SAIEN

I. The Corporeal Prison: Definition and Structure The material existence, perceived from a higher consciousness, is often experienced as a system of profound limitation and  artificiality .1 A. THE BODY AS A GAOL The immense material world itself is designated as a  gaol .2 It functions under a rigid regime where a “stone-eyed law” stands armed across every road, and “huge dim sentinels” pace at every gate.3 The fundamental reality of life here is described as a  slow and strange uneasy compromise  of limiting Nature with a limitless Soul.4 The body is the primary prison, and the human condition is characterized by  confinement to the sensations of the gross world .5 The mind that fabricates the details of everyday life acts like a narrow prison, making the individual feel cramped into a personal formation or “eggshell”.6 The perception of the body’s confinement is acute even in the cellular consciousness; the body has the feeling of being imprisoned within some...

Come as a gold spangled breath of presence A mist of an unseen gold, Out colouring every hue of ‘I’ness, Swallowing every cord and discord of thought. A breath invading all, mightily and sovereignly, Dissolving the tenacious bid of the ‘I’ to self-claim Into a molten flame of self-giving. Come, come as a breath of a romance so supreme That all of me is hushed into a silent anthem of love. - Anahita Sanjana (India)

Eventually, as we grow and mature, as our powers of reflection and self-examination increase, we begin to seriously consider why it is we are alive, what it is we are here to do and how we can accomplish whatever our lives are intended to be. There are several aspects to this process of growth and development. When we are born into our human lives, we are immature physically, vitally, emotionally and mentally. In Book I, Canto 1, in his epic poem,  Savitri: A Legend and a Symbol,  Sri Aurobindo hints at our situation: “But the oblivion that succeeds the fall,   Had blotted the crowded tablets of the past,     And all that was destroyed must be rebuilt   And old experience laboured out once more.”   We need to develop our physical, vital and mental framework and capacities, increase their power and perfect their action. This is an ongoing process in our lives. Much of our early focus is dedicated to this aspect of development, and we do not, therefore, ...

The month of April at Puducherry Is not merely a month, but a grace; On the fourth of 1910, a flame touched the quiet shore — Sri Aurobindo, the pilgrim of the Infinite. Ten years later, April bloomed again— On the twenty-fourth of 1920, The Mother came to stay, Carrying the dawn in her gaze, Planting eternity in mortal soil. Together they shaped a silent revolution, Beyond the clamour of kingdoms, creeds, and fame; A consciousness awakening to its forgotten source, Like dawn unfolding within the human soul. April bloomed as February shines, luminous and rare, Bearing memories cherished by every seeking heart, On the twenty-first of 1878 was born Mirra Alfassa, The Mother, A flame of love and transformation for the earth. And when leap-year February offers its hidden day, The twenty-ninth recalls the Supramental Manifestation of 1956 — A golden consciousness touching earthly life, Opening new horizons for humanity's destiny. The twenty-eighth of 1968 saw Auroville arise, A dream of...

I. The Nature and Necessity of the Egoistic Will The ego is defined as the central subjective principle governing human action in the Ignorance, fundamentally rooted in division and limitation. A. Definition and Origin of the Ego The ego, or ahaṅkāra 1 , is the subjective principle inducing the puruṣa (conscious being) to identify itself with prakṛti (Nature) and its activities 1 . It is the limited ‘I’ in us 1 , representing a form of  willed ignorance  and exclusive absorption in one form 2 . The ego served an indispensable evolutionary purpose: 1.  Individualisation : The ego was created for the work of  individualisation 3 , enabling the development of individuality out of the indiscriminate force and substance of Nature 4 . The ego is an absolutely necessary factor until one is an individualised being 5 . 2.  Motivation for Action : In primitive, tamasic animal man, the ego motivated action. Without ego-driven incentives like ambition or vanity, humans migh...