Page 55 - NAMAH-Apr-2025

Namah Notes on Counselling

below to the subconscient and thence to the To bring down the silence into the mind is a
Inconscience. difficult process. We could start by using
an imagery at the initial phase. We could
But there is also another technique of consider the mind as an empty and quiet
allowing the silence to descend into the inner house that is locked. Thoughts like visitors
mind. The conventional technique in Indian come to the house and as they cannot enter a
spirituality is the phenomenon of ascent. The locked house, they have to encircle the house
ascent to the higher consciousness, the ascent and gradually fade away. When the image of
to the Supernals is highly sought after and this empty house is consolidated, the subject
eulogised. Sri Aurobindo acknowledges is told to visualise a white column of peace
the phenomenon of ascent but also brings and silence descending from very high above,
a new concept — the phenomenon of entering the house of the mind by piercing its
descent. There is a descent of the higher roof and filling it up. Practising this exercise
powers, of the higher consciousness, of the at intervals facilitates not only the settlement
Supernals into the being, complementing of peace and quietude but also an opening
the phenomenon of ascent. This descent to supra-rational influences. Incidentally,
of the higher powers into the inner mind the mind can then benefit from the usual
is a necessary requisite for the eulogised cognitive and mindfulness techniques (1).
culmination in Sri Aurobindo’s Yoga, which
is the new phenomenon of transformation But the silence has now to be brought into the
of consciousness. It is new because so long whole being and not merely at the level of the
Indian spirituality had liberation as its goal. mind. Of course, we are mental beings and
Liberation from all worldly issues, liberation it is appropriate to start from the level of the
from life and finally liberation from the cycle mind and then spread elsewhere. Actually,
of birth and death were sought after and the mind is non-local and not confined to
eulogised. But Sri Aurobindo does not want the brain. Mind is a consciousness that uses
to do away with life but wants to transform the brain for its expression but is spread
life so that what appears mundane becomes out everywhere. Hence it would now be
divine. appropriate to allow the silence to descend
to other parts of the being — the vital and
the physical though the mind is also present
everywhere.

After the silence has descended and
consolidated at the level of the mind, a new
set of imagery is required. One has to imagine
that the silence and peace after having settled
in the mind now starts descending along the
spine, along the vertebral column. While
descending it first spreads out to the two
upper limbs. One has to feel the silence and
peace permeating the upper limbs, filling

55