Page 44 - All India Magazine Aug-2026

Sri Aurobindo's Teaching

The teaching of Sri Aurobindo starts from that of the ancient
sages of India that behind the appearances of the universe there
is the Reality of a Being and Consciousness, a Self of all things
one and eternal. All beings are united in that One Self and Spirit
but divided by a certain separativity of consciousness, an igno-
rance of their true Self and Reality in the mind, life and body. It is
possible by a certain psychological discipline to remove this veil
of separative consciousness and become aware of the true Self,
the Divinity within us and all.
Sri Aurobindo's teaching states that this One Being and Con-
sciousness is involved here in Matter. Evolution is the method by
which it liberates itself; consciousness appears in what seems
to be inconscient, and once having appeared is self-impelled to
grow higher and higher and at the same time to enlarge and
develop towards a greater and greater perfection. Life is the first
step of this release of consciousness; mind is the second; but
the evolution does not finish with mind, it awaits a release into
something greater, a consciousness which is spiritual and su-
pramental. The next step of the evolution must be towards the
development of Supermind and Spirit as the dominant power
in the conscious being. For only then will the involved Divinity
in things release itself entirely and it become possible for life to
manifest perfection.
But while the former steps in evolution were taken by Na-
ture without a conscious will in the plant and animal life, in man
Nature becomes able to evolve by a conscious will in the instru-
ment. It is not however by the mental will in man that this can
be wholly done, for the mind goes only to a certain point and af-
ter that can only move in a circle. A conversion has to be made,
a turning of the consciousness by which mind has to change
into the higher principle. This method is to be found through the

44 All India Magazine, August 2026