Evolution
scientists tell us that that birth and the growth of man,
the Home Sapiens, marked the completion of evolutionary cycle
of life on earth that took place in various stages over millions
of years. Man is the only creature among millions of species
on earth, who can think intelligently and synthesize thoughts.
Because of man’s power of intelligent reasoning, the
scientists have put him at the zenith of the evolutionary
spiral.
Man
has made great strides in science and technology over the
past one century. This is often mistaken as the evidence of
man having reached the pinnacle of the evolutionary glory.
A closer look at this phenomenon tells that the growth of
human mind has so far been limited to exploiting the potential
of matter. This is reflected in the spectacular growth of
physical science that has put man in space and begun unlocking
the mysteries of human body through research in areas such
as gnome mapping, cellular biology and stem cells.
However,
human endeavor to look into the potential of spirit has not
gone beyond the realm of psychophysical research. In fact,
research into deeper aspects of human mind always invariably
ends with scientists probing the brain. This is because modern
science cannot believe or perceive that human body and mind
could be linked to another state of consciousness that exists
beyond the limits of our physical world. The result is that
the potential possibilities of spirit, vis-à-vis matter,
has been left to the interpreters of religious spirituality.
This has caused a neat division between scientists and religious
leaders, making them look at each with a degree of suspicion
and even hostility.
The
developed West’s excessive emphasis on exploiting the
physical world has resulted in the near total neglect of the
great potential of the spirit world with which human body
and mind are closely linked, and are therefore deeply impacted
by it. The progress in science and technology has therefore
led to greater physical comforts but not to peace of mind.
If anything, material progress stemming from new scientific
discoveries has only led to competition, conflict, discord
and internecine struggle in human society.
Sri
Aurobindo, one of 20th century’s greatest spiritual
masters and seers, had accurately diagnosed the current crisis
in human society as the result of the imbalance in man’s
treatment of matter and spirit. He argued through his incisive
writings and speeches that mankind will not be at peace with
itself unless it achieved a correct balance in exploring the
potential of spirit and matter and linking them together.
Unlike most philosophers and proponents of spiritual development,
Sri Aurobindo’s thoughts on the subject were not the
result of his mere ‘armchair’ intellectual exercise.
Refusing to accept at face value various interpretations of
Vedic texts made by scholars, Sri Aurobindo conducted his
own independent research into Vedic scriptures to understand
and experience the cosmic consciousness and its impact on
the physical world. After nearly 40 years of practicing what
he called Integral Yoga as part of his practical research,
he made a startling discovery — man is not at the pinnacle
of life’s evolutionary cycle on earth. Man, he found,
is only a ‘transitional being’. He found that
the Homo sapiens have yet to evolve further in the realm of
spirit. It is only when man evolves higher into the remaining
stages of consciousness that he will have reached the zenith
of life’s evolution on our planet.
Vedic
texts mention that human body is only the physical abode of
soul. The soul is enveloped in seven sheaths – Annamay
Kosh (matter in the form of physical body sustained by intake
of food), Pranmay Kosh (the life force), Manomay Kosh (mind
as distinctly different from intelligence), Vigyanmay Kosh
(intelligence), Aanandmay Kosh (bliss or ceaseless joy not
connected with body or mind), Chitta Kosh (spiritual wisdom)
and Sat Kosh (the final state of merging with the Infinite).
Development of all the seven sheaths fully is necessary for
man’s complete spiritual evolution.
Man has been successful in developing the first four sheaths
through the physical evolutionary process down the ages. How
will he be able now to complete the last three stages of his
evolution? Sri Aurobindo, assisted by his French disciple
known as the Mother, realized during his meditative states
that the final evolution could happen only if the cosmic consciousness
(whom he described as Krishna’s supramental force) descended
on earth. Both Sri Aurobindo and Mother, fired by altruistic
zeal to save mankind from imminent annihilation, dedicated
themselves to most arduous practice of yoga for years to prepare
spiritual environment conducive to such descent. Their dedication
bore fruit. On November 24, 1926, the Mother announced to
a small group of Sri Aurobindo’s disciples that Krishna’s
supramental force had descended on earth and assumed a human
form. It was the day on which Guru Siyag was born.
Both
Sri Aurobindo and Mother were convinced that the person who
was thus chosen for the manifestation of the Krishna consciousness
in the physical world, would himself undergo the last three
stages of ‘Anand’, ‘Chit’ and ‘Sat’.
The chosen one’s mission would be to bring about the
kind spiritual evolution that he has undergone himself among
others. Sri Aurobindo and Mother were also convinced that
if one man on earth underwent complete spiritual revolution,
it was practically possible for millions of others to experience
this divine transformation if they followed the same path
as the Chosen One. Both were however also aware that the evolution
of the Chosen one would be subject to all the trial and tribulations
that are part of every human life. They knew that eventually
the chosen one would be made fully conscious of his real mission
on earth. This happened in 1969 when Guru Siyag achieved the
Gayatri Siddhi in the wee hours of a winter morning in a Rajasthan
town. He was engulfed in the divine light of the supramental
force, changing his life forever. In the distant coastal town
of Pondichery in southern India, Mother, who was always connected
with cosmic consciousness, instantly received the vibrations
of this momentous happening. She simply said her own mission
was complete, as Krishna’s supramental force had become
active that day. Given below is an excerpt from Mother’s
writings of the vision she saw:
“November
26/27, 1968: Powerful and prolonged infiltration of supramental
forces into the “body” everywhere at the same
time, as though the whole body “bathed” in the
forces that entered everywhere at the same time with a slight
friction, the head down to the neck was the last receptive
region.
1969:
On the 1st January 1969 at two o'clock in the morning a consciousness
descended into the earth's atmosphere and “settled”
there. It was a most marvelous descent, full of light, force,
power, joy and peace and suffused the ‘whole’
earth.”
She
had no doubt that it would eventually lead the spiritual evolution
in mankind. However, like all the spiritual mystics, Mother
never indicated to her followers who the Chosen One was. Perhaps,
she knew that the divine forces would themselves reveal the
identity of the Chosen One when the time was ripe, and help
him realize his true mission – bringing about a spiritual
evolution in mankind.
It
is the Indian spiritual belief that all the saints and true
spiritual masters work in unison at a subtle consciousness
level for the betterment of mankind. So, it was with Sri Aurobindo
and Mother. Their own practice of Yoga was actually the spadework
for the spiritual revolution in mankind, which they were sure,
to take place in the near future.
The
predictions made by Sri Aurobindo and Mother about the descent
of Krishna consciousness in human form and its eventual rise
through trial tribulations find amazing echo and identity
in Guru Siyag’s journey from leading an ordinary material
existence to his eventual transformation into a spiritual
master under the blessings of his guru Shri Gangainathji.
Though Guru Siyag is now ready for his global mission, he
faces ignorance, indifference and even hostility at ever step
just as prophets like Moses and Jesus did. But Guru Siyag
is unperturbed. He is well aware that Krishna’s divine
consciousness working within him cannot fail. The divine mission
will succeed no matter how many stormy seas Guru Siyag is
called upon to cross. West is the leader of the world’s
material progress. So Guru Siyag is keen to take his Siddha Yoga to the West to begin a spiritual movement based on cosmic
consciousness. He believes that only such a movement will
eventually bring about a union of East’s spiritualism
and West’s materialism to usher in a true spiritual
revolution in mankind.
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