Supermind in Integral Yoga

Preface

The most distinctive thesis of the Integral Yoga is that supramental consciousness can, by its descent in Matter transform earthly life into divine life. In other words, Sri Aurobindo and the Mother have discovered the method by which supramental descent on the earth can be brought about and even Matter can manifest supramental consciousness.

Sri Aurobindo has, while describing supermind, referred to the Vedic concept of truth-consciousness (rita-chit) and accepted the Vedic description of truth-consciousness as an apt description of the supermind. Both in the Vedas and the Upanishads, we have the evidence that the ancient Rishis had discovered the supramental consciousness, but there is no evidence that they could bring about the descent of the supermind in Matter. A systematic and philosophic exposition of the supermind is to be found for the first time in the history of philosophy in Sri Aurobindo's 'The Life Divine' and, what is most striking in 'The Life Divine' is Sri Aurobindo's account of the origin of the ignorance in one of the subordinate functionings of the supermind. This stands in contrast to the ordinary general view, which has become widespread in India, that the ignorance and its origin are inexplicable and that the earthly life is inextricably connected with Ignorance. As a result, it has come to be maintained that the worldly life and ignorance are so inseparable from each other that in order to depart from ignorance one must depart from earthly and material life of the world. This view has now come to be shown to be

mistaken, not only philosophically but even in yogic process of realization. Sri Aurobindo and the Mother have succeeded in establishing and manifesting the supermind in Matter. This success maybe regarded as the most momentous event of our times, and it is for this reason that we need to study Sri Aurobindo's concept of the supermind and its relationship with the material world.

This book is an attempt to bring together some of the most important statements of Sri Aurobindo in regard to the supermind and how the origin of the ignorance can be shown to be explicable in the context of the operations of the supermind.

This introductory book will, it is hoped, stimulate readers to study Sri Aurobindo's ^' The Life Divine' in order to find out many answers that remain to be discovered in the context of world's history of philosophy and yogic adventure of consciousness.

Kireet Joshi