Consciousness and Health
Linking the Outer Being and the Inner Being
The pursuit of personal growth requires a thorough understanding of the planes and parts of the consciousness. Ordinarily, the term, ’personality’ as used in contemporary Western psychology, corresponds to what is known as the outer being in yoga psychology. Sri Aurobindo describes a vaster inner being or subliminal personality behind the outer being, which is in continuum with the universal consciousness. It is not the soul but intermediary between the soul-principle (also known as the inmost being and a projection of the central being poised beyond and above the manifestation).
It is difficult to pursue a programme for personal growth at the level of the outer being as there, the physical, the vital and the mental planes are intermingled with each other, while the ego, which tries to balance them, is usually skewed to one plane or the other, resulting in the outer being becoming a fragile amalgam of ideas, emotions and sensations modulated by desire. The outer being thus presents a picture of chaos and disharmony. It is only at the pure psychological space of inner being that the physical, vital and mental planes can be disentangled from one another and can be de-linked from the influence of the ego.
The inner being is connected with the cosmic consciousness with which it has a spontaneous affinity. The inner or subliminal being is connected with the outer being through specialised centres of consciousness, initially described in Tantra and later acknowledged by yoga; it is these centres that are identified as cakras in the Indian tradition. Sri Aurobindo explains, “It [the subliminal] is, according to our psychology, connected with the small outer personality by certain centres of consciousness [Chakras] of which we become aware by Yoga (1).” The cakras are therefore, “…. conscious centres and sources of all the dynamic powers of our being…. These centres are closed or half-closed within us and have to be opened before their full potentiality can be manifested in our physical nature (2).” The cakras are thus usually not fully operative. Sri Aurobindo has described that great creative waves of arts, music and perennial wisdom enter the inner being through the cosmic consciousness and a little of that trickle into the outer being through the cakras, which are usually not fully operative and even then, that little is responsible for our highest creative outpourings. “Only a little of the inner being escapes through these centres into the outer life, but that little is the best part of ourselves and responsible for our art, poetry, philosophy, ideals, religious aspirations, efforts at knowledge and perfection. But the inner centres are, for the most part, closed or asleep — to open them and make them awake and active is one aim of Yoga. As they open, the powers and possibilities of the inner being also are aroused in us; we awake first to a larger consciousness and then to a cosmic consciousness; we are no longer little separate personalities with limited lives but centres of a universal action and in direct contact with cosmic forces (3).” A programme of personal growth therefore, necessitates that the cakras or centres of consciousness in the inner being be made fully operational so as to be in communion with the outer being.
The traditional way in the Indian tradition is to activate the cakras and open the channels of communication between the inner being and outer being and to start from below upwards, opening up the channels from the nethermost planes of consciousness and work up the evolutionary trajectory by activating the Kuṇḍalinī Śakti or primeval energy lying coiled up in the lower recesses of the being. This Kuṇḍalinī Śakti rises up, opening up one cakra after another from below upwards till it reaches the summit of the being to culminate in fusing with the splendour and puissance of the superconscient energy.
However, this journey is dangerous and requires the presence of an expert guide throughout the process. The initial activation of the cakras, positioned at the lower ranges of consciousness, is often accompanied by an increase of physical and libidinal energy. It required highly expert guidance to deal with this initial vital upsurge that had to be transcended to activate higher levels of energy.
This guiding expertise had become diluted through the centuries. As a result, many aspirants became stuck up at the lower cakras, so that Tantra later began to be represented as gymnastics of the libido (4). Nevertheless, the famous erotic sculpture in some ancient temples of India appear to have been conceived from experiential insights gained during the activation of the lower cakras en route along the trajectory of the Kuṇḍalinī coursing its way upwards to higher annals of consciousness.
Sri Aurobindo, for the first time in spiritual history, charted a different way for activation of the cakras that did not carry the risk involved with the usual practice of awakening Kuṇḍalinī from below. The superconscience above the manifestation at the supramental ranges carries the Force of transformation. This higher Force, a sort of Mahā Kuṇḍalinī can be invoked to descend into the being, which then opens up the cakras from above downwards, but in a way and with a priority that suits each individual subject’s personal growth.
“If one begins with this movement, then the Power from above has in its descent to open all the centres (including the lowest centre) and to bring out the psychic being; for until that is done there is likely to be much difficulty and struggle of the lower consciousness obstructing, mixing with or even refusing the Divine Action from above (5).”
This process, which does not carry the risks involved with the traditional process for the lower cakras is activated only after a higher poise is established and made secure at every stage and the gains are consolidated by the deeper poise of the Psychic Being. In fact, unless a higher poise in the superconscious or a deeper poise around the soul-essence is achieved, it is risky to deal with the lower forces. This danger is why Sri Aurobindo had recommended that the probing of the unconscious in psychoanalysis was risky unless pursued from a higher or deeper poise in consciousness.
The Mother elaborated on Sri Aurobindo’s recommendation of activating the cakras from above instead of the conventional activation from below:
“Sri Aurobindo said that all Tantrics start from below; they start right down below…. While with him, you went from above downward, so that you dominated the situation. But if you start right down below, it’s obvious that, right down below, that’s how things are: anything that’s a little stronger or a little vaster or a little truer or a little purer than ordinary Nature brings out a reaction, a revolt, a contradiction and a struggle.
I prefer the other method. Though probably it isn’t within everyone’s reach (6).”
References
1. Sri Aurobindo. Complete Works of Sri Aurobindo, Volume 30. Pondicherry: Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust; 2014, p. 325.
2. Sri Aurobindo. Complete Works, Volume 13; 1998, p. 551
3. Sri Aurobindo, Complete Works, Volume 30, p. 325.
4. Basu S. Occultism and Psychiatry: Implications in Clinical Practice. Journal of the World Psychiatric Association 2004; 3(1): 194.
5. Sri Aurobindo. Complete Works, Volume 29; 2013, p. 307.
6. The Mother (ed. Satprem). Mother’s Agenda, Volume 5. Paris: Institut de Recherches Évolutives p. 216.
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