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Spiritual Experience Beyond the Mind

In his epic poem  Savitri: A Legend and a Symbol ,   Sri Aurobindo states: “God shall grow up while the wise men talk and sleep.” Until an individual has an actual experience of an inward state of consciousness, or that of the silent mind, or one in which the experience is that of an uninvolved witness, or one experiences the descent of knowledge, or power or ecstatic bliss that goes outside the bounds of the normal human experience, he cannot truly understand what is meant by these descriptive terms. The matter of spiritual experiences, for those who have not personally experienced them, is one of either belief or disbelief, or one of argument in favor of or against. For those who are locked into the logical, rational, mental mind-set, these experiences are almost impossible to fit into their world-view, and thus, they will declare them as hallucinations, dreams, delusions or any number of other derogatory terms that, more than anything else, define the limits and framework t...
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Rooster - a Liaison between Self and The Divine

Before the sun shines its first ray To glitter the sky with golden hue, The rooster perches quietly, and cracks the shell of dawn. His crowing every daybreak Is sharp as truth and pure as oath, Meandering the dark sleeping world   Lifting morning from its sheathe. Through him, the earth hears The divine beginning to revitalize, He rises where heaven blushes awake, Propelling to an entity brighter than itself. He is the coupling   Between sleep and waking, A feathered messenger   In the tabernacle of eternity. In the context of spiritual growth,   The rooster helps the aspirant's awakening   to higher consciousness and   the pursuit of inner transformation. He serves as a potent metaphor   for the soul’s progression   from ignorance to divine consciousness,   A liaison between the self and The Divine! The above poetic prose is an inspiration from my own experience of taking the Aurobindonian path as a result of the self-awakening action of the...
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On Divine Grace and Personal Effort

The entire existence, this world is a gradual self-expression and manifestation of the Divine, says the Indian spiritual tradition. But without the vision to experience the world, and everything and everyone in the world, as a manifestation of the Divine, and more importantly, without the experience of our own self as a manifestation and as a portion of the Divine, we continue to exist in Ignorance and separated from the omnipresence of the Divine. Only through a sincere aspiration and an intense personal effort of the  sadhak  the Divine Grace begins to slowly tear apart the many layers of the veil behind which is hidden the deeper, inner vision which is able to see the Divine all around and within. Such intense  sadhana  also includes rejection of all that obstructs the path of aspiration, and surrender of one’s entire being and all the movements within – the act of aspiration and the rejection included – as an offering to the Divine so that He may decide the cours...
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The Escape

A song has escaped the confines of soundproof walls, A light has danced its way out of darkness’ pall, A smile has fought its way through the tear, That which was so distant, now feels so near, Light that dances to the song of love, Has finally lit the dim alcove. Dance sweet light to the song of your beloved, In your rhythms let me melt, By your footfalls let my yearning be led. - Anahita Sanjana (India)
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What are the Perfect Conditions for Spiritual Practice

We frequently hear from people who say that they cannot focus on their spiritual practice as they don't have a quiet space in which to meditate, or they live in a crowded, noisy city, or they are overwhelmed with all their duties relating to education, career, family, etc. They focus their attention on all of the external obstacles and use that as an excuse to avoid the focus on their inner spiritual life. "If only I could find the time and a quiet place, I would meditate every day." We hear this refrain repeated in one form or another regularly. If only we could create the 'ideal' external circumstances! Those who take up a spiritual practice in all earnestness, soon discover that there are no 'perfect' surroundings nor any 'perfect' times to focus on their spiritual life. They therefore have to create the space internally needed to remain connected regardless of what they have in front of them in their external lives. It is interesting to note th...
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Ordeal

Ordeal a definite deal humanity reveals In the presence of the Divine Seal A way to refine and define that life is Divine  An act that confines many to a Definite Path. A slow steady tread gazing the sunlit ray  Determined to face life in an undaunted spirited way. Ebbs and flows… thorns with roses, Intolerance leading to pitfalls, Pausing to realise a hand of light leading cautiously with righteousness, As the Grace laced in compassionate love embraces... Pacifies kisses to blossom as faith surfaces, Tests and tolerance teach determination... All success in reality assured...   Falls, lifts, rises high, in spite of failure, Ordeal surmounted as faith… trust In the spirit of The Mother In the Love of the Mother Everlasting Eternal safe bosom Clarified strong and ethereal… In the breath I feel I am ever for ever in Maa In faith trust and Love My Maa maa Resounding Victory to Maa. - Nandini Yogeesh  (India))
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I am with You

I happened to listen to a talk on the topic  “ I am with You ”  – a famous Mantra of The Mother, by Dr Alok Pandey of Sri Aurobindo Ashram, on the Samadhi Day of The Mother, 20 th  November, at Sri Aurobindo Sadhana Kendra, Vallabh Vidya Nagar, Gujarat. To be in the constant presence of Mother’s Grace in our daily life is the aim of all Sadhaks who are learners on the path to practice Sri Aurobindo’s integral Yoga.   Reflecting on the experiences during his spiritual journey in the Ashram shared by Alok da, I found resonance with the concept of living in contact with the “ Inner consciousness of Truth ”. Living the social life at surface consciousness level when interacting and responding with our colleagues, there is a tendency to get influenced by external factors in perceptual world and we tend to lose our contact with the Inner consciousness, leading to a lack of peace and harmony.   Exploring the inner realms of consciousness by having a look on the sublimi...
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