Page 34 - NAMAH-Apr-2023

Namah Vol. 31, Issue 1, 24th April 2023

it to say that just as visible and invisible capacities and faculties everything changes. To
physical forces govern the formation of use an analogy, it is idle to teach mathematics
matter so also tangible as well as invisible to a monkey unless you can find a way to
forces and energies govern the formation of change it into a man.
our inner being, our character, in fact our
complex psychological existence. Most of Yoga precisely takes up this position that the
the time, this happens unconsciously. with natural man is still evolving and has a lot more
results that are often undesirable. Yoga makes us to evolve. All that it requires is to have faith in this
increasingly conscious of these hidden domains possibility of conscious evolution, — not even
and forces. As we grow in yoga, we not only faith in God or any religion (that can be a path
become conscious of these hidden forces but not the only one). This faith in conscious
and the secret interchange with life and our evolution is in fact consistent with the logic of
surroundings, but also learn to eventually earthly change which is a series of evolution
master them. It is thus, through an increasing and transmutation. It is also consistent with the
growth and change of consciousness that a intuition, ingrained in our inner being due to

yogi is able to master his fate to a large extent. which humanity is always impelled towards

progress, new discoveries, education,
The uniqueness of Yoga creativity, self-reflection and change. It is
also implicit within us as a genuine need,
In other words, the unique thing about Yoga is due to which we are never satisfied fully and
that it believes in progress and evolution. Unlike constantly strive towards making things
religion that is a fixed belief-system with little better and better. Yoga simply takes this
scope of going beyond the framework that urge and need to its next logical level. To put
is given; unlike ideologies that are stuck in it simply, it implies to break free from every
fixed grooves of thought with little chance bondage to habit, conditioning and limitation.
to go beyond the system and principles Out of the limited to the limitless, out of the
and the articles: unlike even Science (as finite to the infinite, out of the transient and
it is largely understood) with its fixed the temporal to the Permanent and the Eternal.
assumptions and premises that cannot be And this too, it does not ask us to believe in as
questioned or challenged, Yoga admits that an article of dogma but confirm and realise it
our consciousness can change and with the through practice.
shift and change of consciousness, our vision,
understanding, power of action and the natural Yoga is in essence conscious evolution.

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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