Rules of Collective Living: Cultivating Harmony Within and Without
“Harmony is my aim and all that leads to harmony makes me happy.”1
Understanding Harmony
Harmony is often understood through its synonyms: agreement, accord, concord, synchronization, congruence, coordination, and coherence. While these words capture facets of harmony, they may not fully encompass its essence. Harmony is not merely a mental or intellectual exercise but also an experiential and embodied state. It involves a holistic integration of all aspects of our being, aligning our inner selves with our outer actions and the larger universe.
“Harmony and beauty of the mind and soul, harmony and beauty of the thoughts and feelings, harmony and beauty in every outward act and movement, harmony and beauty of the life and surroundings, this is the demand of Mahalakshmi…. Where love and beauty are not or are reluctant to be born, she does not come.”2
Integral harmony, as highlighted by The Mother,3 encompasses:
- Harmony between things
- Harmony between people
- Harmony of circumstances
- Above all, harmony of all aspirations directed towards the Supreme Truth
The inner causes of disharmony often govern the outer manifestations of discord. By focusing on inner harmony, we can influence and transform the external world.
“Look for the inner causes of disharmony much more than the outer ones. It is the inside which governs the outside.”4
Importance of Harmony
Harmony is crucial because:
- Human life, as Sri Aurobindo notes, often disrupts the grand harmony underlying nature.
- All problems of existence are fundamentally problems of harmony, arising from the perception of discord and the instinct for unity.
- A fully awakened mind cannot rest content with unresolved discord, seeking instead a comprehensive harmony.
“… all problems of existence are essentially problems of harmony. They arise from the perception of an unsolved discord and the instinct of an undiscovered agreement or unity. To rest content with an unsolved discord is possible for the practical and more animal part of man, but impossible for his fully awakened mind, and usually even his practical parts only escape from the general necessity either by shutting out the problem or by accepting a rough, utilitarian and unillumined compromise. For essentially, all Nature seeks a harmony, life and matter in their own sphere as much as mind in the arrangement of its perceptions.”5
Practicing Harmony Within
To practice harmony within:
- Become conscious of the movements within, in all parts of our being.
- Cultivate the triple harmony of love, strength, and wisdom. Our love should be strong, wise, and discerning; our strength should be noble and controlled; our wisdom should be calm and impartial.
“Our love must not make us weak, blind or unwise; our strength must not make us hard and furious; our principles must not make us fanatical or sentimental. Let us think calmly, patiently, impartially; let us love wholly and intensely but wisely; let us act with strength, nobility and force. If even then we make mistakes, yet God makes none. We decide and act; He determines the fruit, and whatever He determines is good.”6
Cultivating Collective Harmony
“Collective harmony is the work undertaken by the Divine Consciousness; It alone has the power to realise it.”7
“It is only in union with the Divine and in the Divine that harmony and peace can be established.”8
For collective living, harmony is paramount. The following rules can guide us in fostering harmony within groups and communities:
1. Self-Awareness and Inner Harmony
- Regularly introspect and become conscious of your inner state.
- Address internal conflicts and align your thoughts, emotions, and actions with your higher aspirations.
2. Respect and Understanding
- Foster a deep respect for the individuality and uniqueness of each person.
- Strive to understand differing perspectives and find common ground.
3. Clear Communication
- Communicate openly, honestly, and respectfully.
- Listen actively and empathetically to others.
4. Cooperation and Collaboration
- Work together towards common goals, valuing each member’s contribution.
- Encourage teamwork and collective problem-solving.
5. Patience and Tolerance
- Practice patience and tolerance in the face of differences and challenges.
- Avoid hasty judgments and reactions.
6. Emotional Intelligence
- Manage your emotions effectively and support others in doing the same.
- Cultivate empathy and compassion.
7. Balanced Approach
- Balance love, strength, and wisdom in all interactions.
- Avoid extremes and seek a middle path that accommodates diverse needs and views.
8. Commitment to Growth
- Encourage continuous personal and collective growth.
- Embrace change and be open to learning from experiences.
9. Creating a Harmonious Environment
- Ensure that the physical and social environment supports harmony and well-being.
- Promote beauty and order in surroundings and relationships.
10. Aspiring for Higher Values
- Align collective aspirations with higher values and the pursuit of the Supreme Truth.
- Inspire and uplift each other towards spiritual and moral excellence.
Harmony, when practiced both within and without, transforms not only individual lives but also the collective consciousness, leading to a more beautiful and balanced existence for all. By integrating the principles of harmony into our collective living, we can create a harmonious and fulfilling community life.
“A harmonious collective aspiration can change the course of circumstances.”9
- Sampadananda Mishra (India)
Director, Centre for Human Sciences, Rishihood University, Sonipat
Published in the Golden Jubilee Souvenir of Sri Aurobindo Shrikshetra, Dalijoda, Odisha
1 The Mother, Collected Works of The Mother, vol.14
2 Sri Aurobindo, Complete Works of Sri Aurobindo, vol.32
3 The Mother, CWM vol.14
4 Ibid.
5 Sri Aurobindo, CWSA vol.21
6 Ibid. vol.12
7 The Mother, CWM vol.14
8 Ibid.
9 Ibid.
Collective living begins with group of individuals spread across the world and must needs encompass the whole of humanity by and by. The rules of ideal collective living are same for groups and nations, a rich harmony and well being all with no maligns within and without. Nevertheless, there appears to be no intranational and international harmony on the ground despite the formation of UNO for promotion of such harmony in terrestrial life. This is a sad state of affairs on the ground. There is hardly any sign of good progress in this aspiration for higher values and Supreme Truth. Obviously, there is no sincerity of purpose notwithstanding many enlightened souls showing the way to the world through the ages since the coming of man on the planet. How can mere book reading, however much luminous with great ideas, alone help?
ReplyDeleteThese Rules for Collective Living are a gentle reminder of how to conduct ourselves in alignment with our highest aspirations. Thank you for this concise review about Harmony. These concepts are immediately applicable both within and without. Much appreciated.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this post!
ReplyDeleteLiving in harmony in its ideal sense requires living from our soul consciousness, not the ego. It is the soul, after all, that can harmonize the individual being, and personal inner harmony, even when not perfectly attained, is a necessary step towards group or collective harmony. Many descriptions of heaven and hell point to heaven being a place of harmonious cooperation, whereas, hell is defined by egoistic clashes and conflicts.
It seems that the forces of darkness and evil know their craft of creating divisions and conflict much better than we know the way to establishing peace and harmony.
The work starts at the individual level with the aim of resolving and healing our intra-personal conflicts, not by diving into these realms in the subconscious, but by going into the psychic consciousness- to the subliminal, not the subconscious, where we can find the right qualities and tools that we need for healing our inner conflicts.