Page 20 - NAMAH-Apr-2022

Namah Vol. 30, Issue 1, 24th April 2022

It is also important to know that social gnostic community.... He has said, of course,
evolution does not proceed along a straight that, for this, the individuals constituting
line. Like with the individual, human groups this collectivity should themselves have
also move along spirals wherein there seems this supramental consciousness; but even
to be a fall of the general level at times but without attaining an individual perfection
the rise that inevitably would follow if the — even while very far from it — there was
core aspiration and faith are kept intact will at the same time an inner effort to create this
be higher. Each descent prepares for a greater “collective individuality”, so to speak.
ascent. The Mother explains:
The need for a real union, a deeper bond has
“For a very long time the Ashram was only a been felt and the effort has been directed
gathering of individuals, each one representing towards that realisation. This has caused
something, but as an individual and without some... disturbance, for the tendency was
any collective organisation. They were like formerly so individualistic that certain habits
separate pawns on a chess-board — united have been upset I don’t mean materially, for
only in appearance — or rather by the purely things are not very different from what they
superficial fact of living together in the same were, but in a somewhat deeper consciousness.
place and having a few habits in common — And above all — that is the point I want
not even very many, only a few. Each one to emphasise — this has created a certain
progressed — or didn’t progress — according inner interdependence which has naturally
to his own capacity and with a minimum of lowered the individual level — a little —
relations with others. So, in accordance with except for those who had already attained
the value of the individuals constituting this an inner realisation strong enough to be
odd assemblage, one could say that there was able to resist this movement of what I might
a general value, but a very nebulous one, with call “levelling”. And this is what gives the
no collective reality. impression that the general level has fallen,
which is not correct. The general level is
This lasted a very long time — very long. on a higher plane than it formerly was, but
And it is only quite recently that the need for a the individual level has dropped in many
collective reality began to appear — which is not cases, and individuals who were capable of
necessarily limited to the Ashram but embraces one realisation or another have felt, without
all who have declared themselves — I don’t understanding why, weighed down by a load
mean materially but in their consciousness they did not have to carry before, which is
— to be disciples of Sri Aurobindo and have the result of this interdependence. It is just a
tried to live his teaching. Among all of them, temporary effect which, on the other hand,
and more strongly since the manifestation of will lead to an improvement, a very tangible
the Supramental Consciousness and Force, general progress.
there has awakened the necessity for a true
communal life, which would not be based only Of course, if each individual was conscious, if
on purely material circumstances but would instead of yielding to this kind of levelling effect,
represent a deeper truth, and be the beginning he resisted it in order to transform, transmute,
of what Sri Aurobindo calls a supramental or uplift the elements, influences, currents he

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