Sub-project Title

THE FIVE PHASES OF TRUE MENTAL EDUCATION

 

A sub-project for the Foundation Course for Facilitators (2005-06)

A course by The Gnostic Centre, New Delhi, India

Facilitator : Ameeta Mehra

Student : Sunaina Singh

Total Number of Words : 2,386

Date of Submission : 15th January, 2006


CONTENTS

 

 

INTRODUCTION                                                     ………………………………….       1

WHAT IS TRUE MENTAL EDUCATION?           ………………………………….       1

WHAT ARE THESE FIVE PHASES?                     ………………………………….       1

 

PHASE – I                                                                  ………………………………….       2

*Application in my life                                                            ……………………………………..      2

 

PHASE – II                                                                ………………………………….       3

*Application in my life                                                            ……………………………………..      3

 

PHASE – III                                                               ………………………………….       3

*Self-Reflective Questions                                        ……………………………………..      4

*Application in my life                                                            …………………………………......     4

 

PHASE – IV                                                               ………………………………….       4

*My Own Reflection                                                  ………………………………….       5

 

PHASE – V                                                                 ………………………………….       5

*My Own Reflection                                                  ………………………………….       6

 

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE                         ……………………………………..      6

 

CONCLUSION                                                          ………………………………….          7

 

APPENDIX-1                                                              ………………………………….          8

*About the phase one                                               

 

APPENDIX-2                                                              …………………………………                       11

*About the phase two                                               

 

APPENDIX-3                                                              …………………………………                       12

*About the phase three                                            

 

APPENDIX-4                                                              …………………………………                       13

*About the phase four                                              

 

APPENDIX-5                                                              …………………………………                       16

*About the phase five                                               

 


THE FIVE PHASES OF TRUE MENTAL EDUCATION

 

 

 

INTRODUCTION

“A Truly Developed Mind” – These words have been always striking my attention. I have always found myself lost in these words and questioning, what does it mean? How can one develop one’s mind? How to go about it? How much personal effort is required? Are there any possibilities? And so on. There has been always a constant inner thirst and curiosity to have clarity on this subject. I have always desired to develop my own mind and understand it properly. As Sri Aurobindo says, “…mind seeks for light, for the discovery of knowledge and for mastery by knowledge…”[1]

            Hoping to receive ‘the knowledge’ I began my sub-project to study and to understand the true education of the mind and its five phases of development in the light and the guidance of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother.

 

 

WHAT IS TRUE MENTAL EDUCATION?

“A true mental education, which will prepare man for a higher life, has five principal phases.”[2]  What does The Mother mean by a higher life and what are these five phases?

            According to me a higher life means, a life, which is consecrated to the higher aim and purpose, which is not governed by the small and petty thinking, living and being. Therefore, to achieve the higher aim, one needs to follow the five principal phases of developing the mind. These phases usually appear in order one after another. But in the case of exceptional individuals they may take place simultaneously. It all depends upon the level and state of consciousness of an individual.

 

 

WHAT ARE THESE FIVE PHASES?

1)       “Development of the power of concentration, the capacity of attention…

2)       Development of the capacities of expansion, widening, complexity and richness…

3)       Organisation of one’s ideas around a central idea, a higher ideal or a supremely luminous idea that will serve as a guide in life…

4)       Thought-control, rejection of undesirable thoughts, to become able to think only what one wants and when one wants…

5)       Development of mental silence, perfect calm and a more and more total receptivity to inspirations coming from the higher regions of the being.”[3]

 

 

PHASE – I (Development of the power of concentration, the capacity of attention)

·         According to The Mother, “To concentrate means to find oneself. It is the quest, the means to follow. It is the shortest way to get anything. One only has to concentrate – but deep within – and toc! You get the thing, the word, the idea, the feeling, the place you want to discover, the plane of consciousness, and with perseverance and a constant effort, find the Self and the soul. To concentrate in order to find the soul. With the help of concentration, one can achieve everything.”[4]

·         Attention to a single thing is called concentration. Concentration is the first stage of development of the mind. It is the capacity to keep one’s attention at one point.

·         Concentration can be developed exactly like one develops muscles. Just as, when we take up physical exercise, the muscles hurt in the beginning, in the same way, when one starts developing concentration, one feels stress in the beginning.

·         Interest is the key to develop one’s concentration.

 

Application in my life

One can concentrate when one is interested in something. What happens if one is not interested in a particular thing? Having experienced it, I can say, it demands a lot of personal effort and will to develop interest for uninteresting work. When I think about myself I was quite satisfied and happy to see my good span of concentration in most of the areas wherever my personal interest was involved. But on the other hand, I would lose my attention when the work would not be of my interest and would be asked by others to do it. I would often feel this when I had to understand and write summaries of the conceptual understanding of the content of a book. For example, when I began the Foundation Course for Facilitators[5] and had to read different books, I would feel lost and was not able to concentrate while reading them. Whenever I tried to read, my mind used to wander after reading one or two lines. So, I tried to develop interest by linking the subject of the content to my personal life. Often I would tell myself, “it is going to be good for my growth and if I give-up right now then the problem will not go.” Therefore, I fixed a time for myself to read consciously without losing attention. I began with reading one paragraph a day and tried to reflect on it. Relating to my personal life helped in creating interest and thereby developing my concentration. As I became more conscious while reading, I was able to concentrate more. Now gradually it is becoming a part of my daily routine.

 

 

PHASE – II (Development of the capacities of expansion, and widening)

·         Widening of the mind would mean to overcome one’s mental rigidities, preconceived ideas, conceptions and points of view. It is the capacity to deal with a subject from different points of view.

·         Widening is important to increase the suppleness of the mind and to develop the ability to comprehend.

·         The exercise of thesis, antithesis and synthesis helps in the process of widening.

·         Another way of widening one’s mind is to identify oneself with something vast and large. Exposure also brings wideness in oneself.

·         The personal conflicts can also be resolved through the process of widening. Mother says, whenever there is a disagreement on any matter one must try to widen and understand the other person’s point of view. By rising above oneself one can bring harmony and can find the solution without hurting any one’s viewpoints.

·         The faculties of imagination, comparison, reasoning and judgment, help in widening the mind.

 

Application in my life

By nature I found myself very rigid in my opinions, thoughts and ways of living. I was not very open to accepting others’ ideas easily with the result I would often feel disharmony in my personal relationships and also in my work. I felt there was a need to widen myself not only mentally but also emotionally so that I could bring harmony in my work as well as in my relationships. I began my journey by exposing myself to reading different types of good books, which can bring richness in my thoughts and ideas. Secondly, whenever I had disagreements with my friends, before reacting or coming to any conclusion I would step back and reason out through questioning myself. Stepping back and giving a conscious thought on any matter helped me to deal with the situation. However, though being aware of my own weakness and trying to resolve it is helping me to widen myself, yet I have a long way to go. Now I can see myself being fairly open to others, which is a good sign for my progress.

 

 

PHASE – III (Organisation of one’s Ideas around a Central Idea)

·         In The Mother’s words “…mind too ripens and is more and more capable of general ideas; and along with this, there always comes the need for certitude, for a knowledge stable enough to be made the basis of a mental construction which will permit all diverse and scattered and often contradictory ideas accumulated in the brain to be organized and put in order.”[6]

·         When one is able to discover the central idea and is capable of placing all the other ideas around it one experiences the orderliness and harmony in their life. Thus one needs to take special care in choosing the central idea.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

 

Self-Reflective Questions

1)       Is there a need to organize oneself?

2)       Do I organize my day properly? 

3)       How do I organize my thoughts, ideas and feelings?

4)       Do I question my thoughts and feelings?

5)       Do I organize my words, speech and work before presenting to someone?

6)       How long do I procrastinate, being disorganized?

7)       When do I feel myself in chaos?  How do I deal with the chaotic situation?

8)       Do I give importance to organizing material things?

9)       How much conscious effort do I put to organize material things?

10)   Do I use any logic when I organize myself?

 

Application in my life

I came across these many questions while reading about Phase-III ‘Organisation of one’s Ideas around a Central Idea’. And when I reflected on each question,I figured out that in my day-to-day life I was good at organizing material things but when I had to organize my ideas and thoughts I would get stuck and present them vaguely. While reflecting on this aspect I thought it was due to my lack of experience and knowledge about the subject, but the main reason was that often I don’t give a proper thought on what I say, why I say or do things. There was a need to become more conscious and develop the habit of questioning before presenting my ideas and thoughts. Thus I consciously made a habit of thinking before saying anything. Mind-mapping too helped me to organize myself mentally.

 

 

PHASE – IV (Thought Control and Rejection of undesirable thoughts)

·         According to The Mother thoughts are living entities. They have their own likes, dislikes, attractions and repulsions. So we must take a very special attitude towards them. If they are left uncontrolled they can create great chaos in our mind.

·         Thought is a principle of formulation, which has the power of creating forms. It is said that what we think we become. Therefore, we need to train ourselves to receive what we want to receive.

·         Control over thoughts is one of the most important aspects of self-education and it requires hard labour and constant practice to be able to control one’s thoughts.

·         “There are four movements that help in achieving the control over thoughts.

1)       To observe one’s thought

2)       To watch over one’s thought

3)       To control one’s thought

4)       To master one’s thought” [7]

 

My Own Reflection

One day, I sat down to observe my thoughts

Willing to be detached with whatever I have caught

When I opened the door, it took me round and round

Some lifted me up and some pulled me down

Some were fresh and wide-awake

Some were from the past, which I had worn like a crown

Some made me happy but others made me cry

Some showed the way to keep on trying

Just flowing with the thoughts I became annoyed

What to keep and what to avoid

This was the journey that I made with my thoughts

Nothing I rejected, whatever I have caught                          

 

 

PHASE – V (Developing the Mental Silence)

·         Silent Mind is a state where one experiences a complete stillness in the mind. There is not even a subtle vibration in the mind. And while being in this state one receives direct inspirations and knowledge from above.

·         Silent mind helps in achieving spontaneity in action and in developing the faculty of intuition.

·         To be silent does not mean to remain quiet from outside. It is by making oneself still from within that one can gain a power of silence and open oneself to the light. By cultivating the habit of being quiet, one can gain right understanding before taking any action.

·         Changing mental activity is a way to rest our mind.

·         When the mind is not quiet and gets rest, it creates disharmony in our being. For example, body becomes tired and opens itself to illness; emotionally, one experiences irritation and frustration and mind becomes chaotic and is unable to take decisions.

 

My Own Reflections

I have a habit of discussing ideas in my own mind. Though at times I feel that this is very useful but most of the times it makes me go around in circles without finding a single answer. So I tried to practice the steps suggested by The Mother:

 

            “How to stop discussions in the mind?

            The first condition is to talk as little as possible.

            The second is to think just of what you are doing at the moment and not of what you have to do or of what you have done before.

            Never regret what is past or imagine what will be.

            Check pessimism in your thoughts as much as you can and become a voluntary optimist.”[8]

            Becoming more conscious towards these steps and practicing them every day is a great help for me to save my energy as well as to concentrate on my work and study. It is helping me to feel a kind of calmness within and also reflecting in my work.

 

 

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

This is my feeling that I experienced while reading about the five phases of true mental education.

 

My Aspiration

If I was a bird

I would have enjoyed the vastness of the sky

 

If I was a river

I would have explored life meandering through caves sometimes narrow, sometimes wide

 

If I was a sculptor

I would have shaped my life by chiseling it to perfection

 

If I were the sea

I would have known the depths and stillness of my being

 

If I were flowers

My fragrance would have filled the air, I would have experienced the joys of self-giving

 

These are thoughts that I dwelt in these days

Questioning myself and looking for ways

Where I want to go and what I want to be?

The vastness of the Sky or the depths of the Sea

 

These are possibilities which seem a long way away

But I have a feeling…

My Aspiration will shine like a golden ray

 

 

CONCLUSION

To conclude this I can only say that the study of five phases of true mental education has not only opened my mind but also has brought the shift in my own perspective of looking and understanding things. It has helped me to quieten and widen my mind and thereby deepen my personality. Though it is just a beginning, and there is still so much more to be learnt, derived and assimilated but at least now I am focused and have the direction. 

 

 

SUNAINA

15/01/2006

 

 

Note: I will also suggest that you refer to the appendix.1 to 5

 

Back to Contents

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


APPENDIX-1
(Passages from the works of The Mother)
 
 
Development of the power of Concentration, the capacity of Attention

 

ATTENTION

“Undeniably, what most impedes mental progress in children is the constant dispersion of their thoughts. Their thoughts flutter hither and thither like butterflies and they have to make a great effort to fix them. Yet this capacity is latent in them, for when you succeed in arousing their interest, they are capable of a good deal of attention.”[9]

 

“Attention is a factor in knowledge, the importance of which has been always recognized. Attention is the first condition of right memory and of accuracy. To attend to what he is doing is the first element of discipline required of the student, and, as I have suggested, this can easily be secured if the object of attention is made interesting.”[10]

 

CONCENTRATION

“Attention to a single thing is called concentration. One truth is, however, sometimes overlooked; that concentration on several things at a time is often indispensable. When people talk of concentration, they imply centring the mind on one thing at a time; but it is quite possible to develop the power of double concentration, triple concentration, multiple concentration.”[11]

 

The Importance of Developing Concentration and Attention

“The mind, if not controlled, is something wavering and imprecise. If one doesn’t have the habit of concentrating it upon something, it goes on wandering all the time. It goes on without a stop anywhere and wanders into a world of vagueness. And then, when one wants to fix one’s attention, it hurts. There is a little effort there, like this: ‘Oh! How tiring it is, it hurts!’ So one does not do it. And one lives in a kind of cloud. And your head is like a cloud; it’s like that, most brains are like clouds: there is no precision, no exactitude, no clarity, it is hazy – vague and hazy. You have impressions rather than knowledge of things. You live in an approximation, and you can keep within you all sorts of contradictory ideas made up mostly of impressions, sensations, feelings, emotions – all sorts of things like that which have very little to do with thought and… which are just vague ramblings.

            But if you want to succeed in having a precise, concrete, clear, definite thought on a certain subject, you must make an effort, gather yourself together, hold yourself firm, concentrate. And the first time you do it, it literally hurts, it is tiring! But if you don’t make a habit of it, all your life you will be living in a state of irresolution. And when it comes to practical things, when you are faced with – for, inspite of everything, one is always faced with – a number of problems to solve, of a very practical kind, well, instead of being able to take up the elements of the problem, to put them all face to face, look at the question from every side, and rising above and seeing the solution, instead of that you will be tossed about in the swirls of something grey and uncertain, and it will be like so many spiders running around in your head – but you won’t succeed in catching the thing.”[12]

 

Practical Steps to Develop Concentration – by The Mother

“But one has to know how to concentrate and each plane has a certain level of concentration. To know how to concentrate is to acquire the power to withdraw from all other things except the one thing you wish to achieve.

            Do you know what you should do? to start with: you sit before a wall and say to yourself: “Let my mind be as white as the wall.” Then, if you see a little black dot on the wall, - or anywhere else, - a dot, you start concentrating on this dot, with an intent gaze, without allowing any other thoughts to come into your mind, without moving, without wavering as if you wanted to envelop this dot with your hypnotic gaze. Then you will see that you begin to have a relation with this dot and that nothing else around exists any longer. Only the dot exists, and yourself, attracted as if by a magnet. You have a penetrating gaze. Then, little by little, the black dot doesn’t exist in your gaze any more; you are concentrating very hard. But instead of a black dot, there is a luminous dot; as if everything were appearing differently. The black dot has become a luminous dot. And one can see other movements just around this luminous dot is seen and nothing else around. And a kind of deep relation is being established. You are going to try and tell me.

            Then, if one learns how to concentrate even more, really concentrate with intensity, one perceives that it is not oneself who is concentrating, and that the ego does not exist any longer, but that an altogether detached will, - without thoughts unflickering, a sort of emptiness but well sustained by the aspiration, - is acting through the so called self. For the Self seems to be hidden. But the concentration is well directed, deeply fixed there, within (Mother shows the psychic center), undisturbed by the outward happenings, discovering regions of happiness where the divine sweetness reigns. One discovers layer after layer of planes of consciousness, and one leaves behind oneself the subtle bodies, one after another, until there is no more resistance and the soul reveals itself before us, without any agent, without any foreign support. And one discovers the soul in its plenitude. If one starts living in such a way, then one lives forever a new birth. At each moment, a new light and a new love. One springs forward, to always discover something new. That is life.

            One has to know how to concentrate by going deeply there within, to find the inner seat from where one should aspire more and more, and at the same time, reject all that disturbs – the impulses, the sensations, and the thoughts. All that does not belong to us has to be rejected, so that we may be pure in order to identify ourselves with the Divine Consciousness. Three stages that help one another: to concentrate, to reject, and to aspire for the identification with the Divine.”[13]

 

How to develop Attention and Concentration

1)       By developing the faculty of observation: One can develop the power of observation by:

·         Training of the senses to do their work perfectly

·         Imitation by hand ensures accuracy of observation. This is the first use of drawing.

2)       Judgement and Analogy

 

 

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APPENDIX-2
(Passages from the works of The Mother)
 
 
Development of the capacities of expansion, widening, complexity and richness

 

“In its natural state the human mind is always limited in its vision, narrow in its understanding, rigid in its conceptions, and a constant effort is needed to enlarge it, make it supple and deep.”[14]

 

“In order to increase the suppleness and comprehensiveness of his mind, one should see not only that he studies many varied topics, but above all that a single subject is approached in various ways, so that the child understands in a practical manner that there are many ways of facing the same intellectual problem, of considering it and solving it. This will remove all rigidity from his brain and at the same time it will make his thinking richer and more supple and prepare it for a more complex and comprehensive synthesis. In this way also the child will be imbued with the sense of the extreme relativity of mental learning and, little by little, an aspiration for a truer source of knowledge will awaken in him.”[15] 

 

How to Widen the Mind and Make it More Supple?

1)       Thesis, Antithesis and synthesis: “A clearly formulated thesis is set, against this opposed its antithesis, formulated with the same precision. Then by careful reflection, the problem must be widened until a synthesis is found which unites the two contraries in a larger and higher idea.” [16]

 

2)       Another way of widening one’s mind is to identify oneself with something vast and large.

 

3)       By developing the faculties of Imagination, Comparison, Reasoning and Judgment

 
 

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APPENDIX-3
(Passages from the works of The Mother)
 
 
Organisation of one’s Ideas around a Central Idea

 

“The true role of the mind is the formation and organisation of action. The mind has a formative and organizing power, and it is that which puts the different elements of inspiration in order, for action, for organizing action. And if it would only confine itself to that role, receiving inspirations – whether from above or from the mystic centre of the soul – and simply formulating the plan of action – in broad outline of in minute detail, for the smallest things of life or the great terrestrial organizations – it would amply fulfil its function.

            It is not any instrument of knowledge.

            But it can use knowledge for action, to organize action. It is an instrument of organization and formation, very powerful and very capable when it is well developed.”[17]

 

What is organisation of ideas?

“…mind too ripens and is more and more capable of general ideas; and alsong with this, there always comes the need for certitude, for a knowledge stable enough to be made the basis of a mental construction which will permit all diverse and scattered and often contradictory ideas accumulated in the brain to be organized and put in order.”[18]

 

The Need for organisation of ideas

“This ordering is indeed very necessary if one wants to avoid chaos in one’s thoughts.” [19]

 

How to organise one’s Ideas?

“All contradictories can be transformed into complementaries, but for that one must discover a higher idea that will be able to harmonise them. It is good to consider all problems from all possible standpoints to avoid partiality and exclusiveness, but if the thought is to be active and creative it must, in each case, be the natural and logical synthesis of all the points of view taken in. And if you are to make the totality of your thoughts a dynamic and constructive force, you must take grate care as to choice of the central idea of your mental synthesis; for upon that will depend the value of the synthesis.” [20]

 

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APPENDIX-4
(Passages from the works of The Mother)
 
 
Thought Control and Rejection of undesirable thoughts

 

“Thought is a living, active, autonomous entity. They have, as we do, their likes and dislikes, their attractions and repulsions. We must therefore adopt a special attitude towards them, treat them as people. If thoughts are left unguided and uncontrolled it would lead to chaos and anarchy.”[21]

 

The Importance of Thought Control

“Thought….. is just the process, the instrument of becoming….. Is a principle of precise formulation, which has the power of creating forms.

            All that one thinks one is, one can be the very fact of that thinking become. This knowledge of this fact is a very important key for the development of the being, not only from the point of view of possibilities of the being, but also from that of the control and choice of what one will be, of what one wants to be.

            This makes us understand the necessity of not admitting into ourselves any thought, which destroys aspiration or the creation of the truth of our being.”[22]

 

The Process

“Control over this formative activity of the mind is one of the most important aspects of self-education: one can say that without it no mental mastery is possible. On the side of study, all ideas are acceptable and should be included in the synthesis whose very function is to become more and more rich and complex; but, where action is concerned, it is just the opposite. The ideas that are accepted for translation into action should be strictly controlled and only those that agree with the general trend of the central idea forming the basis of the mental synthesis should be permitted to express themselves in action. This means that e every thought entering the mental consciousness should be set before the central idea; if it finds a logical place among the thoughts already grouped it will be admitted into the synthesis if not, it will be rejected so that it can have no influence on the action. This work of mental purification should be done very regularly in order to secure a complete control over one’s action.”[23]

 

Rejection of undesirable thoughts

            “Mother, at times unpleasant thoughts come and disturb us. How can we get rid of them?

            There are several methods. Generally – but it depends on people – generally, the easiest way is to think of something else. That is, to concentrate one’s attention upon something that has nothing to do with that thought, has no connection with that thought, like reading or some work – generally something creative, some creative work. For instance, those who write, while they are writing (let us take simply a novelist), while he is writing, all other thoughts are gone, for he is concentrated on what he is doing. When he finishes writing, if he has no control, the other thoughts will return. But precisely when one is attacked by a thought, one can try to do some creative work, for example, the scientist could do some research work, a special study to discover something, something that is very absorbing; that is the easiest way.

            Naturally, those who have begun to control their thought can make a movement of rejection, push aside the thought as one would a physical object. But that is more difficult and asks for a much greater mastery. If one can manage it, it is more active, in the sense that if you reject that movement, that thought, if you chase it off effectively and constantly or almost repeatedly, finally it does not come any more. But in the other case, it can always return. That makes to methods.

            The third means is to be able to bring down a sufficiently great light from above which will be the “denial” in the deeper sense; that is, if the thought which comes is something dark (and especially if it comes from the subconscient or inconscient and is sustained by instinct), if one can bring down from above the light of a true knowledge, a higher power, and put that light upon the thought, one can manage to dissolve it or enlighten or transform it – this is the supreme method. This is still a little more difficult. But it can be done, and if one does it, one is cured – not only does the thought not come back but the very cause is removed.”[24]

 

Movements towards Thought Control

“There are four movements which are usually consecutive, but which in the end maybe simultaneous.

1)       To observe one’s thought’s- Stepping back from one’s thoughts and looking at it. To separate yourself from your thoughts so that the movement of the consciousness and that of thought may not be confused.

2)       To watch over one’s thought’s- To observe our thoughts, as impartially as possible. Discerning between the good and the bad, useful and harmful thought’s and constructive and defeatist thoughts.

3)       To control one’s thought’s- Once the enlightened judge of our consciousness has distinguished between useful and harmful thoughts, the inner guard will come and allow to pass only approved thoughts, strictly refusing admission to all undesirable elements.

4)       To master one’s thought’s- If you have continued to cultivate the power of concentration and attention, only the thought’s that are needed will be allowed to enter the active external consciousness and then they become all the more dynamic and effective.

 

For this purpose it is good to set apart some time each day when one can quietly go over one’s thoughts and put one’s synthesis in order.”[25] 

 

 

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APPENDIX-5
(Passages from the works of The Mother)
 
 
Developing the Mental Silence

 

Why Mental Silence

“Once the habit is acquired, you can maintain your control over thoughts even during work and action and will be able not to let any come to the fore that is not useful to the thing undertaken. Particularly if the power of concentration and attention is continuously cultivated, the active external consciousness will allow only those thoughts that are needed and then they become all the more dynamic and effective.” [26]

 

“Changing mental activity is a way of rest; but the greatest possible rest lies in silence. And in the case of mental faculties, a few minutes passed in the calm of silence mean a more effective rest than hours of sleep.

            When one will have learnt to silence the mind at will and concentrate it in the receptive silence, then there will be no problem that one cannot solve, no mental difficulty to which a solution will not be found. Thought, while in agitation, becomes confused and impotent; in an attentive tranquility, the light can manifest itself and open new horizons to man’s capacity.”[27]

 

Establishing Peace in the Mind

            How can we establish a settled peace and silence in the mind?

            First of all, you must want it. And then you must try and must persevere, continue trying. What I have just told you is a very good means. Yet there are others also. You sit quietly, to begin with; and then, instead of thinking of fifty things, you begin saying to yourself, “Peace, peace, peace, peace, peace, calm, peace!” You imagine peace and calm. You aspire, ask that it may come: “Peace, peace, calm.” And then, when something comes and touches you and acts, say quietly, like this, “Peace, peace, peace.” Do not look at the thoughts, do not listen to the thoughts, you understand. You must not pay attention to everything that comes. You know, when someone bothers you a great deal and you want to get rid of him, you don’t listen to him, do you? Good! You turn your head away (gesture) and think of something else. Well, you must do that: when thoughts come, you must not look at them, must not listen to them, must not pay any attention at all, you must behave as though they did not exist, you see! And then, repeat all the time like a kind of – how shall I put it? – as an idiot does, who repeats the same thing always. Well, you must do the same thing; you must repeat, “Peace, peace, peace.” So you try this for a few minutes and then do what you have to do; and then, another time, you begin again; sit down again and then try. Do this on getting up in the morning, do this in the evening when going to bed. You can do this… look, if you want to digest your food properly, you can do this for a few minutes before eating. You can’t imagine how much this helps your digestion! Before beginning to eat you sit quietly for a while and say, “Peace, peace, peace!” and everything becomes calm. It seems as though all the noises were going far, far, far away (Mother stretches out her arms on both sides) and then you must continue; and there comes a time when you no longer need to sit down, and no matter what you are doing, no matter what you are saying, it is always “Peace, peace, peace.” Everything remains here, like this, it does not enter (gesture in front of the forehead), it remains like this. And then one is always in a perfect peace… after some years.

            But at the beginning, a very small beginning, two or three minutes, it is very simple. For something complicated you must make an effort, and when one makes an effort, one is not quiet. It is difficult to make an effort while remaining quiet. Very simple, very simple, you must be very simple in these things. It is as though you were learning how to call a friend: by dint of being called he comes. Well, make peace and calm your friends and call them: “Come, peace, peace, peace, peace, come!”[28]

 

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[1]  Sri Aurobino, The Life Divine, New Edition, p.1021, published by Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry

[2]  The Mother, Sri Aurobindo and The Mother On Education, pp.114-15, published by Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry. 1956

[3]  The Mother, Sri Aurobindo and The Mother On Education, pp.114-15

[4]  Flowers – their Spiritual Significance,  pp.30-31, published by Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry

[5] One Year Course Organized by the Gnostic Centre

[6] The Mother, Sri Aurobindo and The Mother On Education, p.117 (Also refer to Appendix.3)

[7] Mental Education, Course Booklet-3, p.23, The Gnostic Centre, August 2000 (Also refer to Appendix.4)

[8]   The Mother, Education Part Two (Advice to students and teachers), p.28, Published by Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry

 

[9]  A Divine Life Manifesto, P-134, (An Integral Education for a Divine Life), Published by Sri Aurobindo Divine Life Education Centre, A unit of Sri Aurobindo Society, Pondicherry

[10]  Ibid, P-135

[11]  Ibid, P-135

[12]  A Divine Life Manifesto, P-139-140, , (An Integral Education for a Divine Life), Published by Sri Aurobindo Divine Life Education Centre, A unit of Sri Aurobindo Society, Pondicherry

 

 

[13]  FLOWERS – their Spiritual Significance, P-30-31, Published by-Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondycherry

[14]  Sri Aurobindo and The Mother On Education, P-91-92, Published by-Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondycherry

[15]  A Divine Life Manifesto, P-141-142, (An Integral Education for a Divine Life), Published by Sri Aurobindo Divine Life Education Centre, A unit of Sri Aurobindo Society,  Pondycherry

[16]  Sri Aurobindo and The Mother On Education, P-91-92, Published by-Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondycherry

 

[17]  A Divine Life Manifesto, P-153, (An Integral Education for a Divine Life), Published by Sri Aurobindo Divine Life Education Centre, A unit    of Sri Aurobindo Society, Pondycherry

[18]  Sri Aurobindo and The Mother On Education, P-117-118, Published by-Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondycherry

[19]  Ibid, P-117

[20]  Ibid, P-117-118

 

[21]  Mental Education, Course Booklet-3, P-19, The Gnostic Centre-2000

[22]  Ibid, P-19

[23]  Sri Aurobindo and The Mother, On Education, P-118-119, Published by-Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondycherry

 

 

[24]  CWM, v.6, P-22-23

[25] Mental Education, Course Booklet-3, P-23, Published by The Gnostic Centre-August 2000

[26]  Sri Aurobindo and The Mother, On Education, p-119, Published by-Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry

[27] Ibid, p-120

[28]  A. S. Dalal, Living Within, P-161-162, First Edition:1987, Published by Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry