Stillness of the restless, ever-active mind

The mind is a curious creature --- playful as a child, creator of imaginary fears, doubts, apprehensions. The human mind is prone to saddle one with an unending stream of irrational worries, at the slightest hint of impending crisis or unexpected turn of events in one's life. Such proclivities may snowball into hypertension, bipolar tendencies, depression, all kinds of phobia, paranoia, growing fear psychosis.

Sri Aurobindo's path of integral yoga, it has been my experience, helps one to navigate the plethora of problematic situations encountered in life. The path of integral yoga is one where the growing awareness of one's shortcomings drives the inner being towards the higher consciousness. This spiritual practice seeks to integrate all aspects of life—physical, emotional, mental and spiritual—into a unified experience of higher consciousness akin to divinity.

According to Sri Aurobindo the terrestrial World is not a mistake nor a vanity or illusion to be cast aside summarily. It is, in fact, the grand platform for spiritual evolution. Undoubtedly, the human mind is the highest form reached at present but it is yet to attain and manifest its fullest potential. The highest of which it is capable is the transformation into the Supermind or eternal Truth-Consciousness.

By its very nature, the philosophy of Sri Aurobindo categorically states, the human mind possesses the vast potential for the Light and Power of Divine Knowledge. It is only by the descent of this Supermind that the perfection dreamed of by all that is highest in humanity can happen. By seeking, realizing a greater divine consciousness, the rise to this divine power of light and bliss is assured.

It is believed that the discovery of one’s true Self in constant union with the Divine shall magnetically attract the Supramental Force for the transformation of Mind, Life and Body. This realization of the true potential of Man has been the dynamic aim of Sri Aurobindo’s Yoga.

However, the mind can be crazily restless, super-active. How does the mind magnetically attract the Supramental Force for the transformation of Mind, Life and Body?

Sri Aurobindo explains that to still the mind is not to abolish mental activity altogether. One does not have to banish the steady flow of mental activity from one's nature. He emphasizes that "the stillness of the mind depends upon the preparation and purification of the lower nature", its symbiotic acceptance of the descent of the higher nature.

The mystical descent of the inborn grace and calm, the purification of the lower nature are processes interdependent on each other. Thus, the ultimate aim of Integral Yoga is to bring the supramental power of that divine consciousness into the mind, life and body of Man. It is to manifest the Divine in the material, physical World and create Divine Life in terrestrial Matter.

The Mother further explains that humility means "for the mind, the vital and the body never to forget that without the Divine it knows nothing ...without the Divine they are nothing but Ignorance, Chaos and Impotence. The Divine alone is Truth, Power, Love, Felicity."

I wholeheartedly agree with the Mother's home-grown wisdom when she concludes that: “This is the only true humility and with it comes quiet and peace."

- Mira Ramchand Daryanani (India)

Comments

  1. Abhishek Ghosh30 May 2025 at 10:01

    Beautifully exemplified. I think you reminded us of the "humility" as a true starting point of Integral Yoga which automatically dampens our 5 senses and the sense of "I" (aham). This blog is highly relatable to our daily errands of life as an evolving Homo Sapiens.

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