The Ascent towards Supermind, Part II, Chapter XXVI - The Ascent towards Supermind 106

The theory of spiritual evolution stands on its own grounds, whether Darwin’s theory remains valid or not valid, this theory is not dependent on it, but if that theory is there, it can be a very supportive theory with all its deficiencies. And Darwin’s theory has done a great service because it has at least produced lots of materials and evidences to show that there is been a gradual development, there is an evolution, its account of evolution may not hold. The theory of nature’s hostility may not hold, the theory that there is only be intention of survival of the filtest may not hold but that there is a gradual development of forms and gradual development of consciousness, this fact is strongly supported by this theory. Maybe his theory that it is the physical which causes consciousness, may not hold, but that there is a great interconnection between physical and consciousness is certainly a very important factor. And if you admit once that the unconscious has produced consciousness, it may look like a miracle and therefore the theorists will be obliged to change the position. That unconscious really, if it is able to produce consciousness, it will be something that is so fantastic, like a magician, it will break all the scientific processes of law. It is much more understandable that consciousness can produce unconsciousness but not vice versa. We know that even in our own life we are in state of waking and we know that we can go back into the sleep, in a state of unconsciousness that is not a miracle from consciousness to go into unconsciousness is not a miracle, but to say that there was unconsciousness originally, we suddenly burst into consciousness. The jump is so great that you cannot explain it because in the unconsciousness there is absence of purpose, absence of system, absence of order and sense of intelligence. In the case of consciousness there is always a sense of purpose, design, intelligence employing means and ends for each other. So, the emergence of unconsciousness from consciousness is more easily admissible that the emergence of consciousness out of unconsciousness. And once you see that consciousness is behind everything in the world then the phenomena of the world becomes more easily understandable. How for example a bird knows how to build a nest, how does it learn how to make a nest, how does a bird know that before it can lay the eggs, it must find a warm place, who teaches the bird. How the social life of ants is organized, how a queen bee is served by all the bees, what is it that drives them all, pure unconsciousness cannot do it? These are inexplicable merely by the theory of pure physical producing consciousness. But all this phenomena can be easily explained if you say that consciousness is basically at the root of everything therefore, if at a certain stage a certain ray of light manifest these designs can be easily explained.

Now if this is so then man developing higher and higher levels of consciousness by an evolutionary process becomes quite intelligible and it can be said that since many human beings have already crossed the ordinary boundaries of manhood. Ordinary boundaries of manhood are the boundaries of the mind. The mental consciousness has been crossed by several individuals. All the saints, all over the world have manifested a special kind of consciousness, which is not available in the mental consciousness. Something that is not divisive, human mind is capable of division, multiplication, adding and subtraction these four operations. Going beyond these four operations, where human beings have begun to have largeness, universality, oneness, − these are things which are beyond the human mind. And since some human beings have shown a capacity of sustained perception of unity, real saints are those, who are established in that new consciousness. As Vivekananda said that he was born without jealousy, jealousy which is the root of all division, basically I am divided from the other, therefore I have jealousy, but if I am united with everything then there is no jealousy. There are human beings who are by birth somehow capable of having shown qualities, which are beyond the limitations of the human mind. Already processes have been developed over the ages that is what Sri Aurbindo says in the very first paragraph, first line that psychic transformation and even beginnings of spiritual transformation are easily conceivable because there are many instances of this.

Perfection of this also is capable of being seen, although not many human beings have proved this perfection, but very fact that some have done it, this possibility of evolution is already established. And once you have reached that point a further evolution, a further development of consciousness is also conceivable, although it may not have been explored but we can explore it and we could have justification of exploring it.

It is in this process that we find that while evolution is moving forward through the physical organs and while we see that consciousness is at the base of this forward movement, even of the development of the physical organs. We make a discovery just as Whitehead spoke of ingression that there are already – this world is not the only world but there are also other worlds. Infact the discovery of the other world or other worlds not only one world but other worlds was a discovery made long ago in Indian history by the Vedic Rishis.

The Vedic Rishis while exploring the levels of consciousness, they discovered that as they developed some consciousness there is an automatic influx of consciousness from above. You just make a little progress and suddenly there is influx from above, so that your faculties develop very quickly. Just as a small child makes a little progress and if there is a very enlightened teacher already, who has already known quite a lot then he can immediately transmit to the child lot many things, which a child normally would take many years to acquire on his own.