Emergence of the Psychic

FOREWORD

The two basic concepts of the Vedanta are the all-pervasive Divine — the Brahman — and the spark or reflection of this Divine within each being, specially human beings — the Atman, and joining these two — Yoga — is the well-established methodology to be found in our scriptures and in the teachings of realised seers and saints down through the millennia. Within this broad Brahman-Atman-Yoga framework, there are an infinite number of possibilities, theories and practices flowing from the essential pluralistic nature of Hinduism which accepts multiple paths to the Divine — ekam sad viprā bahudhā vadanti — as the Rigveda has it. Down through the ages, our sacred texts have been reinterpreted and rearticulated by a whole series of self-realised souls.

In the 20^th century itself, which has just drawn to a close, we have had outstanding figures such as Swami Vivekananda, Sri Ramana Maharshi, Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Sri Krishna Prem and a number of other men and women who, through the dint of their sādhanā and realisation have re-illuminated the path to the Divine. Sri Aurobindo in particular, with his outstanding intellect, magnificent power of expression and deep yogic attainments, has in his voluminous writings thrown tremendous light upon the whole process of spiritual development.

We speak rather loosely of the 'soul', but Sri Aurobindo has clearly explored and articulated for us the various levels or degrees of inner consciousness, and the methodologies whereby we can grow towards the Divine. In his formulation, the key concept is of what he calls the 'Psychic Being'.

As he defines it:

What is meant in the terminology of the yoga by the psychic

is the soul element in the nature, the pure psychic or divine

nucleus which stands behind mind, life and body (it is not

the ego) but of which we are only dimly aware. It is a

portion of the Divine and permanent from life to life, tak-

ing the experience of life through its outer instruments.

As this experience grows it manifests a developing psychic

personality which insisting always on the good, true

and beautiful, finally becomes ready and strong enough

to turn the nature towards the Divine. It can then come

entirely forward, breaking through the mental, vital and

physical screen, govern the instincts and transform the

nature. Nature no longer imposes itself on the soul, but

the soul, the Purusha, imposes its dictates on the nature.

He also adds:

The psychic being is quite different from the mind or vital;

it stands behind them where they meet in the heart. Its

central place is there, but behind the heart rather than in

the heart; for what men call usually the heart is the seat of

emotion, and human emotions are mental-vital impulses,

not ordinarily psychic in their nature. This mostly secret

power behind, other than the mind and the life-force, is the

true soul, the psychic being in us. The power of the psychic,

however, can act upon the mind and vital and body,

purifying thought and perception and emotion (which then

becomes psychic feeling) and sensation and action and

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everything else in us and preparing them to be divine

movements.

Shri A.S. Dalai has, over the last several years, produced a series of excellent selections from the writings of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother on a whole variety of spiritual concepts. In this book — Emergence of the Psychic — he has once again produced for us an excellent selection of writings by Sri Aurobindo and the Mother on this whole concept of the psychic being, its emergence from the mass of inertia under which it lies buried, and its ultimate role as the direct link with the Divine. This flows from Sri Aurobindo's remarkable theory of spiritual evolution, according to which, although every individual has a spark of the Divine, it is only when the spark becomes individualised that it emerges as the Psychic Being which then, if recognized and accepted by our physical, emotional and mental consciousness, evolves into a direct contact with the Godhead. As the Mother writes:

It is this spark that is permanent and gathers round itself

all sorts of elements for the formation of that individuality;

the true psychic being is formed only when the psychic

personality is fully grown, fully built up, round the eternal

divine spark; it attains its culmination, its total fulfilment

if and when it unites with a being or personality from above.

What is particularly interesting is the way in which the Mother amplifies and explains in simpler language the great concepts articulated by Sri Aurobindo, which in turn flow from

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his exalted spiritual stature. Spiritual seekers around the world, whether or not they are formally following Sri Aurobindo's Integral Yoga, will find this selection of great value in their quest. I myself have benefited greatly from Shri Dalal's earlier selections, and warmly commend the valuable service that he is rendering to genuine seekers for the Divine.

15 August 2002

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