Guidance from Sri Aurobindo - Volume 1

Centres and Planes of Consciousness

The year 1933

      The Mother sent a picture of flowers named by her: "Opening of the centres." What does the phrase signify? What is meant by "centres"?

      The centres of consciousness, the chakras. It is by their opening that the Yogic or inner consciousness develops — otherwise you are bound to the ordinary outer consciousness.

      The more they open, the more the consciousness increases.

      They are reckoned as six usually — or with the one above the head, seven.

      May I know what the "Adhara" is?

      The Adhara is that in which the consciousness is now contained — mind-life-body.

     The Vedanta speaks of seven planes. It says that the human mind tends naturally to confine its activities to the three lower centres. Does our Yoga accept this? What are the three lower centres?

      According to our system the three lower centres are the vital, the lower vital and the physical — but the planes are quite different. The three lower planes

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are mind, life and matter and it is true that the human mind confines itself to these three activities. But it is not true that its activities are confined to the vital and physical things.

      The Vedanta also says that when one enters into the fourth centre one sees the Divine Effulgence. Is that a fact?

      What is the fourth centre? In our system the fourth centre is the heart and the Divine is there in the psychic, behind the heart. But the fourth of our seven planes is the supramental which is far above the head but can be communicated with through the seventh centre, the Sahasradala padma.

      The Over mind and the Supermind—are they the sixth and seventh planes?

      No. The Overmind is part of the mental plane. The Supermind is the fourth not the seventh plane.

      After attaining to the fourth centre—with the psychic behind it — does one still lapse back into the three lower centres?

      What is meant by "attaining" to the fourth centre? The centre is there already in the manifested being — it is not above it like the Supermind.

      What I meant by "attaining" is "passing through" the centre during sadhana.

      One does not pass through the psychic centre or any centre. The centres open under the pressure of the sadhana. You can say that the Force descends or ascends into a centre.

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      What are the fifth and sixth centres?

      The throat centre (externalising, expressing mind, the physical mind) and the 'ajnachakra' between the eyebrows, centre of inner thought, will and vision.

      Are our higher levels — Higher Mind, Illumined Mind, Intuition, Overmind, Supermind—automatically in connection with the Divine?

      Of course, but you can hardly call them your levels, since you are not conscious of them and in your manifested being they are not organised to act or function.

      Has one to reach the planes or do they open themselves like the centres?

      They open by the concentration and by the opening of the centres.

     There are the higher forces of the Divine Nature on every plane; when the vital attacks come, why do we not feel the divine Forces intervening to help?

      If you are sufficiently awake to them and call them in, they will act.

      Where do you locate the sex centre?

      The lowest centre at the bottom of the spine.

      Nowadays I often feel much pressure in the head between the eyebrows or on top of the head. Why is this so?

      These are the two highest centres — and the first to be touched by the descending Force.

      What is the higher vital?

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      The heart and the dynamic vital. The heart centre and navel centre.

The year 1934

      Listening to the Mother's music I felt something descending into me. Up to the neck the descent was concretely experienced.

      Up to the neck means in the whole thinking mind, but not lower.

      What part does the spine play in connection with the centres?

      The spine is the support of the centres, and it is through the spine that in the Tantric sadhana the Kundalini rises.

      What is the Kundalini?

      It is the Yogic force asleep in the Muladhar and covered up in the other centres by the ordinary consciousness. When it is liberated, it rises up to join the Brahmic (Divine) consciousness above passing through the centres on its way.

      The lower consciousness ascends towards the higher to join it, the higher descends into the lower to transform it. It is the rule of the consciousness in this sadhana.

      During a receptive period I feel a free flow of what the Mother may be granting me. It passes down easily through my head and forehead.

      It is the inner mind centres that have become open and conscious.

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      Today's pressure was two-fold. One came forth from behind the eyes. The second entered through each of the ears. Both met in the mouth.

      Pressure on the inner mind centre and on the externalising mind also — probably connecting their activities together.

      The working on the lower part of the face always indicates an action on the externalising mind (physical mental) whose centre is in the throat.

      An opening is felt in the central part of the head. What is this part? Is it a centre?

      It is the Brahmarandhra through which there is the communication between the higher consciousness and the lower in the body. It is a passage not a centre. The centre is the thousand petalled lotus just above the head, at that part.

      The station in the heart centre is for the psychic opening. What you are at present doing is the upward opening to the Self and for that the inner mind centre is the proper station.

      The heart is the seat not only of the psychic but of the emotional vital which covers it.

      Sometimes I experience voidness near the navel centre. Is it the centre of the inner or of the outer vital?

      It is the centre of the inner vital but what is felt there can extend to the outer.

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