On Human Choice

May 30, 1999

• For unfailing success the society must understand that MAN is the central secret and ultimate resource.
• Its counterpart, rather its second phase, is, after the society recognises the supreme importance of MAN, man should not go back to relying on the society, the externals, but must turn his gaze inward and rediscover himself which the collective has done. Should he do so, he transcends mind and walks into Supermind with respect to the issue on hand. That yields unfailing success.
• It may be called the psychological key in the individual.
• It is always a reversal of behaviour or reversal of consciousness.
• Civilisation that reached its zenith in Mesopotamia shifted its centre to Greece, Rome, Europe, USA and Japan because they disregarded this point of reversal for continuous growth.
• Indian spirituality met with a similar fate because of the ‘final refusal of the Brahmin.'
• Sri Aurobindo says each ascent must be accompanied by a descent that completes the ascent by integrating what is exceeded. To discard the earth when man outgrows it is a unidimensional growth which escapes unfailing success.
• To ascend by the same path through which involution descended is the way of integration. So far, man centered in mind rose to the Absolute, avoiding the integral route. This is a partial effort till now held to be the ideal. Sri Aurobindo avoids this pitfall.
• Man's sex energy is known in Sanskrit as ojas. Tapas helps this energy to be reabsorbed into the system and it becomes tejas, the brightness on the face. Man levels off at the point his accumulated energies are spent.
• An idealist confines his idealism to one area and remains the ordinary man in other areas, i.e. he goes back on his idealism.
• Mother refused to stop seeing people as it would prevent Her from assimilating the universal, facilitating Her to grow unilaterally. That is why SHE suffered.
• This is a common experience of all which can be stated in a hundred ways and illustrated in equal number of ways. This understanding of the strategy is the other side of ‘Perfect Formulation of an Idea.'

1. The change in behaviour must be accompanied by a change in temperament. The idea must be emotionalised.

2. Sri Aurobindo calls this New Evolution as one of double opening, opening above to the Superconscient and below to the subconscient.

3. Second Level Leadership was built by Gandhi and not by anyone after him. A second person offering to support the pioneer is to extend the particular to the general.

4. A successful man, at the first step, starts leveling off. The sustained effort requires this reversal.

5. The partial approach is given up and the approach to the whole is taken up when he meets with success. Man reverts to the partial approach.

6. Rationality is for others to serve me, not for me to serve all. (UN is not a democratic organisation is a disturbing thought).

7. Extending the perfection to other areas.

8. Man preaches, does not follow.

9. Savings are to be used as capital, not spent for enjoyment.

10. Forgiveness of Jesus is of this spiritual character.

11. When a man sneezes, tradition here says that work will be spoiled. Physiologically man sneezes when his emotions reach the peak. When he tries to go further, sneezing is the safety valve.

12. Sherlock Holmes calls instinct and intuition the keys to success. He never deviates.

13. This is the point where Mind restores its origin Supermind.

14. HE comes to this point in each of the 58 chapters and in each argument of HIS, a thousand times in Life Divine.

15. The astrologer sees the horoscope and says at what point this man will level off because it is shown by his subtle constitution.

16. This is the secret of Life Divine or HIS yoga.