Integral yoga

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The integral yoga according to Aurobindo Ghose (called Aurobindo or Sri Aurobindo, 1872–1950) is a yoga path that puts the spiritual philosophy of Indian yogis into practice. Aurobindo got it at the beginning of the 20th century. developed and published in the form of ongoing treatises in the journal Ārya, which he edited during the years 1914–1921. The integral yoga according to Aurobindo has to be distinguished from the yoga of the same name of Swami Satchidananda (1914–2002), which he shaped in the second half of the 20th century and made famous in the USA in particular.

term

It is not a form of yoga with firmly defined exercises like in Hatha Yoga or Raja Yoga . According to Aurobindo, more essential than asanas is complete surrender, in which the practitioner or sadhak devotes all his actions, words and thoughts to the divine. This yoga is called integral because the traditional disciplines Jnana Yoga , Karma Yoga and Bhakti Yoga are linked together, as Aurobindo describes it in the synthesis of yoga . But it is also integral because it does not reject or want to overcome the world, but rather seeks to penetrate it with the divine.

Goal and path

The goal of integral yoga is a gradual union with the divine and, connected with it, its growing revelation in all areas of human life.

"To grow into the truth and the power of the spirit and through the direct action of that power to become a real river bed through which that person can express himself, a life of man in God and a divine life of the spirit in humanity - that is hence the principle and the whole goal of an integral yoga of self-perfection. "

According to Aurobindo, it is not enough for the soul to rise and unite with the divine, or for the spirit to rise in nirvana . An ascent to the divine alone cannot be the goal; a descent of the divine into the world must follow. But so that the world can be transformed, no steps on the way must be skipped. Only those who walk the steps of the entire ladder, i.e. who consciously turn all parts of the personality towards the divine, can return to the path and bring the divine into the world. Traditional methods of yoga practice can be used in the sadhana of integral yoga, but ultimately only the divine itself can bring about the transformation.

The triple transformation is the psychological transformation in which is all-the psychic being in communion with God , the spiritual transformation , is sunk into the all-cosmic consciousness in God , and finally the supramental transformation , in which everything in the divine gnostic consciousness is supramentalized. Only with the latter can the complete transformation of body, life and mind begin.

The threefold effort of man, which initiates and supports this change, is striving for the divine without preconditions, rejection of ideas , preferences and pride as well as surrender to the divine , which must happen without conditions and without personal pursuit of profit. Ultimately, only the divine itself can bring about this transformation, which requires the individual to step back.

Parts of the human being

For this, all parts of the human being must be transformed and permeated by the divine Shakti . A distinction is made between an outer and an inner area for the parts of the being:

Physique
Outer physique
Inner true physis (Annamaya Purusha), the original evolutionary force
Vital level
External vitality, life force
Inner, true vitality (Pranamya Purusha)
Mental level,
External mind
Inner, true mind (Manomaya Purusha)
  • higher mental levels: see table
According to Aurobindo, the "central being" should stand above and behind these levels:
Central being (Antaratman)
Standing above these three levels, it is called Jivatman (Eternal Self).
Standing behind the mind, life and body, Aurobindo calls it "psychic being".

While mental, vital and physical impulses mix in their outer aspects, according to Aurobindo they are separated in their inner, true aspects. To accomplish this separation, integral yoga has in common with classical yoga. According to Aurobindo, inner, true mental, vital and physical are in direct connection with the inner being (Antaratman) and are sometimes confused with it. The central being, the Jivatman, is considered to be above birth and death. He should be the eternal, true essence of the individual.

Levels of consciousness

In Aurobindo's model of stages there are still different spiritual levels below the supramental:

  • The normal mind : this is the starting point, the think tank of people. Man has to leave the constant flow of thoughts and associations, the mental prison, in order to ascend to higher spiritual levels.
  • The higher mind: this is the mind of the philosophers and thinkers. Here you can find abstract, higher thinking, a thinking that is still divided into fragments. Only occasionally do you find lightning-like higher insights here.
  • The enlightened mind : if the higher mind assumes peace and quiet, this leads to growing spiritual clarity. The occasional insights become a steady stream of light that grows into a flood, a luminous invasion . This can be expressed in different ways, in the artistic creativity of a poet or musician, the knowledge of a scientist, or simply in religious knowledge and devotion. Aurobindo himself was a poet (his greatest work was Savitri ), and he promoted poetry and the arts among his students.
  • The intuitive mind : here the clarity and knowledge come directly from the silence, directly, in a flash, and without the mental translation that still plays a role in the enlightened mind. There is no longer a current that comes from outside, above and below merge into one unit. The seeker tries less to express his knowledge poetically, but rather maintains silence and inner clarity.
  • The About Mental (OverminD): here the consciousness is a ground stable light that results in an unbroken universal vision; consciousness does not see here point by point, with a single glance one sees a great expanse of time and space . He is full of lights and powers. He releases millions of deities, each with the power to create their own world . But from here the separation of different aspects of truth begins. The supermental works and opens up spontaneously. It is partly of a supramental character and leads to it.
  • The Supramental (Supermind): the supramental view is a global vision. While the supermental bundles all aspects of fragmented views of the mind into a single ray, this ray ends in only one point and one sees everything under this one aspect; it is universal and uniform because it excludes or simply integrates other perspectives. The supramental, on the other hand, sees everything in a single vision that connects all rays without contradiction and at the same time sees the perspective of every single thing - a rounded vision that does not end in a central point, but in a myriad of points: a single countless look ... (Savitri) It represents the dynamic form of Sat-Chit-Ananda and is supposed to connect the divine with its creation in a new way.

Chakras or centers

The central terms in Aurobindo's yogic psychology can be related to the traditional chakra system of Tantra . However, Aurobindo's yoga differs in that its path - somewhat generalized - slowly develops the chakras from top to bottom , and not from bottom to top, as in classic Kundalini Yoga . The divine power descends through the lid in the Sahasrara and then transforms the vessel, the human body, which, like in Tantra, is an image of the cosmic forces. Further aspects are the disappearance of the ego , the growth of the psychic being and the surrender of the person to the divine work.

Chakras and terms in Aurobindo's yoga
Chakra name Assignment to Aurobindo's terminology Higher Aspects
Sahasrara - thousand-petalled lotus Higher mind, enlightened mind Opens up to the intuitive mind and the overmind, which are above the head
Ajna - forehead center Dynamic mind, will and vision Inner, true mind
Vishudda - throat center is used for expression and outward movement
Hridaya - heart center Ego, wishful soul, emotional being Soul, referred to as a psychic being in connection with the centers
Manipura - navel center Greater vitality, desires, passions Inner, true vital
Svadhishtana - lower navel center Sensual vital center - governs small vital movements, greed, lust, small desires and sensory impressions
Muladhara - base center Governs the physical down to the subconscious Inner, true physique

The psychological transformation

According to Aurobindo, the soul (the psychic being) stands behind the personality of the person. It is the carrier of body, life and mind. With "normal" people, she tolerates their decisions and rarely intervenes. But the psychic being has the ability to reshape the nature of a person and to bring brightness and clarity where there was previously darkness, where there was previously confusion, to bring insight and understanding, where there was previously falsehood, to bring truth and justice . The psychic being can even protect the body from diseases and dangers. The psychic influences the consciousness from the background, but one has to step out of ordinary consciousness into the innermost being to find it, and one has to make it the ruler of the consciousness, which it has to be. To do that is one of the main goals of yoga. It is therefore the task of the Sadhaks , the forces of the body, vital and mental to bring under the spiritual influence and to entrust more and more the psychic beings by little. The psychic being knows the way to the divine, hears its call and is able to lead mind, heart and body to it. This has to happen in a constant process until the contact with the divine is stable and the spiritual transformation begins.

The Spiritual Transformation

Once a person has broken the lock of the mind, he sees the infinity above him, feels an eternal presence, an infinity of consciousness and bliss, a limitless light, a limitless self, an eternal divinity. When he returns from this ascension he is aware of it; but there is no consciously discerning distinction and a clear definition of the experience. According to Aurobindo, this is due to the fact that these experiences are superconscious for the human mind and only a series of experiences enable the human mind to become aware of what was previously superconscious. Then an experience and knowledge of the higher levels of being begins. For full spiritual transformation, a constant ascent from the lower to the higher consciousness and an effective, constant descent from the higher to the lower nature is necessary. No limit can be placed on this revolution, for by its nature it is the invasion of the infinite.

The Supramental Transformation

But Aurobindo also states that the human spirit can reflect the infinite, can be absorbed in it, receive its instructions and carry them out in its own way; but he cannot himself be the direct and perfect instrument of the infinite spirit. This requires a consciousness that is above the mental, human consciousness. Aurobindo calls this supramental consciousness. And states that evolution has to move towards this supramental consciousness in order to enable a divine life on earth.

The meaning of the act

Sri Aurobindo demands in his yoga an activity for the Ishvara , the Lord of creation, in the world. A complete retreat from world events is only granted by him as a temporary possibility. His ideas of activity are similar to those of Krishna in the Bhagavadgita . The deed should take place without clinging to success and in complete serenity. The deed should not take place as a satisfaction of the ego, but should be offered as a gift for the Lord of the world. In order to be able to achieve this goal, according to Aurobindo, the forces of the ego must be overcome and the will of the human being must gradually come into harmony with the will of the divine Shakti . In a final stage, the actions of the sadhak are intended to fully express the divine will.

References and notes

The references also refer to the primary and secondary literature in the personal article and are therefore listed in abbreviated form.

  1. ↑ Aurobindo often avoids the term "God" in his writings because it is partly connected with misleading associations from the world of religions. Instead he uses the term "the Divine"; H. the / the / the divine.
  2. ↑ Otto Wolf: Der Integrale Yoga, p. 59 (translation from The Synthesis of Yoga , 1955)
  3. ↑ Light on Yoga pp. 20-25
  4. ↑ Aurobindo uses the terms mind , overmind and supermind in particular to identify these levels . These are reproduced here in the version of the translator Heinz Kappes as Mental, Übermental and Supramental. Peter Steiger uses the terms Geist, Obergeist and Übergeist.
  5. ↑ Otto Wolff: Der Integrale Yoga p. 74 (translation from Letters of Sri Aurobindo p. 282 f.)
  6. ↑ Otto Wolff: Der Integrale Yoga p. 81 (translated from Live Divine 810 ff.)

Primary literature

Only those works of Aurobindo are listed here which have integral yoga as their content. Further works by Aurobindo on other topics are listed in the literature review of the article on Aurobindo Ghose.

Secondary literature

  • Klaus J. Bracker: Veda and Living Logos - Anthroposophy and Integral Yoga in Dialog . Verlag Mayer Info3, 2014. ISBN 978-395779-009-5 . Synopsis of related motifs of integral yoga and anthroposophical spirituality.
  • Morwenna Donnelly: The Foundation of Divine Life - An Introduction to Integral Yoga by Sri Aurobindo , Turm Verlag, Bietigheim 1973, ISBN 3-7999-0163-9 . (Supplied by Mirapuri Verlag) Very easy and legible, catchy presentation of the key points of Aurobindo Ghose's conceptions. The volume leaves all further-reaching considerations to other publications. The strength of this bond lies in the direct comprehensibility of new terms at Aurobindo.
  • Pandit, MP : The Practice of Integral Yoga. A Guide to Holistic Spirituality. German Translated by: Kathrin Dannebauer, Auroville 2008 (delivery: edition sawitri and Sri Aurobindo Society), without ISBN
  • Rainer Püschel: Self-transformation - Integral Yoga according to Sri Aurobindo and esoteric Christianity , Hinder + Deelmann, Gladenbach 2006 (2nd edition), ISBN 978-3-87348-109-1
  • Satprem : Sri Aurobindo or The Adventure of Consciousness , OWBarth Verlag 1982, ISBN 3-87041-229-1 , and new edition 2003, Hinder & Deelmann, ISBN 3-87348-147-2 . Basic, easy-to-read, biographical introduction by a former Ashram member and confidante of Mirra Alfassa. The presentation of the ideas and goals of Aurobindo Ghose and Mirra Alfassas receive interpretive aids from the author; five b / w photo portraits.

Web links

See also