Integral Yoga Its Nature and Significance

Author(s): G N Joshi
Publisher: Z_Pushkarmuni_Abhinandan_Granth_012012.pdf

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Integral Yoga : Its Nature and Significance
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routine and conventional lines. It should not be supposed and expected that the Divine Grace should work in way that the human mind can understand. It works in its own 'mysterious' way. The human mind being partial and limited, is constitutionally incapable of grasping the Divine. The human mechanism of knowledge has very serious inherent limitations, and therefore all the available ways of understanding it fail to grasp it. It is not accessible to concepts, logical arguments and any abstract thinking. The Grace has no definite method of expressing itself and therefore there is no fixed law of attaining it. Its appearance cannot be anticipated, nor foretold. It makes its own choice and it descends in any way and in a manner which is beyond the comprehension of the human reason. One has to wait for it with complete faith, and no impatient calling for it becomes of use in its case. The Grace chooses its own moment to come, which can neither be anticipated nor hastened, except by ever-increasing intensity of yearning for it and deepening of the surrender. One should not entertain doubt, uneasiness and impatience for its arrival.
The Internal Preparation What one needs is an unflinching faith that the Divine will surely descend into him at a moment which He will choose. Sri Aurobindo says that the road of Yoga is long, every inch of ground is to be won against much resistance. All that the Sadhaka needs is unshaken determination, firmness of will, inexhaustible patience, singleminded perseverance, absence of nervousness, disappointment and weariness. One has to take and face life and its trials with a quiet mind, a firm courage and an entire reliance on the Divine power. The Sadhaka needs cultivating qualities such as peace, tranquillity, calmness and inner imperturbability. The spiritual progress does not and should not depend on outer conditions ; spiritual life consists in living from within without, and it should not take the form of reactions to external stimuli. The inner calmness, tranquillity, poise and contentedness should never be kept dependent on external happenings. No external events should be allowed to disturb the inner state of the deep peace and equality. The outer should be a mere instrument, and should not be allowed at all to compel or dictate our actions and overpower the inner life.
The Core of Spirituality Thus to be able to receive the Divine power and let it act through us in the things of the outward life Sri Aurobindo recommends a constant aspiration, inner stillness and quietude, absolute faith that what is for the best will happen, no craving for fruits of action, and calm receptivity to receive the Divine power and to allow it to work in one's ideas, desires, will and action. It is not the effort but the surrender which works effectively in the attainment of spiritual delight. Spirituality consists not so much in the external behavoural actions as in the attitude to look at and meet the changing situations, without being inwardly disturbed, confused and excited. All work or activity should be used as a means or instrument for the practice of spiritual attitude and inward experience. Spiritual life concentrates on inwardness and not outward attainments and material gains, nor on the reform of the world in its conventional sense.
The Supramental Manifestation The aim of the Integral Yoga is to enable men to live a Divine Life or the earth. As it is made clear in the earlier part, Sri Aurobindo does not want the Yogin to escape from the life in the world, but to remain in it and spread divinity in the worldly life itself. The man of divine life is not to shun the mundane life and live in isolation and seclusion; on the contrary he has to do the work of the Divine in the world, and not a work outside or away from it. He envisages a divine life in a divine body. Divinisation of life includes the transformation of human body also. According to the Integral Yoga, the body and its activities, must be accepted as part of the Divine life. It does not advocate the suppres