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Namah Notes on counselling

of an ideological war against the Donatists, ego and facilitate a spiritual perspective.
explained that though Judas had committed a Fourthly, an occult intervention with remedial
crime by betraying Christ, he had committed measures may be needed in selected
a more heinous crime by committing suicide instances ranging from cleansing of auras,
(4). use of adjuncts like camphor to sensitize space
and harnessing higher superconscient forces
Maloney explains how Russian spirituality or circumconscient cosmic forces from a
views sin to affect cosmic harmony: soul-poise to ward off negative influences
and consolidate positive forces.
“Sin is darkness that covers the spiritual
eyes of the soul…Such disorder and lack of The alternative
harmony have an impact on the entire world.
The social aspect and cosmic dimension of sin In a world plagued by alienation, meaninglessness
can be seen in Russian spirituality that posits and boredom, suicide prevention programmes
a relationship between earth and man’s good can also turn out to be ineffective unless the
or bad relationship to God, his fellow man and philosophy of life is addressed. When all
the rest of creation. Dostoyevsky captures the cognitive solutions prove inadequate, it is
ancient Russian insight, dating probably from the spiritual fount that gives sustenance. If
pagan times, when he describes earth as a holy someone asks the alternative to the banality
mother that a human being can offend, soil and of life, it would be difficult to give a rational
perpetrate evil against. Aloysha, the monk in answer. What if a person who has lived with
The Brothers Karamazov, bends down to whisper dignity and is now alone, bed-ridden, at the
his sinful deeds into the bowels of the earth as mercy of nursing staff, does not want to live
he seeks reconciliation with the cosmic harmony an undignified life and opts for suicide. Or
that he supposedly upset by his sins (5).” should one wait fervently for the Divine
Grace for one to be lifted up from the miseries
Restoring harmony of life?

This remarkable insight gives a clue: the Sri Aurobindo answers:
cosmic harmony has to be restored by subjects
affected by suicide committed by others so “Suicide solves nothing — it only brings one
as to come out of their unwarranted distress. back to life with the same difficulties to be faced
This requires a multi-modal approach. Firstly, in worse conditions. If one wishes to escape
vulnerable subjects should be screened for from life altogether, it can only be by way
psychopathology and if so indicated should of complete inner renunciation and merging
be subject to remedial measures. Secondly, oneself in the Silence of the Absolute or by a
coping strategies to counter stress in bhakti that becomes absolute or by a karmayoga
affected families need to be introduced and that gives up one’s own will and desires to the
periodically upgraded. Thirdly, programmes will of the Divine.
that lead to an experiential widening and
deepening of consciousness are needed “I have said also that the Grace can at any
to help vulnerable subjects outgrow the moment act suddenly, but over that one has no

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