Page 36 - NAMAH-Jan-2018

Namah Vol. 26, Issue 4, 15th January 2019

In the US, depression is on an unprecedented will be collision, conflict, crisis and chaos
rise, with the diagnosis of depression rising in one way or the other. It is only when the
by 33% from 2013 to 2016 (4,5). In India, as mode of operation shifts from a consciousness
much as 36% of the population has suffered divided by ignorance and a separatist egoism
from major depression at some point in their (7), to a universal consciousness that a true
lives (6). Globally today, suicide is the second resolution of crisis can come about. It is
leading cause of death among 15-29 year- olds. through changing the essence that the fractals
can come out differently.
The list of shocking numbers goes on. The
factors speculated for these are many: lack Harmony in times of crisis
of community, addiction to technology, an
old and factory-like education system, a In these times of crisis and chaos to even
mechanical job-life, a hopelessness in times talk about harmony would feel like a distant
of seemingly unconquerable crisis, these are dream to many. To many others it will be an
only a few. The social crisis feeds into the unimportant aim in comparison to what are
psychological crisis; the psychological crisis perceived as more urgent and pressing issues
into the social. But is there a greater crisis of our times. It is only when one begins to
behind the apparent social and psychological see that we are not only a part of the times of
crises of our times? crisis but also of a time of a great evolution,
of a great possibility of manifestation of new
Behind the psychological and the social is consciousnessin the history of Earth, of a new
the spiritual. Because of its long association Earth, that one begins to see and sense the
with religion, some people tend to think value of aspiring for harmony.
of spiritual as something to do with a God
sitting up there, morally dictating what to do In fact, focusing on the power of harmony
and what not to do. But that is not what we may actually give us clues to responding to
mean here. What we mean here is that there the issues of the 21st Century. Sri Aurobindo
is an evolution of consciousness behind the in The Life Divine writes that, “… all problems
psychological, social and ecological crisis. of existence are essentially problems of
There is stagnation in this progress at the harmony (8).” The social crisis represents
level of the mind, which refuses to follow or an unresolved attempt at finding harmony
acknowledge the evolution of consciousness between different cultures and peoples of
that transcends the present mind-principle. the world. The ecological crisis represents
an unsolved discord between human needs
Consciousness is at the base of all that is and the planet’s balance. The psychological
manifest. It is the source of all creation. crisis represents an ignorance of a deeper
Predominantly, the ordinary consciousness of love and oneness that brings harmony and
human beings is egoistic and mental. It is yet unity in life.
to go beyond the mind, establish within itself
consciousness of unity and harmony. As What is harmony?
long as human beings as a species continue to
operate from a separated consciousness, there Sri Aurobindo defines harmony as the

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