It is all-pervading. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
149:You cannot, by any means, escape the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
150:You need to call on your best and strongest self. ~ Kate Mulgrew, #NFDB
151:Don't look back until you've written an entire draft. ~ Will Self, #NFDB
152:He is free from self- display, and therefore he shines; ~ Lao Tzu, #NFDB
153:If one remains as the Self, there is bliss. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
154:In death there are smaller premises, littler ironies. ~ Will Self, #NFDB
155:Is there never any escaping the junkshop of the self? ~ Ali Smith, #NFDB
156:Just be your self. Everybody else is already taken. ~ Oscar Wilde, #NFDB
157:Leave your coast to discover your true self! ~ Mehmet Murat ildan, #NFDB
158:Look at you and your big, bad self. Rawr. ~ Jennifer L Armentrout, #NFDB
159:Note to self: never cockblock demons or werewolves. ~ Alexis Hall, #NFDB
160:Revolution begins with the self, in the self. ~ Toni Cade Bambara, #NFDB
161:we all go through changes in search of self! ~ Eric Jerome Dickey, #NFDB
162:A day wasted on others is not wasted on one's self. ~ Cynthia Hand, #NFDB
163:COMPARISON IS AN ACT OF VIOLENCE AGAINST THE SELF ~ Iyanla Vanzant, #NFDB
164:Negativity is a natural part of your perfect self. ~ Bryant McGill, #NFDB
165:The greatest gift you ever give is your honest self. ~ Fred Rogers, #NFDB
166:The only happiness there is, is of the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
167:The self on tiptoes sneaking away from the self. ~ Laura Kasischke, #NFDB
168:The solution to everything begins with loving our Self. ~ Gary Eby, #NFDB
169:The truest success is but the development of self. ~ Charles Atlas, #NFDB
170:To abide in the Self you must love the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
171:We are in our Self. We are not in the world. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
172:Worry lives a long way from rational thought."---Self ~ Mary Roach, #NFDB
173:Comparison is an act of violence against the self. ~ Iyanla Vanzant, #NFDB
174:In an invisible mirror you see your invisible self. ~ Chloe Thurlow, #NFDB
175:I've always tried to stay true to my authentic self. ~ Katie Couric, #NFDB
176:Self is the lord of self, who else could be the lord?. ~ Max Muller, #NFDB
177:The easiest person to deceive is one's self. ~ Edward Bulwer Lytton, #NFDB
178:The Most Excellent Jihad is the Conquest of One’s Self. ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
179:There is no room for God in a mind that's full of self. ~ T D Jakes, #NFDB
180:There is nothing to fear except fear it's self. ~ Eleanor Roosevelt, #NFDB
181:Calculating selfishness is the annihilation of self. ~ Anton Chekhov, #NFDB
182:Dive deep in the Heart and remain as the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
183:Inside us there is a place that is our true self. ~ Orson Scott Card, #NFDB
184:Key West has become an imitation of its former self, ~ Philip Caputo, #NFDB
185:Kill my envy, command my tongue, trample down self. Give ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
186:Love has no thought of self! ~ Edward Bulwer Lytton 1st Baron Lytton, #NFDB
187:Note to self: Rachel Morgan is a totally awesome liar. ~ Ally Carter, #NFDB
188:Technology has outstripped our knowledge of self. ~ Shirley MacLaine, #NFDB
189:The door to nature is a door to your very self! ~ Mehmet Murat ildan, #NFDB
190:The goal of art was the vital expression of self. ~ Alfred Stieglitz, #NFDB
191:The hard-bound space hides the vulnerable self. ~ Jeanette Winterson, #NFDB
192:There is but on virtue--the eternal sacrifice of self. ~ George Sand, #NFDB
193:What can anyone know without knowing the Self? ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
194:When I tune into my beautiful self, I get happiness. ~ Dick Gregory, #NFDB
195:You could become anyone, including your real self. ~ Rafael Yglesias, #NFDB
196:A day wasted on others is not wasted on one's self. ~ Charles Dickens, #NFDB
197:All you need to do, is risk being your true self. ~ Bruce Springsteen, #NFDB
198:Dive consciously into the Self, into the heart. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
199:Drug use and procrastination often go hand in tourniquet. ~ Will Self, #NFDB
200:Liberation is only to remain aware of the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
201:Love is the bright foreigner, the foreign self. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson, #NFDB
202:Mind is a wonderful force inherent in the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
203:Once I had a “self”; now I am no more than an object. ~ Emil M Cioran, #NFDB
204:Real apprenticeship is ultimately always to the self. ~ Cynthia Ozick, #NFDB
205:There is nothing so high as renunciation of self. ~ Swami Vivekananda, #NFDB
206:There is only one Master, and that is the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
207:The truest self-respect is not to think of self. ~ Henry Ward Beecher, #NFDB
208:Do not even for a moment lose sight of the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
209:Humility is to make a right estimate of one's self. ~ Charles Spurgeon, #NFDB
210:I know who I am. I have a very strong sense of self. ~ Kristen Stewart, #NFDB
211:I think you direct a movie just to express your own self. ~ Gaspar Noe, #NFDB
212:I want to embrace my full self, as natural as I can be. ~ Willow Smith, #NFDB
213:Oh self, self, self! At every turn nothing but self! ~ Charles Dickens, #NFDB
214:The Atman, Self, is the same as Brahman, the Lord. ~ Swami Vivekananda, #NFDB
215:The 'I' has no location. Everything is the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
216:Vaughn's vision is older, wiser and harder than Ritchie's. ~ Will Self, #NFDB
217:What will you do with your wild & precious self? ~ Lance Armstrong, #NFDB
218:But self, though it would intrude, could not engross her. ~ Jane Austen, #NFDB
219:If something is not right or real, don't lose your self. ~ Lauren Child, #NFDB
220:Love wasn’t possible without a self, and nor was thinking. ~ Ian McEwan, #NFDB
221:Men with style are great because they have a sense of self. ~ Lexa Doig, #NFDB
222:Note to self: If you can't hear God when you pray, shut up. ~ Mark Hart, #NFDB
223:So I was smacked up on the Prime Minister's jet – big deal. ~ Will Self, #NFDB
224:The easiest person to deceive is one’s own self. ~ Edward Bulwer Lytton, #NFDB
225:The essence of greatness is neglect of the self. ~ James Anthony Froude, #NFDB
226:The story of Love is the story of Love of Self. ~ Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, #NFDB
227:Adulthood is not an age, but a stage of knowledge of self. ~ John Fowles, #NFDB
228:Do not look for a sanctuary in anyone except your self. ~ Gautama Buddha, #NFDB
229:Every man contemplates an angel in his future self ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson, #NFDB
230:I am never bored; to be bored is an insult to one's self. ~ Jules Renard, #NFDB
231:If thou has not seen the devil, look at thine own self. ~ Corban Addison, #NFDB
232:Peace": the fruit of justice done especially to the Self. ~ Alice Walker, #NFDB
233:Self-esteem comes from the self, not from acquisitions and ~ Wayne Dyer, #NFDB
234:There is no difference between God, Guru and Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
235:To study the self is to forget the self. Mi casa, su casa. ~ Phil Knight, #NFDB
236:We are always the Self. Only, we don’t realize it. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
237:What is love? The need of coming out of one's self. ~ Charles Baudelaire, #NFDB
238:All you may know of heaven or hell is within your own self. ~ Edgar Cayce, #NFDB
239:A party full of 'likeable' people doesn't bear contemplating. ~ Will Self, #NFDB
240:Ash Turner seduced her with the promise of her own self. ~ Courtney Milan, #NFDB
241:Desire outweighs footwork when it comes to crashing the glass ~ Bill Self, #NFDB
242:Every man contemplates an angel in his future self. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson, #NFDB
243:For every look at self, take 10 looks at Christ. ~ Robert Murray M Cheyne, #NFDB
244:for me
obedience to another is the decay
of self ~ Charles Bukowski,#NFDB
245:Guilt [is] a tool, rather than a weapon against the self. ~ Veronica Roth, #NFDB
246:Revolutionary Petunias: Blooming Gloriously For its Self ~ Gloria Steinem, #NFDB
247:The real you is on the side of God against the false self ~ John Eldredge, #NFDB
248:To remain quiet is to resolve the mind in the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
249:Who is a friend?" his answer was, "A second self (alter ego). ~ Epictetus, #NFDB
250:You are always that Self and nothing but that Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
251:All words and sayings gently turn, returning to the self. ~ Bassui Tokusho, #NFDB
252:But in Solitude, we can pay attention to our inner self ~ Henri J M Nouwen, #NFDB
253:I am a champion standing over the shadow of my former self. ~ Adam Johnson, #NFDB
254:I don't cast somebody that I think is like my younger self. ~ James Franco, #NFDB
255:If you do not conquer self, you will be conquered by self. ~ Napoleon Hill, #NFDB
256:Nothing but the presence of God can reveal and expel self. ~ Andrew Murray, #NFDB
257:That's what fame does to you. You acquire another self. ~ Daniel Radcliffe, #NFDB
258:The most frightening thing in the world is our own self. ~ Haruki Murakami, #NFDB
259:The tree that growes slowly, keepes it selfe for another. ~ George Herbert, #NFDB
260:To go beyond karma you have to end the structure of self. ~ Frederick Lenz, #NFDB
261:To know yourself you must know the transience of your self. ~ Ilyas Kassam, #NFDB
262:To live is not to live for one's self; let us help one another. ~ Menander, #NFDB
263:To live meant feeding my former self to my current self. ~ Cameron Conaway, #NFDB
264:To quote your annoying self, are you ready to do this shit? ~ Elle Kennedy, #NFDB
265:To take refuge with an inferior is to betray one's self. ~ Publilius Syrus, #NFDB
266:Your private self must become the same as your public self. ~ John Kuypers, #NFDB
267:All true art must help the soul to realize its inner self. ~ Mahatma Gandhi, #NFDB
268:Cover your selfe with your shield, and care not for cryes. ~ George Herbert, #NFDB
269:Everyone, in some small sacred sanctuary of the self, is nuts. ~ Leo Rosten, #NFDB
270:Everyone, in some small secret sanctuary of the self, is nuts. ~ Leo Rosten, #NFDB
271:I lacked the courage or the knowledge to invent a self, ~ Patricia Lockwood, #NFDB
272:I'm sick to death of this particular self. I want another. ~ Virginia Woolf, #NFDB
273:It is very noble hypocrisy not to talk of one's self. ~ Friedrich Nietzsche, #NFDB
274:Note to self, Ian is happiest when in dangerous situations. ~ Fisher Amelie, #NFDB
275:Note to self: It’s a good idea to ask, “What am I not doing? ~ Ben Horowitz, #NFDB
276:One can't long stay a secret to the self" -H.W. Marsworth ~ Sheila O Connor, #NFDB
277:Remind your self. Nobody constructed like you, you style your self. ~ Jay Z, #NFDB
278:"Since there is no self, there is also no other." ~ Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, #NFDB
279:That which remains when there is no more grasping is the Self. ~ Panchadasi, #NFDB
280:the goal is to connect with your own self, your own soul. ~ Timothy Ferriss, #NFDB
281:Through my handicaps, I have found my self, my work, my God. ~ Helen Keller, #NFDB
282:To will not from self, but with the Eternal, is to live. ~ George MacDonald, #NFDB
283:Turn thy gaze inward, wherein resides the Supreme Self. ~ Swami Vivekananda, #NFDB
284:What a blind person needs is not a teacher but another self. ~ Helen Keller, #NFDB
285:Wouldn't have no knowledge of wealth, without no knowledge of self. ~ Nelly, #NFDB
286:Are you not the Self? Why trouble about other matters? ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
287:But perhaps peace was not in a place but within one's self. ~ Ashley Gardner, #NFDB
288:Collision with the Infinite: A Life Beyond the Personal Self ~ Suzanne Segal, #NFDB
289:I am my own self. I will not be controlled by anyone else. ~ Kyousuke Motomi, #NFDB
290:I don't express myself in my paintings. I express my not-self. ~ Mark Rothko, #NFDB
291:If you're a Christian you're just a shadow of your future self. ~ N T Wright, #NFDB
292:If you wou'd be reveng'd of your enemy, govern your self ~ Benjamin Franklin, #NFDB
293:I want to show my true self, not how I want to be seen by others. ~ G Dragon, #NFDB
294:Love is the ultimate giving, an expression of one's best self. ~ Bel Kaufman, #NFDB
295:Many people feel their outer self isn't the whole self. ~ Jeanette Winterson, #NFDB
296:My wealth is in my knowledge of self, love, and spirituality. ~ Muhammad Ali, #NFDB
297:No one is free that has not obtained the empire of their self. ~ Pythagoras, #NFDB
298:Religion is the call to confront reality; to master the self. ~ Huston Smith, #NFDB
299:Should we say the self, once perceived, becomes the soul? ~ Theodore Roethke, #NFDB
300:The boundaries of your life is merely creation of the self. ~ Robin S Sharma, #NFDB
301:There are no limitations to the self
except those you believe in. ~ Seth,#NFDB
302:The true goal of action is knowledge of the Self. ~ Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa, #NFDB
303:To be one's own master is to be the slave of self. ~ Natalie Clifford Barney, #NFDB
304:Treat all as your own self. Do not have a double standard. ~ Sathya Sai Baba, #NFDB
305:We are all the same person trying to shake hands with our self. ~ Wavy Gravy, #NFDB
306:Abstract love of humanity is nearly always love of self. ~ Fyodor Dostoyevsky, #NFDB
307:a person’s home is a subconscious reflection of their true self, ~ Minka Kent, #NFDB
308:Art was something I could do better. It gave me a sense of self. ~ Jeff Koons, #NFDB
309:But without love of the self, others' love will never be enough ~ N K Jemisin, #NFDB
310:Humility is to make a right estimate of one’s self. ~ Charles Haddon Spurgeon, #NFDB
311:I'm sorry, I'm not myself. Or rather I am myself, my new self. ~ Iris Murdoch, #NFDB
312:In the stormy ocean of life, take refuge in your wise self. ~ Thich Nhat Hanh, #NFDB
313:I remain
Mistress of mine own self
and mine own soul ~ Alfred Tennyson,#NFDB
314:It’s always harder to fight for other people than for the self. ~ N K Jemisin, #NFDB
315:Loneliness is the poverty of self; solitude is richness of self. ~ May Sarton, #NFDB
316:Perfect Bliss is Brahman. Perfect Peace is of the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
317:The boundaries of your life are merely a creation of the self. ~ Robin Sharma, #NFDB
318:The worst strategy I could pursue is self-improvement. ~ Chuck Palahniuk, #NFDB
319:Virgo’s 6 word motto: I rely on my damn self. thezodiaccity.com ~ K C Stewart, #NFDB
320:We use intuition as a way to connect with our Divine Self. ~ James Van Praagh, #NFDB
321:When the mind comes out of the Self, the world appears. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
322:You have to build systems to protect against your lesser self. ~ Neil Strauss, #NFDB
323:Being an MP feeds your vanity and starves your self- respect. ~ Matthew Parris, #NFDB
324:Break down the self, offer yourself up like dust to the universe. ~ Emma Cline, #NFDB
325:Courage is not the absence of fear; it is the absence of self. ~ Erwin McManus, #NFDB
326:Cut out the love of self, like an autumn lotus with thy hand! ~ Gautama Buddha, #NFDB
327:...human intelligence is by definition what humans naturally do... ~ Will Self, #NFDB
328:I'm having a difficult time containing my disordered self. ~ Bret Easton Ellis, #NFDB
329:In the practice of exchanging self & other, paradoxes abound. ~ Robert Thurman, #NFDB
330:It may not be dying we fear so much, but the diminished self. ~ Arthur W Frank, #NFDB
331:It's not enough to just be yourself. You must be your best self ~ Neil Strauss, #NFDB
332:[Love that would] break open the hard shell of my lesser self. ~ Daisaku Ikeda, #NFDB
333:The best service to mankind is to become immersed in one's True Self. ~ Asaram, #NFDB
334:The boundaries of your life are merely creations of the self. ~ Robin S Sharma, #NFDB
335:There's not many things less important than the score at halftime. ~ Bill Self, #NFDB
336:They travel in groups. You never see an Asian by their self. ~ Chelsea Handler, #NFDB
337:This was one princess who could rescue her own damn self. ~ Laurell K Hamilton, #NFDB
338:To enter your true self,
check your ego at the door. ~ Khang Kijarro Nguyen,#NFDB
339:True wealth is having your health, and knowledge of self. ~ Immortal Technique, #NFDB
340:Discarding doubt is a decision to reconnect to your original self. ~ Wayne Dyer, #NFDB
341:great book stands the test of time unlike my good self......... ~ Douglas Adams, #NFDB
342:Nothing can be so bad as to be displeased with one's self. ~ Helen Hunt Jackson, #NFDB
343:Ours is the Spirit of the Eucharist, the total Gift of Self. ~ Katharine Drexel, #NFDB
344:People's weaker side is not necessarily their truer self. ~ Ivy Compton Burnett, #NFDB
345:Reading gives one something to think about other than one's self. ~ Tom Bissell, #NFDB
346:The first and worst of all frauds is to cheat one's self. ~ Philip James Bailey, #NFDB
347:The whole world is your own Self. So who is good and who is bad? ~ H W L Poonja, #NFDB
348:To give life a meaning, one must have a purpose larger than self. ~ Will Durant, #NFDB
349:True listening involves bracketing, a setting aside of the self. ~ M Scott Peck, #NFDB
350:We are all serving a life sentence in the dungeon of the self. ~ Cyril Connolly, #NFDB
351:When you contemplate the nature of Self, you are meditating. ~ Michael A Singer, #NFDB
352:Break down the self, offer yourself up like dust to the universe. — ~ Emma Cline, #NFDB
353:Her sense of humor is indistinguishable from her sense of self. ~ David Levithan, #NFDB
354:If thou thy selfe canst doe it, attend no others helpe or hand. ~ George Herbert, #NFDB
355:I have a strong sense of self, but that's not a negative thing. ~ Ray LaMontagne, #NFDB
356:In the World of Reality there is no self, There is no other-than-self. ~ Sengcan, #NFDB
357:Invincibility depends on one's self; the enemy's vulnerability on him. ~ Sun Tzu, #NFDB
358:It is good to know one's enemy. It is better to know one's self. ~ Max Hawthorne, #NFDB
359:Note to self: no matter how bad life gets, there's always beer. ~ Norm MacDonald, #NFDB
360:Silence is not the absence of sound, but the absence of self. ~ Anthony de Mello, #NFDB
361:The enslaving of the other is also the enslaving of the self. ~ Nikolai Berdyaev, #NFDB
362:The sage does not 'know' the Self, because he is the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
363:The sage does not ‘know’ the Self, because he is the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
364:Those who judge others; first, need to know; how to judge self. ~ Santosh Kalwar, #NFDB
365:Time and space are within us. You are always in your Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
366:To know one's self, one must go all the way to horror. ~ Jacques Benigne Bossuet, #NFDB
367:We all have a lifelong habit of inferiority to our full self..." ~ William James, #NFDB
368:While you had the chance to live, did you become your true self? ~ Michael Meade, #NFDB
369:Your highest obligation to other people is to be your highest self. ~ Rory Vaden, #NFDB
370:A personal revolution is the consequence of confronting self - as is. ~ T F Hodge, #NFDB
371:Everything comes out of the Self and goes back to the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
372:How can we know who is the other until we know who is the self? ~ Terence McKenna, #NFDB
373:'I Am' is the name of God, God is none other than the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
374:If you don't say what you think then you kill your unborn self. ~ Jordan Peterson, #NFDB
375:I'm so happy after such a long struggle to be living my true self. ~ Bruce Jenner, #NFDB
376:It's a difficult thing as an actor not to repeat one's self. ~ Michael Fassbender, #NFDB
377:Like all right-listening folk, I am an implacable enemy of all muzak. ~ Will Self, #NFDB
378:Love is when someone else protects you from your own self. ~ Novoneel Chakraborty, #NFDB
379:Note to self: never ask this man if a dress makes me look fat. ~ Cherise Sinclair, #NFDB
380:Self-government relies, in the end, on the governing of the self. ~ George W Bush, #NFDB
381:That which lies beyond the ego is consciousness - the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
382:The real preparation for education is the study of one's self. ~ Maria Montessori, #NFDB
383:There is neither the one nor the other apart from the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
384:What a wonderfully complex thing! this simple seeming unity—the self! ~ H G Wells, #NFDB
385:Whatever is rejected from the self, appears in the world as an event. ~ Carl Jung, #NFDB
386:All of the truly important battles are waged within the self. (7) ~ Sheldon B Kopp, #NFDB
387:A mandala is the psychological expression of the totality of the self. ~ Carl Jung, #NFDB
388:Art attracts us only by what it reveals of our most secret self. ~ Jean Luc Godard, #NFDB
389:Documentation is a love letter that you write to your future self. ~ Damian Conway, #NFDB
390:every writer needs two selves—the generative self and the editor self. ~ Mary Karr, #NFDB
391:I think sex is really about the self, and really a self-reflection. ~ Margaret Cho, #NFDB
392:Know thy self, know thy enemy. A thousand battles, a thousand victories. ~ Sun Tzu, #NFDB
393:Love the world as your own Self; then you can truly care for all things. ~ Lao Tzu, #NFDB
394:Note to self: If Orpheus were a woman I wouldn't be stuck down here. ~ Ocean Vuong, #NFDB
395:Note to self: Never ride a motorcycle in stilettos and a miniskirt. ~ Maggie Grace, #NFDB
396:Once you conquer your selfish self, all your darkness will change to light. ~ Rumi, #NFDB
397:The enemy is always outside the self, the struggle somewhere else. ~ Adrienne Rich, #NFDB
398:Weariness comes, on some days, from lack of service to self. ~ Mary Anne Radmacher, #NFDB
399:Before we can conquer the world, we must first conquer the self. ~ J Oswald Sanders, #NFDB
400:Be yourself; no base imitator of another, but your best self. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson, #NFDB
401:Grace is in the beginning, middle and end. Grace is the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
402:If you don't say what you think then you kill your unborn self. ~ Jordan B Peterson, #NFDB
403:—in reality it was escape she wanted, escape from her own self— ~ Daphne du Maurier, #NFDB
404:I think it's a mistake to ever look for hope outside of one's self. ~ Arthur Miller, #NFDB
405:It is good to know one's enemy.
It is better to know one's self. ~ Max Hawthorne,#NFDB
406:It is not really a small thing when in small things we resist self. ~ Thomas Kempis, #NFDB
407:Let us cherish that Self, which is the Reality, in the Heart. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
408:Once one becomes a false self, one ceases to exist psychologically. ~ John Bradshaw, #NFDB
409:The most common sort of lie is the one uttered to one's self. ~ Friedrich Nietzsche, #NFDB
410:Until you have given up your self to Him you will not have a real self. ~ C S Lewis, #NFDB
411:Until you have given up yourself to Him, you will not have a real self. ~ C S Lewis, #NFDB
412:"Whatever is rejected from the self, appears in the world as an event." ~ Carl Jung, #NFDB
413:I don’t like being left for long struggling with my dangerous self. ~ Hanif Kureishi, #NFDB
414:I don't like changing with the wind; I like sticking to my own self. ~ Nicole Kidman, #NFDB
415:Love to be real, it must cost—it must hurt—it must empty us of self. ~ Mother Teresa, #NFDB
416:Make up your mind that you will become the seeker of your own higher self. ~ Ma Jaya, #NFDB
417:More gold had been mined from the mind of men than the earth it self ~ Napoleon Hill, #NFDB
418:Neither praise nor dispraise thy selfe, thy actins serve the turne. ~ George Herbert, #NFDB
419:Note to self:
Do not under any circumstances fall in love again. ~ Cecelia Ahern,#NFDB
420:Note to self... Sex with blow-up doll is not as good as advertised. ~ Norm MacDonald, #NFDB
421:Sex is the sacred song of the soul; Sex is the sanctuary of Self. ~ Aleister Crowley, #NFDB
422:The easiest person to deceive is one's self. ~ Edward Bulwer Lytton 1st Baron Lytton, #NFDB
423:There is no better karma or bhakti than enquiry into the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
424:There is no dependence that can be sure but a dependence upon one's self. ~ John Gay, #NFDB
425:Thus to believe in Him is also to believe in your true, glorified self. ~ Ted Dekker, #NFDB
426:To understand the world one must not be worrying about one's self. ~ Albert Einstein, #NFDB
427:We are in our Self. We are not in the world. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi #MondayMotivation, #NFDB
428:If he weren’t a stick his own self, I’d say he had a stick up his butt. ~ Tom Robbins, #NFDB
429:I go fishing for a thousand monsters in the depths of my own self ~ Soren Kierkegaard, #NFDB
430:Is there nowhere in an American house where one may be by one's self? ~ Edith Wharton, #NFDB
431:Our God, who art our winged self, it is thy will in us that willeth. ~ Khalil Gibran, #NFDB
432:put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
433:Recollection hurt so much; I could barely remember my unbroken self ~ Vikki Wakefield, #NFDB
434:The goal is not to be better than the other man, but your previous self. ~ Dalai Lama, #NFDB
435:There is no difference between God, Guru and Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, Talks, 198, #NFDB
436:There is no respect for others without humility in one's self. ~ Henri Frederic Amiel, #NFDB
437:Unfortunatley, Lady of the Haven, my one true love remains my self. ~ Cassandra Clare, #NFDB
438:In the practice of exchanging self & other, paradoxes abound. ~ Robert A F Thurman, #NFDB
439:Let your vision be world embracing rather than confined to your own self. ~ Bah u ll h, #NFDB
440:Once the working classes were in chains, now they're in chain restaurants. ~ Will Self, #NFDB
441:spiritual formation is a matter of reworking all aspects of the self. ~ Dallas Willard, #NFDB
442:The Artist's Way is a spiritual journey, a pilrimage home to the self. ~ Julia Cameron, #NFDB
443:The greatest education man has to learn is the science of self. ~ Harbhajan Singh Yogi, #NFDB
444:The one thing which you have to abandon unconditionally is your self. ~ Bede Griffiths, #NFDB
445:The only way to be rid of your grief is to know and be the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
446:There is no wrong way to express and embody your most authentic self! ~ Meredith Russo, #NFDB
447:The Russians are fighting for us, for the world, and for their self. ~ Bashar al Assad, #NFDB
448:True forgiveness is a willingness to change your mind about your Self. ~ Robert Holden, #NFDB
449:A Covenant not to defend my selfe from force, by force, is always voyd. ~ Thomas Hobbes, #NFDB
450:Beautiful Girl, wake the fuck up, can't eviscerate essential self. ~ Karen Marie Moning, #NFDB
451:Every man has a mob self and an individual self, in varying proportions. ~ D H Lawrence, #NFDB
452:Everyone, in some small sacred sanctuary of the self, is nuts. -Leo Rosten ~ Leo Rosten, #NFDB
453:Few are the friends of a mans self, most those of his circumstances. ~ Baltasar Gracian, #NFDB
454:For you to have real love, you need to be able to move past your self. ~ John de Ruiter, #NFDB
455:Giving one self up to God, means constantly remembering the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
456:In reality, every reader is, while reading, the reader of his own self. ~ Marcel Proust, #NFDB
457:Know thyself. Nothing in excess. The Self is required to balance the Self. ~ Ralph Blum, #NFDB
458:Meditation means the recognition or the discovery of one's own true self. ~ Sri Chinmoy, #NFDB
459:Meeting the “self” activates the transformation of human consciousness, ~ Caroline Myss, #NFDB
460:public self is a conditioned construct of the inner psychological self. ~ Sigmund Freud, #NFDB
461:The best investment you will ever make is investing in your best self. ~ Robin S Sharma, #NFDB
462:There is no investment as poor as investment in the kingdom of self! ~ Paul David Tripp, #NFDB
463:The “universe” is simply the complete spatio-temporal logic of the self. ~ Robert Lanza, #NFDB
464:They find “sources of strength in the self to develop the self. ~ James MacGregor Burns, #NFDB
465:To study the Way is to study the self. To study the self is to forget the self. ~ Dogen, #NFDB
466:Your attitudes are literally seeds for the growing of your future self. ~ Bryant McGill, #NFDB
467:As long as I live I shall always be My Self - and no other, Just me. ~ Walter de La Mare, #NFDB
468:Do not take someone's silence as his pride, perhaps he is busy fighting with his self. ~, #NFDB
469:Giving one self up to God, means constantly remembering the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
470:I’m not going to let anyone - even my own past self - fuck up my happiness. ~ Ruby Dixon, #NFDB
471:In order to love your enemies, you must begin by analyzing self. ~ Martin Luther King Jr, #NFDB
472:INSPIRATIONAL NOTE TO SELF:
Flowers grow in sand.
I can do anything. ~ Jen Sincero,#NFDB
473:Meekness, the subtraction of self, reduces the multiplication of words. ~ Neal A Maxwell, #NFDB
474:Mindfulness also helps us loosen our painful preoccupation with “self. ~ Ronald D Siegel, #NFDB
475:Of course, ultimately ageism is a prejudice against one’s own future self. ~ Mary Pipher, #NFDB
476:Running Makes you more spiritually aware and in tune with your inner-self. ~ Fauja Singh, #NFDB
477:[Stephen Cope’s wonderful Yoga and the Quest for the True Self]. ~ Bessel A van der Kolk, #NFDB
478:The cause of all sins in every case lies in the person's excessive love of self. ~ Plato, #NFDB
479:The love of our neighbor is the only door out of the dungeon of self. ~ George MacDonald, #NFDB
480:To cure jealousy is to see it for what it is, a dissatisfaction with self. ~ Joan Didion, #NFDB
481:What I find powerful is a person with the confidence to be her own self. ~ Oprah Winfrey, #NFDB
482:Absence from those we love is self from self - a deadly banishment. ~ William Shakespeare, #NFDB
483:All acts of healing are ultimately our selves healing our Self.
-Ram Dass ~ Ram Dass,#NFDB
484:A man will reveal his true self, or so it seems, on the tennis court. ~ Joyce Carol Oates, #NFDB
485:Art attracts us only by what it reveals of our most secret self. ~ Alfred North Whitehead, #NFDB
486:Consciousness is already free of everything that remotely resembles a self". ~ Sam Harris, #NFDB
487:Do not fear to be your true self, for everything you want, wants you. ~ Genevieve Behrend, #NFDB
488:Don’t be afraid of being unique. It’s like being afraid of your best self. ~ Donald Trump, #NFDB
489:Freedom is to be free of attachments, and the main attachment is to the 'I'-self. ~ Mooji, #NFDB
490:I like to think of my good decisions today as investments in my future self. ~ Hugh Howey, #NFDB
491:Keep your sense of self; don't get caught up in what people want you to be. ~ LeAnn Rimes, #NFDB
492:Knowledge of the Self, which knows all, is Knowledge in perfection. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
493:Loneliness is a barrier that prevents one from uniting with the inner self. ~ Carl Rogers, #NFDB
494:Men are selfish and don't think about anything else but them self." pg. 45 ~ Sherry Argov, #NFDB
495:Note to self, lock bedroom door at night to keep perky morning people out. ~ Quinn Loftis, #NFDB
496:Self-censorship is insulting to the self. Timidity is a hopeless way forward. ~ Ai Weiwei, #NFDB
497:She tell me words give people permission
to be their fullest self. ~ Elizabeth Acevedo,#NFDB
498:The goal is not to be better than the other man, but your previous self. ~ Dalai Lama XIV, #NFDB
499:The more one forgets one’s own self, the more human the person becomes. ~ Viktor E Frankl, #NFDB
500:The only one who gets to canoodle in my bedroom is my magnificent self. ~ Cassandra Clare, #NFDB
501:To be published = the socialization of the self. What a base necessity! ~ Fernando Pessoa, #NFDB
502:True wisdom consists in two things: Knowledge of God and Knowledge of Self. ~ John Calvin, #NFDB
503:An English gentleman never shines his shoes, but then nor does a lazy bastard. ~ Will Self, #NFDB
504:Happiness lies within one's self, and the way to dig it out is cocaine. ~ Aleister Crowley, #NFDB
505:Home is a symbol of the self. Caring for a home is caring for one’s self. ~ Gloria Steinem, #NFDB
506:Humans have a soul which is their real higher self; a Divine, Mighty, Being. ~ Edward Bach, #NFDB
507:I am going to be the woman you fear. my true self. (Track Twenty-Five Remix) ~ Alicia Cook, #NFDB
508:If you keep hold of your Self, you will not see the objective world. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
509:I see the meaning of apocalypse as an unveiling of our deeper self. ~ Barbara Marx Hubbard, #NFDB
510:Life is not about finding your true self, but creating who you wish to be. ~ Steve Redhead, #NFDB
511:Note to self, Richard Badcock, add to list: Maim for mistreatment of my Jenn. ~ Penny Reid, #NFDB
512:Once we admit our existence, how is it that we do not know our Self? ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
513:On the vaporization and the centralization of the Self. All is there. ~ Charles Baudelaire, #NFDB
514:Open your heart and see the world through the eyes of the true Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
515:Real self-respect comes from dominion over self, from true independence. ~ Stephen R Covey, #NFDB
516:Thales was asked what was very difficult; he said: To know one's self. ~ Diogenes La rtius, #NFDB
517:The subtle effort not to love what truly is, is known as the separate self, ~ Rupert Spira, #NFDB
518:To love is to be balanced, to extend one's self beyond the sense of self. ~ Frederick Lenz, #NFDB
519:We are in search of our most authentic, vital, generous, and wise self. ~ Elizabeth Lesser, #NFDB
520:What can not be spoken to the [m]other cannot be told to the self. ~ Bessel A van der Kolk, #NFDB
521:You always exist. The Be-ing is the Self. ‘I am’ is the name of God. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
522:You have mourned over others; now sit down for a while and weep over your own self. ~ Rumi, #NFDB
523:All the good maxims which are in the world fail when applied to one's self. ~ Blaise Pascal, #NFDB
524:Banish'd from [those we love] Is self from self: a deadly banishment! ~ William Shakespeare, #NFDB
525:…he stood behind her, tall and pale, like the ghost of his former self… ~ Louisa May Alcott, #NFDB
526:I do have a fantasy life in which I can grout bathrooms - but not for a living. ~ Will Self, #NFDB
527:In truth you cannot separate them, your public being and your private self. ~ Hilary Mantel, #NFDB
528:It could be argued that every age gets the comfort savagery writer it deserves. ~ Will Self, #NFDB
529:Justice and injustice indeed begins and ends with the self. ~ Syed Muhammad Naquib al Attas, #NFDB
530:Love is when each person is more concerned for the other than for one's self. ~ David Frost, #NFDB
531:You hope that your teenage self would like and forgive your 50-year-old self. ~ Hugh Laurie, #NFDB
532:A great poet does not express his or her self; he expresses all of our selves. ~ Gary Snyder, #NFDB
533:cease to be a slave to self, and no man will have the power to enslave you. As ~ James Allen, #NFDB
534:Fear is only in duality. Fear is Mind. When you are your Self, there is no fear. ~ Sivananda, #NFDB
535:God is the highest place within each and every one of us. It's our divine self. ~ Wayne Dyer, #NFDB
536:How beautiful, if sorrow had not made Sorrow more Beautiful than Beauty’s self. ~ John Keats, #NFDB
537:How beautiful, if sorrow had not made Sorrow more beautiful than Beauty's self. ~ John Keats, #NFDB
538:I don't believe anyone who says love, love, love. It means self, self, self. ~ Graham Greene, #NFDB
539:In reality every reader is, while he is reading, the reader of his own self. ~ Marcel Proust, #NFDB
540:Listen to your own Self. If you listen to that Self within, then you find the Truth. ~ Kabir, #NFDB
541:Man’s mind is the dupe of his animal self. ~ Sri Aurobindo, Collected Poems, A God’s Labour, #NFDB
542:Sad state to spend your life in. Being afraid of your own self." Rex Walls ~ Jeannette Walls, #NFDB
543:Surrender to your own self, of which everything is an expression. ~ Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, #NFDB
544:Teaching memoir is teaching vulnerability is teaching voice is teaching self. ~ Beth Kephart, #NFDB
545:The essence of independence is to be able to do something for one’s self. ~ Maria Montessori, #NFDB
546:There is nothing for it [the Self] to know or to make itself known to. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
547:The Self is pure consciousness. No one can ever be away from the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
548:To forgive a fault in another is more sublime than to be faultless one's self. ~ George Sand, #NFDB
549:You have untold strengths and resources inside. You have your glorious self. ~ Sue Monk Kidd, #NFDB
550:Be your true self. Because if you're not, there are consequences to be paid. ~ Wendell Pierce, #NFDB
551:But mostly they just sat there, cemented in place by their secretions of chatter. ~ Will Self, #NFDB
552:conversion stories are one of the classic Western narratives about the self. ~ Kathryn Schulz, #NFDB
553:Friendship allows you to see your own life but with a second sympathetic self. ~ David Brooks, #NFDB
554:If you have no confidence in self, you are twice defeated in the race of life ~ Marcus Garvey, #NFDB
555:I see knowledge of self. I know who I am. When I look in the mirror, I see me. ~ Tracy Morgan, #NFDB
556:It had to be found, the pristine source in one’s own self, it had to be possessed ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
557:It’s not in having things, but in having mastery, having victory over self. ~ Stephen R Covey, #NFDB
558:n the face of a true friend a man sees as it were a second self...... ~ Marcus Tullius Cicero, #NFDB
559:One should never do that to another which one regards as injurious to one's own self. ~ Vyasa, #NFDB
560:Personally, I like to start my day off as a Saint and graduate to my Sinner self! ~ Kat Von D, #NFDB
561:Sancho Panza by name is my own self, if I was not changed in my cradle. ~ Miguel de Cervantes, #NFDB
562:There is no greater punishment than that of being abandoned to one's self. ~ Pasquier Quesnel, #NFDB
563:We are either becoming more of our true selves or drifting into a false self. In ~ Jeff Goins, #NFDB
564:What cannot be communicated to the [m]other cannot be communicated to the self. ~ John Bowlby, #NFDB
565:What is needed is not the removal of the trouble but the conquest of self. ~ Charles Spurgeon, #NFDB
566:When you write, you write out of your best self. Everything else drops away. ~ Salman Rushdie, #NFDB
567:Without favour none will know you, and with it you will not know your selfe. ~ George Herbert, #NFDB
568:Assent to thy high self, create, endure.
~ Sri Aurobindo, Savitri, The Vision and the Boon,#NFDB
569:If I could go back to my younger self, I'd be like, "Not everything's permanent." ~ Mila Kunis, #NFDB
570:If you have no confidence in self, you are twice defeated in the race of life. ~ Marcus Garvey, #NFDB
571:It is not that sport, over-indulged in, coarsens the mind; it is that it dulls it. ~ Will Self, #NFDB
572:just the suffocating constancy of my own self, that numb and desperate company. — ~ Emma Cline, #NFDB
573:Love the whole world as if it were your self; then you will truly care for all things. ~ Laozi, #NFDB
574:Marcia's fine," said his older self. "And that is all you want to know right now. ~ Angie Sage, #NFDB
575:The person you call an enemy is an exaggerated aspect of your own shadow self. ~ Deepak Chopra, #NFDB
576:The Universe is the game of the self, which plays hide and seek forever and ever. ~ Alan Watts, #NFDB
577:When maintaining a relationship means diminishing your self, it's time to walk. ~ Dov Davidoff, #NFDB
578:When you get to know your self, you get to know everyone and everything on the planet. ~ Rakim, #NFDB
579:A subject emerges from an interaction between my self, my I, and my medium. ~ Robert Motherwell, #NFDB
580:I'm learning to "master self" while rising from the ashes of madness. ~ Stanley Tookie Williams, #NFDB
581:It is always legitimate to wish to rise above one's self, never above others. ~ Julia Ward Howe, #NFDB
582:Learn from the mistakes of others you won't have time to make them all your self ~ Jill Shalvis, #NFDB
583:My business skills have come from being guided by my inner self - my intuition. ~ Oprah Winfrey, #NFDB
584:The most deadly mammal on the planet is a silent, smiling woman. -Note to self ~ Lani Lynn Vale, #NFDB
585:Two purposes in human nature rule. Self- love to urge, and reason to restrain. ~ Alexander Pope, #NFDB
586:We are made up of nothing. There is no self. We are whatever we decide we are. ~ Frederick Lenz, #NFDB
587:Yoga means connection – connection with the cosmos that transcends the limited self. ~ Amit Ray, #NFDB
588:Comparing yourself to others is an act of violence against your authentic self. ~ Iyanla Vanzant, #NFDB
589:Every other religion is a salvation by self, Christianity is a salvation by Christ. ~ Max Lucado, #NFDB
590:God or Guru never forsakes the devotee who has surrendered him [her] self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
591:in the heart of a sinner, awe of God is very quickly replaced by awe of self. ~ Paul David Tripp, #NFDB
592:Many a book is like a key to unknown chambers within the castle of one’s own self. ~ Franz Kafka, #NFDB
593:Men were strictly for pleasure and for experimenting with versions of the self. ~ Margot Livesey, #NFDB
594:Okay note to self: news of the end of the world is best taken on an empty stomach. ~ Lola St Vil, #NFDB
595:Some people just don't like to be their self. I'm always looking, analyzing myself. ~ India Arie, #NFDB
596:The novelist, quite rightly, fears the psychoanalyst as both an enemy and a usurper. ~ Will Self, #NFDB
597:What is the difference in being alone with another and being alone by one's self? ~ Henrik Ibsen, #NFDB
598:Be your own leader, be your own self, step out of my shadows and be your own person. ~ Snoop Dogg, #NFDB
599:God loves you and everything about you, so why beat up on your precious self. ~ Nicole Ari Parker, #NFDB
600:Happiness and misery are only in the senses, they cannot touch our real Self. ~ Swami Vivekananda, #NFDB
601:In searching for the self, one cannot simultaneously be the hunter and the hunted. ~ Gilbert Ryle, #NFDB
602:I see." I didn't see, though. How do we ever see something about our own self? ~ Elizabeth Strout, #NFDB
603:It takes tenacity and daring to travel the darkest interior of one's self. ~ Sarah Ban Breathnach, #NFDB
604:Just don’t write like a self -hating Jew,” my father is whispering into my ear. ~ Gary Shteyngart, #NFDB
605:Often it's the deepest pain which empowers you to grow into your highest self. ~ Karen Salmansohn, #NFDB
606:Rebirth entailed a true death, the severing of one's memory and the loss of one's self. ~ Zen Cho, #NFDB
607:She was just a shell of her former self, functioning and talking but hardly alive. ~ Sarah Dessen, #NFDB
608:Sometimes the crowd is the madness - at others it's the absence of the crowd that is. ~ Will Self, #NFDB
609:The idea is that awe all have a shadow, which comprises denied aspects of the self. ~ Lauren Kate, #NFDB
610:The mind is only a projection from the Self, appearing in the waking state. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
611:These two criteria are like the pillars of true love: deeds, and the gift of self. ~ Pope Francis, #NFDB
612:The source of love isn’t in your self. It isn’t in your experience. It’s in you. ~ John de Ruiter, #NFDB
613:What a fool you must be," said my head to my heart, or my sterner to my softer self. ~ Anne Bront, #NFDB
614:What of us lies in the hearts of others is our truest and deepest self. ~ Johann Gottfried Herder, #NFDB
615:Honoring the Self, an excellent book on self-esteem written by Nathaniel Branden. ~ Melody Beattie, #NFDB
616:If I were to start taking care of my grooming, I would no longer be my own self. ~ Albert Einstein, #NFDB
617:If you know the Self, there will be no darkness, no ignorance and no misery. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
618:Note to self: Overthrow government of magical Britain at earliest convenience. ~ Eliezer Yudkowsky, #NFDB
619:Something in her drove him to be his very best self, both as a Dom and as a man. ~ Claire Thompson, #NFDB
620:Success comes when you have the trust on self, passion to transcend, and courage to do. ~ Amit Ray, #NFDB
621:What a fool you must be," said my head to my heart, or my sterner to my softer self. ~ Anne Bronte, #NFDB
622:A complete fast is a complete and literal denial of self. It is the truest prayer. ~ Mahatma Gandhi, #NFDB
623:As a spark proceeds from fire, individuality emanates from the Absolute Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
624:Be your self! All you are now doing, thinking, desiring, is not you yourself. ~ Friedrich Nietzsche, #NFDB
625:Coffee is a way of stealing time that should by rights belong to your older self. ~ Terry Pratchett, #NFDB
626:Each of us is more than one person, many people, a proliferation of our one self. ~ Fernando Pessoa, #NFDB
627:He was never dressed, but costumed to suit some mood of a new self. He was in disguise. ~ Ana s Nin, #NFDB
628:I loathe computers more and more, so I have one I can shut down and shelve like a book. ~ Will Self, #NFDB
629:I'm a sucker for, like, an endearing man who's like standing in his authentic self. ~ Teresa Palmer, #NFDB
630:I must not be selfless: develop a sense of self. A solidness that can't be attacked. ~ Sylvia Plath, #NFDB
631:Many a book is like a key to unknown chambers within the castle of one's own self.
~ Franz Kafka,#NFDB
632:Meditation is spending time with the self. It is the time to be intimated with the soul. ~ Amit Ray, #NFDB
633:Meditation on the Self, which is oneself, is the greatest of all meditations. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
634:Note to self: I take entirely too much pleasure in causing bodily harm to others. ~ Adrianne Brooks, #NFDB
635:Review the past, Learn the lessons, Forgive the self, Forgive others, Dwell in peace. ~ Caris Roane, #NFDB
636:Such a number of looking-glasses! oh Lord! there was no getting away from one's self. ~ Jane Austen, #NFDB
637:The Soul debases her self, when she sets her affections on any thing but her creator. ~ Mary Astell, #NFDB
638:Without changing one's self, without peace in one's self, world peace is not possible. ~ Dalai Lama, #NFDB
639:You are the Self. Was there ever a time when you were not aware of that Self? ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
640:As long as you do not live totally in the body, you do not live totally in the Self. ~ B K S Iyengar, #NFDB
641:Balance is not to be sought by association with others; it must exist within one's self. ~ Anais Nin, #NFDB
642:By the year 2020 the largest employer in the developed world will be the self. ~ Nicholas Negroponte, #NFDB
643:Can anything be so elegant as to have few wants, and to serve them one's self? ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson, #NFDB
644:Can anything be so elegant as to have few wants, and to serve them one’s self? ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson, #NFDB
645:Fear closes all doors to the true self, that brilliant center where the ecstasy lies. ~ Kenny Werner, #NFDB
646:Give up yourself, and you will find your real self. Lose your life and you will save it. ~ C S Lewis, #NFDB
647:I woke up this morning and I said to my self, 'Self, I think we need to party today'. ~ Nick Swisher, #NFDB
648:Look within. See the Self! There will be an end of the world and its miseries. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
649:Meditation is the freeing of ourselves from all mental states and concepts of self. ~ Frederick Lenz, #NFDB
650:The first and worst of all frauds is to cheat one's self. All sin is easy after that. ~ Pearl Bailey, #NFDB
651:The more you rationalize, the more you move farther away from your authentic self. ~ Shannon L Alder, #NFDB
652:There are three things extremely hard: steel, a diamond, and to know one's self. ~ Benjamin Franklin, #NFDB
653:There is no inside or outside for the Self. . . The Self is pure and absolute. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
654:What could begin to deny self, if there were not something in man different from self? ~ William Law, #NFDB
655:Whether one has surrendered or not, one has never been separate from the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
656:Broyard concludes that “it may not be dying we fear so much, but the diminished self ~ Arthur W Frank, #NFDB
657:But music is reflection of self, we just explain it, and then we get our checks in the mail. ~ Eminem, #NFDB
658:Everything you experience is a blessing and pushes you toward realizing your true self. ~ Vivian Amis, #NFDB
659:I lost my public self, or had it stolen. In a way, it was a form of identity theft. ~ Monica Lewinsky, #NFDB
660:It's hilarious to recognize how completely another person resembles your imperfect self. ~ Ian McEwan, #NFDB
661:Man, I put myself in a lot of comic strips. Something's wrong with my sense of self. ~ Stephan Pastis, #NFDB
662:Note to self: when feeling the music and thrusting hard, keep eyes open. At all times. ~ Meghan Quinn, #NFDB
663:The needs of the body are the needs of the divine self, which lives through the body. ~ B K S Iyengar, #NFDB
664:The questioner must admit the existence of his Self. ‘I am' is the realization. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
665:Whether one has surrendered or not, one has never been separate from the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
666:Wizard's Tenth Rule Willfully turning aside from the truth is treason to one's self. ~ Terry Goodkind, #NFDB
667:Challenge serves beautifully to introduce you to your best - and most brilliant - self. ~ Robin Sharma, #NFDB
668:Genetics do play a role in how you consciously or subconsciously manifest your true self. ~ Ben Harper, #NFDB
669:God Himself begins to live in me not only as my Creator but as my other and true self. ~ Thomas Merton, #NFDB
670:Happiness is not to be sought in solitude or in busy centers. It is in the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
671:I have a healthy appetite for solitude. If you don't, you have no business being a writer. ~ Will Self, #NFDB
672:jazz is the expression of America's romantic self, its sensual potency, its lyrical force. ~ Anais Nin, #NFDB
673:Note to self: When people say dicks come in all shapes and sizes, they are not kidding. ~ Meghan Quinn, #NFDB
674:Oh.' I shot upright. 'I was in Mongolia.' Note to self: learn to be a less extreme liar. ~ Ally Carter, #NFDB
675:That which rises and sets is the ego; that which remains changeless is the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
676:There's nothing as incomprehensible as your own inner self- and nothing as perilous. ~ Kyousuke Motomi, #NFDB
677:The secret to peace-of-mind is to not identify with anything other than your true self. ~ Robert Adams, #NFDB
678:The truth is how you say it, and to be 'one's self' is the most shocking custom of all. ~ Djuna Barnes, #NFDB
679:They are going to kill us, so I shall speak as my dead self, which is my best self. ~ Ta Nehisi Coates, #NFDB
680:They had been hiding out, waiting, given shelter by my intuitive self, all these years. ~ Ray Bradbury, #NFDB
681:You don’t need to marry a man with millions. You only need to be your exquisite self. ~ Anna Godbersen, #NFDB
682:A funny yet interesting read, Will Self knowa his stuff and must do a lot of deep research. ~ Will Self, #NFDB
683:and has found that the world, and the gods, and heaven are ... within his own Self. ~ Swami Vivekananda, #NFDB
684:As a bookish adolescent, I sopped up texts as if I were blotting paper and they were fluid. ~ Will Self, #NFDB
685:Faith is in the soul. Belief is thought. Faith is so rich. Faith gives me my spiritual self. ~ Ram Dass, #NFDB
686:If the seventies were bulbous, and the eighties sharp, the nineties were nothing but bogus. ~ Will Self, #NFDB
687:I think there's something we all relate to about...wanting to get to our most primal self. ~ Vin Diesel, #NFDB
688:Love, sought as an escape from the burden of the self, turns rapidly into a captivity. ~ Hugh MacLennan, #NFDB
689:Mortification is the soul's vigorous opposition to self, wherein sincerity is most evident. ~ John Owen, #NFDB
690:Mortification is the soul’s vigorous opposition to self, wherein sincerity is most evident. ~ John Owen, #NFDB
691:My one true love remains my self... I dump myself occasionally to keep it interesting ~ Cassandra Clare, #NFDB
692:Never by reflection, but only by doing is self- knowledge possible to one. ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, #NFDB
693:Nothing is more easy than to deceive one's self, as our affections are subtle persuaders. ~ Demosthenes, #NFDB
694:Our wounds are the only thing humbling enough to break our attachment to our false self. ~ Richard Rohr, #NFDB
695:The best discipline, maybe the only discipline that really works, is self- discipline. ~ Walter Kiechel, #NFDB
696:When we are weak, then are we strong. When most empty of self, we are most full of God. ~ Charles Hodge, #NFDB
697:But music is reflection of self, we just explain it, and then we get our
checks in the mail. ~ Eminem,#NFDB
698:I don't want to dig him or his sexy self. But I keep losing my clothes when I'm with him. ~ Jill Shalvis, #NFDB
699:If you move as a being in every experience of your self, your being replaces your self. ~ John de Ruiter, #NFDB
700:In spiritual matters, the only real glory is in the renunciation of glorifying self. ~ Richard Wurmbrand, #NFDB
701:Is there anyone who is not realizing the Self? Does anyone deny his own existence? ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
702:Loneliness is caused by an alienation from life. It is a loneliness from your real self. ~ Maxwell Maltz, #NFDB
703:Of course it's super special to create your own records; it really is a part of my self. ~ Martin Garrix, #NFDB
704:Ownership is yet another of the endless forms of arrogance engaged in by the lower self. ~ Bryant McGill, #NFDB
705:The place where even the slightest trace of the 'I' does not exist, alone is Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
706:There is no goal to be reached. There is nothing to be attained. You are the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
707:They have their big, ever-changing egos, but none has a self, a core, a sense of identity. ~ Erich Fromm, #NFDB
708:They say love thy neighbor as thy self , what am I supposed to do jerk him off too? ~ Rodney Dangerfield, #NFDB
709:We improve ourselves by victory over our self. There must be contests, and you must win. ~ Edward Gibbon, #NFDB
710:Whatever form your enquiry may take, you must finally come to the one I, the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
711:When you stop comparing yourself to him, you will find your true self. Be your own strong. ~ Lisa McMann, #NFDB
712:With every morn my life afresh must break The crust of self, gathered about me fresh. ~ George MacDonald, #NFDB
713:You have no obligations to your former self, they are dumber than you and they don’t exist. ~ Hank Green, #NFDB
714:Don't try to reach perfection. Just try to reach an inner and outer realization of self. ~ Imania Margria, #NFDB
715:Happiness is the very nature of the Self; happiness and the Self are not different. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
716:He had taken George, my beloved George, from me. And he had taken my other self: Anne. ~ Philippa Gregory, #NFDB
717:In the face of a true friend a man sees, as it were, a second self. —CICERO, De Amicitia I ~ Anne Fortier, #NFDB
718:In zazen, one is one's present self, what one was, and what one will be, all at once. ~ Peter Matthiessen, #NFDB
719:Knowing the Self is being the Self, and being means existence, one's own existence. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
720:Leadership is an opportunity to serve. It is not a trumpet call to self- importance. ~ Goswami Kriyananda, #NFDB
721:Learn to live more in the Self. Come down a little bit to eat and talk as necessary. ~ Goswami Kriyananda, #NFDB
722:Loving others is the greatest gift we can give ourselves. Altruism that rewards one's self. ~ Allan Lokos, #NFDB
723:Note to self: Try to stop reacting to surprises like a cartoon character.”
Jane Jameson ~ Molly Harper,#NFDB
724:Nothing can fully satisfy a person—but the Lord's love and the Lord's own self. ~ Charles Haddon Spurgeon, #NFDB
725:Oh.' I shot upright. 'I was in Mongolia.'
Note to self: learn to be a less extreme liar. ~ Ally Carter,#NFDB
726:Religion, like all things, begins with self, And naught is known, until one knows himself. ~ George Eliot, #NFDB
727:should I stop? No. That was my weak self, the one who whined and cried and drank in bed. ~ Mishka Shubaly, #NFDB
728:The organization of self, and all self-aligning principles would be those that I promote. ~ Saul Williams, #NFDB
729:The Self is all-comprising. In fact Self is all. There is nothing besides the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
730:All authority must be out of a man's self, turned . . . either upon an art, or upon a man. ~ Francis Bacon, #NFDB
731:Aspiring he transcends his earthly self. ~ Sri Aurobindo, Savitri, The Parable of the Search for the Soul, #NFDB
732:being in love with my people does not mean i hate others. how ridiculous is that. – self ~ Nayyirah Waheed, #NFDB
733:Fear and niceness, the handmaids of all women, or more truly, woman its pretty self. ~ William Shakespeare, #NFDB
734:for self-love is no more than the soothing of a man's self, which, done to another, is flattery. ~ Erasmus, #NFDB
735:For three weeks I was in a state of slippage, a gap widening between me and my usual self. ~ Jay Griffiths, #NFDB
736:If you can have faith in your real self, you'll suffer less. Be bold about who you really are. ~ Ann Curry, #NFDB
737:If you give up all else and seek Him alone, He alone will remain as the I, the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
738:I know of nothing more inspiring than that of making discoveries for ones self. ~ George Washington Carver, #NFDB
739:My best male friend is my best friend until he crosses me. We're all protective of the self. ~ Neil LaBute, #NFDB
740:Only those strong enough to keep silent about self are strong enough to be sure of self. ~ John Galsworthy, #NFDB
741:Silence is truth. Silence is bliss. Silence is peace. And hence Silence is the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
742:The danger of motherhood. you relive your early self, through the eyes of your mother. ~ Joyce Carol Oates, #NFDB
743:The greatest pride, or the greatest despondency, is the greatest ignorance of one's self. ~ Baruch Spinoza, #NFDB
744:The hero journey is inside of you; tear off the veils and open the mystery of your self. ~ Joseph Campbell, #NFDB
745:The more trust you develop in your body, the more trust you develop in your deeper self. ~ Stephen Russell, #NFDB
746:The only useful purpose of the present birth is to turn within and realize the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
747:There is but one cause of human failure. And that is man's lack of faith in his true Self. ~ William James, #NFDB
748:Those who have discovered great Truths have done so in the still depths of the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
749:Thoughts change but not you. Let go of the passing thoughts and hold on to the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
750:What is a cozy home? Where you enter and you feel the radiance of your divine self. ~ Harbhajan Singh Yogi, #NFDB
751:What should one do with the misery of the world in a scheme of the agreeable for one's self? ~ Henry James, #NFDB
752:What we seek in love is finding someone with whom we feel safe to reveal our true self. ~ Karen Salmansohn, #NFDB
753:When the mind is one with the deeper spirit, there results the absolute knowledge of the self. ~ Patanjali, #NFDB
754:While we must venture far to find our “true self,” it is also always with us. ~ Christine Valters Paintner, #NFDB
755:Woman is a ray of God, not a mere mistress,
The Creator's Self, as it were, not a mere creature! ~ Rumi,#NFDB
756:you” are a combination of the thinking self, the physical self, and the observing self. They ~ Russ Harris, #NFDB
757:A creative life cannot be sustained by approval any more than it can be destroyed by criticism. ~ Will Self, #NFDB
758:Creative life is always based on the values of the self, not on the values of the system. ~ Clark Moustakas, #NFDB
759:He no longer acts from self, but does what is right— what is universally and eternally right. ~ James Allen, #NFDB
760:Honor your self. Worship your self. Meditate on your self. God dwells within you as you. ~ Swami Muktananda, #NFDB
761:If you wou'd have Guests merry with your cheer, Be so your self, or so at least appear. ~ Benjamin Franklin, #NFDB
762:Peace prevails only in the transcendental state, which is the true state of the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
763:Purify yourself from the attributes of self, so that you may see your own pure, untarnished essence. ~ Rumi, #NFDB
764:See who you are and remain as the Self, free from birth, going, coming and returning. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
765:There are at least two distinct selves, the public and regal self, the private and human. ~ Walter Lippmann, #NFDB
766:Trust the comfy clothes you reach for day after day, your plain, regular, essential self. ~ Heather Sellers, #NFDB
767:What are the obstacles which hinder realization of the Self? They are habits of mind. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
768:When you become confident with your inner-self, the outside's just going to fall into place. ~ Billy Blanks, #NFDB
769:Without God, there is a danger that we will stay trapped within the prison of the self. As ~ Jonathan Sacks, #NFDB
770:A creative life cannot be sustained by approval, any more than it can be destroyed by criticism. ~ Will Self, #NFDB
771:All ego gone, living as That alone is penance good for growth, sings Ramana, the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
772:Get naked with your truth, offering the world your greatest gift: your authentic self. ~ Gabrielle Bernstein, #NFDB
773:I didn’t want to become anything other than my most vibrant, peaceful, and grateful self. ~ Elizabeth Lesser, #NFDB
774:I do not belong to any school, I simply want to do something that is personal to my self. ~ Edouard Vuillard, #NFDB
775:Living in the Spirit means a daily commitment to please Christ and not to please self. ~ Sinclair B Ferguson, #NFDB
776:One can hardly think too little of one’s self. One can hardly think too much of one’s soul. ~ G K Chesterton, #NFDB
777:Peace is always present. Get rid of the disturbances to Peace. This Peace is the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
778:Perfectionism is the enemy of creation, as extreme self- solitude is the enemy of well- being. ~ John Updike, #NFDB
779:PM está excesivamente organizada y se basa en gran medida en una ineficiente burocracia absurda. ~ Will Self, #NFDB
780:So true is it that all sin is ultimately against the Lord; so bitter is the root of self. ~ Alfred Edersheim, #NFDB
781:The mind does not exist apart from the Self, that is, it has no independent existence. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
782:There is no self, yet we all exist. All phenomena are "empty," yet they have Buddha nature. ~ Frederick Lenz, #NFDB
783:There's one blessing only, the source and cornerstone of beatitude: confidence in self. ~ Seneca the Younger, #NFDB
784:There's something so powerful about being my own gorgeous, beautiful, individual, unique self. ~ Alicia Keys, #NFDB
785:To dare is to momentarily lose one’s footing.
But not to dare is to lose one’s self. ~ S ren Kierkegaard,#NFDB
786:we can only flourish when we are truly grounded in self. keep that in mind when journeying. ~ Alexandra Elle, #NFDB
787:Without the eye, can there be sight or spectacle? The Self, the real Eye, is infinite. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
788:Any beauty you see in me is only a reflection of Him, any ugliness, a reflection of my self. ~ Yasmin Mogahed, #NFDB
789:Be yourself, because everyone else is taken. Fat or thin, be your wild, wonderful, unique self. ~ Mimi Strong, #NFDB
790:Choosing not to feel pain is choosing a sort of death, a withering away of the expansive self. ~ Deborah Blum, #NFDB
791:'I am' is reality. I am this or that is unreal. 'I am' is truth, another name for Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
792:I ask you to pass through life at my side—to be my second self, and best earthly companion. ~ Charlotte Bront, #NFDB
793:If you become aware of a public self, you're in danger of becoming a very artificial person. ~ Angelina Jolie, #NFDB
794:In an age of computer manipulation, surrealism has become banal, a shadow of its former self. ~ Milton Glaser, #NFDB
795:In martial arts, the biggest enemy is self. Inside you struggle because you want to prove something. ~ Jet Li, #NFDB
796:In the end, I understand his desire, the self’s desire to silence the self, and thus the world. ~ Jesmyn Ward, #NFDB
797:Love the world. Otherwise, you will be forced to carry the heaviest load: your own bitter self. ~ Sri Chinmoy, #NFDB
798:Mental note to self: Next time make sure we're both naked before I piss her off.
Javier ~ Eve Langlais,#NFDB
799:Note to self: When noticing flyaway hairs, do not use lip gloss as an 'on-the-go' hair gel. ~ Danica McKellar, #NFDB
800:Open your heart and see the world through the eyes of the true Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi #TuesdayMotivation, #NFDB
801:Pardon me, dear human self, capable of the most heinous degradation, capable of soaring. ~ Sena Jeter Naslund, #NFDB
802:People tend to think of their lives as having a dramatic arc, because they read too much fiction. ~ Will Self, #NFDB
803:Petty things become unimportant when people are impassioned about a purpose higher than self. ~ Stephen Covey, #NFDB
804:Rhythm to me is essentially what Hopkins called the taste of self. I taste myself as rhythm. ~ Stanley Kunitz, #NFDB
805:Right now in what I am about to say or do, do my desires stem from my lower or my higher self? ~ Wayne W Dyer, #NFDB
806:Self is always there. One seeks to destroy the obstacles to the revelation of the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
807:That was the greatest night of my existence. For a few hours I stood face to face with “self!” I ~ Nellie Bly, #NFDB
808:The more one gives one's self in creative union with another, the more one becomes one's self. ~ Richard Rohr, #NFDB
809:There is abundant testimony that if we choose love rather than self, we gain immeasurably. ~ Federico Fellini, #NFDB
810:There is but one cause of human failure. And that is man's lack of faith in his true Self.
~ William James,#NFDB
811:There is no extending of the Self, for it is as ever, without contraction or expansion. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
812:There is no self. There is nobody home. No forwarding address, no zip code. Address unknown. ~ Frederick Lenz, #NFDB
813:We aren't anything in particular. There is no self. There are only ideas and states of mind. ~ Frederick Lenz, #NFDB
814:You have no fixed self. This is only an illusion that causes you to feel pain and suffering. ~ Frederick Lenz, #NFDB
815:You have to be true to yourself, don't you? That's all I'm doing, being true to my real self. ~ Paula Hawkins, #NFDB
816:A brand is who you are. But it’s more than that. It’s your truest self. The part people remember. ~ Jeff Goins, #NFDB
817:Art requires, above all things, a suppression of self, a subordination of one's self to an idea. ~ Henry James, #NFDB
818:"Christ like Buddha is an embodiment of the self . . . Both stood for an overcoming of the world." ~ Carl Jung, #NFDB
819:Destiny changes, Fate changes, just believe in your inner self, your dreams and your strength ~ Anamika Mishra, #NFDB
820:I ask you to pass through life at my side—to be my second self, and best earthly companion. ~ Charlotte Bronte, #NFDB
821:I entered (into my inward self) and beheld with the eye of my soul...the Light Unchangeable. ~ Saint Augustine, #NFDB
822:I’ve come to believe in some kind of afterlife. A return to our true selves, a spirit self. We’re ~ Kent Haruf, #NFDB
823:Much of your pain is the bitter potion by which the physician within you heals your sick self. ~ Khalil Gibran, #NFDB
824:Nothing adds such dignity to character as the recognition of one's self- sovereignty. ~ Elizabeth Cady Stanton, #NFDB
825:Only one’s own awareness is direct knowledge. No aids are needed to know one’s own Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
826:Praie and shifte eche one for him selfe, as he can.Euery man for him selfe, and god for us all. ~ John Heywood, #NFDB
827:Praise they that will times past, I joy to see My selfe now live: this age best pleaseth mee. ~ Robert Herrick, #NFDB
828:Sad state to spend your life in. Being afraid of your own self." Rex Walls, The Glass Castle ~ Jeannette Walls, #NFDB
829:The constancy of the wise is only the art of keeping disquietude to one's self. ~ Francois de La Rochefoucauld, #NFDB
830:The spiritual life is a reaching out to our innermost self, to our fellow human and to our God. ~ Henri Nouwen, #NFDB
831:The whole objective universe is created, ordered, by our perception and by our sense of self. ~ Frederick Lenz, #NFDB
832:When a woman conceives her true self, a miracle occurs and life around her begins again. ~ Marianne Williamson, #NFDB
833:When you see the Seer, you merge in the Self, you become one with it; that is the heart. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
834:You're gon' have to say to your self, am I gon' believe what them fools say about me today? ~ Kathryn Stockett, #NFDB
835:But though the ways led away from the self, their end nevertheless always led back to the self. ~ Hermann Hesse, #NFDB
836:Everyone sees other people differently because everyone is projecting aspects of him or her self. ~ Debbie Ford, #NFDB
837:Grace is the Self. That also is not to be acquired; you only need to know that it exists. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
838:He who experiences the unity of life sees his own self in all beings & all beings in his own self. ~ Buddha, #NFDB
839:I don't recognize my former self. Like I'm on the outside looking in at my life. Who is that guy? ~ Victor Cruz, #NFDB
840:Indifference of every kind is reprehensible, even indifference towards one's self. ~ Marie von Ebner Eschenbach, #NFDB
841:It is the nature of the self to manifest itself, In every atom slumbers the might of the self. ~ Muhammad Iqbal, #NFDB
842:Note to self: Pasty-skinned programmers ought not stand in the Mojave desert for multiple hours. ~ John Carmack, #NFDB
843:Note to self, when a girl’s smile makes you forget your own name – you’re in some deep shit. ~ Rachel Van Dyken, #NFDB
844:Note to self: When causing the sewer system of Manhattan to explode, do not stand underneath it. ~ Rick Riordan, #NFDB
845:Stand as a rock; you are indestructible. You are the Self (atman), the God of the universe. ~ Swami Vivekananda, #NFDB
846:The clash is epic and internal, between the ego and the Self, and the stakes are our lives. ~ Steven Pressfield, #NFDB
847:To have a friendship with God, all I really have to do is have a friendship with my Self. ~ Neale Donald Walsch, #NFDB
848:Unwholesome action, hurting self, comes easily. Wholesome action, healing self, takes effort. ~ Thich Nhat Hanh, #NFDB
849:As the render is to the building, and the blueprint to the machine, so sport is to social existence. ~ Will Self, #NFDB
850:A whole time can reduce down to a single taste, a moment. A whole person down to the skelf of a self ~ Ali Smith, #NFDB
851:Being cool is being your own self, not doing something that someone else is telling you to do. ~ Vanessa Hudgens, #NFDB
852:Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self. ~ Cyril Connolly, #NFDB
853:But, self, that thing was on TV, and this one wants to tear your liver out your nose. Run. ~ Michael R Underwood, #NFDB
854:Die to self. Live for Christ. And then do what you want, and go where you want, for God's glory. ~ Kevin DeYoung, #NFDB
855:Don't try it," he said. The mutant was reading my mind. "You, boy, you're a literary trainspotter... ~ Will Self, #NFDB
856:It is in their 'good' characters that novelists make, unawares, the most shocking self- revelations. ~ C S Lewis, #NFDB
857:Keep an open mind, dive within and find out the Self. The truth will itself dawn upon you. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
858:Love exposes you, makes you vulnerable and kills the personas you built on top of your true self. ~ Suketu Mehta, #NFDB
859:NOTE TO SELF: Humans tend to pop up where you least expect them-and some of them have whistles. ~ Betty G Birney, #NFDB
860:She had expected a pistol to seem light and natural-a seamless extension of her angry feral self. ~ Lorrie Moore, #NFDB
861:Start copying what you love. Copy copy copy copy. At the end of the copy you will find your self. ~ Austin Kleon, #NFDB
862:The best asset is your own self. You can become to an enormous degree the person you want to be ~ Warren Buffett, #NFDB
863:truth of self. to be honest with myself I was never what you wanted I was just the one you settled for ~ R H Sin, #NFDB
864:What is originality? It is being one's self, and reporting accurately what we see and are. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson, #NFDB
865:What other dungeon is so dark as one's own heart! What jailer so inexorable as one's self! ~ Nathaniel Hawthorne, #NFDB
866:When the prayer becomes the vibration of the mind and self, then we can create a miracle. ~ Harbhajan Singh Yogi, #NFDB
867:If silence only conveys the Self, if all words and thoughts are illusions, why do we discuss it? ~ Frederick Lenz, #NFDB
868:If you have not experienced the death of self, your spiritual life will have little real progress. ~ Watchman Nee, #NFDB
869:My mother never wanted me to focus on my physical self. She always said that beauty is what you do. ~ Halle Berry, #NFDB
870:Our love of home is in turn an acknowledgement of the degree to which our identity is not self. ~ Alain de Botton, #NFDB
871:Paradoxically, as we become more and more like Christ we become more uniquely our own true self. ~ David G Benner, #NFDB
872:The best discipline is to stay quiescent without ever forgetting Him [Her] (God, the Self). ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
873:The deep contemplative thought of the Self, constitutes self-surrender to the Supreme Lord. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
874:The ego is a false perception of self. It's an idea, a transitory identity that we've picked up. ~ Frederick Lenz, #NFDB
875:The greatest achievement in life is to become your own best self. Nothing external can help with that. ~ Dee Hock, #NFDB
876:The master of any craft is first a master of self, cooperating with innate intelligence within. ~ Bryant H McGill, #NFDB
877:The mind turned inwards is the Self; turned outwards, it becomes the ego and all the world. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
878:There is a God part in you. The consciousness. The pure Self. Learn to listen the voice of that Power. ~ Amit Ray, #NFDB
879:What could be more concrete than the Self? It is within each one’s experience every moment. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
880:What other dungeon is so dark as one's own heart! What jailer so in exorable as one's self! ~ Nathaniel Hawthorne, #NFDB
881:You'll be surprised how much better you feel about the world when you feel better about your self. ~ Wynonna Judd, #NFDB
882:a dream long lost in the compulsive effort to fill space, to replicate some family image of self. ~ William Gibson, #NFDB
883:Being fully in the present, you experience the timeless. In the timeless, you find your true self. ~ Deepak Chopra, #NFDB
884:Call it by any name, God, Self, the Heart, or the Seat of Consciousness, it is all the same. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
885:Coffee was only a way of stealing time that should by rights belong to your slightly older self. ~ Terry Pratchett, #NFDB
886:Each of our good thoughts tears the veil behind which appears the pure, the infinite, God, our self. ~ Vivekananda, #NFDB
887:Envy is ever joined with the comparing of a man's self; and where there is no comparison, no envy. ~ Francis Bacon, #NFDB
888:In saying my prayers, I discovered the voice of an innermost self, the raw nerve of my identity. ~ Gelsey Kirkland, #NFDB
889:I was constantly watching myself, my secret self, as dependent on my actions as my own personality ~ Joseph Conrad, #NFDB
890:Know your mind. Then see the world. You will realize that it is not different from the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
891:Kripalu Institute for Extraordinary Living; author of Yoga and the Quest for the True Self ~ Bessel A van der Kolk, #NFDB
892:life is what you make of it. If you take it too seriously you just end up injuring your own self. ~ J D Hollyfield, #NFDB
893:Note to self: If you’re trying not to have kids, don’t marry a lady who is the Titan of motherhood. ~ Rick Riordan, #NFDB
894:Now comes the hour to choose between being acceptable to others or being acceptable to one’s own self, ~ Morrissey, #NFDB
895:One can hardly think too little of one's self. One can hardly think too much of one's soul. ~ Gilbert K Chesterton, #NFDB
896:Our best work is done, our greatest influence is exerted, when we are without thought of self. ~ Swami Vivekananda, #NFDB
897:Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. ~ Rick Warren, #NFDB
898:Start copying what you love. Copy copy copy copy. At the end of the copy you will find your self. ~ Yohji Yamamoto, #NFDB
899:The idea of time is only in your mind. It is not in the Self. There is no time for the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
900:The only circumstances in which I would write a roman a clef would be if I'd lost my fucking car keys. ~ Will Self, #NFDB
901:The perceiver of the dream, the one whom the dream is unfolding before, is what we call the Self. ~ Frederick Lenz, #NFDB
902:The seer and the seen are the Self. There are not many selves either. All are only one Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
903:Whatever respect photography may once have deserved is now superfluous in view of its own superfluity. ~ Will Self, #NFDB
904:What you pay attention to grows. Pay attention to your loveliness, your magnificent self. Begin now. ~ Geneen Roth, #NFDB
905:When the source of the ‘I thought’ is reached it vanishes and what remains over is the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
906:ANARCHY, or the government of each man by himself or as the English say, self -government. ~ Pierre Joseph Proudhon, #NFDB
907:Boredom, rooted in a fundamental discomfort with the self, is one of the least tolerable mental states. ~ Gabor Mat, #NFDB
908:Each of our good thoughts tears the veil behind which appears the pure, the infinite, God, our self. ~ Vivekananda, #NFDB
909:Follow the three R's: - Respect for self. - Respect for others. - Responsibility for all your actions. ~ Dalai Lama, #NFDB
910:For, know that each soul constantly meets its own self. No problem may be run away from. Meet it now! ~ Edgar Cayce, #NFDB
911:Guilt is really self- condemnation and self-invalidation of our worth and value as a human being. ~ David R Hawkins, #NFDB
912:Having a sense of purpose is having a sense of self. A course to plot is a destination to hope for. ~ Bryant McGill, #NFDB
913:I do not want to meet my evil self,' said Pearl.
Draconus glanced across at him. 'Who does? ~ Steven Erikson,#NFDB
914:If you are all open in your heart, you are clean. If you are all open in your self, you are naive. ~ John de Ruiter, #NFDB
915:In advanced meditation you become light. You transcend self, ego, time, space, and dimensionality. ~ Frederick Lenz, #NFDB
916:Love is my true identity. Selflessness is my true self. Love is my true character. Love is my name. ~ Thomas Merton, #NFDB
917:The phrase "think for one's self" is a pleonasm. Unless one does it for one's self, it isn't thinking. ~ John Dewey, #NFDB
918:There is only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that's your own self. ~ Aldous Huxley, #NFDB
919:Wait, I'm deciding to be my own individual self. And it looks nothing like what anyone else is doing. ~ Alicia Keys, #NFDB
920:When it comes right down to it, all you have is your self. Your Self is a sun with a thousand rays. ~ Pablo Picasso, #NFDB
921:Being your self its all a takes if you want to be impressed someone dont be some one else just be your self ~ Selena, #NFDB
922:did. Note to self: When causing the sewer system of Manhattan to explode, do not stand underneath it. ~ Rick Riordan, #NFDB
923:Does the world say that it exists? It is you who say that there is a world. Find out the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
924:Holmes had returned entirely to his old self – secretive, over-confident and thoroughly annoying. ~ Anthony Horowitz, #NFDB
925:I am my remembering self, and the experiencing self, who does my living, is like a stranger to me. ~ Daniel Kahneman, #NFDB
926:Ian stepped out to where he knew I could clearly see and identify his tall, dark, and dangerous self. ~ Lisa Shearin, #NFDB
927:"I have suggested calling the total personality which, though present, cannot be fully known, the self." ~ Carl Jung, #NFDB
928:In all unbelief there are these two things: a good opinion of one's self, and a bad opinion of God. ~ Horatius Bonar, #NFDB
929:Note to self, Leo thought groggily. Do not leave boxes of magic grenades where dwarfs can reach them. ~ Rick Riordan, #NFDB
930:Order means light and peace, inward liberty and free command over one's self; order is power. ~ Henri Frederic Amiel, #NFDB
931:Regrets when you're dead? A past when you're dead? Is there never any escaping the junkyard of the self? ~ Ali Smith, #NFDB
932:Ritual disposal of the dead speaks clearly of an awareness of death, and thus an awareness of self. ~ Richard Leakey, #NFDB
933:Saying that someone is full of themselves is silly. Who else can one be full of … except self? ~ Mokokoma Mokhonoana, #NFDB
934:Seeking the ego, ego disappears. What is left over is the Self. This method is the direct one. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
935:That love of self, which the world advocates, is a thousand times more dangerous than any poison. ~ Francois Fenelon, #NFDB
936:The fictional work is a kind of actor that wears a satirical garb but can put on other costumes as well. ~ Will Self, #NFDB
937:The individual is not separate from God. Hence love means one has love towards one's own Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
938:The individual is not separate from God. Hence love means one has love towards one’s own Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
939:The Jiva is a spirit and self, superior to Nature. ~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, The Release from the Ego, #NFDB
940:This is not the case. There is nothing that is not the Self. The Self does not have to be realized. ~ Frederick Lenz, #NFDB
941:To live in prison is to live without mirrors. To live without mirrors is to live without the self. ~ Margaret Atwood, #NFDB
942:What disintegrates in periods of rapid transformation is not the self, but its defenses and assumptions. ~ Joan Macy, #NFDB
943:attraction to and tolerance for the bizarre, other-centeredness that results in abandonment of self, ~ Melody Beattie, #NFDB
944:Being best at things has nothing to do with talent; it is all about self - discipline and commitment. ~ M F Moonzajer, #NFDB
945:Books simply help you to see what is already within your self. That's what enlightenment is all about. ~ Robin Sharma, #NFDB
946:Dear 25 year old [note: not “Dear 25-year-old me” or “Dear 25-year-old self,” just “Dear 25 year old”], ~ Allie Brosh, #NFDB
947:Delia's arms were inscribed with a grid of self- inflicted wounds, an intricate text of self-loathing ~ Jay McInerney, #NFDB
948:Having a sense of purpose is having a sense of self. A course to plot is a destination to hope for. ~ Bryant H McGill, #NFDB
949:If I’d said that to my sensible, smutty, twelve-year-old self, he would have laughed until he hemorrhaged ~ Greg Egan, #NFDB
950:If the Truth is known, the universe and what is beyond it will be found to be only in the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
951:Perfect bliss is Brahman. Perfect peace is of the Self. That alone exists and is consciousness. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
952:psychic dismemberment,” which is the loss of our identity, our ways of thinking, and our sense of self. ~ Mary Pipher, #NFDB
953:The essence of warrior traits are demonstrated by : integrity with self, and honesty with others ~ Soke Behzad Ahmadi, #NFDB
954:The more expanded your sense of self, the more possibilities are released from the level of the soul. ~ Deepak Chopra, #NFDB
955:There is always the light of Consciousness or Self, like the hall lamp which is always burning. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
956:Thoroughly to believe in one's own self, so one's self were thorough, were to do great things. ~ Alfred Lord Tennyson, #NFDB
957:Thou hast struck a heavy blow at my pride, at the false god of self, and I lie in pieces before Thee. But ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
958:To study the self is to forget the self. To forget the self is to be enlightened by the ten thousand things. ~ Dogen, #NFDB
959:We imagine that we will realize that Self some time whereas we are never anything but the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
960:You have the freedom to be yourself, your true self, here and now, and nothing can stand in your way". ~ Richard Bach, #NFDB
961:A man who rightly governs self, may also govern family without the crippling cowardice, crutch of control. ~ T F Hodge, #NFDB
962:Don’t trust any thoughts you have between two a.m. and five a.m. It’s like listening to your drunk self. ~ Lucy Clarke, #NFDB
963:Everyone needs a strong sense of self. It is our base of operations for everything that we do in life. ~ Julia Alvarez, #NFDB
964:Fame of self: Which matters more? Self or wealth: Which is more precious? Gain or loss: Which is more painful? ~ Laozi, #NFDB
965:If you want a new outcome, you will have to break the habit of being yourself, and reinvent a new self. ~ Joe Dispenza, #NFDB
966:I'm glad you're back to your normal, perverted self. That half hour you practiced self control was awful. ~ Vi Keeland, #NFDB
967:I was my usual charming morning self, threatening blood feud with anyone fool enough to disturb my dreams. ~ Glen Cook, #NFDB
968:Many of our problems with anger occur when we choose between having a relationship and having a self. ~ Harriet Lerner, #NFDB
969:Nobody listened to an old voice anymore. Old voices became a part of one’s self, like a fingernail. ~ Charles Bukowski, #NFDB
970:Nothing is so tiresome to one's self, as well as so odious to others, as disguise and affectation. ~ Benjamin Franklin, #NFDB
971:The purpose of philosophy is to turn you inward. If you know your Self, no evil can come to you. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
972:The spirit is the true self, not that physical figure which can be pointed out by your finger. ~ Marcus Tullius Cicero, #NFDB
973:we first develop the Ego, then encounter the Soul, and finally give birth to a unique sense of Self. ~ Carol S Pearson, #NFDB
974:We imagine that we will realize that Self some time, whereas we are never anything but the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
975:You are an endless conglomeration of awareness. You're not one singular self. You're a corporation. ~ Frederick Lenz, #NFDB
976:You can’t put much on paper before you betray your secret self, try as you will to keep things civil. ~ Patricia Hampl, #NFDB
977:And how can someone be described as flawless [or protector] who is not freed from his lower self ~ Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, #NFDB
978:Books simply help you to see what is already within your self. That’s what enlightenment is all about. ~ Robin S Sharma, #NFDB
979:Buddha indicated that the self, that part of you that incarnates from lifetime to lifetime was causal. ~ Frederick Lenz, #NFDB
980:Every autobiography is concerned with two characters, a Don Quixote, the Ego, and a Sancho Panza, the Self. ~ W H Auden, #NFDB
981:Having realized the Self, nothing remains to be known because it is perfect Bliss, it is the All. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
982:If people lose their land, they have nothing. You lose your land - you lose your culture, you lose self. ~ Richard Gere, #NFDB
983:Inner-calm will lead you on a beautiful journey back to your original self; the perfect, beautiful you. ~ Bryant McGill, #NFDB
984:Kill yourself or don’t kill yourself, but stop torturing me. I’m trying to move on with my life. ~ Chuck Palahniuk, #NFDB
985:Solitude is a courageous encounter with our naked, most raw and real self, in the presence of pure love. ~ Richard Rohr, #NFDB
986:Tell Hugh," she whispered.
Tell Hugh your freaking self! He's right here! And you're not going anywhere. ~ L J Smith,#NFDB
987:The disease we all have and that we have to fight against all our lives is ... the disease of self. ~ Sherwood Anderson, #NFDB
988:The Japanese see self-assertion as immoral and self- sacrifice as the sensible course to take in life. ~ Akira Kurosawa, #NFDB
989:The secret of love is acceptance, acceptance of our finite self, of our life, our birth ... our death. ~ Frederick Lenz, #NFDB
990:The short-lived self, teetering on the edge of extinction, is the only thing that can ever really matter. ~ Eric Hoffer, #NFDB
991:The subliminal self is in no way inferior to the conscious self. It knows how to choose and to divine. ~ Henri Poincare, #NFDB
992:The traitor, the self; the self that cries I want to live; let the world burn so long as I can live! ~ Ursula K Le Guin, #NFDB
993:The tryptamine molecule has this unique property of releasing the structured self into the over-self. ~ Terence McKenna, #NFDB
994:To be free from bondage the wise person must practise discrimination between One-Self and the ego-self. ~ Adi Shankara, #NFDB
995:When we replace vertical awe of God with awe of self, bad things happen in the horizontal community. ~ Paul David Tripp, #NFDB
996:...You know the mistrust of heights is the mistrust of self, you don't know whether you're going to jump. ~ Janet Fitch, #NFDB
997:Your true purpose is to become your own unique self, and to do so with happiness and freedom from fear. ~ Bryant McGill, #NFDB
998:Above all the grace and the gifts that Christ gives to his beloved is that of overcoming self. ~ Saint Francis of Assisi, #NFDB
999:A just cause should need no interpretation yet flounders when confronted by self- interest and corruption. ~ Peter Dunne, #NFDB
1000:By directly inquiring, "Who AM I?" ... 'I' reveals itself as the Perfect Being, the Absolute Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
1001:Every one rushes elsewhere and into the future, because no one wants to face one's own inner self. ~ Michel de Montaigne, #NFDB
1002:Giving authority to others to control your lower-self impulses only serves to keep you in the lower self! ~ Heidi DuPree, #NFDB
1003:Having realised the Self, nothing remains to be known, because it is perfect Bliss, it is the All. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
1004:Having realized the Self, nothing remains to be known, because it is perfect Bliss, it is the All. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
1005:If you're interested in the door to the heavens opening, start with the door to your own secret self. ~ Elizabeth Lesser, #NFDB
1006:If you restore balance in your own self, you will be contributing immensely to the healing of the world. ~ Deepak Chopra, #NFDB
1007:I never really did abandon my true self. It's not like I invented this imaginary person and started to be her. ~ Amy Lee, #NFDB
1008:It was Ba's inspiration which helped me reach the heights of my inner self. She was my priceless jewel. ~ Mahatma Gandhi, #NFDB
1009:Like a fragrance to a flower, true happiness is an expression of your unconditional self...the real you. ~ Robert Holden, #NFDB
1010:Not to be occupied with thy sin, but to be occupied with God, brings deliverance from self. IX. Humility ~ Andrew Murray, #NFDB
1011:One doesn't lose a self, like a pair of gloves or a pine. We learn and change, or we harden into stone. ~ Sherwood Smith, #NFDB
1012:Purity is innocence, the innocence of lack of self. Desire is innocent unless it's connected with self. ~ Frederick Lenz, #NFDB
1013:The word 'self' is as great a mystery as the word 'other'. It's just a polarity between two mysteries. ~ Terence McKenna, #NFDB
1014:We have sealed ourselves away behind our money, growing inward, generating a seamless universe of self. ~ William Gibson, #NFDB
1015:Whatever else you do, listen to your Deepest Self. Love Her and be true to Her, speak Her truth, always. ~ Sue Monk Kidd, #NFDB
1016:When a woman starts to disentangle herself from patriarchy, ultimately she is abandoned to her own self. ~ Sue Monk Kidd, #NFDB
1017:Without a shadow of doubt, Trafalgar Square has to be one of the most crap urban public spaces in the world. ~ Will Self, #NFDB
1018:You have now reached infatuation’s final destination—the complete and merciless devaluation of self. ~ Elizabeth Gilbert, #NFDB
1019:A devotee concentrates on God; a seeker seeks the Self. The practice is equally difficult for both. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
1020:Avoidance of experiences is a fixation and it binds you to the world, it binds you to the personal self. ~ Frederick Lenz, #NFDB
1021:But three cheers for Alaska, they've got 24-hour hot fucking bear delivery.
Note to self: Nuke Alaska. ~ Mykle Hansen,#NFDB
1022:Endless praise and adoration, limitless abnegation and abjection of self; a celestial North Korea. ~ Christopher Hitchens, #NFDB
1023:Pride and ego makes a mockery of an apology. Humility wins forgiveness without question...so break 'yo'self'! ~ T F Hodge, #NFDB
1024:Roman philosopher Seneca wrote: “All those who summon you to themselves, turn you away from your own self. ~ Rolf Dobelli, #NFDB
1025:the only thing standing between us and a life filled with joy and everything we want is our very own self! ~ Rhonda Byrne, #NFDB
1026:There is only one Self. That Self is always aware. It is changeless. There is nothing but the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
1027:The Samsara is the movement of life. And you, an individual self, a form, a moment on a wave, are bound. ~ Frederick Lenz, #NFDB
1028:The use of love is to heal. When it flows without effort from the depth of the Self, love creates health. ~ Deepak Chopra, #NFDB
1029:The writing life is essentially one of solitary confinement - if you can't deal with this, you needn't apply. ~ Will Self, #NFDB
1030:True politeness consists in being easy one's self, and in making every one about one as easy as one can. ~ Alexander Pope, #NFDB
1031:When you contact the Higher Self, the source of power within, you tap into a reservoir of infinite power. ~ Deepak Chopra, #NFDB
1032:A devotee concentrates on God; a seeker seeks the Self. The practice is equally difficult for both. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
1033:All is one in self, but all is variation in the phenomenon. ~ Sri Aurobindo, Essays on the Gita, The Divine Truth and Way, #NFDB
1034:I'd probably say to my younger self, get yourself a whole collection of lawyers. Which is what I have now. ~ Mike Oldfield, #NFDB
1035:If one gains the Peace of the Self, it will spread without any effort on the part of the individual. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
1036:It has not the arrogance of wine, the self- consciousness of coffee, nor the simpering innocence of cocoa. ~ Kakuz Okakura, #NFDB
1037:Love brings you face to face with your self. It's impossible to love another if you cannot love yourself. ~ John Pierrakos, #NFDB
1038:Not sure I’m capable of selfless. Spent most of my life on the -ish side of self, rather than the -less.” “No ~ Vi Keeland, #NFDB
1039:One’s country was like one’s self. The more you learned about it, the more there was to be ashamed of. ~ Jeffrey Eugenides, #NFDB
1040:...one should try to be one's own best friend and to give one's self, in this manner, distinguished company. ~ Henry James, #NFDB
1041:There is a great deal of wishful thinking in such cases it is the easiest thing of all to deceive ones self. ~ Demosthenes, #NFDB
1042:The Self itself is the world; the Self itself is 'I'; the Self itself is God; all is Siva, the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
1043:The state we call Realization is simply being one's self, not knowing anything or becoming anything. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
1044:Writing is the gateway to learning about one's self. Reading is the gateway to learning about the world. ~ Mark Rubinstein, #NFDB
1045:Your ego interferes, your sense of self. When you let go of the mind, the Frisbee will take its own path. ~ Frederick Lenz, #NFDB
1046:According to the law that governs the universe,all sufferings are your labor of love to unveil your real self. ~ Meher Baba, #NFDB
1047:All of us are in desperate need of the restoration of our wholeness through union with our inmost self. ~ Stephan A Hoeller, #NFDB
1048:Define yourself radically as one beloved by God. This is the true self. Every other identity is illusion. ~ Brennan Manning, #NFDB
1049:He who turns inward with a calm mind to see where the consciousness of ‘I’ arises, realizes the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
1050:It is always our own self that we find at the end of the journey. The sooner we face that self, the better. ~ Ella Maillart, #NFDB
1051:It is through the alignment of the body that I discovered the alignment of my mind, self, and intelligence. ~ B K S Iyengar, #NFDB
1052:Note to self: Always remember how lucky you are to wake up next to someone who thinks you're the shit. ~ Tiffanie DeBartolo, #NFDB
1053:Perhaps the deepest and most devastating aspect of neurotic shame is the rejection of the self by the self. ~ John Bradshaw, #NFDB
1054:Remaining quiet is what is called wisdom-insight. To remain quiet is to resolve the mind in the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
1055:Self-love has very little to do with how you feel about your outer self. It's about accepting all of yourself. ~ Tyra Banks, #NFDB
1056:The idea of the Self being the witness is only in the mind; it is not the absolute truth of the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
1057:The man who is not yet wholly dead to self, is soon tempted, and is overcome in small and trifling matters. ~ Thomas Kempis, #NFDB
1058:The mind, body, and world are not separate from the Self; and they cannot remain apart from the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
1059:To study the self is to forget the self. To forget the self is to be enlightened by the ten thousand things. ~ Dogen Zenji, #NFDB
1060:When the Self is sought, the mind is nowhere. Abiding in the Self, one need not worry about the mind. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
1061:When we see beyond self, we no longer cling to happiness. And when we stop clinging, we can begin to be happy. ~ Ajahn Chah, #NFDB
1062:You have now reached infatuation’s final destination—the complete and merciless
devaluation of self. ~ Elizabeth Gilbert,#NFDB
1063:Your job is to allow the Holy Spirit to remove the fearful thinking that surrounds your perfect self, ~ Marianne Williamson, #NFDB
1064:Your job is to allow the Holy Spirit to remove the fearful thinking that surrounds your perfect self. ~ Marianne Williamson, #NFDB
1065:Zazen is the ultimate practice. This is indeed the True Self. The Buddhadharma is not to be sought outside of this. ~ Dogen, #NFDB
1066:A man has only one escape from his old self: to see a different self in the mirror of some woman's eyes. ~ Clare Boothe Luce, #NFDB
1067:Bill Evans described his tunes as vehicles; they are vehicles for self-expression, or expression of the self. ~ Kenny Werner, #NFDB
1068:Commerce they say, encourages the bourgeois virtues of thrift, hard work,self -reliance,and self discipline. ~ Gurcharan Das, #NFDB
1069:God demands nothing less than self - surrender as the price for the only real freedom that is worth having. ~ Mahatma Gandhi, #NFDB
1070:Great writing is always rewriting or revisionism, and is founded on a reading that clears space for the self. ~ Harold Bloom, #NFDB
1071:Ignatius, all at once you're your horrible old self. All at once I think I'm making a very big mistake. ~ John Kennedy Toole, #NFDB
1072:I know that love is about power, too. Who gives, who takes. Who is willing to risk showing their true self. ~ Alison Goodman, #NFDB
1073:Peace means loyalty to self. ... And loyalty to one's self means never a gap between thought, speech, act. ~ Ruth Beebe Hill, #NFDB
1074:Real success is success with self. It's not in having things, but in having mastery, having victory over self. ~ Anwar Sadat, #NFDB
1075:Some work is done through suffering, through impoverishment, through the involuntary relinquishing of a self. ~ Louise Gl ck, #NFDB
1076:That man who seeth the self in all beings and all beings in the self, has no disdain for any thing that is. ~ Isha Upanishad, #NFDB
1077:the mysterious moment of death proves to be a moment of waking. How one longs to take it for one's self! ~ Sarah Orne Jewett, #NFDB
1078:To me, poetry is about survival first of all. Survival of the individual self, survival of the emotional life. ~ Gregory Orr, #NFDB
1079:"To study the self is to forget the self. To forget the self is to be enlightened by the ten thousand things." ~ Dogen Zenji, #NFDB
1080:You are not a singular self. You are a corporation. Inside you is eternity. A human being is not so simple. ~ Frederick Lenz, #NFDB
1081:A man has only one escape from his old self — to see a different self in the mirror of some woman's eyes. ~ Clare Boothe Luce, #NFDB
1082:But at some point, a full-grown woman has to be accountable for her own self, and for the choices she’s made. ~ Cherie Priest, #NFDB
1083:"Every this goes with every that. Without others there is no self, and without somewhere else there is no here." ~ Alan Watts, #NFDB
1084:For a person to feel responsible for his actions, he must sense that the behavior has flowed from the self. ~ Stanley Milgram, #NFDB
1085:If we focus on our actions without addressing our hearts, we may end up merely as better behaved lovers of self. ~ Jen Wilkin, #NFDB
1086:It's a hell of a thing to be born, and if you're born you're at least entitled to your own self. ~ Louise Berliawsky Nevelson, #NFDB
1087:Never utter a word if it is not from your navel point and it doesn't confirm your regal, highest self. ~ Harbhajan Singh Yogi, #NFDB
1088:On 'Morning Joe' I can say what I think, be my sometimes unorthodox self, have fun, yet be serious as well. ~ Mika Brzezinski, #NFDB
1089:Our capacity to resist has nothing to do with our intelligence but with the degree of access to our true self. ~ Alice Miller, #NFDB
1090:People are responsible for themselves. All you can do is try to inspire each person to be his best self. ~ Gennifer Choldenko, #NFDB
1091:The first and best victory is to conquer self. To be conquered by self is, of all things, the most shameful and vile. ~ Plato, #NFDB
1092:The mind, turned outwards, results in thoughts and objects. Turned inwards, it becomes itself the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
1093:think it was very embarrassing for me to be a victim. They hit me where it hurt, they injured my sense of self. I ~ Maxim Leo, #NFDB
1094:Thought is a melody, Audrey thinks, while the body is an inert mechanism of cogs, springs, chains and ratchets... ~ Will Self, #NFDB
1095:Two cities have been formed by two loves: the earthly by the love of self; the heavenly by the love of God. ~ Saint Augustine, #NFDB
1096:You will understand all happiness comes only from the Self, and then you will always abide in the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
1097:A lot of times when you're acting, you're no longer talking and listening; you're going at it for your own self. ~ Jason Scott, #NFDB
1098:Buddhist teachings are meant to awaken our true self, not merely to add to our storehouse of knowledge. From ~ Thich Nhat Hanh, #NFDB
1099:But perhaps Rank is right and humility is an atonement for your great inner pride and knowingness about your self! ~ Ana s Nin, #NFDB
1100:Go toward self-actualization rather than self-image actualization... Search within... for honest self- expression. ~ Bruce Lee, #NFDB
1101:I knew that was really the only purpose of life: to be our self, live our truth, and be the love that we are. ~ Anita Moorjani, #NFDB
1102:I need solitude, which is to say, recovery, return to my self, the breath of a free, light, playful air. ~ Friedrich Nietzsche, #NFDB
1103:I've done a lot of bad things in the past, and that troubles me. It is often before I could say I was a self. ~ Malcolm Morley, #NFDB
1104:I was so self -conscious, every time football players went into a huddle, I thought they were talking about me. ~ Jackie Mason, #NFDB
1105:Religion is only another word for the right use of a man's whole self, instead of a wrong use of himself. ~ Henry Ward Beecher, #NFDB
1106:Self-control is the chief element in self-respect, and respect of self, in turn, is the chief element in courage. ~ Thucydides, #NFDB
1107:The bottom line: each of our lives is shaped by the war between the kingdom of god and the kingdom of self. ~ Paul David Tripp, #NFDB
1108:The guiding hints or impulses come, not from the ego, but from the totality of the psyche: the Self. P. 167 ~ Carl Gustav Jung, #NFDB
1109:To be resigned means to find satisfaction in self-denial (Self-denial is the denial of one's lower self). ~ Hazrat Inayat Khan, #NFDB
1110:When you are down, surrender to your Divine Cosmic Self. Self will give you the the strength and show you the path ~ Amit Ray, #NFDB
1111:Without knowledge of self there is no knowledge of God … without knowledge of God there is no knowledge of self. ~ John Calvin, #NFDB
1112:Writing mirrors the interior self. You know, any book is like the perfect blueprint of the psyche of the author. ~ Janet Fitch, #NFDB
1113:Do you know anyone who would - secretly, sincerely, in his innermost self - really prefer to return to childhood? ~ Anita Desai, #NFDB
1114:Either consciously or unconsciously we are searching for the highest Self, which is at once eternal and infinite. ~ Sri Chinmoy, #NFDB
1115:Forget about trying to stabilize the personal sense of Self. It is inherently unstable. See that the Self watches this. ~ Mooji, #NFDB
1116:Here we meet, on the page, naked and unadorned: shorn of class, race, gender, sexual identity, age and nationality. ~ Will Self, #NFDB
1117:I am more afraid of my own heart than of the pope and all his cardinals. I have within me the great pope, Self. ~ Martin Luther, #NFDB
1118:I became committed to dropping my resistance so I could get to know this energy that was driving the wanting self. ~ Tara Brach, #NFDB
1119:If we cannot define the Eternal, we can unify ourselves with it. ~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, The Modes of the Self, #NFDB
1120:I remember the moment I realized I was free, looking in a mirror and saying, “I choose my motherfucking self. ~ Gabrielle Union, #NFDB
1121:No better school invented yet than the school of loneliness in the matters of understanding our deep-self! ~ Mehmet Murat ildan, #NFDB
1122:of the self. You are who you are, Xena. And acceptance of that is truly wisdom of the highest order.” Xena ~ Martin H Greenberg, #NFDB
1123:Responsible people work, earn, save, invest, make things better for self & family. Lefties call that "greed." ~ Philip Schuyler, #NFDB
1124:The deeper his understanding penetrates, the more the general principles lose their meaning. ~ Carl Jung, The Undiscovered Self, #NFDB
1125:The instrument of leadership is the self, and mastery of the art of leadership comes from mastery of the self. ~ James M Kouzes, #NFDB
1126:The Lord is there, not only in that self, but in Nature. ~ Sri Aurobindo, Essays on the Gita, The Fullness of Spiritual Action, #NFDB
1127:The real religion is not imitation of anybody else, it is a search to find out your own authentic self, who you are. ~ Rajneesh, #NFDB
1128:There’s only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving and that’s your own self. —ALDOUS HUXLEY ~ Wayne W Dyer, #NFDB
1129:The true value of a human being can be found in the degree to which he has attained liberation from the self. ~ Albert Einstein, #NFDB
1130:War still was the stern school where men learnt virtue, duty, forgetfulness of self, faithfulness unto death. ~ Jerome K Jerome, #NFDB
1131:When you really love, that makes you feel unsure in your self, even though it is love that reaches your heart. ~ John de Ruiter, #NFDB
1132:You were put on this earth to achieve your greatest self, to live out your purpose, and to do it courageously. ~ Steve Maraboli, #NFDB
1133:As one continues to abide as the Self, the experience 'I am the Supreme Spirit' grows and becomes natural. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
1134:By learning to trust your intuition, miracles seem to happen. Intuitive thoughts are gifts from the higher self. ~ Susan Jeffers, #NFDB
1135:Develop new stories from new positive experiences and relationships — the experiences of your emerging new self! ~ Bryant McGill, #NFDB
1136:Drastic change creates an estrangement from the self, and generates a need for a new birth of a new identity. ~ Michael E Gerber, #NFDB
1137:every individual will develop relations to other persons, to domains of accomplishment, and to his or her self. ~ Howard Gardner, #NFDB
1138:God — or Aum (om) —is the Highest Being of your inner self. ~ Agni Yoga, Leaves of Morya’s Garden: Book One: The Call, 6, (1924), #NFDB
1139:Humility is the most difficult of all virtues to achieve; nothing dies harder than the desire to think well of self. ~ T S Eliot, #NFDB
1140:I believe in pride of race and lineage and self: in pride of self so deep as to scorn injustice to other selves. ~ W E B Du Bois, #NFDB
1141: conscious anxiety is more painful but it is available also to use in the service of integration of the self. ~ Rollo May, #NFDB
1142:If you see the Self, the same will be found to be all, everywhere and always. Nothing but the Self exists. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
1143:I'm definitely happy by my self, you know what I mean. The money is better. But you know, I'd just rather be alone. ~ Sean Price, #NFDB
1144:I prefer to write first drafts as soon as possible after waking, so that the oneiric inscape is still present to me. ~ Will Self, #NFDB
1145:Me: am i allowed 2 be good and evil at the same time?
Higher self: look around, bb. that's all there is. ~ Melissa Broder,#NFDB
1146:No-one loves another
More than he loves whatever
another within may have
That is part of one's self ~ Fernando Pessoa,#NFDB
1147:"'No self. No problem' said the Buddhist Master when asked to explain the deeper meaning of Buddhism." ~ Eckhart Tolle#teachings, #NFDB
1148:Oh, the future--it's always so fucking dated. For you, for me, for all of us. If only there were some way out of it. ~ Will Self, #NFDB
1149:real success is success with self. It’s not in having things, but in having mastery, having victory over self. ~ Stephen R Covey, #NFDB
1150:Seek for illumination of self, and then the world, through the simple, humble, almighty, supreme virtue of love. ~ Bryant McGill, #NFDB
1151:Start copying what you love. Copy copy copy copy. At the end of the copy you will find your self.'-Yohji Yamamoto ~ Austin Kleon, #NFDB
1152:The butterfly does not look back upon its caterpillar self, either fondly or wistfully; it simply flies on. ~ Guillermo del Toro, #NFDB
1153:The Self is God. `I AM' is God. If God be apart from the Self, He must be a Selfless God, which is absurd. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
1154:Thyself awaken thy self: then protected by thyself and discovering thy own deepest secret, thou shalt not change. ~ Hindu Wisdom, #NFDB
1155:To a writer, madness is a final distillation of self, a final editing down. It's the drowning out of false voices. ~ Don DeLillo, #NFDB
1156:Today's reports confirm that, unfortunately, post-crisis America is still not back to its good economic self. ~ Mohamed El Erian, #NFDB
1157:tragic and painful state of being separated from his true self, to which doctors refer offhandedly as depression. ~ Alice Miller, #NFDB
1158:When ego trumps fidelity, the end result is inevitably betrayal—betrayal of country, of kith or kin, or of self. ~ Brian Andrews, #NFDB
1159:When the source of the 'I-throught' is reached it vanishes and what remains over is the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, Talks, 130, #NFDB
1160:When you see the Seer himself [herself], you merge in the Self, you become one with it; that is the heart. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
1161:While sincerity is to carry the weight of knowledge in the self, it is also to be the lightness of being clean. ~ John de Ruiter, #NFDB
1162:With whomever you feel yourself as if you are with your very self, he or she is surely your true Valentine! ~ Mehmet Murat ildan, #NFDB
1163:For self is the lord of self, self is the refuge of self; therefore curb thyself as the merchant curbs a good horse. ~ Max Muller, #NFDB
1164:God wants us to walk in obedience—not victory. Obedience is oriented toward God; victory is oriented toward self. ~ Jerry Bridges, #NFDB
1165:I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies, for the hardest victory is over self. ~ Aristotle, #NFDB
1166:I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is over self. ~ Aristotle, #NFDB
1167:I enjoy doing very high mileages, partly out of masochism and also because I like to feel the shape of the landscape. ~ Will Self, #NFDB
1168:If you die of cancer with only openness and softness in your heart, you will live and die integrating your self. ~ John de Ruiter, #NFDB
1169:I have managed to establish an identity that is based on my internal self, and for that I feel tremendously lucky. ~ David Rakoff, #NFDB
1170:I'm a shadow of my former self," she announces. Vinny was a shadow to begin with, now she's a shadow of a shadow. ~ Kate Atkinson, #NFDB
1171:It has well been said that the arch-flatterer, with whom all petty flatterers have intelligence, is a man's self. ~ Francis Bacon, #NFDB
1172:It is our ignorance which makes us think that our self, as self, is real, that it has its complete meaning in itself. ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
1173:I wanted only to live in accord with the promptings which came from my true self. Why was that so very difficult? ~ Hermann Hesse, #NFDB
1174:On waking from the dream, we see that birth and death, the sense of self, other - all of these things fade away. ~ Frederick Lenz, #NFDB
1175:Start copying what you love. Copy copy copy copy. At the end of the copy you will find your self.” —Yohji Yamamoto ~ Austin Kleon, #NFDB
1176:The consciousness which does not go out to know those things which are other than Self, alone is the Heart. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
1177:The highest purpose of intellectual cultivation is to give a man a perfect knowledge and mastery of his own inner self. ~ Novalis, #NFDB
1178:The means to Liberation is bhakti (devotion) in the form of continuous or prolonged meditation on the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
1179:There is no reaching the Self. If Self were to be reached, it would mean that the Self is not here and now. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
1180:The Self is God. `I AM' is God. If God be apart from the Self, He must be a Selfless God, which is absurd. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
1181:We conquer ourselves by learning patience, for she gives to us our longed for victory only in the surrender of self. ~ Guy Finley, #NFDB
1182:When mind is quiet, all is Self. When mind moves the world arises. So be Still, throw away everything and be Free. ~ H W L Poonja, #NFDB
1183:When you are stuck fulfilling an obligation instead of chasing a dream, you aren’t your best self. We all know that. ~ Jeff Goins, #NFDB
1184:When you see a worthy person, endeavor to emulate him. When you see an unworthy person, then examine your inner self. ~ Confucius, #NFDB
1185:Who knows this ruler within, he knows the worlds and the gods and creatures and the Self, he knows all. ~ Mundaka Upanishad I.210, #NFDB
1186:Writing exists (for me) at the intersection of three precarious, uncertain elements: language, the world, the self. ~ Zadie Smith, #NFDB
1187:First and best victory is to conquer self. To be conquered By self is, of all things. the most shameful and objectionable. ~ Plato, #NFDB
1188:For a realized being the Self alone is the Reality, and actions are only phenomenal, not affecting the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
1189:It is in his pleasure that a man really lives; it is from his leisure that he constructs the true fabric of self. ~ Agnes Repplier, #NFDB
1190:Love is accepting your truest, most authentic expression of self, and allowing yourself to do the same with others. ~ Grace Gealey, #NFDB
1191:Make ones center of life inside ones self, not selfishly or excludingly, but with a kind of unassailable serenity. ~ Edith Wharton, #NFDB
1192:Seek for illumination of self, and then the world, through the simple, humble, almighty, supreme virtue of love. ~ Bryant H McGill, #NFDB
1193:She’d felt it before, she felt it now: the pull to fall in with him, to fall into him, to lose her sense of self. ~ Marie Rutkoski, #NFDB
1194:The adult chops down his childhood to help his grown-up self. The unsentimentality is appealing, don't you think? ~ Salman Rushdie, #NFDB
1195:We must reject the artificial and embrace what is real and true: truth in food, community, relationships and self. ~ Bryant McGill, #NFDB
1196:Decide to forgive: For resentment is negative; resentment is poisoning; resentment diminishes and devours the self. ~ Robert Muller, #NFDB
1197:Great as it is, the knowledge of self, if there is not that natural desire raging like fire does not manifest. ~ Hazrat Inayat Khan, #NFDB
1198:I learned that not being ashamed is the first step towards complete confidence about one’s self, one’s bones and flesh. ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
1199:Morning came, and a grey wash of light found Dan, his cheek thrust hard in the carpeted right-angle of the bottom stair ~ Will Self, #NFDB
1200:Refuse the old means of measurement.
Rely instead on the thrumming wilderness of self. Listen.
-From "Out West ~ Donika Kelly,#NFDB
1201:That’s what’s so wonderful about you, you’re so self-sufficient that I feel that you’ve created your own self. ~ Simone de Beauvoir, #NFDB
1202:The darknesses inside and out began to blend, and I began to move outside of my self, the container that held me. ~ Haruki Murakami, #NFDB
1203:the healthy self, however, must always be vigilant against the laziness of the sick self that still lurks within us. ~ M Scott Peck, #NFDB
1204:The physical body is conceived and constructed in consciousness as are time and space. All happens within our self. ~ Deepak Chopra, #NFDB
1205:The seeker is advised to meditate upon his own Self because that flame which is throbbing as I-I is the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
1206:The spirit is the true self. The spirit, the will to win, and the will to excel are the things that endure. ~ Marcus Tullius Cicero, #NFDB
1207:We have nothing to lose by trusting the infinite power of the Self, except the bondage of our own ignorance. ~ Mata Amritanandamayi, #NFDB
1208:what they’d been afraid of was running out of self. On the contrary the more they loved the more there was to love. ~ Helen Oyeyemi, #NFDB
1209:What way is there except to draw in the mind as often as it strays or goes outward and to fix it in the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
1210:You have the freedom to be yourself, your true self, here and now, and nothing can stand in your way. It is the law. ~ Richard Bach, #NFDB
1211:An empowered life begins with serious personal questions about one’s self. Those answers bear the seeds of success. ~ Steve Maraboli, #NFDB
1212:Beginning to doubt the gods, there is only Atman...and where is Atman found but in the self? But where is this self? ~ Hermann Hesse, #NFDB
1213:Be the Self. At one stage you will laugh at yourself for trying to discover the Self which is so self-evident. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
1214:Have you ever had that feeling—that you’d like to go to a whole different place and become a whole different self? ~ Haruki Murakami, #NFDB
1215:I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is over self.
~ Aristotle,#NFDB
1216:If the earnest seeker would cultivate the constant and deep remembrance of the Self, that alone would suffice. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
1217:In the valley of humility they learned to quiet the self. Only by quieting the self could they see the world clearly. ~ David Brooks, #NFDB
1218:I think the fundamental apprehension is that the city's an organism of some form, rather than being governed from above. ~ Will Self, #NFDB
1219:Krishna is the higher Self, or God. He sees through the argument at once. In this case [the motive] is weakness. ~ Swami Vivekananda, #NFDB
1220:learn the nature of self, accept all aspects of self, then the mastery can begin. Denial of self is denial of all. ~ Raymond E Feist, #NFDB
1221:One cannot choose wisely for a life unless he dares to listen to himself, his own self, at each moment of his life. ~ Abraham Maslow, #NFDB
1222:So long as I fail to view this [the self] as the enemy, so long will I continue to seek the well-being of this self. ~ Thupten Jinpa, #NFDB
1223:The dancing Sun the dancing moon the dancing stars and the dancing galaxies are the direct expression of our divine Self. ~ Amit Ray, #NFDB
1224:The mind is strong. It survives, even without thought. Even with everything taken away, it holds a seed—your self. ~ Haruki Murakami, #NFDB
1225:There is a subtle but inescapable connection between the "sacred" attitude and the acceptance of one's in most self. ~ Thomas Merton, #NFDB
1226:There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. ~ Ernest Hemingway, #NFDB
1227: The Self must create Its own reasons for being. To shape God, Shape Self. ~ Octavia E Butler, #NFDB
1228:To account nothing of one's self, and to think always kindly and highly of others, this is great and perfect wisdom. ~ Thomas Kempis, #NFDB
1229:Whatever be the means adopted, you must at last return to the Self, so why not abide as the Self here and now? ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
1230:Whenever I produce my best work, it's always because I've spent time being idle. Something always emerges after nothing. ~ Will Self, #NFDB
1231:You are led through your lifetime by the inner learning creature, the playful spiritual being that is your real self. ~ Richard Bach, #NFDB
1232:All that one gives to others one gives to one's self. If this truth is understood, who will not give to others? ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
1233:Compassion is someone else’s suffering flaring in your own nerves. Pity is a projection of, a lament for, the self. ~ Christian Wiman, #NFDB
1234:Confidence equals contentment with self; contentment is knowing you have all you need for the present circumstances. ~ John C Maxwell, #NFDB
1235:Consciousness is not only power of awareness of self & things, it is or has also a dynamic & creative energy. ~ Sri Aurobindo, #NFDB
1236:Each one of us regardless of our situation, is in our search of our most authentic, vital, generous and wise self. ~ Elizabeth Lesser, #NFDB
1237:Every big trip where you talk much less and think much more makes you a superior person than your previous self! ~ Mehmet Murat ildan, #NFDB
1238:Have you ever had that feeling? That you’d like to go to a whole different place and become a whole different self? ~ Haruki Murakami, #NFDB
1239:In your hurry to keep Christmas, you have forgotten Christmas. The truest gift of Christmas is the gift of self. ~ Richard Paul Evans, #NFDB
1240:I still haven't found the place where I can be my true self. But maybe you never get to be your true self, either. ~ Karen Joy Fowler, #NFDB
1241:Love is omni-inclusive, progressively exquisite, understanding and compassionately attuned to other than self. ~ R Buckminster Fuller, #NFDB
1242:Marinate in your own being, grow in your wisdom, mature in understanding, be firm in your conviction, be strong in your Self. ~ Mooji, #NFDB
1243:O abyss! O eternal Godhead! O deep sea! What more could you have given me than the gift of your very self? ~ Saint Catherine of Siena, #NFDB
1244:The fundamental experience of human suffering is the experience of alienation from the self, from the source—from God. ~ Stephen Cope, #NFDB
1245:The intelligence of the lower forms of animal life, like a great deal of human intelligence, does not involve a self. ~ George H Mead, #NFDB
1246:The known unseen within becomes structural in what is seen: a being functioning as a self, in person, in this world. ~ John de Ruiter, #NFDB
1247:The “serious” novelist is looking for answers and keys to the self; the “popular” novelist is looking for an audience. ~ Stephen King, #NFDB
1248:The way in which I create myself is by means of a quest. I go out into the world in order to come back with a self. ~ Mikhail Bakhtin, #NFDB
1249:Thoughts should be annihilated at the very place of their origin by the method of enquiry in quest of the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
1250:Voluntary service of others demands the best of which one is capable, and must take precedence over service of self. ~ Mahatma Gandhi, #NFDB
1251:We love what we love in spite of ourselves, toward something larger and more generous than the velvet prison of self. ~ Gail Caldwell, #NFDB
1252:When man created the mirror, he began to lose his soul. He became more concerned with his image than with his self. ~ Stephen R Covey, #NFDB
1253:16So we do not lose heart. f Though our outer self [4] is wasting away, g our inner self h is being renewed day by day. ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
1254:A companion is but another self; wherefore it is an argument that a man is wicked if he keep company with the wicked. ~ Pope Clement I, #NFDB
1255:but i've slammed the door to my inner self; if he ever wants to force the lock again, he'll have to use a harder crowbar! ~ Anne Frank, #NFDB
1256:Doc, I'm feeling different from my usual whorish self. I think I might be ill." It's a perfectly legitimate concern. ~ Sabrina Paige, #NFDB
1257:Every experience of love, bliss, belonging, inspiration, and insight provides a stepping stone back to your true self. ~ Deepak Chopra, #NFDB
1258:Fighting with self!! Why not? If we can live in harmony with self, we also have a full right to fight ourselves as well. ~ Mahesh Babu, #NFDB
1259:Have I ever really loved anyone at all,
or was it a lightning flash
which made me the shadow of my former self? ~ Vladim r Holan,#NFDB
1260:He who thus knows, “I am the Eternal”, the gods themselves cannot make him other, for he is their own self. ~ Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, #NFDB
1261:How can the intellect, which can never reach the Self, be competent to ascertain the final state of Realization? ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
1262:I think in retrospect that all those 'alternative'modes of living were little more than exercises in arrested development. ~ Will Self, #NFDB
1263:I think it's very empowering to be able to have a career and to be a mother. It gives you an amazing sense of self. ~ Georgina Chapman, #NFDB
1264:One's own self is well hidden from one's own self; of all mines of treasure, one's own is the last to be dug up. ~ Friedrich Nietzsche, #NFDB
1265:People were mirrors turned inward to infinity, where all choices and roads not taken led to an endless shifting of self. ~ Ann Aguirre, #NFDB
1266:That still mind which is adorned with the attainment of the limitless supreme Self, alone is the reality of God. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
1267:The man who prays, the prayer, and the God to whom he prays all have reality only as manifestations of the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
1268:There is no other way to succeed than to draw the mind back every time it turns outwards and fix it in the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
1269:There is nothing noble in being superior to some other man. The true nobility is in being superior to your previous self. ~ Tom Morris, #NFDB
1270:The samsara is the sense of self. I've had past experiences. I'm aware of the moment. I will have future experiences. ~ Frederick Lenz, #NFDB
1271:Whatever is associated with the mind is bound to change. The truth is that which is changeless. It is the Self. ~ Mata Amritanandamayi, #NFDB
1272:When the mind adjusts to simply staying here, then that mind is not called mind any more. It's just Self. It's only ever Self. ~ Mooji, #NFDB
1273:As all living beings desire to be happy and as happiness alone is the cause for love, one should know one's self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
1274:Because connection with others and our "best self" is the most primal need we have, shame feels absolutely awful. ~ Christiane Northrup, #NFDB
1275:I find a certain peace by thinking of me in public as sort of an avatar self. You out there can have the avatar me. ~ Jennifer Lawrence, #NFDB
1276:I grew up a fat kid, and in a way The Blerch is my former self. I run because I'm terrified of becoming that kid again. ~ Matthew Inman, #NFDB
1277:Loneliness is dangerous ... because if aloneness does not lead to God, it leads to the devil. It leads to the self. ~ Joyce Carol Oates, #NFDB
1278:No learning or knowledge of scriptures is necessary to know the Self, as no man requires a mirror to see himself. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
1279:One must find the source within one's own Self, one must possess it. Everything else was seeking -- a detour, an error. ~ Hermann Hesse, #NFDB
1280:Our ideas of self are created by identification. The less we cling to ideas of self, the freer and happier we will be. ~ Jack Kornfield, #NFDB
1281:Poetry is another name for a person’s telling of the self, existence and what is beyond, and one’s own perceptions. ~ M Fethullah G len, #NFDB
1282:scholars tell us that there was no word in ancient Latin or Greek for “self” as it is understood in contemporary usage. ~ James Carroll, #NFDB
1283:Since I am I, I must make an act of self-surrender, however small or however easy, in living to God rather than to my self. ~ C S Lewis, #NFDB
1284:Solitude is never lonely. It is rather a sanctuary where one learns to draw wisdom from the company of self. ~ Zohreh Ghahremani, #NFDB
1285:So that's it. You have now reached infatuation's fial destination - the complete and merciless devaluation of self. ~ Elizabeth Gilbert, #NFDB
1286:Stop chasing another busy self to become. Your real self is idle waiting to be lived... Go, take up your real self! ~ Israelmore Ayivor, #NFDB
1287:The Infinite Expanse is the Reality known as the Supreme or the Self, which shines as the One in all individuals. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
1288:The jnani knows all is of the Self. If there be pain let it be. It is also part of the Self. The Self is perfect. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
1289:Without understanding the process of the self, there is no bais for thought, there is no basis for right thinking. ~ Jiddu Krishnamurti, #NFDB
1290:An Epitaph On Her Self.
When I am Dead, few Friends attend my Hearse,
And for a Monument, I leave my VERSE.
~ Anne Killigrew,#NFDB
1291:Apart from a very close circle of friends, few people know my true self, and it's normal, I never put it into my music. ~ Marilyn Manson, #NFDB
1292:Clear communication between selves - the surface self and the deep self - is the enemy of self-doubt. It slays confusion. ~ Stephen King, #NFDB
1293:Fling away your soul once for all, your own small self; if you will find it again. Count not even on immortality. ~ James Anthony Froude, #NFDB
1294:I am going to be myself, the best version of that self. I am in this for the long game, no matter how brutal it might be. ~ Ryan Holiday, #NFDB
1295:If we continuously contemplate the Self, all distraction would vanish; the pure Consciousness that remains is God. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
1296:I make no apology for preoccupying myself with architecture, television, conceptual art, restaurants and Jane Asher's cakes. ~ Will Self, #NFDB
1297:In the state of jnana, the jnani sees nothing separate from the Self. The Self is all shining and only pure jnana. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
1298:I write because I feel driven to write. I write from a sense of inner necessity. I don't write for anything other than that. ~ Will Self, #NFDB
1299:Odd as it may seem, I am my remembering self, and the experiencing self, who does my living, is like a stranger to me. ~ Daniel Kahneman, #NFDB
1300:On the path of the budo one does not strive for victory over an opponent. One strive to avoid defeat by one's own self. ~ Akira Toriyama, #NFDB
1301:there's no release, just gurus and self- appointed gods and hucksters. the more people say, the less there is to say. ~ Charles Bukowski, #NFDB
1302:To her to know truly, was to be intimate. To be intimate was to know the person you love as well as you know your own self. ~ Mike Gayle, #NFDB
1303:What's interesting is to see us as we really are; only in this way we could arrive to the truly knowledge of one-self. ~ Samael Aun Weor, #NFDB
1304:When our lives are divinely ordered, our spirit will direct our soul and mind, which in turn will guide our physical self. ~ Lisa Bevere, #NFDB
1305:You Deserve Success “There is only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that’s your own self. ~ Doreen Virtue, #NFDB
1306:Am I one or two? If I cannot live with myself, there must be two of me: the ‘I’ and the ‘self’ that ‘I’ cannot live with. ~ Eckhart Tolle, #NFDB
1307:But the true discipline is to remain committed, throughout the whole of one’s life, to waking up from the dream of the self. ~ Sam Harris, #NFDB
1308:By living well, by observing as you live, by reading well and observing as you read, you have fed Your Most Original Self. ~ Ray Bradbury, #NFDB
1309:By reading books, you lose your old self and you find your new self! To read is to travel from self to another self! ~ Mehmet Murat ildan, #NFDB
1310:"[C]hildhood . . . sketches a more complete picture of the self, of the whole man in his pure individuality, than adulthood." ~ Carl Jung, #NFDB
1311:I don't as a rule hold much of a brief for television. In my experience, all too often it bowdlerises as much as popularises. ~ Will Self, #NFDB
1312:I don't know how to put it, but it's kind of like by not thinking about myself I can get closer to the core of my self. ~ Haruki Murakami, #NFDB
1313:I think all happiness depends on the energy to assume the mask of some other life, on a re-birth as something not one's self. ~ W B Yeats, #NFDB
1314:It's not easy taking care of one's self, determining nap lengths and all that, but with two people it's a manageable job. ~ Jonathan Ames, #NFDB
1315:I wanted only to try to live in obedience to the promptings which came from my true self. Why was that so very difficult? ~ Hermann Hesse, #NFDB
1316:Life is like a nice fresh batch of Swiss cheese. Note to self: savor the holes, too, like the spaces between musical notes. ~ Anne Lamott, #NFDB
1317:Life is not fixed; things are always changing. We are either becoming more of our true selves or drifting into a false self. ~ Jeff Goins, #NFDB
1318:Look at you, standing there in your iron- gray dress, feeling pious
and self- righteous while you starve small children! ~ V C Andrews,#NFDB
1319:Meditation means to be in non-doing. Meditation is not a doing but a state of being. It is a state of being in one's own self. ~ Rajneesh, #NFDB
1320:Selfishness is to live for oneself and not for something greater than the self. ~ Sri Aurobindo, Letters on Yoga - IV, Ego and Its Forms, #NFDB
1321:Sleep is the time when the male or conscious mind turns from the world of sense to seek its lover or subconscious self. ~ Neville Goddard, #NFDB
1322:The great liberty of the fictional writer is to let the imagination out of the traces and see it gallop off over the horizon. ~ Will Self, #NFDB
1323:The mighty question arises upon us, what is one's own real self? It certainly is not what we think we are and ought to be. ~ D H Lawrence, #NFDB
1324:There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow men. True nobility lies in being superior to your former self. ~ Ernest Hemingway, #NFDB
1325:The sage sees only the Self. The person sees lots of persons. One sees from wholeness, one sees from fragmentation. Both are you. ~ Mooji, #NFDB
1326:The Self is known to everyone but not clearly. You always exist. The Be-ing is the Self. ‘I am’ is the name of God. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
1327:To account nothing of one's self, and to think always kindly and highly of others, this is great and perfect wisdom. Even ~ Thomas Kempis, #NFDB
1328:What you really are isn’t loyal to your self. It won’t favor your self. It will turn your self into what you really are. ~ John de Ruiter, #NFDB
1329:You don't have to burn books, you don't have to rebel against teachers to rebel; to rebel is to truly own your own self. ~ Dhani Harrison, #NFDB
1330:A door to an alternate self. This self was another Alice, not the childhood Alice: capable, free in the world, independent. ~ Nicole Mones, #NFDB
1331:Ah, lust! How one would like to make it the cornerstone of self! But I wouldn't go ahead and build on it if I were you. ~ Elfriede Jelinek, #NFDB
1332:And then more quiet, silence so deep it almost drowned out the roar of the night music that pounded away in my secret self. ~ Jeff Lindsay, #NFDB
1333:As we exercise self- awareness and examine our paradigms we discover that they are deeply ingrained. Change is not easy. ~ Stephen R Covey, #NFDB
1334:...but come bad chance
And wee joyne to it our strength
And wee teach it art and length
It selfe o'er us to advance. ~ John Donne,#NFDB
1335:Climbed back from Time into undying Self,
~ Sri Aurobindo, Savitri, The Yoga of the King The Yoga of the Spirits Freedom and Greatness,#NFDB
1336:Expectations are the illegitimate children – with desires as their step-siblings – of an ignorant mind and conditioned self. If ~ Om Swami, #NFDB
1337:He moved in a world of chaos of self, fearful and astonished to be here, right here, alive in a pine-paneled bedroom. ~ Michael Cunningham, #NFDB
1338:Hope and fear are both phantoms that arise from thinking of the self. When we don't see the self as self, what do we have to fear? ~ Laozi, #NFDB
1339:If you can win complete mastery over self, you will easily master all else. To triumph over self is the perfect victory. ~ Thomas a Kempis, #NFDB
1340:I think the most productive thing to do during times of change is to be your best self, not the best version of someone else. ~ Seth Godin, #NFDB
1341:Like the appearance of silver in mother of pearl, the world seems real until the Self, the underlying reality, is realized. ~ Adi Shankara, #NFDB
1342:Loving the Om (AUM) is loving yourself, your own Self. Om chanting is a creative art, not just mechanical repetition of a word. ~ Amit Ray, #NFDB
1343:None are so desolate but something dear, Dearer than self, possesses or possess'd A thought, and claims the homage of a tear. ~ Lord Byron, #NFDB
1344:Sense of self, and the way one shares it, is perhaps the most valuable and poetic gift in the arsenal of one's life and craft. ~ Sean Penn, #NFDB
1345:There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow men. True nobility lies in being superior to your former self. ~ Ernest Hemingway, #NFDB
1346:The Self is known to everyone but not clearly. You always exist. The Be-ing is the Self. ‘I am’ is the name of God. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
1347:The terrible thing, the almost impossible thing, is the hand over your whole self--all your wishes and precautions--to Christ. ~ C S Lewis, #NFDB
1348:The thoughts change but not you.
Let go the passing throughts and hold on to the unchanging Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, Talks, 524,#NFDB
1349:To be at peace with self, to find company and nourishment in self-this would be the test of the free and productive psyche. ~ Marya Mannes, #NFDB
1350:Writers give readers courage – the courage to be utterly your complete and complex self.
(In reference to Audre Lorde) ~ Jackie Kay,#NFDB
1351:You have eternity to experience your awakened self. So why not enjoy the dream while you’re in it, even if it is limited? ~ Teresa Tsalaky, #NFDB
1352:Your life is the one place you have to spend yourself fully - wild - generous, drastic in an unrationed profligacy of self. ~ Robin Morgan, #NFDB
1353:Accept that you are imperfect and always will be. Your quest is not to perfect yourself, but to better your imperfect self. ~ Eric Greitens, #NFDB
1354:All fear is ultimately fear of no-self. “And what is enlightenment,” I ask Sarah, “but a swan dive into the abyss of no-self? ~ Jed McKenna, #NFDB
1355:As a writer, I'm not convinced that we are the best equipped to understand how we go about the business of literary production. ~ Will Self, #NFDB
1356:because no one ever wanted to admit to being in love. Love was too confusing and traitorous to the self. Too dangerous. ~ Kendra L Saunders, #NFDB
1357:By continuous investigation, the mind is transformed into That to which the ‘I’ refers; and that is in fact the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
1358:Dan slept throughout - but a man who sleeps with his head lying on a phone table can never really sleep with a clean conscience ~ Will Self, #NFDB
1359:Do not grieve over someone who changes all of the sudden. It might be that he has given up acting and returned to his true self. ~ Socrates, #NFDB
1360:Don't worry about society's conditioning and the labels that are put on you by external forces. Hold onto your true self. ~ Gugu Mbatha Raw, #NFDB
1361:Happiness is a matter of one's most ordinary everyday mode of consciousness being busy and lively and unconcerned with self. ~ Iris Murdoch, #NFDB
1362:If it be true that the Self alone exists, it must be also true that all is the Self. ~ Sri Aurobindo, The Life Divine, Reality Omnipresent, #NFDB
1363:If we would continuously contemplate the Self, the pure Consciousness that alone remains is God. This is Liberation.. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
1364:If you are an effective manager of your self, your discipline comes from within; it is a function of your independent will. ~ Stephen Covey, #NFDB
1365:See the world as your self. Have faith in the way things are. Love the world as your self; Then you can care for all things. ~ Stephen Cope, #NFDB
1366:she was glad she had been scarred. She said that whoever loved her now would love her true self, and not her pretty face. ~ Cassandra Clare, #NFDB
1367:Steady abidance in the Self, looking at all with an equal eye, unshakable courage at all times, in all circumstances. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
1368:The answer is the same to all your questions. Whatever form your enquiry may take, you must finally come to the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
1369:The Guru cannot give you anything new, which you have not already. We are always the Self. Only, we don’t realize it. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
1370:There is nothing noble about being superior to some other person. True nobility lies in being superior to your former self ~ Robin S Sharma, #NFDB
1371:Thought is projected from the Self. Find out from where it rises. Thoughts will cease and the Self alone will remain. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
1372:To find a partner who complements us and teaches us. Who makes us stronger. Who makes us want to be our best possible self. ~ Marissa Meyer, #NFDB
1373:Vanity is a weakness. I know this. It’s a shallow dependence on the exterior self, on how one looks instead of what one is. ~ Dennis Lehane, #NFDB
1374:When you observe yourself you must not condemn or approve what you see. If you tell a lie there is no need to judge your-self. ~ Barry Long, #NFDB
1375:When you release the illusion of control, you begin an effortless free-fall toward a grand reunion with your original self. ~ Bryant McGill, #NFDB
1376:You did things you didn't hope to do. You have not always been your best self. This means that you're like the rest of us. ~ Cheryl Strayed, #NFDB
1377:You see the objects on forgetting your own Self. If you keep hold of your Self, you will not see the objective world. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
1378:And long we try in vain to speak and act Our hidden self, and what we say and do Is eloquent, is well -- but 'tis not true! ~ Matthew Arnold, #NFDB
1379:A thing that happens to migrants is that they lose many of the traditional things which root identity, which root the self. ~ Salman Rushdie, #NFDB
1380:Become more and more centered in the Self. To live more and more in the thought that God is here in your consciousness. ~ Goswami Kriyananda, #NFDB
1381:Forgiveness does not mean condoning or agreeing with a horrendous act. It is a decision to no longer attack one’s self. ~ Gerald G Jampolsky, #NFDB
1382:For there is only one great adventure and that is inward toward the self, and for that, time nor space nor even deeds matter. ~ Henry Miller, #NFDB
1383:For those who have obtained unobstructed knowledge of Self, the world is seen merely as a bondage causing imagination. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
1384:He saw that true living was living for the sake of others. He was freed from the bondage of his awkward, inept, fearful self. ~ Stephen Cope, #NFDB
1385:Hope and fear are both phantoms that arise from thinking of the self. When we don't see the self as self, what do we have to fear? ~ Lao Tzu, #NFDB
1386:I think the most difficult love begins with one's self. How you treat yourself is something you bring to your relationships. ~ Javier Bardem, #NFDB
1387:I was slowly losing hold of my original and better self, and becoming slowly incorporated with my second and worse. ~ Robert Louis Stevenson, #NFDB
1388:Keeping a diary is like closing your bedroom door and refusing to come out until dinnertime: it is a declaration of self. ~ Caitlin Flanagan, #NFDB
1389:meditation is not just about creating states of well-being; it is about destroying the belief in an inherently existent self. ~ Mark Epstein, #NFDB
1390:One must lose one’s little lower self to find the greater self. ~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, The Supermind and the Yoga of Works, #NFDB
1391:She had camouflaged the vinegar factory in her character with a great honeycomb along the sills and porches of her public self. ~ Pat Conroy, #NFDB
1392:The good thing about my fans is that they like when I'm awkward and real, so I'm able to just go on stage and be my dorky self. ~ Tori Kelly, #NFDB
1393:There are friendships merely for pleasure, some for the exchange of ideas. Rarest are those friends of one's inmost self. ~ Baltasar Gracian, #NFDB
1394:There comes a point, in literary objectivity, when the author's self- effacement is hard to distinguish from moral cowardice. ~ Edward Abbey, #NFDB
1395:There is nothing noble about being superior to some other person. True nobility lies in being superior to your former self. ~ Robin S Sharma, #NFDB
1396:There is nothing so simple as being the Self. It requires no effort. One has to be in his [her] eternal natural state. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
1397:to be waterdrugged into rejecting the nuances of my own bursting extraordinary self. and to have this be called education. ~ Nayyirah Waheed, #NFDB
1398:We go round and round in search of atma [Self] saying, `Where is atma? till at last we say, `This is atma this is me.' ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
1399:When the mind is examined, its activities cease automatically. This is the method of jnana. The pure mind is the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
1400:When the world recedes from one’s view, that is when one is free from thought - the mind enjoys the Bliss of the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
1401:`Who am I to meditate on an object ?' Such a one must be told to find the Self. That is the finality. That is vichara. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
1402:Without a solid sense of self, individuals will remain spiritually enslaved to the group, even if the social system changes. ~ Daisaku Ikeda, #NFDB
1403:You can never appreciate the scent of a flower by another's description. Some things are left to experience. Journey of self. ~ Truth Devour, #NFDB
1404:Accept yourself: be yourself. That seems a good rule. But which self? Even the simplest of us are complicated enough. ~ Apsley Cherry Garrard, #NFDB
1405:Art's primary social function is to define the communal self, which includes redefining it when the community is changing. ~ Thomas McEvilley, #NFDB
1406:Everyone is aware of the eternal Self. He sees so many dying but still believes himself eternal because it's the Truth. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
1407:Here was his world, he wanted nobody and nothing but the lovely, subtle, responsive vegetation, and himself, his own living self. ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
1408:It's in the act of having to do things that you don't want to that you learn something about moving past the self. Past the ego. ~ Bell Hooks, #NFDB
1409:It’s in the act of having to do things that you don’t want to that you learn something about moving past the self. Past the ego. ~ bell hooks, #NFDB
1410:It would never be a half-life, with you. You are the other half of me. I will always be my truest self, when I am with you. ~ Charlotte Stein, #NFDB
1411:LOVE of others is the appreciation of one's self. MAY your egotism be so gigantic that you comprise mankind in your self-sympathy. ~ Mina Loy, #NFDB
1412:The emblem of equal rights. It means free hands, free lips, self- government, and the sovereignty of the individual. ~ Robert Green Ingersoll, #NFDB
1413:The hidden premise behind all questions is the belief that there is a person who experiences a state he calls the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
1414:The man who prays, the prayer, and the God to whom he prays all have reality only as manifestations of the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, [T5], #NFDB
1415:To be one's self, and unafraid whether right or wrong, is more admirable than the easy cowardice of surrender to conformity. ~ Irving Wallace, #NFDB
1416:What can you give when there is no self, when you have no sensitivity, no receptivity, no warmth, nothing to contact others with? ~ Ana s Nin, #NFDB
1417:When the world recedes from one’s view — that is when one is free from thought — the mind enjoys the Bliss of the Self. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
1418:When you're at peace with yourself and love your self, it is virtually impossible to do things to yourself that are destructive. ~ Wayne Dyer, #NFDB
1419:You are wonderful. Valuable. Worthwhile. Lovable. Not because others think so. Self worth comes from only one place: self. ~ Karen Salmansohn, #NFDB
1420:You don’t belong to him, you belong to me.” “That’s insane too!” “Baby, you told me so your fuckin’ self.” “Sexual coercion. ~ Kristen Ashley, #NFDB
1421:A friend is a second self, so that our consciousness of a friend's existence...makes us more fully conscious of our own existence. ~ Aristotle, #NFDB
1422:Becoming is a forward motion, a means of evolving, a way to reach continuously toward a better self. The journey doesn't end. ~ Michelle Obama, #NFDB
1423:Blessed be all metrical rules that forbid automatic responses, force us to have second thoughts, free us from the fetters of Self. ~ W H Auden, #NFDB
1424:Define yourself radically as one beloved by God. This is the true self. Every other identity is illusion. BRENNAN MANNING ~ Jennifer Dukes Lee, #NFDB
1425:... I felt like a new man; but I was disappointed with the photographic documentation because I still saw always the old self. ~ Arnulf Rainer, #NFDB
1426:If you are renewed by grace, and were to meet your old self, I am sure you would be very anxious to get out of his company. ~ Charles Spurgeon, #NFDB
1427:In the silence and not in the thought we shall find the Self. ~ Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis Of Yoga, The Release from the Heart and the Mind, #NFDB
1428:I see no greatness in my self...I'm a simple-minded, child-like, insipid sort of moronic and kind of akward feeling adolescent. ~ Neal Cassady, #NFDB
1429:It is a strange desire, to seek power, and to lose liberty; or to seek power over others, and to lose power over a man's self. ~ Francis Bacon, #NFDB
1430:Leslie was more than his friend. She was his other, more exciting self - his way to Terabithia and all the worlds beyond. ~ Katherine Paterson, #NFDB
1431:So rainbow-sided, touch'd with miseries, She seem'd, at once, some penanced lady elf, Some demon's mistress, or the demon's self. ~ John Keats, #NFDB
1432:The literature of the inner life is very largely a record of struggle with the inordinate passions of the social self. ~ Charles Horton Cooley, #NFDB
1433:There is a certain delicacy which in yielding conquers; and with a pitiful look makes one find cause to crave help one's self. ~ Philip Sidney, #NFDB
1434:There is a wonderful continuity of being, the continuous awareness of self, a sense of yourself continuing in time and space. ~ Frederick Lenz, #NFDB
1435:We appear to be programmed with the idea that there are 'things' outside of our self, and some are conscious, and some are not. ~ Ray Kurzweil, #NFDB
1436:When you step into your power and your true authentic self, you shine. You shine so brightly that the world tries to keep up. ~ Shannon Kaiser, #NFDB
1437:A vessel must be empty if it is to be filled, and if we are to be filled with the life of God we must be utterly empty of self. ~ Andrew Murray, #NFDB
1438:Can it then be that what we call the 'self' is fluid and elastic? It evolves, strikes a different balance with every new breath. ~ Wayne Muller, #NFDB
1439:Holiness has to do with who we are in God, where we abide as a “self” with an utterly reconstituted sense of our own personhood. ~ Richard Rohr, #NFDB
1440:Identity claims are either directed toward others or directed at the self, and both kinds have their own psychological functions. ~ Sam Gosling, #NFDB
1441:I have never seen a person grow or change in a self - constructive meaningful way when motivated by guilt, shame, or self hate. ~ Herb Goldberg, #NFDB
1442:Maintain purity of heart.
Trust in the process.
Hold steadfast to your belief of self.
Never loose sight of your smile. ~ Truth Devour,#NFDB
1443:Remember He is the artist and you are the picture. You can’t see it, you can't see your true self. So quietly submit to be painted. ~ C S Lewis, #NFDB
1444:Since every individual is accountable ultimately to the self, the formation of that self demands our utmost care and attention. ~ Frank Herbert, #NFDB
1445:Storytelling is an escape from the jail of the self, leading to the ultimate adventure--seeing life through the eyes of another. ~ Tobias Wolff, #NFDB
1446:Taylor et al. (2011) found the 3D-WS correlated with both positive self- deception (r = 0.20) and impression management (r = 0.24). ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
1447:There's a different film being made in every mind. And of course, the star of the film is the mind, the personality, the self. ~ Frederick Lenz, #NFDB
1448:Thought is only thought from the point of view of thinking. Experience, that is, our self, knows no such things. Our self is too ~ Rupert Spira, #NFDB
1449:When you're at peace with yourself and love your self, it is virtually impossible to do things to yourself that are destructive. ~ Wayne W Dyer, #NFDB
1450:You entered into a Socratic dialogue in order to change; the object of the exercise was to create a new, more authentic self. ~ Karen Armstrong, #NFDB
1451:Accidents happen. Mistakes were made. The only way to move forward was through forgiveness and acceptance—of others and one’s self. ~ Jamie Beck, #NFDB
1452:According to all of them, Heidi, fewer than twenty-four hours from being murdered in her home, had been her usual ebullient self. ~ Harlan Coben, #NFDB
1453:Far from wife and son am 1, far from land and wealth and other notions of that kind. I am the Witness, the Eternal, the Inner Self. ~ Guru Nanak, #NFDB
1454:Help me to live to Thee for ever, to make Thee my last and only end, so that I may never more in one instance love my sinful self. ~ Anonymous, #NFDB
1455:I don't want a fashionable wedding, but only those about me whom I love, and to them I wish to look and be my familiar self. ~ Louisa May Alcott, #NFDB
1456:I have now concentrated all my prayers into one, and that one prayer is this, that I may die to self, and live wholly to Him. ~ Charles Spurgeon, #NFDB
1457:I'm going to end up like one of those old weirdos who lives in a network of tunnels burrowed through trash - yet I do not fear this. ~ Will Self, #NFDB
1458:It's essential you create a fiery will from within--harness that power of decisiveness--and choose to be your strongest self. ~ Karen Salmansohn, #NFDB
1459:Kindness is everything...When you receive it and express it, it becomes the whole meaning of things, a place out of self. ~ Hilary Thayer Hamann, #NFDB
1460:Know this also to be one of the spiritual practices, a discipline for God - realisation. Its aim also is Self - realisation. ~ Swami Vivekananda, #NFDB
1461:" . . . like a dark cloud so long as no bridge is found across the world-wide psychic & political split." ~ Carl Jung, The Undiscovered Self, #NFDB
1462:Like the appearance of silver in mother of pearl, the world seems real until the Self, the underlying reality, is realized. ~ Adi Shankaracharya, #NFDB
1463:Lovers are not snails; they don't have to protrude from their shells and meet each other halfway. Meet me within your own self. ~ Jerzy Kosinski, #NFDB
1464:Lovers are not snails; they don't have to protrude from their shells and meet each other halfway. Meet me within your own self. ~ Jerzy Kosi ski, #NFDB
1465:Pain shapes us, breaking us open so that we can reconfigure ourselves in a way that more deeply mirrors our authentic self. ~ Helen LaKelly Hunt, #NFDB
1466:Self-pitying, self-righteous, self-important, all the selfs except self-confident, the quality that she always needed the most. ~ David Nicholls, #NFDB
1467:The goal of spiritual practice is full recovery, and the only thing you need to recover from is a fractured sense of self. ~ Marianne Williamson, #NFDB
1468:We will live with racism for ever. But senses of self, senses of belonging, senses of us and of others? Those are up for grabs. ~ Richard Powers, #NFDB
1469:What is not permanent is not worth striving for. So I say the Self is not reached. You are the Self; you are already That. ~ Sri Ramana Maharshi, #NFDB
1470:When one is seized with a passion to understand one’s self, one has to leave behind all normal life and habitual modes of thought. ~ R K Narayan, #NFDB
1471:A wife is not a man's shadow or subordinate, but his other self, his "helper," in a sense which no other creature on earth can be. ~ Joseph Hertz, #NFDB
1472:consciousness survives the disappearance of the self, that it is not so indispensable as we—and it—like to think. Carhart-Harris ~ Michael Pollan, #NFDB
1473:Have learned that the most precious thing is a place where you can be as you are, where someone can see you as your true self. ~ Philippa Gregory, #NFDB
1474:he realized that real success is success with self. It’s not in having things, but in having mastery, having victory over self. ~ Stephen R Covey, #NFDB
1475:Live life and write about life. Of the making of many books there is indeed no end, but there are more than enough books about books. ~ Will Self, #NFDB
1476:Nothing ever comes to an end. Wherever one has sunk roots that emanate from one's best or truest self, one will always find a home. ~ Liv Ullmann, #NFDB
1477:One has to get rid of the self. Once the self is thrown away, nothing is lacking. You start overflowing and blossoms start falling on you. ~ Osho, #NFDB
1478:Over a man’s life, his semen grew into a mobile library of every part of the body—a condensed distillate of the self. This ~ Siddhartha Mukherjee, #NFDB
1479:There's something delicious about finding fault with something. And that can be including finding fault with one's self, you know? ~ Pema Chodron, #NFDB
1480:This liberation is attained by him alone who has understood the lesson of complete disinterestedness and forgetfulness of self. ~ Sri Ramakrishna, #NFDB
1481:When we truly discover how to love our neighbor as our self, Capitalism will not be possible and Marxism will not be necessary. ~ Shane Claiborne, #NFDB
1482:Yoga is the union of that which has become separated in the play of the universe with its own true self, origin and universality. ~ Sri Aurobindo, #NFDB
1483:All questions about the Self, fall away in the white light of eternity, in nirvana, because then we have awakened from the dream. ~ Frederick Lenz, #NFDB
1484:It was on the cross of Calvary that God, in Christ, dealt fully and finally with self, the nature from which all our sins flow. ~ Miles J Stanford, #NFDB
1485:Love is my true identity. Selflessness is my true self. Love is my true character. Love is my name. ~ Thomas Merton, Seeds of Contemplation (1949), #NFDB
1486:One must begin by annihilating one’s self, to be able to kindle within the Flame of existence and be admitted into the paths of Love. ~ Baha-ullah, #NFDB
1487:One of the greatest tazkiya (purification) of the nafs (self) is to part with your money and to give it to people who deserve it. ~ Junaid Jamshed, #NFDB
1488:There is nothing noble about being superior to some other person. The true nobility lies in being superior to your previous self. ~ Robin S Sharma, #NFDB
1489:True love is a discipline in which each divines the secret self of the other and refuses to believe in the mere daily self. ~ William Butler Yeats, #NFDB
1490:What destroys us most effectively is not a malign fate but our own capacity for self-deception and for degrading our own best self. ~ George Eliot, #NFDB
1491:When our inner self connects to our work and our work to our inner self, the work knows no limit, for the inner self knows no limit. ~ Matthew Fox, #NFDB
1492:Where are my sensations? They have melted into... me, and what is this me, this self, but the sum of these evaporated sensations? ~ Emile M Cioran, #NFDB
1493:Without a true self, a person can not go on living. It is like the ground we stand on. Without the ground, we can build nothing. ~ Haruki Murakami, #NFDB
1494:As long as man sees religion as a source of satisfaction for his own needs, it is not God whom he serves but his own self. ~ Abraham Joshua Heschel, #NFDB
1495:A sparrow is beautiful in its own way," Käthe said severely. "Don't force yourself to be a peacock, Liesl. Embrace your sparrow self. ~ S Jae Jones, #NFDB
1496:For, what is the purpose of true love, other than to rescue another from one's self? Why is that not the first thing we look for? ~ Shannon L Alder, #NFDB
1497:Happiness is not our goal. The achievement of happiness deflects us from our true destiny which is the utter realization of self. ~ Timothy Findley, #NFDB
1498:In the silence of the self there is no time—it is akāla. ~ Sri Aurobindo, Letters on Yoga - III, Experiences of the Self, the One and the Infinite, #NFDB
1499:Like vanishing dew,
a passing apparition
or the sudden flash
of lightning -- already gone --
thus should one regard one's self. ~ Ikkyu,#NFDB
1500:Love goes very far beyond the physical person of the beloved. It finds its deepet meaning in his spiritual being, his inner self. ~ Viktor E Frankl, #NFDB
959 Integral Yoga
252 Poetry
101 Philosophy
95 Occultism
84 Christianity
62 Yoga
55 Psychology
43 Fiction
20 Science
16 Mysticism
13 Education
12 Theosophy
11 Hinduism
9 Philsophy
7 Mythology
7 Integral Theory
7 Buddhism
6 Baha i Faith
5 Sufism
2 Cybernetics
1 Thelema
1 Kabbalah
1 Alchemy
709 Sri Aurobindo
412 The Mother
243 Nolini Kanta Gupta
195 Satprem
60 William Wordsworth
52 Carl Jung
41 Aleister Crowley
31 Plotinus
30 Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
26 Sri Ramakrishna
25 Aldous Huxley
23 H P Lovecraft
22 Friedrich Nietzsche
21 Swami Krishnananda
20 Saint Augustine of Hippo
20 Percy Bysshe Shelley
20 A B Purani
19 Robert Browning
16 Rudolf Steiner
16 John Keats
15 Saint John of Climacus
13 Walt Whitman
11 Swami Vivekananda
11 Nirodbaran
10 William Butler Yeats
10 Saint Teresa of Avila
10 Plato
10 Paul Richard
9 Ralph Waldo Emerson
9 George Van Vrekhem
9 Friedrich Schiller
8 Sri Ramana Maharshi
8 Lucretius
7 Jordan Peterson
7 Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
7 James George Frazer
7 Franz Bardon
6 Vyasa
6 Baha u llah
5 Thubten Chodron
5 Swami Sivananda Saraswati
5 Jetsun Milarepa
4 Rabindranath Tagore
4 Joseph Campbell
4 Jalaluddin Rumi
4 Jacopone da Todi
4 Alice Bailey
3 R Buckminster Fuller
3 Peter J Carroll
3 Ovid
3 Ken Wilber
3 Kabir
3 Jorge Luis Borges
3 Hsuan Chueh of Yung Chia
3 Anonymous
3 Al-Ghazali
2 Rainer Maria Rilke
2 Patanjali
2 Norbert Wiener
2 Naropa
2 Li Bai
2 Henry David Thoreau
2 Genpo Roshi
2 Edgar Allan Poe
2 Allama Muhammad Iqbal
142 The Synthesis Of Yoga
99 Record of Yoga
60 Wordsworth - Poems
56 The Life Divine
50 Essays In Philosophy And Yoga
47 Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 01
46 On Thoughts And Aphorisms
41 Questions And Answers 1957-1958
41 Letters On Yoga IV
41 Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 03
38 Savitri
37 Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 04
37 Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 02
35 Letters On Yoga II
32 Questions And Answers 1956
32 Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 07
30 Essays On The Gita
29 Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 05
25 The Perennial Philosophy
25 The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna
24 The Human Cycle
24 Magick Without Tears
23 Lovecraft - Poems
22 Questions And Answers 1953
21 The Study and Practice of Yoga
21 Agenda Vol 04
20 Shelley - Poems
20 Questions And Answers 1950-1951
20 Evening Talks With Sri Aurobindo
20 Essays Divine And Human
20 Agenda Vol 08
20 Agenda Vol 03
19 Mysterium Coniunctionis
19 Browning - Poems
19 Agenda Vol 02
18 Letters On Yoga III
17 Questions And Answers 1954
17 Liber ABA
17 Agenda Vol 01
16 Thus Spoke Zarathustra
16 Letters On Yoga I
16 Keats - Poems
15 The Practice of Psycho therapy
15 The Ladder of Divine Ascent
15 Agenda Vol 10
14 Questions And Answers 1929-1931
14 Isha Upanishad
14 Agenda Vol 07
13 The Future of Man
13 Sri Aurobindo or the Adventure of Consciousness
13 On Education
13 Agenda Vol 05
12 Whitman - Poems
12 The Mother With Letters On The Mother
12 Talks
11 Twelve Years With Sri Aurobindo
11 Some Answers From The Mother
11 Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 08
11 Agenda Vol 06
10 Yeats - Poems
10 Vedic and Philological Studies
10 The Confessions of Saint Augustine
10 The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious
10 Prayers And Meditations
10 City of God
9 Words Of Long Ago
9 The Secret Of The Veda
9 Schiller - Poems
9 Questions And Answers 1955
9 Preparing for the Miraculous
9 Plotinus - Complete Works Vol 04
9 Kena and Other Upanishads
9 Emerson - Poems
8 Words Of The Mother II
8 Theosophy
8 Plotinus - Complete Works Vol 02
8 Plotinus - Complete Works Vol 01
8 Of The Nature Of Things
8 Collected Poems
8 Aion
8 Agenda Vol 12
8 Agenda Vol 09
7 Twilight of the Idols
7 The Problems of Philosophy
7 The Interior Castle or The Mansions
7 The Golden Bough
7 On the Way to Supermanhood
7 Maps of Meaning
7 Letters On Poetry And Art
7 Let Me Explain
7 Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 06
6 Vishnu Purana
6 The Secret Doctrine
6 Plotinus - Complete Works Vol 03
6 Knowledge of the Higher Worlds
6 A Garden of Pomegranates - An Outline of the Qabalah
5 The Phenomenon of Man
5 Raja-Yoga
5 Milarepa - Poems
5 Hymns to the Mystic Fire
5 Hymn of the Universe
5 How to Free Your Mind - Tara the Liberator
5 Amrita Gita
5 Agenda Vol 11
5 5.1.01 - Ilion
4 Writings In Bengali and Sanskrit
4 Words Of The Mother III
4 The Integral Yoga
4 The Hero with a Thousand Faces
4 The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
4 Tagore - Poems
4 Rumi - Poems
4 Initiation Into Hermetics
4 Goethe - Poems
4 Bhakti-Yoga
4 A Treatise on Cosmic Fire
4 Agenda Vol 13
3 The Way of Perfection
3 The Red Book Liber Novus
3 The Practice of Magical Evocation
3 The Book of Certitude
3 The Bible
3 The Alchemy of Happiness
3 Synergetics - Explorations in the Geometry of Thinking
3 Sex Ecology Spirituality
3 Metamorphoses
3 Liber Null
3 Faust
3 Beating the Cloth Drum Letters of Zen Master Hakuin
2 Walden
2 The Tibetan Yogas of Dream and Sleep
2 The Lotus Sutra
2 The Essentials of Education
2 Songs of Kabir
2 Rilke - Poems
2 Poe - Poems
2 Patanjali Yoga Sutras
2 Naropa - Poems
2 Li Bai - Poems
2 Labyrinths
2 Dark Night of the Soul
2 Cybernetics
2 Anonymous - Poems
00.01 - The Approach to Mysticism, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 02, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
The mystic forces are not only of immense potency but of a definite moral disposition and character, that is to say, they are of immense potency either for good or for evil. They are not mechanical and amoral forces like those that physical sciences deal with; they are forces of consciousness and they are conscious forces, they act with an aim and a purpose. The mystic forces are forces either of light or of darkness, either Divine or Titanic. And it is most often the powers of darkness that the naturally ignorant consciousness of man contacts when it seeks to cross the borderline without training or guidance, by the sheer arrogant self-sufficiency of mental scientific reason.
Ignorance, certainly, is not man's ideal conditionit leads to death and dissolution. But knowledge also can be equally disastrous if it is not of the right kind. The knowledge that is born of spiritual disobedience, inspired by the Dark ones, leads to the soul's fall and its calvary through pain and suffering on earth. The seeker of true enlightenment has got to make a distinction, learn to separate the true and the right from the false and the wrong, unmask the luring Mra say clearly and unfalteringly to the dark light of Luciferapage Satana, if he is to come out into the true light and comm and the right forces. The search for knowledge alone, knowledge for the sake of knowledge, the path of pure scientific inquiry and inquisitiveness, in relation to the mystic world, is a dangerous thing. For such a spirit serves only to encourage and enhance man's arrogance and in the end not only limits but warps and falsifies the knowledge itself. A knowledge based on and secured exclusively through the reason and mental light can go only so far as that faculty can be reasonably stretched and not infinitelyto stretch it to infinity means to snap it. This is the warning that Yajnavalkya gave to Gargi when the latter started renewing her question ad infinitum Yajnavalkya said, "If you do not stop, your head will fall off."
00.03 - Upanishadic Symbolism, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 02, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
The Gods feed upon Svdh and Vaa, as these represent the ascending movement of human consciousness: it is man's self-giving and aspiration and the upward urge of his heart and soul that reach to the Gods, and it is that which the immortals take into themselves and are, as it were, nourished by, since it is something that appertains to their own nature.
And in response they descend and approach and enter into the aspiring human soulthis descent and revelation and near and concrete presence of Divinity, this Hanta is man's food, for by it his consciousness is nourished.
--
The teaching of Yama in brief may be said to be the gospel of immortality and it consists of the knowledge of triple immortality. And who else can be the best teacher of immortality than Death himself, as Nachiketas pointedly said? The first immortality is that of the physical existence and consciousness, the preservation of the personal identity, the individual name and formthis being in itself as expression and embodiment and instrument of the Inner Reality. This inner reality enshrines the second immortality the eternity and continuity of the soul's life through its incarnations in time, the divine Agni lit for ever and ever growing in flaming consciousness. And the third and final immortality is in the being and consciousness beyond time, beyond all relativities, the absolute and self-existent delight.
Rig Veda, X. 14-11, 12.
00.04 - The Beautiful in the Upanishads, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 02, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
The perception of beauty in the Upanishadic consciousness is something elemental-of concentrated essence. It silhouettes the main contour, outlines the primordial gestures. Pregnant and pulsating with the burden of beauty, the mantra here reduces its external expression to a minimum. The body is bare and unadorned, and even in its nakedness, it has not the emphatic and vehement musculature of an athlete; rather it tends to be slim and slender and yet vibrant with the inner nervous vigour and glow. What can be more bare and brief and full to the brim of a self-gathered luminous energy than, for example:
yat prena na praiti yena pra
00.05 - A Vedic Conception of the Poet, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 02, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
The poet is a trinity in himself. A triune consciousness forms his personality. First of all, he is the Knower-the Seer of the Truth, kavaya satyadrara. He has the direct vision, the luminous intelligence, the immediate perception.12 A subtle and profound and penetrating consciousness is his,nigam, pracetas; his is the eye of the Sun,srya caku.13 He secures an increased being through his effulgent understanding.14 In the second place, the Poet is not only Seer but Doer; he is knower as well as creator. He has a dynamic knowledge and his vision itself is power, ncak;15 he is the Seer-Will,kavikratu.16 He has the blazing radiance of the Sun and is supremely potent in his self-Iuminousness.17 The Sun is the light and the energy of the Truth. Even like the Sun the Poet gives birth to the Truth, srya satyasava, satyya satyaprasavya. But the Poet as Power is not only the revealer or creator,savit, he is also the builder or fashioner,ta, and he is the organiser,vedh is personality. First of all, he is the Knower-the Seer of the Truth, kavaya satyadrara, of the Truth.18 As Savita he manifests the Truth, as Tashta he gives a perfected body and form to the Truth, and as Vedha he maintains the Truth in its dynamic working. The effective marshalling and organisation of the Truth is what is called Ritam, the Right; it is also called Dharma,19 the Law or the Rhythm, the ordered movement and invincible execution of the Truth. The Poet pursues the Path of the Right;20 it is he who lays out the Path for the march of the Truth, the progress of the Sacrifice.21 He is like a fast steed well-yoked, pressing forward;22 he is the charger that moves straight and unswerving and carries us beyond 23into the world of felicity.
Indeed delight is the third and the supremely intimate element of the poetic personality. Dear and delightful is the poet, dear and delightful his works, priya, priyi His hand is dripping with sweetness,kavir hi madhuhastya.24 The Poet-God shines in his pristine beauty and is showering delight.25 He is filled with utter ecstasy so that he may rise to the very source of the luminous Energy.26? Pure is the Divine Joy and it enters and purifies all forms as it moves to the seat of the Immortals.27Indeed this sparkling Delight is the Poet-Seer and it is that that brings forth the creative word, the utterance of Indra.28
000 - Humans in Universe, #Synergetics - Explorations in the Geometry of Thinking, #R Buckminster Fuller, #Science
water. But nature had invented low-weight wood of high self-cohering tensile
strength (averaging approximately 10,000 p.s.i.) and of relatively low compression-
--
000.126 Nature's continuous self-regeneration is 100 percent efficient, neither
gaining nor losing any energy. Nature is not employing the three dimensional,
--
problem-solvers in support of the integrity of the eternal, 100-percent-efficient, self-
regenerative system of Universe. In support of their cosmic functioning humans
0.00 - INTRODUCTION, #The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, #Sri Ramakrishna, #Hinduism
The anguish of the inner soul of India found expression through these passionate words of the young Gadadhar. For what did his unsophisticated eyes see around him in Calcutta, at that time the metropolis of India and the centre of modem culture and learning? Greed and lust held sway in the higher levels of society, and the occasional religious practices were merely outer forms from which the soul had long ago departed. Gadadhar had never seen anything like this at Kamarpukur among the simple and pious villagers. The sadhus and wandering monks whom he had served in his boyhood had revealed to him an altogether different India. He had been impressed by their devotion and purity, their self-control and renunciation. He had learnt from them and from his own intuition that the ideal of life as taught by the ancient sages of India was the realization of God.
When Ramkumar reprimanded Gadadhar for neglecting a "bread-winning education", the inner voice of the boy reminded him that the legacy of his ancestors — the legacy of Rama, Krishna, Buddha, Sankara, Ramanuja, Chaitanya — was not worldly security but the Knowledge of God. And these noble sages were the true representatives of Hindu society. Each of them was seated, as it were, on the crest of the wave that followed each successive trough in the tumultuous course of Indian national life. All demonstrated that the life current of India is spirituality. This truth was revealed to Gadadhar through that inner vision which scans past and future in one sweep, unobstructed by the barriers of time and space. But he was unaware of the history of the profound change that had taken place in the land of his birth during the previous one hundred years.
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The whole symbolic world is represented in the temple garden — the Trinity of the Nature Mother (Kali), the Absolute (Siva), and Love (Radhakanta), the Arch spanning heaven and earth. The terrific Goddess of the Tantra, the soul-enthralling Flute-Player of the Bhagavata, and the self-absorbed Absolute of the Vedas live together, creating the greatest synthesis of religions. All aspects of Reality are represented there. But of this divine household, Kali is the pivot, the sovereign Mistress. She is Prakriti, the Procreatrix, Nature, the Destroyer, the Creator. Nay, She is something greater and deeper still for those who have eyes to see. She is the Universal Mother, "my Mother" as Ramakrishna would say, the All-powerful, who reveals Herself to Her children under different aspects and Divine Incarnations, the Visible God, who leads the elect to the Invisible Reality; and if it so pleases Her, She takes away the last trace of ego from created beings and merges it in the consciousness of the Absolute, the undifferentiated God. Through Her grace "the finite ego loses itself in the illimitable Ego — Atman — Brahman". (Romain Holland, Prophets of the New India, p. 11.)
Rani Rasmani spent a fortune for the construction of the temple garden and another fortune for its dedication ceremony, which took place on May 31, 1855.
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About this time he began to worship God by assuming the attitude of a servant toward his master. He imitated the mood of Hanuman, the monkey chieftain of the Ramayana, the ideal servant of Rama and traditional model for this self-effacing form of devotion. When he meditated on Hanuman his movements and his way of life began to resemble those of a monkey. His eyes became restless. He lived on fruits and roots. With his cloth tied around his waist, a portion of it hanging in the form of a tail, he jumped from place to place instead of walking. And after a short while he was blessed with a vision of Sita, the divine consort of Rama, who entered his body and disappeared there with the words, "I bequeath to you my smile."
Mathur had faith in the sincerity of Sri Ramakrishna's spiritual zeal, but began now to doubt his sanity. He had watched him jumping about like a monkey. One day, when Rani Rasmani was listening to Sri Ramakrishna's singing in the temple, the young priest abruptly turned and slapped her. Apparently listening to his song, she had actually been thinking of a law-suit. She accepted the punishment as though the Divine Mother Herself had imposed it; but Mathur was distressed. He begged Sri Ramakrishna to keep his feelings under control and to heed the conventions of society. God Himself, he argued, follows laws. God never permitted, for instance, flowers of two colours to grow on the same stalk. The following day Sri Ramakrishna presented Mathur Babu with two hibiscus flowers growing on the same stalk, one red and one white.
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Vaishnavism is exclusively a religion of bhakti. Bhakti is intense love of God, attachment to Him alone; it is of the nature of bliss and bestows upon the lover immortality and liberation. God, according to Vaishnavism, cannot be realized through logic or reason; and, without bhakti, all penances, austerities and rites are futile. Man cannot realize God by self-exertion alone. For the vision of God His grace is absolutely necessary, and this grace is felt by the pure of heart. The mind is to be purified through bhakti. The pure mind then remains for ever immersed in the ecstasy of God-vision. It is the cultivation of this divine love that is the chief concern of the Vaishnava religion.
There are three kinds of formal devotion: tamasic, rajasic, and sattvic. If a person, while showing devotion, to God, is actuated by malevolence, arrogance, jealousy, or anger, then his devotion is tamasic, since it is influenced by tamas, the quality of inertia. If he worships God from a desire for fame or wealth, or from any other worldly ambition, then his devotion is rajasic, since it is influenced by rajas, the quality of activity. But if a person loves God without any thought of material gain, if he performs his duties to please God alone and maintains toward all created beings the attitude of friendship, then his devotion is called sattvic, since it is influenced by sattva, the quality of harmony. But the highest devotion transcends the three gunas, or qualities, being a spontaneous, uninterrupted inclination of the mind toward God, the Inner Soul of all beings; and it wells up in the heart of a true devotee as soon as he hears the name of God or mention of God's attributes. A devotee possessed of this love would not accept the happiness of heaven if it were offered him. His one desire is to love God under all conditions — in pleasure and pain, life and death, honour and dishonour, prosperity and adversity.
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Totapuri arrived at the Dakshineswar temple garden toward the end of 1864. Perhaps born in the Punjab, he was the head of a monastery in that province of India and claimed leadership of seven hundred sannyasis. Trained from early youth in the disciplines of the Advaita Vedanta, he looked upon the world as an illusion. The gods and goddesses of the dualistic worship were to him mere fantasies of the deluded mind. Prayers, ceremonies, rites, and rituals had nothing to do with true religion, and about these he was utterly indifferent. Exercising self-exertion and unshakable will-power, he had liberated himself from attachment to the sense-objects of the relative universe. For forty years he had practised austere discipline on the bank of the sacred Narmada and had finally realized his identity with the Absolute. Thenceforward he roamed in the world as an unfettered soul, a lion free from the cage. Clad in a loin-cloth, he spent his days under the canopy of the sky alike in storm and sunshine, feeding his body on the slender pittance of alms. He had been visiting the estuary of the Ganges. On his return journey along the bank of the sacred river, led by the inscrutable Divine Will, he stopped at Dakshineswar.
Totapuri, discovering at once that Sri Ramakrishna was prepared to be a student of Vedanta, asked to initiate him into its mysteries. With the permission of the Divine Mother, Sri Ramakrishna agreed to the proposal. But Totapuri explained that only a sannyasi could receive the teaching of Vedanta. Sri Ramakrishna agreed to renounce the world, but with the stipulation that the ceremony of his initiation into the monastic order be performed in secret, to spare the feelings of his old mother, who had been living with him at Dakshineswar.
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By his marriage Sri Ramakrishna admitted the great value of marriage in man's spiritual evolution, and by adhering to his monastic vows he demonstrated the imperative necessity of self-control, purity, and continence, in the realization of God. By this unique spiritual relationship with his wife he proved that husband and wife can live together as spiritual companions. Thus his life is a synthesis of the ways of life of the householder and the monk.
--- THE "EGO" OF THE MASTER
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The real organizer of the Samaj was Devendranath Tagore (1817-1905), the father of the poet Rabindranath. His physical and spiritual beauty, aristocratic aloofness, penetrating intellect, and poetic sensibility made him the foremost leader of the educated Bengalis. These addressed him by the respectful epithet of Maharshi, the "Great Seer". The Maharshi was a Sanskrit scholar and, unlike Raja Rammohan Roy, drew his inspiration entirely from the Upanishads. He was an implacable enemy of image worship ship and also fought to stop the infiltration of Christian ideas into the Samaj. He gave the movement its faith and ritual. Under his influence the Brahmo Samaj professed One self-existent Supreme Being who had created the universe out of nothing, the God of Truth, Infinite Wisdom, Goodness, and Power, the Eternal and Omnipotent, the One without a Second. Man should love Him and do His will, believe in Him and worship Him, and thus merit salvation in the world to come.
By far the ablest leader of the Brahmo movement was Keshab Chandra Sen (1838-1884). Unlike Raja Rammohan Roy and Devendranath Tagore, Keshab was born of a middle-class Bengali family and had been brought up in an English school. He did not know Sanskrit and very soon broke away from the popular Hindu religion. Even at an early age he came under the spell of Christ and professed to have experienced the special favour of John the Baptist, Christ, and St. Paul. When he strove to introduce Christ to the Brahmo Samaj, a rupture became inevitable with Devendranath. In 1868 Keshab broke with the older leader and founded the Brahmo Samaj of India, Devendra retaining leadership of the first Brahmo Samaj, now called the Adi Samaj.
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Pratap Chandra Mazumdar, the right-hand man of Keshab and an accomplished Brahmo preacher in Europe and America, bitterly criticized Sri Ramakrishna's use of uncultured language and also his austere attitude toward his wife. But he could not escape the spell of the Master's personality. In the course of an article about Sri Ramakrishna, Pratap wrote in the "Theistic Quarterly Review": "What is there in common between him and me? I, a Europeanized, civilized, self-centred, semi-sceptical, so-called educated reasoner, and he, a poor, illiterate, unpolished, half-idolatrous, friendless Hindu devotee? Why should I sit long hours to attend to him, I, who have listened to Disraeli and Fawcett, Stanley and Max Muller, and a whole host of European scholars and divines? . . . And it is not I only, but dozens like me, who do the same. . . . He worships Siva, he worships Kali, he worships Rama, he worships Krishna, and is a confirmed advocate of Vedantic doctrines. . . . He is an idolater, yet is a faithful and most devoted meditator on the perfections of the One Formless, Absolute, Infinite Deity. . . . His religion is ecstasy, his worship means transcendental insight, his whole nature burns day and night with a permanent fire and fever of a strange faith and feeling. . . . So long as he is spared to us, gladly shall we sit at his feet to learn from him the sublime precepts of purity, unworldliness, spirituality, and inebriation in the love of God. . . . He, by his childlike bhakti, by his strong conceptions of an ever-ready Motherhood, helped to unfold it [God as our Mother] in our minds wonderfully. . . . By associating with him we learnt to realize better the divine attributes as scattered over the three hundred and thirty millions of deities of mythological India, the gods of the Puranas."
The Brahmo leaders received much inspiration from their contact with Sri Ramakrishna. It broadened their religious views and kindled in their hearts the yearning for God-realization; it made them understand and appreciate the rituals and symbols of Hindu religion, convinced them of the manifestation of God in diverse forms, and deepened their thoughts about the harmony of religions. The Master, too, was impressed by the sincerity of many of the Brahmo devotees. He told them about his own realizations and explained to them the essence of his teachings, such as the necessity of renunciation, sincerity in the pursuit of one's own course of discipline, faith in God, the performance of one's duties without thought of results, and discrimination between the Real and the unreal.
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In the year 1879 occasional writings about Sri Ramakrishna by the Brahmos, in the Brahmo magazines, began to attract his future disciples from the educated middle-class Bengalis, and they continued to come till 1884. But others, too, came, feeling the subtle power of his attraction. They were an ever shifting crowd of people of all castes and creeds: Hindus and Brahmos, Vaishnavas and Saktas, the educated with university degrees and the illiterate, old and young, maharajas and beggars, journalists and artists, pundits and devotees, philosophers and the worldly-minded, jnanis and yogis, men of action and men of faith, virtuous women and prostitutes, office-holders and vagabonds, philanthropists and self-seekers, dramatists and drunkards, builders-up and pullers-down. He gave to them all, without stint, from his illimitable store of realization. No one went away empty-handed. He taught them the lofty .knowledge of the Vedanta and the soul
-melting love of the Purana. Twenty hours out of twenty-four he would speak without out rest or respite. He gave to all his sympathy and enlightenment, and he touched them with that strange power of the soul which could not but melt even the most hardened. And people understood him according to their powers of comprehension.
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But to the young men destined to be monks he pointed out the steep path of renunciation, both external and internal. They must take the vow of absolute continence and eschew all thought of greed and lust. By the practice of continence, aspirants develop a subtle nerve through which they understand the deeper mysteries of God. For them self-control is final, imperative, and absolute. The sannyasis are teachers of men, and their lives should be totally free from blemish. They must not even look at a picture which may awaken their animal passions. The Master selected his future monks from young men untouched by "woman and gold" and plastic enough to be cast in his spiritual mould. When teaching them the path of renunciation and discrimination, he would not allow the householders to be anywhere near them.
--- RAM AND MANOMOHAN
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Suresh Mitra, a beloved disciple whom the Master often addressed as Surendra, had received an English education and held an important post in an English firm. Like many other educated young men of the time, he prided himself on his atheism and led a Bohemian life. He was addicted to drinking. He cherished an exaggerated notion about man's free will. A victim of mental depression, he was brought to Sri Ramakrishna by Ramchandra chandra Dutta. When he heard the Master asking a disciple to practise the virtue of self-surrender to God, he was impressed. But though he tried thenceforth to do so, he was unable to give up his old associates and his drinking. One day the Master said in his presence, "Well, when a man goes to an undesirable place, why doesn't he take the Divine Mother with him?" And to Surendra himself Sri Ramakrishna said: "Why should you drink wine as wine? Offer it to Kali, and then take it as Her prasad, as consecrated drink
. But see that you don't become intoxicated; you must not reel and your thoughts must not wander. At first you will feel ordinary excitement, but soon you will experience spiritual exaltation." Gradually Surendra's entire life was changed. The Master designated him as one of those commissioned by the Divine Mother to defray a great part of his expenses. Surendra's purse was always open for the Master's comfort.
0.00 - The Book of Lies Text, #The Book of Lies, #Aleister Crowley, #Philosophy
The self-mastery of Percivale became the self-
masturbatery of the Bourgeois.
--
salvation in unmanly self-abnegation; no Creeping
Jesus, to slink through existence to the tune of the Dead
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any man with ideals less than Shelley's and self-
discipline less than Loyola's-in short, any man
0.00 - THE GOSPEL PREFACE, #The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, #Sri Ramakrishna, #Hinduism
But, all doctrinal writing is in some measure formal and impersonal, while the autobiographer tends to omit what he regards as trifling matters and suffers from the further disadvantage of being unable to say how he strikes other people and in what way he affects their lives. Moreover, most saints have left neither writings nor self-portraits, and for knowledge of their lives, their characters and their teachings, we are forced to rely upon the records made by their disciples who, in most cases, have proved themselves singularly incompetent as reporters and biographers. Hence the special interest attaching to this enormously detailed account of the daily life and conversations of Sri Ramakrishna.
"M", as the author modestly styles himself, was peculiarly qualified for his task. To a reverent love for his master, to a deep and experiential knowledge of that master's teaching, he added a prodigious memory for the small happenings of each day and a happy gift for recording them in an interesting and realistic way. Making good use of his natural gifts and of the circumstances in which he found himself, "M" produced a book unique, so far as my knowledge goes, in the literature of hagiography. No other saint has had so able and indefatigable a Boswell. Never have the small events of a contemplative's daily life been described with such a wealth of intimate detail. Never have the casual and unstudied utterances of a great religious teacher been set down with so minute a fidelity. To Western readers, it is true, this fidelity and this wealth of detail are sometimes a trifle disconcerting; for the social, religious and intellectual frames of reference within which Sri Ramakrishna did his thinking and expressed his feelings were entirely Indian. But after the first few surprises and bewilderments, we begin to find something peculiarly stimulating and instructive about the very strangeness and, to our eyes, the eccentricity of the man revealed to us in "M's" narrative. What a scholastic philosopher would call the "accidents" of Ramakrishna's life were intensely Hindu and therefore, so far as we in the West are concerned, unfamiliar and hard to understand; its "essence", however, was intensely mystical and therefore universal. To read through these conversations in which mystical doctrine alternates with an unfamiliar kind of humour, and where discussions of the oddest aspects of Hindu mythology give place to the most profound and subtle utterances about the nature of Ultimate Reality, is in itself a liberal, education in humility, tolerance and suspense of judgment. We must be grateful to the translator for his excellent version of a book so curious and delightful as a biographical document, so precious, at the same time, for what it teaches us of the life of the spirit.
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M. spent his weekends and holidays with the monastic brethren who, after the Master's demise, had formed themselves into an Order with a Math at Baranagore, and participated in the intense life of devotion and meditation that they followed. At other times he would retire to Dakshineswar or some garden in the city and spend several days in spiritual practice taking simple self-cooked food. In order to feel that he was one with all mankind he often used to go out of his home at dead of night, and like a wandering Sannysin, sleep with the waifs on some open verandah or footpath on the road.
After the Master's demise, M. went on pilgrimage several times. He visited Banras, Vrindvan, Ayodhy and other places. At Banras he visited the famous Trailinga Swmi and fed him with sweets, and he had long conversations with Swami Bhaskarananda, one of the noted saintly and scholarly Sannysins of the time. In 1912 he went with the Holy Mother to Banras, and spent about a year in the company of Sannysins at Banras, Vrindvan, Hardwar, Hrishikesh and Swargashram. But he returned to Calcutta, as that city offered him the unique opportunity of associating himself with the places hallowed by the Master in his lifetime. Afterwards he does not seem to have gone to any far-off place, but stayed on in his room in the Morton School carrying on his spiritual ministry, speaking on the Master and his teachings to the large number of people who flocked to him after having read his famous Kathmrita known to English readers as The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna.
0.00 - The Wellspring of Reality, #Synergetics - Explorations in the Geometry of Thinking, #R Buckminster Fuller, #Science
Only a comprehensive switch from the narrowing specialization and toward an evermore inclusive and refining comprehension by all humanity-regarding all the factors governing omnicontinuing life aboard our spaceship Earth-can bring about reorientation from the self-extinction-bound human trending, and do so within the critical time remaining before we have passed the point of chemical process irretrievability.
Quite clearly, our task is predominantly metaphysical, for it is how to get all of humanity to educate itself swiftly enough to generate spontaneous social behaviors that will avoid extinction.
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Science's self-assumed responsibility has been self-limited to disclosure to society only of the separate, supposedly physical (because separately weighable) atomic component isolations data. Synergetic integrity would require the scientists to announce that in reality what had been identified heretofore as physical is entirely metaphysical-because synergetically weightless. Metaphysical has been science's designation for all weightless phenomena such as thought. But science has made no experimental finding of any phenomena that can be described as a solid, or as continuous, or as a straight surface plane, or as a straight line, or as infinite anything. We are now synergetically forced to conclude that all phenomena are metaphysical; wherefore, as many have long suspected-like it or not-life is but a dream.Science has found no up or down directions of Universe, yet scientists are personally so ill-coordinated that they all still personally and sensorially see "solids" going up or down-as, for instance, they see the Sun "going down." Sensorially disconnected from their theoretically evolved information, scientists discern no need on their part to suggest any educational reforms to correct the misconceiving that science has tolerated for half a millennium.
Society depends upon its scientists for just such educational reform guidance.
0.01f - FOREWARD, #The Phenomenon of Man, #Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, #Christianity
see more and better is not a matter of whim or curiosity or self-
indulgence. To see or to perish is the very condition laid upon
0.01 - I - Sri Aurobindos personality, his outer retirement - outside contacts after 1910 - spiritual personalities- Vibhutis and Avatars - transformtion of human personality, #Evening Talks With Sri Aurobindo, #unset, #Zen
Sri Aurobindo has explained the mystery of personality in some of his writings. Ordinarily by personality we mean something which can be described as "a pattern of being marked out by a settled combination of fixed qualities, a determined character.... In one view personality is regarded as a fixed structure of recognisable qualities expressing a power of being"; another idea regards "personality as a flux of self-expressive or sensitive and responsive being.... But flux of nature and fixity of nature" which some call character "are two aspects of being neither of which, nor indeed both together, can be a definition of personality.... But besides this flux and this fixity there is also a third and occult element, the Person behind of whom the personality is a self-expression; the Person puts forward the personality as his role, character, persona, in the present act of his long drama of manifested existence. But the Person is larger than his personality, and it may happen that this inner largeness overflows into the surface formation; the result is a self-expression of being which can no longer be described by fixed qualities, normalities of mood, exact lineaments, or marked out by structural limits."[4]
The gospel of the Supermind which Sri Aurobindo brought to man envisages a new level of consciousness beyond Mind. When this level is attained it imposes a complete and radical reintegration of the human personality. Sri Aurobindo was not merely the exponent but the embodiment of the new, dynamic truth of the Supermind. While exploring and sounding the tremendous possibilities of human personality in his intense spiritual Sadhana, he has shown us that practically there are no limits to its expansion and ascent. It can reach in its growth what appears to man at present as a 'divine' status. It goes without saying that this attainment is not an easy task; there are conditions to be fulfilled for the transformation from the human to the divine.
0.01 - Life and Yoga, #The Synthesis Of Yoga, #Sri Aurobindo, #Integral Yoga
the profoundest reason of its being in that general truth and that unceasing aim of Nature which it represents, and find by virtue of this new self-knowledge and self-appreciation its own recovered and larger synthesis. Reorganising itself, it will enter more easily and powerfully into the reorganised life of the race which its processes claim to lead within into the most secret penetralia and upward to the highest altitudes of existence and personality.
In the right view both of life and of Yoga all life is either consciously or subconsciously a Yoga. For we mean by this term a methodised effort towards self-perfection by the expression of the secret potentialities latent in the being and - highest condition of victory in that effort - a union of the human individual with the universal and transcendent Existence we see partially expressed in man and in the Cosmos. But all life, when we look behind its appearances, is a vast Yoga of Nature who attempts in the conscious and the subconscious to realise her perfection in an ever-increasing expression of her yet unrealised potentialities and to unite herself with her own divine reality. In man, her thinker, she for the first time upon this Earth devises selfconscious means and willed arrangements of activity by which this great purpose may be more swiftly and puissantly attained.
Yoga, as Swami Vivekananda has said, may be regarded as a means of compressing one's evolution into a single life or a few years or even a few months of bodily existence. A given system of Yoga, then, can be no more than a selection or a compression, into narrower but more energetic forms of intensity, of the general methods which are already being used loosely, largely, in a leisurely movement, with a profuser apparent waste of material and energy but with a more complete combination by the great
--
God. Therefore we see in India that a sharp incompatibility has been created between life in the world and spiritual growth and perfection, and although the tradition and ideal of a victorious harmony between the inner attraction and the outer demand remains, it is little or else very imperfectly exemplified. In fact, when a man turns his vision and energy inward and enters on the path of Yoga, he is popularly supposed to be lost inevitably to the great stream of our collective existence and the secular effort of humanity. So strongly has the idea prevailed, so much has it been emphasised by prevalent philosophies and religions that to escape from life is now commonly considered as not only the necessary condition, but the general object of Yoga. No synthesis of Yoga can be satisfying which does not, in its aim, reunite God and Nature in a liberated and perfected human life or, in its method, not only permit but favour the harmony of our inner and outer activities and experiences in the divine consummation of both. For man is precisely that term and symbol of a higher Existence descended into the material world in which it is possible for the lower to transfigure itself and put on the nature of the higher and the higher to reveal itself in the forms of the lower. To avoid the life which is given him for the realisation of that possibility, can never be either the indispensable condition or the whole and ultimate object of his supreme endeavour or of his most powerful means of self-fulfilment. It can only be a temporary necessity under certain conditions or a specialised extreme effort imposed on the individual so as to prepare a greater general possibility for the race. The true and full object and utility of Yoga can only be accomplished when the conscious
Yoga in man becomes, like the subconscious Yoga in Nature, outwardly conterminous with life itself and we can once more, looking out both on the path and the achievement, say in a more perfect and luminous sense: "All life is Yoga."
0.02 - Letters to a Sadhak, #Some Answers From The Mother, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
I don't know why I have lost my self-control and
peace.
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keep one's self-control, one needs to have time enough to rest,
enter into oneself and find calm and quiet.
0.02 - The Three Steps of Nature, #The Synthesis Of Yoga, #Sri Aurobindo, #Integral Yoga
The progressive self-manifestation of Nature in man, termed in modern language his evolution, must necessarily depend upon three successive elements. There is that which is already evolved; there is that which, still imperfect, still partly fluid, is persistently in the stage of conscious evolution; and there is that which is to be evolved and may perhaps be already
10
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And these self-exceedings are the revelation of that in her which is most divine or else most diabolical, but in either case the most puissant to bring her rapidly forward towards her goal.
That which Nature has evolved for us and has firmly founded is the bodily life. She has effected a certain combination and harmony of the two inferior but most fundamentally necessary elements of our action and progress upon earth, -
--
The only approximate terms in the English language have other associations and their use may lead to many and even serious inaccuracies. The terminology of Yoga recognises besides the status of our physical and vital being, termed the gross body and doubly composed of the food sheath and the vital vehicle, besides the status of our mental being, termed the subtle body and singly composed of the mind sheath or mental vehicle,5 a third, supreme and divine status of supra-mental being, termed the causal body and composed of a fourth and a fifth vehicle6 which are described as those of knowledge and bliss. But this knowledge is not a systematised result of mental questionings and reasonings, not a temporary arrangement of conclusions and opinions in the terms of the highest probability, but rather a pure self-existent and self-luminous Truth. And this bliss is not a supreme pleasure of the heart and sensations with the experience of pain and sorrow as its background, but a delight also selfexistent and independent of objects and particular experiences, a self-delight which is the very nature, the very stuff, as it were, of a transcendent and infinite existence.
antah.karan.a.
--
Do such psychological conceptions correspond to anything real and possible? All Yoga asserts them as its ultimate experience and supreme aim. They form the governing principles of our highest possible state of consciousness, our widest possible range of existence. There is, we say, a harmony of supreme faculties, corresponding roughly to the psychological faculties of revelation, inspiration and intuition, yet acting not in the intuitive reason or the divine mind, but on a still higher plane, which see Truth directly face to face, or rather live in the truth of things both universal and transcendent and are its formulation and luminous activity. And these faculties are the light of a conscious existence superseding the egoistic and itself both cosmic and transcendent, the nature of which is Bliss. These are obviously divine and, as man is at present apparently constituted, superhuman states of consciousness and activity. A trinity of transcendent existence, self-awareness and self-delight7 is, indeed, the metaphysical description of the supreme Atman, the self-formulation, to our awakened knowledge, of the Unknowable whether conceived as a pure Impersonality or as a cosmic Personality manifesting the universe. But in Yoga they are regarded also in their psychological aspects as states of subjective existence to which our waking consciousness is now alien, but which dwell in us in a superconscious plane and to which, therefore, we may always ascend.
For, as is indicated by the name, causal body (karan.a), as opposed to the two others which are instruments (karan.a), this crowning manifestation is also the source and effective power of all that in the actual evolution has preceded it. Our mental activities are, indeed, a derivation, selection and, so long as they are divided from the truth that is secretly their source, a deformation of the divine knowledge. Our sensations and emotions have the same relation to the Bliss, our vital forces and actions to the aspect of Will or Force assumed by the divine consciousness, our physical being to the pure essence of that Bliss and
0.03 - Letters to My little smile, #Some Answers From The Mother, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
It is your self-esteem and vanity that are in an exasperated state
and prevent you from seeing affection where it is present.
--
the intimacy of this self-giving one can become conscious of the
inner Presence and the joy it brings.
0.03 - The Threefold Life, #The Synthesis Of Yoga, #Sri Aurobindo, #Integral Yoga
NATURE, then, is an evolution or progressive self-manifestation of an eternal and secret existence, with three successive forms as her three steps of ascent. And we have consequently as the condition of all our activities these three mutually interdependent possibilities, the bodily life, the mental existence and the veiled spiritual being which is in the involution the cause of the others and in the evolution their result. Preserving and perfecting the physical, fulfilling the mental, it is Nature's aim and it should be ours to unveil in the perfected body and mind the transcendent activities of the Spirit. As the mental life does not abrogate but works for the elevation and better utilisation of the bodily existence, so too the spiritual should not abrogate but transfigure our intellectual, emotional, aesthetic and vital activities.
For man, the head of terrestrial Nature, the sole earthly frame in which her full evolution is possible, is a triple birth. He has been given a living frame in which the body is the vessel and life the dynamic means of a divine manifestation. His activity is centred in a progressive mind which aims at perfecting itself as well as the house in which it dwells and the means of life that it uses, and is capable of awaking by a progressive self-realisation to its own true nature as a form of the Spirit. He culminates in what he always really was, the illumined and beatific spirit which is intended at last to irradiate life and mind with its now concealed splendours.
Since this is the plan of the divine Energy in humanity, the whole method and aim of our existence must work by the interaction of these three elements in the being. As a result of their separate formulation in Nature, man has open to him a choice between three kinds of life, the ordinary material existence, a life of mental activity and progress and the unchanging spiritual beatitude. But he can, as he progresses, combine these three forms, resolve their discords into a harmonious rhythm and so create in himself the whole godhead, the perfect Man.
--
The characteristic energy of bodily Life is not so much in progress as in persistence, not so much in individual selfenlargement as in self-repetition. There is, indeed, in physical Nature a progression from type to type, from the vegetable to the animal, from the animal to man; for even in inanimate Matter Mind is at work. But once a type is marked off physically, the chief immediate preoccupation of the terrestrial Mother seems to be to keep it in being by a constant reproduction. For Life always seeks immortality; but since individual form is impermanent and only the idea of a form is permanent in the consciousness that creates the universe, - for there it does not perish, - such constant reproduction is the only possible material immortality.
self-preservation, self-repetition, self-multiplication are necessarily, then, the predominant instincts of all material existence.
Material life seems ever to move in a fixed cycle.
The characteristic energy of pure Mind is change, and the more our mentality acquires elevation and organisation, the more this law of Mind assumes the aspect of a continual enlargement, improvement and better arrangement of its gains and so of a continual passage from a smaller and simpler to a larger and more complex perfection. For Mind, unlike bodily life, is infinite in its field, elastic in its expansion, easily variable in its formations. Change, then, self-enlargement and selfimprovement are its proper instincts. Mind too moves in cycles, but these are ever-enlarging spirals. Its faith is perfectibility, its watchword is progress.
The characteristic law of Spirit is self-existent perfection and immutable infinity. It possesses always and in its own right the immortality which is the aim of Life and the perfection which is the goal of Mind. The attainment of the eternal and the realisation of that which is the same in all things and beyond all things, equally blissful in universe and outside it, untouched by the imperfections and limitations of the forms and activities in which it dwells, are the glory of the spiritual life.
In each of these forms Nature acts both individually and collectively; for the Eternal affirms Himself equally in the single form and in the group-existence, whether family, clan and nation or groupings dependent on less physical principles or the supreme group of all, our collective humanity. Man also may seek his own individual good from any or all of these spheres of activity, or identify himself in them with the collectivity and live for it, or, rising to a truer perception of this complex universe, harmonise the individual realisation with the collective aim. For as it is the right relation of the soul with the Supreme, while it is in the universe, neither to assert egoistically its separate being nor to blot itself out in the Indefinable, but to realise its unity with the Divine and the world and unite them in the individual, so the right relation of the individual with the collectivity is neither to pursue egoistically his own material or mental progress or spiritual salvation without regard to his fellows, nor for the sake of the community to suppress or maim his proper development, but to sum up in himself all its best and completest possibilities and pour them out by thought, action and all other means on his surroundings so that the whole race may approach nearer to the attainment of its supreme personalities.
--
He can subordinate this aim, but only to physical Nature's other instincts, the reproduction of the individual and the conservation of the type in the family, class or community. Self, domesticity, the accustomed order of the society and of the nation are the constituents of the material existence. Its immense importance in the economy of Nature is self-evident, and commensurate is the importance of the human type which represents it. He assures her of the safety of the framework she has made and of the orderly continuance and conservation of her past gains.
But by that very utility such men and the life they lead are condemned to be limited, irrationally conservative and earthbound. The customary routine, the customary institutions, the inherited or habitual forms of thought, - these things are the life-breath of their nostrils. They admit and jealously defend the changes compelled by the progressive mind in the past, but combat with equal zeal the changes that are being made by it in the present. For to the material man the living progressive thinker is an ideologue, dreamer or madman. The old Semites who stoned the living prophets and adored their memories when dead, were the very incarnation of this instinctive and unintelligent principle in Nature. In the ancient Indian distinction between the once born and the twice born, it is to this material man that the former description can be applied. He does Nature's inferior works; he assures the basis for her higher activities; but not to him easily are opened the glories of her second birth.
--
Mind finds fully its force and action only when it casts itself upon life and accepts equally its possibilities and its resistances as the means of a greater self-perfection. In the struggle with the difficulties of the material world the ethical development of the individual is firmly shaped and the great schools of conduct are formed; by contact with the facts of life Art attains to vitality, Thought assures its abstractions, the generalisations of the philosopher base themselves on a stable foundation of science and experience.
This mixing with life may, however, be pursued for the sake of the individual mind and with an entire indifference to the forms of the material existence or the uplifting of the race. This indifference is seen at its highest in the Epicurean discipline and is not entirely absent from the Stoic; and even altruism does the works of compassion more often for its own sake than for the sake of the world it helps. But this too is a limited fulfilment. The progressive mind is seen at its noblest when it strives to elevate the whole race to its own level whether by sowing broadcast the image of its own thought and fulfilment or by changing the material life of the race into fresh forms, religious, intellectual, social or political, intended to represent more nearly that ideal of truth, beauty, justice, righteousness with which the man's own soul is illumined. Failure in such a field matters little; for the mere attempt is dynamic and creative. The struggle of Mind to elevate life is the promise and condition of the conquest of life by that which is higher even than Mind.
That highest thing, the spiritual existence, is concerned with what is eternal but not therefore entirely aloof from the transient. For the spiritual man the mind's dream of perfect beauty is realised in an eternal love, beauty and delight that has no dependence and is equal behind all objective appearances; its dream of perfect Truth in the supreme, self-existent, self-apparent and eternal Verity which never varies, but explains and is the secret of all variations and the goal of all progress; its dream of perfect action in the omnipotent and self-guiding Law that is inherent for ever in all things and translates itself here in the rhythm of the worlds. What is fugitive vision or constant effort of creation in the brilliant Self is an eternally existing Reality in the Self that knows2 and is the Lord.
But if it is often difficult for the mental life to accommodate itself to the dully resistant material activity, how much more difficult must it seem for the spiritual existence to live on in a world that appears full not of the Truth but of every lie and illusion, not of Love and Beauty but of an encompassing discord and ugliness, not of the Law of Truth but of victorious selfishness and sin? Therefore the spiritual life tends easily in the saint and Sannyasin to withdraw from the material existence and reject it either wholly and physically or in the spirit. It sees this world as the kingdom of evil or of ignorance and the eternal and divine either in a far-off heaven or beyond where there is no world and no life. It separates itself inwardly, if not also physically, from the world's impurities; it asserts the spiritual reality in a spotless isolation. This withdrawal renders an invaluable service to the material life itself by forcing it to regard and even to bow down to something that is the direct negation of its own petty ideals, sordid cares and egoistic self-content.
But the work in the world of so supreme a power as spiritual force cannot be thus limited. The spiritual life also can return upon the material and use it as a means of its own greater fullness. Refusing to be blinded by the dualities, the appearances, it can seek in all appearances whatsoever the vision of the same Lord, the same eternal Truth, Beauty, Love, Delight. The
--
But if Progress also is one of the chief terms of worldexistence and a progressive manifestation of the Divine the true sense of Nature, this limitation also is invalid. It is possible for the spiritual life in the world, and it is its real mission, to change the material life into its own image, the image of the Divine. Therefore, besides the great solitaries who have sought and attained their self-liberation, we have the great spiritual teachers who have also liberated others and, supreme of all, the great dynamic souls who, feeling themselves stronger in the might of the Spirit than all the forces of the material life banded together, have thrown themselves upon the world, grappled with it in a loving wrestle and striven to compel its consent to its own transfiguration. Ordinarily, the effort is concentrated on a mental and moral change in humanity, but it may extend itself also to the alteration of the forms of our life and its institutions so that they too may be a better mould for the inpourings of the Spirit. These attempts have been the supreme landmarks in the progressive development of human ideals and the divine preparation of the race. Every one of them, whatever its outward results, has left Earth more capable of Heaven and quickened in its tardy movements the evolutionary Yoga of Nature.
In India, for the last thousand years and more, the spiritual life and the material have existed side by side to the exclusion of the progressive mind. Spirituality has made terms for itself with Matter by renouncing the attempt at general progress. It has obtained from society the right of free spiritual development for all who assume some distinctive symbol, such as the garb of the Sannyasin, the recognition of that life as man's goal and those who live it as worthy of an absolute reverence, and the casting of society itself into such a religious mould that its most customary acts should be accompanied by a formal reminder of the spiritual symbolism of life and its ultimate destination. On the other hand, there was conceded to society the right of inertia and immobile self-conservation. The concession destroyed much of the value of the terms. The religious mould being fixed, the formal reminder tended to become a routine and to lose its living sense. The constant attempts to change the mould by new sects and religions ended only in a new routine or a modification of the old; for the saving element of the free and active mind had been exiled. The material life, handed over to the Ignorance, the purposeless and endless duality, became a leaden and dolorous yoke from which flight was the only escape.
The schools of Indian Yoga lent themselves to the compromise. Individual perfection or liberation was made the aim, seclusion of some kind from the ordinary activities the condition, the renunciation of life the culmination. The teacher gave his knowledge only to a small circle of disciples. Or if a wider movement was attempted, it was still the release of the individual soul that remained the aim. The pact with an immobile society was, for the most part, observed.
--
But their aim is one in the end. The generalisation of Yoga in humanity must be the last victory of Nature over her own delays and concealments. Even as now by the progressive mind in Science she seeks to make all mankind fit for the full development of the mental life, so by Yoga must she inevitably seek to make all mankind fit for the higher evolution, the second birth, the spiritual existence. And as the mental life uses and perfects the material, so will the spiritual use and perfect the material and the mental existence as the instruments of a divine self-expression.
The ages when that is accomplished, are the legendary Satya or Krita3 Yugas, the ages of the Truth manifested in the symbol, of the great work done when Nature in mankind, illumined, satisfied and blissful, rests in the culmination of her endeavour.
0.04 - The Systems of Yoga, #The Synthesis Of Yoga, #Sri Aurobindo, #Integral Yoga
Rajayoga takes a higher flight. It aims at the liberation and perfection not of the bodily, but of the mental being, the control of the emotional and sensational life, the mastery of the whole apparatus of thought and consciousness. It fixes its eyes on the citta, that stuff of mental consciousness in which all these activities arise, and it seeks, even as Hathayoga with its physical material, first to purify and to tranquillise. The normal state of man is a condition of trouble and disorder, a kingdom either at war with itself or badly governed; for the lord, the Purusha, is subjected to his ministers, the faculties, subjected even to his subjects, the instruments of sensation, emotion, action, enjoyment. Swarajya, self-rule, must be substituted for this subjection.
First, therefore, the powers of order must be helped to overcome
--
the powers of disorder. The preliminary movement of Rajayoga is a careful self-discipline by which good habits of mind are substituted for the lawless movements that indulge the lower nervous being. By the practice of truth, by renunciation of all forms of egoistic seeking, by abstention from injury to others, by purity, by constant meditation and inclination to the divine
Purusha who is the true lord of the mental kingdom, a pure, glad, clear state of mind and heart is established.
This is the first step only. Afterwards, the ordinary activities of the mind and sense must be entirely quieted in order that the soul may be free to ascend to higher states of consciousness and acquire the foundation for a perfect freedom and self-mastery.
But Rajayoga does not forget that the disabilities of the ordinary mind proceed largely from its subjection to the reactions of the nervous system and the body. It adopts therefore from the Hathayogic system its devices of asana and pran.ayama, but reduces their multiple and elaborate forms in each case to one simplest and most directly effective process sufficient for its own immediate object. Thus it gets rid of the Hathayogic complexity and cumbrousness while it utilises the swift and powerful efficacy of its methods for the control of the body and the vital functions and for the awakening of that internal dynamism, full of a latent supernormal faculty, typified in Yogic terminology by the kun.d.alin, the coiled and sleeping serpent of Energy within. This done, the system proceeds to the perfect quieting of the restless mind and its elevation to a higher plane through concentration of mental force by the successive stages which lead to the utmost inner concentration or ingathered state of the consciousness which is called Samadhi.
--
Rajayoga aimed not only at Swarajya, self-rule or subjective empire, the entire control by the subjective consciousness of all the states and activities proper to its own domain, but included
Samrajya as well, outward empire, the control by the subjective consciousness of its outer activities and environment.
--
Lord, with our human life as its final stage, pursued through the different phases of self-concealment and self-revelation. The principle of Bhakti Yoga is to utilise all the normal relations of human life into which emotion enters and apply them no longer to transient worldly relations, but to the joy of the All-Loving, the All-Beautiful and the All-Blissful. Worship and meditation are used only for the preparation and increase of intensity of the divine relationship. And this Yoga is catholic in its use of all emotional relations, so that even enmity and opposition to God, considered as an intense, impatient and perverse form of Love, is conceived as a possible means of realisation and salvation.
This path, too, as ordinarily practised, leads away from worldexistence to an absorption, of another kind than the Monist's, in the Transcendent and Supra-cosmic.
0.05 - Letters to a Child, #Some Answers From The Mother, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
grateful to her for having taught me the discipline and the necessity of self-forgetfulness through concentration on what one
is doing.
--
It is through work and self-mastery that one can find happiness and peace.
23 March 1935
0.05 - The Synthesis of the Systems, #The Synthesis Of Yoga, #Sri Aurobindo, #Integral Yoga
This system is the way of the Tantra. Owing to certain of its developments Tantra has fallen into discredit with those who are not Tantrics; and especially owing to the developments of its left-hand path, the Vama Marga, which not content with exceeding the duality of virtue and sin and instead of replacing them by spontaneous rightness of action seemed, sometimes, to make a method of self-indulgence, a method of unrestrained social immorality. Nevertheless, in its origin, Tantra was a great and puissant system founded upon ideas which were at least partially true. Even its twofold division into the right-hand and left-hand paths, Dakshina Marga and Vama Marga, started from a certain profound perception. In the ancient symbolic sense of the words Dakshina and Vama, it was the distinction between the way of Knowledge and the way of Ananda, - Nature in man liberating itself by right discrimination in power and practice of its own energies, elements and potentialities and Nature in man
The Synthesis of the Systems
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We have in this central Tantric conception one side of the truth, the worship of the Energy, the Shakti, as the sole effective force for all attainment. We get the other extreme in the Vedantic conception of the Shakti as a power of Illusion and in the search after the silent inactive Purusha as the means of liberation from the deceptions created by the active Energy. But in the integral conception the Conscious Soul is the Lord, the Nature-Soul is his executive Energy. Purusha is of the nature of Sat, the being of conscious self-existence pure and infinite; Shakti or Prakriti is of the nature of Chit, - it is power of the Purusha's self-conscious existence, pure and infinite. The relation of the two exists between the poles of rest and action. When the Energy is absorbed
44
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in the bliss of conscious self-existence, there is rest; when the
Purusha pours itself out in the action of its Energy, there is action, creation and the enjoyment or Ananda of becoming. But if Ananda is the creator and begetter of all becoming, its method is Tapas or force of the Purusha's consciousness dwelling upon its own infinite potentiality in existence and producing from it truths of conception or real Ideas, vijnana, which, proceeding from an omniscient and omnipotent self-existence, have the surety of their own fulfilment and contain in themselves the nature and law of their own becoming in the terms of mind, life and matter. The eventual omnipotence of Tapas and the infallible fulfilment of the Idea are the very foundation of all
Yoga. In man we render these terms by Will and Faith, - a will that is eventually self-effective because it is of the substance of
Knowledge and a faith that is the reflex in the lower consciousness of a Truth or real Idea yet unrealised in the manifestation.
It is this self-certainty of the Idea which is meant by the Gita when it says, yo yac-chraddhah. sa eva sah., "whatever is a man's faith or the sure Idea in him, that he becomes."
We see, then, what from the psychological point of view,
--
Nature, in the other it becomes swift and self-conscious and the instrument confesses the hand of the Master. All life is a Yoga of Nature seeking to manifest God within itself. Yoga marks the stage at which this effort becomes capable of self-awareness and therefore of right completion in the individual. It is a gathering up and concentration of the movements dispersed and loosely combined in the lower evolution.
An integral method and an integral result. First, an integral realisation of Divine Being; not only a realisation of the One in its indistinguishable unity, but also in its multitude of aspects which are also necessary to the complete knowledge of it by
--
The divinising of the normal material life of man and of his great secular attempt of mental and moral self-culture in the individual and the race by this integralisation of a widely perfect
50
0.06 - Letters to a Young Sadhak, #Some Answers From The Mother, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
love and self-giving. Once you have found the Divine you will
naturally see Him in all things and everywhere.
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It is not with severity but with self-mastery that children are
controlled.
0.07 - Letters to a Sadhak, #Some Answers From The Mother, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
troubles and difficulties; it is entire self-giving and consecration
to the Divine.
0.08 - Letters to a Young Captain, #Some Answers From The Mother, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
There are many ways to attain self-realisation, and each one
must choose the way that comes to him most naturally.
--
with the yoga of works and the yoga of self-perfection to make
a homogeneous whole, culminating in the yoga of supramental
--
to constitute a definite basis for the various methods of selfdevelopment and self-discipline. That is why each philosophic,
educational or Yogic system has, as it were, its own division
0.09 - Letters to a Young Teacher, #Some Answers From The Mother, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
All the methods of self-knowledge, self-control and selfmastery are good. You have to choose the one that comes to you
spontaneously and best corresponds to your nature. And once
01.01 - The New Humanity, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 01, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
Not that this sovereign power will have anything to do with aggression or over-bearingness. It will not be a power that feels itself only by creating an eternal opponentErbfeindby coming in constant clash with a rival that seeks to gain victory by subjugating. It will not be Nietzschean "will to power," which is, at best, a supreme Asuric power. It will rather be a Divine Power, for the strength it will exert and the victory it will achieve will not come from the egoit is the ego which requires an object outside and against to feel and affirm itself but it will come from a higher personal self which is one with the cosmic soul and therefore with other personal souls. The Asura, in spite of, or rather, because of his aggressive vehemence betrays a lack of the sovereign power that is calm and at ease and self-sufficient. The Devic power does not assert hut simply accomplishes; the forces of the world act not as its opponent but as its instrument. Thus the New Man shall affirm his individual sovereignty and do so to perfection by expressing through it his unity with the cosmic powers, with the infinite godhead. And by being Swarat, self-Master, he will become Samrat, world-master.
This mastery will be effected not merely in will, but in mind and heart also. For the New Man will know not by the intellect which is egocentric and therefore limited, not by ratiocination which is an indirect and doubtful process, but by direct vision, an inner communion, a soul revelation. The new knowledge will be vast and profound and creative, based as it will be upon the reality of things and not upon their shadows. Truth will shine through every experience and every utterance"a truth shall have its seat on our speech and mind and hearing", so have the Vedas said. The mind and intellect will not be active and constructive agents but the luminous channel of a self-luminous knowledge. And the heart too which is now the field of passion and egoism will be cleared of its noise and obscurity; a serener sky will shed its pure warmth and translucent glow. The knot will be rent asunderbhidyate hridaya granthih and the vast and mighty streams of another ocean will flow through. We will love not merely those to whom we are akin but God's creatures, one and all; we will love not with the yearning and hunger of a mortal but with the wide and intense Rasa that lies in the divine identity of souls.
And the new society will be based not upon competition, nor even upon co-operation. It will not be an open conflict, neither will it be a convenient compromise of rival individual interests. It will be the organic expression of the collective soul of humanity, working and achieving through each and every individual soul its most wide-winging freedom, manifesting the godhead that is, proper to each and every one. It will be an organisation, most delicate and subtle and supple, the members of which will have no need to live upon one another but in and through one another. It will be, if you like, a henotheistic hierarchy in which everyone will be the greatest, since everyone is all and all everyone simultaneously.
01.02 - Natures Own Yoga, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 03, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
This process of a developing consciousness in Nature is precisely what is known as Evolution. It is the bringing out and fixing of a higher and higher principle of consciousness, hitherto involved and concealed behind the veil, in the earth consciousness as a dynamic factor in Nature's manifest working. Thus, the first stage of evolution is the status of inconscient Matter, of the lifeless physical elements; the second stage is that of the semi-conscious life in the plant, the third that of the conscious life in the animal, and finally the fourth stage, where we stand at present, is that of the embodied self-conscious life in man.
The course of evolution has not come to a stop with man and the next stage, Sri Aurobindo says, which Nature envisages and is labouring to bring out and establish is the life now superconscious to us, embodied in a still higher type of created being, that of the superman or god-man. The principle of consciousness which will determine the nature and build of this new, being is a spiritual principle beyond the mental principle which man now incarnates: it may be called the Supermind or Gnosis.
For, till now Mind has been the last term of the evolutionary consciousness Mind as developed in man is the highest instrument built up and organised by Nature through which the self-conscious being can express itself. That is why the Buddha said: Mind is the first of all principles, Mind is the highest of all principles: indeed Mind is the constituent of all principlesmana puvvangam dhamm1. The consciousness beyond mind has not yet been made a patent and dynamic element in the life upon earth; it has been glimpsed or entered into in varying degrees and modes by saints and seers; it has cast its derivative illuminations in the creative activities of poets and artists, in the finer and nobler urges of heroes and great men of action. But the utmost that has been achieved, the summit reached in that direction, as exampled in spiritual disciplines, involves a withdrawal from the evolutionary cycle, a merging and an absorption into the static status that is altogether beyond it, that lies, as it were, at the other extreme the Spirit in itself, Atman, Brahman, Sachchidananda, Nirvana, the One without a second, the Zero without a first.
The first contact that one has with this static supra-reality is through the higher ranges of the mind: a direct and closer communion is established through a plane which is just above the mind the Overmind, as Sri Aurobindo calls it. The Overmind dissolves or transcends the ego-consciousness which limits the being to its individualised formation bounded by an outward and narrow frame or sheath of mind, life and body; it reveals the universal Self and Spirit, the cosmic godhead and its myriad forces throwing up myriad forms; the world-existence there appears as a play of ever-shifting veils upon the face of one ineffable reality, as a mysterious cycle of perpetual creation and destructionit is the overwhelming vision given by Sri Krishna to Arjuna in the Gita. At the same time, the initial and most intense experience which this cosmic consciousness brings is the extreme relativity, contingency and transitoriness of the whole flux, and a necessity seems logically and psychologically imperative to escape into the abiding substratum, the ineffable Absoluteness.
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But the initial illusory consciousness of the Overmind need not at all lead to the static Brahmic consciousness or Sunyam alone. As a matter of fact, there is in this particular processes of consciousness a hiatus between the two, between Maya and Brahman, as though one has to leap from the one into the other somehow. This hiatus is filled up in Sri Aurobindo's Yoga by the principle of Supermind, not synthetic-analytic2 in knowledge like Overmind and the highest mental intelligence, but inescapably unitarian even in the utmost diversity. Supermind is the Truth-consciousness at once static and dynamic, self-existent and creative: in Supermind the Brahmic consciousness Sachchidanandais ever self-aware and ever manifested and embodied in fundamental truth-powers and truth-forms for the play of creation; it is the plane where the One breaks out into the Many and the Many still remain one, being and knowing themselves to be but various self-expressions of the One; it develops the spiritual archetypes, the divine names and forms of all individualisations of an evolving existence.
SRI AUROBINDO
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The secret of evolution, I have said, is an urge towards the release and unfoldment of consciousness out of an apparent unconsciousness. In the early stages the movement is very slow and gradual; there it is Nature's original unconscious process. In man it acquires the possibility of a conscious and therefore swifter and concentrated process. And this is in fact the function of Yoga proper, viz, to bring about the evolution of consciousness by hastening the process of Nature through the self-conscious will of man.
An organ in the human being has been especially developed to become the effective instrument of this accelerated Yogic process the self-consciousness which I referred to as being the distinctive characteristic of man is a function of this organ. It is his soul, his psychic being; originally it is the spark of the Divine Consciousness which came down and became involved in Matter and has been endeavouring ever since to release itself through the upward march of evolution. It is this which presses on continually as the stimulus to the evolutionary movement; and in man it has attained sufficient growth and power and has come so far to the front from behind the veil that it can now lead and mould his external consciousness. It is also the channel through which the Divine Consciousness can flow down into the inferior levels of human nature. It is the being no bigger than the thumb ever seated within the heart, spoken of in the Upanishads. It is likewise the basis of true individuality and personal identity. It is again the reflection or expression in evolutionary Nature of one's essential selfjivtman that is above, an eternal portion of the Divine, one with the Divine and yet not dissolved and lost in it. The psychic being is thus on the one hand in direct contact with the Divine and the higher consciousness, and on the other it is the secret upholder and controller' (bhart, antarymin) of the inferior consciousness, the hidden nucleus round which the body and the life and the mind of the individual are built up and organised.
The first decisive step in Yoga is taken when one becomes conscious of the psychic being, or, looked at from the other side, when the psychic being comes forward and takes possession of the external being, begins to initiate and influence the movements of the mind and life and body and gradually free them from the ordinary round of ignorant nature. The awakening of the psychic being means, as I have said, not only a deepening and heightening of the consciousness and its release from the obscurity and limitation of the inferior Prakriti, confined to the lower threefold status, into what is behind and beyond; it means also a return of the deeper and higher consciousness upon the lower hemisphere and a consequent purification and illumination and regeneration of the latter. Finally, when the psychic being is in full self-possession and power, it can be the vehicle of the direct supramental consciousness which will then be able to act freely and absolutely for the entire transformation of the external nature, its transfiguration into a perfect body of the Truth-consciousness in a word, its divinisation.
This then is the supreme secret, not the renunciation and annulment, but the transformation of the ordinary human nature : first of all, its psychicisation, that is to say, making it move and live and be in communion and identification with the light of the psychic being, and, secondly, through the soul and the ensouled mind and life and body, to open out into the supramental consciousness and let it come down here below and work and achieve.
The soul or the true being in man uplifted in the supramental consciousness and at the same time coming forward to possess a divinised mind and life and body as an instrument and channel of its self-expression and an embodiment of the Divine Will and Purposesuch is the goal that Nature is seeking to realise at present through her evolutionary lan. It is to this labour that man has been called so that in and through him the destined transcendence and transformation can take place.
It is not easy, however, nor is it necessary for the moment to envisage in detail what this divinised man would be like, externallyhis mode of outward being and living, kimsita vrajeta kim, as Arjuna queriedor how the collective life of the new humanity would function or what would be the composition of its social fabric. For what is happening is a living process, an organic growth; it is being elaborated through the actions and reactions of multitudinous forces and conditions, known and unknown; the precise configuration of the final outcome cannot be predicted with exactitude. But the Power that is at work is omniscient; it is selecting, rejecting, correcting, fashioning, creating, co-ordinating elements in accordance with and by the drive of the inviolable law of Truth and Harmony that reigns in Light's own homeswe dame the Supermind.
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Now, with regard to the time that the present stage of evolution is likely to take for its fulfilment, one can presume that since or if the specific urge and stress has manifested and come up to the front, this very fact would show that the problem has become a problem of actuality, and even that it can be dealt with as if it had to be solved now or never. We have said that in man, with man's self-consciousness or the consciousness of the psychic being as the instrument, evolution has attained the capacity of a swift and concentrated process, which is the process of Yoga; the process will become swifter and more concentrated, the more that instrument grows and gathers power and is infused with the divine afflatus. In fact, evolution has been such a process of gradual acceleration in tempo from the very beginning. The earliest stage, for example, the stage of dead Matter, of the play of the mere chemical forces was a very, very long one; it took millions and millions of years to come to the point when the manifestation of life became possible. But the period of elementary life, as manifested in the plant world that followed, although it too lasted a good many millions of years, was much briefer than the preceding periodit ended with the advent of the first animal form. The age of animal life, again, has been very much shorter than that of the plant life before man came upon earth. And man is already more than a million or two years oldit is fully time that a higher order of being should be created out of him.
The Dhammapada, I. 1
01.02 - Sri Aurobindo - Ahana and Other Poems, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 02, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
Poetry as an expression of thought-power, poetry weighted with intelligence and rationalised knowledge that seems to me to be the end and drive, the secret sense of all the mystery of modern technique. The combination is risky, but not impossible. In the spiritual domain the Gita achieved this miracle to a considerable degree. Still, the power of intelligence and reason shown by Vyasa is of a special order: it is a sublimated function of the faculty, something aloof and other-worldly"introvert", a modern mind would term it that is to say, something a priori, standing in its own au thenticity and self-sufficiency. A modern intelligence would be more scientific, let us use the word, more matter-of-fact and sense-based: the mental light should not be confined in its ivory tower, however high that may be, but brought down and placed at the service of our perception and appreciation and explanation of things human and terrestrial; made immanent in the mundane and the ephemeral, as they are commonly called. This is not an impossibility. Sri Aurobindo seems to have done the thing. In him we find the three terms of human consciousness arriving at an absolute fusion and his poetry is a wonderful example of that fusion. The three terms are the spiritual, the intellectual or philosophical and the physical or sensational. The intellectual, or more generally, the mental, is the intermediary, the Paraclete, as he himself will call it later on in a poem9 magnificently exemplifying the point we are trying to make out the agent who negotiates, bridges and harmonises the two other firmaments usually supposed to be antagonistic and incompatible.
Indeed it would be wrong to associate any cold ascetic nudity to the spiritual body of Sri Aurobindo. His poetry is philosophic, abstract, no doubt, but every philosophy has its practice, every abstract thing its concrete application,even as the soul has its body; and the fusion, not mere union, of the two is very characteristic in him. The deepest and unseizable flights of thought he knows how to clo the with a Kalidasian richness of imagery, or a Keatsean gusto of sensuousness:
01.02 - The Creative Soul, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 01, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
Let each take cognisance of the godhead that is within him for self is Godand in the strength of the soul-divinity create his universe. It does not matter what sort of universe he- creates, so long as he creates it. The world created by a Buddha is not the same as that created by a Napoleon, nor should they be the same. It does not prove anything that I cannot become a Kalidasa; for that matter Kalidasa cannot become what I am. If you have not the genius of a Shankara it does not mean that you have no genius at all. Be and become yourselfma gridhah kasyachit dhanam, says the Upanishad. The fountain-head of creative genius lies there, in the free choice and the particular delight the self-determination of the spirit within you and not in the desire for your neighbours riches. The world has become dull and uniform and mechanical, since everybody endeavours to become not himself, but always somebody else. Imitation is servitude and servitude brings in grief.
In one's own soul lies the very height and profundity of a god-head. Each soul by bringing out the note that is his, makes for the most wondrous symphony. Once a man knows what he is and holds fast to it, refusing to be drawn away by any necessity or temptation, he begins to uncover himself, to do what his inmost nature demands and takes joy in, that is to say, begins to create. Indeed there may be much difference in the forms that different souls take. But because each is itself, therefore each is grounded upon the fundamental equality of things. All our valuations are in reference to some standard or other set up with a particular end in view, but that is a question of the practical world which in no way takes away from the intrinsic value of the greatness of the soul. So long as the thing is there, the how of it does not matter. Infinite are the ways of manifestation and all of them the very highest and the most sublime, provided they are a manifestation of the soul itself, provided they rise and flow from the same level. Whether it is Agni or Indra, Varuna, Mitra or the Aswins, it is the same supreme and divine inflatus.
01.02 - The Issue, #Savitri, #Sri Aurobindo, #Integral Yoga
A dense magnificent coloured self-wrapped life
Draped in the leaves' vivid emerald monotone
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Ardent was her self-poised unstumbling will;
Her mind, a sea of white sincerity,
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A wide self-giving was her native act;
A magnanimity as of sea or sky
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A continent of self-diffusing peace,
An ocean of untrembling virgin fire;
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A conscious frame was here, a self-born Force.
4.19
01.02 - The Object of the Integral Yoga, #The Integral Yoga, #Sri Aurobindo, #Integral Yoga
Matter. Our object is not to remove all "limitations" on the expansion of the ego or to give a free field and make unlimited room for the fulfilment of the ideas of the human mind or the desires of the ego-centred life-force. None of us are here to "do as we like", or to create a world in which we shall at last be able to do as we like; we are here to do what the Divine wills and to create a world in which the Divine Will can manifest its truth no longer deformed by human ignorance or perverted and mistranslated by vital desire. The work which the sadhak of the supramental Yoga has to do is not his own work for which he can lay down his own conditions, but the work of the Divine which he has to do according to the conditions laid down by the Divine. Our Yoga is not for our own sake but for the sake of the Divine. It is not our own personal manifestation that we are to seek, the manifestation of the individual ego freed from all bounds and from all bonds, but the manifestation of the Divine. Of that manifestation our own spiritual liberation, perfection, fullness is to be a result and a part, but not in any egoistic sense or for any ego-centred or self-seeking purpose.
This liberation, perfection, fullness too must not be pursued for our own sake, but for the sake of the Divine.
01.03 - Mystic Poetry, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 02, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
The philosophical trend in poetry has an interesting history with a significant role: it has acted as a force of purification, of sublimation, of katharsis. As man has risen from his exclusively or predominantly vital nature into an increasing mental poise, in the same way his creative activities too have taken this new turn and status. In the earlier stages of evolution the mental life is secondary, subordinate to the physico-vital life; it is only subsequently that the mental finds an independent and self-sufficient reality. A similar movement is reflected in poetic and artistic creation too: the thinker, the philosopher remains in the background at the outset, he looks out; peers through chinks and holes from time to time; later he comes to the forefront, assumes a major role in man's creative activity.
Man's consciousness is further to rise from the mental to over-mental regions. Accordingly, his life and activities and along with that his artistic creations too will take on a new tone and rhythm, a new mould and constitution even. For this transition, the higher mentalwhich is normally the field of philosophical and idealistic activitiesserves as the Paraclete, the Intercessor; it takes up the lower functionings of the consciousness, which are intense in their own way, but narrow and turbid, and gives, by purifying and enlarging, a wider frame, a more luminous pattern, a more subtly articulated , form for the higher, vaster and deeper realities, truths and harmonies to express and manifest. In the old-world spiritual and mystic poets, this intervening medium was overlooked for evident reasons, for human reason or even intelligence is a double-edged instrument, it can make as well as mar, it has a light that most often and naturally shuts off other higher lights beyond it. So it was bypassed, some kind of direct and immediate contact was sought to be established between the normal and the transcendental. The result was, as I have pointed out, a pure spiritual poetry, on the one hand, as in the Upanishads, or, on the other, religious poetry of various grades and denominations that spoke of the spiritual but in the terms and in the manner of the mundane, at least very much coloured and dominated by the latter. Vyasa was the great legendary figure in India who, as is shown in his Mahabharata, seems to have been one of the pioneers, if not the pioneer, to forge and build the missing link of Thought Power. The exemplar of the manner is the Gita. Valmiki's represented a more ancient and primary inspiration, of a vast vital sensibility, something of the kind that was at the basis of Homer's genius. In Greece it was Socrates who initiated the movement of speculative philosophy and the emphasis of intellectual power slowly began to find expression in the later poets, Sophocles and Euripides. But all these were very simple beginnings. The moderns go in for something more radical and totalitarian. The rationalising element instead of being an additional or subordinate or contri buting factor, must itself give its norm and form, its own substance and manner to the creative activity. Such is the present-day demand.
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or this simple single line pregnant no less with the self-same fullness:
An eye awake in voiceless heights of trance, ||8.8||
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And by self-murder, red.
From this red earth, O Father, purge away
01.03 - Rationalism, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 01, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
It may be retorted that if Reason is condemned, it is condemned by itself and by no other authority. All argumentation against Reason is a function of Reason itself. The deficiencies of Reason we find out by the rational faculty alone. If Reason was to die, it is because it consents to commit suicide; there is no other power that kills it. But to this our answer is that Reason has this miraculous power of self-destruction; or, to put it philosophically, Reason is, at best, an organ of self-criticism and perhaps the organ par excellence for that purpose. But criticism is one thing and creation another. And whether we know or act, it is fundamentally a process of creation; at least, without this element of creation there can be no knowledge, no act. In knowledge there is a luminous creativity, Revelation or Categorical Imperative which Reason does not and cannot supply but vaguely strains to seize. For that element we have to search elsewhere, not in Reason.
Does this mean that real knowledge is irrational or against Reason? Not so necessarily. There is a super-rational power for knowledge and Reason may either be a channel or an obstacle. If we take our stand upon Reason and then proceed to know, if we take the forms and categories of Reason as the inviolable schemata of knowledge, then indeed Reason becomes an obstacle to that super-rational power. If, on the other hand, Reason does not offer any set-form from beforehand, does not insist upon its own conditions, is passive and simply receives and reflects what is given to it, then it becomes a luminous and sure channel for that higher and real knowledge.
01.03 - Sri Aurobindo and his School, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 03, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
Sri Aurobindo's sadhana starts from the perception of a Power that is beyond the ordinary nature yet is its inevitable master, a fulcrum, as we have said, outside the earth. For what is required first is the discovery and manifestation of a new soul-consciousness in man which will bring about by the very pressure and working out of its self-rule an absolute reversal of man's nature. It is the Asuras who are now holding sway over humanity, for man has allowed himself so long to be built in the image of the Asura; to dislodge the Asuras, the Gods in their sovereign might have to be forged in the human being and brought into play. It is a stupendous task, some would say impossible; but it is very far removed from quietism or passivism. Sri Aurobindo is in retirement, but it is a retirement only from the outward field of present physical activities and their apparent actualities, not from the true forces and action of life. It is the retreat necessary to one who has to go back into himself to conquer a new plane of creative power,an entrance right into the world of basic forces, of fundamental realities, into the flaming heart of things where all actualities are born and take their first shape. It is the discovery of a power-house of tremendous energism and of the means of putting it at the service of earthly life.
And, properly speaking, it is not at all a school, least of all a mere school of thought, that is growing round Sri Aurobindo. It is rather the nucleus of a new life that is to come. Quite naturally it has almost insignificant proportions at present to the outward eye, for the work is still of the nature of experiment and trial in very restricted limits, something in the nature of what is done in a laboratory when a new power has been discovered, but has still to be perfectly formulated in its process. And it is quite a mistake to suppose that there is a vigorous propaganda carried on in its behalf or that there is a large demand for recruits. Only the few, who possess the call within and are impelled by the spirit of the future, have a chance of serving this high attempt and great realisation and standing among its first instruments and pioneer workers.
01.03 - The Yoga of the King - The Yoga of the Souls Release, #Savitri, #Sri Aurobindo, #Integral Yoga
And Spirit was its own self-evidence.
The Supreme's gaze looked out through human eyes
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A seeing thought, a self-revealing voice.
He knew the source from which his spirit came:
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A splendour of self-creation from the peaks,
A transfiguration in the mystic depths,
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Its symmetry of self-arranged effects
Managed in the deep perspectives of the soul,
01.03 - Yoga and the Ordinary Life, #The Integral Yoga, #Sri Aurobindo, #Integral Yoga
In the Yoga practised here the aim is to rise to a higher consciousness and to live out of the higher consciousness alone, not with the ordinary motives. This means a change of life as well as a change of consciousness. But all are not so circumstanced that they can cut loose from the ordinary life; they accept it therefore as a field of experience and self-training in the earlier stages of the sadhana. But they must take care to look at it as a field of experience only and to get free from the ordinary desires, attachments and ideas which usually go with it; otherwise it becomes a drag and hindrance on their sadhana. When one is not compelled by circumstances there is no necessity to continue the ordinary life.
It is not helpful to abandon the ordinary life before the being is ready for the full spiritual life. To do so means to precipitate a struggle between the different elements and exasperate it to a point of intensity which the nature is not ready to bear. The vital elements in you have partly to be met by the discipline and experience of life, while keeping the spiritual aim in view and trying to govern life by it progressively in the spirit of Karmayoga.
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There are many ways of opening to this Divine consciousness or entering into it. My way which I show to others is by a constant practice to go inward into oneself, to open by aspiration to the Divine and once one is conscious of it and its action to give oneself to It entirely. This self-giving means not to ask for anything but the constant contact or union with the Divine Consciousness, to aspire for its peace, power, light and felicity, but to ask nothing else and in life and action to be its instrument only for whatever work it gives one to do in the world. If one can once open and feel the Divine Force, the
Power of the Spirit working in the mind and heart and body, the rest is a matter of remaining faithful to It, calling for it always, allowing it to do its work when it comes and rejecting every other and inferior Force that belongs to the lower consciousness and the lower nature.
01.04 - Motives for Seeking the Divine, #The Integral Yoga, #Sri Aurobindo, #Integral Yoga
Divine and do His work or His will and I am satisfied, even if the use of Power entails suffering also." It is possible to shun bliss as a thing too tremendous or ecstatic and ask only or rather for peace, for liberation, for Nirvana. You speak of self-fulfilment,
- one may regard the Supreme not as the Divine but as one's highest Self and seek fulfilment of one's being in that highest Self; but one need not envisage it as a self of bliss, ecstasy, Ananda - one may envisage it as a self of freedom, vastness, knowledge, tranquillity, strength, calm, perfection - perhaps too calm for a ripple of anything so disturbing as joy to enter. So even if it is for something to be gained that one approaches the Divine, it is not a fact that one can approach Him or seek union only for the sake of Ananda and nothing else.
That involves something which throws all your reasoning out of gear. For these are aspects of the Divine Nature, powers of it, states of his being, - but the Divine Himself is something absolute, someone self-existent, not limited by his aspects, - wonderful and ineffable, not existing by them, but they existing because of him. It follows that if he attracts by his aspects, all the more he can attract by his very absolute selfness which is sweeter, mightier, profounder than any aspect. His peace, rapture, light, freedom, beauty are marvellous and ineffable, because he is himself magically, mysteriously, transcendently marvellous and ineffable. He can then be sought after for his wonderful and ineffable self and not only for the sake of one aspect or another of him. The only thing needed for that is, first, to arrive at a point when the psychic being feels this pull of the Divine in himself and, secondly, to arrive at the point when the mind, vital and each thing else begins to feel too that that was what it was wanting and the surface hunt after Ananda or what else was only an excuse for drawing the nature towards that supreme magnet.
Your argument that because we know the union with the
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What your reasoning ignores is that which is absolute or tends towards the absolute in man and his seeking as well as in the Divine - something not to be explained by mental reasoning or vital motive. A motive, but a motive of the soul, not of vital desire; a reason not of the mind, but of the self and spirit. An asking too, but the asking that is the soul's inherent aspiration, not a vital longing. That is what comes up when there is the sheer self-giving, when "I seek you for this, I seek you for that" changes to a sheer "I seek you for you." It is that marvellous and ineffable absolute in the Divine that Krishnaprem means when he says, "Not knowledge nor this nor that, but Krishna."
The pull of that is indeed a categorical imperative, the self in us drawn to the Divine because of the imperative call of its greater Self, the soul ineffably drawn towards the object of its adoration, because it cannot be otherwise, because it is it and
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"A self-less self-giving is the best policy." Only one does not do it out of policy. Ananda is the result, but it is done not for the result, but for the self-giving itself and for the Divine himself - a subtle distinction, it may seem to the mind, but very real.
01.04 - The Intuition of the Age, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 01, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
So instead of the rational principle, the new age wants the principle of Nature or Life. Even as regards knowledge Reason is not the only, nor the best instrument. For animals have properly no reason; the nature-principle of knowledge in the animal is Instinct the faculty that acts so faultlessly, so marvellously where Reason can only pause and be perplexed. This is not to say that man is to or can go back to this primitive and animal function; but certainly he can replace it by something akin which is as natural and yet purified and self-consciousillumined instinct, we may say or Intuition, as Bergson terms it. And Nietzsche's definition of the Superman has also a similar orientation and significance; for, according to him, the Superman is man who has outgrown his Reason, who is not bound by the standards and the conventions determined by Reason for a special purpose. The Superman is one who has gone beyond "good and evil," who has shaken off from his nature and character elements that are "human, all too human"who is the embodiment of life-force in its absolute purity and strength and freedom.
This then is the mantra of the new ageLife with Intuition as its guide and not Reason and mechanical efficiency, not Man but Superman. The right mantra has been found, the principle itself is irreproachable. But the interpretation, the application, does not seem to have been always happy. For, Nietzsche's conception of the Superman is full of obvious lacunae. If we have so long been adoring the intellectual man, Nietzsche asks us, on the other hand, to deify the vital man. According to him the superman is he who has (1) the supreme sense of the ego, (2) the sovereign will to power and (3) who lives dangerously. All this means an Asura, that is to say, one who has, it may be, dominion over his animal and vital impulsions in order, of course, that he may best gratify them but who has not purified them. Purification does not necessarily mean, annihilation but it does mean sublimation and transformation. So if you have to transcend man, you have to transcend egoism also. For a conscious egoism is the very characteristic of man and by increasing your sense of egoism you do not supersede man but simply aggrandise your humanity, fashion it on a larger, a titanic scale. And then the will to power is not the only will that requires fulfilment, there is also the will to knowledge and the will to love. In man these three fundamental constitutive elements coexist, although they do it, more often than not, at the expense of each other and in a state of continual disharmony. The superman, if he is to be the man "who has surmounted himself", must embody a poise of being in which all the three find a fusion and harmonya perfect synthesis. Again, to live dangerously may be heroic, but it is not divine. To live dangerously means to have eternal opponents, that is to say, to live ever on the same level with the forces you want to dominate. To have the sense that one has to fight and control means that one is not as yet the sovereign lord, for one has to strive and strain and attain. The supreme lord is he who is perfectly equanimous with himself and with the world. He has not to batter things into a shape in order to create. He creates means, he manifests. He wills and he achieves"God said 'let there be light' and there was light."
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And the faculty of Intuition said to be the characteristic of the New Man does not mean all that it should, if we confine ourselves to Bergson's definition of it. Bergson says that Intuition is a sort of sympathy, a community of feeling or sensibility with the urge of the life-reality. The difference between the sympathy of Instinct and the sympathy of Intuition being that while the former is an unconscious or semi-conscious power, the latter is illumined and self-conscious. Now this view emphasises only the feeling-tone of Intuition, the vital sensibility that attends the direct communion with the life movement. But Intuition is not only purified feeling and sensibility, it is also purified vision and knowledge. It unites us not only with the movement of life, but also opens out to our sight the Truths, the fundamental realities behind that movement. Bergson does not, of course, point to any existence behind the continuous flux of life-power the elan vital. He seems to deny any static truth or truths to be seen and seized in any scheme of knowledge. To him the dynamic flow the Heraclitian panta reei is the ultimate reality. It is precisely to this view of things that Bergson owes his conception of Intuition. Since existence is a continuum of Mind-Energy, the only way to know it is to be in harmony or unison with it, to move along its current. The conception of knowledge as a fixing and delimiting of things is necessarily an anomaly in this scheme. But the question is, is matter the only static and separative reality? Is the flux of vital Mind-Energy the ultimate truth?
Matter forms the lowest level of reality. Above it is the elan vital. Above the elan vital there is yet the domain of the Spirit. And the Spirit is a static substance and at the same a dynamic creative power. It is Being (Sat) that realises or expresses itself through certain typal nuclei or nodi of consciousness (chit) in a continuous becoming, in a flow of creative activity (ananda). The dynamism of the vital energy is only a refraction or precipitation of the dynamism of the spirit; and so also static matter is only the substance of the spirit concretised and solidified. It is in an uplift both of matter and vital force to their prototypesswarupa and swabhavain the Spirit that lies the real transformation and transfiguration of the humanity of man.
01.04 - The Poetry in the Making, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 02, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
I said that the supreme artist is superconscious: his consciousness withdraws from the normal mental consciousness and becomes awake and alive in another order of consciousness. To that superior consciousness the artist's mentalityhis ideas and dispositions, his judgments and valuations and acquisitions, in other words, his normal psychological make-upserves as a channel, an instrument, a medium for transcription. Now, there are two stages, or rather two lines of activity in the processus, for they may be overlapping and practically simultaneous. First, there is the withdrawal and the in-gathering of consciousness and then its reappearance into expression. The consciousness retires into a secret or subtle worldWords-worth's "recollected in tranquillity"and comes back with the riches gathered or transmuted there. But the purity of the gold thus garnered and stalled in the artistry of words and sounds or lines and colours depends altogether upon the purity of the channel through which it has to pass. The mental vehicle receives and records and it can do so to perfection if it is perfectly in tune with what it has to receive and record; otherwise the transcription becomes mixed and blurred, a faint or confused echo, a poor show. The supreme creators are precisely those in whom the receptacle, the instrumental faculties offer the least resistance and record with absolute fidelity the experiences of the over or inner consciousness. In Shakespeare, in Homer, in Valmiki the inflatus of the secret consciousness, the inspiration, as it is usually termed, bears down, sweeps away all obscurity or contrariety in the recording mentality, suffuses it with its own glow and puissance, indeed resolves it into its own substance, as it were. And the difference between the two, the secret norm and the recording form, determines the scale of the artist's creative value. It happens often that the obstruction of a too critically observant and self-conscious brain-mind successfully blocks up the flow of something supremely beautiful that wanted to come down and waited for an opportunity.
Artists themselves, almost invariably, speak of their inspiration: they look upon themselves more or less as mere instruments of something or some Power that is beyond them, beyond their normal consciousness attached to the brain-mind, that controls them and which they cannot control. This perception has been given shape in myths and legends. Goddess Saraswati or the Muses are, however, for them not a mere metaphor but concrete realities. To what extent a poet may feel himself to be a mere passive, almost inanimate, instrumentnothing more than a mirror or a sensitive photographic plateis illustrated in the famous case of Coleridge. His Kubla Khan, as is well known, he heard in sleep and it was a long poem very distinctly recited to him, but when he woke up and wanted to write it down he could remember only the opening lines, the rest having gone completely out of his memory; in other words, the poem was ready-composed somewhere else, but the transmitting or recording instrument was faulty and failed him. Indeed, it is a common experience to hear in sleep verses or musical tunes and what seem then to be very beautiful things, but which leave no trace on the brain and are not recalled in memory.
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The three or four major orders I speak of in reference to conscious artistry are exampled characteristically in the history of the evolution of Greek poetry. It must be remembered, however, at the very outset that the Greeks as a race were nothing if not rational and intellectual. It was an element of strong self-consciousness that they brought into human culture that was their special gift. Leaving out of account Homer who was, as I said, a primitive, their classical age began with Aeschylus who was the first and the most spontaneous and intuitive of the Great Three. Sophocles, who comes next, is more balanced and self-controlled and pregnant with a reasoned thought-content clothed in polished phrasing. We feel here that the artist knew what he was about and was exercising a conscious control over his instruments and materials, unlike his predecessor who seemed to be completely carried away by the onrush of the poetic enthousiasmos. Sophocles, in spite of his artistic perfection or perhaps because of it, appears to be just a little, one remove, away from the purity of the central inspiration there is a veil, although a thin transparent veil, yet a veil between which intervenes. With the third of the Brotherhood, Euripides, we slide lower downwe arrive at a predominantly mental transcription of an experience or inner conception; but something of the major breath continues, an aura, a rhythm that maintains the inner contact and thus saves the poetry. In a subsequent age, in Theocritus, for example, poetry became truly very much 'sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought', so much of virtuosity and precocity entered into it; in other words, the poet then was an excessively self-conscious artist. That seems to be the general trend of all literature.
But should there be an inherent incompatibility between spontaneous creation and self-consciousness? As we have seen, a harmony and fusion can and do happen of the superconscious and the normally conscious in the Yogi. Likewise, an artist also can be wakeful and transparent enough so that he is conscious on both the levels simultaneouslyabove, he is conscious of the source and origin of his inspiration, and on the level plain he is conscious of the working of the instrument, how the vehicle transcribes and embodies what comes from elsewhere. The poet's consciousness becomes then divalent as it werethere is a sense of absolute passivity in respect of the receiving apparatus and coupled and immisced with it there is also the sense of dynamism, of conscious agency as in his secret being he is the master of his apparatus and one with the Inspirerin other words, the poet is both a seer (kavih) and a creator or doer (poits).
Not only so, the future development of the poetic consciousness seems inevitably to lead to such a consummation in which the creative and the critical faculties will not be separate but form part of one and indivisible movement. Historically, human consciousness has grown from unconsciousness to consciousness and from consciousness to self-consciousness; man's creative and artistic genius too has moved pari passu in the same direction. The earliest and primitive poets were mostly unconscious, that is to say, they wrote or said things as they came to them spontaneously, without effort, without reflection, they do not seem to know the whence and wherefore and whither of it all, they know only that the wind bloweth as it listeth. That was when man had not yet eaten the fruit of knowledge, was still in the innocence of childhood. But as he grew up and progressed, he became more and more conscious, capable of exerting and exercising a deliberate will and initiating a purposive action, not only in the external practical field but also in the psychological domain. If the earlier group is called "primitives", the later one, that of conscious artists, usually goes by the name of "classicists." Modern creators have gone one step farther in the direction of self-consciousness, a return upon oneself, an inlook of full awareness and a free and alert activity of the critical faculties. An unconscious artist in the sense of the "primitives" is almost an impossible phenomenon in the modern world. All are scientists: an artist cannot but be consciously critical, deliberate, purposive in what he creates and how he creates. Evidently, this has cost something of the old-world spontaneity and supremacy of utterance; but it cannot be helped, we cannot comm and the tide to roll back, Canute-like. The feature has to be accepted and a remedy and new orientation discovered.
The modern critical self-consciousness in the artist originated with the Romantics. The very essence of Romanticism is curiosity the scientist's pleasure in analysing, observing, experimenting, changing the conditions of our reactions, mental or sentimental or even nervous and physical by way of discovery of new and unforeseen or unexpected modes of "psychoses" or psychological states. Goethe, Wordsworth, Stendhal represented a mentality and initiated a movement which led logically to the age of Hardy, Housman and Bridges and in the end to that of Lawrence and Joyce, Ezra Pound and Eliot and Auden. On the Continent we can consider Flaubert as the last of the classicists married to the very quintessence of Romanticism. A hard, self-regarding, self-critical mentality, a cold scalpel-like gaze that penetrates and upturns the reverse side of things is intimately associated with the poetic genius of Mallarm and constitutes almost the whole of Valry's. The impassioned lines of a very modern poet like Aragon are also characterised by a consummate virtuosity in chiselled artistry, conscious and deliberate and willed at every step and turn.
The consciously purposive activity of the poetic consciousness in fact, of all artistic consciousness has shown itself with a clear and unambiguous emphasis in two directions. First of all with regard to the subject-matter: the old-world poets took things as they were, as they were obvious to the eye, things of human nature and things of physical Nature, and without questioning dealt with them in the beauty of their normal form and function. The modern mentality has turned away from the normal and the obvious: it does not accept and admit the "given" as the final and definitive norm of things. It wishes to discover and establish other norms, it strives to bring about changes in the nature and condition of things, envisage the shape of things to come, work for a brave new world. The poet of today, in spite of all his effort to remain a pure poet, in spite of Housman's advocacy of nonsense and not-sense being the essence of true Art, is almost invariably at heart an incorrigible prophet. In revolt against the old and established order of truths and customs, against all that is normally considered as beautiful,ideals and emotions and activities of man or aspects and scenes and movements of Natureagainst God or spiritual life, the modern poet turns deliberately to the ugly and the macabre, the meaningless, the insignificant and the triflingtins and teas, bone and dust and dustbin, hammer and sicklehe is still a prophet, a violent one, an iconoclast, but one who has his own icon, a terribly jealous being, that seeks to pull down the past, erase it, to break and batter and knead the elements in order to fashion out of them something conforming to his heart's desire. There is also the class who have the vision and found the truth and its solace, who are prophets, angelic and divine, messengers and harbingers of a new beauty that is to dawn upon earth. And yet there are others in whom the two strains mingle or approach in a strange way. All this means that the artist is far from being a mere receiver, a mechanical executor, a passive unconscious instrument, but that he is supremely' conscious and master of his faculties and implements. This fact is doubly reinforced when we find how much he is preoccupied with the technical aspect of his craft. The richness and variety of patterns that can be given to the poetic form know no bounds today. A few major rhythms were sufficient for the ancients to give full expression to their poetic inflatus. For they cared more for some major virtues, the basic and fundamental qualitiessuch as truth, sublimity, nobility, forcefulness, purity, simplicity, clarity, straightforwardness; they were more preoccupied with what they had to say and they wanted, no doubt, to say it beautifully and powerfully; but the modus operandi was not such a passion or obsession with them, it had not attained that almost absolute value for itself which modern craftsmanship gives it. As technology in practical life has become a thing of overwhelming importance to man today, become, in the Shakespearean phrase, his "be-all and end-all", even so the same spirit has invaded and pervaded his aesthetics too. The subtleties, variations and refinements, the revolutions, reversals and inventions which the modern poet has ushered and takes delight in, for their own sake, I repeat, for their intrinsic interest, not for the sake of the subject which they have to embody and clothe, have never been dream by Aristotle, the supreme legislator among the ancients, nor by Horace, the almost incomparable craftsman among the ancients in the domain of poetry. Man has become, to be sure, a self-conscious creator to the pith of his bone.
Such a stage in human evolution, the advent of Homo Faber, has been a necessity; it has to serve a purpose and it has done admirably its work. Only we have to put it in its proper place. The salvation of an extremely self-conscious age lies in an exceeding and not in a further enhancement or an exclusive concentration of the self-consciousness, nor, of course, in a falling back into the original unconsciousness. It is this shift in the poise of consciousness that has been presaged and prepared by the conscious, the scientific artists of today. Their task is to forge an instrument for a type of poetic or artistic creation completely new, unfamiliar, almost revolutionary which the older mould would find it impossible to render adequately. The yearning of the human consciousness was not to rest satisfied with the familiar and the ordinary, the pressure was for the discovery of other strands, secret stores of truth and reality and beauty. The first discovery was that of the great Unconscious, the dark and mysterious and all-powerful subconscient. Many of our poets and artists have been influenced by this power, some even sought to enter into that region and become its denizens. But artistic inspiration is an emanation of Light; whatever may be the field of its play, it can have its origin only in the higher spheres, if it is to be truly beautiful and not merely curious and scientific.
That is what is wanted at present in the artistic world the true inspiration, the breath from higher altitudes. And here comes the role of the mystic, the Yogi. The sense of evolution, the march of human consciousness demands and prophesies that the future poet has to be a mysticin him will be fulfilled the travail of man's conscious working. The self-conscious craftsman, the tireless experimenter with his adventurous analytic mind has sharpened his instrument, made it supple and elastic, tempered, refined and enriched it; that is comparable to what we call the aspiration or call from below. Now the Grace must descend and fulfil. And when one rises into this higher consciousness beyond the brain and mind, when one lives there habitually, one knows the why and the how of things, one becomes a perfectly conscious operator and still retains all spontaneity and freshness and wonder and magic that are usually associated with inconscience and irreflection. As there is a spontaneity of instinct, there is likewise also a spontaneity of vision: a child is spontaneous in its movements, even so a seer. Not only so, the higher spontaneity is more spontaneous, for the higher consciousness means not only awareness but the free and untrammelled activity and expression of the truth and reality it is.
Genius had to be generally more or less unconscious in the past, because the instrument was not ready, was clogged as it were with its own lower grade movements; the higher inspiration had very often to bypass it, or rob it of its serviceable materials without its knowledge, in an almost clandestine way. Wherever it was awake and vigilant, we have seen it causing a diminution in the poetic potential. And yet even so, it was being prepared for a greater role, a higher destiny it is to fulfil in the future. A conscious and full participation of a refined and transparent and enriched instrument in the delivery of superconscious truth and beauty will surely mean not only a new but the very acme of aesthetic creation. We thus foresee the age of spiritual art in which the sense of creative beauty in man will find its culmination. Such an art was only an exception, something secondary or even tertiary, kept in the background, suggested here and there as a novel strain, called "mystic" to express its unfamiliar nature-unless, of course, it was openly and obviously scriptural and religious.
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But the evolutionary urge, as I have said, has always been to bring down or instil more and more light and self-consciousness into the depths of the heart too: and the first result has been an intellectualisation, a rationalisation of the consciousness, a movement of scientific observation and criticism which very naturally leads to a desiccation of the poetic enthusiasm and fervour. But a period of transcendence is in gestation. All efforts of modern poets and craftsmen, even those that seem apparently queer, bizarre and futile, are at bottom a travail for this transcendence, including those that seem contradictory to it.
Whether the original and true source of the poet's inspiration lies deep within or high above, all depends upon the mediating instrument the mind (in its most general sense) and speech for a successful transcription. Man's ever-growing consciousness demanded also a conscious development and remoulding of these two factors. A growth, a heightening and deepening of the consciousness meant inevitably a movement towards the spiritual element in things. And that means, we have said, a twofold change in the future poet's make-up. First as regards the substance. The revolutionary shift that we notice in modern poets towards a completely new domain of subject-matter is a signpost that more is meant than what is expressed. The superficialities and futilities that are dealt with do not in their outward form give the real trend of things. In and through all these major and constant preoccupation of our poets is "the pain of the present and the passion for the future": they are, as already stated, more prophets than poets, but prophets for the moment crying in the wildernessalthough some have chosen the path of denial and revolt. They are all looking ahead or beyond or deep down, always yearning for another truth and reality which will explain, justify and transmute the present calvary of human living. Such an acute tension of consciousness has necessitated an overhauling of the vehicle of expression too, the creation of a mode of expressing the inexpressible. For that is indeed what human consciousness and craft are aiming at in the present stage of man's evolution. For everything, almost everything that can be normally expressed has been expressed and in a variety of ways as much as is possible: that is the history of man's aesthetic creativity. Now the eye probes into the unexpressed world; for the artist too the Upanishadic problem has cropped up:
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In other words, the tension in the human consciousness has been raised to the nth power, the heat of a brooding consciousness is about to lead it to an outburst of new creationsah tapastaptva. Human self-consciousness, the turning of oneself upon oneself, the probing and projecting of oneself into oneself self-consciousness raised so often to the degree of self-torture, marks the acute travail of the spirit. The thousand "isms" and "logies" that pullulate in all fields of life, from the political to the artistic or even the religious and the spiritual indicate how the human laboratory is working at white heat. They are breaches in the circuit of the consciousness, volcanic eruptions from below or cosmic-ray irruptions from above, tearing open the normal limit and boundaryBaudelaire's couvercle or the "golden lid" of the Upanishads-disclosing and bringing into the light of common day realities beyond and unseen till now.
Ifso long the poet was more or less a passive, a half-conscious or unconscious intermediary between the higher and the lower lights and delights, his role in the future will be better fulfilled when he becomes fully aware of it and consciously moulds and directs his creative energies. The poet is and has to be the harbinger and minstrel of unheard-of melodies: he is the fashioner of the creative word that brings down and embodies the deepest aspirations and experiences of the human consciousness. The poet is a missionary: he is missioned by Divine Beauty to radiate upon earth something of her charm and wizardry. The fullness of his role he can only play up when he is fully conscious for it is under that condition that all obstructing and obscuring elements lying across the path of inspiration can be completely and wholly eradicated: the instrument purified and tempered and transmuted can hold and express golden truths and beauties and puissances that otherwise escape the too human mould.
01.04 - The Secret Knowledge, #Savitri, #Sri Aurobindo, #Integral Yoga
Immaculate in self-knowledge and self-power,
Calm they repose on the eternal Will.
01.05 - Rabindranath Tagore: A Great Poet, a Great Man, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 02, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
In an age when Reason was considered as the highest light given to man, Tagore pointed to the Vision of the mystics as always the still greater light; when man was elated with undreamt-of worldly success, puffed up with incomparable material possessions and powers, Tagore's voice rang clear and emphatic in tune with the cry of the ancients: "What shall I do with all this mass of things, if I am not made immortal by that?" When men, in their individual as well as collective egoism, were scrambling for earthly gains and hoards, he held before them vaster and cleaner horizons, higher and deeper ways of being and living, maintained the sacred sense of human solidarity, the living consciousness of the Divine, one and indivisible. When the Gospel of Power had all but hypnotised men's minds, and Superman or God-man came to be equated with the Titan, Tagore saw through the falsehood and placed in front and above all the old-world eternal verities of love and self-giving, harmony and mutuality, sweetness and light. When pessimism, cynicism, agnosticism struck the major chord of human temperament, and grief and frustration and death and decay were taken as a matter of course to be the inevitable order of earthlylifebhasmantam idam shariramhe continued to sing the song of the Rishis that Ananda and Immortality are the breath of things, the birth right of human beings. When Modernism declared with a certitude never tobe contested that Matter is Brahman, Tagore said with the voice of one who knows that Spirit is Brahman.
Tagore is in direct line with those bards who have sung of the Spirit, who always soared high above the falsehoods and uglinesses of a merely mundane life and lived in the undecaying delights and beauties of a diviner consciousness. Spiritual reality was the central theme of his poetic creation: only and naturally he viewed it in a special way and endowed it with a special grace. We know of another God-intoxicated man, the Jewish philosopher Spinoza, who saw things sub specie aeternitatis, under the figure or mode of eternity. Well, Tagore can be said to see things, in their essential spiritual reality, under the figure or mode of beauty. Keats indeed spoke of truth being beauty and beauty truth. But there is a great difference in the outlook and inner experience. A worshipper of beauty, unless he rises to the Upanishadic norm, is prone to become sensuous and pagan. Keats was that, Kalidasa was that, even Shelley was not far different. The spiritual vein in all these poets remains secondary. In the old Indian master, it is part of his intellectual equipment, no doubt, but nothing much more than that. In the other two it comes in as strange flashes from an unknown country, as a sort of irruption or on the peak of the poetic afflatus or enthousiasmos.
01.05 - The Yoga of the King - The Yoga of the Spirits Freedom and Greatness, #Savitri, #Sri Aurobindo, #Integral Yoga
All that the Gods have learned is there self-known.
There in a hidden chamber closed and mute
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She invents for her self-bound free-will its grooves
And feigns for magic's freaks a binding cause.
01.06 - On Communism, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 01, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
Communism is the synthesis of collectivism and individualism. The past ages of society were characterised more or less by a severe collectivism. In ancient Greece, more so in Sparta and in Rome, the individual had, properly speaking, no separate existence of his own; he was merged in the State or Nation. The individual was considered only as a limb of the collective being, had to live and labour for the common weal. The value attached to each person was strictly in reference to the output that the group to which he belonged received from him. Apart from this service for the general unit the body politicany personal endeavour and achievement, if not absolutely discouraged and repressed, was given a very secondary place of merit. The summum bonum of the individual was to sacrifice at the altar of the res publica, the bonum publicum. In India, the position and function of the State or Nation was taken up by the society. Here too social institutions were so constituted and men were so bred and brought up that individuality had neither the occasion nor the incentive to express itself, it was a thing that remained, in the Kalidasian phrase, an object for the ear onlysrutau sthita. Those who sought at all an individual aim and purpose, as perhaps the Sannyasins, were put outside the gate of law and society. Within the society, in actual life and action, it was a sin and a crime or at least a gross imperfection to have any self-regarding motive or impulse; personal preference was the last thing to be considered, virtue consisted precisely in sacrificing one's own taste and inclination for the sake of that which the society exacts and sanctions.
Against this tyranny of the group, this absolute rule of the collective will, the human mind rose in revolt and the result was Individualism. For whatever may be the truth and necessity of the Collective, the Individual is no less true and necessary. The individual has his own law and urge of being and his own secret godhead. The collective godhead derides the individual godhead at its peril. The first movement of the reaction, however, was a run to the other extremity; a stern collectivism gave birth to an intransigent individualism. The individual is sacred and inviolable, cost what it may. It does not matter what sort of individuality one seeks, it is enough if the thing is there. So the doctrine of individualism has come to set a premium on egoism and on forces that are disruptive of all social bonds. Each and every individual has the inherent right, which is also a duty, to follow his own impetus and impulse. Society is nothing but the battle ground for competing individualities the strongest survive and the weakest go to the wall. Association and co-operation are instruments that the individual may use and utilise for his own growth and development but in the main they act as deterrents rather than as aids to the expression and expansion of his characteristic being. In reality, however, if we probe sufficiently deep into the matter we find that there is no such thing as corporate life and activity; what appears as such is only a camouflage for rigorous competition; at the best, there maybe only an offensive and defensive alliancehumanity fights against nature, and within humanity itself group fights against group and in the last analysis, within the group, the individual fights against the individual. This is the ultimate Law-the Dharma of creation.
Now, what such an uncompromising individualism fails to recognise is that individuality and ego are not the same thing, that the individual may have his individuality intact and entire and yet sacrifice his ego, that the soul of man is a much greater thing than his vital being. It is simply ignoring the fact and denying the truth to say that man is only a fighting animal and not a loving god, that the self within the individual realises itself only through competition and not co-operation. It is an error to conceive of society as a mere parallelogram of forces, to suppose that it has risen simply out of the struggle of individual interests and continues to remain by that struggle. Struggle is only one aspect of the thing, a particular form at a particular stage, a temporary manifestation due to a particular system and a particular habit and training. It would be nearer the truth to say that society came into being with the demand of the individual soul to unite with the individual soul, with the stress of an Over-soul to express itself in a multitude of forms, diverse yet linked together and organised in perfect harmony. Only, the stress for union manifested itself first on the material plane as struggle: but this is meant to be corrected and transcended and is being continually corrected and transcended by a secret harmony, a real commonality and brotherhood and unity. The individual is not so self-centred as the individualists make him to be, his individuality has a much vaster orbit and fulfils itself only by fulfilling others. The scientists have begun to discover other instincts in man than those of struggle and competition; they now place at the origin of social grouping an instinct which they name the herd-instinct: but this is only a formulation in lower terms, a translation on the vital plane of a higher truth and reality the fundamental oneness and accord of individuals and their spiritual impulsion to unite.
However, individualism has given us a truth and a formula which collectivism ignored. self-determination is a thing which has come to stay. Each and every individual is free, absolutely free and shall freely follow his own line of growth and development and fulfilment. No extraneous power shall choose and fix what is good or evil for him, nor coerce and exploit him for its own benefit. But that does not necessarily mean that collectivism has no truth in it; collectivism also, as much as individualism, has a lesson for us and we should see whether we can harmonise the two. Collectivism signifies that the individual should not look to himself alone, should not be shut up in his freedom but expand himself and envelop others in a wider freedom, see other creatures in himself and himself in other creatures, as the Gita says. Collectivism demands that the individual need not and should not exhaust himself entirely in securing and enjoying his personal freedom, but that he can and should work for the salvation of others; the truth it upholds is this that the individual is from a certain point of view only a part of the group and by ignoring the latter it ignores itself in the end.
Now, a spiritual communism embraces individualism and collectivism, fuses them in a higher truth, establishes them in an intimate and absolute harmony. The individual is the centre, the group is the circumference and the two form one whore circle. The individual by fulfilling the truth of his real individuality fulfils also the truth of a commonality. There are no different laws for the two. The individuals do not stand apart from and against one another, the dharma of one does not clash with the dharma of the other. The ripples in the bosom of the sea, however distinct and discrete in appearance, form but a single mass, all follow the same law of hydrodynamics that the mother sea incarnates. Stars and planets and nebulae, each separate heavenly body has its characteristic form and nature and function and yet all fulfil the same law of gravitation and beat the measure of the silent symphony of spaces. Individualities are the freedoms of the collective being and collectivity the concentration of individual beings. The same soul looking inward appears as the individual being and looking outward appears as the collective being.
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So first the individual and then the commune is not the natural nor the ideal principle. On the other hand, first the commune and then the individual would appear to be an equally defective principle. For first a commune means an organisation, its laws and rules and regulations, its injunctions and prohibitions; all which signifies or comes to signify that every individual is not free to enter its fold and that whoever enters must know how to dovetail himself therein and thus crush down the very life-power whose enhancement and efflorescence is sought. First a commune means necessarily a creed, a dogma, a set form of being and living indelibly marked out from beforehand. The individual has there no choice of finding and developing the particular creed or dogma or mode of being and living, from out of his own self, along his particular line of natural growth; all that is imposed upon him and he has to accept and make it his own by trial and effort and self-torture. Even if the commune be a contractual association, the members having joined together in a common cause to a common end, by voluntarily sacrificing a portion of their personal choice and freedom, even then it is not the ideal thing; the collective soul will be diminished in exact proportion as each individual soul has had to be diminished, be that voluntary or otherwise. That commune is plenary and entire which ensures plenitude and entirety to each of its individuals.
Now how to escape the dilemma? Only if we take the commune and the individual togetheren bloc, as has already been suggested. This means that the commune should be at the beginning a subtle and supple thing, without form and even without name, it should be no more than the circumambient aura the sukshma deha that plays around a group of individuals who meet and unite and move together by a secret affinity, along a common path towards a common goal. As each individual develops and defines himself, the commune also takes a more and more concrete shape; and when at the last stage the individual rises to the full height of his godhead, takes possession of his integral divinity, the commune also establishes its solid empire, vivid and vibrant in form and name.
01.06 - Vivekananda, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 02, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
The consciousness that breathed out these mighty words, these heavenly sounds was in itself mighty and heavenly and it is that that touches you, penetrates you, vibrates in you a kindred chord, "awakening in you someone dead" till thenmrtam kcana bodhayant. More than the matter, the thing that was said, was the personality, the being who embodied the truth expressed, the living consciousness behind the words and the speech that set fire to your soul. Indeed it was the soul that Vivekananda could awaken and stir in you. Any orator, any speaker with some kind of belief, even if it is for the moment, in what he says, by the sheer force of assertion, can convince your mind and draw your acquiescence and adhesion. A leader of men, self-confident and bold and fiery, can carry you off your feet and make you do brave things. But that is a lower degree of character and nature, ephemeral and superficial, that is touched in you thereby. The spiritual leader, the Guide, goes straight to the spirit in youit is the call of the deep unto the deep. That was what Vivekananda meant when he said that Brahman is asleep in you, awaken it, you are the Brahman, awaken it, you are free and almighty. It is the spirit consciousness Sachchidananda that is the real man in you and that is supremely mighty and invincible and free absolutely. The courage and fearlessness that Vivekananda gave you was the natural attribute of the lordship of your spiritual reality. Vivekananda spoke and roused the Atman in man.
Vivekananda spoke to the Atman in man, he spoke to the Atman of the world, and he spoke specially to the Atman of India. India had a large place in Vivekananda's consciousness: for the future of humanity and the world is wedded to India's future. India has a great mission, it has a spiritual, rather the spiritual work to do. Here is India's work as Vivekananda conceived it in a nutshell:
01.07 - Blaise Pascal (1623-1662), #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 02, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
Man then, according to Pascal, is by nature a sinful thing. He can lay no claim to noble virtue as his own: all in him is vile, he is a lump of dirt and filth. Even the greatest has his full share of this taint. The greatest, the saintliest, and the meanest, the most sinful, all meet, all are equal on this common platform; all have the same feet of clay. Man is as miserable a creature as a beast, as much a part and product of Nature as a plant. Only there is this difference that an animal or a tree is unconscious, while man knows that he is miserable. This knowledge or perception makes him more miserable, but that is his real and only greatness there is no other. His thought, his self-consciousness, and his sorrow and repentance and contrition for what he is that is the only good partMary's part that has been given to him. Here are Pascal's own words on the subject:
"The greatness of man is great in this that he knows he is miserable. A tree does not know that it is miserable.
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Pascal's faith had not the calm, tranquil, serene, luminous and happy self-possession of an Indian Rishi. It was ardent and impatient, fiery and vehement. It had to be so perhaps, since it was to stand against his steely brain (and a gloomy vital or life force) as a counterpoise, even as an antidote. This tension and schism brought about, at least contri buted to his neuras thenia and physical infirmity. But whatever the effect upon his inner consciousness and spiritual achievement, his power of expression, his literary style acquired by that a special quality which is his great gift to the French language. If one speaks of Pascal, one has to speak of his language also; for he was one of the great masters who created the French prose. His prose was a wonderful blend of clarity, precision, serried logic and warmth, colour, life, movement, plasticity.
A translation cannot give any idea of the Pascalian style; but an inner echo of the same can perhaps be caught from the thought movement of these characteristic sayings of his with which we conclude:
01.08 - A Theory of Yoga, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 01, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
There are some primary desires that seek satisfaction in man. They are the vital urges of life, the most prominent among them being the instinct of self-preservation and that of self-reproduction or the desire to preserve one's body by defensive as well as by offensive means and the desire to multiply oneself by mating. These are the two biological necessities that are inevitable to man's existence as a physical being. They give the minimum conditions required to be fulfilled by man in order that he may live and hence they are the strongest and the most fundamental elements that enter into his structure and composition.
It would have been an easy matter if these vital urges could flow on unhindered in their way. There would have been no problem at all, if they met satisfaction easily and smoothly, without having to look to other factors and forces. As a matter of fact, man does not and cannot gratify his instincts whenever and wherever he chooses and in an open and direct manner. Even in his most primitive and barbarous condition, he has often to check himself and throw a veil, in so many ways, over his sheer animality. In the civilised society the check is manifold and is frankly recognised. We do not go straight as our sexual impulsion leads, but seek to hide and camouflage it under the institution of marriage; we do not pounce upon the food directly we happen to meet it and snatch and appropriate whatever portion we get but we secure it through an elaborate process, which is known as the economic system. The machinery of the state, the cult of the kshatriya are roundabout ways to meet our fighting instincts.
01.08 - Walter Hilton: The Scale of Perfection, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 02, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
This spiritual march or progress can also be described as a growing into the likeness of the Lord. His true self, his own image is implanted within us; he is there in the profoundest depth of our being as Jesus, our beloved and our soul rests in him in utmost bliss. We are aware neither of Jesus nor of his spouse, our soul, because of the obsession of the flesh, the turmoil raised by the senses, the blindness of pride and egoism. All that constitutes the first or old Adam, the image of Nought, the body of death which means at bottom the "false misruled love in to thyself." This self-love is the mother of sin, is sin itself. What it has to be replaced by is charity that is the true meaning of Christian charity, forgetfulness of self. "What is sin but a wanting and a forbearing of God." And the whole task, the discipline consists in "the shaping of Christ in you, the casting of sin through Christ." Who then is Christ, what is he? This knowledge you get as you advance from your sense-bound perception towards the inner and inmost seeing. As your outer nature gets purified, you approach gradually your soul, the scales fall off from your eyes too and you have the knowledge and "ghostly vision." Here too there are three degrees; first, you start with faith the senses can do nothing better than have faith; next, you rise to imagination which gives a sort of indirect touch or inkling of the truth; finally, you have the "understanding", the direct vision. "If he first trow it, he shall afterwards through grace feel it, and finally understand it."
It is never possible for man, weak and bound as he is, to reject the thraldom of his flesh, he can never purify himself wholly by his own unaided strength. God in his infinite mercy sent his own son, an emanation created out of his substancehis embodied loveas a human being to suffer along with men and take upon himself the burden of their sins. God the Son lived upon earth as man and died as man. Sin therefore has no longer its final or definitive hold upon mankind. Man has been made potentially free, pure and worthy of salvation. This is the mystery of Christ, of God the Son. But there is a further mystery. Christ not only lived for all men for all time, whether they know him, recognise him or not; but he still lives, he still chooses his beloved and his beloved chooses him, there is a conscious acceptance on either side. This is the function of the Holy Ghost, the redeeming power of Love active in him who accepts it and who is accepted by it, the dynamic Christ-Consciousness in the true Christian.
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The characteristic then of the path is a one-pointed concentration. Great stress is laid upon "oneliness", "onedness":that is to say, a perfect and complete withdrawal from the outside and the world; an unmixed solitude is required for the true experience and realisation to come. "A full forsaking in will of the soul for the love of Him, and a living of the heart to Him. This asks He, for this gave He." The rigorous exclusion, the uncompromising asceticism, the voluntary self-torture, the cruel dark night and the arid desert are necessary conditions that lead to the "onlyness of soul", what another prophet (Isaiah, XXIV, 16) describes as "My privity to me". In that secreted solitude, the "onlistead"the graphic language of the author calls itis found "that dignity and that ghostly fairness which a soul had by kind and shall have by grace." The utter beauty of the soul and its absolute love for her deity within her (which has the fair name of Jhesu), the exclusive concentration of the whole of the being upon one point, the divine core, the manifest Grace of God, justifies the annihilation of the world and life's manifold existence. Indeed, the image of the Beloved is always within, from the beginning to the end. It is that that keeps one up in the terrible struggle with one's nature and the world. The image depends upon the consciousness which we have at the moment, that is to say, upon the stage or the degree we have ascended to. At the outset, when we can only look through the senses, when the flesh is our master, we give the image a crude form and character; but even that helps. Gradually, as we rise, with the clearing of our nature, the image too slowly regains its original and true shape. Finally, in the inmost soul we find Jesus as he truly is: "an unchangeable being, a sovereign might, a sovereign soothfastness, sovereign goodness, a blessed life and endless bliss." Does not the Gita too say: "As one approaches Me, so do I appear to him."Ye yath mm prapadyante.
Indeed, it would be interesting to compare and contrast the Eastern and Western approach to Divine Love, the Christian and the Vaishnava, for example. Indian spirituality, whatever its outer form or credal formulation, has always a background of utter unity. This unity, again, is threefold or triune and is expressed in those great Upanishadic phrases,mahvkyas,(1) the transcendental unity: the One alone exists, there is nothing else than theOneekamevdvityam; (2) the cosmic unity: all existence is one, whatever exists is that One, thereare no separate existences:sarvam khalvidam brahma neha nnsti kincaa; (3) That One is I, you too are that One:so' ham, tattvamasi; this may be called the individual unity. As I have said, all spiritual experiences in India, of whatever school or line, take for granted or are fundamentally based upon this sense of absolute unity or identity. Schools of dualism or pluralism, who do not apparently admit in their tenets this extreme monism, are still permeated in many ways with that sense and in some form or other take cognizance of the truth of it. The Christian doctrine too says indeed, 'I and my Father in Heaven are one', but this is not identity, but union; besides, the human soul is not admitted into this identity, nor the world soul. The world, we have seen, according to the Christian discipline has to be altogether abandoned, negatived, as we go inward and upward towards our spiritual status reflecting the divine image in the divine company. It is a complete rejection, a cutting off and casting away of world and life. One extreme Vedantic path seems to follow a similar line, but there it is not really rejection, but a resolution, not the rejection of what is totally foreign and extraneous, but a resolution of the external into its inner and inmost substance, of the effect into its original cause. Brahman is in the world, Brahman is the world: the world has unrolled itself out of the Brahmansi, pravttiit has to be rolled back into its, cause and substance if it is to regain its pure nature (that is the process of nivitti). Likewise, the individual being in the world, "I", is the transcendent being itself and when it withdraws, it withdraws itself and the whole world with it and merges into the Absolute. Even the Maya of the Mayavadin, although it is viewed as something not inherent in Brahman but superimposed upon Brahman, still, has been accepted as a peculiar power of Brahman itself. The Christian doctrine keeps the individual being separate practically, as an associate or at the most as an image of God. The love for one's neighbour, charity, which the Christian discipline enjoins is one's love for one's kind, because of affinity of nature and quality: it does not dissolve the two into an integral unity and absolute identity, where we love because we are one, because we are the One. The highest culmination of love, the very basis of love, according to the Indian conception, is a transcendence of love, love trans-muted into Bliss. The Upanishad says, where one has become the utter unity, who loves whom? To explain further our point, we take two examples referred to in the book we are considering. The true Christian, it is said, loves the sinner too, he is permitted to dislike sin, for he has to reject it, but he must separate from sin the sinner and love him. Why? Because the sinner too can change and become his brother in spirit, one loves the sinner because there is the possibility of his changing and becoming a true Christian. It is why the orthodox Christian, even such an enlightened and holy person as this mediaeval Canon, considers the non-Christian, the non-baptised as impure and potentially and fundamentally sinners. That is also why the Church, the physical organisation, is worshipped as Christ's very body and outside the Church lies the pagan world which has neither religion nor true spirituality nor salvation. Of course, all this may be symbolic and it is symbolic in a sense. If Christianity is taken to mean true spirituality, and the Church is equated with the collective embodiment of that spirituality, all that is claimed on their behalf stands justified. But that is an ideal, a hypothetical standpoint and can hardly be borne out by facts. However, to come back to our subject, let us ow take the second example. Of Christ himself, it is said, he not only did not dislike or had any aversion for Judas, but that he positively loved the traitor with a true and sincere love. He knew that the man would betray him and even when he was betraying and had betrayed, the Son of Man continued to love him. It was no make-believe or sham or pretence. It was genuine, as genuine as anything can be. Now, why did he love his enemy? Because, it is said, the enemy is suffered by God to do the misdeed: he has been allowed to test the faith of the faithful, he too has his utility, he too is God's servant. And who knows even a Judas would not change in the end? Many who come to scoff do remain to pray. But it can be asked, 'Does God love Satan too in the same way?' The Indian conception which is basically Vedantic is different. There is only one reality, one truth which is viewed differently. Whether a thing is considered good or evil or neutral, essentially and truly, it is that One and nothing else. God's own self is everywhere and the sage makes no difference between the Brahmin and the cow and the elephant. It is his own self he finds in every person and every objectsarvabhtsthitam yo mm bhajati ekatvamsthitah"he has taken his stand upon oneness and loves Me in all beings."2
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Indeed, there are one or two points, notes for the guidance of the aspirant, which I would like to mention here for their striking appositeness and simple "soothfastness." First of all with regard to the restless enthusiasm and eagerness of a novice, here is the advice given: "The fervour is so mickle in outward showing, is not only for mickleness of love that they have; but it is for littleness and weakness of their souls, that they may not bear a little touching of God.. afterward when love hath boiled out all the uncleanliness, then is the love clear and standeth still, and then is both the body and the soul mickle more in peace, and yet hath the self soul mickle more love than it had before, though it shew less outward." And again: "without any fervour outward shewed, and the less it thinketh that it loveth or seeth God, the nearer it nigheth" ('it' naturally refers to the soul). The statement is beautifully self-luminous, no explanation is required. Another hurdle that an aspirant has to face often in the passage through the Dark Night is that you are left all alone, that you are deserted by your God, that the Grace no longer favours you. Here is however the truth of the matter; "when I fall down to my frailty, then Grace withdraweth: for my falling is cause there-of, and not his fleeing." In fact, the Grace never withdraws, it is we who withdraw and think otherwise. One more difficulty that troubles the beginner especially is with regard to the false light. The being of darkness comes in the form of the angel of light, imitates the tone of the still small voice; how to recognise, how to distinguish the two? The false light, the "feigned sun" is always found "atwixt two black rainy clouds" : they are "highing" of oneself and "lowing" of others. When you feel flattered and elated, beware it is the siren voice tempting you. The true light brings you soothing peace and meekness: the other light brings always a trail of darknessf you are soothfast and sincere you will discover it if not near you, somewhere at a distance lurking.
The ultimate truth is that God is the sole doer and the best we can do is to let him do freely without let or hindrance. "He that through Grace may see Jhesu, how that He doth all and himself doth right nought but suffereth Jhesu work in him what him liketh, he is meek." And yet one does not arrive at that condition from the beginning or all at once. "The work is not of the hour nor of a day, but of many days and years." And for a long time one has to take up one's burden and work, co-operate with the Divine working. In the process there is this double movement necessary for the full achievement. "Neither Grace only without full working of a soul that in it is nor working done without grace bringeth a soul to reforming but that one joined to that other." Mysticism is not all eccentricity and irrationality: on the contrary, sanity seems to be the very character of the higher mysticism. And it is this sanity, and even a happy sense of humour accompanying it, that makes the genuine mystic teacher say: "It is no mastery to me for to say it, but for to do it there is mastery." Amen.
01.09 - The Parting of the Way, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 01, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
The differentia, in each case, lies in the degree and nature of consciousness, since it is consciousness that forms the substance and determines the mode of being. Now, the inorganic is characterised by un-consciousness, the vegetable by sub-consciousness, the animal by consciousness and man by self-consciousness. Man knows that he knows, an animal only knows; a plant does not even know, it merely feels or senses; matter cannot do that even, it simply acts or rather is acted upon. We are not concerned here, however, with the last two forms of being; we will speak of the first two only.
We say, then, that man is distinguished from the animal by his having consciousness as it has, but added to it the consciousness of self. Man acts and feels and knows as much as the animal does; but also he knows that he acts, he knows that he feels, he knows that he knowsand this is a thing the animal cannot do. It is the awakening of the sense of self in every mode of being that characterises man, and it is owing to this consciousness of an ego behind, of a permanent unit of reference, which has modified even the functions of knowing and feeling and acting, has refashioned them in a mould which is not quite that of the animal, in spite of a general similarity.
So the humanity of man consists in his consciousness of the self or ego. Is there no other higher mode of consciousness? Or is self-consciousness the acme, the utmost limit to which consciousness can raise itself? If it is so, then we are bound to conclude that humanity will remain eternally human in its fundamental nature; the only progress, if progress at all we choose to call it, will consist perhaps in accentuating this consciousness of the self and in expressing it through a greater variety of stresses, through a richer combination of its colour and light and shade and rhythm. But also, this may not be sothere may be the possibility of a further step, a transcending of the consciousness of the self. It seems unnatural and improbable that having risen from un-consciousness to self-consciousness through a series of continuous marches, Nature should suddenly stop and consider what she had achieved to be her final end. Has Nature become bankrupt of her creative genius, exhausted of her upward drive? Has she to remain content with only a clever manipulation, a mere shuffling and re-arranging of the materials already produced?
As a matter of fact it is not so. The glimpses of a higher form of consciousness we can see even now present in self-consciousness. We have spoken of the different stages of evolution as if they were separate and distinct and incommensurate entities. They may be described as such for the purpose of a logical understanding, but in reality they form a single progressive continuum in which one level gradually fuses into another. And as the higher level takes up the law of the lower and evolves out of it a characteristic function, even so the law of the higher level with its characteristic function is already involved and envisaged in the law of the lower level and its characteristic function. It cannot be asserted positively that because man's special virtue is self-consciousness, animals cannot have that quality on any account. We do see, if we care to observe closely and dispassionately, that animals of the higher order, as they approach the level of humanity, show more and more evident signs of something which is very much akin to, if not identical with the human characteristic of self-consciousness.
So, in man also, especially of that order which forms the crown of humanityin poets and artists and seers and great men of actioncan be observed a certain characteristic form of consciousness, which is something other than, greater than the consciousness of the mere self. It is difficult as yet to characterise definitely what that thing is. It is the awakening of the self to something which is beyond itselfit is the cosmic self, the oversoul, the universal being; it is God, it is Turiya, it is sachchidanandain so many ways the thing has been sought to be envisaged and expressed. The consciousness of that level has also a great variety of names given to it Intuition, Revelation, cosmic consciousness, God-consciousness. It is to be noted here, however, that the thing we are referring to, is not the Absolute, the Infinite, the One without a second. It is not, that is to say, the supreme Reality the Brahmanin its static being, in its undivided and indivisible unity; it is the dynamic Brahman, that status of the supreme Reality where creation, the diversity of Becoming takes rise, it is the Truth-worldRitam the domain of typal realities. The distinction is necessary, as there does seem to be such a level of consciousness intermediary, again, between man and the Absolute, between self-consciousness and the supreme consciousness. The simplest thing would be to give that intermediate level of consciousness a negative namesince being as yet human we cannot foresee exactly its composition and function the super-consciousness.
The inflatus of something vast and transcendent, something which escapes all our familiar schemes of cognisance and yet is insistent with a translucent reality of its own, we do feel sometimes within us invading and enveloping our individuality, lifting up our sense of self and transmuting our personality into a reality which can hardly be called merely human. All this life of ego-bound rationality then melts away and opens out the passage for a life of vision and power. Thus it is the poet has felt when he says, "there is this incalculable element in human life influencing us from the mystery which envelops our being, and when reason is satisfied, there is something deeper than Reason which makes us still uncertain of truth. Above the human reason there is a transcendental sphere to which the spirit of men sometimes rises, and the will may be forged there at a lordly smithy and made the unbreakable pivot."(A.E.)
This passage from the self-conscient to the super-conscient does not imply merely a shifting of the focus of consciousness. The transmutation of consciousness involves a purer illumination, a surer power and a wider compass; it involves also a fundamental change in the very mode of being and living. It gives quite a different life-intuition and a different life-power. The change in the motif brings about a new form altogether, a re-casting and re-shaping and re-energising of the external materials as well. As the lift from mere consciousness to self-consciousness meant all the difference between an animal and a man, so the lift again from self-consciousness to super-consciousness will mean the difference of a whole world between man and the divine creature that is to be.
Indeed it is a divine creature that should be envisaged on the next level of evolution. The mental and the moral, the psychical and the physical transfigurations which must follow the change in the basic substratum do imply such a mutation, the birth of a new species, as it were, fashioned in the nature of the gods. The vision of angels and Siddhas, which man is having ceaselessly since his birth, may be but a prophecy of the future actuality.
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Nature has marched from the unconscious to the sub-conscious, from the sub-conscious to the conscious and from the conscious to the self-conscious; she has to rise yet again from the self-conscious to the super-conscious. The mineral gave place to the plant, the plant gave place to the animal and the animal gave place to man; let man give place to and bring out the divine.
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01.09 - William Blake: The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 02, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
We welcome voices that speak of this ancient tradition, this occult Knowledge of a high Future. Recently we have come across one aspirant in the line, and being a contemporary, his views and reviews in the matter will be all the more interesting to us.2 He is Gustave Thibon, a Frenchman-not a priest or even a religious man in the orthodox sense in any way, but a country farmer, a wholly self-educated laque. Of late he has attracted a good deal of attention from intellectuals as well as religious people, especially the Catholics, because of his remarkable conceptions which are so often unorthodox and yet so often ringing true with an old-world au thenticity.
Touching the very core of the malady of our age he says that our modern enlightenment seeks to cancel altogether the higher values and install instead the lower alone as true. Thus, for example, Marx and Freud, its twin arch priests, are brothers. Both declare that it is the lower, the under layer alone that matters: to one "the masses", to the other "the instincts". Their wild imperative roars: "Sweep away this pseudo-higher; let the instincts rule, let the pro-letariat dictate!" But more characteristic, Monsieur Thibon has made another discovery which gives the whole value and speciality to his outlook. He says the moderns stress the lower, no doubt; but the old world stressed only the higher and neglected the lower. Therefore the revolt and wrath of the lower, the rage of Revanche in the heart of the dispossessed in the modern world. Enlightenment meant till now the cultivation and embellishment of the Mind, the conscious Mind, the rational and nobler faculties, the height and the depth: and mankind meant the princes and the great ones. In the individual, in the scheme of his culture and education, the senses were neglected, left to go their own way as they pleased; and in the collective field, the toiling masses in the same way lived and moved as best as they could under the economics of laissez-faire. So Monsieur Thibon concludes: "Salvation has never come from below. To look for it from above only is equally vain. No doubt salvation must come from the higher, but on condition that the higher completely adopts and protects the lower." Here is a vision luminous and revealing, full of great import, if we follow the right track, prophetic of man's true destiny. It is through this infiltration of the higher into the lower and the integration of the lower into the higher that mankind will reach the goal of its evolution, both individually and collectively.
0.10 - Letters to a Young Captain, #Some Answers From The Mother, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
so self-centred." It is quite true that we are taking life
very lightly, and it has become so natural that we believe
it to be the right attitude. And we are self-centred. How
can we get out of this trap? In any case, the dose You
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One can find in everything a chance to progress in consciousness and self-mastery. And this effort for progress immediately
makes the thing interesting, no matter what it is.
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observation of a self-imposed law, must be placed in
subjection to the will of others."13 Mother, I am one of
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words, self-deception. Now, if you have a fan and wish to use
Series Ten - To a Young Captain
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The best way for everyone is self-giving to the Divine and
trust in His infinite Grace.
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prancings of self-approbatory egoism.... What is aimed at by us
is a spiritual truth as the basis of life, the first words of which
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Receptivity is proportionate to self-giving.
2 March 1966
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In order to achieve self-mastery, should one follow the
method of "widening the consciousness"?
01.10 - Principle and Personality, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 01, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
Religious bodies that are formed through the bhakti and puja for one man, social reconstructions forced by the will and power of a single individual, have already in the inception this grain of incapacity and disease and death that they are not an integrally self-conscious creation, they are not, as a whole, intelligent and wide awake and therefore constantly responsive to the truths and ideals and realities for which they exist, for which at least, their founder intended them to exist. The light at the apex is the only light and the entire structure is but the shadow of that light; the whole thing has the aspect of a dark mass galvanised into red-hot activity by the passing touch of a dynamo. Immediately however the solitary light fails and the dynamo stops, there is nothing but the original darkness and inertiatoma asit tamasa gudham agre.
Man, however great and puissant he may be, is a perishable thing. People who gather or are gathered round a man and cling to him through the tie of a personal relation must fall off and scatter when the man passes away and the personal tie loses its hold. What remains is a memory, a gradually fading memory. But memory is hardly a creative force, it is a dead, at best, a moribund thing; the real creative power is Presence. So when the great man's presence, the power that crystallises is gone, the whole edifice crumbles and vanishes into air or remains a mere name.
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And yet we yield to none in our demand for holding forth the principles always and ever before the wide open gaze of all. The principle is there to make people self-knowing and self-guiding; and the man is also there to illustrate that principle, to serve as the hope and prophecy of achievement. The living soul is there to touch your soul, if you require the touch; and the principle is there by which to test and testify. For, we do not ask anybody to be a mere automaton, a blind devotee, a soul without individual choice and initiative. On the contrary, we insist on each and every individual to find his own soul and stand on his own Truththis is the fundamental principle we declare, the only creedif creed it be that we ask people to note and freely follow. We ask all people to be fully self-dependent and self-illumined, for only thus can a real and solid reconstruction of human nature and society be possible; we do not wish that they should bow down ungrudgingly to anything, be it a principle or a personality. In this respect we claim the very first rank of iconoclasts and anarchists. And along with that, if we still choose to remain an idol-lover and a hero-worshipper, it is because we recognise that our mind, human as it is, being not a simple equation but a complex paradox, the idol or the hero symbolises for us and for those who so will, the very iconoclasm and anarchism and perhaps other more positive things as wellwhich we behold within and seek to manifest.
The world is full of ikons and archons; we cannot escape them, even if we try the world itself being a great ikon and as great an archon. Those who swear by principles, swear always by some personality or other, if not by a living creature then by a lifeless book, if not by Religion then by Science, if not by the East then by the West, if not by Buddha or Christ then by Bentham or Voltaire. Only they do it unwittingly they change one set of personalities for another and believe they have rejected them all. The veils of Maya are a thousand-fold tangle and you think you have entirely escaped her when you have only run away from one fold to fall into another. The wise do not attempt to reject and negate Maya, but consciously accept herfreedom lies in a knowing affirmation. So we too have accepted and affirmed an icon, but we have done it consciously and knowingly; we are not bound by our idol, we see the truth of it, and we serve and utilise it as best as we may.
01.11 - Aldous Huxley: The Perennial Philosophy, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 02, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
A similar compilation was published in the Arya, called The Eternal Wisdom (Les Paroles ternelles, in French) a portion of which appeared later on in book-form: that was more elaborate, the contents were arranged in such a way that no comments were needed, they were self-explanatory, divided as they were in chapters and sections and subsections with proper headings, the whole thing put in a logical and organised sequence. Huxley's compilation begins under the title of the Upanishadic text "That art Thou" with this saying of Eckhart: "The more God is in all things, the more He is outside them. The more He is within, the more without". It will be interesting to note that the Arya compilation too starts with the same idea under the title "The God of All; the God who is in All", the first quotation being from Philolaus, "The Universe is a Unity".The Eternal Wisdom has an introduction called "The Song of Wisdom" which begins with this saying from the Book of Wisdom: "We fight to win sublime Wisdom; therefore men call us warriors".
Huxley gives only one quotation from Sri Aurobindo under the heading "God in the World". Here it is:
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We fear Mr. Huxley has completely missed the point of the cryptic sentence. He seems to take it as meaning that human kindness and morality are a means to the recovery of the Lost Way-although codes of ethics and deliberate choices are not sufficient in themselves, they are only a second best, yet they mark the rise of self-consciousness and have to be utilised to pass on into the unitive knowledge that is Tao. This explanation or amplification seems to us somewhat confused and irrelevant to the idea expressed in the apophthegm. What is stated here is much simpler and transparent. It is this that when the Divine is absent and the divine Knowledge, then comes in man with his human mental knowledge: it is man's humanity that clouds the Divine and to reach the' Divine one must reject the human values, all the moralities, sarva dharmn, seek only the Divine. The lesser way lies through the dualities, good and evil, the Great Way is beyond them and cannot be limited or measured by the relative standards. Especially in the modern age we see the decline and almost the disappearance of the Greater Light and instead a thousand smaller lights are lighted which vainly strive to dispel the gathering darkness. These do not help, they are false lights and men are apt to cling to them, shutting their eyes to the true one which is not that that one worships here and now, nedam yadidam upsate.
There is a beautiful quotation from the Chinese sage, Wu Ch'ng-n, regarding the doubtful utility of written Scriptures:
01.11 - The Basis of Unity, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 01, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
To be loyal to one's line of self-fulfilment, to follow one's self-law, swadharma, wholly and absolutelywithout this no spiritual life is possible and yet not to come into clash with other lines and loyalties, nay more, to be in positive harmony with them, is a problem which has not been really solved. It was solved, perhaps, in the consciousness of a Ramakrishna, a few individuals here and there, but it has always remained a source of conflict and disharmony in the general mind even in the field of spirituality. The clash of spiritual or religious loyalties has taken such an acute form in India today, they have been carried to the bitter extreme, in order, we venture to say, that the final synthesis might be absolute and irrevocable. This is India's mission to work out, and this is the lesson which she brings to the world.
The solution can come, first, by going to the true religion of the Spirit, by being truly spiritual and not merely religious, for, as we have said, real unity lies only in and through the Spirit, since Spirit is one and indivisible; secondly, by bringing down somethinga great part, indeed, if not the wholeof this puissant and marvellous Spirit into our life of emotions and sensations and activities.
01.12 - Goethe, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 02, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
One view considers Evil as coeval with Good: the Prince of Evil is God's peer, equal to him in all ways, absolutely separate, independent and self-existent. Light and Darkness are eternal principles living side by side, possessing equal reality. For, although it is permissible to the individual to pass out of the Darkness and enter into Light, the Darkness itself does not disappear: it remains and maintains its domain, and even it is said that some human beings are meant eternally for this domain. That is the Manichean principle and that also is fundamentally the dualistic conception of chit-achit in some Indian systems (although the principle of chit or light is usually given a higher position and priority of excellence).
The Christian too accepts the dual principle, but does not give equal status to the two. Satan is there, an eternal reality: it is anti-God, it seeks to oppose God, frustrate his work. It is the great tempter whose task it is to persuade, to inspire man to remain always an earthly creature and never turn to know or live in God. Now the crucial question that arises is, what is the necessity of this Antagonist in God's scheme of creation? What is the meaning of this struggle and battle? God could have created, if he had chosen, a world without Evil. The orthodox Christi an answer is that in that case one could not have fully appreciated the true value and glory of God's presence. It is to manifest and proclaim the great victory that the strife and combat has been arranged in which Man triumphs in the end and God's work stands vindicated. The place of Satan is always Hell, but he cannot drag down a soul into his pit to hold it there eternally (although according to one doctrine there are or may be certain eternally damned souls).
01.12 - Three Degrees of Social Organisation, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 01, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
It might be objected here however that actually in the history of humanity the conception of Duty has been no less pugnacious than that of Right. In certain ages and among certain peoples, for example, it was considered the imperative duty of the faithful to kill or convert by force or otherwise as many as possible belonging to other faiths: it was the mission of the good shepherd to burn the impious and the heretic. In recent times, it was a sense of high and solemn duty that perpetrated what has been termed "purges"brutalities undertaken, it appears, to purify and preserve the integrity of a particular ideological, social or racial aggregate. But the real name of such a spirit is not duty but fanaticism. And there is a considerable difference between the two. Fanaticism may be defined as duty running away with itself; but what we are concerned with here is not the aberration of duty, but duty proper self-poised.
One might claim also on behalf of the doctrine of Right that the right kind of Right brings no harm, it is as already stated another name for liberty, for the privilege of living and it includes the obligation to let live. One can do what one likes provided one does not infringe on an equal right of others to do the same. The measure of one's liberty is equal to the measure of others' liberty.
--
Indian wisdom has found this other, a fairer terma tertium quid,the mystic factor, sought for by so many philosophers on so many counts. That is the very well- known, the very familiar termDharma. What is Dharma then? How does it accomplish the miracle which to others seems to have proved an impossibility? Dharma is self-law, that is to say, the law of the Self; it is the rhythm and movement of our inner or inmost being, the spontaneous working out of our truth-conscious nature.
We may perhaps view the three terms Right, Duty and Dharma as degrees of an ascending consciousness. Consciousness at Its origin and in its primitive formulation is dominated by the principle of inertia (tamas); in that state things have mostly an undifferentiated collective existence, they helplessly move about acted upon by forces outside them. A rise in growth and evolution brings about differentiation, specialisation, organisation. And this means consciousness of oneself of the distinct and separate existence of each and everyone, in other words, self-assertion, the claim, the right of each individual unit to be itself, to become itself first and foremost. It is a necessary development; for it signifies the growth of self consciousness in the units out of a mass unconsciousness or semi-consciousness. It is the expression of rajas, the mode of dynamism, of strife and struggle, it is the corrective of tamas.
In the earliest and primitive society men lived totally in a mass consciousness. Their life was a blind obedienceobedience to the chief the patriarch or pater familiasobedience to the laws and customs of the collectivity to which one belonged. It was called duty; it was called even dharma, but evidently on a lower level, in an inferior formulation. In reality it was more of the nature of the mechanical functioning of an automaton than the exercise of conscious will and deliberate choice, which is the very soul of the conception of duty.
The conception of Right had to appear in order to bring out the principle of individuality, of personal freedom and fulfilment. For, a true healthy collectivity is the association and organisation of free and self-determinate units. The growth of independent individuality naturally means at first clash and rivalry, and a violently competitive society is the result. It is only at this stage that the conception of duty can fruitfully come in and develop in man and his society the mode of Sattwa, which is that of light and wisdom, of toleration and harmony. Then only a society is sought to be moulded on the principle of co-ordination and co-operation.
Still, the conception of duty cannot finally and definitively solve the problem. It cannot arrive at a perfect harmonisation of the conflicting claims of individual units; for, duty, as I have already said, is a child of mental idealism, and although the mind can exercise some kind of control over life-forces, it cannot altogether eliminate the seeds of conflict that lie imbedded in the very nature of life. It is for this reason that there is an element of constraint in duty; it is, as the poet says, the "stern daughter of the Voice of God". One has to compel oneself, one has to use force on oneself to carry out one's dutythere is a feeling somehow of its being a bitter pill. The cult of duty means rajas controlled and coerced by Sattwa, not the transcendence of rajas. This leads us to the high and supreme conception of Dharma, which is a transcendence of the gunas. Dharma is not an ideal, a standard or a rule that one has to obey: it is the law of self-nature that one inevitably follows, it is easy, spontaneous, delightful. The path of duty is heroic, the path of Dharma is of the gods, godly (cf. Virabhava and Divyabhava of the Tantras).
The principle of Dharma then inculcates that each individual must, in order to act, find out his truth of being, his true soul and inmost consciousness: one must entirely and integrally merge oneself into that, be identified with it in such a manner that all acts and feelings and thoughts, in fact all movements, inner and outerspontaneously and irrepressibly well out of that fount and origin. The individual souls, being made of one truth-nature in its multiple modalities, when they live, move and have their being in its essential law and dynamism, there cannot but be absolute harmony and perfect synthesis between all the units, even as the sun and moon and stars, as the Veda says, each following its specific orbit according to its specific nature, never collide or haltna me thate na tas thatuh but weave out a faultless pattern of symphony.
The future society of man is envisaged as something of like nature. When the mortal being will have found his immortal soul and divine self, then each one will be able to give full and free expression to his self-nature (swabhava); then indeed the utmost sweep of dynamism in each and all will not cause clash or conflict; on the contrary, each will increase the other and there will be a global increment and fulfilmentparasparam bhavayantah. The division and conflict, the stress and strain that belong to the very nature of the inferior level of being and consciousness will then have been transcended. It is only thus that a diviner humanity can be born and replace all the other moulds and types that can never lead to anything final and absolutely satisfactory.
***
01.13 - T. S. Eliot: Four Quartets, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 02, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
Our poet is too self-conscious, he himself feels that he has not the perfect voice. A Homer, even a Milton possesses a unity of tone and a wholeness of perception which are denied to the modern. To the modern, however, the old masters are not subtle enough, broad enough, psychological enough, let us say the word, spiritual enough. And yet the poetic inspiration, more than the religious urge, needs the injunction not to be busy with too many things, but to be centred upon the one thing needful, viz., to create poetically and not to discourse philosophically or preach prophetically. Not that it is impossible for the poet to swallow the philosopher and the prophet, metabolising them into the substance of his bone and marrow, of "the trilling wire in his blood", as Eliot graphically expresses. That perhaps is the consummation towards which poetry is tending. But at present, in Eliot, at least, the strands remain distinct, each with its own temper and rhythm, not fused and moulded into a single streamlined form of beauty. Our poet flies high, very high indeed at times, often or often he flies low, not disdaining the perilous limit of bathos. Perhaps it is all wilful, it is a mannerism which he cherishes. The mannerism may explain his psychology and enshrine his philosophy. But the poet, the magician is to be looked for elsewhere. In the present collection of poems it is the philosophical, exegetical, discursive Eliot who dominates: although the high lights of the subject-matter may be its justification. Still even if we have here doldrums like
That the past has another pattern, and ceases to be a mere sequence
0.11 - Letters to a Sadhak, #Some Answers From The Mother, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
aspiration and repeated self-giving, the cells must be made transparent.
18 March 1967
--
This "something" is the insincerity of an ignorant self-esteem
which has not yet understood that it is nobler and loftier to
0.13 - Letters to a Student, #Some Answers From The Mother, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
and between selfishness and self-realisation?
Desire is a vital movement, aspiration is a psychic movement.
--
centre in one's being. In English, self-fulfilment is generally taken
in the sense "to be successful". Sri Aurobindo in his writings
0.14 - Letters to a Sadhak, #Some Answers From The Mother, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
to overcome his ego in a total and unconditional self-giving to
the Divine. Then the Divine will make you do what you have to
--
of immutable peace. Later on, in this self-forgetfulness, one finds
the Divine, and that is the source of an ever-increasing bliss.
0 1954-08-25 - what is this personality? and when will she come?, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
But the vibrations of divine Bliss and those of pleasure cannot cohabit in the same vital and physical house. We must therefore TOTALLY renounce all feelings of pleasure to be ready to receive the divine Ananda. But rare are those who can renounce pleasure without thereby renouncing all active participation in life or sinking into a stern asceticism. And among those who realize that the transformation is to be wrought in active life, some pretend that pleasure is a form of Ananda gone more or less astray and legitimize their search for self-satisfaction, thereby creating a virtually insuperable obstacle to their own transformation.
Now, if there is anything else you wish to ask me Anyone may ask, anyoneanyone who has something to saynot just the students.
0 1955-10-19, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
The three images of total self-giving to the Divine:
1) To prostrate oneself at His feet in a surrender of all pride, with a perfect HUMILITY.
0 1957-11-12, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
For the spiritual tests: aspiration, confidence, idealism, enthusiasm and generosity in self-giving.
For the tests stemming from the hostile forces: vigilance, sincerity and humility.
0 1958-07-06, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
I am speaking of terrestrial Nature. Through their mental power, men had the choice and the freedom to make pacts with these extraterrestrial vital forces. There is a whole vital world that has nothing to do with the earth, it is entirely independent or prior to earths existence, it is self-existentwell, they have brought that down here! They have made what we see! And such being the case This is what terrestrial Nature told me: It is beyond my control.
So considering all that, Sri Aurobindo came to the conclusion that only the supramental power (Mother brings down her hands) as he said, will be able to rule over everything. And when that happens, it will be all overincluding Nature. For a long time, Nature rebelled (I have written about it often). She used to say, Why are you in such a hurry? It will be done one day. But then last year, there was that extraordinary experience.5 And it was because of that experience that I told her, Well, now that we agree, give me some proof; I am asking you for some proofdo it for me. She didnt budge, absolutely nothing.
--
But yesterday, in fact, I was looking (with all these mantras and these prayers and this whole vibration that has descended into the atmosphere, creating a state of constant calling in the atmosphere), and I remembered the old movements and how everything now has changed! I was also thinking of the old disciplines, one of which is to say, I am That.7 People were told to sit in meditation and repeat, I am That, to reach an identification. And it all seemed to me so obsolete, so childish, but at the same time a part of the whole. I looked, and it seemed so absurd to sit in meditation and say, I am That! I, what is this I who is That; what is this I, where is it? I was trying to find it, and I saw a tiny, microscopic point (to see it would almost require some gigantic instrument), a tiny, obscure point in an im-men-sity of Light, and that little point was the body. At the same timeit was absolutely simultaneous I saw the Presence of the Supreme as a very, very, very, VERY immense Being, within which was I in an attitude of (I was only a sensation, you see), an attitude (gesture of surrender) like this. There were no limits, yet at the same time, one felt the joy of being permeated, enveloped and of being able to widen, widen, widen indefinitelyto widen the whole being, from the highest consciousness to the most material consciousness. And then, at the same time, to look at this body and to see every cell, every atom vibrating with a divine, radiant Presence with all its Consciousness, all its Power, all its Will, all its Loveall, all, really and a joy! An extraordinary joy. And one did not disturb the other, nothing was contradictory and everything was felt at the same time. That was when I said, But truly! This body had to have the training it has had for more than seventy years to be able to bear all that without starting to cry out or dance or leap up or whatever it might be! No, it was calm (it was exultant, but it was very calm), and it remained in control of its movements and its words. In spite of the fact that it was really living in another world, it could apparently act normal due to this strenuous training in self-control by the REASONby the reasonover the whole being, which has tamed it and given it such a great cohesive power that I can BE in the experience, I can LIVE this experience, and at the same time respond with the most amiable of smiles to the most idiotic questions!
And then, it always ends in the same way, by a canticle to the action of the grace: O, Lord! You are truly marvelous! All the experiences I have needed to pass through You have given to me, all the things I needed to do to make this body ready You have made me do, and always with the feeling that it was You who was making me do itand with the universal disapproval of all the right-minded humanity!
0 1958-08-09, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
The gods are faultless, for they live according to their own nature, spontaneously and without constraint; it is their godly way. But if one looks at it from a higher point of view, if one has a higher vision, a vision of the whole, they have fewer qualities than man. In this film, it was proved that through their capacity for love and self-giving, men can have as much power as the gods, and even morewhen they are not egoists, when they can overcome their egoism.
Certainly man is nearer the Supreme than the gods. Provided he fulfills the necessary conditions, he can be nearerhe isnt so automatically, but he can be, he has the power, the potentiality to be.
0 1958-11-04 - Myths are True and Gods exist - mental formation and occult faculties - exteriorization - work in dreams, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
She is a portrait of the ideal woman according to the Hindu conception, the woman who worships her husb and as a god, which means that she sees the Supreme in her husband. And so this woman was much more powerful than all the gods of the Puranas precisely because she had this psychic capacity for total self-giving; and her faith in the Supremes presence in her husb and gave her a much greater power than that of all the gods.
The story narrated in the film went like this: Narada, as usual, was having fun. (Narada is a demigod with a divine position that is, he can communicate with man and with the gods as he pleases, and he serves as an intermediary, but then he likes to have fun!) So he was quarrelling with one of the goddesses, I no longer recall which one, and he told her (Ah, yes! The quarrel was with Saraswati.) Saraswati was telling him that knowledge is much greater than love (much greater in that it is much more powerful than love), and he replied to her, You dont know what youre talking about! (Mother laughs) Love is much more powerful than knowledge. So she challenged him, saying, Well then, prove it to me.I shall prove it to you, he replied. And the whole story starts there. He began creating a whole imbroglio on earth just to prove his point.
--
In Sri Aurobindo's and Mother's terminology, 'psychic' or 'psychic being' means the soul or the portion of the Supreme in man which evolves from life to life until it becomes a fully self-conscious being. The soul is a special capacity or grace of human beings on earth.
The film on August 5.
0 1958-11-08, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
And I followed all this without objectifying it in the least; I was not aware of what it was nor of what was happening, nor of any explanation at all, nothing: it was like that. I was living it, thats all. The experience was absolutely spontaneous. And after this rather painful descent, phew!there was a kind of super-comfort. I cant explain it otherwise, an ease,4 but an ease to the utmost. A perfect immobility in a sense of eternity but with an extraordinary INTENSITY of movement and life! An inner intensity, unmanifested; it was within, self-contained. And motionless (had there been an outside, it would have been motionless in relation to that) and it was in a life so immeasurable that it can only be expressed metaphorically as infinite. And with an intensity, a POWER, a force and a peace the peace of eternity. A silence, a calm. A POWER capable of of EVERYTHING. Everything.
And I was not imagining nor objectifying it; I was living it with easewith a great ease. And it lasted until the end of the meditation. When it gradually began fading, I stopped the meditation and left.
0 1958-11-20, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
Karma: positive (or negative) consequences of actions performed in past lives (every action is endowed with a self-perpetuating dynamism).
A temple-island in southern India where Satprem became a sannyasi.
0 1958-11-22, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
As soon as you had left, and since I was following you, I saw that nothing of the kind was going to happen, but rather something very superficial which would not be of much use. And when I received your letters and saw that you were in difficulty, I did something. There are places that are favorable for occult experiences. Benares is one of these places, the atmosphere there is filled with vibrations of occult forces, and if one has the slightest capacity, it spontaneously develops there, in the same way that a spiritual aspiration develops very strongly and spontaneously as soon as one lands in India. These are Graces. Graces, because it is the destiny of the country, it has been so throughout its history, and because India has always been turned much more towards the heights and the inner depths than towards the outer world. Now, it is in the process of losing all that and wallowing in the mud, but thats another story it was like that and it is still like that. And in fact, when you returned from Rameswaram with your robes, I saw with much satisfaction that there was still a GREAT dignity and a GREAT sincerity in this endeavor of the Sannyasis towards the higher life and in the self-giving of a certain number of people to realize this higher life. When you returned, it had become a very concrete and a very real thing that immediately commanded respect. Before, I had seen only a copy, an imitation, an hypocrisy, a pretentionnothing that was really lived. But then, I saw that it was true, that it was lived, that it was real and that it was still Indias great heritage. I dont believe it is very prevalent now, but in any case, it is still there, and as I told you, it commands respect. And then, as I felt you in difficulty and as the outer conditions were not only veiling but spoiling the inner, well, on that day I wrote you a short note I no longer recall when it was exactly, but I wrote you just a word or two, which I put in an envelope and sent you I concentrated very strongly upon those few words and sent you something. I didnt note the date, I dont remember when it was, but its likely that it happened as I wished when you were in Benares; and then you had this experience.
But when you returned the second time, from the Himalayas, you didnt have the same flame as when you returned the first time. And I understood that this kind of difficult karma still clung to you, that it had not been dissolved. I had hoped that your contact with the mountains but in a true solitude (I dont mean that your body had to be all alone, but there should not have been all kinds of outer, superficial things) Anyway, it didnt happen. So it means that the time had not come.
--
But I always had a presentiment of the true thing: that only a VERY COURAGEOUS act of self-giving could efface the thingnot courageous or difficult from the material point of view, not that There is a certain zone of the vital in you, a mentalized vital but still very material, which is very much under the influence of circumstances and which very much believes in the effectiveness of outer measuresthis is what is resisting.
That is all I know.
0 1959-10-06 - Sri Aurobindos abode, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
I found myself in another world, but not far away (I was not in a total trance). This world was almost as substantial as the physical world. There were roomsSri Aurobindos room with the bed he rests on and he was living there, he was there all the time: it was his abode. Even my room was there, with a large mirror like the one I have here, combs, all kinds of things. And the substance of these objects was almost as dense as in the physical world, but they shone with their own light. It was not translucent, not transparent, not radiant, but self-luminous. The various objects and the material of the rooms did not have this same opacity as the physical objects here, they were not dry and hard as in the physical world we know.
And Sri Aurobindo was there, with a majesty, a magnificent beauty. He had all his beautiful hair as before. It was all so concrete, so substantialhe was even being served some kind of food. I remained there for one hour (I had looked at my watch before and I looked at it afterwards). I spoke to Sri Aurobindo, for I had some important questions to ask him about the way certain things are to be realized. He said nothing. He listened to me quietly and looked at me as if all my words were useless: he understood everything at once. And he answered me with a gesture and two expressions on his face, an unexpected gesture that did not at all correspond to any thought of mine; for example, he picked up three combs that were lying near the mirror (combs similar to those I use here, but larger) and he put them in his hair. He planted one comb in the middle of his head and the two others on each side, as if to gather all his hair over his temples. He was literally COIFFED with these three combs, which gave him a kind of crown. And I immediately understood that by this he meant that he was adopting my conception: You see, I embrace your conception of things, and I coif myself with it; it is my will. Anyway, I remained there for one hour.
0 1959-10-15, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
I would wish to be like Sujata, completely transparent, your child with her at your feet. Mother, help me. I need you. Sujata is healing something that was very painful in me, as though it were flayed or wounded, and which threw me into revolt. With this calming influence, I would like to begin a new life of self-giving. This change of residence is for me like the symbol of another change. Oh, Mother! may the painful road be over, and may all be achieved in the joy of your Will.
Your child,
0 1960-06-04, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
I also use my mantra to go into trance. After relaxing on the bed and making as total a self-offering as possible of everything, from top to bottom, and after removing as fully as possible all resistance of the ego, I start repeating the mantra.1 After repeating it two or three times, I am in trance (at the beginning it took longer). And from this trance I pass into sleep; the trance lasts as long as necessary and, quite naturally, spontaneously, I pass into sleep. And when I come back, I remember everything. The sleep was like a continuation of the trance. And essentially, the only reason for sleep is to allow the body to assimilate the results of the trance, then to allow these results to be accepted throughout and to let the body do its natural nights work of eliminating toxins. My periods of sleep practically dont exist sometimes they are as short as half an hour or 15 minutes. But in the beginning, I had long periods of sleep, one or even two hours in succession. And when I woke up, I did not feel this residue of heaviness which comes from sleep the effects of the trance continued.
It is even good for people whove never been in trance to repeat a mantra (or a word, a prayer) before going to sleep. But the words must have a life of their ownby this I dont mean an intellectual meaning, nothing of the kind, but rather a vibration. And this has an extraordinary effect on the body, it starts vibrating, vibrating, vibrating and so calm, you let yourself go, like falling off to sleep. And the body vibrates more and more, more and more, more and more, and you drift off.
0 1960-07-23 - The Flood and the race - turning back to guide and save amongst the torrents - sadhana vs tamas and destruction - power of giving and offering - Japa, 7 lakhs, 140000 per day, 1 crore takes 20 years, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
But when I read his Yoga of self-Perfection and see simply what we are phew! What yeast we would need to make all that rise!
But this is not true: HE alone is doing it, its always He.
0 1960-08-10 - questions from center of Education - reading Sri Aurobindo, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
Im continuing The Yoga of self-Perfection. Its really something I shall never tire of saying its fabulous. Everything, absolutely everything, in detail, everything is there. And he foresawforesaw, gave the remedy; foresaw, gave the remedy; foresaw, gave
Have you read it?
0 1960-10-02a, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
From a documentary standpoint, my nights are getting quite interesting. In the Yoga of self-Perfection, Sri Aurobindo describes precisely this state you reach in which all things assume meaning and a quality of inner significance, clarification of various points, and help. From this point of view, my nights have become extraordinary. I see infinitely more things than I saw before. Before, it was very limited to a personal contact with people. Now In my nights, each thing and each person has the appearance, the gesture, the word or the action that describes EXACTLY his condition. Its becoming quite interesting.
Of course, I much prefer being in my great currents of forcefrom a personal standpoint, such immensity of action is much more interesting. But these documentary things are also valuable. It is so tremendously different from the dreams and even the vi. signs you have when you enter certain representative realms of the mind (which is what I used to do). It is so different, it has another content, another life altogether: it carries its light, its understanding, its explanation within itselfyou look, and everything is explained.
0 1960-10-11, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
Im just now finishing the Yoga of self-Perfection When we see what human life is and, even in the best of cases, what it represents in the way of imbecility, stupidity, narrowness, meanness (not to mention ignorance because that is too flagrant) and even those who believe themselves to have generous heart, for example, or liberal ideas, a desire to do good! Each time the consciousness orients itself in one direction to attain some result, everything that was in existence (not just ones personal existence, but this sort of collectivity of existences that each being represents), everything that is contrary to this effort immediately presents itself in its crudest light.
It happened this morning while I was walking back and forth in my room. I had finished my japa I had to stop and hold my head in my hands to keep from bursting into tears. No, it is too dreadful, I said to myself; and to think that we want Perfection!
0 1960-12-13, #Agenda Vol 01, #unset, #Zen
The problem appeared again to me very intensely when I read Sri Aurobindos The Yoga of self-Perfection. I was confronted with a whole formidable world to be transformedto transform what is already luminous is quite easy, but to transform that! ughthis stuff of life, so low and so coarse, so ordinary its much more difficult.1
For the last several days, Ive been at grips fighting with it. How can I stop this idiotic, coarse and above all defeatist automatism from constantly manifesting? Its truly an automatism; it doesnt respond to any conscious will, nothing. So what will it take to ? And its QUITE INTIMATELY related to the bodys illnesses (the old habits the body has of coming out of its rhythmic movement, of entering into confusion)the two things are very intimately linked.
0 1961-01-12, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Actually, what you hate in them is their self-righteousness, only that. After all, theyre right not to do evilthey cant be blamed for that! But whats hard to tolerate is their sense of superiority, the way they look down their noses at all these poor fellows who are no worse than they!
Oh, I could cite a few shining examples!
--
This state is very difficult to get out of. It is really Pharisaismthis sense of social dignity, this narrow-mindednessbecause no one with an atom of intelligence would fall into such a hole! Those who have traveled through the world, for instance, and seen for themselves that social mores depend entirely upon climatic conditions, upon races and customs and still more upon the times, the epochthey are able to look at it all with a smile. But the self-righteous oooh!
This is a primary stage. As long as you havent gone beyond this condition, you are unfit for yoga. Because truly, no one in such a rudimentary state is ready for yoga.
0 1961-01-17, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
51When I hear of a righteous wrath, I wonder at mans capacity for self-deception.
What do you have to say?
Our self-deception is always in good faith! We always act for the welfare of others or in the interests of humanity and to serve you (that goes without saying!). How exactly do we deceive ourselves?
I would like to ask you a question in turnbecause there are two ways of understanding your question. It can be taken in the same ironic or humorous tone that Sri Aurobindo has used in his aphorism when he wonders at mans capacity for self-deception. That is, you are putting yourself in the place of the self-deceiver and saying, But I am of good faith! I always want the welfare of others the interests of humanity, to serve the Divine (of course!). Then how can I be deceiving myself?
But actually, there are really two quite different forms of self-deception. One can be very shocked by certain things, not for personal reasons but precisely because of ones goodwill and ardor to serve the Divine, when one sees people misconducting themselves, being egoistical, unfaithful, treacherous. There comes a stage when one has mastered these things and doesnt permit them to manifest IN ONESELF; but to the extent that one is in contact with ordinary consciousness, ordinary viewpoints, ordinary life and thought, their possibility is still there, latent, because they are the inverse of the qualities one is striving for. And this opposition always exists until one has risen above and no longer has either the quality or the defect. As long as one has virtue, one always has its latent opposite. The opposition disappears only when one is beyond virtue and sin.
But until then, there is this kind of indignation stemming from the fact that one is not entirely above: its a period when one totally disapproves of certain things and would be incapable of doing them. And up to this point, there is nothing to say, unless one gives an external, violent expression to his indignation. If anger interferes, it indicates an entire contradiction between the feeling one wants to have and this reaction towards others. Because anger is a deformation of vital power originating from an obscure and thoroughly unregenerate vital,1 a vital still subject to all the ordinary actions and reactions. When an ignorant, egoistic individual will exploits this vital power and encounters opposition from other individual wills around it, then under the pressure of opposition this power changes into anger and tries to obtain through violence what could not be achieved by the pressure of the Force alone.
--
There is another case where peoplewithout knowing it or because they WANT to ignore italways pursue their personal interests, their preferences, their attachments, their concepts; people who are not entirely consecrated to the Divine and make use of moral and yogic ideas to conceal their personal motives. These people doubly deceive themselves: not only do they deceive themselves through their outer activities, their relations with others, but they also deceive themselves about their personal motives; instead of serving the Divine they are serving their own egoism. And this happens constantly, constantly! One serves his own personality, his egoism, while pretending to serve the Divine. This is no longer even self-deception: its sheer hypocrisy.
This mental habit of always cloaking everything with a favorable appearance, of giving all movements a favorable explanation, is at times so flagrant that it can fool nobody but oneself (although it may occasionally be subtle enough to create an illusion). It is a sort of habitual self-exoneration, the habit of giving a favorable mental excuse, a favorable mental explanation for all one does, all one says, all one feels. For example, someone with no self-control who strikes another in great indignation and is ready to call it divine wrath! Righteous2 is perfect, because righteous immediately introduces this element of puritanical moralitywonderful!
This power of self-deception, the minds craft in devising splendid justifications for any ignorance or folly whatsoever, is tremendous.
And its not a random experience coming now and then, its something you can witness minute by minute. You generally see it far more readily in others! But if you watch yourself carefully, you will catch yourself a thousand times a daylooking at things in a favorable way: Oh, its NOT the same thing! And besides, its NEVER the same for you as it is for your neighbor!
0 1961-01-Undated, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
A moment comes when self-observation is no longer possible.
Even in these expressions All is You or You are the All (and the same holds for You are the Divine or The Divine is you), there is still something watching.
0 1961-02-18, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
It has given the physical consciousness a certain self-confidence in the sense that when I see something now, I am sure of it, there are no hesitations: Is this right or not? Is this true, is this.All that has vanishedwhen I see, there is certainty. That is, there has really been a great change in the material CONSCIOUSNESS; but that formidable power is not there. I tell you, had that power stayed here, had I remained constantly as I was during those hours that night, well, many things would obviously have changed.
All this must be a preparation; there is a lot to be cleared out before the experience can be firmly established. Thats logical, it is quite natural.
0 1961-02-25, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
All this [the world, the Ashram] is held in my consciousness with a kind of essential compassion applying equally to all things, all difficulties, all obstacles. I receive letters by the dozens, as you know, and each person comes to me with his own little misery or problem, inner or outer (a tiny pimple becomes a mountain). When people come to me, my inner consciousness always responds in the same way, with a kind of equality and compassion for all. But when people are talking to me or I am reading a letter and my body grows conscious of what it calls the to-do they make over their miseries, it has a kind of feeling (I mean there is a feeling in the cells): Why do they take things like that! They are making things much more difficult. The body understands. It understands that their way of taking the least little difficulty in such a blind, egotistical and self-centered manner, increases its difficulties furiously!
Its a rather amusing sensation, a combination of sensation and feeling, that the ordinary human attitude towards things multiplies and magnifies the difficulties to FANTASTIC proportions; while if they simply had the true attitudea NORMAL attitude, quite simple, uncomplicatedahh, all life would be much easier. For the body feels the vibrations (those very vibrations which concentrate to form a body), it feels their nature and sees that its normal reaction, a peaceful and confident reaction, makes things so much easier! But as soon as this agitation of anxiety, fear, discontent comes in, the reaction of a will that doesnt want any of it oh, right away it becomes like water boiling: pff! pff! pff! like a machine. While if the difficulty is accepted with confidence and simplicity, its reduced to its minimum, and I mean purely materially, in the material vibration itself.
0 1961-03-07, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Its a rather difficult business and could last a long time: I dont want it to stay dormant and then resurface with the next attack of this or that. So I am proceeding slowly and cautiously, which means it takes time: I concentrate and work on it for one hour after lunch every day. (I used to do my translation then, but since Im at least two or three years ahead of the Bulletin, it doesnt matter, I wont be delaying the work! I have almost finished The Yoga of Divine Love; now theres only The Yoga of self-Perfection thats quite a job, oh! I miss itthis translation was my pleasure.) But the work on the body is useful something must be attempted in life; we are here to do something new, arent we?!
But were you bitten like that by accident?
0 1961-04-07, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
The Vedas, after all, were written by people who remembered a radical experience, which must have taken place on earth at a given moment, as an example of what was to come. (This always happens in the yoga: a first radical experience comes like a herald of the future realization.) So in the terrestrial yogain the yoga of the earth, of the planet earththere was a moment when it came; they who are called the forefa thers must have created, through their effort and their yoga, at least an image of the supramental realization. And those who wrote the Vedas, who composed all these hymns, remembered or kept the tradition of that experience. And oh, mon petit, it had the same effect on me as when I read the Yoga of self-Perfection in The Synthesis of Yoga (Mother catches her breath): there is such a gulf between what we are, what life on earth and human consciousness now are, even among the most enlightened, the most advanced, and THAT!
I dont know if its because I have been so violently attackedbludgeonedby all these malevolent energies, but in any case, I sensed acutely the FORMIDABLE immensity of what has to be done in order for THAT to be realized.
0 1961-04-18, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
In a certain state of consciousness (I no longer remember what he calls it I think its in the Yoga of self-Perfection), one is perfectly identified with the Supreme, not in his static but in his dynamic aspect, the state of becoming. In this state, everything is already there from all eternity, even though here it gives us the impression of a becoming. And Sri Aurobindo says that if you are capable of maintaining this state,2 then you know everything: all that has been, all that is and all that will bein an absolutely simultaneous way.
But you must have a firm head on your shoulders! Reading some of these chapters in self-Perfection, I thought it would be better if it didnt fall into just anyones hands.
Anyway, in this state the feeling of uncertainty completely disappears (he explains it very well).
--
Let me tell you about a recent occurrence. E. had sent a telegram saying that she had a perforated intestine (but it must have been something else because they operated on her only after several days, and when you are not operated on immediately in such cases, you die). Anyway, it was very serious and she was on the threshold of death that much is certain. She wrote me a letter the day before the operation (what is interesting is that now she doesnt even remember what she wrote). It was a magnificent letter saying that she was conscious of the Divine Presence and of the Divine Plan. Tomorrow they will operate on me, she said. And I am entirely aware that this operation has ALREADY been done, that it is a fact accomplished by the Divine Will; otherwise it could be a fatal ordeal. And she said she was conscious of the supreme Wills action, in a perfect peace. It was a magnificent letter. And the whole thing went off almost miraculously; she recovered in such a miraculous way that the surgeon himself said, I must congratulate you, to which she replied, How surprising! You did the operation! Yes, he said, we did the operation, but it is your body that willed to be healed, and I congratulate you for your bodys willpower. Of course she wrote to me that she knew who had been there to see that all went well. And this feeling of the thing being already accomplished is a beginning of the consciousness Sri Aurobindo speaks of in the Yoga of self-Perfection, where one is simultaneously both here and there. Because, as Sri Aurobindo says, some people have managed to be entirely there, but what he has called the realization is to be both there and here simultaneously.
Of course, one might wonder what the meaning of everything here is, if it has all been already accomplished above, on an occult plane, and we are merely re-enacting it.
0 1961-04-29, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
But these idols arent merely human creations they are self-existent, arent they?
Oh, Ive had some very interesting revelations on this point, on the way people think and feel about it. I remember someone once made a little statue of Sri Aurobindo; he gave it a potbelly and anyway, to me it was ridiculous. So I said, How could you make such a thing?! He explained that even if its a caricature for the ordinary eye, since its an image of the one you consider God, or a god, or an Avatar, since its the image of the one you worship, even if only a guru, it contains the spirit and the force of his presence, and this is what you worship, even in a crude form, even if the form is a caricature to the physical eye.
0 1961-05-19, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Yes, and done with such self-assurance! Imperturbable.
Not very long ago I met someone from France who told me, Personally, you understand, I had no wish at all to read Sri AurobindoSri Aurobindo translated by H.: no, thank you. And then he read some things translated here. Ah, he said, that makes a difference!
--
There are successive curves, each second of which would have to be noted down; and in the course of one of these curves, something is suddenly found. For example, at the beginning of The Yoga of self-Perfection, Sri Aurobindo reviews other yogas, beginning with Hatha Yoga. I had just translated this when I remembered Sri Aurobindo saying that Hatha Yoga was very effective but that it amounted to spending your whole life training your body, which is an enormous time and effort spent on something not essentially very interesting. Then I looked at it and said to myself, But after all, (I was looking at life as it is, as people ordinarily live it) one spends at least 90% of ones life merely to PRESERVE ones body, to keep it going! All this attention and concentration on an instrument which is put to hardly any use. Anyway, I was looking at it with that attitude, when suddenly all the cells of my body responded, in such a spontaneous and WARM way. How to say it? Something so so moving. They told me, But its the Lord who is looking after Himself in us! Each one was saying: But its the Lord who is looking after Himself in us!
It was truly lovely. Then I gave my reason a good poke: How stupid can you be! You always forget the essential.
0 1961-05-23, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
(Mother reviews some earlier Questions and Answers. In one of themdated November 14, 1956someone had asked if mastery over circumstances depended on self-mastery, citing the case of Vivekananda, who was said to possess great mastery over circumstances even though he could not master his own anger.)
I never knew Vivekananda. I only know what I have heard or read about him, but that isnt what I call knowing. So I cant say anything, and above all I dont want to seem to give credence to all the gossip that has been spread about him. I have had no personal contact with him, neither in the physical nor elsewherenot with him personally. Naturally I could if I made an effort, but.
0 1961-06-02, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Here is something interesting. I am translating the Yoga of self-Perfection. My first look at it stiffened menow its a delight! And I have done nothing in between but simply let it work within; its so easy!
My translation is poorly written, hardly French at all, but to me it is limpid.
0 1961-06-06, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
More and more I have the impression ofwhat? How can it be explained? A question of vibrations in Matter. Its incomprehensible, completely eluding all mental law, all psychological law: a self-existent something.
So many question marks!
0 1961-06-24, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
In Sri Aurobindo's and Mother's terminology, 'psychic' or 'psychic being' means the soul or the portion of the Supreme in man which evolves from life to life until it becomes a fully self-conscious being. The soul is a capacity or grace particular to human beings on earth.
Experience of July 24, 1959.
0 1961-06-27, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
I am going to study what Sri Aurobindo says when I come to it in The Yoga of self-Perfection. He says there comes a time when the senses changeits not that you employ the senses proper to another plane (we have always known we had senses on all the different planes); its quite different from that: the senses THEMSELVES change. He foretells this changehe says it will occur. And I believe it begins in the way I am experiencing it now.
The CONTENT is different, mon petit. I see I see, but. The state of consciousness of the person Im looking at, for instance, changes his physical appearance for my PHYSICAL eyes. And this has nothing to do with the banalities of ordinary psychology, where your physiognomy is said to be changed by the feelings you experience. The CONTENT of what I see is different. And then the eyes of the person I am looking at are not the sameit is rather. I couldnt sketch it, but perhaps if I made a painting it would give some idea (I would need to use a somewhat blurred technique, not too precise). The eyes are not quite the same, and the rest of the face too, even the color and the shape thats what sometimes makes me hesitate. I see people (I see my people every morning) and I recognize them, and yet they are different, they are not the same every day (some are always, always the same, like a rock, but others are not). And I even I hesitate sometimes: Is it really he? But he is very. It is indeed he, but I dont quite know him. This generally coincides with changes in the persons consciousness.
0 1961-09-23, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
The third section, 'The Yoga of self-Perfection,' which was never completed.
***
0 1961-09-30, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
This book is self-existent and you have only to follow it along, with simplicity, the way you would follow a path that has already been blazed that is already THERE, automatically brought into being by its own necessity. (For a long while Mother gazes in front of her) Dont be alarmed, Im just looking!
You dont need to suffer; its not necessary.
0 1961-10-02, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
And I was giving him the example of BEING the thing you manipulate and sosince you ARE the thinghaving not only the joy of perfect knowledge of manipulation, but the joy of collaboration as well (not collaboration: rather a participation from the thing being utilized). And this from the smallest thing (objects you put in order, for example) right up to the universal transformation that comes with the new Creation and its all the same movement of abolishing limits, the movement of expansion, of a generosity that abolishes limits. It begins with self-giving, it ends in identification.
(silence)
0 1961-12-16, #Agenda Vol 02, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
One day (Im translating the last section of The Synthesis of Yoga, The Yoga of self-Perfectionit plunges you into bottomless gulfs) and one day (I think Ive told you this), I had a vision of the gap between not even what ought to be, because we probably havent the slightest idea of that, but between our concept of what we would like to be and what is. And it was so dreadful that the body was thrown into, oh an anguish, a horror; and along with it an intensity of aspiration, a prayer. The gap seemed so tremendous: Is it possible?
Thats how it felt.
0 1962-01-12 - supramental ship, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Then that suppleness. It means a capacity for decrystallizing oneself; the whole span of life given over to self-individualization is a period of conscious, willed crystallization, which then has to be undone. To become a conscious, individualized being there has to be a constant, constant, willed crystallization, in everything; and afterwards, again constantly, the opposite movement has to be madewith an even greater will. But at the same time, the consciousness must not lose the benefit of what has been acquired through individualization.
It is difficult, I must say.
0 1962-01-21, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
This sort of will in people for purity, for Good (which in ordinary mentality is expressed by a need to be virtuous) is actually the GREAT OBSTACLE to true self-giving. Its the root of Falsehood, the very source of hypocrisy: the refusal to take up ones share of the burden of difficulties. And thats what Sri Aurobindo has touched on in this aphorism, directly and very simply.
Do not try to be virtuous. See to what extent you are united, ONE with all that is antidivine. Take up your share of the burden; accept to be impure and false yourself, and in so doing you will be able to take up the Shadow and offer it. And insofar as you are able to take it and offer it, things will change.3
--
I find it difficult to take these psycho-analysts at all seriously when they try to scrutinise spiritual experience by the flicker of their torch-lights,yet perhaps one ought to, for half-knowledge is a powerful thing and can be a great obstacle to the coming in front of the true Truth. This new psychology looks to me very much like children learning some summary and not very adequate alphabet, exulting in putting their a-b-c-d of the subconscient and the mysterious underground super-ego together and imagining that their first book of obscure beginnings (c-a-t cat, t-r-e-e tree) is the very heart of the real knowledge. They look from down up and explain the higher lights by the lower obscurities; but the foundation of these things is above and not below, upari budhna esam. The superconscient, not the subconscient, is the true foundation of things. The significance of the lotus is not to be found by analysing the secrets of the mud from which it grows here; its secret is to be found in the heavenly archetype of the lotus that blooms for ever in the Light above. The self-chosen field of these psychologists is besides poor, dark and limited; you must know the whole before you can know the part and the highest before you can truly understand the lowest. That is the promise of the greater psychology awaiting its hour before which these poor gropings will disappear and come to nothing.4
Questioned about the meaning of these words, Mother said, "The state I was in was like a memory."
0 1962-02-03, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
In the course of my observation, I also saw the position of X and people like him, who practically spend their lives doing japa, plus meditation, puja,4 ceremonies (I am talking only about sincere people, not fakers). Well, thats their way of working for the world, of serving the Divine, and it seems the best way to themperhaps even the only way but its a question of mental belief. In any case, its obvious that even a bit of not exactly puja, but some sort of ceremony that you set yourself to dohabitual gestures symbolizing and expressing a particular inner statecan also be a help and a way of offering yourself and relating to the Divine and thus serving the Divine. I feel its important looked at in this waynot from the traditional viewpoint, I cant stand that traditional viewpoint; I understand it, but it seems to me like putting a brake on true self-giving to the Divine. I am speaking of self-IMPOSED japa and rules (or, if someone gives you the japa, rules you accept with all your heart and adhere to). These self-imposed rules should be followed as a gesture of love, as a way of saying to the Divine, I love You. Do you see what I mean? Like arranging flowers in a certain way, burning incense, dozens of little things like that, made beautiful because of what is put into themit is a form of self-giving.
Now, I think that doing japa with the will and the idea of getting something out of it spoils it a little. You spoil it. I dont much like it when somebody says, Do this and you will get that. Its trueits true, but its a bit like baiting a fish. I dont much like it.
0 1962-02-06, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Perhaps the problem is the opposition (if it is an opposition) between two attitudes, both of which should express our relationship with the Supreme. One is the acceptancenot only voluntary but perfectly contentof everything, even the worst calamities (what are conventionally called the worst calamities). I wont use this story as an example because its self-explanatory, but if Andromeda were a yogi (with ifs you can build castles in the air, but I am trying to explain what I mean), she would accept the idea of death readily, easily. Well, its precisely this conflict between an attitude quite ready to accept death (I am not talking about what happens in the story itself, but merely giving a case in point to make myself clear) because it is the divine Will, for this reason aloneits the divine Will, so its quite all right; since thats how it is, its quite all rightand at the same time, the love of Life. This love of Life.3 Following the story, you would say: she lived because she had to live and everything is explained. But thats not what I mean. I am looking at this outside the context of the story.
Because things like that happen in the consciousness of. It always bothers me to get into big ideas and big words, but to truly explain myself, I should say: the Universal Mother.
0 1962-02-24, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
This explanation is clear; and the healing was the result of tapasya. Its self-explanatory. Something was even saying to my body, to the bodys SUBSTANCE, O unbelieving substance, now you wont be able to say there are no miracles. Throughout all the work that was being done on the 20th, something was saying (I dont know who, because it doesnt come like something foreign to me any more, its like a Wisdom, it seems like a Wisdom, something that knows: not someone in particular, but that which knows, whatever its form), something that knows was insisting to the body, by showing it certain things, vibrations, movements, From now on, O unbelieving substance, you cant say there are no miracles. Because the substance itself is used to each thing having its effect, to illnesses following a particular course and certain things even being necessary for it to be cured. This process is very subtle, and it doesnt come from the intellect, which can have a totally different interpretation of it; its rather a kind of consciousness ingrained in physical substance, and thats what was being addressed and being shown certain movements, certain vibrations and so forth: You see, from now on you cant say there are no miracles. In other words, a direct intervention of the Lord, who doesnt follow the beaten path, but does things in His own way.
There was also that attack (it was rather serious and threw the doctor into a fit of anxiety) which took place, I think, the day before sari distribution.6 The next morning, throughout the distribution, someone else seemed to have taken possession of my body and to be doing what had to be done, taking care of all the difficulties; I was comfortable, serene, simply like a carefree spectator. I had nothing to worry about, someone was. (What someone? Someone, something, I dont know, theres no more difference, its not delineated like that any more; but anyway, it was a being, a force, a consciousness perhaps a part of myself, I dont know; none of this is clear-cut; its quite precise, but not divided, very smoothMo ther makes a rounded gestureno breaks.) Something, then, a will or a force or a consciousness plainly a powerhad taken possession of the body and was doing all the work, looking after everything. I was witnessing everything, smiling. But its gone now. It came specifically for that work (I was in pretty bad shape); when the work was over, it dissolvedit didnt leave abruptly but it became inactive. Afterwards, I felt rather confident. Well in any case, I thought, something similar could happen on the 21st, since it just happened now.
0 1962-02-27, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Anyway, to go back to what I was saying, depending on the plane of ones vision, one can judge approximately how much time it will take to be realized. Immediate things are already realized, they are self-existent and can be seen in the subtle physical they already exist there, and the reflection (not even transcription) or projection of this image is what will take place in the material world the next day or a few hours later. In this case you see the thing accurately, in all its details, because its already there. Everything hinges on the precision and power of your vision: if your vision is objective and sincere, you will see the thing as it is; if you add personal sentiments or impressions, it gets colored. Accuracy in the subtle physical depends exclusively on the instrument, the one who sees.
But as soon as you move into a subtler realm, like the vital (and the mental even more so), there is a narrow margin of possibilities. You can see the rough outlines of what is going to take place, but in the details it can be this way or that way: it is possible for certain wills or influences to interfere and create discrepancies.
0 1962-05-22, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Theres such a wonderful passage in The Synthesis of Yoga (The Yoga of self-Perfection), where he mentions four things (you surely remember this), four things the disciple needs (I have just translated it). I knew this, of course, but the passage is especially timely nowparticularly after that last experience, which is a jolt for a physical being. The fourth thing is wonderful. The first three we know: equality, peace and (a hard one) a spiritual ease in all circumstances. He added the word spiritual so people wouldnt think only of material easeits an ease in feelings, in sensations, in everything. But when you have a lot of pain its obviously not so easy! When physical pain keeps you from sleeping and eating, when you are plagued by constant physical painor rather by a whole host of physical pains!well, that bodily ease becomes difficult. Its the one thing thathas seemed difficult to me; but anyway, its being investigated I think it was sent for me to investigate.
But the last thing he mentions is a marvel the joy and laughter of the soul. And its so true, so true! Always, all the time, no matter what happens, even when this body is in dreadful pain, the soul is laughing joyously within. Always, always, always.
0 1962-05-31, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
And the dreams it gives me! Oh, theres a whole series of them, with particular styles and categories. You start down a flight of stairsno more stairs; you want to take a certain road the road closes; you want to catch someoneyou cant. All kinds of things. And although these dreams (I have a whole collection of them, in fact) recur with certain minor outward differences, they are all of the same type. Its a well-known type which I now classify as self-imposed troubles. When I get out of it and look, I see very clearly that its only this nasty habit we have of fretting over nothing! (Laughingly) Oh, whatever we want to do, immediately theres a complication, a difficulty.
Yes, these dreams arise from the subconscient; they are primarily subconscious habits. But the pain, the thorns in the garmentits so clear! (Mother laughs) And no way to get comfortable!
--
For me, the most concrete approach to this is through the vibration of pure Love; not love for something, a love you give or receive, but Love in itself: Love. It is something self-existent. And it is certainly the most concrete approach for me. (But it isnt exclusiveit contains everything else within itself; it doesnt exclude all the other approaches, all the other contacts.)
You see, throughout my childhood and youth and the whole beginning of my yoga, there was a sort of refusal in my being to use the word God, because of all the falsehood behind that word (Sri Aurobindo rid me of that; in the same way he got rid of all limitations, he rid me of that one too). But its not a word that comes to me spontaneously.
0 1962-06-02, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
But that is a singular state: there is no mental intervention at all; you live things POSITIVELY, just as you experience them physically, in the same way that this (Mother knocks on the table next to her) is physically a table. Its that kind of perception something positive. I positively said, I am going to my cousins place, and the relationship had an absolutely positive vibrationit wasnt at all something thought or even remembered: theres no remembering anything, its simply there, alive. A strange state. I have had it on several occasions, and when I have it I am aware that this must be the state people who know what is happening and make predictions are inin this state there is no possibility of doubt. No thoughts intervenenone at all, not one. Absolutely nothing intellectual: simply certain vital-physical vibrations, and then you know. And you dont even wonder how you know; its not that kind of thingits self-evident. And since I was in that state when I saw the reincarnation of the cousin, I am perfectly sure of what I saw. And god knows (Mother laughs), when I came out of it and began to look at it all with my usual consciousness, I said to myself, My word! I would never have thought of such a thing! It was millions of miles from any thought of mine. Besides, I never used to think of that cousin; he was a fine boy but I never paid much attention to him, he had no place in my active consciousness.
Its fun.
0 1962-06-06, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
I am translating The Yoga of self-Perfection: what the body must be and must become to serve as an instrument. Its touching.
But one thing has happened practically without my noticing it. In the past, before that experience [April 13], the body used to feel the struggle against the forces of wear and tear (different organs wearing out, losing their endurance, their power of reaction, and certain movements, for instance, becoming less easy to make). Thats what the body felt, although the body-consciousness never sensed any aging, never, none that simply didnt exist. But in actual material fact, there was some difficulty. And now, looking at it in the ordinary way, externally, superficially, you might say there has been a great deterioration; well, the body doesnt feel that way at all! What it feels is that a particular movement, effort, gesture or action belongs to the worldthis world of ignorance and isnt being performed in the true way: its not the true movement, done in the true way. And its sensation or perception is that the state I was speaking of, soft, with no angles, has to develop along a certain line and produce effects on the body that will make true action possible, action expressing the true will. With no difference on the surface, perhaps (I dont know about that yet) but done in another way. And I am not talking about grandiose things, mind you, but of everyday activities: getting up, walking, taking a bath. I no longer have a feeling of incapacity, but a feeling of (whats the word for it?) an unwillingnessa bodily unwillingnessto do things in the old way.
0 1962-06-12, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
But it wasnt like that, Mother! Im self-critical, god knows, and I have examined myself on this I wasnt tactless for a SECOND, I spoke very calmly. Very calmly. And not with the idea of accusing him. On the contrary, I was simply trying to tell him, Look, see whats happening. I have really done nothing wrong, to tell you the truth.
No, you did do something wrong.
0 1962-06-27, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
"They are different aspects of one self-existent thing," Mother clarified. "These beings have merely taken on different aspects depending on the country or the culture."
See The Mother by Sri Aurobindo.
0 1962-07-04, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
There has never been too great an attachment to this form. There was never any attachment (even in so-called full Ignorance) to anything but consciousness yes, something set great store by this consciousness, wouldnt let it be destroyed, saying, This is something precious. But the body. Its not even too good an instrument; simply modest, plastic, self-effacing, and molding itself to every necessity. An ability to mold itself to all points of view and to realize every ideal it deemed worthy of realizingthis very suppleness was its one virtue. And extremely modest, never wanting to impose itself on anything or anyone. Fully conscious of its incapacity, but capable of doing anything, of realizing anything. It was consciously formed with this make-up, because thats what was necessary. And nothing is too great or overwhelming, since there isnt the resistance put up by a small personality with the sense of its own smallness. No, none of that mattersCONSCIOUSNESS matters; consciousness vast as the universe, even vaster. And along with consciousness, the capacity to adaptto adapt and mold itself to every necessity.
Even now, my one feeling about this form is that its too rigid. Those stupendous inner revelations, those great movements of creative consciousness are constantly hampered by this. Its trying, its trying its best, but it is still governed by such appallingly rigid laws! Appalling. How long will it take to overcome this?
0 1962-07-07, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
For me, the other book was more self-evident.
Yes, for me too. Writing it was more intense; I have no sense of inspiration with this one.
0 1962-09-15, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
There may be a very dim and subdued lightnot bright, I mean but its self-luminous. And so the higher you rise, the more brilliant and uniform light becomes.
***
0 1962-10-06, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
No, but the difference in vision Im speaking of vision. You told me, for instance, that objects in the overmind were self-luminous.
Yes, from the overmind onwards.
--
Take the gods raiment, for example. Their raiment, which they change at will in the same way they change their forms, is made not of physical but of overmental substance, and that substance contains its own light. Its like that with everything, its all. Theres no sun casting light and shadows: the substance is self-luminous.
And beyond, in the Supramental?
0 1962-10-27, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Yes, but it goes through specific transformations en route. It passes through one zone or another, where it undergoes transformations to adapt itself to the particular mode of expression. The waves of music are one particular mode of expression of those colored wavesthey should really be called luminous waves, for they are self-luminous. Waves of colored light. Great waves of colored light.
(silence)
0 1962-11-07, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
After a while, it becomes almost automatic; I do it hundreds of times a day. Its difficult to describe, because the description makes it too concrete. But its a drawing back, an interiorizationa self-gathering. But all those words seem dense, heavy; too material, too heavy. Yet its a very concrete sensation, very concrete, which immediately brings about a kind of stabilizationeverything stops. Everything stops, to the point where even a vibration of pain is stopped, it doesnt exist any more. But when you leave this state, back it comes again. It gets cured only when you persist for some time; otherwise the two might continue to coexist.
The most superficial way of putting it is: to take a step back. But its not that, of course.
0 1962-11-17, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
In April 1942, when England was struggling against the Nazis and Japan, which was threatening to invade Burma and India, Churchill sent an emissary, Sir Stafford Cripps, to New Delhi with a very generous proposal which he hoped would rally India's goodwill and cooperation in the fight against the worldwide threat. In this proposal, Great Britain offered India Dominion status, as a first step towards an independent government. Sri Aurobindo at once came out of retirement to wire his adhesion to Cripps; he wired all of India's leaders, and even sent a personal messenger to Gandhi and the Indian Congress to convince them to accept this unhoped for proposal without delay. One of Sri Aurobindo's telegrams to Rajagopalachari (the future President of India) spoke of the grave danger, which no one seemed to see, of rejecting Cripps' proposal: "... Some immediate solution urgent face grave peril. Appeal to you to save India formidable danger new foreign domination when old on way to self-elimination." No one understood: "Why is he meddling?" Had it accepted Dominion status, India would have avoided the partition of the country in two, the artificial creation of Pakistan, as well as the three wars that were to follow (and which we haven't heard the last of), and the blood bath that ravaged Bengal and the Punjab in 1947 at the time of the partition. (See in Addendum an extract from Sri Aurobindo's message on the occasion of India's Independence.)
There is another side to the story. When Nehru died, Mother said in a message of May 27, 1964: "Nehru leaves his body but his soul is ONE with the Soul of India, that lives for Eternity."
0 1962-11-27, #Agenda Vol 03, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
And then the whole time, the bodys sensation was. You see, it no longer has the sense of its separate form is reduced to a minimum (Mother touches her hands as if seeking the bodys limits), but in that experience it had completely vanished. There wasnt even the sense of identity with the cube, because it was self-evidenteverything was self-evident. I cant even say I was lookingnothing was looking, everything was self-evident.5
And that was the Manifestation.
But it was the Manifestation at that PARTICULAR momentperhaps a very long moment, I dont knowit was one moment of the Manifestation. THAT was the Manifestation; all we see, all we think and understand was nothing, unsubstantial. But THAT. And with a kind of. You see, the bliss you experience isnt something you feel as such (you dont feel you are in bliss, its not like that; you dont feel yourself, there is no awareness of any you involved in it): the thing is self-existent, thats all there is to it.
The experience lasted half an hour, unwavering.
--
I can see I am still (and God knows how long it will last!) in that transitional period Sri Aurobindo describes in The Yoga of self-Perfection. A period when the true thing is getting established but the tail of the old thing trails behind, mixes in and colors things. Well, its an old habit, and it takes SUCH a long time to go away.
The habit of not understanding something unless it can be mentally explained is disastrous, for instance. This feeling we have that we dont understand something unless we can explain it thats really disastrous. That half-hours experience was something absolute, you see, not for one second was there any concern to know what was going on (naturally!); it was absolute. And only when the time was up and I had to come out of it did I start wondering, What happened? What does it mean? It wasnt even that pronounced. Its simply an old habit, what we call understanding.
0 1963-02-19, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
I have made some experiments with French too. I wrote something: Pour chacun, le plus important est de savoir si on appartient au passe qui se perpetue, au present qui sepuise, lavenir qui veut natre. [The most important point for everyone is to know whether he belongs to the past perpetuating itself, to the present exhausting itself, or to the future trying to be born.] I gave it to Zhe didnt understand. So I told him, It doesnt mean our past, our present or our future. I wrote this when I was in that state [the experience Mother told at the beginning of this conversation], and it was in connection with a very sweet old lady who has just left her body. This is what I said to her. Everybody had been expecting her departure for more than a month or two, but I said, You will see, she is going to last; she will last for at least another month or two. Because she knows how to live within, outside her body, and the body lives on out of habit, without jerks and jolts. That was her condition, and it could last a very long time. They had announced she would leave within two days, but I said, Its not true. I know her well, in the sense that she had come out of her body and there was a link with me. And I said to her, What do you care! (though she wasnt at all worried, she was staying peacefully with me), The whole point is to know whether one belongs to the past perpetuating itself, to the present exhausting itself, or to the future trying to be born. Sometimes what WE call the past is right here, its the future trying to be born; sometimes what WE call the present is something in advance, something that came ahead of time; but sometimes also its something that came late, that is still part of all that is to disappear I saw it all: people, things, circumstances, everything through that perception, the vibration that would go on transforming itself, the vibration that would exhaust itself and disappear, the vibration that, though manifested for a long time, would be entitled to continue, to persist that changes all notions! It was so interesting! So I wrote it down as it waswithout any explanations (you dont feel much like explaining in such a case, the thing is so self-evident!). Poor Z, he stared at meall at sea! So I told him, Dont try to understand. I am not speaking of the past, present and future as we know them, its something else. (Mother laughs)
But its amusing because I had never paid much attention to that [the questions of language], the experience is novel, almost the discovery of the truth behind expression. Before, my concern was to be as clear, exact and precise as possible; to say exactly what I meant and put each word in its proper place. But thats not it! Each word has its own life! Some are drawn together by affinity, others repel each other its very funny!
0 1963-02-21, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
A total surrender, an exclusive self-opening to the divine influence, a constant and integral choice of the Truth and rejection of the falsehood, these are the only conditions made. But these must be fulfilled entirely, without reserve, without any evasion or presence, simply and sincerely down to the most physical consciousness and its workings.
Sri Aurobindo
0 1963-03-06, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Why didnt Sri Aurobindo or you make more use of miracles as a means to overcome the resistances of the outer human consciousness? Why this self-effacement towards the outside, this sort of nonintervention, as it were, or unobstrusiveness?
In Sri Aurobindos case, I only know what he told me several times: what people call miracles are just interventions in the physical or vital worlds. And those interventions are always mixed with ignorant or arbitrary movements.
0 1963-03-13, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
But I had a feeling he hadnt completed his revision. When I read this, I felt it wasnt the end, just as when I read the last chapter of the Yoga of self-Perfection,2 I felt it was unfinished. He left it unfinished. And he said so. He said, No, I will not go down to this mental level any more.
But in Savitris case (I didnt look after it, you know), he had around him Purani, that Chinmayi, and (whats his name?) Nirodthey all swarmed around him. So I didnt look after Savitri. I read Savitri two years ago, I had never read it before. And I am so glad! Because I read it at the time I could understand itand I realized that none of those people had understood ONE BIT of it. Both things at the same time.
0 1963-03-23, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
The inconscient world is the spirits self-made room
self-made.
Eternal Night shadow of eternal Day.
0 1963-04-06, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
And I dont try to observe or study or understandGod knows! There is no need to understand: its self-evident.
Only one thing is always present: to keep intact and POWERFULLY conscious the sense of the divine Presence thats all. Thats the single concern of the cells.
0 1963-05-29, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
And in as much as the very cells of the body no longer feel their separateness (that is almost entirely gone, even in the sensation), then something is done (or takes place), but without any self-observation. Somewhere (gesture above), something knows, wills and acts; somewhere else, there is a certain number of things in a state of happy receptivity, and absolutely, extraordinarily passive, not interfering. And the less it observes, the better. It remains in an inner contemplation, or rather turned to the Heights (a Height that is everywhere, of course, not just above), a Height perfectly luminous, perfectly conscious, perfectly effective. And thats all that is needed.
The less the consciousness is turned to the outside, the less it perceives obstacles, resistancesall that appears more and more unreal, transient, extremely relative.
0 1963-06-15, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
He may have felt something they are very thick-skinned, you know, necessarily so: overworked, full of self-conceit, naturally, and convinced that they know everything and can do everything (and unfortunately they can do a lot), so the whole of life is organized so as to BLOCK all inner receptivity.
But he did have the bath!
0 1963-07-03, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Some people (or if you like, some beings, or forces, or consciousnesses) in order to progress need to give themselves, to merge, and in total self-annihilation, they attain Realization; for others the path is diametrically opposite: its a growth, a domination, an expansion which assumes fantastic proportions until the separation disappearsit can no longer exist.
Some prefer this path, others prefer that one but when we reach the end, it will all meet.
0 1963-07-20, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
The end of December. The Force, the Power may act, mind youonly, X as an instrument is barely conscious. It may pass through him I dont say it wont. Because the remarkable point in the meditations (I took a good look this time) is that at the moment of his best, most complete receptivity, I had to come down to Xs most material form to find a formall the rest, there was no more form. Which means the inner being isnt individualized: its identified, merged. And thats precisely what Sri Aurobindo explains so well: the difference between one who identifies with the Supreme through self-annihilation and one who can express the Supreme (gesture of pulling downward) in a perfected being and everywhere. Thats what makes the whole difference. Of X there remained only the outer husk, so to say (a coarse enough husk, besides, thick and heavy, with very heavy vibrations), it was there, sitting in front of me and empty: the consciousness was gone (gesture showing the consciousness spread out or dissolved in the Infinite). So his power acts in an almost mediumistic manner, which means that when it is X who speaks, its something quite ordinary, but the Force can come through him.
But curiously enough, that yantram seems to exasperate the physical mind.
0 1963-07-24, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
And yet, for some time now and increasingly, there has been an extremely concrete Response to a kind of aspiration (a call or prayer) in which I say to the Lord, Supreme Lord, manifest Your Love. (It comes at the end of a long invocation in which I ask Him to manifest all His aspects one after another, one after another, and it ends like that.) But then, remarkably enough, at that moment there comes a Response which is growing clearer and clearer, stronger and stronger. But Sri Aurobindo says that Truth should be established first, and that what he calls the Supramental is the supreme Truth, the Divine Truth. It corresponds to what I noticed while translating that last chapter on the perfection of the being in the Yoga of self-Perfection: I kept thinking, But thats only the aspect of Truth; all that he expresses is the aspect of Truth; always and everywhere, its the angle of Truth; and his supramental action is an action of Truth.
I didnt know he had said it, but its written clearly here:
0 1963-07-27, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
A little before his death he had asked me for a new name. He had nearly died twice, but he was saved (the doctors were sure he would die), he was saved by his faith; he had such faith, such an irresistible faith that twice it pulled him through: he was paralyzed, couldnt see any more, it was terrible. And twice all his faculties came back (his eyes werent too good, but anyway he could talk and move around). The third time, he wanted to get completely cured, because he was a businessman and had made a resolve to earn ten lakhs1 of rupees for me (he had already given me four lakhs in the past, but he wanted to give me ten). So he absolutely wanted to live, but as he found himself not too well (he was quite deteriorated!), he called for one of those kaviraj (you know, those self-styled doctors), who finished him off: he couldnt eat or sleep any more. And the doctor went on telling him, Youre much better! While the poor man was sitting up all night in a chair. Finally, he was rushed to the hospital and died there. And the day of his death, about an hour later, I was informed that his son (hes not a child, hes a man) absolutely HAD to see me immediately. It was the time when I dont see people, but I said all right (I felt there was something to it), I said all right and went to receive him. It was 11:00 A.M. (I think he died at 9:30 A.M.). I go there (I dont remember if it was in the morning or early in the afternoon, anyhow it was very soon after his death), I sit down, the son is ushered in, and along with him comes a small boy, no taller than this (gesture), all golden, joyous, alive, happy! And he rushed to me. He stayed like that, leaning against me, quite still. And how he laughed! How happy he was!
It was M., his psychic being.
0 1963-08-03, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Physical Matter, physical substance the very elementary consciousness thats in physical substancehas been so ill-treated (since mans presence on earth, I suppose, because before man, there probably wasnt enough self-consciousness to be aware of being ill-treated; the substance wasnt conscious enough, I suppose, to make a distinction between a normal peaceful state and unfavorable conditions; but anyway, that goes back quite long time), so ill-treated that it finds it very hard to believe things can be different. That consciousness has an aspirationan aspiration especially for a LUMINOUS peace, something that isnt the dark peace of Unconsciousness, which it doesnt like (I dont know if it ever liked it, but it no longer does). It aspires to a luminous peace; not to a consciousness full of various things, not that: simply to a peaceful consciousness, very peaceful, very quiet, very luminous thats what it wants. Yet at the same time, it has some difficulty believing that its possible. I am experiencing it: the concrete and absolutely tangible intervention of the supreme Power, supreme Light and supreme Goodnessit [the consciousness in physical substance] has the experience of that, and every time it has a new sense of wonder, but in that sense of wonder I can see something like: Is it really possible?
It gives me the impression, you know, of a dog that has been beaten so much that it expects nothing but blows.
--
This morning there was a kind of vision or sensation of the curve from the animal to mana spiral curve then of the return to the state above the animal, in which life, action, movement arent the result of Mind but of a Force, which is felt as a Force of SHADOWLESS light, that is, self-luminous, casting no shadows, and absolutely peaceful. And in that peace, so harmonious and soft oh, its supreme rest. That disharmony and hardness are the cause of fatigue in life.
I am speaking of the cells consciousness.
0 1963-08-17, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
94All renunciation is for a greater joy yet ungrasped. Some renounce for the joy of duty done, some for the joy of peace, some for the joy of God and some for the joy of self-torture, but renounce rather as a passage to the freedom and untroubled rapture beyond.
And your question?
0 1963-08-24, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
"All renunciation is for a greater joy yet ungrasped. Some renounce for the joy of duty done, some for the joy of peace, some for the joy of God and some for the joy of self-torture, but renounce rather as a passage to the freedom and untroubled rapture beyond."
Let us recall in this connection the experience of many disciples who in their "dreams" see Mother much taller than she is apparently.
0 1963-09-25, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Last night was less pleasant. There were again those things collapsing. I was below, you see, trying to go back up to my room, and every time I tried to go back up, all the means to do so disappeared or were done away with. Now Ive chased it all away because it was tiring. But one thing I do remember: I was climbing up a sort of not stairs or a ladder, it was a very queer thing, like blocks of dark red stone, and they were all crumbling and coming apart. It ended up annoying me, and I had a movement not of anger, but of self-assertive will and everything vanished. You feel its adverse formations trying to harass you, until I cant say I lose patience, but something gets angry (is it angry? Asserts itself, rather: Ah, no! Enough!) and instantly, pfft! it all goes away. But then I found myself on a road I knew very well, but there was such a crowd! A crowd, a crowd: all the schools of the world were coming there for their holidays. There were troops of kids led by matrons and teachers, myriads and myriads of them! And also children who stopped and played on the ground; but all those children knew me very well, and when I arrived, they would take their things out of the way to let me throughweeny little kids this high. Then I met a symbolic person (not a human person) whom I know very well, she was pale blue (that is to say, a being of the higher mind, a force of Nature in the higher mind), I know her very well, she is very often with me. She explained to me her difficulties and I explained to her what she should do; I told her, Ive already told you several times, its like this and like that. She stayed beside me a very long time, and she asked me, Why do I always have to leave you? I answered her, Dont worry; everything is fine now. It went on for a long time. But it was interesting, a very pleasant, very refined contact: a beautiful girl that is, a beautiful thought or a beautiful idea. A beautiful girl. And she had in her charge an innumerable amount of kids (Mother laughs), so she was somewhat worried at times, and I explained to her what she should do.
I feel a sort of tenderness towards that person.
0 1963-11-20, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Whats you is this (gesture above the head), its there: what sparkles in the light thats you. This [the body] isnt you, its the sediment. You still have your bodys self-esteem! You should feel: this isnt me, it isnt me. It is yes, what was put together more or less clumsily and ignorantly by father, mother, maybe with the influence of grandparents. That discovery I made at the age of about fifteen or sixteen, or seventeen. I began to see clearly all the gifts (if we can call them that) that came from father, mother, parents, grandparents, education, people who looked after me, that whole mudhole, as it were, into which you fall headfirst. And then, the quality of the vibration, the quality of the sensation, of the so-called thoughts (which arent thoughts, but are almost automatic mental reflexes of sorts) and of the feelings (if you can call them feelings: they are kinds of reactions to the milieu and to all that comes from outside)it all swarms, swarms like worms in the mud.
When you see it all and you begin to say, But this isnt me! and you feel it isnt you: It isnt me! Nome is what looks on; me is what wills; me is what knows.
--
Everyone is born with (what can I call it?) some special twist (laughing)I know my own twist, I know it quite well! (I dont talk about it because it isnt enjoyable.) But thats what remains last of all. With our idiotic human logic, we think, Thats what should go first, but its not true: its what goes last! Even when it all becomes clear, clear (gesture above), even when you have all the experiences, the habit stays on and it keeps coming back. So you push it back: it rises again from the subconscient; you chase it away: it comes back from outside. So if for one minute you arent on your guard, it shows up againoh, what a nuisance! But Sri Aurobindo wrote about this somewhere, I dont remember the words; I read it very recently, and when I read it, I thought, Ah, there it is! He knew it was that way. So it comforted me, and I thought, All right, then. He said that he who has purified his mind and so on and so forth, who is ready to work towards Perfection (its in the Synthesis, The Yoga of self-Perfection), He is ready and patient for lapses and the recurrence of old errors, and he works quietly, waiting patiently till the time comes for them to leave. I thought, Very well, thats how it is now. I am patiently waiting for the time when (though I dont miss any opportunity to catch them by the tip of their nose, or the tip of their ear, and to say, Ha, youre still here!).
The first thing is to detach your consciousness, thats most important. And to say: I-AM-NOT-THIS, its something that has been ADDED, placed to enable me to touch Matter but it isnt me. And then if you say, That is me (gesture upward), youll see that you will be happy, because it is lovelylovely, luminous, sparkling. Its really fine, it has an exceptional quality. And thats you. But you have to say, That is me, and be convinced that its you. Naturally, the old habits come to deny it, but you must know that theyre old habits, nothing else, they dont matter that is you.
0 1963-12-03, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
December 2nd was interestingsports day1: the day before, the 1st, the weather was wonderful, and insofar as I gave it thought I was convinced that on the 2nd it would be just as fine. But in the morning I saw it was nothing of the sort, and as the day went by, it became worse and worse. In the beginning my first movement was to say to myself, Well, I didnt see to it, I should have given it thought, but then I saw that was absurd. Then I told the Lord, Why are You doing this? Its not very nice! Those children have worked so hard, they have taken great pains. And just as I said it, the consciousness was looking at what I said, smiling, Oh, my! How silly still to be that way! And then there was yet another thing (its becoming very, very complete), something that wasnt exactly the Lord, but like an expression of the Lord, telling me (not with words, of course, but how can I explain? Sri Aurobindo describes it very well in the Yoga of self-Perfection: its a very new thing which has to do with action, feeling, sensation and consciousness all at the same time; its all of them togethernone of those things, yet all of them), so it was there, telling me (I am putting it into words, but that distorts it entirely), So what! What if its a test, what do you have to say about it? So immediately in the consciousness here the consciousness at work here the thought awakened, Ah, it has to become a test, then. In THEIR consciousness it has to become a test. (Because at first I had made a kind of attempt to stop the rain; then I saw it didnt correspond to the Truth and that the rain had to be acceptedwhy accepted? To do nothing after having worked so hard? And to accept is easy, its nothing, its not interesting, nothing new.) So a test, all right. If they take it as a test, they will go through it victoriously and it will be very good. And all the time, I was so concentrated on them [at the sports ground] that I no longer knew what I was doing or where I was. It lasted from 4 P.M. to 8 P.M. Around 8 P.M., I received the news: they had gone on with the performance just the same, the important visitors had remained till the end, so ultimately it was a real success.
There was only one difficulty: the little children, who cannot be conscious of a test, of course, and who remained four and a half hours in the rain. I didnt want it to do any damage there were about a hundred small ones, tiny tots. I spent the night in concentration to bring into their material sensation the true reaction (because, for a short while, children love rain, they have a lot of fun in it), so I said to myself, That part of their consciousness should predominate so there is no damage. And I waited for the day after. The day after, no one was sick.
0 1963-12-18, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
It is equally ignorant and one thousand miles away from my teaching to find it in your relations with human beings or in the nobility of the human character or an idea that we are here to establish mental and moral and social Truth and justice on human and egoistic lines. I have never promised to do anything of the kind. Human nature is made up of imperfections, even its righteousness and virtue are pretensions, imperfections and prancings of a self-approbatory egoism. What is aimed at by us is a spiritual truth as the basis of life, the first words of which are surrender and union with the Divine and the transcendence of ego. So long as that basis is not established, a sadhak is only an ignorant and imperfect human being struggling with the evils of the lower nature.
I want to offer it to an American admiral who is here and who needs to know this.
0 1963-12-21, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
It is something very special. It isnt love, it isnt self-offering. Its a very FULL joy. Very full.
It is a very special vibration unlike anything other than itself. It is something that widens you, that fills you that is so fervent!
0 1963-12-31, #Agenda Vol 04, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
But the last part [The Yoga of self-Perfection] is the longest, and its difficult, too.
He didnt complete it.
--
But your Agenda is the end of the Yoga of self-Perfection!
Well, itll be a long end! (Mother laughs) In other words, when its over (we must first wait for it to be over), when its over, with those notes, we could establish somethingyoull have to wait for some time! There are still several years to go.
0 1964-01-22, #Agenda Vol 05, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
I said this yesterday or the day before, because I was very angry with the Ashram people! We are going through a very difficult period financially, and so, you know, people they respect you only as long as you have money; when you have no more money, they dont respect you anymore and they find it so self-evident, so natural! They dont even feel ill at ease, not at all: its perfectly obvious that you respect someone only when he has money and holds you in his grip.
I wasnt happy, so I wrote this note.
0 1964-02-05, #Agenda Vol 05, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
97When thou affirmest thy soul-experience and deniest the different soul-experience of another, know that God is making a fool of thee. Dost thou not hear His self-delighted laughter behind thy souls curtains?
Oh, its charming!
0 1964-03-04, #Agenda Vol 05, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
But there was nothing stunning or magnificent or astounding about it: nothing of the kind, nothing spectacular, nothing to give the feeling of a great experiencevery quiet, but very, very self-assured. Very quiet.
Once it was over, after the balcony,3 when I came back from the balcony, I said spontaneously, Very well, then, well have to wait another four years.4
0 1964-03-28, #Agenda Vol 05, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
A vital like a warrior, with an absolute self-control (the vital of this present incarnation was sexlessa warrior), an absolutely calm and imperturbable warriorno desires, no attachments. Since my earliest childhood, I have done things which, to the human consciousness, are monstrous; my mother went so far as to tell me that I was a real monster, because I had neither attachments nor desires. If I was asked, Would you like to do this? I answered, I dont care (my father especially, it would make him furious!3). If people were nasty to me, or if people died or went away, it left me absolutely calm and so: Youre a monster, you have no feelings.
And with that preparation Its eighty-six years since I came here, mon petit! For thirty years I worked with Sri Aurobindo consciously, without letup, night and day. We shouldnt be in a hurry.
0 1964-07-22, #Agenda Vol 05, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
To come back to the ordinary world, the result is the epidemic in the Ashram,5 its people who lose their self-control, its and so forth. But I CANNOT see things the way they do I cannot find it so catastrophic! Its like when people leave their bodies, theyre in tears I cant! I just cant. You know, when you put something in a pot to cook, it boils.
(silence)
0 1964-08-11, #Agenda Vol 05, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
In fact, that was the interesting point: when you come back to the other side (its not even coming back to the other side, its a curious thing that happens..), I remember, when I became conscious again of this body, its gestures had become dry, sterile, thinstupid. And yet it was still in an intense Bliss and a total self-giving: it was at the height of its joy; and yet what it was doing, its appearance, oh, it all seemed so silly!
Those oppositions are really what gives the consciousness an interesting knowledge. Because I have a feeling that that Action wasnt at all limited to the moment when the consciousness that acts here took part in it: its going on all the time. If for just a second (gesture of interiorization) I stop speaking or acting, I feel that golden Glory behindbehind, its not behind, not within, its supporting everythingit is there. But in that experience, I was given two hours of TOTAL participation: there was nothing left but That, nothing existed anymore but That. And all the cells were given an unforgettable joy: they had become That.
0 1964-09-12, #Agenda Vol 05, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Since then, a part of the consciousness has been more self-assured, but it hasnt changed its attitude (how can I explain it?). Its attitude towards the Divine, towards the Work and towards life, is the same, but there is a greater clarity and a greater certainty and a sort of integrality in the experience.
But I said, Its recent, because the things that to me are old are those that give me the feeling of having changed my position and of having a completely opposite outlookthis Talk hasnt changed.
0 1964-09-16, #Agenda Vol 05, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
103Vivekananda, exalting Sannyasa,1 has said that in all Indian history there is only one Janaka.2 Not so, for Janaka is not the name of a single individual, but a dynasty of self-ruling kings and the triumph-cry of an ideal.
104In all the lakhs of ochre-clad Sannyasins,3 how many are perfect? It is the few attainments and the many approximations that justify an ideal.
0 1964-09-23, #Agenda Vol 05, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
But did it have an effect on your self-control?
I dont know.
0 1964-09-26, #Agenda Vol 05, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
when, day after day, you have to accompany up to death a being who is afraid of death and who comes to drink out of your hand an ever-polished lie. Doctors say that the greatness of the profession lies there thats not my opinion. Yet I am a damn good liar thats why people love me but I can no longer stand this so-called charitable imposture, which is self-contempt and contempt of others. And who gave me the right to decide that this one or that one is not entitled to know the Truth, his or her last truth? Lets leave it at thatnei ther religions nor science have given me an answer to this question.
Obviously, there could be only one solution: to lose the mental consciousness that gives you the perception or sensation that you are telling a lie or a truth; and you can obtain that only when you get to the higher state in which our notion of falsehood and truth disappears. Because when we speak from the ordinary mental consciousness, even when we are convinced that we are telling the whole truth, we are not doing so; and even when we think we are telling a lie, sometimes it isnt one. We do not have the capacity to discern whats true and what isntbecause we live in a false consciousness.
0 1964-09-30, #Agenda Vol 05, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
It had rather seemed to me that they should be kept at a distance. With Thon, the adverse forces and hostile beings were often mentioned, they occupied a big place in self-development and in action. As for Sri Aurobindo, he used to say that that notion was useful mostly from the psychological and personal standpoint, because struggling with difficulties is easier when you see them as coming from outside, as an attack from outside, than if you think they are part of your own nature. Not that he denied their existence, far from it, but the path depends a lot on the attitude you take and on the mental construction you have, naturally.
Sri Aurobindo insisted rather on Oneness: he used to say that even what we consider to be the worst adversaries are still a form of the Supreme, which, deliberately or not, consciously or not, helps in the general transformation. This seems to me vaster, deeper, more comprehensive.
0 1964-10-17, #Agenda Vol 05, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
But now, I have a new tactic: I have been given some of those alcohol [felt tip] pens that are like paintbrushes; I write with themit takes up a lot of space! So I dont need to say much. And my hand has remained as it was when I used to paint, very self-assured, but my eyes are no longer guiding, so the pen is the guide!
***
0 1964-10-24a, #Agenda Vol 05, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
And it made me understand that one of the most considerable obstacles is that deviation of aspiration into a thirst for something. But who doesnt deviate? You see, I always start by looking at myself and at all that I know of this beings conscious life (thats my first observation), and all the images come; well, the self-offering, the perfectly pure aspiration that doesnt expect any resultabsolutely free from the slightest idea of result the aspiration in its essential purity thats not frequent. Its not frequent.
Now the conditions are totally different, but I see the mass of aspirations, of approaches, and I always compare with my attitude towards Sri Aurobindo at that time, when it was he who, to me, represented the Intermediary; well, I understand I understand that the absolutely pure thing, that is, free of all mixture with the ego consciousness (its the ego consciousness), free of all mixture with the ego consciousness, is its still rare.
0 1965-02-19, #Agenda Vol 06, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
total self-giving
You invoke, then give yourself totally
--
Perfect surrender in all the states of being. That comes progressively, it comes through years of repetition, but thats what the word must represent when it is said: total self-giving to this Supreme, who naturally is beyond all conception. Perfect surrender, that is, spontaneous surrender, which requires neither effort nor anythinga surrender that must be perfectly spontaneous. This, too, is something that is attained little by little; thats why I said that the mantra is progressive, in the sense that it grows more and more perfect.
The third word represents:
--
total self-giving;
perfect surrender.
0 1965-03-10, #Agenda Vol 06, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
While you were in hospital, I had a sort of I cant say it was a vision because it was very it was lived. It was lived in the subtle physical world, which is symbolic of Reality (the forms are symbolic of Reality, they express Reality, and at the same time they are self-existent). Almost every night I spend some time with Sri Aurobindo in that world, and things are always happening that are indications.1 But that night, it was quite particular.
Sri Aurobindo and I were in an extremely comfortable car, and we were both resting in an eternity of peace and blissquietly, next to each other. The car was driven by the eternal Driver. It was supreme Bliss, you know. Until suddenly, outside the car (I dont know how), two papers were thrown on the road, and one of the papers was a letter (it was an envelope that had come by mail, there were stamps on it), and the other was something written; and with a lightness (the car was still moving), quite a divine lightness, Sri Aurobindo leaps out of the car onto the road to pick up the letters. I said to myself, Ah, the Bliss is over (laughing) now well have to get back to work! And I also got out of the car (which disappeared).
0 1965-03-24, #Agenda Vol 06, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
My means of knowing people now is also like that. But for a long time now, when I see a photograph, for instance, it hasnt been going through thought at all; there are neither deductions nor intuitions: the photograph causes a vibration somewhere. And funny things happen, too; the other day, they gave me the photograph of a person, so I have a very clear perception: from the place that is touched, from the vibration that responds, I know that this man is used to handling ideas and that he has the self-assurance of someone who teaches. I ask (just to see), What does this man do? They tell me, He is a businessman. I said, Well, he isnt made to be a businessman, he doesnt know the first thing about business! And three minutes after, they tell me, Oh, excuse me, I am sorry, I made a mistake, he is a teacher! (Mother laughs) Thats how it is.
And its constant, constant.
0 1965-05-08, #Agenda Vol 06, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Yesterday, I read with H. Savitris series of experiences when she begins with self-annulment: Annul thyself so that God alone exist (I no longer remember, but thats the idea).2 It begins with self-annulment, then she has the experience of BEING the All, that is, of being the Supreme (the Supreme in herself) and the entire Manifestation and all things. There are three passages. Its absolutely an absolutely wonderful description. Its extraordinarily beautiful.3
Its a chapter that doesnt have a title.
--
You know whats called self-pity? (Mother caresses her cheek) Poor little thing, how you suffer! How you are to be pitied! Well, the material nature is like that, it says, I want to be like You, Lord; but then why do You leave me in this condition?a good slap and march!
It can drink up the sea of All-Delight And never lose the white spiritual touch
0 1965-05-29, #Agenda Vol 06, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
The wonders are all very well, its their business (!) But its their overweening self-assurance that makes me smile. They think they know. They think they have the key, thats what makes one smile. It makes one smile. They think that with all that they have learned they are the masters of Natureits childish. There will always be something that eludes them as long as they arent in contact with the creative Force and the creative Will.
Its an experiment that can be done very easily: a scientist may explain all the phenomena before our eyes, he may even use physical forces and make them do whatever he likes (they have obtained amazing results from the material point of view), but if you just ask them this question, this simple question, What is death?, in reality, they have no idea. They will describe the phenomenon as it occurs materially, but if they are sincere, they are compelled to say that it doesnt explain anything.
0 1965-06-05, #Agenda Vol 06, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
And I wasnt thinking of anything at all; I was looking at that child (who is obviously a conscious and very self-assured being), I looked at him and it amused me; then I put it out of my mind. And later on, I had that vision and I knew it was he I saw him. Such is the will of Amenhotep.
***
0 1965-06-09, #Agenda Vol 06, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
I have a whole mantra [besides the main Mantra], I told you, for years now, and it is extremely complete: it applies to all necessities and all occasions, its a long series. But for some time it has become very spontaneous, too, and very self-living: when I want to see quite concretely where someone stands (someone meditating in front of me, for instance), I recite the mantra (within, of course) and I watch the reactions, because the mantra deals with the surrender of all the parts of the being and all the modes of life: its very complete. So according to the reactions [in Mothers centers], I see very clearly. The other day, when X came, I did it (it was the first time I had done it with him), I did it, and when I came to a certain point (Mother smiles) he couldnt bear it! He sort of stiffened, bowed to me and got up. Before that, he had remained very silent, very quiet. But that (Mother laughs) You see, I invoke the Lord and ask Him to manifest His various ways of being or realizations (its not taken in a mental sense, not at all), but when I said I say many things, but up to that point he had been quiet, silent, still, and at one point (because it comes in a logical succession), I said, Manifest Your Knowledgehe felt uneasy, as if he felt he was being thrown out of himself! So I tried to calm that down, but he couldnt bear itafter five minutes, he got up and left. A real unease; because, as for me, I am inside people (I am everywhere, of course), I feel just as if it took place in my own body.
***
0 1965-07-10, #Agenda Vol 06, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
But you (speaking to Sujata) are one of those who can say that when I come at night, I am tall and strong. And at night, I work, I am tall, I am strong. And it goes on moaning! Its idiotic. Not only idiotic, but there is still that sort of self-pity (Mother strokes her cheek), which of all things is the most repugnant: Oh, poor little thing, how tired you are. Oh, poor little thing, how people tire you, how hard life is, how difficult things are. And then moaning and groaning like an idiot. If it were just for me, I would give them a good thrashing! But I am asked not to do it, so I dont do it. But I do feel that before the eyes of this wonderful Graceof this resplendent divine Love and this omnipotent Powerwe are deeply ridiculous, thats all.
(silence)
0 1965-07-17, #Agenda Vol 06, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
We speak of transformation, even of transfiguration, but there is the passage from the old movement to the new movement, from the old status to the new status, which is a break in equilibrium; and always, for what still belongs to the old creation, a dangerous break in equilibrium is what gives you the feeling that everything eludes you, that you have lost your foothold. And thats when you need unwavering faith. But a faith that isnt like mental faith, which is self-supporting: it is a faith in the sensation. And that (Mother shakes her head) is very difficult.
(silence)
0 1965-11-23, #Agenda Vol 06, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Pulling down is always an egoistic movement. Its a distortion of aspiration. True aspiration involves a givinga self-givingwhile pulling down is wanting for oneself. Even if you have in your thought a vaster aspiration the earth, the universeit makes no difference, those are mental activities.
(long silence)
0 1965-12-25, #Agenda Vol 06, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Its only when the central vibration remains pure and is expressed in its original purity, which is a spreading out (what can I call it? Its something radiating out, a vibration spreading out in a glory, a vibration blossoming out, yes, a radiant blossoming out), then it remains true. And materially its expressed by self-giving, self-forgetfulness, the generosity of the soul. And thats the only true movement. But what people are used to calling love is as removed from the central vibration of true Love as hatred; only, the one turns in on itself, shrivels up and hardens, while the other strikes thats what makes the whole difference.
And this isnt seen with ideas: its seen with vibrations. Its very interesting.
0 1966-01-08, #Agenda Vol 07, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
The only creation for which there is any place here is the supramental, the bringing of the divine Truth down on the earth, not only into the mind and vital but into the body and into Matter. Our object is not to remove all limitations on the expansion of the ego or to give a free field and make unlimited room for the fulfillment of the ideas of the human mind or the desires of the ego-centred life-force. None of us are here to do as we like, or to create a world in which we shall at last be able to do as we like; we are here to do what the Divine wills and to create a world in which the Divine Will can manifest its truth no longer deformed by human ignorance or perverted and mistranslated by vital desire. The work which the sadhak of the supramental yoga has to do is not his own work for which he can lay down his own conditions, but the work of the Divine which he has to do according to the conditions laid down by the Divine. Our yoga is not for our own sake but for the sake of the Divine. It is not our personal manifestation that we are to seek, the manifestation of the individual ego freed from all bounds and from all bonds, but the manifestation of the Divine. Of that manifestation our own spiritual liberation, perfection, fullness is to be a result and a part, but not in any egoistic sense or for any ego-centred or self-seeking purpose. This liberation, perfection, fullness too must not be pursued for our own sake, but for the sake of the Divine.
Sri Aurobindo
0 1966-03-26, #Agenda Vol 07, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
As for me, I have only one method (but I can conceive that this is simply because thats the way my nature is), I have only one method, its self-abolition, the idea (not an idea) that the Supreme alone exists.
Thats another interesting point, because I was an outright atheist: till the age of twenty, the very idea of God made me furious. Therefore I had the most solid baseno imaginings, no mystic atavism; my mother was very much an unbeliever and so was my father. So from the point of view of atavism it was very good: positivism, materialism. Only one thing: since I was very small, a will for perfection in any field whatever; a will for perfection and the sense of a limitless consciousness no limits to ones progress or to ones power or to ones scope. And that, since I was very small. But mentally, an absolute refusal to believe in a God: I believed only in what I could touch and see. And the whole faculty for experiences was already there (they didnt manifest because the time hadnt come). Only, the sense of a Light here (gesture above the head), which began when I was very small, I was five, along with a will for perfection. A will for perfection: oh, whatever I did always had to be the best I could do. And then, a limitless consciousness. These two things. And my return to the Divine came about through Thons teaching, when I was told for the first time, The Divine is within, there (Mother strikes her breast). Then I felt at once, Yes, this is it. Then I did all the work thats taught to find Him again; and through here (gesture to the heart center) I went there (gesture of junction above with the Supreme). But outwardly, mentally, no religiona horror of religions.
0 1966-04-27, #Agenda Vol 07, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
And it came. It was like this: (gesture of self-abandon) the total, complete self-annulment, annulment of that which can know, of that which tries to knoweven surrender isnt an adequate word: a sort of annulment. And suddenly it ended with a slight movement as a child could have who doesnt know anything, doesnt try to know anything, doesnt understand anything, doesnt try to understand but who abandons himself. A slight movement of such simplicity, such ingenuousness, such extraordinary sweetness (words cant express it): nothing, just this (gesture of self-abandon), and instantaneously, THE Certitude (not expressed, lived), the lived Certitude.
I wasnt able to keep it very long. But it is wonderful.
0 1966-04-30, #Agenda Vol 07, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
It is tired of being. Instead of feeling killed and crushed (Mother makes a gesture of self-abandon), phew! A phew of relief: Enough, enough of this battle to exist. We could say: Falsehood, tired of being, gives up.
Instead of a disappearance through crushing and trampling (same gesture of self-abandon): cease to be.
Its the divine way to annul the ego.
0 1966-05-14, #Agenda Vol 07, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
The other day I had an extraordinary experience, in which all the pessimistic arguments, all the negations and denials came from all sides, represented by everybody. And then, those who believed in the presence of a God or something something more powerful than they and ruling the worldwere in a fury, a dreadful revolt: But I want none of him! But he spoils all our life, he It was a dreadful revolt, from every side, a truckload of abuse for the Divine with such force of asuric reaction from every side. So I sat there (as if Mother sat in the middle of the mle), watching: What can be done? You know, it was impossible to answer, impossible, there wasnt one argument, not one idea, not one theory, not one belief, nothing, nothing whatsoever that could answer it. For the space of a second, the impression was: its hopeless. Then, all of a sudden all of a sudden Its indescribable (gesture of absolute abandon). There was that violence of revolt against things as they are, and, mixed with it, there was: Let this world disappear, let nothing remain, let it not exist! All that, which at bottom is a revolt, all that nihilist revolt: let nothing remain, let everything cease to exist. It reached a height of tension, and just at the height of tension, when you felt there was no solution, suddenly surrender. But something stronger than surrenderit wasnt abdication, it wasnt self-giving, it wasnt acceptance, it was something much more radical, and at the same time much sweeter. I cant say what it was. It had the joy and flavor of giving, but with such a sense of plenitude! Like a dazzling flash, you know, suddenly like that: the very essence of surrender, the True Thing.
It was it was so powerful and marvelous, such sublime joy that the body started quivering for a second. Afterwards it was gone.
0 1966-05-18, #Agenda Vol 07, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
If we take the word objectivity in the sense of real, independent existencereal, independent self-existence there is only the Supreme.
***
0 1966-05-25, #Agenda Vol 07, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
That, too, depends on the stand one takes. A complete identification with the play as play, as a self-existent and independent thing, is probably necessary, first in order to play the game as one should play it. But at one point one does in fact reach that detachment, such a complete disgust for the whole falsehood of existence that it becomes intolerable unless one sees it as the inner play of the Lord in Himself, for Himself.
And then, one feels that absolute and perfect freedom thanks to which the most marvelous possibilities become realizable, all the most sublime things that can be imagined are realizable.
0 1966-06-11, #Agenda Vol 07, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
This morning, I had, for instance, a whole series of experiences regarding the notion of selfishness. I remember that the first time someone said to Sri Aurobindo in my presence (many years ago) about someone else, Oh, he is selfish, Sri Aurobindo smiled and answered, Selfish? But the most selfish of all is the Divine, since everything belongs to Him and He sees everything in relation to Himself! I found it rather daring! And this morning (strangely, just this morning; its not the first time, either), I suddenly felt how false that notion of selfishness is and that sort of reprobation of the selfish, with, at the same time, all the shades of leniency, understanding, how false all that is, that whole world, how rigid and outside the Truth. Outside the Truth, not that its opposite would be true, no, thats not the point! Its that sort of moral-mental notion, which is such a self-evident affair that nobody questions ithow far, far away it is from the Truth.
But this mornings experience was luminous because I LIVED in the Truth. And I experienced both the true atmosphere and the conventional atmosphere. But a convention thats not local or of a particular period, of a time or a place, thats not it: they are kinds of conventions CREATED by the human consciousness, which take on nuances they are quite supplewhich take on nuances and transform themselves according to the need, but they really are conventions. It seemed to me like a balloonimmense, as large as the earth, much larger than the earth.
0 1966-07-09, #Agenda Vol 07, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Putting a stop to the resistance through complete surrender, complete self-giving, in all the cells if one can do it.
They are beginning to have that intense joy of being only through the Lord, for the Lord, in the Lord.
0 1966-08-03, #Agenda Vol 07, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
I told you last time about those moments I had, which really were moments of realization [of divine Love]; then I clearly saw that it went away because it couldnt stay, and I immediately wanted to know why it couldnt stay. To just say, Things arent ready things arent ready, is quite meaningless. Then the cells themselves observed a sort of its something between torpor, drowsiness, numbness and indifference; and that state is mistaken for peace, quietude and acceptance, but it really is it really is a form of tamas.1 And thats the reason why it may last for what, to our consciousness, is almost an eternity. And there was, as I told you, an experience [a painful attack]; it recurred in another form (it never recurs in the same form), in another form, and then the cells noticed that that sort of intensity, of ardor of will taking hold of them, that something concrete in the self-giving, in the surrender, does not exist when everything is fine (what people are in the habit of calling everything is fine, which means that you dont feel your body, there is no difficulty and things are just getting along).
It was almost a disappointment for these cells, which thought they were very ardent (!) and have had to realize that that semi-drowsiness was entirely responsible for all thats habitually called illnesses but I dont believe in illnesses anymore. I believe in them less and less. Everything that comes is a particular form of disorder, resistance, incomprehension or incapacityit all belongs to the domain of resistance. And there isnt really a deliberate resistance [in Mothers cells], I mean, whats conventionally called bad will (I hope this is true! If there is any, they havent become aware of it yet), but those things come as keen indications of the different points [of work or resistance in Mothers body], so it results in whats called pains, or a sense of disorder, or a discomfort. (A discomfort, that is to say, a sense of disorder or disharmony, is much harder to bear than a sharp pain, much harder; its like something that starts grating and gets stuck and cant get back into place.) All that, in the ordinary consciousness or the ordinary human view, is what people call illnesses.
--
At the same time, I am little by little learning from demonstration the true use that must be made of mental activity. Its purpose is easy to understand: it has been used to educate, awaken and so on; but its not something that after having done its duty and fulfilled its purpose will disappear. It will be used in its own manner, but in its true manner and true place. And it becomes wonderfully interesting. For instance, the idea that you are what you think, that your knowledge is your power, well, it seems to be a necessity of the transition, of the passage from one state of consciousness to another, but its not, as I said, something that will disappear when something else is reached: it will be used, but in its own place. Because when you experience union, the mind appears unnecessary: the direct contact, the direct action, do without it. But in its true place, acting in the true way, sticking to its place (a place not of necessity or even usefulness, but of refinement in action), it becomes quite interesting. When you see the Whole as a growing self-awareness, the mind enrichesit enriches the Whole. And when each thing is in its own place, it all becomes so harmonious and simple, but with such full and complete and perfect simplicity that everything is used.
And with all this, there is (it almost seems to be the key to the problem, to the understanding), there is a special concentration on the why, the how of death. Years and years ago, when Sri Aurobindo was still here, there came one day a sort of dazzling, imperious revelation: One dies only when one chooses to die. I told Sri Aurobindo, This is what I saw and KNEW. He said to me, It is true. Then I asked him, Always, in every case? He said, Always. Only, one isnt conscious, human beings arent conscious, but thats how it is. But now I am beginning to understand! Some experiences, some examples are given in the details of the bodys inner vibrations, and I see that there is a choice, a choice generally unconscious, but which, in some individuals, can be conscious. I am not talking about sentimental cases, I am talking about the body, the cells accepting disintegration. There is a will like this (Mother raises a finger upward) or a will like that (Mother lowers her finger). The origin of that will lies in the truth of the being, but it seems (and that is something marvelous), it seems that the final decision is left to the choice of the cells themselves.
0 1966-08-31, #Agenda Vol 07, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Yet another thing. There is an intense and constant aspiration for Union. It always begins with self-giving the spontaneous self-giving to the Supreme. But then, there is, mixed into it (how can I express it?) the expectation (is it an expectation? Its almost just a noticing) its not an anxiety for, but rather an expectation, yes, of the result. In other words, in that great will and aspiration for the manifestation of Harmony, of Love in the Truth, in that thirst of the whole, entire being for That which is the source of that Harmony, to the movement of aspiration is added the perception (its more than the perception: its the expectation), the expectation of the result, and then, it gets warped (same twisting gesture).
And what I am saying now isnt at all something I see, its something I lived during my morning walk at 4:30. There were different successive experiences [which Mother has just described], and then, a very clear, very keen perception of the point at which the true experience (same twisting gesture) gets falsified. And its not something violent, theres nothing dramatic to it, nothing at all, but its clearly the difference between the Infinite and Eternal, the All-Powerful [being turned] into the individuality the individual limitation. And for the ordinary consciousness, the usual consciousness that is to say, the limited, individual consciousness that experience itself is marvelous, but you are the recipient, you are the one who experiences. Thats the point, its the difference between the [pure] experience and, all of a sudden, the one who experiences. And then, with that the one who experiences, its over, everything is distorted. Everything is distorted, but not dramatically, you understand, not like that, no. Its the difference between Truth and falsehood. Its a falsehood (how can I explain?) its the difference between life and death; its the difference between Reality and illusion. And the one IS, while the other remembers having been, or is a witness.
0 1966-11-09, #Agenda Vol 07, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
"Earth-life is the self-chosen habitation of a great Divinity and his aeonic will is to change it from a blind prison into his splendid mansion and high heaven-reaching temple."
Sri Aurobindo
0 1966-11-26, #Agenda Vol 07, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
But how to do this? You understand, surrender, self-giving, acceptance, all that is really being done more and more, better and better, but its not enoughits not enough. Thats the point. Even the attempt of the consciousness to center on the Lords existence and to try and forget, even that isnt enough. It has some effect, but a mixed one: thats not it. But when you succeed in ceasing to exist the Lord aloneinstantly theres a glory, thats what is marvelous!
But its difficult. There is a very old habit that makes it be otherwise.
0 1966-12-31, #Agenda Vol 07, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
But what one sees is the work of a priceless humorist! Things like mens great ambitions, for example, also their self-satisfaction, the opinion they have of themselves, oh, its all so comical! Those lives are shown in relation to (and, so to speak, in contact with) the Truth-Light, and then the difference between peoples movement (or thought or attitude or action, or state of consciousness) and the Truth, the state of Truth, becomes plain to see, oh, if you knew! But its not seen by someone severe or harsh, no, no! Its seen by someone very sharpvery sharpwith a wonderful sense of humor and a charming irony.
It swarms and swarms.
0 1967-01-11, #Agenda Vol 08, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Yesterday, I was asked the question; I was asked whether abuse, the feeling of being abused, and what in English is called self-respect (which is somewhat akin to self-esteem), have a place in the sadhana. Naturally, they dont, that goes without saying! But I saw the movement, it was extremely clear: I saw that without ego, when the ego isnt there, there CANNOT be that sort of ruffling in the being. I went back far into the past, to the time when I could still feel it (years ago), but now its not even something unfamiliarits something which is impossible. The whole being, and strangely even the physical constitution, doesnt understand what it means. Its the same thing when materially there is a knock (Mother shows a scratch on her elbow), like this for instance: its no longer felt the way an injury is felt. Its no longer felt that way. More often than not, theres nothing at all, it goes absolutely unnoticed on the whole; but when there is something, its only an impressiona very sweet, very intimate impressionof a help trying to make itself felt, of a lesson to be learned. But not the way its done mentally where there is always a stiffening; its not that: its immediately a kind of offering in the being, which gives itself in order to learn. I am speaking of all the cells. Its very interesting. Of course, if we mentalize it, we have to say its the sense or awareness of the divine Presence in all things, and that the mode the mode of contactcomes from the state in which we are.
This is the bodys experience.
0 1967-02-18, #Agenda Vol 08, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
With everything, the great secret is for the consciousness to be THE Consciousness the limitless Consciousness. Then what it does is to set this (the instrument) in motion. Laterlater, when the transformation takes place, when its total and effective, there will probably be a conscious collaboration; but now its only a surrender, a self-giving, and this lends itselflends itself with enthusiasm and joylends itself for THE Consciousness to use it.
When its like that, all goes well.
0 1967-04-05, #Agenda Vol 08, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Mon petit, when the cells get into this state, its wonderful, you cant imagine! It changes life com-plete-ly. They are like that: a sense of wonder at the first Contact. Is it possible? Can it be that beautiful! Is it possible? Like that. And constantly, all the time, at any moment, about anything: Can it possibly be like that? Such a sense of wonder! Then you see the difference with the old habits and everything people have had crammed into their heads (renunciation, the beyond)its marvellous! Unbelievable. All morning again it was like that. There comes a malaise (it always comes from outside, from this and that, in relation to this and that; thats how it comes), and immediately, they remember immediately. They remember, they say, No! What You will, Lord. Thats their attitude, an attitude of such complete self-giving! Much, much more complete, much simpler, much more charming than in any other part of the being. Its, What You will. You, You, You, what You will. To be to be You not with an idea of aggrandizement, but to melt, to flow, to disappear in You like that. And then, But You are reality! And all these words are a diminution. Diminution not of sensation, but of consciousness its a marvel of consciousness, you know: You, You But You alone exist, You alone are. Then all the discomforts, all the pains, they vanish without a trace. Its a marvel, one cant imagine!
Sri Aurobindo once wrote somewhere, after an experience like this of the Divine Presence in the being, he wrote, If men knew how marvellous is the way. But they dont know. He wrote it, I cant quote because Ill quote it incorrectly, but he had this experience, If men knew how marvellous it is, they wouldnt hesitate for a minute.
0 1967-04-15, #Agenda Vol 08, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
There is something interesting in this cellular consciousness: they have a sense of sincerity which is MUCH sharper, and what they call in English exacting, than in the vital and the mind (even the material vital and mind). There is a sort of absoluteness in the sincerity which is very remarkable, and they have a rigorousness between them which is quite wonderful. Its extremely interesting. If anything, any part, any movement, tries to cheat, they catch it like this (gesture of nipping it and wringing its neck), and in such a sharp and precise way. In all the vital or mental movements, there is always a kind of (sinuous gesture) suppleness, something that tries to adaptwhile here, oh its like this (inflexible gesture). So when there is invocation, prayer, self-giving, surrender, trust, all those things become so pureso pure, so crystalline, you know, that oh!
And precisely, there is a growing conviction that a perfection realized in Matter is a perfection that is FAR MORE perfect than anywhere else. Thats what gives it a stability it has nowhere else. If there is something somewhere (when there is a great offering and then a joyous self-giving, joyous surrender), if there is something that comes in with even the slightest self-interest for instance, a suffering in some little corner (a pain or disorder), which hopes for or wishes or expects some improvement then it gets caught like this (same gesture of nipping and wringing its neck) and its told, Oh, insincere one! Give yourself unconditionally. Then its magnificent.
Its very interesting.
And this joy, this enthusiasm at the possibility: that being wholly sincere is POSSIBLE; almost, I could say, that it is permitted (these are words): Life is such a disorder and muddle of insincerity that THAT is really what is expected of us, THAT; THAT is whats permitted, THAT is what must be realized: to be absolute in the joy of self-giving. Its a marvel, a marvel!
Also, the contact with all those beings of the Overmind, all those gods, all those Entities, all those divinities. There is here, in the cells, a sort of (what can I call it?) rectitude, and, yes, sincerity and honesty that says, Oh, what fuss they make! How all this is (Mother puffs up her cheeks) puff! puff! swollen up. Its very interesting, really very interesting. The vision of the world is quite different. Its far more honestfar more honest, far more sincere, far more upright. Its strange.
--
This morning again, the lesson was repeated with, for instance, bits of old things still clinging, reactions, small movements (inner movements): Only one solution, one single solution: self-annulment, perfect self-giving, the surrender of everything.
Then theres the joy of Light the beauty, the joy a splendour!
0 1967-05-03, #Agenda Vol 08, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
You understand, I dont want to say anything that encourages the vanity of the ego, if there is any. But your contact with the Light is unusual; for you it has become something quite natural. But the truth is, its exceptional. So you see people who dont have this realization at all but who enjoy the contact with the Light, precisely because for them its something marvellous and new And so you are deprived (its Sri Aurobindo speaking to me), deprived of the pleasures they have. But you should know that its because you have been given a much higher realization. Only, with aspiration, with opening, with self-giving, can you contact something really new. And then you will have the shock of the new.
This is his answer.
0 1967-05-06, #Agenda Vol 08, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
"Earth-life is one self-chosen habitation of a great Divinity and his aeonic will is to change it from a blind prison into his splendid mansion and high heaven-reaching temple."
Sri Aurobindo, The Hour of God, p.73
0 1967-06-21, #Agenda Vol 08, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Indias Falsehood will necessarily attract like falsehoods: those of China and of Pakistan. The communist troubles on Bengals borders are preparing the way for Chinas aggression, and the falsehood of Tashkent has left an open wound in Kashmir. Here India shall receive the blessed blow that will liquidate her untrue government and will give way to a military government that will prepare a more truthful government. Here China shall receive the blow that will free her from her Maoist Asura, while at the same time bringing Russia and America closer together against the common danger. Here Vietnam will lose its two untrue henchmen, in the North and in the South, and will put its own house in order. Here Pakistan will have set its own trap by allying itself with China and will lose its rights over Bengal and the eastern part of India.3 Left only with its western unit, which cannot be economically self-sufficient, Pakistan will be obliged to form a confederation with India and to understand that its destiny is inseparable from that of India. Here a wiser Russia and a wiser America, and a frightened earth, will become aware that they too must form a confederation of the nations of the earth and that the fate of any one nation is inseparable from that of all the others.
And order will be restored in the house. Man will be able to prepare himself for a vaster adventure.
0 1967-06-24, #Agenda Vol 08, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Because now, the body itself really collaborates as much as it canas much as it canwith an ever-increasing goodwill and power of endurance, and the self-observation is truly reduced to a minimum (there is still some, like something touching lightly now and then, but not even for a few seconds). self-observation, oh, that means a thoroughly disgusting, repugnant and catastrophic atmosphere. Its like that, FELT like that. And its becoming increasingly impossible, I see that, its visible. But there is still the whole weight of millennia of bad habits, which we could call pessimistic, that is, anticipating decay, anticipating catastrophe, anticipating well, all those things, and, ugh! thats the most difficult thing to purify, to clarify, to remove from the atmosphere. Its so INGRAINED that its absolutely spontaneous. That is the great, great, great obstacle that sort of sense of inevitable decay.
Naturally, from the mental standpoint, the entire earth atmosphere is like that, but in the mind it hardly matters at all: one ray of light and its swept away. But its INSIDE (pointing to her body), that habit that catastrophic habitwhich is terrible, terrible to contradict. And its INDISPENSABLE that it should disappear so the other can settle in.
0 1967-07-26, #Agenda Vol 08, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
As if that was constantly saying, But dont take things seriously! Dont take things seriously, dont take things seriously thats what makes you unhappy! Thats what makes you unhappy, it makes you unhappy, you must learn to smile, like that. And above all, to make fun of ourselves, thats the most important thing: to see how ridiculous we are the slightest pain and we are full of self-pity, oh!
At times one protests.
Its a very odd atmosphere, and amusing. But its a very good cure for that inveterate illness which is self-pity. The body is full of it, it pities itself as soon as there is the slightest trouble and that aggravates it terribly.
And then, what goings-on The goings-on at the School, oh, those are priceless stories! But yesterday evening, I suddenly became indignant about a boy, the boy who had been accused of copying. He asserted he hadnt copied, and I saw he hadnt (but what I saw was almost worse!), and I said, No more examsa dreadful row everywhere! Then K., who is really a good boy, wrote to me, Should I not rather tell the boy that you decided he hadnt copied, because he must be worrying? I thought, Poor K.! But anyway, it was a nice gesture, so I said yes. Then he called the boy, told him what he had to, also that exams were abolished and the whole matter was over and done with. As soon as the boy left him, he went and told his friends a world of lies: that I had asked K. to apologize, to express regret and reinstate the boy, and a lot of fibs a series of terrible lies (and lies about me). You understand, I had had a movement of sympathy for K. for what he had done; it shows a sort of nobleness of soul in him: he was so convinced, but he accepted what I said and made that gesture because he thought the boy must have been worrying. Then the boys thoroughly disgusting reaction I had to restrain myself (inwardly): I was displeased. I had hoped, on the contrary, that that goodwill would give rise to a somewhat noble response, but all that is a sort of degradation. Yesterday, I was on the point of giving the child an inner slap I stopped myself from doing so, but he has clearly put himself in a bad spot.
0 1967-07-29, #Agenda Vol 08, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Have you sometimes had that kind of very global vision in time and space, in which each thing has its place and everything is coordinated by a total consciousness? (It must be new only to me.) It is a knowledge-vision. My consciousness, the consciousness there (gesture above and around) is constantly a consciousness of action. Since the beginning of those creative bursts of Love, it has been a consciousness of action, always actionaction, action, perpetual action. In fact, constant creation. But this morning, it wasnt action: it was (laughing) the observation, I could say, the observation of that action as a sort of vision, as you would look at a picture, you know. Instead of being on the highest intellectual plane, that of absolute comprehension and that puts each thing in its place, it was (how can I explain it?). Its a knowledge through subjective vision. Not the vision of something foreign to you: its the same state of consciousness as that of the doer, but instead of only doing, it sees at the same time. That was this mornings experience. It was rather new in the sense that I only had it now and then, like that, but never with that totality, that clarity and that sort of absoluteness. It is the sensation of a self-evident, absolute, indisputable knowledgeits not trying to express something: its SEEING. Seeing, really seeing, but seeing not one thing after another: seeing everything at once, a totality in space and in time. And seeing every detail with total precision, which makes it possible to write a thing like this (the note on Christianity).
To be clear, I should tell the whole thing. Yesterday I had an opportunity to speak to someone about this constant presence of Sri Aurobindo, here, who sees, says, does, all the time. Then, after I had spoken, I wondered, How is it that this brain Because, I think I told you, when Sri Aurobindo left his body, several times, several days in a row, I stood near his bed for one or two hours, and I feltMATERIALLY feltwhat came out of his body enter mine. To such a point that I remember having said, Well, if anyone denies afterlife, I have proof it exists. So I thought, Why does this brain (Mothers) go on working according to its usual routine now that the consciousness of the Presence is constant? Then this morning I had this experience, and while having the experience, I felt, This is how Sri Aurobindo used to see! (Laughing) That must be it! And for some time I have noticed that as soon as, for this body or for other bodies, for events, for as soon as something is formulated (its neither a desire nor an aspiration, but something like the living perception of a possibility that SHOULD be realizedit comes sometimes), it gets done! It gets done automatically and immediately. So this morning, for, oh, half an hour, the impression was so charming, so pleasant: Ah, there we are! THIS IS HOW we should see things!
0 1967-08-02, #Agenda Vol 08, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
One certainly sees that: with those who are the very opposite, who grovel on the ground, there is no stuff, you cant do anything with them; so you have to try and give them a little self-confidence. But thats nothing. While with those others you can do something, but oh, they become furious with you!
The contact with the great Asuras, the first Asuras, is like that: the full consciousness of their formidable power, their marvellous capacities they forget one thing, its that they deserve no credit for it, its not their exclusive property! So they cut the connection and become instruments of disorder and confusion.
0 1967-08-26, #Agenda Vol 08, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
It is from the universal and spiritual point of view that, not exactly good as people understand it, but the True, the Truth, will have the final word, that is well known. In other words, the Divine will eventually be victorious. That is what has been said, what all those who have lived a spiritual life have said and it is an absolute fact. When people transpose it, they say, I am a good boy, I live according to what I think to be true, consequently life should be a bed of roses for me! (Mother laughs) To begin with, self-appreciation is always dubious, and then, in the world as it now is, everything is mixed and what openly manifests to the half-blind human consciousnesses is not the Law of pure Truththey wouldnt even understand it. To put it more precisely, what is constantly realized is the supreme vision, but its realization in this mixed material world isnt seen by the ignorant human vision as the triumph of good (of what men call good and true). Butto put it humorouslyits not the Lords fault, its mens fault! That is, the Lord knows what he is doing, but men dont understand it.
In a true world, everything would perhaps be the same as now, but it would be seen differently.
0 1967-08-30, #Agenda Vol 08, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Strangely, there are no doors, no windows, no ceiling or floor, all that is self-existent and does not appear to be subject to the law of gravity, that is, there isnt the earths magnetic attraction, yet what you write with (laughing) looks like a fountain pen! What you write on looks like paper; the documents are placed in what look like filing cabinets. You do feel that the substance isnt the same, but the appearance is very close. And I am still wondering about that appearance: is it because of our ordinary cerebral function that we put the appearance upon things, or is it really like that?
I meet almost everyone there. I told you that you are there quite regularly, and we work. As for you, you dont remember. There are others who remember, but their memory is (Mother twists her finger slightly) just slightly off, that is, not identically what I saw. And when they tell me, my impression is, yes, its because of the transcription in their brain. The objective reality of the material world stems from the fact that if you see the same object ten times over, ten times it looks like itself, with differences that are logical, or that may be, for instance, differences of wear and tear but there too its like that! If you study carefully, even in the physical world no two people see things in exactly the same way. There, it may be more pronounced, but it seems to be a similar phenomenon.
0 1967-10-07, #Agenda Vol 08, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
He even told me something I found quite Christian; he said, Deep down, I have a desire for total consecration, total self-giving, to be like a martyr and give my life for that new truth. He thirsts to be a martyr the martyr of the Church.
Sri Aurobindo once said (jokingly, as it were), while talking with those around him (I was there and we were talking about Christianity and the new Christ), he told them, Oh, if the new Christ comes, the Church will crucify him!
0 1967-10-11, #Agenda Vol 08, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
This particular Ganesh (on the table) was given to me by a little boy maybe two and a half years old. When that little boy was a few months old and till the age of one, his mother always brought him to me and he would cry and scream and make scenes the parents were desperate. Each time I would tell them, Dont worry, all will be well, well be very good friends. Then the parents would look at me in disbelief. Now he is two and half or three, and as soon as he is in the stairway, waitingMo ther, Mother, Mother! (or Ma, I dont know). But when he comes in (he is the first of the family to enter the room), he comes with a flower; and it was he who gave me this Ganesh, but with such consciousness! He is wonderful. Yesterday, he was absolutely exquisite: he comes in first, so self-assured, so joyful, then gestures to me as if to say, Everything is just fine, dont worry! And I speak to himhe doesnt understand a thing of what I say, but he approves gravely. Absolutely exquisite.
There is great progress among children.
0 1967-10-14, #Agenda Vol 08, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
All of a sudden, yesterday afternoon towards evening (around six, or a little before), there came a sort of atmosphere of (what should I call it?) a kind of discouraged pessimism in which everything had become lacklustre, grey, dissatisfied. When you see things from above, in a certain atmosphere of totality, each thing plays its part and collaborates in a general manifestation, but there, it was like something shut in itself, with no reason to be except that it was. It had neither aim, nor motive nor reason to be, neither was it a special circumstance or a particular event: it was a kind of self-enclosed formation, a state of being which was obviously morbid, but not violent, nothing violent. Yes, in which each and everything was without reason or aim, without any satisfactionnei ther oneself nor others, nor things. And I was DELIBERATELY shut in it, in order to feel it. The consciousness wondered, Why? What does it mean? Why is it like this? And at the same time (you know that yesterday was the day of Durgas Victory for those who worship Durga), so I asked myself, Why does she choose to shut me in this state just on the day of victory? What does it mean? What does it mean? It was indeed like a factual demonstration of the perfect uselessness of that way of being, which had no reason to be, which could be turned to anything, any time, without reason and without motive. It was like the symbol of disgruntled uselessness. But it went on. I looked and looked at it, trying to find the slightest clue to the cause of that state: what, when, who, how? And the curious thing is that its very, very foreign to my nature, because even when I was in real trouble, I never wasted my time being like that. And it went on, as things go on when I have to study them, understand them, and do what needs to be done. Then, at a certain point I said to myself, Oh, perhaps this is what Durga intends to conquer this year? And at the same time I remembered (like that, far away on the fringes of the consciousness), I remembered the time when Sri Aurobindo was there; every year, on the Victory day, I would tell him, Well, this is what Durga has done this year, and he would corroborate it. I would say, This is what Durga has conquered, this is what Durga Every year, over a long time. And so that memory was there, far away in the light, as if to tell me, See, do you remember that? And I said to myself, Well, this may be what Durga wants to conquer? Then I thought, But whats to be conquered in this? Its silly! Its a silly state. (Lots of people are in that state, I know, but its absolutely silly, it has neither reason nor cause nor aim, its like something that comes in without one knowing how or why.) It went on for a good while (I dont remember exactly how long). Then, when I had seen clearly, understood clearly what it was, I asked Durga, Is this what you want to do? And it was suddenly as if a very strange thing, as if it evaporated before my eyes, pfft! It went like this (gesture of bursting), and then I tried and tried the memory of it and everything had completely vanished! In one second it had completely gone.
While it was there, it was yes, as if something without any truth in itself, something that didnt rest on any truth. A morose, dissatisfied, grumpy state, and it was grey, grey, grey, lacklustre, looking at everything from the angle of uselessness and stupidity. Then there was a sort of bursting: all of a sudden, poff! like that, and it was all over. And now its a sort of vague memory which I can hardly recapture, which no longer exists.
0 1967-10-19, #Agenda Vol 08, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
You know, an ardent faith, a psychic aspiration, a fervour, a self-giving, instead of being forever turned in on oneself, turned in on oneself. A self-giving, thats what is needed to save the world!
(silence)
Mental faith isnt enough, psychic fervour is necessary self-giving, self-abnegation.
The body itself is learning that every time it thinks of itself, theres a small catastrophenot catastrophe, but I mean on the bodys scale: a cellular catastrophe every time there is even a slight turning in on itself. It must forget itself completely, forget itself, and most importantly, it must not try to find support, comfort, understanding, help or anything of the sort (horizontal gesture all around)only there (gesture with palms open upward and the two hands forming a kind of upside down triangle): the only support is the Divine. The only support. The only help, the only responsibility. All the rest. There isnt one thing coming from or towards a human being that isnt mixed; and the moment its mixed, it means conflict.
0 1967-12-20, #Agenda Vol 08, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
I take the simplest and most concrete things like, for instance, brushing ones teeth; its extremely flexible and things are done, not out of habit but by a sort of choice based on personal experience and routine, so there is no necessity for a special concentration (the real purpose of routine is to avoid the need for a special concentration: things can be done almost automatically). But that automatism is very flexible, very plastic, because depending, as I said, on the intensity of the concentration, the time varies the time varies: you can (you can know by looking at your watch before and after), you can certainly reduce the time by more than half, yet things are done in exactly the same way. Thats right: you dont do away with anything, you do everything in the same way. To make sure, you can, for instance, count the number of times you brush your teeth or the number of times you rinse your mouth I am DELIBERATELY taking the most banal thing, because in other activities there is a natural suppleness that allows you to spread yourself and concentrate (and so its easier to understand with such things). But it works in the same way with the most concrete and banal things too. And there isnt any Oh, I wont do this today or I am neglecting thattheres none of that, nothing at all: everything is done in the same way, BUT with a sort of concentration and constant call the constant call is always there. The constant call which might find a material expression in saying the mantra, but its not even that: its the SENSE, the sense of the call, of the aspirationits above all a call. A call. You know, when the mind wants to make sentences, it says, Lord, take possession of Your kingdom. For certain things, I remember, when there are certain disorders, something wrong (and with the perception of a consciousness that has become very sharp, you can see when that disorder is the natural origin of an illness, for example, or of something very serious), with the call, the concentration and the response [the disorder is dissolved]. Its almost a surrender, because its an uncalculating self-giving: the damaged spot opens to the Influence, not with an idea of getting cured, but like this (gesture like a flower opening out), simply like this, unconditionally that is the most potent gesture.
But the interesting part is that formulating it in words makes it sound artificialits much more sincere, much truer, much more spontaneous than anything expressed or expressible by the mind. No formula can render the sinceritysimplicity, sincerity, spontaneity, something uncalculatingof the material movement. There was a time when expressing or formulating caused a very unpleasant sensation, like putting something artificial on something spontaneously true; and that unpleasantness was cured only, to begin with, by a higher knowledge that all that is formulated must be surpassed. For instance, every experience expressed or described CALLS FOR a new progress, a new experience. In other words, it hastens the movement. That has been a consolation, because in fact, with the old sensation of something very stable and solid and immobile because of inertia (a past inertia, which is now being transformed but has left marks), because of that inertia there is a tendency to prefer things to be solid; so there is a thrill at being forced to No, no! No rest, no halt, go on!farther and farther and farther on When an experience has been very fruitful and highly pleasant, let us say, when its had a great force and a great effect, the first movement is to say, We wont talk about that, well keep it. Then after comes, Well say it in order to go farther onto go farther on, ever farther, ever farther.
0 1967-12-27, #Agenda Vol 08, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
(Laughing) We could call it a mothers way of looking at her progeny, or the Creators way of looking at his creation! Very odd. You see, weve always been given the image of a smug and self-satisfied God, who says, Excellent. And here (laughing) its My! my!
So there.
0 1967-12-30, #Agenda Vol 08, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Auroville will be a self-supporting township.
All who live there will participate in its life and development.
--
Auroville will be a self-supporting township.
I want to insist on the fact that it will be an experiment: its to make experimentsexperiments, research, studies.
--
Yes Auroville will be a city that will attempt to be, or strive or want to be, self-supporting, that is
Autonomous?
0 1968-01-12, #Agenda Vol 09, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
There may be here some debate on this true sense: some, along with the religions we know, will tell you that the true sense isnt here, but in goodness knows what heaven beyond. Its a point of view, but if this material evolution does not hold its own sense within itself, it means we are in the presence of a sinister farce invented by goodness knows what divine masochist. If God exists, he must be a little less foolish than that, and we are entitled to think that this material evolution has a divine sense and that it is the field of a divine manifestation in Matter. Our spiritual discipline must therefore aim at gaining this divine man or perhaps that other, still unknown being who will emerge from us just as we emerged from hominid infancy. What is the place of the sexual function in this evolution? Until now, the progress of consciousness has made use of the progress of species, which means that sexual reproduction has been the key to the proliferation of species so as to reach the form most fit for the manifestation of consciousness. Since the appearance of man two or three million years ago, Nature hasnt produced new species, as if she had found in man the fittest mode of expression. But evolution cannot remain stagnant, or else it no longer is evolution. So it means that the key of evolution no longer lies in the proliferation of species by means of sexual reproduction, but directly in the very power of consciousness. Before man, consciousness was still too buried in its material support; with man, it has disengaged itself sufficiently to assume its true mastery over material Nature and work out its own mutations by itself. From the standpoint of evolutionary biology, this is the end of sexuality. We have reached the stage at which we can switch from natural evolution through sexual power to spiritual evolution through the power of consciousness. Nature generally does not let organs linger that no longer serve her evolutionary design, so we can foresee that the sexual function will atrophy in those who will be able to channel their energy no longer for reproduction but to develop their consciousness. Quite obviously, not all of us have reached that stage, and for a long time Nature will still need sexual power to pursue her evolution in the midst of the human species, that is to say, to lead the rather brute man we still are to a more conscious man, more capable of grasping the true sense of his evolution, and finally wholly capable of switching from natural to spiritual evolution. The inequality of development in individuals is the obvious reason why we cannot make general rules or hand out infallible prescriptions. To each stage its law. But after however long a time, it is equally obvious that, from the point of view of evolutionary biology, the sexual function comes to its end when it has fulfilled its purpose, that is, when it has succeeded in giving birth to a sufficiently conscious man. So we cannot reasonably base a spiritual discipline of accelerated evolution on a principle that runs counter to evolution. Moreover, anyone who has even barely crossed the difficult line, the point X of the transition from natural to spiritual evolution, cannot but realize that all the pseudo-mystic attempts to prettify the sexual relations between man and woman are shams. I have nothing against sexual relations (God knows!), but trying to coat them with a yogic or mystic phraseology is a deceitful illusion, a self-deception. Therefore, in that sense, there is no key to be recoveredit does not exist.
There is a key in the relationship between man and woman, but not in their sexual relations. The so-called left-hand Tantrics (of the Vama Marga) are to true Tantrism what Boccaccios tales are to Christianity, or what the sodden Roman Bacchus is to Dionysos of the Greek mysteries. I know Tantrism, to say the least. As for the Cathars, whom I hold in the highest esteem, it would be doing them little honor to believe that they followed a sort of yoga of sexuality. Through my own experience I have often had the feeling of reliving the Cathars experience, and I see plainly that if some of them attempted to mix sexual relations into the true relationship between man and woman, they soon realized their error. It is a dead-end road, or rather its only end is to show you that it leads you nowhere forward. The Cathars were too sincere and conscious men to persist in a burdening experience. For ultimately, and that is the crux of the matter, the sexual experience in its very nature (whether or not there is backward flow or whatever its mode) automatically fastens you again to the old animal vibrations there is nothing you can do about it: however much love you may put into it, the very function is tied to millennia of animality. It is as if you wanted to plunge into a swamp without stirring up any mudit cannot be done, the milieu is like that. And when one knows how much transparency, clarification and inner stillness it takes to slowly rise to a higher consciousness, or to allow a higher light to enter our waters without being instantly darkened, one fails to see how sexual activity can help you attain that still limpidity in which things can start happening??? The union, the oneness of two beings, the true and complete meeting of two beings does not take place at that level or through those means. That is all I can say. But I have seen that in the silent tranquillity of two beings who have the same aspiration, who have overcome the difficult transition, something quite unique slowly takes place, of which one can have no inkling as long as one is still stuck in the struggles of the flesh, to use a preachers language! I think the Cathars experience begins after that transition. After it, the man-woman couple assumes its true meaning, its effectiveness, if I may say so. Sex is only a first mode of meeting, the first device invented by Nature to break the shell of individual egosafterwards, one grows and discovers something else, not through inhibition or repression, but because something different and infinitely richer takes over. Those who are so eager to preserve sex and to mystify it in order to move on to the second stage of evolution are very much like children clinging to their scootersit isnt more serious than that. There is nothing in it to do a yoga with, nothing also to be indignant about or raise ones eyebrows at. So I have nothing to criticize, I am merely observing and putting things in their place. All depends on the stage one has reached. As for those who want to use sex for such and such a sublime or not-so-sublime reason, well, let them have their experience. As Mother told me on the very same subject no later than yesterday, To tell the truth, the Lord makes use of everything. One is always on the way towards something. One is always on the way, through any means, but what is necessary is, as much as possible, to keep ones lucidity and not to deceive oneself.
--
It is an error too to imagine that, although the physical sexual action is to be abandoned, yet some inward reproduction of it is part of the transformation of the sex-centre. The action of the animal sex-energy in Nature is a device for a particular purpose in the economy of the material creation in the Ignorance. But the vital excitement that accompanies it makes the most favourable opportunity and vibration in the atmosphere for the inrush of those very vital forces and beings whose whole business is to prevent the descent of the supramental Light. The pleasure attached to it is a degradation and not a true form of the divine Ananda. The true divine Ananda in the physical has a different quality and movement and substance; self-existent in its essence, its manifestation is dependent only on an inner union with the Divine. You have spoken of Divine Love; but Divine Love, when it touches the physical, does not awaken the gross lower vital propensities; indulgence of them would only repel it and make it withdraw again to the heights from which it is already difficult enough to draw it down into the coarseness of the material creation which it alone can transform. Seek the Divine Love through the only gate through which it will consent to enter, the gate of the psychic being, and cast away the lower vital error.8
Sri Aurobindo
0 1968-02-14, #Agenda Vol 09, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
But its very, very instructive. I mean, its not anything new to me, but its the wholly clear, precise, evident picture that its man who creates all his difficulties. Things would be simple and easy if there werent all these ego reactions: reactions of ambition, reactions of self-esteemnot to speak of deceit: when that comes (gesture underhand). Yes, these three things: ambition, with the need to show off, to dominate; self-esteem or vanity (being hurt when you arent appreciated at your true value: then you lose your temper, you quarrel, theres grating and friction); and, last, the thirst for money, greed, the desire to possess, cupidity: you want to make the most of the occasion I want to profit, I want to profit. With these three things, everything is muddled.
So long as it all comes out in the open ingenuously and frankly, you smile, but when it turns into duplicity, when people use all kinds of tricks in the hope of deceiving, of hiding their motives while pretending to have othersall that in various combinations then, it wont do anymore.
0 1968-02-28, #Agenda Vol 09, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
This transformation with the help of the mind, through self-analysis, is a first stage; afterwards, vital impulses must be transformedwhich is far more difficult; then, most of all, the physical: each cell of our body will have to become conscious. It is the work I am doing here. It will allow the conquest of death. Its another story; that will be future mankind, perhaps in centuries, perhaps sooner. It will depend on men, on peoples.
Auroville is the first step towards this goal.
0 1968-04-06, #Agenda Vol 09, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Thats why the most general formula is to say that any self-forgetfulness is contrary to life in Auroville. One doesnt go to Auroville to forget, or to forget oneselfany self-forgetfulness, in any form.
Ah, but self-forgetfulness, if you take it from a moral standpoint! (Mother laughs)
Forgetting ones true self.
0 1968-05-04, #Agenda Vol 09, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
There wasnt even one attempt of struggle or anything, nothing; quite simply (same gesture with open arms), an aspiration and self-giving.
Its not yet over, but I intended to talk about it only once it was fully over, but because of this [the question of the Popes abdication], I see it has hastened thingshastened and concentrated.
0 1968-08-07, #Agenda Vol 09, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
One needs to have a calm heart, a settled will, entire self-abnegation and the eyes constantly fixed on the beyond to live undiscouraged in times like these which are truly a period of universal decomposition.1
Sri Aurobindo
0 1968-09-25, #Agenda Vol 09, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
When I hear of a righteous wrath, I wonder at mans capacity for self-deception.
Wonderful!
There was a question: Our self-deception is always in good faith; we always act for the good of others or in the interest of humanity and to serve you, that goes without saying! How exactly do we deceive ourselves, and how can we truly know?1
Its terribly true.
0 1968-12-11, #Agenda Vol 09, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
The body is something very, very simple and very childlike, and it has that experience so imperatively, you understand, it doesnt need to seek: it just has to stop its activity for a minute and its there. So then, it wonders why people havent been aware of that since the beginning? It wonders, Why, why have they sought all kinds of thingsreligions, gods all kinds of thingswhen its so simple! So simple, for the body its so simple, so self-evident.
All those constructionsreligions, philosophies all those constructionsare a need of the mind to play the game. It wants to play the game well. While the body is so simple, so simple, so obvious! So obvious, so simple: Why, it wonders, Why, why have they been seeking all kinds of complications when its so simple? The very fact of saying, The Divine is deep within you (it remembers its own experience, you understand) is so complicated, while its so simple!
0 1969-02-19, #Agenda Vol 10, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
But more and moremore and more the body has been learning that what happens (what happens every second) is the best thing that can happen given the general condition. Its entirely convinced of that. And its content to do like this (gesture of self-abandon) and say, Let Your Will be done. Thats all. If it can do that in a very continuous and peaceful way, then things are fine. Its only when it tries to find out why and how and then things go wrong. It has to be like this (same gesture of self-abandon): Let Your Will be done. Then its all right. It doesnt ask to know, only theres the old habit.
At the critical moment (there are critical moments), at the critical moment, this surrender (its even more than surrender, its a complete abdication of everything, of its existence and everything) is filled with light and force. Thats the Response.
--
The body is very conscious of its infirmity and of the Grace. For instance, there are painful, difficult moments, but its per-fect-ly aware that its because of its incapacity to open, to give itself, to change. And a profound joy, VERY CALM, but very vastvast, you know, the cells feel a broadening. That goes on increasing little by little. Its only when theres a physical pain or something a little acute that the body is obliged to hang on, otherwise And even that comes from this idiotic spirit of self-preservation (Mother laughs) in the depths of any cellular consciousness it knows that. It knows it. Its an old habit. But all that, little by little (little by little, but in reality very fastvery fast), is changing.
All the groups of cells, all the cellular organizations have to do their not surrender, a complete self-abandon, in complete trust. Thats indispensable. For some, its the spontaneous, inevitable, constant movement; with others, it comes as soon as theres a difficulty; yet others need to be churned a little in order to learn. So then, the various functions are taken up in turn, in a marvelously logical order, following the bodys functioning. Its something marvelous, only the body is a poor thing, very poor thing thats very true.
Some even (as I have said) spontaneously repeat the mantra. Spontaneously, the mantra goes on and on being repeated, sometimes with a very great intensity; sometimes there is a sort of (do you know the English word shyness?), a shyness to invoke the Divine, so strongly That is felt. But it meltsit melts in an awareness, a conscious perception of such a Clemency! Unbelievableunbelievable, unthinkable, its so wonderful. (In its very small human manifestation, thats what has become goodness, but thats a distortion.) A marvel! The cells are in ecstasy before this vibration. But then, you see and hear this CLAMOR of protest, misery, sufferingits a clamor all over the earth, and that makes the cells feel a little ashamed.
0 1969-04-09, #Agenda Vol 10, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Its even very visible in the atmosphere: as soon as people think theyre very intelligent, its FINISHED, they completely cut themselves off from the true light. Thats it. They become self-sufficient, so (Mother laughs)
It doesnt matter, its better this way: well publish it here.
0 1969-04-23, #Agenda Vol 10, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Yes, it was someone who wrote to me I dont remember, it was about consecration. But I remember that when I answered, I looked, and I saw (what should I call it?) the curve, but its not exactly a curve. You understand, consecration, self-giving, surrender (not submission), all that still implies a separate self giving itself. And I sawin fact, I saw in the bodys experience that the body is on the verge of its just in an intermediary state, because all the parts havent exactly reached the same stage (I dont know why, but thats how it is). So I might say (but this is a simplification), I could say that overall, the bodys self-giving is total, the consecration almost total in the sense that theres everywhere an active collaboration, but with an intense aspiration, and at times a moment when it goes like this (gesture expressing a swelling in the cells). I dont know what happens, its something going on in the cells, and then theres no self-giving anymore or anything neither a consecration nor listening to the command: its a state, a state of intense vibration, with at the same time a sense of all-powerfulness, even in here (Mother pinches the skin of her hands), in this old thing, and a luminous all-powerfulness, always with this something in the line of goodness, of benevolence, but much above that (those things look like ridiculous distortions). It goes like this (same gesture of swelling), and static, that is, with the sense of eternity in the cells.
It doesnt lastit lasts for a few minutes at the most; yes, a few minutes, but it comes back. It comes back. its something COMPLETELY new for the body.
All the timeconstantly, all the timethere is the warmth, the sweetness and happiness of a complete self-giving, with an aspiration: To BE, to be You, not to exist anymore. But theres still a sense of its the joy of giving oneself. Its like that, constant. And when the consciousness isnt active, that is, when I dont speak or dont listen or automatically the body repeats the mantra like that, constantly like that; thats the constant state, day and night, continually. But now and thennow and thentheres a sort of fusion (I dont know what happens), and even that whole joyful aspiration, that whole fervor is transformed into a state which is, or seems, perfectly still, because I dont know what it is: its not stillness, not eternity I dont know, its something, a something that is Power, Light, and really a Love which doesnt give itself and does not receive; a Love which something (I use this word for lack of others), something like that, but its That, its a vibration which is That, a vibration of Power, Light and Love (those are the three words I must use to translate), which is IN this, in the body, everywhere. Everywhere. To such a point that when you leave that state, you wonder (laughing) if you still have the same shape! Thats how it is, you understand.
Its newit began two days ago.
0 1969-05-28, #Agenda Vol 10, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
But I slowly began to understand the meaning of all that had taken place. An immense gratitude rose from my heart towards the Supreme, as did an entire self-giving so that His Will may be accomplished everywhere.
I perceived the meaning of the great promise:
0 1969-05-31, #Agenda Vol 10, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
But the process to change this back into That is what I dont know The process is abdication (what word should we use?), self-giving (thats not it). But the body felt everything, everything to be so horrible. There was a very, very difficult day.2 And curiously, I knew at that time that it was the exact repetition of the experience Buddha Siddhartha had, and that it was IN this experience that he said, There is only one way out: Nirvana. And at the SAME TIME, I had the true state of consciousness: his solution and the true one. That was really interesting. How the Buddhistic solution is only ONE step taken on the pathone step. And BEYOND that (not on another path, but BEYOND that) is where the true solution lies. It was a decisive experience.
(long silence)
0 1969-08-16, #Agenda Vol 10, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
When one is assailed by the vision of this disorder and this confusion, there is only one thing to do, its to go into the consciousness in which one knows that there is only ONE Being, ONE Consciousness, ONE Powerthere is only ONE Onenessand all those things take place within this Oneness. And that all our petty vision, our petty knowledge, our petty judgments, our petty all of it is nothing, its microscopic in comparison with the Consciousness that rules over the Whole. And then, if one has in the least the sense of why separate individualities exist, maybe its only to enable aspiration the existence of aspiration, of this movement, this movement of self-giving and surrender, of trust and FAITH. The faith that there lies the raison dtre of the makeup of individuals, and the aspiration to become THAT in all ones intensity and all ones sincerity Thats the only thing needed.
Thats the only thing needed, the ONLY thing; the only thing that subsists. All the rest phantasmagoria.
0 1969-08-20, #Agenda Vol 10, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Thats the first lesson one must learn in order to do the true work: not to have any self-regard. Things must roll off you without affecting you. Thats VERY IMPORTANT.
(silence)
0 1969-09-03, #Agenda Vol 10, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
And then, I realized that there ALREADY was an atom of consciousness therea consciousness that was to become the psychic being. Thats what made her so peaceful and so self-assured. And that was to evolve into mans consciousness. Thats what was really interesting.
It was much, much bigger than a bear as we know them, but because of that [the peaceful air], all the others were around like that, they came from every side and stared with wide admiring eyes! It was really amusing.
0 1969-10-01, #Agenda Vol 10, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Thats what is remarkable in the physical, its that when the physical has learned something, it never forgets. Once the cells have learned that, learned this self-giving, this offering to the Divine, and this NEED to offer themselves, its learned, and it DOESNT BUDGE ANYMORE. Its constant, twenty-four hours a day, ceaselessly, day after day, changelessly; even when something goes wrong (you have a pain or something), the first movement is this: its to offer it, to give itspontaneously. The higher consciousness doesnt intervene, its spontaneous: its the consciousness contained in the cells.
Its the vital and the mind that are like this (zigzagging gesture), unsteady Especially the vital, which is interested in all kinds of things.
0 1969-10-18, #Agenda Vol 10, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
The only, only way out that is effective is in fact self-abandon, surrender. Its not expressed in words or idea or anything, but its a state, a state of vibration, in which ONLY the Divine Vibration has value. Then then things get back in order.
But all that, the moment you talk about it
0 1969-10-25, #Agenda Vol 10, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
The state now is such that when the body FEELS ITSELF (feels itself, that is to say, is aware of being a body), INSTANTLY theres a discomfort, whatever the condition. Even when it feels in a state of adoration or aspiration or its accompanied by discomfort. And only when theres no more awareness at all of its separate existence does it feel comfortable. So then, the normal state is silence, stillness, but (the image isnt correcthow can I explain?), you see, the Presence, its not that it flows through, but when it radiates like this (gesture), radiates through an activity, then everything is fine and theres no more at all the sensation of this [the body] through which: this through which the Divine flowsthere isnt. Its like this (immutable gesture), still and nonexistent, without any self-awareness, aware only of the Divine Action, like that. Then everything is fine. And the minute theres even a slight impression of the Thing flowing through, discomfort comes. You understand, it has become a very acute state.
See, I might say (it sounds like literature) that in a certain state, in that state in which it no longer feels itself and only the awareness of the Divine remains, theres the sense of an Immortality, of Eternity; and if theres the least sensation of something in which the Divine manifests, it absolutely becomes the sense of deathyou instantly become mortal again. And acute, you know, acute like that. But then, its very subtle, because the sensation (sensation or perception or feeling) of I has completely disappeared, all the time, all the timereally so, completely; its the something, the something which is still a little different, and that becomes terribly painful the body is perfectly at case only when it no longer feels itself.
0 1969-11-12, #Agenda Vol 10, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Its interesting because, I remember, I had already been doing the yoga; I already had an experience greater than most people have when I had that difficulty with the nerves (it was in 1915), I remember how it was and how I held out. And it has come back after 1915 and now its 1969, that is to say more than fifty years later. And I really felt the difference in my body, really. The first day it came (I should tell you that its one of the pains regarded as hardest to bear), when it came, the only there was nothing but, Ah, You. Thats all. Like that. And clinging like this (same gesture with clenched fists), not moving anymore. Those are pains that prevent you from breathing, prevent you from moving; theyre extreme, all the nerves go awry; well, before, I knew, I would call, but I was somehow (at least partly) identified with the pain, whereas this time, the reaction wasnt one of suffering the suffering was there, but no reaction of oh, what might be expressed as that wonderful self-pity people always have. Well, that was completely gone, there was only, Ah! You, You, You, You, You And there was a pressure on the person who was therewho by the way wasnt aware of anything, neither the other day nor yesterday (the first time, it was a woman; yesterday it was a man): they didnt notice anything.
But I said to myself, Well, well, things are getting serious! The vital world has started rebelling.
0 1969-11-19, #Agenda Vol 10, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
I had already had, partially, the experience that when you are in that state of inner harmony and nothing, no part of your attention is turned to the body, the body functions perfectly well. Its this self-concentration that upsets everything. That Ive observed many, many times. You really MAKE YOURSELF sick. Its narrowness of consciousness, its division. When you let things work on their own, theres theres EVERYWHERE a Consciousness and a Grace that do EVERYTHING so that EVERYTHING may go smoothly, and that imbecility is what constantly upsets everythingoddly enough! self-centered imbecility, thats right: what Sri Aurobindo called the old man.
Its really interesting.
0 1969-12-17, #Agenda Vol 10, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
LOVE is self-giving without asking for anything in exchange.
I repeat, its not at all on this plane (gesture below), because it was the exact definition of divine Love as it acts.
0 1969-12-20, #Agenda Vol 10, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
It has reached the point where all the things that are accepted and obvious (from a very young age one is accustomed to things taking place just like that) have become absolutely unreal and fantastic! All the things that are beyond arguing, that are self-evidentunreal and fantastic. At times, it wonders how, how a gesture can be made? You understand, the whole functioning, all, all of it is called into question.
So one must take care that things dont go too far (Mother, laughing, makes a gesture of tipping over).
0 1970-02-07, #Agenda Vol 11, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
So Id really like to know what was in the minds of those boys who went away? Whether they knew, whether they were boys with a spiritual life or? Because, of course, the first stage once one knows that if one knew that death really isnt such a total difference as people think, if they knew what it really is without having the inner realization of self-giving, all those who felt hurt would say, Im going!
All at once I understood that, and I said to myself its an infinite Wisdom again, an infinite Grace that man does not knowdoes not know what death is, he thinks its the end.
0 1970-03-18, #Agenda Vol 11, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
402It should take long for self-cure to replace medicine, because of the fear, self-distrust and unnatural physical reliance on drugs which Medical Science has taught to our minds and bodies and made our second nature.
In fact, very often the answer comes to me in English because it comes to me from Sri Aurobindo. When I read, I listen, and then he speaks. And then I am the one who translates while writing! I translate into French. But I could write it in English at the same time.
0 1970-04-22, #Agenda Vol 11, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
One of the things hardest to bear is obviously self-righteous indignation. You know, people tell me whats going on (everyone tells me some story), and the vibrations hardest to bear, those that cause a (gesture of unpleasant friction) are those of self-righteous indignation.
Now, I have to say one thing: when people come to see me (people whom I dont know, not those I see all the time), all those visitors, its the best part of them that comes out. Several times I had contacts with people and the impression that something can be done, that they have a receptivity and afterwards, those people misbehave, they cause disorder or trouble for others! But when they are in front of me, theyre not the same. They feel it, they feel its something else becoming active. But its the Presence that compels; then they go away, and they behave very badly, they quarrel, they Its very difficult!
0 1970-05-13, #Agenda Vol 11, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Generally, it comes like that, that discomfort I mentioned; so, immediately, the body surrenderssurrenders as if saying (it doesnt say, but anyway its as if): If its death, well, may Your Will be done. You understand, total surrender. So then, when the surrender is (if its more or less effective, I dont know), sometimes a clarity comes, an understanding, a self-EVIDENCE of everythinga truly remarkable state. But it doesnt last. The least thing disrupts it.
(long silence)
0 1970-07-18, #Agenda Vol 11, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
It is rather a crude statement of a fact. The Mother in order to do her work had to take all the Sadhaks inside her personal being and consciousness; thus personally (not merely impersonally) taken inside, all the disturbances and difficulties in them including illnesses could throw themselves upon her in a way that could not have happened if she had not renounced the self-protection of separateness. Not only illnesses of others could translate themselves into attacks on her bodythese she could generally throw off as soon as she knew from what quarter and why it came but their inner difficulties, revolts, outbursts of anger and hatred against her could have the same and a worse effect.
Thats still true. With some people, as soon as they come, Ill suddenly feel a disorder, or Ill start coughing, or Then when I look, I see why. When I see why, I can keep the thing at a distance. Its curious.
--
Not only that, you feel its a power IN ITSELF, quite independent of anything, like a self-existent entity.
Yes.
0 1971-03-10, #Agenda Vol 12, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
As there is a category of facts to which our senses are our best available but very imperfect guides, as there is a category of truths which we seek by the keen but still imperfect light of our reason, so according to the mystic, there is a category of more subtle truths which surpass the reach both of the senses and the reason but can be ascertained by an inner direct knowledge and direct experience. These truths are supersensuous, but not the less real for that: they have immense results upon the consciousness changing its substance and movement, bringing especially deep peace and abiding joy, a great light of vision and knowledge, a possibility of the overcoming of the lower animal nature, vistas of a spiritual self-development which without them do not exist. A new outlook on things arises which brings with it, if fully pursued into its consequences, a great liberation, inner harmony, unificationmany other possibilities besides. These things have been experienced, it is true, by a small minority of the human race, but still there has been a host of independent witnesses to them in all times, climes and conditions and numbered among them are some of the greatest intelligences of the past, some of the worlds most remarkable figures. Must these possibilities be immediately condemned as chimeras because they are not only beyond the average man in the street but also not easily seizable even by many cultivated intellects or because their method is more difficult than that of the ordinary sense or reason? If there is any truth in them, is not this possibility opened by them worth pursuing as disclosing a highest range of self-discovery and world discovery by the human soul? At its best, taken as true, it must be thatat its lowest taken as only a possibility, as all things attained by man have been only a possibility in their earlier stages, it is a great and may well be a most fruitful adventure.
Sri Aurobindo
0 1971-03-17, #Agenda Vol 12, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Oh, but its terrible, Mother! One gets the impression of a self-sufficient power that listens to nothing, over which one has no control, which scoffs at everything, which is only oriented towards destructivenessbecause it is really a power of destruction and it scoffs at everything: nothing matters. Its something in the depths of the being that is ready to do anythingto kill, to anything.
(Mother nods her head)
And it is a self-sufficient power: you can talk to it, you can threaten it, you can warn it: If you do that, this will happen to youit absolutely doesnt care.
(Mother nods her head)
0 1971-04-17, #Agenda Vol 12, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Until the year of grace 1969 [the descent of the New Consciousness], all philosophies, all religions, all isms, all spiritual paths were only the refined products of the mental circle [according to Supermanhood]. All experiences were merely on the higher planes of the mind. Those peaks of the Spirit are but self-paroxysms, p. 61; we must cleanse ourselves of the wisdoms of the past, the ascents of the past, the illuminations of the past and the whole racket of the old sanctities of the Spirit, p. 29, etc. In other words, everything that took place before 1969 is a sublimation of the old flesh, p. 28. It is quite clear. Some have touched the Secret: the Rishis, the Egyptians the reader understands that they had the intuition of it but not the experience. The same applies to Sri Aurobindo, who announced it, but his yoga extended the refinement of the mental bubble; the reader thus understands that he did not know about the key to the yoga of the superman and was merely satisfied in teaching the integral yoga.
The misconception of this enthusiastic reader is like a demonstration in reverse of precisely what the orthodox reproached Supermanhood for, i.e., of having betrayed Sri Aurobindo. Behind this so-called schism were hidden, on the one hand, those who wanted to separate Mother and Sri Aurobindo and found it more comfortable to philosophize than to do the yoga concretely, and on the other hand, those who wanted conveniently to dispense with all spiritual disciplines and live according to their fancy. Two poles of the same misconception. Here then is the letter Satprem sent in response to this enthusiastic reader:
0 1971-06-23, #Agenda Vol 12, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
There are only two possible foundations for the material life here. One is that one is a member of an Ashram founded on the principle of self-giving and surrender. One belongs to the Divine and all one has belongs to the Divine; in giving one gives not what is ones own but what already belongs to the Divine. There is no question of payment or return, no bargain, no room for demand and desire. The Mother is in sole charge and arranges things as best they can be arranged within the means at her disposal and the capacities of her instruments. She is under no obligation to act according to the mental standards or vital desires and claims of the Sadhaks; she is not obliged to use a democratic equality in her dealings with them. She is free to deal with each according to what she sees to be his true need or what is best for him in his spiritual progress. No one can be her judge or impose on her his own rule and standard; she alone can make rules, and she can depart from them too if she thinks fit, but no one can demand that she shall do so. Personal demands and desires cannot be imposed on her. If anyone has what he finds to be a real need or a suggestion to make which is within the province assigned to him, he can do so; but if she gives no sanction, he must remain satisfied and drop the matter. This is the spiritual discipline of which the one who represents or embodies the Divine Truth is the centre. Either she is that and all this is the plain common sense of the matter; or she is not and then no one need stay here. Each can go his own way and there is no Ashram and no Yoga.
April 11, 1930
0 1971-07-14, #Agenda Vol 12, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
The whole earth is now under one law and answers to the same vibrations and I am sceptical of finding any place where the clash of the struggle will not pursue us. In any case, an effective retirement does not seem to be my destiny. I must remain in touch with the world until I have either mastered adverse circumstances or succumbed or carried on the struggle between the spiritual and physical so far as I am destined to carry it on. This is how I have always seen things and still see them. As for failure, difficulty and apparent impossibility I am too much habituated to them to be much impressed by their constant self-presentation except for passing moments.
One needs to have a calm heart, a settled will, entire self-abnegation and the eyes constantly fixed on the beyond to live undiscouraged in times like these which are truly a period of universal decomposition. For myself, I follow the Voice and look neither to right nor to the left of me. The result is not mine and hardly at all now even the labour.
***
0 1971-07-17, #Agenda Vol 12, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Somewhere Sri Aurobindo wrote that when you touched the Divine Consciousness, it suddenly gave you the sense of how laughable the world is in its self-conceitmens self-conceit. But even (Ive had contact with animals), even in animals it begins. Vanity, vanity, vanity, vanity.
Indeed, theres really nothing to brag about.
0 1971-10-20, #Agenda Vol 12, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Because I know this very well, I am content to work still on the spiritual and psychic plane, preparing there the ideas and forces, which may afterwards at the right moment and under the right conditions precipitate themselves into the vital and material field, and I have been careful not to make any public pronouncement as that might prejudice my possibilities of future action. What that will be will depend on developments. The present trend of politics may end in abortive unrest, but it may also stumble with the aid of external circumstances into some kind of simulacrum of self-government. In either case the whole real work will remain to be done. I wish to keep myself free for it in either case.
Aurobindo
0 1971-12-13, #Agenda Vol 12, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Communications from the psychic do not come in a mental form. They are not ideas or reasonings. They have their own character quite distinct from the mind, something like a feeling with a self-contained meaning and influence.
By its very nature, the psychic is calm, quiet and luminous, understanding and generous, wide and progressive, it is forever striving for understanding and progress.
0 1972-01-15, #Agenda Vol 13, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Besides, I see the other one more and more distinctly. And I find it has a totally self-contained and independent existence .
Aah!
0 1972-03-29a, #Agenda Vol 13, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
I call on you rather than any other contemporary writer because I think your works embody the very anguish of the West, an anguish I have bitterly experienced all the way to the German concentration camps at the age of twenty, and then in a long and uneasy wandering around the world. Insofar as I have always turned to you, daring and searching with each of your characters what surpasses man, I am again turning to you because I have a feeling that, more than anyone else, you can understand Sri Aurobindos message and perhaps draw a new impetus from it. I am also thinking of a whole generation of young people who expect much from you: more than an ideal of pure heroism, which only opens the doors (as does all self-offering) on another realm of man we have yet to explore, and more than a fascination with death, which also is only a means and not an end, although its brutal nakedness can sometimes open a luminous breach in the bodily prisonwhere we seem to have been immured alive and we emerge into a new dimension of our being. For we tend too often to forget that it is for living that your heroes think so constantly of death; also I think that the young people I mentioned want the truth of Tchen and Katow, the truth of Hernandez, Perken and Moreno [characters in Malrauxs novels] beyond their death.
It may seem strange to speak of you in an Indian Ashram that one would consider far removed from the world and the agonizing problems and struggles of the Human Condition, but as a matter of fact Sri Aurobindos Ashram is concerned with this earthly life; it wants to transform it instead of fleeing it as all traditional Indian and Western religions do, forever proclaiming that His kingdom is not of this world. Knowing that there exists a fundamental reality beyond man, religions have focussed on that other realm to find the key to man just as your heroes focus on their death to discover the fundamental reality that will be able to stand in the face of death. But religion has not justified this life, except as a transition toward a Beyond which is supposedly the supreme goal; and your heroesthough so close to lifes throbbing heart that at times it seems to explode and reveal its poignant secretfinally plunge into death, as if to free themselves from an Absolute they cannot live in the flesh.
0 1972-07-19, #Agenda Vol 13, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Thats obvious. self-evident!
Well, yes, self-evident, but. To continue:
A yearly statement of the sales must be sent to him at the end of each year, and meanwhile a statement from the beginning up to date.
0 1973-02-18, #Agenda Vol 13, #The Mother, #Integral Yoga
Turn it into an art! An art for cultivating calm, skill and self-control. Theres no need to cry out indignantly as Gandhi would. Its useless, useless, absolutely useless I am not at all in favor of it! One should master the means of self-defense, and one should cultivate them in order to do so.
Above all, make them understand that moral violence is just as bad as physical violence. It can even be worse, that is, at least physical violence forces you to become strong and control yourself, whereas moral violence is. You may be like this [apparently quiet] and harbor the worst moral violence in yourself.
02.01 - A Vedic Story, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 02, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
III) O Agni! god self-conscient, we seek you, you who have entered variably into the waters and into the growths of the earth. You shine richly. Yam a has seen you as you flame out of your ten seats.
Agni
02.01 - Our Ideal, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 03, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
Now to the first question. It is usually contended that the ideal is an impossibility, a chimera, since it involves on the face of it a self-contradiction. For, is not divinity the very opposite of humanity, immortality that of mortality and Matter that of the Spirit? These pairs, all of them, are formed of two mutually exclusive terms. This is what Mayavada posits. But need it be necessarily and inevitably so? What is affirmed is after all a postulate and one can start from other postulates as well. The truth, of course, is that all theories or views of existence are centrally formulations of an experience; and each experience has its own postulate.
To begin with, we refuse to admit or recognise that there is or is bound to be a contradiction or opposition between Matter and Spirit, between body and soul or between the human and the divine. We start with an experience, a realisation which declares the essential unity and identity of the duality. That is the thing that has to be posited first clear and nett. The question next arises how the two are one and identical; this demands some clarification. For, is it meant that they are one and the same in the sense that Zeus and Jupiter are the same or that water and H2O are the same? Apart from any barren theorising, is it not a universal and eternal and invariable experience that to attain to the Divine one must leave behind the human, to become the immortal one must cease to be a mortal and to live in the Spirit one has to deny Matter? The real answer, however, is that it is so and it is not so. The dilemma is not so trenchant as it has been made out to be.
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Thus the spiritualisation of Matter becomes possible simply because Matter and Spirit are not absolutely different, contradictory or incommensurable entities; they are one and the same reality, in different modeseven as water or water vapour and ice are in substance one and identical, although different in appearance. Spirit has become Matter and Matter at heart is Spirit. Spirit is latent in Matter, as Matter itself is a possible formulation involved in Spirit. Matter has come out of Spirit as Spirit pressed upon itself and gradually condensed and consolidated into the concrete material reality. Spirit has become Matter by a process of crystallisation, of self-limitation and exclusive concentration. The movement follows a definite line of self-modification, along a downward gradient till it is consummated: it is one among an infinite variety of possible self-modifications, chosen and exclusively developed with a special purpose and a definite fulfilment In view.
A movement of involution through a series of termsof consciousnessof gradually diminishing facial value has made the Spirit terminate in Matter. If it is so, it stands to reason that a movement of evolution, a return journey would make Matter culminate in Spirit. Thus the very fact of Spirit having become Matter, of Matter being a mode of the Spirit, at once creates the possibility of Matter being transmuted into Spirit. Now even granting such a possibility, it may be argued yet that the thing achieved is a resolution of Matter into Spirit; it means the destruction of the characteristic form and consistency that is called Matter. We know, thanks to modern Science, that Matter can be transmuted into pure energy, but then it loses its materiality, it is dematerialised.
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Such a movement of transforming evolution is not merely a possibility or a probability: it is a fact of Nature. Indeed, natural evolution means nothing less than that. First of all, evolution means the reversibility of Nature; for, it is the backward movement of an involutionary process. We have said that the supreme truth and realitysat-cit-ananda, as it is calledmultiplied and concretised itself gradually through various steps and stages of a diminishing power of expression or an increasing entropy of self-concealment: the main grades being the Supermind, the Overmind, the Higher Mind, the Mind, Life and lastly the body or Matter. Having arrived at the extreme end that Matter represents,the farthest apparently from the original source, the movement turns round and seeks to go up the ladder through the same gradations it has traversed. But this process of reversal is not merely a resolution and dissolution, it is a process of greater fulfilment and synthetisation, of sublimation as well as of integration.
Matter is the starting-point of evolution, it is there merely a physico-chemical entity. But it undergoes a change, the first of its kind, a transmutation when it is taken up by life, when it becomes the basis and receptacle of a living organism: vitalised Matter behaves differently from physico-chemical Matter. A farther and greater change is brought about in Matter when it is raised still higher and taken up by the mind, when it answers to the vibrations of a mental organism: mentalised Matter has yet a third norm of behaviour. The' transformation of Matter in slow degrees towards a greater plasticity and spontaneity, a growing sentiency and luminosity is evident as one proceeds up the rungs of natural evolution.
02.01 - The World-Stair, #Savitri, #Sri Aurobindo, #Integral Yoga
A self-creation without end or pause
Revealed the grandeurs of the Infinite:
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There lived out in their self-born atmosphere,
They resumed their topless pitch and native power;
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His self-discovery's flaming witnesses,
Offering their marvel and their multitude.
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The Idea self-luminous key to all ideas,
The integer of the Spirit's perfect sum
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Out of our long self-loss in Nature's deeps;
Planted on earth it holds in it all realms:
02.01 - The World War, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 01, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
When man was a dweller of the forest,a jungle man,akin to his forbear the ape, his character was wild and savage, his motives and impulsions crude, violent, egoistic, almost wholly imbedded in, what we call, the lower vital level; the light of the higher intellect and intelligence had not entered into them. Today there is an uprush of similar forces to possess and throw man back to a similar condition. This new order asks only one thing of man, namely, to be strong and powerful, that is to say, fierce, ruthless, cruel and regimented. Regimentation can be said to be the very characteristic of the order, the regimentation of a pack of wild dogs or wolves. A particular country, nation or raceit is Germany in Europe and, in her wake, Japan in Asiais to be the sovereign nation or master race (Herrenvolk); the rest of mankindo ther countries and peoplesshould be pushed back to the status of servants and slaves, mere hewers of wood and drawers of water. What the helots were in ancient times, what the serfs were in the mediaeval ages, and what the subject peoples were under the worst forms of modern imperialism, even so will be the entire mankind under the new overlordship, or something still worse. For whatever might have been the external conditions in those ages and systems, the upward aspirations of man were never doubted or questioned they were fully respected and honoured. The New Order has pulled all that down and cast them to the winds. Furthermore in the new regime, it is not merely the slaves that suffer in a degraded condition, the masters also, as individuals, fare no better. The individual here has no respect, no freedom or personal value. This society or community of the masters even will be like a bee-hive or an ant-hill; the individuals are merely functional units, they are but screws and bolts and nuts and wheels in a huge relentless machinery. The higher and inner realities, the spontaneous inspirations and self-creations of a free soulart, poetry, literaturesweetness and light the good and the beautifulare to be banished for ever; they are to be regarded as things of luxury which enervate the heart, diminish the life-force, distort Nature's own virility. Man perhaps would be the worshipper of Science, but of that Science which brings a tyrannical mastery over material Nature, which serves to pile up tools and instruments, arms and armaments, in order to ensure a dire efficiency and a grim order in practical life.
Those that have stood against this Dark Force and its over-shadowing menaceeven though perhaps not wholly by choice or free-will, but mostly compelled by circumstancesyet, because of the stand they have taken, now bear the fate of the world on their shoulders, carry the whole future of humanity in their march. It is of course agreed that to have stood against the Asura does not mean that one has become sura, divine or godlike; but to be able to remain human, human instruments of the Divine, however frail, is sufficient for the purpose, that ensures safety from the great calamity. The rule of life of the Asura implies the end of progress, the arrest of all evolution; it means even a reversal for man. The Asura is a fixed type of being. He does not change, his is a hardened mould, a settled immutable form of a particular consciousness, a definite pattern of qualities and activitiesgunakarma. Asura-nature means a fundamental ego-centricism, violent and concentrated self-will. Change is possible for the human being; he can go downward, but he can move upward too, if he chooses. In the Puranas a distinction has been made between the domain of enjoyment and the domain of action. Man is the domain of action par excellence; by him and through him evolve new and fresh lines of activity and impulsion. The domain of enjoyment, on the other hand, is where we reap the fruits of our past Karma; it is the result of an accumulated drive of all that we have done, of all the movements we have initiated and carried out. It is a status of being where there is only enjoyment, not of becoming where there can be development and new creation. It is a condition of gestation, as it were; there is no new Karma, no initiative or change in the stuff of the consciousness. The Asuras are bhogamaya purusha, beings of enjoyment; their domain is a cumulus of enjoyings. They cannot strike out a fresh line of activity, put forth a new mode of energy that can work out a growth or transformation of nature. Their consciousness is an immutable entity. The Asuras do not mend, they can only end. Man can certainly acquire or imbibe Asuric force or Asura-like qualities and impulsions; externally he can often act very much like the Asura; and yet there is a difference. Along with the dross that soils and obscures human nature, there is something more, a clarity that opens to a higher light, an inner core of noble metal which does not submit to any inferior influence. There is this something More in man which always inspires and enables him to break away from the Asuric nature. Moreover, though there may be an outer resemblance between the Asuric qualities of man and the Asuric qualities of the Asura, there is an intrinsic different, a difference in tone and temper, in rhythm and vibration, proceeding as they do, from different sources. However cruel, hard, selfish, egocentric man may be, he knows, he admitsat times, if hot always, at heart, if not openly, subconsciously, if not wholly consciously that such is not the ideal way, that these qualities are not qualifications, they are unworthy elements and have to be discarded. But the Asura is ruthless, because he regards ruthlessness as the right thing, as the perfect thing, it is an integral part of his swabhava and swadharma, his law of being and his highest good. Violence is the ornament of his character.
The outrages committed by Spain in America, the oppression of the Christians by Imperial Rome, the brutal treatment of Christians by Christians themselves (the inquisition, that is to say) or the misdeeds of Imperialists generally were wrong and, in many cases, even inhuman and unpardonable. But when we compare with what Nazi Germany has done in Poland or wants to do throughout the world, we find that there is a difference between the two not only in degree, but in kind.One is an instance of the weakness of man, of his flesh being frail; the other illustrates the might of the Asura, his very spirit is unwilling. One is undivine; the other antidivine, positively hostile. They who cannot discern this difference are colour-blind: there are eyes to which all deeper shades of colour are black and all lighter shades white.
02.02 - Lines of the Descent of Consciousness, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 03, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
The absolute in its triple or triune status (not in its supreme being but as we see it prior to manifestation) is in essence and principle an infinity and unity. Indeed, it is the infinite unity, and its fundamental character is a supreme and utter equalitysamam brahma. It is then a status or statis, that is to say, a state of perfectly stable equilibrium in which there is no movement of difference or distinction, no ripple of high and low or ebb and flow, no mark of quantity or quality. It is a stilled sea of self-identity, a vast limitless or pure consciousness brooding in trance and immobility. And yet in the bosom of this ineffable and inviolable equality, in the very hush and lull there lies secreted an urge, a pressure, a possibility towards activity, variation and even an eventual inequality. For the presence and possibility of dynamism is posited by the very infinity of the Infinite, since without it, the Infinite would be incapable of motion, expression and fulfilment of its Force.
There is thus inherent in the vast inalienable equality of the absolute Reality, a Force which can bring out centres of pressure, nuclei of dynamism, nodes of modulation. It is precisely round these centres of precipitation that the original and basic unity crystallises itself and weaves a pattern of harmonious multiplicity. Consciousness, by self-pressure,tapas taptv turns its even and undifferentiated pristine equanimity into ripples and swirls, eddies and vortices of delight, matrices of creative activity. Thus the One becomes Many by a process of self-concentration and self-limitation.
At the very outset when and where the Many has come out into manifestation in the Onehere also it must be remembered that we are using a temporal figure in respect of an extra-temporal factthere and then is formed a characteristic range of reality which is a perfect equation of the one and the many: that is to say, the one in becoming many still remains the same immaculate one in and through the many, and likewise the many in spite of its manifoldnessand because of the special quality of the manifoldnessstill continues to be the one in the uttermost degree. It is the world of fundamental realities. Sri Aurobindo names it the Supermind or Gnosis. It is something higher than but distantly akin to Plato's world of Ideas or Noumena (ideai, nooumena) or to what Plotinus calls the first divine emanation (nous). These archetypal realities are realities of the Spirit, Idea-forces, truth-energies, the root consciousness-forms, ta cit, in Vedic terminology. They are seed-truths, the original mother-truths in the Divine Consciousness. They comprise the fundamental essential many aspects and formulations of an infinite Infinity. At this stage these do not come into clash or conflict, for here each contains all and the All contains each one in absolute unity and essential identity. Each individual formation is united with and partakes of the nature of the one supreme Reality. Although difference is born here, separation is not yet come. Variety is there, but not discord, individuality is there, not egoism. This is the first step of Descent, the earliest one-not, we must remind ourselves again, historically but psychologically and logically the descent of the Transcendent into the Cosmic as the vast and varied Supermindcitra praketo ajania vibhw of the Absolute into the relational manifestation as Vidysakti (Gnosis).
The next steps, farther down or away, arrive when the drive towards differentiation and multiplication gathers momentum becomes accentuated, and separation and isolation increase in degree and emphasis. The lines of individuation fall more and more apart from each other, tending to form closed circles, each confining more and more exclusively to itself, stressing its own particular and special value and function, in contradistinction to or even against other lines. Thus the descent or fall from the Supermind leads, in the first instance, to the creation or appearance of the Overmind. It is the level of consciousness where the perfect balance of the One and the Many is disturbed and the emphasis begins to be laid on the many. The source of incompatibility between the two just starts here as if Many is notOne and One is not Many. It is the beginning of Ignorance, Avidya, Maya. Still in the higher hemisphere of the Overmind, the sense of unity is yet maintained, although there is no longer the sense of absolute identity of the two; they are experienced as complementaries, both form a harmony, a harmony as of different and distinct but conjoint notes. The Many has come forward, yet the unity is also there supporting it-the unity is an immanent godhead, controlling the patent reality of the Many. It is in the lower hemisphere of the Overmind that unity is thrown into the background half-submerged, flickering, and the principle of multiplicity comes forward with all insistence. Division and rivalry are the characteristic marks of its organisation. Yet the unity does not disappear altogether, only it remains very much inactive, like a sleeping partner. It is not directly perceived and envisaged, not immediately felt but is evoked as reminiscence. The Supermind, then, is the first crystallisation of the Infinite into individual centres, in the Overmind these centres at the outset become more exclusively individualised and then jealously self-centred.
The next step of Descent is the Mind where the original unity and identity and harmony are disrupted to a yet greater degree, almost completely. The self-delimitation of consciousness which is proper to the Supermind and even to the Overmind, at least in its higher domainsgives way to self-limitation, to intolerant egoism and solipsism. The consciousness withdraws from its high and wide sweep, narrows down to introvert orbits. The sense of unity in the mind is, at most, a thing of idealism and imagination; it is an abstract notion, a supposition and a deduction. Here we enter into the very arcana of Maya, the rightful possession of Ignorance. The individualities here have become totally isolated and independent and mutually conflicting lines of movement. Hence the natural incapacity of mind, as it is said, to comprehend more than one object simultaneously. The Super mind and, less absolutely, the Overmind have a global and integral outlook: they can take in each one in its purview all at once the total assemblage of things, they differentiate but do not divide the Supermind not at all, the Overmind not categorically. The Mind has not this synthetic view, it proceeds analytically. It observes its object by division, taking the parts piecemeal, dismantling them, separating them, and attending to each one at a time. And when it observes it fixes itself on one point, withdrawing its attention from all the rest. If it bas to arrive at a synthesis, it can only do so by collating, aggregating and summing. Mental consciousness is thus narrowly one pointed: and in narrowing itself, being farther away from the source it becomes obscurer, more and more outward gazing (parci khni) and superficial. The One Absolute in its downward march towards multiplicity, fragmentation and partiality loses also gradually its subtlety, its suppleness, its refinement, becomes more and more obtuse, crude, rigid and dense.
Between the Overmind and the Mind proper, varying according to the degree of immixture of the two, according to the degree of descent and of emergence of one and the other respectively, there are several levels of consciousness of which three main ones have been named and described by Sri Aurobindo. The first one nearest to the Overmind and the least contaminated by the Mind is pure Intuition; next, the intermediary one is called the Illumined Mind, and last comes the Higher Mind. They are all powers of the Overmind functioning in the Mind. The higher ranges are always more direct, intense, synthetic, dynamic than the lower ones where consciousness is slower, duller, more uncertain, more disintegrated. The lower the consciousness descends the more veiled it becomes, losing more and more the directness, the sureness, the intensity and force and the synthetic unity native to the highest ranges of our consciousness and being.
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Here also in the vital three ranges can be distinguished the lower becoming more and more turbid and turbulent and fierce or more and more self-centred and selfish. These levels can best be seen by their impact on our vital being and formations there. The first, the highest one, the meeting or confluence of the Mind and the Vital is the Heart, the centre of emotion, the knot of the external or instrumental vehicle, of the frontal consciousness, behind which is born and hides the true individualised consciousness, the psyche. The mid-region is the Higher Vital consisting of larger (egoistic) dynamisms, such as high ambition, great enterprise, heroic courage, capacity for work, adventure, masterfulness, also such movements as sweeping violences, mighty hungers, and intense arrogances. The physical seat of this movement is, as perhaps the Tantras would say, the domain ranging between the heart and the navel. Lower down ranges the Lower Vital which consists of small desires, petty hankerings, blind cravingsall urges and impulses that are more or less linked up with the body and move to gross physical satisfactions.
But always the Consciousness is driving towards a yet greater disintegration and fragmentation, obscuration and condensation of self-oblivion. The last step in the process of transmutation or involution is Matter where consciousness has wiped itself out or buried itself within so completely and thoroughly that it has become in its outward form totally dark, dense, hard, pulverised into mutually exclusive grains. The supreme luminous Will of Consciousness in its gradual descent and self obliteration finally ends in a rigid process of mere mechanised drive.
This is, so far then, the original and primal line of descent. It is the line down which the absolute Reality, the absolute Consciousness and the absolute Delight have turned into unreality and unconsciousness and un delight. But it is not all loss and debit. There is a credit side too. For it is only in this way, viz, by the manifestation of utter Ignorance, that the supreme Absolute has become concrete, the Formless has entered into form, the Bodiless has found a body: what was originally an indeterminate equal Infinity of pure consciousness, has become determinate and dynamic in the individual multiplicity of corporeal consciousness. What is the sense in all that, what is the gain or upshot? We shall presently see.
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Now this imprisoned consciousness in Matter forces Matter to be conscious again when driven on the upward gradient. This tension creates a fire, as it were, in the heart of Matter, a mighty combustion and whorl in the core of things, of which the blazing sun is an image and a symbol. All this pressure and heat and concussion and explosion mean a mighty struggle in Matter to give birth to that which is within. Consciousness that is latent must be made patent; it must reveal itself in Matter and through Matter, making Matter its vehicle and embodiment. This is the mystery of the birth of Life, the first sprouting of consciousness in Matter. Life is half-awakened consciousness, consciousness yet in a dream state. Its earliest and most rudimentary manifestation is embodied in the plant or vegetable world. The submerged consciousness strives to come still further up, to express itself to a greater degree and in a clearer mode, to become more free and plastic in its movements; hence the appearance of the animal as the next higher formulation. Here consciousness delivers itself as a psyche, a rudimentary one, no doubt, a being of feeling and sensation, and elementary mentality playing in a field of vitalised Matter. Even then it is not satisfied with itself, it asks for a still more free and clear articulation: it is not satisfied, for it has not yet found its own level. Hence after the animal, arrives man with a full-fledged Mind, with intelligence and self-consciousness and capacity for self-determination.
Thus we see that evolution, the unfolding of consciousness follows exactly the line of its involution, only the other way round: the mounting consciousness re-ascends step by step the same gradient, retraces the same path along which it had descended. The descending steps are broadly speaking (I) Existence-Consciousness-Bliss, (2) Supermind and its secondary form Overmind, (3) Mind(i) mind proper and (ii) the intermediary psyche, (4) Life, (5) Matter. The ascending consciousness starting from Matter rises into Life, passes on through Life and Psyche into Mind, driving towards the Supermind and Sachchidananda. At the present stage of evolution, consciousness has arrived at the higher levels of Mind; it is now striving to cross it altogether and enter the Overmind and the Supermind. It will not rest content until it arrives at the organisation in and through the Supermind: for that is the drive and purpose of Nature in the next cycle of evolution.
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This, then, is the nature of creation and its process. First, there is an Involution, a gradual foreshorteninga disintegration and concretisation, an exclusive concentration and self-oblivion of consciousness by which the various levels of diminishing consciousness are brought forth from the plenary light of the one supreme Spirit, all the levels down to the complete eclipse in the unconsciousness of the multiple and disintegrate Matter. Next, there is an Evolution, that is to say, embodiment in Matter of all these successive states, appearing one by one from the down most to the topmost; Matter incarnates, all other states contri bute to the incarnation and uphold it, the higher always transforming the lower in a new degree of consciousness.
Creation, the universe in its activity, is thus not simply a meaningless play, a pointless fancy. It has a purpose, an end, a goal, a fulfilment, and it follows naturally a definite pattern of process. The goal is the concretisation, the materialisation (which includes, of course, vitalisation and mentalisation) of the Spirit and the spiritual values. It means the establishment of divine names and forms in terrestrial individuals leading a divine life, individually and collectively here below.
--
Next is the domain of the Supermind with which the manifestation of the Divine starts. We have said it is the world of typal realities, of the first seed-realities, where the One and the Many are united and fused in each other, where the absolute unity of the Supreme maintains itself in undiminished magnitude and expresses and formulates itself perfectly in and through the original multiplicity. Here take birth the first personalities, absolute truth-forms of the Divine. Here are the highest gods, the direct formations of the Divine himself. Here are the Four Powers and Personalities of swara whom Sri Aurobindo has named after the Vaishnava terminology: (i) Mahavira, embodying the Brahmin quality of Knowledge and Light and wide Consciousness, (ii) Balarama, embodying the Kshatriya quality of Force and intense dynamism, (iii) Pradyumna, embodying the quality of love and beauty the Vaishya virtue of mutuality and harmony and solidarity, and (iv) Aniruddha, embodying the Sudra quality of competent service, of organisation and execution in detail. Corresponding with these Four there are the other Four Powers and Personalities of the Divine Mother war (i) Maheshwari, (ii) Mahakali, (iii) Mahalakshmi and (iv) Mahasaraswati. Next in the downward gradient comes the Overmind where the individualised powers and personalities of the Divine tend to become self-sufficient and self-regarding; their absolute unity is loosened and the lines of multiplicity begin to be more independent of each other, each aiming at a special fulfilment of its own. Still the veil that is being drawn over the unity is yet transparent which continues to be sufficiently dynamic. This is the abode of the gods, the true and high gods: it is these that the Vedic Rishis appear to have envisaged and sought after. The all gods (vive dev) were indeed acknowledged to be but different names and forms of one supreme godhead (dev) it is the one god, says Rishi Dirghatamas, who is called multifariously whether as Agni or Yam a or Matariswan; it is the one god, again, who is described as having a thousand heads and a thousand feet. And yet they are separate entities, each has his own distinct and distinctive character and attribute, each demands a characteristic way of approach and worship. The tendency towards an exclusive stress is already at work on this level and it is the perception of this truth that lies behind the term henotheism used by European scholars to describe the Vedic Religion.
The next stage of devolution is the Mind proper. There or perhaps even before, on the lower reaches of the Overmind, the gods have become all quite separate, self-centred, each bounded in his own particular sphere and horizon. The overmind gods the true godsare creators in a world of balanced or harmoniously held difference; they are powers that fashion each a special fulfilment, enhancing one another at the same time (parasparam bhvayantah). Between the Overmind and the Mind there is a class of lesser godsthey have been called formateurs; they do not create in the strict sense of the term, they give form to what the anterior gods have created and projected. These form-makers that consolidate the encasement, fix definitely the image, have most probably been envisaged in the Indian dhynamrtis. But in the Mind the gods become still more fixed and rigid, stereotyped; the mental gods inspire exclusive systems, extreme and abstract generalisations, theories and principles and formulae that, even when they seek to force and englobe all in their cast-iron mould, can hardly understand or tolerate each other.
Mind is the birth-place of absolute division and exclusivismit is the own home of egoism. Egoism is that ignorant modea twist or knot of consciousness which cuts up the universal unity into disparate and antagonistic units: it creates isolated, mutually exclusive whorls in the harmonious rhythm and vast commonalty of the one consciousness or conscious existence. The Sankhya speaks of the principle of ego coming or appearing after the principle of vastness (mahat). The Vast is the region above the Mind, where the unitary consciousness is still intact; with the appearance of the Mind has also appeared an intolerant self-engrossed individualism that culminates, as its extreme and violent expression, in the asuraAsura, the mentalised vital being.
The Asura or the Titan stands where consciousness descends from the Mind into the Vital or Life-Force. He is the personification of ambition and authority and arrogance, he is the intolerant and absolute self-seekerhe is Daitya, the son of division. The Asura belongs to what we call the Higher Vital; but lower down in the Mid Vital, made wholly of unmixed life impulses, appear beings that are still less luminous, less controlled, more passionate, vehement and violent in their self-regarding appetite. They are the Rakshasas. If the Asura is perverse power, the Rakshasa is insatiate hunger.
All the ancient legends about a principle and a personalityof Denial and Ignorance, of an Everlasting Nayrefer to this fact of a descending consciousness, a Fall. The Vedantic my, spoken of sometimes as the Dark Mother, seems to be the personification of the lower Overmind, Jehovah and Satan of the Hebrews, Olympians and Titans of the Greeks, Ahriman and Ahura Mazda of old Iran, the sons of Diti and Aditi the Indian Puranas speak of, are powers and personalities of consciousness when it has descended entirely into the mind and the vital where the division is complete. These lower reaches have completely lost the unitary consciousness; still there are beings even here that have succeeded in maintaining it as a memory or an aspiration, although in a general way the living reality of the oneness is absent. It is significant that the term asura which came to mean in classical and mythological ages a + sura, not-god, the Titan, had originally a different connotation and etymology, asu + ra, one having force or strength, and was used as a general attri bute of all the gods. The degradation in the sense of the word is a pointer to the spiritual Fall: Satan was once Lucifer, the bringer or bearer of light. We may mention in this connection that these beings of which we are speaking, dwelling in unseen worlds, are of two broad categories(1) beings that are native to each plane and immutably confined and bound to that plane, and (2) those that extend their existence through many or all planes and assume on each plane the norm and form appropriate to that plane. But this is a problem of individual destiny with which we are not concerned at present.
--
We have thus far followed the course of the break-up of Personality, from the original one supreme Person, through a continuous process of multiplication and disintegration, of parcellation and crystallisation into more and more small self-centred units, until we reach the final pulverisation as purely material physico-chemical atoms. Now with the reversal of consciousness, in its return movement, we have again a process of growth and building up of individuality and personality, with the awakening and ascension of consciousness from level to level on the physical plane and in the material embodiment, there occurs too an evolution of the personal aspect of the reality.
We say that at the lowest level of involution, in Matter, where consciousness has zero magnitude, there is no personality or individuality. It is all a mechanical play of clashing particles that constantly fly apart or come together according to the force or the resultant of forces that act upon them. An individuality means a bounded form as its basis of reaction and a form that tends to persist and grow by assimilation; it means a centre of a definite manner and pattern of reaction. Individuality, in its literal sense, designates that which cannot be divided (in + dividus). Division is only another name for death for the particular entity. Even in the case of cell-division or self-division of some lower organisms, in the first instance the original living entity disappears and, secondly, the succeeding: entities, created by division, always re-form themselves again into integral wholes. A material particle, on the other hand, is divisible ad infinitum. We have been able to divide even an atom (which means also that which cannot be divided) to such an extent as to reduce it to a mere charge of energy, nay, we have sublimated it to a geometrical point. Individualisation starts with the coming of life. It is a ganglion of life-force round which a particular system of action and reaction weaves itself. The characteristic of individuality is that each one is unique, each relates itself to others and to the environment in its own way, each expresses itself, puts forth its energy, receives impacts from outside in a manner that distinguishes it from others. It is true this character of individuality is not very pronounced in the earlier or rudimentary forms of life. Still it is there: it grows and develops slowly along the ladder of evolution. Only in the higher animals it attains a clear and definite norm and form.
In man something else or something more happens. For man is not merely an individual, he is also a personality. He is the outcome of a twofold growth and revelation. He has outgrown the vital and climbed into Mind, and he has dived into the Heart and touched his inner soul, his true psychic centre. It is this soul that is the source of his personality.
The formulation or revelation of the Psyche marks another line of what we have been describing as the Descent of Consciousness. The phenomenon of individualisation has at its back the phenomenon of the growth of the Psyche. It is originally a spark or nucleus of consciousness thrown into Matter that starts growing and organising itself behind the veil, in and through the movements and activities of the apparent vehicle consisting of the triple nexus of Body (Matter) and Life and Mind. The extreme root of the psychic growth extends perhaps right into the body, consciousness of Matter, but its real physical basis and tenement is found only with the growth and formation of the physical heart. And yet the psychic individuality behind the animal organisation is very rudimentary. All that can be said is that it is there, in potentia, it exists, it is simple being: it has not started becoming. This is man's speciality: in him the psychic begins to be dynamic; to be organised and to organise, it is a psychic personality that he possesses. Now this flowering of the psychic personality is due to an especial Descent, the descent of a Person from another level of consciousness. That Person (or Superperson) is the jvatman, the Individual Self, the central being of each individual formation. The Jivas are centres of multiplicity thrown up in the bosom of the infinite Consciousness: it is the supreme Consciousness eddying in unit formations to serve as the basis for the play of manifestation. They are not within the frame of manifestation (as the typal formations in the Supermind are), they are above or beyond or beside it and stand there eternally and invariably in and as part and parcel of the one supreme RealitySachchidananda. But the Jivatman from its own status casts its projection, representation, delegated formulationemanation, in the phraseology of the neo-Platonistsinto the manifestation of the triple complex of mind, life and body, that is to say, into the human vehicle, and thus stands behind as the psychic personality or the soul. This soul, we have seen, is a developing, organising focus of consciousness growing from below and comes to its own in the human being: or we can put it the other way, that is to say, when it comes to its own, then the human being appears. And it has come to its own precisely by a descent of its own self from above, in the same manner as with the other descents already described. Now, this coming to its own means that it begins henceforth to exercise its royal power, its natural and inherent divine right, viz, of consciously and directly controlling and organising its terrestrial kingdom which is the body and life and mind. The exercise of conscious directive will, supported and illumined by a self-consciousness, I that occurs with the advent of the Mind is a function of the I Purusha, the self-conscious being, in the Mind; but this self-conscious being has been able to come up, manifest itself and be active, because of pressure of the underlying psychic personality that has formed here.
Thus we have three characteristics of the human personality accruing from the psychic consciousness that supports and inspires it:(1) self-consciousness: an animal acts, feels and even knows, but man knows that he acts, knows that he feels, knows even that he knows. This phenomenon of consciousness turning round upon itself is the hallmark of the human being; (2) a conscious will holding together and harmonising, fashioning and integrating the whole external nature evolved till now; (3) a purposive drive, a deliberate and voluntary orientation towards a higher and ever higher status of individualisation and personalisation,not only a horizontal movement seeking to embrace and organise the normal, the already attained level of consciousness, but also a vertical movement seeking to raise the level, attain altogether a new poise of higher organisation.
These characters, it is true, are not clear and pronounced, do not lie in front, at the beginning of the human personality. The normal human person has his psyche very much behind; but it is still there as antarymin, as the secret Inner Controller. And whatever the vagaries of the outer instruments or their slavery to the mode of Ignorance, in and through all that, it is this Inner Guide that holds the reins and drives upward in the end.
02.02 - Rishi Dirghatama, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 02, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
About the Word, the mystery which Dirghatama unveils is an extraordinary revelationso curious, so illuminating. In later times many lines of spiritual discipline have adopted his scheme and spread it far and wide. Dirghatama himself was an uncommon wizard of words. The truths he saw and clothed in mantras have attained, as I have already said, general celebrity. He says: "The Word is off our categories. It has four stations or levels or gradations." The Rishi continues: "Three of them are unmanifested, unbodied; only the fourth one is manifest and bodied, on the tongue of man." This terminology embodying a fundamental principle has had many commentaries and explanations. Of these the most well-known is that given by the Tantras. They have named the fourfold words as (1) par, supreme; (2) payant, the seeing one; (3) madhyam, the middle one or the one within and (4) vaikhar, the articulate word. In modern language we may say that the first one is the self-vibration of the Supreme Being or Consciousness; the second is the vibration of the higher-mind or the pure intelligence; the third is the vibration of the inner heart; and the fourth the vibration of physical sound, of voice. In philosophical terms of current English we may name these as (1) revelatory, (2) intuitive, (3) inspirational and (4) vocal.
Now in conclusion I will just speak of the fundamental vision of the rishi. His entire realisation, the whole Veda of his life, he has, it appears, pressed into one single k We have heard it said that the entire range of all scriptures is epitomised in the Gita and the Gita' itself is epitomised in one slokasarvadharmn parityajya... Even so we may say that Rishi Dirghatama has summarised his experience, at least the fundamental basic one, and put it into a sutra. It is the famous k with which he opens his long hymn to Surya:
--
This is again a sphinx puzzle indeed. But what is the meaning? The universe, the creation has its fundamental truth in a Trinity: Agni (the Fire-god) upon earth, Vayu (the Wind-god) in the middle regions and in heaven the Sun. In other words, breaking up the symbolism we may say that the creation is a triple reality, three principles constitute its nature. Matter, Life and Consciousness or status, motion and Light. This triplicity however does not exhaust the whole of the mystery. For the ultimate mystery is imbedded within the heart of the third brother, for our rishis saw there the Universal Divine Being and his seven sons. In our familiar language we may say it is the Supreme Being, God himself (Purushottama) and his seven lines of self-manifestation. We have often heard of the seven worlds or levels of being and consciousness, the seven chords of the Divine Music. In more familiar terms we say that body and life and mind form the lower half of the cosmic reality and its upper half consists of Sat-Chit-Ananda (or Satya- Tap as-Jana). And the link, the nodus that joins the two spheres is the fourth principle (Turya), the Supermind, Vijnana. Such is the vision of Rishi Dirghatama, its fundamental truth in a nutshell. To know this mystery is the whole knowledge and knowing this, one need know nothing else.
A word is perhaps necessary to complete the sense of the commentary. Agni has been called old and ancient (Palita), but why? Agni is the first among the gods. He has come down upon earth, entered into matter with the very creation of the material existence. He is the secret energy hidden in the atom which is attracting, invoking all the other gods to manifest themselves. It is he who drives the material consciousness in its evolutionary re-course upward towards the radiant fullness in the solar Supra-Consciousness at the summit. He is however not only energy, he is also delight (vma). For he is the Soma, the nectarous flow, occult in the Earth's body. For Earth is the storehouse of the sap of Life, the source of the delightful growths of Life here below.
02.02 - The Kingdom of Subtle Matter, #Savitri, #Sri Aurobindo, #Integral Yoga
A lucent envelope of self-disguise
Was woven round the secret spirit in things.
--
The unseized miracle of self-born shapes
That live for ever in the Eternal's gaze.
--
And an unchanging muse of deep self-space.
Only when we have climbed above ourselves,
--
Look out from a chamber of its self-rapt soul:
As if to its own inner witness gaze
--
Is there self-born by its eternal right.
In us too the intuitive Fire can burn;
--
In a heaven-pleased self-glad immunity;
Content to be, it has need of nothing more.
--
Out of some packed self-bliss it drew at once
Its form-discoveries of the mute Idea
02.02 - The Message of the Atomic Bomb, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 01, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
In one sense certainly there has been a progress. This march of machinery, this evolution of tools means man's increasing mastery over Nature, even though physical nature. The primitive man like the animal is a slave, a puppet driven helplessly by Nature's forces. Both lead more or less a life of reflex action: there is here no free, original initiation of action or movement. The slow discovery of Nature's secrets, the gradual application and utilisation of these secrets in actual life meant, first, a liberation of man's conscious being originally imbedded in Nature's inertial movements, and then, a growing power to react upon Nature and mould and change it according to the will of the conscious being. The result at the outset was a release and organisation on the mental level, in the domain of reason and intelligence. Of course, man found at once that this increasing self-consciousness and self-power meant immense possibilities for good, but, unfortunately, for evil also. And so to guard against the latter contingency, rules and regulations were framed to control and canalise the new-found capacities. The Dharma of the Kshatriya, the honour of the Samurai, the code of Chivalry, all meant that. The power to kill was sought to be checked and restrained by such injunctions as, for example, not to hit below the belt, not to fight a disarmed or less armed opponent and so on. The same principle of morals and manners was maintained and continued through the centuries with necessary changes and modifications in application and finds enshrined today in International Covenants and Conventions.
But a new situation has arisen for some time past. The last Great War (World War No. I) was crucial in many ways in the life of humanity. It opened a new direction of man's growth, opened and then closed also apparently. I am referring to the tragedy of the League of Nations. That was an attempt on the part of man (and Nature) to lift the inner life and consciousness to the level of the outer achievements. The attempt failed. Man could not rise to the height demanded of him. Now the second World War became logically more devastating and shattering; it has given the go-by to all ethical standards and codes of honour. The poison gas was not used not because of any moral restraint or disinclination, but because of practical and utilitarian considerations. The Atom Bomb, however, has spoken the word.
02.03 - The Glory and the Fall of Life, #Savitri, #Sri Aurobindo, #Integral Yoga
Apart in their self-glory plunged, remote
Burning they swam in a vague lucent haze,
--
The Master of the worlds self-made her slave
Is the executor of her fantasies:
--
Has turned to pathos and power being's self-dream,
Made a passion-play of its fathomless mystery.
--
Autonomies of Wisdom's still self-rule
And high dependencies of her virgin sun,
02.04 - The Kingdoms of the Little Life, #Savitri, #Sri Aurobindo, #Integral Yoga
Its sharp self-seeking tears our consciousness;
Our pain and pleasure have that sting for cause:
--
In the passion and self-loss of the Infinite
When all was plunged in the negating Void,
--
Its hard and heavy romp of self-born twins.
40.35
--
In the wonderl and of a self-creating world
And the opportunities of cosmic Space.
--
Out of a slow confused embroiled self-search
Mind grew to a clarity cut out, precise,
02.04 - The Right of Absolute Freedom, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 01, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
Within the nation all communities must be ready to give and take and settle down amicably. Within humanity too all nations must live the same principle. The days of free competition must be considered as gone for good; instead the rule of collaboration and co-operation has to be adopted (even between past enemies and rivals). In mutual aid and self-limitation lie also the growth and fulfilment of each collective individuality. That is the great Law of Sacrifice enunciated ages ago by Sri Krishna in the Gita"By increasing each other all will attain the Summum Bonum."
***
02.05 - Federated Humanity, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 01, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
The last great war, out of its bloody welter, threw up a mantra for the human consciousness to contemplate and seize and realise: it was self-determination. The present world-war has likewise cast up a mantra that is complementary. The problem of the unification of the whole human race has engaged the attention of seers and sages, idealists and men of action, since time immemorial; but only recently its demand has become categorically imperative for a solution in the field of practical politics. Viewed from another angle, one can say that it is also a problem Nature has set before herself, has been dealing with through the ages, elaborating and leading to a final issue.
The original unit of the human aggregate is the family; it is like the original cell which lies at the back of the entire system that is called the human body or, for that matter, any organic body. A living and stable nucleus is needed round which a crystallisation and growth can occur. The family furnished such a nucleus in the early epochs of humanity. But with the growth of human life there came a time when, for a better and more efficient organization in collective life, larger units were needed. The original unit had to be enlarged in order to meet the demands of a wider and more complex growth. Also it is to be noted that the living body is not merely a conglomeration of cells, all more or less equal and autonomous something like a democratic or an anarchic organization; but it consists of a grouping of such cells in spheres or regions or systems according to differing functions. And as we rise in the scale of evolution the grouping becomes more and more complex, well-defined and hierarchical. Human collectivity also shows a similar development in organization. The original, the primitive unit the familywas first taken up into a larger unit, the clan; the clan, in its turn, gave place to the tribe and finally the tribe merged into the nation. A similar widening of the unit can also be noticed in man's habitat, in his geographical environment. The primitive man was confined to the village; the village gradually grew into the township and the city state. Then came the regional unit and last of all we arrived at the country.
--
The present war puts the problem in the most acute way. Shall it be still a nation or shall it be a "commonwealth" that must henceforth be the dynamic unit? Today it is evident, it is a fact established by the sheer force of circumstances that isolated, self-sufficient nations are a thing of the past, even like the tribes of the Hebrews or the clans of the Hittites. A super-nation, that is to say, a commonwealth of nations is the larger unit that Nature is in travail to bring forth and establish. That is the inner meaning of the mighty convulsions shaking and tearing humanity today. The empire of the pastan empire of the Roman type and patternwas indeed in its own way an attempt in the direction of a closely unified larger humanity; but it was a crude and abortive attempt, as Nature's first attempts mostly are. For the term that was omitted in that greater synthesis was self-determination. Centralisation is certainly the secret of a large organic unity, but not over-centralisation; for this means the submission and sacrifice of all other parts of at! organism to the undue demands and interests of only one organ which is considered as the centre, the metropolis. Such a system dries up in the end the vitality of the organism: the centre, sucking in all nourishment from the outlying members suffers from oedema and the whole eventually decays and disintegrates. That is the lesson the Roman Empire teaches us.
The autocratic empire is dead and gone: we need not fear its shadow or ghostly regeneration. But the ideal which inspired it in secret and justified its advent and reign is a truth that has still its day. The drive of Nature, of the inner consciousness of humanity was always to find a greater and larger unit for the collective life of mankind. That unit today has to be a federation of free peoples and nations. In the place of nations, several such commonwealths must now form the broad systems of the body politic of human collectivity. That must give the pattern of its texture, the outline of its configuration the shape of things to come. Such unit is no longer a hypothetical proposition, a nebula, a matter of dream and imagination. It has become a practical necessity; first of all, because of the virtual impossibility of any single nation, big or small, standing all by itself alonemilitary and political and economic exigencies demand inescapable collaboration with others, and secondly, because of the still stricter geographical compulsion the speed and ease of communication has made the globe so small and all its parts so interdependent that none can possibly afford to be exclusive and self-centred.
The organization of this greater and larger unit is the order of the day. It does not seem possible at this stage to go straight to the whole of humanity at large and make of it one single indivisible entity, obliterating all barriers of race and nation. An intermediate step is still necessary even if that remains the final end. Nationhood has been a helper in that direction; it is now a bar. And yet an indiscriminate internationalism cannot meet the situation today, it overshoots the mark. The march of events and circumstances prescribe that nations should combine to form groups or, as they say in French, societies of nations. The combination, however, must be freely determined, as voluntary partnership in a common labour organisation for common profit and achievement. This problem has to be solved first, then only can the question of nationalism or other allied knots be unravelled. Nature the Sphinx has set the problem before us and we have to answer it here and now, if humanity is to be saved and welded together into a harmonious whole for a divine purpose.
02.05 - Robert Graves, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 02, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
This "little slender lad, whose flesh is bitter, lightning engendered, born from dungs of mares" is perhaps a symbol of our human receptacle. We have to carry this mortal frame with its clay feet and make the effort towards self-transcendence: the alchemy's other name is self-purification and self-perfection. This tender shoot is a mysterious chemical storehouse, its fermentation and purification and use awaken in us the sleeping divine will, give a clear vision, guide us through the secret worlds and ultimately to the home of Immortality. The Vedic Rishis sang to the Soma creeper or god Soma,Tatra mm. amtam kdhi, O Somadeva, carry us where thou flowest down and there make us immortal. For there abound all delight, all ecstasy, all enjoyment, all lure and the supreme Desire ofdesirenanda, moda, mud, pramud, kma4are these not the five fruits of heaven the poet of the West mentions?
"The Ambrosia of Dionysus and Semele" in New Poems 1962 (Cassel-London).
02.05 - The Godheads of the Little Life, #Savitri, #Sri Aurobindo, #Integral Yoga
That are but Energy's self-repeating whorls
Prolonged by the spirit of the brooding Void,
--
Infant self-feeling grew and birth was born.
44.26
--
They build our huddled structures of self-will
And the ill-lighted mansions of our thought,
--
Mind's insufficient self-discovery,
An early attempt, a first experiment.
--
Angels of ecstasy and self-giving pass,
And lodged in an inner sanctuary of dream
02.06 - The Integral Yoga and Other Yogas, #The Integral Yoga, #Sri Aurobindo, #Integral Yoga
From where did you get this singular attitude towards the old Yogas and Yogis? Is the wisdom of the Vedanta and Tantra a small and trifling thing? Have then the sadhaks of this Asram attained to self-realisation and are they liberated Jivan-muktas, free from ego and ignorance? If not, why then do you say, "it is not a very difficult stage", "their goal is not high", "is it such a long process?"
I have said that this Yoga was "new" because it aims at the integrality of the Divine in this world and not only beyond it and at a supramental realisation. But how does that justify a superior contempt for the spiritual realisation which is as much the aim of this Yoga as of any other?
02.06 - The Kingdoms and Godheads of the Greater Life, #Savitri, #Sri Aurobindo, #Integral Yoga
Unknown, self-wrapped, unfelt, unknowable,
Looked down on them, origin of all they were.
--
The self-embodying spirit came to play
On the vast clavichord of Nature-Force.
--
The self-cancelling, self-afflicting paradox
Into a self-luminous mystery might change,
The imbroglio into a joyful miracle.
02.06 - Vansittartism, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 01, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
This is the very core of the matter. Germany stands for a philosophy of life, for a definite mode of human values. That philosophy was slowly developed, elaborated by the German mind, in various degrees and in various ways through various thinkers and theorists and moralists and statesmen, sometimes consciously, sometimes unconsciously. The conception of the State as propounded even by her great philosophers as something self-existent, sacrosanct and almost divineaugust and grim, one has to addis profoundly significant of the type of the subconscient dynamic in the nation: it strangely reminds one of the state organised by the bee, the ant or the termite. Hitler has only precipitated the idea, given it a concrete, physical and dynamic form. That philosophy in its outlook has been culturally anti-Latin, religiously anti-Christian. Germany cherishes always in her heart the memory of the day when her hero Arminius routed the Roman legions of Varus. Germany stands for a mode of human consciousness that is not in line with the major current of its evolutionary growth: she harks back to something primeval, infra-rational, infra-human.
Such is the position taken up by Lord Vansittart who has given his name to the new ideology of anti-Germanism. Vansittartism (at least in its extreme variety) has very little hope for the mending of Germany, it practically asks for its ending.
02.07 - The Descent into Night, #Savitri, #Sri Aurobindo, #Integral Yoga
In high professions wrapped self-will walked wide
And licence stalked prating of order and right:
--
A dreamer's self-deceiving web of thought
Or mad chimaera deemed or hypocrite's fake,
02.08 - The World of Falsehood, the Mother of Evil and the Sons of Darkness, #Savitri, #Sri Aurobindo, #Integral Yoga
All once self-luminous in the spirit's sphere
Turned now into their own dark contraries:
--
Assuring God's self-cowled neutrality
A mighty opposition conquered Space.
02.10 - The Kingdoms and Godheads of the Little Mind, #Savitri, #Sri Aurobindo, #Integral Yoga
Parting Life's sentient flow from Thought's self-poise.
66.12
--
A loaded huge self-worked machine appears
To her eye’s eager and admiring stare,
--
Its vast self-action toils without a cause;
A lifeless Energy irresistibly driven,
--
Creating the world by a mystery of self-loss
Has poured its scattered works on empty space;
Late shall the self-disintegrating Force
Contract the immense expansion it has made:
--
As far as its self-winged air-planes could fly,
Visiting the future in great brilliant raids
02.11 - New World-Conditions, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 01, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
We do not doubt that it is the deliberate policy of these 'vampires' to keep us Indians down eternally as their serfs and slaves. But whatever be the truth of the fact in the past, it is a pity we do not see that things have changed a good deal and are changing steadily and profoundly and inexorably. It is not, as it is so often demanded, that there has been a change of, heart, in the sense that one has become saintly, self-forgetful, self-sacrificing, altruistic. We, on our part, have not become so and it is idle to expect of others to be so. What has happened is a physical change, a change, almost a revolution in the external conditions of life in the world, in the geographical and economic conditions, for example. The geographical revolution is this that all the nations and peoples of the earth have been thrown together to intermingle, have been forced to come into close and inextricable communion with one another: all barriers of distance and physical inaccessibility have been removed and practically eliminated. The universe may be expanding, but the earth has shrunk and has become very small indeed. A signal example of the kind of blunder that one could commit in this respect was that of the British Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, who said, not knowing what he said on the eve of the present war, that Czechoslovakia was a far-off foreign country whose fate is of no concern or consequence to the British. Well, Time-Spirit must have had a hearty laughter over the wisdom of the statesman: it did not take long for the British to see that Czechoslovakia is dangerously near, indeed, it touches the very frontier of the British Isles. We have flown over the mighty "humps" that separated countries and continents and levelled them and made of the earth one even continuous plain, as it were. Neither the Poles nor the peaks of the Himalayas can hide any longer their millennial secrets from man's newly acquired Argus eye. The span and accuracy of our flying capacity have left no corner of the earth to lie in quiet and splendid isolation.
The geographical revolution has led inevitably to the economic revolution which is not less momentous, pregnant with prophecies of brave new things. We all know that the modern world was ushered in with the industrial revolution. As a result of this new dispensation, world and society gradually divided into two camps: on one side, the industrialists and on the other the agriculturists, or, in a general way, the possessors of raw materials. The Imperialists formed the first group, while the latter, dominated by these, belonged to the Colonies. The "backward" countries and people who could not take to industry, but continued the old system became a helpless prey to the industrial nations. Africa and Asia and the South American countries came under the domination of European nations, rather the West European Nations: they became the suppliers of raw materials and also the market for finished products. Also within the same country occupying the imperial status, there came a division, a class division, as it is called. A few industrial magnates or trusts (France had its famous Two-Hundred Families) monopolised all the wealth, became the top-dog, the "Haves", the others were mere hewers of wood and drawers of water, serfs and slaves, the "Have-Nots". Exploitation was-the motto of the age. The "exploiters" and the "exploited", this trenchant duality was the whole truth of the social scheme and that summed up the entire malady of the collective life. Then came the First World War and the Bolshevik Revolution which brought to a head the great crisis and initiated the change-over to new conditions. The French Revolution called up from the rear of social ranks and set in front the Third Estate and gradually formed and crystallised, with the aid of the Industrial Revolution, what is known as the Bourgeoisie. The Russian Revolution went a step farther. It dislodged the bourgeoisie and installed the Fourth Estate, the proletariate, as the head and front of society, its centre of power and governmental authority. In the meantime there was developing in the bourgeois society, too, a kind of socialism which aimed at the uplift and remoulding of the working class into a total social power. But the process could not, go far enough. The Industrial League, no doubt, began to release some of its monopolies, delegate some of its power and authority to the Proletariate and sought an armistice and entente; but still it is they who wielded the real power and gave to society the tone and impress of their characteristic authority. The Russian experiment made a bold departure and attempted to build up a new society from the very bottom: the manual labourers, they who produce with the sweat of their brow and make a society living and prosperous must also be its rulers. Now whatever the success or failure in regard to the perfect ideal, the thing achieved is solid; certain forces have been released that are working inexorably in and through even contrary appearances, they have come to stay and cannot be negatived. The urge, for example, towards a more equitable distribution of wealth and wealth-producing implements; an even balancing of economic values has been growing and gathering strength: it has become an asset of the body social. Instead of an unfettered competition between rival agencies, the mad drive for a jealous and closely guarded appropriation (rather, mis-appropriation) by private cartels, there has arisen an inevitable need for a unitary or co-operative control under a common direction, whether it be that of the state or some other body equally representing the common interest. In other words, the principle of co-operation has now become a living reality, a thing of practical politics. All effort towards progress and amelioration, cure of social ills and regaining of health and strength must lie in that direction: anything going the contrary way shall perforce be out of tune with the Time-Spirit and can cause only confusion, bring in stagnation or even regression.
First of all, the colonies, which mean practically the Eastern hemisphere, can no longer be regarded, even by those who would very much wish to, as the field of exploitation, the granary of raw materials or the dumping ground of finished articles. Industrialism, the spirit and urge of it at least, has reached these places too: the exploiters themselves have been instrumental In bringing it about. The growing industrialism in countries so long held in subjection or tutelage, as safe preserves, need not necessarily mean a further spell of keen competition. If we look closely, we see things moving in a different direction. It is self-evident that all countries do not and cannot grow or manufacture all things with equal ease and facility. Countries are naturally complementary or supplementary to each other with regard to their raw produce or industrial manufacture. And an inevitable give and take, mutual understanding and help must follow such an alignment of economic forces.
It must also be noted that all countries need not and cannot have the same pattern of economic life, even that of a successful economic life. A vast country like India, with the manifold resources of a whole continent, can at once be industrial and agriculturalmodern America, to some extent, is an example of this type. She can follow both the lines of economic development with equal vigour and success. And in the midst of an intensive and extensive agricultural and industrial occupation, there may be still room for the age-long, old-world cottage industry, for the individual artisan or craftsman whose God-given hand may always give to things an added value beyond the reach of the mere machine.
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Now, there can be no doubt that the British wish, are even eager, to have a settlement with India: they wish to have an India free and united and strong and they are willing to lend their help as far as lies in their power and competence,not because it is an ideal, something good in the abstract and therefore worth pursuing and they are altruistic or philanthropic by nature, but because it is a matter of self-interest to them, it is a thing to be done because of the actual life conditions. A strong free and friendly India is an asset they wish to build and conserve. They feel that the old-world methods of one-sided exploitation is neither possible nor desirable any longer; they must move with the moving times. And, as I have already said, they do not move principally by ideas and notions and brain formations, they are in closer touch with life forces and are more easily responsive to these.
True, there are contrary voices. But as one swallow does not make a summer, even so, many such voices cannot perpetuate the past. The name, even the form of Imperialism is there, but the substance of it is how much changed, if one goes behind! The British Empire, as it stands today, is composed of three strands, we may say: the first, the front line, consists of Canada and Australia, the second, of Ireland, Egypt and Irak, and the third, mainly of India. This graded pattern shows that it is something fluid and even progressive, there is nothing rigid and final about it. The very nature of the composition seems to exert a pressure working for an equality, an equilibrium of partnership building up a genuine Commonwealth. The model is catching. An Imperialistic Russia, that has found a new avatara in Stalin, has become a champion of federalism, as the best way of preserving the imperial integrity!
India should consider the present situation with calmness, detachment and wisdom, not hark back to the past, brooding over the mistakes and misdeeds of her erstwhile masters they are no longer masters; yes, forgiving and forgetting, one must face squarely the new situation and make the best use of it. India, that claims a spiritual heritage and a high and hoary civilisation, can afford to be idealistic even and envisage a deeper and higher law of Nature, of universal harmony and solidarity, of conscious co-operation. Apart from that, if as practical men, we look to our self-interest, then also it will be wise for us to take up the same line of procedure, viz., what idealism demands. A nation too, like the individual, can be swayed by pride, prejudice, passion, a false sense of prestige and a spirit of vengeance. However natural these reactions may seem to be, in view of the conditions of their incidence, they possess, more often than not, the property of the boomerang, they hit back the originating source itself. It has been said, for example, that the origin of the present war the rise of Hitleris due to the Versailles Treaty that ended the last war, which was, in its turn a war of revenge having its origin on the field of Sedan; this campaign of 1870 again was the natural and inevitable outcome of the Napoleonic conquest. Thus there has been a seesaw movement in national relations without a definite issue. And pessimists of today aver that we are not come to the end of the spiral.
But we do not subscribe to such prognostics. There is no inevitability of the kind. "Time must have a stop." The two lower limbs of the dialectic must be rounded in then by a higher reality. For two reasons. First of, all, Nature herself moves towards synthesis and harmonydiscord and difference are part only of the process working for that eventual consummation. Secondly, the human spirit is there, with the urge of its inevitable destiny, to create its power in the vision and consciousness of the hidden truth and reality which 'surface contingencies seem often to deny.
02.11 - The Kingdoms and Godheads of the Greater Mind, #Savitri, #Sri Aurobindo, #Integral Yoga
We live self-exiled from our heavenlier home.
An errant ray from the immortal Mind
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Bowed self-revealed in their confessional.
For the birth and death of the worlds they fixed a date,
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A Word self-born upon creation's heights,
Voice of the Eternal in the temporal spheres,
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The passion of her self-revealing moods,
A heavenly glory and variety,
02.12 - Mysticism in Bengali Poetry, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 02, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
Bengali poetry was born some time towards the end of an era of decline in the Indian consciousness, almost towards the close of what is called the Buddhist period, but it was born with a veritable crown on its head. For it was sheer mystic poetry, mystic in substance, mystic in manner and expression. The poets were themselves mystics, that is to say spiritual seekers, sadhaks they were called Siddhas or Siddhacharyas. They told of their spiritual, rather occult experiences in an occult or oblique manner, the very manner of the ancient Vedic Rishis, in figures and symbols and similes. It was a form of beauty, not merely of truthof abstract metaphysical truth that rose all on a sudden, as it were, out of an enveloping darkness. It shone for a time and then faded slowly, perhaps spread itself out in the common consciousness of the people and continued to exist as a backwash in popular songs and fables and proverbs. But it was there and came up again a few centuries later and the crest is seen once more in a more elevated, polished and dignified form with a content of mental illumination. I am referring to Chandidasa, who was also a sadhak poet and is usually known as the father of Bengali poetry, being the creator of modern Bengali poetry. He flourished somewhere in the fourteenth century. That wave too subsided and retired into the background, leaving in interregnum again of a century or more till it showed itself once more in another volume of mystic poetry in the hands of a new type of spiritual practitioners. They were the Yogis and Fakirs, and although of a popular type, yet possessing nuggets of gold in their utterances, and they formed a large family. This almost synchronised with the establishment and consolidation of the Western Power, with its intellectual and rational enlightenment, in India. The cultivation and superimposition of this Western or secular light forced the native vein of mysticism underground; it was necessary and useful, for it added an element which was missing before; a new synthesis came up in a crest with Tagore. It was a neo-mysticism, intellectual, philosophical, broad-based, self-conscious. Recently however we have been going on the downward slope, and many, if not the majority among us, have been pointing at mysticism and shouting: "Out, damned spot!" But perhaps we have struck the rock-bottom and are wheeling round.
For in the present epoch we are rising on a new crest and everywhere, in all literatures, signs are not lacking of a supremely significant spiritual poetry being born among us.
02.12 - The Ideals of Human Unity, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 01, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
Nationhood, however, developed into such a firm, solid, self-conscious and selfishly aggressive entity that it has now become almost a barrier to a further enlargement of the unit towards a still greater and wider unification of mankind. But nature cannot be baulked, its straight urge hampered; it takes to by-ways and indirect routes and roundabout channels for its fulfilment. On three different lines a greater and larger unification of mankind has been attempted that goes beyond the unification brought about by the ideal of the country or people or nation. First, the political, that leads to the formation of Empires. But the faults and errors in this type of larger unit have been made very evident. It acts as a steam-roller, no doubt, crushing out and levelling parochial differences and local narrownesses; but it also means the overgrowth of a central organismcalled the metropolisat the expense of other member organisms forming part of the larger collectivity, viz., colonies and dependencies and subject races, which must in the end bring about a collapse and disruption of the whole structure. The Roman Empire was the typical example of this experiment. Next, there was what can be called the racial line. Many attempts have been made in this direction, but nothing very successful has taken shape. Pan-Slavism, Pan-Arabism, Pan-Jewry are some of the expressions of this movement. It has the fatal fault of a basis that is uncertain and doubtful: for a pure race is a myth and in modern conditions the cry must necessarily be a cry in the wilderness. Many races and peoples have in the course of human history been thrown together, they have to live together, are compelled to lead a common social, political, economic and cultural life. That indeed was the genesis of nationhood. The hegemony of a so-called Nordic race over the world was one of the monsters produced by this attempt, a reductio ad absurdum of the principle.
The third is the religious principle. Religion, that is to say, institutional religion has also sought to unify mankind on a larger basis, as large indeed as the world itself. The aim of Christendom, of Islam was frankly a conquest of the whole human race for the one jealous Lord. Buddhism and Hinduism did not overtly or with a set purpose attempt any such worldwide proselytism, but their influence and actual working had almost a similar effect:at least in the case of the former, it was like a flood throwing down many local boundaries, overflooding distant countries, and peoples, giving them all one unified religious life and culture. But here too we meet the same objectionable feature as there is in the attempt at unity through the racial principle. For religious imperialism cannot succeed in unifying humanity, as amply demonstrated by the Roman Catholic Church; and like political imperialism it was more or less an experiment in the line, effecting nothing beyond a moral atmosphere. Even a federation of religions, contemplated by some idealists, seems hardly a practicable proposition; for it is only a mental conception and has no compelling vital force in it. At best it is only a sign-post, a pointer to the goal Nature and humanity have been endeavouring to evolve and realise.
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Anarchisma certain school of philosophical or spiritual anarchismpresages, however, an agglutinative type of humanity. That is to say, there will be no hierarchy of groupings, in fact there will be no aggregates at all, the individual will be the sole, the first and the last unit. The individual, it is said, will have so developed and perfected its self-nature that by following the law of that nature, it will automatically and spontaneously live and move harmoniously with all the rest; each will be a self-contained unit and there will be a kind of pre-established harmony among all. Even if it be so, however, a hierarchical form of groupings in human organisation need not necessarily be barred out.
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02.13 - In the Self of Mind, #Savitri, #Sri Aurobindo, #Integral Yoga
Spectator of a drama self-conceived,
He looked on the world and watched its motive thoughts
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Not the self-vision of Eternity.
Deep peace was there, but not the nameless Force:
02.14 - Panacea of Isms, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 01, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
So the cry is for greater human values. Man needs food and shelter, goes without saying, but he yearns for other things also, air and light: he needs freedom, he needs culturehigher thoughts, finer emotions, nobler urges the field and expression of personal worth. The acquisition of knowledge, the creation of beauty, the pursuit of philosophy, art, literature, and science in their pure forms and for their own sake are things man holds dear to his heart. Without them life loses its charm and significance. Mind and sensibility must be free to roam, not turned and tied to the exclusive needs and interests of physical life, free, that is to say, to discover and create norms and ideals and truths that are values in themselves and also lend values to the matter-of-fact terrestrial life. It is not sufficient that all men should have work and wages, it is not sufficient that I all should have learnt the three R's, it is not sufficient that they should understand their rightssocial, political, economic and claim and vindicate them. Nor is it sufficient for men to r become merely useful or indispensablealthough happy and I contentedmembers of a collective body. The individual must be free, free in his creative joy to bring out and formulate, in thought, in speech, in action, in all the modes of expression, the truth, the beauty, the good he experiences within. An all-round culture, a well-developed mind, a well-organised life, a well-formed body, a harmonious working of all the members of the system at a high level of consciousness that is man's need, for there lies his self-fulfilment. That is the ideal of Humanismwhich the ancient Grco-Roman culture worshipped, which was again revived by the Renaissance and which once again became a fresh and living force after the great Revolution and is still the high light to which Science and modern knowledge turns.
The More Beyond
02.14 - The World-Soul, #Savitri, #Sri Aurobindo, #Integral Yoga
Electors of their own self-chosen lot,
They waited for the adventure of new life.
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And the self-giving of his silent heart.
He fell down at her feet unconscious, prone.
03.01 - Humanism and Humanism, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 02, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
There is indeed a gradation in the humanistic attitude that rises from grosser and more concrete forms to those that are less and less so. At the lowest rung and the most obvious in form and nature is what is called altruism, or philanthropy, that is to say, doing good to others, some good that is tangible and apparent, that is esteemed and valued by the world generally. In altruism refined and sublimated, when it is no longer a matter chiefly of doing but of feeling, from a more or less physical and material give and take we rise into a vital and psychological sympathy and intercommunion, we have what is humanism proper. Humanism is transfigured into something still higher and finer when from the domain of personal or individual feeling and sympathy we ascend to cosmic feeling, to self-identification with the All, the One that is Many. This is the experience that seems to be behind the Buddhistic compassion, karu
And yet there can be a status even beyond. For beyond the cosmic reality, lies the transcendent reality. It is the Absolute, neti, neti, into which individual and cosmos, all disappear and vanish. In compassion, the cosmic communion, there is a trace and an echo of humanismit is perhaps one of the reasons why Europeans generally are attracted to Buddhism and find it more congenial than Hinduism with its dizzy Vedantic heights; but in the status of the transcendent Selfhood humanism is totally transcended and transmuted, one dwells then in the Bliss that passeth all feeling.
03.01 - The Malady of the Century, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 01, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
The old-world had no experience of this self-division. It had a frank and full joy in things of life, even in their most material forms. And when it turned away from life, it did so in the same spirit, of joy and frankness and wholeness. There was not this immixture, this Hamletian "to be or not to be"an unregenerate, barbaric life-impulse "sicklied o'er with the pale cast O' thought" that troubles the modern consciousness.
In old days, while we enjoyed life we were not without the taste for life. We were youthful and in full possession of the dharma of youth. And when we left the world and life we cherished no regret; we did it whole-heartedly. We were young; and our movements were whole and entire. It may be said that that was an age of unthinking innocence; but in the attempt to gain the arid richness of an old-age consciousness, we have lost the simplicity, the spontaneity and the integrality of our non-age. Yes, we have eaten of the fruit of knowledge and our youth is the price that we have paid. With our present nature we not merely enjoy, but we want to know that we enjoy; we cannot enjoy a thing, unless in the very act we weigh and dissect and scrutinize the object and ourselves too, into the bargain.
This knowledge, or rather, this curiosity does not arise from any depth of our being; it is the product of the meddlesome superficial brain-mind. We have become self-conscious; a vigilant self-consciousness is now the invariable coefficient of all our movements, but it is a self-consciousness that has deviated into mere mental introspection and intellectual analysis. It was the soul's consciousness, although perhaps more often from behind the veil, that once inspired and enlivened human nature in its youth; and life was after all a thing of beauty and joy for the soul is the one Rasa of existence. We have deposed the Divine King; an anarchy now reigns in human nature which has become the battle-ground of qualities and forces that are, if not always more crude, at least, invariably crooked and perverse. We live and move in the cold and blighting, and withal shallow, glare of the brain-mind.
III
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The ancient Rishis were worshippers of the Sun and the Day; they were called Finders of the Day, Discoverers of the Solar World. They knew what they were about and they sought to make their meaning plain to others who cared to go to them. They were clear in their thought, direct in their perception; their feelings, however deep, were never obscure. We meet in their atmosphere and in their creative activity no circum-ambulating chiaroscuro, nothing of the turbid magic that draws us today towards the uncertain, the unexpected and the disconcerting. It is a world of certitude, of solid realityeven if it be on the highest spiritual levels of consciousness presenting a bold and precise and clear outline. When we hear them speak we feel they are uttering self-evident truths; there is no need to pause and question. At least so they were to their contemporaries; but the spokesman of our age must needs be a riddle even to ourselves.
To the moderns truth is merely relative; the absolute is an ever-receding reality and has only a theoretical existence. The true reality, whatever it is, we can never reach or possess; we may say that we are approaching it nearer and nearer, but shall never come up to itthere is no end to our pursuit. An eternally progressive rapprochement between our knowledge or realization and the object of it is our destiny and also perhaps our privilege. It is this movement without end or finality that is life and all its zest and beauty. The ancients, on the other hand, aimed and worked at siddhi, that is to say, definite and final achievement. This did not mean, however, that there was a dead stop and they stagnated after siddhi. It means that the consciousness having undergone a change in character, takes a different kind of movement altogether: it proceeds now from truth to truth, from light to light, from siddhi to siddhi. The modern consciousness moves, on the other hand, from uncertainty to uncertainty, at best, from the more obscure to the less obscure.
03.02 - The Adoration of the Divine Mother, #Savitri, #Sri Aurobindo, #Integral Yoga
Meets the sheer self-discovery of the soul;
A wall of stillness shuts it from the world,
03.02 - The Philosopher as an Artist and Philosophy as an Art, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 02, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
In the face of established opinion and tradition (and in the wake of the prophetic poet) I propose to demonstrate that Philosophy has as much claim to be called an art, as any other orthodox art, painting or sculpture or music or architecture. I do not refer to the element of philosophyperhaps the very large element of philosophy that is imbedded and ingrained in every Art; I speak of Philosophy by itself as a distinct type of au thentic art. I mean that Philosophy is composed or created in the same way as any other art and the philosopher is moved and driven by the inspiration and impulsion of a genuine artist. Now, what is Art? Please do not be perturbed by the question. I am not trying to enter into the philosophy the metaphysicsof it, but only into the science the physicsof it. Whatever else it may be, the sine qua non, the minimum requisite of art is that it must be a thing of beauty, that is to say, it must possess a beautiful form. Even the Vedic Rishi says that the poet by his poetic power created a heavenly formkavi kavitva divi rpam asajat. As a matter of fact, a supreme beauty of form has often marked the very apex of artistic creation. Now, what does the Philosopher do? The sculptor hews beautiful forms out of marble, the poet fashions beautiful forms out of words, the musician shapes beautiful forms out of sounds. And the philosopher? The philosopher, I submit, builds beautiful forms out of thoughts and concepts. Thoughts and concepts are the raw materials out of which the artist philosopher creates mosaics and patterns and designs architectonic edifices. For what else are philosophic systems? A system means, above all, a form of beauty, symmetrical and harmonious, a unified whole, rounded and polished and firmly holding together. Even as in Art, truth, bare sheer truth is not the object of philosophical inquiry either. Has it not been considered sufficient for a truth to be philosophically true, if it is consistent, if it does not involve self-contradiction? The equation runs: Truth= self-consistency; Error= self-contradiction. To discover the absolute truth is not the philosopher's taskit is an ambitious enterprise as futile and as much of a my as the pursuit of absolute space, absolute time or absolute motion in Science. Philosophy has nothing more to doand nothing lessthan to evolve or build up a system, in other words, a self-consistent whole (of concepts, in this case). Art also does exactly the same thing. self-contradiction means at bottom, want of harmony, balance, symmetry, unity, and self-consistency means the contrary of these things the two terms used by philosophy are only the logical formulation of an essentially aesthetic value.
Take, for example, the philosophical system of Kant or of Hegel or of our own Shankara. What a beautiful edifice of thought each one has reared! How cogent and compact, organised and poised and finely modelled! Shankara's reminds me of a tower, strong and slender, mounting straight and tapering into a vanishing point among the clouds; it has the characteristic linear movement of Indian melody. On the otherhand, the march of the Kantian Critiques or of the Hegelian Dialectic has a broader base and involves a composite strain, a balancing of contraries, a blending of diverse notes: thereis something here of the amplitude and comprehensiveness of harmonic architecture (without perhaps a corresponding degree of altitude).
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But the philosopher's stone is not, after all, a myth, as is being proved by modern science. Even so, the philosopher's truth the truth, that is to say, in the noumenal sense, to which he aspires in his heart of heartsis also existent. There is a reality apart from and beyond all relativities and contingencies: truth is not mere self-consistence, it is self-existence. Art and philosophy as an art may not comprehend it, but they circuit round it and even have glimpses of it and touch it, though the vision they have more often aberrates, distorting a rope into a snake.
It is a grain of this truth that is the substance and the core of all true art and philosophy. Philosophy works upon this secret strand by its logic, art by imaginationalthough logic and imagination may not be so incommensurable as they are commonly thought to be; even so, both art and philosophy arrive at the same result, viz., the building of a beautiful superstructure.
03.02 - Yogic Initiation and Aptitude, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 03, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
Needless to say that these tests and ordeals are mere externals; at any rate, they have no place in our sadhana. Such or similar virtues many people possess or may possess, but that is no indication that they have an opening to the true spiritual life, to the life divine that we seek. Just as accomplishments on the mental plane,keen intellect, wide studies, profound scholarship even in the scriptures do not entitle a man to the possession of the spirit, even so capacities on the vital plane,mere self-control, patience and forbearance or endurance and perseverance do not create a claim to spiritual realisation, let alone physical austerities. In conformity with the Upanishadic standard, one may not be an unworthy son or an unworthy disciple, one may be strong, courageous, patient, calm, self-possessed, one may even be a consummate master of the senses and be endowed with other great virtues. Yet all this is no assurance of one's success in spiritual sadhana. Even one may be, after Shankara, a mumuksu, that is to say, have an ardent yearning for liberation. Still it is doubtful if that alone can give him liberation into the divine life.
What then is the indispensable and unfailing requisite? What is it that gives you the right of entrance into the divine life? What is the element, the factor in you that acts as the open sesame, as a magic solvent?
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Virtues are not indications of the fire of the inner soul, nor are vices irremediable obstacles to its growth. The inner soul, we have said, feeds upon allit is indeed fire, the omnivorous, sarvabhuk,virtues and vices and everything else and gather strength from everywhere. The mystery of miracles, of a sudden change or reversal or revolution in consciousness and way of life lies in the omnipotency of the psychic being. The psychic being has the power of making the apparently impossible, for this reason that it is a portion of the almighty Divine, it is the supreme Conscious-Power crystallised and canalised in a centre for the sake of manifestation. It is a particle from the Being, a spark of the Consciousness, a ripple from the Delight cast into the fastnesses of Matter and the, material body. Now, it is the irresistible urge of this particle, this spark, this ripple to grow and expand, to become in the end the Vast the Ocean and the Sun and the sphere of Infinityto become that not merely in an essential status but in a dynamic and apparent becoming also. The little soul, originally no bigger than a thumb, goes forward through one life after another enlarging and intensifying itself till it recovers and establishes its parent reality in this material body here below, till it unveils what is latent within itself, what is its own, what is itself,its integral self-fulfilment, the Divine integrality.
Here in his inner being, as part and parcel of the Divine, man is absolutely free, has infinite capacity and unbounded aptitude; for here he is master, not slave of Nature, and it is slavery to Nature, that limits and baulks and stultifies man. So does the Upanishad declare in a magnificent and supreme utterance:
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In the practice of Yoga the fitness or capacity that the inner being thus lends is the only real capacity that a sadhaka possesses; and the natural, spontaneous, self-sufficing initiation deriving from the inner being is the only initiation that is valid and fruitful. Initiation does not mean necessarily an external rite or ceremony, a mantra, an auspicious day or moment: all these things are useless and irrelevant once we take our stand on the au thentic self-competence of the soul. The moment the inner being has taken the decision that this time, in this life, in this very body, it will manifest itself, take possession of the body and life and mind and wait no more, at that moment itself all mantra has been uttered and all initiation taken. The disciple has made the final and definitive offering of his heart to his Guru the psychic Guruand sought refuge in him and the Guru too has definitely accepted him.
Mantra or initiation, in its essence, is nothing else than contacting the inner being. In our Path, at least, there is no other rite or rule, injunction or ceremony. The only thing needed is to awake to the consciousness of the psychic being, to hear its callto live and move and act every moment of our life under the eye of this indwelling Guide, in accordance with its direction and impulsion. Our initiation is not therefore a one-time affair only; but at every moment, at each step, it has to be taken again and again, it must be renewed, revitalised, furthered and streng thened constantly and unceasingly; for it means that at each step and at every moment we have to maintain the contact of our external consciousness with the inner being; at each step and every moment we have to undergo the test of our sincerity and loyalty the test whether we are tending to our inner being, moving in its stream or, on the contrary, walking the way of our external animal nature, whether the movements in the mind and life and body are controlled by their habitual inferior nature or are open to and unified with their hidden divine source. This recurrent and continuous initiation is at the secret basis of all spiritual disciplinein the Integral Yoga this is the one and all-important principle.
03.03 - Arjuna or the Ideal Disciple, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 03, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
A certain modern critic, however, demurs. He asks why Arjuna was chosen in preference to Yudhisthira and doubts the wisdom and justice of the choice (made by Sri Krishna or the author of the Gita). Is not the eldest of the Pandavas also the best? He possesses in every way a superior dhra. He has knowledge and wisdom; he is free from passions, calm and self-controlled; he always acts according to the dictates of what is right and true. He is not swayed by the impulses of the moment or by considerations relating to his personal self; serene and unruffled he seeks to fashion his conduct by the highest possible standard available to him. That is why he is called dharmarja. If such a one is not to be considered as an ideal disciple, who else can be?
To say this is to miss the whole nature of discipleship, at least as it is conceived in the Gita. A disciple is not a bundle of qualifications and attainments, however high or considerable they may be. A disciple is first and foremost an aspiring soul. He may not have high qualities to his credit; on the contrary, he may have what one calls serious defects, but even that would not matter if he possessed the one thing needful, the unescapable urge of the soul, the undying fire in the secret heart. Yudhishthira may have attained a high status of sttvic nature; but the highest spiritual status, the Gita says, lies beyond the three Gunas. He is the fittest person for this spiritual life who has abandoned all dharmasprinciples of conduct, modes of living and taken refuge in the Lord alone, made the Lord's will the sole and sufficient law of life. Even though to outward regard such a person be full of sins, the Lord promises to deliver him from all that. It is the soul's love for the Divine given unconditionally and without reserve that can best purify the dross of the inferior nature and render one worthy of the Divine Grace.
03.03 - Modernism - An Oriental Interpretation, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 01, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
Modernism means the release of life from this subjugation; it means the expression of life's own truths in its own way, life's self-determination: that is the great endeavour and achievement of today. It was a rationalised, emotionalised, idealised life that man sought to live and create yesterday; his art too consisted in showing life through that mask and veil, because it considered that that was the way to bring out the beautiful in life.
The history of the emancipation of the different psychological domains in man is an interesting and instructive study. For the heart and the mind too were not always free and autonomous. An old-world consciousness was ruled or inspired by another faculty the religious sense. It is a sense, a faculty that has its seat neither in the mind nor even in the heart proper. Some would say it is in an inmost or topmost region, the Self, while others would relegate it to something quite the opposite, the lowest and most external strand in the human consciousness, viz., that of unconsciousness or infra-consciousness, ignorance, fear, superstition.
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Not quite so, certainly. The consciousness (rather, the self-consciousness) that man has gained in place of the unconsciousness or semi-consciousness, characteristic of the general mass in the past, and the growing sense of individuality and personal worth, which is an expression of that consciousness, are his assets, the hall-mark of his present-day nature and outlook and activity. The consciousness may not have always been used wisely, but still it is a light that has illumined him, brought him an awareness of himself and of things, that is new and in a special way close and intimate and revealing. The light is perhaps not of the kind that comes direct from high altitudesit is, as it were, a transverse ray cutting aslant; nonetheless, through its grace a self-revelation and a self-valuation have been possible in spheres hitherto unsurveyed and lost in darkness, and on a scale equally unprecedented. Life has found a self-light. It is indeed as yet a glare, lurid and uncertain, but it has the capacity to develop into, and call in, the white and tranquil effulgence of the Soul-light and the Supreme Light of which it is the image and precursor.
Another similar cycle can be traced farther back in the past. The classicism of Grco-Latin culture dominated by mind and reasonalthough it was a kind of higher mind and intuitive reasonwas supplanted by the heart movement that Christ and the Christian cult initiated.
03.03 - The House of the Spirit and the New Creation, #Savitri, #Sri Aurobindo, #Integral Yoga
Felt the divinity of its own self-bliss
Repeated in its numberless other selves:
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Where through self-finding by divine self-loss
There leaps out unity's supreme delight
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A wisdom worked in all, self-moved, self-sure,
A plenitude of illimitable Light,
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Alone in beauty, perfect in self-kind,
An image cast by one deep truth's absolute,
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All here self-lost had there its divine place.
The Powers that here betray our hearts and err,
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To self-discovery that could never cease.
Ever she framed stark bonds for the will to break,
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A brilliant chase of self-revealing shapes,
An ardent hunt of soul looking for soul,
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To a spectator self-absorbed and mute,
Careless of the unmeaning show he watched,
03.04 - The Body Human, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 03, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
The Christian conception of God-man is also extremely beautiful and full of meaning. God became man: He sent down upon earth his own and only Son to live among men as man. This indeed is His supreme Grace, His illimitable love for mankind. It is thus, in the words of the Offertory, that He miraculously created the dignity of human substance, holding Himself worthy to partake of our humanity. This carnal sinful body has been sanctified by the Christ having assumed it. In and through Himhis divine consciousness it has been strained and purified, uplifted and redeemed. He has anointed it and given it a place in Heaven even by the side of the Father. Again, Marysymbolising the earth or body consciousness, as Christian mystics themselves declarewas herself taken up bodily into the heavenly abode. The body celestial is this very physical human body cleared of its dross and filled with the divine substance. This could have been so precisely because it was originally the projection, the very image of God here below in the world of Matter. The mystery of Transubstantiation repeats and confirms the same symbology. The bread and wine of our secular body become the flesh and blood of the God-Man's body. The human frame is, as it were, woven into the very fabric of God's own truth and substance. The human form is inherent in the Divine's own personality. Is it mere anthropomorphism to say like this? We know the adage that the lion were he self-conscious and creative, would paint God as a super-lion, that is to say, in his own image. Well, the difference is precisely here, that the lion is not self-conscious and creative. Man createsnot man the mere imaginative artist but man the seer, the Rishihe expresses and embodies, represents faithfully the truth that he sees, the truth that he is. It is because of this conscious personality, referred to in the parable of the Aitareya Upanishad,-that God has chosen the human form to inhabit.
This is man's great privilege that, unlike the animal, he can surpass himself (the capacity, we may note, upon which the whole Nietzschean conception of humanity was based). Man is not bound to his human nature, to his anthropomorphism, he can rise above and beyond it, become what is (apparently) non-human. Therefore the Gita teaches: By thy self upraise thy self, lower not thy self by thy self. Indeed, as we have said, man means the whole gamut of existence. All the worlds and all the beings in all the worlds are also within his frame; he has only to switch or focus his consciousness on to a particular point or direction and he becomes a particular type in life. Man can be the very supreme godhead or at the other extreme a mere brute or any other intermediary creature in the hierarchy extending between the two.
03.04 - The Other Aspect of European Culture, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 01, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
So it is contended by some dissident voices that Europe and Asia are, as a matter of fact, different and disparate and incommensurable bodies they belong to categories that are as poles asunder; and therefore the twain can and shall never merge nor meet. For Europe, on the one hand, with her materialistic and mechanistic culture, forms one indivisible unity, her entire life in its manifold expression is moulded according to a definite pattern, forming a closed circle; on the other hand, Asia basing herself upon the spiritual and the other world has in quite a different way fashioned an altogether different culture-complex. One cannot take some spiritual element out of Asiatic culture and mix it with some profane element extracted from European culture, serving the product to humanity as its universal Ideal. The details the multitudinous forms and forces that make up an integral whole are irrevocably determined by a basic intuition which is the soul of that integrality; the entire edifice is a compact unityeach piece of brick, every bit of space is in its own place and has its own function by virtue of a dominant, a compelling Idea. Like an object of art, even like a living organism, a "body cultural" is inviolable in its self-sufficient and jealous completeness.
In other words, the difference between Europe and Asia is the difference between two species; and there can be no fruitful union between them. So, the meeting and fusion of Europe and Asia is nothing but a barren ideal, a chimera. It is a hope and a desire cherished, no doubt, by sentimental visionaries, but it is bound to come to grief in the end, when brought to face the realities of life and the stern forces that shape the forms of the concrete world.
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Even the still more ancient Grco-Latin Europe which was not, to a general and apparent view, quite spiritual or other-worldly, was yet not so exclusively materialistic and profane as modern Europe. Classical culture was rationalistic, without doubt; but that rationalism was the function of a sublimated intelligence and a refined sensibility and served as a vehicle for a Higher Perceptiona ratiocinative and ultra-logical mind, like that of Socrates, could yet be so passive and upgazing as to receive and obey the commandments of a Dmon; whereas the rationalism, which is in vogue today and to which orthodox Scientism has affixed its royal sign manual, is the product of mere brain-power, vigorous but crude, of an intellect shut up in its self-complacent cunningness, obfuscated by its infinite but shallow inquisitiveness.
And the secret soul of this Classical culture was not inherited by those who professed to be its champions and adorers the torch-bearers of the New Enlightenment; no, its direct descendants were to be found among the builders of the Christian civilization. Plato and Pythagoras and Heraclitus and the initiates to the Orphic and the Eleusinian mysteries continued to live in and through Plotinus and Anselm and Paracelsus and the long line of Christian savants and sages. The Middle Age had its own spiritual discoveries and achievements founded on the Cult of the Christ; to these it added what it could draw and assimilate from the mystic and spiritual traditions of the Grco-Latin world. The esoteric discipline of the Jewish Kabala also was not without influence in shaping the more secret undercurrents of Europe's creative and formative genius. The composite culture which they grew and developed had undisputed empire over Europe for some ten or twelve centuries; and it was nothing, if not at heart a spiritual and religious and other-worldly culture.
03.04 - The Vision and the Boon, #Savitri, #Sri Aurobindo, #Integral Yoga
A self-fulfilling transcendence treads man's road;
The driver of the soul upon its path,
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Adept of the self-born unfailing line,
Leave not the light to die the ages bore,
03.04 - Towardsa New Ideology, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 02, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
Russia has her Sovietic Communism, Germany, for the present at least, her Nazidom, Italy her totalitarian Fascism, old England her Parliamentarianism and France her Bureaucratism; each nation finds the norm and scheme of self-rule that suits its temperament and character and changes and modifies that also in its own characteristic manner. Even so India must find her own scheme of Swarajya. If she is to live and be great and contri bute something to the enrichment and glory of human civilisation, she must look to herself, enter into herself and know and bring out what lies there buried. It is a grievous blunder to try to transplant a Mussolinian or Leninian or a Hitlerian gospel on an Indian soil. It is not desirable nor is it truly possible.
If, however, we take a right about turn and look away from the West to the Far East, we already see in Japan a different type of national self-government. It is based on an altogether different basis which may appear even novel to the modern and rationalistic European mentality. I am referring to the conception of duty which moulds and upholds the Japanese body politic and body social, as opposed to the conception of right obtaining royal rule in the Occident.
The distinction between the attitudes that underlie these two conceptions was once upon a time greatly stressed by Vivekananda, who was the first to strike two or three major chords that were needed to create the grand symphony of the Indian Renaissance. It is true Europe too had her Mazzini whose scheme of a new humanity was based on the conception of the duties of man. But his was a voice in the wilderness and he was not honoured in his own country.
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For fanaticism may be defined as duty running away with itself; but duty proper, the genuine form of it is something self-poised, its natural and inherent tendency being rather to give than to demand, it is less easily provoked to aggression and battle. Even so, it may be claimed on behalf of Right that the right hand of Right is not likely to do harm, for itis then another name for liberty, it means the freedom to live one's life unhampered without infringing on an equal facility for others to do the same. But the whole difficulty comes in precisely with regard to the frontier of each other's sphere of rights. It is easy to declare the principle, but to carry it out in life and action is a different matter. The line of demarcation between one's own rights and the rights of another is always indeterminate and indefinable. In establishing and maintaining one's rights there is always the possibility, even the certainty of "frontier incidents", of encroaching upon other's rights. Liberty, alone and by itself, is not a safe guidetherefore so much stress is being laid nowadays upon discipline and obedience in modern ideologies.
But perhaps the real truth of the matter here is that all these termsliberty or right or even dutyare mental conceptions. They are indeed ideals, that is to say, made of the stuff of ideas and do not always coincide with the deeper realities of life and hence are not able to produce the perfect and durable harmony among warring members whether in the individual or in the collective life.
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Indeed, Right, Duty and Dharma are three terms that represent the three stages of an ascending consciousness in its play of forces. At the base and beginning the original and primary state of consciousness is dominated by the mode of inertia (tamas); in that state things are an inchoate mass and are simply jumbled together; they are moved and acted upon helplessly by forces that are outside them. A rise in the scale of growth and evolution occurs when things begin to be organised, that is to say, differentiated and coordinated. And this means at the outset the self-assertion of each and every unit, the claim and the right of the individual to be itself first and foremost. It is a necessary development, for it signifies the growth of self-conscious units out of a general unconsciousness. It is the appearance of rajas, the mode of life and activity. Right belongs to this field and level: it is the lever that serves to bring out the individual nuclei from a general formlessness, it is the force that crystallises and organises the separative centres for separate fulfilment in life. And naturally it is the field also of competition and conflict. This is a stage and has to be transcended, from the domain of differentiation and contrariety one has to rise to the domain of co-ordination and co-operation. Here comes in the concept of duty which seeks to remedy the ills of the modus of rights in two ways, first, by replacing the movement of taking by that of giving, orienting the consciousness from the sense of self-sufficiency and self-importance towards that of submission and humbleness; secondly, by the recognition of the just rights of others also against one's own. Duty represents the mode of sattwa in action.
But the conception of duty too has its limitations. Even apart from the misuses of the ideal to which we have already referred, the ideal itself, is of the mental plane; it is more or less an act of mental will that seeks to impose a rule of co-operation upon the mutually excluding and conflicting entities. The result is bound to be imperfect and precarious. For mind force, although it can exercise some kind of control over the life forces, cannot altogether master them, and eradicate even the very seeds of conflict that breed naturally in that field. The sense of duty raises the consciousness to the mode of sattwa; sattwa holds rajas in check, but is unable to eliminate wholly the propensities and impulses of aberration ingrained in rajas, cannot radically purify or transfigure it.
03.05 - Some Conceptions and Misconceptions, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 03, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
Here we come to the very heart of the mystery. As we have put it thus far, the process of Involution would appear as a series of stages in a descending order, a movement along a vertical line, as it were, one stage following another, more or less separate from each other, the lower being ever more ignorant, more separative, more exclusive. But this is not the whole picture. At each lower stage the higher is not merely high above, but also comes down and stands behind or becomes immanent in the lower. Along with the vertical movement there is also a horizontal movement. In other words, even when we are sunk in the lowest stratum of Ignorancein the domain of Matterwe have also there all the other strands behind, even the very highest, not merely as passive or neutral entities, but as dynamic agents exerting their living pressure to the full. Indeed the Ignorance is not mere Ignorance, but Knowledge itself, the very highest Knowledge, but in a particular mode of activity. What appears ignorant is full of a secret Knowledgeit is just the outer surface, the facet that appears as its opposite because of a particular manner of concentration, a total self-abandonment in the object of Knowledge. That Knowledge stands revealed if the mask is put away, that is to say, if we get behind, If we release the exclusiveness of the concentration. This release or getting behind does not mean necessarily the dissolution of the status itself for it is the pressure from behind, the concentration of the hidden consciousness that creates the status and its truth-forms; with the exclusiveness goes away only the twist, the aberration produced by it. When the consciousness withdraws from its mode and field of exclusive concentration, it need not concentrate again on the withdrawal only, it can be an inclusive concentration also embracing both the status the frontal and the behind. Both can be held together in one single movement of consciousness possessing the double function of projection and comprehensionprajna and vijna.
Such a synthetic poise is not a mere theoretical possibility: it is an actuality and is being demonstrated by the fact of evolution. The partial release of the absolutely exclusive concentration of consciousness in Matter has given rise to Life which is a double poise: Life plays in and through Matter and has not dissolved Matter. Likewise a further release of concentration has given birth to Mind which still bases itself upon and is woven into Life and Matter. The change-over from unconsciousness to consciousness and from consciousness to super-consciousness is the movement of consciousness from a unilateral towards an ever widening multiple poise and functioning of concentration.
The exclusive concentration was the logical and inevitable final term of a movement of separativity and exteriorisation. It had its necessity and utility. Its special function was utilised by Nature for precision and perfection in details of execution in the most material order of reality. Indeed, what can be more exact and accurate than the laws of physics, the mathematical laws that govern the movements of the material particles? Furthermore, if we look at the scientist himself, do we not find in him an apt image of the same phenomenon? A scientist means a specialist the more specialised and restricted his view, the surer he is likely to be in his particular domain. And specialised knowledge means a withdrawal from other fields and viewpoints of knowledge, an ignorance of them. Likewise, a workman who moulds the head of a pin is all concentrated upon that single point of existencehe forgets the whole world and himself in that act whose perfect execution seems to depend upon the measure of his self-oblivion. But evidently this is not bound to be so. A one-pointed self-absorption that is Ignoranceis certainly an effective way of dealing with material objectsthings of Ignorance; but it is not the only way. It is a way or mechanism adopted by Nature in a certain status under certain conditions. One need not always forget oneself in the act in order to do the act perfectly. An unconscious instinctive act is not always best doneit can be done best consciously, intuitively. A wider knowledge, a greater acquaintance with objects and facts and truths of other domains too is being more and more insisted upon as a surer basis of specialisation. The pinpointed (one might almost say geometrically pointed) consciousness in Matter that resolves itself into unconsciousness acts perfectly but blindly; the vast consciousness also acts there with absolute perfection but consciouslyconscious in the highest degree.
As we have said, super-consciousness does not confine itself to the supreme status alone, to the domain of pure infinity, but it comes down and embraces the most inferior status too, the status of the finite. Precisely because it is infinity, it is not bound to its infinity but can express its infinity in and through infinite limits.
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The principle of exclusive concentration does not by itself really create the objects of the material world; it creates the perception the illusory perceptionof separativeness, that objects are more or less closed systems, distinct and isolated from one another. The sense of limitation and hence actual limitation, not however real or essential limitationcomes out of the exclusive concentration. This does not mean that the limitation or discreteness of objects is merely psychological (mental), not ontological, as one may say. In Sri Aurobindo's outlook the distinction between psychological and ontological is not trenchant and absolute. For, psychological, according to him, does not mean merely mental but also relating to consciousness; and although mind does not create material objects, consciousness may do soindeed it is the force of the original consciousness, which is the force of being, that has created the physical plane of multiplicity. This creative power is the self-projecting energy of consciousness prajna. It is, in other words, the force of individuation inherent in the play of consciousness. Now, as I have already said, at a certain stage, under certain conditions, through a gradation of stages, this force of individuation originally and intrinsically existing and working in and through unity and integration, is possessed or veiled by or devolves into a force of limitation, meaning separateness and exclusion. What would otherwise be an ensemble, an organism of individualities held together and moving as various forms or lines of force of one and the same reality, is now broken up and becomes a conglomeration of isolated entities. Unity is transformed into multiplicity, solidarity is lost in plurality.
We can, however, make a distinction between limitation and delimitation or individuation. Limitation is a movement of Ignorance: it is the result of exclusive concentration. It creates separateness, forgets the unity. Delimitation, on the contrary, is a movement of knowledge, of pure consciousness dynamic. It creates diversity, multiplicity maintained in unity.
03.05 - The Spiritual Genius of India, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 01, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
All other nations have this one, or that other, line of self-expression, special to each; but it is India's characteristic not to have had any such single and definite modus Vivendiwhat was single and definite in her case was a mode not of living but of being. India looked above all to the very self in things; and in all her life-expression it was the soul per se which mattered to her,even as the-great Yajnavalkya said to his wife Maitreyi,tmanastu kmay sarvam priyam bhavati. The expressions of the self had no intrinsic value of their own and mattered only so far as they symbolised or embodied or pointed to the secret reality of the Atman. And perhaps it was on this account that India's creative activities, even in external life, were once upon a time so rich and varied, so stupendous and, full of marvel. Because she was attached and limited to no one dominating power of life, she could create infinite forms, so many channels of power for the soul whose realisation was her end and aim.
There was no department of life or culture in which it could be said of India that she was not great, or even, in a way, supreme. From hard practical politics touching our earth, to the nebulous regions of abstract metaphysics, everywhere India expressed the power of her genius equally well. And yet none of these, neither severally nor collectively, constituted her specific genius; none showed the full height to which she could raise herself, none compassed the veritable amplitude of her innermost reality. It is when we come to the domain of the Spirit, of God-realisation that we find the real nature and stature and genius of the Indian people; it is here that India lives and moves as in her own home of Truth. The greatest and the most popular names in Indian history are not names of warriors or statesmen, nor of poets who were only poets, nor of mere intellectual philosophers, however great they might be, but of Rishis, who saw and lived the Truth and communed with the gods, of Avataras who brought down and incarnated here below something of the supreme realities beyond.
03.05 - The World is One, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 02, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
We ask for freedom, liberty of the individual, self-determinationwell and good. But that does not mean the licence to do as one pleases, impelled by one's irrational idiosyncrasies. The individual must be truly individual, not a fractional being, the self must be the real self, not a shadow or surface formulation in order to have the full right to unfettered movement. Liberty, yes; but that means liberty for all which means again the other two terms of the great trinity, equality and fraternity. Individuality, yes; that means every individuality, in other words, solidarity. The two sides of the equation must be given equal value and equal emphasis. If the stress upon one leads to Nazism, Fascism or Stalinism, steam-rollered uniformity or streamlined regimentation, the death of the individual, the other emphasis leads to disintegration and disruption, to the same end in a different way. But in the world of today, after the victory in the last war over the Nazi conception of humanity, it seems as though the spirit of disruption has gone abroad, human consciousness has been atom-bombed into flying fragments; so we have the spectacle of all manner of parochialism pullulating on the earth, regional and ideologicalimperial blocs, nations, groups, parties have chequered ad infinitum, have balkanised human commonalty.
We badly needed a United Nations Organisation, but we are facing the utmost possible disunity. The lesson is that politics alone will not save us, nor even economics. The word has gone forth: what is required is a change of heart. The leaders of humanity must have a new heart grafted in place of the old. That is the surgical operation imperative at the moment. That heart will declare in its beats that the cosmos is not atomic but one and indivisible,ekam sat, neha nnsti kicana.
03.06 - Divine Humanism, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 01, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
There is, indeed, a gradation in the humanistic attitude that rises from grosser and more concrete forms to those that are less and less so. At the lowest rung and the most obvious in form and nature is what is called altruism, or more especially, philanthropy, that is to say, doing good to others, some good j that is tangible and apparent, that is esteemed and valued by the world generally. In an altruism refined and sublimated, when it is no longer a matter primarily of doing but of feeling, when, from a more or less physical and material give and take, we rise into a vital and psychological sympathy and inter communion, we have what is humanism proper. Humanism is transfigured into something still higher and finer when, from the domain of personal or individual feeling" and sympathy, we ascend to cosmic feeling, to self-identification with the All, the One that is Many. This is the experience that seems to be behind the Buddhistic compassion, karu.
And yet there can be a status even beyond. For, beyond the cosmic reality lies the transcendent reality. It is the Absolute, neti, neti, into which individual and cosmos, all disappear and vanish. In compassion, the cosmic communion, there is a trace and an echo of humanismit is perhaps one of the reasons why Europeans generally are attracted to Buddhism and find it more congenial than Hinduism with its dizzy Vedantic heights. But in the status of the transcendent self-hood, humanism is totally transcended and transmuted; one dwells there in the Bliss that passeth all feeling.
The Upanishadic summit is not suffused with humanism or touched by it, because it is supra-human, not because there is a lack or deficiency in the human feeling, but because there is a heightening and a transcendence in the consciousness and being. To man, to human valuation, the Bodhisattva may appear to be greater than the Buddha; even so to the sick a physician or a nurse may seem to be a diviner angel than any saint or sage or perhaps God himself but that is an inferior view-point, that of particular or local interest.
03.07 - Brahmacharya, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 02, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
Modern education means storage of information, knowledge of thingsas much knowledge of as many things as it is possible for the brain to contain. The older ideal, however, was not so much knowledge, that is to say, packet of knowings, but capacity, first capacity in a general way, and then as its application, the capacity of knowledge. The problem was to locate, that is to say, find out the source of energy then master it, increase it, harness it and utilise it. The physico-vital energy is the most elementary and elemental energy that is nearest to us and most easily available. It is the basic energy; man starts his life with that, a child possesses it abundantly. The first problem is how to store it; evidently it is most liable to be thrown or frittered away. The first form of the discipline in the preparatory stage of early life is regularity in habits, methodical physical exercises; even a fixed routine sometimes helps much. Next comes self-control, continence, physical purity. This is Brahmacharya proper. It means the exercise of conscious will.
We do not speak of Brahmacharya in relation to a child. The discipline can be taken up only when the body and the consciousness have attained a certain degree of growth and development. A child grows in the full free play of its life movements: the care or attention of others should weigh upon it as lightly as possible, maintaining only an atmosphere of happy influence and protection. The transition from the stage of free play to conscious control is marked in Indian society by the ceremony of upanayana, the first approach or initiation: it is the beginning of the life of Brahmacharya.
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The energy that one stores by continence, regular habits and self-discipline increases also in that way. Sometimes special methodskriyaare adopted to help the process, Asana or Pranayama, for example. But an inner and a more psychological procedure is needed, a concentration of will and consciousnessa kind of dhyana, in other wordsin order to be able to take the next step in discipline. For after the storage and increase of energy comes the sublimation of energy, that is to say, the physico-vital energy transmuted into the energy of mental substance, medh. Sublimation means also the increase of brain-power, an enhancement in the degree and quality of its capacity. This has nothing to do with the volume of knowledge enclosed (the mass of information to which we referred before) the growth is with regard to the very stuff of the mind from within, the natural strength of intelligence that can be applied to any field of knowledge with equal success and felicity.
The basis and the immediate aim of education according to the ancient system was to develop this fundamental mental capacity: the brain's power to think clearly, consistently and deeply, to undergo labour without tiring easily and also a general strength and steadiness in the nerves. The transference of nervous energy into brain energy is also a secret of the process of sublimation. It is precisely this aspect of education that has been most neglected in modern times. We give no thought to this fundamental: we leave the brain to develop as it may (or may not), it is made to grow under pressuremore to inflate than to growby forcing into it masses of information. The result at best is that it is sharpened, made acute superficially or is overgrown in a certain portion of it in respect of a narrow and very specialised function, losing thereby a healthy harmony and homogeneity in the total movement. The intellectual's nervous instability is a very common phenomenon among us.
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This new approach has rectified much of the wrong handling of the problem of education to which we have been accustomed. Even this new orientation, however, is not sufficient: along with freedom and autonomy, the element of discipline and order has also to be brought in, if not quite in the old way at least in a new manner. It will not do to say simply that it must be self-discipline and self-order, but the question is how it is to be practically carried out. In ancient times it was done by living the life of an aspirant, not merely by studying and going to school, being only a student but living in the hours of the teacher, in the atmosphere of his direct presence and influence: the teacher too was not a machine issuing mechanical instruction, but a Person who loved and whom one loved, a warm embodiment of the ideal.
In our days there has been this unhappy division between the student and the aspirant. In the student life, life and study are things apart. One may be a good student, study very seriously and attain considerable eminence in intellectual achievement, and yet in life one may remain quite the ordinary man with very normal reactions. Along with the brain we do not endeavour to educate the life instincts and body impulses. This portion of our nature we leave all alone and do not dare or care to handle it consciously. Sometimes we call that freedom; but it is more slavery than freedom, slavery to our commonplace animal nature. Because one follows one's impulses and instincts freely, without let or hindrance one feels as if he were free. Far from it.
03.07 - Some Thoughts on the Unthinkable, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 01, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
The Divine does not compel, he persuades. The individual soul is born out of the Divine and forms a part and parcel of the Divine, but it has been given freedomfreedom to live and move as it chooses. And although the Divine Will in the cosmos acts as a continuous pressure in the form of the evolutionary urge pushing inferior Nature gradually towards an unfolding of the Divine's own Consciousness and Nature, inherent in it and overarching it, yet it is a force that lies in the background and its fulfilment is only eventual. There is a long interim period of a full five-act drama in which the soul, through gathering experiences, freely moves and explores and seeks, falters and errs, and finally comes to its own; it comes to realise that the freedom it had, even the freedom to descend and enter into the region of the Ignorance, was accorded to it for the play of self-choice, for the joy of self-discovery, for the delight of self-surrender and self-fulfilment.
The Divine has two aspects in its manifestation, the one in which it is the All, the infinite and equal Brahman, spread wide as to include the two extremes, Knowledge and Ignorance, Birth and Death, impartially containing or consisting of the dualitiesit is the Reality that is; the other is the reality that becomesit is not the All, but the Over-All, the Transcendent that manifests and is being embodied; it is not the duality of Knowledge and Ignorance, but Supra-knowledge; it is not the duality of Birth and Death, but Immortality; it is the Divine in its own Truth-Nature that lies on one side beyond and behind, at the origin, and on the other, involved and submerged in the play of the All and gradually emerging out of the All, transforming it and giving it a concrete form even in the likeness of the original transcendent supra-Nature.
03.10 - Hamlet: A Crisis of the Evolving Soul, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 01, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
The consciousness that rules over the tragedy of Hamlet, the destiny that works itself out in the play of the forces portrayed in that great drama, are the consciousness and the destiny of the human soul at a most fateful crisis, a crucial turning-point in the course of its evolution. The soul, lodged in the human embodiment, moves forward and upward, towards a greater and greater self-expression and self-expansion, a continual heightening and widening of its consciousness, a constant sublimation and transfiguration of its mode of being and living. And in the progressive gradient so pursued, there are certain stages or level-crossings that can be clearly marked out in view of their importance and significance.
Shakespeare himself records, in two other of his major dramas, the mystery of two such stages preceding the one he deals with in Hamlet: one in Macbeth and the other in King Lear. Indeed these three mighty creations form a triology with the Karma of the human soul at different crises as its theme. King Lear represents human consciousness low down in the scale of evolution, almost at its starta nature primitive and barbarian. We seem to go back into a prehistoric world, a paleolithic age the domain of utter ignorance, of vulgar greed and hunger, where one sees the rank play of a raw and crude and aboriginal nature. Man is here simply the eater, a true brother of the rest of the animal kind, one in blood with the tiger and the wolf. He is the sheer biological or vital being the Rakshasainto whom the light of the Mind has not yet descended, at least not to the extent of effecting an appreciable change in his original and primitive texture. It is a world ruled by the mode of tamas. 1
In Macbeth we move up one step farther; human consciousness attains here a higher level. Something of the mental being enters into the purely vital creature: instead of the Eater, the man with the mere stomach, we have here the Ruler, the Tyrant, the human being with its will and its arms that execute the will: the dominating motive is no longer hunger and greed and cruelty for cruelty's sake, but power and position and lordship, and the driving force, not blind passion and dark furysheer unconsciousness but deliberate resolution, foreseeing calculation and steady purposiveness; the Rakshasa gives place to the Asura. The Asura is the incarnation of conscious egotism, the will to dominate, to be the sole master and monarch; he is the self-aggrandising vaulting ambition. He does not seek to possess things for their own sake, not so much to enjoy them as to hold them as symbols of his royalty, of his personal worth and majesty. In Macbeth we have the world of the Asuraa creation of the mode of rajas.
Hamlet is the third stage; it is a vision of sattva-guna and a creation attempted by that vision. The human consciousness that was imprisoned in the vital mind, is released here into the higher or pure mind. The soul escapes from its sheath of sheer hunger and desire and egoism and self-aggrandisementyearns for light, more light. Lear is a dark mass of unconsciousness, crude and violent, even like the naked and raging elements into whose arms he is thrown; Macbeth is the beginning of consciousness in which one is conscious of one's own self alone, and keenly and deliberately attached to it,here light has dawned, but a lurid light. Hamlet is consciousness that is seeking to transcend the barrier of the little self and its narrow and vulgar appetites and impulses. Man here comes into touch with something that is impersonal, other-regarding, afar; he has grown interests that are not merely mundane, utilitarian, pragmatic, self-centred, but abstract, metaphysical, beyond the individual's own and immediate concern: he has now ideals and aspirationshe is a seeker of the true, the good, the beautiful. He has been initiated into the divinedaivanature. Culture, refinement, sensibility, understandingall the graces of a truly rational being make Hamlet the very flower of an evolving humanity.
Over against the personality of Hamlet stands another which represents false height, the wrong perfection, the counterfeit ideal. Polonius is humanity arrested in its path of straight development and deviated into a cut-de-sac of self-conceit and surface urbanity, apparent cleverness and success and pretentious and copy-book morality. When one has outgrown the barbarian, one runs the risk of becoming a snob or philistine. It is a side table-land, as it were, on mid-heights, the standard perhaps of a commoner humanity, but which the younger ideal has to transcend or avoid or even to destroy, so that it may find itself and live its own life. To the philistine too the mere biological man is a taboo, but he seeks to confine human nature into a scheme of codes and maxims and lifeless injunctions and prohibitions. He is also the man of Reason but without the higher inflatus, the living and creative Something More the poetry, the vision, the dream that would transfigure the merely pragmatic, practical, worldly wise the bourgeoisinto the princely aristocratic idealist, elevate the drab terre terre To-day into the glory of a soaring To-morrow.
What is the crisis that confronts the ascending visionary soul? What is the obstacle that the Idealist has to face, the danger zone that he has to traverse in order to arrive at- the realisation of his ideal?
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The crisis in Hamlet reminds us of another somewhat similar one, that is the basis and starting-point of the great episode in the Mahabharata the Gita. Arjuna, the ideal hero and man of action, in absolute self-confidence and certitude, with no doubt or hesitation about anything in the world, advances into the very thick of the bloody strife and lo! all is changed as with a magic wand! What was to him a moment before a clear duty, an evident act of righteousness, the noblest of deeds, now appears nothing less than an inglorious slaughter. The bow of victory slips from the hand of the mighty warrior and, all nerve and tremor, he sinks down in gloom and dejection and complete confusion.
Arjuna tided over the crisis as he could avail himself of the knowledge of the way out and the necessary help that was given by the Divine Guide. Hamlet bears the full crash of doom upon his head and makes others also share its consequences with him. At one point, however, he seemed to make just a move towards the right solution of the difficulty. He finds that the avoidance of the Evil by self-destructionwhich is a common and natural temptation in like situationsis no solution: it may lead you into a still greater evil. One has to face the evil, stand and fight it. Once this is decided, the right course for the hero (the Aryan fighter, as the Gitawould say) would be to live
As one, in suffering all, that suffers nothing;
03.11 - True Humility, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 03, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
It is not by repeating mea culpa ad infinitum that one can show one's true humility. In owning too much and too often one's sins, one may be just on the wrong side of virtue. There lurks a strain of vanity in self-maceration: the sinner in an overdose of self-pity almost feels himself saintly. Certainly, one must stand before oneself face to face, not hide or minimise or explain away one's errors and lapses, all one's omissions and commissions. But one need not brood over them, merely repenting and repining. One sees steadily, without flinching, what one actually is and then resolutely and sincerely takes to the ways and means of changing it, becoming what one has to be. A fall, the discovery of a new frailty should be an occasion not to chastise and punish yourself, thus to depress yourself and harden your nature, but to enthuse you with a fresh resolution, to rekindle your aspiration so that you may take another step forward. And, naturally, this you must do not with the sense that you can succeed or move forward by any inherent capacity of yoursyour failures are there always as standing eye-openers to you. No, it is not your self but the Divine Self that will come to your succour and lift you up tameva ea vute tanum swam to him alone it unveils its own body. That is the humility to be learnt. But it does not mean that you are to remain merely passive, inert you cannot but be that if you are only a weeping willow a dead-weight upon the force of Grace that would carry you up. Rather you should throw your weight, whatever it is, on the side of the Divine. An atmosphere of alacrity and happiness and goodwill goes a long way to the redemption and regeneration of the consciousness. This is demanded of you; the rest is the work of the Divine. It is under such conditions that the Divine's help becomes all the more speedy and effective. Otherwise, mere contrition and lamentation and self-torture mean, as I have said, a ballast, a burden upon the force of progress and purification; as Sri Krishna says in the Gita, by oppressing oneself one oppresses only the Divine within. Humility, in order to be true and sincere, need not be sour and dour in appearance or go about in sack-cloth and ashes. On the contrary, it can be smiling and buoyant: and it is so, because it is at ease, knowing that things will be donesome things naturally will be undone tooquietly, quickly, if necessary, and inevitably, provided the right consciousness, the right will within is maintained. The humble consciousness does not, of course, take credit for what is being done for it, nor does it concentrate wholly or chiefly on its utter futility and smallness. It feels small or helpless not in the sense as when one one feels weak and miserable and almost undone, but as a child feels, naturally and innocently, in the lap of it mother: only I perhaps it is more awake and self-conscious than the child mentality.
Humility is unreservedly humble, as it envisages the immensity of the labour the Divine has undertaken, sees the Grace, infinite and inscrutable, working miracles every moment: and it is full of gratitude and thanksgiving and quiet trust and hopefulness. Certainly, it means self-forgetfulness and selflessness, as it cannot co-exist with the sense of personal worth and merit, with any appreciation of one's own tapasya and achievement, even as it thrives ill upon self-abasement and self-denigration, for if one is rajasic, the other is tamasic egoismegoism, in any case. Absolute nullity of the egoistic self is the condition needed, but anything less than that, any lowering of the consciousness beyond this zero point means reaffirming the ego in a wrong direction. True humility has an unostentatious quietness, as it has a living and secret contact with the divine consciousness.
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03.13 - Human Destiny, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 02, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
The very lack of perfection and fixity in the human consciousness leaves a kind of plasticity in his nature and therefore an opening towards further life and progress. However perfect man's sten-gun is, it is not as sure and efficient as the bee's sting. Man outlives, because he progresses through apparent regressions. The cycles of human life upon earth are not mere repetitions of the same pattern as some have supposed, they indicate a growth and development. We have referred to the growth and development in the matter of tools, but that is only a sign and expression of another growth and developmentdevelopment in mind and consciousness. In the earlier races of mankind there was a vital, a kind of instinctive and intuitiveBergsonianlight of consciousness; that slowly has grown into a rich intellectual consciousness, and significantly and characteristically, into a more and more self-conscious consciousness. That points to man's characteristic progressive march through all the changes in his life-pattern.
The danger in the growth and progress of the consciousness is that it progresses along a definite line or lines, cuts out a groove and in the end lands into a blind alley or cul-de-sac. This, as I have said, is perhaps the original or secret cause of decline and fall of many individual races and nations. But on the whole mankind steps back, it seems, just at the danger point and escapes the final catastrophe. A new vein of consciousness awakes in man and gives him a new power of self-adjustment. From Imperial Egypt to, say, modern France or Russia is a far cry; the two ends give very different connotations of the human consciousness, although there are many things common in certain life-instincts and some broad mental impulsions. And there is not only progress, that is to say, advancement on the same plane, but there is a kind of ascension on a somewhat different plane. Yajnavalkya represented a type of lite which is far away and far other than that of Vivekananda, for example, today.
We have described man, especially, modern man as homo fabricus; but that is a particular aspect of application of homo intellectualis. And it is a sign and warning that he must step back and look for a new connotation of his consciousness in order to go forward and continue to exist. If, as we have said in the beginning, man is capable of a durable youthfulness, by his very nature, it means he has a resiliency that will enable him to leap into new conditions and adapt himself to them more easily and without much delay.
03.15 - Towards the Future, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 02, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
The Buddhists consider being as a stream of consciousness, a ceaseless flow of sensations. An individual formation, a creature, a human person has no permanent self-identity. Itis like the Heraclitean river where one does not ba the twice in the same water.
Besides, what is more interesting, it is not an uninterrupted continuous flow with no gap or hiatus, but a movement of disconnected units. Itis an unending series of disparate moments of consciousness. The sense of continuity is a make-believe, an illusion.
04.01 - The March of Civilisation, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 01, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
If we look at Europe once again and cast a glance at its origins, we find at the source the Grco-Roman culture. It was pre-eminently a culture based upon the powers of mind and reason: it included a strong and balanced body (both body natural and body politic) under the aegis of mens sana (a sound mind). The light that was Greece was at its zenith a power of the higher mind and intelligence, intuitively dynamic in one the earlierphase through Plato, Pythagoras, Heraclitus and the mystic philosophers, and discursively and scientifically rational through the Aristotelian tradition. The practical and robust Roman did not indulge in the loftier and subtler activities of the higher or intuitive mind; his was applied intelligence and its characteristic turn found expression in law and order and governance. Virgil was a representative poet of the race; finely sensitive and yet very self-consciousearth-bound and mind-boundas a creative artist: a clear and careful intelligence with an idealistic imagination that is yet sober and fancy-free is the very hall mark of his poetic genius. In the post-Roman age this bias for mental consciousness or the play of reason and intellectual understanding moved towards the superficial and more formal faculties of the brain ending in what is called scholasticism: it meant stagnation and decadence. It is out of this slough that the Renaissance raised the mind of Europe and bathed it with a new light. That movement gave to the mind a wider scope, an alert curiosity, a keener understanding; it is, as I have said, the beginning of that modern mentality which is known as the scientific outlook, that is to say, study of facts and induction from given data, observation and experience and experiment instead of the other scholastic standpoint which goes by a priori theorising and abstraction and deduction and dogmatism.
We may follow a little more closely the march of the centuries in their undulating movement. The creative intelligence of the Renaissance too belonged to a region of the higher mind, a kind of inspirational mind. It had not the altitude or even the depth of the Greek mind nor its subtler resonances: but it regained and re-established and carried to a new degree the spirit of inquiry and curiosity, an appreciation of human motives and preoccupations, a rational understanding of man and the mechanism of the world. The original intuitive fiat, the imaginative brilliance, the spirit of adventure (in the mental as well as the physical world) that inspired the epoch gradually dwindled: it gave place to an age of consolidation, organisation, stabilisation the classical age. The seventeenth century Europe marked another peak of Europe's civilisation. That is the Augustan Age to which we have referred. The following century marked a further decline of the Intuition and higher imagination and we come to the eighteenth century terre terre rationalism. Great figures still adorned that agestalwarts that either stuck to the prevailing norm and gave it a kind of stagnant nobility or already leaned towards the new light that was dawning once more. Pope and Johnson, Montesquieu and Voltaire are its high-lights. The nineteenth century brought in another crest wave with a special gift to mankind; apparently it was a reaction to the rigid classicism and dry rationalism of the preceding age, but it came burdened with a more positive mission. Its magic name was Romanticism. Man opened his heart, his higher feeling and nobler emotional surge, his subtler sensibility and a general sweep of his vital being to the truths and realities of his own nature and of the cosmic nature. Not the clear white and transparent almost glaring light of reason and logic, of the brain mind, but the rosy or rainbow tint of the emotive and aspiring personality that seeks in and through the cosmic panorama and dreams of
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The Romantic Revival was a veritable source movement: it was, one can say, a kind of watershed from where various streams of new creation and fresh adventure flowed down in all directions. Its echoes and repurcussions are met with even today and continue. The next stage that followed naturally and inevitably was man's preoccupation with his sense being, his external, his physical and material personality. It is the age of Naturalism, Realism, Pragmatism, Scientism: it proclaims the birth of the economic man. From the heart and emotions we drop down into the field of the nervous and sensuous existence, from the vital sphere into the sphere of the body. And that is where we are today. It means that we have been made more than ever self-conscious on this plane and of this personality of ours. We have been given and are being given greater knowledge of its mechanism; we are intensively (and extensively too) getting familiar with all the drawbacks and lacunae that are there so that we can remedy them and discover new latent forces too, and re-create and possess a truly "brave new world".
That is how the spirit of progress and evolution has worked and advanced in the European world. And one can take it as the pattern of human growth generally; but in the scheme described above we have left out one particular phase and purposely. I refer to the great event of Christ and Christianity. For without that European civilisation loses more than half of its import and value. After the Roman Decline began the ebbtide, the trough, the dark shadow of the deepening abyss of the Middle Ages. But even as the Night fell and darkness closed around, a new light glimmered, a star was born. A hope and a help shone "in a naughty world". It was a ray of consciousness that came from a secret cave, from a domain hidden behind and deep within in the human being. Christ brought a leaven into the normal manifest mode of consciousness, an otherworldly mode into the worldly life. He established a living and dynamic contact with the soul, the inner person in man, the person that is behind but still rules the external personality made of mind and life and body consciousness. The Christ revelation was also characteristic in the sense that it came as a large, almost a mass movementthis approach of the soul personality to earthly life. The movement faded or got adulterated, deformed like all human things; but something remained as a permanent possession of man's heritage.
04.02 - Human Progress, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 03, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
An animal does not separate itself from Nature, exteriorise it and then seek to fashion it as he wants, try to make it yield things he requires. Man is precisely man because he has just this sense of self and of not-self and his whole life is the conquest of the not-self by the self: this is the whole story of his evolution. In the early stages his sense of agency and selfhood is at its minimum. The rough-hewn flint instruments are symbolic of the first attempts of the brain to set its impress upon crude and brute nature. The history of man's artisanship, which is the history of his civilisation, is also the history of his growing self-consciousness. The consciousness in its attempt to react upon nature separated itself from Nature, and at first stood over against it and then sought to stand over and above it. In this process of extricating itself from the sheath in which it was involved and fused, it came back upon itself, became more and more aware of its freedom and individual identity and agency.
The question is now asked how far this self-consciousness given to man by his progress from stone to steelhas advanced and what is its future. The crucial problem is whether man has progressed in historical times. Granted that man with an iron tool is a more advanced type of humanity than man with a chipped stone tool, it may still be enquired whether he has made any real advance since the day he learnt to manipulate metal. If by advance or progress we mean efficiency and multiplication of tools, then surely there can be no doubt that Germany of today (perhaps now we have to say Germany of yesterday and America of today) is the most advanced type of humanityindeed they do make the claim in that country.
So it is argued that man may have built up more and more efficient organisation in his outer life, he may have learnt to wield a greater variety and wealth of tools and instruments in an increasing degree of refinement and power; but this does not mean that his character, his nature or even the broad mould of his intelligence has changed or progressed. The records and remains of Pre-dynastic Egypt or of Proto-Aryan Indus valley go to show that those were creations of civilised men, as civilised as any modern people. The mind that produced the Rig Veda or the Book of the Dead or conceived the first pyramid is, in essential power of intelligence, no whit inferior to any modern scientific brain. Hence a distinction is sometimes made between culture and civilisation; what the moderns have achieved is progress with regard to civilisation, that is to say, the outer paraphernalia; but as regards culture a Plato, a Lao-tse, a Yajnavalkya are names to which we still bow down.
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We characterise the change as a special degree or order of self-consciousness. self-consciousness, we have seen, is the sine qua non of humanity. It is the faculty or power by and with which man appears on earth and maintains himself as such, as a distinct species. Thanks to this faculty man has become the tool-making animal, the artisanhomo faber. But on emerging from the original mythopoeic to the scientific status man has become doubly self-conscious. self-consciousness means to be aware of oneself as standing separate from and against the environment and the world and acting upon it as a free agent, exercising one's deliberate will. Now the first degree of self-consciousness displayed itself in a creative activity by which consciousness remained no longer a suffering organon, but became a growing and directing, a reacting and new-creating agent. Man gained the power to shape the order of Nature according to the order of his inner will and consciousness. This creative activity, the activity of the artisan, developed along two lines: first, artisanship with regard to one's own self, one's inner nature and character, and secondly, with regard to the external nature, the not-self. The former gave rise to mysticism and Yoga and was especially cultivated in India, while the second has led us to Science, man's physical mastery, which is the especial field of European culture.
Now the second degree of self-consciousness to which we referred is the scientific consciousness par excellence. It can be described also as the spirit and power of experimentation, or more precisely, of scientific experimentation: it involves generically the process with which we are familiar in the domain of industry and is termed synthetic, that is to say, it means the skill and capacity to create the conditions under which a given phenomenon can be repeated at will. Hence it means a perfect knowledge of the process of thingswhich again is a dual knowledge: (1) the knowledge of the steps gradually leading to the result and (2) the knowledge that has the power to resolve the result into its antecedent conditions. Thus the knowledge of the mechanism, the detailed working of things, is scientific knowledge, and therefore scientific knowledge can be truly said to be mechanistic knowledge, in the best sense of the term. Now the knowledge of the ends and the knowledge of the means (to use a phrase of Aldous Huxley) and the conscious control over either have given humanity a new degree of self-consciousness.
It can be mentioned here that there can be a knowledge of ends without a corresponding knowledge of means, even there can be a control over ends without a preliminary control over meansperhaps not to perfection, but to a sufficient degree of practical utility. Much of the knowledgeespecially secular and scientificin ancient times was of this order; what we mean to say is that the knowledge was more instinctive or intuitive than rational or intellectual. In that knowledge the result only, the end that it to say, was the chief aim and concern, the means for attaining the end was, one cannot perhaps say, ignored, but slurred or slipped over as it were: the process was thus involved or understood, not expressed or detailed out. Thus we know of some mathematical problems to which correct solutions were given of which the process is not extant or lost as some say. Our suggestion is that there was in fact very little of the process as we know it now the solution was reached per saltum, that is to say, somehow, in the same manner as we find it happening even today in child prodigies.
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We have said that this methodologism the knowledge of means and the consequent control over means the hall-mark of modern scientific knowledgeis a new degree of self-consciousness which is the special characteristic of the human consciousness. Put philosophically, we can say that the discovery of the subject and its growing affirmation as an independent factor in a subject-object relation marks the evolutionary course of the human consciousness.
A still further unveiling seems to be in progress now. The subject has discovered itself as separate from the observed object and still embracing it: but a given subject-object relationship in its turn again is being viewed as itself an object to another subject consciousness, a super-subject. That way lie the ever widening horizons of consciousness opened up by Yoga and spiritual discipline.
In other words, the self-consciousness which marks off man as the highest of living beings as yet evolved by Nature is still not her highest possible instrumentation. As has been experienced and foreseen by Yogins in all ages and climes and as it is being borne in upon the modern mind more and more imperatively, this self-consciousness has to be consciously transcended, lifted, transmutedworked out into the super-consciousness. Such is Nature's evolutionary nisus and such is the truth and fact man is being driven to face in his inner individual consciousness as well as outer collective life.
We can thus note, broadly speaking, three stages in the human cycle of Nature's evolution. The first was the period of emergence of self-consciousness and the trials and experiments it went through to establish and confirm itself. The ancient civilisations represented this character of the human spirit. The subject freeing itself more and more from its environmental tegument, still living and moving within it and dynamically reacting upon itthis was the character we speak of. Next came the period when the free and dynamic subject feeling itself no more tied down to its natural objective sphere sought lines of development and adventure on its own account. This was the age of speculation and of scholasticism in philosophy and intellectual inquiry and of alchemy in natural sciencea period roughly equated with the Middle Ages. The Scientific Age coming last seeks to re-establish a junction and co-ordination between the free and dynamic self-consciousness and the mode and pattern of its objective field, involving a greater enrichment on one side the subjective consciousness and on the other, the objective environment, a corresponding change and effective reorganisation.
The present age which ushers a fourth stagesignificantly called turiya or the transcendent, in Indian terminologyis pregnant with a fateful crisis. The stage of self-consciousness to which scientific development has arrived seems to land in a cul-de-sac, a blind alley: Science also is faced, almost helplessly, with the antinomies of reason that Kant discovered long ago in the domain of speculative philosophy. The way out, for a further growth and development and evolution, lies in a supersession of the self-consciousness, an elevation into a super-consciousnessas already envisaged by Yogis and Mystics everywherewhich will give a new potential and harmony to the human consciousness.
This super consciousness is based upon a double movement of sublimation and integration which are precisely the two things basically aimed at by present-day psychology to meet the demands of new facts of consciousness. The rationalisation, specialisation or foreshortening of consciousness, mentioned above, is really an attempt at sublimation of the consciousness, its purification and ascension from baseranimal and vegetalconfines: only, ascension does not mean alienation, it must mean a gathering up of the lower elements also into their higher modes. Integration thus involves a descent, but it has to be pointed out, not merely or exclusively that, as Jung and his school seem to say. Certainly one has to see and recognise the aboriginal, the infra-rational elements imbedded in our nature and consciousness, the roots and foundations that lie buried under the super-structure that Evolution has erected. But that recognition must be accompanied by an upward look and sense: indeed it is healthy and fruitful only on condition that it occurs in a consciousness open to an infiltration of light coming from summits not only of the mind but above the mind. If we go back, it must be with a light that is ahead of us; that is the sense of evolution.
04.02 - The Growth of the Flame, #Savitri, #Sri Aurobindo, #Integral Yoga
The self-protecting genius in our clay
Divined the goddess in the woman's shape
04.03 - The Call to the Quest, #Savitri, #Sri Aurobindo, #Integral Yoga
A deeper Nature's self-revealing sign,
A gold-leaf palimpsest of sacred births,
04.03 - The Eternal East and West, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 01, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
The contrast points to a synthesis parallel to or an extension of the one we spoke of earlier. The first thing to note is that the individual is the source of all progress; the individual has the right, as it is also his duty to maintain himself and fulfil himself, grow to his largest and highest dimensions! Secondly, the individual has to take cognisance of the others, the whole humanity, in fact, even for the sake of his own progress. The individual is not an isolated entity, a freak product in Nature, but is integrated into it, a part and parcel of its texture and composition. Indeed the individual has a double role to perform, first to increase himself and secondly to increase others. Using the terms which the Sartrian view of existence has put into vogue, we can say, the individual en soi (in himself) is the individual in commonalty with others, living and moving in and through every other person; and then there is the individual pour soi (for himself), that is to say, existing for himself, apart and away from others, in his own inner absolute autonomy. The individual is individualised, i.e. raises and lifts himself and then becomes the spearhead breaking through the level where Nature stands fixed, leading others to follow and raise themselves. The individual is the power of organised self-consciousness; the growth of the individual means the growth of this power of organised consciousness. And growth means ascension or evolution from level to level. The individual starts from the organic cell, that is the lower end, it progresses through various gradations of the vital and mental worlds till he reaches the culmination of its growth in the Spirit as tman. But this vertical growth must be reflected in a horizontal growth too. There is a solidarity among the individuals forming the collective humanity so that the progress of one means the progress of others in the same direction, at least a chance and possibility opened for an advance. On the other hand, it may be noted that unless the collectivity rises to a certain level the individual too cannot go very far from it. A higher lift in the individual presupposes a corresponding or some minimum lift in others. There cannot or should not be too great a rift between the individual and the collective.
As I said, the East usually ignores this correspondence and posits an exclusive either-or relation between the two terms. The individual, according to it, can reach its true individuality by only dissolving itin the Infinite. Of course, I am referring to an extreme position which is general in the East and symptomatic of its fundamental character. The West does not concern itself with these higher lines of individual growth and fulfilment, it limits the individual within the social frame and his mundane or profane life; but what we learn from this outlook is the necessity of the collective growth through which only can the individual thrive and grow. It is however a growth in extension, rather than in intensity i.e. depth and height. This outlook errs in the limitation put upon individuality, precisely identifying it more or less with the "egoism" to which the spirituality of the East objects. This normal individual in its normal development cannot go very far, nor can he lead the others, the society or humanity, to a perfect and supreme fulfilment. The ego-bound normal individuality must transcend itselfexactly the thing that the East teaches; only this transcendence need not mean an abolition of all individuality, but a transformation, a higher integration in a spiritualised, a universalised and divinised individuality.
04.03 - To the Heights III, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 02, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
Is it the resurrection of the self-immolated One?
My heart yearns to welcome Him whom the ages have ignored.
04.04 - A Global Humanity, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 01, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
Viewed as a progressive growth of consciousness and transformation of nature, man's advance has been marked out in a few very definite stages. The first was the purely animal manPasuwhen man lived merely as a physical being, concerned solely about his body. Then came the Pisacha, the man of vital urges in their crudest form, the man of ignorant passions and dark instincts who has been imaged in the popular mind as the ghoul. At the next stage, with a further release of the consciousness, when the larger vital impulses come into play man becomes the Rakshasa, the demon. Egoistic hunger for possession, enjoyment, enlarged and increased appetite are his characteristics. Next came the Asura, the Titan, the egoistic mental man in his earlier avatar seeking to emerge out of the purely vital nature. Ambition and pride are his guiding spirit. Prometheus is his prototype. There are still two higher types which have been established in the human consciousness and in the world atmosphere as dynamic ideals, if not as common concrete facts of the material world. The first is the ethical man, who seeks to govern his life according to some principles of light and purity, such, for example, as unselfishness, altruism, chivalry, self-abnegation, rectitude, truthfulness etc. He is the Sattwic man, as known in India. There is also a still higher category, where consciousness endeavours to go beyond mind, enters into the consciousness of the Spirit; then we have the spiritual man, the saint and the sage. Beyond lie the supra-mental domains formed of the consciousness of the gods.
Man, individually and collectively, has passed and is passing through these steps of evolution. The last one is his goal at the present stage. To be a saint, seer or sage is not enough for man. He must be a god. Indeed when he has succeeded to be a god then only would it be possible for him to become what a saint or a seer or sage has to be in order to fulfil himself totally and integrally. The human race as a whole is progressing along the same line towards the same consummation. That is the secret purpose and end of Nature, to evolve a growing developing material form housing, embodying higher and wider ranges of consciousness, integrating all elements into a more and more intimate and inviolable unity and harmony.
04.04 - The Quest, #Savitri, #Sri Aurobindo, #Integral Yoga
Leaning self-rapt unboundedly could hear
The rhythm of the intenser wordless Thought
04.05 - The Freedom and the Force of the Spirit, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 03, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
The ordinary average man is part and parcel of Nature's movement and his life is almost wholly moulded by circumstances: he has not developed an independent inner being that can react against the universal Nature's current, that is to say, the Nature as it is, as it is actually and dynamically expressed. He is the creature, described graphically in the Gita, as being moved helplessly on the circling wheel of Ignorance.2 But even among the average men there are many who are called men of will, they are not entirely submerged in Nature's current, but endeavour to have their own way even against that current. Their psycho-vital, aided often by their physical consciousness, has an independent formation, being a strong centre of self-driven force, and can impress upon the outer Nature and circumstances its own pattern and disposition. Naturally, all depends upon the degree and character of that consciousness.
But the true secret of the power to control and guide Nature's dispensation lies along a different line, not along the line of the normal activity of the mental and vital and physical consciousness. Body and life and mind belong after all, at least are closely affiliated, to one's environmental consciousness; they are indeed part of the circumstances in which one is born and lives and moves. It is when one bypasses them or passes through them beyond into one's soul, into one's true being and divine personality that one at last crosses mortality and attains immortalitymtyum trtv. . .amtam anute.3
04.06 - To Be or Not to Be, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 03, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
"A moral problem, un cas de conscience (a case of conscience), as they say in French. To defend yourself against your attacker and kill him who comes to kill you or stand disarmed and let yourself be killedwhich is better, which has the greater moral value? To fight your enemy is normal, is human. To preserve yourself, that is to say, your body, is the very first injunction of Nature. That is Nature's primary and fundamental demand. And to preserve one's life one has to take others' life. That is also Nature. But then, it is said, man is meant to rise above Nature, live (even if it means to die) according to a higher lawnot the biological law, the law of tooth and claw. The higher law is for the preservation of life indeed, but others' life, not one's own, if it comes to that; it is not self-centred, but wholly other-regarding, it is for harmony, for peace and amity, not violence and battle. If one demurs and points out that it requires two to be friends and at peace, the answer is that one side must begin, and the merit goes to him who begins. One need not worry about the other side, which may be left to follow its own law of life, which, however, can be gained over only in this way and not by compulsion or coercion or violence. Na hi vairea vairai smyantha kadcana. Never by enmity is enmity appeased, says the Dhammapada.1
This is a way of cutting the Gordian knot. But the problem is not so simple as the moralist would have it. Resist not evil: if it is made an absolute rule, would not the whole world be filled with evil? Evil grows much faster than good. By not resisting evil one risks to perpetuate the very thing that one fears; it deprives the good of its chance to approach or get a foothold. That is why the Divine Teacher declares in the Gita that God comes down upon earth, assuming a human body,2to protect the good and slay the wicked,3 slay not metaphorically but actually and materially, as he did on the field of the Kurus.
04.08 - An Evolutionary Problem, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 01, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
The whole articulation of the external organism is, as we know, contained in a secret disposition of elements within the cellnot in the way, as was once supposed, viz., that a whole full-grown tree lies in a miniature form within the seed andgrowth simply means a gradual enlargement of that form but that there is a pattern of ultimate particlesvital quantaa rhythm and vibration of life energy, that is the origin, the formal and efficient cause, of the material form. Deeper still, behind the blind instinctive urge of life, the unconsciousness that is the inertia of matter, there is a consciousness, a vision, a supernal self-conscious energy that inspires, guides, fashions the whole evolutionary scheme in the large as well as in all details.
***
04.09 - Values Higher and Lower, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 01, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
The supreme creative power of the SpiritTruth-Consciousness Sri Aurobindo calls the Supermind. This power is not only up there above, but it is here below and within Matter. It is a power of Matter itself, its most secret power. Truth-Consciousness or Supermind congealed, solidified or crystallised under certain conditions becomes Matter: now to re-become its own true self and nature is the very drive of Matter, that is the true sense of evolution. The very nature of Matter makes its transformation absolutely inevitable. It obeys no alien force or rule, its achievement means self-fulfilment and therefore it is something destined and, when done, permanent and perfect.
***
04.12 - To the Heights-XII, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 02, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
This is thy utter self-giving and this thy supreme grace-
This smile of kindness has brought here below
04.37 - To the Heights-XXXVII, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 02, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
And the self-will of Ignorance
Feel it as the dread devouring Flame.
04.41 - To the Heights-XLI, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 02, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
But our greed and vanity and self-love
Magnify our worth and distend our girth:
04.45 - To the Heights-XLV, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 02, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
The rock of light self-luminous,
The frozen sea of compact delight.
04.47 - To the Heights-XLVII, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 02, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
It stands today, the self-same soul
In daylight's rude broadness,
05.01 - At the Origin of Ignorance, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 03, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
The Divine Consciousness, basically and essentially one and unique, has inherent in it four cardinal attributesprinciples of its modulation, modes of its vibrationdeveloping into or appearing as four aspects and personalities. They are Light, Force, Delight and Knowledge. Originally and in the supreme status the four movements are one and indivisible and form one indissoluble identity with the Divine's pure essence and absolute unity. The differentiation or variability there in the Immutable is a play immanent in the integral self-nature of the Supreme. The one and the many form on that level a single entity, an undivided whole: the unity running in and through and holding the multiplicity and the multiplicity being the playfulness of the unity. Multiplicity, however, implies freedom of movement in the Unique. In other words, the very character of variability is the absolute freedom of the variables; the play consists precisely in the free choice and self-determination of the partners, the differentiated units. For a formation in the Divine Consciousness, an individualised formulation of its being must necessarily have the Divine's own freedom. Now, the result of this freedom is somewhat unexpected, to put it in the human way, that is to say, it was not explicit at that point, in that field of consciousness. For the freedom, in the normal course of its play, reached a degree or arrived at a mode which brought about I a shift and an impulsion meaning a rift and a clear separation: I the momentum of the free movement carried the individual formation beyond the range of its sense of unity and identity with all and the One. More and more it isolated itself, limiting itself to its own orbit and to its own fund of energy. This isolation, it must be noted, occurs at the origin without any sense of perversity or revolt or disobedience on the part of the free entity, as the legend formulated by the human mind imaged it. The movement of freedom and individual formation in its urge crosses, as it were, a borderline, passes from the safe zone within the Divine's own status into a different zone, creates it, as a matter of fact, by that overzealous and self-concentrated free movement. But, as I have said, there is no premeditation or arrire pense or bad will or spirit of contradiction there at the origin of the deviation. It is no original sin: it is a spontaneous, almost a logical consequence, an inevitable expression of the freedom that particulars enjoy as part and parcel of the Divine Universal.
And yet the result is strange and revolutionary. The game once begun develops its own scheme and pattern and modality. For that crucial step in the movement of freedom, that definite moving away, the assertion of complete independence and isolation immediately brought about a reversal of realities, a complete negation of the original attri butes. Thus Light became obscurity or Inconscience, Life became death, Delight became pain and suffering, Power became incapacity, Knowledge became Ignorance, and Truth became falsehood. In other words, Spirit became forthright Matter.
05.01 - Man and the Gods, #Collected Works of Nolini Kanta Gupta - Vol 01, #Nolini Kanta Gupta, #Integral Yoga
The purpose of man's existence upon earth is the growth of his consciousness. Each human being is a soul, a psyche, a spark from the Spirit sent down into Matter, a ray from the Divine Light descended upon earth and housed in a physical body. The spark, the ray is to attain the amplitude and splendour of its original form in the divine consciousness, to express that plenitude here below. This original, the archetype of each and every individual embodied upon earth is the central being, Jivatman. At the beginning the individual soul in terrestrial evolution is just a tiny particle of consciousness: it evolves, that is to say, grows and increases in stature and potency, through a series of lives upon this earth, each life bringing its quota of experience that serves to tend the flame. When the soul has thus grown and finally reached its optimum, and is in union with its original and archetype in the fullness of self-expression, what next? What is its destiny thereafter, how does it live or move henceforward?
Three courses are open to the perfected and completely developed soul. First, it may remain, contented with its fullness, self-gathered and self-sufficient, dwelling in its own domain the psychic world and enjoying the even, equal, undisturbed felicity and beatitude of union with the Divine. This status may perhaps not be chosen by many or for a long time. The second line that the Psyche can adopt is to come down or remain upon earth and take a share in the fulfilment of the Divine Purpose in the world. That purpose is the transformation of the physical, making the material an embodiment of the divine Light and Power and Bliss and Immortality. A third development also may take place; this is not strictly speaking normal, not the logical and inevitable happening in the course of things, nor does it depend wholly upon any personal choice of the psychic being, so to say. It occurs when the force of a higher destiny operates, for a special work and at a special time. It is when the psychic being is contacted with, made to identify itself with, a godhead under a higher dispensation, when, in a word, a divinity descends into a human soul.
The gods are especial powers and executive agents of the one Divine. They move and act in a special way with a special end in view. They are, we may say, highbrow entities: they carry things with a high hand. That is to say, what they have got to do, they seek to do without any consideration or computation of the means, without regard to the pauses and hindrances that naturally attend all terrestrial and human achievements. God said, let there be light, and there was light. That is also the way of the gods. There is here an imperial majesty and grandeur, a sweeping mastery and sovereign indifference,
--- Overview of noun self-
The noun self has 2 senses (first 2 from tagged texts)
1. (16) self, ego ::: (your consciousness of your own identity)
2. (7) self ::: (a person considered as a unique individual; "one's own self")
--- Overview of adj self-
The adj self has 1 sense (first 1 from tagged texts)
1. (1) self ::: ((used as a combining form) relating to--of or by or to or from or for--the self; "self-knowledge"; "self-proclaimed"; "self-induced")
--- Synonyms/Hypernyms (Ordered by Estimated Frequency) of noun self-
2 senses of self
Sense 1
self, ego
=> consciousness
=> cognitive state, state of mind
=> psychological state, psychological condition, mental state, mental condition
=> condition, status
=> state
=> attribute
=> abstraction, abstract entity
=> entity
Sense 2
self
=> person, individual, someone, somebody, mortal, soul
=> organism, being
=> living thing, animate thing
=> whole, unit
=> object, physical object
=> physical entity
=> entity
=> causal agent, cause, causal agency
=> physical entity
=> entity
--- Hyponyms of noun self-
2 senses of self
Sense 1
self, ego
=> anima
Sense 2
self
=> number one
--- Synonyms/Hypernyms (Ordered by Estimated Frequency) of noun self-
2 senses of self
Sense 1
self, ego
=> consciousness
Sense 2
self
=> person, individual, someone, somebody, mortal, soul
--- Similarity of adj self-
1 sense of self
Sense 1
self
--- Antonyms of adj self-
--- Coordinate Terms (sisters) of noun self-
2 senses of self
Sense 1
self, ego
-> consciousness
=> stream of consciousness
=> self, ego
=> awareness, sentience
=> sensibility, esthesia, aesthesia
=> waking
Sense 2
self
-> person, individual, someone, somebody, mortal, soul
=> self
=> adult, grownup
=> adventurer, venturer
=> anomaly, unusual person
=> applicant, applier
=> appointee, appointment
=> capitalist
=> captor, capturer
=> changer, modifier
=> color-blind person
=> commoner, common man, common person
=> communicator
=> contestant
=> coward
=> creator
=> disputant, controversialist, eristic
=> engineer, applied scientist, technologist
=> entertainer
=> experimenter
=> expert
=> face
=> female, female person
=> individualist
=> inhabitant, habitant, dweller, denizen, indweller
=> native, indigen, indigene, aborigine, aboriginal
=> native
=> innocent, inexperienced person
=> intellectual, intellect
=> juvenile, juvenile person
=> lover
=> loved one
=> leader
=> male, male person
=> money handler, money dealer
=> national, subject
=> nonreligious person
=> nonworker
=> peer, equal, match, compeer
=> perceiver, percipient, observer, beholder
=> percher
=> precursor, forerunner
=> primitive, primitive person
=> religious person
=> sensualist
=> traveler, traveller
=> unfortunate, unfortunate person
=> unwelcome person, persona non grata
=> unskilled person
=> worker
=> African
=> person of color, person of colour
=> Black, Black person, blackamoor, Negro, Negroid
=> White, White person, Caucasian
=> Amerindian, Native American
=> Slav
=> gentile
=> Jew, Hebrew, Israelite
=> Aries, Ram
=> Taurus, Bull
=> Gemini, Twin
=> Cancer, Crab
=> Leo, Lion
=> Virgo, Virgin
=> Libra, Balance
=> Scorpio, Scorpion
=> Sagittarius, Archer
=> Capricorn, Goat
=> Aquarius, Water Bearer
=> Pisces, Fish
=> abator
=> abjurer
=> abomination
=> abstainer, abstinent, nondrinker
=> achiever, winner, success, succeeder
=> acquaintance, friend
=> acquirer
=> active
=> actor, doer, worker
=> adjudicator
=> admirer
=> adoptee
=> adversary, antagonist, opponent, opposer, resister
=> advisee
=> advocate, advocator, proponent, exponent
=> affiant
=> agnostic, doubter
=> amateur
=> ancient
=> anti
=> anti-American
=> apprehender
=> appreciator
=> archaist
=> arrogator
=> assessee
=> asthmatic
=> authority
=> autodidact
=> baby boomer, boomer
=> baby buster, buster
=> bad guy
=> bad person
=> baldhead, baldpate, baldy
=> balker, baulker, noncompliant
=> bullfighter, toreador
=> bather
=> beard
=> bedfellow
=> bereaved, bereaved person
=> best, topper
=> birth
=> biter
=> blogger
=> blond, blonde
=> bluecoat
=> bodybuilder, muscle builder, muscle-builder, musclebuilder, muscleman
=> bomber
=> brunet, brunette
=> buster
=> candidate, prospect
=> case
=> cashier
=> celebrant, celebrator, celebrater
=> censor
=> chameleon
=> charmer, beguiler
=> child, baby
=> chutzpanik
=> closer
=> clumsy person
=> collector, aggregator
=> combatant, battler, belligerent, fighter, scrapper
=> complexifier
=> compulsive
=> computer user
=> contemplative
=> convert
=> copycat, imitator, emulator, ape, aper
=> counter
=> counterterrorist
=> crawler, creeper
=> creature, wight
=> creditor
=> cripple
=> dancer, social dancer
=> dead person, dead soul, deceased person, deceased, decedent, departed
=> deaf person
=> debaser, degrader
=> debtor, debitor
=> defecator, voider, shitter
=> delayer
=> deliverer
=> demander
=> dieter
=> differentiator, discriminator
=> disentangler, unraveler, unraveller
=> dissenter, dissident, protester, objector, contestant
=> divider
=> domestic partner, significant other, spousal equivalent, spouse equivalent
=> double, image, look-alike
=> dresser
=> dribbler, driveller, slobberer, drooler
=> drug user, substance abuser, user
=> dyslectic
=> ectomorph
=> effecter, effector
=> Elizabethan
=> emotional person
=> endomorph
=> enjoyer
=> enrollee
=> ethnic
=> explorer, adventurer
=> extrovert, extravert
=> faddist
=> faller
=> fastener
=> fiduciary
=> first-rater
=> follower
=> free agent, free spirit, freewheeler
=> friend
=> fugitive, runaway, fleer
=> gainer
=> gainer, weight gainer
=> gambler
=> gatekeeper
=> gatherer
=> good guy
=> good person
=> granter
=> greeter, saluter, welcomer
=> grinner
=> groaner
=> grunter
=> guesser
=> handicapped person
=> hater
=> heterosexual, heterosexual person, straight person, straight
=> homosexual, homophile, homo, gay
=> homunculus
=> hope
=> hoper
=> huddler
=> hugger
=> immune
=> insured, insured person
=> interpreter
=> introvert
=> Jat
=> jewel, gem
=> jumper
=> junior
=> killer, slayer
=> relative, relation
=> kink
=> kneeler
=> knocker
=> knower, apprehender
=> large person
=> Latin
=> laugher
=> learner, scholar, assimilator
=> left-hander, lefty, southpaw
=> life
=> lightning rod
=> linguist, polyglot
=> literate, literate person
=> liver
=> longer, thirster, yearner
=> loose cannon
=> machine
=> mailer
=> malcontent
=> man
=> manipulator
=> man jack
=> married
=> masturbator, onanist
=> measurer
=> nonmember
=> mesomorph
=> mestizo, ladino
=> middlebrow
=> miracle man, miracle worker
=> misogamist
=> mixed-blood
=> modern
=> monolingual
=> mother hen
=> mouse
=> mutilator, maimer, mangler
=> namer
=> namesake
=> neglecter
=> neighbor, neighbour
=> neutral
=> nondescript
=> nonparticipant
=> nonpartisan, nonpartizan
=> nonperson, unperson
=> nonresident
=> nonsmoker
=> nude, nude person
=> nurser
=> occultist
=> optimist
=> orphan
=> ostrich
=> ouster, ejector
=> outcaste
=> outdoorsman
=> owner, possessor
=> pamperer, spoiler, coddler, mollycoddler
=> pansexual
=> pardoner, forgiver, excuser
=> partner
=> party
=> passer
=> personage
=> personification
=> perspirer, sweater
=> philosopher
=> picker, chooser, selector
=> pisser, urinator
=> planner, contriver, deviser
=> player
=> posturer
=> powderer
=> preserver
=> propositus
=> public relations person
=> pursuer
=> pussycat
=> quarter
=> quitter
=> radical
=> realist
=> rectifier
=> redhead, redheader, red-header, carrottop
=> registrant
=> reliever, allayer, comforter
=> repeater
=> rescuer, recoverer, saver
=> rester
=> restrainer, controller
=> revenant
=> rich person, wealthy person, have
=> right-hander, right hander, righthander
=> riser
=> romper
=> roundhead
=> ruler, swayer
=> rusher
=> scientist
=> scratcher
=> second-rater, mediocrity
=> seeder, cloud seeder
=> seeker, searcher, quester
=> segregate
=> sentimentalist, romanticist
=> sex object
=> sex symbol
=> shaker, mover and shaker
=> showman
=> signer, signatory
=> simpleton, simple
=> six-footer
=> skidder, slider, slipper
=> slave
=> slave
=> sleepyhead
=> sloucher
=> small person
=> smasher
=> smiler
=> sneezer
=> sniffer
=> sniffler, sniveler
=> snuffer
=> snuffler
=> socializer, socialiser
=> sort
=> sounding board
=> sphinx
=> spitter, expectorator
=> sport
=> sprawler
=> spurner
=> squinter, squint-eye
=> stifler, smotherer
=> stigmatic, stigmatist
=> stooper
=> stranger
=> struggler
=> subject, case, guinea pig
=> supernumerary
=> surrenderer, yielder
=> survivalist
=> survivor
=> suspect
=> tagger
=> tagger
=> tapper
=> tempter
=> termer
=> terror, scourge, threat
=> testator, testate
=> thin person, skin and bones, scrag
=> third-rater
=> thrower
=> tiger
=> totemist
=> toucher
=> transfer, transferee
=> transsexual, transexual
=> transvestite, cross-dresser
=> trier, attempter, essayer
=> turner
=> tyrant
=> undoer, opener, unfastener, untier
=> user
=> vanisher
=> victim, dupe
=> Victorian
=> visionary
=> visually impaired person
=> waiter
=> waker
=> walk-in
=> wanter, needer
=> ward
=> warrior
=> watcher
=> weakling, doormat, wuss
=> weasel
=> wiggler, wriggler, squirmer
=> winker
=> withholder
=> witness
=> worldling
=> yawner
--- Pertainyms of adj self-
1 sense of self
Sense 1
self
Pertains to noun self (Sense 2)
=>self
=> person, individual, someone, somebody, mortal, soul
--- Derived Forms of adj self-
--- Grep of noun self-
self-abasement
self-abnegation
self-absorption
self-abuse
self-accusation
self-adapting program
self-aggrandisement
self-aggrandizement
self-analysis
self-annihilation
self-assertion
self-assertiveness
self-assurance
self-awareness
self-centeredness
self-command
self-complacency
self-concern
self-condemnation
self-confidence
self-consciousness
self-contemplation
self-contradiction
self-control
self-criticism
self-cultivation
self-deceit
self-deception
self-defence
self-defense
self-denial
self-depreciation
self-destruction
self-determination
self-digestion
self-direction
self-discipline
self-discovery
self-disgust
self-distrust
self-doubt
self-drive
self-education
self-effacement
self-employed person
self-esteem
self-evident truth
self-examination
self-expression
self-feeder
self-fertilisation
self-fertilization
self-flagellation
self-fulfillment
self-government
self-gratification
self-hatred
self-heal
self-help
self-hypnosis
self-importance
self-improvement
self-incrimination
self-inductance
self-induction
self-indulgence
self-insurance
self-interest
self-justification
self-knowledge
self-loader
self-love
self-mortification
self-organisation
self-organization
self-pity
self-pollination
self-portrait
self-possession
self-praise
self-preservation
self-pride
self-propelled vehicle
self-protection
self-punishment
self-raising flour
self-realisation
self-realization
self-reformation
self-regard
self-registering thermometer
self-reliance
self-renewal
self-renunciation
self-report inventory
self-report personality inventory
self-reproach
self-reproof
self-respect
self-restraint
self-rising flour
self-rule
self-sacrifice
self-satisfaction
self-seeker
self-seeking
self-service
self-starter
self-stimulation
self-sufficiency
self-suggestion
self-taught art
self-torment
self-torture
self-will
self-worship
self-worth
Wikipedia - 12 Rules for Life -- 2018 self-help book by Jordan Peterson
Wikipedia - 152mm SpGH DANA -- Type of Self-propelled gun
Wikipedia - 1970 Lesotho coup d'etat -- Self-coup of Leabua Jonathan
Wikipedia - 1st Tactical Airlift Group (JASDF) -- Unit of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force
Wikipedia - 2007 Tokelauan self-determination referendum -- Referendums
Wikipedia - 2008 Greenlandic self-government referendum
Wikipedia - 2S25 Sprut-SD -- Russian self-propelled tank destroyer
Wikipedia - 2S4 Tyulpan -- Type of Self-propelled mortar
Wikipedia - 2S7 Pion -- Type of Self-propelled artillery
Wikipedia - 3 of Hearts (album) -- self-titled debut studio album by American group 3 of Hearts
Wikipedia - 42 (school) -- Self-study institutions of higher education
Wikipedia - 5th Brigade (Japan) -- Japan Ground Self-Defense Force infantry brigade
Wikipedia - ACU (Utrecht) -- Self-managed social centre in Utrecht
Wikipedia - Adhesive bandage -- Small self-adhesive medical dressing
Wikipedia - Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale -- A self-reported questionnaire used to assist in the diagnosis of ADHD in adults
Wikipedia - Advisory Service for Squatters -- Squatter self-help group in London, UK
Wikipedia - Afrikaner self-determination Party -- South African far-right political party
Wikipedia - Air Rescue Wing Komaki Detachment (JASDF) -- Unit of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force
Wikipedia - Akizuki-class destroyer (1959) -- Destroyer class of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
Wikipedia - Altman Self-Rating Mania Scale
Wikipedia - A Lume Spento -- 1908 self-published poetry collection by Ezra Pound
Wikipedia - American ancestry -- People in the United States who self-identify their ancestral origin or descent as "American"
Wikipedia - Anthony William -- Self-proclaimed medium offering pseudoscientific medical advice
Wikipedia - Anumarana -- Indian practice of self-immolation
Wikipedia - Apartment -- Self-contained housing unit occupying part of a building
Wikipedia - Apodicticity -- Propositions that are demonstrably, necessarily or self-evidently true
Wikipedia - Aryan -- Self-designation used by ancient Indo-Iranian peoples
Wikipedia - Asahi-class destroyer -- Destroyer class of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
Wikipedia - A Self-Made Failure -- 1924 film by William Beaudine
Wikipedia - Association splitting -- Self-help technique for people with OCD
Wikipedia - Assyrian independence movement -- Movement calling for Assyrian independence and self-governance
Wikipedia - Atmanirbhar Bharat -- Initiative by the Indian Government targeting self-reliance
Wikipedia - Aundh Experiment -- Early test of village-level self-government in British India
Wikipedia - Australian Capital Territory (Self-Government) Act 1988 -- Act of the Parliament of Australia that established the Australian Capital Territory
Wikipedia - Autarchism -- Political philosophy that promotes the principles of individualism, the moral ideology of individual liberty and self-reliance.
Wikipedia - Autarky -- The quality of self-sufficiency, especially regarding economics
Wikipedia - Author Solutions -- American self-publishing parent company
Wikipedia - Autobiography -- Self-written biography
Wikipedia - Autoeroticism -- Quality arousing corporeal self-lust
Wikipedia - Autogenous pressurization -- Use of self-generated gaseous propellant
Wikipedia - Autoimmune regulator -- A transcription factor expressed in the medulla (inner part) of the thymus. It is part of the mechanism which eliminates self-reactive T cells that would cause autoimmune disease.
Wikipedia - Automaton -- A self-operating machine
Wikipedia - Autonomous social center -- Community self-managed spaces in which anti-authoritarians self-organise activities
Wikipedia - Autonomy -- Capacity for independence, control, discretion or political self-governance
Wikipedia - Autophagia -- Self-biting &/or devouring portions of one's own body
Wikipedia - Autotomy -- Self-amputation
Wikipedia - Auto-trolling -- self-abuse on the Internet
Wikipedia - AVL tree -- Type of self-balancing binary search tree
Wikipedia - Bathyscaphe -- Free-diving self-propelled deep-sea submersible
Wikipedia - Berry paradox -- Self-referential paradox
Wikipedia - Bloomsbury Social Centre -- Short-lived self-managed project in London
Wikipedia - Bootstrapping -- A self-starting process that is supposed to proceed without external input
Wikipedia - Boris Skossyreff -- Russian adventurer and self-declared King of Andorra
Wikipedia - Brad Adkins -- American self-taught artist and curator
Wikipedia - BrM-DM-^Mko District -- self-governing administrative unit in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Wikipedia - B-tree -- A self-balancing, tree-based data structure, that allows read/write access in logarithmic time
Wikipedia - B*-tree -- A self-balancing, tree-based data structure, that allows read/write access in logarithmic time
Wikipedia - Built-in self-test
Wikipedia - Buridda (social centre) -- Self-managed social centre in Genoa, Italy
Wikipedia - Can Vies -- Self-managed social centre in Barcelona
Wikipedia - Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone -- Self-proclaimed autonomous neighborhood in Seattle
Wikipedia - Cascina Torchiera -- Self-organised squatted farmhouse in Milan, Italy
Wikipedia - Category:All articles with self-published sources
Wikipedia - Category:All self-contradictory articles
Wikipedia - Category:American self-help writers
Wikipedia - Category:Articles with self-published sources from August 2012
Wikipedia - Category:Articles with self-published sources from August 2013
Wikipedia - Category:Articles with self-published sources from August 2016
Wikipedia - Category:Articles with self-published sources from December 2011
Wikipedia - Category:Articles with self-published sources from December 2017
Wikipedia - Category:Articles with self-published sources from December 2020
Wikipedia - Category:Articles with self-published sources from February 2015
Wikipedia - Category:Articles with self-published sources from February 2020
Wikipedia - Category:Articles with self-published sources from June 2014
Wikipedia - Category:Articles with self-published sources from May 2020
Wikipedia - Category:Articles with self-published sources from November 2016
Wikipedia - Category:Articles with self-published sources from November 2017
Wikipedia - Category:Articles with self-published sources from November 2020
Wikipedia - Category:Articles with self-published sources from October 2018
Wikipedia - Category:Australian self-help writers
Wikipedia - Category:Canadian self-help writers
Wikipedia - Category:Self-care
Wikipedia - Category:Self-hosting software
Wikipedia - Category:Self-organization
Wikipedia - Category:Self-published authors
Wikipedia - Category:Self-reference
Wikipedia - Category:Self-replicating machines
Wikipedia - Category:Self-replication
Wikipedia - Centro Iberico -- Former self-managed social centre in London
Wikipedia - Centro Sociale Leoncavallo -- self-managed social centre in Milan, Italy
Wikipedia - Chengjia -- Self-proclaimed empire established by Gongsun Shu after the collapse of the Xin dynasty (25 AD - 36 AD)
Wikipedia - Chris Urmson -- CEO of self-driving technology company Aurora
Wikipedia - Clustering of self-propelled particles
Wikipedia - Cognitive-Experiential Self-Theory
Wikipedia - Colleges of the University of Oxford -- Autonomous self-governing corporations within the University of Oxford
Wikipedia - Comics Code Authority -- Voluntary code to self-regulate the content of comic books in the United States
Wikipedia - Commonwealth of World Citizens -- Self-described servant-Nation
Wikipedia - Core self-evaluations
Wikipedia - Corporate social responsibility -- Form of corporate self-regulation aimed at contributing to social or charitable goals
Wikipedia - Countershading -- Camouflage to counteract self-shading
Wikipedia - Cowley Club -- Self-managed social centre in Brighton, England
Wikipedia - Crash (computing) -- When a computer program stops functioning properly and self-terminates
Wikipedia - CreateSpace -- Self-publishing service
Wikipedia - Critical mass (sociodynamics) -- A sufficient participation, in number of persons (or adopters of an innovation in a social system), that triggs a new behaviour; or where the rate of adoption becomes self-sustaining and creates further growth.
Wikipedia - CSOA Forte Prenestino -- Self-managed cultural and political project in Rome, Italy
Wikipedia - Cyber self-defense
Wikipedia - David Paulides -- Self-published writer of a series of books on topics such as Bigfoot
Wikipedia - Day Peckinpaugh -- The last self-propelled regularly scheduled commercial ship on the Erie canal.
Wikipedia - DC One Million -- Crossover storyline that ran through a self-titled, weekly limited series and through special issues of almost all titles published by DC Comics in November 1998
Wikipedia - Deadsy (album) -- 1997 self-titled debut studio album by Deadsy
Wikipedia - Death of Elaine Herzberg -- First pedestrian fatality caused by self-driving car
Wikipedia - DeepMap -- American self-driving vehicle mapping software company
Wikipedia - Deep-submergence vehicle -- Deep-diving manned submarine that is self-propelled
Wikipedia - Dhyana in Hinduism (Self-knowledge)
Wikipedia - Didier Ahadsi -- Togolese self-taught artist and sculptor
Wikipedia - DIY ethic -- Do-It-Yourself: Self-sufficiency by completing tasks without the aid of a paid expert
Wikipedia - Dominion -- Self-governing part of the British Empire
Wikipedia - Donets-Krivoy Rog Soviet Republic -- Former self-declared state
Wikipedia - Doris Stokes -- Self-proclaimed British psychic
Wikipedia - Dorothy King -- American self-described archaeologist and historian
Wikipedia - Dual-phase evolution -- A process that drives self-organization within complex adaptive systems
Wikipedia - Dwelling -- Self-contained unit of accommodation (house, apartment, mobile home, houseboat or other structure) used as a home
Wikipedia - ECC memory -- Self-correcting computer data storage
Wikipedia - Ego death -- Complete loss of subjective self-identity
Wikipedia - Egoism -- philosophy concerning self-regarding motivations or behaviour
Wikipedia - Ela Bhatt -- Founder of the Self-Employed Women's Association of India (SEWA)
Wikipedia - Emotional self-regulation -- Concept in psychology
Wikipedia - Emperor Norton -- Self-proclaimed Emperor of the United States
Wikipedia - Employees' State Insurance -- Self-financing social security and health insurance scheme for Indian workers
Wikipedia - End of Basque home rule in Spain -- Final period of the Basque self-government within the Crown of Castile and Spain
Wikipedia - Enkrateia -- Virtuous self-control
Wikipedia - Enlightened self-interest
Wikipedia - Entertainment Software Rating Board -- North American self-regulatory organization that assigns age and content ratings for video games
Wikipedia - Epimenides paradox -- Paradox revealing a problem with self-reference in logic
Wikipedia - Epistemic self-justification
Wikipedia - Error threshold (evolution) -- A limit on the number of base pairs a self-replicating molecule may have before mutation will destroy the information in subsequent generations of the molecule
Wikipedia - Essays in Self-criticism -- 1974 book by Louis Althusser
Wikipedia - Ethical egoism -- Ethical position that moral agents should act in their own self-interest
Wikipedia - Eunicycle -- Partially self-balancing motorized unicycle
Wikipedia - European Association of Historic Towns and Regions -- Self-governing organisation based in Norwich, England
Wikipedia - Extra Space Storage -- American self-storage company
Wikipedia - Federation of Australia -- Process by which six separate British self-governing colonies became the country of Australia
Wikipedia - Federation -- Political union of partially self-governing territories under a central government
Wikipedia - Fictional universe -- Self-consistent fictional setting with elements that may differ from the real world
Wikipedia - Field Artillery Branch (United States) -- United States Army service branch responsible for self-propelled and towed artillery
Wikipedia - Financial Industry Regulatory Authority -- American financial self-regulatory organizarion
Wikipedia - First Philippine Republic -- Self-proclaimed independent republic from 1899-1901
Wikipedia - Five Acres and Independence -- Book about self-sustainable small-scale farming
Wikipedia - Flying fish -- Family of marine fish that can make powerful, self-propelled leaps out of water
Wikipedia - Food court -- Indoor plaza or common area within a facility that provides a common area for self-serve dinner
Wikipedia - For Self-Examination
Wikipedia - Frank A. Van Dersarl -- Self-taught pilot and aircraft builder
Wikipedia - Free imperial city -- Self-ruling city that enjoyed Imperial immediacy
Wikipedia - Freelancer -- Self-employed worker with no committed employer
Wikipedia - Freetown Christiania -- Self-proclaimed autonomous neighbourhood in Copenhagen
Wikipedia - Fusion ignition -- The point at which a nuclear fusion reaction becomes self-sustaining
Wikipedia - Gaia hypothesis -- Paradigm that living organisms interact with their surroundings in a self-regulating system
Wikipedia - General semantics -- Self-help psychotherapy system created by Alfred Korzybski in the 1920s
Wikipedia - George Andrews (artist) -- American self-taught artist (b. 1911, d. 1996)
Wikipedia - Glow stick -- Self-contained, short-term light-source
Wikipedia - Gram panchayat -- Local self-government organisation in India
Wikipedia - Grantchester knot -- Self-releasing, asymmetric way of tying a necktie
Wikipedia - Grote Broek -- Self-managed political project in Nijmegen, the Netherlands
Wikipedia - Guess Eleanor Birchett -- American self-trained ornithologist and naturalist
Wikipedia - Guided self-change -- psychotherapy technique
Wikipedia - Gustav Muller (serial killer) -- German murderer and self-confessed serial killer
Wikipedia - Gyrocar -- Self-balancing two-wheeled automobile
Wikipedia - Haumai -- Egotistic self-centeredness concept of Sikhism
Wikipedia - Hawaiian sovereignty movement -- Grassroots movement to gain self-determination and rule for Hawaiians
Wikipedia - Hegel's Idealism: The Satisfactions of Self-Consciousness -- 1989 book by Robert B. Pippin
Wikipedia - History of scuba diving -- History of diving using self-contained underwater breathing apparatus
Wikipedia - History of self-driving cars -- Overview about the history of self-driving cars
Wikipedia - Hofstadter's law -- Self-referential adage referring to time estimates
Wikipedia - Home rule in the United States -- Type of self-government
Wikipedia - Hounslow Community Land Project -- Evicted self-organised land squat in London, England
Wikipedia - Hoverboard -- Self-levitating board
Wikipedia - How Long Is the Coast of Britain? Statistical Self-Similarity and Fractional Dimension -- Paper by BenoM-CM-.t Mandelbrot discussing the nature of fractals (without using the term)
Wikipedia - Human self-reflection
Wikipedia - Hunting oscillation -- A self-oscillation about an equilibrium that is usually unwanted
Wikipedia - Imperfect self-defense -- common law doctrine
Wikipedia - Implicit self-esteem -- Characteristic of human disposition
Wikipedia - Incontinence (philosophy) -- A lack of self-restraint
Wikipedia - Independence -- Condition of a nation, country, or state which exercises self-government, and usually sovereignty, over the territory
Wikipedia - Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act
Wikipedia - IndieWeb -- Movement to self-host, customise, and self-test web content and software
Wikipedia - Indigenous Australian self-determination -- Powers relating to self-governance by Aboriginal Australian and Torres Strait Islander people
Wikipedia - Inner Engineering: A Yogi's Guide to Joy -- 2016 spiritual and self-help book by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev
Wikipedia - Institute for Local Self-Reliance -- American non-profit organization
Wikipedia - Intelligent designer -- Hypothetical willed and self-aware entity that the intelligent design movement argues had some role in the origin and/or development of life
Wikipedia - Invalid carriage -- Self-propelled vehicle for disabled people
Wikipedia - Irina Slavina (journalist) -- Russian journalist, self-immolated in 2020
Wikipedia - Isle of Man -- self-governing British Crown dependency
Wikipedia - James L. Kuber (lake freighter) -- Self-unloading articulated barge
Wikipedia - Japan Air Self-Defense Force -- Air warfare branch of Japan's armed forces
Wikipedia - Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Music Corps -- Department of Japan Ground Self-Defense Force
Wikipedia - Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force -- Maritime warfare branch of Japan's military
Wikipedia - Japan Self-Defense Forces -- Unified military forces of Japan
Wikipedia - JDS Hamana (AO-411) -- Replenishment ship of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force
Wikipedia - JDS Sagami (AOE-421) -- Replenishment ship of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force
Wikipedia - Jeanette Wilson -- Author & self-proclaimed psychic medium who promotes conspiracies
Wikipedia - Jeju Province -- Special Self-Governing Province of South Korea
Wikipedia - Jibaro (Puerto Rico) -- Self-subsistence farmer, and an iconic reflection of the Puerto Rican people
Wikipedia - Jim Dine: A Self-Portrait on the Walls -- 1995 film
Wikipedia - JLG/JLG - Self-Portrait in December -- 1995 film
Wikipedia - Jose Luis de Jesus -- Puerto Rican self-declared messiah
Wikipedia - Journey of self-discovery
Wikipedia - JS Kaga -- Second Multi-Purpose Operation Destroyers within the Izumo-class of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
Wikipedia - JS Kashima -- Training ship owned by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
Wikipedia - Julien Blanc -- Swiss dating coach turned self-help guru
Wikipedia - K30 Biho -- Self-propelled anti-aircraft weapon
Wikipedia - K9 Thunder -- South Korean self-propelled 155 mm howitzer
Wikipedia - Karim Khan Kermani -- Self-appointed leader of the Shaykhi community
Wikipedia - Klinika -- Evicted self-managed project in Prague, Czech Republic
Wikipedia - Knower paradox -- Self-reference paradox
Wikipedia - Kodokan Goshin Jutsu -- Martial arts - self-defence
Wikipedia - Kongsi republic -- A type of historical self-governing state in Borneo run by Chinese mining communities
Wikipedia - Kubotan -- Genericized trademark for a self-defense keychain weapon
Wikipedia - L1A1 Self-Loading Rifle -- British version of the Belgian FN FAL battle rifle
Wikipedia - La Ingobernable -- Self-managed community space in Spain
Wikipedia - Langton's loops -- Self-reproducing patterns in a particular cellular automaton rule, investigated in 1984 by Christopher Langton
Wikipedia - Lifelong learning -- Ongoing, voluntary, and self-motivated pursuit of knowledge
Wikipedia - List of combatant ship classes of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force -- Wikipedia list article
Wikipedia - List of countries by food self-sufficiency rate -- Wikipedia list article
Wikipedia - List of political parties campaigning for self-government -- Wikipedia list article
Wikipedia - List of political self-immolations -- Wikipedia list article
Wikipedia - List of Self-help books
Wikipedia - List of self-intersecting polygons -- Wikipedia list article
Wikipedia - List of self-publishing companies -- Wikipedia list article
Wikipedia - List of socialist states -- List of self-declared socialist states
Wikipedia - List of U.S. state constitutional provisions allowing self-representation in state courts -- Wikimedia list article
Wikipedia - Locomotives of New Zealand -- Self-propelled rail vehicles in New Zealand
Wikipedia - Locomotive -- Self-propelled railway vehicle
Wikipedia - Logarithmic spiral -- Self-similar growth spiral whose curvature pattern appears frequently in nature
Wikipedia - Lulu.com -- Company offering self-publishing, printing, and distribution services
Wikipedia - M109 howitzer -- 1960s self-propelled 155 mm howitzer of American origin
Wikipedia - M1299 -- Self-propelled 155 mm howitzer of American origin
Wikipedia - M7 Priest -- American self-propelled artillery vehicle
Wikipedia - Mace (spray) -- Brand name of an aerosol self-defense spray
Wikipedia - Maclaurin spheroid -- Shape of a spinning body of self-gravitating fluid
Wikipedia - Major depressive disorder -- Mental disorder involving persistent low mood, low self-esteem and loss of interest
Wikipedia - Martin A. Armstrong -- American self-taught economic forecaster
Wikipedia - Massad Ayoob -- American firearms and self-defence instructor
Wikipedia - Mastodon (software) -- Free and open-source self-hosted social network
Wikipedia - Maxwell Maltz -- American plastic surgeon, self-help author
Wikipedia - May 19th Communist Organization -- US-based, self-described revolutionary organization
Wikipedia - Medical Unit, Self-contained, Transportable -- US Army medical equipment system
Wikipedia - Memetics -- Study of self-replicating units of culture
Wikipedia - Metamemory -- Self-awareness of memory
Wikipedia - Meta-reference -- Special type of self-reference
Wikipedia - Midlife crisis -- Transition of identity and self-confidence
Wikipedia - Miho Otani -- Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force officer
Wikipedia - MILEPOST GCC -- Self-tuning compiler
Wikipedia - Minye Kyawhtin of Toungoo -- Pretender to Ava throne, 1426-1459; Self-proclaimed king of Toungoo, 1452-1459
Wikipedia - Mirror test -- Animal self-awareness test to determine self-recognition in a mirror
Wikipedia - Mir (submersible) -- A self-propelled deep submergence vehicle
Wikipedia - Missile -- Self-propelled guided weapon system
Wikipedia - Molecular self-assembly -- Molecules adopt a defined arrangement without guidance or management from an outside source
Wikipedia - Motion Picture Production Code -- American film studio self-censorship rules
Wikipedia - Movement for the Self-Determination of Bioko Island -- Political organization in Equatorial Guinea
Wikipedia - Muhammad I al-Mustansir -- Hafsid sultan of Tunis, self-proclaimed Caliph
Wikipedia - Multi-configurational self-consistent field
Wikipedia - Multisensory integration -- Study of how information from the different sensory modalities, such as sight, sound, touch, smell, self-motion and taste, may be integrated by the nervous system
Wikipedia - Multitask optimization -- Optimizing the solving of multiple self-contained tasks simultaneously
Wikipedia - Municipality -- Administrative division having corporate status and usually some powers of self-government or jurisdiction
Wikipedia - Muslim supporters of Israel -- Muslims who support self-determination for the Jewish people, and a homeland for them in the State of Israel
Wikipedia - MV Material Service -- American self-unloading diesel powered workbarge
Wikipedia - Naikan -- Structured method of self-reflection developed by Yoshimoto Ishin
Wikipedia - Narcissism -- Personality trait of self-love of a fake perfect self
Wikipedia - Narcissistic supply -- Type of admiration, interpersonal support or sustenance drawn by an individual from his or her environment and essential to their self-esteem.
Wikipedia - National Council for Self-Esteem
Wikipedia - Native American self-determination
Wikipedia - Neural basis of self -- The biological processes that underlie human's perception of self-understanding
Wikipedia - NHS trust -- Self-governing administrative body within the National Health Service
Wikipedia - Nigerien Self-Management Party -- Political party in Niger
Wikipedia - Nik Cubrilovic -- Self-confessed hacker
Wikipedia - Nike HyperAdapt 1.0 -- First self-lacing shoe for retail
Wikipedia - Nipmuc Nation -- Self-identified nation
Wikipedia - Northern Air Command Support Flight (JASDF) -- Military unit of the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force
Wikipedia - Northern Mariana Islands -- Self-governing commonwealth in the western Pacfic
Wikipedia - No Self-Government Party -- Defunct single-issue political party in the Australian Capital Territory
Wikipedia - Novikov self-consistency principle
Wikipedia - Nucleation -- Step of self-assembly, including crystallization
Wikipedia - OCCII -- Self-managed music venue in Amsterdam
Wikipedia - Olavo de Carvalho -- Brazilian essayist, journalist, self-taught philosopher
Wikipedia - Onania: or, the heinous sin of self-pollution -- 18th century pamphlet opposing masturbation
Wikipedia - Onewheel -- Self-balancing personal transporter
Wikipedia - Osgood curve -- Non-self-intersecting curve of positive area
Wikipedia - Otto (company) -- Former American self-driving technology company
Wikipedia - Outboard motor -- Self-contained propulsion system for boats
Wikipedia - Panzerhaubitze 2000 -- Self-propelled artillery
Wikipedia - Patient Self-Determination Act -- US law
Wikipedia - Patterns of self-organization in ants
Wikipedia - Person -- Being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness
Wikipedia - Polity -- Group of people who are collectively united by a self-reflected cohesive force
Wikipedia - Portable water purification -- Self-contained, easily transported units used to purify water from untreated sources
Wikipedia - Portrait of the Artist Holding a Thistle -- Self-portrait by Albrecht Durer in the Louvre
Wikipedia - Promotion of Bantu Self-government Act, 1959 -- Apartheid law in South Africa
Wikipedia - Questioning (sexuality and gender) -- Process of self-exploration
Wikipedia - Quine (computing) -- A self-replicating program
Wikipedia - Radio clock -- Type of clock which self-synchronizes its time using dedicated radio transmitters
Wikipedia - Railcar -- self-propelled railway vehicle designed to transport passengers
Wikipedia - Rational self-interest
Wikipedia - Rat race -- A metaphor referring to an endless, self-defeating, or pointless pursuit
Wikipedia - Recursion -- Process of repeating items in a self-similar way
Wikipedia - Recursive self-improvement
Wikipedia - Red Spear Society -- A rural self-defense movement during the Warlord Era
Wikipedia - Regulation -- General term for rules, including delegated legislation and self-regulation
Wikipedia - Regulatory T cell -- Subpopulation of T cells that modulate the immune system, maintain tolerance to self-antigens, and prevent autoimmune disease.
Wikipedia - Relationship-contingent self-esteem -- Type of self-esteem
Wikipedia - Religio Medici -- 1643 psychological self-portrait by Sir Thomas Browne
Wikipedia - Rembrandt: A Self-Portrait -- 1954 film
Wikipedia - Republic of Kosova -- 1991-1999 self-declared state in southeastern Europe
Wikipedia - Resort -- Self-contained commercial establishment which attempts to provide for most of a vacationer's wants
Wikipedia - RHINO (squat) -- Former self-managed Swiss cultural project
Wikipedia - Right of self-defense -- Right for people to use reasonable force or defensive force
Wikipedia - Rocket (weapon) -- Weapon utilizing a self-contained rocket engine to propel itself to its target
Wikipedia - Rosemary Brown (spiritualist) -- English self-proclaimed medium
Wikipedia - Rosenberg self-esteem scale
Wikipedia - Runtime application self-protection
Wikipedia - S-51 Self-Propelled Gun -- 1943 experimental Soviet gun
Wikipedia - Sackett self-selection circus
Wikipedia - Sanda (sport) -- Chinese self-defense system and combat sport
Wikipedia - SAO Romanija -- Self-proclaimed ethnic Serb autonomous region in the Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Wikipedia - Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement -- Self-governance movement in Sri Lanka
Wikipedia - Scuba diving skills -- The skills required to dive safely using self-contained underwater breathing apparatus
Wikipedia - Scuba skills -- The skills required to dive safely using self-contained underwater breathing apparatus
Wikipedia - Self-acceptance
Wikipedia - Self-actualization
Wikipedia - self-actualization
Wikipedia - Self-adhesive stamp -- Self-adhesive postage stamp
Wikipedia - Self-adjoint operator -- Densely defined operator on a Hilbert space whose domain coincides with that of its adjoint and which equals its adjoint; symmetric operator whose adjoint's domain equals its own domain
Wikipedia - Self-administration
Wikipedia - Self-affirmation
Wikipedia - Self-agency
Wikipedia - Self-archiving
Wikipedia - Self-assembled monolayer
Wikipedia - Self-assembling peptides
Wikipedia - Self-assembly of nanoparticles
Wikipedia - Self-assembly
Wikipedia - Self-assertive
Wikipedia - Self-assessment
Wikipedia - Self-awareness -- Capacity for introspection and individuation as a subject
Wikipedia - Self-aware
Wikipedia - Self-balancing binary search tree -- Any node-based binary search tree that automatically keeps its height small
Wikipedia - Self-balancing scooter -- Battery-powered electric vehicle
Wikipedia - Self-balancing unicycle
Wikipedia - Self-blame
Wikipedia - Self-cannibalism -- Practice of eating oneself
Wikipedia - Self-care
Wikipedia - Self-castration
Wikipedia - Self-categorization theory -- Theory in social psychology
Wikipedia - Self-censorship
Wikipedia - Self-certifying File System
Wikipedia - Self-checkout
Wikipedia - Self-cleaning surfaces -- Class of materials
Wikipedia - Self-concealment
Wikipedia - Self-concept -- One's internal beliefs about oneself
Wikipedia - Self-confidence
Wikipedia - Self-confirming equilibrium
Wikipedia - Self-conscious emotions
Wikipedia - Self-consciousness (Vedanta)
Wikipedia - Self-consciousness -- An acute sense of self-awareness, a preoccupation with oneself
Wikipedia - Self-conscious
Wikipedia - Self-contained breathing apparatus -- Emergency breathing air supply system carried by the user
Wikipedia - Self-control therapy
Wikipedia - Self-control
Wikipedia - Self-coup -- Unlawful assumption of extraordinary powers by a nation's leader
Wikipedia - Self-criticism -- How an individual evaluates oneself
Wikipedia - Self-cultivation
Wikipedia - Self-dealing -- Professional fraud
Wikipedia - Self-deception
Wikipedia - Self-decoration camouflage -- Camouflage by attaching local materials to one's body
Wikipedia - Self-defeating personality disorder
Wikipedia - Self-defeating prophecy
Wikipedia - Self-defense -- Countermeasure that involves defending oneself from harm
Wikipedia - Self-denial
Wikipedia - Self-deprecation
Wikipedia - Self-descriptive number
Wikipedia - Self-destructive behavior
Wikipedia - Self-destruct -- Mechanism which causes a device to destroy itself
Wikipedia - Self-Determination Theory
Wikipedia - Self-determination theory
Wikipedia - Self-determination -- Cardinal principle in modern international law principles of international law
Wikipedia - Self-development
Wikipedia - Self-discipline
Wikipedia - Self-disclosure
Wikipedia - Self-discovery -- Person attempts to determine how they feel about spiritual issues or priorities
Wikipedia - Self-discrepancy theory
Wikipedia - Self-documenting code
Wikipedia - Self-documenting
Wikipedia - Self-driving cars
Wikipedia - Self-driving car -- Vehicle that is capable of moving safely with little or no human input
Wikipedia - Self-driving vehicles
Wikipedia - Self-drying concrete technology
Wikipedia - Self-education
Wikipedia - Self-Efficacy (book)
Wikipedia - Self-efficacy: The exercise of control
Wikipedia - Self-efficacy: the exercise of control
Wikipedia - Self-efficacy -- Psychology concept
Wikipedia - Self-embedding
Wikipedia - Self-employed
Wikipedia - Self-employment
Wikipedia - Self-enhancement -- Type of motivation
Wikipedia - Self-enquiry
Wikipedia - Self-esteem functions
Wikipedia - Self-esteem -- Term used in psychology to reflect a person's overall emotional evaluation of his or her own worth
Wikipedia - Self-evidence -- Epistemologically probative proposition that is known to be true by understanding its meaning without proof or by ordinary human reason
Wikipedia - Self-evident
Wikipedia - Self-experimentation in medicine -- The practice of researchers trying procedures on themselves
Wikipedia - Self-extracting archive
Wikipedia - Self-fertilization
Wikipedia - Self-flagellation
Wikipedia - Self-fulfilling prophecies
Wikipedia - Self-fulfilling prophecy -- Prediction that causes itself to become true
Wikipedia - Self-fulfillment
Wikipedia - Self-governance
Wikipedia - Self-governing colony
Wikipedia - Self-governing
Wikipedia - Self-Government (Faroe Islands) -- Faroese political party
Wikipedia - Self-government
Wikipedia - Self-gratification
Wikipedia - Self-handicapping -- Cognitive strategy by which people avoid effort in the hopes of keeping potential failure from hurting self-esteem
Wikipedia - Self-harm -- Intentional injury to one's own body without the intention to commit suicide
Wikipedia - Self-hating Jew -- pejorative term used for a Jew who holds antisemitic views
Wikipedia - Self-hatred
Wikipedia - Self-healing (computer science)
Wikipedia - Self-Help (book) -- 1859 book by Samuel Smiles
Wikipedia - Self-help groups for mental health
Wikipedia - self-help
Wikipedia - Self-help -- Self-guided improvement
Wikipedia - Self-hosting (compilers)
Wikipedia - Self-hosting (web services)
Wikipedia - Self-hypnosis
Wikipedia - Self-identification
Wikipedia - Self-identity
Wikipedia - Selfie -- Photographic self-portrait
Wikipedia - Self-image -- Mental picture of self that comes from different sources
Wikipedia - Self-immolation protests by Tibetans in China
Wikipedia - Self-immolation -- Ritualistic and political suicide method
Wikipedia - Self-improvement
Wikipedia - Self-incrimination
Wikipedia - Self-Indication Assumption Doomsday argument rebuttal
Wikipedia - Self-induced abortion -- Abortion performed by a pregnant person themselves outside the recognized medical system
Wikipedia - Self-information
Wikipedia - Selfing syndrome -- Traits found in self-pollinating plants
Wikipedia - Self-injury
Wikipedia - Self-insertion
Wikipedia - Self-interacting dark matter -- A hypothetical form of dark matter consisting of particles with strong self-interactions
Wikipedia - Self-interpreter
Wikipedia - Self-ionization of water -- Ionization reaction in pure water or in an aqueous solution
Wikipedia - Self-justification
Wikipedia - Self-knowledge (psychology)
Wikipedia - Self-licensing
Wikipedia - Self-licking ice cream cone -- Self-perpetuating system with no other purpose
Wikipedia - Self-loathing
Wikipedia - Self-locking device -- Type of climbing equipment
Wikipedia - Self-love -- Concept in philosophy and psychology
Wikipedia - Self-Made Man (book) -- Book by Norah Vincent
Wikipedia - Self-managed economy
Wikipedia - Self-managed social centres in Italy -- Self-organised autonomous projects in Italy
Wikipedia - Self-managed social centres in the United Kingdom -- Self-organised anti-capitalist communal spaces in the UK
Wikipedia - Self-management (computer science)
Wikipedia - Self-medication
Wikipedia - Self-modifying code
Wikipedia - Self-monitoring
Wikipedia - Self-neglect
Wikipedia - Self-objectification
Wikipedia - Self-observation
Wikipedia - Self-organisation
Wikipedia - Self-organising
Wikipedia - Self-organization -- Process of creating order by local interactions
Wikipedia - Self-organized criticality -- Concept in physics
Wikipedia - Self-organized time-division multiple access
Wikipedia - Self-organizing communities
Wikipedia - Self-organizing map -- Type of artificial neural network
Wikipedia - Self-organizing system
Wikipedia - Self-organizing
Wikipedia - Self-ownership
Wikipedia - Self-parenting
Wikipedia - Self-perception theory
Wikipedia - Self-perception
Wikipedia - Self-pity -- Feeling sorry for oneself
Wikipedia - Self-pollination
Wikipedia - Self-Portrait Aged 71 -- Painting by Francesco Hayez
Wikipedia - Self-Portrait (Annibale Carracci) -- Painting by Annibale Carracci
Wikipedia - Self-Portrait as a Soldier -- painting by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
Wikipedia - Self-portrait at an Easel (Sofonisba Anguissola) -- Painting by Sofonisba Anguissola
Wikipedia - Self-portrait at an Easel -- 1790-1795 painting by Francisco de Goya
Wikipedia - Self-Portrait (Beccafumi) -- Painting by Domenico di Pace Beccafumi
Wikipedia - Self-Portrait (Bol) -- Painting by Ferdinand Bol
Wikipedia - Self-Portrait (Durer, Madrid) -- Painting by Albrecht Durer
Wikipedia - Self-Portrait in a Black Eyepatch -- Painting by Rik Wouters
Wikipedia - Self-Portrait in a Convex Mirror (poetry collection) -- 1975 book by John Ashbery
Wikipedia - Self-portrait in a Convex Mirror -- Painting by Parmigianino
Wikipedia - Self-Portrait in a Group of Friends -- 1820s painting by Francesco Hayez
Wikipedia - Self-Portrait in a Hat -- Painting by Paul Gauguin
Wikipedia - Self-Portrait (Ingres) -- Painting by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres
Wikipedia - Self-Portrait (Paul Bril) -- Painting by Paul Bril
Wikipedia - Self-Portrait (Salvator Rosa) -- Painting by Salvator Rosa
Wikipedia - Self-Portrait with a Black Dog -- Painting by Gustave Courbet
Wikipedia - Self-portrait with Easel -- 1640s painting by Michaelina Wautier
Wikipedia - Self-portrait without beard -- Painting by Vincent van Gogh
Wikipedia - Self-Portrait with the Yellow Christ -- Painting by Paul Gauguin
Wikipedia - Self-Portrait with Two Pupils -- 1785 painting by AdM-CM-)laM-CM-/de Labille-Guiard
Wikipedia - Self-presentation
Wikipedia - Self-preservation
Wikipedia - Self-propelled anti-aircraft weapon -- Mobile vehicle with a dedicated anti-aircraft capability
Wikipedia - Self-propelled artillery -- Artillery mounted on a vehicle for mobility and protection
Wikipedia - Self-propelled particles
Wikipedia - Self-psychology
Wikipedia - Self Publish, Be Happy -- Organization assisting photographers to self-publish
Wikipedia - Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off -- Literary contest
Wikipedia - Self-published
Wikipedia - Self-Publishing Review -- Online book review magazine
Wikipedia - Self-publishing -- Publication of a book or other publications by the author or authors
Wikipedia - Self-punishment
Wikipedia - Self-raising flour
Wikipedia - Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine
Wikipedia - Self-Realization Fellowship
Wikipedia - Self-realization
Wikipedia - Self-reconfiguring modular robot
Wikipedia - Self-reference -- A sentence, idea or formula that refers to itself
Wikipedia - Self-referencing doomsday argument rebuttal -- Attempt to refute the doomsday argument
Wikipedia - Self-referential humor -- Humor alluding to onself or the subject displaying the humor
Wikipedia - Self-reflection
Wikipedia - Self-refuting idea
Wikipedia - Self-refuting
Wikipedia - Self-regulated learning
Wikipedia - Self-regulation theory
Wikipedia - Self-Reliance
Wikipedia - Self-relocating
Wikipedia - Self-remembering
Wikipedia - Self-repair mechanisms
Wikipedia - Self-replicating machines in fiction
Wikipedia - Self-replicating machines
Wikipedia - Self-replicating machine -- a type of autonomous robot that is capable of reproducing itself autonomously using raw materials found in the environment
Wikipedia - Self-replicating spacecraft
Wikipedia - Self-replicating system
Wikipedia - Self-replication -- any behavior of a dynamical system that yields construction of an identical or similar copy of itself
Wikipedia - Self-report inventory
Wikipedia - Self-report study
Wikipedia - Self-report
Wikipedia - Self-Respect Movement -- Social movement for lower-caste equity
Wikipedia - Self-sacrifice in Jewish law
Wikipedia - Self-sacrifice
Wikipedia - Self-schema
Wikipedia - Self-sealing fuel tank
Wikipedia - Self-selection bias
Wikipedia - Self-serving bias -- Distortion to enhance self-esteem, or to see oneself overly favorably
Wikipedia - Self-similarity -- The whole of an object being mathematically similar to part of itself
Wikipedia - Self-sovereign identity
Wikipedia - Self-stabilisation
Wikipedia - Self-stabilization -- Concept of fault-tolerance
Wikipedia - Self-stabilizing algorithm
Wikipedia - Self-stabilizing system
Wikipedia - Self-Stereotyping
Wikipedia - Self-Strengthening Movement -- 1861-1895 modernization and reform period in Qing China
Wikipedia - Self-study
Wikipedia - Self-styled order -- Organisation which claims to be a chivalric order, but without recognition by countries or international bodies
Wikipedia - Self-sufficiency
Wikipedia - Self-surgery
Wikipedia - Self-sustainability -- Not requiring outside inputs to meet needs
Wikipedia - Self-Taught Learner
Wikipedia - Self-tiling tile set
Wikipedia - Self-transcendence
Wikipedia - Self-tuning
Wikipedia - Self-uniting marriage -- Marriage without the presence of a third-party officiant
Wikipedia - Self-verification theory
Wikipedia - Self-verification
Wikipedia - Self-verifying finite automaton
Wikipedia - Self-voicing
Wikipedia - Seomra Spraoi -- Former self-managed social centre in Dublin
Wikipedia - Sessility (motility) -- Property of organisms that do not possess a means of self-locomotion and are normally immobile
Wikipedia - Ship Self-Defense System
Wikipedia - Shotgun shell -- Self-contained cartridge loaded with lead shot or a solid slug
Wikipedia - Shuliavka Republic -- Self-declared entity in Shuliavka neighborhood, Kiev
Wikipedia - SIG Sauer System -- Type of action found in self-loading handguns
Wikipedia - Six-hour day -- Experiments of working 6 hours a day, which resulted in decreases in sick leave, better self-reported health, as well as an increase in productivity.
Wikipedia - Smart BEST -- An experimental self-charging battery electric multiple unit (BEMU) train developed and built by Kinki Sharyo in Japan
Wikipedia - Social identity theory -- Portion of an individual's self-concept
Wikipedia - Social Interaction Anxiety Scale -- Self-report scale that measures distress when meeting and talking with others
Wikipedia - Socialist self-management -- Social and economic model
Wikipedia - Social judgment theory -- Self-persuasion theory
Wikipedia - Solaristor -- Self-powered phototransistor
Wikipedia - Soliton -- a self-reinforcing single wave packet that maintains its shape while it propagates at a constant velocity
Wikipedia - Solo diver -- SDI recreational diver self-sufficiency certification
Wikipedia - Sosiaalikeskus Satama -- Former self-organised project in Helsinki, Finland
Wikipedia - Southern Rhodesia -- Self-governing British colony from 1923 to 1980
Wikipedia - Spike Surplus Scheme -- Self-managed project in South London 1999-2009
Wikipedia - Spite (sentiment) -- Intentionally harming others without self-benefit
Wikipedia - SS Carl D. Bradley -- Self-unloading Great Lakes freighter that sank in a Lake Michigan storm tons of orphans afterwards.
Wikipedia - Stimming -- Repetitive self-stimulatory behaviour common in neurodevelopmental disorders
Wikipedia - St. Tropez (self-tan brand) -- Skin tanning products company
Wikipedia - Subcontinent -- A large, relatively self-contained landmass forming a subdivision of a continent
Wikipedia - Subjective well-being -- Self-reported measure of well-being
Wikipedia - Suicidology -- Scientific study of suicide and self-destructive behaviors
Wikipedia - Swaraj -- Self-rule concept and movement in India
Wikipedia - Swarm behaviour -- Collective behaviour of a large number of (usually) self-propelled entities of similar size
Wikipedia - Swarm intelligence -- Collective behavior of decentralized, self-organized systems
Wikipedia - Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League -- Political party in the People's Republic of China
Wikipedia - Tazkiah -- Process of transforming the nafs (carnal self or desires) from its deplorable state of self-centrality through various spiritual stages towards the level of purity and submission to the Will of Allah
Wikipedia - Technological self-efficacy
Wikipedia - Template talk:Self-driving cars and enabling technologies
Wikipedia - The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People -- A business and self-help book written by Stephen R. Covey
Wikipedia - The Art of Self-Defense (2019 film) -- 2019 American black comedy thriller film
Wikipedia - The Good, the Bad & the Queen (album) -- Self-titled 2007 album
Wikipedia - The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Self-Isolation) (England) Regulations 2020 -- United Kingdom emergency legislation
Wikipedia - The Political Compass -- website offering a political self-test
Wikipedia - The Power (self-help book) -- Self-help book by Rhonda Byrne
Wikipedia - The Psychology of Self-Esteem
Wikipedia - The Self-Made Wife -- 1923 film by John Francis Dillon
Wikipedia - The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem
Wikipedia - The Wood of the Self-Murderers: The Harpies and the Suicides
Wikipedia - Thomas D. Carr -- American murderer and self-confessed serial killer
Wikipedia - Three-self formula -- Missiological strategy to establish indigenous churches: self-governance, self-support, and self-propagation. First coined in the late-19th century by various missions theorists, and still used today in certain contexts.
Wikipedia - Tiananmen Square self-immolation incident -- 2001 incident in China
Wikipedia - Topologically associating domain -- Self-interacting genomic region
Wikipedia - Torpedo -- Self-propelled underwater weapon
Wikipedia - Tragedy of the commons -- Depletion of a shared resource according to one's self-interests
Wikipedia - Ukrainian National Assembly - Ukrainian People's Self-Defence -- Ukrainian political organisation
Wikipedia - U-matrix -- Self-organizing map
Wikipedia - United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia -- Colombian paramilitary and drug trafficking group
Wikipedia - Ural Republic -- 1993 self-proclaimed federal subject of Russia
Wikipedia - Uri Geller -- Israeli-British illusionist and self-proclaimed psychic
Wikipedia - User talk:Self-ref/Magi-wiki
Wikipedia - Van Gogh self-portrait (1889) -- Painting by Vincent van Gogh, musM-CM-)e d'Orsay
Wikipedia - Vrankrijk -- Legalised squat and self-managed social centre in Amsterdam
Wikipedia - Webley Self-Loading Pistol -- Type of semi-automatic pistol
Wikipedia - Weight-balanced tree -- Type of self-balancing binary search trees that can be used to implement dynamic sets, dictionaries (maps) and sequences
Wikipedia - What The--?! -- Marvel Comics comic book series self-parodying the Marvel Universe
Wikipedia - WNC (squat) -- A self-managed social centre in Groningen evicted in 1990
Wikipedia - Women who have sex with women -- Sexual activity between women used for clinical study without needing to consider sexual self-identity
Wikipedia - Worker cooperative -- Cooperative that is owned and self-managed by its workers
Wikipedia - Workers' self-management
Wikipedia - Xlibris -- Self-publishing and on-demand printing services provider
Wikipedia - Yandex self-driving car
Wikipedia - Youngblood (comics) -- Superhero team that starred in their self-titled comic book
Wikipedia - Zoomcar -- Indian self-drive car rental company
Wikipedia - Zoopharmacognosy -- Self-medication by animals
Wikipedia - Zoox (company) -- American company developing self-driving taxis
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https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8739579-self-editing-for-fiction-writers
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8785499-the-practical-psychic-self-defense-handbook
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8885789-new-self-new-world
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9287264-how-i-raised-myself-from-failure
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9335575-radical-self-forgiveness
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9670520-smart-self-publishing
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9874636-teach-yourself-visually-circular-knitting
https://depression.wikia.org/wiki/American_Self-Help_Clearinghouse
https://familypedia.wikia.org/wiki/File:Bhagvad-Gita_Treatise_of_Self-help_By_BS_Murthy
https://military.wikia.org/wiki/Japanese_Maritime_Self-Defense_Force
https://military.wikia.org/wiki/Japan_Self-Defense_Forces
https://military.wikia.org/wiki/Local_Self-Defence_in_Lithuania_during_the_Nazi_occupation_(1941
https://military.wikia.org/wiki/Self-propelled_anti-aircraft_weapon
https://military.wikia.org/wiki/Self-propelled_artillery
https://military.wikia.org/wiki/Self-propelled_gun
https://military.wikia.org/wiki/Webley_Self-Loading_Pistol
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/A_Ribband_of_Blue_And_Other_Bible_Studies#Chapter_7_--_Self-Denial_Versus_Self-Assertion_--_Luke_9:23
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Category:All_self-contradictory_articles
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Category:Jewish_self-rule
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Category:Pages_using_invalid_self-closed_HTML_tags
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Category:Self-contradictory_articles_from_October_2009
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Category:Self-declared_messiahs
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Category:Self-published_work
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Christianity_and_Judaism#Self-identification
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Facts_on_the_Ground:_Archaeological_Practice_and_Territorial_Self-Fashioning_in_Israeli_Society
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/File:Odin%27s_Self-sacrifice_by_Collingwood.jpg
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Self-hating_Jew
https://religion.wikia.org/wiki/Self-immolation
Kheper - self-transformation -- 96
Kheper - Self-Limitation -- 36
auromere - gita-chapter-6-verse-5-uplift-the-self-by-the-self
auromere - self-control-over-speech
auromere - gita-chapter-6-verse-5-uplift-the-self-by-the-self
auromere - states-of-self-realization-defined-in-the-gita
auromere - self-control-over-speech
auromere - religious-mechanical-and-psychological-methods-of-self-realization
auromere - pranayama
auromere - how-does-the-self-realized-person-speak-gita-254
auromere - anything-that-shocks-you-is-the-very-thing-you-carry-in-yourself-the-mother
Integral World - Ken Wilber's Leap of Faith: From Self-Organization to “Spirit in Action” in Wilber's Fourth Turning of Buddhism, Elliot Benjamin
Integral World - The Self-Creating Universe, The Emergence of a New Worldview, John Clarke
Integral World - The Jungian AQAL and the Self-Transforming Kosmos, Joe Corbett
Integral World - Four levels of the Informational Storehouse in the Self-Organizing Dynamical System of the Kosmos, Joe Corbett
Integral World - Self-Similarity of States and Stages in the Kosmos, Joe Corbett
Integral World - Synchronicity and Self-Organization in Evolution: From Astrology to the Hero's Journey, Joe Corbett
Integral World - Self-Development and Overall Development: Their Differences and Why They Matter, Joseph Dillard
Integral World - A self-absorbed Ken Wilber tells his integral story as if it were simply the case, Martin Erdmann
Integral World - The Real Cause of Andrew Cohen's Dilemma, Part II: Ken Wilber's Ego-Theory revealed as a true breeding ground of self-destruction, Martin Erdmann
Integral World - Consciousness Interruptus, The Temporal Context and the Self-Referential Trap, David Christopher Lane & Andrea Diem-Lane
Integral World - Father Yod and the Source Brotherhood, My First Encounter with a Self-Appointed Guru, David Lane
Integral World - Self-Interview on Integrative Ufology, Integral Ufology, Part Five, Giorgio Piacenza
Integral World - Self-Distructing Integral Theory, A. Shiva
Integral World - Consciousness and Its Pretenders, Unconsciousness, Qualia, Self-reflection and Awakening, Andy Smith
Integral World - Why Self-Organization is Not a Cosmic Drive, Ken Wilber Fails to Understand the Basics of Evolution, Frank Visser
Integral World - The Magic Wand of Self-Organization, Ken Wilber Meets Neil Shubin, Frank Visser
Integral World - A Self-Help Guide for Democrats, Review of Ken Wilber's "Trump and a Post-Truth World", Frank Visser
Forgiving Humanity: An Evolutionary Call for Collective Self-Love
Heal Thyself: How to Repair Interpersonal and Cultural Injuries
How Defensive States Prevent Self-Knowledge
The Art and Practice of Self-Love
The Seeker’s Guide to Self-Deception
selforum - self and society
selforum - book itself is univeresity
selforum - conceptual self vs existential self
selforum - self driven approach towards learning
selforum - self directed mutation simolution
selforum - self interest and self preservation
selforum - idea of separate conscious self is
selforum - matter itself becoming conscious
selforum - self learners
selforum - science itself is no integral thought
selforum - self aware universe
selforum - self stimulating irrelevance
selforum - to realize oneself forward toward
selforum - free self expression in application and
selforum - physical itself will then be wonderful
selforum - that dire hour itself brought that
selforum - sri aurobindo himself was magnanimous
selforum - integral self transformation of man
selforum - habermas presents himself as new kant
selforum - enlightened self interest is different
selforum - james sees himself as public
selforum - cause self and inspirer poetically
selforum - we are self exiled we have come down
selforum - history itself in vicos view is
selforum - one might please oneself with theories
selforum - myself land of trouble and inordinate
selforum - rupturing self referential circles
selforum - not lonely self glorification east west
selforum - sri aurobindo himself was hindu for
selforum - aim of sacrifice is self effacement as
selforum - dismissive itself is complete nonsense
selforum - understanding self in social context
https://thoughtsandvisions-searle88.blogspot.com/2015/06/the-five-self-theory-and-koshas.html
dedroidify.blogspot - think-for-yourself-question-authority
dedroidify.blogspot - cnn-reporter-finds-self-on-terror-list
dedroidify.blogspot - maslows-traits-of-self-actualized
dedroidify.blogspot - jim-self-mastering-alchemy-sacred
dedroidify.blogspot - self-as-metaprogrammer-by-chris
dedroidify.blogspot - shifting-paradigm-of-self-evolution
dedroidify.blogspot - i-know-i-came-here-to-lose-myself-but-i_17
https://circumsolatious.blogspot.com/2011/11/spirits-progressive-self-expression-in.html
https://esotericotherworlds.blogspot.com/2012/11/links-to-self-helphuman-potential-author.html
https://esotericotherworlds.blogspot.com/2013/07/self-transformation.html
https://esotericotherworlds.blogspot.com/2014/05/observing-self-mysticism-and.html
https://esotericotherworlds.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-higher-self-in-sri-aurobindos.html
wiki.auroville - File:Drawing_by_Mother_-_Self-portrait_1934.jpg
wiki.auroville - File:Drawing_by_Mother_-_Self-portrait_1935.jpg
wiki.auroville - File:Drawing_by_Mother_-_Self-portrait_1948_1.jpg
wiki.auroville - File:Drawing_by_Mother_-_Self-portrait_1948_2.jpg
wiki.auroville - Kireet_Joshi_on_Auroville_self-governance_(talk)
wiki.auroville - Self-determination
wiki.auroville - The_Human_Cycle_%E2%80%94_The_Ideal_of_Human_Unity_%E2%80%94_War_and_Self-Determination
wiki.auroville - The_Human_Cycle_M-bM-^@M-^T_The_Ideal_of_Human_Unity_M-bM-^@M-^T_War_and_Self-Determination
Dharmapedia - India's_Self-denial
Dharmapedia - Self-Deception_:_India's_China_Policies_Origins,_Premises,_Lessons
Dharmapedia - Self-Respect_Movement
Psychology Wiki - Category:Pages_using_invalid_self-closed_HTML_tags
Psychology Wiki - Self-awareness
Psychology Wiki - Self-consciousness
Psychology Wiki - Self-control
Psychology Wiki - Self-efficacy
Psychology Wiki - Self-esteem
Psychology Wiki - Self-help
Psychology Wiki - Self-knowledge
Psychology Wiki - Self-knowledge_(psychology)
Psychology Wiki - Self-organization
Psychology Wiki - Self-Realization
Psychology Wiki - Self-realization
Psychology Wiki - Self-respect
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy - epistemic-self-doubt
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy - self-consciousness-phenomenological
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy - self-consciousness
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy - self-deception
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy - self-knowledge-externalism
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy - self-knowledge
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy - self-reference
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Category:Pages_using_invalid_self-closed_HTML_tags
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Category:Self-declared_messiahs
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Category:Self-help_books
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Category:Self-help_writers
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Category:Self-help_writers_from_the_United_States
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/File:A_member_of_the_Japanese_Ground_Self-Defense_Force,_foreground,_rests_during_a_patrolling_exercise_at_Marine_Corps_Base_Camp_Pendleton,_Calif.,_June_12,_2013,_during_exercise_Dawn_Blitz_2013_130612-M-JU912-072.jpg
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/File:Leonardo_da_Vinci_-_presumed_self-portrait_-_WGA12798.jpg
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Self-actualization
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Self-awareness
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Self-control
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Self-deception
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Self-denial
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Self-esteem
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Self-interest
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Self-knowledge
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Self-love
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Self-organizing_systems
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Self-pity
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Self-realization
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Self-reliance
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Self-respect
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Self-righteous
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Self-righteousness
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Self-sacrifice
The Get-Along Gang (1984 - 1986) - The Get Along Gang is a group of kids who have an abandoned red caboose train for a clubhouse, henceforth the name "The Clubhouse Caboose". The gang consists of Montgomery Moose (their optimistic leader), Dottie Dog, Woolma Lamb (a self-indulgent, cute sheep), Zipper Wildcat, Bingo Beaver (the pract...
Mike Lu & Og (1999 - 2001) - Mike, Lu & Og is an American animated television series created by Mikhail Shindel, Mikhail Aldashin, and Charles Swenson for Cartoon Network, and the 7th of the network's Cartoon Cartoons. The series follows a foreign exchange student from Manhattan named Mike, a self-appointed island princess name...
The Maxx (1995 - 1995) - Maxx is a purple-clad superhero living in a cardboard box. His only friend is Julie Winters, a freelance social worker. Maxx often finds himself shifting back and forth between the "real" world and a more primitive outback world where he rules, and protects Julie. Mr. Gone, a self-proclaimed "studen...
Benji, Zax and the Alien Prince (1983 - 1983) - The popular canine Benji acts as the self-appointed guide and protector of a 10-year-old alien prince and his tiny robot bodyguard.
Downtown (1999 - 2000) - lex - Alex is smart, skeptical, and intentionally un-hip, but can't seem to overcome his self-conscious nature. His shyness and lack of confidence keep him from getting what he wants: a girlfriend, a better job, and a more exciting life. Alex tends to develop frustrating crushes on unattainable wome...
Catscratch (2005 - 2007) - Three cats, the snobbish and self-centered Mr. Blik, the eccentric and dim-witted Waffle, and the stereotypically Scottish Gordon get the riches of their owner Mrs. Edna Cramdilly after she passes away.
Ned and Stacey (1995 - 1997) - Ned and Stacey get married after one week after meeting each other. He marries her to get a promotion. She marries him because she can't seem to find a place to live and likes his apartment. She hates his self-righteous attitude. He doesn't like her re-decorating his living room. Will their marriage...
Mission: Impossible (1988) (1988 - 1990) - This is an American television drama series is a revival of the original 1966 TV series of the same name, with Jim Phelps (Peter Graves) leading the fresh team of IMF agents, and the voiceover (Bob Johnson) said on the disc: "Good Morning, Jim...this disc will self-destruct in 5 seconds. Good luck,...
Akame ga KILL! (2014 - 2014) - Tatsumi is a self-acknowledge country bumpkin who is nonetheless a well trained fighter. He and two companions leave their remote village to head to the Imperial City to find a way to relieve their friends and family from ruinous taxation imposed by the authorities. Yet the Imperial City is filled w...
Ultimate Otaku Teacher (2015 - 2015) - Junichirou Kagami is a young published physicist, a genius, and a hopeless otaku. At the mercy of YD, a self-diagnosed illness which causes him to only be able to do what he "Yearns to Do," Junichirou foregoes his scientific career to maintain and improve his anime blog. However, when he gets hired...
The Familiar of Zero (2006 - 2012) - Louise Franoise Le Blanc de La Vallire is a self-absorbed mage in a world of wands, cloaks, and royalty. Although she studies at Tristain Academy, a prestigious school for magicians, she has a major problem: Louise is unable to cast magic properly, earning her the nickname of "Louise the Zero" fro...
The Captain and the Kids (MGM) (1938 - 1939) - In 1938, the comic strip The Captain and the Kids (Rudolph Dirks' parallel version of his own strip The Katzenjammer Kids) was adapted by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, becoming the studio's first self-produced series of theatrical cartoon short subjects, directed by William Hanna, Bob Allen, and Friz Freleng...
Saga of Tanya the Evil (2017 - 2017) - Tanya Degurechaff is a young soldier infamous for predatorial-like ruthlessness and an uncanny, tactical aptitude, earning her the nickname of the "Devil of the Rhine." Underneath her innocuous appearance, however, lies the soul of a man who challenged Being X, the self-proclaimed God, to a battle o...
Spice and Wolf (2008 - 2008) - Holo is a powerful wolf deity who is celebrated and revered in the small town of Pasloe for blessing the annual harvest. Yet as years go by and the villagers become more self-sufficient, Holo, who stylizes herself as the "Wise Wolf of Yoitsu," has been reduced to a mere folk tale. When a traveling m...
GATE (2015 - 2016) - Off-duty Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) officer and otaku, Youji Itami, is on his way to attend a doujin convention in Ginza, Tokyo when a mysterious portal in the shape of a large gate suddenly appears. From this gate, supernatural creatures and warriors clad in medieval armor emerge, charging th...
Emergency! +4 (1973 - 1976) - EMERGENCY! +4 was built around a fictional exploits of the Paramedical Rescue Service on the Los Angeles County Fire Department. In this animated spin-off from the prime time siren-drama EMERGENCY! (NBC, 1972-1977), Kevin Tighe and Randolph Mantooth voiced their self-likenesses as Squad 51 paramedic...
The Victory Garden (1975 - 2015) - Created by Russell Morash the creator of "This Old House", The Victory Garden was originally created in 1975 as a response to a tough economy and an increased interest in self-sufficiency. The program showed viewers how to tend to their own garden with an emphasis on making the most out of one's lan...
Short Circuit(1986) - Number 5, one of a group of experimental military robots, undergoes a sudden transformation after being struck by lightning. He develops self-awareness, consciousness, and a fear of the reprogramming that awaits him back at the factory. With the help of a young woman, Number 5 tries to evade capture...
Fritz The Cat(1972) - Mavrick writer/director Ralph Bakshi made his feature-length film debut created the first rated X cartoon ever it's the age of awakening and fritz one way-cool cat and NYU student loves to embrace every experimental experience that crosses his path embarking on a fantastic journey of self-discovery...
The Last Starfighter(1984) - A teenager in a California trailer park has big dreams of going to college and leaving his hometown behind, and taking his girl with him. Only, plans chains when he busts the record on the canteen's Starfighter machine. Recruited by the Star League, Alex must come to grips with his self-doubt, and...
A Little Princess(1995) - When her father enlists to fight for the British in WWI, young Sara Crewe goes to New York to attend the same boarding school her late mother attended. She soon clashes with the severe headmistress, Miss Minchin, who attempts to stifle her creativity and sense of self- worth. Her belief that "every...
American Graffiti(1973) - A bunch of high school graduates have one last night of fun before going off to college. On that night friendships will be formed, relationships will be tested, and self-discovery wil
D3: The Mighty Ducks(1996) - This story focuses mainly on Charlie as he veers down the same self-loathing path Gordon took when he was a youth. The Ducks return to thier roots in the third installment of this seires. Back home in Minnesota. Tieing in with the first episode. After reaching the Top in D2 this story deals with the...
The Big Green(1995) - Another Disney underdog sports team of misfit kids (soccer this time) learns to play a new sport and become champions, while building self-esteem, making friends and solving a variety of dramatic family crises, through the able assistance of a foreign exchange teacher and a former local sports hero...
Cobra(1986) - A gang of neo-fascist thugs, led by the self-proclaimed 'Night Slasher', are breaking into people's homes & cars, then killing them at random. When of of these thugs holds up a food store & takes hostages, Lt. Marian Cobretti - an intense, take-no-prisoners cop, is brought onto the scene to end the...
The Doom Generation(1995) - Billed as "a heterosexual movie by Gregg Araki," The Doom Generation is the the director's self-styled bad taste teen film. Amy Blue (Rose McGowan) is an obnoxious teenage speed freak and her boyfriend Jordan White (James Duval) is a passive, slow-witted poseur who won't have sex with her because he...
200 Motels(1971) - Rambling, non-narrative self-indulgent video album by and about Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention, as they document a long and especially grueling road tour.
Pretty Woman(1990) - Self-involved corporate raider Edward Lewis (Richard Gere) has recently split up with his girlfriend. Seeking directions to the Beverly Hills Hotel, he makes the acquaintance of free-spirited hooker Vivian Ward (Julia Roberts) and decides to put her on a 3,000-dollar retainer as his "date." He Cinde...
With Honors(1994) - Harvard University graduate Alek Keshishian directed this tale about a homeless man who teaches some snotty Harvard students a thing or two about real life. Monty (Brendan Fraser) is a self-absorbed graduate student who is obsessed with finishing his thesis on government so that he can satisfy his d...
Death Wish II(1982) - Paul Kersey's (Charles Bronson) self-appointed one-man vigilante squad goes bi-coastal in Michael Winner's sequel to his Death Wish. Kersey has taken up residence in Los Angeles, but lunatic violence follows him across the country like toilet paper sticking to his shoe. Kersey's Spanish cook is imme...
Nine Inch Nails: Closure(1997) - The 2 tapes of VHS which is the documentary and the music videos is all about the band called Nine Inch Nails. Trent Reznor is the American musician of NIN, who was truly done for industrial music in all alternative rock. Including Self-Destruct tour 1994 along with Jim Rose Circus, and Marylin Mans...
Man on the Moon(1999) - Man on the Moon is a biographical movie on the late comedian Andy Kaufman. Kaufman, along with his role on "Taxi," was famous for being the self-declared Intergender Wrestling Champion of the world. After beating women time and time again, Jerry Lawler (who plays himself in the movie), a professiona...
Wild Orchid(1989) - A woman lawyer becomes mesmerized by a self-made millionaire during an encounter in Rio setting off a series of erotic encounters.
Screamers(1995) - (SIRIUS 6B, Year 2078) On a distant mining planet ravaged by a decade of war, scientists have created the perfect weapon: a blade-wielding, self-replicating race of killing devices known as Screamers designed for one purpose only -- to hunt down and destroy all enemy life forms.
My Life(1993) - Life is going well for Bob Jones: great job, beautiful loving wife and a baby on the way. Then he finds out that he has the Dreaded Movie Disease that will leave him dead within months. He sets out to videotape his life's acquired wisdom for his child, and ends up on a voyage of self-discovery and r...
Nixon(1995) - An all-star cast powers this epic look at American President Richard M. Nixon, a man carrying both the fate of the world on his shoulders while battling the self-destructive demands within. From his victorious presidential election to the shocking Watergate scandal that would seal his doom.
Bringing Out the Dead(1999) - This tense urban drama stars Nicolas Cage as Frank Pierce, a paramedic on the brink of physical and emotional collapse. Frank has worked for years in one of New York's most brutal neighborhoods, and the pressure of his job has taken its toll; plagued with self-doubt, he is haunted by the spirits of...
Born Yesterday(1993) - This 1993 remake of the 1950 film Born Yesterday (based on the 1946 Garson Kanin stage play) was retooled as a star vehicle for then-marrieds Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson. Roughneck self-made millionaire Harry Brock (John Goodman) wants to become a powerful Washington lobbyist. Brock's efforts t...
Nowhere(1997) - Described by director Gregg Araki as "A Beverly Hills 90210 episode on acid" (with no suggestions of what it might be cut with), Nowhere is a companion piece with Araki's previous meditations on youth gone wild in the 1990s, Totally F***ed Up and The Doom Generation Araki's self-described "teen a...
Where the Day Takes You(1992) - Marc Rocco's gritty drama Where the Day Takes You stars Dermot Mulroney as King, a street-smart hustler who acts as a father figure to a motley collection of young runaways. Among the people in his sphere are the young self-destructive drug addict Greg (Sean Astin), self-hating gay prostitute Little...
The Edge(1997) - A plane crash in the freezing Alaskan wilderness pits intellectual billionaire Charles Morse against self-satisfied fashion photographer Robert Green in a brutal struggle for survival. Each soon dicovers that the greatest danger resides not in nature, but from human fear, treachery, and quite possi...
The Special Magic of Herself the Elf(1983) - The Magic of Herself the Elf (also known by its on-screen title, The Special Magic of Herself the Elf) is a 1983 animated television special produced by the Canadian animation company, Nelvana Limited. Directed by John Celestri (credited under first name Gian) and Raymond Jafelice, it stars the voic...
Scenes From A Mall(1991) - Bette Midler and Woody Allen star in director Paul Mazursky's comedy as a professional Los Angeles couple--Deborah (Midler) is the author of a best-selling self-help book about marriage and has been wed to successful lawyer Nick (Allen) for 16 years. They live a high-pressure professional life, comp...
Divine Madness(1980) - Self-defined diva Bette Midler performs her take on comedy and perverse pop music in this unforgettable concert performance, filmed live at Pasadena's Civic Auditorium. Rotating between comic monologues and energetic musical numbers, DIVINE MADNESS proves why Midler has such a dedicated legion of fa...
Mama's Boy(2007) - A twenty-nine year-old slacker who lives with his mom realizes his sweet set-up is threatened when she hears wedding bells with her self-help guru beau.
Godzilla vs. Megaguirus(2000) - The Japanese Self-Defense Force must find a new way to stop Godzilla. By warping out into another dimension, but it unleashes the dreaded new monster, Megauirus! Only Godzilla can stop this beast. Released in Japan in 2000, but did not get an American release until August 2003. It aired on the Sc...
Desert Hearts(1985) - It is 1950s Nevada, and Professor Vivian Bell arrives to get a divorce. She's unsatisfied with her marriage, and feels out of place at the ranch she stays on, she finds herself increasingly drawn to Cay Rivers, an open and self-assured lesbian, and the ranchowner's daughter. The emotions released by...
The Prankster(2010) - The Pranksters are a secret society that rights the wrongs of high school. Its leader, Chris, longs for more with graduation looming. Under the guidance of his eccentric Uncle Nick, Chris embarks on a challenging path of self-discovery and romance.
Love Shack(2010) - A dysfunctional family of adult film stars reunites for a memorial porn shoot following the death of legendary producer Mo Saltzman. Along the way, the film's hapless director must contend with dueling divas, bickering couples, emotionally-scarred tag-team brothers, and a dominatrix with low self-es...
For Richer, For Poorer(1992) - Fresh out of a college, a young man lazes about his family's estate, which irritates his father, a self-made millionaire who hatches a bankruptcy plan that he hopes will inspire his son to get a job.
The Lemon Sisters(1989) - Three life-long friends work the bars in 1980's Atlantic City performing the songs of the 60's girl groups in this self-indulgent comedy.
Men In Black II(2002) - In 2002, five years after the first Men in Black, Agent J is now the top operative for the MIB, the self-funded New York City-based agency that secretly monitors and regulates extraterrestrials' activity on Earth. J has no permanent partner since his trainer-mentor K resigned, and Agent L (from the...
The Accused (1949)(1949) - A beautiful psychology professor tries to hide a self-defense killing.
In Self Defense(1987) - A witness is terrorized by the killer against whom she testified.
The Truth About Cats & Dogs(1996) - A successful veternarian & radio show host with low self-esteem asks her model friend to impersonate her when a handsome man wants to see her.
Under The Volcano(1984) - Against a background of war breaking out in Europe and the Mexican fiesta Day of Death, we are taken through one day in the life of Geoffrey Firmin, a British consul living in alcoholic disrepair and obscurity in a small southern Mexican town in 1939. The Consul's self-destructive behaviour, perhaps...
Knocked Up(2007) - After receiving a promotion on E! Television, Allison goes out to celebrate with sister Debbie at a nightclub. While there, she meets pot smoking, self-employed slacker Ben. When Debbie gets called away on a family emergency, Allison stays with Ben drinking and dancing all night until they end up h...
The Best Little Girl in the World(1981) - Casey Powell is a young teenage girl who is secretly suffering from anorexia nervosa, a mental and physical illness of deliberately starving herself or self-induced vomiting, because of her troubled home life and problems at school in which her bickering parents and her unwed, pregnant sister must p...
Yes Man(2008) - Carl Allen is at a standstill in his life ever since his divorce and spends his days hating his job and wallowing with low self-esteem instead hanging around with his pals. One day, a chance meeting with an old friend sends Carl to a self-help seminar where the basic principle of the program is to s...
The Instructor(1983) - A karate expert (Bob Chaney) grows tired of having his self-defense school continually considered second-best to a rival school in this martial arts adventure. The conflict between the two schools steadily escalates, finally culminating in a winner-takes-all battle for supremacy between the schools'...
The Three Caballeros(1944) - One of Disney's World War II Era "package films". The film is plotted as a series of self-contained segments, strung together by the device of Donald Duck opening birthday gifts from his Latin American friends. Several Latin American stars of the period appear, including singers Aurora Miranda (sist...
Ringmaster(1998) - A film starring Jerry Springer as-essentially himself- as Jerry Farrelly, host of a show similar to his own, in this case called simply Jerry. There are three ongoing plots in the film. The primary one surrounds a white trash, trailer park family in which the daughter is sleeping with her mother's h...
Wake in Fright(1971) - A schoolteacher looks up the outback mining town of Bundanyabbah on his way to Sydney to see his girlfriend only to become entangled in a self-destructive downward spiral after loosing all his money in a game of two-up.
Half A Lifetime(1986) - A regular night of poker among for friends turns into a night full of conflict, accusations and self-examinations.
Walking The Halls(2012) - High school senior Casey finds herself seduced into the fast lifestyle of a call girl ring run by a campus police officer and must pull herself out before she loses all self-control.
Child's Play (2019)(2019) - A remake of the 1988 film. Rather than a Good Guys doll taking on the soul of a dead serial killer, this Chucky is a piece of rogue AI (a "Buddi" doll with the ability to control all the technology in a house remotely via the cloud) who becomes self-aware and violent after a disgruntled sweatshop em...
The Karate Kid (2010)(2010) - 12-year-old Dre Parker moves from Detroit, Michigan to Beijing, China with his mother and runs afoul of the neighborhood bully. He makes an unlikely ally in the form of an aging maintenance man, Mr. Han, a kung fu master who teaches him the secrets of self-defense.
Bad Moms(2016) - When three overworked and under-appreciated moms are pushed beyond their limits, they ditch their conventional responsibilities for a jolt of long overdue freedom, fun and comedic self-indulgence.
The Man Who Invented Christmas(2017) - In 1843, author Charles Dickens sets out to write and self-publish a novel that he hopes will revive his career. He spends the next six weeks bringing Ebenezer Scrooge, Tiny Tim and other characters to life in "A Christmas Carol."
Love Scenes(1984) - Acclaimed actress surprisingly accepts the lead role in a controversial erotic film directed by her self-centered husband. They fight and she, taken in by the role and crew's constant flirting, cheats on him. Will their marriage survive?
Isn't It Romantic?(2019) - Architect Natalie develops a strong hatred for romantic comedies at an early age, which is exacerbated by her low self-esteem and difficulty in finding love. Her assistant Whitney, a fan of romantic comedies, believes their co-worker Josh is in love with Natalie, but Natalie dismisses the notion bec...
Turbo(2013) - In a suburban San Fernando Valley tomato garden in Los Angeles, Theo, self-named "Turbo", is a garden snail who dreams of being the greatest racer in the world, just like his hero, five-time Indy 500 champion Guy Gagn. His obsession with speed often makes him an outcast in the slow and cautious sna...
Karatix(1986) - Tiana Alexandra (the only woman to be trained by Bruce Lee) is the innovator of KARATIX, a unique exercise and self-defense training program. It combines elements of dance and combat art disciplines to develop self defense skills which the beginner can learn at home through regular practice. Tiana A...
A Christmas Carol (2009) ::: 6.8/10 -- PG | 1h 36min | Animation, Drama, Family | 6 November 2009 (USA) -- An animated retelling of Charles Dickens' classic novel about a Victorian-era miser taken on a journey of self-redemption, courtesy of several mysterious Christmas apparitions. Director: Robert Zemeckis Writers:
Alias ::: TV-14 | 42min | Action, Drama, Mystery | TV Series (20012006) -- Sydney Bristow is an international spy recruited out of college, trained for espionage and self-defense. Creator: J.J. Abrams
Balloon (2018) ::: 7.5/10 -- Ballon (original title) -- Balloon Poster -- East Germany, 1979. After initially failing to flee from the East to the West in a self-built hot-air balloon, two families struggle to make a second attempt, while the East German State Police are chasing them. Director: Michael Herbig (as Michael Bully Herbig) Writers:
Being Flynn (2012) ::: 6.4/10 -- R | 1h 42min | Drama | 19 April 2012 (Hungary) -- Working in a Boston homeless shelter, Nick Flynn re-encounters his father, a con man and self-proclaimed poet. Sensing trouble in his own life, Nick wrestles with the notion of reaching out yet again to his dad. Director: Paul Weitz Writers:
Blackmail (1929) ::: 7.0/10 -- Not Rated | 1h 25min | Crime, Thriller | 6 October 1929 (USA) -- After killing a man in self-defense, a young woman is blackmailed by a witness to the killing. Director: Alfred Hitchcock Writers: Charles Bennett (from the play by), Alfred Hitchcock (adapted by) | 1 more credit Stars:
Candy (2006) ::: 7.2/10 -- R | 1h 48min | Drama, Romance | 25 May 2006 (Australia) -- A poet falls in love with an art student who gravitates to his bohemian lifestyle -- and his love of heroin. Hooked as much on one another as they are on the drug, their relationship alternates between states of oblivion, self-destruction, and despair. Director: Neil Armfield Writers:
Charlie Bartlett (2007) ::: 7.0/10 -- R | 1h 37min | Comedy, Drama, Romance | 22 February 2008 (USA) -- A rich kid becomes the self-appointed psychiatrist to the student body of his new high school. Director: Jon Poll Writer: Gustin Nash Stars:
Chato's Land (1972) ::: 6.7/10 -- PG | 1h 40min | Western | June 1972 (UK) -- In 1870s New Mexico, a half-breed kills a bigoted sheriff in self-defense but the posse that eventually hunts him finds itself in dangerous territory. Director: Michael Winner Writer: Gerald Wilson Stars:
Cromwell (1970) ::: 6.9/10 -- G | 2h 19min | Biography, Drama, History | 17 July 1970 (UK) -- Oliver Cromwell can no longer tolerate King Charles' policies, and the self-interest of the ruling class, and leads a civil war to install Parliament as the ultimate ruler of England. Director: Ken Hughes Writer: Ken Hughes (screenplay) Stars:
Dead Poets Society (1989) ::: 8.1/10 -- PG | 2h 8min | Comedy, Drama | 9 June 1989 (USA) -- TV Program 3:06 | TV Program -- Maverick teacher John Keating uses poetry to embolden his boarding school students to new heights of self-expression. Director: Peter Weir Writer: Tom Schulman
Enlightened ::: TV-MA | 28min | Comedy, Drama | TV Series (20112013) A self-destructive woman who has a spiritual awakening becomes determined to live an enlightened life, creating havoc at home and work. Creators: Laura Dern, Mike White Stars:
Foxcatcher (2014) ::: 7.0/10 -- R | 2h 14min | Biography, Drama, History | 16 January 2015 (USA) -- U.S. Olympic wrestling champions and brothers Mark Schultz and Dave Schultz join "Team Foxcatcher", led by eccentric multi-millionaire John du Pont, as they train for the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea, but John's self-destructive behavior threatens to consume them all. Director: Bennett Miller
Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce ::: TV-14 | 1h | Comedy, Drama | TV Series (20142018) -- Follows a best-selling author of a self-help book series who hides her recent separation as she starts to navigate her life as a single woman in her 40s in Los Angeles. Creator:
Gridiron Gang (2006) ::: 6.9/10 -- PG-13 | 2h 5min | Biography, Crime, Drama | 15 September 2006 (USA) -- Teenagers at a juvenile detention center, under the leadership of their counselor, gain self-esteem by playing football together. Director: Phil Joanou Writers: Jeff Maguire, Jac Flanders (film "Gridiron Gang")
Hello, My Name Is Doris (2015) ::: 6.6/10 -- R | 1h 30min | Comedy, Drama, Romance | 1 April 2016 (USA) -- A self-help seminar inspires a sixty-something woman to romantically pursue her younger co-worker. Director: Michael Showalter Writers: Laura Terruso (screenplay), Michael Showalter (screenplay) | 1 more
Hot Rod (2007) ::: 6.7/10 -- PG-13 | 1h 28min | Comedy, Sport | 3 August 2007 (USA) -- Self-proclaimed stuntman Rod Kimble is preparing for the jump of his life - to clear fifteen buses to raise money for his abusive stepfather Frank's life-saving heart operation. Director: Akiva Schaffer Writer:
James White (2015) ::: 7.2/10 -- R | 1h 25min | Drama | 13 November 2015 (USA) -- James, a twenty-something New Yorker, struggles to take control of his self-destructive behavior in the face of momentous family challenges. Director: Josh Mond Writer: Josh Mond
Kincsem - Bet on Revenge (2017) ::: 7.3/10 -- Kincsem (original title) -- Kincsem - Bet on Revenge Poster Ern Blaskovich lost everything after the Hungarian Revolution of 1848. Kincsem, a magnificent horse gives a purpose of his meaningless, self-destructing life. He gets a chance to gain everything back: revenge, love and fame. Director: Gbor Herendi Writers: Blint Hegeds (screenplay), Gbor Herendi
Land of the Pharaohs (1955) ::: 6.6/10 -- Approved | 1h 46min | Adventure, Drama, History | 24 June 1955 (USA) -- A captured architect designs an ingenious plan to ensure the impregnability of the tomb of a self-absorbed Pharaoh, obsessed with the security of his next life. Director: Howard Hawks Writers: William Faulkner, Harry Kurnitz | 1 more credit Stars:
Lovely & Amazing (2001) ::: 6.7/10 -- R | 1h 31min | Comedy, Drama, Romance | 2 August 2002 (USA) -- Self-esteem and insecurity are at the heart of this comedy about the relationship between a mother and her three confused daughters. Director: Nicole Holofcener Writer: Nicole Holofcener
Love, Victor ::: TV-14 | 30min | Comedy, Drama, Romance | TV Series (2020 ) -- Victor is a new student at Creekwood High School on his own journey of self-discovery, facing challenges at home, adjusting to a new city, and struggling with his sexual orientation. Creators:
Mad Max (1979) ::: 6.9/10 -- R | 1h 28min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi | 21 March 1980 (USA) -- In a self-destructing world, a vengeful Australian policeman sets out to stop a violent motorcycle gang. Director: George Miller Writers: James McCausland (screenplay), George Miller (screenplay) | 2 more
Margarita with a Straw (2014) ::: 7.2/10 -- Not Rated | 1h 40min | Drama | 14 June 2016 (USA) -- A rebellious young woman with cerebral palsy leaves her home in India to study in New York, unexpectedly falls in love, and embarks on an exhilarating journey of self-discovery. Directors: Shonali Bose, Nilesh Maniyar (co-director) Writers:
Mistresses ::: TV-14 | 43min | Drama, Romance, Thriller | TV Series (20132016) -- Follows the scandalous lives of a group of four girlfriends, each on her own path to self-discovery as they brave the turbulent journey together. Creator:
Moby Dick (1956) ::: 7.3/10 -- Not Rated | 1h 56min | Adventure, Drama | 3 April 1959 (USA) -- The sole survivor of a lost whaling ship relates the tale of his captain's self-destructive obsession to hunt the white whale, Moby Dick. Director: John Huston Writers:
Nativity! (2009) ::: 6.4/10 -- PG | 1h 45min | Comedy, Family | 27 November 2009 (UK) -- An uptight but secretly heartbroken primary school teacher's little white lie about Hollywood coming to see his class' nativity play grows like wildfire in his rag-tag school low on self-esteem. Director: Debbie Isitt Writer:
Nymphomaniac: Vol. I (2013) ::: 6.9/10 -- Not Rated | 1h 57min | Drama | 6 March 2014 (USA) -- A self-diagnosed nymphomaniac recounts her erotic experiences to the man who saved her after a beating. Director: Lars von Trier Writer: Lars von Trier
On a Clear Day (2005) ::: 6.9/10 -- PG-13 | 1h 35min | Comedy, Drama, Romance | 2 September 2005 (UK) -- Frank determines to salvage his self-esteem and tackle his demons by attempting the ultimate test of endurance - swimming the English Channel. Director: Gaby Dellal Writer: Alex Rose Stars:
Peppermint (2018) ::: 6.5/10 -- R | 1h 41min | Action, Drama, Thriller | 7 September 2018 (USA) -- Five years after her husband and daughter are killed in a senseless act of violence, a woman comes back from self-imposed exile to seek revenge against those responsible and the system that let them go free. Director: Pierre Morel Writer:
Rake ::: TV-14 | 43min | Comedy, Crime, Drama | TV Series (2014) -- An outspoken and self-destructive criminal defense lawyer takes on the most challenging cases. Creators: Peter Duncan, Peter Tolan
Rebecca (1940) ::: 8.1/10 -- Approved | 2h 10min | Drama, Mystery, Romance | 12 April 1940 (USA) -- A self-conscious woman juggles adjusting to her new role as an aristocrat's wife and avoiding being intimidated by his first wife's spectral presence. Director: Alfred Hitchcock Writers:
Revenge of the Nerds (1984) ::: 6.7/10 -- R | 1h 30min | Comedy | 10 August 1984 (USA) -- At Adams College, a group of bullied outcasts and misfits resolve to fight back for their peace and self-respect. Director: Jeff Kanew Writers: Tim Metcalfe (story), Miguel Tejada-Flores (story) | 4 more credits
Rocky (1976) ::: 8.1/10 -- PG | 2h | Drama, Sport | 3 December 1976 (USA) -- A small-time boxer gets a supremely rare chance to fight a heavyweight champion in a bout in which he strives to go the distance for his self-respect. Director: John G. Avildsen Writer:
Scrooge (1970) ::: 7.5/10 -- G | 1h 53min | Drama, Family, Fantasy | 17 December 1971 (USA) -- A musical retelling of Charles Dickens' classic novel about an old bitter miser taken on a journey of self-redemption, courtesy of several mysterious Christmas apparitions. Director: Ronald Neame Writers:
Search Party ::: TV-MA | 24min | Comedy, Crime, Drama | TV Series (2016 ) -- Search Party is a dark comedy about four self-absorbed twenty-somethings who become entangled in an ominous mystery when a former college acquaintance suddenly disappears. Creators:
Selfie ::: TV-14 | 22min | Comedy, Romance | TV Series (2014) -- After being the subject of an embarrassing viral video, a self-involved 20-something enlists the help of a marketing expert to revamp her image in the real world. Creator:
Shirley Valentine (1989) ::: 7.2/10 -- R | 1h 48min | Comedy, Drama, Romance | 30 August 1989 (USA) -- Shirley is a 42-year-old Liverpudlian bored housewife, who takes a holiday trip to Greece, meeting a local man who bolsters her self-confidence. She evolves and transforms to the point of finally being unrecognizable by her husband. Director: Lewis Gilbert Writers: Willy Russell (play), Willy Russell (screenplay)
Sirens ::: TV-14 | 22min | Comedy, Family, Romance | TV Series (20142015) -- A comedy that follows three Chicago EMTs who despite their narcissistic and self-destructive personalities are uniquely qualified to save lives. Creators:
Somewhere in Time (1980) ::: 7.2/10 -- PG | 1h 43min | Drama, Fantasy, Romance | 3 October 1980 (USA) -- A Chicago playwright uses self-hypnosis to travel back in time and meet the actress whose vintage portrait hangs in a grand hotel. Director: Jeannot Szwarc Writers: Richard Matheson (screenplay), Richard Matheson (novel)
Sorry We Missed You (2019) ::: 7.6/10 -- 14A | 1h 41min | Drama | 6 March 2020 (USA) -- Hoping that self-employment through gig economy can solve their financial woes, a hard-up UK delivery driver and his wife struggling to raise a family end up trapped in the vicious circle of this modern-day form of labour exploitation. Director: Ken Loach Writer:
Sweet Country (2017) ::: 6.9/10 -- R | 1h 53min | Adventure, Crime, Drama | 6 April 2018 (USA) -- Australian western set on the Northern Territory frontier in the 1920s, where justice itself is put on trial when an aged Aboriginal farmhand shoots a white man in self-defense and goes on the run as a posse gathers to hunt him down. Director: Warwick Thornton Writers:
Taking Off (1971) ::: 7.4/10 -- R | 1h 33min | Comedy, Drama, Music | 28 March 1971 (USA) -- While searching for their runaway teenage daughter, the parents rediscover life's joys as they get acquainted with a self-help group for parents of vanished children. Director: Milos Forman Writers: Milos Forman, John Guare | 2 more credits Stars:
The Art of Self-Defense (2019) ::: 6.7/10 -- R | 1h 44min | Action, Comedy, Crime | 19 July 2019 (USA) -- After being attacked on the street, a young man enlists at a local dojo, led by a charismatic and mysterious sensei, in an effort to learn how to defend himself from future threats. Director: Riley Stearns Writer:
The Case for Christ (2017) ::: 6.3/10 -- PG | 1h 52min | Biography, Drama | 7 April 2017 (USA) -- An investigative journalist and self-proclaimed atheist sets out to disprove the existence of God after his wife becomes a Christian. Director: Jon Gunn Writers: Brian Bird (screenplay by), Lee Strobel (based on the book by)
The Doctor (1991) ::: 7.0/10 -- PG-13 | 2h 2min | Drama | 16 August 1991 (USA) -- When a self-centered doctor is diagnosed with cancer, he becomes better able to empathize with his patients and appreciate a life outside his career. Director: Randa Haines Writers: Ed Rosenbaum (book) (as Ed Rosenbaum M.D.), Robert Caswell (screenplay) Stars:
The Far Country (1954) ::: 7.2/10 -- Passed | 1h 37min | Action, Romance, Western | 20 August 1954 (Denmark) -- A self-minded adventurer (Jeff Webster) locks horns with a crooked lawman (Mr. Gannon) while driving cattle to Dawson. Director: Anthony Mann Writer: Borden Chase (story and screenplay) Stars:
The Guardian (2006) ::: 6.9/10 -- PG-13 | 2h 19min | Action, Adventure, Drama | 29 September 2006 (USA) -- A high school swim champion with a troubled past enrolls in the U.S. Coast Guard's "A" School, where legendary rescue swimmer Ben Randall teaches him some hard lessons about loss, love, and self-sacrifice. Director: Andrew Davis Writer:
The Kid Detective (2020) ::: 7.0/10 -- R | 1h 40min | Comedy, Drama, Mystery | 16 October 2020 (USA) -- A once-celebrated kid detective, now 32, continues to solve the same trivial mysteries between hangovers and bouts of self-pity. Until a naive client brings him his first 'adult' case, to find out who brutally murdered her boyfriend. Director: Evan Morgan Writer:
The Letter (1940) ::: 7.6/10 -- Not Rated | 1h 35min | Crime, Drama, Film-Noir | 23 November 1940 (USA) -- The wife of a rubber plantation administrator shoots a man to death and claims it was self-defense, but a letter in her own hand may prove her undoing. Director: William Wyler Writers:
The Mighty Ducks (1992) ::: 6.6/10 -- PG | 1h 44min | Comedy, Drama, Family | 2 October 1992 (USA) -- A self-centered Minnesota lawyer is sentenced to community service coaching a rag tag youth hockey team. Director: Stephen Herek Writer: Steven Brill
The Persuaders! -- 1h | Action, Adventure, Comedy | TV Series (19711972) ::: Two worlds collide when the titled Englishman, Lord Brett Sinclair, and the Bronx-raised, self-made American Danny Wilde, reluctantly join forces to right wrongs, and to protect the innocent. Stars:
The Rose (1979) ::: 7.0/10 -- R | 2h 5min | Drama, Music, Romance | 7 November 1979 (USA) -- The tragic life of a self-destructive female rock star who struggles to deal with the constant pressures of her career and the demands of her ruthless business manager. Director: Mark Rydell Writers: Bill Kerby (screenplay by), Bo Goldman (screenplay by) | 1 more credit
The Secret: Dare to Dream (2020) ::: 6.4/10 -- PG | 1h 47min | Drama, Romance | 31 July 2020 (USA) -- A feature film adaptation of the self-help book, 'The Secret', which focuses on the power of positive thinking. Director: Andy Tennant Writers: Bekah Brunstetter (screenplay by), Andy Tennant (screenplay by) | 3
These Final Hours (2013) ::: 6.7/10 -- R | 1h 27min | Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller | 31 July 2014 (Australia) -- A self-obsessed young man makes his way to the party-to-end-all-parties on the last day on Earth, but ends up saving the life of a little girl searching for her father. Their relationship ultimately leads him on the path to redemption. Director: Zak Hilditch Writer:
The Snowtown Murders (2011) ::: 6.6/10 -- Snowtown (original title) -- (Australia) The Snowtown Murders Poster -- Based on true events, 16 year-old Jamie falls in with his mother's new boyfriend and his crowd of self-appointed neighborhood watchmen, a relationship that leads to a spree of torture and murder. Director: Justin Kurzel
The Trip (2002) ::: 7.1/10 -- R | 1h 35min | Comedy, Drama, Romance | 5 May 2002 (USA) -- Romance, politics, sex and humor all collide during two men's 11-year journey of passion, self-discovery and adventure. Director: Miles Swain Writer: Miles Swain
The Verdict (1982) ::: 7.7/10 -- R | 2h 9min | Drama | 17 December 1982 (USA) -- A lawyer sees the chance to salvage his career and self-respect by taking a medical malpractice case to trial rather than settling. Director: Sidney Lumet Writers: Barry Reed (based upon the novel by), David Mamet (screenplay)
The Westerner (1940) ::: 7.3/10 -- Approved | 1h 40min | Comedy, Drama, Romance | 20 September 1940 (USA) -- Judge Roy Bean, a self-appointed hanging judge in Vinegarroon, Texas, befriends saddle tramp Cole Harden, who opposes Bean's policy against homesteaders. Director: William Wyler Writers: Jo Swerling (screenplay), Niven Busch (screenplay) | 1 more credit Stars:
Tyrannosaur (2011) ::: 7.6/10 -- Not Rated | 1h 32min | Drama | 7 October 2011 (Ireland) -- Joseph, a man plagued by violence and a rage that is driving him to self-destruction, earns a chance of redemption that appears in the form of Hannah, a Christian charity shop worker. Director: Paddy Considine Writer:
Under the Volcano (1984) ::: 7.0/10 -- R | 1h 52min | Drama | 13 June 1984 (USA) -- A day in the life of a self-destructive British consul in Mexico on the eve of World War II. Director: John Huston Writers: Malcolm Lowry (novel), Guy Gallo (screenplay) Stars:
Upgrade (2018) ::: 7.5/10 -- R | 1h 40min | Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller | 1 June 2018 (USA) -- Set in the near-future, technology controls nearly all aspects of life. But when the world of Grey, a self-labeled technophobe, is turned upside down, his only hope for revenge is an experimental computer chip implant. Director: Leigh Whannell Writer:
Vanilla Sky (2001) ::: 6.9/10 -- R | 2h 16min | Fantasy, Mystery, Romance | 14 December 2001 (USA) -- A self-indulgent and vain publishing magnate finds his privileged life upended after a vehicular accident with a resentful lover. Director: Cameron Crowe Writers: Alejandro Amenabar (film "Abre Los Ojos"), Mateo Gil (film "Abre Los Ojos") | 1 more credit Stars:
Vanilla Sky (2001) ::: 6.9/10 -- R | 2h 16min | Fantasy, Mystery, Romance | 14 December 2001 (USA) -- A self-indulgent and vain publishing magnate finds his privileged life upended after a vehicular accident with a resentful lover. Director: Cameron Crowe Writers: Alejandro Amenbar (film "Abre Los Ojos"), Mateo Gil (film "Abre Los Ojos") | 1 more credit Stars:
Web Therapy ::: TV-14 | 22min | Comedy | TV Series (20112015) After quitting her job in finance under dubious circumstances, the affluent and self-interested Fiona Wallice tries her hand at therapy - offering clients 3-minute sessions over the Internet in hopes of weeding out any unnecessary emotion. Creators: Dan Bucatinsky, Lisa Kudrow, Don Roos
Yes (2004) ::: 6.7/10 -- R | 1h 40min | Drama, Romance | 5 August 2005 (UK) -- In this film, told almost entirely in iambic pentameter, She is a scientist in a loveless marriage to Anthony, a devious politician. He is a Lebanese doctor in self-imposed exile, working ... S Director: Sally Potter Writer:
You're the Worst ::: TV-MA | 30min | Comedy, Drama, Romance | TV Series (20142019) -- Centers on two toxic, self-destructive people who fall in love and attempt a relationship. Creator: Stephen Falk
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Aggressive Retsuko (ONA) 2nd Season -- -- Fanworks -- 10 eps -- Other -- Comedy Slice of Life -- Aggressive Retsuko (ONA) 2nd Season Aggressive Retsuko (ONA) 2nd Season -- Red panda Retsuko continues to work at her cyclic office job, with the occasional stress-venting via death metal karaoke on the side. With the company of her newfound friends Gori and Washimi, life is more enjoyable than ever before. But some new shake-ups to her status quo threaten to add more stress to her life. At the office, new employee Anai seems like a fine addition to the company. Yet when Retsuko is placed in charge of his training, she finds that beneath his steadfast dedication, he may pose a threat to the stability of the workplace. Meanwhile, at home, Retsuko's mother pays an abrupt visit, fully intent on having her daughter finally settle down and find a man. With this in mind, she sets Retsuko up for various marriage appointments, much to her chagrin. -- -- Now, Retsuko finds all the more reasons to head to the karaoke bar and unleash her furious diatribes. However, knowing that this will not truly solve her problems, she decides to make a more spontaneous choice to avoid her issues. And so, Retsuko finds herself set upon another self-reflecting journey, coming to learn more about herself and love, with the ever cathartic support of death metal karaoke. -- -- ONA - Jun 14, 2019 -- 73,221 7.78
A.I.C.O.: Incarnation -- -- Bones -- 12 eps -- Original -- Action Sci-Fi -- A.I.C.O.: Incarnation A.I.C.O.: Incarnation -- In 2035, an incident known as “The Burst” occurs at a Japanese research facility, giving birth to the rapidly expanding, consuming, and self-replicating "Matter." Snaking its way through the remains of dams and military facilities in the Kurobe Gorge, the hostile Matter is besieged by task forces trying to prevent it from reaching the ocean and mercenaries seeking the truth behind its existence. -- -- Aiko Tachibana lives under constant medical surveillance after being rescued from the Matter. She spends her days waiting out her recovery by making paper planes. Soon, her daily life at school is disturbed by the arrival of transfer student Yuuya Kanzaki, who proceeds to point out a number of inconsistencies regarding her body. Why is she never injured, and why does she suddenly no longer need her wheelchair? He claims that there is more to her existence than she has been led to believe, and that she alone holds the key to ending The Burst. -- -- With many factions now interested in Aiko, she and Yuuya must gather allies and embark on a dangerous pilgrimage into the heart of the infested gorge before the net can close around them. To escape the conspiracy moving against them, the pair must face off against the Matter—an enemy that flows like water. -- -- ONA - Mar 9, 2018 -- 82,254 6.60
Angel Densetsu -- -- Toei Animation -- 2 eps -- Manga -- Action Comedy School -- Angel Densetsu Angel Densetsu -- When Seikichi Kuroda—self-proclaimed "guardian" and head thug of Hekikuu High School—hears rumors of a first-year transfer student named Seiichirou Kitano terrorizing his entire class, Seikichi tries to intimidate him through authority. However, things go awry when he witnesses something horrifying—Seiichirou has a face so dreadful and haunting that even Seikichi hurries away in fear. -- -- But despite his menacing appearance, Seiichirou has a heart of gold. Inhibited by his poor communication skills and fear-inducing looks, he has never managed to convey his true self to his terrified peers, resulting in his lifelong ostracization. Now the new guardian, Seiichirou discovers that sometimes friends can be found in the most unlikely places and through the most unusual circumstances. -- -- OVA - Dec 13, 1996 -- 27,679 7.49
Aquarion Logos -- -- Satelight -- 26 eps -- Original -- Action Comedy Drama Fantasy Mecha Romance Sci-Fi -- Aquarion Logos Aquarion Logos -- For thousands of years after its development, mankind used the written word for communication between people and generations. As millenia passed and technology became more prevalent, writing - and thus, communication as a whole - diminished, until it could only be found on cell phones and computer screens. Seeing an opportunity, the sorcerer Sogan Kenzaki starts infecting words with the Nesta Virus, which brings them to life and turns them into monsters called MJBK (Menace of Japanese with Biological Kinetic energy). -- -- To counter this attack against humanity, an organization known as DEAVA (Division of EArth Verbalism Ability) assembles a group of youths with the ability of "Verbalism". They have to pilot the vector machines, which are used to form the mechas dubbed "Aquarions". The one wild card in the situation is the self-dubbed "savior", a young man who is the direct relative of a famous calligrapher, named Akira Kaibuki. -- -- Licensor: -- Funimation -- 20,066 5.71
Arakawa Under the Bridge x Bridge -- -- Shaft -- 13 eps -- Manga -- Comedy Romance Seinen -- Arakawa Under the Bridge x Bridge Arakawa Under the Bridge x Bridge -- In the dry riverbed of Arakawa River, undefeated elite Ichinomiya Kou (aka Ric) met the lovely homeless girl Nino, a self-declared Venusian. Their awkward love stirs up trouble among the other strange inhabitants of the riverbed. -- -- (Source: ANN) -- -- Licensor: -- NIS America, Inc. -- 139,828 7.75
Aria the OVA: Arietta -- -- Hal Film Maker -- 1 ep -- Manga -- Sci-Fi Slice of Life Fantasy Shounen -- Aria the OVA: Arietta Aria the OVA: Arietta -- Akari Mizunashi dreams of life after attaining her goal of becoming a Prima Undine, but upon waking realizes that she might not actually have the confidence to run Aria Company on her own. Wary of the future, she seeks advice from her mentor Alicia Florence—one of the three great "Water Fairies" of Neo-Venezia. -- -- Much to Akari's surprise, Alicia reveals her own struggles of the past, but also shares the steps she took in overcoming her self-doubt of running the company and taking on an apprentice. Finding solace in her teacher's words, Akari prepares to embrace whatever trials she must overcome on her path toward achieving her dreams. -- -- -- Licensor: -- Nozomi Entertainment -- OVA - Sep 21, 2007 -- 31,683 8.02
Ashita no Joe -- -- Mushi Production -- 79 eps -- Manga -- Action Drama Shounen Slice of Life Sports -- Ashita no Joe Ashita no Joe -- Joe Yabuki is a troubled youth, whose only solution to problems is throwing punches at them. What he lacks in manners and discipline, he makes up for with his self-taught fighting skills. -- -- One day, while wandering the slums of Doya, Joe gets into a fight with the local gang. Although greatly outnumbered, he effortlessly defeats them, drawing the attention of Danpei Tange—a former boxing coach turned alcoholic. Seeing his potential, he offers to train Joe into Japan's greatest boxer. At first, Joe dismisses Danpei as a hopeless drunk; but after the trainer saves his life, he agrees to live with him and learn the art of boxing. Unfortunately, Joe's personality makes him an unruly student, and he often falls back to his old ways. -- -- To survive the harsh world of his new career, Joe needs to trust his mentor and master the techniques taught to him. However, the road to becoming a professional boxer is rife with struggles that will test his mettle to the end. -- -- 60,510 8.28
Bakuretsu Tenshi -- -- Gonzo -- 24 eps -- Original -- Adventure Comedy Mecha Sci-Fi -- Bakuretsu Tenshi Bakuretsu Tenshi -- In Japan's not-too-distant future, crime has become so common that the government has legalised firearms for citizens to use in self-defence. To combat this new wave of wrongdoing, the Recently Armed Police of Tokyo was established in hopes of hunting down criminals with lethal force. -- -- Kyohei Tachibana is a gifted culinary student who dreams of saving up enough money to become a pastry chef in France. When four young mercenaries ask him to be their cook, he's forced into making a tough choice. As Jo, Meg, Sei, and Amy take on the bloodiest jobs in the chaotic city of Tokyo, Kyohei accepts an imminent descent into the world of crime—and he'll do a lot more than just cooking! -- -- Licensor: -- Funimation -- 62,740 6.81
Barakamon -- -- Kinema Citrus -- 12 eps -- Web manga -- Comedy Slice of Life -- Barakamon Barakamon -- Seishuu Handa is an up-and-coming calligrapher: young, handsome, talented, and unfortunately, a narcissist to boot. When a veteran labels his award-winning piece as "unoriginal," Seishuu quickly loses his cool with severe repercussions. -- -- As punishment, and also in order to aid him in self-reflection, Seishuu's father exiles him to the Goto Islands, far from the comfortable Tokyo lifestyle the temperamental artist is used to. Now thrown into a rural setting, Seishuu must attempt to find new inspiration and develop his own unique art style—that is, if boisterous children (headed by the frisky Naru Kotoishi), fujoshi middle schoolers, and energetic old men stop barging into his house! The newest addition to the intimate and quirky Goto community only wants to get some work done, but the islands are far from the peaceful countryside he signed up for. Thanks to his wacky neighbors who are entirely incapable of minding their own business, the arrogant calligrapher learns so much more than he ever hoped to. -- -- -- Licensor: -- Funimation -- 523,303 8.40
Battle Spirits: Heroes -- -- Sunrise -- 50 eps -- Card game -- Game Sci-Fi -- Battle Spirits: Heroes Battle Spirits: Heroes -- Like every card game enthusiast, Hajime Hinobori has always wanted to see the Spirits from his cards come to life and witness them in real combat. This dream is successfully realized by Hajime's scientist parents, who develop an augmented reality system that revolutionizes the competitive scene of Battle Spirits. Curious players from across the globe travel to partake in this innovative battle system. -- -- With his sight set on becoming the champion of this new form of Battle Spirits, Hajime encounters many colorful and quirky rivals, including eccentric diva Kimari Tatsumi and arrogant prodigy Tegamaru Tanashi. Along this journey of self-discovery and card-gaming shenanigans, there are no ordinary days in the lives of young heroes striving to take the crown! -- -- TV - Sep 18, 2011 -- 1,670 6.14
Boys Be... -- -- Hal Film Maker -- 13 eps -- Manga -- Slice of Life Comedy Romance Shounen -- Boys Be... Boys Be... -- There are two sides to every love story, and Boys Be... reveals what's really going on—from the guy's point of view! -- -- Meet three normal high school guys with just one thing on their minds: girls. Quiet Kyoichi has been friends with Chiharu ever since they were young, but lately, his feelings have begun to change. Lecherous Makoto, a self-proclaimed master of the rules of romance, is ready to sweep the ladies off their feet. And Yoshihiko, a handsome sports nut, is unfortunately a bit clueless in matters of the heart. -- -- Join this hapless trio for a year of romantic misadventures that will change their lives forever! -- -- (Source: RightStuf) -- 20,259 6.44
Boys Be... -- -- Hal Film Maker -- 13 eps -- Manga -- Slice of Life Comedy Romance Shounen -- Boys Be... Boys Be... -- There are two sides to every love story, and Boys Be... reveals what's really going on—from the guy's point of view! -- -- Meet three normal high school guys with just one thing on their minds: girls. Quiet Kyoichi has been friends with Chiharu ever since they were young, but lately, his feelings have begun to change. Lecherous Makoto, a self-proclaimed master of the rules of romance, is ready to sweep the ladies off their feet. And Yoshihiko, a handsome sports nut, is unfortunately a bit clueless in matters of the heart. -- -- Join this hapless trio for a year of romantic misadventures that will change their lives forever! -- -- (Source: RightStuf) -- -- Licensor: -- Nozomi Entertainment -- 20,259 6.44
Cardfight!! Vanguard: Shinemon-hen -- -- OLM -- 31 eps -- Original -- Action Game Shounen -- Cardfight!! Vanguard: Shinemon-hen Cardfight!! Vanguard: Shinemon-hen -- This is the story of "Shinemon Nitta", the future manager of Card Capital. -- -- 10 years before the reunion of Aichi Sendou and Toshiki Kai, the card shop run by the Tokura family "Card Capital" was going out of business. Then came the attempt to take over the store by Esuka Hibino, the owner of a major card shop. -- -- In order to protect Card Capital, Shinemon Nitta stands up as the "Self-proclaimed Manager!" -- -- (Source: Cardfight!! Vanguard Wiki) -- TV - Aug 24, 2019 -- 2,599 6.54
Cencoroll -- -- Think Corporation -- 1 ep -- Original -- Action Sci-Fi -- Cencoroll Cencoroll -- When a gigantic, unearthly monster suddenly looms on the skyline of a Japanese city, the expected occurs—the Japan Self-Defense Forces roll out the tanks while the public panics. Nobody knows what it is or where it came from, but Yuki, a bold and inquisitive teenage girl, has a secret but might be a useful clue. Her friend Tetsu has been clandestinely caring for a bizarre creature called Cenco, which will soon prove itself to have some remarkable, even impossible characteristics. Another teenage boy, a stranger with some mysterious link to the monstrosity attacking the city, shows up, and his unwelcome interest in Tetsu's pet snuffs out any doubt of a connection—and lights the fuse for the coming battle. -- -- (Source: Rupert Bottenberg, Fantasia Genre Film Festival) -- -- Licensor: -- Aniplex of America -- Movie - Jul 28, 2009 -- 84,346 7.20
Cencoroll -- -- Think Corporation -- 1 ep -- Original -- Action Sci-Fi -- Cencoroll Cencoroll -- When a gigantic, unearthly monster suddenly looms on the skyline of a Japanese city, the expected occurs—the Japan Self-Defense Forces roll out the tanks while the public panics. Nobody knows what it is or where it came from, but Yuki, a bold and inquisitive teenage girl, has a secret but might be a useful clue. Her friend Tetsu has been clandestinely caring for a bizarre creature called Cenco, which will soon prove itself to have some remarkable, even impossible characteristics. Another teenage boy, a stranger with some mysterious link to the monstrosity attacking the city, shows up, and his unwelcome interest in Tetsu's pet snuffs out any doubt of a connection—and lights the fuse for the coming battle. -- -- (Source: Rupert Bottenberg, Fantasia Genre Film Festival) -- Movie - Jul 28, 2009 -- 84,346 7.20
Cheer Danshi!! -- -- Brain's Base -- 12 eps -- Novel -- Sports Drama School -- Cheer Danshi!! Cheer Danshi!! -- After suffering from a shoulder injury, shy first-year university student Haruki Bandou gladly takes the opportunity to give up judo, failing to find happiness in the sport regardless of his family owning a dojo. He did not expect, however, that his best friend Kazuma Hashimoto would also decide to leave their university's judo club at the same time as him. Despite Haruki's protests, Kazuma already has plans for a new and revolutionary activity: a cheerleading team made up of only men. Although heavily reluctant, Haruki ends up helping his friend set up the team. Through sheer determination, and with support from their newfound club members, Haruki and Kazuma persist in founding the Breakers, the first ever all-male cheerleading team of Meishiin University, slowly making history in spite of the feminine tag attached to the sport of cheerleading and the prejudices, physical challenges, and self-doubts that inevitably follow. -- -- -- Licensor: -- Funimation -- 55,104 6.69
Chinmoku no Kantai -- -- Sunrise -- 3 eps -- Manga -- Action Military Drama Seinen -- Chinmoku no Kantai Chinmoku no Kantai -- During the cold war, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force jointly developed a nuclear submarine with the United States Navy. On its maiden voyage, the captain of the submarine declares the submarine to be an independent state, "Yamato." -- OVA - Dec 18, 1995 -- 1,891 6.31
Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! -- -- Kyoto Animation -- 12 eps -- Light novel -- Slice of Life Comedy Drama Romance School -- Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! -- Everybody has had that stage in their life where they have thought themselves to be special, different from the masses of ordinary humans. They might go as far as seeing themselves capable of wielding mystical powers, or maybe even believe themselves to have descended from a fantasy realm. This "disease" is known as "chuunibyou" and is often the source of some of the most embarrassing moments of a person's life. -- -- For Yuuta Togashi, the scars that his chuunibyou has left behind are still fresh. Having posed as the "Dark Flame Master" during his middle school years, he looks back at those times with extreme embarrassment, so much so that he decides to attend a high school far away where nobody will recognize him. Putting his dark history behind him, he longs to live a normal high school life. -- -- Unfortunately, he hasn't escaped his past yet: enter Rikka Takanashi, Yuuta's new classmate and self-declared vessel of the "Wicked Eye." As this eccentric young girl crashes into Yuuta's life, his dream of an ordinary, chuunibyou-free life quickly crumbles away. In this hilarious and heartwarming story of a boy who just wants to leave his embarrassing memories behind, the delusions of old are far from a thing of the past. -- -- -- Licensor: -- Sentai Filmworks -- 1,009,336 7.75
Code Geass: Boukoku no Akito 1 - Yokuryuu wa Maiorita -- -- Sunrise -- 1 ep -- Original -- Action Mecha Military Sci-Fi -- Code Geass: Boukoku no Akito 1 - Yokuryuu wa Maiorita Code Geass: Boukoku no Akito 1 - Yokuryuu wa Maiorita -- It is the year 2017, and Europe is being invaded by the forces of the Holy Britannian Empire. In an attempt to combat the opposition's overwhelming pressure and put an end to the massive casualties, the army forms a special unit called Wyvern, or W-0, composed of former Japanese citizens referred to as "Elevens." Recruited from ghettos, these young men and women pilot Knightmare frames—humanoid war machines—into dangerous operations where death awaits, hoping to make a name for themselves. -- -- When a European regiment attempting to recapture a crucial city is pinned down by the enemy, it's up to W-0 to bail them out. Among those selected for the rescue operation is Lieutenant Akito Hyuuga, known as "Hannibal's Ghost" due to his prowess on the battlefield. However, the supposed rescue mission becomes suicidal when, in an attempt to take out as many Britannians as possible, the commanding officer initiates the Knightmare's self-destruct sequence. In its aftermath, Akito finds that he is the last one standing… -- -- -- Licensor: -- Funimation -- Movie - Jul 16, 2012 -- 153,710 7.40
Crayon Shin-chan -- -- Shin-Ei Animation -- ? eps -- Manga -- Slice of Life Comedy Ecchi School Seinen -- Crayon Shin-chan Crayon Shin-chan -- There is no such thing as an uneventful day in the life of kindergartener Shinnosuke "Shin-chan" Nohara. The five-year-old is a cut above the most troublesome, perverted, and shameless kid one can imagine. Shin-chan is almost always engaged in questionable activities such as forgetting about a friend during hide and seek, sumo wrestling for love, performing various gags including the notorious "elephant" in public, and flirting with college girls. The exemplary troublemaker has done it all and has no plans to stop anytime soon. -- -- Crayon Shin-chan follows the daily shenanigans of Shin-chan with his group of friends, parading around as the self-proclaimed "Kasukabe Defense Force." The adults witnessing these shenanigans unfold can't help but adore Shin-chan, as he keeps them entertained while unintentionally solving their daily troubles through his mindless antics—leaving himself as the only problem they do not know what to do with. -- -- -- Licensor: -- Funimation -- 60,098 7.69
Cyber City Oedo 808 -- -- Madhouse -- 3 eps -- Original -- Action Adventure Police Sci-Fi -- Cyber City Oedo 808 Cyber City Oedo 808 -- It is the year 2808. Three convicts are recruited as members of the Cyber Police to keep major criminal activity in Oedo (formerly Tokyo) in check. In return, their life sentences will be reduced by a few years for every mission accomplished. However, to ensure that these convicts are doing their job, the police have secured special collars around their necks. If they attempt to remove their collars or fail to meet the time limit of their mission, the collars will self-destruct. -- -- (Source: ANN) -- -- Licensor: -- Central Park Media -- OVA - Jun 21, 1990 -- 20,664 7.17
Darling in the FranXX -- -- A-1 Pictures, CloverWorks, Trigger -- 24 eps -- Original -- Action Drama Mecha Romance Sci-Fi -- Darling in the FranXX Darling in the FranXX -- In the distant future, humanity has been driven to near-extinction by giant beasts known as Klaxosaurs, forcing the surviving humans to take refuge in massive fortress cities called Plantations. Children raised here are trained to pilot giant mechas known as FranXX—the only weapons known to be effective against the Klaxosaurs—in boy-girl pairs. Bred for the sole purpose of piloting these machines, these children know nothing of the outside world and are only able to prove their existence by defending their race. -- -- Hiro, an aspiring FranXX pilot, has lost his motivation and self-confidence after failing an aptitude test. Skipping out on his class' graduation ceremony, Hiro retreats to a forest lake, where he encounters a mysterious girl with two horns growing out of her head. She introduces herself by her codename Zero Two, which is known to belong to an infamous FranXX pilot known as the "Partner Killer." Before Hiro can digest the encounter, the Plantation is rocked by a sudden Klaxosaur attack. Zero Two engages the creature in her FranXX, but it is heavily damaged in the skirmish and crashes near Hiro. Finding her partner dead, Zero Two invites Hiro to pilot the mecha with her, and the duo easily defeats the Klaxosaur in the ensuing fight. With a new partner by his side, Hiro has been given a chance at redemption for his past failures, but at what cost? -- -- -- Licensor: -- Funimation -- 1,083,249 7.31
Denpa Kyoushi (TV) -- -- A-1 Pictures -- 24 eps -- Manga -- Comedy Romance School Shounen -- Denpa Kyoushi (TV) Denpa Kyoushi (TV) -- Junichirou Kagami is a young published physicist, a genius, and a hopeless otaku. At the mercy of YD, a self-diagnosed illness which causes him to only be able to do what he "Yearns to Do," Junichirou foregoes his scientific career to maintain and improve his anime blog. However, when he gets hired as a high school physics teacher; his sister Suzune, no longer willing to tolerate his NEET lifestyle, forces him to take the position. -- -- Despite the fact that Junichirou has no motivation to teach the standard curriculum, he may still have something of value to teach his students outside of academics. With his class in tow, Junichirou embarks on an unlikely journey filled with life lessons such as acceptance of others, how to make lasting friends, and what it means to live a better life by doing what you yearn to do. -- -- 132,181 6.89
Denpa Kyoushi (TV) -- -- A-1 Pictures -- 24 eps -- Manga -- Comedy Romance School Shounen -- Denpa Kyoushi (TV) Denpa Kyoushi (TV) -- Junichirou Kagami is a young published physicist, a genius, and a hopeless otaku. At the mercy of YD, a self-diagnosed illness which causes him to only be able to do what he "Yearns to Do," Junichirou foregoes his scientific career to maintain and improve his anime blog. However, when he gets hired as a high school physics teacher; his sister Suzune, no longer willing to tolerate his NEET lifestyle, forces him to take the position. -- -- Despite the fact that Junichirou has no motivation to teach the standard curriculum, he may still have something of value to teach his students outside of academics. With his class in tow, Junichirou embarks on an unlikely journey filled with life lessons such as acceptance of others, how to make lasting friends, and what it means to live a better life by doing what you yearn to do. -- -- -- Licensor: -- Funimation -- 132,181 6.89
Digimon Savers -- -- Toei Animation -- 48 eps -- Original -- Adventure Comedy Drama Fantasy Shounen -- Digimon Savers Digimon Savers -- Upon meeting for the first time, undefeated street fighter Marcus Damon and renegade Digimon Agumon become friends in the most natural way possible for the knuckleheaded duo—by fighting their hearts out. The self-proclaimed "ultimate team" are recruited by a secret government organization called the Digimon Data Squad, or DATS, who had witnessed an unbelievable human fighting blow for blow with a Digimon. Their primary objective is investigating mysterious problems caused by Digimon entering the real world, and the world is currently in the midst of a crisis with Digimon appearing at an unprecedented rate. -- -- Embarking on various missions with DATS, Marcus and Agumon become colleagues with adolescent genius Thomas H. Norstein and his Digimon partner Gaoman, along with the kind-hearted Yoshino "Yoshi" Fujeda and her Digimon partner Lalamon. As the group continues to investigate the rapid increase of Digimon in their world, a darker truth begins to surface, and it is up to Marcus, Agumon, and their friends to get to the bottom of things. -- -- 73,141 6.95
Digimon Savers -- -- Toei Animation -- 48 eps -- Original -- Adventure Comedy Drama Fantasy Shounen -- Digimon Savers Digimon Savers -- Upon meeting for the first time, undefeated street fighter Marcus Damon and renegade Digimon Agumon become friends in the most natural way possible for the knuckleheaded duo—by fighting their hearts out. The self-proclaimed "ultimate team" are recruited by a secret government organization called the Digimon Data Squad, or DATS, who had witnessed an unbelievable human fighting blow for blow with a Digimon. Their primary objective is investigating mysterious problems caused by Digimon entering the real world, and the world is currently in the midst of a crisis with Digimon appearing at an unprecedented rate. -- -- Embarking on various missions with DATS, Marcus and Agumon become colleagues with adolescent genius Thomas H. Norstein and his Digimon partner Gaoman, along with the kind-hearted Yoshino "Yoshi" Fujeda and her Digimon partner Lalamon. As the group continues to investigate the rapid increase of Digimon in their world, a darker truth begins to surface, and it is up to Marcus, Agumon, and their friends to get to the bottom of things. -- -- -- Licensor: -- Flatiron Film Company -- 73,141 6.95
Doubutsu no Mori -- -- OLM -- 1 ep -- Game -- Kids Slice of Life -- Doubutsu no Mori Doubutsu no Mori -- Ai is a self-reliant girl that moves to Animal Village. She makes friends with the various villagers as she settles into the village. One night as she walked along the beach, she finds a message in the bottle. It sets her off on a quest of planting pine trees around the village to fulfill a miracle on the eve of the Winter Festival. -- -- (Source: ANN) -- Movie - Dec 16, 2006 -- 21,297 7.08
Dragon Quest: Dai no Daibouken (TV) -- -- Toei Animation -- 46 eps -- Manga -- Adventure Comedy Demons Magic Martial Arts Fantasy Shounen -- Dragon Quest: Dai no Daibouken (TV) Dragon Quest: Dai no Daibouken (TV) -- After the defeat of the demon lord Hadlar all of the monsters were unleashed from his evil will and moved to the island of Delmurin to live in peace. Dai is the only human living on the island. Having been raised by the kindly monster Brass, Dai's dream is to grow up to be a hero. He gets to become one when Hadlar is resurrected and the previous hero, Avan, comes to train Dai to help in the battle. But Hadlar, announcing that he now works for an even more powerful demon lord, comes to kill Avan. To save his students Avan uses a Self-Sacrifice spell to attack, but is unable to defeat Hadlar. When it seems that Dai and Avan's other student Pop are doomed a mark appears on Dai's forehead and he suddenly gains super powers and is able to fend off Hadlar. The two students then go off on a journey to avenge Avan and bring peace back to the world. -- -- (Source: ANN) -- TV - Oct 17, 1991 -- 19,176 7.61
Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka III OVA -- -- J.C.Staff -- 1 ep -- Light novel -- Adventure Comedy Romance Ecchi Fantasy -- Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka III OVA Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka III OVA -- (No synopsis yet.) -- OVA - Apr 28, 2021 -- 31,040 N/A -- -- Nil Admirari no Tenbin -- -- Zero-G -- 12 eps -- Visual novel -- Harem Historical Romance Fantasy Josei -- Nil Admirari no Tenbin Nil Admirari no Tenbin -- The Taishou era didn't end in 15 years, but went on for another 25. In order to protect her waning family, a girl resolves to marry a man she doesn't even know the name of. However, just before the marriage was to take place, the girl's younger brother mysteriously committed suicide by self-immolation and was found holding an old book in his hands. Appearing before the bewildered young girl was the "Imperial Library Intelligence Asset Management Bureau," more commonly referred to as "Fukurou." According to these men, there exists "Maremono," which are books that greatly affect their readers. On top of that, ever since the incident involving the girl's younger brother, she unwittingly gains the ability to see "Auras" (the sentiments of the Maremono which manifest as bright lights and are usually invisible to humans). It was as though fate were trying to drag the young girl in its flames. And then, even though apprehensive, the girl chooses to venture outside her bird cage. Jealousy, hatred, scorn, compassion, and love. What awaited the girl was the darkness of betrayal that had already begun to bewitchingly inlay the imperial capital. Toyed by and swayed within that darkness, will the young girl finally reach the truth after her struggles, or...? -- -- (Source: MAL News) -- 30,986 6.61
Ergo Proxy -- -- Manglobe -- 23 eps -- Original -- Psychological Mystery Sci-Fi -- Ergo Proxy Ergo Proxy -- Within the domed city of Romdo lies one of the last human civilizations on Earth. Thousands of years ago, a global ecological catastrophe doomed the planet; now, life outside these domes is virtually impossible. To expedite mankind's recovery, "AutoReivs," humanoid-like robots, have been created to assist people in their day-to-day lives. However, AutoReivs have begun contracting an enigmatic disease called the "Cogito Virus" which grants them self-awareness. Re-l Mayer, granddaughter of Romdo's ruler, is assigned to investigate this phenomenon alongside her AutoReiv partner Iggy. But what begins as a routine investigation quickly spirals into a conspiracy as Re-l is confronted by humanity's darkest sins. -- -- Elsewhere in Romdo, an AutoReiv specialist by the name of Vincent Law must also face his demons when surreal events begin occurring around him. Re-l, Iggy, Vincent, and the child AutoReiv named Pino, will form an unlikely faction as they struggle to uncover Romdo's mysteries and ultimately, discover the true purpose of the mythical beings called "Proxies." -- -- -- Licensor: -- Funimation, Geneon Entertainment USA -- 494,821 7.92
Furusato Saisei: Nippon no Mukashibanashi -- -- Tomason -- 258 eps -- Other -- Historical Kids Supernatural -- Furusato Saisei: Nippon no Mukashibanashi Furusato Saisei: Nippon no Mukashibanashi -- Like in any culture, Japanese kids grow up listening to the stories repeatedly told by their parents and grandparents. The boy born from a peach; the princess from the moon who is discovered inside a bamboo; the old man who can make a dead cherry tree blossom, etc. These short stories that teach kids to see both the dark and bright sides of life have passed traditional moral values from generation to generation. -- -- Each half-hour episode of Folktales from Japan consists of three self-contained stories, well-known and unknown, with a special focus on heartwarming stories that originate from Tohoku, the northern region heavily touched by the earthquake of 2011. May this program help cheer up earthquake victims and cast a light of hope for them? -- -- (Source: Crunchyroll) -- 9,749 6.98
Gabriel DropOut -- -- Doga Kobo -- 12 eps -- Manga -- Comedy Demons Supernatural School Shounen -- Gabriel DropOut Gabriel DropOut -- For centuries, Heaven has required its young angels to live and study among humans in order to become full-fledged angels. This is no different for top-of-her-class Gabriel White Tenma, who believes it is her mission to be a great angel who will bring happiness to mankind. However, Gabriel grows addicted to video games on Earth and eventually becomes a hikikomori. Proclaiming herself a "Fallen Angel," she is apathetic to everything else—much to the annoyance of Vignette April Tsukinose, a demon whom Gabriel befriended in her angelic early days on Earth. -- -- Vignette's attempts to revert Gabriel back to her previous self are in vain, as Gabriel shoots down any attempt to change her precious lifestyle. As they spend their time on Earth, they meet two eccentric personalities: the angel Raphiel Ainsworth Shiraha, Gabriel's classmate with a penchant for sadism, and the demon Satanichia McDowell Kurumizawa, a clumsy self-proclaimed future ruler of the Underworld. -- -- Gabriel DropOut follows these four friends' comedic lives as they utterly fail to understand what it truly means to be a demon or an angel. -- -- 355,891 7.48
Gakkougurashi! -- -- Lerche -- 12 eps -- Manga -- Horror Mystery Psychological School Slice of Life -- Gakkougurashi! Gakkougurashi! -- Yuki Takeya loves her school so much that she does not want to ever leave! Megurigaoka Private High School is a unique and lively place where Yuki enjoys her carefree life as a third-year high school student and member of the School Living Club. The club, consisting of the president Yuuri Wakasa, the athletic Kurumi Ebisuzawa, the mature junior Miki Naoki, the supervising teacher Megumi Sakura, and the club dog Taroumaru, prides itself on making the most of life at school. On top of meeting after classes, the members must live within school grounds, from sleeping over to eating meals. -- -- From the manga series of the same name written by Norimitsu Kaihou and illustrated by Sadoru Chiba, Gakkougurashi! follows the adventures of the School Living Club as they live at school to promote independence and self-determination. -- -- -- Licensor: -- Sentai Filmworks -- 351,005 7.62
Gankutsuou -- -- Gonzo -- 24 eps -- Novel -- Drama Mystery Sci-Fi Supernatural Thriller -- Gankutsuou Gankutsuou -- In the year 5053, French aristocrats Viscount Albert de Morcerf and Baron Franz d'Epinay attend the festival of Carnival on the moon city of Luna. While Franz is just looking to have fun, Albert is seeking something more to fill his life—but he finds more than he bargained for in The Count of Monte Cristo, a mysterious and charming self-made nobleman who meets his gaze during an opera performance. -- -- Through a few twists and turns, Albert befriends the Count and introduces him into French society. The Count, however, has more on his mind than just friendship; he plots to finally unleash his vengeance on those who wronged him years earlier. Gankutsuou follows Albert and the Count's intertwined destinies and the ultimate price paid for enacting revenge. -- -- 199,719 8.17
Gankutsuou -- -- Gonzo -- 24 eps -- Novel -- Drama Mystery Sci-Fi Supernatural Thriller -- Gankutsuou Gankutsuou -- In the year 5053, French aristocrats Viscount Albert de Morcerf and Baron Franz d'Epinay attend the festival of Carnival on the moon city of Luna. While Franz is just looking to have fun, Albert is seeking something more to fill his life—but he finds more than he bargained for in The Count of Monte Cristo, a mysterious and charming self-made nobleman who meets his gaze during an opera performance. -- -- Through a few twists and turns, Albert befriends the Count and introduces him into French society. The Count, however, has more on his mind than just friendship; he plots to finally unleash his vengeance on those who wronged him years earlier. Gankutsuou follows Albert and the Count's intertwined destinies and the ultimate price paid for enacting revenge. -- -- -- Licensor: -- Funimation, Geneon Entertainment USA -- 199,719 8.17
Garo: Guren no Tsuki -- -- MAPPA -- 23 eps -- Original -- Action Demons Fantasy Magic Supernatural -- Garo: Guren no Tsuki Garo: Guren no Tsuki -- Monsters known as "Horrors" have invaded the world, entering through gates from the Makai Realm of Darkness. These corrupt, demonic creatures have the ability to seize human bodies and feed on their souls. Citizens who are out past sunset will likely never see the sun rise again, but those who live in the capital city have no need to worry—they are protected by a spiritual force field created by the sorcerer group Onmyouji. -- -- In possession of legendary armor, the Golden Knight Raikou proclaims that he will protect everyone from the Horrors. Accompanied by his attendant Kintoki and the mysterious Makai Alchemist Seimei, he strives to become a formidable Makai Knight, but Raikou is ill-prepared to handle the side effects of the armor. Disappointed by his own shortcomings, he sets out on a journey of self-discovery to master his weaknesses and prove his worth. -- -- 27,252 5.89
Garo: Guren no Tsuki -- -- MAPPA -- 23 eps -- Original -- Action Demons Fantasy Magic Supernatural -- Garo: Guren no Tsuki Garo: Guren no Tsuki -- Monsters known as "Horrors" have invaded the world, entering through gates from the Makai Realm of Darkness. These corrupt, demonic creatures have the ability to seize human bodies and feed on their souls. Citizens who are out past sunset will likely never see the sun rise again, but those who live in the capital city have no need to worry—they are protected by a spiritual force field created by the sorcerer group Onmyouji. -- -- In possession of legendary armor, the Golden Knight Raikou proclaims that he will protect everyone from the Horrors. Accompanied by his attendant Kintoki and the mysterious Makai Alchemist Seimei, he strives to become a formidable Makai Knight, but Raikou is ill-prepared to handle the side effects of the armor. Disappointed by his own shortcomings, he sets out on a journey of self-discovery to master his weaknesses and prove his worth. -- -- -- Licensor: -- Funimation -- 27,252 5.89
Gate: Jieitai Kanochi nite, Kaku Tatakaeri -- -- A-1 Pictures -- 12 eps -- Light novel -- Action Adventure Fantasy Military -- Gate: Jieitai Kanochi nite, Kaku Tatakaeri Gate: Jieitai Kanochi nite, Kaku Tatakaeri -- Off-duty Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) officer and otaku, Youji Itami, is on his way to attend a doujin convention in Ginza, Tokyo when a mysterious portal in the shape of a large gate suddenly appears. From this gate, supernatural creatures and warriors clad in medieval armor emerge, charging through the city, killing and destroying everything in their path. With swift actions, Youji saves as many lives as he can while the rest of the JSDF direct their efforts towards stopping the invasion. -- -- Three months after the attack, Youji has been tasked with leading a special recon team, as part of a JSDF task force, that will be sent to the world beyond the gate—now being referred to as the "Special Region." They must travel into this unknown world in order to learn more about what they are dealing with and attempt to befriend the locals in hopes of creating peaceful ties with the ruling empire. But if they fail, they face the consequence of participating in a devastating war that will engulf both sides of the gate. -- -- -- Licensor: -- Sentai Filmworks -- 621,953 7.73
Girly Air Force -- -- Satelight -- 12 eps -- Light novel -- Action Sci-Fi -- Girly Air Force Girly Air Force -- Kei Narutani and his childhood friend, Song Minghua, are Chinese refugees who are fleeing from the Zai, a mysterious organization that indiscriminately terrorizes their country and its people. Fortunately, during their escape to Japan, they are saved by a strange red aircraft. -- -- Kei's fascination with this aircraft leads him to meet his savior: a girl who is an "Anima"—the pilot of a unique type of airplane called a "Daughter." The girl goes by Gripen, an adorable JAS-39F fighter aircraft. Kei develops a bond with Gripen and is then recruited by the Japan Self-Defense Force to help Gripen overcome her troubles with flying. -- -- Later joined by Eagle, a carefree F-15J-ANM, and Phantom, a proud RF-4EJ-ANM, the squadron takes up arms, determined to protect humanity. Together, the five individuals battle against the invasive Zai, forming the last line of defense against the threatening alien force. -- -- 57,312 6.16
Goblin Slayer 2nd Season -- -- - -- ? eps -- Light novel -- Action Adventure Fantasy -- Goblin Slayer 2nd Season Goblin Slayer 2nd Season -- Second season of Goblin Slayer. -- TV - ??? ??, ???? -- 56,694 N/APersona 3 the Movie 3: Falling Down -- -- A-1 Pictures -- 1 ep -- Game -- Action Fantasy Supernatural -- Persona 3 the Movie 3: Falling Down Persona 3 the Movie 3: Falling Down -- As the fall season nears its end, Chidori Yoshino, a member of Strega, abducts Junpei Iori. Meanwhile, Makoto Yuuki and the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad (SEES) annihilate the Arcana Hanged Man. Soon after, a mysterious playboy named Ryouji Mochizuki transfers into Gekkoukan High School's Class 2-F. -- -- Supposedly having achieved their goal, the members of SEES believe they are free from the battle that has ruthlessly stolen away the lives of their loved ones. And yet, Tartarus and the Dark Hour continue to exist, undeterred by the extermination of the twelfth Shadow. Distraught by their apparent failure, SEES must cope with their personal struggles and discover whose sake they fight for. As Makoto and Junpei's journeys of self-discovery progress, Ryouji's identity and the reason behind Aegis's hate for him become clear. -- -- -- Licensor: -- Aniplex of America -- Movie - Apr 4, 2015 -- 56,090 7.61
Godzilla 2: Kessen Kidou Zoushoku Toshi -- -- Polygon Pictures -- 1 ep -- Original -- Action Adventure Sci-Fi -- Godzilla 2: Kessen Kidou Zoushoku Toshi Godzilla 2: Kessen Kidou Zoushoku Toshi -- By the advent of the 21st century, much of humanity was dead, having been trampled over by a new master, Godzilla. A select few among mankind took to the stars in a spacefaring vessel called the Aratrum in search of "the promised land," the planet Tau-e that could sustain human life. But the migration plan fails, and the remnants of the human race decide to return to Earth. But the distortions in space-time and the distance traveled means that mankind is returning to a completely changed Earth some 20,000 years later. The returnees, led by hero Haruo, prepare to take the fight to Godzilla based on a strategy that has been 20 years in the making. Carried out with the help of two alien species, the Exif and the Bilusaludo, the humans succeed in defeating Godzilla in a costly battle to the death. -- -- But the victory is short-lived. Rising from the depths of the planet is a new breed of monster, dubbed "Godzilla Earth." Evolving for 20,000 years, the creature stands 300 meters high, weighs over 100,000 tons and wields such overwhelmingly destructive power that Haruo and company have no choice but to run for their lives. -- -- Coming to Haruo's rescue, however, is Miana, a member of an aboriginal tribe called the Houtua. They are the first humanoid people the returnees have encountered. Could they descend from humans? "Our tribal god was destroyed by Godzilla. All that we have left are these eggs. Anyone who has tried to fight or resist him has been drowned in fire," the tribespeople say to Haruo, who responds with: "This is our last hope of recovering our home." -- -- Meanwhile, Bilusaludo commander, Galu-gu is elated to discover that the Houtua tribe's arrowheads are made of a nanometal or a self-sustaining metal. It had been developed in the 21st century as an "anti-Godzilla" killer weapon deployed at their decisive battle fought at the foot of Mt. Fuji, but had been destroyed before it could be activated in the form of a "Mecha-Godzilla." The nanometal was its base substance, and proof that the manufacturing plant can still be used. -- -- (Source: Official site) -- Movie - May 18, 2018 -- 30,710 6.64
Godzilla 3: Hoshi wo Kuu Mono -- -- Polygon Pictures -- 1 ep -- Original -- Action Adventure Sci-Fi -- Godzilla 3: Hoshi wo Kuu Mono Godzilla 3: Hoshi wo Kuu Mono -- A door opens, and a golden seal shatters a star. -- -- It is the early 21st century. Mankind has lost the battle for planet Earth to Godzilla, and has taken to the stars in search of a new home. But the search ends in vain, forcing them and their alien allies back to Earth. But 20,000 years have passed in their absence, and the Earth is a wholly different place. -- -- The planet's flora and fauna now embody and serve Godzilla. Earth is a monster's planet, ruled by the largest Godzilla ever at 300 meters in height. Godzilla Earth. -- -- Human protagonist, Captain Haruo, yearns to defeat Godzilla and retake the planet for mankind. There, he meets aboriginal descendants of the human race, the Houtua tribe. The Houtua twin sisters, Maina and Miana, lead him to the skeletal remains of Mecha-Godzilla, an old anti-Godzilla weapon, which to everyone's surprise is still alive in the form of self-generating nanometal. Taken from the Mecha-Godzilla carcass, the nanometals have gradually been rebuilding a "Mecha-Godzilla City," a potential weapon capable of destroying Godzilla Earth. -- -- As the strategy develops, a rift forms between the humans and the Bilusaludo, one of several alien races that had joined the humans on their exodus from Earth. Their leader, Galu-gu, believes that the secret to defeating Godzilla lies in the use of superhuman powers – namely, the nanometal integration – but Haruo resists, fearing that in defeating monsters, they must not become monsters themselves. Haruo ultimately uses his means for defeating Godzilla Earth to destroy the Mecha-Godzilla city so as to prevent nanometal assimilation, killing Galu-gu. However, his childhood friend, Yuuko, has been absorbed by the nanometal integration and has fallen into a brain dead coma. -- -- The human race, once again, is lost. Metphies, commander of the priestly alien race, Exif, marvels at the miraculous survival of Haruo, he begins to attract a following. The Exif has secretly harbored this outcome as their "ultimate goal." Miana and Maina issue warnings against Metphies, while Haruo begins to question mankind's next move. -- -- With no means for defeating Godzilla Earth, mankind watches as King Ghidorah, clad in a golden light, descends on the planet. The earth shakes once again with as war moves to a higher dimension. -- -- What is Godzilla exactly? Does mankind stand a chance? Is there a future vision in Haruo's eyes? Find out in the finale. -- -- (Source: Official site) -- Movie - Nov 9, 2018 -- 23,950 6.26
Go! Princess Precure -- -- Toei Animation -- 50 eps -- Original -- Action Comedy Fantasy Magic School Shoujo Slice of Life -- Go! Princess Precure Go! Princess Precure -- Ever since she was young, Haruka Haruno has always aspired to become a princess. Despite being mocked for this seemingly childish wish, Haruka perseveres to make her dream a reality, ultimately culminating in her acceptance into the prestigious Noble Academy—the birthplace of people's fantasies. -- -- When Haruka arrives at her new school, a chance encounter with a pair of magical creatures influences a series of unbelievable events, and Haruka awakens as "Cure Flora," the princess of blooming flowers. After two of Haruka's classmates also transform into legendary princesses, a story of self-discovery unfolds as the newfound team "Princess Precure" carries the responsibility of protecting everyone's dreams. Engaged in a battle between hope and despair, Haruka may find the key toward becoming the princess she has always dreamed to be. -- -- 13,058 7.71
Great Pretender -- -- Wit Studio -- 23 eps -- Original -- Action Adventure Mystery Comedy Psychological -- Great Pretender Great Pretender -- A series of unfortunate events has led Makoto "Edamame" Edamura to adopt the life of crime—pickpocketing and scamming others for a living. However, after swindling a seemingly clueless tourist, Makoto discovers that he was the one tricked and, to make matters worse, the police are now after him. -- -- While making his escape, he runs into the tourist once again, who turns out to be a fellow con man named Laurent Thierry, and ends up following him to Los Angeles. In an attempt to defend his self-proclaimed title of "Japan's Greatest Swindler," Makoto challenges his rival to determine the better scammer. Accepting the competition, Laurent drops them off outside a huge mansion and claims that their target will be the biggest mafia boss on the West Coast. -- -- Jumping from city to city, Great Pretender follows the endeavors of Makoto alongside the cunning Laurent and his colorful associates in the world of international high-stakes fraud. Soon, Makoto realizes that he got more than what he bargained for as his self-declared skills are continually put to the test. -- -- ONA - Jun 2, 2020 -- 333,244 8.34
Gugure! Kokkuri-san -- -- TMS Entertainment -- 12 eps -- 4-koma manga -- Comedy Supernatural Shounen -- Gugure! Kokkuri-san Gugure! Kokkuri-san -- Gugure! Kokkuri-san is an eccentric comedy centered around the self-proclaimed doll, Kohina Ichimatsu. Her uneventful life goes from plain to absurd when she summons a fox spirit by the name of Kokkuri-san. But contrary to popular belief, he is not the omniscient, answer-granting spirit from the legend anymore. The loss of believers in modern society has rendered him powerless. -- -- Upon meeting the bizarre girl who summoned him, Kokkuri-san is shocked to discover that Kohina not only lives alone, but survives on just cup ramen! Filled with concern for the young girl, he takes it upon himself to ensure that Kohina has proper meals and lives a decent life. Thus begin Kokkuri-san's less-than-hopeful endeavors and their peculiar life together. -- -- 155,975 7.58
Hachimitsu to Clover -- -- J.C.Staff -- 24 eps -- Manga -- Comedy Drama Josei Romance Slice of Life -- Hachimitsu to Clover Hachimitsu to Clover -- Yuuta Takemoto, a sophomore at an arts college, shares a cheap apartment with two seniors—the eccentric Shinobu Morita, who keeps failing to graduate due to his absenteeism, and the sensible Takumi Mayama, who acts as a proper senior to Takemoto, often looking out for him. -- -- Takemoto had not given much thought to his future until one fine spring day, when he meets the endearing Hagumi Hanamoto and falls in love at first sight. Incredibly gifted in the arts, Hagumi enrolls in Takemoto's university and soon befriends the popular pottery student Ayumi Yamada. Ayumi is already well acquainted with the three flatmates and secretly harbors deep feelings for one of them. -- -- Hachimitsu to Clover is a heartwarming tale of youth, love, soul-searching, and self-discovery, intricately woven through the complex relationships between five dear friends. -- -- 219,606 8.05
Hachimitsu to Clover -- -- J.C.Staff -- 24 eps -- Manga -- Comedy Drama Josei Romance Slice of Life -- Hachimitsu to Clover Hachimitsu to Clover -- Yuuta Takemoto, a sophomore at an arts college, shares a cheap apartment with two seniors—the eccentric Shinobu Morita, who keeps failing to graduate due to his absenteeism, and the sensible Takumi Mayama, who acts as a proper senior to Takemoto, often looking out for him. -- -- Takemoto had not given much thought to his future until one fine spring day, when he meets the endearing Hagumi Hanamoto and falls in love at first sight. Incredibly gifted in the arts, Hagumi enrolls in Takemoto's university and soon befriends the popular pottery student Ayumi Yamada. Ayumi is already well acquainted with the three flatmates and secretly harbors deep feelings for one of them. -- -- Hachimitsu to Clover is a heartwarming tale of youth, love, soul-searching, and self-discovery, intricately woven through the complex relationships between five dear friends. -- -- -- Licensor: -- Discotek Media, VIZ Media -- 219,606 8.05
Haikyuu!!: Lev Genzan! -- -- Production I.G -- 1 ep -- Manga -- Shounen Sports -- Haikyuu!!: Lev Genzan! Haikyuu!!: Lev Genzan! -- Nekoma High School’s volleyball team recruits a new member: the half-Japanese, half-Russian Lev Haiba. Though the self-proclaimed ace is blessed with great height, he lacks basic volleyball techniques. This gives the team's setter, Kenma Kozume, a hard time when matching up with him. -- -- To everyone’s surprise, Nekoma’s coach suggests that Lev play in the Kunihira Senior High School’s practice match, leaving Kenma no choice but to cooperate with the tall player. Will Kenma be able to overcome this new challenge? -- -- OVA - Mar 4, 2015 -- 94,586 7.73
Haikyuu!!: To the Top -- -- Production I.G -- 13 eps -- Manga -- Comedy Sports Drama School Shounen -- Haikyuu!!: To the Top Haikyuu!!: To the Top -- After their triumphant victory over Shiratorizawa Academy, the Karasuno High School volleyball team has earned their long-awaited ticket to nationals. As preparations begin, genius setter Tobio Kageyama is invited to the All-Japan Youth Training Camp to play alongside fellow nationally recognized players. Meanwhile, Kei Tsukishima is invited to a special rookie training camp for first-years within the Miyagi Prefecture. Not receiving any invitations himself, the enthusiastic Shouyou Hinata feels left behind. -- -- However, Hinata does not back down. Transforming his frustration into self-motivation, he boldly decides to sneak himself into the same rookie training camp as Tsukishima. Even though Hinata only lands himself a job as the ball boy, he comes to see this as a golden opportunity. He begins to not only reflect on his skills as a volleyball player but also analyze the plethora of information available on the court and how he can apply it. -- -- As the much-anticipated national tournament approaches, the members of Karasuno's volleyball team attempt to overcome their weak points and refine their skills, all while aiming for the top! -- -- 533,572 8.37
Hajimete no Gal -- -- NAZ -- 10 eps -- Manga -- Comedy Romance Ecchi School Shounen -- Hajimete no Gal Hajimete no Gal -- Following a prank pulled by his perverse friends, Junichi Hashiba asks a gal out in an attempt to change the fact that he's a hopeless virgin. Yukana Yame, the girl in question, is disgusted by Junichi's groveling. However, through a series of teasing remarks, she soon finds herself bonding with him and ultimately accepting Junichi's confession, much to his surprise. -- -- Hajimete no Gal follows Junichi as he overcomes his lack of self-confidence and suppresses his sexual urges, all while thrust into a whole new school life full of lively girls and unpredictable mayhem. -- -- 354,157 6.29
Hajimete no Gal -- -- NAZ -- 10 eps -- Manga -- Comedy Romance Ecchi School Shounen -- Hajimete no Gal Hajimete no Gal -- Following a prank pulled by his perverse friends, Junichi Hashiba asks a gal out in an attempt to change the fact that he's a hopeless virgin. Yukana Yame, the girl in question, is disgusted by Junichi's groveling. However, through a series of teasing remarks, she soon finds herself bonding with him and ultimately accepting Junichi's confession, much to his surprise. -- -- Hajimete no Gal follows Junichi as he overcomes his lack of self-confidence and suppresses his sexual urges, all while thrust into a whole new school life full of lively girls and unpredictable mayhem. -- -- -- Licensor: -- Funimation -- 354,157 6.29
Hidamari Sketch -- -- Shaft -- 12 eps -- 4-koma manga -- Comedy School Seinen Slice of Life -- Hidamari Sketch Hidamari Sketch -- Ever since she was young, Yuno has always had an interest in art. Now that she has been accepted to Yamabuki Arts High School, it means one thing—moving out. Living in a dorm at Hidamari Apartments alone, Yuno meets her neighbors: the hyperactive Miyako, the self-conscious Hiro, and the mature Sae. Despite their different personalities, they go to the same school, spend time together, and develop a strong friendship. Yuno's life won't be so lonely after all! -- -- Hidamari Sketch revolves around the antics and day-to-day lives of the girls living at Hidamari Apartments. -- -- -- Licensor: -- Sentai Filmworks -- 66,923 7.45
Himouto! Umaru-chan -- -- Doga Kobo -- 12 eps -- Manga -- Comedy School Seinen Slice of Life -- Himouto! Umaru-chan Himouto! Umaru-chan -- People are not always who they appear to be, as is the case with Umaru Doma, the perfect high school girl—that is, until she gets home! Once the front door closes, the real fun begins. When she dons her hamster hoodie, she transforms from a refined, over-achieving student into a lazy, junk food-eating otaku, leaving all the housework to her responsible older brother Taihei. Whether she's hanging out with her friends Nana Ebina and Kirie Motoba, or competing with her self-proclaimed "rival" Sylphinford Tachibana, Umaru knows how to kick back and have some fun! -- -- Himouto! Umaru-chan is a cute story that follows the daily adventures of Umaru and Taihei, as they take care of—and put up with—each other the best they can, as well as the unbreakable bonds between friends and siblings. -- -- -- Licensor: -- Sentai Filmworks -- 523,344 7.16
Hisone to Maso-tan -- -- Bones -- 12 eps -- Original -- Comedy Drama Fantasy Military -- Hisone to Maso-tan Hisone to Maso-tan -- Straightforward and innocent Hisone Amakasu is a Self-Defense Force rookie stationed at the Air Self-Defense Force's Gifu Base. She was struggling with the fact that she sometimes hurts people unintentionally by her innocent words and decided to join the Air Self-Defense Force, hoping to maintain a certain distance from people. This decision led her to a fateful encounter which profoundly changed her life. It was the "OTF" dragon hidden in the base and it chose Hisone as his pilot. When it soared into the sky with Hisone, her fate as a dragon pilot was decided. It is said that dragons have a key to the future of the world... -- -- (Source: ANN) -- 66,634 7.36
Hoshi no Kirby -- -- Studio Comet, Studio Sign -- 100 eps -- Game -- Action Adventure Comedy Parody Fantasy -- Hoshi no Kirby Hoshi no Kirby -- A diminutive pink creature orbiting in space called "Kirby" crash lands into Dream Land. Once getting acquainted with the citizens who live there in Cappy Town, he begins to defend the town from the monsters that King Dedede, the self-proclaimed ruler of Cappy Town, orders from the evil Nightmare Enterprises. -- -- (Source: ANN) -- -- Licensor: -- 4Kids Entertainment -- 23,844 6.78
Junjou Romantica 3 -- -- Studio Deen -- 12 eps -- Manga -- Comedy Drama Romance Shounen Ai -- Junjou Romantica 3 Junjou Romantica 3 -- After living together for three years, Misaki Takahashi and Akihiko "Usagi" Usami's relationship has been progressing smoothly. However, all great relationships have problems, and theirs is just beginning. With a new rival on the horizon, Usagi worries about Misaki's feelings towards him. -- -- Meanwhile, Ryuuichirou Isaka has always loved to intrude on Misaki and Usagi's love life, but his own love life hasn't been all smooth sailing—Isaka and his secretary Kaoru Asahina have been dating for a few years; however, Asahina prefers to keep their professional and private lives separate, often leading to troubled waters between them. -- -- As for Nowaki Kusama and Hiroki Kamijou, now that their careers are finally taking off, they hardly see each other anymore. With the time they spend together lessening, doubts and insecurities threaten to creep in between them. On the other hand, the 17-year age gap between Shinobu Takatsuki and You Miyagi has been a constant barrier in their relationship, but as they learn more about each other, their self-consciousness continues to fade. -- -- The beloved couples of Junjou Romantica, Junjou Egoist, and Junjou Terrorist are back again, this time with a new addition: Junjou Mistake! -- -- 96,777 7.73
Kaiba -- -- Madhouse -- 12 eps -- Original -- Adventure Mystery Romance Sci-Fi -- Kaiba Kaiba -- In a world where memories exist in memory chips separate from the body, death of the body no longer means death of the soul. It is possible for memories to be viewed, altered, and transferred between bodies. These memory chips are used by the rich to obtain eternal lives in carefully selected bodies, while for the poor, selling their own bodies and conserving their souls in the chips often become the only way to earn a living. An electrolytic cloud in the sky serves as a barrier between the heavens of the fortunate and the underworld of the destitute, making this social division impregnable. -- -- One day, a man named Kaiba wakes up in an empty room with no memories, a mysterious hole in his chest, and a locket holding the picture of an unknown woman. After escaping an attack and stumbling upon a decrepit village of underworld residents, he begins his adventure across the different planets of this strange universe to find out more about his own identity and the woman he once knew. -- -- Through a journey of self-discovery and acceptance, Kaiba weaves together tales of souls and spirits and explores the importance of memories. -- -- TV - Apr 11, 2008 -- 117,051 8.17
Kangaeru Renshuu -- -- - -- 1 ep -- Original -- Dementia -- Kangaeru Renshuu Kangaeru Renshuu -- The description of Suwami Nogami's minimalistic line drawing piece, Imagination Practice, calls it an unending "thought loop". It depicts an artist sitting in front of a window with a self-portrait, like a miniature mirror image, on the desk in front of him. The window frame and the blue sky filled with moving clouds are in colour, but the figure of the artist is not coloured in. The soundtrack sounds like a skipping record that is punctuated by humourous springing noises (a la Bugs Bunny) as the image 'bounces' in an unending loop from the establishing shot into the "drawing." A philosophical piece, Imagination Practice considers the circular dialogue between an artist and his work. -- -- (Source: Midnight Eye) -- Movie - ??? ??, 2003 -- 483 4.27
Katte ni Kaizou -- -- Shaft -- 6 eps -- Manga -- Comedy Parody School Sci-Fi Shounen -- Katte ni Kaizou Katte ni Kaizou -- Katsu Kaizou is a very gullible, 17-year-old high school student and a believer in science fiction, aliens, ghosts, UFOs, conspiracies, etc. He thinks that everything going on around him is the result of some sort of alien plot to take over the world. Each story is pretty much self-contained and is completely bizarre. Kaizou joins the school's science club, makes new friends, and ends up coming in contact with all sorts of strange things like log people, deadly sushi, pee-blades, scary infections, robot invasions, ghosts, living dolls, and more! -- OVA - May 23, 2011 -- 26,910 6.91
Kidou Keisatsu Patlabor 2 the Movie -- -- Production I.G, Production Reed -- 1 ep -- Original -- Military Sci-Fi Mystery Police Drama Mecha -- Kidou Keisatsu Patlabor 2 the Movie Kidou Keisatsu Patlabor 2 the Movie -- Three years after the Babylon Project conspiracy is resolved, the members of Kiichi Gotou's Patlabor unit have gone their separate ways. Gotou remains with the Patlabor team, accompanied by Shinobu Nagumo, his romantic crush and comrade. -- -- Playing into the public's skepticism toward the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force, a terrorist organization begins to work from within the military to cause destruction and mass civil unrest throughout Japan. Nagumo learns that the mastermind behind the growing terrorist plot is none other than Yukihito Tsuge, her former mentor and lover. -- -- Gotou reassembles his former Patlabor team, spearheaded by pilot Noa Izumi. Leading the team into a mission to arrest Tsuge, Nagumo must come to terms with her complicated past relationships in order to save Japan. -- -- -- Licensor: -- Bandai Visual USA, Maiden Japan, Manga Entertainment -- Movie - Aug 7, 1993 -- 26,031 7.90
Kidou Keisatsu Patlabor 2 the Movie -- -- Production I.G, Production Reed -- 1 ep -- Original -- Military Sci-Fi Mystery Police Drama Mecha -- Kidou Keisatsu Patlabor 2 the Movie Kidou Keisatsu Patlabor 2 the Movie -- Three years after the Babylon Project conspiracy is resolved, the members of Kiichi Gotou's Patlabor unit have gone their separate ways. Gotou remains with the Patlabor team, accompanied by Shinobu Nagumo, his romantic crush and comrade. -- -- Playing into the public's skepticism toward the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force, a terrorist organization begins to work from within the military to cause destruction and mass civil unrest throughout Japan. Nagumo learns that the mastermind behind the growing terrorist plot is none other than Yukihito Tsuge, her former mentor and lover. -- -- Gotou reassembles his former Patlabor team, spearheaded by pilot Noa Izumi. Leading the team into a mission to arrest Tsuge, Nagumo must come to terms with her complicated past relationships in order to save Japan. -- -- Movie - Aug 7, 1993 -- 26,031 7.90
Kimi to, Nami ni Noretara -- -- Science SARU -- 1 ep -- Original -- Drama Romance Supernatural -- Kimi to, Nami ni Noretara Kimi to, Nami ni Noretara -- Entranced by surfing and the sea, Hinako Mukaimizu is a spirited girl who attends college in a coastal city with no consideration for her future career. Her life takes an unexpected turn when a fireworks mishap sets the apartment building she lives in ablaze, where she is saved by a talented firefighter named Minato Hinageshi. Upon meeting, the two quickly become acquainted with one another—Hinako is instantly enamored by Minato's reliable personality and passion for saving others, while Minato is intrigued by surfing and is eager to learn how. As Hinako begins to teach Minato about surfing, the pair eventually fall in love and begin a gentle and devoted relationship. -- -- However, while surfing may seem fun and carefree, it can still be a dangerous and unpredictable activity. This is what Hinako learns when a surfing incident completely changes her life, leaving her forced to contemplate her undecided future. In search of her own calling, Hinako begins her journey of self-discovery, keeping Minato by her side as she gradually attempts to find her purpose and ride her own wave. -- -- Movie - Jun 21, 2019 -- 90,671 7.56
Kitsutsuki: The Ten Hole Stories -- -- - -- 1 ep -- Original -- Dementia -- Kitsutsuki: The Ten Hole Stories Kitsutsuki: The Ten Hole Stories -- G9+1 film. -- Movie - Jul 20, 2009 -- 210 N/A -- -- Don't You Wish You Were Here? -- -- - -- 1 ep -- - -- Dementia -- Don't You Wish You Were Here? Don't You Wish You Were Here? -- "My first abstract animation. What color do you have in your mind?" -- -- (Source: Maya Yonesho) -- Movie - ??? ??, 1997 -- 208 N/A -- -- Templex -- -- - -- 1 ep -- Original -- Dementia -- Templex Templex -- One rainy day, a woman wakes up, opens the curtains, and stares at her reflection in the window, noticing her curly hair. She climbs out of bed and begins to wash it, while strange images of self-hatred fill her mind. -- Movie - ??? ??, 2015 -- 208 5.64
Koukaku Kidoutai Arise: Ghost in the Shell - Border:1 Ghost Pain -- -- Production I.G -- 1 ep -- Manga -- Sci-Fi Police Psychological Mecha -- Koukaku Kidoutai Arise: Ghost in the Shell - Border:1 Ghost Pain Koukaku Kidoutai Arise: Ghost in the Shell - Border:1 Ghost Pain -- The anime's story is set in 2027, one year after the end of the fourth non-nuclear war. New Port City is still reeling from the war's aftermath when it suffers a bombing caused by a self-propelled mine. Then, a military member implicated in arms-dealing bribes is gunned down. -- -- During the investigation, Public Security Section's Daisuke Aramaki encounters Motoko Kusanagi, the cyborg wizard-level hacker assigned to the military's 501st Secret Unit. Batou, a man with the "eye that does not sleep," suspects that Kusanagi is the one behind the bombing. The Niihama Prefectural Police detective Togusa is pursuing his own dual cases of the shooting death and a prostitute's murder. Motoko herself is being watched by the 501st Secret Unit's head Kurutsu and cyborg agents. -- -- (Source: ANN) -- -- Licensor: -- Funimation -- Movie - Jun 22, 2013 -- 53,787 7.46
Little Witch Academia (TV) -- -- Trigger -- 25 eps -- Original -- Adventure Comedy Fantasy Magic School -- Little Witch Academia (TV) Little Witch Academia (TV) -- "A believing heart is your magic!"—these were the words that Atsuko "Akko" Kagari's idol, the renowned witch Shiny Chariot, said to her during a magic performance years ago. Since then, Akko has lived by these words and aspired to be a witch just like Shiny Chariot, one that can make people smile. Hence, even her non-magical background does not stop her from enrolling in Luna Nova Magical Academy. -- -- However, when an excited Akko finally sets off to her new school, the trip there is anything but smooth. After her perilous journey, she befriends the shy Lotte Yansson and the sarcastic Sucy Manbavaran. To her utmost delight, she also discovers Chariot's wand, the Shiny Rod, which she takes as her own. Unfortunately, her time at Luna Nova will prove to more challenging than Akko could ever believe. She absolutely refuses to stay inferior to the rest of her peers, especially to her self-proclaimed rival, the beautiful and gifted Diana Cavendish, so she relies on her determination to compensate for her reckless behavior and ineptitude in magic. -- -- In a time when wizardry is on the decline, Little Witch Academia follows the magical escapades of Akko and her friends as they learn the true meaning of being a witch. -- -- 482,732 7.88
Little Witch Academia (TV) -- -- Trigger -- 25 eps -- Original -- Adventure Comedy Fantasy Magic School -- Little Witch Academia (TV) Little Witch Academia (TV) -- "A believing heart is your magic!"—these were the words that Atsuko "Akko" Kagari's idol, the renowned witch Shiny Chariot, said to her during a magic performance years ago. Since then, Akko has lived by these words and aspired to be a witch just like Shiny Chariot, one that can make people smile. Hence, even her non-magical background does not stop her from enrolling in Luna Nova Magical Academy. -- -- However, when an excited Akko finally sets off to her new school, the trip there is anything but smooth. After her perilous journey, she befriends the shy Lotte Yansson and the sarcastic Sucy Manbavaran. To her utmost delight, she also discovers Chariot's wand, the Shiny Rod, which she takes as her own. Unfortunately, her time at Luna Nova will prove to more challenging than Akko could ever believe. She absolutely refuses to stay inferior to the rest of her peers, especially to her self-proclaimed rival, the beautiful and gifted Diana Cavendish, so she relies on her determination to compensate for her reckless behavior and ineptitude in magic. -- -- In a time when wizardry is on the decline, Little Witch Academia follows the magical escapades of Akko and her friends as they learn the true meaning of being a witch. -- -- 485,065 7.88
Love Live! Sunshine!! -- -- Sunrise -- 13 eps -- Other -- Music Slice of Life School -- Love Live! Sunshine!! Love Live! Sunshine!! -- Chika Takami, a self-proclaimed normal girl, has never been involved in any clubs and lacked any notable talents. However, after a visit to Tokyo, she discovers a stage where even an ordinary girl like her could shine—the world of school idols. Inspired by the former superstar school idol group μ's, Chika is determined to start her own school idol club in her seaside hometown at Uranohoshi Girl's High School. But even before gathering any students to join the group, the aspiring school idol finds her greatest obstacle to be student council president Dia Kurosawa who stands firmly against the creation of the club. -- -- Just when it seems there is no hope, Chika meets Riko Sakurauchi, a transfer student from Otonokizaka High School, home of μ's. Somewhat shy but a talented piano player, Chika believes her to be a promising recruit, though convincing her to join is easier said than done. In spite of that, Chika chooses to charge forward and overcome the obstacles keeping her from forming a school idol group that shines as bright as the nine that came before her. -- -- 144,692 7.39
Meiji Tokyo Renka -- -- TMS Entertainment -- 12 eps -- Visual novel -- Harem Historical Supernatural Romance Shoujo -- Meiji Tokyo Renka Meiji Tokyo Renka -- Mei Ayazuki is just your ordinary, everyday high-school girl. That is until one night, when the moon is full and red, she’s transported through time to the Meiji Period by Charlie, a self-proclaimed magician. -- -- She ends up in a strange, Meiji-era ‘Tokyo’ where the existence of ghosts is accepted. Led by Charlie, she finally arrives at the Rokumeikan. There, waiting for her to arrive, are the historical figures Ougai Mori, Shunsou Hishida, Otojirou Kawakami, Kyouka Izumi, Gorou Fujita, Yakumo Koizumi, and Tousuke Iwasaki. -- -- Whilst interacting with these men, she discovers she is a Tamayori - someone who can see ghosts - a skill that is highly valued in the Meiji Period. Due to these powers, her relationship with the men begins to change… As she gets to know these handsome men in a new era she just can’t get used to, a love begins to grow within her. -- -- Will Mei be able to return to her time? What will become of her love - a love that crosses the boundaries of time and space? -- -- (Source: Honey's Anime) -- -- Licensor: -- Funimation -- 34,827 6.94
Mikagura Gakuen Kumikyoku -- -- - -- 5 eps -- Music -- Music Psychological School -- Mikagura Gakuen Kumikyoku Mikagura Gakuen Kumikyoku -- As a new student, Eruna Ichinomiya meets various strangers, learns about their clubs, and helps them with their problems. -- -- Houkago Stride -- Eruna was hardly prepared to go to her new school, but that's no matter. Leading it off with an enormous stride, she will hop, step, and jump her way through, showing her unparalleled motivation and optimistic outlook. One, two, three—she'll shout out her excitement with the fire of a toy gun! -- -- Mukiryoku Coup d'Etat -- As an actor, Yuuto Akama is accustomed to playing different roles, and real life is just another one of these. He wears a practiced smile and a carefree attitude, but inside, a war is waging. A personality squashed and imprisoned... Yuuto puts down the coup d'état of his former self, all to maintain his perfect facade. But no matter how much time passes, the memories don't disappear, and he can never stop the flames of rebellion of his heart. -- -- Uchouten Vivace -- With a cheerful hop and skip, Himi Yasaka shows Eruna all the fun and excitement of the Calligraphy Club. It's a rhythmic and all-encompassing art; although calligraphy may take a bit of practice, anyone can do it. All you need is an ecstatic vivace! -- -- Garakuta Innocence -- No matter what saturation, contrast, or hue, painter Kyouma Kuzuryuu cannot create a work that is good enough. Everything, including himself, always falls short. He lies to himself that this is what he always wanted, but in the end, he is still another piece of trash. Is there any salvation for the lonesome and self-deprecating Kyouma? -- -- Izayoi Seeing -- Asuhi Imizu has lived his life secluded from others. Gazing at the night sky through his telescope, he draws new constellations in his mind. However, like the sun after a rainstorm, Eruna brightens his life, helping him open up to others. Together, they view a 16-day-old moon; all the while, Asuhi is guided by her light. -- -- Music - Feb 25, 2015 -- 2,681 6.66
MM! -- -- Xebec -- 12 eps -- Light novel -- Harem Comedy Ecchi School -- MM! MM! -- Taro Sado is a high school student who lives his day to day life with a big secret—he's a masochist! Encouraged by his cross-dressing best friend Tatsukichi Hayama, Taro asks the Second Voluntary Club for help with his problem and ends up joining the club after they vow to "fix" him. -- -- However, it turns out that all of the members of the club have some serious issues. The club leader Mio Isurugi is a self-designated god who is afraid of cats, Arashiko Yuuno has a severe fear of men, and the club advisor Michiru Onigawara is a sadist who enjoys making people cosplay. -- -- Together with other wacky characters such as Yumi Mamiya, a talented masseuse and Yuuno's best friend, and Noa Hiiragi, the president of the invention club, they all learn about the importance of acceptance and kindness. -- -- -- Licensor: -- Sentai Filmworks -- TV - Oct 2, 2010 -- 207,981 7.10
Natsume Yuujinchou -- -- Brain's Base -- 13 eps -- Manga -- Slice of Life Demons Supernatural Drama Shoujo -- Natsume Yuujinchou Natsume Yuujinchou -- While most fifteen-year-old boys, in one way or another, harbor secrets that are related to girls, Takashi Natsume has a peculiar and terrifying secret involving youkai: for as long as he can remember, he has been constantly chased by these spirits. Natsume soon discovers that his deceased grandmother Reiko had passed on to him the Yuujinchou, or "Book of Friends," which contains the names of the spirits whom she brought under her control. Now in Natsume's possession, the book gives Reiko's grandson this power as well, which is why these enraged beings now haunt him in hopes of somehow attaining their freedom. -- -- Without parents and a loving home, and constantly being hunted by hostile, merciless youkai, Natsume is looking for solace—a place where he belongs. However, his only companion is a self-proclaimed bodyguard named Madara. Fondly referred to as Nyanko-sensei, Madara is a mysterious, pint-sized feline spirit who has his own reasons for sticking with the boy. -- -- Based on the critically acclaimed manga by Yuki Midorikawa, Natsume Yuujinchou is an unconventional and supernatural slice-of-life series that follows Natsume as he, with his infamous protector Madara, endeavors to free the spirits bound by his grandmother's contract. -- -- -- Licensor: -- NIS America, Inc. -- 424,103 8.33
Natsume Yuujinchou Shi -- -- Brain's Base -- 13 eps -- Manga -- Slice of Life Demons Supernatural Drama Shoujo -- Natsume Yuujinchou Shi Natsume Yuujinchou Shi -- Takashi Natsume, the timid youkai expert and master of the Book of Friends, continues his journey towards self-understanding and acceptance with the help of friends both new and old. His most important ally is still his gluttonous and sake-loving bodyguard, the arrogant but fiercely protective wolf spirit Madara—or Nyanko-sensei, as Madara is called when in his usual disguise of an unassuming, pudgy cat. -- -- Natsume, while briefly separated from Nyanko-sensei, is ambushed and kidnapped by a strange group of masked, monkey-like youkai, who have spirited him away to their forest as they desperately search for the Book of Friends. Realizing that his "servant" has been taken out from right under his nose, Nyanko-sensei enlists the help of Natsume's youkai friends and mounts a rescue operation. However, the forest of the monkey spirits holds many dangerous enemies, including the Matoba Clan, Natsume's old nemesis. -- -- Stretching from the formidable hideout of the Matoba to Natsume's own childhood home, Natsume Yuujinchou Shi is a sweeping but familiar return to a world of danger and friendship, where Natsume will finally confront the demons of his own past. -- -- 198,703 8.66
Natsume Yuujinchou Shi -- -- Brain's Base -- 13 eps -- Manga -- Slice of Life Demons Supernatural Drama Shoujo -- Natsume Yuujinchou Shi Natsume Yuujinchou Shi -- Takashi Natsume, the timid youkai expert and master of the Book of Friends, continues his journey towards self-understanding and acceptance with the help of friends both new and old. His most important ally is still his gluttonous and sake-loving bodyguard, the arrogant but fiercely protective wolf spirit Madara—or Nyanko-sensei, as Madara is called when in his usual disguise of an unassuming, pudgy cat. -- -- Natsume, while briefly separated from Nyanko-sensei, is ambushed and kidnapped by a strange group of masked, monkey-like youkai, who have spirited him away to their forest as they desperately search for the Book of Friends. Realizing that his "servant" has been taken out from right under his nose, Nyanko-sensei enlists the help of Natsume's youkai friends and mounts a rescue operation. However, the forest of the monkey spirits holds many dangerous enemies, including the Matoba Clan, Natsume's old nemesis. -- -- Stretching from the formidable hideout of the Matoba to Natsume's own childhood home, Natsume Yuujinchou Shi is a sweeping but familiar return to a world of danger and friendship, where Natsume will finally confront the demons of his own past. -- -- -- Licensor: -- NIS America, Inc. -- 198,703 8.66
Neko no Ongaeshi -- -- Studio Ghibli -- 1 ep -- Other -- Adventure Drama Fantasy -- Neko no Ongaeshi Neko no Ongaeshi -- High school student Haru Yoshioka is bored with the monotony of life. One day, she saves Prince Lune of the Cat Kingdom from being run over by a truck. As a token of gratitude, the Cat King sends her "presents" and invites her to the Cat Kingdom to become Lune's wife. Haru's inability to properly communicate with the cats leads to the misunderstanding that she has accepted the proposal. -- -- As Haru ponders on ways to escape the predicament, a mysterious voice instructs her to search for the Cat Bureau. However, not long after she finally arrives at the bureau, a horde of cats swarms in and forcibly takes her to the Cat Kingdom, along with a member of the Cat Bureau. Concerned for their safety, owner of the Cat Bureau, Baron Humbert von Gikkingen, follows close behind. -- -- The more Haru immerses herself in the activities of the Cat Kingdom, the more cat-like she becomes. To her dismay, she soon learns that, unless she can find her true self, she may become a cat permanently. Haru's adventures in the world of cats lead her down a path to self-discovery, allowing her to return as a more confident person. -- -- -- Licensor: -- GKIDS, Walt Disney Studios -- Movie - Jul 20, 2002 -- 197,100 7.78
NHK ni Youkoso! -- -- Gonzo -- 24 eps -- Novel -- Comedy Psychological Drama Romance -- NHK ni Youkoso! NHK ni Youkoso! -- Twenty-two-year-old college dropout Tatsuhiro Satou has been a hikikomori for almost four years now. In his isolation, he has come to believe in many obscure conspiracy theories, but there is one in particular which he holds unshakable faith in: the theory that the evil conspirator behind his shut-in NEET (Not in Employment, Education or Training) status is the Nihon Hikikomori Kyokai (NHK)—an evil and secret organization dedicated to fostering the spread of hikikomori culture. -- -- NHK ni Youkoso! is a psychological dramedy that follows Tatsuhiro as he strives to escape from the NHK's wicked machinations and the disease of self-wrought isolation, while struggling to even just leave his apartment and find a job. His unexpected encounter with the mysterious Misaki Nakahara might signal a reversal of fortune for Tatsuhiro, but with this meeting comes the inevitable cost of having to face his greatest fear—society. -- -- -- Licensor: -- ADV Films, Funimation -- TV - Jul 10, 2006 -- 566,802 8.33
Noragami -- -- Bones -- 12 eps -- Manga -- Action Adventure Comedy Supernatural Shounen -- Noragami Noragami -- In times of need, if you look in the right place, you just may see a strange telephone number scrawled in red. If you call this number, you will hear a young man introduce himself as the Yato God. -- -- Yato is a minor deity and a self-proclaimed "Delivery God," who dreams of having millions of worshippers. Without a single shrine dedicated to his name, however, his goals are far from being realized. He spends his days doing odd jobs for five yen apiece, until his weapon partner becomes fed up with her useless master and deserts him. -- -- Just as things seem to be looking grim for the god, his fortune changes when a middle school girl, Hiyori Iki, supposedly saves Yato from a car accident, taking the hit for him. Remarkably, she survives, but the event has caused her soul to become loose and hence able to leave her body. Hiyori demands that Yato return her to normal, but upon learning that he needs a new partner to do so, reluctantly agrees to help him find one. And with Hiyori's help, Yato's luck may finally be turning around. -- -- -- Licensor: -- Funimation -- 1,621,251 8.00
Nourin -- -- SILVER LINK. -- 12 eps -- Light novel -- Comedy Parody Romance Ecchi School -- Nourin Nourin -- Idol-obsessed Kousaku Hata is left devastated when his favorite, Yuka Kusakabe, unexpectedly announces her retirement at the peak of an illustrious career. As Yuka’s biggest fan, this news proves to be more difficult than he can bear. Shaken to his very core, he sinks into depression and places himself in self-imposed isolation. However, on the day his friends managed to convince him to attend school again, he gets a pleasant surprise. -- -- It turns out that his beloved idol, under the guise of Ringo Kinoshita, has transferred into his class. This miraculous development fills Kousaku with newfound resolve, as he dedicates himself to take advantage of the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. With the support of his teacher and friends, Kousaku works toward getting close to the girl of his dreams and uncovering the reason for her retirement from the entertainment industry. -- -- TV - Jan 11, 2014 -- 152,252 6.81
Omoide no Marnie -- -- Studio Ghibli -- 1 ep -- Novel -- Mystery Psychological Drama -- Omoide no Marnie Omoide no Marnie -- Suffering from frequent asthma attacks, young Anna Sasaki is quiet, unsociable, and isolated from her peers, causing her foster parent endless worry. Upon recommendation by the doctor, Anna is sent to the countryside, in hope that the cleaner air and more relaxing lifestyle will improve her health and help clear her mind. Engaging in her passion for sketching, Anna spends her summer days living with her aunt and uncle in a small town near the sea. -- -- One day while wandering outside, Anna discovers an abandoned mansion known as the Marsh House. However, she soon finds that the residence isn't as vacant as it appears to be, running into a mysterious girl named Marnie. Marnie's bubbly demeanor slowly begins to draw Anna out of her shell as she returns night after night to meet with her new friend. But it seems there is more to the strange girl than meets the eye—as her time in the town nears its end, Anna begins to discover the truth behind the walls of the Marsh House. -- -- Omoide no Marnie tells the touching story of a young girl's journey through self-discovery and friendship, and the summer that she will remember for the rest of her life. -- -- -- Licensor: -- GKIDS -- Movie - Jul 19, 2014 -- 200,826 8.10
Ookami to Koushinryou -- -- Imagin -- 13 eps -- Light novel -- Adventure Fantasy Historical Romance -- Ookami to Koushinryou Ookami to Koushinryou -- Holo is a powerful wolf deity who is celebrated and revered in the small town of Pasloe for blessing the annual harvest. Yet as years go by and the villagers become more self-sufficient, Holo, who stylizes herself as the "Wise Wolf of Yoitsu," has been reduced to a mere folk tale. When a traveling merchant named Kraft Lawrence stops at Pasloe, Holo offers to become his business partner if he eventually takes her to her northern home of Yoitsu. The savvy trader recognizes Holo's unusual ability to evaluate a person's character and accepts her proposition. Now in the possession of both sharp business skills and a charismatic negotiator, Lawrence inches closer to his goal of opening his own shop. However, as Lawrence travels the countryside with Holo in search of economic opportunities, he begins to realize that his aspirations are slowly morphing into something unexpected. -- -- Based on the popular light novel of the same name, Ookami to Koushinryou, also known as Spice and Wolf, fuses the two polar genres of economics and romance to create an enthralling story abundant with elaborate schemes, sharp humor, and witty dialogue. Ookami to Koushinryou is more than just a story of bartering; it turns into a journey of searching for a lost identity in an ever-changing world. -- -- -- Licensor: -- Funimation, Kadokawa Pictures USA -- 660,637 8.26
Ookiku Furikabutte -- -- A-1 Pictures -- 25 eps -- Manga -- Comedy Seinen Sports -- Ookiku Furikabutte Ookiku Furikabutte -- Ren Mihashi was the ace of his middle school's baseball team, but due to his poor pitching, they could never win. Constant losses eventually lead to his teammates bullying him and reached the point where his teammates no longer tried to win, causing Mihashi to graduate with little self-esteem. As a result, Mihashi decides to go to a high school in a different prefecture where he has no intention of playing baseball. Unfortunately, upon his arrival at Nishiura High, he is dragged into joining their new team as the starting pitcher. -- -- Although unwilling at first, Mihashi realizes that this is a place where he will be accepted for who he is; with help from the catcher Takaya Abe, he starts to have more confidence in his own abilities. Abe, seeing the potential in Mihashi, makes it a goal to help him become a pitcher worthy of being called an ace. -- -- TV - Apr 13, 2007 -- 84,910 7.94
Ore no Nounai Sentakushi ga, Gakuen Love Comedy wo Zenryoku de Jama Shiteiru -- -- Diomedéa -- 10 eps -- Light novel -- Harem Comedy Romance School -- Ore no Nounai Sentakushi ga, Gakuen Love Comedy wo Zenryoku de Jama Shiteiru Ore no Nounai Sentakushi ga, Gakuen Love Comedy wo Zenryoku de Jama Shiteiru -- For Kanade Amakusa, life as a high schooler should have been normal, and it would have been—if he wasn't living with the most ridiculous curse imaginable. “Absolute Choice," a system forced upon him by a self-proclaimed god, randomly presents a mental selection of actions that he must act out based on his choice. To add to his dilemma, it tends to occur in the most public of places, and his options never seem to deviate from the rude and crude in nature. -- -- As a result, the helpless boy stresses through each day, fumbling to repair his already tarnished reputation while desperately praying to avoid the next spontaneous episode of Absolute Choice. To his dismay, the one in charge is always one step ahead of him and proceeds to not-so-subtly "choice" him into the lives of several girls at his school. Just when Kanade's school life can’t seem to be doomed any further, a decision that he reluctantly selects on the way home sends a beautiful girl crashing down from the sky, along with the promise of more hysterically hellish choices. -- -- 342,212 7.24
Osomatsu-san -- -- Studio Pierrot -- 25 eps -- Original -- Comedy Parody -- Osomatsu-san Osomatsu-san -- The majority of the Matsuno household is comprised of six identical siblings: self-centered leader Osomatsu, manly Karamatsu, voice of reason Choromatsu, cynical Ichimatsu, hyperactive Juushimatsu, and lovable Todomatsu. Despite each one of them being over the age of 20, they are incredibly lazy and have absolutely no motivation to get a job, choosing to live as NEETs instead. In the rare occurrence that they try to look for employment and are somehow able to land an interview, their unique personalities generally lead to their swift rejection. -- -- From trying to pick up girlfriends to finding the perfect job, the daily activities of the Matsuno brothers are never dull as they go on all sorts of crazy, and often downright bizarre, adventures. Though they desperately search for a way to improve their social standing, it won't be possible if they can't survive the various challenges that come with being sextuplets! -- -- -- Licensor: -- VIZ Media -- 144,631 8.00
Pan de Peace! -- -- Asahi Production -- 13 eps -- 4-koma manga -- Slice of Life Comedy School -- Pan de Peace! Pan de Peace! -- For the airheaded Minami Tani, there is nothing more delightful than delicious bread for breakfast. Bonding over a mutual love for the food, Minami meets the dignified Yuu Aizawa and the upbeat Fuyumi Fukagawa. Joining them is Noa Sakura, a pint-sized girl who sees bread as the ultimate weapon of self-defense. Together, the girls strengthen their bonds of friendship, while striving to sample every kind of bread this world has to offer. -- -- 28,435 5.62
Persona 3 the Movie 3: Falling Down -- -- A-1 Pictures -- 1 ep -- Game -- Action Fantasy Supernatural -- Persona 3 the Movie 3: Falling Down Persona 3 the Movie 3: Falling Down -- As the fall season nears its end, Chidori Yoshino, a member of Strega, abducts Junpei Iori. Meanwhile, Makoto Yuuki and the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad (SEES) annihilate the Arcana Hanged Man. Soon after, a mysterious playboy named Ryouji Mochizuki transfers into Gekkoukan High School's Class 2-F. -- -- Supposedly having achieved their goal, the members of SEES believe they are free from the battle that has ruthlessly stolen away the lives of their loved ones. And yet, Tartarus and the Dark Hour continue to exist, undeterred by the extermination of the twelfth Shadow. Distraught by their apparent failure, SEES must cope with their personal struggles and discover whose sake they fight for. As Makoto and Junpei's journeys of self-discovery progress, Ryouji's identity and the reason behind Aegis's hate for him become clear. -- -- -- Licensor: -- Aniplex of America -- Movie - Apr 4, 2015 -- 56,090 7.61
Persona 3 the Movie 3: Falling Down -- -- A-1 Pictures -- 1 ep -- Game -- Action Fantasy Supernatural -- Persona 3 the Movie 3: Falling Down Persona 3 the Movie 3: Falling Down -- As the fall season nears its end, Chidori Yoshino, a member of Strega, abducts Junpei Iori. Meanwhile, Makoto Yuuki and the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad (SEES) annihilate the Arcana Hanged Man. Soon after, a mysterious playboy named Ryouji Mochizuki transfers into Gekkoukan High School's Class 2-F. -- -- Supposedly having achieved their goal, the members of SEES believe they are free from the battle that has ruthlessly stolen away the lives of their loved ones. And yet, Tartarus and the Dark Hour continue to exist, undeterred by the extermination of the twelfth Shadow. Distraught by their apparent failure, SEES must cope with their personal struggles and discover whose sake they fight for. As Makoto and Junpei's journeys of self-discovery progress, Ryouji's identity and the reason behind Aegis's hate for him become clear. -- -- Movie - Apr 4, 2015 -- 56,090 7.61
RahXephon: Tagen Hensoukyoku -- -- Bones -- 1 ep -- Original -- Action Drama Mecha Psychological Romance Sci-Fi -- RahXephon: Tagen Hensoukyoku RahXephon: Tagen Hensoukyoku -- Ayato Kamina was separated from the girl he loved, Haruka Mishima, when an event occurred that was thought to have killed everyone outside of Tokyo. But one day three years later, invaders suddenly attacked the city. It was then that he meets an agent of TERRA, Haruka Shitow, who tells him that she will give him the truth about the world. It is the beginning of a series of strange events, which involve him activating a giant mecha, the RahXephon and finding out that many people, including his own mother, has blue blood, and that he was actually living in a self-encased dimension where time moves slower than that of the outside world. -- -- (Source: ANN) -- -- Licensor: -- ADV Films -- Movie - Apr 19, 2003 -- 13,715 7.03
Rekka no Honoo -- -- Studio Pierrot -- 42 eps -- Manga -- Action Adventure Martial Arts Shounen Super Power -- Rekka no Honoo Rekka no Honoo -- Most people think that ninjas are a thing of the past, but Rekka Hanabishi wishes otherwise. Although he comes from a family that makes fireworks, he likes to think of himself as a self-styled, modern-day ninja. Sounds like fun, right? Maybe not. Rekka ends up in lots of fights because he once made the bold announcement that if someone can defeat him, he will become their servant. -- -- Then one day, Rekka meets Yanagi Sakoshita, a gentle girl with the ability to heal any wound or injury. Their meeting sets off a chain of events, which culminate into a shocking discovery. Rekka is the last surviving member of a legendary ninja clan that was wiped out centuries ago. Even more astonishing than being an actual ninja, he also wields the power to control fire. What does this mean for Rekka? Who are these strange people after him and Yanagi? Find out in Rekka no Honoo! -- -- Licensor: -- Discotek Media, VIZ Media -- 55,567 7.36
Rewrite -- -- 8bit -- 13 eps -- Visual novel -- Action Comedy Supernatural Romance School -- Rewrite Rewrite -- Kazamatsuri, a modern, well-developed city renowned for its burgeoning greenery and rich Japanese culture, is home to Kotarou Tennouji, a high schooler least privy to the place's shared values. Content to fill his pockets with frivolity, the proud and nosey boy whiles away his time pestering the self-proclaimed delinquent Haruhiko, and indulging in his amorous feelings toward the oddball Kotori. -- -- Equipped with the superhuman ability to permanently rewrite any part of his body to multiply his strength or speed, Kotarou is naturally drawn to the supernatural. One special meeting with the lone member and president of the Occult Research Club, the "Witch" Akane Senri, leads to Kotarou reviving the Occult Club by recruiting Kotori and three other members: the clumsy transfer student Chihaya, the strict class representative Lucia, and the unassuming Shizuru. As Kotarou unveils hidden secrets of each member of the Occult Club through their shared adventures, he will inevitably encounter a fate that only he might be able to rewrite. -- -- 174,975 6.68
R.O.D: Read or Die -- -- Studio Deen -- 3 eps -- Light novel -- Action Sci-Fi Adventure Mystery Historical Magic -- R.O.D: Read or Die R.O.D: Read or Die -- Yomiko Readman is a lovable, near-sighted bibliomaniac working as a substitute teacher at a Japanese high school. Her real identity, however, is that of a secret agent for the British Library Special Operations Division. Her codename: "The Paper." The moniker denotes her supernatural ability to freely manipulate paper into any object she can imagine, including tools and weapons in her fight against the powerful and self-serving IJIN (Great Historical Figure) Army! Along with her partner, the enigmatic "Ms. Deep," Yomiko travels across the world in attempt to solve the mystery behind the reincarnation of historical figures and their attempt to control the world. -- -- (Source: RightStuf) -- -- Licensor: -- Aniplex of America, Manga Entertainment -- OVA - May 23, 2001 -- 57,646 7.66
Rokka no Yuusha -- -- Passione -- 12 eps -- Light novel -- Action Adventure Fantasy Magic Mystery -- Rokka no Yuusha Rokka no Yuusha -- An ancient legend states that with the revival of the Demon God, six heroes—the Braves of the Six Flowers—will be chosen by the Goddess of Fate, granting them power to rise up against the fiends attempting to turn the world into a living hell. Adlet Mayer, self-proclaimed "Strongest Man in the World," has arrived at the continent of Piena in hopes of becoming a Brave. Although it doesn't go as smoothly as he had planned, Adlet is ultimately chosen as one of the six heroes shortly after being greeted by Nashetania Loei Piena Augustra, crown princess and fellow Brave. -- -- Rokka no Yuusha follows the two as they embark upon their destined journey to fight the Demon God, intending to meet up with their fellow heroes at a small temple outside of the Land of the Howling Demons, the fiends' domain. However, when they finally unite, seven heroes are present, and soon the others begin to suspect Adlet to be a fraud. Now on the run, Adlet must utilize his unique skill set and wit in a fight for his life to identify which member of the group is the true impostor before it's too late! -- -- -- Licensor: -- Ponycan USA -- 501,210 7.34
Ryuugajou Nanana no Maizoukin (TV) -- -- A-1 Pictures -- 11 eps -- Light novel -- Adventure Comedy Mystery Supernatural -- Ryuugajou Nanana no Maizoukin (TV) Ryuugajou Nanana no Maizoukin (TV) -- Nanae Island is a man-made island in the Pacific Ocean that holds everything necessary for the proper education and training of children. It was created by the Great Seven, a group of adventurers headed by Nanana Ryuugajou, as a place for the young to chase their dreams. -- -- After being disowned and exiled by his family, high school student Juugo Yama arrives on this island, happy to finally be free of his father. Upon moving into his new room, he discovers the ghost of Nanana Ryuugajou, bound to the island after her unsolved murder 10 years ago. Nanana tells Juugo that, just before her death, she hid items with unique and mysterious powers all across the island—items known as the Nanana Collection. Hoping to uncover clues that will help him find the culprit behind her death, Juugo, with the help of self-proclaimed "Master Detective" Tensai Ikkyuu and her cross-dressing maid Daruku Hoshino, sets out on his search. -- -- 202,223 7.18
Ryuugajou Nanana no Maizoukin (TV) -- -- A-1 Pictures -- 11 eps -- Light novel -- Adventure Comedy Mystery Supernatural -- Ryuugajou Nanana no Maizoukin (TV) Ryuugajou Nanana no Maizoukin (TV) -- Nanae Island is a man-made island in the Pacific Ocean that holds everything necessary for the proper education and training of children. It was created by the Great Seven, a group of adventurers headed by Nanana Ryuugajou, as a place for the young to chase their dreams. -- -- After being disowned and exiled by his family, high school student Juugo Yama arrives on this island, happy to finally be free of his father. Upon moving into his new room, he discovers the ghost of Nanana Ryuugajou, bound to the island after her unsolved murder 10 years ago. Nanana tells Juugo that, just before her death, she hid items with unique and mysterious powers all across the island—items known as the Nanana Collection. Hoping to uncover clues that will help him find the culprit behind her death, Juugo, with the help of self-proclaimed "Master Detective" Tensai Ikkyuu and her cross-dressing maid Daruku Hoshino, sets out on his search. -- -- -- Licensor: -- Aniplex of America -- 202,223 7.18
Saikyou Ginga Ultimate Zero: Battle Spirits -- -- Sunrise -- 49 eps -- Card game -- Game Adventure Space -- Saikyou Ginga Ultimate Zero: Battle Spirits Saikyou Ginga Ultimate Zero: Battle Spirits -- In the new, whimsical era of Battle Spirits, cards have become scattered across a colorful galaxy, enticing all "card questers" to duke it out in search of the strongest cards. Rei is a flamboyant wanderer who is obsessed with being on top. Accompanied by a small dragon named Mugen and a talking robot named Salt, the self-proclaimed "Number One Star" regularly engages in card-gaming mischief through flashy battles. -- -- One day, Rei meets Raira and Rikuto April, both of whom seem to have clues on the whereabouts of the "ultimate" Battle Spirits card. Together, they embark on a quest to search for the card, clashing with many vibrant personalities along the way. Soon, their adventure catches the attention of the Guild, wily villains who are also set on obtaining the Ultimate Battle Spirits. In contending against the Guild, Rei's status as number one is put to the test—an endeavor that will slowly unveil secrets regarding the fate of the universe. -- -- TV - Sep 22, 2013 -- 1,462 6.50
Seitokai Yakuindomo -- -- GoHands -- 13 eps -- 4-koma manga -- Comedy School Shounen Slice of Life -- Seitokai Yakuindomo Seitokai Yakuindomo -- On his first day of high school at the formerly all-girl's Ousai Private Academy, Takatoshi Tsuda is called out for his untidy uniform by the student council president Shino Amakusa. In apology for delaying Takatoshi for his first class—and stating that the group needs a male point of view to accommodate the arrival of boys at the school—Shino offers him the position of vice president of the student council. Though unwilling, Takatoshi finds himself appointed as the newest member of the student council having yet to even step foot inside the school building. -- -- Takatoshi soon realizes that the other student council members who are more than a little strange: President Shino, who is studious and serious in appearance, but actually a huge pervert, fascinated with the erotic and constantly making lewd jokes; the secretary Aria Shichijou, who may seem like a typical sheltered rich girl, but is just as risque as the president, if not more so; and finally, the treasurer Suzu Hagimura, who may act fairly normal, but has the body of an elementary school student and is extremely self-conscious of it. Surrounded by these colorful characters, the new vice president must now work through a nonstop assault of sexual humor and insanity. -- -- 406,166 7.59
Seitokai Yakuindomo -- -- GoHands -- 13 eps -- 4-koma manga -- Comedy School Shounen Slice of Life -- Seitokai Yakuindomo Seitokai Yakuindomo -- On his first day of high school at the formerly all-girl's Ousai Private Academy, Takatoshi Tsuda is called out for his untidy uniform by the student council president Shino Amakusa. In apology for delaying Takatoshi for his first class—and stating that the group needs a male point of view to accommodate the arrival of boys at the school—Shino offers him the position of vice president of the student council. Though unwilling, Takatoshi finds himself appointed as the newest member of the student council having yet to even step foot inside the school building. -- -- Takatoshi soon realizes that the other student council members who are more than a little strange: President Shino, who is studious and serious in appearance, but actually a huge pervert, fascinated with the erotic and constantly making lewd jokes; the secretary Aria Shichijou, who may seem like a typical sheltered rich girl, but is just as risque as the president, if not more so; and finally, the treasurer Suzu Hagimura, who may act fairly normal, but has the body of an elementary school student and is extremely self-conscious of it. Surrounded by these colorful characters, the new vice president must now work through a nonstop assault of sexual humor and insanity. -- -- -- Licensor: -- Sentai Filmworks -- 406,166 7.59
Senyoku no Sigrdrifa -- -- A-1 Pictures -- 12 eps -- Original -- Action Military -- Senyoku no Sigrdrifa Senyoku no Sigrdrifa -- When humanity is driven to the brink of despair by an alien threat called Pillars, a self-proclaimed god named Odin appears and bestows upon the people the power of "Valkyries"—battle maidens who pilot vintage aircraft called Hero Wings. -- -- Claudia "Schwertleite" Bruford is the ace of the European Valkyrie Wing. When Japan's S-class Valkyrie passes away in battle, Claudia is relocated to Japan as a replacement. However, with a dark record of being the sole survivor in every mission that results in being nicknamed "Grim Reaper," she suspects she already knows why she was chosen. -- -- Prepared to be shunned yet again, she arrives at the Tateyama Valkyrie Wing. Little does she know, her new comrades are a bunch of oddballs who have zero intention of accepting her dreadful nickname! -- -- -- Licensor: -- Aniplex of America -- 33,834 6.46
Shingeki no Bahamut: Genesis -- -- MAPPA -- 12 eps -- Card game -- Action Adventure Demons Supernatural Magic Fantasy -- Shingeki no Bahamut: Genesis Shingeki no Bahamut: Genesis -- Thousands of years ago, the ancient dragon Bahamut wrought havoc upon the land of Mistarcia, a world where both gods and demons live amongst mankind. Working together to prevent the world's destruction, the rival deities barely managed to seal Bahamut, agreeing to split the key between them so that the dragon would remain eternally imprisoned. -- -- With the world safe from the destruction of Bahamut, it is business as usual for bounty hunters like Favaro Leone. Living a laid-back, self-serving lifestyle, the amoral Favaro goes about his work while on the run from fellow bounty hunter Kaisar Lidfard, a righteous man who swears vengeance upon Favaro. However, Favaro's carefree life is thrown into chaos when he meets Amira, a mysterious woman who holds half of the key to the world's fragile peace. -- -- Shingeki no Bahamut: Genesis tells the story of a group of unlikely heroes who find themselves caught in the middle of an epic clash between gods and demons, forced to carve their own path in the face of the imminent storm. -- -- 339,162 7.66
Shingeki no Bahamut: Genesis -- -- MAPPA -- 12 eps -- Card game -- Action Adventure Demons Supernatural Magic Fantasy -- Shingeki no Bahamut: Genesis Shingeki no Bahamut: Genesis -- Thousands of years ago, the ancient dragon Bahamut wrought havoc upon the land of Mistarcia, a world where both gods and demons live amongst mankind. Working together to prevent the world's destruction, the rival deities barely managed to seal Bahamut, agreeing to split the key between them so that the dragon would remain eternally imprisoned. -- -- With the world safe from the destruction of Bahamut, it is business as usual for bounty hunters like Favaro Leone. Living a laid-back, self-serving lifestyle, the amoral Favaro goes about his work while on the run from fellow bounty hunter Kaisar Lidfard, a righteous man who swears vengeance upon Favaro. However, Favaro's carefree life is thrown into chaos when he meets Amira, a mysterious woman who holds half of the key to the world's fragile peace. -- -- Shingeki no Bahamut: Genesis tells the story of a group of unlikely heroes who find themselves caught in the middle of an epic clash between gods and demons, forced to carve their own path in the face of the imminent storm. -- -- -- Licensor: -- Funimation -- 339,162 7.66
Shinryaku!? Ika Musume -- -- Diomedéa -- 12 eps -- Manga -- Comedy Shounen Slice of Life -- Shinryaku!? Ika Musume Shinryaku!? Ika Musume -- After regaining her squid-like abilities, Ika Musume plans to resume her self-appointed mission to destroy all of humanity. However, her carefree job as a waitress in the Lemon beach house meant she cannot help but laze around during her spare time! On top of that, she is saddled with many problems, such as being pursued by a group of alien-obsessed individuals and catching the interest of a crazy girl. -- -- Picking up after the conclusion of the first season, Shinryaku!? Ika Musume follows the hilarious life of Ika Musume as she plots her next invasion of the surface world. -- -- -- Licensor: -- Sentai Filmworks -- TV - Sep 27, 2011 -- 79,821 7.50
Shinryaku!? Ika Musume -- -- Diomedéa -- 12 eps -- Manga -- Comedy Shounen Slice of Life -- Shinryaku!? Ika Musume Shinryaku!? Ika Musume -- After regaining her squid-like abilities, Ika Musume plans to resume her self-appointed mission to destroy all of humanity. However, her carefree job as a waitress in the Lemon beach house meant she cannot help but laze around during her spare time! On top of that, she is saddled with many problems, such as being pursued by a group of alien-obsessed individuals and catching the interest of a crazy girl. -- -- Picking up after the conclusion of the first season, Shinryaku!? Ika Musume follows the hilarious life of Ika Musume as she plots her next invasion of the surface world. -- -- TV - Sep 27, 2011 -- 79,821 7.50
Shuang Yue Zhi Cheng -- -- - -- 13 eps -- Original -- Military Sci-Fi -- Shuang Yue Zhi Cheng Shuang Yue Zhi Cheng -- In the year 2200, a new Cold War between two forces is set to end with a peace treaty. However, one side is hiding a dark secret, which results in numerous tragedies in the following months. In the wake of a crisis, a paramilitary team is founded to steal information at the center of the conflict. -- ONA - Mar 30, 2016 -- 553 N/A -- -- Soukyuu no Fafner: Dead Aggressor - The Beyond Part 4 -- -- I.Gzwei, Production I.G -- 3 eps -- Original -- Action Military Sci-Fi Drama Mecha -- Soukyuu no Fafner: Dead Aggressor - The Beyond Part 4 Soukyuu no Fafner: Dead Aggressor - The Beyond Part 4 -- Episodes 10-12 of the Soukyuu no Fafner: Dead Aggressor - The Beyond series. -- Movie - ??? ??, 2021 -- 542 N/A -- -- Koutetsu no Vendetta Episode 0 -- -- - -- 1 ep -- - -- Action Mecha Military Sci-Fi -- Koutetsu no Vendetta Episode 0 Koutetsu no Vendetta Episode 0 -- The doujin (self-published) creators of the Koutetsu no Vendetta (Iron Vendetta) military robot anime project released a preview DVD at Tokyo's Comic Market 75 convention. The DVD included the unedited versions of the project's pilot film, special supplemental videos, and a collection of key animation drawings. The running times of the pilot and the supplemental video collection are each under five minutes long. -- -- Note: The project is on hold due to the dissolution of the production division of its sponsor Ankama Japan. -- -- (Source: AniDB) -- ONA - Feb 22, 2013 -- 509 N/A -- -- Dalam-iwa Goseumdochi -- -- - -- 32 eps -- - -- Military Historical -- Dalam-iwa Goseumdochi Dalam-iwa Goseumdochi -- Squirrel and Hedgehog documents various animal communities warring and in conflict against one another, each animal being a symbolic representation of real life countries and sometimes political events. -- -- A North Korean propaganda anime that was developed and produced in North Korea to be aired on state television. -- TV - ??? ??, 1977 -- 475 N/AAoi Kioku: Manmou Kaitaku to Shounen-tachi -- -- - -- 1 ep -- - -- Drama Historical Military -- Aoi Kioku: Manmou Kaitaku to Shounen-tachi Aoi Kioku: Manmou Kaitaku to Shounen-tachi -- A class of Japanese youths volunteer for the war effort during WWII, but then get stranded in Manchuria. -- Movie - Dec 18, 1993 -- 439 N/A -- -- Guan Hai Ce -- -- Tong Ming Xuan -- 16 eps -- Original -- Action Military Historical Martial Arts Fantasy -- Guan Hai Ce Guan Hai Ce -- (No synopsis yet.) -- ONA - Jun 17, 2018 -- 396 N/A -- -- Konpeki no Kantai: Sourai Kaihatsu Monogatari -- -- J.C.Staff -- 1 ep -- - -- Military Historical -- Konpeki no Kantai: Sourai Kaihatsu Monogatari Konpeki no Kantai: Sourai Kaihatsu Monogatari -- A special which tells the story of the development of the japanese Sourai interceptor plane. -- Special - ??? ??, 1997 -- 392 N/AZhen Gyi Hong Shi -- -- - -- 52 eps -- - -- Action Military Sci-Fi Adventure Mecha -- Zhen Gyi Hong Shi Zhen Gyi Hong Shi -- This series, which is set in the future, is about several events that break out after troops successfully rescued a teenager who was kidnapped by the mysterious Black Armors. -- Ever since Marty had his first contact with the Black Armors and was subsequently rescued, he has been found to possess mysterious prophetic abilities as he is able to see the future in fragmented visions portraying an avalanche, a tsunami, a storm and other catastrophes. These disasters will always come true after Marty experiences the prophetic visions, but he is unable to predict accurately when and where they will occur. -- When the government learns about this, a unit is sent to protect Marty, and World Peacekeepers, abbreviated as WPK, is established to fight against the Black Armors. In order to defeat the Black Armors, the government grants permission for World Peacekeepers to use Ammobots – mechanical armors which have been developed over many years. -- -- After several battles with the Black Armors, the World Peacekeepers realizes that they are actually linked to the unusual natural disasters and discovers that they originate from a small planet called Mirzam, which is outside the solar system. -- -- Their real intention is to seize the abundant ecological resources on Earth and when these resources are seized, the ecosystem will lose its balance, thus leading to natural disasters. -- -- (Source: Official Site) -- TV - Oct 4, 2014 -- 389 N/A -- -- Spy Gekimetsu -- -- - -- 1 ep -- Original -- Military Historical -- Spy Gekimetsu Spy Gekimetsu -- A war propaganda film which begins with Roosevelt and Churchill in a secret meeting preparing their spy plans. Western spies in fancy suits and top hats parachute into Japan, disturbing innocent farmers. The Japanese civilians manage to thwart the spy activities. -- -- (Source: AniDB) -- Movie - Jul 16, 1942 -- 351 N/A -- -- Malay Oki Kaisen -- -- - -- 1 ep -- Original -- Historical Military -- Malay Oki Kaisen Malay Oki Kaisen -- A war propaganda film by Oofuji Noburou. -- Movie - Nov 26, 1943 -- 345 5.42
Slayers -- -- E&G Films -- 26 eps -- Light novel -- Adventure Comedy Demons Magic Fantasy -- Slayers Slayers -- Powerful, avaricious sorceress Lina Inverse travels around the world, stealing treasures from bandits who cross her path. Her latest victims, a band of thieves, wait in ambush in a forest, thirsting for revenge. When Lina is about to effortlessly pummel her would-be attackers, the swordsman Gourry Gabriev suddenly announces his presence. Assuming Lina to be a damsel in distress, the foolish yet magnanimous man confronts the brigands in order to rescue her. After defeating them posthaste, the oblivious cavalier decides to escort Lina to Atlas City. Though not very keen on this idea, she ends up accepting his offer. -- -- However, without realizing it, Lina has chanced upon a mighty magical item among her most recent spoils. Now two mysterious men are hunting the young magician and her self-proclaimed guardian to obtain this powerful object for apparently nefarious purposes. This way they begin their adventure, one where the fate of the world itself may be at stake. -- -- 119,032 7.75
Slayers -- -- E&G Films -- 26 eps -- Light novel -- Adventure Comedy Demons Magic Fantasy -- Slayers Slayers -- Powerful, avaricious sorceress Lina Inverse travels around the world, stealing treasures from bandits who cross her path. Her latest victims, a band of thieves, wait in ambush in a forest, thirsting for revenge. When Lina is about to effortlessly pummel her would-be attackers, the swordsman Gourry Gabriev suddenly announces his presence. Assuming Lina to be a damsel in distress, the foolish yet magnanimous man confronts the brigands in order to rescue her. After defeating them posthaste, the oblivious cavalier decides to escort Lina to Atlas City. Though not very keen on this idea, she ends up accepting his offer. -- -- However, without realizing it, Lina has chanced upon a mighty magical item among her most recent spoils. Now two mysterious men are hunting the young magician and her self-proclaimed guardian to obtain this powerful object for apparently nefarious purposes. This way they begin their adventure, one where the fate of the world itself may be at stake. -- -- -- Licensor: -- Central Park Media, Enoki Films, Funimation -- 119,032 7.75
Slayers Special -- -- J.C.Staff -- 3 eps -- Light novel -- Adventure Comedy Supernatural Magic Fantasy Shounen -- Slayers Special Slayers Special -- In these three self-contained half-hour stories, Lina Inverse and her partner, Naga The Serpent, take on a variety of jobs for quick cash, food, and/or their own skins. The first episode, "The Scary Chimera Plan," pits them against a lunatic magician who intends to use Lina to create a fearsome, spell-slinging monster. Then, in "Jeffry's Knighthood," they're hired by an overprotective mother to see that her son - a young man barely capable of holding a sword - becomes a respected knight, by "helping" him fight off the marauding soldiers terrorizing the area. Finally, "Mirror, Mirror" puts the two in a race to hunt down and capture (for bounty, of course) a rogue sorceror who's found an ancient artifact that can create loyal duplicates of anything or anyone, including his enemies. -- -- (Source: ANN) -- -- Licensor: -- ADV Films -- OVA - Jul 25, 1996 -- 17,252 7.37
Slayers Special -- -- J.C.Staff -- 3 eps -- Light novel -- Adventure Comedy Supernatural Magic Fantasy Shounen -- Slayers Special Slayers Special -- In these three self-contained half-hour stories, Lina Inverse and her partner, Naga The Serpent, take on a variety of jobs for quick cash, food, and/or their own skins. The first episode, "The Scary Chimera Plan," pits them against a lunatic magician who intends to use Lina to create a fearsome, spell-slinging monster. Then, in "Jeffry's Knighthood," they're hired by an overprotective mother to see that her son - a young man barely capable of holding a sword - becomes a respected knight, by "helping" him fight off the marauding soldiers terrorizing the area. Finally, "Mirror, Mirror" puts the two in a race to hunt down and capture (for bounty, of course) a rogue sorceror who's found an ancient artifact that can create loyal duplicates of anything or anyone, including his enemies. -- -- (Source: ANN) -- OVA - Jul 25, 1996 -- 17,252 7.37
Steins;Gate 0 -- -- White Fox -- 23 eps -- Visual novel -- Sci-Fi Psychological Drama Thriller -- Steins;Gate 0 Steins;Gate 0 -- The eccentric, self-proclaimed mad scientist Rintarou Okabe has become a shell of his former self. Depressed and traumatized after failing to rescue his friend Makise Kurisu, he has decided to forsake his mad scientist alter ego and live as an ordinary college student. Surrounded by friends who know little of his time travel experiences, Okabe spends his days trying to forget the horrors of his adventures alone. -- -- While working as a receptionist at a college technology forum, Okabe meets the short, spunky Maho Hiyajo, who -- later turns out to be the interpreter at the forum's presentation, conducted by Professor Alexis Leskinen. In front of a stunned crowd, Alexis and Maho unveil Amadeus—a revolutionary AI capable of storing a person's memories and creating a perfect simulation of that person complete with their personality and quirks. Meeting with Maho and Alexis after the presentation, Okabe learns that the two were Kurisu's colleagues in university, and that they have simulated her in Amadeus. Hired by Alexis to research the simulation's behavior, Okabe is given the chance to interact with the shadow of a long-lost dear friend. Dangerously tangled in the past, Okabe must face the harsh reality and carefully maneuver around the disastrous consequences that come with disturbing the natural flow of time. -- -- -- Licensor: -- Funimation -- 622,458 8.51
Steins;Gate -- -- White Fox -- 24 eps -- Visual novel -- Sci-Fi Psychological Drama Thriller -- Steins;Gate Steins;Gate -- The self-proclaimed mad scientist Rintarou Okabe rents out a room in a rickety old building in Akihabara, where he indulges himself in his hobby of inventing prospective "future gadgets" with fellow lab members: Mayuri Shiina, his air-headed childhood friend, and Hashida Itaru, a perverted hacker nicknamed "Daru." The three pass the time by tinkering with their most promising contraption yet, a machine dubbed the "Phone Microwave," which performs the strange function of morphing bananas into piles of green gel. -- -- Though miraculous in itself, the phenomenon doesn't provide anything concrete in Okabe's search for a scientific breakthrough; that is, until the lab members are spurred into action by a string of mysterious happenings before stumbling upon an unexpected success—the Phone Microwave can send emails to the past, altering the flow of history. -- -- Adapted from the critically acclaimed visual novel by 5pb. and Nitroplus, Steins;Gate takes Okabe through the depths of scientific theory and practicality. Forced across the diverging threads of past and present, Okabe must shoulder the burdens that come with holding the key to the realm of time. -- -- -- Licensor: -- Funimation -- 1,871,415 9.11
Sumomomo Momomo: Chijou Saikyou no Yome -- -- Studio Hibari -- 22 eps -- Manga -- Action Comedy Romance Martial Arts Seinen -- Sumomomo Momomo: Chijou Saikyou no Yome Sumomomo Momomo: Chijou Saikyou no Yome -- Koushi Inuzuka is a smart high school student who aims to become a public prosecutor. Unfortunately for our good guy, he was born into a martial arts family whose head (ie his father) only knows one language: violence. When Koushi was still a baby, his father made a pact with his biggest rival to marry Koushi to his opponent-turned-friend's daughter. The union of the two blood lines is supposed to bring forth Earth's strongest martial arts clan. -- -- Skip forward: Koushi is in high school, oblivious to the marriage arranged for him at his birth. Enter Momoko Kuzuryuu: sugar bomb, airhead, loli martial arts artist and Koushi's self-proclaimed bride (the strongest on Earth, no less). Her wish for sexual intercourse meets with Koushi's square refusal as he has absolutely no desire to get it on with someone who looks like she could be his little sister, not to mention that he doesn't have the foggiest idea who she actually is. -- -- Meanwhile, a war has broken out between the martial arts families. For Koushi, this means that numerous fighters are out to challenge/assassinate him. As if that weren't bad enough, our protagonist also has a fight phobia due to a traumatic incident that took place in his childhood. Now it's up to Momoko and her superhuman fighting skills to protect her "husband." Will the two sweethearts survive the trials and tribulations ahead of them? More importantly, will Momoko get her way receiving a baby from Koushi? -- -- (Source: Kotonoha) -- TV - Oct 6, 2006 -- 54,235 6.90
Taiho Shichau zo: Full Throttle -- -- Studio Deen -- 23 eps -- Manga -- Action Comedy Police Shounen -- Taiho Shichau zo: Full Throttle Taiho Shichau zo: Full Throttle -- Miyuki Kobayakawa, fresh from forensics training in the United States and Natsumi Tsujimoto, from completing Japanese Self-Defense Force (JSDF) ranger training return in the long-awaited 3rd season of the highly popular series. This time, the duo rejoins active duty at Bokuto Police Department, fighting against crime using their wits and brawn, plus having some misadventures along the way. -- -- (Source: ANN) -- -- Licensor: -- Sentai Filmworks -- TV - Oct 5, 2007 -- 8,020 7.22
The Big O -- -- Sunrise -- 26 eps -- Original -- Action Sci-Fi Mystery Psychological Mecha -- The Big O The Big O -- Paradigm City, a city of amnesia and a place of belonging. It remains populated by forgotten pasts and the ruins of their labors due to a calamity 40 years ago. Shrouded in a fog-like mystery, it is up to people like Roger Smith to shine a light through the mist. Acting as a professional negotiator and suave agent, Roger is a self-tailored ladies man whose only love is for funeral black. However, as he gets deeply involved with his clients, what often starts as a simple negotiation evolves into Roger saving Paradigm from crime and peril. -- -- In the process, Roger stumbles even deeper into the untold folds of the city. As a rule, things are hardly ever as they appear. Serving as gray knight in a gray world, Roger is not without allies. By his side are Norman, a loyal and widely skilled butler, and Dorothy, a human-like android with deadpan snark. Together with the relic Big O, a jet-black mecha of gargantuan size and weight, they help Roger serve iron justice to Paradigm's lurking villains as he discovers the truth about 40 years ago. -- -- -- Licensor: -- Bandai Entertainment, Sentai Filmworks -- TV - Oct 13, 1999 -- 77,182 7.53
Toaru Kagaku no Accelerator -- -- A.C.G.T., J.C.Staff -- 12 eps -- Manga -- Super Power Supernatural Fantasy School -- Toaru Kagaku no Accelerator Toaru Kagaku no Accelerator -- Academy City stands at the forefront of scientific and technological progress, best known for their development of espers: those capable of wielding superhuman abilities that alter the rules of reality. The most powerful among them are the Level 5s, and the one known as Accelerator reigns supreme, even after being weakened by a severe brain injury. By his side is the young girl known as Last Order, whom despite his cold demeanor, he holds closely and vows to protect at all costs. -- -- Though Accelerator may be recovering from his injury, the dark side of Academy City never rests, and so he finds himself unwillingly caught up in the midst of a new conflict. When a mysterious young woman approaches Accelerator in pursuit of Last Order, the highest-ranked esper is confronted by a venomous organization that has taken root in Anti-Skill, Academy City's peacekeeping organization. With dangerous forces on the move that threaten to put Last Order and her sisters at risk, the self-proclaimed villain prepares to step into the darkness once again. -- -- 161,567 7.17
Toaru Kagaku no Accelerator -- -- A.C.G.T., J.C.Staff -- 12 eps -- Manga -- Super Power Supernatural Fantasy School -- Toaru Kagaku no Accelerator Toaru Kagaku no Accelerator -- Academy City stands at the forefront of scientific and technological progress, best known for their development of espers: those capable of wielding superhuman abilities that alter the rules of reality. The most powerful among them are the Level 5s, and the one known as Accelerator reigns supreme, even after being weakened by a severe brain injury. By his side is the young girl known as Last Order, whom despite his cold demeanor, he holds closely and vows to protect at all costs. -- -- Though Accelerator may be recovering from his injury, the dark side of Academy City never rests, and so he finds himself unwillingly caught up in the midst of a new conflict. When a mysterious young woman approaches Accelerator in pursuit of Last Order, the highest-ranked esper is confronted by a venomous organization that has taken root in Anti-Skill, Academy City's peacekeeping organization. With dangerous forces on the move that threaten to put Last Order and her sisters at risk, the self-proclaimed villain prepares to step into the darkness once again. -- -- -- Licensor: -- Funimation -- 161,567 7.17
Tokyo Ghoul: "Pinto" -- -- Studio Pierrot -- 1 ep -- Light novel -- Action Drama Horror Mystery Psychological Supernatural -- Tokyo Ghoul: "Pinto" Tokyo Ghoul: "Pinto" -- Shuu Tsukiyama is a "ghoul": a creature who eats human flesh, and he likes to enjoy his meals to the fullest. One night, while relishing in the premeditated murder of his dinner, Shuu's much anticipated first bite is disturbed by a sudden flash of light. -- -- The flash turns out to be from the camera of high schooler Chie Hori, who presents Shuu with the perfect picture capturing his true nature; the extremely clear shot of a bloody corpse and an overly excited Shuu threatens to expose his ghoul identity, thus Shuu needs to sort out this situation quickly. -- -- After Shuu discovers that Chie attends the same high school as him and is even in the same class, the reason behind his feelings of obsession changes from self-preservation to morbid curiosity. As he grows closer to the absent-minded and extremely odd photographer, he challenges them both to learn more about each other's conflicting worlds; Shuu promises that Chie will come out of this experience with a photograph superior to the one she already has. -- -- OVA - Dec 25, 2015 -- 158,029 7.25
Tokyo Mew Mew New ♡ -- -- Graphinica, Yumeta Company -- ? eps -- Manga -- Sci-Fi Comedy Magic Romance Fantasy Shoujo -- Tokyo Mew Mew New ♡ Tokyo Mew Mew New ♡ -- New Tokyo Mew Mew anime. -- TV - ??? ??, 2022 -- 8,053 N/A -- -- Kuromajo-san ga Tooru!! -- -- Shin-Ei Animation -- 60 eps -- Novel -- Comedy Magic School Slice of Life -- Kuromajo-san ga Tooru!! Kuromajo-san ga Tooru!! -- Kurotori Chiyoko, a 5th-grader in elementary school, loves the occult. One day, a friend requests her to do a love fortune-telling. Chiyoko tries to summon Cupid, but thanks to a stuffy nose, accidentally summons a witch named Gyubid instead! -- -- From that day on, Chiyoko starts learning witchcraft from Gyubid, the self-proclaimed hottest instructor of the magic world. The training regimen is tough, and punishment for slacking is harsh. Fortunately, Chiyoko is able to keep her extra-curricular studies secret, aided by the fact that no one else can see Gyubid. -- -- (Source: AnimeNfo.com) -- TV - Apr 4, 2012 -- 8,029 6.48
Tsugumomo -- -- Zero-G -- 12 eps -- Manga -- Action Comedy Ecchi School Seinen Supernatural -- Tsugumomo Tsugumomo -- In Japanese folklore, a "tsukumogami" is an object that has gained a soul, becoming alive and self-aware. There are two types of tsukumogami: the mature "tsugumomo," who have developed through long years of harmony with their owners, and the aberrant "amasogi," premature spirits that are only born to grant the destructive wishes of certain people. -- -- Kazuya Kagami has never gone without his mother's obi after her death. Be it at home or school, he keeps it safe with him at all times. One day, he nearly loses his life when a wig amasogi attacks him. When all seems to be over, his treasured obi defends him, transforming into a beautiful girl. She introduces herself as Kiriha, a tsugumomo owned by Kazuya's mother. -- -- With Kiriha's arrival, Kazuya enters a reality he has never seen before, a world with gods and tsukumogami. -- -- 140,274 7.06
Tsugumomo -- -- Zero-G -- 12 eps -- Manga -- Action Comedy Ecchi School Seinen Supernatural -- Tsugumomo Tsugumomo -- In Japanese folklore, a "tsukumogami" is an object that has gained a soul, becoming alive and self-aware. There are two types of tsukumogami: the mature "tsugumomo," who have developed through long years of harmony with their owners, and the aberrant "amasogi," premature spirits that are only born to grant the destructive wishes of certain people. -- -- Kazuya Kagami has never gone without his mother's obi after her death. Be it at home or school, he keeps it safe with him at all times. One day, he nearly loses his life when a wig amasogi attacks him. When all seems to be over, his treasured obi defends him, transforming into a beautiful girl. She introduces herself as Kiriha, a tsugumomo owned by Kazuya's mother. -- -- With Kiriha's arrival, Kazuya enters a reality he has never seen before, a world with gods and tsukumogami. -- -- -- Licensor: -- Crunchyroll, Funimation -- 140,274 7.06
Tsuritama -- -- A-1 Pictures -- 12 eps -- Original -- Comedy Sci-Fi Slice of Life Sports -- Tsuritama Tsuritama -- Saving the world... by fishing? -- -- Yuki Sanada has always felt like a fish out of water. Socially awkward and anxious, he struggles to fit in with his surroundings and moves from town to town with his grandma. As he and his grandma settle into the charming seaside town of Enoshima, Yuki hopes for a fresh start. However, his reputation at school is jeopardized by the arrival of fellow transfer student Haru. The eccentric Haru immediately makes a splash, wildly claiming to be an alien and declaring that Yuki is his friend. Pairing the reluctant Yuki with their classmate and fishing talent, Natsuki Usami, he tasks both of them with the absurd mission of saving the world from a mysterious threat in the ocean. Mischief and hijinks ensue, as these three embark on a whimsical adventure filled with laughs, heart, and self-discovery! -- -- 145,964 7.70
Tsuritama -- -- A-1 Pictures -- 12 eps -- Original -- Comedy Sci-Fi Slice of Life Sports -- Tsuritama Tsuritama -- Saving the world... by fishing? -- -- Yuki Sanada has always felt like a fish out of water. Socially awkward and anxious, he struggles to fit in with his surroundings and moves from town to town with his grandma. As he and his grandma settle into the charming seaside town of Enoshima, Yuki hopes for a fresh start. However, his reputation at school is jeopardized by the arrival of fellow transfer student Haru. The eccentric Haru immediately makes a splash, wildly claiming to be an alien and declaring that Yuki is his friend. Pairing the reluctant Yuki with their classmate and fishing talent, Natsuki Usami, he tasks both of them with the absurd mission of saving the world from a mysterious threat in the ocean. Mischief and hijinks ensue, as these three embark on a whimsical adventure filled with laughs, heart, and self-discovery! -- -- -- Licensor: -- Sentai Filmworks -- 145,964 7.70
Uchi no Maid ga Uzasugiru! -- -- Doga Kobo -- 12 eps -- Manga -- Slice of Life Comedy Shoujo Ai -- Uchi no Maid ga Uzasugiru! Uchi no Maid ga Uzasugiru! -- Having lost her mother at a young age, Misha Takanashi, a second grader who is half-Russian and half-Japanese, now lives with her Japanese father. Tsubame Kamoi, formerly a Japan Air Self-Defense Force, JASDF officer, comes to the Takanashi household as a housekeeper. This is a home comedy where Kamoi, a hardcore lolicon, attempts to get near Misha as she tries to fight against her. -- 92,140 6.95
Uchuu Kyoudai -- -- A-1 Pictures -- 99 eps -- Manga -- Comedy Sci-Fi Seinen Slice of Life Space -- Uchuu Kyoudai Uchuu Kyoudai -- On a fateful summer night in 2006, Mutta Nanba and his younger brother Hibito witness what they believe to be a UFO flying toward the Moon. This impressing and unusual phenomenon leads both siblings vowing to become astronauts, with Hibito aiming for the Moon and Mutta, convinced that the eldest brother has to be one step ahead, for Mars. -- -- Now an adult, life hasn't turned out how Mutta had pictured it: he is diligently working in an automotive company, whereas Hibito is on his way to be the very first Japanese man to step on the Moon. However, after losing his job, Mutta is presented with an unexpected opportunity to catch up to his younger brother when the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency, commonly known as JAXA, accepts his application to participate in the next astronaut selection. Despite self-doubts about his prospects, Mutta is unwilling to waste this chance of a lifetime, and thus embarks on an ambitious journey to fulfill the promise made 19 years ago. -- -- 154,647 8.52
Uchuu Kyoudai -- -- A-1 Pictures -- 99 eps -- Manga -- Comedy Sci-Fi Seinen Slice of Life Space -- Uchuu Kyoudai Uchuu Kyoudai -- On a fateful summer night in 2006, Mutta Nanba and his younger brother Hibito witness what they believe to be a UFO flying toward the Moon. This impressing and unusual phenomenon leads both siblings vowing to become astronauts, with Hibito aiming for the Moon and Mutta, convinced that the eldest brother has to be one step ahead, for Mars. -- -- Now an adult, life hasn't turned out how Mutta had pictured it: he is diligently working in an automotive company, whereas Hibito is on his way to be the very first Japanese man to step on the Moon. However, after losing his job, Mutta is presented with an unexpected opportunity to catch up to his younger brother when the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency, commonly known as JAXA, accepts his application to participate in the next astronaut selection. Despite self-doubts about his prospects, Mutta is unwilling to waste this chance of a lifetime, and thus embarks on an ambitious journey to fulfill the promise made 19 years ago. -- -- -- Licensor: -- Sentai Filmworks -- 154,647 8.52
Violet Evergarden -- -- Kyoto Animation -- 13 eps -- Light novel -- Slice of Life Drama Fantasy -- Violet Evergarden Violet Evergarden -- The Great War finally came to an end after four long years of conflict; fractured in two, the continent of Telesis slowly began to flourish once again. Caught up in the bloodshed was Violet Evergarden, a young girl raised for the sole purpose of decimating enemy lines. Hospitalized and maimed in a bloody skirmish during the War's final leg, she was left with only words from the person she held dearest, but with no understanding of their meaning. -- -- Recovering from her wounds, Violet starts a new life working at CH Postal Services after a falling out with her new intended guardian family. There, she witnesses by pure chance the work of an "Auto Memory Doll," amanuenses that transcribe people's thoughts and feelings into words on paper. Moved by the notion, Violet begins work as an Auto Memory Doll, a trade that will take her on an adventure, one that will reshape the lives of her clients and hopefully lead to self-discovery. -- -- -- Licensor: -- Funimation -- 1,142,261 8.64
Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru. Kan -- -- feel. -- 12 eps -- Light novel -- Slice of Life Comedy Drama Romance School -- Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru. Kan Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru. Kan -- Resolved to become a more independent person, Yukino Yukinoshita decides to smoothen things out with her parents, and the first step toward achieving that goal is to prove herself. -- -- As graduation draws closer for the third-year students, Iroha Isshiki—the president of the student council—requests a graduation prom in collaboration with the Volunteer Service Club. Yukino accepts this request of her own volition, hoping to use it as a chance to demonstrate her self-reliance, but what lies ahead of her may prove to be a hard hurdle to cross. -- -- Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru. Kan revolves around the graduation prom as emotions are poured into the preparations for the event. At the same time, a chance for the Volunteer Service Club members to better understand each other presents itself. And thus, Hachiman Hikigaya's hectic and bittersweet high school life begins to draw to a close. -- -- -- Licensor: -- Sentai Filmworks -- 431,382 8.44
Yasashii Kinyoubi -- -- - -- 1 ep -- Original -- Dementia -- Yasashii Kinyoubi Yasashii Kinyoubi -- An animation mixing hand-drawn and cut-out techniques depicting the daily rituals of weekday morning that is occasionally interrupted by flights of fantasy delivered in stroboscopic flashes. Showing scenes of brushing teeth and face washing, Tanaami describes the film to be like a self-portrait on his favorite day of the week. -- -- (Source: Collaborative Cataloging Japan) -- Movie - ??? ??, 1975 -- 897 4.07
Youjo Senki -- -- Nut -- 12 eps -- Light novel -- Action Military Magic -- Youjo Senki Youjo Senki -- Tanya Degurechaff is a young soldier infamous for predatorial-like ruthlessness and an uncanny, tactical aptitude, earning her the nickname of the "Devil of the Rhine." Underneath her innocuous appearance, however, lies the soul of a man who challenged Being X, the self-proclaimed God, to a battle of wits—which resulted in him being reincarnated as a little girl into a world of magical warfare. Hellbent on defiance, Tanya resolves to ascend the ranks of her country's military as it slowly plunges into world war, with only Being X proving to be the strongest obstacle in recreating the peaceful life she once knew. But her perceptive actions and combat initiative have an unintended side effect: propelling the mighty Empire into becoming one of the most powerful nations in mankind's history. -- -- -- Licensor: -- Crunchyroll, Funimation -- 636,587 7.99
Yozakura Quartet: Hana no Uta -- -- Tatsunoko Production -- 13 eps -- Manga -- Action Comedy Super Power Supernatural Magic Shounen -- Yozakura Quartet: Hana no Uta Yozakura Quartet: Hana no Uta -- Hundreds of years ago, the borders between the worlds of humans and youkai temporarily overlapped, resulting in many residents of both crossing over to the other side. In the years since this event, the city of Sakurashin has become a central hub for all inter-dimensional affairs—a result of both the sacred Seven Pillars around the city serving as a beacon for the youkai, and the efforts of the Hiizumi Life Counseling Office in keeping the townsfolk happy. This office is composed of Hime Yarizakura, the young mayor of the city; satori Ao Nanami, who can read people's minds; half-youkai Kotoha Isone, who can summon anything by speaking a word; oni siblings, Kyousuke and Touka Kishi; and the office director Akina Hiizumi, who inherited his family's ability to force youkai back to their world. -- -- Besides volunteer and arbitration work, the Life Counseling Office also suppresses any Strikes: rare occurrences where humans are suddenly infused with youkai powers and go on a rampage. But the appearance of a sinister man signals trouble as Strikes become increasingly common, political rivals make their moves, and malicious individuals descend upon the city. As the self-appointed defenders of Sakurashin, it's up to the Life Counseling Office to protect the idyllic city they call home! -- -- TV - Oct 6, 2013 -- 104,811 7.50
Yuri Kuma Arashi -- -- SILVER LINK. -- 12 eps -- Original -- Psychological Drama Fantasy School Seinen Shoujo Ai -- Yuri Kuma Arashi Yuri Kuma Arashi -- In the past, humanoid bears coexisted with humans. However, a meteor shower that fell onto Earth had a strange effect on bears throughout the world: they suddenly became violent and hungry for human flesh, spurring an endless cycle of bloodshed in which bear ate man and man shot bear, forgetting the lively relationship they once had. The "Wall of Severance" was thus built, separating the two civilizations and keeping peace. -- -- Kureha Tsubaki and Sumika Izumino are two lovers attending Arashigaoka Academy, who, upon the arrival of two bears that have sneaked through the Wall of Severance and infiltrated the academy, find their relationship under a grave threat. The hungering yet affectionate bears, Ginko Yurishiro and Lulu Yurigasaki, seem to see the bear-hating Kureha as more than just another meal, and in getting closer to her, trigger an unraveling of secrets that Kureha may not be able to bear. -- -- When their relationships provoke the Invisible Storm, a group that keeps order within the ideological school, the girls must stand on trial with their love, embarking on a journey of self-discovery en route to attaining true love's "promised kiss." -- -- 86,301 7.07
Yuri Kuma Arashi -- -- SILVER LINK. -- 12 eps -- Original -- Psychological Drama Fantasy School Seinen Shoujo Ai -- Yuri Kuma Arashi Yuri Kuma Arashi -- In the past, humanoid bears coexisted with humans. However, a meteor shower that fell onto Earth had a strange effect on bears throughout the world: they suddenly became violent and hungry for human flesh, spurring an endless cycle of bloodshed in which bear ate man and man shot bear, forgetting the lively relationship they once had. The "Wall of Severance" was thus built, separating the two civilizations and keeping peace. -- -- Kureha Tsubaki and Sumika Izumino are two lovers attending Arashigaoka Academy, who, upon the arrival of two bears that have sneaked through the Wall of Severance and infiltrated the academy, find their relationship under a grave threat. The hungering yet affectionate bears, Ginko Yurishiro and Lulu Yurigasaki, seem to see the bear-hating Kureha as more than just another meal, and in getting closer to her, trigger an unraveling of secrets that Kureha may not be able to bear. -- -- When their relationships provoke the Invisible Storm, a group that keeps order within the ideological school, the girls must stand on trial with their love, embarking on a journey of self-discovery en route to attaining true love's "promised kiss." -- -- -- Licensor: -- Funimation -- 86,301 7.07
Zero no Tsukaima -- -- J.C.Staff -- 13 eps -- Light novel -- Action Adventure Harem Comedy Magic Romance Ecchi Fantasy School -- Zero no Tsukaima Zero no Tsukaima -- Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière is a self-absorbed mage in a world of wands, cloaks, and royalty. Although she studies at Tristain Academy, a prestigious school for magicians, she has a major problem: Louise is unable to cast magic properly, earning her the nickname of "Louise the Zero" from her classmates. -- -- When the first year students are required to perform a summoning ritual, Louise's summoning results in a catastrophic explosion! Everyone deems this to be yet another failure, but when the smoke clears, a boy named Saito Hiraga appears. Now Louise's familiar, Saito is treated as a slave, forced to clean her clothes and eat off the ground. But when an unfamiliar brand is found etched on Saito's hand from the summoning ritual, it is believed to be the mark of a powerful familiar named Gandalfr. -- -- Wild, adventurous, and explosive, Zero no Tsukaima follows Saito as he comes to terms with his new life and as Louise proves that there is more to her than her nickname suggests. -- -- -- Licensor: -- Funimation, Geneon Entertainment USA, Sentai Filmworks -- 668,146 7.31
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1961 French referendum on Algerian self-determination
1974 Ellice Islands self-determination referendum
2006 Tokelauan self-determination referendum
2007 Tokelauan self-determination referendum
2008 Greenlandic self-government referendum
2014 Catalan self-determination referendum
2A self-cleaving peptides
.32 Winchester Self-Loading
.351 Winchester Self-Loading
.401 Winchester Self-Loading
Abraham Low Self-Help Systems
Advertising Self-Regulatory Council
Advocates for Self-Government
All-dielectric self-supporting cable
Ambazonia Self-Defence Council
Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed
Australian Capital Territory (Self-Government) Act 1988
Automatic Self-Cleansing Filter Syndicate Co Ltd v Cuninghame
Bakassi Movement for Self-Determination
Best Of: Self-Destruction
Bhim self-propelled howitzer
Bornholm's Self-Government Party
Breast self-examination
Breath-figure self-assembly
Built-in self-test
CAESAR self-propelled howitzer
Camouflage Self-Portrait
Center for Community Self-Help
Charlie Hustle: The Blueprint of a Self-Made Millionaire
Chinese Gung Fu: The Philosophical Art of Self-Defense
Christian Organisation of Self-employed Persons
Citizens for Self-Governance
Civil Movement "People's Self-Defense"
Cognitive-experiential self-theory
Collective self-esteem
Committee for Social Self-Defense KOR
Common-use self-service
Congenital self-healing reticulohistiocytosis
Contingent self-esteem
Control self-assessment
Cyber self-defense
Danu Self-Administered Zone
Democratic Self-Government Party of Hong Kong
Digital self-defense
Dreamland: A Self-Help Manual for a Frightened Nation
Emotional self-regulation
Enlightened self-interest
Estonian Self-Administration
European Charter of Local Self-Government
Forget Self-Help
Growing self-organizing map
Guided self-change
Half-Life VR but the AI is Self-Aware
Hardwired... to Self-Destruct
Help:Using Wikipedia for mathematics self-study
History of self-driving cars
How Long Is the Coast of Britain? Statistical Self-Similarity and Fractional Dimension
Human Chain for Basque Self-determination, 2014
Human Chain for Basque Self-determination, 2018
Hybrid Kohonen self-organizing map
Hydrogen-moderated self-regulating nuclear power module
Illusions of self-motion
Imghad Tuareg Self-Defense Group and Allies
Imperfect self-defense
Implicit self-esteem
Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act of 1975
Indigenous Australian self-determination
Indigenous self-government in Canada
Indirect self-reference
Industry self-regulation
Informational self-determination
Institute for Local Self-Reliance
Japan Air Self-Defense Force
Japan Ground Self-Defense Force
Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Music Corps
Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
Japan Self-Defense Forces
Jilin Self-Defence Army
Jim Dine: A Self-Portrait on the Walls
JLG/JLG Self-Portrait in December
Jug in the Form of a Head, Self-Portrait
Kokang Self-Administered Zone
Koice Self-governing Region
L1A1 Self-Loading Rifle
Law on the Referendum on Self-determination of Catalonia
List of active Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ships
List of countries by food self-sufficiency rate
List of equipment of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force
List of language self-study programs
List of political parties campaigning for self-government
List of political self-immolations
List of self-help books
List of self-help organizations
List of self-intersecting polygons
List of self-portraits in the Uffizi Gallery
List of self-publishing companies
Local Self-Defence in Lithuania during the Nazi occupation (194144)
Logic built-in self-test
M107 self-propelled gun
M120 Rak (self-propelled mortar)
Macroscopic quantum self-trapping
Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization
Mecha and Tulama Self-Help Association
Memorial to Heroic Self-Sacrifice
Military ranks and insignia of the Japan Self-Defense Forces
Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government
Molecular self-assembly
Movement for the Self-Determination of Bioko Island
Multi-configurational self-consistent field
Naga Self-Administered Zone
National Association for Self-Esteem
National Capital Revitalization and Self-Government Improvement Act of 1997
Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996
Native American self-determination
NCR Self-Service
Neuronal self-avoidance
Nigerien Self-Management Party
North Borneo Self-government Day
North Star Self-Directed Learning for Teens
No Self-Government Party
Novikov self-consistency principle
Onania: or, the heinous sin of self-pollution
Our UkrainePeople's Self-Defense Bloc
Pa'O Self-Administered Zone
Pa Laung Self-Administered Zone
Patient Self-Determination Act
Patriotic Self-Defense
Patterns of self-organization in ants
Peasant Self-Defenders of Crdoba and Urab
Petals for Armor: Self-Serenades
Phuntsog self-immolation incident
Power-on self-test
Promotion of Bantu Self-government Act, 1959
Provisional Institutions of Self-Government
PTSD Symptom Scale Self-Report Version
Random self-reducibility
Ranger Courses (Japan Ground Self-Defense Force)
Reflexive self-consciousness
Relationship-contingent self-esteem
Rembrandt: A Self-Portrait
Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour
Right of self-defense
Right of self-defense in Maryland
R (National Federation of Self-Employed and Small Businesses Ltd) v Inland Revenue Commissioners
Rosenberg self-esteem scale
Royal Charter on self-regulation of the press
Runtime application self-protection
S-51 Self-Propelled Gun
Self-abasement
Self-abuse
Self-actualization
Self-adaptive mechanisms
Self-addressed stamped envelope
Self-adhesive plastic sheet
Self-adhesive stamp
Self-adjoint
Self-adjoint operator
Self-administered Gerocognitive Examination
Self-administered zone
Self-advocacy
Self-affirmation
Self-agency
Self-aligned gate
Self-amalgamating tape
Self-amplified spontaneous emission
Self-anchored suspension bridge
Self-anointing in animals
Self-archiving
Self-arising Primordial Awareness
Self-arrest
Self-assembled monolayer
Self-assembling peptide
Self-assembly
Self-assembly of nanoparticles
Self-assessment
Self-assessment (disambiguation)
Self-authenticating document
Self-authorship
Self-avoiding walk
Self-awareness
Self-balancing binary search tree
Self-balancing scooter
Self-belay
Self-blame (psychology)
Self-blended model of learning
Self-bondage
Self-booting disk
Self-brand
Self-build
Self-cannibalism
Self-care
Self-care deficit nursing theory
Self-categorization theory
Self-censorship
Self-Certification (New York City Department of Buildings)
Self-certifying File System
Self-Changing Gears
Self-checkout
Self-clasping handshake
Self-cleaning glass
Self-cleaning oven
Self-cleaning surfaces
Self-clocking signal
Self-competition
Self-complementary adeno-associated virus
Self-concealment
Self-concept
Self-concordant function
Self-condensation
Self-confrontation method
Self-consciousness
Self-consistent mean field
Self-consolidating concrete
Self-constancy
Self-Constitution
Self-Consuming Artifacts
Self-contained breathing apparatus
Self-contained self-rescue device
Self-contained system (software)
Self-control
Self-Control (novel)
Self-control theory of crime
Self-coup
Self-criticism
Self-criticism (MarxismLeninism)
Self-cultivation
Self-dealing
Self-deception
Self-decoration camouflage
Self-defeating personality disorder
Self-defeating prophecy
Self-Defence Against Fresh Fruit
Self-defence in English law
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Self-Defence of Lithuania and Belarus (1918)
Self-Defence of the Republic of Poland
Self-defense
Self-defense force
Self-Defense Forces (NES regions)
Self-defense (Sweden)
Self-Defense Training Camp
Self-defining Text Archive and Retrieval
Self-denial
Self-denying Ordinance
Self-deportation
Self-deprecation
Self-descriptive number
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Self-destructive behavior
Self-determination
Self-determination and Freedom
Self-determination theory
Self-development plan
Self-diagnosis
Self-directed IRA
Self-directedness
Self-discharge
Self-discharger
Self-disclosure
Self-discovery
Self-discrepancy theory
Self-disorder
Self-documenting code
Self-domestication
Self-driving car
Self-driving car liability
Self-driving truck
Self-drying concrete technology
Self-efficacy
Self-Efficacy (book)
Self-elimination of the Austrian Parliament
Self-embedding
Self-employment
Self-energy
Self-enforcing agreement
Self-enhancement
Self-enquiry (Ramana Maharshi)
Self-enucleation
Self-esteem
Self-evaluation maintenance theory
Self-evidence
Self-exclusion
Self-executing right
Self-executing rule
Self-existing Perfection
Self-expandable metallic stent
Self-expansion model
Self-experimentation
Self-experimentation in medicine
Self-expression values
Self-extracting archive
Self-fashioning
Self-financing Higher Education in Hong Kong
Self-financing portfolio
Self-focusing
Self-framing metal buildings
Self-fulfilling prophecy
Self-fulfillment
Self-funded health care
Self-governance
Self-governance of Singapore
Self-governing colony
Self-Government Army
Self-Government (Faroe Islands)
Self-handicapping
Self-harm
Self-hating Jew
Self-hatred
Self-healing
Self-healing material
Self-healing ring
Self-heating food packaging
Self-help
Self-help book
Self-help group
Self-help group (finance)
Self-help groups for mental health
Self-hosting
Self-hosting (compilers)
Self-hypnosis
Self-ignition
Self-image
Self-immolation
Self-immolation protests by Tibetans in China
Self-incompatibility
Self-incrimination
Self-Indication Assumption Doomsday argument rebuttal
Self-induced abortion
Self-Inflicted Aerial Nostalgia
Self-inflicted caesarean section
Self-inflicted wound
Self-Injurious Behavior Inhibiting System
Self-injury Awareness Day
Self-insertion
Self-insurance
Self-interest
Self-invested personal pension
Self-ionization of water
Self-justification
Self-knowledge
Self-knowledge (psychology)
Self-learning
Self-leveling concrete
Self-levelling
Self-levelling suspension
Self-licensing
Self-licking ice cream cone
Self-ligating bracket
Self-limiting
Self-locating datum marker buoy
Self-locking device
Self-love
Self-made
Self-made man
Self-Made Man (book)
Self-Made Men
Self-managed social centres in Italy
Self-managed social centres in the United Kingdom
Self-management
Self-management (computer science)
Self-Master Colony
Self-medication
Self-medication (disambiguation)
Self-microemulsifying drug delivery system
Self-mixing interferometry
Self-modifying code
Self-monitoring
Self-motion
Self-neglect
Self-optimization
Self-organising heuristic
Self-organization
Self-organization in cybernetics
Self-organized criticality
Self-organized criticality control
Self-organized time-division multiple access
Self-organizing map
Self-organizing network
Self-oscillation
Self-ownership
Self-parenting
Self-parody
Self-perceived quality-of-life scale
Self-perception theory
Self-perpetuation
Self-persuasion
Self-phase modulation
Self-pity
Self-policing
Self-pollination
Self-portrait
Self-Portrait (Artemisia Gentileschi)
Self-Portrait as a Soldier
Self-Portrait as the Allegory of Painting
Self-Portrait as the Apostle Paul
Self-Portrait as Zeuxis Laughing
Self-Portrait at 6th Wedding Anniversary
Self-Portrait at the Age of 13
Self-portrait at the age of 34
Self-Portrait at the Age of 63
Self-Portrait (Bol)
Self-portrait (Chassriau)
Self-portrait (disambiguation)
Self-Portrait (Drer, Madrid)
Self-Portrait (Drer, Munich)
Self-Portrait (El Greco)
Self-Portrait (EP)
Self-Portrait (film)
Self-Portrait (Frick, Rembrandt)
Self-portrait (Hans Holbein the Younger)
Self-Portrait in a Circle of Friends from Mantua
Self-portrait in a Convex Mirror
Self-Portrait in a Convex Mirror (poetry collection)
Self-Portrait in Black and White
Self-Portrait (Inn of the Dawn Horse)
Self-Portrait in Swing
Self-Portrait on an Easel
Self-Portrait (Rembrandt, Altman)
Self-portrait (Rembrandt, Indianapolis)
Self-Portrait (Rembrandt, Vienna)
Self-Portrait (Rubens, 16381639)
Self-portraits by Rembrandt
Self-portrait (Tartaglia)
Self-Portrait (van Hemessen)
Self-Portrait Wearing a White Feathered Bonnet
Self-Portrait with a Friend
Self-Portrait with a Harp (Rose-Adlade Ducreux)
Self-Portrait with a Sunflower
Self-Portrait with Beret and Turned-Up Collar
Self-Portrait with Dishevelled Hair
Self-portrait with Dr Arrieta
Self-Portrait with Monkey
Self-portrait without beard
Self-Portrait with Seven Fingers
Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird
Self-Portrait with Two Circles
Self-Portrait with Two Pupils
Self-praise of Shulgi (Shulgi D)
Self-preservation
Self-proclaimed
Self-proclaimed monarchy
Self-propaganda
Self-propagating high-temperature synthesis
Self-propelled
Self-propelled anti-aircraft weapon
Self-propelled artillery
Self-propelled modular transporter
Self-propelled particles
Self-propulsion
Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off
Self-publishing
Self-pulsation
Self-rated health
Self-realization
Self-Realization Fellowship
Self-reconfiguring modular robot
Self-reference
Self-reference effect
Self-reference puzzle
Self-referential encoding
Self-referential humor
Self-reflection
Self-refuting idea
Self-regulating heater
Self-regulation
Self-regulation theory
Self-regulatory organization
Self-Reliance
Self-reliance
Self-relocation
Self-repair
Self-replicating machine
Self-replicating spacecraft
Self-replication
Self-report inventory
Self-report study
Self-Respect Movement
Self-review framework
Self-righteousness
Self-righting mechanism
Self-sacrifice in Jewish law
Self-Sacrifice National Democratic Party
Self-schema
Self-sealing fuel tank
Self-separation
Self-service
Self-service laundry
Self-service password reset
Self-Service Semantic Suite
Self-serving bias
Self-shadowing
Self-signed certificate
Self-similarity
Self-similar solution
Self-stabilization
Self-steering gear
Self-stereotyping
Self-Strengthening Movement
Self-styled order
Self-supply of water and sanitation
Self-supporting minister
Self-Surgery
Self-surgery
Self-sustainability
Self-synchronizing code
Self-tapping screw
Self-Taught
Self-Taught Learner
Self-taxation
Self-test of intelligence
Self-tiling tile set
Self-titled Album (The Audition album)
Self-titled Album (The Huntingtons album)
Self-titled (disambiguation)
Self-Titled Long-Playing Debut Album
Self-Titled (Zao album)
Self-transcendence
Self-Transcendence 3100 Mile Race
Self-Transcendence 6- & 10-day Race
Self-tuning
Self-tying shoes
Self-verification theory
Self-verifying finite automaton
Self-verifying theories
Ship Self-Defense System
Socialist self-management
Software Engineering for Adaptive and Self-Managing Systems
SORA self-propelled howitzer
Spacer (self-storage)
St. Tropez (self-tan brand)
Study for a Self-PortraitTriptych, 198586
SU-100Y Self-Propelled Gun
Symbolic self-completion theory
Talk:Self-respect
Tang Fu-zhen self-immolation incident
Technological self-efficacy
Testicular self-examination
The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Self-Isolation) (England) Regulations 2020
The Power (self-help book)
The Psychology of Self-Esteem
The Right of Nations to Self-Determination
The Self-Improvement of Salvadore Ross
The Self-Starter Foundation
The Self-Sufficient-ish Bible
The Self-Titled Tour
The Self-Titled Tour (Paramore)
The unsuccessful self-treatment of a case of "writer's block"
The Wood of the Self-Murderers: The Harpies and the Suicides
This Love Story Will Self-Destruct
Three Principles (self-help)
Tiananmen Square self-immolation incident
Tupper's self-referential formula
Turkish Armed Forces Medal of Distinguished Courage and Self-Sacrifice
Type 19 155 mm Wheeled Self-propelled Howitzer
Type 74 105 mm self-propelled howitzer
Type 75 155 mm self-propelled howitzer
Type 87 self-propelled anti-aircraft gun
Type 99 155 mm self-propelled howitzer
Ukrainian National Assembly Ukrainian People's Self-Defence
Union of Self-Employed Entrepreneurs
United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories
United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia
User:Tisane/Self-nominations for adminship as prima facie evidence of power hunger
Verbal self-defense
Wa Self-Administered Division
Webley Self-Loading Pistol
Workers' self-management
Work self-efficacy
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