RELIGIOUS REVOLUTION IN WORD

Evolution scientists tell us that that birth and the growth of man, the Home Sapiens, marked the completion of evolutionary cycle of life on earth that took place in various stages over millions of years. Man is the only creature among millions of species on earth, who can think intelligently and synthesize thoughts. Because of man’s power of intelligent reasoning, the scientists have put him at the zenith of the evolutionary spiral.

Man has made great strides in science and technology over the past one century. This is often mistaken as the evidence of man having reached the pinnacle of the evolutionary glory. A closer look at this phenomenon tells that the growth of human mind has so far been limited to exploiting the potential of matter. This is reflected in the spectacular growth of physical science that has put man in space and begun unlocking the mysteries of human body through research in areas such as gnome mapping, cellular biology and stem cells.

However, human endeavor to look into the potential of spirit has not gone beyond the realm of psychophysical research. In fact, research into deeper aspects of human mind always invariably ends with scientists probing the brain. This is because modern science cannot believe or perceive that human body and mind could be linked to another state of consciousness that exists beyond the limits of our physical world. The result is that the potential possibilities of spirit, vis-à-vis matter, has been left to the interpreters of religious spirituality. This has caused a neat division between scientists and religious leaders, making them look at each with a degree of suspicion and even hostility.

The developed West’s excessive emphasis on exploiting the physical world has resulted in the near total neglect of the great potential of the spirit world with which human body and mind are closely linked, and are therefore deeply impacted by it. The progress in science and technology has therefore led to greater physical comforts but not to peace of mind. If anything, material progress stemming from new scientific discoveries has only led to competition, conflict, discord and internecine struggle in human society.

Sri Aurobindo, one of 20th century’s greatest spiritual masters and seers, had accurately diagnosed the current crisis in human society as the result of the imbalance in man’s treatment of matter and spirit. He argued through his incisive writings and speeches that mankind will not be at peace with itself unless it achieved a correct balance in exploring the potential of spirit and matter and linking them together. Unlike most philosophers and proponents of spiritual development, Sri Aurobindo’s thoughts on the subject were not the result of his mere ‘armchair’ intellectual exercise. Refusing to accept at face value various interpretations of Vedic texts made by scholars, Sri Aurobindo conducted his own independent research into Vedic scriptures to understand and experience the cosmic consciousness and its impact on the physical world. After nearly 40 years of practicing what he called Integral Yoga as part of his practical research, he made a startling discovery — man is not at the pinnacle of life’s evolutionary cycle on earth. Man, he found, is only a ‘transitional being’. He found that the Homo sapiens have yet to evolve further in the realm of spirit. It is only when man evolves higher into the remaining stages of consciousness that he will have reached the zenith of life’s evolution on our planet.

Vedic texts mention that human body is only the physical abode of soul. The soul is enveloped in seven sheaths – Annamay Kosh (matter in the form of physical body sustained by intake of food), Pranmay Kosh (the life force), Manomay Kosh (mind as distinctly different from intelligence), Vigyanmay Kosh (intelligence), Aanandmay Kosh (bliss or ceaseless joy not connected with body or mind), Chitta Kosh (spiritual wisdom) and Sat Kosh (the final state of merging with the Infinite). Development of all the seven sheaths fully is necessary for man’s complete spiritual evolution.

Man has been successful in developing the first four sheaths through the physical evolutionary process down the ages. How will he be able now to complete the last three stages of his evolution? Sri Aurobindo, assisted by his French disciple known as the Mother, realized during his meditative states that the final evolution could happen only if the cosmic consciousness (whom he described as Krishna’s supramental force) descended on earth. Both Sri Aurobindo and Mother, fired by altruistic zeal to save mankind from imminent annihilation, dedicated themselves to most arduous practice of yoga for years to prepare spiritual environment conducive to such descent. Their dedication bore fruit. On November 24, 1926, the Mother announced to a small group of Sri Aurobindo’s disciples that Krishna’s supramental force had descended on earth and assumed a human form. It was the day on which Guru Siyag was born.

Both Sri Aurobindo and Mother were convinced that the person who was thus chosen for the manifestation of the Krishna consciousness in the physical world, would himself undergo the last three stages of ‘Anand’, ‘Chit’ and ‘Sat’. The chosen one’s mission would be to bring about the kind spiritual evolution that he has undergone himself among others. Sri Aurobindo and Mother were also convinced that if one man on earth underwent complete spiritual revolution, it was practically possible for millions of others to experience this divine transformation if they followed the same path as the Chosen One. Both were however also aware that the evolution of the Chosen one would be subject to all the trial and tribulations that are part of every human life. They knew that eventually the chosen one would be made fully conscious of his real mission on earth. This happened in 1969 when Guru Siyag achieved the Gayatri Siddhi in the wee hours of a winter morning in a Rajasthan town. He was engulfed in the divine light of the supramental force, changing his life forever. In the distant coastal town of Pondichery in southern India, Mother, who was always connected with cosmic consciousness, instantly received the vibrations of this momentous happening. She simply said her own mission was complete, as Krishna’s supramental force had become active that day. Given below is an excerpt from Mother’s writings of the vision she saw:

“November 26/27, 1968: Powerful and prolonged infiltration of supramental forces into the “body” everywhere at the same time, as though the whole body “bathed” in the forces that entered everywhere at the same time with a slight friction, the head down to the neck was the last receptive region.

1969: On the 1st January 1969 at two o'clock in the morning a consciousness descended into the earth's atmosphere and “settled” there. It was a most marvelous descent, full of light, force, power, joy and peace and suffused the ‘whole’ earth.”

She had no doubt that it would eventually lead the spiritual evolution in mankind. However, like all the spiritual mystics, Mother never indicated to her followers who the Chosen One was. Perhaps, she knew that the divine forces would themselves reveal the identity of the Chosen One when the time was ripe, and help him realize his true mission – bringing about a spiritual evolution in mankind.

It is the Indian spiritual belief that all the saints and true spiritual masters work in unison at a subtle consciousness level for the betterment of mankind. So, it was with Sri Aurobindo and Mother. Their own practice of Yoga was actually the spadework for the spiritual revolution in mankind, which they were sure, to take place in the near future.

The predictions made by Sri Aurobindo and Mother about the descent of Krishna consciousness in human form and its eventual rise through trial tribulations find amazing echo and identity in Guru Siyag’s journey from leading an ordinary material existence to his eventual transformation into a spiritual master under the blessings of his guru Shri Gangainathji. Though Guru Siyag is now ready for his global mission, he faces ignorance, indifference and even hostility at ever step just as prophets like Moses and Jesus did. But Guru Siyag is unperturbed. He is well aware that Krishna’s divine consciousness working within him cannot fail. The divine mission will succeed no matter how many stormy seas Guru Siyag is called upon to cross. West is the leader of the world’s material progress. So Guru Siyag is keen to take his Siddha Yoga to the West to begin a spiritual movement based on cosmic consciousness. He believes that only such a movement will eventually bring about a union of East’s spiritualism and West’s materialism to usher in a true spiritual revolution in mankind.