Page 23 - NAMAH-Apr-2022

Namah Towards a Spiritualised Society

“It is certainly not an arbitrary structure
like those made by men, in which they put
everything pell-mell, without order or reality,
and the whole thing is held together only by
illusory links, which were symbolised here
by the walls of the hotel, and which, in fact,
in ordinary human constructions — if we
take as an example a religious community —
are symbolised by the monastery building,
In essence it means freeing oneself of the identical clothes, identical activities, even
shackles and trappings of the old ways identical movements — I’ll make it more
that have governed our human life so far clear: everybody wears the same uniform,
through religion, ideology, systems of everybody rises at the same hour, eats the same
philosophy and various types of societies things, offers the same prayers together, etc.,
based largely on the geographical space, there is a general uniformity. And naturally,
language, customs, traditions etc. But this inside, there is a chaos of consciousnesses,
new way is much more about the inner each one going according to its own mode,
change extending and including the outer for this uniformity which goes as far as an
rather than an outer change forcibly imposing identity of belief and dogma, is an altogether
itself upon the constituting individuals by illusory identity.
law or enforced tradition or other social
and religious pressures. To discuss all the This is one of the most usual types of human
details and aspects of this complex spiritual collectivity: to be grouped, linked, united around
evolution may not be possible in this essay. a common ideal, a common action, a common
What we must remember is that why such realisation, but in a completely artificial way.
attempts in the past failed so that the follies As opposed to this, Sri Aurobindo tells us that
are not repeated. One reason of course a true community — what he calls a gnostic
was the tendency to over-institutionalise or supramental community — can exist only
everything through a mechanical religious on the basis of the inner realisation of each
code as was attempted by certain religions. of its members, each one realising his real,
This stifles the individual growth and only concrete unity and identity with all the other
creates a neat façade behind which things members of the community, that is, each one
are cracking down. On the other extreme should feel not like just one member united
is the breaking down of everything into an in some way with all the others, but all as
individual growth and action without any one, within himself. For each one the others
real reference to the whole. This may help must be himself as much as his own body,
the individual but slowly creates a tendency and not mentally and artificially, but by a
of isolation and withdrawal rather than a fact of consciousness, by an inner realisation.
collective growth and change. (Silence)

Let us close with this double action indicated That means that before hoping to realise this
by the Mother in one of her conversations. gnostic collectivity, each one should first become

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