Sri Aurobindo's diary of his yogic practice between 1909 and 1927.
Sri Aurobindo's diary of his yogic practice between 1909 and 1927. This two-volume record of sadhana contains fairly regular entries between 1912 and 1920 and a few entries in 1909, 1911 and 1927. It also contains related materials Sri Aurobindo wrote about his practice of yoga during this period, including descriptions of the seven 'chatusthayas' (groups of four elements), which are the basis of the yoga of the 'Record'.
The siddhi has reached a fresh turning-point.
The first chatusthaya is firm, complete, universal—except for occasional and quite momentary touches which have no power to fix themselves in the consciousness or outlast their moment or acquire intensity,—except, again, rarely in the failure of samadhi. But this is quite exceptional. Even the earth of the system (called in lipi, ϒɳ, territoriality) is subjected to the law of the samata. Only the positive ananda is still weak in [siddhi].1
The second chatusthaya is complete, fixed, universal; but there are defects, principally in devibhava (ishwari bhâva, sarvakar-masâmarthyam,) in sraddha swashaktyâm and most in daihiki shakti. All needs to take on a greater intensity, but all are founded, all firm except these three, but all have their points of weakness. Eg. dasyam is not yet normally tertiary of the third degree.
Defects in the first two chatusthayas are really not self-existent, but the result of insufficiency in the third, the vijnana. Here all hitherto has been preparation. Gnana is well advanced, T² only founded, samadhi is still subject to mentality and incoherence, the physical basis is undeveloped; but all have acquired their crude material. Lipi is specially forward. All the stages of the ideality are customary.
The fourth chatusthaya is developed only in Ananda. Arogya is prepared but still subject to fragmentary denial, in all but the [ . . . ] roga which still persists. Utthapana is thrown backward, Saundarya only developed in psychic youth and a few preparatory movements of the physical change.
Krishna Kali are both developed, but not perfect. Karma kama are psychically progressing, physically held back.
Page 994
Brahmadarshana is complete as continent, incomplete in contents.
Shuddhi, mukti, bhukti are well-advanced psychically, strong with fragmentary defects physically. Siddhi depends on the perfection of the still imperfect chatusthayas.
Arogya.
Attack of roga,—attempt at cold and fever. Slight cold and eye-affection; the former unable to materialise entirely, the latter materialised successfully after three days' struggle, but not with the same force as formerly. Strong on 17ᵗʰ and 18ṭḥ, slight since. The disease was made an occasion for the exercise of the tapas-siddhi on the mental level, where the effect is never more than partial when used against strong resistance.
T².
During these days the telepathic mentality has been entirely and firmly idealised on its own level in the perception of force, tendency, possibility, and entire satyam thus secured. Even when the ideality is removed, the satyam remains as an unillumined perception. The movement towards ritam (T²) is being resumed.
The stress on forces = mental tapas. This tapas has begun to be idealised and is already of the nature of a half-illumined balance of force-action. The satyam of the mental tapas is not so sure or not so illumined ordinarily as the satyam of the mental perception.
Samadhi.
Strong play of rich and perfect chhayamaya. There is a lack of stability and continuity; but these are firm in the obscure chhayamaya, sufficient in the half tejomaya chhayamaya without richness and variety. This rich and perfect but unstable play of rupa occurs sometimes in the jagrat antardrishta,—though more often various than rich and perfect. It is trying to emerge even in the bahirdrishta.
Page 995
Vishaya.
Vishaya develops only in the sukshma, not in the sukshma sthula where it is still held up.
Ananda.
Ananda is stationary in kama and tivra, preparing for a fresh advance. Vaidyuta has attained to occasional fullness in body and in length of pervasion. The basis of raudra is being farther perfected.
The rule of decrease by repetition is more and more giving way to the increasing power of the rule of greater intensification. Orgiastic tivra direct from the touch, after it has ceased, and subsequent sympathetic tivra orgiasm elsewhere have begun to show themselves. Sometimes repetition produces variations from intense tivra to intense vaidyuta and back
Orgiastic kamananda stream in pervasive non-orgiastic kamananda. The orgiastic tends to suppress and replace the pervasive, but sometimes the latter persists circumferentially in the body or is even increased. Simultaneously increasing orgiasm of both has to be developed.
Vaidyuta tends to grow constantly, to be pervasive and to be ahaituka as well as sahaituka.
Tivra touch continued in the same place for five minutes; constantly disappearing into vishaya or lessened, but always recurring and increasing though with [necessity]2 of smarana or smarana + tapas. After slight discontinuity more intense than before. This begins or presages the final victory of the law of increasing intensity. After complete cessation orgiastic tivra, continued briefly and often repeated.
Dasya
Tertiary dasya in the third degree is now being more regularly
Page 996
enforced in the movements of the body, even the slightest. The remnants of the secondary degree are being swallowed up into the third
The same control is now to be enforced and is being enforced in the script, vâni and vângmaya. The dasya is now thoroughly introduced into the îswarîbhâva Also into all bhoga. The firmness of this siddhi has to be firmly guarded.
The introduction of the dasya into the perceptive thought seems more difficult, but it is being easily done in the jnana. The test will be in the trikaldrishti-tapas. All responsibility for action, physical, vital, mental must be left entirely to the Iswara, the Shakti is only an instrument and the Jiva their meeting-place.
All traces of the asamata, now only the occasional recurrence of an old habit, must be finally removed. This can be done by bringing forward the delight in the asiddhi.
Brahma
Strong Ishwaradarshana sarvabhuteshu, followed by jyotih of the Anantam (Jnanam) Brahma in things. This was preceded half an hour ago by the lipi 15, several times repeated, the number of the Anantam in the enumeration of the siddhis which compose the last five chatusthayas.
1) jnanam, 2) trikaldrishti, 3) rupa-siddhi, 4) tapas 5) samadhi, 6) arogya, 7) ananda, 8) utthapana, 9) saundarya, 10) Krishna, 11) Kali, 12) karma, 13) kama, 14) Sarvam Brahma, 15) Anantam, 16) Jnanam, 17) Anandam, 18) suddhi, 19) mukti, 20) bhukti, 21) siddhi.
This jyotih is not yet to be free from interruption and diminution, but it is founded and from henceforth bound to increase. It is jyoti not tejas, ideal light, not the mental. It is now trying to ally itself entirely with the Jnanam and Anandam Brahma.. These manifest usually each with a separate intensity in which the three others disappear from view; henceforth the quadruple intensity has set out to create its united effulgence.
Page 997
The siddhis established yesterday stand, except in vismriti, in which they are not so much denied as either unnoticed or in suspense. The tertiary dasya seems to be absolutely firm in the body, script, vani, and only suspended by vismriti in the perceptive jnana and in the vangmaya for the change which is being operated. This change is the transference of the thought from the control of the inferior devatas to that of the Jiva-Prakriti receiving it direct from the Ishwara. The perceptive thought is being similarly transferred. Thought is to occur henceforth in the vijnana of the Jiva; not as suggestion, but as thought in action and the thought of the Ishwara in origin.
At present the perceptive thought is becoming impersonally vijnanamaya with a vague sense of the Ishwara behind. In telepathic trikaldrishti, when it is not vijnanamaya, its nature and descent as manasic suggestion from the mind-world through the rajas of the pranic is more and more often perceived in its fullness. This is the false trikaldrishti, which is in reality no more than telepathic suggestion of possibility. These suggestions come either from above or from around, from the mind and life-planes of the earth; in reality the latter derive rapidly from the former except when there is exchange on the earth plane itself; even then the derivation is eventually the same.
Brahman.
The jyotih of Jnanam Anantam is now taking into itself the Anandam.
Lipi—September, the physical siddhi begins its perfection.
tejorashi. (yesterday) fulfilled today in the flow of ideality into the perceptive thought.
Vijnana
The real trikaldrishti is slowly growing over the telepathic basis, but combated always by the mental doubt. Lipi—"It is fashioning itself gradually in spite of the intellectuality; first, it has to take itself up into the ideality." "Together the effective telepathy
Page 998
and the trikaldrishti." "Telepathy tapassiddhi."
Rupasiddhi and samadhi are resisted, sometimes growing, sometimes falling back.
Trikaldrishti is increasing as indicated in the lipi, in spite of a mass of intellectual suggestions of the old type; out of it emerge three elements, (1) the ineffectual suggestion which falls away, (2) effective telepathy, ie telepathy tapas sometimes dropping into pure tapas without foresight sometimes into foresight with an involved tapas, (3) trikaldrishti proper, but insufficient[ly] illumined and uncertain of itself. Only when there is illumination, is the trikaldrishti sure of itself and its fulfilment.
The pranic suggestions which amount only to rajasic imagination are being finally discouraged.
Some activity of vishaya in smell and taste. The latter is stronger in sukshma than in sukshma-sthula, but there is some sign in the latter of progress from the crude basic states to the dense and developed, which have hitherto appeared only in the madhura.
T²
Lipi, "perfect telepathies siddhi." Perfection implies liberation from false stress and, positively, accurate limitation and accurate extent. This has begun to develop, but is yet imperfect. The necessary condition of perfection is that the mentality should cease all attempts to determine the trikaldrishti and leave that entirely to the ideality.
The force of tapas increases but as this works as telepathy tapas and increases only the effective telepathy, it makes the distinction of telepathy, ie mental perception of present fact, force and tendency, from trikaldrishti, as perception of present and future (the past has so far been mostly left alone), more difficult; for a constantly effective telepathy tapas easily masks as trikaldrishti
Page 999
, until an occasional failure shows the mistake. All this would not occur if the highest ideality were at work for T², but at present it is only the lower ideality working on the mental perceptions
The satyam of the telepathy is now extremely perfect, the ritam more perfect than it has ever been before; sometimes the perfection is entire. But all this is as yet in the field of vision where truth and error can be tested by immediate result. The telebuddhi and telesiddhi on which the lipi has been for some time insisting, is as yet imperfect and very limited.
Renewed action of samadhi with an increased general hold of the ideality in thought, vangmaya, lipi. Rupa, dialogue, reading etc have made no definite progress
Entire perfection of stability and solidity in lipi with an almost perfect freedom in manifestation. There is only a slight obstruction still sensible in the akash, but this is sufficient to compel a return to the less perfect lipi. Until a siddhi has become entirely the nature of the system and environment, according as it is purely subjective or subjective-objective, it is not perfectly possessed and is liable either to temporary loss or diminution. A siddhi maintained by force or by habitual exercise is imperfectly possessed; it must be held entirely by nature, as easy as breathing or thinking.
Rupasamadhi is again obstructed; the obstruction is now evidently artificial, maintained by a pressure upon the nature of the terrestrial sattwa which is ready to yield the coherent vijnanamaya samadhi in its full abundance.
In all subjective movements and those subjective-objective in which the subjective element predominates and the personality alone is concerned, the obstruction of the ϒɳ is similarly artificial, not belonging to the earth nature itself, but to the Patala nature into which the old powers have been exiled but from the borders of which they still maintain their opposition.
Page 1000
The ideality is therefore obstructed in its progress only by this opposition; the real obstruction is only in the fourth and fifth chatusthayas.
Lipi more emphasised in its perfection, especially stability which is now practically universal; the solidity varies and the legibility is sometimes partial to the eye, and sometimes still at first the lipi is stable only, or solid also, but there has to be tapas to bring out the legibility. Sometimes it is incomplete, part of a sentence, or else words are omitted; sometimes it becomes coherent, instead of appearing formed, coherent and [complete]3 at one leap of emergence into the akasha. But the latter is now common, and all defects disappear at the first touch of tapas
In tivra the law of increase grows yet stronger, interruption decreases, intensity tends to be maintained. But at present if left alone, the general impressionability to tivra sinks often into a sort of subdued half quiescence and the intensity reawakens only after the first touch or the first few touches.
Samadhi varies, sometimes yielding to the obstruction, sometimes reemerging. Only the ideality of thought, vangmaya, lipi maintains itself and seems to be firmly established. Dream is commonest, comes very readily and is vivid, bordering on samadhi in its aping of coherence, vividness of rupa, dialogue etc, force of presentation. It is not however really coherent, as it was sometimes, but fanciful and extravagant in its details and connections. The nearness of a siddhi artificially withheld is however strongly felt. Rupa remains obstructed.
The siddhis already established are now being taken up and carried to their completion on a higher plane.
Vangmaya is being taken up into the Ananda of the vijnana level, where it is no longer the thought of the Jivaprakriti with
Page 1001
the Ishwara as the origin of the thought, but the thought of the Ishwara in the Shakti who is the medium and the instrument of the thinking. This has been done perfectly in the type; it has yet to be universalised.
A similar process is taking place with the perceptive thought and has been done less strongly and perfectly in the type, but its perfection and universalisation cannot proceed so far because the ideal perceptive thought still carries in itself an element of mentality and therefore more easily descends into mental thinking than it ascends into pure ideal thinking.
In the script to the presence of the Ishwara is being added the personality of the Ishwara and his relation of madhuradasya containing all his other relations with the Jiva-Shakti.
T² is still unidealised, but is pressing towards idealisation.
Lipi is rapidly universalising perfection of form and light in the thought-interpretation.
The containing Brahmadarshana is preparing to fix itself in the Ananda with the Jnana Ananta as content and Sarva as base.
Physical siddhi
In the physical siddhi kamananda pervasive and orgiastic is becoming more easy and natural in all positions, but needs and indeed is almost entirely dependent on smarana and sometimes on smarana + tapas: but the need of tapas is being gradually rejected. It is no longer entirely dependent on excitation of the centre by sparsha.
Ahaituka tivra has been for a long time less common, but it has a greater intensity and force for insistence when it comes and comes, besides, more easily everywhere.
There is the same increase of intensity in vaidyuta and vishaya, and also in the former a greater ease and normality in arrival, development and extension. But it needs smarana or smarana and tapas, more commonly both, in the ahaituka and in the sahaituka current, smarana only—and not always—in the intense sahaituka touch.
The other three members of the physical siddhi have made no definite advance and are except in certain directions subject to relapse.
Page 1002
Karma (subjective), though often and increasingly effective, is subject to great opposition, obstruction and reaction. Kama at present is not being pressed.
Samadhi
The other parts of samadhi not yet idealised, began to be taken hold of by the vijnâna in the afternoon, except the reading and rupa; all at the same time increased in coherence. At night the reading also was taken hold of, powerfully, both in its coherence and in its incoherence. Mentality now reigns only in swapna, although it still strives to persist also in swapna-samâdhi; but swapna is increasing in coherence. Even when interrupted, it tends to be resumed at the same point or to return to the same subject; this even happens after a long diversion to another subject. It is still, however, a sort of fragmentary coherence. The ideality also works in a fragmentary fashion, except in vangmaya
Tapas
Lipi, "sixty seventy". 60 degrees rising to 70 degrees of tapas effectiveness is being enforced in type and has set out to generalise itself. Hitherto tapas effect was all haphazard and incoherent, often strong, seldom perfect, frequently weak or nil, always partial except in details, never or hardly ever final except in certain broad effects after much difficulty
60° to 70° effectiveness is becoming more general; though 50° and less persist and 80° occasionally occurs, but rarely. The 60° is sometimes in swiftness of overcoming resistance, sometimes in amount of effect, which is often not perfect, but only partial, a ⅗ or ⅘ effect,—especially in tapas of exact circumstance;—sometimes in both respects there is only this partial success.
Extension of kâmânanda proceeds against obstruction.
Much action of Samadhi in the direction of strengthening the ideality, but all is still fragmentary. The incoherent reading tends to be turned into coherence or replaced by coherent reading or
Page 1003
else taken as it is and interpreted in its scattered parts. Increase of coherence is the rule.
The telepathy-tapassiddhi is becoming again idealised in the sense of being seen in its right limits of the satyam in the light of the vijnana; the tapas-siddhi is also acquiring more force with 60°-70° as the average force, though it falls below and goes above, the latter more often than the former, because of the renewed strength of obstruction. T² is in abeyance. A similar process of idealisation, more advanced and luminous, is being applied to the mental deformations of the jnâna.
Violent attack of the asiddhi chiefly on the first and third chatusthayas, but to a certain extent in all six. The old method of forcing undelight in asiddhi on the system from without through the pranic physicality aided by intellectual suggestions and throwing it out from within by the tapas and the buddhi. Pranic manas in its physicality is still compelled to respond, with a slight or evanescent response in its emotivity, but not in its buddhi which does not recognise the undelight as belonging to the system. The freedom of the buddhi from undelight is stronger for the attack; moreover the restoration of the ananda is becoming ahaituka or depends on the tapas and no longer on the buddhi. The habit of return of physical depression is also being eliminated, as well as the remnants of susceptibility to the suggestion of desire. Complete asiddhi is contemplated without revolt or depression.
There is now commencing an attempt to establish a more lasting stability in the lipi so that several lines may be manifested simultaneously—this has already been done often enough in type, but vanishingly,—with a firm hold on the akasha.
In the evening a preparation of farther progress towards the complete taking over of the whole action of the consciousness by the Ishwara.
Page 1004
Continuation of yesterday's last movement. No definite advance, except that even the telepathy, trikaldrishti and tapas are being taken up by the Ishwara.
The taking over of the whole ideality by the Ishwara is now complete; only the recurrence of the old movements has to be eliminated.
Strong original lipi of the highest ideality in the samâdhi, (antardarshi and swapna-samadhi). Rupa is active and abundant, but not stable in antardarshi; obstructed, but sometimes luxuriant in certain chhâyâmaya forms in swapna samâdhi. Brief dialogue in sthula sukshma word in swapna, coherent but not continuous or perfect. Reading, sukshma dialogue etc vary again from coherence to absolute incoherence. Thought of all kinds is much stronger in the ideality.
At a very deep level of samadhi neighboring on the sushupti the old defects still remain, but dream has less hold.
Telepathy and trikaldrishti are now beginning to shake off some of their imperfections, but the latter is still very hampered and limited. Lipi. "perfect telepathy trikaldrishti" (yesterday) today, "perfect telepathy, perfect trikaldrishti". The perfection realised is necessarily only in type. It is now attempting to extend itself into the large and perfect satyam ritam. This attempt made formerly on the mental, is now being done on the vijnâna level.
Ambulant orgiastic kamananda
Ishwarabhava in the Brahmadarshana seems now to be fixed in its universality, sometimes subdued, sometimes intense; but it varies from the mental to the vijnanamaya and Ananda levels and is generally upon the mental. It is only by tapas and smarana that
Page 1005
it returns to the higher planes. The subjective prema-kamananda is also now absent, except by smarana.
Ananda
Steady progress in the tivra.
Orgiastic kamananda is becoming more frequent and progressing towards normality, although still dependent on smarana and liable to obstruction. Ambulatory ananda is developing very fast, stationary is beginning to make itself normal, the sedentary without regard to asana shows sign also of following suit. The necessity of tapas is disappearing, smarana alone is required, except when the obstruction tries to recover strength; the normal readiness of the physical system for the Ananda may be considered as established.
Arogya is still obstructed, subject to relapse and unable to make any large advance.
Saundarya is also obstructed. Only psychological yauvana has become almost normal, varying in force and age, but never now settling into vârdhakya.
The pervasive kamananda is now orgiastic in its nature, even when subdued in its force and insufficiently sthula in its hold. The ananda has now taken hold of all positions, recumbent and loose sedentary as well as ambulant, sistory and close sedentary. It is rapidly increasing in intensity, continuity and power of self-repetition. It has even occurred once or twice without smarana. This is the beginning of the "vertiginous rapidity" predicted today in lipi of samadhi.
In samadhi reading more firmly gripped by the lipi. Vishaya in samadhi, separated or combined, taste, sound, touch, sight,—smell is rare and unready,—occur often in great intensity, but intermittently. They are not yet a standing feature of vision in swapnasamadhi.
Page 1006
1ṣṭ Saturday.
Telesiddhi (karma)
Telesiddhi takes place frequently in fragments; large, decisive or final success is rare except in telesiddhi of some propinquity. In the main matters the obstruction and opposition are in the mass, though hampered, still successful.
The kamananda seems now to be firmly established as a normal dharma of the body. Continuity and intensity have to be normalised. There is continuity with smarana; continuity without smarana has to be established. Intensity increases with the continuity. Ananda wave by strong sparsha on any part of the body is now being taken up; it is kama with admixture of tivra, vaidyuta, raudra. It is at first dependent on smarana and tapas; but in fact the latter is being eliminated; the ananda now as a general rule develops best and most readily when there is smarana without pressure of tapas; the latter, at least if too direct, is even something of an obstacle. Practically this ananda wave by touch has been established in its universality, but the siddhi has now to be entirely confirmed. All this development has taken place in the course of five minutes or so, with the vertiginous rapidity.
Ananda of acute discomfort has for some time been developing and is now preparing to be confirmed and perfected.
In samadhi stronger grip of observing ideality on narrative and dialogue.
Tapas is now more frequently effective (60°-80°) in the environment (not life) on general event; it has begun to work more frequently also in exact circumstantial effect but against great obstruction and with more frequent failure than success. This is on the mental level, by itself, or in conjunction with telepathies, without trikaldrishti.
Obstruction is being offered to the new ananda siddhis; they
Page 1007
lower the readiness, frequency, continuity and intensity, but do not succeed in altogether suspending; meanwhile independence of the ahaituka pervasion and normality of the short sahaituka wave are increasing.
Strength of ideal lipi in the samadhi.
Obstruction in all the siddhis and attempt to enforce relapse yesterday and today. In the first it is unsuccessful except for fleeting and increasingly unsubstantial touches. In the second it lowers the force of tertiary dasya in the third degree and keeps in abeyance the ishwarabhava and the intenser sraddha. In the third it forces back the ideality and keeps up the dead play of the disjointed intellectual mentality, as well as the direct sense of the Ishwara control. In the fourth it tries to keep up the old stereotyped rule of denial of siddhi after a day of exceptional siddhi in the kamananda and enforce vismriti on the body; it is only partially successful[;] it diminishes and interrupts but cannot suspend.
The process of changing separated telepathy and tapas into united T² is being given a new turn. This is to give always the decisive event first as at once trikaldrishti and tapas, and attend afterwards to the movements which try to contradict the decreed and foreseen result and those which help with the aids and modifications of the opposing forces to bring it about. For the latter purpose it is being attempted to universalise the ideal light in the telepathies. The difficulty is always to distinguish the real finality from something that imitates it and to seize the right measure of the telepathies. The force of possession of the telepathies by the ideality is as yet insufficient, the interference of the mentality yet too frequent to allow of this invariable certainty.
The movement of T² continues. To idealise the decisive T² entirely and to enforce ritam on the satyam of the telepathies are
Page 1008
the two requisite preliminaries for perfection. The latter is the more difficult of the two processes.
Lipi is confirmed in the ideality; it is now attempting to raise itself into the highest ideality.
Attempt at lipi-trikaldrishti, but as yet distant prediction without detail of circumstance or time.
The lipi now varies from the lower idealities to the three forms of the highest vijnana.
Movement of T² continues to be prepared; but as yet with no decisive result. Only the satyam becomes more pronounced.
Samadhi is stationary, persisting in its present gains, but also in the obstacles
In Samadhi the tejomaya is reappearing, chiefly in the chhayamaya environment, clear, perfect, but only with an instantaneous stability, although a tendency of increased stability is not altogether absent. The chhayamaya is now capable at all stages of a great stability which is not infrequent, but still even in the chhayamaya stability is not the rule; instability prevails.
Lipi is now full of the highest vijnana light and usually or almost invariably belongs to that plane in its substance and status and increasingly in its style.
Thought also has followed the same development, but it is not as yet so advanced in the universality of the highest and most luminous vijnana.
T² is attempting to follow. The illumined satyam of the telepathies is now the rule, the darker movement is the exception and is immediately replaced by the light of the vijnanamaya
Page 1009
interpretation. But the tapas is not equally illuminated in its satyam. With the increase of satyam, ritam also increases. Still vijn̂ânamaya T² is the exception, T³ is still the rule.
Tapas effectivity in the environment tends towards greater normality of 70°, greater frequency of 80°, but this tendency is not yet well established. This effectivity however does not extend to exact detail of circumstance in which asiddhi both of will and eventual knowledge is the rule, siddhi the rare exception. Telepathy of contributory force, tendency, intention, impulse etc is sufficiently exact, though not always sufficiently complete.
Contributory tapas is becoming illumined in the same way as telepathy, in its satyam and increasingly in its ritam. But decisive tapas like decisive vision and even more is still unillumined or insufficiently illumined.
On the whole the vijnanamaya is now well-grounded and the rule of the being, but very far from perfection.
Tivra seems to have gone slightly back, but this is only the emergence of tendencies which had been held down by the energy of the tapas, not quite eliminated, though diminished and depressed. The habit of fluctuation from greater to less and from less to greater response has to be got rid of. Moreover the intimacy of the response has to be secured, that is to say, the inherent excitability of the physical system responding immediately to the sparsha by an intimate and intense thrill. At present this excitability is lost by prolonged excitation and replaced by an unsteady communicated excitability. Moreover the necessity of tapas has to be eliminated and smarana made sufficient. In kamananda this necessity is already recognised, and the advance is therefore retarded in order to get it satisfied
There is now increasing frequency of tapas-siddhi in exact circumstance, often sustained, varying from 70°, 75°, to 80°, but also sinking to 60°. Below 60° the normal, though not invariable rule is asiddhi. Delay of fulfilment brings often inexactitude in place as well as time or even incompleteness of the effect.
Page 1010
The lipi is now fixed normally in the highest ideality.
Kamananda has resumed its action of continuity. It is noticeable that pressure of tapas is eliminated, although an original act of tapas-memory is still sometimes used to set it in action. Smarana is still necessary except sometimes in the most habituated asanas. There is some indication of the future substitution of a partial or side attention for smarana, but this is not yet anything more than an unrealised intention in the system.
Rupa is active to some extent in the jagrat, but there is no ascertainable progress.
There is a more settled ritam in the telepathy and tapas working in the unillumined or partially illumined mentality. The increase in effectivity of tapas seems now to be settled and normal. The development of this movement continued throughout the day has been the one feature of its siddhi. Also the return of the Ishwara control
The substitution of the necessity of half-attention for the necessity of smarana in orgiastic kamananda is taking place; it is already strongly established in the type. At first it was only sufficient for the sustaining of the ananda, not for its inception after cessation or its assertion against obstruction; but the sufficiency of the half-attention for initiating or renewing the ananda is now established. All this is in type; much has to be done before it can be universalised. In the end even this will not be necessary. The old habit of applying tapas survives in a fragmentary fashion, but is no longer accepted or efficient, except in smarana-tapas.
The Ishwara control is now firmly universalised in vani, script and vangmaya, with whatever survival of gana participation; it is
Page 1011
not yet universalised in perceptive thought, still less in T². That is being prepared.
The excentric waves and currents of kamananda are following rapidly the same development as the main or central surge; they have to come to depend first on smarana without tapas—though at first with an implied tapas in it,—then on a half-attention, while the removal of even this necessity is being already prepared. Here too maintenance without full smarana is easier and more frequent than inception or even renewal.
These excentric currents are often ahaituka, that is, not created as before only by actual sparsha. There are signs that ahaituka tivra will also be soon prepared for normality. At present it is still dependent—except in the three main locations where half-smarana is already sufficient,—on the full smarana and usually on smaranatapas.
Vaidyuta is developing indistinctly along with the tivra and kama. Separate development of vaidyuta and raudra seems to have been postponed.
Intense continuous ahaituka tivra is being prepared and established in type in all the nine locative centres; it is already done in type in the seven main and is begun in the two subordinate centres. The discursive tivra, which once emerged, is now being encouraged to reappear. Note that there are three other subordinate centres of the third class in which the same preparation is being indicated.
The fault of incomplete pervasion in the ananda surge is being remedied in the type.
The force of greater ananda continuance seems definitely to have been established. Obstructive denial persists, but it is greatly weakened and half ineffective. It can only have a temporary strength as a result of discontinuance by vismriti.
Page 1012
So far it is only in Ananda that the prediction of September as the first month of strong physical siddhi is being fulfilled. In the rest obstructive denial or successful resistance are paramount, denial in 8 and 9, resistance in the Arogya.
The half smarana is now often reduced to a minimum of attention chiefly in the physical mind or even the mind of the body and the dependence of the Ananda on the attention begins to be replaced by the involuntary Ananda forcing the attention. But this is only occasionally. Usually greater or less smarana is required. If the mind is vacant, then the attention can sink to the minimum. If it is concentrated on any object or subject, the ananda either sinks and ceases or is kept in abeyance and resumed with full force on the cessation of the absorption.
A new circumstance is the pervasion of the pranic body by the ananda as well as, with a less forcefulness of sensation, the manasic body. In the latter, at the highest, it is pure madhu of the Soma.
All the anandas show signs of an increasing tendency to the orgiastic
A strong attempt by the artificial obstruction to renew its power of strongly suspending the Ananda; at times almost successful, it has decisively failed.
The ananda in the pranic body has now the power of taking possession of the physical.
Kamananda diminished in force of continuity and frequency, but not suspended. The obstruction is no longer able to suspend it strongly and imperatively as before. Its occasional control is becoming more and more artificial and its strength to obstruct more and more laboured. No longer intervals of suspension, but intervals of more difficult manifestation are the most it can impose.
Kamananda is gradually recovering its force and the greater pervasion is being insisted upon.
Page 1013
T³ after a somewhat prolonged eclipse is once more idealising itself, but not with any great force.
Even in the lesser force of the Ananda the power of the involuntary Ananda is increasing; it often re-initiates suddenly the forgotten or oppressed orgiasm.
The lipi now perfectly founded in the highest ideality, is aiming at perfect fluidity on that level. It is easier in the chitra than in the akasha lipi, though even there there is some difficulty of immediate physical manifestation. In this difficulty are comprised all the formal defects that still remain in the lipi.
A certain lethargy of the vijnana action which has been dominant for some days, is now in process of being removed. It is noticeable that even the intellectual action is really a perfectly accurate action of the ideality except in T³, but its perfection is only realised when the ideal perception, ketu, stands above to observe it. Even in T³ the action would be perfect in its justice, if the remnant intellect judgment would not misinterpret and misemphasise it
Kamananda is increasing in the type its force of involuntary initiation and involuntary retention or repetition. The force hovers, it is true, on the borders between pure involuntariness and a minimum, hardly noticeable or even unnoticeable act of smarana.
Revival of samadhi activity. Very perfect ideality of thought, lipi, vangmaya. The lipi has suddenly taken on the full perfection of ideality already established in the jagrat as well as certain types of extreme formal perfection which used only to occur in the beginning, years ago, when the vital force of the sadhana was strong, but the ideal weak.
The lipi predicts the return of that vital force into the new ideal principle. At present vital force is often at a minimum due to the excessive force of shama which was necessary to purification. But as shama is now absolutely strong, tapas-force in vitality can be increased without perturbance.
Page 1014
The interregnum of non ideality was necessary to get rid of false certainty and the last insistences of the intellect trying to play the part of the ideality. These have now been immensely weakened, though not abolished. The intellectual action is now in T³ becoming more and more just, even when quite unillumined. It is far however from having then a perfection of ritam.
Ahaituka tivra is taking on firmly the orgiastic character
Intense pain, other than burning, now often not only takes on the character of ananda but keeps it when prolonged. It is noticeable however that pointed, lancing pain is easier to deal with than the long-edged and the long-edged easier than the massed. Also the nervous is easier to transform than the gross physical produced by a physical object. The Nirananda element in certain forms of discomfort obstinately returns, even when their ananda has been frequently strong and complete in the type.
In samadhi yesterday's gains repeated; in addition a stronger force of conscious ideality took possession of narrative, dialogue etc which attained to a firm, long, consecutive coherence hardly exampled before. Fragmentariness however still remains and relics of the dream mentalising touched the action at its best. Reading and rupa still remain to be developed in the ideality.
A movement in the samadhi, jagrat, swapna, etc to take possession of all activities by the highest idealities. But this is not yet a sustained movement
T³ continues its development, and even in the unillumined action the growth of ritam is removing the distinction between telepathy and trikaldrishti. Tapas has still to take its proper place in the ritam which extends only to the two other members of T³.
Chiefly, the continuance of the movement by which the direct Ishwara control in the highest ideality is taking possession of the whole vijnana. The T² is still the least prepared for the change and
Page 1015
its preparation is the main feature of the sadhana, apart from the movement of the Ananda.
Steady progress in the Brahmadarshana. It is confirmed in the Ananda mentality and is being lifted into the Ananda ideality. There is no longer any strong tendency of relapse into the mental asundara and nirananda.
The poise of the Brahmadarshana in things has changed rapidly, suddenly from the vijnanamaya with Ananda in it to the Ananda full with vijnana. It is only in beings that the lower poises are still strong. It only needs the sense of the infinite Ananda in each thing to be added and the darshana will be completely founded. This is already being prepared and is partially active even in regard to persons.
T³ has been rapidly prepared this morning for the ideal control. It is only when the physical brain relaxes into failure to respond or when there are too rapid suggestions from the external intellectuality that the ideal reception fails. Even the intellectual ideality is now losing all its credit, because of its failure to satisfy the needs of the siddhi, especially the ritam.
Great incoherence in the reading. The other powers of samadhi maintain their ideality or at least their coherence, though sometimes with an initial difficulty. In rupa and reading the sadhana is up against the curious phenomenon which seems insuperable in jagrat rupa, vishaya, and the physical siddhi other than ananda, the stereotyped difficulty, the action of the Vedic Nidah, which consists in the eternal repetition of the past movements of success and failure forming a circle which refuses to be broken. In all the siddhi this phenomenon has been active, but most obstinately in certain members of the sadhana. In others siddhi has arrived in spite of it, has been more forceful than the tendency to turn each step into a final step, but in others it has seemed powerless. This however can be only an appearance. The change must come.
Page 1016
Ananda darshana moves between suddha ananda proper and the same in the ananda vijnana or ananda manas. Sometimes it falls back into vijnana or mentality. This falling back is due to the recoil from the attempt to realise the infinite Ananda not only in but behind each finite, for which the mentality is not ready and therefore falls back into some fine or coarse mental representation of the thing desired by the will and sometimes, but insecurely seized in the knowledge.
Brilliant jyotirmaya action of the vijnana working sometimes upon the stumblings of the intellectual T³. This is the real surya, still hampered by the limited receptivity of the mind, but already presaging in type its opulence of plenary light.
Yesterday's lipi was "Today is the last day of the intellectuality in the telepathy trikaldrishti aishwarya; it will be the first day of the ideality"; that is the last day of acceptance of the intellectual T³ as a means of knowledge-siddhi and will-siddhi. The remnants continue to force themselves on the mind, but do not receive acceptation from the Jiva-Prakriti.
Remoulding of the stuff of mind so that all thought and will and feeling may be vijnanamaya, has set in in earnest. The progress is rapid; though not yet of the highest rapidity, still of a decisive rapidity.
The same movement with a tendency to relapse.
Renewal of intensity of kamananda. This time full pervasion in the intensity is established. But the power of the obstruction
Page 1017
to profit by the vismriti has to be removed. Activity of the other anandas was also in a sort of abeyance and is reviving.
The passive samata is much stronger than before; positive ananda in the asiddhi is not yet quite firm, therefore a vague depression is still able to touch the system. Sraddha is capable of suspension with regard to rapidity, to complete physical siddhi and to karma; the ishwarabhava also and the sense of direct Ishwara control.
Arogya does not visibly advance; the other physical siddhis are still subject almost entirely to the denial.
Confirmation of the intense, all-pervasive Ananda in all positions. The strengthening of the separate current or wave so as to effectively universalise it, is beginning; but strong smarana with tapas in it is usually necessary.
Conversion of the passive samata, titiksha, udasinata, nati, into their positive forms of Ananda through Ishwaraprema and dasya. By this ananda in asiddhi will be perfected, since asiddhi will be the accomplishment of the will of the Ishwara, when decisive, of his temporary will and tortuous movement to siddhi when temporary.
Dasyam completed by intensity and universality. The Ishwarabhava belongs to the Ishwara at present, the Shakti has only the Mahasaraswati dâsîbhâva. So also sraddha in the power of the Ishwara; not yet in swashakti as its expression. The sraddha is now in the accomplishment of the will of the Ishwara, whatever it may be, through this adhara; for the siddhi only in eventual accomplishment, except for a doubt of the sharira siddhi and of the extent of the karma.
Page 1018
With this the determining of the Kali-Krishna bhava in the personality; together, dasya of the Kali-prakriti as expressive of the Krishna-purusha both making the upper and lower sides of one personality. The Ishwara of the system, with the Ishwara of the worlds above, one in two dhamas.
Idealising of the telepathies and perceptive thought practically complete; tapas is being also taken up by the Ishwara entirely and idealised; unideal tapas is being rejected. Decisive Trikaldrishti rare
In sahaituka tivra, the law of increase has received a setback. Attention is necessary to maintain it if there is a rapid and prolonged excitation, and finally attention even with tapas becomes unavailing in some local sthanas; the sensibility seems for a time entirely to fail, although it revives after cessation. On the other hand the attempt on the contrary to make even attention unnecessary is being made and has an initial success. This method of enforcing strong advance out of temporary regression and denial, is noticeable in other parts of the sadhana. To a certain extent the defect in the tivra is being remedied
Premananda, long held in abeyance, is now again universalising itself, and this time firmly, as the subjective kama has universalised itself. It has two aspects, the prema within independent of the object, ahaituka, but ready to apply itself to all objects, and the prema awakened by the object, all objects, sahaituka.
Lipi is pressing for the immediate manifestation in fluidity of the ideal lipi. The territoriality resists, but the resistance is much weakened.
General flood of ideality, not yet perfectly clear and distinct in all its details or perfectly luminous in its hold.
Page 1019
Fluidity of the immediate independent manifestation in the lipi is gaining great strength. It is now oftenest independent of the suggestion of words, but when delayed or incomplete in its manifestation, sometimes dependent on suggestion of substance.
Independent manifestation is secured; it must be universally immediate.
Sahaituka raudrananda has increased in force and hold. Ananda of discomfort is not yet universalised. Ananda of pain still subject to limitation by degree, but much less than before.
Lipi develops force of manifestation; but it does not yet get rid of the initial obstructiveness of the parthiva akasha
There are times when the whole action of the mentality becomes vijnanamaya with a long continuity; afterwards there is a fall into a confused tamasic condition of the receiving brain, when the unredeemed physical mind tries to work; after a struggle the light of the vijnana reappears in whole or in part action.
No definite movement during the last few days except the preparation of absolute spontaneity in the immediate manifestation of the lipi and an uncertain movement towards restoration of right activity in the samadhi. For the rest, the sadhana has been in a state of torpor and slight relapse. In arogya strong and persistent attack. In vijnana remnants of intellectual ideality at work—suspension for the most part of true ideality.
Page 1020
Home
Sri Aurobindo
Books
Share your feedback. Help us improve. Or ask a question.