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Articles from santosh krinsky | Selfgrowth.com
- The First Necessary Step in Preparation for the Practice of the Integral Yoga - by Submitted on Nov 26, 2022 from santosh krinskyOne can clearly appreciate the unique nature of the integral yoga when one reflects on the preparation needed for the practice when compared to the preparations required for numerous other paths of yoga. The 8 steps set forth in Patanjali’s yoga sutras include two preparatory stages, called ...
Views: 390 - Understanding and Dealing with the Physical Mind - by Submitted on Jun 05, 2022 from santosh krinskySri Aurobindo recognises that in order to effectively address the actions of the mind, the various underlying sources and the energies they raise up in their action must be clearly seen and understood. There is a difference in the way one needs to deal with a persistent emotional reaction, for ...
Views: 390 - Applying the “Hundredth Monkey” Phenomenon - by Submitted on Mar 30, 2023 from santosh krinsky“The liberation of the individual soul is therefore the keynote of the definite divine action; it is the primary divine necessity and the pivot on which all else turns.” This is the first step but what must also be recognized is that as individuals here and there achieve new states of ...
Views: 389 - Cultivating Inner Peace as the Basis of Spiritual Sadhana - by Submitted on Feb 03, 2023 from santosh krinskyGiven the reactive nature of the external being, the mind, the vital, the physical body, there is generally a lack of peace and we are driven from one response to another as circumstances, events, sense impressions, etc. impinge upon us. Development of an awareness that is separated from this ...
Views: 389 - Experiencing the Wideness of the Consciousness - by Submitted on Oct 12, 2022 from santosh krinskyThe Vedic Rishis sought the Truth, the Right, the Vast. (satyam, rtam, brihat). They understood that the awareness limited to the ego-personality, the individual body-life-mind complex, was incomplete and could not comprehend the truth or meaning of existence. They sought to identify with the ...
Views: 389 - The Psychic Entity Knows the Purpose and Significance of Our Existence - by Submitted on Nov 24, 2022 from santosh krinskyWhen we live primarily, or entirely, focused on our external life via the instruments of the body, life-force and mind, we cannot determine nor recognise the purpose and significance of our existence. We may speculate. We may hold opinions. We may adhere to some doctrine, such as a religious ...
Views: 389 - Do We Know What We Seek in Our Lives? - by Submitted on Nov 22, 2022 from santosh krinskyWe feel like something is missing in our lives. It could be something material, it could be just a pang of hunger or thirst. It could be a sense of emotional emptiness, unattached to a specific object. We may feel like we need to find out something, do something, know something, respond to ...
Views: 388 - How to Change Human Nature - by Submitted on Mar 18, 2023 from santosh krinskyMany people are skeptical about the possibility of true change to human nature. This skepticism is supported by the long experience humanity has had in trying various ways of changing and overcoming habits, atavisms and what are considered to be the ‘natural’ forms of expression and action of ...
Views: 388 - The Third Step in the Mental Discipline: Control of Thoughts - by Submitted on Jun 19, 2022 from santosh krinskyThe inner control of thoughts is a further development once the poise of the witness consciousness has been attained. As the seeker observes the thoughts, he can also determine their effect in the being, and see if they lead to uplifting, widening, and harmonizing results, or whether they shrink ...
Views: 388 - Understanding and Addressing the Difficulties of Gaining Control of the Ordinary Human Nature and Life, Part 2 - by Submitted on Aug 20, 2022 from santosh krinskySri Aurobindo provided advice to an individual who was trying to sort out the direction for his life and how to face the difficulties that confronted him, particularly with respect to certain vital weaknesses to which he was prone. Sri Aurobindo analyzed the condition of this individual in great ...
Views: 388 - Various Forms of Meditation and Their Potential Benefits - by Submitted on Oct 15, 2022 from santosh krinskyMost people are confused about what meditation is. One of the causes of this confusion is the variety of forms of meditation that are recommended and practiced by various traditions. Some forms of meditation require strenuous efforts and considerable time to bear fruit. The Mother provides ...
Views: 388 - Westerners and Indian Yoga, Part 4: Obstacles Faced by Westerners and the Soul’s Aspiration to Overcome Them in the Integral Yoga - by Submitted on Mar 31, 2022 from santosh krinskyAll human beings, regardless of whether they are born in the West, the East, or elsewhere, find the challenges of taking up yoga to be daunting and requiring of them unstinting efforts to understand the obstacles, and identify and implement ways to overcome them. With its long history of support ...
Views: 388 - Developing and Integrating Calm and Peace in the Being - by Submitted on Feb 05, 2023 from santosh krinskyIf we remain constantly in active motion and react to all the sense impressions and pressures that impinge upon us from the outer world, it is difficult to achieve a status of calm or peace. One of the values of sitting regularly for a time of quiet reflection, meditation or concentration is ...
Views: 387 - Moving Beyond Arguments and Widening One’s Thought - by Submitted on Oct 06, 2022 from santosh krinskyAt some time or another, every human being has the experience of having an opinion, thought or idea contradicted. The usual reaction is to defend one’s position, whether or not it is well-founded, and arguments tend to ensure. It is rare that one side of the argument is entirely right, and the ...
Views: 387 - The Need for Transformation of the Vital in the Practice of the Integral Yoga - by Submitted on Jul 16, 2022 from santosh krinskyCan human nature be changed? We are exhorted to be kinder, more compassionate, less egoistic, more rational in our relationships with others and our actions in the world. When we try to actually carry out these things, we find that, for the most part, our vital instincts and drives still control ...
Views: 387 - Calmness Belongs to the Strong — Quietude Is the Basis of True Power - by Submitted on Feb 09, 2023 from santosh krinskyIn today’s world we are confronted by politicians and business leaders who act aggressively, beat their chests, berate others, bully and otherwise exhibit behavior that proclaims “might is right” and therefore, due to their financial power or physical strength, they have the right to control ...
Views: 386 - Overcoming Disturbance of the Nerves - by Submitted on Aug 21, 2022 from santosh krinskyWhen an individual takes up the inner observation process and begins to look carefully at the motives, actions, feelings, emotions and ideas that dominate the being, there is frequently a stage where the witness consciousness becomes ‘self-critical’ and worries about every misstep, every wrong ...
Views: 386 - Overcoming Polarization and Argument - by Submitted on Oct 04, 2022 from santosh krinskyWe live in a time of extreme polarization. People and even entire societies are taking fixed stands, and disputing the validity or right of anyone holding different or opposing viewpoints. In the framework of governing a nation, this leads inevitably to either a form of political gridlock if the ...
Views: 386 - How Do Spiritual Experiences Come About? - by Submitted on Apr 01, 2023 from santosh krinskyWhile we are allured by the idea of spiritual experiences, or, if one looks at the popular media, the idea of some kind of unusual powers that an individual can develop, obtain or possess, we actually have very little idea about what is really possible, and how it actually occurs. Popular ...
Views: 385 - The Environmental Consciousness and the Individual - by Submitted on Sep 05, 2023 from santosh krinskyThe ego-personality believes it ‘creates’ ideas, manufactures feelings, etc. It then takes pride in the accomplishment, and this becomes a source of enhancing the ego through a sense of vanity. Many systems in the world are set up to reward the creator or inventor or author, with the idea that ...
Views: 385 - The Impersonal and the Personal Divine - by Submitted on Mar 07, 2023 from santosh krinskyIt seems that people fall into two camps. Either they believe in a personal form of divinity, God, or savior, or they don’t. For those that do not believe in a personal form of the Divine, there is a belief in some impersonal machinery of unknown origin or purpose. These two however need not be ...
Views: 384 - The Nature of the Resistance of Universal Nature to the Pressure of the Divine Force - by Submitted on Nov 24, 2021 from santosh krinskyWe tend to accept issues we are having in our lives as something personal to ourselves and thus, we struggle and either consider ourselves to be weak, or sinful, or otherwise unfit. This happens both generally and for those who practice yoga, and the result is, in many cases, some form of ...
Views: 384 - Distinguishing Between Personal Growth and Inner Growth - by Submitted on Oct 27, 2022 from santosh krinskyWhile humanity embodies the development of the mental consciousness, in principle, it must be noted that this generalisation does not apply specifically to each and every human individual. Just as the field of statistics does not predict any single event, and the observational experiments of ...
Views: 383 - The Role and Function of the Guru, the Teacher - by Submitted on Jan 10, 2023 from santosh krinskyThere are a number of ways that a teacher, or Guru, impacts the student or disciple. To the extent there is a method or science involved, that science can be described, organised and taught to the disciple. We see this frequently in the sciences of Hatha Yoga and Raja Yoga, as the teacher takes ...
Views: 383 - The Western Mind and the Relationship to the Guru - by Submitted on Jan 11, 2023 from santosh krinskyThe cultural background of the West clearly differs from the background found in India, which has a history of spiritual development stretching back thousands of years. Westerners tend to have difficulty with the concept of surrender to the Guru’s guidance, whereas in India, this is an accepted ...
Views: 383 - What Does It Mean to ‘Be Calm’ in the Mind - by Submitted on Feb 06, 2023 from santosh krinskyAttaining a deep inner peace in the being is a process that can begin wherever an individual current is in their inner life. For someone just starting out, there is no expectation of some sudden miraculous silencing of the mind (although of course, it is possible). Rather, the initial attempts ...
Views: 383 - Gaining the Standpoint of the Observer of the Nature - by Submitted on May 26, 2022 from santosh krinskyAn important step in the practice of yoga is to attain true detachment from the surface nature through the shifting of the standpoint from the surface to the ‘witness consciousness’, the Purusha. The separation of Purusha from Prakriti, the active nature, is needed in order to effectuate change ...
Views: 382 - Interaction of the Mind, the Vital Envelope and the Physical Body in the Development of Acute Illness - by Submitted on Jul 11, 2023 from santosh krinskyFor most people, acute illness is an event of the body, which is subject to attack by various malign types of germs, bacteria and viruses. We tend to envision the body as a battlefield and the attacking germs aggressively target the cells and organs and the body fights back with an immune ...
Views: 382 - The Body Heals Best When We Do Not Fixate Upon It With Anxiety and Worry - by Submitted on Aug 07, 2022 from santosh krinskyWhere the mind focuses and attention is given, energy flows. Thus, when we focus on our physical body and its health issues, when we create fear or anxiety over our health status, we are actually opening up a pathway for the very concerns we are worried about. Positive healthy attention to the ...
Views: 382 - The Usefulness of Suffering - by Submitted on Nov 21, 2022 from santosh krinskyDr. Dean Ornish held a webinar on Sunday November 20, 2022 with the Vegan Society of Honolulu, Hawaii, in which he succinctly explained the role of suffering in the progress of humanity. For those who do not know about his work, Dr. Ornish has spent decades studying the impact of diet and ...
Views: 382 - Understanding the Cycles and Phases of Spiritual Development - by Submitted on Nov 14, 2022 from santosh krinskySeveral days ago a seeker raised a question, rephrased here: “I read Sri Aurobindo’s writings regularly and for a time they stay active within me, but then, it falls away and I feel blank inside. Am I losing the benefit of Sri Aurobindo’s teaching, and if so, how can I ensure that it stays ...
Views: 382 - Evolution of Consciousness - by Submitted on Oct 25, 2022 from santosh krinskyNature takes a long time to effectuate substantive evolutionary progress in manifesting higher, more complex and more powerful forms of consciousness. The shift from the realm of Matter took countless millennia. The first appearance of Life was simple and, again, the time required was far beyond ...
Views: 381 - The Individual and the Collectivity - by Submitted on Nov 27, 2022 from santosh krinskyMany studies have been done, and real-life examples have shown the power of a body of people focused on a particular feeling, thought or action. Mob psychology shows that individuals who otherwise might be seen as quiet and peaceful can be riled up into paroxysms of anger when part of an angry ...
Views: 381 - The Predominant Characteristic of Physical Consciousness: Tamas or Inertia - by Submitted on Apr 21, 2022 from santosh krinskyAn understanding of the three gunas, or qualities of Nature, is extremely helpful in gaining an understanding of the responses to external stimuli, events, people and circumstances. The gunas are sattwa, with a predominant quality of light and harmony, rajas with a predominant quality of ...
Views: 381 - Time and Patient Persistence - by Submitted on Jul 19, 2022 from santosh krinskyThe shift from the standpoint of the desire-soul of the ego is not something that can occur completely and all at once. There are too many persistent threads of the instincts and habits of the mind-life-body complex to expect so radical a change to happen magically. There may be, and generally ...
Views: 381 - A Technique for Shifting the Focus of Consciousness Into a Status of Complete Identification - by Submitted on Oct 05, 2022 from santosh krinskyPatanjali in his Yoga Sutras describes the practice of samyama which is a power of identification that results from the systematic development of dharana (holding the mind on to some particular object), dhyana (an unbroken flow of knowledge in that object) and samadhi (reflecting on the meaning, ...
Views: 380 - Gaining the Support of the Vital Being for the Sadhana Through the Joy of Creative Activity - by Submitted on Mar 21, 2022 from santosh krinskyOne of the issues that every spiritual seeker eventually faces is what to do about the vital nature. The vital being is an essential element of life on earth. Normally however it is distracted with its needs and desires, the seeking for pleasure and enjoyment, the avoidance of pain and ...
Views: 380 - Making Best Use of Our Limited Time - by Submitted on Oct 17, 2022 from santosh krinskyWhen we reflect on the time we have in our lifetime and how we utilize it, we find that after we calculate time spent in sleeping, eating, bathing, growth in childhood, earning a living, exercising, we have a very limited amount of what may be called “free time” available to us. In a culture and ...
Views: 380 - The Need for Constant, Steady and Flexible Progress on the Yogic Path - by Submitted on Jul 26, 2022 from santosh krinskyAt certain stages along the way, a particular technique or method of standpoint may be helpful to the growth of the spiritual consciousness or the implementation of that consciousness in the outer being and life. These same methods, however, can lead to stagnation if practiced without heed to ...
Views: 380 - The Parable of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - by Submitted on Oct 01, 2022 from santosh krinskyRobert Louis Stevenson wrote what is one of the classics in Western literature, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The tale is one of a scientist who experiments with potions, one of which releases the dark side of his being, the suppressed inhibitions and dark urges of murder, lust, ...
Views: 380 - Westerners and Indian Yoga, Part 3: Are There Advantages to an Indian Birth for the Practice of Yoga? - by Submitted on Mar 30, 2022 from santosh krinskyIf we look at the qualities required for bringing about the emergence of the psychic being, the development of a devotional attitude, and support for the idea of focusing on the Eternal through subordination or even abandonment of the relations of the outer life, it is clear that India has ...
Views: 380 - Alleviating the Greater Part of Human Suffering - by Submitted on Sep 15, 2022 from santosh krinskyIn the opening chapter of The Life Divine, Sri Aurobindo sets forth the proposition that “… all problems of existence are essentially problems of harmony.” We can see the reality of this statement both in the way we respond internally to circumstances, events and our reactions to them, as well ...
Views: 379 - Tapping Into the Universal Forces Rather than Interchange with Other People - by Submitted on May 21, 2022 from santosh krinskyWe are very much creatures of habit, and thus, when it comes to our intake of energy, we tend to habitually turn to a preferred method of reception. For most people, the primary source is food. Most people engage in vital interchange with others, and there is a subtle interaction that can both ...
Views: 379 - The Human Need for an Object to Venerate and to Be Guided By in the Spiritual Path - by Submitted on Jan 07, 2023 from santosh krinskyFor the vast majority of individuals, the idea of confronting the vast consciousness without any discernable or identifiable form is overwhelming. Anything that is undefined or unlimited breeds discomfort and fear in our being. in the Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna is confronted with a vision of the ...
Views: 379 - The Evolutionary Cycle and the Speeding Up of the Evolutionary Cycle - by Submitted on Nov 15, 2022 from santosh krinskyWhen we reflect on the evolution of consciousness, it becomes obvious to us that nothing can evolve out of Matter that is not already involved in some way. We plant an acorn, and an oak tree grows. Someone unfamiliar with the science would treat this as a magical event. We put one form of ...
Views: 378 - The Strength in Stillness - by Submitted on Feb 10, 2023 from santosh krinskyWe live in a world that prizes action and that continually impinges upon us with various information feeds and input from all directions. Quiet and stillness, the ability to remain calm without agitation or upset, the ability to achieve true peace in the mind, in the vital and nervous being and ...
Views: 378 - Vital Movements Rising Up During the Practice of the Yoga - by Submitted on Oct 28, 2021 from santosh krinskyEvery individual has all the long-established vital movements embedded deep in the nature. When the force of the yoga begins to open up the various energy centers, particularly the vital centers, these movements are stirred and use the opportunity to capitalize on the new energy and try to ...
Views: 378 - An Exercise to Experience the Nature of Consciousness - by Submitted on Sep 10, 2022 from santosh krinskyThe quest to understand the nature of consciousness, and “who am I?” spans back through the past history of mankind. Some of the exercises undertaken by the ancient sages remain relevant into the current day, as the Mother illustrates in her example below, which derives i its original form from ...
Views: 377 - Bringing Harmony Between the Inner Psychic Being and the External Nature - by Submitted on Sep 26, 2022 from santosh krinskyFor Sri Aurobindo, truth of the spirit is to be lived, not attained by abandonment of life in the world. He looks at the evolution of body, life and mind as steps along the evolutionary process, and each one of them represents an important stage in an ongoing development. The action of these ...
Views: 377 - Overcoming the Darkness and Depression When the Psychic Being Recedes - by Submitted on Sep 07, 2022 from santosh krinskyThe distinction between the state of consciousness with the psychic being active and leading, versus that where it has receded and the ego-personality of the surface being is predominant, provides a very clear method for the seeker to know what is taking place internally. By adopting the ...
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