Page 34 - NAMAH-Apr-2019

Namah Vol. 27, Issue 1, 24th April 2019

himself. This capacity is of utmost help in possibilities and capacities that change the
yoga and once we discover and develop it, balance of the play of nature’s forces within
of tremendous help in life. It would mean us. Recognition of this possibility and an
that human nature can change, that human effort in this direction is the sole hope for the
character and personality are not something future of man.
fixed and unalterable. We may be brought
into this world with a certain predilection, True change
some tendencies; we may develop certain
habits of behaviour, some learnt responses Yes, man can change, says yoga. But this
that stick to us like leeches, but this can change must proceed from within outwards
change. In a certain sense all education is a if it is to endure and be authentic. A mere
tacit recognition of this truth, all counselling external change of behaviour by coercion or
would agree to this in principle. Otherwise fear of law is not a change but a manipulation,
there is nothing much to do except to accept a layering of the surface while the inside
ourselves as we are, helplessly tied to our remains as weak and hollow as before. Of
respective nature as animals are tied to the course no change is easy. It requires time and
law of their species. But even animals do persistent effort in the right way and the right
change, to some extent at least, by coming direction. It is in the steady application of a
into contact with human beings. We as deeper yoga psychology that we can hope
human beings have a far greater possibility to find the promise of the future. Artificial
because, unlike the animal kind, we do not Intelligence and other such external measures
have any fixed law of our nature. Besides to make human life comfortable are alright
there is in man a constant seeking for change. as far as they go but they do not go much
At first this seeking for change takes the further. Even, if man remains what he is in
form of trying to change our environment, his present stage of development, then these
physical and psychological. But the sign very comfort-zones may become for him
of a developed humanity is that it tries to a danger-zone. But if we turn our gaze
change itself, to re-mould itself along the in the direction of upgrading our human
lines of an ideal condition or person or some intelligence to a Divine Intelligence, or at
figure and role model of the present or past. least a Spiritual Intelligence, then perhaps
To this, yoga adds the development of new we stand a chance.

Dr. Alok Pandey, an editor of NAMAH and a member of SAIIIHR, is a doctor practising at the
Sri Aurobindo Ashram.

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